Chapter Text
“Be good, boys,” Frigga said, smiling as she hugged Thor.
“We will be,” Thor replied earnestly, accepting the hug with a grace that seventeen year olds were rarely capable of. Behind him, Loki snorted and Thor rolled his eyes, meeting his father's gaze.
“You both fill me with confidence,” Odin murmured, opening the door of his car.
“Sorry, dad,” Loki said. The sarcasm in his tone was so subtle that probably only Thor could hear it. Or maybe Frigga did too, but she wisely said nothing.
They stood side by side, watching the car leave until nothing but billows of smoke was left on the dirt road that stretched for almost two miles before meeting the actual roadway.
Finally, Loki spoke into the tense silence between them.
“You know... it's going to be a bitch to find a restaurant that delivers to this shit hole.”
Personally, Thor thought that if he didn't mind just how remote and isolated the house was, Loki shouldn't either. It was not like the internet connection was bad or as if they lacked for anything. Quite the contrary, there was everything, every luxury one might want. And complete privacy. Total quiet. Thor was pretty sure Loki liked all that.
Anyway. It was freshly nine in the morning and he was walking through the silent house and stepping out onto the large patio – well, the garden – in the back, almost groaning as the pleasantly hot, but still fresh air coated his skin.
He was going to own that pool. It had the proper size for some serious swimming, even if it was likely mostly used for pool parties, given the number of lounging chairs in the proximity, and the closeness to the French doors leading to a bar.
He chucked his towel onto one of the chairs and readied himself on the edge, taking a deep breath before jumping head first and beginning his rounds.
An hour later, he was lying on his chosen pool chair, muscles faintly quivering, enjoying the warmth of the sun. He was close to dozing.
“Hey,” Loki's soft voice roused him and he squinted up. “Hope you had breakfast.”
Thor had only had a banana before he went swimming in fact, but that didn't stop him from rolling over and sitting up to take the offered drink from Loki's hand.
He watched, silently curious as Loki opened one of the large umbrellas and seated himself on a chair in the shade, close to Thor and holding the same drink that he had given to his brother.
It was just a rum and Coke, nothing fancy. Thor knew a peace offering when he saw one though.
And there was no denying it. The sight of Loki coming to willingly spend time with him warmed him more than the July sun or any amount of good rum could. They have not been on the best of terms lately.
Loki had a book with him, some fantasy paperback that looked pretty unlike anything he had to read for school or any of that pretentious shit he chose to read on his own. He was dressed in shorts and a black tank top.
“Where did you find this?” Thor asked, motioning with his drink after taking a sip, both to distract himself from his thoughts and to open a safe conversation. He trusted Loki would know he didn't mean the soda.
Loki just snorted. “You wouldn't believe. It's like they're giving us a permission. The bar, the fridge... it's all packed with booze, none of it locked away. And I didn't even go to the cellar yet.”
“Maybe they think this place is too remote for us to make any trouble,” Thor laughed, sucking in two mouthfuls of the sweet drink through his straw. “Like, the cops would get doughnut withdrawal before making it here.”
“That's an awesome theory, Thor, my guess would be they just hope we don't get bored enough to invite drug dealers for a party,” Loki countered drily and Thor just cackled, sipping some more. Loki was right, but they never could admit if the other was, so he stayed quiet.
Their parents were filthy rich. And pretty busy; not always with work. When he was younger, Thor kind of resented that, especially when it came to their mother, but he grew out it. Frigga loved them both so much and she was there for them when they needed her, giving advice, helping... Thor liked to think he was now adult enough to realize she was still a woman in her prime and that it was not her ultimate duty to play a nurse to two teenage sons.
The rum on his almost empty stomach was making itself known and he adjusted his sunglasses, getting more comfortable on the beach chair. “Mmmm.”
“Light-weight,” Loki remarked, clearly noticing just why was Thor so relaxed.
“Shut up. You're the one who served me rum before noon.”
The next morning was similar. Thor got up a little bit later, courtesy of binge-watching Netflix until two, but his plan was the same as the day before. A proper swim, then a lunch, after that lazing about with a drink... and so on.
Mostly it worked out. He swam about thirty pools and then heaved himself up out of the water, finding Loki already lounging in the shade. They said next to nothing and Thor spread out a towel on a chair, sprawling in the sun to dry himself and warm up.
“Drink?” Loki asked, almost an hour later.
Thor was almost asleep and he slurred his reply against his damp towel. “You know, you could offer me, like, pancakes. Or bacon and eggs.”
