Y'ALL it's Tuesday and time for another update! I'm finally getting to a place in writing the story that gets into the stuff Clint really wants, so stay tuned through the next couple chapters to see that. 

This is my first full-length Frosthawk endeavor and I'm so glad that it's going well. If you're enjoying it, or even if you feel something's missing, leave it in the comments and I WILL read it. Thank you so much for the support thus far!

Enjoy xo

***

Awkward wasn't the word Clint was looking for. 

The team was sat around the large dining table in the common area, sans Thor. Tony was at the head like some sort of regal supervisor of events. He never sat there, preferred to be between Steve and Bruce for reasons Clint smirked at, but tonight he was standing while Natasha and Bruce- the cooks of the team- lowered large plates of food onto the table, looking over proceedings with a sharp gaze.

Steve was sat directly across from Loki, elbows on the table and fingers steepled in front of his mouth. He seemed to be assessing Loki as well, though not as maliciously as Stark. He kept flicking his eyes back and forth between Clint and Loki. Natasha came to sit next to Clint on the opposite side as Loki, and Clint could've kissed her for how grateful he was. He thought for a minute it'd really be just him and Loki on their side of the table. 

Bruce sat at Tony's right side, leaving the place Tony usual sat open between him and Steve and reached a hand up. "Tony, please," he insisted and tugged at him while he nodded to his regular seat. Tony narrowed his eyes at Loki, but with another tug from Bruce and a quiet, Tony, from Steve, he relented and came to sit in his usual spot. It wasn't lost on the table that Thor was absent and that Loki was sitting in Thor's usual spot.

Bizarre! That was the word Clint was looking for.

They passed out food in silence, and Loki- the bastard- filled his plate with an amiable ease that made Clint envious. They made it a whole ten minutes before Tony slapped his fork down onto his plate with a clatter and slammed a fist down on the table. "Why is he here?" Tony barked at Clint. Steve's hand immediately went to Tony's leg under the table, a warning and a comfort. 

"I invited him," Clint spoke evenly, a challenge. 

"Why? What did he do to you to make you forget what he did to you, to me."

Tony was right. Everyone focused so much on what Loki had done to Clint, but they always forgot that Tony rode a nuclear missile head into space and nearly died because of Loki, not to mention the damage to his tower and the threat Loki had placed on his friends and employees. In the dark times, the thought that Stark had it pretty bad, too, was the only reason Clint stayed sane.

"I haven't forgotten, Tony," Clint assured, "but this isn't that Loki." Loki had kept wisely quiet from the moment he stepped off the elevator with a nervous Clint and a fuming Tony, but then went and Clint pointed him out.

He locked eyes with Tony and tried to impress his regret. "I have committed my fair share of sins, Tony, but I am not the man to whom your vengeance belongs."

Tony tried to stand but Steve's strong grip sat him back down, and then Bruce's soft touch was rubbing his back. "You don't-" Tony wiped his mouth like the filth of the moment could be cleaned away with the simple gesture. "You don't get to talk to me."

"Maybe you should tell us how your Manhattan went down," Natasha suggested as she swirled a fork full of pasta, cool as ever. "I assume it's different because Clint mentioned you're an Avenger in your world."

Loki turned to her and Clint could see the clear look of relief on his face. "It is. The biggest difference is that Clint gave me an opportunity to change my loyalties." The god's eyes flicked to Clint for a heart-stopping moment of intimacy before turning back to the table. "We undermined the Chitauri plans, and the Avengers and I came together to stop the invasion before it started." 

"Bullshit," Tony spat.

"Tony," Steve murmured, somehow hard as steel and soft enough to make Tony deflate in his seat like a petulant child.

"Has Clint told you what our Loki did instead?" Bruce asked.

Loki nodded and lowered his hands to his lap. "He has. It was difficult to hear that I would ever do something to betray Clint's trust and to hurt those that have become like family to me."

"Oh come on!" Tony stood and then Steve was standing, pulling Tony to him.

"Let take a walk, huh, Tony?" Steve suggested.

Tony waved a hand towards Loki's dark form. "You can't seriously be listening to this?"

Bruce stood then and covered the other half of Tony that Steve wasn't and put a hand to Tony's chest. "Why don't you and Steve go for a walk, Tony." It wasn't a question that time. Tony looked between the two men and huffed, defeated. 

Tony scoffed, "Whatever," then let Steve wrap an arm around him and lead him away from the table.

Steve turned back and reached a hand out to Bruce. "Coming?"

"In a minute," he told the blond, and Steve nodded before taking Tony to the elevator. Once they were inside and out of sight, Bruce sat back down at the table and raked a hand through his hair. "You have to understand what he's been through."

