14.

That night Thor wakes in the semi–dark of dawn to the sound of Loki laughing as he emerges shaking from his nightmares. He frowns, afraid that he has failed, that Loki has finally cracked as he knows he fears he will –

"Loki?"

Loki turns to him as his shaking subsides, smiling through his fading fears and shaking his head.

"It's alright Thor – it's alright – it's wasn't one of those – it was just – just a nightmare. I never –" he breaks off, smiling and taking a deep shuddering breath into stillness – "I never had a normal nightmare like that before, just monsters and not – not the usual, I – could get used to it."

There is a part of Thor that could laugh at Loki for this, not really understanding how a nightmare can be better than another nightmare – but another part of him both loves Loki and wants to protect him all the more for being grateful for a dream that is at least not as bad as usual. Even so Loki rests his head against Thor's chest, curling himself in so that all of Thor's limbs surround him as he has become accustomed to on those nights when he could not see for the sweat dripping into his eyes. Thor strokes his hair and shoulders until he feels Loki calm, though he suspects that this time Loki more simply enjoys than desperately needs the attention.

"Loki, my Loki," he murmurs to him like a lullaby, and it is a song he has learnt by heart now, it is the song that his heart beats to, thrumming to that pulse, the music of it washing over Loki like a water that clears away all badness. It hurts Thor's heart to see his proud arrogant Loki like this every night, to feel him cling to him like he is Thor's child or little brother. It hurts - but it is still Loki, he knows, as much if not more than the sly, commanding creature he has come to know by day. But there are as many Lokis as there are changes in the weather; he knows that now and loves them all.

"Tell me," his lips press kisses into Loki's head that Loki could swear he feels seep into his brain.

"Monsters –" Loki whispers, sounding too like that child Thor knows he never was – "Well, alright, just the one but it had so many heads it seemed like many – like in the stories, you know? I fought it and every time I cut off a head it grew another two back. Its breath was foul – were you breathing in my face?" he turns to Thor with the glint of a grin in his eye. Thor punches him lightly on the arm.

"I know those stories, I was read them as a child. As I recall the hero cut the heads at the base did he not?"

"I recall he cauterised them as they grew back." Loki shrugs – "Tales of valour not really my thing. Anyway I don't think Ireally wanted to kill it – so much as just get away, but everywhere was water all around." Loki curls over to go back to sleep and Thor sinks down behind him, curling protectively into his back –

"I hope I don't go back there" Loki yawns.

"If you do, dream me with you and I will kill the monster for you."

"Yes," Loki breathes in a contented sigh – "You would, wouldn't you?" He smiles a smile meant to be secret but Thor knows and traces Loki's lips with his finger as they curve, his heart warming as only Loki's happiness can warm it. By the time he has finished kissing Loki's shoulder Loki is asleep again and this time dreaming pleasantly.

_x_

The next morning a slave brings Loki a letter that makes him frown, chewing his finger as he squints at it over the end of breakfast. Thor looks up concerned –

"What is it?"

Loki hands him the note, still frowning. The contents make nothing any clearer to Thor for they seem to be written in a language he has never seen –

"I don't speak this language –" he frowns, handing it back to Loki unread.

"It's not a language. It's a code. That's not what I don't understand."

"You can read this?"

"Yes."

"Well what does it say? Perhaps I can help?"

Loki gives him a rather withering look that says quite plainly I doubt it.

"Whoever wrote this must have known that I could read this I just cannot think who would have guessed that – alright –" Loki refocuses – It says, "Tiberius' army amassed in hiding on outskirts of Rome. Suspect connection to conspiracy between members of Royal family and Commander Lucius Aelius Sejanus. Suspect those in league with aforementioned to be in extreme danger. Rome unsafe. Leave." – who would even know that? More than that – who would know my allegiances to warn me of this?"

"You're going to have to fill me in –" Thor shakes his head in bewilderment – "I'm a gladiator – they do not tell us the ins and outs of whatever intrigue Rome is currently embroiled in."

