"I love you so much," Thor muttered in between kisses. "You have no idea how scared I was, leaving you in that place,"
As soon as they were off the bridge Odin had escorted Loki to the healers to do a thorough check to make sure he was completely unharmed despite Loki's insistence that he was fine.
After that they had gone to see Frigga who had thrown herself into Loki's arms and fussed over him before crying into his shoulder. Once she'd regained her composure and everyone else, including Sif and the Warriors Three, had finished telling Loki how worried they had been and how they were glad he was back, Thor – who had been by his side the whole time, refusing to move even for the healers – had excused them and lead Loki to his chambers.
"I love you too," Loki muttered against Thor's lips, one of his hands gripping his other wrist behind Thor's head, his arms draped over his shoulders. Thor's hands squeezed Loki's hips slightly but not painfully, just firmly.
Thor broke the kiss and nudged Loki's head with his own to get better access to his neck, biting lightly and sucking.
Loki gasped and let his head fall back against the door behind him with a light thud.
He smirked against Loki's neck at his reaction and carried on littering his skin with little love bites as if marking him as his own but soon Thor's lips claimed Loki's again, not being able to be away from his brother's taste for too long.
Thor pulled back a little so he could look at the scene in front of him. Loki's hair was fluffed up a little at the back from being shoved against the door and his skin was flushed a light pink, his lips were a little swollen from the kissing and light bruises were beginning to bloom all over the ivory skin of his neck. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Thor knew Loki would complain about them later and about having to make an effort to hide them but he didn't care at that moment and probably wouldn't when the complaining started. He loved seeing the marks he'd made on his brother and wouldn't regret them.
Loki's arms tightened behind Thor's neck to pull him closer again, pressing his lips to his own again.
Loki's hands slipped down to Thor's broad chest and Thor muttered something that sounded like "jump" against Loki's lips, his hand tightening on Loki's hips more so Loki jumped a little and Thor's hands slipped to the back of his thighs, making Loki wrap his legs around his waist and holding him up between himself and the heavy wooden door.
Loki moaned as their crotched came closer to each other, rubbing together so Loki could feel how much Thor had missed him.
The dark haired god curled his fingers in his brother's golden hair to keep his mouth against his own and rolled his hips against Thor's, making his brother moan low in his throat and roll his back.
Thor moved his hands from Loki's legs to wind round his back and moved them away from the wall, Loki's legs tightened around Thor's waist and his hands tugged at his hair a little but neither of them broke the kiss as Thor maneuverer blindly to the bed, laying Loki down on top of the blood red sheets.
He climbed on top of him in between Loki's legs and placed his hands either side of Loki's head to keep him up a little so he didn't crush the slighter god. Thor looked down at Loki and noticed how his snow white skin contrasted with his midnight black hair and the deep red of the sheets below him, making him look like a beautiful work of art crafted only in Valhalla.
And he was Thor's.
That thought alone made Thor break out in the brightest smile he had shown since before his disastrous almost-coronation over a year ago, which in turn made Loki smile back just as brilliantly.
"I love you," Thor stated, making Loki laugh.
"So you've said,"
"No matter how much I say it, it will never be enough," Thor painted kisses all over Loki's neck and shoulders, pushing the collar of the Jotun clothes he hadn't had a chance to change out of yet away to expose more skin.
"You're beautiful," He moved back a little to get to the clasps on the front of Loki's shirt, desperate to get the Jotun material off him as quickly yet kindly as he could. "This, however, is not,"
Thor grunted as he struggled to get it open and Loki batted his hands away, unhooking the top one. He was going to do the rest too but as soon as Thor saw how to do it he pushed Loki's hands away and did the rest himself. Loki's head fell back against the sheets again as he felt Thor's hands working him out of his clothes, he lifted his torso slightly to allows Thor to pull it off and dump it off to the side somewhere.
Loki's slender fingers came up to undo the fastenings on Thor's armour, letting the heavy metal fall off and batting it off the bed and to the floor with dull clinks and tings.
Once all the armour was gone and Loki had pulled the light tunic off they both kissed again, messier this time, more desperate. When Thor's hands touched the leather belt of Loki's trousers Loki gasped in surprise and broke the kiss to look down at what Thor was going.