Loki nodded. "I don't pretend to truly understand, but I can imagine and I hold nothing against him for his actions. I only wish it wasn't as it is. I count my Tony as a friend and my Steve as a brother." He smirked and looked at Bruce through his thick, black lashes. "Though I do not hold them as closely and my Bruce holds them in my universe. I see you have found the same comfort."

Bruce wasn't Tony and he wasn't Steve. He didn't rise to quips and gossip; he simply moved on. "Do you have a plan to get home?" he asked.

"Not as of yet. I was hoping to garner your expertise. Possibly Stephen Strange's if he is available, though he rarely is."

"Strange?" Clint asked.

Loki noted the confusion and supplied, "I suppose that is different as well."

"Who is Stephen Strange?" Bruce questioned.

"He is a powerful sorcerer of magic and became a close friend after I taught him the ways of Asgardian meditation. I suppose my Avengers would have already called on him to seek me out after I disappeared," Loki informed them.

Bruce tilted his head, considering. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"There are thirteen Stephen Strange's in the world, sir. A search is being conducted as we speak. I will let you know what I find."

"Thanks." 

Loki leaned his arms on the table and asked, "Where has my brother gone to?"

"He said something about finding you just after he came back from his visit with...you, and then flew off," Natasha told him. "He's a temperamental one."

"I always did find your intelligence to be keen," Loki complimented and sent her a wry smile. 

She didn't smile back, only offered him a blank, unreadable face before rolling her eyes and sitting back in her chair. "What did he mean, he went to find you?" she asked. "You you are right here, and his Loki is dead. What does he think he's going to find?"

"Oh, that's probably because Loki told him that he's not dead," Clint shared like he was asking for dessert, but his eyes were too wide, slightly manic. "I mean, this Loki told him that our Loki isn't dead," he clarified, hands waving while he explained. "I don't know."

"What?" Bruce demanded, finally showing something other than calm. "What do you mean you're not dead?"

"I mean simply that," Loki admitted. "I still feel the life force of my kindred soul and I can guarantee you that your Loki has not left this universe."

"Does Thor know where he is?" asked Bruce. "Where did he go, Loki?"

"That I do not know. Though if I were...me, I know where I'd go."

Clint raised a brow. "Oh, yeah? Where's that?"

***

The intense, colorful entity of the Bifrost deposited Thor back on familiar ground. He tumbled into the gold orb that served as the only entrance and exit to and from his home, the realm he'd been ignoring far longer than he had any right to. At the center of the raised platform stood a distracted man in armor that was many sizes too big for his frame.

"Who are you? Where's Heimdall?" Thor barked, though after he said it, he realized it wasn't of priority. "Nevermind." He walked around the platform and swirled his hammer.

"Whoa, there. Hold on a moment," the guy urged, making Thor pause just before he took off. "Who are you?"

Thor scoffed. The man must be of common birth to not have seen his face and of little intelligence not to recognize him merely by reputation. "I am Thor Odinson, the rightful heir of Asgard. I need to speak to my father immediately."

The man's face went bright red when he realized his mistake. "Of course, your highness. I just need to announce your arrival."

"No need," Thor countered and swung his hammer again.

"No, wait, I am supposed to-" But Thor was already a distant swish in the wind. "Dammit," he cursed and clunked after him. 

Thor landed in the main courtyard of the castle he was born and raised in. Nothing had changed in the foundation, yet everything seemed different. The decor was different, louder, brighter- garish. He walked through a crowd of people, confused as to the occasion. Most recognized him, but the anger burning his features must have scared them off because they parted to allow him passage instead of greeting him. 

He made his way to the front of the crowd and stopped still at the sight. Asgardian performers had taken the stage and were playing out some offensive version of Thor's loss, of Loki's death. His rage only boiled hotter, competing with his confusion as he pushed past the few attendants surrounding the royal seat to come face to face with his father.

No, not his father. That Thor ascertained pretty quickly. He had never in his many years ever seen his father lounge. "Father," he greeted. When Odin met his gaze, he startled.

"My son, Thor, has returned! Greetings, my boy!" 

That son of a bitch.

Thor sauntered over to where "his father" was standing and raised a brow. "How have you been?"

"Oh, good, good..." he answered, his hands fidgeting in front of him. "And yourself?"

Thor tilted his head, thinking. "Busy. Always learning new things."

"Right, yes. So...it's back to Midgard for you, is it?"

