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Odin Borson had not lost his left eye in the battle against the Jotunns, like some falsely assumed. He sacrificed it over a thousand years ago, to drink from the well of wisdom.
So, when Loki had been captured by Thor and was presented before him, the Allfather knew.

He knew that Loki's scepter was crafted as a vessel of the mind stone. One of six stones, that held unparalleled power. Power not even the "God of Mischief" was capable to control.

Therefore, he was well aware that the other had acted under it's influence when he had wielded the scepter and attacked the mortals with the help of the Chitauri. Furthermore he had been told by Heimdall, that while he had attempted to conquer Midgard, Loki's eye color had changed.

The natural green of his had been replaced by an eerily shining blue. An unmistakable sign that his mind had been tangled with.

However, many of his committed deeds took place before he had made contact with the mind stone.

Deeds which can neither be forgiven or forgotten frivolously.

Deeds which are classified as high treason.

Deeds traditionally punished with death.

It must have been Frigga's love, Thor's everlasting goodwill, or Odin's recent weariness, that shaped his words when he chose a more lenient approach for the dark-haired man he had once considered his son.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For the first time in a long while, Loki was left speechless. He had expected that Odin would take his time to announce a harsh verdict. However, before he had received his sentence, never could he have anticipated this.

In fact, he had prepared for the worst.
After all the Allfather wasn't known for to be clement or forgiving.

So what had happened to the old man, while he was away?

Had he gone senile?

If that had finally come true, it would be all the easier to overturn him.

The former prince had difficulties keeping his solemn mien intact, while he was still in the throne room. The urge to let out a guffaw overwhelming. To his advantage he had hundreds of years of training to keep his expressions under control.

After the guards had escorted him out of Odin's sight, to his chambers and locked him inside, he was finally alone.

Eventually his lips curled up and his eyes glimmered with mischief.
He felt a strong magic pulsating through the thick stone walls of his rooms. Encompassing his whereabouts completely. Reminding him of the kind of force fields, they were using for the dungeon cells deep underneath the palace. The kind Loki didn't know the specific structure of or how to get through.
Yet.

A second later a small flame was burning above his right palm.

Excellent, just like he had hoped for. His ability to cast spells was unimpeded.

He was truly astonished at their stupidity. How naive they were to leave his seidr unbound. Did they really think he wouldn't eventually find his way out of here?
It couldn't be that hard to rip those barriers apart.
Ultimately, there was very little he couldn't achieve if he could use his true power.

Sooner or later he would get out and then they would bitterly regret their former leniency.

______________________

Weeks later, in which he had fruitlessly tried to get out, he realised that he could not use his full powers inside his chambers like he originally thought. And as time went by, it only worsened.
The more he tried to get out, the weaker his seidr turned out to be.

As though that wasn't enough torture already, he heard heavy footsteps in front of his chambers.

Well known footsteps.

Thor.

The old man had told him of the many things the golden prince would have to do, in order to restore peace in the Nine Realms.

So what was he doing here?
Had he already completed his tasks? Had he successfully undone the damage Loki had caused?
And what was his motivation to see him?
Did he come here to punish him further? To bleat? Or did the golden prince of Asgard want to sneer at him?
But most importantly, wasn't he aware, that he wouldn't be able to visit him?

While Loki couldn't leave his chambers, nobody could enter as well. Food and other necessities were brought to him through simple teleportation spells, that could not be cast from the inside of course.

When he still had the power to, he had tried to cast them so many times that he had fainted from exhaustion.

Upon hearing the buffoon knock on his doors nevertheless, he frowned. The moron was obviously asking for entrance. Why had he even expected Thor's few intact brain cells to comprehend the situation?
He spared him an answer.

However, instead of a boisterous complain from the golden prince, he only heard a soft clicking noise from the lock. And to his utter surprise, Thor was indeed able to open the door and set foot on his deep green brocade carpet.

Wide-eyed Loki stumbled a few feet backwards ere he finally regained his composure. How was that possible?! Even his- Frigga could only visit him through astral projection. Why was he allowed inside?

"What do you want?"

The tension in his voice surprisingly real.

"Loki! I just returned from my mission. The Nine Realms are finally at peace again.
When I gave an account of the last few weeks, Mother told me everything.
I heard about the power of the scepter and know now it controlled you as well...
I'm glad that you are back, brother!"

The golden prince beamed. Relief and utter happiness shining from his bright blue eyes.
Fast to overcome the distance and about to catch Loki in a crushing hug. Though never able to reach him.

Glad that he was still capable to duck away in time and cast a light stunning spell, but in the same amount furious that this was all he could do, he brought some distance between them again.

What would he do, if it meant that he still could conjure a dagger out of thin air to stab Thor with it, like he was used to...

With quickened breathing he glowered at the blonde Asgardian.
Baffled blue eyes returned his gaze.

"You really think you figured me out?
What do you think I am?
Nothing but a useless pawn? Manipulated to fulfill the wish of others?!"

It was true.
At least in some way.
In another, it had been Loki's own wish to pay Midgard a visit.

The chance to take something from Thor that he held dear and turn it against him, had been the bait the sorcerer couldn't resist.

However, he hadn't intended to attack or reign Midgard. If anything, he had something entirely different in mind. Something that would have involved all of Thor's friends, not just Erik Selvig.

It was like he had already told the other before his fall. Loki never truly had a wish for a throne. All he ever wanted was to be Thor's equal.
A wish that would never come true.

"I am neither your brother, nor your friend!
In fact, I would rejoice at never having to lay eyes on you again! The faster you accept that, the better.
And now do me the favor and leave me alone."

Voice bitter now. All the more cutting. The trapped caster lay as much spite into them as he could muster.
His every intention to hurt the man before him. If he couldn't do it with his spells, his daggers,
he was forced to use his most dangerous weapon.
His words.

While he spoke he had conjured up a weak gust. It was scarcely enough to push the momentarily stunned prince all the way to the doors. Though Loki was well aware that it was an impossible task, he tried to force him through the magical barrier with all his might.

Damn.
Like he had anticipated.

While the golden prince had surpassed the barrier effortlessly earlier, now he was just being pushed against it. There really was no other way, than to lift the gust and get Thor to leave voluntarily.

Loki's breathing had turned erratic now. Green eyes grim. He bit his lip, not stopping when he tasted blood. Because he had to hinder his mouth from screaming out in frustration. From revealing how weak and vulnerable he truly was.

Wearily lifting the pushing spell, he turned around. Not able to look Thor in the eyes any longer.

He expected an uproar.
A fight.
The familiar storm the golden prince was famous for.

He didn't presume the infringed tone in Thor's voice, when he heard the reply.

"I didn't know you thought like that..."

Additionally, he never would have guessed that the future king of Asgard were to leave just like that. Even closing the doors quietly behind him.

Waiting for the footfalls to decrease, making sure the other one was out of earshot, Loki finally allowed himself to scream.

Giving vent to all his chagrin, his pain and his despair.

______________________

Only a few hours passed ere Frigga's projection materialized in his chambers.

Upon feeling the familiar wave of her magic, Loki looked up from his book and changed into a sitting position on the divan. Faintly wondering if Thor was the only one who was permitted to visit him physically. Then he regarded her with rapt attention.

She peered disappointedly at him. Her hands folded in front of her golden dress. Ready to scold him like she did back then. Like he had deliberately hurt someone with his daggers again.

Albeit, instead of giving him a lecture, she sat down on one of the cushioned settles in front of him. Taking her time to study his current condition and that of his room.

She sighed knowingly after a few moments. Her voice indulgent.

"What happened?"

"Thor visited."

He knew that she awaited a more detailed explanation, but he was exhausted and didn't wish to talk about it. Not even with her.

She nodded, her features turning gentle. Her gaze wandered behind him, unfocused.

"I ran into him afterwards. He seemed to be distraught.
But he didn't want to share what happened either."

She shook her head somberly.

Frigga wasn't here to pry, she only wanted to help Thor. Help him. Even though he wasn't her real son, she still acted like the considerate mother she had always been.

Loki couldn't begrudge her for it, nor did he wish to see her saddened like this.
A heavy sigh left his lips, already regretting what he was about to do.
It took him a lot of effort, but he started to tell her of the past year nevertheless. He began with his plans to interrupt Thor's coronation and ended with his visit a few hours ago.
He left out the horrible details of his stay with Thanos and the Other, along with some of the things that happend on Midgard.

She let him speak without saying anything until he finished.
Her expression turning from compassion to shock to horror and finally back to compassion.
Tears welling up in her eyes.

At the end she wrapped her arms around him and to his own surprise he let her do without a single protest.

After what felt like an eternity in her arms, she let him go and bowed down to him.

"I have to apologize.
It was my fault, as well as your father's, that you went down this dark path."

He frowned at the word father.

"We were in the wrong. We should've told you the truth about your heritage.
Should've made sure, that you were accepted by everyone. That you were treated Thor's equal. I was blind to your suffering, as well as to Thor's faults.
And I am deeply sorry about this. I love you, my son.
I hope you can forgive me someday, even if I will never forgive myself for it."

Loki was once more bereft of words.

He felt his eyes burning.

How did he deserve a mother like Frigga?

______________________

Late at night he pondered about the two contrariant visits of the day.

Both had left him on the verge of spilling tears for entirely different reasons.

But he didn't let himself cry.
Not even now.
Alone in his own bed.
Eyes burning again.
He was too proud and too stubborn to allow this weakness to control him.

Though the dark-haired man had never planned to tell anyone his story, he had told his mother today. Not only because it would reveal insights he didn't want to share. But he never thought someone would care about his perspective.

Before, when he had tried to tell someone about his worries or how he felt, it was being talked down, brushed aside. Like Thor did after he kidnapped him from the SHIELD airplane.
Imagined slights, had he called it.

