Big thanks again to everyone who has reviewed so far! I'm beyond happy that you're all liking it so much. And you all leave the most amazing reviews! Each one puts a huge grin on my face! Thank you!
Man, this chapter went through so many rewrites it isn't even funny. But I finally managed to squish it and shape it into something readable, and I'm finally happy with it. So I hope you all like it as well. :)
WARNING: Some language!
X
His bed is so deliciously comfortable. Even more comfortable, he can't help thinking, than the one at home. A strange thought, because he thought that his bed at home was the most amazing bed to have ever existed, but this, this one is beyond anything.
Or perhaps it's just because he slept so very well last night – a heavy, dreamless sleep, completely uninterrupted. He'd woken slowly to the sun peeking around the blinds, setting the small room aglow with golden highlights.
And the beauty of the thing is, I do not have to get up. I can lay here all day if I want to. And maybe I will do just that.
He's so very comfortable, he hasn't moved an inch since waking up. He closes his eyes again, preparing to slip back into blissful rest.
"BROTHER!"
Loki jumps about a mile, eyes flying open. The familiar voice is followed by a loud pounding on the door.
"Brother, are you awake? Come, I have plans for today!"
Loki glares at the ceiling for a long moment. "Thor, I am still sleeping!"
Thor's chuckle almost vibrates the floor. "Brother, how you love to jest. Come, get up. Today is a good day for adventures."
Loki grits his teeth, then leaps out of the bed, opens the door a crack, and glares at Thor through it.
"Today was a good day for sleeping. Today was a good day for resting, and thinking of nothing but how comfortable my bed was. Today was a good day for not once getting out of that bed. Now, today is good for absolutely nothing, thanks to you, brother. I hope you are pleased with how idiotic you can be."
Thor's smile is blinding. "Loki, you do amuse me. Why should you want to waste this beautiful day laying in bed? There is a vast world out there to be explored."
"There is a vast brain in your head which you do not use," Loki hisses, blue eyes narrowed. "I am going back to bed now. If you disturb me again, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."
He slams the door in Thor's grinning face, then collapses back onto his bed, muttering.
After a few moments of tossing and turning, trying to find the same comfy spot, he is forced to admit it. The bed is no longer comfortable. He growls into his pillow.
Hands clenched into fists, Loki stomps back to the door and opens it.
Thor is still outside, leaning casually on the door frame, as Loki knew he would be. He glares with all his might.
"I detest you, brother."
Thor's teeth shine brightly. "We both know that is not true. Come, friend Stark is making us breakfast."
X
Loki sulks at the table, playing with his food, as Thor drinks his orange juice with gusto. He slams his glass down.
"This is delicious! I wish to have more."
"The carton's in the fridge, Mr. Blonde. Help yourself. And don't break that glass. Or chip that counter." Tony barely looks up, preoccupied with the TV.
Loki glares at his brother as Thor strides back toward him, carton in hand and ridiculous smile on face.
"Are you going to explain to me now why you dragged me so cruelly from my much-needed sleep?" Loki leans back, running pale fingers through jet black hair.
Thor makes him wait until he finishes his glass, and then he smiles widely. "Today, brother, you and I are going to go out and explore this amazing city."
Loki blinks at him. "You cannot be serious."
"I am, Loki! You have been here on Earth for approximately sixteen days now, and you have not left this building. Beyond that, I have not done much exploring either. It will be great fun with the two of us."
"You and I obviously have very different ideas of what is fun," Loki says quietly, rolling his eyes.
"No, I think it's a good idea." Tony still hasn't taken his eyes off the TV, and he's chewing cereal as he speaks. "You guys need to get out more. Baby Bro, you're even losing your tan."
Loki glares at him forcefully. "Which you all should be glad of. If my skin had stayed that atrocious colour you all would have become familiar with my wrath."
"Been there, done that. I'm shaking in my boots." Tony flicks a Fruit Loop at him, and Loki gapes at him.
"You are detestable and ignorant."
