Chapter 2

Did Loki just say he loved Thor? Thor's heart burst with love and joy at Loki's simply little four words. Suddenly his exhaustion of sleeping only a few hours over the past week was gone, replaced by an energy full of vigour. Gently stroking Loki's cheek, he got up from his place on the bed and quickly changed into some clothes; blue jeans, a maroon t-shirt and a blue button down shirt open over the top. He slowly made his way over to the door, looking back at Loki while turning the handle. His brother looked so small, so forlorn under the blankets, the dark circles under his eyes prominent. His chiselled cheekbones jutted out more sharply than usual, making him look malnourished. Thor couldn't resist, he crossed to the bed and lovingly swiped the hair out of Loki's face, kissing his brow. Thor watched as his brother rolled onto his side, curled up into a ball, relaxed again, and smiled slightly before turning away. Then he strode out of the room, quietly closing the door.

All eyes snapped to Thor as he entered the dining room, conversation falling silent.

"How is he?" Steve asked quietly, breaking the tense silence.

"He-he's not good. That was the worst. But he finally told me what they are about. I hope that will help him stop having them…"

Thor sat down heavily at the table, accepting a plate of bacon and eggs from Natasha.

"I'm sure it will," Bruce said gently, sensing the God of Thunder needed someone to tell him everything would be okay.

Thor smiled slightly.

"Where is Loki anyway; he usually doesn't leave your side until mid-afternoon…" Tony trailed off.

"He's sleeping," Thor said smiling.

"Finally!" Both Clint and Tony chorused, while everyone else breathed sighs of relief.

Thor smiled again; heart still swollen with happiness at Loki's half asleep murmur.

"What's up?" Clint asked, "You seem quite happy this morning."

"Oh, it is nothing," Thor exclaimed happily, "I have merely heard something I have been waiting to hear for a very long time."

He let his smile turn into a full blown grin, and dug into his breakfast.

After leaving Loki in his bedroom at 8:26 that morning, breakfast went by smoothly. And by smoothly it was meant that there were no food fights, sugar mysteriously in the salt shaker, no yelling, and no call from Director Fury about a national emergency. Honestly sometimes it was like living with mischievous toddlers, not superheros, Pepper thought.

However at nine, Loki still hadn't made an appearance. Thor managed to brush it off as Loki was sleeping, but when nine turned into ten he began to worry. Loki was generally a light sleeper, waking many times during the night, even without the horrors of the dreams that were plaguing him of late. Still, Thor held himself back, joining in on the card game Tony had persuaded everyone to play. Finally, when JARVIS announced it was eleven, much quieter than usual, no doubt because Loki was presumably still sleeping, Thor couldn't hold himself back. It was becoming increasingly obvious that his team mates were trying to calm him down, and keep him from worrying. However their antics, though well meant, were having the opposite effect on him, bringing to attention Loki's absence ant the reasons behind it. Burying his face in his hands, Thor grabbed his shoulder length blond hair and pulled. Hard. "I-I can't wait any longer," he said distractedly, "I have to check on him…"

Everyone nodded and Steve, ever the gentleman, squeezed his shoulder, Jane opting for a quick kiss on the cheek.

"He'll be fine," Bruce said quietly, "I'm sure it's just exhaustion, his body can't handle much more without sleep, medically speaking. That or he's concocting some prank he's going to pull."

"Mnm" was his only reply as Thor sped out of the room.

Quietly, Thor turned the handle of Loki's door, contrasting greatly to the noise he made in hurrying to the room. He peeked his head in, and seeing the room dark, walked quickly in, closing the door and shutting out the light. Thor padded lightly to the bed and crouched down in front of the pillow, reaching out with his hand, stroking a black lump that Thor placed as Loki's raven hair.

"Loki?" Thor whispered, "Brother, wake up."

After a short pause 'go away' was mumbled into the pillows.

Thor chuckled, glad that Loki was okay.

"No brother, come on, you can sleep later."

"I said go away…" Loki murmured, curling up into a ball around a pillow.

"Come on, Loki, you've got to get up," Thor said gently, picking his brother up and placing him in his lap, blankets and all.

"Tho-or!" Loki whined plaintively, undermined slightly by him curling into Thor's side. "Why-y!"

Thor cradled his brother closer, revelling in the affection that Loki never gave.

"Because brother, it is eleven am."

"I don't care!" Loki said indignantly.

"Loki, you are behaving like a child. Are you quite alright?"

"I'm fine," came a mumbled reply, Loki just having buried his head into the doona. "Jus' t-tired."

He broke off with a yawn.

"Alright Loki," Thor sighed resignedly, "You can sleep now."

"Mnm…" Loki mumbled, "Don't leave."

"I won't brother, not yet." Thor whispered, adjusting his hold on Loki so that he was in a relatively comfortable position.

Loki froze.

"Yet?" He whimpered.

Thor cringed internally at his mistake.

"I will never leave you, brother," Thor whispered, "That I swear on my life."

AN: Grr. The aim for this one was to be longer, or at least as long as the first chapter. But I'd just watched a chick flick, and things, inevitably, got very mushy, very quickly.

Let me know where you want this story to go, PM or review, don't mind which. I don't have really many ideas as of yet apart from the half chapter that is teasingly already written, still trying to banish the gooeyness of this chapter from my mind.