A Second Chance // Thorki

Chapter Six

After a long, hot shower, and a good hour of trying to find some decent clothes that actually fit him in their pathetic little room, Loki had decided that grey sweatpants and a green teeshirt were the best things to wear to bed. He was not going to sleep though, not yet- he wanted to make sure Thor was here before he was asleep.

But, with hours dragging on and on, and no sign of Thor, Loki found himself almost... worried. What if something had happened to his brother, something bad? It shouldn't have taken this long to send out the order to get three men arrested. Unless...

Unless the fool went after them himself.

Loki found himself groaning in annoyance at the realization, although he was far too tired to do anything about it. Thor could handle himself. He was King of Asgard, after all. It's not like he couldn't completely destroy three weak little boys who needed to get their priorities straight. The only reason Loki couldn't was because he was a little bit fucked up after 3 mugs of mead and not sleeping for far too long.

With that, Loki decided it would probably be best to go to sleep without Thor. As much as he'd liked to have another person in the room, just to be safe, he was far too tired to wait up any longer, and knowing Thor, this could take a while.

He slid beneath the silk sheets, pulling the duvet up to his chin, the man hidden in a pile of pillows and blankets. Norns. this was comfy.

Sleep came swiftly. Within maybe twenty minutes, Loki was fast asleep, only to be woken a few hours later by a gasp.

It was close, right by his ear, and soon to follow it was a shaky hand, a big hand that was oh so familiar, that scrambled to ever so carefully fit itself just over Loki's nose and mouth.

It was dark, and Thor must've climbed into bed with him- it was the middle of the night, and Loki was now suddenly awake and aware, very aware, especially of Thor's racing heart and loud, shaky breathing.

Once the careful hand detected Loki's steady, slow breaths, it retracted back to Thor's side.

With a sudden shock of realization, Loki shifted on to his other side, facing his brother with gentle eyes that the thunderer could barely see in the dark. The only illumination they had was the gentle light of a far-off star peering in through the window, and it allowed Thor to see just the basic features of the trickster's face.

Loki, though, Loki can see more, because of where they're positioned, with Loki's back to the window and Thor facing it. He can see the now somewhat comforted fear in Thor's eyes, and he can see the heavy rise and fall of his chest with each still-frantic breath.

Loki clears his throat, and Thor looks away in almost shame. When Loki speaks, it's in a careful and heedful whisper, hushed and cautious.

"I suppose... just this once, I... I will allow you to sleep with your head on my chest. Will that aid with nightmares, perhaps?" Loki offered, heat rising to his cheeks. He was grateful that Thor wouldn't be able to see it.

Without another word, Loki tugged off his shirt, tossing it across the room somewhere before laying back down, this time on his back. His chest was smooth, his stomach flat- he wasn't completely ripped like Thor, but he wasn't exactly weak either.

When Thor hesitated, Loki found himself grumbling something about a foolish king as he pulled his brother close, resting his head on the frost giant's chest. His skin was cool, but not overly so- it was a comfortable temperature, and Thor was able to feel and hear the steady rhythm of the man's heart against his ear. It was more than comforting to be able to listen to the steady drumming.

"T... thank you." Thor muttered, soft enough for it to barely even be audible.

"Really, Brother, you mustn't thank me... So long as you allow me to sleep through the rest of the night, I am... I am perfectly fine with you resting your head on my chest." The trickster allowed his eyes to flutter shut, and in the sleepy haze he was in, he found himself reaching up with a careful hand to play with Thor's soft hair, still unused to just how short it was. "How are you liking your new hair?"

"I dislike it, but I suppose I'll have to live with it for now... it's far too short." The grumbled, shifting his head a bit, the rough stubble against Loki's skin causing the trickster to shiver.

"I think it suits you." Loki whispered, "That long hair of yours was always so greasy to start with. Perhaps having shorter, More manageable hair will be a good change."

Thor grumbled something rather indecipherable, before Loki spoke up again.

"How often is it you get nightmares, Brother?" He breathed, his words quiet and hesitant.

"Every time I manage to fall asleep." The man groaned, "Now, if you excuse me, I'd enjoy doing so again, hopefully this time without disturbing dreams."

"Do not try to avoid this conversation. It will happen wether you avoid it or not." Loki hissed, before letting out a gentle, yet somewhat frustrated sigh. "Brother, sometimes you can truly be an imbecile. Tell me about your nightmares, and we will fight them together."

The thunderer shifted a bit and gave an irritated huff, looking up at Loki rather suspiciously. "What kind of fuckery is this? Since when do you give a damn about me and my dreams?"

Loki scowled. "Since they've started awakening me from my own. Until we're able to sleep in the same room without you awakening me to check if I'm still breathing, I'm going to do my very best to help you with your idiotic problems."

Thor groaned. "If you're so insistent..." he gave a quiet pause to readjust with his head on his heart again, listening to the steady thumping, before he continued to speak. "Nightmares frequent me almost ever second night. Often about you, or mother- about the warrior's three and Sif... about Jane. However... every nightmare of you is different from the others... your death is always different. With every nightmare comes a new way of watching the light fade from your eyes."

Loki was silent, careful fingers sliding through his King's blond hair.

"The most recent one... you were pushed out of the airlock. I watched you die... do you know what happens to an unsuited body, once in space? They freeze... and crack, like a porcelain doll..." 

A chill was sent down Loki's spine at the thought. "I'm not sure that's accurate for Jotuns like myself."

"It's what happened in my head."

There was a long silence, a tense one, before Loki shifted sit up, Thor doing so as well.

"Listen well, Thor... you are an amazing king, A fantastic brother, and a wonderful fighter. And... despite our differences, I.. I do trust you... to a certain extent. Can you put just the slightest bit of trust in me?"

When Thor glances up and met what he expected to be icy cold eyes, he was met with the gentle gaze of a boy, a boy he'd loved all his life.

"I don't plan on dying any time soon, Brother." Loki assured with almost a smile. "Even if it were to attempt to take me by surprise, I'll alert you, and... you can prance in and save me... if necessary." This was obviously taking quite the toll on Loki's pride, although he'd do anything to make sure he could actually get some sleep.

"Promise me something." Thor whispered, scooting closer before laying down again, this time on his side.

"Mmm... depends on what the Promise is." Loki muttered, sucking up the rest of his pride before cuddling close to his brother. The warmth was soothing, and Loki knew that holding him would help his brother hopefully have better dreams.

"Stay with me."

The words shocked the trickster still. For one of the first times in his life, he was rendered speechless.

Thor let out a shaky breath, hot against Loki's skin, before he continued, "Stay with Asgard. Stay where we can protect each other, and the kingdom..." Strong and forceful arms seemed to squeeze him even tighter. "...Brother."

Silence. Tense silence, before two shaky words escaped the trembling lips of the trickster. "I promise."