Whumptober 2023 ~ Marvel Edition

'Leave Me Alone.' - Loki

Day 17:

"You're the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest."
Collar | Touch Aversion | "Leave me alone."

~~~

Thor's heart pounded with anticipation as he neared the corner he knew his brother would be around - or at least, he hoped he would be. They had searched nearly every other part of the asteroid field, tearing each one of Thanos's bases to shreds in search of the trickster god, and this was the last one. He had to be in here. He had to be.

Rounding the corner at high speed, Thor peered into each room as he passed them. Only when he saw the form of an Aesir laid down on a bed in one of the rooms did he finally stop in his tracks. He lingered in the doorway briefly, his eyes full of hope and relief, before he took a step into the room.

"Leave me alone," Loki said, exasperated, his back facing the door. Obviously his brother didn't seem to realize he was talking to yet, but the sound of his Loki's voice made Thor's heart swell with joy.

"Loki?" he called out to his brother.

The trickster god's brows scrunched in confusion, and for a moment, he wondered if he had been hearing things. Surely that couldn't be Thor - not after all of this time. Not after everything that had happened. And yet...the voice had sounded so real. Could it really be him? Did he even want it to be him?

Loki lifted his head slowly off the pillow, turned his head and body to look behind him, and sure enough, standing not ten feet in front of him, was Thor. The first thing Thor noticed was that Loki had some sort of collar around his neck, and the second thing his eyes were drawn to was the large burn visible on his upper chest because of the low-hanging linen tunic he wore.

"Thor?"

Taking that as an invitation to come further in, Thor began taking more steps towards Loki's poor excuse for a bed.

"What are you doing here?" Loki asked coldly as he sat up fully, causing Thor to come to a halt once again. Perhaps that hadn't been an invitation.

"I'm here to take you home," Thor said, as if that were obvious.

Loki scoffed, rising to his feet. "'Home'. I don't have a home. Not anymore."

"What?" Thor asked incredulously. "Of course you have a home. Asgard has always been and will forever be your home."

"I assume Odin told you of my true heritage, did he not?"

"He did."

"Then you know that is not true," Loki insisted.

"Just because you were born on a different world does not make you any less Asgardian. Nor does it my brother."

"Funny," Loki commented. "Where was this sentiment when you decided to push me to my death?"

"Push you to your - wait, what?" Thor asked.

"I don't know what your game is Thor, but leave me out of it. I have no desire to return to a place where it is obvious I am not welcome - where I am not appreciated."

"Oh, and I suppose you get that here? Tell me brother, where exactly did you get that burn?"

Loki brought his hand up to his chest and self-consciously covered the raw skin with his palm before bringing his hand back down to his side. "Just because I don't want to go home with you does not mean that I care to stay here. I can hate you and Thanos at the same time."

Thor's face contorted into one of hurt. "I do not know what I did to anger you, but whatever it is, I truly am sorry, brother."

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes before returning his gaze to Thor. "Don't play dumb; you know what you did. You, Odin - you're all just a bunch of egotistical, narcissistic bastards who have no concern for those you think lesser of."