He knew it because the phantom pain in his eye that seemed to come back every night had disappeared. His chest felt light, after aching for so long for those he had lost. His hair flowed over his shoulders, returned to a length he had not quite managed to recover after Sakaar.

He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he could feel the wind and the rising sun on his face and it felt nice. The rustling of the grass and trees and the distant waves whispered peace in his ears. His body thrummed with energy, not like it did when he readied for battle, but how he felt after waking from a good night's sleep.

He opened his eyes.

And there he was, in some comforting place slightly reminiscent of where his father died. In the distance he could see the gates, open and waiting. If he strained his ears, he could make out the sound of laughter. He knew where he was. Valhalla.

Something kept him rooted to the ground. He would not rise from his seat in the grass. Despite the peace that washed over him, he felt unease. Incomplete.

They had done it. Defeated Thanos. Reversed the effects of the infinity gauntlet. Thor had watched his friends and their teammates embrace their loved ones. He felt their joy, but a part of him had been envious. The dead stayed dead. His dead stayed dead. But he loved his friends, and had partied with them throughout the day, ignoring his wounds, until the sun began to get low.

Thor had sat in the grass, overlooking the ocean before fading away. Likely they would be upset when they found him. But that was not what halted his entering Valhalla. From seeing his mother again.

It wasn't until he heard footsteps approach and saw a figure sit themselves down beside him that he knew what he had been waiting for. Thor turned to his brother. Loki was looking out at the ocean with a pained smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "I didn't want to hurt you again, but it-"

"Was the only way?" Thor finished, raising one eyebrow. Loki had the decency to look away. "Yeah, Strange kept saying that." He took a deep breath. The image of his little brother going against the titan kept replaying itself in his head. The snap of his neck burning Thor's very soul. He grabbed Loki and pulled him into his chest, crushing him in a hug as they lay in an awkward heap in the grass.

Loki chuckled before snaking his arms around Thor's chest. "You did promise."

Thor gave a watery chuckle before kissing the top of his little brother's head. "I will rant and rave about the foolishness of your actions, the sheer stupidity of your choices, and how angry I am that you traded your life for mine another time. Right now, I just need you to be here."

Loki's smile softened and he pulled himself out of Thor's embrace enough so they could maintain eye contact. "I'm not going anywhere ever again. I swear."

They sat in silence for a while, just soaking in each other's presence. Saying their "I missed you's" with every touch, shove, and smile. Finally, Thor rose and Loki followed. "I think I'm ready to enter."

Loki smiled and they walked towards the gates. "No quip about how suprised you are that I was allowed inside?"

Thor shook his head immediately. "Of course not. I never doubted that you would join me. I just always thought I would be first."

Loki shied away as his face decided between smiling and crying. When he spoke, his voice was full of emotion. "Well, I did tell you that the sun would shine on us again, brother."

Thor looked up at the sun, which was still rising. "That you did, brother."

And together, they entered Valhalla.