GOING BACK TO EARTH

A/N: There was a list of dialogue prompts on Tumblr, so I decided to take the prompts and write different fics for different ships I like based on the same prompt. This is based on prompt #1: "It's really not that complicated."

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Loki sat down across from Thor at the table, tucking his cloak carefully under him as he took his seat. "You have something on your mind. I can hear a thought rolling around in your head."

Thor gave him a slight smile. "Merely reminiscing, brother."

"Dare I ask what of?"

Thor took a long time to answer. When he did, all he said was, "Jane."

Loki had not been expecting that. He shot Thor a look, but Thor was concentrating on the table top. He recalled what the girls on Midgard had said: "Sorry to hear that Jane dumped you."

Jane Foster brought many things to mind; foremost among them was her inextricable link to Thor's banishment to Midgard and all that was connected to it – including his own deeds involving Jotunheim and the throne. Those were not extremely happy memories.

He made an attempt to lighten the mood. "I don't suppose you'd consider the Valkyrie a replacement for Jane Foster," he said.

Thor's only reply was a chuckle.

"And what is her name? Do you know? We can't be calling her 'Valkyrie' forever. Or 'Angry Girl', if we were to adopt the Hulk's nickname for her."

Now Thor grinned. "Ah, Loki. I have missed your banter."

"Yes, well, that is probably the best part of me. It's what people remember, after all. Loki, the Silver-tongued Prince." Loki heard bitterness creep into his own words and hurriedly changed the subject before Thor could say anything. "Will you attempt to see Jane Foster again once we reach Earth?"

Thor sighed. "I do not know. Perhaps, perhaps not. It might not be wise."

"If I may ask… When did your relationship with Jane Foster cease?"

"About half a year ago."

Loki leaned back in his chair and collected his thoughts. After a short silence, he said, "I spent several years on the throne of Asgard. In that time, you were off on your quest to find the Infinity Stones. But I know that you were also sometimes on Midgard – on Earth. And it seemed to me that whenever you returned from there, you were always a little happier. I would say that Jane Foster made you happy, brother."

Thor nodded.

"And I daresay you made her happy too. So why," asked Loki, "did she 'dump' you?"

Again there was a pause before the reply came. It was, Thor finally admitted, because he spent too much time on his quests, and they became an obsession with him.

"She was… She felt neglected," said Thor. "We quarrelled. And so it ended."

"I see."

Thor poured himself a drink from the bottle on the table. Loki wondered which of the Grandmaster's many, many favoured beverages it was.

"How did you manage it with Sif, Loki?"

"I would hardly take myself as an example in such matters," said Loki.

"Why not? The way I see it, that is one thing you did not wreck directly. You and Sif – it was going well. It only came to an end because…"

Loki finished the sentence for him: "Because I threw myself off the Bifrost to die, and then later I was thrown into prison, where I should have stayed until I died. It's really not that complicated."

"But before all that, it was a good relationship," Thor said. He finished his drink, and poured himself a second one. He grabbed a second glass and poured some out for Loki too. "I admired that, you know."

Loki accepted the glass. "Oh?"

"Everyone spoke well of your courtship. Volstagg once swore that he was certain you would be married within a century."

"I'm afraid I've disappointed him then." Loki tasted the golden-coloured liquid in the glass. It was some sort of wine. But good wine nonetheless.

"Maybe not. That was thirty years ago. You're still alive, and so is Sif."

"I daresay Sif would kill me if she saw me now. And then I would truly be dead, thus disproving Volstagg's predictions once more."

"Don't worry, brother. I'll protect you!"

They laughed. Thor moved to the window to watch the stars as the Statesman passed them by. After a few moments, Loki followed,

Thor said, "I do not think Sif would really kill you."

"You always were the optimist. I doubt very much that Lady Sif would have continued to carry a torch for one such as me."

"You are wrong. I would say that she does still care. Have you forgotten, Loki? You 'died' a hero – you saved me and Jane. Sif was as broken as I was after we dealt with Malekith. She does not regard you in a disgraceful light. However, Sif thought – and still thinks – you dead, so how is she to express her feelings? We should send a message to her…"

Loki was certain that her feelings would be of the murderous kind once she realised that he was, once again, not dead. So he was much less sanguine about wishing her to express her feelings towards him. But he merely said, "Well, perhaps we shall find out eventually. Tell me – what do you plan to do when we reach Earth, if not seek out the fair Jane Foster?"

"I shall have to confer with the Avengers first."

An enraged Sif or an enraged group of Avengers. Which was worse? Loki rather thought Sif would be the worse option at the moment. The Avenger he had disliked the most – the Hulk – had come around to a state of tolerating him after the events on Sakaar and Asgard, so the greatest threat there had been neutralised. Nevertheless, the Avengers and their planet could not have any great fondness for him.

He asked, "Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?"

"Yes, of course," said Thor blithely. "The people of Earth love me. I'm very popular."

"Let me rephrase that. Do you really think it's a good idea to bring me back to Earth?"

"Probably not, to be honest."

And the brothers exchanged wry smiles.

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A/N (2): And we all know what happens after that exchange...