Hidden Troubles

12 | Brother

"My friends!" Thor shouted, grabbing Tony's forearm tightly in an enthusiastic greeting, followed by a warm hug. The thunder god's eyes were alight with joy, but a mere whimper of a sound had the warm fire in his eye disappear into smoky worry.

"Thor?" A fragile voice whispered from the sofa. Tony stepped aside, allowing for the elder god to approach his brother.

"Loki?"

Loki sat up, verdant eyes meeting the shocked cerulean. Shakily, he forced himself up onto his feet, and stumbled slowly towards his brother. Thor too stepped towards him slowly, as though he'd been confronted by the ghost of a loved one. But a shaky step destined to have the trickster fall was all it took for Thor to run forward to cushion his brother's fall.

The god of mischief collapsed into his brother's arms. Loki placed his forehead to Thor's chest, tiredly closing his eyes and allowed himself to slump into Thor's embrace. Thor had caught him, trying not to make a scene. Loki wrapped his arms behind Thor's back and allowed the two of them to just... stay like that for a while.

Loki's silent call for help.

"Thor," Loki whispered, delirious with exhaustion.

"My dear brother, what has happened to you? What is wrong?"

Wrong. The world rolled around in Loki's head, poisoning his thoughts, feeding his voice. He was wrong. His mere existence was wrong. His womanly abilities of magic as an Aesir male, his false identity as an Aesir, his weakness so obvious at birth that he was discarded to die as a Jotun runt. What was wrong with him?

Everything.

Thor turned to the Avengers, who looked almost uncomfortable. "My friends, what is wrong with him? Is he ill?"

"I think it's best if we talk in private," Bruce said, stepping forward.

"Brother?"

Thor gazed at his brother, his gaunt face now peacefully conflicted in sleep. It seemed at some point the god had just passed out. The elder carefully lay the fragile figure on the couch, and Natasha went to him immediately, reclaiming her position on the arm of the sofa and brushing stray strands of ebony hair from the sleeping god's face. Steve gently placed a blanket on Loki's thin form.

"Tell me of when he awakens." Natasha drew her attention from Loki only momentarily to nod.

Bruce, Tony and Steve led Thor out of the room to the corridor. Immediately, the god turned to the three.

Tell me what has happened." The warning in Thor's voice was unmistakable. Bruce and Tony looked to each other before giving a condensed version of events, from when they'd noticed Loki starting to look unwell, trying to talk to him and eventually to the events of the last few days. Thor's face grew graver and graver the more they talked.

"I see." Thor sighed.

"I'm sorry we didn't take better care of him." Steve said. The Captain was a man of duty and honour; right now he felt as though he had failed greatly in his simple duty of looking after the god.

"That's okay, my friends. It is Loki, he is the most stubborn person I know. Many a time when we were children he would fall ill, and would refuse to admit it and engage in any treatment until his health took too dire of a turn." Tony's shoulders instantly relaxed, though the sea of guilt brewing in his stomach didn't disappear.

"I've got a question though Thor." Bruce said suddenly.

"Go forth, friend Banner."

"Why is Loki's back covered in old scars?" The memory of the gruesome sight appeared in Tony's mind as he shuddered. He wouldn't be able to forget that.