The Pretender (Loki x Reader) One-shot

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began


Light was always shining upon you in the great halls of Asgard. You were one of Thor and Loki’s loyal friends, a fierce fighter with a heart of gold, and… a woman. But tonight the lights didn’t seem to shine so bright, for Odin, king of Asgard, had cast out his first born, Thor.

You were sitting in one of the rooms in the palace overlooking Asgard. A warm fire heated up your cheeks. The rest of your friends were still defeated because they had lost Thor and above all Loki had just confessed he had told Heimdall to warn Odin you had gone to Jotunheim. You weren’t sure if the rest was grateful or angry.

You could see something was bothering Loki and as the rest returned to their chambers, you decided to confront him.


Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in again
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are ever ready
Are you ready?


‘Loki, if I may have a word?’

He looked surprised, but tried not to show you. He had always been bad at playing tricks on you. He could fool everyone else, even his own brother, but not you.

‘Of course, [Name]. What is on your mind?’

‘Something happened in Jotunheim… Something that scared you?’

Loki snorted, smiling a little. ‘I can never fool you, can I?’

‘I am worried about you, Loki. Ever since Odin decided to name Thor heir, you have been acting differently.’

Loki nodded. ‘You have always been the only one I truly regard as my friend and not Thor’s, but have no worries for me. I am fine.’

He took your hand in his and pressed a kiss on it. You smiled, but you also knew he was keeping something from you.

‘Loki…’

‘Yes?’

‘What happened?’


I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense


He sighed, swallowing hard and seating the both of you in one of the couches. ‘Have you never wondered why I am nothing like Thor? Why Odin treats me differently? I do not belong here, [Name].’

‘What are you talking about? Of course you belong here. You are Odin’s son.’

‘I am not sure whether to believe that any longer…’

You frowned, looking into Loki’s eyes. You could see the pain he had been feeling for several months now and it seemed to get deeper and deeper. A small light of anger was burning inside of him.

‘I do not understand…’

‘When one of the frost giants touched Volstagg it caused a burn wound of ice, but when one of them touched my arm it... it became ice.’

You looked at his hand as you imagined what had happened. You tried to understand what was going on and why his arm would have turned to ice, but you could only think of one explanation.

‘But that would mean you are…’

‘Not Odin’s son,’ Loki nodded. He had expected you to back away from him. To think he was some monster that you had to kill, but you didn’t. You let your finger slide across his arm, looking into his eyes.


Spinning infinity
Boy, the wheel is spinning me
It's never ending, never ending
Same old story


‘What can I do to help?’

Loki was lost for words. No one had ever shown so much compassion for him. That had always been directed at Thor, the first born, the almighty… Maybe it was good to convey in someone. Someone he could trust… Someone he loved?

‘I… I do not wish for you to get involved, [Name].’

‘But I wish to help. I know you, Loki. Maybe even better than you know yourself. You need me to stop you from doing anything foolish.’

‘I do not want you to get hurt…’

You smiled, caressing the side of his hand with your thumb. ‘You should know by now that I am more than capable of protecting myself.’

Loki nodded, liking the warmth of your skin on his. ‘I am going back to Jotunheim,’ he said resolutely, evading his eyes from yours, afraid you would judge him.

‘Then I will come with you.’


What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I will never surrender?


You were walking towards he bifrost. Loki had objected many times to you coming with him. He said he was one of them and you weren’t. They would never harm him, but he wasn’t sure what they would do to you. He would never be able to forgive himself if something bad happened to you.

As you were walking up to Heimdall he was still saying you could back down, but he knew you wouldn’t. He was counting on it. He didn’t know if he could do this without you.


What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?


‘How will we get past Heimdall?’ Loki whispered. ‘Odin has forbidden anyone to use the bifrost.’

‘He owes me a favor…’

Loki smiled, thinking he knew less about you than he had thought. It made you mysterious. Special. He didn’t understand why he hadn’t looked at you this way before.


In time or so I'm told
I'm just another soul for sale, oh well
The page is out of print, we are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story


‘Heimdall…’ you said, staring into his light, almost fluorescent, brown eyes.

‘Lady [Name]... To what to I owe the pleasure of your company?’

You smiled, knowing he knew exactly what you came here for. ‘We have known each other far too long for pleasantries, Heimdall. You know what I am here for.’

Heimdall nodded. ‘I know, but I cannot do what you ask of me. The king himself has forbidden it.’

‘It is not vengeance we seek, old friend. It is answers.’

‘It does not matter what you seek. It is forbidden. We are on the verge of war. You could endanger everything. You will be punished.’

‘Either you help us or I will find another way…’

‘You promised you would never speak of it...’ Heimdall hissed.

