Loki won't let fleeting happiness get in the way of his vengeance.

It'd been several days since Loki met his nephew. He had been left alone, it seemed. Better that way. He went back to look for the shark's body and collected what he could from the remains. Other fishes had taken their task of cleaning very seriously, but Loki could salvage some. Some parts of sharks, in particular this one, could be used to make very powerful draughts. It took him a couple more of days of recollecting here and there and then he set off to his little above-water cave. There he set his utensils and prepared the black marmite to brew. Some of his enchantments needed to be prepared by fire and his concoctions usually could be used underwater, but for a few he needed to be extra careful and dry the ingredients to make the most of them and underwater that was clearly impossible.

If you had asked Loki for remedies when he had just started playing with his abilities he would have laughed at you if you suggested him to use dry ingredients. Now he knew better. In his long life he had travelled all around the world, seen the Sevent Seas and walked on land –his first time as a human had been embarrassing at best so he tried to forget it–. He had also met a lot of different kind of shamans, sorcerers, witches and priestess, and from each one of them he had learnt something new. He had also discovered that in-land magic could become more powerful than underwater magic depending on the tides and the season. He had also learnt how to read the winds and the sand.

A very accomplishe magician, some liked to joke, branding his seidr as mere tricks. And he had let them, for all his life, he had let them. It wouldn't do for any of his fellow mer to discover that Loki alone could cause so much chaos as to throw Asgard off and destroy the whole city with just the flick of his tail. But today, oh, today! He was going to throw a baldness curse to Odin. A very wicked one. Odin would grow hair everywhere –except on his scaled parts– and his head would become a shinning ball. No eyebrows either. The beard... Loki was still considering if he would let his little brother keep the beard –after all, Odin's black beard managed to keep the troublesome mer in place whenever confronted by their king–, so maybe no. Maybe he would let the beard intact, for the sake of Asgard.

With the aid of his tentacles, he moved from one part of the cave to another, making sure he had enough wood for the fire, enough clean water, enough bottles. He frowned. Not enough bottles. Muttering a bloody Medusa, he went to collect some quartz. Ugh! If he had to make new glass bottles his moment of revenge would take longer. He should have been more mindful, but the past years he had been more focused on the end of his plight. And now. Now he was stuck, because he doubted dumbhead Odin would remember that he had cursed his older brother.

He growled, breathing heavily. The vial in his hand was almos thrown to the other side of the cave. Almost. He didn't. He needed the vial intact. Taking a deep breath, Loki tried to calm himself. His eyes swept through the place, making a mental note of more things that needed restocking. He also took notice of his wooden shelves. Some were slightly rotten. Frowning, he bowed to find more good wood and craft a new one.

His way out in the open was painful and slowler than ever. It seemed that losing a limb had affected greatly his movility.

"Well, what did you expect? You screwed big with the shark," Loki admonished himself.

Once outside the cave he let the sun and gentle breeze to caress his form. His hair shone under the golden, warm rays. Then, painstakingly slow, he moved through the grass and dirt towards the natural ravine that contained his most interesting rocky materials. He had been keeping this little island secure from humans by way of wards and magic, so all the narutar resources were still intact, and Loki's own needs were meet with little, so the island was still rich. It took him almost all day. The sun had already started to set, painting the waters with orages, yellows and reds when he heard it. Loki stilled, hands and tentacles filled with his findings of the day. He heard it again. Hurrying to a more secure ground, he invoked the bag from the cave and put all inside, then slided towards the sound.

"..lp! Help please! HEEEEELP!"

Loki stopped, heart hammering against his ribcage. A human. It was a human. In his island! The human kept yelling.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Loki grumbled, while he went to the human aided by his tentacles. When he reached the rocky shore he saw what was left of a shipwreck, no human corpses, and one human trying to reach dry ground. His legs didn't move and his white, but dirty, shirt was stained pink. Bleeding, then. Loki sighed, annoyed. "I am going to have to either kill it or help it back to health," he mumbled, while rubbing his face.

