Chapter 21"Loki?"
Standing but keeping his eyes downcast, Loki listed as Thor approached him. Distantly he could hear Captain America and War Machine divvy up the responsibilities of cleanup. Rogers would stay on the battlefield to help the wounded and catalogue the dead. Rhodes, with Pepper and Peter would take Tony back to Avengers Tower and prepare him for burial.
Suddenly Loki was swept up in a crushing hug, feeling the arms of his brother hold him close. Thor's body shook with sobs, and something deep inside Loki broke, needing to comfort the man before him. Hesitantly Loki brought his arms up to embrace Thor, realizing that his skin was still blue. Loki knew that for everyday life, it would be easier for him to appear Asgardian, but for now he would let the world see his true self.
"How?" Thor asked, pushing himself back to look Loki over from head to toe. "How are you still alive and why are you blue?"
"I will answer all your questions in time brother, but right now, we need to help the others." Loki replied gently, magic gathering in his hands. Still full to the brim with Jane's powers, Loki spun healing weaves across the battlefield, refreshing and healing the ones assisting in the clean up. Including his brother. Thor closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I have missed that." Loki would spin similar weaves in the past, especially when Thor would get them and the Warriors Three into trouble.
"Let us help and then we will talk." Together the brothers joined the others, lending their strength and magic to help clear away the scene of Earth's mightiest battle.
The day was growing late when Loki was able to finally look for his brother. Thor was working beside Steve Rogers, but Loki could tell that they were both about ready to drop. Even Loki was becoming worn, Jane's magic having worn off hours ago. There were things that needed to be seen to before the two brothers could have a proper reunion. Using a speaking spell Loki called to the God of Thunder,
"The day grows late brother. We both need to rest. Our reunion can wait a few more days."
"Very well Loki, but we will speak soon." Thor sighed with a nod. In a blink Loki was gone, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed next to Jane. Using his magic, Loki removed the dirt and grime from battle before slipping into bed beside his heart, skin finally returning back to tan as he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
Jane woke up to the cool warmth of Loki snuggled up to her back, long legs tangled in her own. As they slept, their hands hand found each other, their fingers laced together. Sleep often found them this way, the two of them drawn together even in slumber. Jane was thankful for the pull of her magic having rendered her unconscious, otherwise she would have been fraught with worry. Outside the fun filtered through the trees, giving the room a soft glow. It was a new day, and a new dawn for all of the Universe. Thanos had been destroyed, and soon Jane would be able to confirm her suspicions about why she had been feeling off kilter the last few days. She hadn't told Loki since it was nothing major, but part of her suspected what was happening.
Behind her Loki stirred, burying his face in her neck. Something inside her knew that the war was over, and now they could truly begin their life together. The entire future was now a blank slate, open to be anything that they created it to be. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. They laid there a few moments more, enjoying the peaceful quiet until pounding on their front door made Jane jump.
"Thor." Loki groaned, flopping onto his back. "Of all the mornings for you to be an early riser."
"I take it that he saw you yesterday?" Jane rolled over to press a quick kiss to his lips.
"Hell, the whole planet probably saw me yesterday." Loki sighed as he pushed himself out of bed and magically dressed himself in his customary black slacks and emerald dress shirt. Jane sighed, happy to watch him spin his magic.
"I will get ready and meet you downstairs." Jane slipped out of bed as well. "You and Thor need to talk before we throw the monkey wrench of us into the mix."
"Very well." The pounding downstairs continued as Loki pulled Jane close and kissed her deeply. As always, she melted into his embrace, feeling safe and at home in his arms. "I love you Jane Foster."
"I love you Loki. Don't ever doubt that."
Loki transported to the front door, surprised to see it still standing. Apparently, even though he was attempting to pound down the door, Thor was restrained enough to not simply bash it in. Opening the door he was greeted with a freshly washed and groomed Thor. His long hair was pulled back and his beard had been rebraided. The fake eye in place of the one Hela took was nearly identical in color to the other. Thor looked healthy and whole, but Loki knew better. There were scars that his brother now carried that would never fully heal.
"Good morn Thor." Loki greeted his brother, holding the door open for him to enter the brownstone.
"Good morn Loki." Thor looked around as Loki led him to the library, feeling that the warm leather furniture of the room would suit the tone of the conversation better than the bright living room. Loki conjured bread and ale for the two of them, knowing Jane would prefer to make her own breakfast the mortal way.
"It's an impressive collection you have here brother. Many of these titles I recognize from your personal library on Asgard."
"I have had means to replicate the tomes that have been lost to Ragnarok." Loki replied, settling into his favorite wide wingback chair. "Yet, I sense that you did not come here to exchange pleasantries."
"No, I did not." Thor sat down, across the long low table between the chair Loki resided in and the settee. Thor did lean forward though and snag a poppyseed roll and a goblet of ale.
"Very well. The tale I'm going to tell you is long and folds back on itself a number of times." Loki replied.
"Just answer me one question; did Thanos kill you, or was that a ruse?"
"Thanos did indeed kill me." Loki sighed, remembering the terror that he felt when he knew he was going to die. "I was dead. Somehow though, the next moment I woke up inserted into the timeline years in the past. I watched as you escorted me to Asgard after I had opened the portal for the Chitauri."
"Impossible." Thor scoffed, a glimmer of his old self coming through.
"You of all people should know that nothing is impossible." Loki countered. "Did you not just travel through space and time yourself in order to retrieve the Reality Stone?"
"True." The golden haired brother said slowly. "How did you manage it without the Time Stone though?"
"The Norns." Loki shrugged, having long since gotten over the oddness of having the celestial beings pluck him from the time stream and place him somewhere else. "They had decreed long ago that I wasn't meant to die by Thanos' hand. I had a higher purpose than that."
"What exactly would that be?" Thor sounded suspicious, and Loki couldn't fault him for that. Loki sensed Jane coming down the stairs from behind Thor, and he braced himself.
"One was to help ensure that the future Strange saw played out as it needed to." Loki made sure to not look away from Thor when Jane silently slipped into the room, not wanting to alert his brother to her presence.
"You distracted Thanos when Stark moved to get the Stones. How did you know that you would need to be there? You've been in hiding all this time." Thor's frown deepened.
"Strange summoned me. Only he and one other person knew I had survived."
"Who else knew you were alive?" Time to come clean about everything.
"I did." Jane spoke up, moving around Thor to stand next to Loki. She wore dark blue jeans and a red sweater the color of her magical aura. He could feel the tension radiating off of her.
"Jane?"