"V"
1 - Getting lost somewhere
"This is definitely not the menswear department," Loki noted a step behind the thunder god.
"Nevermind trends, brother. The best thing is always keeping to who you are. And look, there are some fine materials here."
The sorcerer bit his lips to suppress a smile.
"I can imagine how you feel. But don't you think you should respect local habits while staying in Midgard?"
Thor thought for a moment while looking into his brothers eyes. Finally, he put down the textile from his hand.
"Fine, let's find the menswear," he said, and they marched out of Carpets and draperies.
"V"
2 - Pet names
"We're going home, brother," Thor pointed out sternly, searching the evasive gaze of the gagged, moping sorcerer. "My heart grieves from having to drag you in chains, after all the years while we grew up feeling closer than any other siblings."
"Have you?" wondered Natasha with a hint of amusement. "How come you're not calling each other names then?"
"What do you mean?" asked Thor turning to her.
"You know... A pet name or something."
"Pet name? But that must surely be used for pets and not people."
"No, they're not, Thor," the woman rolled her eyes, already regretting to get tangled in the topic. "You see, it's a name you choose to call someone dear; it's usually a word meaning something you're fond of, so it relates your affection to that person."
Thor listened to the explanation with a widening smile.
"Brother it is," he said after short thinking, and turned back to the captive, strictness yet again sneaking back on his features. Loki, however, was smiling to himself.
"V"
3 - Patching each other up
"Don't tell Father," adolescent Loki pleaded faintly through gritted teeth.
"But why not? It was a marvellous deed!" Thor gushed while doing his best to stitch up the wound on his brother's back neatly; his figure still lanky but muscles already swelling under his skin.
"Maybe, but he'd never admit that if it's me. He'd just scold me for forgetting the sorcery I've been learning for years."
"Come on, you know he wouldn't do that. Even he knows that anyone could panic at their first real fight."
"Have you been listening when he had his talks to us? Ever?"
"Stop moving around."
"Well, stop stabbing me! It's a fresh wound, for Heaven's sake!"
"I still think you should brag about it. You jumped in front of me before that malignant fire bull could have stabbed my throat."
"But I did it like an amateur, like I had never been trained for battle before. And that would definitely be a stab to Father's pride."
"Details. You saved my life, and that's all people would remember."
"Don't tell, or I'll tell how you got there in the first place."
Loki hissed as the thunder god yanked the last knot on the thread with a startled movement.
"You mustn't tell that! Ever! Or I'll be banished for good this time!"
"Do we have a deal then?"
"Oh, I know your deals, Loki, there is always a catch."
"Learn to tell a mutually locked stance. Basic combat rule number 23," Loki answered while turning around on his knees.
He smiled at the glowing summer sky blue in Thor's eyes, but seeing their contrast with the half dried crimson splatters across the boy's face, his mood faltered slightly. He dipped a torn part of his shirt into the lake next to them.
"It's a miracle you only got dazed from that previous hit," he muttered while concentrating on keeping his movements gentle.
Thor hissed as the cloth touched the bloodiest spot right above his forehead, but he grinned through the pain.
"The helmet caught up most of the hit," he noted proudly.
"V"
4 - Hospital visits
"Keep it short," Loki pleaded from behind his book. "I'm still too fragile for your loving."
Thor stayed at the door, and just smiled.
When it stretched long, the sorcerer looked up in surprise.
"So this is all it matters to you? No squealing or bouncing on my bed?"
The thunder god found no words to express his gratitude to whatever higher powers, so he gave it up quickly. He moved closer and hopped down on the chair near the bed.
"Look, I've got two eyes now," he pointed at the artificial eyeball given to him by Rabbit.
"Congratulations. Now please wash it at the sink there. Rub it in the soap well, three times."
"I've been wearing it for a year, it's fine."
"Curse the sorcerer's eyesight," Loki muttered to himself.
"Who found you?"
"You."
"You don't remember the time before this?"
"I woke up here."
"They say you muttered my name in your sleep."
"They're just teasing."
