Title: Sugar and Wine

Rating: T for insinuations of violence and sexual thoughts
Pairing: Thor x Loki [thorki]
Summary: Loki is the God of Mischief and Lies, and it is his decision what to do with those lies once they are spoken. once they are his and their taste is on his tongue.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Avengers of Thor. Marvel does

-000-

Loki is the God of Lies.

The Lies one tells themselves.

The Lies one tells to protect.

The lies one tells as to not ruin a surprise.

Harmless protective little things.

The lies of Santa Claus and the Tooth fairy (too see a child's wonder is endearing and precious. Innocence usually is).

The lies that there is no surprise party (There's nothing extravagant planned, really. The effort put forth makes for happy tears and the feeling of being loved.)

The lies of where the Children are hiding (under the floor boards), as the murderer draws closer, knife in hand.

The lies of "I'm fine" and "everything is alright." (When their world is ripping apart at the seams, and everything is falling down around their ears. When all they want to do is crawl into bed, pull the covers up around their head and never wake up.)

The lies of "I don't love him," "I don't love you." (Because they know all they offer is hurt, despite their devotion and desire. Despite the fact they know they can love no one else, but it is better if they are alone, and the one they love find someone else more worthy.)

Such lies taste of sweet grapes and sugar to Loki's tongue.

Loki is the God of Lies.

The lies for selfish gain.

The lies of malevolence.

The lies of broken oaths.

The Lies told by politicians (there are too many to count, and Loki sneers at empty promises).

The Lies of cheating spouses, "I was at the movies." (They had felt hands on their skin and tasted of those they were not pledged body and soul to.)

The Lies of criminals, "I never killed her, I'm innocent." (They did, feel the blood against their skin, see the life drain from wild frightened eyes, and smile.)

They taste of cheap wine, disgusting and sour.

Loki is the God of Lies and Mischief.

He loves those who pull pranks, who disguise their pity in lies, who encourage children's imaginations with tales of benevolent beings that bring them gifts in the night. He loves with sorrowful serenity, those that push away the ones they love, the ones that protect those dear to them with his shield. And he will always shield them with his lies. Grant them his silver tounge.

He is the God of Lies and Mischief.

He hates those that cheat, and kill, and use his words for their own gain. If he is God of Lies, then he can have them be exposed as well as hidden. He is the God of Lies, he decides what to do with them once the lies' are spoken. Once they come into his keeping.

Other's never seem to understand all of that. They would see him ruined disgraced. They do not understand that truth is not always the best answer. They do not understand that sometimes there is need for deception. And when they do realize, they do not attribute it to him. They name him God of Evil (more than often seriously rather than in jest as his brother had first uttered) and would not assign any good to him. He lies to himself that it does not bother him (It hurts even when they say it in jest which is seldom now).

As he grins down at Thor and his friends, he tells himself that he hates (Thor most of all.) but wonders what they would say how they would act should he confess his love. The painful, wretched burning love he holds for his brother (Adopted brother, but Thor still calls him that, though Loki wishes he wouldn't). They would, he predicts, accused him of his usual lies, and ask them how stupid he thinks they are (Which is a lot).

They eye him back, and he grins wider, feeling Hawkeye draw back his bow (aiming at his eye as usual), the Black Widow eyeing his armor for chinks (so her bullets might slow him down at least a little), the Man of Iron readying a missile (newly added and secret. Ironically something he had lied about so Loki knows about).

He feels Captain America shift his stance for attack (He is lying to himself that he will kill Loki, and the God of Lies find that utterly adorable), the Hulk reset his sights on Loki (ready to smash as usual as the giant has no real thinking process whatsoever), and Thor grip his hammer (lying to himself that he is here for The Avengers and not for Loki, a claim that Loki tries to ignore).

The second passes as they charge, and Loki throws (a large ball of light that appears dangerous, (he lied when he'd informed them it would decimate New York) but was simply a magelite he'd made larger than usual and added an effect of swirling wind to.) All it would do is dissipate with a strike of Thor's hammer or Captain America's shield.

And Loki is not lying when he tells them he's enjoyed their battle (because he has, they are always interesting with their lies and reactions) before teleporting away, still grinning at their shocked faces (The deadly ball hadn't taken any lives and had been painfully easy to destroy which meant that they'd spent half a day protecting the city from nothing. (Loki is the God of Mischief, people sometimes forget that.))

Loki settles down, and lies to himself (as he always does) saying that next time; next time he will play with them for real. Next time he will finally kill them all, next time it won't be false (a prank), next time he will destroy and the streets will run red with the blood of the innocent and guilty alike.

He settles down and lies that next time he will give in, next time he will go to Thor and be willingly defeated, next time he will show his brother his love (that perverted, inappropriate, lustful wanting), and he lies to himself that Thor will accept it and draw Loki into a kiss (one that is not brotherly at all, it is the kiss of a lover.) promising to be Loki's and Loki's alone.

Such fantasies are inappropriate and reek of false hope (of lies that Loki is fit to be beside Thor). It is a set back to being the God of Lies. He can tell them apart from truth as easily as he can discern water from wine. Thus he cannot even lie to himself because he knows that it is falsehood; there is no silver tongue in his mind that he can use to convince himself otherwise.

He removes his helmet and presses fingers to his lips.

"I hate him." Loki whispers of Thor.

He tastes wine and sugar.

-000-

AN: just in case i made it more complicated then i thought i did... i can never tell. -_-;

YES Loki loved Thor and Thor loved Loki. it's just that truth is also interpretive. if you grew up being told the the sky is red, then your truth is that the sky is red. it doesn't necessarily make it false. aka, truth can be interpreted through belief. thus why Loki's truth is that Thor doesn't love him like he want. Thor only loves him as a brother.

The reason Loki tastes wine and sugar in the last statement is because he lies, but does so because he thinks he can only bring Thor destruction if he asks for more than brotherly love. He is trying to protect Thor from Loki. thus the sugar. but Loki is also lying for himself, so that he doesn't have to be rejected (Which he thinks will be the outcome) and thus is lying for himself. thus the taste of bitter wine.

PLEASE tell me if you find mistakes.