Thor stood on the roof of Stark tower, eyes tilted to the sky. Black thunderheads gathered, a low rumble announcing their presence. He smiled inwardly at the sound. It was a sound that gave him great comfort. The sky growled fiercely and a smile flickered across his features. He found it amazing that no matter where he was in the universe, whether Asgard or Midgard-or anywhere else, he figured- the thunder still rolled and the lightning still streaked the sky.
The clouds overhead cast an ominous shadow over the city, darkness flooding the streets, warning the citizens of the impending storm. It was impressive, Thor had to admit. The storms on Midgard rivaled those of Asgard, and that was really saying something. Thor recalled many times when he would sit and watch out his chamber window, riveted as the winds ripped through the city below. Trees would bend and wave in the violent winds and large puddles would form on the steps of the castle. Thor leaned on the edge of the building and tilted his head back to let the drizzle take him back into one particular memory when he and his brother were young. He recalled himself not being more then sixteen, in Midgardian years.
The thunder shook the windows of his chamber, causing him to jump. The boy's eyes lit up, recognizing the sound immediately. He lept up, knocking his books to the floor, and ran to the window. He watched with glee-filled eyes as the sky opened up and rain fell in torrents to the ground below. A smile grew on his lips as he raced across his room, vaulting over the heap of papers and books, and headed straight to the room across the hall.
"Loki!" Thor burst into his brother's chambers. Loki sat in the middle of his bed, surrounded by scrolls and books, studying each one with care as if he was putting together a puzzle. At the sound of his name, he looked up to see Thor, standing in the doorway with a wild look in his eyes. "Loki."
"Thor?" he shoved the papers out of his way and climbed off his bed. "Thor, what troubles you?"
"Loki, come," he said, taking his brother by the wrist and dragging him down the corridor.
"Where are we...Thor! What are you...?" Loki strained against Thor's vice-like grip in vain as they continued to run down the halls of the palace.
"Stop resisting and just run!" Thor turned to shout behind him. Loki sighed inwardly and did as he was told. He didn't know what Thor was up to, but he was almost certain it would lead them to either trouble, or danger...or both. They usually went hand in hand. Loki had been perfectly content to sit in his room tonight. Usually he was the one instigating their misadventures, but tonight, it didn't seem as much.
They weaved their way expertly through the halls and soon the pair found themselves just inside the front door. Each panted a bit, and Loki leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.
"Just what are we doing here, Thor?" Loki said through breaths. He watched as Thor pulled open one of the doors and motioned for him to follow as he ducked through. Loki exhaled, not amused by his brother's antics, but followed him outside, nonetheless.
Thor was already halfway down the marble atrium, continuing on at a brisk jog. Loki trotted after him, his curious nature getting the better of him.
"Thor!" He had to shout to be heard over the rain.
"Loki!" Thor shouted back, his laughter echoing off the stone pillars.
"What are we doing?" Loki tried again to get his question answered. Thor stopped right at the top of the wide steps and looked into the rain. Loki pulled up beside him, and stared at the side of his face. "I think I deserve some sort of answer, Thor."
Thor turned to Loki, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips. He tried to grab Loki's wrist again, but realizing what his brother was planning, the boy pulled away. Thor laughed and ran out into the rain anyway, letting the downpour soak his clothes. He threw his head back and spread his arms out, daring the rain to find him. Loki watched his brother and couldn't help but smile along with him.
"You're crazy!" He yelled. Thor looked up, and threw a dazzling smile in his brother's direction.
"Come on, brother! It's fun!"
"I highly doubt frolicking around in a rainstorm is a form of fun in any of the Nine Realms!" Loki quipped, but his smile betrayed him. Thor saw it and took that as his chance. He ran up the stairs and tried to grab Loki by the shoulders. The younger boy backed away, holding his hands up in defense. "Oh, no."
