How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Chapter 14: The Extended Avengers Family, an avengers fanfic

Avengers || FrostIron || How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful || FrostIron || Avengers

Title: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – New and Improved Avengers

Fandom: Marvel | Avengers

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Marvel Comics for the creation of some of the most awesome heroes ever. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, not Infinity War compliant, team as family, team building, fluff, PTSD, hurt/comfort, past child abuse, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, m/f, f/f

Main Pairing: Loki/Tony

Side Pairings: Valkyrie/Sif, Bruce/Jane, Rhodey/Maria/Carol, Happy/Pepper, T'Challa/Ororo

Junior Avengers: Peter Parker | Spider-Man, Shuri, Hela Lokisdottir, Miles Morales | Kid Arachnid, Edward 'Ned' Leeds, Harley Keener

Allies: Stephen Strange | Doctor Strange, Ororo Munroe | Storm, Okoye, Heimdall, Maria Rambeau, Monica Rambeau, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, Happy Hogan, James 'Bucky' Barnes

Summary: Post Civil War, Tony has to build a new team of Avengers. Aside from new recruits, there are also two well-known Avengers that return to Earth – with a ship full of refugees. New and more functional Avengers rise from the ashes of the old and new alliances, new friendships and even new relationships are formed. Though the biggest wild-card proves to be Loki, not entirely unexpected.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

New and Improved Avengers

Chapter 14: The Extended Avengers Family

"So, you and Ororo, mh?", asked Rhodey with an amused smile.

Him and T'Challa were sitting out on Rhodey's private balcony, sharing drinks and watching the stars outside. While the scientists had gone and done their science, Rhodey had figured it was time for some bonding with the king of Wakanda. After all, Rhodey was the team-leader of the Avengers – and he barely knew T'Challa and the fact that the king didn't live here only made that harder.

"I do not even know her", argued T'Challa with a sigh, lifting his drink up.

"Could have fooled me", hummed Rhodey curiously. "You seemed quite smitten."

"Perhaps... a little", admitted T'Challa after a long beat. "She is... stunning."

"She really is gorgeous", agreed Rhodey.

"No. Not just physically. Have you heard her speak at the council meetings? She is – She is fierce and passionate. Truly capturing", sighed T'Challa.

"You're more than just a little smitten", teased Rhodey amused.

"I don't... have quite the... best track-record with romance", mused T'Challa with a frown. "I've only been in love once, with a woman as fierce and captivating. But our life-goals, they... kept us apart. I wanted her to be my queen, but she is a... she does things, she can't just sit and rule. She is a spy, out there, saving people. And we came to terms with that. We're friends, still."

"And now you're afraid to be asking too much?", asked Rhodey curiously. "You are a king. She is an American scientist and teacher. It's quite... Disney, really."

T'Challa snorted at that and shook his head. "Perhaps. It's not... very convenient. When am I supposed to get to know her? On one of my brief visits here in the US?"

"Take her with you to Wakanda", suggested Rhodey.

"...That seems a bit much", argued T'Challa, frown deepening.

"Well, you're not supposed to just say 'Hey, Ororo, I like you, wanna come to my palace with me?'", huffed Rhodey highly amused and shook his head. "She's a scientist. One of the rare ones who specialize in mutations. Wakanda has been closed off from the world, but far as I know, you got that meteoroid that caused mutations in many plants and humans. Offer her an exclusive insight into the mutations hidden away in Wakanda. Her scientific curiosity will be peaked and the way I know her boss, he's going to agree to this. You can then get to know her in Wakanda."

T'Challa's eyes widened as he turned to regard Rhodey. "You are a wise man, Colonel."

"Rhodey, please", huffed Rhodey and shook his head. "And please. I'm surrounded by scientists. I know nothing attracts them more than offering them more science. That's not hard."

"Rhodey", repeated T'Challa and nodded to himself. "Now, Rhodey, how come a man like yourself can offer such solid advise and yet seems in the same spot as me?"

"Fair point. Very fair point", nodded Rhodey and grimaced. "Things with Carol, they're more complicated than just a crush or something, you know."

"I do not", offered T'Challa and emptied his drink before refilling both their glasses. "But the way I see it, this whiskey will last us long enough for you to explain it."

There was something mischievous in his eyes and Rhodey recognized a lot of Shuri in him. "Okay. Where do I start...? I met Carol in the 80s. Air force training."

"Sounds like a long history you two share", commented T'Challa gently.

"Oh, we do. But it's more complicated than that", sighed Rhodey, taking a slow, long drink.

