Archive of Our Own

“Is it my imagination or does he actually just not bother trying anymore?” Clint asked as he watched Loki half-heartedly throw another fiery blast of magic towards the Avengers, which dissipated before it reached its target.

“Looks real enough to me,” Tony said, “But if you'd like to test that theory, please feel free to get a little closer. I'm sure you'd look great with no eyebrows.”

“I'm fine right here, thanks,” Clint replied, fixing an arrow into his bow. He drew the string back, let the arrow loose, then watched as it transformed into a cloud of butterflies before it got within 20 feet of the laughing god.

“You'll have to do better than that, mortals!” Loki shouted happily, from his vantage point, stood on top of an over turned security truck.

 “I agree with Clint,” Steve said. “Butterflies? Don't you think poisonous snakes or killer bees would be more his style?”

“Aye, my brother is fond of snakes,” Thor agreed.

 “Well, maybe you should go and suggest he takes a holiday. Hawaii is lovely this time of year,” Tony said. “Personally, I'm quite happy with butterflies.”

The Hulk appeared at the other end of the street, some way behind Loki, hoping to take him by surprise and Tony watched as Banner took off at a run. Slow at first, but gathering pace, he bounced the last few strides and leapt through the air towards the security van.

At first Tony thought Loki hadn't noticed the thundering strides approaching him, but he turned at the last moment. Loki blasted the Hulk with a weak bolt of magic, but the momentum Banner had gained as he bounced down the street was transferred with the deflection, flinging him with more force than Loki had anticipated. He hit a building, cleaving a hole in its corner and weakened its structural integrity. The whole building started to wobble, a rippling effect moving up its glass exterior, and then every window shattered pouring shards of glass down into the crowded street below.

Loki’s eyes went wide as the building started to list ominously towards him, he raised a hand, casting his magic upwards, trying to push it back, but was knocked from the truck by a bruising blow to the shoulder from Mjolnir as Thor approached. He rolled in pain, his shattered shoulder quickly healing itself, but it was too late to stop the building, it had reached its tipping point and the structure was certain to collapse like a house of cards into the street.

It didn't. The rain of debris and glass stopped and hung in the air like diamonds, glinting in the sunlight, even the dust formed steady clouds, as the sound of horses hooves broke the silence and Odin rode into view.

 “Father!” Loki gasped, forcing himself up onto his knees. “What are you doing here?”

 “Loki, my son,” Odin said, as he climbed down from Sleipnir's mighty back. “I can no longer stand by idly and watch you destroy this realm.”

“All Father,” Loki said, his voice wavering, “It was not my intention to-”

Loki’s words were cut off when Odin grabbed his wrist tightly and regarded him with a look of sorrow and determination.

“Intentions matter not, my son. Your actions speak loud enough. I hereby take from you your powers.”

From a distance, the Avengers stood and watched as Odin, still with a crushingly tight grip on Loki’s right wrist, started ripping sections from his son's armor and threw them on the floor.

“Odin doesn't approve of your brothers fashion choices?” Tony said to Thor.

“No, Stark,” Thor laughed. “Heimdall sees all. The All Father has clearly grown tired of Loki’s actions here on Midgard.”

“Is he going to hurt him?”

“No!” Thor said, smiling. “Father would never hurt him, he will merely render him mortal, as he did to me once.”

“Mortal? Like human?” Tony asked with a note of panic in his voice, and then he pulled his visor down and launched himself at Odin.

“Stark, what are you doing?” Thor shouted.

Odin didn't even bother turning to repel Tony's attack, he raised Gungnir, aiming somewhere behind him, and unleashed a blast of pure energy from the spear which struck Iron Man and repelled him to the base of the nearest building.

Tony, barely awake, watched as Odin released Loki’s wrist, and allowed him to collapse backwards onto the floor.

“You are mortal now Loki. You will live out the rest of your life peacefully, here on Midgard,” Odin said.

“And you have condemned me to death!” Loki shouted, tears streaming down his face, and Tony lost his fight to stay conscious.

*

Tony woke to the smell of antiseptic and a headache grumbling somewhere behind his eyes. Awareness creeping in, slowly at first, he realised from the slight background hum that he was on the Hellicarrier, no doubt in the medical bay, and then he remembered what happened in the street.

“Loki!” Tony said, opening his eyes, sitting bolt upright in the bed and instantly regretting it when his headache flared into pounding pain.

“Easy, easy,” Steve replied, pushing Tony back down. “It's OK, we got him. You've had a bump on the head though, so just lie back and relax.”

“Where is he?” Tony asked.

“Loki? He's in the cells.”

“I need to see him,” Tony said, throwing the sheets off his legs and spinning round so he was sat on the edge of the bed. He paused when a slight wave of dizziness hit him, sitting still till the room stopped spinning.

“That can wait, Fury is debriefing him,” Steve said, trying to stop Tony from standing.

“You know that's just a polite way of saying torture, right?” Tony said, finally climbing to his feet and pulling at the hem of his hospital gown. “So hand me my pants or I'm going down there with my goddamn ass on show.”

Tony walked quickly, down to the cells, with Steve tagging along by his side. As he went through the main door he bumped into Bruce who was walking out, carrying a clipboard.

“Is he in there?” Tony asked.

“Ah… Tony,” Bruce said. “I was just about to come looking for you.”

“Have you seen Loki?”

“You should know something about his test results.”

“He's mortal, right?” Steve asked

“Oh completely, every single reading from DNA to blood type, all completely human.”

“That's great news!” Steve said, excitedly.

“There's just one more thing, that the medical staff really can't explain and they sent me to talk to you about-”

“Yes, yes, the 3 months pregnant thing,” Tony said, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “Is the baby OK?”

“Wait, what? How can he be pregnant? He's a guy?” Steve asked, and then added “And how did you know?”

“It's customary for the father of the child to know about it.”

“You? And Loki?” Steve asked, hardly believing his own ears.

“Yup.”

“Was it a one-time thing?” Steve asked and Tony laughed in response.

“It was a 'more-than-one-time-a-night' thing, Rogers, keep up,” Tony said. “Now is someone going to tell me where the hell he is?”

“Holding cell 6,” Bruce said. “By the way, the baby's in perfect health.”

“Thanks, man,” Tony shouted as he took off down the corridor.

 “Crap,” Tony said, abruptly changing direction when he saw Fury emerge from the cell door.

“You have some explaining to do, Stark,” Fury said.

“Er, birds, bees, you know…” Tony said, turning back around.

“And how exactly does a super villain end up impregnated by a supposed super hero?” Fury asked, Tony opened his mouth to speak, but Fury cut him off and said, “And don't be giving me any crap about stolen DNA.”

“Sometimes a mommy and daddy love each very much-”

“Stark! How long has this being going on?”

“Um… about 6 months…”

“And in that time did it ever occur to you that he might just be after information about the Avengers, our plans, our weaknesses?”

“I'll be honest,” Tony said, “There wasn't a whole lot of talking going on.”

“Well, you better hope he will talk to you now, because he wouldn't say a damn word to me.”

“I can see him?”

“Get him to talk and maybe, MAYBE, I won't use the helmet of your new armor as a flowerpot.”

 “Are you sure you want to go in?” The SHIELD guard stationed outside the cell asked him.

“He's hardly likely to hurt me.”

“Okayyyy…” The guard replied, and opened the door.

Tony walked into the cell and heard the door close behind him, before he even had a chance to look round he felt an arm snake round his throat and cut off his air supply.

“Loki…” Tony choked out, his fingers pulling at the arm, “Loki.”

“Did you know?” Loki shouted, his mouth next to Tony's ear. “Did you know Odin was coming?”

“Loki… Can't speak… Let me…”

Tony felt a hand on his back and as the arm was released he was pushed forward, staggering across the cell until he fell onto his onto his hands and knees. He sucked air into his lungs and felt his face become a slightly less bright shade of red.

Tony had thought Loki would be upset, possibly even crying or doing that wibbly lower lip thing he sometimes did when Thor spoke to him and hit a raw nerve, but he had obviously bypassed that phase and moved straight onto the inevitable 'seething anger and destruction' stage that usually followed the tears.

“Did you know he was coming?” Loki screamed, as he towered over Tony, and Stark realised that even without his magic and technically completely powerless, Loki in the middle of pitching a screaming fit was still just as intimidating as ever.

“Odin? No, I had no idea,” Tony replied.

“Did Thor know?”

“No, he was just as surprised as I was. I did try to stop him.”

“Obviously you did not try hard enough! You realise this is nothing more than a death sentence?” Loki fumed as he paced the room with his hands balled into tight fists, looking like he might explode if had just one more iota of tension in his body. “He has condemned me to die!”

“Being human isn't so bad,” Tony said as he stood up. “I've managed it this long without getting myself killed.”

“You fool Stark, did you forget I am with child?” Loki asked as he quickly crossed the cell and Tony felt compelled to take a step backwards. “You expect a mortal body to be able to carry a half Jotun baby? I'll likely burst open at least a month before it is born.”

“I know it's going to be difficult, but we'll find a way.”

“I had a way before he interfered,” Loki said venomously. “With my magic I could shape shift to allow the child room to grow, now it is likely that not only will I die, but the child too.”

Tony stared at Loki for a moment, trying to find the right words of comfort, and preferably ones that would end this conversation with his head still on his shoulders, but found none.

Loki stamped over to the bed and slumped down heavily, as if the anger had finally overwhelmed and exhausted him. With his jaw still clamped shut with tension, he exhaled through his teeth, and then covered his face with his hands.

