A/N: Thank you to anonYmous, coco, Nako13yeh, Sumi Anzu, MadaSasu, Spottedmask77 (10 times xD), loki-fan13 (23 times xDDD) and Araina Haldthin for reviewing, plus of course Rue for beta'ing.
Thor's eyelids feel heavy and thick. Slowly he eases them open, squinting at the whiteness in front of him. It's a bare, white-walled, white-floored chamber, more resembling a cell than a healing-room. He tries to sit up, grimacing at the pain in his gut, only to discover two things: his lower torso has been heavily bandaged, making bending difficult, and he's restrained to the bed with a multitude of chains. Not the best condition to wake up in, but the realisation that he's on Asgard dispels his panic.
Near his bedside, Odin is sitting alert in a chair, close but out of arm's reach. They are alone.
'Father?' Thor croaks. Odin doesn't respond, his blind eye-sockets hidden away behind a simple bandage. Confused, Thor raises his voice. 'Father? Can you hear me?'
'Yes. But I'm not sure who I'm hearing,' is the cool answer.
'It's me, Father. Truly. It's Thor. Not Thanos. I swear it's me.'
'Very well. I'll believe you.'
'Where is Loki? Is he alright? And the others, did they survive – ?'
'They're mostly unhurt. Loki was sitting here before you awoke, but I sent him away to spare him any undue stress. Anthony Stark is in custody,' Odin summarises curtly.
'How many died? Of the humans, I mean?'
'A number.'
Thor's heart sinks. Letting his head drop back onto the pillow, he takes another look around the room.
'Is this my confinement?' he asks hoarsely, 'Am I to be kept here, then?'
'For the timebeing.'
'What?' Thor grows alarmed. 'No, Father, you cannot release me. You don't know the things I could do if I were free.'
'Believe me, I do.' Leaning forward, the All-Father holds his outstretched hand a few inches away from Thor's chest, slowly moving it over his body, as if he can feel Thor's temperature radiating from his skin. 'Loki was worried about you, by the way,' he comments, 'I've never seen him fret so. I had to order him out of the room.'
Despite everything, that news brings a pained smile to Thor's face. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he pushes his discomfort and nervousness away. I can do this, he thinks. Be strong. For Loki's sake.
'What are you going to do?'
'Help you. I am now going to speak with Thanos.'
'Will I not...fight? I mean, will he not make me fight you? Should I not be drugged or gagged or, or something?'
'He may. He may also cause you unbearable hallucinations. If necessary, I will have you subdued. But for now, you may remain conscious. Are you ready?'
'Yes.'
'Try to hold still, now.'
Without further ado, Odin places his palm on Thor's brow. Thor braces himself for whatever's to come, but to his surprise nothing seems to happen. No explosion of magic, no rage-filled voices tearing away at the inside of his skull. Perhaps Thanos is reluctant to reveal himself. Thor waits. After several minutes of silent concentration, Odin frowns and withdraws his hand.
'Thanos is gone.'
'What?'
'I could not sense his presence inside you, as I did when he inhabited Loki. I searched for him but he wasn't there.'
'He's...gone? But why? Why would he leave?'
'Who can say? There could be any number of reasons.'
Outside the door, Loki strains his ears to listen to the muffled conversation, his heart pounding.
'But he's definitely gone? You're sure?'
'As sure as I can be.'
Relieved, Loki sags. His hand hovers over the door-knob, unsure whether the All-Father would take kindly to his intrusion and eavesdropping.
'I still don't understand,' he hears Thor continue, 'Even if his scheming failed, why would he quit me? Surely he would not give up so easily. I'm still a valuable asset to him, not some broken toy to be cast aside like Loki was.'
That stings.
'I'm as confused as you, rest assured. The likeliest possibility is that Thanos is changing tact.'
'Perhaps.' He can hear the wince in Thor's voice. 'So what happens now? Both Stark and I are useless to the Mad Titan now. He'll have no choice but to worm his way into someone else's mind, and that will take time. Perhaps time enough for us to track him down and kill him – ugh.' Thor exhales sharply, a pained hiss. Evidently he's tried to sit up despite being recently impaled.
'Lie still. I will send for the healer.'
He hears a chair scrape against the floor as the king stands up. Fearing discovery, Loki retreats, fleeing to the outdoors. The now-empty Helicarrier has been slowly, gently lowered onto the open fields, where it sits like some bizarre manmade hill. A group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are huddled under the flower-laden trees, nursing goblets of Asgardian drink and muttering amongst themselves. In passing, Loki hears a snatch of two agents' hushed conversation.
'...Bit weird, y'know. Seeing Thor's mom and pop. They're just so...real. Like people.'
'What, did you think they'd be gods?'
'Well...yeah. I mean, I know Thor's real, and so's Loki, but I was kinda expecting...Norse gods. Not just...people.'
Captain America is standing alone nearby, slowly eating a fruit while eyeing it closely, as if expecting every new bite to reveal something alien.
'Hey, man,' he greets Loki before the trickster has a chance to sneak by. 'Have you got a minute to talk?'
'H – hey. Yes, I do...'
'Have you been to visit your brother? How is he? Are you allowed to tell us?'
'He's recovering well, I think. He's being properly looked-after. What about you and your people? Is my mother taking good care of you?'
'Really good.' Steve rubs the back of his hand across his tired eyes. 'Fury and the others are sitting with the wounded. To be honest, some of the men have...reacted to being transported halfway across the universe without warning. Don't get me wrong, your home is beautiful and incredible and it's an honour to be here, but it's still a bit of a shock to the system.'
