sakiko of soleana: I'm glad you have been enjoying it! Thanks for the review!
ONE STEP FORWARD, FOUR STEPS BACK
A THOR/AVENGERS FANFICTION
CHAPTER NINE: The Exam
WARNING: This chapter refers to the physical and physiological torture of a minor. If you don't like, don't read. And please, no hate.
The day that followed the first one was much of the same. Thor woke up with Loki asleep in his bed, the boy still not sleeping well at all. When Loki had awoken that morning to discover his (by default, Thor's) wet bed he actually began to cry and Thor couldn't calm him down for ten minutes. Thor had to coax Loki to take his medicine, take a bath, change clothes, and eat. The little boy was cranky in every sense of the word, unhappy and ashamed of himself. Tony rather enjoyed teasing him. Whenever Thor would leave for a moment, Tony would tease Loki, causing him to cry. Thor knew it was Tony, and both he and Pepper would scowl at him. Loki was not feeling well at all and acting very out of character from what Thor could remember from his childhood. Loki didn't even want to read. He was clearly miserable all day and Thor wished that Banner could come sooner.
On the day Banner was supposed to arrive, Thor awoke yet again to Loki at his side and his bed wet and urine-smelling. Loki was sweating, his fever returning some time that night. The boy moaned a little and Thor patted his back.
"Loki, get up," Thor said gently. Loki rolled over and grunted. Thor smiled and began to lightly shake his sleeping brother.
"Loki," he said again. This time Loki groaned and sat up, his raven hair untidy. Within seconds of waking up, Loki began sniffling, and Thor pulled him into an embrace. He rocked back and forth until Loki's cries became little sniffles. Loki didn't retreat from the embrace and without speaking Thor stood and carried Loki into the bathroom. Loki had barely shifted positions since Thor had scooped him up and was actually refusing to let go of Thor. Sighing, Thor sat down on the toilet lid and Loki didn't even look up at all.
"Loki, I know you don't feel well and are upset, but you need to let go so I can give you a bath," Thor said softly. He figured that yelling as Odin would probably wouldn't help in this particular situation. Loki shook his head.
"I don' wanna," Loki whined. Thor cupped Loki's chin and forced the boy to look at him. Loki's green eyes were puffy and irritated and his face was bright read.
"It's alright, brother. You are safe now." Thor soothed. Loki shivered a little.
"'M cold," Loki said, his voice raspy. Thor nodded and stroked Loki's hair.
"I know. If you let me give you a bath, you won't be cold anymore." Thor said. Loki thought on this and nodded. He managed to take his own shirt off, but Thor had to help him with the rest. Finally in the tub, Loki's color had semi returned and his eyes were more vibrant. He still wasn't in any mood to play and wanted out as soon as possible. Thor carried him back to the room, dressed him, gave him his medicine, then carried him to the main room were Pepper was waiting for them. She greeted them warmly and pointed out where breakfast was. Thor nodded and put Loki down, the little boy still refusing to walk.
"I wanna be carried!" Loki whined loudly. Pepper and Thor exchanged glances and Thor shook his head.
"If you want food, I cannot carry you. Are you hungry?" Thor asked. Loki nodded his head.
"Uh-huh, but I don' feel good," Loki said miserably.
"Would you like me to carry you? Is that alright?" Pepper asked. Loki thought about it and smiled a little.
"Yes, that's fine," Loki said, his arms already in the air. Pepper smiled and scooped him up, Loki happy that he got what he had wanted.
Much like the day before, Thor had to coax Loki into eating what little he did eat. Loki was still not feeling well and complained of stomach problems constantly. Thor knew it was because of the kveisa that he was forced to drink that caused Loki's stomach aches. He hopped that Banner could set Loki right again. After eating, Pepper cleared the dishes and patted Thor's shoulder.
"Yes?" He asked.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. contacted me and said that Banner will be here at noon," Pepper explained. Thor nodded and turned his attention to Loki.
"Is there anything you wish to do, brother?" Thor asked. Loki nodded slowly.
"I'd like t' color," Loki answered. Thor looked to Pepper who blushed slightly.
