"Are you sure he should be doing that?" Tony's voice was laced with avid curiosity rather than concern; he was not usually one to deny anybody their quirks and fancies but that… "Looks pretty dangerous."

Stephen watched critically as Loki scaled the side of the golden dome of the new wing of the Healing Halls as effortlessly as gliding on water before settling himself down cross-legged on top of it. "He makes it look so damn easy." He muttered with the slightest hint of envy, but Tony knew it was mostly to mask his anxiety.

"Loki likes to watch." Thor murmured. "He must have the best view to everything. Reassuring as it is that my brother has regained his strength and health, precaution is of utmost importance – if only he could sit still for one damn minute to listen."

"He's restless, the nearer he gets to…you know." Stephen gave a hand signal that vaguely alluded to something. "The Cloak could sense it too, I think."

"That's hardly surprising. Your cape is clearly a woman." Tony nudged his chin at the way The Cloak wrapped itself tighter around Loki's shoulders and pulled the trickster backward slightly to right his position perched so precariously on the dome. "Women know these things."

Stephen noted the serious look on his friend's face. "What is it, Stark?"

"The construction of the new Surgical Wing is about 80 percent finished, Pepper's vetted and hand-picked all the nursing staff and my personal team of physicians has also been briefed and are on stand-by…" he hesitated, "I just hope we can get everything sorted quickly, I hate not knowing my deadline. You seriously have NO idea when he's going to pop?"

"You perfectionists. You just cannot stand your unknown variables, can you?"

"Can you?"

Stephen crossed his arms and tapped a finger against his bicep, a nervous tic. He did not need Tony to make him even more antsy than he already was. Then Christine's words reverberated in his mind like a caffeine shot of psychotherapy.

"Think positive, Stark. And the universe thinks with you."

"Yeah and the universe will wipe your tears and pick up the pieces after we mess up for not planning or doing enough," Tony muttered darkly. Stephen glowered at him but decided to remain quiet; he supposed there was a reason why they became and stayed friends, kindred spirits in catastrophising and all.

"You worry too much, my friends." Ever the beam of sunshine that sliced through dark clouds of defeatism like clarified butter, Thor clapped his hands on their respective shoulder with more enthusiasm than he intended, and they winced.

"Trust Loki." Thor gripped Stephen's shoulder, "Loki will know. He always knows."

It was in the middle of the night when Strange awoke, having sensed something amiss. He studied the darkness when he realised Loki was no longer lying next to him; as his eyes focused, they caught sight of the familiar form sitting hunched forward on the side of the bed with his back toward him -

"What's the matter, Loki?" Stephen reached out a hand and his fingers grazed Loki's back, instantly alarmed by how tense Loki felt through the flimsy layer of his tunic. "Is something wrong?"

Stephen's alarm grew when Loki took a few seconds too long to answer, and when he finally did, he sounded suspiciously wary. "I'm not quite sure. I don't think so."

"Is it contractions?" Stephen's heart began to pound in fear.

Loki shook his head. "No, it's not pain that I feel – more like, a tightness. Like a band squeezing around my belly." He sighed, "It's keeping me awake."

"Ah." Stephen nodded thoughtfully. He sat up and swung his legs down the side of the bed, patting the pillow. "Come, lie down. Let me have a feel."

Loki's tired sigh did not go unnoticed and Stephen could not help the pangs of worry as Loki gingerly lay himself down on Stephen's side of the bed, resting his head on the pillow. Stephen righted his position slightly, sitting sideways on the bed, torso turned to face Loki.

With the warmth of Stephen's body pressing into his side, Loki tried to relax. The clamping tightness around his abdomen had receded somewhat but he supposed there was no harm to indulge Stephen in his ministrations; he knew Stephen would not be able to sleep if his mind was not at rest.

Stephen slid his hand underneath Loki's shirt and placed it flat against the side of his abdomen. "Try to get some sleep. I'm just trying to feel for contractions and timing them if there's any."

Loki covered his mouth with the back of one hand, stifling a yawn. "Knock yourself out, Strange."

A good five minutes passed before Stephen finally felt it. A slight quiver of Loki's eyebrows indicated that what Stephen was sensing under his palm was in sync with what he was feeling.