'I understand. I'm used to travelling from one world to the other, but for a mortal who's only spent time on Earth – I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to sound patronising. I'm not suggesting humans are weak-minded, just that – '
'It wasn't patronising, don't worry.' Rogers takes another bite of fruit. 'So...your father gonna send us home?'
'Yes, as soon as possible. He isn't sure what to do with the Helicarrier; we've nowhere to put it, it's too large to dispose of, but sending it back without causing further damage will be difficult...' Glancing across the gardens, Loki sees the All-Father in the distance, heading towards them. 'I have to go,' he mumbles abruptly and scurries away, leaving Rogers bemused.
Overlooking the palace gardens is a columned balcony, lined with stone benches, where Loki takes refuge. The warm air turns cool as the sun sinks into a bed of fiery clouds. Just as he begins to relax, he's startled out of his skin.
'Were you avoiding me?' The blind king has found him, somehow. Cornered and expecting a confrontation, Loki rises immediately.
'No – yes. I thought you were coming to rebuke me for listening at the door.'
'Were you listening at the door?' Odin cocks an eyebrow.
'Y...yes.'
'Don't do that again.'
'I won't. Sorry, Father.'
'It's alright.' Wearily Odin sits down on the bench. Loki resumes his seat, careful to keep some distance between himself and the All-Father, and asks:
'How is he?'
'He'll be fine for now. That's all you need to know.'
'I'm sorry I started this, Father.'
'I know. I have one question for you. Have you fallen in love?'
'Pardon?'
'With the mortal? It seems you are following in your brother's footsteps by choosing a wholly inappropriate partner. Do you truly feel for him?'
'I don't...I don't know. I don't think so. He was my caregiver. I feared him at first, but I did what I could to stay on his good side. And after Thor was imprisoned, I wanted...I needed someone else to hold onto.'
'So your attachment is born of self-preservation, not affection,' Odin says. Loki lowers his gaze. 'I did not mean that accusatorily. The survival instinct is a powerful thing, and I don't blame you for attempting to forge a relationship with him, even if it proved ill-fated. However, on the off-chance that your feelings for him run deep, I must remind you of the incompatibility of such a pairing.'
'Incompatibility?'
'He is mortal. You are not. In less than sixty years' time he will be dead.'
'Truly, I hadn't thought about any of that,' says Loki. 'I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, as the humans are fond of saying. If I ever come to it, that is...'
'You are following in your brother's footsteps,' the All-Father remarks.
'Not intentionally.'
They lapse into silence.
'Nevertheless,' Odin continues where he left off, 'I have observed the way you have conducted yourself over the past month. You have demonstrated self-interest and weakness, but also strength, trust and forgiveness. These are qualities which I admit I never expected from you, and which I was pleased to see...'
'Can I be king now, then?' slips out of Loki's mouth in a poor attempt to make light of the situation. It's a bad joke which he regrets immediately, but to his surprise Odin doesn't take offence to it.
'If your brother doesn't have the good sense to produce an heir within the next four thousand years, then the throne may well fall to you upon his death.'
The mention of Thor's death sobers Loki.
'...I was merely jesting. I'm not sure I want to be king anymore. I haven't entertained the idea for a long time.'
'I know. But the fact of the matter is that if Thor were to marry this...Midgardian woman, this Jane, any child they produce would be half-mortal.'
' "Half-mortal" is better than "Jötunn", surely,' says Loki softly.
'Perhaps,' Odin acknowledges, 'But still, impractical. No-one can know if the child would inherit Thor's longevity, or if its lifespan would be as short as any human's, therefore rendering it unfit to rule. A king needs staying-power.'
Loki is wearying of this talk. He's been home for a matter of hours and already the All-Father is talking of thrones and deaths.
'Whatever the case, my perception of you has been altered by what has transpired. You have demonstrated the ability to respect the boundaries of your confinement without the need of shackles. Therefore, you will no longer be kept physically restrained. You are free to wander your home as you wish. However, for your own safety and that of Asgard, I must command that you do not leave this realm unaccompanied and unauthorised.'
Loki is nodding along, barely hearing the words. None of it seems to hold any significance any more – past quarrels, old grievances. All that matters is that he's home, and he's with his family, and Thor is going to be alright...Finally he stirs.
'It's suppertime. Mother said she wanted me to eat a proper meal.' He stands up, holding his hands respectfully in front of him and bowing his head a little, even though it's a gesture Odin can't see. 'I'll get changed and then join you at the table. Goodbye for now, Father.'
'Loki.' Odin catches him in the middle of walking away. Loki falters, unsure whether to sit down again or remain standing. 'There is something that I am compelled to say. It was...uncomfortable, watching you and Thor from afar but being unable to intervene. I am not accustomed to being helpless. I found myself feeling very...distressed when your lives were in danger and there was nothing I could do to save you.'
No response enters Loki's head; he stares silently at the All-Father.
'I feel very acutely that I have failed in my duty to protect you. It is an illogical emotion, but a potent one. In the past, such an admission would've felt pointless. Knowing what you were like, I was forever on guard against you. I felt that any display of sentiments would've been interpreted as weakness and taken advantage of, if not scorned outright. However, after all that has happened, I trust that you will hear the honesty in my words when I say that I am sorry. I am sorry I could not protect you.'
Loki nods.
'That is all. You may go now.'
'Goodbye,' Loki mumbles, and bows again. 'I'm just glad you were able to save us.'
