A/N: okay SOOOOO this chapter is hideously long lol BUT, there was really no other way for it to turn out. I had a lot of story to tell with this chapter, and since I tend to go on and on and on... and on... here we are, 23k words later :p

This chapter is Loki/Aemilia-centric, but Bucky and Summer are quite present as well, so there's something for everyone. Also, there's some backstory for Loki and fun stuff all around, and I'm quite excited about it :D I do have to warn for some slashy content during a handful of flashbacks that are littered throughout around the middle of the chapter, and if slash isn't your thing and you don't want to read it, just skip the italicized portions :)

In any case, thank you guys for reading and reviewing and following this little side story of mine :D I LOVE this story a lot and I'm going to keep continuing it, so keep following for MOAR :))) My huge and undyingly grateful thanks to midnightwings96 for helping motivate me to get this chapter done when I wanted to scream and rip my hair out, and also for cowriting the opera portion of this chapter and making it sound BEAUTIFUL. My huge thanks to her, and as always, I look forward to hearing from you guys! :D

Loki knew exactly what his friend was up to, and he was perfectly all right with it.

On the surface, he had simply been invited to the opening night of a new opera at the Met by one of his closest friends and his sort-of girlfriend, but in reality, he knew exactly what they were luring him into. Or rather, who he was being lured towards.

So, a text from Bucky read one afternoon, I ran into Summer yesterday and she invited me to the opera in a couple weeks. Said she's got an extra ticket if you wanted to come along too.

Having been in the middle of a rather necessary shopping trip, Loki looked away from the collection of silk neckties he'd been eyeing and replied, You do realize that dating the clientele is generally frowned upon?

Well it's not like Summer was the average client, Bucky replied a few moments later, after Loki had snatched up a new black tie because one could never have too many of those. Then before he could answer, Bucky sent another text. So you want to come or not?

What opera? Loki asked, moving on in the store and doing more window shopping than anything. The store that he was in wasn't quite fine enough for his tastes, and after awhile, he decided to put the tie back upon having second thoughts. He was simply far too picky for his own good, or at least that was what Bucky told him all the time.

It was as he was exiting the store that Bucky replied with, Die Zauberflöte. You like opera, right?

Loki chuckled as he began to walk along the sidewalk, passing other shops and pedestrians as he typed, I do, but I have a sneaking suspicion as to why your lovely lady thought to invite me.

A moment later, after passing through a crosswalk and deciding to go ahead and start making his way to the little cafe that he was meeting his mother at for lunch soon, Loki's phone rang. He put it to his ear and jokingly answered, "Yes, darling."

"She's not my lady," Bucky said as a way of greeting. "Jesus, man."

"You're the one who keeps supposedly running into her," Loki noted with great amusement. "How did it happen this time?"

"Complete coincidence," Bucky answered honestly.

"And did you or did you not leave her completely satisfied free of charge yet again?" Loki asked, ignoring the way that a passing old lady stared at him after he spoke those words.

"Well if I had charged her, that would have made me the biggest dickhead in the city, so no, I didn't," Bucky replied. "If anything, she should have charged me 'cause... just... damn. Now stop trying to change the subject. If you don't want the ticket, Steve's getting it."

Loki furrowed his brows and asked, "Does he even like the opera?"

"Of course he likes the opera," Bucky replied, surely rolling his eyes. "He's Steve. I'm the one who's gonna be lost."

Loki smirked. "Ah, the things we do for the women who bewitch us."

"First of all," Bucky huffed, "it's not like I'm opposed to the opera, I've just never gone before, and second, I am not fucking bewitched."

"I'm afraid I have to call bullshit," Loki replied almost gleefully. "Now explain to me your remark about how you should have been the one paying her. I'm intrigued."

"Of course you are, fucking pervert," Bucky scoffed. "I'm not telling you anything."

Now it was Loki's turn to scoff. "Oh please. I've no doubt you already told Steve, so out with it."

"Of course I did, but that's 'cause it's so fun watching him turn beet red and freak out," Bucky replied. "You're not dragging it out of me."

Loki gave a burdened sigh as he continued walking. "Well, let's see... the first time was all business, so naturally the focus was likely entirely on her and her pleasure. The second time you were both slightly intoxicated, so I'm going to guess... a bit more sloppy and rushed but likely still tilted in her favor, especially since you're such a whore for having your face buried in a woman's -"

"Are you seriously talking about this shit while you're walking down the street?" Bucky interrupted, making Loki chuckle.

"Irrelevant. So anyway... I believe that I can logically assume that this third time, she turned the focus on you and that is why you're so reluctant to speak of it and also why you feel indebted to her."

"I don't feel indebted," Bucky groaned. "Just let it go, man."

"Have we met?" Loki retorted, and Bucky sighed.

"Unfortunately. So, opera - yes or no?"

"One condition," Loki said, ever the annoying little shit. "Tell me if I'm right or not."

After making a strangled sound of unbearable irritation, Bucky blurted out, "Fine, you want details? Best fucking blowjob of my life and I'm still not over it. That's all I'm saying because I respect her too much to say anything else. Happy?"

All but cackling, Loki grinned in self-satisfaction and said, "I knew it. And ooh, you respect her?"

"Yeah, like I respect all women."

"Yes, but do I sense a bit of an attachment on your part?" Loki teased, more than able to tell that his friend was smitten with the lady. He'd been able to tell that ever since Bucky had showed up to lunch the day after his first night with Summer grinning like a moron and actually reluctant to share details for once their friendship.

"I'm gonna go give Steve the ticket in about five seconds if you don't answer me."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Fine. Of course I'll go."

"Thank you," Bucky said with obvious exaggeration.

"You're welcome," Loki chuckled. "Now, might I ask why you are so insistent on having me tag along and be the third wheel on your date at the opera?"

"Oh my God," Bucky groaned, "it's not a... even if it is, it's... look, she offered and -"

"My, my, you're stuttering," Loki noted with one arched brow. "I've only heard you stutter twice before, and neither of those times are appropriate for me to mention in a public place."

I'm gonna kill you. And anyway, you know damn well why Summer invited you. You're too smart to get away with playing dumb."

It was exactly as Loki had suspected. Having arrived at his destination, Loki lingered just outside of the door and said, "Well, I'm off to lunch with my mother now, so I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, convenient," Bucky noted. "All right. Tell her I said hi."

"I will. I'll also tell her all about the new lady in your life."

"She's not - dammit, Loki, I'm gonna -"

Loki laughed as he hung up the phone, sliding it into his pocket and then pushing the door open. Though he was an expert at playing it cool on the outside and letting nothing show that he didn't wish others to see, he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel a flicker of excitement deep down inside at the prospect of seeing Aemilia again. In fact, the more that it sunk in that he was going to get to see her perform and experience her talent firsthand, the more excited and intrigued that he became.

She'd made quite the impression upon him, the little singer, and he had been silently hoping that their paths would cross again. Under normal circumstances, he would have pursued her himself without a second thought, but... life being what it was, he didn't think that the wisest course of action.

But maybe he had thought wrong. Then again, maybe not. Either way, there was no harm in attending such an event and seeing for himself why she was as successful as she was.

One thing was for sure. He definitely needed a new suit.

Loki had been attending the opera since he was a child, each time with his mother who found him to be far better company for such a thing rather than her older, slightly less cultured son and even her husband. Even from those very early years, she and Loki had shared a very close bond and similar interests that had made them as close as a mother and son could be, and thus Loki's memories of the opera were all uniformly pleasant and fond.

Once the night arrived and he met his friend and his definitely not girlfriend outside of the Lincoln Center, he knew that this experience was going to be far different from his previous ones. For one thing, he had never attended such a show with a very giggly and easily excitable woman and a man who looked at her like she outshone every star in the sky when she smiled, but apparently there was a first time for everything.

He would have found them unbearably annoying if they weren't so damn adorable.

"This is so exciting!" Summer gushed, dressed in a gorgeous and sparkling black silk gown that clung to her in ways that definitely made her stand out amid a sea of other women in attendance. She led both Bucky and Loki to their correct seats, and Loki watched Bucky from the corner of his eye as he ran his eyes up and down the brunette's admittedly stellar body. Bucky caught Loki watching and then looked at him a bit sheepishly, grinning and blushing a little as Loki rolled his eyes. Usually Bucky was a lot more subtle than that, but apparently this girl truly had a rather powerful effect on him.

"Here we go!" she said next, gesturing to three seats that were clear in the row that they had just arrived behind. She turned and smiled at both of them, then asked, "Who wants to sit where?"

Loki was quick to reply, "Shall I sit in the middle to ensure that you two crazy kids keep your hands to yourselves throughout the show?"

Summer turned a rather bright shade of pink from that, but then Bucky surprised her by scoffing and telling Loki, "As if I wouldn't just reach past you."

"True," Loki sighed, glancing at Summer and chuckling at her wide eyes and deepening blush. She was rather cute. "I suggest the lady sits in the middle. That way we form a protective barrier around her and prevent any unwanted attention from other men in attendance."

She looked back and forth from them both in sheer confusion. "Uh... why would I get... that?"

"Because," Bucky said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "you're drop dead fucking gorgeous and the sexiest thing in the whole audience."

As she gaped, blushed, and stammered at that, Loki almost choked on a hearty laugh trying to escape his mouth. Apparently, Bucky wasn't even trying to be subtle with this woman. This was hilarious.

"Well, I... I disagree," she said, gesturing to both Loki and Bucky. "You guys are... uh... I mean, you're both pretty much sex in human form, so." She then paused and cringed. "I'm sorry. I have issues thinking before I speak."

"Quite all right, dear," Loki assured her. "Besides, you're entirely correct."

That made her laugh and seemingly relax a bit, but really, the truth was the truth. Bucky had opted for an all-black suit that he'd bought specifically for that night, and Summer had been looking at it all night like it was edible and she had plans to devour him while still wearing it. Loki, meanwhile, was in a slightly different sort of suit consisting of black pants, a grey jacket, white shirt and black tie, all of it absolutely perfectly fitted and tailored to him flawlessly. His black hair was brushed back from his face and a little curled at the ends, and he full well how good he looked. They all three looked their very best, but neither Bucky nor Summer were the one that Loki had specifically dressed up for.

After finally taking their seats, Summer indeed ended up in the middle with Loki and Bucky sitting on either side of her. As soon as they were all settled in, she giggled softly and said, "Oh man, I'm in a really hot sandwich right now."

Bucky merely laughed, but Loki couldn't resist but to say, "Well, darling, you're not the first to find yourself in such a position."

Knowing exactly what he was hinting at, Summer's eyes flew to him and that blush reappeared on her cheeks. "Are you referring to what I think you're referring to?"

"Of course," he grinned, glancing at Bucky. "Have you told her any of the stories yet?"

"Not in detail," Bucky replied, "and I'm definitely not going to right now."

"Of course not," Loki nodded. Then he looked at Summer and added, "You should ask him about New Year's Eve of 2014 later on. It's quite the story."

Bucky groaned while Summer's eyes got even bigger and she grinned. "Well, he mentioned the Hamptons, so..."

Loki scoffed. "That was child's play compared to New Year's. Make him tell you, and don't let him skimp on the details. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You seem like a curious little thing."

"Gonna kill you," Bucky half-sang, glaring at Loki over Summer's head.

"You're awesome," Summer told Loki over a sudden rush of giggles, and he simply smiled before shrugging with a possibly - no, definitely - false sense of humility.

"Well, what can I say," he said. "I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Bucky nearly choked on the very air he was breathing. "And what purpose is that? Wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"You know," Loki said, leaning closer to Summer and speaking to her conspiratorially, "as much as he acts like he can't stand me or finds me unbearably ridiculous, he's actually quite fond of me. He just rarely acknowledges it."

"Aw, that's not very nice," Summer said, still smiling. She then turned to Bucky and said, "Is that true?"

"Yes, darling, is that true?" Loki asked teasingly, thoroughly enjoying the way that Bucky glared at him.

"Actually, no it's not true," Bucky replied. "Something you'll find about Loki is he tends to stretch the truth sometimes."

Summer then turned back to Loki, still grinning and finding all of this thoroughly amusing, and Loki scoffed, "I do not stretch the truth. The only stretching I do is in the morning before my runs which, by the way, James, you have not accompanied me on for at least a month."

"That's because Steve's been training extra at the gym and I've been tagging along," Bucky shrugged.

Loki waved him off dismissively. "Ah, yes, along comes Steve and to the backburner I go. How will my fragile heart continue to take such beatings?"

Summer laughed like she was in the middle of a hilarious sitcom. These guys were totally an old married couple, and she loved it.

"See?" Bucky gestured to Loki. "Stretching the truth."

No, no," Loki told Summer. "It's very true. If you're serious about dating him, you may often find yourself competing with a certain blond-haired blue-eyed Steve Rogers for his attention."

Summer raised an eyebrow while Bucky rolled his eyes. "Oh?"

Loki nodded. "Indeed. There's a level of devotion between those two that I've only seen before in married couples. In fact, I had my suspicions at first that there was possibly more than friendship at play, but I was wrong. Bucky's actually incredibly straight."

