Wow. You guys completely floored me with your responses. I was not at all expecting all of the alerts and favorites (or reviews) so thank you so much!

I couldn't resist. Warning- nauseatingly cute ending (I promise this will be the only one). There was no way around it.

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In fact, everyone had taken several steps back away from him.

Frustrated and in pain, he brought a hand up to cradle the wound on his chest and yell at Thor when he froze.

His arm was blue again.

Loki looked down through his torn shirt at the skin around his wound and saw that it was also blue. His panic mounted and his breaths quickened when it did not immediately recede as it had before.

He could feel tears gathering at the corners of his eyes but he did not care as he looked up at his father and brother. They walked over and knelt down next to him.

"What's happening to me?" he gasped, still staring at his arm.

Odin's hand traced gentle circles on his back, "Loki, my son, calm down."

He could not, though. His panic and pain added to his distress. The sound of his heart beating in his ears and his quick, shallow breaths drowned out all other noise. His eyes were screwed shut in a vain effort to maintain some sense of control over the situation.

Loki felt his head being pulled to his left and his red eyes met his brother's blue ones.

"Brother. Look at me," Thor's voice was soft but commanding, and Loki had no trouble falling into the role he had always known; the obedient younger brother.

"You're fine, Loki. That's it. Breathe with me. In. Out," Thor instructed, taking deep, slow breaths and watching as his brother fought through his panic to follow his example. He continued patiently for several minutes until Loki had calmed, and watched as the blue faded from his skin.

Thor gave his own deep breath of relief when he saw his little brother's eyes return to their normal green. Loki relaxed further when he returned his gaze to his arm and saw that his skin was as it should be.

"Thor" he said weakly, unconsciously seeking his brother's comfort as the pain in his chest spiked and he took a hissing breath.

"Get Loki to the healers!" Odin commanded, and he felt himself being lifted once more. "Thor. Remain here."

He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, separate from the pain pulsing from his wound, and he called for his brother again, not willing to let him face father's wrath alone.

"Thor. Please," at this point Loki did not even care that he was begging. He needed the comfort and strength that his older brother practically radiated.

He did not know what passed between his father and his brother, but he knew that Thor was following him and their friends now across the bridge and towards the palace. Satisfied, he let his eyes drift shut as pain and weariness overtook him.

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When he awoke, his brother was at his side and half asleep. Loki took a second to quickly check his arm and was satisfied to see that it was still normal.

He moved quietly and pulled a pillow to him, trying to get a feather out of the fluff. Smirking, he sat up carefully, pleased when his chest ached only slightly, and moved the feather under his brother's nose, ghosting it across his face.

Thor's nose twitched and Loki continued with the annoyance until his brother's hand smacked his nose and he awoke. His angry glare lasted only a moment, although he loftily said, "You are much too old for such foolishness, brother."

Loki shrugged, "That may be true. But then who was it who asked for my help only five days ago when Volstagg was-"

Thor cut him off with a wave of his hand. "He has never proven that to be my fault!"

Loki tossed him a sardonic smirk, "Of course he hasn't. I helped plan it after all. Even you couldn't screw up something that brilliant."

And just like that Loki relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders as his worry about Thor's reaction to his previous skin problem was rendered pointless.

"Let me fetch mother and father. They have been waiting anxiously for news," Thor smiled down and clapped Loki on the shoulder.

"What day is it?" Loki called out curiously as Thor reached the door.

"Midday. The healers worked into the night and they will most likely want you to sleep more than you did," Thor replied, with an unusually serious look before he left the room.

Once he was alone, Loki rubbed his chest, trying to work out the residual ache and stiffness. His attention was ultimately focused on his hand, however, and the desire to understand what had happened to him.

He had always been the smartest of the pair, although it was hardly a contest when it came to intelligence, just as Thor obviously dominated him in strength. His mind raced as he considered possibilities and discarded them until he ultimately reached one horrifying conclusion.

It can't be. No, no, no, no.

Unbidden, images and emotions rushed through his mind. The obvious differences in appearance between not only him and his family, but also all of Asgard. The feelings of inferiority to his brother and how Odin favored his eldest son. The simple fact that he found refuge in words and sorcery when all other warriors favored hand-to-hand combat and strength.

He felt his breaths shortening again and curled his hand into a fist, forcing himself to calm down and regain control.

Confusion and cold hard anger took seat in his chest and he could not bring himself to look up and greet his "family" when they entered.

Loki shied away from his mother's embrace and glared hatefully at his father. "Why?" he croaked, almost unable to get the word out in his anger.

"Loki-"

"No!" he pushed his mother's arm off of his shoulder where she had placed it in an effort to calm him down.

