He was at her side instantaneously, reaching out for her stomach with one hand and the back of her neck with the other. He could feel his child alive within her womb, so the worst had not yet come to pass.
Darcy let out a scream of pain and Loki quickly sent a numbing spell through her abdomen. The spell disintegrated before Darcy could even register any easing of her discomfort. Confused, Loki tried again – concentrating harder. Again, the spell wouldn't stick.
What was going on?
Darcy made another sound of agony and Loki began throwing every ounce of his strength into the magic. Still, it wouldn't work.
Mind racing, Loki eased Darcy onto her back and sent a double into his parents' chamber.
His panicked voice spoke through the double's lips, "Father, awaken! Please!"
Frigga shot up in the bed quickly, and upon seeing her son's stricken face, began shaking the slowly waking god beside her.
"Odin! Something is wrong!"
Odin sat up wearily, "Loki? What is the matter?"
Loki's double had to search for words, silver-tongue faltering again in the face of such disaster, "Darcy. She bleeds and I cannot stop her pain. My powers…they are failing me."
Frigga brought her hand to her mouth. Odin turned to his wife sharply, "Send for Eir. Darcy Lewis needs a healer."
Still in bed with Darcy, the real Loki heard his father's words and echoed, "A healer."
He leaned down to place a kiss on Darcy's forehead before disappearing. He reappeared at her bedside less than a minute later with an older mortal man.
"Wher-where am I? What did you do!" Dr. Finklestein was frantically looking around, eyes wide with shock. He paused at the sight of the familiar woman writhing in pain on the bed. Doctor's instincts kicked in and he raced toward her, already reaching out to grab her hand.
"Darcy? Darcy, can you hear me? Where does it hurt?"
Loki stepped back and watched as the doctor examined the woman he loved. After a minute, the door slammed open and a tall woman with flowing blonde hair seemed to glide into the room.
Loki breathed, "Eir."
She turned to meet his gaze solemnly before studying the scene before her, "A mortal healer?"
"He treated her in my absence and has been overseeing her medical progress while on Midgard."
Eir nodded, "A useful source of information then."
She walked gracefully toward the bed, ignoring the man between Darcy's legs. "Hello, my dear. I am Eir. I will help you as best I can. When did the pain begin?"
Darcy tried to answer, but a sharp ache in her lower stomach caused her to gasp instead.
Dr. Finklestein answered for her, "About ten minutes ago. But she doesn't seem to be in labor. She's hemorrhaging." The last word was spoken with a significance that Loki wished he didn't comprehend.
Eir's voice was calm, "Let us not be hasty. The child is still alive."
The doctor looked skeptical. Eir explained, "I can feel her soul."
"Her soul?"
Eir smiled softly, "Indeed. Hmm, I fear the Jötunn side is fighting for dominance now." As if in response to her words, Darcy's teeth began chattering and her body shivered so hard it appeared that she was having some form of mild seizure. A vague part of Loki's consciousness registered the irony of Darcy's lips being blue for once.
Loki's voice betrayed his fear, "What can I do to help?"
Eir looked at him with understanding, "Let me do my duty."
Helpless, and angered by it, Loki backed out of the room. He couldn't be in there, seeing Darcy suffer like that, without being able to help.
Odin and Frigga stood in the hallway as if waiting for him. Frigga looked as worried and frightened as Loki would have expected, but Odin had a surprising amount of apprehension in his own gaze.
His father questioned, "Loki?"
Loki shook his head, unable to offer an explanation – afraid that if he opened his mouth, all that would escape would be screams of rage.
Time seemed to drag. Every so often, Darcy's pain could be heard through the door. Frigga had curled into her husband's side while Odin stared resolutely at his youngest son, troubled and wary. He alone understood that if Darcy died, Loki would be a threat. A truly monstrous threat.
After what felt like an eternity, Eir walked out into the hall – a small stain of red sullying the bottom of her sleeve and sending chills down Loki's spine.
It was Odin who spoke first, "How fares Darcy Lewis?"
Eir's face was apologetic, "She is not well. The child is killing her."
At those words, Loki practically shouted, "Why can I not heal her? My spells are useless! I do not understand."
Eir turned kind eyes to his, "That would be the work of the baby."
It took Loki a minute to comprehend such a thing, "You mean to tell me that a fetus is cancelling my spells?"
"So it would appear."
Loki shook his head incredulously, "That is impossible! I weaved those spells together, layer upon layer, individualized and perfect. It is not like pulling a loose thread and unraveling the tapestry – it is like nesting dolls."
Eir remained patient as she explained, "It seems that the baby has become aware of her surroundings."
When she didn't elaborate, Loki demanded, "Explain what you mean!"
