Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Later that night, Thor awoke suddenly. He couldn't really make out a reason though. Loki was sleeping peacefully next to him, cuddled into his arms but something he couldn't quite make out unsettled him, as if something wasn't alright. The next few minutes, he tried his best to fall back to sleep but somehow - it didn't work. Somewhen, he sighed quietly, getting up carefully without waking Loki. The night outside the windows was full of stars, clear and cold. The blonde looked to Loki once more, who was still asleep. Then he headed for the door. Maybe if he went out and took a little walk, it'd be easier to rest again. So he left the room, heading down to the entrance of the Stark tower.
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As he walked past the areas of his allies, his thoughts came to circle once more. He thought of everything that had happened during the last few months. Everything went so fast. His relationship with Loki, the problems in Asgard, … their baby.
All of a sudden, Thor froze in his steps. What was that? For a moment, he thought he'd heard a muffled cry. It'd probably been only a trick of his fantasy, but since Loki cried that often, he'd grown more and more sensitive for sounds like that. For a moment it kept quiet but when he wanted to move on, he heard it again. Thor couldn't help but follow the sound, eager to find out what's going on. When the sound had grown louder and Thor looked up, he was standing in front of the chamber of one of his allies. It was Tony's.
Thor hesitated shortly, considering Tony had always seemed at ease with himself. If there'd been any problems, he'd made a perfect job at not letting anyone notice. Thor figured it was probably because he didn't want anyone to see him. The prince was about to leave again, when he heard the noise again: A strangled and painful moan, but so quiet it could barely be heard by someone who wasn't attentive enough. Finally, the Prince opened the door and entered, as noiselessly as he could. He'd never been in Tony's rooms before. The shelves along the walls were filled with devices Thor couldn't identify. He didn't take the time to study them before his eyes met the large bed, standing at the last wall in the back of the room. The inventor lay on the side, obviously sleeping but the way he turned in the pillows made it look more like a nightmare. Thor hesitated, but walked closer, quietly kneeling down in front of him. Tony's eyes were closed, his hands gripping onto the covers. The quiet sounds escaping his lips made Thor think of earlier, when Loki had had these nightmares. Hesitantly, the god reached out a hand, touching his friend's shoulder carefully.
Thor: "Tony? Tony, wake up! It's only a dream, okay? Wake up!"
The scientist shot up all at once, scanning his surroundings with a panicked expression. His body was shaking violently and Thor could see tears in his cinnamon eyes.
Tony: "Wh-what-?"
Thor didn't hesitate, climbed onto the bed and embraced the smaller man.
Thor: "Shh, shh - everything's fine. I've got you, okay? You're safe. - You're safe."
Then he stayed quiet, watching as Tony gripped his clothes, searching for something to hold onto. The prince strengthened his hold, gently stroking his back. When he'd calmed down a little, he lay down with him and covered him with the blankets. Then he looked down at the figure lying in his arms. Without his armour and his usual composure, he looked so small. In battle they were equally skilled warriors, smashing their enemies without any trouble. But like this - crying and trembling in his own bed … Thor knew damn well how terrifying nightmares could be. They scared the hell out of you and when you awoke and were alone, it only got worse. And by the way Tony needed him and only moved closer as time went by, the prince was sure he'd awoken alone much too often.
Somewhen later, the genius stopped sobbing and was lying still under Thor's touch. Thor waited a while before starting to speak.
Thor: " - Do you want to talk?"
Tony shook his head, not yet able to say a word. The thunderer stayed right where he was, gently stroking his friend until he slowly relaxed.
Thor: "Do not worry. Whatever you were seeing - it was only in your dreams. Nothing of what you saw is true, and never will be. Try to sleep if you want. I'll stay here with you for the rest of the night. Nothing can happen to you."
It lasted long, but after half an hour, Tony closed his eyes while Thor kept running his fingers down his back.
Thor: "Yes, you're doing very well, Tony. Just sleep. You're safe with me."
Thor kept his promise. He remained where he was when Tony fell asleep, he remained next to him when he knew his slumber was peaceful this time, and he was still there when Tony awoke the next time. They never talked of it again and also Thor never lost one word of the things that had happened, but from now on, Thor developed a habit of getting up once every night, checking in on whether his friend was alright before returning to his love.