The bunching of muscles lasted for less than ten seconds before Loki's abdomen relaxed and became soft once more. "Was that what you meant?"

Loki nodded, eyes still closed. "It's more irritating than uncomfortable, really."

"Has the baby been moving as per usual?"

"More so than usual if you can believe it." Loki flung an arm over his eyes. "I was never this rambunctious as a child."

Stephen tutted in sympathy. "I think he got that from me." Loki gave him a glare, and Stephen pointed at himself with the other hand not currently attached to Loki. "Manic, remember?"

"I wonder if Bruce has still got that wonderful sleeping draught," Loki muttered.

Stephen murmured a spell under his breath and coaxed the clenching muscles under his hand to relax. He kept his hand on Loki's belly for a few more minutes and waited to see if the spasms would return, but alas they did not. "That should do it for tonight."

Loki opened his eyes. "Everything as it should be, Doctor?"

"As it should be, Loki." Stephen gave him a reassuring smile. "They are to be expected, really, these things. Braxton-Hicks would be my educated guess."

"Is medical nomenclature nonsensical all the time or do you healers give your name freely to everything in order to disguise your lack of creativity as a symbol of altruism of some sort?"

"Yes, we are all vain creatures, we crave fame, recognition and credit even for things that are not necessarily ours to claim." Stephen shrugged nonchalantly. "Can you imagine having something named after me? Like, 'Yes, Doctor, I think the Strange Procedure is the best method to approach the tumour' or 'Nurse, pass me the Strange catheter, this patient hasn't peed for three days'?"

Stephen shook his head. "Good thing I never discovered anything."

Loki laughed softly. It was a rare sound. Stephen felt strangely warmed by how beautiful it sounded.

"So…what are these Hicks things supposed to be then?" Loki asked, rubbing the side of his belly up and down gingerly.

Stephen pulled Loki's tunic down to cover his abdomen once again. "To put it very simplistically, they are kind of like 'warm-up' or practice contractions."

"Practice contractions?" Loki's nose wrinkled. "How strange. Whatever do we need them for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe some women need to be eased into labour, otherwise it'd be a shock to their system." Stephen sighed. "But what I do know is women tend to get more of them when they're dehydrated, stressed, overly tired, and – you haven't been holding your bladder, have you?"

Loki scoffed. "Wish I could. Your Strange catheter sounds almost palatable actually if it can help me not to have to go and relieve myself every fifteen minutes."

"Well, at least that means you're drinking plenty." Stephen lifted one of Loki's legs onto his lap, studying his slightly swollen shin. "You have been on your feet all day. You might want to take it easy from now on."

After a few minutes of kneading the soles of Loki's feet, a pale hand stilled Stephen's wrist in the midst of massage, and Stephen helped Loki shift to his side of the bed, frowning at the slight wince marring Loki's delicate features as Loki tried to get comfortable.

"Is this a sign that labour is nigh?"

"Well…the baby is half-human and by human standards, you are well into the third trimester now." Stephen turned to his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "It's so much harder to predict because we don't actually know what the supposed length of gestation is."

"I'm stretched so tight I don't think there's any more room to grow." Loki breathed in deeply. "Can hardly breathe right."

"But you have to tell me when the contractions start becoming painful or more regular. I don't want you risking dilating your cervix. Even if we're well-stocked on your blood to last you five pregnancies more."

"Five, Strange?" Loki's eyes danced. "That's…very ambitious of you."

Stephen chose not to speak, deciding instead to let his actions speak for him. He encircled an arm around Loki's expansive waist and pulled him in toward him; their chests would have met in the middle but for the bump and Stephen could feel the little kicks against his own abdomen.

"We will do it right the next time. No more accidents." Stephen let the heat from his hand warm Loki's belly and he smiled in delight as his son kicked again against his palm. "As much as I love surprises."

"You…want to have more babies?" Loki said, a little breathlessly. "With me?"

"I want to have everything with you."

Loki's eyes glazed over. "You really mean it."

"Whatever short lifetime I have left, I want to spend it with you, if you will have me." Stephen leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Loki's lips. "And I will give you as many children as you want, lest I leave you with nothing else to remember me by." He pressed their foreheads together, "Lest you forget."

