Thor stood on his front porch, Loki, his little brother in his arms. He smiled as they waved goodbye to their parents until the tail lights of their car was out of sight.
"Well, what should we do now?" Thor asked as he bounced Loki in his arms and smiled at his high pitched giggle.
"Ice cream!" Loki yelled and clapped his hands.
Thor laughed and carried Loki into the kitchen. He sat him down on the counter and ruffled his hair.
"I don't know." Thor said and narrowed his eyes playfully at his brother. "I didn't hear the magic word."
"Pease, brother." Loki pouted and batted his eyes at Thor.
How could Thor deny his brother when he looked so adorable? Thor sighed and went about fixing his brother a bowl of his favorite (chocolate chip cookie dough) ice cream.
Thor was absolutely smitten with his little brother. Loki came into the family four years ago when Thor was nineteen. Frigga had always wanted another child, but due to complications with her pregnancy with Thor, she was unable to. It was devastating to her and Odin, but they put all of their focus and attention and love on Thor.
Thor couldn't deny that he wasn't spoiled. He knew he was and so it came as an utter surprise when Frigga and Odin sat him down and told him that they were going to adopt a three month old little boy. Being an only child, a spoiled one at that, for nineteen years, it was hard for Thor to come to terms that he was getting a baby brother who was extremely younger than him.
However, the minute Thor saw his little brother, Loki, he immediately fell in love and couldn't wait to teach his little brother all about life and go on adventures with him.
Thor learned that Loki came from an abusive household. Frigga met his birth mother at the domestic abuse shelter she volunteered at. Frigga had befriended her when she was eight months pregnant. Frigga could tell that she was lost and afraid and her mother instincts kicked in.
Frigga tried to help her the best she could. She went out and bought her supplies and food, not only for herself, but some baby supplies also. Frigga tried to talk to her and get her to leave the abusive boyfriend for good. However, a couple of weeks before her due date, Frigga found out that she had gone back to her boyfriend.
It was months of wondering and worrying for Frigga before, out of the blue, she walked into the shelter one day and there she was, this time with a little bundle in her arms.
Frigga was beyond relieved to see them both safe and relatively healthy. She made sure the mother had enough food for herself and supplies for her son, and made room for them so they could have as much privacy as being in a shelter could afford. Frigga saw to it that they had anything they needed and that they were comfortable for the night.
However, when Frigga went to check on them in the morning, all she found was that little bundle asleep in the middle of the bed.
Police and child protective services were called and it was soon apparent that the little baby boy had been abandoned. It turns out that the address given to Frigga was fake and that there wasn't any records of the little boy being born anywhere.
It didn't take Frigga long to decide that this little baby would be hers. It took even less time for her to convince Odin and after going through the process, they adopted their little Loki.
Knowing the kind of life that Loki could have been brought up in, made Thor all the more protective of his little brother. He made it a point to have some one on one bonding time with his brother, so whenever he's not working at the bakery, he likes to give his parents a break and hangout with Loki.
"Okay, here's your ice cream." Thor said and handed the bowl to Loki.
Loki took it with a bright smile and dug in. Thor sighed as he saw most of the ice cream end up everywhere but in Loki's mouth. He really needed to work on being able to tell Loki no.
"I done!" Loki said with a proud smile on his face. He put the bowl on the counter and before Thor could hand him a napkin, wiped his face all over his shirt.
"Or you could do that." Thor huffed, but he was smiling as he wet a rag and wiped Loki's face and hands. He looked at Loki's ice cream covered shirt and decided a change of clothes was in order.
"Come on little brother, let's go get you into some clean clothes and then we can do whatever you want."
Thor helped Loki down from the counter and watched him walk to the bedroom Thor has set up for him. Loki was more quiet and calmer than your average four year old. Other adults always commented on it, but Thor knew that when it was just him and Loki or the two of them with their parents, Loki was a bit more energetic.
