A/N Okeydoke. First off. Hey there everyone C: You're grand. Thanks for reading. This idea has been floating about in my brain for awhile, and I thought, hey, why not finally sitting down and writing it at 1:30 in the morning? Haha, so this is the product of my sleep deprivation. I'll be adding a variety of delightful adventures full of feels and happiness and Avenger angsts.
Please enjoy this snippet of our favourite resident Asgardians C:
Thor held the door open, somehow maintaining dignity as he bounced on his heels like a child who'd opened all his presents and found one more hiding behind the tree.
"Have haste, brother." He urged Loki.
Loki just gave him a sullen stare. By the time they were all the way in the shop, people had begun clearing a path for them. Those milling about moved to the tables and chairs, giving Thor and his brother a wide berth. They looked at them in awe, curiosity. Those who remembered the Chitauri invasion looked at them with fear.
The customers already in line looked conflicted, clearly deciding whether to stand their ground or give way to the Avenger and his charge. One mother made a movement to remove herself and her toddler from the line, tugging on the little boy at their joined hands. The little boy tugged back, his face drawn in obstinacy.
"You promised." He whined articulately.
The mother unwillingly stayed in line, eyeing Thor and Loki alternatingly with distrust and disapproval.
Thor, however, was completely obliviously to the divided, tense atmosphere of the room. He was caught up in cloud nine, pleased to have the day with his brother. He didn't have to try too hard to look past the Asgardian cuffs that bound his brother's hands together. All that mattered was that they were on an adventure, just like the days before they grew up into men who stood on the complete opposite ends of the universe' axis.
"I cannot imagine what you and Father aspire to accomplish from this." Loki said bitterly. Though enough time had passed since Loki's power conquest in Midgard that the world had started to forget, things were not so lenient at home.
Thor had pled Loki's case to their father, fervently defending the good he believed lay within Loki's stormy heart. He spoke of these things to his father, the confusion and exclusion his brother felt in realization of his true heritage. Odin was hardly moved to welcome his adopted son with wide arms and a place among his finest men, but a father's love was proven to prevail against even the worst actions of his child.
So he allowed Thor to take him to Midgard for rehabilitation. The idea was that if Loki could be shown the true heart of the human race, the intelligence and potential, that his own heart would grow less heavy and cluttered. He might come to realize he had a place in Asgard fitted and promised to him all along.
He might be saved.
"You will see, Loki. I am about to…what does Tony say? 'Blow your mind.' Without actually using live explosives." He said hurriedly, assuring Loki as if he might actually think his brother was going come at him with live ammunition.
"Excuse me, sir, are you ready to order?"
Thor looked up, slightly surprised they had already reached the front of the line.
"What would you enjoy, Loki?"
"I would not enjoy any of it, Thor. What would you have me have?"
"Do not be so averse to new experiences, brother. They are the pleasure of Midgardian life."
Loki sighed and turned to examine the cold, glass display case. The contents of each container looked foreign to him. They had nothing like this in Asgard. Not feeling particularly charitable or adventurous, Loki selected the one that seemed least overwhelming.
He raised his cuffed hands in an elegant, sulky gesture towards his choice.
"That flavor is called vanilla." Thor informed him. "It is a tradition to tell the distributors of this delicacy how much you appreciate each flavor, so they can allot a certain amount of it to your preference."
Loki glanced at the size menu.
"I…like it." He said through gritted teeth.
"And I love chocolate." Thor grinned expansively at the woman.
The young woman behind the counter served them hurriedly.
Thor led the way outside, happily licking away at his own cone. Loki held his own gingerly, staring at it with apathetic disdain.
"I'm sure you've noted, that despite the store's deceptive name, it does not actually produce cold stones. This," Thor thrust his cone into the air like he was brandishing Mjolnir,"is called ice cream. It is ambrosia scaled down for the palette's of mortals. It is cold and extremely pleasing."
Loki gave his a doubtful look. They kept walking on in silence for a while as Thor ate away at his cone, contented, and Loki brooded.
"You must eat soon, Loki, or else it will melt away and the opportunity will be lost until our next visit."
"If it will cease your badgering." Loki took a tentative lick of his ice cream. The cold wasn't a shock to him sense he'd been warned, but it combined with the unexpected buttery sweetness surprised him. It certainly wasn't anything like he'd encountered before.
"Does it please you, brother?" Thor asked, eyes bright with the thought of a shiny new human experience for his brother.
"It is nothing like the ambrosia you spoke of." Loki said, expressionless.
Thor's face fell briefly, but within a second it was clear and optimistic again. "No troubles. If anything in this world, ice cream will 'grow on you.'" Thor paused. "In a metaphorical sense, Loki."
Loki continued to eat his ice cream as they walked. He had lied to his brother. That in itself didn't bother him; Loki was the patron of lies, the artist of misdirection. What bothered him was the injustice he'd done to the ice cream. In fact, it pleased him very much. It was icy and misleading every inch as was he.
He had been wrong about the humans. They were destined for more than servitude.
They were made for ice cream and servitude.
Loki kept watch on his brother as they walked along. When he was certain Thor was entirely concerned with his own ice cream, Loki smiled.
A cold, sweet little smile.