The Only Home I've Ever Known
Disclaimer: I do not own Thor or Loki. They belong to Marvel/Disney.
Chapter 1—I should have watched that first step
Jetlagged and hungover was no way to meet whatever he was home to deal with, but Loki Laufeyson was ready to face it. Loaded down with his luggage and camera gear, he trudged through the terminal and outside, where his friend, Darcy Lewis was pulling up. Seeing him, she popped the trunk of her car. Loki stowed his things and settled into the passenger seat.
"So, what's this emergency?" he asked. "It's not Odin, is it?"
"No," Darcy said. "Nice to see you too, you ass."
"Hello, Darcy. Now, what is going on? Is Jane all right? Tyr, Sif and Fandral are all fine, aren't they?" Loki asked.
"They're all good," Darcy said. "Then what is this dire emergency I'm here for?"
"You know what the date is, don't you?"
"Yes. What's that got to do with anything?" he said.
"You really have no idea?" Darcy said.
"No," Loki replied.
"Thor is going to make the biggest mistake of his life tomorrow," Darcy said.
"Sorry. What?" Loki asked.
"You heard me," Darcy said. "Thor is getting married tomorrow."
"Why should I care?" he said. "Pull over. Let me out. I'll get a ride back to the airport, or I'll just walk."
Darcy pulled the car over onto the shoulder, slamming the brakes.
"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.
Loki noticed Darcy's knuckles were turning white from how hard she gripped the steering wheel.
"You're not going to take me seriously this time, are you?" Loki said.
"No. We can't have it out properly while I'm driving," Darcy said. "Out. Now."
Loki shot out of the car, watching as Darcy patiently exited the vehicle, walking around it, pacing back and forth in front of him.
"Give me the keys so I can get my bags," Loki said.
"No way," Darcy said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Where would you like me to start?" Loki said, giving her a grin.
"Why did you even come if you're not going to hear me out?" Darcy said.
"I figured something must be up if you were going to the trouble of trying to reach me after all this time," Loki said.
"Something is going on," Darcy said. "Big emergency. Thor. Bad decision."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Uh, I don't know," Darcy said. "Maybe talk him out of it?"
"Now why would I want to do that? I hope she takes him for everything he's worth," Loki said.
A moment later, he regretted speaking before thinking. Blood gushing from his nose and gravel sticking to the scratches on his hands, the pavement hot under his back.
"Fuck," Loki muttered, brushing the gravel from his hands on the thighs of his jeans, pulling his shirt over his head, holding it to his nose to stop the bleeding. Using one hand, he pushed himself to his feet, leaning against the car.
"Are you going to listen now?" Darcy asked.
"I fucking hate you," Loki said.
"Get in the car," she said. "Or else."
"Or else what? I think you've broken my nose," Loki said.
Darcy smiled, popping the trunk, reaching inside picking up one of his camera bags. Walking over to the guardrail, she held the bag over the side, all the while smiling back at Loki.
"You wouldn't dare," Loki sneered.
"Sweetie, you're not in a position to bargain right now. Loki, get in the goddamned car," Darcy said.
"You're insane," Loki said.
"You really want to start this again?" she asked. "Fine. You're the one who dropped off the face of the earth. It's been a year, Loki. A whole year. I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere, or you finally decided to try again, and this time, you succeeded. I thought the worst until I saw those Vegas pictures Balder posted on Facebook a few months back."
"I told him not to," Loki said.
"Nice to know you've been in contact with Balder," Darcy said. "I'm your best friend. Why stay in touch with Balder, but not me?"
"For exactly this reason," Loki said. "I don't need the drama, or the whining, or worst of all, the nagging."
Darcy grabbed him by the ear, pulling him down to her level.
"You bastard. After all we've been through, you can't even send me an e-mail, or a text letting me know where you've been all this time?" she said.
"Tokyo the past five weeks," he said. "Afghanistan for two months before that."
"OK. That's a start," Darcy said. "But why just leave? You sold your place, changed your number. I'd like to know what threat Sif used to get Balder to give me your number."
"He's always been afraid of her," Loki said.
"And you're not?"
"I have a healthy respect for Sif," Loki said.
"The coward's way of saying you're scared to death of her," Darcy said. "Loki, get in the car already."
Loki stared at her, unwilling to turn his back on her, wary as he let himself back into the car. Darcy got in, started the vehicle back up, and started in on him. Again.
"Why did you leave? I know how hard you took Frigga's death, and I thought you and Thor talked some things out while you were home, and he invited you to stay a while," Darcy asked.
