A Murder of Crows ://: ~Loki~

//Brother?//

Loki held his brother's face softly. What horrible things had just left Thor's mouth. 

Hate him?

"Please, brother, look at me." Loki pleaded. Thor obeyed, his blue eyes met Loki's red ones, tears slipping from both. "I could never hate you, brother." Thor's eyes searched his brother's face, certain that he would find some trace of lying, but dreading it all the same. 

He pulled Loki into a gentle hug, as if - should he squeeze too hard - his brother would shatter into a million pieces. 

He could find only sincere love in his brother's face and eyes.

"I could never hate you." The younger brother repeated as if to anchor that phrase into his sibling's head. "Never." 

Thor was crying in earnest now, as was Loki. 

"I missed you, brother," Thor spoke softly, voice creaky from all his tears.

Loki pressed his face into his brother's chest, soaking his soft gray shirt in tears.

"I've missed you too." 

~Time Skip~ 

It had been a couple of hours since Loki had woken up. 

Bruce had checked on him, saying that it might take a few weeks for the man's arms to heal. Other than the blood loss, malnutrition, dehydration, and severely damaged mental health, Loki was alright.

In other words, Loki was not alright. 

Thor had taken Loki to his room, saying that he would stay with his brother for the next few weeks and that he would have FRIDAY alert him if Loki had a breakdown. 

So now Loki sat on a soft chair in his room while Thor busied himself checking every single corner of his brother's room for sharp things he might use to harm himself again. 

"Brother," Loki whispered, voice hoarse. "I'm hungry." 

Thor walked to the smaller man's side, holding his hand softly. 

"My friends will let us collect food from the kitchen and eat here, don't worry about them seeing you right now." Thor smiled at his brother encouragingly.

Loki smiled weakly, gratefully. 

He didn't want anyone who hadn't already seen him as a Jotun - and so weak - to see him like this. 

Thor noticed the congealed blood that marred his brother's skeletal arms. 

"Brother, can I try to clean you up just a little?" He asked, not wanting to be too pushy with his sensitive sibling.

"Oh, of course." Loki staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on his brother for support. "Thank you...for everything." Thor smiled warmly at his brother. 

"It is of no matter." The elder god helped Loki to the bathroom, sitting him down and grabbing the softest towel he could find. "Brother, I-," he paused, breathing deeply, "I need you to unwrap your arms." Loki nodded and began to tug feebly at the bandages, hands shaky and weak. 

"Right, let me, please." Thor winced as he peeled the bandages off his brother, revealing the multitude of cuts and the two neatly stitched lines. 

Soaking the towel in lightly warm water, he wrung any excess out and ever so gently wiped the blood off Loki's arms. 

He was so careful with him, so scared of hurting him more. 

Within a few minutes, the blood was completely removed from one arm and Thor started to scrub softly at the other one. 

"Thank you, brother," Loki said as Thor tenderly cared for him. "I hate to be so...useless." He sighed, wincing slightly as his brother slid the towel over one of the stitched up gashes. 

"You are not useless, brother," Thor gently finished cleaning his arm. "You are just hurt." He looked at his now blood-free brother and smiled slightly. "And I am certain you must be tired, let us eat, and then rest." Loki nodded, thankful for the helping arm that helped him into clean clothes and now leads him back to the soft, dark green chair in his room. 

Thor smiled at his brother, covering him in a blanket. 

Loki was grateful for Thor being so considerate of his Jotun roots. 

He had been careful to pick a blanket that was thin enough so as to keep him comfortable. 

Loki had always been sensitive to heat, especially so in his Jotun form 

"I will be back soon, brother," Thor said to his brother, forcing himself to leave his brother, even if it was only to get some food. 

Loki nodded and smiled. 

He could feel himself falling asleep.

His arms were aching again.

They itched with need.

He was glad Thor had taken his tool.

~Meanwhile~

Thor marched into the dining room.

It was ablaze with conversation about his brother.

Not all of it positive.

He felt a flare of anger as someone called his brother a monster. 

He cleared his throat loudly and the conversation hushed for a moment before reigniting tenfold, now aimed at him. 

"Where is he?"

"Why isn't he with you?"

"Why would you leave him alone?!"

"He's obviously still a threat."

"Why isn't he with you?!"

Finally, Tony shut everyone up before Thor found and killed whoever had called his brother a threat. 

"Hey man, how's he doing?" The engineer asked. 

Thor was grateful for the genuine worry in his voice. 

"He's alright for now." He paused. "He worries me." He wasn't sure he should mention this, "I noticed him clawing at his arms earlier. I took his...weapon...but I am concerned." Tony looked at Thor with pity, he himself was rather worried. 

"Thor, what exactly happened to your brother to make him like this? I can't imagine what he had to go through to get to that point..." 

To anyone else, Tony was talking about the attempt at his own life, but to the three others who had seen him, they knew he was talking about the multitude of scars that checkered his pale skin. Thor shook his head sadly.

"I-I really don't know. I can't imagine what he had to go through for all...that..." He paused again, feeling a lump rise in his throat. "I-I never knew anything about this, any of this. If my brother is good at anything, it is illusions." 

FRIDAY clipped in.

"Thor, based on protocol PL  that you have enacted, I would like to notify you that our guest is bleeding." 

Thor and Tony exchanged a glance, standing at once and rushing to Loki's room.