Loki had never been one to indulge in excess. That had always been Thor's specialty. So how he ended up consuming enough vodka to loosen his famed silver tongue was beyond his comprehension.

It felt a little like a purging. He had been so lost. In the blackest of black places, alone and adrift with no ties to anything. His despair had given way to rage, and the only way he could avoid complete madness was to destroy everything.

The voracious emptiness inside had threatened to consume him, and in the end, it was Thor who had saved him. Thor had reached out to him, through the blistering magical attack Loki had unleashed, and said the simplest of things.

"You are my brother, and I love you. Who you were born to does not change or lessen that fact."

Loki had never cried until that day. But the battle had ended with him weeping in his brother's arms, while the other members of the Avengers looked on in confusion. They had suspected a trap. Weapons had been targeted on him as they waited for him to spring his trap, but Thor had believed in him unconditionally. His brother had cradled Loki's broken spirit in his strong arms that day, and warned the Avengers to stand down.

It had been so very painful to realize that he was not alone or adrift. It had been almost crushing to realize that his family did not love him any less even though he did not share their blood.

Still, there were years of hurtful feelings to overcome. Thor had been a bastard, until his exile to Midgard had changed him. Loki wasn't prepared to completely forgive him, yet.

The trip back to some semblance of sanity and rationality had been full of pain. It had pushed Loki in twenty different directions, and left him grasping for a purpose to his existence. Maybe that was why he had accepted Darcy's offer of a drink. The amusing little mortal was one of the few who didn't shy from his presence, so he felt that her offer had no hidden agendas.

He had never confessed his lack of boy/girl action (as Darcy had so eloquently named it) to anyone before. No one had even suspected. There had been women, trying to reach Thor through him, who had very aggressively tried to bed them. Their minds had been easily overcome, and they had been left with false memories that he could never hope to live up to. The little brother in him hoped that those stories had made their way back to Thor and made him feel inadequate.

Loki had turned his attention to leaning magic and making mischief instead of pursuing acts of physical pleasure. What could physical pleasure do for him that his magic and wit could not?

A lot, apparently. Loki's senses were still reeling. He could now understand his brother's fascination with the pleasures of flesh. The entire experience had sent him spinning, and he was still trying to regain his equilibrium. He needed to find stability, and there was nothing more stable than his big brother.

Jane Foster was not happy to see him when she answered his knock on the door of the apartment she was sharing with Thor. She was trying, for Thor's sake, to forget that Loki had tried to kill his brother, but it was a work in progress.

"Loki." It was not a greeting, but rather a statement of unwanted fact. He wondered what her reaction would be when she found out that he had bedded her friend.

"Ms. Foster. Is my brother home?"

"He should be in about ten minutes." Perhaps Jane sensed some of his inner turmoil, as she seemed to unbend a little. "Would you like to come in and wait?"

"I would like that, yes. Thank you for your gracious offer."

He followed her inside, and took a seat on the sofa when she gestured to it. Jane sat down across from him on the love seat. Loki had to wonder why it was called a love seat. He knew that it was, because Thor had told him, but he failed to see the reason why. Unless...what if it was called that because there were sordid physical acts performed upon it? The more he thought about that, the more he became convinced that he never wanted to sit on the love seat.

Jane titled her head to one side. "Loki, are you blushing?"

"No of course not," he answered. But of course he was, and it was more than a little embarrassing. He was a Frost Giant by birth. Blushing should not have even been possible.

Jane raised one eyebrow. "You are blushing. And you know what? I'm pretty sure that I don't want to know why."

Relief was a cool wave through his system. "That would be a prudent decision. Thank you."

Their conversation was stilted at best, and it was a relief to both when the door banged open gustily. Thor swept in and swept Jane into his arms immediately, pressing his mouth to her's. Loki watched in amusement as Jane tried to break free, to let Thor know he had company, but it was several minutes until she was released.

"Hello my love," he finally said.

Jane was flushed now, and took a moment to fan herself. Her feet were dangling in air, since Thor had not yet released her. "You have a visitor," she was finally able to gasp out.

"Loki!"

Loki stood as Thor placed Jane back on her feet (and safely off to one side), and approached him with the same level of enthusiasm. He fought back a smile, and held up a forestalling hand.

"If you try to kiss me, brother, I shall be most put out with you."

Thor roared with laughter, and embraced Loki warmly. "Your silver tongue is put to better use in bringing laughter, brother." He stepped back. "What brings you here?"

"I find myself in need of your council." Loki's eyes darted to Jane, and he briefly debated about asking for privacy, but he feared that would only lead to further problems.

Thor seemed tickled that Loki was coming to him for advice. "This is a day to remember. You are normally far wiser than I in most areas. What can I offer council on?"

"Mortal dating customs." Loki was proud that he could make that statement without wanting to crawl into a hole and hide. "I need more information, and who else should I turn to but my big brother."

He saw Jane's mouth drop open, and then close abruptly. Then a rather devious smile surfaced. "You could ask Tony. He has far more experience in mortal dating customs."

Loki raised one eyebrow. "As I understand it, Tony does not date. He pillages. I prefer a more subtle approach."

He watched Jane's lips twitch. "I'll leave you two to it then." She withdrew to give some privacy, and Thor settled down on the love seat, while Loki resumed his position on the sofa.

"This is unexpected, brother."

Loki nodded. "I am 'turning over a new leaf' as the mortals call it." He glanced at the clock on the wall behind Thor's head. "I'll take whatever council you can offer. And do you know what time it would be best to approach Nicholas Fury? There is a suggestion I feel compelled to make to him."

Curiosity was an amusing look for Thor. "Midday is the best time to approach him. He's not quite as cranky at that time."

Loki inclined his head. "My thanks." They stared at each other in silence for several moments, until Thor grinned.

"Will you not tell me who the lucky mortal girl is?"

"In time, brother." A small grin grew. "Do not ruffle your feathers."

Thor shook his head. "Oh Loki. Jane will be very upset with me if I use you to break furniture."

"Then it is a good thing that you will not get that chance." Loki looked down at the floor, and then back up to his brother. "Tell me what you can of mortal dating customs. I wish to avoid any cultural misunderstandings." He frowned. "Did you know that the phrase 'dry spell' does not refer to magic?"

♾️ ♾️ ♾️

Oh. Loki, my boy. I wanted to put up the vulnerability of Loki a bit here and for that badmouthing Thor might as well was necessary. But I love him inconsiderately, yeet.

See you in the next chapter. ~.~
Trust me I quacked all the time while writing the next chapter. Bleh.

Love,
InfinityHaze ♾️