Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to The Avengers or any of its associations.
Loki woke beside Natasha with the sheets tangled around both of their bodies. She was already awake, staring up at the ceiling with a strange expression on her face. But he knew her feelings well, for he shared them, and he leaned over to press a soft kiss to her temple.
The kiss pulled her from her thoughts, and she twisted in the sheets to face him. He drew her in to him gently, relishing in the gasp that escaped her lips as she came back into contact with his cold skin. His fingers were soft when they wove into her hair, and her breath was warm against his face before he claimed her mouth with his own.
The kiss grew from something gentle to something vicious. And their bodies joined feverishly for one last time just before the sun broke over the skyline.
They did not speak afterwards, dreading the words that were soon to come. They just laid on their backs besides one another, their bodies glazed with sweat and chests slowing.
It was only a short while later that Thor came for them. They dressed slowly, still in silence, before joining the others out on the roof.
Thor was waiting with a contraption in his hand, the Tesseract contained within, the same that they had used before to transport them back to Asgard. Jane was at his side, her hand clasped tightly in his free one, and the others were gathered around to say their goodbyes as well.
If any had doubted they were brothers, they would have known their mistake when they saw Thor and Loki both look down to the women at their sides, the same expression on their faces.
It spoke of the years they had lived, too similar to belong to those who had not lived those years along with them. It was that of one who had seen many incredible things throughout the years, but none of which meant anything compared to the person standing beside them.
Natasha looked up to meet Loki's gaze, and though they had not spoken, there was a mutual understanding of what would come to pass.
Natasha did not ask Loki to stay. She knew his heart longed for Asgard, for his home. He had not fought so hard to secure his rightful place there just to throw it away so easily. And she would never ask him to.
Loki did not ask Natasha to come with him either, or to change her ways. He did not expect her to spend her nights pining for him, and he did not want her to. And he could not ask her to leave her home. Not yet, anyway.
''What will happen when you get to Asgard?" Natasha asked.
''I know not,'' he answered her.
She lowered her head, and they remained silent for a few moments.
''Will I see you again?'' she asked him, raising her face to meet his gaze again. He was not met with pitiful eyes, or even sad ones to go along with the question. Her face was set, wanting an honest answer from him and not for her feelings to be spared.
Instead of answering her right away, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
Tony whistled impatiently behind them, wanting to round up the Asgardians so that they could be on their way.
Loki smiled and moved away from Natasha, towards where Thor was waiting for him. She stared after him, stubbornly refusing to call after him for an answer.
Halfway between her and Thor, he turned back around to face her, the smile still playing at his lips.
''My time here in Midgard is done, but yours is not, my darling. There will come a day when you have cleaned the red from your ledger,'' he stated.
He turned his back to her again as he joined his brother, placing his hand on the device that would take them home when Thor held it out to him. But just before he twisted the handle that would take them away, he looked back to her.
''And when you do, I will come back for you.''
With the twist of his wrist and a flash of light, they were gone.
Loki braced himself to be seized upon sight when he and Thor arrived in Asgard, but to his surprise, no hands came for him.
Instead, they found themselves before all of the Asgardian court, with Odin and Freya at the center. Sif and the Warriors Three stood at the right of the king and queen, and Heimdall at their left, the rest of the court crowded at each side and parted for the brothers to approach.
A guard retrieved the Tesseract from them and disappeared, and with a glance shared between the brothers, they made their way toward their parents. When they were near enough, they went to a knee before Odin, their heads bowed low.
''Thor,'' Odin began, and Thor raised his head to his name. ''My son. You have lived up to your station as Guardian of Midgard, and will be commemorated for your actions in battle. You may stand.''
Thor cast a concerned glance to Loki, whose head was still bowed toward the floor, and did as he was instructed, taking his position between Odin and Heimdall.
''Loki,'' Odin began again, and the God of Mischief raised his head slowly. ''Your actions on Midgard were abominable. You killed hundreds of innocents, and left nothing but blood in your wake. And for the second time, proven yourself not worthy of the Odinson name.''
Loki's head fell again.
''And had you stood before me as you had the last time you were here, stubborn and arrogant and failing to see the shameful nature of your actions, I would be in my every right to have you put to death.''
