Some Language

"No," Thor warned, his hand extended to keep space between you and Loki, "no, you stay well clear of her, brother. She is in my charge but she is not mine."

"I'm not yours?" you scoffed. "I'm no one's, thank you very much."

"You belong to the Captain, if I'm not mistaken," Loki smiled, almost as if he knew that it wouldn't sit well with you. "Is that not his ring upon your finger?"

"I belong at home. Can we go please?"

"Not until you are healed, (Y/N). How many times I must say that for you to understand?"

You raised your hands and turned to leave, but stumbled slightly, grabbing Thor's arm to steady yourself, "Look, I'll be fine. I've done this before. Let's just go before this keeps me away too much longer. Steve has to be worried sick by now."

"(Y/N), are you doubting my ability to help you? Is that why you are so eager to flee?" Loki asked calmly, still holding that unnerving grin of his and the mischief in his eyes. "Your beloved is worried, indeed, but wouldn't he be more so if he knew that you were denying yourself this?"

"I don't want your help," you hissed, "you've done nothing to earn my trust or anyone else's, so please forgive me if I'm hesitant to let you do something that could end up so much worse than it already is. Hold on," you stopped with realization, "are you watching Steve?"

"Mmm, you have fire," he whispered, stepping closer to take your chin in hand, but Thor quickly broke his hold.

"Step back," he warned, "she is a ferocious adversary, and you would be wise to stay clear." He glanced down at you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders with a grin curling at his lips, "though I would enjoy watching her show you for herself, brother."

Loki's curiosity only grew at this, his grin slowly fading and replaced by a look of determination. "I witnessed your fall at her hand," he paused, taking a few steps around you as if he were studying you. "Allow me to heal you, (Y/N), and in return, I ask for a challenge."

"Do not agree," Thor whispered sternly.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch, I just want to see your ability for my own eyes."

Thor quieted and leaned in closer to you, guarding his words from Loki with a raised hand, "there is always a catch, (Y/N)."

~~~

"Deep breath in..." Bruce inhaled gently, "...and out." His shoulders lifted and his chest expanded as he repeated the cycle, his eyes closed and his mind struggling to remain clear given the palpable anxiety filling the room from his daily relaxation partner. "Where has your mind gone today?" he asked cautiously.

"She's dead."

"She's not dead, Steve. Deep breath in...and out..."

"Then why can't I shake this feeling?" he exhaled heavily.

"Because your wound too tight and your mind is an asshole," Bruce chuckled for just a second, but quickly regaining his focus. "In...out..."

Steve inhaled deeply and held his breath, unaware that he was even doing it; his heart was racing and it was impossible to relax. It wasn't that Bruce wasn't trying, either. They had been at this for nearly an hour and he felt no different. In fact, he might even feel worse. "What am I missing? Why did he take her?"

"Because he's an asshole too. Breathe, Steve."

"This isn't working."

Bruce opened his eyes and let out a frustrated groan, leaning back against the wall as he studied the rigid posture of his friend; he could almost see the tension that Steve was carrying in every muscle, and the pain that his mind was causing him written in his expression. He wanted to help him, but he wasn't this kind of a doctor, and he could only speculate on what their shared therapist might do. With a sudden resolve, Bruce raised himself to his feet and gave a firm clap of his hands, reaching down to help Steve up.

"Come on, Cap. I think I know what we need."

~~~

Thor took your hand to help you from the small table that sat at the center of a large and ornate room, filled with treasures and artifacts that you could never have imagined, and that you wish you could stay to study. With Loki at your opposite side and his hands raised to catch you if you should falter, you stood on your newly healed leg and stumbled only slightly at the strange sensation that the healer's spell had left behind, running up the length of your spine.

"Weird," you mumbled, "it doesn't feel like my own leg. Is that normal?"

"It will pass, (Y/N)," Loki assured you gently, "the healing itself is almost complete."

