When the messenger brought news to Loki that the warriors had returned from their battle off Asgard. Loki did not care. He ignored the young man and continued reading his book until the poor bloke got nervous and left.
But then another messenger came to tell him that there were many critically wounded and slain men from the fight, but 'luckily' his brother was not harmed. Now Loki cared. But not abut Thor. It's unfortunate the bumbling idiot made it, but Loki wasn't concerned with that for now. He magicked away the book he was reading, and magicked on his formal attire. He briskly rushed passed the messenger, traveling from his room to the infirmary, and easily located Fandral because he's Loki and so of course he put a locating spell in Fandral when they first began their liaison. Not because he cared, or anything sentimental like that.
Prepared and braced to see the man banged up a bit, Loki was horrified to see him stripped to the waste and absolutely covered in slices, welts, burns, and blood. Fandral was quite literally a lump of congealing blood and lacerated skin. Though what cause Loki to truly loose it was when he noticed the tips of whip marks, snaking around Fandrals sides and biting into his flesh.
How DARE someone harm his lover! Loki's grip on his magic slipped and it pooled out around him, swirling in the air and creating a bubble of raw energy. The magic was acting as a shield and healing agent, because if a mage looses his hold his magic it's usually because he's under attack. The magic began healing Fandral as well, and everything else within a 10 meter radius. While Loki is standing rigid and watching through energy-soaked eyes, Thor came sauntering into the infirmary, probably having been informed that Loki was ther. The great blonde wall of meat saw Loki and flounced over, content in his health. He obliviously walked through the bubble of magic, only noticing after it healed a small cut on his hand, much to Loki's infinite disapproval.
"What. Happened. To. Him." Loki hissed through clenched was not consciously keeping his magic flow open so it could mend Fandral. The strain of keeping his magic that open for that long was heavy and taxing.
"He took a party of scouts ahead and decided to attack." Thor said, laughing heartily. Loki balled his hands into a tight fist. "The other scouts were dead when we got there but we burst through their halls just in time to save Fandral from the flogging he was in the middle of. It was excellent timing on our part!" Thor beamed. But his jovial expression fell straight to Hel when he saw the murderous look in his brother's eyes.
"You get nearly your entire legion murdered or injured and you LAUGH?!" Loki's magic was beginning to prick Thor's skin now.
"They are grown men, Loki! They can do as they please!" Thor argued back, rubbing his stinging arms.
"YOU are their COMMANDER. YOU give them orders. YOU are responsible for all of their lives! These deaths are on you, Thor!" Loki hissed slowly, which was always scarier to Thor than his father's loud yelling and storming around. Thor tried in vain to come up with a decent retort, but Loki's point had struck home. Clamping his mouth shut, Thor back tracked out of the rash-inducing magic, turned, and walked away. Probably to the dining hall to think on what Loki had told him. Or drink and eat till he passed out and forgot. Probably the later, Loki thought bitterly.
Turning back to Fandral, Loki amended his magic back to healing and watched as the bleeding stopped. He didn't fully heal Fandral. Maybe his sore hide would teach the fool not to charge into an enemy they knew nothing about and that out numbered them.
Exhausted from letting the magic out of his very bones, Loki simply released the rest of the energy into the room. It would speed up everyone's healing. Not that he cared really. It was just too strenuous to open back up and reabsorb it. He would sleep long and eat plenty tomorrow and by the end of the week his magic should be nearly replenished. Pressing a hand to Fandral's bloody chest, Loki shot a warm blast into his heart. Just a spell to help him not feel as much pain. Not that Loki cared really.
Turning sharply on his toes, Loki strode out of the room, ignoring the twittering of nurses about the sudden stop in all the mens' bleeding. Maybe Loki had released a bit too much magic... Oh well. It would be chalked down to a happy coincidence of fate.
Once Loki was back in his room, he collapsed face down on his bed, not even bothering to take of the formal attire. In a few moments he was asleep, body already going into overdrive to replenish his magic.
It was later that night, much, much later that night, that Loki was woken by a soft knock on his door. It was Fandral. Loki knew because the locating spell was humming in the back of Loki's mind, meaning that he was close.
Loki pushed himself up from the bed with a grunt and ran a hand through his hair to push it back. He shuffled to the door blearily and opened it, eyes glowing slightly.
"Oh. You're alive, I see." Loki said nonchalantly.
"I know you visited, Loki." Fandral said low and softly. Loki went a bit rigid and his eyes narrowed coldly. He was about to respond with a sarcastic or snide remark, but...
"Thank you." Fandral said quietly, looking down at Loki. Then a shift in Loki's position told him that Loki was about to say something rude and slam his door shut, so Fandral slipped into the room, brushing Loki as he went. Loki hissed some air out in the dark but mutely closed the door behind them.
"I was actually barely conscious when you arrived. All worried and distraught. Fretting like an old woman."
"I was not-" A hand on Loki's shoulder and a flash of a white smile in the dark cut him off.
"I know, you ridiculous mage. I was jesting." Fandral's amusement was evident, but Loki just huffed indignantly and let him continue. Not because he was curious or actually cared or something silly like that.
"I could barely see from the pain, and I couldn't feel my body. I thought maybe I was just a chopped off head for a while. But then you showed up and looked as though you might loose your stomach. So I decided my body must surely not be there after all." Fandral laughed a bit. Loki let out a small chuff and the corner of his mouth turned up a bit. Fandral's vanity about his body was usually amusing to Loki, and Fandral knew it. "I thought you were going to say a spell and then leave, but then there was this explosion and I couldn't hear anything or see anything but white light. Then I felt warm and when I woke up I wasn't bleeding and I was clean. Thought I think the nurses were the ones who did that. But then, who can blame them." Fandral gestured to himself. "I AM me, after all."
"Indeed you are." Loki agreed, though he was actually very intrigued about how his magic had felt to Fandral. "However I was resting. Believe it or not, but releasing all of ones magic from one's very bones is both challenging and exhausting." Loki was actually fighting to stay away at that very moment. The lure of his bed was great. His mind was already drifting back to the warm sheets and plush pillows.
But it snapped back to his body when he felt Fandral's hands on him. Loki opened his mouth to chide the warrior and to kick him out, but Fandral was not groping or feeling him. Fandral WAS undressing him, but not in the rushed, hasty manner that preceded sex. Loki clamped his mouth shut and simply let Fandral struggle with the belts and buckled and straps. Though he surprisingly made rather quick work of it, getting Loki down to his black suede pants and dark green poets tunic in a few minutes.
Loki was admittedly curious about the stripping because why would Fandral do that when he himself was not even healed enough to have a playful night.
But before Loki could question him, Fandral scooped Loki up bridal style, eliciting a small gasp from the startled mage. Despite his injuries, which must have burned under Loki's weight, Fandral carried the man back to his bed and sat them both on one side. He then walked on his knees to the center of the bed and gently put Loki down on the side he'd been sleeping on earlier. Fandral lied down next to him and pulled the covers over them both. Loki was wearily processing the situation.
"I hope you dont expect-" Loki began.
"No. Just sleep." Fandral mumbled from his side. The warrior must have been just as tired as Loki was because he fell asleep near instantly, arms curled around Loki, bodies pressed together.
Loki stared into the dark for a while, breathing, feeling the warmth and embrace of Fandral, and listening to the steady, slow breathing of the man. Loki relished it. Though he'd die before admitting it. He felt an ease and peace, that he had not known he could feel, whenever he was with Fandral. Loki tried to appreciate every detail that he could feel, and commit it to memory.
Releasing a content sigh and letting his mind quiet down, Loki drifted off back to sleep. Ok... so maybe he did care a little bit.