A/N: Sorry for the wait! There were several family emergencies that kept me a constant visitor to the hospital over the past three weeks! I shall try to make a buffer of all my stories as Wednesday the 8th I'll be flying to Orlando for my best friends wedding! But that's the future, here's another chapter!
For the record, Leo = 27 Zoe and Antoinette = 24. Loki looks barely aged and Tony has kept a few grey hairs to look 'dashing', but lets his demi-god status keep him young.
I don't own The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And my amazing collaborator KairacahraFlower Goddess owns his ideas that he's letting me use. :D
"What?" Leo turned suddenly to look at Loki and Thor. "I'm sorry, I think I may have just misheard you." At 27 Leo looked like an exact, though younger, version of Loki with Tony's eyes. He still stood several inches shorter than his Dad and Uncle, and his sisters teased him relentlessly for it.
"You presence as a Prince of Asgard, and heir to Jotunheim is being requested," Loki repeated dully, even though Thor was beaming behind him.
"Um, no?" Leo raised his eyebrows a little then started to walk back towards the kitchen. "I'm about to start my classes for my dissertation after Finals, and I'd rather not put them off." Loki didn't mention that he had put them off a year ago so Leo could obtain a second Master's degree. He didn't want to run Stark Industries and left that up to one of his sisters. He had instead opted to be a History, and Mythology Professor.
"It is not your father that is requesting your presence," Thor spoke up. They knew that Leo didn't like the titles that followed him off of Misgard, but being the oldest it would follow him regardless. Zoe and Tonya though loved being Princesses. "The Allfather, the King of Alfheim, and three other realms are requesting this."
"You mean they're demanding that I be there," Leo glanced over his shoulder. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think this was you still trying to get revenge on me for what I said twenty years ago." Leo looked at Loki who didn't even try to hide his smirk. "I was merely pointing out that you Could be King of Jotunheim, not that you Should."
"You say that now that you're actually being called upon to perform royal duties," Loki said calmly. "I'm disinclined to give much sympathy since that has been most of my life."
"I have classes to teach though!" Leo turned as they walked into the kitchen.
"Actually, no you don't, not for another six months," Loki pointed out. "You asked for the semester off so you could pursue your doctorate."
"What is he trying to weasel out of now?" Zoe suddenly wrapped her arms around Leo's shoulder and leaned her head on top of Leo's. She easily flashed Tony's trademark smile as her green eyes lit up. Her brown hair was short and spiked in the back while her front bangs hung down past her chin. She was very much a feminine Tony Stark.
Tony had never had to chase off so many guys when she was in High School. He hated it.
"None of your business," Leo slipped out from her arms and moved to get some coffee. "Don't you have a party to be getting ready for? Looking through clothes to wear, you know, girl stu- ow!" He rubbed the back of his head from where Zoe's hand had landed.[
"He is being called upon in a royal capacity," Thor explained shortly and Zoe turned a sly grin to her brother. Leo sent her a cold glare.
"The annual peace talks are about to commence," Loki filled in. "Treaties and the like shall be discussed and alliances shall be enforced."
"All representatives and monarchs are required to attend, and this time they are requesting your brothers attendance," Thor added.
"That would explain why you and Dad have to go," Zoe said to her Uncle as she circled Leo. She knew he loathed having a royal title so well known throughout Eight of the Nine Realms. He didn't even like when his students were formal with him so he dressed very casually to his clothes. He didn't like to flaunt authority. "Does Daddy know?"
"I have told him several times, whether he has chosen to listen to me is a completely different matter on its own," Loki rolled his wrist a little. "He shall certainly notice when he is sleeping alone suddenly. Be prepared for the onslaught of questions."
"There's another point," Leo turned to point at Zoe, looking at Loki. "I can't very well leave these two twin menaces with Dad! There will be no Tower, or Mansion when we get back! It'll be a miracle if Stark Industries is still standing. Ow!" He winced a little when Zoe hit his arm. He scowled when Zoe stole his cup and walked away.
"I shall leave this argument to you, brother. There is still much to prepare back home," Thor said to Loki, who merely rolled his eyes. "I shall see you later tonight." He smiled and looked pointedly at Leo before leaving the room.
"What is the other reason that you do not wish to go?" Loki eyed his son as Zoe took a seat at the island. Leo was pouring himself another cup of coffee. "I know it is not just because you don't like your title of Prince. You have never truly embraced it, but you have come to live with it."
"Sure, when Grandmother has asked. No one can say no to her." Loki didn't say anything. There was no argument there.
