Loki isn't sure what to do now. Usually, he's not the type to stick around after sex. But this time, it's different. He knows it will be. He rolls over to face the man that has been newly dubbed his lover.
"Hi," Tony says with a grin. Loki remains silent as he studies him. He thinks this man must be absolutely flawless to be so accepting; so understanding. Eventually, he allows his gaze to drop to the glow of Tony's arc reactor.
"I didn't exactly plan the pregnancy. Nothing was planned. It just...I don't know," he tries to explain. Things just don't come out the way he wants them to and he stops talking. Beside him, Tony breaths with ease.
"It's ok, Loki," Tony tells him quietly. The inventor reaches out to stroke Loki's cobalt cheekbone. The skin is surprisingly smooth to the touch, except for the raised lines along the god's brow and cheeks. The lines continue down to Loki's neck and continue lower, so Tony makes it his mission to follow them like an intoxicating little maze.
"So, you really don't mind?" Loki asks, breath hitching. The man's hand tickles him as it continues its exploration.
The inventor shakes his head and continues to smile. He presses his palm flat against Loki's belly. Loki can feel the other man's half hard cock pressing into his thigh and can't help but roll his eyes. Taking advantage of the moment, Tony captures his lips and begins to kiss him.
"No. But I think Thor helped a lot with that, though," he murmurs absentmindedly. His mouth works its way down and becomes occupied with the god's neck. He's not about to stop its journey anytime soon. Even then, Loki frowns.
"He told you didn't he? After I specifically told him not to. That idiot!" Loki is both furious and thankful. He's not sure how Tony would have reacted without knowing beforehand. The fact that he'd had time to let the information sink in relaxes Loki. He lets Tony pull him closer and can't help the smile that crosses his face.
"I think that having a kid around will be good for me. For us. A few years ago, I would have never said that. Now it's not such a bad idea," he tells Loki quietly.
Loki has a horrible feeling that he knows where this is going. He's pretty sure that this is some cruel joke, but Tony's look of complete sincerity can only mean one thing: Tony truly doesn't mind at all. He wasn't expecting to feel emotional about this. He knew that they'd have to talk about it sometime...but it's just too much. The first tear is unexpected. But once he starts he can't stop. Loki pushes away from him and Tony is sitting up.
"Loki, what's wrong?" he asks. He isn't sure what's brought on this sudden bout of emotion, but it doesn't look like pregnancy hormones to him. Then again, what does he know? He's never been in this situation before. Loki shakes his head and gets out of bed.
"Don't do that," Loki tells him. The inventor isn't sure whether or not he should touch Loki again, even though he wants to. He settles for moving closer. Tony realizes that that was a mistake since it causes Loki to back into a corner of the room. The light window illuminates him enough for Tony to see that the god's face is streaked with tears.
"Loki, it's ok," Tony tells him.
"How can this be ok? I'm pregnant with someone else's child and you haven't a care in the universe. Nothing about this arrangement is ok. You don't even know who the father is!" The god is clearly agitated and growing angrier. Tony is a bit perplexed at Loki's sudden change of mood. They're a couple now, so why wouldn't Tony want the child Loki is carrying? What is he going to do, make him have an abortion? The idea makes him a bit sick actually.
"Look, if this is about the parentage, I'm ok. If you went slept with someone else, it's fine. It happens. Mistakes happen. I have no room to judge. I've done a lot worse, I promise. People make mistakes, Loki. At least if it turns out to be more on the Asgardian side, then we might have another potential Avenger. Go team!" he says, enthusiastically pumping his fist into the air. Loki turns toward the window so the man doesn't have to see his face.
"The child is not of Aesir descent," Loki tells him pointedly. Tony pauses. The god can practically hear the cogs working around in the man's head. Tony lets out a long sigh. He gives a small laugh.
"Look if it's forgiveness you want, then fine. I forgive you. But we're starting over as of right now. The past is the past," Tony insists. It apparently doesn't work since Loki continues to sulk by the window.
"When I was held captive by the Other, I faced unspeakable things. Some of the horrors I brought upon myself. I chose them." There is a hint of strain in his voice that the inventor doesn't like, but he'll listen anyway. If Loki's pain is so great that he must relive it to overcome it, then so be it.
