Chapter 14
The tension in the air noticeably lightened as the five of them soundly abused Thor for his many past… mishaps. Loki's favorite was the time that Thor had attempted to make a dramatic flying exit and forgotten that he was indoors. It was one of the few times that the great klutz had managed to injure himself rather than others. Especially rather than his little brother. Loki had been caught in the line of fire, so to speak, much more than his share of the time due to simple proximity and took a little sadistic pleasure in Thor landing on the receiving end of his own accidents once in a while. He shifted against his pillows and relaxed. Whatever had happened that he couldn't remember, his friends were the same as ever. Older, but the same people.
Sif was enjoying the afternoon more than she wanted to admit. It felt like the old days, lounging on "their" balcony teasing one another. Loki being bandaged and pale wasn't even out of the ordinary, though usually if Loki was injured then Thor would be trying to hide that he was sitting on a pillow. That had been funny, especially if Loki was pissed off enough to start turning the pillow into other things. None of them had ever been able to stay angry at Thor for his constant thoughtless accidental destruction for too long though when they knew he'd had his hide tanned for it by the queen, not even the ones who'd gotten hurt.
It was too much like the old days. Why hadn't Loki slipped up yet? He might be the god of lies, but they'd known him all their life. They knew how to read him. Thor claimed his brother had no memory of the past five years, and she believed that Thor truly believed what he said, but she had trouble believing that story. It was just too convenient. Fake collapse when arrested, fake a few injuries (or exaggerate them, the palace healer was not easily fooled) and fake memory loss of everything for which he could be put on trial. There was no way that he wasn't up to something. Right?
And yet it was so very convincing. It was no coincidence that Fandral had mentioned that particular incident. Sif was certain that it was on all of their minds after seeing him carried in looking so small and weak. The last time they'd seen him carried in that manner, he'd been unconscious in his mother's arms as she'd stalked past them in the hall, barely slowing to order Thor to his room in the scariest tone they'd ever heard from her.