"Loki. Looo-kiii."

Loki sighed and looked up from his book. "What?" He sat in the Asgardian library, a shaft of sunlight turning the dust motes in the air around him into specks of gold.

Thor crouched in front of him. "Let's go outside. We could play Kill the Jotuns!"

"No." The shielded his face with his book. "I'm reading."

Thor forced it down. "Come on."

"No!" Loki tugged at the book, trying to rescue it from the other boy's grip. "I told you, I'm reading."

"You're always reading. What's so interesting about it anyway—"

"Thor, give me my book—"

Rip.

Thor stared at the book in his hand, a long tear scarring the spine. "Oops." Sheepishly, he held it out to Loki. "Sorry."

The boy stood up slowly. Looking through Thor, he strode stiff-legged out of the room. The sound of a slamming door echoed down the hallway.

Thor's shoulders slumped. The book dropped to the ground, pages rustling. The prince gazed after his brother. After a moment, he set his jaw, knelt, and picked up the book.

In his room, Loki sat hunched on his bed. As a knock sounded on the door, he turned his head away.

"Loki? Please open the door."

He hugged his knees, counting the stitches on the edge of his blanket. Fifteen, sixteen…

"Please?"

Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine…

A sigh sounded outside. Pages crinkled as a small object was shoved under the door.

Loki hesitated, then climbed out of bed and strode over to the door. At its base sat his book, large, crooked stitches zigzagging up the spine. A note stuck to the front.

I'm sorry—I didn't mean to break it. I just wanted to have some fun.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Tucking the book under his arm, he opened the door.

...

Thor stood in the center of his brother's cell, head bowed. The furnishings lay smashed against the walls, save for a small table. He picked up the book that rested there, brushing his fingers along the spine. A broken book held together by nothing more than a few haphazard stitches. His gaze lingered on the note still pasted to the cover.

I'm sorry—I didn't mean to break it.

I just wanted to have some fun.