Bucky looked as if he was about to give himself a stroke from rolling his eyes so hard, but Summer was still smiling like an idiot and giggling at everything Loki had to say. Loki grinned back at her before glancing at Bucky and adding casually, "Well, that is, unless I'm involved."

Summer squeaked and covered her mouth with her hand to hide both her blush and a new wave of giggles, and Bucky glared at Loki while shaking his head. "You're trying to make this the first date from hell, aren't you?"

"Oh please," Loki retorted, gesturing to Summer. "I'm only making you seem even more desirable in her eyes." Then he looked at Summer and said, "Just wait until he tells you about that New Years' story. If you're blushing now, you may be in danger of spontaneously combusting once he tells you."

"Holy frick," Summer gaped, looking back and forth between both men. "What happened?"

Bucky seemed to falter and stammer slightly before Loki replied, "Later, darling. And if he won't tell you, I will."

"Oh no, you're not," Bucky warned him. "You'd make it sound like some kind of romance novel shit."

"Well, forgive me for being eloquent," Loki rolled his eyes.

"No, see, there's eloquent and then there's ah yes, and then I slowly, sensually dragged my tongue along his -"

After laughing at Bucky's rather poor attempt at a British accent, Loki interrupted him to say, "Careful, Bucky, there's children present not too far away."

"Wait," Summer said with bulging eyes, "whose tongue was where and on who?"

"He'll tell you later," Loki told her, and Summer then turned to Bucky and made a low whining noise like she may simply expire on the spot.

After a bit more easy and humorous banter between the three, it was finally time for the show to begin. As the lights dropped low and a hush fell over the entire sprawling audience, Loki focused on the stage and, for the next few hours, his focus remained there and there alone.

The show itself was as wonderful and well-executed as he had been sure that it would be, but one of its stars shone especially bright in his eyes. Aemilia, whom he had only spent one night with some months ago and hadn't seen since then, captured his full and complete attention from the moment that she stepped on to the stage. Having seen Die Zauberflöte previously, he was well aware of what a lofty role the Queen of the Night was. It consisted of the most technically intimidating music available, and required an unbelievable sense of strength and darkness, and he couldn't wait to see if she could pull it off. When she first entered the stage, Loki's eyes visibly widened.

She appeared amongst a dark red haze of fog, an ethereal sillhouette draped in black, weightless, billowing fabric. She was painted white as death, with dark, striking eyes, lips red as blood, and her wildly curled, dark auburn hair looking almost fiery against the halo of black around her. Her dress was seemingly neverending layers of black, luminescent silk that dripped off her exquisite form, and Loki found himself nearly breathless at her visage.

But even more captivating than her appearance and her beauty was her voice. He had wondered what it sounded like ever since she had mentioned her profession to him, but the moment her mouth opened to release the first note, his expectations were completely obliterated. He couldn't have imagined just how beautiful it truly was. Her voice, while effortlessly light and energized throughout every sky high note, held a power and body that cut through the room like a knife.

For the duration of the entire show, Loki was transfixed. Her grace, her talent, the confidence and power that she exuded on that stage... it was absolutely intoxicating. At the conclusion of the Queen's infamous area, he and the entire audience were nearly frozen in their seats in awe. She managed to convey an intensely deep wealth of emotion within the character, but at the same time harnessed such an intense darkness and power that Loki was left breathless. He could truly say without even a hint of a lie or exaggeration that he had never seen or met a woman like her before in his life.

Summer, so bubbly and energetic before the show began, was completely silent the entire time, watching with a mixture of pure pride and awe on her face. Bucky, meanwhile, took in his first-ever opera equally silently and was no less wowed than his two companions were. To his own surprise, he was able to follow along and understand what was going on, and he had to admit that it was one hell of a show and that Aemilia was... stunningly gifted. He had yet to officially meet her, but he could certainly understand why Loki was so enraptured with her.

Eventually, the show was over and the audience showered the cast with a standing ovation that went on for what seemed like ages. During her curtain call, Aemilia returned to the stage, still fully adorned in that glorious dress. The crowd absolutely *roared* at her appearance, and she smiled so brightly and humbly that it nearly brought a tear to Summer's eye. Loki felt as if he was in something of a daze. He was now intrigued even more than he had been before, and he desperately wanted to see Aemilia again and properly tell her exactly how incredible and amazing she truly was

Lucky for him, he got the chance to do just that at the party that Summer invited both him and Bucky to after the show was over. Little did he know, his night was far from over.

"Can I ask you a question?" Loki quietly asked Bucky as they strolled into the hotel ballroom that the after-party was happening at. Bucky was flanked by Loki and Summer, the latter of which was holding his hand as they walked and looking rather pleased about it.

"What?" Bucky asked.

"How do I look?" Loki asked with a humorous grin. He already knew the answer, but this was one of those rare occasions where he thought it best to ask before assuming he was the embodiment of perfection (which, of course, he was).

Bucky replied giving a short sigh, looking Loki over briefly and then telling him matter-of-factly, "I'd fuck you."

Loki laughed while Summer's head whipped around and she asked, "What'd I just hear?"

"The truth," Loki grinned. "Such a rare moment of honesty."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Bucky replied as Summer simply looked at the two of them like they were going to be the literal death of her. They probably were.

Summer was then distracted by the sight of her best friend's auburn head popping up in the crowd across the room, surrounded by her fellow singers and laughing with a glass of champagne in her hand. "Oh, there she is!" Summer exclaimed happily before dragging Bucky in the correct direction, Loki following and quickly spotting Aemilia himself.

She looked gorgeous, her red hair down and relaxed, cascading past her shoulders and reaching her waist. She was wearing a dark green dress, short but not too short and hugging her body elegantly while providing a lovely contrast with her hair. Most alluring of all, however, was the happiness and joy on her face, and Loki used the moments walking her way to admire her without her knowledge. She was in her element following a very successful, beautiful night, and it showed on her face just how high she was.

She saw Summer coming first, her smile nearly doubling in size at the sight of her, and then she noticed Bucky next to her. Loki watched then as her eyes flitted next to him and widened slightly in surprise before Summer grabbed her and enveloped her in a big, happy hug.

"Oh my gosh," Summer gushed, squeezing her friend, "I don't even know what to say! That was like seriously the best thing I've ever seen. You outdid everything you've ever done before. I cried. Seriously, I was bawling. I am so, so proud of you, words can't even say."

Aemilia smiled and giggled as she pulled away, replying, "Oh my goodness, thank you! I can't even describe what it felt like. I'm still shaking - in a good way." She then looked up and glanced at the two men behind Summer, smiling at them both as Summer suddenly remembered that the guys were in fact still present.

"Oh, crap, I'm being rude," she giggled, gesturing to the man at her right. "This is Bucky, who I can't believe you're only just now meeting."

"Me either," Bucky chuckled, reaching out and giving Aemilia a friendly handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, finally. And you were amazing tonight. I'm still blown away."

"Oh, thank you," Aemilia smiled, "and really, the pleasure is mine. I've heard so much about you, I feel as if I sort of know you a bit already."

"You know," Bucky laughed softly, "I kinda feel the same way."

Aemilia chuckled back, and then her eyes travelled back to Loki, standing there before her and patiently waiting for her to turn her attention to him. Once she did, she smiled a bit more coyly than she had before and said, "Hello, Loki. didn't know that you would be attending tonight."

"You have your lovely little friend here to thank for that," Loki replied, head inclining briefly towards Summer, who smiled and blushed slightly in response. Then he stepped forward and reached his hand towards Aemilia's, and with their eyes locked, she placed her hand in his and then held her breath as he raised it up for a kiss. "You were absolutely incredible tonight. I expected you to be wonderful but you exceeded all of my expectations and shattered them."

Then he kissed the back of her hand, maintaining that maddening eye contact all the while, and Aemilia's cheeks flushed the prettiest shade of pink that Loki had ever seen. His lips were soft and sweet on her skin, and that simple little touch brought back flashes of memories that made Aemilia suddenly feel as if there were flames crawling within her veins.

"Thank you," she finally managed to murmur as he slowly lowered her hand, reluctantly releasing it. "I'm glad you came."

"So am I," he replied, and for a moment they simply stood there like that, eyeing one another and briefly feeling as if everyone else in the room had momentarily disappeared.

At least until Summer leaned over towards Bucky to whisper something to him about how bad Loki and Aemilia obviously had it for each other. She managed to step on the bottom of her dress in the process and then tripped and fall against him, letting out an embarrassed squeak as he caught her and kept her from doing anything worse, like falling more or accidentally yanking her dress down as it laid trapped beneath her shoe. Both Loki and Aemilia looked their way when it happened, and Summer quickly righted herself with a thankful smile at Bucky and then a quiet, "I'm good, sorry. Tripped while basically standing still, my specialty."

Aemilia laughed softly, and Loki did as well before telling Bucky, "You're supposed to wait until later to sweep her off of her feet."

"Yeah, sorry," Bucky shrugged, sliding an arm around Summer's waist and making her face redden as she quickly looked at Aemilia and grinned. "Got ahead of myself, I guess."

"Try not to do that later," Loki replied, and that made Summer and Bucky both giggle. Then he looked back to Aemilia, and her own grin widened when he shot her a wink.

Truthfully, it felt as if no time had passed at all and that their night together had only just happened. Loki wasn't sure how he could feel like that with a woman that he honestly barely knew, but he surely wasn't going to question it.

Then he suddenly remembered something that he couldn't believe he'd forgotten.

"Ah, I nearly forgot," Loki said, unbuttoning his suit jacket so that he could reach inside to the pocket where he had stashed a single rose that he'd grabbed from a street vendor on the way to the hotel. It was a deep red that almost perfectly matched the color of her hair, and as he presented it to her, her eyes widened in slight surprise and her plump lips stretched in a small, pretty smile. As her fingers reached out to take the rose, he said, "For you, Little One."

The minute those words left his lips, her eyes flew up to his and he knew exactly what she was thinking at his mention of the little pet name that he'd given her during their previous encounter. She took the rose from him then and replied softly, "Thank you."

Bucky, eyeing the two of them and knowing that they surely had some... catching up to do, looked at Summer and asked, "Do you like dancing?"

"No," she replied cheerfully, "not really, but I think we should definitely go dance for a little while."

He grinned back at her. "Perfect." Then he glanced at Loki and Aemilia and said, "We'll catch up with you guys later. It was a pleasure to meet you finally."

"Oh, you as well," Aemilia smiled back sweetly. "Thank you so much for coming."

A few more smiles and an excited glance from Summer later, Aemilia and Loki were alone again. Or at least as alone as they could be in a ballroom surrounded by countless people.

"Would you like a drink?" Aemilia asked, gesturing across the room. "The bar is just over there."

"Absolutely," Loki grinned. "Lead the way, my lady."

She smiled and then took the arm that he offered, linking hers within it as they headed towards the bar. "You know," she said as they walked, "I really am surprised to see you again."

"Why is that?" Loki asked curiously, looking down at her and again admiring her beauty. She truly was a thing to behold.

She shrugged and smiled, "I suppose that I thought you'd forgotten about me."

He chuckled at that, shaking his head and telling her, "Let me assure you, darling, you are not a woman that any man could forget."

Aemilia looked up at him, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Sometimes it's hard for me to tell when you're being honest and when you're smooth-talking me."

"I've yet to be dishonest with you in the least," Loki replied, "and I don't intend to start."

"Good," she grinned slightly. "Well, then in that case... how have you been?"

Loki couldn't help but smile as they approached the bar together. He definitely owed Bucky fairly big time for inviting him to the opera and making this night possible in the first place.

Aemilia's night flew by in a happy, blissful haze. She was riding what was inarguably the most intense high of her life thus far, feeling like she was on top of the world and absolutely in the prime of her life and living what she'd one day look back on as the best days of her life.

She had worked so hard to get where she was, and she was definitely in the mood to celebrate. But the party couldn't last forever, even when she wished it would, and before she knew it, she was hailing a cab and telling the driver to take her home. Summer did the same thing, taking her own cab in the opposite direction back to her own place, but neither woman went back home alone. Bucky, who in Aemilia's humble opinion looked head over heels for Summer, went back home with her, and as for Aemilia... she had a certain English gentleman sharing the back of her own taxi.

The chemistry between them was like nothing she had ever experienced before. Back at the party, they had talked and danced and toyed with each other with their looks and their words until they were both dying to get closer, but to her surprise, he behaved in the cab. He didn't try to touch her or seduce her there like she half expected him to, and that made her all the more infatuated with him. He was as respectful as he was maddeningly flirtatious and almost effortlessly seductive, and that made for a dangerously appealing combination.

When they arrived at her apartment uptown, Loki insisted on paying their fare and then escorted her up to her door. She invited him in without a word, tossing him a look over her shoulder and then opening the door and leaving it ajar for him to walk through after her. She found the bit of pleasant surprise on his face to be utterly adorable.

They did not, however, immediately start kissing and tearing each other's clothes off, although neither would have objected to such a thing and they both knew that was exactly where the night would eventually lead. Instead, they ended up on her couch, both pairs of their shoes kicked off and glasses of her Irish whiskey in hand as they laughed and began simply talking.

