A/N: I have strange ideas pop into my head in the middle of the night. Thanks, brain. Some intentional OOC, ambiguous timeline. May be triggering; please take care.

Those Words

It wasn't until late at night that Loki returned to Asgard, knowing everyone would be asleep. He stepped through the portal straight into his bed-chambers, already tired from his meandering about Midgard.

The room was dark, only a dying candle lit in the corner nearest his bed.

He slipped off his shoes and was too drained to change out of his Midgardian suit just yet, even using magic. Falling bonelessly onto the bed, he thought he might just go ahead and sleep and worry about his clothes in the morning. He laid there a moment, pretending to consider it, but of course he wouldn't remain as he was; someone might see.

"Brother."

A voice came out of the darkness and Loki nearly jumped out of his skin. He jolted into a sitting position and saw Thor lean out of the shadows enveloping the corner nearest the door. He was sitting on Loki's favorite chair.

Too dumbfounded to do anything, Loki only stared.

"Brother," Thor said again with the slightest more emphasis.

Loki inhaled shakily, swallowed, then tried his best to speak. Unfortunately, his voice shook when he finally found his words. "Th-Thor? What are you doing in here?"

Tilting his head the tiniest bit, Thor said, quietly, "I looked for you earlier." Then, to Loki's alarm, said, "I thought you might have gone to Midgard."

Blinking and trying to compose himself, Loki slid closer to the bed's edge. "No I...I was-"

"Don't lie to me, little brother."

Those words. That tone. Loki knew what that meant. He stood up, albeit shakily, and moved slowly, ever so slowly, toward the door. It was, alas, far too close to Thor for comfort. He wondered if he could make it.

"I wasn't about to," Loki responded belatedly - too late, likely.

"Now you are lying again." Thor moved back into the shadows, leaning against the chair. It made Loki nervous that he couldn't see him properly, couldn't read his emotions.

Not knowing what to say, and knowing his clothing was a dead giveaway that he had been on Midgard, Loki moved without thinking, his panic driving him, as he ran for the door. But as he had predicted, Thor jumped up and easily grabbed him, the fingers of one hand bruising his upper arm, the other hand pulling at his hair.

"Ah! Thor, stop!"

"Are you giving me orders now, little brother?" His voice was deep, rumbling like thunder.

"N-no...I-I am sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Of course not. But it did sound like it."

The grip on Loki's hair tightened, pulling at his roots. Thor otherwise did nothing, however, so Loki wondered if he was giving him a chance to explain himself, or, since he had been caught red-handed, perhaps he was giving him a chance to apologize.

Swallowing roughly, Loki said, "I'm sorry. I was on Midgard, yes, but...but-"

"Excuses, Loki? You know Father forbade anyone, even you, from entering Midgard without permission."

"I-I know, but-"

Thor suddenly kicked the door shut with one foot without looking, then pulled him away roughly, still holding him in a tight grip. He then frogmarched him to the center of the room and threw him to the floor.

Turning on his back, Loki pleaded, "W-what are you doing?!" He knew what he was going to do, but he asked anyway.

"What you deserve, little brother. You never learn. I intend to teach you a lesson in obedience."

Breathing hard, Loki shook his head desperately.

"No? Are you disobeying again?"

"N-no, I wasn't-"

Alarmingly, Thor grabbed him as he struggled, and began undoing Loki's belt.

"Brother, what are you doing?!" Loki asked in earnest now, his voice trembling.

Thor did not answer. He unbuckled Loki's belt, then ripped it off him.

"I told you," said Thor, face darkened in shadow, "I am teaching you a lesson."

He folded the belt over once, lifted it and - to Loki's horror - hit him across the thigh with it.

"Ah!" Loki yelped at the sting.

Thor struck him again with the belt, then again, over and over and over. Loki tried to cover himself, but no matter which way he turned, each spot hurt as much as the last, stinging pain shooting through him.

"Brother, please stop!" shouted Loki as he next tried to crawl away. Unfortunately, this just gave Thor the perfect angle to strike him across his ass and back. "Ah! Stop!"

"Are you giving me orders again?" Thor bellowed.

"No, please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" screamed Loki as he was struck again. He tried to curl into a ball, tried to find a side that would hurt the least if struck, but there didn't seem to be one.

The metal clasp on the belt struck him next, along his left thigh, and it hurt like hel. Loki screamed; sharp and short. Thor's arm pulled back, then struck several more times with the metal end, causing Loki to begin crying. He soon gave up trying to get away, and just laid there crying and trying to cover any part he could, afraid Thor might strike his head next.

Thor stopped for but a moment, then asked, nearly growling, "What did you do wrong, little brother?!"

Peaking out from his arm-shield and trying to control his uncontrolled weeping, Loki whimpered out, "I...I went t-to M-Midgard..."

Thor's eyes were alight and they terrified him. "And?!" Thor shouted.

Not understanding, Loki's eyes widened. He hadn't done anything else wrong...not lately, anyway. Had he forgotten something? He didn't know what to say!

Thor, harder than he had before, struck Loki across his thigh with the belt. "Answer, little brother!"

Making noises of distress and hiding as best he could behind his arms, Loki said with short, hiccuped breaths, "I don't know...I-I don't know! P-please, please no more! I'm sorry, brother, I'm sorry!"

Thor growled lightly and bent down on one knee next to him, and Loki didn't dare hide behind his arms with him so close; he thought it might anger him further.

