They Come on White Horses: Chapter 10
Requested by: NoVacancyMind and many wonderful others
Sequel to Knights.
I am still amazed every time I read the reviews at the amazing support I am getting for this story. Thank you all so much! Hugs and Kisses to you all!
Also, I put a poll up on my profile. I want you guys to decide which plot you want for my next Avengers fic! Like it says on the poll, all of the plots will happen, but I need help deciding which on dot do next. SO please, CHECK IT OUT!
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Disclaimer: Don't own. Never will. So sad.
We'll Play Doctor!
Loki closed the door as quietly as he could. The boys were fast asleep. He had regaled them with not just one but two fantastical stories. It seemed his gift for storytelling actually backfired and made Tony and Bruce more excited. They had begged him for an extra story, and it wasn't until he gave a very detailed account of the court proceedings that the children began to yawn in earnest. When they did finally fall asleep, Loki breathed a sigh of relief. He had been fighting hard to stay conscious himself as he sat next to them on the bed.
Now, though, he was free to go to his own bed. Visions of passing out mere seconds after his head hit the pillow, however, were dashed when just a foot from his own door, his shirt collar was snatched and he was slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the hall. His first thought was, 'This better not have woken up the children.' When he saw who it was, however, he could barely muster up the eye roll.
"What. Now." Clint glared at him for several moments, without saying anything. If he does not tell me his current grievance soon, I will fall asleep against this wall. Hawkeye's scowl grew deeper until he finally pushed one word past his clenched jaw.
"Sorry." Of all the things-
"Really? Now!?" Clint blinked, obviously not expecting Loki's sudden anger.
"Wha-" Loki's vision was starting to blur again, and his headache had been escalated by the slamming. The only thing keeping him from swaying was the strong grip Clint had on his shirt.
"I am exhausted, and now I am pissed. You could not have waited until the morning to say such a thing? If I accept your apology, will you let me go to bed?" Hawkeye still seemed a bit confused, but the last sentence seemed to make it through. He nodded. Loki closed his eyes and opened them quickly. Apparently, just closing his eyes was a bad idea if he wanted to stay awake at all.
"Very well. I accept you violent and poorly timed apology, Clint Barton. Now. Please, let go of my shirt, and allow me to go to me room." He tried to walk away bearing some of his dignity, which meant he fought as hard as he could not to stagger to his door.
"I'm only doing this because of them." Loki knew who the archer was talking about. "Kids seem to just know some things. And those two..well, gotta figure their smarts go back a ways." With that, Clint left, his boots barely making a sound on the granite floor. Loki watched his retreat, with a sort of lightness to his chest. Either the boys were giving him back a level of self-worth and confidence back, or the illness was making him lose connection with his body. The trickster finagled with the door handle until it opened, and he fell through, almost ending up in a heap on the floor.
"I highly suggest you allow me to alert someone to your worsening condition, Mr.-"
"Speak again, and I will take a hammer to each and every one of your little spy cameras." Jarvis did not speak again, though Loki felt the 'eyes' of AI weigh more heavily on him. Loki did not bother removing his clothes, or even getting under the covers. His body hit the mattress, and he lost consciousness.
Loki woke to anxious knocking on his door. They were too strong to be made by Bruce and Tony, and the way they practically shook the entire wall, led him to the conclusion that his unwelcome wake up call came from Thor. He would, given normal circumstances, simply yelled at Thor to go away and perhaps send an unpleasant spell his way if he persisted. However, the magic was obviously out and the very thought of loud noises made his head get slammed by twenty Mjolnirs. This was another reason the knocking was not welcome. It was like the perpetrator was trying to split his skull.
Loki thought he was saved when the pounding stopped, until he heard the sound of the door opening. He was surprised to hear little feet running across the space from the door to the bed. Loki thought he would puke when the bed rocked. The reason for this was two boys clambering up to get closer to him on his bed.
"Loki?!" Tony's small hand patted his cheek repeatedly. Loki clenched his eyes shut in a vein attempt to keep the pain at bay. The trickster startled when he re-opened them to find Thor crouched beside his bed, reaching a hand out towards his forehead. Bruce scooted away to give the thunderer room. All three visitors look incredibly anxious and concerned. Thor pushed aside a lock of Loki's hair that was sticking to his forehead due to his fever sweat. All Loki could manage was lifting his hand an inch off of the pillow and laying it on Bruce's knee in comfort.
"Brother, you are dangerously warm. I will go get assistance." Loki groaned. He had been sick as a child, but thought he had grown out of it. Now, with his magic hampered and the additional stress of taking care of two young children, his body was rebelling against him. Forcing him to rest and take a break or spontaneously combust. He could only be glad that the cloaking magic the Allfather had placed on him as a babe did not abandon him. Loki did not feel much up to frightening Bruce and Tony with the ghastliness of his natural form.
Loki felt the bed dip and shake again as Bruce scrambled off and into the bathroom. Tony stayed by his side and patted his head, until Bruce came back with a glass of water. The six-year-old placed it carefully on Loki's nightstand and gave Loki a look reminiscent of his older self.
