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Loki shifted from foot to foot in front of his brothers room holding the newest addition to his ever growing family, Vali. The babe in his arms looked up to Loki with wide blue eyes as he sucked on three of his fingers. Smiling at the picture in front of him Loki saw the resemblance between his child and the father, his brother.
Vali was the only child he tried to hide from Thor, not knowing what his brothers reaction to having a child would be. So for the first months after the birth of Vali, his only child that used seidr, Loki spirited him away to a small secret storage room that connected to his chambers. In those months Loki endlessly casted spells of concealment, charms of protection even dabbled into rituals to suppress the lightening that coursed through his sons blood. The few that were effective quickly became useless as his sons seidr grew with each day.
Loki knew his time ran out when he saw his father, Odin, look at him knowingly and saw the dark bruises under his eyes and the stains on his cloths from where Vali drooled on his cloths. That night Loki lifted his bright bubbly babe out from the conjured crib and glided to his brothers chambers.
Realizing time was running out Loki entered Thor's chambers. The room was dim, the only light coming from the large hearth where Thor sat in front of sharpening his favourite sword. Loki counted every step he took towards his brother as he struggled to find the words that so naturally came to his sliver tongue and quick witted mind.
Thor stopped when Loki came into view giving his brother a wide smile and a nodded, never one much for words. When he caught sight of the bundle in Loki's arms he dropped the sword beside him and held his hands out like a child demanding to be picked up.
Kneeling before his brother, Loki held out Vali for Thor to see. Ever a tactile person, Thor took Vali into his callused hands to look him over. Vali stared at Thor fingers still in his mouth making quite noises at being taken away from his barer.
The look Thor gave Loki made his heart stop, Thor knew and knew Loki knew he knew that Vali was his. Thor looked away and back to the babe in his arms with a smile of joy. Loki returned it as Thor bounced his son on his knee while cooing nonsensical words.
Between one blink and the next, Loki looked back at Thor only to burst into gut clenching Laughter. All the tension in the room vanishing. Vali had seidr, that Loki knew, but it was uncontrolled and very, very powerful. Vali had accidentally, or maybe purposefully, turned Thor's long blond hair bright pink with streaked with lime green. Looking up at the laughter Thor saw what had become of his hair, and of Loki's.
Vali had turned Loki's hair a light green that settled lightly at his waist and his leathers into a yellow strapless dress, He would have looked stunning if it wasn't the wrong colour and hugging his body at his straight waist and flat chest. They both looked down at the giggling babe watching them with wide eyes.
Slowly Thor lifted his hand to Vali's forehead. Loki watched as the natural magic surrounding them became visible as it weaved together around their son. creating one of the most powerful protections Loki had ever come across.
Thor looked down at his son as he spoke the words to bind the seidr to his son.“My son who has my blood yet will never know. To protect, you shall not grow, to love, I bind my power within yours. My son who is not my son but shall be loved as one. Son of Loki and of magic. Vali Lokison my favourite nephew and my greatest student.” Thor finished and the seidr became invisible once again. Both where quite for a time as they watched the binding seidr wrap around Vali, making any who saw him not think that he was the first born son of Thor.
“He will be a strong sorcerer, better then both of us one day.” Thor said quietly. Loki nodded and sat down in front of his brother to stare at the glowing embers of the fire.
“He will not grow. When will he not grow.”
Thor to looked into the fire as he gave his reply. “He will stop at as a young adult. If he grows any more then that there will be no misconception of who his father is. Even among the aesir.”
Loki gave a quite laugh and nodded, his brother had enemies; they were numerous and powerful and would not hesitate on killing to get to him, to them both. Thor while he would never publicly say Vali was his, he would be his teacher, guide and guardian, a father protecting from the shadows. It was all Loki could ask for.