In the End

by Natalie Rushman

This story is a series of loosely-strung vignettes that I hope charts out a convincing character arch for our favorite Asgardian princes and their companions. Some fan theories, some of my own pet head cannons. All with explanations and plenty of opportunity for argument ;) All pre-'Thor'. No slash, no smut. Lots of brotherly love and arguing.

21. Chapter 21

16/17

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL

Thor was trying to be friendly, but Loki couldn't reciprocate. He was weary, even though it was yet only the morning.

He was angry still after the fight they had had last evening. Or, rather, he had been. Now he was just tired.

Apparently, to Thor, it was a thing of the past.

And it occurred to Loki that no one stayed angry with Thor long. Sif was the only one who argued with him with anything like his own frequency, and even she would be back to laughing alongside him within moments.

He managed something like a smile at his brother, and went his own way.

He had wanted to stay angry. It was easier than this. As it was, he wondered if he was mad. No one stayed angry with Thor. It was part of the oaf's charm. Or perhaps it was only that Thor was right and he was in the wrong. And he felt that he should have seen that by now. Was he mad? Did he fret over nothing, wounded by words that would have no effect on another? Was he truly that weak?

It didn't matter.

Loki sunk down and kneaded the tips of his fingertips into his forehead.

Fire of the Nine, he was weary of it.

If only he could understand…

"Good day to you, my prince."

It was his tutor. Loki straightened, smoothing an untroubled smile over his face.

TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL

Not much to discuss here either. Loki's having a hard time justifying his feelings. We all do. Especially those of us who live with more Thor-like, quick-tempered and quickly-over-it kind of people. Thought it in character and perhaps not shown well enough in earlier chapters.

He's also hiding emotions in front of other people on general principle. This breeds distrust, because nobody is naturally blank. On a conscious or subconscious level, an observer assumes the blank person is hiding something, and if they're working that hard to hide it (it takes a lot of energy to hide all emotion, or even to disguise it for any length of time) what they're hiding must be awful. And if you already have a reputation as being a pain in the ass…

Comments? Thoughts? Opinions? Hide nothing on pain of suspicion ;)