Of all weird things that have ever happened to Tony this was undoubtedly on his top-10 list.
"Um", he said, witty as usual. There, right in front of him, was Loki, but with that he could deal – what was worse, Loki was not alone. Beside him was an eight-legged horse.
"Um", Tony repeated and scratched his head. "Loki! What a nice surprise, I guess."
Loki snorted.
"Such a generous welcome, Stark. Are you going to let us in?"
"Oh, right, you know, about that… Before I do – surely I would, why wouldn't I – could you please enlighten me why are you here, for a start?" Tony offered, suspiciously eyeing the horse pawing the ground. It was black, it was huge and it, for god's sake, had eight legs! Tony had seen a lot of eerie things, and he was really, really hard to surprise, but this –
"Weren't you the one who wished to relieve me of stress somehow?" Loki dangerously narrowed his eyes, absent-mindedly patting the horse.
"Yeah, but, well," Tony cocked one brow and smirked, "you know, somehow I believe I meant the entirely other thing then what you are suggesting, even if I'm not sure what is it."
"I'm suggesting, Stark, that in order to make me a little bit more relaxed, as you put it, you babysit Sleipnir for this evening."
There was a short silence except for horse's – Sleipnir's? – approving snort.
"What?!" finally screeched Tony, resembling his ability to form words. Loki cringed at the sound and the horse backed off a little, looking nervous. "You ask me to do what?!"
"I thought I made myself clear," coolly retorted Loki, holding Tony's gaze. Tony dropped his jaw and stared at… Sleipnir.
"Just how am I supposed to babysit a fucking horse?!" he asked, perturbed. Immediately Loki furiously clasped his hands over horses' ears.
"Don't you dare call my son a horse, Stark!" hissed the god, looking daggers at mortal.
Tony felt as if he was a part of some really strange dream.
"I'm so perplexed I don't even know of what I have to be surprised more: that you assume you son to be… erm, okay, no H-words – or that you are really asking me to babysit it… him." He finally said, feeling light-headed. Loki rolled his eyes.
"Don't be stupid, Stark. Sleipnir is more than capable of protecting himself. I only need you to be there for him if he needs anything. It was your idea to help me, after all," he accused, sounding almost defending. "I have five more children at home, so if you…"
"Hold on, reindeer games! Are you telling me now that you are a single father of six children, one of them being… right, leave it just six children?"
"That's what I'm saying, yes," Loki huffed, annoyed. Tony tried hard not to laugh hysterically. "So what is it, Stark? Are you going to hold onto your words?"
"Although I was caught in a heat of a moment," Tony noticed, still smiling, "I'd have to say that now I understand why you are so villainous most of the time."
"What are you implying, Stark?" There was a dangerous glint in Loki's eyes, and Tony quickly waved his hands.
"Nothing! Nothing! Just thinking out loud, sorry, mate. So, back to our business here, if you don't mind… You want me to stay with your… son, am I right?"
"Finally you got the main idea," Loki snapped, glancing at Stark disbelievingly. "What is your answer then?"
"I'll do it," Tony grinned, clapping hands. "Although I don't have any stable or something of that kind…"
"Stark!"
"Right! No more horse comparisons – no offence, boy," he told the horse, which was silently watching their discussion and didn't seem to mind the least. Tony wondered if it understood what they were talking about at all. Loki eyed Tony as if he was reconsidering his decision, but then he looked at the… at Sleipnir again and must have remembered his other children, if silent desperation in his eyes was any indication. Tony tried to imagine how it was to raise not one, but six children, on one's own, with one of them (it was only one of them, right?) looking like Sleipnir, but failed.
Well, if it could make Loki less tough… After all, it was still technically a horse, even if he wasn't allowed to call it that way. Surely he would manage dealing with a horse? Or maybe Pepper would. Yes, of course, Pepper would, Pepper was known for her ability to handle everything, and how bad can one horse be if one was dealing with Tony Stark on everyday basis for god knows how long now?
"I really don't know why I'm doing it," Loki muttered, tenderly stroking his son's neck. "Don't think too much of yourself, Stark. Never let it occur to you that I trust you."