"How much more complicated than two superheroes, reunited after thirty years, can it be?"

"She's married to the mother of my daughter", replied Rhodey dryly.

"...I'm sorry", grunted T'Challa, choking a little on his drink. "What? You have... have a daughter?"

Rhodey nodded slowly and leaned in a little. "Best kept secret of my life. The only people who knew about her were Tony, Carol and Trouble's mother of course."

"Trouble?", echoed T'Challa. "I think I need you to run that by me, from the start."

"I met Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau in the 80s. They were... both so amazing. Women in a field of work that was definitely not friendly for women back then. Well, it's still not the most welcoming, but back then it was even harder. They worked hard and many of the guys, they thought Carol and Maria would end up in cat-fight after cat-fight – you know this thing... well, perhaps you don't know that, but we, well, here in the US, we're pitched against each other. Like there is only a very small, limited amount of spots available for people who are not straight white men. So two women, in the same field? They were supposed to fight each other. Instead, they got on like a house on fire. And they were – they were contagious in their excitement and attitude, you know."

Rhodey paused for a moment and smiled softly before taking a slow drink. "I met them at a bar. There was a lot of drinking and Maria and I, well, we ended up at my place together."

Again, Rhodey paused, but this time to get out his wallet and show T'Challa an old photo of a younger Carol next to a happily smiling black woman and a little girl between them. "That's Maria and Monica. I... After that one-night-stand, things got messy, you know. I left, for the job, before Maria even knew she was pregnant. She had the kid and Carol raised Monica with her. By the time I returned, Carol was... dead. Or, presumed dead. I had returned to reconnect with them, just to learn that I had a daughter and that Carol had died."

T'Challa frowned concerned at that. "I... Carol doesn't look very dead."

"Ye—eah", laughed Rhodey and shook his head. "She didn't die. She was abducted by aliens, fused with alien-powers. But back then? In the 90s? I reconnected with Maria, but we never... Monica was already so big and we didn't think it'd be a good idea to try a relationship, it'd just confuse the girl who was already mourning a parent in Carol."

"But you had feelings for Maria?", inquired T'Challa.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, I did. ...Do, perhaps", sighed Rhodey. "Like I said, complicated. In the 90s, Carol started returning occasionally, for Maria and Monica. They got married as soon as it was legal. Carol and I, we occasionally met up – mainly because of Monica. But I... had no idea that she was actually working for SHIELD and that she was off-world most time."

"So you have a daughter with one woman you have feelings for and are now working together with the other woman you have feelings for, while both women are married?", summarized T'Challa. "How does Monica fit into this? I mean, how have you managed to keep your daughter a secret?"

"Tony helped", shrugged Rhodey. "Me, being Tony's best friend, it was what would have put Monica and Maria into the press and I never wanted that. They deserved their privacy. Monica deserved a normal childhood. Tony, he usually paid any journalist who came close off, or threw them off their scent. Especially now that I'm – this. War Machine. An Avenger. I just... the idea of a random villain targeting my daughter to blackmail me? It's the most awful thing I can imagine."

"If I understand it right, your daughter was born in the 80s... that makes her a grown woman now. Don't you think... it should be her decision how involved she wants to be in her father's life?", inquired Rhodey with a frown. "I'm sorry, it's not my place to give parenting advise to you, but I know that... my father had made decisions that kept me at arm's length, had kept secrets about our family. You might... reconsider your stance."

"That's what Tony and Carol keep saying", muttered Rhodey with a frown.

"And while I'm giving you advise...", started T'Challa with a sparkle in his eyes. "To me, it sounds like you froze up. You didn't know what to do, whether to risk trying a relationship with the mother of your child, whether to risk a relationship that might be made complicated by your jobs with Carol, so in the end, you didn't do anything. While they both, they did. And considering you said they're married now, it paid off for them."

"What's the advise?", asked Rhodey a bit impatient.

"Try something. Risk something", stated T'Challa with a smile.

"Yeah you missed the part where they're happily married", pointed Rhodey out.

"And you miss the part where she looks at you like you are the best man she has ever met", countered T'Challa. "Maybe the good captain has found the woman of her dreams and the man of her dreams. And maybe you need to... actually talk to them."

"Says the guy who can't even ask Ororo out for dinner", muttered Rhodey bemused.

"How's the saying? Do as I say, not as I do", offered T'Challa with a laugh.

/break\

Loki frowned curiously as he watched Tony run around. The genius had been highly excitable all day long. It was... interesting. Over the past weeks, Loki had learned to read Tony Stark, at least to a certain degree. The man wore his emotions on his sleeve – or rather, in his very expressive eyes.