"Please, please... IS SOMEONE HEEEERE!? I CAN SEE YOUR SMOKE! PLEASE HELP!"

"STOP YELLING YOU FUCKING TWAT! I CAN HEAR YOU PERFECTLY FINE! I WAS JUST DECIDING IF I SHOULD KILL YOU ON THE SPOT OR NOT BUT IF YOU KEEP AT IT I'LL JUST SNAP YOUR NECK!" Loki answered, angered beyond meassure. Not only was he short on materials, he would be delayed into making his baldness curse.

"YES! I mean, yes! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm just so relieved..." the human, a male, a man, said before fainting.

Loki groaned.

"Why couldn't you just walk!" he whined. Then, he readied himself to drag the man into his cave. Upon touching his skin Loki knew he had a fever. The moon was already up and the sea an inky black mass when Loki finally laid the man in a makeshift cot. He had had to sew it with the left overs of the wreck. Now, the most unpleasant part of the task started. Loki bared the man, from head to toe, trying desperately to remember about his knowledge on human anatomy.

He set one hand over the forehead and the other over the chest. Then, closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and focused on the man, aided by his seidr. He found buised ribs, but none broken, a hit on the head, a broken femur and some lesser issues. First, he should try and settle the bone. It took him too long, and the blissful oblivion that had swallowed the man before was starting to disappear, so he went back to his herbs and looked for some that could dull the pain or the mind or both.

Through the length of the night, Loki tended to the human, driven by some mad sense of duty. Maybe that that the man had been damaged on his lower part made Loki feel identified. He, also had lost something important waist down. And now it wasn't only about the exterior beauty of his tail, it was also the movility and the easiness with which he could have changed it into a fine, strong pair of legs. The tentacles just got in the way of everything. Sometimes he felt that they had live of their own.

He had stopped brewing the balding curse's first draught and had set his table and utensils for healing potions. He managed to get some bandages with which support the healing leg. Finally, with the first rays of the day shinning over the waters, Loki put his hands on chest and forehead once again. The man would survive, his fever wouldn't kill him. He retreated to the lower part of his cave, where he had a small pond that connected with the sea below. Loki had won his rest for the day.

00000

"Loki! Come! I found it!" the man, Svad he had introduced himself, was waving the arm that wasn't gripping the cruthc. If only to get him off his hair, Loki had tasked him to go and gather some seashells and starfish. With a heavy sigh, Loki made his way toward the human.

"Did you? Is it really it?" he asked, not quite convinced.

"It is, really," Svad said, smiling when Loki approached.

The man was strange. Upon waking up he had not yelled at Loki, nor tried to hit him or kill him or insulted him, he had just thanked him. Then, he had said the most startling thing. Without looking away from Loki's eyes he had said that he was the most beautiful creature he had ever contemplated, as if awestruck. Loki had averted his eyes first, selfconscious, and had crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at his tentacles, feeling dirty.

That had been yesterday. And now, Svad, who couldn't and wouldn't stay put inside Loki's cave, resting, as he should, was offering his arm for Loki to help him walk on land.

"I have been told that octopi are quite intelligent. The other day I just heard the most bizarre of tales about one. A frined of a friend has this restaurant of seafood, and in one tank..." Svad started telling a story about the animals. For some reson, Loki surmissed, Svad thought Loki was half octopus. Not that he wasn't, but not in that sense. Loki was almost sure Svad thought Loki's brain was half octopus. "... to find both of them gone!" Svad finished with a laugh.

"Such a pity. They are quite savory and I prefer them grilled myself," Loki commented while looking up at a seagull. This made Svad stop in his tracks. Loki almost tripped him with his tentacles.

"What? You eat octopi?" Svad looked shocked. Loki smiled wolfishly.

"Why, yes. They are a personal favourite," he said, licking his lips without looking away from Svad's amber eyes. "Do you like octopi, Svad?" Loki said, purring. He always used this voice to mark something dangerous was about to happened, but the man's mouth just hung open, a bright flush marking his cheeks.

"I... Think they might become my favourite, yes," he answered, breathless.

