Zombie

“So…” Starts Thor. “I was wondering..”

Loki feels a chill run through him. Damn that beginning sounds like trouble. There are so many questions he'd rather not answer, he'd need all his fingers and toes to count them. Might have a need to borrow couple more from Thor too.

“Yes?”

“What's the most painful place to get a tat on?”

Gods that's it? That's all? He almost laughs in relief.

“Well people have different tolerance for pain. In my experience, on the dick is worst of all.”

“Eww..” Thor shudders even thinking of that metal machine anywhere near… “I didn't know that was a thing.”

“Well it's not common and I'd never do it. Also there's a risk..”

“Hold on hold on! “ The wheels in his head starting to turn faster. I'd never do it and personal experience hint at..”Fucks sakes, Loki, don't tell me you got your dick tattooed as well!”

The smile Loki gives him is devious.

“Why don't you find out…” He purrs

Thor untangles their legs and slides down to the other man’s waist level.

“Oh my God!” he gasps. “ I thought you were messing with me!”

Loki leans on his elbows and smirks at him

“Jesus you're fuckin crazy.” Thor laughs almost burying his head in the other man's pubes. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

Loki shrugs.

“Why do I do anything?”

“You know I've been asking myself that exact question.”

“Got any answers yet?”

Thor shakes his head. “No.”

“Well…” Loki draws out the word suggestively.  “If you come to any conclusions do let me know. And… Make yourself useful while you're down there. “

Thor shoves him playfully and wraps his lips around the head.

It's later in the night, after Loki's been sucked off properly, that Thor starts to consider his next move. His host seems to be lost in thought, a cigarette in his fingers, eyes far away.

“Should I go now?.” Asks Thor.

His host clearly doesn’t hear.

“Loki.” Thor addresses him a bit louder.

That does snap him out of it.

“What?”

“I said, I'll head out.”

Loki eyes at him warily.

“Ok.” He says after a minute.

Thor grimaces and hopes the disappointment isn’t written too clearly on his face. In all honesty he at least expected to be offered to stay.

He gathers his clothes eyes averted. Loki just sits there as if totally unaware of sudden awkwardness.

“Don’t be late.” He says when Thor's already dressed and at the door. Not even bothering to see see me out, fuckin asshole. Thinks the blonde bitterly. He totally misses the remark.

“What?”

“I said don't be late.” Loki repeats monotonous. “Tomorrow. For your appointment.”

Thor slams the door and runs down the stairs, not giving himself the chance to say something he'll regret.

Loki sleeps like shit. Barely manages to roll out of bed and get to shower, mentally going over the day’s appointment hours: shoulder on eleven thirty. Neck, three PM and then… Thor. Four thirty.

He gets to the studio in a daze. Even the two cups of coffee doesn’t do much for him. Tattoos the first client: annoying middle aged man who didn't think he ought to shave. Or shower. Loki wrinkles his nose, trying his best not to breathe in that direction, but what the hell can you do when you’re basically tattooing around the armpit.

The lunch is horrible. He barely tastes what he eats, Thor’s disappointed, hurt puppy face is all he can see. He wanted to stay, that oaf. Why would he expect? Or want to? Loki sighs. God, he’s fucked. So fucked. If Thor decides to bring that up on appointment today… Or what if he doesn’t and acts like nothing has happened between them? What then? Which one is the lesser of those two evils? Loki honestly doesn’t know.

Three PM client is, thankfully, mostly silent punk girl. She does wink and smirk at him a lot, obviously thinking they are kindred spirits or some shit, based only the apparent shit ton of tats they both got going. Well, if that ain’t shallow as hell. But ‘’Good afternoon’’ and ‘’Goodbye’’ are all she gets from him (though not from the lack of effort on her part.).

Then it’s four o’clock and Loki, as a coward he is, runs to the bathroom, locking the door behind him and staring at himself in the mirror.

