NOTES: This takes place after the events of the MCU, whatever those may be. And although (Spoilers!) Loki seems technically dead, we all know it is possible that he will return as he has done so many times before, and this story runs with that idea. Whatever the endgame of the MCU turns out to be, imagine if you will that Thor and Loki are in a state of downtime, where they have the freedom to go on this adventure together.

CHAPTER ONE: kaffepause

"Explain to me once more why you need me to tag along this time? This endeavor of yours, I mean. Perhaps you ought to give up."

"Brother, I want you to come. Yes, I believe your talents will assist us in solving this mystery once and for all, but more than that… I think you will enjoy it." Thor's momentary hesitation to complete the offer betrayed fear, fear that Loki, in spite of his apathy for everything around him, would still find doing nothing at all preferable to the suggestion that there might exist something worth their while on Midgard. His brother had fallen into a dark mood like that of a caged animal, one with eyes growing myopic to the world beyond its bars. It was unlike him, and yet unsurprising; Loki was rarely like himself for too long a time. And yet what more could Thor have expected? The terms of their deal had not been as they hoped. But he was going to change all that.

Right now, Loki even appeared much like a cat-an infernal black one, of course-with his long limbs stretched across the sofa, nose slightly wrinkled as he stared down the cracks in the ceiling of the pocket-sized New York apartment Stark had procured for them. It was only meant to be temporary, but no end-date had been set, and it had become apparent, almost immediately, that more eyes were on Loki than Thor's alone. "And if it does not exist-"

"I am certain that it does," said Thor with a firmness a reserved for the moments when he was most determined. He watched his brother's tense jaw loosen. It gave him hope.

But Loki was not fully ready to please his brother. "Even so, so what? It's merely another temple to Odin that's been left to rot. How are you not sick to death of it by now?"

"If I'm right, it is much more than a rotting building. My archaeologist friend and I are very close to discovering its location. It may be a relic of Asgard. A true relic. Is that not worth a thorough search?" The tone of Thor's voice had become something plaintive. It cracked. He swallowed and discovered a lump had taken form in his throat. There was no concealing any of it once it had already happened.

Loki finally turned his attention toward his brother, with eyes that could only be described as unmasked. Thor thought he saw a hint of the boy he had grown up beside, the boy who had become a relic himself. And there were times when Thor, too, felt like an artifact from a bygone era.

"Come with me to Norway. But if you say no, I promise not to ask again."

It was a lie, and an obvious one at that.

Thor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His hope felt like a coin on the edge of a knife, which was appropriate given his brother's penchant for daggers. He was close enough to the door to begin his journey without Loki, if his attempt to lure him out of the darkness failed, though it would require more machinery and less magic. His bag was packed. Stark had a plane ever available, though even he seemed to be growing weary of Thor's obsession. But what did he expect? Was it not good that there was time, at last, to do anything at all?

Loki's chest collapsed with a sigh and Thor released a long-held breath of his own.

"Oh, why not? Since you asked so sweetly."

The season was autumn, but it was far colder on the archipelago than it would have been inland. Thor watched with amusement as Loki transformed his black suit into a black sweater. He himself had come prepared, wearing thick denim and carrying a knapsack that was bulky, though not especially heavy, the way it bounced off his shoulders as they strolled down a charming main street.

Seine was a quintessential Norwegian fishing village, with a smattering of brightly painted homes and local businesses. It was simple at heart and proud of the old way of life, but it had not closed the door on a sizable tourism boom following a children's film about Scandinavian princess sisters, and in a few years there were as many boutiques, museums, and other attractions dotting the gentle hills as there were buildings devoted to the fishing industry on which they had once relied for their daily survival.

Not to mention an influx of trendy coffee shops. It was near dusk, but Thor insisted that he wanted a cup as they came upon one that was particularly unassuming. Loki insisted that he did not care for the drink, but he followed his brother inside. Besides, it had already been explained that they would soon be meeting someone, Thor's archaeologist associate, at the establishment. The place bore a sign in a serif font that said kaffepause, without any capital letters, and it was crammed between two larger and much nicer looking restaurants that Loki was vocal about finding far preferable.

The interior of the minuscule cafe was modern and close to boring, except for the lighting, which was astonishingly close to natural sunlight in spite of the lack of windows. It was so honey-colored that Thor had once asked the owner how it was accomplished, to which she said something about refusing to use "those new bulbs that make everything moldy looking" and that she had illegal lighting stockpiled in the back.

"They use forbidden light bulbs here," he whispered as they approached the counter. Loki reacted to the information by knitting his eyebrows, causing Thor to grin broadly.

"What does that even-"

Loki did not bother finishing the question, because in two steps, they were already at the counter, and sound carried swiftly in the tiny shop, even Loki's voice, which was typically mellifluous even when he was upset, perhaps more so. Two patrons, who appeared to be on a date, looked up from their intimate conversation and glowered.

The woman on the other side of the counter was seated on a stool, curled over a hardbound book with yellowing pages. Her blonde head, blue eyes, and fair features were like so many in the country, but her smile was the first they encountered walking through the town. With short hair a few centimeters from truly androgynous, and wrapped in a snug cobalt turtleneck, she made a striking presence. Still, Loki could not have guessed the human woman's age within ten years. She was that rare sort with a mature aura and an unlined face,, but she lit up like an absolute schoolgirl beneath the warm lights as she recognized the older of the two Odinsons. It was readily apparent that Thor was a regular patron.

