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A crackling fire was burning merrily along in the massive fireplace, but none of the occupants of the large room seemed to be paying it the attention it deserved. Well, Thor was, but he didn't know if he counted since he was the only one watching it. The fireplace and the room itself seemed awkward and out of place with only a few people scattered in it. The area really came alive when it was used for huge receptions with a lot of laughter and clever conversation and imported wines. That was not the case on this particular chilly evening, and then it seemed as if Thor set out to prove the truth of that statement by speaking. But it was coming to the point that he had to hear the sound of a voice, even if it was only his own. He needed social intercourse, because it sure as hell looked like he wasn't going to get any other kind.
"That was a most interesting supper," Thor threw out there in case anything was listening and was wanting his opinion.
Nothing was, especially his companion. Loki shifted slightly in his nearby chair and blinked once. But outside of that, he gave no response to Thor's conversational ploy even though he had heard every word. He knew very well that Thor was trying to draw him into speaking, but Loki was not in the mood. Loki's first clue was Thor's conversational gambit. Thor was generally no more interested in what was on the dinner table than a hog is interested in what is in its slop trough. Just so something shows up to eat and there was a lot of it, that's all that was important to either one of them.
Correction, Loki thought to himself. A hog is more interested than that. After all, hogs are very intelligent animals, and Loki wasn't too sure about Thor's brain power or if he had much of an interior life. The big, blonde guy just muscled into whatever mess was before him, be it battle, drinking contest, or bedding some toothsome wench. None of that takes too much intelligence to do, and sometimes it shows an amazing lack of brainpower. All it took was instincts, and Thor had instincts if nothing else.
But Thor wasn't going to let silence and disinterest deter him. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "I didn't know that dried apples and musk ox could be made into a tasty dish like that, but I suppose that we will have even stranger combinations on the menu before this winter is over and as the food larders get emptier."
Loki didn't shift in his chair or even blink. But he did sigh to himself. Yeah, he was playing hard to get. But it was payback time for all of those occasions when Thor couldn't see him for sour apples, times when Thor was busy with the Warriors Three and didn't want to be bothered with a little brother who adored him. What Loki would have given then to have been included with Thor and his group.
Loki knew he was acting juvenile, but it felt good, too. And he didn't blame Thor one bit for trying to befriend him. Because it was about the most boring night that had ever descended on the royal family who lived in the Asgardian palace. But just for Thor and Loki, that is. It was never boring for Odin and Frigga when they had each other's company.
And apparently, the long-married couple had set out to prove that fact that evening, because they seemed to be fully consumed with each other and quite oblivious to anyone else in their presence and seemingly even in their lives. They even appeared to have forgotten that they had sons, because they were not paying any attention to them, either. And that was almost to the point of being rude because they were all sitting in the same parlor together after the evening meal. Of course, the parents were in one cozy corner while Thor and Loki were in another one clear across the room from them, but still! There comes a time when being ignored is just downright blatant and rude, and this seemed to be one of those times.
"Well, I guess it's up to you and me to entertain ourselves," Thor remarked with a heaving sigh. He acted as if he'd never been so bored in his life. Next, his beautiful blue eyes would probably glaze over with ennui, and that would be a terrible loss for anyone who had the privilege of gazing upon his handsomeness. Because his eyes were magical and showed his inner kindness and interest in whatever was around him. To miss that feature of his would be a tragedy indeed. And because of them, he would still be liked even if he was otherwise as ugly as the proverbial mud fence. But when his quick grin, beautiful face and body, and kind heart were added in, it was almost impossible not to respond to him. But this evening, it seemed that his parents were doing a pretty good job of it. And now not even his brother wanted to acknowledge his presence. Talk about getting his ego deflated! This bunch were champs at it!
But Thor was equally determined. He wanted some company. And the best (and apparently only) available candidate was the guy sitting beside him. But Loki seemed to be engrossed in a pamphlet he was reading.
Thor waited for a response, but when his open-ended remark didn't get any acknowledge from Loki, he asked, "Know of anything fun that we can do? The folks don't seem to be very sociable except with each other." He glanced over to where the older generation sat alone in their own corner and gazed into each other's eyes as if it was the first time it had ever occurred to either one to do something like that.
When that still didn't get a response, Thor snapped, "Loki! You can't be that interested in whatever you're reading! You haven't turned a page in ages! What are you really doing with that thing?!"
"I am trying to ingest its inner meaning," Loki replied haughtily.
"You've had time to memorize it! But I doubt that you have! I think you are bored crazy, too, and are just asleep with your eyes still open. That's going to get you pronounced dead someday if you're not careful."
"What do you care, just as long as I don't bother you any," Loki mumbled back.