"Oh, yes! Come here!" The blue-eyed boy grinned and lunged. Loki, always quick on his feet, twisted out of the way. They both laughed loudly, not caring if the adults heard. Thor attempted, once again, to grab his brother, but Loki saw the attack coming and stepped back to avoid it. When he did, though, his heel slid from the top step, propelling him backwards. He yelped and tried to right himself, but his momentum sent him sprawling to the next step. Thor's smile immediately faded away as he ran to his brother's side. He knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, helping him to sit up. Loki felt the water already penetrating his clothes, soaking him to the bone. He looked up to meet his brother's concerned gaze. Blue eyes stared into his green ones, looking for any sign of damage or pain. Loki thought about getting up and leaving, storming back to his room in smoldering anger at his older brother, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Lately their fights had been taking a toll on him. He didn't like fighting with Thor, but they never seemed to see eye-to-eye anymore. They couldn't seem to agree on anything, and it never helped when everyone else always took Thor's side. He saw the same, pained look in Thor's eyes when they fought. As if sometimes, he wished he wasn't right all the time. That sometimes, someone would see reason in his little brother instead of him.
Loki let a devilish grin overtake his expression and he pounced onto his brother. Thor was caught completely off-guard and they both went sliding across the wide step. To his delight, he heard his brother laugh and looked up to where he had landed. Loki was on his back, laughing to the sky. Thor smiled. He loved to see his brother so happy. It seemed as though he was never happy anymore and only forced a smile when necessary. Thor stood and scooped his brother into his arms. Loki looked up into his brother's face, unsure of what he was doing. When he was met by a devious grin, he looked ahead. Thor was marching straight toward the large fountain.
"Thor. No," Loki said, laugh almost disappearing from his voice.
"Loki. Yes," Thor continued on his path down the steps.
"Thor. Put me down! No, no, no, no!" Loki screeched, squirming in his brother's hold. Thor looked down and regarded his brother with amusement. Even though he fought to break free, he still smiled. He was having fun.
"Put you down, you say?" Thor asked.
"Yes! Yes, put me down!" Loki stopped fighting for a brief second, hoping his brother was letting him go.
"Alright, alright. I'll put you down."
"Wait...Thor...NO! NO! AHH-" Loki's scream was cut off by the water surging up around his head. Thor laughed merrily as he stood at the fountain's edge. Loki surfaced, sopping wet. His hair hung limply around his face and his clothes plastered to his body. His mouth hung open, and his arms spread away from his sides as he recovered his wits. The sight was enough to send Thor into another fit of giggles. He doubled over, leaning on the stony edge for support. Loki took this as his chance to best his brother and quickly set about executing his plan.
With a flick of his hand, a pair of snakes coiled across his brother's bare feet. Thor noticed them immediately. In an attempt to get them away, he flicked his foot. While Loki's creations distracted Thor, he slid soundlessly beneath the water, swimming to where he was standing, unsuspecting. When he surfaced, Thor still had his back to him. Seizing his opportunity, Loki grabbed his brother's shoulders, pulling him into the pool backwards. He giggled uncontrollably at his brother's expense as he resurfaced in quite the same manner as Loki had. Thor glared and pushed a wall of water towards the younger boy. He spluttered and sent one back. Soon, they were in an all out water fight, dodging splashes, laughing and shouting words of provocation at one another.
"Boys?" Lady Frigga shouted over the din of the fight. She stood at the top of the stairs. The two stopped instantly, smiles fading, preparing themselves to get scolded. "What are you two doing?"
"Uh..." Loki managed. He tried to think up a lie to get them out of trouble, but his mind seemed blank.
"It's my fault, Mother," Thor supplied. Loki looked at his brother, a bit shocked that he was so eager to take the fall.
"Come up here, both of you," she waited at the top of the stairs for her sons. They glanced at each other as they hopped over the fountain's ledge and walked up the stairs. Neither of them wanted to face their mother. "What were you doing?"
"It's my fault," Thor said again, giving his brother a quick, almost imperceptible nod.
"That was not my question. What were you doing?" she asked again.
"We were..." Thor trailed off.
"Having fun," Loki cut in. Frigga and Thor both regarded Loki with raised eyebrows.
"Oh?"
