“I am so very sorry, my love,” he whispered softly, tightening his hold around Thor as the other turned to hold him in return. “With the fighting and all… I know you weren’t able to give him any kind of burial or anything else… I know you made it to Wakanda but I still don’t know how you got there. Again… we don’t need to talk about it tonight. Just know, whenever you want or need to talk about Loki, I will listen.” He pulled back and leaned up to kiss his mate softly. “Let’s finish drying off and get changed and I’ll make us something to eat.” He brushed his fingers through Thor’s hair. “I love you, Thor. And if Loki had made it here with you, it doesn’t change anything but I want you to know, I would have done everything I could to help you take care of him… to help you help him live here with us. I know you can’t have that now but… if it had been an option, I hope you know I would have helped.”
Thor wished he could bring his brother back just for a moment, but he knew he couldn’t, so his grief was deep. He knew Steve understood in his own way, having lost his own best friend and brother so many times himself, so it meant much more coming from Steve as he opened up about his loss. “Stormbreaker. It grants me the ability to open the bifrost. I wanted to come home, stop Thanos before he hurt you, the bifrost just followed what I wanted.” he explained. “Of all the traditions, I wish I could have retrieved a lock of hair.” he explained. “We have other burial traditions, the souls set free from a burning boat so that hey may be released to Valhalla, where all warriors go, but the family of the one lost usually have a lock of hair…a braid that we lace with our own hair to carry a piece of their spirit with us. Like the braid of my mother’s hair.” He looked down for a moment, taking a shaky breath. He slowly released Steve, moving to finish taking his clothes off. “I love you, too, Steven. More than anything. It helps to know someone would have given him a second chance here. He would have taken it, I’m sure.” he promised. “He knew you were important to me, before I was ever able to admit it.” he smiled sadly, going to their room to pull out some clothes and tugging a shirt over his head. “He always asked if I had kept an eye on you, if you were alright. His magic was sensitive to strong bonds like the one we share.”
themusechronicles 