Author's notes: This story revolves around Loki, so we won't be spying on Asgard for now. We'll know more about the other characters (or what happened to them), when and if any of them comes to Stark Tower. So, enjoy this chapter!

Unbeta-ed.

WARNING : MPREG

Loki sat on the floor, his back leaned against the pillar and his forehead against the cool glass that overlooked the beautiful city of New York. He was humming the tune to Somewhere Over the Rainbow and drumming his fingers on his thigh. There were a lot of things that he knew he had to figure out, but alas, he did not even know where to begin. For the time being, he was content to know that he have another memory (though an incomplete one) of the past; the melody that the Captain had acquainted him with.

Steve was also in the living room but he was seated on the love seat. He could see the young prince from where he was. As he didn't have anything better to do, the Captain decided to do a sketch of Loki while he kept him company. He knew that Loki was not in the mood to talk, but he was reluctant to leave him for long. He didn't think the prince's emotion was stable enough to be left alone. So he offered his silent companionship.

Steve also thought that Loki was a really good model to sketch; tall and lean, the prince had all the sharp features that he could draw all day if he wanted to. He smiled as he eyed the prince. Even though he had a little frown on his forehead, Loki was relaxed and at peace and it showed in his posture. It took him about two hours, but he was almost done with the sketch.

"Is that me?" Steve nearly jumped at Loki's voice. He turned to find the young god seated next to him, his neck craned towards Steve's sketchbook and a little quizzical frown on his forehead.

Steve held his palms to his chest, gave Loki an overly-dramatic shock expression, exhaled and then said, "Don't do that! I'm an old man. A heart attack may kill me."

Loki looked that the Captain with a dead-panned expression and then raised his eyebrows at him. Steve let out a loud sigh in mock defeat (he may or may not have uttered 'spoilsport' under his breath) and then showed Loki his sketch.

"Was that how I looked like just then?" Loki asked as he traced his finger on the drawing.

Steve nodded in agreement and blushed when Loki praised his work, "It's beautiful."

"Is that what you see when you look at me?" Loki asked softly.

Steve frowned and asked back, "What do you mean?"

Loki bit his lip and considered about answering. Steve nudged his elbow for him to answer, "Come on, you know you can tell me."

Loki studied Steve, as if he was pondering if he should give an answer, before he gave a small sigh and started to explain, "It was just that, I have always been different in Asgard. Aesir men, like Thor, they are big and strong, and that was what made them beautiful. My mother said that I was just as strong but I don't think I ever lived up to their expectations."

Steve nudged the prince again and said, "Loki, just because you're different, it doesn't mean that you're not beautiful. Or not as strong. What they have in strength, and I heard this from Thor, you made up with magic. So don't ever, ever, sell yourself short."

And this time it was Loki who blushed. He gave Steve a small smile and said, "Perhaps." It was a lovely pep talk but it wasn't anything that he hasn't heard before from his mother. But it was nice to hear that someone other than his own mother appreciated his strength in magic, even though he did not have his magic just then.

Steve gave him a goofy grin. Then he tore the piece of drawing from his sketchbook and handed it to Loki, "Here, you can have it. May you always remember that you are as strong and as beautiful as next person. Or you know, Aesir."

Loki took the drawing in his hands and gave it a melancholic look. Then he smiled at Steve and said, "Thank you, Captain. I shall cherish it forever."

'I shall pay for this drawing with one kiss', and that small voice hit him again. Loki frowned but instead of melancholic, the young prince felt mischievous. He had a brilliant idea!

"I would like to pay for this drawing with a kiss," Loki suddenly declared to the Captain. Steve eyes widened in surprise and stuttered, "Wh..whh.. what?"

But Loki raised his eyebrows at Steve and was adamant, "A kiss for the drawing. I do not have any silver nor gold, I presumed that it is only fair that you get a kiss for your trouble. It is my wish to see you properly compensated for the kindness that you have shown me."

Steve had his palms in front of him, as if to ward Loki off, "Uhh, no, no trouble at all. Really, that's not necessary, Loki. You are my friend. I'm giving you the drawing."

But Loki was already leaning forward towards the Captain and before he could slap Steve on the back and tell him that he was only joking, he felt the bile that was rising to his throat. It caused him to retch and before he could do anything, he threw up beside Steve. Steve jumped in surprise but he also managed to hold Loki up by his shoulders and asked in frantic, "What the?! Loki, are you okay? Loki?!"

By then, Loki was already on his knees and was still retching on the floor. Steve rubbed Loki's back in a circular motion to try and help to ease the retching. When it was obvious that Loki had thrown up all that he could, Steve brought him a glass of water and a bowl. He told Loki to rinse his mouth and then helped him to get seated on the couch.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked as he continued his ministrations on Loki's back.

"I am very sorry that you had to see that. That was vile. My stomach has been wretched today," Loki said as he tried to catch his breath.

Steve chuckled, "Yeah, way to raise my ego there, Loki. The idea of kissing me led you to puke your guts out."

