Thor came to his brother and sister-in-law's chambers a couple of days later. He had been hoping to speak with Loki but only found Myrkr.
"You've been avoiding me," she said as he closed the door behind him.
"My apologies. Loki's proposal has made me somewhat uncomfortable," he confessed.
She smiled and motioned for him to sit with her. He nodded and obliged. "You're not the only one."
"I noticed the other day that you seemed less than pleased with what Loki suggested," he prompted hopefully.
"He is taking advantage of the only means available for him to help ensure our safety while we are away from here," she sighed.
"He is just being overly cautious, though, right? These are your people we are talking about. Considering your status, there is no reason to assume either of you will be in danger," he reasoned.
"As far as Laufey is concerned, I serve one purpose. I am to return the Casket of Ancient Winters to him. Failing to do so will not sit well. When he realizes that it is not a failure but an outright unwillingness on my part will only make matters worse," she explained.
"Not that I really want him to have the Casket, but why defy him? He is your King," he reminded.
Myrkr scoffed. "Because it belongs to Jotunheim, not to one person. He desires its power for conquest, but that will only bring more trouble to my world. Even if his ventures are successful, such successes do not come without a price. The people are still rebuilding. It would go faster with the power of the Casket, but that is not what it would be used for. It needs to stay here until we have a leader who is worthy of it," she lectured.
"And you are fit to decide who leads your people?" he asked. He didn't mean to sound indignant, but it did sort of come out that way.
"No," she sighed. "But it just so happens that the Casket is in my possession. I would rather sacrifice myself than let Laufey have it. I'm sorry that your brother got dragged into it," she told him seriously.
"Do you think that bearing my mark will make a difference? As Loki said, I'm not exactly loved on Jotunheim," he joked bitterly.
She smiled. It was a small smile, but it was still there. "I'm not sure how significant it would be, but it is not something that would go unnoticed. As I told Loki, the mark of an Asgardian would not carry as much weight, but your status and obvious willingness to protect loved ones is known and not taken lightly," she answered.
"So it would be good?" he tried.
She shook her head in exasperation. "It would be meaningful, but also carry a stigma. The only marks I would carry would be from the sons of Odin. It would make it difficult for the people to trust my motives while at the same time proving that I have earned your trust."
"You seemed against it before. Now you seem less sure," he noted.
"It would actually mean quite a lot to me if you wanted to do such a thing," she said, unable to look him in the eye. "I was being stubborn. Before Loki, no one had ever marked me. It hurt because that meant I was an outcast. I had no one to come to my aid in times of need because they didn't want to get involved with someone in my position, but in time, I learned to make it a point of pride. I survived for a very long time without that sort of attachment. In a way, giving up that feels like a moment of weakness," she told him sadly.
He smiled at her. "I will do this thing for you. Not because you are weak, but because you are unbelievably strong. I want to be associated with your strength. I want your people to know that I think you are worth protecting," he asserted proudly.
She sniffled a little but was smiling. "As you wish," she said quietly.
"Should we call for Loki?" he proposed. Now that the decision was made, he didn't want to dwell on it.
"He's in the library, and I'd rather not interrupt him. Besides, there are a few more things you need to know," she said.
"Like what?" He leaned forward a little.
"The marks you will be giving will be on our shoulders. One clean bite will do the trick. It needs to be a good, solid, unmistakable bruise," she told him.
He winced a little at the idea. "But it won't hurt, right?"
"I don't know," she hedged.
"Loki said that it didn't hurt," he reminded.
"We have very deep affection for one another. We both wanted the marks we gave each other, and at the times when they were given, we were in a very heightened emotional state." When she saw that he wasn't pleased by that, she added, "It doesn't matter if it hurts. Even if it does, the pain will not last."
He nodded, though he wasn't exactly satisfied. "What else?"
"You will not touch my neck," she told him sternly.
He gave her a strange look. Touching her neck was not something he had intended to do. "I won't," he promised. "Loki said that the marks have different meaning when they are on different parts of a person's body."
"That's true," she nodded.
"What does a mark on the neck mean?" he asked cautiously.
Myrkr's expression turned dark. "It would mean that you essentially own me, that I am your responsibility and that my life belongs to you."
Thor thought about that for a long moment. "I would let you leave your mark on my neck if it meant you would get back to Asgard safely."
She nearly dropped her glass. "That is very generous."
"I'm not saying it to be generous," he replied.
