An old friend {TAG Loki}

Pips was walking around the market, lazily looking around to spot some possible good prey. He had been back in king’s landing for a couple of days now, he decided to flee the countryside when he stared see a house after another burning for the plague. The city looked safer to him, at least at the moment. And there was surely more to steal, with so many people around he could easily go unnoticed. Sure, it was even riskier because of the number of guards around… but it was still worth to try a little theft, especially since he was really starving: he hadn’t had a proper meal since his arrival and now the boy was really looking forward to put something in his empty stomach.

As he noticed a dornish merchant walk around the stands, he though to himself he had found his prey: a foreigner, too busy to look around to actually notice him and also too fat to follow him even in case he did get caught? That was just too good. Pretending to look around, the boy followed the merchant for a while, waiting for the right moment, until the merchant started checking some pretty fabrics. That was it: in a moment Pips passed next to him and with silk touch managed to relieve the merchant of the little burden that his satchel of golden coins was. And it was quite heavy too! Bingo!

Pips thought that was quite fortunate… but maybe the satchel was a bit too heavy for the merchant not to notice its absence. He had done just a few steps when the merchant started yelling “I’ve been robbed!!!” “It was the boy, I saw him!” shit! why couldn’t the other fabric merchant keep his mouth shout? Pips, though, didn’t lose time to sop and ask, he immediately started running and didn’t stop until he was far away, in a small alley were he could hardly be found. He grinned to himself, checking the gold: oh yes, now he could finally eat something!

"Quite impressive there," a voice suddenly spoke up from behind the redhead. "That satchel must weight at least twice as much you, and yet you managed to skip away with it." A little further down the alley, sitting neatly on top of some old and dusty barrels, was the trickster himself looking as smug as ever. "But that merchant was to fat for his tiny feet to carry him anyway, so it wasn't exactly a fair chase," he went on with a small shrugg, noming on his own little treat he just recently had gotten for himself. The crow that was comfrotbly seated on his shoulder cawed then, wich earned a small snort from the theif who then teared off a piece of his sweet bread and tossed it up in the air. The crow took flight after it, easily catching the small treat and then flew off on his merry way.
Jumping down from his seat, Loki gave the redhead a bright smile. "How come you're still taller than me?" he pouted.

As Pips heard a voice behind him, he jumped up, turning around, immediately taking out of his sleeve a small knife, ready to use it. His shock and fear, though, turned immediately into surprise and delight seeing who it was. He put back his knife in its right place, chuckling at the other boy's words, then he observed the crow on his shoulder, quickly flying way as the boy offered him something to eat: no matter for how long he had known, he still couldn't get over the weird relationship the boy had with animals "Good to see you too, Loki" he smirked at the boy, approaching him "How come you're still into mambo jambo with animals?" he teased him as he pouted before he hugged him briefly. If there was one person in the world he was actually happy to see, that one was Loki. "So, where have you been?" he asked letting him go.

Loki chuckled, happily returning the hug. "Beacuse they're cute and fluffly," was his nonchallant reply, sounding like he was stating a fact as he said this. "Also, they're good company," he added with a small shrugg. "Good company with gossips and such~"
Nomming on the last piece of the bread he had, he casually began walking out of the alley, indicating for Pips that the coast was clear and he could relax. "Here and there," he said with a half distracted look. "Been wandering around the forest mostly, just arrived here a few days ago... How about you?"

Pips chuckled again at Loki's reply, waiting for the boy's signal to come out of the alley. Sure, not before he hid once again the golden coins in his pocket. He started walking next to the boy, listening to him before he got to reply with a shrug "Same, more or less. I fled the countryside when the plague started spreading and arrived here a couple of days ago." He couldn't make one more step after he finished to speak, as his stomach decided to speak as well, rumbling for the hunger. Urgh! He desperately needed o eat something! "Hey wanna join me for breakfast? I have enough to share" he grinned, referring to the freshly stolen money. He knew the boy had just eaten something, but in his mind people like them could hardly get enough food. Beside, he knew how to tempt him "We can get some strawberries" he added with a smirk

Loki's grin brithend up a little a the mention of breakfast. Even though he already just ate, it was far from being enough to keep him satisfied. Besides, when having a life like theirs, you ate all the food you got your hands on, satifised or not. There was always a chance it would be one's last meal afterall. Before he could accept such a generous offer, his stomach beat him to it,probably beacuse of the mentions of strawberries. "I'll gladly get myself full with your well earned money then," he smirked, giving the back of Pips head a pat. "But I won't share the strawberries," he added, now happily petting his friend's red hair.

