A/N: Sorry for the wait – it's been crazy, everywhere! This chapter is a mixed request from Violet Dreams13 and a guest (you know who you are ^^). It was enjoyable to write! And I hope to update sooner than I have been (I'll do better in the summer!). I hope you enjoy – this one's longer than most of the others! :D And I don't own the Avengers, Loki, or Nutella!
Loki could not believe that this was happening to him. Another sneeze escaped his shaky body. He was freezing, yet his skin burned like the flames of Surtur. The god looked over at the mirror hanging on the far wall of his bedroom in Stark Tower. Oh, how he hated the red eyes that stared back at him and the blue skin that reflected off its surface. He hadn't been this sick since he was very young. He exhaled a dejected sigh. His Jotun form was his only defense against the raging fever that beheld his body. The Trickster frowned. How in Helheim was he going to explain this to the Avengers?
There was a knock at the door – unmistakably Thor's as the door shook from the thunder god's forceful strength.
"Loki, are you alright? You have yet to emerge from your chambers, and I grow weary."
"Go away, Odinson," the God of Mischief bit vehemently. Thor noted the insult to his parentage and huffed in slight frustration. He forced his way in.
"Loki, for the love of Asgard, I think you should – ODIN'S BEARD! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU?!" Loki glared at him.
"Thanks for the support…" he spat sarcastically. Thor stared at the ground in a mix of shame and shock.
"Are…you…sick,or…?"
"Sick? No, I'm just having a lovely picnic – OF COURSE I'M SICK! Do you think I would willingly use this hideous form, otherwise?!" Loki began to cough violently, and Thor tried to rush to his side. "Don't cough touch cough, cough me…" the younger god said miserably. The older god stopped, remembering what happened to Volstagg when he touched a frost giant amidst their battle on Jotunheim.
"What the hell is going on in there?!" Tony shouted from the living room – he had (had being the key word) been enjoying a movie until the two resident gods decided to partake in what sounded to the billionaire like a very painful yelling competition. The God of Thunder quickly bounded down the hallway.
"Loki is ill…" Tony smirked.
"I thought gods didn't get 'ill'," he said smugly before sliding past Thor and nonchalantly walking to the Trickster's room. "Ummm…?" Loki glared at him before burying his face into his hands. "You're blue."
"I believe it is appropriate to reply with 'No shit, Sherlock' in your culture." The man of iron raised an eyebrow at that.
"Is this what Thor meant by you being adopted?"
"Yes, Stark. I am what mortals refer to as a frost giant."
"You're not exactly a giant."
"Get out."
"Uh, if I recall, this is my tower, so you can't kick me out of anywhere." Loki sighed again. Hawkeye unfortunately chose that moment to barge in.
"Hey Tony, can I barrow your hair—WHOA!"
"Hi, Clint," the Liesmith chimed coldly. And naturally Natasha wasn't far behind the master marksman. Everyone, sans Loki, flinched slightly when she cursed loudly in Russian. Loki's karma being what it is caused Bruce and Steve to quickly run into the god's room. Various voices shouted, quarreled, attempted to comfort, and questioned until finally Loki let loose another sneeze that echoed through a significant portion of the tower.
"Mr. Laufeyson's internal temperature has reached a dangerous level. I suggest that proper medical actions be taken immediately," JARVIS stated coolly. All eyes fell to Loki who had fallen sideways from the force of his sneeze.
"Um, Jarv? What kind of 'medical action' do you suggest we take?" Tony asked as he raised a weary eyebrow. All at once, the Avengers began to shout suggestions at each other. Loki finally cut the others off after he regained his previous upright position.
"No Asgardian remedy could ever help me in this state: how do you expect your Midgardian 'actions' to work?" he bit weakly.
"I have an idea!" Thor proclaimed so loudly that his adopted brother shuddered in pain. "What if each of us tries to cure Loki in our own way?" Everyone, sans Loki, contemplated for a few seconds.
"That doesn't sound that bad, actually," Steve said.
"Alright, let's do this!" Tony shouted as he bolted out of the room, ideas of godly cures in his mind, and everyone else followed in suit. The Trickster sighed anxiously. This was going to be interesting.
