A/N: Since you guys have been sooo awesome, reviewing and alerting and all that good stuff, I've squeezed in some time here on the weekend to proofread this chapter so I can post it. I can't guarantee updates this quickly in the future, but since I've already written a few chapters, might as well let you guys read them! ;D

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3

Thor hadn't told Stark everything, he had felt that more details could wait until later. Both he and Loki needed rest, as it had been almost a week since either of them had gotten much sleep.

After coaxing Loki out of his hiding place behind Thor, both he and Stark were able to persuade the trickster to drink a little more water, although once the younger god had started they had to prevent him from drinking too much, knowing it might upset his stomach. The mischief god had protested with whines, then pouted like a child, then tried what Stark called 'puppy-dog eyes' to be allowed to drink more- although the effect was lessened given the unnatural look of his eyes. Both had chuckled at the display, but Thor tried his best to convey 'later', although neither was sure if Loki had truly understood.

Stark had promised not to tell the others anything until Thor had a chance to speak with them, although they both knew the inventor was a terrible liar. At least both Romanoff and Barton were away on missions; Thor did not look forward to explaining the situation to them. Rogers would no doubt be the easiest to inform, his compassion greater than any Thor had ever met. Banner was away for a couple of days, Tony had informed him, but he too would probably be easy to persuade to grant asylum.

After helping Loki bathe and change into night clothes and settling him into their bed, Thor took a shower himself and changed into Midgardian attire, something he had learned to appreciate given their simplicity.

When Thor approached the bed, he started when he noticed Loki's eyes were wide open, curled up on his side and surrounded by thick covers.

"Loki?" he said, even though he knew his brother couldn't hear him.

And when the bed dipped as Thor moved to comfort him, Loki flinched back, whimpering softly. Thor's shoulders slumped. He honestly had very little clue as to what was going through Loki's mind at any given moment. He had to constantly consider what it was like being deaf, blind, and mute all at once- how vulnerable that would feel. Loki was essentially helpless being deprived of so many of his senses. And his magic, Thor thought. Loki has been deprived of that as well. Thor had forgotten. Without his words, Loki could no longer cast spells. How dark his world must be...

So without delay Thor gathered his little brother into his arms, even as Loki jerked back, frightened. Upon realizing it was Thor, the younger god immediately relaxed and fell into the embrace, making small noises as if to say, 'Don't ever do that again'.

Thor kissed the top of the dark head, then settled his lips against it. "I will never leave you," he mumbled, not caring that the other couldn't hear him. Loki reached up a hand to feel of Thor's beard for several moments, then settled his head against his chest as the thunder god leaned against the headboard. "I will never leave you," said Thor again, but this time it wasn't for Loki's sake that he said it.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The first sensations that Loki registered upon waking were of pain. No wait, not pain... something else. Not pain not pain notpainnotpainnotpain... His mind spun at the new sensation- or rather the lack of sensation. That there wasn't any pain. No, that wasn't exactly true, there was still pain, thrumming through his body, his face- but not like the pain he'd known for so long, that constant drip, drip, drip and the agony that followed the terrible beat like a most wicked heart. This was different, lacking in the horrid constant.

Then there was something touching him. Something warm and so near- too near. Loki tried to jerk away, to escape whatever new torment his cruel torturers would inflict upon him, but he couldn't- he couldn't get away because strong- yet somehow gentle -hands were holding him. Holding both his arms as he struggled to get away, but he was too weak. So weak. He dreaded what they would do with him, to him. He knew he couldn't escape, could do nothing against them but he needed to fight, he couldn't stop himself trying- couldn't deny himself this sliver of hope... Even a pointless and useless hope was still hope.

