Hey everyone, a final chapter while I'm in Belgium. Enjoy!
"Sir, sorry for the interruption, but Loki is awake."
It took a few moments for JARVIS's words to penetrate, but, when they did, Tony frowned.
Awake? Did that mean it was night?
A quick glance at the clock confirmed it was, three am in fact. No wonder he felt a little tired.
"Another nightmare?" Tony asked as he got up and stretched.
"Yes, he was crying and struggling in his sleep."
"And now?"
"He is huddled in his sheets and blankets, trembling with his heart racing," JARVIS replied. "I have raised the lights just enough so he can easily see there is nothing in his room."
Tony smiled at his AI's compassion while he headed for the lift. "I'm not sure Ásgarðrians have the whole monster under the bed thing, but it's probably still a good idea."
"Loki did ask Master Óðinnson if there were any jötnar in the room when he was brought back, half asleep, two nights ago."
Wait, any jötnar?
"Aren't jötnar frost giants?"
"Yes, Sir."
"But..."
Tony felt horror flash through him, though it was quickly followed by red hot fury.
Loki was a frost giant! Thor had been quite clear on that. So how the hell did Loki come to fear them so much they seemed to be his version of the bogeyman?
Even if it was a common Ásgarðrian belief, what kind of cold, sadistic father allowed his son to believe he and his race were the monsters that hid under the bed at night?
No wonder there was friction between Loki and the All-Daddy! It was rapidly becoming clear to Tony why Reindeer Games had felt it necessary to back door each and every cell in the dungeons, or why he had rebelled. If anything, he was impressed it had taken so very long. Personally, he'd rebelled far sooner and for a lot less!
"Remind me to have words with Thor later, JARVIS," Tony ordered as he got off the lift on the floor Point Break and Loki shared.
"With pleasure, Sir."
Was it his imagination, or did JARVIS sound gleeful?
Tony dismissed the thought with a glare at Thor's bedroom door as he walked through the living room of the floor he'd redesigned for their resident alien price. Since Point Break was stuck on Earth until they recovered the Tesseract, it had seemed like the least he could do. Even with his growing suspicions and anger he didn't regret that since it meant child Loki was close by. Though Tony would be the first to agree he could hardly take care of a plant, let alone another person, when someone awakened his protective instincts, he liked to keep them close. And little Loki most definitely had, and not just because of those large, green eyes.
"Loki?" Tony called out softly, rapping his knuckles on the door. "Are you okay?"
When there was no immediate response, he opened the door a little so he could stick his head in.
"Loki, it's me, Tony, can I come in?"
There was no verbal response, but he could see just enough of a dark head in the nest of blankets to tell it was nodding, so he stepped inside and gently closed the door behind him.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, approaching the bed. "Had another nightmare, huh?"
Another nod was the only response, but Tony was heartened by the fact Loki lowered the blankets, just a little.
He took a seat on the bed within touching distance but kept his hands to himself.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Tony offered.
They did need to know more of what had happened to Little Prince and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, but he wouldn't push. Tony knew far too much about nightmares and the cruelty of the demons that stalked one at night to do so to anyone else, let alone a kid. As far as he was concerned that was just another form of torture and he wouldn't stand for it. Not in his tower.
A vigorous head shake accompanied by a wry and assessing look which no kid should sport.
"That's perfectly okay," Tony hastened to assure. "I don't like talking about mine either."
"You?"
Tony nearly winced at the hoarse sound of Loki's voice. The poor kid had definitely been screaming again earlier.
"Yep," Tony said, popping the p. "Of course."
The expected frown told Tony he'd been correct in his assessment of how mighty and macho Ásgarðr viewed nightmares and those who had them.
"You admit it freely," Loki marveled, the blankets lowering a little more.
"Kiddo, you'll find there are a lot of differences between Ásgarðr and Earth. Here having nightmares isn't seen as a sign of weakness," Tony said, before he pulled a face. "At least not by most. Especially not if you've experienced something bad and, not only have you done so, but you now might have to deal with adult stuff as a child."
At least that was Tony's theory.
Little Prince now bore a pensive expression and he allowed him a few moments silence.
"So," Tony finally spoke once more. "Do you want to go back to sleep?"
"Nay."
Immediate and sure, with just enough stubbornness to indicate Loki thought he might be told to.
"How about a late-night snack then?" Tony offered.
"I am not supposed to eat during the night," Loki replied, but Tony could already see a bit of anticipation and mischief in those big, green eyes.
"And do you always do as you're told?"
"Nay."
The blankets were around the kid's shoulders now and the beginnings of a real smile on his face.
"Attaboy," Tony responded, feeling far too excited about this himself.
How long had it been since he'd snuck about like a naughty kid at night? He'd become far too used to just keeping whatever hours he wanted and to hell with what anyone else thought. Which was all fine and well, but it lost the thrill of doing so while acknowledging the fact that he probably shouldn't. Though it was never quite the same without a partner in crime, so perhaps that was why he'd stopped doing it.