Loki patted him on the elbow, let go of his arm and went to pick up the seashell.

"Good boy," he said. Turning back to Svad. "This one will suffice. Now, go back and rest! If you don't get well soon I'll put you out of your missery myself!" he snapped.

Instead of flinching or coiling back, Svad laughed, put both hands on Loki's face and kissed him. Startled, Loki's tentacles wraped about Svad's form, while his own arms stayed at his sides. The man grew bold, one hand travelling to the nape of his neck while the other wrapped around his waist. Loki's arms shot out then, to embrace the man too, opening his lips to tease him with his tongue. They lost balance and fell down. Svad groaning in pain, Loki because some of his tentacles were crushed under their weight.

"Oof! Hurts!"

"This is why I told you to go back!" Loki snapped again. "And as much as I would love to have an affair with a handsome seawolf like yourself, I'd rather go back to my devices. I have a revenge to plan."

If Loki was leaving Svad behind, it didn't have anything to do with the heat on his checks, or the fact that he didn't want the man to discover how crippled he really was. That had been a discovery on the second day of his punishment: no sexual organs. Really, Odin never planned anything at all. Or maybe he was just that cruel.

When Svad finally arrived the cool inside of his cave, his face was red but from another way of exertion. Maybe he should had swallowed his pride and helped him. Even if Loki's magic and remedies speeded up the recovery, the man was still a convalescent, right?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you away," Svad said while sitting on the cot. Loki huffed.

"Listen, pup, I am older than your grandparents. You didn't scare me away."

"Then, why did you leave? I thought you were enjoying yourself."

Loki turned around, a twirl of limbs and angry scowls. But he didn't say anything. Svad was studying him, face serious. Loki looked back at his work table, hands grinding the seashell with the pestle.

"I am cursed, pup. And you live too short. So nothing good could come from you and me enjoying anything."

"I don't particulary care about that. But if that's how you see it. Just mark this: I would love to have you... Or for you to have me."

Loki looked back at him, surprised. He was smiling now, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Loki smiled back.

"I think I will pass this time," he said, going back to his work, this time with good humor. "As I told you before, I am planning a revenge and I cannot get sidetracked even if for a few decades until you drop dead. And not after I have exacted my revenge will I let myself get lost in the pleasures of the flesh."

Svad hummed from the cot.

"And what if you managed to get what you wanted, lest say... Tomorro. Would you think about it? With me?"

Svad was eyeing Loki in a way that he had not been stared at since... Well, Loki couldn't even remember. Svad's stare was scorching and he felt his cheeks heaten. It didn't help that Svan was gropping himself while bitting his lower lip. Loki felt thirsty.

"Maybe... I could make a little detour... If it will make you stop and let me do my thing," he said, half angry. Svad sobered up, but didn't stop touching himself.

"How would you like me..." he asked in but a whisper, full of desire.

Loki felt like moaning. He had never felt so... Wanted. Slowly, he let the pestle and mortair back on the table and went towards the cot, one tentacle at a time. He stood there, between the man's legs, one stretched over the cot, the othed resting on the floor. Loki lowered himself and with deft hands unlaced the man's breeches. Svad groaned. Carefully, he let the cock free, caressing the skin, tangling his fingers on the pubes to then fondle the sack.

"I have sharp teeth, it would be advisable for you not to do anything too sudden," Loki whispered, looking into Svad's eyes before lowering himself and taking the member into his mouth.

For long minutes, the only sounds in the cave were those of Svad's ragged breathing, the sea, and Loki's suction.

"Loki... Loki please..." Svad didn't seem to know what he wanted from him, and Loki didn't care to ask, he was focused on the cock inside his mouth. It had been an age since he had had any kind of sexual encounter and he was going to enjoy it. Svad's hands found his hair but the man didn't try to control his pace, he just massaged him and Loki couldn't help but moan. Within seconds, Svad was spilling down his throat.

