A/N: Hello! It's been a very long time since I have uploaded a story onto this account so I figured now was just about as good a time as any :D
I'm not really sure how to see their relationship in this; it kind of wrote itself. I hope I have made both the platonic and Thorki people happy :)
Do note that this story ventured in AU territory just a bit, but can easily fit in with the main story line if you cross your eyes and squint!
Thank you and please do R&R!
It was an impulsive decision, not contemplated in the least and against the Allfather's direct orders.
"Under no circumstances are you to act, my son," Odin had said, clinging to the deceased queen's body like a lifeline. His voice had been worn by sorrow. "A messenger will be sent to inform him. You will stay here and oversee the removal of the other bodies…"
In hindsight, Thor supposed that perhaps he should have obeyed his father as he rushed down the steps towards the dungeons, taking two at a time; his appearance was still untidy from the recent battle but he did not care. He raked a bloody hand through his hair, wild and tangled, in a vain attempt to get it out of his eyes as not to trip in his haste. He had to get there before the messenger Odin had promised to send.
When he reached the level of the dungeons, he was met by a gruesome sight. Bodies were everywhere, in greater multitude perhaps than the primary point of battle. It was not only Asgardian soldiers and their current adversaries, but many other races of people who had been frantically trying to escape from the prison that day and had been met by a harsh resistance. The guards at the end of the stairs must have known that he was not to be down there, but they did not so much as raise an eyebrow at him about it. He nodded at them and took slow strides then, attention momentarily diverted from the task at hand. Avoiding contact with the bodies was no small feat - as they littered the floor like leaves in a forest - and his boots frequently nudged the corpses on his way down the block.
He raised his head after a moment. All the cells were empty, their magical barriers broken and their occupants either dead or long gone.
All except for a sole space near the end.
Thor approached it with intent, burying any feelings of disquietude that would have normally seized him at the prospect of seeing the other man again.
His back was turned, arms crossed as he stared listlessly at the white, back wall of the cell. Thor stood in silence, his brow furrowing at the sight. Realization did not come upon him kindly when it occurred to him that this was the way it would be forevermore - separation that seemed such a foreign concept to the thunder god, still holding fast to childhood memories.
How will he react when I tell him…? he wondered grimly.
"Brother…" his voice was quiet, but the man in the cell flinched ever so slightly, and slowly turned on his heels.
Loki stared hard at Thor through the barrier and though he said nothing, a bitter grimace crept across his countenance. Thor recalled a time when it would have been a smile full of mischief and hidden warmth; now it was an expression as frigid and miserable as the planet the dark man originally hailed from.
Thor regarded his brother with openness. "You look well. It makes me glad that you were not injured in the attack."
"I am imprisoned, Thor. This cell is now my life. How well can I possibly be, you daft oaf?" Loki spat, displaying none of the smug airs that Odin had reported he'd had during their last family meeting, sans Thor. "And I care not for your happiness," then he threw in almost nonchalantly, "I would not care if your quest for happiness led you to end your own life."
He did not mean that, of course. The trickster god was many things, but he was far from apathetic. His biting responses came purely from countless years of emotional abuse and repression. The remarks still stung, yes, but Thor pushed them aside with acute understanding. He approached the cell until he was but a foot from the clinquant barrier, knowing that he would pass through it if he touched it - as it was only intended to keep the prisoner in - but staying his hand. The two brothers looked at each other wordlessly, and Thor nearly threw caution to the wind, telling Loki what he needed to tell him, but just as he was about to open his mouth and speak, the sound of heavy footfalls echoed down the hall.
It was another guard, and through they all looked similar in dress, Thor was almost certain that it was not one of the same ones he had encountered upon arrival. The sentry gave him a quizzical look. Yes, most definitely not one of the other guards.
"My prince, I must implore your departure - the Allfather is looking for you as we speak."
Thor was not surprised in the least. "In time. I have news to deliver."
He nodded, "As do I, sir."
"Aye - the same news, I fear," the god said gravely.
All the while Loki's curiosity grew and grew, his eyes darting back and forth between the two individuals outside; he hid his interest well, but drummed his fingers against each other behind his back, resisting the urge to pace like some sort of caged beast.
The guard was not perturbed. "I answer to the King. He would not take kindly to my spurning his orders...especially now in this time of grief."
Thor almost cringed. He was not ready to do this. "Tell him that I want no harm to befall you, but I must do this on my own."
When the guard had left, Loki glared out at Thor, perceptibly agitated. "What is going on?" The way in which the simple question was posed did not match his facial manifestation. Thor exhaled and averted his eyes for an instant. "Thor. What...is...going...on?" it came in a low and dangerous whisper the second time. "You choose this time to be silent, boisterous lout you are? If mother were here she would be on about "using your words" or some such tripe - "
"She's dead." Thor cut him off swiftly.
