Notes:

Loki is of Jotun origin so I haven't made him female or male and opted to stick with alien biology.
There will be cracky parts as well as serious ones.
I have never written Tony/Loki
No beta so there is mistakes.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

"Sir, Loki Laufeyson has arrived for his yearly hibernation."

Tony looked up from his suit to the screen and watched as Loki got under the covers in his favorite cell and snuggled down for sleep. "He's early."

"Perhaps the warmer weather has deemed it necessary."

Tony nodded. "Thanks J."

The first time Loki appeared in one of the Avenger cells for hibernation, everyone had a fit. From June until October, Loki stayed in the tower eating their food and being a general nuisance. The second year it happened Thor explained that Loki was from a winter climate and the summer months were taxing for Loki so he came to the towers for free food, central air conditioning and protection while his powers regenerated and he regained strength.

By the third year, they had started planning for it, buying more food and keeping his cell empty. Their accepting behavior had many positive side effects. For one, Loki was more friend than foe, still doing what he wanted but keeping his antics minimal and usually no casualties. When other villains came around to mess with New York, Loki was quick to guard the Avengers but didn't do anything to stop the villains from doing what they were doing.

Tony sent out a message to the Avengers letting them know of Loki's presence in the towers. Steve was the first to respond. "I'll get extra Cheerios." Tony had to laugh. Loki really did like Cheerios. Not the honey nut ones though.

Widow was next. "KEEP HIM OUT OF MY ROOM!" Tony laughed. Like bears, Loki had a tendency to hoard things in his cell and for whatever reason; Nat's things were his favorites to take. He liked her big plushy pillow and her beanie chair.

Thor texted almost at the same time Nat did. "Wonderful. I will bring Jane so that Loki may enjoy the final weeks of her pregnancy. Tony loves New York."

Barton wrote in. "Ok, but this year he has to take his turn cleaning. It's not fair that I have to go twice when he's around!"

About an hour later Bruce wrote in. "Do you think he'll let me dissect him this time?"

Tony failed to see how he was considered the crazy one in the group. Bruce routinely wanted to do absolutely insane things like dissect Loki and yet no one ever called him the names they called Tony.

Though, Bruce was much scarier when mad.

Tony washed up and made his way down to the cells. It was feeding time and though Tony was not one to care much about the villains they kept, he made sure meals were good and warm for them. There was no way he was eating steak while they were eating cheese sandwiches.

He stopped in front of Loki's cell. "Hey, Reindeer, you okay? You're here early."

One green eye opened. "Stark, it's been 90 degrees for the last two days."

Jarvis was right. "You need anything?"

"Just sleep."

Tony nodded. For the first 24 hours of Loki's stay, he always slept before getting up and eating everything he could get his hands on. After that he slept off and on but mainly vegged out and pulled tricks on everyone.

As the day progressed each of the Avengers returned from their duties to a warm meal and fun stories. They had grown closer as team mates and as friends. And it was always nice to have Jane around, especially once she became pregnant. Everyone gushed over her and fed her until she passed out.

They had only just begun to eat when a sudden explosion knocked them down. Swiftly, a flood of water spread in along walls of the tower with dozens of fish like creatures.

Keeping a pregnant Jane away from danger was in the forefront of everyone's minds as they tried to keep the monsters away from the kitchen.

"What are these things?" Tony yelled as his suit flew into the room forming around him.

"Atlantians!" Captain screamed. "Water dwellers."

Thor lifted Jane onto one of the counters. "Stay here." He demanded.

Normally Jane wouldn't take kindly to his tone, but seeing as how he was trying to save her life, she'd let this one go.

Water was everywhere and it seemed as soon as they knocked one creature down, another one popped up in its place. The fight was getting exhausting. Tony tried keeping the creatures out of the kitchen but they were coming in waves and he realized that they might be losing the battle.

The King Water Creature was battling The Hulk and was actually succeeding in keeping the green giant at bay. Tony was actually starting to worry until he realized, it was snowing.