The golden prince had claimed to care about him, to have mourned his death.
Only Loki knew, it was nothing but a lie.

He never once took him seriously when he had an opposing idea.
When he didn't agree with his plan. Making fun of his perspective, his methods and even his feelings.

Back when Loki hadn't known about his true parentage, he had believed in his brothers sympathy. Had always found excuses for Thor's self-absorbed, cruel behavior.
Thinking it was only a mask to hide the others true kind heart.

Now he knew the truth.

But why did Thor's fake concern still hurt so much?

Deep down he had a clue.

There was something he had never accepted and never would.
Something that he had banned into the deepest corner of his mind.
Because he had difficulties to control it otherwise.
Because it wanted to be let out.

______________________

It took three days for Thor to visit him again.

This time he awaited Loki's answer to his knock, before he set foot into his chambers.

He was evidently nervous. Wearing the same expression, he had worn right before his failed coronation took place. Additionally, he was kneading his hands.

Loki feared what was to come. For Thor to act like this, not even trying to hide his nerves, he had to disclose something horrible.

"What-"

He tried to keep his tone neutral when he began to quethe, only to be bereft of air upon Thor's following actions.

The blonde prince did the unfathomable. He fell to one knee in front of him - the jotun born, the disgraced prince, who had betrayed them - incling his head even. It took him a few moments to finally speak up.
Voice remorseful.

"I came to apologize."

Loki wanted to laugh, to make fun of him, but he was frozen instead.

Not able to comprehend what was happening before him.

Did he dream?

"I never realised how careless and selfish I acted. How poorly I treated you. I let my insecurities taint my behaviour.
I should've listened to you. Should've taken your concerns seriously.
You were in the right so many times and I couldn't handle it.
Made fun of you for it...
I was a cruel friend and an awful brother!
For that I am deeply sorry. "

Loki was unable completely baffled, though he felt his treacherous eyes burn again .
And to his utter horror he couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They started to fall from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks unbridled. Ultimately caught in the collar of his dark grey tunic.

He wanted to die of embarrassment.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thor had spoken to his mother earlier in the morning.

What she had told him broke his heart. He finally understood why Loki thought him bovine. Unkind.

After they finished their conversation, he was restless, remorseful. His only wish to see his brother and apologize to him.
Hoping it wasn't too late already.

He looked back up after Loki took uncharacteristically long to say something or react in any other way to his heartfelt apology. Shocked he noticed the tears streaming down his brothers face. He had the strong urge to hug him. Comfort him.

Hesitantly he stood back up, closing the distance between them slowly. Expecting to get shoved away, to be attacked.
He would deserve it.

When he touched Loki's right shoulder tenderly, the dark-haired prince turned immediately away from him.

But he didn't attack him, nor did he shrug the hand off.

Thor considered this a win and contemplated for a few moments if he should take it a step further. If he could hug him from behind. However, he didn't do so. The younger one had always hated hugs, even back then.
Back when they were still brothers...

Instead, he rested his forehead gingerly on Loki's shoulder and mumbled how sorry he was.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This moment of peace lasted for a few minutes, until Loki's tears stopped and he eventually found his voice again. His first action was to bring some much needed distance between them.

By the time he was a few feet away, he tried to clear his throat silently. With the help of a simple spell, his face was dry and his eyes clear again. To his shame it took him some courage to turn around and look at Thor again.
When he finally did, he avoided the gaze of the bright blue eyes before raising his voice. It sounded disgracefully hoarse instead of the resolute tone he had aimed for.

"Don't expect everything to be fine again."

The blonde prince only nodded acceptingly. This was definitely new, but welcome nonetheless.

Before he could send him away, Thor made his way to the entrance doors of his chambers on his own, as if he knew it was Loki was about to say next. However, before he left, he turned around one more time and searched his gaze again.

"If there's anything I can do to compensate for my past behaviour, please let me know."

Then he congeed formally and left.
Leaving Loki to his spinning thoughts.

By the norns...
Did Thor, the almighty buffoon of a prince, really apologize to him?!

______________________

Loki wasn't naive, he had been well aware that his mother would share his story with Thor. He knew she only wanted the best for them. That she would try to make Thor understand what he had done. Try to form him into a better person, maybe even a better king. And that she for wanted them to get along once again.
So he hadn't asked her to keep it a secret in the first place.
No, he had even hoped she would finally scold Thor.
The buffoon more than deserved it.

However he had expected the golden prince would remain ignorant, or should he call it cruel? And would either not believe Lokis intentions in the first place or deny his own mistakes.
But he got an apology instead.
The first apology from Thor in decades.

And know he didn't get enough time to consider if Thor could be serious about his apology or if he had just done it to please their mother - Was it even possible for him to change in such a short amount of time? - because early on the next day he was back. Asking for entrance once again.

This time he brought some things along with him. Books and scrolls from the royal library. Guidances, publications and notes about different kinds of seidr.
Well-known ones Loki had studied for the better part of his childhood.

As to be expected.
Thor had never paid attention back then and knew not, that he could recite every word of the scripts from memory. He knew it was meant to be a nice gesture, an olive branch even, but it only reminded him how self-centered Thor was.
Or at least used to be.

The golden prince probably hoped for gratitude, but Loki could only offer a frown in return.

Thor's lips were showing his disappointment for a few seconds, ere he fake smiled again. Then he left.

______________________

Repeating this procedure every day for the next month, the blonde prince returned with different gifts each time.

Mostly other books and scrolls from the library. Some new robes, some trophies from their childhood and a valuable emerald necklace, he must have lent out from the royal treasure.

Alongside with food and drinks of the best quality, even a few of Loki's favorites among them.

It was exhausting.

______________________

Weeks later, when he realised how unimpressed Loki still was, he brought him his favorite daggers as a gift.

When he noticed them, the former prince became nostalgic for a second. A slight smirk on his lips. Then he sighed heavily and finally offered his thoughts about the recompense.

"You can neither buy my absolution, nor my affection."

Words milder than he intended them to be.

Thor seemed distraught nevertheless. He was about to say something, before Loki spoke up again.

"I know you mean well, you giant buffoon. You never bothered yourself so much before, just to prove that you're sorry."

Forming a thin and overly tired smile.
Which was returned within seconds with a beaming, overjoyed grin from Thor.

The blonde prince had probably realised by now, that he didn't liked to be hugged, because he only closed the distance to lay his heavy hands on Loki's shoulders and squeeze them. To his own delight even carefully so.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Loki knew what the other was asking about. Thor had obviously heard some of the story already, he wouldn't have apologized like this if he hadn't.

He contemplated the request for a moment.
Even if he had decided to share a part of his thoughts and experiences with his mother, he didn't know if he was ready to retell them and this time directly to Thor.

However that was not even his main concern, because even though he was sure Frigga hadn't shared everything he told her with the golden prince, he was sure Thor was now asking about the things he had deliberately left out, the things that were better kept in the dark for the rest of eternity.
Or were they not?
Some definitely, while others...
And Thor had been patient, more so considering his eager nature...
But Loki shook his head nonetheless.

"I would have shared with mother by now, if I wished to talk about the details of the fall and what happened after."

It came out as a taunt, even if it was true. He would rather tell Frigga than his brother about it. But honestly he only wished to forget about this time.

His brother's expression turned from happy to dejected once again. Shoulders suddenly slump. Blue eyes round and sad now. Reminding him of a kicked puppy.

Argh.
Damn him.
He wished to be immune to this pitiful demeanor, but he was not.

Maybe it was for the better if he were to share what he knew about Thanos, his greedy wish to collect all six infinity stones and their powers. He was far outside of the mad titans reach now and he would do anything to keep it that way, so he raised his voice again.

"Call for mother. She should hear this as well."

______________________

Attentively they listened to his every word. Thor seemed like he wanted to interrupt him now and then, to ask a question or comment the said, but held back.

Of course Loki still refrained from sharing the details of his absence.

What they did to him.
What they made him do.

He was visibly tired when he finished the recount and slumped back in the armchair he was sitting in.

The last thing he noticed was how his eyelids got heavier and his thoughts drifted away.

______________________

Haunted by nightmares, he was glad to wake up again.

Thor and Frigga were still present in his rooms, even though the light outside the windows already faded away. It must have been hours since he suddenly fell asleep. Both were standing near the balcony now. Talking quietly, careful not to wake him.

His mother was the first to notice that he was with them again.
She said something to Thor, too soft for Loki to hear and his brother left the room. But not without glancing worriedly in his direction, making sure he was alright.

After the blonde prince left, the sorcerer noticed that he wasn't sitting in the armchair any longer, but lay on his divan. He would probably have been on his bed, hadn't he cast a protection spell on this part of his chambers long ago, so nobody but him could enter. Wanting a place just for him.

His brother must've carried him...
And probably not in the way the other upheld him, when he was forced to play "Get help".

Probably more in the way Thor would carry his future bride over the doorstep on their wedding night.

Distracted by this thought, he didn't pay attention to his mother and was a little startled when she suddenly touched his cheek.

"Thank you for telling us. It must have been hard to share for you."

Then she began to caress his hair like she had used to, when he was but a child.

Even though he already slept through half of the day, he calmly drifted into sleep once again.

______________________

On the following day, Thor and Frigga visited him again.

Stern, determined expressions on their faces. After assuring his wellbeing, they asked for his permission to share the information about Thanos with Odin.

Loki already figured they would ask for that and accepted indifferently.

He doubted the old man could do anything about it, but he should try if he dared.
Though it was more likely that Thor would get strong enough to take on Thanos and his followers all on his own, than that the "Allfather" could even stop one of the titans troops in the state he was lately in.

______________________

A few hours later, Thor returned with unexpected news.

