(This chapter kind of wrote itself. I'm also going by the seat of my pants. I have no idea just where I'm going with this.)

Bruce was nowhere in sight and Loki quickly filled a bowl with water and retreated to the small bedroom. He locked the door behind him and settled himself in the center of the bed. He felt like himself now, for the first time in a long while, with his magic restored. He had no actual intention of breaking the deal with Thor; he had told him that in honor of the good times of his childhood that he would abide and to that he would hold. It frustrated him that in equal parts hate and love for his brother, that he was still loyal to him and couldn't break that.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to make sure that Thor held up his end.

With a whispered touch of magic, the water in the bowl rippled and formed an image. So that was Jane. He had never actually seen her, only heard her name. His eyebrow lifted and he couldn't help but wonder what his brother saw in her. If it were for her physical looks, Sif was far more remarkable. If it were for skills, surely Sif was also a far better choice. If anyone could possibly be equal to Thor besides himself, it would be her…at least he would say so on a day he was being magnanimous. Today was not that day.

"Thor! Finally! I didn't think you'd ever come back!"

Thor wasn't quite looking at her and he hadn't set down Mjolnir. This would not be a long visit then. Loki rested his chin on his hand, bracing his elbow on his knee as he watched. This condition had been an impulsive one, if he were inclined to be truthful. He had wanted something of equal magnitude to the request of Thor that he remain in essence helpless and bound to his brother's will without the manacles. He had been prepared for something else, had had a dozen more offers in the wings because he had wanted those cuffs off so badly, but had been stunned when Thor had agreed after a moment of silence. No matter how he'd stared, for the first time, Loki could not comprehend the thoughts that had gone through Thor's mind.

"We must speak, Jane."

Jane's exuberant expression dimmed, taking on a cautious look. "What is it? Are you going back to Asgard again?"

Thor touched her shoulder gently and Loki's other hand clenched into a fist briefly. Alone and by himself, inwardly he would acknowledge that he was just a bit jealous. He had always hated when people got between him and Thor in his youth, but he had never really understood why until his time in the Abyss. It had been an unexpected revelation, the nature of his depravity, and he was uncertain if it had been something that Thanos and the Chitauri had intended, or if it had merely been an accident. It had helped them either way in their torture, so they hadn't cared how it had come about.

Because Loki loved Thor. Yes, as a little brother, but far more than that as any maiden that had ever come to Thor. He loved him romantically and had for a long time, but even he had never recognized it. He had hung on Thor's every word and had gone with him on outings even if he hadn't wanted to. He could never let Thor go by himself, dared not, in case harm came to the prince. That had been his excuse at the time, but looking back on it now he knew that it was a flimsy one. How had he never realized before in two thousand years?

His attention was drawn back to the bowl as Thor began to speak again. "I have come to Midgard under secrecy and will remain, but we…cannot meet again."

"Why…not?"

Yes, brother, why not? He sneered mentally. How would Thor explain to her the nature of his deal with Loki? Surely he would be ashamed and lie, if he told her anything at all. Given the look in Thor's eyes, the great oaf hadn't even thought to come up with a plausible explanation, as if he stupidly hadn't thought she might ask why he was breaking off all relations. What would be his excuse? Perhaps he would magically have a fiancé back in Asgard. Perhaps he would tell her the very things Odin had told him, that he was to be king and no Midgardian woman could share the throne. Maybe he would tell her that it was all a…was the word fling from Midgard or elsewhere?

Thor straightened his shoulders in the way Loki had seen countless times before he went into a battle for his life. He seemed to struggle with where to start. "Loki was returned to Asgard after the attack on Midgard and he was to be executed. Neither Father nor I would bear to see him killed. I am not saying that he did not deserve some punishment for his actions," Thor added quickly, seeing a rebellious look come across Jane's face. "I just could not bear to lose my brother a second time. So as Father bid, I took him from Asgard and brought him here to hide, to give Father time to find another solution."