In May.

In the Tower.

Even the Atlantians stopped fighting trying to figure out how this was actually happening.

Tony launched out of the water getting the Avengers to higher ground when the water started freezing. The King Atlantian glared around trying to find the source of the ice. Suddenly the ice rose and Loki slide in on it. Tony lifted his mask and watched as Loki rose to the Atlantian king.

Other than not being blue, Thor thought he looked a lot like his father Laufey sliding in on that ice, but he would never tell Loki that. Not unless he wanted what was left of their relationship to be ruined.

"P-Prince Loki." The king stuttered. "I was unaware you were in hibernation already."

Loki tilted his head. "Now you are."

"I…I am sorry to have disturbed your sleep."

"You've done more than disturb my sleep. You have scared my sister in law while my nephew grows in her belly." Loki explained his calm, smooth voice unsettling.

The Atlantian king started stuttering. "I didn't know Thor would be here…"

"You should have planned your attack better then. You should have at least read the Weekly Villain. I made it clear the Avengers were to be left alone until the winter." Loki told him.

"Weekly Villain?" Tony put his hand on his metal hip. "You guys have a newspaper?"

Ignoring him Loki went on. "You have fifteen minutes to clean this mess up, or I will rip your intestines out and eat them. Do you understand me?"

The Atlantian's eyes widened in horror making Tony wonder if Loki was known for eating people's insides. "Yes, Prince Loki."

Quickly, the water creatures started pushing the water back out the tower and sheet rock that littered the floor.

Loki walked into the kitchen and placed a kiss on Jane's head. "Sister." Then a kiss on her belly. "Nephew."

Jane accepted both kisses. "Brother."

Loki grabbed a bag out the closet and opened the cabinets. She started rummaging through the food pulling out what he liked and putting in the bag. He got to the Pop Tarts. He never tasted one but sugar was exactly what he was in the mood for. He pulled out the strawberry and then the blue berry and showed them to Thor.

"Blueberry should suit your tastes brother." Thor answered Loki's unasked question.

Steve handed the Cheerios to Loki. "Captain, you are an asset to my hibernation."

Steve smiled as Loki pulled open the fridge and grabbed a gallon of milk. He placed his bag of stolen goods in Barton's hands tell him to "follow me."

Barton huffed taking the bag.

Nat scoffed. "You aren't under mind control any more Barton."

Clint shrugged. "Tell him that."

000

For the next two days everyone really forgot Loki was there. Apparently there really was a Villain's Weekly and Loki really did place an ad that read "If anyone disturbs my hibernation, I will eat their intestines and make spells with their genitalia." Loki apparently was morbid even for a bad guy.

But it gave the Avengers some free time, so they invited Pepper and Happy over along with Barton's little family. It gave Tony some times to play with some programs he had been meaning to create and update Jarvis, which proved to be a good thing because right after he did, alarms went off.

"Sir, Mr. Loki seems to be distressed."

Tony frowned. "Pull up the feed."

The screen blinked on and Tony's frowned deepened. Loki certainly did look distressed kneeling down on the floor and vomiting up what looked like water.

Tony groaned. "This does not look good. Jarvis assemble the Avengers in Loki's cell."

Tony got there before anyone else did though Thor was in a hot second later. Loki looked awful, his eyes tearing, his nose leaking and his skin blue.

Tony stopped his pursuit.

Loki was blue and not like nauseous looking but actually blue and those leaky eyes were red. Not the 'oh he hasn't slept in a while' red but really red. This was… different. Tony looked toward Thor who looked a bit mortified but not worried which made Tony think that Loki turning blue didn't mean imminent death.

"Brother? Are you alright?"

Loki slowly picked up his head and sat on his hunches. He only managed to whine out a, "Thor." Before his stomach lurched and he threw up again.

