Chapter Twenty
Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair and making it even messier than it has previously been. He was still slightly annoyed with Loki for giving him a scare like that, but he figured that it was partly to do with telling the others. Well, they needed to know... He just hoped that he and Thor had done the right thing.
He had left Loki alone to rest and decided to walk around the palace, only to end up in a private garden on the grounds. He wasn't going to go searching for his friends because he wanted to be alone for a bit, and decided to find a nice spot and sit while he gathered the thoughts in his head.
After finding a tree, of which the leaves and branches cascaded down to the ground and gave the base shelter from the sun, he sat down and shut his eyes.
He needed to sort out and get over his issues with pregnancy and children. As a child himself, Howard wasn't really the best role model at all, and in fact, most of the time it was just Maria and a maid who looked after him. That is until she died and the maid retired, meaning that Howard then thought it was the 'right thing to do' to let him get on with everything alone. Tony hated him. Not just for that reason, in fact there were many more, but Tony tried his best to forget them, figuring it was doing him no good to keep reflecting in the past like that. He was about to become a father to his and Loki's child, not a replacement for how Howard had acted. It was time he got over this and stepped up, to show Loki he was more than capable of being a good dad to their son or daughter.
He sat there for a while, although as he did, time seemed to stop, giving him a moment of peace and quiet, which was a nice thing for a change. He jumped as he heard the rustling of leaves, followed by a sudden voice.
"Mister Stark? I did not mean to startle you." Said a soft feminine voice from behind him. "May I join you?" Tony turned around to see a beautiful woman with soft features and wise eyes. Tony guessed this must be Frigga judging by here long gold royal dress and the way she carried herself. She looked like a queen.
"Uh, yeah, sure." He said, shuffling over a little to make room beside him at the tree's base.
"I of course know the conditions of Loki being here, you do not have to keep secrets from me."
"Right, of course." He smiled and nodded. "Do you mind? About us? I mean, it's not some sort of crime, is it? Or our kid?"
"What? No." Frigga laughed. "I would of course prefer it if the child wasn't illegitimate, but otherwise I am very happy. For both of you. I will finally have another grandchild to spoil, for I doubt Thor will supply any anytime soon."
Tony laughed as well, probably a little harder than he should have at the thought of Thor with a child of his own. "That's good..." He paused and shut his eyes again as a cool breeze danced past them. "Say, about his repentance for the crimes... How harsh will they be?"
"That is for the Allfather to decide. The treason may be overlooked, but Loki almost started a war. Not that I think any punishment will work. That boy will never learn." Frigga sighed. "But you, I hope you will be good for him. A distraction from all his mischief."
Tony chuckled. "I doubt that, he is the god of mischief after all... But I'll try and keep him from the bad stuff." He smiled at her reassuringly. "I just hope he won't have to leave us alone..."
"You know," Frigga tilted her head closer to his. "If you two were to marry, you would be permitted to take an apple of Idunn, granting immortality. That way, you would be alive to watch the child grown up and would still be alive once Loki's sentence is completed."
"W-w-w-what?! Marriage?!" Tony yelped and recoiled back. When he saw Frigga giving him an odd look, he sighed and moved back to where he was before. "Is there a way to do the apple thing without... that?
"To prolong your life? I don't know. Loki is the one to ask about that. The apples are the only way we use. Is the prospect of marriage to my son really so daunting?"
"It's not Loki, it's me. I've just never liked the idea of it... I don't know why. It's just not something I'm ready for..." Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe one day though... I'm not saying it's impossible." He turned to give her a hopeful smile.
Frigga chuckled. "I wouldn't blame you if it was Loki, I know he can be more than a handful. As a child he was a little terror." She said fondly.
"I can imagine..." Tony smirked as he tried to imagine him, then paused and shivered as he hoped their child would not inherit that.
"Well," Frigga patted his leg. "There is plenty of time for that. How do you like my gardens?"
"Yeah, they're great. It's a nice place to just sit and think, which is something I've never really been able to do. Ever."