What if he doesn’t show up? That single thought turns his world upside down. Holy shit, when did he get this attached? How did that happen over one single fuckin date and overall two weeks of acquaintance? Loki flashes some cold water onto his face and fishes the small bottle out of his pocket.

There are five left. Five pills. He pulls two out and dawns them, washing them with tap water and sinks down onto the toilet seat.

‘’You can’t hide here forever, Loki.’’ He tells himself. ‘’You need to go out there and face him.’’

Yes, he has to. He fucked this up. Lead Thor along. Gave him hope. He needs to do the damage control. Make it obvious for Thor what the are. Or rather what they aren’t and can’t be. Before all of this gets out of hand. If it hasn’t already.

‘’But what if I don’t want to,’’ a part of his brain begs him. ‘’He likes you. Hell, he might even be the type to put up with you, long term. Why can’t you let him? Why can’t you try?’’

Try. As if that’s so fuckin easy…

The four thirty comes and goes with Loki pacing like a caged animal in his room. Gods, where is he? Where? Will he really just ditch it? Loki puts hands over his eyes and tries to control his breathing. Calm yourself, Laufeyson. Maybe it’s for the better if he doesn’t show up. Maybe that means he got the fuckin hint. It would be easier for the both of you, if you didn’t have to talk about it to end it.

By five Loki has to admit that his worst suspicions are correct.

Thor didn’t show up.

He took the hint.

The raven-haired man blinks back tears as he approaches the counter to ask Alice if he has any more appointments today.

‘’No, that was it,’’ Say the girl checking the screen. ‘’Thor didn’t show up though, that’s weird. He’s never even late. Usually he gets here early.’’

Yeah, go in, why don’t you rub my fuckin nose in it some more, Thinks Loki furiously, even though he damn well knows, that the girl doesn’t know shit about anything.

‘’I’ll head out then,’’ He says.

Alice shrugs.

‘’Ask the boss, not me.’’

Loki scowls.

‘’Is he in?’’

‘’Yeah, I think.’’ She answers nonchalant, scrolling through Instagram.

Of course Gast is in, right  when Loki doesn’t want to see him. But he can’t just take off without tell him, that would cause anger and Gast’s anger… Isn’t something he’d wish on his worst enemies.

Loki knocks on the door and pushes it in warily

‘’En?’’ He asks.

The Grandmaster looks up.

‘’Oh, come in, honey.’’ He says, all smiles. ‘’Come on, what you standing for?’’

Loki takes a tentative step forward.

‘’I wanted to ask if I could leave early.’’ He says, looking down. ‘’I don’t have any more appointments for today, four thirty didn’t show up and I’m kinda… Feeling down a bit.’’

As soon as the last part is out of his mouth, he regrets it.

‘’Oh, my!’’ Grandmaster exclaims, standing up and rushing to him. ‘’Lo, what’s wrong? Are you sick?’’

‘’No, I’m fine, really,’’ Loki says, trying to put on his happiest face. ‘’Just tired is all.’’

The Grandmaster grabs his chin and lips his face up, looking with his piercing eyes.

‘’Um… Are you short on.. You know… The helpings?’’ He asks.

Loki shakes his head.

‘’No, i’m good, thank you, En, I don’t need it.’’

‘’Are you taking care of yourself, Lo? I heard you’re not.. doing… what’s the word…’’

‘’No, no, I’m fine.’’

The grip on his chin tightens to a point of painful.

‘’Uh-huh, don’t be rude, sweetheart. don’t Interrupt me.’’

‘’Sorry.’’ Rasps Loki.

En lets him go, looking him up and down, eyes calculative.

‘’I’ll have a new shipment in tomorrow.’’ He says, casual, as if he’s talking about fuckin pastries. ‘’You get your weekly as always, pet, don’t worry. Now run along, get some rest and look pretty for me  tomorrow. You hear me?’’

Loki all but dashes out from the room, heart in his throat. He makes it a bus stop away from the shop and falls down heavily on a chair near the sidewalk.

