The Hard Way
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the films Thor or The Avengers Assemble and I'm not making any money from this fic
Summary: Thor asks Steve's advice about dealing with his brother. Steve suggests a form of punishment and ends up showing Thor what it entails. Make sure you read the author's note for the explanation of the warning
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the above-mentioned movies; some mentions of violence
Author's Note: READ BEFORE READING THE STORY. Okay, so basically, this is a little different from the Thor and Loki stories I've been writing. Steve does spank Thor, but not because Thor does anything wrong. If you're still interested, carry on reading.
Since returning to Asgard, Thor hadn't been able to sleep at all. He barely spoke to his mother or father and he was polite enough to his friends, but he couldn't bring himself to be anything more than that.
Thor had lost count of how many nights he lay awake in his bed, staring up at his ceiling while aware of Loki chained up in the dungeons. Thor knew that his brother wouldn't be executed, but that was a small comfort, given that he knew Loki was being treated as a traitor. His father wouldn't even allow him in to see Loki, claiming that Thor would simply allow the Trickster to manipulate and lie to him.
Thor had, however, persuaded his father not to make any decisions without first hearing what he himself had to say. Thor knew that he wasn't as skilled with his words as Loki was, but his brother deserved to have at least one person defending him and Thor had no intention of keeping silent when the time came for Loki's punishment to be decided.
Not for the first time, Thor found himself missing his friends on Midgard - and Steve especially. He cared for all of them, but he'd found that Steve especially had a very calming influence. Thor had found his mind constantly turning to the Captain while he was trying to figure out what to do about Loki and everything else.
Knowing that he wasn't likely to get any sleep, Thor finally pushed himself off his bed. He dressed quickly and then left his rooms, half-tempted to sneak into the dungeons to try and see Loki. Instead, though, he found himself walking towards the hall and entering it, walking over to the Tesseract.
Thor knew that he could easily go to Heimdall and ask the guardian to open the rainbow bridge so that he could go to Midgard. The Bifrost had been repaired after his battle with Loki had destroyed the bridge to Midgard. However, using the Tesseract, Thor could choose where on Midgard he arrived. Besides, he would also avoid having to answer any awkward questions about where he was going and what he was doing.
Placing his hands on the Tesseract, Thor twisted it and summoned up the image of the Stark Tower inside his mind. Even if Steve wasn't there, he knew that Tony Stark would be able to tell him where to find the Captain.
The walls of Asgard fell away, swirling into nothing.
Thor found himself standing outside the Stark Tower on the street. A few people apparently noticed his presence and one little boy pointed towards him. Thor smiled at the boy, remembering when he and Loki had been children. The memory raised nostalgic feelings inside him, though, and he turned his attention towards the Stark Tower rather than allow his mind to dwell on memories of the past.
The first thing that Thor noticed was the fact that the man of iron still hadn't repaired the sign on top of the tower. He looked at the giant A for a moment or two, thinking about the friends he had made here on Midgard, before stepping up to the tower entrance.
After exchanging a few words with Jarvis - Thor didn't really know much about Jarvis, but he explained that he was there to see Steve; and that if Steve wasn't there, he was hoping to speak to Tony Stark.
"You may come up," Jarvis stated.
The door was unlocked and Thor stepped into the tower. He entered the elevator and felt it rise, before it came to a stop and the doors opened.
The interior of the tower had been completely repaired after the battle that had taken place. Thor took a few moments to glance around and then turned his attention to Tony Stark, who was walking over to him. "I'm surprised to see you here out of Asgard," Tony commented, stopping in front of Thor. "Did you miss our food that much?"
"I wanted to speak to Steve." Thor paused, realising how his words could be taken, and opened his mouth to apologise.
Tony just laughed. "Yeah. I know. I sent a message to him. Don't worry, he won't be long." He nodded towards the couch. "Why don't you take a seat while you're waiting?"
Thor nodded and sat down, though he didn't relax. He smiled briefly at Tony as the other man sat next to him. "How is the situation here?" he asked. "I understand there was still a lot of clearing up to do when I left with my brother. I apologise for being unable to stay and offer my aid."
