Disclaimer: I own nothing

Age Guide:

Thor: 21 years old (4th year University/2nd year Co-op)

Loki: 18 years old (1st year, 2nd semester University)

Five.

The sun was shining brightly into his bedroom when Thor awoke. It was a nice change from the dim light of dawn that lit his way on weekday mornings. Thor checked the clock on his bedside table to find that it was already noon. The distant sound of familiar footsteps and the welcome smell of fresh coffee made him smile. Eyes half closed and hair tangled, he drifted into the kitchen, dressed only in boxers, and seated himself at the kitchen table. A mug was promptly placed in front of him and his faint smile transformed into a full out beam aimed at the lithe eighteen year old that was bustling around their kitchen.

"Good morning, Loki," Thor greeted before gulping greedily from his mug.

Loki didn't turn from where he was putting away the newly washed and recently dried dishes. "It's the afternoon, Thor," he said, predictably.

"Waking at 6AM for work is a lot more draining than doing the same for morning classes, brother, considering you only have maybe two a day," Thor rebutted as was expected of him in their recycled debate.

Closing the cupboard after having replaced the last plate, Loki turned to Thor and conceded defeat with a wan smile.

Thor's brow tightened with concern. "Is everything alright?" he asked. He caught the expression of annoyance that flitted across Loki's face only because he knew to look for it. "Loki, please."

Loki sighed. "I'm fine, Thor. Today's a good day. I'm having lunch with Tony."

"Yes?" Thor was simultaneously happy and disappointed. He hated that despite the fact that he and Loki were living together again in their own apartment, they didn't spend nearly as much time together as they had while living at home. Of course, back then they weren't as busy with studies and work respectively. He was glad, though, that Loki had made a good friend in Tony. The Stark heir was a bit wild, but had a good heart and Thor approved of his persistence in befriending Thor's younger brother and making sure that Loki didn't spend all his time in classrooms or his bedroom.

"Yes. Some shawarma place that he discovered. He's terribly excited about it," Loki said, the cool disdain in his tone contrasting the fond smile tugging at his lips.

"I received that mass text!" Thor exclaimed as he remembered blearily reading said text at four in the morning.

Rolling his eyes at Thor's enthusiasm, Loki raised an expectant brow. "Will you be joining us then? Tony is bringing Bruce and I have invited Natasha, which naturally means that Clint will be attending as well. You could bring along your old roommate too. I enjoy seeing him put Tony in his place when he gets too out of hand."

"Steven?" Thor clarified. Steve Rogers was one of Thor's football teammates and had been his apartment mate up until the previous semester at which point he had moved in with his longtime girlfriend, conveniently leaving his room free for Loki who had just entered his freshman year at SHIELD U.

"Who else?" Loki exited the kitchen in the direction of the bedrooms. "I found one of his old jerseys hidden under the bed yesterday. This would be a good opportunity to return it." His voice carried into the kitchen.

Thor finished off the rest of his coffee and swiped a hand across his mouth to clear any drops that were clinging to his beard. The facial hair was a new addition and he was still getting used to it. "I believe he had brunch plans with Peggy and her parents today," he called to Loki.

His younger brother reentered the room, pulling his chin-length hair out from under the collar of a green shirt he had clearly just put on. "Hurry up and put some clothes on, Thor," Loki said with a frown.

A knock interrupted Thor's response, followed quickly by the sound of the front door opening.

"No shawarma for you, it seems." There was only one person that both knocked and entered by herself, rather than waiting to be welcomed or simply barging in.

"Jarnsaxa," the brothers chorused as the woman in question stepped through the doorway.

Jarnsaxa swept down to kiss Thor where he was sitting at the table before turning to address the younger Borson. "Loki," she said with a polite smile that Loki returned coolly.

"Jarnsaxa, I don't suppose you are in the mood for shawarma?" Loki asked. It was a generous offer and Thor could see what it cost Loki – his lips pressed tightly together in a grimace of a smile, spine tensed and fists clenching and unclenching.

Long, black hair swaying side to side as she shook her head, Jarnsaxa eyed Thor from the corner of her green eyes. "Thor and I have a date, actually," she said.

