A/N: I was planning on splitting this into two chapters because it's so long, but I think it works better as one. This is the final chapter!

Thank you to everyone who's been keeping up and reviewing/reading my fic. You guys are the best. :3

The Unopened Door - Chapter 11

Someone screamed.

Blood red. No wait. Is it blood..? It is blood! Stark's hands swam before his face, and...someone else's. Her fingers worked frantically at another's throat, holding down, panicked.

Tony's back was against the wall, his frame sitting and shaking. He didn't know what he was doing here, or even where he was right now.

"Where...where am I?" he asked, voice nearly too small to hear.

"Stark, help me!" screamed the woman, her voice was familiar but he couldn't place it.

He stood up and, in a daze, walked the few steps toward her. She breathed harshly, breath in and out in a panic. Hill? He had never seen her so frantic - never could have even imagined. Wasn't she Fury's second? What could cause her to panic so much?

"Please, please..." she whispered with trembling breath. "I...I can't...we didn't- I don't remember, but I...I do." He suddenly noticed how wetness streaked down her face. What is she saying? "Please don't," she continued, as if heedless of the desperate words tumbling from her mouth. "We did this...we- I did this. I can't believe-" she looked back at him. "Dammit, Tony, help me!"

Snapped back, Tony blinked rapidly, clearing his vision. "L-Loki?"

The god was on his back on a table, his upper torso and neck covered in blood, the red liquid streaming from his slightly open mouth. He was almost completely naked, and... Oh fuck. Stark looked down and shut his eyes tight. So am I... So was Hill.

He didn't have time to think on what had happened - on anything, so he rushed forward and helped the agent cover Loki's neck wound.

"What the hell happened?" asked Stark, his voice nearly a squeak; he really couldn't care less right now.

Hill shook her head deeply, slowly. "Don't ask me that, don't ask me that," she repeated it several times, almost angrily as more tears fell.

Feeling for a pulse, Tony felt the blood drain from his own face; he couldn't find one. Next, he wondered why it mattered so much - why it distressed him so much that the guy who tried to take over the world didn't have a heartbeat.

An image flashed before his eyes. Loki, with his face wet, crying, although Stark didn't know why. Next, the god was on the floor, and behind his bar in his tower, fighting with him, trying so hard to avoid...something. There was more than anger there, there was...fear. Tony didn't know what to think. Then, it all came back to him, all at once. Of Loki in the quinjet, fearful and hopeful at once when lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky. Of leather and a cold familiar floor, of a warm shaking body and of Maria Hill close by. He shook his head. It was all a jumble, coming in disorganized, random flashes; the briefing room on the helicarrier, his tower, long unfinished corridors, pushing Steve Rogers on the quinjet, Loki's wide eyes and Thor's angry glare- Loki, Loki, Loki...

What the hell have I done?

His eyes moved to Hill's. She knew, too.

I can't let this happen. We did this...we did this!

A rumbling in the floor and a crash of metal and concrete broke through the room suddenly. Both he and Hill leaned over Loki, trying to protect him as debris flew passed them, all around.

The sight of the Hulk crashing through the room - and continuing on his way to the next - made Stark inhale sharply and hold his breath. For a moment, he thought, Fuck, he's gonna kill us. Then, unbidden, his thought was: 'Death by Hulk' does have a nice ring to it. He immediately shook his thoughts away when Thor - Thor, shit! - ran into the room, hammer held high.

"Step away from him!" the thunder god roared.

Anyone else would have scrambled away, but both the SHIELD agent and the inventor just couldn't, not when they had just... They had to make it right, they couldn't leave him.

"We can't!" yelled Stark, voice shaking. 'Death by thunder god' has a nice ring, too. Although he'd just as soon avoid it. "He's dying! He's- he doesn't have a pulse, we can't let go!"

Thor's eyes went wide as he rushed forward and immediately dropped his hammer on the floor at the sight of his brother covered in blood. "No..." he shook his head determinedly. "No. It cannot- Loki?"

