It's absolutely certain that Thor would be a hypocrite if he called out his brother on avoiding the question. He understands, far more than he wishes to. Avoidance is what got him into this mess in the first place, and in truth he'd rather avoid it here too if he can.

He peers at Loki, trying to tell if he's actually as fine as he says, if there's no resentment brewing beneath that innocent face that might one day stab him in the back as retaliation for his behavior that day at the bar. There's none that he can tell. But it can be hard to tell when it comes to Loki, sometimes.

He drops his gaze and ruffles the hound's cheeks again, rubbing his thumbs at the base of Thori's ears. "Good. That's good to hear. I, um. I've been meaning to visit you more often. Gets me out of the cold, you know?"