Bucky walked slow and thoughtful, he didn't quite know where he was a headed, and he could only hope that there was food there. It was a few hours since he had found Bruce passed out naked in his kitchen with a child tucked safely under his arm. To say he had been suspicious was an understatement. Still he had covered the man's decency as best he could and had wandered off again.
He wasn't too fussed really.
He hadn't seen Steve since his less that helpful outburst that seemed to involve traumatising a five year old and he didn't really want to. He had been informed of the situation by Bruce after a little while, about the battle of New York and the death and rebirth of Coulson. It seemed to make a little more sense that Steve would be sceptical about what child was. That didn't mean, in any way, he thought that you should go grabbing children that obviously don't have any malicious intentions. When you're crying that much you don't have a second mask. No matter how good you are at lying, not even if you're the literal god of it could do that.
He muttered something sour to himself. He was well aware that Steve probably felt terrible; god knows he felt terrible about everything else he did. Good or bad.
The man with the metal arm stomped broodily into the main living room for everyone living on the level, which for some reason was just him and Bruce. He had figured he would be bunking with Steve when he agreed that he would live in the tower, but apparently he would be moving into the floor below. He had a hunch it had something to do with the industrial strength latches on the doors and the fact that he and Bruce were bad at controlling their emotions. It didn't bother him that much; it wasn't like he wasn't allowed to leave.
He leaned experimentally over the side of the couch, looking down at the two curled figures. He had asked Jarvis if there was anyone in their while he was in the corridor so it wasn't like he wasn't expecting them.
He smiled softly.
Bruce was lying with his head to the side and dribble was slowly falling from the corner of his mouth. He looked adorable in a grown up sort of way. The kid lay on his chest, playing with the loose threads of the larger man's collar. At least this time he was fully clothed. The child still wore his green tunic, though his hair was damp and his blue skin warm with wetness. His red eyes glinted against the electric lights. In that moment he looked painfully sad.
"Hey kid" He leant his elbows on the back of the sofa, and the child's head turned to him. He was no longer scared, Bucky could tell. His eyes were wide with curiosity. "Your name is Loki isn't it?" The boy nodded. "Well, Loki, has anyone told you what happened?" the boy shook his head, eyes sad again. Bucky frowned and reached down, picking up the child by his armpits. He walked a few steps over to the larger kitchen and set him down on the bench. "Well, why don't I fix us some dinner and I'll answer all your questions… if I can" Jarvis had informed him what had happened when Loki first changed from Mr to Master in Jarvis' books. It a least explained why it hadn't stopped raining since it had gotten back. No more was needed to be said on the matter of Thor's mood.
The child brightened at that, and the man with the metal arm didn't know whether it was because of the prospect of food or information. He could only suppose it was both. He smiled and began to go through the fridge. Thank god Jarvis kept all the fridges stocked. Thank god for Jarvis in general.
"Where am I?" The child's voice was small, but strong. Determined to find the answer for his question.
"I believe you would call here Midgard or something like that. But it's changed a lot since you were last here. We call this region New York" the boy nodded, understanding.
"Why is Thor so big?" His words became even smaller as the one person he recognised in this world was mentioned, even by his own tongue. Bucky tried a smile again, but he didn't get one in return.
"This might come as a surprise to you, but the last time you were seen you were older. A lot older. They found you in Central Park surrounded in scorch marks. And by they, I mean the… protectors of this world, they make sure the people are safe, apparently there was a big flash in the sky when you showed up" the child was quiet for a long time, staring down at his smooth blue legs and little blue toes, thinking carefully about all he had been told. Older, he had been older. It was a difficult concept to grasp for a five year old brain. He bit his lip and shook his head. His hair was as long as the man with the metal arm's and he wished he could put it up in a pony tail like he had it, but he didn't know how, usually his mother did it.
"Why did… why did older-Thor attack me?" His voice was feeble, like he already knew the answer and was just asking with a tiny amount of hope that he might be wrong. It was obvious that he had assumed the worst and, sure, the worst might of been the truth, but Bucky sure as hell didn't feel the need to tell the kid that his older brother and he weren't on good terms.
"Oh, don't worry about that, kid" Bucky patted him on the back, the same way that he had seen Bruce do. "Thor just thought you were someone else. He didn't know that it was you. I'm sure you know how he's like more than anyone else" he saw the kid's shoulders slump in relief and he silently continued to cook, waiting for the child to get his shit together.
