A/N: THE LAST CHAPTER! Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed. You guys are just so many levels of awesome and I love chatting about things with my reviewers. So great to see people as obsessive about this pairing as I am!

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Disclaimer: Mine? Nah.

Stuff & Nonsense - Chapter Nine

The elderly couple hurriedly moved out of the apartment building's doorway when they saw the blonde behemoth charging up the stairs towards them.

"Pardon me!" He boomed as he twisted his body past them and into the lobby. Pounding on the lift 'up' button, he rocked impatiently on his heels as he waited and charged into the doors as they opened, nearly knocking down a family of four as they exited. "Excuse me," he apologised again, even as he swiped his rarely used copy of the security card for the penthouse suite and pounded another button to close the doors.

Jumping out of the lift when it finally came to a hushed stop on the top level, Thor strode over to the redwood door and began to thump the door with his fist. "Loki? Loki, are you there? Loki!"

Ear pressed up against the wood revealed nothing to the big guy, so, not one for standing around twiddling his thumbs, he let himself inside, thanking the gods that Loki hadn't had his lock changed in the last two years.

"Loki?"

He turned left and headed through the plush lounge room towards the hall that led to the bedrooms.

"Brother? I know you're here."

A muffled voice sounded from the master bedroom.

"Loki!" Thor burst into the darkened room, only to have a pillow thrown at him. "Stop that! We must talk, brother."

"Not your brother," the other man rasped. "And not talking." Loki threw his aching head back into the rest of his pillows.

"You'll always be my brother and we have to talk about last night. Jane says-"

Loki let out an agonised moan. "Thor, just piss off! Let me suffer in peace, please!" He pulled his blanket over his head.

Thor marched over to the king sized bed. "Come brother, a full breakfast will help." He ripped the blanket off the bed, leaving the other man nowhere to hide. Thor's eyes widened, then he quickly looked away. "Did you always sleep naked?"

"For the love of-" Loki bellowed. Two more pillows were tossed at the red-faced Thor, then, with a glare that should have struck his older brother dead, Loki stalked into his en suite. Thor hurried after him, catching the door before he could close it behind him.

"Loki, I'm serious-" Thor, still looking discretely away, implored him to listen.

"Well, that would be a first," Loki snapped, uncaring of his nakedness as he leaned over to turn the shower on. He was much more exposed last night on that damn dance floor.

"I'm just trying-"

"Oh yes, very trying."

"Loki!"

"Thor!"

The older brother sighed in frustration and rubbed his face with his hands. Leaning against the door frame, he tapped his fingers impatiently behind him, absently noting that his fingernails needed a trim, before coming to a decision. "I've never told you how I met Jane."

The only sound in reply was the running shower and the splash of water as it ran off its occupant.

Thor persisted, "I think they're important, those first impressions, but not final."

"Really, Thor?" Loki's voice dripped with false sincerity. "That's wonderful. Now get the fuck out of my bathroom."

"She ran me down with her van."

Silence.

"What?"

"She hit me with her car," Thor shrugged. "She claims she didn't see me-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-" Loki stuck his dripping head out of the shower. "She hit you?"

"Yes," he replied mildly. "I was actually okay, pretty much, until Darcy tased me." He chuckled to himself, "Yeah, that knocked me out for a bit."

Loki just stared at him, mouth agape for a moment, then he snapped it shut and pulled it back into the cubical. A moment later the water stopped. "You've got my attention. Get out, I'll be a second." His voice echoed around the tiled room.

Thor pulled back with a grin, pleased to finally have one over his smarter brother. Loki came out a few minutes later with a towel wrapped around his waist and another over his head, scrubbing at it to get it dry. He disappeared into his walk in wardrobe with a quick glance in the blonde man's direction and came out pulling a v-neck tee shirt over a pair of dark jeans, his feet still bare.

Loki studied him a moment longer without saying a word, then nodded his head towards the door. "I'll put some coffee on."

Thor silently followed him to the kitchen and took a seat at the breakfast bar, noting how sterile his brother's place looked compared to the loft he shared with Jane. He hadn't realised how much life and colour she brought with her when she moved in. They were both silent until Loki slid a steaming mug in front of the other man and perched himself next to him on a tall stool, and gazed out of the window opposite.

"So," Loki began after taking a sip. "She ran you over, huh?"

Thor beamed. "That she did. I was slightly worse for wear, and it was late." He shrugged. "I had a disagreement with Father and was drowning my sorrows-"

Loki snorted. "Disagreement? Really? Not the golden child, surely."

Thor pinned his brother with a hard stare. "It was about you." Loki placed his mug carefully on the table.

"Don't lie, Thor," he grinned mirthlessly. "That's my job."

"It's no lie, brother. I was tired of it, the way he treated you. How he lied. Where do you think you learnt to twist words the way you do? Certainly not from me." He looked away and took a gulp of his coffee. "We've barely spoken since then."

Loki was shocked. Well and truly. Was this the predictable man he grew up with? The said man thumped his now empty coffee mug on the table and Loki winced. Yup, same man.

"So," Loki continued, voice light. "She ran you over, and Dar-" he cleared his throat as it caught, "Darcy tased you. Usual Friday night, then?"

Thor chuckled. "Then they dragged me into Jane's van and took me to the emergency room. So, yes, usual Friday night."

Loki was torn between asking about Darcy and never wanting to hear her name again. Dammit. Of all the times to discover how much he cared about someone-

Thor slapped a hand on one of his tension-ridden shoulders and he jumped in surprise. "I know you've been lied to, brother. I understand that it hurt, and that nothing can take that hurt away. But, please," he leaned closer as his voice dropped, "please give Darcy another chance."

