A/N: I've had a moderately awful cough for 2 weeks now...Stupid climate. Anyway, thank you to reviewers Guest, Aquarinus, THORKISUPPORT, EvilConcubine, Tilda (woah. Thank you), ClintBarton-Loki'sButtWarmer, jaquelinelittle, kakashidiot (four times xD), Blood Never Lies (I agree), MilkyWayGalaxy, Quantumphysica, Haruko-Mizumi, AvengersJunkie (there are more Junkies? XD), angrbodagiantess, Potkanka and Insane Elvish Vampire Pirate And The Demented Hobbit Ninja, as well as my Fav'ers, Followers, and awesomely squishy beta Bomber.

Rebel Lion & Anti-Loki: You probably won't read this unfortunately, but Clint gets better later on. I'm not quite sure why Jane's death rendered the entire fic suddenly unreadable when she was already absent for the entire thing, bar one chapter. Quite frankly (not to sound irritable or anything like that) your remarks were a tad...meaningless.

Without a word, Thor began pushing Loki in his wheelchair away.

'Hey, you two.' A smile broke across Stark's face, only to drop as he placed a hand on his stomach. He looked like he had just dragged himself out of bed, and both his cardigan and the T-shirt under it were crumpled and damp with sweat. Steadying himself, he continued, 'I was just on my way up to see you. Hey, wait. I just wanted to say a couple of words. I will follow you up to the medibay, if necessary...'

Turning his head, Loki dared to glance up at his brother's expression. All he could see was a dim profile, but he knew the gathering storm-clouds were on the verge of breaking.

'Go back to bed and sleep away your sickness. You humans haven't the stomach for such immoderate drinking.'

'I would be a bit less sick if the medical bay wasn't off limits,' Stark pointed out.

Interpreting this as an implication that Loki was somehow to blame, Thor halted.

'What did you expect?' he snapped, 'That I would let you within sight of my brother again?'

'Well, no, but after everything we've been through together – '

'Do not try to manipulate me.'

'I'm not. Look, can you at least hear me out?' Tony stumbled over himself, '...Please?'

Thor – with great effort – held his tongue for Loki's sake, instead giving a single nod. Almost any other transgression he would've let go upon receiving an apology, but the injured party here was a much-loved brother, and so he was holding tight to his anger.

'Speak, and be brief.'

Tony started to lean down to Loki's eye-level, then thought better of bending over and stayed upright.

'Look. I was drunk, alright? Drunk and stupid. You know that. You know I would never have done it otherwise. Hurting you was the absolute last thing I intended. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Real sorry. And I do mean real sorry. I know I caused you pain and compromised your safety. I know there's a bunch of dumbasses outside the Tower waving signs and yelling for your blood – '

Loki's eyes widened, and he felt the wheelchair creak as his brother's fists clenched around its handles.

' – I know and I wanted to apologise for my part in it.'

'Are you finished?' Thor asked curtly.

'Pretty much. Well, no, I was gonna ask if there was anything I could do to make things better.'

'Keeping your distance from us would be a start.'

'Thor, don't.' Loki sounded pained, and Thor fell silent. Stark – nausea now overcoming him – made an inarticulate noise of apology and beat a hasty retreat. 'Brother, how can I be expected to live here if I have no friends?'

'You have me, always,' said Thor in surprise, 'Can that not be enough?'

'Of course. But how can I make peace with these humans as you want me to if you forbid them to even speak to me?' Loki groped for an explanation. 'I don't want to be isolated forever.'

'I will not speak angrily to Stark again. I promise.'

Loki said nothing more on the matter – he found he had no stomach for a prolonged argument, especially not with his brother.

'I'm suddenly tired,' he said, 'Can we go back?'

'Of course.'

Two similarly uncomfortable days later, they were relocated to a two-bed guest suite which had been fully prepared with necessary medical equipment – and also blacked-out windows, in case of any prying eyes outside. It was comfortable and luxuriously furnished. Banner still visited them, and Loki still spent the majority of his time resting, but they were satisfied that it was another step towards recovery. Thor's spirits were lifting once more and he got some of his cheerfulness back, talking or else reading books aloud to keep his brother entertained.

Still Thor did not sleep, instead sitting with Loki during the day and keeping silent watch over him at night.

As their time on Midgard ran out and the day of the portal's opening drew nearer, Loki grew more and more nervous. His frustration with his own weakness, and his restlessness at his confinement, came to the surface. He still avoided giving Thor a straight answer about whether or not he wanted to go home, but it was very plain that he did not want to face Asgard in such frail condition. Letting his guard down with Thor was one thing, but being helpless in front of Odin was another.

'I have a feeling it might be tomorrow,' Thor informed him as he set the table for two. Their lunch had just been delivered up to them (the suite had a kitchen, easy enough to use, but Thor couldn't cook) on trays, along with the usual see-through bags of unappetising liquid for Loki. Loki, wrapped comfortably in a blanket, was sitting in his wheelchair.

'What makes you think so?' he asked.

'Enough time has passed. I am quite sure it must be only hours left until Father opens the way. I don't suppose you've...?'

'No. I haven't decided.'

'Alright.' Thor paused, staring down at the spread of food on the table. There was a spicy stew, and bowls of soft white boiled grains – a far cry from Asgardian fare. 'If you do not return, shall you at least leave a message for Mother? You know you will very likely not see her again for some time.'

Receiving no reply, he turned around and realised Loki had wheeled himself away; he was just in time to see Loki disappear into their shared bedroom, shutting the door behind himself.

'Brother?'

'I'm tired. I'll eat later.'

'Shall I help you into bed?'

'No. I can manage. I might be half-blind but I'm not crippled.'

'Very well.' Swallowing his disappointment, Thor began putting away the tableware. 'If you need anything, I'm right here.' Only a few minutes had gone by when he heard a soft thud from the bedroom. It could've been nothing, but immediately Thor conjectured that Loki had fallen. 'Loki, are you alright?' he called loudly, but as he approached the door, he heard the gentle click of the lock and hesitated.

'Don't come in here,' Loki's muffled voice came through. He sounded shaken, but the fact he was still alive and able to speak was a relief to Thor.

'What's wrong?' Confused, Thor was ready to punch the door out of its frame. 'Are you hurt? Are you ill?'

'No. Don't come in here yet. Please.'

Responding in the negative, Thor broke open the door to find Loki kneeling on the carpet, his head lowered and breath laboured as if he had just run a race. His hospital gown was folded neatly up beside him, and he grabbed it and gathered it about himself to hide self-consciously. Thor immediately knelt beside him, but Loki shied away from his touch.

'Brother, what happened?'

'Nothing.'

But Loki was inexplicably exhausted; reaching up, he smoothed back what little hair he had, brushing the tangled strands away from his forehead. Thor's eyes followed the gesture, and he suddenly realised what Loki had done.

'You tried to do magic, didn't you?'

Loki closed his eyes, as if giving up trying to discern the darkness of his own vision.

'I tried to change clothes,' he said shortly. His tone was surprisingly terse, and Thor realised he was ashamed to have had his magic fail him.

'Brother, you shouldn't have. You're not strong enough – '

'Do you think I don't know that?' Loki sucked in a ragged breath to steady himself. 'I don't want the All-Father to see me like this, wearing clothes borrowed from humans, looking nothing like myself. Nothing like a – ' he groped, unsure of whether to say "prince". He unexpectedly crumbled, dropping his head into his hands. Before Thor could think of anything to say to comfort him, J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke.

'Sirs, Mister Rogers asks me to notify you that a portal is in the process of opening. It's time for Loki to go home.'

Upon hearing those words, Loki's face went slack with utter dread.