Loki's Pain

Chapter Nine- Panic and Tears

Loki looked pissed off as he dragged Thor towards the living room, he had always hated when people spied on him and Thor knew that.
"What do you think you are doing, Thor!?" Loki demanded, glaring at him after twisting around to look at him once they reached an empty room and he had slammed the door shut. "Nothing, brother..." Thor began, forgetting not to use the familiar endearment with him, " I was just stopping by to wish Ash good night..."

"Did you forget that I can sense a lie, Brother?" Loki practically growled thru clenched teeth, his scowl darkening.

"Fine!" Thor shouted back, throwing his hands up in defeat before continuing, "I was watching you both. I miss you, brother, so I stopped by to see you. But every time I did, you would just leave. So I started to wait before I walked in, and I saw how you are with him... It reminds me of when we were young....." Thor sighed softly, and his shoulders sagged sorrowfully, "I know it's wrong, I should not have spied on you both, but.... I also like seeing you smile and laugh again."

Thor looked at Loki sadly as he continued, "I have not brought you anything but pain for years, but we used to smile and laugh together too. I had always hoped we might be friends like that again some day."

"You did not even recognize when I was not myself.... We are so far away from being friends." Loki hissed, Thor's words made his heart twist in his chest, and left him longing for a past that was dead and gone, which only made him even more angry. "You had no right to watch us!" Loki shouted.

"You are right. I did not, and I won't intrude in such a way again." Thor admitted, leaving Loki speechless. He had expected more of an argument, so his quick admission of error was enough to throw him off.

"You love him." Thor stated in a gentle voice and Loki only stared at him with a patently bland expression.
"What nonsense are you imagining now?" Loki asked him with a practiced laugh, as he clearly tried to play it off as nothing.

"Elskan mín." Thor said softly, then glanced at Loki with a knowing look.

Loki began to trying to bluff again, but Thor cut him off. "You have never said that to anyone else, Loki.... Not even your ex-wife. Yet you call him that after only knowing him a few months...." Thor said all this in barely more than a whisper, which oddly made them fall upon Loki's ears as if they were made of lead, "What else could that mean but love...?"

"No....." Loki whispered back, "No!" The second word seemed laced with fear, and Loki backed away from him, his shoulders suddenly hunched in on themselves. His eyes had gone wide in shock, as they darted around the room like a hunted rabbits. "H-he can't...no, I can't! It....it's not....." Loki muttered as he slowly backed up against the wall, then slid down into a corner.

He had swiftly curled in on himself in pure fright, leaving Thor shocked at this sudden change in him. Loki was having a full-blown panic attack, and Thor was at a complete loss as to how to help him.

"Loki...." He called softly, trying to reach out to him, only for his hands to be slapped away as Loki released a loud, piercing cry of pure terror.

Within moments of his shout, Tony rushed thru the door. Banner wasn't far behind him. "What the hell is going on, Hammer Head!?" Tony demanded, but all that Thor could do was shake his head in confusion. "We were talking... That is all, I swear! Next I know, he starts muttering and...." Thor gestures to Loki, curled into the corner. Tony took one good look at him and recognized that look in his eyes. For the first time ever, Tony truly identified with him. He understood exactly what he was going thru, though he never expected to see the arrogant god brought so low. "All right Thor, but get the hell out." Tony ordered before turning to Banner, "You go get him a glass of water and bring it back to me."