"Loki, you don't have to torture yourself," Tony insists once more, trying to be helpful. Loki continues to look away from him. He supposes the sunrise is beautiful at this time, but it can't be that interesting.
"Thanos wanted me, and so he took me." The anger in his voice cannot be contained and for a moment, Tony is fearful.
"Loki, what exactly are you saying?" He's suddenly started to feel a little light-headed but decides it's best to blame it on his Old Man Syndrome. There is a twisting knot in his belly and he can't ignore it.
"The child bears the bloodline of Thanos," Loki answers. The stunned silence that greets him is all he needs to hear.
"Pertaining to the agreement I have with my mother, I intend to birth the child and she will raise it as a prince or princess of Asgard. No one will know of its parentage since that will most definitely cause an uproar throughout all of the Nine Realms. Believe me, Tony. It's better this way."
Tony isn't sure what to say. Usually, he's full of cool quips and snarky comments but this time, he's emptier than he's ever felt. He feels his mouth move before his brain has time to catch up with it.
"So, essentially, you're doing just what your real dad did to you?" he says slowly. As soon as Tony says this, he knows he's fucked up. Big time. His words come out harsher than he means them to be. He regrets them as soon as he hears realizes what he has said. He sees the pained shock in Loki's eyes and feels even worse.
"Loki, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry." The god stares at him for a long moment before hanging his head. Shame floods him and he can't bear to look at either of them for the moment.
"No, you're right. I am apparently more of a monster than I had realized. How can you look upon me in this form and still desire me?" He looks pointedly at Tony's semi erection. The inventor feels a hint of a blush creeping up his neck and he sighs.
"Maybe we're both monsters," he tries. For a moment, Loki shows no reaction. Then the god begins to laugh, which relieves Tony immensely. The inventor sighs and pats the side of the bed.
"Come here," he orders gently. Loki hesitates for a fraction of a second before he finally reapproaches the bed. He sits down and allows Tony's arms to wrap around him from behind.
"I think if that's what you want to do, then I can't stop you. But I want you to know that I won't hate you. Not for anything. I love you Loki. I just want you to love yourself too. For us," he says quietly. Silent tears fall into Loki's lap and he is comforted by the knowledge that Tony will stay.
"But, we'll get through this together. Ok?" he asks. Loki gives him a slight nod and the invertor's arms tighten around his middle in a comfortable pressure.
Silent tears fall into Loki's lap and he is comforted by the knowledge that Tony will stay.
The women are in the middle of cooking dinner when Thor arrives. Darcy immediately rushes to the sliding glass doors of their apartment to let him in.
"Where the hell have you been? You said you'd come visit me a week ago," the woman scolds. Thor sighs and lowers Mjolnir to the floor. It touches the wood surface with a dull plunk.
"Apologies Darcy. I was preoccupied after the battle with Malekith." Hearing this, her look softens.
"Oh," she says quietly, realizing what could have busied him for so long. Jane comes over to offer her condolences.
"At least Loki got to redeem himself in the end," she says. He smiles at them both. When his eyes widen with the realization of what they are talking about, they give him a weird look. He sighs.
"I forgot. The fact that you don't know is my fault. Loki still lives." At this, both women's mouths fall open. Darcy throws her hands into the air and shakes her head.
"I need another drink," she mutters. She retreats into the kitchen where the alcohol is kept. Jane crosses her arms and follows her.
"What do you mean he's still alive?" she asks. Thor comes to the entrance of the kitchen and leans against the door frame.
"He would not tell me everything but from what I gathered, he was trying to prevent Thanos from getting to the Tesseract. With the assistance of another sorceress, they hid it with their magic. I do not know where and neither does Odin. I am sure he will have Heimdal search for it eventually, but for now, it remains lost to us." Darcy frowns and pours herself a larger glass of wine. Jane sips hers slowly.
"But why would he do that? If your dad has accepted him back into the kingdom and he knows what he's doing, then why doesn't Loki just turn it over to him? He is the king after all." She watches as Darcy takes a big gulp of the alcohol before setting the glass on the counter. Thor shakes his head.
