The night was an eternal shadow as Loki and Thor set off for the brothel. A notorious London fog had set in and aided them in becoming nearly invisible as they walked briskly down the lane to the front gate of the manor. Loki shivered against the harsh night air. It was as if thousands of icy needles were attacking his face and the exposed skin of his neck. Thor on the other hand seemed completely comfortable. Then again the cold probably couldn't pierce through his hefty body mass.

A loyal servant had been thoughtful enough to leave the gate slightly ajar for a small fee. It was nothing that either brother would miss and the favor had made for an easy escape. The walk from their properly to the less wealthy side of town was a formidable one, but neither brother complained. In fact, their journey was a silent one. Loki was still frustrated with the sum of Thor's inheritance and had no desire to speak to him. If he had felt comfortable enough with the action, he would have gone to the brothel himself.

When they arrived at the dilapidated door in the grungy alleyway, the night was still young but the fog was evaporating. "We should be quick," Thor suggested quietly, "The fog is our ally. Without it we are left to fend for ourselves."

"I understand," Loki said flatly.

Thor knocked twice on the door and the two young men waited for a few moments. The familiar red-head answered once again. She smiled warmly to both of them. "Good evening, gentlemen."

"Good evening," the two young men replied.

"I'm assuming you wish to hold company with Sif?" the woman said to Thor almost teasingly.

Thor bit back a smile, "You know me too well, Greta."

So that is the woman's name, Loki realized.

"Very well." She stepped aside and allowed Thor to pass.

"And you?" she asked Loki flatly.

He cleared his throat, "I wish to hold company with Amora."

Greta smirked and stepped aside. "She's in the parlor with a few of the others. You can fetch her from there."

Loki confidently walked past her but his confidence shrank a bit as he heard the laughter of women floating down the hall. He swallowed once and followed it. The walls were papered with a dingy flower patterned wall paper. The floor was bare and the dark boards creaked beneath his feet. He came to a door at the end of the hall and could hear voices from beyond it. He pushed it open and his heart froze and forgot to beat.

There were half a dozen women draped over velvet sofas and wooden chairs. There was a strong odor of alcohol and perfume. All at once every eye was on him. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he scanned the room looking for Amora.

"Who's this one?" a soft feminine voice slurred from the sofa. A pretty dark haired girl in a thin pink night gown appeared to be the owner of the voice. She stood up, faltered drunkenly, and made her way toward him. "I don't think I've ever seen him before." Her thin hips swayed casually as she walked. Something about her made him uneasy. It was as if she hadn't eaten in days. Her thin nightgown revealed too much for his tastes. She was standing inches from him and he could see the vague outline of her chest, collar bones, and probably most alarming, her nipples.

"I'm here to see Amora," Loki said shakily as he looked about the room to identify the blonde and focus his attention on something other than the petite woman's breasts which were now brushing up against his arm.

"Oh you're no fun," the woman pouted. She quickly regained her composure, "I used to be in the ballet you know. I'm very flexible."

Loki's eyes widened and his search for Amora became increasingly more frantic. He spotted her in the corner of the room, curled up in a velvet arm chair. She had a book in her hands which she placed on the arm of her chair in a way that would keep her place.

"Evie, please, you're embarrassing yourself," she teased as she got up to restrain the other woman.

"Why do you always get the good-looking ones?" Evie whined.

She helped Evie back to her seat on the couch. There was humor in her eyes, she had obviously enjoyed watching the girl make a fool of herself. She probably enjoyed Loki's uncertain reaction even more. When Evie was comfortably back in her seat Amora turned to her patron, "Shall we?"

She lead him by the hand back to the hallway and they ascended the narrow flight of stairs to the second story. He was lead into Amora's room and he was suddenly incapable of controlling himself. He meant to shut the door but he was filled with a sudden burst of adrenaline so it slammed instead. Amora spun around to face him, wearing an expression of confusion. She had only seen his gentle side and she had assumed it was his only side.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. He pressed his lips to hers and she reacted instantly. The fingertips of one hand tangled in his dark hair and the other hand was cupping him almost forcefully. He groaned into her lips and she parted them for him. His tongue snaked into her mouth as her back bumped gently against the wall beside the door. He wasn't aware that they had moved at all, but he didn't much care about anything except her right now. He used a free hand to hoist her leg onto his hip. Her body was caged against the wall by his and he ground his hips forward into hers. She moaned in response, and pulled him closer to her. The extra hormones rushing through his veins made him feel reckless and somewhat brave. He decided to lift her other leg and she instinctively wrapped it around him, crossing her ankles behind his back.