"As a boy, Loki and I would go for walks in these gardens. By walks, I of course mean me walking and Loki ranting about some thing Thor and his friends had gotten away with that 'completely wasn't fair'." Frigga smiled fondly at the memory. "I hope that he will have his freedom soon so that he and his child may do the same." She looked back up at Tony then, touching his arm reassuringly. "I will do what I can to see his release. Until then, you should make use if the limited freedom he has." With a knowing smile, she got up and left, leaving Tony with more to think about than when he had arrived.
-Page break-
"I can't believe he would actually... You know, with Loki..." Steve murmured, mostly to himself, but Bruce who was walking next to him heard too. After their conversation, or rather argument with Tony, Steve had left rather abruptly and stormed off. After making sure Tony was okay, Bruce followed Steve then found him waking around outside.
"Sounded like they knew each other before New York. We don't know what Loki was like then. Not that I knew Tony before a couple of days ago, but I didn't even know he was gay. This is probably pretty new to him so I don't think our opinion is really going to help him."
"That may be true but... They're both men." Steve grimaced. "I know it's more... socially acceptable now-a-days, but..." He shook his head. "I just don't know."
Bruce put his hand on Steve's shoulder comfortingly. "I get it, and I know a lot of things have changed. It's okay to find it strange and have whatever opinions you want, just as long as you keep the ones which may be hurtful for others to yourself okay?"
Steve didn't answer, just merely looked away. Before Bruce could say anything more, Thor came over and joined them.
"My friends." He nodded in recognition.
Bruce took his hand off Steve's shoulder and slid it back in his pocket.
"Thor!" Steve greeted, glad to be distracted from his thoughts.
"How are you enjoying Asgard?" He said with a smile. He hoped Tony would be alright left alone with Loki while he was still mad at them. He knew Loki would probably punish Tony somehow, but he really didn't want to know how.
"It's fantastic. It's impossible, but fantastic. The radiation from the star you're closest too may be the key to your prolonged lifespan. The golden apples you eat must be some sort of catalyst. It's incredible. So even with Asgardian physiology, without Asgard and the apples if you lived on Earth your lifespan would be significantly shorter. And I'm only beginning my research."
Thor laughed. "You sound just like Tony."
"Ha, you don't have another brother do you?" Bruce joked, receiving to very strange looks from his friends. "Never mind."
"Allow me to show you the palace my friends. Some men have just returned from a hunt and there is a feast in the main hall." Thor put a hand on their backs and led them back the way they had come. "Normally I would have gone with them, but it was a three day hunt and I had to go and get Loki."
"How is he doing?" Bruce asked, and he could almost feel the annoyed glare Steve sent him for asking.
"He's doing well I think, though I can't say the same for Tony-"
"Tony? Is he okay?" Steve asked before Thor could expand on the situation. Thor chuckled at his outburst then shook his head.
"Relax Steven, I meant it jokingly, as Loki wasn't too happy to learn that we'd told you about him." He paused and lowered his voice. "Which reminds me, it would be best if you did not speak of his... Condition. Or the fact he is to remain in his chambers. As far as you are aware, he is in a cell awaiting trial."
"Of course" Bruce said, nudging Steve who nodded too.
"I'm sorry, it just seems strange. Fighting Loki, coming here, being told that he was mind controlled into doing all those things and that he's pregnant with Tony's baby. I can't get used to not trying to kill the guy."
Bruce and Thor smiled sympathetically.
"Me neither, but I think this'll be good for Tony. From what I knew about the guy before, he was known as a playboy, and probably had more than his fair shares of one night stands, so this might do him some good." Bruce shrugged.
Steve sighed. "I don't know, I keep looking at him and expecting to see his father. I don't know why Tony feels so cold about him, but the Howard I knew would have been proud. Tony saved our lives and, even though it's under questionable circumstances, is going to start a family."
"Maybe he saw a side of him that others did not?" Bruce suggested with a shrug then pushed his glasses up and smiled. "But I think we should all be happy for him and Loki. I mean, I know it's not under the best circumstances, and no offence Thor- I still don't trust him 100%, but I think they're good together."
"Um, excuse me, but could you be the Midgardians who saved Midgard from the younger prince?"
The three turned around and saw a group of young girls (although as they were obviously Asgardian, probably older than the average human) standing together and looking at them in awe.
"Um... Yes ma'am." Steve said, feigning confidence.
"Ahh! I knew it was!" One said excitedly, jumping up and down as she turned to the others. "I told you."
