Author's Note: Hey everyone! This is a fun treat written for Marvelously Magical Fanfiction's very first writing event, Summer Fling 2018! It also happens to be a sort of epilogue to a story I have yet to write but plan to start shortly. It just so turns out that MaraudingManaged's prompt sparked this lovely little tale. I hope that she enjoys this! Thanks for the interesting prompt!

Thank you to SquarePeg72 for alpha reading and GaeilgeRua for beta reading. I can always count on you! Any other mistakes you find are definitely my own. Much love, xxDustNight

Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to those at Marvel Studios, Warner Brothers, or J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

Nothing Less
Pairing: Loki Odinson/Regulus Black
Rating: M
Summary: Death was something of an unknown to him, so when Regulus died, he didn't quite know what to expect. With the death of his lover, Loki knew he would do anything in his power to resurrect him on Asgard.
Song Recommendations: "Hide and Seek" by Lydia Laird, "Dear Fear" by the Nashville Cast, and "LOVE" by Nathan Wagner

Nothing Less

Loki could sense when he was no longer alone and did nothing to hide the scowl that formed on his face. It didn't help that the presence joining him was not welcome and came with innumerable questions and doubts. Sighing heavily, Loki sat back on his haunches and glared up at Thor as he stopped on the other side of the mound of dirt that he was currently covering in flowers and herbs.

"I wish to be alone, Thor," Loki said without kindness. He didn't care that he was coming across as rude. His heart was broken, and he had little time for petty conversation. "What do you want?"

"I worried that you were out here alone," came Thor's gentle reply. He smiled and ran a hand through his blond locks. "I thought you may like the company."

"That is not what I expressed the day before last," Loki pointed out, sprinkling the last of the herbs over the grave. "Why have you really come?"

"Mother sent me to see how you were fairing," Thor said truthfully this time. "We worry about you. Your trip to Midgard was...extensive."

"You mean, you think I have lost my mind, and I am in mourning." Dusting off his hands, Loki stood and set his emerald-eyed glare upon his brother.

Thor shrugged one shoulder. "You do not deny the accusation." Thor allowed his brother a small smile before gesturing to the freshly turned soil. "What if this does not work and he is lost forever?"

"It is odd for you to be such a pessimist," Loki pointed out, shoving his dark hair from his forehead. "Mother was the one to tell me of this spell. Is she suddenly worried that her magic will fail her?"

"She has never tried this particular spell," Thor pointed out. "She worries that it will fail you."

Scoffing, Loki shook his head and then looked to the heavens. The stars were shining brightly, and Loki's heart gave a painful thump at what he'd lost… At what he'd left behind on Midgard. "I have to believe it will work," he admitted to his brother, hating the way his voice sounded so raw with emotion.

As if sensing his brother's vulnerability, Thor nodded and cleared his throat. "I will leave you to it then, brother," Thor muttered and then turned to leave. Before heading back toward the palace, he added, "I pray that this works and he is returned to you."

Thor left Loki alone with his thoughts then. Breathing heavily and fighting back tears of sorrow and frustration, Loki walked to the head of the grave he'd created and knelt down. Letting his fingers sink into the cool, damp soil, he closed his eyes and began to speak the words that would hopefully save his love from a fate most terrible…

Death. Regulus knew it was coming the moment he decided that the locket had to be destroyed. Hell, he knew he was bound to die the moment he'd decided to forsake everything he knew and fall in love. Love. The one thing that the Dark Lord abhorred above all else. The Dark Lord had been fooled by the fake Death Eater that infiltrated their ranks, but Regulus had not. Instead, he had confronted the dark-haired man only to find he was something else entirely.

And then they'd fallen in love. Having joined the ranks of the Death Eaters at such a young age, Regulus feared never knowing true love or anything of the like. But his lover had shown him all of that and more. He'd shown him the possibility to be great. Together, they had discovered the secret of the locket and gone after its location. Without him by his side, Regulus never would have retrieved the locket and swapped it with the fake.

But someone must have been watching, waiting in the darkness to bring word back to the Dark Lord of anyone lurking around that wicked cave. After the tearful goodbye between him and his lover, Regulus went on the run. He'd sensed the Dark Lord's ire and known it was only a matter of time before he was punished for his treasonist act. However, it wasn't the Dark Lord who came for him. It was Lucius who captured him and set him at the Dark Lord's feet. His cousin Narcissa having given away the fact that he came back to Grimmauld place for a few of his belongings.

Countless hours of torture and terror then led to the grand finale. At long last, the Dark Lord understood that Regulus had no plans of telling him where the real locket was hidden. Satisfied that no one would ever figure out his secret, he cast the Killing Curse upon his once faithful follower. Now it was just Regulus and his endless thoughts in this dark afterlife. He had no idea how he got here or where he would go. And as the life slipped away from him entirely, his lover's final words still lingered in his head but he had no way of knowing if they would ever be together again, but he wouldn't lose hope...

"I would die a thousand times over if it meant we could one day be together.