"Your physiology is different. It would hurt you," she warned, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"It doesn't matter if it hurts," he quoted.
She shook her head in disbelief. "I appreciate what you're saying. Even if you don't really understand what it implies, it means a lot to me. What we've already discussed would be enough," she said.
"So what exactly does it mean when I mark your shoulder?" he asked.
"It means that I've given you my body and entrust you to protect it," she replied.
"Given me your body?" he repeated carefully. "Will they assume-?" he began but she stopped him before he had to say it.
"I doubt anyone will think we've been intimate, but it won't make any difference either way. As I've explained to Loki, there is no concept of monogamy in Jotun culture," she dismissed.
"Oh, alright." He didn't like the implication that he had slept with his brother's wife, but if the people he was trying to make an impression on didn't care, then he tried not to worry about it. "What about the matching ones you two have on your chests?" He pointed to the edge of the bruise he could see peeking out of the top of her shirt.
She gave a sly smile and pulled her collar aside so that he could see it better. "It shows that we have a preference for one another, and the fact that we have to be facing each other when it happens indicates a certain level of respect," she explained.
Thor blushed ever so slightly. He was by no means a prude. He'd had his fair share of sexual adventures, but she was different. She was both gorgeous and exotic and off limits. Even though he'd been incredibly intoxicated and on the verge of passing out when he'd kissed her all those months ago, he could still vividly remember his brother's rage, and while he knew that things were much different now, he still felt like he should err on the side of prudence where she was concerned. This was especially true when they were alone together in her chambers, a place where she was nearly naked more often than not.
"You don't have to worry so much," she teased. "Loki knows better now," she advised knowingly.
He fumbled his words a bit. "It is still startling to me that such a proper lady can so easily bare herself to anyone other than her husband and her handmaidens," he managed.
"My maids often stare at the marks on my body, but none of them has had the courage to ask about them. I think they assume that Loki is a very aggressive lover," she mused.
"Marks?" he repeated, though he hadn't meant to allowed. "I thought the one on your shoulder had healed."
She smiled. "Yes, we let that one heal."
"Oh, so you just have the one then," he tried.
"There is another one," she said slyly as she slowly started to draw up the bottom of her robe.
Thor swallowed hard. "I-I don't think that's necessary."
She cocked a coy eyebrow. "Oh? You don't want to see what a good, clean mark looks like? It's the better of the two because we weren't doing other things when he gave it to me," she said, continuing to lift her robe until it only barely covered her sex and the mark a short distance away.
The blond prince forced himself to look her in the eyes. When he finally did that, he could tell she was messing with him. "I'm sure," he said with a laugh. His eyes darted down to her lap and then back up to her face again. "Thanks for the offer, though," he said with a wink.
That made her blush. It was nice to be on such easy terms with him. He was friendly and familial the majority of the time, offering comfort and support when she needed it, but sometimes they could be flirty, and that was fun too.
She was just about to say something else when Loki came in. Just from his initial sweep of the room, he could see that he had interrupted a rather interesting conversation. "Don't let me interrupt," he teased.
"Your brother has just come to tell us that, after some thought, he has decided to give us his mark," she told her husband.
"Oh? Is that why you're blushing and lifting your robe? I thought we'd decided that they would be on our shoulders," he taunted, greatly enjoying the darkening blushes of both his wife and his brother.
"Loki, it's not-" Thor tired, but Myrkr raised her hand and he stopped.
"I was going to show him the cleanest mark you've ever given me. Really, it took you awhile to get the hang of it. The first few were awfully messy, no one would be able to tell they were from you. They might have even thought a wild animal had sunk its teeth into me," she countered.
He gave a little growl and moved up behind her. Thor wasn't sure, but he was fairly certain Loki was running his fingers up her spine. "I would have an easier time if you didn't squirm so much," he said with a lecherous smirk.
She shuddered, and he stepped away to pour himself a glass of wine, taking the liberty to top off their glasses as well. There was a long, awkward silence after that while Loki stared out the window and sipped his wine.
When the silence became too much for Thor, he stood and said, "My apologies, brother, this is your seat," he tried to step out of the way, but Loki stopped him.
"If I wanted to sit, I would have let you know," he dismissed and motioned for the blonde to sit back down. Then, he set down his glass. "I'll be right back," he said as he walked into the bedroom.
Thor leaned across the table. "Should I go? If there is a better time, I could come back then," he offered.