Tony waved one hand dismissively. "You were needed on Asgard. But I've got to say, I'd be interested in visiting one day," he added. "I'm curious to see how things work there."
Thor nodded, not really that surprised. Loki - at least the Loki he knew - would be just as interested to learn about one of the other realms. He sighed and glanced towards the elevator as the doors opened once more and Steve stepped into the main room of the tower.
"Thor." Steve's concerned gaze went immediately to the Asgardian. "Is something wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I..." Thor trailed off, not quite sure how to admit he needed to speak to Steve alone.
"Well, I have some meetings to get to." Tony stood up and headed towards the elevator. "Take as long as you need to here." He headed inside and the doors closed behind him.
"How are things with your brother?" Steve asked quietly.
Thor sighed, relieved to have an opening to talk. "He has been kept in the dungeon on Asgard. I have been forbidden from seeing him... It is an order I would disobey, if I knew what to say or do to him."
Steve took the seat that Tony had just vacated. "Do you think Loki would be open to speaking with you?"
"It's doubtful, unless something changes drastically." Thor felt a stab of pain as he remembered the way Loki had glared at him - with such hatred on his face. Had he really been such a bad brother? Thor was aware of his own shortcomings, but he'd always tried to make time for Loki - and it was his brother's counsel he trusted more than anyone else's. "If there was a way to get through to him... but the only way he was defeated this time was when Doctor Banner's other self attacked him; and I'm unwilling to hurt him in that way."
Steve was silent for a moment or two before speaking. "You're aware that I was born in a different time, right?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "In those days, it wasn't uncommon to use a form of physical discipline in lieu of giving a reprimand that would stay with a subordinate permanently."
"Physical discipline?" Thor repeated.
"Do you know what a spanking is?"
Thor shook his head. "That word is unfamiliar to me."
"A spanking is a type of punishment where a person is normally placed over the lap of another person and has their backside hit repeatedly," Steve explained. "It sounds simple enough, but it's surprisingly painful. It's a punishment often used on children and in families - much more personal than many types of punishment."
"Do you believe that sort of punishment would work on Loki?"
"I think the personal aspect of it would be more helpful. Loki refused to admit you were his brother. If you were to punish him as a member of his family - as his older brother - it would create a situation impossible for him to withdraw from."
"Can you demonstrate this form of punishment?"
"Demonstrate... on who?" Steve asked.
"On me." At Steve's surprised look, Thor clarified, "I don't want to give Loki a punishment I have not experienced myself. I need to judge whether it will be too much for him."
"You haven't done anything wrong."
Thor shrugged. "There is plenty I have done wrong, but I believe Tony and Doctor Banner would agree with me that it's better to try something out on yourself before you choose to try it out on someone else."
"I'm sure this wouldn't be the sort of thing they'd have in mind..."
"I know you to be very honourable," Thor said. "I would trust you to help me decide what the best path is to take here. And I cannot judge how severe to be with my brother unless I have an idea of what to expect."
Steve looked as if he didn't think this was a good idea at all, but he nodded slowly. "Very well - but you need to tell me to stop if this gets to be too much." He sat in silence for a moment or two and then reached out, closing his hand around Thor's wrist.
Thor was bigger than Steve and knew that he could easily break the other's grip. Something about the touch was reassuring and Thor didn't resist as Steve gently pulled him forward and across his lap.
The position wasn't entirely uncomfortable and Thor shifted slightly, feeling Steve's knees underneath him and pressing into his stomach. Even though this had been his idea, he silently prayed that Tony - or indeed anyone else - didn't suddenly decide to return to the tower.
Feeling Steve's fingers in the waistband of his leggings, Thor couldn't help jerking slightly. "What are you doing?" There was slight quaver in his voice.
"Removing the clothing from the backside serves a couple of purposes," Steve explained. "It adds to the embarrassment factor - and reinforces that you are not in charge here - and also allows me to see what sort of damage I'm doing."
"Oh." Thor supposed it made sense, but he still blushed as his leggings were pushed down to just below his thighs, baring his backside to Steve's gaze - and his hand, which Thor quickly discovered to be fairly painful as it came down unerringly hard in the centre of his backside.
