Loki didn't know what he had got himself into.

He had always prided himself on not getting too attached to anyone. On keeping himself at arms' length from those around him. Only his parents and Thor were allowed to get close. Until recently, they had been the only ones he trusted enough to see him at his most vulnerable.

However, in the weeks since his mother's birthday celebration, he had found himself spending every spare moment with Sigyn. They spent hours together, and the more time went by, the more Loki found himself opening up to her, sharing things with her he had shared with no one else.

Together, they explored every part of the palace, taking books from the library and searching out quiet nooks and terraces where they could be alone and study together in private. He shared his favorite books with her, prose and poetry from across the Nine Realms, happily discussing their finer points at length. Sigyn's willingness to not only read, but enjoy the books he loved was a quality he had never found in anyone other than his mother, and it delighted him.

Not all of their time was spent at the palace. When Sigyn had time off from her duties, and the weather was favorable, they would ride out together into the outlying areas of Asgard, exploring the vast forests, the deep canyons, and the valleys at the foot of the mountains with equal enthusiasm.

Loki knew these areas well, and had secret places where he would go to lose himself when he needed time alone, places he kept hidden even from Thor. It surprised him that he would feel compelled to share some of these places with Sigyn.

He told her of the time when he and Thor were much younger, and he thought he had mastered a shielding spell. He had convinced Thor to try to hit him with Mjolnir, not realizing that his spell wasn't nearly strong enough to protect him. For his efforts, he had been rewarded with a trip to the healing room and a scar on his forehead. He had long since learned spells that would eradicate the scar completely, but he kept it as a reminder to never again underestimate his brother's fighting skills.

Loki also told her of the first time he had travelled via the Bifröst with his father and brother, and how he had been so violently ill when they landed he was certain he was dying. The stern look from his father, coupled with the laughter from Thor, gave him the strength he needed to continue on. The King didn't tolerate frailty in his sons, and Loki was not going to disappoint him by showing weakness.

He had learned long ago that he would never equal, much less surpass, Thor's physical power. He had instead focused on his own strengths, his mind and his self-control and his powers of sorcery - areas in which even Thor couldn't claim superiority.

Yet with every day that passed, and every new story and confession he shared with Sigyn, he began to feel that self-control slipping. There was no judgment from her, nothing she said or did that made him feel undeserving of her attention.

He found that she brought forth emotions in him that no other woman ever had, emotions that seemed to contradict themselves in every way. Doubt and confidence. Fear and bravery. Worry and self-assurance.

He began to yearn for her company. Intimately, they had gone no further than fervent kisses and embraces through clothing, yet he physically ached for her when they were apart. He desperately wanted to take her to his bed, to mark her and claim her as his own, but for the first time in his life, he was afraid she would reject him, or even worse, think he was merely using her for physical pleasure. He couldn't stand the thought.

It unnerved him that he allowed Sigyn to have so much control over him, and yet, he found himself unable and unwilling to regain the upper hand. He tried to make sense of it, to work it out in his head. He could feel something coming into focus, something unfamiliar and terrifying, yet always just out of his reach.

You damn fool, he thought. You're letting her get under your skin.

"Out of your chambers, yet still with your nose in your books. This is not much of an improvement, brother."

Loki was at the top of a ladder in the library, searching for a particular book he wanted, when Thor appeared beneath him.

"How did you find me, Thor?" said Loki, glancing down at his brother. He enjoyed the feeling of towering over him for once. "I did not realize you even knew where the library was."

"A future king must know his entire palace, brother - even those places he does not use often."

"Perhaps using the library more often would make you a better king," said Loki, finally finding the tome he was searching for. "Not every issue can be solved with your hammer. Some matters need tact and diplomacy."

"That is why I have you, Loki," said Thor with a laugh, as though it should have been obvious.

"And you are lucky that you do," said Loki, jumping down from the ladder to land at Thor's feet. "Is there something you need?"

"Must I always need something to seek out your company, brother? I have barely seen you in weeks. Perhaps I just miss you."

"I have been busy," said Loki, walking past Thor to settle himself in the window seat behind him.

"Ah yes," said Thor, a sly smile on his lips. "You are quite smitten with her, aren't you?"

"If you are referring to Sigyn, then yes, I will admit that I enjoy her company," said Loki, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. "What is your point?"

"My point is, you seem different, brother. Almost...content. It suits you."

Loki leaned forward, elbows on his knees, narrowing his eyes. "A compliment? From you? Should I be worried?"

"Perhaps it is I who should be worried. You have the regular company of a beautiful woman, yet here you are, alone in the palace library. Are there not better things you could be doing with Sigyn in your chambers?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "This may be a foreign concept to you, brother, but believe it or not, sometimes relationships can progress slowly."

