But Smile No More

Laughter hung heavy in the air along with the smoke of a great bonfire as the Beltane celebrations commenced.  The festival celebrated the arrival of spring and the fertility of the land with a host of rituals and activities.

“I cannot believe I let you talk me into this.”  Loki murmured as he eyed the rowdy crowd of exuberant mortals from his spot beside Thor.  His older brother looked nearly ever bit as eager and he was torn between biting back a sigh and admiring the way Thor’s excitement made him glow.

Thor grinned as he leaned closer and brushed his lips behind Loki’s ear.  Heimdall had been warned they were attending a fertility festival, and while he did not know that the brothers would be partners, he knew not to watch this particular trip.  And the likelihood of Odin using his throne to check up on them was equally unlikely.

All the same, the open display of affection made Loki a little uncomfortable.  He did not much enjoy Midgard, nor mortals, nor such noisy crowds.  But there was at least one boon to this party as opposed to those on Asgard: they had anonymity here, and Thor was not the focus of the event.

On the other hand, it was so rare to share affections with Thor that need not be hidden.  He tilted to catch Thor by the neck as he pulled Thor into a kiss, pleased by the way Thor’s arms started to slip around his waist as he kissed back deeply.

“Mm-mm.”  Loki chastised slyly as he pulled away with a little grin and flicked his brother’s cheek.  “We are not yet at that part of the festival.”

”We are gods, we can change the rules.”  Thor grumbled lightly.

“We are not the gods of this particular festival.  Rather rude to try and steal the show, brother.”

“As if you care.”

“Not the point.”  Loki said wryly before his attention went to a man and woman who had walked to the head of the bonfire.  The pair began to explain the symbolism of the ritual that came next, one that involved a great ‘hunt’ that ended in an expression of ‘sacred fertility’.  There would be the hunters and the hunted, the captured ones would engage in the fertility ritual with their respective hunter.  It was up to the hunted whether or not to accept their hunter.  Loki found the idea a little fun after all and he smirked at Thor.  “What is it to be, brother?  Hunter or hunted?”

“You tell me.”  Thor shrugged lightly, a grin with his own brand of mischief fixed on his lips.

“Hmm.  You are rather a beast, so I suppose I shall be the hunter.”

Thor snorted.  “You will have to see if I let you catch me then.”

Loki arched a brow.  “There will be no ‘letting’, I have no intentions of setting you loose, Thor.”

Thor wondered if there was a little more to the words than simply pertained to the part.  “Tell me so if you catch me.”  he teased.

Many had prepared their own little ‘costumes’ in preparation of the event, and Loki considered it before he waved his hand with sorcery.  A pair of genuine wolf’s ears sprouted from Thor’s head, his canines sharpened, and a wolf’s tail finished the physical alterations.  Thor looked startled and frowned as he started to address Loki, but his eyes widened as a wolf’s whine came from his lips.  He tried unsuccessfully to speak as a low growl came out instead.

Loki looked utterly smug.  “Worry not, brother.  So long as I am the one to catch you, I will free you from all this.”  he said as he gave a playful tug at one of Thor’s ears, and laughed delightedly as Thor growled.

Thor looked embarrassed at that and he glared at his brother who busied himself with his own little costume.  Loki gave himself a hunter’s bracers [with wolf heads etched in] and a sword belt, as well as a brown leather vest with sigils for strength and protection.  “How do I look?”  Loki asked with a grin that only widened as Thor didn’t bother trying to speak and only kept his glare.  “You are adorable this way, brother.”  Loki said as he leaned up to press a kiss to Thor’s lips, and Thor didn’t move.  “You know, it works both ways.  I do not have to hunt for you.”

A seemingly unbidden whimper escaped Thor’s lips at that, and Loki’s brows lifted as Thor grimaced before he scowled.

Loki clucked his tongue, rather getting into the spirit of it all.  “Well, if you are going to make such sad noises about it…”

Thor pinched his brother’s neck and Loki laughed again before he stepped back as hunters were being called together.  They were each given lengths of knotted rope to tie around the arm of their captured partner.

“See you soon, beast!”  Loki said chipperly, his mood much improved by the turn of events and the chance to [affectionately] antagonize his big brother.

Thor gave him an annoyed look that was broken by a reluctant smile as Loki actually winked at him.  His brother was far less reserved away from Asgard, which both pleased and saddened him.  He liked his brother’s comfortable manner, but he didn’t like that their home made Loki feel…restricted, beyond in the obvious way.

“Here now on this May Eve-” began the woman and the man who first led the event.  “-We begin our next ritual.  Seek ye the one whom yer heart yearns fer, and if ye be blessed with their heart in return, give yer thanks to the land with the bounty of yer fertility!”  Powder was thrown into the fire that made it momentarily flare up.  “The hunted, make haste!  And let this May Hunt begin!”

At that, the ‘hunted’ raced off into the woods.  A smattering of deer, bear, wolves, a few rabbits, and even a pair of ‘birds’ with rich plumed crowns set off.  Some hunters had their eye on their desired partners, while others wished for the surprise of the hunt.  “Hunters, proceed!”

--

Thor decided not to make things too easy for his brother, despite the irritating little spell Loki had used.  If he thought to badger Thor into an easy victory he would be sorely disappointed.

“A great hunt, is it not so?”  came a voice beside Thor as a man with stag horns came up beside him.

Thor nearly spoke before he remembered Loki’s little trick and settled on a tight-lipped smile and incline of his head.

“Taking the role seriously?  Well played, my friend!  But surely a wolf can howl?”  The man said good-naturedly.

Thor was prepared to brush him off but then decided to make use of Loki’s spell.  With a grin, Thor let out a rather convincing howl and the man looked impressed.

“Now I think I ought to have chosen a wolf.”  The man said a little wistfully before he waved.  “Pleasant night.”  he bade before he raced off to the side.

Thor chuckled to himself as he raced ahead and kept at a speed fit for mortals for the present.  He had not met the gods of this particular festival, but they tended not to be bothered by the presence of other gods so long as they kept to themselves.

--

Loki set off as the hunters were instructed to commence, and he took his time a bit as he let the other mortals sprint ahead.  He half-expected Thor to present himself, but when he saw no sign of his brother, he surmised Thor would instead be planning to play hard to get.  The little thought crossed the back of his mind that he didn’t want to be another among many who chased his brother, but he pushed that aside.  This was a game, a rare bit of fun and privacy, and Loki himself had chosen to hunt.

On Asgard, eyes were always on them and especially so on Thor.  They could steal snatches of time in their bedrooms where Heimdall and Odin would not look, but only so much.  Once in awhile they could chance it in an inn somewhere, or steal hidden kisses in the woods.  But overall their relationship had to be kept well hidden.  Loki well understood why, but while secrets were in his nature…to allow himself to be kept hidden rankled him.  He knew it was not shame that forced he and Thor to hide but all the same…Loki wanted to be able to declare Thor his before everyone.  He wanted Thor to acknowledge that his love belonged to Loki and Loki alone.  Loki wanted to be able to freely express and lay claim on his brother wherever and whenever he so chose.  He wanted a reason to be able to cast off those who pandered to and flirted at his brother.  Loki could only sit idly by as Thor received a wealth of attention.  As a ‘little brother’, Loki had no grounds on which to demand they stop.  And to try even subtly would just draw attention.

Thor seemed oblivious to Loki’s concerns in that regard.  He seemed never to be jealous, and why should he be?  The Golden Prince of Asgard could have anyone he wished…  But all the same, Loki craved reassurance, and that Thor with all his temper seemed never to be jealous of the times Loki was given attention was…disappointing.

But that was there, and they were here.

Loki came across a couple already engaging in the fertility aspect of the hunt and he smirked to himself as he carried on.  He heard a wolfish howl in the distance and grinned.  Thor was either messing about or calling to Loki, and either way it was a fun little clue to follow.

