Everyone was nervous about the trip to Asgard. Between nobody but Thor actually knowing how you got there, and the uncertainty of Odin's reaction to Loki's problem, the whole team was on edge. Except for one person.

"We're going back home! We're going back home!" Loki practically sang as everyone was making preparations up on the roof. (The biggest, most secluded open space they had.)

"That's right!" Bruce said to him as Thor made the last adjustments. "Are you excited?"

Loki nodded. "I can't wait to see mother and father again! They must have missed me!"

Everyone exchanged a knowing look, before Bruce knelt down and said, "I'm sure they did, Loki."

"Alright." Thor announced. "Brace yourselves." In one chaotic, dizzying instant, they were in Asgard, standing in front of Heimdall.

"Who-oah!" Tony exclaimed when they landed. "This place is… holy shit, I need a room like this!"

"Prince Loki." Heimdall said, smiling. "I am glad to see you have returned."

Loki smiled. "And it is good to see you again, Heimdall. But we are here for a reason."

"I saw. And I wish you the best of luck on your journey." Loki nodded determinedly, and the gang proceeded on their way down the Bifrost and into the kingdom. As they walked through the gilded city toward the palace, there were whispers and murmurs.

"Brother? What are they whispering about?" Loki asked, tugging on Thor's sleeve.

"They are most likely excited to see us back, Loki." Thor said, not without a hint of honesty. The people probably were excited, yes. To see the return of Thor, and the arrival of so many new faces. But he couldn't help but wonder what their thoughts were on Loki's return, not to mention his size.

"Thor! You've returned!" They heard a loud bellow. Not a second later, Volstagg rode up to greet them on a chestnut horse. "And you've brought your friends, I see? But…"

Tony could see the warrior's gaze was directed at him. 'Yeah, that's the reason we're here. Me and reindeer games got into a bit of a mess."

"Reindeer games?" Volstagg repeated curiously. It was then that he saw the small hand that gripped Thor's. Whoever the hand was attached to, however, was hiding behind the thunder god.

"Well, well?" Volstagg said, hopping down off of his steed. "Who have we here?" Loki moved out into plain view, and Volstagg gasped. "Thor… is this who I think it is?"

"As Tony said, this is the reason we are here. We have a problem that only magic can fix."

"Well, I would hardly call it a problem. I daresay I like this Loki better!" Volstagg smiled, and to everyone's surprise Loki smiled back.

"Ahem." Tony coughed pointedly.

"Yes, well, there is that. Come, then! I shall accompany you to the palace!" If the rest of the kingdom had been amazing, then the palace was just overwhelming. The architecture was complicated enough to make an engineer like Tony nearly swoon, and the design, intricate and beautiful, was breathtaking even to the untrained eye. Their footsteps echoed off of the walls as they made their way down the halls. "This is the door to the throne room." Volstagg said, when they reached a large, ornate door. "A messenger announced your arrival, so Odin should be waiting in here." Everyone started toward the door, but the warrior held up a hand. "Only you three should go." He said, gesturing to Thor, Loki and Tony. Thor nodded, and they entered the room. Inside waited Odin, as promised. Thor and Loki knelt before the throne, and Tony followed their lead. Something about the old man's gaze felt forceful, even intimidating.

"Loki." Odin started. Loki lifted his head to face him. "It gladdens me to see you like this, as you once were." He turned to Thor. "And you, son. To see you home again." And finally, his gaze fell on Tony. "And even you, weapon smith, if only because you amuse me." Tony had to crack a smirk at that. "You seek help, for your situation?"

"Yes, father." Thor said. "The magic that put Loki and friend Tony in their current states was too advanced for Loki to attempt at his age. As a last resort, we hoped you could direct us to a skilled enough sorceress."

"I understand. But first, tell me; how much does Loki know about the circumstances that led to his leaving Asgard?" Thor tensed at that. "Well?" Odin prompted.

"Nothing, father."

"I see." Loki looked questioningly at Thor, head still bowed. Thor could do nothing but look apologetically back at him. Odin stood up out of his throne, and walked over to the three. "You may rise." He said. They did. "Not to worry. This is a simple enough spell that we can surely find someone to reverse it. But Thor?" He looked gently at his eldest son. "I believe it is time you had a talk with your brother."

