Chapter Text
Perhaps coming here had been a mistake.
Loki looked out his window to the street below. People bustled this way and that. Rebuilding lives, such as they could. New Asgard. Laughable, really. The thought that anywhere on Midgard might compare to their home.
With the timelines free there were hundreds, likely thousands of realities he could have stepped into when he left the TVA. He probably could have been King of Asgard, intact and pristine. Or perhaps there was a timeline where he could have taken the infinity stones for himself and become master of reality. He could have been on a throne, instead he was here in this hovel.
Loki left the bedroom window and meandered downstairs to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Thor sat at the table enjoying one of those awful pastries he was so fond of.
"Good morning, brother!" Thor managed between bites.
Loki gave a nod in response while he put water on to boil. Minutes passed in silence.
He and Thor were still settling in to this... new situation. They were still Thor and Loki, but neither were the brother that each had been familiar with. The gap in their shared history made some moments feel a little off-kilter. New York was still fresh in Loki's mind. Falling through the void and Thanos. The TVA and betrayal. Meanwhile, Thor was reeling from Ragnarok. Odin's Death. His people decimated and his brother lost, again. Defeating Thanos had been some consolation, perhaps.
Loki still wasn't completely sure when he lost the eye.
"I have some business to attend to in town. I would like you to join me."
Loki groaned. "The human town?"
"What other town would there be? We're on Midgard."
"Must you remind me?"
Thor leaned back in his chair.
"Loki, this is our home now. Asgard is gone. Its people are here. You are here, and I'm grateful for that, but you must branch out, start to assimilate. Otherwise why are you here?"
Assimilate. That wasn't Thor's word. It was Stark's. Or possibly the righteous Captain's. They blend together in Loki's mind. The Avengers hadn't been keen on Loki living on Earth, and living unshackled at that. His arrival naturally caused a bit of a commotion. Loki lost track of the video calls and visits with various heroes and authorities. They didn't trust him, which was fair. He got the sense they doubted the existence of the TVA, which was reasonable. Thor had made so many assurances, so many promises, and eventually they very reluctantly allowed Loki to reside here in New Asgard under his watchful eye. They want him to assimilate like his fellow Æsir with the surrounding human communities. It had been made very clear that forces would be scrambled at the first sign of trouble and there would be no second chances.
Loki sighed and squeezed the excess water from the teabag. "Alright. I concede."
Thor smiled wide. "Excellent. It's a beautiful day and the walk will be good for you. You've grown so pale, brother."
Loki narrowed his eyes and whipped the teabag at Thor, who dodged with a laugh. The teabag stuck to the wall.
"You can clean that up." Loki muttered, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
**
It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and the temperature mild. Since they were visiting the human town they were both dressed in Earthly clothes. The Midgardian town was a couple miles from the outskirts of New Asgard and while the use of automobiles was beginning to be adopted among the Æsir and some were working to recreate their means of transportation from back home, most still simply walked when they needed to travel. The walk to town was light and easy, especially on a day like this. Loki felt a sense of relief as they left the streets of New Asgard behind. The uncertain looks the Asgardians gave him were tiring. Though the looks humans gave him were worse. Even here in Norway the people knew him and were aware of his sins, with the added annoyance of a mythological history that was not always flattering. Why did he agree to join Thor on this errand in the mortals' town?
"I don't think we could have chosen a fairer place to rebuild." Thor's voice snapped Loki out of his inner lamentations. He looked up to observe the scenery in earnest. There were wide open fields and gentle hills that eventually gave way to forest, with mountains rising up into the sky. It truly was beautiful, when he took the time to appreciate it.
"I think you may be right." Loki admitted.
"Some of the trees here, they remind me of the forest back home." Thor smiled and looked over at Loki. "Do you remember, when we were boys-"
"Not the elk story!" Loki tossed his head back in exasperation.
Thor laughed, "Yes, exactly what I was thinking of."
"That was entirely your fault."
"Come now, brother, you can't still feel that way after all these years."
"Time does not alter facts."
The conversation quickly devolved into a blend of bickering and reminiscing. For a short time it felt like the brothers had never parted.