"You placed spells upon the mortal woman so that the baby would survive, yes?"
Loki nodded.
"But the majority of those spells were to protect the mother from the child. The pregnancy was wounding her. If she did not die from the cold, she would have bled internally as soon as the child started moving within her."
Loki snarled, "Yes, I know this. What does this have to do with…", Loki's voice tapered off as he suddenly connected the dots. He would have understood immediately had he been more calm, but the panic had rattled both his nerves and his cognitive skills.
Eir nodded at the look of realization on Loki's face.
He spoke as if to himself, "She could feel that magic was around her that was not there to help her. In truth, it was inhibiting her growth. So she removed the impediments. The spells I had originally cast as well as the additional that have been unsuccessful today." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Instinctual magic."
Loki thought back to Odin's explanation about how his own skin had changed when Odin held him for the first time. Self-preservation, adaptation, survival – even before the brain can truly comprehend such things. Astrid would be very powerful. But he could not allow her to harm her mother any longer.
A scream echoed off the walls and Loki's head jerked toward the open door. Darcy…
Loki turned startled eyes back to Eir, "Why is she still in pain? You were to numb her!"
Eir spoke softly, "I cannot numb her completely. We need her aware of what is happening to her body so that we may address the issues as they arise. She is in far less pain than she would be without my assistance, I assure you. Both your mortal healer and I have done all we can for your woman. Her body was not built to carry a Jötunn. Even an Asgardian would have a difficult time with such a pregnancy." She reached out a hand and placed it gently on Loki's arm. "I greatly dislike being the one to bear such news, but you will have to make a choice. And soon."
Loki shook his head, not wanting to hear any more grim words fall from her lips. His treacherous mouth voiced the question anyway, "What choice?"
She squeezed his arm, "The mother or the child. I cannot save both."
Loki's mind whirled. Unacceptable. He couldn't make that choice. He wouldn't. He was Loki! He was the God of Mischief and Lies. He was chaos and power and menace and brutality. Darcy was his strongest link to his morality. If he lost her…
Ragnarok. He would kill them all.
No.
Loki met Eir's eyes and she shuddered at the unholy light within them. His voice was a promise and a warning, "I will never make such a choice."
Gently, Eir reiterated, "The longer you take to decide, the less chance I have to save either of them. I cannot save both, Loki."
"You do not understand, Goddess of Healing." His tone was caustic and cruel, "They both live or everyone dies." He leaned in until their foreheads nearly brushed, "Starting with you."
Eir paled but didn't flinch, "I am sorry. But I cannot save them both."
Loki continued to think. Instinctual magic…so powerful…so powerful already. An idea occurred so suddenly that he almost staggered. It was a desperate gamble, but he would try. A strange feeling bubbled up in his stomach.
The opposite of despair is hope.
He appeared in the bed with Darcy, causing Dr. Finklestein to let out a startled yelp. Loki ignored him, straddling Darcy's thighs and positioning his hands over her stomach.
"Whatever you have been trying to do to her has been unsuccessful. Miss Lewis is-"
"Silence," Loki interrupted the mortal man. "My love and I need to concentrate."
Loki met Darcy's eyes and pushed his plan into her mind. Immediately, Darcy's hands unclenched, releasing the sheet that she had been gripping in white-knuckled fists. She latched onto Loki's wrists, squeezing tight but giving him a nod. He linked their minds before they both descended into the still-forming consciousness within Darcy's body. They were met with confusion and fear and contentment and happiness and hunger and fever.
Loki tried to channel serenity. He tried to sooth his daughter. He failed.
Taking a deep breath, he refocused. Then he again attempted to calmly project his thoughts and emotions in such a way that the baby would be able to glean some form of understanding. Again, he was unsuccessful. In truth, it backfired. The attempt at emotional manipulation only made the confused baby fight harder in self-preservation.
Darcy suddenly screamed in agony and Loki's heart clenched.
Wait…
Silence. The child's mind had gone silent.
Loki suddenly realized that Darcy was linked as well – her pain was being projected directly to their daughter. That had gotten her attention.
In a reckless moment of hope, Loki let all of his love for Darcy spill out through the connection. Everything about the silly girl that stole his heart. And his desperate fear that he would lose her.
That he would lose both of them.
Though he knew she wouldn't understand the words, Loki whispered, "You are killing your mother, Astrid. And I cannot lose her. But I can help you both. You just have to let me. Please, Astrid – let Daddy help you."
With a silent prayer to his own father, Loki once more tried to reapply his spells. He placed the magical barrier between the child and Darcy and then dropped the temperature within. Loki held his breath, waiting and hoping.
It held. The spell held.
