What Matters {B.Barnes Daughter} ✔️

~Thirty-Four: Comfort~

It took a month of extensive treatment before Thor recognized his brother, and his friends.

It had been a rainy day in New York, and all except for Natasha, Clint, Vision, and Wanda, who were out on a mission, were enjoying a fairly calm day in the Avengers Tower.

Loki was enjoying his solitude in the lounge, his nose buried in a novel. It was just reaching its climax when he heard large footsteps approaching the entryway to the room. With a quiet sigh, he placed the book in his lap, looking up to see who had entered.

He was taken aback upon seeing that Thor was leaned against the doorframe, his arms hanging loosely by his sides as he stared at Loki with great intent.

Loki rose from his chair, his eyebrows slightly furrowing as he watched the other God.

"Hello, Thor," Loki greeted, giving him a nod in recognition.

Thor attempted to produce a smile, but it looked almost pained.

"Hello, brother."

Loki's mouth fell slightly agape, but his eyes lit up with delight. Thor had remembered him. All the time he had spent working with him, all the sleepless nights, it had all payed off.

A small smile spread across the elder God's face, yet his eyes whispered sadness.

Loki furrowed his eyebrows, and took a step closer to his brother. "Is something troubling you?"

Thor's eyes drifted to the ground and he let out a quiet sigh. "I remember what I've done. All of it."

Loki's face faltered and formed itself into a frown.

"Brother," he stated, taking strides towards Thor. "It is not your fault. You had no choice. It was not you who did those things."

Thor's eyes met his brothers, and Loki could finally see the extent at which HYDRA had effected him. He looked significantly older, almost worn down. His eyes were missing a certain life to them; before, they were joyous and full of personality, and now they were just hollow, desolate windows that led to a severely broken soul. He also stood with a different posture; it was missing the prideful, cocky gleam he used to hold when standing. Now, he stood slumped over, almost as if he knew he had done something wrong and was awaiting a punishment.

"I wish I could believe that, Loki."

Loki's eyes turned downcast, and he exhaled quietly through his nose.

He knew that he and Thor had grown apart over the years; they had turned into completely different people, with completely different personalities and completely different journeys to finish. Loki, at a time, even believed that Thor didn't care for him, that he wished him dead. Although, as he stared into the crystal eyes of his brother now, he realized just how wrong he was.

"You have no idea what I did to innocent civilians, people who had done nothing wrong... you have no idea what I did," Thor said, pointing his index finger at Loki. His voice sounded almost choked, and Loki was beginning to wonder if his brother was attempting not to cry in front of him.

"No, I don't know what you've done," Loki said, shaking his head. "But I know what I've done. I know what you're feeling, brother, I do. I want you to know that I do regret the New York attack. And I also want you to know that I didn't do it all by my own accord."

Thor gave a short nod. "I know you didn't."

There was a short pause before Loki stepped forward once again, looking up to Thor's eyes with a certain confidence in himself.

"I do know what you're feeling, Thor. James does as well. Maybe if you speak to him, he will-..."

Thor took Loki completely by surprise when he threw his arms around him and buried his head into his brother's shoulder.

Loki was taken aback, not ever having hugged his brother, but his arms soon found their way around Thor's back.

"It's alright, brother," Loki attempted to soothe when he felt Thor's shoulders begin to tremble. "I'm here."

Surprisingly, Loki didn't find himself uncomfortable or frustrated with being held by his brother; instead, he felt a sense of peace. This was the relationship they were always missing, the one of comfort, and reassurance, and love. He enjoyed the thought that his brother, the strong, independent, mighty Thor, actually needed him for something: comfort, of all things.

Loki found himself rubbing his brother's back as Thor began to softly cry into his shoulder. He had seen Thor shed a few tears in his long lifetime, but he had never heard him cry like this; it was a raw, agonizing cry of pain, and suffering, and exhaustion that unceasingly kicked at Loki's heart.

"I'm so sorry, Loki," he heard his brother mumble through his tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, brother. It's going to be okay, I promise that to you now. I may not have been there for you in recent years, but starting now, I will, I swear it to you."

Loki could've sworn he heard his brother let out a tearful laugh as he tightened his hold on him.

Loki relaxed into his brother's arms, and smiled softly.

In that moment, he knew everything would be alright