"Really?" Loki groans – "I thought everyone knew – The Wart long since abandoned the city, he took up an almost permanent residence on Capri leaving Sejanus in charge in Rome."

"Who's Sejanus?"

Loki rolls his eyes impatiently – "Gods! Consul? Commander of the Praetorian guard? He was nobody but he's risen to the highest point in Rome and everyone's knows he's long since been trying to marry his way into the imperial family and make his succession more valid –"

Loki cannot keep the faint tone of admiration out of his voice.

"Succession?" Thor interrupts – "But the emperor's nephews come first surely?"

"That's the point! That's why he's been trying to validate it. But it's been clear to everyone for ages that a move on his part to take over from the emperor, whether through fair means or foul, is only to be expected in light of the Wart's continued absence. Everyone of any note who is not held back by an antiquated moral system has been backing him in this –"

"Every unscrupulous nobleman or politician you mean?"

"Now you're getting it!"

"Every unscrupulous nobleman such as –" Thor's eyes narrow as he works it out.

"Finally!" Loki groans. "Essentially, what I have from this is that he's made his move but the emperor has somehow been tipped off and now Sejanus and anyone who has openly supported him is going to be in deep shit –"

"And that includes you!"

"Yes, thank you for that observation Thor! But now someone's tipped me off we can get ourselves the hell out of Rome – today if necessary. I just wish I knew who it was –"

Thor takes the letter from his hand again and looks at it just for a moment –

"It's Natasha."

"How the hell would you –"

"This scribble - here –" Thor points to something Loki had thought was an ink splotch – "It's a spider – The Widow, like she said."

Loki nods, annoyed that Thor has worked this out where he did not –

"That makes sense. She would know this was relevant to me – to us. We just – do you know anyone in Rome? Anyone trustworthy?"

"You ask me this? You, who have the connections in Rome?"

"I said trustworthy, Thor".

"To what purpose?"

"I have just one other estate – in the south of Gaul, but if we're to slip out un-noticed from what I fear may be to come, it will have to be just us – you and I. It would help to leave someone we could trust here to look over this place until such time as we can return."

"Loki, everyone I know is a gladiator –"

"Fine! Is there one you can trust?"

Thor thinks for a moment and finally nods –

"Yes I think there might be," he says finally – "If he's still alive."

_x_

Whilst Loki paces his estate, alternately anxious to no effect and getting everything in order for them to leave, Thor heads to the coliseum one final time. There is a shame in coming here like this that all his loyalty to Loki cannot quite spare him, a shame that compounded by the sneer of the guards at the gladiator's gate;

"Oh look it's the gladiator turned pet," one of them smirks. "Tell me, German, can you still handle a weapon or just fetch sticks?" Thor bears this patiently, even when the second guard grins at this and follows it with a comment of such appalling vulgarity Thor only controls himself by imagining what Loki would say if he had been there, down to the last detail where the guards head rolls out across the street and is crushed beneath the hooves of a passing horse. It takes all his patience and constraint to make his inquiries and then far more time than it should to get any useful answer at all.

His new-found information takes him to a fine house on Janiculum Hill where he stops in the fading light and the gathering cloud to sigh before he knocks for entry, expecting similar treatment here than in the coliseum. Instead, having requested to see General Thaddeus Ross, he is glared at for his inquiries and told firmly to leave with no further information. Something in the old man's tone brooks no argument and he nods and turns to leave.

He is half way down the hill when he hears footsteps running behind him and a girl's voice calling him to wait. He turns and sees a small cloaked figure hurrying after him the way he has just come. He frowns and pauses for her to catch up and when she does he recognises her as the girl from the arena –

"You were at my house just now," she gasps, breathing heavily from running – "Please – why were you asking after Bruce?" She looks up only on the end of her sentence and when she sees Thor's face her own darkens – "Oh!" she exclaims and it turns into a scowl –" I know you – you're the one who nearly killed him!" Thor cannot help feeling ridiculous in cringing beneath the girl's glare, but he feels himself almost shrinking himself. He opens his mouth to say something, possibly sorry though it seems insufficient under the circumstances, but she pre – empts him –

"You didn't want to. I understand but – what do you want with him now?"

