A/N: I received a request from one of my readers to add more, so here it is. But this is it. THIS REALLY IS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS STORY! I hope you enjoy it!

Immediately after Thor and Loki got out of the shower, there was a knock at Thor's bedroom door. The two of them exchanged looks, wondering who it could be so early in the morning. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Thor went to answer it, while Loki hid behind the bathroom door. He trained his ears on the conversation between Thor and whoever was at the door, hoping it was neither Odin nor Frigga. He didn't recognize the voice; it must be one of the guards.

"You can come out now," said Thor after the guard left.

"Who was it?"

"A message from Father. He wishes to see me in the conference room in half an hour."

"What do you suppose that's about?"

"He didn't say. Probably some sort of training for when I assume the throne."

Loki suddenly remembered the ceremony yesterday; gods, that seemed so long ago now. Returning to the bathroom, he began drying himself off with one of Thor's enormous, fluffy towels. When he straightened from drying his legs, his back collided with something solid, and two muscled arms wrapped around him.

"What do you plan to do with your time today?" Thor asked, nuzzling his neck.

"Probably catch up on some reading. And rest...I am rather sore," Loki answered.

"Again, I apologize." Thor kissed his shoulder and hugged him tighter to his chest for a moment.

When Thor released him, Loki went back into the bedroom, picked his clothes up off the floor and redressed.

"Don't say you're leaving already?" Thor asked from the bathroom doorway.

"You have to get ready for your meeting with Father, and I fear I'll be a distraction if I stay, you sex-hungry beast."

Thor grinned. Loki turned and left, leaving his brother to his own devices. He sprinted back to his own room just around the corner, where he changed into a pair of black leather pants and a dark green tunic. Selecting a book from the many lining his shelves, he stepped out onto the balcony, taking a moment to inhale the morning air perfumed by flowers from the gardens below. He took a seat in the cushioned lounge chair and began to read.

Loki didn't know how long he had been reading – it had to have been a couple of hours – when there was a knock at his door. Placing a marker in his book, he went to answer it. It was Thor, looking rather grim. Loki's first thought was that Odin had somehow found out about them.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Father's sending me to Vanaheim," Thor said.

"Why?"

"The Frost Giants are making some fool's attempt to invade, and Father is sending reinforcements to help fight them off. He's requested that I lead them."

"Oh. When do we leave?"

"I have to leave within the hour, but he's ordered you to stay here."

Loki wrinkled his brow slightly. "But I can help – I'm just as good a fighter as you. We could have it done in half the time if both of us went."

"I know, I argued that, too, but he wouldn't hear of it." Thor said, shaking his head.

Loki knew Thor was the most capable warrior in all of Asgard, but he still worried, especially now since he wouldn't be by his side. Thor had a tendency to not watch his own back in the middle of a fight; that job had always fallen to Loki. Who would be there to watch it for him now?

"How long will you be gone?"

"Father estimates no more than a week. It'll probably be less once I get there to send those creatures to Hel where they belong. I hear it's nice and hot there."

Loki tried to smile, to pretend that he wasn't scared, but that attitude was exactly why he was scared in the first place.

Thor lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry, my love. I promise I'll come back to you in one piece." He made sure there was no one in the hall before he pulled Loki close and kissed him.

Loki joined Odin and Frigga on the Bifrost to see Thor and the soldiers off. By now, Thor was in his gleaming armor with Mjolnir in one hand, confident as ever. Thunder cracked overhead as they left in the Bifrost's powerful, glittering beam.

The next five days seemed to stretch on forever. On top of fulfilling his day-to-day royal duties and taking more advanced magic lessons with Firgga, Loki had to keep his true emotions carefully concealed, to pretend that he wasn't worried sick about Thor. He found it hard to concentrate on the spells his mother was teaching him, on whatever book he was attempting to read, even on maintaining the illusion of being interested in his parents' dinner conversations. He didn't dare go to Heimdal more than once or twice to ask if he could see how Thor was fairing, for fear of arousing suspicion.

Then finally, late in the afternoon on the fifth day, when Loki was reading on his balcony, dressed in only his robe, as he had not planned to leave his room again that evening, he heard it. The sound of the Bifrost revving up and the powerful blast that followed. They were home.