“How can you even stand to look at me?” Loki asked. “So vile and weak and powerless.”

Tony sat on the edge of the bed, leaving a foot between himself and Loki, just in case he reverted back to the 'Kill absolutely everyone' stage. Tentatively he bridged the gap between them, raising his hand and placing it gently on Loki's shoulder. When it wasn't shrugged off and didn't provoke a deadly reaction Tony shuffled closer sheepishly wrapped his arm around Loki’s back.

“We'll find a way to fix this, I promise you,” Tony said and pulled Loki stiffly into his arms and as he held him, Tony thought back to their first night together.

He had decided to visit his favourite, extremely discrete and very definitely members only establishment, where powerful and rich men could meet other powerful and rich men for 'adult fun'.

He had been pushing his way back through the small crowd near the dance floor, Martini glass in hand, when he bumped into the back of a tall man who looked decidedly out of place amongst all the guys in suits. His hair was a mess of dark curls, he wore black leather pants and a leopardskin fur coat, he turned and familiar green eyes met Tony's.

Tony dropped his glass out of pure shock and said, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I-I could ask the same question of you,” Loki said, half stammering, obviously just as surprised. “This does not seem like the kind of establishment you would frequent Stark, given your reputation.”

“And I don't see any other insane, super villains around here,” Tony said, allowing his eyes to track down Loki’s body, noting the way those leather pants clung in all the right places. A gesture that did not go unnoticed.

“Why do you look like, well, you? You could shape shift into anyone you wanted. Aren't you worried someone might recognise you?”

“Are you daring to suggest there is another form more pleasing than this one?” Loki asked, raising his eyebrow, and Tony realised pissing off a crazy Norse god while he was an awful long way away from his suit probably wasn't one of his better ideas. He just couldn't help himself though.

“You owe me a drink by the way,” Tony said, deciding to push his luck. He knew he would most likely be dead in the next 5 minutes, and if he couldn't go out all repulsors blazing, he'd be happy enough with his last words being a sarcastic comment.

Loki’s eyes narrowed and he said, “Do you wish me to hurt you, Stark? I am perfectly happy to throw you through another window.”

“Well, we could do that,” Tony said, moving closer, “Or we could go find a comfortable toilet stall and I could fuck you senseless.”

For once Loki had been lost for words.

After that night their meetings had become a regular occurrence, full of the promise of danger and always teetering on the edge of violence. He knew it would only take one wrong word, look or touch and it might be enough to cause Loki to snap his neck without so much as an afterthought.

During the day they would fight in the streets of New York, if Tony got close enough he could see the glint of excitement in Loki’s eyes, and at night they would meet in secret. Tony knew it was probably the worst idea he had ever had, but that was what made it so exhilarating and he loved every single second of it.

Or he did till the morning he'd found Loki in the bathroom of the hotel they had checked into, wringing a towel between his hands until it was shredded.

“You're still here,” Tony had said, happily, before he noticed Loki’s obvious distress, and said, “Hey, what's wrong?”

“I can't change back.”

“What do you mean?”

“I shape shifted last night, to include… other organs, you remember?”

“I'm not likely to forget that for a long time,” Tony replied with a grin.

“I fell asleep before I changed back.”

“And now you're stuck like that?”

“Well… At least for 9 months,” Loki replied, cryptically.

“9 months? How do you know it's…” Tony's eyebrows shot up. “Wait w-w-wait… You're pregnant?”

“It would appear so.”

“You're a guy! How the hell can you get pregnant?”

“Yes, I am a male, with what is obviously a very fertile female reproductive tract!”

“So why the hell did you give yourself fully functional ovaries?”

“I was drunk!”

“Oh my god, it's like Prom night all over again!”

An hour later, after they had argued themselves back into bed, they decided they were hungry and ordered room service instead.

“You are not angry about this?” Loki asked as he reclined on a pile of pillows that were propped up against the head of the king-size bed, and delicately chose another chocolate covered strawberry from the bowl that Tony had ordered for him.

“Maybe at first… let's face it, I'm not getting any younger, and it's about time that I passed on my perfect genetic make up.”

Loki laughed and said, “But I assume you did not expect it to happen this way?”

“I always assumed one of my various one night stands would turn up with a paternity suit one day, but this is far better,” Tony said and Loki looked at him questioningly. “What could be more perfect? The child of a god AND a god like genius. Little Loki Starkson really will be able to rule the world.”

“Starkson?” Loki asked. “You are very presumptuous.”

“We can pick baby names later…” Tony said, “But imagine it. He'll inherit my brains, charm and rugged good looks and your… height.”

“Did you really just insinuate that I am stupid, charmless and ugly all in one sentence?”

“Yeah… I called you freakishly tall too.”

“You do realise that if I wanted, I could strip your Arc reactor down to it's constituent parts and feed them to you with one thought, don't you?”

“You love me too much to do that.”

“Love?” Loki asked. “I am here because I find you marginally more entertaining than most Midgardians. Do not mistake that for love.”

“I'm entertaining?”

Loki cast a glance at him, raised one eyebrow and said, “Marginally.”

“I'll take that as a compliment,” Tony said.

“It was not meant as one,” Loki replied.

“So, obviously now you're pregnant you will have to quit the super villain business,” Tony said and watched as Loki looked at him in horror.

“I cannot simply just stop attacking you,” he replied. “You have no idea how vulnerable that would make me.”

“Vulnerable? How?”

“If I am no longer, as you say, 'Top dog' amongst your foes, not only would they turn on me and most likely tear me limb from limb, but I would no longer be powerful enough to keep the more rowdy elements in line.”

“You keep the lower ranks under control?” Tony asked.

“I can't have just anyone, running around, causing chaos and attacking you. That is my job,” Loki said, picking out another strawberry.

“So you actually prevent attacks on us?”

“Of course. I don't want those buffoons disturbing my carefully laid plans to defeat your little troop of clowns. They need a strong master to provide discipline.”

“So what if we just pretend,” Tony said. “A bit of a light show, some amusing verbal sparring, some light pummeling.”

Loki snorted and said, “That sounds extremely similar to your idea of foreplay.”

“Well, maybe afterwards we should book into a hotel.”

“Work off the adrenaline?” Loki said as Tony crawled up the bed on his hands and knees to kiss him.

“Hmmm, you taste of chocolate,” Tony said when they parted.

“And you taste of coconut,” Loki had replied with a grin and then leaned in for another kiss, “And just a hint of Titanium.”

“Maybe later you can show me how you are a strong master to all those underlings?”

“Gladly,” Loki replied, grinning as Tony pushed him back onto the pillows.

*

“OK, explain to me how a GUY can get pregnant,” Clint asked, as he plonked himself down at the Hellicarrier Mess table, opposite Steve and Tony.

“I see good news travels fast,” Tony said, looking up from his tray of what could only be described as slop.

“Is this really a conversation for the dinner table?” Steve asked.

“Hell, yeah,” Clint replied. “I have to know.”

“Loki’s a shape shifter, he can be whatever he wants to be. Ya know, two hearts, 4 kidneys, four arms…” Tony said matter-of-factly, then he coughed, “Male and female sexual organs.”

“At the same time?” Clint asked.

“At the same time… Anywhere on his body.”

“OK, that's a little more information than I needed,” Steve said, throwing his fork down. “I don't need to know the full details of-”

“And let me tell you,” Tony said, “He is like a wild cat in the sack. The shit he comes up with, I would never even have dreamed of.”

Steve's mouth dropped open, his cheeks flushed red, and he said, “Don't let Thor hear you talking about his brother like that. Does he even know?”

“I'd appreciate it if everyone keeps it quiet till I find a way to explain this to him. I don't want another Norse god induced me-shaped hole in a window.”

“It's all anyone is talking about,” Steve said, picking up his tray and standing up. “You better come up with an explanation pretty damn sharp.”

Steve walked away from the table and Clint leaned closer to Tony, his voice barely above a whisper he asked, “So really, instead of a mouth he could, say, have a… you know…”

“That's a little weird Clint…” Tony said, then he smiled. “That was an awesome night.”

Clint did not even have time to react before a voice boomed across the mess hall.

“Stark!”

“Oh crap,” Tony said, as he saw Thor advancing towards him with an angry look on his face.

“I have been told that you have defiled and impregnated my brother. Is this true?”

Tony stood up and started backing away saying, “Well, whether I defiled him or not is really a matter of semantics. One persons defilement is another persons good time.”

Tony felt the wall against his back, Thor stood glowering in front of him, and he had nowhere to run too.

“Help?” He said to Clint, and Clint shrugged his shoulders in reply.

“What are your intentions towards my brother, Stark?”

“Are we talking a shotgun wedding scenario here?” Tony asked. “Or in this case, an enchanted hand tools wedding?”

“What?” Thor asked, looking confused. “I want to know what you intend to do about this situation.”

“My plan was mostly to live long enough to see my child being born.”

“Whether you accomplish that will depend upon the rest of your answer.” Thor said, ominously.

“If you're asking if I'm planning to make an honest wom… man of him the answer is no, but I doubt that is what Loki wants either. If you're asking if I love him, the answer is probably no, but I doubt Loki loves me either. Do I have feelings for him? Absolutely, it's just really hard to know what they are,” Tony said, “BUT, if you are asking about the baby, then I can give you a straight answer. My intentions are to love it and support it for the rest of my life.”