Upon hearing that Loki had disclosed important information to them, the old man had decided to grant him some freedom.
The former prince was now allowed to leave his chambers for the daytime, under the condition to remain on the palace grounds. Obligated to return to his chambers at dusk.
So the magical barrier was lifted.

Either Odin had completely lost his marbles or he was still up to sly tricks. For all he knew it might be nothing but a trap.
A bait for him.

And Loki was well aware what would await him, if he took the bait. If he tried to flee.

It would be reason enough to throw him in the dungeons for a life time. To inflict the death penalty.

The Allfather could claim that the disgraced prince left him no other choice and nobody, not even Thor or Frigga, could argue against him if that were to happen.

To his own surprise, that wasn't his only reason to refrain him from planning his escape...

Somehow he wanted to be here.
For the first time in forever, this place felt like home again.
In a way, he even got his family back.

Well, the part that mattered.
He had stopped caring about Odin's acknowledgment a few weeks after the fall. It hadn't been easy, but he accepted that the old man never had been his father and would not ever be.

______________________

Loki could not say when had been the last time, he had felt this well. Not jubilant nor entirely content with his life, hel he wasn't even truly free but he still felt oddly... well.

It was most satisfying to roam freely around the palace grounds again.

And he could finally practice his seidr like he wished, without being depedent to someone or the need to hide it.

Every morning his mother, Thor and he were dining together. She told them stories about her past. Including some stories about the time before she had been married to Odin. Stories she had never shared before.

Followed by a daily training session with the golden prince. 

Who had started to acknowledge his different fighting style. His diffferent ways to think and tried to accept them.

To treat him his equal.

What Loki had desperately hoped for all these years, seemed to finally be turned into reality.

However this all felt too good to be true.

He knew that something had to be completely off right now without him realizing. Or at least to go horribly wrong in the recent future.

Like it always had.

The odds had never been in his favor.

______________________

A few eventless weeks passed by. 

And while the nagging feeling, that told him he should not trust this newfound peace, hadn't vanished but instead increased, he had ignored it in favor of that very peace.

Until he rembered about the upcoming Convergence.

Because when he began to study this phenomenon, he was suddenly hit with an enormous headache. 
The kind of headache that left him reeling.
The kind of headache that had occured tenfold when he had made first contact with the scepter.

Oh something was definitely wrong.

Luckily for him the headache had receded after a few moments, yet he was aware that this was nothing he should easily brush aside for this could be a bad omen.
Every infant knew about their existence and how they must be heeded. 

So what should he do?

Loki considered telling Frigga about it. His mother would most likely believe him, though he needed to be absolutely certain he wasn't just imagining things.

Experiencing omens of any kind was a blessing by the norns very few received.

Claiming to be one of them was nothing to lightheartedly joke about.

This was a lesson he had learned the hard way.

______________________

The mayhap second omen followed days after.
Right at the moment the new Bifröst was perfected the same kind of headache returned. This time he even swayed for a few seconds.

After it let him think clearly again, he intensified his research regarding omens, the Convergence and anything else that could be helpful.

What were the norns trying to warn him about? 

And why had they chosen him?

______________________

The third and final omen began without any physical symptoms.
It was Heimdalls sudden call for Thor's attendance early in the morning on the day before the Convergence, which unsettled Loki deeply. 
The call the last necessary and irrefutable proof that something was indeed awfully wrong.

He knew that his brother needed to answer this call and that he wasn't able to accompany him, hence all he could do was share an agitated look with his mother while Thor left the breakfast table.

Minutes after Loki felt the energy of the Bifröst being canalized.

He hastened to get a view from his mothers balcony only to catch the last glimpse of the beam fading away. Fortunately it was enough for him to know exactly where the blonde sallied to.
Midgard.
Or how the mortals called it: Earth.

The jotun born sorcerer of all people, was one of few to instantly recognise every direction the Bifröst was naturally attuned to by memory.

To be honest it wasn't that hard to remember, because it were only eight possible directions. 
Midgard, Jotunheim, Svartalfheim, 
Vanaheim, Muspelheim, Niflheim, Nidavellir and Alfheim.
All of them directly connected to Asgard through the branches of Yggdrasil.
"The Nine Realms".

When Loki returned inside, his mother was gone. The queen most likely been called to Odins side.
He wasn't keen on seeing the old man, but it would be inevitable in this situation.
The chances weren't high but maybe he could ask her to speak with him without the Allfather present.
Telling her about the omens.

While he hurried to the throne room his thoughts began to spin. Feverishly trying to connect the dots.

What happened on Midgard that demanded the presence of the crown prince?
Did Thanos send another army?
To get a hold of the Tesseract, the vessel of the Space stone?
No, he probably knew that the infinity stone rested upon Earth no longer.
That it was hidden deep inside the vault of Asgard.
Of course it had to be a trap.
Made to get rid of Thor, Asgards strongest fighter, so they could ravage through the asgardian palace untroubled.

A few moments after he reached and entered the throne room, right before he intended to speak up, he felt the Bifröst's energy canalizing again.

Was Thor back already?
It must be.
Heimdall wouldn't let someone else pass so soon after...

Odin gave voice to the question that was getting omnipresent in Loki's mind:

"What by the norns is going on?"

A moment later Loki felt the burning headache and sudden dizziness return in a yet unknown intensity.
Accompanied by a terrible sickness.
Nearly all encompassing.
The fast pumping of his blood hearable, his sight getting blurry.
The last thing he perceived was his mother's call for him, ere he fainted.

______________________

The former prince awoke on a simple cot in the healers building.
Untypically alone. Usually at least one healer was present for every patient.

A moment later he could hear Odin's appalled voice through the opposing wall. Loud enough for him to understand every word.

"She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquette table!"

Followed by a higher pitched voice. Scandalized.
"Did he just...?! Who do you think you are?"

He stopped listening when the old man began to boast.
The female voice sounded faintly familiar...

Of course.
It had to be the mortal Thor hooked up with. What was her name again?
Jane Foster? It would explain why Thor had suddenly rushed to Midgard without informing anyone.

Tse.
He should've known.

But that didn't explain why she was here, nor why he felt so sick when she had presumably arrived on Asgard.
A sickness that still lingered in his body, only dampened by the medical treatment which he must have received while he had been unconscious.

Loki tried to stand up, too proud to wait for a healer to help him. Besides, all unoccupied healers probably gathered in the next room, curious what was happening. His legs felt a little weak and he had to take a few deep breaths for the lingering dizziness to alleviate.

When he was sure that he could stand without fainting again, he didn't hesitate any longer and proceeded his way towards the door.

Having to stop before being able to open it.
Suddenly hit by a wave of strong energy, that was probably the cause of his symptoms, noticing how they worsened when he got hit.
By the time he finally reached the next room, Odin was leaning over the soul forge the mortal lay in. Mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath.

Everyone present oblivious to Loki's entrance, too focused on the Allfather, so the former prince was able to get closer and take a scrutinizing look at the woman unhamperedly.

She was as pretty as she had been when he had first seen her through the eyes of the Destroyer. Back when Thor had been banished to Midgard and bereft of his powers.
Her brown hair straight and silky. Her features soft and feminine. Just her once creamy skin was now sallow, almost ashen.

The closer Loki got, the less endurable his sickness became.

Only then did he notice the seemingly endless amount of energy her body radiated.
Reminding him of the infinity stones he encountered.

Did that mean...?
Was it truly possible...?

Judging by his stiff posture and the long silence, Odin obviously came to the same conclusion. Then the old man suddenly retreated from the soul forge.
Like he had felt his presence behind him, he turned around, face furious and immediately starten to bear down on him.

"Was this one of your doings?!"

The one-eyed king shouted, nearly in touch reach, ready to attack.
Though before he could grab him, Thor appeared in his way. Pushing Loki sidewards to make room next to him. To stand by his side. To face the Allfather together.

"Father, he didn't once leave the palace after he came back. How could he be involved in this?"

His voice composed, not like back then when he would've shouted instead. But his blue eyes stern and determined nevertheless.

"He could have tricked all of us! You know what he is capable of!"

Odin tried to shove them apart. Blinded by rage and mistrust.

A few decades ago, Thor couldn't have stopped him, neither physically, nor mentally. He wouldn't have even dared to.
Now he did.

For Loki.

Though he could speak for himself, the sorcerer appreciated the gesture at its true value. Something warm formed in his chest.
But now wasn't the time for sentiment.

Albeit the Allfather's power was only a shadow of its former greatness, he shouldn't be underestimated in this enraged state.

While he began to cast a defending spell, should the old man go any further, their mother entered the room.
Without a second glance, Frigga was at her husband's side and whispered something in his ear. Her words, unintelligible to every other person in the room, including Loki, achieved the unbelievable.
Upon hearing them, Odin calmed down again and spared Loki from any further recriminations.
Or worse.

And after his rage ebbed away, Bor's son looked older and wearier than he ever did before.

The queen and he left the medical facility together. However, not ere gesturing Thor, Loki and even the mortal to follow them.

______________________

As soon as they entered the private rooms of the palace, the old man didn't hesitate any longer to tell them everything he knew about the infinity stones.

Not minding to share his knowledge even though a mortal was present.

Even though he was present. The one who betrayed them and used two of the stones to attack Midgard.

Loki was aware that he had not regained Odin's trust, if he ever had it to begin with. Quite the contrary, the old man was fast to assume it was his doing. That he was at fault, for a mortal to be the vessel of the Aether.

The second he finished retelling the tale of the six stones, his accusations were picked up again. This time Loki was at least given enough time to try to reason with the old man.

Additionally his mother and his brother pleaded for him alike.

And it took them a while to convince Odin of his innocence in this matter, yet they were successful.

The stubborn elder began to see reason after they insisted that it was impossible for the former prince to know how to handle the Aether. However, it had been Loki's own sidemark, that he would have absorbed it himself, if he planned to use it against them, that did the deed.

