california 02 // loki's romanoff prelude

twenty-nine // homecoming

The Bifrost around his body felt like fire. Burning like the flames had in the hospital, only this time, he burned with them.

'Welcome back, my Prince.'

That sound. Loki opened his eyes, and he was lying in Heimdall's observatory at the end of the Bifrost. The air immediately greeted him - cool, metallic, familiar. The air that gods breathe.

For a moment, he wanted to go back. He hated this place. But the other place hated him.

Loki pushed himself upwards, and he saw Heimdall, unchanged, standing there poised and silent, stiff and untouchable in his gold armour. Beside him - Loki saw his brother for the first time in three months.

Thor looked exactly the same - tall and muscled and handsome and blonde. No, not exactly. He'd gotten new boots, and his cape looked new too.

Thor's face was filled with shock.

'Loki?' Then, 'By Odin, Loki, it's really you!' Before Loki could stop him, Thor grabbed him and pulled him to his feet, hugging him tightly, before shoving him away. 'Ew, Loki, you smell.' Then he hugged him again. 'Who cares? You're back, finally, thank Valhalla! We've all been missing you terribly.'

Was that true? Loki thought bitterly. Were you all? Was Sif? Was Odin?

Over Thor's shoulder, Loki could see Heimdall watching them. Staring into those gold-orange eyes, Loki was sure they had seen everything. There was something almost like pity in them.

Loki wriggled out of Thor's arms, but Thor grabbed his shoulders like a vice, keeping him upright.

'Let me look at you,' he said, frowning. 'What's this you're wearing?' Then, 'You look so tired, brother. Are you alright?'

His voice was so deep, so kind. It filled Loki's eyes with tears.

Loki shoved Thor away and wiped his eyes.

'Loki, where in the Nine Realms were you?' asked Thor. So quietly that Loki could pretend not to have heard if he wanted to.

'I don't know, okay?' Loki wished he would stop crying. Natasha's voice came to him - don't cry again. So much scorn.

Thor's hand on his shoulder gave him a comforting squeeze. Loki wished he wouldn't.

There was a chatter of horse hooves, and Loki looked up to see Sif on her stallion standing over him. Her face was unreadable.

Loki turned away from her before she could talk.
Hogun arrived next, followed by Fandral, then Volstagg. Loki saw them as he had never seen them before. They looked in a sense human, but there was something else. A sort of pride humans had too little of, the self-assurance in their eyes that both humans and Loki lacked. The way they carried themselves was different, almost untouchable by time. Midgardians knew the true worth of life, but the five thousand years made Asgardians - what? Too easy with life? Too happy, too lazy? They didn't have to work hard, because they had an eternity of tomorrows to make up for it.

Their faces were satisfyingly shocked at the sight of him. Loki saw Fandral and Sif exchange looks.
'So it's true!' Fandral's eyes opened wide and he smiled. 'Loki's finally back! I say, Thor, is it actually him?'

'It is him.' It was Heimdall who spoke. Loki couldn't bear to look at him.

'Loki, what are you wearing?' asked Hogun, narrowing his eyes at him.

That was easier to reply to. Loki snorted, and he said, 'Clothes.'

'Strange clothes,' remarked Fandral.