Hi, readers! Re-reading and editing HT, I realized Freyja and Loki only said they loved each other twice. One time for each, and once it was not even aloud. I guess because, subconsciously, I knew it didn't matter to them. As for the angst of this chapter, blame the people who draw sad fanart of Loki and Thor. Besides, this is an excuse for me to show the two acting as brothers. Anyway, I'll let you read.


The night was silent, but Loki could still hear her voice. It had been nearly a century and each time it came around, it never was any easier. He could push away the thoughts until that one day of every year. The others would laugh about it, Fandral going so far as to slap him heartily on the back and tell him that there were many more women in Asgard. But there weren't. Not to him. Not like her.

She was gone forever, her spirit now among the stars, if Vaniric legends were to be believed. From the fire of stars and the breath of their Wise One they were created, and to the stars they would return. He remembered when his mother first told him. She had been there, too. She always would come to listen to Frigga retell the stories of Vanaheim. It reminded her of what she missed from her home.

The Bifrost was deserted, even Heimdall had retreated to the Observatory to give the prince as much privacy as the all-seeing god could spare. It was their silent agreement for the anniversary. Just as it had become the unspoken custom for the Vanir of Asgard to light a candle in every window on that very same night. So many lives had been lost, an entire culture lost forever.

Loki sat down on the side of the Bifrost, his legs dangling over the side. He sighed as his gaze wandered across the myriad of supernovas, nebulae, and stars. The sound of footsteps caused him to glance up. Fenrir, now nearly fifteen years of age, gazed down at him with a solemn expression. The boy sat down in silence, gazing out into the abyss around them. He was not as surprised when Hel and Jormungand joined them a few minutes later. The four sat down side by side, Hel leaning her head on her father's shoulder.

"I miss her," Fenrir whispered suddenly.

Loki turned to see his usually stoic son with tears trailing down his face. He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him close.

"We all do."

"But I never told her how much she meant."

The trickster god barely heard the words, but each one was filled with grief. Jormungand moved closer, his shoulder brushing his father's hand.

"She always knew," he muttered to his brother. "It did not matter if the words were spoken aloud."

"She knew more than she often said," Loki replied.

"Such as when we were getting into trouble," Jormungand said fondly.

"She would reprimand us before telling us how to do it properly," his brother continued.

"She treated us as she would blood relatives," Hel sighed. "As if we were her children."

"I miss that," Fenrir stated. "I thought that would never change."

"I thought we would be a family," Hel added.

"I thought she would never leave like Mother did," Jormungand whispered.

Loki swallowed heavily, his heart breaking at his children's words. Picking up Hel and sitting her down on his lap, he beckoned for Jormungand to sit opposite of Fenrir. He hugged them close, letting Hel bury her face in his chest.

"She would not have left if she did not need to," he assured them.

"She would be furious if she saw us," Hel said with a weak laugh.

Jormungand gave a shaky grin, "She would probably yell at us for mourning her."

"She would tell us to be happy for her," Fenrir sighed with a ghost of a smile.

Loki chuckled softly, knowing his children were right. She would, if she had been there, have told them off for wasting time being unhappy. It was always her belief that mourning should last a week at most. He took a deep breath at the thought, forcing back his own tears. His children needed him to be stronger.

"Is it not a bit late for you to be awake?" he asked, keeping his tone even.

"We don't want to sleep," Jormungand protested.

"You should go to bed."

"Father," Hel pleaded. "Please?"

He shook his head, "Your studies begin early tomorrow morn and I will not have another complaint from your instructors on how you are lounging about in bed all day."

"Goodnight, Father," Hel said, kissing his cheek.

Fenrir and Jormungand nodded their heads at him and stood up to walk away. He watched the trio walk down the rainbow bridge, half-smiling when he saw Jormungand rub his eyes. When they were out of sight, he tilted his face up to the skies and closed his eyes. If he concentrated enough, he could feel her fingers carding through his hair. Her image was burned into the back of his eyelids, but he cherished every glimpse.

His eyes flashed open when he heard the sound of someone sitting beside him. Thor shifted uncomfortably on the crystal, trying not to look at Loki.

"Thor…"

"I know very well what day it is, Loki."

The god of mischief blinked in confusion, "I'm not certain I follow your meaning."

Thor gazed at him evenly, blue eyes meeting green, "Eight decades ago, on this very night, I threw a grand celebration and you chastised me for being callous."

Loki nodded, remembering the night very well. Thor had invited nearly every member of Odin's court to join in a celebration for no particular reason. He had still been exceedingly sore from the loss and had yelled quite a lengthy reprimand at his brother. It seemed a rather insensitive and tactless idea to him.

"So I recall."

"You did not realize," Thor continued. "That I was equally pained by her loss. Freyja was your lover, but she was my friend, as well. We may not have shared a similar bond as you and she, but we were allies and companions. The feast was simply a distraction."

Loki shook his head, "I was far too angry to see it from your perspective."

"Anger was understandable. Dousing me in an entire cask of ale was not."

Loki smirked, "Freyja would have found it amusing."

"I am certain she would."

"But she would not have approved of us arguing."

"Aye, that she wouldn't."

Loki chuckled softly but did not say another word. Thor retained the silence, turning his attention to the stars once more. There was silence in the night, though both brothers could hear the voices.

Far across the Yggdrasil, high in the mountains of Jotunheim, Freyja gazed up into the stars silently. And she wondered if Loki thought of her as often as she did him.