"He is adorable," Aemilia remarked of Bucky after he and Summer were one of the first topics to come up. "They really like each other. You can tell just by looking at them."

"Indeed," Loki agreed. "He's quite smitten. He won't admit it, but I've known him long enough to know these things about him before he does."

"I'm sure," Aemilia chuckled, sipping her drink. Loki watched her as she swallowed the smooth, strong liquid, and she couldn't help but enjoy the way that she felt when he looked at her like that. "How long have you known him?"

"Since college," Loki replied. "He was my roommate freshman year."

"Ah," she nodded, leaning her head on her free hand. "So you really do know him very well. Tell me, can I trust him not to break my best friend's heart?"

"I can honestly say that you can, as much as you can trust anyone," Loki replied sincerely. "He would never willingly hurt anyone. And he's more taken with Summer than any other woman in years. Not since one girl in his sophomore year, and that ended terribly."

Aemilia sighed and said, "College romances. Nothing crashes and burns quite like those."

"Most of them, yes," Loki nodded. "Not all."

"Mine certainly did," Aemilia sighed, thinking back to those chaotic, exhausting years. "I remember graduating primary school and thinking everything was going to be easier now that I was all grown up and going off to college." She laughed at such a notion and shook her head. "I was rather innocent in those days."

"We all were," Loki assured her with a small smile. "But surely not all of your experiences were bad."

"No, not all of them," she nodded. "I had one boyfriend, Christopher. He was incredibly sweet. We didn't last very long, but he treated me very well and made me feel good about myself. Which was more than I can say for most of the men I've dated. He's married now with three kids," she chuckled.

"Oh my," Loki replied, brows slightly raised.

"Bizarre how quickly life goes by," she sighed, running a few fingers through her hair, keeping it back behind her shoulders. "What about you?"

"Me?" he grinned.

"Yes, you," she giggled back. "I'm trying to imagine what your past relationships might have been like and I have to admit, I'm stumped."

"Well," he chuckled gamely, "let's see... I had my first girlfriend at fourteen. My brother stole her from me and took her to the spring dance at school."

Aemilia gave an outraged gasp. "No! How mean of him."

Loki merely shrugged and said, "Oh, I had my revenge in time. I slept with his girlfriend, whom he took to prom, while he was out one night. And I did it in his bed."

Aemilia's eyes widened rather dramatically. "You did what?"

Loki chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "We were both very petty back then. We're not like that anymore."

"Thank God," Aemilia chuckled. "That sounds terrible. What about college you? What were you like?"

Loki grinned and looked up towards the ceiling as he wound back the clock in his head and began reminiscing on those old days. "Well, college me was very curious and... adventurous. Focused. I did very well in my studies, but I made sure to make plenty of time for your typical college debauchery."

"Of course," Aemilia chuckled. "I bet all the girls loved you."

Loki smiled and laughed quietly before shrugging, "Well, I certainly never wanted for company."

"Did you date a lot or did you just... hook up?" Aemilia asked, full of curiosity and trying to paint a picture in her mind of the man before her, wanting to know more of his history and what had made him him.

"Both," Loki admitted. "But to be honest, most of the relationships I had back then were rather casual. Except for one. One was quite serious."

"Oh, do tell," Aemilia nudged him. "I must know about this girl. She must have been something if she managed to tame you for a little while."

Loki then laughed and shook his head. "Actually, yes, but... his name was Thomas."

Sheer surprise caused Aemilia's eyes to widen yet again and her hand drop from where it had been supporting her head. "Oh! Really?"

"Really," Loki grinned wider, thoroughly enjoying her reaction. She was blushing, and he found that adorable.

"Well, you are just... full of surprises," she noted, her smile seemingly stuck on her face.

He simply shrugged and replied, "It's the way I've always been. But he was my first real boyfriend. And I was his first as well."

"...Now I really must know more," Aemilia admitted, making Loki laugh again.

"Well," he sighed, thinking back, "he was a Classics major. Very smart, one of the nicest people you would ever meet anywhere, just... an absolute joy to be around. Charming, handsome. He and I actually share a great resemblance to each other, it's a bit eerie."

"... He looked like you?" Aemilia asked, unsure if she could handle such a concept. The idea of Loki kissing and touching a man was intriguing and fascinating enough all on its own.

"Like me but with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a much better tan," Loki chuckled. Then, recalling the day that he had met the man, he began to tell a story. "I met him at a party. I was there with Bucky and a few other friends, and Bucky actually noticed him first."

In the midst of one of many parties that he attended in college at the behest of his rather persuasive friend, Bucky's eyes scanned the room rather aimlessly before landing on one man in particular. He then choked a little bit on the beer he was drinking, coughed, and then smacked the man standing at his left.

"What?" Loki hissed, having almost slightly spilled his own drink thanks to the unexpected smack.

"That guy over there, the one with the girl with the really big... eyes," Bucky said, low enough for only them to hear but loud enough to be heard over the music. "He looks like your clone and its freaking me out."

"I highly doubt this," Loki said, trying to follow Bucky's gaze but seeing nobody who even faintly resembled him. "Where is this man?"

"Right there," Bucky said, gesturing as much as he could without being obvious. "Next to the girl with the giant rack."

That was when Loki finally spotted the elusive man, who was indeed flanked by a rather busty, short woman wearing glasses. They were talking to a few others and laughing with them, and even from afar, Loki could see what was freaking Bucky out so much. This guy was tall, impressively so, and though Loki could hardly discern specific features from where he stood, the man's highly defined cheekbones were very visible and indeed eerily similar to those of Loki himself. How odd.

"Who we scoping out?" asked the man who was throwing the party, an engineering student by the name of Tony Stark who was as brilliant as he was rich. He slid in next to Loki and pushed his red-tinted glasses down the bridge of his nose, looking around and adding, "Blonde chick over there? Brunette in the bikini? Shirtless guy with the backwards cap?"

"No," Bucky answered for Loki, "that guy over there who was possibly separated from Loki at birth."

Tony narrowed his eyes, located said potential long lost twin, and then said, "Oh, him! That's Thomas. He's a Classics major, super sweet kid. You guys haven't met?"

Loki shook his head. The longer he stared at the man, the more that he saw the resemblance, and it truly was bizarre. "No, I haven't. You should introduce us."

"Oh I will, but fair warning because I know you," Tony said casually. "He's got a girlfriend - that girl with the big huge... assets, and as far as I can tell, he's straight as an arrow, pal."

"Why must you always assume I'm only after one thing?" Loki asked with exasperation, rolling his eyes. Tony and Bucky, however, shared a knowing, wordless look.

"No reason at all," Tony said, patting his back. "C'mon, let's go meet Tommy-boy."

And that annoying little nickname was exactly what Tony referred to the poor man as after he escorted Loki and Bucky both to the little corner of the room where he and his girlfriend were.

"This is my friend Loki," Tony said, gesturing to the raven-haired Brit at his side, "who may in fact be your paler, darker haired doppelgänger."

Thomas, instantly reaching out to shake Loki's hand, paused and widened his eyes in surprise upon seeing the man. "Oh! Wow! It's a pleasure to meet you. Your name is Loki? Like in Norse mythology?"

"Exactly like that," Loki grinned in reply, shaking his hand. Up close, the resemblance was ridiculous. Loki was maybe an inch or two taller, and he was also perhaps a bit thinner and certainly paler, plus his eyes were a vibrant green where Thomas's were a light but equally vibrant shade of blue, and of course Loki's hair was jet black while the other man's was a natural blond, but the similarities were striking. Not only that, but their accents were nearly identical.

Thomas then shook Bucky's hand next, greeting him with a big smile and then introducing his girlfriend to them. Her name was Darcy and she was a Political Science major, and she was an adorable pint-size display of curves and charm at his side. They were all a bit tipsy, so the laughter and small talk came easily. Within a few moments, however, Thomas's gaze fell back on Loki and he couldn't help but ask, "I'm sorry, but are we related somehow?"

"Well, I certainly hope not," Loki quipped. "I'm adopted, though, so I suppose there's always the possibility."

"Oh, are you?" Thomas asked with genuine interest. "Well, it's just... uncanny. Almost a bit creepy, to be honest."

That made Loki laugh. "It's certainly not every day you look across the room and find someone wearing your face. Especially when I'm quite used to being the most handsome man in the room."

Thomas laughed next. "Feel as if you have some competition now?"

"Absolutely," Loki grinned back.

"Dude," Darcy chimed in, eyeing Loki over the rim of her glasses, "you are totally flirting with my boyfriend right in front of me and I don't even care because you're so pretty. Like, you're totally the type who can just get away with anything, aren't you?"

Loki merely shrugged and flashed her a grin, and then Bucky groaned, "You have no idea."

Thomas simply laughed. He laughed a lot, it seemed, and he there was such an intrinsic cheer and lightness about him that it utterly intrigued Loki. He had that magnetic sort of personality that made one want to be around him more and soak up the light that he seemed to be so very full of, and the longer that they chatted, the more that proved to be true.

That was the first of many times their paths crossed. After they met, they happened upon one another outside of class one day - they didn't share any, but two of their classes were in rooms next to the other - and from there they became fast friends. They had quite a bit in common, not the least of which was their intellect and sense of humor. They found that they could talk for hours and not get bored, not necessarily agreeing on everything but sharing common interests in many topics and provoking thoughts in one another that they might not have considered otherwise. And when they weren't discussing philosophy or literature or whatever else captured their fancy that day, they spoke of their family and friends and quite literally any and everything.

Shortly after they grew close, Darcy and Thomas broke up on very amicable and mature terms. There was no drama or bad blood, only mutual and rational decision making, and they stayed friends afterwards. Loki didn't realize how much of a crush he'd developed on the man until he learned the news and felt a distinct sense of relief upon hearing it.

He hadn't been expecting that, but of course, all things considered, perhaps it wasn't surprising at all.

"So," Aemilia said, thoroughly invested in the story being told to her, "did you ask him out after he broke up with her? How did you two end up together?"

"Well, it wasn't easy," Loki admitted. "I did a lot of pining in those days."

"Pining?" Aemilia smiled. "So you do have a heart."

"Oh, trust me, I do," Loki replied. "You see, people often mistake me for being cold-hearted or unfeeling, but it's actually quite the opposite. When I love someone, I love them with everything that I have."

Aemilia found that statement to be of particular interest. He kept surprising her, and she had a feeling that he would only continue to do so as the night went on. "I imagine that can be rather inconvenient for you at times, depending on the situation."

"Indeed it can," Loki agreed. "But in this case, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome."

"What happened?" Aemilia asked with a smile, strangely excited to hear the rest of the story.

Thomas and Loki were not related, as it turned out. That was one of the first things they established as they began to embark on their friendship and learn more about each other.

Thomas thought Loki was straight. He'd never noticed anything that said otherwise, and Loki's rather extensive list of women that he'd dallled with seemed to confirm the assumption. He never thought twice about it, and for a very long time, he was oblivious to Loki's attraction to him, even when Loki tried to be more obvious about it.

The thing was, unlike most of his previous lovers, Loki didn't want Thomas just for the physical benefits of a relationship. He genuinely cared for the man and adored his company. He loved the way that Thomas could go on and on about some abstract theory or concept and bring life to it, and the way that he saw meaning in so many things that others didn't. He could sit down and watch a movie and come away bursting with thoughts and feelings about every nuance of the film that others usually missed, and Loki found himself in awe more times than he could count. Plenty of his friends were smart - Bucky, Tony, a myriad of others - but Thomas was so uniquely... well... him. And Loki wanted him.

He couldn't have him, however, because the feeling was most certainly not mutual. Any idiot could see that, and while Loki tried not to give himself false hope, he simply could not ignore his growing affections. He would flirt with Thomas on purpose, increasingly blatantly, but Thomas still didn't seem to get it and Loki was beside himself with frustration.

Clearly, he needed to just come out and say it. So one night, with plenty of alcohol in both of their systems to boost his courage, he did.

They'd been playing a rather rousing game of Truth or Dare with their friends, and by the time it was over, they were fairly drunk and it was obscenely late. They both had classes the next morning, but Loki found himself able to only think of one thing, and it wasn't sleep. It was the way that Thomas threw his head back when he laughed, the blue of his eyes when they lit up with amusement or mischief, and the way that he would elbow Loki mid-joke or throw an arm around his shoulder in a display of completely normal, platonic affection.

Loki was one rash, ill-advised decision away from simply grabbing his friend and kissing him until there could be no room for doubt or misinterpretation possibly left. But in the end he settled on something a bit less extreme, though no less risky.

The game over, he got up and followed Thomas into the kitchen of Tony's off-campus apartment to get a bottle of water. Once they had acquired said bottles and taken a few swigs, Loki replaced the top on his and watched as Thomas managed to make the simple act of drinking water appear nothing short of sexual. It was mind boggling. It made almost no sense, but fuck Loki was on the verge of losing his mind and he had to do something before he went insane.

"I'm going to ask you truth or dare one more time," Loki said, catching his friend's attention as he set the half-empty bottle of water aside. "And I want you to pick truth."

"All right," Thomas chuckled, furrowing his brows at the somewhat odd statement.

Loki licked his lips. "Truth or dare."