Thor's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly glanced at Loki in panic, looking for commiseration but finding only a barely suppressed smirk.

"Oh, yes, of course! He has something very special planned for you today," Loki said seriously. He walked over to the coatrack, pulling on a black leather jacket and a gold scarf. "I will just get out of your way. Have a lovely date!" he called before exiting the apartment.

"Loki!" Thor growled, quite uselessly seeing as his younger brother had already left. He turned pleading, wide blue eyes to his on and off girlfriend for the past year. "I really did not have anything planned. I've been working so hard at the firm and they're finally allowing me to take a bigger role in one of the projects…"

Jarnsaxa sighed. "Don't worry about it, Thor. I understand that you are doing your best to become an architect and your career is very important to you. This co-op is a great opportunity for you and I don't want to get in the way of that. We can just relax here if that's what you want."

The easy way in which Jarnsaxa accommodated him reminded Thor of why he was dating her in the first place. After his first serious relationship had fallen apart, he had had a string of one night stands and hook-ups, experimenting with men for the first time as well. Jarnsaxa had been another such casual encounter. Along with being his ideal in terms of physical looks, her easygoing personality had lent itself well to the role of 'friends with benefits'. Unfortunately, despite her insistence that she wasn't looking for more, she had still urged for exclusivity without saying so much in words. And Thor had gone along with it. He felt he owed it to her to at least try, especially since she didn't seem to want more than the official label – when it came to the time and effort they put into the relationship, it wasn't very different from their 'friends with benefits' stage. Still, with Thor being in his final year of his bachelor degree and in his second year of co-op, not to mention the family issues, his half-hearted relationship was hardly a priority. The two tended to go through many hot and cold periods. This latest hot period was cooling down fast.

Thor forced a smile. "Yes, that sounds fine. I'll just go throw something on," he said, gesturing vaguely to his bedroom.

"Or…you could not," Jarnsaxa teased, brushing a confident hand across the strong chest muscles Thor had on display.

He caught her wandering hand in a restrictive grasp. "No. I – I am not in the mood right now, Jarn."

A look of hurt crossed Jarnsaxa's face. She pulled her offending hand to her chest and smoothed away the troubled expression. "Of course."

Thor escaped to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He quickly pulled on the first shirt and pants he found and then spent an excessive amount of time running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it. When he returned to the kitchen he found Jarnsaxa standing by the fridge. She had a photograph in one hand and an old Asgard High magnet in the other. Thor cleared his throat, startling her.

"Do you want to watch some TV?" he asked.

When she looked up from the photograph, there was something shockingly sad in her eyes belying the smile that stretched her thin lips. "Actually," she said, "I'm not feeling very well. I have a bit of a migraine."

Thor frowned, all of his discomfort replaced by concern. "Is it very bad? Do you need a glass of water? I believe Loki has some Advil in his room."

"No, no. I think I should just go home," Jarnsaxa said as she placed the photograph back onto the fridge door. "I'll have a nap. Maybe take a warm bath." She kept her eyes on the photo, carefully straightening it until she was satisfied.

Eyeing the way her fingers curled around the edges of the photo, as if reluctant to let go, Thor's lips set into a worried line. "If you're certain…"

"Yes," she said, finally releasing the photograph and turning to meet Thor's eyes once more. "Thor," she started, pausing briefly to straighten her posture. There was something newly determined in the set of her shoulders. "What we talked about before – well, what I asked you, about moving in together… I know I said you could take as much time as you need to consider it, but…I would appreciate an answer soon." She sucked in a deep breath. "Tomorrow," she specified.

Thor stiffened. "Jarnsaxa – I can't just…it's a big decision. Plus, there is Loki to consider and-"

"I'm sure Loki has his own friends that would be happy to move in here with him," Jarnsaxa cut in.

Thor's jaw clicked shut. A few moments of silence passed and when Jarnsaxa realized that no words would be forthcoming, she nodded. "Tomorrow," she said, decisively. And with that, she left.