"Oh, I would care. Then I would have nothing to distract me! But I don't know how it would be much different from now. You weren't even listening to what I asked you."
"You wondered if I knew of anything fun that we could do."
Thor's eyes enlarged. "You were listening!" When he had recovered from that shock somewhat, he asked, "Well?"
"Well, what?" Loki echoed.
"Do you know of anything fun that we can do?" Thor repeated with just a little impatience sounding in his voice.
Loki lowered the pamphlet he'd been trying to concentrate on and heaved a sigh of his own. His was one of annoyance, though. How could he ever make sense of this rubbish if he was going to be constantly interrupted? But then, the pamphlet wasn't all that interesting. And Thor might prove to be distracting. But then again, probably not. He had to remember that it was still Thor with him-- Thor of the linear mind and two-dimensional interests and little else.
"Something fun that we can do?" Loki repeated as if he'd never heard that request before. "I don't know what that would be. We're rather limited in our range of prospects tonight. Let me give you a recap of our lack of choices, just in case you hadn't noticed."
"I've noticed," Thor grumbled. "But I'd like to have you list them for me in case I've missed something."
And you'd also have someone's attention longer which is what you're really wanting, Loki thought to himself. But that's okay, because I'd have your attention longer, too. That's why I'm in here with you and the mentally absent parents instead of in the library by myself and the thinking of the greatest minds who have ever lived. Their company is wonderful and feeds my soul and thirsty mind, but tonight I'm wanting to be with flesh and blood, breathing people. That's why I chose this asinine pamphlet to use as a prop. It gives me the pretext of having something vital to read. And it has been entertaining. But nothing like I believe that you could be-- if you just would. Generally, you can't see me because you have the Warriors Three and Sif with you. Or you're off hunting or fishing or marauding with your other bearded, overly muscled friends. But tonight is mine with you, my friend. But I must not be too eager, or else you will grow bored with me.
Loki gave an unnecessary glance toward the curtained tall window that had a darkened windowpane beneath it. "Well, let me see now. It's snowing outside like it intends to bury Asgard and make us believe that Time has ceased to exist. And all that will be left showing in the entire kingdom will be the spires of this very palace. Everything else will be completely covered."
Thor stared at the window, too. "At this rate, we will not see the ground again until the Spring thaw. We would seem like giants now if we trying to wade through all of that snow that's piling up. We would be able to look into second story windows and see people in their beds."
"And even if we chose to brave the elements and leave the palace, where would we go? Our favorite tavern is shut down because a batch of mead has grown sour and has put everyone in a funk because of it. After experiencing strange stomach conditions because of it, it's going to be awhile before anyone even wants to even look at mead again, let alone to drink it."
"And that's saying a lot because we all love mead so much," Thor put in, and they both sighed.
Loki picked up the thread of what he had been saying about their lack of entertainment choices that evening. "And that's not the worst of it, although that's bad enough. But the other problem affects us as men and our special needs that continue to plague us on a nightly basis."
Thor knew what Loki was talking about and nodded in sad agreement.
But Loki said it out loud anyway. "Our favorite lady friends all seem to have come down with their monthlies at the same time. I don't know if the energy of the storm could stir something deeply hormonal in the ladies and cause such a phenomenon, but it is indeed odd that all of their menses should occur in tandem. And that leaves just about all of our outside interests unavailable. So, unless you propose to set our toenails on fire to see how long it takes us to jump up out of our chairs, I don't know what would prompt me to move anytime soon."
"There has to be something...." Thor looked inspired. "I know! What say you to a rousing game of cribbage?!"
"Cribbage? Whatever made you suggest cribbage? Old Maids is your more your speed. You know, fewer rules and action to keep straight. And it's all so distracting when you're just there to visit anyway." The nasty little minx had the audacity to wrinkle his nose, but the slur went over Thor's head anyway. Loki sighed to himself. Why bother to be clever and hurting if the mark wasn't properly insulted or aware. But then sometimes Loki had the feeling that Thor was brighter than he acted and was just messing with him. If so, Thor was pulling a fast one over him. Interesting. There could be more to Thor than just a beautiful body and a magnificent fighting machine.
"Why cribbage, you ask? It was the first thing I thought of."
"I'm glad you didn't come up with Russian roulette," Loki muttered. "We could have a blood bath in here."
"Come on, Loki. Be a sport. I believe that we could manage cribbage without getting too noisy and disturbing anyone. I wouldn't want to spoil the folks' evening."
"Hell, brother. I think you could lay me down across this library table in front of us and fuck the hell out of me, and the folks would never notice."
Thor glanced over at his parents whispering together and smiling as if they were anticipating quite a roll in the hay later on themselves and probably were. Then Thor shrugged as he looked back at Loki. "I'm game if you are."
