We've reached the end of this story. It's been fun.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Age guide:
Thor: 23 years old
Loki: 19 years old
And One.
"Sorry, Mr. Fury, I appreciate the offer, however I-"
"He is urgently needed by the groom and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't work for you even if the only other option would be living on the street, catching tuberculosis and dying a horrible, horrible celibate death," Tony cut in, placing himself in between Nick Fury and Thor, a comical sight considering his small stature in comparison to the two much larger men. Uncaring of the laughable juxtaposition, Tony steered Thor away from the perpetually angry man, grabbing two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.
Thor turned a curious gaze to Tony. "Steven has need of me?"
"What? Oh, nah. He's fine. But Thor, buddy, you gotta learn to say no every once in a while," Tony scolded, handing Thor one of the full flutes before downing the other in one go.
"I was not expecting to encounter business conversation at such an occasion," Thor said sounding cowed. He, too, easily finished off the champagne in a single gulp.
Tony shook his head. "When it comes to Fury you always have to have your guard up. And don't even get me started on Coulson. Anyway, I was just passing by when I magnanimously rescued you from that one-eyed shark. I'm looking for your brother. He's not a very good date, even if it is platonic. I mean he didn't even want to match ties; there's nothing wrong with the colour red!"
Thor perked up at the mention of his brother, but before he could respond Tony was already flitting off having caught a glimpse of Pepper across the crowd.
Shrugging, Thor allowed a waitress to collect his empty glass. He paused in the center of the chaotic mass, basking in the cheerful energy. Thor had always loved crowds, especially happy ones. He'd made quite a name for himself at all of the bars surrounding SHIELD University and even now, two years after he had graduated, he was still recognized when he would drag Loki out for a night on the town.
His peaceful moment was stopped short by a sharp tug on his elbow. Thor spun around and gaped in surprise. "Sif!" he cheered, collecting the woman up into a friendly hug.
"Thor!" Sif laughed, hugging back just as fiercely. The action brought a fond smile to Thor's face as he recalled that there had never been anything delicate about Sif.
"What are you doing here?" Thor asked as he let go of Sif, still smiling widely.
"Peggy and I were on our university's varsity soccer team together," Sif explained, "You must be a friend of the groom's."
"Yes," Thor said, answering the questioning lilt to her statement, "Steven and I were roommates for two years during our time at SHIELD."
Sif grinned. "Your friendship is not at all surprising. Steven shares many qualities with you beyond the similar looks."
"We would often get mistaken for brothers," Thor agreed, chuckling.
"Speaking of, your true brother wouldn't happen to be here, would he?" Sif asked, eyes searching the crowd as if expecting the younger Borson to pop out at any second.
"He is, though I am unsure of his exact whereabouts."
Sif raised a sharp brow. "That is unexpected. When we were growing up you were hard pressed to let him out of your sight."
"I fear he grows weary of my constant presence," Thor confided, ducking his head. "However, though I doubt his date will keep him out of trouble, at the very least he shall not be alone when he finds himself in it."
"His date?" Sif looked startled. "You do not sound upset by this," she noted suspiciously.
"Why would I begrudge Loki spending time with his friends? I worry that he does not do so often enough."
"Friends? So not a romantic date then? No wonder."
Thor frowned. "Should I feel differently if it were?"
"Thor, you have never tolerated Loki's romantic pursuits well," Sif said, smiling sardonically.
"That is not-"
"You remember Leah when Loki was twelve?"
"She was unkind to him."
"What about Daimon the year after?"
"He was too old!" Thor exclaimed
"One year is hardly too old," Sif said, rolling her eyes.
"It is when there are so few years to their lives in the first place," Thor insisted.
Sif huffed out an amused laugh. "Fine. Then what about Sigyn. Surely you cannot find a fault in that girl."
"I have always been fond of Sigyn!"
"Not at first, when they went on that one date together. I remember having to talk you out of following them! It was only after Loki came home proclaiming that they would be remaining friends that you began to like her," Sif said.
Thor folded his arms across his chest, acknowledging the truth in Sif's words. "What is the purpose of this line of questioning, Sif?" he asked warily.
"You have not dated anyone since Jarnsaxa two years ago, correct?" Sif asked a question of her own rather than answering Thor's. At Thor's nod she continued, "And you did not bring a date to your friend's wedding, not even a friendly one like Loki did?"
Again Thor nodded.
"So you are not interested in anyone," Sif surmised, though Thor could tell from the flat tone of her voice that she did not believe this to be true.
Perhaps that is why he hesitated to answer.
"So you are interested in someone," Sif said, seeing his reluctance to answer.
Thor sighed exasperatedly even as the image of someone unspoken arose in his mind's eye. "Sif, please, you know I do not enjoy these word games. Simply tell me what you are thinking straightforwardly."
