A Study in Crimson and Green

1.

"Do we have to do this now?"

"You say that every time!"

"Yes? Well maybe you should take the damn hint."

"For god's sake – Loki? Where are you going?"

"Out. Damn you. Out."

"Loki!"

I was not only tired of the argument I was tired of the number of times we had started to have it. Started and resolutely ended before it could run its way to a doubtlessly depressing conclusion. Yes, I'd had enough, once again storming out of your bed, shivering myself back into the illusion of being dressed and walking out the nearest door. I was too angry (too scared) to really look where I was going and to see that it only led onto a stone balcony overlooking a dismally beautiful landscape of arches, towers, pale golden courtyards darkening into shadow in the evening. The stone wall was cool beneath my hands as I leant to look down, hunching up and sighing at the same time. This backdrop of purple, blue and silver stars made it hard to behave in anything less than an over-dramatic fashion. Not that I was ever one to deny the theatrical flair anyway. I breathed out a more shuddering breath than I knew I still contained, running a hand through my hair to hold – as it felt – my head in place. I heard the door and did not turn around; just looked down at your hand near mine on the stone.

"In case you missed it," I sighed, "That was me storming out. It doesn't work so well if you follow me."

"This is not the most effective –"

"I know!"

"I just mean – there's nowhere to go from here – you might have stormed off better if –"

"Shut up Thor!" I groaned wearily. "I will not add a row about how and where to strop off correctly to our already wide and varied range!" There was a moment of silence where I watched your fingers on the wall think about reaching out to mine and think better of it –

"You know –" you tried to say it gently. It did not help – "We have to talk about this some time."

"Do we?" I turned around then, I must have been mirroring your stance – "Do we? Really? Did you not just say everything you needed to – "There is nowhere to go from here?""

You looked utterly confused at me.

"Loki don't be an idiot, I was talking about the balcony."

"Were you? Because it seems to me –"

"It seems to you wrongly then!" you snapped, then frowned. "Is that why you won't –" The look on your face, dear gods you really had only just figured it out – "Loki – is that what you're so scared of? That I don't want –"

"I am not scared –" I sneered; you ignored it completely for the lie that it was;

"If you would just listen for one minute rather than just screech denial and lies at me you would know that I do not ask where this is going because I think the answer is nowhere but because I want to make it otherwise – work out a practical solution." You tried to glare me down – possibly just struggling with the effort of using two long words in succession. It did not work. It never worked. I glared at you back – and I did it much better – all but rolling my eyes –

"There is no practical solution brother – short of me faking my own death and re- appearing as your female consort – and I already –"

"That is not practical!"

"Neither is arguing about – essentially – a need for more permanent secrecy from a balcony in the public view."

"You came out here. Come back inside."

"No!"

"You are infuriating! Why must you always be so negative?"

"Why must you always be so nauseatingly optimistic?"

"Nause -?"

"It means you make me sick." I kicked the wall with my heel for emphasis.

"You are childish! – Pessimistic and aggravating! Gah! – you make me so –"

"Well given this awareness brother – none of which I will deny – I wonder that you bother to concern yourself with the long term at all."

"Well but – I love you," you frowned as though it were the simplest thing in the worlds. I shook my head in disbelief at your simplicity and you took my face in your hand to stop me. Your fingers found mine across the cold stone and our fingers fell into interlocking place. I sighed.

"I'm not going to stop loving you" you went on intently – "And I'm not going to stop wanting you however much you try to tell me otherwise. Besides the day I do what you say-"

"- is the day you can burn my boat as I sail into the stars – I know." I shook my head, but it felt like a weak denial, your thumb brushing my face when I tried to move, soothing me against my petulant will. Your lips were warm upon mine almost before I could put up a shield so that no-one would see. I did not want to melt. But I did. You were warm, rough and tender all at once, my home, heart and comfort blanket and you smiled at me as you broke off as though that was everything solved – though we had agreed on nothing, as usual.

"Now please –" you said, with the casual loving arrogance of one too charming ever to be denied. "-Take off that illusion and come back inside?" I raised both eyebrows and smirked –

"Really? In that order? Are you sure?" You looked at me with an infinite patience I knew you did not really possess. I tried that patience, of course –

"Because you know –" I whispered – "Underneath this illusion I'm –"

"Loki!" You growled and I laughed, leading the way back inside and shedding the illusion as you shed the robe you had thrown around yourself to come outside – "Can you never behave as you should?"