--

Thor let himself run forward with more godly speed as he surpassed the mortals around him, and he ran until he reached the edge of a small lake that gleamed in the moon and starlight.  He considered it before he smirked and settled in to wait as he hid himself between two large bushes under a tree.  Loki would come this way eventually, and perhaps Thor would shove his prickly brother into the water as ‘revenge’.

But others ended up arriving first, two hunters-a man and a woman, a man dressed in crafted doe’s ears with his face painted with spots.   The three seemed to be about to have a tryst and his brows lifted.  It was unfortunate they’d chosen ‘his’ spot, but there was no helping it.  He nearly revealed himself when he saw Loki exit the woods followed by another hunter.

“Well met, m’friends!”   One of the men in the trio greeted them.

The hunter at Loki’s side grinned at the side.  “What do ye have there?  One wee doe for all you lot?”

“This doe can handle any of you hunters.”  The doe-dressed man replied primly, with a look of smug play.

“Cocky thing.”  The huntress said with a chuckle.

The first of the trio to speak saw Loki and lifted a brow.  “I see yer not fer catchin’, but I might pretend t’be prey if ye are the hunter I could look forward ta.”

Loki cast a glance around and Thor wasn’t sure if that meant Loki was aware of him or not.  “This party seems rather full.”  he replied patiently.

The doe eyed Loki with a mixture of interest and impatience.  “Always room for a pretty hunter.”

”Eyes as fair and green as the Emerald Isles, or may the ginger be struck from me hair.”  One of the men said to Loki.

“Nature herself could not strike away such red, ye silly twit.”  The huntress teased.

“Hush, lass.  I have set my cap to hunting a hunter.”  The man waggled his brows as he bowed low to Loki.  “Mayhap ye and I shall change the rules this night?”

“I do enjoy breaking rules.”  Loki drawled as he stepped closer to the group and Thor from his hiding spot frowned.

“A voice like a starling, from such sweet lips.”  The man praised and his companions snickered.

“Those are…quite some words.”  Loki said with apparent amusement.

“I will sing praises to thee all this night, if ye will have me.”  The man said as he stepped closer and waggled the rope in his hand.  “What say ye, handsome stranger?  Shall we two hunters carry on together?”

From his spot in the bushes, Thor grew more and more angry as he listened to how the man tried to spout his sad excuse for poetry at Loki.  He liked even less that Loki seemed to be humoring him instead of simply cutting him off.  Bad enough that on Asgard he had to hide so much of his feelings and hold back so much.  Thor was a man of action, words were Loki’s domain, and he was one to show his love through physical gestures.  He wanted a lover’s token, he wanted to be able to hold, kiss, and stroke at his leisure.  Thor wanted to make it clear to anyone who saw them that Loki was his alone, that he loved Loki above all others.  Perhaps then his brother would not constantly feel the need to challenge Thor’s love for him.  But Loki was independent and prideful, and he could turn disdainful and mocking at a perceived slight.  If Thor were to express his jealousy openly, Loki would take it poorly.  He would likely say Thor meant to control him, or was being a brute, or an oaf.  Perhaps he would call Thor childish, especially to be getting jealous of Loki’s attentions being paid to a mere mortal.

But Loki was his love, and his brother, and Thor did not like that this man felt he had any cause or right to make advances on Thor Odinson’s partner.

Thor did his best to compose himself as he tilted and made it seem as though he’d just come around the trees as he rose and walked towards Loki.

Loki and the others turned at his approach and Loki gave a lazy smirk.  “Oh, dear.  A wolf in our midst.  Whatever shall we do with such a beast?”

Thor glowered as he came to Loki’s side and clamped an arm around his waist.

“Use your words, brother.”  Loki muttered under his breath, knowing full well Thor still could not.

Thor pinched Loki’s side and gave a low growl in reply.

“Oh, ye had prey.  Well, I do not mind to share with ye.”

”I mind this droll wait.”  The doe-man said.

“True.”  The huntress said.  “The night grows long and we are yet to give thanks with our…fertility rituals.”  she grinned with the others at that.

“What do you think, darling?”  Loki asked innocently as he pressed against Thor’s side and placed a palm on his chest with a mischievous look.  “I leave the choice to you.”

Thor glared at his brother, but Loki and the man kept waiting and Thor was forced to give a low, irritated growl as reply.

“I am sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”  Loki quirked his head and Thor’s glower became a slow smirk as he thought of something.

His little brother frowned suddenly, but was too late to respond as Thor tilted and hefted Loki over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Agh-Thor!”  Loki slammed a fist against his back as he tried to kick at Thor’s front.  “Put me down, you oaf!”  he growled.

Thor, still in the presence of the mortals, gave Loki’s rear a firm smack that had his brother splutter in a combination of outrage and surprise.

“You will spend the rest of your life on all fours!”  Loki vowed, and Thor simply chuckled as he carried Loki off to the mutters of the mortals.

Thor walked a good ways off, until he could approach the water without the mortals around, and he unceremoniously dropped his brother into the water.

Loki came up furious, but Thor was ahead of him as he hauled Loki up by the collar of his shirt.  Perhaps he was being a little rough with Loki, but the little brat should not tease so if he could not suffer Thor’s returning taunts.

Thor pulled the soaking into his arms before he could protest and kissed him nearly as roughly, until Loki nipped his lip just hard enough to draw blood.

Loki glared.  “Satisfied with yourself, you great beast?”

Thor licked the blood from his lips with a put-upon expression of thoughtfulness.  Even so, his eyes raked over his brother.  The sight of Loki’s hair dripping and clinging to his skin, the flare of anger in Loki’s face, the battle tension in his body…Loki was as deadly a warrior as any Thor ever faced.  He was elegant and ruthless, cunning and crafty, and Norns knew Loki held more beauty than any man had right to-as far as Thor was concerned.  And this man was his brother, his lover.  The thought was extremely enticing and he felt a rush of desire pool through him as he gripped the back of Loki’s neck and ghosted his lips over Loki’s lips and cheek.

Loki inhaled sharply before he shoved Thor and reached around to grab his tail, which he gave a hard yank to that had Thor yelp in pained surprise.  The damned thing was sensitive.  “Sit and be a good beast, or so help me, Thor-”  he was cut off as Thor kissed him furiously, and Loki tried to nip him again but Thor twisted Loki and shoved him to the ground.  He cupped an arm around Loki’s back to brace him against the fall.  “What has gotten into you?”  Loki asked as he pulled back, and he heard a low growl from Thor in reply.

Thor bent to brush the tips of his newly elongated canines against Loki’s neck near his pulse point and Loki shivered before he waved his hand and restored Thor’s voice.  He felt the brush of Loki’s sorcery and murmured.  “Little brat.”

“And here I thought you might say something charming.  Or have the sense to apologize for tossing me into the water.”  Loki groused.

“All’s fair in love and war, brother, have you not heard?”

“Are we at war?”  Loki taunted before he abruptly summoned a dagger and pressed it against Thor’s throat.  “Because you would lose.”

Thor pressed against Loki’s dagger and Loki frowned as he released some pressure so as not to cut his brother.  “You would never kill me.  No one else could satisfy you.”

“How highly you think of yourself.”  Loki huffed even as he tilted the dagger to trail the tip along Thor’s neck and then under his ear, before he pressed the flat of it against Thor’s cheek with a little push.

“Am I replaceable in your eyes?”

Loki paused at the question before he shrugged.  “Make proof of your boast and then I will decide.”

“Greedy.”  Thor chastised as he snipped at Loki’s ear and pressed his face into the side of Loki’s.  “Beautiful.”

“Mm.  Flattery will get you everywhere, brother.”

“It has already gotten me to the only place I wish to be.”

Loki sensed a trap but smirked faintly as he obliged and drawled.  “And where might that be, Thor?”

