Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, no profit made, blah, blah, blah...
AN: A little oneshot that came to me and wouldn't leave me alone until I'd written it down. Spoilers for Endgame (though considering it's now the second highest-grossing movie of all time, I imagine everyone here has seen it and I don't really need to give a warning).
Loki made his grand entrance not by flying in on a large ship and announcing that a saviour had arrived, but by falling out of a portal and landing next to Thor on the battlefield. He really needed to teach that mortal sorcerer a lesson.
The God of Mischief had reappeared in Wakanda to discover that he'd been among the half of the universe who had been killed by Thanos, and that had been five years ago. His last memory was of reaching for Thor as his hand dissolved in front of him. He'd barely had a chance to ask what had happened during the years in between before a portal had appeared beneath his feet and he'd fallen through it.
His brother looked pleased to see him, though not surprised, and only said, "You're late."
"You…" Loki climbed to his feet and took a moment to process what his brother had become, "have let yourself go."
The Valkyrie appeared behind them, sat astride a great Pegasus (Loki briefly wondered where she'd gotten one from). "Asks questions later, Lackey." She nodded her head in the direction of Thanos and his army.
There was something about her expression when she looked at him. He couldn't quite describe it, and with a battle looming, he had no time to analyse what it meant. Though it was likely to do with the fact that the pair of them had slept together on the Statesman before Thanos's attack…
He dismissed it under this reasoning, and prepared for battle.
It was some time before they made the journey back to New Asgard. Thor had insisted on staying for Stark's funeral.
While they were travelling, Loki once again noticed the odd look on Brunnhilde's face. He couldn't quite describe the emotions behind it, only that they conflicted with each other. And since she didn't say a word to him – not even to insult him – he knew that she was reacting to his return. It was looking more and more likely that her mood was because of what had happened between them before everything went to Hel. Perhaps she was worried that he'd want to pick up where they'd left off? Maybe she'd found someone else in the five years he'd been gone?
They'd made a strange connection, but Loki didn't expect her to want to continue it after all this time. No one ever wanted him for the long term; he'd come to terms with that.
Thor didn't say a word to him, either. He just looked…well, excited about something. The stupid grin wouldn't leave his face, and he kept glancing at Loki when he thought the younger God wasn't looking.
Loki wondered if Thor was the one Brunnhilde had moved on with. It wouldn't be the first time he'd lost a lady to his brother. He refused to let the jealousy consume him.
It was after they'd finally arrived that Brunnhilde spoke to him at last. "Loki, I've got something to tell you. Well… Something to show you, really."
She'd used his name. That meant she was being serious. "And what is that?"
"There's no need to look so worried, Brother," said Thor. "It's a good thing. Trust me."
Brunnhilde took in a deep breath and let it out again. He'd never seen her like this before – nervous and unsure – and he didn't like it one bit. "Right. You remember back on the Statesman, when you and I…had some fun?"
She was really skirting around the topic? And why did she look so hesitant if Thor insisted that it was a good thing? Loki opened his mouth to question what was going on, to demand a straight answer from either of them, but never got the chance.
"Mama!"
A small girl of about four years appeared from one of the houses and ran straight up to Brunnhilde. The Valkyrie's expression relaxed, and she gave the biggest smile Loki had ever seen on her before she bent down and opened her arms wide. The girl barrelled into her and Brunnhilde picked her up.
Loki's mind worked fast. The girl was obviously Brunnhilde's daughter; they had the same nose, the same skin tone (though the girl's was perhaps a shade lighter), the same wavy hair…only the girl's hair was darker, almost jet black. And her eyes hadn't been the same colour as her mother's from the brief flash Loki had caught…
She turned her head and stared right at him, and the whole world fell away.
Her eyes were blue with flecks of green in them. Exactly like his.
And her age…
"Surprise!" Thor slapped his back in congratulations, but Loki barely felt it.
The girl… She was…
"Mama, who's that?" The girl pointed towards him.
Brunnhilde looked at him too, and the uncertainty from before was gone. Instead she smiled at him with warmth.
"That's your Papa."
Loki's breathing hitched.
The girl slid out of her mother's arms and stared, considering him. Loki, the Silver Tongue, was left speechless by her. He could do nothing but fall to his knees and wait for her verdict.
She smiled.
And then there was no distance between them, for she'd run right into him and thrown her arms around him in greeting. Loki slowly returned the gesture, worried that she would break or disappear at any moment. Everything felt so surreal; he'd grown so used to his life being destroyed piece by piece, and to have something good happen to him for a change…
He had a child. A child.
Brunnhilde broke the silence. "I named her after your mother. Thor suggested it."
Frigga. Her name was Frigga.
The walls he'd spent years building crumbled into pieces, and Loki let his tears flow freely as he pulled his daughter close.