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Thor had always doubted his brother. Ever since their childhood, Loki had always been trickster of the family. It was his destiny according to Odin. After being aboard The Statesman for nearly a month, Thor had expected for some old wounds to finally heal with him and the younger. He was wrong. Not once had Loki talked to him unless it was a snarky remark or the occasional brotherly banter between the two.
The thunderer doesn’t see Loki too often while they’re on the ship; not even at meals and recently the trickster had been avoiding council meetings as well. So now here he was, a god among mortals, in his chambers, wallowing in misery. Well, until the Valkyrie had entered, carrying a bottle of what seemed to be alcohol (which wasn’t a surprise).
Val strides in.
“Highness” she exhales before flopping onto the bed.
“We’re soon to be arriving at Alfheim for the supplies you asked for”
A minute passes before she turns her head to look at Thor’s worried gaze.
“What’s got you looking like that?” she gestures to him with her index finger. When the god doesn’t answer Val sits up tentatively.
“Lemme guess, Lackey?”
At his brother’s nickname, Thor’s eyes dart to the warrior’s face.
“Things haven’t been going too great, I guess” he whispers, looking at his shoes.
”You guess or you know?” she prods further.
”I know”
”Family issues are really the signature dish with you two, aren’t they?” she says, a smirk plastered across her face.
Thor let out a forced chuckle but soon furrowed his brows in frustration. He let out an exasperated sigh and then said:
”He’s been avoiding me”
”Well, that’s partially his persona, isn’t it?”
“But it’s Loki, my brother, who now apparently can’t even talk to me face to face” the god said running his hands through his hair.
”Exactly, your brothers, Thor, you need to talk to him.” Val said, taking a swig from the bottle filled with orange liquid.
”Loki’s not one for…communication” Thor whispered.
”Nothing will change if you don’t do something about it”
“But he--“
”No, Thor, I can’t help you out on this one. You’re mad at him, correct?”
Thor gives a slight nod.
”Then tell him that” she stood up and started towards the door.
”I don’t want him to hate me” Thor says from behind her.
“If you think he would hate you, that’s just another sign for you two to talk this out”
And with that she spun on her heel and walked out.
Thor had sat in that room for what seemed like hours, confined in the nothingness that had kept him there. The walls had shrunk in on him, imprisoning him in his own solitude. The god raked his hands through his buzzed hair. Why was his brother like this? Why did he do things that made Thor feel so soulless? Like he was slowly being eaten from the inside.
Why did it bother him so much?
Loki had always been like this. It was his image, his glamour that he hid his true self behind. Like a mirror without a reflection in it. It was his role, a part that he played to perfection. So why did it feel like Thor was empty all of a sudden? Because his liar of a brother decided that ignoring his only silver of a family that was left, was alright? It didn’t matter if they weren’t blood related. What was blood when every person he had loved was killed? They had all vanished from his grasp. Frigga, Odin, his own realm that he was meant to lead.
“A King!” Thor scoffed, breaking the silence that had embedded itself into his quarters.
”Father would be disappointed” he muttered.
”Father’s not here” a new voice interrupted.
Thor whipped his head up to see Loki standing in front of him. Had he come in?
”I’m not in the mood for your pathetic tricks, Brother” the thunderer said as he picked an apple from the fruit basket and threw it at the illusion of his brother, expecting it to pass straight through the mirage.
Except it didn’t.
Loki had caught the apple before it would have hit his face and threw it to the ground with a small thump.
“This isn’t a trick” Loki said, scowling at Thor’s wide eyes.
”Loki--“
”Why have you been acting like that?”
”Like what?” Thor exclaimed. Surely, he hadn’t realised that he was the one acting strange.
“Like you haven’t come out of your quarters all day”
”You’re not one for being concerned. It’s not a great look, doesn’t suit you.” And yes, maybe that was a little harsh of Thor but once the words had exited his mouth, it was too late. He couldn’t back down now.
“Ah, now this is going to be one of these talks. Oh, Brother, I’m fine, totally! No King is ever in need for concern and I shall not be the first!” Loki mocked, deepening his voice to match his brother’s.
Thor glared at him.
”I’m the one to be asking that”
”What?” Loki questioned.
”You barely talk to me, you skip meals and you don’t even join council meetings. You’re always in the library or learning a new protection spell for the ship or--Norns! Who knows what you’re doing!” Thor shouted, throwing himself up off the chair so he could walk over to his brother and stare him in the eyes.
