Thor pays his brother a visit.
"You look better."
"I'm getting there."
Loki is playing with the cuff of his shirt.
"I've never said thank you, have I?"
Thor makes a dismissive gesture, but Loki goes on:
"You saved me. Either my life or my sanity. Both, I think, actually. Thank you."
Thor just nods once. After a moment's hesitation he softly asks:
"What did he do you?"
Loki takes a deep breath. He feels that he owes Thor an answer, so he starts talking, reluctantly, low, without making eye contact.
"He emptied me. Carved me out until nothing was left, and then he made me wait. I started craving this purpose he kept promising me. If you hadn't come for me, I would have embraced it and given it my everything."
Thor feels a shudder down his spine.
"Do you know what it was going to be?"
Loki shakes his head.
"No. But I assume it would have been an attack on Asgard. You and I would have faced each other on a battle field, and you would have destroyed me, defending your home."
"Or you would have defeated me."
"Don't." Loki holds up his hands. "I have to believe that you would have won."
Thor takes a step closer.
"That might have meant your death. By my hands."
"Yes. And I would have embraced that, too."
Thor let's his gaze wander over his brother's face and body. He's still holding himself stiffly, his usual grace not yet fully restored, the bruises on his skin fading only slowly.
"Mother thinks you're back to your own self. That's not true, is it?"
Loki straightens and looks him in the eyes, open, determined.
"I'm not a threat to Asgard, brother."
"That's not what I meant."
Loki just keeps looking at him.
"I meant you haven't really shaken off what happened to you. Maybe you never will."
Loki swallows, and after a moment he nods.
"The echo if it. The scars on my soul. The shadow in the back of my mind. That will stay with me, I think. I'll never be the same as before."
"I'm sorry, Loki. Sorry I didn't get to you sooner. Sorry I couldn't punish him for what he did to you. Sorry I couldn't prevent your fall in the first place."
"That's not your fault. I let go."
"Yes but why? Why would you do that?"
"Because I had no reason to hold on."
"Oh brother. Do we mean so little to you? Me? Mother? Our people?"
"They're not my people. You're not my family."
Thor flinches as if Loki had hit him.
"You're my brother. That will never change. Our parents might not be your birth parents but we're still family. I love you. I just left my dimension to get you home! This realm's most powerful sorceress opened a freaking rift in reality to get you home."
"That's not how that works."
Thor starts grinning.
"Now that is my brother."
"What, are you going to hug me?"
"If you let me."
"I might stab you."
"No. You won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because I trust you."
After that Loki doesn't say anything for a long time.
"That might not be the wisest decision, brother," he finally murmurs.
"I've never been known for my intelligence."
Loki ignores the light-hearted tone.
"I tried to kill you on Midgard."
Thor straightens.
"Right. Why did you?"
Loki drops his gaze.
"I was determined to keep the throne. It felt... safe. You coming home would have meant you'd take it back, most probably over my dead, Jotun body. No rightful king of Asgard can tolerate a monster on the golden throne."
Thor sighs.
"Oh Loki. That's not what you are. I'm sorry father didn't tell you the truth. You deserved to know. And I didn't want to fight you. I never have. If I ever sit on that throne I hope with all my heart that you will be there to help me."
Loki stares at him.
"You'd want me on your side?"
"I'll be lost without your advice and support."
Loki's silver tongue turns to lead, his mind unable to process that. Thor gives him a smile.
"Now I am going to hug you."
And Loki lets him, stiff and awkward at first, but then he takes a deep, uneven breath and relaxes against his brother's broad chest, his arms coming up to hug Thor back.
"I swear if you say anything cheesy I will stab you," Loki mumbles, and Thor starts laughing.
"My lips are sealed, little brother," he says as he eventually lets go. He thinks there might be a tear on Loki's cheek, but the god of thunder is very aware of how little his life would be worth if he dared to comment on it.