"I wasn't expecting to you back until later this week," she said in an accent that was not strictly Norwegian, and she hopped down from her perch. "Right?"

Thor heard his brother release a sound of mockery that was meant for his ears alone, but one that was also easy to ignore. "I know," he said, "But I was able to to convince my brother more quickly than expected. Cora, this is… Loki."

Now, Loki's infamy was a given, but there was still much to say on the matter of how he came to be an (allegedly) free man in New York, permitted to travel in the company of his brother, rather than a war criminal rotting in a cell. Yes, much to say, but little that ever was. Cora's eyes, which were already of a round shape, widened further before narrowing keenly on Loki, the stare itself going on for a moment longer than it ought, and he did not care for what he saw in the recesses of her gaze: judgment, fear, the human condition at its absolute worst. Her previously striking appearance dissolved into something common to him. Loki cleared his throat and began to stare straight back, to give her a taste of what she was dosing, when she suddenly turned away and busied herself with rearranging a short stack of paper cups. The abrupt shift in her attention was enough to put him off even further. Her business with the cups was worthless, a distraction. Loki's neck felt hot. Finally, she shook her head. "I'm not certain I know what I was expecting, but-"

Loki rolled his shoulders. "Do you make coffee or do you only supply scintillating observations?"

"Yes," interjected Thor. "I would like a coffee. That sort were you pour the water over the individual cup. My brother will have…" He looked at Loki, who used his entire body to shrug. "My brother will have the same."

Cora started to brew. Thor ushered Loki to a small table with two chairs, pulling up a third before sitting down. "My friend will join us soon. It all depends on when work is done for the day."

"Yes, your archaeologist," said Loki. "This place closes in half-an-hour. Where do we go once they arrive?"

"That depends on where it seems best to go. She will know. She has been very helpful since we came in contact. She is an expert on Norse history."

"I imagine her to be an expert on having long dark hair and perfect breasts, as well," smirked Loki. He kept his voice low, as sound did travel, and they weren't far from the cafe worker. Cora may have lit up at the sight of Thor, but Loki knew his brother's type, and she was not exactly it. Nevertheless, Thor stole an uneasy glance over his shoulder at the woman making their drinks.

"She's blonde, actually," he corrected in a tone that was even more hushed, prompting his brother to do the same.

"Everyone here looks related."

"Because it helped us survive," came the voice of Cora from behind a puff of steam. The brothers had not been whispering as well as they believed. "Lighter pigmentation makes it easier to absorb vitamin D. That becomes important when you only have one hour of sunlight in the winter."

Loki lifted his brows. "If you don't mind, we were talking among ourselves. In fact, we're waiting for my brother's very important science friend, who is going to thoroughly educate us about our own culture. She is an expert."

Thor hissed for his brother to shut up.

Cora grinned to herself, a smile which quickly became a snicker as she poured the last of the hot water over the coffee grounds. "Yes, and I have heard she has legendary breasts."

Thor felt his blood flush hot across his shoulders and curl around his ears. A tense moment passed and suddenly Loki burst out in laughter. It was a short, ringing sound, which caught everyone off guard, even seemingly himself, and he slapped the table to steady his body. The sound of it scattered Thor's embarrassment. He sat astonished. It was so rare to hear his brother make such a sound since their return to Midgard. It slowly filled him with an entirely different warming sensation as he watched Loki bite his tongue to control himself.

Cora picked up the two steaming mugs and brought them to where the brothers had seated themselves. Simultaneously, the other patrons, who wanted to be obvious about how disgruntled they were by Loki's outburst, finished their drinks and made their exit. "Mange takk!" she shouted after them, making to sound like an insult rather than a farewell, and then made herself busy with cleaning the table. She finished by flipping over the chairs.

The shop was set to close in twenty minutes.

Thor took a large pull on his mug while Loki took in his reflection in his own. He cleared his throat and finished laughing.

"You told your scientist we were coming today, right? I'm just making sure, since you failed to inform your barista."

Thor's lips narrowed. He hummed a low note. "Yes, she knows we are here. She'll be with us as soon as she's done."

"Good. Because I am working on a pop quiz for her."

Thor shook his head and rolled his eyes, simultaneously exchanging a look with Cora. She gave him a wink, which Loki lifted his head just in time to catch. From the table, she moved to the door and lifted her fingers to the lock. Click.

Loki's spine stiffened and he sat up very straight. Thor watched Loki and Loki watched Cora, who returned to the service counter and went through the mundane task of pulling out a clean mug and filling it with boiling water. It was nothing exciting, but the tension continued to mount, even as she simply finished by submerging a fresh bag of tea.

The woman approached the table and took the third seat.

She held out her hand to Loki with a smile as sly as anything Thor had seen on his own brother's face. "Hello. I'm Dr. Cora Eriksen. Your brother and I have been working together for some time, searching for this mysterious Aesir temple he believes exists. I'm happy you've decided to join us, but I am a little nervous about passing your quiz."

Now it was Thor's turn to slap the table and laugh.