A/N: Super-short chapter today, but I really felt like I had to get this out there and I liked where it ended. So, sorry for the length, but I'll try to make up for it next chapter. I may even get a chapter out in the next few days, depending on how school goes. We'll see.
He tried to hate Thor. He really, truly did. But no matter how much he argued with the oaf, no matter how frequently they resorted to settling their feuds with blows and violence, Loki found that he simply could not hate him. And Loki hated that he could not hate him.
So it was with great reluctance that Loki found himself stuck with Thor living in his house- magically altered so that there was a guest room- and keeping him company nearly all the time for the past three weeks.
"Father doesn't want to put you back in a cell, you know. I told him of what you did in the Dark World, and he has decided to shorten your sentence-"
"I really don't give a damn what Odin thinks, Thor, so just leave it at that. I am not returning to Asgard," Loki interrupted before Thor could start talking again about how Odin was oh, so kindly shortening his sentence to ten thousand years.
Thor sighed. "I know you don't want to, but maybe if you were to explain what really happened on Midgard-"
"There is nothing more to what happened among the mortals, contrary to what you may think," Loki lied. (There is so much more than you will ever know.)
"The mortals have a saying, you know. Something along the lines of 'Liar, liar, pants on fire'."
Loki stared at Thor, horrified. "You are joking, right?"
"I wish."
"Your time among the humans has addled your brain- what there was of it in the first place, anyway."
"Hilarious. You should have been a mortal comedian rather than a scholarly magician."
"And you should have been a labrador rather than a hammer-wielding warrior, but sometimes we don't always become what we want, do we?"
Loki stared at Thor for a long period of time, and the Thunderer stared right back. And then they both started laughing.
It was the first time Loki had genuinely laughed in a long, long time.
Once the two gods had caught their breath, they fell into a silence. Loki was immediately reminded that this was Thor. Thor, whom he had tried to kill so many times. Thor, who was digging to try and find out the truth of what happened to Loki after his fall- (Failed suicide). Thor, who after so much feuding and bloodshed still fought to preserve the bonds that had become so weak and frayed.
"I miss this," Thor murmured.
Loki sighed and closed his eyes. (As do I.)
"I miss how close we were."
Loki agreed wholeheartedly, but he would never say so.
"Do you think we can ever be brothers again?"
Loki opened his eyes and looked at Thor- really looked. He remembered play fighting as children; he remembered fighting alongside his brother as two deadly warriors. He remembered being helped to the healing rooms whenever their fighting got too rough; he remembered having healing stones crushed over his wounds whenever his enemies got the better of him. He remembered Thor and Loki, the Princes of Asgard, the greatest warriors in the Nine Realms, the inseparable brothers.
(I'm not your brother- I never was.)
Where had it gone wrong? Or, perhaps the better question was: where had it not gone wrong? Through broken trust- (Needle and thread.)- abandonment- (Snake venom.)- jealousy- (Silver tongue turned to lead?)- hopelessness- (No, Loki)- pain- (He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.)- and insanity- (Are you mad?) (Possibly.)- was it really that surprising that Loki was as he was?
(Satisfaction's not in my nature.) And neither was forgiveness. Loki could hold grudges like no other person in the Realms. He could let them fester and stew in his mind for centuries while he planned his revenge- and he did love revenge. Could he help that he thrived in chaos? Chaos was in his nature.
But maybe, just maybe, he could bring himself to forgive Thor. Just this once. After all, it was Thor. Stupid, caring, naive, trusting Thor who had grown so much and aged so much in these past few years that it was almost painful to look into those weary blue eyes.
Thor, who had scoured the Nine Realms just to find Loki. Thor, who was now asking if there is any chance of reconciliation between the two of them.
No, forgiveness was not in his nature, but... maybe... just this once, he could make an exception.
Loki turned his gaze away, aware that he had been staring at the God of Thunder for a long while. But even then, a small, genuine smile played at the corners of his lips, and he said ever so quietly, "Yes. Yes, I think we can manage it."
(Never doubt that I love you.)