Thor carried Loki into Stark Tower, beaming like a small child on his birthday. "Loki?" he demanded of the impassive ceiling.

"I'm right here." Loki spoke up.

Thor looked down at his brother in his arms. "Ah, yes. That's right."

Loki smirked softly, his eyes dancing in mirth.

"How are we to notify Anthony of our return, then?" Thor chuckled, setting his brother down on the couch, the cape still securely wrapped around his body.

Just then, Clint swung down out of the rafters. "Hi, guys."

"Barton!" Loki smiled enthusiastically. "Look! I've a body, again!"

"Uh-huh, I can tell." The archer raised an eyebrow. "What did you two want to tell Tony?"

"Simply that we've returned." Thor smiled happily.

Loki glanced down sheepishly. "Could you… maybe, also ask him if he happens to have any spare garments that I can use?"

Clint's eyes widened. "That. Is a necessity."

Loki chuckled lightly, adjusting his grip on the red fabric. As Clint left the room, Loki glanced down at his blue fingers, tipped with black nails, with strange patterns running around the fingers, and up his wrists. "So… this is what I truly look like?" He wondered, glancing up at his elder brother.

Thor nodded cheerfully. "Do you like it?"

Loki pondered this question. "It's certainly… different." He mused, glancing down at his exposed toes.

"I could see how it would take a little time to get used to it." Thor agreed. "I'd understand if you replaced the glamour Father had on you, as a child."

Loki shook his head. "I'm too tired. Being reincarnated really takes a lot out of a person." He offered Thor a small, wry smile. "I'll try to see what I can do, tomorrow, after I've had some rest."

"Understandable." Thor agreed, sitting down on the couch next to Loki. "How do feel?"

Loki grinned in excitement. "A bit fatigued, like I said, but other than that…" He scoffed softly. "You don't know how good it feels to be able to have… nerves."

Thor laughed, and wrapped his little brother in a hug. "Can you feel that?"

Loki gagged, and tried to pull away. "Stop it, Thor!" He protested, weakly struggling in Thor's embrace, but he was still smiling. After a second, he realized, Thor wasn't going to let go, any time soon, so he relaxed, and laid his head against the Thunderers shoulder. "I missed this." He admitted.

"Loki!" Anthony's voice spoke up, and Loki looked up, just before the Engineer barreled into him, wrapping him in another hug, just as warm. "Is it good to see you, or what?" He laughed, ruffling Loki's dark hair fondly. "We're ordering pizza, tonight, that's for sure!"

"Thank you." Loki smiled. "I wonder… have you got any clothes I could wear?"

"Absolutely!" Tony grinned. "Steve's bringing them down as we speak. They might be a bit big for you, since they're technically mine."

Loki laughed incredulously. "I'm not really in a position to be particularly picky."

Jus then, Wanda stepped into the room, her eyes wide in curiosity. "Hi." She spoke up, and Loki gave her a small smile. "Hello, Wanda."

"I don't think we've met, officially." She noticed, and began crossing the room. Loki jumped, startled, and scooted closer to Thor.

"Be careful!" Thor held out a hand in warning. "Please keep your distance. He's afraid of women."

"I am not, either!" Loki protested indignantly, blushing to the roots of his hair.

"No, he's not." Thor admitted, as Wanda smiled, and extended a hand. Loki stared at it in confusion. "What… are you doing?"

Wanda shrugged. "You're supposed to shake it."

Loki glanced up at her, brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

Wanda shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it's a Midgardian tradition."

Loki's eyes widened. "Well, if it's the tradition, I'd like to… to know it. Could you teach me?"

Wanda nodded amiably. "Take your right hand, and hold mine."

Loki complied, and Wanda gave it a brief, abrupt shake, and then let it go. "That's simple…" Loki mused.

"Hey, Loki!" Steve called, as he walked in, a parcel under his arm, and a huge grin on his face. "Glad to see you're up and around!"

Loki nodded politely, eagerly accepting the little bundle of clothes. "It's good to see you, too, Captain. If… If you'll all excuse me, I'd like to clothe myself." He smiled apologetically at the little ring of beaming faces, and struggled to his feet, legs shaking.

Thor steadied him gently, and helped him to Thor's room, where Loki painstakingly struggled into Anthony's Guns 'n Roses t-shirt, and blue jeans. The engineer had been right, they were a bit big. Loki was too tired to walk around, so Thor carried him back down to the communal floor, where Tony had already ordered the pizza. Loki found himself suddenly ravenous, and, to his great shame, wolfed down four slices in the space of ten minutes.

After dinner, He could barely go five minutes without almost splitting his head in half with a yawn. Thor graciously carried him to a room Anthony had prepared for him, and tucked him in between the silky-smooth sheets.

Loki, tired as he was, lay awake for a few more minutes. He had a new life, ahead of him, with his new friends, and in a new realm. They liked him, and thought highly of him, even though he made mistakes, sometimes. Thinking back on what Thor had told him, combined with what he, himself had written in the letter, the last two years of his life were miserable. Everyone hated him, scorned him, looked down on him, and shunned him.

Not anymore, Loki told himself. He had a new beginning. New promise. He had his brother by his side, so what in the nine realms could go wrong?

To Be Continued…

TheOnlyHuman.