"Er, can we help you girls?" Bruce asked a little unsurely.
"You're so strong for a Midgardian." One said, groping Steve's bicep.
"I hear they reach sexual maturity at such a young age, they are fully experienced when they are only twenty or thirty years old." One whispered to another behind her hand incredulously.
"They're so exotic." her friend whispered back.
"Is it true," another asked Bruce "that you punched Thor through a wall?"
"Um, kind of, I guess?" Bruce looked to Thor for help, but the Asgardian only chuckled in reply and slapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Indeed he is, though it was in another form. You make quite the formidable opponent, Banner."
"Thanks." Bruce smiled shyly, still unsure how to react around these fangirling-girls. He looked at Steve, who looked exactly the same as he did.
"And we heard that the one who destroyed the Chitarui ships is here too?" One asked, well, half stated half asked. Thor, sensing that Bruce and Steve were a little overwhelmed, answered with a nod.
"Yes, but he is busy at the moment... Resting." He smiled, and Bruce nearly laughed at that. Steve gave Thor an unsure look, but then smiled at the girls again, not wanting to make them seem suspicious.
Another group of women approached them then, wearing much finer clothes and appearing to be in their early twenties even though the men knew them to be many times older. They had been attracted by the small crowd forming around the avengers and one of them appeared to be shamelessly aroused by Steve's charming features and bright uniform. She allowed her hand to stroke through his hair intimately. "So you're the one they've all been talking about... The Captain," she drawled.
"U-uh, that's me m'am..." Steve said, a little shakily. He'd moved past being slightly uncomfortable to now being very uncomfortable with these displays of affection. Back in his own time, public displays of affection were someone revered to this extent, and he was used to only seeing couples maybe holding hands or giving an innocent peck on the cheek.
Bruce was feeling similarly uncomfortable, but it was ever so slowly decreasing. He wasn't used to attention, having tried to live a life of solitude since the incident that created the other guy in the first place, so had grown accustomed to limited to no interaction. The past few days had helped him slightly, and especially since he had used the Hulk for good... Even if the 'good' was saving a city from the pregnant lover of a new friend, then beating said pregnant lover up.
Thor was basking in the attention, having had it all his life so far, so it wasn't any skin off his knee.
"Unlike mortals," one whispered to Bruce, her lip brushing against the shell of his eye. "We can withstand a certain amount of... Rough treatment. You won't break us."
Bruce blushed hard, having to take a step away from the woman's advances with wide eyes and his hands held up. "U-um, I'm not looking for a relationship of that kind..."
"And what kind would that be?" She asked innocently, tracing a finger down his chest
"U-u-um..." He glanced over at Thor and Steve for help, but saw that they wouldn't be able to offer any. "Well, what you're insinuating..."
"Do you not find me attractive?"
"No, I mean yes, but I-"
"You do?" She giggled. "I wonder how long it's been. On Midgard it must be hard for a guy for you to" she moved her lips close to his eye again. "Get. any."
"Look, because of my... Er... condition, it's hard to do any strenuous activities because if my heartbeat rises too high, I'll change, and I don't want to hurt anyone." Bruce said, pulling away and sending her an apologetic look.
"What part of immortal don't you understand?" She purred.
"But Thor, Loki, I managed to harm them and they get injuries..." He glanced guiltily over at Thor.
"But that's because you wanted to hurt them. Besides, they soon recovered did they not?"
"Sorry ladies, but we really must get going." Steve cut in, gently peeling the woman off of Bruce. He gave Thor a disapproving look as he watched amused.
They all gave off disappointing sigh as Steve and Bruce hurried after from them, with Thor staying behind to entertain them further, apparently having no troubles with the ladies whatsoever.
"Thanks Steve, it was getting pretty hard to find excuses there without trying to hurt their feelings..." Bruce said when they were a safe distance away, and back in the palace grounds.
"I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable myself. Did Thor happen to mention where the main hall is, I am rather hungry. The serum increased my metabolism to the extent that I am almost constantly hungry. I believe I could keep up with the Asgardians." He joked, looking around for someone to ask for directions. Preferably not a horny female. Or male, come to think of it.
"I think he said it was this way." Bruce said, pointing to a hallway off to their left, before the two of them made their way down there.