A/N: I am so sorry about the wait. My life kinda went to shit two Saturdays ago and I was in no position to post anything or even think of fanfic beyond "well, not being able to write is another thing that's going terribly". But anyway, my life seems to be getting back on track, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thank you all for the reviews/favourites/follows, you make this story a joy to write :)

28/03/2018

Chapter Twelve - Lunch

"Good morning, Mr Odinson," Loki heard Jarvis say as his eyes blinked open. "It's currently 5.22 am. The weather in Malibu is 59 degrees with scattered clouds…"

Loki closed his eyes and wondered if he could get back to sleep again. He thought he could. His brain still felt fuzzy. So Loki settled back down to sleep. He was still tired and there were hours left before anyone would be up, at least that's what they had told him the evening before.

The evening before.

He had 'freaked out' and embarrassed himself in front of all of them. Not only had he failed to understand their culture he had panicked and collapsed into his host's arms. They would never accept him now. A bolt of self-loathing surged through him and Loki curled up into a ball, head in his hands. Oh, what had he done? Would it be better to leave now, or would they tolerate him because of his knowledge? It would be safer to stay here after all, probably, and it wasn't as if he couldn't cope living somewhere where he was hated.

"Mr Odinson?" Jarvis's concerned voice floated down from the ceiling. "If I might advise you not to panic, there is nothing to worry about here,"

"Isn't there?" Loki asked, semi-hysterically, before apologising profusely. It wouldn't do for the AI to report back to Tony on his terrible manners after everything else.

"Of course not," Jarvis replied, as calmly as ever. "If I might, since your attack last night I have found several anxiety reducing techniques that might work. It would be advisable to try them, even if, like Sir, you completely ignore me in favour of less healthy coping mechanisms,"

Loki briefly wondered what Tony would panic about before brushing the thought aside and nodding. Together with Jarvis he listed off 5 things that he could see (the sofa, the blanket that someone had covered him with, the TV, the sea, the leftover takeout), 4 things he could feel (the blanket, the sofa, his hair brushing his face, and the breeze from what Jarvis told him was air conditioning), 3 things he could hear (Jarvis's voice, his own breathing, and the sea once Jarvis had opened a window), 2 things he could smell (something floral – air freshener apparently, and the takeout on the coffee table) and one thing he could taste (Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust when he realised this was just the taste of long ago eaten food). When he had done this a good number of times, interspersed with breathing in time with Jarvis's commands, he was surprised to find that he did feel a lot calmer. Not completely fine, granted, but better than before.

"Thank you, Jarvis," Loki said.

"You're very welcome," Jarvis replied. "Would you like to talk about what was bothering you?"

"I am not sure," Loki muttered, looking down and twisting his fingers together.

"Studies show that sharing your worries help to reduce levels of stress and anxiety,"

"Okay," Loki said after a few moments, and took a deep breath to steady himself. "I am worried that they will dislike me after my outburst earlier, especially Tony,"

"If I may Mr Odinson, they showed nothing but concern for your wellbeing last night, and didn't seem angry with you at all… You don't seem to believe me but I would just like to point out that Sir found a blanket last night and draped it over you to prevent you getting cold, and Ms Lewis refilled a glass of water in case you were thirsty,"

Loki frowned at this revelation. It was true though, the blanket hadn't been there before, and the glass certainly hadn't been full.

"They were angry at me though, when I couldn't understand why they would like or defend Harry Potter," Loki pointed out quietly.

"I think they were more confused as to why you thought he deserved to be disliked, and angry at those who had made you think like that,"

Loki bit his lip. "But I still don't understand why they would think that is wrong."

"Perhaps you would like to read the book, that might help you to see things from Harry's perspective," Jarvis suggested after a pause. "I am not sure what I could say that doesn't repeat what they said last night,"

Loki nodded.

"Very well," Jarvis replied. "I have uploaded the first book onto the tablet on the coffee table. Please do ask me if you have any questions,"

Tentatively, Loki picked up the tablet and snuggled back on the sofa under the blanket. He began to read, the letters translating through the Allspeak as he scrolled slowly down the page.

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

-M-

He had finished the first book (he enjoyed it much more than the film, and he thought he understood where the others had been coming from) and was onto the second before anyone disturbed him. His mind raged at the injustice as Harry was locked away, and for what, because a house elf had used magic, it hadn't really been Harry! He frowned as he realised that Odin would have done exactly the same, had done the same in somewhat similar situations. And that would mean that Odin hadn't been right. But he couldn't think like that, not agreeing with Odin's decisions just caused unnecessary torment.

Someone coughed behind him. Loki jumped and twisted his head around to see Erik, standing awkwardly in the archway to the kitchen in his pyjamas.

