Time had never been a foreign concept to Thor. Asgardians viewed the concept much differently than humans. The other worldly beings seemed to have a much more supple abundance, something humans could only dream of. But as of late, Thor could not understand why humans would want to live as long as he had. Who would want to live thousands and thousands of years while others they knew passed on? It became a very lonely life the longer one existed.

Now, with all the more time in the world, hanging up his kingly duties to New Asgard and passing them on to another, Thor had no idea what to do with himself. There was always the option of travelling the world and getting the full Earth experience with different cultures.

So the God of Thunder had done just that: travelled to different places, saw different faces, embraced different cultures, different food. But in the midst of all this, he felt as though he should not be going on this adventure by himself. And while he did crave company, he wanted it from only one person, and it was not from Jane Foster. While Thor did miss his ex from Earth, his heart still ached, his brain still haunted him, about his adopted brother, Loki.

Even now, in the midst of a rowdy pub, staring at a mug of beer that had long gone warm, Thor did not catch the atmosphere's vibes. Instead he felt a void, an emptiness. He'd recently learned that allowing guilt to hold him back and for depression to get him would do him no good. It was not the way to live. Despite the mindset, it did not fight off the lingering feeling that would make its rounds to him on ocassion. This was something Stormbreaker could not fix for him nor take care of.

The axe was not present at the pub--that would surely get suspicious looks. Thor was not out to make trouble. But if trouble should ever come knocking, he could summon Stormbreaker into action.

He missed his friends, those he lost, those he never saw again the wake of the final battle against Thanos and Tony Stark's funeral. He missed his father, whose passing unleashed his hidden older sister, Hela, onto Asgard. He missed his mother, who died at the hands of a Dark Elf. Jane Foster had broken his heart, but at times he did think about her. And Loki...

Time had no limit with Asgardians, but it did not mean that everything it brought was good. In recent time, pain and loss had hammered down on the God of Thunder. It stuck in his lungs like a disease.

Negative flashes of thoughts rained in Thor's mind as he continued to mindlessly stare at the warm beer in front of him. While he heard whispers, excited whispers, about his presence, he did not approach them or join them in their revels. Instead he kept to himself, which was most unlike him. Even in his more humble days he could allow himself a little fun.

This is something I have to work through alone. But most days when he had times like this, he wished he had the support. He wished he had people who could lift his spirits and make him forget why he hurt, why he felt sad. He wanted someone to motivate him to stay positive, and to perhaps maybe work on getting back in shape. The years of alcohol consumption did not do wonders; Asgardians were not immune to gaining weight, nor were gods. 

Thor sighed inwardly as someone sat in the chair across from him at the table. Great, someone wants to talk or wants a picture. I just want to be alone. Why hadn't I just hunkered some place more isolated? 

While the God of Thunder did not want company, he did not want to throw biting words at the stranger. He was no longer the arrogant young prince he used to be; he had grown mountains since then in manners. If anything, in that moment he felt like an old man wanting to tell a youngster to get off his damn lawn.

"I'm not who you think that I am," he said in a low tone. While the stranger had not spoken, he figured he could get a head start to shut the conversation off before it really began. After all, the last people saw of Thor he had been thinner, leaner, and his hair and beard on the shorter side. If the stranger believed him, they would think him to be someone pretending to be the God of Thunder.

As if anyone could pull that off.

"So you're not the fool of a brother I liked to outwit and prank so much?"

Thor squeezed his eyes shut. This is a trick of my mind. This is cruel. I have had nowhere near enough to drink to deal with this. He decided if he remained silent long enough, maybe the trick would stop. The person would lose interest and move on. Nobody could pretend to be Loki. Nobody.

"You look as though you're constipated. You'll burst if you're not careful."

Sighing, Thor opened his eyes. He about fell from the chair he sat in. 

While "Loki" did not bear Asgardian clothes, rather civilian clothes, he looked very real. Thor had half a mind to reach out and touch him, or throw a leftover fry or two at him. Or better yet...

Thor picked up the warm beer, swirling it around as though it were wine he was about to taste. He eyed "Loki" for a second before launching the liquid at his imaginary brother.

Thor blinked in surprise when "Loki" did not disappear, but rather made a noise of disgust, shaking off his now drenched clothes.

"I would've been okay with you flinging a fry at me," Loki grumbled.

Thor scoffed, though it barely made it out of his throat. He could not believe it. For five years...at least, Loki had been dead. Thor had heard his neck crack when Thanos had finished him, dropped his body on the ship's floor before leaving. And all this time...

"Are you going to say something or sit there like an oaf?" Loki asked. 

"You're real."

"Please don't try and stab me with a fork or knife next."

"You've been through worse...or so I thought, at least." While this was not the first time, nor second, that Loki had faked his death...it did not lessen the anger Thor now felt towards Loki. In fact, it felt magnified three-fold. "Do you have an addiction to faking your death or something?"

"I suppose I can ask you the same about your newfound addiction to alochol?"

Thor's face reddened. "I'm weaning off it."

"Poorly, I see. My gods, you really did a number on yourself. It's not a very becoming look on you."