Leaning down, Thor said, "If you do not know what you did wrong then you are bound to disobey again."

Loki nodded profusely and sniffled, looking at Thor with wide and wet eyes. He hoped Thor might take pity on him in his ignorance. "P-p-please, I'm sorry. I-I don't know what else I did...did wr-wrong."

The silhouette of Thor swayed a little to the side, and thinking he might strike again, Loki cried out and hid himself anyway, but Thor instead stood up.

"You only did one thing wrong...little brother," he said as he tightened the belt around his hand.

Swallowing around the constriction in his throat, Loki dared to look at him. "I don't understand."

"Yes you do," responded Thor. His voice was almost light, almost more like the care-free brother he usually was. At least, when he wasn't angry.

No...I don't know! thought Loki with growing panic. He tried to think, think!

Seeing his hesitation and failure to answer, Thor shouted, "Will I need to punish you further before you tell me what you did wrong?!"

Trembling, Loki yelped, "No, please!" Answer, you idiot, answer! he scolded himself. He'd been told the answer at some point, or else Thor wouldn't expect him to know. Thor never punished him senselessly, after all. Loki tried to remember back, jostle his memories somehow. He'd been punished so many times over the centuries, usually by their father, so it was likely it was something he had told him, not Thor. Thor had only begun punishing him fairly recently.

"Answer!" Thor screamed as he lifted the belt.

With fear gripping him, the answer quite suddenly popped into Loki's head - as if fear itself were answering. "I disobeyed!" he shouted, voice squeaking. "I disobeyed!" he said again. Loki stared with wide, terrified eyes, praying to whoever would listen that his mind had not failed him and that he'd answered correctly.

Thor stood still for a moment, arm still raised, breaths going in and out as he seemed to be thinking. Then he nodded and, to Loki's relief, lowered his arm. "Finally," he said as he unwrapped the belt a little. "And what does that mean, hm?"

Relieved beyond belief that he'd gotten the right answer, Loki made sure to explain so he could show he understood. "I-It doesn't matter that I've gone to Midgard - it doesn't matter what I do - that I disobeyed in the first place is wrong."

The belt was unwound a little more, and Thor lifted his face so Loki could see it in the scant light. "Very good. You must not consider these misbehaviors individually; disobedience is wrong as a whole."

Loki nodded enthusiastically and wondered if he was allowed to sit up. "Yes, brother. I-I am so sorry, brother. I shouldn't have disobeyed. I..." He lowered his head and wanted to cry again. "I deserve punishment."

Sighing, Thor went to one knee beside him again - which caused Loki to whimper and flinch - but his hand, now empty of the belt, went to Loki's chin and lifted it with a finger. "It has already been done, little brother."

His hand then stroked Loki's cheek, very gently, which made Loki go limp. He leaned into the touch, the sharp contrast to the beating just moments before sending strange sensations through Loki. He wanted more of it, wanted to please Thor more so he would be soft and gentle instead of hurting. Thor was actually quite gentle most of the time, and Loki realized even more how much he wanted to keep that Thor around from now on. All he had to do was stopping disobeying, stop being so mischievous, unruly, and strong-willed.

Thor smiled and said, "Here, get up." He helped him to stand, which Loki was grateful for since he hurt everywhere and didn't think he could do it himself. Whimpering all the way, Loki was helped to his favorite chair beside the door.

After he was settled and could breathe easier - even with heat still stabbing through every nerve or throbbing painfully - Loki asked, shyly because he was sure of the answer already, "M-may I go to Lady Eir, brother?" He lowered his head, ashamed he would even try asking.

Thor's face hardened a little, and Loki almost shrunk into himself, wishing he hadn't said anything. Still, Thor said, not unkindly, "You know it would not be much of a punishment if the pain were over so soon. Is that not right?"

Loki nodded, face still lowered. "Yes, brother. I'm sorry, brother."

"I know." Thor moved to retrieve the belt and picked it up.

Seeing this, Loki almost pissed himself in fear, wondering if perhaps he had done wrong by asking if he could go to Eir to be healed.

Instead, Thor threw the belt on a chair nearby - apparently discarding it - and said, still in a soft voice, "Now, it's time for bed."

"B-bed?" asked Loki.

Thor smiled as he turned around. "Yes, bed. It is very late, little brother."

Those words. Those two words that brought both fear and relief to Loki. Little brother. He only wanted to hear those words spoken in love, but instead, he too often heard them accompanied by pain. He still loved to hear them spoken through Thor's lips, no matter their usage. It made him feel secure, like he belonged somewhere, to someone, belonged with family. As far back as he could remember, he had always felt so empty. He flew through the air without anything to stop him, chaotic flurries passing through his body and making him weightless and flighty; his natural state was mercurial and he hated it. But those words anchored him. Made him belong. Made him loved. It connected him absolutely.

That was why Thor punished him. He loved him and wanted him to be better.

Little brother.

Little brother, be better.

Little brother, you will be better, whether you like it or not.

It was for his own good.

Those words.

Thor moved to help Loki to the bed, helped him undress, then tucked him into the covers. He stroked Loki's hair gently, smiling that blinding smile of his. Then he leaned down, kissed Loki on the head, then whispered so faintly Loki almost thought he imagined it: "Good night, little brother."

Little brother. Loki sighed contentedly, held those words tight to his aching chest, then repeated them over and over and over.

A/N: Loki has issues; so does Thor. I don't know why I keep writing these fics with Thor being horrible to Loki. Poor baby.