"Do you know if Stark keeps any food apart from energy bars and coffee in?" he asked, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Loki swallowed. "I am not sure," he said quietly, trying to appear as unthreatening and untricksterish as possible. "Perhaps you should ask Jarvis?"

"Sir does not usually eat proper meals, not unless Miss Potts is around," Jarvis said, managing to sound airily disapproving.

"Do you think he'd mind if I got some delivered?"

"It is doubtful that he would,"

"Fantastic," Erik said and made his way over to the opposite end of the sofa and sat down. Loki stared at him in confusion. Erik (who was in the process of using another tablet) could easily have used a different room and yet here he was, sharing the same space as Loki and not even stopping to glare at him. What was his purpose? Was it to make him uncomfortable? Was he trying to be nice?

"Loki," Erik said after some minutes. There came an awkward pause as Erik looked like he was struggling for words. "Do you like green beans?" he eventually finished. Loki doubted that that had been his intended question.

"I have no idea," he replied truthfully. Erik nodded and went back to flicking through his tablet.

It took some time for Loki to be able to get back into the story. He rejoiced as Ron and his brothers rescued Harry and he found a home at the burrow, experienced Harry's revulsion of Lockhart, and felt anxiety grip him when Harry and Ron were unable to get onto platform 9¾.

"Dr Selvig, the delivery has arrived," Jarvis interrupted as Ron started the flying car.

"Help me with the bags will you Loki?" Erik asked and Loki reluctantly put the tablet down, following him through to the front door to collect the bags of shopping and take them through to the kitchen. With Jarvis's help they sorted the food away, during which Erik snacked on a random variety of foods and encouraged Loki to do the same. Loki politely declined, unable to escape the fear that came with taking food that wasn't his, despite Jarvis's assurances that Tony had more money than he knew what to do with. The palace had had more money than they knew what to do with, that hadn't stopped Odin's anger. Loki did understand that Tony was unlikely to react in the way Odin would have done, but that only went so far in counteracting his anxiety.

Right on cue Tony stumbled into the kitchen. "Jarvis, coffee," he ordered and immediately one of the machines on the side began to whir. "Huh, you've been shopping, nice, been meaning to do that,"

And with this Tony slumped down at the table, his head in his hands, and groaned. "It's too early,"

"Sir, it's 12.17 pm,"

"Ugh, you know what I mean J… so breakfast, lunch, what are we having?" he asked.

"I was thinking I'd make some sandwiches," Erik replied.

"Sounds good, I'm good with anything inside them, wake me when you're done," Tony replied.

Loki let out a sigh of relief, it seemed Tony was okay with them buying food off of his account and eating it, everything was okay.

Loki nibbled on what Erik said were blueberries as he helped Erik to prepare sandwiches. He felt instantly happier as he tasted the sweetness of the fruit on his tongue and he found himself feeling more energetic.

Jane entered the kitchen, fully dressed and looking fairly awake, just as they were about to sit down at the table.

"Morning," Erik greeted. "Is Darcy not up yet?"

Jane shook her head. "Still snoring when I looked in on her five minutes ago,"

"Miss Lewis only fell asleep 3 hours and 43 minutes ago, having spent most of the night plotting, I quote, 'sweet, sweet revenge'," Jarvis informed them drily.

"Understandable," Tony commented, taking a gulp of his coffee.

"Revenge against whom?" Loki asked hesitantly, and watched warily as the others looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Loki," Erik said, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you earlier in the week. The others helped me see that I was wrong for jumping to conclusions,"

"So, who is Darcy getting revenge on?" Loki demanded, a serious edge in his voice.

"I'm guessing a lot of people in Asgard," Tony said nonchalantly and Loki's gaze snapped to him.

"Why would she do that?" he demanded, panic rising in his voice. "Surely she knows she would never stand a chance against the might of Asgard. And why would she want to take revenge in the first place?"

"People were pretty horrible to you in the myths," Jane said quietly. "Now obviously we don't know how truthful they are, but some of the stuff people did to you was horrific,"

"You would defend me?" Loki breathed, making a sound that he wasn't quite sure whether it was a laugh or a sob. They thought people had done horrific things to him. Why?

"Yes," Tony said without a second's hesitation, and Loki stared at him, wide eyed, feeling a sense of rushing gratitude that couldn't be taken away even with the sense of wrongness he felt at someone thinking that he was in the right. Mortals, for some strange reason, stuck up for people like he and Harry. Though he now agreed that maybe Harry shouldn't have been treated as he was, he couldn't say the same for himself.

"Is it okay if we ask you some questions about the myths?" Tony asked and Loki took in a deep breath.

"I suppose," he agreed and Tony shot him a smile that made Loki feel warm inside.

"Did the dwarves really sew your mouth shut?" Tony blurted out and Jane let out a groan that sounded like 'tact' and her head fell into her hands.

