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Chapter Text

The battle was shit.

Crap.

Stupid.

And killing them all.

The fighting wasn't hard, physically. But when the creatures you were fighting kept morphing into the ones you loved who had died, it made it hard to kill them.

Natasha's was the same two faces over and over again. Her mother and what might have been a younger sister.

Bruce's were a few people cycling through a random pattern.

Clint's was Phil, and a few people that appeared to be from his circus troop.

Thor had to kill the faces of warriors he'd lost in combat, so many different faces Tony felt for him.

Steve was the same as Thor, with all of his childhood friends thrown in for an extra fuck you.

Bucky had slipped into more of the Winter Solider, than Tony feared was safe. Bucky's changelings turned into all the people he had been ordered to kill as the Winter Solider and like Steve all of their comrades from WWII and their friends who had lost their fight with time.

Tony had an aunt and a couple college friends that drugs had claimed and oddly enough Mariah from the whole Extremise fiasco.

In the end he knew they were all going to be seeing some shrink. Even with SHEILD dead, someone was going to sick a head shrinker on them.

@@@

Then the battle changed. The changelings stopped changing forms and just took on one face. It was then that Tony realized not a single one of The Avenger's mothers were alive.

The anguished bellow that ripped itself from Thor's throat was heard in Asgard, Tony was sure.

The collective gasps as everyone's mothers charged them had JARVIS stuttering to say something helpful.

Natasha had become numb to her changeling's mother form having already killed her dozens of times. So one more time wasn't going to hurt her any more. She took its head this time then sprinted to Clint and repeated.

Tony saw the changelings wither to nothing after each kill but he had no such weapon to kill his Maria. "Jarvis do it." Tony whispered, closed his eyes and raised his hand. He felt the power surge threw the arm of the suit, felt the blast leave his palm and heard a shriek. He turned away never looking towards what had been and never was.

He flew towards Steve. Steve was standing in the middle of the street, his mothers form racing towards him. Tony could see the chaos in his feature. He didn't have JARVIS to aim the final blow for him. Tony knew he wasn't going to be able to do it. He landed in front of Steve and raised his arm. Steve scrambled forward and tried to shove Tony's arm down.

Then the world screamed and all of The Avenger's were thrown backwards. Tony saw threw barely open eyes, all of the changelings shimmered out. All of them but one. Steve's mom. This changelings screamed in agony. Writhing before them.

Tony got up, watching.

It dropped to its knees, hands in its knotted pale white hair. The faces may have changed but the other feature had always stayed that of the changelings.

The sound it made was hideous, Tony raised his arm again, to put the creature out of whatever misery it was in, but Steve stopped him again.

The hair was changing to match Steve's own hair. The changelings had all been about five feet tall, this one lengthen becoming closer to six feet. The flat almost concave chest filled out tearing whatever clothing it had been provided. The knurled fingers straighten and became petite.

It looked up and the silver than had been ringed around the eyes was gone. Looking up at Steve were the eyes Tony looked into every night.

The thing scrambled backwards 'till it's back hit a wall.

Bucky stood next to Steve, his hand on Steve's arm.

"James?"

Bucky jerked at its voice.

Steve gasped and sank to his knees.

It looked at Steve again, a flesh colored arm reached out but jerked back. It looked down to its own hand. It turned it different directions looking at it. Then both hands came up and touched its face. It cried out turning to the wall behind it. Seeing a window, it scrambled towards it, never quite making it to standing, it dropped in front of a darken window and stared into the reflection.

"I'm dead. But this can't be heaven."

An anguished cry escaped Steve. The changelings head wiped around to Steve. It raised up to stand and with faltering steps it walked towards Steve. A few feet short it dropped to its knees.

"Steven, it can't be. You're so big. My baby grew up. Oh how baby? How did you get so big and strong? No you can't be my baby. If you look so healthy you wouldn't be here."

Tony knelt next to Steve, "Let me take you home. Let one of us..."

Bucky stepped forward. "I've got it, Steve. Go back with Tony."

"James, why are you both here? I don't understand. I died. I know I died."

Thor's head turned to the side like he was watching something. He rose from where he knelt beside the ashes that had been a mockery of his mother. He walked towards the trio and knelt next to the Rogers's changeling.

Tony stood up, ready to attack, if necessary to defend his reckless friend. Bucky shifted his stance to hide Steve from what needed to be done if they couldn't get him away first.

"Friends, there is magic here. She is not what we have fought so hard this day." Thor reached out and touched her face. She jerked but stayed put. Thor touched her face again. He turned her face lightly up and to the side, looked deeply into her eyes.

"What is your name my lady?" Thor spoke softly.

"Sarah Rogers."

Thor rose, put a hand out and waited for Sarah to take it, when she did he pulled her to her feet. He laid her hand across his arm and guided her to where Steve, Tony and Bucky were gathered.

"You have been given a great boon, Captain. Loki or Frigga," Thor's voice broke at the mention of his mothers name, but he continued, "would know what name this spell bares. But this is no changelings. Your mother has been given back to you. This is your mother."

"Point Break, are you sure? Like if this was Frigga you would trust her to watch your back in the next battle trust her, sure?"

Thor nodded once.

Steve still knelt in the street his hands draped in his lap. His shield tipped against him.

"Mamma?"

Sarah cried and rushed to her son.

Bucky stopped her one step from Steve's outstretched arms. "If you are really Sarah Rogers what was the first thing you ever told me?" His voice tight and dangerous.

"James, oh my babies, what happened to you both?" She traced her hand along the silver arm holding her back, "I told you that your were going to be the savior of my son from himself."

Bucky stumbled back.

Tony looked at Bucky, faceplate open. Bucky stammered. "I never told anyone that. Not even Steve."

"The Bifrost is open to us once more. I could take her to our healers and see what they came make of her return." Thor offered.

Steve shifted, he got up, Tony reached for him, but Steve pushed his hand away with a single head shake. He closed the small space between him and his mother.

He reached out and to feel her hair but still had his gloves one. He pulled his hand free and reached out. Sarah raised her hand shakily and curled her fingers around Steve's wrist.

"You grew into such a strong handsome man."

Steve pulled his mother to him curling around her. "I had some help."

Tony and Bucky stayed ready in case this turned bad.

"Steven, where are we?" Sarah asked her voice shaking.

"New York, Mamma." He turned so she could glimpse the Statue of Liberty through a few buildings. "It's not so much where as when Mamma. It's 2015. You've been gone for so many years."

Sarah shook her head, "But... You, James...no! How could... It was 1940."

"Mamma. I promise I'll explain everything. But we need to go with, Thor. I want to make sure your not sick. I can't take you home if you are."

Tony stepped forward but stopped. Steve's mom wouldn't understand him demanding a kiss from her son before he left. So instead he lamely offered, "I'll have JARVIS make a room for her."

"Tony."

Tony laughed, "There are empty rooms Steve. I didn't mean build her one. Bucky can help so you know she'll like it."

"Forget me knots and red," Bucky spoke up.

"You remember my favorite flower and color?" Sara cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Trust me, I'm more surprised than you, Ma. Go with them. Let Steve make sure you're okay. He will worry himself to death if you don't. And trust me now a days that's pretty hard. But he'd manage it."

Steve slugged Bucky in the flesh arm to which Bucky slugged him with the metal one, sending Steve backwards three steps. "Punk."

"Jerk."

"That hasn't changed."

"Nope." Bucky said. "Get her checked out punk." Bucky nodded to Thor.

Thor smiled and reached for Sarah's hand, "My Lady. I will take you to a world the likes you have never seen. Not even your Oz will compare." Thor's smile was broad and it twinkled in his eyes.

"Steve, I'm not crazy. He talks odd, right?"

"Yes Mamma he does. And Thor, Oz came out after... Well Mamma never got to see it."

"Then movie night will be of Oz and pizza upon our return." Thor decreed. He looked to the sky and called out, "Heimdall. My friend, I have visitors to show our fair land."

When the light streaked down around them Steve pulled his mother close as she screamed in fear.

Chapter Text

On Asgard Steve stumbled when they dropped into a golden dome with a giant black man with golden eyes and armor.

He whispered to his mother quickly, "Mamma, many things have changed so maybe don't comment on anything until I can explain."

He knew his mother wasn't a racist but going from 1940 and blacks being separated to seeing a black man guarding what was essentially the main gate to a different world was probably to be a shock.

Sarah nodded not knowing why the giant healthy version of her son would say something like that, but trusted him to have a good reason. When she turned to follow the big blond man she was startled.

"Heimdall is our watchman, Lady Sarah. He sees everything here. In all the realms, truly. He has been guard for more generations than he will admit."

"Lady Sarah. I am glad of your return to Midgard. Captain Rogers will be glad of your company." Heimdall bowed to the pair.

Sarah nodded and held onto her son. Everything was so big now. She felt tiny, she felt like Steve must have felt before.

"It is a long walk, I have sent word." Heimdall spoke to to Thor.

Sarah watched as the tall blond bowed in return.

"As always my thanks. It will be just a moment for one of our ships to reach us. Come I will point out some of our great site."

"Thor you don't have to play tour guide. It's alright." Steve rushed ahead trying to slow Thor.

"Steven it will pass the time. I am certain your mother will be overwhelmed soon. Let her have a small distraction."

Steve nodded, walked back to his mom and walked her to where Thor stood. He heard her gasp. "Are we really someplace else?"

"Yes Mamma. It's a different planet. I, well I don't know how far away it is. Thor's family are gods. Just like the tales Old man Svenstald told. I, we... We fought his brother a few years ago." Steve explained.

"Lady Sarah, your son is a fine leader. I am happy to follow his command."

"It should be you Thor. You have much more experience than I do."

"I do not know your world Steven."

"And I do?" Steve laughed.

"Lord Thor, I know you would like to show me your home, but please I just want to talk to my son. So much has changed."

Thor smiled and bowed, he walked a few paces off and knelt to wait for the ship.

Sarah smiled up at Steve, "Please Steve tell me what happened. How can you be almost 90 and look almost the same age as when I left you?"

"The war...I tried to enlist. They wouldn't take me. I wanted to fight, be like Dad. I wanted to make you proud of me." Steve tried, but knew he was failing. "Bucky got called up. And the night before he shipped out I tried one more time. There was a doctor there, Dr. Erskien. He had figured out how to make the body healthy and strong. He picked me for the first test. It worked Mamma. No more asthma, I can see all the colors. The damage from the rheumatic fever is gone, my blood pressure is right. I grew." Steve laughed.

Sarah nodded waiting for the bad. There had to be bad, her boys' eyes were to sad.

"A man killed Dr. Erskien minutes after his experiment worked. It was lost." Steve shrugged, "I was asked to tour and help with the war bond effort. Eventually I ended up in Europe. Where Bucky's unit was, we, I found out he had been captured. I saved him and his unit and a lot of other people Mamma. But I made a very evil enemy that day. It was a man that had used Dr. Erskien's formula before it was ready. He was a bad person before and the serum made him worse."

Steve sat down and pulled his mom into his lap for an excuse not to look at her face when he told the rest.

"We fought Red Skull for years. And then we had a chance at his head scientist. Bucky, Jones and me, we went after him. It was a trap. I lost Bucky. He fell hundreds of feet. We all thought he was dead. He couldn't have survived that...but he did. The scientist had given him a version of what I had been given. It wasn't right but it was good enough to save him in the fall. Well most of him. That fall was when he lost his arm." Steve ran his hand down her left arm.