Before Thor had a moment to catch his breath, a second sharp smack landed just below the first, overlapping with the part that was already sore. The third smack landed directly on top of the second and Thor hissed out a sharp breath.
Despite Steve's reluctance to demonstrate, he definitely didn't seem to be holding back. Within moments, there wasn't a single part of Thor's backside - from the crest down to his thighs - that wasn't stinging like mad. By the time Steve started over for the third time, Thor was shifting a little, more out of reaction to the swats than because he was trying to get away.
It was amazing how much something so simple hurt. To his complete surprise, Thor felt tears welling up in his eyes. He pressed his head against his arms, his feelings of helplessness and the guilt about not being able to help Loki finally coming to the front.
By the time Steve paused, Thor was crying quietly into his folded arms. He felt Steve's hand gently rubbing his back and he relaxed a bit, surprised at just how comforting the touch was.
"Generally speaking, you should continue a spanking until the person is remorseful. That doesn't always mean tears, but it does mean an acceptance of the discipline," Steve said once Thor's tears had died down. "Does that help?"
Thor nodded, carefully pushing himself up off Steve's lap. He eased his leggings back up, wincing as he pulled them over his sore backside. "Thank you for demonstrating for me."
"The other thing to keep in mind is that this sort of punishment should be kept private," Steve said. "It's better not to embarrass someone by correcting them in view of others - that would just foster resentments and make it harder to build a relationship."
"I understand." Thor sat gingerly next to Steve, wincing a bit.
"You might find that you can't get through to Loki using your hand alone. A hairbrush or belt might be more effective - but just keep in mind how strong you are. Only use a fraction of your true strength if you need to punish Loki with any kind of implement."
"I should go to him now." Thor wasn't looking forward to directly disobeying his father, but he was desperate to try and get through to Loki - and he wanted to go to his brother now.
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that comfort is just as important as the actual punishment itself."
Thor nodded. "I understand that."
"I suppose the last thing to do is suggest you bring Loki here in a controlled environment if you think he needs rehabilitation," Steve said. "If you believe in him and believe that he's truly a good person, then I will trust your judgement."
"Thank you," Thor said simply.
Getting past the guards into the dungeon had been easier than Thor had expected. Apparently, Odin had assumed Thor would follow his orders and that it wouldn't be necessary to advise the other Asgardians that Loki wasn't to be seen by anyone.
Thor couldn't believe the state of the dungeon as he walked inside. It took a while for his eyes to adjust, but he could still make out the pale form of his brother, huddled against the far wall of the dungeon and chained to the wall. There was a tray of food on the floor in front of Loki, but it looked untouched.
There was the sound of small animals scurrying around, though Thor couldn't actually see anything moving. He stopped trying and stepped over to Loki, who hadn't stirred at his arrival. "Brother?"
As Thor's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see faint stains around Loki's lips, made more obvious by the paleness of his skin. Thor crouched down and his eyes widened as he saw that the muzzle had been left in Loki's mouth. Apparently, someone had taken advantage of Loki's helpless state to force the muzzle in even further.
Did their father know about this?
Forcing those thoughts away, Thor reached out and carefully began to unlace the muzzle. He heard a soft whimper come from Loki as he carefully pulled the muzzle away, before dropping it to the ground as if it was red hot.
Thor didn't know when Loki had last eaten. While they'd been on Midgard, he'd noticed just how thin Loki was - pale, too, as if he hadn't been sleeping properly either. Summoning Mjolnir to his hand, Thor used it to cut through the chains and then gathered the nearly-unconscious Loki into his arms.
Loki didn't resist or speak, just wrapped his arms around Thor's neck and leaned his head against his shoulder. Deciding that he wasn't going to explain to the guards what was going on, Thor simply flashed the two of them to his rooms.
In his own rooms, the light enabled Thor to see just how bad Loki looked. His brother was so thin, he could feel Loki's ribs under his hands. He'd flashed them to his bedroom and now he carefully placed Loki on the bed, smoothing a hand over his brother's dull-looking hair.
The damage to Loki's mouth wasn't quite as bad as Thor had feared, but there was dried blood that stained down to his chin. Thor stepped through to the bathroom and wet a small square of cloth, which he used to carefully wipe away the blood and clean out the cuts from where the muzzle had dug in.