For a brief moment no one moved. They had dealt with Loki's hibernation before, but this was something new and a little frightening. It was easy to forget that Thor and Loki were actually from another planet as they looked like typical humans. At that moment, Loki looked very much alien.

And a sick one at that.

Everyone turned to Thor waiting for him to either say something or go to Loki but Thor stood still and silent. It was Jane that eventually moved toward her brother in law.

"Are you alright?" Loki's breathing was getting raspy as if he was wheezing. She looked up towards Bruce. "It sounds like he has pneumonia."

Bruce ran to get his medical kit and ran back trying to remain as calm as one possibly could when their friend's little brother was leaking all over the floor. He took his stethoscope and put it to Loki's chest. "If I didn't know any better I'd think he was drowning."

How did that make sense? The alien was kneeling on the wood floor, not on a sandy beach. There was nothing there for him to drown in.

Tony tried to think as fast as he could as Loki let out more water from his lungs. His brain filed through all his knowledge of Loki before a light bulb went off in his head. "He's a frost giant, yes Thor?"

Thor still stood looking horrified at his vomiting brother.

"THOR!" Tony yelled. "Get it together! Frost Giants, like winter weather yes?"

Thor nodded dumbly.

"Maybe it's too hot. Maybe he needs to be in a colder place."

Bruce nodded. "You might be right. He might be… melting from the inside."

"What should we do?" Natasha asked. "I don't think he's going to survive a flight in ninety degree weather to Antarctica."

Barton snapped his fingers. "The freezer!" Everyone turned to him. "Not the little one in the kitchen, the walk-in one in the basement!"

Tony nodded. "That might work!"

Equipped with his suit for cold weather Tony had to lift Loki on his own, as Thor wouldn't touch him and the freezer was too cold for anyone else to help, and cleaned out the freezer for Loki to stay in.

After an hour of lying on the cold freezer floor, Loki stopped leaking and after two hours, he got up long enough to fashion a bed out the ice and frost on the walls and ceiling and kick Tony out. That gave them some assurance that Loki would be alright.

When he left the freezer he joined the others in the common room on the first floor still in his Iron Man suit. "What the hell Thor! Your little brother was melting all over the floor and you just stood there like an idiot."

Thor at least had the decency to look remorseful. "Forgive me. Though Loki told me he was a Frost Giant, it was jarring him to see him as such."

"Yeah, I get that." Jane said rubbing her stomach and drinking a tea. "But he was kneeling on the floor and actually called for you. He was… he was scared Thor."

Jane's anger exceeded Tony's it seemed and took the wind off his sails a bit. Jane and Loki were close. At first he was against the whole mortal god thing but once the announcement about the baby came, he started spoiling her.

"Jane, you have to understand what Frost Giants are. They are monsters Jane and uncivilized beasts."

Jane's eyes opened so large Tony thought they were going to pop out her pretty little (no really that little) head. "You think your brother is a monstrous uncivilized beast?!"

Barton cleared his throat. "Well… I don't know if anyone remembers…"

"Little bird I will break your wings and fry them if you speak again." Jane threatened before turning back to Thor. "Yes Loki is manic depressive with a borderline personality disorder and just… you know… insane, but he is not uncivilized. In fact, you are far less civilized than he is you arrogant jerk and your little brother, blue or not, was MELTING! The only surviving member of your family to actually be happy for our union and he called for you for the first time since he tried to kill himself on the bridge and you stood there, looking like… like… YOUR FATHER!"

Tony looked to the floor embarrassed for Thor but too nosey to leave them in peace and there wasn't an Avenger in the room that didn't seem to feel the same way. No one moved a muscle or said a stuttered a sound as Thor stood up.

"I am sorry for my… prejudice." Thor finally said. "I will make it up to you and him. First I must to Father and see…"

"How many more ways he can denounce his son?" Tony held back a snort, Jane was on a roll.

Thor sighed and pecked her forehead before heading back to Asgard.

Jane shook her head before looking at Loki. "How is Loki?"

