A/N: requested by Guest on FFN! I hope you enjoy it! It's a bit shorter than I would like, but I've done all I could while still keeping it true to the story...

Loki's head was spinning as he looked around the dusty wasteland planet he was on. He tried to get his bearings, remember how he got there. Why was his mind so hazy?

The fight with Thanos... They lost the battle because of that idiot Star Lord. 

Loki cursed that fool for ruining the plan. They almost had the gauntlet off of that titan! They were so close! But that... that baulufotr just had to get emotional right then! 

His thoughts were interrupted as Peter stepped in front of him with a weak smile, offering his hand to help Loki up. He couldn't manage a smile back, but Loki did take the hand and pulled himself up.

With one hand on his stab wound and the other gripping Peter's shoulder for balance, the two of them limped back to where everyone was.

"What will happen now?" Peter asked, his eyes locked on the rocky ground beneath them. "We lost, what does that mean for us?"

Although Loki's strength was very low, he found enough to return the smile. "Have faith, child. Thanos still has to fight the Avengers on earth, they will defeat him." 

Peter opened his mouth to reply, but a hard chill going down his spine stopped him. Loki didn't need to ask what happened because he felt it too. Something had just changed... Something wasn't right and the whole universe could feel it.

Along with the sense of impending dread, Loki felt as if he had just broken a promise. He did... Thanos had snapped. There was nothing else to explain why they all felt like that.

"Something's happening...!" The insect girl called out, her eyes wide as she looked at the people around her. Loki's eyes couldn't help but stare as her body disintegrated into... dust and blew away in the wind.

"Quill?" The large oaf caught their attention next, his body already half gone. A moment later and he was joining his friend in the wind.

Star Lord turned to Loki and Peter, his eyebrows pushed together and regret written on his face. Loki felt his breathing pause for a split second as he watched Quill become dust as well, the wizard not far behind as Loki took a few steps in their direction.

This was... horrible. Even by Loki's standards, this was in no way right nor did it make any sense. And what of Thor? Did his brother survive this? Would Loki even survive this? There was no magic that he knew of to counter this-

"Mr. Loki...?"

Loki's blackened heart froze as he heard Peter's quivering voice; he nearly dreaded turning around to face the inevitable. But he did, seeing Peter stumble towards him on shaky legs.

"I don't feel so good... I don't- I don't know what's happening..."

Loki jumped up and caught Peter just before he fell over, the boy clinging onto him desperately -as if clinging onto him would keep Peter alive. Loki wished it did. "You're okay, child, you're going to be okay."

He wasn't going to be okay; even now Loki could see parts of his legs flaking away.

"Please, Mr. Loki, I don't wanna go - I don't wanna go...!" Peter broke off into small sobs, repeating the mantra as best he could as his legs went out. Loki lowered them both to the ground as gently as he could, doing his best to reassure Peter. He hated that it was all that he could do.

Peter's form was shaking as he lay against the ground, his eyes darting around before landing on Loki. His features softened slightly, regret and guilt written all over Peter's face.

"I'm sorry..."

Loki opened his mouth to ask what this child could be sorry about. Why was he apologizing, especially in this moment? Peter did nothing wrong and he shouldn't apologize for the actions of others! Loki wanted to tell him all his and more, about how proud he was of Peter for fighting so well. Or that he would find a way to fix this. Loki wanted to say so much, but his voice was gone. He couldn't speak, couldn't even force out a hum of acknowledgement.

And then Peter was gone.

The ashes that were once Peter were blowing away in the wind. Loki could do nothing but sit there in disbelief as the last traces of Peter left his hand.

Emotions like never before swarmed in Loki's chest. He felt like screaming, cursing, destroying this miserable planet... Because after everything that Loki had done, every evil deed he did in his life, Loki was still here. He was here and Peter was gone. The worst that boy - that child - ever did was take a chip off of someone else's plate! Loki had murdered, conquered, lied, cheated, betrayed his own family! So why was he still standing and Peter wasn't?

Why...? 

Why?

Why?!

"Brother!"

What?

"Loki! Loki, brother, wake up!"

With a gasp, Loki sat up straight, his eyes wide as he searched the room before landing on Thor's worried figure next to his bed. 

"What-" A harsh cough cut him off.  What had happened to him? His throat felt like it was filled with sand that seemed to empty from his mind - if the migraine he felt said anything. If he was sick again may God help the poor fool who had-

"An enhanced attacked," Thor said, cutting off Loki's murderous thoughts. "You and Stark were hit and have been asleep for most of the day. The enhanced wasn't that strong after it hit the two of you so we took it down easily. Are you alright, brother? You are... sweating. You never sweat."

Quickly swiping a hand against his forehead and pulling it back damp, Loki cursed under his breath. What he had seen... It must have been a dream. But why that? He hadn't even known Peter when they had fought-

Something clicked in Loki's head as he glanced over to the bed on the other side of the room that Stark was starting to stir from. Loki was a fairly observant person, so he hadn't missed the way that Tony and Peter had avoided certain words and phrases when he had first came to the Compound. Peter had said those... cursed... words once when his aunt had come to pick him up, and suddenly stiffed. It had caught Loki's interest, why would this child regret announcing such a complaint? But the way he had looked over at Stark right afterward and the grimace on the man's face said that it was a personal thing between them.

Personal and traumatizing... 

So that wasn't a dream. It was a memory - most likely from Stark. Meaning that Peter had said those words right before turning into dust and basically dying right in Stark's arms... Loki couldn't imagine the pain that must have caused.

Tony was sitting up now, gasping for air much like how Loki had minutes ago. The two of them locked eyes for a second and Loki knew that he was right. Because the look in Stark's eyes were that of second-hand remorse, only capable of expressing when one saw someone go through something painful. Loki imagined his face was much the same. He briefly wondered what memory of his did Stark see, but pushed it away. He had more pressing matters now.

"Where's Peter?" While the event happened long ago, the new memory was still playing over in his mind. He needed to see Peter with his own two eyes... He needed to ground himself and confirm that the boy was whole and in one piece. 

"Peter is just outside..." Thor turned toward the door, starting to go to it. "I will get him for you, he has been eager to see how you both fared."

Banner had gone with Thor, leaving Tony's side by the man's request. Loki watched them with careful green eyes until the door closed behind them, soon jumping across the room to Stark.

"What did you see?"

"...The Chitauri. You?"

Loki sucked in a breath; he knew exactly which memory that was. It seemed they were both cursed with the worst ones. 

"The aftermath of the battle on Titan."

It was silent between the two of them for a short while before the door opened and Peter came rushing in, his eyes darting between the two of them. "Are you okay? You slept all day, I was so worried! I came up with a plan to wake you up but Ms. Potts wouldn't let me. She said that if I jumped off the Compound without my suit it would only hurt you instead of wake you up. I probably shouldn't have said that... I'll shut up now; are you okay?"

Loki couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief as he saw Peter's normal rambling self, his nerves and unruly emotions being put away by the sight. Peter was alive and whole and on Earth, and that's all that currently mattered.

A/N: I know this was requested as an AU... And I really tried several different ways to write it (e.g. Time travel, Loki went to earth instead of Hulk, Peter (somehow) ended up with the Guardians and went with Thor and Loki to Nidavellir). But none of them worked out. I hope that you don't mind this instead! Loki reliving Tony's memory of the dusting is heartbreaking in its own way.

Also!! Next chapter is going to be my 20th chapter! I don't think I've ever kept with a story for this long before... I have a few things planned, but it needs a vote! Do you want whump or fluff for the 20th chapter special? Please comment or I'll choose for you!