"You need to drink water, or you'll get dehydrated. Tony help him sit up." The four-year-old got an equally determined look and more coached then physically helped Loki sit up in the bed. Loki panted from the effort it took him and laid a hand on his stomach to ward off the nausea that loomed. He took hold of the glass that Bruce lifted towards him and took small sips. He conjured up a smile for the boys.
"Thank you," he croaked. Tony launched himself at Loki legs and laid on top of his knees.
"Don't die!" Loki could not help but roughly chuckle at the boy's great distress. Loki put a weak hand on Tony's head and petted him gently.
"I am not going to die, Anthony. It is a small sickness. Do not worry yourself." For once, Loki was glad Thor came in right at that moment, because he was afraid he was going to have to keep the boy's from bursting into tears right then. It seemed Thor was worried enough to bring the rest of the Avengers with him. Loki didn't have it in him to roll his eyes at his bro- at Thor.
Natasha made a quick diagnosis as Steve and Thor did their best to calm the distressed children. Clint stayed back, as when he stepped forward Tony shot him a glare that promised death by toddler if he came anywhere them.
"Thor, you said he wasn't eating as much as he should?" Thor nodded vigorously.
"Aye. Loki normally eats only a bit more than the average Midgardian, because his magic fuels him more than the food. But with his magic no longer feeding his energy, he would need to eat as I would to keep up normal energy levels." Natasha nodded and looked up to the ceiling.
"Jarvis, what about his sleeping habits?" Loki snarled as they talked of him as though he were not there. They all ignored his pitiful attempts at appearing menacing. Shocker.
"Mr. Loki had been averaging about two or three hours a day before the accident in the lab. Now that he takes care of the children, he is getting more sleep, but it is restless and often interrupted. I have noticed that his health has been deteriorating over the past couple of days. Last evening he collapsed against the wall as soon as he left your meeting. Then when Agent Barton had a discussion with him, he had great trouble walking the short distance to his room." The Avengers shot Clint suspicious and surprised looks, all of which he ignored. It wasn't like he'd done anything wrong. He apologized, but that didn't mean he had to act like a crutch to the Norse god. Besides, Clint had a strong feeling Loki would have bitten his arm off had he tried. Natasha just rolled her eyes and felt Loki's forehead for herself, while the trickster glared at the ceiling and mumbled something along the lines of 'traitor'.
"Sounds like he just exhausted himself to the point of making himself sick. Having his magic ripped away from him, probably didn't help his health. Was he even fully healed before it was taken from him?" Thor's eyes widened as if he had just realized a grave mistake and shook his head.
"No! We did not even think to see if Loki was injured before his healing source was ripped from him! Oh, Brother! I am so sorry!" Loki rolled his eyes, but looked up to the assassin standing over him.
"I thank you…so much..for..w-working him up..into a frenzy. He will..be as a..l-leech now." Natasha smirked and turned to shoo everyone back from the bed. Clint was the easiest to get back, but Steve stayed close watching the two boys. She left Thor where he was, currently wrapped around his brother like a giant blonde octopus. The hardest part, though, was getting Tony and Bruce away from Loki. Tony had tears running down his face, and both boys were following Thor's example by wrapping themselves around Loki in determination to stay by his side. Natasha crouched by the bed, coming to their eye-level.
"You two need to let Loki rest now, alright? That way he can get better." Seeing that that only made them more upset, Steve crouched beside the assassin and smiled as reassuringly as possible.
"Why don't you guys come with me to the kitchen? You could help me make Loki some chicken noodle soup. It'll help him get better a lot faster." That seemed to pique their interest, though they had yet to release the Trickster. Loki laid a hand on both of their heads, and the boys looked up at him with the great fearful, innocent concern only found in the eyes of children.
"Go with Steve, Boys. I will still…be here when you..g-get back. I-I don't want you two…to get sick as well." It was only from Loki's reassurances that they were finally convinced to leave the two brothers alone. However, both boys kept their eyes locked on Loki until they were all the way out the door. Loki then turned his attention to another problem, that being his brother clinging to him like a limpet. In his current state, it wasn't like he could force Thor off of him, but perhaps he could at least persuade him to loosen his grip.
"Thor, re-release me. You…are making..it very hard to..breathe." The Thunderer let go immediately, and transferred his hands to the duty of petting Loki's hair, pushing it back and out of his eyes.
When they were children, Loki was often sick. The healers would separate them, forcing Thor to stay in his own room away from his brother. But at night, Thor always managed to sneak to his brother and slip into bed with him. There he would hold Loki and tell him great stories and pet him like their mother often did when one of them was upset or not feeling well. Eventually, the healers gave up trying to keep them apart, and Loki would stay in Thor's room when he would fall ill. So, Thor was not unused to his brother being in such a state, and one thing he knew gave him hope. His brother always recovered quickly, especially if he had something important waiting for him to get better.
So, Clint has apologized...doesn't mean they are best buds now or anything...just for the sake of the children, Clint will act a bit more civil.
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