”So I don’t need to be babysat like the rest of you toddlers, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, why is that such a bad thing?”
“You always do that! You lock yourself away from the rest of us and don’t let anyone see your real self. We’re brothers! Brothers take care of each other. They support one another, they--“
”I see Midgard has made you soft. So what if I’m not letting myself be read like an open book unlike you! I am a god. Worthy of true capabilities. You’re right, your father would be disappointed”
”Our Father”
”No, I don’t have a Father, Thor. I don’t have parents. The only person I have is myself. The only person I can trust is myself. I am alone and always will be. If you truly believe you can change that, you’re a mockery to the throne” Loki spat.
”What about Mother?! Do you not have an ounce of compassion or love for her? Considering it’s your fault she’s dead”
“It wasn’t my fault” Loki whispers refusing to make direct eye contact.
”Wasn’t your fault? You must be joking, brother--“
”I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER!” the prince shouted.
”Yeah, you’re right, no son murders their own mother”
When Thor saw the hurt plastered across his brother’s face, he regretted the entire conversation. All the anger that had been built up inside of him had finally burst, and of course he had to go and shove everything on Loki.
”Wait, Loki, I didn’t mean to say--“
”I think you’ve said enough, Majesty”
Thor could see Loki’s jaw clenched to the point he thought that it might fall off all together but the trickster had looked at him with pure disgust and hatred. Before he could say anything else, Loki ran out of the room. Thor was left standing frozen in the middle of his chambers.
No.
Loki can’t leave.
What has he done?
Thor sprinted out of the room looking at each end of the hallway to spot the mess of green and black that would identify his brother but it was empty. Everywhere he looked, Loki’s chambers, the food hall, the library and even the council hall.
Empty
Where the Hel was his brother?
Loki had found himself deep in the forests of Álfheim but he liked it here; ever since the defeat of the Valkyrie and the Godess Freyja, it had been left uninhabited. It was peaceful and melancholy when the sunlight had peaked its way through the trees’ leaves and throughout the realm.
Loki hadn’t visited Álfheim in centuries but he remembered sneaking in with Thor as children to spy on the Valkyrie as they trained for possible threats. A memory of him and Thor hiding in the bushes, staring in awe at how efficiently the Valkyrie had fought against one another, entered his mind.
The god unconsciously smiled at the thought until he remembered the events that had occurred previously that morning. A scowl painted over his face as he ran through the words his brother had pinned onto him.
Who did he think he was?
He wasn’t some lost puppy in need of affection. In fact he was the opposite, he was a god. A ruler. And perhaps he could’ve been a King.
He didn’t intend to somehow avoid Thor throughout their short month-long journey aboard The Statesman. Most of it came naturally, perhaps after finding out his true heritage, his demeanour had altered nearly completely. Although he seemed relatively confident that he was not in the wrong, his brother and him have had their ups and downs. Thor couldn’t have possibly thought that all this would have been solved after spending a month together. Nevertheless, maybe a small part buried deep in Loki’s mind had hoped thought that Thor and him could have at least tried to tolerate one another.
He had never hated Thor. It was jealousy. Always had been. Always will be.
Odin made sure of that. His Jotunheim heritage made sure of that. Everything in his life had made sure of preventing a single success in his life.
It was always Thor. Thor’s legacy. Thor’s coronation. Thor’s everything.
Why couldn’t anything be his?
Just something. A memory perhaps that he could claim his own. One that hadn’t been prodded at by Thanos when he was under the control of the mind stone. Memories of its hold on him projected themselves in Loki’s mind and oh, how it made the god shiver.
Thor never knew what had happened when he was with Thanos. None of the avengers knew.
And maybe that was partially his fault as he never mentioned it. What was the point of talking about it when he deserved it? He deserved the pain. The suffering. The gut wrenching feeling whenever he saw his reflection in the mirror. Loki craves the affection of his brother and yet he knows that he doesn’t deserve and ounce of love from him.
How could he?
All the times he had betrayed him, all the times he had told him how much he hated Thor, all the times he wanted to kill him.
Just for a throne.
Just for an audience.
Just for some approval.
Thor’s approval, a part of Loki whispers. No, he didn’t need his brother. He was alone in this. Just like he had told Thor.
He didn’t need his brother. He would make his own title. His own life.
So Loki decided that he was going to be better. Not some damsel in distress that had to be saved all the time.
