You probably haven't heard of me

"Sorry, but I don’t have anywhere nicer," she mused, chuckling to herself, her own inside joke. She jutted her head back toward the bar. "This is as close to home as it gets." As sketchy as the place looked, she’d literally spent the night in the ally just a block from the bar….Not a conversation starter, but it was the truth.

The comment about this being close to home... The old part of him, the altruistic, let-me-do-anything-to-please-you part of him melted.  He wanted nothing more than to take her back to the Range Rover and take her to get some new clothes and then take her back to the mansion he'd recently re-purchased and get her some food that wasn't soaked in grease.  Hell, he'd cook it for her if need be.  The new part, made of tinder and desperation and chemicals tucked under his skin didn't melt; it caught flame.

"Well, it might be tied with sex," he admitted with a shrug, a sly little smirk spreading over his face. Those eyes watched Aldrich carefully, memorizing his movements, the way he smiled, how he spoke, everything, until Loki suddenly reached out to again take his hand, squeezing it softly, an affectionate gesture. "Should I chance into fancier clothing? I don’t want to be under dressed." One quick glance to his outfit—which wasn’t terribly under dressed, just a button-up and black jeans—and he suddenly felt self-conscious of it, especially when compared to how Aldrich was dressed. He wasn’t one to care about what others thought of him, but it’d kill him if he embarrassed Aldrich in public simply because of his choice of clothing.

"Mm, only if you'll let me watch," he murmured by way of response to Loki's inquiry about clothes.  The god had... Loosened Aldrich's sensibilities, for lack of a better word, in the department of attire.  Whereas before the blond had stressed himself about cufflinks and ties and all a manner of other clothes for various situations - and undoubtedly, anything was better than tee-shirts, aviator coke-bottle glasses and corduroy jackets - Loki had shown him the value in dressing down. Dressing up, too, undoubtedly.  "We can go to any club you want, afterwards.  You've got me beat, I can almost guarantee it."

She blinked, confused and convinced for a moment that she’d missed something, too tired or maybe even tipsy though her blood alcohol level had to be well under drunk. She could hold her liqour. No, this guy was strange. She watched with wide eyes as the cigarette practically reignited and he took a drag. No. ‘Still embers,’ she insisted. Still….

Watching the reaction his creation caused was beautiful and he couldn't help smiling around the filter.  The taste in his mouth was disgusting but the theater had been worth it.  As she stepped toward him he extended a hand graciously, as though welcoming her into his arms.  It was subtle, to the point.  Her next sentence widened his smile into a grin.

It wasn’t just his inner thigh being touched, either, that sent shivers down his spine. Oh no. It was that heat, that spark of fire that could be felt even through his clothing, that made it all the more arousing. And with that second touch, the chuckle from Aldrich—because he knew Loki liked it, knew that it was torturous, that it made him want to do very bad, very naughty things to him—it took all of the God’s might not to press as close to him as possible and beg for early birthday sex.

"Mm, better than anything?"  There was a soft crackle as he let the excess heat off, just through the tips of his fingers as not to singe his cuffs.  It was so appealing, seeing Loki squirm for once instead of him.  Damned appealing.  Instead of pressing the matter further, though, he just smiled.

It was touching how Aldrich had been planning this. Loki imagined him, sitting at his desk, planning a trip for the two of them without knowing if the God would agree to it or not—of course he would—all while he was supposed to be doing work. Imagining him planning this in the early morning when he was getting ready for another day. Just the fact he and this trip had been on Aldrich’s mind was enough to get him all giddy, the grin on his face all too big and all too bright, like that of a school child. “Belgium sounds perfect.” And it was. Then again, Loki didn’t particularly care where they went. He trusted Aldrich’s judgement on a suitable country, one that suited both their needs and possessed things they both would like. He was already excited at the thought of being able to spend quality alone time with Aldrich in a beautiful place without having to worry about reality.

It didn't escape his notice, the little way Loki's breath caught in his throat.  He chuckled and watched keenly, sparks of orange from behind his pupils, small veins of fire tracing down his neck along the same path his blood took.  That whisper, too...Torturous.  As the god assured him, Aldrich reined it in, smiling and nodding.  Before he slipped his hand away he let a sharper, harsher spike of heat flash over Loki's skin, then pulled away to stand.

TO ANYONE CHATTING TO SOMEONE ONLINE

Her jaw tensed and relaxed as she watched and considered the offer. There was something familiar about him, like she’d seen him before but only in passing. A glance on the streets? No, she wouldn’t have paid any mind to him then, not without distinguishing features….Aside from being mildly attractive. (Denial) No, she had definitely seen him more than….Was he following her?

It came easily to him to reach out and grab the cigarette she flicked away.  Despite his crimes against humanity from a certain perspective, catching it was both a display of how quick he could be and a nice way to grab her attention, not to mention he wouldn't feel the need to pick it up later.

That stupid grin never once seemed to fade during the entirety of their conversation, situating itself on Loki’s face as if it were taking up residence. It was difficult not to smile when around Aldrich. His presence just exuded a façade that made a normally so intimidating God a giddy little mess. “Averse? No such thing,” he purred, leaning closer, closer, closer until their lips were mere inches away, his free hand idly trailing up the other’s torso. “I would love all of that. But, ah, where exactly would we go?”

Switzerland had been his first thought, when he'd been thinking about this trip,  Between the chocolate and the snow, Loki should have loved the place.  There were memories there that Aldrich wasn't willing to burden him with, though, and he smiled as he offered the alternative he'd come up with.  "Belgium.  I, ah.  Jumped the gun a little bit.  I've been planning this."  His thoughts had been so level, just a moment ago when he'd reigned himself in, but now the god's cool, fine-boned hands were touching his stomach, that inviting and pale mouth so close to his own...

Kyra was on her own, something she was familiar with and quite honestly, the way she preferred it. Noone wanted to share a life like hers, living from day to day between meals and shelters, and who could blame them? She certainly wasn’t upset by the fact. When she’d first run away at sixteen, she’d turned to the obvious, begging; then more desperate measures, going home with any man willing to pay until she decided she’d had enough of that as well. She had a small stash of emergency money for food, but it was easy enough to steal what she needed most of the time. And generally, people left her alone.

The cigarette didn't look like a good fit, oddly, in the woman's mouth.  From here he could smell it, something menthol but it didn't look like the brand his father had smoked... Aldrich didn't care for cigarettes well enough to care about them, though, and he let it slip from his mind lest it ruin his collected state.  On the surface he looked calm, cool, sharp... Did she even recognize him, from when he'd first passed her a year before?  If he could remember, and Extremis made it nearly impossible not to, he'd had longer hair and a limp when he'd first passed her by.  Interesting.

Aldrich’s stumbling never failed to make him smile, and not because it was amusing. Oh, far from it. It was adorable, it was a quirk that Loki had grown fond of, just proof that even this immaculately dressed, poised, intelligent man had aspects to him that made him imperfect. In formal settings, Loki couldn’t recall ever hearing that stutter despite how professional and “uptight” the setting was and that just made it all the better, made him feel special because that stutter only came out when they were alone together. As if it was just for him and no one else.

His heart was pounding but a cautious smile spread across his face.  Don't get cocky, he reminded himself, but he couldn't help it.  "And how about... For longer than that?"  Pause, breathe.  Regulate.  Push down the pulse and relax a little bit.  "What if I wanted to take you somewhere, ah.  For a while?  For more than just dinner?"  Pause, again.  Think it through.  "I mean, if you aren't averse, of course.  Nothing you'd be uncomfortable with."