"He doesn't want to leave his girlfriend," Zoe supplied and Leo looked her way, the room dropping in temperature slightly as he glared at her. "Were you going to be like Uncle Bruce and hide her from everyone?"
"For as long as possible," Leo hissed out.
"I'm utterly surprised you managed to keep it hidden this long," Zoe snorted, taking a drink from her mug.
Loki's eyebrows had drawn up a little as he smiled. "Ah, I had wondered about that actually. I was aware that it was not always school work that kept him late at the University, but I had yet to deduce why."
"From what Tonya could find out, she used to be one of his students, but they obviously couldn't show any interest until after she had taken his class," Zoe turned to Loki. Loki was almost as big of a gossip as his two Midgardian daughters. No one was surprised.
"Tonya was spying on me!" Leo's eyes had widened a little. "I understand there is no real privacy in this twisted family, but I was hoping for a tiny bit of it when I was at work."
"That is the last place you should be looking for privacy, kiddo," Tony said through a yawn as he walked into the room. "What are we talking about now?"
"Dad's trying to get me to go with him on some peace talks," Leo said before they could talk about his love life again.
"Peace talks?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "I thought those weren't for a couple more months."
"So you were listening," Loki mused out loud.
"I do have the capacity to listen," Tony shot back. "I thought you guys were talking about his girlfriend." Leo groaned a little and Tony smirked. "I know where she works." Leo shot Tony a look.
"Have you been keeping secrets from me?" Loki purred in Tony's ear. "That's not very nice, darling." The two kids in the room shivered a little and looked away from their parents affections.
Tony smirked and stole a kiss from Loki before backing away. "I was sworn to secrecy." He practically danced away from his partner and over to the mug that Leo had just poured for him. "Although now that's it clear that everyone else knows about her-"
"I'm going to visit Fenrir," Leo grumbled and put his mug in the sink. "At least with him I know I won't be pestered."
"I will need an answer soon," Loki said quickly before Leo disappeared from the kitchen. He let out a frustrated growl.
"You just don't wanna go alone," Zoe said to Loki, smirking. Loki narrowed his eyes slightly at her. "So where's Tonya? Won't be gossip time until she gets here."
"She was on a conference call with some Japanese companies," Tony yawned and leaned against the counter. Antoinette Stark had taken more of an interest in the workings of their Father's company when she was a teenager and had worked herself into the inner workings. Along with her intense interest in language she had quickly become the Foreign Affairs Officer much to the pride of Tony. "If she's still on it I'll be worried, it's pretty late over there."
"She's probably sleeping off some sake shots they talked her into doing," Zoe snorted a little.
"Yes, she is exactly like her Dad," Loki smirked a little.
Leo dropped on his back between Fenrir's arm and body, the black fur covering his body and hiding him from view. Fenrir snorted a little and rolled his eyes. 'Why don't you tell them that you and Brooke are no longer together?'
"I didn't want them to know that there was a Brooke at all," Leo groaned under the fur. "If I can keep it from my family, then I can keep it from any nosy press mongers."
'I think that going to these diplomatic talks will be good for you. You should go.' Leo's face popped up and he looked at his brother. 'It will help you get your mind off of the girl.'
"And cement my status as a future ruling monarch. I want nothing to do with these titles," Leo flopped back down.
'I do believe that was no longer an option twenty years ago,' Fenrir pointed out. Leo knew he was right. After the run in the black elves in Asgard, and his own unintentional push for his Father to return to Jotunheim. Leo idly wondered if this was how Tony felt sometimes.
Leo sighed loudly. "You're not supposed to be the voice of reason when I come here," Leo told the, probably, smirking wolf.
'Well, you didn't come here with any papers to grade for your students, so I couldn't correct you on those,' Leo could hear the smirk.
"Damn you," Leo muttered and moved his hands behind his head. He sighed a little and closed his eyes as he deflated against the wolf's body. "I didn't even tell Dad that we broke up, even though I'm surprised he kept it a secret for this long."
'I know very little about Midgardian culture, except for what I've been taught from you and Tony,' Fenrir admitted.
"Do you ever wonder what would happen if you could come back?" Leo asked casually. "I mean, like back to the mansion, to the city, if your curse was broken?"
'No,' Fenrir answered quickly. Leo knew that his half-brother didn't like to talk about his situation, but he kept pushing the topic year after year. He had told no one that he was studying it, trying to break his way through the magic with his own. 'It does me no good will to dwell on such a topic that shall never pass.'
Leo bit his lip and nodded a little, turning on his side.