As an army doctor and a coroner, John and Molly had seen quite a few odd things in their respective careers. But neither of them expected the human shaped lump of blue collapsed on Sherlock's floor. Apparently, sometime between the time Mrs. Hudson called Sherlock and the trio arrived, Loki's skin had changed color, with strange tribal marks weaving along his body. While John gaped at the odd happenstance, Sherlock seemed far more concerned by the fact his lover was unconscious. "What the hell happened?"

"I-I don't know…" Mrs. Hudson choked out, trying to flip Loki onto his back. "We were just chatting away and all of a sudden he just collapsed out of nowhere!"

"Uh, Sherlock… Your boyfriend is blue…" John observed, still fascinated with Loki's new complexion.

"Yes, John, Loki is indeed now blue. Thank you for stating the obvious! More importantly he is unconscious! Do your doctor thing!" Sherlock was now helping Mrs. Hudson turn Loki onto his back and pulling him onto his lap, flinching at the initial contact. "He's freezing! Mrs. Hudson, get the blankets."

"No, get him ice. You too, John. Lots of ice," Molly ordered, kneeling beside the azure god. Sherlock shot her an incredulous glare.

"Molly, he's freezing cold! Clearly, he-"

"Is suffering from hypothermia in a hundred degree weather?" She shook her head as she began to take Loki's pulse. "He's alive but he's very weak. We need to freeze him."

"What?"

"Loki needs freezing cold to return to his human form. This heat is killing him."

"I think I have some spare fans. Let me go check," Mrs. Hudson offered as she scurried out. As this happened, John returned, balancing ice packs on Loki's forehead, neck, and wrists.

"I'm assuming you know what's going on, Molly?" He asked as Sherlock began to pat on Loki's cheek to wake him.

"Yes, I do."

"Care to share what's going on here?" Molly quickly grew silent on that, simply continuing to check on Loki's vitals. Sherlock noticed this and swapped a concerned glance with John.

"Molly, we need to know what's happening to Loki. I need to know."

"He doesn't like to talk about it, Sherlock. He made me promise not to tell anybody."

"Well, we've all seen he turns blue. I think it's a moot point by now," John pointed out. The coroner was still reluctant to share her information. "Look, I'll disappear if you want but if Sherlock and Loki are going to be together, he needs to know what's wrong." The room grew silent as Molly considered her options.

However, Sherlock made the decision for her. "John, would you go set my bedroom a/c to the lowest possible temperature?" He ordered when Molly didn't answer. "Ms. Hooper and I apparently need to have a little chat."

"Alright but be gentle with her. We're all worried about Loki's health right now." With that John headed for Sherlock's bedroom, leaving poor Molly with one extremely cross consulting detective. Molly seemed completely unfazed by Sherlock's ire.

"As long as we can get him cooled down and keep him that way through the heat wave, he should be fine."

"Why is he blue, Molly?"

"He overheated."

"Well, yes. That is now pretty obvious. But that does not make most people blue. Why would that force his skin to change color? Why… would he make a false form?"

"This is his true form, Sherlock." That silenced him. "This is what he actually looks like. What we usually see is an illusion. He… He's not originally from Asgard…"

Sherlock had no words, simply turning to the cobalt form that was his lover. Now, the pair had only been courting for a few months, barely even a year. But in those few months, the two had shared so much intimate information. Granted, most of Loki's was shared unknowingly, little hints and clues unveiled in how he took his tea or the way he read information. But never could Sherlock have deducted that beneath his god's pale features was this creature. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

"He's not exactly proud of it, Sherlock." He didn't understand why. The more his eyes traced the strange lines marking Loki's body, the more he found he wanted to run his fingers along the beautiful map. "It's not something to be proud of on Asgard."

"He's told you but not me?"

"Not exactly. I found out on accident. Look… let him explain what this is. I doubt his magic will recover faster than his physical strength. Until then just keep him cool until the heat wave passes." At this moment, John rejoined them, hugging himself and shivering.

"R-r-room's r-ready."

Sherlock sat at his laptop, bundled up in a mountain of blankets and one hand gripping Loki's unconscious blue hand. Since Loki's initial collapse a week ago, the detective had refused to leave his side except to forage for food or use the loo. Even cases held no interest for him while Loki lay ill. He wanted answer from Loki and he was content with waiting in his currently subzero bedroom for them.

Loki had been set up in the bed, surrounded by about two dozen fans on him, courtesy of Mrs. Hudson. The god was still clad in shorts, although Sherlock had changed them into a royal blue pair that melded into his skin. He had not moved an inch on his own except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. If Sherlock didn't regularly check his pulse, the detective would swear it was already too late.

"He still out cold, Sherlock?" John asked as he entered the room, carrying a red… thing under his arm. The detective didn't look at his friend but rather his lover, trying very hard to not be visibly deflated by Loki's status.

"Yes. But he hasn't worsened either so I suppose that's a good sign…"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Sherlock. I mean he's been through worse, I'm sure."

