Disclaimer: Unfortunately Thor and Loki do not, and never will, belong to me.
A/N: Just a mostly fluffy piece. In the first part Thor is probably about six and Loki is around four.
The Storm Will Pass
"T-Thor?"
Loki's voice is timid and scared and immediately Thor sits upright in his bed. "Loki?" he whispers, trying to see through his dark chambers and outside lightning rents through the sky, casting a brief glow of illumination throughout the room. Enough so that Thor saw his little brother's face was tear streaked and his small frame was wracked with shudders.
"What is the matter, brother?"
"The s-storm," Loki stuttered. "I don't l-like it"
The words had scarcely left Loki's mouth when thunder boomed and, unable to contain himself any longer, he yelped and scrambled onto his older brother's bed.
Thor chuckled, scooping his baby brother up and pulling him against his chest. "The storm is nothing to be afraid of, brother. I'm here. Besides, storms are just light and sound."
"Light and sound?" Loki questioned from his position snuggled up in Thor's lap.
"Indeed," Thor affirmed, nodding.
"Like... like you?" Loki asked, moving his head and looking up at his big brother and Thor laughed, his chest rumbling comfortingly against Loki's back, perfectly in time with the next peal of thunder and Loki felt himself relaxing.
"That's right, little brother. It's like me and if you get scared of it again just think of me and know you are safe. You will always be safe," Thor said, his voice soft and sure in the dark room.
Loki sighed, slumping as the last of the tension left his small body. "Love you, Thor," he murmured, his eyes closing as sleep began to lay its claim once more and Thor chuckled again.
"I love you too, brother, and I always will."
In a cell in the depths of the dungeons of Asgard the fallen prince's eyes open when the first rumbles of thunder reach his ears.
He doesn't have windows but in his mind's eye Loki can see the lightning streak across the sky in all its glory.
And somewhere, in a barely acknowledged corner of his mind, across the reaches of time and memory, he can hear the whispers and promises of two small boys and he closes his eyes and lays perfectly still as the thunder booms.
-End.