Loki and Tony walked side by side through the streets, the chilly wind blowing leaves and papers past them as Loki stared wretchedly at his feet.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Loki glanced up to see Tony's brown eyes fixed on him in concern. "What do you mean?" He quietly countered.

Tony slumped his shoulders, stuck his lower lip out, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he stared despondently at the ground. "No one walks around town looking like this unless something's seriously wrong." He stated in a melancholy voice.

Loki had to crack a smile at Tony's impression of him. "It's nothing, really."

"It's something to you." Tony replied, shifting back to his normal posture. "Go ahead, tell me."

Loki hesitated, before sighing in defeat. "Well…" He began. "I… I murdered my father."

Tony's eyes were wide in shock. "Recently? Cause I was pretty sure Odin…"

"Not Odin." Loki mumbled. "Laufey."

The engineer shook his head stoutly. "No, you didn't." When Loki opened his mouth to protest, he simply plowed along over him. "No, Thor told me about this. That was before. You're not like that, anymore."

"But I remember!" Loki protested.

Tony shrugged. "Doesn't mean you did it. I'm sure Thor remembers you doing it, too, and you certainly can't blame him."

"I'm not blaming anyone." Loki countered. "I'm just saying I did it."

Tony turned to face him, a very unamused look on his face. "You know, you're someone, too. If you're not blaming someone, then you can't blame yourself." He laid a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Hey. Listen."

Loki turned his green eyes to Tony's face nervously.

"You know, I used to be called the Merchant of Death. I used to be the one shipping out weapons to everyone, and it was my fault hundreds of millions got killed. Am I a bad person?"

"No…" Loki admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because… you've changed?" Loki guessed. "Because you don't stand for what that is, anymore, because you work hard to be better than that."

Tony raised his eyebrows, a triumphant smirk stretching across his face. "Then I fail to see what makes you different."

Loki stared down at his boots for a few seconds. There was a point in his friends' words. "I suppose you're right." He admitted.

"Of course, I'm right." Tony agreed. "They don't call me a genius for nothing."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, entering central park, and strolled beneath the leafless branches down the path.

"Steve tells me you're getting your magic back?" Tony spoke up after a few seconds.

Loki proudly held up his not-blue hands.

"Oh. Duh. Right." Tony face-palmed. "Why didn't notice that?"

Loki snickered quietly, and, with a peculiar hand motion, formed two cat ears on his head.

"Oh my gosh, they're so cute!" Tony gushed, and reached up to softly pet one. Loki gleefully flicked them, and his pace quickened a little. "Why do you ask?"

"How'd you like to be an Avenger?"

Loki stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to the Engineer, who was holding an ID card with a wry smile on his face. "I cleared it with Fury, and he says you're good to go. What do you say?"

Loki found himself speechless. He stepped forward, opening his mouth and closing it like a goldfish. "I… I…" He stammered, his face the picture of shock as he stared down at his name and picture on the slip of laminated paper.

"Well?"

"I don't know what to say…" Loki finally managed. "You… want me… to be… an Avenger?" His wide eyes flicked up to Tony's. "But I'm no hero! I don't have a-a-a suit of armor, or a shield, or a metal arm, or a clue as to what I'm doing! I'm just… me."

"You've got magic." Tony smugly pointed out. "And you can make ice knives when you're blue. You're a dead aim with a throwing knife. You have control over ice. Like Frozone, you know?"

Loki shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't… I can't be…"

"You wanna be?" Tony grinned, and, after a moment's hesitation, Loki nodded, and threw his arms around Tony's shoulders.

"Woah! Hey, now!" Tony protested, patting the teen on the shoulder awkwardly. "Personal space…"

Loki backed up a few steps, relinquishing his hold on his friend. "Sorry." He smiled, and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"That's fine." Tony grinned. "So, uh… you want a celebration hot dog?"

Loki furrowed his brow. "A dog? I thought you said pets aren't allowed in the compound."

Tony laughed aloud. "No, no, I mean a hot dog. It's like…" He stopped, a little confused. "Well, I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it's super yummy. You'll love it, come on."

With that, he led the Trickster down the street towards whatever shop sold hot dogs. "You don't know what it is, yet you still eat it?" Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Seems a little dangerous."

"Well, yeah, but there's health codes and stuff." Tony shrugged easily. "If they're actually feeding me poison or something, they'll get shut down."

"By whom?"

Tony blinked. "I don't know, the police?"

Loki frowned in confusion. He didn't understand, but, obviously, didn't say anything. "Who are the police?" Well, maybe he did say something. Tony face-palmed, and rolled his eyes, and Loki thought he'd finally crossed the threshold of annoyance.

"Just forget it, okay? You want my unknown, possibly poison, yet really tasty food, or not?"

Loki silently nodded, a tiny smile on his face.

As soon as the two Avengers stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by the panicked Thunderer, who, as soon as he locked eyes with Loki, swept him up in an enormous bear hug.

"Brother!" He sobbed. "You're safe!"

Loki struggled slightly against the crushing grip of his brother. "Yes." He gasped for air. "Thor… I can't…. breathe!"

Thor relinquished his hold just a tad. "Where have you been?"

"With me." Tony shrugged. "We went for a walk, got a couple hot dogs, initiated him into the Avengers, it was cool."

"I'm fine." Loki agreed.

Thor wiped frightened tears from his face, as he inspected Loki for injuries. "I didn't know where you'd gone, or when you'd come back, or…" Thor sniffled, and pulled Loki back into a hug. "Don't ever do that again."

"Do what again?" Loki demanded, half amused, and half bewildered.

"Leave, without telling anyone, or having any way to contact you…"

Loki held up his Stark Phone wordlessly.

His brother blinked in surprise. "Oh. I… I didn't realize."

Loki cracked a smile. "So… you were worried."

Bucky spoke up from where he was reading a newspaper on the couch. "He basically turned the whole compound upside down to find you."

Loki's tiny smile stretched into a grin. "Typical Thor." He patted the Thunderer's muscled shoulder. "I appreciate the concern, though, really, I do."

Thor stared at the floor, feeling stupid. "I apologize…" Thor glanced up sheepishly. "Forgive me?"

"Alright." Loki smiled softly, then reached into his jacket, and pulled out the little ID card. "Look what I've got…" He grinned in excitement.

Because yeah.

TheOnlyHuman.