The light of morning rose over Asgard like a wave overtaking the shore. The golden heights, walls, and arches shone bright and glorious in the bath of brilliance. Today was beautiful.
Of course, every day was beautiful in Asgard, and no matter how hard Thor attempted to wax poetic or squint through his window and the sheath of light, Asgard looked just as God-Like as it had every day before. The aesthetic of the outside land gave no hint that today would turn out to be itremendous/i. Thor grinned and closed his curtains once more, the dark red fabric drowning out that golden Asgard morning.
"Loki!"
The Thunder God was not trying to be quiet. Today was a big day, and everyone in the palace of Odin should be well awake anyway. He nearly sprinted down the hall towards Loki's room, smashing right into it as he met it. With his face pressed against the fine mahogany, he yelled his brother's name repeatedly, banging away with a large fist.
"Brotha!" Thor had his face pressed right against the keyhole to Loki's room now. "Brother, it is time to awaken! With haste!" He spoke with both urgency and authority.
And no one was answering.
"Looookkkiiiiii…." He had resorted to whining much quicker than usual.
"Loki, pleeeassseee." He re-smashed himself against the door, comically sliding down the wood until his body hit the floor. "Awaken, you foul beast!"
Still nothing.
"Loki, if you do not answer this door, I will be forced to take it down."
Silence.
"Have it your way then, Brother." Thor stood and backed up until his back hit the wall parallel. The last time he had rammed Loki's door down was when he was still but a child. It had been an accident then, though. Loki had stolen one of his brother's pastries from right under his nose and fled down the hall with it. After reaching the desired destination of his own room, Loki had held his hand up and the door had shut on its own…much to Thor's dismay, as he was just coming around the corner and Boom; Thor shaped hole in the door.
His mother had been very cross.
"Brother, I will grant you with three mercy seconds to answer this door."
"Three…" Nothing.
"Two…" Thor readied his muscles.
"One…"
Thor took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reared back, pushing off the wall and bracing himself for impact. What Thor had not noticed in his blind rampage, though, that was from underneath Loki's door, a green smoke had risen, creating a sort of protective wall. It was cheap magic, but it worked, for just as Thor hit it, he bounced back as if the smoke had been rubber, and hit the wall he had leapt off of only seconds before.
"Do you not remember how angry Mother was last time you attempted that?"
Through the smoke, which was gradually clearing, stood Thor's younger brother Loki. He was dressed in his bedclothes still (a pair of pants tied with a fine leather coil at the waste and a loose fitting long-sleeve top, both of pale green color), and his hair was still mussed from bed, slightly curling in around his face.
"Oh, Brother, how lovely to see your shining face this morning." Thor winced as he stood, but he remained in high spirits. "I am glad to see that, despite my callings, you are indeed awake enough to play cheap tricks against me."
Loki smiled a dashing smile, all white teeth and head cocked to the side. "And I am glad to see you still in the sobered state of mind despite most likely having been awake for a little over an hour." His smile dropped, an eyebrow cocking itself upwards as if begging for a challenge.
The green haze finally cleared and seemed to take the Brother's conversation with it. They stood, unmoving, just staring at each other, grimly. All was silent and tense.
And then Thor cracked a smile, followed promptly by Loki's.
"Happy Birthday, Thor." Loki extended his arms and hugged his brother, Thor accepting the embrace and returned it to his Brother. "I must say, age is not being kind to you," Loki added from over Thor's shoulder.
Thor messed his hand about the back of Loki's hair and laughed. "Oh, I would only take such a compliment from you, little one."
The two men broke the hug, still smiling. Loki backed up to his door. "Well, mother is waiting for you," Loki began, "I shall meet you in her room within the hour."
Thor nodded and clapped his Brother's shoulder. "Do not be late. You know she does not condone tardiness."
"Of course," Loki bowed to his brother in farewell and entered his room, closing the door behind him.
"Oh, I have been waiting so long for this day!"
Frigga had waited until both her sons were in the room before fretting about it preparation.
"Now, you both must promise me you will be careful." She was rooting around in her wardrobe for something. Loki and Thor stood side by side, watching their mother fuss about the room, inwardly laughing at her playing the worried-mother role.
"Do not get lost….and Loki, please do not allow your brother to dishonor your Father's name."
"I would never." Loki smiled in acquiescence, and Frigga took that as a sign she could continue.
"And please, I beg you, do nothing you regret. I know you are at the age where you think you are invincible and nothing can scar you for life, but there are things that can in fact do that." Frigga was standing now, looking at her two boys. In her eyes, they would never grow up.
"Thor, I expect you to enjoy yourself this week, but please do not come home with anything that Healer cannot fix."
Thor laughed heartedly.
"Mother, it is only Midgard! The inhabitants down there have nothing that can hurt me."
Loki raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Thor as he spoke.
"I just do not understand why you could not stay here in Asgard and enjoy fine wine. I'd rather you not be enjoying any women yet, but I guess that is the only way I will ever have a grandchild to raise and make up for what I lost with you two."
Thor and Loki both chuckled at their Mother's words.
"Promise me, you will be safe." She was hugging both of her sons now, nearly squeezing the air out of them.
"We promise." Her sons answered in unison, hugging their mother dearly. She was such a wonderful woman.
"Well then, let us get you into something more Midgard appropriate."
Thor and Loki both stared down, perplexed, at what their mother had laid out for them.
"Sewn by my hands alone," She had gleamed when she had said it.
