A/N: Christmas is coming! In the story at least. Next chapter will be festivities! With fluff and humor! At least that what I have planned.
I don't own The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head, and Kaia, Gabby, and Nathan. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.
Tony looked at the readings on the screen as Nathan slowly tweaked some sensor's in a prototype gauntlet. "That should be good right there," Tony looked over and the teenager stopped. Tony could see that the kid had natural talent when it came to understanding how things went together, and how they worked that he couldn't stop him when his eyes lit up every time he saw one of the Iron Man suits. When Gabby and Kaia managed to talk Loki and Steve into doing last minute Christmas shopping, Nathan had begged Tony to let him hide in the lab. Tony took sympathy on him.
"So, now there's a secondary repulsor in here that will allow you to fire at enemies while still stabilizing yourself in the air?" Nathan looked up at Tony, he had a slight look of pride in his eyes.
"Exactly. I'm not sure how it's going to work in a real world application yet, but it'll be handy." Tony walked over to start connecting the gauntlet to some wires so JARVIS could start running diagnostics on it. "Testing usually happens in the most ridiculous situations."
"Sounds about right." Nathan nodded and chuckled a little. Both men suddenly straightened when the temperature in the room rose, and the hairs on the back on their necks rose. Nathan's eyes widened a little when he looked past Tony and the inventor turned quickly. He quickly grabbed the nearest thing he could use as a weapon, which was a metal bar left over from the frame of one of the cars.
"Anthony, I'm offended," Hela placed a hand on her chest as Tony held up the metal bar, standing in front of Nathan. "We're practically family." Tony snorted.
"Yeah, sure. I was pretty sure that family didn't try to kill and kidnap each other," Tony snarked.
"Well, you did enter into a family of gods," Hela remind him. "And how does that make you feel? Being the one mortal? Knowing that you can only travel to Asgard with an escort, that your lover-" she spat the word out, "-and daughter are stronger than you, that the only good you'll ever be is with a suit of armour that-" She ducked when Tony took a swing at her head.
"I'd get the hell out of my house if I were you," Tony said, voice dangerously low. "I don't need the suit to defend."
"No? Hm," she tapped her chin a little. "Let's see what we can't do to change that thinking. I think I'll just go upstairs to your daughter's room first, for I know-" she grabbed the bar with one hand when Tony swung it again, -"exactly where it is."
Tony glared but didn't let go of the bar. Hela used it and turned Tony abruptly and then threw him against a wall, breaking the pipe in half when he had refused to let go and she crushed it in her grip. She looked at the jagged edge and smirked before suddenly plunging it into Tony's shoulder and into the wall.
Tony screamed in pain as his hand flew up instantly to the bar. Hela grabbed his chin and made him look at her. "You are weak, in-" She stopped talking when there as a charge and a blast of energy hit the wall beside the two of them. Both looked back to see that Nathan had taken the prototype gauntlet for the suit and had equipped it, looking at Hela.
"That was just a warning shot," Nathan warned as he watched them. They could hear the charging whine as the replusor in the hand started to glow again. "Next one won't miss."
Hela let go of Tony's chin and turned towards Nathan. Tony tried to reach out and grab her arm but she walked out of his reach. "Such misguided bravery, inspired truly. You have no idea what you're about to step into though, little boy."
"I know that you're not gonna get out of here without a fight," Nathan fired back.
"Hela," Loki growled out and she turned to see Loki and Steve standing just inside the lab. "Don't you have souls you're supposed to be watching?"
"I like to visit those that will have a special spot by my side," Hela purred out to her younger brother. "You never let me visit, and then I get easily offended," she was almost pouting. "and then I get angry because I think that you don't like me, and you're keeping me from seeing my family." She sighed a little. "And then I wonder why you keep trying to stall me." She suddenly kicked a desk to the side and reached over grabbing onto Gabby's shirt collar and hauling her up.
"Let her go!" Tony yelled out. He tried not to cry out when he jerked, trying to dislodge the bar.