"You can't be serious," said Thor, looking nonplussed. "It has been weeks since Mother's celebration. Are you telling me you and Sigyn have not-"

"That's enough!" said Loki, cutting him off sharply. "And you wonder why I think you lack tact."

"Has it been so long that you've forgotten the mechanics of intimacy entirely?" teased Thor. "Or maybe...you are worried that you might complete the act before it even starts."

"My feelings for Sigyn extend beyond just having her in my bed, Thor."

"And what exactly are your feelings for her, Loki?" asked Thor, one eyebrow raised.

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but for once he found himself at a loss for words. "I-I'm not sure."

"Hmm," said Thor, a knowing look on his face. "Well, when you figure it out, come and find me in the training room," said Thor, walking away. "You must need something to relieve your tension."

Sigyn was beginning to get discouraged.

She and Loki had spent every day together since the Queen's celebration. But for all of his provocative words and suggestive comments, they had done nothing more than merely kiss.

Sigyn had tried to drop hints that she was not opposed to taking things further. When they read together, she had taken to sitting closer and closer to him. She would allow her hand to linger in his, or gently run her fingers through his hair, pleased when he would lean into her touch.

But no matter what she tried, every night would end the same. Loki would accompany her back to her apartment, never asking to come in, and never asking her to stay with him at the palace. She could tell he was holding himself back. For what purpose, she didn't know. If he was trying to tease her, it was working - a little too well.

Sigyn had decided that she had waited long enough, that she was going to take matters into her own hands. She wanted to give herself to Loki completely, and she intended to make it happen by the end of the day.

Not wanting to be caught unprepared, she made a trip to the local apothecary to purchase the contraceptive herbs she needed. The old supply she found in her bathroom had long since become ineffective, a withering reminder of how long it had been since she'd been intimate with a man.

Rearranging her schedule so that she would have the apartment to herself while Edmund was on duty had also been essential. Her brother still seemed a bit cautious around Loki, and she didn't want to ruin the uneasy truce the two men had with each other by needing to ask Edmund to leave so Loki could have his way with her.

As usual, Loki met her in the corridor outside his mother's chambers before her duties. He had continued to heed the Queen's warning to stay occupied elsewhere while Sigyn was in her service, not wanting to be a distraction. Before they went their separate ways, Sigyn asked him to meet her at her apartment in the early afternoon. She told him she was going to be helping his mother in her personal garden, and that she would need to go home and freshen up before they could spend any time together.

As soon as her duties were complete, she rushed home to her apartment, her excitement building with every moment that passed. She bathed thoroughly, imagining they were Loki's hands and not her own as she ran them over her body. The thoughts she conjured were nearly enough to undo her before he even arrived, and her legs were shakier than a newborn colt's as she stepped from the bath.

She decided to wear the blue dress she had worn on the night of the Queen's celebration, the most flattering dress she owned. Pulling it on quickly, she combed through her hair, leaving it to fall down her back, before deciding on one last adjustment to her clothing. She reached up under her skirt, pulling her undergarments off and tossing them into her wardrobe before closing it up.

Making one last pass through her room, she cleaned a few remaining things off the floor and nervously straightened up the sheets on the bed. She heard a knock on the door, and checked her reflection one last time in the mirror before going to answer it, smoothing her palms over her hair and settling her features into some semblance of nonchalance.

Opening the door, she couldn't help but smile as Loki's eyes travelled the length of her body, his breath catching in his throat. His reaction gave her hope that all of her efforts would not go to waste, and she could feel her nerves settling a bit.

"You look beautiful," he said, and the way he sized her up told her he meant it. "Are you ready to go?"

"Not quite. Will you come in for just a moment?" she asked, wincing at the high pitch of her voice. She was trying to sound relaxed and failing miserably.

Loki hesitated only a moment, before following her inside to the sitting room. "Is Edmund here?" he asked warily, looking around as he lowered himself onto the sofa.

"No," she said, settling in next to him. "And he won't be for some time." She reached over to take both of his hands in hers, her eyes locked on his. "It's just the two of us."

He looked back at her, saying nothing, his eyes bright but inscrutable. He studied her, saying nothing, and she dropped his hands in frustration. "Loki, if there is something I've done wrong, I wish you would tell me. I'm practically throwing myself at you, and you don't seem the slightest bit affected."

"No, no, it's not that-" he began, his eyes widening in alarm.