Thor followed Loki into his bedroom and smiled as Loki was looking through his drawers. "See anything you like?"
"Nope." Loki huffed and popped the 'p'.
"Well, you have to change your shirt, it's all sticky. Why don't you wear your kitty cat shirt?"
"Don't wanna."
"How about your galaxy one?"
"No, tank you."
Thor groaned and dug through the shirts he had for Loki here. He's brother is only four, but he is one of the most pickiest, most bossiest person Thor has ever met.
"Well, what about your green and black striped pajamas?" Thor sits there holding up the pajama set as Loki just sat there and stared at it. Without warning, Loki stood up and walked out of the room.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Your room." Loki said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What? Why are you going to my room?" Thor huffed as he scrambled to get up and follow Loki.
Loki headed straight for Thor's dresser and started to dig around. Before Thor could object, Loki pulled out one of Thor's old college t-shirts. It was one of his favorites, so it was well worn and just comfortable.
"I want dis one." Loki proclaimed.
"But that’s my shirt." Thor pointed out. "Don't you want to wear one of yours?"
"Dat's okay. I like dis one."
Thor just watched as Loki started to get undressed. He thought about protesting again, but then realized that he wouldn't be able to tell Loki no. So, he sighed and helped Loki get the shirt off when it got stuck over his head. He slipped the t-shirt on Loki and laughed as he saw that it went past his feet a good five or six inches and that it had trouble staying on his shoulders. But Loki was smiling and looked really proud of himself so Thor thought it was adorable.
"Now, I look like you." Loki proudly stated.
Thor's heart melted and he scooped Loki up and hugged him close. "Yeah, you look just like me. I love you, little brother."
Loki's skinny arms wrapped around Thor's neck and he gave Thor a big sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I love you, big brother. Movie now?"
"Yes, we can watch a movie now." Thor laughed. "Let me guess, you wanna watch Lion King?"
It was no surprise to Thor when Loki nodded excitedly and clapped his hands. Lion King was Loki's absolute favorite movie and they watched it every time he came over. Thor tried to introduce him to other movies, but Loki always gave him those big puppy eyes and the pouty lips and Thor caved every single time. But seeing Loki so happy and animated while watching, was well worth getting Hakuna Matata stuck in his head for the next few days.
Thor gave Loki a kiss to the cheek before he set him on the ground. "Okay, last one there is a rotten egg."
Thor watched as Loki dashed out of the room. He laughed as he heard Loki calling him a loser from the living room.
"Don't jump on the couch!" He hollered as he stripped out of his jeans and work shirt and into something more comfortable. Just as he grabbed his phone he heard a thump and then Loki crying.
"Shit." Thor cursed as he ran from his room and into the living room. He found Loki sitting on the floor holding his arm and crying.
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay." Thor whispered softly as he picked up Loki and started to rock him. He rubbed up and down Loki's back as he sat down on the couch. He looked around and noticed all the couch pillows piled on the floor and it didn't take him long to figure out what happened.
"Shh, you're okay Loki. Can you tell me what happened? Where you're hurting?" Thor asked softly as he pulled Loki back and wiped the tears from his little cheeks.
"I…I felled." Loki got out between sniffles and whines. "And I hitted my arm."
"You fell?" Thor asked with fake surprise. He grabbed Loki's arm and carefully moved it around to make sure there wasn't anything seriously wrong with it.
Thor watched as Loki steeled his face and looked at him dead in the eyes. "Yes, I felled." Loki said. Thor had to hold back a laugh at how good this little four year old was at lying.
"Oh really? Because it looks to me like you were jumping off the couch like I told you not to do."
"Maybe."
"Maybe? Well, maybe we shouldn't watch The Lion King then."
"No! I'm sorry." Loki pouted and did the things with the eyes and lips again. Damn Thor really had to build up an immune to that.
"This is why I tell you not to jump on the couch. You could really hurt yourself. Luckily, your arm is all good. And I don't appreciate you lying to me. Lying is bad, Loki."
