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Chapter Text

   The Aesir had bested the king of the Jotuns once and for all. Thor was beaming as he watched his tired, bloody men pilfer through the ice castle in search of goods, hoping they would find enough for all his people to be satisfied with the victory. After most of the rooms had been ransacked, he sauntered to where his friends were beckoning him with eager smiles.
   “Thor, you must see this!” Fandral said. He looked as energized as he had at the beginning of the battle.
   “What have you found, my friends?” Thor asked, stepping over the arm of a fallen jotunn. Volstag motioned them through the doorway, around the large room to a side door made to look like the rest of the wall. If it weren't for the large hole from an errant weapon it would have gone completely unnoticed.
   Thor wondered at his friends behavior (how many battles and adventures had they gone on to find treasure that had not made them excited like this?) when his eyes fell on what was obviously the target of interest.
   In the center of this rather large, empty room was a Jotun runt chained by a heavy metal collar to a ring in the floor. It was blue with raised lines, just like the larger jotun, but had long and matted black hair and no horns. No. It had horns. They had been broken off close to the skull. And that wasn't the end to its injuries. There were red welts along it's back with blood dried all across its body. Mostly from under the collar. The poor beast was emaciated beyond what should have been survivable, yet it kept up a steady stream of growls and weak snaps in their direction.
   Thor circled closer. The creature kept its eyes on him but could not move its body. The lack of sustenance and the heavy manacle kept it laying on the floor. Exposed. It seemed to be completely feral, for it hadn't attempted to speak. The giants were at least capable of that.
   Sif strutted next to it and gave it a hefty kick to its stomach. “Be quiet.” she chided. It gave a huff, but didn't stop. Fandral laughed and said “It is a fighter, at least. I wonder what it is doing here?”
   That was a good question. This was the royal wing. Most likely the rooms of one of the princes. “Perhaps it was a pet.” Sif said, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder.
   Thor leaned down to look in its eyes. They were red and glassy, but holding on desperately like it was trying to convey something. He could only guess it was how much it wanted them dead. It was still challenging them. And Thor did love a challenge.
He reached out to touch the collar; it was incredibly heavy and covered in runes. With his limited knowledge of the womanly arts he could see that a few were binding runes to keep magic within the vessel.
   If he could tame this beast, it could be an attack dog, a magical hidden weapon to be released at his whim. Or at least he would be happy with breaking this jotun in as a representation of the ice giant people, something to show his father how ready he is to lead.
   “We take him with us.” Thor commanded. The others nodded and moved to break the long chain from the ice.
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   The little beast was moved into Thor's chambers. It was filthy and weak and Thor took an odd pleasure in having such a project waiting for him after the feast. It would be like polishing his swords or training his warriors. Soon this runt would be a fresh gem; his shiny new toy to show off and use at his leisure.
   The first night after the battle he spent in the feasting hall with all his fellow Aesir. His little beast could wait for him, he was sure it wouldn't be able to flee. His friends distracted him easily with boasts and songs somehow already written of their victory. Pretty soon he forgot about anything but the warmth of the feast hall, surrounded by his fellows.
When the party finally winded down the next night, he stumbled his way to his chamber, keeping a hand on the wall to steady himself. Upon entering he remembered his little project, for it immediately began snapping at him. Thor groaned and rubbed at his face. He didn't want to deal with it right now.
   “shh, little pet. I will give you a nice bath and candied meats and whatever you want. Tomorrow. But right now I just want to sleep.”
   It tapered off into a low, rumbling growl, then quieted completely. It still glared, but had too much trouble raising it's head and seemed as tired as him. He took pity on the beast, so he threw down a few old pelts for it to sleep on. That was all he could manage before he fell back against his bed and slept.
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   A servant left him a tonic from the healers for his headache, for which he was grateful. This one was a killer.
   Speaking of killer, his little Jotun had nestled itself on the furs and was purring happily like an overgrown kitten. Thor looked over the edge of his bed, mouth agape, unable to believe what he was hearing. Was it all jotun that purred or was this just another peculiarity of his special trophy?
   He decided to let it sleep a bit longer while the tonic took hold. During that time he got dressed, brushed through his hair with his fingers until he was satisfied, then went to empty himself and wash up. At some point during all this, his pet had come awake and was struggling to sit up despite the heavy collar.
   Thor came to its side and brushed its matted hair back to see its angry face. He smiled. “You are a pretty thing.” He laughed when it snapped at his hand. “Come now. If you take off my hand I cannot pamper you.”
   The jotun pulled away, then swayed dangerously before catching itself. Thor easily scooped it up, carrying it like a child with its head resting on his shoulder. It did not seem to like this, for it gave a mighty hiss with all the energy it had left.
   Again, Thor shushed it. He made his way to the bathing chamber where his own water had cooled. The runt squirmed and whined, but still did not utter a word. At this point, Thor was sure it wasn't capable of speech. Not that it needed it to let its feelings be known.
   As soon as he attempted to lower it into the bath it screeched like a shot bilgesnipe! They both went crashing to the floor as the runt attempted to claw its way through his captor and get away from the vile bath. Thor shot up, face red with anger until he saw the pitiful sight of the beast, curling around it's now burnt foot. It seemed torn between whimpering and snarling at him.
   Thor held up his hands, trying to convey his sympathy. “I am sorry, little creature. I did not mean to harm you. I was not thinking of how hot it would be.” He stood and went to the door. “I will have the servants fetch me cold water. And some ice.”
   He made good on his promise and returned swiftly with three young serving boys carrying buckets. The golden tub was emptied and refilled with iced water- perfect for his little ice giant.
   He tried again and It seemed his pet knew it would be different this time for it did not struggle. It seemed very eager to get into the water and immediately submerged itself, head and all. Thor laughed when it resurfaced, looking so pleased. He went to retrieve his hair oils and comb and suddenly the little runt was not so pleased. It seemed confused and angry, which meant it put up quite a fight when Thor approached it with them. After he finally latched onto the wriggling beast and began combing the ends of its tangled hair, it began to calm down. It would snarl when there was a tangle that needed extra care, but otherwise seemed content to be pampered.
   “You will need a name.” Thor said, mostly to himself. The jotun gave no indication that it understood or cared, just so long as those hands continued playing with its hair.
   He tossed around a few, saying them out loud to get a feel for them in his mouth. Around the time his knees became sore he finally settled on Loki. It was short and simple and seemed to roll off the tongue in just the right way. He muttered nothings to his pet while drying it off, cooing the name over and over as his pet preened with the attention.
   Loki was still weak and thin, so the next thing to do was feed him. He picked the runt up once again and carried him to the lounging room. He kicked a few pillows onto the floor before settling his jewel down. Loki would have to learn he was not allowed on furniture.
   He called a servant to get him some meats and cheeses and resumed playing with Loki's hair while they waited. Loki seemed cautious at first, skittish even, but soon warmed to the petting. He kept his distance, but that was alright. Thor was happy to wait to earn his full trust. This poor beast must have faced heavy abuse with the Jotunn princes if his reactions were any indication. The state of his battered body was enough to show how little he had been cared for. He was sure that Loki would soon see that he was very different from those monsters.
   A servant came with a tray full of slices of meat and an array of cheeses, as well as a goblet of wine. Thor thanked the lad before he left. He noted that the boys eyes lingered on his jotun for a bit longer than needed before closing the door, especially to his naked lap. He would need to find something to conserve its modesty for the benefit of the rest of the castle. After their meal, of course.
   The beast was picky for someone on the brink of starvation. He tried offering it the freshly cooked meats, but he turned his nose to them. The salted fish was fine, as were the fruits and nuts. It seemed cautious of the cheeses and decided it liked goat cheese best and the others just wouldn't do. Well, he would have to test to see what else his pet enjoyed in the future.
   Once Loki was full, he stretched and nuzzled into the pillows before purring again. Thor laughed at his strange little prize that continued to act in ways so different from the rest of its race. It was endearing. While his pet was occupied, he went to check among his tunics for a spare he didn't mind losing. The best he could find was a long tunic that went down to his hips, but ended at Loki’s knees. The beast sniffed at it, but didn't attempt to take it off or rip it up. That was a victory, surely.
   Loki went back to resting and didn't seem energetic enough to escape, so Thor felt confident in leaving it alone while he went to the training grounds.
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  What a mistake that was!
   Loki sat in the middle of his destruction with a look of complete innocence which only fueled Thor’s anger.
   The moment he raised his voice, though, the damned beast flinched as if struck and began hissing and curling into a sad ball. This was like a stab to his heart. He had every right to be angry, so why did he feel like such a monster?
   In the end he left to take out his anger on the dummies in the training field. This is where his mother found him.
   “I hear you have a pet.” She said as she walked near. Thor huffed and wiped away the sweat already gathering on his forehead. It was a rather hot day, but the blazing sun only made the queen dazzle even brighter.
   “It is turning out to be quite a hassle.” Thor responded angrily. “He has already destroyed the entire contents of my room in no less than a day.”
   At this she laughed, much to Thor’s confusion. “He is testing you, my love. Seeing if you will be like previous handlers. Show him love and fair discipline and he will be a perfect pet for you.”
   It didn't make it any easier to swallow his anger, but he certainly tried. It was lucky for the whelp that he was so cute, else Thor would have electrocuted him on the spot.
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   By the time he returned, Loki had made himself comfortable on the daybed in his dressing room. The runt had the gall to look pleased with himself as he snuggled into one of Thor's most prized furs, which had previously been hanging on the wall behind his bed. The holes in the corners indicated it had not been done with care.
   He approached the infuriating beast and tossed him to the ground, resulting in a hiss and some attempted scratches. Thor grunted at the pain, even though it wasn't very hard. He was tired and ready to relax. He wasn't in the mood for a fight.
   He took a fistful of the fur and huffed at how damaged that little monster had made it. “You do not destroy my things!” he gritted out before flinging it to the side. Loki curled into a ball, back arched like a cat, and continued to hiss in an offended tone. Thor rolled his eyes.
   With nothing else to be done, he stripped and got ready for bed. When he got to his bedroom the brat had already curled itself on the top covers with its eyes closed, but was obviously still agitated and breathing rapidly. Thor went to remove him until the miserable thing whined and scooted away. Thor sighed.
   “Just for tonight, you useless lump.” Thor threatened under his breath.    Once he was settled under the covers he felt the bed shift as Loki came to curl into his side. Thor felt very silly, but patted his pet with a goofy grin.  “You'll surely be the death of me. Why can I not say no to you?”
   Loki didn't respond, other than to curl tighter against him.