Sarah cried for her boys. So much pain they had gone through.

"We, the rest of our unit took on Red Skull a few days later. I followed him to his plane. There were bombs on it for several cities in America. I had to stop him...it. We fought on the plane and it was damaged. He," Steve shrugged, he still didn't understand what had happened the Schmidt that day, "he died and I had no way of stopping the plane." Steve paused for a moment to watch the ship fly towards them. "I was over the Atlantic. I had to crash the plane Mamma. But I couldn't get out. I froze with the plane for seventy years. That's how come I don't look much older. I'm not, not really."

"Oh my baby. You always hated the cold." Sarah hugged her boy tight.

"My lady?" Thor's voice spoke behind her.

Steve stood up bringing Sarah with him. She squealed and batted at Steve's arm. "Put me down right this minute."

"No Mamma you helped me to bed enough times, I get to help you this time." Steve walked to the ship floating to the side of the Rainbow Bridge and stepped surely on board.

Thor followed behind and took over steering the air vessel. Sarah held on to her son and listened to his strong heart beat in his chest.

At the palace Thor lead the way, his cape billowing behind him. Steve still carried Sarah and kept up. Guards bowed as they walked by. Once at the healers tower Thor had Steve to wait for him outside while he spoke the healers.

Steve sat on a near by bench to wait.

"What happened to James?"

"Mamma, you don't want to ask that." Steve said dropping his forehead to meet her's.

"Yes I do. I saw enough boys from the first war to know a tortured one when I see one."

Steve sighed, he would have to tell her. "He was found by the troops of the scientist we captured and others like him tortured him for a long time. He doesn't know how long. They kept experimenting. They wanted the perfect solider. One who would do exactly what they wanted. After they worked on him, they got it. They called Bucky the Winter Solider. They sent him on missions and then erased his mind and kept him frozen when they didn't use him. It's why he isn't that much older either. He was only out for maybe a year or two more than I was."

"Oh my poor boys. How did you find him?"

"They sent him on a mission to kill me." Steve cried. "He didn't know who I was. I called out his name once and it sparked something. We fought again and I couldn't make myself fight him, hurt him. He...he tried to but couldn't make himself kill me either. We fought on a big flying ship, it was crashing. We fell through the glass floor and I don't remember anything. But I woke up on the side of the Potomac. He sort of remembers pulling me from the water, but not really. His memories are damaged."

"But he remembered my favorite things."

"Like he said he was surprised."

Thor came out of the room and nodded. Steve stood up carrying Sarah again. The women in the room pointed towards a table in the middle of the room. Steve set her on it and the women became a flurry of arms. Thor pulled Steve to the side.

"It will take a small amount of time. But we will know...what is up soon."

Steve smiled, "We get that one." He laughed. Thor joined him.

"Will your mother be happy with your joining with Stark?"

"Uh, um... Well that's kind of hard to say." Steve stammered. "Uh it's sort of against our beliefs. And in our day it was even illegal. But then crashing the plane the way I did was against our beliefs to."

Thor looked confused.

"Jane has explained different religions to you right?"

"And Lady Darcy."

"So we are Catholic. And Catholics believe it's a sin... A Uh a crime against the soul to take your own life. To commit suicide. And when I crashed the plane that's what I did. Sort of, I didn't know I would survive it."

Thor nodded in understanding. "You are not a very catholic person then?"

Steve laughed, "Not anymore. I never told her that I would have rather looked at the boys who beat me up than the girls that ignored me. Bucky guessed after, well he figured it out durning the war. But he didn't care."

"And Anthony was your first lover?"

Steve's face was red enough he could feel the heat coming off of it. "Yeah I well didn't really have time to try to do anything about it during the war. And it would have landed me in prison if I had. Then when I woke up, I spent so much time trying to catch up...besides its Tony. He grows on you like well.. I don't know he just was there and I don't think I can ever love someone the way I love Tony."

"Than she will be happy for your union because you are happy." Thor clapped his hand in Steve's shoulder. "Come they look less frantic and more pleased."

Thor was addressed by the eldest looking healer, "We have sent for one whose skills matched your mother. But we can say she is healthy. The sickness that took her is not present. Nor any other illness. The magic that returned her is unique. And it is old."

"But she is safe right?" Steve asked, a million question running through his mind. He wished Tony was here.

"Yes. She will be fine." Loki said leaning against the door.

Chapter Text

"Loki!" Thor rushed to his brother but stopped short. "Brother you live?"

"So it would seem. When did she appear to you Captain?"

"Maybe an hour ago?" Steve looked to Thor who nodded a conformation. "We were fighting... white haired creatures whose feature could change. They seemed to stick to people we all knew who were dead. At the end I think, I guess they took the faces of our mothers."

"Yes. I have seen an image of Maria Stark. That was who Stark..." Thor let the sentence hang.

"And Frigga?" Loki asked.

Thor nodded. "I could not. Natasha, killed three. Stark and Barnes their own. Stark tried but Steven stopped him. That was when it, she changed. I could smell the magic." Thor turned to Loki, "As I can on you."

"I awoke an hour ago. At the foot of Odin's thorn, no less." Loki shrugged. "He did not have me run threw on sight so that was something."

"I told him of your sacrifice. As I also told him I am not right for such leadership. To battles, yes, but to rule, nay, it's is not in my skills."

The healers had allowed Sarah to come down from the soul forge. Steve sat her on a settee near but stood in front of her, doing his best to shield her.

"Captain I have no wish to harm your mother. I lost the only one I've ever known just as he did. No one deserves to have that once. Let alone twice."

"I am wary to ask?" Thor spoke, voice soft.

"No I am all that was returned.

"You are more than enough brother, if we can stop the quarreling that lost you to me twice. Thrice will be to much."

Loki shrugged once more. "I will do what I can. But do remember I am The Trickster. And am not your brother."

"You are the brother I was raised with. Birth means not to me." Thor surprised everyone and pulled Loki into a hug.

"That's the brother you fought?" Sarah asked quietly.

Steve nodded, now kneeling before her. For the first time he let himself truly believe she was here, that there was a chance she would be in his life again. A life that would not be filled with double and triple shifts to pay for medicine that never helped him. A life where she could do what ever she wanted. He saw her eyes, the beautiful blue that Tony made sure to compliment often. The little wrinkles feathering out from the corner of her eyes. Her small nose, the light spray of freckles that you could only notice if you looked. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I have missed you so much Mamma. I'm glad your back."

"I am glad I'm back to." She smiled and pulled him close, hugging him as tight as she could. "There is an awful lot of you now."

"I know." Before Steve could say more Thor interrupted. "Shield brother. Come you must meet my father. Lady Sarah, please do my the great honor of accompanying you to the throne room?"

"Oh no I couldn't. I'm not dressed for anything like that. Steven, I can't." Sarah's eyes were huge and she realized she was still in the clothes the changeling had worn. "Oh my I... Oh, I've been running around in this?"

"Mamma, women wear pants all the time now. It's okay." Steve tried to reassure her.

"To meet a king?" She hissed.

"God actually." Loki spoke from the door. He glared at Thor for the backhand to the chest he relieved for the comment.

"Come my Lady Jane is close you your size. My mother's maid will be able to find something."

Sarah looked at Steve.

"I'll be right outside the door. Thor's people are very nice."

Sarah relented, what the heck did a nurse from Brooklyn say to a god king?

It was a bit of a walk but the palace was beautiful. There were places along the way that looked new, or maybe repaired.

They stopped for a row if guards to walk past and Sarah took the chance and touched the wall. A new section, white and shiny next to and older section, creamy but still shiny.

"My brother is not the pilot he thought he was." Loki commented without looking at Sarah.

"As if you could have done better." Thor snorted.

"As I recall, I did. I took us through the chasm that freed your lovely Jane from the Aether."

"Well, I concede that."

Loki smirked and shook his head.

"Why would you be flying inside?" Sarah asked confused.

"Mamma, let's talk about it later okay?" Steve didn't want to get into the dynamics of Thor's family while still in their city.

Sarah nodded and followed quietly. This was going to take some getting use to.

The clothing change was quicker and easier than Sarah expected. The throne room was huge and echoing. The man in the chair was impressive. The eye patch made Sarah wince, it looked bolted to his eye socket. From the healing table to bolted on eye patches, this was a strange strange world.

Odin's voice was strong and had just a bit of a lilt to it in certain places. Sarah listened to him praise her son's fine leadership skills and ability to fight along side the men he leads. There were four people standing to the side durning the whole nerve shredding affair. When Odin was called away by a man in robes the color of Thor's hair, Sarah relaxed just a little.

The group rushed down the steps to Thor. They kept a wide berth of Loki though. But in turn they each looked at him and spoke to him. The one that surprised Sarah the most was the woman. She wore armor like the others and a sword upon her hip. She was the first to approach Steve.

"Captain Rogers. I am glad of the chance to meet you. Thor speaks highly of you. You and your comrades. Even Stark."

"Oh well uh Tony's not so bad."

"The Man if Iron is a worthy warrior. He could best even you Lady Sif." Thor proclaimed leaning against a pillar.

"I dare say it sounds as if you've stolen Loki's tongue. Stirring trouble where none needs be stirred." Sif said turning towards the blond.

"Ah no my tongue remains where it has always been. Thank you very much." Loki said his hands up in defense.

Sif laughed, "We are not needed here at the moment. Shall we take our leave of Asgard and meet Thor's other warriors?"

The three men all agreed quickly. The other blond man rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I want to meet this Natasha you spoke of." He dropped a hand on Thor's shoulder.

Loki turned and laughed, "Ah the one they call Black Widow? I know that one. Black Widows are a type of insect on their realm. It's kills it's mate. It's an apt description of that beauty."

Thor laughed, "Fandral, he speaks the truth. She would be a worthy adversary."

"Thank God she's on our side." Steve spoke up. "I would hate to go up against her. Mostly because I'm not sure I would walk away."

"Thor has told us of your great healing. Is she so dangerous that you could not heal from it?" Volstagg asked.

"She fights dirty. Honorable but dirty. You never know where she's going to be, and her small stature makes it hard to get ahold of her. Not to mention her flexibility. She can contort in ways a yogi master would cry trying." Steve explained.

"Yogi?" Hogun asked.

"Uh yeah not something I understand enough to explain. Ask Bruce when we get back to the Tower."

"Lady, warriors, our chariot." Loki spoke as he dropped out of an open window, Steve jumped to try to catch his arm and Sarah gasped.

Chapter Text

Steve jerked back as Loki came back in to view. "Oh, the man out of time still plays hero, even to his enemy."

Steve glowered at Loki. "Don't do that again. My mother doesn't need a heart attack from your adolescent antics."

Loki looked to Sarah and stepped from the floating boat. He walked towards her, head low, he knelt before her, "My lady I do beg your forgiveness. My brother and his comrades are use to my ways. Your son has at least heard of them."

"It's oh it's okay. Boys will be boys?" Sarah said more of a question than a statement.

"Loki you realize Clint is going to try to kill you if you go back?" Steve asked. He wasn't sure why he hadn't tried to kill the man for all the death and destruction he had caused. Other than his mother was right there and they all knew he had in the end sacrificed himself for Thor and Jane's survival.

"I am aware. I will do what I must to appease his need for justice." Loki said simply.

"Die?" Steve asked. "You brainwashed him and killed his lover."

"He may try, but I am as hard to dispatch as you are. I will take my punishment."