There were gasps in the crowd, and Loki closed his eyes tight as the words echoed in the grand hall, taunting him. He heard Thor's armor rustle as he moved to object, but when it silenced Loki knew Heimdall had stopped him.
''However,'' Odin added, and Loki raised his head in surprise. ''From what I witnessed as I watched your final moments in battle in Midgard, you showed me many things to be true that were not true before.''
''You not only proved to me that you are a formidable opponent, even for one of the strongest warriors that Asgard has ever seen, but you also showed the humanity that a king needs in order to lead his people. Your acquisition of these traits, despite your means, have led me to a different decision in regard to your fate.''
The tension was thick in the air, and every body was tensed as they awaited their king's decision. Loki's breath was caught in his throat, trying to keep his face neutral as he gazed up at the man who had raised him.
''Had I only one son, the fate of the throne would be of no question. But as I have found myself with two worthy men to lead my people when I no longer can, the same can not be said to be true.''
Loki's brow furrowed in confusion, and he was not the only one. The crowd broke out in hushed voices and whispers, and only Heimdall was unaffected by Odin's words, as he knew all.
''Silence!'' Odin commanded, and the echo of his voice was the only sound to move through the room the next moment.
Odin reached back and took Thor's arm, motioning for him to rejoin his brother before him. Thor took a knee, sharing a look with Loki before they both returned their gazes to their father. Neither of them missed the slight glaze of tears in Odin's eyes when he spoke next, or the way his voice wavered with emotion.
''For the first time in Asgardian history...'' Odin rumbled. ''There will be two kings.''
While everyone around them erupted in cheers, Loki and Thor looked to each other with wide eyes. Thor was the first to react, pulling his brother into an embrace with the happiest of expressions on his face. Loki did not react, frozen in shock, and still his gaze was on his father, who was looking down to them both.
''There is one condition, Loki, my son,'' Odin said. It was only for the ears of those closest, as no one besides them were paying attention any further to listen, and it was too loud in the great hall to be overheard.
Loki and Thor both pulled themselves up from the floor and looked to their father, waiting for him to continue.
''You are never to return to Midgard,'' Odin commanded.
Loki's face fell, and then slightly his head. Thoughts of Natasha flashed through his mind... her beauty, her cleverness, the fire hair that matched her so well.
''I understand, father.''
Thor put his hand on Loki's shoulder to comfort him, his face grave. Odin stepped down from his station, and Freya and Heimdall followed. As Odin passed, he put his hand on Loki's opposite shoulder.
''Except to keep your word to the Midgardian, of course,'' he added in Loki's ear, and he chuckled softly as he and the others crossed the grand hall to leave. Loki's grin was wide and instant, despite his father's playfully malicious intention to scare him that he would not see the woman again.
Thor's laughter rumbled at his side. ''He really pulled one over on you.''
Loki's grin faded into a look of skepticism when it turned to his brother. ''' 'Pulled one over on you'? You are the one that should be banned from Midgard. Your intelligence is digressing with their foul use of language.''
Thor ignored his brother's insult, happy instead that they were back to teasing each other once again, as they had when they were children. The difference being that it would not always be at Loki's expense, as now in everyone's eyes, they were equals.
Life for them returned to normal on Asgard. The only change was a newly found respect for Loki that had been lacking before, though there was some opposition to Odin's decision.
Loki did not give up his mischief, as he had not abandoned his true nature completely, and no one had expected him to. It was always just enough to get him and Thor into the worst of situations without risk of losing his stature as heir to the throne, and he was happy despite the limitations.
He and Thor visited Heimdall often at first, to see down to Midgard and their loves, but Loki gradually went less over time. Where Jane was safe in her laboratory, Natasha was constantly pushing the limits of her humanity, and the worry was a torture Loki could do without. He did not need constant confirmation that her heart belonged to him, as his belonged to her.
He would know when she was ready, and he would go to her.
Author's Note: The end. I hope you enjoyed it. I am pretty happy with how I ended it, I just hope I was able to get what I wanted to across well enough. Please review. And thank you all for reading!