Standing frozen in his kitchen for a moment that stretched, Thor finally moved to tiredly rub a hand across his face. He sighed heavily before pulling open a cupboard and grabbing a box of his favourite poptarts. Standing over the toaster as he waited for his 'breakfast' to cook, Thor scowled darkly. "She doesn't understand," he declared to the empty room.

And how could she? How could she possibly know what Loki, what their entire family, had been through in the last two years? First there was the matter of Loki's uncovered adoption. That alone had sent Loki into a bit of a downward spiral. Thor and his parents had had to watch idly as Loki started acting out – drinking heavily, taking a variety of drugs, receiving detentions and suspensions, staying out of the house for days at a time without so much as a text – as if to punish them for the lie of omission. The culmination of this rebellious period had seen Loki standing on the railing of the Bifrost Bridge ready to throw himself to his death and Thor too far away to do anything but attempt to, literally, talk his little brother off the edge. As Loki had teetered in his leather boots before finally taking his first step into thin air, Thor had honestly believed that he was about to watch the last moments of Loki's life. To this day Thor could still feel the phantom clenching of his heart as panic had seized it. In a miracle of timing, Frigga and Odin had arrived just in time; as angry as he was, Loki loved their mother too much to end his life right before her eyes. Her raw scream had served as distraction enough for Thor to close the distance between him and Loki and yank his brother off the ledge and into his arms. The four of them, Loki, Thor, Frigga and even Odin, had spent at least an hour clutching each other and sobbing. It had caused quite the commotion and only the Borson name's far-reaching influence had kept the incident off the news and banned from youtube.

After that, things had begun to look up. Their family had spent an idyllic summer repairing and strengthening their bonds. Loki and Odin had had a long overdue talk and were no longer at such disparate odds. Frigga had seemed to lose ten years' worth of lines on her face. As for Thor, it had been a strange time for him. His relationship with Loki hadn't changed in any discernible way except to become even more fiercely close, but Thor had felt a change in himself, a change in the way he felt. But even that wasn't true. His feelings were not at all new, but the roiling confusion and heat that had always lingered under his skin when around Loki was suddenly overwhelming rather than buried deep. It made their every interaction – and there were so many that summer, they were, as ever, joined at the hip – crackle with tension, at least on Thor's part. Yes, that summer had been perfect.

Naturally it had all fallen apart not long after Thor entered his first year of co-op and Loki had begun his senior year of high school. When Thor had gotten the call from a broken Odin, he had flown home immediately. Loki had refused to see anyone except their mother and so Thor had been left to pace tirelessly in the waiting room with a weary Odin. When Thor had finally laid eyes on his brother again, it was to see a changed boy. Loki was bitter and brittle and refusing to press charges. Thor had been furious and unafraid to voice his displeasure. Odin had finally had to put Thor in his place, voice measured and unnaturally calm, hiding his own anger. It was Loki's choice, and though it incensed Thor, he had to respect it. In the end Thor had been forced to return to school and Loki had finished his final year through a private tutor.

The summer that followed had been the antithesis of the previous. A dark fog had hung around their house and everyone connected to it. Their parents had no idea how to treat Loki and so had tried a therapist to Loki's ire. Thor hadn't known how to treat Loki either, but unlike their parents he had resorted to acting as he always had. Though Loki had not done the same, it was clear through the fact that he tolerated Thor's presence that Loki appreciated it. In fact, Thor was the only one Loki would allow close – and this was only due to Thor's persistence. Loki had distanced himself from all of his friends and it was only the ever faithful Sigyn who had remained, though Loki still refused to see her and would only occasionally accept phone calls. In one harsh swing, all of Loki's trust and naivety had been stolen away and it was obvious that he was no longer the same. Thor had spent the entire summer aching and angry and shattered and so very full of love as he had tried to piece together his brother out of the fragile, broken thing Loki had become.

Now, over a year later, with Loki in his second semester at SHIELD and Thor in his last, things were only just returning to some semblance of normality. Loki kept to himself for the most part and though through Tony he had made a few friends, he kept that circle tightly constricted. He no longer ventured out, exploring the area and having ridiculous misadventures. Now he would only leave the safety of their apartment if he was in the company of those he trusted. He did not drink nor get high anymore and he never went to parties. Loki had allowed their parents and Thor to convince him to enter SHIELD rather than Alfheim, which had been his dream university, and had even agreed to living with Thor, undoubtedly aware that the purpose of this was to keep an eye on him. This acquiescence had proven to Thor that Loki wanted to be looked after.