"We might have some crayons or something, hang on," Pepper darted off leaving the brothers alone. Loki was in pajamas again, all of his other clothes too irritating to his battered skin. He was clearly uncomfortable and miserable, his little bottom lip trembling every once in a while. Thor walked over and sat next to him, the boy not looking at him.
"What's wrong Loki?" Thor asked.
"I miss mother," Loki said softly.
"Oh," Thor said, understanding. Loki had always been a bit of a mama's boy. They sat in silence for a while and Thor wanted Loki to talk more. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since his escape and Thor was worried. Wondering what to say, Thor remembered a question that had been burning in his mind since they first arrived at Stark Tower.
"Loki, can you tell me about not-Thor?" Thor asked softly. Loki turned to face his brother, a smile on his face.
"Of course I can!" Loki squealed happily, a few little giggles escaping him, "He's the greatest ever, 'sides you of course." Thor felt his heart melt when Loki giggled. It had been far too long since Loki laughed.
"Is he nice?" Thor prompted. Loki nodded and stood.
"Uh-huh. He came up t' my cell and t' that really dark room a lot. Pretend you're me, Thor." Loki said. It was an odd request but Thor obliged, his face falling and pulling his legs up from the ground and crossing them.
"Now what?" Thor asked.
"Well, now not-Thor comes to check on you like this," Loki stood a little taller and puffed out his chest. He cleared his throat and said, "Would you like t' hear a story?" Thor nodded meekly.
"Yes, please," Thor said, trying to imitate Loki's angelic voice. This caused a chorus of laughs to erupt from Loki, his little face bright red. Thor laughed to and stood, scooping Loki up and tickling him being careful to avoid Loki's wounds. Loki laughed harder and looked up, a smile splitting his face. That's better, Thor thought as Loki giggled and tried to get away.
"You can stop now!" Loki cried, squirming to get away. Thor flashed a grin.
"Now why would I do that?" he asked the tickling continuing until Loki took a harsh breath.
"Ow," he panted. Thor stopped, concern in his eyes. He was worried that he had hurt Loki.
"Are you alright?" He asked frantically. Loki nodded.
"Yup, I j'st laughed too much. It hurt." Loki said simply, gesturing for Thor to pick him up. Thor obliged and Loki cuddled into Thor and released a content sigh.
"I wonder who not-Thor was," Loki muttered into Thor's chest. Thor shrugged.
"I don't know, but whoever he is he is a brave, strong man." Thor said. Loki nodded and snuggled into Thor.
Pepper returned and brought in printer paper and a box of crayons she had found some place in the Tower. Loki eagerly began to scribble, Thor noticing how he favored red, black and brown. He shrugged it off as nothing and chatted with Pepper for a while. Around elven, Tony walked in and declared that he had ordered pizza. Neither Thor nor Loki had ever had pizza and Thor had developed a liking to Midgardian food, so he was very excited to try. When he asked Loki if he too was excited, the boy merely shrugged indifferently. He seemed too caught up in his scribbles to care. The pizza arrived and Thor helped himself. He grabbed a slice for Loki who only ate half of it. Thor didn't press the issue, but wished Loki would eat more. Noon came closer and closer and Thor glanced nervously at Loki who was still coloring. Thor sighed and looked away, his gaze on the elevator door, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Banner.
Precisely at noon, the elevator door slid open and Pepper hurried over to it. Moments later Pepper was visibly again, Bruce Banner walking beside her with a confused look on his face. Bruce was naturally suspicious and somewhat nervous due to the lack of information, but seeing Thor in the room with Tony seemed to calm his uneasiness. Tony stood and shook hands with him, Thor repeating the gesture. Tony was about to speak when Bruce began, his eyes planted firmly on Loki.
"Who's he?" Bruce said slowly, "He looks pretty messed up."
"He's the reason we called you here," Tony said. Bruce shook his head. Wasn't Thor the reason S.H.I.E.L.D. hunted him down like a dog?
"You didn't answer my question," Bruce said with a nervous chuckle. He really didn't like the lack of information.