Loki laughed, and here he had been thinking that the Midgardians had something real. "No, that was just a story about a trickster that I told to…" he cut off. He couldn't think about Sleipnir. He knew that there was a chance that Frigga might be able to rescue his son, but equally he was faced with the possibility of never seeing him again.

"To who?" Erik asked and Loki took a deep breath? Could he tell them the truth? He supposed he had better, if Frigga was going to be able to get Sleipnir down to Midgard as she promised it was probably best they were forewarned.

"To my son, Sleipnir,"

He watched as their expressions all turned into those of horror, and he slumped down in his chair, unable to look at them anymore. Of course, of course they'd know what a monster his son was. How exactly mortals knew anything was something that needed to be investigated, but that was hardly the problem at the moment.

"It was shitty of them to say that it was your fault and make you find a way to deal with the builder," Tony declared and Loki looked up at them in surprise. Yes, Freyja's actions had been 'shitty', but it had been a long time since he had thought that way, usually he just cursed himself for not having better control over his magic, cursed himself for condemning Sleipnir to such a life.

"But…" Erik said cautiously. "Did you really turn yourself into a horse to distract Svadilfari?"

Loki bit his tongue, trying to force down the memories of the builder's magic holding him in place, the agony of being a horse and the fear of knowing what was coming but being completely paralysed and unable to stop it. Five things you can see… he told himself, trying to focus on his breathing.

"I didn't turn myself into a mare," he said shakily, looking away, four things you can feel… "Bjarke… he wanted more horses…so he…turned me into a mare and… then he made Svadilfari…" he gave a choking sound, unable to finish the sentence, trying to calm the rushing in his head. Suddenly arms wrapped gently around him, and Loki could smell the slight aroma of sweat and burning and the much stronger one of what he had learned to be engine grease.

"….it's okay, you're here with us….you're safe…" he could hear Tony muttering meaningless platitudes, but they helped, and he hugged Tony back, almost clinging to him for dear life, as he tried to control his breathing and focus on the present.

"I'm sorry," Erik said when Loki seemed to have calmed down a bit, he had mostly let go of Tony now.

"It's okay," Loki whispered.

"But oh that's so much worse than the myths," Jane said. "Can you not see why Darcy wants revenge?"

Loki frowned. His failure to fight Bjarke's curse was hardly Darcy's problem, besides, both Bjarke and Svadilfari were dead now.

"Is Sleipnir okay?" Erik asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," Loki replied bitterly. "He was the last time I saw him, but one can only be so happy trapped in the form of a horse,"

"Does Odin actually ride him into battle?" Tony asked and Loki nodded miserably, remembering each time that Odin had ridden him off to fight. Thankfully this had become less frequent as he and Thor had grown and Odin had aged, but each time he had found out what Odin had planned he had felt an immobilising fear for his son's life.

"We have to rescue him." Tony declared and Loki's gaze shot to his.

"You would really do that?" he asked. "Despite the fact that he is an eight-legged monster,"

"Hey, don't you ever call your son that!" Tony said, suddenly angry, and Loki drew back, eyes wide. "How could you think that about your own child?"

"I don't think that!" Loki protested, hoping that Tony would forgive him and that his unexpected fury would abate. "Odin thinks that! He is my son and I love him."

Tony studied him for a moment. "Good," he said. "You have to stop listening to Odin's bullshit,"

Loki gave him a weak smile. "So my mother says. She says she will try to rescue Sleipnir soon too, so I hope you do not mind an eight-legged horse in your house. It would only be for a short amount of time until we found somewhere to hide,"

"We would be delighted to welcome him, and you don't have to leave! What does he eat? Hay? Carrots? Can he still do science?"

Loki laughed, and for once it didn't feel hollow. "Yes, he does. And I am sure he will delight at the chance of doing science, he did always love my stories of magic," he grew quiet for a moment. "Do you know of my other children: Hela, Fenrir and Jormungandr?"

"Sure do,"

"Would you be willing to welcome them here too…if mother can find where he has hidden them?"

"Course," Tony replied and Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You know what they are?"

"A snake, a wolf, and the goddess of death," Tony said nonchalantly. "Well, you can't say that the mansion isn't going to get interesting,"

Loki shook his head in wonder. "Odin says that my children are fated to cause Ragnarok,"

"Odin's a dick," Tony said bluntly.

Loki knew somewhere in the back of his mind that it was wrong to speak of Odin in such a way, but as he looked at Tony he felt hope for the future as he hadn't known in a long time, and he couldn't help but feel blissfully happy.

So, I hope everyone enjoyed that!

Next up, what I originally promised would be in this chapter: Angrboda Part II (enter: Hela, Fenrir and Jormungandr) and Frigga tries to control the diplomatic situation and convince Thor to help her.