"We need to talk about this" Tony slammed his hands down onto his marble bench in his penthouse, face firm and stern. Thor briefly looked up from where he was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. "I have a five year old super villain downstairs who keeps asking for his 'papa'." He made quotations in the air, beside his head. "I can't deal with this" his words were desperate and exaggerated.
Steve sat in an arm chair staring worriedly at Thor. Apparently Tony had told him what he had done to Loki after being told by Bucky. It had taken Clint, Natasha and Tony in his suit to hold him back. Something told him that Thor had wanted to kill him simply for touching the child. In contrast he had gone up to Bruce and hugged him when he came in to say that Loki was sleeping on the sofa and he was clean at last. The embrace had been unexpected, but it seemed that Bruce had decided to humour him.
"Thor?" He questioned gently.
"What?" His voice was a growl, his face back in his hand, shoulders tense.
"Why does Loki keep asking for his father? I thought that he and Odin had a bad relationship?" He tried to keep his gentle tone, as if he was talking to a protective mother elephant with a habit of charging. Thor looked up, resting his chin on his knuckles, his elbows on his knees. His face looked older, dwarfed by remembering and nostalgia.
"At this age both I and Loki were very close with Odin. Our mother did all the socialising at the balls or parties and me and my brother clung to our father. The man that organised what you midgardians would call publicity said that it was cute. Though I do truly believe that he was very protective over us" he paused, considering his words very carefully. "Father was especially protective of Loki, I think it was because he was smaller and was prone to wandering off. My father was well aware that a lot people were very interested in the smallest of the crown prince. He was… vulnerable and father knew that" a small smile graced his lips.
"Do you think we should contact him? Odin I mean" Clint, for sure, was the least impressed with the situation, but he did have some morals. If he didn't Natasha probably wouldn't be standing next to him and he'd also probably in jail somewhere. He also didn't, in any way, like kids, especially ones that were continually turning blue when panicked, but, hell, he figured that if this was the stage at which Odin wasn't that bad at patenting they might as well reunite a little boy and his papa. It seemed only proper.
"No, I know that my father will not believe Loki for the child he has become. Long ago Odin decided that everything Loki did or said was just a piece of the puzzle in his master plan" Thor shook his head sadly, rightfully so.
"Well, shit, what are we meant to do now? Start up a babysitting company for traumatised, alien, five-year-olds?" Tony's words were scathing, but oddly fond. Apparently he and Loki had already become friends. Nobody was really sure that was a good thing or not.
"Sirs and madam, I have a message for Mr Odinson" Thor looked up at the celling at the sudden arrival of Jarvis.
"What is it J? 'Cause you know I told you not to let anyone in" Tony took a sip of his scotch.
"Master Laufeyson has requested the presence of Mr Odinson in the kitchen of Dr Banner and Mr Barnes' floor" His words were stiff, and it was impossible to tell whether he approved or disapprove of the request.
"Loki? He has awoken? Where is the healer Bruce?" Thor's deep voice and mind had long grown accustomed to the voice in the celling, but he still didn't fancy the message. He had screwed up. Again. He was ashamed of himself.
"Master Laufeyson woke up ten minutes ago, though Dr Banner is still sleeping. The young Master is being supervised by Mr Barnes and I really insist that you get down there. The young man is already rather distressed and I believe he is in need of some familiar company" Jarvis' voice was stern and deeply annoyed. You could practically see Thor's ears prick at the mention of Loki's apparent distress. It wasn't that surprising. First he was attacked by a man that looked like his brother, saved by a green, rage monster, woke up with a strange man and probably thought he'd been kidnapped. He would of been pretty shaken after that.
"I-I'm on my way" Thor's usually commanding voice was shaking ever so slightly and his hands were trembling at the mere thought that perhaps probability that he might of been getting the opportunity to do over the craziness-inducing screw up in the time space continuum that was Loki's childhood. Well, chances are he wasn't thinking that. It was fairly obvious that what was going through his head at that moment was a long, creative and thought provoking string of profanities. He stomped theatrically towards the elevator and Tony wandered vaguely after him, more curious about the possibility of entertainment than actual moral support. Steve crept meekly after them both, despite the glares. If he was being honest with himself, which chances are he wasn't, he really just wanted to see if the boy was okay.