Loki studied him for a full minute. "I said that bit about the library table only in jest."
Thor shrugged again. "I didn't."
"Don't be absurd," Loki reproved as he busied himself with the pamphlet in his hands and wondered whatever in the hell it had been discussing. Land divisions? The foreign office? Original sin? The information had seemed so vital and interesting just a few moments ago, but all comprehension about it and even how it leaned in its political backings had simply flown out of the window for Loki with a few simple but very risqué words. Thor's proposition was most distracting.
"The folks might not notice what we're doing, but the servants would," Loki answered. "We're the topic of whisperings in the lower halls already. I don't know what we should do about that vicious gossip," he muttered and tried not to think about being enveloped inside Thor's mighty arms and subjected to that secret weapon he kept sheathed waiting beneath his trouser front. From all the reports he'd ever heard, the village women liked it quite a bit. And Loki was curious. Thor had to be something majestic and daunting to see when he was tumescent.
"What should we do about the vicious gossip about us, you ask?" Thor pondered. "Well, a lot of things come to mind. But the most obvious one is that we could make it true."
Loki looked up with racing heart. He craved Thor's attention and touch, but did he want that much of either one? Could he really handle a rampant Thor with an eager body? Or an eager Thor with a rampant body? Whichever, he could not appear too eager himself, or else Thor would lose interest. He always seemed to do that before whenever Loki tried to be a part of whatever Thor was doing. Of course, what was on the agenda this time was a little different from any time before.
Still, Loki needed to be cautious. And maybe he best needed to be finding out exactly what was being proposed to be on the table besides himself.
"What are you proposing?" Loki asked bluntly enough so that surely even Thor would understand the question.
But Thor for once was light years ahead of him. "Come on, Loki!" he hissed. "You know very well what I'm after!"
"I have no idea to what you have reference," Loki answered primly.
"Come on, Loki! Stop splitting hairs! Especially when what I what to split is your ass! In two! With my solid prick! You'll like it! I've been told that it's like having a bolt of lightning shoved up inside you! It will set you on fire! Guaranteed! Or I'm not the fucking God of Thunder!"
Loki sniffed with disdain. "Now you are getting vulgar," he reproved as he picked up his pamphlet and stared at it again.
Taxation? For or against? Now or in the future? For us or the people of Uganda? And why in the hell would taxation in Uganda be any of his business or interest anyway?!
Loki set the pamphlet aside with Thor's offer on his mind. He couldn't deny that he was tempted. And interested. After all, it was Thor who was propositioning him. And Loki wouldn't mind having something shoved up his ass. Especially if it was done tastefully and lovingly. But a thunderbolt? He might have to draw the line there. Wait. Thor had promised that it would be a bolt of lightning. Wouldn't that smart some, though? Maybe even leave burns and turn off his passion when just plain pain started shooting up him instead of Thor's surging penis? And couldn't all of that fire and surging perhaps hurt even Thor who had a penis with those talents?
Maybe if it was just Thor's erect penis that Thor was handling-- no fire, no surging-- it would be better for both of them. No thunderbolts. No bolts of lightning. No streaks of lightning burning either across the sky or up Loki's ass. Just an ordinary penis doing extraordinary things. Or an extraordinary penis doing ordinary things. Either would apply. And would be wonderful.
But Thor? Really? THOR?! Think who you're considering to deflower you, Loki. Your beloved brother. Also, your arch nemesis. The guy you both love and hate with equal passion.
But then again, why not Thor? Who else would Loki even consider?
Loki glanced at Thor to share his thoughts and found that Thor was glaring at him with burning eyes and a heaving chest. Apparently, Thor was still brooding about that bolt of lightning up the ass that he was so willing to share. If so, he needed to calm down for both of their sakes.
"If you keep that up, you will hyperventilate. You need to divert that energy," Loki warned him. And by doing that, Loki knew that he had made his decision.
"Better that than being teased by you."
"I am not being coy or evasive. I simply disapprove of your use of vulgar language."
"All right," Thor promised as he fought down his temper and his desire. That was a bad combination, especially for Thor to try to handle since he had a short fuse for either condition. "If I promise to behave, will you go with me so we can at least discuss the situation that we're in?"
"As far as I can tell, 'we're' not in a situation. You... are."
Thor closed his eyes and fought down his anger. "Will you stop splitting hairs and come with me?" he asked lowly.
"I do not know why you keep insisting that I am splitting hairs when I am doing no such thing--" The words died on his lips when he saw the wild look on Thor's face. They didn't need Thor getting angry and unleashing more stormy weather on them. "All right, I will go with you," Loki assured Thor as he pulled himself to his feet. "Just calm down. And you also have to promise that you will be nice."