“By your side.”  Thor murmured in reply before he claimed Loki’s lips in a kiss.  Loki slipped his arms up around Thor’s neck as he returned the kiss and held his brother close.  “Where I belong.”  he added.

Loki liked the sound of that, and he eyed his brother a moment as he ran his fingers through Thor’s golden hair before he tweaked one of the wolf ears playfully as Thor grimaced.  “Where you belong.”  Loki agreed, and Thor grinned at words that were positively sentimental coming from the aloof Loki.

--

The pair returned later to the bonfire, Loki had the rope around Thor’s bicep as he led him along playfully and had already removed all the sorcerous additions.  Another round of celebrations and dancing commenced, and floral crowns were presented.

Loki had conjured one for Thor, but Thor had found the time to make one for Loki.   Thor put the crown on his brother’s head with a wide, warm smile that made Loki’s heart flutter.  “It suits you.”

Loki put the floral crown he’d conjured on Thor’s head as he brushed his palm and thumb against Thor’s cheek.  “You make a pretty sight yourself, adorned in flowers, brother.”  Loki teased back before the pair shared a kiss.

“What did you think of the festival?”

Loki left his brother in ‘suspense’ a moment as he considered it with dramatized thoughtfulness before he said.  “Your company made it worth my time.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, brother.”  Thor repeated back to him.

“Oh?  How about in a nice bath, after you threw me into the water, you golden wretch.”

“Golden wretch.”  Thor laughed.  “That might be the tamest insult you have ever given me.”

Loki huffed, and Thor brushed his lips against his brother’s cheek before he kissed him softly.  “Thank you for coming, brother.  I will cherish this memory.”

Every so often Thor surprised Loki with such words.  To think that his brother, the warrior oaf of Asgard, had such pretty sentiments tucked up his sleeves.  “I may remember it from time to time.  Perhaps even fondly.”  he teased.

“I will make sure you do not forget.”  Thor reassured him as he pulled Loki into a warm, enveloping hug and pressed his face into the crook of Loki’s neck as he pressed a kiss there.  “I love you, Loki.  Never forget that.”

Loki felt the words weave through him and pressed close as he held his brother back and embraced him tightly.  “You should keep reminding me to be sure.”  he murmured.

Thor grinned a little at that before he peppered kisses along Loki’s neck, collarbone, under his ear, cheek, and lips as he repeated.  “I love you.”

Loki felt a ridiculous, indescribable flood of warmth and affection for his brother, love for the silly oaf, and he drank it all in before he murmured.  “As I love you, Thor.  Never doubt it.”

“Agreed.”  Thor said decidedly, as though they had struck an accord, and the pair shared a few more lazy, loving kisses before the inevitable return home.

--xx--

Thor had sat awhile with the flowers before he pulled a long shard of ice from an interior pocket of his loincloth.  He brushed a hand over the ice and the barely visible braid of blonde hair within.  Thor gripped it as he let the frost bite touch renew the icy shell that contained all that was left of his son.  He stared at it sadly before he pulled a couple of flower heads from the ground and pressed them against the icy shell as he froze them to it.  “Real flowers, Lopt.”  he murmured.  “I wish you could see them.”  he said as his eyes watered again before he exhaled slowly and rubbed his eyes against his shoulder.  It was not like him to be so emotional.  Asgard was having a strange effect on him, that woman, Frigga…

“Thor, just remember you have something that even the great All-Father never had."

“And what’s that?”

“Me for a mother.  Now don’t keep your father waiting."

Thor pressed against his forehead at the echo of voices in his mind, they were muffled and faintly distorted but still audible…so familiar…but it could not be so.  He was Thor Laufeyson, he had been so for over a thousand years, he was of Jotunheim…not of glittering, opulent Asgard.

“You want me to bring the hammer down?”

Thor startled at the sharp clang in his mind, at the strange hint of memory and for a moment he thought he saw a dark forest around him.  “It must be a spell.”  he muttered.

--

Loki felt in some ways like an intruder as he watched Thor’s grief play out, but he could not make himself move.  He was hungry for his brother’s presence such as it was, and this side of Thor he could not recall seeing left him transfixed.  Loki watched as Thor pulled a trinket from his loincloth, spoke to it and affixed flowers to it and realized it must be what he spoke to Frigga of.  He could make a better case for his brother by far, but he needed a way to address it without being caught out at eavesdropping.  Thor eventually seemed to reach a point of sitting without actively grieving and Loki decided to make his presence known as though he had arrived per Frigga’s request.  He took a step to head towards the entry to the garden where he intended to make himself visible then approach, but he froze as Thor’s head jerked up.

“Who’s there?”  Thor snarled as he hid his trinket and was on his feet quickly.

Loki’s eyes widened slightly, confused as to how Thor could have possibly heard them.  Jotun hearing was excellent, sure, but he had barely taken a step.  A tense moment passed and Thor frowned around before he sighed and looked back at the garden.  Loki took his opportunity to move again only to stop startled as a rock was hurtled his direction and nearly hit his face.  Thor started to storm over with an angry expression and Loki quickly revealed himself.

“You.”  Thor growled and Loki backed away with his hands splayed again.

“How did you hear me?”  Loki asked as he tried to distract Thor from the larger issue.

“By listening.”  Thor snapped.  “As you were to me, you little snake.”

“Your mischief got me into trouble, you little snake.”  Thor growled as Loki grinned, and Thor pressed Loki against the wall as he pinned him in place.  “I hope you are ready to make amends."

“You will find me perfectly amenable.”  Loki drawled.  “And no less amused.”  he added as Thor huffed, and Loki’s hands found Thor’s chest and waist.

Loki shook the hint of memory off, though the use of the less common but not unfamiliar ‘endearment’ make his heart leap just a little.  “Mother sent me to-”

“-Don’t give me that bunder’s dung when you were skulking in the corner.”  Thor growled as Loki found himself with his back against a wall.  “How much did you see?”

“Not much, truly.”   Loki lied as he met Thor’s gaze evenly.

“Liar.”  Thor accused.

“Sometimes.”  Loki said in a forced, light tone and Thor sneered.  That was new, Thor was not one to sneer, and it looked wrong even on the altered version of Thor’s face.  “Mother sent me to guide you back to your room.  That’s all.”

Thor stared at him a long moment, and Loki felt he was being judged though he knew not for what.  And then Thor stepped back with a scoff.  “Guide then, so I no longer have to suffer your company.”

The words were a barb in Loki’s heart and he hid the wound delivered as he forced a smile to his lips.  “Of course.  This way then.”  he said as he he turned quickly to disguise any evidence of pain in his face.  Even when they fought, Thor had not been so cutting and cold, it wasn’t Thor’s way.  There would be a painful irony in it if Thor could not be fixed from this, if Loki had Thor back but always twisted to scorn Loki.  “Did you enjoy the garden?”  he asked, and when he got no reply he glanced back thinking Thor might have not heard or had gotten distracted but Thor looked back at him coolly.  Loki was being ignored then.  He wondered at his ability to have done things like stab Thor in the stomach when Thor offered him aid, when he now felt such pain at Thor’s slightest dismissals.

Well, much had changed from then, Loki was no longer under influence of the scepter and fresh from The Other’s torture.  And he had a great deal of time to think over what he’d lost in wishing away his only true brother.

When they reached his room, Thor again seemed to hesitate slightly, as if he might still end up betrayed or tricked.

Some sliver of Loki maliciously wanted to leave it be, or to taunt, that was his way especially when he was in pain or dismissed.  But mostly he felt sorrow and guilt that he made Thor fear to enter a bedroom out of worry he would again be trapped like a beast.

Two years, two years he had not even seen his own hands.  The thought put an acrid, bitter taste in his mouth and pain in his chest.

“You will never be a prisoner here, Thor.  This is your home.”

“My home is on Jotunheim.”  Thor replied icily.  “And if I am not a prisoner, then send me back.”