"I understand."

Odin nodded. "In the meantime, I will arrange chambers for you and your friends to retire to." He beckoned his sons to him, and put an arm around each of them. "It is good to have you home." He said. "Both of you."

"It is good to be home." Thor said.

"You wouldn't believe how mushy it all was." Tony said to Pepper later that day, as they sat in the chamber they had been directed to. "I mean, the guy was terrifying, but you could practically taste the sap."

Pepper smiled. "Admit it, you didn't mind."

"Nah, not at all. There is one thing though." Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Odin said Thor should be having a talk with his brother."

"Oh, dear."

Elsewhere in the palace, Thor and Loki each sat on opposite beds from the other, facing each other.

It was Loki who finally broke the silence. "Thor?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"What did father mean? Why did I leave Asgard?"

Thor took a deep breath. And explained everything. From his Jotun heritage to Manhattan, he left no detail out, Loki sitting silently on the bed the whole time. When Thor was finished, Loki had his knees hugged tightly to his chest, his face buried in them. "Loki," Thor said. "That was the older you. A different you, not this one. You need not be ashamed for his actions."

Obviously, though, that was not the right thing to say. "Why did no one tell me?" Loki burst out, to Thor's surprise. His face was red and scrunched up. "Why did no one tell me that I hurt so many people? That I am a Jotun, for gods' sakes?"

"Loki, I-"

Loki cut him off. "I'm nothing but a monster!" But no. That wasn't right. Bruce was a monster too, he said. And Bruce wasn't… "Thor?" He asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Why… why did I do all of those things?"

"I think… I think you did it because you were angry. I think you were angry because nobody had told you about your true heritage until it was too late. Because you did not think anyone appreciated you, loved you. But they do love you, Loki. I do, we all do."

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Loki muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Can we go to bed now?"

"Of course." The two crawled under the covers. Loki lay awake for a couple hours after, his mind racing with questions and devoid of answers, until finally being lulled to sleep by the twinkling of the stars.

The next day, as promised, Odin had a skilled sorceress brought in to tend to Tony and Loki's respective problems.

"Take a deep breath." She said as she prepared to change Tony back.

"Be honest. Will it hurt?"

The sorceress chuckled. "No, but it may feel… strange."

"Speaking from experience?" Tony said, waggling an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes. It quite amuses my wife."

"Wait, what!?"

She smirked. "Look down."

Tony obeyed, glancing down at himself to find everything exactly where it should be. "Hey! My boobs are gone! And…" He shifted in his seat, just to make sure. "Oh, thank god!"

"I distracted you so well you didn't even notice. It works every time."

"I like you!" Tony exclaimed.

Pepper coughed indignantly, and the sorceress smiled. "I think our wives would both mind."

"Oh, she's not my- wait, you actually…? What?"

The sorceress chuckled at Tony's confusion, then beckoned for Loki. "Come, young prince. Now is your turn."

Loki hesitantly hopped off of the seat where he was waiting, approaching the sorceress with a worried look. But when she held out a hand to him, he snapped suddenly back. "No!" He shouted, before running out of the room.

Thor started after him. "Loki!" He called out into the halls. His ears finally picked up the sound of a quiet shuffling to his right, and he turned to find his brother, curled up into himself by the wall. "Loki," He said, dropping to his knees beside him. "What is wrong?"

Loki sniffed. "I… I don't want to be grown-up me again!" He said. "He is mean and selfish and hurt so many people and I don't like him!"

"But Loki, you can't simply stay like this forever."

"Maybe he can." They both looked up to see Bruce standing there, having managed to find them without so much as a sound to alert his presence.

"What do you mean?" Thor asked.

"Well, we already know that he's definitely aging at a normal rate. He's just been set back a couple hundred years. He could grow up all over again, and not many people are lucky enough to get a second chance like this. If you wanted to take it, Loki, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't."

Loki nodded vigorously. "Please? Brother, can I please stay like this?"

Thor smiled. "If it pleases you? Of course." Loki threw his arms around his brother, and stayed there for a good long while.

"Fellas? The others sent me to check up on you, is everything okay?" Steve said, poking his head around the corner.

"Everything's fine." Bruce said. "Just a little change of plans."