"I'm sorry, Tor." Loki said softly. He held his arm up and sniffled. "Kisses?"
How could Thor deny him anything? So, he leaned forward and gave a bunch of loud and wet kisses all over Loki's arm until he had the four year squealing with laughter.
"Tor stop!" Loki laughed and pulled his arm away while pushing Thor's face away.
"Okay, I'll stop. You ready to watch the movie now?"
Loki nodded quickly and clapped his hands.
"Okay, then, you put the pillow's back on the couch and I'll get the movie ready."
Thor stood up and went to go put the movie into the dvd player. "You want something to drink?"
"Juice pease." Loki huffed as he messily threw the pillows back on the couch.
"One juice coming right up." Thor made quick work of pouring Loki's juice into his sippy cup and getting him something to drink too.
He walked back into the living room to see Loki sitting on the couch and humming along to the menu screen. He smiled and sat down in his recliner and it wasn't long until Loki was climbing into his lap and getting comfortable there, drinking his juice. Thor closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Loki.
When he first met Loki when he was only three months old, he never expected that he would be so close to his little brother. With the huge age gap, he thought it would feel more like being a babysitter and less of that brotherly bond he had heard of. Sure, it's not what people would call a normal brotherly bond, but Thor loves Loki and there's nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for his little brother.
They watched the movie, and even though this is like the hundredth time they've seen this, Loki still laughed like it was his very first time seeing it. Thor's joy in seeing his brother so happy was so overwhelming that he couldn't help but laugh along with Loki and he ended up watching Loki more than the movie.
It was after Simba was reunited with Nala, that Thor noticed Loki's sippy cup slipping from his hand. He smiled softly as he noticed that Loki was fast asleep. Thor bent his head and kissed Loki's temple. He thought about carrying Loki to his bed, but decided to just savor having Loki fast asleep in his arms. However, by the end of the movie, Thor was fast asleep also.
Thor woke with a start. He immediately looked down and sighed in relief when he realized Loki was still curled up and fast asleep on his lap. Thor looked around, trying to figure out what woke up him up. The living room was pitch black and the movie menu was on repeat. Thor was just about to settle down again, when a loud and insistent knock on his door made him jump.
He figured this was what woke him up. He checked the time and frowned when he saw that it was too late for any visitors to come over. He decided to just ignore it and get Loki into a bed. He carefully stood up and rearranged Loki so his head was resting on his shoulder.
He started to make his way to Loki's room, when there was another knock and this time it was followed up by a voice.
"Police, come to the door!" The voice called out.
Thor's heart started beating wildly. He had no idea why the police would be showing up to his house at this time of night. All he knew is that it couldn't be anything good. He absentmindedly reached up and started to rub circles on Loki's back just to calm himself down.
He walked to his door and took a deep breath before opening it.
"Yes?" Thor greeted the officer as he opened the door.
"Hi, I'm Officer Baker, are you Thor Odinson?"
"Um yes sir. Can I help you?"
Thor watched as Officer Baker took a good look at Loki before he sighed. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you and its better if you sit down."
Thor's mind started to go a mile a minute. What the hell could possibly have happened? Thor tried to come up with scenarios and the only thing that kept repeating is that maybe his parents got into a car accident.
"Um sure, right this way." Thor opened the door wider and motioned for the officer to follow. "Do you mind if I go lay him down?"
The officer had a sad smile on his face when he nodded to Thor. Thor carried Loki to his bed and tried to carefully lay him down without waking him.
"Tor?" Loki grumbled. "Wanna seep wif you."
"I know, buddy. I just have to go talk to someone. I'll come get you later, okay?" Thor whispered softly as Loki fell back to sleep. He took a minute to just take in the peacefulness and innocence of his baby brother. He ran his fingers through Loki's raven hair and kissed his forehead before standing up and heading back out.