Sif hummed in response. "I suppose I am wondering whether you are ever going to tell Loki that you are in love with him."
The world around Thor seemed to still, the lively voices of the crowd in the reception becoming muted even as the damning words of Sif seemed to ring loud and clear, resonating in his ears. He trembled and felt glad that he was no longer holding a champagne flute because surely he would have dropped it.
"Sif!" he gasped loudly with the voice of a dying man. The woman is question looked shocked by his dramatic change in demeanor, guiding him gently out of the hall of the reception. Once they were past the heavy double doors of the entrance they found themselves mostly alone except for one or two people clearly on their way to or from the bathrooms.
Thor was still shaking when Sif pushed him carefully onto a stone bench. "Thor," she said softly, patting his cheek roughly enough to knock him out of his trance.
He blinked, blue eyes slowly focusing on her worried gaze. "Forgive me Sif, I must have misheard you. I thought you said something impossible."
Sif grimaced. "It is I who should apologize, Thor. It seems I was too cavalier. Have you ever even admitted it to yourself?"
Breathing in deeply, Thor held her gaze for a long moment before falling forward to rest his head against her supportive shoulder. "Not aloud, no," he admitted heavily into the soft fabric of her dress. "I thought I was alone in this. I did not realize there was another who was privy to my perversity. And had I known, I would have expected a condemnation rather than this."
"Oh Thor," Sif sighed sadly, placing a comforting hand on Thor's blond head. "This self-loathing suits you ill. I admit I was surprised, but time softens even the most shocking of revelations. And from the beginning it was only ever shock I felt, never disgust. It became clear to me very quickly that there had only ever been one person who held your heart and there would only ever be that one person. As I grew and saw how little love there truly was in this world, I appreciated you and yours more and more. Now I challenge anyone to stand by your side as I have – who has watched you grow and has known your heart – to call your love perverse." Sif felt Thor quake in her hold and then became aware of a tell-tale wetness on her shoulder.
"Sif you are, as ever, a true friend; more than I deserve, I fear. Your words are almost too kind for me to bear. Even in my darkest dreams I never imagined acceptance like this," Thor confessed, voice trembling with disbelief.
Squeezing Thor firmly just once, Sif pushed her friend away. "You have earned my friendship and loyalty a thousand times over, Thor." Then she ushered him up into a standing position, thumping him solidly on the arm. "Come now," she said, "I have never known you to be a man to mope and wallow in despair. The Thor I know is a man of action, always willing to pursue that which he desires. If it is fear that holds you back in this instance, know that I will have your back as always. This is something bigger and more important than any potential disapproval you may face."
Thor forced a smile. "The only fear that is holding me back is that I could lose the one dearest to me, that I would repulse him with these feelings of mine."
Sif placed her hands on her hips and shook her head fondly. "Thor," she announced regally, "you are a fool." Then she turned around and started walking back in the direction they came from. "Tell him," she called back simply, without so much as a backward glance.
Thor watched her disappear behind the large oak doors of the reception hall and then kept staring even as they swung closed. He thought about returning to join the party as well, but did so reluctantly. In the end he decided that getting some more air would be beneficial to his bewildered mind. Instead he exited the building and made his way around to the back, thinking on what had just passed.
He had not seen this encouragement from Sif coming and it threw him for a loop. He had been prepared to keep his own counsel and silence his heart. Had been prepared to watch Loki fall in love and to celebrate it all the while suffering silently. Prepared to live his life as less than a whole whether he took comfort in a willing body or not. And now…
Now he was unsure if this was the only path for him. Perhaps he had been too pessimistic. Sif's words had lit up something within him, something he had never thought to entertain when it came to his feelings for Loki:
Hope.
Circling around the building, Thor found himself in a charming garden. The flowers were in full bloom and he could hear the sprinkling of water. He followed the sound, wondering why there were not more people exploring this beautiful place before remembering that the alcohol and food were contained indoors. Nevertheless he passed one couple hidden behind a thin veil of a willow tree's branches in his quest for the origin of the sound of water and it was possible there were others sequestered away in private spots.
He came upon a cobbled walkway and followed its winding trail to a large fountain. He stopped short, however, because there was someone already there standing before the magnificent fountain.
Standing there, tall and straight-backed in a well-fitted black suit, dark hair swept back tidily was Thor's younger brother.
"Loki," Thor breathed and despite the considerable distance between them the nineteen year old spun around slowly as if he had heard the hushed call of his name.