Thomas chuckled again. "Truth."

Loki paused before quirking one brow and asking quietly, smoothly, "Have you ever kissed a man before?"

Whatever Thomas had been expecting, it was not that. "Oh," he said, surprised. He shook his head. "No. No, never. Why?"

Ignoring the question, Loki then asked, "Would you be opposed to trying it?"

Thomas stared at him for one long, heart-pounding moment before laughing again. It was a breathless, slightly bewildered sound, and his cheeks flushed as he asked, "Why are you asking me this?"

Loki reached his breaking point. Snapping like a twig, he took a step closer to the other man and said through somewhat gritted teeth, "Because, you oblivious, blind fool, I have wanted to kiss you since nearly the moment I met you and no matter how obvious I try to make it, you still never seem to notice."

Loki watched carefully as Thomas's reaction played out on his face. First there was shock, which he knew would come first. Then there was confusion, and thankfully, there was none of the disgust or panic that Loki had feared the most.

"But... really?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Yes, really."

"I thought you were straight," Thomas admitted, his poor drunken mind trying to make sense of all of this.

"Gender means nothing to me," Loki replied. "It never has."

"Ah. All right," Thomas nodded, running a nervous hand through his short blond hair. Then he chuckled, "I never noticed."

"I'm still waiting for an answer," Loki quietly pointed out.

Thomas furrowed his brows and asked, "What was the question?"

"Would you be opposed to kissing a man?" Loki repeated, his eyes dropping to the other man's lips almost involuntarily.

"... I assume by man you mean you," Thomas replied, standing his ground.

"Preferably, yes," Loki replied, taking another step and then another, until he was standing just in front of Thomas.

Thomas regarded him for a moment before admitting with the slightest shrug of his shoulders, "I don't know. I've never thought about it, honestly. It's just... never occurred to me."

"Then there's only one way to find out, yes?" Loki asked, his heart pounding out of his chest with how close they were and how close he was to having what he had been wanting so badly for what felt like ages to someone as impatient as Loki.

Thomas didn't say yes or no, but instead studied Loki for a moment before asking, "You really feel this way about me?"

Loki replied by reaching out and touching the collar of the light blue button down shirt that Thomas wore. "This is my shirt you're wearing. I didn't only lend it to you because you asked. I lent it to you because I wanted to see you in my clothes, and because the smell of you on them drives me absolutely mad."

Loki dropped his hand, and Thomas stared at him in complete surprise. He really had been every bit as oblivious as he had seemed.

"I don't expect you to feel the same," Loki told him next. "I would never pressure you to return a feeling that you don't have. But if there's the smallest chance that you could want me as I want you," he said, closing the distance between them, "I have to know."

He reached up and touched the other man's face, Thomas shivering a little at the touch and staring at him with wide, gentle blue eyes. Loki, using the one inch of height that he had on Thomas to his advantage, looked down upon him and nearly whispered, "I'm going to kiss you. Just once. Then tomorrow, when we're both sober, we're going to talk about this, and you will tell me how you feel about what we did and if you enjoyed it. If you don't, then our friendship will be unchanged. I won't lose you. But if you do enjoy it..." He licked his lips, noticing how Thomas's breath was starting to pick up, "If you find that perhaps you could desire me, too... then you will be mine, understand?"

Mouth falling open but no words coming out, Thomas tried to answer him but couldn't, because then Loki's lips were crashing down upon his and he couldn't even think, let alone form a single coherent word in his usually very sharp, very clear mind. But nothing was clear in that moment, and it was all he could do to simply hang on for the ride that Loki was taking him on.

The kiss was intense, gentle, and consuming, all at the same time. Loki cradled his face, knowing that this might be the only time he ever kissed the man and not wanting to take it for granted. He was determined to leave his mark upon him, so he kissed him once, then twice, and finally a third time. Thomas tentatively kissed him back during the second, and then on the third, his lips parted and Loki traced his tongue over the other man's lower lip before gently sliding it into his mouth, teasingly touching his tongue just once before slowly pulling away. He meant for it to end there, he did, but when he drew away and saw the way that Thomas was breathing hard through his mouth and had his eyes still closed, Loki let out a rough growl of a sound and pushed his friend against the refrigerator behind him to pillage his mouth one more time.

That time, Thomas didn't shy away or just barely reciprocate. Instead, he kissed Loki back from the start, his previously hanging hands coming up to rest somewhat nervously on Loki's arms as Loki's hand slid to the back of his head and through his hair as he kissed the hell of out him. The kiss was ravaging, consuming, and full of a passion that sent Thomas absolutely reeling.

When it was over, they were both panting hard and flushed from the base of their throats to their bizarrely similar hairlines. Loki opened his eyes first, gazing upon his friend's flustered, confused face before murmuring, "Tomorrow, my place, 2 o'clock."

Thomas's eyes opened and he nodded. Loki reluctantly, almost painfully, let go of Thomas, and using every ounce of self control within him, took a step back. Thomas watched him, slumped slightly against the fridge and staring in lingering bewilderment and shock that that had just happened. Loki saw something else in his eyes too, something that looked a lot like desire and attraction, but he would only allow himself to believe that if it was still there tomorrow, without alcohol and with Thomas in full possession of his mind.

"Don't be late," Loki told him before turning and leaving.

Neither of them slept much that night.

Aemilia was enjoying this little story perhaps a bit too much.

"... You're blushing," Loki noted with a pleased grin.

"I... well, you certainly have a way with words," Aemilia admitted, her entire face and part of her neck feeling hot in the wake of listening to Loki describe his first kiss with his college boyfriend.

"So I've been told," Loki chuckled, utterly adoring the way that she looked at that moment. She was so tempting and so alluring, her every reaction making it more and more difficult to maintain his patience and keep his hands to himself.

"Did he show up the next day?" Aemilia asked, dying to know more.

"He did," Loki nodded. "He definitely did."

Aemilia raised an eyebrow and grinned. "And?"

The following afternoon, Loki paced the tiny kitchen of the equally tiny apartment that he and Bucky shared as the minutes ticked closer and closer to 2 o'clock. He was a mess of nerves and self-doubt and worry, having woken up with the immediate first thought of fuck what have I done followed by I've ruined everything like the worthless idiot that I am and eventually balancing out with now I must wait several agonizingly long hours and learn my doom.

Bucky had witnessed all of this, and he was currently leaning against the kitchen counter taking a bite out of an apple as Loki continued to pace, checking the time obsessively and jumping out of his skin at every noise he heard that vaguely resembled a knock on the door.

His eyes following Loki back and forth, Bucky swallowed the mouthful of apple and said, "We're gonna need a new kitchen floor by the time you're done with it."

Loki glanced up in irritation and shot back, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Hey, don't take it out on me," Bucky replied. "I've got nothing to do with any of this."

"You're the reason I met the man in the first place," Loki pointed out. "All of this is entirely your fault."

"Yeah," Bucky chuckled sarcastically, "I told you to shove the guy against a fridge and stick your tongue down his throat. It's all me."

Loki again stopped pacing in order to throw another salty retort Bucky's way when the distinct sound of a knock on the door made his heart drop and his panic return tenfold. Eyes flying to the door and brain scrambling to maintain its cool and continue functioning, Loki glanced at Bucky for only a moment before springing into action and lunging for the door, only or or three long-legged strides getting him there. Then he flung open the door and came face to face with the clearly equally anxious and nervous Thomas, standing there on the other side smiling and appearing just as compromised as Loki was.

"Hello," Thomas said in an overly chipper, overcompensating tone.

"Hi," Loki replied, realizing that he was staring and blinking before stepping out of the way for him to enter. After he did and Loki shut the door behind him, Thomas smiled politely at Bucky and Bucky nodded back to him, amusement dancing in his eyes at the entire situation.

"Feeling all right today?" Loki asked, needing to say something rather than stand there in awkward silence.

"Oh yes, perfectly fine. No hangover," Thomas replied cheerfully. Loki nodded, and then silence fell once more.

Bucky looked back and forth between both men before trying not to smile as he said, "Well, I'm gonna go... do... something, somewhere, so I'll catch you guys later." He then bade them both farewell and grabbed his keys before walking out the front door. Once it clicked shut, Loki made eye contact with Thomas once more and immediately felt as if he might lose his mind from the sheer intensity of the anxiety crashing through his veins.

They both began to speak at the same time. A handful of nervous chuckles later, Loki insisted that Thomas go first, so he did.

"I, ah... I thought I may have hallucinated what happened last night, but since you seem as nervous as I am... it must have actually happened."

"Yes, it did," Loki confirmed, watching the other man carefully for any signs or clues as to how he felt about said incident today, without alcohol clouding things.

Thomas nodded, glancing around before asking, "Perhaps... can we sit, or -"

"Yes, of course," Loki shook himself, mentally berating himself as he led them both to the small couch in the nearby living room. Since the couch wasn't very large and they were both rather tall, substantial men, they naturally sat somewhat close to one another after each taking one side of the couch. Then there was another awkward moment, and Loki absolutely hated it because they'd never endured a single awkward moment in each other's presence until that day.

It was his fault. He was a fool, a moron, and now he was probably going to endure losing one of the best friends he'd ever had because he was too damn greedy to ever be happy with anything -

"So, I... thought about what you said last night," Thomas began after clearing his throat. "Actually, I've really thought of nothing else since the moment it happened."

"That makes two of us," Loki replied, on the proverbial edge of his seat.

Thomas smiled and then paused, looking down at his hands. "It's all very confusing, I admit, and I truly had no idea. All this time, I really haven't. And I'm sorry for that, because it must have been incredibly... frustrating for you."

"Spectacularly so," Loki nodded.

"I'm sorry," Thomas repeated. He did that a lot, apologizing, but Loki didn't hold anything against him. He blamed himself for all of it, now that he was rational again.

"I'm sorry for springing it all on you the way that I did," Loki said. "It was unfair to you. I just... lost my patience."

"It's all right," Thomas told him, and he seemed to mean it. He then paused again, and after taking a moment to gather his words, he said, "You told me last night to tell you today how I felt about the, ah... the kiss."

Loki almost felt lightheaded he was so nervous, and this wasn't like him at all. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I want to," Thomas replied, not about to waste the courage he'd spent working up all morning. He took a breath. "The truth is, I did like it. I didn't expect to, but I did. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but... you wanted to know how I felt once I was sober and had a chance to think it all though, so..."

Loki felt a bit of hope spark anew, but he was afraid to believe what he was hearing. "Are you only saying that, or is that truly how you feel?"

"It's the truth," Thomas replied, his sincerity leaving no room for doubt.

"Don't toy with me," Loki warned him.

"I'm not," Thomas immediately assured him.

"Then you're attracted to me?" Loki asked, eyes flitting over the other man's face and trying to decipher every last possible clue as to how he truly felt.

"I think that I might be," Thomas replied. "I - this is very new and... different for me, but I'm willing to try and... find out what happens if I let it." He then swallowed and laughed nervously, "Sort of like a... test drive."

... A test drive. It was exactly things like this that made Loki want this man so badly. Loki stared at him, eyes darkening at the thought of a slow, tentative exploration taking place between the two, lazy and without pressure or even a clear direction, just... testing the waters and seeing what would happen. Just the idea alone nearly had Loki aching already, and he knew that Thomas was thinking the very same thing if the blush on his cheeks was any indication.

"I can do that," Loki finally replied, voice coming out a bit more gruff than he had expected it to. "Trust me, I would be happy to let you use me however you wish."

Blushing even more profusely, Thomas clearly wasn't quite sure what to say to that. When Loki started to grin at him, he smiled and turned away before murmuring, "I can't believe this is happening."

"I can make you very glad that it is," Loki promised him. "I know you have your doubts, but I felt the way that you kissed me back last night. You enjoyed it as much as I did."

"I didn't think I would," he admitted.

"There's many things you might enjoy that you don't think you would," Loki replied. "I suppose that's the fun of a 'test drive', as you call it."

"Oh dear God," Thomas suddenly said, dropping his face into his hands with an embarrassed chuckle. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"My bed, if you'd like," Loki grinned. When Thomas nearly gaped at him, Loki chuckled and said, "Relax. I only mean that we should go to my room and continue this conversation in there. More private. Less chance for interruption."

"Right," Thomas nodded, visibly relaxing. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Loki replied, standing up and motioning for him to follow. "If you were any less nervous, I'd wonder if I really am the first man you've kissed."

"Trust me, you are," Thomas replied, following Loki out of the living room and into his bedroom. "I can promise you that."

"Well," Loki mused, opening the door to his room and glancing at Thomas over his shoulder, "I do always enjoy being someone's first."

Thomas sighed, his cheeks seemingly permanently stained pink from his blushes. Loki resisted the urge to grab him and kiss him again, instead closing the door after he entered and then leading them both to the bed. For the next hour and a half, the two men simply sat and talked.

They talked about everything, from their first kisses to their first girlfriends and first everything. Loki, Thomas learned, had never been solely interested in girls, even though women were where the bulk of his experience was. He'd had a handful of half-drunken hookups with a few guys since freshman year, but he'd never had a boyfriend. In addition, his mother and his brother back home were aware of his nature, but his father wasn't. It was a complicated relationship, to say the least, and the less that the old man knew, the better for everyone.