"What is it then?" she continued. "You say you want to 'know me more intimately', that 'I have yet to be apprised of all your talents'. I must know - am I making a fool of myself? Do you...do you not want me?" She could feel her anxiety returning, the thought of him rejecting her advances threatening to bring tears to her eyes.

He sat silently for a moment, contemplating what to say, before he took her hand and placed it on the front of his breeches. "What do you think?" he said, his jaw clenched and his voice low.

She was rendered speechless by the boldness of his actions, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn't pull her hand away, fearing that if she did, the opportunity she was being given would vanish.

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, his lips a mere whisper from hers. "I want you, Sigyn. I want everything."

"Then please," said Sigyn, squeezing him gently in her hand, thrilled at the low moan she drew from him. "I've made all the preparations. I want this. I want to give myself to you, in every way." She moved her head to press her cheek to his, whispering in his ear. "Please."

Please. Such a small word, but as she spoke, any remaining resolve he held disappeared. Without a word, he grasped Sigyn by her waist, moving her to straddle his legs and pressing her down into his lap.

She grasped his head in her hands, running her fingers through his hair, scratching gently across his scalp. He was always so fastidious about his appearance, and to see him relax and allow her to muss his hair was incredibly arousing. She brought his mouth to hers, kissing him fervently before leaning her head back, giving him access to her neck and throat.

He moved his hands slowly up her thighs and to her back. Even through her gown, the feel of his fingertips as they wandered to places he had never touched on her body was enough to make her struggle for breath. She wanted to enjoy this for as long as possible, but she was afraid it would be over quickly once he actually touched her bare skin.

Even in this state, she realized the sofa would not comfortably hold the two of them for long, so she leaned down to his ear and whispered a single word. "Bedroom."

Sigyn removed herself from his lap, reaching for his hand as he stood. He surprised her by scooping her up into his arms, lifting her as easily as he would a feather. She put her arms around his neck, placing her head on his chest as he carried her.

"Which room?" he asked, stopping in the hallway. "I don't want to end up in your brother's bed."

"It's that one," she said with a laugh, pointing to the correct door. Getting anywhere near Edmund's room would have certainly ruined her mood for good.

Once in her room, Loki set her back on her feet, and she promptly hopped up on to the bed, scooting herself back as he crawled up after her. Her jaw went slack at the hunger in his eyes, and she wondered how she could have ever doubted his desire for her. He pushed her gently onto her back, laying himself on her, his mouth claiming hers once again before starting of trail of kisses down her neck.

She sighed with contentment as he pressed into her, enjoying the solid weight of his body on hers, his scent, his taste, his masculinity. Pulling her knees up on either side of his body, she began grinding her hips into his to increase the pressure where she wanted it most. He responded in kind, pushing his hips back into hers and into the bed.

Fraught with the need to feel his skin on hers, she grabbed the bottom of his tunic, tugging it up to encourage him to remove it. She assumed he would just magic it away, so it surprised her when he sat back on his heels for just a moment, quickly pulling it up over his head and throwing it to the side. He had mentioned to her once that sorcery took a lot of concentration, and at this moment his magic clearly couldn't compete with the attention he was giving her.

Sigyn reached up to trace the contours of his chest and stomach, in awe at the lean hardness of his body, exposed to her for the first time. She hardly had a chance to admire him before he was leaned back over her, bracing himself up on one elbow.

His other hand traced a path down her cheek and neck, down into her décolletage. "I can feel your pulse racing," he said, "and to know that I am the cause." He dipped his head to kiss her gently before pulling back. "Sigyn, I am overwhelmed." She felt every nerve in her body light up at his admission. He may have had the reputation of a trickster, but she could feel the truth in his words.

He pulled the top of her dress to one side, freeing one breast to his lingering gaze before he closed the gap and pulled the nipple into his mouth. Continuing to move his hand down her body to the skirt of her gown, he grasped the hem and shoved it abruptly to her waist. He ran his palm down the outside of her bare leg, tantalizingly slow, stopping at her knee before returning to the top of her hips.

When he realized she wasn't wearing any undergarments, he raised his head. "You truly thought of everything, didn't you?"

"Yes, yes I-" she began, her words dying with a gasp as he set his mouth to her breast once more, causing her to arch her back up off the bed. He was unyielding in his attentions, pushing her leg out and slipping his hand between her thighs, sliding one and then another finger into her.

At his touch all powers of speech abandoned her, and the only word she could summon to her lips was his name, repeated over and over. Loki...Loki...Loki...

They had barely started, yet she could already feel the familiar tension coiling in her belly at his ministrations. She was so far gone, so close, she almost didn't hear the front door open, and her mother's voice pierce the air.

"Sigyn! Sigyn, are you home?"