Just as any loss he had, Thor moved on.
He knew how time heals, and while he has a handful of pains and heartache, he has several more of time in his hands. Days would pass him by; months, years, decades… centuries. He might push for a couple of millennia even.
Though he wondered if it was an advantage in the end, especially when it would lead to him alone in the planet where the generation of his friends had already came by. Friends and allies taken slowly by time right before his eyes.
The long period could have been tolerable, only there was nobody else to stand beside him for it. He thought once if it could have been Valkyrie, but a free spirit that she was and Thor loved her for, she would surely be on different parts of the universe more often, drinking for the fallen comrades and friends to some distant bright star.
It dawned to him that there was a single person who he was sure to last just as long, if only to get a rise out of Thor by proving he wasn't easily shaken off. Of course it had to be Loki.
Not that Thor minded. He would like that, very much so.
Except nothing went according to plan, and there Thor was, standing over his brother's unconscious body. Unconscious, because it better be another trick of his that he pulled the same way as before that had Thor fooled.
As moments passed agonizingly, the unmoving heap refused to move.
Thor had been discarded into space like a ragdoll, unfinished but life teetering on the edge. It was a blur afterwards–he found his ticket back to Earth, convened with his friends and new allies, set out on a journey to acquire a new weapon, joined the forces of Earth against the Mad Titan, protected the people, destroyed the gauntlet, rallied to victory, and helped in keeping one of the infinity stone where this time it wouldn't be found for good. Memorials in honor of the fallen were made and repairs were done. Thor admired their strength to stand stronger and more unified during the aftermath. He was reminded then why he loved the people of Earth.
But it was when the celebrations were thrown and alliances were solidified for longer years that it dawned to Thor that the last remaining of his family was never coming back.
By the end of the evening, he broke down, and it was only then that he properly mourned for his brother.
Years went by and the ache of loss was dulled to numbness. Thor murmured his prayers every chance he could get in between running his kingdom of growing Asgardian population. He refused to call it his kingdom, his piece of land elevated a few hundreds of feet above Norway.
Small his territory might be, Thor found it tough, and he would have been overwhelmed if not for Heimdall's support and aid. More tedious were the external relations he has to make, and not all were quite as easy as with New York. Thor had to prove that he was more than his physical prowess and spectacular display of lightning.
He managed, somehow, and he wondered how Loki would react at his rule–which in Thor's defense was a lot better than his brother's–and then remembered that Frigga and Odin were probably watching down on Thor too. The three of them groaning at Thor's lack of tact in diplomacy sometimes.
Thor didn't want to imagine the entertainment they would get later on once the new diplomat of England arrived. Thor's weakness was first time encounters; oh, they warm up to him, eventually, but he was a menace at making good first impressions.
The diplomat arrived at precise time, and Thor felt ridiculous for having to suppress fidgeting as the guest was announced and invited inside.
When blue eyes met familiar greens, Thor's breath hitched on his throat.
He initially thought it was Loki, and Thor would have been angry for tricking him twice now with his death. Thor would tell him that he was fooling nobody at his short, dirty blond hair, square-rimmed spectacles, and impeccable suit, and that Loki had been on better disguises than this; Thor would proceed to hug him tightly then until Loki complained on his squeezed ribs.
Thor did none of those as he was snapped out of reverie by the hand extended out to him. Embarrassment colored the other man's cheeks a little when the gesture for a handshake wasn't returned, but recovered easily with a clearing of his throat, bowing down the same way Thor had seen done to the Queen of England.
Thor blinked and kindly told the man there was no need. Looks wise, the diplomat resembled Loki; too much, in fact. His disposition was a different matter though. For one, there was no hint of mischief glinting in this man's eyes, and Loki was never embarrassed.
Thor offered his hand in turn, and when their palms met, there was a light spark there that Thor was sure he didn't imagine when the man appeared to have felt the same.
As their hold lingered for quite a few moments, Thor realized this felt like an unasked intervention that was mainly his trickster of a brother's doing.
Thor grinned widely for the first time in many years.
TBC