‘And I will not. I am a woman of my word. All I ask of you is a favor. The same favor my family has given you for all these years.’

Heimdall nodded, although he didn’t seem pleased with the conversation. He opened the bifrost and told you again that he would not bring you back if there was any danger. You accepted the risk, while Heimdall still searched for the right planet.

‘What is this favor you were talking about?’ Loki whispered. ‘I have never seen Heimdall react this way.’

You sighed. ‘The bifrost is not the only way to travel between the nine realms. Every realm has its weak spot, through which you can travel to the other realms. That is how the frost giants got into Asgard. Heimdall knows where the weakspot is, as do I. My family has promised to protect that secret for generations. No one has ever used it.’

‘Until yesterday…’

You nodded. ‘Heimdall does not wish others to know, afraid they will take advantage of it.’

‘I understand…’

‘Be safe,’ Heimdall said, before transporting you to Jotunheim again.


What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?


The cold was still something you couldn’t get used to. Your breath rose in little clouds into the sky. You closed your cloak around you, while you followed Loki further into landscape of ice. You looked around you, trying to spot the frost giants, but again it was remarkably quiet.

‘Do not worry,’ Loki whispered, letting his hand slide into yours. ‘They are watching us…’

‘Was that supposed to be a consolation?’ you snorted.

Loki laughed softly. ‘You know I am not good at comforting people. I am not good with people in general. You are the only friend I have.’

‘You should give yourself more credit. You are a ‘God’ after all!’

‘On earth maybe… but in Asgard, I am nothing.’

You stopped, squeezing Loki’s hand. He turned around frowning. ‘What?’

‘You are not nothing, Loki. Not… Not to me…’

Loki swallowed hard, taking a step closer to you. You could feel his hot breath on your skin. His green eyes locked on yours and his hand found a way against your cheek.

‘You are everything a man could wish for,’ Loki sighed.

‘What about you… What do you wish for?’

Loki smiled sadly. ‘It does not matter. You deserve more than me.’

‘What if I do not want more?’

Loki stared at you intensely, seemingly trying to figure out if you were tricking him somehow. You weren’t. He took your head into his hands and pressed a kiss on your frozen lips.

‘I will never betray you, Loki. You know that…’ you whispered against his lips, seeing the doubt in his eyes as he let his forehead rest against yours.

‘Nor I you...’


What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?


‘How romantic,’ Laufey’s voice echoed through the large open space. ‘You have returned. With fewer numbers I see…’ Laufey scoffed. ‘You have a lot of nerve showing up here again, Odinson…’

‘We come in peace…’ Loki yelled, keeping you from pulling the swords of your back.

‘As you always do, Odinson. Why should we not kill you right where you stand? Send a message to your king?’

‘Because I am one of you!’

Laufey laughed. ‘And you brought her as a peace offering?’

Loki pulled you closer to him. ‘No… She has nothing to do with this. I do not wish to fight. I wish to talk.’

‘The time has long past for simple conversation. Leave, before I change my mind about not killing you again…’

Loki nodded. ‘I need you to leave, [Name],’ he whispered. ‘Run back to the bifrost.’

‘But…’

‘No harm will come to me. You have to trust me,’ he stroke the hair out of your face and pressed a kiss on your still frozen lips.

You slowly let go of his hand as you started running back to the bifrost. You didn’t know what Loki’s plan was, but you trusted him.

‘As you wish…’ you heard Laufey’s voice echo through the icy mountains. As you looked over your shoulder, you saw them take Loki away. Their eyes were on you, their hands turning into cones of ice, ready to kill you if you were to change your mind and come back. You weren’t.

As you were almost at the edge of the ravine you screamed, ‘Heimdall, open the bridge!’

A great ray of light blinded you and beamed you up. When you opened your eyes again you were back at Asgard, the scepters of the guard pointed at your head.

‘I am sorry, lady [Name],’ Heimdall whispered. ‘My loyalty is still with the king.’

You nodded understandingly. You pulled the swords of your back and threw them at the guards’ feet. They quickly made way when the king approached you.

‘Where is Loki?’ he cried out. ‘Where is my son!’

‘Your son?’ you scoffed. ‘You and I both know he is not your son…’

Odin scowled at you, gesturing his men to capture you. ‘You have betrayed your king, [Name] [Last Name]. You have betrayed your oath, and above all you have endangered the only son I still have left. You betrayed whole of Asgard…’

‘What are you going to do?’ you snorted. ‘Cast me out?’

Odin looked at you with a glance of pure hatred. He shook his head. ‘No, you will be punished for all your crimes by Asgardian law.’

‘My king,’ Heimdall objected. ‘That will condemn her to death…’

Odin nodded, looking at you. ‘And death it shall be.’