“Is that really what you want?  To leave Mother when she asked you to stay?”  He saw Thor hesitate and said gently.  “Frigga is your mother, Thor.  I hope if nothing else you can believe that.  And I assure you, our mother is…the fiercest woman I have ever known.  She will let no harm come to you.”

Thor was silent a moment before he said grimly.  “She didn’t protect me from you, did she.”  It wasn’t really a question, and Loki didn’t consider it Thor accepting his identity.  This was like the moment on the balcony, where Thor had asked why he didn’t remember Loki simply to pour salt on the wound.  He was acknowledging that if Loki’s premise of the situation was accurate, then this was also accurate.

“...She did not know she needed to…she believed in the good in me, whether it was there or not.  Mother is…”  he swallowed hard.  “She is…”  Loki wasn’t sure how to put it into words, especially not to this other Thor.  “You can trust her.”

“I don’t trust anyone, Odinson.  That’s how I keep alive.”  Thor said, before he seemed to brace himself and entered his room.  He closed the door on Loki’s face without another word, and Loki set a palm against it.  A physical door, a proverbial door, Thor was closed off to him.  Whether or not it was deserved, it hurt no less.

--xx--

“Stay right there, okay?”  Young Loki instructed Thor who obliged as he nodded.  Loki braced himself and inhaled deeply before he focused on summoning and wielding his sorcery.  Around the brothers, trees formed and glowing lights that danced around the leaves.  The illusion of a forest dressed in dancing, colored lights hung around them and Thor’s jaw dropped.

“Loki…”  Thor reached a hand out to a tree and it passed through, but it looked so real.  This was not sorcery in the shape of an animal or a tree, this was an illusion that looked like the actual thing.  “This is amazing.”  Thor breathed in awe as he stared, transfixed by the display before he grinned at his brother.

Loki beamed with pleasure and pride at his brother’s awe and excitement.  He pushed a little harder as he made fruits and flowers bloom on the branches before the illusion of snow covered over them.  The sight of Thor gaping up at the sky made Loki smile broadly.  He wanted to impress his big brother, he wanted Thor to be proud of him.  Loki pushed a little harder still as a pair of hissing snakes appeared around Thor’s feet and Thor gave a delighted laugh of surprise.  Thor ran his hand through them and shook his head like he couldn’t believe it.

“I have said it before, but you are a wonder, little brother.”  Thor said warmly.

“Thank you, brot-”  Loki cut off as the illusion faded and he collapsed.  Thor caught him before he hit the ground and held Loki in one arm as he pressed a concerned palm to Loki’s face.

“Brother?  What is it?  Loki?”  Thor asked urgently.

Loki’s expression crumpled, he had overused his sorcery…he should have known better…but Thor looked so pleased.  “Too much sorcery too quickly…”  he admitted.

“Do not do that again!”  Thor chided, anxious for his brother as he hefted Loki into his arms to carry him inside.

“Put me down!  I do not need to be carried!”  Loki protested dizzily.

Thor held his brother tighter.  “Let me anyway.  You had me worried, Loki.  I will bring you to your room and have food and drink sent."

Loki slumped in Thor’s arms.  “…I was so close…”  he mumbled.

Thor considered his brother’s words and glum expression.  “What you did was amazing, brother.”  he said again.

“I made a mistake-"

”Loki, you are still learning.  You wield sorcery even adults struggle with.  Why are you being so hard on yourself?  I am proud of you, little brother.”

Loki stared at Thor at that.  “You are not mad?"

“Mad?  No, I told you, I was only worried, Loki.  I have pushed myself in training too…”  he added as an admission.  “Your sorcery is awesome, brother.  As are you…even if you are also a little sneak and a brat sometimes.”  Thor added playfully.

Loki felt a swell of love and pride at that as he finally leaned against his big brother.  “Thank you, Thor.”

“Mm.”  Thor hummed a reply as he smiled, and Loki let himself enjoy his brother’s warmth.

--xx--

Loki had a message waiting for him when he woke in the morning that he was to bring Thor to break his fast with Odin and Frigga, so he readied himself quickly and braced himself for what fresh pain interactions with his brother might bring.

He knocked as he reached Thor’s door and received no answer.  “Thor?  …Thor?”  Loki hesitated before he tried the knob and found it unlocked, he supposed Thor wouldn’t have known to lock it anyway.  “Hello?”  he tried as he entered, but he stopped short as the sunlight streaming in through the open balcony doors illuminated a floor splattered with blood.

Panic and fear gripped Loki as the worst of possibilities filled his mind.  Had Thor been attacked, had he been killed in the space of time between their parting?  Had he already lost his brother again?  Loki had lost Thor before, but the pain had been slow in coming.  He had wished Thor gone, been glad in the moment, and then regretted it with time and thought.  But this was different, in this moment, he was desperate not to have lost his brother and he raced through the room towards the balcony.  “Thor?  Brother!”  he shouted, terrified that he might find Thor in a terrible state.

There was a thump on the balcony as Thor jumped down, apparently from the roof landing above the balcony, and he stared at Loki with a frown.  “So noisy, Asgardian.”  he groused.

Loki stared at the nonplussed Thor who was bare but for his loincloth and also splattered with blood.  “What happened?” he managed to ask as he quickly came forward.  “Are you alright?”

“Why would I not be?”  Thor asked, like Loki was being ridiculous.

“The-the blood.”

Thor blinked and glanced behind Loki before he suddenly looked smug, and then perhaps mildly wary.  “I have made a gift for Frigga.  If you try to take it, we will have a fight on our hands, Odinson.”

Loki was bewildered by all of it, taken aback by the random and unexpected turn of events.  He watched in silence as Thor picked up a shorn sheepskin from a chair.

“The cloth is soft, and stupidly warm.  An Aesir woman would like it…right?”  Thor asked as almost an after thought as a flicker of hesitation crossed his expression.

“I’m sorry, do I…do I have it right that you…sometime last night…stole and skinned a sheep?”

“What do you mean ‘stole’?”  Thor sounded offended.  “I hunted it.”

Loki opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again.  “There are no…wild sheep on Asgard, Thor.  You took it from somewhere, from someone.”

Thor’s brow furrowed.  “…How can you claim a sheep is yours if it roams free?”

“Because…that is the way of property.  I assume it was behind a fence?”

“A what?”

Loki barely restrained from an exasperated noise, on some level, it was like dealing with a child and Norns knew Loki had no patience for them.  But in truth, it was his brother, and his brother’s ignorance was not his fault.  “Like a cage.”  he said, without thinking and he saw Thor’s expression darken.  “That was a bad description, ah, they keep them penned in.  So they do not escap-”  This was harder than he’d anticipated and Thor only looked more cross at that.  “The sheep are raised…by someone.  They are fed and bred, and raised by someone for various purposes.  That is how they belong to them.”  The look of vitriolic disdain Thor gave him made his blood run cold.

“The bastard on Knowhere fed me, spoke of breeding me.”  Thor said in a murderous tone.  “Kept me in a cage so I could not escape. ..fenced in.”  he snarled.

The knowledge that The Collector had been considering ‘breeding’ Thor was, on top of everything else, made Loki want to burn Knowhere to the ground.  “Had I known then what I know now, brother, I would have found a quiet way to introduce my dagger to his neck.”  he said with quiet venom.  “The sheep are not…it is different, animals are raised for purpose, the one who cares for them owns them-”

“-As the House of Odin is caring for me?”  Thor asked viciously.

Loki saw no good end to the conversation, and regretted not simply ignoring the instance of the sheep at that point.  “You are not an animal, or owned.  You are a prince of Asgard.  And Jotunheim.”  he added as Thor narrowed his eyes.  “And Mother wishes us both to the dining hall to break our fast with her and Father.”  As he hoped, the mention of Frigga gave Thor pause.  “But first we need to get you cleaned up.”