"Let's walk. Just a few steps," Thor said, offering his hand but almost pouting at your refusal to take it. "Slowly, (Y/N). The affects of the healer can be different for each recipient. Some take time for the full recovery to be achieved." He stood silent to watch you walk several feet and back, smiling in response to your own look of approval and feeling calm for the first time since you had arrived. "You're doing remarkably well, (Y/N)-"

As he finished, you gave your friend a complacent smile and spun, wrapping your now-perfect leg around Loki's throat, forcing him to the ground and onto his stomach. Quickly straddling over his back, you pulled his hands together behind him and leaned down close to his ear, turning your head just enough to spy the wide grin crossing his brother's face.

"Thank you for your assistance, Loki. I do appreciate it, sincerely," you whispered. "But you've seen my skills, and have now personally felt them just as you had asked to, so I'm going home now. Shall we discuss it further, or are we good?"

You felt a low rumble in his chest as you leaned against him and heard a growl equally as menacing from his throat. He freed his hands and rolled over beneath you, now facing up at you with eyes as dark as night and a jaw clenched tightly to make his voice barely audible. "Brother, care to wager?"

"She takes you in five minutes."

"Five?" you smirked at him. "Really, Thor? Five? I had you down in three." You looked down at Loki with a cold glare, which was eagerly returned. "I'll have you in two."

"Oh, don't tease me, (Y/N)."

~~~

"This is a really bad idea, Banner," Steve whispered, peeking his head into Thor's living quarters. "I think we should just go back to breathing."

"Because that was working so well?"

"Because this is better?" Steve scoffed, beginning to search the top of Thor's dresser with care to not touch anything. "I don't think we're gonna-"

"Found it."

Once Steve saw the small silver flask in the doctor's hands he began to immediately change his mind. "This never ends well for me, Bruce. You've seen it. And what about you? What do you think the...other guy...might do with that?"

"Only one way to find out," he shrugged, popping the stopper from the bottle and taking a small sip off the top. "Ugh, that's vile. We need to mix it."

"I've never seen this side of you. I'm not sure how I feel about it, honestly," Steve said with a shake of his head, taking the bottle from his friend when it was offered to him. "You're supposed to be the smart one here." He followed Bruce's lead and took a sip with a grimace at the medicinal flavor, holding the door open for him to lead the way to the lounge. "But if this might calm me down, then who am I to go against doctor's orders, right?"

~~~

"Thirty seconds, (Y/N)! That's all that remains," Thor called out, watching intently as you battled Loki, who had just made the mistake of looking away when he heard his brother.

"Thanks." With a run to the table, you pushed your leg against it and vaulted yourself onto his back, ready to use your grip to take down one more arrogant Asgardian. If you could drop Thor with it, then Loki was almost easy prey. "I hope you're sleepy," you cooed.

He had expected the move at some point in your fight, remember having watched it from afar when you used it on both Thor and Steve. Even though he had anticipated it, he was ill prepared and struggled to regain the upper hand. "I will not...concede..."

"That's fine, sweetheart. Just go to sleep instead. This was your idea, remember? Remember that when it all goes dark."

Loki felt the air escaping his chest but he was unable to take in any more air through your grasp around his throat and he began to panic. Spots began to form in his vision and he felt his knees begin to weaken. You felt his body tense suddenly, with a glow building in front of him; seconds later you were thrust from his back and thrown into the far wall, covered in that same glow. "Cheap shot," you groaned, pushing yourself slowly from the floor. "You cheated."

"I don't understand you. How is it that a mortal can wield Mjolnir and I cannot? How is it that you can best me in a battle, but you are nothing more than a soft and breakable human?"

Thor's head snapped in Loki's direction, and for once he didn't know what to say, simply shaking his head in warning for him to stop. He shifted to position himself in front of you, taking your hand to help you rise. "Do not engage him, (Y/N). Let us go," he whispered softly.

"Sore loser. How many times do you have to get your ass kicked by a soft and breakable human before you realize that we're neither?"

