Chapter 26
"Oh god. Oh god, oh god it's coming. It's coming, Thor, I can hear him, he's in pain! It's fucking coming out of him, it's coming!" Tony babbled as he paced anxiously outside of Loki's chambers. After gathering the supplies Loki had needed, with the help of Thor who had offered it the moment he realised what was going on, the two had waited anxiously outside the room. Needless to say though that Loki allowed neither in the room with him, which left them alone outside of it.
Tony had officially gone into panic mode. His thoughts kept switching from 'Oh shit, I'm not fucking ready for this! Get me out of here!' to 'Loki needs me calm, I'll try and calm myself. Loki and our kid need me' quite rapidly.
After a long moment of silence, Tony heard a cry followed by a weak voice. "Anthony?"
He didn't even think twice before bursting through the doors. He glanced quickly over at the bed to see a very rumpled Loki, face covered in sweat and a bright smile on his face. In his arms lay a bundle of towels with a little pink face poking out one end. More alarmingly was the deep scarlet colour of the sheets around Loki's waist. "Come here."
"Loki..." Tony breathed out, looking alarmed at first but then unable to stop the smile spreading across his face as he spotted the small child in Loki's arms. Their child. "Is... Is it okay?" He asked, feeling weird about calling their child an 'it', and hoped Loki would correct him so he'd know which pronouns to use. Luckily he did.
"He's wonderful. And he's got such a strong little grip." Loki smiled but sounded tired. "Come and hold him."
Tony's smile widened as he walked closer to the bed, taking a seat next to Loki on the blood soaked sheets and taking a closer look at their son. "How about that..." He breathed out, cursing himself for shaking a little as he took the baby boy out of Loki's arms to hold him in his own. "Hey there, little guy..."
Huge red eyes looked up at him curiously from underneath a thin layer of brown hair. Tony guessed the eyes must be from Loki's Jötunn heritage, and wondered what else he'd inherit from the both of them.
As soon as Loki had handed him over, his hand had disappeared beneath the sheets, healing the scar below his abdomen. A few moments later the sheets cleaned themselves and Loki looked over at Tony still cooing over the little guy in his arms, stroking the tiny scruff of hair on his child's tiny head. As Thor was still standing awkwardly at the door, Loki finally invited his brother in to meet his nephew.
"Magnificent, Loki. He is truly magnificent." Thor said, careful not to boom it too loudly for the child's sake, and leant over Tony to get a closer look.
Loki winced in pain as he sat up properly, wrapping an arm round his lover's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. From here he could be close to Tony and still see the yawning face of their son.
"Have you thought of a name?" Thor asked suddenly.
Tony raised an eyebrow then tore his gaze away to look at Loki. "Well I thought he'd be a she, so I'm fresh out of ideas. You have any?" He said with a small chuckle. He remembered that he'd said 'she' in front of Bruce and Steve a few weeks ago, which could mean that the whole Avengers team and Pepper back on earth were expecting a little girl... Oh well.
"Jareth" Loki grinned. "Fitting, don't you think?"
Tony narrowed his eyes slightly in thought. "Where have I heard that before...?"
"Nowhere, my love. Do you like it?" He asked, stroking the baby's face with the back of his knuckle.
"I swear I've heard it..." Tony trailed off in thought, and then it suddenly clicked. He raised an amused eyebrow. "You want to name our kid after the Goblin King?"
"It's not like he's real."
Tony gave Loki a look of surprise then chuckled lightly. "Never would have pegged you as a movie watching guy, also I can see why you'd watch Labyrinth..." He paused and looked down at the little guy in his arms and smiled lovingly at him. "You know what? It kind of does suit him. And I did think he, or she, would've ended up with a particularly normal sounding Midgard name... I like it."
"Jareth Stark. It rolls of the tongue nicely, don't you think?"
"Jareth Lokison-Stark." Tony corrected with a smirk. "Rolls better."
Turning Tony's head to face him, Loki kissed him full on the mouth. "Prince of Asgard, Midgard, and Jötunheimr, first of his name."
Tony hummed in approval then brought Loki into a longer, more passionate kiss. "I love you." Tony said as he pulled away, and at a small gurgle from Jareth, he looked down and chuckled. "And I love you too, small guy."
Loki tickled the tiny belly and grinned when a little fist gripped his finger.
"May I?" Thor asked, wanting to get closer and see his youngest nephew up close.
Loki nodded and let Thor kneel next to Tony on the bed, the two feeling the mattress dip under Thor's heavy weight. "He is already so strong, I see he will one day be a fine warrior. And he won't have trouble with the ladies with such a cherub face." Thor's fingers looked like a giant's next to the tiny face as he tickled the baby's chin.
"He has your nose Anthony. And your chin. If not for his eyes he may be a small version of you." Loki chuckled lightly. "You may even have the same mental age."
Tony pouted. "Gee thanks."
Loki's laughter was cut short when he looked down to see Jareth's eyes change colour to a green identical to his own.
