What's love? It has been a topic of countless tales, billions of songs and the favourite subject of every damned poet to exist. And still no one knows the answer to that question. Science or magic? Maybe both? Does it matter in the end?

To some, love was a pretty face and a ring on the finger; to others it was fighting against the world.

Thor was among the latter, because once he'd found the man of his life he wasn't very eager to let him go.

Mjolnir took him high, up to the Jotunheim skies from where he could see the slight colourful shaft that landed at the Rainbow Bridge. "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" he commanded once his feet were over the magic circle. Feeling the passage fall upon him, enveloping his bones, disintegrating his muscle and making his head swing, he inhaled deeply, prepared for all that would come next.

Loki shook in his sleep when his breath caught in his lungs, throwing his eyes open and sitting on the bed. Something had happened. He felt a disturbance in his magic field - something big and threatening. Whatever happened couldn't be good. He made a move to shove Thor's shoulder but his hand found nothing. The Jotun blinked a couple of times and inspected the other side of the bed in the dark. "Thor?" No response came. "Thor! Honey where are you?!" Silence.

Weariness rising in his chest, he created a light to find his room completely empty and was about to go to look for his companion downstairs when his eye caught something on his bedside table. It was a piece of paper, a letter with 'For my beloved Loki' written over it in Midgardian English.

Loki opened it with a really bad feeling in his soul:

"My dear Loki,

First of all I would say you how much you mean to me. I came to Jotunheim in pursuit of peace and time to prepare myself for all the changes that my life was about to face. But the greatest change awaited for me here. I found in you the meaning of true love and nothing would make me happier than staying with you for the rest of eternity.

But alas, the God of Thunder is not free. I have a duty to both our realms, as I will have during my whole life. I promise I will explain you everything on my return, and I beg your forgiveness for keeping secrets from you. I love you, my owner, my liege; I will fight for us and rip the nine words apart if it's what must to be done for us to be forever together.

I will come back into your arms as soon as I can. Please wait for me, my Loki.

We will have that honeymoon.

Always yours,

Thor. "

Loki's hands were trembling, eyes wide and heart raging in his chest while he was trying to comprehend the meaning of Thor's letter.

"That idiot...He can't...No."

But there was no doubt. Thor had gone back to Asgard and he wanted...he wanted to break their engagement! Well, not theirs, but the one between the princes of enemy realms which he didn't know was actually theirs. Thor didn't think about peace or logic; he was being guided by his heart. Sweet and temperamental Thor, he was going to mess everything up for love.

Part of Loki flushed at the thought of it. The idea of Thor facing his father, his realm, Laufey, and every fucking old goose in the nine realms for him was...A tight burning knot formed in his chest and Loki sighed heavily, his breath coming uneven from his mouth and his eyelids suddenly felt very hard to lift.

Loki fell back on the sheets, trying to relax his body. But in moments like this, when his feelings were almost palpable things, the smell of the fabric didn't help at all. He rolled on his side and bent his knees to his chest, burying his nose in the scents that remained there, of sex and sweat and ozone, with something so particularly Thor. He whimpered from excitement and shame. In part because he felt embarrassed for showing such weakness, for the crushing feeling in his insides that ached for Thor, for his gentle smile and words of devotion, but also because he, Loki, was the responsible for the God's current actions. Oh Thor! Thor Thor Thor...

But the time to face the inevitable had come, and now Loki had to collect himself and rise up, put on the mask of confidence and indifference again, and save his engagement. So he rose up, sighing for the last time and went to his wardrobe, retrieving a little box from its depths and opening it slowly. Even though he knew what would be found inside, his breath hitched at the sight of a golden bracelet resting upon a crimson cushion.

Time to leave all the secrets behind.

The God of Thunder stood straight in the throne hall, at the feet of his father's throne. Odin stood before him, his face dark and dangerous. The air couldn't be more charged at all. All the way from the bridge to the palace Thor had tried to ignore the looks every guard and passing man sent him, but now, in front of his King's silent disappointment there was no place for running. And why would he?

