Still a bit furious Steve had reached the kitchen of the south wing, not sure if he was just here to eat in silence or was unconsciously seeking out a different company. Nevertheless, he didn't mind at all when he didn't find the kitchen empty but someone standing at the sink and washing some dishes.
"Mornin' Silver. I didn't actually think you'd still be here, it's close to noon after all."

She chuckled and threw him a dishtowel to help her.
"Yeah, I'm not that much of a morning person."

"No good attitude for someone working in an office. Are you sure you've got the right job?"

Her face turned sad and her voice was less cheerful.
"You're right, it's not what I want. But I wanted to work for Tony Stark for quite some time now, I wanted to meet him in person."

Steve didn't have to ask why, he already knew where this conversation was heading.
"You were hoping he'd fall in love with you, too."

"It's foolish and naive, I know. I never expected it to work, I just wanted to be close to him. Mission accomplished, I'd say, even if it turned out way more different and crazier than I wished for. But the closer you get to someone, the more you can get hurt, right?"

"What did he do?"

"Nothing. I just overheard a conversation he had with Thor where he said he's not in love with me. I should have known that, I probably even did, but I had hoped with everything that happened and the way he treated me, he had developed feelings for me, too. I was wrong."

Putting the towel aside, Steve put a hand on her back and rubbed it gently.
"No, you were not wrong. He likes you very much, it's just not the kind of love you want."

"If that is supposed to cheer me up, it fails horribly."
Silver managed to hold the tears back, she didn't want to cry in front of Steve. Taking a deep breath, she tried to change the topic.
"Enough about me, why are you here? You've got a kitchen in your own wing."

Avoiding her gaze, Steve went back to drying the dishes.
"It was a bit too crowded."

"Steve!"

"What?"

"I just bore my heart to you, now it's your turn."

Sighing in defeat, he faced her.
"Fine, but actually, you might be the last person who wants to hear this. I think I have fallen in love with someone."

"That's great, who's the lucky one?"

He didn't respond, but watched her expression slowly changing from excitement to bitter realization.
"No. You did not fall in love with Tony of all people, did you?"

"Like I said, you're the last person who wanted to know this."

"That's not my point, Steve! I don't have a problem with you falling in love with him, it's just...he doesn't love you back either, does he?"

"Would I be here if he was?"

"I suppose not. That actually serves as a good reason for the two of us to bond, you know?"
She smiled and Steve found it to be contagious. But before he was able to respond, a familiar voice filled his head.

I need to talk to you, Captain. Now.

Steve sighed, ignoring Silver's curious look.
"Sorry, I've got to go. Don't want to anger a god."

"Right, you better hurry then."
She winked as he quickly left the kitchen and was walking back the way he had just been coming from.

He should be mad that Loki was communicating with him by entering his mind without asking, but he just coudn't bring himself to do that. Loki was used to his magic, so he probably hadn't meant to show off but assumed this was the fastest way to get to Steve.

When he reached the north wing, he saw Thor already waiting for him in front of Loki's room. He looked as confused as Steve felt, so they probably were here for the same reason. Thor twisted the handle of the door and let Steve go in first, but both came to a halt when they noticed Loki was not alone here.
Clint was sitting comfortably on the couch, nodding at his two friends in recognition. Loki smiled at them, but it didn't reach his eyes.
When both Steve and Thor had sat down next to Clint, he began pacing around in his room.

"First of all, I need everyone of you to promise me that you will not tell anybody else about this meeting. It is the reason, I have reached out to you with my magic, I did not want someone else to overhear us."

Thor tensed at his brother's words.
"Loki, what is it? You are scaring me."

After a significant pause Loki stopped in his tracks and turned to him.
"I have located Bruce Banner."

The three men looked at him in surprise, then Steve panted, "That's great, Loki! But why wouldn't you tell the others?"

"Because there is more to it than meets the eye. The good news is that he is in Alfheim."