“Oh,” Thor replied. “So you do not intend to abandon the child?”

“Abandon my own flesh and blood?” Tony asked. “I know a lot of people have a low opinion of me, but that is really low.”

Thor paused and then said, “Forgive me Stark. I should not have rushed to such conclusions without consulting you first.”

“No, you shouldn't have.”

“Since you have answered so agreeably I give you my permission to continue to court my brother,” Thor said, smiling.

“I wouldn't call it courting,” Tony said. “In fact most of the time we-”

“Tony,” Clint interrupted, “I think now is a good time for you to stop talking if you want to end this conversation with your teeth intact.”

“Good point,” Tony replied and smiled sweetly at Thor.

*

“We are NOT letting him out,” Fury shouted. “He's a prisoner-”

“A pregnant prisoner,” Tony said cutting him off, “And one, I might add, that is in an extremely high risk pregnancy, where the father has a lot of money and a lot of spare time, since he will no longer be part of The Avengers, who will be willing to sue your ass through every court in the land, should anything happen to his child.”

Fury glared at him in a manner that suggested if he had two eyes instead of one, it probably would have bored a hole through Tony's face.

“Come on, he's human now,” Tony said. “It's not like he's a god anymore… Well, he's still a sex god obviously, but-”

Fury raised his hands, cutting Tony off and said, “On your head be it, Stark. I will release him into your custody on two conditions.”

“Name them.”

“One. You will both live at the mansion, here in New York,” Fury said. “I'm not shipping a security team out to Malibu to baby-sit your irresponsible ass.”

Tony opened his mouth to protest and then said, “Can I turn the Library into home cinema?”

“Knock yourself out. Two. If he leaves the building alone, for any reason, I don't care if the place is on FIRE, I will have him shot on sight, you understand me?”

“I guess we can live with that one.”

Fury turned to the guard and said, “Open the damn door.”

*

“I do not want to live with Thor,” Loki said when Tony explained the deal he had made for his freedom. “I'm not all that sure I want to live you for that matter.”

“It's either the mansion with it's Olympic sized swimming pool, games room and a home cinema once we get rid of the library, or you can stay here in this windowless cell, probably for the rest of your life.”

“It has a library?” Loki asked, his interest piqued by the revelation.

“You like the sound of that?” Tony said. “I was gonna get rid of it, but I guess I could convert a different room. I'm sure Clint doesn't actually need his bedroom.”

“I will still be a prisoner.”

“True, but at least you won't have to piss on a toilet in full view of a security guard at the mansion.”

“You make a valid point.”

“This is your room,” Tony said as he opened a door and turned on the light. Loki followed behind him, holding an armful of bath towels, and a small pile of other peoples borrowed clothing. “I'm right next door.”

Loki looked round the room. It was sparsely decorated in muted cream colours, there was a flat screen TV on the wall and a small lamp on a bedside table. A door next to large bed led to a small bathroom with a shower.

“It will suffice,” he said, placing the towels and clothes on the bed. He looked up and saw the small camera in the corner of the room. “I am to have no privacy?”

“Fury's orders. He wants to have you under 24 hour surveillance, just in case you decided to murder us all in our sleep,” Tony said, “But it doesn't show the bathroom and you can go anywhere in the building, except outside and the third floor.”

It had taken Loki exactly 45 hours to find all the blind spots the cameras couldn't see, steal a swipe card from the pocket of an unsuspecting SHIELD operative and exit the mansion in the middle of the night through one of the back doors.

He chuckled lowly as he hid, waiting for the right moment to make his final run to the gate, and realised that his father had failed. He did not need his spells to cause chaos, he just needed his mind and his words, and Odin could never steal those.

Once he cleared the gate, he ran as fast as he could across the park, into the maze of the city, only slowing when he was confident no one was following him. He crept through the streets, sticking to the shadows, and winding his way through alleys between apartment blocks. He had absolutely no idea where he was going, or what he was going to do when he got there, but he was free and that was all that mattered.

“I see you, Loki,” a voice whispered in the darkness as he stalked through a dimly lit alleyway.

Loki stopped in his tracks, unsure what to do, but he knew if he hid it would betray his current situation, and he couldn't allow anyone to know he no longer had his magic.

Loki rolled his eyes when Ultimato emerged from the shadows, sniffing the air as he padded around in a large circle. He was a petty thief who had somehow mastered rudimentary forms of magic, given himself quite the worst name Loki had ever heard, and decided that made him fit to breathe the same air as the Masters Of Evil. Ordinarily Loki could have wiped him out with just one tiny movement of his fingers, but now Ultimato posed a very real threat to him.

“So the rumors are true, then,” he said.

Loki straightened his back, standing up to his full height, hoping to look a little more intimidating than he actually felt in his black hooded top and jogging bottoms.

“Surely you have learnt by now not to listen to idle gossip,” Loki said, menacingly.

“This is no gossip. The trickster has fallen.”

“And I thought I was the only good liar in this realm, obviously someone has learnt a trick or two from me.”

“You cannot fool me, Loki. I can smell it on you. You are human,” Ultimato said, then he sniffed again, and raised an eyebrow, “But the child within you is not.”

Loki’s hand instinctively covered his stomach, and as Ultimato's mouth curled into a smirk in response, Loki regretted the movement. He had betrayed himself.

“There are many who have waited for this day,” Ultimato said, moving closer. “To see the mighty Loki brought down a peg or two.”

“You can try,” Loki said, his voice sounding anxious, even to his own ears, “But I will kill you.”

Loki searched within himself, hoping the threat and the adrenaline spike he was feeling surge through his body would reawaken his magic, but he felt nothing. He was defenceless. He started to back away from Ultimato, but stumbled in a pothole, his ankle twisting painfully in Thor's slightly too big sneakers, and he fell backwards heavily, grazing his hands on the alley floor.

Ultimato pulled his arm back, preparing to unleash a ferocious punch that probably would probably fracture Loki’s skull with a single strike, and in response Loki raised his arms to try and fend off the blow. Ultimato brought his fist down and then screamed as his knuckles connected with a red, white and blue shield, shattering every bone in his hand.

Loki moved his arms, looked up and couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Captain America stood by his side, his arm outstretched, using his shield to protect him from the villain. A man he had beaten, blown up, set on fire and tried to kill in too many way to list, had just saved his life.

“Traitor! Everyone will hear of this! I will ensure it,” Ultimato screeched, as he held his useless hand. “You will be known as Loki the betrayer now! You should pray none of us find you without your guardian.”

“Get the hell out of here before I break your other hand,” Steve shouted and then he watched Ultimato slink off, kicking over a trashcan in frustration as he left the alley.

“Are you OK?” Steve asked, pulling off his helmet and kneeling next to Loki, who kept on staring into the distance without responding.

“Guys? Anyone find anything? We need to find him before Fury lets the dogs out,” Tony's voice said, over the radio.

Steve stood up and pulled his radio out and said, “I've found him. Can you zero in on my signal?”

“Is he OK?”

“I don't know,” Steve said. “Seems he got into a little argument with an ex colleague, if you get my meaning.”

“I'll be there in 30 seconds.”

Steve heard the sounds of Tony's jets almost instantaneously as he blasted over the park, heading towards their position, and dead on 30 seconds later he dropped into the alleyway.

“Did he hurt you?” Tony asked, flipping up his visor as he knelt next to Loki.

Loki said nothing in reply and continued to stare at his scuffed hands.

“Loki, are you hurt?”

“It's really gone,” Loki babbled again, and Tony carefully put his hands to the side of Loki’s head and turned his face towards him.

“Hey, look at me. This is important, are you hurt? Did you fall?”

Loki ran a hand over his stomach and said, “I am not injured.”

“That's good,” Tony said. “I wanna get you back to the mansion and have a doctor check you over.”

Loki nodded his head in response, and Tony took hold of his hand and helped him to his feet.

“You hurt anywhere?” He asked, Loki shook his head and then looked at Steve.

“Why did you do that? After all the times I have attempted to hurt… to kill you, why would you save my life?” He asked.

“You're human now, and you're…” Steve struggled to get the word out of his mouth, waving his hand level with Loki’s stomach, “You know… Pregnant… It's my job to protect you.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Loki said. “If I ever get my magic back, I hope one day I am in a position to return the favor.”

“No offence, but I really hope you're not,” Steve replied.

“He could have killed me,” Loki said as he sat on a bed in the medical bay, waiting for the doctor to arrive to check him over. “He's a lowly grunt, barely even fit to lick Dooms boots, let alone mine, and he dared to try to lay a hand on ME.”

“It's a good job Steve found you in time,” Tony said, almost reaching the end of his tether. “You were stupid for leaving in the first place. Fury could have had you killed.”

“Do you understand the shame in this situation?” Loki snapped, paying no attention to what Tony had said. “ Not only could I have been defeated by the lowest of the low, but now I will also be labeled a traitor!”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I'm going to stay here,” Loki said. “For the safety of my child, obviously.”

“Not because you were scared or anything like that, of course.”

“How dare you suggest I feel fear, Stark.”

“You're not a Norse god anymore, Dorothy,” Tony said curtly. “I suggest you get used to it.”

“What?” Loki demanded.

“You're an irresponsible idiot,” Tony shouted, moving closer and pointing a finger in Loki’s face. “Running off in the middle of the night, putting yourself in danger.  That's my kid too, so don't you DARE do anything like this again!”

Tony kicked the bedside cupboard in frustration, walked angrily to the door and slammed it loudly on his way out, leaving Loki to wait alone.

