Thor's POV
Loki smiled at me when he opened the door! He actually smiled! I wrapped my arms around him and lifted him off the ground until he started squirming and choking, a common reaction to one of my hugs.
"Brother! You look so happy today!" I commented as he shut the door. He blushed, as he always does when his feelings are brought up. I remember him once telling me he was going to have them removed. I think he was joking. I don't think you can have your feelings removed.
"Yes, I know," he said. I pulled him to the couch and sat him down.
"So, what have you been doing here all this time?"
"Playing with my cat," he replied. Said cat jumped up on his lap and started purring while we both pet him. "I made him a toy. Some fluff came out of the couch cushion, and I tied a little string around it so it looks like a mouse. He likes to chase it around while I read."
"Hey, speaking of reading, I have brought you more books!" I exclaimed, lifting Jane's canvas bag onto the couch. Loki smiled and twiddled his fingers excitedly. I think he reads too much.
"Cinderella?" he said, excitedly grabbing one of the books from my bag. "I have heard this story!"
"Yes, it is very popular here," I said, a little discouraged because I wanted to get him books he hadn't read before.
"I didn't know there was a whole book about it. Thank you, brother." I beamed at him for calling me 'brother'.
"Yes, Midgard has a lot of books about castles and princesses and heroes. Jane said you have to read those ones because they are 'classics'. That means everybody knows about them," I said, proud to know something he didn't, which wasn't bad because we both knew I knew very few things he didn't. Loki stretched and yawned, alarming me.
"Loki! It is not yet midday, how can you be tired? Have you been staying up all night playing video games again?"
"Yes. Sorry. It is very entertaining, and I forget to watch the time."
"It's okay, brother. I just hope you are getting enough sleep." Loki hugged his new books protectively to his chest and took them to his room to put them away. "I want to play some video games with you! I have been practicing Super Mario at the tower!" I called to him.
"Okay." I smiled to myself as he came in and set it up. True to my brother's word, it was very entertaining, and I didn't notice the time until my stomach rumbled.
"I am famished! How long have we been playing?" He looked at the watch I had given him and sighed.
"Nearly three and a half hours," he replied, saving the game. "I told you it was hard to keep track of time."
"Yes yes. Let's bake something sweet! That was fun last time!" I bounded over to the kitchen and opened the Cupboard of Things We Bake in the Oven, as Jane calls it. Sort of. "Let's bake cupcakes! They are like cake, only tiny, so everyone can have their own little cake!"
"Yes, I know what cupcakes are. Do you think we can do it without Jane?" His innocent inquisition reminded me of when we were little, and he would follow my friends and I around when we went on adventures.
"I'm sure we can, there are instructions on the back. Look: strawberry, chocolate, pumpkin, and lemon! Which ones should we make?"
"Um, I don't know, they all sound good. . ."
"Then we will make them all!" I started pulling out the boxes and putting them on the counter. Loki picked one up and began reading the directions.
"Brother, each box makes 32 cupcakes!" he said. "We cannot eat that many!"
"I will take extras to my friends at Stark tower, and you can save some for yourself."
"If we make all four boxes, we will have 128 cupcakes, Thor! Maybe we should only make half of each box."
"Right! Then we will have . . ." I started trying to count them on my fingers, but Loki pushed my hand down.
"64. Let me handle the math, you just mix the ingredients I tell you to." It took the whole afternoon to make them. Loki took too long making sure each measurement was precise. My favorite part was putting the frosting on them, except, of course, for the part when we got to eat them.
"Thor, slow down, or you will be sick!"
"Don't be silly, Loki! How can anything so delicious make you ill?" He rolled his eyes and took another dainty bite of his pastry. I always thought he was very feminine, which was extremely strange for an Asgardian man. When I found out he was a Frost Giant, I thought that might be the reason, but Frost Giants don't seem very feminine, either. He was certainly one of a kind. He got up and started packing up the cakes. "Jane let me bring some movies to watch! A movie is—"
"I know what it is! I'm going to get my pillow." I jumped out of the kitchen and put in the first movie from my bag. Loki brought me a pillow, too, and we fell asleep together watching it. It was just like old times.