"That's because it's hard to answer. Try an easier one." Tony mused, his back against the bar. Bruce scowled; this was not a time for games.
"Why is it so difficult? His name would suffice." Bruce said, his temper rising.
"Hey Blondie, why don't you tell him?" Tony called. Thor sighed and sat down. The last thing he wanted was for Bruce to lose it over this lack of information and was hoping that he wouldn't lose it over the information he was about to receive.
"I advise that you sit," Thor said. Bruce stood awkwardly for a moment then sat down. Thor took a deep breath.
"After capturing Loki, it was known that he would face Asgardian justice, not Midgardian. Once we arrived home, something about Loki...changed." Thor paused, unsure how to go on.
"Changed? Changed..." Bruce glanced over the boy, studying him from head to foot. His brown eyes narrowed, then widened in either surprise or understanding.
"I should have guessed," Bruce murmured, standing, "same eyes." He gestured to Loki's eyes, which were wide with child-like curiosity.
"What happened to him in Asgard?" Bruce asked, sitting down next to Loki. Thor blinked and shifted in his seat. This was not the reaction he had anticipated. Thor had expected Bruce to lose it and transform into that great green beast that had so much power and a personal grudge against Loki. Instead here he was, calmly speaking with Thor about a man he hates so much. It was extremely odd.
"Our father saw that the boy faced justice for the crimes he committed. He was sent to Fjørlag-Bryggja, a high security prison beneath Asgard, and tortured for his crimes. Odin suspects that he purposefully de-aged himself but I disagree. I think this is the work of something bigger." Thor said. It was difficult for him not to say it all in a rush. Bruce nodded thoughtfully, his brow knitting together.
"I see. Does he remember anything?" Bruce asked.
"Not a thing. Odin tortured him for information and motives but found nothing. He cannot remember anything." Thor said. Loki was shaking slightly; he hated the very mention of Fjørlag-Bryggja. Thor put a comforting arm around him.
"Alright. Let's get started." Bruce turned to Loki, his eyes gentle.
"Don' hurt me," Loki said softly, flinching away from Bruce. Bruce smiled at him and held out his hand.
"I won't hurt you," he said softly, "I just want to help." Loki hesitated and looked to Thor. Thor nodded and Loki stood up, not sure what to do. Bruce's hand was still outstretched and with a little pushing, Loki took it. Bruce then turned to Tony.
"Tony do you have a place for me to work?" Bruce asked.
"Yup, sure do Green Giant. You can use my lab. Just finished wiping it down with Lysol this morning," Tony gestured to Pepper, "Pepper?" She nodded and began walking.
"Dr. Banner, if you'd follow me please," she said heading toward the elevator.
"Come on, Loki," Bruce said. Loki hesitated. His fearful green eyes darted over to Thor.
"Um," he said, barely over a whisper, "can Thor come?" Bruce nodded.
"Of course," Bruce replied, still using a gentle tone. Loki gave Bruce a quick, small smile and grabbed Thor's hand as well. Pepper then led them away, leaving Tony alone at the bar.
Bruce told Loki to sit on a cold metal table while he got his things ready. He wasn't thrilled about helping Loki, but he also couldn't let a five-year-old suffer. Loki was visibly afraid and not even Thor could soothe him. Bruce figured that the table reminded him of something, but he wasn't sure. It wasn't like he was an expert in childhood psychology or anything.
"Alright, I'm just going to shine this light in your eyes to check them. If it hurts, tell me." Bruce said slowly and gently. Loki nodded and Bruce shone a light in both eyes. Loki flinched, but didn't back away.
"Now I'm going to do the same thing to your ears," Loki nodded and allowed Bruce to check his ears and then his nose. Bruce jotted down some notes and then asked Loki to open his mouth. The light illuminated it and Bruce had to hide his reaction. Burns and scarring lined Loki's mouth and throat. He put the light down and scribbled it down, Loki sitting on the table with his mouth wide open.
"You can, uh, close your mouth now," Bruce said, still writing. Loki looked over at the notebook and watched as Bruce wrote his notes down.