Thor smiled at this and pushed Loki's body back down against the bed and sat up, still straddling Loki's hips, and unthreaded the leather strap of his brother's belt, opening it slowly then whipping it out of the loops in one swift motion, making Loki's hips jerk slightly from the speed and in surprise.
Loki smirked up at him and ran his hands up Thor's thighs to his waistband while Thor waited patiently, watching his hands intently, but Loki stopped there for too long and Thor got impatient. He grunted and batted Loki's hands away, quickly taking off any remaining clothing he had and capturing Loki's lips in his own again. Loki moaned quietly into the kiss in surprise and kissed back, running his hands down Thor's back and round to his sides as Thor yanked Loki's trousers off.
Just then there was a knock at the door and they both froze.
"Who's there?" Thor called out and Sif's voice replied with her name.
Loki groaned and whispered to Thor. "I always hated her,"
Thor swatted Loki's arm. "You don't hate her, don't be so dramatic,"
Loki muttered something else as Thor stood up and wrapped his cape around his waist, throwing a blanket over Loki's.
"I should see what she wants,"
"Your hand in marriage?" Loki provided and Thor threw a pillow at him as he went to answer the door.
"Lady Sif. How can I help you?" Thor smiled and Sif looked over his shoulder at Loki who was still lying on the bed wrapped in the blanket with his hands behind his head. He noticed her looking at him and grinned, giving her a mocking wave.
Same old Loki, Sif thought, His time on Earth hasn't changed him as Thor's had changed him.
"May I speak to you? In private," She urged and Thor nodded and grabbed a robe to replace his cape. Sif looked away blushing slightly when as he did so before he joined her outside.
"What seems to be the problem?" He asked as he shut the door.
"Loki is back,"
Thor beamed. "I know,"
"That's not a good thing, Thor!" Sif whispered furiously in case Loki was listening.
Thor furrowed his eyebrows. "What? Why not?"
Sif crossed her arms. "Thor, Loki isn't the Loki you love so dearly. The Loki you love died when Odin told him of his true parentage. He was killed, murdered, by the sadistic monster now lying in your bed!"
Thor, in shock, went to protest but Sif didn't give him the chance as she carried on.
"Why do you think he did those things, Thor? The Loki we knew and played with as children wouldn't do something so drastic just to prove his worth to Odin, he would have gotten upset and disappeared for a few days or gone quiet! Not try to destroy Jotunheim! Loki has always been one for mischief but he still had his common sense. True, he never really felt like he belonged but he was always logical. Nothing he has done since he discovered who his true father is has been logical. That day he went insane. His mind fractured and the logical, cool-headed, minutely nice side was destroyed by the side that wanted nothing but revenge and to see others in the pain he was in or worse. The nice side is gone, all there is left is insanity!"
"Enough!" Thor finally got over the shock of what Sif was saying. "Do not speak of Loki like that! You have no idea what he has been through!"
"Do you really think he cares about you? He's a liar, Thor! That's what he does! He's using you and you will get hurt!"
"You'll do well to remember who you're talking to, Sif and who about. Loki may have had his problems but he is still the Prince of Asgard,"
Sif went to protest but decided against it. She huffed and stormed away. Thor had never reminded her that he outranked her before.
Thor watched her go and leant against the wall, breathing deeply. He classed Sif as one of his closest friends, he couldn't believe she would say such cruel things about someone he loved so profoundly.
After a taking a few minutes to calm down he quietly went back into his room where Loki had gotten dressed again –in the Jotun clothes since he didn't have any here – and was sat at a small table in the corner of the room.
"Loki?" Thor came over to kneel beside your chair. "Are you alright?"
Loki was looking down at the table. "I heard what Sif said…"
Thor sighed and silently cursed Sif. "She doesn't know what she's talking about,"
Loki muttered something Thor couldn't quite make out so he leant forward and asked him to repeat it.
"What if she's right?"
Thor pulled the chair out and made Loki stand so he could sit down himself and pull Loki to sit on his lap.
"She's wrong, Loki, she doesn't see the good in you that I do," Thor told Loki as he wrapped his arms round his waist.
