A/N: Oh my word! I found a ridiculous amount of shirtless Loki pics. Google is a dangerous place. I nearly died of nosebleeds, but I couldn't die before I finished this. To the review!

cutie5lexis: I love animals, and I seriously couldn't leave my baby girl, Lily, out of this story! I actually have her in my lap as I'm typing this. Enjoy this chapter!

AND ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 20: I ask for your permission

Lily had to be the most stubborn creature in the universe. She would not sleep anywhere unless I was present or couldn't fight sleep anymore. I ended up getting my own room in the palace with a miniature library and a small room for Lily.

I plopped down on the bed in my room and sighed contentedly. Then Lily hopped up onto the bed and lay down on top of me. I yelled in shock as her trapped me to my bed, and I started laughing uncontrollably. Lily began purring, the rumbling sound causing my whole body to vibrate, and I began laughing even more.

Then someone knocked on the door, and I stopped laughing as Lily began growling at the door. " Who is it?" I called out, struggling out from under Lily.

" Sky, it's me," Loki called out.

" Me who?" I asked playfully, sliding off the bed and creeping towards the door.

" I think you know who I am."

" Really? I don't think I do," I giggled, placing a hand on the doorknob.

" Sky, I don't have time for games. Please let me in," Loki snapped, and I stuck my tongue out at the door.

" Fine," I sighed, opening the door then walking back over to my bed and lay face down.

I heard Loki stride in and glanced up to see him holding a gorgeous suit of armor in his arms. " Loki," I breathed, hopping to my feet," Is that..."

" Your armor. It was finished early this morning," Loki sighed, setting the masterpiece on my bed," Now, I must go to my room and practice a few spells before lunch. Please don't disturb me."

I watched as he turned on heel and stalked out, and Lily padded over to stand besides me. " What's with him?" I asked, scratching the top of her head.

Then she nipped the back of my leg," Ow!" She began nudging me out of my room," What's up with you?" Lily yowled and ran to the door. " What? You want me to follow him? Even though he specifically said not to?" She sneezed and nodded at the same time, and I grinned. " How did I survive without you, my dear sidekick?" I ran out the door and down the hall.

Once I reached the room, I placed my hand on the doorknob and had to yank it away quickly from the cold. " What in the name of strawberries?" I muttered. " Loki?" I called out," Are you alright?"

" Go away, Sky."

" What's wrong?"

" Go away! I don't want you to see me like this."

" Like what? You've seen me at my most vulnerable moments. It's only a matter of time before yours," I sighed," If you don't let me in, I'll open this door despite the freezing doorknob."

" You'll injure your hand," Loki snapped.

I sighed and took a step back," You've given me no choice." I ran up to the door and kicked it open," And look. My hand isn't even... Oh."

I trailed off as I saw Loki standing shirtless in his now ice coated room. His skin was sapphire-blue, and his eyes were blood-red. My breath hitched at the sight of him, and he closed his eyes in anger as I closed the door. " This is what you didn't want me to see?" I asked, facing the closed door and shivering in the frigid air of his room.

" I didn't want you to see me in my true, monstrous form," he snapped," Is it so horrible that you can't even bear to look?"

I whipped around and stalked towards him, slipping ever so slightly on the ice. " Look, I..." my sentence was cut short as I tripped and fell forward into Loki's cold arms," I never could possibly begin to think of you as a monster. This form, if anything, is freakishly sexy to me," I breathed, relishing the odd sensation of his cold skin against mine.

I was beginning to regret my choice in tops as Loki's cold skin pressed against my bare arms and shoulders as he held me upright. " You think that I'm sexy even when I'm a monster?"

I flicked his nose, and he seized my wrist in one hand. " That's what I just said," I snapped, stand on tiptoe and kissing his fiercely.

His mouth was slightly open from shock, so I decided on a whim to give my tongue the weirdest case of frostbite in the universe. Loki's mouth tasted pleasantly of ice and strawberries, one of the many foods we both adored. Then I felt more than heard him moan against me, and I pulled back in worry. " I'm sorry! I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked in fear.

He opened his gorgeous, red eyes and smirked down at me. " I wasn't exactly moaning in pain," he murmured, lowering his face to my neck and planting a kiss where the skin of my neck and shoulder met.