When they entered the kitchen Loki was sitting in Bucky's arms, thumb in his mouth, his other hand holding onto the man's shirt. Bucky's human arm was tucked under Loki's bottom while he stood at the stove, flipping over frying eggs. They both turned at the arrival of the three. Bucky's eyes clicked from figure to figure, checking for threat, like the good solider he was, but Loki's wide eyes focused only on Thor. Everyone was sure that he was relieving those few second when he had only just become little and Thor coming from nowhere, older and swinging his hammer. Fear flashed briefly across his face and everyone held there breath. He stared wide eyed at Thor and then he crumpled. He threw himself out of the man with the metal arm's arms as if he was trying to fly across the room to the man he was perfectly sure was his older brother.
Thor rushed forward at an inhuman speed and embraced the child in mid air.
"Thor!" the boy clung desperately to Thor's armour, tears streaming down his face, from relief or distress it was hard to say. "I was so scared! And you were so s-scary! And I w-want Papa and Mama!" his words were hiccupped and sobbing as the child clung to Thor's golden locks, little hands grabbing at his suddenly older, older brother' face and hair.
"I know, brother. I am so sorry, I am sorry, very sorry. I was confused, I did not mean to frighten you" Thor pressed tender kisses to the sides of little Loki's face and the boy kissed him back, seemingly delighted with his brother, though still knee deep in panic. "I truly am sorry, my halfling. I will do what I can to get you back to Papa and Mama" Thor held the child tenderly, as if he was afraid he would break.
"The shapeshifter promised" the boy muttered from under Thor's chin.
"Shapeshifter?" Loki pointed to the sofa where you could just see Bruce's hair sticking up and his glasses resting on his head. "Ah, so you figured it out? You are so very, very clever" Thor planted another kiss on Loki's forehead, and the boy, for the first time since his transformation, looked at peace.
Fifteen minutes later Loki was happily devouring a piece of toast with a fried egg on it, sitting on Thor's knee at the dining table and talking readily with the shapeshifter who had awoken minutes before. Bruce was patiently explaining that Bucky was not in fact simply an half armoured man, but actually that he arm was pure metal. Bucky smiled throughout the conversation.
Steve and Tony had slunk off a little after they had gotten what they wished. Steve for the most part was just happy that the boy was okay. He walked silently beside the Man of Iron, going over the possible options. He felt like offering to walk a little old lady across the road just to redeem himself. He never thought he would crave Loki's, of all people's, forgiveness. It was just strange.
"Maybe we could tell the media?" Tony babbled insistently. "We could say that the kid's Brucey's adopted boy and that Thor and Bucky are godfather. That would probably shout us some publicity" As always he was passionately lamenting the perks of media corruption, though Steve was barely listening. He was worried. He knew for a fact that nobody in this whole goddamned building knew how to look after a five year old. The kid didn't even have clothes, not to mention the cosmic powers and the ice cold skin and the blueness. He could just see the media soaking up the adoption of a five year old super criminal by the protectors of earth. He could just see it going well.
"Be quiet Tony. We have bigger problems than whether the media likes us. Do you know what to do with a child who keeps asking for the papa we can't get him back to?" Almost immediately the man beside him stopped in his tracks, his mouth slightly. Steve paused as well, looking back at his friend
"Oh my god, you're right" His face morphed in to horror. Steve raised an eyebrow, partially in amusement, partially in surprise, partially in curiosity. "We're going to have to tell him. We're going to have to tell a five year old boy that he killed thousands of people, tried to kill his brother on numerous occasions. And his mother. His mother's dead, how are we going to tell a kid that the mother he adores is dead and his father hates him?" Tony clung suddenly to Steve's collar, as if he was trying to tug him up from the floor. His face was as panicked Loki had previously been.
"T-Tony! Calm down, there's no need to get that worked up" Steve held up his hands as if he was preparing to surrender himself to the raving mad man before him.
"No need to get worked up?! Of course there is! How are we meant to care for an already emotionally unstable five year old?!" Tony's voice was shrill and Steve wondered if he had, in fact, lost his mind.
"Tony, just calm down! He's a five year old, for god sake! We can do this" his words rang out in desperation through the corridor and Tony smirked, his face no longer panicked.
"You sucker and now you have nothing to worry about." He walked away a few steps, but then paused and looked over his shoulder with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "you said it yourself, he's just a five year old from another realm. What could go wrong?" then he walked away, leaving Steve to realise that he had not only been tricked, but he has also assured himself that perhaps this situation isn't as totally and utterly screwed up as they first presumed.
He chuckled to himself.
"Well…" he said quietly. "Well, shit"
