Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 31

A/N I bet y'all saw this in your notifications and went "omg when did I add a book with a cover this awesome to my library?" That, my friends, is courtesy of the wonderful kozkaboi who has officially made my fic 113x cooler!

Thor climbs off his horse, leaving it on the Rainbow Bridge while he heads to Himinbjorg. He'll return to it in a few minutes. Heimdall is facing the Bifrost, but he doubtlessly knows Thor is here, and he doubtlessly knows why. He always does.

"How is he?" Thor asks.

"The same as he was when you asked yesterday," Heimdall says. "And the day before. And the day before that."

"So he's okay," Thor surmises.

"As okay as he can be, given the situation," Heimdall says. He turns around to face him. "If you plan to come here every day to ask how he is, you could just go to Midgard and see for yourself."

"No," Thor says immediately. "He has made it abundantly clear that he does not want me there. If I go back, it will just end in another fight."

"I think it would do him well to see that you care," Heimdall says. "He sees you as the enemy right now, but with a little patience and understanding, I do believe you could win him back as a friend."

"I don't know that I want to," Thor says. After everything he's done... He tried to give Loki another chance. He gave him multiple chances. He gave him a chance on the Rainbow Bridge when he refused to kill him. He gave him a chance in Midgard when he offered to bring him home if he gave up the Tesseract. He gave him a chance at Stark Tower when he tried to help him instead of abandoning him and leaving him to serve his sentence alone. Loki refused every one. Thor's not sure he deserves another.

"If you didn't still care for him, you wouldn't ask me about him every day," Heimdall reminds him.

"Of course I still care for him," Thor says. "He is still my brother, even if he doesn't see it. I want him to be okay. I just think it's best for everyone if I stay away."

"He would say the same thing," Heimdall tells him. "But he would have said the same about Captain Rogers, too, and they are now friends. It may require more effort to mend your relationship, but I do think it's possible and I do think you would both be better for it."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"I do," Heimdall says. "I was once of your opinion, too. I thought Loki was lost to us; that some darkness had overcome him and swallowed him whole. But the longer I watch him in Midgard, the more I realize that was never the case. All he wants is acceptance; companionship. He's hesitant to accept it and he's afraid to lose it, but he craves it all the same. If you think you can be patient and understanding of Loki's plight, I think that, with time, you may become friends once more."

Thor hesitates. Loki hasn't been the same since Thor's coronation. When they met again in Midgard, he'd been sure his brother was gone, and that the monster standing in his place was as heartless as they came. But if Heimdall really thinks that there's a chance his brother is still in there somewhere... Loki was his best friend, once upon a time. He would do anything to find that side of him again.

"It won't be easy," Heimdall tells him. "He won't take kindly to you at first. But if you are willing to put in the time and the effort..."

Thor nods. "For Loki? I think I am."

Heimdall gives a seldom-seen smile. "Good. If you return to Midgard now, I will tell the Allfather where you went and why. Take as long as you need."