Myrkr laughed. "It's fine, and there really isn't a better time."
Loki returned a few moments later dressed in more comfortable clothes, most notably a loose shirt with a wide collar. "Myrkr has insisted that I go first, so if you wouldn't mind," he looked his brother.
Thor was suddenly nervous. "Of course, whatever you prefer," he replied. He tried to sound sure, but he really didn't know what he was doing.
Myrkr took pity on him. "Husband, while we did talk of a good number of things, we didn't get to discuss exactly how it's done," she said.
Loki nodded. "Stand behind me," he said because he did not want to face his brother while it was happening. He did, however, make a point to face his wife because her reassuring expression eased him. With an even sigh, he pulled aside the left side of his collar. When Thor continued to hesitate, he pointed to a spot at the top of his back a few inches from the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
"Go for the muscle, not the bone," Myrkr advised.
Thor nodded vaguely. He wasn't sure how Loki was going to react, so he carefully grabbed his brother's forearms before sinking his teeth into his flesh.
The dark haired prince winced and made an awkward choking sound.
"Breathe, sweetheart," Myrkr told her husband.
Thor made eye contact with Myrkr to make sure everything was okay. She nodded, so he started to back off.
"Not yet," she said quickly. "Harder, ease into it," she coached. "Just don't make him bleed. It's considered bad form," she half-joked.
Loki glared at her, but said nothing. It hurt far more than he was expecting, and though it wasn't unbearable, he was grateful when the pressure let up a short time later. When he reached up to touch the spot, she swatted his hand away as she pushed Thor to the side so that she could lick the bruise.
The blonde prince stood off to the side, feeling incredibly invasive as he watched her guage and nurse the wound he had inflicted on his own kin. It seemed like too intimate of a moment for him to see. "H-How did I do?" he asked quietly.
"This is actually quite good. Neither of you moved much, so you can see the pattern of your teeth very clearly," she praised before moving around to face her husband. "How do you feel?" she asked seriously.
"Like my brother has a very strong jaw," he joked wryly as he pulled his shirt back into place.
Thor's instinctive response to that was to apologize, but the look Myrkr gave him told him not to.
"My turn," she said with a warm smile. As she approached Thor, she looked at Loki. "Thank you for going first. The mark I get needs to be as clear as possible. There cannot be any mistaking it, or this whole exercise is pointless," she told him.
Loki had thought her insistence was an effort to force his hand and see if he would back out or to see if he intended to have her marked and not go through with it himself. He was actually impressed with her pragmatism, though he shouldn't have been by now.
Myrkr chose to face Thor. She looked up into his big blue eyes and smiled as she exposed her left shoulder. "It's okay," she said confidently. Then, she reached up, laced her fingers in his hair, and guided him down to the place where she wanted him to bite her.
Loki circled around them as it happened, watching with intense interest as his brother's teeth sank into his wife's perfect blue skin, then moving back around when he heard her heated gasp. Judging by her expression, she was not in pain. Her eyes even dilated and darkened a little as he held her tightly, trying his hardest to make sure he gave her the very best mark he could.
In spite of himself, Loki was disappointed that she wasn't in pain. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Even though he knew it was only a reflection of the trust and affection she had for his brother, it still sparked the protective jealousy he had not felt since Thor had drunkenly kissed. He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help himself, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief, when Myrkr told Thor that was enough.
All this did not go unnoticed by the Jotun woman. She had been hoping to enjoy the moment, as it was a uniquely intimate experience for her, but there was no way she was going to let it end with Loki making the expression that he was. Just as Thor pulled away from her shoulder, she whispered, "You said this was okay," before biting the side of his neck.
Loki gasped sharply while Thor tensed. He'd nearly pushed her away. If it wasn't for her words of warning, he would have because the pain was so sudden and intense. For a moment, he thought she was going to tear out part of his throat, then she backed off. He even gave an unmistakable whimper when she licked it before letting him go.
The three of them stood together, staring stunned at one another for a long time after that.
"Why did you-?" Loki asked, his eyes darting between his wife and his brother.
"I told her it was okay," Thor answered for her.
She gave Loki a cocky little smile before excusing herself.
"Do you know what that means?" Loki asked accusingly as Thor went over to the mirror by the door to check out the quickly forming bruise on his neck. It was flawless.
"We discussed it," Thor dismissively replied. "You said I have a strong jaw, but I think hers might be stronger," he joked.
