Warning: This chapter contains referral to slash interactions


COMING HOME

And then the day came. Loki felt overwhelmed with strange and indefinite feelings; Frigga wasn't stopping kissing and hugging him wishing him good luck. She was barely chocking back the tears while she saw him walking away along the was visibly proud of him, that was of some comfort, he smiled faintly while nodding and mounting on his horse. His brother had insisted on accompanying him to the Bifrost station and he couldn't be persuaded differently. The sun was rising behind the hills of Asgard and Loki looked at the sight feeling a strange sort of sadness in his soul. He had imagined that going home would have been such a joy for him, that he would have been so proud to be welcome again into his world but now that he was so close to his dream, everything seemed so absurdly different!
The Frost Giants looked at each other but Loki couldn't tell anything of their thoughts while Thor's sorrow was more than evident. He didn't speak for the entire trot to the station. They dismounted just in front of the entrance and Thor sighed before speaking: - "So… this is a farewell, brother…"

Loki forced himself to smile: - "No, it's only goodbye. I will come back, I promise… I won't be so suspicious like my father, I know I can come here without risking my life…" He giggled but there was no joy in it.

Thor tried his best to look confident and quiet, he rested his big hands on his brother's shoulders and then drew him to his chest in a tight hug: - "I will miss you, brother… I will miss you so much…" He whispered in his ear.

Loki chocked back the tears, he couldn't show himself weak in front of his future subjects! - "Everything will be fine, brother…" His voice sounded muffled by Thor's chest.

- "My nights will be so long and cold without you…" Thor went on and Loki felt a shiver running down his spine. That simple referral to their nights together was enough to feel a twitch of excitement.

- "Brother, please…" he whispered softly trying to push apart the images of themselves and their heated nights.

- "Ok… sorry…" Thor looked at him mischievously.

The frost giants were waiting patiently not far from them, just out the station while Heimdall was, as always, as motionless as a statue waiting for the command. The leader then stepped ahead: - "Prince Loki, we must go…"

Loki sighed and cast a final look to the gilded domes of Asgard, to the huge bronze door and the glittering Bifrost. He filled his lungs with the salty air and wrapped the furred collar of his coat around his neck.

- "Fine… let's go!" He then answered steadily. He smiled at Thor for the last time and turned his shoulders to enter the station together with the frost giants and followed by Heimdall.

The blonde prince looked at him stepping inside the station and he thought how beautiful he was, such a precious jewel wasted in the coldness of Jotunheim! He looked at Loki's slender figure, the raven black hair carefully combed and reminded how striking contrast it was to his milky skin. He sighed already missing the mischievous spark in his green eyes. – "Farewell, brother…" he whispered to himself.

The journey home lasted a bunch of seconds and the small group landed on the wasteland of Jotunheim. Loki instinctively wrapped himself in his coat even if he knew he wouldn't have been cold. A never ending blizzard was blowing while they silently walked to the icy royal palace. Everything was silence, only the wailing of the wind among the icy stalactites an columns was to be heard. Loki forced himself to think that his new life had just begun and that inhospitable place would have been counterbalanced by his royal rights.

Laufey immediately summoned the group to his hall of throne and stood up smiling delightfully when he saw his son among the other giants: - "My son!" he hissed.

- "Father…" Loki bowed, it sounded so strange to his eyes to say "father" to someone who was, nevertheless, his real father.

- "Such a pleasure to welcome you home!" Laufey walked towards him, Loki was dwarfed by his size so he had to look up to speak to him.

- "The pleasure is mine to be home!" He smiled but there was something wrong in all that, he had imagined he would have been so happy… instead… Instead there was a creeping sorrow in his soul, something he had to conceal to his father.

- "Aren't you happy?" Laufey tilted his head.

Loki smiled trying to be as much believable has he could: - "Oh no father… I am happy, really… only… it's all so new to me!" That was the simple truth and could be easily believed.

Laufey nodded: - "Yes… I understand… There are so many things you must catch up with… " He sat on his throne again: - "You will be eager to see your new rooms, I believe…"

Actually Loki really felt a unrestrained wish to stay on his own and think over everything. He nodded with a smile: - "Yes father…"

Laufey grumbled in approval: - "Ah… son… You'd better stop wearing those Asgardian colours and clothes… You're a Jotunn and you're home!" He grinned.

Loki smiled back but he felt something deeply wrong inside, his father's smile wasn't a warm one… yes, he was a frost giant and "warm" was not a fit word for him but so far he hadn't felt the affection he would have expected after meeting his true father after so many years. He shook his head and followed the frost giants who showed him his new rooms.
Of course his new apartments were deeply different from the ones he had left at Asgard, he immediately realised that all the cold colours were missing from that gloomy place. When the frost giants left him alone, he swiftly moved his wrist to materialize an merry fire in a fireplace. He smiled at the warm colours.
He walked around, everything was finely carved in ice, sure it was a masterpiece but definitely something was lacking. He sat on his bed and took off his coat, he rested a few minutes, deeply immersed in thoughts, then he sighed and stood up; it was time! Time to reveal his true nature.
He slowly took off all of his precious Asgardian clothes who were literally shining in the cold light of that palace. He forced himself to think that every piece of clothing he was removing was equal to a piece of his life in Asgard he had to forget. He then turned on himself and studied himself in a huge frosted mirror. His body was so slender and delicate, again he tried to push away the images of Thor looking at him without hiding his admiration and excitement. He brushed his skin that was slowly turning blue, the marks of his lineage surfacing on his arms and face and his eyes becoming bright red.
So… that was his real form. He studied himself turning on himself in front of the mirror as if he had never seen him in his Jotunn self before. Why wasn't he feeling any pride for that?
He lowered his eyes, the padded away grabbing the simple Jotunn clothing that had been left on the bed for him. He sighed and got ready for his new life