"And you are a pain in the ass. And you're starting to look like a fish."
"Your attempts at insults are deplorable, as I do not understand most of them."
Tony finally drags his eyes away from the TV. "Okay, honestly? Get out of my tower. Both of you. Just disappear for one day. If I have to see you two for one more second I'm gonna implode. Just go for a walk or something. Beat it."
Loki looks to Thor. "You see how he treats us like vermin, Thor? You call him a friend?"
"I haven't killed your ass yet, have I? Therefore I think you can count me as a friend." Tony points his spoon at Loki. "You need to be a little more grateful, Prancer. Those eyes'll only get you so far before your bad attitude ruins any hope of anyone ever liking you."
"I hate you," Loki spits, glaring with all his might.
"I hate you," Tony mocks in a high voice. "What are you, five? Thor, would you please just get your baby brother out of my sight for like two hours? He's killing me, he really is."
"Not yet I haven't," Loki mutters.
Thor claps a hand on his shoulder, and Loki jumps and drops his glass.
Thor looks vastly amused. "Already today is entertaining. Stark is truly a worthy match for your wit, Loki. Now go, brother, dress appropriately for our adventures. We will leave in ten minutes."
Loki shoots one last furious glance at Tony and leaves.
X
"That's dressing appropriately for your 'adventures'?" Tony isn't even bothering to hide his laughter.
Loki adjusts his armor and doesn't answer.
Thor, beside him, smiles gently. "Friend Stark, we have absolutely no idea what form of adventure we will encounter today, and it is always best to be prepared."
He, too, is wearing his armor, but neither of them wear their cloaks.
"I have some idea of the kind of adventure you're gonna encounter today. It's probably going to involve a lot of pointing and laughing. But please – don't listen to me. Go on kids. Enjoy."
"What did he mean, do you think, by pointing and laughing?" Thor wonders out loud as they ride the elevator down to ground level.
"I would listen to nothing that childish human says." Loki lifts his chin. "He rambles incessantly, and knows little."
X
Together they stride down the sidewalk away from Stark Tower. Loki has to admit, it's nice to be out in the open air again instead of in that detestable tower. And he does feel at home walking beside his brother. Together, they are nothing to be scoffed at. No one will dare approach these two princes, these two gods.
"You guys going to a party?" A young man approaching them from the opposite direction smiles brightly.
Thor brightens. "Is there a party nearby, human?"
The man shrugs. "You'd know better than me. What kind of party is it, some kind of costume party?" He taps the armor on Thor's chest.
"I assure you, my brother and I are not attending any parties today, regrettably." Thor smiles down at Loki, who is glaring at the man with undisguised disdain, and they move on.
X
Loki becomes aware quite quickly that everyone is staring at them. Even people inside of buildings are turning to look as they walk by.
"Why do these humans stare? Do they not realize who they are staring at?" Loki crosses his arms. "A display of power right now would be appropriate. Regrettably, I do not have that capability. Thor. Do something."
He turns to his brother, but Thor is gone.
For a moment he panics, very aware of the huge buildings and thousands of people all around him, and of how very small he is in the midst of it all.
Collect yourself, Loki. Thor would not leave you here.
He turns, and sure enough, Thor is only about twenty feet away, in front of a gigantic tower, gazing in awe. Loki joins him. "I suppose it is rather impressive, for something the humans made," Loki concedes.
"What?" Thor glances at him. "Oh, the tower. I was not looking at that, brother. I already stood on top of that some weeks ago." He points. "That – that is what I am so in awe of."
There's a large glass box in front of them, slightly taller than them both, and inside are brightly coloured packages, all in rows.
"What is it?" Loki asks, interested in spite of himself.
"That, Loki, is something the humans call 'candy'." Thor is grinning widely. "I shared some with friend Stark a few days ago. I do recommend it, brother! It was delicious. I believe they were called 'Skittles'. Like tiny coloured pieces of joy, all different flavours." He points at the glass box. "And here they are – an entire box of them, out in the streets, for anyone to help themselves! Nowhere in Asgard would you find a wonder like this. Come, brother, we shall have 'Skittles'."