"Would you like some water or something?" Thor asked the officer.
"No thank you, Mr. Odinson. Please, have a seat." Officer Baker motioned to the couch as he sat down on the recliner.
"Please, call me Thor." Thor sat down and leaned forward, looking intently at the police officer. "Now, can you please tell me what this is about? I'm kind of thinking of worst case scenarios here."
"There's no easy way to say this, Thor, but there was an accident earlier. It appears that your parents were struck head on by an intoxicated driver. They-"
"Fuck. Are they okay? What hospital are they at? Are they awake?" Thor interrupted. He stood up and started to look for his keys and wallets and phone. He had to call somebody to come stay and watch Loki. Maybe Steve, Steve wouldn't mind.
Thor was brought out of his mind by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Officer Baker looking at him and his heart stopped. That look said everything. Thor felt his eyes tearing up and he shook his head.
"No. No no no no. They're okay right? Please. They have to be okay."
"I'm sorry, but your parents were deceased on our arrival."
Thor's world stopped. He couldn't process anything else. All he could think about was his parents. His parents who were just out having a date tonight. Just a few weeks ago they celebrated his mother's birthday. They were supposed to have a party to celebrate Thor graduating college and starting to work at the families bakery. And now they were gone. Just like that. Thor couldn't even remember the last thing he said to them.
Then his thoughts turned to Loki. How the hell would he tell his baby brother that their parents were dead? What would happen to his brother now? Thor didn’t even know what to do. He didn't even know how to plan a funeral and now he has to plan one for both of his parents and explain to Loki that they were never coming home again.
Thor didn't even realize he was on his knees sobbing until the officer was there and rubbing his back.
"What do I do? I don't…Loki, he's only four." Thor cried helplessly.
"Is there someone we can call? You shouldn't be alone right now." Office Baker asked softly.
"Steve. He's…he's like my brother." Thor whispered.
Thor handed Baker his cell phone and let him call and talk to Steve. He was so lost. He had no idea what he should do. He wanted so desperately to talk to his parents one last time. Tell them how much he loved them and how they were the best parents ever. He wanted to apologize for everything he ever did wrong. He wanted another hug from them and to see them smile one last time.
"Hey Thor? I just finished talking to Steve. He said he'll be here in fifteen minutes. Why don't we get you off the floor, huh?"
Thor just nodded and went where the officer pulled him. He sat numbly on the couch. He tried to stop crying, but he kept thinking about his parents and memories and the tears would start anew.
He didn't pay attention to the passage of time and before he knew it, he felt big strong familiar arms wrap around him. He had no idea when Steve got there, but it didn't matter. He just leaned into the familiar embrace and sobbed his heart out.
He was twenty-three years old and all he wanted was his mom and dad again.
"They're gone." He sobbed into Steve's shoulder. "They're gone and I don't know what to do. I want my mom and dad. I want them so bad."
"Shh." Steve whispered and rubbed soothing circles on Thor's back. "I'm so sorry, buddy. I'm so sorry. I got you, just let it out, Thor, I got you."
Thor didn't know how long he was in Steve's arms sobbing, but a small voice is what broke through to him.
"Tor? Why are you crying?" Loki asked as he climbed onto the couch while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Oh god, Loki." Thor quickly pushed away from Steve and wiped his eyes. He tried to smile for Loki, but knew it must have looked funny by the frown Loki was giving him."
"What's wrong, brother?" Loki asked as he climbed into Thor's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck.
Thor almost broke down crying again. He immediately wrapped his arms around Loki and buried his face in the little boys neck. He didn't know what to say. How do you tell a four year that his parents are dead? Would Loki even know what that meant?
"I love you, Loki. So much, little brother." Thor whispered. He just couldn't tell Loki right then. He had to prepare himself. He had to be strong for Loki and he knew he couldn't be that right now.
"I love you, big brother." Loki said and kissed Thor's cheek.
