A/N: Anyone watching the Olympics? Those gymnists are amazing. I would just fall flat on my face lol. Fantastically talented people,

Freya sat up, eyes wide with both fear and determination as she leapt to her feet. "Thor!" she called, voice shaking. "Thor, I have it. I kept it safe! Does he still breathe?" She was stumbling over the rubble now, hands trembling, but she clutched the vile in them. Tears spilled down her rosy cheeks as she held it out to the elder prince.

Thor eased Loki to the ground, cradling his head in his hands and lowered his face to Loki's, head titled to feel breath. "Barely. Give me the vial." Thor said through gritted teeth.

Freya carefully uncorked the vial and handed it to Thor. Thor slipped his arm under Loki's back, hand in dark hair supporting his head. He very slowly tipped the vial against his brother's lips, the liquid spilling into Loki's mouth. Finally, Thor tipped it all the way up, the last drop leaving the vial. As soon as it was open he dropped it and brushed his fingers against Loki's throat before pulling him back into his arms. "Loki?" he asked softly. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against the pale cheek, praying with all his might that they had not been too late. "Loki," he whispered, "stay with me. Please."

Freya knelt beside him, skillful hands checking for a pulse. A small, hopeful smile graced her lips. "It will take time."

"But it worked?"

The smile faded, replaced with a stern look that he had seen Rowen wear when he was truly concerned. "It will take time, my lord. He should rest."

Thor nodded, standing with his brother held very securely in his arms.

Thor had always known what it was to be the at the center of everyone's attention. Stark called it "being in the lime light." He still wasn't entirely sure what that phrase meant, but he assumed the gist of the statement fairly well. As children, and even into their adult years prior to the chaos of the last few years, he had always outshone his younger brother. Verbose and thunderous, it was no question that the kingdom as a whole had always seen more from the elder prince than his slight, sometimes even shy sibling.

Until very recent times Thor had given Loki's talent for magic as little thought as he could spare. It was useful enough in a pinch, but other than that he had viewed it as a crutch that his brother must have been leaning on to avoid his shortcomings in battle.

The golden prince snorted as he sat by his brother's bedside, comparisons of the then and now floating through his mind. They had never given each other enough credit in their youth, no matter how much care they held for one another. It never would have crossed Thor's mind that someone might have been jealous of his little brother. It may not have even crossed Loki's mind as far as he knew of it.

Loki gave a small groan, pulling the blond from his thoughts. He stirred, eyes shut tightly against whatever dreams plagued him, and one large hand smoothed his hair from his face. "Please wake up," Thor pleaded again. It had been the same thing for hours. Rowen had been in and out, assuring Thor that their father was well on his way to recovery and that Loki was sure to follow.

Thor had briefly left his post to change and dress his own abrasions before returning to his place sitting on the bed beside his brother, murmuring quietly to him. Gradually Loki's color began returning and his breathing evened out to a steady rhythm that allowed Thor to relax somewhat.

He could hear Rowen conversing softly with Freya behind them, snatches of conversation regarding Beck's family and what they would do with him. He had managed to survive, if just, and was being attended to by younger apprentices watched over by many, many guards. Thor already knew what would become of him. He would be tried, and he would be sent to Hel for his crimes, and by Thor personally, if he had any say in the matter.

Daylight faded slowly away into evening and Thor had begun to doze, half resting against the headboard when Loki's fingers tightened around his own.

Blue eyes blinked wearily open and came to rest on the still sleeping face. Loki had shuffled closer in his slumber, thin fingers reaching out. "Brother?" the thunder god whispered gently.

Very slowly, green eyes began to flutter open, heavy still with sleep and exhaustion. "Thor?" he croaked out.

"I'm here, brother," the blond assured him. "How do you feel?"

"As if I've slept too long," the younger prince said truthfully. He stopped, mind whirling to put together the events. "Are you well?"

"As well as I can be," Thor chuckled, pulling back the collar of his shirt to show the bandages there. "It will heal. I am more irritated with the damn sneezing and coughing I still haven't gotten rid of yet."

Loki smiled, nestling down into his pillow. "Poor Thor. So tortured," he teased gently.

Thor smiled broadly. "Less so, now. Can you sit up? Rowen charged me with giving you a broth when you awoke."

Loki nodded. "I think so." He reached up and Thor grasped his arms, gently pulling him up and easing pillows behind him. Loki studied Thor's face as his older brother reached for a short pitcher and poured the contents into a cup. There was still great tension in his face, around his eyes and in the set of his mouth, which was -for the moment- unsmiling. "He is not dead, then." the sorcerer guessed.