Chapter Text

   Loki was no longer allowed to be alone after destroying his masters room. But he couldn't come outside and roast under the intense sun. He needed to stay within the castle where the marble would keep him cool enough.

  “I would love to watch him.” Frigga said, already petting Loki's hair back. The jotunn purred and nudged her side to encourage the treatment. Thor rolled his eyes at the runts actions. He was always so defensive around Thor, even though he had not once beaten him as he ought to. Around his mother, though, Loki preened like a spoilt cat. Nothing like the hissing viper he had been earlier that very morn. “Come, sweet thing. Let us join the women of the court for sewing. They will surely adore you.”

   She turned and headed towards the royal wing, expecting Loki to follow. Thor was surprised when his pet looked over to him, sending a jolt of lightning to his heart. Was the creature looking to him for approval? Was it capable of such thought? He waved it along, which seemed to be enough to break its stare, for it soon trotted after his mother on all fours.

   As soon as he stepped outside he was thankful Loki was inside. The frost runt would have been unable to handle this kind of blazing heat. Truth be told, it was a warm day even by Asgards standard. Hot enough to keep the ladies in the shade as they finished repairing clothing within eyesight of the practice fields.

   His friends had arrived just before him and were stretching in long, precise ways that flaunted their physique to the women nearby. Sif swatted at Fandral when he bent in a way that could be for no other reason than to draw their eyes to his groin.

   “If you keep that up you will hurt yourself before you get to the real action.” Thor laughed, clapping a hand to Fandral’s shoulder.

   Volstagg guffawed loudly and swung his sword in slow, measured circles. “Do tell us of this real action, Thor. How has your little Frost beast been treating you?”

  “Be sure to keep from getting frost bite on the family jewels.”

  “Has he bitten off anything too important?”

  Sif gave them all a good knock to the head, which didn't stop their snickers. Thor tied his already sweaty hair into a bun to keep it off his neck, then said “truthfully, I have not laid with it. It has the mind of an animal. It does not feel right.”

  Volstagg nodded in understanding. “Tis a pity to go through all that trouble for something you can't play with. What do you plan to do with it?”

  There was the answer he had started with- to make it an attack dog- but he had started off poorly. Whenever he was around it the creature kept looking up at him with hurt eyes and a pitiful whine, making it impossible to punish it. But that was a better answer than making it into a leisure pet. That was what frail old men did to their beasts when they couldn't keep up with training.

  “Attack dog.” he said automatically, mostly to have something to say. The men laughed, but Sif gave him a curious glance.

  “Thor… he is a runt. What damage could that pup do that we can't?” At least she wasn't mocking him. It sounded like an earnest question, tinged with concern for his mental state.

  The back of his neck flushed with embarrassment. “His collar has binding runes for magic. He must have some capabilities, else they would not have kept him so restrained.” Sif gave him a deep look, but said nothing.

  Volstagg twisted to crack a spot on his spine and said jovially “We should bring him on a hunt to see how deep those animal instincts go.” The idea seemed to make his comrades giddy, bickering over who would teach his jotunn to hunt rabbits or sniff out clusters of binglesnipes. While the boys devolved into tussling in the sand of the arena, Sif moved closer to Thor.

  “You are fond of it already.” Thor looked across her face, expecting her to be accusatory. She smiled and adjusted the strap of a shoulder plate. “I do not blame you. It's a feisty little thing. Once he is cleaned and in better spirits he should join us. We can practice fighting with him.”

  “He is being pampered by my mother currently. I am afraid he may be useless to me by the end of the week.” He laughed. Sif chuckled with him and gave his shoulder a hard shove before trotting into the arena. A weight felt lifted off his shoulders. He was glad to have such supportive friends.

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  Upon entering the sewing room, Loki took a defensive stance and backed against the wall. There were 7 other women already seated in a circle who looked over to see the creature at the door and made startled exclamations at seeing a jotunn.

  Frigga bent down to pet his hair and murmur to him in soothing tones. He stayed pressed against the wall and didn't seem ready to join the group. The queen slowly got up to keep from startling him before making her way across the room to her designated seat, shoes clacking against the marble in the quiet room. A servant retrieved her needles and current project before drifting back to her own seat and kept a careful eye on the jotunn.

  “ladies, this is my sons new pet, Loki. He was found after the war in poor condition and Thor has been caring for him to bring him back to health.” A few of the ladies took pity at hearing this. “Loki doesn't understand our words, but understands body language, so please be gentle around him. If we ignore him he may join us soon.”

  With Frigga setting the example, the rest of the group looked back down at their sewing, chatting quietly and carefully with those around them. After a while of this, Loki had crept his way over to the queen without anyone noticing.

  The servant to her left gasped upon seeing him so close which caused him to jump and arch his back. Frigga tutted and began tenderly petting his hair. “There you are, my dear. Come sit on the rug.” Loki stayed where he was on the marble, just on the edge of the large, plush rug the women's cushions were placed on. It was obviously much cooler and therefore comfortable for the ice giant. Frigga continued to twirl his hair while he slowly relaxed against her skirts. To everyone's surprise, Loki began lightly purring and pressed his face into her dress as if embarrassed.

  The dam of confused emotions broke. Every woman cooed at this and began baby talking to him, finding his behavior adorable and quite endearing. Loki didn't know what to make of all this attention, but soon brought his face out from its hiding place to look around the room.

  Now that he was more comfortable, Frigga went back to sewing. Loki, to the delight of everyone in the room, gave a tiny mewl and rubbed his shoulder against her side. Frigga refused, but inclined her head to one of the younger girls near her. “Go make friends.”

  Loki looked to where she motioned. The girl quickly caught on and began clicking her tongue as one would to get a cats attention, reaching down her hand to show that she wanted to pet him. After a brief hesitation, he crawled to her.

  He sniffed her hand, leaned away to see what she would do, then slowly leaned forward for her to touch his head. Once she started scratching behind his ears he practically melted against her. Soon, all of the women wanted a turn with him, trading him off and bemoaning the fact that they had no treats for him.

  “such a good little creature you are.”

 “So unlike other Jotunn.”

“Our prince is so lucky to have something so precious.”

  Frigga smiled down at her embroidery, knowing that this would need to be a regular occurance.

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  Thor came to retrieve him after practice and found his runt resting his head on the lap of one of the wives of his father's advisers. He was purring loudly and seemed to be fighting sleep. 

  “Mother.” he said at a loss for words. She laughed at his open bewilderment before going over to retrieve the jotunn. He turned to her when beckoned, then seemed to shake himself awake enough to notice Thor was nearby. He sleepily crawled to his masters feet before flipping onto his side and stretching like a content cat. The women ‘aaaaw’ed and giggled.

  Thor bent to pick up his pet, cradling him much as he had the day before. This time, instead of hissing, he flopped against him and allowed himself to be carried.

  “Thor. Have you looked at the runes on his collar?”

  Thor looked up at his mother, then back at his pet's neck. He blushed. “Yes. I recognized a few binding runes, but… I ah.. don't know what all of them say.”

  She smiled at him warmly. “Yes, most of them are for binding, but not just magic.” she gave him a moment to think this through. He tried very hard to think of what else they could be binding and nothing came to mind.

  “What do you mean, mother?”

 “I mean that little Loki may not be what we think he is. A few marks are responsible for his state of mind.”

  “Are they hurting him?”

 “Not that I can tell. In fact, it may be good to keep it on him. We have no idea why it was put on him in the first place. With the level of power holding his magic at bay, he may be a force to behold.”

  Thor nodded, but still felt terribly conflicted. “so is he fully aware and just… trapped within himself?”

  Frigga kissed Thor's cheek and gave Loki one last pet. “It is impossible to tell without taking the collar off and seeing if he can answer for himself. Even if that is the case, he has been through so much hurt. Treating him with kindness will heal many wounds we cannot see.” Thor didn't know how to respond, so he gave his mother a peck on the cheek and carried his jotunn back to his room.

  Loki began purring lightly as he nuzzled his cold nose against Thors jaw. He had to admit that it felt good against his heated skin. He was thankful that the inner rooms of the castle were so cold for his pet. “Did those women spoil you? How can I make you a vicious attack beast when you curl against the lap of anyone who will pet you?” he asked teasingly. His little jewel huffed against his neck before succumbing to sleep.