Loki almost laughed in derision. Was Thor really, really going to tell the truth? She couldn't possibly understand! To her, Loki was nothing more than an enemy, the one that had killed countless of her people and had unintentionally drawn Thor's attention from her. Why would she not want him dead? She could not understand his devotion. She was nothing more than a sniveling woman that sniffed at Thor's heels. As he turned back to the image in the water, a vicious whisper from his subconscious asked him if his venom for her came from his jealousy not because he honestly thought her so foolish.

"Leaving aside what I really think of all that after what he's done, what does that have to do with the price of tea in china?"

Even Loki was left confused at that statement and his head tilted at almost the exact moment of Thor's. "I…do not understand…"

She sighed heavily. "It's a saying. It means I'm asking what all of that explanation has to do with the fact that you say we can't see each other again."

The god of thunder shifted his weight, hand tightening and loosening on Mjolnir's handle. "When I brought Loki here, I asked him to tell me if he had been…tortured by the Chitauri. The only way he would tell me truthfully is if I removed the manacles that kept him bound. I knew that if I did that, I needed assurance that he would not flee and cause havoc. In return for his agreement, his condition…was that we could never meet again."

Thor braced himself for her rage and it was not long in coming. "Are you serious, Thor?! Why would you even take them off?! What makes you think he wouldn't just lie to you?! Why would you even agree to such ridiculous terms?! Does he mean that much to you?!"

Loki was sure the last question was not meant to be said aloud, but in her anger, she had spilled all her thoughts. While he would have picked up on it and turned the tables on her, Thor did nothing of the sort. He wasn't sure if his brother was just oblivious to jealous words, or if he chose in particular to not comment on them. "It mattered very much, Jane. I will never be convinced that the man that I grew up with is not in him still." Thor's blue eyes finally slid away from hers. "And I have been haunted by nightmares since his fall. I dreamed of his treatment and I had to know. I had hoped that I would be wrong…but I was not. What he suffered drives me to the depth of grief, guilt, and rage. Were a Chitauri or their leader in front of me, I do not think I could stay my wrath. Jane, what he suffered at their hands is more than punishment enough."

There was a long silence between them as Loki watched with interest. How would she react to that? To know that she had been abandoned for a monster? He wouldn't have satisfaction at her heartbreak, or glee, but that he wanted to know what this interesting woman would do in the face of such a confession.

He stiffened as he saw her move and even though he knew he could not stop it, he thrust his arm forward as if he could. Her palm connected harshly with Thor's cheek. The image was lost in his instinctive, sharp movement and Loki cursed. Quickly he recast the spell, having missed some of the conversation. "—am sorry, Jane. I did not mean to cause you harm, but I cannot be selfish anymore. Loki needs me, whether he will admit it or not."

Jane's eyes were brimming with tears, but she kept them from falling somehow. "Fine, Thor. If that's…what you need, then I…accept it. Not because of him, but because of you."

Loki watched as Thor made a whispered thank you, touching her hair and leaned in, giving her the lightest of kisses goodbye before turning and leaving. He waved the image away and set the bowl on the bedside table. The last moment rankled him, that chaste kiss, and even more, he cursed his emotions that had failed his control. He had missed snatches of that conversation and that was when both would be most honest. What had they said that he was not privy too?

He opened the bedroom door and reclined on the sofa again, waiting. It wasn't long before he heard a thump outside and Thor stalked in. His face was drawn, tired, and if Loki looked closely, he could see the slightest of red marks on his cheek. "Where is Banner?" he asked after a minute, looking around.

"It appears as if he is not present," he responded, making a show of looking around as if he had not noticed he was alone.

"I am in no mood for you games," Thor snapped, removing his cape and tossing it on the back of a chair.

"Oh, was I playing a game, brother? I hadn't noticed. I am glad you are here to tell me such things."

There was a blistering look in Thor's eyes and he stalked over to the sofa. Loki prepared himself for violence, but instead he was yanked into a hug. He sighed heavily. Really, did Thor think such embraces would erase the pass, the neglect he'd felt? The fool had no idea how he felt, what these hugs did to him inside. Odin would not have hesitated to kill him, if he were aware of these thoughts Loki harbored for the golden son.