The tears he’s been holding off so long finally start falling freely.

Thor is woken by a knock on the door. He puts a pillow over his face, hoping that whoever the fuck it is, they’ll go away in he ignores them long enough.

Then his phone starts to ring too.

‘’Hello?’’ Thor says into it with a sleepy, raspy voice, when the damn thing start to ring for the third damn time.

‘’Thor. Open the door. We know you’re home.’’

Thor sits up. He’s kinda annoyed and kinda hungover too (yeah he came home and drunk his heartbreak away, ok? Give him a break!)

‘’Who the hell is this?’’ He Growls. His head is fuckin pounding.

‘’It’s Skurge.’’

Thor frowns and climbs out of bed.

‘’Who the fuck sent you?’’ He snaps at the bald man at his door. There are three more behind him that he doesn’t recognize. ‘’What do you want?’’

Skurge gives him the disgusted look.

‘’Get dressed. Odin wants to see you.’’

‘’You mean Hela wants to see me.’’ Thor bites back.

Skurge doesn’t even flinch. Well, the man certainly knows how to stand his ground, Thor has to give him that.

‘’Either way.’’ He says.’’I am ordered to escort you.’’

‘’Where am I being fuckin escorted to?’’

‘’You’ll know when we get there.’’ The man says. ‘’Now get dressed, I don’t have all day.’’

‘’I didn’t think my sister was stupid enough to attempt to kidnap me.’’ Says Thor when he’s showed into a car rather unceremoniously, with two guards sitting on his left and right.

‘’Do I look like a kidnapper to you, Odinson?’’ Scoffs Skurge from the front seat. ‘’Did anyone restrain you? Hit you? You should have been around enough kidnappings to know this is not how they look.’’

‘’Yeah just try that shit with me, pal, I dare you.’’ Growls Thor.

Skurge just rolls his eyes and turns back to the driver. ‘’Turn left here.’’

Thor looks out of the window. Wherever they are going, it’s neither to Valhalla, nor to Odin’s estate.

They drive to outskirts of town, pass through the desert and into Jotun territories.

‘’Handing me over to Laufey, is that it?’’ Thor makes a wild guess.

Skurge looks at him like he’s grown a second head and laughs. The three dumb bastards join in.

‘’Oh, Odinson, I thought you were a bit naive, but that’s dumb even for you.’’ He says. ‘’These are no longer Jotun lands. They’re ours now.’’

Thor frowns.

‘’The fuck we need them for? There’s no trading here.’’

‘’Not officially, no.’’

‘’So we exchange and store here? Is that it?’’

He gets no answer. They drive into a narrow street and park in front of a warehouse.

‘’Brother.’’ Greets Hela. She’s sitting in the only leather armchair standing in the middle of dirty-filthy room with cracked and broken windows. What a show off, thinks Thor.

‘’Sister.’’ He spits. ‘’Is this your idea of the adult talking then?’’

‘’Well, well…’’ Hela cocks her head sideways. ‘’I’d not play with fire if i were you. After all, father already has his doubts about your dealings. Wouldn’t help at all if he learned about your fraternizing with an enemy, now, would it? His poor poor heart wouldn’t take it.’’ She smirks like a shark.

‘’What the hell are you even talking about, have you lost your mind?’’ Scoffs Thor, crossing hands over his chest.

The gaze Hela measures him with is calculating. A strange emotion that could be considered confusing crosses her features.

Then she laughs.

‘’Oh, my,’’ she says, shaking her head. ‘’Do you really not know? Are you really this stupid, little brother, or do you take me for a fool?”

‘’I don’t have time for your fuckin games, Hela,’’ Thor says, turning on his heels to leave. ‘’I have somewhere to be.’’

The three bulky idiots in suits just plant themselves in his way at a moments notice.

Thor looks at them like they’re steaming piles of shit he's stepped in.