"I got it," Tony deadpanned. "Now don't you worry, babe, I'll be a good dad, you may leave now."
Sleipnir stared at him curiously at these words, and Loki tensed and opened his mouth to tell something, but then just sighed angrily, patted Sleipnir for the last time and disappeared without as mush as goodbye. Uh-oh, there goes 'let us in' and all of the possible advises on babysitting a horse.
Tony stared at Sleipnir. Sleipnir stared back.
And then, all of a sudden, he jumped, and there was a blinding swirl of pulsing magic that made Tony cover his eyes with his hand. When the light faded, the horse was gone.
Instead looking at Tony with the same curiosity in its place was a very naked young man.
"You wouldn't mind if I stay in this form instead of the one you saw?" he asked sheepishly, smiling at Tony. Tony only gaped, eyes bulging. "You know, Mom hates it when I transform into human, he says that I shouldn't waste my energy like this or be ashamed of who I am, but I'm not ashamed, not really, it's just much more comfortable in fact, not that I dislike being a horse that much, and for the record, I'm alright with it, but you'd better not use that word when Mom's around…"
He was chatting merrily, twisting his head around curiously and obviously not minding being completely naked. Tony thought distractedly that his babble must have had something with being a horse most of the time.
"…so I don't really get the opportunity that often, not as often as I'd like, but it's not like I have to concentrate on keeping this form or something, the only energy I spend is for the transformation, but Mom…"
"Hey, hey," Tony finally cut in, and the boy immediately stopped talking, turning to his babysitter and looking at him expectantly. "Um, that's all very nice, but maybe you'd like to come in? I would really prefer to have this talk inside instead of standing on the threshold."
"Oh, sure," Sleipnir clasped his hands happily and skipped into the mansion, his amusement written all over his overjoyed face. "I'm sorry, I'm used to outdoors, I didn't even think…"
"Don't be," grunted Tony. "Um, you know, if you don't mind, maybe we should get you some clothes? I'm sure we have something that will fit you…"
Sleipnir looked at him with pure adoration.
Tony thought that maybe, just maybe, the whole situation wasn't as bad as he supposed at first.
Later, dressed in his t-shirt and jeans that were two sizes bigger on him and tried to fall down, Sleipnir sat with Tony at the kitchen, and while he talked about his life, twisting his head wildly in attempt to examine as much of the house as possible, Tony finally got an opportunity to watch him closely. The boy was very much like Loki – the same black hair, sharp cheekbones, bright green eyes that maybe were a little darker than Loki's. His face, however, was just a little bit softer that his father's – or was it 'mother's'? – and his lips were fuller (not that Tony paid any attention to Loki's lips!). He was also very tall and thin – even thinner than Loki was, but still somehow he didn't look unhealthy. And here Tony thought that the next step was anorexia.
Thinking about similarity between the two, Tony suddenly realized that he had thought about Loki way too much recently and way too inappropriate for somebody who was his enemy. He filed this information for future and decided to skip it for now.
"I've never been anywhere except our home in Midgard before," said Sleipnir, oblivious of Tony's thoughts. "Mom doesn't want us to leave home, but it's so boring!"
"Where do you live?" Tony wondered, pouring a cup of coffee for himself and hot chocolate for Sleipnir – he didn't know if he liked stuff or not, but it seemed to be a good idea. Maybe he was older than Tony (hell, maybe he was even older than Steve!), but he still looked like a teen, and he was Loki's child, so, well. Tony saw him as one.
"I don't really know. It's a small house with a small garden, and there's nothing else as far as you can see. Only open field."
"Sounds nice," Tony offered, and the boy hummed agreeably, taking his cup from Tony's outstretched hand.
"It is, yes. Much better than a cave we lived in before."
At his words Tony suddenly felt a sharp pang of pity – not only for the boy, but also for Loki and his whole family. They never really asked Loki about his motives before; they meant to, of course, but it always came with attempts to capture him, and now, knowing about his six children, Tony saw it from the other side.
It never occurred to him that Loki could have been lying.
Sleipnir sipped at his drink and his eyes immediately lit with delight.
"It's sweet!" he cried, looking at the man on the opposite side of the table with surprise and joy.
