No Limits (An Avengers Fanfic)

Thanos' Revenge

Chapter Four

Bruce's P. o. V:

Loki's screams wake me up. I rush into his room, only to find him thrashing around on the bed. His forehead is covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Gently, I grab his shoulder and shake him. His eyes fly open the look of panic in the alarms me. "Loki! You're okay! It was just a nightmare!" I reassure him.

"No-don't!" Loki whimpers. His eyes roll back and he collapses onto the bed, shaking. His stomach starts to move again.

"Loki, you have to calm down! Emaralyn is upset!" Loki snaps out of whatever was frightening him and starts to breathe deeply. At last, Em settles down. Loki opens his eyes slowly, his pupils dilated. Silent sobs wrack his body. Gently, I sit down on the bed next to him. He clings to me, tears falling down his cheeks in a torrent. I hold him close, allowing him to snuggle into me. At last, he straightens up, hiccuping. "What happened?" I ask him. He shakes his head.

"Nightmares. I don't want to talk about it," he says, avoiding looking into my eyes. I can tell that he's hiding something from me, but I don't press the issue. I glance at the clock. It is only 3:30 in the morning. Loki notices the gesture. "I'm sorry that I woke you up. It won't happen again," Loki promises. I hug him gently.

"I'll always be here for you, no matter what time it is. Just let me know, and I'll be here," I tell him, wiping the remaining tears off of his cheeks. He disentangles his arms from around me and lays back down. I kiss his forehead and leave the room. I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Loki's P. o. V:

I don't sleep a wink after Bruce leaves. Nightmares of Thanos and his tortures plague me, keeping me from closing my eyes for more than a second. His voice invades my mind, telling me that he is coming to punish me for failing. At last, at 5:30, I get up and head downstairs. Steve is already up, sitting at the table. He is sipping a cup of a strong smelling liquid. My stomach churns at the scent, and I run for the nearest bathroom. Bile forces it's way up my throat, causing me to gag. My hair falls into my face, and I make a mental note to cut it. I hear someone enter the bathroom, and suddenly, my hair is pulled back. I dry heave a few more times, nothing left in my stomach to come back up. At last, I pull myself up, legs shaking. I use some mouthwash to rinse the taste from my mouth. Steve just watches silently. "Thank you."

"For what?" Steve asks, looking startled.

"For helping me. Besides Bruce, you're the only one that's actually nice to me," I sigh. Steve shakes his head.

"That's not true. Tony and Pepper like you too."

"That's not so. They tolerate me. Everyone is still wary of me, especially Natasha and Clint. Clint hates me," I frown.

"He does not. He just needs time to recover." I nod, my stomach growling loudly. I laugh quietly to myself. Steve helps me into the kitchen, and I sit down at the table. The horrible smell is gone, replaced by a more pleasant scent. My eyes scan the kitchen, trying to find the source. It is coming from the toaster. Steve is making toast. The Captain notices my eyes on him and chuckles. "It's for you, if you want it," Steve informs me.

"Thanks, Cap," I smile. Steve blushes.

"Please, call me Steve. Everyone else does." I nod. The toast pops up, causing us both to jump. I smile.

"Look at us. A God and a super soldier, and we jump at toast. This is pathetic." Bruce laughs in the doorway. I whirl around, having not realized that Bruce was there. He walks over and hugs me.

"No offense, but you look like crap. Did you sleep at all after I left?" I shake my head, suddenly realizing how tired I am. Steve grabs the toast from the toaster and starts to put butter on it. When he is finished, he puts it on a plate and hands it to me. I accept it gratefully, inhaling the warm scent. Bruce watches me with an amused smirk on his face. "Hungry, much?" he teases me. My cheeks color in embarrassment, and tears prick my eyes. I turn and walk over to the table before anyone can see them. Infernal hormones! The morning sickness was bad enough, but now this? I am a God! I do not cry over a bit of playful banter! Bruce comes up behind me and squeezes my shoulders. I look around, but Steve has already left.