Loki was grinning from ear to ear, making mental arrangements as he shifted items around in his apartment. Max was keeping Sam company for the day while Loki was tying up loose ends. There was... a lot of things to consider with allowing a human into his space. Okay, he'd have to hide his extra curricular activities. Or at least not have another PETA incident. Sam would throw a fit. He always threw a fit when some human died. Loki didn't make a fuss when Sam stabbed the Carrigans. They had made some really sweet gingerbread houses that were just amazing every year. Max would have been able to live in it as a doghouse. Yes, the Carrigans were vindictive, forced him into bridge games, and killed people, but really, he'd known them forever. He'd taken tips for blending in with humans from them. He'd actually felt part of a holiday special sometimes when he was there. It was fun while it lasted.
He couldn't really be mad at Sam for surviving though. Having Sam was much better than a once a year forced holiday.
Loki sighed, trying to decide if he should add a rec room. Maybe two to his apartment, where currently the couch was levitating in the kitchen and the bedroom door had been moved to the other side of the house. He scratched his chin, reasoning that one living room and a bedroom would just not be enough breathing space. Because Sam got into moods, and Loki just wanted to be gone during those moods. He waved his hand, the couch lowering onto the floor and two new doors slid into place. One dubbed "Loki's Cave of Wonders" and "Sam's Room". Loki nodded approvingly. He hadn't had to think about someone moving in for a long time. Years. Centuries even.
Loki sighed. Kali. Kali was also a long, long time ago. She was really the last person he'd tried to woo. But as soon as something more was brought up, she immediately held up her hands -all 6 of them- and said he had the wrong idea about her. She didn't love him. Loki was just making things complicated.
Complicated. Loki huffed. What was wrong with complicated? He liked complicated and interwoven intricacies of life. So yeah, he wanted to romance her. He wanted to get through that damn fire wall she always threw up with him. But really, a man could only have his head stomped on so many times before he got the hint. Worst decade of his life really.
Loki smiled a bit, Sam wasn't too much different in that way. His temper was atrocious. He was all fire and anger, but Loki couldn't help himself. He liked things that were bad for him. He liked Sam.
He loved Sam.
Loki shut his eyes for a moment. If Sam could just hold on... If he could just distract Sam until Heaven got Dean out of Hell, Loki was sure Sam wouldn't fall down the blood spilled path. Because despite Sam's wish to move away from Lilith and Dean, Loki couldn't help but think it was like drawing an addict away from his drug. The want to leave was there, but the chemical dependence was still in his brain. He'd tossed those notes into a volcano. He didn't want Sam breaking the last seal. He wanted Michael and Lucifer to stop their pissing contest and using humans to do it. He liked humans for the most part. They were a bunch of pigs most of the time. War and blood happy pigs. But really, most of them tried.
He really shouldn't insult the pigs. Pigs were smart. They didn't start beating other pigs for the fun of it. He mentally apologized to all the swine in the world.
Loki looked around the apartment. Should he add a second floor? He rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head, "No, too much. One step at a time." He told himself. He felt like he was jumping into this. Sex was one thing, but co-existing in the same living space? He looked at his pin up girls and pointed to each one in turn, "You're all staying. You might get moved, but I would never get rid of you." He wondered if he should make a pin up of Sam in a speedo. A slow grin crawled onto his lips. He would have to do that in his Cave of Wonders. He briefly wondered about his porn collection. Was Sam a Casa Erotica kind of guy or more Lucas Entertainment?
Loki shrugged. He'd have time to find out, right? It would take less than a minute to move all Sam's things in. He'd even added another closet and set of dressers in the bedroom. He still got butterflies when he thought about Sam calling this place home.
Should he bring food or flowers back with him? He tapped his temple with his fingers. He'd been away for maybe a day. He wanted to make sure Sam ate that sushi he'd left there. Oh, what was he thinking? He'd have both. He smiled, and held out a hand, a bakers dozen of roses appearing in a neat package. He snapped his fingers and on the kitchen table appeared two plates of spaghetti appeared steaming on the table, as well as a couple candles and a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine.