He completely forgot to put a marker in his book before slamming it shut and stepping over to the very edge of his balcony, where he could just make out the end of the Bifrost around the side of the palace. He saw a large group of Asgardian soldiers making their way down the bridge, some of them limping and leaning on their companions for support, or holding various places on their torsos in pain, but they all appeared to be accounted for. Except for...where was Thor? Loki began to panic as he searched the group for his brother; surely his armor should stand out from the others even at this distance.

"No, no, no..." he muttered, feeling the panic rising, but then he spotted him, there toward the back of the group. Thor did not appear to be limping like so many of the others, but he held his left arm close to his chest. As they drew closer, Loki noticed he seemed to be moving stiffly, as through any jolt to his arm or shoulder might cause him great pain.

Turning, Loki hurriedly made his way down several corridors and flights of stairs to the main gate of the palace, but by the time he got there, most of the group was gone. He knew the wounded would be on their way to the healers, and the captains would be delivering their reports to Odin. He couldn't find Thor anywhere. He did, however spot Fandral speaking with Frigga near the gate.

"Loki, there you are! I suppose you've been keeping all of Asgard entertained in our absence?" said Fandral.

"As much as I can manage on my own," Loki answered. "Where's Thor? Is he alright?"

"I was just telling your mother, he sustained a shoulder injury, but other than that, he's fine. Hogan is helping him to his room. I suspect the healers should have him patched up in no time."

Loki felt himself slightly comforted; at least Thor was not seriously injured. He didn't want to get in the healers' way, so he waited around for a while longer to give them time to tend to him. Frigga informed him that a feast was planned for the returning soldiers, but he had little interest.

He politely excused himself from the crowd as they began filing into the dining hall and went straight to Thor's room. He knocked softly on the door. From inside, he heard Thor say, "Come in".

Loki opened the door with a barely audible creak. There lay Thor on the bed, slightly propped up on pillows, his shirt removed and bandages encircling his left shoulder. A glorious fire burned away in the fireplace, wrapping the entire room in warmth.

"Well, the mighty warrior returns," Loki said, closing the door behind him.

"A little worse for wear," said Thor as Loki crossed the room. "One of those vile creatures touched me and caused some pretty serious frostbite. The healers wrapped it in warm compresses. They say it will be fine, but I'm under orders to take it easy for a while." He slipped his hand into Loki's as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was hoping to show you just how much I missed you tonight, but I'm afraid it'll have to wait."

A mischievous smile flashed across Loki's face and he cocked his head to the side. "Not necessarily."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?"

Loki stood and undid the tie on his robe, pulling it from his shoulders with just his fingertips, and let the silken material flutter to the floor. He was completely naked. Thor felt himself swell under the blanket at the sight of him. Six-foot-two of lean, sculpted muscle and creamy skin just waiting to be marked up by his lips, teeth, and nails.

Loki pulled Thor's blanket aside and climbed onto the bed, straddling his lap. He flattened his palms against Thor's firm abdomen and slid them up along his chest, over to his biceps, carefully avoiding his injured shoulder. In the process, he leaned in close and hovered there for a tantalizing moment before finally pressing his lips against Thor's. It was their first such contact in almost a week. They took their time, savored it. Thor let his hands wander across Loki's back while Loki gently rocked their hips together. A moan rose from deep in Thor's chest and he pulled Loki tighter against him. Loki in turn toyed with Thor's golden hair, felt the scruff on his cheek.

"I missed you," Loki whispered between gasps when they finally parted.

Thor reached up and held the back of his neck. "I need you."

"Need me to what?" Loki grinned.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"No need. I think I know what you want." Loki went straight for Thor's neck, kissing, biting, sucking the bronzed skin. He worked his way gradually lower to his heaving chest, where he thoroughly teased each nipple. He delighted in the way Thor squirmed under his touch and ran his fingers through his hair, urging him to go lower. He deliberately traced every line of Thor's abdomen with tongue and teeth, feeling him growing harder beneath him with every passing moment.

Thor was fisting the sheet with anticipation when Loki reached the V-shape that ended just below the waistline of his pants. Loki stroked him through the material with only the lightest pressure, sending a jolt of pleasure straight up Thor's spine. Thor squeezed his eyes shut and arched his neck into the pillow as he felt his pants being tugged off. That warm, wonderful mouth would be enveloping him any second now.

But it never did. He opened his eyes in confusion and saw Loki extracting a vial of oil from the drawer of the bedside table. "Do you want to do it or would you like to watch?"