Chapter Text

  Within a few days, Loki had regained his strength and his energy, bouncing around his room and knocking things off of tabletops. Thor tried scolding him, but it got him nowhere.
  His injuries were healing quickly, but his collar still gave him trouble. It was heavy and often rubbed his skin raw, but there was no latch and was the only thing holding his magic back. Thor couldn't risk removing it now. At least not until he had a suitable replacement.
  Today he had to go to a meeting with his father which Loki definitely could not attend. He was a distraction and his father wasn't overly fond of him yet. His mother was off world meeting with a queen who had just given birth, so she was not able to take him. That left his friends.
  Loki was not happy to see Sif who had kicked him viciously the first time they had met. Volstagg was large and slightly taller than Thor and reminded Loki of his last handlers. He hissed and hid behind Thor's legs, rumbling a warning growl when the usually happy man attempted to get near. Fandral talked too much and too loudly and made Loki uncomfortable. To everyone's surprise it was Hogun who made a connection with the beast. He simply crouched down with a hand extended, making no noise and staying as still as a statue. Loki kept a wide berth away from the others, but eventually came to sniff at Hogun and allowed him the honor of petting him.
  Thor sighed in relief, for he was close to being late already. He began walking away from the group to get away with minimal whining from his pet. “He cannot go outside or in hot places. Just keep him busy until I return. Thank you, my friends!”
  Loki didn't like Thor leaving. He rumbled under his breath and watched as his master turned the corner and disappeared. The warriors three debated on what to do with their day pet sitting and settled on taking him to the feasting hall where there would be plenty of room to let him bounce around. Thankfully, Loki followed them across the castle without wandering off.
  They got settled at a table with mead and various foods while Loki sniffed every corner of the room. He concentrated heavily on Thors ceremonial chair at the high table before clambering onto it and looking happy with his new perch. Fandral gave a hearty laugh but was quick to shoo him off before anyone saw him. No matter that he was animal minded, if anyone else knew of it he would be in the stocks.
  “I wonder why he is like this.” Sif said, tracking the jotunns movements as he serpentined around the tables. “None of his kind act like a wild animal. And he was locked away with such a heavy chain like they were afraid he would break out.”
  “Perhaps he caused a great deal of damage.” Volstagg replied between bites. “Thor says he tore apart his room that first night and he had barely enough energy to lift his head!”
  “Then why did they not kill him?” Hogun asked. “If he were simply a menace or some random wildling.”
  Sif leaned her arms against the table. “My first guess was that he was a pet to one of the princes. He was found in a royal antechamber.”
  “They sure had an odd way of treating him if that were the case.” Fandral put his feet up on the table and leaned back. “They must have been true monsters to starve and beat him the way they did.”
  “Jotunns are monsters.” Sif said as if reading it from paper. “Can we be surprised that they treat one of their own so badly?”
  Hogun hummed and turned to look for Loki. He had found a small serving girl who had a feather tied in her braid, which she was using to lead him around the room. He happily loped after her and batted at it when he was near, making her laugh and drawing the attention of an older servant who shooed him away. He hissed, but didn't pursue. Instead he came to rest under the table at Hoguns feet. The grim man reached down to give him a sympathetic pat. At least there was one jotunn who didn't seem so monstrous.
  Everyone at the table jumped as the doors burst open to three young boys chasing a large, squealing pig into the room, hooping and hollering and waving their herding sticks to try and corral the hog but unable to keep up with it. The few servants puttering around the hall screamed and ran for the kitchen door, falling over each other to make it out before the beast reached them. The warriors quickly got to their feet and attempted to help, but the pig had been oiled to keep anyone from grabbing it. It squealed and stumbled it's way around the room, knocking over chairs as it evaded any attempts at capture. For such a fat animal it was quick! Sif kept near the door and waited for it to come near, then lunged and grappled with it before Hogun accidentally scared it into making a sharp turn, knocking her off. She rolled into a table leg and winced when Fandral, who had been following quickly behind, tripped over her legs.
  In a flash Loki shot out from under the table and skidded a turn to keep up with the pig. Twice he was able to slash at it before it ran out of his grip.The warriors three and Sif watched in amazement as the two dashed out into the hall where Loki was finally able to pounce and sink his claws into its flank. The pig, which was about 200 lbs, fell to its side with a mighty thud and gave an unholy shriek that startled anyone nearby. Through its thrashing Loki did not let go. Once the group had caught up and wrapped a lead around its neck he released it and backed away to lick his claws clean. Fandral heatedly chastised the boys for allowing the pig to get away from them, especially within the castle.
  “We were preparing it for the cooks!” One said, already crying. “we didn't know it was so quick!”
  Sif stood in front of them with her hands on her hips, intimidating. “You three should count yourselves lucky that it didn't harm anyone. And be thankful that Prince Thor's Jotunn was able to catch it with minimal damage.”
  The three looked to the runt, curious about the creature but too shaken to stay. They muttered another apology before taking the pig back to the kitchens. The warriors all looked to Loki who seemed at ease about the situation.
  It was Fandral who broke the silence first. “ what a clever beasty you are! You were so quick and didn't tear that hog apart. I thought for sure we'd have a big mess on our hands.” he came to crouch in front of Loki and scratched behind his ears as he continued uttering praises at him. Loki seemed much more smitten with the loud mouth than before and purred at the treatment. Hogun grunted in affirmation as he also began patting his black hair, which caused Loki to practically vibrate with happiness.
  Sif laughed and came to join in. “Alright, so maybe he's not so bad after all. And it looks like no one needs to teach him how to hunt.”
  Everyone shared a grin. Volstagg ribbed Hogun. “Do you think we can teach him a trick before Thor gets back?”
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  The meeting was tedious as always, which was why Thor usually slipped out of going as often as he could. This one, apparently, had been too important to miss. A delegation of dwarves had heard that the dark elves had sinister plans that had been leaked to a few smiths. They wrote to king Odin at once to tell him of what they had heard.
  Thor wasn't concerned. Their military was still riding the high of victory and could be defeated by no one. Especially not the pitiful, unorganized ranks of the elves.
  Thor searched most of the castle before finding his friends at the west side of the castle. It was prime location where the open structure allowed wind to blow between the pillars, but the rounded roof kept them in cool shade. His mother had been sure to line the walkway with ferns and lilies that were watered by a natural spring nearby, which cooled the air and made it perfect for leisure. The group was sitting on benches lounging comfortably with little Loki stretched out against the floor. Thor tiptoed his way over to the jotunn to study him closely in the daylight.
  He certainly was a magnificent looking thing now that his wounds were healing. He was such a charming shade of blue with heritage lines making attractive patterns across his body and disappearing under his tunic. Never had he seen such a gentle looking jotunn. Thor wondered if he should let him grow out his horns, what would they look like? Would they curve? Would they only be a few inches long?
  Loki yawned and accidentally brushed a hand against his boot, causing him to blink sleepily up at him. He gave a contented smile and sat up to butt his head against Thors leg. Thor huffed a laugh and began stroking his hair back behind his ears. He was always so nice and cool. Thankfully he wasn't too uncomfortable with the weather.
  His friends began waking as well and quickly rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Fandral stretched and announced that he had something to show him.
  “Loki.” he called to the runt. Loki turned to look at him, recognizing his name. Fandral snapped his fingers and pointed down to his shoes. “Heel.”
Loki crawled over to him still looking tired, and sat where the blond had pointed. Fandral held his hand out. “Shake.” Loki stuck his hand out and placed it in Fandral's, staying still as the man shook his hand up and down. “Roll.” he commanded while circling a finger. Loki did a quick roll before sitting up again.
  Thor clapped at the tricks with a grin. “I dearly wish I had been here for this instead of being in that meeting.”
  “Oh, Thor-” Sif chuckled. “You don't know the half of what happened while you were gone.”

Chapter Text

 Thor got used to waking with Loki pressed close to him in some fashion. With the cool of the night, his body heat was of little concern to the jotunn who wanted physical contact more than anything. What a miserable life it must have had, trapped in that room on a short chain and no kindness. Now, Loki was completely devoted to him just as his mother had said he would be. Even raising his voice did not phase him anymore.

  The past month had been filled with exercising with his friends, meetings with his father, and working with his pet to build his trust. Loki was a spoiled brat, thanks to his friends and mother, but he was far too cute for Thor to be truly mad at him.

   This morning found Loki curled tightly against Thors right arm and making soft noises in his sleep. Thor swept a few strands of hair behind his ear and murmured “Loki” in a low rumble. Loki frowned and clung more tightly. “We need to get up. If we do not hurry we won't make it to the forest before sunrise.” Loki growled and peeked an eye at him, which was the least threatening thing Thor had ever seen.

  He sat up and caused Loki to tumble against him, earning him a bite to his hip. “Ow! You brat!” he yelped and jumped out of the bed, then checked the wound to find that the runt had only applied a light pressure and didn't break the skin.

  Loki hopped off the bed and did a full body shake before heading to the bathing chamber, most likely to relieve himself. That was another peculiarity that Thor couldn't wrap his mind around. Who would have trained him to do that? Surely not the princes. Sometimes Thor couldn't understand how smart Loki seemed when he wasn't chasing feathers or getting pampered by every female in the castle.

  Thor had commissioned a dark green tunic for his beast, long enough to reach his knees with slits up the side to mid thigh for easier movement. Perfect for today's activities. When Loki returned to his side he helped him into it and tied a thin sash around his waist. Loki admired himself in the mirror as Thor got dressed. When Thor was finished he noticed that Loki was eyeing him carefully in that oddly intelligent way of his, as if assessing his physique. Good thing Thor knew he was attractive or he might feel self conscious.

  Loki eyed the bed longingly and started to creep towards it while Thor was putting his boots on. “Loki. Heel!” the runt ducked his head, but came to his side anyway, pouting as they headed out into the dark early morning.

  The servants had prepared a pack for him and his friends that was waiting for him near the stables, as well as five horses prepared for a treck to the woods. Queen Frigga gave him a kiss on the cheek, then turned her attention the the crouching jotunn.

 “Loki, I am going to put a spell on you for protection against the heat. It will only last for today and may feel uncomfortable at first, but it is better than being too hot.” she said kindly as she began waving a hand over him. There was a light mist that seemed to absorb into the blue skin, then disappear as if it had never been there. Loki shuddered and whined, but stayed still. When it was all done Thor gave him a pat on the head and muttered a quick praise.

  Sif was the first to jump onto her saddle. “Last one to the forest has to build the fire pit!” she exclaimed before kicking her horse into action. The boys watched her for a moment as her figure became smaller and smaller across the field before their sleepy minds understood her challenge. Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun climbed onto their own steeds with much less grace and shot off into the distance after her.

  Thor turned to Loki and picked him up, settling him on his side to walk him to the horse. Loki tensed and pressed against him. “Shh it's alright. This is Martha and she is very sweet. We are going to ride her to the forest, doesn't that sound exciting?”

Martha was less than thrilled in the presence of a jotunn, but had been trained to stand still. That didn't put Loki at ease, though, as he was placed astride the leather saddle. Thor quickly slid behind him and wrapped an arm around his torso to keep him steady.

  His friends were already leagues ahead of him, so he would need to work quickly to catch up.

 Without hesitation he kicked the horses sides and leaned forward as she sprung alive, tearing across the field as fast as she could. Loki gave a squeal and twisted around as best he could to cling to Thor's shirt. Thor laughed and held him tighter.

 “It is alright, my pet.” he raised his voice to be heard over the rush of wind. “But if we do not hurry we will have to build the fire! And I do not want you out here when the sun comes up.”

  Loki looked to the East where the first tendrils of light were appearing across the purple sky. He then buried his face into Thor's chest again and whimpered.

   Thor gave him a sympathetic smile he couldn't see. They were coming up to Volstagg who was cantering to a trot, his horse unable to keep up a run with such a heavy weight. He gave them a rude gesture as they sped past, all while laughing good naturedly. Even with the threat of making the fire pit out of the way Thor did not stop his relentless pace. He was sure he could catch up with the rest if he kept going.

   He could see his friends ahead of him as well as the edge of the vast forest. He needed to make his victory quick. Loki yelped as the horse kept over a large rock and clung to Thor with all his might. Now his whines were higher pitched and more persistent.

  Fandral gave a mighty curse, but came to a full stop once Thor passed him. It seems he was ready to give up the fight but didn't want anyone to know it.  Hogun ducked lower on his horse, reducing the wind resistance, and moved in motion with his horse. Soon he and Thor were neck and neck. They switched leads back and forth for a good half mile before Hoguns horse stumbled on a dip and thankfully caught its footing before getting hurt. Unfortunately for him there was no catching back up since they were so close to the treeline.

  Sif looked over her shoulder at the prince catching up. “Be careful, my prince. Wouldn't want to exhaust yourself before the hunt begins.” she laughed and spurred her horse faster.

