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It was just a political marriage; a way to strengthen the ties between realms.
It was meant to be nothing, but to Loki, it was everything.
Loki hadn’t intended to fall in love with his husband, but Anthony was perfect. He matched him in every possible way and Loki was helpless to do anything but fall.
Yet, unlike Loki who had been born a prince and never expected to marry for love, Anthony was not the same. He was forced into the position and furious about the disruption to his life on Midgard.
He lost a lover - a mortal woman whom he would have married had he been given the chance. He also lost a home, forced to move to Asgard to be with Loki.
Anthony resented Loki for the first few years, but eventually he began to thaw, realising that Loki had no more say in the matter than Anthony did.
They began to do more than simply share a home. They began to converse and get to know one another. They began to like each other, to become friends.
They had only shared a bed the first night, a single act of consummation before Anthony moved to another room in the house. But as their relationship developed, so did their willingness to return to their marriage bed.
Neither of them were men who would break the bonds of a marriage, no matter how political. They would have no other lovers for as long as they were wed - which, considering the immortality given to Anthony, would now be many centuries.
But, where Anthony considered him friend, lover, companion and fellow trickster, Loki considered him far more.
It was meant to be a loveless, political marriage; instead Loki had fallen for his husband.
Yet, Loki knew that Anthony still loved his woman. He longed to see her, to be with her, but refused to venture back to Midgard and see someone he could never have.
Loki tried not to let it hurt him. He tried instead to show Anthony things he could enjoy on Asgard and the other realms. He tried to make his husband happy.
They had been together five years and Loki knew it was foolish, but he still ventured into Anthony’s lab to speak with him.
The former mortal was bent over a desk, fiddling with his Midgardian electronics. He found comfort in the items of his realm and Loki made sure they were brought to him regularly from his home world.
“How do you fare, Anthony?”
“Yeah, fine,” the other man answered distractedly.
“I thought we might have dinner on Alfheim tonight,” Loki remarked casually.
Anthony frowned and glanced away from his workbench. “Why?”
It is our anniversary, Loki thought but didn’t say.
“I wished for a change from Asgard. We might stay a few days, visit the libraries.”
Anthony brightened at the thought of new knowledge. He pointed his tool at Loki. “You got a deal.”
Loki’s smile wasn’t completely genuine, but Anthony didn’t know him well enough to notice it. “I shall inform you an hour before we leave.”
Anthony nodded but he was already turning back to his work. Loki hesitated, wishing to touch his husband’s shoulder, stroke fingers through his hair and press a kiss to his skin. He did none of those things, instead he slowly backed away and left Anthony to his projects.
Loki had never expected to have a spouse who would love him, he had never expected to care when they didn’t, but Loki could not change what had happened, he could only make the most of it.
It has only been five years, he told himself, give it another five, give it a decade, give it a hundred, perhaps there might be a chance.
Loki might forever live in the shadow of a mortal woman, but perhaps if he was careful, perhaps if he tried, there could still be a space for him inside Anthony’s heart.
He might never be his husband’s first choice, but maybe he could be more than Anthony’s frustration and regret.