Pips grinned satisfied as first his friend's stomach and then his mouth replied positively to his offer, and then laughed as he affirmed he wasn't going to share the strawberries "I don't need you to share them, I can always steal them to you" he replied sticking his tongue out, playfully, before the boy started petting his hair. He sighed, rolling his eyes "Loki..." he muttered annoyed. Seriously, what did his friend have toward his hair? He would have given his left hand to have Loki's black hair, and instead his friend used every occasion to pet his hair... But oh well, he had given up fighting that, after all it was no use! Approaching a stand that was exposing many kind of sweets, Pips licked his lips, feeling his own stomach grumble again "So... what do we take?"

"Pips," the trickster said back, cheerfully continuing with petting his friend. It was such a pity he couldn't see how pretty his hair really was. Screw all those other morons who kept spitting out nonense. That wa sjust their jealousy speaking, and sicne they couldn't handle it they instead justified themself with bringing Pips down.
As they pproached the stand, Loki left Pips hair alone for the moment, and licking his lips as well a she looked over what they had to choose from. "Everything," he flaltly stated, grinning wickedly up at his older friend. "And if yours ain't enough, I'll gladly help out," he smirked as he held up his own punch of gold coins, the veyr same he had just earned from his little visit to the palace.

Pips was quite relieved when the sweets distracted his friend from his hair, but he had to admit that the cakes had quite distracted him as well from Loki's touch. He grinned at Loki's affirmation: everything sounded quite nice to him, but as the boy showed him his own bag of money he widened his eyes "I see you've been busy too, uh?" he said flatly, but it was evident he was impressed, it wasn't every day that the both of them could carry so much money! "You heard my friend, lady! Give us everything!" he cheerfully spoke to the lady at the stand, passing her the money. Luckily, the gold he had just stolen was enough to cover the whole feast, unluckily though, he also had to spend all of it, except the last coin that he used to buy strawberries from the stand right next to the sweets's one.

"When aren't I busy?" Loki snickerd cheeckily at his friend, giving the lady behind the stand a bright grin as Pips told her to give them everything. As they payed for their little feast, and shared their fair amount to carry after paying for the strawberries as well, the smaller theif then gestured for the readhead to follow him again. The trickster had found a good enough hiding spot for them to enjoy their meal, in one of the old and abandoent buildsing where no one payed attention to anymore. And it was also pretty cozy.
"Oh my beloved how I've missed you~" he sang cheerfully as he digged in on the strawberries first, slumping down ontop of an old blaket on the floor. While nomming on the fruit, he patted at the open space beside him, indicating for Pips to sit. He took out his own bag of money, along with another but empty pouch which he then filled with the half amount of his own money. "Here ya go," he said casually and tossed the pouch to Pips, going back to munching on the sweet fruit.

He took half of the cakes and pastries, as well as the strawberries, and carried them, letting Loki carry the rest and following the boy, after all he gathered his friends had managed to gain more informations about the place... he actually always did, thanks to his ability to chat with rats and birds! He quite liked the abandoned building he boy found, it was peaceful and quite cozy! As he started unpacking the sweets, he heard Loki sang cheerfully: he was perfectly aware he was talking to the fruit, but he still couldn't stop himself from replying in a teasing tone "Oh I'm touched, I didn't know you could miss me so much, Loki!" As he finished to unpack the cakes and decided to try first a sweet-looking honey cake, he sat beside the boy, where he was inviting him to do so, and caught the bag the other thief passed him. He wasn't expecting the boy to give him the money back, that was a gift from him, but he wasn't going to say no if Loki preferred to split up "Thanks~" he replied with a smirk before he took a big bite of the honey cake.

Loki snickerd at his friend's teasing, pretending to swon and fall into his embrace. Or in hits case, his lap. "But of course I have! I've been counting the days sicne we last parted, dreaming about the day i'd get to see your lovely hair again," he grinned, reaching up and pulling at some of Pips red locks until their noses almost touched. The trickster chuckled in delight before letting go, but didn't move to get up quite. Pips lap was a really good pillow.
But joking aside, of course the trickster had missed the redhead. He was some he could actually trust in, without feeling the need to keep an extra eye open or worry about getting stabbed in the back. With Pips, he could simply just relax, for real.

