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Stuck in a conversation with his father and some diplomats, Loki stands on the opposite side of the room, Thor, he thinks, gaze fixed on his brother.
Thor doesn’t respond, too busy glaring at an offending nobleman.
Thor!
Thor’s head jerks slightly, feeling watched, he turns to look at Loki.
Loki scowls at him. Don’t you dare.
Thor’s face takes on a subtle smirk. You’re right, Loki, I’m going to go for it.
Loki’s scowl deepens, No, that’s not what I said, you see my face? I’m scowling. This is my “stop right now” face.
Thor smirks more. Actually I think that is your determined-to-get-revenge face, and as always you’re so right, we can’t let this stand.
Loki’s eyebrows go up. Thor!
Thor turns away.
Thor!
I can’t hear you brother, I can no longer see your face.
You oaf! I know you know that’s not how this works! Loki thinks desperately after him. But he cannot move to stop his brother for he is in the middle of a very important conversation.
One of the diplomats in his circle makes an off-color joke, and Loki politely chuckles.
Perhaps he should draw Father’s attention to Thor before Thor does something foolish. He casts a discreet worried look in Father’s direction.
Odin takes a second to notice, and then squints his eye at Loki.
Father, we must find some way to stop Thor, he’s about to-
What’s this? Odin thinks tiredly. Loki’s wearing that expression of his. This boy is always distressed over something, surely the joke was not that bad, I thought it quite amusing. He smiles slightly at Loki.
Loki’s brow wrinkles in confusion. You want Thor to pick a fight in the middle of the feast? That cannot be right. He shoots another questioning look at his father and darts his eyes over to Thor.
Odin frowns, Did Loki just roll his eyes at me?
Loki gives up. Father’s never been the best at reading expressions. He tries to scan the room inconspicuously for Mother.
Frigga is standing in the corner, fiddling with a frond of one of the decorative plants while chatting with diplomats from Alfheim and Vanaheim.
Loki manages to catch her gaze, but her mind is occupied singing quietly to alleviate the boredom of conversation and she only smiles at him.
Loki returns a thin anxious smile and turns to watch for Thor again.
Ah but it’s too late, he’s already engaged the offending nobleman and it will soon escalate into a brawl.
Loki briefly considers throwing a roll at Thor’s head to distract him.
Of course, the evening is ruined.
Loki is berated for not having spoken up. And for throwing the dinner roll, because it looked less like a distraction and more like he was attempting to join the fight from a distance. And when Thor objects and gives his reason for attacking the nobleman it only makes matters worse, for the offense Thor had taken was on Loki’s behalf.
As the boys are being reprimanded, Loki glares daggers at Thor for having caused such a scene.
Thor, of course, very purposefully misreads the expression. Yes, brother, we’ll get him next time.