Loki picked at his nails, looking down. "I don't feel the same as I did before when we went to Jotunheim after your failed coronation…"
Thor nuzzled his face against Loki neck and heard a faint chuckle as his stubble tickled the dark haired god. He smiled at the sound and kisses his neck.
"Loki," He pulled back to look him in the eyes, cupping his face. "Whatever you feel, I will try with every fiber of my being to fix you, now rest. I'm sure you're exhausted after what you've been through,"
Loki sighed and rested his head on Thor's shoulder, closing his eyes he whispered, "What if I can't be fixed?"
"I'll find a way," Thor rubbed his arms as he felt Loki slowly fall asleep against him before carrying him over to his bed and laying him down, taking off Loki's shirt and leaving the fabric in the corner to be burnt with the trousers when Loki changed so that they never have to see the Jotun material again. He crawled into the bed next to Loki and smiled as the smaller god automatically turned into Thor's warmth, curling up against his side.
Thor wrapped his arms around Loki.
Thor snuck out of bed at early hours in the morning looking for something to take his mind off recent events when he heard Volstagg bickering with Sif.
"I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about," He sighed and Thor peaked round the corner to see him trying to get past Sif while she refused to move.
"And I'm telling you Loki should be locked up. After all he did, why should he get to still walk free? Because he's sorry? Or better yet, he says he's sorry,"
"Because Thor loves him-" Sif scoffed at this but Volstagg carried on. "-and anyway you're always saying you just want Thor to be happy, did you see him today with Loki? You could power a whole city with just his smile alone it was so powerful,"
Thor smiled a little at this and carried on listening.
"Or is he just clinging onto the memory of the Loki we used to know, before this thing took his place?"
"This thing, as you put it, is exactly the same as the Loki we used to fight alongside, he just got a little more jaded. But, honestly, can you blame him? Imagine if you spent your whole life being taught that a certain type of people were evil and to be despised then finding out you were one of those very people," Volstagg paused. "And always being told to embrace who you are... Loki was taught that all Jotuns are evil then realized he was one. He must have thought he should be like one of them, act barbaric like one,"
"But he was old enough to decide how to act,"
"He had just found out his whole life was built on lies and he didn't even belong in the same realm as the people he loved, do you really think he was thinking rationally?"
"He had enough time to think rationally!"
Volstagg raised his hands. "I'm just saying he deserves at least some... understanding if not forgiveness,"
Sif shook her head.
"And what you said about Thor holding onto the memory of Loki… To get him back, he gave his enemies Mjolnir. His most prized possession. And something that – if they figure out a way to use – could potentially kill his own people. Would he do all that for just a memory if he wasn't sure he could have the Loki he loves back? He may have misjudged things before but never this much. And he rarely misjudges something if it has to do with Loki,"
Sif sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right… I guess I'm still imagining Loki as the psycho who sent the Destroyer after us and not as Thor's brother..."
Volstagg patted her shoulder. "I know the real reason you have so much bitterness towards Loki,"
Sif looked confused. "What?"
"You're in love with Thor and Thor is in love with Loki. You know that no matter what you do for Thor, how much Thor loves you back, it will never be as much as he loves the little Frost Giant,"
Sif stared at Volstagg in shock, surprised he of all people had figured her out.
"Just be thankful that Thor is happy and give Loki a bit of a break. But if Loki hurts Thor it is completely acceptable for you to injure him, but not much," He smiled and walked away, leaving Sif in the silence until she left in the opposite direction.
Luckily, neither of them saw Thor, who was sat on the ground against the wall smiling softly. At least one of his friends sees how much Loki means to him and supports him. He made a mental note to do something nice for Volstagg tomorrow.
Thor smiled as he made his way back to Loki's room to get him some clothes for the morning then went back to his own room, put the clothes on the table and crawled into bed next to Loki who was still sleeping.
Everything would be okay eventually. He'd get Mjolnir back, they'd renegotiate the truce with Laufey or at least temporarily. Odin would refuse to give Loki over to the Jotuns and Vili would eventually give up that hope. But right now Thor couldn't think of any of that. Right now all he could think of was the beautiful man laying beside him.
"I love you," He muttered against Loki's neck as he finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
