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Asgard always did things with as much dramatic flourish as it could muster. From extravagant feasts with exotic foods to grand theatrical performers featuring only the best of the nine realms. That night, Odin had decided on fireworks. Not his usual style, Loki thought to himself, although his father had always appreciated the bold, attention grabbing things.
That was how Loki found himself standing next to Thor on the royal balcony, watching as people waited expectantly for the display to begin. Loki glanced over to his brother, who stood tall and proud, waving at the adoring crowds beneath him. But Loki couldn’t miss the slight strain to Thor’s face, so slight that it was something only someone who knew him inside out would know. But then again, Thor had been looking like that for weeks, ever since he returned from a battle in Alfheim he refused to talk to Loki about.
Loki had done his best to shrug it off. His brother was too proud, too stubborn and too thirsty for battle, all the things that would make him a poor king when their father would inevitably choose him as his successor. His shoulders threatened to sag at that thought.
The first wave of fireworks lit up the sky, loud enough to rattle the palace windows. A wave of gold was followed by white and then red, all illuminating the sky beautifully. The single green firework left a hollow ache in Loki’s chest.
Sounds of shallow, rapid breaths pulled Loki’s eyes away from the show. He looked over at his mother and father, arm in arm beneath the fireworks. His gaze moved beyond them to see his brother, eyes darting around frantically as he tried to slowly back out of the balcony, sweat glistening on his face. Their parents and the crowds below were too mesmerised by the display to notice. Loki stood on the spot for a moment, deliberating what to do, before grabbing Thor by the arm and leading him off the balcony, and inside the building. He led his brother through the corridors until they were settled into the library on the other side of the building, where neither the fireworks, nor their flashes, could be seen.
“What’s wrong?” Loki hissed, as he shut the door behind him. Thor opened his mouth to respond, but nothing comprehensible came out, only a string of babble that meant nothing to Loki. Was his brother drunk? He couldn’t be, surely not, Thor always got excited when he was drunk, never like… this.
“Thor? Can you hear me?”
Thor continued to mumble out words that made no sense.
“Look, you don’t have to say anything, just nod if you can hear me.”
This time Thor nodded slightly.
“Right. That’s good.”
“Are you ill?”
Thor shook his head.
“Wounded?”
Another shake of the head.
“Playing a prank?”
Thor didn’t even bother to reply that time. Loki growled in frustration.
“Are you cursed?” Loki asked carefully, desperately hoping this one would not be true. He actually let out a sigh of relief when Thor shook his head.
Thor gripped the edge of a chair, shoulders tensed and squared, forcing himself to breathe deeply, unable to look his brother in the eye. He gulped slightly, before clearing his throat, and wiped away the sweat dripping down his face.
For once, Loki didn’t know what to say next. Instead he patted Thor’s shoulder awkwardly as they stood face to face in the middle of the room. The sound of fireworks became louder as more and more were set off. Thor’s hands began to shake.
“Is that what it is? The fireworks?” Loki asked, astounded, as he guided his brother to sit down.
“Yes,” Thor said, now able to form words, though his voice was much quieter than usual. Loki's fingers twitched almost absent-mindedly. A shimmer spread across the library windows, and the thunder of the fireworks faded until only a distant murmur remained.
“You’re scared of them?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Thor shook his head, as he clasped his hands together and stared down at the ground.
“Oh do tell me, what am I going to do with the information?”
“You turned into a snake and attacked me when we were eight because I told you I liked snakes.”
“There’s been character growth since then.”
“I’d beg to differ.”
“You’re just stalling now, brother.”
“You do it all the time.”
“Still stalling.”
“So what if I am?”
Loki’s face softened for a fraction of a second. “Just tell me.”
“I can’t.”
“Is it about Alfheim?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, come now.”
“You weren’t there. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Not by choice. I can’t spend all my time disobeying Father.”
“There were screams. And the explosions… they never stopped. They decimated everything and made even the bravest soldier want to curl up with his mother and hide. Some sounds do not leave you. And there are… parallels of those sounds tonight. I do not wish to hear them.”
Loki nodded. “But do you wish to see the fireworks?”
“I do.”
Loki opened his palm, and a beautiful display of miniature fireworks appeared, now with noticeably more green, leaping up into the air, before dissolving, one after another. This went on for a few more minutes, neither brother saying anything to another. Instead, they simply watched until Loki waved away the illusion.
“It is over now. I shall think the crowds will want to see the princes of Asgard.”
Thor nodded. “And I do not want Mother and Father to become worried.”
As they went to leave the room, Thor grabbed Loki on the arm, and looked deep into his eyes.
“I am sorry.”
“For what?”
“This.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Loki said, looking away for a moment, “You have survived unimaginable horrors of war. I think I can tolerate one nervous prince.”
“Thank you, brother,” he said with a smile. Loki couldn’t quite stop himself from smiling back.
They knew that at that moment they were safe with each other. Safe from battle, safe from enemies, safe from responsibility. They could just be brothers. But as they stood up to walk back out to the balcony, neither of them knew how precious that moment would become - the last true smile they would share with each other for a very, very long time.