And just when he had thought that, he felt stone cold hands grip him by the arms. His senses had shot through the roof and soon he was fighting back. Loki squirmed out of the hard grip of the buffoon that had thought attacking the Prince of Asgard, (or whatever was left of it anyway) seemed manageable.
The trickster quickly turned around to see the horrific image that stood in front of him. A dark elf glared at him, its eyes piercing through Loki’s. The god quickly summoned one of his daggers.
”A dark elf, in Álfheim? What a surprise!” he exclaimed sarcastically.
”Prince” the elf acknowledged.
”What brings you here?” Loki prods.
When Loki’s question is left unanswered he quickly thinks of another way to get this oaf talking.
”Who commands you?”
The response was immediate.
”Svartáljofurr”
”Ah, of course, well, how about you give him a little hi from Asgard and I’ll just be on my way” Loki had started to walk backwards.
”How about I give him your head”
“I’d say that’s a tad aggressive, wouldn’t you?”
Loki was ready to start sprinting. He could easily take this idiot in a fight, but once again he looks into the bigger picture. Svartáljofurr was merciless. And now without Asgard as a realm, what good is it if he begins a war by killing one of his people?
The dark elf starts to walk towards Loki, blade in hand, the god could see the runes cast upon his weapon. Loki quickly throws one his own daggers, a satisfactory smile spreads across his face when he sees it embed itself into the elf’s shoulder. The god begins to run into the forest, his breath quickening. Sure he had slowed down one of them, soon there would be groups of them searching for him.
The Statesman had already left. Loki was sure of that when he had heard the booming of the engine above him quiet down. And now he was by himself, stranded on a planet filled with creatures that wanted to kill him. Great. Just great.
He came to a stop, kneeling down in the dirt, after running for what seemed to be eternity. A forced exhale was let out, shoulders shuddering.
Crack
A sound of a twig breaking made his body freeze.
Please be an animal, please gods let it be an animal.
Crack
The same sound echoed through the woods but this time it came from the opposite direction. Loki quickly sprung to his feet, daggers out. When he thought he had heard a slight shuffle from behind him, his head whipped to the left.
Nothing.
His guard didn’t fall.
And then that’s when he heard it. The footsteps coming closer.
Loki was about to turn around when a sharp pain shot through his head.
A pained shout escaped his lips and he felt himself topple over onto the ground. He tried to make out the voices coming from above him but the ringing.
The ringing wouldn’t stop.
Why wasn’t it stopping?
Black dots started to invade his vision and soon they started to encompass his entire mind, leading him into the realm of unconsciousness that awaited him.
Stay Awake.
I can’t.
You have to.
I need--
What do you need?
Thor. I need my brother.
And with that last thought, he fell into unconsciousness.
Loki had awoken with an aching pain resonating through his head.
”Aghh” he groaned as he got up from where he was sitting?
”Ah, yes the Prince awakens” a voice booms from above him making Loki’s eardrums ring louder.
The god looks at the blurry figure sitting on something in front of him, he rubs his eyes to try and clear the image before him. After blinking a few times, his vision focuses. In front of him sits Svartáljofurr himself, on a throne built of stone, a staff clasped between his veiny fingers.
”So, long time no see” Loki said forcing out a chuckle.
Svartáljofurr tilts his head, mockingly.
”Do you thing this is a game, banished one?”
Loki squints his eyes, “Beg your pardon?”
”Please, we heard about your little stunts you pulled with your brother” the elf smirks.
”Well, I was never banished” the god defends himself.
”Odin must be going soft”
Odin?
Did they not know?
”Uh--yes he has--well he didn’t--“
”We have made the Silver Tongue speechless!” Svartáljofurr exclaims, throwing his head back in laughter.
Loki grits his teeth, biting his tongue, refraining saying something to get him into even more of a mess than he’s already in.
”Now, let’s get to the point, shall we?” Loki questions.
”We shall” the dark elf says, grinning.
Loki gulps.
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he wished Thor was here with him.
”Now, you expect to be let off unharmed like always, don’t you?” Svartáljofurr questions.
”Am I to be harmed, then?
”I wouldn’t let a prince of Asgard just roam free, would I?”
”I don’t think I’m in the right position to answer that question”
“Did you arrive alone?”
”Im alone, aren’t I?” he answers, sarcastically.
Svartáljofurr raises his staff and slams it down on the ground.
“Enough”
Loki bites the inside of his cheek.