Loki slumped forward, his relief cascading over the connection, causing Darcy to let out a questioning whimper. Loki didn't take the time to respond as he slowly weaved his magic again – letting his pleasure and gratitude accompany each successful layer. Darcy's pain decreased slowly but surely and Loki almost buckled under the weight of his relief.
With the final spell cast, Loki sent his happiness and pride through the link.
Their daughter was so smart.
She was also very, very powerful. That thought made Loki smile.
"Loki?" Darcy's voice was puzzled.
He lifted his gaze to the woman he loved, thankful that pain no longer tightened her expression.
"It will be alright, my love. Our daughter cannot completely fathom what is going on, but she comprehends that I am here to help. You will be alright. You will both be alright."
Darcy slid her hands from Loki's wrists to her stomach, letting out a shuddering breath.
"She's gonna be okay?"
Loki gave her a reassuring smile, "Yes. You both will. Now sleep, my love. You have had much excitement this long night."
Loki reached forward and brought his hand to her temple, sending Darcy into blissful unconsciousness.
Loki turned to the mortal doctor standing next to him and barked, "Leave. Tell my parents that Darcy and the child are safe for the moment. I wish to be alone."
"Whatever you need, Loki." Loki's head shot around at the sound of his mother's voice and he noticed the crowd at the doorway. His mother smiled softly, tears in her eyes, and pulled the door closed as soon as the doctor walked by her.
Alone, Loki stared down at Darcy before letting his head fall into his hands. He had never felt fear like that before. He had never had a reason to. Love was a weakness – but he could do nothing for that now. All he could do was try to protect them, even from themselves.
Tony Stark felt like a smacked ass.
This might be the most ridiculous thing he'd ever done.
But since he had started banging Pepper – to which both his heart and his dick said 'finally!' – Loki had filled in that gaping spot labeled 'friend'. Rhodey was always so fucking busy these days that he practically never got to see him anymore. And Loki was…there. And funny. Wickedly funny.
So when Pepper had called him on his way into S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters and told him that Dr. Finklestein had been kidnapped – Tony had been uneasy. When he found out the distraught wife claimed that her husband was stolen out of bed in the middle of the night by a tall, pale man who made him disappear into thin air – Tony was pretty damn concerned. That was definitely Loki. Which meant that Darcy needed Dr. Finklestein. Which meant bad fucking news, considering it was way too early for her to go into labor.
That was how he found himself standing in the middle of the desert, talking to the sky.
If the paparazzi caught him now, they'd have a field day. Granted, he'd been caught doing weirder, but that was before he allowed the whole 'Iron Man' thing to rehab his image. This would be a major set-back.
Still, Tony kept up his commentary with the clouds, "So if you wouldn't mind, I would really appreciate going up there. Now. Right now. See, I think Darcy is in trouble. And I like her. Not in a funny way or anything…I mean, she's hot. Those lips and that ridiculous frontal area she has going on. But Loki would castrate me. Probably with a spoon. And I've got a girlfriend actually. It's pretty new, but serious – which, trust me, is very shocking to anyone who's met me. So can I come up now? Or could you just let Loki know that I'm looking for him? We're friends, you see. Good friends. If there's something wrong with Darcy, I'd like to be there for him. Well, for them. So…beam me up, Scotty."
Still nothing. Tony looked down at the glyphs in the sand beneath his feet, making sure he was standing in the right spot. That would be awkward.
He pulled out his Blackberry and ran a quick search for 'Asgard Gatekeeper' and came up with the name Heimdall. If there was one thing Tony could do amazingly well (other than, well, everything) it was annoy people.
"Heimdall? Yeah? That's you, right? I'm not sure you know who I am. I'm Tony Stark – I'm Iron Man, bitch. I know people. I know people that rank higher than you. Thor? You ever hear of Thor? Future King of Asgard? We fought aliens together last weekend. Did you know that? You think if he knew I wanted to come up and you weren't having it, he'd be happy? No. Hell no. How about Loki? Ever hear of Loki? He's number three on my speed dial. He's going to be my best man – you know, if I ever get around to the whole marriage thing. I'm his best friend. Yeah? Did you know that? Think he'd be happy?"
Still nothing. What the fuck did a guy have to do to get into Asgard? He was Tony Stark! He'd never been left off an invite list in his life.
His phone chimed and he pulled it up to read the text from Pepper, 'Loki was with Darcy's parents. Disappeared without saying anything. They're worried.'
Shit.
Tony put his phone back in his pocket and let out a deep breath before tilting his head back. Being humble never felt natural to him, but he aimed for it anyway, "Please. I care about them. Please let me up there."
