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imagine-loki · 4 years

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Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

TITLE: Of Numbers and Strange Friendships CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 60/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki being friends with Peter Parker RATING: T

NOTES/WARNINGS: None so far. Also on AO3 here

“We best get this out of the way,” Loki eventually said, stepping back from Thor and Frigga. He had to be strong to face Odin, especially when he knew he was going to be punished for his actions. He had broken a lot of laws after all. He knew he wasn’t getting out of this unscathed. Even though Frigga had given him the golden apple to give to Peter, even though she had Seen this particular future. It was still going to be Loki’s fault in Odin’s eyes.

Loki would take the blame, would accept any consequence as the price for saving Peter’s life. He would have made the same decisions a thousand times over. He knew he had changed from who he had been when he had first met the teen. And he knew that change was for the better.

Despite what Odin might believe.

Odin would never see the best in Loki.

Loki finally understood that and finally understood what family really was. He had that family with Thor, Frigga, Sigyn, and most of all, with the teen who had forced his way into Loki’s shattered heart to repair it.

So Loki would take whatever punishment came his way for saving Peter’s life.

He offered Frigga his arm to escort her to the throne room. He would always be the first to offer to escort his mother as he doted on her more than anyone else. She placed her hand on his arm automatically and the three of them made their way to the throne room together. As they went, Loki donned his court mask. He wouldn’t let Odin see his fear. He had learned that lesson a long, long time ago.

All too soon, the guards were opening the double doors to the throne room and the three were striding up toward the throne. Loki kept his back straight, kept his formal court mask in place as he made his way across the room, empty save Odin seated on his throne. Frigga dropped Loki’s arm when they reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way up them to stand at Odin’s side. Thor stayed beside Loki and both of the princes bowed to their father. The only one who never had to bow to Odin was his wife.

“Rise,” Odin ordered his sons. He sounded like he was barely holding back his rage. Loki and Thor rose as one and wisely remained silent, waiting for Odin to continue. It was a lesson they had learned in their youth when they’d misbehaved. Odin had stared them down for confessions, which had led to Thor babbling to Odin about mischief their father hadn’t even known about yet. Which got them in even more trouble. Even Thor had learned to keep his mouth shut so they only had to confess to things Odin already knew of.

So they waited.

And waited.

Until Odin finally lost his patience. He glared down at Loki. “You have broken the laws of this realm. What have you to say for yourself?” He demanded, trying to goad his son into losing his patience. He’d chosen the wrong son for that tactic.

“Which laws do you say I have broken, father?” Loki asked calmly, his words careful as ever. Odin was judge, jury, and executioner, as was his right as king. Loki wasn’t going to give him any more ammunition than necessary. He was also reminding Odin of the family relationship between them, even if it was by kidnapping. If there was any hope of mercy, it would be through that familiar bond.

Odin’s glare turned icy. Loki’s expression remained passive and calm, a perfect court mask. He didn’t let Odin see his emotions, though he felt Thor stiffen next to him. Thor’s emotions were always clear to read on his face and Thor was shifting quickly toward anger at Odin and fear for his brother.

“You gave one of the golden apples to a mortal. Not only that, but the mortal in question was not of age to consent. Nor was he asked. You acted without permission and have spoken for Asgard out of turn,” Odin recited, glowering at Loki.

Loki remained unfazed. “I did give one of the golden apples to Peter. That apple had been set aside for him with Mother’s consent, as is her right as Allmother.” They were equally allowed to divvy out Idun’s apples.

Frigga inclined her head. “Yes, I did give consent and gave the apple to Loki to give to Peter. I foresaw these events and knew this to be the correct course of action,” she told Odin.

“The law was still broken,” Odin insisted.

Loki had known beforehand and knew more at those words that Odin had already made up his mind. His mind had been made up about his son since he’d found out Peter had become Asgardian. Loki inclined his head, accepting his fate. There was no reason to draw this out. He was cornered and Odin wanted to see him punished, wanted him cowed. He refused to see that Loki was so much better with Peter in his life.

Frigga started to protest, but Odin overruled her. They may be equal in certain things, but Odin’s word was still ultimately the law, despite his wife’s wishes. And Odin wanted to teach Loki a lesson, teach him not to act out of turn, teach him to obey for once.

Loki knew it. And didn’t give a single solitary fuck. The field where the fucks grew for what Odin wanted was not only barren, but the ground had been razed and salted.