"Oh, I will be very nice!" Thor promised as he grabbed Loki's arm and hustled him away.
The parlor door closed a moment later on Thor and Loki.
Frigga blinked and turned around at the slight noise. "Did the boys leave?"
Odin smiled at her warmly. "Were they even here, my love?"
"I clearly remember them coming in with us." She looked thoughtful. "I think...."
"I don't know, either, my pet. I have been too busy gazing at you."
A small crease appeared between Frigga's brows. "I worry about them sometimes. They do rattle around so. They need a hobby."
"They've got a hobby," Odin informed her as he thought about the stories that he'd heard about his sons' escapades between the sheets with the village women.
"Oh, and what might that be?"
"Nothing that your pretty little ears should be hearing about," he murmured as he touched one of them fondly.
Odin would be surprised what her ears heard all the time, because Frigga loved gossip about as much as other women did. But she decided that would be too much reality for her doting husband to absorb about her on an evening such as this. Because Frigga had plans for later and didn't want the mood disturbed with negative news.
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Loki was trying to fend off Thor.
"Thor! Stop that!" Loki hissed. "Stop pawing me like you're trying to size up the merchandise through my clothing! I'm not going anywhere, but I will if you don't stop acting like you've lost all of the manners and civilization you've ever had!"
Thor looked surprised. "You expect respect?"
Loki's eyes flashed. "I demand it!" He closed his eyes and rolled his head on his shoulders. "I am not a bit of fluff that you can use and toss aside when you have sated your savage pleasure."
Thor looked pained. "But I would never do that."
"Good. Then maybe we can proceed as if you are a gentleman."
Thor backed off as he miraculously did as he was asked. "You will have to forgive me, Loki. But I just get so impatient!"
Loki straightened his body and his clothing as if he was the primmest maiden who had ever drawn breath. "Now you sound like that green friend of yours. You know the one I mean. The Hulk."
"He gets angry," Thor explained. "Although I can see how getting impatient and being angry would seem to be a lot the same to you." He dropped his head. "I suppose this means that you will not be allowing anything to happen between us tonight."
Loki put his hand out and cupped Thor's whiskery cheek. "I didn't say that. Let's just take things a little slower and then see what happens." He ran his thumb gently along Thor's cheek as he stared at him intently, then he dropped his hand. "We needn't be in any hurry. It may be a long time until morning or until this snow stops. Surely in that time we can make a memory that neither one of us is ashamed of."
Thor looked up with interest as Loki continued. "As I said, I'm not going anywhere. We don't have to rush. I promise that I'll make it worth your while."
At that, Thor gently cupped Loki's cheek with his own hand. "What a treasure has been right in front of me all of this time, and I didn't even see it."
"You didn't know to look for it. We both have been blind, but maybe now we can correct that mistake."
Thor nodded solemnly as he took that information in, thought it was good, and accepted it. Then he burst into a grin and pulled Loki into a hug. "I think I'm going to like it if we take our time." His grin mellowed as he pushed Loki back to look into his eyes. "I think I'm going to like learning all about this person I thought I knew, but it appears I didn't." He sobered. "Well, that's going to be corrected right now. Because I don't want to lose either one of you. Not the old sassy, haughty you nor the new loving, demanding you. Because if I did, it would be the dumbest thing I've ever done. You are so much to me, Loki, and now you are going to be so much more. And I think I'm going to like that just fine. I hope that you like what you are getting back."
"I believe that I will. After all, my big brother has always been my hero and can do anything. Why not be the treasure of my heart, too."
"I know that he will soon be the treasure of mine," Thor reassured him as he rubbed Loki's back soothingly.
"You keep saying things like that, and I might just have to give you a special reward," Loki promised him.
"Just promise that I will always have a chance with you, and that will be special reward enough for me."
Who would've imagined that Thor had it in him to be this romantic? It seemed that Loki had as much to discover about Thor as Thor had to learn about him. Now, wasn't that going to be a nice arrangement?! And they had this whole wintery night to explore each other. Wasn't that a happy coincidence, too?
A soft smile enveloped Loki's face, and he felt his easy tears biting behind his eyelids. When they began flowing in earnest, Thor would probably chuckle at them indulgently and kiss them away with tender kisses. And Thor's gentleness would only make the tears run faster and Loki to love him more. Because Thor was going to be gentle and slow simply because Loki had asked him to. And that would make Loki love him more, too. It was a simple pattern actually, but one that was going to work really well for them. Because with each interweaving step, it brought them closer and closer together.
And then they decided to see if hugging-- and kissing-- were all that the brothers thought that they could be.
And guess what? They were! And the really wonderful thing about them was that they led to such other really great activities afterward, too! But that was not for a while yet. Right now, they wanted to get this hugging and kissing part just right.
And they did.