A/N: Just in case it's unclear, this story is in no way connected to my other stories (Parole on Midgard, Legendary Mischief, or any of that.) This is just something radnom I was inspired to write after hanging out with my little cousin, who looks like a mini-Thor.
Loki awoke to see two blue eyes staring into his own. He sat up with a start, realizing that it was Thor. The events of yesterday came back in a flash.
"Loki, me's hungry!" Loki groaned and lay back.
"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked irritably. Thor pouted. "Please don't look at me like that…" he backpedaled. Thor's stomach growled, the sound making the boy giggle. Loki struggled to keep his smile to himself.
"Please, brudder? Me's hungry!" Loki closed his eyes, and wiped the sleep from his mind.
"Fine. Let's go see what we can find." Thor grinned. Loki stood up slowly.
"YES!" Thor exulted. Loki gave him a withering glare.
"We must be quiet." Thor stared up at the trickster.
"Why?"
"Because, your shouting may alert wild animals to our presence."
"Why?" Loki took a deep breath.
"Because they might decide that you'd make a good breakfast."
"Why?" This was getting old…
"Because."
"Because why?" Count to ten, he's only a child.
"Because because."
"Why because because?"
"SHHHH! Please just be quiet." Thor cowered back a little. He paused, and cocked his head to one side. One did not have to be a seer to know what the de-aged god of thunder would say next.
"Wh…" Loki clapped a hand over the child's mouth.
"Enough! If you are quiet, I will allow you to have the first choice of whatever I manage to find for food. Deal?" Thor nodded.
"Deal." He said, the sound muffled by Loki's hand.
"Good. Now, don't pick anything unless I tell you it's safe. Understood?" He peeled his hand away from Thor's mouth.
"Yes Loki."
So, later they returned to their cave. Thor sat down with a satisfied sigh, having eaten his fill of berries and whatever else Loki deemed to be non-hazardous. Loki sat across from him.
"So, what do you remember of me?" he asked finally. Thor shrugged.
"You're my brudder."
"What more than that?" Loki asked.
"What else is there?" Thor replied innocently. He leaned forward, hoping to get a better look at what was going on outside.
"That is a story for another time." So he didn't remember anything. Loki secretly hoped that Thor would take a nap. Weren't children his age supposed do that on a regular basis? That would give him time to figure this out. He whispered a short phrase, and as expected, Thor fell asleep. Loki smiled. His brother was so cute with his eyes closed…
Oh please tell me you're not actually becoming attached to the little crumb-cruncher.
No, of course not.
Good. Let's keep it that way. Now, how to get rid of him…
The silence was interrupted by a flash of light. Loki stood up and rushed to the mouth of the cave. A wraith-like being stood in the shadow of a tree.
"Who are you?"
"You don't recognize your own child? For shame, Loki."
"Hela?"
"So you haven't forgotten your own daughter."
"No. What do you want?"
"Him."
"Who? Thor?"
"Yes, him."
"No. You can't have him."
"Why so protective of him? You've hated him for how long? And now you can't bear to think of losing him…What changed, father?"
"Nothing. I still hate the little brat."
"Then what's stopping you?"
"It's hardly fair. He can't defend himself. Such behavior ill-befits a prince of Asgard."
"Since when has that stopped you before? Need I remind you of the incident with Thjasse? You seemed not to care about your behavior then."
"I'm not handing Thor over to you, now leave." Hela smiled, half her face graceful and flawless, the other half rotting away.
"Fine. Then I will find a way to claim him. You will not be able to keep him from me forever, father." She raised her arms and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Loki closed his eyes. What was he going to do now? He turned back to the cave, and was surprised to see that Thor was gone. Loki ran his hands over his hair in frustration and fear.
Fear? Why was he afraid?
Hela hadn't taken him, and he couldn't have gone far on his own. A low growl echoed through the dark trees. Loki sighed, exasperated.
"Dammit."
There was nothing left to do, except to go searching for his little brother.