They stopped kissing, their eyes met, and she raised an eyebrow. She was surprised as well as intrigued at his newfound confidence and assertion. "I apologize for my hastiness," he said quickly.

She laughed once but said nothing and continued to kiss him. Her breath was sweet and he swore he could taste the traces of alcohol on it. He bunched her skirt up and was pleased, and somewhat shocked to realize she hadn't bothered donning any undergarments. He unbuttoned his pants and revealed his erection. He slid into her with one motion and she whimpered with pleasure.

He slid in and out of her effortlessly and he could feel her heat growing with the increased friction. He took to sucking and licking her neck. The smell of her floral perfume overloaded his senses. It was once again an entirely new experience for him. He wasn't accustomed to something so shameless as this. It was complete animalistic desire that drove him at this point. The heat and pleasure was building up and he craved a release. Her soft breath whispering his name at his earlobe was enough to send him over the edge and she soon followed. Her legs quaked around his waist and she shouted his name. If it hadn't sounded so sweet he would have cupped a hand over her mouth.

He replaced himself into his pants and buttoned them up. Amora fixed her dress back to its original state and smirked at him.

"What?" he said blankly.

"What came over you tonight, darling?" she asked, her grin widening. She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I've been rather…strained as of late," Loki explained. He fished around in his pocket for her payment.

She stood on her tiptoes and whispered to the skin just below his ear, "Perhaps you wouldn't be so strained if you came to visit me more often."

A shiver quaked down his spine and he replied quietly, "Now that's an idea." He took her hand in his and turned it over, placing his payment gently in her palm. Her fingers closed around it and she looked up at him with a smile on her face.

"You don't owe me this much," she pointed out. His eyes washed over her face, her flushed lips, her blushing cheeks, and her eyes that were comparable to priceless gems.

"Yes I do," he replied. He stepped away from her, instantly missing the warmth of her body pressed against his. He turned and opened the door. He paused before leaving the room and turned around. "Good night, Amora."

"Good night, Loki," she replied and he left, closing the door behind him.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Why choose this life?" Thor asked. His voice was deep and mellow after his encounter with Sif. He lay out on his back, completely naked, and wrapped in Sif's soft patterned sheets. She stopped rifling through her bureau and turned to him. He quietly drank in the sight of her pale figure and inky cascading curls. She thought for a second before answering.

"I chose it, because I did not wish to live as a Blacksmith's wife."

"You were a Blacksmith's wife?" Thor laughed, "He must be infuriated with himself in losing such a fine woman."

She laughed, "No, Thor. I was to marry him, but I did not love him. My father couldn't afford to feed me anymore so he simply wanted another man to assume that burden. Now I'm fully capable of feeding myself." She seemed pleased with herself and continued to search her bureau.

Thor sat up and began to dress himself. He managed to button his pants and get his arms through his shirt before he recalled the gift he had brought for Sif. He snatched his coat off the floor and rummaged through the pockets. His hand enclosed on something cool and metallic. He produced the hair brush and reached around Sif to place it atop her dresser. She picked it up immediately and smiled. She turned to him. "I am blessed with such a generous patron, but I can't accept this."

"Why not?" Thor asked raising his eyebrows. While Amora had been his favorite, he had showered her in small trinkets and she had been more than happy to accept them all.

"It's so…lovely, and I…"

"You could give me a lifetime of reasons as to why you can't accept my gift, but I'm still going to give it to you," Thor said sternly.

"Must you always be so stubborn?" she tried to seem stern but her smile gave her away.

"Yes." was Thor's reply. He finished buttoning his shirt and throwing on his coat.

Sif redressed herself in a fresh silk night gown. (Thor promised he would replace her old one since it was his fault that it tore). Just as Thor was leaving Sif shook her head and called "Thank you" after him.

"You're welcome," he replied as he shut the door behind him