Thor handed you a warm mug of spiced wine once your laughing fit was over. Loki got one too. Thor of course had a giant mug of beer. You didn't normally drink, you weren't of age on Earth and you hadn't gotten into the habit on Asgard. Plus alcohol and magic didn't tend to mix well. However, the spiced wine was hot and smelled delicious, so you sipped on it carefully. It was delicious and you grinned at Thor for his excellent choice.

"Brother, you should send our report now," Thor told Loki after he sat on the other bed in the room with his mug of beer. Loki sighed, but nodded. He closed his eyes and you felt his concentration and magic as he reached across the realm to report to Frigga, who would in turn report to Odin.

You taught Thor one of those annoying hand clapping games that tween girls were fond of while you were waiting for him to be done sending the report. "That is not at all distracting," Loki commented sarcastically, splitting his attention between his report and scolding you and Thor. His voice was strained, though, so you decided that you had to be good for his sake. So you and Thor proceeded to have a very mature and very quite thumb wrestling contest while Loki was preoccupied. You were such adults. At least you were quiet about it. Loki just laughed at you when he realized what you were doing, once he was finished with his conversation with Frigga. "Mother wants me and Kat to return to the palace first thing in the morning. Father wants you to remain here so you two can go investigate Balder's hideout. He is on his way and should be here by the time we leave," Loki finally announced when he dropped his magic.

"Mother does not wish for you to return now?" Thor asked, not quite believing Loki. You didn't blame him. Loki was a known liar and trickster. You also knew that Loki would want to get you home as quickly as possible, and wouldn't delay any longer than he had to.

"I am sure she would like for us to return today, but I cannot teleport across the realm again today. Especially not with a passenger," he explained. Thor accepted that argument. He didn't know much about magic and trusted Loki when he came to his power levels. "Darling, don't even try to say you can help. You cannot," Loki told you before you could protest that you had power too.

You didn't feel like fighting your exhausted brain through trying to use telepathy, which was the hardest of your powers to control on a good day, so you switched over to sign language. Thor wouldn't understand what you were saying regardless, so you were equally rude to him no matter how you chose to speak. [My eyes are black because of your illusions] you reminded Loki. The illusion on your soulbond marks were still in place too. Loki looked shocked, like he had completely forgotten about the illusions. He probably had. A lot had happened. He waved a hand and the illusions vanished. You touched the soulbond marks on your arm, glad they were back in all of their colorful glory. You had missed them in the short time they'd been grayed out.

"You will have to teach me to read those signs, sister," Thor said with a smile in his voice. You grinned at him. He was so kind. You were touched that he was offering to learn to sign just for you, though you hoped that your voice would be fixed soon enough that you didn't need for him to learn it.

"That did not fix your eyes, darling," Loki told you gently. "You must have burned too much power in your escape," you sighed heavily, tired of being without your magic. "I believe Mother did warn you that you could not use your powers again until after your eyes had turned back," he reminded you gently.

[I know] you signed, throwing the extra snap into the movements to indicate your grumpiness. [I didn't have a choice]. You sighed again. The rules of magic were stupid and illogical sometimes. You got up to look in the mirror, to see how bad the damage was. Loki had way over-exaggerated. Your eyes were nearly back to normal. You could see the tint of color behind the gray. [Liar] you signed at him.

He held up his hands in defeat. "Can you blame me for wanting you to rest?" he asked with an innocent smile. It was nearly his Cheshire Cat grin.

[You usually lie better] you accused.

Thor cleared his throat. "Children, either stop arguing, or argue in a way that I can understand you so I can pick a side," Thor said with a pout.

You laughed at him and summoned a notebook and a pen. <Loki is a liar> you wrote and showed it to Thor.

He just laughed. "Of course he is, sister dear. Surely you have not just figured that out. He is the god of lies after all," he reminded you.

<He lied badly> you wrote to Thor, who kept laughing at you. Rude older brother.

"Now that is uncharacteristic," Thor commented. He looked to Loki for his side of the argument. At least he was trying to be fair.

"I thought you would be too tired after your ordeal to call my bluff," Loki protested. You stuck your tongue out at him. "You should be dead asleep by now after everything you have been through. I think you are only still standing due to stubbornness," he grumbled. You was really good at continuing to function due to pure stubbornness. You had a lot of practice over the last year. Caffeine usually helped too. You realized that mulled wine did not help. It really was just stubbornness keeping you on your feet.

You next comment was important enough that you needed to make sure you was understood by both of them, so you switched to telepathy, though it taxed your poor exhausted brain. /That's why I can't sleep/ you told them firmly. /If I wake screaming from nightmares you could both be dead/ That thought haunted you. You couldn't control what your body did when you were trapped in nightmares and you usually woke screaming.

"Darling, all you ever had to do was say something. Confide your fears in me. I can help," Loki reminded you gently. His voice bordering on hurt that you hadn't already asked.

You looked away, embarrassed. [You know I don't like talking about my nightmares] you reminded him. Of course you hadn't asked.

Loki came over and wrapped you in his arms. "I know, love, but I am here for you and I am the last person who would ever judge you for having a nightmare. Thor has plenty of embarrassing stories he can tell you to that effect," Loki told you with a smile.

"He burst into my bedroom in the middle of the night shortly after Sif and I were soulbound," Thor started the story. Loki glared at him and you laughed. "Granted he was used to hiding in my bed after nightmares..."

"Brother, that was not an invitation to tell embarrassing stories," Loki commented dryly.

Thor ignored him and continued. "He was most surprised to find that my bed already had another occupant. And that both of us were naked. I am still not sure Sif has forgiven him entirely for that. Though he did look so pathetic..."

"That is unhelpful, Brother," Loki grumbled while you just kept laughing in his arms at the image the story was conjuring.

"You must have looked quite pathetic indeed, since Sif told me to move to the middle of the bed so you could crawl in on the other side," Thor laughed as he recalled the old memory.

/Did he join you?/ you asked Thor, signing out the words at the same time.

Thor laughed and nodded. "He did,"

"I hate you both," Loki pouted.

You stood up on your toes to kiss him. /I love you too/ you thought at him. Your brain was getting too fuzzy from exhaustion to use telepathy anymore.

He gave you a look. He had caught it too."Bed for you," he told you gently. You looked up at him with fear in your eyes. You didn't want to hurt him. "I know you dislike the spell, love, but it will keep all of us safe until we can find a way to strip this power from you."

You nodded and let him steer you back to the bed. You got settled and you waved to Thor. "Goodnight," Thor replied. He got up to take care of the lights before he settled into the other bed. It seemed like it should have been weird sleeping in a bed with Loki when his brother was in the other bed in the room, but there was no awkwardness. Nothing sexual was going to happen and you all needed sleep.

Loki kissed your forehead. "Sleep well, darling," he bid you as you felt his magic flow over you. It was the spell that caused a dreamless sleep. They would be safe. You succumbed to sleep then, with the knowledge that your family was safe.