He knew it was too much to hope for, that the peace and serenity would last, when Sif returned within a week.
She tried to put on a good front for Steve when she returned to his embrace. A few hours she sought out Loki, Tony and Thor. They were in what was to be TJ's (it was what Tony had nicknamed the baby) room going over the layout. Loki spotted Sif first. His joyous smile faltered when he saw her grim expression.
"Lady Sif, what a surprise to see you return so soon." Loki tilts his head trying to decipher the type of bad news she bares. "What ails you? Was your voyage to Asgard not a pleasant one?"
Sif stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "My Prince, I'm afraid I do not come baring the gladdest of tidings." This was not good. She had not addressed him as a Prince in ages. The goddess steeled herself for what she was about to say. "Amora has escaped."
"Explain." Thor's voice rumbled.
"It is uncertain if she had help. She went missing roughly four days ago. The warriors Three and I have searched for her to no avail. She has left no trace. Although there is speculation that she is seeking you Loki. To repay old debts."
"Damn. How do you come to know this?" Loki questioned.
"There was rumor that she had been sighted near your chambers. After inspection—Loki she destroyed your quarters." Sif said her voice steady, expression hard, and distress in her eyes.
"Um, question?" Tony raised his hand. "Who is Amora and what type of threat is she?" The three gods remained quiet. "Is this an old fling of yours?"
Loki wrinkled his nose and snorted. "Hardly. She was an ally of sorts. A sorceress hell bent on gaining power at any cost." He paused momentarily. "She also has an unhealthy obsession with Thor."
"Which you encouraged I might add." Thor gave his brother a scathing look.
"We were children. How was I to know she would take it to that extreme?" Loki retorted.
"Ok, so what does this have to do with here and now? And what 'old debt' is Sif talking about?" Tony was starting to lose his cool.
"I may have been responsible for one of her many imprisonments. Thwarting an attempt she made at seducing her way into the royal court of a foreign dignitary. This almost started a war between our two worlds. Needless to say she was not at all pleased with me. Amora and I have history in the means that we used one another to plot and scheme to get what we wanted. She saw my action as the ultimate betrayal. In actuality, the only ones we were ever loyal to were ourselves."
"So why did you turn on her?"
"Her actions did not benefit me and she ultimately would have brought disgrace to Asgard. She attempted to bring me into her plan under the guise that I would gain from it as well. I saw her scheme for what it was, making her intentions less than honorable. Yet she endeavored to drag me into her poorly thought out plot anyway. It earned her a lengthy stay in a hold for quite some time. Although, Amora's last confinement was not my doing, she has never forgiven me for taking her supposed glory." Loki recanted as he rubbed his stomach when both little ones kicked him, gently lulling them back to sleep.
"So how powerful is she?" Tony was thinking that panic room was looking really good right about now.
"She is no match for Loki on his best day." Thor said firmly.
"I sense a 'but' here." Tony quipped and crossed his arms.
"My magic is currently being used to protect the children, which makes me extremely exposed against an attack." Loki resigned still rubbing his swollen belly.
"Does she know about us?" Scenarios and equations began running rampant through his head.
"If she has been in my chambers, odds are she does. Finding us may or may not be easy. She is if nothing else resourceful. Being who you are, it would not be that difficult. Chances are she will bide her time."
"She will more than likely be accompanied by Skurge." Thor grumbled.
"What is a Skurge? I kinda need all the variables if we are going to come up with an effective plan." Tony started typing away at his pad.
"He is her loyal henchman. A massive axe welding brut." Sif filled in.
Tony stopped. "How massive?"
"He could go rounds with Banner." Loki stated.
Tony didn't like that. "Ok, Princess, a lock box for you it is." And quickly exited the room. He needed a drink, now. "Jarvis have the layout of file 'overly protective' ready by the time I hit the lounge."
Yes, Sir.
The three gods shared a look, again.
"That did not go well." Thor murmured.
Loki sighed. "No, it did not, but how did you expect he would react to such news?"
"I thought he handled it quite well." Sif said.
"Jarvis, is Anthony at the bar?" Loki spoke tiredly.
Yes, Sir and is currently on his third drink.
That was quick. "Please remind him that although he gets his best work done when he has had a few, that I rather he not get belligerent."
