Loki looked at his face in the mirror and frowned. He was 16 and still had not grown one whisker on his face. Not one. He looked over at his brother as he swiped the razor across his cheek. Show off.
"Don't worry Loki. One day you'll reach manhood like me." Thor said.
"You should stop shaving. You look like a girl without a beard."
"I've always been pretty." Thor said with that damn bastard smile.
"And people think I'm the one that is ergi." Loki said. Thor's face fell and Loki smiled, having finally landed an insult that hurt his brother. Or so he thought.
"People are too harsh on the ergi men." Thor muttered as he returned his attention to the mirror.
"Such proclivities are illegal. You know that." Loki said, brushing his hair.
"I don't see why." Thor said. Loki put down the brush and looked at his brother more closely.
"Thor are you trying to tell me something?"
"No, I'm just saying that if you need to tell me something, it is safe for you to do so."
"I'm not ergi!" Loki huffed. "I haven't even had sex yet." Loki grumbled. Thor smiled at that.
"Nor will you ever with those scrawny legs." Thor said.
"You say that now, just wait until the ladies find out whose cock is bigger!"
"Your dick is not bigger than mine."
"Is too. I've seen yours."
"Gazing at my meat brother?"
"Oh please. Like you don't parade around our room naked on a daily basis."
"But you don't. It's like you're afraid I'll see your tiny cock."
"Want to compare? I'll pull mine out right now." Loki said. He heard a swish of skirts behind him at the bathroom door and cringed. He wondered how much Frigga had heard.
"Boys your father wants to meet with you in the throne room. He has something important to tell you." Frigga said with a warm smile.
"In the throne room? It is official state business then yes?" Thor asked.
"It is." Frigga said. "You have ten minutes to finish getting ready." She turned to leave but then stopped. "There is a ruler here on the vanity should either of you need it." She said with mirth before stepping out of the room.
Loki and Thor both turned beet red and did not look one another in the eye again until they reached the throne room.
"Ah, my boys!" Odin said and waved for them to come close. Thor and Loki both knelt in the customary manner for such official announcements.
"Rise, both of you. Thor, my first born, you have reached the age of manhood and so are commanded to go on a quest alone. You must slay a great beast of your choosing. Only when you have done so may you return. At that time a great feast will be held in your honor."
"Will I finally get my own room?" Thor asked. Odin chuckled.
"Yes, you will finally be moved from the nursery to the sunrise wing and will be given the apartments fitting a royal prince with all the duties that come with that prestigious title."
"What of me father?" Loki asked.
"Loki you have another 2 years at least before your quest."
"But father, I am every bit as capable as Thor of slaying an animal by myself!"
"I know son, but you are still young yet. Enjoy the remainder of your childhood while you can. Thor's new duties, once assigned, will take up much of his time. His days of spending hours in the training stables are over. He must now focus on politics and the intellectual requirements of ruling." Odin said. Thor groaned audibly. Knowing that his big brother would be suffering in some small way did brighten Loki's mood. Still, he wished he didn't have to linger in the shadows for so long.
"When does my quest begin?" Thor asked.
"Tomorrow morning. I recommend you spend the rest of the day preparing your provisions for your trip." Odin said.
"Yes father." Thor said. The boys were dismissed and they set out to the kitchens and the stables. Thor sweet talked the palace cook into making some oatmeal berry bars for his journey. They would come in handy on the mornings when there was little time for cooking breakfast.
"Which beast are you planning to hunt?" Loki asked.
"I think I'll go after the Griffin of the Dark Forest. Like me, it can fly and the wing adornments denoting the kill, would complement my armor well."
"A good choice." Loki said.
"What beast will you hunt?" Thor asked.
"The red dragon of Mount Suhr." Loki said. Thor shook his head and chuckled.
"Always so ambitious brother. Do you really want the big horns of the dragon adorning your helmet?"
"Of course! They are elegant and command a great deal of attention."
"That they do." Thor said. Thor finished packing and the two headed to lunch before meeting up with their friends for a bit of swordplay.
"Hi Thor." Sif said with a smile, then her face fell when she saw his brother. "Loki."
"So, what was the big news this morning?" Fandral asked.
"I am a man!" Thor announced.
"Not yet you're not. You have to kill a great beast first." Loki said.
"Yes, and once I do I'll finally have my own room." Thor said.
"And so will I. No more tripping over your muddy leathers in the middle of the floor."
