Bloodlines
AU Loki Laufeyson is next in line for the throne of Jotunheim. Thor Odinson is next in line for the throne of Asgard. When these two accidentally cross paths at a young age, a strange, if not forced friendship blooms. Cue lots of fluffy young!Thor and young!Loki moments in which they learn to coexist and hopefully stop the growing war between the two realms. Loki/Thor friendship.

Genre: Humor, Drama

Rating: K+ for now, rating may increase as story progresses

Pairings: Thor/Loki friendship and hints at Thor/Sif

A/N: Well, this fanfic hopes to present an AU where both know from the start that they are not siblings, but grow close enough to bridge the gap between bloodlines and realize that family isn't found in blood, but in heart. It will be mostly fluff and humor, but as they grow older the story will become more serious. At the start of the story Thor is eleven while Loki is nine years old.

Chapter 1- You're Pretty Small, For A Frost Giant

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"Prince Thor, please wait!" A disgruntled guard called out, clumsily weaving through the mass of people in the sprawling marketplace, clunky armor restricting his movement. The blonde child only giggled at the man's pleas, darting under wooden vending tables and antique furniture until stopping behind a large marble pillar.

Holding his breath, Thor waited for his self-proclaimed body guard (a babysitter, in actuality) to stumble past him, tripping over other Asgardians' flowing robes as he called out desperately for the young prince. He was soon swallowed in the crowd, shoved around by people who were eager to look through the stands for cheap prices and fresh produce.

Once he was sure that the man was gone, Thor shot up from his hiding spot, grinning widely. Brushing back his unruly golden locks, the boy took off, running through a maze of empty alleyways. After a few wrong turns and a couple of almost-collisions, the prince of Asgard made his way from the communal area and into the surrounding forest. His sandaled feet eventually brought him to a large clearing, a single weathered tree stump poking from the lush grass.

"Maybe now I can finally go exploring!" He cheered, streaking though the long grass towards the stump. The green blades tickled his skin as he laughed, suddenly wishing he had at least brought Sif with him. The lady warrior-in-training tended to find Thor's unexplainable urges to escape the palace idiotic, but always tagged along when asked politely. She made a great conversationalist and was always ready to try new things, especially if there was a chance she could outshine Thor. But, he soon realized, adventuring with no one was particularly dull. There was no one to see his exploits in battle, to begin with!

"I thought there would at least be some wolves to hunt..." The cobalt-eyed child mumbled sullenly, tucking his legs under his chin. While he hadn't killed any wild animals on his own yet (Odin insisted on having him be more than proficient with a sword before being allowed in the forest alone— whoops), he really wanted to show his strength and wit in battle. It was half the reason he came to the forest, after all.

A sudden howl erupted near the towering oaks, alerting the child from his brooding. Quickly, he reached for the dagger his father had given him, only to realize that the holster was empty. The blade must have fallen out during his escapade from the market, he realized. A few warning bells sprang in the child's mind as he searched the ground near him for anything he could use as a weapon. Finding a particularly large stick, Thor ran for it, swiping up the tree limb before returning to the stump, using it for a bit of leverage.

The grass below him swished in the breeze, a loud rustle sounding in time with the howl. Clutching the branch in his shaky grip, Thor steeled himself forward, waiting for the inevitable appearance of the wolf.

It never came.

Confused, the little prince hopped from the tree stump, turning towards where he had first heard the wolf's cry. Hesitantly, he reached a tanned hand towards the bush, curiosity overtaking the few pangs of fear.

Just as his fingers brushed against a single evergreen leaf, a shock of pain traveled up his arm. The boy cried out in both pain and surprise, landing firmly on his butt and releasing his hold on the stick. Cradling the abused finger to his chest, the blonde glared accusingly at the innocent-looking bush.

Taking a closer look, Thor could see a faint hexagonal mirage, tinted slightly in blue. It created a protective dome around the bush but did not block out the sound of a wolf's cry.

"...Stay back." A small voice whispered, causing Thor to step back once again in surprise. Peering through the thick underbrush, he caught a quick glimmer of emerald and black before another shock of magic hit him squarely in the chest. This time he took the magic easily, accustomed to the small shock of pain that accompanied it.