Loki stared at what he was to wear in Midgard. It was so plain compared to his normal regality. It was almost peasantly. Of course, he would not complain to his mother. In fact, he had no room to complain at all. This was his Brother's day, his Mother's first born, and he was just there to play along until it was his day; the day he was accepted as a "Man."
The top of what his mother called "outfit" was of thin (compared to his leather and metal) fabric, colored a greenish-grey. The neck of the "t-shirt" (another word his mother had used, smiling widely at her knowledge of Midgardian vocabulary) was shaped as a V, which Loki could imagine would not offer a lot of coverage between his neck and chest. Loki also shuttered at the thought of the short-sleeves the top had to offer. Loki made it a point to never show much skin, as he did not function or fare well in heat or UV rays.
The pants were a completely different story. Loki briefly wondered if his legs would even fit into the dark fabric, let alone his waist and…other regions.
"Mother, I…" But before Loki could explain to his mother his worries with the bottoms, Thor stormed out of his Mother's washroom; face alight with a grin and a loud laugh.
"Aha, Mother you are a genius!" He picked up his mother in a tight embrace and spun her in a circle. "No one will suspect us as not being Midgardian ourselves!"
Thor placed his mother down and smiled over at his brother. He looked like a new man. Thor had been stripped of all metal and jewels and war and been left looking…just as King-like as before. His shirt was the same deep shade of red his cloak had been, and covered both his broad shoulders and chest. His pants were looser fitting than Loki knew his own would be, but they were also far from baggy. They were the color of, what Frigga had called, "Dark denim." Another anomaly Loki had never heard of.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Brother? Jotunheim will thaw before you are ready!" Thor's voice snapped Loki back in reality and he smiled sheepishly before picking up the clothing his mother had sewn and going to the washroom to change.
Needless to say, when Loki stepped out, both of his family members were taken aback with what one might call "shock."
Thor couldn't help but stare. His brother was thin, a lot thinner then Thor had ever noticed, but he still looked so regal. His arms were smaller than Thor's neck in width, but they had a definition apparent in them when Loki crossed his arms over his chest awkwardly. i His chest./i Thor had also never seen his grown brother's chest before. It was smooth; hairless, and alabaster as alabaster could be without looking sickly. This led Thor to his brother's tight pants. Before he could even notice the color or style of the pants, his eyes immediately traveled to his brother's crotch.
Something inside of Thor flip-flopped and he felt his face burn with a slight blush. He was not sure what had come over him. At first, he thought he may be experiencing jealousy, but he was well aware that was not the case after it had briefly crossed his mind. It was in fact, a silly thought, Thor reminded himself. But if the feeling was not jealousy then what was it…
Frigga's observations were not so in depth as Thor's had been, her only vocal response being, "We need to feed you more."
Thor finally came back to his body and looked around quickly to make sure no one in the room had seen his stares before standing next to his brother so his mother could look at the both of them.
"Oh, you boys look wonderful!" She exclaimed.
"Well, that Is that. Let us go say goodbye to your father and I will see you both to the Bifrost."
"Thor, my son!" Odin stood from his throne of gold, coming down the aisle to hold his son close. Loki stood behind with his Mother, arms behind his back, posture straight, just as his Father had taught him…the "stance of obedience."
"My little boy is finally a man!" Odin held his first-born at arm's length and gave him a once over. "Oh, what has your mother done to you?" It came out jokingly, Frigga giggling in reply. "You look so…so…"
"Midgardian." Thor beamed.
"Yes! That is exactly it." Odin clapped his son on the shoulder. "You will blend in finely, my boy. But make sure to take Mjolnir with you, just in case you have any troubles with the actual Midgardians."
Thor shook his head.
"I will have no need of protection, Father, but I will bring Mjolnir in case Loki has any troubles with any Midgardian maidens!" Thor smiled over at his brother.
"Well, I do not foresee that happening at all," Odin laughed heartedly, "At least, not dressed as he is now!"
Loki forced himself to laugh with his Father, but both Thor and Frigga could both sense his insecurity and hurt at the comment.
"Well, my boy, you should be on your way." Odin handed Thor a small piece of gold. "There is a man in Midgard who will meet you. His name is David. Old Aesir decided to move to Midgard, that fool. You would have known him as 'Oslac', had he stayed in the palace." Odin brushed the thought away with a flick of his hand. "I have given him the orders to give you enough Midgardian currency as he seems fit in turn for this gold, but that is all. You boys will be left to your own devices from there."
Odin cleared his throat.
"I apologize," He restarted, "Thor, as a man you will do well. Watch over your brother and return home safely…and satiated."
Thor, Odin and Frigga all laughed loudly. The conversation closed with Odin giving both sons a hug and sending them off to Heimdall and the Bifrost.
Thor and Loki walked down the rainbow bridge side by side. It was a silly sight to see for the entire body of Aesirs waving goodbye to their Princes in such average dress. Once out of the reach of the eyes of the kingdom, Loki decided it was safe to start talking.
"So, what will your plans consist of this week?" He asked, striding at the same pace of his brother. Loki was sure that no matter what plans his older brother had up his sleeve, the trickster would have qualms…and may even perish, but that wasn't important. All that mattered was his brother enjoyed himself.
"Good old Midgardian fun, of course!" Thor laughed as if it were the simplest question in all nine realms, looking over to his younger brother. He couldn't stop looking over to his brother. Loki was two years younger than Thor, but this dress made him look so much older. He seemed so sophisticated despite his plain clothes.