Thor glanced down at himself and wiped at some of the now-dried blood on his bare chest.  “Hunting meat that isn’t frozen is messy.”  he noted.  “I will wear the cloth over it.”  he said as he grabbed the tunic from the night before from where he’d discarded it.

“Ah-no.  You cannot go about the palace like that, and we don’t wear dirty clothes, Thor.”

“You don’t.”  Thor corrected.

Loki clenched his teeth a moment before an idea struck him and he put his hand behind his back as he used his sorcery to summon an illusion of Frigga.  She came through the open bedroom door and paused as she saw Thor.

“My son!  Are you well?  What is all this blood?”  Frigga asked, a picture of motherly concern.

“Thor thinks bathing and wearing clean clothes are not necessary.”  Loki explained to the illusion, who gave Thor a sympathetic look.

“Thor…I know this is all…new to you, as you are now, but-”

Thor crossed the distance between he and in the illusion in a few quick steps before he slammed his curved fingers through ‘Frigga’s’ face.

Loki was mortified, Thor seemed to have attempted to attack Frigga, but it was Loki who received Thor’s furious gaze.

“Tricks.”  Thor hissed.  “More…illusions.”

”W-What?  How could you possibly tell?”  Thor always fell for his illusions, it was practically a running joke at this point.

“No smell.”  Thor growled as he advanced on Loki who took a few steps back out of instinct.

“...Your nose can’t be the sensitive…”  Loki, both to distract Thor and to experiment, summoned nine other illusions of himself as he blended in with them.  The illusions of Loki all said in unison.  “Which of us is the real one, then?”

Thor looked deeply annoyed at the development before he grabbed the closest object in reach, a throw pillow from the chair, and hurled it with force towards the true Loki.

Loki caught the pillow in surprise.  “That shouldn’t be-Thor!”  He cut off as Thor charged at him and Loki cursed.  “Is this going to be an everyday occurrence?  Norns, will you stop trying to fight me!  I am not your enemy!”

“You are not my friend!”

”I am your brother!”

“I’m not your brother, I never was."

“Look at you, the mighty Thor, with all your strength.  And what good does it do you now, huh?  Do you hear me, brother?  There's nothing you can do!”

Thor stopped short as he put hands to either side of his head and winced as if in pain.  An angry voice, Loki’s voice echoed in his mind and he squinted through a sudden pain in his head.  “You said I never was.”

“What?”

Thor rubbed at his face as he tried to clear his head of the pain before he lowered his hands with a glare.  “Are these voices your doing too?”

“You’re hearing voices?”  Loki took a cautious step forward.  “Memories?  Or do you mean…something else?”

“Stay away from me.”  Thor muttered.

Loki stopped and watched his brother with a faintly pained expression.  “I only want to help you, Thor.”

“It’s too late.”

“It’s too late."

Loki’s brow furrowed if he wondered if that too was an echo of the past shining through from the absent way Thor said it.  “No…we can fix it, together.”  he said, as he gave more or less Thor’s words back to him from their encounter on Avengers Tower.

“Nothing to fix.”  Thor growled before he glanced past Loki and his aggressive demeanor quickly became more awkward and uncertain.

--xx--

The Night Before

“He is our son, Odin…I am convinced of it.”  Frigga said as she lay beside her husband in bed.

“...If what you say is true, Loki has committed a grievous crime.”

“One which he is trying to mend.”

”Remorse after the fact might go towards a more lenient punishment, but the crime is no less for it…but Loki is our son.  How can so many memories be false?  And as you said, what being would have the power to alter the fate of a son of Gaia?”

“He is our son, Odin.  Your son.  I felt it to my bones…but so is Loki."

”And if what you claim is true, what would you have me do?  If Thor is our son, I must punish Loki, I must protect him from Loki.  Thor feels a son to you, but Loki feels a son to me.  Thor I know only as a stranger.”

“You feel nothing for him?”

“The memories Loki showed, if that is what they were…were compelling.  But not a guarantee…and on what grounds would I present punishment to Loki before the court?  Will I tell Asgard I have locked away their crown prince because their true prince is the Jotun son of Laufey?”

“Loki wishes to make amends.  And it was his wish that caused this…he may be vital to undoing what was done.”

Odin ran a hand over his hair.  “Such a thing as this…it is unfathomable.”

“I would vow my life that Thor is our son, Odin.  I know it to be true."

“Then you as good as vow that Loki is not.”

”Adopted is no less our son.”

”And what of an adopted son who wishes our true born son out of existence?  You think softly on it because Thor is here, if this all be true, but if he were gone with no hope of return and you knew of it.  What then?  Would you have Loki well-treated still?”

“It would break my heart that he had done it.  But I could no more stop loving a child of mine than I could tear my heart from by chest.  There must be consequences, but let us first see this matter settled.  Humor me.  If this is the truth, then we must find what being has such power and seek as well our lost memories.  From there, we will know best how to proceed.  In the meanwhile…I will treat Thor as my son, for that is what he is.”

Odin sighed heavily.  “…We will say he…is the son of my brother Vili.  That Thor was not known of, and was recently found…”

”Rather than say Thor came of you, you will say he came of your late brother?”

“Would you have me claim Thor as my half-breed bastard?”  Odin said, a bit crudely and Frigga arched a brow.  “The All-Father must be above reproach.  Taking in my brother’s son will be seen as charity, taking in the product of my misdeeds would be seen as…indulgent.  And it would dishonor you.”

“If we are unable to fix this…spell, to put a name to it.  Then Thor will forever be your nephew and not your son.”

“We will formally adopt him when the times comes.  If it comes.  We will use the ball tomorrow evening to announce him.”

“Thor cannot attend such a thing.”

“He will need do little but dress well and show up.  We will announce him as Vili’s son, and let his nature be known…he will not need a glamour then, if that is your wish.”

“If that is his wish.”  she corrected.

“So be it.”  Odin said.

--xx--

Frigga requested Loki to send for Thor but she held an anxious feeling all night and went herself to collect her boys in the morning.  She entered at the tail end of a conversation and found a disheveled Thor with a weary looking Loki.  “Good morning, my sons.”  she said as she decided a light touch was needed to handle this.  “May I ask what this mess is, Thor?”

Thor shuffled his foot a bit, to Loki’s astonishment.  His brother had seemed half-ready to kill him again and now he was acting the part of anxious boy?  Loki was confounded, uncertain of how it worked but knowing that Thor had displayed…some signs of memory.  Even to him, even just moments before…there was still hope.

There had to be.

“I made you something.”  Thor said as he presented her with the sheepskin.

Frigga accepted the item and gave Thor a smile as she went for a polite approach.  “You made this yourself?  That was very kind, Thor, thank you.  It is quite lovely…but how did you come across this?”

“I hunted it.”  he said, a note of pride in his voice.

“There are animals which may be hunted on Asgard, but sheep are not among them.  I am very grateful for this gift, dear heart, but please do not do so again.”

Thor frowned.  “Why can they not be hunted?”

“Sheep can bear many coats of wool in their lifetimes, if let to live.  But you have taken the only one this sheep now will bear.”  Frigga went for a practical explanation.

Thor considered that, still did not seem convinced, but inclined his head all the same.

“I would very much like for you to break your fast with us, Thor.  But for me, would you please wash up and wear a bit of clothing?”

Thor paused a moment before he muttered.  “Is it so important?”

“It would please me greatly to see you looking cleaned and well, Thor.”  Frigga said gently as she stepped closer and gently tucked a bit of Thor’s hair behind his ear.  He did not object and simply watched her.  “Would that be alright?”

Thor’s expression remained cold a moment before it softened.  “…I will do it for you, Frigga.”  he agreed.

Frigga smiled warmly as she leaned forward to press a kiss to Thor’s cheek.  “Thank you, dear heart.”

“Good night, my dear hearts.  I love you, sleep well.”

”Sleep well, Mother.”  Thor and Loki chimed back.

