(Very unexpected sequel, but I kept wondering how the aftermath might turn out. No point in part 2, but it was something I wanted to write.)

Loki yanked on a pair of jeans and curled his lip at them, but he didn't have his regular clothing or armor. In fact, they were probably in tatters from the resulting explosion of his spell going out of control thanks to Thor. He glared over his shoulder at his brother, still nude and stretched out on the bed. A shudder went through him before he could stop it and he cursed that the Asgardian could look so good. They'd already done it twice, but some part of his mind whispered and begged for a third.

"What are you going to tell your friends? I'm sure they're looking for you."

Thor sat up and rubbed his face. "I'm not sure. The false memories make everything feel…different."

Silently Loki nodded agreement to that. It did feel different, and it made everything different now. After sharing such an intimate act before they had their correct memories and after had altered everything that had laid between them. "It doesn't change what I did."

He blinked as he felt hands easing over his hips and Thor's heat at his back. It felt more comforting than sexual and he had to wonder why his magic had chosen what it had. It had created lives for them as brothers, but looking back on them now, they were still tainted by a too-close relationship for brothers to have. Was it some sort of subconscious part of his mind?

"Loki, why did no one here recognize us?"

That was a very good question. Their faces had been plastered over the Midgard media for years, so why didn't these people know them? Loki pursed his lips and mused aloud, "Possibly because of the spell. It could have been an aura that those around us would have false memories implanted regarding us to keep up the spell."

"Will it still hold?"

"No because I've broken it. When I released, my magic briefly surged and broke the enchantment. It wasn't a strong one, a flared spell like this takes very little to break, and that was all it took. The fake memories of anyone that came into contact with us will be gone and they probably won't remember them at all. To them, it will be like they never existed at all. Whether they will have the memory of the Avengers Thor and traitor Loki at university, or have no memory of any Thor and Loki being there at all is something I don't know. Why are you asking?"

Thor's arms slid around his shoulders and Loki frowned, already deciding that he probably wouldn't like what Thor was about to say. "I want to return to talk to the Avengers alone first, explain correctly what happened and about us, and I need you to wait in a place you'll be safe."

He tried to jerk out of Thor's hold, but couldn't, instead half turning to his side to glare at his brother. "That is the most foolish thing I have ever heard, Thor! They will never accept what happened. Those in Asgard frown on sibling relationships, blood related or not, so how can you expect Midgard to accept it? Not to mention that they hate me, or have you forgotten what I did two years ago? I assure you, they have not. Lastly, I will not wait—"

Lips ended his tirade and he reluctantly let out a moan. Damn those memories. Before them, Thor would have never used such a weakness of his like this. "Thor," he whined a little as the kiss slowly eased. Hands slid down his back to his rear and his legs and Loki found himself lifted up and sat on the desk. The second kiss was soft, but long and he hated that it made his insides turn to mush.

"Loki," his brother finally whispered, breaking the long and drawn out kiss after what felt like an eternity. "I know everything you just said, but I still want to talk to them. If they can't tolerate it, if they won't even listen, then we'll leave."

"Leave?"

"Leave Midgard and go somewhere else. Not Asgard, just somewhere that you can be safe and we can be together. This, what's between us, means more to me than anything else."

"The memories—"

"Didn't cause this and you know it. This has been between us for a long time and we just didn't see it clearly. You've always meant so much to me, more than I could ever put into words, and now I understand why."

"Do you even know what you're proposing?" he argued. "You, hiding? Living like a fugitive?"

"If it meant being with you and safe, I would."

The frustrating thing was that Loki believed him. He believed him when he said that Thor would do it, but Loki didn't want him to have to. For the first time, he felt regret over his actions. Not for himself, but for what they were now forcing Thor to do. Wouldn't it be better, then, that when Thor went to talk to the Avengers that he disappeared?

"When I leave, don't disappear," Thor told him, an uncanny response to his thoughts and Loki frowned. So maybe his brother knew him a bit more than he wanted right then.

"Fine, but I'm not staying here. I'm going back to where I was when you interrupted me and hope some of my clothing survived."

"I hope not," Thor almost purred, giving him a short kiss and the innuendo in his words as blatant as he could make them.

Loki rolled his eyes, later denying that he had a smile on his face.

-0-

The small apartment complex was completely destroyed. He sighed and went up the steps slowly, hearing them creak in protest at his weight. From the looks of it, there hadn't even been a token of effort to fix it and instead it appeared as if everyone had abandoned it. Loki stepped over a broken television and continued up to the third floor.

The door he was heading for was no longer a door. It was mostly a collection of splinters and did Thor really have to come in, lightning blazing? It had taken him hours to set the spell up and his brother's crashing in through the door had destroyed it all. Frowning, Loki noted that it was pretty clear that the cause of the rest of the building's state was because of what happened in this room. There were only the inner walls left, badly scarred by Thor's lightning mixing with his magic.