*

At first Loki had been content to sit alone in the library most of the day, working his way through history and science books, and chuckling occasionally at just how backwards the Midgardians were.

After he became bored with that he would stalk round the mansion till he found Tony and sit on the other side of whatever room he was in and scowl at him. He made little attempt to communicate with anyone, even Tony receiving the cold shoulder and little more than the odd word for the first two weeks, but Loki kept his most icy glares in reserve for Thor.

If Thor came into a room, Loki left it. If Thor attempted to speak to his brother, Loki completely blanked him or dismissed him with a wave of the hand. He decided to consult Tony about the best way to approach him.

“I don't know what you can do if he really doesn't want to talk to you,” Tony said, as he sat in the mess hall, next to Bruce. “He's barely talking to me right now.”

“This situation is intolerable,” Thor replied. “The atmosphere it creates is not a pleasant one to live in.”

“I'll admit you're right on that one,” Tony said.

“It's a big change for him and you know how it feels,” Bruce added. “I think you need to give him some time to come round.”

“When I was mortal, I did not act as Loki does.”

“You weren't pregnant though,” Tony added, and then said, “Wow, it will never not sound strange saying that to a guy.”

“This is true,” Thor said, he looked away, thinking. “This cannot carry on any longer. I would have words with my brother now.”

“I don't think that's such a good idea,” Bruce said. “He's not going to listen to you in the mood he's in.”

“Then I shall just have to make him listen,” Thor replied and then he turned and left the room.

“This is not going to end well,” Tony said and both he and Bruce jumped out of their seats and ran after Thor.

Thor walked into the library and found his brother stood by a shelf reading the back of a book, and when Loki noticed Thor a look of barely contained rage crossed his face. It was a look that every single one of the avengers was familiar with and as Tony ran into the room, followed by Bruce, the only thought that went through his head was 'Oh crap'.

“Go away,” Loki said, one arm by his side, his fingers moving slightly, a subconscious gesture that in the past would have conjured green flames, but now it did nothing except display his immense irritation.

“No brother, we must talk” Thor asked.

“I said GO AWAY,” he replied, his voice rising in pitch and volume with every word.

“Thor, I don't think this is a good idea,” Bruce said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

Thor shrugged him off and asked, “Brother, where have your manners gone?”

“I wish to be alone, I do not care for the anxiety being around you causes,” Loki said tersely, putting the book back on the shelf and running a hand over his stomach, deliberately pulling the baggy hoodie he was wearing tight enough to display the curve of his belly. “It is quite obvious you care little for the health of my child or else you would not be here.”

Thor looked at him as he crossed the room to where Loki stood. Hoping to lighten the mood he smiled and jokingly said, “Brother, you should not pout so, it is very unbecoming.”

Loki raised his hand, and brought it down, aiming to slap his brother hard across the face, but after years of battle Thor's instincts were finely honed, and he swatted the hand away before it connected with his cheek.

Loki screamed in agony, sank to his knees and bent over, whimpering as he cradled his injured hand against his chest.

“Loki!” Tony shouted and ran to where he crouched on the floor, rocking backwards and forwards on his knees, crying in pain. Tony knelt next to him and wrapped an arm round his back.

“Why the hell did you do that?” Bruce asked, as he moved over to Loki. “You know he's human now.”

“I am sorry, I did not think.” Thor said. “Loki, forgive me, I did not mean to harm you. I forgot you could not hurt me.”

“Shut up, Thor!” Loki shouted, barely able to contain his sobs.

Bruce placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder, knelt down next to him and said, “Let me see.”

Loki held his shaking hand out. Two of his fingers were bent at awkward angles and livid bruises were already forming on his palm and wrist. Tony and Bruce cringed in response. Loki whined in pain when he saw his damaged fingers and leant his head into Tony's neck. Tony raised his hand and ran it over Loki’s head, carding his fingers through his soft hair in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

“We need to get you the medical bay,” Bruce said. “Can you walk?”

“I can carry him,” Thor said, feeling a combination of guilt and uselessness.

“No!” Loki shouted. “I think you've done enough, Thor.”

Bruce and Tony stood, one either side of Loki and they helped him to his feet.

“You sure you can walk?” Tony asked.

“I will be fine.” Loki replied and he took a small step, wavering slightly, but he carried on out of the room, with Tony and Bruce supporting him on either side, leaving Thor alone in the library.

“Pain is different in this body,” Loki said, wiping away a stray tear with the heel of his left hand, as he sat on a bed with his damaged right hand resting on a pillow. “Where has Tony gone?”

“To get a doctor,” Bruce said. “I offered to go so he could stay here with you, but you know Tony. Any job worth doing can be done ten times better by him.”

“What about you? You are a doctor, are you not?” Loki asked, looking slightly worried

“I'm a physicist, I'm not a medical Doctor,” Bruce said. “All the real doctors refuse to talk to Tony if they can avoid it.”

“Oh,” Loki replied dejectedly, “You will stay with me till he gets back?”

“I can do that,” Bruce said, rather surprised that someone who only a few weeks ago was knocking him through buildings was now requesting his company.

It had taken two rather harassed looking doctors whom Tony had shooed into the room ahead of him to treat Loki’s damaged hand. Both his fingers were badly dislocated, one was broken, and Loki had refused all pain medication while they were straightened and splinted in case it had untoward effects upon his developing child.

Loki had gone to bed straight after that, but later Tony rolled over when he heard the door to his bedroom click open and saw his unmistakable shape silhouetted by the lights in the hallway.

“Hey, what's up?” Tony asked.

“I could not sleep.”

Tony knew he would never ask so he said, “You wanna get in here with me?”

Loki hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and made his way across the room. Tony pulled back the bed sheets and waited till Loki had climbed in before pulling them back up.

“How's your hand?” Tony asked, looking at the large bandage that was wrapped round his damaged fingers.

“It hurts a lot,” Loki said, “And I am unused to the feeling.”

“That must be really hard.”

“In the past my magic would have healed this immediately,” Loki said with a sigh. “The pain reminds me that I am no longer what I once was.”

“Thor's really sorry, you know,” Tony said, knowing Loki was lucky, if Thor had had hit him with his full strength it would have shattered every bone in his hand. “He didn't mean to hurt you.”

“I'm sure Thor has never meant to hurt me and yet he always has.”

“Things are different now, you should give him a chance.”

“Just because I am powerless now, it does not mean I hate him any less,” Loki said, sourly and turned over, leaving his back facing Tony.

*

After that night Loki permanently set up camp in Tony's bed, treating it as if it were his own. At first Tony was pleased, until he realised that not only was Loki a blanket hog, but he also had feet like blocks of ice, which he persistently placed on Tony's legs.

Tony was not allowed to touch Loki, aside from the odd chaste kiss when Loki deigned to allow it, he was not allowed to complain about Loki keeping him up half the night with his constant tossing and turning when he couldn't sleep, and if Loki did fall asleep and then woke up at 4am and demanded pickled Gherkins dipped in Nutella Tony had to provide those too, even if it meant a trip to the store.

On the plus side, he was a touch more talkative with everyone, spending more time with Bruce discussing physics, talking to Steve about his brief time on Midgard during World War 2 where he would make mysterious green lights appear in the sky around fighter planes, just for a laugh, and to Clint about how to throw the perfect dagger.

He refused to speak to Thor though. Thor was not a topic of conversation you brought up in Loki’s presence unless you wanted a teacup thrown at your head.

“I am bored,” Loki announced to Tony, one bright sunny afternoon.

“Should we watch a DVD?”

“No, I mean bored in general, cooped up here all day,” Loki said, staring out of the window over the city skyline. “I should be out there, trying to secure a realm for my child to rule and instead I am here, living with my captors, who just happen to be the most dysfunctional set of so called heroes I have ever had the misfortune to meet. It's degrading.”

“I love you too,” Tony said, looking up from his newspaper.

Loki stepped back from the window and let himself flop dejectedly onto the couch, next to Tony.

“Sounds like someone needs a hug,” Tony said, throwing the paper on the coffee table, he wrapped his arms around Loki and kissed the side of his neck. Loki rolled his eyes and gently jabbed his skinny elbow into Tony's ribs in response. Tony ran his hand down Loki's back anyway, noting that he could feel all the bumps of spine sticking out.

“You know, you are eating for two now. Perhaps you should try eating a little more like Thor and less like a sparrow?”

“I'm doing my best. This body was not designed to carry a passenger,” Loki said, huffily, “And do not mention that foul gluttons name in my presence again.”

“OK, OK, but promise me you'll try to eat a bit more,” Tony said, then felt himself unable to resist the urge to annoy. “I don't want the mother of my child ending up all skin and bones.”

“I am the father of this child as much as you are. I am no more female than you!” Loki snapped, pushing Tony away.

“Apart from the fully functional uterus, of course.”

“You know that was a mistake!”

“Are you sure, because you seem to have something in a bunch, and I think it might be your panties.”

“What are you babbling about, Stark!” Loki shouted, jumping up off the couch and storming out of the room.

“Oh, Loki…” He said to himself, as he smiled and picked up his newspaper again. “Sometimes you just make it far too easy.”

*

Most mornings, after breakfast, Loki had taken to walking round the mansion for a while, even though Tony teased him mercilessly and said he waddled like a duck. Afterwards he would head down to the basement and take a dip in the pool, making sure he kept his still splinted fingers dry, followed by a short spell in the hydrotherapy pool to ease his aching back.