While Thor let out the breath he had been holding, Steve and Clint didn't understand what exactly was the good news in that, so Loki explained.
"Alfheim as well as Vanaheim and Asgard belongs to the higher branches of Yggdrasil, the tree of life which connects the nine realms. It is the home of the Light Elves, a very wise people that tends to stay out of the matters of the other realms, but never refuses to help those in need. The Asgardians learned their arts of healing from the Light Elves and I am sure they have sensed that Bruce needed their help. So Alfheim is the safest place where he could be."

Clint leaned back and sighed in relief.
"Finally a little bit of luck!"

"Yes, but we need to hurry. Even if they managed to break Bruce's link with Thanos, our enemy knows exactly where to look since he will probably be able to feel it when they cut him off. We need to head for Alfheim now."

Steve frowned.
"But I still don't get why the others can't know about this."

"I will tell them as soon as you have left. But I needed to talk this through with you first, because this might be our last chance to meet in private."

Neither Steve nor Clint were able to grasp his point, but from the corner of his eye Loki noticed that Thor had stiffened and his face was wary.

"What is so important for us to know, brother?"

"When we take Bruce back with us, I will ask the Light Elves to join us in the final fight against Thanos and the Chitauri. I am positive they will take our side since Thanos aims to conquer every world including theirs and they are intelligent enough to assume that."

Thor nodded in agreement while Steve still waited for this to make sense.
"Then where's the catch?"

"The Light Elves are strong and fierce warriors despite their elegant appearance, but they will be busy enough with the Chitauri, so we have to take on Thanos alone. He is a coward, so I doubt he will be leading his army into battle but prefer to watch it from the sidelines. It will take time for me to find him, but when I do, I need you to hold everything off that comes in my way."

Finally realization dawned on Steve's face.
"You want to take him on alone?"

"Exactly."

Before Steve could even think about this turn of events, Thor had stepped forward and grabbed Loki's arm.
"No."

"Brother, this is my battle. You have never even met him, you do not know how to battle him."

He tried to free himself, but Thor just tightened his grip, his voice low and commanding.
"You will not take him on without our help."

Clint and Steve were already taking some steps back from the gods as they expected a fight within the next seconds, but to their surprise Loki just groaned in pain, his facial expression turning desperate.
"Thor, stop it! You promised you would never use the binding spell against me."

The stern face of Thor softened, but he didn't let the smaller one go.
"I know and I am sorry. But I will not watch you die again. I have already lost you once."

The words seemed to trigger a memory as the mix of pain, anger and frustration in Loki's eyes faded, leaving nothing behind but defeat.
"Fine. It is settled then. Let us inform the others."

He waited for Thor to let go, but the blond remained still, his face full of guilt.
"Loki, please forgive me, but I have to do this. I would not be able to go on without you."

There was a long silence following his words until the trickster's face softened as well.
"I know."
He reached forward and crushed their lips together, not caring that Steve and Clint were watching them.
Thor responded immediately, but before he could slip his tongue in, Loki had broken the kiss and opened the door to let all of them out.
Thor didn't want to leave yet since he could feel something unspoken hanging between them, but he knew he had already stretched Loki's nerves enough, so he left the room, his two friends close behind. But Loki's hand shot forward and he gripped Clint's arm gently but also firmly.
The latter looked up into Loki's eyes and waited while the god closed the door behind Steve and Thor.

"Agent Barton, I need you to promise me something."

Clint didn't like the determined hint in his voice.
"What is it?"

"When we fight the Chitauri, I want you keep an eye on the others, especially my brother."

"They don't need me to watch out for them."

"That is not what I asked you to do, Clint."

Noticing the change in the salutation, Clint turned Loki's words around in his head until he understood what was expected from him.
"You want me to ensure they won't prevent you from fighting Thanos on your own."
Loki nodded and Clint sighed.
"I can't do that to Thor. If something happens to you, he will be devastated."

"I have no intention of dying yet. And as an agent you probably are smart enough to assume that Thanos will not be taken down by physical strength. I am a wielder of magic, so I must be the one to face him. Still, it will be a very difficult task, an impossible one if I constantly have to worry about my lover's safety."