There was no reply, only the ruffling sounds of Loki putting his flip-flops on and leaving the patio. Thor gradually woke up fully, mildly disturbed by Loki's reaction. Was he going to get a passive-aggressive breakfast as a result of his words?
But shortly after, Loki was back, swinging a glass with what turned out to be a Screwdriver in front of Thor.
“Yes, I could offer you that,” Loki said smoothly. ”But I'm not your girlfriend and I'm not your mother. But here's some OJ, that's healthy and wholesome, right?”
Thor took a sip, a little stunned.
“Apart from the vodka, I guess,” he murmured.
Later that day, he forgot to put his swimming trunks onto the hanger and he chucked them carelessly into a corner instead. The next morning, they were grossly damp, obviously, and stank. He stared at the wetly cold piece of clothing in his hands and then shrugged. Why the hell would he even need them? There was no one around for miles.
He swam his pools happily once he got used to the feeling of his dick swishing around in the current that his speed caused. It wasn't so bad, actually, and it led him to realize that albeit fashionable, trunks the size of large men's shorts (aka the type he was wearing) were not the best for quick swimming. He probably would not be caught wearing tiny speedos instead though.
He heaved himself out of the water and there was no sign of his brother yet. He followed his routine, lying down to sunbathe and dry.
Listening to the perfect silent of his surroundings, he had to wonder if this was a punishment. He didn't think their parents were as clueless as to think that a house with a swimming pool was enough to keep him and Loki entertained for a... well, almost a month. Three weeks and something. If it was in a city, or anywhere reachable, they both would be obviously inviting guests or heading out themselves. Thor maybe more than his brother, but Loki sure did know how to party and where to get enough people to disappear with.
But here... what a peculiar piece of land it was. Crazily remote.
Then again, their parents were of a certain age. Maybe they looked at the number of things the house itself was equipped with and thought – hey, what else do you need?
Or maybe they just thought the brothers needed some time together.
Thor was still pondering that last option that the patio door opened quietly and the clapping of Loki's flip-flops could be heard.
“Hi!”
Thor murmured his reply and began to wonder just when did Loki get so civil. He's been pretty much nice ever since they were here. Mind you, Thor was not complaining. Loki could be downright unbearable when he chose to.
“Did mom and dad tell you anything?” he asked before he could think better of it.
“Like what?”
“I don't know... I was just thinking that it's pretty weird of them to leave us here alone for so long.”
He could hear the faint rustling of Loki's book as he closed it.
“I get what you mean.” There it was again, the calm, friendly tone. Loki agreeing with him? Did hell freeze over? “I'm actually... I think they reckon the city is a bad influence. Bad people, anonymity, whatever.”
Thor snorted into his towel. “I'm flattered they think we won't kill each other out here.”
“Well, it is a fucking big house,” Loki laughed. Thor let Loki's carefree tone soothe him and closed his eyes.
“Oh yeah, also, maybe this is like an exercise in responsibility, which by the way, you are so failing,” Loki told him some time – he couldn't tell how long it was – later and Thor startled from his dozing.
“What? Why? Aah-”
Something cold dripped onto his back and he stiffened, disoriented.
“You are going to get sunburned,” Loki said as a way of explanation.
Oh. It was sunscreen. Loki drizzled over his back and legs generously, ignoring Thor's squirming and yelping. Thor quieted down soon enough; the cream warmed quickly and Loki began to spread it, his palms pressed firmly to Thor's skin, fingers fanning out as he massaged it in. He started at Thor's shoulders, pausing to more gingerly spread some of the cream all the way to Thor's neck without getting his hair oily and then went down in broad strokes.
Thor only remembered he was naked when Loki pinched his ass, hard.
“Ow!” he protested, ready to call Loki some very specific names, all of which promptly died in his throat when Loki spread the sunscreen over both his ass-cheeks in a very business-like manner. There seemed to be no hesitation whatsoever in Loki's touch and he was thorough too – there definitely was some brief kneading.
Okay.
Thor's brain only started working again when Loki was half-way down his thighs and after that, he just couldn't figure out what to say.
“Mmm, phew,” Loki made a tired sound when he was done, staying to sit next to Thor, his leg pressed to Thor's hip. “It's so damn hot.”
“Get in the shade then, you ass,” Thor managed to get out. Loki did; Thor cracked an eye open and turned his head while still lying down to see Loki settle underneath the huge umbrella. It was a classic look for his brother: book, sunglasses, drink.
Everything was pleasant and peaceful.
Nothing out of the ordinary for the Odinsons.
Nope.