"Ummmm…. Solidifying. He made a bed out of ice, it was very cool and then told me to stop being a creep and staring at him while he slept."

"Sass is good." Steve said. "And so is solidifying."

Tony nodded. "I'm going to get some sleep before Thor gets back." He looked at Jane. "You should as well. Baby Hammer Head needs a rested mother."

Janes smiled as Tony left the room.

000

Thor and Odin arrived the next day both looking as if they didn't want to be there. There was only Tony, Pepper, Jane and Happy in the tower at that time sharing stories of the days before Iron Man.

Thor embraced Jane who embraced him in return despite her feelings towards him. Odin did not spare her a glance. "Where is the Jotun?" Odin asked stoically. "I have affairs on Asgard that I placed on hold for this."

Thor sighed. "Come Father."

Happy looked at Tony. "That's the blue alien's father?"

"Adopted." Tony answered.

"Which shouldn't matter." Both Pepper and Jane said at the same time.

The two men were gone for a while before they could hear them coming up the elevator. "But Father, I am sure Loki would like to see you when he awakens. He will have many questions which I will not know the answer to."

"And I will?" The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "As if I am an expert of Jotuns."

"Mother would want him to have the comforts of home." Thor tried to appeal to Odin's emotional side that seemed to have died with their mother. "Despite Loki's… mental state… he loves us."

"And look what his love got your mother."

Thor stopped in his tracks. "Loki is many things Father but he did not kill mother."

"No? His behavior had him locked away when he should have been at her side." Odin turned to Thor. "I will speak no more of the Jotun. I wish to speak of my favorite son who is wasting his life here impregnating mortal women. Leave her with the child and come home."

"Father, I don't know what madness you might be under but Loki is not 'the Jotun' and Jane is my wife."

"By Midgardian law not Aesir." He turned around. "Do not contact me about the Jotun again unless it's dead." And just like that, Odin was gone.

Thor was angry at his father, concerned for his brother and embarrassed as he faced his friends. "Forgive my Father friends. But he has enlightened me to Loki's condition."

Pepper and Happy exchanged a look but kept their comments to themselves.

Tony cleared his throat to clear the uncomfortable air. "Ah, proceed."

Thor sat down. Jotuns are not separated by gender as Aesir or even humans. They are all of the same sex only a few can carry children. Loki can, which is why his attitude changed when Jane became pregnant. Apparently, though Loki was considered an adult Aesir, he was not a mature Jotun. This marked his first year as an adult and he is nesting. We can expect him to continue to remain in his Jotun form and start hording more and eating more. Father said during this time, if not in the proper temperature they get sick, as Loki did."

There were so many things Tony wanted to say and so many questions he wanted to ask. Loki was of no gender? Loki could birth children? What did his genitals look like? Did he have a penis and a vagina? What would sex with him feel like? Though under normal circumstances, Tony would have asked the least offensive of his offensive questions, today, in light of Thor's sad face, he opted not to.

"I am tired." Thor suddenly said. "I wish to sleep."

Jane watched Thor leave before she stood up. "I'm going to go be a good wife." She waddled off behind Thor.

000

Loki's eyes opened. He felt better than he had since he was a child. He felt rested, clear headed and still concerned that he was in his Jotun form but he was hungry.

He sat up from his ice bed and weighed his options. He really didn't want people seeing him in his Jotun skin but he really was famished. Soon he remembered that he had packed some food in his old cell.

With a huff he got off his bed and went into his old cell were he found his stash of food and shoved a half of Pop Tart in his mouth. He grabbed some things and made his way to Natasha's room where he found a fleece blanket, a pillow and one of her stuffties.

He made his way back to the freezer where Tony was standing, always with an electronic device in hi hand. "Hey there Blueberry."

Loki held his possessions of food and comforts to his chest. "These are mine."

Tony snorted looking over Loki's Jotun form. "No they are not. They are Widow's but I won't tell her." The white tattoo like designs covered his face, arms and hands and made him look… pretty.