Thor took a shuddering breath and tried to hold his sobs in. Just then he felt someone try and take Loki from him and he panicked. He didn't want to be away from his only family left. He didn't want to leave Loki alone.
"Hey, it's okay Thor." Steve said." Tony is just going to take him back to bed.
Thor looked up in surprise at Tony who was standing there with a soft smile. He didn't even know Tony had shown up with Steve. He looked around and noticed the police officer was gone.
"Where's the officer? I…I need the information."
"Hey, it's okay. He gave us all the information. You don't need to worry about that right now. Why don't you let Tony take Loki back to bed and we can talk or just do whatever you need to do right now."
Thor just nodded and with one last kiss and hug to Loki, he passed him off to Tony. He watched as Tony carried Loki off and he barely heard Loki asking Tony what was wrong. His brother was too damn smart for his own good.
"I don't know what to tell him." Thor said and leaned his head on the back of the couch. He thought he would start crying again, but he didn't. He just felt numb.
"Hey, you don't have to do this alone. We're all here for you and we'll be here for Loki when you tell him." Steve said and reached out to rub Thor's shoulder. "I already texted the rest of the group. They'll be here in the morning. You're not alone Thor."
Thor just nodded and sighed. He felt so incredibly tired, but he didn't know if he would be able to sleep tonight.
"There's so much to do. I don't even know where to begin." Thor said softly.
"You don't need to worry about that now." Tony said as he made his way into the living room.
"Loki?"
"He's sound asleep. Your little brother is a smart one. He knows something is up and he's worried about you."
"Fuck." Thor cursed.
"Hey, it's okay." Steve soothed. "Like Tony said, you don't have to do anything tonight. Why don't you go and lay down with Loki. Try and get some sleep. We'll figure out the rest in the morning."
Tony nodded and patted Thor's shoulder. "Yeah, you just focus on yourself and the little man in there. I already texted everyone else about what's going. They said to tell you that they are here for whatever you need and that they love you. You're not alone, so you won't have to do everything yourself. Okay?"
For the first time in hours, Thor felt relieved. He was so thankful for his friends. He had been friends with Steve and Tony the longest. He met Steve in the first grade and Tony in the second. Pretty soon the three of them became inseparable. Thor met the rest (Bruce, Natasha, Clint and Val) throughout middle and high school. He was lucky that they all got along and now his big group of friends were like his second family. Now his only family, he thought sadly.
Even though he was close with all his friends, Steve and Tony were still his closest friends and they were more like brothers. He was so thankful that they were willing to drop everything and help him and Loki. He knew he wouldn't be able to do this without them and to have their reassurance meant everything to him.
He knew they were right about getting rest. He had to be strong for Loki and he knew that tomorrow was going to be a long and difficult day.
"Yeah, I don't know how much sleep I'll get, but I need to be with Loki. I need my rest cause he's going to need me. Thank you both for coming here. Ya'll can stay if you want. Help yourself to anything you need." Thor said as he stood up and attempted to smile at them.
"No problem Thor. We know where everything's at so just worry about yourself and Loki, we'll be alright. We'll be here if you need anything." Steve said and Tony nodded in agreement.
With that, Thor made his way to his bedroom and smiled softly as he saw Loki curled up in his big bed, cuddling the stuff puppy that Thor gave him one Christmas. It was something that Loki treasured and never slept without it.
Thor climbed in the bed and pulled Loki into his embrace. Their whole world is no longer what it used to be. They no longer had parents (Thor refused to use the word orphans) and Thor's heart ached for his little brother who was going to grow up without them. So many memories that Loki won't have with their parents that Thor cherishes. Christmas's and birthdays and vacations and school events and Thor realized in that moment that he was going to step up and be Loki's guardian. He was going to make sure that Loki never forgot their parents and that he had a childhood just as happy and adventurous as Thor's was.
"I'm gonna be here for you, brother." Thor whispered into Loki's hair. "I'm going to take good care of you, I promise. I'll make sure you'll never forget our mama and papa. They loved you so much. They'll be watching over us."
