How Do I Say "You Were Right"? [for magpiemythos, backdated]

[pirateangelbaby]

Week two of sobriety.

It's a strange feeling, going this long without a drink. The urge hasn't gone away, hasn't even lessened. It's for that reason that Thor decides not to seek out Loki at the Viper's Pit. Too much temptation all in one place. His brother might not actually be able to stop him, if he gives in now. Even just knowing that the tavern in Asvera is within five minutes' walk is difficult enough, and his only saving grace is that it's on his blind side as he walks past it to his greenhouse.

But he needs to see Loki anyway. Because he was right.

Thor is terrible at apologies. He knows this, and so does Loki. But the way that he'd left... it sits ill with him, harsh words spoken and hearts torn when they last saw one another. Perhaps in older days he might not have worried so much. But now...

Now he's lost his brother too many times to assume there will be time to make things right.

Cricket's house is familiar territory, though Thor has only been here a handful of times. The man himself is out in the yard, tending to the chickens, as Thor arrives, and though the human looks surprised to see him, he's as courteous as ever. Thor says nothing of his current struggles - wondering silently to himself if Loki has already warned him not to provide any more moonshine - but greets him warmly, as if this was only a casual visit, before inquiring about his brother's presence.

To his relief, and nervousness, Cricket confirms that Loki is currently at home. There will be no further avoiding this. Thor thanks him, and leaves him to his work, venturing hesitantly into the house in search of his brother.

Comments

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor ruffles the dog's fur, and puts both hands on either side of the pokemon's face to jiggle his head around in that way that hounds so often enjoy. The ears aren't quite long enough to flop around, but he has a feeling that Thori won't mind.

He looks up at the insinuation of an invitation, a little uncertainty on his face. "If it's not imposing," he answers, wary of trying to push too hard if his presence is unwelcome. Cricket hadn't seemed like it was, but he wouldn't want to interrupt anything important.

[magpiemythos]

Thori is absolutely soaking up this attention, butt plunking solidly onto the floor, tail continuing it's frenetic wagging as he panted happily, eyes half-shut in that lolling sort of canine grin for the attention. No, he didn't mind at all, Thor was welcome to continue giving him all the affection.

"How could I possibly think you're an imposition?" Loki inquired in a genuinely puzzled sort of tone as he slapped out the dough onto the counter to knead. "Once you've given Thori all the pets as is his due, come take a stool. You can keep me company and then I'll mercilessly stuff you full of cinnamon rolls and lunch."

[pirateangelbaby]

What a good boy. Thor is pretty sure that even once he sits down, he's going to have a dog's chin on his knee, those pleading eyes looking up at him to keep petting. And he's going to oblige, of course.

Thor doesn't answer the question, deciding to treat it as rhetorical. He's not here to get in an argument, even if it's petty and meaningless and won't hurt anyone's feelings. He certainly won't object to Loki insisting on feeding him, either. Homecooked meals are... not exactly Thor's specialty. Sure, he gets along fine, but most of what he knows how to make involves a campfire in the woods, and his electric stove just isn't the same.

"Mercilessly, eh?" he repeats lightly, giving Thori one more vigorous ruffling before he looks around for aforementioned stool. They must be sturdier than they look if they're in an Asgardian's household, so he does not hesitate to take a seat - far enough away that he shouldn't get dusted with flour, or so he hopes. "Listen, I..." How do you even talk about this? Thor's been rehearsing it in his head for hours, and now that the moment is here, it sounds stupid no matter how he looks at it. So instead he trails off, clears his throat. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

[magpiemythos]

Thori is absolutely gonna continue to beg for pets. And food once he knows Thor's getting fed here. Thor is his buddy right? He'll hook a pup up!

Electric stoves are awful, it's true. Loki much prefers his gas-lit one and will happily feed his brother. It's an easier way to show he cares than... saying words. Words that have emotions and those are hard okay!

"Absolutely without a single scrap of mercy." Loki confirmed cheerfully, a pleased smile on his face as Thor settled in. Wherever the furniture was sourced, it was easy enough for Loki to make sure it was enchanted so it was Asgardian-friendly.

"Me?" Oh shit. Sounded almost like an attempt at those Feelings Talks that Loki was terrible at. But he couldn't think of a single way to address them without brushing on their argument from the last time they'd crossed paths, a thing he was sure was still quite raw for his brother. So he avoided it and instead offered a soft chuckle. "Good, honestly. Better for your company."

True enough, and more importantly a bit more of a safe way to indicate there were no hard feelings on his end without actually... coming out and saying as much.

[pirateangelbaby]

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?"

[magpiemythos]

Loki knew what could come of avoidance. Knew the pain it could cause to both him and those he cared for all too well. But that didn't make it any easier to admit to harder things, which he was certain Thor was keenly aware of himself. But luckily he was doing well. Much better for knowing that Thor seemed to be doing better. He might not be the thunderer that Loki had grown up with but that mattered less and less as time went on. He treated him like a brother, fostered that bond that Loki had always in his own way desperately craved, and so he loved him fiercely as his own brother regardless of origins.

Not that he might admit it in those words. No, he would show it in actions, like what had sparked their argument, or here where his urge was to tend to his brother and enjoy his company. He grinned at the sight of Thor spoiling the hound currently starting to drool against his knee, green eyes bright with pleased amusement as he was rolling out dough.

"Well you're always welcome to come around, and I can bury you under a flood of chickens, dogs, and cows to help keep the chill from sinking in, hm?" He wouldn't really, but he straightfaced it enough that the image of such a thing likely popped into Thor's thoughts.

[pirateangelbaby]

What's a little dog drool on his pants in the grand scheme of things? Thor has had far worse from his misadventures over the centuries, in Loki's company no less, if not this Loki. He doesn't mind all that much, the short fur ruffling under his hands soothing him as much as the beast, despite the metal of his fingers.

He glances up to Loki's face at that, eyebrows raised. "Well, maybe not that far," he says with an awkward laugh. "I seem to need my clothes laundered more often than they used to be. I don't think an avalanche of farm animals would help that any."