Dancing Lessons
Stupid Father. Stupid Thor. Stupid hunting or whatever it was that he was being left out of again. Because he wasn't old enough or he wasn't strong enough. Because he wasn't this, he wasn't that. He was angry, bored, and alone.
Once more he watched as Thor and their father left from the castle. Thor waved to him from his horse, grinning broadly. He clearly didn't see the disdain in his brother's features. "I'll be back soon brother!"
Loki returned his wave half-heartedly, wishing he could be included, just once. He turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His mother stood behind him, sympathetic look in her eye. "You'll be big enough to go with them one day."
"I don't particularly want to go, I just don't want to get left behind all the time," he said petulantly.
"I know, dear," she said while smoothing his dark hair, "but your father doesn't want you getting hurt."
Loki let out a whine. "But I get so bored all alone."
Frigga reached down to take his hand. "Well I'm here so you're not alone. Come on, we'll have fun of our own."
Looking up at his mother, Loki smiled and dutifully followed.
-x-
Loki circled his hips and – no. He flicked his wrist and the music changed.
He rolled his shoulder – no.
He shuffled his feet, brushing them across the floor and – no.
A small bit of a Midgardian routine from some show – no again.
Loki continued to shuffle through music and dance styles. Alone in his chambers, it was something to occupy his time. His mother had taught him many traditional Asgardian dances when he was a child and he became curious. Over the years he taught himself myriad types of dance from all the nine realms, favoring the variety found in Midgard.
Mindlessly sifting through songs, he paused, brain catching up to his ears, and switched it back. A soft waltz filled the room. Conjuring up a partner, he began to dance.
-x-
It had been a slow day. The only form of entertainment was a brief sparring session with Fandral, but then he had been called away for some reason or another; Thor didn't know or care why, just that his fun was over. Now moping through the halls, he decided to call upon his brother. Loki could always find a way to occupy his time.
As he neared Loki's room, Thor heard snippets of music drift out into the hall. Curious, but afraid to startle his brother, Thor gently pushed the door open, hoping it wouldn't creak. To his delight, it opened without a sound. Peering inside, he saw Loki shifting about, his movements drastically changing with each brief bit of music. After a rather loud burst of music, Loki paused and returned to a calmer piece he had jumped over. He relaxed his shoulders and raised his arms, a figure appearing as his partner. Thor watched Loki begin to glide across the room with the featureless illusion. Since when did his brother know how to dance?
He was mesmerized. Thor had never had much appreciation for the finer things in life, definitely more a man of brawn and action, but this was… beautiful. Loki was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. He watched brother flit around the room, his feet seeming to only barely touch the floor.
Continuing his voyeurism, Thor couldn't help but notice Loki's partner gradually gaining an appearance. Furthermore, he could see it morphing into a perfect likeness of himself. 'Thor' tilted Loki back, his black hair fanning out as he circled back up.
The music began to fade and Loki pulled away from the visage. Thor saw this as the perfect moment to enter. Per usual, he found himself failing in his concept of proper timing.
Loki heard the new set of footsteps and spun around sharply, his dance partner disappearing in an instant, the music cutting out in the middle of a note. "What are you doing here?" he shouted.
"I was bored," Thor shrugged.
"That doesn't mean you barge into my chambers!"
"When have we ever knocked when entering each other's rooms?"
Loki glared at him. "I have always knocked and you should start, you heathen."
Thor chuckled and shut the door behind him. "So, where did you learn to dance?" he asked teasingly, grinning when his brother turned red.
Loki crossed his arms defiantly, silently debating whether or not set fire to Thor's hair. "I don't know how to dance."
He moved across the room to sit on the edge of the bed. "Yes you do."
"No, I do not!" Thor saw Loki's fingers twitch and felt a pillow knock against his head. Where he should have gotten upset, he just laughed louder. Loki cast another pillow at his idiotic brother but it had little effect.
Thor cocked his head to the side. "Why are you so embarrassed about it? You're rather good."
Loki flushed redder than before. Eyes downcast, he muttered, "Mother taught me when I was younger. You were gone with Father and I was bored."
"She taught you all of that?"
Settling next to his brother, Loki shook his head. "No. Midgard has many types of music and many styles of dance. Mother only taught me formal Asgardian dance."
"You taught yourself the rest of that?" Thor's jaw fell open. "Not only are you God of Mischief, but also God of Dance!"
The embarrassment fading, Loki nudged his brother and giggled. "Shush. Being good at such an arbitrary skill means nothing."
"Who says it's arbitrary?" Thor asked, putting an arm around Loki's shoulders, only to be shrugged off.
"It's not valuable at all. I'm supposed to be a great warrior like the golden Thor Odinson. I am supposed to be like you. Instead I'm Loki the trickster. Loki, always in his brother's shadow."
How long had such painful thoughts been wriggling around his brother's brain?
Thor reached out to comfort Loki again and he couldn't help but smile when he wasn't denied. He lightly gripped the back of Loki's neck and began to rub circles, pleased with himself as calm came over such usually sharp features.
After a minute or so of silence, which was far too long for Thor to go without speaking, he tentatively asked, "So, what was the one with the hips?"
Loki raised an eyebrow and gave him a look, but obliged him nonetheless. "They call it belly dancing."
"The one with the…" Thor tried to replicate the fluid way Loki had moved his body, but it looked closer to a motor disorder than dancing.