”I want answers, boy. And I will get them”
Now Loki wasn’t one to plead yet alone beg but gods how he wanted to just clasp his hands together and let the tears roll down; still he refrained from doing so.
”I’m not hiding anything” was the closest Loki could do to a plead.
”Maybe…I’m not one for taking chances though” the leader smiled a sickening smile. He glanced towards some guards standing near the entrance to the sort of cave they were inside and pointed his finger at Loki.
If he wasn’t praying before, he was now.
The two guards had moved towards him, their armour clanking as they moved. They pulled him up by the arms and dragged him out of the door- Svartáljofurr’s laughs echoing behind him.
”Just you wait, prince!” was the last thing he heard before he was led down the tunnel that connected to the cave.
After what seemed like an eternity, they had finally arrived at some sort of cave with bars isolating the separate cell from civilisation.
So this is where I’m going to be kept.
The elves unlocked the door and threw him into it aggressively. A little too aggressively, in Loki’s opinion. He landed on his knees - hands supporting his weight - and heard the click of the door shutting behind him.
“Great hospitality, I’ll make sure to leave a good review” Loki said dryly, as he stood up, brushing off the rocks on his clothing.
The two elves just rolled their eyes and positioned themselves on either side of the cell.
”This is great, just great” the royal muttered.
Thor being worried was the understatement of the decade. The King was frantically pacing back and forth as Val and Bruce stood on either side of him trying reassure him.
”He’ll be ok, it’s Loki, for gods sake” Val says, although Thor can tell that she’s not the most certain by the fact she didn’t call him by his nickname.
”Wait, so are we sure that turning the ship around was the best option? We’re putting everyone at risk here” Bruce stated, fidgeting.
”I’m getting my brother” Thor demands.
”Yes but--“
”I’d suggest not arguing with him right now” Valkyrie hisses into his ear. Bruce looks at her with wide eyes, mouth agape.
“Well uh--we are soon gonna arrive at Álfheim”
Bruce was met with silence.
Val gulps. “Uh--Thor are you--do you need uh--anything?”
”My brother. Back.”
“We’ll get him back” she repeats for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Yeah Thor, don’t worry” Bruce echoes.
Silence overcome them.
Bruce awkwardly shuffled around, looking at his feet and Val for once seemed somewhat sober.
He didn’t care though. All of this was his fault, Loki wasn’t in immediate danger. The prince had just decided to take a walk. On a different fucking realm. A voice reminded him. The realm was uninhabited - Thor had told himself - but after Loki had poised as his father, the realms had gone into chaos.
Inevitable Chaos.
A loud beeping sound brought him back to the present.
”We’re here” Bruce supplied.
”We can come with you” Val said, shortly adding, “if you want”.
”I’m going by myself, all of this happened because of me. It’s my mess to clean”
His friends nodded at him and turned to walk out of the room.
I’m coming, brother.
Loki had spent what seemed like hours, imprisoned in the pathetic cage that they had called unbreakable. The mischief god sat with his back leaning against the edge of the cave wall.
He needs to get out.
Now.
The prince stood up abruptly and walked over to the bars to look one of the guards in the eyes.
”Let me out, now”
Both guards scowled out him.
”Oh come on, you have kept me here like some sort of caged pet” he shouts, throwing his hands up in frustration.
Before he could start insulting the elves even more, another soldier hurried in looking frantic.
“Svartáljofurr wants it” he breathed.
It?
He’s classified as an ‘it’?
”Looks like you got your wish, prince” the dark elf says, unlocking the cage.
After been shoved down the same tunnel he had been led down earlier, they made it to a similar conjoined cave. The god was pushed into the makeshift chair that sat in the middle of the space.
”Took you long enough to seem to want me” the trickster said refusing to look up, already knowing the image that awaited him.
“Do not underestimate what I can do to you, prince” Svartáljofurr’s voice shakes the cave.
”I’m sure you can do a lot but know I will never, never, give you what it is you desire”
”Then I guess I’ll just have to get it out of you”
The war god walks towards Loki and kneels down to put his lips near his ear.
”Now”
And then came two words that Loki had dreaded.
”Let’s start”
Thor had scoured every inch of this goddamn forest and still-
No Loki
He had wondered the same lands for hours and yet he hadn’t seen any life whatsoever. The thunder god’s face was pulled into an uncomfortable scowl, brows creased and eyes closed.
He just needed to think.
To close his eyes and think.
For once.
For Loki.