Thor ached at the thought of watching Loki prepare himself. "Watch," he said. "Turn around so I can see."

With a flick of his eyebrows, Loki re-seated himself with his back to Thor and uncorked the vial, pouring the glistening liquid over his fingers. Reaching back, he generously spread the oil around his opening, then slipped one finger inside. He gasped softly and felt Thor kneading his backside, spreading him open to get a better view.

"You like watching me do this, you filthy beast?" he asked, adding a second finger.

Thor groaned and gripped Loki's hips tighter as he watched the slender fingers moving in and out, scissoring, carefully working him open. He gritted his teeth listening to Loki moaning. He felt him thrusting his hips slightly; he knew Loki had to be hard by now, searching for any form of friction when there was none to be had. Reaching around him, he gripped Loki's erection and stroked him, causing him to cry out softly. At the same time, Thor reached between Loki's legs and covered his hand with his own, pushing his fingers deeper inside him. Loki's legs shuddered and almost gave out beneath him when he felt Thor ease one of his fingers into him alongside the two already there.

"Thor! Oh, fuck!" he gasped.

"I think you're ready for the real thing, don't you?" Thor said with a rough thrust of their hands.

"Absolutely."

Thor's hands were nearly shaking as he slicked himself with some of the oil. Loki turned around and wasted no time positioning himself over Thor's thick, glistening cock. Thor held himself steady and guided Loki down slowly with a hand on his thigh. Loki let his head fall back and he gasped at the sensation of Thor stretching him, almost painfully, but the pleasure far exceeded the pain.

Loki's hips finally came to rest against Thor's. "You're bigger than I remember," he breathed as he paused to adjust.

Thor smiled and massaged his thighs. "Relax. Breathe. Just like the first time."

Loki inhaled deeply, silently willing his body to accept the intrusion. A moment or two later, he began slowly rocking his hips. Thor dug his nails into his thighs and thrust upward; Loki's tight warmth surrounding him was intoxicating. They fell into a steady, quickening pace, their bodies in perfect sync. Thor tried not to move his injured shoulder, but it was impossible to keep still. As hot as his body was getting, it had to be doing the frostbite some good, though.

"Oh, yes, Loki! Keep going! Just like that!" he groaned.

"Whatever the future king desires," said Loki in a deeper tone that drove Thor to the brink of collapse.

Loki cried out over and over again as Thor repeatedly brushed that one spot inside him. He was so close. His leg muscles strained with the effort to keep going at this pace. Just a little longer. Oh, gods, he was so close. It didn't occur to him that he had forgotten to lock the bedroom door, until –

"Thor-darling, I brought you some soup. I thought it might –" There in the doorway stood Frigga with a large bowl in her hands.

Thor and Loki froze, their three sets of eyes locked, and the bowl fell from Frigga's hands all in the span of a second. The bowl miraculously did not break, but soup splattered all over the floor. For several seconds, no one moved. No one dared to breathe. Neither Thor nor Loki had ever seen such a look of shock on their mother's face before.

"I just – I, um – I have to – excuse me –" Frigga stuttered and abruptly turned and left.

Even if they wanted to, there was no reclaiming the moment after that; Thor and Loki were found out. They were exposed in every sense of the word. Their hearts racing for an altogether different reason, they disentangled themselves from each other and began to get dressed. Loki retied his robe and borrowed a pair of pants from Thor.

"Oh, gods, what are they going to do? Wh-what if they banish us? Or worse?" Loki was practically shaking. He couldn't seem to catch his breath. His throat felt so tight.

Thor grabbed him gently by his shoulders. "I'm scared, too. But they're our parents – surely they won't do anything that harsh."

They were in the middle of cleaning up the spilled soup when there was a rather loud knock at the door. Thor swallowed the nervous lump forming in his throat and answered it; it was a guard who said, "Your parents wish to see the two of you in their quarters." The guard escorted them to their parents' door, which made them feel uneasy in and of itself, as though they were being lead to a sentencing.

Frigga answered the door and lead them down a wide hallway to the living room, where Odin was waiting.

"Please, sit." Odin motioned to the couch facing two chairs and the fireplace.

Thor and Loki took the couch, and Odin and Frigga sat in the two chairs facing them. For a moment, no one said anything. Odin stared at the floor with a solemn expression that not even Loki could read. Frigga clasped her hands nervously and glanced at her husband before saying, "We have something to talk to you boys about."