Steve watched Loki, he wanted to kill the man himself for what he had done to Phil. But there was something, different. "I'll talk to him, see if he will accept beating you to a pulp. But just know he may have a lot of help. Phil was liked by everyone."

"Including your self."

"Yes. I liked him. I didn't get to know him long. He died protecting others. That makes him better than most anyone."

"I give my word of honor on Frigga's memory that I will accept what ever punishment Barton calls for, for my controlling him and killing Coulson. Even for terrorizing Romanoff, if he wants to throw that on the pyre."

Steve nodded. He had his own reason for mentioning Phil. He would be able to ask his mother about it and see how she reacted before mentioning his own relationship. Of course the fact that Clint and Bucky had become a pair would also need to be mentioned.

Steve walked to his mother and guided her to the floating boat. The return trip to the Bifrost was as quick as before but with as much dread, this time for a different reason.

"Where would you like to go young warriors?" Heimdall asked as the troupe approached.

"Is there some place near Avengers Tower you can put us? But safe?" Steve asked.

"I know of a good location. I think the roof of a near by empty building would be best. I do not think your Stark would be glad to have the Bifrost's mark on his roof."

"Uh yeah. Thank you." Steve winced when Heimdall called Tony his. It was true he was, but Mamma...

Steve said looking at each of the group, "This should be fun, I'm the only one dressed for Earth and even I'm going to standout in my uniform."

Suddenly all the Asgardian clothing became Midgard clothing in colors to match what had been changed.

"I have some magic again but not much." Loki said with a shrug. "It is real but you should find alternate clothing quickly. For it might disappear, if I'm hurt."

Steve nodded. His armor looked like a sweatshirt now. "Uh where did the other stuff go?"

"You've not the understanding to understand the answer. It is not gone just elsewhere. I will return it upon our arrival."

A moment later they all dropped onto a roof six blocks from Avenger Tower.

"Thor maybe you should go to the tower. Let everyone know what's going on?" Steve suggested as soon as his stomach stopped lurching.

"Yes let Barton prepare what weapons he needs." Loki said, a sigh following.

"You willing came." Steve pointed out.

Loki laughed, "Though Odin did not have me killed on sight, do not assume I was welcome. Through my actions Odin's wife was taken. I may have redeemed myself in part to his son, Odin has love for me no more. If ever."

Thor touched his brothers shoulder, "He grieved for you. Twice." And then he was gone.

"Why must he show hope where there is none?" Loki spoke more to himself than to anyone.

"I give hope to men but keep none for myself." Steve answered.

"I did not think you would be fond of speaking in riddles, Captain." Loki countered.

"It's from a book. A king who does not want to be king speaks those words to a king who has not been anything but for more centuries than he can remember. You should read it. After Barton mops the floor with you." Steve led his mother through the door leading to the stairs.

When they were far enough ahead Sarah asked, "Have you really become so vengeful?"

"No not really. Well maybe. I've spent years with Clint. Loki hurt him in ways none of us can understand. Loki was a bully. Thor thinks maybe he was being bullied, but still he was a bully. He hurt a lot of people. He had to be stopped. But at the end of his life, Loki sacrificed himself for Thor and his girlfriend. So no, yes, maybe."

"Loki killed Clint's lover. His boyfriend?"

Steve winced, he was not ready for this. He opened one of the doors leading to an open floor, he waved the others on when the stopped at the window. "Crap Mamma, I have things to tell you but I can't yet. I need to get everyone to the Tower."

"Alright Steve, I won't ask." Sarah rested her hand on Steve's cheek.

"Just...ask about the world, what's happened to it. Just not specific people right now. Please?"

"It's alright Steve I can wait."

Steve hurried everyone along as quickly as you could herd four warriors, a sorcerer and an anachronism of a mother. What should have took ten minutes took almost thirty.

Steve knew Tony would be frantic, he wasn't sure what the waiting game would do to the others. He got them all crowded in to the elevator and let the door shut before asking JARVIS, "So what's it like up there?"

"Sir is being...Sir."

"Yeah I guessed that JARVIS. The rest?"

"Agent Barton and Sargent Barnes are in a discussion in the gym. Dr. Banner is in deep meditation in his ... room. Agent Romanoff is well Sir, she is very calm."

"JARVIS why do sound more scared of her than the rest?"

"Because I am, Sir."

Steve laughed, "Yes because she would hurt her favorite shopping companion."

"I would rather not take chances with my existence such as it is."

Steve chuckled again. "Just get her those Milano's she keeps denying herself."

"Excellent idea, Sir. I believe the cobalt blue?"

"You would know best."

"Who are you talking to?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Uh it's one of those things I'll explain very soon. I promise."

Sarah raised an eyebrow that told Steve it had better be real soon if he wanted to keep being able to hear.

Chapter Text

The elevator opened and Thor held Tony back with a look. Everyone stepped out, Loki being last.

"Where is the gym? I won't let this play out longer than must." Loki asked.

"Why is he here?" Tony asked Thor then looked to Steve.

"He is not the same as when we fought." Thor said, a tone showing this was not the first time he had said it.

"He is here to give Clint his revenge." Steve answered. "He swore on Frigga's memory."

"Oh the Frigga he got killed?!" Tony shouted.

"Stark." Loki shouted back. "Do not speak of her death lightly. You have no idea the torment my part of her death has played on my soul. You will never know. She was the one person I would have done anything for. And she is the person that was taken from me."

"How about I take care of that?"

Loki turned in time to see a fist.

"STOP!" Steve shouted above the commotion.

Everyone stopped. Clint had Loki pinned to the floor where he had crumpled from the blow, his arm cocked back to land the fourth such hit. Bucky was impressively holding Thor's warriors back. Though Steve was sure whether they were trying to help Loki or Clint.

"This will NOT be done in the living room. And it will NOT BE DONE IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER," said mother was poking her head out from behind Steve.

"I've seen violence before you know." Sarah said a smirk on her face.

"Not like this. Bucky take him to the gym. The other gym." Bucky's eyebrows raised but he nodded.

"Loki, you know how to use a knife in combat?" Steve asked.

"Yes. I've been train..."

"Yes, was enough." Steve interrupted. "How much of your magic do you have? And know that if you lie to me, Thor's brother or not I will kill you. These people are my family. And I love them all the way you love Frigga."

"Not even enough to keep your garb as was provided." Loki pointed out. That was what it took for everyone to realize that their clothes had reverted to uniform and Asgardian.

"Clint." Steve spoke softly.

Clint turned to look at Steve, his eyes cold and filled with hate. "Loki has said that he will accept what ever punishment you see fit to give him. But remember one thing."

"What?" Clint's voice was twisted and angry.

"If Phil was here, you would not have been able to help Bucky the way you have."

Clint jerked back as if Steve had hit him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, his eyes looking for the man in question.

Bucky's eyes found his and Clint could see the pain in them, the need to look away. But Bucky didn't even blink.

"Fine." Clint got up and left the room, at the doorway he paused. "Suffer with what's in your head. I know I have. Just stay away from me. I might not stop myself next time." With that the group saw the back of Barton's vest.

Steve wanted to collapse but he still had to much to handle. "Bucky go after him."

"Was the plan punk. I'm just going to give him a couple minutes so he doesn't take a swing at me." Bucky leaned against the wall. "What about him?" Bucky nodded to Loki, who was still on the floor but had moved enough to sit up.

"Thor I think it might be best if you take Loki and the others to your floor for a bit." Steve said looking at the Thunder God.

"Yes. We have much to speak upon."

Thor reached a hand out to Loki, though he almost seemed surprised when it was accepted. The small band of warriors followed the pair out.

That left just Tony. "JARVIS can you keep my mom company for a few moments. I need to talk to Tony."

"Certainly Sir. It would be my pleasure."

"Mamma, ask JARVIS anything about history, or whatever you want. I'll be right back."

Tony had walked ahead to the hall, when Steve followed him his cry of surprise was cut short when his mouth was covered with Steve's.

"I can't believe you actually let me leave the planet with out kissing me goodbye. You won't even let me leave the floor without one." Steve complained, dropping his head to rest on Tony's, his arms braced on the wall.

"Uh, mom," Tony was all said.

"Right because there was no way Bucky couldn't have distracted her." Steve snorted.

"Okay fine." Tonys voice was rough and tinged with fear, "I was scared. I don't do parents Steve. I never have done...wait that's not coming out right... I don't meet parents. They don't like me. Especially not mom's of 1940's male solider's."

"I don't think she will be like that. But I need to talk to her. If it takes a bit will you be okay?"

Tony sighed, "Meaning if you don't come to bed, will I spend the night in my workshop?"

It was Steve's turn to sigh, "Yes. Please get some sleep if I'm still with my mom."

"Fine. Go talk, shoot the sh..breeze, confab, parley, visit-"

Steve shut Tony up with another kiss. "I will be there as soon as I can. You know that."

"I do. Go." Tony kissed Steve's chin and slipped out under Steve's arms and took the elevator.

"JARVIS if he doesn't head to bed by one call me."

"Do I need to initia-"

"No, no protocols, just let me know."

"Yes Sir."

@@@

Steve took a moment to calm himself and to decide where they should have their talk. He decided Tony's library would be best, out of the way, quiet, homey, with the least technology.

Steve walked back into the common room and found his mom looking out the windows with an over lay of what it would have looked like when she died.

"Steve, JARVIS is wonderful." Sarah exclaimed.

"Yes Mamma he is. Let's go for a walk." He held out his arm and she took it. "I never got to do this with you before. I was always to short." He said as he leaned his head against the top of hers.

"My boy all grown up." Sarah sighed. "Where are we going?"

"The library, it's quiet. And no one will interrupt us, unless they need me."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, but Sarah exclaimed when they walked into the room. "Oh my, Steve. This is, it's a full library."

"I know. It surprised me to when I found it." He walked her to the couch in the corner and sat her down. He wanted to pace but he sat with her. "A lot of things have changed, Mamma." Steve decided to just jump in the deep end and get the hardest part over. "I'm well jeez...this is hard. Uh I'm gay. No shoot, that, you don't get...not happy, no I'm happy, but that's not what I'm trying to say. Crap."

"Steven." Sarah exclaimed.

"Sorry. Uh it's not seen as a swear word now a days. Okay. I'm gonna try again. I'm homosexual. Uh queer." Steve added after a second.

"You like boys?" Sarah asked her face blank.

"Yes?" Steve said hesitantly.

"Alright." Sarah said sitting back.

"Just alright?"

"Well it's not like I ever saw you talking up any girls Steve."

Steve laughed, "They didn't really have any use for a 90 pound pipsqeek did they?"

"And the boys did?"

"Not then." Steve sighed. "It was easier to get beat up for mouthing off to a bully than the get killed for looking at a cute boy."

"Oh my poor boy." Sarah moved closer and held out her hand, Steve took it and held it as tight as he dared.

"Uh Bucky is to, kind of."

"How are you kind of, what did you call it, gay?"

"He likes both, he's just with a man. They call it bisexual now."

"They like names now a days don't they?"

Steve smiled, "Oh yeah."

"And the man Bucky is with is that Clint boy? The one whose lover Loki killed?"

Steve nodded. "They have been kinda working towards it for a long time."

"And your man?"

Steve blushed remembering his kiss with Tony. "It's Tony."

"The man that yelled at Loki?"

"I guess I didn't introduce anyone did I?" Steve cringed, he was raised better than that.