Somewhere under his stubborn front, Loki wanted the warm security of Thor's protection. Thor was happy to oblige.

But how could he explain this to Jarnsaxa? Thor found that he didn't want to. Nobody here knew about what had happened; all parties involved had kept it under wraps so that the media had never gotten wind of it and it wasn't Thor's to tell. As for Loki, Thor doubted that he would ever feel inclined to share. Thor had no desire to open up to Jarnsaxa about his own intimate secrets, let alone his brothers.

With a start, Thor realized that his poptarts had been done for a long time and were now cooled. He toasted them once more to warm them up and ate them leaning against the counter, surveying his kitchen.

Frowning thoughtlessly at where Jarnsaxa had stood some moments ago, Thor subconsciously paced towards the same spot. With the fridge in front of him, he found his eyes drawn immediately towards the photograph that Jarnsaxa had been fascinated by.

The apartment was littered with photos – he and Steve had both been fond of the practice of hanging up mementos of loved ones. Even before Loki had moved in there had been plenty of pictures of Thor and his little brother taped to the walls of the apartment – along with those of their parents and both high school and university friends, of course. When Steve had left he had naturally taken his share of photos with him, so upon Loki's arrival, Thor had suggested he fill in the empty spaces left behind. Loki, unsentimental as he was, had been resistant, but Thor had eventually worn him down. Loki had printed exactly four pictures each containing himself and another party: one with Frigga and Odin, one with Sigyn, one with Sif and one with Thor.

The photograph Thor was looking at now was the one of himself and Loki. It was from the summer before Thor's first year at SHIELD. Hogun had been gifted a new, very expensive camera and his passion for photography had bled into his social life – there must have been hundreds of photos of their friends from that summer alone. This particular one is a candid shot. In the aftermath of a water fight, Thor and Loki were both drenched and laughing; Loki inexplicably in a long-sleeved shirt, hand brushing his soaked hair away from his face and Thor shirtless with one hand on his brother's back. There is lush grass and bright sunshine visible in the background, but what stands out above all to Thor is his own gaze, locked onto Loki. There is something intimate in it. Something that makes Thor want to hide it away from prying eyes that threaten to steal into the private moment. It's one of his favourite photos of the two of them, but Thor had asked Loki if he was sure he didn't want to pick another one. Loki had insisted.

Now it hangs, proudly displayed, on the fridge and it often catches the attention of visitors, none more than Jarnsaxa.

Pulling the photo off the fridge, Thor studied it closely. He tenderly traced his thumb across his brother's face. Then he headed to the living room, photo in hand. Jarnsaxa wanted an answer soon. He had much to think about.

"Thor!"

The forceful exclamation was accompanied by a heavy weight falling onto Thor's shins, startling the blond awake. Thor sat up as best he could, blinking dazedly at his younger brother. It seemed he had fallen asleep sprawled across the couch sometime during his ruminating – he wasn't sure how many hours had passed.

"How was the shawarma?" Thor asked. He absentmindedly shifted his legs, upon which Loki was perched.

Loki's thin shoulders jumped in a shrug. "Decent enough, though certainly not deserving of the ridiculous compliments Tony was spouting."

There was something not-quite-casual about Loki's voice that made Thor snap to attention. He studied his brother, wondering how to bring up this subtle change in demeanor.

"What's this?" Loki asked, clearly rhetorically as he was already snatching up the photograph from where it lay half-buried under Thor's golden hair. Holding the small glossy rectangle in his eyesight with thin fingers, a smile stole across Loki's face, quick and bright and gone in under a second. His green eyes glinted as they locked with Thor's. "Reminiscing?"

Thor felt his face warm under that gaze. "Just noticing how little you've grown in four years," he blustered.

Loki leveled an unimpressed look at him. "I've gained at least a foot in height," he said.

"Yes, but none in width. You are scrawny as ever, brother," Thor remarked fondly.