Thor blinked against the faint voices in his head before he nodded lightly.  His cheek felt warm where she had kissed it.  “I will see you soon?”  he asked.

“Of course.  You may see me anytime you wish.”  Frigga said kindly, and Thor looked surprised before a faint hint of a smile curved the edges of his lips.  She offered him one more smile before she looked to Loki.  “Show him how to use the showers.”

“Certainly, Mother.” he said, sure it wasn’t going to go well, but he accepted a kiss from her as well and smiled at her as he sent her off.

Thor and Loki were alone again and Loki steeled himself.  “…Shall we get this over with?”  he asked, not surprised when he was met with a silent glare in reply.

--

Loki found Thor an unwilling participant in the experience, mistrustful of their technology, and of Loki himself.  He eventually got Thor to participate in testing the water until it was a ‘reasonable’ temperature which was as cold as the water would go to Loki’s dismay.  Loki realized Thor was as likely to just let the water spray on him quickly as anything else and he resigned himself to helping.  That too had taken some convincing but Thor agreed.  Like his Aesir counterpart, Thor seemed unconcerned with a display of his body, which he supposed wasn't much different to wearing only the loincloth.

Thor had nearly stepped in with his loincloth till Loki stopped him and informed him it would ruin the thing to get soaked.  His brother had been furious and Loki couldn’t understand why.

“It’s just a ratty old loincloth!”  he finally snapped.

“My mate made this for me.”  Thor snapped back and Loki was startled by that.

“Your…mate?”

“She is gone now, but she crafted this for me herself.”  Thor said firmly.

“Very well.”  Loki said as he decided to deal with the implications of Thor having had a mate later.  “It will stay right here in your room, untouched.  It is yours, Thor.”  Thor still seemed unwilling and Loki decided things could hardly get worse, so he came out with it.  “I know what you hide in your loincloth-”  Thor stepped towards him and Loki hastened to finish.  “And I can make you something much better.”

Thor paused with a glare.  “You were watching me.”  he accused.

“I can sense a hint of your powers.”  Loki lied.  “You use your powers to keep it cold, do you not?”

“What are you trying to say?”  Thor growled.

“I can encase it glass, which doesn’t melt.  And is much easier to see through.”  Thor gave him a look that Loki decided was still one of mistrust so he added.  “Making you dislike me even more does me no good.  I would not risk your ire to be careless with something precious to you.  And if you don’t like the result, I will undo it, and you can keep doing as you have been.”

Thor didn’t want Loki touching it, he didn’t like that he even knew about it…but glass… “Glass breaks easily.”

Loki wasn’t entirely sure if it was odd or not that Thor knew that when he hadn’t even known what bedding was.  “Not this glass.”

Thor considered it as he looked down at the loincloth and thought of Lopt.  He deserved so much better than Thor had ever been able to give him…he deserved better than ice for what remained of him.  “If anything happens to it-"

”-You’ll kill me?”  Loki guessed, and Thor eyed him sternly before he produced the piece of ice from his loincloth.

Thor held it a moment as he looked at the faintly visible blonde hair within, now with the flowers of last night, and then let the ice open at the middle.  He brushed a thumb over the braid with a sad look before he passed it to Loki with a frown.

Loki made a show of being extremely careful with it, and he glanced at the contents for a second before he waved his hand and used sorcery to fashion a rounded glass necklace with the braid swirled in the middle and the flowers tucked on either side of it.  Loki passed it back to Thor.  “If you don’t like it as a necklace, I can change that.”

Thor couldn’t believe what Loki’s sorcery could do.  He stared at the encased hair and flowers as he ran a thumb over the surface.  “…It’s fine.”  he said, before he fumbled again with the clasp.  He had seen Loki do it on the bracelet, but he had trouble repeating it on the necklace.

“May I?”  Loki offered and after a bit more struggle, Thor begrudgingly passed it back to him.  He moved around his brother as he slipped the necklace on his neck and clasped it at the back, and watched as Thor admired it in the mirror.   A faint smile found Thor’s lips as he brushed his fingers over the glass and then gave Loki a blank expression.

“Now what?”

Loki supposed expecting a thanks would be too much, but Thor hadn’t really seemed to soften to him at all.  What followed was the realization if he wanted Thor to be cleaned properly, he was going to have to help him.  Thor was convinced to part with his loincloth, and Loki kept his eyes on Thor’s face as he instructed and helped Thor through washing his hair and body.  He had tried to offer a scratchy sponge to Thor, who had nearly punched him in return, apparently the sponge irritated the heritage lines.  Loki tried not to let his eyes be drawn to the few vicious scars that marked Thor fighting for his life against those who would hunt him for being a runt.  For being what Loki had been before he’d stolen Thor’s life.  The thought made him shudder and he showed Thor how to wrap up in a towel before he bade him sit as Loki brushed through his hair.  Thor seemed impatient and irritated through the whole process, and Loki mentioned Frigga several times to keep Thor remembering who he was doing this for.

Loki summoned another tunic, in a lighter brown this time, as well as small clothes now that his loincloth was off.  And  sandals so that at least Thor’s feet weren’t bare.  That had taken more convincing, but he was more amenable to them than to socks.  The finished result wasn’t all that different from before, but at least Thor now was clean and his hair looked tidier.  He noticed that Thor’s hand kept going to the necklace, which he took to be a sign that he liked it.  Loki would content himself with that for now.

--

When they entered the dining hall, there were no ‘armor’ coverings on the food this time and there was overall less of it.  Thor seemed to hesitate for a second all the same but then moved without prompting.

“Good morning, my sons.”  Frigga greeted them and Odin cast her a quick glance before he gave a greeting.

“Good morn.”  Odin said.  “Did you sleep well, Thor?”

Thor sat down across from Frigga where visibly frozen fruits and meat were set as Loki sat beside him.  “I slept.  I don’t know what you mean by well.”  Thor started to grab for fruit before he eyed the fork with a faint grimace and picked it up as he speared some instead.

Frigga, Odin, and Loki exchanged glances before Frigga spoke.  “Well generally means you slept most of the night without waking, had no nightmares, and hopefully feel refreshed come the morning.”

Thor paused with a fruit at the entrance of his lips, finished the bite and swallowed before he looked to Odin.  “Then no.”

“...No?”

“I didn’t sleep well.”  Thor said before he took another bite.

“Was there something wrong with your room or bed?  I will have it changed at once, Thor.”  Frigga reassured him.

Thor poked at the food on his plate with the fork before he said quietly.  “I haven’t slept well since…”  his gaze flicked back up to Frigga whose face became sympathetic.

“I understand.  Very well.”  she added, in a knowing way.  “There is a tea that helps me to rest on the worst of nights.  I can have the tea made cold for you, if you would wish to try it.”

“Tea is-”  Loki started.

“-I know what tea is.”  Thor said gruffly before he looked to Frigga.  “…I would…like that.”  Frigga gave him a warm smile and Thor’s tense expression softened.

Odin looked between them and felt he knew the topic at hand, Frigga had advised him of it the night prior.

--xx--

“There is something else…Thor had a son.”

“A son?  Where is he now?  …He will come as well.”

“He died of a wasting illness.  That is why the healing beds so upset Thor.  There is every chance his son could have been healed if he were on Asgard.”

Odin’s stoic expression became saddened and weary at the news.  “…Then by your beliefs…our first grandson is already lost to us.  Needlessly and tragically…”  As Frigga nodded, Odin slipped an arm around his wife.  “Such grief would harden any man.  I can understand his anger now, why he would have lashed out.  But if he makes another attempt on Loki’s life, he must be put in a cell for a time, or held in his room.”

”I will speak with him.  But we cannot lock him up again.  He will never trust us.  Thor has no concept of a cell as anything but a cage.”

