Author's Note:
Thank you so much for all the reviews guys :D I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it, I hope the ones just signing up for the alerts also give a review or two along the way *hint hint nudge nudge wink wink* Okay you get it lol Just saying :) Helps motivate a writer.
Looking forward to this one, I don't have a major plan ready yet, just a few instances that were planned out in my head and I can't wait until I get hit with an idea bunny! (wouldn't mind any suggestions, love to please)
Thor left Loki curled up in the soft blankets of an Asgardian prince, sleeping deeply enough to not even notice that his brother had risen from the bed. The older god paused and looked down at Loki's skinny frame and wondered just what kind of punishment he had gone through. Truth be told Thor knew he should have gone over to see it for himself but he just couldn't bear to witness it. Seeing someone he cared for in that kind of situation because of their own doing was too much for him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. So instead he let the punishment occur without knowledge of its particulars, something he now regretted.
As much as he wanted to exchange strong words with his father and the prison guards over Loki's current state, he knew he had to do something much more important first. Heimdall would undoubtedly see Loki's position and would definitely tell Odin. Thor moved to see the all-seeing being with humility in his stride, a man clearly ready to plead if he had to.
"I know what you are going to ask me." Heimdall said evenly as Thor walked up to his side.
"Heimdall, I beg of you, please give me a chance to get him out of here." Thor spoke gently, he could feel the slight tremble in his hands, he knew the consequences for what he was asking. He was harbouring a fugitive from his father, the king. Going behind your king's back never went well; Thor knew this from personal experience.
Heimdall was quiet in thought as he contemplated Thor's request, as he considered going to Odin immediately and in general just thinking about what might be better a situation, Loki locked away or hiding somewhere. "It is a bad idea." He turned to look at the thunder god's increasingly distressed expression. "But I will give you a chance, Thor Odinson."
Thor smiled as relief washed over him, "Thank you, I will not waste it." He bolted back to his chambers, passing by the tired and stressed guards that relentlessly hunting for the very being Thor was about to save. He felt a little bad for it, letting them rush about all night long as he hid his brother from them, lying and saying he had no knowledge of where Loki was. Yet at the same time, seeing how thin Loki had become and watching as the once proud god of mischief as he broke down and begged for mercy, Thor felt much less pity than he first thought.
He opened the door to his bedroom and slipped in, looking up at the startled and frightened shape scrunched up among his sheets. "Loki," Thor said softly and watched as the bundle uncurled and wide green eyes stared back at him.
"I thought you were a guard..." Loki explained quietly.
"They wouldn't search my room without permission." Thor smiled and crossed the room swiftly to gather a few things, "Come, we have to leave."
Loki shifted slightly and grimaced at a twinge of paint hat shot up his arms and all throughout his body. "And go where? We can't exactly trot throughout Asgard without someone seeing me."
Thor threw several robes over to Loki, "Put those on, you'll be less conspicuous when you aren't in prisoner's clothing."
Loki unfolded the articles and scoffed lightly at their size. "Well the guards can't get me if I drown in this first." He said bemused as he slowly lifted himself from the bed, wincing again as his legs ached. He wasn't used to standing on his own, most of the time he just dangled with his toes skating across the stone floor, no use for his legs. Now though, despite how much weight he'd lost already, it still felt like way too much for his limbs to hold up. He struggled to undress himself, cringing as he peeled the clothing from his body, dried blood and other things making it more like a second skin than anything else. He managed to pull the shirt off and worked on his pants, his hands trembling as he tugged on the waist band.
Thor glanced back at his struggling brother and had to close his eyes when he saw the markings on Loki's once flawless body, the lashings from whips and hideous bruises and holes from being beaten with pikes and maces. Punishment, torture, it was the same thing.
"Thor..." Loki said quietly after a moment, glancing over his shoulder embarrassed. "I... can't do it." He furrowed his brow at his own weakness and looked away again, glaring at his shaking hands as if they'd betrayed him.