"What is precious, Uncle, Tony, going to do about it?" Hela snorted. "Her would be lover over there will always have a better chance at saving her than you will. He'd have a better chance at saving you then you could save yourself."
Loki stepped towards her and Hela threw Gabby into Loki, pushing them back into Steve. "This isn't the right time anyway," Hela sighed, waving her hand around. "I just needed a distraction." She disappeared as Steve had pushed Gabby behind him, keeping a hand on her arm.
There was a clang as Nathan's knees seemed to give out and he fell to the ground with the gauntlet still on, eyes wide. Steve and Gabby jog over to him As Loki hurries over to Tony. Tony groans a little and shut his eyes. "You guys moved pretty quick," Tony bit out. "Clint must be up with Kaia?" Loki nodded as he inspected the bar and Tony.
Steve had picked up Nathan as Gabby pulled the gauntlet off. "Consider yourself half a superhero now," Gabby told him as they moved him to a chair.
"I don't know how you guys do it," Nathan muttered, trying to hide his shaking hands. "I mean, when Tony- Tony!" Nathan turned suddenly tried to get up but Steve grabbed him before he fell.
"Don't worry, Loki can handle it," Steve told him as he eased him back into the chair. "You need to catch your wits about you first."
"If you want I can numb the area first," Loki looked at Tony before hesitantly grabbing the bar. Tony shook his head, placing his hand on the bar too.
"Nope, like a bandaid, get it out," Tony grunted a little when he shifted his feet and moved his shoulder. "Let's just do it." Loki looked uncertain, but knew he wouldn't be able to win with Tony when he was determined. After a few seconds they pulled the bar and Tony yelled out as it slid out and his knees buckled. Loki dropped the bar and grabbed Tony's waist, careful of his injury shoulder.
"Let's get you to a chair, then I shall heal-" Tony shook his head, trying to stand on his own. "Tony-"
"Nope, I'm fine," Tony shook his head and stood on shaky legs, holding a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood. "Just needs a little cleaning, and some bandages." He tried to move past Loki to get to the private bathroom.
"Tony, that's not nothing," Loki followed him. Gabby and Steve exchanged looks as they watched what was happening. Nathan started to worry at his lip with his teeth. "That needs to be healed, you've just had a piece of metal-"
"I know what happened," Tony cut him off. "I was there." He stopped at a desk and kicked open a cupboard door and bent to grab the first aid kit sitting there. "I can take care of this."
"Why are you being so stubborn over this," Loki growled a little, not understanding why Tony was acting this way suddenly. "Just let me heal it before any permanent damage has-"
"I'm not useless," Tony said tightly as he gripped the first aid kit in his hand. He walked into the bathroom and turned to looked at the others in the room. "I can take care of things." He kicked the door closed and they heard the locks engage.
Loki blinked then frowned. He turned to look at the others with a confused and helpless expression. Nathan sighed a little and slumped in the chair, feeling utterly exhausted, and starting to wonder why his six year old self had decided it would be a good idea to befriend the daughter of superheroes.
Tony growled when he dropped the roll of bandages again, then sighed and sat down on the edge of the bathtub. He rubbed his face with one hand and glanced up at the mess he was making of his bathroom. He needed the use of two hands but with a small hole in his shoulder it made moving his arm almost impossible.
His head shot up when he heard the locks at the door slide open. Nathan was standing on the other side, looking expectantly at him. "Somehow, I had an inkling this is what the bathroom would look like, I meant to tell you that last time I was in there. But then we got into a dirt fight." He walked in and the slid shut again. Nathan started picking up the dropped supplies and turned on the water grabbing a washcloth. "I'm starting to wonder about the Avengers," Nathan started as Tony watched him with a raised eyebrow. "They send a teenager in to take care of a grown man. And not just any man, but Tony Stark. I don't know who should be offended in this situation."
"What are you doing here?" Tony sighed a little. "It's obvious that JARVIS is conspiring against me by letting you here."
