The ship is unbearably stifling.
It isn't only the stale air circulating through the overworked ventilation system, or the unending requests for seidrwork. Not even the suffocating lack of space aboard the admittedly moderately sized vessel.
No, the thing driving Loki to seek shelter in hidden corners of their makeshift home is the unending staring. Some are grudging, few are hostile, surprisingly the overwhelming majority are grateful,even admiring.
Loki can not bring himself to understand, for all that he has longed to be seen outside of Thor's shadow, why does all this attention feel like nothing but a chain around his neck.
Thor finds him curled up on the lower levels of the ship. He is basking in the warmth of the pipes, shapeshifted skin, now scales, absorbing the heat into a comfortable temperature for a doze.
"I have been looking for you brother" comes Thor's voice, the deep timber booming through the metal. Loki burrows further into his coiled tail, perhaps if he ignores Thor, his brother will leave him be.
Instead Loki hears his brother moving about in front of him, "Loki" his brother tries again, not impatiently. Truly, Thor has been all too patient with him as of late, too gentle. Loki could see himself tiring of it eventually, but for now…
He lifts his head to stare unblinkingly at his brother, Thor greets him with an amused smile, "It has been some time since I've seen you take this form brother"
Loki resigns himself to whatever Thor needs of him and uncoils his body from the warmth of the pipe, Thor holds out his arm and Loki slithers on, smothering the twinge of sentiment the familiar motion tries to dredge up in him.
Thor talks as they make their way up through the cabins, Loki isn't paying attention, still struggling his way back to the waking world from the warm nap and all too aware of the gazes following them through the halls.
Later he would blame it on the reptilian instinct his form had possessed at the time,or perhaps the lagging lead to full alertness.
In the moment, Loki did not think his actions through enough to merit them a conscious choice.
All he knew was the smothering pressure of endless eyes, the pull of countless seidr signatures prodding at the wellbeing of his own, whispered murmurs not quiet enough to fade before they reached his ears.
And Thor, safe and solid as Loki coiled around his brothers arms,
Thor's booming voice pushing back the sounds and his lightning bright seidr pulsing through the air, bumbling oaf never could be bothered to tame it.
Loki slithered up his brothers arm, across his shoulder, seeking the familiar warmth of his brothers seidr, seeking to escape Asgards many many eyes, Loki slipped into his brothers tunic, sliding in through the opening at his neck, he heard Thor stumble over his words, still unsure what he was saying, His brothers pace quickened and Loki heard the whooshing of a door opening, could taste the familiar smell of their shared quarters on his tongue.
Thor widened the gap of his tunic opening to peer down at his brother, "Loki?"
Loki gazed up lazily at his brother, enjoying the warmth of his seidr so close to his own.
"Is everything all right?" Thor prodded again, so gently.
Loki was certain he would tire of it.
Soon.
He flicked his tongue up lazily in his brother's direction before burrowing his head into his own coiled body again, settling snugly against his brother's chest.
Thor's quiet laugh trembled through his chest and Loki felt his brother moving around again, there was the familiar sound of their bedding being arranged and he felt his brother sink down onto their makeshift sleeping arrangements.
"I have missed you brother" Thor rumbled with a tender pet on Loki's borrowed skin.
Loki could feel himself drifting off again, & though he could already feel the rise and fall of Thor's chest belying his brothers quick descent into slumber, of the two of them, Loki was certain he would sleep the better tonight.