They march up to the box, and Thor presses the 'Skittles' button on the side. They wait expectantly, but the box stays silent and unmoving.
Loki glances at his brother, whose excited smile is starting to fade.
"How odd." He presses the button again as Loki watches quietly. Still nothing. Thor's face is starting to darken. "If this is some sort of cruel trick, I remain unamused."
Loki recognizes the warning signs of his brother's temper rising, and moves forward to inspect the box. Small red words flash by on a tiny screen above the buttons.
"It reads here, 'Insert two dollars'." Loki looks to his brother. "What are 'dollars'?"
Thor's face clears abruptly, and he gives a great shout of laughter that makes everyone nearby turn and stare. "Of course! How foolish of me, brother. Friend Stark did warn me."
He reaches into his pocket and produces a handful of small, round pieces of metal. "These are dollars, brother! Apparently here on Earth, you must use them to pay for things." He looks slightly disappointed. "I did think the Skittles were free, however, simply sitting here in this clear box. Energy for passing travelers, if you will. No matter. We shall have them anyway."
Thor inserts a couple of coins into the slot, and then presses the Skittles button again. They lean down, watching intently as the Skittles inside start to move forward. Taking a quick scan of the box, Loki assumes that the package will fall down to the bottom, and they can reach it through the slot. Quite smart, really.
Except the Skittles don't fall down. They hover on the edge, and then stop moving.
Loki and Thor continue to stare at them.
"It takes a while," Loki comments. Thor doesn't answer. He looks troubled.
A few minutes later, the Skittles have still not moved.
Loki shoots his brother a sideways glance. "I do believe they are not coming out."
Thor's jaw is clenched, his eyes narrowed. "They must! This box took my dollars!"
"No. It took Stark's dollars." Loki smirks. "Not much of a loss, really."
"Loki! You miss the point." Thor growls under his breath. "This box took my dollars, and I received nothing in return! I will not stand for such atrocious sportsmanship!" He punches the side of the box viciously, and it simply rocks back and forth a little.
Loki sighs. "Always brute force, brother! Allow me."
He kneels in front of the box, and gingerly pushes his hand into the slot at the bottom. He feels somewhat ridiculous doing this, but to be quite honest, Thor's depiction of these 'Skittles' has peaked his curiosity, and he really does want to try them. Unfortunately, his arm is not long enough to reach the Skittles, or any other thing in the box. Loki gets the sneaking feeling the box has been designed so that he cannot reach. Bastards.
A voice behind them makes him jump, and he starts to whip his hand out, only to have the flap close on him when he is halfway there, catching his hand inside. He gasps in pain.
"Vending machine eat your money? That sucks." A young man walking by shakes his head and shrugs.
Thor stares after him, then back at his brother, who is holding his hand up shakily. "Brother, you are bleeding!" He grabs Loki's hand, which has a nasty cut just below his wrist. "How did this happen?"
Loki stares wide eyed at his brother, then at the silent box next to him. "It bit me, Thor!"
Thor's eyes narrow dangerously. "That young human walking by said it ate my money. Now it has attacked you, which I will not stand for. I am mistaken, brother, this is no simple candy box. This is some sort of creature, trying to tempt us into its jaws. The Skittles are simply a ruse! This creature will feel my wrath, as so many others have in the past!"
With a roar of rage, he lifts the box and wings it out into the street, as easy as if he were throwing Mjolnir. It crashes to the ground some twenty feet away, pieces flying in all directions. Cars swerve madly to avoid it, and people all around begin screaming in shock. Thor looks pleased.
"The creature does not move. I believe I have effectively killed it." He turns to Loki. "Are you alright, brother?"
Loki glares at the trashed mess out in the street and nods. "Every day I am more and more unimpressed by Earth."
"Um, can I ask what you two idiots are doing?"
