"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who was and should be king!"

-Loki (Tom Hiddleston), The Avengers (2012)


Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR THE WRITING ITSELF. *crais*


"Mother, have you seen Loki? We were playing a game of hide-and seek, but it's been three hours already. I can't find him anywhere." Thor looked embarrassed, obviously more distraught about having to ask for help than not being able to find his brother. "Did you see which direction he ran off in?"

Frigga's eyes twinkled, like she could see something amusing about this. "Oh no, I'm sorry sweetie. I'm afraid I haven't seen him come by this way. Has it truly been three hours already?"

Thor looked crestfallen. "Verily, and no matter where I look for him, I cannot find him! I have searched everywhere, mother! He must not be hiding here... But we promised not to leave this floor! I cannot believe that he would go back on his word, Mother."

Frigga smiled again. "Oh, I don't believe he would do that either sweetie. I assure you, he is on this floor. You must look harder. Good luck!" She continued weaving whatever tapestry she had been working on.

Thor turned to leave dejectedly. "I shall find him, Mother... I just hope I can do so before dinner." He left to find his father.

Frigga smiled to herself as she watched him leave, returning the silent kiss blown to her by her second son as he followed directly behind his older brother silently.

Thor tried his father next. Odin was slightly thrown by the sight of his first son trudging in dejectedly while his second followed behind grinning with a mixture of mischief and triumph. "What is the matter, Thor?" He eyed Loki, wondering what he had done to make his brother so upset.

"Father, I cannot find Loki anywhere! We were playing hide-and-seek, and it has been three hours! I fear I have lost him forever!" The golden prince wailed sorrowfully. "I have searched the whole floor, and he promised me that he would not leave it.

The Allfather understood immediately, and nodded, half in acknowledgement to Loki's signals to say nothing, and half to Thor's problem. He gave a booming laugh, it echoed about the hall. "Yes, I have seen your brother, Thor. I assure you, he has not left this floor. You must keep looking for him, I am sure you will find him eventually."

"But I've searched everywhere! Where could he be?!" The thunderer cried, storming out of the room exasperatedly.

Odin laughed. "He may be closer than you think, my son." He boomed cryptically.

Thor groaned. "That does not help me to find him, father!" He left to find someone else.

-fifteen minutes later-

"Heimdall! Tell me where my brother is!" Thor thundered, having clearly lost his patience.

The guardian smiled, focusing his all-sight on the two boys. "... Why are you searching for him, my prince?"

Thor groaned in frustration. "I have been searching for him for nearly four hours now! It is almost time for dinner! We were playing hide-and-seek, but I cannot find him!"

Heimdall laughed. "Why do you not just shout that you wish to end the game and let him win?"

Thor looked at the man like he had grown a third eye. "You think I would admit defeat so easily?! There is no honour in giving up!"

The guardian laughed again. "And asking an all-seeing guard where he is is somehow more honourable? No, Thor, I suggest you keep looking. Or admit defeat. If it has truly been four hours, I am sure none will hold it against you."

Thor moaned unhappily. "I shall ask my friends to assist me. But I will not give up!"

Heimdall nodded. "Do as you please, my prince. I wish you luck in your quest."

"A fat lot of good luck is..." He grumbled.

Heimdall had a reason to smile as he turned his gaze back to the galaxies, watching for intruders.

Thor ran off to find The Warriors Three and Sif, with his bother tailing him silently like a shadow, grinning so widely one would think his face would crack from it.

Their friends were found by the arena, resting after an impressive bout that ended with Sif as the winner. The warrior maiden was extremely proud of herself, and grinned when the two princes came running in.

"Hello, friends!" Came the boisterous cry of the first prince, beaming at them all. "I must ask something of you, if you will help me!"

Fandral smiled lightly. "Of course, my dear Thor! What are friends for?"

Sif nodded her golden head as well. "What do you need help with?" She was eyeing the second prince questioningly. He never usually remained this quiet around them. And if they needed help, why was Thor asking, and not Loki? The younger prince generally did the talking. He put a finger to his lips, which only confused her more.

Thor looked embarrassed. "My brother and I were having a game of hide-and-seek, you see. He promised not to leave the first floor of the castle, but I have searched everywhere! I cannot find my brother, and it has been nearly four hours already! Please help me, friends."

There was a stunned second of silence, and then the four friends broke out into laughter. They couldn't help it, this was absolutely ridiculous!

Thor looked offended. "Why do you laugh? Did you not just say you would help?"