But instead of pain, instead of the expected onslaught of terrible nightmares made flesh, he's being held- no, embraced. Such a strange foreign thing, Loki doesn't recognize it for what it is. The hands on him are frantic, rubbing at his back and his arms and Loki only wants to get away, get awaygetaway, why can't I get away? Then, a hand is around his neck... no wait- at the back of his neck, where someone used to-

Loki can't believe it, refuses to believe it. It can't be him, it's not him. But the gesture is so familiar, so...him. Then with the other hand on the side of his face Loki feels something wet press against his forehead, against his face. He's confused but knows he likes the gesture, whatever it is. The hand at the nape of his neck doesn't let go and he doesn't want it to. Out of desperation, out of instinctive need, Loki leans toward this strange being in front of him. He does the only thing he can think to do... he sniffs at it. Immediately his mind bursts with memories of things long past, of things forgotten and buried- discarded to the dirt as useless lumps that would aid him not with such pain exploding in his entire being everyday, every hour, every minute. But now it comes back to him, floods back like a torn river and he's afraid he'll drown in it- but it would be a pleasant death, he thinks. There's a smell like lightning and hard metal and torn leather, of unstoppable rage and gentle sunny smiles that could pierce even the darkest abyss. Of scraped knees followed by cobalt blue eyes and soft teases, of strong arms- so strong they could tear the worlds asunder if they were meant for it. Of brothers... of something that was once his, just as he was the other's. Of... Thor...

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The light shining through his eyelids made Thor jerk up, the memories of the previous day suddenly forgotten, the only thoughts of his brother and that they were in an unfamiliar place. The soft bed and shining skyline out the window relaxed his nerves, but the dream- no, a nightmare -he had been having was still fresh in his mind. Loki had been taken from him and he couldn't find him. All of Asgard laughed when he inquired after his brother- even their mother laughed. When he had approached Loki's room, he found his brother lying face-down on the bed. When Thor turned him over, he nearly screamed as Loki had no face; a blank flesh-mask stared back at him without eyes. But what made it worse, what made Thor wake up, was that Loki was still alive, still moving, silently suffering, still-

Thor pushed the dream out of his mind and quickly looked to his sleeping brother. He still held Loki in a tight embrace and the trickster didn't seem to mind- didn't even wake up. However, when Thor shifted to move, Loki's eyes flew open. So, Thor thought, not asleep. Silently, he wondered if his brother had slept at all, but it was difficult to tell given the state of the younger god's face.

Loki nuzzled the side of his face against Thor's chest, as if to say, 'Good morning, brother.' Thor even thought he saw a quirk of the ruined lips, although he might have just imagined it.

.

The rest of the morning was spent trying to juggle between getting Loki to do something he didn't understand, and getting Loki to let him go. The trickster absolutely refused to let the thunderer out of his grasp, even when Thor had to use the restroom. Thor had shrugged and smirked, knowing that not only would his younger brother not care, but that he probably didn't even know what Thor was doing anyway.

It was beginning to unnerve Thor just how doll-like his little brother had become. Although Loki would stand and occasionally move on his own, most of the time he was as docile as a marionette, waiting for the puppeteer to pull his strings and make him move. His face was almost always blank, and Thor began to realize just how much senses like sight and hearing influenced what facial expressions people made. Without input, there really was no reason for output. Without knowledge of his surroundings or goings-on, Loki had no reason to react. It always took something extreme to elicit any sort of reaction.

So after Thor had dressed both himself and his brother in plain Midgardian clothes- a light blue shirt for himself, and one of his own dark green shirts for Loki, although it was too big on him given his emaciated frame -the thunder god was determined to get a reaction out of Loki for something.

The trickster had one hand looped into the back part of Thor's belt- which was odd, but easy to manage while Thor got ready -so the older brother turned around and hugged him tightly, perhaps too tightly. Unfortunately, Loki did nothing but lean into the hug. Well, that won't do, so Thor leaned back and lifted him up off the ground. Surely this will annoy him, he always hated it when I- But Loki's face was blank, placid, accepting. He even leaned down and rested his head against Thor's shoulder. Not one for wasting a hug, Thor held him for a moment, but eventually sighed and allowed Loki to slide down to the floor. And once again, the blank face stared back at him, unmoving and waiting. It wasn't one of Loki's masks. It wasn't bored, or annoyed, or silently mocking, just... docile, pliant. In short, not his brother. For a moment he thought about yesterday, how Loki had shown a few emotions... but, no. Abject terror and confusion weren't exactly ideal emotions.