Without adding anything further, the sorcerer let his mind drift away.

He wasn't even aware of the remaining four, now three infinity stones' whereabouts. Apparently Thanos himself had not known.

That had been one of his reasons to keep Loki in the first place.
The mad titan had made sure he would get every information, the former asgardian prince had held about the infinity stones, out of him.
Cost what it may.

A ray of sickness overcame him again, but this time it wasn't caused by an omen or the presence of the mortal.
It took Loki a few deep breaths to remind him, that he was on Asgard, hopefully far enough away from Thanos' and the Other's grasp.

Now that the crucial news were shared, including the events that took place on Midgard, which led Jane Foster unknowingly to the Aether, she was formerly introduced to Odin, Frigga and then him.

Her eyes noticeably fiery when she stood before him.
Her hand twitching.
Her stance stiff.

It was obvious that she wished to slap him, hesitated only because the Allfather and the queen were present. Not aware Odin wouldn't frown upon her if she did, he would rather applaud her. So she held back and turned away.

A moment later she proofed to be courageous and curios in the same amount as feisty when she reciprocated the former interrogation. The Allfather himself her target.

Witnessing the baffled look on Odin's visage, the former prince smirked gloatingly. And to his utter surprise, the old man answered her rather intelligent questions sufficiently.

He was fairly impressed by the woman. He hadn't expected such a keen mind or temper from a mortal.

While she and the old man talked about the Convergence, the Nine Realms and the Bifröst at length, Thor listened to their conversation. Smiling reassuringly whenever the mortal gazed in his direction.

While Frigga turned to him. Blatantly concerned.

"Are you feeling better, my son?"

Loki nodded tiredly, even though he still felt the headache in the mortal's presence. It had to be the proximity to the Aether that caused the pain, however, that didn't explain the other times he had felt like this.
The bad omen.

His mother wished to know in detail what he had experienced before fainting earlier and he fulfilled it by describing it to her as best as he could. Though he left out the omen deliberately.

Maybe because he didn't want to worry her further.

Maybe because he still didn't know what they meant.

He wasn't sure himself.

When he came to an end, she seemed like she wanted to ask him something, but Loki was too distracted by the movement behind her.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed how Thor and the mortal were about to retire. He saw how they bowed and excused themselves before the old man. Thor's hand now resting firmly on her shoulder as she leaned into him.
Then they left, striding in the direction of the royal chambers.
Thor's chambers...

Something sharp cut deep into Loki's innards.
Fighting with the urge to let some of his ugly thoughts slip. Not aware that he wasn't able to banish the bitterness from his face entirely.
And he was too preoccupied with himself to perceive Frigga's knowing look. She smiled sympathetically at him, before returning to her husband's side.

Without saying another word, the former prince stormed off.

He had to get away as soon as possible.
Away from the old man.
Away from the royal chambers.
Away from everything.

He was angry, frustrated and jealous.
And even though he would never admit to it, what unnerved him the most, was how vulnerable he felt right now.

He rushed to get outside.

There was only one place, he wished to be right now.

______________________

Taking deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves, Loki leaned against the smooth marble wall behind him.

The secluded bower in his mother's private rose garden had always been the perfect place to hide. Without having to use his seidr, he was safe from prying eyes, from scornful remarks and even his boisterous brother.

Frigga herself tended to the roses with her magic, usually while looking at them from her balcony. Aside from her own occasional walks through this part of the palace gardens, nobody visited this place.

After a few moments he let himself slip to the ground. Knees drawn up, arms resting upon them. Bowing his head in shame.

He was pathetic.

Why couldn't he control his feelings any longer?
He had been hiding them for decades without any problems.

What had suddenly changed?
Was it the way Thor treated him nowadays?
Had his foolish heart gotten even softer over the last few months?

He had always been certain that Thor, the golden prince of Asgard, would never reciprocate.

But somehow a part of him had betrayed his resolve to never get his hopes up. Hopes which were crushed the moment he saw Thor with the mortal again.

Deep in thought, scolding himself, he ignored the arising uproar underneath him.

Right underneath the palace gardens lay the dungeons. A fuss in there was uncommon, but not unheard of and therefore extraneous to him. Should the guards take care of it.

However, it wasn't long before he heard his brother's stout voice passing by, giving orders.
On his direct way to the uproar.
If they called for him, it had to be more than a simple fuss.
Every once in a while the prisoners tried their best to get through the magical barrier of their cells. Unsuccessful until now it seemed.

It couldn't be a mere coincidence that the first time someone managed to escape from their cells, happened mere hours after the Aether appeared on this realm.
If someone knew what a good distraction should look like, it was Loki. After all, distraction was his master skill.

The sorcerer was aware that many had to be after the infinity stones and their unmatched powers. Thanos only one of them. And this certainly didn't carry Thanos' thumbprint.
So someone else wanted to get Jane Foster.
Should he try to protect her?

Even aside his personal reluctance, it wasn't an easy decision to make.
On the one hand, he knew that whoever was after the infinity stones, would be a serious threat and he wasn't keen to get in their way.
On the other, the Aether was far too potent to relinquish it without a fight.

He made a decision, followed by a quick location spell.
It took him but a few seconds to know the exact whereabouts of the mortal.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While the dark-haired caster took the fastest route to his destination, a hidden ship arrived at Asgard's border, crossing it without any difficulties.

Heimdall hadn't perceived a single hint of it, ere it passed him. The warden of the Bifröst sprinted down the rainbow bridge, jumped and landed on the invisible surface of the unknown ship. Ramming his sword into the engine until it broke down.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop the following ships.
Far too many even for him.

So he hurried to the center of Asgard, while the hostile ships began their attack.

All he could do now, was activate the force shield that would envelop the palace.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jane Foster wasn't easily scared, if anything she was known for her undying curiosity and obstinate will to go beyond her limits for science. All the same, right now she was truly anxious.

First had come the guards, reporting some prisoners had successfully broken down the barriers of their cells, asking Thor for help to confine them again. Followed by explosions and screams from the outside, rapidly getting closer to the palace. Then Frigga, who had brought her some 'decent robes' to wear, had ordered her to do anything she would ask of her without questioning it.
Needless to say, she agreed.

Thor's mother had used her magic to set up a trap for the enemies that they already heard rampaging right before the doors, killing their defending guards.

The scientist didn't know what was going on, but she knew it was happening because of her.
To be precise, because of the Aether, that she apparently was the vessel of.
Nevertheless, it was her fault that all these people died right now.

If she hadn't been so reckless in her investigation of the Convergence, she wouldn't have stumbled through the wormhole and wouldn't have been in the grasp of the Aether.
She knew how dangerous it was to get so close to an anomaly, but she had been too eager to let this opportunity pass.

Suddenly the battle noices changed, growing angrier.

Then everything went silent.
A moment later someone opened the heavy door cautiously.

She feared the worst, only to be surprised by the sight before her.

Instead of the gruesome creatures that she had laid eyes on moments before they had taken shelter in here, she saw Thor's brother in the doorway.

However not too sure about Loki intentions, she remained in her hiding place.

Awaiting what he would do.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Frigga noticed her son's presence even before he had opened the golden doors. Dissipating the protection spell she had cast upon it, so he could enter. Though she didn't get to say anything to him, ere someone jumped into the rooms through the balcony.

Luckily, the intruder had only spotted her.

Not able to see Loki on the other side of her, through the contorted structure of the royal chambers or the mortal that was hiding behind a divider.
Oddly the enemy didn't get any closer.

She felt Loki's seidr flicker and knew he was stealthily getting closer to her.
Waiting for the right moment to attack.

Seconds later, Malekith himself,
king of the Dark Elves,
who they assumed had perished thousands of years ago after Bor had won the war against them,
strode through the doors purposefully.
Introducing himself, he didn't await her reply ere he assaulted her.
Or rather tried to.

Not many knew Frigga wasn't only the Queen of Asgard, wife of Odin Borson, but a fierce warrior as well.
She made a subtle gesture for her son to remain hidden a little longer, while fighting against the Dark Elves.

The first was dead before he could even reach her.

The king fought against her more deftly.
However, it took her merely moments to gain the upper hand and press him against a column, blade against his throat.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another enemy get close.
The creature was far bigger than the first. Additionally, he seemed to be radiating an unknown power.
Ere being able to give the sign, her son had already appeared out of thin air, stabbing the newcomer with one of his daggers. Twisting it deep into the dark flesh.

But the injured creature didn't even flinch, as if it was unable to feel any pain and turned around.

Grabbing Loki by his throat.
Lifting him off the ground.
Throttling him.

Frigga screamed, but could only watch her son struggle.
She let Malekith out of her sight for a few seconds. Enough for him to get free. Ready to attack her again.

Then everything happened too fast to grasp the details.

Thor flew in, thunderous. Lightning hitting the Dark Elves. Loki, released from the grip, fell liveless to the ground. Frigga stumbled hurriedly into his direction. Desperate to save him. Her eldest son, too immersed in his rage and distress to proceed strategically, struck blindly through the room. The mortal left her covert, trying to get away from the storm. Malekith saw her, aware now that the Aether was inside her. Then he and his henchmen took a flight. Too fast to be overhauled, even with Mjölnir's immense flying speed. They got away.

Even so, Frigga didn't care about their escape, all she cared about right now was Loki's condition.

She had cried out of relief, when she reached him and noticed that he was still alive.
Yet he was unconscious again and had to be brought to the healers immediately.

Thor now by her side, asking her endless questions about his brothers wellbeing. Face pale and eyes anxious.

She tried to reassure him and herself.

That everything would be alright.

That Loki would survive.

He had to.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The unconsciousness lasted only a fracture of the previous time.