"And what do you know of Midgardian fun?" Loki met Thor's eyes, amused at what he knew was about to be Brother's fault.
"I…I was hoping you could tell me." Thor looked down at his shoes; "Combat boots" his mother had called them, though he did not see what these would protect he, or his brother, from.
Loki raised his dark brows in amusement.
They met Hiemdall in complete silence. Odin had already given the All-Seer the orders as to where the Aesir Princes would be going. The tall man clonked his staff against the ground, and the Bifrost began to move.
"I know nothing of Midgard, let alone its 'fun.'" Loki finally replied, eyes facing the roaring entrance of the portal that had accumulated before himself and Thor.
"Well then, we shall be in for a great surprise, I think."
And they stepped inside.
Oslac was a large, stocky man. And he was very impatient. He'd woken up at the crack of dawn so as to meet the two heirs to the throne of his once kingdom at the opening the All Father has given him the Midgardian coordinates to.
The spot has been fifty-seven miles from his home.
So there Oslac sat in his old clunker truck sans air conditioning in the blistering heat of Nevada for six hours, waiting….waiting…waiting.
And, finally, the clouds rolled in.
Oslac, relieved, smiled and hoisted himself out of his truck. He fiddled with his hat, unable to decide if he should keep it on, or take it off as a figure or respect. Oslac has lived a long life, and it had been decades since he had lived in Asgard. When he had seen Thor last, he was no more than six pounds and in his mother's arms. Loki, on the other hand, Oslac had never seen. In fact, Oslac had never even heard Frigga had birthed another son, but that could very well be due to living in a whole other realm, so he held no grudges.
Oslac was starting to shift from foot to foot in anticipation. It had been so long since he was in Asgard, but he still felt the pride of an Aesir, and he was about to be face-to-face with a future king.
Or, so he thought.
The apparel of the two young men that stood before him as clouds lifted and parted was far from "kingly." Neither of them even looked regal at that very moment. The large blonde man, which Oslac knew to be Thor already by his build and manner, was shaking his head from side to side, wavering in his stance from being thrown a couple realms and planets at an unorthodox speed. The other man, hair dark and skin white in stark contrast to Thor's was bent over at the waist, hands on knees and panting heavily. Once Thor had reached equilibrium in his brain, he stood tall and clapped his brother's back. Loki responded with a 'thumbs up', but did not unfold himself.
"Uh…Prince Thor?" Oslac had lost pride and security; he had turned into an Odinson fangirl. This was a soon to be King. A soon to be King of Asgard, and here he stood. On Midgardian soil. In the desert. Thor seemed to be faring fine, though. It was the younger one Oslac couldn't wrap his mind around. He had finally stood straight, quite literally hiding in his older brother's shadow from the direct sunlight, all thin and lanky; he was hardly King material.
"Oslac!" Thor stepped forward and engulfed the man in a bear hug. "Or, I apologize, it is David now, is it not?"
"It is, indeed." Oslac's grin was as large as Thor's. "It's a senseless name, but when in Midgard."
Thor barked a laugh and finally turned to his brother.
"Loki, where is that silver tongue of yours today? Say 'hello' to Os-David!"
Loki stepped forward to shake Oslac's hand and the larger man took it graciously.
Oslac couldn't help but notice how his hand almost fully enveloped the fair boy's slender hand. He was sure that if he were to grip a tad bit harder the Prince's bones would grind together and break.
"I am pleased to meet you, Loki."
"And you, of course." Loki's smile was even captivating to a very large, burly man.
"Well, you boys are probably ready to begin your celebration, so let's get going'."
Oslac led the Princes to his Chevy. He opened the door to allow them entrance, but Thor declined, and decided to sit in the bed of the truck instead, dragging Loki along with him despite the chagrin from his younger brother.
"Lo-Loki!" Thor could barely speak through his laughter and the wind pounding at his body. Loki's hands were claws against the side of the truck, eyes wide as a feline's about to be dipped into the bath. The ride was bumpy, there was no doubt, but Thor had found ground before the truck had begun to move and was holding it just as easily. Loki on the other hands had protested until the truck started and fallen backwards in the bed, unable to right himself since.
"Almost there, boys!"
i Oh, thank Odin…/i Loki was so relieved, he felt a smile cross his face. He peered around the side of the truck to see an actual paved Midgardian road. Oslac had told them they would need to be inside the truck on the "highway," due to some Schwarze-something law, and Loki couldn't be more pleased.
The ride from there was much less thrilling in Thor's opinion.
After some time in the very hot, very cramped car, they finally entered the city.
Thor and Loki stared out the window in wonder as they passed through buildings and archways, bridges and skyscrapers. This was no Asgard, but the colors, but the array of colors, they different styles of buildings, the rolling hills just on the horizon and the palm trees made it just as captivating. But Loki and Thor's jaws dropped when they pulled up to where they would be staying.
It was so…Aesir. It was gigantic, tall and gleaming, like a waterfall protruding from thin air. There were tall columns, reminiscent of the photos of Ancient Greece Loki had shown Thor in their childhood.
"What do you call this palace?" Thor queried, mouth agape.
"Uh…The Venetian." Oslac turned off the truck and stepped out, circling around to let the Aesir Princes out. They wasted no time in exiting the vehicle and staring up in wonder; Loki nearly losing his balance in the act.
"Well, I guess this is our farewell." Oslac handed Thor a slip of paper. "There's my telephone number. Just dial the numbers into the ph-… communication device and I'll answer. No witchcraft involved, I promise." He had forgotten how hard it had been to get used to being able to call someone from miles away. He wasn't even going to attempt to explain texting.