Loki's eyes filled. "I have been told I have a very good memory."

Stephen lay transfixed as Loki's long fingers caressed his temple as if memorising every line and curve of his face. Once he was done, Loki's eyes fluttered to a close and he leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips, and Stephen knew no words were needed. Only this.

Bruce unwrapped the blood pressure cuff from around Loki's arm. "You holding up okay?"

Loki unconsciously massaged his upper arm against the phantom tightness of the cuff. "I'm fine, considering."

"Considering what?"

Loki stifled a smile at the sudden look of trepidation in the physicist's eyes. "Do not fret so, Bruce. It is just a feeling I have."

Bruce lifted his eyebrows. "You think, soon?"

"Soon." Loki nodded. "Nine turns of the moon…perhaps the child is possessed of more human qualities than…" Loki's voice trailed in mid-sentence. "Well. You know."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to make me feel anything other than relieved, does it?"

"Relieved that he is healthy and of good weight, yes." Bruce scrolled through the tablet in his hand. "A good six-pounder as estimated by your last scan."

"Not too big, not too small."

"Just right." Bruce agreed with a smile. "Just perfect."

"Perfect." Loki returned it with a small smile of his own.

Loki watched Banner work in silence for a moment.

"Do you consider us friends, Dr Banner?"

"Of course I do, Loki." Bruce looked up in the middle of entering the data into the observation chart and gave him a distracted smile. "We stopped being enemies the moment the Hulk lost all desire to stomp your pretty face whenever he saw you back on Sakaar. He's a surprisingly good judge of character, you know."

"I am glad to hear it." Loki smiled serenely. "It makes what I am about to say easier on me."

Bruce looked at him and quickly shook his head. "No."

"If something were to happen to me –"

"No."

"Bruce, please."

"No, Loki."

"Look out for Thor. And Stephen." The casual way Loki phrased his request was so incongruent with the intense, almost imploring look in his eyes that Bruce could not for the life of him decide whether to be furious or grieved that Loki would even think –

"Thank you, Bruce. For everything."

That did it.

He whapped Loki on the side of the head with the tablet, hard. "Ow!"

"God, I've always wanted to do that."

A week later and well into his 36th week of pregnancy with no sign of imminent labour, things fell into routine and apparently, routine for Loki now meant stuffing his face. Clearly that would have been a good thing, considering Loki's default appetite level was usually that of a bird, but this was one of the times Stephen wished Loki could have been a little bit more…normal.

Stephen looked up from where he was reading his tablet and found himself playing Russian Roulette with himself in his head. Should I? Should I not?

I should.

Should I?

"Loki dearest," he began.

"Hmm?" Loki licked his little finger, engrossed in the scroll he was reading. It was an ancient Sanskrit scripture Stephen had purloined from Wong's personal collection and Loki was getting pepper juice all over it.

Stephen watched as Loki magicked the mess away and reached for another colossal-sized pepper.

"Perhaps some water to wash it all down, darling? Or some ipecac?"

"Ever heard of YOLO, Strange?"

"I hardly think that applies to you anymore. You've lived and died and lived again God knows how many times."

Loki looked up from the scroll, his eyes pure ice and steel. "I am afraid you've misunderstood the context of my warning, Strange. You want to try telling me again what I can and cannot eat?"

"Loki…" Stephen warned dangerously.

Suddenly, Loki punched himself twice in the chest and let out a painfully wet burp. "Excuse me."

He winced as he rubbed circles over his sternum, trying to release the trapped air.

At least now Loki was pushing the plate away.

"I did warn you."

Stephen shook his head and turned back to the article he was reading on the latest clinical evidence in infant sensory stimulation when a grunting noise caught his attention.

Loki was bent over the table, his face as blank as stone and as white as marble. His entire body seemed to have frozen in place, before all at once, after thirty seconds of absolute standstill, everything started animating again

Nonchalantly Loki straightened up again and flipped to the next page.

Stephen rose slowly to his feet.

"Loki." He tried again. "Sweetheart."

Loki's green eyes only met his for a split second before looking away again.

"Please tell me that was not a contraction face you just made."

"It…wasn't?"

"Loki..!" Stephen whipped out his phone and punched a number on speed-dial, looking absolutely furious. "You are going to be the death of me, you know that?!"

