It was strange how Loki felt once he finally woke up. He saw Tony and Thor and Odin and everyone, but somewhere in the back of his head, he could not let himself fully believe they were there. He knew they were, but there was always that nagging in the back of his violated mind that said it was all a dream. Every time he woke up, he expected to find that everyone really was gone and that waking up to find them alive had just been a dream. It was torture, not just for Loki, but for everyone else as well. They wanted to see Loki smile and tell him what they had become, but Loki only got steadily worse. It was increasingly wearing on the poor god, battling his own mind every day. Thanos was gone, but he had left his mark. They only prayed it wasn't a scar.

---

"Loki?" Tony whispered, cracking open the wooden door "You awake?"
"Maybe…" Loki grumbled, rolling over in his bed. This only made Tony sigh as he walked in and sat on the edge of the enormous bed.
"Lokster, look at me, please." Tony begged, staring at the lump under the many blankets.
"Anthony, please just leave me be." Loki whimpered, he was tired and it was most painful to him when Tony was present. He wanted desperately to wrap the man in his arms and keep him there forever, but he could not bring himself to do it. There was always the fear that he would wake up to find that there was no Tony to hold.
"Loki!" Tony barked, surprising Loki "We've been on Asgard for a month now! Loki, I can't stand this, you won't eat, you won't get up, and you're going to go insane!"
"Please excuse me." Loki said, venom dripping from his voice "I apologize for being a burden, something about having your mind ripped apart and violated got to me. Please forgive me if looking at you is painful because within my mind is the memory of you dying. Never mind the fact that I almost died, because that's not relevant in the slightest."
"Loki…" Tony said "Loki, I know. I know, believe me, but I need you to look at me, ok?" Tony pleaded and, against his better judgment, crawled up beside the Loki-shaped bump and laid down. "Please look at me, Loki, please. I need you to look at me, I need you…" his voice cracked and he drew in a breath "Please."
Loki sighed before pulling the blanket from over his head and turning to face the man. Loki's eyes were dark and sunken, his skin pale and sallow. His wounds had healed, but he was wasting away quickly. Tony reached out his hand and traced it down Loki's cheek.
"Loki, there's something I need to tell you, but it can wait until you wake up."
"What are you talking about?" Loki asked, his eyebrows furrowed
"We've got a surprise for you," Tony smiled slightly "but it can wait. Until then…" he ran his hand through the god's hair, focusing on the blue light that was growing on the tips of his fingers. He slowed his breathing and concentrated, he had been practicing magic since they had returned to Asgard and was not about to waste the hours he had spent researching spells. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused solely on the hand that was still caressing Loki's hair, and then with sudden surge of energy, he released the spell. Loki let out a cry and Tony's eyes shot open, the blue light was gone and the god was unconscious, Tony could only hope those were good signs.

---

"Holy fuck!" Loki groaned, waking up with a stab of pain behind his eyes.
"Good," Tony sighed happily "you're awake; I was worried I'd killed you."
Loki looked at the man sitting beside him on the bed. He blinked a few times and let out a cry "It's gone!"
"What's gone, Lokster?" Tony smirked, knowing full well what he meant
"Those… those god awful memories… they're gone!" Loki said, eyes wide "But… how… you?"
"Come on Lokster, I have a surprise for you." He stood from the bed and held his hand out to the god. Loki allowed himself to be pulled from the bed, confused by the noticeable strength in the man's grip, but figured he had lost a lot of weight as was simply weaker. Tony guided him to the chair he had taken the liberty of draping an outfit over.
"Anthony…" Loki cocked his head "These are my ceremonial clothes; they are only to be worn on extremely important occasions." Tony just smiled at him and started removing the bed-clothes Loki had been fitted in. He resisted his urges as he dressed the god, wanting desperately to let his hand linger on a thigh or trace his fingers down a torso. "Anthony, what is the occasion?" Loki insisted as Tony finished with the clothes and took it upon himself to comb and slick back the god's dark hair.
"You will see." Tony smiled, kissing the god for the first time since the battle. He grasped the cool hand and led him out the chamber door.
"Anthony…" Loki whispered as they walked down the hallway "I am sorry."
"For what, Lok?"
"Not telling you that I love you." Loki said so quietly Tony had to strain to hear him.
"You do… right?" Tony had not meant to ask, but the question had been nagging at him the same way the memories had been nagging at Loki. He was caught off guard when Loki stopped, yanking his arm back so he stumbled. "What the hell?" He asked, looking back and was shocked to see hurt in the god's eyes.
"Did you really just ask that?" He felt the burning prick of tears as he averted his gaze "Anthony, I did not tell you I loved you because if I had, I would not have been able to make myself leave. I love you, you know that, I never wanted to leave you, never wanted to hurt you, but I never wanted to see you die because of my mistakes."
"Loki…" Tony said "I know, I'm sorry." His voice was strained as he pulled the god into his arms "Thank you, thank you so much. You are the bravest person I have ever known. I love you."
Loki nuzzled into the man's neck and relished the warmth he had so longed for "I love you too."
"Come on, Lokster." Tony smiled after a moment "Everyone's waiting." Loki asked no questions as Tony held his hand and lead him the rest of the way until they reached the large golden doors. "Stand up straight, Lok," Tony grinned, squeezing his hand "coronations are serious shit." He did not wait to see the god's reaction as he pushed the doors open and strode into the room, Loki's hand clasped in his, chest out and eyes shining. Before them, the other Avengers were already in position, bowing before the royal family. All of Asgard was there to see, lined up shoulder to shoulder, wide-eyed and expectant. Tony walked with Loki until he reached the team. "Go on then," Tony smiled as he released the god's hand "we've been waiting for you." He smiled before getting on one knee and bowing like the others. Loki, thoroughly confused, walked up the steps to where Thor and Odin and Frigga stood smiling.
"You look better." Thor whispered as Loki stood beside him with his hands clasped behind his back
"I'm confused." He confessed and Thor only chuckled.

