The day I die

"Such an attempt was feeble"

"Feeble?!, come on Sif, Thor has come out with injuries and Fandral is in a miserable state" Volstagg replied

"That's not what I mean" she sighed, " it is just, those attackers whoever they are weren't so bent up on killing Thor, I mean, we were definitely out numbered and sure as hell, we wouldn't have stood a chance"

She glanced over to him from the corners of her eyes, there he stood leaning against the marble pillar in front of the healing chambers, impassive as usual.

"You have no say in this, Loki?"

"I am only concerned about his majesty at the moment, Lady Sif, I have no say in this, I wasn't with your delegation to have any"

"Sure, but it was supposedly a discreet one, only you and of course we who accompanied Thor, knew of it, how could they have possibly known"

"Fandral has awoken, Thor is fine, you can see them, if you wish" Eir announced.

"Thor, please"

"Loki, get out now" the young prince bellowed

"I am sorry, I didn't mean it, I was just.."

He cut him off sharply "you made a mighty fool out of me in front of all our friends, look at me, I am all covered in mud, thanks to you and ohhh, I smell like a swine"

Loki tried his best to hide his smile

"you humiliated me first, Thor, you told them I couldn't fight, I can! Plus the obnoxious three couldn't stop laughing at me and mocking me in front of all the other brainless oafs their likes, even sensible Sif , she kept teasing me."

" and I beat them up all, for you"

"look, Thor, anyway I am sorry"

"go away, Loki"

"please, brother"

"I loathe you"

It was the first time ever that Thor uttered such word to his brother.

A long pregnant pause passed, none of them dared to speak.

"fine, I will leave you be" the younger said

Now it was turn for the elder to apologise.

The two brothers made up the night of the very same day.

"I promise Thor, I will never do that trick on you again, just don't ever be mad at me again"

"I know, Loki" he replied stroking the raven mop of his younger brother.

"so you don't loathe me, anymore"

"not at all, you are my brother, and my best friend, I was just angry, you know me, a mindless bellower, I will never ever loathe you, Loki"

"I hope so Thor, I hope you never will, when you said that, I felt so Sad, so Alone. Don't ever say such a biting word again."

"don't worry brother, I won't"

"The day you loathe me, is the day I die"

The line struck Thor, its depth, the sincerity in Loki's tone as he said it, even the tears that were gleaming in his eyes, something about those words was so unnatural.

"come on brother, don't be such a girl, if Sif heard you, she would taunt you mercilessly" he tried to lighten the mood, to dismiss the gloom of such words.

"and I will tell her she looks like a mare"

"well, then It will be you against her wrath"

Their mother could hear their giggles behind Loki's chambers' doors.

'everything is fine' she thought

Everything was fine.

Never, throughout the years had Thor ever repeated this word, even at the darkest of times between him and his brother.

Even, when his brother betrayed him,

Even when he attacked Midgard.

Thor left to his chambers, so did Loki, only the warriors three and Sif remained in the healing Chamber

"so, you think it was, Loki, who betrayed us?" Hogun asked

"well, I am not sure, Loki isn't as stupid as to do such thing, he knows he is under scrutiny, he'd never do such thing….."

Hogun intercepted again

"he did before, Sif, remember? Plus he is not under Thor's scrutiny. The king thinks Loki is incapable of doing wrong, his judgement is clouded when it comes to Loki, despite that every viable experience proved other wise, every time a vile thing happens, Loki is involved"

"I don't know, Loki acts dubiously all the time, I will try to dig thoroughly.."

"you will not try, Sif. You will do. It is your duty as the king's friend, as Head of the royal Guards" Hogun corrected.

'every time a vile thing happens, Loki is involved' the statement kept looping inside her head.

'Damn it, Loki, you are always difficult' she thought.

The following Day, Hogun tried to hint that Loki shouldn't be given such a credible trust after all he had done in front of Thor.

"Hogun" he said with his most graviest of tones "I trust my brother with my Life, and I expect everyone who wants to retain my friendship to do the same"

Hogun was silent.

"you have no hand in this?" she said as she pulled him in the shadows he despises, cornering him against a pillar, her eyes bearing into his.

"Careful, my lady, if anyone sees us in such a compromising position, what shall he think?"

She loosened her grip on him a little

"don't play me, Loki, what are you brewing in store?"