Thomas, meanwhile, admitted that he found most of his hesitance in his unwillingness to hurt his friend. He cared deeply for Loki, and he was afraid of diving in and finding that his heart just wasn't in it and that he was too straight for his own good. It would be cruel to do such a thing to Loki, give him something he wanted so badly just to change his mind and take it away.

"I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you," he told Loki, leaning back against a pile of pillows in front of the headboard. Loki was next to him, and they were facing each other with their knees nearly touching. "That's the only thing making me stop and think that maybe this is a mistake."

"There's an easy solution to that problem," Loki pointed out. "We take that test drive you spoke of and see if we're on the same page or not. No harm in finding out, is there?"

"... No," Thomas replied, though his anxiety was written all over his face. "No, no harm in that."

Loki looked him over, as far from relaxed as one man could be, and Loki wanted to make this as easy and comfortable for him as possible. Thomas going out on quite the limb for him, and it was the least that Loki could do to meet him there halfway.

"You can trust me, you know," Loki told him. "I would never pressure you to do anything you wouldn't like."

"I know," Thomas nodded quickly. "I do. And I do trust you. It's just... still a lot to wrap my head around."

"Then maybe you ought to stop thinking so much," Loki suggested. "I can help you with that."

"Can you?" Thomas grinned.

Loki nodded. "Instead of overthinking and analyzing it all to death... why don't you kiss me and find out what you feel instead of what you think?"

The two men were close, close enough that Thomas wouldn't have to lean over but a few inches to do what Loki suggested. He hesitated at first, eyes falling to Loki's lips before he replied, "I want to."

"Then do it," Loki replied, leaning a little bit closer. "Kiss me, Thomas."

The other man licked his lips and let out a shaky breath before moving closer, determination overtaking his hesitation. Loki's heart rate skyrocketed with each inch closer they drew, and by the time he could feel warm, familiar breath on his lips, he felt like he'd burst at that first contact.

And he nearly did. As wonderful as the previous night's drunken, spontaneous kiss had been, Loki soon discovered that the feeling of Thomas's soft lips pressing voluntarily and slowly against his own was one of the best things he'd ever felt. He'd kissed many others in the past and he was far from deprived from this sort of physical attention, but as Thomas kissed him gently and almost tentatively, Loki felt a stirring from within that he'd never felt before. He didn't know what it was, but whatever it might have been, it made his head feel hot and his heart race even faster.

They kissed like that for a few moments, lazily and sweetly, nothing at all like their first kiss. Loki, reminding himself to go slow for the other man's sake, slid his fingers into Thomas's short blonde curls and forced himself to stay calm and try not to let Thomas know how badly he wanted him. Just the sight of Thomas lounging in his bed made Loki want to rip his clothes off and make him scream with pleasure, but he had to pace himself, for both their sakes.

Thomas broke the kiss first, pulling away with a grin and a breathless chuckle. Loki chuckled with him and then titled his head, asking, "Good?"

"Very good," he replied, peeking up into Loki's eyes through his lashes. Every little thing he did made Loki need him and want him more and more.

"You enjoy kissing me?" Loki asked, reaching out and tipping Thomas's head back with two long, slim fingers under his chin. Loki pressed his lips just under the corner of his jaw and then murmured, "Answer me."

"Yes," Thomas breathed, closing his eyes as Loki rained kisses down his neck. Loki had always suspected he'd adore this, having his neck slowly and sensually kissed and nipped, and when he discovered a spot that made Thomas shiver, Loki lingered there and drove the man nearly out of his mind.

Thomas brought a slightly shaky hand up to Loki's silky, slightly long jet-black hair, letting his anxiety slowly melt away and desire and excitement replace it. He always liked trying new things, after all.

Loki eventually dragged his lips back upwards and captured Thomas in another kiss, one that was long and passionate and astoundingly hot. Now there was no hesitation, no unsureness, only touching and feeling and wanting, and oh, Loki needed him. But even more than he needed him, Loki needed to know once and for all that the feeling was mutual in every way that it could be.

He ran his fingers through Thomas' hair, over his shoulders and his chest over his shirt, then down to his waist where his curious fingers slipped under his the hem of the shirt and touched the warm skin beneath for the first time. Thomas didn't recoil or shy away from the touch, and Loki treated him the way that he'd treated a few shyer girls in the past - with the utmost of care and attention, paying close attention to his cues and signs, wanting absolutely nothing but to please him and make this as good for him as he deserved.

Thomas surprised him, then, by breaking their furious and deep kisses and then pulling his own shirt over his head, discarding it on the floor. Loki hadn't seen that coming, and he barely had a chance to admire his friend's shirtless form before Thomas pulled him back for another slew of hot, mostly open-mouthed kisses. Loki groaned into his mouth, hands wasting no time in exploring the newly bare skin of his back, his chest, his stomach, everything. Then, his hand slipping rather purposefully over the front of the other man's jeans, he discovered just how much Thomas truly wanted him, and low sounds of need escaped both of their mouths at the same moment that they pulled away from the kiss.

They stared at each other for a long, heated moment before Loki put his hand on Thomas' chest and gently pushed him down to lay on his back. Their eyes stayed locked all the while as Loki's hand drifted lower and lower again, brushing over him through his jeans as Loki asked darkly, "Aching for me already?"

He watched then as a most attractive blush covered not only Thomas' cheeks but his neck and even a portion of his chest. He rubbed his hand up and down slowly, teasing him, and Thomas closed his eyes and pushed up into the indirect touch with a silent plea. Loki could have come undone right there at the sight of him like that, but instead he pulled his hand away and then rose up on his knees to rid himself of his own shirt. He lost his pants as well, Thomas watching anxiously - and almost clumsily kicking off his jeans - until Loki was back again and this time on top of him, stretching out above him and kissing him with a new vengeance.

As Loki dominated the other man's tongue with his own, he dragged their bodies together and ground his lower half against Thomas' in a way that made them both grown muffled against each other's lips. Thomas, who had been somewhat shy with his hands until then, reached down and gripped Loki's hips as they started moving together, creating a rhythm and a friction that felt as delicious as it was torturous. Loki controlled the pace, moving slowly but firmly, and the next time they broke for air, Loki gazed down at Thomas in all his wide-blue-eyed desire before asking lowly, "Do you want me?"

"Yes," Thomas answered without hesitation. His doubts were gone now, obliterated by the knowledge and the evidence of how well they worked and fit together.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked, tracing the other man's beautifully sharp cheekbone, still lazily rocking their hips together. "Because if you want this... if you want me... then you'll be mine, and I don't share what's mine."

Thomas cursed beneath him, closing his eyes and bringing Loki down for a kiss that they both quickly got lost in. In the midst of it, Loki brought his hand down between them and pushed down their underwear just far enough to free them both and be out of the way, and then he took Thomas in hand and made him gasp softly into their kiss with the somewhat sudden touch.

Loki couldn't help but to pull away and watch Thomas' face as he touched him, working him in slow, gentle strokes and watching each spark of pleasure play out on his face. Thomas was incredibly expressive, not afraid to let his pleasure show on his face or in his voice, and Loki adored that. Thomas was also growing more and more brave, touching him and groping him, thrusting up into his hand when he wanted more, and Loki was all too happy to give him that.

Loki kissed down Thomas's body as his hand started to work faster, his own arousal grinding almost erratically on Thomas' thigh as his own need grew almost unbearable. But he forced himself to be patient, focusing entirely on his lover and making this experience serve to obliterate any lingering doubt in Thomas' head that they might not be physically compatible.

Thomas was a writhing, needy mess by the time that Loki's lips ended up lingering at the distinct v of his hips. He traced the lines with his tongue, fist still moving ever quicker and sometimes giving a little twist or brush of his thumb that would make Thomas jerk softly and let out a blissful sound that instantly knew he'd never get enough of. Then, his face at last level with his hand, Loki glanced up at Thomas to find him watching anxiously, chest heaving up and down with labored breaths and his blue eyes darker than Loki had ever seen them. Then, maintaining that searing eye contact, Loki licked his lips and then opened his mouth to take the other man in. Thomas then made a sound that should have been illegal, and his eyes fell closed as he dropped his head back down and gave in fully to Loki.

Loki's only regret was that it didn't last longer. Thomas was wound so tightly and was so close already that it felt like only seconds before he was tensing and then grappling at Loki's hair as his entire body trembled and jerked with the force of his release. He moaned softly, all hard breaths and deep gasps, and Loki didn't stop until he knew the last wave had gone. He let him go then, licking his lips of the slight mess on them and then raising his head to look upon his friend as he laid there sated and likely ready for a nap.

Loki slowly crawled back up, leaving little soft kisses here and there and nuzzling Thomas' jaw once he had fully returned. Thomas reached up and put a hand on the back of Loki's head, fingers threading through the raven strands and then guiding him up to press their lips together again.

They stayed like that for awhile, languidly kissing and touching despite the fact that Loki was still in dire need of much more substantial attention himself. When they eventually drew away to catch their breaths, they both opened their eyes and looked at each other for what felt like several very long, poignant moments.

Finally, Loki spoke. He couldn't hold the words in any longer. "I want you."

Thomas smiled. "I'm... fairly sure that you have me."

"No," Loki shook his head, trying to find the right words to express himself. "I want you. Not just your body. I want..."

"... You want to be with me?" Thomas guessed, and Loki nodded with relief that he understood.

"Yes," Loki replied. "I want to... take you to a proper dinner," he chuckled, making Thomas laugh softly too. "Show you off to everyone I know. Then bring you back to my bed every night and make you come so hard you forget your own name."

Thomas nearly lost his ability to breathe at those words.

"I want you to be mine," Loki said, dropping a soft but possessive kiss to his lips, "and mine alone."

"I'm yours," Thomas replied, holding him close and kissing him back. "I'm yours, Loki."

It was a bit crazy, entirely unexpected, and also one of the most exhilarating moments of Loki's life thus far. He groaned and kissed Thomas again, their kisses growing frantic and passionate again before Thomas managed to turn them over and place the focus on Loki rather than on himself. It was all even better than he had thought it would be, and as it turned out, it was only the start of a long, satisfying, and very curious entire day in bed together.

It was also the start of one of the best, happiest, and healthiest relationships of Loki's life.

If Aemilia had been blushing before, she was utterly and completely compromised now. And Loki couldn't have been happier about it.

"Wow," she marveled, absentmindedly fiddling with the ends of a few strands of her hair in an ineffective attempt to keep herself busy.

Loki chuckled. "That's one way of putting it." In some ways, he felt as if he was engaging in a rather long exercise of verbal foreplay with her by telling her this particular story, but even more telling was the fact that he was sharing it with her at all. That particular past relationship of his was one that he valued greatly and only shared details of with those that he trusted, and in truth, he really barely knew the woman sitting next to him. But for some reason, being with her the way that he was, he felt a level of comfort with her that he rarely felt with anyone he'd known for so short a time.

"How long were the two of you together?" Aemilia asked.

"About a year," Loki replied. "And it was a lovely year, for the most part. We were very happy most of the time."

"What made you eventually break up?" she asked gently, hoping that the answer wouldn't be too painful for Loki to recall.

"Life," Loki replied with a slight shrug. "His was back home in England, and mine was here. He had wonderful opportunities there that he didn't have here, and I wasn't going to hold him back. It was a very peaceful, mutual parting of ways. Certainly not easy, but... it was the right decision. And we are still friends to this day. Whenever we happen to be in the same town, we have dinner and catch up. It's nice."

"I'm sure," Aemilia smiled. "That's really lovely that you're both able to do that. Most people don't have the maturity."

"Well, he..." Loki paused and furrowed his brows, expression growing very serious as he gathered his words. "He came along during a time that was rather difficult for me. My relationship with my father... my adopted father... has always been complicated and... difficult. Back then I cared so much for his approval that I would have done anything to gain it - and I do mean anything - but nothing was ever enough. And when I brought Thomas home for Christmas instead of a woman... it was sort of the last straw for him, I suppose."

"Oh no," Aemilia cringed quietly, dreading what that might mean. "I'm sorry. That must have been terrible."

"It was," Loki nodded. "But Thomas was incredible. He helped me finally come to terms with the fact that I was never going to earn the old man's approval and that I was only hurting myself continually trying to. I already knew that, in the back of my mind, but... hearing it from him and seeing how much he believed in me... it finally made it sink in once and for all."

"You're angry," Thomas noted, running his fingers through Loki's hair as they laid tangled up in bed together. Loki's head was on his chest, and the sheets were in disarray all around them, as well as much of the bed itself. Thomas' neck bore marks that served as further proof of how intense Loki had been that night, and while he certainly didn't mind taking the onslaught, Thomas still had to make sure that Loki was all right.

But he wasn't. Loki merely replied sarcastically, "What gave it away?"

Thomas sighed and bent his head to place a kiss to Loki's hair. "I don't mind letting you take it out on me. But I wish you didn't have to."

"I wish a lot of things were different," Loki muttered.

Thomas hesitated only a moment before replying, "Then make things different."