The only thing that had survived, much to his relief, was a small chest that he'd enchanted and stuck in a far corner. He kicked off some glass and shoved a partial board aside to access it. Amazing that this had survived and he could only attribute it to its small size that it had escaped most of the blast. Loki quickly opened it and changed into the one set of clothing he now had left.

Loki honestly didn't have many personal belongings before this all had happened and with the exception of what he now wore, now he didn't have any. Perhaps others wouldn't understand, but he honestly hadn't been plotting anything. His intention with the spell was merely to erase everyone's memory of him so he could go outside without risking bringing down the Avengers on his head. He could have just left, he supposed, but honestly, he wanted to see what it was about these people on Midgard that had drawn his brother so intently to them.

So far, he didn't see it.

"Why would the rat come back to the sinking ship?"

Loki turned slowly to look at the flying man in iron that hovered where the destroyed outer walls used to be. "I'm neither a rat, nor is this a sinking ship."

Ignoring that, the man set down with a thump on the floor. His mask retracted, leaving no mistake about his anger and hatred for Loki. "So."

He quirked an eyebrow to silently ask 'So what?'

"Thor says you're both in love. With each other."

Loki smirked and couldn't resist the urge to needle the man. "We are. We've even—"

"If you're about to make a comment about having sex with Thor, don't. I have missiles and nukes. I will use them."

He laughed a little in grim amusement. How had one of Thor's little friends gotten away from him? "What do you want, Man of Iron?"

"I want to know what the fuck, Loki. The last time we saw you, you were trying to kill Thor, which is not exactly a one-off thing with you, and now—"

"There is no and now. My resentment of Thor's past behavior is still very much here, nor do I like any of you, and I have no intention of helping the lot of you in any way. The only thing that's changed is that Thor and I discovered something that has been there for longer than any of your countries have been in existence. Nor is it any of your business."

"Thor told us about this spell of yours. You want me to believe that his 'feelings' aren't magically induced?"

"I don't care what you believe."

Before the genius could say anything more, there was a thump that was more of a mild crash as Thor abruptly landed between them, placing himself between Loki and Stark. Loki rolled his eyes in annoyance at the protectiveness, but it wasn't as if that was new. If anything, the muddled spell had made him even more overprotective.

"What are you doing here, Stark?"

"Asking for a play by play, Thor, what do you think?"

"You and the Avengers have made your position and feelings very clear, and as I told you, we'll leave Midgard."

Iron Man shifted in what Loki could only classify as chagrined and awkward. "Thor, we're not trying to run you off—"

"Loki is not welcomed here and your heavy disapproval has been noted, so we will leave." Thor's harsh tone eased into pleading. "Let us leave with some dignity. I still consider all of you my friends and I don't want to make this worse than it is."

"You don't have to leave—"

"Yes, I do. If Loki cannot be here, I must leave. I won't leave his side."

"So you're choosing between Earth and your friends and your…brother?"

"You're forcing me to. Please, understand Stark, this is not easy nor is it something that I wanted to have happen, but I don't have a choice. If even the Avengers, those that I consider close friends, cannot accept this, cannot stand to have Loki here as my mate, then he won't be safe to stay here, nor happy."

There was a heavy sigh from the man. "Look, I came here to tell you both that you don't…have to leave. We're willing to…give him a chance, for you."

Thor blinked, but it was Loki that couldn't keep silent. "What?"

"It's not as if we don't understand that Loki wasn't under some influence of the tesseract. Look what it did to Eric Selvig and Clint! He's still an asshole, but Bruce can keep him in check if the power slam from two years ago is any indication. It's not going to be easy, Thor, and there's going to be a lot of fall out, but you're at least welcome at my place. But!" he finished with a finger in the air and pointed it at Loki, "I have a condition. If you're here, you're letting me study you and your magic. There's no discussion there."

Loki frowned heavily. The last thing he wanted was to be studied and poked and prodded with the man's machines. Not only was the magic he used something Frigga had taught him, but that there was a lot about his magic that related to his actual heritage of being a Jotun. He was about to say no when he caught Thor turning to look at him, giving him a pleading expression. "What?" he demanded.

"Loki, I would never force you to agree. Do you want to leave Midgard?"

He felt like saying Of course I want to leave, but the words became strangled in his throat. He felt like he was losing the battle against Thor again, like he always was, but when Thor's arms went around him, he reminded himself yet again that there were some benefits to losing. "Fine! The conditions in which I am studied are something that I dictate, however."

"Deal, I guess." Stark's mask came back down with a distinct thud. "We'll see you back at the tower, Thor."

Loki watched the man leave with distaste, but hands were sliding up his back sensually and calmly. "You get your way yet again."

"And you're the one to reap the benefits, Loki, and you know it."

He smirked. "I suppose so."

"Shall I interrupt your spells more often in the future then?"

"No!"

-End-