"We...we can't-" said Hill, "we can't let go...We can't let go or he could die."

A shiver ran through Thor as tears fell from his cheeks. "His heart stops..." mumbled the god as his hand fell on his brother's chest.

The ground shook as the Hulk rampaged elsewhere. Steve Rogers stood next to them, watching in a silent sorrow for his new friend.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, reaching even underground. Thor's hand moved to Loki's neck as the two mortals let go, stepping back but still lingering. They couldn't just leave, not now, after they had caused-

"Loki, no!" Thor wailed, head falling to his brother's bloodied chest. "Brother...please."

Again, thunder shook the ground, and... What the hell? thought Stark. Another loud vibration shook the foundations of the building, then another.

"Is that an earthquake?" asked Steve.

The walls shook periodically as they listened to Thor cry over his brother's body. Then, when a loud boom that threw everyone except Thor to the ground crashed through the building, Tony suddenly realized they were all in danger.

"Oh no..." Tony mumbled. "I-I think this is bad."

"What?" Rogers yelled as another crash sent them falling to the floor.

"He's a fucking thunder god!" Stark screamed over the growing rumbling. "And he just lost his brother!" A brightness and a violent jolt made all of them cover their heads. "And I think he's bringing lightning into the building!"

He really could kill them all. But-

Lightning. Lightning.

Stark squinted against the intermittent flashes, finding the brothers. Thor didn't seem aware of what was happening around him, too distraught to notice his lightning crashing through the floors and walls. Amazingly, he hadn't struck or killed any of them.

He's a god- He could take it. Loki's a god! Stark jerked to his feet, then ignored Steve's protest as he rushed over to Thor.

"Thor!" he screamed over the rumbling. "Thor, you have to stop! I know how to save him, I know how to save him! But you have to stop!"

Sniffling, Thor's wet face turned to him, and, almost immediately, the cacophony died down, distant thunder rumbling. Then, quiet. Damn. That quick? He really is a thunder god.

"What?" mumbled Thor in confusion, still on the edge of his grief. Stark knew it could all start up again any moment.

"Just listen to me, because there's not much to lose at this point."

Lightning. Any human would be fried in an instant if Thor struck them with lightning, but Loki wasn't human, far from it. He tried to explain as best as he could between his short breaths. He wasn't a doctor but, as he said, what was there to lose? Loki was already dead.

"Could that work?" asked Rogers, stepping up, although he looked ready to hide everyone behind his shield if need be.

"I don't know," returned Stark. "JARVIS?! Help us out here?" he yelled to the ceiling. If anyone knew, the AI would. He was glad he'd activated him in this part of the tower.

"Despite appearances, his heart has not completely stopped. If the lightning does not otherwise kill him, it could work, sir."

"The hell is he saying?!" screamed Barton. Thor appeared in a daze but he focused on Tony suddenly, asking the same question with his eyes. Where was Banner when he needed him?

"I really don't know," said Stark, "but it's his only shot- our only shot. Can you tone down the power of it?" he asked Thor. "Maybe direct it a little?"

"This is insane," said Hill, "even under controlled circumstances, but..." Her eyes said it all. "But you're right, it's his only shot."

Thor nodded and summoned his hammer to his hand. "Step away," he said as they did so, although there wasn't any safe place for them in here.

"Maybe..." Steve looked to Stark and Hill, "maybe we should go to another-"

"We're not leaving," they both responded at once.

"Right."

Loki awoke with a terrible scream torn from his lungs. Searing, burning pain ripped through his body, causing convulsions that stopped only when he felt a warm pressure on his chest and heard a long, relieved sigh escape someone's lips - someone so near yet so far. And...familiar.

Who is that?

He coughed and heaved, his stomach expelling what little was in it as someone helped him to his side. He gagged and felt tears fall from his face, just as he noticed there was a hand around his throat.

Eyes blurry, he laid back down and saw a figure moving above him. Blonde hair and blue eyes and...

Thor...

