Dislcaimer: I do not own 'Thor'
A/N: Didn't run this by a beta, so lemme know if you find any glaring errors I missed in my reread.
Fathers and Sons
I had hopes for my sons – I always knew great things would come of them – but a father cannot set out to control the lives of his children. Such an attempt can never end well. This is as true for kings and princes as it is for common men, and it is true for gods as well. All a father – a parent – can do is set his child on the path and hope he chooses right when he reaches the crossroads. As it is for mortals, so it is for Odin All Father. And so I set my sons on their path and hoped things great and good would come of them.
I always knew Thor would be the warrior. His strength was clear to me immediately and though I feared he might let his battles and his glories lead his way, I did little more than watch as he became one of the greatest warriors Asgard had ever seen and I myself bestowed upon him Mjolnir when I felt the time was right. He was strong, both in body and in will, and though I did my best to guide him, I knew he did not always listen and one day I would have to find a way to teach him. A way that he would understand.
Until that day, I always had Loki. Loki was the quiet one, the observer. He wielded magic like Thor wielded his hammer and was better at plotting than at war. For that, I was grateful – the day would come when Thor would need an advisor and who better than his brother for such a task? Many a man may have been put off by how quiet Loki was, but I always felt it meant that he was listening. And I was right, but that wasn't the problem.
Thor didn't always listen, but Loki didn't always hear. I only wish I had seen sooner, before Loki let go.
I always hoped things great and good would come of my sons, and I hold that hope still, but fear makes it bitter when I think of Loki – I know not what he is up to, but I fear it is not good.
Thor listened, why didn't Loki hear?