  Thor grunted at the insult and released his hold on Loki to tighten his grip on the reigns. He would be the first, if only to lord it personally over Sif! It became easier to navigate the terrain as the sun rose and lit each bump and crevice. Thor kept a steady stream of kicks against the flank of his horse, muttering encouragements to go faster through gritted teeth.

   “Ha!” Sif shouted as she passed the first set of trees right before Thor could pass her. “I win!” she swept the sweat from her face with a wide grin.

  Thor grumbled as he followed quickly after. His horse panted from the run, shuddering lightly from muscle soreness so early in the morning, but would soon recover. Thor smacked his leg in frustration.

 “I had an extra weight. And YOU took off early!”

  Sif shrugged her shoulders. “You received your horse when I did, my prince. It was your decision-”

  “keep your excuses. I need none of it.” he practically growled. It took him an extra moment to see past his anger to notice he still had someone clinging to his front and shaking. “Loki?” he called, reaching to touch his thin shoulders to pull him back. Loki refused at first, but Thor was insistent. He finally managed to get Loki's face away long enough to see the tears and distress.

 “Loki, what is wrong?” Thor asked. He leaned back even further in the saddle to see as much of the jotunn as possible. “You didn't get hurt, did you?”

  Sif rode up to their side. “He is probably scared. You are going very fast and he probably doesn't understand horseback riding.”

 Fandral and Hogun entered the forest together and took in the emotions of the group, seeing that Sif and Thor were both focused around Loki who was obviously very distraught. “What happened to little Loki?” Fandral asked and came to the other side. His horse was slightly shorter than Thors, so he was able to look up at the curled jotunn and pet his hair. “It's alright, Loki. You're safe. We will take care of you. Do you want to get down? Let us go look for the stream.” he kept uttering soothing words to the runt, coaxing him off the horse and helping him down to the grass. Loki crouched down onto all fours, still shaking and trying very hard to catch his breath. Once he was on the ground he stumbled away from the horses that felt as tall as ice giants and backed against a tree near the edge of the clearing. Fandral approached slowly, only stopping when Loki whined and shut his eyes.

   Volstagg circled his horse around and away from the group and tied it to a tree. He plodded over as quietly as he could and sat against another tree a few feet away. “My, my. Must have been an eventful first horse ride, eh? But look at that view!” he motioned to the open field they had run through moments before. With the sun fully over the horizon the dew was glistening and the sky had turned bright orange, fading into blue to the west. It was peaceful and quiet, so unlike the chase earlier. It was serene. Beautiful, full of colors not found on Jotunnheim, and it was nice to have a moment to take it in. Loki looked up at them and slowly calmed, seeing that the danger was over with. Volstagg scooted closer next to Fandral and ruffled the jotunn’s hair. “There we are, lad. All better?” Loki huffed at him and shook his head to try and get his hair to sit back the way he liked it. The two men laughed at the sight and got up to return to their horses.

  Loki peeked over to where Thor was, talking heatedly with Sif as Hogun watched with a scowl. He did not want to return while they were giving off such angry energy.

 “Apologize to him.” Sif demanded.

 “He can't understand me, what good would that do?” Thor scoffed. “I have nothing to apologize for. It was just a race.”

  Hogun stepped in and said “He may not fully understand our words, but he understands emotion. And right now you are giving off the wrong emotions.”

  “I am allowed to feel however I want!” Thor shouted and instantly regretted it. He looked over to where Loki was still huddled and saw him flinch at making eye contact. He hadn't done that in weeks and he had considered that a victory of patience. Now he was ruining it all over again.

   He let out a loud sigh and held a fist to the bridge of his nose with his eyes clenched shut. This was stupid. He shouldn't have to apologize to anyone. If anything, Sif should apologize for cheating and starting the race.

  But holding on to his anger was going to just make everyone upset. And he needed to show Loki that hunting was fun, for they would be doing it often in the future. He needed to be a good friend and a good owner. He was tired and upset and feeling called out on something unfair. But he just couldn't seem to release his feelings of rage.

  He jumped off his horse and started walking. No one said anything as he made a beeline into the foliage and out of sight.

 Sif rolled her eyes and motioned to the warriors three. “Come on, Volstagg. You get to make the fire pit.”

 The big man groaned, but obediently began collecting rocks for the border. Fandral and Hogun ushered Loki to follow after them deeper into the woods. Loki hesitated, looking a bit ill, but that was most likely from the misadventure he had just lived through.

  Within no time they had a fire pit cleared and ready. Hogun took pity and helped his friend collect firewood while Sif whittled long sticks to spear whatever they caught over the fire. Loki laid close by, mildly interested in what they were doing, but also looking more and more nauseous as time went on.

  Hogun returned with an armload of firewood and dramatically dumped it next to Sif, nearly jabbing her with some of the branches.

“Hey!” She exclaimed and scooted away, glaring up at the man. “Watch where you put those!”

 Hogun said nothing but glared back with equal heat. He stomped over to a nearby rock and rummaged in his pack for his whetstone to sharpen his knives. Fandral and Sif gave each other a look, but didn't know what to make of his mood. Volstagg clamored out of the treeline into the clearing with only a few twigs which all seemed to be pine.

 Sif chuffed at his bundle and shooed him away. “We can't burn that, idiot. Evergreens produce too much smoke.”

  “That is what I told him.” Hogun said sharply as his stone slid across his blade. Well, that mildly explained his mood. Why was everyone so angry all of a sudden?

  Fandral stood and slung his quiver across his back. “What is the matter with you all? We came out here to hunt and have fun. You are all acting like your boots are full of rainwater. Were we not scolding Thor moments ago for his attitude?”

 “Get off your pedestal, Fandral.” Sif snarled. “You're not perfect!”

  “I never claimed to-”

“Go be useful and get some water from the stream.” Volstagg said dismissively. Fandral looked around the camp to all his friends, wondering why they were acting like this. He sighed and put down his arrows once again, then gathered the water horns.

 “You all had better be in a better mood when I return.” He said under his breath. “Loki, do you want to come with me?”

  Loki rubbed his cheek against the grass miserably, looking very ill. Probably best that he stay here. Fandral shrugged his shoulders and began his trek to the freshwater spring a few meters away.

     His short journey was tense and he had hoped that being alone amid the trees would calm him. But the anger just grew with each step, burning behind his sternum and coiling like an ugly snake. He wanted to punch something so badly that he couldn't keep his thoughts straight long enough to think about why he was so mad. 

   He made it to the stream where he bent in the dirt to uncork the horns and dip them in the water. While switching out one filled horn for an empty, he noticed something shiny upstream. It was a tiny little sparkle, but enough to catch his attention. 

   Fandral scooted over to it and dipped his hand into the ice cold water to retrieve it. When he took it out and looked upon it he jolted with the realization that it was an arrow. An elven arrow. 

   He suddenly looked around the forest for signs of enemies, but could see nor sense any. He had been so distracted by his anger that he hadn't thought to look around him! He had to make it back to the group to tell them in case there was danger! 

   He made it to the clearing to see that Thor was back and holding Loki up by one of his arms, growling something angrily at him. His entire face was red from pure rage and Loki was yowling and clawing to get away. Everyone else watched with their own nasty glares and did nothing to stop him. Something was very wrong indeed!

Chapter Text

  Thor's chest heaved with the effort of holding back his full fury. At this point, he wasn't even sure what he was angry about. It was everything. It was the way his shirt rubbed at his sore shoulders. It was the way his friends stood in a circle around him. It was the humid heat of the forest. It was the weakness of his pitiful jotunn that he had been dumb enough to spare and waste his time on.

  Loki yelped when Thor shook him and tried to stand in the awkward stance Thor had forced him in. Sif spat at him.

  Fandral didn't understand at first, but the longer he stood the more he agreed with their hatred. This forest was annoying. Everything was annoying. LOKI was annoying. He stomped over to where the two stood and yanked on the runts hair. “Stop making those noises or I'll give you something to howl about.”

  “He is my beast, none have the right to touch him but me.” Thor shouted, punctuated by a roll of thunder from above, and pushed Fandral away. He stumbled, twisting his ankle and falling into the still wet grass. The dew soaked through his pants to the skin and made his skin crawl at the awful feeling. A flare of new anger took hold of him.

  Fandral launched himself at Thor and the two tumbled to the ground, grappling with each other in the dirt near the fire pit. Volstagg, Hogun, and Sif couldn't handle the overwhelming need to punch something and took this opportunity to join the fight, mindless with anger and the need for violence.

 Loki crawled to the safety of the trees. He whimpered and looked down to his arm where a large, hand shaped bruise was blooming on his bicep. He felt so sick and dizzy. He wanted to be back at the castle in bed. He wanted to be anywhere but here. His illness took hold before he could run and he doubled over to expel everything in his stomach until there was nothing left. He groaned and scooted far enough away from his mess to flop to the ground without landing in it.

   The group traded blows, preferring to feel the crack of skin on skin rather than using their weapons. Hogun dug his fingers into Sifs neck until she collided their heads together and slipped away. Fandral sent a kick to Thor’s side and followed with another to his legs. Thor growled and whipped around, punching his jaw hard enough to send him spinning to the ground. Volstagg gripped Hoguns arm and lifted him off the ground, attempting to flip him and send him crashing head first, but Hogun managed to slip his hold and bend the big man's arm back until he cried out.

  Fandral landed on his back, his head hitting the ground hard enough to daze him for a moment. He looked out and over to where Loki lay huddled under the foliage of a nearby tree. He grinned wolfishly at the little runt.

“Loki.” he called and got the welps attention. “Heel.”

  Loki furrowed his brow, understanding the order but most definitely not wanting to obey. He stayed where he was, but lifted himself into a position where he could run if needed. Fandral rolled onto all fours and laughed. “Little Loki. Little runt. Come here.” he crawled towards him.

  Loki backed away. He growled warningly and snapped his teeth at the man which only made Fandral seem more excited. When the man leapt to his feet and shot towards him the jotunn stumbled into a run in the opposite direction.

   “A hunt!” Fandral shouted and raised his fist. The others stopped their fighting to take in the situation and quickly began the chase.

  Loki zig zagged around clumps of trees to take advantage of his low center of gravity. Fandral, drunk on his anger, wasn't as quick to follow his turns and lost precious inches each time. Loki darted under low branches and quickly changed directions in hopes of causing him to lose sight of him, but Fandral was too good of a hunter for such a ploy.

  Thor quickly caught up and grabbed the man's shoulder to fling him away. “It is mine!” he snarled and pushed himself to run faster. The others tried to keep up.

