Where'er I Roam
The cell was dark, pungent, and overall extremely uncomfortable. He had been placed in a cell alone, but he could still hear the mumbles of Agsard's worst criminals in the cell next to him. Apparently he was too dangerous for even them. He didn't mind, though. He would much rather be alone than with them.
He had been lying on the cold concrete slab of a bed for hours. He had watched the sun go down at least half an hour ago through the high, narrow window, and now he waited for it to rise again. Tomorrow was his trial. He didn't understand the point of it, really. He would either be sent to death or cursed to be in this cell for the rest of his life. Honestly, as he stared at the wet, cracking ceiling, he would choose death.
He had just closed his eyes to try and forget where he was when he heard a noise just outside of his cell. He sat up so fast that he almost toppled the other way, but he caught himself awkwardly with his handcuffed hands.
The complete darkness was disorienting. He peered around to try and catch movement. He could see that someone was standing outside his cell, but only because it seemed that whoever it was cast a darker shadow than even the blackness around them. He could hear the sound of metal-on-metal as he slowly stood and edged closer to the metal bars, squinting through the blackness. When he was close enough to see who it was, the figure moved closer with him, right into the light that the window was casting into the room.
Loki was taken aback by the sight of his brother. "Thor?"
"Yes," Thor whispered, as if it were obvious. "I nearly have the door unlocked."
Loki saw that the metal-on-metal sound had been Thor, who was using some sort of metal pin to unlock the door. Why was he unlocking his cell? The last time he had seen his older sibling was when he had watched the guards put Loki in his cell, unmoved and blank-faced.
"But.. what?" Loki sputtered.
"I almost have the door unlocked," Thor repeated. "And be quiet, you'll wake the others."
Loki reluctantly obeyed his request to be quiet. "What are you doing?"
Thor stopped his movements at the lock and looked Loki in the eyes. "For the third time, I am unlocking the door." He continued his attempts with the lock.
Loki didn't believe any of it. It had to some sort of trick. He took one stride to the bars and grabbed hold of them, now face-to-face with Thor.
"But why?" he hissed through gritted teeth.
Thor ignored him, merely glancing at him before continuing with the lock. Loki exhaled slowly and took a step back, letting his hands slide down from the bars and back to his sides.
"If you truly are trying to get me out of here, why don't you just break down the bars?" Loki asked, tone still hushed.
He continued to work at the lock. "Because that would be loud, and we don't need anyone hearing us."
"We?" Loki said incredulously. "Since when is it we?"
Once again, Thor ignored him. Loki clenched his jaw.
"Ha!" Thor rejoiced almost inaudibly. He pulled the lock away from the door, but instead of letting it clatter tot he floor, however, he placed it on the ground carefully, so it made no sound. He wrenched open the cell door.
"Come on," Thor beckoned, opening the door wider.
"Why should I? I've been placed here for a reason, Thor. They're going to know it was you if they don't automatically think it was me," Loki sneered.
"I don't care, brother."
Loki felt something inside him spark at the sound of being called that. Memories flashed in his mind, ones he hadn't thought about in so long; ones where he and Thor were playing with wooden swords, screaming out playfully, running back to the palace for mealtime, sneaking out at night to watch the constellations seem to move against in the black night sky, how they would fall asleep in the tall grass and hurry back to their rooms before dawn broke, or when they would run just to see who could jump the farthest, how it was all just fun and games...
"Brother? Are you well?" Thor sounded worried.
Only then did Loki realize tears were forming in his eyes. He blinked hard to dismiss them. No. He couldn't do this. This was weak, this was fragile. He was not to be broken. Not again.
"Yes," he answered flatly. His brother nodded, unconvinced.
Thor was delighted when Loki silently consented to leaving. He led the trickster out of the cellroom and into the night air, where Loki couldn't help but take a deep breath. It felt nice. It had been hours among hours of breathing the musky, damp air that had filled the cell, and dry air was a relief. But the bliss was short-lived.
Moving on a path that led west and towards the main part of the palace, Thor didn't once look at Loki. He just walked beside him, as if Loki wasn't in handcuffs, as if it was a normal night and they had jut decided to go for a stroll.
They stopped by the palace's well—a place Loki was sure neither of them had ever been to for its actual purpose—and Thor started to retrieve a bucket of water from the ancient stone circle. It took him no longer than Loki had suspected given his strength, and he placed the bucket full of water on the edge of the well, motioning for Loki to help himself.
Loki's throat was suddenly dry at the sight of the sparkling water. He hurriedly cupped water in his hands and drank, and did so for a solid five minutes. Thor seemed pleased with himself.
When Loki finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at him. After Thor made no move to leave, Loki broke the silence.
"Where are you going to take me now?" Loki inquired sardonically.
Thor took a deep breath and leaned against the well, never looking at Loki. "I understand you are angry, brother, but please do not take your frustrations out on me. I wish only to help you."
Why was he playing the innocent card? This angered Loki far more than he knew it should have, but he just couldn't fathom why Thor was acting like he was the victim.
"You think breaking me out of Asgard's prison is helping me? Thor, you do realize that when they realize I'm gone, my punishment will be far worse than what it would have been had you left me there," Loki fumed.
Thor was surprised at the sudden outburst. "Then why did you go with me?"
Loki opened his mouth to argue, but he didn't know how to answer. Why had he gone with him? He supposed it was because he was thinking of escaping anyway, so why not go with Thor so that if they get caught, he could blame him for it? But no matter how Loki would have liked that to be the truth, it wasn't. He knew good and well why he had left.
He left because he was alone. So utterly, bitterly alone, and nothing emphasized that feeling more than being in a cell alone. And when Thor showed up, it was like he had a feeling that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay. Maybe they could be like they used to. Maybe he could be happy again.
"I don't know," Loki responded quietly.
Thor looked sad for reasons Loki didn't understand. It was a sadness buried deep within his brother's eyes, something he was obviously trying to hide. Loki knew that he had been the one to cause it.
"What troubles you, Thor?"
"Nothing," Thor said, waving his hand dismissively. "I just want to make sure you are treated fairly tomorrow, is all."
Loki knew that was not what was behind the sadness in his eyes, but nonetheless, he seemed worried about this too.
"Why would you care?" Loki asked before he could stop himself.
Thor seemed offended. "Because you are my brother, Loki, and I love you. And so help me the Gods, I will not let them treat you unjustifiably tomorrow. You have my word."
Loki felt a real smile tug on the side of his mouth, forcing him to at least smirk at his brothers words. He felt relived, honestly, to know that someone was at least trying to help him, even if it was futile. He wanted to ask Thor how he knew he didn't deserve whatever the trial brought him, but he didn't go there. Not now.
"Thank you," Loki smirked. He hesitated and added, "...brother."
Thor beamed at that. He was so happy to hear his brother even slightly return to his older self that he engulfed Loki in a hug. He hugged him so that Loki's arms pinned to his sides.
"Thor," Loki struggled after a moment, squirming.
Thor laughed and let him go. "Forgive me, it's just that I'm so pleased to see you smiling again." He placed his right hand on the side of Loki's neck. Out of habit, it seemed, Loki placed his own right hand on Thor's neck, finishing the gesture that silently told Thor that he was with him in his plans to help him.
Loki didn't know what his trial would hold for him the next day, but he did know that he expected Thor to be by his side no matter what, and that meant more to Loki than anything; even if he would never tell Thor that.
A/N: I just really wanted to write a one-shot about Loki's return to Asgard after Avengers, and this is what happened! Reviews are most appreciated :)