Harry didn't know where he was.

He was warm and on a bed, he knew that much, but his eyes refused to recognize the wooden walls surrounding him and the penetrating stench of alcohol.

Flinging his legs over the edge of the bed, springs squeaking beneath his weight, Harry sat up. His eyes were half lidded and his hair stuck out at every angle.

"You're awake!" the Wendy girl barreled into the room, dress flying in the wind created by her movement. "Thank god!"

"Huh?" Harry mumbled. "Where Loke?"

"He's in the other room. He's been up all night; I swear, if we'd let him, he'd have been leaning over your bed for the last eight hours. We didn't want to scare you if you were, I dunno, disoriented or something. You're awake!"

Wendy's face was flush red with excitement. She jumped from foot to foot, hands clenched tightly together behind her back, hair bouncing up and down. Eyes sparkling with excitement. Hope, that's what she looked like. She looked like Loke on his first birthday, when Harry gave him a little pair of glasses with Loke's name inscribed in their frames.

Happiness.

Harry had gone so long without happiness. He'd been a wanderer for years, merely a shell without friends to support him. There was just the invisibility cloak in his arm and that was barely a friend, wasn't it?

Speaking of which, shouldn't the Wendy-girl still be unable to see him?

Harry frantically flipped his wrist over and began to stroke it with his other hand. There was no cloth there- just smooth, unscarred skin. He changed wrists, rubbing the unblemished skin there with his thumb, trying to find the familiar ridge of scar that cemented the cloth into place.

There was nothing there, just like the cloth had never existed.

"Are you okay?" Wendy asked, her voice tender. Harry almost snorted. No, he wasn't okay. The thing that had kept him away from life for so long was gone.

Life was with Loke. The cloth had kept him from searching for Loke-

God, it was really gone, wasn't it?

"Mister?"

"H- Harry," Harry said, his voice trembling.

It was gone.

His heart leapt up his throat, beating erratically, trying to choke him. His stomach quivered and his back tensed up. He could feel the steady beat of the arteries in his legs sending blood to his muscles, preparing for him to get up and run away.

Run to Loke.

He could do that now, couldn't he? He could just burst out of the room and see Loke sitting down. The spirit probably had his head cradled in his hands and his eyes downcast, like he'd just had some sort of argument with Harry. Like Harry had left him (which what had happened so Harry should be getting his sorry ass out there and telling Loke that'd be all right).

"Harry. Loke was looking for a Harry."

Harry's heart quickened. "I want to see him."

Wendy seemed taken a back. Why should she though? Harry just wanted to see Loke, was that too much to ask for? He just wanted to see his brother.

"Please?"

"Um- just let me check with Mira…"

"You don't understand," Harry said. "I need to see him."

"But Loke's not exactly stable right now and if a stranger were to upset him- well- then…"

"Please."

Wendy met Harry's eyes, brown apologizing to green. "Let me ask Mira."

But Harry needed to see Loke now. He couldn't wait. His heart was screaming at him to run out and hug the stupid lion and never let go. Harry had let go of too much. He'd let go of his family, friends, life, sanity, brother brother brother he'd let go of his brother and he wasn't about to let him slip away again god no he wasn't

"No."

"Excuse me. Harry?"

"I'm seeing him."

Muscles straining and jaw tight, Harry lifted himself onto his feet. The bed sighed as Harry drew his hands from its surface. He was hunched over and his arms dangled by his sides, but Harry was standing.

Wendy caught his shoulder as he stumbled forward, but he shook her off and gave her a sharp glare.

He could fix this himself. He's messed up enough; shouldn't he couldn't he fix it all? It was his job. He was the one to fix Loke and Loke was the one to fix him.

A night spent on a cliff side, Loke's head snuggled into Harry's side. Both with eyes closed, enjoying the tingle of each other's touch. Love. Platonic. Brothers. Them. The night. All of time, space, and chaos to interrupt them but for that one night, they were left alone.

"Never goin' leave you," Harry said, wrapping his arm around Loke's shoulder.

"Better not. Kill you if ya' did."

"You couldn't kill me if you tried."

'Are you sure of that? I thought I was an almighty Horcrux."

"I've taken care of seven of those things; I'm pretty sure I can hunt down and get rid of another one."

"You wouldn't have the nerve. You love me too much."

"True."

"And if you lost my key, you'd be hunting for it anyways."

"True."

"You'd always come looking."

"Yeah, stupid lion, I will," Harry said, pulling Loke even closer until he was sure the lion could feel his heartbeat. "I always will."

"Always?"

"Always."