Only for you, Regulus. I will do this task, only for you…"

Hours went by as Loki continued to kneel at that grave. His fingers felt numb from being submerged in the damp soil for so long, and his legs had long ago lost all feeling. Despite the uncomfortable situation, Loki endured. The spell would work. It had to, or he had no hope of ever seeing his lover again. He'd sacrificed his perfectly good health for that man, and now he hoped to bring him back from the brink of death. A death that was imminent based on the treachery they performed prior to his departure from Midgard. Bowing his head, Loki put all his heart and soul into the spell, his magic flowing forth stronger than before.

All was quiet for quite some time, save his muttering from casting the spell. He was starting to lose hope again when finally the ground shifted, the soil rolling as something moved beneath the surface. The movement became frantic, and Loki quickly removed his hands, the spell cut off in his shocked and exhausted state.

"It worked…" Loki breathed, stumbling back onto his bottom as the dirt was cast aside and a pair of hands came into view. Loki knew those hands; he had held them and kissed each knuckle and the palms numerous times. He'd also felt them against his pale skin…

Coming to his senses, Loki threw himself forward and began to dig. He needed to get his lover out of there before he suffocated. Finally, he was able to shift enough of the soil and take proper hold of the hands he'd so desperately missed. Grabbing hold, he pulled with all his might. The final layer shifted, and his lover was set free.

Gasping, Regulus Black, Midgardian Wizard, was revealed to Loki. Despite being entirely filthy and panting for breath, he was exactly as Loki remembered him. Helping him to sit in the grass, Loki examined Regulus carefully. He wanted to make sure that he was well and whole. He saw nothing amiss, aside from the startled expression on his face.

"Regulus?" Loki inquired when he felt that the wizard would be able to speak. He watched as his lover wiped dirt from his eyes and coughed a few more times. It was hard to see him like this, and also a blessing. He'd thought he was gone forever.

"How do you know my name?" Regulus asked, his eyes raking over Loki as if seeing him for the first time. He then turned his head and took in his surroundings. "Where am I? I'm supposed to be dead. Is this heaven?"

Frowning, Loki realized that Regulus had no idea who he was. The sorrow that hit him was overwhelming, and he stumbled backward a few paces before regaining his footing. While the initial spell had worked to bring Regulus back from the brink of Valhalla, something had gone wrong… His memory appeared to be lost… Nevertheless, at least Regulus was alive. He could be thankful enough for that.

Deciding he didn't want to frighten Regulus with the truth of their former acquaintanceship, Loki pushed away his disappointment for the moment. Straightening his back, he attempted a smile and cleared his throat. "We were told of your death and saved you. You've essentially been reborn exactly as you were in Midgard."

"Midgard?" Regulus asked, his face scrunching with confusion.

Loki tried not to sigh, but it escaped his lips anyway. Luckily, Regulus didn't appear to notice as he was busy shaking the dirt from his dark curls. "Midgard is what we call the planet you hail from. This is Asgard," Loki explained, gesturing out at the beautiful landscape around them. "This is your home now."

Regulus took a few steps toward the city and then stopped. Turning back to look at the man who greeted him, he said, "I can't go back to Ear-Midgard, can I?" When Loki shook his head, Regulus bowed his own. "Hell, this sucks. I hope that the locket gets destroyed one day."

"I am sure your death has not been in vain," Loki said, not wanting Regulus to feel discouraged about his new life.

"By the way," Regulus said as they began walking toward the palace. "Who are you? You never said."

Without thinking, Loki reached out and wrapped his hand around Regulus's wrist and squeezed tenderly. "I am Loki Odinson. I am a prince here, but I'm more commonly known as the God of Mischief."

"Mischief, eh?" Regulus laughed and didn't pull away from Loki's hold. For some reason, it felt familiar and gave him a feeling of comfort despite having died and been reborn in an entirely different world. "You would get along with my older brother, Sirius. He's always full of mischief…"

"I am sure that he and I would get along swimmingly," Loki said and then allowed Regulus to fill the silence as they continued on their way. He was thankful that he had yet to pull away. Perhaps there was hope yet for the return of his memory.

"He does not remember who I am," Loki admitted, bowing his head with resignation while Regulus was fussed over by his mother. They were in the antechamber adjacent to the throne room while they waited to meet with Odin.

Face crumbling in confusion, Thor observed the wizard his brother had brought back from the dead. After hearing so much about this Midgardian being, Thor knew this was hurting Loki. Sighing, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed in reassurance. He had an idea, but he wasn't sure that it would work. Then again, they were already delving into the unknown having Regulus walk amongst them to begin with.

To his brother he said, "You need to give him reason to remember. He has memories of everything but you, correct?" Thor placed a hand on Loki's lower back and steered him out of earshot of his mother and Regulus.

"He does," Loki said with exasperation before pushing away Thor's arm. "He remembers every bloody thing that happened, minus my presence or involvement."

"Hush, brother," Thor said, shaking his head once when his mother met his eye. "You must remain calm. Later, after we have explained this to father, take Regulus to see Heimdall. Perhaps he can open whatever gate is preventing Regulus from remembering you inside his mind."

"Heimdall will be unwilling to help me with this," Loki said, rolling his eyes.

"Then I shall go with you."

Loki frowned, taken aback by his brother's words. "You would do that?"

Smiling softly, Thor placed his hand on Loki's shoulder and squeezed. "You are my brother, and I know that he means a great deal to you." He gestured toward Regulus with his chin.

"I-" Loki began and then closed his mouth, shook his head and tried again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Thor said simply, dropping his hold on Loki to pinch him instead. "And stop pranking Heimdall when he's searching the universe and can't see you sneaking up on him."

"Ouch!" Loki whined, twisting out of Thor's hold. He wasn't able to keep the smirk from his face, though. "I have done no such thing." When Thor made to pinch him again, he hastened to add, "Yes, fine."

"Thor? Loki?" Frigga called out, saving Loki from further torture. Lifting a single eyebrow at her son's antics, she kindly said, "Your father is ready to speak with us. Please, let us not waste his time."

With a final glance at one another, Thor and Loki hurried forward and joined their mother and Regulus. They were unprepared for what Odin would have to say in regards to the newcomer.

Weeks later, Loki emerged from his bedchamber to find that his mother was waiting for him. "Mother," he said softly as he observed her standing at the fireplace. "What brings you here so early? Has father approved this visit?"

"Loki, behave," Frigga replied, gesturing for him to have a seat at the small table. She joined him, reaching forward to take his hand in both of her own. "It is because of your father that I am here the now."

"Adding time to my punishment?" Loki groused, affixing a smile to his face, though he felt no mirth. All this time spent magically confined to his room because he'd played "God" and resurrected Regulus. It was maddening…

"No," Frigga said, choosing not to comment on her son's sarcasm. "He is actually relieving you of your sentencing."

"You are joking," Loki gasped, pulling his hand from Frigga's and standing. His heart was beating with hope and fear.

"I am not," Frigga replied, a smile playing at her lips. "Your father has sent me to inform you that you are free to leave these chambers."

"There must be a stipulation." Loki crossed his arms and met his mother's gaze. "What is it?"

At this, Frigga stood and lifted her skirts so she could walk freely to the door. Turning, she said, "He wants you to help Regulus learn how to control his magic. He's been attempting to use spells from his former life without his wand, and it's been a tad…"

"Unpredictable?" Loki questioned, smiling and knowing full well his father hated whatever was happening in regards to Regulus's training.

"To say the least," Frigga replied, her heart becoming lighter as she saw the happiness on her son's face. "Now, hurry. Regulus waits for you in the meadows."

"Thank you, mother," Loki said, pausing just long enough in his haste to go to Regulus so he could drop a kiss to her cheek.

"I know that you are used to having a wand," Loki explained, "but you do not need that here on Asgard. Here, magic flows differently. You simply have to visualize it and set it free, all while holding back the volatile tendrils."

"Loki," Regulus panted, bent over with his hands on his knees. "Do you know how mad that sounds? Volatile tendrils? Come on; I need a break." Standing up, Regulus smiled cheekily at Loki.

Groaning because he could never say no to Regulus, Loki nodded. "Yes, fine."

As soon as Loki agreed, Regulus toppled into a helpless heap where he stood. Chuckling, Loki joined him, sprawling out in the meadow and wishing Regulus remembered exactly who he was. Closing his eyes, Loki recalled their first kiss, many moons ago. He sighed, his heartstrings pulling. He was just about to get up and walk away when Regulus did something that surprised him…

With Loki's eyes still closed, Regulus rolled so he was perched above him. Then, he lowered his lips and gently kissed Loki's lips. It was a kiss full of passion.

When it ended, Loki pushed Regulus's hair away from his face so he could see him properly. "What was that for?" he inquired, having no idea what he'd done or said to provoke such a response from his former lover.

"While you were locked away in your room, Thor took me to visit Heimdall. He did something to my mind and all these… these memories came flooding back. Things I had no idea existed upon waking here." Regulus paused, his fingertips tracing the contours of Loki's face. "I remember it all, Loki. I remember that you and I…"

"We stole that locket together," Loki finished for him, moving his hand to hold Regulus's against his cheek. He liked the warmth of it there.

"Not just that," Regulus breathed, inching closer again. "We loved each other. You may never have said the words aloud, Loki, but I felt them in my heart, and that's the same feeling I held onto as I died… As you brought me back from the brink of death."

Loki took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, not quite knowing what to do or say. "Regulus, I-"

"You don't need to say anything," Regulus rushed to say, moving his fingertips atop Loki's lips. "You have saved me more times than I deserve, but this love I feel for you… You deserve to know how much I care for you and how grateful I am to be here with you."

"I am unsure I deserve such statements of affection-"

"You deserve nothing less than the immense love I feel for you now and always." Not waiting another second for Loki to try and talk his way out of accepting his love, Regulus pulled him in and kissed him soundly.

Eyes closing, Loki allowed himself to simply feel. After all the time spent apart and then thinking he'd forgotten him entirely, it was everything to have Regulus truly by his side once more. "Only for you…" Loki whispered against Regulus's parted lips.