"If I could," Loki replied with a hint of irritation in his tone, "then I would have ten years ago."

"That's not what I mean," Thomas replied, fingers still gently stroking through Loki's hair. "What I mean is, your worth is only dependent on your father's opinion of you if you allow it to be."

"He's not even my father."

Tiring of Loki's sullen, stubborn attitude, Thomas shifted them so that Loki was still in his arms but so their faces were nearly level. Looking the other man in the eye, Thomas then said, "He's the only father you've ever had. And it's natural to want his approval, trust me, I know, but... the way that he spoke to you tonight and the way that he treats you, it isn't just unfair. It's abuse, Loki."

Loki already knew that, deep down, but hearing those words from Thomas' lips cut deeply. Memories that he had suppressed for far too long flitted through his head, flashes of times when Odin screamed at him or heaped cruel punishments upon him when Frigga and Thor weren't around. His abuse wasn't only verbal, and Loki had only been a child when he leaned how painful it was to be backhanded or thrown against something, or hit with whatever happened to be in the old man's hand at the time.

Forgetting such things and pretending as if they never happened, or perhaps convincing himself that he had somehow deserved such treatment, had always been easier than confronting the truth of the matter. And the truth was that Odin would always love Loki's brother better, and that Loki would never have the sort of unconditional love and support that every son craved from his father.

Bringing a boyfriend home for the holidays had simply been the straw that broke the camel's back, apparently. After a shouting match over dinner that resulted in Odin smashing a handful of dishes and storming off after declaring Loki "unworthy" of the family, Loki had been left with an avalanche of emotions that he had no idea how to deal with. He'd tried to channel his anger into something that he could use in bed, and he had quite enjoyed what he and Thomas had done in his old childhood room, but he knew that it would ultimately solve nothing.

"It doesn't matter," Loki finally muttered, but Thomas would hear nothing of the sort.

"Yes it absolutely matters," Thomas replied quietly but fiercely. "It matters because you matter. And you are worthy of your family. He's the one who isn't."

Loki grimaced slightly. "I've been a disappointment to him since the day they adopted me. And I didn't even know that I was adopted until it came out in one of his fits of anger a few years ago."

"He is a fool," Thomas told him. "Don't you dare let that old man convince you that you're worthless or that you're not worthy of being loved."

"What if I already have?" Loki asked, allowing himself to be more vulnerable with another person than he had in ages. It was a terrifying and risky thing to do, but he trusted Thomas.

Thomas stared at him for a moment before replying, "Then I can prove you both wrong."

"How?"

"Because I love you," Thomas admitted with a small, slightly nervous smile.

Loki froze at the utterance of those words. They hadn't uttered them to one another yet, and the fact that Thomas was saying it now of all times... Loki couldn't believe it. He simply could not.

"Don't tell me that," he muttered with far more of an edge to his tone than Thomas deserved at that moment. "You're only saying it out of pity."

Thomas' expression went from nervous but hopeful to surprised and slightly horrified. "No, I'm not. I swear to you, I'm not. I wouldn't do that. I said it because I mean it."

Loki tried to pull away, but Thomas held him close and didn't let him run away like his instincts were screaming at him to. Loki merely clenched his jaw and quietly ordered, "Let me go."

"No."

Loki glared at the other man, but Thomas was unfazed.

"No," Thomas repeated, "because I do love you and no matter how well your father's managed to convince you that you can't be loved and don't deserve to be, you can and you are. And I'm not letting you go until you see that."

"You're insufferable," Loki muttered, though secretly he was indescribably grateful for what the other man was doing for him. "And ridiculous. Naive and unbearably difficult and foolish and -"

"Yes, I'm all of those things," Thomas agreed. "And you are brilliant and... beautiful. Loyal, unpredictable, intense, and... a thousand other things that I could tell you and you won't believe because of what that man has done to you."

Loki stared at him, trying his best to do so blankly but his mask was slipping. Thomas was no idiot and everything that he was saying was so obnoxiously true that Loki, as good of a liar as he was, couldn't deny it.

Thomas cupped his face and told him quietly and sincerely, "I do love you. Whether you believe me or not, it's true. And I'm not saying it now out of pity. I'm saying it now because I didn't have the nerve to before, but now I need you to know it."

As their eyes remained locked and Loki found that he was out of ways to try to discount Thomas' words or write them off as anything but completely genuine, he lost the will to keep fighting. He needed this, needed to feel the sort of love that was being freely and willingly offered to him from such a pure, sweet source, and more than anything, he wanted to believe that he truly was worthy.

"You love me?" Loki asked, his stubborn brain unable to fully accept it still.

"I love you," Thomas confirmed, still holding him like he was something precious and to be cherished.

"Why?" Loki asked almost innocently, in a way that nearly broke the other man's heart.

After contemplating nearly a thousand different ways to answer that, Thomas finally settled on, "Honestly, Loki," he replied softly, "I don't think there's anything in the world that could make me not love you."

Loki smiled then, just a shadow of a real smile, and he shook his head slightly before admitting, "It's hard for me to believe you."

"I know," Thomas replied softly. "And that's okay. I'll spend as long as it takes to finally get it through your thick skull."

That made Loki really smile. Then Thomas pulled him closer and kissed him, and for a little while, Loki felt better. One man's words couldn't unravel a lifetime's worth of abuse, but they started him on a path to self-acceptance and healing that no others had before. And for that, Loki would forever be in Thomas' debt.

"It's hard to believe that you two ended up splitting up," Aemilia said, her heart warming a bit from the sad but sweet story. "You sound so perfect for each other."

Loki shrugged. "We're both where we're supposed to be. I have no regrets. I make it a point to never have any of those."

"Well, I'm glad you had him for awhile. It sounds like he certainly had a very positive effect on you and your life."

"Oh, he did," Loki agreed. "And the effect was mutual. I opened up his horizons," he grinned. "He had a... shall we say darker side that I helped him discover. And we both came out of the relationship happier and more confident in ourselves."

"That is wonderful," Aemilia said. "Truly."

Then Loki noticed that Aemilia had a certain little smirk on her face that wouldn't quite go away. He squinted and shot her a smirk back before asking, "What's got you smiling like that, darling?"

Her smirk widened and she blushed faintly before brushing some of her dark red curls over her shoulder and replying, "Just that I think you have a bit of a talent for that. Bringing out someone's dark side."

"Are you speaking from experience?" Loki asked, his tone lowering and eyes narrowing just slightly enough to signal his intent.

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't," she replied, quite ready to cease the talking now that she was thoroughly compromised from imagining Loki in intimate situations with an equally tall and handsome man and from being in such close proximity to him all night. She was still high from the show and positively thrumming with energy waiting to be released. She knew exactly how she wanted to do that, and she knew that Loki would have no objections.

"Explain," Loki prompted her, leaning forward and placing his own empty drink glass on the coffee table so that he could lean back against the couch and focus entirely on her.

She leaned closer to him, licking her lips and contemplating for a moment. "Well... I suppose that ever since our night together, I've found myself a bit more... curious about certain things."

Oh, he liked where this was going. "Like?"

"Control," she replied, her tone even and confident. "Domination. Things like that."

"Ah," he grinned. "Well... what I showed you before was only a little taste of what you speak of. There's far more for you to explore."

"I know," she grinned back. "Why else do you think I'm mentioning this?"

Scratch his last thought - he loved where this was going. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well," she said as the blush on her cheeks deepened a little, "honestly, as much as I loved playing submissive... I haven't been able to stop thinking about what it would be like to have the control instead."

He chuckled darkly, having had a feeling that she would say something along those lines. "Of course you have." When she quirked an eyebrow quizzically, he added, "There's a fire inside you, Aemilia. Never for a minute would I be foolish enough to think that you could be satisfied so easily. You're a curious, adventurous thing. We're alike in that sense."

"Yes, I suppose we are," Aemilia replied, the way that his green eyes skimmed over her body with those words making her skin heat up all over. Sharing one last little grin with him, she smoothed down her dress over her thighs before slowly getting to her feet. The alcohol she'd consumed over the course of the night left her feeling more warm and tingly than intoxicated, and she felt great as she stepped in front of Loki.

He looked up at her curiously, eyes locking with hers as she reached down and gripped the loosened knot of his black tie in her delicate hand. She gave it a healthy tug and he followed her lead, letting her pull him to his feet and standing before her with very little space between them.

Her hand releasing the tie and then trailing down his chest, Aemilia stared fearlessly into his eyes and didn't say a word as one of his hands went to her hair, gently brushing one side of it behind her ear and the other landing on her waist. Their eye contact faltered only as they both leaned in closer, the natural pull between them impossible for either of them to ignore or fight.

But their lips didn't touch just yet. Instead, the tips of their noses brushed softly and Loki told her quietly but heatedly, "Tell me what you want, darling."

"Control," she answered without hesitation, looking down at his lips and then back to his eyes.

"Of what?" he asked, his voice little more than a velvet purr.

"You," she replied with mischief and heat sparkling in her devilishly expressive eyes.

Fingers running softly through her hair, his entire expression darkened before he leaned in closer and replied with his lips mere centimeters from her ear, "Control isn't something I relinquish easily. I'm not submissive by nature."

"I know," she replied barely over a whisper, shivering when his lips traveled just an inch lower and brushed underneath her ear in a barely-there kiss. "I know, but..."

"But you want me at your command," he finished for her, those words making the heat she felt inside nearly double. Both of his hands were on her hips now, curling firmly against them as he pulled away from her ear and added. "You want to pull my strings and use me for your benefit."

Listening to Loki refer to himself essentially as a toy made Aemilia need him all the more. "Perhaps," she replied, both of her hands smoothing up and over his shoulders. "Can you blame me?"

"Certainly not," he grinned, leaning in again as she did the same, coming so close to kissing again but still stopping just short. "And I wouldn't dream of denying you."

Her lips parted and breath mingling with his, she asked, "No?"

He shook his head. "Never, darling."

Then he finally leaned in for the kiss, but Aemilia pulled away just before their lips would have touched. His eyes opened and she shot him a filthy little grin before slipping out of his arms and taking a few steps backwards. "Don't make me wait," she told him in a low, sultry tone before turning and walking straight towards her bedroom. Loki watched the sway of her hips as she walked until he snapped out of his momentary stupor and began to follow her.

The minute they were both inside of her warm, pleasant-smelling bedroom, Loki shut the door behind him and Aemilia wasted no time in issuing her first command. She sauntered up to him in her heels and then told him with their eyes locked, "Undress me."

"Of course," he replied, wasting no time in slowly circling around her and standing facing her back. The first thing he did was take her rather luscious red waves in his hands and brush them over her shoulder, his fingers brushing the back of her neck and making her shiver. Then, with her hair out of the way, he quickly found her dress' zipper and slowly, carefully dragged it down to her lower back. As the sides of her dress opened up, his eyes were met with the sight of her lingerie-clad body, and it took all of his self-control not to moan on the spot.

Taking each side of the hem of her dress in his hands, he pulled until the dress slid down her arms and hit the floor. She stepped out of it gracefully and then turned, giving him the full view of her lacy black and white lingerie. She looked utterly exquisite, the entire set clinging to her like a second skin and presenting her to him like a particularly mouthwatering dessert. His gaze started at her black-stocking covered legs, shapely and long and perfect, and then his eyes tripped over the garter strings on her thighs and the curve of her hips. Her panties were all light lace and high-waisted, accentuating her shape and teasing him with how much of her skin they hid, and just barely covering her breasts was a matching lacy bra that he had plans to remove as quickly as possible.

She watched him take her in, and when his eyes met hers once more, his hands went to her hips and he asked huskily, "Do you always wear such mouthwatering things under all of your dresses?"

She smirked and put her hands on his chest, pushing him back and walking him back towards her bed. "I wear lingerie for myself. I like the way it makes me feel and look."

He groaned just under his breath, truthfully adoring that answer. "Oh, I can imagine, darling. How do you keep your hands off of yourself?"

She giggled as the backs of his legs hit the bed. She pushed him down by his shoulders and he sat down on the edge, and she immediately swung her leg over both of his and straddled his lap as she replied, "Who says that I do?"

He groaned and she smiled radiantly before taking his hair in her hand and bringing her lips crashing down to his at last. They both trembled slightly with the much-needed contact, Loki pulling her close with one arm around her back and his other hand curled tightly around her hip, kissing her like he needed her more than air to breathe. Aemilia rocked down against him, controlling their kiss and deepening it when he parted his lips for her, and the shaky sigh that she let out when their tongues touched gave away how very affected she already was.

After a few moments ravaging each other's mouths, Aemilia broke away only to reach behind her back and effortlessly unhook her bra. She tossed it away and gave Loki only about half a second to take in the sight of her bare breasts before she grabbed him and kissed him again, pressing her chest to his still-clothed one and grinding more insistently in his lap as their kisses grew from deep to consuming. She could feel him hard underneath her thighs already, and when he pulled her head back a bit roughly with a fistful of her hair and then dropped his head down to hungrily take a nipple in his mouth, he also ripped off one of her garter straps from her stocking. She arched her back and held his head closer, body humming with excitement and the need to be closer and feel him more than she already was.