Loki awoke while Thor brought him to the medical facility. Carrying him safely in his strong arms. Careful not to hurt him any further. Blue eyes looking to the same amount determined and worried.

Did he dream?

No, that was unlikely considering the pain in his neck and his sore throat. Remembering faintly that he had been throttled by this ugly, radiating creature.

His brother must have saved them.
The hero of the day.
As ever.

His mouth dry, he struggled to get the words out.

"Set me down."

Voice hoarse, to the point that it was barely audible, but Thor heard him all the same.

Prompting the golden prince to halt suddenly and study his features intensely, like he couldn't believe that Loki was fully conscious again.

Without saying anything, Thor pressed him closer to his chest.
Taking a deep breath, the lines on his forehead and around his mouth softened. Seemingly relieved.
A few moments passed where they stayed like this.

The younger one embarrassed to the point of blushing, tried to clear his throat.
In vain.
All that came out this time was a bad cough. Reminding them why they had been on the way to the healer.

Thor ended the half-hug abruptly, looking alarmed again and hurried to bring them to their destination.

"Try not to speak."

Was all the blonde prince said until they got there.

______________________

After he was examined and treated, Loki insisted on leaving the medical facility.

One time being forced to rest in here had been enough for him.

The healers protested, encouraged him to stay, so they could make sure he was alright, but the master of seidr was stubborn. Thor tried to reason with him as well and only stopped when Frigga arrived, assuring them she would look after him instead.

While the healers could not argue with the queen, because it meant to doubt her judgment, the golden prince could and did. But like him, their mother was a wordsmith as well. She made it difficult to argue against her.

Loki was glad she was on his side this time.

That he could go back to his rooms.

He would lose his marbles if he was forced to stay in here any longer.

Not only did the healers obviously still mistrust him. But he didn't want to wake up in an unfamiliar room all by himself again, even if his brother had offered, it wouldn't be possible for Frigga or Thor to remain here by his side.

They were needed in the palace right now.

Both had responsibilities that couldn't be ignored after such an attack.
On top of that, there was still the problem of the Aether being inside Jane Foster.
And the risk it meant to Asgard, should she stay much longer.

His brother's expression defeated, the three of them returned to the palace.

Mercifully Loki was now well enough to walk on his own, only a bit slowed down compared to his usual walking speed. All of them pacing along in silence. Already thinking about their next movements.

They had a long night ahead of them.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To everyone's surprise, including his own, it was Thor who first came up with an useful idea.
A brilliant one even, according to his mother.

The blonde prince was a fair strategist, the Allfather had been an even better one, but Loki or Frigga were usually the ones with the flash of wit.
In fact, his younger brother was the person with the sharpest mind he had ever met, surpassing even their mother or Jane and Erik combined.

Thor peeked into the direction his brother was seated, diagonally across from him at the long oak table in the reception room.
He was still worried about his wellbeing.

Loki was uncommonly quiet.

The last few times he had been like this through an important sitting, were either a sign of indifference or him calmly awaiting a chance to speak up and get his way.

However, right now neither seemed to be the case.

The dark-haired prince was staring absentmindedly into empty space. Evidently exhausted.

He should have forced his brother to stay with the healers, regardless of what their mother had said.

What if they lost him again?

This time for good, just because of their carelessness?

Thor couldn't even bear the thought.

Only then did he realise that Odin had spoken to him. Asked him something.
Zooming back into the conversation, he apologized and tried to concentrate this time.

______________________

Two hours later they finally had everything planned out.

The Allfather had objected at first, but after a great deal of persuasion, finally agreed.

Thor would take Jane directly to Malekith on the next day.
Accompanied by a few royal guards, Sif and the Warriors Three.

They would risk too much, if they waited for the Dark Elves to return. For them to launch a second attack.
A risk the blonde prince wasn't willing to take.

Jane and Frigga agreed with him.
Helped him convince Odin.

Even Loki had nodded his agreement ere he elaborated the details.
But especially the part where he told them, who should accompany him, was met with disregard. Or rather, who shouldn't in his case.
But it was not something up for negotiation.

Any other time he would be glad to have his brother by his side. However, he wouldn't take him to such a dangerous place in this condition.

Thor had even made Loki promise to stay away from Svartalfheim, the realm of Malekith and the remaining Dark Elves.
And his brother gave his word.
Through gritted teeth.

After the sitting was over, everyone headed to bed. Jane had been taken to the guest chambers, right next to Thor's. Close enough for him to get to her, if something happened.
Earlier today he had been asked by the servants, if they should prepare his rooms for a second person.
He denied.

He liked the company of Jane Foster.
She was a nice person and he still held her in high esteem, but he only knew her for a few days and right now wasn't the time to get closer.

Decades ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to bed her as soon as possible.
Now he was a different person.

Albeit that wasn't his only reason.
There was something else restraining him, that must have been there for a long while without him realizing it.
And now he finally noticed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The time for departure had come early on the next morning.
A few hours before the Convergence would be interconnecting all the Nine Realms.

Soon Thor and his company would bring the mortal to Svartalfheim, where Malekith was presumedly planning his next move.
Meeting him on his home planet, ere he could return Asgard.
Handing over the Aether without a fight.

Well of course not permanently.

They would wait until the king of the Dark Elves would extricate the infinity stone out of the current vessel and destroy it before the enemy could take control of its immense might.

Loki had to admit that his brother's plan might not be entirely dumb, however it still had a major problem. Malekith and his people knew who they were.
And this was diminishing their chances of successfully deceiving him immensely.
Their true intentions would be way too obvious.

That had been part of the reasons, Loki had argued to accompany them. For he was the master deception.

But his brother had contradicted him, well aware that there was a different way. One that would make his presence at the meeting unnecassary. One that would be only slightly riskier in exchange for Loki's safety.

Years before, Thor wouldn't have even considered taking a more lengthy route, to minimize the risk of him or others getting hurt.
Too hot-headed and eager to fight, to be reasoned with by logic. And constantly overestimating their powers.

Yet here he was, still headstrong but also considerate of his brother's health.
Even too considerate for Loki's liking, at least if it meant he was left out of the fun.

Still the sorcerer couldn't hide a lopsided grin, while he casted the alteration spell on them with the support of his mother, who was amplifying the spell with her own seidr.

In the blink of an eye, all but the mortal wore different faces. Clothes and hair exchanged as well. Thor, who was now a red-bearded brute with a missing eye, received a hug from Frigga.
The queen wished him the best of luck, while his brother had fixated him over her shoulder.
Apparently contemplating whether to say something to him. But he only gave him a nod ere motioning Heimdall to proceed.

Immediately, the warden activated the Bifröst. Making way for the handful of royal guards, the mortal, Sif, the Warrior's Three and Thor.
It would take them but minutes to reach the realm of Malekith.

And before another moment passed, they were gone.

______________________

It was not the first time Loki envied Heimdall for his all-seeing eyes. Honestly he had wanted the same ability for as long as he could remember.
Albeit his enviousness had never been stronger than in the following hours.

The Warden had pledged to inform the queen if Thor would be in need of aid or seriously hurt.
While he had done so, his golden eyes had been flickering to Loki more than once. Obviously trying to reassure him as well, without being asked to.
What did he know?

With a neutral expression, the former prince had returned the gaze.
Hiding his true concern.

His mother and he had left the Bifröst afterwards. Splitting the moment they reached the throne room. Frigga joined her husband in the time of wait, while he had gone to his chambers.

In the night before, he had considered going against Thor's wish and following them on his own. But even if part of him still wished to do so, he couldn't.

Not that he didn't know how, quite the opposite.

It was him who had found the first hidden passage decades ago.
Passages which allowed him to travel freely without needing to use the Bifröst. And one could bring him right to the center of Svartalfheim. Though it lay far outside the city of Asgard, right between two crags.

He didn't care about Odin's order to remain on the palace grounds.

The issue lay within the timing.

It was impossible to get to the passage, travel through and find Thor and his company in the next few hours.
Mostly because he couldn't find a way to the hidden passage without attracting attention, not when he was still under observation.

First, it had been Odin who had ordered guards to supervise him from afar, right after Loki's confinement to his quarters had been lifted.

The sorcerer had noticed them immediately when he first left his chambers, their attempt to conceal themselves futile.
Presumedly because of this, they had quit after a few days. Or rather, the old man had told them to do something else, realizing they only wasted their time spying on him.

However this time it was the queen, who didn't let him out of her eyesight.

She knew him all too well and had therefore cast a tracing spell on him right after Thor's party left. Nevertheless he could get rid of the spell effortlessly, but not without her noticing.

Loki knew his mother had only the best of intentions, yet he was still exasperated by it.

Arriving upon his own doorstep, the former prince didn't waste any more time ere he scoured through the many different books and scrolls Thor had brought him weeks ago as a gift. Even if he knew most of them by heart, he wasn't certain if he had overlooked something in the past.

Something that would be useful right now.

He couldn't just wait for his brother's return.
If he even...

Banning such grueling thoughts wasn't an easy task, but keeping his mind preoccupied was helpful.

But he had a few selfish reasons, why he couldn't just stay put as well. Well his wish to help Thor, wasn't exactly selfless either, but additionally he wanted to prove himself.
To prove he was willing to risk his own wellbeing for the sake of others.
To prove he was more than just the God of Mischief.
More than just a mere pawn, used by Thanos and even Odin.

He not only wanted to prove it. He needed to.

To Frigga.

To Thor.

But mostly to himself.

______________________

It turned out that Loki wouldn't need to break his promise in order to do his part.

Heimdall had informed them minutes ago, that Thor and his company had left Svartalfheim after their original plan failed.
The good news was the Aether was out of the mortal now.
The bad news, that Malekith himself had absorbed it.

