Loki was going to kill whoever had designed his room.

For some reason the air vents right above his bed had been blowing cold air all day, and after hours of them doing so, his room was freezing.

His breath puffed out in a cloud when he breathed and his limbs shook and rattled around.

Days after healing the Asgardians from their fevered illness and he was still as weak as a newborn and barely had the strength to walk more than a few paces. Thor had confined him to bed rest and had promptly left to deal with a disturbance below decks somewhere, leaving Loki to suffer alone.

He'd tried to warm the air with a flickering green flame but even that venture had seemed to sap whatever energy he had left.

There was however, one option that did seem appealing and would allow him to get rid of the cold that was biting at his Aesir limbs.

All he had to do was get rid of his disguise and he wouldn't be bothered by the cold.

It was tempting. Too tempting.

With a resigned sigh he felt his Aesir form slip away to reveal the blue skin he truly possessed. Without looking, he knew that his eyes would be blood red and his skin would show the raised lines of his family lineage.

Oh it was so good. The cold barely seemed to touch him as his natural frost giant form adapted instantly to the cold temperatures.

The only thing he needed now was his scroll and he would be content. Unfortunately it was the scroll that he'd left in the supply room when he'd been carried there by Thro to assist him when his brother noticed how bored he was in bed.

Standing was difficult, but fortunately the cold seemed to lend him strength and without a second thought he exited his room at a slow walk to go and find his scrolls.

Adjusting to the added height that being a frost giant lent him was difficult, but as he slowly and painfully made his way down the hall he found it was actually rather nice after being average height for so long.

At least it was nice until he almost stepped on Freya.

The little blonde girl had been charging up the halls, obviously on the way to see him again if her excited expression was anything to go by.

She skidded around the corner and Loki barely stopped himself from stepping right on top of her.

Skidding to a halt, and gazed up in to his face with wide and shocked eyes, mouth agape at the sight of him.

"Hello Freya, just where were you off to so fast?" Loki inquired gently.

He'd grown fond of the girl over the days that they'd seen each other, and so assuming the roll of friend, he completely forgot about the fact that he was currently a blue frost giant and not her Aesir skinned friend.

Obviously hearing his voice coming from such a creature shocked her in to motion and she immediately scrambled back in the other direction.

"HELP! THERE'S A MONSTER ON THE SHIP!" Freya screeched at the top of her lungs as she went.

Instantly Loki felt the breath sucked out of his lungs as he stared after her retreating form, not even bothering to try and stop her.

A monster? Was that who she thought he was, even after all they'd been doing together over the past few days? Realistically he knew it was because she didn't realise it was him. That didn't stop the word from hurting.

The frost giants were always spoke of in children's stories as being an evil and violent race who ate Asgardian children who misbehaved. Everyone knew these tales, it was part of their belief system.

That was partly why Loki always kept his true form a secret from everyone, it had its advantages and he rather liked the feel of it now that he had accepted who he was, but he still knew that no one else would understand.

How could he have been stupid enough to forget about his current form? How had he thought that no one would notice?

His musings had cost him time and he was snapped out of them by a lightning bolt to the chest.

Flying backwards he felt the back of his head split against the wall and he stifled a gasp of pain as his chest burned and his head pounded as though Mjolnir was inside of it.

Blearily opening his scarlet eyes he caught sight of his brother shielding a frightened Freya, and the warriors of Asgard standing beside him with their spears pointed.

" Thor, stop it's me!" Loki growled, squinting as his head pounded harder.

Instantly his brother's remaining eye narrowed and he growled within his throat.

" Do not pretend to be my brother, Jotun scum, we know of your voice changing abilities," Thor yelled, lightning crackling along his body as he faced off against what he thought was an enemy.

Loki took a moment to realize that his brother hadn't actually thought if the logistics such as, how would a jotun even get on their ship in the first place? No, this was warrior Thor, who charged in and fought without a moment to think. That made him all the more dangerous.

" Thor, I've already told you of my true heritage, you just haven't seen me in this form yet, but I promise you it is me!" Loki reasoned, placing a hand out to stall his brother.

" If you really were my brother then you would change back to your usual form to prove it!" Thor challenged, obviously waiting for him to do so.

Loki felt relief wash over him, finally a semblance of reason, surely changing back would be easier than changing in the first place.

Apparently not.

No matter how hard he tried he could not seem to focus enough due to his pounding head. He tried, but he couldn't feel the telltale shrinking or see the receding blue fade out of his skin.

" You are not my brother. Kill him".

That simple statement was enough to break Loki's hold on his emotions. Panic began to fill him as he watched his brother prepare to fight again and the warriors getting ready to throw their spears at his vital organs. Trying harder was getting him nowhere, and as the spears were released at Thor's loud command, Loki watched them with absolute panic in his eyes.

Time seemed to slow down as the deadly spear heads flashed in the light, searing right for him at what seemed like slow motion. It was in that moment that Loki knew he was about to die over a mistake.

The spears were a few inches from his prone form when the giant sword appeared from the side, slicing through them with the sound of splintering wood. A moment later, the severed halves of the spears clattered to the ground uselessly directly in front of Loki whose gaze was absolutely petrified.

He was alive.

He hadn't been killed.

He'd been saved.

Oh gods.

His overwhelming panic caused a single tear to slide down his blue cheek. He knew it was unmanly, Odin had taught him that much, but at this point after being ordered to be killed by his own brother and people he didn't feel much like a man.

His thoughts were still muddled, but he managed to hear snatches of voices as he realized that in his panic his form was beginning to change back. He could hear sobs that were not his own coming from his left but he didn't care to investigate.

It was only when a warm hand cupped his chin and directed his gaze in to that of his scarred brother that his emotions spilled over and he snapped.

" Brother are you alright? I'm so sorry I had no idea! Oh gods, if Heimdell had not arrived in time we would have had no idea!" Thor babbled, fear brimming in his stormy blue gaze.

Loki blinked once, knowing his gaze would be blue again, before he scrambled back as far as the wall would let him.

" You were going to kill me! For once in my life I was telling the truth and you didn't believe me!" Loki growled, anger warring with the panic on his face.

" I'm sorry, brother, please you know that I would never have done it if I had known it was you," Thor placated, almost pleading with him to believe his words.

" Sorry doesn't cut it this time," Loki muttered quietly before standing and stalking past the gawking and shocked gazes of his people to his room.

He caught Heimdell's gaze however, and managed a weak smile of gratitude in the gatekeeper's direction before continuing onwards, finally allowing the tears to slide freely down his face. The gatekeeeper's all-seeing powers had seen what would happen and he'd rushed to save him, if he had not, Loki would have been killed.

He'd seen their faces even after the truth was revealed, by the looks of it, most would have been glad if he had been killed. Despite being innocent they knew what he would always deny.

That he, Loki Laufeyson, was a monster.