Work Text:
Harry looked around Loki’s suite in Asgard. While there was no denying that everything in Asgard was impressive, he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable. It was clear from the moment he stepped off the Bifrost that nobody in Asgard besides Loki wanted him there. He had already heard the derisive murmurings of ‘Seidr’ and ‘mortal’. Technically Harry was no longer mortal, thanks to his title of Master of Death. It was only this technicality that had granted him access to his lover’s homeland but it had become very clear that few amongst the Aesir accepted such reasoning. To them he would always be a mortal and therefore inferior.
After his dealings with the Dark Elves, Loki had left Asgard and journeyed back to Midgard where he discovered the magical community. He had stayed far away from SHIELD and all those that could connect him to the invasion of New York. It was here that the two met and quickly fell in love. Harry was happy that he had found a lover he could grow old with and Loki was happy to find someone who understood him and didn’t scorn him for being different. The fact that Loki, because of his Jotun heritage, could give the two children delighted Harry who had always wished for a family.
Loki was beginning to come to terms with his heritage in large part because of the support he gained from Harry. Harry had grown up being judged because of what he was rather than who he was and was able to help Loki understand that being a Frost Giant did not make him a monster. Loki was coming to realise that centuries of war and hate had left the Aesir extremely biased when it came to Jotunheim.
-----
That evening Harry found himself seated at the High Table after being introduced to Loki’s father and brother. Thor had welcomed him to Asgard and was genuinely delighted his brother had found a partner at last. Thor’s previous experience on Earth and his relationship with Jane Foster and the Avengers allowed him to welcome Harry as an equal. Odin, on the other hand, looked distinctly less impressed with Harry. This sentiment was shared by the rest of the room.
After three hours of listening to snide comments and unsubtle references to the weakness and cowardice of those who practiced magic, alongside even less subtle insults aimed at Loki, Harry was reaching the end of his tether. He had tried to remain quiet and polite for Loki’s sake but he had had just about enough.
It was Lady Sif who finally pushed Harry over the edge. Fandral had been regaling the table with a rousing description of an adventure Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three had undertaken several centuries ago. The fact that Loki had been there was barely mentioned. Harry cared very little about the tale of the warriors going up against several dragons and a horde of giants. The story was most likely embellished and considering the things he had got up to as a child in Hogwarts, their boastings did little to impress Harry. It was Fandral’s dismissal of Loki’s magic to disorientate the giants that peaked Harry’s interest and convinced him to join the conversation.
Harry turned to him in response. “So the fact that Loki saved all your lives is completely irrelevant? Without his spell you wouldn’t have been able to slay the giants at all and all your heroic deeds would have been futile.”
It was Sif who scoffed at his assessment. “He only managed it through trickery and deceit. A real warrior has no need for such tactics. He confused the giants rather than fighting them. A true warrior of Asgard fights with their sword and doesn’t resort to dishonourable methods.” Sif smiled as she said this, clearly enjoying dismissing and diminishing Loki's accomplishments. Many of the Aesir surrounding them were nodding in agreement.
Harry had had enough of the insults, both to himself and to Loki. That these people completely disregarded the fact that Loki had saved their lives infuriated him.
He stood up, towering over Sif and sneered at her. “Forgive me Lady Sif”, he stated in the coldest voice he could muster, “but that is the biggest load of nonsense I have ever had the misfortune to hear.”
He looked down at her, eyes flashing with anger. “Anyone who thinks war is honourable has never been in a real war. War is dirty and bloody and produces unimaginable horrors. It destroys the innocent and forces the young to sacrifice themselves for their elders’ mistakes.
“I grew up in a warzone. I killed my first man when I was just eleven years old. When I was fourteen I was kidnapped by the enemy, tortured and forced to watch as my friend was killed. When I was seventeen I fought in the final battle of the war and destroyed the leader of the enemy forces. So believe me when I say I know exactly what a real war is like.
“There are two types of peoples in a war: the aggressors and the defenders. There is nothing honourable about attacking others. For the defenders, their soldiers are protecting their family and friends, and guarding their people’s freedom and way of life. They are protecting those that cannot fight for themselves. That is an honourable pursuit - risking your life in the protection of others. What weapons you use to do it is completely irrelevant. Whether you use magic or swords or guns or even a big ass *magical* hammer. It is the act of protecting that produces honour and never the act of fighting or killing.”
By now the hall had grown silent and everyone was listening to the interloper condemning one of their strongest warriors. Harry took a step back away from Sif and addressed all those around him. “That fact that you have built an entire culture dedicated to perpetrating such beliefs says a lot about the Aesir, and none of it speaks well of you.
“You have made your opinion of me quite clear and now let me return the favour.”
Harry stood up, dismissing the rest of Asgard, and gestured to Loki. “I think we’ve outstayed our welcome. What say we go back home and leave these children to their war games and drink?”
Loki grinned at Harry as he stood. He looked around the room and saw a sea of shocked and angry faces. No one had ever stood up for him in this manner nor put these self-righteous asses in their place as perfectly as Harry had just done. Loki felt peace and happiness for the first time in years. He had finally found a true home and a true partner.