"Oslac, you noble man," Thor pulled the man tight once more and, upon letting him go, handed him the gold piece his father had given him, "thank you deeply for everything. Need we any assistance, I shall…telephone you immediately."
Oslac bowed to the future King of Asgard and then made his way over to the smallest of the three men.
"This is the key to your room." He handed Loki the plastic keycard. "I imagine I should be giving this to you. No telling what your brother will be getting into."
Loki nodded and slipped the key in his pocket.
"Thirtieth floor, room 23." And with that Oslac bowed to the first and last Aesir he would see for quite a while and left.
Loki was convinced this room was nicer than his back home in Asgard. In fact, this 'room' was a small house. There was a room for cooking (all red and gold), a large bar filled with spirits of every kind, two bathrooms (one with a bath as large as the bathing pools in Asgard, and one with a shower as large as the bath in the first washroom; both gold), a patio that looked over all of the city, and a bedroom; ithe/i bedroom.
The bedroom was vast. It was cosmic. Curtains of thick crimson fabric, windows with a retractable black panel Heimdall almost certainly wouldn't be able to see through. The walls were as golden as the palace of Asgard. The lighting was dim, ornate lanterns alongside the bed whose designs projected beautiful light play on the walls.
And then both brothers turned to each other. They had grasped the same problem at the same time.
There was only one bed.
The bed was beautiful; ornate, and as magnificent as the bed the All Father slept in.
But there was still only one.
Thor and Loki had never shared a bed. They had never even slept in the same room before. They were never allowed to. Had one ever seemed tired, Frigga or Odin would immediately escort them to their rightful rooms with great haste.
Neither brother said anything about the bed, deciding they would only pay the problem mind when the time called for it.
"Well then," Thor took his eyes from the bed and gazed out the window of their room, "what should we partake in first?"
Three hours has passed since they had arrived in Las Vegas, and the Aesir princes had done nothing to commence their celebration of Thor's big day. The sun was kissing the edge of the horizon now, and the city was starting to animate itself with dancing water and lights.
Loki stared nonchalantly at the coordinated rainbow fountains from the balcony. Thor had taken to the bar ages ago, begging his brother to partake, but Loki decided at least one of them should be sober in this new realm. Loki pushed off the ledge and headed back inside with a sigh.
"Thor, if you keep drinking at that pace, you will be worthless before we have even gone out for the evening."
Thor laughed enthusiastically and placed down the odd mixture he had been drinking.
"It is but Midgardian ales, Loki. It is like drinking water."
"To you." Loki scoffed; he could never hold spirits in Asgard, and he certainly would not be trying it in a foreign land.
The knock on the door hindered the rest an argument from ensuing. Loki looked at Thor, who was looking right back at Loki. Loki groaned and walked over to the door, opening it to reveal a squat man in a white button up shirt and dark pants.
"Uhh..Meester Thor?" The man's accent was thick.
"Thor, it is a messenger for you." Loki called back.
"Accept the message, brother. I am busy." Loki heard the clink of an empty glass against the bar. Green orbs rolled in exasperation.
"…He seems to be busy. What is the message?"
"Uh…A Meester Day-veed called and said that yoo two should vis-eet the Eex-Es. Eet iz a dance club on thee strip. I can call yoo two a cab."
Loki held his hand up to stop the man.
"Thank you, truly, sir. But I hardly think-"
"Loki did I hear the word 'dance'?" Thor was at his side in seconds. "You there! Take us to this XS immediately!"
"Thor, I do not think it wise-"
"Nonsense, brother! It is my birthday and I will not rot away in this chamber!" Thor grabbed Loki's frail wrist and led him from the room.
"Now then, onwards to the hall of dance!"
The cab driver was a large, tanned man, with facial hair trimmed along his jaw. Thor knew he had misgivings about this man the second the chauffeur had opened the door for his brother. The look the man had given him was slick; a onceover of Loki's entire body, eyes lingering on his backside before Thor climbed in hastily, cutting the man's view from his sibling. He nearly had outstretched his hand for Mjolnir already.
Loki settled into the cab and folded his hands in his lap, taking a moment to quickly twirl lithe fingers in the air until replacing them. Thor saw small green smoke coils emit from Loki's hand and almost instantly noticed the odor inside of the vehicle change from stale to that of jasmine. It was so very Loki.
Thor patted Loki's hand and smiled over at his brother.
Why had he done that?
He withdrew his hand and looked forward, only to catch the cabbie's eyes in the mirror, gawking at his brother. Thor cleared his throat audibly, and the driver knew he had been caught. His eyes quickly averted back to the road.
Of course, Loki looked up just as the cab driver looked away.
"Is there something wrong?" There was a hint of raw concern in Loki's green eyes, enough that Thor almost felt immoral making his younger brother worry like that.
"No." Thor placated, placing his hand on his brother's knee.
Why had he done THAT?
"Just ready to enjoy my birthday, that is all."
Loki nodded and looked back out the window as if nothing had happened; leaving Thor very relieved from the knot in his stomach that had formed after he had grabbed his brother's bony knee.
Maybe it was the Midgardian spirits kicking in, Thor told himself. That had to be why his brother's pants seemed so much tighter, his shirt so much more revealing, his skin so alabaster and smooth…
"Brother, we're here."
Thor had lost count of how many times he had lost waking moments in his thoughts today, but it seemed Loki had never even noticed.
That was for the best.