Thor had no words to respond with; instead he walked around the bed and went to Loki's side, much to the smaller man's surprise. "It is alright, Loki." Thor smiled up at him sadly and took a firm hold on his brother's pants, about to pull them off quickly though Loki's panicked hand caught his arm.
"Please be gentle."
The thunder god found himself a little confused at that but did as he was asked. As he pulled slowly, finding it to be even a bit awkward to remove clothing so sensually off his brother, until his thoughts were interrupted by a tug in the garment. He frowned and pulled harder, earning a pained cry from Loki, pale slender hands gripping the bed as his body tensed. Thor apologized quickly and looked to see what was causing it. Blood from an old wound had scabbed over some time ago, however Loki had never been washed properly and his skin had grown over parts of the clingy cloth, literally almost making it a second skin.
"Oh Loki..." Thor muttered sadly, he couldn't think of a good way to remove the pants without hurting his brother, so he went to his mantle and pulled down a ceremonial dagger, still sharp.
"What are you doing with that?" Loki asked in a frightened tone, "Thor?"
"Calm down, Loki." Thor gave his best reassuring smile as he knelt next to Loki's trembling legs. "I need to get this off of you so just hold still." He looked up at the most uncertain expression on his brother's face and raised a hand to gently reassure him, touching Loki's cheek in a way that seemed calm him. "It'll only hurt for a moment."
Loki clenched his jaw and nodded, but still he looked away from it, not wanting a visual of his brother cutting into his leg. Thor was grateful he didn't have an audience because he was certain he'd made a face at some point during the process. Cutting off the skin around where it'd grown over proved to be a little more disturbing than Thor had originally assumed. Regardless, he'd cut Loki free, his brother taking it pretty well after he'd taken a breath and held it.
"Where are we going to go?" Loki asked after a moment, Thor helping him remove the clothing the rest of the way. He didn't want it to be as awkward as it was, him sitting naked on his brother's bed in silence. Of course, the fact that he had so many lacerations, cuts and bruises spotted all over his body helped shift the mood quite a bit.
"I was hoping you could show me one of your many ways between the realms. I wish to take you to Midgard." Thor said as he gently wrapped the cloak around Loki's slumped shoulders. He really wanted to wash the injured demigod but they didn't have time for it, not at that moment.
Loki stared at him, his hands coming up and clutching at the cloth in a slight desperation mixed with anxiety. "Midgard, Earth?" he scoffed lightly, "Surely you jest, Thor." He watched for some kind of joke in his brother's face but saw none, those blue eyes as serious as ever. Loki swallowed dryly, briefly recalling that he hadn't had anything to drink in far too long. "You are not kidding... Thor, where do you intend to put me there? It is not like I can hide from... Odin for very long there."
It wasn't lost on Thor the way Loki avoided saying father but he ignored it, Loki was hurting. "I will put you with someone trustworthy, do not worry. Now, take me to where you pass through."
Loki looked down at the extravagant clothing and then back up at Thor's insistent gaze. "Alright." He finally gave in and stood, pulling the hood over his head though his jaw could be seen, as well as the bruises all along it. Thor looked at them sadly but didn't say anything more, putting a strong arm around Loki's shoulders and helping him walk.
"Can you hide your face with magic yet?" Thor asked softly as they left his room.
"If you can still tell it is me, then clearly not." Loki replied a little more snidely than he had intended but regardless Thor should know he wasn't an idiot. Of course he'd try to hide as much as he could! What a dumb question...
They strode through the great halls, Thor looking as relaxed and normal as ever, something that translated to how he walked. His strides were strong and large, Loki struggled to keep up. "Slow down," he muttered after a few minutes of this, his cheeks stained an embarrassed red, "I can barely walk at all."
"I am sorry," Thor responded quickly and apologetically quiet, slowing his pace immediately. "You have been doing very well; I had assumed you might be able to walk quickly."
