Refr seems all too happy to be left with Clint and Natasha as Tony and Bruce head upstairs. Tony reminds himself that he should be worrying about Loki, and not his jealousy of Clint at the moment.

"Shall I inform Mr. Odinson of the situation?" JARVIS asks as the elevator moves upwards.

"Let's see what's going on first," Tony says. Having a worried Thor crashing around the floor doesn't really sound like a good idea right now. Bruce gives him a look that lets Tony know he had the same thought.

When the doors open the floor seems normal. There's no eerie silence, no darkened lights. Tony thinks he might feel better if there were. At least that way it would be obvious something is wrong.

Loki is lying on the bed, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She simply looks as if she is taking a nap. She isn't even under the covers. (And how someone takes a nap without curling up under the covers Tony just doesn't know.) Bruce goes to her side and places a hand on her shoulder. He shakes Loki and says her name softly. No response. He repeats the action with a little more force only to receive the same result.

Bruce sighs as he removes his hand. "I can go get my med kit, but according to Thor she's not technically human so I don't know how helpful it'll be."

Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Might as well try. Don't have a lot of time though. Thor will be suspicious when he sees who is missing from dinner."

"It might be better to ask him. I can't imagine it will go over well if he has to find out on his own."

Tony groans, because he knows Bruce is right. "Fine. You go get the kit. JARVIS," he calls up to the A.I., "tell the big guy to get up here."

"Right away, sir."

Less than five minutes later Thor is crashing into the room, exactly how Tony had imagined he would. "What has happened to my sister?" He is beside Loki's bed surprisingly fast for someone so large. "Your voice would not tell me."

"We don't know. She won't wake up. Bruce went to get his kit, but we thought you might know."

Thor looks at his sister with those large heartbreaking eyes. He shakes his head and Tony feels his heart drop. He didn't realize just how much he had been hoping Thor would have the answer.

"It looks like the Odinsleep," Thor says softly. Well, as soft as Thor gets. It sounds more like distant thunder. "But I sense no healing."

"Why does your father need to go into the Odinsleep, Thor?" Tony jumps slightly as Bruce passes him. The guy can be scarily silent when he wants to be.

"He recovers the powers of the Odinforce during the Odinsleep."

"Loki doesn't have any powers to recover anymore," Tony reminds them.

Thor shakes his head. "Nor has she ever needed such healing before. Sometimes when a sorcerer exhausts their abilities they fall unconscious. But this feels…different." He watches Bruce critically as the doctor listens to Loki's heartbeat. "Mother would most likely know, but I doubt I will be allowed to return with the information if I set food within Asgard again so soon."

"Sounds like there's a story there, Point Break."

Thor sighs. "Father and I fought before I left. It was only because mother discovered me studying Loki's books of magic, trying to understand how she traveled between realms without aid of the Bifrost, and intervened with father that I was allowed to return to Midgard. I am not certain that the Bifrost would be open to me once more if I returned."

Tony knows he shouldn't say it, but he does anyways. "Your father's a dick."

Thor's jaw tightens and he glares at Tony, but otherwise does not respond, which means it is silent as Bruce checks over Loki.

"It just looks like she is sleeping," Bruce finally says. He runs his hand through his hair and Tony thinks maybe they've been working together too much. "There are some other tests I could run, but with her not being human I don't know how effective they'll be. We might just have to wait for her condition to change before we can know anything else."

"You can do nothing else for her?"

Bruce sighs again. "I'll do everything I can for her."

Thor nods and disappears. He returns a moment later with one of the kitchen chairs, placing it beside the bed. It is obvious that he means to sit vigil beside her. Tony and Bruce aren't about to try and dissuade him.

Bruce pulls Tony away from Thor and the bed. He whispers in a soft voice, "You're going to have to watch Refr while Loki is out. It might be a good idea to get some formula. I have no idea how long it will take her to wake up." Bruce doesn't add what they both fear: that Loki might not wake up at all.

Tony nods but his mind is already racing. Formula; usually he'd call Pepper and have her take care of it. Pepper, that's still an open wound. And Refr, Tony's starting to panic. Sure he has watched over Refr when Loki wasn't there, but this is different. He can't go running to her if something goes wrong, especially if that something is magical in nature. There hadn't been any large magical outburst from Refr since Christmas, but there were little things such as Bruce's tea suddenly going cold, or Natasha waking up blond. But Loki is the one who dealt with that, not Tony.

"Tony." Bruce places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard enough to bring Tony back to reality. "It'll be okay. We'll be here to help you."

"Yeah," Tony mutters, still somewhat out of it. "Yeah, it'll be okay. I can do this. No problem." He doesn't even sound convincing to himself.

/

"Are you having a staring contest with a baby?"

"Huh?" Tony blinks up at Clint. Refr lets out what passes for an indigent squeal when Tony lets go of his foot. Up until then Tony had been playing with Refr while the baby lay in his carrier. "No," the inventor says as he claps Refr's hands together. The baby is back to gurgling happily at the attention. "I was just thinking."

"Do I want to ask?" Clint grabs an apple and leans against the kitchen counter.

Tony suddenly stands up, the look on his face making Clint immediately wary. "Stay here. I'll be back in a minute." Tony leaves Clint in the kitchen, picking up Refr's carrier before he goes.

Clint is still debating if he should flee when Tony returns ten minutes later. He has Refr tucked in one arm, the travel suit in his other hand. Father and son are both wrapped up in winter garb. "Get your coat, Robin Hood. We're going out."

"…What?"

"Don't give me that look. Come on, chop chop, wasting daylight." Tony adjusts the wool hat on Refr's head, making sure it is covering his ears.

