«Tony?»
«Yup?» he didn't raise his eyes from the newspaper.
«I wanted to ask you something…» he took time, differently from his habits, and that made Stark worry.
«What?»
«You know, it's been a while I'm here, only for convenience, clearly.» he hurried to add, trying to act in a dignified manner.
«But at home, in Asgard, there's someone who claims me.»
«If that someone is your brother/not-brother/whatever he is we have already talked about it: I'm a possessive person and…» he fold up the newspaper and paid his whole attention but he was immediately interrupted.
«It's not about Thor, not in that meaning. The point is that I don't trust him.»
«Why?» he asked relieved for not being fall again in the Thorny Matter (by sheer bad luck), that made him sleep alone for two weeks.
«Ehm … Would you grant him custody of some children?»
«At the blonde with the hammer, the soothed sloth's intelligence quotient and the buffalo's charme? I don't believe at all; rather to Jack the Ripper. No offence meant, but that guy had brains at least.»
«Exactly, that's why I'm talking about it to you.»
«Where do you want to drive at?» he thinned his glance, trying to understand something from his expression since he was so sparing of explanations.
«I prefer showing it to you.» and he disappeared in the usual greenish light, which for weeks had announced lots of hours full of pleasure, although it made itself see ever less, not because the god was fed up, but because he had decided to make camp in his house, or better in his bed. Not that Stark disliked the fact.
He sighted, used to being kept in the dark about everything and he restarted reading the newspaper.
A new green glare, more brilliant this time, withdrew him from the reading again; he had been able to read more less five lines.
«Well, have you gone to Asgard to buy milk because you sucked the Midgardians'one?» his voice died inside his throat when he raised his eyes on the mate: near him there was what seemed an husky puppy, hanged on his neck a black long hair little girl, who could have been four or five, and, to complete the scene, a snake wound around his shoulders.
He goggled, knowing his pupils were as big as tennis balls and his jaw was level with his knees.
«Tony, here is Fenrir,» bending down he stroked puppy's head, and he wag his tail, happy «Hela,» he waved the little girl «and Jormungandr. Say hello, children.»
«H-hello.» tried the baby, and then she hid herself against Loki's shoulder, followed by a soft whining and by a less reassuring hiss.
Tony was still looking at them with his eyes popped out of his head like a cartoon, unable to utter a word.
«Tony, my sons, children, Tony.» he finished the presentations, forcing the puppy who was hidden behind his leg, to come out into the open.
«Your what?!»
«They are my son, that's what I was trying to say before.»
He limited himself to look at him with a stupid expression.
«Where's gone the one who considerate himself a genius?»
«He has run away when he knew that you have some sons and that two of them are animals.»
«I thought you could have understood…» he murmured disappointed, hugging the little girl and the snake, while the puppy climber over his foot.
«No, stop. Don't do that.» he appreciated him quickly, trying to ignore the fact that he had a little anaconda on his shoulders «I'm not saying that you look like a circus or something similar, I'm just surprised and a little wrong footed.» he leaned his hand on the snake less arm and led him on the sofa.
«So don't you think that we are the most irrational family in the universe?»
«Yes, but I already thought that about you, darling.»
The puppy tried to jump on the sofa but he was stopped by his father's imperious voice.
«Fenrir, no. not on the sofa.»
He looked at him with his green big disappointed eyes and squatted down on the rug.
If Tony used to believe that Loki could do well the puppy's eyes now he had to change his mind: no-one could have been able to beat the little silver-mantle dog's expression.
«Poor…»
«I don't want him to have bad costumes and he could ruin the sofa scratching it.»
«This sofa had seen worse.» he made an allusive smile provoking a snort and the raising of a couple of the eight emerald irises that now were fixed on him.
Loki put down the little girl and the snake who joined the brother and soon they started brawling, ending up in the two adults' feet, or better the adult and the too grown teen.
For a while they looked at each other in silence, then Loki decided that maybe ho could showed himself to be so magnanimous to give him an explanation.
«I had to take them here. Lately I'm spending lots of time here and I can't leave them at home alone. Thor proposed to look after them, but even if his intentions are noble he is unreliable, he could hurt them just hugging them, and I can't afford it.»
He hardly swallowed «So…?»
«So I'm asking you to give hospitality to them here.»
The fact that the "asking" truly was a "be clear that in spite of all I'm the one who decide" was negligible.
«Hang on a second. Are you asking me to keep here three little hurricanes,» he pointed the shapeless mass of arms, paws and coils which was struggling on the rug «Just for hobby and because there's space?»
«No, I'm asking it to you because I can't divide my time between all of you, and I'm sorry, but they are my priority.»
The idea of being supplanted by these three little monsters made him feel betrayed and annoyed, but then he turned his eyes on them, seeing that finally they had stopped brawling; they were the most tender spectacle in the world, squatted down laying one on the back of the others, exhausted for the fight.
«So do you want to move here with the whole troop?»
«It seems the best idea. If we don't want to stop what we do, and I don't, I need to know them somewhere not too far and in safety.» his eyes got darker just at the thought.
«Can't you find a nanny?»
«No-one would be Hela, Fenrir and Jormungandr's, Ragnarock's carriers, nanny.» he murmured becoming sad.
«Tell me.» Tony hugged him and brought him against his own chest, since the "children" has fallen asleep.
«My people's legends tell they will take the Ragnarock, gods' wane. According to the Norns Fenrir will kill Odin and Jormungandr will do the same with Thor, whereas Hela will bring plagues and ills in every world because she is destined to become Hell's Queen.»
«They're just legends.» he whispered in his raven-black hair.
«It's one of Destiny's possible sceneries, I've seen it and I'm trying to avoid it in every way, but if Æsirs find them they will kill them, they don't want to run the risk.» he got out from Tony's hug and seated next to the babies to stroke them.
The genius, who at the moment couldn't find a scheme of things, followed him «What does Thor think about it?»
«He agrees with me and wants to protect them, he doesn't care what Norns say.»
Tony stretched out a hand toward the puppy till he leaned it on his head and gave a little scratching behind his ears «Are they supposed to wipe out the gods?» he asked absorbed by the three asleep babies' contemplation, who seemed the incarnation of tenderness.
«Now they are babies, but they will grow. Æsirs are scared of facing up to them when the moment will come, so they want to cut them short right now, when they can't defend themselves.
«So you want to keep them here, hidden from Asgardians… But the ones who are looking for them are gods, not Italian policemen, they can see them everywhere, I suppose.»
«Theoretically yes, but the energy of Arc reactor, like I had experienced, swerves our powers. Essentially, your house is a blind spot for everyone who is looking for them.»
«What have you find out?» asked while a suspicion began to come forward into his mind.
«I haven't found it out, I'm hoping to be right.» he sighted returning to turn his eyes on his children.
The suspicion disappeared as soon as it had arrived: he didn't use him just to find a shelter for his sons, what there's between them wasn't about that.
«Just tell me one thing: are you going to come and settle here with your sons?»
«I just need a place where I can be sure that my sons won't be killed, Tony, and it coincides with staying with you, so much the better.» he look at him behind his lashes, the eyes quite desperate.
«Are you really waiting for an answer without doing by your way at first?»
He nodded.
He sighted «Probably I will repent soon, but you can stay.»
Loki raised his eyes and smiled, a happy smile to take breath away, and then he pushed Tony against the sofa, kissing him «Thank you.» whispered when they both were short of breath.
Little tip
I'm sorry for all the grammar mistakes, but this is my first translation of my edits, so I'm really sorry, but I think that you can forgive me.
Thank you for the reading