Winds began to blow and before Tony could figure out what was happening, something was pulling him up in the air. Flying was a feeling he was very familiar with, but not without the suit. There was a part of him that was very glad no one was around to hear him scream like a girl. After being sent through the disco tube of sparkly death, Tony found himself landing in a heap on a hard surface. After ascertaining that he still had all his limbs, he looked up and around.
Damn. That was a shitload of gold. And he thought Vegas was tacky.
"Have you injured yourself, mortal?" Tony froze at the scariest voice he'd ever heard. He slowly tilted his head in the direction of the sound, half-expecting Darth Vader to be standing there.
Whoa. That was one big black dude. Bigger than Thor, and Thor was practically a beast.
Tony clambered to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, "I'm going to assume you aren't Odin. Or maybe genetics are odd in Asgard. I mean, Loki's blue, so you could potentially be Thor's dad."
Scary-as-fuck dude opened his mouth, "I am Heimdall, the Guardian of Worlds."
Tony nodded sagely, "Oh, well thanks. I was beginning to worry you weren't going to let me in."
"Follow the path to the palace."
Guess this guy wasn't much for chitchat, "Okay…any chance you could clue me in on what's going on?"
Heimdall tilted his head, "You should hurry. The God of Mischief could use a friend today."
At those words, Tony started running.
Half of Tony's mind was goggling at the ridiculous blingtastic magnificence of Asgard. He had assumed it would be pretty amazing just judging by the armor that Thor and Loki wore. I mean, if Loki considered his stupid horn helmet as a good fashion choice, then Asgard was probably a bit ostentatious in every respect. Still, this was more than he'd anticipated. He'd been expecting something more along the lines of ancient Rome – this was straight-up science fiction.
But the rest of Tony's mind was freaking out. If a big scary man tells you that Loki needs a friend, that's not a good thing. So Tony ran as fast as he could, trying not to get distracted by the people staring at him and the weird shit he was passing. (Were those statues just floating? Unimportant, Tony. Unimportant.)
He finally reached the palace and ran up the steps, stopping in front of the guards at the door trying to catch his breath. They were wearing ridiculous helmets too. Apparently that was a thing here. Whatever.
"Hey…," pant pant, "Looking for Loki," pant pant, "Or Darcy," pant pant, "I'm Tony." Deep breath, "Can I go in?" They just stared at him like the British fuckers with the bushy hats in front of Buckingham Palace. He pointed to the door, "Look, I'm Loki's friend. That Heimdall guy sent me here. So I'm just gonna go in. Okay?"
They stared at him blankly. He slowly reached a hand out toward the door, hoping they wouldn't cut it off or something. With eerie precision, they moved aside to allow him to pass. Tony pushed the doors open and wound up in a huge hall bustling with people. Everyone seemed to pause when they noticed him – a three-piece suit was a bit unusual around here. He looked around, trying to find someone who seemed friendly enough to ask for directions. Wait, was that a throne? He really needed to get one of those. In his periphery, he suddenly noticed a very large man with a very large beard stand up from a table and head in his direction with an intense expression on his face. Tony really wished he had come as Iron Man. Not doing so was a dumb move on his part.
As the man got closer, Tony braced himself but the giant just paused a few feet away and stared at him expectantly. Then he said, "You are Midgardian. Are you a friend of Thor?"
Tony let out a little sigh of relief, "Oh! Yeah. We're pretty tight. I'm Tony Stark." He paused to see if the name registered but when he received nothing but a nod, Tony added, "I'm actually looking for Loki. I'm a friend of his. Do you know where he is?"
That caused the large man to gape at him, "You are a friend of Loki? I see."
The look on his face made it clear that he really didn't see. Regardless, Tony asked, "Yeah, so can you point me in his direction? And…I mean, Darcy. Is she okay?"
At this, the big man grimaced and Tony's heart stuttered behind the arc reactor in his chest.
"Lady Darcy is not well. I have not heard how she and the child fare. Last I saw, Loki was with his family – in his chambers with the healers."
Tony nodded, trying to stay calm, "Okay then. Where are his chambers?"
"I shall take you, Tony Stark. And I am Volstagg."
Tony recognized the name, "Oh, yeah? From the Warriors Three? Loki told me about you guys. And there's a chick, too. Sif, right?"
Volstagg seemed surprised, "Loki speaks of us?"
"Sure he does. You guys are friends, right? Or you were anyway."
Volstagg nodded, looking thoughtful, as he gestured for Tony to follow him down the hallway. "Yes, we were friends once."
Tony got the whole situation from that answer. Channeling his inner-Loki, he pointed out nonchalantly, "You know, he threw me out a window once. His brother caught me; saved me. But I still like the guy. Just saying."
"Loki threw you out a window?"
"Sure did. Defenestration is the technical term for throwing somebody out a window, but it sounds too much like defecation for me to feel comfortable using it in a sentence."
