Loki's body jerked up into a bone-straight sitting position, and I couldn't tell whether the screaming I heard was his, mine, or both. I dodged his fist as it flew at my face, and used pretty much every expletive in the English language as I fell off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. The top of the bed and the floor in question were pretty distant from each other, and I didn't realize just how much until I felt the impact.
"Son of a bitch!" I hissed as I struggled to get up. I was too busy trying to regain the wind that was knocked out of me to notice that the screaming never stopped. When I finally managed to look over at Loki again, I'd realized just how much of a fuck up I was.
Loki was clutching his chest like letting go would kill him, and his frame was curled into itself in a way that made me wince just looking a him. The louder he screamed, the hoarser he became. He wouldn't have a voice if he kept it up. I felt the terror sink in as I remembered what made that scream so familiar. I jumped on the bed and grabbed him by the shoulders, which seemed to trigger a sharp enough pain to snap him out of it. That wasn't the plan, but it worked.
"Loki, I...damn it. I'm sorry, that was stupid. Can you hear me? Are you in there?" I asked, feeling my stomach churn as he slowly sat up from his awkward self-defense method and looked me in the eyes. They were watery, faraway, and had a mix between being scared out of his mind, and being violently pissed off. I couldn't tell which was worse.
"What..." he rasped. "...in Hel's name...did you seek to accomplish in looming over me as though you were the very shadow of Death itself." his voice was forced, hurried, and noticeably out of breath.
"I was patching you up so you wouldn't maul yourself worse in your sleep." I explained, feeling like the asshole I'd been accused of being my whole life.
"Couldn't it have waited until I was awake and able to comprehend your intentions?" he asked, his eyes narrowed and pained. There it was. The same question I'd been asking myself all night, slapping me in the face.
"I'm not a patient man." I admitted.
"I gathered that." he answered, letting himself slump miserably against the headboard of the bed. He looked worse than when he'd come in, and I was completely responsible. As usual, I was a failure.
"Had I the magic needed to do so, you would not be sitting before me as you are now. Were anything left, none would recognize it as you." he spat, angrily. Well, that answered one of my questions. In a very homicidal, unsettling way. Thankfully, he was in no position for me to be taking that kind of thing seriously. I was running off adrenaline, which was fading fast into the sleep deprivation I usually avoided. I was way too exhausted for this.
"News flash, Princess. If you so much as sprained something of mine, your ass would be handed to you by the rest of the team. I'm trying to help you out here, because I know what it's like. I get how it feels to have someone torture you to absolutely nothing. But I never gave the people trying to help me the kind of shit you're giving me. It's getting old. Fast." I shot back, leaning back in satisfaction as his expression began to show some form of regret.
"...You startled me. I was certain I'd been met by my captors." he whispered, and the snark I'd been preparing for him was stored away for another time. "It was not my intention to seem ungrateful to you, Man of Iron. I was merely forced into the one defensive nature I currently possess."
That was some shocking honesty that I didn't expect from the renowned lie-smith. "Hey, it's fine. It's my fault for barging in on you like that." I offered, glad to see some of the tension ease out of his body at my words. I snatched up the first aid and eyed him with caution. "Look, we're both fried as far as energy goes. Can we just cut the arguing so I can finish what I started?" I asked. The god nodded and sat back, showing me that I had permission to approach him without the threat of being decked in the face.
"So, 'Man of Iron', huh? You're more like your brother than I thought." I said, not thinking about what was coming out of my mouth as I reached for my supplies. I was met with a dangerous glare.
"Watch it." I warned. Reindeer Games scowled and crossed his arms like a spoiled five-year-old, but did nothing else.
"Alright, so Pointbreak's off limits with you. Should've known that much." I spoke again, not bothering to stop my nervous, sleep deprivation-induced ramble. The god's mouth opened to answer and I swore as my hand slipped.
"Do me a favor and wait until after the nice billionare's patched you up, will you?" I grumbled, feeling lightheadedness slowly creep its way into my skull as I overworked myself. The god let out a snort and stayed put until I stuck the last bit of tape into place. "Alright, what was that?" I asked, urging him to repeat his answer. I had a feeling it'd be a good one.
"I said," The god began, experimentally moving his lips and nodding in appreciation as everything stayed put. "If it does not involve mockery at his expense, or word of his imminent demise, I wish not to hear it." he finished.
"Oh come on, give the guy a break. He's not that bad." I answered, offering a reassuring grin that probably held little value to the sulking god.
"Oh, you've no idea." Loki grimaced. "I do believe it is I that spent my life forced to grow alongside him as a sibling."
At that moment, it hit me. I worked with the guy maybe...one or two times a week. I never really had the chance to personally talk to him. Most of the time we were too busy trying not to die of blunt-force trauma, decapitation, shattered bones, blood loss...you know, the typical risks to being an Avenger.
"Guess I never thought too hard about that." I admitted as I snapped the first aid closed and dropped it on the ground next to us.
