Summary: Whether in life or in death, we simply can't have Loki without Thor. Or Thor without Loki. A brief glimpse into two possible outcomes for the Asgardian princes, skipping ahead to the end of Avengers Four. Written post-IW. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: No ownership or profit, I promise!

Author's Note: A very big "Thank you!" must go out to all readers & reviewers for your positive response to my last IW fic "Mementos We Keep." Your feedback has helped prompt this little two-shot, and I appreciate it! As you'll see, this doesn't deal with the details of how the Avengers beat Thanos, because that's not the point. The point is reuniting my favorite brothers, by any means necessary.

Part 1: Inseparable in Life

They had done it! It was a desperate ploy, gambling with Time the way they did. The risks had been astronomical, and the planning excruciating. And yet, they had managed to undo what the Mad Titan had undone. A few days after Thanos' defeat, the Avengers were universally exhausted, still reeling from the exultation of their victory and the abrupt (albeit positive) consequences it had wrought.

Even Thor was weary. He had remained on Earth with his comrades all this time, and his interest was piqued when he suddenly saw Tony walking briskly toward him.

"Thor, buddy, we have incoming," the Man of Iron reported hurriedly. "We think it's the Asgardian refugee ship, with their landing projected somewhere in Scandinavia."

Thor knew exactly where they were headed. Without even pausing to thank his friend, he focused his tired mind once more and flew to the place directly. The huge vessel had already landed when he arrived, with the very first of the refugees exiting down the gangplank. And at their head strode…

"Heimdall!" Thor was so overwhelmed with joy and relief that his knees nearly buckled underneath him. "My friend, I cannot express in words how happy I am to see you!"

The Gatekeeper stared at him strangely with those all-seeing golden eyes, yet he made no comment as he grasped his king's arm in comradeship. More and more Asgardian citizens, with a few rogue Sakaarians intermingled among them, flowed like a steady stream into the daylight. They nodded respectfully to Thor as they passed him, but otherwise gave no indication that anything noteworthy had transpired since Asgard's destruction. No indication that they'd been utterly wiped out in another reality.

Thor's exhausted laughter, almost a giggle, bubbled up through his lips, and that earned him a few curious glances. Not that it mattered, though, when his people were alive and well!

Clapping Heimdall on the shoulder once more, he moved further inside the ship and felt his smile grow with every face he passed. But something was missing; someone was missing. With his heart pounding, Thor left the crowds behind and made his way to the captain's quarters, which he had previously occupied.

Yet just as he reached for the door, an unmistakable voice called out behind him:

"Thor! There you are! Whatever happened to you, Brother? You disappear halfway through the journey, and decide to finally grace us with your presence here at the end? You're damn lucky I'm such a good liar, because I've spent the last five days covering for you. It's not as if I've never done that before, of course, but these people have endured enough without their new king gallivanting off at unawares." Agitation betrayed the worry underlying Loki's little tirade as he moved closer…and all the while Thor just stared at him with mouth agape.

"We barely had enough fuel or supplies to get us here, and somehow even Heimdall lost sight of you after you disappeared. Where in all the Nine Realms were you, Thor? Did you truly miss your eye so much that you ran off questing for a new one? It's not even the right color, you dolt. Allow me…"

The God of Mischief stepped in front of him then, and Thor at once felt the tingle of magic around his right eye. He didn't need a mirror to know his brother had changed its color to match the original.

"There," Loki declared with satisfaction. "Now it's as if nothing ever happened."

As if nothing ever happened…

Loki had no idea!

All of Thor's emotions burst forth at once in a gasping, gut-wrenching sob, and he pulled his brother to him without warning. Loki predictably stiffened in surprise; yet he must have sensed that Thor had reached some kind of breaking point, for he actually returned the hold with gentle care while the God of Thunder bawled onto his shoulder.

"Brother, what's going on?" he prompted, concerned in spite of himself. "Are you hurt? Did you lose another hammer? You must tell me."

Thor only shook his head in response, murmuring his sibling's name over and over in amazement. "Loki, Loki, Loki…"

None of this seemed real! Not until he pressed his nose against Loki's pale neck – the same neck Thanos had broken before his eyes – and felt a pulse there. Thor could not hope to restrain his tears after that. His burden had already been so heavy after Ragnarok; to hold his brother like this again after watching his third "death" – it was all too much!

Meanwhile, despite his patience finally wearing thin, Loki still did not push Thor away. Instead, he mildly jabbed, "Really, Brother, you are making quite a spectacle of us. By Odin's beard, you weren't gone very long; you couldn't have missed me that much!"

Thor's shoulders only shook harder at those words, leaving the Trickster dumfounded.

"Heimdall?" he tried when he noticed they were no longer alone. The Gatekeeper must have followed Thor. "Do you have any idea what's happened?"

Heimdall regarded the siblings quizzically for a long moment, then replied, "I believe I'm beginning to understand."

Loki allowed a considerable pause before pressing, "Yes? And?"

"I will explain later, if I can," the other answered cryptically with a nod at Thor. "Right now, just know that he needs you."

Author's End Note: Part 2 is drafted on paper in a bunch of scribbles, but it still needs to be typed, edited, etc. See you on the other side!