He was always painfully aware of the CCTV cameras that followed his every move through the corridors and sometimes he liked to toy with them. He would take one step forwards and then one step back, watching as the camera moved with him, and sometimes he would hide in the blind spots and re-appear from another, laughing as the camera would pan round desperately trying to locate him.

He liked to imagine the low level SHIELD operative, whose job it was to monitor him, screaming in frustration at their desk and then he sighed, remembering that was once called the god of mischief, his very name struck terror into the hearts of races all over the nine realms, and now he was reduced to annoying Fury's lackeys. These days he had to take his fun where he could find it.

He carried on down the hall, passing Clint and Natasha who were in the games rooms playing something that involved a plastic gun and apparently a lot of screaming, and then came to the pool. He opened the doors and entered, but was dismayed to find he was not alone.

Steve was in the water, swimming slow, methodical lengths of the pool, and Loki watched as the avenger's powerful arms drove his impossibly toned body through the water. He looked down at his own skinny limbs and distended stomach and decided he would not swim today.

“Hey,” Steve called out to Loki, now stood waist deep in the shallow end of the pool. “You coming in?”

Loki paused, casting a glance over Steve's impressive physique, and felt oddly self-conscious. He pulled his thin arms around his torso and said, “Not today, no.”

“If you want the pool to yourself, I'm done now,” Steve said, sensing Loki's discomfort.

“It's fine,” Loki said, suddenly feeling the humidity and heat of the room make him a little woozy.

“Are you OK?” Steve asked as he climbed out of the pool, noticing how Loki was gently swaying. “You look a bit pale.”

“It is rather warm.”

“I think we should get you out of here,” Steve said, taking Loki’s elbow and guiding him towards the exit.

“You are wet,” Loki said, his face growing paler. “I will wait while you change.”

“I think finding you a chair is more important than a few wet footprints on the carpet, come on.”

“I feel a little strange,” Loki said, he stumbled into Steve and then lost his footing all together and collapsed into Steve's arms.

“Loki?” Steve said as he lowered him to the floor gently. “Loki?”

“Help!” Steve shouted. “I need help in here!”

*

Tony waited nervously outside the medical bay, fidgeting with his phone, and contemplated googling "Former Norse god" pregnant but decided against it. He had been told that Loki had collapsed, they were running tests and under no circumstances was he to enter the room and annoy the living daylights out of the doctors.

He held his breath and then exhaled loudly.

“Screw this,” he said, and stood up, but as he moved his hand towards the door it opened and Bruce came out.

“What's going on? How is he?” Tony asked.

Bruce raised his hands and said, “Sit down.”

“There's something wrong with the baby isn't there?” Tony said.

“Tony, give me a minute. Let me explain.”

“Get on with it then.”

“The doctors said he's extremely sick. His blood work is a total mess,” Bruce said. “He's malnourished, he's anemic, he's got multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Basically everything he is eating, the baby is taking it all and there's nothing left for him.  It's starving him to death.”

“So we make him eat more and take some vitamins.”

“Well, that's not the major issue. The baby's already too big for him to give birth to it naturally.”

“They can do a C section.”

“Tony, he's only 4 and a half months pregnant. He's already not far off the limits of what his body can physically carry, especially while he's this sick.”

“Can they do anything? What did they say?”

“That at some point a choice will have to be made. If Loki attempts to carry this baby to term in his weakened condition it's probably going to kill him, but if we deliver the baby early it might not survive.”

Tony sat by the bed, gently holding Loki’s hand as he slept, and wondered how he could possibly break this to him. He looked terrible, bone thin and as pale as the white sheets he laid upon. Dark smudges under his eyes contrasted with the paper-thin skin that stretched taut over his sharp cheekbones. How had he not seen this coming? He knew Loki had lost weight, but how had he not realised sooner just how serious the situation was?

Loki began to stir gently, his free hand instinctively running over his belly, as he struggled to open his eyes.

“Hey,” Tony said.

“Is the baby safe?” He asked, weakly.

“The baby's fine,” Tony said, and Loki allowed his eyes to close again as he smiled slightly. “There's a problem though.”

“What problem?” Loki asked, his eyes shooting open, fully awake now.

“I'll let Bruce explain it to you,” Tony said, and beckoned him over from the other side of the room.

“Ah, I'm not sure where to start,” Bruce said.

“Perhaps you should start with the most salient fact and quickly?” Loki said.

“OK. Your body, in its present state, will not be able to carry this baby for much longer. At some point we will have to deliver and it's possible it might be to early for the baby to survive.”

“That is out of the question,” Loki said. “I will carry it for as long as needed.”

“Loki, it's going to kill you,” Bruce said. “You can't do this.”

“I don't care. I am more than willing to sacrifice my life for that of my child.”

“Please, will you consider the early delivery, for me?” Tony asked. “I don't like it either, but I can't stand the thought of losing you.”

“I never took you for the sentimental type, Stark,” Loki said flatly. “Since when have you cared about me? Did you forget who I am?”

“I know who you are and I know who you were, and surprising as it sounds, I do care about you. I'm not going to let you throw your life away.”

“But you would throw away the life of my child?” Loki snapped. “I will not allow you to take her from me like they took the others! If it kills me then so be it, you will not steal her away.”

Tony sat back in his chair, stunned by the sudden outburst. In all the time they had spent together, both before and afters Odin's intervention, Tony had heard more personal details of Loki’s life from Thor, than he had from the man himself.  This revelation he had not heard before.

“You've had other children?” Tony asked. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“Do you see them anywhere around? It did not seem like you needed to know every sordid little detail of my life,” Loki said, then he sighed, “My other children were all taken by Odin… They were either killed or cast out.”

Bruce and Tony looked at each for a moment, neither knowing how to react.

“Odin took your children?” Bruce asked.

“He rides around on Sleipnir's back like a common pony, he cast my daughter into Hel and he chained my son beneath the earth because they were scared of him,” Loki ranted. “I will not lose another of my children because of HIM!”

Loki covered his eyes with his hands, scared he had revealed too much of himself, and trying to regain control of his emotions.

“We'll find a way to get you through this, OK?” Tony said, gently pushing Loki’s hair back off his forehead.

“Odin may still come for her, even after she is born,” He replied, lowering his hands to his stomach, no longer caring about the wetness on his cheeks.

“Well, he'll have to get through me,” Bruce said.

“And me,” Tony said gently, "And the whole team.  We won't let that happen."

“Thank you,” Loki said.

“So we're having a girl, huh?” Tony asked.

Loki smiled slightly and nodded his head.

“Hell of a way to find out. How long have you known?”

“Since conception. I could feel her energy,” Loki said, and then added, “You are not displeased? Most would wish for a male heir.”

“That baby could come out looking like a Velociraptor and I'd still love her.”

“There is a possibility she might, yet.”

“Oh,” Tony replied.

*

Thor was stood at the window of the medical bay, a pensive look on his face, as Bruce came out of the door.

“How does my brother fare, Banner?”

“He's sleeping, I wouldn't disturb him for now. Tony's with him.”

“No, I think he would not be pleased by my presence and I do not with to place him in danger,” Thor said, and then he asked, “The child is safe too?”

“She's OK, for now.”

“They are having a daughter?” Thor asked, and Bruce nodded. “That is wonderful news.”

“Well, there's a problem,” Bruce said, and Thor looked at him quizzically. “The baby is killing him, and he's prepared to let that happen.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

“If the doctors knew more it might help, but even Loki himself knows almost nothing about Jotun physiology so they're kinda stumbling round in the dark.”

“Then perhaps I can assist in that,” Thor said, and walked away.

“Heimdall,” Thor said with a slight nod as he exited the bifrost into the observatory, “I trust you know why I am here.”

“I do,” The watcher said impassively.

“And will you allow me passage into Jotunheim?”

 “I will,” he replied, and pushed the sword back down.


Thor landed with a thump into the snowy wasteland of Jotunheim and waited, knowing his arrival would not have gone unnoticed. It did not take long before a small group of Frost Giants arrived.

 “You come to battle alone, Asgardian?” The largest of them shouted. “That is a very unwise choice.”

 “I am here to seek the help of Helblindi and Býleistr,” Thor said. “The life of a Jotun child depends upon them.”

 The Frost Giants talked quietly among themselves for a moment and then the largest turned to Thor and said, “Follow us.”


Thor was led to a large chamber in the palace; it was dark and almost empty, illuminated by the reflected light of the stars outside. In the corner Helblindi sat on a large throne made of ice.

“You have taken a great risk, Prince of Asgard,” Helblindi said, his voice echoing lowly in the large room.

“I believed that to save the life of an unborn child, it was a risk worth taking.”

 “The runt is with child?” Helblindi asked. “Tell me, why should I save the life of the wretch who murdered my father and my king?”

“I am not here to beg for help to save Loki, he is determined to sacrifice his life so the baby can be born,” Thor said, “But the child is half Jotun. She shares your blood. She shares your fathers blood.”

“And tell me, what ails him?”

“He is weak, he will not be able to carry the child long enough for her to survive.”

 Helblindi paused for a moment and then said, “I know of the condition.”

“There is a cure?”

“Yes, one that any real Jotun has known for aeons and perhaps if that murderer had bothered to find out anything of his own people he would not now be known as the mother of monsters.”

“Can you please help me find it?”

“I will. For the sake of the child and the child alone.”