They turn to see Agent Barton coming toward them, holding a hot dog and a couple of bags.
Loki sighs and rolls his eyes skyward.
"Ah, friend Clint! I have just dispatched a monster which attacked my brother." Thor grins proudly, wrapping an arm around Loki's shoulders.
Clint looks back and forth warily. "What monster?" His eyes fall on the vending machine. "Oh crap. Oh crap. Yeah, okay, we need to get out of here right now."
As if on cue, sirens start up somewhere nearby.
"Okay, walk. Fast." Clint shoves Loki in the back, and Loki glowers at him.
"I warn you, do not ever touch me again in that manner."
"Whatever. Just go!"
They make it around the corner, Clint hastily eating his hot dog. "Man, a guy can't even eat lunch around here without having to look out for you fools. Good thing we're so close to Stark Tower. Hey, you're bleeding," he says in an off-hand way to Loki, who pulls down his sleeve and doesn't reply.
"How'd that happen?" Clint looks at Thor.
"I told you, the monster attacked my brother."
"The monster? Oh the vending machine? Damn. That's not good."
The brothers both stare at him. "What do you mean, friend Clint?" Thor asks.
"Those vending machine monsters, their bite is really, really poisonous. Like I'm talking deadly. If you still had your powers, you'd probably be okay... but now... you probably don't have much time left." Clint shakes his head seriously. "Dude, I know you and I don't get along but... I wouldn't wish that death on my worst enemy, which you pretty much are."
Loki's heart begins to pound, fingers of fear clutching at his heart. "Thor?" He looks back desperately at his brother for reassurance.
Thor's eyes are wide. "Do you feel the poison, brother?"
"I feel nothing!" Loki pulls back his sleeve, staring in horror at the thin wound.
"Could it be numb?" Thor takes his brother's wrist gently. "It shows no signs of poison!"
Clint shrugs. "It never does. It's just... you feel fine one minute, and the next..." He trails off ominously. "I've known a few guys that've gone like that."
Loki begins to tremble, fear blowing his blue eyes wide. "But..."
Thor grabs his arm, pulling him forward. "Hurry, Loki! There must still be time!"
They all run for the tower, bursting into the elevator breathlessly.
X
When they step out on the tenth floor, Tony looks up in surprise. "Back so soon? I didn't realize New York City had got so small."
"Loki was attacked. We need help right now!" Thor shouts.
Loki can barely move he's so scared. he just stands behind Thor, staring in shock at his hand. Poisoned. Dying.
"Whatttt?" Tony hops off the bar stool he was sitting on. "Attacked by what, may I ask? He looks fine to me."
"A creature, masquerading as a candy box," Thor says earnestly, pulling Loki close to him like a protective bear. "According to Agent Barton, it is a highly poisonous creature and my brother has little time!"
Loki doesn't even bother pushing Thor away, instead he huddles against his brother, shaking. Even his teeth are chattering.
"It was a vending machine," Clint says, breathing heavily. He nods meaningfully in Tony's direction.
Tony's mouth twitches, and he avoids Clint's eyes. "Well Bruce is back, so you're in luck. Go see him, he's in the lab."
X
Bruce is leaning over a microscope, and he eyes them warily as they hurry in. "What are you two doing down here?"
Loki falls back a bit behind Thor, tugging out of his brother's grasp, letting him lead the way. Truth is, he's still a bit scared of Bruce after that whole incident with 'The Other Guy'. He generally tries to avoid Bruce at all costs. So it feels very wrong to be approaching him asking for help, no matter how scared he is.
Bruce looks vaguely amused at seeing the God of Mischief hiding behind his brother, but he doesn't comment.
"My brother was attacked by a strange – what did they call it, Loki? Vending machine? A vile creature, and highly poisonous, as I'm sure you are aware." Thor tugs Loki forward.
"My brother was wounded in the attack," Thor continues, sounding as if he is recounting a terrible, epic battle. "Please, Doctor Banner, we need your help! I do not know how much longer he has."