"I did stay," Loki said. "That's what happened. And all you need to know."
"Yeah. You were in Durango almost two months," Darcy said. "I remember getting a text toward the end, you talking about how it was the happiest you've ever been, then nothing. Explain that."
"I have nothing to say," Loki said.
"Fine," Darcy said. "I know Thor bailed. That's why you left, wasn't it?"
"How did you find out? And why the big buildup?"
"I wanted to see if I could get your side of the story," Darcy said. "I found out at Thor and Amora's engagement party. He had a huge fight with his dad, he got drunk, and he told me everything, and how he regretted how he'd left things between you, and how he wasn't going to get the chance to make it right."
"Why did he fight with Odin?" Loki said.
"Odin told Thor he would support him if he broke the engagement, and he thought he was going to regret his choice," Darcy said.
"Odin said that?"
"Oh yeah," Darcy said. "I was there for the fight. Best part of the whole thing, besides me slapping him, and Jane slugging him in the face."
"And why did your dear sister hit Thor?"
"I might've told her what he said," Darcy said. "She deserved to know."
"Why?" Loki asked.
"Because she's my sister, she dated the jackass, and she likes you," Darcy said. "She got an invite to the wedding. Don't know how it slipped through. Did you get an invitation?"
"Possibly," Loki said, not mentioning how he'd ripped it to shreds and burned the remains.
"How did you get an invitation if you don't have a permanent address?" Darcy said.
"Just because I sold my apartment doesn't mean I don't have a mailbox," Loki said. "Can we please go somewhere so I can get cleaned up?"
"In a minute," Darcy said. "You really don't care Thor is getting married?"
"Even if I did, what would you have me do, stop the wedding?" Loki asked.
"I was thinking something along those lines," Darcy said.
88888
A truckstop shower and meal later, they were back on the road. Darcy drove in silence, Loki asleep in the passenger seat, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up so he could ignore her. Darcy reached over, poking him in the shoulder, making sure he was out. Always a heavy sleeper, still was.
Darcy knew her idea was crazy, but at least she managed getting Loki home, and maybe talking to Thor again. Loki was too stubborn for his own good sometimes. She knew from personal experience, having dated him for two years in college before they both came to their senses—they were better as friends. And he was her best friend, but at the moment, possibly that wasn't enough to keep her from ripping him again for not keeping in touch.
His job took him all over the world, but not even mailing a post card? So not Loki. He usually found a way to keep in contact even in the most dangerous of places, even if it was a letter written in very small print on both sides of a sticky note and mailed off in haste before he was in too deep to communicate. Sometimes an e-mail from an internet café in some small village in an exotic place, accompanied by pictures of said place and people. Loki did love his job, the places it took him, and seeing his pictures published, or hanging in a gallery.
That didn't change the fact the egotistical, sometimes insecure jackass couldn't, or wouldn't admit his feelings regarding certain people named Thor. Watching them dance around each other for years, more than friends, not quite family. When she figured out they'd finally crossed the line, Darcy was happy and grateful. But then somebody had to go and ruin it all. Maybe Loki could change that, if he was crazy enough to let her convince him she was right. And Loki was never one to back down from crazy.
88888
Loki resisted the urge to vomit when they pulled up by the church. Small, quaint, white, in a pretty little mountain town, decorated prettily with flowers and other trappings. So sentimental. He glared at the building as Darcy pulled into the parking lot by the church. She turned off the car, pulling the keys out of the ignition.
"So, are you just going to sit there?" Darcy asked, getting out of the car. Loki followed suit, glaring at her this time.
"Darcy, this is madness," he said as she took him by the hand, pulling him toward the church. "Where is everyone?"
"Getting ready mostly," Darcy said, taking a look at her phone. "Jane texted me and said the photographer is taking pictures of the lovely bride and her family. Huh. Just occurred to me why didn't they ask you?"
"I don't do weddings," Loki said. "For your information, they did ask, offering an exorbitant sum, but I turned it down."
"Who asked? Thor? Odin?"
"Amora's father," Loki answered.
Darcy said nothing as she dragged him through another maze of hallways before shoving him inside a room and shutting the door behind him. Loki turned around, fist balled, ready to pound on the door, when he heard his name.
"Loki?"
He turned around, biting his lip.
"Hello, Thor," Loki said.
"What happened to you?" Thor asked, taking in Loki's black eye and the tape over the bridge of his nose.
"Darcy," Loki said.
"Figures," Thor said. "What did you do this time?"
"Refused to listen to reason," Loki said.
