iamanartichoke:

runnerfivestillalive:

In an Instant

Five thousand years is a long time to be brothers.

They fought, they loved, they swore oaths of hatred and alliance. They always found their way back to each other.

-*-

The first time he noticed, they were lying in bed together. He was combing his brother’s perfect golden hair, considering what braid would cause the most political upheaval, and there it was.

A single grey strand.

He grinned, and considered teasing his brother, but decided to save it up for later use. Thor was so proud of his hair! Loki hoped he greyed early, and had to envy Loki’s dark waves!

-*-

The second time, hundreds of years later, they were in battle.

They were locked together, pushing their blades against each other’s strength, snarling curses. And suddenly Loki noticed signs of aging on Thor’s skin. Not wrinkles, precisely, not yet, but… aging.

He stared into his mirror that night.

Perhaps he did look a bit older himself. Maybe. Well, time passed. Even gods were not immune.

-*-

Thor was grey, but no less mighty, when he stormed in on Loki, in his lab deep under Asgard.

“What are you doing, brother!”

Loki had taken almost half of the golden apple seeds. He needed them. He needed to make something stronger of them.

He shouted at Thor that true immortality could be had. Thor had roared at him to give up such an arrogant ambition; their time passed, as all’s did! They had fought. Loki had been forced to flee.

But he did not give up his goal. Every time he looked in a mirror, he saw again his motivation.

-*-

Asgardians lived five thousand years.

It seemed such a long time. It wasn’t.

Everyone else had been sent away. These last moments were for the brothers alone. Thor lay on his bed, grey and fading. Loki lay his head on his chest, weeping, cursing him.

Young, and vital.

“You can’t. You cannot die. Please, brother! You cannot leave me here! I’ll do terrible things, I will destroy the realms, I swear I will!”

Thor cupped his cheek and smiled, eyes fading.

Asgardians lived five thousand years.

Jotun lived much longer.