Loki walked into the freezer and fashioned an ice table to drop his stuff in. "Where is Thor?"

"Um, asleep. He went to Asgard to get information on what happened to you. Um… I thought you should know that you are… ummmm… nesting I believe Thor said. Do you realize you can have kids?"

"Mother told me it was a possibility. I never looked into it. Did he find out why I'm blue?"

"Yeah apparently while you are in this nesting period you are going to remain this way. Which is kind of cool by the way." Tony told him. "Are you still feeling sick?"

"No. Is anyone else in the tower? I am hungry but I don't wish to see anyone."

Translation, I don't want anyone to see me like this.

"I'll bring some food up for you." Tony told him. "You seem to want sweets."

"Yes. Bring them to me mortal or endure my wrath."

Tony snorted.

"Thank you." Loki yelled out and Tony went to search for sweets.

000

"Mother?"

Frigga opened her arms. "My son! Look at you!"

Thor ran forward and hugged his mother. "I miss you so."

"I know baby. But I am fine where I am."

"Why have you visited me?" Thor had a good idea why. He was sure his language to his father when they last spoke could not have pleased her. "I know spoke out of line to father…"

"Please. He called my son the Jotun." Frigga said bluntly. "I would have visited him myself but I fear my magic, even in death, would harm him for his words."

Thor frowned. "I'm afraid, I have not treated Loki much better."

Frigga smiled warmly. "My love, Loki has made it difficult to love him but his Jotun blood is not one the things that make it difficult to do so. You must look past his skin to see his heart again."

"What should I do mother?" Thor asked for her wisdom in death as he would have had she been alive.

"Instead of forcing him to meet you on your level, why don't you go to him on his?" She patted his warm hands. "Now I must go. Remember I love you and your brother and remember that green and blue don't match."

Thor arched a brow before waking up trying to figure out what colors had to do with anything.

000

Loki could not hide forever, though he wanted to. He hated his skin and his body that seemed to be betraying him. Though his magic worked, he couldn't shift into anything. He would prefer to be an animal instead of showing of this so called natural skin. If he could, he'd drink a potion to have it removed permantely.

But it seemed now he must seclude himself in the Avenger Towers, caged again, until he could shift back into the Loki he so desperately wanted to be.

At the insistence of Tony, who kept the rooms Loki would go to colder than usual, Loki joined the Avengers for breakfast the next morning. He shied away from conversation for a while worried that they would make fun of his situation. Though they were generally nice people, they had the tendency to make jokes when none should have been made. Would they tease him for being so alien and foreign? Or perhaps they would make fun of his ability to make children.

Yes, Loki was always a man on the line. He was neither Aesir nor Jotun. He was neither evil nor good. He was neither male nor female. Or maybe, more confusingly, he was all of those things. Maybe he was both Aesir and Jotun. Maybe he was both evil and good. Maybe he was both male and female.

For once, he wished he knew who he was.

It seemed however, that his worries were for nothing. They were kind enough not to make any comments of his appearance or his heritage but Natasha was quick to being up her stolen items. "Why do you only steal my things?"

Loki looked across the table at her. "Because I want to."

"Well stop it!" She demanded.

"No." he answered.

Tony smiled. At least Loki's personality was the same. He was hoping Loki would slowly become more comfortable with who he was. It was one thing to dislike yourself because of your actions but to hate yourself simply because of the culture you came from was something Tony couldn't understand.

But then, Thor seemed to love himself specifically because of where he came from.

Jane drank own her orange juice as she turned to Loki. "You've barely eaten."

"The food tastes odd." Loki admitted. It seemed if it wasn't sweet then it wasn't good.

"You love eggs." She told him as if he had forgotten who he was.

"I did." Loki agreed. "I don't anymore."

With a loud boom Thor returned from his venture out from the previous night carrying bags as he tumbled into the common room. His eyes fell on Loki. He schooled his features at the sight of his brother who looked healthier but still very Jotun. He would not fail him this time.