“He must learn if he is to live here with us.  Thor must learn to live an Asgardian.  It will be hard enough for the people to accept a Jotun, or half-Jotun among us.  If he chooses to flout our ways, he will never be accepted.”

“You mean you will not accept him?”  Frigga asked.

“That is not what I said.”

“If you had seen him tonight…we have all been taught that the Jotnar are monstrous.  But Thor looked no different than any who grieve their child.  He was so moved by my illusions of Vanaheim, he wished his son could have seen such things.  Is that the sentiment of a beast or monster, Odin?”

“He is not truly Jotun if what you say of him is true.”

“Oh, don’t give me that, Odin.”  Frigga scoffed.  “He knows only being Jotun in this life.  You cannot hesitate to claim you believe him our son and yet also use that he may have been to justify why he isn’t a monster as you think all Jotnar are.”

“You were not there, Frigga.”  Odin said as he looked away for a moment.  “The Jotnar did not just make war, it was not simple conquest.  They slaughtered and destroyed as they went.  If they had their way, every land would be a barren, icy wasteland and all living beings aside from their kind would be gone.”

“And what of Bestla, your grandmother?  What of the blood in yours veins?”

Odin’s expression became irritated as he frowned at her.  “Why must you keep bringing this up?”

”Because it bears mentioning when you speak of the Jotnar as if you do not carry their very blood.  As if our son, our sons, do not.”

“They say Bestla died from complications of childbirth.  But it was the the Jotnar.  Because she failed to kill Bor as they wanted.”

“You don’t know that.  It could have been an Asgardian, it was likelier an Asgardian.  Why would the Jotnar not want Bestla on the throne as Queen?  Why would they not want her child as future king?  They had more to lose with Bestla’s death.  If Bestla even died from assassination at all.  You speculate without certainty.”

Odin was silent a moment before he said.  “At Tonsberg, we did not arrive in time to stop them from reaching human settlements…there are rules in war, Frigga, unspoken rules.  However cruel we may be to the men we fight against, whatever deeds may be done against women by the worst of soldiers…children are another matter.  We all fear for our children, and so we do not involve them in war.  But those frost giants…the ‘Jotnar’…they slaughtered them as if for sport.  The things I saw…the things they used their ice spears for…”  he closed his eyes a moment against the memory.  “If I had any doubt of what monsters they were, I lost it then.  Thor himself gave us more cause.  Abandoned for being born small-”

“-Because they are starving!  Because you took their Casket-”

“-Yes, Frigga!”  Odin’s voice rose.  “I took their Casket.  I let them go back to Jotunheim, the cost to attempt to fight them all would have been too great, and I could not justify once they were beaten back from Midgard.  But I tell you, Frigga, if you saw what I saw…the sight of a frost giant would make you wretch.  For all that we regard them as monsters, they have no regard for life or rules of engagement.  It means nothing to them.  And had they their Casket again, mark me, Laufey would seek war.  They would not be content to rebuild, as they were never content to begin with.  Midgard is a land of sun and green, what use had they for it?  Laufey would have made it barren.  And he would have killed or enslaved every mortal to do it.”

“...Then perhaps it is time for a new king to wield the Casket.”

Odin froze as he looked back at his wife.  “You have not yet convinced me Thor is our son, in which case if he is, then he belongs here.  But it seems to me you are suggesting putting Thor on the throne of Jotunheim?   With the Casket?”

“Someday, perhaps.”

Odin shook his head.  “Before we argue over this too, let us get through what is at hand.  Thor must be announced as Vili’s son, to be taken into our house.  And we must see how he acclimates here.  I must see if I can believe as you do…”

--xx--

“There is tea on Jotunheim?”  Odin asked, in a tone of polite curiosity.

Thor eyed Odin before he shook his head.  “Not usually.  But I knew a Jotun who could make it.”

“A good friend?”  Frigga asked with a smile.

”Mm.”  was Thor’s only reply as he took a bite of meat.

“We have reached a decision on how to announce Thor.”  Odin said.

“Announce me?”

“How we will introduce you to the people.”  Frigga explained.

“Why would you do that?”  Thor asked.

“For one thing, I want no more mishaps such as what happened in the hall where you were mistaken for an attacking Jotun.”  Frigga explained again.

A little smirk curved Thor’s lips around his fork.  “I was an attacking Jotun.”  he said, with an almost smug glance at Loki who blinked even as Odin frowned.

Frigga coughed.  “I trust you will not do so again, Thor?”

Thor’s smug expression became more reluctant and perhaps slightly sheepish.  “…Not even with him?”  he said without looking at Loki.

“Please do not attack anyone unless you must defend yourself.”  Frigga said, without particularly answering about Loki.

“...If you want.”  Thor muttered.

“Thank you, Thor.”  Frigga said, and Thor seemed a little pleased by that.

“How will he be announced?”  Loki asked.

“We will claim him as the son of my late brother Vili, as a-”

Thor’s fork clattered to the table as he glared at Odin.  “I am a son of Laufey.”

Odin’s eyes narrowed.  “You are here because Frigga believes you are more.  Were you only a son of Laufey, you would not be.”

Thor’s hands clenched as his expression grew angrier and Loki exchanged a glance with Frigga.

“Only a son of Laufey?  I may be a runt, but I am a prince of Jotunheim.”  Thor growled.

“Do not speak to me in a such a tone.”  Odin snapped.

Thor started to rise and Odin’s nostrils flared, but Frigga spoke firmly over them.

“Enough!”  Odin and Thor seemed startled.  “I will not have such fighting at this table.  You are a son of Laufey and prince of Jotunheim.”  Frigga agreed.  “But if we claim you as Vili’s son, we can adopt you formally into our home.  It will give you status and protection on Asgard.  You will be our nephew and Loki’s cousin by birth, and our son and Loki’s brother by formal adoption.”

Thor did not look happy about the prospect.  “Why do I need such things?  Will I be killed without it?”

“Of course not!”  Frigga exclaimed.

“You do not want to wear a glamour, Thor, which is fine.  But we will need a way to explain why there is a…Jotun in Asgard.  Even if we claimed you Thor Laufeyson, they would wonder why you are here, and news might reach Jotunheim.  I assume Laufey believes you dead, if Asgard suddenly claims to have a son of Laufey, there will be trouble.  Mother and Father will have to answer for it.”  Loki said the last bit to give Thor a reason to accept, to spare Frigga from trouble.  In truth, he would be glad for Thor to wear a glamour, he wanted to see his brother look more as himself and not as a monster of Jotunheim, but so be it.

“The As will fear and hate me either way.”  Thor muttered.

“But to do you any harm will be treason, as you will be part of the royal family.”  Frigga said.  “I wish you to be as safe as I can make you, my son.”  she said gently, and Thor looked up with surprise at that.  “It would hurt me if any harm came to you, Thor.”

“...You don’t know me.”

“I do in here, as you do me…remember?”  Frigga asked softly as she put a hand to her heart and Thor’s expression visibly softened.

“...Fine.  You can say I am…that Aesir’s son.”

“There is a ball on the morrow, we will announce it formally then.”  Odin said.  “But given rumors were already spreading about the incident in the hall…I have let rumors spread ahead of time about who Thor is.”

Thor frowned at that.  “So this…thing about me being the son of that As.  Your people have heard it now?”

“Aye.”  Odin said.

“What if I had said ‘no’?”

“That would have been a problem.”  Odin said, without elaborating in which way it would be so.

Before Thor could make an irked reply, Frigga spoke to the brothers.  “I thought perhaps you might take Thor into the city.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, Mother?”  Loki asked.  “Is it not…too soon?”

“I might have to defend myself.”  Thor said wryly, implying he would be attacked.

“It would show the people that Thor has our support and trust.  And I would like Thor to see more of Asgard, if you wish it.”  she added with a look at Thor.

