"Loki? You're back?" Steve asks.

"Yes. I... I went to see Mother," Loki answers. He doesn't know if he should tell them that Frigga is alive, but Thor deserves to know.

"Mother? Loki, she died."

"I thought so too, apparently she took a page out of my book and faked her death," Loki breaths out. "She provided answers where Heimdall could not."

"...What did she say?" Nat asks, speaking just barley above a whisper.

"That we don't have the magic to bring them back, that it's up to Fate. That we wait."

"Fate?" Bucky scoffs. "Is this supposed to be some way of softening that Y/n isn't coming back?"

Loki looks away, he wasn't quite sure of the answer to that himself.

"What if we find Y/n and bring them back?" Tony asks.

"It would take centuries to find our Y/n. You don't have that kind of time. They either come back, or... they don't." It was a possibility Loki didn't like entertaining. Every time he doubted your return it felt like he was feeding the flames of that reality becoming more and more likely to be the one he ends up with.

"So we-"

"Stop it! There's nothing we can do! We're stuck waiting! The connection to their universe didn't even originate here! Heimdall shouldn't have even been able to bring them here! It was luck! Fate- Whatever you'd like to call it! Y/n probably is never coming back and there's nothing we can do!" Loki yells. "You were all right! There! I said it! You happy now?" He says chuckling darkly.

Everyone stays silent, stunned at his outburst. He was the one who wasn't supposed to give up. He was the one who was supposed to encourage everyone by being determined to get you back.

Maybe they had expected too much of him.

The next month passes by slowly. Everyone adjusts to life without you. There's a couple times when no dinner was made because it was your day to cook. Everyone was so used to the routine and forgot you weren't there to make food.

It gets easier the more time passes. Everyone moves on, somewhat.

Loki decides to fill in for you on your cooking days, it makes him feel closer to you. He also takes to staying in your room.

On the third month, a silent agreement forms amongst everyone to not talk about you. Especially not around Loki.

Sam doesn't ask anyone before he packs up your favorite mug and blanket and puts it in a storage closet. Everyone is relived when they could open the cabinet and your cup wasn't there, or sit on the couch and see your blanket wasn't messily thrown in your spot.

Not that it matters. No one sits in your spot on the couch anyways. It's always empty, almost like its mocking everyone.

On the fourth month anniversary of your disappearance, Loki doesn't leave your room.

"Are you alright in there Brother? Everyone's worried." Thor says through the door.

"Go away Thor," Loki's muffled voice says.

Thor's face falls at the use of his name. He thought Loki was finally back to calling him 'Brother'.

"Alright... If you need anything just let me know. And, Steve says to tell you that dinner will be ready in an hour."

Thor doesn't get a response.

~Meanwhile...~

After another day at work, you're ready to collapse. You walk into your apartment and throw your keys on a table, not bothering to pick them up when you hear them hit the ground.

You walk to your kitchen to make tea. You planned on finishing that boring book about burgers and... murder? You couldn't quite remember.

You stop right before you grab the tea bags. You could've sworn you saw a person sitting at your counter. You slowly turn around.

"Loki?!" Your eyes widen. There he sat at your only barstool, staring right back at you. "You- You're-"

He smiles, "Hello, darling."