Maybe he can still salvage this. Thor has never been the smoothtalker of the family, particularly when it comes to pulling the wool over his brother's eyes. But he's not doing anything wrong. He's not.

"Loki, don't be silly," Thor says, summoning up a smile that seems just a touch too nervous, a small laugh that's just a touch too off. "Of course I'm happy to see you. I always am. You're just not usually here when I come by."

Yes, this is the right tack to take, he's pretty sure. Play along, make nice, get his drinks and go home. Don't let Loki see that he's making it up as he goes, that he doesn't know what he's doing. Don't let him think that his other brother was wrong to trust him with the children in his absence.

He hesitates, not really wanting to sit down. That feels too much like settling in for a long visit when all he wants to do is leave. But Loki will be suspicious if he doesn't, right? After a long, long moment, Thor slowly reaches for a barstool and sits, worrying his hands against one another. "I called in an order to pick up," he says, as if Loki doesn't already know. "I wasn't planning to stay long; I have to get back soon. You know how ravens are if you leave them on their own," he adds, seizing upon the excuse with a relieved smile.