  Loki waited until he was far enough ahead that he couldn't see the group and ducked under a fallen tree. The group ran past, practically frothing at the mouth and panting heavily. Loki waited a beat, then climbed out of his spot to run back the way he came. The group was too far gone to notice they were chasing nothing and Loki used this to his advantage.

   He returned to the edge of the forest where they had entered and started longingly across the open expanse. The jotunn wouldn't dare run across in broad daylight, still fearful of being burnt despite the spell on him, and decided to climb as high as he could to avoid detection. Once the sun fell he would disappear into the tall grass and go back to the castle. For now he needed rest. He was still dizzy, but the illness seemed to be lighter here at the edge of the forest. He felt better the further away from the forest he got.

 --------------

 The warriors became beastly the longer they stayed in the forest. Each of them overwhelmed with anger and a vague idea that they were supposed to hunt. They became crazed, wide eyed, feral. They stopped running after the jotunn mongrel and instead turned towards each direction of the forest in search of something to tear apart. The molten anger within their chests grew with each step they took towards the heart of the forest.

   Hogun took to punching a thick tree with his bare fists when he could find nothing else. Everyone else was gone and he became absorbed in his task. He hardly noticed when a dark figure peeked around a tree and readied their bow. It was the sound of the notching of the arrow that caused him to stop and turn around.

  He barely spun out of the way in time to avoid the dark metal arrow from sinking into his heart. It instead thunked deeply into the tree he had been using. Hogun turned to his new enemy and prepared to attack, but his opponent was much better prepared. He had no weapon, he was exhausted from being on edge for hours, he was slow and sloppy from his anger. There was no way he could hope to take this mysterious enemy head on and he had at least enough waits about him to retreat. The being did not follow him.

Chapter Text

Warning: brief violence until the page break

  The skies rolled constantly with dark clouds and lightning. Thor was on a rampage.
  He marched through the forest in pursuit of any living creature he could wrestle to the ground and beat to a bloody pulp. When the anger became too much he would punch at the trees, usually breaking them or causing them to fall. He shouted to the sky and felt a flicker of ease when the lightning flashed back.
  The whistle from an arrow was masked by the sound of thunder and caught Thor by surprise, more so when it lodged deeply into his shoulder. He howled, not from pain, but from the rekindling of his rage. He twisted the arrow out with no care to the damage the exit caused and threw it in the general direction of where it had come from. Once he spotted the cloaked figure on the distance he let out a battle cry before launching himself.
  The archer attempted to flee from the asgardian berserker, but is too slow to react before his head is smashed into a trunk. The spray of blood and other matter hits his arm and chest to mix with the dirt and sweat covering him. The newly animalistic thrill of the hunt goads Thor to look for more of these mysterious prey. It starts to rain.
--------------- end of violence ---
  Loki blinks awake when a drop hits his face. The skies are now roiling and dark. Perfect for him to make his escape.
  He gently climbs down the tree, keeping an ear out for trouble, then sits at the base for a minute to let his senses wander. There are no immediate threats nearby. Then again, it is hard to hear for snapping twigs when it is raining and thundering so hard.
  Loki slips to the edge of the meadow and sees the distant pinpricks of light from the direction of the castle. It will be a long journey, but it is better than staying in this forest that makes him feel ill. And better to get away from the dangerous aesir.
  He is about to step out into the clearing when a flash of lightning illuminates a figure near the treeline to his left. The being makes its way towards him, obviously noticing him there. No chance to hide. He is already exposed. Loki makes a run for it across the field and hopes that he will be quick enough.
  His master gives a mighty yell and charges in his direction. Loki yelps and sprints on all fours as quickly as his weak body can go. Thor is so much bigger than him. So much stronger. He cannot allow himself to be caught.
  Thor salivates at the thought of his prize. He no longer recognizes who or what it is, but it is running and it is sport for him to chase. His teeth gnash at the thought of ripping it apart. He picks up speed until he can't push himself any further and starts to gain ground against it.
  Loki cannot weave back and forth as he had before. His fear won't allow him to deviate. He must reach his goal! But already he is tiring and he can only now see the spires of the tallest towers in the distance. There is no way he can reach it, especially with his feet slipping against the wet grass.
  Thor dives and grasps the thing around its waist, then pins it to the mud triumphantly. It squirms and cries out when he grabs it by the hair with one arm, then slips a hand around its throat with the other.
  Loki becomes paralyzed with his fear. He cannot move and only lets out a low keen as Thor manhandles him and pulls his hair. A large calloused hand grips his neck and tightens achingly slow. The wild aesir above him seems to revel in the torture of it.
  His hand slips beneath the collar. Just when Loki feels he is going to pass out, the hand loses its grip. He takes in greedy gulps of air, getting rain water in his lungs and coughing it all up. Thor keeps his hand resting against his throat, but is no longer strangling him. When Loki looks back up at him he looks confused.
   “Loki?”
  The jotunn tries to squirm away, but Thor readjusts his hold to cradle him against his lap. They stay there for a few moments as Loki calms down in the familiar scent and Thor comes to grips with what he had almost done.
  Once they are both calmed and completely soaked, Thor looks to the forest where his friends were still wandering around, probably searching for something to fight just as he had been. He wanted to go back in and fight the dastardly foes who had put them under some kind of enchantment, but he needed to get Loki back to the castle first and tell his father.
  He pet Loki’s wet hair and kissed his forehead. “You are such a strong creature. I'm so sorry for what I did.” he muttered. Loki butted his nose against Thors jaw and mewled. All was forgiven. Thor stood with him still cradled in his arms. The skies began to clear slowly as he trudged back to the castle.

Chapter Text

The king and queen were waiting for him, visibly distressed in their own ways. Eir and her assistants were quick to usher Thor over to them to check him over as quickly as possible, since the chances of him staying put for a full examination were nonexistent.

  “Father, there are enemies in the southern forest.” he blurted quickly. He handed Loki off to his mother and showed the drying blood on his arms. “I took one out, but they are quick and disguise themselves. They put some sort of enchantment on any who enter the forest. We all became angry within moments and split ways.”

  Frigga held Loki against her like a child. It was amazing how he could curl into such small balls when he was almost as tall as Thor himself when he stood. “I can feel dark energy upon you, but Loki is clean. I assume the bindings on his collar kept all enchantments from reaching him.”

  Thor nodded and reached over to pet his jotunn's hair. “Indeed. He was sickly from it, and it was only when I left the forest and had my hand under the collar itself that I broke free of its hold.” He turned back to his father. “ Sif and the Warriors Three are still within the forest, though I know not how they fare. We lost each other at some point and became so animal minded that we couldn't recognize one another.”

  Odin nodded and sent for Tyr. When the man hurried to his king's side, Odin told him of the situation and to have his men be ready to incapacitate, but not harm, Thors companions. Tyr motioned to his head officers and set off to get his men ready.

  Frigga came close so that Loki could reach out and grab at his neck, stretching himself between the two and climbing into Thors arms to snuggle. Thor laughed and rubbed his cheek against the top of his head. “Alright, you spoilt beast.”

 “Come inside and tell me what happened.” Frigga motioned and lifted her skirts to ascend the stairs. Thor followed after her.

-----------

   Loki lay across Thors lap in utter contentment. He had gotten food, he wasn't feeling sick, his master wasn't angry, and he was getting scratches. He began purring loudly.

  Thor smiled sadly at his pet while he finished the tale. “And after all we did to him he acts as if none of it happened. I tried to kill him, but it only took a moment to make him not afraid.”

  A servant brought over a tea tray and set it down before disappearing against the wall of the dark room. Another servant finished restoking the fireplace. Frigga poured herself a cup and stirred in a small amount of sugar before answering. “He loves you. As I said he would.” she took a sip. “That collar must be more powerful than we thought. You only had a few fingers under it and it broke you out of a berserker rage.”

  Thor nodded and idly stroked down Loki's back. “I want to remove it. But I don't know how.”

  She smiled like she knew a secret and turned to look at the fire. “You will know how to do it when it is most important, love. Little Loki still has some healing to do in the meantime.”

   There was no arguing with a seer, so Thor just nodded numbly and slumped further against the couch. “I do wish to be there to rescue my friends.”

 “You are too susceptible to the dark magic. It already clung to you once and would be harder to lift a second time. They will be fine, my dear.”

 The three fell into silence with Loki rumbling his happiness until the soldiers returned much later with his friends. They were each hogtied to the backs of their horses, shouting and angry but thankfully uninjured.

Chapter Text

 Thor awoke to find himself in bed with Loki nuzzled into his side. It was quiet and dark, probably close to sunrise, and there was a light knocking on his door. He got out of bed as quietly as he could to leave Loki and answer it.  There was an apprentice to the medical hall waiting for him nervously. He handed the prince a note, bowed, then scurried away, most likely back to Eir.

   Thor took the note to the window to see the writing by the light of the stars. It seemed his friends were awake, fully healed, and asking for him. He didn't hesitate to get dressed and make his way to the medical hall to greet them.

  All four were sitting up, talking lightly and nodding their heads in agreement to whatever was being said. When Thor approached it was Fandral who smiled first. It made the tension behind his shoulder blades disappear and he smiled back.

 “I am glad you are back to normal, friends.” he said happily. Everyone else agreed, looking incredibly tired and worn down.

 Hogun cleared his throat and asked quietly “How is Loki?”

 The group became quiet and sad again. The warriors three looked to Thors side and found the fact that the little jotunn wasn't here to be very telling. Fandral clenched his fists and looked away. They had worked so hard to earn his trust and they had dashed it all.

  Thor surprised them all by laughing. “He is hale. I thought it best not to wake him for he was deeply asleep when you sent for me.” This was obviously not what they had expected to hear, if the skeptical looks were anything to go by.

 Volstagg sat up further on the bed. “He will not want to see us when he wakes. We were horrible to him.”

   Sif nodded. “It will take a great while to build that trust again. If we can at all.”

  “Friends, you misunderstand.” Thor assured them. “Loki is alright. I think he realizes it wasn't of our own doing, for he was curled to my side moments ago.”

  “Your majesty.” One of Eirs assistants appeared from behind the cloth divider and shushed them. “There are other patients sleeping. You will have to come back tomorrow morning.”

  Thor gave her a dazzling apology smile and left, telling them over his shoulder that Loki would accompany him when next he came.

-------------

 The All-Father stood to greet his son in his throne room. With a quick motion he ordered the guards to leave so he may speak privately.

  “What news have you of the events in the forest?”