Yes, Sir.
There was a long pause. "Jarvis?"
Sir?
"What did he say in response?"
I'd rather not say, Sir.
Loki sighed, shook his head and exited the room.
"Where are you going?" Thor's big brother instinct kicked in.
"Go to Jane, Thor. Sif, you to Steve. I am tired. I need to lie down and think." He turned and headed back down the hall. "Jarvis, please have Mr. Stark meet me in our chambers."
Right away, Sir.
The pregnant god lay propped up on a sea of pillows in their oversized bed listening to Tony rant and rave as he paced the floor. He went on for about twenty minutes. Loki let him get it out of his system before he would attempt to calm him down. He needed Tony on the same playing field and the only way to do that would be for him to let Tony's frustrations run its course.
His tirade was one long run on sentence; he needed to protect them—that nothing was ever going to be easy for them—there was always going to be some threat looming on the horizon—that they should have thought this through.
The next sentence, however, Loki was not prepared for and it was as if the rug had been pulled out from under him.
"Why the hell did we think it was a good idea to bring a child into this fucked up world?" Tony immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He closed his eyes cursing silently. Why couldn't he keep his big mouth shut? He opened his eyes in time to see the hurt that rolled like a tempest in his lover's eyes and he knew that he had fucked up in a major way. "Loki—"
The god ignored him slamming the bedroom door behind him. Tony quickly gave chase.
"Loki, honey, I didn't mean it."
Loki was livid. Crossing the living area he heading straight for the front door, not making eye contact with any of the inhabitant in the room.
"Babe, don't do this." Tony implored. "Will you stop?" He yelled when he got no reaction from the god as he flung the door open wide. It banged the wall, rattling picture frames, leaving an imprint of the knob in the wall. Tony threw up his hands. "You just let him leave, J?"
I could say the same to you, Sir.
Glowering at his AI, Tony picked up the pace. Loki had made it half way down the drive. Pregnancy definitely did not slow the god down when he was pissed. "Will you wait, please?"
Tony jogged until he was right behind him, "Where are you going, Loki? You don't even have any shoes on."
The god spun on him quickly. Tony stuttered to a halt and took a few steps back. Obsidian hair whipped around his shoulders and into his face, in his eyes boiled green seas of rage and indignation. "I am going somewhere my child is wanted!" He turned and cut across the yard heading to the bifrost sight Sif had come in on earlier.
"No! Loki, No!" Tony hurried after him. Panic started creeping into his chest. "Please don't leave. God, I didn't mean it! I swear!" Tony tried reaching for him, Loki wrenched his arm away.
"Do not touch me! If you don't want this child, then you don't want me!" The god looked up at the sky and called for Heimdall.
"Loki listen to me, I was upset at the situation not with you. I want this baby." Tony's panic and frustration had him grabbing the god's arm and spinning him around. "You cannot go to Asgard! You know what that will do to them!"
Loki hauled off and slapped Tony. "Do not pretend to care for a child you do not want, Stark. It insults us both." He stormed off back towards the road.
The supposed genius held his cheek, the corner of his lip split. "I deserved that."
"You're damn right!" Loki threw over his shoulder. Tony followed close on his heels. "Do not follow me."
"Will you just listen to me!" Tony paused, his heart in his throat. "I'm sorry Loki." The god stopped in his tracks. "I'm scared okay? I am freaking out because my mind won't stop running through all of the scenarios that could possibly go wrong and they all end with me losing you both."
He watched Loki bow his head and cradle his abdomen. "There are things we didn't consider when we jumped into this thing with Thor. Like what happens if someone comes after the kids in order to get to us? What kind of life are we setting them up for? Especially, given who we are. I'm terrified that I can't take care of you both." Tony drew in a shaky breathe. "What if I end up being a shitty father?"
Loki turned around, eyes riming with unshed tears, holding onto his stomach protectively. The sight made Tony sink to his knees. "Don't leave me Loki." His voice cracked. "Please, don't leave me." His own tears fell from the corners of pleading russet eyes. "Don't take my child from me."
Walking back to him, the god slowly lowered himself to the ground. "You don't regret the decision then?" He says quietly as if afraid to hear the answer.