Pips chuckles, amused by Loki's answer, only to roll his eyes as Loki mentioned his hair. Still though, he kept on smiling. As Loki's touched Pips's nose with his, the other boy moved back, making some more space between them. Even though he trusted Loki and he knew he wouldn't try anything weird, it still didn't stop him from being uncomfortable for such closeness, and he knew Loki knew. He was just lucky he actually trusted him enough to let him stay so close, anyone else would have found himself with a knife in their back! Not Loki, though... even if he teased him like that, he was too much of a friend, the only actual friend Pips had, to even get mad at him. "Comfortable?" he asked flatly, wondering for how long the male was going to use him as a pillow. Then seeing Loki's strawberry lying not far from his reach and having already finished his cake, Pips stretched a hand and took one, bringing it between his lips, grinning toward Loki: if he was going to tease him like that, then he was going to steal one of his strawberries, it was as easy as that.

Loki snorted, poking Pips on the nose as an apology for the sudden closeness. He knew how his friend felt about that, and respected it of course. Loki just tended to gett overly clingly to those few he cared about, and sometimes forgot himself.
"Yes, quite," he said back just as flatly, winking playfully up at the redhead. "Though it'd be better if you gain some weight, i don't like my pillows bony," he pouted.
Then he closed his eyes, deciding to just relax and enjoy the 'bony' pillow anyway, but then peeked one open as he felt Pips stretch his hand out. When he spotted the strawberrie, he faked a horrifed gasp, and was quick to sit up, still in Pips lap. "We've been over this Reddie, no one messed with my strawberries," he pouted childishly, taking a bite of another cake Pips had boguth without tearing his eyes away from the other, faking a very serious looking expression.

Pips shook his head at he boy's comment, though he grinned in amusement: it was also funny how it was Loki to ask such a thing, he that was even thinner than Pips himself! And still, he didn't seem to mind too much how 'bony' he was, since he stayed exactly where he was. Pips let him do it, if there was one person he could allow so close to himself that one was Loki.
He laughed at Loki's comment about the strawberries, and especially at his expression, but still he couldn't resist taking a new one after swallowing the first "Hey, you just asked for a less bony pillow... I'm just providing some filling" he replied joking cheerfully before he put another strawberry between his lips, childishly showing the other boy.

Loki pouted at the redhead, somehow succeeding to look even more boyish than he already was. "Then use something else to 'fill you up' then," he whined, giving Pips a warning look as he reached for another strawberrie. "Those fruits are reseverd for me only."
Loki gave the his friend a blank look at first, before suddenly leaning in and snatching back the strawberries with his mouth. He had on purpose let their noses brush against each other as he did this, and gave Pips his trademark smirk as he pulled away, now happily nomming away on the red little treat.
Well, the trickster did warn him.

Pips was about to laugh at he boy's remark, when suddenly, before he could chew and swallow the piece of fruit, Loki bent toward him and stole it with his mouth. Pips looked in shock and horror as the friend brushed his nose against him, using his mouth to take back the strawberry... damn, he could even feel their lips touch! He squealed, starting to rub his hands on his mouth, trying to erase even the memory of their brief touch from his skin "Loki you're disgusting!!!" Pips complained, still rubbing on his mouth: it was just stronger than him, such physical touch made him more uncomfortable than he could handle!

Delighted laughter emitted from the trickster, who almost fell backwards at his friend's over dramatic reaction. Of course he knew the redhead would react this way, that's exactly why he did it. But Pips only has himself to blame really, the trickster had been nice enough to want him afterall. After all these years the older should've expected something like this from the smaller thief. "I swear, you're too adorable for your own good," he chuckled, offering the guy another piece of pastry as an apology.
"You know, someday there'll pop up someone you actually do want to wrestle your tounge with," he said bluntly after a moment, talking all nonchallantly as he brought this up as if speaking about the weather. "You should practice for that day!" he added cheerfully. "Want me to teach you~?"
Was he still teasing the redhead? Yes. Yes he was.

Loki's laughter only pissed Pips off more. Urgh! He jus couldn't stop rubbing his lips with his hand! Why did the other male had to do such a thing? Stupid prankster! As Loki's unwelcome comment about how adorable he was he snorted, still frowning, but he accepted the pastry and took immediately a bite hoping to wear away from his mouth the memory of that brief contact.
He had just the time to finish the little cake that Loki spoke up again. The idea of him wanting to 'wrestle his tongue with someone', to put it as Loki did, was simply disgusting and made him urn up his nose. Beside, he had tried with a couple of women and he had found it absolutely not enjoyable.
"Want me to punch you?" he replied echoing the boy, no appreciating Loki's teasing, and he had always been a hot-head, easy to get angry. Not that he would actually get angry at Loki... but there still was a chance he would punch him.