  Thor held out a scroll with each account his friends have given to the royal scribe. “Fandral found an elven arrow before we succumbed to the dark magic in place. It is the dark elves, father. They pitted us against each other. They wanted us to become animal minded.”

  Odin hummed and skimmed the writings. “Do you have any ideas why?”

  Thor straightened his shoulders. “To make us seem weak.”

 Odin shook his head with a disappointed tilt of his lips. “You are looking at the simple answer. It is much more than that.” He threw the scroll onto the seat of the throne and took gungnir in hand. With a sweep of his arm a display of lights showing Thor himself in his berserker state. Thor grimaced and blushed hotly at the reminder of his weakness. “You are our best warrior, my son. This makes you a target, if you can be separated from your men.” with another motion of his hand image-Thor was tearing through the castle, ripping apart tapestries and people and the soldiers hesitated to take him down. Because of their uncertainty, Thor is able to continue his rampage. The real Thor is ashamed that this might have been a real scenario.

   “They would not have needed to act at all to have us weakened. All they needed was to put you against asgard. Fill you with dark magic and hate.” Odin looked weary as he closed his hand and allowed the images to fade. “The archers were to force you towards the castle. They did not expect you to break free so quickly.”

   Thor was horrified of what this meant for him. “Father… I can still fight-”

  “No, Thor.” Odin scowled at him and hit gungnir against the marble floor. “I am ordering you to stand down until we fully realise the threats presented to us. If you, of all warriors, fall victim to their wicked plans, then Asgard will fall.”

  He stood in silence for a moment, letting it sink in. “That is not fair.” he stated dumbly as his indignant anger boiled within him.

  “Life is not fair. WAR is not fair.” Odin declared. “Have you learned nothing? Once you are king you cannot run headfirst into trouble!” His gaze softened as he took the steps down to stand before his son. He rested a wizened hand on a broad shoulder. “Thor, if it had only been your warrior companions, it would not be such a threat. But you are so mighty, so important, that our people would never be able to do what was necessary if you should fall to the curse again. Do you understand?”

   Thor shook the hand off his shoulder. “You think me weak for becoming enchanted.” he accused through gritted teeth.

  Odin grabbed him by the arm once again, firmly this time. “I never said that. It is not weakness, for it is something all men are susceptible to.”

  Thor huffed and looked away. “What would you have me do?”

   “Continue training. Keep yourself ready. If the time comes, you will be here to defend the castle. You will not go out looking for trouble.”

   Thor nodded, bowed, and went to his rooms. The skies crackled with energy in his wake.

Chapter Text

  The door banged against the wall and knocked a few books off the shelf as Thor came storming into his rooms. Loki jumped up, arching his back and hissing before seeing that it is Thor. He settled again slowly, yawning and keeping an eye on him.

  Thor doesn't know what to do with himself other than punch things and his room is not the place to do it. He jerkily changed into his sparring clothes, getting frustrated at his shirt catching against his belt, and stomped his foot. He grunted and slammed the wardrobe shut, then left without even looking in the Jotunns direction. Loki went back to sleep, unconcerned with the tantrum he just witnessed.

  Thor threw himself mindlessly into training for the next few hours to keep himself from thinking about his father. He sweats himself sick by midday, when everyone else on the field had given up and gone to rest somewhere cool. The skies were now cloudless, bright, and warm. Thor hated it.

  He ripped a sandbag dummy off the stick and hurled it across the field. He did not truly feel any better. If anything he felt more hopeless. He felt like he was being punished for being good at fighting. Since no one else was here, Thor sat in the dirt and put his head in his hands.

    “You are angry and you have a right to be.” Thor looked up to see general Tyr standing in front of him. The man was twirling a training sword. “But know that a smart leader knows when he is more of a liability than a help.”

  He stood and brushed the dirt from his leggings, then picked up his own sword. “I know, Tyr.”

  “Do you? Then what do you plan to do while we are off fighting the enemy?”

  Thor frowned and took a fighting stance. “Defend the castle, as the All-Father has commanded.” He quickly blocked a hit to the side.

   Tyr continued to send blow after blow, beating him back steadily until Thor, exhausted and overheated, fell back completely and lay panting on the ground. The general stood over him for a moment before helping him to stand. Tyr clasped the princes forearm and leaned in closer. “The queen says to tell you that your place at the castle will come with hard choices.”

 “What does that mean?”

Tyr shrugged. “She is a seer. Nobody knows what she means.”

Chapter Text

  Loki is up and sniffing around his room when he comes inside. The jotunn immediately comes to his side, looking very unimpressed and begins nudging his legs. Thor sighs and reaches down to pet him. “I know, Loki. I will feed you. Goat cheese and some frozen fish, how does that sound?”

  He called for a servant to bring him lunch and prepare a cool bath. In the meantime he sat back in one of his lounge chairs with Loki held tight on his lap so he could soak in the cold of his skin. Perhaps he had overdone it with training.

  Loki seemed pleased with his lunch and with watching his master take a bath. He came close and touched the water carefully, then backed away with a growl when he found it still too hot for his liking. Thor laughed and flicked some water at him which earned him a hiss.

 Afterwards, when he was dressed, he motioned for Loki to follow him out to the hall. Loki loped after him, keeping close as they made their way to the medical wing. Volstagg was sleeping, but everyone else was doing stretches on their beds with the limited mobility Eir had allowed them.

  Everyone waited to see what Loki would do upon seeing them, but he sauntered over without much care, sniffed the air, then jumped onto Hoguns bed and mewled and stretched onto the covers against the mans legs. Hogun gave him a startled smile and scratched the runt behind the ear. Sif slipped out of bed to come coo at him.

  Fandral laughed. “Well that is a surprise.”

  Loki nudged his cheek against Sifs hand and gave a quiet rumble. She couldn't hold back the warm smile creeping onto her face. “You are full of surprises, aren't you?”

  “Speaking of surprises, my father has banned me from joining any upcoming battles with the elves.” Thor said hotly. He felt justified when his friends reacted with surprise and anger as well. Everyone else so far had acted as if it made sense, which it obviously didn't.

  Volstagg came awake at the sound of his friends arguing. “What? What is- oh hello, little Loki.” the man leaned over to ruffle his hair, which Loki did not enjoy.

  “He is holding back Asgards greatest weapon!” Fandral hollered. Eir shushed them from somewhere down the hall.

 Volstagg turned to Thor with confusion. “Are you not joining us to beat back the elves?”

  “I can't. The All-Father has ordered me to stay back and defend the castle.”

  “But-”

  Sif held up a hand to stop Volstagg from continuing. “You're about to cross dangerous territory. If the All-Father decrees it, then we need to cope with it.” Though she didn't sound happy about it. “In the meantime we will continue to train.”

  Thor sat next to his pet at the foot of the bed with a mighty huff. Loki came to rub against his side with a happy chirp and everyone silently melted internally at the sight. Thor in particular.

   They sat in a deep, awkward silence for a while before Eir came to check their wounds. Thor got up quickly to avoid being noticed and forced to undergo an examination, of which he would fail. He had many cuts and bruises that she would fuss over.

  “Loki, heel.” he pointed to his shoes. Loki hopped down from the medic bed and crawled over to him, then followed him back to the royal wing. Thor had much on his mind and needed to speak with his mother.

  ------------

     Frigga was more than happy to see him, but Thor thinks to himself that it is more for Loki than him. Loki stays for a moment to receive pets from the queen, then makes his way into the sewing room. Thor can hear many happy squeals and women making baby talk to his pet, so he decides not to pursue the jotunn. 

   "Mother, do you have some secret knowledge about why I am to be stuck here and not go to battle?" He asked in a harsh whisper. "Because I would dearly like to hear it. " 

  Frigga jut smiled and said "I always have secret knowledge." She stood on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. "But I cannot share it. You know this. Believe me when I say you will be happy with the results." 

   He would get no more out of her it seemed. It didn't help to hear that he would like how it all ended because that could mean anything. Does he get treasure? He wouldn't have earned it. Is it just satisfaction that the enemy is gone? Not knowing is driving him mad. But seers cannot share their visions verbally, for fear of changing the course. That is why his mother is so busy with a new tapestry. Thor wishes it were done now. 

    He kisses his mother on the cheek as well. "I am going to speak with general Tyr about training the younger warriors. May I leave Loki with you?"

   "Oh please do." She said with a laugh. "The girls are smitten."

    Thor peeked his head around to see that, indeed, many girls and women were swarmed around the runt, speaking nonsense to him and petting him. Loki looked lost, but he wasn't hissing or trying to get away.  He would get used to this level of attention soon. Thor shook his head and left him to it. 

Chapter Text

 The prince spent most every day training with Tyr and his men, sparring with anyone who felt like sparring, resting only when he became so thirsty he couldn't speak, and trying very hard not to think about what was coming.

 In the evening he would curl up with Loki on his lap, who for some reason never seemed to mind his heated skin, and eat his dinner with the jotunn. His life was looking very different from how he had imagined it, he thought as he held out another piece of melon for his beast to eat from his hand.

  “You are officially the most spoiled thing in the nine realms.” he laughed. Loki purred in a deep and contented manner as he fell asleep against Thors leg. He leaned down and touched the metal collar to inspect it once again. He should remove it and see what sort of abilities Loki has. His plan to make him into a fighter will never work if he cant access his magic, but to do so may be their undoing. If Loki is as powerful as his mother hinted, what if he turns against them? What if the magic explodes from being pent up? They could not risk finding out with another enemy lapping at their heels.

  “You wouldn't hurt us.” Thor whispers at night as he strokes black hair away from Loki's sleeping face. He feels so sure of it at times that he wants to rip the metal band apart. But in the daylight he is not so sure. Loki is devilishly playful. He doesn't like to be left alone. He is destructive. And that is how he is when the collar is on. With power to back him up and who knows what sort of mindset, Thor could potentially be unleashing a true threat.

   For now Loki spends his days chasing children around the castle, being pampered by everyone he came across, tearing apart unattended things he felt like destroying, and sleeping on any surface but preferably upon the cold marble.

  It had been almost a month since the forest encounter. Every soldier was preparing for battle every day in the sweltering heat, sparring and preparing weapons and getting tents and blankets ready for travel. Odin had informed the generals that they would travel to the burial place of the ether, a secret location that only he and Heimdal had known until now due to its turbulent and dangerous nature.

  And Thor would stay here during all of it. He didn't want to feel useless, so he poured everything he had into preparing the troops. Loki would receive the enchantment from his mother almost every day so that he could play in the shade outdoors with the younglings. Thor loved knowing that he at least wouldn't be completely alone when all the others left.