"Clearly." I heard him say as I sat up. It was nearly impossible to keep my eyes open, and being that tired had just about the same effect as being drunk in some aspects. One of which was my ability to not give a single shit about where I ended up, as long as it ended in sleep.
I flopped down on the bed beside him, making sure there was a fair, manly distance between us, and buried my face into one of the pillows. I groaned as my body settled into the luxury that was furniture actually built for people to sleep on. I'd crashed on the couch in my lab so often, I almost forgot that there were actual beds in the tower. Never again.
"Well." I muttered. "Night, Frosty."
"You can't be serious."
My voice cracked under a humiliating stutter as I watched the boundary-vacant mortal make himself at home in my bed.
"You heard me." he answered, and I looked on in complete bafflement as the only motion he'd made was to sluggishly lift his head up to meet my gaze. The effort seemed weighted as though all mass in his body had traveled to his head and settled there for the night.
"Haven't you a room of your own?" I asked, finding it exceedingly difficult to mask the collective feelings of panic, uncertainty, and overall confusion that his charade had caused me.
"Yeah. It's five stories higher than where I am now, and I'm not moving. You're stuck with me 'till morning." he grumbled. I had to strain harder than was necessary to hear him, as his voice was muffled and distant.
"But I..." I started.
"This bed's big enough for five people, Snowball. Trust me. I know. You'll have plenty of space." he argued.
"And what of the other members of The Avengers? Will they not come looking for you and see you sharing a bed with Midgard's most loathed villain?" I asked, not bothering with the suspicious nature of his comment.
My question must have coaxed more energy into him, if only a little. He used what little willingness he had left to sit up, for which I was grateful. Simply watching him in a state of rest made my own aching, exhausted body yearn for the same. I was too frightened to let sleep take me again after what I'd awoken to. Thinking on this, it became increasingly difficult not to scowl at him. I might have shown appreciation in being tugged from my nightmares if it'd been done under different circumstances.
"Oh, you think they're...oh." Stark yawned, realization evident in his tone. "You think they're here?" he asked.
"That was my understanding, yes." I answered. "Before my sentencing, Thor mentioned attending an Avengers meeting in your tower. Was this incorrect?" I asked.
" ...No. No, you're right. This is pretty much the Avengers HQ. They're not here, though. In fact, they probably won't be for another week or two."
I couldn't handle my exhaustion any longer, and I collapsed on my back beside Stark. "I fail to see what sort of sense this makes." I muttered. "The Avengers headquarters...and no Avengers." I added, forcing myself to speak in fear of being met with silence.
"Yeah, well...I made it so Patchy would keep them at SHEILD headquarters for awhile. I kind of stretched the truth on how long my tower would be down for maintenance." he mumbled, falling back into his laying position and closing his eyes.
"I never took you for a man that intentionally avoids another's company." I said, feeling my lips twitch up in a light smile, amused at how interesting this man had proven to be in the short time we'd spoken.
"Hey, Frosty. You read a lot, don't you?" he mumbled.
"Of course."
"Ever read 'Go the Fuck to Sleep?'" he asked. I felt the sharp electricity of the guilt I'd been repressing as it coursed through my chest and stubbornly lingered there. It was not my original intention to keep him awake as I battled with my own exhaustion.
"No." I answered. My voice was a tad more hostile than I'd expected.
"I should read it to you sometime. It's good...educational." he grumbled. I felt humiliation arise as I quickly realized just what he'd been hinting at.
"My apologies, Stark." I muttered. Stark failed to answer me, and I felt the familiar chill of panic return at the silence. I waited until his breathing suggested he was undoubtedly asleep and turned over on my side to face him, assuring myself that another being was present. Not just any being, but one that had gone through great lengths to come to my aid.
While I was contemplating the idea of calling upon Stark's useless invention for company, Stark's arm reached forth and fell on top of me, as though embracing me as he slept. I jerked back and pushed the offending limb off of me, only to have it occur again moments later. After the fourth attempt, I'd given up. Stark was unconscious and persistent, and I was far too exhausted to care any longer.
As much as it pained me to admit it, it wasn't unpleasant. If anything, the need to be close to him held a great deal of importance to me at that time. He'd proven himself trustworthy, and the lack of distance between us had been more than enough to settle my frayed and tortured nerves. Even the silence itself had faded as Stark began to snore. To my surprise, it was at a decent volume, and not at all like the thunderous, obnoxious sounds that emitted from Thor's room in the night.
The sound put my mind at ease as I allowed myself to rest. Desperate for more of the comfort that our position provided, I settled closer to the mortal until I was entirely enclosed in the warmth that radiated from him. My gaze was settled on the dull glow in his chest as my eyes finally shut themselves. I would allow myself to succumb to my pitiful vulnerability, just this once.
Alright, so this was done a bit later than I'd expected. Sorry, guys. I'll try to do better on the time it takes to put these up, but things've been pretty fackin' busy. I thank you all for your patience, and thanks again for the favorites and reviews! You guys rock!