"Never had a regret about anything, babe." Tony cupped Loki's cheek dragging his thumb under his eye wiping the tears away.
Loki sucked in a shaky breath. "Do not say such things to me again."
"I won't. I wasn't thinking." Tony brought their foreheads together.
"You think too much and have no filter when you do."
The man of iron released a breathy laugh. "I'm so sorry. Forgive me." He pulled back far enough to search those deep pools of green, which seemed to be doing the same; looking for deception, for the lie that wasn't there. They both were one big fucked up mess of insecurities. Sometimes it was easy to forget how fragile the other was.
"Of course you are forgiven. I acted rashly." He gently touched the spot where he struck Tony, brushing his fingers over his cheek and the corner of his lip. Expression changing to disappointment in himself. I am sorry." He whispered before pressing a kiss to the wound he inflicted.
"No worries, babe." He lifted the other corner of his mouth. Brushing Loki's hair out of his face, he laid back on the grass, pulling the god down with him. Loki rested his head on Tony's chest, his fingers idly playing over the arc reactor. Tanned digits carded through long black hair. "Where were you going, anyway?"
"To the grove."
There was a low chuckle that rumbled beneath him that steadily turned into a full blown belly laugh. Loki looked up at Tony with amusement in his eyes trying to hide the smile that threatened to break free.
"That's one hell of a hike, Lok's."
The god smiled at his own foolishness. "I never said it was well thought out." He laid his head back down once Tony calmed himself. There was a comfortable silence that fell between them where they simply enjoyed being close to each other. The sound of the ocean behind them and the gently breeze soothed them from their frazzled state. Loki spoke softly, almost not wanting to ruin the serenity that surrounded them.
"You are not your father, Anthony. You have nothing to worry about."
Tony thought over his words as if it was the first time he had ever heard them. He knew he wasn't Howard. He knew what he had to do to be better than him. It just took hearing the words from his god to make him realize how true they were. "Yeah, I know."
"Good. Do not forget it."
The three boys stood on the steps leading into the mansion as they watched the two lovers canoodle on the front lawn. They had seen everything and was honestly concerned for the both of them. They were a family now. The boys had made a pact that they would do whatever it took to keep them together as a unit. Assessing the situation quickly, they decided they didn't need to use their action plan.
Fenrir spoke softly to Slepnir, who still had his eagle eyes on the couple. Face still pulled in worry. "So they are ok, right?"
Slepnir placed his hand on Fenrir's shoulder. "Yes, little brother, they are fine. No need for concern." Though the steed's eyes still held a hint of apprehension.
The wolf turned up blue skeptical eyes, "You need to work on your lying skills. That was horrible."
Jormungandr snorted a laugh as Slepnir glanced down and gave a lopsided grin. "Didn't buy it, huh?"
"It lacked conviction, brother." The wolf crossed his arms. "You could never convince me otherwise."
Fenrir jumped off the stairs shifting into his natural form and began stalking the unsuspecting lovers. Slepnir began to protest as the wolf slinked along the edges of the yard, creeping behind the bushes towards the couple canoodling on the grass. Jormungandr put his arm across the steed stopping him when it seemed like he would follow after.
Loki's eldest smirked. "Let him have his fun." The brothers watched and laughed heartily as their baby brother belly crawled, stopping ever so often when it seemed he might be discovered. The great wolf leapt into action as he grew close enough for his attack not to be thwarted.
There was no time for the couple to react before the wolf was hovering over them giving them a slobbery tongue bath. Arms and legs flailed as they frantically tried to get away or cover their faces. They laughing hysterically as Fenrir pinned them both trapping them in place. The drool fest continued until the wolf was satisfied that both parties had been thoroughly slobbered upon.
Loki wiped his face on his sleeve still laughing. "That was a sneaky attack, my boy. Well played."
Fenrir howled playfully and reverted back to his human form. As soon as he did, Tony sprinted to his feet and began chasing after the boy. Catching him, he tackled him gently to the ground before sitting over him and tickling his sides. Fenrir's screams and laughter echoed around the yard. A lighter note on what would be a dark day.
AN: and the plot thickens.. sorry it took so long to update.. computer issues. Anywho, let me know what you think..besitos! ~sbed