Thor sniffled and buried his face in Loki's hair. He didn't know if he would be able to sleep tonight, but just having Loki in his arms made him feel so much better. He didn't know how he would explain their parents death or what he needed to do, but he had friends that would help and he had Loki. Everything may not be okay right now, but he knew he would be okay in the long run, he would do his parents proud.
The next morning
Thor didn't know when he fell asleep. His mind just kept going and going about the past and what he would have to do in the coming days that he couldn't fully relax. But apparently the exhaustion of the last few hours finally caught up with him and fell asleep.
He didn't know how long he slept, but knew it wasn't that long as the sun was barely peeking through the curtains. He looked around to see what woke him when he noticed Loki sitting up and staring at him.
"Hey, little brother. How long have you been up?" Thor asked softly.
Loki just shrugged and looked down to where he was fiddling with his stuffed puppy's ear.
Thor sighed and sat up too. He knew that Loki knew something was up. His little brother was to smart and observant for his own good. He just wasn't ready to tell Loki their parents weren't here anymore and break his little heart.
Thor patted his lap and sighed as Loki climbed on his lap and rested his head on Thor's chest. Thor rubbed Loki's back and kissed the top of his head. "What's going on in that little head of yours?" Thor whispered.
When Thor got another shrug he sighed. He didn't know what to say to make Loki feel better. He didn't want to lie and say that everything was okay. He didn't want to give his brother false hope.
"Did seeing me cry last night upset you?"
This time Thor got a little nod.
"Something…something happened last night, Loki. And I'm going to tell you, but I think you need to eat some breakfast first. Uncle Steve and Tony are here."
"Unca Steve?" Loki asked as he lifted his head.
Thor chuckled and nodded. "Yep. And I'm sure if you ask him real nicely, he'll make his French toast for you."
Loki giggled and quickly slid off Thor's lap and climbed down off the bed. Thor listened as heard Loki's little feet running down the hallway and into the kitchen, greeting Steve and Tony.
Thor groaned and rubbed his face. He knew he couldn't put off telling Loki for long. He just had to figure out how to tell him. He decided the best thing he could do was just look it up.
So, he did just that. He read article after article and he felt a bit better about how to go about telling Loki. He just didn't know how his brother would react. But no matter what, Thor would listen to his brother and reassure him that Thor was there for him no matter what.
After figuring out how he was going to tell Loki, he stood up and went through his morning routine. He wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all day and cry, but he had Loki to think about and he had to keep it together for his brother's sake.
Dressed in some comfortable clothes, he walked into the kitchen and smiled as he saw Loki very carefully eating his French toast. Loki hated being sticky and would try his hardest from getting syrup all over himself. Just seeing this normal thing happening after the news from last night, made Thor want to sob out his pain, but he swallowed it down and walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, big guy. You doing okay? You know what, don't answer that. Stupid question. Steve made French toast." Tony rambled and would have kept rambling if Steve didn't elbow him.
"I'm doing as well as can be expected." Thor answered as he sat down next to Loki and watched him eat.
Steve offered him a plate, but he declined. His stomach was in knots over having to tell Loki. He didn't think he would be able to hold anything down.
Steve nodded in understanding and gave him a reassuring smile and Thor smile back. He was really thankful for his friends and was so glad that they would be here when he told Loki.
"All done!" Loki declared proudly.
Thor scrounged up a smile and ruffled Loki's hair. "Good job, buddy. I'm really proud of ya." No time like the present, Thor thought. "Um Loki, there's… I need to tell you something."
Thor stood up and picked Loki up, carrying him out to the living room. He sat down on the couch and turned Loki so he was facing him. He could already feel the tears start to well up in his eyes and he quickly wiped at them.
"Don't cry, Tor." Loki said and tried to wipe the tears away himself. This only made Thor cry more.