Once recognition had lit up his bottle green eyes, Loki smiled serenely and Thor's breath caught in his throat. There was something so soft about Loki in that moment. The subtle curve of his thin lips, the slight crinkles around his smiling eyes, the gentle curl of his black locks at the nape of his neck. The tailored suit that emphasized his lithe form and the green detailing that brought out the intense colour of his eyes. The spraying water behind him that glinted in the light so that the very air around Loki seemed to shimmer and the orange hue that the setting sun cast upon the entire scene making it appear almost dreamlike.
In that moment Thor felt as if he was discovering Loki's beauty all over again. He felt the love well up inside of him and was struck by the strength of the emotion.
In that moment Thor honestly feared that he would burst from an overly full heart if he didn't express his feelings right then.
"Loki," he said again, louder this time. Thor approached his younger brother with deliberate steps.
Loki said nothing in reply, opting to watch Thor with an openly curious look in his eyes.
When the toes of his shoes touched the toes of Loki's shoes, Thor halted. He hesitatingly brought his left hand up to splay across the welcoming smooth curve of Loki's neck.
"Loki," Thor started, "I have something I must confess. Though I have always prided myself on sharing everything in our lives, there is a truth in my heart that I have kept hidden from your eyes for as long as I can remember."
A startled, somewhat hurt expression cross Loki's face before it shuttered close. He stayed peculiarly still in Thor's hold, head canted up just so to make up for the one inch difference in height.
Thor's thumb started absentmindedly caressing the sharp line of Loki's jaw. "I tried to seek out a substitute, unknowingly at first, but then with increasing desperation – it never worked and in all honesty I never believed it would. How can you possibly transfer feelings that have been around seemingly since your birth? Feelings that have grown with you and become inexorably interwoven into the very fabric of your being?" Thor paused the movement of his thumb, resting it over the warm pulse of Loki's thrumming heartbeat. "I am in love with you Loki," Thor whispered fervently, "I am in love with you and that love is ingrained into my skin, my hair, the very blood that runs through my veins. It is engraved upon my bones and lungs, upon my heart, my soul. I am in love with you and I do not know how not to be. I have never known a day that I haven't loved you with everything that I am and I never want to know the day that I don't. I realize now that day will never come and I cannot keep this secret from you forever, brother. I would not want to. I would share my life with you, my life and everything in it – forever." Exposed and laid bare before his brother, Thor leaned forward and placed a careful kiss on the corner of Loki's mouth, watching for any sign of displeasure.
When Thor pulled back Loki's face was still remarkably blank. Dread coiling in his stomach, Thor released Loki's neck and stepped back. "Know this, brother, if you hate me now that you know of my impure feelings, I will leave and never force you to look upon me again. You need only to say the words and-"
Suddenly Thor found himself being propelled forward, Loki's long fingers caught in the lapels of his suit jacket. Dark green eyes, inches from his own, bore into him as Loki huffed. "You have always been so slow Thor. I should have known you would make me wait years. "
And before those words could even register in Thor's mind, soft lips met his own in an unyielding kiss. Thor gave a full-body shudder before the tension all but melted out of his frame, body becoming languid. He secured Loki to himself with one arm while using the other to guide Loki's head to a better angle. Their mouths slid together, devouring each other with a lifetime's worth of longing and burning desire.
Loki started to pull away, perhaps to breathe, and Thor whined low in his chest. He chased his brother's lips, body crowding closer and then the world tilted.
"Oh!" Loki cried out in surprise as they fell as one.
They landed in the water with a loud splash, bodies hitting the bottom of the fountain hard enough to bruise. Thor grunted, annoyed, as he caught himself on his hands and knees.
Loki was not so lucky and found himself completely submerged. He broke through the water's surface with a loud gasp. Sitting up swiftly, he smacked his head into Thor's causing them both to wince in pain. As they each rubbed their foreheads their gazes caught and smiles began to tug at their lips.
Then they were laughing.
"Thor, you oaf!" Loki exclaimed though his laughter. He shoved ineffectively at Thor's chest. "You cannot even manage a romantic declaration without screwing something up."
Thor smiled and pushed back Loki's sopping locks from his equally wet face. He bent down to steal a quick, slippery kiss. "On the contrary," he said, heart full and face beaming, "I think it went perfectly."
Loki grinned up at him then, the expression as genuine and unguarded as Thor remembered from their shared childhood. "Truly? Pray tell, brother?" he asked.
Thor didn't bother to answer.
At least, not in words.
/And In The End, It Was No Choice At All
:/ Things got a bit cheesy there, didn't they. Ah well, the whole premise of this story is quite cheesy, so what else could I do?
Thank you for reading and I hope that you leave me a review. Tony had like one line and yet I was incredibly nervous that he was OOC...
I'm considering a Loki POV companion piece to this, but I'm not 100% sure yet, so let me know if that's something that you would actually be interested in...
Midnight's Violet Haze
HS