chapter 8

(I felt like viewers were cheated out of what would have been a hilarious scene when Loki saw his brother for the first time after the gain)

Sophie POV

The lady at the gate gave us a doubtful look, but we avoided the question of whether he needed two plane seats when I said we were together, and I didn't mind if my 6'4, 300 plus pound man lopped over into my seat.

Truthfully, I don't mind at all. I like very much the rub of his rolls against my arm, the feel of my fingers squeezed between his as we hold hands, our airplane soaring through the clouds, carrying us from Norway to upstate New York. There are various ways to travel with a god--pardon me--an Asgardian, but this was the least conspicuous. People don't even recognize him much anymore.

"I know you're nervous", I say, raising his hand to my lips. "But he's your brother."

"He's Loki", Thor corrects.

I had to clean him up a bit. Though he's healing, he's still in the "bathrobe over a sweatshirt and sweatpants" phase. I'm hoping his depression is fading, and it's more just fear of body shaming at this point. I got him out of the bathrobe at least.

"I know you're thrilled he might be alive."

"I don't want to ...count on it", he says.

"I understand. But you should know that no matter what happens, you're not alone. You're not alone." I pull him closer and he cups my face and kisses me.

"You haven't agreed to marry me yet", he groans. Ugh.

"We barely know each other again. And marriage isn't important these days to modern people", I comment.

"I'm 1,500 years old, how modern do you think I am?", he jokes.

"Fairly from what I've seen", I comment.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me, but I'm feeling better, I'm drinking less, and if you stop feeding me pizza I can lose the weight..."

"Why do you think I don't trust you?" I ask.

He scoots away from me.

"Answer me, why do you think I don't trust you?!"

"C'mon, be honest with me", he says, "ANY woman would want to be a queen. Queen of Asgard no less. It's not the position I'm offering you, so it has to be me."

"First of all, there is no Asgard", I say, and instantly regret it as I watch his face fall. "It was beautiful, but it took what...a hundred thousand years of building and technology to create it? That's not going to happen again overnight. Right now Asgard is a little fishing village in Norway run by a Valkyrie with an iron fist..."

"Ah, so that's it, you think I'll never do better than this. You'll be queen a fishing village forever and that's not your style..."

"Don't put words in my mouth", I say.

"I don't have to. It's what you think. You're not ready to be a fat fisherman's wife, after all you were dating a god, the God of Thunder, Crown Prince of Asgard, with a perfect body just a few years ago and now you missed your shot at the jewels and the gowns and the palaces..."

"Perfect really? You think you were perfect? Let me tell you something, God of Thunder, you were not perfect then, and you're not perfect now. And you can shove your gowns and palaces where the sun don't shine", I bark back.

The flight attendants look concerned.

"I can't believe I let it get this far", he says, "I should never have thought this could work. I need some air. You know, I actually could step outside right now, but it would cause a commotion."

"Yeah, I don't recommend you tear the door off the airplane", I hiss.

"This is technology to you people", he scoffs, "We reached this about...I don't know 10,000 years ago", he says, "You Earthlings are so backward and stupid. So violent and uneducated."

"Always a gentleman", I say, calling over the flight attendant. "Can I get a margarita please?"

"Of course, m'am."

"If she can have that thing I can't even pronounce, I can have a beer. Bring me beer", he orders, slamming his fist into the arm rest.

"This isn't Valhalla, watch your manners", I snap.

"Why? You already think I'm a pig, a beast. A Viking from 950. I might as well act like one."

The anger drains out of me in a flash. "What? You think I think you're a pig?"

"Yes", he says, pulling his cardigan around him like a security blanket.

"Thor...", I reach out for him.

"Don't touch me."

There's a tap on the back of his seat and he swings his head around.

"Thanks for everything, Thor", a little boy says, "Can I have your autograph?"

And he thought no one would recognize him.

We landed in Buffalo and road silently in an Uber to headquarters. It's pitch dark outside by the time we arrive.

"What do we do now?", I ask, shattering the silence. He jumps.

"We find Loki. There are beds, supplies, food, inside, we're fine for the night or for months. If you want to go back to NYC, I can get you a car in the morning", he states.

"I don't want to go back right now", I say.

He stares at me hard for almost a full minute. "What do you want?"

I turn away so he doesn't see me crying. When he notices, he touches me, but I try to step out of his grasp. I fail miserably. He has long, big arms, and they wrap around me.

"I told you I was a boor", he says. "A pig. I'm sorry."

"I don't think you're a pig. I think..."

"What?"

I&a pos;m silent.

"What?!"

"I love you. But I don't know about this queen thing", I say, wiping away a tear. "Or going to another planet. You don't know what you're getting into..."

"You think you love me?", he asks, his mouth hanging open. "Answer me."

"Yes, I think I love you. But finding Loki is more important right now", I say.

"I love you. And everything will be okay. I promise you!" He kisses my hand. "I will be okay. I will be better."

"You're already amazing."

He boosts me up in his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist.

"Stop fighting me every moment, woman. I love you. All I want to do is give you every star in the sky, and hope I can find one we can live on", he says, and I can't help but believe him. Maybe I should have more faith in the God of Thunder. "Trust me."

"I can try", I say.

"You're as stubborn as someone else I know", he says, putting me down.

"What this side of Svartalfheim are you?", we hear in an all-too familiar voice. "Did you eat my brother?"

"Loki??!!" Thor spins around and runs over to his thin brother, who looks positively skin and bones next to Thor. Thor throws his arms around him and squeezes his brother in a bear hug, which Loki squirms out of.

"You're not Thor", Loki comments.

"You know I am..."

"Because my brother Thor is perfect or so I've endlessly heard my entire life from both he and Father. This thing before me is as swollen as tick on a hound dog. My brother would never....EVER....look like that", Loki insists.

"Please try to be kind", I comment.

"Is this creature the thing that did this to you? Stand back, I'll kill it." He raises his scepter.

"Drop the weapon, Loki, this is your queen, or soon to be", Thor announces.

"Queen? I'll deal with you later", Loki comments, looking Thor up and down. He bursts into laughter. "If only Father could see you now...his perfect favored son, looking like a blimp in that parade they have on that day they eat too much in this country. Of course that's really every day. How much do you EAT, Thor? For the love of the gods, brother, look at the belly on you. I never thought I'd live to see the day. I suppose technically I didn't. You remember that day you were going to be made king and you were so full of yourself, so in love with yourself, flexing every muscle you have...I mean 'had'."

He falls on the ground laughing. "I don't know what happened to you..."

"Your death did", Thor says, and Loki stops laughing immediately. "You and Heimdall, and all of our people. Our parents, our planet, our entire way of life. I killed Thanos and it meant nothing, it changed nothing. The moment that I did it, I killed whatever was left inside me. I became depressed, and I...have a drinking problem. I thought nothing would ever change. And then we worked together, we brought everyone back, including you, and I found Sophie again. I'm getting better, Loki, every day, but I'm not...that hero you knew."

"You'll always be that hero I knew", Loki confesses, getting to his feet. Thor turns red.

"If you were here I might even give you a hug", Thor prompts. Loki rolls his eyes.

"I'm here", he says, and Thor hugs his brother the way he always wished he could.

"I suppose I have you to blame for this", Loki says to me, his tone moderated.

"I hope I had something to do with his recovery", I comment.

"More than", Thor says, wrapping a big heavy arm around me. "Let's go inside."

"He's home", Thor whispers to me, his face lit up. "We're really going to need him to find Marvel."

And then it hits me that he's leaving me. There's no way they could rescue Captain Marvel without Thor. He was going light years away putting himself in danger, and there was a chance I would never see him again.