"well, nothing against his majesty"

"really?" mockery evident in her tone

"you are free to believe that or not, now let me pass, I have more important things to attend to" his voice taking his most authoritive tone, after all, he was still above her in rank.

Her eyes softened

"I know you hate me, Loki, so much, I don't know if you are justified or not, but know that, I always considered you my friend, as much as Thor."
"there is no…"
"know this, whether you believe it or not, I know you are justified in a lot of what you do, in a lot of what you have done, obnoxious as it is, I know you had your reasons, deluded as they are, Loki, if you ever needed any help, if you want to tell me something, I am here, I won't betray you, again."

She left him confounded.

Heimdall rushes to the king

"Jane foster is nowhere to be found"

A few days Later,

"I know, where She is" Sif breaks to Thor.

They stand on such a bleak ground, face to face.

Thor's eyes dripping with hurt, disdain and sorrow, for here before him, Jane foster lies unconscious, breaths' so shallow, blood smearing her face.

Here before him, stands his so called brother, mischievously, devilishly smiling.

"you are far beyond redemption, heartless monster"

"monster, am I?" Mockery and gloat snickering from his eyes "it is you, Thor. Always so trusting, always so folly, a gullible mighty fool whose heart reigns over his common sense, you haven't even doubted it was me who attacked you in your last delegation to Vanaheim?!"

Thor's attention was else where, it was with Jane who was withering by each passing second.

"now, fight me" he said "fight me" he screamed "kill me"

"I loathe you" was all what Thor managed to say, quietly and calmly, two qualities he never thought he'd muster.

"Pity, you, being reduced to such a maiden response, Those words don't hurt, Thor. Not as much as she was hurt, Lover boy"

"you will never set foot again in Asgard, I will make sure you don't, spineless coward"

Heimdall opened the bifrost, Thor and Jane were relocated to Asgard.

"Bravo, indeed worthy of your title, lie smith" his slithery voice echoed

It was time.

He had to summon all his skill to pull it out on Thor.

He had to get Thor out of this, Alive.

He had to make sure his brother will not come back for him.

Behind every lie, there is a bit of truth.

Behind every trust, there is a bit of doubt, locked away, pushed into the dark recess.

He always thought Thor was so emotional.

Thor was always a little weary of him, even if he said other wise, even if he tried to convince himself that his brother won't betray him yet again.

And when he yelled at Thor to kill him, he meant it. He meant it so much, for Thor would be merciful, The Other won't be.

Jane wakes up with his name on the tip of her tongue

"you're safe love, he is gone"

"no, Thor, he saved me, he saved me from those creatures, he told me you would come and…."

"what are you saying?" he asked lightening struck

She took a deep breath

"they intended him, they used us as Bait"

how long had he been here? he didn't know, he lost track, he didn't care any more.

The pain was so intolerable, so keen and so excruciating.

Blue was his colour now, whether he changed to his natural form, or it was the bruising, he didn't know any more.

Crimson, Thor's favourite colour, his favourite colour, it was the only way he could show his love, the only method he could cleanse himself, the coppery crimson was the only gift he could offer his brother.

Black, the one thing he could see now, the thing calling out for him, its numbness soothes him as he lies dying, as he drifts away.

He knocked in the dead of the night

"Sif, I need to tell you something"

"at this time, Loki"

"I know who attacked Thor in Vanaheim, I know who has Jane Foster"

"Get In"

"I need your help, Sif"

"Loki, this is insane. I can't let you do this, this is suicide, I will never forgive myself, Thor will never Forgive me"

"you said I could trust you, you said you were my friend as much as he was, follow me like you follow him and do as I tell you this time,Sif. For god's sake, for old times sake"

"Loki, I ….." her head went down

"Look at me , Sif" he left her chin, her eyes looking right through his soul

"I am a survivor, I will find my way around this, I am telling you, I promise you will find me in the end, I promise you"

She found him in the end.

There he lied, battered and bruised, lifeless soaked in a pool of his blood.

His face, serene.

More serene than she'd ever seen him.

She holds his body against her bosom.

She cradles his head and sings to him of Valhalla, of the mighty who are waiting for him there, she whispers to him, a promise she and Thor will follow him, when their times come

It rings in his head, all the time as he mourns him,

'The day you loathe me, is the day I die'

'The day you loathe me, is the day I die'

'Brothers Bloom' inspired (one of the most underrated, beautiful, tragicomedy movies I'd ever seen in a very long time, Kudos to Mark Ruffalo for his performance)