Around halfway through the journey the road turned. There in the corner of the bend was what appeared to be a farm. A low stone wall enclosed a large field and joined to a cottage. There were a couple outbuildings in the field, one looked like some sort of animal shelter and the other was perhaps a large shed or barn. A third building was near the road, adjacent to the cottage, also interrupting the stone wall. At the corner where the road turned a yew tree grew just outside the wall that encircled the property.
As they rounded the corner they could see a woman up ahead, she appeared to be struggling with a wide wooden slat gate set into the wall.
Loki knew what Thor was going to do. In his mind he begged him not to, and sighed when it happened regardless.
"Do you need some help?" Thor called out.
You turned, looking a little surprised, and straightened up from where you had been working. "I hate to admit defeat but I think I might."
Thor gave Loki a nudge with his elbow and they made their way to you. As they approached the gate the head and paws of a large black dog popped up over the top of the wall. His ears at full attention as he watched the brothers.
You gestured to the gate. "The hinges gave out. I should have replaced them a while ago but you know how it goes. Just kept putting it off. The hardware store in town has some replacements for me so I'm just trying to rig it closed in the meantime. If you boys could hold it in place for me I think I could manage it."
Boys? Loki was incredulous.
Thor did not seem to notice. "Absolutely!" He gestured to Loki and lifted one end of the gate into place. Loki dutifully stepped forward and held the other end in position. You worked quickly with a spool of wire and a few nails, fastening one side and then the other in just a few short minutes. While you were working Loki noticed a large scar on the outside of your left forearm. Uneven parallel gashes that ran nearly from your wrist to your elbow. They had long since healed, years by Loki's guess. The injury must have been formidable to leave such a mark all this time later.
You stepped back to take a look at your work, the brothers released the gate and stepped back as well. Satisfied that it was staying in place you turned toward them and smiled. "Fantastic, thank you so much."
"We are happy to be of assistance."
You dusted your hand off on your clothes and offered it to Thor, along with your name. "You two look like Asgardians."
He shook your hand and smiled wide. "That's right. I'm Thor Odinson. This is my brother, Loki."
"Oh yes! Not just Asgardians, but myths! Legends incarnate." You smiled and turned to offer Loki your hand as well. "It's nice to meet you."
Loki hesitated. Did you really not know them? Or rather, did you not know them beyond mythology? You hadn't recognized their faces. You seemed completely unaware that you were speaking to an Avenger and a villain. He reached out and shook your still-waiting hand.
Thor leaned in and offered apologetically, "Please excuse my brother's manners. Mother's lessons clearly didn't take hold. We are pleased to meet you as well."
You laughed, "No offense taken."
Loki rolled his eyes and returned his hands to his pockets.
Thor continued, "You knew we were Asgardians. Have you met many of our people?"
"A few have passed by. You guys have a certain look about you, though. I suppose it's the godliness." You nodded toward the road. "You two heading into town?"
"Yes, I need to tend to some legal matters for New Asgard."
"Do you mind if I walk with you? I'm heading there myself for the gate hinges."
"Please do." Thor gestured an open hand to the road as he and Loki began walking. You fell in stride beside them. You looked over your shoulder, clicked your tongue twice and made a hand signal to the dog behind the wall. It effortlessly bounded to the top of the wall, then to the ground, and padded along beside you obediently. Loki could see now it had a long thick coat, solid black aside from some greying on the muzzle. Large enough that its shoulder came to your hip. Some type of shepherd dog. It looked up at you like you were the center of the universe.
"That is a handsome dog." Thor remarked.
Your smile brightened and you stroked the dog's head as you walked. "This is Ash. He's good company."
"You aren't Norwegian." Loki interrupted, earning a surprised look from Thor.
You raised your eyebrows and took it in stride. "Ah, good ear. You're right, I'm not from Norway. A transplant, just like you guys." You gave him a wink, which Loki had no idea what to do with. "I can tell you from experience that this is a great place to start a new life."
Thor was elated, and you two struck up a conversation about this place and Thor's aspirations for New Asgard. Loki didn't say anything else for the rest of the walk, and soon the party had reached the town and it was time to part ways.