"Honey it's alright. It's been a long day for both of us." Sarah turned on the couch and leaned against the solid mass of her son. "So tell me all about Tony? What's he like, what does he do, what does his family do? Then you can tell me about this Clint. You can tell me if these boys are good enough for my boys."

Steve felt every bit of tension disappear and he held his mother close. He only wished that all of The Avengers could have this kind of moment.

"Tony is hard to describe Mamma. He's just Tony but" Steve told her all the things she asked, answered the other question she asked as they talked. They stayed up for hours before Sarah's voice sounded heavier and groggier.

"JARVIS which room was set up for my mom?"

"The room one door from Miss. Potts, sir."

"No I'm alright." Sarah shook her head trying to clear the sleep.

"We have tomorrow." Steve smiled.

"Well, um if you think so." Sarah said trying to hide her fear.

"Mamma, I trust Thor's healers. If they say you are fine then you are fine. Their ways may seem old fashioned to us but they are so far ahead of this century it makes Tony cry. Or would if he cried." Steve said with a half a shoulder shrug.

Sarah nodded, she would trust these people, she just wondered if she would sleep.

They walked to Sarah's room which she was astonished at. "Stevie this can't be mine. It's to big. It bigger then all of our apartment."

"I know Mamma. Took me a bit to get use to too. Especially because Tony gave us each a floor."

Sarah swirled to look at Steve, "A whole floor?" Her voice as high as her eyebrows.

Steve only nodded, "I'll show you tomorrow. So what do you think?"

Sarah looked around, there where hints of red every where. Vases with forget-me-nots on every surface. "How did they get so many flowers?"

"Um I did mention Tony's rich right?"

"That doesn't mean he can make flowers bloom out of season." Sarah said exasperated.

"No but it means he has thousands of florists to call and get what ever he wants when ever he wants."

"Oh."

"There are clothes matching Mrs. Rogers size in the closet and dresser." JARVIS informed them.

"You boys didn't buy my..." Sarah's face went red as she tried to imagine any of the men she met purchasing under things for her.

"No ma'am Agent Romanoff took care of that."

"Oh well. Um I will thank her in the morning. Or well later." Sarah corrected when she saw the clock read a quarter after midnight. "I shouldn't have kept you so long. You have other people who need you."

"If they needed me Mamma they would have found me. JARVIS always knows where all of us are."

"Still. I'm sure Clint and Bucky need-"

"Uh no no they wouldn't want me anywhere near them. They seem to think I'm a vir...uh well yeah. Not going to finish that though." Steve interrupted himself again.

"Steve you said you've been seeing Tony for two years. Do you really think I haven't guessed that you had sex out side of marriage."

"Well um it is a little different. Us being men and all. Um we can get married now in New York but the uh church well they haven't changed. With this new pope...maybe someday, but not right now."

"It's alright sweetie, go be with your man. I doubt very much God cares who you love so long as you love someone."

Steve kissed his mother on the forehead and hugged her. "Thank you Mamma."

Chapter Text

Steve made his way down to Tony's workshop. He stood and watched Tony tinker with a what looked like a hose nozzle but Steve was sure Tony couldn't be bothered with a water hose. Then Tony shifted it and he saw the backwards E of the Bugatti logo.

"You took apart the Bugatti?"

Tony jumped and dropped the calipers he had been using. "Oh god, Steve don't do that." His now caliper-less hand clutching his chest.

Steve walked over and took the fuel injector out of his boyfriend's hand. "You only tinker with the expensive ones when your really stressed." Steve commented setting it down and pulling Tony into his arms.

"Well you know, moms, and crazy sort of not brothers..." Tony said like it was all the explanation he needed to give, which it was.

"My mom likes you," Steve kissed the top of Tony's head. He always ignored the not black hairs he saw. He would never admit that those little hairs scared him.

"She hasn't met me yet." Tony whispered. "No one likes me."

"I do. Everyone does Tony. Everyone that counts."

Tony didn't keep the on going conversation going, Steve had enough on his plate he didn't need more of Tony's baggage. He did ask, "So Mom's fine with me doing naughty and sinful things to you?"

"We didn't talk about sex Tony," Steve shivered. Tony's hand had left his chest for a very specific southern landmark.

"And she's alright with the fact that we're not married?"

"She gets it Tony!" Steve voice raised a octave as Tony's hand hand worked it way into his pants and was caressing that spot...yeah the one right behind his sack.

"God I'm going to make you fly tonight." Tony growled.

"Please Tony, God please fuck me." Steve whimpered. Tony knew all the places that drove Steve wild and he was hitting as many as he could.

"Oh, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Not until today." Steve voice was high and erratic.

"You're to sane, can't have that." Tony had some how manage to walk the two the elevator and into their room.

Steve squeaked when he felt their bed on the back of his knees. Tony pushed and he was on his back. Before he could try to figure out how Tony had done it he had Steve's shoes, socks, pants and underwear off. Steve managed to catch up enough to remove his own shirt, but he was distracted from getting it off his hand when Tony took off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants.

Tony crawled up Steve's body, stopping long enough to rip the shirt away and across the room.

"You know my boyfriend gave me that shirt." Steve's voice was all husky and breathy.

"Hm, maybe he'll buy you another one." Tony bit Steve's ear lightly. "Maybe he'll buy you a whole wardrobe of them so he can shred them off of you when ever he wants."

Steve shivered, he felt the pre-come pool on his hip.

"Maybe he'll tie you to the bed and fuck you over and over again till you can't come again."

"He'd have to stop first." Steve whimpered.

"Oh no, he'd have plans, toys and hours."

Steve came the second Tony's finger breeched him.

"See one down already." Tony chuckled, going straight to three fingers making sure to work Steve's prostrate.

"Oh god Tony, please, please fuck me. I need you." Steve writhed on Tony's fingers.

"No, oh no...not yet." Tony pulled free.

Steve refused to accept the sound he heard came from him, not some wounded animal that some how snuck into the penthouse floor of the tower.

Steve also would not claim the squeak that came from him when Tony carefully pushed the biggest toy they had into his ass. The toy that Tony had actually bought on a dare to give to Natasha but then backed out and had to spend an hour with it in his ass as the cost of the dare.

"I modified it." Tony whispered. There was a sound and Steve understood, Tony had turned it into a vibrator, only like none he'd ever felt. It gyrated, it pulsed, it thrusted...it drove Steve over the edge in two minutes flat.
"There we are...now your panting. Bet you haven't had a coherent thought in your head since I kissed you." Tony sounded smug, then his lips were on Steve's. And Steve felt the smugness seeping out of Tony.

"One more before I fuck you, I think. Yeah one more."

Steve keened, the wet heat of Tony's mouth wrapped itself around Steve's hyper sensitive cock. The plug hadn't stopped its gymnastics either. He was going to come again and soon, and he couldn't stop it, hell he didn't want to stop it. He wanted to stall it maybe a little because Tony gave great blowjobs but it wasn't something he did often. Something about Steve's girth and his jaw trying to unhinge...

But he never could outlast Tony in this, the man was to good. Maybe it was all the workouts his tongue got because Tony never shut up... Steve didn't know but he had never lasted more than three minutes with Tony sucking him. This time was no different. Steve came with a string of babble and come.

"Now, for your sweet sweet ass." Tony crowed, kissing Steve, letting the super solider taste himself on Tony's tongue.

"Please... I can't any...no ... more..." Steve tried to pant, tried to speak, tried.

"No you are right where you want to be. Two orgasms from to many. That means you've got one to go."

"No..." Steve whimpered, but his cock betrayed his words and filled again, his ass moving closer to Tony.

Tony didn't speak, he just pressed down on Steve's hips as he pushed in 'till his hips met Steve's.

"You. Know. You're. Going. To. Get. Your. Revenge. You. Know. That. As. Soon. As. You. Wake. Up. You're. Going. To. Be. Plotting. My. Imminent. Demise. And. You. Know. You. Love. Every. Second. Of. This." Every word was punctuated with a hard full thrust. Only Tony could fuck him blind and still talk.

Then Tony did this thing he does, a swirling hip roll thrust that somehow had never once to failed to make him come instantaneously.

@@@

He didn't wake till morning. The lack of hairs stuck together on his cheeks told him Tony had cleaned him up. He felt guilty, and knew he would have to make it up to Tony.

Tony wasn't in their room, it wasn't unusual though. Tony didn't sleep like a normal person. He had tried to talk to him about it when they first got serious and Tony had tried to adjust his sleep cycles with horrid results. They had almost split up because Tony had turned into a huge ass with eight solid hours of sleep. Now Steve only insisted once a week and when Tony was injured.

Steve winced when he got up to shower, he was sore in ways that were hard for him to be sore. The serum fixed most everything in a few hours, which told him how hard Tony really did fuck him last night.

He dressed in loose pants and skipped boxers all together. He made his way to the communal kitchen trying to walk normal so no one would notice.

"You alright punk?" Bucky asked three steps into the dinning area.

Steve's head jerked up, Tony's jerked right and his mother turned around completely as she was in the kitchen at the stove.

"Yes?" Steve answered. His face the color of Tony's vintage Flash Gordon t-shirt.

"Stevie?" His mom's voice sounded as unsure as his had.

"It's fine Mamma." Steve wasn't sure his face could get any redder, the memories of last night flipping past his eyes.

"Young man." Sarah Rogers walked over to Tony, "What did you do to my boy?"

Tony's eyes went wide and then his head dropped and he slipped out of his chair and left so quickly no one had a chance to stop him.

Steve rounded on Bucky, "You asshole. Do you know how much I had to do to get him to accept that my mother likes him? You know how Tony is, you know how insecure he is! Damn it Bucky think. Now I have to go make sure my boyfriend doesn't drink himself to death at eight thirty in the morning. And you get to explain gay sex to my mother."

Bucky's eyebrows shots up and his head wiped to Sarah and to Steve's retreating back, his shoulders sank and he shook his head. "Clint get your bow and quiver."

"Why?" Asked the archer.

"Because I would rather you shoot me than talk to Ma about sex."

"I can shoot you, but I'd only shoot you in the knee. Sorry man, Winter Solider or not, boyfriend or not, Steve is scarier than you." Clint said kissing Bucky's cheek before walking over to Sarah. "Go easy on him. He's still new to everything." He grabbed a sports drink from the fridge, "I'll be in the range if you need me."

That left the terrified solider and the angered mother in the room.

"Tony didn't hurt Steve. There's not much that can hurt, truly hurt, Steve." Bucky whispered.

"What does that mean?" The tone of voice told Bucky he had better not ignore the horrid topic.

"Ma, please. Steve could get away from anyone who wanted to hurt him. Don't make me have this conversation."

"James."

Bucky really hated Hydra right now, he would have died last century. "Tony probably made love to Steve several time last night to keep him from thinking, fretting, worrying about you. That kind of, uh, repetition..." Bucky said with a lame hand gesture, "will make a guy sore. Uh any guy, even one with an advanced healing factor."

"Why would Steve worry?" Sarah asked exasperated again.

"Ma, you're here, that in itself is enough. Plus there's me, I'm not always very stable and I'm shit with change now. Then there's Tony and his truck load of insecurities, we all dumb a shit load of stress-,"

"James!"