Thor and Loki exchanged side glances, preparing for whatever was to come. They wanted to reach between them and hold hands, but thought better of it, considering the circumstances.

"First of all, we want you to know that you are not in any serious trouble and that we love the two of you very much," Frigga began.

"But...?" Thor asked.

Frigga looked to Odin, who still stared at the floor. "Tell him," she urged. It was only a brief, fleeting glance, but Loki was certain he saw her look at him.

"Tell me what?" he asked.

"Years ago, when we were at war with the Frost Giants, the casket wasn't the only thing I took from Jotunheim. In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son." Odin finally looked up and stared directly at Loki. "That baby was you."

Loki's heart seemed to skip a beat.

"What?" He looked back and forth between Odin and Frigga. "Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood – why would you take me?"

"You were an innocent child," said Odin.

"No, you took me for a purpose. What was it?"

Odin remained maddeningly silent.

"TELL ME!" Loki cried and suddenly sprang to his feet. His heart was pounding in his ears. His mouth felt suddenly parched; his entire world was crumbling around him. He could hear Thor's words echoing in his head: "vile creatures", "monsters", "send them to Hel where they belong". He was one of those creatures! One of those monsters!

Finally Odin answered, "I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace through you. But those plans no longer matter."

Loki's eyes burned with tears. "So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?"

"No, Loki, you are our son and we love you no matter what," said Frigga.

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning – why didn't you?" Loki's voice broke with the effort to keep from completely breaking down.

"We kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different," Frigga answered.

"What – because I'm the monster who parents tell their children about at night?" Loki could scarcely breathe; he didn't try to stop the tears from sliding down his cheeks.

Frigga stood up and started toward him, but his feet seemed to move on their own. He turned and sprinted from the room, throwing open the door, tearing down the hall; he didn't know where he was going, he just knew he had to be alone. It all made sense now, why Odin had favored Thor all those years, why he had kept him from going to Vanaheim with him; if one of the Frost Giants had touched him, Odin's whole charade would have crumbled. But what pained him even more was the fact that Frigga, the one person who had taken an interest in him as a child, the one who actually loved him as her own while Thor received all of Odin's attention, wasn't even his mother. Frigga wasn't his mother.

Loki ran and ran, taking any random turn until he found himself in the gardens. The night air was still. Calm, quiet. He remembered coming here as a child to hide when the other children made fun of him for being smaller and, in their eyes, weaker than them; being teased for his magic, for preferring the company of books over reenacting famous battles with their toy weapons.

He picked his way, bleary-eyed, through the shrubs to his old hiding spot: a secluded arbor of ivy near Frigga's fragrant rose bushes. There, he finally collapsed and cried freely, where no one could hear him. He leaned against the inside of the arbor and pulled his knees up to his chest.

How could Thor possibly love him now? Odin knew his true identity this entire time and still spoke of Frost Giants as sub-human creatures that needed to be eradicated. Loki knew that, in time, he could forgive Frigga for keeping the truth from him, but not Odin. Never Odin. Odin was dead to him.

"Loki?"

He wiped his eyes and looked up to see Thor peeping under the edge of the ivy.

"Go away! I know it's over – you don't have to tell me!"

"What are you talking about?" Thor asked, bending to step under the arbor. He sat down beside Loki.

"Isn't it obvious? I know how you really feel about Frost Giants. I've heard you and Father talk about them all our lives."

"Loki, you're not anything like them and you know it. And whatever I have done to wrong you, I am truly sorry. If I had known, I never would have – Can you ever forgive me?"

Loki sniffed and took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. "You mean...you still love me? How could you possibly? I – I'm a –"

"Don't you dare call yourself a monster again. You're not. You're my brother and I love you more than anything in the Nine Realms." Thor shifted so he was kneeling in front of Loki, and used the sleeve of his tunic to dry his tear-stained cheeks. "I love you," he repeated. "Now give us a kiss."

Through his few stray tears, Loki couldn't help but smile; it was those five words that had lead them down this path to begin with. He pulled his knees down from his chest and let Thor coax him forward so that he was almost straddling him again. They kissed slowly, passionately. Thor swiped a tear from Loki's cheek with his thumb.

Somehow Loki knew that they would be alright, that they would get past this. Whatever the Norns decided to throw at them, they would face it together, as lovers, and as brothers.