"What are you writin'?" Loki asked, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"I'm writing down what I saw inside your mouth and throat," Bruce explained, his eyes fixed on the paper. Loki got closer to the paper his face full of confusion and curiosity.
"I can' read it. Wha' language is this?" Loki asked.
"Um, American English," Bruce answered. "Now, how did this happen?" Bruce asked. He was getting slightly annoyed with all of the boy's questions. Loki looked away, sweat forming on his forehead. Bruce wondered if that was from illness or nervousness. Either way, he made a note of it.
"Well, the Shadow took me t' a room that smelled really bad an' asked me a bunch of questions. If I got one wrong or lied, it would pour this weird smellin' an' bad tastin' stuff down my throat an' make me swallow. I don' know wha' it was, but it burned when I swallowed." Loki said in a rush, not meeting Bruce's eyes. Bruce didn't know what this "Shadow" Loki was talking about was, but he knew better than to bring it up. It would make the exam quite unpleasant.
"Well, it certainly did burn you. I think it may have damaged your stomach too. Does your stomach ever hurt after eating?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah. Sometimes I throw up." Loki said. Bruce was still writing in his notebook.
"After eating?" Bruce asked.
"Uh-huh," Loki replied.
"And how much do you eat?" Bruce questioned, his hand flying across the paper.
"Not very much," Loki responded, his eyes watching Bruce's quick moving hand.
"Okay...anything else?" Bruce asked. Loki blushed slightly and kept his gaze locked on the floor.
"Um..." Loki muttered, his blush spreading across his cheeks rapidly. Bruce looked up and stopped writing. Why wasn't the kid speaking? He wouldn't shut up a few minutes ago.
"You can tell me," he said calmly. Loki glanced up at him.
"Promise you won' laugh at me?" Loki whispered. Bruce blinked at Loki's question but nodded all the same.
"I would never laugh," Bruce answered. Loki fumbled around with his shirt, the wrinkles suddenly more fascinating than Bruce.
"Well," Loki began still blushing madly, "since then I-uh-have been...I can' always..." Loki trailed off. He crawled closer to Bruce, his face toward Bruce's ear. Bruce was very uncomfortable having Loki so close to his head. Thor had said he couldn't remember anything but that didn't mean that the kid wasn't dangerous.
"I've been...leaking since then. I've also been wetting my bed" Loki said, his small voice full of shame. Bruce pulled back and began to write again. He was very surprised at just how normal Loki was for a five-year-old. No malicious intent, no games or tricks. Just simple honesty. It was nice.
"I figured," he muttered to himself, "minor damage to internal organs." Thor grunted in disgust.
"Father said it would heal," Thor said with a clenched jaw. Bruce nodded.
"I'm sure it will, but I'll need an x- ray to see how bad it is. Loki, do you know how much of this stuff you drank?" Bruce asked slowly. Loki shook his head.
"No. I only know it was a lot." Loki responded.
"How often did you lie?" Bruce questioned, suspicion rising in his chest. Perhaps the kid did have a few tricks up his sleeve after all. Loki's bottom lip trembled. Why didn't any of these grown-ups like him?
"I didn'!" Loki cried, fat tears rolling down his face. "I didn' lie! I j'st didn' know the answers! Honest!" Loki wailed. Thor came over and picked him up, rubbing his back.
"I know, brother. I know," Thor said soothingly. Bruce stood awkwardly for a moment, waiting. The sobs soon quieted to hiccups and Loki was finally calm enough to continue. Bruce felt semi-guilty that he made the boy cry. Maybe he really was just a little boy after all.
"Okay, Loki, I'm sorry I made you cry. You just don't understand…" Bruce trailed off when Thor waved his hand and made a stern face. Bruce blinked in surprise but quickly understood what was going on; Loki wasn't aware of what had occurred almost a month ago. Why Thor hadn't told the boy yet, Bruce didn't know, but he knew better than to not listen to Thor. Clearing his throat, he got Thor's attention again.
