The "click" of a mobile device and the sound of not-so-soft voices shushing equally loud voices woke Loki from his sleep. The boy-god barely had time to crack an eye open before he was face-to-face with Thor and his Midgardian friends.
His yelp startled Tony awake, who shook his head and gestured to the knocked out form of his partner. Loki nodded and curled himself into the couch, wishing with all his might that he could disappear… granted that didn't happen, but Thor did look rather angry, and it would not do anyone well to wake the Lady Potts from the sleep she so rightly deserved.
Loki started to crawl down from the mass of blanket before a sharp squeak made him realize that he tugged on Lady Pepper's arm… and that she wouldn't let go of him anytime soon. He shrugged and got back on the couch, spreading the blanket over them so the others couldn't see him and the two adults were properly covered. He'd known it was too good to be true, but for now, he would enjoy the time he had left.
"Has there been any luck tracking your potions?"
He was in dark enough spirits to recognize a kindred soul when he knew one, so the Queen's presence didn't have the effect she wanted it to. They were far too old for such tricks anyhow.
"No better than the last time, my Queen. This is starting to be tedious. The thief has blocked them from every Sight imaginable, and clouded my own in a fog so thick I can hardly find my own two hands!" The Merchant hissed.
"On a brighter note, you have managed to capture the assassin."
"He awaits judgement in your Chambers, of course."
"But he is not dead?"
"No, he is not dead."
"This'll be the trial of the century, I'll give you that. We're invited, so warn your Midgardian fellows that you'll be off-planet. And bring Loki and your Lady as well. They will be guests of honor, if the House of Odin has anything to say about it."
"No doubt Frigga will be ecstatic to see her little boy." Tony chuckled.
"You have warmed to the idea of children at last?" The Queen of Nifleheim smirked.
"Maybe." He offered. "Loki deserves the chance he's been given; who am I to deny him the right to heal?"
"Who indeed." She scoffed. "You may take your leave now. I felt it best to warn you."
"Your warning is appreciated."
The dark room faded out and soon enough, Tony was back on the couch. Pepper and Loki still using him as a pillow. There were worse situations to be in.
"When did you upgrade from mass murderer to Stark's kid?" Clint demanded of his former captor.
"Pardon?" The eight year old asked. "I've yet to take another's life and am rather proud of that fact. Unlike Thor's friends, I do not seek to be a warrior. I find my strengths in magic." He informed the archer. "The same you find yours in archery. You would be highly regarded on Asgard, as it is a skill not many can find their talent in."
"I'm sure you do, kid. What happened to make you all cuddly and stuff?"
"The Merchant informed me that I did bad things when I was older, but it wasn't me doing them, he said. Apparently the only way to get rid of the poison in my mind was to restore me to an age it wasn't there. I don't think the Allfather meant for me to be quite this young, but any further attempts could end badly, and not just for me. You shouldn't mess with magic if you know not what you do."
"And the Merchant does?" Loki's voice turned from admonishing to reverent in an instant, and it was clear that he adored Tony.
"He is the Master of seidr. All the great legends revolve around his feats, but if you ask him yourself he'll say it was exa- exa-".
"Exaggerated," A deeper voice snorted. Clint glanced up to find Tony towering over the both of them, gripping Loki's shoulder.
"Because they were. I know seidr just as well as anyone who would dedicate the time and patience it requires to learn, and there are many things possible with my level of skill, but I am immortal, young one, not invincible."
"I call bullshit on that one, Merchant."
"Don't say stuff like that, kid. I bet you don't even know what a bull is."
"Yes I do! I asked your invisible servant to look it up. It's like a bilgesnipe with some of its antlers cut off."
"And smaller, thank the Norns. Much, much smaller."
"That too. Is it true that they've been taught to hate a color for sport?"
"It is." Tony nodded.
"But why? That sounds cruel."
"It gets worse, kid." Clint offered. "Look it up at your own risk but I don't suggest you do."
"Why don't you go see what Lady Pepper is up to?" Tony offered. "I don't think she'd mind watching NCIS, if it's on."
"Is that the one where you work for the government, Merchant?"
"If you insist." Tony snorted. Loki vanished in a whoosh of air and excited yelling. Tony glanced around to make sure the boy was gone before he spoke.
"On your feet, Hawkeye." The inventor hissed. The next thing Clint knew, he was being pinned to the wall.
"I do not appreciate having my methods questioned and my people trifled with, so unless you wish to truly see the work of Thanos, you leave that boy alone."
"Is that a threat?" Clint choked out.
"Information, to be exact." Tony released the chokehold but rooted Clint into place. His voice was softer when he spoke again. "The damage done to Loki far outweighs anything you could have dreamed of, Archer. Loki used the Tesseract to commit you to his will, but that did not truly break you. You are still yourself, with your own identity. The boy's current form is there because when I looked back, that was the last time I could find where his mind was completely whole, where he wasn't unraveling, falling apart at the seams like the Norns' Thread. I would appreciate not having to redo all my hard work."
Tony released Clint from his grip and stalked off, leaving Clint to consider what he said. According to that speech, Loki had been fucked up since he was eight years old… he needed to talk to Thor.
"Loki, I would speak with you of matters most troubling to me." Thor intercepted his path as the younger Prince made his way to the living room. The boy groaned.
"I'm not going back to Asgard, Thor. Not without the Merchant or Lady Potts in my company, and that is not to happen anytime soon. And definitely not because of the Allfather."
"I have implied nothing of the sort, brother. I merely wish to know how this came about."
"I'm sure the Merchant could tell you, if you ask nicely. Or Heimdall."
"Indeed I will, then. Do you have plans for your Name Day?"
"Not really. The television will show the entire saga of the shows I like to watch, so if all goes well I will likely be able to watch them all with Lady Potts and her fiancé. There might be a discussion or two, but you are welcome to on join us, if you wish."
"I will gladly join you in this marathon if you will have me. When do we start?"
"Do you still wish to see Asgard?" Hours later, Tony and Pepper were watching TV in their room when he asked.
"Depends."
"On?"
"Can we take Loki with us?"
"He should be expected, yes."
"What are we going for?"
"Someone attempted to assassinate the King of the Light Elves and representatives from all nine Realms are expected to attend the trial." He informed her.
"Are you going as Tony Stark or as the Merchant?" She wondered.
"The latter." He chuckled. "And as such, you and Loki will be under my protection."
"Who will represent Earth?"
"The rest of the Avengers." He snorted. "It'll be interesting, I'll give you that. I guess I'll have to speak for them as well... ugh, why must my life be so difficult?" He scowled, burying his face in her shoulder.
"When is this trial?" Pepper murmured as she ran a hand through his hair.
"Two weeks." He said. "The Asgardians expect us at least a day earlier.
"We have time to prepare him for it, so that's good... I like when you talk like this." She admitted.
"Does it make you feel pretty?" He smirked.
"Very much so," She replied. "Like a princess."
"Good. It's now my life's goal to keep you feeling pretty."
She smirked and rolled her eyes.
"I can come back later." A small voice mumbled awkwardly.
"It's fine, Loki." Pepper laughed at the look on the poor boy's face. "We weren't actually going to do anything..." She and Tony burst into laughter. "What's wrong?"
"I woke up just now and found myself in the corridor outside your room." The young prince explained. "May I sleep here tonight?"
"Hop in, kid." Tony offered. "Not like we were doing anything." That touched off another round of laughter from the adults.
"Yes, laugh at my misfortune!" The boy scowled. "Wretched people." He groused as he glared at the ceiling with red cheeks.
They spent the rest of the night watching whatever was on TV until they fell asleep.