Warning: MATURE SEXUAL CONTENTS! (but that comes at a later chapter and I'll warn you about it again XD), M/M, Slight Bad Language

This was a request by kimmy cakes so have fun with this u beautiful mind u! XD That applies to all of u awesome readers btw! X3 I sincerely hope u like it and if u can, please leave a review. This story has a grand total of 10 chapters and since they're all already written i can tell you for sure that i'll update regularly every weekend! XD (It feels good to make a promise that i can actually keep...)

And now a little mythology lesson:

*Æsir-the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse mythology. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg(Frigga), Thor, Baldr and Tyr. Interestingly enough Loki is sometimes considered part of the Æsir but most times he is called the backbiter and considered the disgrace of men and gods.

*Freya- Goddess of love, fertility, and battle.

Also, I do NOT own the Avengers or any of the characters!

1

Thor had many talents, not least of which was the ability to flip any table no matter how laden with goods in a perfect 180 arc in one of his numerous fits, but subtlety was not one of them. Loki kept his eyes closed, nearly breaking the illusion of being asleep by his desire to sneer at the other man. He inhaled deep and steady breaths as if blissfully oblivious to the worries of the world around him for a few hours while he wandered the land of dreams. Pretending to be unconscious was the first lie he'd perfected, back when he was a young boy and he'd had to share a room with his so called brother. On occasion the god of thunder would talk to him, sharing some of his secrets, under the false belief that his words were falling on deaf ears. He hadn't been as devious back then and rarely used the acquired knowledge to his advantage but still, Loki had always understood the power of words and their destructive potential. After all, the pen is mightier than the sword...

It was very late in the night, though time lost its meaning in the dungeons of Asgard. The only reason he knew about it at all was because the guards shifted every five hours and he'd kept count, taking advantage of any scarce distraction he could. By his count it must have been a few hours before sunrise, when the entire kingdom was so silent one could hear the song of the sea and the murmur of the leaves. He'd always loved the night best, sometimes reading in one of the palace balconies until the first fiery rays of light even if it meant a shorter temper and even lower tolerance for Thor's everything. If there was one thing he missed, it was that. He missed listening to the whispers of the dark, a beckoning which only he seemed to notice. But he was a patient man and he knew he was going to walk freely again...and soon. No confinements, not even the renowned cells of the Æsir, could keep Loki from wreaking havoc. Was he not the god of chaos after all?

'What happened to you brother of mine?' Thor's hushed voice nearly made Loki jump, having been lost on the path of his own thoughts. It was only his ability to so easily wear a mask which kept his breathing even and his visage undisturbed. He yearned to growl a reply to Thor's foolish question, to point out the ones who were to blame for his so called transformation but the silence was unbroken until Thor spoke again.

'I know what you would say. You would blame me or father and perhaps you are right. Maybe I failed you and for that I am sorry. I wish I could have done things differently and you may have been spared this punishment. Why couldn't you confide in me before you acted so... ?' Loki could picture Thor's eyebrows knitting together in search for the right words. He'd never been especially gifted at that... The silent insult did little to clear the lump he felt in his throat, choking him slowly. He hated Thor. He hated him even more because the future king understood him best of all. He hated him because he knew Thor was speaking the absolute truth. The man genuinely wished he could help his runt of a brother and spare him the spiralling fall to his own self-destruction. Oh how gallant of him. Loki wanted to spit in his face and turn him into a rat.

'It was stupid Loki. I can't understand how someone as intelligent as yourself could be so stupid.' The impulse to act on his desires was becoming increasingly hard to reign back. He couldn't have used his magic, curtsy of the magic restraining runes inscribed into the walls of his room, but his tongue was as sharp as a blade and he could have sent Thor off with wounds to lick. Still, he resisted. He was curious to hear what Thor's true purpose was. At least, he hoped the prince was here for an actual reason not that hearing his heart-wrenching, self-pitying soliloquy wasn't entertaining enough...

'Mother and I have tried to plead with Father on your behalf but it will do no good if you aren't repentant. I know you have a good heart Loki, even if you yourself deny it. All those years couldn't have been only a lie. Even you are not that skilled. We grew up together and loved each other and became a family, blood be damned.' If he'd heard this once, he'd heard it a hundred times. Loki's eyes rolled under his closed lids, though his heart did constrict in a painful way. He ignored it.

'But there's one last thing I want to try. You deserve another chance brother.' Loki's ears strained to hear more but just when Thor said something mildly interesting, that's when he had to leave. The trickster's eyes opened lazily, the corner of his vision catching a glimpse of red before Thor left his line of vision. Now what could Thor mean and how could he take advantage of it?...

A dazzlingly white smile curved the corners of his thin lips before he allowed sleep to carry him into pleasant dreams of sitting on a golden throne with the god of thunder begging for forgiveness on his knees.