Additionally, in less than an hour the Convergence would be at its zenith.
Connecting all the Nine Realms through immense wormholes.
This would be the perfect moment for the king of Dark Elves to release the destructive force of the Aether.
It was clear as day that he, who had existed before the light, still wished to envelop everything in eternal darkness. In order to awake their hidden powers and to crush their enemies with all their unbidden might.

The perfect place to do so, was of course the center of the Nine Realms.

Midgard.

So it came as no revelation when Heimdall proceeded the report with the tidings of Malekith and the majority of his troops leaving for Midgard the second he had obtained the Aether.

Leaving the Asgardians with the rest of his troops to fight against.
Though not enough men to be a serious treat for Thor and his friends. So he was able to pull them out alive and they even found a way to follow Malekith on their own.

The younger brother suppressed a relieved sigh. A heavy weight leaving his heart.

But the war wasn't over.

Quite the contrary.
The tough part had just begun.

To his utter surprise, only a pleading glance in his mother's direction had been necessary, because she knew how deep his wish to join them was.

After hugging him goodbye and reminding him to be cautious, she had agreed to let him travel to earth.

Against Odin's order and Thor's wish.

Even if he had only made him promise to stay away from Svartalfheim, not to remain on the sidelines.

Loki was aware that his brother had meant to keep him out of the endangerment entirely, without realizing that was an impossible task for him.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The warden had contemplated Loki for a few moments.

Even if he usually couldn't deny the queen's wish, this time he probably should. Because her wish contradicted Odin's order to disallow Loki to pass.
Additionally, Heimdall wasn't certain about the prince's true intentions.
So there shouldn't be a single doubt in him to go against the Allfather.

Yet there was.

He knew how dangerous Malekith would be, especially after he absorbed the Aether.
An opponent not even Thor, God of Thunder and strongest warrior of Asgard, could overpower easily.

The risk to be defeated, to lose everything, exponentially high.

First it would be Thor and his company. Then Midgard. And afterwards, should the Dark Elf be successful, everything that existed inside the Nine Realms.

And Loki would heighten their chances of triumph undeniably.

His abilities had been quite useful when it came to distracting enemies. And even if he didn't trust the God of Mischief, his queen and his future king did and he confided in their judgment.

Eyeing his queen, she only nodded her approval.

He hadn't ever been someone, who regretted the decisions he had made and now certainly wasn't the time to begin it.
With that resolve he used his sword for the second time on this day and let the energy of the Bifröst flow.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Loki landed on a different part of Midgard than the one he had set foot on months ago.

Though judging by the climate, the appearance of the fleeing mortals and their panicked voices, he recognised this as England. Furthermore the visible size of the town and its buildings indicating the capital city: London.

Heimdall obviously hadn't sent him to the center of action, but not far from it either.

The Convergence had not only formed the wormholes already.
Judging by their proximity, it would take barely minutes for them to align perfectly.

And only about two miles away from him, an immense ship had carved itself into Earth. Splitting the ground open. The same kind of ship he had seen from afar, while Asgard had been under attack.

He heard more than saw his brother fighting.

Roaring thunder followed by the clashing of Mjölnir with the hostile army reveberating in his ears. Thick dark clouds ever so often illuminated by lightning, spread far above his head. Masking the battle view efficiently.

Sif and the Warriors Three were probably fighting right underneath the raging God of Thunder. Like they were born to.

Loki didn't care for the mortal's whereabouts.

Without the Aether inside her, she wasn't of interest.

When he approached the battlefield guardedly, he didn't except to see her right in the middle of it. Carrying some metal objects in her arms, while trying to get closer to the centre of the Convergence.
At least a dozen of Dark Elf warriors blocking her way. Ready to kill her.

What by the norns...?

Thor and his friends spread all over the place, too engaged in their own fights to clear the way in front of her.

Acting on a whim, he ran in her direction. But before he could reach her, Thor crushed into the ground beside him.
Seconds later his brother stood before him, grabbing him by the collar, expression furious.

However, ere one of them could say anything, some Dark Elves attacked them from behind.

The golden prince reacted by instinct and pushed him out of harms way and in the blink of an eye, the attackers lay dead before them.
With a warning glance and an incensed 'Take care' , he spinned Mjölnir, lifted himself into the air and continued his strive against the enemy from above.

The sorcerer used that moment to get to the mortal.

Asking her what by hel she thought she was doing.

Surprisingly, Jane Foster didn't hesitate to share her entire plan with him.

The plan itself was simple, even if he didn't understand the terms she had used for the explanation.
Mortals had a weird way of describing their surroundings. If he had more time or inclination to do so, he could've revealed the true nature of science to her.

Even so, right now he had to make do with her way.
Agreeing to help. Solely because he hadn't had time to think of an alternative. Nonetheless Loki had an idea to perfect the plan and spice it up at the same time.

That should be fun.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Darcy Lewis had been Jane's intern, assistant and friend for years.

Back then she had needed an internship for the Culver University and Jane was the only one who had accepted her application.

Her main had been Politics, so when she started to work for the astrophysicist and her mentor Erik Selvig, the student wasn't interested in the whole science stuff. All it had been for her was boring paper stuff and having to come up with complicated formulas.
But right now she witnessed the full beauty of science.

Above her head hovered many different colorful portals.
Portals, that were big enough for giant planes to fly through.
Portals, that were connecting their world to other worlds.

Crazy shit like this, now part of her work.

Never would she have imagined meeting aliens, or gods, or however they were called...

A few years ago, she didn't even believe something like them existed.

It had been quite the shock when the blonde hottie, Jane had steamrollered over, turned out to be from another planet.

Then the hottie's evil brother had attacked New York.
At least that was what Erik had told her about him, before he had been gone for more than two years. The older scientist had called him the 'God of Mischief ' back then.

It was only natural that she thought he would kill her, when he suddenly appeared right in front of Jane.

Scared, she called out her friends name.

But the battle noices drowned her out.

She desperately tried to reach her.

______________________

Luckily for them, it turned out that Loki was only here to help.

Well obviously Darcy still didn't trust him. She wasn't stupid. But she had to admit he was damn cool.

In one second he fought fast and fierce like a ninja warrior against three of those alien bastards. The next he did some magic trick and suddenly at least twenty duplicates of him were on the battlefield. Every now and then he did some serious fighting, but the rest of the time he played around.

She understood now why he was called 'God of Mischief'.
He was batshit crazy.
And it was one hell of a ride till they finally reached their destination.

Thor had been catapulted into one of the portals while they got there, but must've found his way back pretty quickly, because he was now fighting against the big boss himself. Most of their enemies lying dead on the ground beneath them.

She would have cheered for the blonde hottie, if she had the time...
But Jane reminded her to hurry.

After a few minutes all the equip was finally in place, the scientist only needed to calibrate it.

In the meantime, the otherworldly magician had left them to fight side by side with his brother.
Thunder and lightning everywhere, mixed with green magic bolts from Loki and the red dust of the enemy.
She couldn't describe what was happening in this battle, not even if her life depended on it.

At the same moment Jane was done, the portals above them began to disappear and someone screamed in agony.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Finally.

It had taken the mortals long enough.

Everything had went according to plan.

The Convergence had been stopped ere Malekith could awaken the whole destructive force of the Aether and destroy the Nine Realms with it.
Additionally, Thor's last hit had flung the king of the Dark Elves into the side of his ship, knocking him unconscious.
Then he and his ship disappeared into thin air, alongside the wormholes above their heads. Leaving the Aether, that was still swirling around, behind.

With his last resources, Loki managed to gather the Aether up and ban it into the same kind of container, they had used to handle the Tesseract.

His brother, visibly exhausted, awaited him to finish before he left him without another word. Approaching the mortals instead.
And again, he had expected a different reaction.
A furious prince berating him. Because he had gone against his wish. Because he had followed them.
Or something to the same amount at last.

However, the sorcerer should have known that all Thor cared about was Jane Foster.

______________________

Not even half an hour later, they stood in the bronze room of the Bifröst again.
The first person they saw was Heimdall of course. Greeting and congratulating them on their victory.

Ere the former prince could hie away, a palace guard appeared and accounted that the Allfather wished to see Thor and him straightaway.

The mortal, who had returned with them, not included.
She was sent to the medical facility instead.

The golden prince stayed uncharacteristically quiet on their way to the palace.
Somehow that was even worse than the anticipated reprimand.

Loki tried to talk to him, to break the silence.
To explain why he had gone to Earth.
But Thor preferred to be heedless of his words.

Face grim, he ignored him entirely until they reached the golden doors of the throne room.

Then he turned to face him.

"Let me speak to Father first."

It was less a request than an order for him to wait here, while his brother would talk to the old man in private.
All he could do was relent and nod to show he had understood.

Even so, he didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes passed before he was ordered inside by a guard.

When he entered the copious hall, Thor wasn't present any longer.
Resting on the throne, Odin surveyed him intensely. Eyes unreadable, but cold.

Contrary to Frigga.
Her mien was warm, encouraging even, while she eyed him. His mother stood on her usual spot beside her husband.
Well, at least before she enveloped him tightly in her arms.

„I prayed to the norns for you and your brother to return unharmed.“

His mother mumbled, while letting him go and before returning to Odin's side. Then the old man raised his voice.

"Why did you leave Asgard? Knowing it was against your brother's wish and my command?"

The voice wasn't the one of the mighty Allfather any longer.
Loki had noticed the change of the current emperor of Asgard before this day, though never had it been as evident as it was now.
His time finally came to an end.
Not much longer and Thor would be the one sitting on the throne, reigning.

Until recently this thought had distraught him.

In fact, he had done everything in his power to defer the day his brother would be named king.
Ultimately, leading to the reason he stood here, having to explain every word he spoke and thing he did.