Was that too much? Maybe it was a bit forward. Moving in was one thing. Romance was another. He could maybe wait a week or so after Sam settled in.
Maybe a few days.
Or a few hours.
Loki took a deep breath. One step, Loki, one step at a time. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Sam off. Sam was touch and go. He'd be warm and fuzzy one moment, the next he'd shove Loki away. He needed Sam in a fuzzy mood before he declared something like that.
3 days, minimum, Loki decided and nodded. He waved away the wine, candles, and all but one of the flowers. He smiled at the perfect blooming bud of the fire colored peddles. Yes, that would be good. It was subtle, right? It wasn't like he was throwing a flower parade in Sam's apartment. Loki could do subtle, really. He could do this. This was going to go well. Smooth.
Loki grinned, he would sweep Sam off his feet! And with that thought he took off to Sam's apartment.
Unfortunately, it was dead quiet in the apartment. And gloomier than he remembered. Something wasn't right, "Sam?"
Loki heard a whimper and Loki's blood ran cold. He looked to the bed he'd conjured into the room and he bent down, lifting it up with one hand. Under the bed was a puddle of blood, and in the puddle was Max. Loki flipped the bed over, the whole thing crashing over into the kitchenette area and making a horrible clatter of pots and pans. Loki knelt, dropping the rose as he looked Max over. Max wasn't moving, on his side. His stomach was cut open and his paws trembled, not moving a voluntary muscle, even as Loki gently touched his head. Loki's breath was shallow, observing the blood around Max's muzzle and Loki could feel that Max was closer to death than the first time he'd found him.
"Sh, you're a good boy, Max." Loki soothed and focused his healing touch on Max's back, "Relax. Good boy, holding on like this..." Max's body was riddled with pain before Loki's grace sank into him, mending all wounds and replacing the lost blood. The rose peddles soaked in the blood on the floor, forgotten.
Max's eyes opened and his paws spasmed back to life as he yipped and barked. He got up onto his feet and ran towards the shut door, starting to claw at it. Loki stood, "Max. Max, you have to tell me what happened." Max barked and yipped. Something about two humans, came in and attacked Sam. And then one died, and Sam went with a human, and Max had bit one, but that was before Sam came home... Loki held his head, Max just wasn't making any sense. His little dog brain was too scattered and excited about finding Sam. "For the love of Dad, sit." Max grumbled but he sat his butt down on the floor, frustrated that Loki didn't seem to get the urgency. The thing was, Loki got the urgency, but he couldn't help unless he knew what happened. Loki was actually glad Max had sat when told and he went to the shaking dog. He knelt and clamped both hands around the dog's head, diving into Max's memories.
Not surprisingly black and white, Loki watched though Max's eyes as Max panted over the fact that Sam was eating food without sharing. Seeing Sam smile was nice, and it was nicer seeing Sam eating the sushi he'd left; voluntarily and with chopsticks. Then Sam had run out for something and whilst Sam was away, a man and a woman had snuck in. Max had growled and barked. Max even got a bite in on the man, the more threatening adversary. But the woman had brandished a kitchen knife, and stabbed Max in the gut. Max was tossed under the bed, slowly bleeding out. Sam returned with a bag and Max could only watch because the more he moved, the more it hurt.
Sam called the woman Ruby and she was threatening to kill Sam with his own knife (the demon killing one) one moment, and the next, she had stabbed the man with the knife, the sound of a demon being vanquished reached Loki's senses. Demons. They were Demons. Shit. Ruby said they had to go and Sam tried to protest, looking around the room, but Ruby yanked his jacket, mentioning Lilith and Sam completely changed, his panic disappearing and his body going still. And he left with her.
Shit. Loki pulled out of Max's mind and Max settled, more perplexed by that strange sensation of having his memories invaded. "You're going home, and I'm going after Sam." Max opened his mouth, to bark in protest, but Loki already waved his hand, sending Max back to his apartment. He was going to rip that demon to shreds. He had worked too hard to get Sam away from this fate. He'd strove and put too much of himself into this to lose Sam now. He could still steer Sam away from it. It didn't have to be the end of the world. Sam could still make the right choices. He had to.