"It is not that simple. Loki fears that the Mad Titan may be returning to exact vengeance upon the Nine Realms. And he believes it to be his fault. His mindset is that Thanos wants him specifically. He recently revealed to us that the Tesseract he had turned over was indeed a mere replica." Darcy's eyes bulge out of her head as she watches the exchange.
"He can do that? I thought the cube was hella powerful. How can that thing be mistaken for anything but what it's supposed to be?" the woman demands. Thor rises and begins to pace.
"My brother's magic is quite powerful, even if it is out of his reach at the moment. Even we don't know how he managed to hide the cube without our knowledge," he tells them. He can see that Jane is itching to say something else, but she restrains herself.
"What?" he asks her. Now is not the time for hesitation. The woman sighs.
"Do you think that there may be something more to the situation?" Jane asks him. Thor's brow furrows.
"What do you mean?" he asks. Jane shifts uncomfortably as she sets her glass down. Thor watches her with mild curiosity. It isn't often that the woman before him is made to feel uncomfortable in her own skin.
"Do you think that maybe Loki wasn't being all that truthful in the first place? I mean...you said he has no magic and he's working with yet another known enemy of Asgard. Maybe it's just a coincidence but..." she sighs and picks up her glass. Thor shakes his head. He can't believe that Loki would intentionally put them all in danger like that. Not after all they've been through.
"I don't know. Perhaps it's just the knowledge that there is the possibility of another attack in the near future, and...I think I just need to get away from it all. Take a break." Jane places a hand on his.
"Then do it. Just for a few days," she suggests. Slowly, Thor takes her hand in his. He brings her hand to his mouth and kisses it, which has her smiling again. He misses those smile.
"I wish I could. I wish I could just leave all the glory and war of Asgard behind and remain here on Midgard with you, but I still have my duties as a prince to attend to." Jane nods and he lowers there joined limbs. Behind her, Darcy makes kissing noises.
"You two should just get married already. Or at least have sex. Again," the woman suggests. She barely manages to dodge the pillow Jane throws at her head. In response, the woman sticks out her tongue. Jane sighs and turns back to Thor.
"Are you positive that there isn't anything I could do? I can probably talk to someone at S.H.I.E.L.D. or something. Maybe Selvig. If what Loki said about Thanos is true, then we probably won't even know what's happening. We'll need all the protection we can get. Darcy and I can even start on a new weapon," she says. Thor shakes his head. The offer is tempting, but he doesn't want to risk it. She's done enough for now.
"I would rather not involve you any more than needed. Thanos' quarrel is not with you and your people. It is with Loki and that of Asgard. If Odin has need of you, then I shall inform you. Until then, relax. Your actions during the Battle of Greenwich were most exemplary." The woman nods.
"How's Frigga? Is she ok?" Jane asks. When Thor nods she gives a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad she's ok. When you told me how badly Malekith had hurt her, I was scared," she admits. Thor gives her a small smile.
"She has recovered quite a bit since you last saw her. Perhaps you should visit in a few days. Things on Asgard have calmed down and I am sure the sight of you would bring my mother much joy." Jane nods enthusiastically and gestures for Thor to join her on the couch.
Across from them, Darcy props her feet up onto the table and flips through the channels on the tv. It isn't long before she finds an R-rated action movie for them to watch and settles in for a bit.
"If you guys start making out...can I join in?"
Tony decides to start the day with its most important meal, even though he doesn't normally partake. But, Loki's never had cereal before so, he starts by showing him the wonders of turning grain into little breakfast pieces. And the way the god's face lights up when he eats his first helping of Cap'n Crunch is too adorable to ignore. And it's arousing to see Loki sucking on the end of his spoon like...that. Tony's definitely all for breakfast now.
He and Loki are in the kitchen, testing out different flavors when there is a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass in the next room. Tony knows what's going to happen even before it happens. He had a feeling their happiness could only last so long. He should become a psychic.
"What was that?" Loki asks. He's clutching his bowl close to his chest, having almost dropped it. Luckily no milk has spilled. He's wearing what Tony assumes is his favorite silk sleeping tunic and to soil it would be blasphemy.
