Thor put his hand over his eyes, fingers curled outward, and sighed, "Go back to them, Loki."

"I don't want to."

Thor lifted his hand away from his eyes and surveyed his dark-eyed brother, "Why not?"

"The same reason you don't want to go back there, get drunk and bring a couple of wenches back here to your chambers."

Thor felt reluctance thicken his blood, but asked anyway, "What reason would that be?"

Loki paused for a while, then said, "There's nothing. There's no connection. There's just physical release."

"So what, you're saying I want some sort of meeting of minds, a spiritual connection?" Thor's voice was edgy. He wanted to be sarcastic, but wasn't sure enough of his ground.

"You want…" Loki said, reaching his palm up, and watching as Thor, puzzled, touched it with his hand, "…to touch more than a body. You want to reach out and touch a soul."

Thor stared at the dark eyes, and then at their hands. He looked back up and met the familiar gaze.

Loki asked, "Do you want a female?" and Thor sucked in a breath as Loki's form changed all around his dark eyes to that of a voluptuous dark-haired beauty.

"Don't," breathed Thor desperately.

"Why not?" Loki's voice was mocking but too quiet, "Too tempting for you?"

"No. Stop it."

Loki's next words were bitter, "You don't want me in any form." He segued back to his usual, male form, and moved to go, but Thor put a quick hand out and grabbed his wrist. Loki turned, but did not look into Thor's eyes.

"No!" Thor's voice was emphatic, and Loki's head tilted very slightly, but quickly. Thor watched his eyes carefully, and eventually Loki looked back into his eyes. Thor said slowly, "I meant… stop… changing. I want you like this."

Loki looked down at where Thor held his wrist, then back up into Thor's eyes again, "What do you mean? You want me as myself so that you can tell me that you don't want me? Not tell some phantom, some creation of mine; one of my lies?"

"They are not lies, Loki. They are your truths. We simply do not understand them."

Loki sat back down, looking surprised, and stared thoughtfully at Thor, "What makes you think I do?"

Thor smiled, and then looked serious again, "I can see it in your eyes. You see more than I ever will. You see more versions of the truth than anyone."

Loki stared at Thor. After a while Loki asked, "And what do you see in my eyes when I look at you?"

Thor leaned forward until their faces were inches apart, then breathed slowly, "I see…. I see angels and demons chasing each other around in your eyes. I see pain, and I see devotion."

Loki stared at him, looking undone, "No-one else does. Everyone else sees only lies and deceipt."

Thor looked at him, and hooked his free hand around the back of Loki's neck, "Don't change for me. I want you as you are."

Loki began to laugh bitterly, "You don't want me-" but suddenly Thor pulled with his hand and crushed their lips together, kissing Loki passionately. Thor paused long enough to whisper emphatically, "Don't tell me what I want. I know what I want, and it's not out there."

Loki's eyes were round, his breathing coming in hoarse gasps, as he pushed Thor away, "Thor, no, don't. Don't do this unless you want-"

"Unless I want what?" Thor gathered Loki back in with his arms and kissed his eyes.

Loki did not answer, closing his eyes against the eager onslaught of Thor's affection.

Thor pulled his face back up and held it until the dark eyes opened, full of fear and resentment.

Thor spoke, "Unless I want everything? I want all of you, brother. A thousand truths, a thousand lies, a thousand years, a thousand forms… because nothing matches you. Nothing out there," he tipped a contemptuous nod in the direction of the feasting table several buildings away, "Nothing compares to you."

Loki swallowed and said, "Don't toy with my affections, Thor."

Thor retorted, "Then don't toy with mine. Give me everything. I don't want you to give me what you think I want…. a woman's body, a pretty illusion. I want you to give me all of you. No illusions, or all your illusions, I don't care, so long as it is everything you are. Don't insult me with your assumptions of what I want."

Loki hesitated, his eyes burning into Thor's. Then slowly, he moved back towards Thor, leaning in for a hesitant kiss. Thor pulled him in eagerly again, crushing the slim form to him until Loki shape-shifted to be able to breathe.

Thor leaned back and whispered softly to Loki, "What do you see in my eyes, brother?"

Loki's answer was considered but concise, "I see power."

Thor looked a little crestfallen, "You don't see love?"

Loki looked a little sad, "You're not a god of love."

"I don't… think I want to be. It's a strange territory."

Loki was silent, the dark eyes simply watching Thor as they so often did, seeming to implore an understanding which Thor could not find within himself. Thor watched Loki's expression segue into disappointment, impulsively pulled him even closer, and whispered, "I only know that when I am not with you, I am nowhere."

Loki's shoulders quaked visibly, and Thor realised he was giving a short and bitter laugh. He looked down and saw Loki bite his lip hard. Loki said, "Yes."

"What?" asked Thor.

"I'm the god of illusion. How am I to know what's real?" asked Loki bitterly, "Even you?"

Thor frowned, unable to answer his brother's question. Instead he held him tighter, hoping that physical closeness would convey what words could not. After a while Thor felt the tension ease in Loki's body, and felt Loki's head rest down on his chest and a deep sigh shudder through his body.