Not a stalker

[st_ratagem]

It wasn't the most subtle thing in the world, but it probably also wasn't the least subtle. (Probably._ Just, since Loki's trip into his own future (Thor's past), the god of mischief just tended to be around, wherever Thor happened to be. He didn't obviously follow. He didn't always speak. Often he didn't even acknowledge Thor's presence.

But, as much as possible, he was around. Even in Thor's room, on and off, albeit as a kitten keeping Stark company and creating tiny claw marks on the man's hands. (He insisted on wiggling fingers! He deserved what he got!)

There were, of course, times when it was impossible to be subtle. Such as this time, when Thor was working in the garden and Loki had opted to take up space on a nearby bench and read, occasionally glancing up to make sure Thor was still there.

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[st_ratagem]

“He’d suspect something if I just handed it over.” Loki shrugged. “I’m a very good liar, Thor. If I make him fight for it, he has no idea I’m letting him have it. Also, with the Space Stone in the open, there’s a backup way to get Hulk to Earth if Heimdall can’t do his part.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor is less convinced than his brother is, and though logically, he knows there's no person who knows Loki better than himself, he can't bring himself to believe that handing over the Tesseract was part of his plan.

He can't.

Thor nods his head back towards the inn. "Let's head back," he says. He won't move to continue down his not-quite-path until Loki joins him.

[st_ratagem]

A few more steps brought Loki level with Thor, to walk with him instead of trailing behind. In fact, he realized, the compulsion to keep Thor in view as much as possible was... less. Not nothing, it was possible that there’d always be that odd little sting of make sure Thor is all right in his head, but it was small enough that he could probably limits his checks to times when Thor was around anyway.

And, all in all, it was oddly peaceful to know that at least a few questions of the future were settled. “You were right, brother. Talking helped.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor slings an arm around Loki, same as he did when they were first on that bench.

"I'm glad that it did," he says. He turns and looks at his brother and attempts another smile, though it doesn't quite make it all the way to his face. "You know, I'm going to miss you when you're gone. I always do."

[st_ratagem]

“At least this time I let you know it’s not permanent.” As before, Loki didn’t dislodge the arm around his shoulders. Previously it had been because he was upset and anxious, now it was because he wasn’t, so much. But he didn’t miss the fakeness of his brother’s smile, so he went on, “And thankfully I probably don’t have to rely on you pulling your head out of your ass at any point and realizing this is just Ragnarok again in order to secure that return.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor hums in response. He still doesn't know what to think of it. He wishes Loki knew the plan outright so he could be sure to follow it. All he can really do at this point is plow right ahead and hope he makes the right choices along the way.

He does not want to see his brother dead for good.

"You know that I love you, right?" Thor hopes so; he hopes that Loki knew that during his last moments before Thanos killed him -- even despite Thor's last words to him. He wants to make sure that this Loki, the one walking beside him, knows that now. Just in case he doesn't.

[st_ratagem]

“Yes, idiot. I love you too.” Loki poked his brother in the ribs. “And I am both the worst and the worst brother. I’ll own it. You’d get bored if I was any better.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"You're the worst and the best brother," Thor counters. "You can be both, you know."

[st_ratagem]

“I’m comfortable being the worst, though. It’s my niche.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"You should get comfortable with being uncomfortable, Loki," Thor says, tugging his brother closer with the crook of his arm in his usual roughhousing way.

[st_ratagem]

“Hmmm... no.” Arm around the shoulders was... fine. Near-headlock, not so much. (Not from Thor, anyway. But lLoki decided to try words first. “Are you looking for a stabbing, brother?”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor grins. "Are you offering one?"

[st_ratagem]

“Only if it’s a deterrent to headlocking me.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor would be fine with a stabbing; he's accepted it as more or less an act of endearment. Still, he relinquishes his hold on his brother and gives him a few too-firm pats on the back instead.

"Maybe some other time, then."

Thor is trying to respect his brother's boundaries. Not everyone is as keen on physical affection as Thor is.

[st_ratagem]

“Thor.” Loki paused and put on his most serious face for a moment. Just long enough to get Thor to stop and pay attention to it instead of to Loki’s hands.

Which, of course, pulled a knife from over there and drove it into Thor’s side.

Loki had been stabbing Thor since they were seven years old. He knew how to miss all the vital organs and significant blood vessels. To an Asgardian, even this seemingly vicious stab wound wasn’t much more than a scratch. “I lied.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor had been completely caught off-guard; he hadn't expected it until his brother's knife slid easily slid past his skin.

"Ah!" Thor doubles over theatrically. "Betrayed by my own brother!"

[st_ratagem]

“I know!” Loki acted aghast, pressing one hand to his chest with one hand and banishing the knife back over there with the other. “Why oh why is it always the ones you most expect?”

[st_ormbreaker]

Grinning, Thor straightens up and tries to smooth out the tear in his shirt. He's more concerned about that than he is in the blood. He should be able to take that out with the hydrogen peroxide in the lobby first aid kit.

"It's like old times," he says, apparently resigned to living with a shirt with a visible rip in it. "I'd much prefer it if you did it as a snake, though."

[st_ratagem]

“I could probably arrange a spiked pit trap and a rug.” Or a real snake and some invisibility.

[st_ormbreaker]

"Snakes only," Thor says.

[st_ratagem]

“Can I interest you in a potentially poisonous lizard of some kind?” Conceptually withholding snakes was more fun than expected.

[st_ormbreaker]

"Lizards aren't snakes," Thor points out as they come up to the inn's entrance.

[st_ratagem]

“Are we not negotiating?” Obviously they were. “Learn to compromise.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Fine! But only if it has pretty patterns."

Thor pushes the door open to the inn.

[st_ratagem]

“I’ll see what I can do.” Loki followed his brother into the lobby. Were there any suitable lizards locally? Something to look for. Perhaps Valkyrie would know, she was more of a hunter.