"I need to do x-rays now," Bruce announced. Loki turned to face Bruce and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"Wha's a x-ray?" Loki asked.
"It's when I take a picture of your insides. I need to see how badly hurt your stomach is." Bruce explained softly. Loki looked at Thor and he nodded, and Loki smiled hesitantly.
"'Kay," Loki said. Bruce smiled in spite of himself.
It wasn't until past four that Bruce was finally satisfied. After the x-rays and CAT-scans, Bruce had cleaned and stitched the superficial wounds and gave advice to soothe aching muscles and bruises. He had gotten detailed diagnosis for Loki's internal damage due to that drink and was frustrated. The scar tissue was thick and rough, and it was impossible to tell if it would go away once the tissue underneath had healed. Regardless of that, Bruce was satisfied. Loki hadn't fought as hard has he had feared and all in all was a decent kid despite his past deeds. Bruce hated to admit it, but he was growing fond of Loki, not wanting to leave once the exam was over. However, there was still a faint voice in the back of his head, warning him not to get attached or even dare to care about Loki. He might betray everyone. Bruce had already known this very real possibility and knew better than to get attached. He just slightly liked the boy, that's all.
Dinner found Thor, Loki, and Bruce in a small cafe in New York, Pepper giving them the funds to eat out. Loki was excited, having never been at a restaurant before. He was sitting on a booster seat because he was too short otherwise, his little feet swaying back and forth. The waitress came over, prepared to take drink orders.
"What can I get you to drink?" she asked.
"Coffee," Bruce said, his face buried in his menu. Thor's face split into a toothy grin.
"I shall have coffee as well," he said, given the waitress a smile. Her face melted under his gaze for a moment, her attention returning to her job.
"And you?" she asked Loki.
"I can' read," Loki answered abruptly. "What is coffee?" he asked. The waitress giggled and patted his head.
"You're a cutie!" she squealed happily. Loki smiled and blushed slightly. How he did enjoy this attention.
"D' you have milk?" Loki asked. The waitress nodded, a smile on her face.
"Is that what you want or would you rather have chocolate milk?" Loki's eyes widened.
"Chocolate? I'd rather have that!" he cried happily, his face in a wide smile. The waitress giggled and wrote it down.
"That'll be up in a minute," she said walking away. Loki glanced over to Bruce.
"There's such a thing as chocolate milk?" he asked. Bruce nodded.
"Yup. I used to love it as a kid." Bruce said. Loki squirmed in his seat; he loved sweets. Thor chuckled slightly and leaned over.
"Would you like to try macaroni and cheese? It's very good." Thor said.
"'Kay," Loki replied, picking up the crayons the waitress had brought after seating them and scribbling on the paper. Thor glanced down at it and noticed Loki was favoring the red and black colors like he was that morning. Seeing a pattern, Thor decided to comment on Loki's color choice.
"That's a lot of red and black Loki," Thor commented. Loki shrugged and continued coloring.
"I s'pose," Loki replied, his eyes focused on the paper. With shaky hands he continued to color, the red and black engulfing the paper. Thor watched as Loki colored and wondered why he wouldn't use the other colors. Curious, Thor picked up a blue crayon.
"Why don't you use some blue now," Thor said, handing the crayon to Loki. Loki looked at it and shook his head.
"Nah, 'm done," Loki replied, putting the crayons down.
"It's normal for traumatized kids to use dark colors," Bruce said in a hushed voice, his brown eyes peering over the menu. "It helps them express what they can't put into words or don't want to talk about." Thor frowned. He looked back at Loki's drawing and saw past the scribbles of red and black. The drawing itself was of the dark room Thor could only assume was the room he had rescued him from. In the corner was a red person whom Thor assumed was Loki. The little person looked sad, but wasn't crying. The black walls had occasional scribbles of red, the crayon darker in those places. Loki sighed and looked around.
"Where's tha' lady? 'M hungry!" Loki whined.
