XV
Loki watched from over his book as John, Mary, and (at least in theory) Sherlock scurried about 221B, placing assorted pumpkins and more skulls around the small flat. The couple's dragonling, Elsa, wrapped around Loki's neck like a stole, sleeping through the whole debacle. Oh goodie, more skulls to hide from my beloved mortal. I just got rid of the last one! There was even a motif of bats and skulls on the god's blanket nest.The god couldn't wrap his head around what could possibly illicit such a decorating frenzy that had seized the Watsons and dragged Sherlock kicking and screaming into its midst. He had initially believed they were, for whatever the reason, decorating for the fall harvest. Midgardians still celebrated the Autumn Equinox didn't they? However, the appearance of plastic skulls quickly nixed that hypothesis. So the trickster just pretended not to watch the decorating. Unfortunately, Sherlock's delectable backside made such pretenses quite difficult. Thank goodness for the fluffy comforter his overprotective mortal confined him in.
"You could help you know." Loki had to give his mind a good shake to cure Sherbutt induced stupor. It only half worked.
"I'm sorry, what?" John was glaring at him from his precarious perch on the ladder, sporting a rather hilarious crown of glitter bats. As if Sherlock's tiny blogger wasn't hard enough for him to take seriously. Luckily, Mary also found this image quite amusing.
"You might want to clear the bats before you lecture him," she suggested between fits of laughter. Now of course, Loki worked very hard to ensure the bats would continue to harass John into frenzy. Solely to annoy him. Since Sherlock still restrained the god to bed – or in this case couch – rest, he had to get as much fun in as he could where he could. Soon enough, everyone in the flat was laughing (except for John, of course, who was fending off an attack of glitter bats.)
"I don't think you should continue hanging those bats, Doctor Watson. They appear to be quite vicious," Loki warned, dispersing the vicious spell he had cast on the decorations. "Why are they being allowed to roost here anyway?"
"They're Halloween decorations," Mary explained enthusiastically. Loki just stared at her blankly. He felt a slight twinge of guilt that he had absolutely no clue why Mary was so excited about this "Halloween." Especially when Mary was such an excellent partner in crime while Sherlock was solving crimes. Unfortunately, this was not a holiday in Asgard. So the god's blank confusion was met with three looks of equally confused shock. "You do know what Halloween is, don't you?" Loki really did not want to admit that he did not. He was far too prideful to willingly admit such things. However, he was never really successful with such lies around Sherlock anymore. He really needed to finish that "immune to deductions" spell.
"Well… I do know that it involves vicious glitter bats and pumpkins." Technically, it was not a lie but an omission. He did indeed now know that this "Halloween" involved bats and pumpkins. "Oh. And skulls are involved as well."
"A lie of omission is still a lie, Loki. For the god of lies, you are very poor at the small ones," Sherlock chided, clearly not impressed by Loki's efforts. The god released a string of Asgardian curses at that. Concern flashed across Sherlock's face before he realized why his trickster was swearing. "Don't do that. I think you've reopened your stitches again every time you do that."
"Well, let John and Mary think I'm telling the truth every now and then and I won't have to curse you and your ancestors, love."
"Oh so he does know my name."
"Loki, I'm fairly certain that ship sailed long ago. It is in your title 'god of Lies' that you, you know, don't always tell the whole truth," Mary helpfully pointed out. "Hey! Maybe you can just go in your armor for Halloween! Horns and all!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you'll need a costume."
"Why?"
"Because it's Halloween!"
"So?"
"Mary, he's not wearing any his armors as a costume. He still has too many wounds that they could irritate." Loki rolled his eyes. Despite his excellent recovery over the past few months, Sherlock was still acting like an overprotective parent. All but three of his original wounds had already scarred over and he was even able to function mentally without keeping Sherlock glued to his side for support. The only reason he still had three semi-open wounds was because he wasn't used to the damned stitches. He would heal much faster without them but Sherlock was adamant.
"I have worn that armor with far worse wounds, Sherlove. Besides, it's not a costume anyway. That armor is only for official ceremonies or 'street clothes' as you put it, Mary. It would be like wearing your wedding dress to that fast food restaurant and you already said I'm not allowed to wear street clothes. Also it takes far too long to take off."
"Well you still need something!" Mary insisted. "You can't just wear 'Midgardian' street clothes on Halloween. You and Sherlock can even wear matching costumes."
"I am not wearing a costume, Mary."
"I wouldn't try to argue with her, Sherlock. She's being very adamant about costumes," John warned. "Might as well just go with it. There are too many terrible group costumes in this world."