He canted his head to the side only just. "Excuse me?"
"Loki," the light-haired man looked his brother straight in his cold eyes, swallowed, and repeated, "Mother is dead."
Those same eyes widened, the already pallid face paling even more still and a mouth opening a fraction, their owner losing his ability to breathe. The Silvertongue was reduced to silence, looking very much like he had just taken a sword to the gut. Loki blinked a few time, turned, and walked farther back into the cell, appearing to forget Thor's presence and leaning on a small table. Said brother persisted in his impulsive behavior and was across the magical barrier within seconds, at the criminal's side just as swiftly.
He reached out to touch the dark man's shoulder, but withdrew before he could make contact, aware for once that he was treading on unsteady ground. "Loki, won't you say something?"
And from him came a small voice, childlike in essence but laced with ice, "How did she die?"
A pause. They had been so close, mother and Loki. "I do not think it would be wise to - "
The hand the Loki was gripping the table with crushed it, causing the pristine surface to splinter and crack. The fragments of wood sliced through the fragile skin of his palm, its pale color turning red with blood. "How did she die?!" he raged, magic thrumming through him. Thor could feel it too: the drastic shift in the environment - it was malevolent and uninhibited.
"She was killed during the attack. She was protecting an innocent." He dared not say 'Jane', for Loki knew who she was and would surely seek some sort of vengeance.
Loki was taciturn where he stood, taking it in. That was when Thor heard it - a small sound, barely audible but present.
A soft sob.
Thor circled around him, and when he saw the tears, there was naught he could do to repress the embrace he enclosed the smaller man into. He pressed a kiss onto the top of his brother's head. He rested his chin there, holding Loki close like he had done so many times when they were just boys. Thor had been a bit older, but no less comforting when nightmares would send Loki stumbling into Thor's room in the middle of the night, too ashamed to wake their mother for fear of their father's silent judgment. Regrettably, time and many unhappy circumstances had worn their bond and Loki squirmed and fought violently after only second of contact, but was unable to escape the gargantuan arms encircling his body. Choking on his cries, he resorted to bracing a hand on Thor's chest.
A searing pain enveloped the large man and he doubled back, the agony receding after a few seconds. Magic was both a blessing and a curse, this he knew well. It was also Loki's first and foremost defense mechanism if his own charm and wit failed him. There was a bloody handprint on the front of Thor's armor when he looked down, standing out amongst the other, more haphazard smears of gore. This sight, his brother's blood, nearly brought nausea to his gut.
"I meant you no harm!" said Thor desperately, wanting nothing more than to provide comfort. "Please…" he extended his arm towards Loki's tear-streaked countenance. "I want to help you."
"No!" Loki snarled and forced down the arm, though his eyes held none of the malice that previously clouded them when he had forced Thor back, only mortification, "Don't touch me! I will not suffer your pity for such a weak minded sentiment!"
"Do not mistake my empathy for pity. Frigga was our Mother, Loki - you were closer to her than I, and you were not even connected by blood. A weak minded sentiment? Nay, dear brother, love is far from feeble." He drove back the emotion threatening to overtake him, adding, "For many years I have wished to see that the boy I grew up with still resides in you, and today you have given me that confirmation. This instils much joy in my heart."
Thor tried again, this time succeeding in quickly swiping away one of the stray tears with his thumb. His hand rested there upon the side of his brother's face and the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on his shoulders.
He watched the tenseness in Loki's jaw lessen, and the dark haired man blinked slowly, banishing the tears. He gave a wavering sigh, then said through words dripping with hidden poison, "You are a blind fool if you think that I would ever wish to bring about such an emotion in you." He reached up again and curled his fingers around Thor's wrist, lingering for just a moment, as if reluctant in some way, before removing the large hand from his face once more. He sounded utterly defeated when he muttered, "You want my...happiness? Yes? Leave now. I do not want to see you again."
He turned, stepping away further into the cell and not once looking back at the thunder god.
"Brother please - I'm sorry - I..." Thor tried, his voice cracking, "Do not shut me out! I am sorry!"
But all he received by way of an answer was the dark silence of a brusque dismissal.
A/N: Good lord in heaven, what have I done?! (heads into dark room to hit head on wall repeatedly)
All things considered, I think that with a few days or weeks Loki would have been like "Okay Thor I'll help you" when Thor came back to get him for the Jane situation. In reality I think it was only like a day or 2 between the attack/prison break and Thor springing Loki from jail but...I TOOK SOME LIBERTIES OKAY?! Ehehehe :3
Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you found this as satisfyingly sad as I did. Reviews are love, by the way :D