"No, (Y/N), we should go," Thor persisted, knowing that you would be unlikely to relent and prepared to lift you from the ground and throw you over his shoulder if need be. He refused to be witness or cause to Steve's fiancé being injured on his watch, when he would have to answer to the Captain after.

"Let her fight! If she is such a worthy adversary as you claim, brother, let her fight!"

Somehow in your rage, you managed to push past Thor's towering form and rushed forward to attack once more, but this time Loki was prepared, lifting you by the throat and into the air with one hand. "Shall we try this once more, darling? Perhaps it should be you who sleeps. How does eternally sound?"

Thor bolted to your side and pulled you away, holding you up so that you could catch your breath while swinging the hammer forcefully to connect and throw Loki far aside to give him time to make your exit. "He's insane," you coughed, rubbing the burning pain from your neck where his glove hand connected.

"He's adopted." With a rush of air and a roar of lightning and thunder, Thor finally agreed that you had overstayed your welcome, and you were eagerly on your way back home.

~~~

Steve was laying in the center of the lounge floor, propped up on one wobbly elbow as he watched Bruce trying to remove his watch with remarkable ineptitude and a complete lack of coordination. "Dude, that was soooo close that time," he gasped, continue to watch as if he had never been more enthralled in anything. "You can do this, man. I believe in you."

"My fingers feel all fuzzy," Bruce hiccupped then burped, quickly turning into a snorty laugh. "You look fuzzy too, Cap."

"I feel fuzzy." Steve took an exaggerated deep breath and whined quietly, pushing his lower lip out into a pout. "I miss (Y/N). Thor's a jerk. You don't just grab a man's woman and fly her off to ASS-gard."

"Azz-gard."

"Same difference," he pointed, nearly tipping himself off balance and onto his face. "I'm Captain fucking America, Brucie. You don't take my girl. It's like, in the Constitution or something, right?"

"I got it!" The inebriated doctor exclaimed, holding his watch high in the air, but flinging it from his grip in his excitement and cringing at the crash of glass wherever it had landed. "Shit, Tony gave me that one for Christmas..."

"And since you brought him up," Steve said loudly, pointing randomly around the room as if it were a full audience before him. "I don't know how I feel about Stark becoming my daddy. It's weird."

Bruce took a drink as Steve began, quickly spitting it down the front of his shirt at the name. "Ha! I thought the only one getting called Daddy around here was you."

"SHE TOLD YOU THAT?!"

Bruce hiccupped again but suddenly held very still, his eyes darting around as if he were looking inside of himself; as if something were wrong. "I don't feel good."

"You look kinda green."

"I think we fucked up, Steve."

The Captain sat up as quickly as he could and stared at Bruce, seeing the green darkening. "Dude, please tell me you have the stretchy pants on. I don't wanna see that."

"I'm just gonna...lie down."

Steve waited at a distance and watched the Hulk make an appearance, but there was no roar, no growling; he just continued to lay there, looking too far gone to try to get up. "Hulkster? You okay?"

"Hulk...sick," he groaned, rolling on his side with wide eyes turned towards Steve, who took a huge jump back when the big guy's stomach betrayed him. "No good."

"Woah, Jolly Green, watch where you're spraying that stuff." Steve stood amazed at the sheer volume of mess that the Hulk had made, when his own stomach began to do flips. "No, no, no..." he gasped as he ran to the nearest garbage, barely making his target.

"I'm so glad you were here to see this," Tony said quietly, holding his phone up to capture the scene for future use. "What the hell were you doing on Asgard anyway?"

"Long story," you groaned, making your way to Steve, stepping over a nearly passed out Hulk's hand cautiously. When you reached him, his head was deep in the garbage and he sounded nowhere near finished. "Hey, breathe slower," you reassured quietly, slowly rubbing his back.

"(Y/N)?" He pulled his head out and turned to see you with a look of joy that almost immediately turned sour at the shift in postion, wretching forward to give you his own welcome gift all over your shirt.

"Yeah, I know. It's good to see you too, babe."