This one fits within my currently ongoing fic The Making of Heroes, it just wasn't conceived quite in time to be inserted. In my mind here, Loki's about 9, and Thor's 12. This makes more sense if you've read the larger fic, but I don't feel that it's necessary.

~.~

Loki leaned over the railing, every inch of him tensed as he watched Thor fight. The creature this year was much larger than the ones Loki remembered from the past. Larger, faster, and fiercer. And Thor was getting tired. Loki remembered the year before, when he had been unable to slay his beast. Father's men had come down and killed the creature for him. He saw no signs of anyone coming to Thor's aid. The creature gathered itself for a spring and it was all Loki could do not to scream. Frantically, he thought to throw himself down – since no one else would go – but he had no weapons and magic was forbidden in the tournament hall, and besides, he would hardly be fit for combat after a fall from this height.

He felt twitchy and frantic and he wanted to look away, or pace, or something, but even though he was alone here, and largely out of sight, he couldn't move.

The creature gathered itself again, and this time, Thor didn't quite move fast enough. It landed full on top of him, and for a moment, all was still. Then there was movement, and Thor standing and throwing the lifeless body off of him and pulling his sword from where he had thrust it in its belly as it fell. He was all covered in blood. A roar went up from the crowd. Loki thought he might be sick.

Thor looked up then, and found him. He waved, his teeth seeming very bright in the mess of blood smeared across his face. Loki raised a hand, but he was suddenly very unsure that his knees would hold him, so he stepped back, out of sight of the crowd.

~.~

"Fulla," Thor squirmed, "there wasn't that much on me. Why must it take you so long?"

"Shh," Fulla chuckled a little, rubbing away at skin that Thor thought perfectly clean, "You must look your best for the feast."

"It never took you this long before." He sulked.

"You never got this much blood on yourself before."

Finally, she handed him his clothes for the feast and told him to be off. Hurriedly, he squirmed into them and ran back to the tournament hall, where everyone was still gathered, watching the next fight. Thor had no interest in watching anymore. He had to find Loki.

He took the stairs two at a time as he charged up to the place where he knew Loki had gone to watch. He hadn't seen him when he looked up to check before running all the stairs, but that didn't mean Loki wasn't there. He had a way of being somewhere you were sure no one could be, and being there like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was irritating, but mother said that that was just because Thor was jealous, and he had thought it might be true, and so had stopped talking about it.

Sure enough, as he came up the last step, there Loki was, leaning against the far wall, calmly watching the battle, but out of sight from below.

"Brother," Thor beamed, "did you see?"

Loki's eyes flicked over to him, and he nodded, but he did not smile.

A little spark of annoyance lit in Thor's chest as he came beside him, "Was it not a marvelous fight?"

Loki looked at him a moment, face completely blank, then hit him as hard as he could. The blow startled Thor, and sent him back a pace. He stumbled, fury rising up in his throat. But as he straightened, Loki went down hard on his knees, one hand supporting him on the ground, the other pressed to his face – or neck, with his head bowed, Thor couldn't really tell which. Sudden alarm utterly displaced his anger – had Loki been hurt during his own fight in a way that they hadn't seen? – could he be ill? Poisoned? Spelled? – Thor knelt down hurriedly beside him laying a hand to his back, "Brother, what's happened?"

Loki shook his head, but in the movement Thor saw tears, and the way his lip was caught between his teeth.

"Loki,"

Loki gave a ragged sob and collapsed a little further toward the ground, hiding his face in his hands.

Thor didn't understand what was happening, but Loki was obviously upset and he hated to see his little brother like this, so he reached out to pull him into a hug. Loki pushed him away, but he didn't push very hard, and the next time Thor moved toward him, Loki gave up and let him have his way.

After a few minutes, there was a roar from the crowd. Loki, who seemed largely to have recovered himself by then, raised his head to look. Neither of them could see anything from where they were.

Thor ventured the question, "What happened?"

Loki gave him a playful cuff to the shoulder, the smile was genuine – if a little unsteady, "Idiot,"

Thor was thoroughly bemused. First, Loki hit him, then he cried, and now he was smiling and calling him names. And as far as he could tell, he hadn't done anything today.

Loki moved a little away, taking a deep breath and smearing the last of the tears from his face. He gathered up his knees and rested his chin on them and Thor came over to sit beside him. He never quite knew what to do when Loki was like this. It seemed the best course of action to just stay quiet. So he did. Even though it was hard.

~.~

Thor was still sitting beside him. He'd been perfectly quiet for at least five minutes, which was impressive. Loki could feel how very badly he wanted to talk or move, but he wasn't. He had chosen, of his own, to stay. And that made something in Loki's chest hurt.

"It was a grand fight, Brother," Loki said quietly, as if they hadn't stopped speaking. His voice was still hoarse and a little unsteady, but it didn't matter, "You were marvelous."

Thor turned toward him, eyes burning with excitement, "Did you see when –"

Thor began to talk, and did not stop talking for quite some time, going over every detail of the fight in a frenzy of excitement. Loki didn't interrupt him. He nodded or commented at the right points, but mostly he just hugged his knees and listened. He felt washed out, but warm and content beside his brother. Nothing had gone horribly wrong, and nothing would.

Suddenly, Thor leapt to his feet. Then Loki heard it too. It was the horns, signaling the end of the tournament. Thor held out his hand, and Loki took it, "Come on," he said, "We can't be late."

Then Thor was running down the stairs, pulling Loki roughly behind.

And Loki wasn't afraid.