After that, Natasha would be there when Loki was too. JARVIS stopped warning them when she was coming. Loki and Natasha had a few conversations whenever Thor fell asleep. There were threats and promises from both sides. Then suddenly they would find themselves talking about random things for hours.
They were all sitting in silence one day, when they all realized something.
They were friends.
The three of them.
What surprised them the most was Natasha and Loki. Unlikely friends, but friends just the same. It was odd, but comforting at the same time. It gave Thor hope that the others could become friends with Loki too.
Just maybe. Despite everything he did, Loki had this odd sort of comforting presence. He was always calm, knew just what to say. And watching him and Thor act like brothers, the bantering, jokes, and subtle gestures. It was a nice change.
Natasha noticed that Loki did everything he could to make Thor smile. Even if it's just a really lame joke. Never letting even the comfortable silences last too long in fear of Thor's mind wandering, knowing exactly where it would go.
It when on like that for about four months before they got news of where the Captain was.
Loki spent a couple hours listening to Thor's ranting about how much he hated Steve and how much he loved him. He went on and on, until he tired himself out from pacing.
He sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.
Loki, who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, scoots over to where Thor is and sits behind him, massaging his shoulder. Thor's head rolls back as the tension leaves his shoulders. He seems to calm down a bit and Loki was able to convince Thor that Steve had been thinking of them and their child. There was no way he wasn't
Loki was proven right the next day.
After a lot of talking, waiting, and begging, Natasha went to see Steve in whatever SHIELD hospital he was in. Everyone could tell she didn't really want to go, but did it for Thor.
With the look he gave her, they weren't surprised. Any one of them would have broke under that.
When she finally returned, she handed Thor a stack of letters, all from Steve. Proof that Loki was right. He never stopped thinking about either on of them.
Loki watched his brother from the shadows as he read the letters. Not wanting to intrude but wanting to be there if he was needed. Loki had no idea what those letters contained; but he had a general idea, and judging by Thor's reactions while reading them, he wasn't too far off.