"Maybe but…"

"You're still worried." Sherlock didn't answer that. "You know it's okay to be worried, Sherlock. In fact, it's even considered normal when you're in a relationship with someone."

"I highly doubt 'normal' really applies to my current situation, John."

"Well, no. You are dating a giant smurf from outer space. But everything else is the same. He's sick and you're taking care of him. That's a normal thing."

"No wonder it seems so boring." John chuckled, comforted to see Sherlock retain some of his humor. "What's that under your arm by the way?"

"What? Oh, this." The doctor displayed a scarlet plush dragon, sporting a blue scarf similar to Sherlock's own signature frock. "Molly and Mary made it for Loki. They call him 'Smauglock.' Apparently Loki's convinced you sound like the dragon from the Hobbit."

"Yes, so he told me." Sherlock didn't seem as impressed. "I'm sure he'll find that amusing when he wakes."

"That's what the girls are hoping for," John admitted as he positioned the little dragon to keep watch from the god's shoulder. "There. Now you've got someone to keep an eye on him while you take care of yourself."

"John, a plush dragon cannot actually tend to an ill person. It's an inanimate object."

"I know that, Sherlock. It's supposed to be comforting." Not for the first time, John felt like he was talking to a brick wall as Sherlock looked confused. How could someone be a genius and yet be so thick? "Never mind. Look, just… Remember to take care of yourself too. Alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine, John."

"You look like you haven't slept since Loki collapsed." Sherlock grew very quiet at that. "Have you?" No answer. "I'll take that as a no."

"I'll be fine."

"You'd better. You're no good to him sick." John got up to leave when he added, "Oh, and call Mycroft so he can leave me and Mary alone."

"No."

"Okay."

When Loki regained conscious thought, he found his mind a muddled mess of thoughts. What cleared the mental fog was an amazingly clear female "Ooh…" While it wasn't enough to coax his eyes open, it did allow his other senses to awaken and sharpen. The first to register was touch. A thumb tenderly rubbing itself along one of the Jotun markings on his hand. The warmth of a human body near his own. The god's lips slowly curled into a smirk, knowing full well who that thumb and warmth belonged to. "Sherlock…?" Why did his voice sound so weak?

There was a rustling of fabric and the clatter of a dropped phone as the bed beside Loki dipped. "Loki?" There was a note of worried hope in his lover's voice. A warm hand cupped his cheek, the thumb brushing itself along his cheekbone. Loki nuzzled his face deeper into the warmth, surprised to feel something soft and possibly furry at his nose. He pried his eyes open to be greeted by a little plush dragon wearing Sherlock's scarf.

"You're not Sherlock." The real Sherlock chuckled, turning Loki's face to him.

"I'm over here, you smurf."

"You dare call me a 'smurf?'" The detective chuckled again, holding Loki's hand where he could observe his current blue tint.

"If the boot fits, you must wear it." Sherlock immediately regretted the joke, however, as Loki's eyes widened with shock and fear. "Loki?" The god's response was to yank his hand away, turning away from Sherlock.

"What… what happened?"

"You collapsed, love. Heat exhaustion. Apparently… your, uh, skin changes color when you're weak." Sherlock watched in confusion as Loki burrowed into the blankets, effectively hiding. "Loki?"

"Go away."

"My bedroom. Care to explain why you turned blue?"

"No. Go away."

"Loki, if you don't tell me, I'll start reading myths and post them to my blog. And say they are all true."

"No one reads your blog."

"Fine. I'll post it to John's blog."

"You're not that stupid."

"Loki, tell me the truth." Sherlock climbed in bed, hugging the Loki-shaped lump in his blankets. "I would love to know what makes you this absolutely fetching shade of blue."

"There's nothing 'fetching' about Jotuns."

"'Yotons?' What are 'yotons?'"

"Jotuns! Frost giants! The monster that I am!" The hate in Loki's voice effectively silenced the detective. Loki had always been a spiteful character when pushed, but never had he heard such self-loathing in his lover's voice. In fact, Loki was usually far more self-assured than even Sherlock. He didn't know much about "yotons," or Jotuns as Loki had corrected, but surely being this could not warrant such self-hate. Besides, Sherlock felt the red-eyed blue-skinned combo was rather beautiful.

"Loki… I was looking at that…"

"At what? A monster?"

"No…" Sherlock slowly pried the blanket down, steadily uncovering his azure lover. "Something new and beautiful… And very not boring." Victory came in the form of Loki's lips curling into a small smile. Its form may be odd but Loki knew being called "not boring" by Sherlock Holmes was a high compliment.

"You really think this is attractive? Most would not."

"Well then they are clearly looking at the wrong parts. I for one find these…" The detective traced a ride on his lover's arm, making the god shiver. "Particularly intriguing… Where do all these lead, hmm…?" He began to nip at the trickster's neck, intentionally tickling the sensitive skin.

"Would… would you like to… f-find out…?"