It is nothing but instinct guiding him as he kicks out of the Allfather's grip and reaches for his brother, his fingers curling around the slim wrist as tightly as possible. He does not care if his strength causes bruises or breaks in the bones, for both would heal far more easily than the wound Loki is attempting to inflict-

If this is Loki's choice then so be it, but he will not allow his brother to fall alone.

There is no time for them to be saved, yet Odin manages to catch them both before they are lost to the void.

"Let me go!" Loki cries hysterically, sounding nothing like the calm and collected man Thor has always believed his brother to be-

He does not know now that these will be the last words he hears his brother speak, nor does he know the broken sound of Loki's voice will haunt his sleep for years to come.

"Never." Thor growls in response and it is more than a reply to Loki's pleas, it is an unbreakable oath.

He withstands the last desperate bolts of magic Loki throws at him until they are both on solid ground.

Loki is unable to meet his or Father's eyes and Thor can do nothing but watch his brother tremble like a shameful child before them-

He has seen Loki show guilt and he has seen him show regret and he has spent what feels like eons watching Loki draw into himself and become lost in thought, but he has never seen this before and he feels helpless in the knowledge that Loki is seemingly miles away from them and alone in his pain.

After several moments of unbearable silence, the weight of which crushes them all, Loki turns and runs towards the edge of Bifrost.

This time, it is the guards who stop him from leaping to his death.

Thor moves to protest the rough treatment, but the words become stuck in his throat as Loki is forced to the ground. Odin leads him away with a firm hand on his shoulder and he keeps his gaze locked on the horizon as his brother is bound and gagged like a common criminal behind them.

"Will you have him executed?" Thor asks his Father once they are alone, the question burning like fire as it is asked-

He pictures Loki bound and shamed, locked away in a prison cell while he is welcomed back into the arms of the kingdom and it is enough to make him sick.

"Loki must face justice for his crimes." Odin states calmly.

"But it is not his fault!" Thor loudly protests. "I do not know his reasons, nor do I know why he felt such measures were necessary but it is clear that all is not well with him! Should that not be taken into consideration?"

"And if he were a common citizen of Asgard, would you still consider forgiveness over punishment?"

"No," he admits quietly, the realization sinking into his skin and draining away all his anger and will, leaving only confusion in its place. "But he is my brother, and I do not have the heart to consider a world without him."

"A great king must be willing to hurt his loved ones if there is a chance it will bring their salvation." His exile has taught him that his Father knows much about what he speaks, but the statement still sits ill with him.

"I would not have him executed, common citizen or not." Thor states firmly, fists clenched at his side. "A great king shows compassion where it is needed most."

Odin sighs quietly and for the first time, Thor is struck by how weary his Father looks. It startles him, the idea his Father is just as lost as he. "Laufey was Loki's true father. It matters not, for he is my son and he always has been. Yet I fear that he does not see this, that his vision is too twisted by imagined slights to see the truth. I fear I underestimated how heavily the truth would rest on his shoulders. I fear part of the fault lies on my own shoulders."

His Father's admittance leaves him speechless and-

He never once thinks, "Loki is not my brother" for they are brothers, perhaps not by blood, but they will forever be joined. Instead, he remembers Loki fighting by his side in the freezing winds of Jotunheim and he wonders if they could have been spared this grief if he had put aside his pride and left when Laufey offered them the chance.

"You may rest easy tonight in the knowledge I too have no desire to see Loki executed. I will not order such a fate for my own son." Odin says. "But Loki cannot escape justice. He must face a suitable punishment for the atrocities he has committed. You will be the one to decide on such a sentence."

"Is this another punishment? Was my exile not enough?" Thor cannot help but ask as his Father turns to exit them room.

"You know your brother better than I." Odin has his back to him, but Thor hears the sadness in his voice. "Loki remains a mystery to me, but not to you. You have grown much in your short exile, my son. I give you this task because I believe you can accomplish this task without additional cruelty."

"And you cannot?"

"My efforts to spare your brother from cruelty only brought more upon him."

Thor watches silently as his Father exits the room, leaving him alone to his thoughts and the crushing doubt weaved through his ribcage.

He's not sure if he knows his brother at all.

That night he dreams of Loki's fingers uncurling and of being too slow to catch him. He watches as his brother falls away from him, seconds turning into years as he slips further out of Thor's grasp.

He awakens to true fear and the sensation turns his blood to shattered glass and leaves every inch of him raw and shaken in the moonlight.

He finds himself in Loki's darkened chambers and there is still a part of him surprised to find them empty and silent. His belief that his brother will always be near to offer comfort or advice has grown into a second nature and this fact only serves to leave him more off balance.

The plush carpet beneath his feet is littered with the remains of a book and the pages are filled with tales of the Jotuns; stories of atrocities committed in the snow that cannot be forgiven by the haze of war. Stories that paint them as vicious, bloodthirsty monsters who should be feared. These are the stories they grew up hearing and it is not so difficult to imagine his brother destroying the book in a rage once he had learned the truth.

He does not know how they reached this point, cannot locate the first mistake that put them on this path and as he curls into Loki's cold bed, he wishes his brother were there to help him fit the pieces together.

Disclaimer: I do not own Thor or the characters. This is a non-profit fanfiction, written for my own enjoyment.

Author Gonna Ramble Like a Boss: This is my first attempt at Thor fanfiction, because the plot bunny wouldn't stop bugging me, even though I already have 3 stories that I need to complete. Oi, how do I priorities? I'm still currently beta-less and English is still my second language, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd mention it if I've missed a mistake somewhere, cause I probably have. This story is an attempt in experimenting in a different writing style than my usual he-did-this-and-then-he-did-that style so I apologize for any baffling metaphors.

Thank you for reading! As always, reviews and constructive criticism is always welcomed.