"Hey, Dean?" Sam called into the darkness of their room.

Dean looked at the clock that told him it was verging on midnight. "What's up, Sammy?"

"Do you know what's wrong with Loki?"

The older boy frowned and searched his memory. "What do you mean? He hasn't said anything to you like last time, right?"

Sam shook his head. "No, that's exactly it. Today he—Dean, he smiled at me."

The boy was startled when Dean barked out a loud laugh. "You're worried because he's being nice?"

"Well, I mean, kinda?" Sam responded. "But this isn't like when he was grounded, he hasn't been awful in like, two weeks! He's been annoying, and a little mean like he was with Clint, but nothing like he was before."

"Well, what happened right around two weeks ago?"

Sam thought for a second. "Papa came home?"

"Well, there ya go then. Maybe he was such a dick because he missed the dude," Dean smirked into his pillow. Sammy didn't need to know everything, right? Though, to be fair to Sam, he was entirely correct in that Loki had, indeed, been 'not awful' lately.

The Monday after their midnight fire, Dean and Loki walked into the school building together and exchanged a 'we'll see' glance before parting ways. Odin hadn't been back since. The teen's mood had only gotten better the longer he realized that the reign of the man that tried to kill him truly was over.

He hadn't lost his snark though. Other than his little disagreement with Clint, his sharp tongue was always accompanied by a sliver of a smile, taking what could've been hurtful words, into the territory of teasing.

"You really think so?" Sam asked, bringing Dean out of his thoughts.

"Who knows, we're not in his head, Sammy," the teen responded. "Now go to sleep before I smother you for keeping me up."

"...Rude."

"I talked to Bucky today about meeting the kids," Steve called out from the bathroom.

"Oh yeah? What does he say?" Tony responded, pulling his pyjama shirt over his head and watching his husband lean against the doorway of their ensuite.

"He said he wants to meet you first before the kids."

"What?" The engineer whipped his head up. "Why?"

Steve smiled. "Seems he wants to get to know the man that made me leave the army and start a family. He knew that's what I wanted and I wouldn't do it without him."

"But, Steve, what if- I mean, the kids are-"

The captain walked forwards and pulled the man into his embrace. "Hey, enough of that. He's gonna love you."

Tony buried his head into his husband's shoulder. "Give me the shovel talk, is more like it."

Steve threw his head back and laughed.

"Hey! That's not fair, I never had to do this!" Tony sputtered, clutching the other man's shirt tighter. "You didn't have any friends when I stole you from the Army. Well, none that I could just call up. And this is your best friend in the entire world, Steve! What if-"

"No, no, as much as I love that beautiful mind, I'm not letting it go there," Steve interrupted. "I love you, and nothing Bucky could say would get me to feel anything other than that. Yes, Bucky is my best friend, he is my brother, Tony, but you are my husband. There is nothing either of you could say to get me to change my mind about the other. Heck, I'm worried about if you guys will hate the other and not tell me because you both love me too much to tell me."

The two were quiet for a moment.

"If I hate him, I promise to tell you."

Tony shook with the power of Steve's laugh.

"Hey Buck," Steve beamed when he saw his best friend sitting up in his bed.

"Stevie, I see you haven't been smothered by your baseball team of kids yet," the soldier smiled in response.

"Not yet, Buck," the blond laughed as he sat in his chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling today? Up for visitors yet?"

"Why? Your ball and chain outside?" Bucky asked, not so subtly trying to see through the small crack in the door.

"He is, actually. I didn't want him to just come in, in case you were having a bad day or something."

"In case I was curled up on the floor or attacking innocent nurses, you mean," Bucky smiled softly and held out his hand for Steve to grab.

"I didn't think that would've been the best introduction."

"Well?" The soldier took a breath to steel himself. "What are we waiting for? Let me meet the guy you're pounding into the mattress every night."

"Bucky!"

The two heard a roaring laugh come from outside the door.

"Please let me come in now, Steve. That was perfect and I need to meet this guy right now," Tony's muffled voice called out.

Steve rolled his eyes and agreed. The engineer confidently walked into the room, but only made it so far as leaning on the wall beside the door.

"If this is how we meet, I have a feeling the two of us are going to get along splendidly," Tony smirked.

"The rich genius husband, I presume?"

"Does my five thousand dollar suit suggest I'm anyone else? You must be the poor best friend that kept my husband alive long enough to see his twenty-first birthday."

"One and the same. And let me tell you, with as many fights as this punk got into, I should get a damn medal."

Tony laughed once again. "I'll get right on that."

Steve's smile was so big it was radiant. "I can't believe the two of you are together, it seemed like a dream until now, I-"

Bucky squeezed his friend's hand and smiled, then let go to offer his only hand in Tony's direction. "Sergeant James Bucannan Barnes, of the US army, and this punk's best friend."

Tony calmly walked towards the veteran and took the offered hand. "Anthony Edward Stark, of Manhattan and this studmuffin's husband."

"Manhattan?" Bucky side-eyed Steve. "Really? You got someone from Manhattan?"

"Hey," Tony held his hands up in defense, "I never thought I'd go for a Brooklyn guy either, but our Steve is something special."

"That he is," Bucky agreed.

Steve pulled his husband onto his lap to hold him from behind. Tony shifted to make himself more comfortable, not fazed at all to be sitting on the captain.

"So. I have a prototype for your new arm just sitting in my databases, I just need to get some measurements and the clearance from your doctor and we'll have you looking as symmetrical as ever!" the engineer teased

"Symmetrical?" Bucky chuckled. "Are you flirting with me? You're husband's here, sweetcheeks, might wanna wait before you bust out the flattery," he winked playfully.

Tony laughed again. "Steve, I like him. We're keeping him."