Volstagg was side-eyeing him pretty intensely. While he prided himself on being unflappable, Tony had a slight tendency to babble when he was out of his element. And since he was currently on another planet with his friends in some kind of unknown trouble – his element was nowhere to be found.
They turned another corner and came upon a group of people standing in a hallway, looking nervous. Tony immediately recognized Thor towering above the others. Next to him was a pale-looking Jane, clinging to his arm. And there was Dr. Finklestein talking to a statuesque blonde. Volstagg walked closer and then kneeled quickly in front of the older man in the eyepatch. So that was the infamous Odin. Tony hovered in the back, trying to figure out the proper protocol for meeting a king from another planet – Miss Manners never covered that shit.
Suddenly, Thor spotted him, "Tony!" He gently eased Jane off his arm and jogged toward the mortal. "What are you doing in Asgard?"
"Found out that Darcy might be in trouble. What's happening?"
Thor looked tired, "She had difficulty with the child. It was dire, but Loki seems to have been able to assist her in some way."
"So she's still…alive?"
At Thor's nod, Tony felt the tension in his body finally ease. "She is resting. Loki is still in with her. It has been several hours, but he has asked to be left alone."
Tony smiled, "Yeah that doesn't surprise me. Which one is he in?"
Thor looked hesitant, so Tony prompted, "Trust me. He'll want to see me. Which one?" Thor gestured toward the door at the end of the hallway and Tony stepped around him and started walking toward it.
"What do you think you are doing?" Tony turned to look at the man who had spoken. Odin. What a dickhead.
"Going to see Loki." He tactfully left the 'duh' off the sentence.
"Loki has asked to be left alone. How did you come to be in Asgard, mortal?"
"I asked nicely. Now if you'll excuse me."
Odin's voice halted him before he could move past, "Do you know who I am?"
Patience gone, Tony answered glibly, "Yeah, you're the bastard who lied to Loki all his life and then took a nap when the real shit went down." With a patronizing smile, Tony continued walking toward the door, shocked silence in his wake. As he reached for the handle, he tossed over his shoulder, "Oh and I'm Tony Stark. Charmed, I'm sure."
He pushed the door open and walked in slowly, eyes averted. He wasn't sure what had been done to Darcy and he didn't want to see anything that would make Loki want to kill him. Or something that would ruin his sex drive – he still had nightmares over that birthing video his father forced him to watch when he found out 'Little Tony' had finally seen some action. What a nightmare that had been for a teenage boy. It was like a combination of amateur porn and the Chestburster scene from Alien. Hell, it was probably one of the reasons that Tony had been able to whore himself from coast to coast without having a single paternity suit stick. Even eight sheets to the wind, he still used a condom.
Loki was sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. Darcy was lying on her back, seeming to sleep. There was blood on the sheets around her thighs. Damn, that was a haunting visual.
"Loki? You alright, man?"
Loki's head shot up, eyes bloodshot and face ashen. "Tony? How did you…why are you here?"
Tony slowly walked closer, "Pepper told me Dr. Finklestein was kidnapped by a goth Houdini – figured it was you. Put two and two together. Had myself a nice chat with Heimdall, who is one scary mofo by the way. He's got that James Earl Jones voice and his facial expressions have all the range of a Terminator. And thanks for telling me that Bifrost travel is reminiscent of having an acid flashback while watching a Lady Gaga video. I think I'm traumatized."
Loki was still staring at him blankly, "That does not answer why you actually came here."
Tony sat down beside Loki on the bed, "Thought you might need a friend."
Loki gave a strained smile, "Careful, Stark – your kindness is showing."
Tony pretended to look insulted, "Shh…I'm a narcissistic asshole. Don't ruin the illusion for anyone."
Loki shook his head before looking back down at the floor. Feeling awkward, Tony said, "I can go if you want. Your dad isn't my biggest fan, so I'm sure he'd be happy to show me the door."
At that, Loki raised his head, "You met my father?"
"Called him a bastard."
Loki let out an amused little laugh, "I wish I had seen that. Darcy was very vocal in her disapproval as well, but I do not believe she actually called him any names."
"Yeah, well. She's going to be his daughter-in-law, so she was probably aiming for tact. I'll most likely never see the guy again."
"For your sake, I hope that is true."
They both fell silent. Tony tilted his head to look back at the girl on the bed. She was almost unnaturally still. He kept his voice soft, "She alright, Loki?"
Loki nodded.
"And the baby?"
Again, Loki nodded.
More silence. Tony wished he'd thought to bring a bottle of scotch.
Loki spoke so suddenly that Tony nearly jumped, "I lost my mind."
Tony answered sarcastically, "No! You? That's unbelievable."