"My guess is that S.H.I.E.L.D. has come to pay us a visit," Tony mutters unhappily. He sighs and puts his bowl into the dishwasher. Loki's complacent look soon turns into an aggressive scowl. Tony places a hand on his chest when he moves forward to enter the living room.
"No, don't get upset. Let's just do this calmly. I've learned my lesson. More than once," he says. He puts on his best smile and strolls out of the room. He stops dead when he sees the familiar suited man in his living room.
Coulson, looking quite composing himself is backed by about twelve fully armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Loki immediately is taken aback by the sight of the man. He'd killed that man...hadn't he?
"Agent! Wow, you're looking pretty good for a dead man. How's the afterlife been?" the inventor asks without a hitch. He's been an Avenger for far too long to be surprised by the paranormal. Coulson allows the man a tight-lipped smile. How he's missed the man's sense of humor.
"Stark, I'm here on official business. Loki was requested to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters at 8:30 am. It is now 1:47 pm. That was a little over five hours ago if I'm not mistaken. We'd like to know why." Tony sighs tiredly. Dammit.
"Well, we lost track of time. Sorry. We were kind of busy," he says. He watches as Coulson eyes them suspicion. When he finally realizes their state of undress, his eyes widen slightly.
"Oh well..." is all he says. He frowns and instructs his men to stand down and Tony thanks him. He watches as the man places a finger in his ear.
"Agent May, tell your unit to stand down." Tony frowns. He looks toward the window and sees a flash of black leave the window. Tony stands behind a table to put space between him and it. Coulson approaches him with a shrug.
"Sniper," Coulson says with an apologetic smile. Tony can't believe that all of these precautions were taken just for this one thing.
"Look, Loki's already explained the situation to you guys. Thor even vouched for him. So just what do you want now?" he demands. He doesn't mean to sound so pushy, but he's a bit irritated. Mostly because he's missing Loki lick spoons. He knows it's absurd, but it's not something he can help.
"We're not here about that. What we want is information. From what Loki has told us since his return, we have reason to believe that there may be more we can ascertain."
"More? He's already given you everything he knows." Tony looks to Loki for confirmation. The god averts his gaze too quickly for his liking. A sinking feeling begins in the pit of his stomach and he groans internally. The god is holding out and they can all see it. Nothing is ever easy is it?
"Yes well, Director Fury doesn't seem to think so," Coulson says. This earns him a skeptical look from the inventor. Loki takes a step forward as Tony opens his mouth. The god simply shakes his head.
"I am afraid there is nothing more that can be extracted from me. It is true I have told S.H.I.E.L.D. everything I am able to. Please be satisfied with that," Loki tells the man. He's gotten over the initial shock and is looking a bit better in Tony's opinion.
"Is that so? Well, I doubt that. You see, we received something the other day. Something we're sure you are very familiar with." Coulson's face is a mask of stone. He isn't playing around anymore. 'This isn't a game' the look says. The agent removes an official looking envelope from the inside of his jacket and pops the tab open. He slides it across the table toward the inventor. It has fallen open and he can see flashes of color along one of the edges of the paper.
Tony upends the envelope and sighs tiredly. It's nothing but pictures of Loki's scepter. How uneventful. He thought there would be something more exciting like dead bodies or a severed finger in the picture.
"So what...you found Loki's spear. That doesn't mean shit. We gave it to you guys, remember? Didn't think finding something you lost deserved some sort of praise of something," Tony tells the man. Coulson shakes his head.
"No, Tony. We didn't leave it with S.H.I.E.L.D. for safe keeping. I gave it to Thanos...and he returned it," Loki says, looking over Tony's shoulder. Coulson nods.
"Now we're getting somewhere." the man says. Tony stares at the pictures with growing nausea in his stomach.
"That was sent to us. From someone by the name of..." the man pauses, struggling to recall the information.
"Nebin or...Nebulis..." he tries. The name slips out of his grasp once again and he sighs.
"Nebula..." Loki breathes. The agent's head snaps up. He gives a sharp nod.
"Yes. You know of her? We've been doing all sorts of checks on her and we've got nothing so spill," he says. Loki sighs and stares at the floor.
"Her name is Nebula...a Luphomoid. And she is a daughter of Thanos. I met her once. It was a long time ago, though."