One Thrown Toy

by tristhe

Loki became a Trickster because of his brother.

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Title: One Thrown Toy

Author: tristhe

Rating: PG-13

Fandom(s): Thor (Marvel movie-verse)

Pairing(s): gen

Wordcount: 526

Status: Feels incomplete, but unlikely to be continued.

Spoilers/Warnings: Abuse that isn't seen as such.

Notes: Un-beta'ed. Written for the norsekinkmeme, round one.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, and make no money off of them.

Summary: Loki became a Trickster because of his brother.

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Loki became a Trickster because of his brother.

It started as mere babes. Loki was always much smarter and more observant than Thor could ever be, even barely out of swaddling cloths. Thor, just past the toddling age, was throwing yet another tantrum upon their royal mother's strained but iron patience. Loki, obediently sitting on his tiny blanket, was ignoring the brightly colored blocky puzzle in his hands to watch, as he always watched.

It started there, unknown to any other living being. Loki raised his puzzle and threw it at Thor.

There was abrupt silence as Thor blinked in shock at the little puzzle on the floor, where it had fallen after smacking his forehead (Loki had also always had excellent aim). Thor looked up at Loki, then back down to the puzzle, then back up at Loki, and then his face crumpled.

Loki was rarely able to stop Thor's rampages, you see.

But he could redirect them unto any target he so chose, with the finesse of a born politician (or parent, or teacher; both of which Loki was always surprisingly good at, too).

And Loki almost always redirected Thor toward himself.

So, you see, it was Thor that made Loki into a Trickster. Because as much as Loki could not bear to see the strain on his royal mother's face, the suffering of their nursemaids, the misery of their tutors, the bitterness of their guards, or the slow grinding anger behind his royal father's eye - as much as Loki could not bear to see these things, he also found no pleasure in pain for himself.

So he learned to run, to dodge, to hide but never too well; always leaving some clue for Thor to track, to keep his brother focused on him and no other.

Because Loki was good at hiding just well enough, running just fast enough, dodging and weaving his brother's blows with just enough speed that Thor would keep trying, keep hunting, never losing interest or looking elsewhere until his rage finally spent itself into exhaustion.

Loki was his brother's keeper, teacher, guard and nursemaid all in one, and it started with one thrown toy.

He eventually learned to preempt Thor's rages by planning ahead. Plotting and scheming with exquisite timing so that some trick, some prank, would happen just when Thor was most irritable, most likely to find fault, and therefore blow up within a time and place of Loki's choosing. Making it even easier to handle and defuse.

Being a bright lad, and amiable, he found it easy enough to find fun and entertainment in his self-appointed task. He was good at running and plotting and provoking and calming in turn. He felt no particular hardship. Most of the time.

Everyone had bad days, after all. Most people's bad days did not result in beatings of such severity as to restrict Loki to the healing wing for days or months, depending on just how bad a day it was. But Loki was a god both smart and resilient, and even these miscalculations he simply took as examples to learn from, growing ever wilier and more resourceful afterward.

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