Once Again Epilogue

Epilogue

It's funny how
The walk of life
Can take you down
Without a fight

OOO

The Avengers had been on Asgard for three days. Huge parties had been thrown,  after giving everyone tremendously satisfying scares one by one - Tony had quite a good collection of gifs by the end of the day.

Frankly, the genius billionaire philanthropist thought as he recognized the smug look on Loki's face as everyone fussed over him, it didn't seem like a good idea to give Loki so much attention. He'd tried to blow up a planet, and that was before he gotten a taste attention. Tony shuddered to think what he would do next.

Thor was not wrong about Asgard, the place had food and mead that would put any place on Earth to shame, and the parties were wilder than Tony's, which was to say something.

Still, Earth needed superheroes, and they had to return eventually. The Allfather threw one last feast, the morning the Avengers would leave. Not the whole kingdom was invited this time, just the Avengers, Odin's family, the Warriors Three and Sif.

When the Avengers came down and found a long table lined with enough food and wine to feed the Chitauri army, they didn't even have to say a word.

Thor almost literally leapt face-first onto the table.

OOO

So many years can leave behind
Regretfully until it's time
To realize the moment
When you turn around

OOO

"There is one more thing I have the need to declare." Thor stood up from his seat, wiping his mouth on his sleeve in the most un-princely manner possible.

"Eat first, declare later." Clint said with a mouthful of orangey meat from God-knows-what Asgardian creature.   Bruce murmured in his sleep next to him. "Oh God this is good."

"We have GOT to bring some of these animals back to Earth." Tony said in a drunken drawl. "And the wine."

"I will be more than happy to transport some mead to Midgard," Thor tried again, "But now I really must say something rather important-"

"Thor, your Midgard friends are quite the drinkers!" Fandral cut him off, obviously drunk as well.

"I bet I can beat your Godly ass at-"

The room dropped about twenty degrees. Tony stopped talking and gave an unmanly shriek as ice began to creep up his legs.

"My brother," Loki said in a dangerously quiet voice, "has something important to say, lowly mortal. How dareth thou interrupt him?"

The God of Mischief hicupped, face flushed from all the mead he'd drunk, which was far from Thor's or Tony's, but clearly he had extremely low tolerance for alcohol.

"Those were my favourite pants!" Tony wailed.

"Loki, this is no way to treat our guests!" Sif yelled across the room. Loki glanced up at her boredly and snapped his fingers.

A plate of white mushy stuff that looked like potato flew off the table and mashed itself into Sif's face.

In an instant, two knives hurtled towards Loki. The Trickster caught one and deflected the other. The blade flew off in Bruce's direction, startling the scientist.

"Do yoy think this is normal?" Tasha whispered to Steve as the Hulk burst out, grabbed Clint and smeared him across the table.

"Unfortunately, yes, my dear." Frigga said, delicately wiping her hands on the silk napkin, like food wasn't flying across the room.

And people.

And Gods.

Oh dear.

Thor placed his head in his arms and groaned.

"I think you'd best get the antidote for mead," Odin told the nearest servant.

Clint flew across the room and landed face first into Odin's soup.

"Quickly," the God added.

OOO

Back in the day
When I was younger
I was so lost and proud

OOO

An hour of screaming and laughing and flying food later, they finally forced the antidote down everyone's throats. Tony had been especially bitter. (What was the use of drinking good wine if you couldn't be drunk as hell afterwards?)

They gathered the kingdom in the palace hall to hear Thor out.

"As I was saying," Thor said, cautiously, as if someone would throw something again. "My father, Odin Allfather, has proclaimed me king."

Loki twitched.

"But, I am afraid I am not ready for the throne." Thor continued. "I am still too young and naive. I will have to decline my father's kindest offer, which, after some discussion, both he and I decided belonged to someone else."

Tony and Clint gave a loud cheer. The Aesir glared at them bitterly.

"The man who was willing to sacrifice himself for his friends. The man who saved Midgard."

The Avengers' cheers died a little.

"And thus, the position of king, will go to my younger brother. Loki Laufeyson."

Loki's head snapped up, a rare look of utter surprise on his face.

The room burst into murmurs, but there was only a split second of hesitation before all the Aesir dropped to their knees facing Loki. Thor bowed deeply. Loki was completely flabbergasted.

King. King of Asgard. Was that not what he was after all this time? To be an equal to Thor.

And now, he was better.
  
King.