Thor grinned. "She brought you, didn't she?"
"Completely against my will," Loki said. "She threatened to destroy my cameras."
"Your pride and joy," Thor said. "How've you been?"
Loki's jaw tightened. "How do you think I've been?" he asked.
"Loki. . ."
"Fine," he said. "Just fine. I've kept busy. Plenty of work around if you're willing to do it."
"Did you ever do anything with those pictures from. . ."
"Deleted them all," Loki said. "Every single one."
"I see," Thor said. "Well, it is good to see you. Are you going to stay?"
"Dressed like this?" Loki said, looking down at his t-shirt and jeans with torn out knees.
"I can't imagine you in a suit," Thor said.
"I never imagined you'd cut your hair and shave your beard after the fit you threw before you quit law school," Loki said.
"We all have to grow up sometime," Thor said.
"What about your business?"
"Up for sale, along with my place," Thor said. "Amora's father offered me a job. Better pay and I'll be closer to Father."
"You've never cared about the money before, you'll be giving up the freedom you wanted so desperately, and Odin doesn't give a damn how close you live as long as you keep in touch."
"Really?" Thor asked. "Have you kept in touch with him?"
"Since I left," Loki said. "It was nice to know someone cared."
"Loki, that's not fair," Thor said.
"Really? You're the one that walked away. Not me," Loki said.
"I was afraid," Thor said.
"Of what?"
"I don't know," Thor answered.
"And this is why I haven't bothered to keep in touch," Loki said. "You can't even admit why you feel the way you do. Have a nice life."
Loki turned away, hand on the doorknob, when he felt Thor's hand on his arm. The bigger man spun him around.
"Why did you come?" he asked.
"Ask Darcy," Loki said.
"I know she and Jane were coming," Thor said. "Did you know they have a bet going about how long it'll be before Amora divorces me? And Sif isn't coming to the wedding?"
"That might have something to do with the fact she's at the end of her pregnancy and probably shouldn't travel," Loki said.
"You've been in touch with Sif, too? I know you never stopped talking to Balder," Thor said.
"The only people I've been out of touch with are you and Darcy," Loki said. "That was my choice."
"Why did no one tell me?"
"I asked them to," Loki said.
"My whole family, on your side. . ." Thor said.
"Deal with it," Loki said, changing the subject. "Darcy said Odin isn't happy with your pending marriage."
"Father thinks I acted in haste, and Amora is not right for me," Thor said.
"The one time you should listen to your father, and you don't," Loki said. "What would Frigga think?"
"I hope she'd be happy for me," Thor said.
"Or she'd be standing here, in my place, telling you what a fool you are," Loki said. "You've never been afraid to follow your heart before, and the one time it mattered most, you walked away."
"Loki, I'm sorry," Thor said.
"If you're truly sorry, you could make it up to me," Loki said, lips curling up in a smile. He could try, do Darcy proud, and completely humiliate himself in the process. Why not? He had nothing to lose and nothing to prove.
"How?" Thor asked.
"Leave. Walk away. Don't marry her," Loki said.
"And what?"
"I don't know," Loki said. "Whatever you want."
Thor gave him a strange look. "You really are serious, aren't you?"
"Very," Loki answered.
"Then let's go," Thor said.
"You mean it?" Loki said.
"Yes," Thor replied. "You wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't ask if you didn't mean it, Loki. I know you too well."
"You'll come with me, simple as that?" Loki said.
"It's looking like the better choice every second," Thor said.
"Glad to know I'm the lesser of two evils," Loki said.
"I've wanted to talk to you for months, and here you are," Thor said. "If that isn't providence, I don't know what else to call it."
"Fine," Loki said, opening the door, where Darcy was standing.
"Well?" she asked.
"We're going," Thor said.
"Good," Darcy said. "I already had Balder and Fandral put your stuff in your truck. Tyr's got the keys, and he's waiting for you. You better go while you've still got the chance."
"You owe me," she said, and kissed Loki. "Back door is that way."
She pointed down the hall, and they walked out, around the side of the building to the parking lot, where Tyr was waiting. He handed Thor his keys.
"Were you all in on this?" Thor asked, taking the keys from his older brother, unlocking the truck.
"Not until Darcy threatened us," Tyr replied. "I do think marrying Amora would be wrong."
"What about Father?"
"I'll take care of it. Don't screw up this time," Tyr said, clapping him on the shoulder. He turned to Loki, giving him a quick embrace. "It's good to see you. Take care."
Tyr left them alone, staring at one another.
"Well?" Loki asked.
"Let's go."