Clint hadn't
thought about that and had to admit it was logical.
"Why me?"
An almost sad smile spread on Loki's face.

"Because you are the only one of them who is not too attached to me. The strength of the Avengers is based on friendship and you are the only one who still holds a grudge against me."

"You're talking about you brainwashing me, right?"

"Yes. Additionally you are an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and therefore prepared to make sacrifices."

That pricked up Clint's ears.
"You haven't mentioned sacrifices before."

"When I was alone with Thor, I formed an alliance with the king of the fire demons, Surtur. He told me the key for defeating Thanos is me breaking the spell that binds me to Thor. Back then, I was not sure of the meaning behind this, but I am now. Right now, Thor has the power over my will as you have just witnessed. I need to break the bond between us, so that I am able to do whatever is necessary."

"You mean, so that you can be reckless."

"If you want to say it like that. I can only win against Thanos if I am prepared to risk everything, but I cannot do this with Thor trying to keep me safe."

The tactical killer in Clint was agreeing with everything Loki had just said, still Clint couldn't bring himself to give in so easily.
"He's doing this, because he loves you, Loki."

Suddenly, the god's face was more vulnerable than he had ever seen.
"I know. But that is also why I need to do this. I have loved him for all my life, so I will not watch him fighting when he has no chance of winning. I on the other hand might have a good one thanks to my magic."

Clint couldn't help but notice how much these two brothers were different yet so much alike.
"Okay, I promise I'll help you. But I can't shake off the feeling, you're not telling me everything."

"That is not for me to tell and you to know."

Nodding, Clint opened the door to leave, almost missing Loki's silent words.

"Thank you, Clint."

~0~

An hour later Loki and the five Avengers were ready to leave Midgard. Nick had not been happy about their plan to go alone, claiming anything could happen to them without him noticing, but Loki suspected he just wasn't used to not being in control of everything.
Silver had understood that she couldn't come with them, because it would get too dangerous for an ordinary human, but she had only given in after Tony and Steve had made Nick promise he would allow her to stay and keep her updated if there was something important going on.
Thor had just retrieved the Tesseract from the safe under the Avengers Tower where it had been stored since he had arrived on Midgard with Loki.
Nick, Silver and some agents were standing at the edge of the rooftop, carefully keeping their distance when Steve spoke.

"We won't come back here until all of this is over and I'm convinced we will meet just like we're now departing, only with Bruce in addition. Wish us luck."

He grabbed the handle of the Tesseract on the opposite side where Thor was alreading holding it. At one side Thor's hand was joined by Loki's, their fingers entwining, before Clint's hand was overlapping theirs. At the other side Tony laid his hand over Steve's and the latter almost shivered from the sensation and he could feel Silver's sympathetic smile from the sidelines while Natasha's hand joined theirs.

Nick took a small step forward.
"The fate of all the worlds is in your hands now. We count on you."

Then Steve pulled the handle, releasing the energy that embraced them like a wildfire and then they were sucked upwards. It was an undescribable experience, not really comfortable and he had to admit he liked Heimdall's way much better, but at least it didn't take longer. Just a few seconds later Steve's feet hit the ground and like all the others except the two gods, he fell to the ground from the hard landing.

Thor looked around.
"I have never been to Alfheim before. It is beautiful."

He was right. They had landed in the middle of a forest glade, the sun warming up their skins. Except for the blue sky and the great mountain in the distance they were surrounded by very old trees, bigger than anything that was ordinary by Midgardian standards.

Tony was the first to break out of their awe.
"Well, it doesn't look like I have to put on my suit for now. That's a win, I'd say."

Clint had run to one of the trees and was now jumping and climbing higher, the others watching him while Tony asked.

"What are you doing, searching for a place to build your nest?"

"I'm searching for any sight of a town or a village nearby. If the Tesseract has brought us here, Bruce shouldn't be too far."