"No more nagging." Thor said. Sif and the others chuckled. Loki felt a pang of heartache stab his chest then and he visibly deflated. It suddenly dawned on Loki that he was about to be cut out of Thor's daily life. Loki would still be coming to the arena for weapons training, while Thor would spend the day with their father learning the politics of the realm. Sure they'd see each other at meal time but that would be it. Their evenings with each other would also end, and while Loki did like the idea of getting a space to call his own he knew he would be lonely without Thor.
Sif challenged Thor to a fight. Loki sat with Volstagg and Hogun and watched as Sif openly flirted with his brother during the match. The wrestling moves Thor usually used on her backfired, for she would rub her ass or press her breasts against his form, causing him to let go in embarrassment.
He should have enjoyed the show more than he did. Seeing Thor red-faced and humiliated normally gave Loki joy. Instead he felt hot searing anger towards Sif and could not name the reason why.
"She's going to be Queen one day, mark my words." Fandral said.
"Aye, I don't doubt it. Thor would be a fool to turn that down, and she has all the qualifications to rule at his side." Volstagg said.
"Why? Because she can swing a sword and has a pretty face? I would hardly call those qualifications." Loki said.
"You're only saying that because you want her." Fandral said.
"I do not!" Loki said.
"Sure you don't." Volstagg said.
"I don't!"
"Me thinks Loki protests too much." Fandral said, egging him on. Loki got up in a huff and walked away. To the others, his actions merely confirmed their unfounded suspicions.
Loki did not see Thor again until dinner, where Sif's blatant flirting continued. Every time Thor smiled at her it felt like a knife twisting in his heart.
"Loki if your frown goes any deeper son it'll stay there permanently." Odin said.
"I wasn't frowning." Loki said.
"Ah son, if you have feelings for the Lady Sif you should speak them to her."
"She doesn't feel that way about me." Loki said. More importantly, was that he did not feel that way about her.
"Well then, try not to wear your jealousy so openly. Be happy that your brother has found such a competent match. You in time, will find one also."
"I know father." Loki said. His feelings felt like a mixed up ocean wave of confusion and he couldn't process what was happening. All he knew was, he didn't feel hungry anymore.
"May I be excused father?"
"Yes you may. Goodnight son."
"Goodnight father." Loki said. He returned to his room and pulled a book off the shelf to read. He noted then, Thor's jewelry box. It was covered in dust and contained various rings with royal seals and other gems worn for special occasions. Loki looked around then and noted all the things in the room that would be gone soon. He felt like crying and then felt silly for it. He didn't understand why he was so upset. He did want his own room, and so tried to focus on all of Thor's disgusting habits that bothered him. He hunkered down and got lost in a volume of poetry for about an hour, until he heard Thor enter.
"Brother!" Thor said looking a little too rosy cheeked and grinning.
"Thor I can smell the ale from here. How much did you drink tonight?"
"Only two mugs."
"Yes well, you smell like a brewery."
"Tis the way that all men smell is it not?"
"No, it's not." Loki said. Thor lumbered forward and landed on Loki's bed. "What are you doing, stupid oaf? Your bed is over there." He pointed.
"I'm going to miss you." Thor said. Loki rolled his eyes.
"You're drunk."
"I can't wait to get my own room though."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"So I can finally wank-off without worrying if you're awake."
"You're disgusting."
"I never see you wanking-off. When do you do it?"
"I don't!"
"Liar. You do it in the tub don't you?"
"So what if I do? It's easy to clean up in there and I don't have to worry about the servants seeing embarrassing sheet stains."
"Who do you think about when you're in there?" Thor asked with his head smashed against the mattress. Loki blushed bright pink. He'd never thought about a specific person really. It was more of a feeling. A feeling of love and intimacy and golden skin. Blue eyes. Insufferable…oaf…
"None of your business." Loki said quietly. Thor lifted his head to look up at his brother.
"Do you know who I think about when I touch myself?"
"Sif of course."
"No. Not her." Thor's gazed burned into Loki's eyes and Loki shuddered.
"Thor…"
"Brother, I think I'm ergi." Thor said.
"How do you know?"
"I'm not attracted to Sif at all."
"Well, you just haven't found the right girl yet." Loki said.
"There is no right girl." Thor crawled up Loki's body and Loki held his breath.
"We can't." Loki said.
"Why not?"
"Why not? Are you mad? We are brothers Thor! It is incest! It is illegal!"
"It is love. Tell me you do not feel it as well?"
"We'll get caught."
"How? Our bedchambers are warded for privacy. The door is locked. Who's going to know?"
"I will." Loki said.
"Yes, and you'll know that my heart belongs to you." Thor leaned in and kissed him. In that kiss, clarity came. All of Loki's jumbled emotions from that afternoon made sense. He returned Thor's embrace with fervor and the two boys spent the entire night giving themselves to one another.