"Hold your horses. She'll be back soon." Bruce replied calmly, his menu still blocking his face. Loki huffed and leaned on the table, a hand on his cheek. Thor smiled and put a strong arm around Loki. The boy didn't respond, rather he picked up the red crayon with one hand. Loki then looked over to the blue crayon Thor had suggested and picked it up. Squirming out Thor's embrace Loki turned to face Thor, a glint in his eye that Thor couldn't name.
"Wanna color with me?" Loki asked. Thor realized that that look was hope that would be quickly shattered if he refused. He glanced down and saw Loki's hand stretched out toward him, handing him the blue crayon. Thor smiled and ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Of course I will," he replied, Loki squealing in delight as Thor took the crayon from his grasp. The two colored until their food arrived, Loki upset when Thor forced him to stop so he could eat. Loki managed to eat a few bites before pushing his bowl away, looking rather green.
"Something wrong?" Bruce asked. Loki nodded, a look of pain on his young face.
"I don' feel too good," Loki answered in a whine. He slumped in his seat and groaned a little, a hand on his stomach. Thor stopped eating and looked over, concerned.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Loki shook his head.
"Nuh-huh," he muttered, his face in a grimace.
"What hurts?" Thor asked.
"My tummy," Loki replied, turning more and more green. Thor glanced back at Bruce, lost as to what to do.
"Do you know this place?" Thor asked, hoping Bruce would know where Thor could take Loki if the boy needed to vomit. Much to Thor's dismay, Bruce shook his head.
"No, I've never been here. Pepper suggested it," Bruce looked at the very green Loki then added, "but I'm sure the waitress would tell you where the restrooms are." Thor nodded and waved a massive hand in the air. Sure enough, a waitress answered his call, her face slightly confused.
"Sorry miss," Thor began, "but could you direct me to the restrooms?" he asked. She blushed slightly and gave him the directions. As she was leaving, Thor stood and grabbed Loki by the waist.
"We shall return," Thor told Bruce as he walked off, Loki clasped firmly in his arms.
Vomiting is never a pleasant experience, but for Loki it was excruciating. Everything about it pained him, his throat burning and his stomach aching. Thor was rubbing his back soothingly, trying to make the whole thing less painful for Loki. Loki appreciated the gesture, even if it didn't stop the pain. If anything it just reminded Loki that Thor cared. Many painful moments later, Loki was finally done vomiting and groaned when he saw his shirt. Thor just smiled though and led him away from the stall and instantly began to clean off Loki's shirt. Loki blushed violently.
"I can do it myself. 'M not a baby." Loki said. Thor smiled.
"Of course you can, Loki. I want to help you." Thor replied simply. He finished cleaning it as best he could and he took Loki's hand. Loki looked up at Thor and smiled brightly at his older brother. Thor returned the gesture and led Loki back to the table where Bruce was. The two sat and Thor continued to eat.
"Is everything alright?" Bruce asked. Thor nodded.
"Aye, but I do wish Loki could eat." Thor said.
"Don't worry. I gave you guys some stomach soother for him so he can eat; I just left it back at the Tower." Bruce explained. Thor nodded and glanced over at Loki who was coloring again. Thor noticed he was still using a lot of red, but less black than before. Held tightly in his fingers was the blue crayon Thor had used.
An hour later, Thor and Bruce were finished eating and Loki had fallen asleep. Because of the battle, someone had offered to pay for their meal. Bruce had declined, saying they had the money to pay for it, but they insisted. It got stressful for Bruce as people began cheering and clapping for them, urging them to take this man's money. Thor knew that Bruce was getting anxious, so he told the man that they would accept. Bruce was shifting in place, his face nervous.
"Take Loki and go outside. I shall take care of all this." Thor said. This made Bruce go pale. Take Loki? Giving him a necessary medical exam was one thing, but cradling him was a totally different situation, one Bruce wasn't comfortable in. Then again, as the restaurant got more crowded and loud, he decided that taking Loki was the lesser of two evils. Nodding anxiously, Bruce grabbed the sleeping boy out of Thor's arms and hurried out of the café. He sat down outside, Loki drooling slightly. Loki had been asleep for nearly an hour and Bruce doubted he would wake up. Bruce did feel bad for the kid, but he couldn't admit to himself that he might actually care for him. Loki was the reason Coulson died, the reason New York was in shambles. Why should he care about him? Loki shifted in his sleep and Bruce felt himself smile. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as the thoughts of the Hulk entered his head. The Hulk hated Loki possibly more than anyone else on the planet. Bruce wondered if that's why he hated Loki, if it was because the Hulk did. He wasn't sure but he did know he just wanted a quiet mind for once. Like that would ever happen.