The next minutes neither talked. Loki wasn't looking up at the man, and Svad seemed to be looking at the marmite. His cock was soft once again, but still quite appealing, if you asked Loki. Or maybe it was because he hadn't had contact with men in such a long time... He touched it out of curiousity making Svad shiver and cover his hand with his own. Loki looked up. Svad seemed to be looking for something, but Loki didn't know what. Then, the man smiled.

"What?" Loki snapped, frowning.

"You truly are the most breathtaking, gorgeous, attractive and beautiful creature I've ever behold," Svad whispered, caressing his cheek. Loki froze. "I wish we could stay together." His hand slid down his face to touch Loki's neck, then it went to the back and he pulled Loki to him, until their foreheads were connected. "I wish I could help you with your revenge," he said, kissing Loki's lips softly. "You have ruined me for everyone else today, merman. And I wish I could just let you go, but I fear you are going to have to erase my memory of you, or I'll haunt the Sevent Seas unil I catch you and chain you to myself," he mumbled to Loki's lips.

Loki answered with a feroucious kiss, hands and tentacles wrapping about the man's form.

"You should make me yours before you depart, then. But know that it won't be an easy feat. You will have to chain my will to yours for life and I have not found any ounce of seidr in your blood, mortal," Loki said, peppering Svad's neck with kisses and little nips, making him gasp.

"Then... then how can I... ah... how can I... have you..." he asked. His cock was hardening again and Loki was more than pleased to help him with it. This time it took a while longer for Svad to spill, and when he did, it landed on Loki's face and chest. Both of them were breathing heavily. "Beautiful... I... How can I please you?" he said, realizing, for the first time, it seemed, that Loki had not had any release.

Loki pulled away.

"I told you. I am cursed."

"Then... Are you really a man?" Svad sounded unsure but hopeful and that hurt. It hurt so much that Svad wished he was human. But instead of lashing out he just went back to his work, not looking back.

"Go back to rest, sleep if you can."

00000

His curse was finished. Loki grinned. That stupid, twat would get what was coming for him. Loki couldn't help himself and laughed out loud.

"In a good mood, I see," Svad said, from the entrance of the cave. Loki swirled around in a fuid motion. These past days he had become used to having only seven tentacles and now he could move easily about his space.

"On your own two legs, I see," he retorted. Svad just flashed him a smile. Loki had to give it to the man that he was handsome: tanned skin, dark red hair, amber eyes, and that smile... If Loki wasn't as petty as he was he would have thrown away his personal vendetta and just stayed with Svad in the island, enjoying his short human life. But he was petty, and he wanted revenge. He had not been denied basic biological functions through a thousand years to leave his hammerheaded brother alone. No, no, he wanted revenge now.

"Aye. If your charms work, I will be safely delivered by the shore in a couple of hours."

Loki feigned hurt.

"You dare say such things of my charms? The nerve!"

Svad laughed, one hand combing though his hair.

"Yes, well... I cannot really be sure. You might want me to drown," he said, smiling playfully. Loki approached him with a smile of his own and kissed him.

"I will remember you fondly," he promised.

"I..." Sadness covered his amber eyes, smile dimming. He cleared his throat. "I will also think of you fondly."

"Ah! Wait, I have something for you," Loki stopped him, one tentacle grabbing at his wrist. That teared a laugh from Svad's throat. Loki took a necklace with a shark's tooth. "This... I enchanted it to help you whenever you are on a ship. If any mer is to interfere with you, they will sense my power and leave you alone."

Svad lowered his head, but not his gaze, so Loki could pass the cord. The tooth rested right in the middle of his chest. Loki's hands lingered there, not looking at Svad's face.

"If I ever tell this tale to anyone they will think me crazy or too drunk, for I have fallen for a mer man instead of a mer maid."

Loki's eyes darted up, surprise painting his face. Svad cuppled his face between his hands. Then, without saying anything, he kissed Loki, softly, sweetly. At last, he departed, boarding a small skiff that Loki had assembled for him. It had runes engraved to keep it afloat, dry when raining, cool under an unforgiving sun, and to never lose the course.