And Loki looked up at Steve, alarmed, "I am very sorry. I assure you, that wasn't my intention at all."

But Steve only smiled at him and said, "Loki, you did not need to kiss me. I would have given that drawing to you anyway," as he gave Loki's neck a soft squeeze.

Loki grinned at the Captain and gave him a cheeky reply, "I know. But you should feel honored that I am bestowing upon you, a kiss. For then, you would be able to tell people that you were kissed by a prince!"

Steve, caught on with Loki's prank, chuckled and snorted, "Please, you just want me for my good looks. I'm on to you."

And then, Loki retched and threw up once again.

Steve sighed loudly, raised his eyebrows and said, "Right. Thanks for that, Loki."

And that was how Loki ended up sitting on an examination bed at the medical room. Steve was worried when Loki couldn't stop retching after an hour. The good Captain hovered nearby as Bruce checked on Loki.

"Is it food poisoning? But he had the same thing that I had. Unless, you know, I was okay because I had the serum," Steve tried to be helpful.

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he listened to the stethoscope on Loki's torso, "Hmm... It doesn't look or sound like food poisoning. Hmm... I think maybe we should do an ultrasound."

And so, they did the ultrasound.

When the picture showed up on the monitor, Bruce stiffened in surprise. Then he squinted at the monitor again, raised his eyebrows and said, "Umm..."

Bruce's reaction worried Steve, so he exclaimed, "What? What did you see?"

Bruce took off his glasses and massaged his forehead. Then he turned to Loki and said, "Well, it appears that you are pregnant. I guess, congratulations?"

Both Loki and Steve gawked at Bruce with identical expressions of disbelief.

Loki recovered first and enunciated his question, "I'm sorry, did you say that I-am-pregnant?!"

He turned to Steve and when the Captain caught his gaze, they laughed.

Steve slapped the doctor on his back and then said, "Good one Bruce. Now, come on. Is he okay?"

Bruce sighed but replied, "I wasn't kidding. Listen," and he turned up the volume of the ultrasound. A slow but definite sound of heartbeat emitted from the machine.

Silence.

After that, Bruce continued, "And look..." He turned the monitor around and showed them the display. He pointed to a grey-ish area on the monitor and continued, "That's your baby, Loki."

Both of them stared at the monitor in silence.

Loki was still staring at the monitor when he chanted, "This is a bad dream. I'm dreaming. I am still dreaming."

Out of the sudden, Loki yelped and glared at Steve as he brushed his arms to lessen the pain, "Owww... What was that for?" The good ol' Captain had pinched him, hard, on his arms.

Steve shrugged and said, "Well, at least now you know that you're not dreaming." Loki graced him with another glare.

Then Loki turned his glare towards the doctor, gritted his teeth and said, "But in case you haven't notice, Dr Banner, I am a male. And perhaps it is not the same in Midgard, but I can safely tell you that an Aesir male DO NOT get pregnant!"

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Loki and offered meekly, "Magic?" Well, he had wanted to correct Loki and told him that he's NOT Aesir but Jotunn. However, he did not know how to broach the subject. He didn't even know if it would make any difference anyway. So, he kept his mouth shut.

"But I don't have my magic now!" Loki wailed as he gripped his head in his hands.

Steve tried to offer another explanation, "Hmm... Perhaps you, errmm, fondued, with your lover before you lost your magic. And now you're pregnant."

Loki's face fell as he thought about Steve's explanation. He then asked in a small voice, "Do you think that was why I was banished? Because I had a lover who impregnated me?"

Steve and Bruce looked at each other and then at the young prince with pity. Steve touched Loki's shoulder and then said softly, "We don't know. I was only speculating."

Loki looked as if the world fell on him. As he picked at the seams on his pants, he asked in the same small voice, "So, what do I do now?"

Bruce squeezed Loki's other shoulder and replied, "We will monitor your pregnancy from here and I will make arrangements to get some pre-natal vitamins for you. I'm not sure if you need them but it's better to be safe than sorry." 'At least until Thor gets here and hopefully he would have more information about Jotunn or alien pregnancies,' Bruce thought to himself.

Loki nodded and continued to pick at the loose strings on his pants as he tried to wrap his head around the doctor's revelation. 'How did this happen? I'm pregnant? I have a lover? Does mother know? Does father? Thor? Who is the father of my baby? Does he want this baby? Am I keeping this baby? How? How am I pregnant?!' The young prince gripped his head tightly. There were too many questions and he had answers to none.

At that moment, Tony walked into the medical room with a glass in his hands, "What's up, boys?"

Steve and Bruce looked at each other before Bruce blurted the news out, "Loki's pregnant."

Tony stared at them while Loki kept his gaze on his hands. Tony took a gulp of whatever that was in the glass, shrugged and said, "Cool."

Yeah, I blame Kurt Vonnegut (Or at least, his tips to writing fiction). Hahaha!

Virtual cookies and milk, please! :D