I don't know what age the boys are in this, probably around 8 for Thor and 6 for Loki- but he always was an advanced kid. It was a really random thought that came to me yesterday, been as it was Father's day and I started writing it. Though now I read it through it's not brilliant but I thought I'd post it anyway. Sorry.
Father's day was usually regarded as more of a Midgardian holiday, but since the coming of the new era once Frigga and Odin gained power, it became more of a common occurrence. Whilst Odin could have had it any way, either celebrating it or not, his young boys liked the idea, and Frigga told him that it brought them closer, even if just for one day.
The council was taking longer than Odin had anticipated but a small part of him was happy, for it meant he would have fewer hours to spend with his sons. He was not sure if it was their age, or what was going on within Asgard (a number of small fights had broken out between some of his high ranking soldiers and even some of the servants) but both boys had been a little off recently. Thor had taken up the duty of little brother bully, with Loki responding by spending large amounts of time in his room or in the library. Many times within the last few weeks, Frigga had found new tear tracks down Loki's face and even the occasional bruise or scratch on his arm. The younger Odinson had defended his brother, saying that he was being silly and over-reacting, and that Thor had hardly done anything wrong, but it still troubled Odin to see Thor traveling the wrong path. As heir to the throne, Thor should not treat others the way he currently was Loki. Of course, both Princes were spoken of as heirs to the throne, but there was certainty that only Thor would have access to his crown; he yet had to admit the truth about Loki.
It sometimes pained Odin that he had not been honest about the second Odinson- or should that be Laufeyson? He wished he had told both boys, as well as Asgard, at a younger age, for the longer he waited, the more upsetting it would most likely be for the green eyed boy. Yet, at the same time, he never wanted to speak the truth, not until the time was right for his plans to take place, to put Loki into Jotunheim and take the realm from the inside. Until Laufey died and the Jotun runt could reclaim the throne, he would continue to be concealed and raised as an Aesir. But however much he tried to despise the little beast, he could not; deep down, it was that first meeting when he had fallen in love with the baby, and within days had come to love him as his own. Loki was now his, and in truth, he was dreading sending him into Jotunheim, the thought of possibly losing the young boy hurt his heart for the first time since losing his own Father hundreds of years before. Odin rarely felt any emotions, unless they were for Frigga, Thor and Loki.
"My lord?" One of his head guards broke him from his thoughts.
"My apologies, I was thinking through your accusations. I have deemed them truthful, the younger soldier was at fault. Though I shall not have him physically punished, it was a measly crime, but he shall have a leave of absence for a short while. You are all dismissed, spend the rest of your day with your children and fathers."
Slowly, they all bowed to him and left the throne room. Taking one more minute to himself, he stood up and made his own way out, down the hall and to his chambers. There, he changed from his royalist robes and into some more 'formal' clothes- though even these were high jeweled armour, long robes and cloak.
"I wondered where you were." Frigga always was able to sneak up on him, her footsteps daintier than the curls in her gorgeous hair.
"The session ran over." His voice was flat, showing no emotion.
"Did it?" Her tone was now challenging. "Your tasks always seem to over run on Father's day. If I did not know any better I would say you do not like spending time with your sons."
"Of course I enjoy their company, it is just..." Only Frigga could cause him to falter with his words. "A whole day with them would simply wear me out, you know how they are, especially at the moment."
"I understand, though I do not agree." She smiled whilst pulling his collar down neatly.
"Where are they then?"
"I am unsure my King, last I saw of them they were in the gardens."
He nodded and gently grabbed his wife's hand, before leading her out of the chambers and down the lit hallways towards the gardens. Before he even entered the walled area he heard the shrill cries of Loki, and the deep, defensive tones of Thor.
"Of course you did it on purpose, you were jealous of my gift and so destroyed it to make mine look pathetic."
"I did not. It is not my fault your gift is as small and petty as you and your accusations."
"Thor!" Loki was close to tears, even without seeing his face Odin could tell that.
The pair rounded the corner to be greeted by the two young boys and their poor fatigued handler, Magus.
"Magus, you are relieved of your duty for today, go and spend time with your daughter, I am sure she wishes to see her father on this day." The middle aged man nodded his thanks and left, quickly whispering something in Frigga's ear- no doubt about the boys, been as both looked towards the pair before the handler left them alone.
"Loki, what is upsetting you my son?" Odin turned to the young boys.
"I had made a present for you father, a very interesting thing if I do so say so myself, and Thor destroyed it out of jealousy."
"I did not! He is a liar." Thor stepped closer to Odin.
"Thor." He spoke no threat, but his voice held the tone anyway.
"Sorry Father." Thor now stepped back.
"What was this gift you speak of Loki." The word 'made' rang in the back of his mind, no doubt a petty object expected to inflict emotions, yet something that never did so in Odin. 'Made' usually meant feminine, not worthy of a strong son of Odin.
"A book..." He internally rolled his eyes and sighed. "...In it was information about all present threats, a hand drawn map of the newly discovered areas of Asgard and a medicinal section with all new ailments and treatments. I checked the library, those we have a very much out of date. One medicine was even one I created myself."
"It sounds interesting." He could feel the gaze of Frigga on his back. "Thor, what is your present?"
"An entire boar, the biggest I have ever seen." Thor was not yet old enough to partake on royal hunts, but it was no secret he often did so of his own accord, though until now he did not travel far enough to find anything other than rabbits and fish.
"Excellent my son!" He threw his arms open and smiled broadly.
"I also had the blacksmith make you a new shield, with the most beautiful markings on it. They will surely ward off any man or beast who dares stand against you."
"I look forward to seeing it. Thank you."