You tried to fight the guards that were holding you, but they were too strong. Heimdall looked at you with a mixed gaze of sorrow and regret.

‘May the spirits protect you, my friend,’ he whispered, before the guards dragged you back to the palace.

‘When Loki comes back…’ you cried out to Heimdall.

‘I will tell him,’ he nodded.


I'm the voice inside your head you refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face, mirrorin' your stare
I'm what's left,
I'm what's right,
I'm the enemy


‘[Name] [Last Name] you have committed treason of the highest sort. You have disobeyed your king’s orders and thereby endangered the life of the king’s son and whole of Asgard. You are hereby sentenced to death, what say you?’ Odin’s voice echoed through the large halls of Asgard. Everyone had been gathered to witness your death. You were set to be an example for everyone. No one would ever disobey the king. Not his first born, not you.

‘Everything I did, I did out of love,’ you said confidently.

‘Love can be a curse...’

Odin stepped off his throne, a golden sword in his hand. You closed your eyes, a single tear rolling over your cheek.

‘I am sorry, Loki,’ you whispered as the king trust the sword into your body.


I'm the hand that'll take you down, bring you to your knees
So who are you? Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you?


Loki stepped into the bifrost, his skin slowly turning back to normal again. He didn’t know if he was any wiser than he had been before coming to Jotunheim, but he knew he couldn’t do anything that would endanger you. All the questions he had for his ‘father’ seemed so meaningless as he thought of your touch, your kiss and the life he could have if he just accepted he would never be king. He was willing to give up everything he had ever wanted just so that he could be with you. Realizing that gave him more relief than anything ever could.


Keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend


‘If you want to stop it, you need to hurry,’ Heimdall said, when Loki was in Asgard again.

‘Stop what?’ Loki frowned. ‘Has something happened?’

‘Odin has condemned [Name] to death…’

Loki’s heart beat uncontrollably in his chest as he saw the life he had just pictured himself in evaporated in front of his eyes. ‘No… She cannot die. I… I love her…’

Without saying anything else he started running over the bridge. He could only hope he wasn’t too late. He couldn’t let you die for his crimes. It had taken him way too long to realize that he loved you. He wouldn’t let Odin take away the only thing that still mattered to him.

As he ran into the great hall, Odin just pulled the golden sword out of you. Loki ran over to you, as you fell to the floor, catching you just before you hit the ground. It felt like all the air was slammed out of his longs. The pain of losing you was almost unbearable.

‘No!’ he screamed. ‘What have you done! She just followed my orders…’

You reached up to Loki, as the life was slowly flowing out of you. Your hand found his cheek and you smiled at him with all the strength you still had in you.

‘You should not have to die for me…’ he sighed. ‘You deserve more than that.’

‘We all have a destiny in life, Loki. Mine never was to be by your side.’

Loki could feel a tear rolling over his cheek. ‘It could have been, [Name]… It could have been.’

You shook your head. ‘You were always meant for greater things. Be the king I know you are…’ you whispered. ‘Show them all who you really are, Loki. Show them what I see in you every time I look into your eyes. Show them the power a true God has…’

‘Please… Do not leave me. I need you…’ He pressed a kiss on your lips, but the last light had already left your eyes. Your hand fell to the ground, while Loki still cradled your dead body in his arms.

He felt the eyes of every Asgardian on his back. He could hear the soft crying of women and the hard swallows of men.

‘Please…’ he whispered in your hair. ‘Give her back…’

He felt the warm hand of his mother on his shoulder, squeezing slightly.

‘Leave me,’ Loki hissed. Even though his mother meant well, he didn’t want any of them to feel sorry for him. Or to feel anything at all…

‘I am sorry about [Name], Loki. I know she was a good friend to both you and Thor.’

‘Then why did you not try to stop him…’

‘I did, Loki. I did.’

‘Not hard enough!’ he screamed, startling everyone that was still in the room. ‘I loved her, mother. I… I loved her.’

‘I did not know. He did not know. If he would have…’

‘Then what?’ Loki turned to his mother, tears still in his eyes. ‘He would have spared her life? She is dead now, mother. Your words have no meaning.’

He ignored any other words of his mother and ‘friends’. Eventually everyone left and he was alone with you and his sorrow. No one knew how he felt. They had no idea about the gut wreaking emptiness that filled his heart. They didn’t share the anger that was growing inside of him. They didn’t know what he had become. What his ‘father’ had made him become…

He would never forgive Odin for what he had done. He wouldn’t stop hating him until he had suffered the same fate as you had. Loki promised himself he would be the king you had seen in him. Be the God you knew he was. Even if it would take him his entire life, he would… avenge you.


What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?



THE END