"Yes of course-" I struggled my words out, dodging the rain of your kisses that drenched my face and hair as your hand reclaimed me, roaming my skin, hungry and demanding as ever – "Because you're setting the standards –" I groaned as you yanked me closer – "For exemplary behaviour right now –"

"Just taking care of my little brother –" you growled, thrusting your cock against mine to punctuate your words before sweeping me up into your arms like a damn bride. I slapped at your shoulders –

"Hey! Put me down you great oaf!"

You grinned, shrugged and threw me unceremoniously across your already dishevelled bed sheets –

"I was going to." You moved fast, pinning my wrists over my head before I could wriggle far as you knew I would, holding me still to kiss my neck and shoulders, hot urgent kisses that threatened to swallow me up. I controlled my delirious trembling long enough to at least speak –

"You are so much more twisted than me – did anyone ever tell you that?"

"Yes –" kiss – "You –" kiss – "Frequently." Carefully you moved so as to hold my wrists in one large firm hand, dragging your fingers across my ribs and down to grasp my straining cock. I bit hard into your neck to stop from groaning too loud and – after all – to devour you as well. I smiled into your skin to hear you shout and thrust against me all at once.

"Whatever would people say –" I whispered in your ear, my breath making you shudder, vibrating your body against mine – "If they knew. Imagine what they'd think of you, the shining prince of Asgard bedding his own –"

You clamped your hand over my mouth hard, its sudden removal from my cock punishment enough –

"Dear gods, shut up Loki! Don't make me gag you again!" I grinned and licked your hand. You took it away and scowled in exaggerated disgust.

"- brother," I finished. "Don't pretend you don't want to hear it – that you don't love it –"

You growled, but you pressed your cock hard against mine again as you did, rutting against me, hard and needy, holding my hip so hard you'd leave bruises by the morning.

"Shut. Up. Loki," you growled again through gritted teeth.

"But it was you –" I affected a casualness I did not feel and could only achieve by hissing my words into your ear, "- said you would always want me – and you do don't you brother? Want me. Use me. Carve yourself into my heart and spill your seed across my skin and hope I never tell how twisted you are –" I broke off with a curse, digging my nails into your shoulders as you wrapped a strong hand around my cock and yours together, squeezing every last drop out of me as you too came, hot against my skin –

" – just as you were told ." I snarled softly, smugly, but my lip curled as much for pleasure as to sneer –

"Good boy." I swear just those two words seemed to draw your orgasm out a little longer until you fell face down, thoughtfully beside me, shaking.

You stayed like that until I began to work. I poked you;

"Brother?" I shook you gently – "Are you alright there?" I pushed the mess of your hair back so as to actually see your face, which when you turned to me was streaked with tears. I frowned.

"Dear gods what is it – or did you just come too hard to cope?"

You half smiled, half nodded –

"That –" you said hoarsely. "And – love you too much –" I did not mean to, but I snorted.

"Yes!" you insisted. "You have no idea – none – how perfect you are to me –"

"You'll regret this later –"

"Loki! Please!" you formed sounds with your mouth that did not come out – "Perfect" you sighed, eventually, intently, all that you could apparently manage. "I wish you knew – I just-" You broke off and sighed.

So strange then, to be the one holding you, to feel that strength tremble, to assure you it was fine, that I knew.

"Liar" you murmured and I was not offended – "You – you will be the death of me."

"And you of me," I returned, sure of it and glad to have a return I could make easier than I love you – "- and I have no problems with that."

You lay still against me so long I almost assumed you had fallen asleep. Even so I tested it – since after all you were not snoring –

"Thor?" I whispered.

"Loki?"

"You really think – you really believe in happy endings?" I could not have even asked you if it had not been dark and I could not see your face.

"Yes" you said simply – "I do."

"You're a fool," I said sleepily, but I relaxed in your arms and you in mine and we held on less desperately but curled forehead to forehead like we had always slept.

"Yes" you agreed – "But I'm your fool." You yawned, on the verge of sleep.

I smiled in the dark. I must have been so young then. I remember I was happy.

_x_

It went first person Loki again! Why I do this?! I blame Loki. This one may stay this way too. I didn't get a chance to make it clear here but this is not long after the events of "Study in silver and gold" and our boys still have not actually had sex yet….YET. Watch. This. Space! O_o