Thor touched his eye−patch, unused to the hardness of metal when there should be soft flesh, his thoughts still scattered. He knew he’d condemned his brother to certain death when he’d asked him to awaken Surtur, that there was only a very slim chance of Loki getting out, or of Thor even knowing if he did; Loki could just disappear again. Thor felt his heart clench, it had hurt when Loki had died, the first time, the second time, now his whereabouts are unknown.
“It suits you.”
Thor looked up into the mirror, both surprised and not daring to believe. Loki’s reflection stared back at him.
“Now you look like him.”
Thor was tempted not to ascertain if Loki was really here this time, to keep this beautiful illusion for awhile, that his little brother was truly by his side. He knew not how far his brother could project himself, but he’d learnt not to underestimate Loki; he could be anywhere by now.
In the end, he threw the first thing he put his hands on, he had to know, better to suffer heartbreak now than later.
“If you’re really here I might even hug you.”
The shiny object seemed to fly for an eternity and for a second; Thor was tempted to turn his eyes – eye – away, to close his ears against the sound of it hitting the wall.
It hit Loki’s palm, a whisper of a sound.
“I’m here.”
And they both could not help it, identical small smiles gracing their faces, for they’re finally here, at each other’s side once more, after all that has happened, like in the past yet not like.
It was not certain who moved first, but they met in the middle, embracing like they had not for years, carrying out the promised hug and hugging in a promise.
Loki let himself relax into Thor’s arms, revel in his warmth and safety just like so many summers ago now. He wondered what would have happened had Korg not appeared, if Thor would have killed him if he hadn’t yielded in front of his hammer. In that moment, he had wondered himself, if he should just let Thor’s hammer pass through him, smash his heart out in a splatter of blood and flesh, if living was really worth it, and for a moment he had so badly wanted to; it wasn’t a bad way to die after all, by his golden brother’s hammer. He wondered if Thor meant to let him die on Sakaar, and later, on Asgard. Thor could’ve chosen the Valkyrie to invoke Surtur after all, she was as old as Hela and definitely knew what the Eternal Flame was. Or perhaps Thor just thought little of his fighting skills, just like always. He wondered what would change that, maybe one day he’d fight both Thor and the Valkyrie and win, and revel in Thor’s shocked face, or maybe not, he should continue to let them underestimate him, all the better.
Thor, as if sensing the dark turn his brother’s thoughts had taken, hugged Loki harder, burying his face in his hair.
Thor could not read his brother’s mind, he never could, for Loki’s thoughts were often meandering and out of the box, but even he could sense the shift in Loki’s mood. He could do little else, so he just hugged Loki tighter, wanting to hold his Loki to him forever, now that he had him back.
“I know not your thoughts Loki, but know that you are dear to me, and that I love you. Asgard may be gone, but Father’s right, Asgard is a people, and you are my home.”
Loki made some noise of dissent, but Thor shushed him, and continued to hold his brother tight.