Sif was doubled over, but she managed to speak. "Oh, Thor... Lo-look beh-hind you!" Her shoulders shook in mirth.

The stunned prince turned around slowly, to find his brother grinning back at him. "... Loki?"

The smaller boy couldn't help it, he joined the others as they laughed.

Thor was dumbstruck. "Have you been here the whole time?"

Loki just laughed harder. "No, brother. I have been following behind you! You never thought to look back and check!"

The Warriors Three and Sif were sent into a renewed bout of laughter at this.

Thor still looked perplexed. "But... How... Four hours, brother!" Thor glared at the younger boy. "Why would you make a fool of me for so long?!"

Loki shook his head at his older brother. "Hardly. It's only been three and a half hours. You know I've kept up jokes for longer than that! And you could have turned around any time you wanted, it's not my fault that you didn't!" The boy was still grinning.

Fandral finally managed to breathe. "By the Norns, Loki. Sometimes you are just too much! Good show, good show."

The second prince bowed in response, beaming. "I do my best, dear Fandral."

Thor was red in the face, to think, his brother had made such a fool out of him! He glowered at the grinning boy, and tackled him to the ground.

"Ack! Get off, Thor!" The second prince tried in vain to squirm out of his brother's grip.

Thor did not let go. "No, brother. First you must promise to never do such a thing again!"

Loki continued to struggle, the two of them rolling around in the arena's dirt field. "Why should I? It was only a game, and I'd say my strategy worked very well!"

Thor looked his brother in the eye. "I thought I'd lost you forever! Next time you must not worry me so!"

The younger brother stopped struggling for a second to scoff at him. "That's ridiculous, Thor! Mother, Father, and Heimdallall told you that you could find me! I obviously wasn't gone." He did look slightly touched by his brother's concern, however.

Sif broke in. "If you two don't stop wrestling, you'll get your nice clothes all ruined, and have to take a bath before dinner. And really? Both your parents, and Heimdall did not tell you where Loki was?"

Loki grinned at her. "Father almost did, but they all thought it was as funny as I did! You were the only ones I couldn't convince to play along in time. But I don't mind, I was getting bored of following him anyways."

Thor finally let him go, sulking. "Let us just go dine already. I am hungry after all this."

The two princes picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. The Warriors Three finally managed to breathe again.

Volstagg grinned. "A fine idea indeed! We should prepare the finest boar in the kingdom in order to celebrate Thor having finally found his brother!"

Fandral chuckled. "You think only of your stomach, my dear friend."

Hogun nodded solemnly. "He is right."

Volstagg laughed. "Perhaps that is true, but it does not change my suggestion!"

The brothers laughed at this. "I think boar can be arranged, Volstagg." Thor grinned, his previous anger forgotten. He picked up Loki, tossing the boy over his shoulder. "And this time, I shall not let my brother out of my sight!"

Loki squirmed, pounding his fists on Thor's back. "Unhand me! I demand to be put down this instant!" He was laughing though, making his 'demands' much less convincing.

Thor shook his head, starting off towards the palace. "Not until we are in the dining hall, brother. I will not allow you to run off again!"

Loki gave up on escaping, crossing his arms and pouting. Thor always was stronger than him, he is a century older. "I didn't run off, and I was not planning on disappearing."

Thor grinned. "So you say, brother."

Sif laughed at that. "And we all know that what Loki says and does are two very different things!"

The six of them all laughed, heading back towards the palace with loud and lively banter filling the night.


AN:

Since the movies puts Loki at about 1,100 years old (from the monologue at the beginning of Thor 1, it says the frost giant battle that Odin found Loki in took place in 900 AD), I'm going to assume that Thor is somewhere around 1,200 years old. And since They look to be in their twenties in the movies, I'm going to say that 1 Midgardian year= 50 Asgardian years.

Also, in Thor 2, while Loki is arguing about immortality with Odin, he says "give or take five thousand years." And with a long human lifespan currently being about 100 years;

100 • 50 = 5,000

So I'm using that as support as well. #ILoveMath


If you give me an idea, I'll be sure to give you credit if I write about it!

I'll keep this story's status as 'Complete', since every chapter will be a complete story of its own. But go ahead and follow it if you want to know when I add a new oneshot.

Maybe it's not that strange, but usually my chapters are MEGA SUPER LONG, and I'm weirdly proud of the fact that this was only 1,000-something words. I managed to write something that doesn't take over an hour to read! Woot!

Reviewers get a hug-tackle from Thor.