"Yeah, I thought I was gonna have to re-wire the door to get in here," Nathan admitted. "Turns out your AI can be a little bit of a mother hen." Nathan turned to look at him, washcloth in his hand. "I figured if you were still feeling stubborn, then I'd come in to help you. I'm pretty sure you'd rather impale your other shoulder than let Loki or Steve in here right now," Nathan held up a hand when Tony opened his mouth the talk. "I get it. Like you said before, I was there, too."
He walked over and pressed the damp cloth to Tony's shoulder, leaning in when Tony flinched back. "I think it's a little more complicated than you think," Tony looked at the teenager. "I mean, you're only 16, and-"
"Mortal," Nathan put in. Tony clamped his mouth shut when Nathan caught his eye. "You're not the only human in the world Tony. Sure you have the Iron Man suit, but that's more than what I've got going for me. And the more I stick around this insane family, the more I'm thinking I need to learn how to do Something. Clint and Natasha, well, Clint's human too, I don't know what Natasha is, I'm convinced she's not human."
"He can shoot you from 3 miles away," Tony grumbled.
"Yeah? Your point?" Nathan sighed as he grabbed the bandages. "So what if you have to use a suit? Even without the suit you're still a genius, your mind still works above the speed limit. Clint doesn't have that, he's good at shooting something because that's his thing. You, you're good at whatever the hell you want."
Tony looked at Nathan as he finished wrapping the older mans shoulder, then plopped down next to him on the tub. "I can't believe I just got a pep talk from a fresh behind the wheel teenager."
"I can't believe I just had to give a pep talk to Iron Man," Nathan muttered. "You can't make me keep doing this, I'm not part of your crazy team, you know." Tony could see the smile he was trying to hide.
"Just wait until you marry Kaia." Tony chuckled a little as the red that spread across Nathan's face. He reached over and took Nathan's wrist and looked at his palm. "Little electrical burn?"
"We didn't really finish calibrating the repulsor blast," Nathan admitted.
"Congratulations, you're officially a collaborator on the Iron Man suit," Tony let go of his hand and smirked. "And you just got your first injury because of it. You're becoming a man."
"I'll stay a boy for now, thank you very much." Nathan let out a breath and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes. "If I'm a collaborator-"
"You can't wear the suit."
"Can't I just send in the boy again?" Tony groaned as Kaia and Nathan flanked him. They were in the hallway leading to his and Loki's bedroom.
"No, you were stubborn, and that's what got you in this mess," Kaia told him. "Now stop making us act more mature than you." She held the tray that had melted chocolate in a bow.
"This is a lovers spat anyway, I don't get int he middle of those," Nathan held up the plate fresh cherries.
"Then why did you two help me make this?" Tony had to ask. He had been in the kitchen for two hours trying to figure out to melt chocolate when Kaia and Nathan came along.
"We didn't want you poisoning him on Christmas Eve," Nathan remarked. "Now, go." He kicked his butt and Tony glared at him before taking a breath and approaching the bedroom door. JARVIS opened the door slowly and Tony peeked his head in. Loki was sitting on the bed, with a raised eyebrow.
"Heeeeeey, look, I brought goodies," Tony flashed a nervous grin as he stepped inside. He tried not to let his arm shake that held the heavy bowl of cherries weighing down on his injured shoulder. "And I swear it won't kill you, not like the omelets I've tried making."
Loki let out a small sigh and walked over taking both the bowls from him and setting them on the dresser. "You are a very stubborn, and intensely stupid man sometimes," Loki told him and faced Tony.
"I've been told that a couple of times, yeah," Tony nodded. "I'm not exactly known for doing things the easy way, or right way, or intelligent way."
"Yes, I have noticed that." Loki took one of the cherries, and leaned back against the dresser dipping it in chocolate. "Also, because I am eating this does not mean that you are immediately forgiven."
"Understood, I wouldn't want that chocolate to go to waste, like the rest of it I tried to use," Tony rubbed the back of his neck a little. "I think it was a little obvious that I was being hard-headed," Loki snorted. "I might have let some anger get away from me."
"And you did exactly what I warned you about," Loki pointed at him with a cherry stem. Tony tried to find him intimidating. "You let Hela's words go to your head, and you closed yourself off to everyone else."
