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"Come on, say it again," I pestered Loki as we walked, jabbing him in the side, "Tell me how amazing I am."

He rolled his eyes, batting away my hand. "You're insufferable."

"You love it," I singsonged, "You said as much back in that closet. What was it again? You're cold, and witty, and perfect, you mesmerize me—"

"Yes, yes, you're very funny. A riot."

"I think I deserve a little bit of 'humiliating Loki' for that stunt you pulled during our duel."

"You can't have thought you would win that," he said, pausing as he walked and looking at me pointedly.

"Why, because you're big strong Loki, and I'm little helpless Alivia?" I asked sarcastically.

He quirked a brow. "Is that not the case?"

"Hmm," I pondered aloud, placing a hand on his bicep and feeling. I took a moment to pretend I was thinking. "Nope. You appear to have no physical strength. I, on the other hand..."

I lifted an arm and curled a bicep. It was pathetic, especially compared to Loki's, and we both began to laugh.

"You are indeed something," Loki shook his head, linking arms with me and urging me to carry on.

We descended into the more populated area of Asgard, where the richer common folk resided. A few more blocks, and we arrived at a strip of shops, taverns, inns, and more.

I looked questioningly at Loki. It didn't really seem like his scene.

We entered into a fancy looking tavern. I barely got to glance at the interior before Loki led me up a flight of stairs and into a loft.

In the centre of the room was a table, and around it sat three people. A beautiful raven-haired woman, a pudgy man with a long beard, and another man with biceps bigger than my legs.

"Bjorn, Tolve, and Toke," he gestured lazily at them, before nodding at me, "This is Alivia."

"The girl you were telling us about?" The woman, Tolve, stood, sauntering over as she gave me a slow up and down. "I've half a mind not to kill you and steal her off you."

Loki sighed deeply and my face turned red.

"She is flirting with you," he said to me, "Don't flirt with her," he said to Tolve, "She doesn't like women as you do. I don't think anyone quite likes women as much as you do."

"I can speak for myself, thank you," I said to Loki, "And I can tell when a woman is flirting with me, I'll have you know the first person I slept with was a woman."

Now it was Loki's turn to blush as I took Tolve's elbow and she led me to the table with the others.

When I got closer, I realized that built into the table was a spinning game wheel. I took a seat next to Tolve, and Loki lowered himself into the chair on my other side.

"What's this?" I asked curiously.

"The game is called King's Wheel," Bjorn, the one with the beard as long as I was tall, explained to me, "The four of us gather odd evenings to play."

"I had no idea Loki actually had friends. I can't stand him to be honest. I'm here against my will."

"You seemed pretty willing in your room and the closet when I—"

Loki stopped talking abruptly once I'd stomped sufficiently on his foot.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Tolve said, "We can't stand him either. We only tolerate him cause he's got the coin to pay for the rent of this room."

"That and my charming personality," Loki added.

"Your personality has less charm than I have hair," Toke said, and I snorted. His head was so bald it shone under the candle light.

"So how does the game work?" I asked, leaning forward and inspecting the wheel.

"You lose, and I take all of your coin," Tolve joked, "However, I will make an exception for you, beautiful. I'll take all of Loki's coin instead."

She winked, and I smiled, making Loki sigh audibly beside me.

"Starter spins the wheel, whomever it lands on flips a card, and they spin again. First to obtain a King's Court wins," Loki explained impatiently.

Seemed simple enough. And I was pretty damn good at Solitaire and Crazy Eights, so I could handle this.

"Ah, but here is where it gets interesting—" Bjorn began, but was cut off by Loki.

"He means this is where he starts to make up his pretend rules."

Bjorn scowled at Loki, continuing, "The deck has four of the Brewer's card. Every time it is drawn—" he hefted up a crate of bottles filled with red liquid "—you down one of these."

"Bjorn purchased two extra packs of cards to increase the number of Brewer's cards."

"Twelve Brewer's cards in a set of how many?" I chuckled.

"A set of thirty two." Tolve smirked, "Prepare to become the drunkest you've ever been."

"This is your idea of a first date?" I turned to Loki with an amused grin plastered across my face, "Not that I'm composing but honestly, I was expecting something fancier. This doesn't really seem your speed."

"I like to win, love," Loki responded, "Especially against you. And these fools make winning easy."

"Isn't this more a game of luck and chance than skill?" I asked.

"Fortune favours the handsome, Alivia."

"Then you must be used to poor luck, Loki," I responded, causing a laugh to circulate the table.

"I like this one," Toke finally spoke, his voice low and gruff.

"Tolve, you ought to steal her away and treat her right, before Loki scares her off," Bjorn added, nudging Tolve's arm.

