Hi!

I'm terribly sorry for the delay! I had tons of homework to do, exams to study for, you know... learning how to save the world and shit xD

But I'm really grateful for all the reviews this is getting! I just love to read your comments, it's a fantastic motivation. And good news too, the sweet PingeBreenColourficluver agreed to be my beta-reader, so thanks to her you can say goodbye to any possible grammar atrocities in this story ^^

Anyway, here comes a very short but revealing chapter. Hope you enjoy it :3

"This house once belonged to a friend of mine, Erik. He and his daughter have been the closest I ever got to a family, even though it was so long ago. If my memory is not betraying me, it should have been around the sixteenth century on Earth (It's Earth, Thor, not Midgard!) When he lived and died, his daughter got married and left the nest. I know she was happy the rest of her life, but her children headed to the nearest city and nobody was left to take care of the old house. So I used the best of my magic to transport it here, to fill this lake with sea water and surround it by fir trees. It took me decades and tons of effort but if I must live alone what a better place that the one I have been so happy in?"

Thor nodded sipping his coffee. Last time he went to visit his friends he forgot to take some supplies back so it was quite a long time since he had savored the dark drink. And yet there he was, in Jotunheim and drinking coffee. How weird. But again, there was nothing normal about Loki.

"Do you visit Midgard often?"

"From time to time, when I tire from solitude I just go to spend some years there, watching the humans make their lives, discovering new places and having some "harmless" fun."

"So you do have lots of friends there." Loki grimaced at him.

"No, not really. Don't look at me like that. Since Erik's death I have tried not to get too attached to anyone. Humans have short lives…and the loss of someone beloved is too painful to bear again and again. I have people I have come to admire, comrades and lovers. But never again someone worthy of being called a friend."

Thor frowned, the images of his own comrades coming to his mind. The cheerful Tony and the noble Steve, quiet Bruce and energetic Clint with his beloved and deadly Natasha… They were as dear to him as the Warriors Three. Deep inside he knew Loki had just spoken the truth but he refused to let skip it into his heart. Their lives may be short, but intense, and the memories they share, priceless.

And even if he knew that some day he would lose them all, it was worth it. To fight by their side, to protect their beliefs, and the peace those tiny but great humans loved so much.

However, Loki held it within himself; the fear to make bonds and to love other beings came from the unwillingness to suffer their loss. For the first time since they'd met, he realized how lonely the other was. Living all alone, without a proper family and refusing to get too close to anyone he met…Oh Loki!

How insecure must a person be to let such things guide their life? Suddenly Loki seemed much more readable to Thor. All that beauty and power was covering a sensitive heart that the golden prince discovered by accident. He wasn't sure if the Jotun was letting him dig to it, or whether it was his own merit. But now he couldn't take his eyes from the blue form. His tense posture that at first sight looked like vanity could be interpreted as lack of trust, the raven locks covering his face when it should be completely exposed, the empty look in his eyes and the thin line of his dark lips…Thor remembered all the occasions he made the other smile of laugh and ached to do it again. Over and over…

"Let me then."

"Pardon?" Loki shook himself from his thoughts and looked at him inquisitively.

"Let me be your friend. I won't die as humans do, so you don't have to worry about losing me."

Loki frowned a bit, though there was no anger reflected in his eyes. "Are you offering me your friendship when you barely know me?"

"You have saved my life, fed me and let me stay with you for days. We fished and joked together, I told you about my home and you did so about yours. I'm a good judge of heart, Loki, and I can tell yours is noble. That is enough for me."

The other stayed silent for a moment and then sighed tiredly.

"I don't need your pity, Odinson. You Asgardians consider us Jotuns lesser beings and loathe our very existence. Now, because one of them told you he doesn't have friends you are willing to play the hero and pretend to open your heart to me? It's almost too childish for a prince, don't you think?"

"That's not true, Loki! I'm not pretending, I really want to open my heart to you, and for you to open yours to me. I know you're…"

"You know nothing about me! Not even what you were supposed to know! All you have are presumptions you made by yourself, blinded by your own vision of the world."

"Then show me!" Thor bit back bitterly "Show me who you are! Maybe you're right and all I have are my own presumptions, and if you think they are all wrong, make me rectify. I really want to get to be your friend, Loki."

"Why?"

"I…" he didn't know what to answer. So determined was the golden prince in his will to earn Loki's trust he never asked himself 'why' "I don't know… I just feel it."

He expected the Jotun to be angry or at least offended, but suddenly the other started to giggle lightly, much the same as their first moments together, a warm smile lighting his grumpy features like a weak stream of Jotunheim's sun.

"Oh, Thor! My dear foolish Thor! You don't even know what you're implying with your kind words, and yet you are willing to go on. Let us be then. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want, but be careful of what you say and do. I'm not known for my patience, princeling."

"Oh, but I'm known for my stubbornness."

They took a moment to look at each other's eyes with defiance, scarlet against blue like some childish tale about respecting the differences. But there was no place for respect when it came for their differences, only fascination.

Because respect, that was gained by the heart and deeds, not by appearance.

Sooo! Smexy times coming next!

And remember; the more comments this gets the quicker I'll update :)