. . .
Steve came back to Loki's room not long after with a steaming cup in his hands. The god half glared at him from his newly built cocoon of blankets. The Captain held up the cup.
"This is jasmine green tea. It has some helpful herbs and spices that could help clear your head." The Liesmith slowly reached out and took the cup. The burning of the warm tea felt soothing as it flowed through his system. Steve raised an eyebrow as Loki downed the entire cup in one go. The god feebly held out the cup.
"…thank you…Soldier," he said with as much of a smirk as he could muster. The Super Soldier returned the smirk as he took the cup and exited the room. Soon after, Clint entered carrying a box, and a container of Nutella.
"How do you feel about acupuncture, O Mighty One?"
"No."
"Are you saying that the 'great and powerful' God of Mischief is afraid of needles?" the Hawk asked with a snicker.
"Needles do not frighten me in any way; it is you trying to put needles in me that I fear," Loki explained with a slight glare. The SHIELD agent huffed internally. Time for plan B!
"Sure, whatever, just eat this," he tossed the Nutella at the god, "it always seems to make you feel better." Clint said as he turned and left. The Trickster slowly opened the container and was about to eat a bite of the holy substance when Thor burst into his room.
"Brother! It took me longer than expected, but I have recreated what Mother used to give us when were sick as children!" he announced excitedly as he held up a small bowl filled with a creamy substance. The younger god sadly put aside his Nutella, and slightly uncovered himself. The older god happily procured what looked like a makeup brush (where Thor found that, Loki will never know), and set to work covering all of Loki's exposed skin with the substance. The God of Mischief inhaled deeply, and welcomed the familiar scent as it burned through his raw sinuses. "There, that should help!" Loki's grunt of assent assured Thor that the cream was in fact helping him. The ex-villain didn't notice that his brother had gone until Bruce cleared his throat to announce his presence.
"I've looked over all of your medical scans and all that I can think to give you is Tylenol, so here. It should help with the fever," the scientist stated before handing the god two pills and a cup of water, and leaving. Loki frowned. Of all of the Avengers, Bruce was the most medically inclined, and all he gave Loki were two pills? He skeptically swallowed the white pills and moaned as more fever induced pain tore through his body.
The Liesmith jumped slightly when Tony ran into his room.
"I got it!" he said excitedly as he waved a syringe in the air.
"What in Hel is in that, Stark?"
"A cure!"
"Go away."
"It won't hurt!"
"That's not what I'm worried about."
"Please?"
"No." Loki spat as he feebly threw a pillow at the billionaire – though it still hit him with great force. The two glared at each other as Tony slowly exited, cursing under his breath. The god buried his face in his hands again in exasperation. Nothing was working. He almost didn't notice when Natasha entered quietly. She was carrying a bowl of yellow soup. Loki raised an eyebrow in inquiry as the master assassin pulled up a chair. Without ever looking at the god, she picked up a spoonful of soup and gently blew on it. The Trickster laughed slightly when she offered the spoonful.
"I can feed myself, despite my current sickness."
"Do you want to be cured?" she asked sharply. Loki nodded as a small child would when getting scolded. He opened his mouth and let the Widow feed him the homemade – and presumably Russian – soup. The god was almost startled when Natasha began to sing gently. Loki could understand the Russian dialect, and was soon lost in visions of the stories that the songs held.
Hours later, the other Avengers crowded around Loki's door – Natasha had yet to leave. They slowly opened the door only to stop in shock. The Black Widow smirked victoriously from her perch on Loki's bed. Said god was back in his normal Asgardian form, and sound asleep cuddled up to her.
"What the hell?!" Tony whispered sharply.
"What was in that soup?!" Clint squawked.
"You fixed him!" Thor said happily. Steve and Bruce just stood there giving Natasha questioning looks. The Hawk regained his composure, and glared at his fellow agent.
"It must be a Russian thing."
A/N: Go Natasha! Heh-heh, poor Loki. I hope you enjoyed that and wanna leave feedback ;) remember, it's my Nutella! And I am always open to criticism and requests! Stay awesome out there!