"And where is home?" Loki asked, playing the part of innocent, understanding Lou.

"Somewhere ... over the rainbow," Thor said, and Loki wanted to sigh at the reference to the Bifrost, and the admission that Thor was a fan of The Wizard of Oz.

"Well you're a bit tall for a Munchkin," Loki said, letting his gaze travel up Thor's body in an obvious show of interest. "Not that I'm complaining."

Seeing the god of thunder blush was an interesting experience, one that made Loki's body heat, his mind drifting from his plan and toward different thoughts, more dangerous thoughts.

They reached the main street of downtown and Loki let a bit more of his magic leak out. Above him streetlights flared briefly before dimming and a squirrel, startled from a nearby tree, ran across the road. A passing car veered sharply, avoiding the rodent but not the gutter, kicking up a spout of slush and snow. And of course, Thor was walking closer to the road, his large frame protecting Loki from the sudden deluge.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," Loki said, covering his mouth with his hands. Again he felt a small guilt, but not enough to keep from smiling at the sight of Thor standing, his right side soaked, his face shifting from anger to amusement, as if he couldn't quite figure out which was appropriate.

"This village seems to be trying to warn me of something," Thor said, shaking off what slush he could.

"Probably to avoid eating too many fried cheese curds," Loki said, smirking and pointing ahead to the bar, the World Serpent. "They are deliciously addictive but deadly in large quantities. Trust me."

Thor nodded and followed Loki inside. The bar was full, packed with students from the local state university crowded around tables and choking the bar itself. They were rowdy and getting rowdier, stuck in that awkward time between spring break and the start of finals preparation. Most were seniors, and graduation for them was little over a month away, with all the freedom, fear, and disaster that it might bring. For Loki, the feeling was euphoric, a steaming cup of chaos. He let a bit of his magic seep into the crowd, not enough to start anything but enough to make the people around him feel an itch that hadn't been there a moment ago. An overworked waitress showed them to a tiny table pushed in front of an electronic dartboard.

"Quite ... loud," Thor said, smile still optimistic. Guileless. So unlike the warrior of Asgard. The leader of armies, the champion of Odin. Or was that all an armor that he wore while in public, an armor that he slipped out of when the spotlight turned elsewhere? Was it all an act -- the anger, the bluster? Was the real Thor the man sitting before him, with the handsome smile and the gentle hands? A part of Loki tried to argue it didn't matter, that mischief was mischief regardless. But another part, a deeper part, knew that it mattered, that curiosity was as deep a part of chaos as mischief.

"I'm surprised you responded to my message, to be honest," Loki said, carefully not making eye contact as he said it.

"I respond to all the messages I receive," Thor said. "Is that not what one is supposed to do?"

"I meant I'm surprised you responded the way you did," Loki said. "That you were interested. Someone like you ... I would have thought you could get just about anyone you wanted."

Thor seemed to think on that a moment, and Loki looked up to see an almost apologetic smile on Thor's face.

"You ... reminded me of someone," Thor said, and Loki couldn't help but take a sharp breath.