"Look, I know this sounds insane but I have nobody else to ask – nobody I could trust – now I need help and the only person I have been able to think of is someone I only ever spoke with two words together. But I have this idea I can trust him and just now that has to be enough."

She looks at him searchingly a moment and finally nods –

"What kind of help?"

Thor explains, at least as much as that they are leaving Rome in a hurry and do not want to leave Loki's only safe hold in the city unprotected. As he says this Betty puts a hand to her mouth, stifling a slight little laugh –

"That's more perfect than you could know" she smiles – "Bruce is hiding. You see I've let my father think he was dead. He never was a gladiator, but a citizen of Rome –"

"I have heard of them" Thor nods – "Romans who fight as Gladiators for sport." he tries to keep his tone neutral not wanting to offend the lady but it must have come out otherwise for she is immediately defensive –

"It was not sport!" she snaps – "Father made him. Made him believe he had a chance with me if he would test his new weapons for him as a gladiator. It was never a chance – father hates him and hoped it would get him killed. Now he thinks he has succeeded and between that and his growing power in Rome, is already planning my marriage to someone else."

"The balance of power in Rome looks set to swing wildly," Thor interrupts her gently – "I would not be so disheartened – and with a change in location perhaps the accompanying appearance of status may sway your father's opinion."

"Let us hope so," she replies, gravely, nodding her respect and her hope as she directs Thor to the crumbling tenement across town where he can find The Hulk who is so no longer.

_x_

"Really?" Loki nearly explodes, tense from anxious waiting, when Thor returns exhausted that evening with Bruce in tow – "Have you gone out of your tiny German mind?"

Thor is tired from the day spent running from one side of the city to another, and out of patience.

"Loki, this is Bruce, Bruce this is my….master." He half expects Loki to take extreme affront at the tone he cannot keep out of his voice but to his relief Loki does not bother, instead looking curiously at the man who seems so much smaller out of the arena it is hard to believe it is the same person. Eventually Loki smirks and nods –

"I see, that's your play is it?" he raises an eyebrow at the erstwhile Hulk who does not take the bait. "Oh very well, if he says you can be trusted – I'm afraid there's no time to really fill you in – Thor we have to leave and leave now, I've already saddled the horses – we'll send you word when we have it to send." And with that Loki heads to the stables. Thor smiles at Bruce apologetically –

"Loki has informed all the staff here of your stewardship of the place – I am sorry –"

"Don't be –" Bruce waves this off as nothing, but then catches Thor's arm as he turns to follow Loki – "Listen – this crisis that runs your master out of town – it would not happen to portend ill effect to other corrupt persons in power would it?"

"I would say that depends upon General Thaddeus' political leanings –"

"I see we're on the same page. Like most of the Praetorian Guard he has of late become closely affiliated with Consul Sejanus."

Thor smiles broadly and pats him on the shoulder heartily –

"I think I can safely wish you and your lady all the best for the future –"

"Thor!" Loki's yell echoes back to him – "Come on!"

Thor makes another awkward smile, and follows in the direction Loki went. Loki, already on his horse, is even pacing nervously from a mounted position and as Thor swings into the saddle beside him the sky overhead begins to rumble ominously in agreement.

_x_

Phew, I'm sorry about all the plot and history in this chapter! I hope it makes sense but hey if yous want to read up more on the fall of Sejanus it's a terribly exciting, gruesome moment in history! Needless to say it's highly unlikely any of his supporters really did get tipped off but that's 'cause Natasha didn't really exist back then. Sad but true. More of your regular feels in the next chapter though there's still some plot to get through!

Also yes I did a cheesy thing and if you don't know what monster Loki was dreaming about I'm gonna be so disappointed! :-)