"I also got this sire, it is a new goblet, you only said a short while ago that yours had lost a few jewels." Loki's little hands held up a new beaker, dark silver, laden with gold, sapphires and emeralds and ruby's. "Ruby's for Thor's cape, Emeralds for mine and Sapphires for Mother's."
"It is most welcome." This time he only smiled a half smile.
"You do not like it." Loki made himself smaller, if that was at all possible. "And the book, you think it silly."
"It is not that, not silly..."
"You hate it, just as you hate me!"
"You will do well to know not to interrupt your King and your Father." His voice boomed.
Loki just stood there, tears spilling over his eyes, his lip quivering. He looked first to Frigga for help, and then Thor, but nothing came, no support or defense. Odin knew Frigga would wish to speak out but defying the King in public was not accepted and she would not wish to start an argument in front of the children, they usually kept that to their chambers. So the young boy just ran away, pushing past his big brother and back into the great citadel.
"Whatever am I going to do with that boy?"
"I am glad you preferred my present father." Thor swelled, his chest inflating and his smile broadening.
"Do not say such things. Whilst I did think your present was more practical and worthy of a prince, I do not favour one over another."
"You should speak to him, you know how much he takes things to heart." Frigga placed her hand on his arm, there was no need to state who she was speaking of, it was obvious to all.
"I shall." He lowered his voice so only Frigga could hear. "Wait a short while, then send Thor, I wish to speak to the both of them together."
When he received an affirming nod from his wife, he walked off in the direction Loki had gone. He knew the boy had gone to his room for the library (the only other place he would have hid) was the opposite way down the hall.
"Loki." Odin didn't even bother knocking, there was no need, and besides, he was the King. He found his son curled up on his side, back to the door, in the middle of his large bed. His shoulders were visibly shaking from crying which would usually have made Odin sigh, but now he realised what he had done and felt guilty- which was not something Odin felt very often, especially towards Loki.
Loki sat up and wiped away the tears, knowing how his father felt towards the emotion. "I am sorry Father, I am being silly."
"No Loki, I am sorry. I should not have treated your present the way I did, it would have been lovely to see your book and I am sure it would have been useful to me. As you say, there are always new areas being discovered and new medicines being created. I truly would have enjoyed seeing your work."
"But at the end of the day, it would have been a petty present, nothing in comparison to Thor's achievement." Loki rolled his eyes and seemed to give up to the fact that Thor was better than him. "He will always be better."
"You are right..." Loki shot up and glanced at him with grief. "...He will always be better at some things, but not everything. You, for example, are much better at tracking, at patience, at magic, at medicines and strategic planning. He is better at brute force, brute strength, fighting and killing. A soldier cannot kill an enemy without finding him first, and I doubt very much Thor would be able to track down an enemy without a bit of help from you."
"I always get into more trouble though, he attacks and kills, I stand back, thinking and get hurt."
"It is because you do not think it through."
"But you said I was better."
"You will be better, you are already progressing well, I have watched you, but now you need to use these abilities out on the field." He pulled Loki closer, squeezing him slightly.
"Thank you." Loki looked up at him and he smiled back, the young boy then moved to hug him, a gesture rarely seen within the family, maybe he wasn't such a bad father after all.
A knock at the door broke the silence. "Come in." Thor and Frigga walked into the room, the young boy looking slightly bashful like his mother had given him an earful already.
"Ahh Thor, come here my son."
Thor perched on the bed on the other side of Odin. "What is it Father? Am I in trouble?"
"No Thor, you have done nothing wrong. Though I wish you would not belittle your brother as you did earlier."
Thor shrunk in on himself slightly, shame showing on his face. "I do not mean to, it just comes out."
"Well think before you speak."
Loki scoffed. "Thor, think. He cannot think unless it involves who he is going to hit first."
Thor jumped up and ran towards Loki, who scurried onto the back of the bed and off the other side. For a short while they ran around the room, shouting and hitting. Odin stood up, "ENOUGH!"
Both boys cowered behind their mother but still continued to hit each other.
"Get here, now. Both of you." He sat down once again and waited until the boys joined him, once again taking up seats either side of him. "I am ashamed of how you are both acting, it is not prince like. Why are you acting out? You are not yet at an age to be rebelling."
Neither spoke up, but Frigga did. "Maybe it is something they are missing out on. Like a male figure in their life. They are reduced to finding out about the world any way they know how, and for two young boys, that means rough housing."
"Is that the reason? Are you trying to get my attention?" Both boys nodded. "Well then...you have it. First of all, as punishment, Thor, you will help Loki recreate his book."
"But Father!" Both boys whined, obviously hating the idea.
"No whining. It is punishment for both of you, you will learn to work together and..." He looked between both of them. "I will be with you." That way, he would be spending time with them, teaching them and watching over them.
"But I still feel bad for not having a father's day present for you." Loki looked up.
"The only present I want from either of you is that you both try to get along. I do not want the court to be spreading rumours that the heirs to the throne are already at war."
"I will try." Loki promised.
"As will I father." Thor agreed.
He promised to spend at least 1 hour a day with the boys from then on, even though a small part of him hated the fact he would have to do this. Once the boys were excused, Frigga smiled at him and showed her appreciation of what he had just done. "I know this will be stressful for you but I feel that without a little of your teaching they may actually kill each other." She laughed a little but then got all serious. "Loki is causing concern throughout his teachers, they say that whilst he is progressing with the intellectual things, his warring skills are not up to what they should be. I fear he will be placed into danger."
"Do not worry. As much as Thor says he hates Loki, I know he will go to the ends of the nine realms to protect him. Just give them time. Now, shall we spend the remains of the evening with our boys?"
Frigga smiled and took Odin out of the room, smiling, she knew that her boys would be ok with a Father like the one Odin was being now. She just prayed that he did not change as he grew older; something one of her dreams had in fact shown her, that did not end well for either boy.