"No, actually I am," Thor laughed. "Loki Laufeyson, it's good to have you back."
"Please, I'd prefer staying Odinson. I've learned my lesson."
"You never learn. You're both. What are you up to next?"
"Recovering."
"So you won't be gone when I visit next time?"
"Given that we're both residents of the Avengers Tower at the moment, and you'll probably be back by this afternoon, I don't think so."
"Perceptive as always, aren't we?"
"A god of mischief's gotta have his intel."
Thor then found what he really wanted to let him know. He sat on the bed unexpectedly and did what he'd regretted missing a thousand times: an arm slid around the slender shoulders, and he held them leaning in, careful not to strain the freshly woken body. As much as he hated it, he felt a tear pile up in the corner of his natural eye.
"Please don't be gone," he hummed into the unkempt raven hair affectionately, and then he left the room in a haste, not seeing the relieved smile on the sorcerer he left behind.
"V"
5 - Scar worship
"Take it out," Loki said three minutes into the brothers' reunion.
Thor examined his face suspiciously.
"Come on," asked the sorcerer softly. "Your Midgardian friends are all here, celebrating you as their saviour; in what way would I possibly dare to wrong you?"
"You still don't consider them allies, even though they've saved your life."
"Single actions are overrated, easily misunderstood."
"You just enjoy playing hard to get, eh?" smirked the god of thunder.
"You're the one to talk, waiting for me to beg."
Thor removed his artificial eye in response.
"It did quite a scarring there," he muttered.
Loki didn't answer; his thumb pressed to the pale eyebrow without warning, pulling the skin slightly to examine the ragged line that ran diagonally from the temple to the side of the nose. Thor could feel the warm vibration of accumulating energy in the palm over his skin.
"Close your eye."
"I can't."
"Close it," Loki repeated patiently.
And alas, Thor was able to obey, although he felt the bottom of the slender palm immediately slide onto his eyelid, as if helping the movement.
Heat increased, Thor held his breath and willed himself to stay in place.
"It'll hurt," noted the sorcerer with belated guilt.
Some of the nearby folks noticed the occurrence and gathered round to observe.
"Does that mean I can have the fake eye back?" Rabbit inquired. He got no answer for now, but he still had plenty of time to steal it later, so he didn't mind.
"Good boy," Loki said faintly in a minute, patting his brother's right cheek in mock approval. Thor grinned, and then he caught the light-headed sorcerer's shoulders.
"And now, I'll need to sit down a bit," Loki announced.
The god of thunder helped him to the ground and sat next to him.
"Is this why you haven't done it before?" he was curious to know.
"Growing an intricate organ requires all energies at my current capacity," Loki explained, massaging his temple meanwhile. "So my only chance was now that I'm at my peak after revival."
Thor scratched his newly reaquired eye absently while listening, but his thumb suddenly stopped.
"You left the scar here, though."
"Aren't battle scars the pride of a warrior?"
"Without exception?"
Not waiting for an answer, Thor reached across, and since he didn't meet resistance, swept his brother's hair aside, revealing a slender bald line running backwards from near his temple. Unmoving, Loki studied his face during the process.
The thunder god smirked at the sight of the scar that had healed without magical aid.
"Okay, now I believe you."
"You remembered," Loki muttered, openly impressed.
"I was sorry, told you a million times."
"And I always said I didn't care, but you wouldn't hear it. Paying attention to others but yourself wasn't your strength."
"How can I thank you for this time?"
"This time is my thanks. For counting me in."
"It was evident. You claimed it yourself back then: we have a Hulk."
"That was only the spur of the moment, to keep Thanos' attention a tad longer."
"I insist. Let me make it up for your effort."
Loki sighed.
"A general Thor-pat here would suffice," he said, indicating the back of his neck.
The thunder god didn't attempt to hide his smile; his large hand slid behind the sorcerer's neck, but this time, their foreheads met as well.
"I didn't dream of having you here, brother."
Loki resigned into the unrelenting hold and closed his eyes, slightly smiling.
"I'm here."
"For good?"
"For good."
T.B.C.