"How do you feel about ice cream?" Tony asked.
"Ice cream?"
"Wait, you don't have ice cream on Ásgarðr?" Tony demanded, scandalized.
Loki shook his head and abandoned his blankets entirely when all Tony could do was stare at him in horror.
"Right, that's it, we're heading up for ice cream," Tony decided, holding out his arms before he'd even thought about it.
Yet maybe it was precisely because he'd been so natural about it that Loki felt safe enough accepting his offer, moving forward out of the remains of his nest, little arms coming up to encircle Tony's neck. He forced himself to keep acting naturally even as he realized just how vulnerable Little Prince must still be feeling from the nightmare to so easily accept physical proximity. Sure, it might look like Loki wanted independence and to be treated like he was older than he was, but he was still a little kid who wanted to be reassured and comforted during what was, no doubt, a very frightening and confusing experience.
What caught Tony off-guard was how cool Loki was when his little body snuggled in against him. He was intimately aware of how it felt to have someone close to him and warmth was an integral part of that experience, so the lack of it now was startling. Even knowing why didn't make it any less disconcerting though he did his best not to let it show, instead adjusting Loki's position slightly to redistribute his, not insignificant, weight before he stood.
It seemed frost giants were as dense as the æsir.
"JARVIS, tell me we have Ben and Jerrys," Tony said as he walked out of Little Prince's room and back towards the lift.
"I have kept the levels stocked up in anticipation of another movie night."
"Excellent."
"What is a movie night?" Loki asked when the lift doors closed.
"It's when we get together to watch one or more movies as a group," Tony replied. "Do you remember what movies are?"
"Hmm."
"We can watch one if you want."
"With cream of ice?"
"Of course, can't forget that."
As soon as the elevator doors opened on the Avengers' communal floor, Tony made a bee line for the kitchen. If he wasn't very much mistaken, then they had all the extras for ice cream sundaes too. He wondered briefly if he truly wanted a sugar-high godling of mischief on his hands, before a slight tremor in Loki's little frame made him push the thought aside. The scamp deserved it and, if he became too much, well, then he could always have JARVIS wake Thor and let him deal with it.
"Okay," Tony said, approaching the counter. "If you sit here, I'll see what flavors we have."
It was heartening how quickly Little Prince complied and Tony took that to mean Loki was already feeling a bit more secure in his presence. Well, either that or he really wanted to see what this ice cream thing was all about.
"What is in cream of ice?" Loki asked, adjusting himself on his seat.
Tony left that question for JARVIS to answer as he pulled open the freezer, peering inside. As his AI had promised, there was plenty of Ben and Jerrys inside. Rather than try to guess what an alien prince might like (Thor's dubious tastes left much to be desired as far as he was concerned), he opted to just pull them all out.
"Thus, each of these have a different flavoring?" Loki was asking as Tony put them on the counter before him.
"Yes," JARVIS confirmed. "All of them sweet."
The mere thought of savory ice cream made Tony crinkle his nose. Really? Who'd want to eat that?
"So, it seems we have Cookie Dough, Chunky Monkey, Crème Brûlée, Caramel Chew Chew, Phish Food, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Peanut Butter Cup and Cherry Garcia."
Loki's eyes were wide as he looked at the pots, carefully reaching out to touch one. "It's cold, I like the cold."
Yeah, big surprise there.
"Now, do you want to try just one or shall I put a few scoops together in a bowl so you can try different ones?" Tony asked.
"All of them?"
"Nah, I think that much ice cream would give you a tummy ache, but we could probably start with three or four. Besides, some of these flavors won't mix well together."
"Which ones do?"
"I'd probably start off with Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Caramel Chew Chew and Phish Food. They have chocolate and you liked that earlier, right?"
Loki nodded his head eagerly, shifting onto his knees as Tony pulled out two sundae dishes and an ice cream scoop. Though he'd limited the number of scoops, he by no means restricted their size, putting quite generous portions into both of their bowls. He was more than familiar with Thor's appetite by now, and what he'd seen of Little Prince's was quite similar. Well, when the kid wasn't feeling ill.
"There, now a proper sundae also has other ingredients too," Tony stated, quickly shoving the ice creams back in the freezer before he pulled the whipped cream out of the fridge and found the bags of candies in the cupboard. "I don't suppose you have whipped cream on Ásgarðr?"
Loki shook his head, glancing up from his bowl. It looked like the poor kid was itching to try it but was being too polite to.
"Hold out your finger," Tony instructed, already shaking the tube. Once ready, he put a small dollop on Loki's finger. "Try it and let me know what you think."
Even as he said it, Tony was already adding a little pile to his own ice cream. The expression on Loki's face told Tony all he needed to know, and he gave the kid's sundae the same treatment.