"Sorry Ma, solider for seventy years, swearing is literally hard wired in now." Bucky cringed but kept on, "We all dumb a ton of stress on Steve, not that we mean to but he's our leader and we end up doing it. Not to mention just being in this fu- century in general is a stress. Tony wanted Steve to sleep so he made love to Steve 'till he fell asleep. Well I'm guessing on that. I've no clue and really so do not want a clue as to what goes on in their sex life, I have a hard enough time keeping my own straight some days...why did I just say that?" Bucky rolled off the wall he had been leaning on and was gone.

Chapter Text

Sarah blinked at the blank space were her surrogate son had been.

"Mr. Jarvis?"

"Yes Mrs. Rogers?" JARVIS didn't correct her on the title.

"Where is Mr. Stark? I think I need to apologies."

"He and Captain Rogers are in Sir's lab. It might be advisable to wait. Their conversation is quite..." There was a pause, "heated."

"Oh. Still I should try?"

"If you wish ma'am. Step into the elevator."

Sarah followed JARVIS instructions and found herself outside a glass room, the windows darkened but she could see two figures moving inside, could hear the raised voices. She startled when the glass hit the wall near her shoulder and shattered, pieces of glass, and ice and a darkish liquid streaked down the window.

"Tony don't do this please." Steve pleaded. Sarah heard the hurt in his voice. "That wasn't what she meant. You know that."

"Do I? My mom likes you Tony. Everyone likes you. That's the lie you told me right here last night, fuck this morning." Tonys voice was angry and harsh.

"Don't Tony. No one meant any of what you think you heard."

"I don't think what I heard, I know what I heard. Your mother, pissed at me because I fucked her son. I DON'T DO PARENTS! They don't like me Steve. No one does. Not even my own parents liked me. Just go, spend time with your mom. Take Bucky and her to the museum. Show them the exhibit."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"No, the opposite of yes. I'm not leaving you here to drink and wallow. You were hurt Tony," Sarah watched her son pull Tony into his arms, "I'm sorry, it's not like my mom's likely to be up on anal sex, Tony. I don't even know when the last time she had sex was...god I don't want to know when the last time she had sex was. But I doubt very much in the 1940's that happened much. She wouldn't know how much it takes for me to be sore, or why I did like very second of it. And if you need to take me for four more rounds to remind you that I really do enjoy it and you then...I'll walk weird for as many days as it takes for you to understand."

"What am I suppose to understand?"

"That I love you and would do anything to make you happy. That I would spend the rest of my life with a sore ass if it's what made you happy. But I happen to know you prefer to have the sore ass."

Steve's voice had dropped low, Sarah could barley hear what he was saying. She thought she should be scandalized by what her son was saying, but she wasn't. She was happy. Steve wasn't going to let Tony push him away. He was going to fight for his own happiness.

"Say it again," Tony chocked.

"I. Love. You." Each word came with a kiss. Steve turned Tony around and kissed him deeply.

When they broke Steve held Tony tightly, "Different scotch?"

"How the hell could you know that?" Tony asked still wrapped in Steve's arms.

"You taste smokier." Steve said with a shrug.

"Haven't decided if I like it or not. New company, wants an endorsement." Tony explained conversationally.

"Let's go save Bucky from my mom. I'd hate for him to have a relapse over talking to my mom about the homosexual version of the birds and the bees."

"JARVIS would stop it before it got that far."

"Doesn't that thing paralyze everyone?"

"Yeah but he would have told us when Bucky's sats changed."

"As it happens James did just fine." Sarah said stepping into the room. She was glad that Steve held Tony fast when he tried to jerk away at the sound of her voice.

Tony tried to move away again, "Steve you should let me go."

"No."

"Why are we back to that word? I don't like that word and sometimes I don't think it means what you think it means."

"Tony it means no matter how much you ramble, I'm not letting you go."

"Oh okay it does mean what you think it means."

"Is he always like this?"

"Yes." Steve answered his hand covering Tony's mouth.

Sarah nodded once, "I did not mean it to sound like you had tried to hurt Steve. I am still adjusting to the fact that Steve can't really be hurt. In my mind and heart he is still my little boy, so frail, so brave, that he took on more than he should have. In my day if he had come into my kitchen like that, his back and chest would have been livid purples."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Rogers." Tony said swallowing past the emotions of thinking of Steve bruised like that.

"Please don't be, Bucky told me you took care of Steve in the way that he needed. That we have all added a lot of stress to my boy." Sarah took a deep breath and carried on, "If it takes four rounds than that's what he needed. Please do everything you need to, to keep him happy. And if I need to adjust to see him walk funny to keep you happy, than I will." Sarah kissed the astonished cheek of Tony and left the workshop.

"JARVIS!"

"Sir?"

"How long was my mother in the hallway?"

"Since you threw the glass of scotch."

Tony shook his head, "Why didn't you say something?"

"It was in my parameters for her to hear your conversation. It was in your best interests."

Steve dropped his head, chin resting on his chest, "I'm not sure I like your butler anymore Tony."

"I'm not sure I like him either. But he's right. She heard what she needed to know I'm not that much of a monster."

"Tony, you have never been a monster. Look can we please go back upstairs and eat. I'm starving. Someone worked me to death last night."

"Oh please, like you raid the fridge after a usual four orgasm night."

"I do actually, you're just usually so fucked out too, you don't know I've left the bed, let alone the floor."

"Uh, okay."

Chapter Text

They made their way to the dinning area again, this time no one said a word. And everyone was there, Clint was sitting at the furthest seat he could from Loki, but they were in the same room.

Bucky had has metal arm over Clint's chair back, the hand draped over his shoulder, Tony had studied the arm enough to know that it was putting extreme force of Clint's shoulder. No doubt physical keeping him in the chair.

Tony dropped in the empty chair next to Clint, "So I should have the new version of the dummy blades done by tomorrow. You know barring any dead people morphing changelings and moms and brothers coming back from the dead."

"Great." Clint ground out.

"Maybe you and Bucky should take a round or two with the current versions. I did sneak a few altered arrows into the new gym."

Clint turned towards Tony, "Arrows?"

"Well, hand to hand is not your preferred thing. Figured, arrows. No penetration, just surface. Sorry you didn't get to stick one in anyone."

"Tony!" Steve gasped, his head in his hands, elbows on the table. "Ow." Steve jerked at the wooded spoon to the back of his skull.

"Steven Grant Rogers, you do not put your elbows on the table, no matter how naughty your boyfriend sounds at the breakfast table." Then Sarah popped Tony on the head with the same spoon. Bucky lost it, he howled and even his own smack didn't stop him.

"Crap we broke Bucky again." Bruce said into his ever present cup of tea.

"Hey I'll take this break to the other kind any day." Bucky said through hisses and clenched sides.

"Alright you bunch, eat before some villain makes you fight on an empty stomach."

"Well it won't be me," Loki said off handedly, "Your cooking smells to good to ever interrupt."

"Oh I bet you say that to all the mothers." Sarah blushed.

"He better not." Clint growled. Then it was his turn to shout in pain and rub his skull.

"Clinton, he's trying to be nice, please do the same." Sarah said.

"Steve I'm not liking your mom a whole lot right now." Clint said in a stage whisper.

"Good mom's aren't supposed to be liked." Sarah set the last of the platters down. They were heaped with waffles and scrambled eggs and bacon and sausage and ham ...

"Is that a vegetable?" Tony poked at the red thing on the corner of a plater.

"Yes it's a red pepper. JARVIS said that people liked them in with their eggs."

"Steve she has to go. She made VEGETABLES." Tony gripped. "FOR BREAKFAST."

"It's okay Tony you don't have to eat it." Steve patted Tony's leg and laughed.

"I'm not going to. You can't make me."

Steve leaned over, "Oh I bet I could but my mother would tan my hide for doing that at the table."

Tony squeaked and stuffed a to large bite of waffle in his mouth to keep from saying anything he would regret.

"You boys just hush and eat." Sarah called from the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of oatmeal.

"That's not all your eating Mamma?"

"I nibbled while I was cooking. It's fine."

Steve starred at his mother. He stood up, took the bowl away from her and gave her his plate. He put the oatmeal in the refrigerator and got a new plate. "We are not having that argument EVER again Mamma. There is so much food in this place I never want to hear that from you again." Steve sat down and filled his new plate.

"Steven!" Sarah said shocked.

"You don't think I don't know what a crock that is. You used it all the time when I was growing up. I know you went hungry so I would have more to eat, so I'd have more strength to fight what ever was trying to kill me that week. I felt like a prize ass every time you did it then but I knew it would worry you more if I fought you. Now I don't have to worry about being sick every second, and I WILL not let you do it again."

"You weren't suppose to know."

"Mamma I was sickly not stupid." Steve sighed, he pulled her hand to him and kissed it. "I love you, then and now."

Sarah blushed and took her hand back and took a bite of the eggs. Everyone took that as their cue to resume eating.

@@@

The groups finished up and left pairs by pairs, Thor and Loki, then Sif and Natasha, Bruce and Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral, Clint and Bucky, leaving just Steve and Tony.

"Tony had a good idea in the middle of his tantrum earlier."

Tony made a sound of indignation.

"Well you did." Steve said to Tony before turning back to his mom. "There is an exhibit at the Smithsonian. Maybe we could go."

"Steven that's all the way in DC."

"I know it's only a couple hours drive." Steve offered.

"Just take the jet. Happy can fly you down and back. It's fine." Tony said filling his coffee cup.

"I can't just run off to DC. Can I?" Sarah asked.

"Actually you can Mamma. We could go, spend the day, have dinner and be home for lunch tomorrow." Steve smiled.

"Well I, uh suppose." Sarah relented.

"JARVIS fuel up the plane and call Happy. If he's busy with Pepper, get John."

"Certainly, Sir. I took the liberty of checking your schedule, it is clear. I could have the captain's and your bags packed before the driver had the car started."

"JARVIS I am getting the distinct impression you're trying to get rid of me."

"Never Sir."

"Right, remind me to re-write you when I get back because apparently I'm going to DC."

"Of course Sir. Shall I inform the the others?"

"Yes might as well see if the want to make this a team outing."

It ended up being some of the team, and Loki. The Warriors decided to stay with Natasha and Bruce at the tower in case something came up.

Bucky made sure to drag Clint to the front of the jet, and all but shoved him in the copilots seat. "Distract him for awhile."

In the cabin Loki was asking Tony if there was some where else he could be seated.

"I do not want to be a distraction on your adventure with Mrs. Rogers. I should have stayed behind with the others."

"Loki, please. Sit with me." Sarah asked.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Ma'am, no, I would not sully you with my presence."

"Please you think I've never sat next to a criminal before." Sarah got up and walked towards Loki, who walked backwards until he walked into the door of the jet. "Now you come over here and tell me about Frigga."

Loki swallowed, his eyes wide with fear. He looked at each Avenger for help, but none was given. Thor walked to the front and spoke to Bucky, leaving Steve and Tony to watch Loki squirm under Sarah's attention.

"She does understand criminal isn't quite the term to describe Loki right?" Tony asked pouting a shot of whiskey.

"I told her what went down during the battle, even what Thor had told us about what happened before. But Tony he's different. On Asgard, we were waiting for a ship to bring us back to the Bifrost, it showed up out side the window but we couldn't see it. He jumped into it but Mamma and I thought he had jumped. When he saw the look on her face...he apologized. And meant it. Thor even said he was different. I'm not saying trust him but maybe just be less paranoid?

Tony shrugged, "Well we'll see. Clint will be first in line to off him if he hasn't changed."

"That's another thing. He had just come back from the dead but was willing to let Clint kill him again."

