"You should rest, Loki," Natasha quietly told him.
"I can't sleep," he said under his breath.
She sighed and knelt down at his side. "Look, Loki," she began, holding his hand in her own. "I'm sorry-we all are… But there's nothing that can be done."
He turned to bury his head against her shoulder. "Is it wrong that a part of me is glad to see him dead?" he wondered aloud.
"You're just angry." Her fingers ran through his black hair.
"Odin said it was an accident, you know," he continued.
"Because it was," she assured him.
"He wasn't angry. I killed his beloved son and…" he paused, "he didn't place the blame upon me."
She stared at him sadly. "It's because he cares about you, Loki. You're his son, too."
His arms wrapped around her tightly in an embrace. "Don't leave me," he breathed. Hot tears fell from his eyes and onto her jacket.
A small smile formed on her face as she stroked his hair. "I'm right here, Loki," she promised. "Come on, you should get cleaned up and we can rest."
He nodded and rose to his feet.
The two went up to Natasha's suite in the penthouse and took a cold shower together. Natasha was glad that he was out of his blood-stained clothes and cleansing himself of the dried blood that lingered on his pale skin.
As Natasha reached out to scrub away a patch of blood near his neck, he noticed the subtle bruises on her wrist. It wasn't just the one-both wrists had the same fading marks, along with her neck. "He did this to you…" His fingers gingerly touched the side of her neck. "He tried to kill you…" The rage in his voice was returning.
"No-Loki, I'm fine!" she assured him. "It's nothing."
His brows knitted together and his green eyes flickered with anger. "Don't talk like that! What if he killed you!?" he shouted. "You and the child- how would I have lived with myself?"
"Loki," she said calmly, "I'm okay. I took him down, remember?"
"Your blood would have been on my hands!" he snapped.
"Loki-…"
"It really would have been my fault!"
"Loki!" Before he could say another word, she swiftly smacked him across the cheek.
A pained expression formed on his face. He bowed his head, suddenly quiet.
She pursed her lips, worried that her actions her too harsh. "I'm sorry…But really, Loki, I'm okay. I'm right here with you. Don't worry anymore…" She placed a hand upon his slightly red cheek and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
They cleaned up, then went to bed. Natasha cuddled up against Loki, who was having a hard time drifting off to sleep. When he did finally manage to sleep, he dreamt of a past memory of Odin telling younger versions of he and Thor about the Infinity Gauntlet.
"He who wields the gauntlet will have absolute power," Odin had once said.
"Then why must it be kept locked up?" asked a young Loki, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Because, my son, this much power is dangerous to wield," he warned the children. "Who so wields the gauntlet has the potential to destroy all of humanity. The Universe's future will be in their hands. It is a truly dangerous artifact, which is why it is to be kept locked up. It's potential shan't be underestimated…"
Loki woke with a start in a cold sweat. The Infinity Gauntlet… Maybe there was still hope in bringing his Brother back, after all…