There was silence in Thor's bedroom.
Loki didn't dare to look up to observe his brother's and Strange's reaction to what he has just said.
"Because I didn't want to be alone anymore."
It was the truth. The trickster spoke the whole truth and now he could only hope that he would not live to regret it. And that they would actually believe that for once, he sincerely meant what he said.
Thor could. Loki had said it to him already in the gladiators' prison on Sakaar. I guess I'll have to do it alone. Like I've always done. Back then, Thor only laughed at Loki's confession.
Loki's train of thoughts was interrupted by an eruption of pain in his ribcage.
Loki tried to scream but he only panted.
"By Odin's beard, I am so sorry, brother!" Thor uttered horrified and pulled away from his younger sibling. The Thunderer's attempt to embrace Loki was well-meant, but in the emotional moment, Thor forgot about Loki's injured ribs.
Loki felt as if a volcano erupted and the lava flow flooded his chest. It was such intense pain that the god found himself bending forward to lean his arms against the soft bed. He tried to focus on his breathing to control and suppress the pain.
He flinched when a big palm touched his back. Yet the hand did nothing to cause him further suffering; instead it was gently stroking his back in soothing circles. Loki focused on its calming regularity and warmth and fortunately, the pain slowly went away. When he felt strong enough, he went back into a sitting position. Loki glanced at his brother whose hand never left his back.
"I am so sorry, Loki. I wasn't thinking. I tried to hug you, but I didn't realise my own strength and your ribs…I should have known." Thor's expression was the definition of penitence.
"It's alright." The younger one mumbled. He still felt a bit humiliated and unsure about what he had said earlier.
"Loki, you will never be alone again. You must know that. I won't leave you. You even heard Heimdall; you managed to win the Asgardians' trust again. They gave me their blessing to go to find you, whatever it takes." Thor spoke seriously. For a moment, both brothers forgot about the presence of Doctor Strange in the room.
"Yeah." Loki muttered insecurely before he could stop himself.
"Loki, look at me." Thor insisted. He continued only when Loki's confused and still slightly sleepy eyes met his remaining eye. "I will not abandon you nor will I choose anyone's safety over yours. You are my brother and we must always protect each other. We may have not done that job justice lately but I swear that since this day, I will do everything in my power to keep you from harm. You have my word."
"And you have mine." Loki smiled shyly at Thor. Seeing his brother's appearing grin, he added: "Someone must use his brain for you, considering that your biceps are the only thing you decided to bless with usage. So the next time you try to squeeze the life out of someone with numerous broken ribs, I will be there to stop you."
"I am sorry about that, Loki." Thor said completely serious again.
"I trust you, Thor." Loki spoke the sentence before understanding its full implications. Yet when Thor's hoping gaze reached his, the God of Mischief knew that he meant it. Finally, he trusted Thor again. He knew that his brother would not give him up, he would not abandon him, he would not cease loving him and he would protect him against his friends if the need be. He would tend to his wounds, embrace him when he could use some comfort and he would not laugh if he displayed insecurity or affection. He would accept Loki's council and view him as his equal.
All these thoughts mirrored in Loki's deep eyes and his expression.
Thor didn't miss it. His eye watered involuntarily and he once again tried to embrace his brother. This time gently, paying attention to Loki's broken bones. Without hesitation, the younger god returned the hug.
"Little brother…" Thor began saying, but the nickname reminded Loki of the fact that Strange was still in the room, observing the whole exchange.
"Damn." Loki said and quickly ceased hugging Thor. His eyes searched the space in front of the bed. Yet Strange was nowhere to be found.
…
"How do you use this toaster, Tony?" Steve questioned the complicated-looking machine standing on the kitchen board. He had seen those before, but Stark's one looked completely different than any other. It had countless buttons, all of them without any indication what they might do, and it made the impression more of a bomb than a toaster.
"It is my own design." Tony said which explained everything. "You have to press the top right button which will enable you to turn on the three buttons under it in order to activate…" Tony didn't get a chance to finish.
"Could you make me two toasts, Tony?" Steve asked, understanding that he would never get the grip on the functioning of Tony's machine anyway.
"You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You…" The Iron Man was interrupted also this time.
"All I want is two little fish, Tony. I don't need to know how to fish. I'll make eggs tomorrow." Steve said quickly.
"I think you have been spending too much time with me, Steve. Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Tony muttered but stood up to use the genius-toast-creating-machine he invented.
"Children." Bruce mumbled while sipping his coffee.
"I must agree with you, Doctor Banner." A voice spoke from the living room.
"Doctor Strange." Bruce lifted his gaze.
"I came to tell you that based on my observation, you should be able to trust Loki for the time being. I am not absolutely sure about him. There is an aura of mystery around him that I am still unable to break through, but based on my latest analysis, he truly doesn't mean harm to Earth." Strange spoke in his usual, calm manner.
"What do you mean by the aura of mystery? Could he be hiding something? Working as a double agent or something like that?" Tony ignored the fact that the man just appeared in his living room. He was a rational man, he could ignore the less relevant things and focus his attention on the truly pressing matters.
"Possibly, yes. But I do see that option as quite unlikely. Anyway, do keep your eyes open, but it would be incredibly convenient if you didn't try to antagonize the God of Thunder and his people more than you and SHIELD did already." And with a hint of smirk, Strange vanished again.
"This guy…" Bruce lost his thought. "I just don't get him."
"Yeah well…more importantly, who exactly is he? Like…what does he do? Where does he live?" Steve questioned. "You know what, whatever. Can I just get my toast?"
"If you wouldn't mind making more toasts, I also happen to be rather hungry."
All three Avengers immediately searched for the deep voice of their friend. They found Thor standing at the edge of the living room. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and pants. He didn't bother to put on shoes. His short hair looked dishevelled. Clearly, he hasn't been awake for too long.
Next to him, there was the source of all the restlessness in the Stark Tower. The God of Mischief wasn't, unlike his brother, wearing clothes from Earth. It was probably beneath him, Tony thought. Yet he wasn't wearing the armour that they were always used to either.
Loki was wearing a simple, dark green tunic and black trousers. One of his shoulders was thoroughly bandaged. In fact, there was so much gauze that it went on to his forearm. It was clearly put on by someone with no medical experience, but with a lot of determination to do it right. Tony thought that it may not look too elegant, but such an amount of cloth must have done the trick to stop the bleeding.
Loki looked pale and he was leaning onto Thor for support. His hair was even more dishevelled than Thor's and his cheek was badly bruised. However, Tony didn't fail to notice that despite the lack of expertise, Loki's injuries were carefully tended to. It must have been Thor.
Tony felt a jab of guilt upon understanding his role in keeping Thor away from helping his brother when he was attacked by Clint. He took a deep breath in and said as calmly as possible:
"We need to talk."
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