Disclaimer: I don't own Thor, or any of the characters used in this fic. They all belong to Marvel and their respective creators. I only own any original characters that I choose to include, as well as any original plot ideas.
The Glory Days
Chapter 1: The Overture
A/N: I had plans to start this following "The Devil Of Asgard," but I changed my mind. This is set pre-Thor, before the relationship between the brothers went straight to hell. It is a means to explore my own ideas as to how the two interacted with each other as only friends and siblings. In other words, none of this is official material. As for a timeline, I'm going to say that this takes place 20 years before the start of the film. Plenty of time for things to steadily grow sour.
Also, in the event that those of you who read "Like Pulling Teeth" haven't seen the update on my profile, I do have a sequel in progress. For those of you who did not read it, if you choose to, I hope you'll enjoy it.
The table rattled, jarring the words on the page and bringing him to look up, scowl at them though they clearly paid him no mind. The two laughing men sat across from one another, their right hands clasped together while they continued to eat and drink, Volstagg with the nearly bare bone of a chicken leg clenched in his left fist as it began to splinter, and Thor with a half-full goblet of ale that steadily began dripping down the side as he shook. Loki said nothing, failed to remember that he hadn't finished the chapter before absent mindedly turning the page as he set about trying to read again. His head began to spin as his eyes tore the ink from the sweet-smelling pages, only to stop halfway when the cask of ale tipped over, began to sink into the cover of the book. He had half a mind to seize a napkin, try to save the poor book before it could be damaged further, but decided not to, slamming a fist on the table and pushing the soaked tome to the floor with a wet sound.
"Have you no decency?!" he demanded, taking hold of an apple and tossing it at Thor. It struck his brother in the side of the head. Loki motioned to the mess on the table, the food that they had knocked to the floor in their ridiculous contest of strength, and plucked the book from the floor, thrusting it at Thor as it dripped. "Look what you've done!"
The elder prince turned then, having decided that his game no longer mattered, staring at Loki as though he had just stolen away one of his toys. It was quite the other way around.
Thor shrugged, golden hair bouncing around his face, gaze shallow and easily devoid of understanding. "You can fix it," he said simply, motioning with a hand. "You've always been talented with magic, Brother. It should prove to be no difficult task."
From the opposite side of the room, Fandral chuckled. "You might as well just say what we're all thinking, Thor," he quipped, giving Loki an amused glance. "He's always been talented with woman's craft."
The words made the trickster prince want to slap him, though he knew it would do no good. So far as brute strength went, the lot of them had always been far and above him, increasingly proficient in the use of blades and hammers and fists. Striking the snickering blond would earn him no more than an instant worth of satisfaction before he found himself face down on the cold floor. No, Loki would not give them yet another arrow to add to their quiver of insults.
A quiet whine came from Fandral as the Lady Sif sent him to the floor, the heel of her boot having taken his feet out from beneath him.
"Woman's craft? You had best be careful of your words, Fandral," she warned, staring down at him with eagle's eyes. "Remember that a woman is among the best of you foolish fellows." She turned to Loki then, a thin smile on her face. "There is no such thing as woman's craft. Some of the greatest sorcerers in the history of Asgard have been men."
His anger towards Thor was forgotten then, and he looked back to the book, the pages sticking together and stained. Loki laid it upon the table, glanced the now empty cask and frowned, raised a hand and pointed to the tome, concentration etched upon his face as that unnamed feeling swept through him. The pages began to smooth themselves, fly from one cover to the other as the fluid pooled into a ball in the air. Loki's eyes moved back to the cask, tracing an arc in the air and sending the ale back into the container, leaving it to rock gently back and forth before it settled back onto the table.
Thor smiled, pushed himself from his seat to clap Loki on the shoulder.
"See?" he said with a chuckle. "I told you."
The trickster prince said nothing for a moment, shut the book and ran his hand across the cover, as if he couldn't believe himself that he'd saved it from the otherwise irreparable damage. He had done it times before, had practiced for years and finally come to master spells throughout the spectrum, ranging from producing goldfish in the garden pools to repairing the thin bones of his own broken fingers. But the magic, the skill he so clearly possessed, hadn't been the point of his outburst.
He pushed the book against Thor's chest, looking at his brother with a venom in his eyes.
"That isn't the point." Thor looked dumbfounded. "You're inconsiderate, Thor. You care only for your own fun and leave everything else in the dust. If you have even a hope of ascending to Father's throne, then you had best learn to give a damn."
The thunderer looked appalled at his words, but Loki didn't care. He turned away, left Thor to stand in shock as he snatched the tome out of his hands. Loki loved his brother dearly, had sworn as a child to do everything and anything to protect him the way Thor had done for him. But, even so, there were things about Thor that irked him to no end, made him wish that clever words and complicated spells could do something about his wretched temper, his lack of consideration, and that obsession for war and competition.
Holding the book in his hands, Loki had a mind to tell Thor that it was one of many in their mother's massive collection. Perhaps that would instill a bit of guilt into him.
"You are right," Thor said from behind him. "I'm sorry." Loki bit his tongue as Thor grabbed him by the arm. "What can I do to make it up to you, Brother?"
"For now, just let me read."
Thor let go, but his eyes seemed to light up, mouth bearing a smile. Loki stepped back, eyes wide. His brother had another fool idea in that head of his.
"Tomorrow," Thor said, turning to their friends, "we will depart at dawn for the hunt."
Volstagg coughed and began choking on a grape. Hogun stepped up beside him and slapped the bearded man on the back until he started breathing again. "Tomorrow?!" the Valiant repeated, looking shocked. "Are you mad, Thor? How are we to be prepared by dawn?"
Thor shrugged as though it were obvious. "Prepare tonight."
Loki rolled his eyes, pushed his brother lightly to get his attention. "Tomorrow is too soon," he said, leaving no room for argument in his tone. "You can't just yank the horses from the stables, load them up and expect all to go well."
"Why not?"
The trickster prince dropped the book on the table and glared. "Do you not remember the last time you dragged us all out to the mountain on a whim? We were left for three days in the rain until Father came and found us." Thor seemed to remember, but said nothing. "And all because you failed to plan, and thought it would be great fun to jump your horse over that old rock face."
"You could have repaired his leg," his brother said matter-of-factly. "We'd have been just fine then."
Loki almost reached out and slapped him. "I've told you a thousand times that I can't yet heal the wounds of others. Otherwise, I'd have taken care of that obvious dent in your head."
Fandral laughed aloud.
Thor sighed, looked disappointed as he glanced to the others. They all had the same expression.
"We need more than just a day to prepare," Loki said. "Spring is almost done. There remain four days before the start of Summer, and then we'll go." He touched Thor's arm. "But you can't expect us to just leave like that."
The thunderer nodded, smiled. "Four days," he repeated, looking to the others, "and then we set off on yet another of our great adventures." The warriors nodded their agreement, and Thor turned back to him. "I wager that, by the time you wake on the morning of departure, I will have my horse saddled and ready to ride."
Loki groaned, snatching the book off the table as Thor laughed and hurried out of the room. The trickster trailed after him.
"Not everything is a competition, Thor!"