"Did he just-" Tony asked but then found himself grinning further as Thor handed him back carefully. "He really is your son, I bet he'll even develop a taste for mischief." Tony winked at Loki.
"I don't think that was-" Loki was cut off by a cough, and looked up to see Odin standing under the doorframe, clearing his throat to make his presence known.
"So he is born. I have alerted your mother, she is on her way."
Tony tensed slightly as he noticed the man enter the room and his grip tightened on Jareth, though not so tight that it would hurt him.
"Have you come to sentence me?"
Odin sighed tiredly then stepped further into the room. "No." He said. "I merely come to pay my respects to my grandson... And his fathers."
Tony raised an eyebrow in surprise but still held tight. Although, if Odin had said he was here to sentence, then there would be little from stopping him handing Jareth to Loki then walking over to punch that eye patch square off his face.
"Pay your respects? It is not his funeral."
"Please." Thor stood. "This should he a time for celebration, not arguing. Loki, you should get some sleep. Have you need of the healers?"
Loki held a glare on Odin for a few moments before his gaze shifted to Thor and he shook his head. "I'll be fine. I just need a bit of rest-"
"I'll watch him." Tony said quickly, interrupting Loki as he spoke. "I mean, I'll watch them both. Make sure Loki's okay, and that I can spend some time with Jareth."
"Jareth?" Odin echoed, but before anyone else could speak, Frigga swiftly entered the room and rushed over to the bedside, leaving Odin still standing a little ways off.
"Oh, Loki, Tony, he's wonderful!"
"He is the spitting image of Narfi." Loki whispered, barely loud enough for Tony to hear. "All except the nose." He pressed his smile into Tony's shoulder.
"May I hold him?" Frigga asked hopefully, holding her arms out.
Tony smiled up at her and gently passed the small bundle over, shooting a wary glance over at Odin while he did so, who had now moved a little closer.
"Oh!" Frigga cried delightedly at his little face, falling completely in love with him. Jareth stared up at her curiously for a few moments before giggling joyously as she began making playful faces at him.
"What's he called?" She asked after making a few faces, and not stopping because she'd asked a question.
With him removed from Tony's arms, Loki could wrap both of his around Tony, returning his head to his lover's shoulder and looking up at his mother proudly. "Jareth Lokison-Stark, prince of Asgard, Midgard, and Jötunheimr and first of his name."
"I think it suits him, doesn't it little one?" She cooed at Jareth, who giggled slightly then looked around and started to cry a little when he could see neither of his parents. Tony shot Loki a worried look, which Loki chuckled at, then reached to take him back and rock him in his arms while he shushed him. Tony breathed out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding as the crying settled down a few moments later, and moved to wrap his arm protectively around Loki as he watched the little one yawn.
"Someone's tired." He noted, not even caring one bit at how cute he inwardly thought that yawn looked. He wasn't usually one for noticing things like that.
"We will leave you three alone. You all look like you could do with some rest."
"Bye mother."
Frigga returned his smile and half pushed Odin out of the room ahead of her. Thor waited until the door had closed before he sat back on the bed beside Tony.
"I have something for my nephew." Thor held out his giant hand to produce a woven cloth bracelet. "Friend Tony, when Loki and I were small, our uncle from Vanaheimr brought us gifts like these. The finest silks from his realm. Jareth is third in line from the throne of Asgard, and I thought it only fitting that his uncle gave him a similar gift." Thor wrapped the soft fabric twice round Jareth's wrist before giving up and taking it off. "Perhaps you will keep it so he can grow into it. It seems silly now." Thor stood.
"No. Thank you." Loki smiled genuinely at his brother, surprised he had remembered his uncle's gift and more so at the sentiment Thor had shown.
Thor's grin was as wide as when he had first met Jareth as he bid them goodbye, promising to check in on them later and closing the door uncharacteristically quietly behind him.
"He means well." Loki said eventually, placing the little piece of red green and gold cloth beside the bed. "Perhaps it can serve as the necktie of a toy."
"No thanks. Probably a bit too small for that." He paused as Loki gave him a strange look and then Tony realised. "Oh you meant an actual toy for him! Whoops." He blushed slightly, inwardly cursing that his mind had gone to that dirty place first.
"Tony." Loki scolded, quiet enough not to upset the baby in his arms. "This was Thor's gift to Jareth."
"I know, it's just been a while since you and I properly... And I not used to baby proofing my mind yet. Guess I'll have to try harder not to think or talk abou around th Y."
"I don't know how we can find a way without having to give Jareth to someone else. We can't trust anyone." A cry disrupted Loki's thoughts as Jareth's entire body turned red with tears. "He is hungry. Would you fetch some of that milk?" Loki passed him a flask and pointed at the large cattle-like beast that had appeared in the middle of Loki's chamber.
"Muuuuurh!"
Tony's eyes widened in shock. "Um, Lokes, why is there an alien cow in here?"