Thor all but threw the money at the cab driver, not worrying about change as he opened the door for his sibling and led him out by the hand.
"Thank you, Thor, but I am certain I can get out of the next vehicle without your assistance." Loki smoothed down his V-neck shirt and hair.
"Only taking care of you as Father asked me to." Thor lied. Not his strongest asset, but it seemed to appease Loki.
The building before them was as striking as the surrounding buildings, even with its lack of height. The sky had been completely overtaken by the natural night now, but the purples, blues, and greens of fluorescent lights lit up the evening in a whole different way. The club itself emitted its own purple lights that seemed to throb with the bass of the music within.
"Brother!" Thor found himself having to project his voice over the sound of music, people, and nightlife. He had to call for Loki twice before the younger man acknowledged him. Thor did not take it personally as Loki did everything he could to avoid loud noises, and he was sure the reduced boy was overstimulated. Instead of hollering, Thor waved his hand in a 'come on' gesture and led the way into the club.
Within moments, Thor had already consumed seven odd coloured liquids the scantily clad hostesses had been carrying on trays around the floor; Loki had refused all of them and opted for a Midgardian soda at the bar instead.
Thor watched the younger prince situate himself on a stool at the neon-lit bar, and knew he would not be getting up for a while, so the God of Thunder decided he would take that time to hit the dance floor with some Midgardian maidens.
The "dancing" these women and men were doing was nothing like what Thor had recalled from Asgard. In fact, there was nothing choreographed in the atmosphere at all. Everyone was, well, everyone was writhing against one another, hands in the air, mouthing the words to some song about "starships." It was then Thor made the decision that if he would have the gull to dance like these Midgardians, he would need a few more drinks.
So he consumed four more oddly coloured liquids and tried his luck again.
He was still not in the mindset for this thrashing, even when a fair maiden dressed in a gold swim top grabbed his buttocks and pulled him close, grinding against him as if they were about to consummate a marriage.
He would need something stronger.
When Thor made it to the bar, Loki was still sipping the same soda he had ordered upon arrival.
"Why not dance?" Thor mimicked the man next to Loki by waving his finger in the air, and almost immediately a strong, dark colored liquid was placed in front of him. He nodded in thanks and handed the man a bill far too large.
"Oh, brother, you smell like the very ampule spirits are brewed in." Loki quickly whirled his fingers in the air and Thor tasted mint in his mouth.
"Oh, Loki…" Thor tipped the drink to his mouth, swallowing it all in one go, the taste of mint mixed with the alcohol not stopping him ordering another.
"You go and enjoy your partying, Thor. I may be out there yet."
But Thor knew that wouldn't happen, so he just headed back out to the floor.
Twenty-eight drinks in and Thor was starting to feel something. Perhaps this Midgardian ale was not as impotent as Thor had once thought. He had almost given up on the idea of drinking and dancing, until the man playing the music (a man named "Dee-Jay" Thor had heard) had commanded the fair maidens with the odd coloured liquids to circle the dance floor. Their trays had been loaded full when this Dee-Jay had "dropped the beat."
Thor recalled the song being very specific about drinking, and telling everyone who was not partaking in the alcohol to not-so-kindly "get the fuck out the club." Loki had not left though, so Thor imagined the yelling man in the stereo to not be a threat.
Thor had consumed 19 of these so-called "shots" during this song, neither tasting too pleasant, but Thor would not argue with this LMFAO tradition.
Thor had cast glances over to Loki every once in a while, just to make sure no one was troubling him. He had met Loki's gaze once and his eyes held a hint of what Thor would usually say was jealousy, but he was certain that was the still the alcohol talking.
Within the hour, Thor found himself at a table across the club with six other people, all admiring how much he could drink. Thor felt at home and comfortable at this table. He loved being the center of attention, and when he told the Midgardians at the table it was his birthday, they had all celebrated by individually buying him a round.
He told the people at the table of his great hunting tales in Asgard; he told them of the bilge snipe that had once crawled through the soil of Asgard and threatened to tear down the palace, but he, the mighty Thor, had stopped them by…doing something with a something or other and leaving victorious.
There was a small flush of intoxication on Thor's cheeks when one of the women at the table exclaimed, "I love this song!"
Thor raised his glass to her happiness and tipped it back, the world briefly spinning as he stood and was led out to the dance floor by the brunette maiden.
Thor let the girl grind her backside against him and he laughed vigorously as she took his hands and placed them on her hips.
"Come on God of Thunder!" The girl was clearly wasted. "Let's see how big that Mjolnir is!"
"Well, I actually did not bring it!" Thor yelled back, but it fell on deaf ears.
The dancing continued, Thor relishing in the fun he was having, but when the conversation fell short, he turned his ear to the lyrics. A women's voice had overtaken where a man's had once been, and Thor could not understand what she was saying, and almost lost interest in the song and the dancing.
And then he heard it. The greatest advice he had ever heard; the command that ripped into his intoxicated brain:
i"Grab somebody sexy, tell 'em 'hey.'"/i
And that was it. He stopped moving. The world slowed around him and his ears honed in on the music. Thor lost all momentum to dance with this girl. Alcohol or no alcohol, he had someone to grab.
Thor dismissed himself from the yelling woman, pushing through the writhing bodies until he could see the spot where Loki had been sitting.
And Loki wasn't there.
Thor pushed more vigorously through the people, gaining high ground on bar level, and searching about the club for his brother.