Loki tried to jerk up, but when he did the pain shooting through his body prevented his movement. He next tried to speak, but found he couldn't. Gasping, he realized Thor's hand was around his throat because there was something wrong with it.

What's happened to me? Thor was crying, yet he looked happy, relieved. Am I alright, then?

"...need to. Just breathe, brother. Breathe." Thor's voice finally broke through the haze. The thunder god turned his head around as if speaking to someone else. "His magic is healing him quickly. He will be weak for some time because of blood loss, and my lightning, but his heat has passed." Thor sniffled and returned his gaze to Loki, eyes filled with something he didn't know what to do with.

...Heat? Loki didn't quite understand his brother's words.

Loki reached up to his neck just as he felt the last of his skin stitching itself together there. Thor smiled, then moved to hold the side of Loki's head, leaning close. "Rest, brother, do not move. You are gravely injured. Let your magic heal you." My magic?

Heat. Magic. His neck being hurt. Then, someone else stepped up. Stark. Loki's eyes widened. Stark! Next, Maria Hill, then Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff.

On instinct, Loki gasped and tried to scramble backwards. No! His words wouldn't come through his still-healing throat, he couldn't ask Thor to protect him. They'll hurt me again! He couldn't think or speak or do anything-

"Brother!" yelled Thor, still so close. "You are safe!"

"Why don't you guys back up?" said someone - Steve Rogers?

Immediately, everyone was out of Loki's sight, but that didn't make him feel any better. He clung to Thor as best he could, trying to pull up his legs. He next noticed that he was naked except for Thor's cape draped over him. No, please. He looked to Thor, desperate and hurt and not knowing what to think of anything going on around him.

"It is alright," said Thor in a steady voice that rumbled through his chest. The conviction and steadfastness of his voice almost made Loki's fears dissipate.

Loki coughed and let his annoyance push his magic to his throat, to finish repairing his vocal chords. He coughed a last time before the words came. "Th-Thor." The elder god smiled, but Loki wasn't feeling that relief just yet. "Brother, I...I can't... Keep them away from me, please." I can't take anymore...

Despite the ache in his body and his embarrassment, Loki managed to curl up against Thor's chest and hide further under the crimson cape. He noticed his own chest and neck was sticky with blood, and found that Thor's face and hands were covered as well. Looking around, he saw the mortals standing awkwardly on the other side of the room, trying not to look at him.

Good, thought Loki. But what had happened? He searched his memory, then cringed when he recalled what he had tried to do- tried to do. But... it hadn't worked. Somehow, he was alive.

Thor looked to the mortals as well and, leaning in, said, "They saved you, brother."

The trickster flinched. Saved him. Saved? Weren't they the cause, as well?

Stark and Hill were terribly disheveled, clothes and hands bloody, a shirt inside out and a shoelace untied. They both looked elsewhere, as if unable to look the mischief god in the eye. Barton and Romanoff, too, stood awkwardly...

But why? Was this guilt? Why would they care? Loki was their enemy - what rights did he have against hurt when he was nothing to them, nothing to this world? He didn't belong here anymore than Thor did, although of course they had come to accept Thor, and so quickly. Typical.

Thoughts of his brother drew him back to the blonde still holding him, arms steady and squeezing perhaps a little too much.

"Are you alright, brother?" asked Thor in a gentle voice.

Before Loki could answer, the ground trembled slightly, as if something heavy were walking toward-

Loki tried to scramble away - scramble anywhere else - when he saw the large form of the Hulk moving through the large hole at the back of the room. Barton had told him of the beast and Loki wasn't particularly keen to greet the monster. Thor, too, tensed, holding Loki in a protective embrace, although he didn't brandish Mjolnir just yet.

"Hulk!" Steve Rogers suddenly stepped into view. The green monster bared his teeth and turned in surprise to the captain, his attention having been on the brothers. "Everything's fine now," he stated firmly but without raising his voice. "We need Banner. Can you...let him come back?"