"Yes. That is all. We were simply..." he paused to look at Thor who stood on the other side of their mother. "Having fun."
"Well, in that case," she clapped her hands together and beamed at her sons. "Go dry off and meet me in the dining hall. I had the cooks make something special for you." The two boys smiled and thanked their mother as they raced off down toward the door. They both ran to their rooms and did as they were told, excited to see what treat awaited them. Thor exited into the hall and found his brother leaning against the wall, waiting for him. Loki looked up to meet his brother's eyes.
"Hello."
"Hello, Loki. Why did you not go down to the hall already?"
"I decided to wait for you."
"Why?" Thor realized how his words must have sounded as soon as he spoke them. "Not that-" He tried to correct himself, but Loki simply held up a hand to silence him.
"No, I understand why you asked. To be completely honest, I waited because I wanted to say thank you," Loki said, sincerity filling his eyes.
"Thank you? For what?" Thor was taken aback by his brother's words of gratitude. He rarely ever said those words to him, and when he did they were never weighted so much.
"For today. For..." he paused, searching for the right word. "forcing me to have fun." He smiled.
"Forcing you?" Thor made a face. "I don't think I forced you."
"Oh? How is pulling me from my chamber, dragging me through the palace, and practically pushing me into the rain not forcing me?" Loki scoffed a smirk playing on his lips. Thor simply laughed, knowing his brother had a point.
"Well, maybe I did. But, there is still no need to thank me."
"That is where you are wrong, brother. Fun was just what I needed to...clear my head." Loki reached out and put a hand on his older brother's shoulder. "Thank you."
Thor smiled and relished moment. It wasn't everyday that they had brotherly moments, and he could never be sure when the next would come along. He nodded, accepting his brother's thanks. "Come. Let us go, Loki."
"Yes," he replied with a sigh. "Let us go, because we all know how Thor is impatient in the face of a surprise. Or food," Loki said, already heading down the hall. Thor ran up behind him and threw his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a semi-headlock. Loki managed to free himself and give Thor a good natured punch to the arm.
"Hey, Thor," Tony's voice broke through his revelry. He turned to the voice, and saw Tony standing in the doors of the elevator. "I'm here to...uh...get you off the roof." Tony saw the pained expression on Thor's face, and decided he wasn't going to ask about it. But, with a silent sigh, he knew he couldn't just not address it at all, so he chose the ever tactful, "Everything okay?" to gently skirt around his current situation. He wasn't particularly good with emotions, and knew that he should probably be the last person to act as a shoulder to cry on.
"No," Thor said, barely audible and he turned back to the horizon. Tony sucked in a breath and waited for the rest of the story, but all that greeted him was the sound of the wind whipping through the city. He stepped out of the elevator, and walked towards the god, unsure of what to expect. He leaned against the ledge next to Thor, studying his expression.
"Do you...wanna talk...about it?" Tony offered, half because he was curious to see what was wrong, and half because something about Thor not being typical Thor disturbed him a bit.
"There's nothing to say. I was simply thinking about times past and..." Thor closed his eyes, fearful of the tears that might fall. "Someone who is lost to me, now."
Tony nodded. He had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking about. The day he came back from returning his brother to Asgard, he didn't seem quite the same. He had become quiet, introverted. Everyone noticed, but no one chose to say anything, because, really, what were they going to say? They sat in the quiet of each other's company for a while, each invested in their own thoughts. Only until a loud thunderclap vibrated the air did Tony remember what he came up here to do.
"Storm's coming. We should probably head inside."
"Why? Do you not like the rain, Starkson?"
"I love the rain, big guy, but Pepper isn't too keen on the idea of leaving you on the roof during a thunderstorm." Thor chuckled.
"The thunder and lightning can't hurt me."
"Yeah, well, Pepper forgets that you're the God of Thunder sometimes. And we'll both have to hear it if you stay up here."
"Lady Pepper worries too much about me," Thor said as he walked to the elevator. Tony watched him go with concern plaguing his features.
"I think we all do," he whispered, knowing the god wouldn't hear them.