My head tilted back, and I bit back a groan. " Right," I breathed, carefully pulling myself from his grip," And I plan on staying a virgin today! I'll be in my room, reading to Lily!" I giggled," Try not to waste all your sexiness while I'm not here to enjoy it," I teased, tossing a wink over my shoulder at him as I left.

" Oh, and I forgot to mention," I stuck my head back inside," Heimdall warned me that your brother intends to come by around noon."

" WHAT?" I slipped on the ice and made the mistake of grabbing the door for support," Ow!" I screamed and fell to the icy ground.

Loki was over me in seconds, pulling me into his lap. " Careful, Sky, I can cure injuries but not clumsiness." I swatted his arm with my injured hand, and he caught my wrist and frowned," This is my fault," he sighed, healing my hands.

" Wrong," I smacked his arm," My fault," I kissed his cold cheek," I chose to come in here. My fault."

He and I just sat there for a minute, perfectly content. Then one of the guards ran up," Sir. Nick has arrived."

Loki and I shot to our feet, and I ran out the door. " Wait," I turned back to look at Loki as he returned to his usual color and pulled on a tunic," Now we can go."

We followed the guard to where my brother was waiting, and I realized as soon as I saw him that I was only wearing a tank top with a built-in bra and leather pants. " Nice outfit, Sky," my twin laughed, smirking at me.

" Shut up," I laughed, punching his arm," Stupid! I was so scared!" I snapped, slapping his arm," Why the hell did you leave?"

Nick and Loki looked shocked," Sky, I'm sorry. I had to go check up on Lily. Carly couldn't because..." my twin trailed off.

" Because?" I dragged the word into a question.

" Hm. Let me put it this way," he grinned," I'm gonna be a daddy."

I squealed and began jumping around. " Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!" I chanted happily, running in little circles until Loki grabbed me by my waist and slung me over his shoulder and turned so I could still see Nick.

" We found out last month. Just before you came here," Nick sighed," She's started getting weird cravings. Which oddly reminds me," he pulled my phone and wristband out of his pocket and tossed them to me," I thought you might need those."

I caught them and looked at them in confusion," How do cravings remind you of my phone?"

" I dunno. I'm weird. You know this," Nick shrugged," Loki, please put my sister down. I don't feel comfortable with you holding her like that."

Loki tossed me into the air and caught me bridal style as he turned to face my brother. " You should. I'm not going to drop her," his hand cupped my butt, and I squeaked.

Nick looked ready to kill Loki right then and there. " Loki, stop it," I snapped, blushing furiously.

" Hmm," he looked from my face to my brother's," I think not." His hand squeezed my butt, and I yelped and grabbed his hand.

" Stop it! Please!" I pleaded, giving him my best "kicked-puppy" look.

He took one glance at my face and just rolled his eyes. " Anyway, I..."

Nick glared him down," You will put my sister down right now unless you've married her. Understand?" he growled.

" Perfectly," Loki purred, letting me down but keeping an arm around my waist.

My brother stared at Loki until I randomly punched them both in the arm. " I'm going back to my room. Don't follow me," I snapped, stalking off.

" Wrong way," Loki called out, not breaking eye contact with my brother.

I turned around and kept walking," Thanks," I muttered, punching my brother and Loki as I passed.

Nick's POV

I glared the idiot down as my sister retreated down the hall. " So," I sighed, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose and causing them to get a creepy glare," What did you call me here for?"

Loki suddenly seemed a bit uncomfortable. " I wanted to ask you for your permission to ask for Sky's hand in marriage," he stated quietly, folding his arms across his chest.

" Why are you asking me?"

" She told me that you had not gone to see your parents in several years, but she wouldn't tell me why. I figured you had good enough judgement," Loki stated, looking away.

" I see. Does she love you?"

" Yes."

" Does she trust you?"

" I believe so."

" Do you treat her with respect?"

" Yes."

" Do you trust her?"

" With my life and soul."

" Do you love her?"

" With all my being."

" Then you have my permission and blessing, Loki," I sighed, clenching my fists from the effort it took to keep from screaming at the fact I had given this guy permission to ask my sister to marry him.

Knowing Sky, she'd most likely turn him down because she wasn't all that nuts for him. I just prayed that I was right.