Work Text:
When you were first assigned to look after the horses of Asgard’s elite, nobody really expected anything truly special. But you ended up proving yourself and more, quickly becoming known as a natural horse whisperer, even getting Sleipnir to calm down, lean to your touch, trust you. It was near a miracle really, and you were truly a gift to the stables.
And, you managed to catch the attention of the two princes of Asgard, without even trying or catching on at first why they suddenly started to come to the stables so much more often, competing for your attention.
“Good morning, my fair stablemaid,” Thor’s voice broke the silence, and you glanced at him with a soft smile. “May I help you today with one of your tasks?”
Before you could answer, Loki snorted from behind him. “Oh, by the Nine, that flirt was painful to hear.”
Thor’s cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t try to flirt, I was being a gentleman,” he growled and nodded. “Loki.”
Loki clicked his tongue. “Brother,” he greeted with a slight scowl, and bowed to you slightly, his scowl turning into a smile, a charming one — at least in his mind. “You really would earn a title in the palace, rather than here, surrounded by manure.”
You just continued brushing Frialna without answering, you knew what answering would lead to and you did not have patience for that. You could upkeep a discussion with one of them, but trying to participate in a conversation with them both would be a doomed mission.
“She’s taken the role of Goddess of Silent Treatment again,” Loki sighed dramatically.
Thor scoffed. “She has no time to listen to your silver-tongued nonsense.”
Loki glared at him. “Nor she has time for your bull-headed courtship either. You behave like an ox in a rut.”
You still remained quiet, moving to pick up a feed sack.
“Tell me,” Loki started, taking a step towards you. “Do you prefer stallions or fools who pretend to be stallions?”
“I am right here,” Thor muttered.
Loki snorted. “I know, everyone does within five miles around us.”
“I came here to help her,” Thor retorted, stepping next to Loki again. “And you came here to distract her and slowing her down.”
Loki laughed. “You came to help? No, you came here like a rooster with all of his feathers puffed out, trying to look big and intimidating with your muscles.”
“I did not—”
“Cut it off!” you suddenly interrupted them, your voice booming around the stable yard. “You’re making the horses nervous. If you want to bicker about me, you can go do it somewhere else. Royal gardens are a good place at least, right that way. Or, you can help me and let out that steam you clearly have bottled up. There’s plenty of stalls needing shovelling manure and change of fresh hay, I will deal with the horses themselves.”
Loki looked disgusted at the idea, while Thor looked a little too into it and exclaimed, “I will do all the heavy lifting for you, my lady.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine. But I draw the line on muck.”
You didn’t look at them when you laid the feed sack down. “Nope, you will sign up to all of it or none of it.”
Loki muttered something under his breath, but you heard the creak of the pitchfork being picked up from the rack.
Thor leaned towards his brother with a smirk. “She likes me more.”
“She told you to shut up.”
“She told you to shut up.”
“I wasn’t called an ox in a rut.”
“I— that was your line, not hers!”
You sighed loudly, making them both freeze and turn to you. “The stalls won’t clean themselves. Chop chop, or you get a one-way ticket to royal gardens.”
“Yes, my lady,” they both said in unison, and disappeared into two different stalls.
Peace. For a moment, at least.
But then Loki muttered, “I’d say she likes me more.”
Thor grumbled. “If you won’t shut up, I will throw you head first into that muck you’re so disgusted about.”
You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t hold back a small smile anyway and let yourself feel your ears secretly burning. Not every Asgardian girl could say she had both of Odin’s sons head over heels herself.