~ Chapter 11 ~
After returning home, Thor felt that life felt strange. Almost like he expected to see shadows from his experience in the Laufeyson house all around him. Or maybe it was that no one really knew.
His parents had been so happy to have him home that they smothered him with affection and love. His friends, asked where he had been, but got no answer other than he had been on an extended field study. School too was almost like he hadn't missed anything. In fact, he was ahead of the others.
Thankfully, the money from Loki had helped his father not only build a new corporation, pay off his old debts, but also squash those who betrayed him. His old company hadn't been able to survive on its own and were eventually merged with Odin's new company to save the jobs of those who had fallen victim to the traitors.
Other people shouldn't pay for his mistake. But the old man would never make the same mistake twice.
So much had happened and he didn't feel the same. But his previous life hadn't.
Nevertheless, he was more sensitive toward touches. He never thought about how touchy-feely his friends were, and it unnerved him because he expected to feel those touches again. Firm and assertive, with a hint of gentleness that captivated him and turned him into someone he wasn't.
He was free, but at the same time he didn't feel free.
It was like this on a day after school when he got a visit from an unexpected person.
Still keeping ahead in class, Thor left early so that he could be alone and think. To sort out his feelings.
"Hello, boy. Got a minute?" Laufey said cheerfully as he raised his hand in greeting.
Knowing that it wouldn't make any difference if he fought this man verbally because he would lose, Thor just stood where he was. "I'm not going back."
"Relax." Laufey took out a cigaret and lit it. "I'm not here to drag you back for breaking a contract. You are much too important to my son to be able to do that."
The words didn't want to connect in his mind with the image of Loki he had. "I'm not important to that man. I'm just a toy." he finished with shame.
"Don't sell yourself short." the man took a drag. "Loki won't say it but you are far more important than you realize. So special in fact that he emptied his own bank account and made a loan with me for the money he gave to your parents."
Thor blinked. "What?"
"Did you never think it strange?" Laufey were truly amused by the naivety shown. "He showed up with double the amount of money needed to get you out of debt. Your original debt wasn't small by any means, and getting the double of that is not something a normal person can do. Not even one within this business." he took another taste of the tobacco. "But that's beside the points. What I'm really here for is to set something straight with you." another drag of air and smoke. "Loki... he can't help how he acts toward those he love. It's no excuse by any means but in my opinion I think he was very gentle with you. You see... my father was an ass. Plain and simple. Fucker got off on other people's pain. I didn't want anything to do with him so I left and made my own way in life. I even went so far as to change my last name so it couldn't be traced back to him. Bastard dead now so it doesn't matter but it was the best choice of my life. But you know what they say... 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree'. I hate to admit it but maybe there's some truth in it. Both me and Loki... we both like the rougher kind of love. Still, I wanted him to grow up normally. Especially after his mother passed away. He had so many mother and fathers that he couldn't be happier. He was never alone. We never missed anything. He didn't grow up spoiled like you would think because we taught him right and wrong."
The older man took a breath from his almost forgotten cigarette. "But there's only so much we could teach him when it comes to love. We are not a normal family. All my partners are people who has been sold for money. There's no way we could teach him how one-on-one relationship works. That's when he brought home a girlfriend. We were happy of course. They seemed in love and everything was perfect. But their relationship wasn't perfect. It was much later that we learned it was an abusive one. She would hit him. And then she would be so sorry. Saying she didn't mean to and that it was only because she loved him so much. By the time we realized, two years had gone by. We got a restraining order on her, I even paid off her parents to keep her away. But the damage she had done was already there. You see..." he took one last breath before crushing the cigarette under his heel. "In Loki's mind. Love and hurt goes hand in hand. We tried to undo some of the damage, on some levels he knew it wasn't the right thing, but the lasting impression she left was that unless you dominate your partner, they will never know how much you love them."
"That's just crazy." Thor whispered.
"I know." Laufey sighed sadly. "Loki is now in his middle 30s and he has come a long way from where he was. But his way of showing love will always be different from others. He won't kick you in the gut or skin you alive, but you have experienced his conclusion."
"Why are you telling me this?" Thor asked carefully, his mind full of new information he tried to make sense off. "He let me go on his own."
"I just don't want you to hate Loki. Most people have a reason behind why they act like they do. No one can escape that. What you do now is up to you. I can't tell you what yo do. No one can. But know that our doors will always be open for you. Loki may be awkward with how he shows his emotions, but his heart is in the right place."
The man turned around and walked over to his car which were parked not far away.
"Can I ask you a question?" Thor called after him.
Laufey turned around and waited patiently.
"Your lovers... why do you keep them like you do?" a blush stained Thor's face. It felt so hot it was almost burning.
"Would you believe me if I said I loved them?" he saw the hesitate look on Thor's face and smirked. "It's because I don't want them to go through what I had to."
Finally, Laufey walked away and jumped into his car just in time for someone to jump on Thor's back. "What are you doing?" Fandral asked curiously. "Who was that?"
"Don't tell me it was one of those freaks? Did he give you his number?" Sif said with narrowed eyes as she came up behind with Hogun and Volstagg.
"No. It was just the father of a friend."
"Who? Is it a girl?" Fandral linked his arm around Thor's shoulder like they were the best of buddies. "Introduce us."
"It's a guy. He's been... sick. His father came to tell that he's getting better."
"Couldn't they have called?" Volstagg asked as he pulled at his growing beard which reached just below his jaw.
"He was in the area." Thor said lamely, hoping the others would let it go.
Thankfully they did. They started to talk about their latest objects of obsession, something Thor couldn't keep track off. His mind was bugged by what he had been told and it bothered him for some unreasonable thing.
No. I've made my choice. I'm not going back.
TBC