“This is the cure for Loki's condition?” Thor asked as he stood on the edge of a vast plain of sparkling blue ice.

“This ice is millennia old. It contains more nourishment that any other food source on Jotunheim, and as such is reserved for those with child.”

“Jotuns eat ice?” Thor asked, looking around him.

“What did you think we ate?” Helblindi asked. “Do you see abundant fruit trees or lush meadows to graze cattle?”

“I had never really considered the matter,” Thor replied.

“No... You Asgardians do not consider much.”

 “I apologize if my lack of knowledge has offended you Helblindi and I am deeply grateful for your help,” Thor said as he turned to face the Jotun. “Will you allow me to take some of this ice and return for more if it helps?”

“I will allow it,” Helblindi said, “On one condition.”

“What is that?”

“I, and my family, would wish to see the child after she is born. As you say, she is our blood. We would wish to pay our respects.”

“I am agreeable to those terms,” Thor replied.

“Very well,” Helblindi said and raised his arm. He smashed his hand down onto the edge of the ice, sending a deep fissure line down, and a large chunk of the ice broke away. He picked it up and handed it to Thor.

“Safe journey, Thor Odinson.”

“Thank you, Helblindi. I will not forget this kindness.”

“What the hell is that?” Bruce asked, when Thor arrived in the medical bay and started chipping chunks off a 2ft square block of glittering blue ice.

“It is hope, my friend,” Thor said with a smile. “It is hope.”

He moved over to the bed where Loki remained unconscious, his face a sickly shade of white, and Thor pushed one of the ice chips into his brothers slack mouth.

“Wake up,” Thor said gently. “We have found a cure and everything will be well.”

He watched as Loki’s eyelids fluttered open and green eyes focused slowly on his face.

“How?” Loki asked, barely able to raise his voice above a whisper.

“You need to eat this ice, it will nourish the child.”

“I'm… I'm not Jotun.”

“No, but your child is and Helblindi said this is what she needs to survive.”

“Helblindi? No…” Loki said, panicking, his voice rising. “It will be poisoned.”

“He would not give me anything that would harm the child, brother, she is their blood. What kind of monster would harm another of their own blood?”

Loki looked at Thor with his eyes wide and said, “I did.”

“I am sorry Loki, I did not mean it like that.”

“Go,” Loki whispered, his eyelids fluttering closed again.

Bruce moved over and stood next to the bed, opposite Thor, cleaning up the ice that Loki had spat out.

“He needs to eat the ice. Helblindi said it would save the child,” Thor said.

“I could run some tests on it. Maybe if I can convince him it's not poisoned, he might try it.”

“I would appreciate that, Bruce, thank you.”

Banners tests showed the ice was not poisoned, instead it was a nutrient rich mix of water and microscopic particles. After having this explained 5 times, and being nagged mercilessly by Tony, Loki finally agreed to eat the ice.

“Can I not just let it melt and drink the water?” Loki asked, crunching on another chunk. “My teeth hurt.”

“No,” Tony replied, handing him another cup of ice chips. “If the ice melts before you eat it all the nutritional value vanishes.”

For 3 days now Loki had sat in the bed shrouded in warm blankets and sipping on hot water and honey to prevent him getting chilled while he consumed cup after cup of crushed ice.

“You look brighter already,” Tony said.

“I have gained 4 lbs,” Loki replied with a smile. “I do feel much better and of course there is this…”

He pulled the blankets down, took hold of Tony's hand and put it on his stomach, moving it around until he found the spot he was looking for.

“Am I feeling for that 4 lbs?”

“Hush!” Loki scolded, and then added, “And don't be rude.”

“Sorry,” Tony replied and waited.

He felt a nudge against his hand.

“Did you feel that?”

“Was that the baby?” Tony asked.

“That was only a small one. When she gets started she kicks like Sleipnir.”

“That's amazing,” Tony said with a smile. “When did this start happening?”

“Yesterday. It appears that she very much approves of the blue ice.”

“You should eat more of it then,” Tony said. “She can grow up to be the first female kicker for the New York Giants.”

“If the ice were a little more palatable I would never stop eating it,” Loki replied with a sigh.

Tony took those words to heart, his brain whirring until he came up with a solution. It took him exactly 4 days.

“What is this?” Loki asked as Tony wheeled the mangled Slurpee machine into the medical bay.

“I made you a present,” Tony said.

He plugged the machine in and collected a chunk of blue ice from the freezer. He switched the machine on and threw the ice into the funnel at the top. The machine started shudder violently and make a loud thudding as if it was tearing itself apart.

“This is just a prototype, by the way,” Tony said, banging the side of the machine, and he saw Loki’s eyes go wide. “I'm working on that sound… And the shaking.”

Tony pulled out a large paper cup and said, “Blue Cherry or Strawberry?”

“What?” Loki asked, still not understanding what was going on.

“Let's start with Strawberry,” Tony said. “We can experiment with the wilder flavors later.”

He pulled a lever, filled the cup, popped a straw in it and carried it over to Loki, who looked at it like it was about to explode.

“You made this machine for me?”

“Well, I bought the machine from Canada, changed the insides, scavenged some parts, broke those parts, invented some new parts, developed a whole new cooling system which is going to revolutionize refrigerators and probably gonna make me like, a billion dollars or so, but basically yes. I made it for you.”

“That is very kind of you.”

“I thought so too,” Tony said. “Come on, try it, I'm dying over here!”

Loki held the straw up to his lips, gently sucked on it and then smiled a broad grin.

“This is delicious, Tony. Thank you,” Loki replied, sucking on the straw till half the large cup was empty.

“Stick out your tongue,” Tony said, and Loki duly obliged. “Yeah it's red.”

“Is it?” Loki replied, forcing it out as far as he could, attempting to see the color, and then he said, “I have a headache now.”

“Yeah, everyone gets those,” Tony replied.

*

Loki was released from the medical bay a week later, and told to take it easy, but after two weeks spent in bed with Tony fussing over him 24 hours a day Loki announced he was losing his mind and could no longer stay shut away. Instead he ordered Tony back to his lab and told him to create the worlds most technologically advanced self rocking crib, while he spent his time shuffling from room to room, and sitting down a lot.

Loki had started to spend more time with Bruce, finding his quiet nature and understated intelligence a pleasant change from the constant whirlwind of words and showing off that passed for a conversation with Tony. He found it interesting that the giant green creature he had faced in battle many times, was in actual fact a rather gentle person in his every day life.

“May I ask you a question,” Loki said as they sat opposite each other at a table in the library.

“Sure,” Bruce replied.

“When the child is born,” Loki asked, “Will you stay with me, when it happens?”

“What about Tony? It's his baby, maybe he should be with you?”

“Apparently it's important for a child to be born in a stress free environment,” Loki said raising an eyebrow. “Can you imagine what Tony will be like?”

“Oh,” Bruce said, grimacing slightly as he imagined Tony trying to tell the doctors exactly where they were going wrong and inventing new, more efficient methods of birthing a child. “Yeah, I can see your point.”

“I would like very much for you to be involved in my child's life.”

“I'd be honoured, Loki, but why me?” Bruce asked. “Why not Steve or Coulson or someone a little less…”

“Green?”

Bruce nodded in response and said, “Basically.”

Loki fidgeted for a moment, looked away and said, “I chose you because you know what it is like to be a monster.”

“She won't be monster.”

“Maybe so, but she will be different and she will need someone who knows how that feels,” Loki whispered, “If I am not here.”

“Hey, that's not going to happen,” Bruce said as he reached over the desk and placed his hand comfortingly over Loki’s as a stray tear ran down his cheek. “You're going to be fine and so is she.”

“I'm so stupid,” Loki muttered as he wiped his face with his free hand.

“Blame it on the hormones,” Bruce said, and Loki smiled.

“Good idea,” Loki replied, with a small sad sounding laugh. “I just can't shake the feeling something terrible is going to happen.”

“Everything is going to be OK, trust me.”

“Do you promise me you will protect her from Odin, if the need arises?”

“I'll die fighting if that's what it takes.”

Loki smiled sadly and placed his hand over Bruce's and patted it gently.

“You are a good friend,” Loki said.

Thor sat dejectedly in the kitchen, the toaster dragged on to the table next to him even though it left the cable trailing dangerously, and several packets of Pop Tarts lay half open in front of him.

“May I speak with you, Brother?” Loki asked from the doorway and Thor jumped. Even at 6 months pregnant, he still had the knack of appearing silently and unnoticed in the room.

“Loki,” Thor said, feeling slightly mystified as to why he was here at first and then allowing a broad smile to cross his face, “It is good to see you, brother. You are looking…”

“Large?”

“I was going to say well,” Thor said, “But perhaps large is more accurate.”

“Stark said I look like a snake that has swallowed a baseball,” Loki said, pulling a chair out from the table, and sitting down.

“Stark has a way with words.”

“Yes he does, unfortunately it is a way with lots of them, and all at the same time.”

"How is your hand?" Thor asked.

"All better," Loki said, holding it up to reveal his now unsplinted fingers.

Thor smiled broadly at Loki, who merely looked back at him, his face unreadable. The toaster popped up and Loki said, “Your tartlet is getting cold.”

“It can wait.”

“It is unlike you to wait for food.”

Thor smiled again and then said, “I have missed you, Loki.”

“You have missed me berating you at every given opportunity? You must be quite mad.”

“I have, I've missed this,” Thor said, he gently closed his hand over Loki’s which was resting on the table and was surprised not to have it smacked away. “I've missed you.”