"You didn't answer my question."

Loki briefly avoided eye contact. "I did what I had to."

"To, what? Spend your days cowering in a dark place somewhere? You could have...You could have helped us defeat Thanos." You would have been a great help. We would've stood together, side-by-side. Instead, you made me believe you to be dead.

"There was no stopping him." The emptiness in Loki's voice, the defeat...Thor never knew his voice to ever sound like that. Loki always carried a more confident, one could argue arrogant, tone.

"Not the first time around, no," Thor admitted grimly. He did not want to be reminded of that guilt, that all because he failed to chop the purple titan's head from his shoulders the first time around (absolutely not failing the second time), Thanos was able to snap half of the universe out of existence. "Had you decided to come out of the shadows sooner, you would have been part of the effort to stop him for good."

"Sorry that I missed out."

"I'm mad at you."

"How childish of you to say."

"Five years you didn't show, Loki. Five. Did you expect me to welcome you back with a hug? Did you expect me to bow and kiss your feet as though you were sacred?"

"Not really, no, because I know your temper and how you get when you realize I'm not really dead." Loki reached across the table to grab what was left of Thor's fries, which were cold by now. He popped one into his mouth, frowning. "These are no good cold."

"Why show yourself now? Because the coast has cleared?"

"Perhaps. I would think you'd be a little happy to see me. It seemed that we were...getting along before things went to shit."

Thor cracked a smile at how the two had worked together back on Saakar--up until Loki had tried to decieve Thor, that is--and how they teamed up to try and stop Hela from destroying Asgard. But the smile disappeared soon after when he remembered what followed those bright spots. "You know, for how you 'went out'...why would you try of all things a knife against him? I know you're better than that!"

"It wasn't my best, but, it had to be convincing. It worked."

A little too well. "I don't think I can forgive you for all the times you pulled this stunt."

"Yes, well, I don't think it will shatter me if you don't ever forgive me. Now, how about we get a fresh order of hot fries and cold drinks, and preferably you don't make me wear another one?"

"I suppose." This was still very strange to Thor. Loki was really in front of him. They were starting to slip into their old ways...but it did not mean that Thor still wasn't pissed. They would have a proper hashing out of things later, someplace where if things got too ugly civilians would not get harmed. 

"I did tell you, you know."

Thor's attention for a waiter was temporarily taken away. "What, a bunch of lies?"

Loki actually winced. "Well, yes, but that's not what I mean."

Before Thor could ask what Loki did mean, the waiter came around. Thor ordered accordingly, and he waited a minute or two before turning his attention back to Loki. His brother looked guarded though there was no immediate threat or axe hanging over their heads. Perhaps it was a permanent quirk of his.

Though there was much to discuss between the two, a heavy silence remained in the air. Thor simmered inside. No amount of drinks and fries could make the situation better. Loki did not understand what kind of toll it took on someone, to have someone given to them, then taken away, then returned to them, only to repeat the cycle. He did not understand.

When the food and drinks arrived, Thor allowed them some time to take swigs of beer and pick at fries. At times he had to resist the urge to chuck fries at his brother or start a shouting match with him.

"What did you mean?" the God of Thunder finally asked quietly. The distraction of food and drink kept him civil. "That you told me so about something?"

"Not told you so, per se, but I did tell you."

"If you would stop being cryptic and actually tell me, that would be nice." Thor flicked a fry at Loki, to which the God of Mischief caught and took for his own.

"The sun is shining on us again."

Thor could recall the words before Loki's "demise". With the events that followed, he had begun to think it would never happen. That for once the bad guys had truly won and the heroes had suffered a harrowing loss. And yet, through the aftermath, here he was, his brother alive, and the two of them reunited. The universe restored to its previous glory.

It was not the most ideal way he wanted to see Loki again, but he would settle for it. 

"Can I make a suggestion?" Thor asked.

"It depends on what it is."

"Don't fake your death ever again."

Loki chuckled. "I can't guarantee I can make that a promise. But, if it eases you, I will try to resist the urge."

Despite how serious Thor was about the suggestion, and despite how jokingly Loki responded, a smile quirked on the God of Thunder's mouth. 

"It's only fair that I make a suggsetion since you just did," Loki said a beat later.

"It depends on what it is," Thor echoed his brother's words.

"Shave down the beard, it ages you terribly."

**Perhaps one of my biggest complaints with Infinity War and Endgame is the fact they did Loki wrong in the first act. We all know what Loki can do, and they reduced him to trying to stab Thanos in the not so smoothest way possible. I mean, the dude is freaking clever, and that's how they choose to go about it??

And then, then he doesn't join the final fight among everyone else. Imagine what he could've done - I think it would've redeemed him even more if he had been there!

Yes, I was happy we got to see him. Yes we are getting a TV show that explores his whereabouts due to the events of time travel in Endgame, but still...

I suppose this little thing is my way of coping with the fact that the Russos almost to me made a mockery of all that Loki is capable of doing and just offed him in such a manner. If you side with me, hopefully it gives you a little better coping too.**