"This is my stop." You motioned to the storefront just ahead. "Thank you again for your help with the gate. Let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you. You know where to find me."
"It was a delight. Please come see us in New Asgard sometime." Thor replied.
"I'll do that." You turned to Loki specifically, and with a wry smile added, "It was nice talking with you." With that you turned away to enter the store, making another hand signal to Ash, who responded by taking up a post outside, out of the way of foot traffic.
Thor and Loki continued down the sidewalk. The town was quaint, even by Midgard standards, but large enough to have all of one's needs met. There were a few more cars around but even here folks were walking, biking, and it wouldn't be out of the question to see the occasional horse.
"Meeting her was a pleasant happenstance." Thor noted.
"Hm."
"You didn't have to be so cold, Loki."
Loki sighed. "I don't see the point in being familiar with mortals."
"Were you not telling me of the human you befriended just-"
"That was different." Loki cut him off, "Mobius was a different case."
"How so?"
"For one, they don't age in the TVA, so technically he wasn't mortal."
Thor rolled his eyes. "Technically."
"Moreover, Mobius knew every detail of my life. He was aware of every terrible thing I've ever done and chose to trust me in spite of it. You aren't going to find any humans on this planet like that."
Almost on cue, a man who had been traveling in their direction on the sidewalk looked at Loki in recognition and promptly crossed the street. Loki waved his hand, palm upward, as if illustrating his point.
Thor scoffed. "She didn't offer you any scorn."
"She didn't know who we were. She knows our names from fairy tales. She doesn't know you're an avenger and she doesn't know what I did in New York."
Thor was silent for a few moments, then spoke somberly. "You don't have to carry that with you forever."
Loki gave a frustrated sigh. "It was not so long ago for me. Besides, no one here has forgotten it." He nodded toward another nearby pedestrian shooting him a wary look. "That farm woman's kindness came from a place of ignorance. It's not something I can rely on so I'm not going to grow accustomed to it."
Thor didn't have time to respond, they had reached their destination, the town hall. When they entered they were greeted by a stout older man, standing up from his desk. He was well-dressed but his demeanor still felt warm and casual. He spread his arms in greeting.
"Thor! So good to see you this morning."
"You're looking well, Brynjar."
The man approached to shake hands and for a moment, just a moment, his face fell when he saw Loki. He recovered nearly instantly and replaced the smile on his face. "Ah, and I see you've brought your brother along today. Wonderful! I'm honored to finally meet the second prince." This man was a diplomat, Loki certainly gave him credit for that. Loki knew that last sentence had been a lie, but there was only the slightest nervous edge in his voice and no hesitation at all to shake Loki's hand.
"Yes, I find Loki's counsel to be instructive, on occasion. I asked him to join us, I hope that's alright." Thor clapped Loki on the shoulder.
"Oh certainly, certainly. Here, let's come to the meeting table so we can better talk." The man led them into an adjoining room with a table and chairs.
Thor and Brynjar, who Loki surmised was some sort of official in the town, then proceeded to have the absolute most boring conversation Loki had ever been a part of. On and on about something called "zoning" and registrations and property purchases. This human town was apparently something of a landmark in Norway and garnered a fair amount of tourism. Some townspeople had been concerned that the new settlement of Asgardians might hurt this industry but as far as Brynjar was concerned it was certain to do the opposite. They would both ask Loki for his thoughts here and there. He was relieved when the meeting came to a close and the stout grey man led them out of the building and wished them well.
Their walk back was leisurely. Neither said much until they were beyond the edge of town, on the empty road, when Thor spoke up.
"The humans, they'll get used to you. They're very adaptable."
Loki chuckled. "They're simple creatures, set in their patterns. They have no interest in adapting to me. Not in their lifetime. Luckily for me, their lifetimes are very short. In a mere 100 years my escapades will be all but forgotten."
"What is your plan then? Lock yourself away for a century?"
Loki shrugged. "It's not the worst idea I've ever had."
