Thor and Loki walked together towards the throne room together, the younger sparing a glance at his older brother, letting out a small laugh. "Come now, don't tell me you're nervous! The mighty Thor, nervous about a meeting with his own father!"
Thor felt some of the tension in his body go out, a small smile playing on his lips at his brother's words. "I'm not nervous. I'm.. anxious. I just want to see what's so important that he had to call a meeting."
As they reached the door, Thor took a deep breath, glancing at his younger brother before pushing the doors open, entering the large room. "Father, you summoned us." He kneeled, seeing his brother do the same from the corner of his eye.
Odin looked over the two of them for a moment before speaking. "You may stand."
Loki was quicker to stand, he never was fond of kneeling before others, even the all-father himself. Thor stood soon after, his eyes not moving from his father's face, questioning.
"I have called you both here because I have grave news. As much as it pains me to do this, Laufey has left me with no choice. We are to destroy the entire frost giant race."
Thor's pondered that for a moment. 'Alright, fine. I suppose if he believes that's what needs be done-' before the thought was even finished, realization hit. It hit him like a brick. He felt his mouth was going dry rather quickly in the brief moments before he turned to look at his brother.
Loki hadn't looked away from Odin, and his face was hard to look at. Disbelief, accusation, betrayal. He turned to Thor as he felt his brother's eyes on him, trying to read his brother's thoughts. He met the blonde's eyes, his questioning. 'Are you going to let this happen?' He seemed to be asking, and it seemed Thor understood.
Shaking his head, Thor couldn't take his eyes off his little brother, even as he could see through his peripheral vision; a couple of guards starting to move closer. His mind went into protection mode, and he was dead set on only one thing. Brother. 'Brotherbrotherbrotherbrother protect brother. Brother, my brother, mine. Loki, brother, my brother. Protect brother.' In two swift steps, he was right in front of his brother, glaring at any guard that dared make another move towards them.
Normally Loki would have pushed Thor away, shied away from his crushing embrace. He always felt it was childish how Thor would still hug him. But he allowed his brother to hold him, wishing to do little else besides tuck into his brother's chest, let him take care of it. He had never doubted his older brother's ability to protect him, he had always felt safe with Thor. He only had a split second to glance up at his brother, to look into his eyes, to silently say 'thank you' before they were separated. No, more like- forced apart.
A startled whine escaped Loki's throat as he was pulled from his brother's arms, his brother being the only one he knew he could trust here. He locked eyes with his brother as he was yanked back, managing to choke out only one sentence. "Thor! Thor, please don't let them!"
The bigger man growled at that, throwing the guards that were holding his arms back off, immediately starting towards his brother. It took little more than for him to lift his hammer for the guards to release Loki, whom scrambled forward back into his brother's arms, his body now rigid and trembling. He clung, unable to do much else. He clung to his older brother for life, and could only hope that was enough, that Thor wouldn't agree with this. 'What if he changes his mind?' No, no he couldn't afford to think like that. Thor wouldn't.
Odin looked at his eldest son as the boy held his brother, allowing his brother to press his face into his chest. "Thor, I am sorry it has to be like this. I truly am. We will have Loki's... ceremony, later tonight. Believe me when I say nothing you can do will stop this.
Thor had to force himself to meet his father's eyes, his brimming with tears. "Nothing?"
His voice was soft, pleading. Nothing like the booming voice Loki was used to. He glanced up at his brother from where he was, pressed against his chest.
"Nothing." Odin repeated back, waving a hand.
Thor let out a growl at a guard who got to close to Loki, but followed compliantly, keeping his brother tucked under his arm as they walked. His mind was already made up. He wouldn't tell anyone of his plan though. Not even Loki.
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Loki turned to Thor as they were locked in a cell, his eyes starting to water. "Are you going to stop them? Can you, please-"
Thor softly pressed his finger to Loki's lips to silence him. "I won't leave your side. I'm not going to let one of them touch you. Do you trust me?"
Loki looked Thor over for a long moment, pondering, before nodding silently, seeming to accept that.
Thor smiled slightly, relief washing over him. He was almost surprised when Loki allowed himself to be pulled into another embrace, and Thor kept him there, unwilling to let go.
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It wasn't more than a couple of hours when they came for him, chains waiting.
Thor tugged Loki back under his arm at that, and pushed past them all before any one of them had a chance to protest. They were lead out to the execution yard, at which point Loki looked up at his brother, trying to see what he was supposed to do. 'Are we going to run? Is he planning on smashing them all? That isn't completely unlikely.'
Loki sighed, deciding that that was probably Thor's plan, and he was not, in fact, going to get out of this.
He was surprised to feel pressure on his shoulders, being pushed down to his knees. He turned his head to look at Thor but before he could, Thor was on his knees as well, right in front of him. Loki's older brother briefly pressed their foreheads together, looking Loki in the eyes, before turning his attention to the guard, who was pouring the poison into a goblet. As it was filled halfway, the man held the goblet out for Loki, but his his hand was pushed back by Thor's.
"No. More, double that."
The startled-looking guard went to do as Thor said, again pouring more of the liquid into the goblet.
Loki turned back from the man so he was looking at his brother. "You wish for me to go quickly, brother?" There was no accusation in his tone, only acceptance. "Half of that would take me in a minute. Why did you have him double it?"
Thor took the goblet as the man finished, looking his brother the eyes. He held the drink up to Loki's lips. "Drink."
Loki took the drink in his hands obediently, quickly swallowing. He was going to continue on and drink the whole thing, but it was taken from him when he was only halfway done. He already felt his ears starting to ring as he watched Thor.
Thor took the cup, putting it to his lips to drink the remains. Before Loki could comprehend what was happening Thor had finished, and was setting the cup down, moving to a more comfortable position as he laid back on the hard ground. He held an arm open and looked at his little brother. His sight was already going dark around the edges, but he was pretty sure he saw some tears escape Loki's eyes as he crawled over to him, laying down himself and pressing himself close. "You didn't have to do that."
His voice was quiet, broken.
"But you're my brother. We're supposed to do everything together." Thor's voice was quiet too. Soft, too soft.
And so Loki tucked into Thor's shoulder, holding on as they were both pulled into the darkness.
thats the end. Sorry. .
