The sun is unbearably bright the next morning when he awakens, still curled into Loki's bedding like a child desperately seeking comfort from a nightmare.
The last time he had fallen asleep here, they had been nothing more than children attempting to live up to the title of young men.
It had been the first hunt Loki was permitted to join and Thor is nothing short of joyful; not only will his brother be by his side to share this with him, to taste the glory a son of Odin deserves, but he will be spared the usual two days of silence brought on by injured pride when Loki is told his magic would be of little use in such circumstances.
He is ecstatic but Loki is pale and visibly nervous under his new armor.
The hunt goes awry so quickly, the battle cries spilling from his lips turning into something dangerously close to fear, something shameful for a true warrior…
There are teeth and claws and more strength than he imagined possible from such a creature…
The monster catches Loki as he tries to help, spell dying on his lips as the pain steals the breath from his lungs. It is a lazy swipe, almost offhand, but it tears his brother from shoulder to stomach and spills his blood against the snow in vivid crimson rivers…
It is not the first injury Thor has seen inflicted during the hunt, nor will it be the last. It is not even the first time his brother's blood has been spilled before him but the way Loki crumbles to his knees, the stain of red beneath him spreading far too quickly, causes something inside Thor to snap. His heart is in his throat and terror is the only thing guiding the swing of his hammer...
He carries him back in his own arms and refuses to let go until Healers pry his brother's still body from his hands…
That night he seeks his brother out and climbs into the bed beside him. Loki is sore and no doubt replaying the accusations of his magic being worthless in his head but he is whole and alive and Thor is unwilling to be separated after such a close call just yet. They lay together in silence, shoulders pressed together in the dark, until sleep claims them both.
A fellow hunter drags the beast back to him in the morning. He does not remember making the kill, only the pressing need to get Loki to safety, but he bestows the pelt upon his brother anyway. It is his way to assuring Loki that he is safe, that anything that dares harm him will meet its end by Thor's hands.
The pelt is still there, placed safely at the end of Loki's bed despite all that has happened in his absence and the sight of it makes him feel like an intruder trespassing on holy ground. Perhaps the significance has been forgotten, or perhaps it is a small ray of hope that his brother isn't lost to him just yet.
Loki takes up training with a distressing vigor after the failed hunt. He refines his magic from a hesitant threat to being capable of piercing hearts with ice and reducing skin to nothing more than ash as copies conceal him from harm. He learns to wield a staff with a grace and elegance nobody else can match, try as they might, and Thor feels nothing but pride.
His brother joins him on the hunt many more times; though it is clear he has no taste for such things. The years are an endless parade of broken bones and black eyes and gouges cleaved straight through armor meant to shield but Loki never falls in battle again.
Thor leaves his brother's chambers silently, taking great care to disturb nothing. In the light of a new day, with the knowledge he alone must decide his brother's fate, the memories take on new color and the edges splinter and crack, revealing much darker things lurking beneath the surface.
He had been elated, all thoughts of the hunt gone and replaced with the sharp relief of a unthinkable disaster averted. He had basked in Loki's warmth like a serpent in the sun, unable to find the words to express how much his brother's life meant to him.
He wonders if his brother had spent that night in silence beside him seeing nothing but another failure, another moment where Thor outshined him.
Oh Good, I Was Hoping the Author Would Ramble!: First of all, I was super surprised to log in and see how many people had already added this to their favorites. I'm still on the fence, in that realm of am-I-sure-this-is-even-worth-posting? because this started as an experiment in different writing styles and getting into the character's heads because I just love writing these guys even though I realize it might be a little boring and the phrase, "You don't even have a beta!" keeps repeating in my head so the fact people are enjoying this hot mess is awesome so THANK YOU.
Secondly, this chapter was suppose to be longer and get into the actual sentencing for Loki's crimes, but then it felt like I was shoving too much information into one chapter so I went back and revised and then Thor was like, "Mind if I waste a chapter on feeeels?" and I was like, "I GUESS NOT!" Hopefully I'll get the next two chapters up soon and we can get to the good stuff like more feels. Oops.
Thirdly, my plea still stands: please point out any mistakes I missed. I reread everything at least a dozen times and I still never manage to catch everything.
Finally, thank you for reading! Because really, I love you all. As always, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcomed.