Why Thor's apartment? Why is that the only place Loki can think to go?

He only has a second to decide. A second before the seal will close again and he'll be trapped forever. He ignores the pain, the tendrils of well-crafted magic invading his mind. He focuses on that one place, that one person.

Thor's apartment.

Thor is standing in the kitchen when Loki appears next to him in a flash of golden light, battered and bloody. Loki barely registers the look of shock on Thor's face before his strength gives out and he collapses to the floor. Thor is leaning over him now, reaching for the small smoldering book that Loki clutches in his hand. Loki regains his focus long enough to yell a warning to stay back.

Thor freezes and backs away. He's saying something, but Loki can't hear right now. The pain is too great. With his free hand, Loki grabs the forearm that holds the book. Light blossoms on the skin beneath his fingers forming a glowing ring that encircles his arm. Loki takes several heaving breaths. The pain subsides somewhat, and the aggressive magic seems to be held at bay for now.

Loki grimaces as he looks at Thor. He tries to explain what is going on, why he needs to immediately seal away his memories and magic, but it's clear Thor doesn't understand. So he puts it as plainly as he can. He tells Thor he'll be found and killed if he doesn't hide. He asks Thor to protect him. It takes all his willpower to speak the two words that he knows will save him.

"Please, brother."

And Thor agrees. Just as Loki knew he would.

The barrier is weakening. Loki knows he doesn't have much time. He manages with great effort to remove one of his daggers from his coat. He grips it in a trembling hand, already beginning the enchantment as he rushes to explain to Thor.

"This dagger will be me. I'm sealing all my magic, all my memories, within it. Keep it safe. Keep it hidden from me. I'll make myself believe I'm mortal and give myself false memories. When it's safe, give the dagger back to me and I will be myself again."

Thor's eyes are fixed on the glowing ring around Loki's arm as it begins to flicker out of existence. Thor quickly asks how he will know when it's safe.

"You'll know."

That's all Loki manages to say before the barrier fades completely. He screams in pain tossing the dagger away just as the book he holds bursts into eerie blue flames. His screaming continues until the flames fade, leaving nothing but ashes in Loki's hand. Then he slowly closes his eyes and slips into unconsciousness.

Finally deeming it safe to touch Loki, Thor quickly searches for injuries and is relieved to find none. The blood splattered over Loki's clothes must not be his own. It's been over a year since he's last seen Loki, and now he appears to him like this? Pain and anger mingle in Thor's heart as he gazes down at Loki's unconscious body. He vaguely wonders what horrible deed Loki must have been doing to put his life in danger so. He shakes his head sadly. Then again, maybe he'd rather not know. But he promised to help him, so of course he will. He never really had a choice. Wearily, he gathers Loki into his arms and carries him to the bedroom, laying him on the bed.

Thor goes back to the kitchen and finds the dagger that Loki thew away. He expects some indication of its recent enchantment, but it simply lies heavy and cold in his hand. For a painful instant, Thor wonders whether Loki actually completed the spell in time, but then he feels a tremor within the weapon, ever so slight. It's not much, but it's enough to make Thor sigh with relief. He carefully wraps the dagger in a pillow case and hides it in the back of the hall closet.

Then he waits, sitting outside of the bedroom like a sentry, for Loki to wake up.

Thor wakes with a jolt to Loki's scream, banging his head on the wall in the process. He rushes into the bedroom to see Loki standing, looking down at himself in shock. Thor realizes too late that he probably should have had the foresight to wash the blood off Loki and get him into some clean clothes.

"What the hell happened to me?! Where did all this blood come from?!"

Thor doesn't trust himself to speak. He's still a bit unclear as to exactly what Loki has done. Loki said he'd believe himself to be a mortal now. How exactly is Thor supposed to act towards him?

Loki looks up at him in distress, "Did I have an accident or something?"

"Yes," Thor says cautiously, deciding to say the first plausible thing that comes to mind, "You were hit by a car."

"And you didn't take me to a hospital?! Well, thank god it doesn't seem serious..."

Thor furrows his brow in frustration. This may be more difficult than he had anticipated.

Loki walks casually over to Thor's dresser and takes out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, apparently under the impression that this is his own room and these are his own clothes. "Anyway," Loki says walking past Thor and into the living room, "I'm going to take a shower."

Loki pauses awkwardly as he reaches the middle of the room, unsure of which direction the bathroom actually is. Thor motions towards the correct door, "Over there."

Loki nods appreciatively and heads towards the door.

"Hey," Thor says, stopping Loki in his tracks, "Um, what's your name?"

Loki turns towards Thor and laughs, "I don't think I hit my head that hard in the accident!"

Thor looks at Loki, his eyes full of worry.

Loki strides over to Thor and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Relax, I'm okay! Loren Olson lives to fight another day!" Loki smiles brightly before turning and disappearing into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Thor sinks onto the sofa holding his head in his hands. What in the world has his brother done to himself? Loki said something about false memories. But this? Was this really what he intended? Thor sighs heavily. The only thing he can do now is try and sort out what in the world Loki thinks is going on.

A few minutes later, Loki emerges from the bathroom, grumbling to himself about how he must have lost weight as he tugs at Thor's oversized clothes. Thor calls him over to sit on the sofa and Loki plops down next to Thor, leaning casually against the back of the sofa and resting his head on his arm, without a care in the world. After his shower, Loki somehow looks younger. His pale skin is flushed, his wet hair combed back and dripping water down his neck. Thor's oversized clothes give the illusion that Loki's body is smaller than it is.

Thor can't help but stare at Loki for a few moments. It feels surreal to sit with his brother like this. It's not just the somehow endearing fact that Loki is wearing his clothes, which he hasn't done since they were boys. But what Thor finds most striking is Loki's eyes. Clear and wide and perfectly innocent, gazing contently at Thor. Oh, how Thor has missed seeing those eyes.

Thor clears his throat, looking away and trying to focus on the matter at hand. "So," Thor begins, unsure if this will actually work, "Why are you here?"

Loki gives him a withering look, "Why am I in my apartment with my roommate?"

"No, um," Thor tries to think of a way to clarify the question without sounding too obviously ignorant, even though it's apparent that Loki will hardly notice anyway. "What are you doing in New York City?"

Loki rolls his eyes in displeasure, "I thought we already went over this. I'm going to write a book, become a published author, and be famous. Are you already trying to convince me to get a real job?"

Thor relaxes a bit. At least it will be easy to get Loki to talk.

Over the next hour or so, Thor awkwardly attempts to pry information out of Loki without being too conspicuous, and Loki answers Thor's questions with a surprising lack of concern for the utter strangeness of the whole situation. Eventually, Thor is able to work out that Loki thinks that Thor's name is Jake and that they are friends who just graduated from some kind of school for writers and moved to New York City together, planning to live off their parents money until they are forced to find actual jobs. The level of detail in the false memories is impressive considering Loki must have somehow constructed them moments before passing out.

"Are we done here?" Loki finally asks when he tires of the inquisition, "I've got some reading I want to do."

Thor nods. His brain was starting to hurt anyway. Loki jumps up to inspect the bookshelf across the room. The books were a gift from Tony Stark, supposedly all the necessary reading to understand modern Midgardian culture, plus some of his personal favorites. Loki chooses How to Win Friends and Influence People from the bookshelf and returns to the sofa, enthusiastically stretching out across from Thor and draping his legs along the sofa so his feet land unceremoniously in Thor's lap. Thor shoves the invading feet off of him, and Loki lets out a small laugh as he opens the book.

Thor gazes at Loki, a bit stunned. Other than the excessive cheerfulness and strangely indifferent attitude, Loki is acting exactly how Thor remembers him growing up. It's eerie and somewhat disconcerting, considering their stormy relationship since then. Honestly, Thor can't tell whether he's happy about seeing Loki this way or not.

How long will Loki have to stay like this? Fortunately, Thor has just told the Avengers that he's going to visit Asgard, so he can easily put off the trip and stay here without being bothered by anyone. It should be simple enough to live here quietly for a week or so. Surely, Loki wouldn't need to hide longer than that.

Then he remembers Loki's dagger hidden in the closet. It strikes him that Loki has just placed his life in his hands, quite literally. Even after all this time, after everything that's come between them, Loki trusts Thor with his life. The thought makes Thor's heart swell and almost brings him to tears.

Thor finds living with Loki easier now that he has some idea of the role Loki expects him to play. Thor gets into the habit of refraining from calling Loki by name, they buy him some new clothes that fit him, and Thor gets used to sleeping on the sofa, since Loki has claimed the bedroom as his own. It takes a few days, but Thor is finally starting feel comfortable around this new Loki.

True to his imagined persona, Loki spends most of his time writing. Thor is shocked to see Loki fill three whole notebooks in almost three days.

"What are you writing?" Thor finally asks.

"Oh, random stuff," Loki says, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a notebook in his lap, "but I was thinking of writing a story about two brothers... they're polar-opposites, but they're really close... and something comes between them, but... ah, man, that sounds so cheesy."

Thor smiles, "I like it. Just make sure to give it a happy ending."

"Pfft, happy endings are for losers! Real writers aren't afraid to start an epic battle where everyone dies in the end."

"And then they are reborn and start over?" Thor suggests with a grin, ruffling Loki's hair affectionately.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Loki says, batting away Thor's hand and smoothing out his hair again.

"Nothing," Thor chuckles as he walks over and sits in the chair across from the sofa.

Thor watches Loki as he writes, vaguely admiring the beauty of the sight of Loki in quiet contemplation. A stray lock of hair falls into Loki's face, and Loki reaches up with his delicate fingers to tuck it behind his ear. Loki's hand ends up resting gently on his pale neck as he leans over the notebook. Thor contemplates that soft hair, that beautiful neck, those delicate-

"What?" Loki says, looking up in annoyance.

"Uh, nothing," Thor mumbles as he snaps back to reality.

"You're staring," Loki says, narrowing his eyes at Thor.

"Sorry," Thor mutters quickly as he gets up and heads for the front door, "I'll go for a walk."

Outside the door, Thor pauses and takes a deep breath. How did his thoughts wander off like that? How strange to think of Loki that way, almost as if he were a different person. Thor shakes his head, determined to put it out of his mind.

Loki wakes up screaming a name. The name of a person he doesn't know.

"Thor!"

He jolts upright in bed, his panicked heart racing as the remnants of the nightmare fade. The bedroom door bursts open, and Thor appears in the dim light, rushing over to Loki.

"Are you well?" Thor asks, concern etched on his face, "You were screaming."

Loki is still trembling slightly, and he clasps his hands together to stop them from shaking. "It was just a nightmare," Loki says softly, looking down as he remembers the dream, "It just... felt so real. I remember falling into a void, then I ended up in this awful place. It was so dark and cold. I was calling out for someone to save me... I kept calling out... but he never came..."

Loki is suddenly aware of the tears streaming down his face. As he quickly tries to wipe them away, he finds himself being enclosed in warm arms. Loki's eyes go wide in surprise. Thor's holding him so tightly and so close. It feels so comforting and strangely familiar.

"I'm so sorry," Thor whispers.

Loki blushes slightly as he gently pushes Thor away. "I'm okay. It was just a dream," he reassures him, but Thor continues to look at him with worry.

Thor raises his hand to gently cup the back of Loki's neck. Loki's pulse races at the intimacy of the touch. Somehow, it feels like he's been longing for that touch forever. For a long moment, he's held captive by Thor's stormy blue eyes gazing tenderly into his. He almost thinks Thor is going to lean closer and...

But, no... Instead, Thor looks like he wants to say something. It's clear that he's struggling with himself. But in the end, he looks away from Loki, dropping his hand and returning to the doorway. Loki's heart suddenly sinks.

"Goodnight," Thor says simply as he closes the door behind him.

Loki lets out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. What the hell was that all about? He thought for sure Thor was going to kiss him. Unconsciously, his hand moves to the place on his neck where Thor touched him. He collapses back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling wide-eyed, overcome with a wave of unexpected disappointment. He struggles to push Thor out of his thoughts as he closes his eyes and drifts back to sleep.

Loki is on edge all the next day. He can't look at Thor without replaying the events of the previous night, imagining the heat of Thor's hand upon his neck or Thor's arms wrapped around him. For his part, Thor asks how Loki slept and seems genuinely concerned about his nightmare, but also hesitant to question Loki further about it. Other than that, Thor seems to think nothing of the rest of the incident which ends up annoying Loki to no end.

So in the evening, Loki suggests to Thor that they watch a movie on TV together. Of course, Loki has no interest in the movie itself. He knows full well it's a thinly veiled excuse to set up the same opportunity again. So he sits through the movie in a daze, finding it hard to concentrate with Thor sitting so close that he can almost feel the warmth radiating off his body. When the movie finally ends, Thor turns off the TV, mumbling something about how he didn't understand anything that happened.

In that moment, Loki dares to reach out and clasp Thor's hand resting on the sofa between them. Leaning slightly forward, he waits a beat, hoping that Thor will take the hint. But Thor simply stares blankly at him, as if expecting him to say something. So Loki gathers his courage and leans in, gently grabbing hold of the side of Thor's head as he kisses him. He presses eagerly into the warmth of Thor's mouth, perhaps showing more enthusiasm than he would have wanted, but no matter. If Thor insists on being so astonishingly dense, then there's no need to leave room for ambiguity. He pulls away slowly, hesitantly searching Thor's face for a reaction.

Thor sits for several moments, thunderstruck, gazing at Loki as if he can't believe what just happened. When he finally recovers his wits, he turns away and awkwardly clears his throat. "I'll get us some more tea." With less delicacy than they require, he quickly grabs their mugs from the table and scurries off towards the kitchen.

Loki frowns. Needless to say, this isn't the reaction he was hoping for. True, it could have been worse. Thor didn't push him away or yell at him. Maybe Thor was just embarrassed? Maybe he's never considered kissing a guy before? But the more Loki thinks about it, the more confused he becomes. It's very clear Thor likes him. More than likes him. He's far too affectionate for any normal friend. Has Loki misread the situation?

Loki looks in vain towards the kitchen in search of Thor. When it becomes clear that Thor isn't returning any time soon, he kicks the coffee table indignantly before storming off to the bedroom, making sure to slam the door shut behind him.

Thor waits until he thinks Loki is asleep to open the hall closet. He finds Loki's dagger exactly where he left it, carefully wrapped in a pillow case and hidden in the back. Unwrapping it slowly, he feels the weight of the weapon in his hands. He sinks to the floor and sits against the wall, gripping the dagger tightly.

"Loki," he whispers imploringly, his voice trembling with the storm in his heart, "Who is this person you've left with me? Is this really you? Is this really what you desire?"

Desperately, he presses the dagger's handle to his forehead, willing it to answer. But all he feels is a distant tremor, the quiet promise of a beating heart somewhere in the cold metal.

A/N: This is bit of an experiment for me writing-wise, but who's to argue with inspiration at 4am? Only very vaguely inspired by the plot device in the Doctor Who episode "Human Nature."