"Not to make it look like I'm actually interested, but what is going on?", inquired Loki.

Was King T'Challa returning for a visit? Him and Tony seemed very close and he had left about two weeks ago. Perhaps the white-haired storm-bringer? There was also the fiery one; Pepper Potts. She occasionally dropped by, mostly for business-purposes.

"Don't pretend. You are interested", huffed Tony amused where he was making... pizza. "To you, we're like a soap-opera to watch, since you got not much else to do."

"Fair enough", sighed Loki with a dismissive hand-gesture. "It's not up to my standards – the plays I put together on Asgard, they were true entertainment – but you can, occasionally, provide some interesting distractions from this imprisonment."

Tony turned to smirk at him amused. Loki had to admit (to himself; not to anyone else, of course) that for a human, Tony Stark was exceptionally attractive. His smiles were charming, his eyes a deep honey-color and of course his most attention-drawing feature – his ass. Loki was only a man too and he had eyes so how could he not appreciate that. Of course, his most attractive feature was the man's mind. He had mischief and chaos in there too, a genius set apart from the average, primitive Midgardians. Oh, if Asgard still existed, he could just imagine the sparkly-eyed glee with which Tony would take everything apart and try to figure out how it worked.

"You know. I expected you to cause far more trouble once you grow bored", noted Tony amused. "Okay, fine, to keep you entertained: We're having guests for dinner today. My niece."

"...Niece?", echoed Loki curiously.

"Ye—es. My little Lieutenant Trouble", grinned Tony happily.

There was that look in Tony's eyes, the same one that had first made Loki start paying attention to him. When Tony spoke of Peter Parker, there was that look in his eyes. The same pride and love that Loki felt for Hela. And right there, it was again. How very interesting.

/break\

"Let me get this gay", started Darcy baffled. "You're married. To this absolute kick-ass air-force pilot? And you have a daughter who's like literally the same age as me?"

Darcy raised her eyebrows and motioned at the gorgeous woman right in front of her. Monica Rambeau, tall and pretty, with dark eyes that scanned everything around her curiously. Maria laughed amused by Darcy's description, though she was too busy kissing Carol.

"How have you not mentioned this?", asked Hope, looking nearly offended as she slapped Carol.

"It's something Jim and I agreed on", replied Carol.

"What... What does Rhodey have to do with this?", asked Sharon confused.

"Ho—ow about you let the ladies in before you bombard them with questions?", suggested Tony before he kissed Monica on the cheeks. "It's so good to see you again, Trouble."

"I swear, you blow up a lab one time and you get stuck with the nickname for the next thirty years", huffed Monica embarrassed. "It was cute when I was a kid. I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're my niece. You are always gonna be a kid to me", chided Tony.

Maria smiled amused and shook her head by that. "Where is Jim?"

"Hiding out in the kitchen and considering if this might have been a bad idea after all" , offered Tony. "Which, it absolutely is not. You guys are welcome to be here any time."

"Again, what does Rhodey have to do with this?", asked Sharon.

They followed into the kitchen, where Rhodey, Vision, Jane and Bruce were already gathered. Jane and Bruce were setting the table while throwing curious looks at Rhodey, who was pacing and muttering to himself. The moment Monica saw him, she ran up to him to hug him.

"I missed you, dad. I can't believe you finally invited me to your work-place!"

"DAD?!", exclaimed everyone in the kitchen with surprised looks on their faces.

Everyone aside Tony, who was highly amused and, while everyone started chatting loudly, went to fetch Peter, Hela, Loki and Thor from the game-room. He genuinely still couldn't believe Peter had managed to make Loki play video-games. But he had. When Peter had first asked to play against Hela but in a team-up, Hela had turned the pleading eyes on Loki, who couldn't resist, while Thor was delighted to have a bonding opportunity with his niece and brother (and Peter got to play on the same team as Thor, which got the kid super excited).

"Guys? Dinner is ready. And we have guests", offered Tony amused.

"Guests? What guests?", asked Peter, curiosity peaked.

"Rhodey's daughter and her mom", replied Tony, the smile on his lips growing.

"Another secret child?", asked Thor surprised, a hand on Peter's shoulder and one on Hela's.

"For the last time, Peter is not my son", sighed Tony and shook his head. "But yes. Another secret child. Rhodey's been trying to keep her out of the press, out of harm's way."

