Chapter 2: Time Moves On, Slowly

A/N: Here is the second chapter. I'm going to put warnings for triggers before the disclaimer just for safety's sake by chapter, in case anyone gets triggered, which I'd hate so much because I know it feels awful.

Triggers: Slight bi erasure, swearing, drinking, shouting, loss, guilt and self-hatred.

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel.

Tony woke the next morning and checked the clock, blinking at the fact that it was just barely seven and he'd slept maybe five hours if that. He sighed, got up and showered before getting some coffee on the go. Peter wasn't awake yet, so he didn't make anything to eat just yet. He looked at his phone and saw several new notifications, gulping slightly. A text from Pepper, Bruce and Rhodey, two emails from various business related matters and one email pertaining to Peter's school. He prioritised the one from Peter's school, turns out he was in the draw for the chance to win a scholarship at MIT. He flicked through it absentmindedly with a small grin, proud of his protégé. He waved off the business emails for now, it was too early to deal with business – especially without coffee. Currently he and Peter were in his house in Malibu, he was unable to be in the Avengers Tower right now, not with everyone in their specific rooms and too close for comfort. He checked the text from Bruce first. It read; 'Hey, it's Bruce. Thor told me. You're crazy for who you chose to love but I get it. If anything happened to Nat... I'd go crazy. Anyways, I'm here if you need someone, science bro.' He smiled sadly and bit his lip, sitting up on the counter waiting for the coffee machine as he replied, 'Hey buddy thanks. Yeah, we were a secret for obvious reasons, but we were talking about becoming public…' He choked down the tears, resolving to pour coffee into an elegant forest green mug that wasn't his. He heard a ping for a reply, so he opened it again, glancing at the screen, 'I'm sorry, Tony. Thor told a couple other people in the Tower, they swore no one will know but maybe get your ass over here soon because they'll be a fight?' He cursed under his breath, damn Thor. He knew that the kid wouldn't be awake for a while yet, so he wrote a note to stick on the fridge, 'Went to Avengers Tower because Thor started a fight. Be back soon – T.' Before putting on his suit, he checked the message from Rhodey, his old friend, saying something similar with the exception of mention of the Avengers. He quickly replied, 'Thanks Rhodey. Talk later, War Machine.' A quick text came back, 'You know that it's Iron Patriot now, Tony.' He chuckled softly and texted back, suiting up, 'Yeah, not happening. It'll always be War Machine to me.' He took off to Avengers tower, hoping to not be pestered that much about his love. When he arrived at the Tower by flight, it wasn't as bad as Bruce had let on, thankfully. He would have thought that Thor would approach him first but was surprised when a man with long hair and a vibranium arm squeezed his shoulder before quietly speaking, "Steve told me. I'm sorry for what happened. I'll miss the plucky bastard. He was always fun." Tony turned to nod at the once enemy, now his friend, "Hey James, thanks. Where is Cap?" He smiled a bit, "In his room. I was just there; I came out to get coffee and saw you. I'll tell him that you're here." he brought the coffee into a blue door, suspiciously close to a black door. Tony chuckled softly to himself, so Loki had been right. Bucky came back with Steve at his side. The first Avenger nodded to him, "I'm sorry for your loss, Tony." he quietly spoke. Tony squared his jaw and nodded, smiling a bit, "It's shit, but that happens, I guess. So…you two still trying to sort things out?" Bucky smiled a bit, tucking some hair behind his ear, "Nah, we've got most things sorted out by now. I remember a lot, thanks to the Wakandians." Tony nodded, "That's good. You're healing." Steve noticed the questioning look in the inventor's eyes and gently took Bucky's hand in his, "Also… we're together." he softly told Tony with a smile. The engineer decided to play dumb, wanting to hear the words from the first Avenger's mouth properly, "Yeah, ever since we found him you two got the chance to see each other again after like, eighty years, right?" Bucky smirked a bit at him, "Not that kind of together, Tony. We're in a relationship. One that we couldn't openly be in during our own time." Steve blushed at this, worried that it would be a problem. Tony grinned at this, patting Steve's shoulder, "Don't sweat it, Cap. I kind of knew, to be honest. Lo…Lo knew too, that's how I found out, actually." his voice faltered slightly at mentioning the nickname.

