Chapter 5
Kagome was too busy laughing to notice…
She didn't notice his aura until it was too late…
Until he was standing mere feet from her…
And like no time had passed, she found herself wanting to drift towards him…
There were subtle changes… He had aged a few years, human ones, and he looked at though he now carried the weight of the world on his shoulders… There was a darkness in his eyes that wasn't there before…
Kagome knew why…
But even still, he was still Thor…
He was still the man who held her heart, the father of her son…
Tony grinned as he spotted the Asgardian, "Hey, look who it is!" Cheers echoed throughout the living room. Stark stood, and headed over to the man, clapping him on the shoulder, "And good as new too. Hey, you have got to tell me how they rehab you on Asgard! I've been wanting to look into-"
But Thor wasn't even listening to the man…
Tony frowned, "Hey, you in there, buddy? Point break? Hello?" he looked at the others oddly, "Did that nuke give him brain damage or somethin'?"
Natasha followed the god's gaze and smirked, "I think something's caught his attention, Stark."
Peter gulped, looking at Kagome worriedly, but she shook her head rapidly. Tony followed their gazes and all the color drained out of his face… Tony squared his shoulders and cleared his throat, "Right, that's my daughter, Kagome. She's, uh, staying with us. Why don't we get you a drink?"
But Tony Stark's attempt to diverge the god's attention didn't work.
Thor sucked in a breath… He didn't tear his gaze away from Kagome, worrying filling his entire being at watching her not meet his eye… She stared at the floor, anything really, that wasn't him… She did the same thing whenever she was scared…
No, that wasn't right…
She was frightened…
But why was his little wife frightened? Who had caused her such pain?
And how… How was she here?
Though Thor didn't care about that fact… Because the longer he stood there, feeling her aura, her power, watching her… He knew it was really her… And he would not be letting her go… Never again…
"Daughter?" Thor scowled, realizing something…. His eyes widened, "You're her birth father."
Tony rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, I know I don't look old enough, but she's mine." Stark settled Thor with a heavy, hard look. "So she's off limits."
Thor glanced at the man briefly, then back at Kagome… Yes, he could see traces of her father in her… Mostly when angry… It was the same frustrated, angry look… "You both anger the same- though Elska flushes more."
He spoke fondly, unable to stop the small smile that formed…
Even angry, he loved her…
Tony looked flat out confused, "El-what?"
Kagome wrapped her arms around herself, and spoke in quiet Asgardian, an ancient japanese term standing out harshly. "Please don't, Danna-sama… Just drop it… Pretend you don't know me…"
Thor scowled, his eyes narrowing, "I will do no such thing, Elsking." He used his gift of the allspeak, ignoring the extremely confused looks of everyone, replying in his native tongue. "Something has caused you fear, and it is my duty to rid you of it. I will always rid you of your fear, of your pain, of your hurt…"
Kagome snapped then, switching back to English, suddenly angry, "Oh, so now you will?! Do you know how much pain and fear I've lived in?! My best friend died! He killed himself! Loki killed himself, Thor! He killed himself because he couldn't live with the fact he did all these things while under mind-control! Where were you then?!"
"I was killing Thanos!" Thor shot back, and in his shock, Tony stumbled back- allowing the huge blond man to approach the tiny woman. "The one who had controlled my own brother! The one who had forced him over the edge! If you were aware of our existence all this time, then why hide?! Why hide from Heimdall?!"
"Because I couldn't let your father find out!"
Thor took a step backwards… "You… were hiding from Father?"
"Yes, yes I was! That man destroyed Loki! He used him, toyed with him, and broke him! I was not going to lose my son again! I've already lost Shippo! I am not losing Leo!" Kagome let out a sob, her hands shaking as she placed them on her cheeks- trying and failing to stop the tears. "I-I can't!"
Thor froze as he took all that information in…
Shippo was dead…
He had avoided Midgaurd during that battle, and when he felt Kagome's aura disappear- he never returned. Not until the Allfather banished him. When the miasma that 'killed' Kagome swept through, it killed all the youkai…
And he wasn't there for her when he died…
When her best friend died…
And wait…
Leo?
Her… son?
"You… you were with child?"
"Yes, you dolt!" Kagome cried, whipping at her tears furiously. "Honestly, with all your damn bragging about being the stupid God of Fertility shit, you'd think you'd have caught on!" Realizing what she just told him, the miko sobbed harder…
She never meant for him to find out…
She was scared, upset, angry…
And for the first time, her fear was fully manifesting…
Thor's heart ached… He hated seeing her like this…
Kagome was terrified of Odin finding out and harming Leo like he had Loki…
Leo…
Their son…
He had a son…
And deep down, Thor knew full well Kagome's fear was completely justified.
He took a step forward, but she didn't look up at him. The god put a hand on top of Kagome's head, sliding it down to the nape of her neck, before pulling her into him. The little miko collapsed into his chest, and Thor shut his eyes tightly, leaning down to press his lips to the crown of her head. "I'm right here, Elsking… I won't let anyone hurt you or our son."
Kagome let out another sob, just as Thor's other hand tightened on Mjolnir considerably… He was practically shaking with rage… How could one do that to their own son? How could his father do that to his own child?
Thor couldn't imagine ever doing harm to Leo…
Or even Shippo, their little fox demon who Kagome took in and loved and raised as her own son…
Rage fueled his body…
And suddenly, Thor wished he could apologize to Loki for defending their father. For his brother was right all along… But of course, Kagome was the only one who could get him to see reason.