Thor took a deep breath, his fourth consecutive one, to calm his nerves. He wasn't the type to get nervous usually but even he had his moments. And they almost always cantered around having to talk with his mother. She could always see right through him like he was an open book, much like Loki. Well, he'd always been bad at lying or masking his emotions but his mother had the terrifying ability to read his mind, or so it seemed. He loved her immensely but he had always been more eager to please Odin more than her, unlike Loki. He couldn't help comparing everything he'd ever done or did to Loki's actions after visiting his cell the previous night. In hindsight he wasn't sure what drove him to do such a thing... Everything he'd said was the truth and nothing but the truth of course but he couldn't deny his anger and sorrow at the other's actions. It wasn't because he was new to destruction or war or death, but because Loki had destroyed the lives of countless innocents unprovoked. Even before Odin's, albeit justified, punishment to strip him of his godly powers Thor had a deep hatred of people who hurt other simply for the sake of fun. He knew Loki wasn't quite that monstrous but still...

He shook his head, reminding himself of his true purpose that morning. He knew Odin would be at a meeting, a very important one, because he was supposed to be at it as well. He'd apologise later... And promise not to do it again though that was a lie and Odin would let him go with a verbal reprimand as he always did. Come to think of it, he'd rarely been as forgiving with Loki when he misbehaved... The more he thought about it the more he began to belive Loki's accusations at the address of their father weren't entirely the ravings of a lunatic. He'd been there when Loki was brought before the throne, chained like a criminal, and Odin told him his faith had been to die. And wasn't Odin the one who raised both of them with the belief that the Jotun were savage brutes, all the time aware of Loki's true heritage? There were many doubts sprouting like weeds inside Thor's restless mind, mostly sewed by his adopted brother's poisonous words, but he resolved to deal with them one at a time. Firstly, he would try this last tactic to melt the ice around Loki's heart and if this failed too then... He didn't wish to think of that outcome.

Taking his last calming breath, as useless as all the other ones, he knocked against the door to his parent's bedroom. He felt like he was a young lad again, bothering his father for another story of a glorious battle. But he was looking for his mother this time and a second later he heard her clear voice granting him permission to enter. He pushed the door open, taking his time with every movement, acting like anything but his normal self. Even a blind man could have seen something was on his mind and Frigga's sight was as sharp as a hawk's.

'This is about Loki is it not?' Thor only managed to take a step inside the spacious room and he was already dumb struck by his mother's words. His mouth opened but he was at a loss of what to say. If ever there was a doubt that his mother had the ability to read his mind it was gone now! 'Oh don't look so surprised.' She laughed softly, a sound so pretty it was sure to make the birds of spring jealous. 'You always fidget like a young boy outside the door when you want to talk about him. And don't think I didn't know you were procrastinating for the better part of the last hour.' Her smile could melt snow, he was certain of it, and it was probably why she was the only one who still held a piece of Loki's heart.

'So much for my trying to think of a way to approach the subject...' He grinned too before he ventured further inside. Frigga was sitting on a chair by the window with an opened book resting on her lap. He recognised it as the same book from which she used to read to him and Loki when they were young and too restless to fall asleep. It was a collection of poems, mostly about the changing seasons and how it affected the delicate balance of nature, and though he never had a great love for that sort of thing, Frigga's melodious voice always managed to transport his into the portrait pained by the beautiful words. He usually fell asleep after the first verse but he knew his mother would continue to read, probably for Loki's benefit. He wondered if Loki remembered that chapter of their lives...

'Sometimes I think he's the only subject you have to think of before approaching. You used to come to us and beg for forgiveness on Loki's behalf when he'd pull one of his tricks, sometimes before we even realized what he'd done. I have a feeling that hasn't changed.' Her smile turned a shade sadder and Thor hung his head, feeling shame all of a sudden for some inexplicable reason. It wasn't because he didn't firmly believe Loki could change but because of his previous thoughts directed at his father. He would have never doubted the Allfather before, even if he told him to jump off a cliff. One problem at a time...

'No, it has not. Though I am not here to beg for his forgiveness because I know his actions cannot be forgiven. But perhaps, he can atone better if he wasn't locked up.' Frigga didn't bat an eye at her son's suggestion. She'd been mirroring his thoughts though Thor didn't know that and he mistook her expression for one of doubt. 'I cannot excuse his...latest antics but I know, in my heart, that he can change. You always taught us to be true to our hearts.' He felt silent, waiting for his mother to undoubtedly tell him he was insane. Instead she kept silent, her fingers unconsciously moving along the spine of the forgotten book. Her eyes had a faraway look in them and Thor knew she was remembering something. He hoped she'd think of Loki back when he was a small little thing running to hide behind her because a horse in the stables frightened him, or when he'd look sheepish because Thor pushed him in a puddle of mud and he got his clothes all dirty, or even that one incident when he'd ran crying to the very room they were in currently because he'd had a terrible nightmare and Frigga let him crawl into bed with her since Odin was away on some kingly business or other.

'What did you have in mind?' Her gaze re-focused so sharply Thor swallowed his words. It still amazed him how such a kind and caring creature was capable of such piercing looks. He also wasn't a stranger to his mother's sword fighting nor her ability to cast illusions as strong, if not more so, as Loki's. She wasn't someone to be messed with which was why Odin had no fear of leaving the kingdom in her capable hands whenever he had to visit other realms.

