One week; it's only been one week since Loki had been returned to Asgard, and Loki had fallen apart. Odin had punished him, by both physical punishment and imprisonment. Loki sat with his sore back pressed to the glass door of his cell, his face tipped down, as his hands wiped at the blood dripping from his nose. There was a thin blanket, draped around his bare torso, which was wrapped in bandages. Odin had not held back in his punishment, and Loki was still feeling the pain of each blow dealt to him. Loki tugged the blanket closer, and sniffed, trying to stop the blood from running from his nose, knowing full well that Thor was behind him, on the opposite side of the glass. Loki couldn't bear to see the disappointment on Thor's face, couldn't let Thor see how broken he was, the monster he'd become.

Thor watched Loki for some time. The way he sniffed and rubbed his nose, watching as blood smeared his hand. Thor could barely stand to see Loki so hurt. Thor stepped closer to the glass, and pressed his hand to it. Loki looked over his shoulder, and their eyes caught. Loki slowly stood and faced the glass, pressing his hand against where Thor's resided on the glass, his eyes dark, and downcast.

"Please don't… Brother."

Thor's face was pained.

"Don't look at what I have become… Brother…" Loki breathed.

Loki leaned forward, and pressed his forehead to the glass, closing his eyes as a few quiet tears trailed down bruised cheeks.

"Dearest brother," Loki murmured, "I'm sorry."

At this moment, Thor leaned closer, his hand still on the glass, and pressed his lips to the glass, where Loki's forehead resided. Thor's heart shattered at what Loki's lips mouthed next;

"Can you hear me, Thor? Can you read my lips through the glass of my prison? Can you forgive me and love me; love me, the monster… like you always did?" Loki mouthed.

"Loki, please. I will always love you, Monster or not. You will always be my brother, and I will never give up on you." Thor responded, his voice cracking softly, revealing his pain at what Loki thought of himself, though Loki could not hear it.

Loki's eyes flicked up and met Thor's, spotting the tears running down Thor's face. Loki turned his face away, along with his body, using his hand, once again to wipe at his nose. Loki sniffed softly, and shuffled his bare feet towards the small, uncomfortable bed in the corner. Laying down gingerly, and pulling the blanket closer, he shot one last desperate look towards Thor, before rolling over and closing his eyes. He could no longer bear Thor visiting him, trying to consol him, even though he refused to help, refused to let him out, because Loki deserved it. He deserved the pain, and deserved this punishment. Loki wouldn't have had it any other way. He was a monster, in his own mind at least, and deserved any punishment he received. That was how it was to be, for a full decade, per order of Odin, and rightfully so.

A decade and Loki would be set free, but not before he'd be banished, and forced to find somewhere where no one knew him, where he'd be allowed to live a solitary life; to start anew, and live with only the memories of Asgard, of Thor, and his past.