After falling into an almost frantic fit with no help coming from the hyper beat, he finally spotted his brother. Loki was on the other side of the club now, talking idly with some man that even Thor could tell from all those feet away was wasted.
Thor ran around the dance floor, using the path of least resistance, reaching his brother in seconds.
"Excuse me; I need to borrow this man!" He dragged Loki away, a little more roughly than he would have hoped, but at least he had him now.
"Thor! You're hurting my arm!"
Thor rounded on his brother, eyes soft, if not floating a bit from the alcohol.
"Dance with me."
"What?"
"Dance with me, Loki!" Thor yelled over the music, smiling at his brother's confused face. "Please."
"I hardly think I will be-"
"Please, Loki." Thor took his brother to the center of the floor where the most people had crowded; they would have to be close.
"It's my birthday."
"I don't-" But just as Loki had begun to protest, the music offered the same advice again.
i'Grab somebody sexy, tell 'em 'hey.'"/i
Thor placed his palm in the small of Loki's back and pulled the slim man flush against him. Loki was shocked at first, but slowly, rhythmically, Thor began to move against him. Loki's eyes never left Thor's. Blue eyes watched as green turned from shock to confusion to…pleasure?
"This hardly seems fair to me!" Loki yelled over the music, but Thor showed no signs of being able to hear him.
Loki's eyes darted from side to side, scanning the room to see if anyone was looking. Even though he did not immediately meet anyone's gaze, he could only imagine if Heimdall was seeing this.
Loki looked down bashfully for a second and Thor lifted his brother's chin with his finger.
"It's just a dance, brother! Enjoy!"
And Loki did.
Like Thor had pointed out earlier, this was not dancing. This was intimate.
The two men writhed and twisted against each other to the music, blending in with the rest of the crowd. Loki laughed as Thor pulled him close once more, Thor mirroring the laugh before continuing to dance like those around them.
Oh, how Loki wished Heimdall was too caught up on some Midgardian performance to notice the princes of Asgard in this Midgardian act.
The pulsing continued and Loki's head found its way onto Thor's chest, Thor's hands had moved to the swell of Loki's ass, their hips keeping the same rhythm. Loki looked up briefly to catch Thor's gaze; the trickster was smiling like a Cheshire until he met Thor's eyes. Thor's gaze did not read "amusement." No, they read something much different.
The third and last time the song commanded Thor to "grab somebody sexy," He had Loki slammed against the bathroom wall, tongue halfway down his throat.
Heimdall was no longer on Loki's mind.
The music throbbed just as intensely in the bathroom as it had on the floor. Loki's slender fingers were splayed against Thor's muscular chest; Thor's hands tangled in Loki's hair, deepening their kiss. Loki tasted mint and alcohol and fruit and soda and he did not care. This was the most pleasurable moment of his life.
The song was in the process of a changeover when the princes both jumped at a loud "ahem" a very displeased man in the restroom emitted.
Thor looked down at his brother and jumped back, his mind taking the sober route for a few moments, but before he had time to say anything, Loki had slipped out of the bathroom and back into the club where the speakers were pounding out some new tune that Thor dismissed.
He gave the man in the restroom a once over, pondering summoning Mjolnir to punish him for his audacity, but decided on instead going to find his brother.
Loki was not hard to find. He had returned himself to his seat at the bar, a trembling hand lifting a murky drink to his thin lips, still red from the recent activities in the bathroom.
Thor gingerly placed his hand on the younger Asgardians back, the muscles tensing beneath them, his other hand going to the drink clutched in Loki's elegant fist. Slowly, he pried the drink from the bony hold and placed it down on the bar.
"This is unlike you, Brother." The word sounded foreign; like an accusation.
"I am not feeling very like myself…" Loki responded, turning off the bar stool to stand.
Thor wished his bother would look into his eyes, at least let off something to give a hint about how he felt, but no such actions came. So Thor took action. He reached out a long arm and placed it on Loki's shoulder, rubbing his thumb back and forth in a way he hoped was comforting. But where Loki could be as beautiful as a Grecian statue, he could be just as cold and emotionless also, So Thor withdrew his hand.
"Let us go back to our quarters." Thor turned from his brother and headed to the door of the club, Loki following behind him, head held high despite the indication of what could have been breaking inside of him.
The cab ride home was silent aside from the sounds of the outside world. Loki's gaze was glued to the window, no images being processed through his abstracted mind. Thor had busied himself with staring at the clock in the cab, watching the time pass from 3:14 AM to 3:15 AM to 3:34 AM and so on.
The arrival to the hotel was met with Loki's swift exit from the vehicle, leaving Thor to have to pay the fare then sprint after his younger brother. Loki was always a step ahead though, and when Thor finally caught up with him at the slow-arriving elevator, Loki had just disappeared into a fizzling, static-like haze. Thor sighed with exasperation just as the elevator dinged and he stepped inside.
And then he had come full-circle for the day.
Thor stood at the door to their room, powerless. Loki had the room key.
"Loki….Please tell me you are in there."
The response did not come as quickly as Thor would have like and, fueled by alcohol, Thor brought his fist booming into the heavy door.
"Temper?" Loki's voice came from the other side of the door, unwavering and stoic as always. Thor was immediately stricken with regret.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I did not mean-"
The door clicked open before Thor could finish. Loki did not need to wait for Thor to 'calm down.' He could handle his own against his brother.
The door clicked closed and the room was shrouded with silence.
Loki stood nobly, looking down on his older brother with the best version of superiority he could muster. He didn't want to have to be like this, but there was no other way. He would not fall victim to childish emotions, especially ones aimed towards his own brother. He was a master manipulator, and in the end, this had to be Thor's fault.
