"My brother and I are planning to journey to my Lady Jane's on the morrow. We should return within a fortnight," Thor announced later that evening.
Standing just to the side and behind Thor, Loki wore his usual blank mask and too-tight posture, but that was nothing new; half the time it seemed like the trickster was just waiting for fallout to come raining down on his head. Bruce turned from the game of BS he was rapidly losing to Natasha, Clint and Coulson to settle his steady gaze on Tony, who'd hunched further down into his chair, tablet lifted to hide his face. Pepper, perched on the arm of Tony's chair, looked up from her magazine with more than a hint of surprise as well.
"Oh. That's sudden," Steve commented, startled.
His book was momentarily forgotten as he laid it down on his lap with one hand still on his page.
"I have been absent from her for longer than I desire," Thor explained, shifting his weight slightly, "and Loki has not had a chance to see much of Midgard during our stay."
Immediately, Natasha's eyes narrowed and her gaze flicked quickly to Loki's face, but she'd never really figured out any of his tells. Whatever they were, they certainly were not so obvious as Thor's nervous shifting.
"Of course. Please tell Dr. Foster hello from all of us as well," Pepper soothed warmly.
"Fuck it. Your family can stay here," Tony announced, dropping the tablet into his lap.
Both Thor and Loki stiffened, and if she weren't herself startled, Natasha would have been smugly pleased to see an untrained reaction out of the mischievous god. The rest of those not in the know – read: Steve and Pepper – shared a flummoxed glance before turning to Tony.
"Whose family?" Steve queried.
Loki had glanced across at Thor, and seeing his startlement plainly, let out a quiet sigh. At least Thor hadn't tried his occasionally ham-fisted diplomacy this time.
"My wife and son," he clarified for the bemused members of the team, "Thor is insistent upon their visiting and thought Jane's home to be a more suitable environment."
"Wife?" Natasha asked, genuine surprise showing on her face.
"Yes?" Loki answered, wondering why that of everything that had been said caused the most surprise.
Natasha wasn't at all taken aback by Loki's apparent kids; although neither god ever mentioned his children, most of the team had taken the time to look up Norse mythology and discuss the likelihood of Fenrir, Hela, Jormugandr and most especially Sleipnir actually existing. It was just…Loki was a shapeshifter – he could and did switch between genders and species without a thought. Settling down didn't seem like his thing.
"I just…" she trailed off before fishing out her wallet and laying a bill into Clint's expectant hand.
"There is no need, Stark," Thor started, finally regaining his voice, "Jane is 'more than happy' to receive us."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll hide in my lab or whatever; you don't need to travel across the country just to get away from me," Tony muttered.
"Stark, I teleport and Thor flies. My family will be traveling across realms," Loki commented dryly, "I hardly think a few hundred miles is a problem."
"I just… Why doesn't Jane come here?" Steve suggested.
Loki shifted slightly, flexing his hand idly. His gaze had shifted to Thor who was even antsier than previously though his younger brother was placid-faced and unreadable. Having taken one glance at his younger brother, Thor had had to quickly quell the worry that burnt up his throat; that twitch was one that generally only showed up right before Loki set something on fire or magically dismantled the most complicated object he could find.
"I…am not certain that that would be in the best interests of anyone," Thor responded cautiously.
"Why not? Dr. Foster has her labs here, the Avengers can keep anyone from coming near Loki's family and we won't have to worry about a catastrophe occurring while the both of you are in New Mexico," Coulson piped up, "So long as you aren't planning something while out of the Avengers' custody."
As he studied Loki in his flat, apathetic way, the trickster's face darkened almost imperceptibly.
"I do not care for your insinuations, son of Coul," Thor rumbled, his own fingers itching for Mjolnir's comforting grip, "My brother desires to see his wife and son; there is hardly anything nefarious about that."
"Then why can't he see his wife and son here? Or on Asgard?" Steve queried, though his voice was much more genuine than Coulson's cool skepticism.
Loki's jaw tightened ever so slightly as he replied, "My family no longer lives on Asgard."
Natasha's sharp gaze widened slightly in understanding and she leaned back into her hands, the card game long forgotten.
"You're afraid Odin will hurt them to hurt you," she murmured.
"There are…certain prophecies of the like, yes," Loki conceded stiffly.
"I still don't get why they can't come here," Steve objected, "It's not like we'd let Odin come down and steal them away."
"I did not wish to impose on Tony's hospitality, and Jane's home seemed a better fit for Sigyn and Vali," Thor offered, still picking his words delicately.
"We could all go to New Mexico," Clint suggested, but that was immediately ignored.
"Is there any reason why Stark Tower is inappropriate for your family's vacation?" Coulson prompted.
A slow sigh and then Loki glanced over at Thor, apparently silently yielding.
"Very well. I will call my Lady Jane; Loki – oh," the thunderer cut himself off with little surprise as Loki just vanished.
"Where the hell'd he go now?" Tony demanded.
"Mm," Thor was quiet, his eyes briefly distant, "I imagine with Ratatoskr."
"Okay, what kind of Pokémon is that?" Tony sighed, leaning back.
"A squirrel, right?" Bruce checked.
Thor, for his part, paused a moment to look contrite.
"I believe that is how he was described many a year ago," he agreed, "but it – never mind. He is a messenger along the trunk of Yggdrasil."
"O…kay," Clint offered uncertainly.
Before anyone could ask for more of an explanation, Loki reappeared beside Thor. His green eyes were distant and Tony had the feeling that if he looked closely he would see something not emerald and gleaming but dark and star-filled and far too yawning to be eyes. Blinking, Loki quickly ran a slender hand over his face and caught himself just before he stumbled.
"Brother?" Thor queried worriedly, but Loki offered a thin, not-quite-there smile and waved the concern away.
"Sigyn agreed to meeting in Stark Tower in one week's time," he announced tiredly, and shouldn't he have sounded even a little happy?