Thor smiled a little and hugged his brother around the neck. It's not your fault, brother, he thought. I should not expect you to be something or do something for my sake. Thor knew he was being selfish, expecting Loki to be the same brother he had known all his life after all that had happened. It probably wasn't possible.

After stepping back Thor noticed the tag at the back of Loki's- or rather his own -shirt was sticking up. When the thunderer leaned around Loki to fix it, Thor was certain he saw a small quirk of the trickster's lips. He leaned back, unsure if he had truly seen it since Loki's face was as still and passive as it had been a moment before.

Hm.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Loki felt the soft clothes on him, and when he felt that Thor was looking away, he smelled of the shirt, realizing it was Thor's. A strange warmth came over him at the notion that this somehow made him closer to Thor, that even when alone and without his big brother, that at least he had this cloth. He next wondered if he also wore Thor's trousers, and decided he was, since they were a little too long and not very fitting. He felt of the material, finding it unfamiliar and foreign, and absently wondered what color they were. He wore no shoes, but knew he would need his own since Thor's feet were larger than his. He had arrived with no shoes and it would have been strange to wear any after being deprived of footwear for so long. He honestly couldn't remember when he had last worn any. Before the dungeon, maybe? Or did they take his shoes after they strapped him to the rock and he saw the snake- He shut down that train of thought completely and concentrated on Thor. Thor. His clothes, his smell, Thor, Thor, Thor. As far as Loki was concerned, nothing else in the universe mattered. He didn't care if nothing else existed except Thor, his brother, his liberator. His protector.

Thor was hugging him now. Hugging him and lifting him up, his arms trapped at his sides. Loki liked it; liked having him so close. He supposed it was a good thing his big brother had always been so keen on physically representing his affection- always touching and embracing Loki... and everyone and everything else with a beating heart. Certainly the thunder god always manhandling him had annoyed Loki to no end, and he hadn't exactly been fond of all the invasion of personal space, either. But now it only comforted him and he found he couldn't get enough of it.

Loki leaned his head on Thor's shoulder to encourage the act, then felt himself sliding back down. The moment he felt Thor fiddling with something at the back of his neck, the trickster couldn't help a small smile. He repressed it immediately, though, knowing it would only aggravate his stitches. My brother, always so doting. Although he didn't quite know what Thor was doing, it was appreciated nonetheless.

.

As soon as the air shifted, Loki knew they had left the room. The smells were also different, and he recognized that the room they had stayed in had been Thor's. No doubt his Midgardian friends keep it for him for when he visits, Loki absently mused.

He held tightly to Thor's arm as they walked, determined not to trip or stumble in case one of the humans was near. He had already severely embarrassed himself in front of that dolt Stark, and he didn't wish to repeat that experience with the others- or Stark again. At least he had managed not to cry in front of the mortal. Next, Loki wondered if he even could cry; or were his eyes too damaged?

The familiar feel of Thor's arm suddenly around his shoulders snapped Loki back to attention, although there was no real reason for it. He had no clue what was going on so he just held tightly to Thor and tried his best not to think of what might happen when the other Avengers saw them. Or had they already spoken to them? Or was that only Stark yesterday? Loki immediately let it go. It doesn't matter. Only Thor matters. Thor, Thor, Thor...

A/N: Oh boy, Loki kind of (read: understatement) worships Thor now, doesn't he? Can't really blame him for being clingy, though. And is it just me, or has Loki sort of reverted to a child-like state? Lol, poor thing.

So did you guys likey? X3 More Avengers interactions next chapter.