The Long Road

1

Loki sits up the entire long night. He thinks over everything from the last day, replaying every moment, from Laufey's death to dangling over the void, his mother's face above him, reassuring him that yes, he could be a good king, but also asking him to please come home to her, to rest, to take time and learn. He wonders what Odin will do once he knows what happened. He imagines it will not be pleasant.

Thor knows what he is. So does Volstagg. He hopes they will not tell the others. He does not want to tell them himself, but he thinks the information will be shared one way or another and he rathers they hear it from him. After breakfast, Loki sets out to find Sif and the Warriors Three.

He finds them relaxing near the fire, laughing at a joke he has missed. Thor is not with them. He quietly settles on the windowsill. Volstagg nods to him and he attempts a smile.

"Ah...Loki. Why do you think you are welcome to join us when you have caused so much trouble? What is your excuse this time, Silvertongue?" Fandral asks.

Loki says nothing, tucking his knees closer to his chest.

"Oh come now, certainly you have a story to tell? You claimed yourself to be king in Thor's absence and told us the All-Father was dead. And yet you are silent?"

"Let the boy alone. Surely he will tell us in good time," Volstagg tries to diffuse the building tension.

Sif stares at him, "In good time? He tried to have our friend, our prince, killed! And for no reason we have yet heard, and you demand patience?"

"Volstagg, even you must be furious! We have included him in our adventures since childhood and yet he betrays us this way!" Fandral rises from his seat and crosses his arms, glaring at Loki, "Talk. You will explain this to us and you will do it now."

Loki is terrified of what will happen next. He unfolds himself slowly and stands, still leaning on the wall, hoping he will not collapse from nervousness, "I...I learned something about myself that changed me. I am sorry. I acted rashly."

"That is no explanation. What did you learn?" Sif demands.

"Yes, what did you learn? Come now, spit it out. You owe us as much."

"I...am adopted."

"And so attempting to kill your brother was justified by such a thing? How does this make sense at all?" Fandral throws his hands in the air.

Loki speaks softly; hearing the words out loud is painful, "I am adopted from Jotunheim." He winces, his eyes closed. He does not want to see their reactions.

The room is silent. Sif leaves suddenly. Fandral looks from him to the swinging door and then back to him before following her. Hogun does not look at him at all.

Volstagg lays a hand on his shoulder, "That was brave of you, my boy."

"They hate me."

"They are merely shocked. I will help them understand best as I can."

"They will not ever understand. They cannot. There is no way for them to fathom how this feels."

"Perhaps not. But they can at least imagine it is painful. Keep heart, Loki. You are still the younger brother I was not blessed with." He hugs Loki and feels him crumble from despair.

A few quiet sobs later, he straightens and wipes his eyes, "Thank you, Volstagg."

"Do not hesitate to find me if you need someone other than your brother to talk to. We all swore oaths of friendship to one another. I do not intend to break that merely because your birth was in a different realm than I assumed." Loki nods and then leaves.

Hogun speaks only after he is gone, "He tried to kill us. Why?"

"He wanted to prove himself worthy of Asgard, the king to defeat Jotunheim, both as a realm and in himself- he broke. We were in the way. He will need his friends close if he is to recover."

"And what if we are no longer his friends?"

"Then I will mourn the breaking of our oath, but I will not leave him alone and you will have to make your peace with that."

"Understood. I will be distant, but do not think I am not watching him."

"You wish to see what happens next?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough." Volstagg shakes Hogun's hand, "I will be patient."