"We are home at last, brother." Loki gave him a scorning look as they materialised back in the weapons vault, still holding the case with the Tesseract inside.
The Traitor was unable to say anything with the mask on his mouth, not to mention that his hands were bound to stop him from causing trouble. There was no surprise in this for the god.
"Come, we must place the Tesseract back in its rightful place." Loki had no choice but to follow Thor up the stairs and along another corridor to a set of golden double doors. The blonde looked the doors up and down before setting his hammer on them.
There was a faint click and the doors swung open, upon which Loki made a note to investigate them at a later date; maybe when he wasn't shackled like a prisoner. Thor led him inside, both of them still holding the case with one hand each.
The room was simple enough, stone instead of the original Asgardian gold that ran through the entire city. There was a silver pedestal in the middle of it, obviously where the Tesseract was supposed to rest.
Thor set his hammer on the ground it, now taking the case with both hands. At this time, the Traitor couldn't help but notice that the doors had closed behind them; whether this was intentional or not, he did not know. The son of Odin opened one end of the case carefully, sliding the cube out onto one hand.
He set the blue cube down in the pedestal, stepping away quickly as he was unsure what it would actually do. In the end, nothing happened and Thor instead turned to his brother.
"Father will be waiting for us in the throne room." Loki stared at him with a 'you have got to be kidding me' look, and attempted to cross his arms before he realized that he was still chained. His normal languid grace was impeded by his bonds, and he looked pleadingly at the god of thunder.
Thor knew that if he endured that look any longer, he would fall for letting his brother go when he had express orders from his father not to do so. But it would be so easy just to unlock the chains…
He shook his head and stormed out of the room, throwing the doors open and continuing on his way to the throne room. He knew without looking that Loki was following him, feeling his heart rise a little to know that he hadn't run away.
...
"Loki!"
The teenager looked up from the tome that he was browsing through, his face sombre. His brother was calling him from across the courtyard, waving and smiling. "Come join us in sparring!"
"No, thank you," he replied quietly as Thor came closer and he returned to his reading.
"Come now, you haven't done your training today." Loki refused to acknowledge the feeling that he got when he heard his brother talk. It was unnerving and it frightened him. He recognized this warmth, but he did nothing to quench it or study it.
"I will do it later, when I am finished."
"Then may I join you in your studying?" Thor didn't wait for an answer and sat down beside him on the stone bench. "I admit that I have studied at all today," he said with a grin, trying to grab the raven-haired boy's attention.
"It would be wise if you should start it elsewhere," said the teen, turning another page and attempting to remain passive.
"I much prefer staying in your company." Loki felt, with a jolt, his brother breathing on his cheek and he darted his eyes to look at him.
Thor's face was right beside his, apparently studying the book that he was holding. It was then that he could finally appraise his brother's face; the long, blonde hair that had been twisted in a braid for training; the deepest blue eyes that were the sea to Loki; and the thick jawline that was showing that the god was growing into manhood.
"Do you find something that you like?" whispered Thor, looking back up at him and grinning widely. He also laid a soft hand on Loki's arm gently, still smiling.
The shock of this and the thought of what his brother could really mean threw Loki into a panic; he slammed the book shut and stood up abruptly.
"I, I must go, there a-are other things that I must attend to." With these words, the teenage god began speedily walking across the courtyard, still managing to retain his gracefulness despite his shock.
Once inside the library, what he saw as his own safe place, he slipped quietly between the bookshelves to the back of the library. He leant against the wall, sliding down it as he covered his face.
Why had Thor chosen those exact words to say? Did he already know of what Loki felt and had decided to tease him? It was maddening, and the feeling inside was gradually growing stronger.
"Brother?" Loki half-choked, half-laughed as he heard Thor enter the library loudly, yelling. He would not alert the other to his presence, and instead muttered something, cloaking himself in darkness.
"Brother, I know that you hide here! I meant nothing by my words." The god still remained under his spell, listening close to what he was saying.
"Please, do not be offended by me. Let me at least apologize to you personally." Loki covered his mouth to stop himself from crying out as the blonde came looming around the corner, scanning the back wall carefully.
"You are here. I know it." Thor's eyes seemed to alight upon something more interesting and turned away; the raven-haired god let out a sigh of relief and his brother immediately turned back and picked him up by the arm.
Loki's spell unweaved itself and revealed him to his brother, and he looked at the ground in shame.
"Why did you hide from me?"
"I do not want to speak of it," he said, trying to break away from Thor's hold but being unsuccessful.
"I am sorry if I offended you earlier," said the blonde quietly. "I meant no disrespect."
"Why can't you just leave me be in peace?"
"You are my brother. I want you to always be by my side." This only served to enflame his younger brother's cheeks bright red, and this confused the god even further. "What bothers you?"
"You are bothering me. Now leave me alone." Loki used a spell to break free of his brother and once again left the god by himself.
"But… I love you."