"Go away!" The voice was louder this time, sounding very much annoyed.

Undeterred, the blonde reached again for whatever was hiding in the bush, pressing vainly against the blue-patterned barrier. Thor gritted his teeth as he continued to push against the wall, determination clear in his dark blue orbs.

"S-stop that! You'll hurt yourself!" The voice sounded near exasperated at his point, a hint of worry in its tone.

"Then... r-remove the... barrier." Thor replied, already tired from his exertion. The magic, although weak, had taken a toll on his body, making the boy somewhat lethargic.

Surprisingly, when he reached out dazedly the barrier was gone. An annoyed humph resounded as a boy who appeared to be around Thor's age emerged from the bush, cradling a pup in his arms.

The child narrowed his forest-green orbs as he spoke, voice laced with an unusual accent, "Will this appease your curiosity, Asgardian?"

The blonde nodded dully, taking in the other child's appearance. He was dressed in a green long-sleeved tunic and dark pants. His raven locks were pushed behind his ear, although a few leaves had managed to find their way into his otherwise neatly combed hair. He was a full head shorter than Thor and much lankier; his pales skin made him seem even wispier, like a ghost.

"Wait... aren't you an Asgardian too? So why'd ya call me that?" Thor suddenly realized, already reaching to remove a stray leaf from the boy's hair.

The child slapped his hand away, frowning. "How dare you confuse our races! I am Loki, son of Laufey, a frost giant!"

The blonde paused for a moment as the information sunk in before he let out a tirade of giggles, tears nearly springing up in his eyes. "Y-you, a Jotun? That's pretty funny. You're pretty small, for a frost giant, then. And your skin's pretty pale too."

Thor recalled his limited knowledge of frost giants, realizing that the boy— Loki, was the exact opposite of what his father had told him. They were said to be colossal, possess blue skin and red eyes, subsist on an entirely carnivorous diet, and did not even have the ability to hold a civil conversation.

"Be quiet, foolish Asgardian! I am in fact the son of the King of Jotunheim and I will not allow one of the Aesir to talk down to me! And I am too a frost giant!" He added quickly, forcing his skin to become blue. His irises turned crimson as well, glaring at the blonde child in front of him.

"I've got a name, ya know. It's Thor. And I'm the son of Odin, King of Asgard." He remarked, completely ignoring the boy's change in appearance. Loki seemed well-versed in spells and incantations for his age and Thor couldn't believe that the boy in front of him was the son of the most ruthless frost giant in history. Surely the change of color was a simple trick or illusion, things he had a vague knowledge of thanks to his mother, Frigga. Instead of fighting him, Thor tried again to pick out the leaf from Loki's hair, removing it in the boy's distraction.

"Don't worry, you just had a leaf in your hair; I got if for ya!" A dumb smile appeared on Thor's lips as Loki grew even more confused.

Was the boy stupid? They were sworn enemies! He shouldn't be picking leaves from his hair— he shouldn't even be talking to him!

Unaware of Loki's inner turmoil, Thor turned to the injured wolf cradled in his lithe arms. "What's wrong with the wolf? 'Sides, don't you Jotuns eat furry animals like him?" (Although, to be fair, it wasn't like Asgardians didn't eat the occasional strip of raw wolf meat.)

"It ate something it shouldn't have... and I prefer fish." Loki replied honestly, setting the animal gently to the ground. The blue tint of his skin returned to a soft alabaster and his irises became green again as he stared at the curled form of the wolf with worry. A warm yellow light erupted from his fingers as Loki closed his eyes, focusing on removing the wolf's ailment. A few moments passed in silence until the animal suddenly popped up, bushy tail wagging animatedly.

The wolf let out a happy yelp before licking Loki's hand, trotting away into the underbrush. It turned back one final time, giving an almost sorrowful howl, darting out of eyesight.

"Return to your mother and tread carefully; the forest is dangerous, even for a wolf." The Jotun called out before returning his attention to Thor.