His brother, whom he adored and loved.
Thor fell to his knees, covering his face with his hands, groaning in despair. However, a sound from behind him broke his trance.
”Hello?” he said it more demandingly, voice booming.
No response.
”I demand you to reveal yourself!” he shouted.
Then a figure Thor had never even imagined stepped out from behind the trees. An elf.
A dark elf.
Before the god couldn’t even understand what his body was doing, he launched himself at the enemy. He swung his fist at the elf and slammed him into the tree he had just emerged from.
”Where’s my brother!?” he all but screamed at it.
”Uh--brother? Wha--Who does he--What?” Thor could see the utter confusion plastered across his face but chose not to comment on it.
”Tell. Me. Where. My brother is”
And then a sudden realisation overcame the dark elf, colour draining from his face.
”King--Asgar--brother Loki!”
“Loki, yes! My brother where is he!?” he slammed him back into the tree.
”Svartáljofurr, he has him” the elf breathed out.
The thunderer’s grip loosened on him.
“Take me to him”
”Uh--well I need t--yes uh--majesty” he stammered.
”This is just pathetic, isn’t it?” Loki chuckled, spitting out blood from where one of the elves had just punched him.
”Silence. Only speak if you give me my information”
The mischief god flexes his wrists from where they sat chained on either arm of the chair. Loki could see the red scratches starting to form under the cuffs and the chains wrapped around his torso were starting to dig into his abdomen. He smiled at the fond memory of him sitting in the chair Val had created for him back when they were at Sakaar.
Loki leaned forward, “If you don’t have it, how can you claim it yours?”
Svartáljofurr pushes himself off of where he sat and walks over to the mischief god.
”You really have a silver tongue” he mocks.
”What can I say, I’m the God of Mischief” Loki grins.
”You’re not going to give me the whereabouts of your brother, are you?”
Even if the god knew that the question was rhetorical he should’ve knew not to prod any further.
Loki ponders sarcastically for a moment, “Yeah, no”
The war god nods at something behind him and before Loki could try to decipher the meaning, a cold feeling on his lips cut off his breath. He started to thrash around in the chair he was chained to, hands trying to fly to the metal that was on his mouth.
”You said you won’t speak, are you having second thoughts?” Svartáljofurr says, biting his lip.
Loki returns him a glare.
”I’m taking that as a no”
The trickster’s heart started to quicken, thumping under his chest. The muzzle covering his mouth hid the slight quiver in his lips, and Norns was he grateful for that.
“Take him back to his cell, he’s more useful there” the war god orders, turning away.
Just as one guard started to scurry over to him, a loud banging noise echoed from further down the tunnel. Svartáljofurr whips his head around to the entrance of the cave they were hidden in, “What was that?”
”Uh--sir I didn’t--uh how did?”
”How did what?”
”I don’t--uh”
”Uh--what I don’t--“ Svartáljofurr mocks in a high pitched tone.
”Go. Find. Out”
Loki’s eyes begin to dart all over the place, trying to search for a little flicker that would grant him an escape, but with these stupid chains-
It was hopeless.
Once the guard had stumbled out of the cave and the echoing sound of his footsteps had disappeared, the room waited in silence.
”Well in the mean time--“ the war god’s words were quickly cut off by the sound of booming.
Before either one of them could react, a familiar figure crashed into the cave, lighting embedding itself into his brother’s skin. Loki’s eyes filled with relief, his face relaxing, but then the escalated situation made it’s way back into his mind.
He started to thrash against his bonds and started to try and make out words from behind his muzzle.
”Nn--Th--“
Once his eyes made contact with his brother’s he saw the rage painted across the thunder god’s face. His jaw was clenched - veins piercing through his skin - and his hands were fisted to the extent that his knuckles had turned white. Loki gulped.
“What in the Hel did you do?!” Thor roared, sprinting towards Svartáljofurr.
The battle was quick finished once Thor had started repeatedly punch him. The thunderer wrapped a hand around the war god’s throat and threw him into one of the walls, laughing at the shout of pain he had let out.
“Come on, Svartáljofurr! I thought you would be a worthy opponent, Odin spoke greatly about you!” Thor exclaimed kicking him for the fifth time in the head.
“You truly are pathetic” his brother spat and carefully locked his foot onto the exhausted warrior’s neck and started to push. The sounds of wheezing started to escape his throat and soon soon Loki saw that Svartáljofurr’s eyes had rolled into the back of his skull.