"Get me Dr Palmer." Loki's face had gone pale again, his eyes blank and glassy. "I don't give a rat's ass she's scrubbed in, get someone to cover and get her out!"

"Christine, it's me." Stephen walked over and gently extricated one of the pale hands fisting the tablecloth in a death grip and squeezed, only relaxing his grip when Loki shuddered at the end throes of a particularly strong contraction. "It's time."

"Loki will know, he says." Stephen viciously applied the gel onto the pressure transducers and strapped them onto Loki's belly. "Trust Loki, he says."

"That's the stupidest advice that ever I heard," Bruce muttered.

"Hey!" Loki protested.

"Bruce, I think it best we inform the King that Prince Loki here is officially in labour, and has been for God knows how long!" Stephen growled, trying to keep his voice in check. He switched on the cardiotocograph machine that was going to be monitoring the contractions and the baby's heart rate.

"Would you look at the height of that thing!" He snapped, pointing at a particularly tall-looking wave tracing on the graph paper, "That's a contraction! The mother of all contractions! Loki!"

"I think I'll go get Thor." Bruce said, giving Loki a look of sympathy. "Should probably call Tony too, keep him updated." He disappeared quickly out of the room, leaving Loki to face Stephen's wrath alone –

"Please don't be angry with me, Stephen."

Instantly, all the anger swept up through his gut and chest and evaporated like magic.

Perhaps it was.

Stephen sighed and raised a shaky hand to his forehead.

He pulled a chair and sat down. He buried his face onto the mattress, feeling the top of his head press against Loki's side. Stephen could feel Loki shaking. He groped blindly for Loki's hand and listened as Loki babbled.

"I still don't see what all the fuss is about. Everyone has babies all the time. It was a false alarm, just a false alarm." Loki swallowed hard. "The contractions aren't even all that painful now, see? And why can't I be allowed to have a normal delivery huh?"

"We've talked about this Loki." Stephen said softly, stroking his lover's hand.

"Surely there's no need for some strange Midgardian doctor to come all the way here just to cut me open – why can't you do it? Or Bruce?" Loki's eyes were darting crazily from side to side. "Where's Bruce?"

"Are you panicking? Is that what you're doing?"

"No, who says I'm panicking? I'm fucking terrified that's all. And who is this Dr Palmer then? Is he any good?"

"She's the best," Stephen said soothingly. "And I trust her with my life."

As if on cue, a portal opened and Wong stepped through, followed by a very angry-looking petite woman still in her scrubs, wisps of strawberry-blond hair peeking from underneath her surgical cap.

"Stephen." A feisty thing this woman was; Loki recoiled slightly at the stormy expression on her face. "A little heads-up next time? Like, yesterday when I could have cleared up my OT list, or this morning even, when I could have rescheduled an important elective cholecystectomy on a very, very, VERY important patient who is also my biggest benefactor?"

"Sorry. Blame him. He's the one who decided to keep the contractions all to himself and telling himself it was just gas."

"How was I supposed to know? I haven't given birth in five hundred years, Strange! I too forget things sometimes, alright?"

"Now, now let us all just calm down." The woman walked over and tentatively reached for Loki's hand, as if afraid. But perhaps she saw the look of terror on his face and decided to take pity on him for she began to clasp his hand tighter.

"Hi. Prince Loki? I'm Christine, an old friend of Stephen's. How far apart are the contractions? When was your last meal? And what was it?"

"Every five minutes, coming in hard and strong," Stephen kindly answered on behalf.

Loki shook his head, clearly still in denial –

"Last meal was a half hour ago and it was a shitload of ghost peppers with a side order of cheese-sticks." Stephen pointed at the half-empty dishes on the table. If there was glaring to be done all around, then Loki deserved the bulk of it; he was still giving the damn peppers a longing look.

"Really, Strange?" She hissed and glowered. "Didn't I tell you no food or drink six hours prior to surgery?"

"Stephen," Loki called in a small voice. "Are you sure we can't wait another day to have this baby?"

"Doctor." A scrub nurse called her quietly and showed her the contents of the basin. Christine cursed under her breath. They had waited long enough. She needed to take charge. Now. Christine wrung her hands in agitation, and marched back into the anaesthetic induction room.

