Authour's Note: Another look into Loki and Thor's relationship.
"The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives." -Albert Einstein
Looking back, he realizes that all the signs were there but he just chose to ignore it. After all, Loki was his brother, come high hell or water. And brothers never turn their back on each other.
No matter what happens.
It was like an iron clad rule he had always accepted for granted.
As long as he can remember, he was never alone. Loki was always there, lurking in the shadows of his big brother, toddling along behind him as the older escape his lessons yet again.
It was Loki who discovered the perfect place for their 'secret base' and it was Loki who always thought of the perfect presents to give to Odin and Frigga. He was always the more knowledgeable one, the one people turned to for help even though it was reluctantly given.
It was also Loki who took his punishment when the horses were all let loose one day due to Thor's clumsiness. The younger had just given the older a tired smile and a weary wave of his hand as he was led away by Odin who had quite an impressive frown on his face. It was always situations like this that caused Loki to have a reputation of being a trickster when half of what he was blamed for was due to Thor.
But now, as Thor stares out of Stark Tower, hand pressed hard against the glass window that gave him the whole view of the city, as half of it literally burst into flames so hot that he could practically feel it as if he was the one burning instead, he is force to swallow painfully.
He shouldn't have pinned everything on his brother even if the younger had accepted it, at first warily but gradually growing into the role, even pulling pranks of his own. From a cheerful reserved boy, Loki changed into a dark brooding man, one who rarely smiled or showed his emotions around people.
Only to his family did Loki stay true but only just. To Odin, he gave condescending smirks that both frustrated and amused him, and to Frigga, he gave small smiles and warm hugs.
To Thor, the days of running around, training in the arena side by side before collapsing and helping each other up, laughing until their stomach threatened to hurl were over.
To Thor, there was silence and cold berths where once was insistent chatter and rambunctious mock fighting before smiles would lit up both boy's faces.
As the years went by and Thor was made heir-apparent, the brothers drifted even further apart, only seeing each other at the major festivals and meals when once they wouldn't even go one day without bumping into each other or barging into the other's room only to sit in companionable silence.
He is jarred from his musings as alarms starting ringing throughout the building and he wonders if anyone can even hear the frantic pealing of the alarm above the screaming of lives being ended right in front of his eyes.
He closes his eyes for a brief second as the rest of the Avengers thunder into the room and he sees Loki in his mind, a brother who was no longer a brother and knew it was time.
About time, dear brother. He can almost hear the other's silky tone as Thor steeled himself.
No longer can he view the enemy through a sympathetic scope.
No longer can he pity the enemy for the situations and misunderstandings that brought them both to where they are now.
And he breathes in deep as he sees the Loki in his mind give him a sad and lost smile before hardening into a mask of indifference.
We can never go back to the way things were. That's just the way things go. Accept it.
Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Reviews are much appreciated.