"Of course it's sweet," Tony grinned, "it's chocolate."
"Mom never gives us sweets," complained the boy. "He always says that we mustn't get used to such things. We have many fruits, though."
His stories made Tony shiver, but Sleipnir didn't seem to mind the cruelty of them a bit. It all seemed pretty normal to him, and he wasn't really complaining; he was just sharing some moments of his life with a stranger, who was willing to listen.
Had Tony had any intentions of using the boy for information about Loki, he would have lost all of them under his looks of complete trust and rapture.
"You know what? You can have as many sweets as you want," he offered, smiling. "It's not like any of us have a sweet tooth, well, maybe except for Clint, but… nah, I'm babbling, don't listen to me. There has to be ice-cream in the fridge; have you ever tried it? Thought as well," he hummed after Sleipnir shook his head, speechless, and went to rum through the freezer to have something to do with his hands. The boy looked at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape and chocolate forgotten. Obviously, he was new to somebody treating him like this.
Not surprising when your true form is a horse with eight legs, which, thankfully, didn't find reflection in human's body.
Sleipnir found that he really, really loved ice-cream.
Tony found that he was getting used to the way he glanced at him every now and then with sheer admiration.
Later, when Sleipnir regretfully admitted that he could eat no more, they moved to the living room, where Tony, for the lack of other ideas, introduced him to videogames. The boy looked surprised by the thing, but amused nonetheless, and Tony found himself smiling fondly at him.
"So, um," he stretched, trying to sound nonchalantly. "Did Loki mention when he is going to return?"
Sleipnir jerked in his place and dropped controller. He turned to Tony, brows pinched and eyes huge with disappointment.
"I'm bothering you, am I?" he asked quietly, corners of his mouth going down.
"What? No!" Tony shook his head violently, realizing how his words must have sounded to the boy. "No! Not at all, I mean it. I just wanted to… plan our time, you see? What else I can show you while your… mother isn't here."
"Oh," Sleipnir relaxed a little, but still eyed the man propped on sofa's arm suspiciously. "I don't know, he promised to collect me later in the evening."
"So sightseeing is out of the question," Tony mused, scratching his beard and staring at the ceiling. "Maybe next time then…"
The room seemed to brighten with boy's wide smile, and only then did Tony realized what he just said.
"Sure," Sleipnir quickly agreed and picked his fallen controller. "I'd love to."
They sat in cozy silence only interrupted by game's sounds when Pepper returned from some meeting.
"Tony, I'm… Oh." She stopped in the doorframe and looked quizzically at the boy, who jerked up his head at the sound of her voice and offered a polite smile. "Hi."
"Hello," he happily waved his hand and glanced at Tony.
"Uh-oh, hi, Pep," he greeted, already jumping to his feet and wondering how in the name of god he was supposed to introduce Sleipnir to her. "Pepper, this is Sleipnir. Sleipnir, this is Pepper."
"Nice to meet you," Pepper automatically smiled, staring at him. "And you are…?"
"Oh, Mom left me with Tony for the evening," he shrugged, oblivious to Pepper's reaction.
"How sweet!" exclaimed Pepper, and Tony could see the exact moment her smile became strained. "Tony, you never told me about your son!"
Tony blanched. Sleipnir looked taken aback and greatly amused.
"Oh, no, Pep, it's not what you…"
"Hey, I never met Tony before!" laughed Sleipnir at the same time, which, of course, only made it worse. Pepper twitched her mouth.
"That's what I'm trying to say, yes. I'm sorry, young man; I have to say something to Tony, if you'll excuse us."
With that she grabbed Tony's arm and led him into the hall, completely ignoring his sounds of distress.
"What the hell is going on, Tony?" she hissed when they were out of boy's hearing distance. "I never knew you had a son!"
"That's because I don't!" Tony snapped. "He's not my son! He's…"
"What? What is he, Tony?"
Tony didn't like her skeptical look.
"Just a son of a friend of mine," he grunted, turning to leave, but was stopped by his assistant's hand yet again.
"Oh, really? That's why he looks like you?"
"What- he doesn't!"
"He definitely does."
"No!" Tony cried, frowning, and Pepper crossed her arms, smirking.