"Costumes, eh?" Loki's mind was already devising a plan for the perfect costume. Both for himself and Sherlock. No shape shifting required. "I might have an idea. But I will require a short trip to New York for Sherlock's companion outfit."
"I am not letting you pick out my costume, Loki." Sherlock handed John another string of vicious glitter bats and shot Loki a look of "Don't even think about it." "I may trust you, Love. But not that much."
"Too late."
Burdened With Glorious Deductions
"Sherlock, John and Mary will be here any minute! Come out already!" Loki called as Mrs. Hudson helped him adjust his own costume. The Trickster found himself to actually be very excited about attending the Man of Iron's Halloween party. Little Elsa pawed at his leg, finding it difficult to climb up the suit. "I already told you, Elsa, you can't come. Sherlock, if you don't, I am going to put you in the dress!"
"I am fairly certain I'm breaking a few laws wearing this, Loki."
"There are no identifiable markers on it and we are not in America. I'm fairly certain no laws are broken." When Elsa continued to whine, Loki proceeded to deposit the baby dragon into a nearby jack-o-lantern. "Again, I could put you in the dress instead. You do have the legs for it after all." The god winced as a wrong movement rubbed his colorful uniform against a still healing row of stitches on his back. "At least we match."
"And I'm supposed to know you are telling the truth how? Knowing you, I'll be wearing this and you will be wearing some spectacular outfit that will attract an annoying flock of young women to you. Again."
"Well, I doubt he's wrong there. You look very handsome, Loki," Mrs. Hudson added, pouring candy into a treat bowl. Loki gave her as humble a smile as a god of mischief could muster, bowing before her.
"Milady, tis nothing compared to your seemingly eternal youth and beauty." He accented the flirtation with a kiss to her hand, well aware it would send his kind landlady into a tizzy. Plus it would annoy Sherlock all to hell and possibly drawn him out of their room.
"Oh you flirt!" Mrs. Hudson swatted his arm carefully, giggling. About this time, Sherlock finally emerged from his bedroom, his nose buried in his phone. The detective had a manic grin on his face that could only mean one thing.
"Loki, stop flirting with our landlady." Apparently he wasn't too focused. "I'm fairly certain she's too old for you."
"Actually quite the opposite, Sherlove," the god corrected when Mrs. Hudson looked offended, a playful smirk on his lips. "I do believe many mortals would say I am – how is it said – 'robbing the cradle?' In our relationship." Sherlock just rolled his eyes as he sat at one of the many experiments he had strewn across the table, still texting away. But not before allowing the smitten god an excellent view of his costumed sleuth.
With the aid of a certain patriotic avenger, Loki had managed to procure Sherlock a World War II era styled uniform that was accurate and respectful to those who served. He wore no medals or identifying sigils of course, despite Loki's best efforts to award the detective with "Most Delectable Ass in Uniform." He still had a bump from where the good captain had swatted him while wearing the shield over the quip. Agent Romanoff seemed to enjoy the god's humor… "My, my, my… You clean up quite nicely, officer…" The god purred in his best possible impression of Captain America. Maybe he should have dropped by Midgardian military bases more often. Sherlock smirked and turned to make a quip right back, but it was lost when he saw Loki's full costume.
"Oh…. Now I see why you weren't worried about my costume. I'm fairly certain impersonating an Avenger is a serious offense."
"Then there are thousands of little children that ought to be arrested." Loki smirked as the detective nodded.
"I highly doubt those children stole their costumes from the good captain." The god then proceeded to strike his best Captain America pose. Which would look utterly ridiculous if anyone else tried it with a black ponytail bobbing behind them. Loki on the other hand… "I must say though… You do look very…. Mmmm…"
"Handsome, Sherlock. The word you're looking for is handsome," Mrs. Hudson encouraged, digging around for a camera.
"I don't think that is the word Sherlock was planning to say…"
"I know exactly what he was thinking, Loki. We don't need to be indecent. Now I want a picture of you two boys." Sherlock groaned, obviously wanting nothing more than to continue working on his new case. "Oh don't fuss."
"Come now, love. It's just one photograph." The god tugged from his experiment, pulling him aside and stealing his phone. The pair struck stiff military poses as their giddy landlady aimed her camera.
"You two can stand a little closer you know. Say 'Trick or treat!'" Sherlock started to, reluctantly. But the God of Mischief, as usual, had other plans. Just before Mrs. Hudson finished pressing the capture button, Loki had Sherlock bent over below him, planting a hard kiss on his lips. "Oh, Loki!"