As Thor wiped away the blood, Loki stirred, lifting one hand without properly opening his eyes.
"Shh..." Thor clasped Loki's hand. "I'm here, brother."
Loki gripped Thor's hand with surprising strength before his hand fell to his side again. His breathing evened out and deepened back into sleep - and he looked much more relaxed than he had since Thor had found him on Midgard.
It was the middle of the night before Loki woke up again. Thor hadn't moved from his brother's side - partly because he wanted to be there for when his brother woke; and partly because he wanted to avoid anyone else. He wasn't foolish enough to believe that Heimdall wasn't fully aware of what was going on, but if the guardian had told Odin, there had been no word from his father.
Loki's eyes opened and he blinked at the ceiling a few times before slowly turning his head aside to look at Thor. "Brother...?"
Thor was torn between relief that Loki had finally named him brother and worry at how weak Loki sounded. He instantly grasped his brother's hand in both of his. "I'm here, Loki."
Loki looked away, a dark look coming across his face. Finally, he spoke. "Why? I tried to kill you, more than once. You should have left me to rot..."
The unnatural rage and hate was gone from Loki's voice. Thor could hear the exhaustion lurking beneath his brother's words and he squeezed Loki's hand gently. "No, I should have come to you long before now." But he'd been worried - scared - of how Loki would react to that; to him.
Loki didn't say anything, but he didn't try pulling his hand away from Thor, which was something.
"You need to eat something - and rest some more."
"I'm not hungry."
Thor frowned. "It's important that you eat. I don't know who forced that muzzle so tightly into your mouth, but you will not be wearing it again."
"What, are you going to stand between me and Asgard? Alone?"
"If I have to. And if you're not safe here, we'll find somewhere else to live. But I have no intention of just abandoning you."
Loki's shoulders trembled a bit and Thor slowly placed his free hand on his brother's back, rubbing gently. He could feel how tense Loki was under his hand and he sighed quietly. "Are you... how are you feeling?"
"Terrible." The reply was muffled. "And sick."
"That's probably because you haven't eaten anything."
"I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat. Please, Loki." A pleading note crept into Thor's voice.
Loki sighed and looked at Thor. "Why do you care?"
"Because you're my brother."
"Who tried to kill you."
"You're not now."
"I can't guarantee that I'm safe," Loki said, very quietly.
"That doesn't make a difference. You're still my brother, no matter what you've done or what crimes you've committed."
"I'm a murderer..."
"You can make up for what you did. You're a good person, Loki, even though you allowed yourself to be taken over by rage."
"You should just put me back into the dungeon."
"I'm not going to do that." Remembering his 'discussion' with Steve, though, Thor sighed quietly. He situated himself better on the bed and then lifted Loki up - his brother had lost so much weight that picking him up was easy. Shaking his head slightly, Thor deposited Loki across his lap, resting a hand on his back.
"What are you doing?" Loki tried to push against Thor's hold.
"I'm going to punish you - and then you will eat and have something to drink and rest before we decide what to do next." Thor eased Loki's leggings down to just below his thighs and then gently patted his brother's bare backside before bringing his hand down in a very hard smack.
Loki jerked, but made no sound. Thor repeated the swat on the other side and then landed two more slightly lower. He was careful not to use anything like his full strength as he landed the hard, sharp swats down to Loki's thighs.
When Thor swatted Loki's thighs and sit spots, his brother jerked and gasped a bit, but didn't try to struggle or get away. Thor tightened his grip and started over from the top, the sounds of the sharp smacks echoing through the room.
By the time Thor started over for the third time, Loki's legs began kicking a bit. He could hear his brother beginning to cry quietly and he concentrated more swats to Loki's sit spots and thighs, finishing with a final flurry before he quickly pulled Loki into his arms, hugging his brother close and tight.
It took a while for Loki to calm down, but he didn't pull away even after his tears stopped, just leaned his head against Thor's shoulder and gripped his tunic with both hands.
Thor hugged Loki close and tight to himself, rubbing his hair and back gently. "Are you ready to eat now?"
"As long as I don't have to move from here."
"I think that would be fine." Thor tightened his arms a bit, just relieved to finally have his brother back with him.
The End