"Yes, he does, Tony. Besides, no woman would just come and leave her child with a man who has nothing to do with his origins and who had never even met him before. Congratulations, Tony, it's a boy."
Tony scowled at her and rumpled his hair. He couldn't tell Pepper whose son Sleipnir was because it wouldn't do for anybody to know about Loki's children. The whole affair was meant to relieve Loki of some stress, not angry him more.
Besides, he couldn't deny that he became fond of the boy. He wouldn't want him to be used by SHIELD to get closer to Loki.
"Fine," he finally growled. "As you wish. But your assumptions wouldn't make him my child."
When he returned to the living room, Sleipnir quit the game and was sitting still, waiting for him.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, sure," he grunted, falling onto the sofa and looking at the boy pensively. Did he really resemble him? "Why?"
"Your girlfriend seemed disturbed," explained Sleipnir with a sad smile. Tony lifted one brow.
"She's not my girlfriend, she's my personal assistant, that's all. What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" cried Sleipnir too quickly, turning away and pecking at the dark spot on the sofa, probably left after one of the movie nights.
"Hey," Tony called softly. "If I fucked up something, you'd better tell me, or I'll never know."
The boy laughed.
"No, you didn't – it's just, she called me your son. It's funny."
"It is," snorted the other man, but Sleipnir didn't finish.
"I wish I had a dad like you."
Well, that was awkward. A few hours spent together and already the boy wishes him for his dad, wow.
"It's – it's not that I'm implying something," he quickly added, flexing his fingers and lowering his eyes. "But is there… you know, anything between you and Mom?"
Tony choked.
Oh, yes, there was. There was so much going on between them. There were fights that resulted in his suit broken in many places and other fights that resulted in him being beat to a bloody pulp.
"It's complicated," he finally managed. Sleipnir never mentioned anything about the Avengers, and Tony wasn't sure if he knew about his parent's villainous self, but he definitely wasn't going to be the one who told the boy the ugly truth.
He was going to say that Sleipnir didn't even know him. That he would make a terrible father. That they should spend more time together for Sleipnir to see it. And that maybe he wouldn't really mind thinking of Loki in the suggested way.
Tony was never really good with what he should say and what he shouldn't, so maybe he would have said all of that and even more, but in that exact moment, when he opened his mouth to speak, Loki appeared right in front of him.
"Mom!" Sleipnir cried happily, jumping at him to hug tightly. Loki visibly tensed, and the boy backed off, looking shy.
"Sleipnir," Loki hissed, never tearing his angry eyes from Tony. "Why do you look like this?"
"Mom…" his son whined, plaintively, but with one killing glare from his parent became solemnly quite again.
"You let him stay in this form."
"Mom, Tony didn't…"
"Sleipnir, I want you to change back and wait for me outside. We'll talk later."
"Hey, that was uncalled for," suddenly argued Tony, standing up. He swallowed nervously when Loki growled low and dangerous, and Sleipnir paused in the doorway, frowning and deliberating if he should interfere. "Why can't the boy choose which form he prefers?"
Loki started to answer, but then blinked and looked at Tony with puzzlement.
"Did you just try to protect my son's interests from me?"
"Did I succeed?" Tony quipped. Loki stared at him disbelievingly and smirked.
Tony also didn't miss the thankful and hopeful look from Sleipnir.
"You're a strange mortal, Stark," Loki drawled, lifting his chin a little. "I'm… grateful for your time."
"You're welcome," Tony answered sincerely, and then, as Loki turned to leave, suddenly offered, "You know, I'm more than willing to relieve you of some stress again some time. And now I don't mean only funny business, although if you do, I don't mind."
Loki chuckled at that, looking very much amused now, and even narrowed his eyes playfully, giving Tony appreciative glance. Tony thought that this more or less free evening for Loki turned out for the best.
"I'll keep that in mind, Man of Iron," he promised.
Tony grinned.
"Please do."
Then there was a screech from outside as somebody apparently noticed the giant eight-legged horse, and Loki quickly left, yet again forgoing farewell.
Never would Tony admit it to anybody that he felt a funny pang of hope inside his chest that they will meet again.