Loki shifted uncomfortably in his seat for an instant and said, “I wanted to thank you.”

“What for?”

“The ice,” Loki said. “Tony told me you went alone, to Jotunheim. That was a very dangerous thing to do and I am… grateful for your help.”

“It was worth it, for you, and for her.”

“Will it be worth that risk when Odin comes to claim her?”

“That will not happen, Loki. You know why he took the others,” Thor said. “This time it will be different.”

“You cannot know that,” Loki said. “So tell me, when Odin arrives to take her, whose side will you stand by?”

“Yours, Loki,” Thor said, curling both his hands around his brothers, “I will always be by your side, if you will allow it.”

*

Loki felt better than he had in a long time as he waddled down the corridor, doing his usual round of the mansion, which took twice as long now as it involved more sitting than actual walking. He no longer felt his usual blazing hatred towards Thor, which had simmered do to a mere bubble since he had realised that Thor had actually risked his own life to save his child.

Tony was proving to be slightly less irritating than usual, although sometimes he did wonder if the nerves in his ears that heard the exact frequencies Tony's voice used had died from overwork, and he was just deaf to the constant stream of words.

His feelings towards Stark were definitely changing, and earlier in the week Loki had felt the strange urge to curl up to Tony and demand a lot more than a few kisses, even though he had spent the previous 3 months roughly pushing him away.

“I love you,” Tony had said for the very first time, afterwards.  “You don't have to say it back. I just wanted to tell you.”

Loki smiled gently, barely able to keep his eyes open, and said, “You love our child?”

“More than anything in the world,” Tony had said as he ran his fingers through Loki's sweat damp, curly hair, pushing it back off his face.  Loki smiled, his eyelids drooping, half closed with exhaustion and Tony realised it was probably the most open and happy he had ever looked in the whole time he had known him.

“Good,” Loki replied, and kissed Tony on the side of the mouth. “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Tony said, running his hand down from Loki's face, down his neck and then stopping to rub his side.

“If something happens, if you have to make a choice, I want you to choose her.”

Tony's first instinct had been to argue, then to reassure Loki that nothing would happen, but instead he found himself quietly nodding, and blinking away the sheen of tears that was forming in his eyes.

“Thank you,” Loki had said, and buried his head into Tony's neck. “I love you too.”

He walked into the poolroom, intending to have a short sit in the hydrotherapy pool, and went into the changing area to put on his ridiculously over sized T shirt, that would have been too big even Thor, but was rapidly becoming a little snug around his middle.

He bent down to pull off his shoes and felt a twitch as the baby kicked.

“Please stop kicking so hard, darling,” Loki said, rubbing his belly. “Anyone would think you were related to Sif.”

He felt another kick, harder this time, one that almost bent him over as he felt something tear inside himself, and brought tears to his eyes. He felt his hands start to shake with the pain and suddenly all he wanted was Tony. He looked round the ceiling and remembered there were no security cameras in this room, so instead Loki grabbed the emergency cell phone Stark had given him, just in case, from his pocket, flicked through to the contacts menu and then dropped the phone to the tiled floor as another kick, followed by a huge wave of pain, made him sink to his knees.

He felt a gush of wetness between his legs and clutched his belly, leaning over and trying to stop himself from throwing up.

“No, no, no… It's too early,” Loki cried. “It's too early.”

He leant under the wooden slatted seats, and reached for the phone, but when he brought it out the screen was smashed. Loki flung the useless phone at the floor and allowed himself to flop backwards, attempting to relieve the awful cramping pain that was making him feel like he was being sawn in half. His waters had broken, the baby was coming too early, he was alone and he had no way to call for help. The door to the pool area looked so far away, but he knew there were cameras out there and someone would see him, someone would come for him.

He started to crawl along the floor, pausing when the pain became too much, leaving a wide slick of blood behind him.

“What the hell are you doing calling me from inside the building?” Tony asked, when he picked up his cell phone.

“Tony, you need to get down to the pool right now,” Steve said.

“Is this just a trick to get me to work out with you?” Tony asked. “You know that's not gonna happen.”

“It's Loki,” Steve said, and before he even got the chance to explain Tony had put the phone down and ran out of the door.

Tony burst through the doors of the pool room and stopped dead in his tracks.

Loki was on the floor, laid in the middle of a large puddle of blood that was spreading across the floor, running along a drainage channel in the tiles and into the pool, staining the water by the edge pink. Steve was knelt beside Loki, placing a folded up towel under his head while two SHIELD agents stood guard.

“I'm sorry,” Loki gasped, as Tony knelt next to him and took hold of his hand.

“What happened?” Tony asked. “Did you fall?”

“She kicked, and I felt something tear,” Loki said, breathing rapidly. “It hurts… It hurts a lot. I'm so sorry.”

“It's not your fault. It'll be OK,” Tony said.

Loki shook his head, let out a small sob, and said, “No, it won't.”

“Where the hell is the medical team?” Tony asked.

“They're on the way,” Steve said and then Loki cried out and arched his back off the ground, a movement which forced another gush of blood out of him and across the floor.

“I'm sorry,” Loki said again, panting through the pain.

“This isn't your fault,” Tony said, brushing his thumb across Loki’s cheek, wiping away his tears and a smear of blood.

“If I had listened to you at the start, this wouldn't have happened,” Loki said, his head starting to roll to one side, his eyes closing. “You told me to stop. You told me. He wouldn't have, he wouldn't have…”

“Hey, hey,” Tony said, pressing his hand to Loki’s cheek. “Stay with me, OK.”

Steve reached over, placing his fingers against Loki’s neck, then he pushed Tony back and put his ear to his chest.

“Damn,” Steve said, pulling the towel out and tilting Loki’s head back. He put the heel of his hand on Loki’s sternum, and then out the other hand on top. “Do you know CPR?”

“What?” Tony asked, asked as Steve started pressing down on Loki’s chest.

“Do you know CPR?” Steve asked. “Tony, his heart's stopped, he's not breathing.”

Tony shook his head and one of the SHIELD agents said, “I do.”

“Get down here and help me,” Steve said and the agent knelt, leant over, pinched Loki’s nose and breathed into his mouth twice.

Tony watched, feeling useless, not knowing what to do. He didn't know how long they had been working in tandem, trying to save Loki’s life

“Stop, stop,” Steve said, and he held his ear to Loki’s chest again. “We got him back. He's breathing.”

“Thank you,” Tony said and then the door to the pool slammed open as the medical team rushed in, pushing a gurney full of equipment with them

“I need you to step back, sir,” A nurse said, and Tony did as she asked.

Tony paced the edge of the room, watching as they lifted Loki onto the gurney, slipped an oxygen mask over his face and attached monitors to his body. They weren't going fast enough, he should be upstairs in the operating theatre already rather than fussing around down here, setting up drips. He'd had enough, he stepped forward and opened his mouth, but before he could speak he felt Steve's hand on his chest.

“Let them work, Tony,” he said. “They know what they're doing.”

After what seemed like age later, the medical team pulled up the sides of the trolley and started pushing the gurney out of the room, leaving a trail of blood splatters on the floor behind them.

*

Tony paced outside the medical bay. Everyone had taken turns to sit with him, each only being able to stand so long of his constant ranting. It had been hours now and there had been no news, and Bruce finally volunteered to ask what was happening, if only to stop Tony kicking the door down and bursting in.

When Bruce finally emerged he looked shell-shocked.

“Is he alive?” Tony asked.

“Yes.”

“And the baby?”

“She's alive too.”

“Oh thank god,” he replied. “I can see them now?”

“Tony, Tony, wait,” Bruce said. “It's not that simple.”

Tony watched as the ventilator forced another blast of air into Loki’s lungs and made his chest rise.

“He's going to wake up, right?” Tony asked. "They said he'd be OK?"

“He lost a lot of blood and his heart stopped three times,” Bruce said. “Right now we just have to wait."

"Where is she?"

“I thought she'd be smaller,” Tony said as he peered through the glass side of the incubator at the average sized, but vaguely blue, child inside. There were lines and monitors everywhere, and a tube into her lungs to breathe for her.

“Don't let that fool you,” Bruce said. “They estimated that she would have been double that size if Loki had been able to carry her to full term.”

“I used to hate the color blue till I met Loki,” Tony said, putting his hand through the hole in the side of the incubator and gently stroking the dark fuzzy hair on top of her head. “Now I think it's the most beautiful color in the world.”

It was three days before Loki started to breathe on his own and was disconnected from the ventilator. On the 4th day he opened his eyes briefly and looked around the room.

“Hey, you're awake,” Tony said, smiling, and he took hold of his hand. “How are you feeling?”

Loki didn't respond to the sound of Tony's voice at all, he blinked a few times, and then closed his eyes again. Every day he woke up, each time a little longer, but he never responded to anything.

“You look exhausted," Bruce said to Tony who was on the seventh day of his bedside vigil. "You should get some sleep. I'll stay with him.”

“No point. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.”

Loki mumbled something under his breath, his fingers twitched and his head moved to one side.

Loki opened his eyes, scanned round, and then focused on Tony.

"Hey," Tony said, holding his hand gently, "How are you feeling?"

“Sore,” Loki replied, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.

“Here,” Tony said pushing a button into Loki’s hand. “If you press this you get the good drugs.”

Loki pressed the button repeatedly and then laid his head back on the pillow, allowing his eyes to close.

"She's alive, Loki," Tony said. "You both made it."