Loki sounded oddly detached, "When I thought I was going to lose her. Lose them both. I almost…the darkness beckoned. Can you understand?"
Tony was silent for so long that Loki actually looked over at him. When he noticed the gaze, Tony said softly, "I thought I lost Pepper once. Well, I thought I was going to lose her at any rate. I almost did. If I was a second slower…I don't like to think about it. But trust me, even the calmest, most rational man in the world will turn into Dirty Harry when the woman he loves is in danger. It's a primitive need to protect your mate, to protect your family. It makes you dangerous."
Loki spoke as if confessing, "Part of me regrets ever loving her. I have so much more to lose now."
"I get that. I really do. But not to blow sunshine out of your ass, but you also have so much more to fight for. A friend of mine was telling me about how all a man needs is love and a purpose. Seems both of yours are lying in this bed."
Loki smiled weakly, "Your friend sounds like a smart man."
"Yes, you are. That's why you'll be okay."
Tony reached up and grabbed Loki on the shoulder nearest him in a show of camaraderie. Loki said nothing, but after a moment he put his head back down in his hands. Tony wouldn't have known anything was wrong if he hadn't been touching him, but he could feel the god's shoulders shaking beneath his palm. Shit.
"Hey, man. It's okay. She's fine; the baby's fine. You just told me they were all fine. Though you are the God of Lies." Astounded by how much he sucked at being comforting, Tony quickly continued, "But I'm sure you wouldn't lie about that. And yeah, Darcy's kind of fragile right now. But that's temporary. She's going to be immortal soon, right? And the baby – well, this is your kid we're talking about here. She'll be just fine. So be cool. Just…be cool."
Loki didn't lift his head and his shoulders continued to shake softly. Tony felt himself losing his own shit a little bit. He took a deep breath and slid the hand on Loki's shoulder further across his back so that he could give the god a one-armed quasi-hug.
Loki finally looked up at the gesture, eyes red but cheeks dry. His voice was confused, "Why are you crying?"
Tony sniffed loudly, "I don't know, man! I was fucking worried. And then you were crying…and just shut up." Tony used his free hand to wipe his face. "And don't you dare tell anyone."
Despite the sorrow of the moment, Loki had to smile at that, "Do not worry. Trust me, I am an expert at keeping my lips sealed."
Tony snorted, "Whatever. This is fucking ridiculous. I haven't cried like this since 'A Walk to Remember'. Well, sober at least."
Loki's voice was sly, "Would you like a hug?"
"Fuck you." Then Tony seemed to think about it, "Maybe." His tone conveyed the fact that he was only half-joking.
Loki shook his head, reaching up to pat the hand that still rested on his shoulder, "I love you too, sweetheart."
"You're such an asshole. I can't believe I came all the way to another realm to see if you were alright. Standing in the desert like an idiot, yelling at nothing. Falling on my face in front of the Guardian of Worlds. Telling your father off. And what do I get? Mockery." He pretended to be insulted, "Very nice, Loki."
"Thank you, Tony." Loki met his gaze, eyes conveying the sincerity in his words, "Thank you."
Tony shrugged it off, "Yeah, yeah. I'm amazing. God, this is so fucking bromantic."
Loki's tone was conversational, "Speaking of such, while I do enjoy your presence more than any other mortal save Darcy…would you kindly stop embracing me? It is making me a bit uncomfortable. You are a wealthy, intelligent, somewhat handsome man – but you are really not my type. And what would Pepper say?"
Tony removed his arm from around Loki's shoulders and used it to push the god. "Seriously, I have no idea what Darcy sees in you."
"While I'm sure it would be more appropriate to say his sense of humor or his charming smile, it's pretty much the sex." Both men swung their heads around to stare at the girl smiling weakly at them from the pillows. "Especially the kinky blue sex."
Loki was up on his feet and cradling Darcy's face in his hands. Tony had never really seen this side of Loki before – those two were always sarcastic and uncomfortably sexual whenever in public. It was disconcerting to see them so tender. So of course Tony had to make a joke, "Dammit, Lewis. I was trying to go to my happy place. And now you've ruined it all. You put Loki's blue penis in my happy place!"
Darcy broke her intense gaze with the God of Mischief to give Tony a saucy wink, "Umm…no. I put Loki's blue penis in my happy place." She gestured to her very pregnant belly.
Tony made a gagging noise, "And there goes my lunch."
"How do you feel?" Loki's voice was quiet, but there was an urgency underlying the words.
"Better." Darcy tried to keep smiling, but her lower lip quivered and her eyebrows pulled together. Tony realized that she was going to cry – well, she'd certainly earned the right to. And for once, he wouldn't intrude on their privacy.