Thor tossed his hammer up and watched it spiral back into his hand. "Nope. I met a new friend recently. Thin, black hair, kinda slimy." Odin's face started to take on a concerned look. Thor reveled in it. "He reminds me of someone I know, though his wisdom extends far beyond the one I grew up with." Odin toyed with his fingers. Thor's chest puffed out. "My new friend told me something."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Thor threw his hammer out in front of him a few yards and called it back. "He informed me that while I was grieving the loss of my brother and fighting for the integrity of Asgard, it turns out that my brother is not dead."

The facade of Odin's face crinkled in surprise. "That is news! Thor, that is grand news."

"It is, isn't it?"

Odin scratched his stomach idly. "Indeed."

Thor leveled him with a look. "You are really going to make me do it?"

"Do what?" Odin asked. 

Thor sighed and threw his hammer out into the distant Asgardian landscape and stepped behind Odin's figure. He placed two thick hands on his father's shoulders, and reminded, "You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand." He shoved a hand to the back of Odin's neck. "Not even your face."

The fear radiating off the older man was palpable. "You've gone quite mad. You will be executed for this."

He was holding to character remarkably well, Thor gave him that. "Then I will see you on the other side." He leaned in and whispered, just for them, "Brother."

The hammer was making a tremendous return, barreling through the air towards Odin's face. It came within feet and Loki shimmered back into his true form and yelled, "Alright, I yield!" Thor quickly pushed him away and caught the hammer in his hand smoothly. The whole of the gathered crowd gasped.

Loki turned to Thor, smiled and huffed a laugh like they were sharing a joke. Just then, the man who disgraced Heimdall's post came ripping through the crowd. "Behold! Thor," he heaved a breath, "Odinson."

"No," Loki interrupted and turned to the man, holding up a finger to scold him. "You had one job, just the one."

"Why Loki?"

His brother turned back to him, angry. "You just couldn't stay away, could you? Everything was fine. Asgard was prospering. You've ruined everything. Ask them," he motioned to the crowd.

Thor growled, pissed, and advanced on his brother, making Loki stumbled backward. "You had me think you dead!" 

Loki fell onto the royal seat and put his hands up in surrender. "You had what you wanted. You had the independence you asked for."

"I grieved you," he seethed and pressed his hammer to Loki's chest, making the dark-haired god squeak out an ow. 

"Okay. I know I have hurt you."

Thor shook his head, disbelieving. "Why?"

Loki motioned to the hammer and Thor lifted it from where it was holding Loki in place. The god of mischief sighed. "Can we have this discussion somewhere a bit more private?" he asked, making Thor look around at his people. He nodded and swung his hammer, taking off before Loki could say a word.

Loki opened his arms wide to address the crowd, "There is much to be discussed with Prince Thor. If you'll excuse me." He disappeared from them and reappeared in his old room in the palace. Even if Thor didn't say where he was going, Loki knew. It was where every row they'd ever had was settled.

Thor was always the one to break and come to his room to talk, they'd hash it out and then sit on Loki's bed drinking mead into the daylight hours. This was no different, Loki realized when he reappeared on his balcony and saw Thor sitting at the end of his bed with his head in his hands, hammer sitting on the floor next to him. 

"Thor?" Loki tried.

The blond lifted his head and there were tears tracking down his cheeks. "Now will you answer me?"

Loki's brows furrowed. "To what end?" 

Thor rose, fire in his veins but when he approached Loki, he cupped both cheeks tightly in his hands. "Why?" he begged.

Loki swatted his hands away and brushed his hair back from his face. "You are better off without me."

"You know that's not true, Loki. I will never fair better at the demise of my brother."

"Tell that to your new best friends!" Loki shouted but quickly caught himself and tugged at the lapels of his shirt. 

Thor squinted at him, assessing, and then his mouth fell open. "Are you jealous of the Avengers?"

Loki scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do not be ridiculous. I care nothing of those feeble humans."

"You are," Thor beamed but then his face turned dark. "You falsified your death and let me grieve for years because of jealousy?"

"It was not jealousy, Thor. I had many reasons," Loki insisted. "You desired freedom and I desired a home. We both got what we wanted."

The god of thunder tugged Loki into a bear hug. "Loki," he sighed against his hair, "I am your home and the news that you live is my freedom."

Thor swore he heard Loki gasp, but it was buried in his neck and he couldn't be sure. Loki patted Thor on the back awkwardly and taunted, "You were always so emotional."

***

I'm such a fucking sucker for Thor and Loki's relationship (*shameless plug* I did happen to write a Thorki oneshot recently if you're into that called ''Til Asgard's Mountains Crumble to the Sea'. It's in my Marvel Bingo 2019 book on my profile.)

Also, I gave y'all a tiny bit of a side ship in the Avengers to mull over. More to come. I'd love to hear feedback and get some votes if you liked this chapter. Thanks a bunch, guys!

Mwah! Xoxo, Jess