Everything was going fine until they tried getting Anthony to walk up the stairs. The stairwell was too narrow for Sam and Steve to carry someone between them, so Steve took over alone. Sam and James followed behind, to catch Steve and Anthony if they tumbled backwards, which they almost did several times. That left Loki at the front, since he had a key. Of course they could've searched Anthony's pockets for his dorm key, but Loki had a copy of Thor's.
He had refused the copy over and over again. Thor insisted, and so did Mother. While Thor wanted it as an open invitation to visit anytime, their Mother wanted it more as an extra safety measure. In case 'anything' ever happened. Loki couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of horrors her mind was thinking up where Loki would need Thor's key. Yet, it came in very handy now.
"Tony, please work with me." Steve pleaded for the fifth or sixth time that Loki could recall. It was as if Anthony was doing everything in his power to make their journey as difficult as possible.
"I am! But you-" Whatever he had been about to say cut off, followed by several seconds of silence. Loki could tell he wasn't the only one interested in why. But before he could turn around to peek, he felt a hand firmly grasp his left buttcheek.
"I beg your pardon." Loki scolded, turning around, finally reaching the floor Anthony resided on. As soon as he faced Anthony, the other mans face lit up.
"Hey, It's you!" Anthony looked at Steve, as if expecting him to be shocked also. Steve just looked confused and slightly embarrassed.
"You boys can play grab-ass later." James said, pushing his way past them. "Lets put him to bed before he tries it on anyone else."
Loki was offended…and slightly flustered. What had that been about. Clearly Anthony hadn't realized who's ass he had been trying to grab, but he did it anyways. Should Loki take it as a compliment? After all, it had left Anthony speechless. The thought almost made him laugh out loud, but he pushed it down. As far as anyone else should be concerned, he was mad about it. Steve and Anthony seemed to be fairly good friends, maybe he would tell him to keep his hands to himself.
Opening the door, Loki frowned. It was as messy in here as it was in James' room. And this was the whole dorm, not just a room. Loki noticed some of Thor's possessions here and there, and also a lot of metal bits. Screws, nuts, bolts, tools, and whatnot littered practically every surface that Thor's stuff wasn't on. They must belong to Anthony. Loki knew Thor wasn't skilled at building things like that. There was even what appeared to be a half built robot in the corner.
Loki remembered being in here for their party and it hadn't looked as messy as this. How they let it build up like this in just a few weeks, he didn't know. Thor had always been a slob, and it looks like they paired him with the perfect roommate. Just as soon as Loki realized Thor wasn't here, his thick-skulled Brother decided to walk in behind them.
"Brother! Friends!" Thor's face lit up. He couldn't even have the decency to act upset that there was a group of people in his living space, uninvited.
"Thor. I would've thought you'd still be with that lovely lady from before." Loki said the word lovely with as much venom as Draco Malfoy would say the word mud blood. He didn't know where that came from, but everyone except Anthony tensed up.
"Steve, thank you for assisting Tony home. All of you, thank you. I can help him from here." Thor picked Anthony up and threw him over his shoulder, causing the smaller man to let out a little yelp and big laugh. Everyone took that as their cue to leave and Loki tried following them, not wanting to hang around. Thor clearly had other ideas.
"Stay, Brother." Thor had never used that tone of voice with Loki before. He recognized it as the warning voice he used when telling people he didn't want a fight, before knocking them on their ass. It was the voice Odin used on them when they were younger and in trouble. Loki knew he struck a nerve in Thor that he hadn't ever before, no matter how many times he tried.
Thor closed the door and gestured for Loki to sit on the couch. He didn't. While Thor went to put Anthony in bed, Loki took the same precautions as he had with James. He couldn't find a bottle of water, so he washed out a glass and filled it. Then he emptied out the waste basket in the bathroom. Why Thor and Anthony used so many Q-tips and razors, he had no idea. Just as Thor was closing the door to Anthony's room, Loki put his foot out and stopped it. Thor gave him a quizzical look.