"It must be genetic," Loki said darkly.

Immediately there was a change in atmosphere and Thor's smile retreated in response. "Loki, please…did something happen?"

Loki's lips pressed together in a thin, pale line. "Why don't you tell me?"

Thor frowned in confusion for a few seconds before abruptly recalling Jarnsaxa and her ultimatum. He wondered how Loki always seemed to know when something was on his mind. It was uncanny.

Fingering the worn leather of the couch, Thor averted his eyes from Loki's searching green gaze. "Ah, well…Jarnsaxa wanted to…well, she asked me to move in with her," Thor explained quickly. There was an unsettlingly silent pause before Thor rushed to continue, "I''ll say no, of course."

More silence passed and Thor felt compelled to face his brother. He turned to find Loki's eyes staring him down, his intense scrutiny causing Thor's heart to pick up its pace.

Eyes still locked unblinking with Thor's, Loki wet his lips. "You'll say no," he repeated.

Thor nodded dumbly, trying his hardest not to glance at his younger brother's lips.

"Maybe you shouldn't…" Loki murmured.

Thor sat up at that. The swift movement clearly caught Loki off guard, dislodging the younger boy from his stable position on Thor's knees and knocking him forward until he caught himself with his outstretched arms on Thor's solid shoulders. Suddenly finding Loki's face so close as to feel his shaking breath on Thor's own lips, Thor froze. Loki himself wore an expression of surprise before it was swiftly replaced with something more neutral.

"I met someone today," Loki volunteered apropos of nothing.

"What?"

"His name was Victor. He was very strange. I quite liked him. He asked me out for dinner," Loki continued, keeping his voice level even as his wickedly green eyes bore fiercely into Thor's blue.

Thor could only stare up at Loki, confounded.

"I told him I would take his offer into consideration. We exchanged numbers. I think I will say yes." Each word escaped Loki's thin lips slowly, as if timed to inflict the maximum amount of pain on Thor's psyche.

Finally Thor found his voice. "But Loki, brother, I thought after what happened-"

Loki smirked humourlessly. "I doubt he will follow Svadilfari's date etiquette – although that wasn't exactly a date was it? You know the statistics as well as I do, I'm sure: most acts of rape are committed by someone close to the victim. I hardly know Victor. In any case, he is a prince – truly he is, of some quaint country called Latveria – and so I am certain that doing something as scandalous as sexual assault would be terrible for his public image. As callous as that sounds, it is more reassurance than I have from any other potential partner, especially considering I cannot trust even my most intimate friends."

"Brother, no!" Thor's hand shot forward, seemingly of its own accord, wrapping around Loki's neck with enough force to cause the younger to sway forward and brush their the tips of their noses together.

Loki ignored Thor's dismayed cry. "So you see," he continued, "Your poor, damaged little not-brother is finally becoming less of a burden. I am perfectly able to survive without you. Please, I implore you to move in with your girlfriend. I have no need of you."

The declaration hung between them for a charged moment until Thor shook his head helplessly and pulled Loki into a bodily embrace. Loki stilled in the awkward position, knees digging into the couch on either side of Thor and his arms still braced on Thor's broad shoulders. Then he melted. His fingers curled into the soft fabric of Thor's shirt and he buried his head into the crook of Thor's neck.

And Thor held Loki firmly, even as he felt hot tears seep into his t-shirt. As the many pictures in the apartment showcased, the two brothers had grown together, played together and fought together. Despite finding out that they had never really been related, despite the tumultuous period Loki had recently been through that had changed him so much, despite this sudden denouncement of Thor's presence in Loki's life, above all these insignificant things, Thor knew his brother.

Thor knew Loki.

And sometimes Loki lied.

When Thor told Jarnsaxa his decision, she simply smiled sadly and told him that it was time they stopped pretending.

"Both of us," she had clarified, voice heavy with intent.

/Five.

This is the chapter I feel the most nervous about. There's a lot of exposition and I'm not sure that I did it well. Please let me know what you think of it! Feedback will hopefully help me grow and improve.

Up next will be the final installment of this story!

Midnight's Violet Haze

HS