“That's good,” Loki said, sounding almost disinterested.

“Would you like to see her?”

“I'm exhausted,” Loki said, keeping his eyes closed. “I wish to sleep.”

After 4 days of Loki feigning tiredness every time the baby was mentioned Tony decided he'd had enough and wheeled the incubator into the room.

“Why don't you come and have a look at our daughter?” Tony said.

“I am too tired,” Loki said.

“No, you will look at her now,” Tony said, getting increasingly pissed off. “She's beautiful.”

Loki huffed in irritation, looked at the baby in the incubator at the foot of his bed and said, “She's blue.”

“I'd call her more of a delicate shade of lilac,” Tony joked. “Are you going to hold her?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“What is the point of holding her and loving her when she will be taken from me,”  Loki said, and then he looked away. "I had rather hoped I would not be here to witness him stealing another one of them."

Tony was shocked for a moment by Loki's reply and said, “If I can make you one promise it's this: No one is going to take her from you.”

“You should not be so rash as to promise things you cannot deliver,” Loki snapped. “If Odin chooses to take her there isn't a thing anyone in all the nine realms could do to prevent him.”

“And if that happens we'll all die, but we'll all die together, protecting her.”

“You are a naive fool, Stark!” Loki snarled. “Now go away and leave me be.”

Tony had left the incubator in Loki’s room and given express orders that it should not be removed under any circumstances. Loki made a point of never looking at her, no matter how much everyone fussed or cooed at the small blue child.

At first he wasn't sure what woke him from his fitful sleep, but something in the room made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“I knew you would come,” he said, knowing Odin was there before he had even opened his eyes. “I knew you wouldn't be able to resist.”

Loki sat up and watched as Odin strode over to the incubator, peered in at the baby and said, “She is very fine-looking.”

“She is blue.”

“Blue is a very beautiful colour, Loki,” Odin said, looking up at his son, “You should remember that. She is terribly small.”

“She was born too early. I could not carry her any longer. My mortal body was too weak.”

“What name have you chosen for her?”

“I haven't,” Loki said. “I saw no point in naming a child I would not be able to keep.”

“I have not come to take her away.”

“You took the others,” Loki said with a sneer, as he climbed out of the bed and stood on shaking legs. “Why should this one be any different?”

“Those children were monsters who would have been the end of us all,” Odin said. “This child is not.”

“And you can tell that can you? All your big god like powers tell you which one of my children it is all right to condemn?”

“She is an innocent soul, my son,” Odin said, finally glancing up from the incubator. “Surely even you can tell that?”

“Of course I can't! You saw to that in the street outside, three months ago,” Loki shouted, then he paused, a crease forming between his eyebrows. “Why are you really here?”

“I came to give you a gift.”

“That's very nice of you. Apparently they are throwing something called a baby shower next week where it is traditional to give gifts, so you are too early.”

“I came to give you back what I took from you.”

Loki opened his mouth, disbelieving what he had heard and said, “Why would you do that?”

“I did it for Thor, why would I not do the same for you?” Odin asked.

“That was different. Thor sacrificed his life, he was worthy,” Loki replied, nervously knitting his fingers together.

“You were willing to sacrifice your life for that of your child. What could be more worthy than that?”

“What if I do something bad?” Loki asked, suddenly feeling a terrible gnawing anxiety in his stomach. “I have a child now, I can't afford to return to what I once was.”

“I think you have changed in ways you don't even realise yet,” Odin replied, “But I would ask one thing of you.  If I give you your power back will you promise to tell her the truth of her heritage from the start? You will not repeat the wrong that I did to you?”

“I will tell her.”

“And you promise you will teach her being Jotun is not something to be ashamed of?” He asked. Loki hesitated and Odin shouted, “Child, if you cannot teach her that, I will take her and hand her to Helblindi, myself.”

“I promise!” Loki said. “I promise I will teach her.”

“Good,” Odin said and laid his hand on Loki’s shoulder.

“This isn't going to hurt is it?” He asked, and Odin shook his head.

Loki closed his eyes, feeling a mix of tiredness and abject fear. Gentle warmth spread across his shoulder from Odin's hand, a slight breeze circled around him, making his hair ruffle slightly, and he gasped.

He could feel everything. Everything in the room, from electric drone of the machines to the beating of his daughters heart, he could sense where everyone was in the building, he could hear the sound of the traffic outside and the thrum of eight million human lives out in the city. He could feel their energy intertwining like the roots of a tree. He felt his body start to heal itself, shifting back to his normal form, and the enormous tiredness and lingering pain left him for the first time in three months.

Loki opened his eyes, blinking at the bright colors even though the room was mostly in darkness and looked down at himself. He was surprised to find that instead of bare feet and baggy stripy cotton pyjamas, he was wearing his armor and green cape.

Loki turned and placed his hand through the hole in the side of the incubator, snaking his hand through the tubing and touched his daughter for the very first time. Despite being blue, she was surprisingly warm, and her skin was soft and fuzzy like a peach. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind, sending tendrils of magic around her. He could feel everything, her curiosity, her energy, and her very spirit reaching out to curl itself into the magic.

“She has a lot of power,” Odin said. “She will be a great sorceress one day.”

“Yes, she will,” Loki replied.

“And she will have a great teacher to guide her,” Odin said, “But you still have much to learn. Do not neglect the lessons she can teach you.”

Loki opened his eyes, and looked at his daughter. The wires, monitors and the tube that went down into her lungs were gone, and she was a healthy pink colour. He lifted the lid of the incubator and picked her up, cradling her in his arms and then leant forward to plant a kiss on her forehead.

“The father of the child?”

“Stark, he is known as Iron Man here on Midgard.” Loki said, turning around to face Odin. “He is very intelligent, more than most mortals, once you get past his sharp tongue and incessant talking.”

“It sounds like a good match,” Odin said. “Wait… Is he the one who attacked me in the street?”

“Oh…” Loki said, “He didn't really attack you, he was defending us.”

“He is an honorable man?”

“I think so.”

“Then I will give you my blessing to court him.”

“I wouldn't exactly call what we do as courting, it's more s-”

“Loki,” Odin said, cutting him off, “Some things are better left unsaid… And undescribed.”

“Yes, father,” Loki said, a shy smile creeping across his face.

“I must leave now," Odin said. "Will you bring the child to see your mother, when she is stronger?”

“I will.”

“Excellent. Farewell Loki, I wish you both good health.” Odin said, and started to walk away.

“Father?” Loki said, and Odin turned. “I know you have given me much, but may I ask for something else?”

“Of course.”

“When I return to Asgard with my child, may I use the bifrost. Thor struck a deal with the Jotuns and my child must meet the other part of her… family. I would very much like to take her myself.”

“Of course you may, Loki. I would be honoured if you would allow me accompany you on the visit.”

“The honour would be ours, thank you. Farewell,” Loki said, and Odin turned, walked into the shadows at the corner of the room and was gone.

Loki stood and looked at his child for a moment. She was healthy, she was his and most importantly, she was safe.

“Everything is going to be alright now,” he said, smiling at her and she gurgled at him in response.

There was an enormous crash from the next room, the sound of the door being blown off its hinges and medical equipment scattering across the floor. Loki watched as the door to his room flung upon and the Avengers poured into the room, ready for action.

“You may stand down, gentlemen,” Loki said, and then nodded to Natasha, “And lady”

“The medical staff reported someone was in your room,” Steve said, and then he noticed what Loki was wearing. “Where the hell did you get your armor from?”

Loki smiled gently and said, "Everything is all right."

Tony flipped up his visor and paused to take in the sight before him with his own eyes, unimpeded by filters and displays. Loki no longer looked like a half dead corpse, with pale skin and dark rings under his eyes. Their child was off the ventilator, healthy and gurgling happily. Everything really was going to be fine.

Tony strode across the room and hugged them both.

*

Tony had seen Loki in his Jotun form before, but he had never seen a full sized Frost Giant and as the group closed in on their position, he was glad he was in his suit to 'combat the cold' and flanked on either side by Thor and Odin.

Loki stood proudly ahead of them, wearing his armor and helmet. He held his child in his arms, swaddled in the soft pelt of a white bear that Thor had given him as a gift.

“Helblindi, Býleistr,” Loki said with a nod to the two Jotuns who led the group. They nodded in response, but offered no further welcome.

“This is the child?” Helblindi asked, and Loki nodded. “She is pink?”

“It is merely a simple spell to help her pass unnoticed on Midgard.  She will know what she is as soon as she is old enough to understand.”

“Tell me,” Helblindi said, “What is her name?”

“Her name is Ástrior,” Loki said. “It means 'She who is loved by the gods'”

“That is a fine name.”

Helblindi leant over, moving the bundle of fur so he could get a better view and Ástrior reached out and curled her tiny fist around the end of the Jotuns giant finger. Her skin grew mottled, swirling with her innate blue colour, spreading over her whole body, and revealing her true heritage.

“She is very beautiful. She will be a worthy princess,” Helblindi said, and then glanced in Odins direction and added, “In two realms.”

Loki turned to see Odin nod, and then felt Ástrior place her chubby fingers on his hand that was holding the pelt around her. He felt a momentary jolt of panic when he turned back and saw that where she touched him had began to change colour, first grey, then azure blue, and it spread across his whole body until he was in his natural Jotun form.

Ástrior had never seen him like this and he was terrified of what her reaction might be, he thought she would be horrified and start to scream in fear, but instead his daughter looked at him and smiled for the very first time.