"Why do you linger? Return to your glimmering palace." Loki said almost bitterly, eyes cast to the stones he had fished out from his pockets. He threw them up in the air, breathing out a spell to make the rocks levitate. The stones glowed teal in the setting sun, forming a protective circle around the small child. He began to walk towards the tree stump, planting himself firmly in the middle of the wood.

"W-wait, Loki!" The golden child yelled, grabbing onto the sleeve of Loki's tunic.

The boy turned back dangerously, ice forming around his hands as he grabbed Thor's arm. "Don't touch me." He hissed, tightening his grip.

A flash of fear appeared in the prince of Asgard's eyes and immediately the ice melted. Loki let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"...My apologies, Asgardian— I mean, Thor." He muttered under his breath, turning away from the blonde.

A wide grin spread across Thor's face as he returned to the boy's side, slamming a hand none too gently on his back in camaraderie. The frost giant nearly fell forward from the impact, sending a sharp glare back at the blonde.

"'Tis alright, Loki! I was just gonna ask how you got here, if you are truly from Jotunheim. Heimdall would never allow a frost giant into Asgard."

The dark-haired boy huffed. "There are other ways into your realm besides through your gatekeeper. The stones conceal my passing and goings while I use my magic to find other passages into different realms. This tree stump here," he patted the wood, "has an infinitely small passageway that connects Jotunheim and Asgard. It is similar to a miniature Bifrost, although I imagine only children can travel freely through it." He remarked, once again stepping onto the stump.

Thor watched in awe as the stones began to spin wildly, creating a blue vortex. Loki closed his eyes and remained completely still, allowing the tendrils of blue to crisscross around him, nearly obscuring his form.

"Are you going to come back? I think we'd make a great team, traveling through the Nine Realms together!" Thor called out.

The briefest of smiles flitted across Loki's lips. "…I may return. Until then, farewell."

Suddenly, the blue vortex compressed, disappearing in a rush of wind. The boy was gone, leaving nothing but a single smooth stone in his wake that clattered noisily onto the stump. Thor picked up the rock, running the stone through his fingers before pocketing it. Looking upwards, he realized that night had almost fallen.

"Father will be upset if I return any later!" He cried out, making his way towards the entrance of the forest.

"Loki, my son, where have you been? I heard you disappeared during your weapons training."

The boy shifted awkwardly on his heels, looking down at his feet. "I hid my presence and traveled to one of the ice caves. I wanted to read my spell tomes alone and in peace."

"I see…" Laufey trailed off, lounging languidly in his ice throne. He leaned towards the child, crimson eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"Be careful, Loki. There are monsters out there that even you cannot defeat. Or forbid that you cross paths with an Asgardian; a lone Jotun would be destroyed in seconds. Asgardians care nothing for our plight, their every action is solely for the purpose of annihilating our race."

Loki nodded, voice laced with melancholy. "Yes, father."

"Thor, where have you been? Your father has nearly ordered all of the guards to come find you!" Frigga questioned, pulling her child into a tight embrace.

Thor mumbled out a response, unable to speak fully, nearly suffocated by his mother's layered gown. "I-I'm sorry, mother, I just wanted to go exploring. I did not mean to trouble you."

She sighed, releasing her grip on the boy. Hazel eyes met blue as she spoke, waving a finger patronizingly, "Just be careful, Thor. You are the only son of the King of Asgard. There will be those who will want to hurt you to get to your father. Or worse, you may come into contact with our real enemies, the detestable Jotuns."

"Mother… are all frost giants truly evil?" Thor questioned suddenly, eyes cast downward. He brushed a hand into his pocket, feeling for the smooth stone. Finding it, he let out a breath of relief.

Frigga paused, looking at her son with confusion. The question seemed to come out of nowhere. This behavior was uncharacteristic of her brave, if not somewhat dull-headed son.

Shaking her head, the goddess responded, voice soft but firm, "Yes, Thor. They are nothing but horrible monsters. You will never go to Jotunheim, do you understand?"

"…Yes, mother."

A/N: So what do you guys think? Should I continue it? It's my first multi-chap story for this fandom, but I hope I did the character's justice, given their new environment/situation. I apologize for any OOC-ness; there will be a few tweaks to their personality, given their new backgrounds, but Thor and Loki will still be fundamentally the same.

-Isis