Loki laughed, shaking his head at how ridiculous his utterly graceless brother looked. "Hip-hop. The sub-style popping."
"The one with your feet?"
"Tap."
"The one after that?"
"A routine from a Midgard production."
"And the final one?"
"It is called the waltz. Are you done now?" he sighed.
Getting up from the bed, Thor held out his hand as an invitation. "Teach me. I want to know how to do this 'waltz.'"
"Thor…"
He recognized the hesitation in his brother's voice; it was the same tone Loki used with him when he thought he was about to do something utterly boneheaded. Widening his eyes and trying to look as pitiful as possible, he tried again. "Please, brother?"
With a groan and a roll of his eyes, Loki took the hand offered to him. Snapping his fingers to cue up the music again, he positioned himself. Right hand in Thor's left, left hand on his shoulder. Thor placed his hand on Loki's lower back only to be corrected with a click of his brother's tongue.
"It should sit near my shoulder blade and keep your arm up like this." He jerked Thor's arm into the proper place. "It's a basic box-step. Three steps. I step back, you step forward."
"O-okay?"
Loki stepped back with his right foot and Thor stepped forward with his, nearly sending them to the ground.
"I step back with my right, you forward with your left," he huffed. "Once we've done that, two sidesteps. Then you step back right, I step forward left. And repeat. Again?"
Though Thor did manage to get the steps right, there was no elegance in his motions. He was stomping around and Loki was grateful he didn't lose any of his toes. What had he gotten himself into? There was no way he could teach Thor Oaf-inson how to dance.
"Come down a bit, leading with your heel, on the first step. Then up on the balls of your feet for the last two." Loki demonstrated without him. "Shall we try?"
Thor nodded hesitantly, staring at his brother's feet hoping he could learn by observation because explanation wasn't doing much. But he might be getting it… maybe? Hopefully?
Letting his younger brother lead, Thor slowly followed. He took the small smile on Loki's face as a good sign.
"Better," Loki said. He suddenly shifted his body, turning Thor with him. Thor was rather proud he managed to keep up and not become a mess of limbs on the floor. Loki nodded. "Very good. You learn fast."
"Just following you."
Pausing the music, he dropped his arms and smirked. "Think you can follow me for an entire song?" Thor responded by taking him back into position, straightening up, and grinning. Loki beamed and started a new song.
Thor fumbled a little with the start, but soon gained his footing. As they took their first turn, he asked. "What is this? It is not of Asgard."
"The Blue Danube Waltz by the Midgardian composer Johann Strauss the second."
"I like it."
"I did not know you were capable of enjoying things so refined," Loki smirked.
Thor would've responded with an equal jibe, but he found himself too concentrated on the sudden quickening of the song and keeping up to say anything. Loki easily adjusted to the changing tempos, almost like his feet were enchanted to match the music. Thor held on tight and was dragged along for the ride.
They kept to the simple forward, side, back, in small steps with little travel for a while until Loki grew bolder throughout the dance. He took more dramatic steps as the orchestra hit a crescendo, pulling Thor along with him. He did not disappoint. Loki stretched his body, Thor was right there with him. He took a quick turn; his brother was just as swift. Thor was certain his brother's skill rivaled the best dancers. (Though, not to sound conceited, he wasn't doing too bad himself.) Soon he was caught in the same grace Loki's copy of him had been. Remembering how his duplicate dipped Loki, and how beautiful his brother looked while doing it, Thor decided to take a chance of his own. At the completion of a turn he paused. Loki took the cue and bent with ease, head tilting back and exposing the length of his neck. When he came back up, Thor had to suppress a gasp. Green eyes sparkled, his lips parted and pink, black hair splashing his face before falling back into place.
Had his brother always looked like this? Effortless and exotic and more gorgeous than any maiden in the kingdom? Of course he had. The more pressing question was why had it taken him so long to notice?
As the song continued, Thor noticed the space between them decreasing. Their hands were no longer held out from their body. He covered Loki's hand with his, holding it against his chest. His arm drifted lower to tighten around Loki's slender waist. Their bodies touched and without thought, Loki slid his hand to the back of Thor's shoulder, weaving blond hair in his fingers, and laid his head in its place. It was strange, being this close, but not uncomfortable. Slowly, Thor lowered his head to rest atop his brother's. Their steps became smaller, devolving from a waltz into more of a contented sway. Matching the music stopped being a concern. It quickened around them, but that did not matter. Their pace stayed the same, reveling in the newfound enjoyment of simple proximity.
Eventually the music stopped, but neither paid any mind, happy to continue their dance to the tune of their now synced breathing. Finally, Loki stopped moving and just held himself against Thor. The God of Thunder certainly had no complaints.
"Am I better than that illusion of me?" he asked, tone hushed.
Loki stiffened. "You saw that?"
"Yes. How long have you been dancing with it?"
"A while now." Thor felt Loki relax once more and smile into his shoulder. "And you're most certainly a better partner," he said, nuzzling against Thor's neck.
Pulling Loki's head up, Thor kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the dancing lesson."
Loki closed his eyes and smiled at the warm dampness of Thor's lips, the brush of beard against his bare skin. He put his head back on Thor's shoulder and tried to press himself even closer, perfectly content to stay there until the end of time. "Any time, brother."