A serious conversation

[st_ratagem]

Nerves were pointless. Realistically there was only one way this conversation was ultimately going to go, it was just a matter of getting there. Which would be awkward and embarrassing at least, but it had to be done.

Rather than go through the knock-on-door-then-enter thing, which would have been minor sandpaper on nerves that wanted to be frayed, Loki opened the door to the room as an invitation to enter. (Thor was the only one he was expecting, anyway.) After that, he took a seat at the little table on the balcony, since the only other choice was pacing like a ninny.

The room was much less tidy and impersonal since Valkyrie had moved in. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she wasn’t organized, so her things were scattered around, and Loki had relaxed his own tight rein on his things, so a few piles of books and other things had joined the clutter. It looked lived-in, now.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

“Who do you imagine would be higher on my list?” The only other people Loki really wanted to confide in, ever, we’re Bo and Bucky, and neither of them rated a family announcement before Thor. “And I feel I should point out that one of the reasons I want her is that she’s not above turning me down just because she doesn’t like my attitude of the moment.” It wouldn’t be permanent in that case, just until he’d repaired the deficiency and/or sufficiently made up for it. But still. Assuming anything about the Valkyrie outs be a dangerous prospect.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor is still grinning.

"I've always wanted a sister," Thor says, and then he course-corrects himself: "Well, a sister that didn't want both of us dead." Hela hadn't exactly given her the familial, sisterly relationship he wanted. True, Valkyrie was already practically family in everything but name, but this made it official.

[st_ratagem]

“Good. I don’t want a sister.” He had been, in fact, very prepared to get violent over the concept of Brunnhilde being relegated to ‘sister’.

[st_ormbreaker]

"But you're okay with having a second brother."

[st_ratagem]

“You marrying Stark is your business. That doesn’t necessarily make him anything to me.” Loki held up a hand to prevent any protest of the point. “He and I can tolerate each other comparatively easily, and given history that’s more than enough.”

[st_ormbreaker]

For the first time since their conversation began, Thor's smile fades, though he knows that's the most he can expect from Loki. Truthfully, he's not even sure how Tony feels about Loki these days.

"I'm glad we have that now," he says. "I wasn't sure the two of you would ever be able to stand one another."

[st_ratagem]

“I imagine if we couldn’t you’d be the last to know,” Loki’s tone was amused, because he’d been good enough at concealing the depth of the mutual loathing between him and the Three, and he didn’t doubt Stark had as much experience at keeping things to himself, “but he was determined to tolerate and I don’t have anything against him. I had less doubt than you there, apparently.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Wlel, you did try to kill him," Thor quips, finally sitting back down.

[st_ratagem]

“People always take that so personally. It’s not like it’s an unusual thing for me to do.” How many times had he tried to kill Thor? Only a few of those had been really serious.

[st_ormbreaker]

"Humans are more fragile," Thor points out, "and they don't live nearly as long as we do."

Thor, on the other hand, was made of considerably more durable stuff.

[st_ratagem]

“Still, it’s hardly ever personal.” Once in a while, yes, but in general when something was personal, Loki aimed at suffering, not death.

It seemed like a topic that could start a fight, so Loki shifted to one likely to be more entertaining. “... it just now occurs to me to be glad I had a pair of knives from Mother.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Loki's attempt to shift the conversation works.

"Why's that?"

[st_ratagem]

“You have one for your wedding, I have one for mine.” He’d be left with no blade from Frigga... but a blade in Brunnhilde’s possession was hardly gone at all.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor's grin resurfaces at Loki's explanation.

"I wish I had something I could give you to give to your betrothed," he says, but he arrived with scarcely more than the armor he was wearing.

[st_ratagem]

“It’s no matter.” A nice sentiment, though. At the risk of assuming an answer I don’t have yet, we’ll also need to find or make rings. I assume you’ve not handled that for yourself yet.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor lifts his hand, revealing the nanotech ring that Tony conjured for the both of them.

"Tony took care of that."

[st_ratagem]

“Damn.” Loki looked over the ring, then half-shrugged. “Ah well. I’m sure I’ll manage, then.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Don't worry, I'll still help you figure something out," Thor says, giving his brother a pat on the side of the arm. "Just let me know what you need me to do."

[st_ratagem]

“I need gold or a way to get at a jeweler.” Ideally the latter, but if the former was called for.... “If I need to make the thing myself, I may need you to take my lady out hunting for a day or three.”

[st_ormbreaker]

My lady. Thor grins so hard that his face might actually break.

"I think that can be arranged," he says. Thor was nothing if good at attracting attention.

[st_ratagem]

“Without telling her the reason why?” Loki arched an eyebrow and decided to ignore the dopey smile. Eventually Thor’s face would stick that way, and who would really notice? “I remember you’re a shit liar even after I tried to teach you.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Would anyone question my want of fresh meat?" Thor counters. He did like fresh game.

[st_ratagem]

"No, but your ability to keep secrets is often roughly on par with your ability to lie." Thor himself had to admit as much, didn't he? "I seem to recall you insisting on putting up signs labeled 'secret base SSSHHHH' when we were children."

[st_ormbreaker]

"It's different now," Thor huffs. "I'm much better at these things."

[st_ratagem]

“You think so?” Loki kept his tone one of moderate skepticism, just for fun, since winding Thor up was almost never not fun. “Do you think any of the costume junk in the boutique is ever actual gold?” If it was, well... that seemed like it might be decisive. The ring should more properly be part of the wedding, but it seemed a good idea to have physical proof that this wasn’t a whim... and really, the wedding was only the price one paid to be married, wasn’t it?