"Because Jareth is hungry" Loki deadpanned. "It may have escaped your notice, but neither of us have breasts,"
"I know that." Tony answered back, rolling his eyes. "But that doesn't explain that!" He pointed at the creature, which looked as if it weren't even bothered at its different surroundings. "Why not just use baby formula or something? I don't even know how to milk a cow! Let alone an alien one."
Loki's eyebrows raised. "Baby formula? You just pull on the udders a little bit. It won't object, it's quite used to it. I would do it myself but I don't think I can move very much." He winced slightly in pain as he shuffled into a more comfortable position, "also, I don't want to do it."
"I take it that's a human invention then..." Tony grumbled, and then gave the creature a weary glance. "Do I have to?"
"Unless you want your newborn to continue crying, yes." Loki gave Jareth a finger to chew on while he waited.
Tony paused a moment before sighing heavily and pulling himself up from the bed. He glanced back at Loki who was just watching him poker-faced, then carefully edged himself towards the creature with the flask held out before him like a shield.
"What kind of creature is this anyway?"
Loki shrugged. "We farm many types of cattle."
"Looks like a cross between a cow and a demonic buffalo..." Tony muttered mainly to himself, but loud enough for Loki to hear him.
"A female buffalo is a cow."
"I mean like a typical dairy cow, not the technical name for it." Tony froze in place when the beast turned its head and locked its gaze onto Tony. It looked slightly devious. "I don't trust it."
"Get on with it."
Tony made a humming noise of disapproval, then walked even closer and stopped by it. "Hey there, easy now..." He said in an attempt to calm it when it shifted a little on the spot. The cow/buffalo (Buffamoo, which Tony decided on because it fitted, and it reminded him of the creatures from a game he'd once played) gave him evils out the corner of it's eyes as Tony placed his hand on it's back and stroked it. The action seemed to calm the creature a little, or at least enough for it to look away and make a small noise of either acceptance or a general 'whatever'. Tony smiled slightly then began to squat down beside it.
"Don't spill any. That is a prized animal." Loki looked up disinterestedly, then went back to making cooing noises to Jareth
Tony rolled his eyes again then took a deep breath and outstretched his hand. Despite Loki's warning, he found it very difficult at first not to spill any, and it took him a while to be able to get a decent amount into the flask Loki had given him. Thankfully, the Buffamoo had allowed Tony to attempt to gain it's milk without too much damage (at first it had growled, yes, actually growled which had surprised Tony enough for him to lose concentration and be kicked by it's hind quarters.) He wasn't hurt too badly as it had caught him on the shoulder, although it would definitely leave a nasty bruise.
He stood up and quickly walked back to the bed, handing Loki the flask before pulling off his shirt and assessing the damage. "Sonofabitch." He muttered as he looked at the massive hoof-bruise, wincing slightly as he stroked it with his fingers.
"I cannot heal you yet." Loki said, taking the flask and adding a cap more suitable for a baby to drink from. "I am still healing myself. Can you feed him? Hold it upright so he doesn't swallow any air."
"Uh, yeah." Tony said, ignoring his bruise and leaning down to take Jareth and the bottle from Loki. He gently rocked him in his arms for a few moments to calm him down when he cried from leaving Loki's arms. "So, how do I feed him then? Just hold the bottle and hope he takes it?" Tony asked over the crying, attempting to comfort him but failing which disappointed him slightly.
"It's a basic reflex, they will suck on anything you place in their mouth. That's why you see their slobber on anything." Loki wiped his slobbered on finger on Tony's arm and lay back down on the pillows. "See you in an hour."
"Wait, don't leave me with-" Tony said quickly, but then cut himself off with a sigh and held the bottle out to Jareth. This was the moment he'd been dreading- being alone with Jareth to look after him for the first time. He was scared he'd do something wrong, or that he wouldn't take to him, but to his relief, the baby boy seemed to take the bottle from him when lifted, and Tony found he rather liked this action. It was one which he could get used to. Maybe he didn't have anything to worry about in the first place...
So far, the whole father thing hadn't been as bad as he was expecting, and in fact, after the relief of not screwing up so far, he was starting to think he might love it. It went without saying that he loved Loki and Jareth, but until the moment he first laid eyes on the small bundle in his arms, he hadn't felt like it was going to feel as natural as it did right now.
He looked over at Loki who was either fast asleep by now, which wouldn't be surprising after what he'd been through, or at least very close to obtaining it. He looked peaceful, and Tony felt extremely proud of him. Tony smiled, then looked back down as Jareth finished the bottle and yawned again, clenching his tiny fists a few times and blinking a few times before he shut his eyes and curled up closer into Tony. That movement warmed his heart, and he felt an overwhelmingly happy/pleased feeling spread throughout him.
He'd try his best to be a good-no, the best father to his and Loki's son, and nothing like Howard was to him.
He was about to move around the bed to take a seat next to Loki when he realised there was still a forth, forgotten being in the room still.
"Muuuuuuurh!"
AN: Anyone know what game buffamoos come from? If so, you're awesome ;D