He would have broken every law of every realm and burned them all to the ground to save Peter’s life. They all knew it. And that was really what Odin was trying to punish out of Loki. He didn’t like that Loki’s loyalties lay with people instead of the throne and kingdom. Loki was loyal to a fault, but only to those who had earned that loyalty. The list was very few: Frigga, Thor, Sigyn, Peter, and Wanda.

“The usual punishment, then. And I pray this time the lesson sticks,” Odin glared at Loki. Frigga protested again and Odin had her escorted out by the guards. She only had so much authority in the throne room, even as queen. Odin was within his rights to have her removed. That wasn’t going to be the last of that conversation, but that conversation would continue behind closed doors and end with Odin being ripped a new asshole by his wife. And not having sex again for a century.

That wouldn’t save Loki from the usual punishment.

Loki had expected it, but fear still knit his heart and his stomach plummeted.

“Father, please! This is not Loki’s fault!” Thor protested, trying to save his brother from the pain Odin had in store.

Odin turned his gaze to his other son. “You are no less guilty. You knew the laws were being broken and did not stop Loki-“

“Peter would have died!” Thor protested.

“The life of one mortal is not worth the safety of us all!” Odin roared at him. “If word of Idun’s apples gets out the mortals will be demanding one for all of them.”

Thor glared up at Odin. “That is where we are different, father. I have learned that the mortal lives have just as much value as ours,”

Loki touched Thor’s arm, a silent reminder not to make things worse.

Unfortunately, Thor had already made things worse.

“You have a lesson to learn here as well,” Odin told Thor coldly. “You will be the one to perform Loki’s punishment. Immediately,”

Both of the princes paled at that order. It was horrifying to both of them. Odin was trying to wedge the brothers apart again, pit them against each other. He didn’t realize he was only driving them together, giving them a common enemy.

“And if I refuse?” Thor demanded.

“Then Loki will return to his previous sentence,” Odin replied easily. He had the brothers by the balls now, and they both knew it. Loki paled further at the threat. Life in the dungeons. Four thousand more years of solitary confinement. He couldn’t go through that. Not without going completely out of his mind.

He touched Thor’s arm again and gave him a look. This wasn’t the time to fight, not with Loki’s freedom on the line. He would take the punishment to not lose the life he was building. He had friends, a family, he wouldn’t have those ripped from him because of Odin.

Thor growled, hating being cornered, but nodded gruffly. “Very well,” he glared at Odin and they could all see that Odin had lost Thor’s respect with this move. Some of the gauze had been pulled from Thor’s eyes and he was seeing how unfairly Odin treated Loki.

He was no happier with Odin than Frigga was. He didn’t have the power to do anything about it, but Frigga did. Her sons would have to hope that she would get retribution for this outrage. But for now, none of them had any options.

Odin had them all cornered.

“If we are dismissed, then, Allfather?” Thor demanded. It was a slap in the face to Odin to use his title and they all knew it. Thor was livid and Loki loved him for it, even if there wasn’t anything Thor could do to save him.

Odin nodded and the princes bowed again before they left as quickly as was seemly. Thor turned to Loki when they were safely out of the throne room. “I am so, so sorry, brother,” he said heartbroken.

Loki nodded and placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder. “I know. This isn’t your fault. Let’s just get this over with and get back to Midgard before Peter worries and gets the whole team in a conniption over it.” Loki was trying to make it sound lighter than it was, trying to ease Thor’s mind and conscience. This wasn’t Thor’s fault after all.

Thor nodded and the pair made their way to the room that was already prepared. Odin really had been planning this all along. Loki realized it when he saw that everything was there and ready and a guard was standing in the room to make sure the task was carried out. Thor paled when he came to the same realization, but didn’t comment on it.

Loki stripped off his shirt as he moved to the center of the room where the hard, uncomfortable chair was waiting for him. As he did, he summoned, and quickly drank, a bottle of numbing potion so he wouldn’t feel as much of the pain. It would still hurt, but not as badly. He managed to down the potion without the guard seeing. Thor did, but didn’t question it, knowing that Loki had been through this multiple times before.

Loki took a seat in the uncomfortable chair and Thor looked at the instruments laid out on the table. Thor was starting to look green at the idea. “Thor,” Loki said gently to get Thor’s attention.

Thor looked over at him, horror and pain in his eyes. Thor was supposed to protect his little brother, not hurt him. Thor’s horror grew when Loki dropped a layer of illusions that he hadn’t even known Loki wore. He knew Loki had an illusion to keep his Asgardian form. He didn’t know about this.

