Chapter Eighteen

After aimlessly exploring the grounds for a while, Tony eventually found his way to a small room where Thor, Steve and Bruce were all sitting together along with a man Tony didn't recognise. He was pretty good looking, but in an obvious way, and had blonde hair with a neatly trimmed beard. Not as good looking as him and his goatee though.

When they heard him enter, Bruce snorted at Tony's outfit, and even Steve looked as if he was having trouble holding in a laugh. They were still in their own clothes.

"It is nice to see you embracing the Asgardian culture." Bruce chuckled, wiping his glasses on the edge of his shirt.

"Yeah yeah... I wouldn't be in this get up if I hadn't passed out and Loki burned my clothes..." Tony sighed, and then took a seat next to Steve.

"Loki burned your clothes?" Bruce asked incredulously. "Y'know, I could learn to like this guy. I mean, if not for what he just did to New York."

Tony rolled his eyes but couldn't help a small smile.

"Didn't you bring a bag of spare clothes with you?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or was that rucksack filled with more scientific equipment?"

Tony paused for a second then nearly face-palmed himself for not thinking about that. It was too late to go change now, and he didn't want to disturb Loki's sleep, but he still hoped that he hadn't burned those as well.

"Yeah, but I'd forgotten about those..." He grumbled, and then turned to look at the mystery blonde man, who was giving him quite a flirtatious look. "Who's the Errol Flynn look-a-like?"

Tony was about to laugh at Steve's confused look and Bruce's light chuckle when Thor interrupted him. "This is Fandral, of the warriors three."

Fandral nodded to Tony with a sideways smile.

"Um, okay. Uh, hi." He nodded back at him. "Tony."

"I know who you are."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Am I famous here or were you discussing me while I was out cold?"

"Passing out on your first day does come with somewhat of a reputation. But I must admit, I didn't quite believe them when they told me how handsome you were. I see they were right after all... Breathtaking."

"You got a point, and uh... Thanks?" Tony wasn't quite sure what to make of this guy yet. He seemed suspicious.

"So what was the verdict of Loki's sentence?" Bruce asked Thor, which had surprised Tony, as he thought both he and Steve would've been present for that. It would also mean that neither know of Loki's current state either, which could be why Loki told him not to tell anyone about it.

"He is to await a trial in a few months time. He is in a cell until then."

"Why the wait? Shouldn't he be facing up to his crimes now?" Steve asked before frowning and turning to Tony. "Hang on, didn't you just say he burned your clothes?"

"Yes...?" Tony asked slowly, not liking where this was headed.

"So how did he do that when locked in a cell? Because you were clothed when we carried you into that room..." That room being Loki's bedroom, though apparently Steve hadn't though to ask about that or notice it.

"Um..." Tony tried to think up an excuse quickly, and looked to Thor for help.

"Magic?" Thor tried unhelpfully.

"But surely the prisons are placed with an anti-magic barrier?" Fandral asked, leaning forward with a confused curiosity. "So there would be no way for him to burn the Man of Iron's clothing... Although, however, I am pleased to see the result of such a prank. He does look good in Asgardian robes."

Tony shifted uncomfortably where he sat. A very suspicious individual indeed.

"Um... You're correct, there is an anti-magic barrier in the cells..." Thor admitted regretfully, shooting a look back to Tony which said something along the lines of 'what do we do?'

"Then if he was able to get past that, then what would be the point of the barriers? Unless they put him in a faulty cell?" Bruce asked, frowning in concern.

"Perhaps it was done on the way to the cell?"

"But then how would he have told Tony?" Steve looked at him questioningly. "How did you know it was Loki who burned them?"

"Um..." Tony repeated again, being as unhelpful to Thor as he was to him. "He... Told... Me?" He said slowly, although it sounded more of a suggestive question than an answer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thor Shake his head subtly, telling him to stop digging them both deeper.

"Tony, Thor, what's going on? Where's Loki?"

Tony looked at Thor, silently asking whether they should just come out and tell them now to save them from the interrogation. Thor just sighed heavily in response and looked down as he rubbed his hands together nervously, feeling slightly ashamed for telling this. Although he felt he could trust them- as they were all trustworthy allies in battle.

"He's... Confined to his room until further notice."