However imagining Thor as the king wasn't an unwelcome concept any longer.
His brother had indeed changed over the course of the last few months. And now deemed to be worthy of the crown.

When Loki answered, he did it with the truth. He elaborated his wish to prove himself, but didn't share his insecurities, his fear of being useless or the feelings of restlessness and solicitude he had experienced, while he had envisioned Thor's fight against Malekith.

And his words proved to be sufficient.
Though he suspected it had not been his sole accomplishment, when he could go without further punishment.

Of course, he didn't hesitate to leave as long as he still could.

Even now the old man wasn't to be trusted.

What if he had a change of heart?

Wouldn't be the first time.

______________________

Though nothing had gone essentially wrong in the battle against Malekith and he even still had his little piece of freedom on top of it, Loki had a rather restless night.
His thoughts circling his brother.

It was weird, wasn't it?
The golden prince had been disgruntled with him countless times, so why was he suddenly feeling uneasy about it?
Almost like he had a guilty conscience.

But why?

Loki had obviously helped Thor and his friends with his actions.
He had even listened to the mortal. Had protected her, while she had carried out her plan.
When he could have taken advantage of the situation.
Could have attempted to flee or even betray them.

So why was his brother so upset in the first place?

Just because he had found a way around the promise he had given him?
But it was for honorable, partly even selfless reasons.
It hadn't been boredom or malice that had driven him to Midgard.

Wasn't Thor aware of this?

If he was, he didn't seem to care about it.

Loki had tried to speak to him again late in the evening, right before the other would go to rest.
Only to be standing in front of Thor's closed doors for minutes without any kind of reply.
However, when he had frantically leant against them, he noticed that the doors had not been locked, so he had opened them tentatively and made his way inside.

His hope to be able to speak with his brother had died down, when only the sight of his deserted chambers had awaited him.
Yet he didn't dare to think about the other places the golden prince might possibly be, if he obviously hadn't intended to stay in his own rooms tonight.

Crestfallen Loki had made his way back and tried to just fall asleep ever since...

The morning came without him getting more than a few minutes of sleep.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Instead of going right back to his chambers, Thor had asked about Jane as soon as he left the throne room.
The guards had informed him that she was in good health and already went to sleep in the guest quarters.
Luckily the healers hadn't found any remains of the Aether inside her, so she had been allowed to leave the medical facility early.

The blonde prince didn't wish to wake her, what he had to say could wait until the morning.

Maybe it was even for the better this way...

However he couldn't just go to sleep either, still too pumped from the recent events.
So he strolled through the palace floors, departed it after a while and headed to his favorite place far outside the town instead.

Usually, he would use Mjölnir to fly over, but right now he preferred the lengthy way of travelling by feet.
The fresh night air cooled his frayed tempers.

Thor knew that Loki had meant well, when he had followed them to Earth.
He had even fought side by side with him, like he had in the old times.
Which had been Thor's earnest wish for a long while and it still was.
To have his brother back right next to him, where he belonged.

It had took him months to understand why his brother had left him back then.
Why he had changed so much.

Never realizing that it had been them who had driven the dark-haired away.
Him. Odin. Their friends. Even Frigga a bit.
And he would never forgive himself for doing so.

And now when they finally seemed to have overcome their differences, Loki went and broke his trust again.

But that wasn't the only reason he was so upset about it.

The day before he had nearly lost him.
And even right now he was still afraid of losing him again.

______________________

After more than an hour-long march, he reached his destination.

Sitting down on the ledge, he was rewarded with a perfect view over the city of Asgard.

It wasn't a secret hideout, this place was widely known.
Even so, the arduous task of reaching the top of this mountain, combined with the dangers of the adjacent forest, refrained people from coming here. Especially at night time.
So it was the ideal place to be alone.

Thor was aware that he should talk to his brother.

To listen what he had to say.
To hear him out.
To elucidateto him why he was so exasperated about his appearance in the middle of the fight.

But he wasn't ready to.

Right now he was doubtful that he had himself under control.

He didn't know what he would do, if their argument got heated.

Didn't know if he wouldn't ruin their newfound peace by accidentally letting his true feelings slip.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Noon had come and passed on the next day, ere Loki had even seen a glimpse of his brother.

Apparently the golden prince was too busy spending time with the mortal.
Or he deliberately avoided him.
Probably both.

Thor hadn't even joined him and Frigga for their everyday breakfast, nor did he attend their usual sparring session afterwards.

Loki had tried to be patient and waited half a day to seek him out. Trying to meet him again without success.
His brother still hadn't been in his rooms and when he asked one of the guards about him, they claimed to not know his whereabouts either.

The mortal had been gone as well. At least for a few hours, until she suddenly returned to the guest chambers.

His mother had informed him in the morning, that Jane Foster would stay for the better part of the week.
To let the healers check her health thoroughly, to study the Nine Realms and obviously for Thor to spend time with her.

So he had been surprised when she had come back early and without the golden prince accompanying her. Looking utterly befuddled.

Did the lovebirds have a quarrel?

______________________

Later on that day, Loki had finally spotted Thor from afar.

The golden prince had been deeply immersed in a conversation with their mother.
Unfortunately for himself, the sorcerer couldn't make out the words of their quiet talk.
Additionally, he wasn't able to get closer to him either.

Because when his brother noticed his presence, he suddenly excused himself and left.

He tried to follow him, only to be halted by Frigga. She tucked her right arm into his left and led him in the opposite direction.

What was happening right now?

Had Thor asked her to distract him?

Uttering his suspicion to her, he only got false confusion for a response.
She had insisted not know what he was talking about, only suggesting to give Thor a little time to cool of, before she had changed the topic.

______________________

Loki began to lose his mind.

It had been three days already of Thor completely avoiding him.
Three!

And all of the remains would be gone, if he didn't get an opportunity to speak to Thor today.

He was aware that some thought him mad for decades, but now it finally held some truth.
He had already gone half mad.
Not able to sleep properly, forcing himself to eat a little but without any appetite, only thinking about his stupid brother all night and day.

He needed to stop this. Enough was enough.

Last night he had formed a plan.

Well honestly, it was only an idea for now.
Probably not even the best idea he ever had, but the only one he could come up with right now.
As long as it would suffice, he wouldn't complain.

______________________

It had been early in the morning when Loki left his chambers and went to the guest rooms.
He made sure the mortal was still inside and fast asleep ere he used his seidr on her.

First, he cast a sleeping spell that should prevent her from awakening in the next hour.
Followed by some precautions, if the sleeping spell were to end suddenly. Like locking the heavy doors and deafening her out, in case she would try to call for help.
All of this was necassary to assure she remained in there, else the risk of her foiling his plan would be too high.

A mischievous grin formed on his lips, when he finished his preparations with an alteration spell he put onto himself.

The hand mirror assured him of his success.

He looked exactly like Jane Foster.

Marvelous.

______________________

It didn't take long to find Thor this time.

Like he had suspected, his brother wasn't just busy, he truly avoided him.

Why else would he be able to find him in this body that much easier?

The golden prince was on the training grounds, all by himself doing his daily workout routine.
Sweat rolling down his brows, damp hair tied up in a loose knot and his skin glistening.
Only wearing thin chaps, naked from the waist up.

It was a sight to behold.

Loki swallowed around the lump which had formed in his throat.
He needed to concentrate.
He wasn't here to be jonesing for something he would never have.

So he ignored his erratic beating heart and made his way over to his brother. Reminding himself to stay within his role.

The blush spreading on his face, when Thor lay eyes on him and smiled, was naturally only a part of his façade.

He returned the upcoming smile and waited politely for the golden prince to get rid of the sweat and redress, before Loki started to speak.

"Can we talk?"

The feminine voice resounding in his ears was a little too nervous for his liking.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fairly surprised by the question, the blonde prince studied her features. She seemed uncommonly nervous.

Had he done anything wrong?

Did she want to talk about the conversation they had three days ago?

He knew it hadn't been easy for her.
And he had left her in the dark about a few things as well, but it wasn't her business and she couldn't help him with it either...

Maybe she wished to know why he had said that. Maybe she thought it was somehow her fault.

Thor contemplated her for a moment longer ere he replied.

"Sure, follow me."

The training grounds weren't the best place for a private talk.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relieved Loki followed his brother inside.

He had overcome the first hurdle successfully.

Thor hadn't noticed anything about his farce and was willing to talk with him in this form.
Naturally so.
After all, he had appeared before him in the body and with the voice of his lover...

His still erratic heart was turning cold now.

Why was Thor forcing him to go this far?

Did he finally manage to make his brother hate him?
Hate him so much, that he couldn't bear to talk to him anymore?
To see him even?

At first Loki had planned to make excuses for his behavior. To tell him only parts of the true reasons, for why he had gone to Midgard.
Why he had opposed Thor's wish.

Now he considered telling him the whole truth.

Well, he obviously couldn't tell him of his feelings for him, otherwise the golden prince would hate him even more.
However he would tell him about his fears and his apprehension, even if he despised them.
Hopefully his brother would appreciate that as the gesture of good will that it was.

Thor led them to his chambers.

It wasn't Loki's favorite place to be right now, because they were right next to the guest quarters...
Even so, he trusted in his seidr.

The mortal couldn't wake up for the next thirty minutes and even if she would, they weren't to hear about her until he dissipated the spells he had casted upon the rooms earlier.

He thanked Thor, who held the doors open for him gallantly, so he could enter before him.

His brother would never do something like this for him.

Preoccupied with this thought and not used to walking around in long dresses, he stumbled inside instead of taking the small step elegantly.
In the blink of an eye a strong arm was wrapped around his slender shoulders, catching him.
Even though he had already redressed his balance.

When Loki tried to turn around, smiling bashfully like she would do in this situation, he saw a glimpse of confusion on his brother's features.
Followed by an indefinable expression which lasted only for a few seconds, ere the golden prince regained his usual composure.