"I see you have returned, my son." The Allfather's voice was colder even than the ice of Jotunheim.

"Father." He bent his head respectfully "I've been immersed in a journey for self-research."

"Took you long enough."

"I'm aware of the setbacks that my absence could have caused you, and for that I'm sorry, father. But I fear that my return is not for the sake of our family and kingdom."

Odin's lips turned into a thin line of wariness. "What do you mean?"

Thor took a long breath counting mentally until three. Crashing Mjolnir into monster skulls was one thing, but talking to his father another completely, and terrifying. "The Thor that went to that journey more than two months ago and the one who stands before you now aren't the same person, my king. I have not only discovered things about myself I didn't know before, but also I learned the meaning of the most powerful feeling a man or a God could ever possess."

"Are you talking about love, my son?" Was it amusement that played in Odin's eye now? Or was it just Thor's imagination?

"Yes, father, it's love that I'm talking about. I know I used to think it was a furtive notion, unworthy of the ballads that are sung in its honour. I used to laugh at the men that could crush empires and ruin hundreds of lives for in its name. But now that I have tasted the agonising delights of such feeling I fear I may have turned into one of those men."

"Explain yourself, boy."

"What I mean is that I cannot fulfil my duty if it's going to destroy my heart and crush my soul." Here we go... "Father, with all my respects for your judgement, I'd like to take the reins of my own life now and renegotiate the..."

"THOR!"

The great doors cracked open when Loki ran in. He was panting and his hair was all messy and tangled between his horns, his hunter's belt missing and his eyes sparkling fire.

"Loki? What are you...?"

In a moment Loki was by his side, completely ignoring Odin, who was observing the scene with mild curiosity.

"Thor, there's something I must..."

"LOKI GO BACK!" Thor felt the panic rising in his throat - no no no! This wasn't the plan! Loki wasn't supposed to be there! He couldn't focus and stand his ground with Loki here...No!

"Thor listen..."

"Go back home! Loki I promise I'll explain everything, just go back home!"

"No, Thor, you must listen!" The Jotun gripped his shoulders with both hands and shook them. "Just calm down a little, please." Now he sounded almost like he was pleading, desperation and anxiety in his crimson eyes, and the Aesir froze where he stood.

"Thor, sometimes we do certain things for a better purpose but they get out of control and do greater damage. You're a good man, a brave soul and a gentle companion, I know it now and I appreciate you for that. But I wouldn't know it had I told you the truth from the beginning, I would hate you and we would never get to know each other truly, and for that I have no regrets, but for everything else, I'm sorry my dear, I'm really sorry. "

Heart hammering fast in his chest Loki felt his lips go dry, he had to finish his tale, he had to...But those blue eyes were looking at him in pure confusion. Loki could almost hear Thor's brains trying to process the information and realized he had been talking in riddles, maybe enough for another person but not for his foolish beloved. Taking a deep breath he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the other's lips and took a couple of steps back, raising his wrist in front his face.

Thor frowned taking his hand and grabbing the golden bracelet. "How did you find that? I threw it away."

"You did what? Doesn't matter-" Loki shook his head focusing on making his voice as soft as possible "This one is mine, Thor, It has always been mine, I just took it away after finding you that day."

Realization crawling its way inside his head, Thor took a step back and looking at his lover as if he had seen a ghost. "No..."

A sob escaped Loki's mouth, too concerned under that accusing gaze to worry about his own dignity. Something far more important was at risk. With his blue hands he took one of the Aesir's, "I never told you my last name, did I?"

"Loki, no, no, it can't be...you can't be..."

"It's Laufeyson, Loki Laufeyson."

"Oh gods..."

"That's right Thor; I'm the third prince of Jotunheim, King Laufey's cursed son and...your other half, Thor, your fiancé."

-No.-