𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 - 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 ✓

Welcome Home, Loki

    "This is absurd Thomas." Loki growled, narrowing his eyes at the mortal. Tom merely flashed his counterpart a grin and closed the door behind him. Zawe and Tom had decided to let Loki live with them ever since he had come to life. Apparently he had been real since the comics were written, and Tom was ecstatic to have him as a friend.

Whether Loki wanted to admit to it or not, he found himself enjoying the man's company as well. He would never admit to it though. Never. It was far too embarrassing.

Why was Loki so irritated now? The pesky mortal standing before him. He had made a big scene of welcoming him inside, and it drew the attention of a few bystanders. 

Zawe entered the room then, and she approached him with a warm smile. 

"Welcome home, Loki." She said, handing him a spare key. If Thomas hadn't been standing there, he would have insulted her. But, upsetting Tom was the last thing he wanted to do. The man had been kind enough to let Loki stay with him, and for that he was eternally grateful. 

He gave her a brief nod, and Tom chuckled. 

Around an hour or two later, Loki was settled in his room. Tom had painted the room and decorated it to the god's liking. He was surprised that the mortal knew him so well. The walls were black, a large bookshelf stood against the wall facing the bed, his sheets were dark green and made of silk, and other various decorations were placed perfectly. 

Of course he would never admit it, but it made him smile. Thomas was the only person to treat him right other than his brother. He winced at the thought.

A soft knock pulled the god from his depressing thoughts. 

"Hey Loki, dinner's ready." Zawe said, giving him a careful smile. He placed a bookmark in his book and followed her to the kitchen. 

The room was filled with a delicious aroma, and Tom stood at the stove, placing the food on three plates. He walked up behind him and peered over his shoulder suspiciously, trying to figure out what the man had prepared. 

"It's spaghetti." Tom said, looking over his shoulder at him. His eyes met with Tom's and he raised a brow. Tom's signature giggle left his mouth, "You'll like it. I made it."

He relaxed slightly knowing the food was cooked by Tom. No offense to Zawe, but he didn't trust her. Not yet at least. 

Tom handed Loki a plate and led him to the dining table. Loki sat down across from him and Zawe, grabbing his fork and looking through the noodles. 

A glass of wine was placed in front of him, and he looked up to find Zawe smiling down at him. He could tell she was trying to be as nice as possible, and it eased the slight tension between them. 

"Thank you." Loki said, picking up the glass and sniffing the red liquid. Zawe's face brightened and the soft smile on her lips pulled to a grin. "You're welcome."

She scurried back into the kitchen with Tom, and he heard her ramble about gaining Loki's friendship. The god rolled his eyes dramatically, making Tom chuckle, and took a huge gulp of his wine.

They all sat at the table and began eating. 

"So Loki, what kinds of dishes did you eat on Asgard?" Zawe chirped, taking a sip of her wine. Loki's eyes met hers, and she felt slightly intimidated by his intense eye contact. 

His brows furrowed, "Why?"

"I'd love to try and prepare a few for you." She replied, smiling warmly at him. Tom grinned at her offer and nodded his head in agreement. 

"Oh. I don't remember a lot of them, but my mother used to prepare us braids when Thor and I were younger." Loki said, the corners of his lips pulling upwards at the thought of his dear mother, Frigga. His smile vanished as he remembered what happened to her.

Zawe folded her hands together on the table and gave him a sympathetic look, "If you'd like, I could try and make that for you."

Loki quirked a brow upwards, "You wish to bake for me?"

"Of course. I know adjusting to life here will be kind of difficult, so I'd like to make you feel more at ease."

If he weren't so fond of his ego, he would have cried right there. His face softened and he feebly nodded, not trusting his own words. If he were to speak, he would break down. 

After dinner, Zawe took everyone's plates and Loki immediately retreated to his room. His conversation with her had brought back painful memories, and he wished to wallow in self-hatred by himself. 

He sat down on the edge of his bed and the tears he had been holding back at dinner now flowed freely down his face. He sobbed silently to himself, and didn't hear someone enter the room.

Tom had followed him. He had seen the look on Loki's face, and wanted to see if he was alright. When he walked in, the god's muffled sobs and sniffles broke his heart. He walked over to where Loki sat and sank down onto the mattress beside him. 

Loki's face was buried in his hands, and his breathing was erratic. Tom hesitantly placed his hand on his back and began rubbing soothing circles there to calm him down. Loki let him, and cried harder as Tom whispered reassuring words to him.

"It's alright Loki, let it out." He whispered, still rubbing the god's back. 

Once his sobs had calmed to small sniffles, Loki lifted his face from his hands and averted his eyes from Tom. He hadn't seen Loki break down like this since he met him almost three years ago. 

"Do you feel better?" Tom asked softly. Loki looked over at him. 

Tom was looking at him with a soft, worried expression. His hand still working on his back, and their knees touching. Something stirred deep within him, but he ignored it.

When Loki didn't respond, Tom's hand slid up his back and wrapped around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze. His friendly gesture made Loki feel more at ease, and he attempted to smile at him.

Loki nodded and inhaled deeply, calming down. This is why he trusted his dear friend Thomas. He could break down and not be judged, but comforted. 

He stayed a moment longer before wishing him goodnight and closing the door softly behind him. Loki stood from the bed and stripped himself of his clothes, climbing into the bed in just his boxers and falling asleep almost instantly.