(A/N: Holy crikey look at me updating this thing! I'm so awesome. Yeah. Anyway, same disclaimers apply and you all should know them by now. And now, I think we should get on with the show.)

Hands in Mine

Part 14

Tony rubbed his palm against his stomach, the slight swell that was his child already noticeable at 11 weeks. The planning and plotting that had been endless since Fury had returned to their lives in a positive sense was starting to take place without him. The team was talking around him, switching to different topics when he was present. And he knew why. The baby. He was a liability to the team when Odin could target him so easily, potentially harming his unborn child.

That didn't mean he was happy about it. Even if he couldn't participate, he was perfectly able to contribute. They didn't need to leave him out; he thought and wiped sudden tears from his eyes, swallowing against the tightness in his throat. Being painfully emotional was getting to be embarrassing, and he hadn't even been caught at it yet.

"You okay, bub?" Logan's voice was gruff as always, but like a white-hot trigger running straight to Tony's tear ducts. The inventor sobbed despite his attempts to contain it and curled his arms around his stomach.

He didn't expect to feel the other man's arms sliding around him, pulling him in for an embrace. But he welcomed it, twisting his hands into Logan's shirt and pressing his face into the other man's shoulder. He hated the way he felt, but he didn't know how to stop it.

"My body isn't designed to handle these kinds of hormone fluctuations. I didn't account for them, and oh god…" he broke off into broken sobs and pressed into the warmth of the other man, delighting in the sensation of Logan's hands in his hair and against his back.

"Hey, you're fine, it's okay. Not a damn person in this house gonna judge you for it," Logan offered gently, rubbing Tony's back in soothing circles. The Wolverine had long suspected that Tony needed physical contact as much as Loki did, just given the scent of desperation that came off of him at odd times. But it hadn't prepared him for the way that Tony clutched at him, practically trying to crawl inside of him.

Logan carefully maneuvered Tony over to the sofa nearest to the windows, figuring that Tony needed to sit more than he needed to stare out at the clouds. He pulled the inventor down into his lap and cuddled him close, tucking him into a ball and rocking him gently. After dealing with Loki's pregnancy, he understood a bit better how to deal with people when they broke down.

As if summoned by the suffering of one of their friends, Clint, Thor, and Bruce picked that moment to return to the central living area. All of them were still wearing cool down clothes and looked to be out of breath. Training was taking a toll on the team, but it didn't stop the three of them from responding to the scene they'd walked in on.

Instead of heading for the kitchen as they normally would have, they made their way over to the couch. Clint and Thor took up positions on either side of Logan and Tony, and Bruce sat on the floor in front of them. All of them wound their arms around Tony as best they could. Unfortunately the action only seemed to make Tony sob harder as he tried desperately to reach out to all of them. He truly wanted to absorb as much of their love and affection as he could, hoping that it would heal the inexplicable hurt that had consumed him.

"Tony, it's okay. I promise you, everything is fine. You're safe, you're taken care of, we're here for you," Bruce whispered, sitting up on his knees to close more of the distance between them. The words seemed to soothe him slightly, enough that he was able to return the kiss that Bruce pressed against his lips.

"I didn't want you guys to see me like this. Now I'm never going to be able to help, you'll all be too worried about me, fuck," Tony choked on more sobs and pressed his hands to his face, attempting to isolate himself. Bruce looked on in horror at the state that his lover was in, unsure of what he could do to help. There had been moments when it seemed that Tony would break down, but until now it hadn't happened. No amount of preparation or knowing that it was inevitable had helped him.

"That is not true. We will continue to need you Tony. Odin is a powerful foe, and he will not be felled without your help. Do not assume that you are going to be barred from providing a hand in this mission. It simply cannot be on the front lines," Thor said, as he drew Tony's hands down and held them tightly. The words seemed to take a moment to sink in but once they did Tony's shaking subsided into a slight tremor and his tears slowed.

"You guys won't even talk to me about it. You keep changing the subject. You've ignored my input," Tony argued softly, his expression resolving into something less miserable but not quite angry. The others smiled softly and shook their heads.

"We are not yet at a point in the planning that we felt it necessary to involve you. I understand that that was not the best decision, but truly we were trying to spare you the stress of it. Tony, I can barely get you to sleep the whole night. You still forget to eat if someone doesn't tell you. The moment we bring our concerns and needs to you, it's going to be impossible to get you to take care of yourself properly. I wanted to delay that, I'm sorry," Bruce said, hating himself as the guilt seeped into his chest. The fact that he had hurt Tony by trying to help him, it gnawed at the deepest parts of his soul, and he knew that it would keep the Hulk fueled for quite some time.

"If you want to be part of the planning all the way through this endeavor that is fine. But we are going to have to put some rules in place. You do not merely have yourself to consider any longer," Thor said and there was a weight to his voice that almost frightened Tony.

"He's right. We can't let you run yourself down the way you did. Now it's not just a tactical disadvantage, it's a health concern for the baby," Clint leaned in to Tony's side and pressed his head against Tony's chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. "But right now we've done just as much harm as good. Once you're calmed down, we can talk about the plans thus far, but not before," the archer said firmly. He almost smiled when Tony wrapped his arms around him, almost, the thought of what Nat might go through should they decide to have a baby left him horrified.

"Alright, that's settled. We can discuss it later. But we owe him more than information. Being kept out of the loop isn't the only thing that's been bugging him. He hasn't smelt this desperate for affection in a long time. It's probably for the best if…"

"Living room cuddle pile?" Bruce asked when Logan looked to be searching for the right words.

"Indeed, I shall fetch blankets and summon the others," Thor agreed, pressing a quick kiss to Tony's hair before standing and heading off to complete his self-appointed mission.

"Thanks you guys," Tony muttered, tears finally subsiding.

"Anytime," they responded.

(A/N: Of course Tony didn't account for everything. Hormones suck. They can make you act like a totally different person. And women that are naturally capable of carrying children might be better at dealing with them, that isn't always true. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I hope to have the next one up soon.)