Thor handed Loki the cup after making sure it was not too hot to be held. He shook his head. "No. Freya is quite brave, but she knew not where to place the fatal blow."

Loki did not hide his puzzlement. "Freya?"

Thor's expression became amused. "We were saved by a girl."

Loki straightened, his eyes speaking volumes even as he sipped from the cup. I won't say if you won't, was the silent truce between them.

Thor gave a small snort of laughter.

"I take it Rowen found the cure?" Loki asked at last, feeling a bit stronger with the broth in him.

"Mmm," his brother agreed.

"Father is well? Everyone else?"

"It would seem everyone is making a recovery that was still with us."

"Then what is troubling you? I should think Father would have Beck well and truly locked up, so what is there to fret over?"

Thor sighed. He couldn't put it into words, and he knew that if he tried he would simply stumbled and trip over them to such an extent that Loki would never be able to understand what he was trying to say. Hel, he didn't think that he knew what he was trying to say. He hated Beck for harming those he cared about, that was true, but he hated him even more for becoming what Loki had been. He hated that those memories had been put well behind them and that there was a taunting glimpse of what Loki might have done if he had not been there to stop him. To bring him to his senses. He hated Beck for showing him that, even if he knew - he just knew - he should mourn for him, perhaps even feel sympathy for his pain. He should, but all he could feel was a deep-seeded hate and a longing to never be forced to remember those days again.

Loki handed Thor the empty cup and scooted closer when he turned to place it on the bedside table. When Thor turned back he pretended not to notice, but leaned back against the headboard again and carefully draped an arm over Loki's shoulders. "I understand him." Loki said after a while. Thor sighed, but said nothing. Loki nudged him with his elbow. "Is that what troubles you?"

Thor shook his head. "I saw him in that hall and I saw you on Stark's tall tower, when this," he squeezed Loki's arm, "was nothing but a memory and never to be again. I do not hold on to many things -much to your chagrin- but those are things that even I cannot revisit often. Plus he had no right to act as he did. All those mages and what he did to you...it would have been better if the knife had gone through what remained of his heart."

Loki took a moment, letting his elder brother's words sink in and allowing his own thoughts to formulate. Finally, he let out a low breath that he hadn't even realized that he was holding back. "Thor, are you listening, brother?"

"Yes."

Loki tilted his head, trying to catch his elder sibling's eyes. "Listen."

"I'm listening," the blond grumbled, bringing a small smile to thin lips.

"There are many similarities between Beck and I, and I see them just as clearly as you do. As many would, but... There is something different."

Thor gave him a questioning look. "He's completely evil?" he ventured a guess, causing his brother to laugh.

"Well... That debate could go on. Not what I was getting at." He stopped, shifted, and finally relaxed leaning against Thor. "He has no one. I had my brother to pull me from the abyss."

Thor ducked his head, but Loki did not miss the pleased look in his eyes. "I am pleased you feel that way. I only wish I had seen the fracture growing between us long before it came to a head." he said, slipping his hand over his brother's.

Loki closed his eyes and turned his palm up to meet Thor's. "Perhaps that is something we can share. I hear that burdens shared are not as heavy to carry."

"Perhaps." Thor agreed. "And perhaps we can keep you out of the healing rooms for a prolonged period of time, yes? We are going to have to do nothing but feed you for weeks lest you vanish sideways, my brother."

Loki couldn't stop from chuckling. "I think perhaps some time away from the healing rooms would be well deserved, for both of us. Perhaps we can even visit Midgard. You have yet to properly introduce me to your... friend there. Jane?"

"Yes," Thor said with some wariness in his voice. "Why should you want to meet her?"

Loki's broad smile was nothing but teeth and charm. "Oh, you know... Someone should warn her about your wild youth."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? There are so many stories that she might find interesting. Perhaps the one in which you were caught in Vanaheim..."

"We decided that you would never speak of that again!"

"You decided that. I simply filed it away for a day of better use."

Their friendly banter continued on until they had both worn themselves out. Loki glanced up when soft snores begin to sound from his elder brother. "Good night, Thor," he whispered, not loud enough to wake him. "And thank you."

END

A/N: I have good news and I have bad news. If all goes as planned, Gabrielle Day and I will start writing the next installment tomorrow evening after work. That's the good news. The bad news is that it is it is the last one on our writing queue for this fandom. *hides* One more to go! Stay tuned, it should start here in the next few days =)