"I'd rather you not," Loki replied back easily, that smug and delighted smirk of his still intact. Seriously, sometimes Pips just made it a little to easy for him to tease. But, that was also just one reason among many others to why the trickster was so overly found of him. "Here, have another cake~" he offerd cheerfully, handing Pips another piece of the many treats they have.

He rolled off of the his friend's lap, and instead settled down beside him as he happily munched away on the rest of the strawberries. "But seriously though, you won't always be disgusted by it," he went on casually. "Women just don't happen to be your thing maybe." He wnet silent for a seocnd looking a little thoughtful. "Or maybe you're just to picky~"

Pips stared at Loki's usual smirk still frowning: he was perfectly aware he boy was just teasing him, he had known him long enough to know what a prankster he was, but still h never learnt just to play along. Where Loki was a tease and a joyful prankster, he was a touchy and cranky hot-head: it was a miracle, really, that those two could be friends! And still and yet, no matter how much Loki kept teasing him and no matter how upset Pips could get for that... Pips still enjoyed greatly the time he could spend with the other boy.
He accepted the second cake, but grimaced as Loki spoke up again, keeping on with the topic. And even suggesting his problem might simply be with women... now, he didn't have any ethical problem toward people being attracted by the same gender, and he knew Loki didn't have those problems as well, but he still found the thought disgusting and unsettling. "Or maybe I'm just not interested in this stuffs... will you knock it off already?" He didn't like to talk about such subjects. It wasn't like he didn't have any sexual impulse... damn, he did masturbate! But... sharing such intimacy with another person... that wasn't pleasurable, that was only weird and uncomfortable!

Loki chuckled again, unable to resist ruffling up his friend's red hair. "You're like a child who just learned what sex is," he stated amused, poking Pips on the cheek. As much as Loki enjoyed teasing the other on this matter, he could still understand why Pips was so opposed to the subject. Who knows, had Loki been born into the life Pips ha fromt he start, he'd probably wouldn't be so found of it either. Then again, he didn't have the best experiencess with it either... he just had a whole different way to deal with it.

And just like that, that damn Targaryen bastard popped up in his mind, reminding him of their last encouter in the secret passages. Normally, things like that couldn't make him blush. Nothing could really make the trickster blush.... and yet now he still felt his cheeks heat up at the memory. His ass still hurt a bit.
His expression still stayed casual and unreadbale though as he merely continued eating the fruits.

Pips simply rolled his eyes at he boy's comment. Honestly, why did he have to say such things? Beside, it wasn't like he didn't know what sex was or like he hadn't experimented it himself... He just couldn't see why people considered it so pleasurable... or ho people like Loki could play along with it so easily! It wasn't like his friend had had a pleasurable past with such matters either... he didn't know the whole story, but he did know that much, and still Loki had no boundaries when it came to such subjects.
Shaking these thoughts from his mind, he took a huge bite from the lemon cake Loki had given him and looked away for a moment, before he went back to look at his friend. And... even if his expression was the usual... he could see his cheeks blush. But Loki never blushed! "Are you ok?" he asked frowning, trying to look the boy in the eyes,

"Of course I am," Loki replied back all nonchalant, keeping his gaze locked straight ahead of them where nothing in particular was. "I have strawberries," he added with a blank expression, throwing yet another fruit into his mouth. Even if he had managed to will the blush away, the trickster didn't look as content as he had just a minute ago. Now there is instead a light frown on his face, his eyebrow twitching now and then in what one would guess was annoyance.
"Say..." he spoke up then, voice still flat and unreadble. "You didn't think I was walking funny or anything now right?" he asked casually.

Pips had known Loki for too long no to understand he was lying. Or at least that there was more that he didn't want to share. And even if curiosity was eating him alive now, he wasn't going to bother the friend with unwanted questions. "No, you were fine..." he replied flatly, taking a new bite of his cake and then passing Loki anther cake that had cream on it and a strawberry on top. He wouldn't ask, and he wouldn't bother Loki nor give him unwanted pity, but when he got that something was off with his friend he always tried to be nicer, even if in a subtle way "Hey, I guess that since there's a strawberry on here, that should be yours..."