‘’Thor,’’ Hela says from behind his back. ‘’I’m not your enemy. But I could be. Don’t antagonize me.’’

‘’Well, I fuckin wouldn’t but you make it too easy.’’

‘’Thor,’’ Hela says, standing up, closing in on him. Thor turns - after all, if his brains are about to be blown out, he’d at least like to know who did it. But his sister appears to not be planning anything of the sort. For a time being. ‘’Listen to me. I know we don’t have the best relationship, but I’m not blind and I see that your interests do not lie in being the leader.’’

Thor casts a suspicious glance her way. This heart to heart is… weird to say the least.

‘’I have an offer to make to you.’’

‘’I’m listening.’’

‘’You know our trade’s going down.’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’But not why.’’

‘’Are you going to tell me?’’

Hela spins an umbrella in her hands. ‘’Well, I would, but… I don’t know if I can trust you.’’

‘’You’re the one to talk of trust.’’

‘’Fine, fine.’’ She sighs shooing away the guards. ‘’You too Skurge,’’ he tells her right-hand man, when the guy stays still.

After all of them are out of earshot, she tells him to follow and leads him deeper into the warehouse complex. She lights a flashlight and leads him down to a lower level.

‘’So,’’ Hela says as the make their way down the dark corridor. ‘’I worry for you. If you’d ask me, if you’d wanted to leave, I’d let you go, I swear it.’’

Oh, here we go, Thor thinks. Getting to the point.

‘’Why would I want to leave?’’ He asks, deadpan.

‘’To start off fresh, somewhere else.’’

‘’Why would I want to go somewhere all alone and leave it all behind? I like my life here, thank you.’’

‘’But it won’t be only about you, will it?’’ Hela counters.

‘’Why don’t you tell me exactly what you want, Hela?’

‘’Odin is old. He’s weak, unstable. We should join forces and take reign. Make changes.’’

Thor almost laughs out loud.

‘’What, you mean overthrow him?’’

For one second, Hela looks like she’ll shoot him then and there. Then, it passes and she shakes her head.

‘’He’s not a king to overthrow, brother,’’ She says. ‘’I do love him and I worry. I would never use force, but he’s one stubborn old man and he’s costing us. Think on it.’’

‘’I will.’’ Thor promises, but well… The only thing he is actually thinking of is getting out of this. To get the news to his father and his friend before it’s too late...

‘’I believe you have heard that our shipments were going missing.’’ She says. Thor gives her an incredulous look. ‘’Yes, Thor, the prices and stocks were not the problem. The transit was. Our shipments got raided couple of times. I suspected the Jotunheim, of course, but it appeared that they were not the ones to blame.’’

She opens a metal door to a small room and steps inside.

‘’Here,’’ she says, giving him the flashlight. ‘’Look.’’

Thor does look. There are couple of boxes lying around, he kneels down in front of one of them and wipes the dust off of it. They’re theirs. The shipments.

He looks up at her.

‘’You stole them.’’ He says, accusing.

‘’Quite the opposite,’’ She smirks, ‘’You stole them. I just found them.’’

Thor realizes what she’s about to do a second too late: the gun appears in her hands out of nowhere and she fires. ‘’fuck’’ hisses Thor, stumbling, falling to his knees. ‘’You fuckin bitch!’’

Hela backhands him with her armed hand across the face, then drags him deeper into the room and ties up his hands. ‘’What the fuck did I do to you?’’

‘’Oh, do stop with the dramatics,’’ She says,’’ It’s only a tranquilizer. If I wanted you dead, then dead you would be. Think, brother, for once in your entire life.’’

Thor tries his best to get free his hands, but his head is filled with buzzing sound. He can’t even see properly. He only sees vague shape of black heels walking away from him and the door closing, the only source of light going away with it.

And then he’s alone.

‘’Hope you’re not afraid of the dark, little brother,’’ His sister’s mocking voice is the last thing he hears before his vision grows completely dark. ‘’Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it.’’