Backing toward the door, Tony called out, "Alright, guys. I'm just going to go poke around. See if I can get someone to take a picture of me sitting on the throne before your dad catches me and kicks me out Thor-style. Hopefully a hot astrophysicist will conveniently be there when I land. Fingers crossed."
He shut the door behind him, leaving the two lovers alone together. But he hadn't been joking – he was going to sit on that throne before he left. He needed a new profile photo anyway.
"That was scary," Darcy's voice was a broken whisper.
Loki used his thumb to wipe away the tears pooling beneath her eyes. "I know. And I am sorry. Had I simply been Asgardian, you would be alright. But I am Jötunn and for that you must suffer. It is not fair."
Darcy snorted indelicately, "You're such an idiot."
"What?"
"Not everything is your fault. If only I was Asgardian, this would be much easier. So we can just as easily blame this on my weak mortal uterus. And I probably wouldn't even like you if you were Asgardian."
Loki smiled skeptically, "Indeed. Why not?"
"You're not the only one who gets bored easily. Without all your issues, you'd probably be Thor. And as pretty as he is to look at, I'd be bored of him in a week. But you? I'm pretty sure I could spend the rest of my life in a padded cell with you and still be entertained. And you know the Jötunn thing is hot."
Loki smiled at her thinly veiled attempts to cheer him up. As if he was the one needing the consolation, "You would be safer without me."
"If I wanted safe, I would have initiated Steve into the world of carnal pleasures ages ago. I don't want safe. Well, I don't want unsafe either. It's just…you. I want you. However you are. Whatever you are. I thought we established this."
Loki brushed his thumb across her lush lips, "It is hard to protect you when I am the thing you should be protected from. I am too selfish to ever let you go."
Darcy kissed his thumb before replying, "Good. I'm too stubborn to ever let you let me go. So there."
"You will have to be careful from now until the birth. I know you will fight me on this, but bed rest would be the safest option."
Darcy looked annoyed, "Safest for me?"
"Safest for you both."
Darcy looked deep into Loki's eyes, judging how honest he was being here. Bed rest would suck, and if he was just being overcautious, she'd say no. But…he was sincere. Damn. She'd do anything to protect their daughter.
"Fine. I'll do my best."
Loki looked surprised at having won so easily, "Good."
She explained, "Loki, I thought I was going to lose her. If I have to veg out for a few weeks, so be it."
That haunted look began creeping over Loki's face again, "I thought I was going to lose you both. I find the idea…unpalatable."
"Hey, I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere. And since baby girl is still inside me, she's not going anywhere either."
Loki leaned forward to kiss her softly and Darcy reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair. She pulled back suddenly.
"That reminds me. I'm mad at you! You're doing that thing where you kiss me and I forget that I'm supposed to be mad. That's cheating."
Loki smiled, "What did I do this time?"
"Where the hell were you last night?"
"New Jersey."
Darcy blinked, taken aback, "What? Why?"
"Because I had to receive your father's permission to ask for your hand in marriage. Or so Tony says."
Darcy stopped breathing. It wasn't until her lungs began to sting that she finally remembered to inhale, "Marriage? You want to…"
Loki smiled casually, "Marry you? Yes. Of course I do."
Darcy still appeared gobsmacked, "Of course you do?"
Loki explained as if she was a child, "I love you and I have every intention of spending eternity with you. While I will admit that we have gone about things a bit backwards, that should not matter." Since she didn't appear too happy at the suggestion, Loki had a sudden unpleasant thought, "But if you do not wish to marry me-"
Darcy cut him off with a shout, "No! I do! I mean, yes. Or…well, you haven't actually asked. But when you do…yes."
Loki smiled widely and let out a relieved breath. "Wait, there is a protocol I must follow." Loki disappeared for a moment, but returned with something shiny in his palm. "If I do anything incorrectly, it is Tony's fault. This would work better if you were standing, but I shall improvise." He kneeled at her bedside, and Darcy's eyes widened comically, "Darcy Lewis, will you marry me?"
Darcy took a moment to process before laughing happily, "Yes! A world of yes." She thrust her hand out, waiting impatiently for the feel of Loki's ring on her finger. She was engaged!
Loki smiled in return before suddenly realizing his error, "Oh wait! I had wanted to mention Idun's apples before I proposed. I am a bit distraught today."
Darcy stared at him, hand still out, "Understandable. But why are we talking about fruit instead of making out?"
Loki lowered his tone to impart the gravity of his words, "I am a Prince of Asgard. In order to marry me, you must partake of the fruit."
Darcy was still confused, still holding out her hand, "Okay, so I eat an apple and I can marry you? Not seeing a problem. Gimme my ring."
Loki smiled at her impatience before explaining, "The apples bestow immortality with every bite."
