Part III

'Is this the one you want?' Vridu held up a small glass bottle filled with a turquoise-coloured liquid. There were a good dozen options on offer as part of the party canapes, so his uncertainty was understandable.

Loki cocked his head, considering for a moment whether he wanted to rise from the couch and have a careful look at what he was about to imbibe, then decided he didn't care. These aphrodisiacs were from the Grandmaster's personal stores, not from some nameless shack in the lower quarter. He beckoned Vridu to re-join him on the couch and grinned when the young Arcturian straddled his legs.

'You first, Vridu,' Loki said.

Vridu, who was attending a party hosted by the Grandmaster for the first time, knotted his brows as he uncorked the bottle. Loki slid his fingers up Vridu's thighs, then wrapped his hand around Vridu's and guided the bottle to Vridu's mouth. The Arcturian didn't need more encouragement to pull off the lid and tip the bottle into his mouth. When about half the liquid was gone, he pulled the bottle away from him.

Loki tilted his head back and parted his lips, which bought out a chuckle out of the typically stoic Arcturian. He rested the top of the bottle against Loki's lower lip, then tipped the base of the bottle up. The liquid, viscous and flavoured with spices Loki couldn't name, poured into Loki's mouth. He swallowed quickly. This promised to be a good evening and he was eager to turn promise into reality.

The aphrodisiac took effect almost at once. Loki had used this one before, he recognised the initial effects - the prickling along the line of his spine, the warm aura that every object around him adopted, the wooziness to his thoughts as if he had just drunk a few pints of Asgardian mead.

'Up, my darling.' Loki pinched Vridu's right buttock, drawing a surprised whelp from the Arcturian. 'You're too precious to share. We are going to find a more private place to enjoy each other's company.'

Vridu stuck out his lower lip and groaned. 'Must we? I don't care who's watching. No one here cares.'

'As I said, you're not for sharing.'

Loki drew his hands around Vridu's thin waist and clambered up, taking the Arcturian with him. With that move, Vridu's only choices were to slip backwards and onto the floor or to find his footing. Of course, Loki had chosen his partner wisely. Vridu's adjustment was graceful and realising that he wasn't going to win the debate, he allowed Loki to guide him to the secluded back area of the Grandmaster's greenhouse. Loki had gone on a scouting trip earlier and spotted a wide, seldom-occupied lounge long enough to fit four people. It would suit their needs perfectly.

'Hmm, much quieter here,' Vridu said softly.

He extricated himself from Loki's grasp and shook off his overcoat, revealing the tight shirt beneath. There were about a dozen buckles on the garment. Probably an Arcturian fashion; Loki hadn't seen anything similar on anyone else on Sakaar. But whatever the garment's origin, Loki looked forward to working through those buckles one by one and leaving Vridu trembling by the time Loki divested him of his shirt.

Loki sunk into the lounge and a moment later, Vridu was straddling his legs once more. Loki chuckled. There was no trace of uncertainty or hesitation in Vridu any longer. He leaned in and drew Loki into a kiss. Loki shuddered at the heat of his lips. That was the beauty of Sakaar: so many species, so many surprises. Loki let Vridu take the lead and as the Arcturian slipped his tongue into Loki's mouth, he ran his hands over Loki's torso. Despite the aphrodisiac's effect, Vridu was deft at undoing the buttons on Loki's vest.

'Before this goes any further.'

Loki slid his head to the side, leaving Vridu sighing in protest at the sudden disengagement. It was difficult to focus on anything other than the Arcturian, everything past the lounge had lost its sharpness and seemed to float with every shift of Loki's head. It took a moment to trace the words to a speaker.

'What do you want, Heimdall?' Loki demanded.

Vridu turned around as far as he could while still remaining seated atop Loki's thighs. 'Who are you talking to?'

Heimdall stood a mere two feet away from them. Or, at least his projection was, otherwise Vridu would have been able to see him too. As far as Loki knew, Heimdall didn't possess the skills to make his physical self invisible, let alone only to specific people.

'I told you not to bother me, Heimdall. So what do you want?' Loki pressed. At Vridu's disgruntled whine, he conceded an explanation. 'My apologies, darling. It's a message from my home-world. The messenger is invisible to anyone other than the recipient.'

Heimdall's face didn't physically move, but Loki could have sworn he looked more full of himself than he had ten seconds ago. 'Midgard is under attack. Your brother has gone to assist the Midgardians.'

'Under attack from whom?' Loki patted Vridu on the side of his leg. To his relief, the Arcturian caught the message and slipped off Loki. It was less than comfortable to talk to Heimdall over the shoulder of a man Loki had been about to have sex with.

'If the substances you have been taking haven't addled your mind, you should know the answer.'

The mathematics Loki had to do would have been challenging even on a clear head. The wormholes around Sakaar meddled about with time, then there was the matter of calculating the alignment of the Asgardian calendar to the Midgardian one. Loki frowned as he went through the required mental gymnastics. If this was Thanos, the attack was two months early.

Why? Who's leading it?

Loki ignored Vridu's pouting beside him, although Loki's instinct was to grab Vridu and press him close. 'Why would Thor go?'

'He is the Protector of the Nine Realms,' Heimdall replied. He glanced at Vridu, then focused back on Loki. 'I do not bring any messages directly for you. I merely thought this information about Midgard would be of interest to you.'

Loki glared at Heimdall. The watcher was reputed to be one of the most dutiful men Odin had ever had in his employ. In truth, Heimdall was an insubordinate prick. He simply knew how to bend the letter of the law and the meaning of every order to his will. And he was smug about it. Loki would have admired the talent if it wasn't used to undermine Loki's plans again and again. And now Heimdall was at it once more. Loki had ordered him not to bring any more messages from anyone, whether it be Thor or Frigga or the Norns themselves, so he had turned up to share gossip with Loki instead.

More unpleasant yet, the aphrodisiac was continuing its work. Loki longed for physical touch. He longed to perform all manner of sordid acts until Heimdall had no choice but to turn away and blush like a shy maiden.

Thor always manages to ruin a good party.

'Vridu, darling,' Loki said, careful not to touch the Arcturian - touching would only make his words more difficult to bear for both of them. 'I'm sorry, I have to leave you. There's a situation to be dealt with.'