Happening so fast that the sorcerer wasn't sure if he hadn't just imagined it.

Nevertheless, he stayed on his guard, at least until Thor offered him a seat and began to speak again. Sitting down in front of him.

"How may I help you?"

His tone was courteous, more than it would have been if he had noticed anything. Additionally, he was smiling again.
So Loki proceeded unbound.

"I hoped you could tell me more about Asgard. About it's history, the traditions and your family.
I don't want to embarrass you by saying or doing something inappropriate."

Loki had figured it would be a plausible excuse to pry a little.
The mortal seemed like the kind of person who would worry about these things. And Thor couldn't deny her wish to fit in.

The golden prince seemed to have expected a question like this sooner rather than later, because his blue eyes shimmered knowingly.

Maybe she had already asked about this once.
However, it wasn't suspicious to ask again. Was it?
A question like this allowed to talk about it for hours without reaching more than the first layers of fodder, so it should be alright.

"Is there anything you want to know in particular?"

It felt a bit like a bait to Loki, but that had to be his imagination.
Thor still didn't convey the impression to be leery of him and he had never been good at hiding something like this.

"No, I just want to know in general....
If you like you can start with the topic you feel most comfortable with.
Your family for example."

His brother studied him again for a moment ere he began to talk about Odin and Frigga in length, even retelling Bor's history.

But not mentioning Loki for a second.

______________________

For the last twenty minutes, Thor had been beating around the bush, while Loki grew more and more agitated.

He would need to go soon.

Not much longer until the mortal would wake and try to get out. And judging by her previous behavior, she would certainly ask questions if she noticed that she had been locked up.

In hindsight, the whole farce was a horrible idea.

There was no chance it wouldn't get out, that she hadn't been the one who had talked with Thor this morning.

Maybe he could cast a spell on his brother, so his memories of this conversation would be obliviated. And if he got there in time, she wouldn't notice anything either...

Yes, that should do.

The sorcerer only needed to hurry, he was still weakened from the last few days.
He wouldn't be able to cast a spell on his brother and the mortal to alter both of their memories right now.

But if his brother would forget about it anyways, it wouldn't hurt to take it a step further.

Loki needed to know why Thor avoided him and how he could fix this.

Cost what it may.

So he changed course drastically by standing up and sitting down in the opposing lounge, right next to Thor. Leaning against him.
He mustered every bit of charme he had and combined them with all the allure this body had to offer.
Presenting his cleavage, reminding Thor with an innocent tone, that he hadn't told him anything about Loki yet.

To his delight it seemed to work.
The golden prince stared at him.
Flabbergasted.
Speechless suddenly.

He never would have guessed that his strong confident older brother could still get this nervous over a little flirting, after he had so many different 'encounters' with women.

It was rather cute how he was even starting to knead his big hands.
As if he didn't know what to do...

Forgetting for a moment what he was here for and that he was crossing a line he shouldn't even touch, Loki had to take advantage of this unique situation. Since he would never see Thor like this again.

He tempted him even more by climbing into the prince's space.
Knealing beside his strong thighs, hovering above his lap. Biting his plump underlip seducingly.

Before he could even blink again, he was turned around, pressed into the backrest and kissed fiercely.

Loki has always liked to play with fire, not caring much about the risk of getting burned in the process.
Or in this case, the certainty to get severely hurt.

He moaned when Thor deepened the kiss.

This was definitely too good to be true.

Right now the sorcerer didn't care that it wasn't in fact him that his brother wanted.
Quite the contrary, he planned to enjoy every moment while it lasted.

His hands were roaming freely on his brother's back. Trying to find anything to hold onto, to never let go off, while Thor cradled his neck.

Then it ended abruptly.

His brother let go of him as if it had been him who got burned and brought some distance between them.

Breathing heavily, lips swollen and eyes dark.

Loki tried to save that glorious sight inside his head.
Ignoring the fact that he must look the same.
His heart beating so fast and loud in his chest, that he feared it would be hearable to his brother.

Why had he stopped?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He had done it.

He had done one of the things, he had tried to prevent.

He had kissed Loki.

While his younger brother wasn't even aware that he had looked through his trick.
That he knew it wasn't Jane sitting in his lounge right now. Panting heavily. Cheeks aflame.

Thor had discerned that it could not be her upon entering his room together.
When he had supported her, or rather him, after the stumble, an all too familiar scent had reached his nose.

Loki's scent.

In fact, it had been something he had noticed decades ago.

Everytime Loki used an alteration spell to change his form and voice, he forgot to alter his scent as well.
The blonde prince had never told him about this, so he could recognize his brother unbeknownst to him.

He hadn't known what his brother had been up to.
He had expected to be questioned, for why he was avoiding him.
Aware that Loki deserved some answers.

However, just once he wanted to be a step ahead of his brother in his own game.
It had been leading him to play along.

And Loki had indeed tried to get information out of him.
Though instead of giving him what he had wanted to hear, Thor had held out on him.
Waiting for a moment to reveal he knew about the farce.
Not thinking it would backfire like this.

What should he do now?

And what game did his brother play?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Loki wasn't sure if he had ever seen his brother truly speechless.

He still didn't know what was wrong, but he was aware that he was running out of time.
As soon as possible he had to get to the guest rooms next door.
But before he could leave, he needed to cast the obliviate spell on Thor.
Therefore, he needed to get closer once more.

Yet when he tried to close the distance between them, he was kept from doing so by a strong hand.

Unfortunately, the sorcerer didn't have time to play any longer, so he tried to gather up his seidr and cast.
Only to be deeply appalled when it didn't work.

Desperately trying again and again without another outcome.
He must've used too much energy while he maintained the alteration spell.

Horrified the former prince looked up.

His brother was all to familiar with his seidr, for him not recognizing these futile attempts to obliviate him.

No, he wouldn't even need to be.

Loki felt how the alternation was rapidly fading away.

Moments later, he regained his usual appearance in spite of every effort to circumvent this.

Even without a mirror he knew exactly how demeaning his current appearance was.
His thin green mornings robes ruffled. Black hair uncombed. Dark circles around horrified eyes, sweaty hands trembling in front of him. 

His true self left vulnerably bare.

When he looked up again, Thor obviously wasn't as overwhelmed as he should be.
Instead, his eyes were... soft?!
And his deep voice calm, when he spoke again.

"I knew the moment you tripped."

That wasn't possible...

His brother had to be joking.
If he had known, never would he have kissed him!

Or was he making fun of him?!

As if he was reading Loki's thoughts, Thor burst out a mirthless laugh, ere he proceeded, smiling lopsidedly.

"Oh, Loki. And you say I'm the slow one..."

Before the younger one figured out what his brother was trying to say, the irritation got the best of him.

"How dare you!
First you avoid me for days!
And now you are cruel enough to make fun of me?
How could I have believed that you had changed...?!
Be glad that my seidr doesn't work right now, or you would be crawling on your knees!"

He couldn't even use his daggers against his arsehole of a brother, because he didn't carry them around traditionally.
Normally he cast them out of thin air.
So all he could do right now, was fiercely trying to get out of Thor's firm grip and leave.

But the golden prince didn't relent, not even a bit.
It was moments like this, in which Loki wished he had the enormous strength.

Feeling like a trapped animal, the sorcerer snapped.
Holding back until now, because he didn't want to show how deeply hurt he was.
Now not able to control his feelings any longer, he felt tears welling up in his eyes.
At the same time, he used his free hand to slap his brother across the face.

The older one didn't stop him, but took hold of his hand afterwards and pulled him into a firm hug.

Even if his attempts to get out were futile, he didn't stop.
And he screamed, cursed and howled for the next minutes.

Until he felt a strong hand in the nape of his neck, steadying him and the light scratch of Thor's beard on his cheeks.

Realizing he was being kissed again.
This time the kiss was soft, tender almost.

It was his brother who pulled away once more, before resting his forehead against his own.

"You don't understand.
My intent is not to make fun of you. To hurt you.
Quite the contrary.
I love you, Loki!"

"But what about the mortal?"

The words left his mouth before the younger one could stop them.
It wasn't his only question though.
He had difficulties comprehending what was happening right now.

Did he dream?
This couldn't be real, could it?

Loki used his right hand to pinch himself harshly in the side.
Yes, it did hurt. So it had to be true...?

Thor was smiling brightly while he observed him.

"Satisfied now?
This isn't a dream.
And you don't have to worry about Jane, she is only a friend to me."

The former prince contemplated his brother, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.
Only to find nothing but sincerity and fondness in the sparkling blue eyes.
Instead of replying, the tears that still burned in his eyes began to fall again.

He hadn't known he could feel like this. Loki was relieved, peeved, overjoyed, diffident and many other things, all at the same time.

Thor seemed to understand that he was overwhelmed and hugged him again.
Pressing him even closer to his chest. Mumbling something unintelligible while rubbing his back vigorously.

After a while he was able to calm down, though it had nothing to do with these almost painful back rubs.
For all the lovely words and tender kisses his brother could offer, he was obviously still the boor he always had been.

Loki's thoughts drifted to all he and Thor would need to talk about.

Why his brother had been avoiding him, for example.

Or why the mortal was still here, if Thor wasn't dating her...

And he wondered about their future.
Would he be able to walk freely around the entirety of Asgard someday?
Even leave their realm and travel with his brother?
Wouldn't the crown prince of Asgard get tired of him sooner rather than later?
And in the unlikely case he would not, how would they proceed?
Would there be more than kissing?

However, before he could lose himself in his fantasies, his brother found a way to ruin the mood entirely.

"By the way, where is Jane right now? She isn't hurt, is she?"

Maybe he didn't need to wonder about their future.

Maybe he would kill him right this instant.