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Thor was unsure how long he’d been staring into the crackling fire when he heard the knock on his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but would be glad for the company. It was nights like these—long and dark and cold—that he felt most alone.
Asgard still lived within its people, but even amongst them he was alone: his family’s only survivor.
When he opened the door, he felt his heart stop. The air rushed from his lungs in a strangled gasp and he took a blind step backwards in surprise.
“Brother,” Loki said, holding his hands out. “I can explain.”
Thor could not disentangle all the feelings that were warring inside him at that moment: grief, relief, anger—and confusion. Confusion because there was a strange woman peeking out from behind Loki, her face held in an uncomfortable grimace.
“I really think I should have waited outside,” she said when she realized Thor was looking at her.
The woman took a step backwards, but Loki turned quickly and grabbed her arm.
“No, no, no—stay,” he said, pulling her into the room. “It’ll be easier this way. We’ll explain everything all at once.”
“Loki—” Thor said, a tad too loudly. Every second that passed felt like an eternity as Thor waited to understand. And then quieter, he added, “Please.”
His brother sighed. “I think it’s best we all sat down.”
Thor stared at them, unsure what to think. It was hard to believe what they had told him, but he had seen enough unbelievable things in his short life to know that what they said was entirely possible.
He had a million questions, but there would be time for those yet. All he knew—all he needed to know now—was that he had his brother back. And this time around he wouldn’t let them waste their precious time together fighting.
And not only had Loki returned, he had brought with him a—well, he wasn’t quite sure what to call her.
“Sister?” he asked, surprised by the hope he heard in his voice.
Loki and Sylvie exchanged a glance.
“About that, Thor—” Loki began
“—I’m actually just not quite comfortable with that just yet,” Sylvie interrupted, resting her hand on Loki’s forearm as she looked at Thor. “I’d prefer if we kept things…unnamed until they—until they settle a bit.”
Thor watched as Loki took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I understand.”
Thor didn’t understand, but he was used to that when it came to Loki. He suspected when it came to two Lokis, he would have to get used to understanding even less.
When the night grew so late it began to turn to morning, Thor walked them up a long and winding path to a cottage on a hill at the edge of the village.
“I hope you don’t mind sharing for now,” he said. “We can find more space later, something closer to the village. Or we can build something new for each of you if we need to.”
“This is more than enough,” Loki said. “Thank you, brother.”
To Thor’s surprise, Loki reached out and hugged him. A simple gesture, one they had once been able to share so easily, so long ago. Thor wrapped his arms around his brother and held tight, grateful for the opportunity to hold him again. He caught sight of a tear, glistening in the light of the setting moon, as it slid down Sylvie’s cheek.
“I’m so glad to have you home,” he told Loki as they pulled apart.
Loki stepped back and took hold of Sylvie’s hand. “And we are glad to finally be home.”
Loki and Sylvie kept largely to themselves their first few weeks in New Asgard. While the people were eager to have their prodigal prince returned and chattered excitedly about the mysterious new resident, they also respected the distance the pair established between themselves and the rest of the residents.
Eventually they began to appear at gatherings, hovering at the edge of the circle during a bonfire, or arriving slightly after everyone else for communal dinners. They were less guarded around Thor, however, who had taken to following them back to their cottage after such meals.
They had dodged Thor’s offers to have separate cottages built, insisting they didn’t mind sharing for the time being and that they didn't want to put anyone out. Thor wasn’t stupid. He knew there was more to it than that, but he also knew better than to pry. If Loki wanted to keep secrets, that was fine with him.
It was after one such meal that his suspicions were confirmed. The three had returned to the cottage with happy bellies full of food and wine, stumbling up the dirt path on unsteady feet. Thor watched as Loki grabbed Sylvie by the waist when she tripped, noting how she swung her body into his and laughed against his chest. He watched Loki’s eyes close as he held her tight, and for just a moment, there was a look of deep satisfaction on his brother’s face.
Thor didn’t say anything then, though now that he was sure he had rooted out Loki’s secret, he could see nothing but evidence that his brother was in love. Every touch they shared was tender, every glance was soft and searching. In the millennia they had shared together, he had never seen Loki so contended.
Later that evening, when the fire in hearth was burning low and Sylvie was gently snoring with her head in Loki’s lap, Thor could no longer hold his tongue.
“Love looks good on you, little brother.”
Loki’s eyes flitted up in surprise and held Thor’s gaze for a moment, before he lowered them and nodded.
“It feels good,” he agreed.
Later, when they were on their feet and saying goodnight, Thor couldn’t help but pull a sleep-drunk Sylvie into a bone-crushing hug that, to his surprise, she reciprocated with equal ferocity.
“Goodnight, sister,” he said when they parted.
She looked at him strangely for a moment, and turned to glance at Loki. They exchange a look that Thor couldn’t read, and when she turned back to Thor, she went on tiptoes so she could press a soft kiss on his cheek.
“Goodnight, brother.”
Spring came, and with it warmer days and shorter nights. Thor had taken to dropping in on Loki and Sylvie unannounced, and they welcomed him with warm smiles and food from the small garden they kept behind the cottage.
It was on one of those days that Thor first noticed. He was climbing the hill to their cottage, bracing himself against the strong winds coming off the water. Loki and Sylvie were already outside, staring at the sea in the distance. Loki stood behind her, his chin tucked into her shoulder and his hands on her hips. She was leaning against him, one hand absently stroking her stomach.
Thor stopped short. The wind blew again, whipping his hair into a frenzy. He looked up, and sure enough, the wind was pulling the loose fabric of Sylvie’s shirt taut across the gentle swell of her belly.
The bump was small, but unmistakable, and Thor found himself having to bite back a small sob that had risen in his throat. His brother had truly come home, and he had brought with him the most precious gift of all.
Thor would no longer be his family’s only survivor, and he knew, in that moment, that none of them would ever be alone again.