'You and I both know the one thing which Loki has always hungered for is love. He craved attention and acceptance ever since he was a toddler, though I was too ignorant to realise it back then, and I doubt he understood this desire much himself. I think he's still after that same thing.' They did say love was the strongest weapon of all and Thor understood all too well how crazy that feeling or the lack of that feeling could drive someone. He only had to think of Jane and he was certain he would do any amount of idiotic things to keep her safe. The hold she had over him was terrifying and euphoric at the same time and he suffered a pang of guilt at not having visited her since the New Mexico fiasco. Before he'd had the excuse of the Bifrost being damaged but that was no longer the case and he had been to Midgard to retrieve his wayward brother... He added this to his growing list of problems.

'You always knew Loki best.' Frigga smiled to herself, her eyes falling on the bright green binding of the poem book under her restless hand. 'I believe you're right Thor. Love is the one thing which can move mountains and shape someone's heart into the most beautiful thing. But how do you suppose to make Loki see this when he wouldn't listen to a single word we say?' She recognised the glint in her son's eyes. He had a plan all right, and it was probably something either against the law or very risky. Knowing Thor, probably both.

'My thoughts ran along the line of a love potion.' Yes, both. She shook her head in disbelief but her smile remained across her lips. Love potions were extremely tricky concoctions and technically speaking considered outside the boundaries of the law. There were exceptions...but for something like cracking Loki's heart of stone it was pretty much illegal.

'I hope you realize the risks involved in something like this.' Love was an emotion few dared meddle with. True love, not the cheap mesmerism which had a fleeting effect and always backfired, had to be treated delicately as one would a cornered animal. It was quick to bite if one got too close and did something to frighten it even in the slightest. If someone ingested a love potion and the love wasn't returned, hatred would quickly grow and destroy any hope of that person ever feeling love again. It was a very tricky business and if Loki, who was already walking a very tight line, became consumed by hate the outcomes would be... There was no word horrifying enough in existence to describe it. Frigga couldn't suppress a slight shiver at the thought. Thor had a sober look as well, having been kept awake nights on end by the same haunting possibility.

'It won't come to that.' He sounded far more certain than he actually felt. Anyone in the nine realms could turn out to be Loki's love interest and what was more, the love potion only worked on the one who drank it and not the other half. Loki would have to make that person, his soul mate, return his feelings and that was where the true trouble laid.

'I hope for all our sakes that you are right.' It took Thor a moment to register Frigga's words. He glanced at his mother, a little surprised at the ease with which she accepted his daring idea.

'You'll help?' She smiled that dazzling smile of hers again and rose to her feet, the azure material of her dress falling elegantly around her figure.

'You know I will Thor. Loki is my son, no matter what he says or does, that will never change. If there is a way, even one as risky as this, to set him on the righteous path once more than you know I will do all I can to help.' In that moment she looked every bit the fierce queen and mother she was. Thor felt like dropping to his knees in respect and his chest swelled with pride at being this woman's flesh and blood.

'What about father?' Thor was certain Odin would deny his request without a second thought. He wasn't the forgiving type and especially so when it came to Loki. He would never take a risk such as this for the younger prince of Asgard. Thor felt yet more guilt at the knowledge that his father wouldn't hesitate to take even a greater risk if his freedom was on the line...

'Don't you worry about your father. I shall take care of him.' Thor released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He'd hoped Frigga would say something to that effect since, despite popular belief, she was behind a great many of Odin's decisions. She was the ruler in the shadows and a fine ruler indeed. If there was anyone in the nine realms who could sway Odin to change his mind it was her.

'How will we get the potion?' He hadn't expected for his wish to be granted so freely and in all honesty his plan ended there... He hadn't thought this far ahead yet. He scratched the back of his head in embracement and Frigga chuckled at her son's typical mannerism. Oh how like him to dive head first into such an important decision without thinking the situation all the way through... Some things really never changed.

'Don't worry about that either. Freya owes me a favour.' Her smile turned strange and Thor found his eyebrows kitted in a curious frown but Frigga wasn't going to say anything else on that subject. 'You'll have to get Loki to drink it yourself though. I'll keep Odin distracted.' Thor nodded his head in agreement, having absolutely no idea how he was going to get Loki to do anything when the very sight of him sent the trickster in a fit. Well, he still had a few days to plan that step and considering he was as good a tactician as a duck, he needed every second.

'Thank you mother.' She looked at him with nothing but love before she embraced him and he returned the show of affection.

'You need not thank me Thor. I'm doing what any parent would for their child. One day, you will understand.' Thor couldn't see himself as a father so he didn't dwell on the thought but he filed Frigga's words for later consideration. When she let him go he bowed his head slightly before turning to leave only to be stopped by his mother's final parting warning.

'And don't forget there are other who are willing to help you, no matter how insane your endeavour.'

I hope u liked it! Look forward to the next ch this weekend and i will look forward to your lovely reviews! X3

HAVE A LOVELY DAY!