  When the jotunn first started coming outside and saw Thor fighting he immediately jumped to his side and started hissing at the opponent. The man found it so funny that he dropped his sword and had to kneel on the ground from laughing so hard. The other men around the field chuckled and jokingly hollered for Thor to call off his vicious attack beast’. Thor had to leave the field to calm Loki down and get him to stay with one of his friends.

  He did a few practice rounds with Volstagg holding the runt against his lap, looking over to assure him that he was ok and it was all just a sport. Eventually Loki caught on and was able to watch without trying to defend him. A few days later and Loki was completely over it, looking for something to keep himself entertained. He found that he liked chasing and being chased by the children of warriors who came to see their fathers practice. He was limited to the shade of trees and the open air hallways of the nearby castle but the children often tired easily, so distance wasn't an issue. When the little ones had had enough running they would lay side by side under a great oak to nap. The men at first didn't know what to make of him, but soon got used to seeing him dash between their legs or hide behind them or pounce playfully at their children. He became a constant fixture.

   On days that were too sunny, Loki would stay inside to be with Frigga and her sewing group. Surprisingly, Thor was questioned by everyone who passed by where his little shadow was.

  The pattern was broken when Heimdall reported that the ether had been uncovered and had a host; some midgardian female who had fallen into a rip in reality that led her to the site. Thor had to stand and watch as his citizens left to fight the menace without him. Loki pressed against his side comfortingly.

   Once the bifrost was closed, the open fields felt so quiet and empty. The day was slightly cloudy and calm and gave no indication that there was a war happening off planet somewhere far away. Thor turned back to the training yard to let off some steam, his faithful pet following close behind.

  He hadn't made it halfway before the sound of thunder pierced the sky. Thor turned around to see a jagged, rippling black crack in the distance open slowly.

  Loki backed away and growled, flattening himself against the ground. Thor couldn't take his eyes off of the anomaly.

  A palace guard came running to his side. “Sire! The All-Father commands that you come back to the castle immediately!”

 “What?” he blinked and broke away from his daze. The man seemed scared.

   “Please, Queen Frigga is going to lower the protective barrier.”

  Thor stumbled into action and took off towards the castle with his jotunn running after him. The guard lifted the horn he kept at his hip to his lips and let out a resounding blare, followed by the guards at each watchtower. Once all five horns sounded, a glittering golden curtain fell in a dome around the castle.

  Off in the distance, hundreds of men came pouring out of the split in the field, angry and animalistic. After all of the Asgardian soldiers filled the hills, elves of a different complexion than Thor had ever seen followed after. Leading them was a powerful looking man who lifted one hand and sent a ball of energy at the protective dome. Thor felt relieved when it held, but quickly paled when the second ball was followed by a crackling sound. Thor needed to find a way to fight this mage and quickly.

Chapter Text

  Frigga and a team of mage women began quickly chanting and putting up as many protection spells that they could.

  “Mother, what do we do? What did you see in your visions?” Thor asked and held his breath as another crack appeared.

  The queen winced as a protection spell was shattered. “Those tears have created multiple possibilities and the few I have seen continue to shift in and out of my vision.” she looked distressed. “At no point did I see the mortal woman falling into their grasp. The ether has been activated faster than any reality I forsaw.”

  Thor was distressed at this information. The leisure he felt when his mother assured him that he would like the end results of this battle was completely gone. Now there was no telling how this would end.

  “I have to release Loki.” Thor said. Frigga attempted to say something over the noises around them, but suddenly everything became chaos when the golden dome splintered completely. The women were ushered further into the castle with Thor standing ready to defend their retreat. He had no idea how to win this if all his best men were against him, acting as the first in line to fight.

  Loki snarled and bit at one of the warriors who came near, sending him to the ground. Thor broke out of his despair and came to the realization that he would have to incapacitate them long enough to find the source of their aggression. But he and Loki would need to combat so many friends to get to the elves.

  He started by dealing blows to their legs but, after a few ankles cracked and the next wave discovered his plan he had to switch it up to knocking them in the head. Not hard enough to kill, but not light enough to allow them to get back up again.

  His beast stayed by his side through it all and attacked any who tried to stab Thor from behind. He yelped when a man grabbed him by the collar and hurled him in Thors direction.

  “Hold!” A particularly grotesque elf stepped through the parting crowd of frothing Asgardians, waving them back. The silence that followed made his ears ring. Thor took a minute to catch his breath before giving a battle cry and rushing towards him. With the snap of his fingers four men stood in his way and wrapped their arms around him, holding him back.

  Loki growled and crept forward. The elf laughed.

 “What a pitiful beast you are. Chained to this boy and kept from your potential. I wonder what you could do with a real master.” he taunted and gripped him by the collar. He whispered something in a dead language too quiet for Thor to hear, but he saw the purple energy that came from his hands and clung to Loki's skin like oil. The jotunn whimpered and pushed away from him, but the elf was too strong and Loki was visibly exhausted. "Now you shall use your magic for none but me."

 Once the enchantment had burrowed into the blue skin he used both hands to grip the collar and pull. Thor gave a startled cry when, in a blinding light, the metal tore in two.

  Once Thor could see again, he watched as Loki came up to a crouch, panting wildly but slowly collecting himself. Then, beyond all belief, Loki began to rumble a laugh. A real, manic laugh that grew in volume until he was fully standing, squaring his shoulders and facing the dark elf like a man.

 "You poor fool. You will soon see that I bend to no master." Loki flexed his fingers before calling forth ice to his hands. The elf gulped in surprise.  

Chapter Text

The face off was rather anticlimactic, given how much of a threat Malekith had been for Thor. Apparently he was nothing for the likes of Loki.

  “Loptr.” The jotunn had corrected him. “Though that is the name of the creature I was before.”

   “And what are you now?” Thor asked. They stood on the steps of the palace as the healers checked over the fallen men on the battlefield in the distance. The change from an assured loss to a quick victory left Thor's head spinning. He did not know what to make of this dangerous, new being before him.

  The jotunn paused and smiled. “I have grown accustomed to the title Loki. Perhaps I shall keep it.” he slowly rest a hand upon Thors shoulder. “After all, it was given to me by an ally.”

 Something warm flopped in Thors stomach and traveled up to his sternum. It was similar to how he felt when Loki would cuddle into his arms. But thinking about that made Thor feel ashamed.

  “I am grateful to hear you say that, but… I feel undeserving, for I could have released you at any time and did not. I kept you as a pet.”

  Loki took back his hand and stared at him deeply. Thor couldn't help but think he looked regal with the setting sun against his back. “Much worse has been done to me. And by family, no less.” he looks away with a light purple blush of his own. “I heard your reasons and find them without fault. And when the time came you had intended to release me. That speaks highly of your true motivations.”

  “My motivations?” he asks dumbly as he takes in what Loki was admitting to. He remembered. Everything. Gods there were so many things he had to repress from his memory.

  Loki looked back to him and smiled. It was not malicious, but it was playful. “You did tell anyone who would listen that I was to be some attack dog of yours, yet all you and your mother ever did was spoil me. As you yourself said, I am the most spoilt beast in all the nine realms.” and here he laughs at his own joke, but Thor flushes with further embarrassment. Loki gives him a dazzling smile. Thor takes a minute to appreciate it, for he hadn't truly imagined Loki capable of such a thing. “If I had been released from the collar when you first found me I would have destroyed this entire planet out of resentment that any should think to best me.”

   They shared a moment in silence before Loki continued. “The rage inside cooled with each gentle touch I was given. Never had anyone treated me like I was worth something. Over time I grew to love you, big great oaf that you are. Now I feel… warm inside. Like all of the hardness of my heart has melted.”

  A lightheadedness overtook him and suddenly he pulled Loki close and hugged him tightly. “Loki, I am truly sorry for what was done to you. No matter how kindly I treated you you were still held here against your will.” It took him a moment to realize his legs were shaking. Most likely from exhaustion now that his adrenaline was running thin. “I loved every moment with you and, if you would grant it, I would like to show you my realm as a man of equal standing.”

 Loki leaned back from his grip, only to rub his head against Thors stubbled chin.  “I would like that very much.”

Chapter Text

  Thor and Loki stood before the All-Father in their torn and bloodied clothes, having had no time to change before being summoned. Odin kept his eye mainly on Loki, assessing and calculating.

  Loki rubbed his shoulder against Thors which made his heart stutter a beat. He ducked his head and hid his blush with a cough.

“My son. You and your Jotunn have successfully defeated Malekith, the once thought dead leader of the dark elves.” he said loudly to allow the small congregation of undamaged citizens to hear. “You have shown yourself to not only be steadfast in battle, but to know when it is best to hold back for the safety of your people. You have made Asgard proud.”

  Odin held out his hand as an object materialized from light in front of him. It was a hammer, mjolnir, and Thor could not hide his shock. Odin came down the few stairs from his throne to where he stood and held out the weapon for him to take.

  Thor reverently lifted it from his hand and hefted it to and fro to test its weight. “It feels perfect, father. Thank you.” in truth, it felt as light as a feather. He knew from legend, though, that it would be heavier than the world tree itself if it found him unworthy. “I shall strive to be what Asgard needs.”

   Odin gave him a proud smile, which made Thor feel rejuvenated, as if the battle had not happened at all. “You will make a great king. And tomorrow-” he struck gungnir on the marble. “We shall hold a feast to honor his victory and naming as crowned prince!”

  The crowd roared with approval, but Thor did not look to them. In the past he would have immediately soaked it all in, but now he found he couldn't be bothered. Instead he looked to Loki at his left and smiled. “Father, I wish to include Loki in the feast. He was the one who defeated our foe.”

 “Ah yes, your ‘attack dog’.” he said, close to a sneer. “He may be present, but be sure to keep him under control.”

 Thor visibly startled at the hostility. “Control? Did you not see what he is capable of?” could his father not see that Loki was no longer animal minded and was instead a regal and well articulated mage?

 Odin turned his gaze to the jotunn in question. “I have indeed seen what he is capable of. And that is what I refer to.” He looked back to Thor and smiled. “But you are a man now. I trust you can handle him.” then he turned away and went back to his throne, dismissing all from the room. Loki turned to leave and Thor followed soon after.

   Loki led them to the gardens, which had been untouched by the fight. He cast a cooling spell upon himself and wandered slowly through the flowered paths while Thor ranted his frustrations.

 “He named me crowned prince, then sullied the title by slandering your name right beside it.” he groused. Loki noted that he continued to flex his hands upon the handle of his new hammer as if he had held it for years. He smiled despite the situation.