Bruce snorted. "He's killed people, terrorised an entire planet, and he's grounded?"

"Not exactly, my friend..." Thor said, sinking down into himself slightly. "Not yet anyway..."

"What do you mean?"

"Um..." Tony said again for the third time, attracting the attention of everyone currently in the room. "There's a small, possibly big change that he may or may not be most definitely, um, pregnant?"

"How is that even possible?!" Steve asked, completely overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"So Loki is not only pregnant," Bruce replaced his glasses looking at Tony sceptically, "but managed to lead an entire army and be pummelled by the Hulk while pregnant, and still have the baby. It seems like a completely over the top excuse to get out of a harsher sentence to me. What's he gonna do next, blame the attack on hormones?"

"He was forced by someone else, and to suppress the pregnancy for a little under a year..." By this point, both Tony and Thor were sinking shamefully down into their seats, both feeling a little like they were betraying Loki.

"Tony, how do you know about this?"

"Er..." He glanced away from them and felt his face flush slightly red from embarrassment. "There's also a small, tiny but massive maybe could be true that is or is not most certainly true fact that... Erm, I'm the father."

Bruce laughed loudly for quite a while before he saw the serious expressions on everyone around him, including Tony. "Are you serious? He only came to Earth what, yesterday?"

"Like I said, repressed pregnancy... We met a while ago and, uh, he's about 7 or 8 months along..."

Bruce's eyes widened dramatically and he didn't say any more. Steve was also speechless.

Fandral got up to leave, muttering to himself. "Sunovvabitch got there before me."

"Hey, whoa, hold up there Blondie." Tony said, standing to block his exit. "What do you mean, 'got there before me'?"

"We don't get a lot of new good looking men passing through the palace, I never say no to a bit of variety. Can't blame a guy for trying. Although, out of interest, you would definitely have slept with me if Loki wasn't in the picture right? Legend has it, I am an excellent swordsman." He winked at Tony, flashing his trademark 'dashing' smile.

He left before Tony could answer.

"I hope he head no ideas about trying to 'get with him' again..." Tony said to no-one in particular, not even realising that Fandral was talking about him and not Loki there, then looked up to see Steve and Bruce still silent and Thor looking very guilty. It was then that Tony remembered what Loki had also said to him about Thor.

"Oh, uh, by the way, Loki said he wanted to talk with you, Big guy." He said to Thor after a few minutes silence passed between them. Thor looked up and nodded, then also got up to leave, checking with Tony first to make sure it was okay, which Tony nodded at.

Once Thor was gone, Steve was standing up and angry. "What were you thinking, Stark? You weren't thinking. You mindlessly go around doing sex" he said in a slightly hushed tone, "and don't think about the consequences. And now, now you've got an angry magic alien prince knocked up! If your father were here-"

"But he isn't!" Tony snapped in reply. He hated people talking to him about his father. He'd heard enough of it growing up, and hearing it again only brought back unpleasant memories. "And even if he were, I wouldn't give a flying fuck! When Loki and I first met, he wasn't 'the enemy' and neither had he done anything wrong! It's not my fault I was attracted to him and he forced me into sleeping with him!"

As soon as that last part had come out his mouth, he clamped a hand over it and looked away from Steve. "No, wait, that's not-"

"He forced himself on you?" Steve said in a quiet voice, suddenly calm again.

"Um... Well technically no... He, uh, I was drunk, and I'd offered it to him earlier in the night, but then I changed my mind and he still..." He shook his head quickly and lowered his hand. "No. That doesn't matter now. All that matters is that he's going to have my kid, and I love him." His face flushed red again as he admitted that last part.

Bruce beamed at his new friend, causing Tony to smile too. Steve looked exhausted, sitting back down in his chair. "Stark, this guy is bad news."

Tony sighed then moved to sit back down too. "No, he's not. Okay, he may be the god of mischief and lies, and he may of just tried to subjugate the earth, but the second thing wasn't even his fault so stop blaming him for it." He sent a stern look towards Steve. "That wasn't him..."

Steve looked at him sceptically.

"So, you're gonna be a dad huh?" Bruce asked, diffusing the tension somewhat.

AN: This is one of my favourite parts XD Hope you're all enjoying so far :)