Reluctantly letting go of his head and pushing him back a few inches, Aemilia began the rather pleasant task of undressing Loki. She all but ripped off his tie first, tossing it higher up the bed for later purposes, and then made quick work of his shirt as she pressed her lips to his neck and kissed him there until he groaned softly. She pushed his shirt off as she nipped at a sensitive spot just above where his neck met his shoulder, and then he grabbed her face and brought her lips back to his as her hands trailed down his chest.

She could have sat there on his lap and kissed him like that for a long time, but she needed more and patience had never been her virtue. She broke their kiss and drew away, fingers carding through his silky black hair as she met his heated gaze and told him, "I want to tie you to my bed."

His eyes flashed with desire. "Then do it, Little One."

Every time he called her that, it made something deep inside of her nearly burst with excitement and want and feeling. How he could make her feel so much with two little affectionate words was beyond her, but she couldn't pretend not to love it.

She stood up and began undoing her garter belt as she told him, "Take the rest of your clothes off and go lay at the top of the bed."

"Yes, darling," he murmured before happily complying. She stripped along with him, both of them watching the other as they shed the rest of their clothes. After her garter belt hit the floor, Loki watched as she peeled each stocking from her leg and dropped them, his pants landing near them not long after and then the criminally well-fitted black boxer briefs he'd worn beneath them. Aemilia, left only in her panties that she didn't hesitate to slip out of, then watched as Loki followed her instructions to crawl up the bed near his discarded tie and wait for her there.

She didn't make him wait long. Loki watched her with great anticipation as she walked completely naked along the edge of the bed, leaning forward and grabbing his tie from the bed with one delicate hand. Then, holding the material and giving Loki a little smile, she put one knee on the bed and then another, and then she was straddling his waist as she stretched out the tie in front of her.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked.

"You're going to have to be a lot more specific," Loki grinned, and Aemilia chuckled. He placed his hands on her legs and ran them up her thighs, and she let him feel her and touch her for a moment before she took his wrists in her hands and guided them down to the bed.

"Well," she said as she took his tie and began to wrap it around his wrists before looping the rest of the material around her headboard, "hopefully you won't mind being tied up here for awhile."

"Oh I won't mind at all, so long as you make it worth my while," Loki replied with a slightly devious little grin.

Aemilia tightened the tie around his wrists and replied, "No more talking unless I give you permission, darling."

"Well, that's a rather gutsy command."

Aemilia could definitely see how Loki was not accustomed to submitting to anyone. In response to his most definitely not allowed comment, she grasped his hair at the the top of his head and used it to yank his head back rather sharply. Then she leaned in close and purred, "I said no talking, Loki. Are you going to do as I say or am I going to have to also restrain your pretty little mouth?"

The way that his eyes darkened in response to her words gave away how much he was enjoying this, despite how foreign of a thing that it was to him. "I will do as you say," he replied, his words making Aemilia grin and stroke his cheekbone softly.

"Good," she said, dropping one little kiss to his lips. "Because I would hate to have to change my plans for your mouth."

He almost asked her what those plans were before remembering that she hadn't permitted him to speak. He forced himself silent and Aemilia grinned as she straightened up on top of him and looked him over. He was quite a sight to behold, naked and long-limbed and gorgeous, and best of all, tied to her bed and truly at her mercy.

She'd never been in a position before even remotely like the one that she was in now, but to her own surprise, she didn't feel nervous or the slightest bit hesitant. She was far too excited to feel either one of those things, and far too eager to get things started to waste time thinking rather than acting.

"I can see why you enjoy being in control," she said, sliding her hand up his chest and admiring his form as he breathed in deeply and flexed his arms in an attempt to make them slightly more comfortable. Then she gently traced his lower lip with two of her fingertips as she added, "I haven't even gotten started yet and I'm already enjoying myself entirely too much."

Lowering herself down so that her breasts rested comfortably on his chest, Aemilia ran her fingers softly through Loki's hair and kissed him until he was breathless and trying to chase her lips with his own. When she pulled just too far away for him to reach, his eyes opened and flashed with irritation, and all she could do was grin and murmur, "My, my it's fun having you like this. Was it fun having me at your mercy?"

"Fun is far too trivial a word," Loki replied. "It was more... intoxicating."

"Was it?" she mused.

"Absolutely," he replied lowly, "and I remember every last second of that night as if it were yesterday."

She hadn't expected him to say that, nor the rush of warmth that she felt at those words, but she didn't doubt him in the least. Instead, she smiled a little bit and then kissed him again, then again, and again after that until they were both lacking oxygen and her body started rocking against his to relieve a little bit of the tension that had been building all night.

He was powerless and a very substantial part of him almost hated it. But an equally substantial part of him found it all to be very much worth it when Aemilia sat up straight again and tossed her hair back, still grinding herself against him languidly and giving them both just the smallest bit of relief that she could manage. He moved with her and constantly resisted his restraints, wishing they'd just disintegrate but they of course never did. Instead, he laid there and tried to mask his frustration as she dragged her nails down his chest and followed each sting with presses of her soothing lips, kissing down to his abdomen and then, because she was such a tease, moving right back up.

Then her lips were on his again, and every time they kissed it was like fireworks. They both felt it, the spark between them that felt like it sprang from deep within their very bones, and when it all became too much for Aemilia to resist, she broke their kiss and then raised back up to begin a journey up his body that she might have second guessed had she given herself the chance to. But she didn't.

Panting, overheated and feeling like she was wound more tightly than possibly ever before, Aemilia's eyes locked with Loki's lust-clouded ones as she began to move up, up, up, until her knees were on either side of his shoulders and she was nearly where she wanted to be.

"I've never done this before," she admitted, "but I want to. Is this all right?"

Loki groaned quietly, licking his lips in anticipation before leaning his head back to look up at her and assuring her, "Woman, you could ride my face until we both collapsed from exhaustion and I would be perfectly happy."

Smiling and blushing at that, Aemilia then reached out and braced herself with one hand on top of her headboard as she slid into position. She expected to feel a twinge of discomfort or hesitance at that point, being so incredibly exposed in a position she'd never been in before, but she felt nothing of the sort. All she needed to see was the hungry and dark way that Loki's eyes soaked up the sight of her, and she was more than ready to give him what he wanted.

Since he couldn't use his hands to position her, she carefully lowered herself down and tried to find the right balance, so that she was close enough for him to reach but not smothering him or very possibly drowning him. He turned his head to the side and kissed her inner thigh first, closing his eyes and working his way up to her like he would have if she had been lying down and he had been the one above her. Then he turned his head to the other side and kissed her there too, the occasional gentle nip of his teeth sending hot sparks of pleasure through her veins until she couldn't take it anymore.

She grabbed him by his hair again and yanked his head back, placing him where she wanted him and telling him, "Stop teasing me."

"Eager, are you?" he teased.

"Only as much as you are," she replied before hushing him up rather creatively, giving his tongue something else to do other than talk. The moment that she felt the full contact of his mouth upon her, her eyes rolled shut and she let out a shaky exhale of pure pleasure. She kept one hand in his hair and the other on her headboard as she let her mind go blank and her instincts take over fully.

Just like she had set out to do, Aemilia used Loki for her own pleasure and took what she wanted from him, and Loki nearly enjoyed it as much as she did herself. She sunk into her role with the same ease that she did in her professional life, all grace and beauty and also complete and utter wantonness as she rocked against his face and used him like the good little servant that he was playing for her. He loved every last moment of it, wishing only that he had his hands free so that he could have grasped her hips and pulled her down closer and held her there, burying his face even more deeply within her, but instead she controlled everything. And that was all right too.

Her grip on the headboard tightening, Aemilia let her head fall back and a moan escape her lips as her pleasure grew and grew with every new touch of his mouth. She hadn't known for sure how much this would be to her liking, but as it turned out, controlling her pleasure and riding his face like she was had the potential to become one of her new favorite things. The only downside to their current positions was his lack of ability to touch her with his hands, but she didn't hesitate to touch herself where she wanted to be touched - her hair, her neck, and especially her breasts. She teased and touched each one, torturing Loki more than she ever could have realized and making him ache at such an exquisite sight as she was.

She didn't want it to end, but eventually it had to. Grasping the headboard with both hands since her legs were trembling and she needed all the support that she could get, Aemilia rocked herself in an increasingly needy rhythm that Loki matched beautifully as his arms strained and his neck worked hard to support his efforts. Her body thrumming with her impending release, she tensed in anticipation and moved faster, holding on with white knuckles and willing her legs to not fail her as Loki brought her to the edge. The sounds coming from his mouth were filthy, obscene things, and when she could finally take no more, her back arched and her head flew back and she moaned up to the ceiling and to the very heavens above, most likely waking at least a few neighbors in the process.

Loki wasn't sure that he'd ever seen anything so magnificent before than the sight that she made in that moment, so free and beautiful and sinfully satisfied that he could have stared at her like that forever and would have been content.

She slowly came to a halt above his face, sighing and coming down from her high as she gently and carefully moved off of his face. Her legs were shaky and she hadn't caught her breath yet, so she settled down on top of the man beneath her and grinned lazily at him. His own breathing was quite heavy and rightfully so, as he had just performed quite the feat whilst being literally tied up, and Aemilia also noticed that his face was an absolute mess.

She reached out and ran her finger along his chin and the corners of his mouth, telling him in a low purr, "What a good boy you are, darling. Did you enjoy that?"

She slid her finger into his mouth and he happily sucked her wetness from it, closing his eyes and humming in appreciation. Then he opened his eyes and released her finger, replying, "I've enjoyed few things in my life as much as I enjoyed that."

She blushed and then kissed him, tasting herself on his lips. She slowly deepened the kiss, more than aware of how much he needed her and how desperate he was for her touch, and when she broke away she grinned, "Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of tonight just as much."

"That depends on what else you have in store for me, my dear," Loki replied, trying to lean up and capture her lips again. She let him, taking pity on him for a moment, but only for a moment. Then she pulled away and shot him another devious grin before leaning down and pressing an open-mouthed kiss to his neck, and thus began Loki's true torture.

Aemilia didn't waste a second that she had with him, devoting all of her attention to him and to driving him out of his mind with need. She kissed and touched him everywhere, sensually exploring every inch of him and learning which spots made him jerk or gasp when she'd lick or nip them, and all the while he was nearly squirming with increasing desperation. She touched him everywhere except where he most wanted to, and after what felt like an eternity of this, Loki just about reached the end of his rope.

Tugging against his restraints as Aemilia dragged her tongue down the defined V of his hips, Loki groaned and bit out, "How long do you plan on torturing me?"

She lifted her head and smirked up at him, lazily dragging her fingertips up and down where her tongue had been. "As long as it takes for you to start begging me for more."

He let out a sound of sheer frustration and dropped his head back against the pillow beneath it. Aemilia simply grinned wider and started kissing her way up his body again, her hand still touching him everywhere - his hips, thighs, everywhere besides the place that would have given him some relief - and Loki continued to wage a losing battle with his self control. Once her lips were on his neck again, she straddled him and sat up straight on top of him, her hands dragging up his chest as she said, "I can see how badly you need me. I can feel it in how tense you are," she said, fingers pressing down on lean muscles for emphasis. "All you have to do is say please and you can have me."

Loki stared up at her with a mixture of boundless desire and incredible irritation. "I don't beg," he told her, quite stubbornly refusing to give in even though it was rather self-defeating of him to do so.

"We'll see," she said, shifting her hips and grinding agonizingly slowly against him. They were pressed together as closely as they could be and he tried to thrust his hips upwards to take what he needed, but she never let him. Instead, she rocked down on him and slid herself up and down his length without taking him in, putting on a show for him while she was at it. She touched herself everywhere he couldn't, cupping her own breasts and caressing down her stomach, over her hips and, to his continuing doom, sliding one hand between her legs and giving herself a little bit of the relief that she refused to give him. And she didn't stop.

He hadn't expected that. He stared at her with wild eyes, breathing heavily through his mouth and watching as she looked him in the eye and rocked against her own hand on top of him. She bit her lip and then closed her eyes with pleasure, knowing exactly what she was doing to him as she leaned her head to the side and let out a moan that she didn't need to fake in the least.

"You're cruel," Loki told her, feeling as if he might simply expire if she kept this up.

"You told me last time that you wanted to see this," she pointed out, fingers never faltering in their efforts. "I'm only giving you what you want."

"I want to feel you," he replied through halfway gritted teeth.

"Are you ready to say please?" Aemilia asked, moving her hand a little faster and using her other to tease her breast. Her breath hitched and she closed her eyes for just a few seconds before looking back at him and awaiting his answer.

In truth, he was ready to beg. But the sight that she was providing him with was so incredibly hot that he decided to play a little game himself, raising his chin defiantly and restating, "I don't beg."

"What a shame," she sighed, squeezing her breast and sliding her fingers deeper. "If only you could, I could be fucking you instead of my own fingers."

Her filthy mouth nearly made him come undone without even a hint of physical contact. He was even rendered genuinely speechless for a moment, something that hadn't happened to him in years.