"This is serious. If a Jotun sees you, they will assume that she owns you," he insisted.
"I am aware of what it means," Thor snapped. "At least I didn't hurt her," he mused.
Loki tried not to sneer. "Because she trusts you."
"Does she make those sounds when you bite her? If she does, I can see why you're so eager to do it," he teased.
Loki cocked an eyebrow, wondering if maybe that extra helping of wine was too much. "The noises she makes for me are much better," he said with an arrogant smirk.
"Why did she lick me?" he asked curiously as he pulled his collar up, though it was quickly becoming apparent that would not cover her mark.
"Her saliva acts as something of a seal so that the bruise will remain longer," Loki sighed. "That is going to be very difficult to hide," he noted with morbid amusement.
Thor shrugged. "Wouldn't it be rude to hide it?"
"I think you liked it," Loki accused.
Thor turned and eyed his brother carefully, but before he could form a verbal reply, Myrkr returned, this time she was dressed. When she saw the intense looks the brothers were giving one another, she said, "This changes nothing between us."
They nodded, and she started for the door.
"Where are you going?" Loki asked curiously.
"I'm having lunch with Sif," she replied easily. Then, she gave her husband a quick kiss before leaving.
Once she was gone, Thor felt a little more comfortable saying what was one his mind. "You know how I feel about Myrkr, and you know I would never do anything-" he began to lecture but Loki cut him off.
"I know a lot of things. I know that you look at her far longer than is proper sometimes," he taunted, and when he saw his brother was getting even more upset, he added, "I also know that nothing of substance will ever happen between the two of you."
Thor breathed a sigh of relief. "She teases me," he said, though it felt more like a confession.
"Her way of showing affection, and she feels safe showing you that affection because she knows you won't do any more with her than you already have. She wouldn't genuinely come on to you because she does not feel that sort of attraction for Asgardians," he informed haughtily.
The blonde tried to allow that idea to ease him, but he still felt wounded. "Why's that?"
"Because the people of this world are too warm for her. It's a little funny, really. Fandral worried that being inside someone whose body was so cold would be uncomfortable, but really it's the heat that burns her. If not done carefully, such intimacy can actually hurt her," he explained.
"Oh..." Thor thought that over. "Is that why she was so upset when our friends were worried that you were taking advantage of her?" he wondered.
"They didn't just think I was taking advantage of her. They thought I was raping her," Loki snapped. "And no, she was so upset because they were being stupid and intrusive. We actually only just found out about it recently. She insisted on having sex to test my ability to hold my current form," he nearly scoffed.
"Is she alright?" he asked without thinking, then realized what he'd said. "I mean, obviously she's alright, but-" he tried.
Loki stopped him. "It is not something we'll be doing again any time soon, but she recovered quickly." That was as close as he was going to come to saying that it was the first time she'd ever cried while they were together like that, and that was not something he cared to see again. "What are you going to tell others when they inevitably ask about what happened to your neck?" he asked, mostly to shift focus away from himself.
"That it is a favor for a good friend," he replied surely.
"Oh? You won't tell our friends and family that you let your alien sister-in-law steal your autonomy?" Loki jibed.
"Um, no, I don't think they'll understand. If Mother and Father are really interested, I might try to explain what happened," he sighed.
Loki smiled at his brother, and it was possibly the most genuine smile he'd given him in a very long time. "You should tell our friends that you had a particularly excitable lover, that you pushed her into some kind of animalistic frenzy and she got carried away when she came for you and couldn't help herself," he teased.
Thor laughed. "That sounds an awful lot like what was happening when you first bit Myrkr."
Loki's smile turned into a feral grin. "I suppose it does."
With that, Thor took his leave. He had a few other things that needed to be done that day, and it didn't do him any good to put them off longer than he already had. Just about everyone who saw him stared at the bite mark on his neck, but only his friends had the nerve to say something about it. He thought about telling them what he'd originally planned, that it was a favor for a friend, but he knew that would only provoke more unwanted questions, so he ended up telling them the scenario that Loki suggested.
Sif was mildly disgusted, but the warriors three cheered him on through the story, encouraging him to embellish whatever details he could provide. Once that was finished, he caught up with Sif, who had left part way through his tale of debauchery, and told her the truth under the promise that she would keep it to herself. She wasn't sure what upset her more, but accepted what he had to say and let it go at that.