Stabbee / Stabber
Yes, he did know that. He knew Loki could get home quicker than him. That was exactly the point. It meant Loki would get there first and Thor could come charging in and they'd either wind up fighting each other until they grew bored of it or they'd end up tangled together in a very different way. Either way, it was better than standing around dormant, and would give them a little bit of relief from their urge to do something.
Making something out of nothing when it came to their squabbles was easy, and exactly what had just happened. "Loki," he said with a raised tone, as if he hadn't been fully expecting his brother to do that very thing. He launched off the ground, thunder booming as lightning scattered across the sky, and flew home to engage in another more private battle with his brother.