Loki sighed and hurried to explain.
"I doubt you will find anything from this far away. The villages of the Light Elves are very different from that of other races. They are considered to be the guardians of nature, that's why they live in the trees."

Tony chuckled.
"In the trees, seriously? Like in Lord of the Rings?"

Loki frowned in confusion just like Thor and Steve at his sides, causing Tony to roll his eyes.
"Forget what I just said."

Clint's voice from above them captured their attention.
"Well, it seems like Loki is right. All I can see are mountains, lakes and forests."

Natasha looked to the two gods.
"So, how are we supposed to find them?"

"We are not," was Loki's simple answer and she turned to Thor who added, "He means we will wait here until they find us. Like Loki said they are one with nature, so they will have noticed the disturbance in energy when the Tesseract sent us here."

Steve stepped to Natasha's side.
"What makes you so sure they will welcome us with open arms?"

But it was Loki who answered him.
"They will not, that is why you should let me do the talking."

"Now, that's comforting."

They fell silent, Natasha waiting for Clint to climb down the tree while Steve and Tony stood in the middle of the glade as if they were awaiting an attack. Thor took Loki's hand in his, his thumb rubbing over the sensitive skin at his wrist to make Loki's mask go away.
"Brother, I still need to thank you for this."

"What do you mean?"

"You helping us to get Bruce back. It is not a part of your original search and I never had to ask you to do it, you just went along."

Loki smiled.
"Only a fool would leave the Hulk behind. Besides, he is your friend and I would not want to anger our God of Thunder."

He grinned during the last words and Thor moved closer, their faces just inches apart.
"I would love for you to make me angry, because then you would have to make it up to me."

Loki's grin faded and got replaced by desire.
"And how would I have to make it up?"

"I am sure you can think of some way to satisfy me."

"You are insatiable."
Then he crossed the last distance and kissed Thor gently, trying to pull back after a second, but Thor's grip tightened and he deepened the kiss, their tongues circling around each other in a wild dance.

"Guys, could you please wait until you are alone?"

Steve's complain made them break apart, but they still looked at each other with a smile that was too intimidating for the others.
Shaking his head in amusement, Steve turned his back on them, just as eight figures jumped out of a tree crown, all of them armed with bow and arrow aimed at them, except for the one in the middle, probably their superior who just had a dagger in his hand.

"What brings the the two princes of Asgard and four humans into our realm? We rarely have visitors."

Steve stepped forward.
"We think a friend of us is with you and we are here to take him back with us."

The elf focused on him, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"And if you are right? Do you want us to give him back and let you leave?"

Now it was Tony who answered.
"Actually, yes, that was the plan."

"Silence, everyone!" Loki ordered and approached the elf carefully. "You know I am Loki of Asgard, but since you obviously are the leader of the King's Watch, you probably know that I am more than that."

The elf took his time with his answer.
"You are right, I do. You are the son of Laufey, the former ruler of Jotunheim and the winds whispered to me, also his murderer. That is not a reputation that amplifies trust."

"What is your name, warrior?"

"Tuor."

"Tell me, Tuor, where would your loyalty lie? With the man that you don't know and that abandoned you or the one whom you considered your father for all your life?"
The Elf didn't answer, but understanding was written all over his face when Loki continued.
"I let my emotions decide my actions. I was a fool, I know that now."

Tuor straightened and broke the eye contact, turning away from Loki.
"Our people does not like Odin very much, because of the many wars he has fought, even though he seems to have changed. Our kind is very open with its feelings, that is why we do not seek contact with the other realms, but I can sense something very raw and pure about you, Loki, even if it has been twisted and distorted. Allowing your feelings could either be your rescue or your doom, but not the wisest man could tell which path you will choose."
He blinked as if he was trying to shake these unsettling thoughts off his mind.
"I sympathize with you, I truly do, but my opinion does not count. I need to take you to Freyr, our king, he has been expecting someone to come although I am sure he will be surprised to see the two Asgardian princes. Come with me."

It was no question and when his companions circled Thor, Loki and the four humans, they had no choice but to follow Tuor.