Hulk growled under his breath, but, albeit slowly, turned back into the unassuming mortal named Bruce Banner. Stumbling slightly and gripping his tattered trousers, Banner blinked at everyone. "Uh. Did we save him?"

"Yes." Thor's smile was melancholy. He looked to Loki, then, slowly and with purpose, to the others. His expression was suddenly grim, but not accusatory. Loki didn't care to think too hard on that at the moment; he was too tired. He fell into a fitful sleep soon after, still clutching to his brother.

X - X

A gentle hand raked through Loki's hair and he leaned into it, sighing. He hadn't felt this comfortable in what seemed like ages and he relished the warm feel of arms wrapped around him, a soft cloth cocooning him. His mind drifted and he let it, as if it knew this wasn't the time for thought, but for feeling. He inhaled deeply and let the warm soothe him.

His reverie was soon interrupted by voices, murmuring somewhere near.

No, no, no... He wanted to sleep! He only knew warmth, and closeness, and the smell of someone who only meant comfort and that's all Loki needed to know to relax. Yet... The voices, distant voices, sent a chill down his spine and he wanted to block them out. They meant pain and misery and he knew they would drag him away from the encompassing safe net he was nestled in. He didn't want that.

"...Brother." A new voice lingered. Deep and calm like the ocean after a terrible storm, it too brought him comfort. "Brother..."

I don't want to wake. Don't make me wake. Loki felt something on his face, touching gently and wiping. It was wet, but warm.

"You are safe now."

The voice tugged at him, tried to bring him back. Soft things moved around him, wrapped him more securely.

"I am angry still, but...I love you." The last words echoed. I love you. The phrase sounded strange, somehow. Who loved him, then? Was it true? Surely not.

Loki felt his own arm move, as if to touch the warmth nearby, but his movements proved sluggish and clumsy. He wasn't even sure he'd moved at all. What is wrong with me? Slowly, he tried to open his eyes but a heaviness weighed them down. His awareness, at least, was coming back to him. He heard the distant voices again, and he didn't want to hear them now any more than before.

"...can't just hand him over. Despite what's happened he still tried to..." The voice trailed off again. What did the words mean? It suddenly didn't matter as the rumbling voice, so much nearer and now clearer, started again.

"I will take you home. You're safe now. I won't leave you again, I give you my word."

Thor. It was Thor speaking to him. Loki should have known but his mind was so lost in the warmth he hadn't cared. There was still warmth and comfort and he realized he didn't want it to end. His eyes remained closed and his brother still held to him, and he was apparently wiping Loki down with a soft, wet cloth. Loki wouldn't have admitted it, not under any circumstance, but he liked the feeling. He hadn't felt this carefree, or this safe, in so very long. He had to cling to it a bit longer.

The voice of one of the mortals filtered in again, although a different one this time.

"...all on us. You saw what we did, what fucking half of us so-called 'heroes' did - hell, more of us, if you count Hill-"

"That doesn't excuse what he did, what he was planning to do. Just because extenuating circumstances interfered, it doesn't mean he gets a free pass. He tried to take over the world, Stark, killed people, are you honestly saying we should just let that go?"

"Let it go? No. But that still doesn't change the fact that we did something to him. I don't give a fuck whose damn fault it was, I still can't get the image of him...I can't get the-" Stark faltered, his words failing. A woman picked up where he left off.

"I agree with Stark, sir."

"Hill-"

"And quite frankly, it doesn't matter what we want; he might be a criminal to us but it's ultimately Asgard's right to punish him, not ours."

"And," someone else spoke now. Was that Steve Rogers? "We so happen to have a representative of their planet, right here."

"He's his brother," countered Fury. Because who else would be superior to Hill? "He's hardly an objective party-"

"He's also a fucking prince. They both are." Stark again. "And this entire stupid argument is moot anyway, did you see what Thor almost did to this building? I'll be rebuilding for a month after that. He's not gonna let anybody - and I mean anybody take his brother away. So again, it doesn't fucking matter. Let's all shut the hell up and just..." He didn't continue. A long silence followed.