00000

Finally, Loki was back to his cave deep under the sea. He had his draught and some more. He had gotten a few tokens from Svad that he could use for future enchantments and he had rediscovered his own attractiveness. He looked at himself in his mirror. But of course he had mesmerised the human: black hair, thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, vibrant eyes, smooth skin and useful tentacles. He stopped mid motion. Useful tentacles. Loki groaned. He could have used them to play with Svad! And he didn't! What a waste! Well, no matter. He was going to curse Odin and then demand his tail back and after such a long time wearing tentacles Loki was sure he could make a concoction of his own to transform his tail into tentacles once again. He could even go in search of Svad. Oh! What fun they would have!

He went through his knickknacks and then froze. Someone had been there. While he was away. Instantly, he searched his wards. They were all up, no one with blood different than his could ender. Loki searched through his belongings, worried that someone might have stolen from him. The water current at his back shifter and with a swiftness never seen before he turned, ready to attack, claws and teeth sharp as ever.

"Oh! You are back!" the intruder said with the most cheerful tone and eyes full of hope. "I thought you have left and would never come back. Thanks Medusa, you are back!" Thor swam towards him and embraced him. Loki, stunned, put his hands on the pup's shoulders and tried to push him back. It only served to join them at the hips, chests far appart. Loki felt his cheek heatening.

"What are you doing, pup? How did you enter?"

The pup didn't release him, he just squeezed him harder, making his blush spread to the root of his hair. Damn, but that pup was as strong as an adult!

"I have something to ask of you, witch! I am ready to pay the price. You are my only hope!" he said instead. Releasing him slowly. Loki's eyes narrowed when the pup's hands lingered on his back a tad too long before he remembered what personal space meant, blushing furiously. "Sorry, I was just so glad to see you back."

Loki nodded, turning around to tinker with his vials, trying to regain a bit of composure.

"And what is it that you require, prince?" he said, half turning. The pup's face had lost the smile but as soon as Loki asked, the bright, toothy thing came back.

"I need legs."

"... What?" Another one? The pup was clearly mentally challenged. No, scratch that, he was stupid. As far as Loki knew, it was this pup's fault that now they had been banned from the surface, and now the idiot wanted to go up? "Weren't you almost caught by fishermen some years ago?"

"Yes, well, that is of no import," Thor said, dismissing it with a hand gesture. "The important thing is that I am in love. I saw her years ago. She was drowning, so I helped her, but instead of thanking me, the old folks thought I was the one trying to drown her, so they tried to retaliate. But I have forgiven them and I can only think of her. She was so small in my arms. Her hair is brown and straight and her eyes are intelligent and..."

Loki stopped listening. The pup was infatuated, that much was clear. And he wanted to go above water. And he was Odin's son. He fought the smile that tried to creep up his thin lips.

"Very well. I can do that. See this ring?" Loki interrupted. The pup seemed overly excited, wasting too much air. Loki proceeded to explain the mechanism of the charm in the ring. It was somewhat similar to that of the medallion he had given a couple of years ago with a few differencies: this one had a time limit –if the purpose wasn't fulfilled in said time limit then, the bearer would be inflicted by a weakened state of body and mind–, one couldn't come back to being a mer and if tried, one would disappear between seafoam. Of course, Loki explained everything, every little detail, even the more grotesque ones. That didn't deter the pup's intentions. He still wanted to do it, so Loki sighed, as if worried for the pup. Internally he was screaming, dancing, laughing.

All these centuries... These past days, weeks? Planning his revenge and it was here, served to him. All he needed to do was to give the ring to the pup, activate the enchantment and sit back and wait. If the pup fulfilled his purpose, then he would become a human boy and be human until his death in less than a century. If not, he would become a weakened human boy and would die in a lustrum, tops.

Odin would suffer. Oh, he would suffer. But he couldn't do anything to Loki. By law, Loki was being truthful. He didn't coherce the pup, he told him all the ups and downs and gave him the chance to not accept the exchange.

"Okay, Understood." Thor's face changed then, expression grave. "And the payment?"

Loki searched the pup's face, parted his lips and passed his tongue over them. It was a nevours habit he had acquired in his short time in the surface.

"Your eyes."