"Is this going to be the rest of my life? Being hugged by you? Surely you have other activities for the days that I am held captive to your whim."

"Why must you put it that way, Loki?" Thor asked with a growl, letting him go and pacing in front of him.

"Because it is the truth, Thor. I may no longer be bound, but as part of our deal, I am beholden to you. Your orders I must follow." He smirked. "Even if you were to order me upon my knees to service the future king."

Thor violently kicked a chair and it shattered against the wall. "Do not jest about such things!" he roared, yanking Loki to his feet by the back of the neck. "I would never, ever order that of you and I would kill any that would!"

"So you would never take advantage of your power then, is that it?" What a pity. If Thor had had less respect for him, or could be at least even vaguely corrupted by power, Loki could at least know the man's touch. It would warm him when he was alone with just his thoughts…but no, Thor was too perfect even for that.

"Of course not! You would think me so low as that?!"

"…I would you think you a man," he said honestly and surprisingly quietly, looking right at Thor's eyes. "You have changed since your banishment and I know because of that, you would not have partaken in any pleasure from the maidens. You lost your heart to Jane Foster and you have been celibate for these few years, have you not? You would not sully her by lying with her when you know somewhere in your heart that a future with her was pure fantasy…but you would also not sully your feelings or another's by lying with someone else and pretending they were her. You would think it rude to your partner."

Taking a risk, for Loki knew by now that to gain something was to risk something else, he rested his hands over Thor's heart, almost feeling it through the chainmail. "I would offer you something you would never ask for. You could seek relief with me, holding me as you would her." Thor's eyes widened almost to the point Loki thought it must be painful. Was it because of the very suggestion, or the idea that proud Loki would bend for his brother? "I would offer to appear as her, but I know that you would recoil at the very idea." Pressing his luck, he stepped forward into Thor's personal space. "I will fill the room with shadows. Close your eyes and you will never know, never be reminded, of the body you hold in the dark."

By the time he'd finished his speaking, his voice was barely above a whisper. Thor wasn't really looking at him, so much as through him. Whatever Thor was seeing, it was what he was thinking. What was going on in his mind's eye? Loki's hand eased up to touch the bare skin of Thor's neck.

It was as if he had tossed cold water on his brother. One moment they were almost breathing the same air and the next he was being shoved back, stumbling, and landing hard on the sofa. It skidded a bit over the floor, leaving a loud screech. "Thor?" He looked up, recovering quickly, but Thor was staring at the wall nearby. He was shaking, but it was hard to tell if it was from rage or something else.

"I…would never, Loki."

"No?" he sneered. "Never? Am I that unpleasant to touch? You would not seek my flesh even though I could willfully change any form to please you?"

"Loki, that is not what I meant, and you know it!" Thor spat back, slamming Mjolnir into the floor and leaving a massive crack behind. Those blue eyes were back on his, full of fury and crackling with lightning in their depths. "I would never, ever sully you in such a manner either! You would dare suggest that I lie with you, use you even by your own suggestion in the dark?! Do you think that I could ever even conceive of dishonoring you like that?! Do you even possibly understand what it is that you offer?!"

"Do you?!" he argued back heatedly. "I understand far more than you!"

There was a moment of silence that Loki did not understand and he actually squeaked as Thor strode through the room and shoved him against the wall. "Who, Loki?!" he hissed, grip painful on his shoulders.

For once, smart and trickster Loki, had lost the plot. He had no idea to what Thor was referring. "What?"

"Who did it?!"

"Who did what?!"

"Who held you?! Who would even think to dishonor you?! Who did I fail to protect you from again?!"

Loki let out a sound…and then another, then the choking sound turned into raucous laughter. "You think…that I…was held…by another man?!" For a moment, he was laughing so hard that tears flooded his eyes and his stomach hurt. Thor's furious face did not lessen, but he did at least wait until Loki had calmed down. "Why so upset, Thor? Are you jealous? Perhaps you envisioned having me first, unsullied?"