"I get that", nodded Peter seriously. "I mean, I'm keeping my identity a secret because I don't want Aunt May to be targeted. I don't want anyone I care about getting hurt because of me, but him being in the army, the whole secret identity thing isn't really... a thing. And then you became a superhero and he became a superhero and things got even more dangerous. I'd do everything to keep my daughter out of the press and out of danger too."

"You're a clever kid, Peter", smiled Tony and ruffled his hair. "Now here's the cherry on top though. Rhodey's baby mamma is now Carol's wife."

"...Fascinating", nodded Thor in awe. "This woman must truly be quite the force to be reckoned with, to stand en par with Rhodey and Carol. I am excited to meet her!"

Loki looked just entirely amused. This really had the outlines of a very interesting evening indeed. Though he tuned down his smile when he noticed the suspicious looks Hela was giving him.

"I promise I'm not planning anything", assured Loki with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, if that isn't the lie of the century. You're always planning something, Rudolph."

Surprisingly enough, Loki had actually grown used to the nicknames. He raised an eyebrow but did not comment any further as the group made their way toward the kitchen, where the long table was already set for everyone. Maria and Monica sat at the head of it, Rhodey on Monica's side and Carol on Maria's. The Avengers lined up left and to the two women, all talking over each other as they pressed Rhodey and Carol for details about Maria.

"So, let me summarize this again, you and Rhodey had this magnificent daughter here and then you figured you'd marry Captain freaking Marvel?", asked Darcy impressed, eyebrows raised. "You know what, I'd totally trade parents with you, Mo."

"Ye—eah. I'm not trading those three for anything", smiled Monica. "Though... I am glad dad finally agreed to introduce me to the Avengers. I've been telling him for twenty years now that I'm old enough to handle whatever it'd entail to be the god-daughter of Tony Stark. And I've been telling him for ten years that I'm old enough to handle whatever it'd entail to be the daughter of James Rhodes. But if anything, uncle Tony ending up in a cave in Afghanistan only made dad more paranoid... But I'm glad to meet all of you now."

"How long are you two going to stay?", asked Hope curiously.

"At least a week", declared Maria. "I barely got to see my wife since she came back to Earth because those two decided it'd be 'safest' for me and Monica not to come and be involved. If I wanted safe, you think I'd have ever joined the air-force, or got married to an alien-powered superhero? Huh? Huh? I been housing alien refugees since before it was cool, you know. I own a cat that can swallow a house if she wants to."

"...I'm sorry, what?", asked Jane slowly, looking concerned.

On cue, a red cat jumped onto the table and meowed. While the humans all closed in on the cute kitten, Thor yelped and took a very respectable step away from the table, while Loki grinned like a maniac. Hela gasped and jumped off her seat to go and pat the creature.

"Oh, oh, you are the cutest Flerken I have ever seen!", exclaimed Hela.

"Fler... what?", asked Tony slowly, watching Loki and Thor carefully.

"Flerken are quite vicious and dangerous creatures", muttered Thor. "I remember, once Loki pranked me by buying me one. He claimed it to be an innocent little pet. And then it ate Mjölnir."

Loki cackled gleefully at the memory. "You were crying like a babe, hiding behind mother. And she simply told you to watch out for your pet since you wanted it."

"Yes. She always sided with you", grumbled Thor with a pout.

"They are so pretty!", exclaimed Hela, poking Goose. "Do the thing, little one."

The collective scream when Goose 'did the thing' made Tony's ears ring. Yet, somehow, he couldn't do anything but stare at the Flerken with its tentacles spread out. Most of the other Avengers now had a weapon aimed at the not-cat. Tony couldn't help but not feel threatened; Maria would never let something dangerous close to her daughter and she would certainly not bring it along so casually. Whatever this was – it wasn't a threat to them.

"You know... this is one of those things where I think 'sure, why not. I'm eating nonna's pizza with three and a half aliens, might as well have an alien cat in my house too'", muttered Tony.

"The pizza is very good, by the way", noted Loki delighted, watching the Flerken.

"...Thank you", nodded Tony, side-eyeing Loki. "Why do you look so happy?"

The Flerken had jumped out of Hela's arms to roam the room, while everyone, admittedly, had questions about that. Carol, Maria and Monica started retelling the story of how the Flerken had first made its way into their lives (Tony got weary when he heard the name 'Nick Fury' though).

"No particular reason, Tony", assured Loki, the grin on his lips even broader.