The Avengers watched in pure shock…. W-what were they witnessing? And why… did it feel like they were intruding on something private? Peter looked horrified, "So that's why… that's why she never wanted anyone to know…"
"Wait…" the pieces clicked together in Bruce's mind… Leo's features… His blood… His eyes grew to the size of saucers… "No way… It-it all makes sense now…"
Tony Stark broke out of his shock, rage coming over his form, "What the hell is going on here?!"
Kagome flinched, and Thor bristled. He glared at the man over his shoulder, "Not now, Stark."
"N-not now?! Are you fucking kidding me?! I wanna know what's going on, and I want to know now!" Tony was raging… he didn't know what was going on, but he was angry… His daughter was crying… she was scared…
And her fight with Thor, turning her into a sobbing mess. Why did the fight even start anyway?! They had never even met before!
Steve put a hand down on Tony's shoulder, "Look, I don't know what's going on here either, but why don't you let Kagome calm down first?"
"Cap's right, Tony," Bruce sighed, pulling his glasses from his nose and pinching his brow. "Why don't we all take a few minutes? I need to run a few tests first."
"T-tests?!" Tony's jaw dropped. "This is no time for work, Banner!"
Despite the fear and the pain, Kagome pulled away from Thor, "Don't worry about it, Uncle Bruce." She whipped the tears still wanting to fall with her sleeves, and to Tony, she looked so tiny, so little- just like she did when she was only up to his knees. "I'll… I'll answer any questions you have, all of you. You deserve that much. Since the cat's out of the bag now."
Thor looked worriedly down at her, "You need to calm down first, Elska."
But Kagome shook her head, "No, I-I'm alright. I would rather get this over with, anyway." She dried the last of her tears and put on a brave smile. It was one Thor and Tony could both see right through.
Bruce looked at his niece sadly, "Why… Why did you never say anything, Kagome? We-I wouldn't have looked at you any differently."
The miko sighed, looking down at her hands, "I didn't want anyone to know… Only Mama did. I had to stay hidden, for both my and Leo's sake. And… And I figured it would be easier, if no one knew… Though it was nice-" Kagome's blue eyes found Peter, and she smiled at him. "Having a friend around who knew- who I could talk to freely."
Peter smiled in return.
Clint scratched the side of his head, "I'm still confused…"
But then, the pieces solely began to click together…
Natasha's eyes grew wide…
Steve looked just about ready to pass out.
And Sam looked triumphant, "I told you Leo looked like somebody! He's like a little Thor!"
And it was true.
Leo took after his father in many ways- looks being the most obvious.
All the color drained out of Tony's face. Thor looked down at Kagome. He set Mjolnir down on the floor, before placing his hands on her shoulders, turning the young woman to face him. "Elska." She didn't look up at him. "Kagome, look at me." Cerulean blue eyes met storm blue. "Is what he speaks of true?"
A wry little smile was on her face, "Yeah… I guess Sif won the bet… Leo really is like a little version of his father."
And those words confirmed Tony's worst fear. "Kagome, babygirl, a-are you saying that…" he took a step forward, towards his daughter. His eyes flickered to the god of thunder briefly, "You can't be… H-how? Why- when?!"
"When I traveled to the past…" the miko said softly… Everyone sucked in a collective breath. She looked around the room, spotting the confused faces, and smiled sadly. "On my 15th birthday, I fell down the well at my family's shrine. I was sent 500 years into the past. Demons ruled this world, and-"
"Wait, hold up-" Clint looked at her oddly. "Did you say demons?"
Kagome nodded, "There were demons. They've all since passed, due to the final battle with an evil hanyo named Naraku. In short, he wanted me dead and I had something he wanted. It took me almost two years of fighting him off and on to finally win. I was to die then, but my friends, Sango and Miroku, were able to send me back to my birth time- where Mama found me." She directed the last part towards Thor, subtly explaining the small bits he wasn't aware of.
A look of pure realization was on his face, "Which is how you survived."
"Mhm."
Tony's shock ebbed away, slowly beginning to be replaced with anger, "That doesn't explain anything Kagome."
"I met Kagome because of my brother," Thor explained- his eyes narrowing at the way all of the original Avengers bristled at the mention of the former God of Mischief. "Loki had brought her to Asgard after one of his trips to Midgarud." Fondness slipped over his irritation, and the god chuckled, "She was not fond of me when we first met. I, of course, thought she was exquisite."
"Not fond? Danna-sama, that's the understatement of the century." Kagome rolled her eyes. "In fact, I seem to remember using my reiki to send you flying across the courtyard."
Thor, at least, had the descent to look somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, well-"
"And then, you wouldn't leave me alone. I think Loki stabbed you like, twice."
"It was three times, actually."
"Yeah, because you wouldn't take no as an answer."
"And I didn't get 'no' for an answer, did I?" he grinned at her happily, and Kagome huffed- not responding.
Tony's eyes narrowed, why did he get the feeling he wasn't going to like the answer he was going to get? "As an answer to what?"
Kagome blushed lightly and averted her gaze from her father, "Um… well…"
"Kagome…"
Thor knew Tony was angry, though he couldn't help the pride that seeped through his being, "I was asking her to be my betrothed."
Kagome face-palmed.
And Tony Stark's eyes rolled into the back of his head.