Clint sighs but pushes himself off the counter. "Do I need my bow?"

"Ehh, I would say no. You'd probably end up scaring people," Tony says as they walk toward the elevator.

"And where are we going?" Clint grabs his coat from the front closet hidden behind a wood panel. ("It's only there because Pepper made me put it there.") Refr holds his hat for him, but refuses to give it back. The infant snuggles up with it against Tony's shoulder.

"Grocery store. Need to get some more formula."

If Cling wasn't already standing still as the elevator moved downward he would have stopped mid-step. "And you're taking Refr and myself with you why?"

"I'm taking Refr because no one knows I have an heir now, and wow, that sounds archaic. Anyways, I'm taking you in case something happens."

Clint doesn't respond until the doors open and they are heading for the front door. "You're lucky Loki is still unconscious. She'd kill you for this."

Tony ignores the stares they are already receiving. "Which is why I'm going this while she's unconscious."

/

"I have no idea what I'm looking at here."

"What makes you think I would know?"

"I wasn't asking you, just stating."

"Well when you state like that it sounds like a question."

"But it wasn't in the form of a question."

"It was implied."

"No, it was not."

Clint sighs dramatically, throwing his head back as if this is the most distressing situation he has even been in. (He's at least putting it in his top five.) "Would you just choose one? I mean, does he even need formula anymore? Can you start feeding him those mashed up vegetables yet?"

Tony contemplates that for a moment, looking between Refr still tucked in his arms and the shelves of baby food. "I don't think so," he finally says slowly. "He's only a month old. Don't they usually take longer to, I don't know, eat other things?"

Clint raises his eyebrows in a silent, 'I can't believe you're asking me. I thought your kid was a bomb the first time I held him.'

"Are you Iron Man?"

Both men turn toward the small voice. A little boy, maybe five or six, swinging around a mini Mjolnir had run up to them. Tony turns on his Stark charm. "Yes I am."

"Is that your baby?" Before Tony can answer the boy rushes on. "My mom said you probably cracked, whatever that means, and stole a baby. Did you steal a baby?"

Even Refr looks at him questioningly, and how a baby pulls that off Tony is sure he'll never know. Behind him Clint is laughing so hard he has doubled over. "Nope. This one is all mine. He's got my eyes. See?" Tony tickles Refr's chin and the baby squeals in glee.

The little boy grins before turning around and yelling down the aisle, "Mom, it's okay! It's his baby after all!"

The woman had been hurrying toward them, breathing heavily as she cased her child. "Travis! You can't just run off like that!"

"But it's Iron Man, mom! And he didn't steal the baby!"

The woman blushes a deep red and grabs onto her son's hand. "I am so sorry," she says to Tony.

Tony shrugs. "Hey, it's not every day you see me with a kid. Although…" He looks toward the shelves again. "You wouldn't be able to help me, would you?" He hears Clint make a gagging noise as he turns up the charm another level. Tony ignores it, mentally smirking as the woman blush reddens ever further. "I'm usually not the one who does this so I have no idea what I'm doing here." He waves one hand carelessly to the formula.

"Oh, oh of course!" She asks Tony a few questions, switching which hand holds onto her son as he tries to wonder off again. Eventually she is able to point out a few formulas suitable for Refr. (Meanwhile Refr amuses himself by playing with the pompom on Clint's hat.)

Tony then thanks the woman, and both he and Clint sign the mini Mjolnir for Travis. When they check out Clint adds a chocolate bar to the order, his demanded reward for accompanying Tony. Tony just rolls his eyes as he hands the cashier a hundred, walking off without his change.

And then the press finally catches up to them. They are immediately swarmed by five reports, three photographers, and a camera man. Clint shifts nervously at the attention, but Tony gives them all a bright smile. Refr stares at the flashing lights in shock before grinning, taking to the cameras like only a son of Tony Stark could.

"Mr. Stark, is that your son?" The reporters are all attempting to talk over each other, but they all ask the same question.

Tony laughs, Refr mimicking him after a moment. "Of course he is! Don't tell me you all thought I stole a kid?"

The reports all laugh good naturedly before the more diverse questions start.

"Mr. Stark, how old is he?"

"What his name?"

"Will he inherit your company?"

"Is Hawkeye your partner? Did you two decide to raise a child together?"

"WHAT!"

That one gets his attention, and apparently, Clint's. "Oh darling," Tony brushes the back of his hand against Clint's cheek, sending the archer reeling backwards. "There's no need to be ashamed."

Clint makes an absolutely disgusted noise. "If I was gay, Stark, I could do much better than you."

"Really?" Tony raises a questioning eyebrow. "Who? Who would take care of you like I would, baby?"

Clint opens his mouth to answer before it snaps shut again.

Tony grins and turns back to the reports. "And now that I have mentally scared my teammate. Firstly, his name is Refr. He's a month old," Tony rattled off, ignoring the question about Refr's inheritance. Of course his son would get his company, but he wasn't about to make Refr even more of a target than he already was. "And Hawkeye is more the favored uncle that you're scared will corrupt your child. No, wait, he's the favored uncle you are sure will corrupt your child."

"Hey!"

Tony's phone suddenly blast Welcome to the Jungle. He doesn't even hesitate to answer it. Guns n Roses is the ringtone he has set up for JARVIS, and JARVIS only calls him when it is something important. "Yes, dear?"

"Sir, Miss Liesmith has awoken. She is asking for Refr."

"Right." Tony hangs up and turns to the reports. "If you will all excuse us, mommy is getting impatient."

Clint swears softly and Refr laughs.

/

Clint would totally wear a hat with a pompom on it.