Note: Sorry to say that there is little comfort in this chapter for Thor or Loki

What felt too long and too short of falling into the black depths after the final knock out, Loki knew he was starting to stir, his thoughts collecting but as well as his breath, short, rasped, as he was able to listen to it with little thought. His back woke with him, flames like a blanket wrapped among his spine as he curled with the aches the split skin stimulated from jostled movement of his now awake form rather than the limp being he had been moments ago. From the sensitive signs his flesh gave with the small movement he could sum up in restless shifts to try and get up, and the still warm pools of blood he lay in he knew it must be recent, or felt like it as the blood he still shed tried to trickle down him and consume him.

For long moments he was fearful to be engulfed in the blood as it seemed so be its demand to be felt in every crevice of his skin, no longer did it feel like the trickles the lashes had let out, but gushes that were deliberately slow as if to drive him mad. His heart picking up the sudden nerve of emotion, it thudded quickly in his chest, too quickly for the frail cavity, feeling it would burst through as it pound against his bruised frame. No longer docile with the weakness he felt so easily, Loki began to struggle into the ground, his heavy lidded shut eyes feeling like the blood itself sat at his lashes, crusted to keep them closed and sealed in this blind nightmare while his shackled numb limbs protested into the concrete. Only when the trickle up his neck met his lips and he could feel the coppery taste meld to his buds did he choke out a yell and go up. Spine ruefully striking erect and shoulders firmly back while eyes shot open desperately, only to find what he really wished was his mind being cruel. Thor..

Why was he back in the cell..how long had it actually been? Loki felt so unsure as to how he could be back here for another day when the blood he almost forgotten still felt so warm to seep into him. Hazy gaze and exhausted body exalting all its focus it could hold, Loki let his dulled green gaze squint at the vision of Thor before him, wondering if it were some trick of his mind. But of course, all was against him, he didn't need his vision to focus to know that voice, that broken concerned foolish voice of the god.

"Brother.." that was all Thor could manage to breath out with disbelief as he stared to that battered presence of his brother, the bruises, the bloody marks, ripped skin, broken..broken body as it held something he had never seen Loki ever wear, never in his eyes, never in his form, nor his expression. It was fear in those wide eyes, that startled jump of the body, that painful gasp to the light of the dim room. It had left him with slack jaw and pained eyes onto the other.

Gulping harshly as he let his breaths only regulate through his nose to contain the unsettled heart rate, Loki tried to find his right thoughts, lips closing off from how they had sat with the end of the yell, doing with his efforts and making his mouth a firm line as he brushed a few blinks into his dreary gaze. Collecting himself as best he could, he had wished he kept up his guard, had not lost his senses and let his pain show even if he had thought himself alone. Thor had seen the pain..he saw the cause and now the effect, Loki didn't want to see his reaction, but if he hid from it, that would not finish his character of nonchalance. Lifting his head back up from its protective hold to look Thor in the eye as he would any day, it took all of his strengths and efforts this time not to fall under that stupid..foolish, childish concern and worry in his brothers eyes as well as shame and hurt.

Loki took a recollecting breath, short and quick to calm his nerves as best he could as his thoughts quickly flooded him, too much than he wished for as he began to inwardly yell. He would kill Odin for this, make him pay, make him wish he never let Thor hurt, if it was the last thing he did so be it. Loki was the only one that got to hurt Thor. No one else was allowed to do such thing, and others had been respectful enough to know that they should not cross that line with Loki. Such a possessive weakness he never thought he had, he would spat at himself and sneer if he could for holding such emotion for Thor, but he couldn't help that and hated his little restraint. His hate had become his possession and his possession his claim, his claim his love. How could it be he was the foolish one, he was to blame for Thor's pain. He had responded to the interactions of the other, had to be the center piece for any of this to work. He almost choked out some sound he could not refer to as animal or humane but remembered Thor standing so silently before him. The silence a painful reminder that his brother had no cheerful loudness for him because of the picture in front of him.

Another breath that he now let be inhaled through his swollen lips, a weary look shadowing his shoulders for a moment as most of his energy fled him from what little was left. "I do apologize for not being able to tidy up for the prince." he let out a bit more airily than he wished though he got enough lazy roll into it for it to be convincing for himself. Not risking looking away from whatever expression Thor had, he felt his stomach softly uncurl from a knot he had been unaware of till now. His brother's eyes had a glint, a soft glint he could not be sure of as..pride..hope. He wasn't sure why he thought he saw this, but he soaked it in as much as he could.

Thor had watched as Loki put himself back together for reasons Thor could only think of as his honor, and what he hated most was the silence that developed into that time as it spread thin. How had someone else hurt him, who had put these wounds on his brother, these blunt marks he knew no whip would make, nor the pools of blood that Loki seated himself so casually in. It made him wince and want to snarl all at the same time as he looked over what was, not able to fathom the illusion as it held sturdy and real before him. No one was supposed to hurt Loki no one...and as of last time in his visit, only he had been the one to do so, and for the past month no one had dare touch Loki. Who ever thought they were allowed was dead wrong. What fueled Thor and his mix of rage and shame, was that he had let it happen..both times it seems. When his brother finally spoke, some of the metal around his clenched heart began to relax. He could still hold that indifference, that nonchalance. His brother was stronger than him, still holding his silver tongue. He wasn't broken..

But something still cringed in Thor's stomach, as he stared with slight hope for his brother that he would get through these punishments. "Who did this to you?"

Loki watched after Thor, letting his focus be consumed by the glint at his eye which helped with some small amount of reassurance for him, but the question he had been dreading to hear was finally out in the room, and he was thinking quickly on his feet. "You didn't think you were the only one punishing me, the great trickster, did you? How conceded of you, and here I thought you finally grew up." being able to work with less effort into it, he gave a soft sneer to Thor followed with a tired smirk that was thin and short setting his lips.

Now locking gaze with each other, Thor observed his brother, unsure of him and his comment. He really hated the thought that someone else was hurting Loki as well, no one was to hurt him. He would have to speak with Odin, tell him that maybe others shouldn't be giving punishment as well, just him. That would help his mind rest. But for now, he focused on the smirk and snide of his brother with a bit of old pint anger reacting naturally, happily and playfully back. But he couldn't comment for he was here for his reason. Swallowing he looked away finally. Fingers twitching on the grip of the whip unconsciously as he frowned to the nearest wall.

Sitting silent in his still pool of blood, he let his smirk go as Thor turned away from him with a frown, his gut wrenching at the sudden snap of the air as it changed into the dreaded electric tense barrier he was starting to hate. He let his head shift to look at the movement and found what his brother was clutching. So another session already to test his tongue and his love to keep Thor safe? Anger flared within him like a volcano ready to erupt as he stared to those 9 stems that would lash at his skin. Now was the test of his strength to not break, to not let Odin win, but to hurt Thor in the process and be able to handle it. For his safety in which he was unsure what it would be if he told Thor the 'plan' Shoulders defensively going strict he wasn't sure what to do. He braced his muscles but they screamed at him before he could hold them longer than a minute and he was inhaling large amounts of air back into his system. How was he supposed to get through this one..