"I trust you have enjoyed your birthd-"
"Loki, what I did was not based off of my consumption of spirits."
Loki's body nearly betrayed his ruse; He was not accustomed to having his ploys overrun.
"Thor, we need not talk about it. It was just an act o-"
"But you returned the kiss, Loki."
They were back to the silence. What Thor had said was true, and Loki had no alcohol to fall back on. So he did the second best thing he could think to do with such a small amount of time; he turned to walk away. But Thor was not having it, and he grabbed his brother's frail wrist with his resilient fist. Loki's instinctual magic reacted before the Trickster himself could and, within a fraction of a second, he had teleported behind Thor. Thor was a warrior, though, and a quick one at that, and this time he grabbed Loki by the shoulders firmly.
And this time, Loki reacted.
Swiftly, like a snake striking his prey, Loki's lips met Thor's, kissing him just as deeply and passionately as they had in that dingy bathroom. Thor did not respond to the kiss as he was hindered by shock and before he could come to his wits, Loki has pulled back, panting heavily.
"There." He spoke through gritted teeth and labored breaths. "I am to blame for this." He snatched his delicate shoulders from Thor's hold and backed away.
"Enjoy your time on Midgard, Brother.-"he spat the word-"I will be returning home."
He turned on heel and headed to the door, not bothering with his belongings.
"Loki, stop!" The intensity of the order rendered the proud God motionless in his tracks. He kept his green eyes forward, making no move to return to Thor.
"Loki, you are acting mad. I asked you to dance with me; I initiated our passion."
Loki's ears perked up at the word that had just passed Thor's lips.
"Brother, listen to me. It was not the alcohol speaking. I acted with a clear mind. I was in a room surrounded with Midgardian maidens, and I could only find myself searching for you."
Loki turned, his eyebrow betraying his ruse by raising itself in query.
"If you do not wish for this to go further, then Brother, say it." Thor looked down, a blush crossing his cheeks. "But we are far from Asgard, and…well, you look stunning."
Loki took a breath to retort on what their distance from Asgard had to do with anything, but Thor did not give him the time.
"I am a man now, Loki. I am expected to make the decisions of my life now; a wife…a partner…and, well I am too impatient. I have been with you all of my life and I nearly think that I may lo-"
"Thor, we are brothers."
"We are Gods, Loki. Others in the nine-realms have done much worse."
Loki shook his head. What Thor was saying was absolute madness. Even if Loki could admit some part of him knew he would never be this close to anyone again, this was unheard of.
"Loki, it is my birthday." Thor wiggled his eyebrows, trying to break the tense mood.
"What has that to do with ANYTHING?" Loki exploded.
Thor sat on the bed as Loki bee-lined to him, ending up so close that, if Thor wanted to, he could lean forward only a fraction of an inch and meet Loki's lips.
And, oh, how Thor wanted to.
So he did.
"There." He said, after the small peck had been delivered. "Now I have kissed you and it is my entire fault and I am to blame. I believe that is what you wanted."
Loki cocked his head to the side and stepped back.
"Loki, listen to me. We've danced, we've kissed; it is but one day in our life. I know you Loki. You are afraid, despite what your exterior shows. You do not care for tradition or wrong and right. You only want to be happy. Tell me you would not be happy with me."
Thor was confident, and rightfully so. Loki, god of lies, could not even prevent such a falsehood as the one his brother wished for.
"You are afraid I will leave." Thor stood and crossed to his younger brother. "And what better way to keep me than to accept this?" He took his brother's hands in his.
Loki's eyes blazed into Thor's, looking for some sort of lie, just one crack in Thor's plan Loki could feed off of, but truth be told, he was not looking all that hard. He wanted this. So badly. At least just for one night, he could be happy. And if Thor left like Loki knew he would, at least he would have this one night to hold on to forever.
"Thor, I-"
"Loki, lay with me tonight. Let me show you how much I care for you. From there, you may decide whether you will have me for life or leave me to be unhappy forever."
Loki noted how unfair that sounded, but, as he had realized before, his eye for chinks in this plan was growing rustier and rustier.
It was only one night.
"Lights off, and I agree."
Thor was almost hurt. He had wanted to see his broth-Loki's lithe body twisting beneath him, sweat illuminating his alabaster skin as his slim frame was racked with arduous breaths. He would never admit it aloud, but Thor wanted to see that stunning face contort when Thor pushed into him…
….But they still had a week here and there was time for all of that. For now, though, he only wanted Loki comfortable.
"As you wish." Thor smirked.
The next few minutes of Thor's life were blurred. There had been a crashing kiss, the Asgardians had fallen to the bed, he had hoisted his nimble brother up on the bed, and pinned him down, there had been more kissing and now…now Thor had found his thumbs hooked around someone's boxers that were not his own.
He pulled back for a second, the soft whimper of his neglected brother centering him on what was happening. The room was dark, the sliding metal shades blocking out any hope for light, but a small lit candle in the adjacent bathroom allowed a very faint, flickering light to illuminate a dash of blood on his brother's thin lips.
Before Thor could breathe in to apologize, Loki had pulled him down shockingly forceful with strong arms around his older sibling's neck and strong legs wrapped around his back.
After that kiss had broken for a breath, Thor took the opportunity to remove his brother's undergarments, eliciting a sharp gasp from the younger man, which Thor ended up taking into his mouth as he went back in for yet another kiss.