Loki almost opened his eyes. He didn't know what to think of the conversation, he was still hung up on the fact that he was safe now, his heat was over - how could he possibly even contemplate repercussions now? Punishments, consequences, any of it? He had invaded this world, attempted to subjugate them, and, right now, he couldn't give it a second's thought.

"Brother," Thor's voice soothed, so gentle and strange that Loki had to open his eyes, even with weights pulling his lids closed.

"Thor?" his voice croaked.

Thor smiled but said nothing as he wiped Loki's face some more.

Loki mentally checked his body. He was still somewhat dirty, bloody, in some places, but it wasn't as bad. He was clothed now, with something flimsy and thin, although Thor's cape covered him as well. He was secretly glad of that. His next thought was that Thor had dressed him, had seen what... what had happened, because how could he not? He cringed at the thought. It would have been worse if one of the mortals had done it instead, yet still... Even if Thor had already known what the mortals had done - what more of them had done - he never wanted him to see the evidence of it, to see how weak Loki truly was that he couldn't stop it, could never stop it, whether it be mortals or gods or monsters trying to hurt him. Everyone always hurt him, he didn't care if they saw, but Thor... Thor never hurt Loki. The thunderer had been a stupid, selfish fool, yes, and for so many years, and yet in his own way he always looked out for his little brother. He still...

He still loved Loki. He had said so, hadn't he? Thor never lied, it wasn't in his nature. If he said it then he meant it. He loved Loki. Loki had known and yet, it hadn't sunk in until now.

Blue eyes stared into him, watching and not speaking. Abruptly, Loki couldn't help but start crying, nearly sobbing, tears bursting out.

"Loki!" Thor cradled him closer, worry wrinkling his brow. "You're safe. We're going home-"

"I'm so sorry," Loki gasped out between sharp intakes of breath. "I am s-so sorry."

"Brother..."

What was he sorry for - why am I sorry? His lips knew the answer before he did. "I'm sorry I tried to leave. I...I'm sorry I tried to leave..."

"Loki." Thor clutched his head close, foreheads touching.

"I'm sorry I left." He had died, died too many times. What had he been thinking? "I left you, I'm sorry. You wouldn't le-eave me," he sobbed. "You wouldn't- you've never. You've always been there..."

"No, I haven't. You know I haven't. I've been a terrible brother-"

"No," Loki tried to interject, shaking his head sadly, but Thor stopped him with fingers on his lips, his tears following Loki's.

"Yes," he said resolutely. "Yes, I have. I wasn't the brother I should have been. All these years I've ignored you, paid no heed to your pain." Loki heaved in a heavy breath. "When you asked for my help-" he smiled sadly. "In your own way, you asked, and I did nothing but mock you and left you in the dust to collect yourself and trudge along after me. You should have just abandoned me, but you didn't; you tried to look after me, protect me from myself, from my own stupidity and arrogance. The kingdom would have suffered." He lay Loki back down and leaned in close, both hands on the side of Loki's head. "Some day I will learn to thank you for forcing my hand, for making me show father what I was, but there is still too much hurt between us, I..." he smiled a little. "I don't know how to say the words..."

Loki moved to hold one of Thor's hands. "You don't have to say it...we..." His silver tongue didn't know what to say either, how to articulate his roiling emotions. He knew what Thor was trying to say, that he was both sorry and thankful, but that there was still too much between them for all the words to be said, for everything to be suddenly settled. And yet, he also knew that Thor was trying and that he'd set it in motion, that they could heal, even if not today, not right at this moment.

"I love you, brother-mine," said Thor. Then slowly, lovingly, the elder leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. It was light, soft like a breeze, not anything like the rough brother he had always known, and somehow, it was all the better. Thor had changed, was capable of change, and now Loki knew it.

So...if ever-stubborn Thor was capable of change, couldn't Loki change as well?

Loki smiled, even if it was small, and Thor smiled in return.