---

"Asgard!" Odin boomed suddenly to the silent room "We are gathered here today not only for the coronation of this team, but in celebration, for today, my son stands at my side once more!" Loki looked at Odin with wide eyes, confusion only mounting "Now, let us begin." The old god winked at his sons before looking at the kneeling Avengers. "As most of you are aware, the people before me are known as the Avengers. They are my sons' comrades, as they are now mine. They risked everything to save my son, they could have stayed back and left the fight to us, but they did not. They sacrificed their mortality, and I am glad they did, for if they had not… I fear my son would not be standing beside me today." He looked at Loki out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat and looking down once more "Rodgerson, please stand." Steve stood, anticipation and excitement clear on his face "You are the respectful leader of the Avengers, for that reason I declare you the god of leadership, may you spend your immortality guiding those in need." Loki stood shell shocked as Steve bowed and thanked Odin.
"Bannerson, please stand. You are a most interesting Midgardian, you have struggled to contain the power you hold within yourself and are stronger because of that. I have decided that you shall be known as the god of control, may you inspire others with your will."
"Bartonson, please stand. You will be the god of sight, not only because of your abilities, but because of your watchfulness and vigilance. I would fight by your side again any day."
"Miss Natalia Romanova," Odin smiled slightly at the informality "you are like a beautiful shadow that takes whatever shape it desires. You shall be the goddess of shadows, not because you are dark, but because your silhouette is the last thing your enemies see before you strike them down. May you live in shadows only when necessary."
Tony drew in a breath as he felt Odin's eye on him. He was the only one kneeling now and felt his anxiety growing in his stomach. "Starkson, my boy, please stand." The words shocked, not only Tony, but everyone else as well. Odin, the god of war, had just called Tony Stark, a Midgardian, his 'boy'. "I have been watching you, Starkson, more than I watched your comrades. You took it upon yourself to court my son without my blessing, something fathers do not generally appreciate." Tony felt beads of sweat on his brow as he looked up at the old god "But, you have also taken it upon yourself to care for him for more than any of us ever did, for that I thank you. It is to my understanding that, like most of your teammates, you were not always a hero. I only mention this because I know that it is because of this that you feel a strong connection to my son, you saw my son and you saw yourself. You are a most remarkable man, Anthony Starkson, and have helped my son in his rebirth. Because of all this, it was hard to decide what you are to be called, but I have come to decision. From now on, you will be known as the god of rebirth. I pray you and my son live a long and happy life together."
Both Tony and Loki could've fainted as they locked eyes, grinning as joy burst in their chests.
"From this day on, the five of you are free to come and go as you please, this is your home now. That being said," He looked to his sons "the two of you are free to travel between Asgard and Midgard, though I do ask that you return frequently, remember your place as princes of Asgard." They bowed to the god, both grinning madly.

---

"Anthony!" Loki yelled once the throne room had been cleared, leaving only the seven of them in the large room. "You son of a bitch, you waited a month to inform me that you are a god?"
"Hey, I was waiting till you were better!" Tony grinned as Loki pulled him into a crushing hug
"And you have been studying magic," Loki gaped, remembering the blue light erupting from the man's hand before he had blacked out "I can teach you so much!"
"We have all the time in the world, Lokster." Bruce grinned
Loki released Tony and stared at all of them "Why though, why did all of your give up your mortality for me?"
"You're an Avenger," Steve said, clapping Loki's shoulder "we weren't going to let you sacrifice yourself for us."
"Plus," Clint flashed him a shit-eating grin "we're fucking gods now, how cool is that?"
"Just so you all know," Tony smirked "I think Steve's name should've been the god of spandex."
"Then you stall be the god of procrastination and band tee shirts" Steve rolled his eyes.
"I am proud of all those things." Tony smirked, wrapping an arm around Loki's waist. He grinned as he felt the god press his lips against the crown of his head, loving the feeling of the cool skin against his own that he had missed so much.
"I missed you." Tony heard Loki whisper into his hair.

Notes