Within seconds, Loki was clawing at the larger man's hips, trying to find the band of his brother's boxers, leaving deep red welts in his haste. Without breaking the kiss, Thor swatted Loki's slender hands away, clumsily working off the Midgardian fabric and pressing himself flush with the willowy body beneath him.
Loki at least had enough awareness to hold back his gasp when he felt Thor's hard length against his thigh. He clearly knew it would be there, but he was not aware of the sheer size of it.
For a moment, he wondered if this was all a huge mistake.
And that was when Loki lost all awareness. During his shock, Thor had found the time to lube up his finger (with Loki's favorite oils, he could smell) and press it to the smaller man's entrance.
Loki's hitching breath was all Thor needed. He did not know how much longer he could hold out before just shoving into his brother, so he planned on this being a quick preparation.
Loki arched beneath Thor, moans escaping the back of his throat as the prying finger curved and spread his tight entrance. Moments later, a more erratic finger pushed in alongside the first and Loki was all but grinding his body down onto Thor's fingers, his body begging for more.
And Thor would give it to him.
Much to the chagrin of the Trickster beneath him, Thor withdrew his fingers, taking the time (far too long in Loki's opinion) to coat his thick length in Loki's bedside oils.
Once Thor's throbbing erection was pressed to the opening his fingers just left, Loki wondered if prepping him would even help. Loki was strong though, and he was definitely not going back now, so he gripped almost desperately to his older brother's shoulder blades and took a deep breath in.
Thor pushed in painfully slow, trying to muster up as much control as he could to not just impale his brother's body. The sounds Loki emitted were not helping Thor's cause at all though. They were a cross between a sob, whimper, and moan, his nails digging deep into the Thunder God's shoulders as his body arched intensely into Thor's.
It took a few moments, but finally he was buried to the hilt in his brother's tight body. He gave Loki time to relax around him, rubbing a thumb around in circles on the sharp hipbone of the man beneath him. Loki's breaths were heavy, and Thor began to worry when the body wrapped around him seemed to drop a couple degrees. In fact, Loki was freezing.
"Loki, are you-"
"Yes, Thor…I'm…I'm fine. Just…one minute…"
Moments passed and Thor wasn't sure if Loki's temperature had evened or if he had just gotten used to it.
And finally Loki gave Thor the go-ahead with a quick kiss and Thor obliged gratefully.
At first, they moved slowly, Loki adjusting to the rhythm (the size he accepted he would never be used to) of Thor's movement. But that only lasted so long, as Loki began to beg Thor for more.
When the position they were in proved to restricting for the princes, Thor spread Loki's legs with his body, nearly folding the reduced man beneath him in half. Loki's hands clenched desperately at the sheets, his teeth gnashed together in pain as Thor pounded into him.
With each thrust, Loki's body was shoved higher and higher onto the bed until he had to counteract the thrusts by grabbing the bedposts behind him in white-knuckled grips.
Thor had plenty to hang on to, squeezing the harsh hip bones of his brother in a bruising grip while plunging severely into the all-but-screaming man beneath him.
The cold sensation flared up again, but neither Thor nor Loki could feel it through the pressure of the knots forming within them that begged for release.
"Loki…" Thor's teeth were together now, snarling his brother's name as his hand found his way to his brother's pulsing member. It only took a few pumps before all of Loki's muscles were strained.
"Th-Thor…I…" Loki had lost all of his composure and for the first time, he was not regal. He was desperate, and it was Thor's greatest aphrodisiac. Loki thought his spine would break when he finally came, his whole body arching to the max before his hot speed spilled onto his and his brother's skin. His body went limp afterward, merely accepting Thor's severe thrusts, unable to respond.
Thor's thrusts became inconsistent only a few moments more until Loki felt the tell-tale sign of his brother's release filling him to a point Loki thought impossible. Thor thrust into the spent body beneath him just a few more times before smiling widely and kissing his brother's swollen lips.
"Oh, Loki…"
Loki smiled weakly up at Thor who laughed softly in response before slowly pulling out of his brother, eliciting a small gasp at the strange sensation. Thor placed a hand on Loki's forehead to brush the hair away and withdrew it almost instantly.
Loki's skin was glacially cold.
"Brother, I-"
Thor's sentence was cut off when a blinding light overtook their entire room. Out of sheer instinct, Loki pulled the sheets around himself and covered his eyes with his arms. Thor's instincts were much different now. He threw his body back over his brother's in protection, daring anything to come near frigid man.
What Thor heard next, he was far from expecting.
"Thor, back away. Now."
It was his father's voice.
Thor turned quickly towards the All-Father, shame washing over his entire being, which was then overtook by confusion as Odin was surrounded by no less than seven guards.
Surely he had not committed a crime worthy of THAT many guards.
In under a second, the guards had dispersed, flanking Odin and walking around him, roughly grabbing Loki from beneath Thor and dragging him away. Thor spun around quickly, frantically punching at one of the guards to protect his brother, eyes flying from guard to his father, not understanding what was going on.
And then his eyes met Loki's and he froze, the guards overtaking the young man and hauling him out of the bed, the sheet still wrapped loosely around his struggling body.
Loki's eyes were a blazing red from corner to corner, his skin a stark blue with odd marking encircling his arms, legs, torso and face.
The skin and eyes of a Jotun.
Before Thor could question anything, Loki, still struggling in the arms of the guards, disappeared into the light of the Bifrost with a clap of thunder, leaving Thor alone with the great god Odin.