Tolve looked over at me and winked, and I felt my face grow hot again.

"Might we get to playing sometime this evening, perhaps?" Loki asked, grumbling sourly. I wondered if he was regretting bringing me here.

"Yes, yes, your majesty," Bjorn jeered, looking next at me, "Our guest spins first."

I grasped a wrung of the wheel and spun, and the silver triangle stopped on Loki.

"Thank you, love," he smirked, flipping a card. I nearly snorted again when I saw that it was a Brewer's Card.

"You're very welcome, Loki."

Bjorn extracted a glass from beneath the table and filled it to the brim, sliding it across the table to Loki, who caught it even as it was still moving. He quickly tossed it back, grimacing, before sliding it back across the table to Bjorn.

"I could have used a kiss for luck," Loki wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, looking pointedly at me.

"It's yet to be my turn, you could still spare one to me," Tolve suggested, pointing at her cheek.

Knowing it would bother Loki immensely, I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Tolve's cheek.

"Oh, now I'm sure to win," Tolve smirked wickedly at Loki, "I'm sure if you ask Toke nicely he will give you a kiss for luck."

Loki deadpanned, spinning the wheel.

This carried on for some time, each of us taking turns spinning, flipping, and frequently drinking. Music from downstairs floated up the stairs, and my face was hot from the liquor and sore from smiling. Toke won the first round, and again the second. By the time the third rolled around I was singing along—or rather, making a poor attempt to sing along—to the Nordic folk song from downstairs. Bjorn and Tolve joined me as the wheel went round, landing on me.

I flipped a Brewer's Card and pointed at Bjorn across the table. "Another!' I shouted.

Bjorn slid the glass at me and I missed it completely. It shattered on the ground causing riotous laughter to envelope the table.

"Another again!" I called.

Bjorn, still confident in my agility for some reason, passed another glass. Before I could catch it, Loki's hand shot in front of me and he stole the glass.

"I think you could do without any more alcohol," he said, downing the liquor himself.

"You're no fun!" I shouted, jabbing him in the chest, "I like Tolve better than you."

"You wound me," he smiled, grabbing my hand and hefting me up, "Truly."

"Off already? Bjorn asked, "Afraid you'll lose another round to Toke?"

"He's mopped the floor with you, too," Loki pointed, "Besides, it would be ungentlemanly to let her get any more drunk than she already is."

"I am fine," I said, even as I stumbled out the door with Loki, tripping and teetering.

"I'll bring you back here again if you're that fond of my company, but you're done for the night," he insisted.

"I think she's actually more fond of my company," Tolve shouted out the door, and Loki gave her a lazy parting wave.

The walk back to the palace was a blur, and my eyes were closed more than half of the time. Loki awkwardly shouldered the majority of my weight as he led me along.

"So where are we going now?" I asked, as we arrived at the palace door.

"I'm bringing you to your room to go to sleep," Loki responded, smirking down at me.

"That's it? The night's over?" I pouted.

"Didn't realize you were having quite so much fun with me, darling."

"I wasn't. Tolve was right, I liked them better."

"I don't think that's true."

"I think you think a lot of things that are wrong," I slurred back, placing my head against his chest as he half-carried me, and half-pulled me up a flight of stairs, and finally into my room.

"How are you not even a little bit drunk?" I asked, pinching my fingers and squinting my eyes at the word little. I flopped down on my bed, my arms over my head, and let my eyes fall closed.

"I'm pure Asgardian, dear, we can hold our liquor. The Midgardian in you cannot, it would seem." Loki made his way to the foot of my bed, so that he stood over me as he spoke.

"I don't want to sleep," I said, even as a yawn escaped my lips.

"I think you do," he chuckled, stooping to undo my corset. I giggled, squirming out of the way. He frowned, and the corner of his mouth turned up playfully. "Darling, I don't think sleeping in this top and those shoes will do you any good."

"Then I guess I can't sleep, can I?" I retorted, moving again as he made another attempt to undo my corset.

"You don't want to play with me, love," Loki said darkly.

"Why?" I taunted, "What are you gonna do?"

Instead of answering, he moved on top of me, so that his legs straddled my hips. He pinned my wrists above my head with one hand, and with the other he began to undo the corset. I squirmed, but under his weight, I was helpless. Next, he removed my necklace, and after that, he shucked off my boots. I shuddered when his fingers grazed the skin of my upper thigh.

He deposited the clothes on my dresser, before stopping at the side of the bed. He brushed my hair out of my face, and grazed a thumb over my cheek.

"Goodnight, Alivia."

I grasped his hand as he turned to leave.

"Stay," I said. "Stay with me."

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