Loki's eyes widened. "Thor," he whispered. "I can't. Did you see her face? She was terrified of me." His stomach was clenching, telling him to stop revealing so much of his inner turmoil to the other man, but he couldn't stop. The words just kept pouring out. "I've blown it. I could have handled it so much better-"

"You were in shock-"

"No, no, Thor," he shook his head emphatically. "I saw her with Barton and I-"

"Was jealous."

"Yes- no! Maybe! I had everything I was going to say planned. I've found out how much damage Sif had done, Thor. I had an idea, since I was receiving those bloody packages. But to set up Jane? That was just low. So, I was going to say I understood, even if I was furious, but I understood! It just went out the window when I saw them-" Agitation got the better of him, and Loki rose from his seat and began to pace.

"Try again, Loki."

He wearily rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the pain out from behind his eyes. Then he smiled ruefully at the other man. "To think, Thor 'Playboy of the Year' Asgard is offering me relationship advice."

Thor returned the grin. "To think," he replied, "The infamous hacker j0tunn actually doesn't know something."

Loki laughed softly, "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that at all."

By the time Darcy left the Asgard building, it was full dark. Spending so long at work was supposed to distract her from the mess she'd made of her non-existent love life and keep her mind off you-know-who.

It wasn't working, to say the least.

And he interrupted at the most inappropriate times, too. Well, her imaginary Loki did. She'd catch a glimpse of him disappearing around a corner, like on the Worst Day of Her Life. She would walk into a darkened store with a few flashing lights and her belly would heat up at the memory of his firm thigh wedged between her own. Worst was when she popped around to Thor and Jane's place late the night before and all she could see in the soft lighting of their lounge room was Loki's green eyes, dark with anger.

Shit. She'd really blown it.

Darcy moved through the motions of catching the subway and sat down heavily on a hard seat, resting her head on the scratched window with a sigh. Her eyes moistened and before she could tell herself off for crying, a tear fell down her cheek.

"Dammit, Loki," she whispered to herself. He had her wrapped around his little finger. Ugh, his delicious, long fingers... She thumped her head against the window, earning herself a weird look from the passenger two rows up. Whatever. It's her pity party and she'll self-flagellate if she wants to.

Jane was being so nice about it, telling her to take some time off, go for a break, give Loki a ring. Thor even hinted at contacting his brother. Ha! Like he'd ever want to see her again. A distraction, that's what she was. A distraction that made him super angry. She groaned and pulled herself out of the seat as her stop came up. Shuffling up the stairs out of her station, she didn't even notice that there was someone following her at first. But she soon did. Tensing up, she swore a little to herself as she picked up her pace in the short distance between the stop and her apartment building. Thank goodness she remembered her taser today.

She fumbled around in her bag before wrapping her hands with relief around her weapon, her apartment building in sight. Oh, shit. He's getting closer.

Heels tapping on the concrete, she practically ran up the steps to her building when a large hand wrapped around her right bicep. With a short shriek, she pulled her taser out the whole way and turned, activating the weapon.

Loki fell down like a sack of potatoes.

"Oh, fuck..." Darcy breathed in dismay. She crouched down next to him on the top step. "Loki? Oh, shit. Loki!" She took his gorgeous face between her hands and smoothed his dark hair away from his face. What the hell should she do now? She checked his pulse by pressing two fingers to his neck. Oh, shit! He's got no- oh, wait. There it is. Mouth to mouth? Her lips were halfway to his when she realised he was already breathing. Party pooper.

His eyelids flickered. "Loki? Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Darcy asked desperately. His green eyes appeared to be slightly out of focus when he opened them.

"Darcy?"

"Yeah," she laughed shakily. "Are you okay? Do you need to get to hospital?"

He blinked a few more times before replying, "No- no. I think everything's still working."

"Good," she sighed with relief. Then she punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What the hell, woman?!"

"That's for sneaking up on an armed woman, dude! I could have-"

His hand was suddenly stroking the side of her face. "I'm sorry, Darcy." She leaned her face into his touch before she could stop herself. Then she realised what he said.

"What! You're sorry? You're sorry? I just freakin' tased you! What's wrong with you?"

He sat up on the top step with a little difficulty, and Darcy clutched an arm to steady him. He glanced at her, then turned away and spoke again, "I'm sorry I frightened you." She knew he wasn't talking about just then.

Darcy forced her hands from his delicious arm. "No, Loki." He looked at her curiously. "I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe how sorry I am. If I could-"

"No," he said firmly, running his warm hands over her arms. "Don't say that." He cupped her face with his hands. "I understand," he whispered. Darcy blinked, the wetness returning to her eyes.

"But I lied," she choked out, tears finally spilling over. "I lied to you, Loki. I didn't want to, but I did!"

"I know, Darcy. Believe me, I know," his voice was so soothing, it made her want to cry more.

"Then why are you here?" She wailed. In a blink, she found herself wrapped in a Loki-hug.

Best. Hug. Ever.

She continued to sob, the tension from the last few days finally releasing and Loki just rocked her back and forth. Finally, the tears ran out and she found a tissue being held in front of her by a softly smiling Loki.

"Aw, crap," she moaned and she started to wipe her face, trying to fix the damage her mascara would have caused.

"Your eyes turn so blue when you cry," Loki observed. "Just like when the sunlight hits them-"

She paused in her post-bawl recovery to stare at him in amazement. He continued, "Although, I'd prefer the latter to happen more often, rather than the former. There are only so many tissue boxes in the world..."

"You really forgive me?" She couldn't believe it. Not until he said it.

"I do, Darcy Lewis," he placed a small kiss on her lips. "I have come to realise quite recently that life is quite dull without you in it."

"Oh," she breathed. "Really?"

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling delightfully, "Oh, yes. Really."

So, she kissed him.

He was asking for it, really.