Manacles adorned his little brother's wrists, and yet it was all for show, for the mortals who still objected to Loki's relative freedom. None of the Avengers objected but there were some in their government that wanted to get their hands on the trickster god; Thor would never have allowed it, regardless.

Odin had sent a metal muzzle with Thor intended for the younger god, should it be necessary, but Thor refused to use it, now more than ever. The trickster had endured enough humiliation.

He lingered near Thor, unwilling to be parted from him for one moment - it had been that way ever since he'd awoken. He also clung to Thor whenever he could get away with it, although Thor wondered why he didn't simply do it more openly if it made him feel safer. Yet, he knew his little brother, he probably viewed it as a sign of weakness, even if no one else would think anything of the sort. The trickster's thoughts always ran that way and it wasn't likely to stop now, even if Thor insisted. They were both far too stubborn for their own good.

Thor smirked as they walked away from the mortal vehicles.

"What, brother?" Loki asked, almost mimicking Thor's smirk.

"Nothing," said Thor as he led the other with a gentle hand on his upper arm.

Too distracted with each other, both brothers were surprised to see the Avengers - plus Maria Hill - standing in a semi-circle several steps away. Erik Selvig stood some distance behind them, carrying the Tesseract in a metal and glass case, waiting for something.

Tony Stark cleared his throat and bounced on his toes awkwardly. "So, I guess this is goodbye."

Barton bit his lip and looked down, around, everywhere except at Loki. "Uh, yeah. This was, uh..." He didn't finish.

The Black Widow met Loki's eyes, but only for a moment. She looked away almost immediately, lowering her eyes, but kept her head straight. "We don't know what to say," she spoke quietly, face betraying nothing else.

Thor looked to Loki who stared right back at them. He was surprised at that, Loki didn't move or shift his position, he just looked at them, eyes stopping on each one.

Although they hadn't actually done anything wrong to Loki, both Rogers and Banner still looked uncomfortable. Even so, as if knowing his comrades couldn't bring themselves to speak, the captain spoke for them. "I...I know this isn't easy for any of us, but..." He struggled for words, thinking.

"We're sorry," Stark blurted out, eyes suddenly wide and on Loki. Although he was given to flashy and clever words, it was obvious - at least to Thor - that Stark was being entirely sincere. But what would his brother think? Thor turned to him.

Loki's eyes were wide. Frowning, but wide. His mouth was slightly ajar and Thor wasn't sure what to make of the expression. His body was rigid but his breath steady, if a little hurried.

"Brother?" Thor asked, suddenly worried. Loki only stared at the others, and, to Thor's surprise, they too stared back at Loki. How...strange.

For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened. The wind blew and the sun shone brightly, and five mortal Avengers and one trickster god stared, as one thunder god glanced between them, confused.

Suddenly, Loki blinked. Then he inhaled and exhaled and looked to Thor slowly. "I'd like to go home now," he stated shortly.

Thor nodded as Erik walked forward and handed the cube to Thor. He scurried away as quickly as possible. The Avengers still said nothing, hadn't moved. Their stances were rigid but less awkward, less...something. Thor wasn't quite sure what.

"Loki?"

A raven-haired head nodded, then moved to hold the other end of the device as Thor offered it. As Thor moved his hand to click the device on, his little brother lowered his head and said, very quietly: "I'm sorry, too."

Thor didn't have time to see the others' reactions as he and his brother were already caught in the Tesseract's vortex, being pulled up and up, across the stars and toward home.

The End

A/N: I hope you guys have enjoyed this fic! Obviously, with the ending to any story, there's always going to be that little something that you feel you've left out or you should have expanded on. That's one of the reasons I took so long with this, it was difficult to stay on track and not go off on a tangent about one thing or another (like the Avengers' POV; this was always a fic about Loki). Still, I hope it's okay the way it is.

There is a slim chance, very slim, that I might add an epilogue to this. I mostly want to concentrate on finishing up Hollow Skies (and a few other shorter stories waiting in the wings) but I figured it might be nice to see what happens with Loki in Asgard after they get back.