Bruce came out of a green door and walked over to him, nodding, "I see you met Cap's boyfriend." Neither of them would be missing the chance to tease the blond fondly, he was their friend, it's kind of what they did. Steve stroked Bucky's hand gently to softly speak, "Come on Buck, let's leave them to talk." He nodded, turning to Tony, "See you later, Tony." Iron Man looked at them with a small grin, a ghost of it's previous one, "See you soon, guys." Bucky added, "Don't hesitate to contact us if you need a friend." Tony nodded, "Will do." Bruce led Tony to his lab, where he and the inventor could talk alone. "How are you holding up?" the scientist asked him softly. Tony sat down on one of the tables and shrugged, "I'm alive, aren't I?" Bruce looked sternly at him, causing him to put his hands up, "Okay, okay, fine. I feel shit. Lonely, pissed that he's gone, and I want to tear Thanos a new one." Bruce smiled a bit, "That's more like it. By the way, some guy in a red suit came by. Said he wanted to talk." Tony tilted his head but asked curiously, having heard rumours and bits of information about a mercenary in these parts that went by the name 'Deadpool'. He asked cautiously, "Deadpool, by any chance?" Bruce nodded, "That's the one." Tony thought about it for a moment and was about to reply when a portal opened, causing his breath to catch in his throat and his heart to soar with hope, which came crashing down when he saw Dr. Stephen Strange instead of who had hoped it to be. Dr. Strange spoke softly, "I am sorry for you loss, Stark. He was a friend of mine, a tutor of sorts. He gave me a message to pass onto you a few days before he left." Tony jumped off the table so quickly that his head spun slightly, but he walked over and asked, "Go on…?" The sorcerer chuckled a bit as he gave him a pale green envelope, looking suspiciously Asgardian to the inventor's eyes. He hoped upon hope that there was a chance, a slim chance if any, that his love was still alive. Stephen saw this and patted his shoulder gently, "He's gone, Stark. He said he'd find a way to talk to you through death, who knows how. But know this, he was the most powerful sorcerer I've ever encountered. If anyone can find a way to communicate with you when dead, it's him." Tony grinned at this new information and nodded, "Thanks, Strange. This mees a lot." The doctor nodded and opened up another portal before calling over his shoulder, "If he does contact you, can you please thank him for me?" Tony quirked an eyebrow, "Sure." he replied with a shrug, anxious to get the letter open. He knew it was Loki's because of the smell – leather and citrus. He opened it reverently with care as he read the letter, catching the small package that fell out of it in the nick of time. It read; 'Dearest, I am sorry for the pain and heartache I am likely putting you through in my absence. I have taken the liberty of contacting Dr. Stephen Strange to bring this to you, should the worst have happened and Thanos has murdered me. The package is of vital importance and will help you, you will know when to use it, my love. As for the motion pictures I let you sneak of me when we were alone, do not think I did not notice Stark, I have taken the liberty of making one for you, which is also in the package. As well as a silver necklace of which will likely be the utmost important thing. It is pure dwarven silver and given from my time with them. It will allow the wearer to visit a deceased loved one in dreams when enchanted with a specific spell, of which I have already done. Normally I would need the matching one, but as it was fortified with my magic, it should not pose as a problem. Know that I care for you deeply and wish that I did not have to be gone. Take care of our son and please do not allow my death to be the end of you. You are fiercely intelligent and wickedly sharp. I adore you and hope to see you in dreams. All my love, Loki'. He stared at this for a brief moment before placing a soft kiss to the name on the paper, well, parchment. He opened the package carefully and placed the necklace around his neck immediately. He looked down to a small glowing blue stone and a USB drive, lime green, naturally. Tony mused, "He must have gotten someone to help him with the technology or something." He put them in his pocket, along with the letter, smiling properly for the first time since the god of mischief's death, a newfound strength in his stride.

He went back to the main living room and said goodbye to everyone, going back to 'his small castle' as Loki had once smugly called it. He asked JARVIS, "Jarvis, can you play this USB?" Jarvis replied, "Of course, sir." As he spoke, a slot for a USB flash drive appeared in the wall. Tony smiled and put the USB into the drive. A video started up, to reveal Loki sitting on the couch, legs crossed a looking elegant as ever, causing Tony's heart to clench. Loki smiles directly at him and speaks softly, "I am truly sorry, beloved. Truly, I am. I know that what I am about to do, as this was taken the day before I went to visit Thanos. You are likely anxious to see me, so to tell you how to use the dream locket would be prudent, I suppose." he pursed his lips, causing Tony to laugh despite the tears pouring down his cheeks. He listened to Loki talk about how to use the locket, but he paused to simplify, "You simply think of me when you are fading off to sleep and think hard on my name while clutching the locket. Then I shall find you, dearest. Of this, I give you my work." Tony looked at him and murmured softly, "Never stopped, babe. But sure, that's what I'll do. And you listen to me here you son of a bitch, if it doesn't work, you're toast." Loki came up close to the camera and whispered in that velvet-like drawled out whisper he mostly used for things they did alone, he spoke, "Stark, the dreams will be quite intense. They may deplete you for the moment. Please, for the love of the stars, moon and sky, get plenty of rest, eat well and tell our son that I miss him. He will storm the world one day; of that I am sure. I do not know if you are aware of this, but on my death; he is now heir to my titles. Do not attempt to use that stone until five years have passed. You will understand in time. You may wish to tell him so, beloved. I miss you very much and will love you eternally. Please be well." he kissed his own fingers passionately before blowing it in the camera's direction before crooning, "Until we meet again." The view of the video turned to green smoke and the video came to an end. He smiled softly at the theatrics of his boyfriend, aching for sleep and wanting to see him. However, he had promised the kid that he'd watched Star Wars with him and so he would. He hadn't taken off the silver locket since he had shakily put it on when Dr. Strange had given it to him moments ago.

He stroked it reverently before going to the kitchen to find Peter awake, sipping orange juice and on his phone. He looked at the clock, ten o'clock. He greeted, "Morning. Hungry?" Peter looked up and smiled softly, Star Wars t-shirt on him as he replied, "A bit, yes. I didn't know where anything was…" Tony smiled slightly at him as he nodded, "Don't sweat it. I was thinking of making pancakes anyways. It's one of the few things I don't burn." Peter laughed softly at that, "I can cook quite well." He smiled in return, firing up the coffee machine again, "So could Loki…" Peter softly asked, "What was father's favourite thing to make?" He gripped the counter before inhaling sharply, it made sense that Peter would call Loki that, since he called him dad now, but it was still a shock. He cleared his throat, "Dinner, mostly. He made really fancy pastas and stuff. He always insisted on not using magic to cook. Come on, I'll make us some pancakes and we can watch Star Wars with them." He got out the pancakes things and went about making them, and that's exactly what they proceeded to do. They spend the day watching Star Wars contentedly.