"Thor your place is trashed enough without him throwing up everywhere." Loki said, slightly agitated. Especially when he saw Thor had placed Anthony on his back. "And leave him on his stomach, not his back. If he vomits, he'll choke on it and die."
At that, Thor seemed embarrassed. For someone who drank so much, he didn't seem to know how to deal with someone else drinking. He just went to wait on the couch for Loki to come back. Loki may have been taller than Anthony, but the other man was thicker. Not fat. He was in fact in very good shape. It was just a little difficult flipping him over. After he finally had him on his belly, he noticed Anthony was awake, and confused.
"Sleep on your stomach. I left a bucket here if you throw up. And there's some water on the nightstand. Drink." Of course Loki had to clear off a spot for the glass. Even his room was messy. He started walking away, when a hand reached up and grabbed his wrist.
"Thanks, Loki." Anthony said softly and with a smile. It was a different smile than he had seen plastered on the mans face all night. It seemed more genuine somehow. Though he couldn't be sure, he didn't know the man after all. Within seconds the grip on his wrist relaxed, Anthony had fallen back asleep.
In the living room, Thor had a peculiar look on his face. Loki wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go, but he wasn't looking forward to it. Just the unfamiliar tone of Thor's voice had left Loki shaken. Loki didn't sit down, he just stood on the opposite side of the couch, not wanting to be closer to Thor than he had to be.
"Thank you for that." Thor nodded towards Anthony's room.
"Yes. Well, if I had left it to you, he would be dead by morning. Or worse. Covered entirely in vomit." Loki told him. He could see the twinkle in Thor's eyes, like he was holding back a laugh.
"It is true. I've never had to deal with someone else drinking. I'm usually the one to pass out." There was sadness in his voice. It made Loki uncomfortable, yet he wasn't sure why. "You don't know him. Yet you're so kind. I see it with your friends, too. The red head and the tattoo man."
"Natasha and James. Bucky. That's what they all call him. He's not fond of being called James." And to that Thor actually did laugh.
"That's the Loki I'm used to. Doing things regardless of others feelings. Or to me at least. But to all these people you're so gentle." Thor was quiet for a while. Loki wasn't sure if he was waiting for a response. He didn't even know what to say to that. "Why do you hate me, brother?"
The sadness in Thor's voice threw Loki off guard. Like a train hitting him full speed. It knocked the breath out of him. The rawness of the question let Loki see a side of Thor he had never seen before. Before Loki could speak, Thor continued.
"We used to be so close. I don't know what happened. I thought the world of you, Brother. I still do. Just tell me how to make things right." Loki could see the tears threatening to fall down his face. It was too much, Loki didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to say. Thankfully Thor just kept talking, as if having the conversation by himself.
"I tried being your friend. You hated it. I tried giving you space. And now you're mad that I've found someone. How can I make you happy, Loki? I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her. Her name is Jane Foster. She's majoring in Astrophysics. She's brilliant. I care for her greatly, I'd love for the two of you to meet."
It was like a punch in the gut. Thor had been trying to give him space. Trying to make him happy. And in the mean time Thor found someone special. In the past, Thor had dated many, man women. They all went crazy for him. This was different. Loki could see it on his face, hear it in his voice. This Jane Foster was very special to Thor. Yet he kept it to himself, trying to keep Loki happy. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time tore at his chest.
"Well I guess that wouldn't be such an awful meeting." Loki told him, swallowing his pride and sitting next to his Brother on the couch. "She must be very smart to be an Astrophysicist. I cant imagine what she'd see in you."
Thor laughed at that and placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. Maybe he had been a little to harsh on his Brother recently. This didn't fix everything, but baby steps. A compliment to his girlfriend, but a playful insult to him. Loki would work on it. After all, Thor wasn't the one he was truly mad at. But somehow in his hatred of Odin, Thor had received the brunt of most of his anger.
"Me either, Brother. But I'm grateful she does." With that they said their goodnights and Loki went back to his dorm feeling like a weight he didn't even know existed had been lifted off his shoulders. He briefly wondered how long that would last, before shoving the thought down. It wouldn't do him any good to dwell on that. He'd just enjoy the good moments as they came.