"Loki…Loki our parents…" Thor took a deep breath and tried to pull it together for Loki. "Remember last night when I was crying?"
"You were sad."
"Yeah…yeah I was sad. Loki, our parents, Mama and Papa they…there was an accident. A car accident. They…" Thor took a shuddering breath and when he felt hands on his shoulders he looked up to see Steve and Tony there. That reassurance from his friends gave him the courage to continue.
"They were in a car accident and they…they died. Do you…Do you know what that means?"
Loki frowned and shook his head. "They coming back?"
And that was when Thor lost it. He wanted to tell Loki so bad that they would be coming back. He wanted that to be true so badly.
"I'm so sorry, baby." Thor cried. "But Mama and Papa aren't coming back. They're up in the sky watching over us. They loved you so much baby. But you're going to be okay I'm here for you, Loki." Thor said and hugged Loki close.
"But I want dem to come back. I don't want dem to leave." Loki cried.
"I want that too, baby, so badly, but there's nothing I can do. I'm so sorry."
"Do somefing, Tor. I want my Mama and Papa. Make dem come back."
Thor had no idea what to do or say. He just hugged Loki close and rocked him as they both sat there crying. He didn't know how else to explain to Loki that there was nothing he could. He wished this was just a horrible dream. Hearing Loki begging him to bring back their parents broke his heart.
"Loki, Mama and Papa didn't want to leave you, to leave us. Something out of our control happened and they died. I wish it didn't happen, but I got you. Big brother is here for you."
"What does died mean? Dat's where dey went?" Loki asked as he pulled back to look at Thor with his tear stained face.
Thor didn't know else to explain what death meant that a four year old would understand. Apparently telling him that it meant they were gone and not coming back wasn't good enough.
"Um, Thor can I try explaining it?" Steve asked softly.
Thor looked over and could tell that the scene of both of them crying effected his friends too. He could see a little redness to both their eyes. Thor had honestly forgot that they were even here. He didn't know what Steve had in mind, but at this point he was desperate to make Loki understand so Thor didn't have to hear him beg to bring them back. He couldn't take hearing his little brother beg for their parents. So, with no idea what to do or say anymore, he nodded at Steve.
Steve sat down next to Thor and wrapped an arm around Thor's shoulder and smiled softly at Loki.
"Loki, can you tell me what Thor said?" Steve asked softly
Loki sniffled and wiped his eyes while nodding. "He…he said dat Mama and Papa not coming home. That they died."
"That's right. Do you know what died means?"
Thor watched as Loki shook his head and when he laid his head on Thor's chest, he reached up to run his fingers through Loki's curly black hair.
"Okay, so you know Mufasa from The Lion King?"
Loki nodded and wiped his runny nose on Thor's shirt. Thor immediately understood where Steve was going with this. He wished he could have thought of this, but he was so thankful for having Steve here.
"Well, you know how Simba tried to wake him up but couldn't? And Simba was really sad? Well, that's what dying means."
"Mama and Papa didn't wake up?" Loki sat up and looked at Thor.
"No, baby they didn't. But you remember how Mufasa was in the sky and was watching Simba? Well, that's what Mama and Papa are doing now. We can't see them, but they are watching over us." Thor explained softly.
Loki just nodded and laid his head back on Thor's shoulder. Thor looked over at Steve and smiled slightly. "Thank you." He mouthed. Steve just nodded and smiled.
Thor sat there and just held Loki as they both took in the fact that their parents were gone. Thor knew there was a lot to do. Plan a funeral, look into becoming Loki's legal guardian, figuring out what to do with the family bakery and so much more.
But right now, all he cared about was comforting Loki. There was so much Thor didn't know, but the one thing he knew was that he would be there for Loki and that he had friends who would be there for both of them. They didn't have to go through this alone. They weren't alone. They had each other and they had friends that were more like family.
"I love you, little brother." Thor whispered.
"I love you too, big brother."