"Steve you know me I'm always paranoid. You watch and I'll be paranoid for the both of us."

Steve smiled, "Fine."

It took just over an hour to fly into DC. There was a limo waiting for them. Sarah was the first in and dragged Loki with her. Again his eyes pleaded for help but still none was given. Bucky made sure Clint was last in, keeping plenty of distance between them.

Chapter Text

The exhibit was amazing. Tony stayed with Steve the entire time. Clint did the same for Bucky. The exhibit had been updated with the information of Bucky capture and torture. Sarah cried at a Hydra archived picture of Bucky post amputation, but pre prosthetic. Loki held her around her shoulders and magicked up a handkerchief for her. She leaned into his lithe frame before turning to Bucky. She pulled him into a tight embrace and cried a little harder.

Tony felt like an ass, he shouldn't have suggested the exhibit. It was proof the her son and best friend had been hurt. Not something a mother wants to see.

"Tony, stop." Steve said a hand wrapping around his waist. "I would have taken her here eventually."

"Yeah not the next day after she came back from the dead."

"It's fine. Now it won't shatter some idea she builds up."

"Sure you're just trying to alleviate my guilt." Tony sighed.

"Is it working?"

Tony mumbled, "Yes."

"Good. Come on," Steve took Tony's hand and pulled him towards Loki.

"Captain."

"Loki."

"Would you please explain to your mother I am not good company for someone as pure as she is?"

"My mom is head strong, she was a widow longer than she was a wife. Sarah Rogers is going to do what ever she wants." Steve chuckled.

"You could always just tell her you don't like her." Tony offered.

"I do like her. She is sweet and pure...and all the things I am not, nor ever will be." Loki sounded incredibly sad. "And her food would make even Odin weep."

"Aye that it would." Thor confirmed, joining the group. "Captain, you fought valiantly against your foes." Thor waved a hand at the grainy wartime photos.

Steve shrugged, "You would have gotten Schmidt at that first base. Then you could have taken the Tesseact home."

"But I would not have known to save Sargent Barnes or the other Howling Commandos. And Midgard would have been short heroes." Thor clamped a hard on Steve's shoulder. "It was as it needed to be." Then the Thunder God wondered away.

"Is he always like that?" Tony asked Loki.

"No. It is since Jane. Before he reveled in war. It was his mistress, if we were not to battle for longer than a fortnight, he would search out someone with whom to start a brawl." Loki watched his brother. "He is calm now in a way that he has never had in his life. I am sorry it took me trying to kill him for him to find it. But as he said it was as it needed to be."

Loki wondered away as well but didn't make it far before Sarah was beside him. And being a gentleman he held his arm out and she took it.

"Steve don't kill me."

Steve raised an eyebrow and waited.

"Uh I think they have a crush on each other."

Steve looked down at Tony, using his extra height to his advantage. "Please tell me that's some sick joke."

"No. Look at them. Not as your mom and mass murder. But just two people."

Steve turned and tried to shift away the knowledge he had of the two people walking away. There was a sway to Sarah's hips he never remembered seeing. Her shoulders were relaxed and back. Her head was tipped ever so slightly towards Loki. Like she was constantly waiting to hear him say something.

Loki's steps were shorter than Steve had remembered in the palace, or on the heicarrior. They matched Sarah's. His arm out at his side, her hand on top of his arm, his other hand draped softy across her's. He leaned slightly down and to the side each time he spoke. His words always overly polite.

"I think I may have to kill him." Steve said.

Tony smiled. "Not good enough for Mom."

"No one is idiot." Bucky chipped in behind them.

Tony turned to look at Bucky, "So still you Barnes? No need for a trip down memory free lane."

"Stark I still owe you a beat down in the gym." Bucky said eyes on Sarah and Loki.

"And your going to keep on owing me."

"Are you sure I can't put an arrow in his eye socket?" Clint said.

"Are we even sure he can die? He came back from the dead? Are we sure either of them can?" Steve asked, a shiver of dread running down his spine.

"Look you said the soul thingy said she was fine." Clint offered.

"I know sorry. Still working on accepting." Steve said then took a deep breath. "We should go, we are still going to get lunch right?"

"Yes stomach we are getting you food." Tony laughed.

"Not my fault."

"I know, the serum. Come on let's find a place that won't die from two gods, one super solider, one extra special solider, an archer, and two old people."

"Wow not often you call yourself old Tony."

"Um I'm almost the same age as Steve's mom guys."

"Don't Tony. Please not today." Steve stopped walking and pulled Tony into his arms. "I'm afraid everyday that I'm going to wake up and you won't be next to me."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

Steve nodded, swallowing past the dread he walked to catch up with the rest.

"So what are we hungry for?" Tony said, rubbing his hands together.

@@@

"Don't look at me." Sarah said hands up, "I don't even know what there is to try to pick."

"Nor I." Loki said.

"Five Guys." Thor offered. "Did it not start in your nations Capitol?"

"No, well not in, but near." Tony answered.

"Burgers it is." Clint ended the conversation by walking out of the museum.

Sarah scowled.

"Don't, he had every reason to hate me. I honestly wish we had fought yesterday. Maybe he would have burned some of it off." Loki said following the archer out the door.

"We should go so he doesn't kill him." Bucky said.

"James, Loki wouldn't..."

"No Ma I meant Clint killing Loki. He still has night terrors about Loki taking over his mind. Between the two of us I'm surprised we ever get any sleep." Bucky explained before he jogged out to the pair.

"My lady, once upon a time I would have agreed with you, Loki wouldn't do those things but he has. He if different since his return but I would be more guarded. I love my brother, but I do not yet trust him."

Sarah nodded, "You know his past, I only see your future. He is different."

Steve jerked. His mother had never been anything other than pragmatic. She couldn't afford it. "Mamma?"

"I know Steve." Then she walked away to.

"What the hell was that?" Tony asked.

"No idea. But I don't like it."

"Come let us feast and toil on the query that is our kin." Thor said, false cheer pouring through.

Lunch was, despite the nervous, a boisterous affair. Five Guys were use to being more or less over run by celebrities and their staff, even presidents. So they were not at all flustered when Tony walked in. However when it got down to the ordering...well the staff could only do so much to keep up with the appetites of a god, a super solider, and a special solider. The rest ordering the normal amount of food. Loki only ordering that of a growing teenage boy.

When the first wave was delivered, Sarah saw the comparison of Loki's one order to Thor's first order and asked about it.

"My lady, I have never had the appetite of Thor. Even on Asgard, few do. I have only seen Volstagg out consume him."

"Volstagg when in a snit can out eat that of an entire hall." Thor laughed.

"Oh he's one of them." Sarah laughed.

Bucky chuckled, "Mary Wilson."

Steve laughed, "Oh when they caught her husband with...oh man."

"Hey now you can't say something like that and not finish." Tony whined.

"Mary's husband, Jack got caught with the neighborhood, oh dear. Um prostitute." Sarah finished. "But he wasn't just um using her charms." Sarah's face kept getting redder.

"She blushes just like you Steve." Clint laughed.

"Oh hush. He um liked to dress up. Like her."

"Oh good old cross dressing." Tony snickered.

"It wasn't done then Tony." Steve said.

"Oh I know. So I'm guessing Mary eat her way through the shame."

"Oh yes," Sarah picked up the story again. Told them all about Mary's exploding sweet tooth, and waist line. About Jack's sudden need to take a job in San Francisco.

"You know there is a review playing here, we could get tickets." Tony offered, "those girls aways have a set of pipes."

"A review?" Loki questioned.

"Yeah, Drag Queens singing. Uh Men dressed up like woman, sometimes comically, sometimes so good your not sure they are men." Tony explained.

"This is a form of entertainment?" Thor asked.

"Sure. Great music and dancing. And they usually ham it up a bit so laughing. This idea is way better than my last idea."

Chapter Text

At the club Tony said, "This was such a bad idea. How could I have two bad ideas in one day?"

The bouncer had let them in immediately, and they had been ushered up to the V.I.P lounge, this was nothing new, he was Tony Stark after all.

However Tony had not taken in to count his comrades hotness factors. Tony walked into a gay bar with five stupidly handsome men and an attractive woman.

Clint and Bucky were being fawned over, Steve had a bevy of pretty boys trying to get his attention, Thor the same. Loki had both pretty boys and burley men trying for his attention. Sarah even had her own groupies, more pretty boys trying to get motherly attention.

"What was I thinking? Tony wondered into his drink.

"Well I don't know what you were thinking sugar but I know what's bouncing in my lobes." The tanned man all but drooled.

"Hey hey no bouncing lobes of any sort." Tony snapped. Literally he snapped his fingers in front of their servers eyes.

"You can't blame a girl?" The man said turning on a popped out hip, sashaying away.

"I can to. Their all taken, well most of them are taken." Tony clarified with a quick thought to Loki who was in fact single. Leaning over to Steve, Tony said ,"Maybe I should have JARVIS work on finding someone for Loki. Keep him from being step-" Tony was cut off mid word by a hand clamped across his lips.

"Do not finish that word."

Tony was spared further chances at stupidity when the house lights dimmed and the V.I.P. bouncers shooed everyone out.

The show had all the bigs: Liza, Cher, Madonna, well two of them, 80's Like a Virgin version and 90's cone bra version, Tina, Lady Gaga, even a very good Taylor Swift. They sang, danced, poked fun at each other and themselves and pitched various charities that needed help in the local LGBT community. Tony made sure each got 100k. Then felt guilty and made it 500k because really they could use the money and well, tax right off.

He checked out the new arrivals ever so often to make sure everyone was still having a good time. Thor laughed loudest, Loki was holding his sides in a way that showed how little he had laughed lately if his sides hurt from what little he laughed today. Sarah giggled and drank her fizzy pop as she called it. Tony even checked on Bucky but found he didn't need to. He was laughing at the show, even singing along with a song or two.

Tony didn't bother with Clint, the archer was capable of taking care of himself. And he knew how Steve was doing. Steve was just fine. His hand had sneaked under the table and was even now resting on his thigh.

@@@

After the show they wondered the city 'till Thor suggested feasting again.

Tony called their driver and gave instructions to be taken to Great American Steak and Buffet. He would show Thor and Loki Midgard's version of feasting.

Thor did in fact feast, the entire restaurant amazed at the amount the thunder God consumed. Steve eat nearly as much. Bucky maybe half what Steve ate. The rest keeping to one plate each appetizers entires and desserts. Though Sarah's dessert plate was heaping.

"Mary Wilson was not the only one with a tooth for sweets." Loki joked as he stole a cookie from Sarah's plate.

Sarah blushed, "Sugar was rationed when I was alive."

Loki just smiled and turned away. Tony saw the glimmer of tenderness in his eyes. He watched the Mage and saw the things he did for Sarah. In just one day he had become her touchstone. Which was odd in that Loki was not from here. Or maybe that's what made sense, he was as out of place as Sarah was.

Tony caught Clint watching to, a furrow on his eyebrows. Clint rose to refill his drink and Tony followed.

"I'm not crazy right?" Tony asked

"Unless he's fucking with all of us, no I see it to. Don't want to, but I see it."

"Sarah said something at the museum. Thor tried to remind her of the evil Loki had done but she said we knew his past and she knew his future. Shook Steve up a bit."

"Think the coming back thing gave her something extra?" Clint said adding Mountain Dew to the mix he had already poured into his cup.

"What are you six? A Graveyard out of soda?" Tony commented pouring whiskey in his cup before adding a splash of Pepsi.