She grinned at his silence and picked up the pace, riding her own hand and sliding her other into her hair as her back arched and she felt herself edging closer. Getting herself off was never a difficult task, and doing it with Loki watching and being on top of him like she was only heightened her pleasure and got her there even faster. Before she knew it she was starting to tremble with pleasure, and she let out a whimper as she rocked down on her rapidly moving fingers and let the waves wash over her.

Loki wasn't going to survive the night. He was sure of this, and he was also sure that this woman just might be the most perfect match for him that the universe could have ever dreamed up.

Aemilia let herself down slowly, still moving her fingers lazily until the last little tremor was gone from her body. Then she relaxed and let out a contented sigh, opening her eyes and looking down to find Loki looking utterly ravenous. He reminded her almost of an animal the way that he was tied up and clearly struggling against his restraints, desperate to be free and likely eat her alive. But it wasn't time for that, not yet.

She lowered herself down, her chest pressing to his as she removed her hand and pressed a kiss to his jaw. He growled and turned his head towards her, his lips seeking hers, but she denied him as she lifted her head and gazed in his eyes with mischief dancing in hers.

"So stubborn," she noted, tracing his jaw and his lips. "You must be positively aching to be touched, aren't you?"

He didn't answer her, but he didn't need to. She reached her other hand between them, the one that was still slick from her own body, and she slid her palm over him and made him exhale sharply with just that one little touch. She smiled and said, "Oh, you poor thing... what do you want from me, darling? My hand?" She stroked him gently as she spoke, and his mouth fell open and he groaned for how badly he'd needed that touch. Then she leaned up and captured his lower lip between her teeth, making his eyes fly open just as she released his lip and then asked, "My mouth?"

"I want you to untie me," he told her, voice heavy with lust as she continued to touch him, "so that I can fuck you until you scream."

Her eyes darkened with desire and also with amusement as she asked, "Are you ready to beg me yet? If you ask me nicely, I might let you free."

He cursed under his breath, still staying silent, and as a result, she pulled her hand away. He made a sound of pure frustration and even slight anger, but all Aemilia did was laugh softly and press a kiss to the middle of his collarbone. Then she started trailing her kisses down lower, ignoring the sounds that he made and the slight way that he was thrashing, only looking up at him once she was down near his hips.

He strained to lift his head and meet her gaze, and once he did, she grasped him gently in her hand once more and said, "Beg me and maybe I'll think about letting you come."

Before he could say a word, she ran her tongue along his entire length and made him shudder and let out a sound of surprise that caught even himself off guard. She grinned up at him and then continued to mercilessly tease him, licking and rubbing and doing everything but take him fully in her mouth. And Loki was absolutely beside himself with near-rage.

He had never felt that way before with anyone else, because he had never allowed himself to be toyed with like that and tortured to the point of such near-hysteria. But Aemilia was different, and where he would have lost his patience long ago and stopped enjoying himself with anyone else, he found this to be a sort of exquisite torture that he craved as much as he despised. It was the strangest thing, but it was so addicting that he couldn't quite bring himself to say the magic word and bring it all to an end.

That was at least until she finally took him into her mouth and he lost the ability to think or even breathe. She didn't drag it out or tease him anymore, instead giving him exactly what he wanted and needed for a few short, blissfully sweet moments. He watched her swallow him down, her focus on him and him alone, looking utterly sinful and gorgeous with her long red locks falling around her head in soft curtains. He wanted to bury his hand in that hair and thrust up into her mouth until he lost his mind, but both of her hands were holding his hips down and he still had no use of his hands. But that was all right, because her mouth felt like heaven and he could feel himself hurtling towards a spectacular end at record speed.

But then she stopped. She pulled away and left him hanging, aching for a release that she wouldn't give him, and he stared at her in a way that might have made her feel a bit guilty had she not been more than aware that his frustration was his own doing. She smiled sweetly at him and then crawled back up, gently tracing his jaw and telling him, "It's your fault, darling. I would have gladly taken everything you have to offer if you had only asked."

"You are maddening," he told her, a dark and tense edge to his voice. "Infuriating."

"Did you think I'd give into you so easily?" she asked. "Remember who's in control, Loki."

Then she kissed him, and he kissed her back almost brutally. He let out all of his frustration and anger in the kiss, teeth grazing her lip and his tongue waging war with hers, and as they kissed, their bodies tangled together nearly close enough to join them but not quite. He could feel the heat of her, feel her nearly dripping on to his skin, and he found that he simply could not take anymore. He was done resisting, done playing this silly little game, and when they broke for air, he proved it.

"Please, Aemilia," he murmured against her lips. Her eyes opened in surprise and she watched him carefully as he looked into her eyes and said, "Please."

She raised an eyebrow and asked gently, "Please what?"

His voice was roughed and lower as he replied nearly through his teeth, "Untie me and let me have you."

"Do you really think you deserve that?" she asked with a little grin. It was so much fun toying with him. "Do you deserve to have me?"

He shook his head. "I don't. But I might lose my sanity if I spend another moment unable to touch you."

She stared at him for a moment before nodding softly, losing the will to resist any longer. "All right. On one condition."

"Anything."

She kissed him on his lips, then dragged her mouth to his ear where she murmured, "I don't want you to be gentle. I want you to fuck me, Loki," she said, and his groaned the minute he heard those words leave her lips. "Bruise me, bite me, I don't care. Be rough with me and don't hold back."

"You're sure?" he asked her, unwilling to fulfill any of her wishes without assurance that she truly knew what she was asking for.

She pulled back far enough to look him in the eye as she replied, "More than I've been sure of anything in a long time."

After searching her eyes for a moment, he nodded his consent. Then she leaned over him and began untying his poor aching arms from her bedpost, and the very minute that his hands were finally free at last, she found herself in his arms and their positions immediately changed. He grabbed her and had her on her back so fast that it made her dizzy, and then he looked down at her with his green ablaze with passion that made her heart nearly stop.

"You maddening... impossible... beautiful creature," he said, his voice somehow managing to sound both rough and silky in the same breath as he looked her up and down. His hand slid up between her breasts and over her chest to her neck, which he grasped without applying even the faintest bit of pressure as he added, "What have you done to me?"

"Nothing," she grinned with false innocence, gasping when he then growled and flipped her over on her stomach.

He grasped her hair and pulled her up to his chest with a firm, rough yank, and she let out a yelp of surprise at the sudden motion. Then he pressed his lips to her ear and murmured, "Liar," just before sinking his teeth into her neck with a bite that made her gasp with surprise and then moan from the pleasure-tinged pain. He soothed his tongue over the mark and then cupped both of her breasts with his hands, his arousal grinding against her and his voice just as rough as before as he then said, "You did this to me on purpose. You wanted me to lose control."

Grinding herself back against him, Aemilia smiled and tilted her head back to look up at him. "Of course I did."

He leaned in close, their lips nearly brushing as he then told her in an almost sinister tone, "Be careful what you wish for, Little One."

Then he shoved her forward, her palms planting on the bed as she caught herself, and his fist in her hair kept her in place as he shoved her knees further apart. Aemilia's hands curled into fists in the sheets in anticipation, and then she was surprised to first feel a lone, slender finger brush against her, rather than what she had expected.

He leaned over her and pressed his lips between her shoulder blades, fingers toying with her as he murmured, "I should make you wait as you made me wait. Give you everything but what you really want. Should I?"

She moaned as his fingers pressed in deep. "No. Please, Loki." She didn't have the same aversion to begging that he did, and certainly not at that point.

Luckily for her, his patience ran out about an hour prior. He pulled his fingers out without warning and then gripped her thighs with both hands tightly as he yanked her back and thrust into her in one fluid motion. She cried out with the force of it, all of it as rough and hard as she had wanted, and he gave her no time to adjust before he started moving in an unyielding, powerful rhythm. That was fine with her, however, and she simply held on to the sheets beneath her as they both finally got what they wanted.

Loki took her wishes to heart, all but pounding into her and making sure there was nothing gentle about it. He gripped her thighs and hips so tightly they both knew she'd bruise the next day, and when he pulled her up to press her back to his chest, he left a string of sharp little bites down her neck and shoulder. The combined sensations of pain and pleasure were utterly intoxicating, and when he reached down to brush his fingers between her legs, she came almost instantly with a moan that was as surprised as it was uncontrollably loud.

After she came down, Loki let go of her and changed their positions, lying her down on her back and settling between her thighs with his eyes locked on hers. Her features were clouded with satisfaction but she wasn't finished yet, and as he looked over her beautiful, sweat-slicked form and she parted her legs wide for him, he told her, "You are more beautiful than words can say."

His words came out much more tenderly than he had expected, and they caught Aemilia by surprise too. She blinked and then reached out to him, running her fingers through his hair and enjoying the weight of him on top of her as she smiled, "So are you."

He smiled back at her, and they both felt something in that moment that they didn't fully understand. It was something deeper than lust, something that neither of them had felt in a very long time, and there was no time to analyze it before they were kissing once again. It was slower this time, sweeter too, and when Loki slipped inside of her again, it was gentle and slow and it made them both sigh with pleasure.

It didn't stay slow for very long, however. There was too much intensity between them for that, and before long, Loki was moving faster and Aemilia was sinking her nails into his back and moving with him, chasing her pleasure one last time. He knew just where to hit within her and how to make her moan, and when he felt them both nearing that precipice, he dropped his forehead down against hers and let unexpected words fall from his lips, against his better judgment.

"Aemilia," he groaned, stealing a kiss from her swollen lips, "look at me."

She opened her eyes, looking up at him through the haze of bliss in her mind. When their eyes met, his thrusts grew a little bit faster and he said just above a whisper, "Say my name when you come."

She whimpered a little bit, grasping him tighter in response and moaning as he continued to hit her just right.

He buried his face in her neck next, kissing and nipping and leaving more marks for the next day, and what she first thought were inaudible, wordless murmurs turned out to repeated growls of the word mine. Once she realized what he was saying, her heart nearly stopped in her chest and everything suddenly became more than she could handle. She tightened her arms and legs around him and shook as her final release washed over her, and she did as he had told her to and moaned his name as she fell apart.

He followed her right after, the sight of her and the sound of his name spilling so blissfully from her gorgeous lips more than he could resist. It took him over without warning, and it was even better than the first time they'd slept together. It was overwhelming, all-encompassing, and her name might have been on his tongue as he groaned out his own end.

It was a perfect, sweet end to their night together, and together they slowly recovered in one another's arms. Loki rolled to the side to spare her lungs from suffocating, and she happily and bonelessly curled up against him, limbs entangling and bodies molding together effortlessly.

Aemilia's first coherent thought that popped into her head was his use of the word mine and what it had meant. She laid there in silence for a bit, wondering if she should say something or not, but eventually her common sense told her to ask him about now rather than later. There was really no sense in waiting, after all.

"Loki?" she said quietly, fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest as his ran through her hair.

"Yes, darling?" he replied, voice heavy with satisfaction.

"What did you mean when you said mine, towards the end?" she asked, looking up at him.

He hesitated, having known that was probably going to get him into trouble. He ended up sighing and replying, "I'm rather possessive sometimes. And to be honest, Aemilia, there's something about you that... brings that out in me."

She blushed a little bit, having not really expected that answer. "Oh." Then she paused and asked, "I don't mind. I was only asking because I was curious."

"Did you like it?" he asked. "Hearing me call you mine?"

She licked her lips and smiled, unable to hide the truth. "I... honestly, I loved it."

He grinned and touched her face, brushing his thumb along her jaw affectionately as he grinned. "I can say it as often as you'd like, darling."

"Only if you want it to be true," she told him, her own words taking her by slight surprise.

The feeling was mutual. "Would you like it to be true?" Loki asked, faint disbelief in his eyes.

She paused, searching her mind for the right answer even though in reality, the truth of the matter was glaringly clear. "I think that I would."

"Are you sure?" he asked, gazing at her skeptically. "Considering my profession..."

"I know," she quickly replied. "But I don't care. I truly don't. You're... brilliant and fascinating and... I feel differently with you than I have with any other man before. I can't think of a single reason why we shouldn't try, see what happens." She paused. "If that's also what you want."

"It is," he replied without hesitation, a surprised smile on his face. "Honestly, I've hardly been able to stop thinking of you since the day I met you."

She smiled and kissed the pad of his thumb as it swept by her lips. "I can certainly say the same for myself."

Loki took a moment to admire her sweet, beautiful face before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. He could hardly believe his good luck, but damn if he wasn't going to take advantage of it. This woman was incredible, and he had a feeling that they would make quite the pair.

"I haven't been on a date in ages," he noted with a chuckle after their kiss came to an end, their noses brushing.

"Me either," she admitted with a quiet giggle of her own. "This should be fun."

"If our dates end the way this night did," he drawled suggestively, "then it's going to be very fun."

She giggled again and continued to smile as he kissed her, her heart swelling with hope and excitement for the future. She didn't care what anyone might say about them - or what her own mother might say - and she didn't care if they were an unconventional or unorthodox pair. What mattered was who he was and who she was, and they clicked together on a level that far surpassed her wildest dreams. And there was no way that she would pass up the opportunity to see where a relationship just might lead if they gave it a shot.

One thing was for sure. Summer was going to absolutely die when Aemilia told her all about all of this in the morning.