“ … brother, you do not know what good it does me when you accept … that blame is shared between us.”
Loki treads carefully; his words, he knows, touch upon sore terrain, and Thor is still Thor: temperamental until the end.
“Thank you.”
Shared blame, making neither of them the villain in this particular moment. Or in this particular regard. “I would hate for you to unduly carry a burden such as this upon your own shoulders, when you alone are not at fault.” He explains. “I am thankful, then, that it does you good to know that we can share in this moment together, neither of us being the solitary beholder.”
His head bows, in reverence. “Aye, you are welcome.”
Loki gauges Thor just as his brother’s head dips. There is deference and openness. Excellent. Perhaps now is the time to speak words. more difficult than Loki can ever remember.
“ … brother, I. Am about to say something that will concern you, but you must listen to every syllable, without interruption.”
“Sometime … sometime in the future, I know not exactly when… . I will need to go away.”
He cannot bring himself to say “I will leave you.” There is too much chilling permanence in those four words, and Loki, a wordsmith, for whom every letter is a weapon, cannot wield such a killing blow upon the one person who yet believes in his goodness.
“I will need to do things that will seem, to you, to be wrong, and wicked, and hurtful. I will seem to have abandoned all that we have rebuilt. I am asking you to not press me for more knowledge of what I do. And I am asking you for something more difficult still.”
Loki clasps the side of Thor’s head, and Loki pierces Thor with an unwavering, if watery, jade stare.
{ “Trust me.” }
He presses their foreheads together.
Oh, my brother. Mirror of all that I have been and have dreamt of becoming.
My only true kinsman. My conscience, and my courage. My catalyst to greater things. Everything that I am not.
Monster-slayer. Me-slayer.
My jealousy and my drive. My hero and my best friend.
Please look into our childhood and see that I have always loved you, and always will.
Never doubt.
“Trust the one called Liesmith. Wait and know that all that I do is for a greater purpose. Do not believe your eyes or your ears, but believe me.”
“And in time, you will have your answer.”
Thought I may not be here to give it to you, you will have it. You will.
icyxmischief 