Before long they were once again walking along the low stone wall. The cottage, the yew tree, the turn in the road just ahead. They were nearly halfway home. You were outside the wall, working at the gate. Loki cursed silently. He could not take another human interaction today. Unfortunately you took notice of the brothers, waving your hand over your head and calling out.
"Hello again, boys!"
Boys. Loki tried not to look annoyed but wasn't putting much effort into it.
Thor grinned and called back. "Hello! I see you've been making your repairs."
You took the opportunity to demonstrate, opening the gate wide and giving it a shove. It swung perfectly into the latch. You took a bow with an exaggerated flourish. Thor laughed and gave a few claps of applause. They were close enough now to see the large dog laying in the grass beyond the wall, relaxed but watching Loki.
You leaned against the gate. "I think I'll probably have to replace the latch next year. And maybe some of the slats after that. When does it stop being the same gate, you think?"
Thor chuckled at your mock philosophy.
You unlatched the gate. "Are you boys hungry? I have a stew on, there's plenty to share."
Thor shook his head. "Oh, we couldn't impose-"
You waved it away. "Nonsense! Consider it a thank you for your help this morning. Or my way of saying welcome to the neighborhood. Whichever gets you to take some of this food off my hands."
Thor looked at Loki, who was trying to scream "NO!" with only his eyes. The message either wasn't received or had been ignored. Thor rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "I suppose it would be rude to reject such an invitation."
"Exactly!" You grinned and opened the gate, walking through and nodding toward the cottage. "Besides, you need the energy for your walk home." You laughed and began leading them to the back door of the house. The brothers followed, closing the gate behind them. The dog, seeing the action was moving elsewhere, jumped up and trotted ahead of you, waiting expectantly at the door. Loki looked out across the field. There was a buckskin draft horse in the distance, lazily grazing. It was accompanied by a small brown goat.
As you opened the door the dog slipped inside. The cottage was exactly what Loki expected from the outside. Warm and simple. This was one large room, here towards the back there were kitchen appliances, cabinets, a table and chairs. The far wall was the front of the cabin, facing the road, the only thing differentiating the kitchen from the living room space was the change in furniture. There were armchairs and a sofa, none of them appeared to be from the same set. A fireplace was currently dormant in the wall to the right. To his slight surprise there were pieces of modern technology, he spotted a closed laptop on the coffee table, a television. To his immediate left in the kitchen, Loki could see a bedroom through an open doorway. Everything here was well-worn. Lived in. The smell of cooking food permeated the air.
You began taking bowls out of a cabinet and handed one to Thor with a sly smile. "Pass that to Loki. Maybe if we get some food in his mouth then you and I will be able to get a word in edgewise."
You were teasing him. You were teasing the God of Mischief. Loki was now determined not to speak another word. You and Thor continued your chat, he ignored it. Loki idly turned the ceramic bowl over in his hands. It was hand-crafted. The bottom was stamped with the silhouette of a bird, wings spread, with a forked tail. As the table was set Loki noted that the cups were ceramic as well. The bottom of his was signed with a name he couldn't quite make out. None of the dishes at the table matched.
The food was good, Loki had to admit. It didn't compare to the meals they ate on Asgard, of course, but it wasn't a chore to eat by any means. He wouldn't say this out loud, of course, but he didn't need to; Thor was there.
"My lady, this is the finest meal I've had on Midgard."
You threw a hand to your mouth to cover a laugh. "I'll allow that only because you haven't been here very long."
"Truly, this was delicious."
"By all means, get seconds. There's more than enough."
Loki wanted to ask why you had prepared so much food for just yourself, but he was bound to his vow of spite-silence. You gave him a smile as you took a drink from your cup, almost as if you knew.
Thor was busy making himself a second bowl. "You said you're a transplant. What brought you here?"
"Oh, it was time for a change in my life. I had an aunt in Oslo, she helped me come over. Her friend Gerdy lived here and was looking for an apprentice. So here I am, a decade later."
"An apprentice?" His eyebrows raised as he returned to his seat at the table.
You lifted your cup to display. "Gerdy was a potter. I think all the dishes in the house were hand-thrown either by her or myself."
Loki took note of the past tense.
Thor examined his bowl. "This is fine craftsmanship."