  “The hammer suits you.” he said and picked a lovely pink flower from a nearby bush to stick behind Thor's ear. “I care not what he thinks of me. I am too happy with my freedom to allow him to dull my mood. And you should do the same, crown prince Thor.”

 He huffs in agitation, but concedes that he likes the sound of the title. They continue their walk for a while until they circle back to the castle. Thor relaxes in the presence of his new companion, so different from how he had been only this morning.

  “What was it like, being under the control of the collar?”

  Loki hummed and did not get offended by the question. “It was awful before I met you. A few hundred years ago, the king of jotunnheim became scared of what I would be capable of. I was always proficient in magic. Something not many jotunn could do aside from ice manipulation.” they sat side by side on a marble bench. “He had a collar made to restrict me in secret. The dwarves crafted it and were the ones to slip into my room at night and restrain me.” Loki touched his neck where the metal used to rest with a sad smile. “It was painful and woke me immediately. I lashed out and tried to run, but my brothers captured me quickly and hid me in a secret chamber for their own amusement.”

  Thor waited with bated breath as Loki twisted his hands together and tried to gather himself. “I stayed there for hundreds of years, being beaten and starved and taunted, all while I slowly lost all grip of myself. I became more animalistic, more temperamental, which they found very amusing. Eventually I could not remember who I was, only that I was a beast that hated his captors.”

  They shared a moment of silence while Thor gripped his cold hand in his own. “I am sorry for what has been done to you, Loki. I'm sorry for the part I played in keeping you a beast.”

  “YOU are the reason I came out of it.” Loki said with a smile. “Your mother was correct when she said I still had healing to do. The longer I spent in your company, no longer blinded by rage, I started to get more control of myself. I still could not speak or do magic, but I became more at ease with myself. I do not hate you for anything you did.”

  Thor was extremely relieved to hear him say that. He exhaled a breath he had been holding in and pulled Loki into a hug that had him practically atop his lap. Loki laughed and hugged him back, then leapt up from the bench. “Come, future king. Let us get cleaned up and see to your injured men. They should hear the good news of your upcoming ceremony to lift their spirits.”

  Thor stood and gripped the smaller mans arm. “Loki… I would like for you to be there. As an equal, no matter what my father says.”

  Loki grinned. “He could not keep me from it!”

Chapter Text

  Fandral looked up with his good eye when the two entered the healing rooms. “Ah, there's our little Loki.” he said with a goofy smile. “Sorry we had to fight again.”
  “Forgive him.” Sif laughed. “he received a hit on the head and is very confused. Eir has him on many medicines.” Hogun and Volstagg sat on the bed next to their friend, keeping a careful eye on the jotunn just as the man kept a careful eye on the group.
  Loki smiled uneasily as he approached the man. “I am not little anymore, friend.” he said, standing over him and placing his hand over the warriors. Fandral used the opportunity to pull the jotunn closer, practically on top of him.
  “You are so little!” he said a little too loudly. Loki winced and wriggled his way from the mans hold.
  Thor laughed loudly. “Fandral, I do hope you remember this when you are off the medicines.” he patted Loki’s back and gently guided him back to his side where he would be safe from reaching hands. “We came to see how you were doing. It would seem that you will be fine for my coronation.”
  Everyone perked at the word and began happily drowning their prince in questions. Loki watched passively, happy that their wary glances were off him once again. He would have to get used to everyone treating him oddly now that he was a potential enemy instead of the cute pet that followed at Thor's heels.
  Thor answered their questions, showing them the hammer he had received as a promise of his title, showing that his father saw him as a man. When the newness started to settle and the questions died down. Thor began absentmindedly scratching Loki's back and playing with his hair. Loki, equally absentmindedly, pressed against his side and purred in a low and almost inaudible decibel.
  Sif grinned over at him. “I was worried when the collar was removed. Worried that you would change.” she crossed her arms. “But you have not changed so much. You still melt when someone gives you pets.”
  Loki blushed and moved away from Thor. “Much has changed.” He said. The ‘unfortunately’ was left unsaid as he thought about how much he would dearly love to move back to his friends side and accept the affection he had been receiving.
  This would take some getting used to.

Chapter Text

 The servants moved around the castle like bees in a hive, constantly in motion and narrowly avoiding each other over stacks of plates and flowers. Loki watched from a support beam in the ceremonial room in the form of a small black bird. His eyes still glowed red, but he was high enough that he was not noticed.

 He had tried bothering Thor, but the maids and tailors shooed him out when they grew tired of him being underfoot. Soon after he tried to follow some of the cooks to see what mischief could keep him busy, but was chased away by Bertha, the head cook with a terrifying wooden spoon that she had no problem wielding.

  So he found himself up here out of everyone's way. He had already changed the colors of the flowers from red and yellow to blue, as well as making small whirlwinds that caused the cutlery to dance around the tables and get out of order. He did not feel like doing anything else, for he did not want to truly ruin Thor's coronation. He was just tired of being ignored again.

  A noise in the hallway caught his attention. He fluttered from his hiding spot to the doors where he could hear more clearly. It was Thor, calling his name for some reason.

  Loki swooped out to greet him and circled him once before settling on his shoulder. Thor looked startled, then stared into his red eyes and understood. “There is my Loki. I did not know you could turn into animals. Such a clever thing you are.” he said softly as he stroked the glossy feathers. “I was looking all over for you. It is time to prepare for the coronation.”

  Loki remained on his shoulder until they reached his room where he gracefully jumped down and transformed into his jotunn form to land on his feet. When he took a look at the rooms they once shared, he saw that there were many things out of order.

   A tailor came to his side and cautiously held up a few fabrics, all in differing shades of gold. “What pleases you, my prince?”

  Thor reclined in a lounging chair and waved him off. “Whatever Loki decides.”

  He did not appreciate being spoken over and, in retaliation, turned all the fabrics green. The tailor jumped with a squeak and scrambled to release the cursed cloth as if it had bit him. He felt a bit better at the reaction.

  Thor tutted behind him. “This color will clash with the present I have for you.” Loki gave him a quizzical look, but the man offered him no answer. The jotunn rolled his eyes and waved his hand to change them back to their original color, much to the tailors relief.

  Loki stood still as he was measured and prodded and draped in gold, shiny fabrics. Eventually the tailor sewed a long skirt with a single shoulder sash, leaving part of his chest bare. It did not reflect the style of Asgard, but rather the simplistic tunics of his own people. It felt odd, for he had no love for his home, but having it felt comforting nonetheless.

  After hours of this treatment they were finally done. Loki was ready for it to be over, but Thor led him to a full length mirror with a circle of boxes in front of it. He motioned for Loki to sit on a cushion as he took up a spot behind him and opened one of the boxes.

  Inside was a thin and delicate looking circlet piece of pure gold. Thor placed it upon the jotunn’s head with a smile. “I had many jewels collected for you a few months ago. In many different colors. But I think my favorite on you has been green.” he began brushing Loki's hair and plaiting it in careful, small braids. “I was afraid that you would damage them when you were animal minded. But now I can give them all to you.” they made eye contact through the mirror and both their hearts jumped. Loki flushed and looked away in embarrassment for having been so pouty earlier. 

   Thor spent the next hour carefully braiding jewels into his hair, humming to himself. Loki admired every bracelet and necklace until deciding on the perfect golden accessories to wear. Once it was finished he had Thor help him up to admire his long hair, now made into an intricate pattern with beautiful glittering gems. Loki smiled brightly and planted a kiss to Thor's cheek. "Thank you, friend. They are beautiful." 

   Thor grinned broadly and offered an arm to him. "I will have to get used to you being so different, but I am glad for it." Together they walked out into the hallway where a procession of guards waited. "Come, let us celebrate together." 

  Loki smiled brightly. Nothing could dim the hope within him that his future would be grand here, next to Thor. 

    -------------------

The two stood in front of the doorway to the celebration hall. Thor in his best armor and helm, mjolnir at his side and thrumming with energy, looking the picture of royalty. Loki wondered if Thor could feel the waves coming from his new weapon the way he could. Doubtful, given how inept he had been at sensing magic thus far.

   Before they entered Loki untwined himself from Thor's arm to take a step away. “Good luck, princeling.” he said with a smirk. Before he could take more than a step away Thor grabbed his arm and brought him back to his side.

 “Stay.” he said, almost begging. Loki tsked at the worry lines on his forehead and leaned into him once again.

  “I am no longer your pet.” Loki said stubbornly.

  Thor huffed and felt the strong urge to bump his shoulder playfully. “Believe me. I know.” the fondness in his heart burned so brightly he worried Loki might feel it. “I will miss my little shadow. But I am very happy to have you here, no matter what form.”

   Loki suddenly felt a chill of constriction by Thor's affections and what it could mean for his future. He did not want to be trapped here on Asgard forever, just because the prince favored him and wanted to have his jotunn prize. It was silly, he knew. Thor had been gracious, continued to be nothing but kind. He wanted to get to know the real Loki and not keep him as a dumb animal to entertain him. Thor was not like his brothers.

  The doors opened to loud applause and the blinding reflection of thousands of golden Asgardian people crowded close together. The middle aisle being the only place where they did not dare step. Thor held up his hammer in victory, smiling when his citizens roared in approval. Even the men he had injured in battle were chanting his name, trying to be heard over the others. Loki admired the dedication the prince inspired.

  Odin and Frigga stood upon the dias at the far end of the room. Odin was stone faced when he looked to the runt, but cracked a smile at his son. Frigga was practically glowing with pride for them both. When Thor had led them to the steps of the stage the queen ushered Loki to her side. She did not seem phased by his new ability to stand on two feet or walk like royalty which Loki took to mean that she had known of this from her visions. He came to stand by her right side, furthest away from Odin and Thor.

  The hall quieted down. Once everyone had settled Odin held out the hand not holding gungnir, performing a simple voice amplifying spell to address the room. “People of Asgard. We are here to witness the birthright of my son, prince Thor.” more cheers, before being silent again. “He has made us proud through the years with his warrior abilities and fearlessness in battle. But now I have seen how he chooses mercy in times of need. How he faced the enemy alone and did not lose hope.” before Thor could interrupt him he called a servant to bring forth the crown. “Prince Thor, as of this day, you will be the rightful heir to the throne of Asgard. It will be your duty to always hold the needs of your people above your own.”

  Thor knelt and raised a fist to his heart. “I swear, All-Father, to be what my people need." 

   And when he looked back at Loki, with such warmth in his eyes, Loki could feel that these words were meant for him too.