His brother was uncharacteristically quiet, and Loki chose to ignore him in favor of staring at Odin once more.

"Loki, my son-" Odin started only to be cut off by Loki. "I am not your son!" he yelled.

Thor looked confused now and took several steps forward so that he was at Loki's side, while Frigga was still perched on the other side, sitting at her youngest son's shoulder.

Odin stood at the foot of the bed; his shoulders hunched, and answered immediately but softly, "You are my son in every way that matters, Loki."

"I would say blood matters very much, father," Loki returned quickly. He saw that Odin would not answer and that Thor still looked confused, so he continued mercilessly. "Go ahead. Tell your son. Tell him what I am!"

Thor spoke up to fill Odin's silence, 'What is the meaning of all this, brot-"

"I am not your brother!" Loki yelled, his eyes wild. His breaths now came in harsh pants, the anger evident to everyone. He practically jumped out of the bed and moved across the room, opposite of Odin. When he spoke again his voice was strained but no less intense.

"I am not your brother," he spat. "I'm not even Asgardian. I'm a Frost Giant."

He saw Frigga hang her head in sorrow and Odin looked away. Thor kept his damnable eyes on Loki, searching for the prank but his face betrayed his belief in the truth of Loki's claim.

The silence hung oppressively until Loki startled everyone by moving quickly to the door and leaving without a glance back.

Still, no one moved.

After three long minutes, Odin left as well. Thor made to go after him, but Frigga held him back, "Let your father and brother talk alone, Thor."

"You knew," he said softly.

His mother nodded. "Why did you not say anything?" he asked.

"We did not want Loki to feel different. He is our son, your brother. It did not matter that he was not born of me. We love you both equally, and Loki will see that in time."

Thor had no answer, although something was bothering him. He knew he had to talk to his brother. He just had to find him first.

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Loki stood in front of the Casket, attempting to ease his mind as he stared into the shifting blue. His thoughts and emotions were scattered and he made no attempt to control them, letting everything wash over him.

He felt Odin enter the room minutes later but did not acknowledge him, forcing the king to initiate the conversation, demanding an explanation with his own silence.

"Oh, Loki," his father sighed as he descended the stairs to the platform. "This is not how I wanted you to make this discovery. This was not supposed to bring you so much pain."

Loki turned incredulously, "How could this not bring me pain? My life, my entire life, has been a lie. In what circumstances is that looked upon favorably?"

Odin shook his head as he continued to take slow, measured steps toward his youngest, "You misunderstand me. I had not intended for you to face this alone. I should have known that you were too clever to not figure this out, but it was my intention to tell you when the time was right. If the time was ever right."

"So you took me for a purpose," Loki deduced quickly, burning every word Odin spoke into his memory. "When the time was right you could drop this on me and sweep it under the rug in the face of whatever problem I was meant to solve." His voice turned hard, "Why did you take me?"

Odin shifted uncomfortably, but knew better than to lie at this point, "When I found you in the aftermath of the war, I only wanted to protect you. You were discarded amongst the rubble, small for a giant's offspring; abandoned, and helpless." He took a breath and continued, "Laufey's son."

"Laufey's son?" Loki repeated, his shock evident.

Odin pressed on, "I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance. Bring about permanent peace, through you."

Loki was silent for several minutes, mulling over this new information. When he finally spoke his voice was small, "Why didn't you just tell me? Why this charade?"

"I only wanted to protect you from the truth. It never made a difference to your mother and I, and Thor was not told. You are my son."

"Don't. Just-" Loki was getting agitated now, and paced back and forth. "Just leave me."

Odin nodded and respected his son's wishes, knowing that Loki needed time to think everything through. He trusted his son to come to the right conclusion.

Loki fell to his knees next to the Casket, replaying everything that his fath- Odin had just told him. How did it get to this? Just yesterday everything was fine. And now…

Now I'm Laufey's son. A Frost Giant. The monster that parents tell their children about at night.

I don't belong here. I never belonged here.

He turned his gaze upwards, towards the Casket, contemplating it. I could just remove it. I would not make it even a dozen steps before the Destroyer did its job.

He continued to stare at the Casket, silently debating whether or not he should remove it and finally die, as he should have when he was an infant.

Loki stood slowly and grasped the handles of the Casket, his anger and betrayal pushing any fear into the far recesses of his mind. He felt the cold blue rush up and greet him and watched in revulsion as his skin changed and his visage turned to that of a Frost Giant.

"Loki!"

He flinched at his brother's voice, not having heard him enter. He withdrew his hands from the Casket and turned, relishing Thor's quiet gasp at his appearance.

He made sure to keep Thor's eyes, watching his brother's reaction. Thor surprised him, however, by moving quickly down the stairs and walking briskly to his side.