He knew Loki had been punished before.

But…

Nothing prepared him for seeing that those punishments had left scars. He thought Loki had healed.

Instead, there were scars in Loki’s lips from the times before this when Odin had deemed silencing the silvertongued god sufficient punishment for crimes real or imagined.

“Just follow the scars and everything will be alright,” Loki reassured Thor gently. He knew this would break Thor’s heart. They were brothers, and though they’d grown apart, they’d finally been healing, and Thor would always be Loki’s older brother. He was supposed to protect Loki. Now Odin was making him hurt his little brother for his own sick, twisted ‘lessons’.

“I’m sorry,” Thor repeated, horrified.

“It’s not your fault. Tell Peter it’s not his either,” Loki reassured him.

The guard cleared his throat. They’d already stalled too long.

Thor picked up the already-threaded needle before he lost his nerve. Loki leaned his head back against the back of the chair so he’d remained as still as possible. “I love you, brother. I am truly sorry,” Thor told him.

Loki looked up into Thor’s eyes and saw his pain there. “I love you too.” It had been years since Loki could admit that, years since they’d been forced apart. Loki saw the resolve in Thor’s eyes, not resolve for the task at hand, but resolve that he would never let anything like this happen again, that he would protect his little brother, and he would never let his own quest for power and glory drive him away from what mattered most to him again.

Thor bit back tears as Loki gripped the arms of the chair to keep from moving. He brought the needle to the first scar in Loki’s lips. It slid through easier than expected, both needle and thread were spelled, though not against pain, not against blood. Loki kept his mouth closed, letting Thor work in peace. He didn’t dare make a sound as the needle pierced his lips, as the thick thread tugged through.

Pain shot through him with each pass of the needle, though it was numbed slightly by the potion.

Loki’s blood filled his mouth, dripped down his chin. A small noise escaped him at the pain, as all thoughts but the pain fled his mind. He didn’t want to make this harder on Thor, though, and tried to still himself, to still his mind.

Thor’s hands were steady as he worked, careful not to cause more pain than absolutely necessary. He kept muttering “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” over and over again, trying to reassure them both.

The pain continued. Each pierce of his lips, each reopening of old wounds, each time his blood spilled, each time the thread pulled through his lips, tugging the stitches tight.

He couldn’t help the tears of pain that spilled from his eyes. He couldn’t help the shame and humiliation of having this done to him again. Of being muted so openly, punished so obviously.

And still, he would choose this every time to losing Peter in his life.

Finally, the tugging stopped, the thread tied off and cut. It wouldn’t come out until Odin had decided he was punished enough and the thread disintegrated when the spell ended. It was magically sealed with gungnir, embedded in the thread, so there was no way Loki could break the spells himself. He’d tried before.

Thor pulled Loki into his arms, despite Loki usually hating hugs. He felt his brother’s tears land on him as he held him tightly. “I’m so sorry, brother. I swear to you, I will never let this happen again. I swear,” Thor pleaded with him to understand.

For once, instead of stabbing Thor for hugging him, Loki wrapped his arms around Thor’s waist and held him tightly, taking strength from his brother.

He would need that strength to face the people.

He would need that strength to face the horror that would come from Peter. Peter would blame himself, though it wasn’t his fault at all. Loki would need all of his wits and skills to reassure the teen that he was ok. Though he wouldn’t be able to face it if Peter finally had enough of him and gave up on him.

Though Loki finally felt in his heart that that wouldn’t happen. Peter hadn’t given up on him yet. He wouldn’t just because Odin was an ass to his son.

“I’m here for you,” Thor reminded him. “We’ll get through this together and never allow anything like this to happen again.” There was a resolve in Thor’s voice. He wouldn’t hurt Loki like this again. He would find a way to see to it that Odin couldn’t do anything like this again, couldn’t abuse the power he had to hurt those he was supposed to protect, especially not his own son.

Thor’s relationship with his father had broken in this and, despite Odin’s efforts, his relationship with Loki had strengthened. They would get through this together, fight this battle together, just as they had so many battles across the centuries. For one thing had always been true: while the princes may have their differences, they were stronger together, and would fight side by side against any adversary, especially one that threatened their brother.

This injustice wouldn’t go unanswered.

Thor just had to get Loki out of Odin’s reach before he returned to see his brother avenged.

#Loki #God of Mischief #Submitted fic #submission #of numbers and strange friendships #chapter 60 #nekoamamori

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