Another Chance

S.H.I.E.L.D. P2

The two brothers followed Mr. Coulson into the darkened building. Thor followed sullenly, huffing and tugging at his bags as if he held some sort of grudge against them. Loki for his part followed him willingly. In fact, he had to suppress the urge to hum or whistle, or (when was the last time he'd had that urge) genuinely smile. He only stopped doing it for his brother. That is, to avoid becoming the target of his wrath. After all, he should be a supportive partner in that punishment.

Loki couldn't take much of the surroundings, but what little he could see was in better taste than the outside. Not that it was difficult, really, but it was something. It was a much more sober style than the ornate mansion he had just fled... No, get out, he corrected himself mentally. White, black and various shades of gray. But elegant and functional.

They were leaving what must be the hall behind when Loki heard the doors behind him open again. He turned slightly to see Principal Fury and Miss Hill entering. Hill was typing something on a cell phone, but Fury was looking their way. More exactly, towards him.

He would understand the suspicion in his gaze if that was his original timeline. From what little he had learned during flashes of his future before waking up in that body, his time on earth hadn't exactly been peaceful. Invading a planet with an alien army was rarely peaceful. But that would never happen, at least not in this world where he was just a teenager. So why did Fury seem so hell-bent on suspecting him? And what did he suspect?

It annoyed him that he was so quick to prejudge him. They had known each other for 10 minutes, for the love of all Valkyries. Was it his looks? Maybe he had something against boys with long hair. But Thor's was longer than his own, and Fury wasn't staring daggers at him. Nails painted? Being able to put together a suit at midnight? Or was it a question shared by the one-eyed? Either way, he wasn't going to let him know how much it bothered him. Instead he turned a little more to him, making it clear that he had noticed the look on his face. And he smiled, as if he didn't care. Challenging him to find something in him that would justify his suspicions.

Fury's frown deepened, and he leaned toward Hill, murmuring something to her. Hill looked up from her phone at Fury first, and then at Loki. Loki lowered the corners of his smile a bit, going from a defiant scowl to a friendly gesture. The woman looked back at Fury, who seemed almost offended at what the woman said. She shook her head and returned her attention to the phone, moving past the man and down a side hallway.

As much as he was amused by Fury's glancing match, Loki had to let him go as Coulson led them down a hallway, and into an elevator. After waiting for Thor to wrestle with his bags, the three of them walked up several floors before emerging into another, better-lit hallway. The decoration had also changed, if only the colors. The white walls had given way to something a little more comfortable, and the steel of the main structure had turned to dark wood.

"Each floor has a common area, which consists of a living room, a small kitchen, and a study room. Students are free to use them at any time, as long as it doesn't interfere with their classes, of course." Mr. Coulson gestured to the right of the corridor, but started walking the other way. "The rules are on your files. You can go to sleep any time you want, but classes start at 9. And breakfast is served at 8."

"If Heimdall brings the papers," Loki commented.

"I'm sure he will, so you better be ready. Someone will guide you around campus, so I would advise you to show up early."

As he spoke, he led them down a wide corridor with doors on both sides. The doors did not have any type of identification. No names, no numbers, no nothing. Still, when Mr. Coulson stopped in front of two of them he did so without hesitation.

"Messrs. Odinson, your bedrooms." He gestured toward the nondescript doors. "You can decorate it to their liking... within limits, of course. The papers will detail to what extent they can modify the current aspect. Any questions?"

"Is there any that is not resolved in the papers?" Loki asked sarcastically.

Mr. Culson smiled professionally and gestured.

"I hope not. But if I'm wrong, you can ask the secretary. Now I will let them rest. Good evening, Mr. Odinson."

Loki bowed slightly in response. Thor didn't say anything. The man smiled once more and stepped between the two, making his way back to the elevator without turning around.

"Well, brother..."

"Why did you come?" Thor asked, almost growling.

Loki froze. Even the smile he had begun to crack was frozen.

"To accompany you, of course. I couldn't leave you alone, brother."

It was only half the truth, but Thor didn't need to know it all, did he?

"Of course," Thor growled. "Why stay and try to make father change his mind when you can run away?"

It couldn't be true, Loki thought. Could his brother be so... so... obtuse? Ungrateful? Idiot, in a nutshell?

"Make them change their minds? Are you listening? No one can make Odin Borson change his mind, and even if there was, it wouldn't be me," he answered, trying to keep his tone low.

"Oh, poor Loki. Oh, look at me everyone, my father ignores me" Thor scoffed before pointing his finger at him. "You are a coward. You ran away, knowing that without me he would need someone to lean on for the company. But why stay and take on any responsibility ever, right?"

Loki had to take a second to grasp the irony of the situation. When he had stayed and taken charge of a situation he neither wanted nor desired (oh, how he had hated that damned throne!), he had been accused of usurping. Now that he was walking away, they called him irresponsible. And who was calling him? He couldn't help the laugh that burst from his chest. Neither does the edge of hysteria in her.

"Irresponsible?" he asked after a few seconds, his voice grave. "I did not lead us to a nest of vipers! I didn't put us in a situation where one of my friends almost died! And I certainly didn't break a truce with a rival family!"

Thor seemed surprised at the anger that boiled in every syllable Loki uttered. He could understand it. Even in Asgard, Loki rarely lost his temper enough to show his fury openly. And he had had centuries to do it. But no, Loki had always been calm. Patient. Vengeful, and cruel, but taking his time. Planning, waiting. Which he had only reinforced that idea about his cowardice.

But it had been too much in too little time, and Loki was unable to find calm.

"You call me a coward, but do you think father would count on me for something?" He paused briefly and smiled, ready for the final blow. "And speaking of cowardice, brother, have you said goodbye to mother?"

All of Thor's fury faded, replaced by a guilt that was almost palpable. Loki bathed in it, satisfied. Thor had always been the stronger (judging by his physique, he was strong even in those mortal bodies), but Loki had always known how to wound more efficiently.

"I thought so," he purred before opening the room behind him and entering, pulling his suitcases.

He closed it and after a few seconds he figured out how to lock the door to prevent any unwanted visitors. After that he dropped to the ground, leaning his back against the wood and his head in his hands, between his knees.

His satisfaction only lasted a second. He had gone there to escape the shadow of Odin, but also to accompany Thor. He had let his expulsion drive them apart once (or rather, deepen the rift between them), and he had tried to prevent that from happening again. He had wanted a fresh start for both of them. Instead he had only severed what little remained of their relationship.

Maybe it was the adrenaline fading from his veins, or something else, but he couldn't help the tears that slipped down his cheeks and moistened his hands. Not the flinch when the door across the hall slammed so hard even the floor shook.