Thor had stood there for a few seconds, eyes wide, and then turned his head to look at Loki. Thor rushed over to the prince.
”Loki--oh jeez what--they muzzled you?” the thunderer took the mouth restraint off and looked into his brother’s eyes.
”Thor--I’m sorry, really, I didn’t--I mean anythi--“ a choked sob escaped his mouth.
”Hey, hey, Loki, shhh shhh it all right, it’s okay, you’re with me now” Thor soothed after he slid the chains off of his brother.
”No, no it’s not okay, I--he didn’t and then I--“ he was broken off by two large hands encompassing his body. And oh, how Loki melted into the embrace. It was almost ironic, two extremely powerful beings - gods - feeling vulnerable in each other’s arms.
“You’re not alone anymore, brother, and don’t you dare apologise, this was all my fault. If I hadn’t been ignorant and pushed all my anger out on you then-- you would be safe and no--you would be safe” Thor exhaled.
”I am safe. You saved me, Thor” Loki sobbed into his brother’s shoulder, nuzzling his nose into the crook of Thor’s neck.
“Yeah, but--“
”Thor”
”Y--yeah?”
”Get me out of here, please” Loki begged.
It had been a few days since the whole ideal happened, and here Loki was sitting on the edge of his bed, cradling his head in the palms of his hands. Nightmares were common amongst Thor and him. Especially, him.
This time it had been a new one.
It was similar to his whole experience in the cave. At least that’s what he started to call it, Thor didn’t know about all of this. All of the nightmares and waking up gasping for air, covered in cold sweat - all hidden by his magic.
Thank the Norns for that.
Loki wasn’t one to just easily fold in front of others, growing up with the ability he had, it would be hard not to. Most of his emotions could be easily concealed with just a snap of his fingers. So when he had heard Thor knocking on his door in the middle of night, he knew he wasn’t ready for the conversation that would follow.
”Loki? Brother, are you in there?”
The trickster cast a glamour over himself, and put on his signature smirk as he opened the door.
“Oh, hey, I was just checking on you I thought I heard uh--some noises or something” Thor said glancing over his brother, worriedly.
”Everything’s swell here”
“Well, I’ll get going then”
”Yep” Loki gulped.
Just when Thor was about to leave he turned, “hey, Loki?”
”Brother, I must get going” Loki counters.
”For what?”
“Well, I have my own interests that are none of your concern” he says moving to close the door.
“Loki”
”Thor” Loki mocks putting a scowl on his face.
”Let me in”
The mischief god groans in response but let’s his determined brother in.
Once Loki had closed the door behind him, he tentatively looked over his shoulder to meet his brother’s concerned gaze.
”Drop it”
”Well, you see, brother, I’m not holding anything”
“Brother, drop your magic trick” he says leaning forward.
”Who says I’m doing a magic trick?”
”Please”
Loki’s heart had dropped to his stomach, and with that a green glow spread across his body revealing his true self. He stared at his shoes, avoiding any possible contact with Thor. The god knew he didn’t look well, him being ‘sleep deprived’ was the understatement of the century and the cuts from the cave, still littered his body. His hair was greasy and tousled, as well as his cut lip that had seemed slightly infected the last time he had checked.
Loki heard a sharp intake of a breath from Thor.
”Norns, Loki”
“I know I don’t look the best”
“Why?”
”Why, what, Thor?”
”Why do you keep things like this away from me, Loki, I’m your brother”
”I’m not having this conversation again, you know it ended up last time”
“Yeah, I do because I phrased everything wrong. I want to take care of you, all that shit Father out on you wasn’t fair, you deserve comfort, Loki. You deserve to be loved. All that stuff in your head telling you that you’re not good enough, it’s stupid!” Thor shouts.
”It’s the truth”
”No! No, no Loki it’s not. You mean the world to me and I can’t…” he inhaled a large breath, “I can’t lose you again”
They were both silent for a while.
”Thor?”
His brother stared at his glassy eyes, nodding at him to continue.
”Can I--uh can--can I have a hug?”
Before he even finished his question, Thor’s arms are around him.
Loki doesn’t hesitate for a moment this time, he digs his nails into Thor’s neck and let go.
All the tears and hiccups overcame him and he wailed into his brother’s arms. Loki could hear Thor murmuring some soothing comments from where his chin was propped up on Loki’s head.
”I’m no--I’m never ever going to leave you”
“I’ll find you, every time, if you do”
”You better”