His mind was reeling. There were so many things he could do now, so many things he had to do. Forge a negotiation with Alfheimr. Make peace with Jotunheimr. Maybe he could even start relations with Midgard-

Midgard.

Look felt like he'd just been slapped in the face with Mjolnir.

Thor came up and shook his brother's hand.

"You will make a great king, brother. We will miss you on Midgard." Thor said, managing a very small smile as he takes the small golden crown from a servant's hands and offers it to his brother.

"Your highness," A servant said from the doorway, "the portal to Midgard is open."

Behind the mills of kneeling people, Loki saw Tony and the rest, giving him thumbs-ups with smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes.

If I am to be king, how long must I stay on Asgard? Would I have the time to spare for Earth?

Would the Avengers still consist of seven?

"Visit us soon, Lokes!" Tony shouted across the room, his voice breaking at 'soon'. The Trickster didn't look up, his green eyes wide, staring at the crown in his brother's hands.

Since he was a child, he had always been imagining himself sitting on the throne, that glorious position all his. All the times the warriors had belittled him, he swore he would show them a sorcerer was as good a king as any warrior could be.

And now, that dream was right before him.

Go on, you fool, a small voice hissed at Loki. Reach out, take it. Give a speech, wow them with your words, and one of the most powerful realms will be yours.

Loki's hand reached for the crown, numbly, unconsciously.

OOO

I've gained the world
But it will never
Compare to what i've earned

OOO

"Shit," Tony hissed, "No, no, no, don't."

"It's what he's always wanted," Bruce said, back to normal and shivering in a towel the Aesir had managed to produce. "You can't expect him to throw it all away for us."

"Yeah, we're mortals, aren't we?" Clint whispered. "Our lives aren't even a fraction of his. The throne could last him thousands of years."

Tony lowered his head and turned away as Loki's slender fingers closed around the crown.

"Let's go," he mumbled, he said as he tore his gaze from the God and reached for the door knob.

And stopped.

As the silky, lilting voice they'd grown to know so well spoke, ringing through the golden halls.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, my friends."

OOO

With nothing
But a voice within
That calls me
Calls me home

OOO

Loki never thought his Father could make such an array of expressions.

Odin's face was priceless when Loki dropped the crown smoothly into his lap.

"I'm sorry, Father, but it seems you will have to hang on to the position a little while more."

Odin glanced down at the crown, then met his son's gaze.

"I suppose I could survive a little longer," Odin smiled.

OOO

In the quiet moment
When the earth holds still
I'm coming home

OOO

The Trickster wasn't the only one doing all the surprising, though.

When Loki stepped gingerly off the stage, Tony leapt towards him and pulled him close.
Thor followed, and soon all seven were wrapped together in a tight, awkward group-hug, right in front of all the Aesir in the kingdom.

Loki's eyes widened for just a moment, before softening, and the God relaxed into the embrace like he'd done it countless times before.

OOO

I'm coming home
From all the places
I have been

OOO

"We never did take back any of that meat, did we." Clint said sadly, as they landed gently into the roof of the Avengers tower.

Loki stepped towards the railing, looking out to the city of Manhattan, bright specks of light dotting the city like a glorious painting.

I'm coming home

"What exactly was it?"

Thor looked at Clint solemnly. "Those were the testicles of a Bilgesnipe."

As Clint and Tony retched in the corner, Thor chuckled and clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Come, brother, it is getting late. Let us go inside."

Loki turned slowly, gaze flickering towards the huge block letters on the side, the letters that spelt Avengers.

To breathe again

"Come on, Tony, get up." Natasha sighed. "Are you going to open the door and let us in or not?"

Tony grumbled at Thor, and scanned his fingerprints into the door, and it swung open.

"Finally." Tony sighed. "Home sweet home, eh, guys?"

To start again

Home had always been a rather subjective noun for Loki.

He preferred the word "house", or "habitation", or "residence".

Because "home" implied a place more than a four-cornered space where one could linger. It was a shelter, a protection, a warm safe haven. And Loki had never found such a place before.

But now.

I'm coming home

This was home, Loki realised. Where no one looked at him with cold disdain, and he had not the need to guard himself against sharp, hurting words. Where he could feel , and care for the people around him, and experience emotions he never thought possible.

It was a strangely nice feeling.

Casting the spell that day was the best mistake he'd ever made.

I'm coming home.

"Sir, you have six hundred and forty-two missed calls from Director Fury."

Loki couldn't help it, he smiled.

It was good to be home.