Thor jerked him forward only to push him back forcefully against the wall. He hid his groan as the back of his head collided with unforgiving wood. "This is not a game, Loki! I would know who held you, and whether it was done by force!"

"For what purpose, Thor?" As if to answer his question, he almost thought he heard Mjolnir sing nearby. So he would visit justice upon any that had touched Loki. Amusing though it was to see Thor's protective side over someone like him, he sighed. "No, Thor. None has ever held me."

"You are telling the truth?"

"Would you like to check?" he asked dryly and the question finally made Thor release him and step back. "Yes, I'm telling the truth. Trust in this at least, Thor: Were I raped, the first I would tell would be you."

Thor eyed him cautiously. "Why?"

"Because as much as I have no trouble killing someone to have desecrated me like that, there is nothing more satisfying instead than your unquenched rage when you are full of righteous fury. You would do more harm in your unchecked anger than I would with cold fury. Besides, it would be immediate gratification. My manner would leave long-lasting results, to be sure, but it would take too long and too much planning."

"Why do you seem to have given this so much thought?"

"Did you think there were no attempts made, Thor? Did you think I didn't hear the comments at night from the drunken, lewd men? I was not respected, Thor. It was only the thought of your protection that stayed their hands…most of the time."

Mjolnir flew to Thor's hand. "Names. Now."

He could see that even the thought of the attempts had provoked Thor, but the truth was, Loki didn't want him returning to Asgard. If he did, then Loki would be forced to go with him due to their bargain. Once again with his emotions running high, Thor was not thinking of consequences. Without Loki to be the cool-headed one, Thor was doomed to failure. "I know no names," he lied, even though he had them emblazoned on his memory.

"I know you lie! You have never forgotten one name in two thousand years! Tell me their names!"

"Then what, Thor?! You return to Asgard to mete out justice? To destroy your oh-so-carefully laid plans of 'rescuing' me from the dungeon? If you go to Asgard, you will not return to Midgard and I would be duty-bound to follow!"

Thor hesitated as his words began to penetrate and finally he set Mjolnir down near the door. "You…are right, of course."

Loki watched him cautiously, moving away from the wall. Before he could sit down on the sofa, Thor's arm hesitantly, and lightly, wrapped around his waist to stop him. The caution was as if he feared rejection. "It has become night now. Let us rest."

"I had planned to, yes," he said cautiously, glancing at the arm that held him against Thor's side and not sure where he was going with this. Thor stepped forward and at once he knew what was going on. Thor was leading him to the bedroom. Loki was not so foolish as to think that his brother had changed his mind. "What are you planning, brother?"

"As you are so often fond of saying, I do not plan anything," he said with a sigh, closing the bedroom door behind him. "I mean to sleep, and so should you."

"Unless I am grossly mistaken, Thor, there is but one bed."

"We have slept together before."

"We were children then."

But Thor was having none of it and was gently guiding him, silently asking instead of ordering his cooperation. Of two minds of the situation, Loki did not struggle yet and followed the commands. They sat on the edge of the bed and Thor kicked off his shoes and tossed his chainmail to the floor, leaving only his undershirt and trousers on. Fingers gripped Loki's elbow and pulled the suspicious man down onto the bed. He had no change of clothes, so he still wore what he'd had on from the prison. There was a tense moment as their eyes warily met before Thor, as if emboldened by his cautious acceptance of the manhandling, wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him to his chest.

"I do not need your body as a pillow," he hissed. It rankled him that Thor had put their conversation earlier out of his mind. He showed not one hint of awkwardness after Loki had attempted to seduce him. It shamed and embarrassed him that he was the only one that ever had lustful thoughts. Even after he'd pointedly offered his body to Thor, it wasn't even in his notice.

"Please, Loki. Sleep. We will decide tomorrow what must be done." Fingers touched his black hair softly. "The last few days have been frantic and draining."

"As if I will sleep in your arms so peacefully," he spat, but closed his eyes. The sofa was not so comfortable that he was going to argue to sleep out there rather than on the admittedly small bed with Thor. He didn't believe for one minute that he would sleep, but almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he was lost to the land of dreams.