You smiled. "Thank you. That's one of mine."
Loki tuned out for a bit of the conversation, now noticing a variety of clay vases and dishes and trinkets scattered around the room. A potter, of course. It should have been obvious.
"If you would, please indulge my curiosity," Thor gestured to your arm, "That scar is very impressive. How did you come by it?"
"Oh, this?" You held your forearm upright to look at it. "When I first moved here, there was this bear. A man-eater. He'd killed six men from town before I showed up. I hung around the edge of the woods where he'd been spotted and the next time he came around I tackled him. We had a tussle for an hour or so but finally I managed to punch his lights out. His teeth tagged me pretty good in the fight, though. This needed stitches."
It was a lie, but not one meant to deceive. A lie to entertain and, perhaps, to distract. It did the trick, Thor gave a deep and hearty laugh, and even the corner of Loki's mouth twitched upward, despite himself.
You and Thor continued chatting while you cleared the table. Loki was looking at the dog. It had sprawled out on a cushion on the floor by the wall. His head was resting on the cushion but his eyes and ears were directed at Loki, cutting to Thor when there was an unusual sound or movement. Loki got the impression that despite the relaxed posture he was ready to spring at the first hint of trouble.
"Thank you again for the meal." Thor said as you were leading them to the front door.
"Thank you for the company. I can't say I've ever had gods at my table before."
"Well we must have you at our table sometime."
You gave him a friendly smile. "I'd like that."
You said goodbye to Thor, and as Loki passed you at the door you waved him a silent goodbye with a smirk and a wink. As they were reaching the road you called out "Take care, boys!"
Loki bristled. It was absurd, you called them boys mere moments after you referred to them as gods.
The brothers resumed their walk home.
"That was ridiculous, Loki." Thor said scornfully.
"The story with the bear? I know."
"No! Your behavior in there."
"What was I to do? She all but challenged me to silence. Do you really expect me not to rise to the occasion?"
Thor gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head. There was a moment of quiet before he continued, his tone somber.
"Brother, I want to make something clear. I am so very grateful that you are here."
".... Alright." Loki was uncertain where this was going.
"But you seem so miserable in this place. You hate Midgard. You hate being around humans. As much as I want you here I wonder why you chose to be somewhere that makes you so unhappy? If your story about the timelines and the device that brought you here is true, why wouldn't you choose some place more suited to you?"
Loki waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, the tempad is a very crude tool. Finding a reality not already occupied by a Loki was difficult enough, and I didn't have much time to sort through them before I would be found out. Besides, I saw that you were here alone and I knew you'd be hopelessly lost without me."
Loki gave him a sidelong glance and Thor chuckled.
"At any rate," Loki continued, "I do still have the device. I suppose if things become too unbearable here I could try another timeline, though it's not guaranteed to be any better."
Thor looked away as they walked. "It would be very difficult to lose you again." He said quietly.
Loki was caught a little off-guard. When he spoke again his tone was softer. "Well in that case I suppose you should let me keep to my plan. A century of isolation."
A smile returned to Thor's face. "Loki we both know you wouldn't be able to bear it."
"In this realm? I'm certain I could."
They reached the humble building that was their new home. Thor had to leave to meet with the Valkyrie about something or other, Loki returned to his room upstairs. He sat on the edge of the bed and with a flick of his wrist and a flash of light the tempad was in his hand. He examined it idly. The battery was dying but that was no matter. Sylvie had managed to recharge hers, he was sure he could find the means if necessary.
It wasn't true, what he'd said. It would be very easy to find another reality to jump into. The possibilities were limitless. He could be on a throne by this evening. He had reasons for being here, however. The tapes he'd watched at the TVA. Some part of him wanted to be like the Loki this timeline had lost. The one who sacrificed himself to give the others time to escape. He wouldn't have thought it possible for a Loki to do such a thing if he hadn't seen it on the tape, if he hadn't witnessed the same thing himself with Alioth. He wondered if he could ever be so selfless. He had his doubts.
Then again, a friend had once told him he could be whoever he wanted to be, even someone good. Loki liked to think that was true.