"If I could borrow him for just one minute, Highness – "

She physically wrestled Stephen away from the stretcher and pulled him to the side into the far corner of the room, hoping they were out of ear shot but even if they weren't, she could not care less.

"Stephen, we need to go in and deliver this baby now." She said quietly. "He has soaked through six lap pads and dripping. That is more than half a litre lost."

"Damn it." Stephen cursed. "I wish I had never grown those stupid peppers."

His healing spells no longer worked to slow the bleeding; it could only mean Loki had progressed into active labour and no amount of magic was likely going to interfere with the physiological nature of...nature.

"Who cares about the damn peppers!" Christine hissed. "If he bleeds out or loses the baby, aspiration is the last thing we have to worry about! Or second last, before the patency of my neck –" her hand ghosted over her throat. "But there is no time to lose, Stephen. Doctor, tell him."

The anaesthetist stepped forward from where he had been listening quietly, leaning against the medication trolley. "Dr Strange, I'm afraid Dr Palmer is right. At the moment, looking at the vital signs, Prince Loki is still adequately compensating for the blood loss, but beyond a certain point, it will all go downhill from there. Now I can try and minimise the risk of aspiration with rapid sequence intubation, but we need to decide and act fast."

Christine pressed. "I need your consent, Strange."

"Stephen?" Loki's voice rang crisp and clear, yet sounding slightly out of breath. He must have just finished riding out the tail-end of another contraction. "Are you still there?"

Stephen put his hands at his waist and tried to regulate his own breathing. "Okay. Alright. Let's do this."

Christine clapped her hands over both his biceps and squeezed his arms. "Good. I'll go scrub in now."

"I'll join you. For old times' sake." Stephen tried to muster a convincing grin. "Can't do any cutting but I sure as hell can hold the retractor."

She gave him a crooked smile before pushing the adjacent scrub room door open with her rear end. "See you in a few, Daddy."

"Stephen?" Loki called out again, sounding more than a little scared.

"I'm here." Stephen grabbed Loki's hand. He tried not to think of the surgical pad fast soaking up the blood underneath him. Christine was right. They should not wait any longer.

"Where's Thor?" Loki extended his neck, twisting it from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother. The scrub cap fell away from his head and his black hair tumbled out of it in sweat-soaked ringlets.

"Shh, Loki." Stephen gathered his hair and tried to tuck it back into the cap as best as he could.

Loki's eyes were bright with pain and unspilled tears. "I need Thor."

"He is right outside, Loki."

"But – "

"Loki, listen to me." Stephen gripped the sides of his face.

Realisation finally dawned on him and the light faded slightly from Loki's green eyes as a strange calmness took over.

"This is it."

"This is it." Stephen's thumbs brushed lightly against Loki's temples.

"I don't want to fall asleep."

"You won't feel a thing. You won't even realise you've been asleep until we bring you around."

Loki whimpered softly as a roll of contraction seized him again, cleaving him in two. Stephen held his hand as he clenched his jaws so tightly the veins in his neck and scalp protruded blue and angry.

"Pardon me, Your Highness." Once the contraction was over, a Healer and a scrub nurse lifted his legs gently and removed the pad, soaking wet with fresh, red blood. Wordlessly they replaced it with another one before they bowed to leave.

Loki followed them out of the room with eyes too wide and too green against his paper-white face. "I am frightened, Stephen."

"I am right here, Loki. Don't be afraid." Stephen placed a hand on the crest of Loki's belly.

"I'll try," Loki said quietly, almost sobbing.

Loki's skin felt clammy and so cold. Stephen fought down a raging wave of fear. "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you." Loki closed his eyes as Stephen planted a fierce kiss on his sweat-dotted forehead.

"I will wake up?" He asked quietly.

"You will. I will make sure of it," Stephen said a little more fiercely than he intended. "You don't get to cop out on me, Odinson."

He cradled the sides of Loki's face with both hands that seemed to tremble even more than usual; he hoped they masked the slight tremor in his voice he did not want Loki to notice. "We have a contract, remember?

Loki's eyes welled. "I love you, Strange."

Stephen's heart soared like it had never soared before.

"I love you more."