Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 137

"But that's good, isn't it?" Thor asks.

"No, it's weird," Loki says. "They were never this nice before, and I don't understand what changed. Was my absence truly so powerful that even the most stubborn of Avengers became overwhelmed with concern?"

"Well... yes." Thor furrows his brows. "Does that surprise you? That they noticed? That they cared?"

"Of course it does!" Loki says. "Barton is being nice to me! He's never once said a nice thing to or about me, and today, he let me eat the rest of his steak! He showed me how to microwave it without any judgment! This is not normal!"

"Isn't that good?" Thor asks. "You didn't like 'normal.' This is better, isn't it?"

"It's weird," Loki insists. "He's never treated me like this. He pities me, I think. They all do."

"Do they pity you, or are they worried about you?" Thor asks. "It's been six weeks since you locked yourself in your room, and until today, you hadn't spoken to anyone but me or Mother. You don't think the others are concerned about you?"

Loki frowns. Well, when he says it like that... With a sheepish shrug, he says, "No, I didn't."

"They do care about you, you know," Thor tells him. "You've lived with them nearly three years now. They see you as a friend and a peer, and they worry about you as one of their own. You are part of this team, in your own way, and I think you may be the only one who doesn't see that."

Loki clasps his hands in his lap, looking down at them wordlessly. That's not... that can't be true. He's not part of this team. Nobody sees him as a part of this team. He's the reason this team exists, but that's because they fought against him. He may not be the enemy anymore, but he's certainly not a friend. He's not a teammate. Is he?

Loki sighs and leans against him, resting his head on his brother's shoulder, and Thor rests his head on top of his. It's quiet for a short while, and Thor doesn't try to push him to speak. He doesn't have to. They have all the time in the world, which is more than the others can say.

"They're going to die one day," Loki says quietly.

"I know."

"I'm not ready for that," Loki says.

"I know," Thor says again. "Neither am I. We may never be ready for it. But they're not dead yet, and there's no point in grieving the living. Enjoy their presence while you still have it."

"That's easy for you to say," Loki mumbles. "You can make new friends once they've died."

Thor sighs. "We'll figure something out."

"There's nothing to figure out," Loki says. "You have the entirety of the Nine Realms at your fingertips. I am stuck in this compound for the rest of my life. I can go no further than the tree line. And when they die, I'll be here all alone. You'll be my only visitor; my only friend." Maybe he'll still have his mother, but that's it. That's not enough. He'll go mad if he's left alone for most of the next few thousands of years.

"And then we will figure something out," Thor repeats. "I'll be king one day. I'll have the power to change things. We can figure this out then. Alright?"

Loki sighs. "Alright," he concedes. It doesn't do much to quell his fears, but it's nice to know that he's willing to help. He doesn't know how he will. He can't imagine there being anything his brother could do for him, even as king. But they'll figure it out. At the very least, he knows his brother won't abandon him – not at first, at least. Not until he gets bored or he gets busy, and hopefully that won't happen for at least a few decades.