For a moment Loki stared at Thor, eyes gone wide. His brother seemed so earnest - how was that even possible?

It wasn't of course. It was a trick. It was just one more lie, one more thing they wanted to feed him, use him, make him into a tool. Thor was part of that, always, made greater by having Loki in his shadow. "Such sentiment," he whispered.

The proximity was too much, too much temptation and too much of a mockery.

Loki bowed his head, one hand subtly slipping into his pocket, finding his pen and pushing the cap off with his thumb. In a lightning fast motion, he pulled the pen from his pocket and jammed it into his brother's side, hard enough to punch through clothing and into flesh.

"I'll not be fooled by you again," he hissed. "Not by your and not by your father! I will no longer stand in your shadow and I won't be bullied!"