A/N: I FOUND MA NOTES! So here's the next update! Adorable Loki is adorable; awkward Tony is awkward. LOL! XD

Everybody get up and do the "technically ten chapters" dance!

~(^U^)~ \(^o^)/ ~(^U^)~

Ahem... That's enough of that...

ONWARD!

[CHAPTER 9- The Storm]

Boooommmmmmmm. Csssshhhhh!

Loki was startled awake by the bright flash of light and the rumble that followed. His hands clamped over his ears as he anxiously tried to find the source of his awakening. When another lightning bolt struck, the green eyed boy cried out and quickly leapt from his bed. He kept his hands over his ears, and his bare feet led him quietly down the hall.

Tears slowly filled his eyes.

Before he had been so rudely awoken, Loki had been having a nightmare. He didn't know why and he didn't know exactly what it was of, but there was a lot of cold and darkness and a blue light, but the light hurt, and then the light was gone and it was dark again. He didn't like the dark at all, and the blue light... terrified him.

And now, Thor was probably making the weather act up, and he had to wander those these dark hallways alone, where the shadows confused him and the only light was from the occasional lightning bolt. Loki called out quietly for his brother. He did not get a response.

The seven year old nervously pushed the door open to Thor's room. The blonde god was not in there. The younger brother sniffled and left the room behind as he continued to search.

Thor must be very sad if he's making a storm like this. Or he's very angry. What if he's angry at me?!

Loki's steps faltered.

No, he's probably not angry at me. I haven't done anything lately. Who else could he be angry with? Maybe himself? Or maybe he really is just sad...

An especially loud crash made the child shriek in fright. He really didn't like storms, and he really wished Thor would stop it. This place was scary enough as it was.

Cautiously, Loki approached the light coming from the kitchen. "Thor?" He called weakly, clutching the hem of his shirt. Instead of his brother, he found his new father, sitting at the bar.

"It's apple juice, I swear!" Tony shouted with wide eyes as he spun around on his bar-stool. His chocolate eyes landed on the seven year old, and his shoulders immediately slouched in relief. "It... Ah... It really is apple juice..."

Loki felt his lip start trembling. Thor wasn't here either. Was he outside the tower then? He couldn't get his brother to stop if he wasn't here.

"Hey, bud. You okay?" Tony questioned more gently and approached the trembling boy. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-I'm fine," Loki quietly promised. "I was just... just l-looking for Thor." Thunder rumbled overhead, and the child flinched.

"Oh... 'Cause of the storm, right?" The brunette asked. The dark haired child nodded. "We have storms like this all the time. I doubt your brother is the cause. Ever since you came, he's been a little... ahem, big ball of sunshine." The boy nodded slowly.

"I d-don't like the thunder. It sounds like w-war," Loki whispered and covered his ears. The engineer sighed and stared at the kid for a long moment. So Loki didn't like war. It didn't surprise him anymore, really. For the past several months they'd seen that while Loki was a prankster, he absolutely hated conflict. Trying to take over the world just isn't something he'd do. The idea that the Chitauri were controlling him was more and more likely every day, and even Clint had admitted it.

And the poor kid even had nightmares. He often didn't remember what they were of, but certain things seemed to make him have waking nightmares. Steve had been going over a report once, and Loki had screamed when he saw a picture of a Chitauri solider on the bottom of the screen.

"Hey, hey," Tony murmured soothingly and gently pulled the boy closer. "It's okay. You... Uh, you're fine. Nothing's going to get you... or anything." Wow, he still sucked at this... Where's Pepper when you need her? Or Natasha for that matter? She was pretty much Loki's mom.

Apparently, Tony's awkwardness was perfectly okay with the tiny god, who just gripped at his shirt and buried his face in the man's shoulder. Tremors ran through his body, and he eventually sank to his knees.

"You wanna watch a movie?" Tony asked, trying to come up with a distraction for the distressed child. "We can turn the volume up real loud and close the curtains in the theater..." Loki shook his head, unsure of what a 'movie' was. The brunette made an unhappy, thoughtful look and stared at the pajama clad seven year old. "Why don't we head back to your room, and I'll read to you. We can ask JARVIS where Thor is, 'kay?" The boy nodded thoughtfully and tiredly tried to stand.

Giving into one of his hidden desires, Tony scooped the kid up as he'd seen the blonde god do and settled him on his hip. The green eyed kid was surprisingly light. The inventor carried him to his room and set him on the bed. He flicked on the light and closed the curtains on the far side of the room.

"JARV, where's Point Break?" Tony called as he rummaged through the stack of books in the corner for something interesting.

" has not left the building, sir. He woke up an hour ago and departed to the training areas. He is currently preparing for his spar with in a few hours," the AI informed him. Tony shook his head. Some people were crazy, getting up so early to prepare for something that wouldn't happen for a long time.

"How's this, Loki?" He called over his shoulder, and a book with a mouse on the cover was held up. The billionaire could have sworn there was a movie about this book, but he doubted he'd ever seen it. The child nodded quickly and scooted over to provide space for his Midgardian parent. "Alright... Here we go..." Tony sat on the bed and opened the book to the first page.

After reading the first ten or so pages, Tony found a frown on his face. The story was about a tiny little mouse that was discriminated from the other mice because he liked music and light and reading instead of scurrying about and always working. He was curious and thoughtful and sickly, and he was just like Loki. It made him a little bit sick.

Tony frowned and glanced over at said child to find tears in his eyes. "We can stop if you want," he lightly commented.

The boy shook his head, looking offended. "No! I must know what happens to him!"

"Alright."

The man turned his eyes back to the book and continued to read. Another hour passed before he looked over at his young charge. The boy was falling asleep where he sat, which made him chuckle.

"Okay, kid. I think's it's time you went back to sleep." Tony set the book on the nightstand and pulled the blankets over the seven year old. He moved to the doorway and flicked the lights off with a small smile. "Goodnight, bud."

Timidly, a voice responded with what it had been dying to say for months. "N-Night... um, Daddy."

Tony flinched just as he closed the door. Daddy, he thought tiredly. Daddy is a very difficult title to accept.

A/N: AWKWARD. Loki, that was kinda uncalled for. Give a guy some warning, will ya? JK, love you, Lokes.

BTW, here's this update's question! What is your favorite stuffed animal (guys you too...) AND how did you get it? My favorite is my stuffed bear, Fourie. Make fun of his name- I dare you. :( I got him when I was three, I think it was for my birthday. He's yellow, and he's got really long legs but short ears...