Work Text:
“Crucio!” Voldemort hissed into the darkness of the Little Hangleton graveyard.
Harry tried to duck out of the way of the bright light streaking towards him but instead found himself writhing on the damp ground. This wasn’t the first time in their duel that Voldemort had hit Harry with that particular curse, and it didn’t make the intensity of it any easier to bear.
Voldemort released the spell, but before Harry could take more than a couple of shaky breaths, he repeated the curse.
Screams tore from Harry’s throat as a voice called out his name. The sound was so far away that Harry couldn't hear the faint call, but through the pain piercing his body, he felt someone shaking his body.
“Harry!” Loki called out again as he shook his lover's shoulder again. “You need to wake up, love. It is just a nightmare.”
Suddenly Harry's eyes snapped open, and Loki found a wand shoved into the skin under his chin.
“It's over, love,” the god whispered. “It was a nightmare.”
He repeated his words over and over, but he did not reach out to touch his lover. They had been in this situation before, and Loki knew the soothing tone of his voice would soon breakthrough the lingering demons Harry still faced.
Loki knew who or rather what Harry saw and no matter what the younger man tried, nothing prevented that monster from visiting him over and over and over again. All Loki could do was wake him from the nightmares and bring him back to their reality.
He felt just the slightest easing of Harry's wand against his neck and Loki grinned. “That's it, love. Come back to me.”
Falling silent now that he knew Harry was coming back to him, Loki watched as Harry's bright green eyes focused on him and lost their far away vacant look.
Harry ripped his wand away from Loki's throat and threw it onto the bedside table. “I'm so sorry.”
Loki turned Harry to face him, a determined look in his own green eyes. “No. You have nothing to apologise for. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Harry said before wrapping his arms around Loki and burying his face against Loki's neck.
A small grin tugged on Loki's lips. This show of affection from his lover was something that took him a long time to get used to, but Loki knew it helped Harry. And he had to admit that it helped him too.
“Thank you,” Harry whispered into Loki's neck. “Thank you for being there for me again.”
Pressing a kiss to the top of Harry's head, Loki murmured, “Anytime.”