Chapter Two:

Things moved swiftly, and soon it had been a couple more years. It was a week before Thor was to be announced officially as the heir to the Asgardian throne, and Loki was folding in on himself worse than ever, throwing up imagined shields around himself.

I stood next to him on a balcony, watching the darkness below. "I can feel their dislike for me, feel my rejection," I said quietly.

Loki sighed. "They don't reject you. They reject me, and you because you are always by my side. Perhaps it would be better for you if you weren't."

I shook my head. "Never, Loki. If they don't like you, then somebody's got to, and I can't help it anyway. Even if I wanted to stay away from you, I would be drawn back, like a moth to a flame - I don't get it, but I cna't say I don't like it."

He responded with a tiny smirk and began, "But -"

"No buts," I interrupted. "None. I don't want to hear them. I am your friend, Loki, and I will not just leave you because you think I'd be safer. It's too late for that." I turned and looked straight at his bright green, and right now disbelieving, eyes. "If I'm going to be cast out - if I'm going to fall from grace, I want to fall with someone." I stepped a little closer to him. "At least I'm not falling alone."

Loki didn't reply, but looked like he was fighting some hidden impulse. Then, suddenly, he bent his head slightly and pressed his lips against mine.

He was all awkard and confused, like he'd never done it before. Smirking against him, I fisted my hands in his coat and pressed my mouth harder against his. His hands found home on the back of my neck and the small of my back, and I slowly moved one of my hands up his neck and into his hair. My lips parted under his pressure, his mouth hungry against mine -

And then I pulled back, leaning my forehead against his collarbone, leaving my hands where they were. I could feel Loki's wild hearbeat from where my head rested, and I could feel his uneven breathing ruffling my hair. I was panting slightly, as if I had been running.

I looked up at his face, saw that his eyes were dark with his pupils' dilation and there was a flush high in his cheekbones. I wondered what I looked like.

"Loki," I choked out, but nothing else came out because he had leaned down to capture my lips again and this time I let him stay that way. We stood there for a long time - minutes, hours, days, finding out new things about each other that we had never known before; a first.

Suddenly, footsteps invaded, and I accidentally shoved Loki backwards from where one of my hands still resided, despite its previous exploration of Loki's chest, neck, hair, back.

I looked around, saw Frigga hiding a smile at the foot of the dias that was the balcony. "You have been gone for awhile," was her only comment. Then she turned, throwing the words, "Hurry up or you'll miss dinner," over her shoulder as she left.

I stared at Loki, and he stared at me, both of us still breathing hard. After a moment, I started laughing, and he happily followed suit. "Why - didn't we realize this - earlier?" I gasped around giggles, doubled over and wheezing, already suffering from lack of air.

Loki shook his head, barely able to breathe, let alone speak. "I - don't," he spluttered, and after a few moments it died and I reached out and took his hand.

"Dinner?" I asked, barely keeping back a smile.

In contrast, he let his grin free. "After you."

The only reason I'm updating is for you, Panwyn, so, yeah. Enjoy! Have fun reading!