Time passed and Thor wasn't out of the café yet. Bruce was in a hurry to get back to the tower so he could leave New York, but at this rate he'd have to stay the night. Bruce slumped in his seat when a strange thing happened; warmness was spreading across his lap. He cautiously looked down and was horrified; the kid had peed on him. This was not good, not good at all. Trying to keep his breathing in check, Bruce closed his eyes, trying to ignore it. But as it hit the New York air and got cold, he couldn't keep his mind off of it. Don't lose it, not here, not now, Bruce thought, wishing Thor would hurry up. If Thor was any longer, Loki would wake up and freak out. If Loki freaked out, there was no telling what would happen. Sure enough, Loki stirred and woke up, his bottom lip trembling and his face bright red.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Loki cried frantically, trying to get off of Bruce's lap. Loki's voice snapped him back into reality.
"It's…I…It's fine. Just stay here." Bruce said, trying to keep his heart rate down. Loki was crying now, big fat tears running down his face. That stupid voice was screaming at him for allowing Loki to get that close and it was getting hard to ignore. The boy was just sitting on him crying and the voice was giving him a migraine. This was not a night that Bruce would have liked to have in the slightest.
"'M sorry!" he wailed. Bruce felt something rise in his chest, something he wasn't expecting. Instead of freaking out or feeling awkward about this whole situation or even getting angry, Bruce found himself rubbing Loki's back. Was this really the same person who did all those terrible things? No, it wasn't. This was a little boy, a very hurt, traumatized boy; a boy who didn't deserve to be treated poorly by Bruce. So Bruce held Loki close and rocked back and forth, trying to calm him down.
"It's alright," Bruce soothed as best he could. He was never one for comfort, but he would try for this little boy. Loki finally calmed down, snot and tears soaking Bruce's shirt.
"I didn' mean t'," Loki said, trying to convince Bruce of that fact. The boy knew he didn't like him.
"I know that," Bruce said softly. Loki looked up at him, shock in his expression.
"You…you do? I thought you hated me. I know Mr. Stark does…" Loki trailed off, tears filling his green eyes once more. That was awkward. How was Bruce supposed to explain the other side of him who did hate him without telling Loki the things Thor didn't want him to know? The Hulk did hate Loki, but Bruce wasn't so sure if he did or not. This was all very confusing. Bruce rubbed Loki's back, confusing thoughts floating around his head.
"I don't hate you. I can't speak for Stark, but I certainly don't hate you." Bruce said. Loki wiped his nose on his hand.
"Really?" Loki asked. Bruce nodded and gave Loki a smile.
"Really." Loki giggled slightly and put his head on Bruce's shoulder. Bruce smiled fondly and cuddled him close, Bruce's steady heart beat putting Loki to sleep.
Thor finally got out of the café and smiled at what he saw; Bruce allowing Loki to sleep on his lap. Thor smiled and walked over. Bruce saw him and stood, adjusting Loki as he did so.
"Everything go okay?" Bruce asked. Thor nodded.
"Aye, all is well. We may leave. Did all fare well with you?" Thor asked. Bruce nodded.
"Yeah, but Loki had an accident all over me. I had to calm him down." Bruce explained.
"And you did so?" Thor questioned teasingly. Bruce blushed slightly. It would be weird to admit to actually liking Loki. Bruce supposed it would just take some getting used to.
"Well, yeah. This little guy and that egotistical maniac aren't the same person." Bruce said almost to himself. Thor smiled and gestured for Bruce to follow him; at least someone else could understand.
"Come, we must put Loki to bed." Thor said. Bruce followed after him, Loki snuggled peacefully into him.