Thor didn’t especially want to go out among the Aesir or see more of the indulgent city.  But he found he wanted to please Frigga, and there was some sense in learning the lay of the land.  Especially if he needed to make an escape on his own back to Jotunheim.  Also…it wasn’t like the idea of scaring Asgardians wasn’t a little amusing.  “I will go.”  he decided.

Loki and Odin exchanged a glance that time.  “You must not give the people cause to fear you, Thor.”  he advised, hoping that was a milder way of saying ‘be on good behavior’.

Thor’s lips twisted into a wry, half-smirk.  “My existence gives them cause to fear.  I don’t need to do anything.”

“Thor-”  Frigga started but Odin beat her to it.

“-Show them they have no need to fear.”  Odin encouraged.

“I never gave them a reason to fear in the first place.”  Thor pointed out.  “Why do I have to play nice just to make them feel better?  They’ll think I’m a monster anyway.”

The table was silent a moment before Loki said lightly.  “It isn’t fair to you, but it is the way of things.  If it makes you feel better, being the nephew of the All-Father means you’ll rank above…everyone not at this table.”

Thor considered that.  “They have to listen to me?”

“They will.  Within reason.”  Loki added, not sure he liked the sudden gleam in Thor’s eyes.

“Abusing the privilege of your rank will not be tolerated.”  Odin warned.

Thor frowned at that as he gave Odin a blank-eyed glance.  “Are you going to tell them treating me like a monster will not be tolerated?”

Frigga interjected.  “That is what the rank will say, without formal words.  You will be a member of the royal family, they cannot insult you without insulting the All-Father.”

“Hm.”  Thor chewed a piece of meat thoughtfully.  “Guess the All-Father is going to have to get used to being insulted.”  he said, with a hint of vicious amusement that made the other three frown.

“You are new to Asgard, and our people are not friendly.”  Odin said.  “So I expect there will be much for you to learn, but hear me, I am not to be disrespected.”  he warned.  “I am All-Father and King of Asgard.  Your rank will not preclude you from recognizing that.”

Thor paused before he met Odin’s gaze without a hint of fear or obeisance.  “I know exactly who you are.  The king who stole our Casket.”

Odin’s face reddened slightly and Loki hastened to change the subject.  “So the ball tomorrow, the declaration will be made then?”

“That is the plan.”  Odin said, a little coolly.

“Must be a fancy ball.”  Thor said idly.  “Made of gold or something?”

Another brief silence before Frigga spoke.  “A ball is like a party-”

Thor’s fork clattered to the table as his posture tensed.  “-No.”

Loki saw anger in Odin’s face and knew he must be misunderstanding.  “Thor, it isn’t like the parties on Knowhere.  And you will not be there as…as entertainment.  You will be a high-ranking guest of honor.”

“No.”  Thor snarled.  “Is this what your ‘care’ was for?”

Loki recognized the reference to their earlier conversation.  “You will be the rank of a prince at the party, Thor, no one will dare touch you.”  he tried to reassure him.

“You will not attend if you do not wish to.”  Frigga said and Odin frowned.

“He must, he will be announced-”

”-Husband.”  Frigga said in a warning tone.  “-I will not have our son made so deeply uncomfortable unnecessarily.”  she looked to Thor.  “Loki speaks truly, dear heart.  Whatever you have come to believe a party is from your time on Knowhere, this is not that and never will be.  It would be good for you to make an appearance at the formal announcement, but we will not make you, Thor.  The decision is yours.”

Thor looked pained by her words, the endearments and respectful address.

“Thor.”  Frigga added with a fierce look.  “Anyone who wished to hurt you or poorly treat you would have to answer to me.  Know that I will put the fear of the All-Mother into whomever is so foolish as to think they could dare harm my son.”

Thor looked a little in awe at those words as he stared at Frigga with slightly wide eyes before he fidgeted with the table cloth.  “…You…mean those words?”

“With all my heart.”  Frigga said firmly.

Thor considered that before he said, with surprising earnestness.  “If anyone tried to harm you I would kill them myself.”  he vowed.

Loki cleared his throat while Odin inhaled deeply, and Frigga smiled patiently at Thor.

“We reserve killing for only the worst of crimes here.  But I appreciate the sentiment, thank you, Thor.”

“...If I go to this…’ball’…I can leave when I want?  I won’t be…”

“Yes.”  Loki answered for his parents.  “As I have said, you will never be in chains again, Thor.”

Thor glanced at Loki and then at Frigga as his fingers curled and uncurled before he mumbled.  “I will…try.  For you, Frigga.”

Odin frowned as Thor addressed her as ‘Frigga’, but let it pass.

“I will love you no less if you do not attend.”  Frigga said, because he had phrased it that way.  The word ‘love’ seemed to startle Thor who swallowed hard and stared at her.  “I want you to know, whether you attend or not, you will not be disappointing me.”

Thor’s gaze was almost reverential for a moment as he locked eyes with Frigga and then nodded.  “I will go.”  he said, more firmly.

Frigga smiled warmly.  “I will be glad of your presence, my son.”

Odin was not put at ease by Thor’s behavior or the conversations, but he could see at least that Frigga had no doubts that Thor was her son.  She seemed to have no hesitation in speaking to him thus and sharing her affections and even love with him.  But it troubled Odin, only further because of what it would imply of Loki if the tale were true.  Odin cast a glance at Loki who seemed focused on Thor with an almost wistful expression.  Frigga was right that such behavior and displays were unusual for their son, but that Loki believed his tale did not make it true.

Either way, true or not, a son of Laufey was entering the royal house of Asgard.  A Jotun was being publicly declared part of the royal family…

When they had finished breakfast, all four rose and Frigga gave both of her sons a hug.  She let Thor see her hug Loki and then approached with a questioning glance, to see if he would wish it or not.  Thor had given her a hesitant look and then stepped closer, so she had embraced him warmly.  He returned it gently, as if a bit afraid to touch her.  “I will see you again tonight, enjoy your day.”  Frigga bade Thor especially, but Loki too with a knowing look between them.

“A pleasant day.”  Odin echoed, and watched as the would-be brothers left the dining hall.  He looked back at Frigga who seemed to have expected a measure of Odin’s displeasure.  “I have concerns.”

”How might I allay them?”  Frigga asked wryly.

“...He more than distrusts us, Frigga.  And the way he speaks of the Casket…”

“Can you blame him?”

“Blame or not, the issue is one of trust and understanding.  He sees me as an enemy.”

“That is excessive.”

“The king who stole the Casket, he called me.  I am the one who made his people ‘starve’, to his mind.”

“He bears no love for Laufey either, he called him a bastard, if you’ll recall.”

“But was offended to be declared Vili’s son instead.”

”Does any man wish to claim a false father?”

Odin stroked his bear with a heavy sigh.  “I have an ominous feeling, Frigga.”

”Not so rare a thing for you, my worrisome husband.”  she said as she tenderly brushed her hand against his cheek.  He caught her hand in his as he kissed her wrist and then pressed his cheek against her palm.

“I worry for Loki.  He will not guard against Thor as he should.  I see how he looks at him.  Loki is desperate for Thor to accept him.  I have never seen such a face on our son, such a longing.”

“Loki is the most powerful god on Asgard, save you.  He is in no danger with Thor.  More so because I believe Thor would not truly hurt him.”

Odin snorted.  “And when he threatened him yesterday, held him by the neck?”

“A bluff.”

“You risk much in that belief.”

“And you risk much in not believing.”  Frigga countered.

Odin sighed.  “We shall see, my love, we shall see.”  he pressed a kiss to her head as the pair embraced.  “There is much to do before tomorrow night…I will see the task started.”

”I will do my part.”  she assured him.  “Worry not, husband.  This is a beginning, not an ending.”

“I hope you are right about that.”  he murmured.

Frigga kissed him softly.  “Am I not always?”  she teased, and they shared warm smiles before she left Odin to his thoughts and each to their tasks.  There was much to do to ready for the formal announcement.