"You holding out on the good stuff Stark?" Clint asked at the appearance of the flask.

"Yeah, I have three mother hens sitting over there." Tony tipped his head towards the group before popping it open and dumping a good strong shot into Clint's cup.

"Three?"

"Steve, Sarah and Thor. Thinking about having to up that to four though, Bucky is giving me a dirty look."

"Yeah but that's at me not you. He's probably afraid I'll get shitfaced and stab Loki while we're walking out of here."

"Would you?"

"No it would fuck up the whole day, Sarah doesn't deserve that."

Tony nodded and walked away. He swung by the manager and asked what the bill was.

"A picture for the web page? Seriously a photo of you here would be worth more than the fee we charge, " the manager stammered.

"Fine but not of the woman or the black haired man. If I see them any where I'll own this joint and bulldoze it because I can." Tony said his voice stern.

"No Sir. I'll send them to you before their posted."

Tony nodded and returned to the soda machine adding more Pepsi. At the table he told the group about the request. Sarah offered to take the picture but it took ten minutes to explain how the phone could be a camera and no just point and touch that part of the screen. Laughing and giggles ensued, photo bomb and rabbit ears appeared and at the end it was the manager who whose picture that showed everyone laughing and relaxed with Loki turned enough to stay in the picture without starting a world riot that he was back.

Which honestly Tony was surprised hadn't already happened, they had been out all day. When they left Tony asked, "Are you disguising yourself?"

"Not so much, just a light spell to keep anyone of thinking of my appearance for to long."

"No ones going to remember they saw Loki, Destroyer of New York later?"

"No."

"Honesty, well how about you tell me how much of that show in New York was you?" Tony pressed.

"Enough." Loki whispered, pain leaching into each letter of the single word.

"And now?"

"I would beg for Barton's arrow before harming another soul on this rock."

Loki was gone and at the hood of the car fast enough, Tony was sure he had control of most, if not all of his magic.

"Well shit. That's what I get for asking." Tony turned and took a shot from the skin warmed flask. Before he could put it away, a hand wrapped around his, pulling the flask away. It was such an intimate act he knew it was Steve, not Clint trying to get another swig.

"Tony..." The voice soft and held no condemnation. Which in itself was enough to spike Tony's guilt.

"I know."

"I do understand. It is an addiction." The words ripping out Tony's heart.

"I'm better?" He tried again.

"You are. You try. That's all I ask."

"Because you didn't ask for an alcoholic boyfriend." Tony tried to joke.

The hand stilled him, grounded him when he tried to pull away, to walk away. "I have exactly who I want, and he is exactly the way I want him."

"Right, sure." Tony swallowed and pulled away despite Steve using his strength. "So where shall we bunk? Or do we just want to call it a night and head back to the tower?" Again his hands rubbed together like a bad B movie villain. "Wait best idea of the day. The Willard. Sarah you will love it."

Chapter Text

And she did. Tony had managed to secure the James Adams and the Matthew Perry suites. Though getting the Perry suite required Clint and Loki sharing a suite. That particular suite had a master bedroom and a second bedroom with two queen sized beds.

Clint promised no mayhem or blood shed started by him. It was the best Tony could hope for.

Everyone dropped into chairs in the Adam's suite. Tony refused to admit his feet hurt. And maybe his knee, okay his hip. But hey he had a right to have a few aches and pains, he'd been thrown around a few times over the years, tortured...

Steve watched Tony shift in his chair like he couldn't get comfortable. Which with the amount of walking they had done, he was probably a little sore. He made an exit to the bathroom, looking in their kit and found the two things he was looking for, Tylenol and massage oil. He grabbed a couple glasses of scotch and handed one to Tony, while dropping the pills in his hand.

Tony raised an eyebrow in question. Steve shrugged not wanting to bring attention to it. Tony knew Steve was against medication and alcohol but he also knew that the low dosage was nothing compared to thing Tony normally mixed.

He distracted everyone with the view while Tony chased the little capsules. It wasn't long before Clint was yawning and Bucky was ushering him along to their suite. Thor and Loki followed shortly after. Steve watched his mom sleep for a few minutes before tipping his head towards her room letting Tony know what he was up to.

Tony nodded and headed to their room. Steve had set the oil and a towel on the bed as a silent offer to Tony. He could be a little touchy at times about Steve taking care of him.

Steve slipped off his mom's shoes and her jacket. He wished Sif or Natasha had come so they could get her a little more comfortable but it was the best he was willing to do.

In his room Tony had laid out the towel and stripped down. Steve was always amazed at Tony's lack of inhibitions.

Steve was use to male nudity...being an artist and in the army would do that to a guy. But Tony was neither. Tony just didn't have a shy bone in his body. He was very insecure, but he fought it be shoving everyone else's insecurities in their face.

"I didn't know if you would let me or not." Steve said pulling his shirt off. He stripped down and slipped onto the bed with Tony.

"Like I'm going to pass up your fingers."

"On you, not in you." Steve clarified.

"Yes because you are soooo good at keeping that resolve. Besides at this point a good massage might be good as an orgas- what the hell am I saying? I am not that old damn it."

Steve swallowed the dread again and warmed the oil in his hands. He didn't comment, Tony wouldn't want him to. Instead he poured everything he had into working out the knots Tony twisted himself into. Each knot was met with the same sounds, hiss at its discovery, whimper as it was worked out and moan of satisfaction at its release. When the last knot gave Tony sighed.

"You still going to keep the external only? You know how good it is when I'm all soft and pliant." The husky tone of his voice always got Steve.

"Does seem a waste not to take my time with you in the ridiculously expensive suite." Steve kissed along Tony's as he slipped a still slick finger between Tony's cheeks. "And you are always so relaxed I can almost slip into you without any help."

"Bet you could anyways." Tony offered, still in post massage bliss.

"Never. Won't ever hurt you." Steve vowed, though honestly it only took a moment to stretch Tony far enough for him to press in. "You're always so perfect." Steve chocked out, his emotions constricting his throat. "So wonderful wrapped around me."

Steve did take his time, kissed every inch of Tony's back he could reach, each stroke was slow and languid. He loved when Tony let him take him apart making love to him.

To often they tore each other apart, sometimes literally. More than once Tony had had to repair the suit because Steve had to get to Tony, now. And he'd had to repair Steve's armor just as many times because Tony needed Steve, now.

They made slow love until Tony cried out a soft drawn out whimper, Steve stroked Tony through it, the clenching around his cock enough to send him over but he wouldn't let it until Tony shivered and let out the soft groan. Then Steve let the release of his body slip. He dropped slowly onto Tony's back, both men shivered at the contact. Steve kissed Tony shoulder, pressing his lips to the salt coated skin for long seconds. When he pulled away he spoke for the first time in an hour, "I love you with everything I am and will ever be."

He shifted when Tony turned towards him, the tear rolling over the bridge of his nose. "I would walk away from everything for you." Tony's voice was a wreck of emotions, every one of them showing in his eyes.

Steve kissed Tony chastely. He moved further and pulled Tony into his arms. The pair curled around each other and drifted off to a satisfied sleep.

Chapter Text

Steve woke up hours later. Tony shivered a little, they had never gotten under the sublime blankets. He scooped Tony up and set him under the blankets warmed by their bodies. He watched Tony snuggle into the warmth before kissing his temple. He had gotten enough sleep for now. He took a shower and got dressed in a pair of pants that he could run in if he decided to but were comfortable enough to laze about in. He picked up a random note pad and a pen, he walked to the window and sketched the view. He heard a sound but when he tried to listen for it again it was gone. Returning to the drawing for a minute, he heard it again. Setting the pad down he walked back to Tony, but he was exactly where he had left him. He walked through the suite, listening. At the door of his mother's room he heard it again. A soft whimper and a sob.

He opened the door slowly, "Mamma?" No sound returned. Steve waited but the room stayed silent. Deciding it was just a passing dream Steve turned to leave, as he pulled the door closed the sound returned.

Steve frowned. He walked into the room fully, "Mamma? Are you awake?" He ventured to the bed and waited. His vision was enhanced enough he could make out her form under the covers. He turned on the bed side lamp and found her drenched in sweat and her face in a mask of fear.

"Mamma! Wake up. Mamma." Steve shook her gently. Trying to slowly bring her out of the nightmare she was in. He had been jerked out of enough night terrors to know it sucked. Each sob hurt, he picked her up and cradled her in his lap, rocking her, trying to sooth her. Finally her eyes fluttered open and she gasped, going ridged in Steve's arms. "Mamma, it's okay. It Stevie. Shush. It's okay. You're alright. You're safe. Shush...shush." Sarah turned into his arms and cried into his chest.

Steve held her 'till she stopped and carried her to the bathroom. He pulled a robe free from the wall and wrapped her in it. He set her down long enough to start a warm bath. Sarah hadn't said a word but the blank stare was scaring Steve.

Once the tub was full he turned to her. "Mamma. Hey hey can you look at me?" He hid his wince when she did. The despair that showed was not something ever wanted to see in anyone's eyes let alone their moms.

"Can you get undressed? You should take a bath. You're all sweaty. Do you need help?" His voice a soft whisper. He knew he was sounding more like when he was a child. His voice going higher and softer. "Mommy?"

Sarah blinked and was suddenly back. "Oh Steve, baby. I am alright."

"Do you want help?"

"No. Maybe just, could you not leave?"

"Sure I can stay. I'll just um.." He turned and sat in front of the closed door. When her heard the water slash he slipped backwards until his back rested against the tub. "Do you want to tell me? It helps if I tell Tony."

"I don't know if I can. It's a bit of a jumble." Sarah's voice was small.

Steve nodded. "We both have nightmares. I see Bucky fall over and over again." Steve whispered. "Sometimes it's Tony who I can't catch."

"Oh baby."

"Sometimes it's the ice. The bitter cold surrounding me." A warm hand on his shoulder, he leaned his cheek against it. "As much as it scares me. I would do it again."

"There was so much black. Little pin pricks of light but mostly just black. Then agony. Not constant. Random I never knew when it was going to strike."

"It's over now Mamma." Steve reached up and held the hand on his shoulder.

"It wasn't my pain though baby. It was Loki's. I could see his hands, his arms. His legs. They broke him. Then I saw poor James. Felt the fever from the infection that took his arm. They let it stay like that. For weeks. He was half mad before they ever touched him. Oh baby," Sarah gasped for breath. "I saw Tony. Your brave sweet Tony. They tried to drown him so many times. In that horrid cave with a battery to keep him alive. I don't want to know their pain. But I do now."

Steve felt the hand draw away and heard the water move as Sarah rocked in the bath. He turned and kept his eyes on his mother's face. "Their all safe now. They made it through. Their safe and sound."

"But not whole Stevie. Their souls are shattered. They walk and their souls hold their forms but they're so broken."

"That's why we keep loving them. So their souls keep their forms. So they don't fall to pieces."

"It hurts to know this Stevie. My souls hurts for them. Even seeing what Loki did. Knowing what everyone has told me I hurt for him. Maybe I hurt more for him because no one wants to hold him together. I dreamt last night." Sarah said, her eyes in the wall in front of her.

"He watched someone fall from that bridge. Not wanting them to. He fought to catch them with everything he had. He screamed in fear. He had saved so many. He had taken care of so many that it would have washed his soul clean but he couldn't save this person."

Steve watched a tear roll down her cheek. "He came back so different than he left. He isn't that man anymore."