Bruce's mouth twitches just like Tony's. "Attacked, huh? That's too bad." He looks mildly interested. "Okay. Hop up on the table." He pats the table next to him, and Loki eyes him warily.
"Can I not stand?"
"I prefer to have you sitting. You'll move less."
"Sit, brother! Now is no time for arguing!" Thor moves him bodily towards the table, and Loki shoots him a look half frustrated and half fearful. But he gets up on the table, and Thor stays next to him with an arm around his shoulders, sensing his brother's discomfort. Loki is grateful for it.
Bruce is smiling at him. "So what happened? Show me."
Loki glances at his brother, who gives him a reassuring nod, and pulls up his sleeve with shaking fingers.
Bruce takes his hand carefully. "This is what happened in the... attack?" He feels Loki's hand trembling, and his face softens a little.
Thor nods gravely, a hint of tears shining in his eyes. "Please, I beg you, do all you can."
Bruce nods gravely, too, glancing at Loki's massive blue eyes once before reaching for a small bottle of clear liquid next to the table. "This might sting." He pours a bit of it onto a cotton ball and dabs the cut on Loki's hand, holding him still when he jerks slightly.
"There. All done." He lets go and turns away.
"What?" Loki stares after him. "That is all?"
"That's all." Bruce sounds like he's hiding a smile. "You'll be fine. I promise."
"There is no drawing out of the poison? How will it leave my brother's body?" Thor is still hugging him close as though expecting him to vanish any second, and Loki still lets him.
Bruce smiles gently. "Um. I guess now is when you should find out – there is no poison, never was. Clint was just kidding with you. A vending machine is not a monster, guys. It's just that – a machine. For dispensing food." He shrugs, still smiling. "You guys go and relax. You look terrible." He goes back to his microscope.
Loki sits there against Thor, shivers still coursing through his body, and then "I loathe Agent Barton!" He shoves Thor away in his anger, sliding off the table and glaring at the elevator viciously.
"I think the feeling is mutual," Thor says, slightly sadly. "Let's go, brother. Perhaps we can watch a movie instead."
"No, I think I will spend the rest of the day in my room," Loki snaps, pulling his elbow from his brother's grasp. "You see, if you had not nearly broken down my door this morning, and dragged me out into that hateful city, none of this would have happened. Another of your ill-advised plans, brother."
He knows it's unfair to blame Thor, but he needs someone to blame, and Clint is not nearby. Plus, he is just the slightest bit scared of Clint.
He strides ahead, and Thor follows him, sighing. "Brother, do not take this out on me. Agent Barton dislikes you, for good reason. It was just a bit of fun, as you would say. Although it was not very fun, really." He stops, considering his own words, then goes on. "I wanted to spend this day with you. I still do. I must go back to Asgard tomorrow. Will you not reconsider?"
Loki slows a little, turning to face his brother.
"Thor, you may disregard my words at this moment, for I am beyond angry and do not mean what I say to you. But you can tell Agent Barton..." he hisses the name like a curse word – "... that he is a despicable excuse for a man and I wish nothing but ill luck on him!"
He marches to his room, opens the door, and turns to face Thor. "I am no longer in the mood to spend this day with anyone, Thor. It would be in your best interests to leave me alone at this time."
"Brother, I know you were scared..."
"Do shut up, Thor! You know nothing." Loki slams the door behind him, furious at Thor's comment, because yes, he really had been scared. "I will never venture out into that city again!" He yells through the door, and, after discarding his armor, flops onto his bed like a ragdoll.
"Curse this planet. And Agent Barton."
X
I just want to say, I do not hate Agent Barton, I really don't! I love Jeremy Renner, and I think Hawkeye is awesome! But I do think he'd harbor an awful lot of bad feelings toward Loki after the events of the movie and that he'd get a kick out of scaring him like this, as mean as it is. Just wanted to get that out of the way though in case anyone thinks I'm hating on Clint.
I hope you liked it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought. :)