He knew from a quick glance that the blue had only just started fading, and he puzzled over Thor's actions for a moment before dismissing them.

"So," he said dangerously. "Come to kill me, brother? We stood right here, in this room, as children. Remember? And you swore to kill all the Frost Giants."

Thor looked taken aback, but his voice was strong and his revulsion at the idea evident. "No! Loki, how could you even think-"

Loki barely heard his answer, though, his mind taking him back to that day and he gave a weak chuckle. Thor looked at him as though he were mad, and he decided to elaborate.

His voice shook with laughter although there was nothing funny, "He said- Odin said, that day. We were both meant to be kings."

Loki continued to laugh although Thor did not understand what was amusing.

He slowly walked up to Loki and maintained a quiet and level voice, as if speaking to a spooked animal, "I've come to see how you are doing, brother."

Loki sneered his mood switching abruptly, "I always knew you were dense, Thor, but it is astonishing that it has not penetrated that thick skull of yours. We. Are. Not. Brothers."

"Of course we are."

That simple sentence, so like Thor, stole Loki's anger for a moment.

"What else would you be, if not my brother?" Thor asked. "My whole life you have been by my side. We grew up together. Got into trouble together. Had fun, learned to fight, talked about girls-"

"You talked about girls," Loki interjected despite himself.

Thor answered with a small smile and a laugh, "Ok, fine. I talked about girls and you listened."

He turned serious, "You always listened. You were always by my side. My better half."

Loki looked up in surprise. His better half?

"What nonsense are you talking about, Thor? If you're going to lie at least make it believable."

"I'm not lying," Thor said, his blue eyes solemn.

Somewhere in the back of Loki's mind a voice was agreeing, because Thor was a terrible liar and for him the truth worked in almost every situation. He pushed it aside and pulled on his ever-present anger.

"And why would I be the better half? Hm? All of Asgard worships you and Mjolnir. Your strength, your bravery, your fighting prowess. The golden prince of Asgard," He shoved his brother, trying desperately to incite a reaction. "And what am I? A runt of a Frost Giant. Too small to let live. The outcast of Asgard. Dark haired and pale. Weak and puny. How could I possibly-"

He was abruptly cut off by his brother's chest as he was forcibly pulled into an embrace. He fought against it for a moment before acknowledging the stupidity of trying to overcome Thor in this matter and stood limply as Thor clung to him.

"Oh, Loki," Thor's voice shook with an emotion that Loki could not immediately identify. "How you could think- Had I known-"

He drew Loki away from his chest but held him firmly by the shoulders, his eyes seeking his brother's stormy green ones.

"I am so sorry, Loki."

Shock kept Loki silent until Thor had regained enough control to continue speaking.

"I have wronged you terribly if that is what you think of yourself and as your elder brother I have no excuse. I've put my feelings before yours and took for granted all that you are to me," He shook Loki's shoulders, trying to convey the sincerity of his words. "You are my closest friend. My most treasured companion. I value your words and insight the most.

"I listen to what you say and although I do not always act on your advice, I always take it to heart. You are my little brother. Ever since I was old enough to understand what that meant, I tried to protect you. I tried to be braver and tougher than anyone out there who would threaten you. When I heard Sif on Jotunheim- When I saw your wound-"

Loki was still silent. The shock had settled deep now and he doubted whether he was capable of intelligent speech at all at that moment. He clung to Thor's every word and it fed his downtrodden soul.

"I have always envied your intelligence, Loki. Things come so naturally to you and you simply devoured father's books when we were growing up. You can talk your way out of anything, and I depended on you to be the brain behind every scheme I dreamed up when we were children. And even now, you keep me from getting too carried away. And your magic! It is incredible what you can do. How could you possibly doubt yourself, brother?"

Loki had no answer for him. He was utterly convinced that his mind had shut down with everything that Thor had so patiently and quietly said to him. He could only focus on one thing and he clung to Thor who easily enveloped him in his arms.

"Brother," he said, and Thor hugged him tighter.

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Sappy, I know. Trust me, I cringed writing it, but I'm a fan of the bromance and they work so well together! And it would have worked out if they hadn't screwed Loki over in every possible way!

More (exciting things) to come soon. Aka, preparing for war with Jotunheim.

Always

Sinkme

And just because I can, here's a humorous/stupid ending for the chapter:

He saw Frigga hang her head in sorrow and Odin looked away. Thor kept his damnable eyes on Loki, searching for the prank but his face betrayed his belief in the truth of Loki's claim.

The silence hung oppressively until Loki startled everyone by moving quickly to the door and leaving without a glance back.

Thor watched his brother leave and then blew out a breath, "We probably should have told him that he's naked."