"She wasn't exactly the only one who has said stuff like that, but she sure made me feel it." Loki walked over and stuck a cherry in Tony's mouth.
"You are not useless, you are not weak," Loki pointed at him. "You are a good man, a strong man, a good friend, an acceptable lover, and a great father."
"Acceptable lover?" Tony raised an eyebrow as he chewed on the cherry.
"I already have to live with you, please do not make it unbearable with your ego," Loki grabbed another cherry for himself. "My point is that while you may be human, you are one of the few humans that is charged with the defense of this planet, and would give anything you had to protect your family, no matter the cost. If you were anything that Hela, or anyone else, says that you are I would not have fallen for you, stayed with you, and had a child with you."
Tony let out a breath. "First I get a pep talk form a sixteen year old, and now my man has to hit me in the feels. I just need my teenager to do something emotional now and I'll really feel like a domesticated man."
"Domesticated, I'm sure," Loki snorted. "The day you're domesticated is the day Midgard no longer needs Iron Man."
"Thank the gods that'll never happen." Tony grinned.
"Now, will you let me heal your shoulder?" Loki looked pointedly to the spots of blood that had bled through the bandage and onto Tony's shirt.
"Please, please, please," Tony moved toward Loki. "After messing about in the kitchen it hurts now. Nathan is no nurse."
"No, he's a mechanic," Loki pointed out as he slipped Tony's shirt off. He popped the cherry into his mouth and placed some fingers on Tony's shoulder. Tony was interested in the way that Loki's mouth was moving though. He barely felt the warmth of power rushing through his shoulder, and his eyes widened a little when Loki stuck his tongue out, the stem of the cherry tied in a bow.
"If we don't fuck after this, I will never buy another cherry for you ever again." Loki grinned at Tony.
"But you know how much I love them," Loki moved close to Tony, running his slender fingers over Tony's newly healed shoulder. "I love them almost as much as I love you." Loki let his other hand trail around Tony's waist, a few fingers slipping under the waist of his jeans.
"What are you willing to do to get them back?" Tony grinned as he pressed their chests together, fingers threading through his hair.
"Go to bed!" They blinked when they heard Kaia yell through the door.
"Just do quiet couple things to reaffirm your love for each other that won't keep the teenagers that sleep next to and below you awake!" Nathan threw in. "Seriously guys, it's gross."
Tony threw the door open, Loki tailing behind him, looking over Tony's shoulders as the two teens sitting outside the door. "What are you guys doing out here?" Nathan quickly put a hand in front of Kaia's eyes and looked down at the ground.
"You're shirtless." Nathan said and Tony rolled his eyes.
"We wanted to make sure that Daddy didn't mess up the cherries, and that you two made up." Kaia added, holding Nathan's hand over her eyes.
"I didn't wanna have to put sheets on the couch." Nathan added. He ophed when Tony kicked his leg with his bare foot.
Loki started to wave his hand behind Tony, but neither Kaia nor Nathan moved, and he got a feral grin on his face. He started to nuzzle Tony's neck with his nose, then moved and started to plant small kisses along his neck back to his spine. Tony shivered a little and let out a small moan.
"What did we just say!" Kaia exclaimed.
"You wanted to know what I'd do to get the cherries?" Loki whispered in Tony's ear. "Anytime you asked Can I, the answer would be yes." Tony's eyes widened. "For the next three months."
"Go bunk with Gabby," Tony stared to push them away with his foot. "It's gonna get loud, and I really don't give a damn what you think right now." Loki started to laugh as he wrapped an arm around Tony's waist.
"What if she's with Steve?" Nathan looked up then his face scrunched in disgust and he fell on his back. "I'm blind! Oh dear God, I'm blind!"
"You are not blind," Loki told him. "And don't call out to me unless you want to be." Kaia tried to pout up at her fathers but they merely met her gaze. She quickly grabbed Nathan's hand and started to drag him across the carpet and down the hall.
"Damn kids," Tony muttered as he pushed Loki back into the bedroom, kicking the door closed.