Author's Note: Thanks to Dora Malena for the follow.


Breakfast

All through the walk from the recreational 'vehicle' to the strange, small and white-walled dining hall Fandral had watched Loki. Even as they sat at a table with himself on Loki's left and Thor on Loki's right, the black-haired Asgardian hardly seemed to notice anything. Across from him sat, the woman Darcy beside her was Jane and then the greying, brown-haired man Erik Selvig.

Erik asked, "Loki, are you feeling all right ?"

Loki still didn't notice, the pale hands folded on the table didn't even twitch slightly. 'I can't see any knives nor does he have his dagger with.' Slowly, he reached down and tapped the black-clad thigh with a finger. An instant later, his wrist was sharply twisted. 'Ok, this hurts. Do not surprise Loki when he sleeps as he'll probably kill me then.'

Green-eyes moved from the wall to him, a faintly embarrassed look in the slightest arch of the black eyebrows as his wrist was released, "My apologies, Fandral, I was preoccupied."

Surreptitiously, he rubbed his wrist and wondered, "You're worrying about Odin aren't you ?"

"Among many things, yes, I am. Otherwise, Master Selvig, I am fine."

Erik nodded, "Good, that's good. It must be odd being here for you. I have to ask as I heard so many old myths as a boy. I-, ah, that is, a-are you really the Loki, God of Mischief ?"

"The Loki, there is only one Loki and I am he !"

As he watched Loki's hand twitched and whatever Erik saw made him stare, then the man breathed, "Amazing, simply amazing."

Someone interrupted them then, a short black-haired woman in white clothing. Thor ordered for himself and Loki an odd-sounding drink of a sort. When the black 'coffee' arrived he took a short sip, it was bitter, but he rather liked it despite that. Loki warily sniffed it and eyed it, "Are you sure it's not poison ? The way this looks I doubt a bilgesnipe would touch it."

He answered, "You know Thor would never willingly poison you. Apart from looking strange it tastes far better."

Still wary, Loki tilted the mug slightly and pale-pink lips wrapped around its rim. Loki pulled a disgusted face after swallowing a bit of the drink and putting the cup down, "I have enough bitterness as it is. I need not more of it in this disgusting form. How you like this Thor and Fandral, I know not."

Darcy shook her head and said exasperatedly, "Dude, if you're going to call it bad, just call it bad ! You don't need a whole speech about it. Are you always this overdramatic ? Would you be like this if you were dying ?"

That was when green-fire gathered in the palm of Loki's free hand, "Are you trying to threaten me, Nuisance ?"

"You threatened me before, this is a counter-threat. You can, at least, call me by my name, Loki."

Darcy's statement made him laugh as Loki replied, "As if you could threaten me, Darcy."

Darcy gave him a half-angry/half-frustrated look, "Is he always like this, Fandral ?"

His gaze drifted over the table-top then he took another deeper drink of his coffee, unintentionally finishing the cup, and putting it down before he answered, "You didn't exactly make a good impression by what you first called him. Nor did, my Prince, have the easiest day yesterday."

Over Loki's head, he saw Thor nodding assent as Erik hissed, "Ssh, Fandral. You don't need to start shouting when you're throwing titles about.", as some Midgardian men by the counter turned to look at them. The men wore mostly dark-rust, check-patterned or dark-shirts and blue-pants with helms of strange-billed cloth on their heads.

'Shouting ? I was not and this mug is far too short, a bigger one such as it is would suffice. If Loki's not going to have his…Oh please, we know the bigger reason and it's not the coffee, you just want it because his lips touched it. Silence, there is no bigger reason, they are the same sized reason.' His conscience laughed at his phrasing, 'Though I don't know which could be more addicting this odd rush I suddenly have or Loki.'

One of the men got up - he had short black-hair and an equally short beard, tanned-skin and 'looked' far stronger then Loki - and made his way over. Though it shouldn't have, it still worried him to see the Midgardian loom over Loki. The green-fire vanished from Loki's hand and by the way those eyes lit there was a plan in that mind.

Loki smoothed his hair out of his face, before he half-turned and asked, his tone sickening in its overt sweetness, "Need you something ?"

'He is definitely tricking the man into something, but what ?'

By the Midgardian's face, Loki had just confirmed whatever he thought and he sneered, "As if you could be a prince. The only thing you could be Prince of is Prince of Fags."

The word, "Fags", being said in the same tone one might say, "Cows.", in, disreputable, reference to people. If the insult hadn't been part of Loki's plan, and had he still had it, he would have unsheathed his foil. 'Where exactly did it go anyways ? Where do Loki's knives go when he's not using them or has them sheathed on his belt ? They must go somewhere or does he have some magic space he keeps them in ?'

At the insult Thor stood up, "You dare insult my brother."

"I will handle this, Thor."

"Loki ?"

"Trust me, brother."

Said Midgardian laughed, "Brother ? He ain't your brother unless your mother cheated or he's your half-brother."

With a glare, he turned to support his princes, 'Why do all the Midgardians keep saying they're not brothers or that they don't look such ? Of course, they're brothers ! Loki looks more like Queen Frigga's Mother, yes, but they're still brothers. Truly, they must be a stupid people with being so short-lived. It seems Jane, Erik, Darcy and that servant-woman are the only exceptions.'

Loki got up to face the man, "If you want to hit me, Midgardian, go ahead…try and hit me."

Before Loki had even finished saying the words the black-haired Midgardian had swung. As he suspected, because there was nothing to hit, the man passed through Loki's illusion and slammed into the chair.

A second later, Loki was laughing as he sat in a booth beside the window a foot behind them. Enraged the man turned and lunged at Loki again trying to punch him. This time Loki caught the tanned fist, smoothing his shirt and straightening his scarf with his free hand, then Loki said, "Servant, this man interrupted our drinks and tried to attack me."

The serving woman nodded and, as Loki released the man, said their breakfast would be free. For which Loki thanked the woman who seemed rather charmed. While himself and Thor returned to their right position, Loki too retook his seat.

Erik burst into laughter as Jane asked, "Loki, did you really just manipulate him so we could have a free breakfast ?"

All innocence Loki replied, "Manipulate ? I swear that I did no such thing, Jane. Why ever would I when you heard him insult my honour. I was merely protecting my, rather pleasing, if I might say so, self. That man was very jealous of me."

It made him frown when he went to take a drink and the mug was empty. Thusly, it was his turn to ask a question, "Might I have your coffee, Loki, as you want it not ?"

Pale-skinned hands pushed the brighter white mug over to him, "Verily, Fandral, verily for I want it ever less."

He tried not to seem too eager as he picked up the mug, noticing Darcy staring at him as he took his first sip from it. However, it puzzled him when the mug was slightly colder than it should have been. 'There must be an air current somewhere near-by.' Pushed the thought aside as he noticed the counter men getting up to pay and leave. 'We won't be seeing the last of them I know it. Well, Loki seems to feel a bit better either way.'