Loki didn't say anything to that; whether Thor was serious or joking Loki still wanted to call him an idiot. They made it to the spot he'd instructed Thor to lead them toward without any incident. A guard or two glanced at them strangely but after a happy wave from his brother they were golden. "So how does this work?" Thor asked as he looked around, surprised that a space like this existed in Asgard and so close to the house of Odin.
"Think of your trustworthy friend, we will go to him." Loki approached the space and sparked the little bit of magical strength he'd been saving since he'd woken, relieved when it actually worked. "Shall we?"
Thor took a firm hold of Loki and hopped through, briefly wondering how he'd get back but that wasn't a big thing on his mind at the moment.
Monotony was a good word for the last few days. Wake up, eat breakfast, go out for a run for a few hours, come back and practice on a few punching bags a while longer then take a shower. Steve was in the middle of his daily shower, his eyes closed tightly as shampoo leaked down his temples and possibly in his eyes. He wasn't sure but he didn't want to open them to check and find out. He tilted his head up and let the water and suds run off his face and down his neck, hands reaching up and wiping away any residue so he could glance around.
It was stupid. Something that shouldn't frighten him but regardless he couldn't help the thoughts of 'what if someone or something is in the room with you?' It was a childish thing, he used to think that when he showered as a boy, a young man, and now as a super soldier. Every time he closed his eyes in a bathing situation a similar thought would come to mind along with imagery of the monsters and demons he'd ever faced plus a few more. So he opened his eyes and glanced around the room, obviously nothing was there and he grabbed the bar of soap agitatedly, mildly frustrated with his own mind.
It wasn't so much that he was scared of something sneaking up on him and hurting him, he just really didn't like jump scares and the thought of any enemy showing up while he was this naked and vulnerable was concerning.
Steve finished lathering the soap on when he heard a strange noise and it only grew louder. He warily touched the shower curtain to move it a bit when suddenly two figures nearly leapt out of the air at him. "WAH!" He let out a surprised cry as he fell back against the tiled wall of his bathroom, one hand grabbing the curtain firmly and pulling it to follow him.
Thor looked up and smiled brightly, "Captain!"
Steve's chest rose and fell quickly for a moment as he adjusted the curtain around himself to cover his indecency, "Uh... hi... Thor. What are you... Why are you appearing in my bathroom?" He wasn't sure which question to ask first, better just go with why.
"We used a passage between the realms and it took us here." Thor explained which only drew a confused look from Steve.
"A... passage between realms leads to my bathroom?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, his fingers gripping the curtain a little tighter. He wasn't entirely, or at all comfortable with this situation. He'd just been imagining enemies breaking in on him but allies? Enemies he could punch and it'd be over with, allies would remember this.
"Not your bathroom specifically, it took us to who Thor was thinking of." Loki explained gently, standing slightly behind the larger god.
Steve had to do a double take, "Is that Loki?" He asked in disbelief and his anger toward the demigod quickly subsided when he saw the injuries and the way Loki had shied further behind Thor. "What happened?"
"Long story short," Thor had learned a Midgardian phrase or two, "I need to keep him safe and you were the first person I could think of."
Steve smiled a little at that and nodded, "Let me know what I can do." He said in his always-ready-Captain-America voice though his expression fell short right after, "Uh... Just let me get ready first."
"Of course, thank you." Thor nodded and led Loki out, a hand resting comfortingly on his little brother's shoulder.
Steve ran a hand up through his soaked hair, pushing it back into the position it usually rested in. He had no idea what he'd just signed up for but all in all he knew he had to help. It was Thor, for Pete's sake. Thor was a good friend and Steve wouldn't ignore a friend when they came to him and blatantly asked for help, it just wasn't in his nature. But at the same time, he swore if he had to end up fighting Odin during all of this... he'd come up with some kind of clever thing to say when he actually had to say it.