"Brother! You have awoken."

"Aye." Loki answered. "Where have you been? You have left Jane alone over night?"

Thor smiled at Jane. "Ah, mother came to me in a dream to inform me that blue and green do not match."

Loki frowned trying to figure out what that meant. Since when was Thor the one that spoke in riddles?

"So, I have found you clothes that would match with your blue complexion." He handed over the bag.

"Brother no! You went shopping? Without Jane! What nonsense have you brought back?" Loki looked generally worried about Thor's gifts.

Tony had to admit, Thor was not one who understood fashion. When he and Jane moved into the tower, Tony and Barton had laughed over many arguments the couple had over why he couldn't paint the walls red and then have purple couches.

Thor laughed. "I went to the dwarves brother! They had your measurements and I assured them that if they made you look ridiculous at the expense of you I would be displeased."

Loki groaned as he pulled out a long brown vest of a breathable fabric, form fitting and complimenting. "Thor, this is, actually nice." He stood up and shrugged on vest before posing before Jane. "I do believe you have taught Thor how to have taste."

Jane laughed and Tony's mouth went dry. Why did Loki look more attractive in his Jotun form? His slender hips narrowed under the vest giving him a flattering appearance.

Loki pointed to the other bags. "What in those? More clothes?"

"Some. But also some books I found and some trinkets that should keep you out of Lady Widow's rooms. As well as fish. I was looking through the books and it said Jotun's eat fish. I thought perhaps that would make you more comfortable."

"You brought me book on Jotunheim?" Loki looked shocked. "And you… read…them?"

"Well that is the land you were birthed." Thor informed him. "And I said I looked through them, not read them."

Loki tilted his head a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'm going to go try on my new clothes."

Upon Loki's departure, Jane stood up and hugged her husband. "That was much better."

Thor smiled pleased with having pleased her. "He actually seemed satisfied with the things I bought."

"He was." Jane told him.

"Um," Barton interrupted. "How long will Loki be blue?"

Thor shrugged. "It varied for everyone, or so I read."

Barton nodded. "Ball park it."

"Possibly a month maybe two." Thor replied.

Steve swallowed. "We can't have Loki trapped here for months Thor. Perhaps, we can take this time to help him get to know his Jotun self maybe even… maintain it."

Tony was all for sexy blue Loki. "I'm with Cap."

"I thought the clothes would help him become more comfortable." Thor admitted. "It is a start."

"We can all help." Natasha told him. "As long as he keeps his blue fingers off my stuff."

Loki's return was marked with his green magic crackling through the air before he came into view. Tony's jaw dropped. Beneath the brown vest was a tan shirt and he wore brown pants the same dark brown as his vest. He looked good, healthy… sexy? Yes sexy. His long legs held him up with grace and he had tied his hair back out of his face making his Jotun tattoo-like lines more prominent.

Tony had to shake his head to get the thought out his head.

"Come brother." Loki held out a hand. "We shall test your new found taste. You and Jane must help me decorate my room with the new things you brought me."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Does that mean you will be returning Natasha's things?"

Loki turned sharply to the good doctor, red eyes squinting. "No and what do you…" Suddenly Loki's face brightened. "Ah-ha!" He pointed between the two of them. "Is this a thing now? Bruce, I didn't think you had it in you. I'm impressed."

Bruce's face reddened.

"And Natasha. You must tell me do you get him angry before or after you've inserted…"

"COME BROTHER!" Thor bellowed as Tony and Barton laughed. "Let us decorate."

Tony's eyes couldn't help by follow Loki out feeling wrong to do so until Barton scratched his head. "Is it me, or is Loki hotter now."

Relief spread through Tony. "You think so too?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "It makes sense. Loki is now a mature, um, birther. It would be natural, especially in his natural form, for him to attract the opposite."

Barton nodded apparently content with that but Tony was not.

Notes:

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