Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.

"Where is my brother?" Thor's booming voice echoed through the halls of Stark Tower. As part of his punishment given by Odin, Loki had been forced to live with his brother and the rest of the Avengers.

Your brother is currently in the library. JARVIS' voice alerted Thor, Stark, Pepper, and Bruce to the trickster's current location. Nobody had seen the trickster god for almost twenty-four hours and, despite everything his brother had done, Thor was still concerned for him.

"Stark! Where is the library?" Thor came striding into the engineer's plush lounge.

"What library?" Tony Stark looked up in surprise from where he was cuddling Pepper.

"Yours" Thor growled.

Pepper sighed, uncurled herself from Stark's reluctant arms and stood up.

"I'll show you. Why do you need the library?" she asked curiously as they walked towards the elevator.

"Do I even have a library?" Stark's voice floated back as the elevator doors dinged shut behind them.

"I fear my brother is not well. Since our father depleted his magic, Loki has not been himself. He is not eating and has constant nightmares."

Pepper winced, remembering the terrified screams she had heard a few nights ago. She had always assumed that it was one of the other occupants of the tower. After all, every Avenger had their past that often caught up with them in sleep.

"Loki!" Thor yelled his brother's name. He paused for a moment, staring at the abundance of the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling shelves of books. Of course Loki would hide in here.

"Thor!" Pepper called as she rounded a corner and glimpsed a sight that almost broke her heart. She didn't care much for Loki, but even so she still felt awful as she saw him curled up on the floor.

"Loki" Thor knelt next to his brother, gently shaking Loki's shoulder. The younger god responded, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal dull green eyes.

"Thor?" he murmured, his raspy voice quickly becoming a harsh cough.

"Hush" Thor quieted his brother and gathered him up in his arms. Loki didn't protest, but only snuggled closer and Thor looked down in concern. His brother felt too small and too fragile. Due to Loki's lack of eating, Thor could feel every rib, every bone in his body.

"I'll go find Bruce," Pepper volunteered.

Thor nodded, more engrossed in watching Loki's eyes fluttering shut than listening to Pepper.

"Bruce?" Pepper stuck her head around the door of the lab. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw the scientist and her partner enthusiastically discussing some scientific formula.

"Uh, yeah?" Banner looked up distractedly.

"Thor needs you. It's Loki."

"Why does he need him?" Tony asked as Pepper and Bruce both ignored him.

"Loki's sick."

"Can those guys even get sick?" Stark queried as he wandered around one of the lab counters. Pepper shrugged, and Bruce sighed.

"He has a fever," Banner announced as he cupped a hand to Loki's much too warm neck.

The young god blinked glassy eyes and coughed weakly. Thor's worried face grew even more so as he heard the rough gasps coming from his little brother.

"Stark" Banner called. Tony detached himself from the doorway where he had been leaning and sauntered over.

"What does Reindeer Games need?"

"I need a thermometer, Tylenol, water, a few washcloths, and more blankets. And probably some ice packs. Thor, what is your brother's body temperature normally?"

"It is either mine or colder."

"Do you want anything?" Banner asked, looking at Loki.

Loki shook his head, "just leave me alone" he murmured.

"Brother-" Thor started, but was cut off by Loki's venomous tone.

"Go away" he forcefully snapped. Thor's tear-glazed blue eyes widened with sadness and for a moment Loki wanted to take back what he said, to apologize. But the moment passed and Thor turned away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Stark and the woman left, Banner poured a glass of water, left it on the nightstand and left. Finally, Loki was alone and unbidden tears sprang to his eyes. He bit his lip, for the first time in years struggling to hold back tears.

He heard a knock on the door and watched through watery eyes as the door cracked open and a shaggy blond head poked around the edge of the door.

"Thor?" if Loki had been feeling any better, he would have been embarrassed at the way his voice cracked.

He felt his brother envelope him in a hug and hot tears slipped out, unchecked, trickling onto Thor's neck. He felt a large hand rub up and down at his back and a strangled sob escaped his throat. Thor rocked Loki using one hand to hold him in a hug and the other to pull a blanket around Loki's suddenly trembling body.

"JARVIS?" Thor raised his voice.

Sir.

"Ask doctor Banner to come."

"What's wrong?" the doctor got to Loki's room in what seemed to be record time.

"He's shivering."

Banner handed him a few more blankets, which Thor immediately wrapped around Loki until the trickster looked like he was in a cocoon.

"Here" Bruce handed Thor a few small white pills and the glass of water.

"What are these?" Thor poked suspiciously at the little white ovals.

"Tylenol. They should bring Loki's fever down."

Thor wrinkled his brow in confusion, "how do these bring down my brother's temperature?"

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just have Loki swallow them, please."

Thor shook his head doubtfully but held the lip of the glass to Loki's mouth and then passed the pills to Loki who dutifully swallowed.

-TBC

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