It was interesting, Loki had come to accept calling Tony by his first name finally. A part of Tony was still doubtful about all of that; about letting a (former?) villain this close. The other part of him was just really, truly tired. Whatever Loki would end up doing, it could never be as bad as Obie's betrayal, or as Steve's betrayal. He had let people close, people he trusted blindly, and they had broken his heart. At least with Loki, Tony knew who he had let into his house from the get-go.

"You are so up to no good", muttered Tony doubtfully.

"What? Me? Why, I am a reformed man, Tony", chided Loki, having the audacity to look genuinely offended. "I am an upstanding citizen now. An honest man. I would never-"

"...Where is Donar?", asked Thor slowly.

The smirk returned to Loki's lips, vicious and large. Tony cocked one eyebrow as he turned toward Thor, who apparently just wanted to show off a little for Maria and Monica, just to find his new, shiny hammer missing. Tony snorted to himself and shook his head as the Flerken burped.

"No. No, no, no. Loki, you did not-", stammered Thor wide-eyed.

"I did absolutely nothing. If you leave your toys laying around while a Flerken is loose, that is hardly in any way or shape my fault", countered Loki dryly.

"Nothing aside from putting ham on the hammer", whispered Peter beneath his breath.

"...If you saw it, why did you not do anything?", inquired Loki curiously.

"...I wanted to see if the cat can really swallow a whole hammer?", shrugged Peter. "Besides! It sounded as though Thor got Mjölnir back in one piece last time, so..."

Tony chuckled softly and shook his head amused. Honestly, life at the mansion really never got boring. He turned a little to watch Monica who was chiding Goose for eating it.

/break\

The day had been mildly exhausting, considering how many people had questions about Maria and Monica. And then Carol, of course, had to show them everything on the grounds and bring them up to speed. Monica had just ditched her parents to go to a bar with Darcy. That finally left Carol alone with Maria and Rhodey. The two women stood arm in arm on the balcony, Rhodey a few steps away and looking decidedly more awkward than he usually was.

"Jim. What's going on?", asked Carol with a frown. "Honestly, you surprised me when you came to me and suggested to invite Maria and Monica over. You've been distracted since..."

"I like you", blurted Rhodey out, looking over at both of them. "I... liked you for so long now. I mean, there's a reason we made Monica, Maria. But then I figured it might be too awkward, what if it doesn't work out and we end it on not so friendly terms and I didn't wanna lose you and Monica from my life completely. And then there's you, Carol. I just... all those years, work always... got in the way. And when we worked together, I figured it might be unprofessional. And then you two came out to me and got married. And I'm happy for you. I'm truly happy for you. I just... think I need to get this off my chest, get it outta my way, because now... is different. Now, Carol and I are leading the Avengers together, living together. It's different from any other time we worked together and I don't want things to get... awkward. I just... needed to say this."

Neither Maria nor Carol said anything, they just stared at Rhodey curiously, until he felt so uncomfortable that he simply continued talking. "It's just – the team knows. At least, some of them have caught on and... thought I should... They've been pushing me to ask you out, Carol. And since we kept... you a secret, Maria... no one knew that Carol is already in a happy relationship. So, I wanted to come clean. With everything. Our complicated past, the fact that you're happily married, Carol, that there's never gonna be anything between us and also that you should know about my feelings, because I owe you that much honesty."

"Boy, you gotta stop making assumptions and decisions", stated Maria and shook her head.

"Really, Jim", sighed Carol a bit amused. "I... appreciate you telling us all of that. I genuinely thought that you... did not have any feelings for either of us, at this point."

"I... always figured the same as you did, Jim", said Maria gently. "That it'd be better to not give it a chance and ruin it because Monica deserved better. But Monica is an adult. And now that Carol is... finally back, living on Earth again. I think maybe, it's time to give all of this... a proper shot."

"All of... what?", asked Rhodey slowly, clearly confused.

""All of us", supplied Carol with a smile, tilting her head. "You're a good man, Jim. And I'd be lying if I said I've never been thinking about it. Now that Maria and I get to live on the same planet, now that you and I work together like this, live in the same house..."

"I... what is happening here?", asked Rhodey slowly.

"What's happening is that I've been living off-planet for years. I know places that are more progressive than Earth and I've talked about this with Maria before", offered Carol. "What's happening here is that we're... asking you on a date, James Rhodes. To give this a shot. Together."

Author's note: Since the feedback on the OT3 was so overwhelmingly positive, I figured I'd let it hijack most of this chap, to properly explain how this fits into this universe and to not half-ass it. Now, next chapter is... also getting kind of hijacked, but it's due time to bring Harley Keener into this fic, since that was the plan from the beginning. Because Tony deserves both his sons. ;D