"Open the bags and add whatever you want of the candies," Tony told him, putting away the whipped cream.
They soon had their sundaes ready and what a beautiful thing they both were, a veritable rainbow of color with all the different candies and sprinkles. Tony could already hear Bruce's disapproving voice in his ears, and it made him grin madly. This was that midnight fun he'd been missing from his life lately. Loki clearly felt the same as the kid jumped from his chair and scampered to the couch with their spoons, bouncing in place as he waited for Tony to catchup with their desserts.
"JARVIS, cue up How to Train Your Dragon," Tony requested, knowing Hiccup's story would resonate with Loki very well from all that he knew of Ásgarðr. "Ready for your ice cream?"
"Aye!"
Tony nearly laughed at how eager and excited the little scamp was. He didn't care what Fury or anyone else said, this was no would-be world conqueror; it was just a small and lost boy desperate for some positive attention.
"Alright, let this illicit movie night begin!"
Thor yawned as he stretched, before scratching his belly. It seemed Loki had finally slept a full night through without any nightmares. He was pleased. Not only did it mean he had been able to have a full night's sleep, but he also disliked the helpless feeling he had whenever his little brother trembled against him, clearly still terrified from whatever 'twas he had experienced in his dreams. In a lot of ways, it reminded Thor of when they had been young and Loki had crept into his bed in the nursery after waking from the dreams he had experienced back then.
The memory made Thor freeze and he stiffened as he recalled what Loki had whispered to him back then.
Of how he was somewhere cold and dark, all alone.
Had Loki been dreaming of being abandoned by Laufey? Of being left out in the elements to die?
The mere thought made Thor feel ill and he stormed out of his chamber, heading straight for his brother's.
"Master Óðinnso-" JARVIS began.
"Not now, Spirit," Thor interrupted, barely managing to slow down before he burst into his brother's bedchamber. "Loki?" he called out, stepping inside.
He frowned as he saw the bed empty, an abandoned clump of sheets and blankets indicating his brother's slumber may not have been as undisturbed as he had hoped.
"Loki?" he tried again, stepping into the bathing chamber. "Loki?"
"Master Óðinnson, he is not here," JARVIS stated.
"Then where is he?" Thor demanded, feeling panic begin to fill him.
Had someone stolen into the Man of Iron's tower and taken his brother? Or had Loki recovered and vanished before Thor could say anything or see him again?
"He is with Sir on the communal floor," JARVIS replied, calmly. "He woke at three oh four am and Sir took him there to distract him from his nightmare."
Oh, that was fine. Loki was being looked after by one Thor knew would not harm him. He was still a bit surprised the spirit had not woken him, but he knew friend Stark often stayed up very late, so perhaps the spirit had not needed to wake him to summon Loki aid?
It did not matter, so Thor marched for the elevator which was already waiting for him and needed no prompting on his part to take him to the Avengers floor. Friend Tony's spirit was most useful. He was out of the elevator the moment the doors opened, and he paused only briefly at how dark 'twas in the normally light and airy room.
"They are both still asleep," JARVIS spoke softly, raising the lights slightly.
A quick glance around and Thor could spot the Man of Iron's foot sticking from the end of the sofa, so he headed towards it.
As he drew closer, his attention was caught by two elongated glass bowls on the table with dirty spoons in them. Thor frowned as he recognized them as the cream of ice bowls they had utilized during one of their movie nights. Had the Man of Iron and Loki risen to have dessert? 'Twas a strange thought, but then it would likely serve to distract his brother from the visions of his dreams, so mayhap 'twas not a bad idea. He would need to ponder it for if Loki woke again tonight.
Then Thor was close enough to see over the back of the sofa and his frown morphed into a smile. Loki and Friend Tony were indeed asleep, laying curled around each other on the flat part of the sofa. He doubted they had commenced thus, but he knew well how his brother would quickly shift to wrap himself around whomsoever lay near him. 'Twas a fact he knew well from their childhood and he hoped Friend Tony did not take it ill, though it had clearly not disturbed his slumber thus far.
"There is an afghan on the other couch," JARVIS said.
Afghan? Thor was not familiar with this word, but when he looked over at the other sofa, he found the colorfully woven blanket Friend Clint and Lady Natasha had used during their last movie night draped across it. He moved to collect it and then he carefully laid it over both Loki and Friend Tony, ensuring it would not fall off if they shifted. The Man of Iron twitched before shifting slightly to curl more around Loki's small form.
It made Thor smile and he seated himself on the other sofa to watch them sleep.
Not quite me going easy on poor Loki, but at least he had some fun after his latest nightmare. And I was so happy How to Train Your Dragon had come out by this point in the MCU timeline, as I love it and think it would resonate very well with little Loki!
Finally, a quick Thor pov to show how that particular movie night ended :)