That got Darcy's attention. It took her a second before she completely understood what he was trying to say, "Wait, I have to be immortal to marry you?"
He seemed nervous, "Yes."
Darcy took a minute to let that sink in. She looked down at her baby bump before looking up at the man still kneeling beside her. She took a deep breath. "Okay then."
Loki hesitated, "Okay as in…yes? You will partake of the fruit and become immortal so that we may marry?"
Darcy nodded, looking a bit dazed, "Yup. So we can get married now? I mean not now, this very minute, but in general – we can get married?"
Loki was more than a little confused by her reaction, "You do not mind immortality? It can be a curse as much as a gift. Many long for death eventually. You should truly take the time to think it over."
Darcy had a strange look on her face and Loki desperately wanted to read her thoughts, but he allowed her the chance to explain with words. She tilted her head, "You think I haven't thought about this before?"
He blinked in surprise.
She continued, "Loki, you're immortal. And we're having a baby which will most likely be immortal too. Which meant that the two most important people in my life would stick around forever while I got old and wrinkly and faded away. I'm sure immortality is hard. I mean, you can never really know what the future will hold and I'm sure that you get to a point where death seems like a vacation. But I would be with you. Forever. Call me selfish, but I can't think of anything I could want more."
Loki smiled shakily, "So you want me forever?"
"And a day. Although I'm not sure how this is gonna work. Do we wait until after the baby is born?"
Loki brought his hand to her stomach, "While my mother would certainly prefer for Astrid to be born in wedlock, I believe it would be much safer to wait until after the birth to undergo such a startling transition. With the way our daughter protects herself, she might lash out instinctively and that would be quite a problem."
Darcy giggled. Then she started laughing. It was borderline manic, and Loki was looking at her in concern, "Darcy? What is so amusing?"
She had trouble getting the words out over her laughter, "Just don't tell me you'd shove an apple down my throat mid-birth if it starts going badly."
Loki added confusion to his concern, "Why would I do that?"
She was still laughing, "Just…tell me you don't sparkle."
Now Loki was more confused than concerned, "What?"
"Scary, quasi-human baby; metric fuck-ton of pain; immortal marriage. Look, I don't care how much I love you - I can deal with a blue penis, but there's no way I could deal with a sparkly one." She sobered a bit at the look on Loki's face, "But I suppose I can't throw stones."
His voice was solemn, "I understood none of that."
"I know." She smiled impishly before holding her hand back out and wiggling her fingers. "Ring please."
Loki shook his head at his crazy girl, "So you will partake of the apples and be my wife for all eternity?"
She smiled widely, "You're so dramatic. But yes. I love you. I will always love you. I may not always like you, especially when you're being an asshole. But I'm sure there will be times when you'll want to smack my bitchy mouth shut too, so I think we're pretty even there."
A smile started spreading across Loki's face, "You will be my wife? You are certain?"
She giggled, "Yes! Seriously, babe – I'll tattoo it on my forehead." She reached up with the hand that wasn't still out waiting to be blinged, and pointed to aforementioned forehead, "'Yes, Loki, I will marry you' – right above my eyebrows."
He threw his head back and laughed in triumph, "Unnecessary. Thank you, my love. Thank you."
Darcy smiled, "Thank me? I thought I had you for another couple decades and now you're giving me forever. I can't top that."
"You already have. You are giving me a daughter."
She beamed, "Oh yeah – well we're giving her to each other really. Although you just got to have an orgasm, while I have all this crazy pain and expanding waistline and leaky boobs. Doesn't seem fair."
"Well, that is life for you."
She smacked him with the hand she was still holding out, "Wiseass. But I guess you're my wiseass, huh?"
"You should practice saying 'your husband' instead."
She laughed again, "I would if you'd put the damn ring on me!"
He smiled mischievously as he took her hand and slid the ring on the appropriate finger. Then he placed a kiss on the knuckle above it. She pulled her hand up to her face and gaped at the fucking gorgeous bit of jewelry she was sporting.
"Wow. This is…wow." She looked up at him and let out a girlish squeal, "Sorry! I just…it's so much prettier than Jane's! Not that it matters! But it's totally prettier. And perfect." She giggled, "And green."
He smiled, "Of course it is nicer than Jane's. I would like to think I have more taste and style than Thor."
"My man knows how to accessorize."
"Your husband," he corrected. His words caused the lightness of the moment to dissipate. He seemed almost awed.
She bit her lip and stared back at him. This was real. This was happening. She was going to marry him. How insane was that? Wonderfully, amazingly insane.
Her voice was barely above a whisper, "Your wife."
He smiled widely before leaning down to seal his lips to hers. For this moment, at least – everything was perfect.