"They live so many more life times than us, Mamma. He's already lived more than I will even with the serum."

Sarah looked at Steve. "I don't think so." Sarah looked back to the wall and didn't say another word.

It was a bit before Sarah spoke, "You should go be with Tony baby. I'll be okay."

"No I'm here if you need me."

A soft laugh, "Sweetie, the waters getting cold."

"Oh!" Steve scrambled up and pulled towels from the rack setting them on the toilet. "If you need me please come get me." He said, his eyes closing as he pasted the mirror.

"I'm alright now."Sarah confirmed, Steve heard the water slosh and a step on the floor before he closed the door.

His mind drained, he walked to Tony, slipped out of his clothes and pulled Tony to him, wary. He was asleep after his second breath.

Chapter Text

He woke to brown eyes, and a hand rubbing his arm.

"Not that I'm complaining but you are never in bed asleep when I wake up."

Steve pulled Tony closer and kissed him. "Mamma had a night mare. It was hard to deal with."

"I suppose coming back to life after 80 years entitles you to a few." Tony nuzzled Steve's cheek.

"She dreamt of Loki's torture. Of Bucky's." Steve sighed, "And your's. I never told her any details. I didn't want those things in my mom's mind. She knew about the battery, the water boarding."

Tony went still. "No one needs those things in their mind."

"She told me she dreamt of black with pin points of light. Then pain but in random patterns. Said she could see Loki's hands, legs. Said Bucky was half mad with fever from the infection from his arm before they even tried to look at it. That they knew. I didn't tell her anything about Loki's fall. And I didn't know about Bucky. He doesn't even know." Steve felt the tears sting his eyes. "She said she dreamed of Loki the night before. Dreamt he was on the Bifrost again. He had saved a lot of people. Said it had washed his soul clean of what he'd done. But he was on the bridge trying to catch someone and he couldn't."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. My mom was never one to have "the sight" or whatever. Or she never said anything. She's Irish and she never talked about fairies or anything like that. But how could she know about you Tony? It's not mentioned anywhere she could have found. No one would have told her in the two days she's been back."

"We'll keep an eye on her. I can't believe I'm about to say this...but let's talk to Loki. He would understand better how he's different. And how much would be from magic and how much would be a personality shift for lack of any thing better." Tony offered.

Steve shrugged. He had been the one to suggest that Loki was some how less evil.

"Come on. It's time for your hourly feeding." Tony joked hoping to get Steve to at least call him on the crappy joke.

It worked.

"Are you back to calling me a baby again?"

"If baby's first shoe fits..." Tony rolled away before Steve could pin him, but he was a half a second to slow. Steve got a hand on his shoulder and dragged him back into his arms, then rolled them so Tony was pinned to the bed while Steve straddled him.

"You let kids straddle you often?" Steve asked one eyebrow up, a smile across his face.

"No. Not really the Santa type. Rather the van dyke than the full beard you know."

"Bet if I asked you'd grow it out." Steve leaned down and kissed along Tony's jaw.

"I'd rather you didn't...ask." Tony gasped as a kiss turned into a nip.

"I happen to love you like this." Steve nipples on Tony's earlobe.

"I sort of like you like this to."

"You know the others are going to come in soon demanding food." Steve growled.

"Um shower? They wouldn't interrupt us in the shower...would they? Hygiene and stuff?" Tony whimpered.

"Could do that." Steve rolled away pulling Tony with him. He didn't do it often, Tony hated being reminded how strong Steve was. But in this instance he wrapped himself around Steve like a lamprey and kissed Steve blind.

Steve wasn't sure how they managed it but they got his pants off and in the shower without breaking the kiss.

Tony was still lose from the night before so Steve was able to sink into him in one push.

Both of them moaned into the kiss. Finally Tony broke it and let his head fall back. Steve always made sure to put Tony's back to the spray so it didn't accidentally catch Tony in the face.

It wasn't long before Tony was cover him in thick white stripes and Steve followed as soon as he felt the warm come hit his chest. He held onto Tony though it all. He pressed his back up against the cool tiles and kissed Tony again.

"We should clean up before we test that theory of them not crashing a shower." Tony grumbled.

"Maybe I don't care. Maybe I want them to see my ass and my cock buried in you?" Steve whispered.

"Yeah. Now I'm wondering if your one of those changeling things. My Steve doesn't say things like that."

"I think them all the time. I don't voice them." Steve felt the blush creep over his face.

"Is my little Stevie a naughty boy?"

Steve shivered, "Maybe um you shouldn't go there, Tony. Sounds a little to much like something my mom-"

"I would never say that. But if you two don't get out of that shower, I'll be saying something else."

Steve jerked around to find his mom standing in the doorway, back to them and hand over her eyes. Steve dropped his head on to Tony's shoulder. "How long have you been standing there?" Steve groaned.

"Just long enough to wonder what kind of thoughts you have. But I really don't want to know. Just get out of there please. Thor says he's famished." With that Sarah was gone.

"Why couldn't it have been Bucky? Or Clint." Tony groaned.

"Because we used up all our luck finding each other?" Steve said pulling away from Tony.

"Little bit of luck left, she didn't actually see or hear anything."

"Right."

@@@

Steve and Tony joined the others quickly. Steve's face was stuck on permanent blush however.

"Hey Tony?" Clint called across the room.

Tony raised an eyebrow in response at the summons.

"You got any of the makeup Peppers always slapping on you after a fight? Think Steve might need a little. He's looking like Rudolph over there." Clint chuckled at the joke. Tony even smiled at it.

Everyone else in the room, well it was lost on them.

"It's so much better when Natasha and Bruce are here for these things." Tony answered.

"Yeah not as much fun when you and I are it." Clint shrugged.

"So I was thinking for breakfast, The Mosaic Café. They have this chef he does wonderful things with waffles. And they have full breakfasts for famished Thunder Gods. And ravenous super soldiers." Tony added turning to Steve.

"I'm not ravenous, Tony." Steve sighed.

Steve saw the glimmer in Tony's eyes and was up to cover Tony's mouth to keep him from saying what ever he was going to say. But he was to late.

"Oh so it wasn't you who ravished me this morn-"

"Tony." Steve growled. And then glared as Tony's tongue darted out and licked his palm suggestively.

Bucky laughed and Loki joined him. It took only a second for Clint and Thor to laugh as well. Sarah just shook her head.

"Boys really. I believe Tony mentioned waffles. And I am ravenous. So shall we."

Steve would not admit to the sound he made equaling that of a squeak but if Tony had Jarvis to play it back, that's what it would be.

Chapter Text

Tony called ahead to let the staff know they are coming, because well, Thor and Steve require a little extra help. Chef Thierry Jugnet is happy to call in an extra chef and can't wait to meet Steve. After all he was French and Steve helped out a lot in France.

Tony was always grateful that his reputation was one that got him everything he wanted, but he loved it even more when the people catering to his every whim din't act like he's god's gift. He's always laughed at the scene in Pretty Woman where Julia's character says "Edward would love that tie." Sure great find another tie, don't give me yours.
This was that kind of place, make everyone happy with out the sycophant vibe.
The waffles were fluffy and delicious, Sarah had four. Loki ate five himself. Clint and Bucky each had four along with Eggs Benedict. Tony had a waffle and Eggs Benedict as well. But Steve and Thor, Chef Jugnet, was weeping in his kitchen Tony was sure. They ordered two each of the hearty breakfasts as well as one of each of the waffle combinations, and three omelets.

Like the night before, there was some tension between Clint and Loki, but all in all everyone had fun and groaned at full tummies.

There was a discussion of more site seeing or heading back to New York. Steve being the adult of the group said they should head back in case they were needed. Tony tried to get him to play hooky but he saw the looks on both Rogers's and Barnes's faces told him it was a lost cause, so he called the airfield and told them to get ready.

It didn't take long and they were on their way back to responsibilities.

@@@

On the return flight Steve talked to Thor, Sarah having commandeered Tony.

"So Steve told me a little about you."

"Um usually I always say it's all lies but it's Steve, so what ever it is its true." Tony tried to joke but knew it was falling flat.

"What should he have told me?" Sarah asked.

Tony wasn't sure how to answer that. Sarah's tone wasn't one he could pin. He shrugged, "I'm a workaholic, alcoholic, commitmentphobe, neurotic, billionaire, genius, philanthropist."

"Those are labels people have stuck on you." Sarah sighed.

"But their accurate labels. Honestly I'm probably the worst person for Steve. He's constantly having to yank me back from the brink of insanity. And let's face it, I'm not going to be giving him any kids, which he totally deserves."

"But that's not who you are." Sarah tried again. "What about your parents?"

"Are the reason I'm crazy." Tony said with a dry laugh. "My dad's the one who help Steve look like Steve. He and Dr. Erskine worked together. When Steve's plane went down, he spent years looking for him. And yea loyalty, but he was there more for a frozen Steve than he ever was for me. He turned into a mean drunken ass. And Maria, well not that much better. There was some good times. But when I needed them most they were gone and then they were dead."

"Tony, some people just shouldn't be parents, but as much heart ache as you've had, I'm glad that your here. Steve has never been very good at being happy. But I can see with you, he is. He watches you the way a lover should. He can't not look for you if your not by his side. And it's not the possessive kind of watching but the constant need to make sure your happy and safe. He use to look for Bucky that way, but different at the same time. That was the brother kind, the best friend you've known all of your life you can remember kind. This is different. His eyes are soft and there's just the barest of smile."

Tony didn't know what to say so just rocked the ice in his drink. Which was strictly soda at this point.

"How about where did you go to school?" Sarah asked.

Tony smiled and started on his biography schpeal.

@@@

Thor had paused their conversation to answer a text from Jane, so Steve watched his mom and Tony. He knew she must have asked about Howard the way Tony tried to shut down. Then she must have asked about his education because Tony's media face came out, but it was softened. The smile was a little more legitimate, his eyes a little less fierce. The tone that carried was less sarcastic than Steve had heard it over the years in interviews.

"I am glad you have someone which to share your affection, Steven."

Steve smiled, no matter how many times they tried Thor was just no good at using nicknames. Even after the two years he had lived on Earth.

"Uh thanks. It's not always easy to like Tony, but no matter how mad I get at him for his insanity, I still love him. And I don't know what I'll do when he's gone."

"You have many years together." Thor's voice soft and understanding.

"I know. It's just, I don't like to think about it. It was really hard to lose Buck, and a few of the guys we went of missions with, but it wouldn't be the same when I lose Tony. Because it's not even an if, but a when. It's very unlikely that he'll out live me."

"Is there a way to replicate what was done to you or to Sargent Barnes? To give Anthony some of those benefits?"

Steve shook his head. "All the data for the formula from mine was lost when Dr. Erskine died. And Hydra's version was so unstable that Bucky's lucky he's alive at all."

Thor's face was grim and worried. "We will have to vigilant to insure you have as many years as possible with Anthony."

"Thanks Thor. What did Jane have to say?" Steve asked get the topic off his fears of Tony.

Thor smiled, "She will be waiting for us when we land. Her flight is landing a half hour before ours."

"She going to be okay with the return of Loki?"

"She was most angry when I released him to help with the Aether. She did vent some then so she may more tolerant. And his rouse on Svartalfheim that saved us both but cost him his life..." Thor trailed off.

"I know. When we get back I need to talk to him. There are some things that I need to ask. He might understand things more than my mother. She is different as well." Steve explained.

"I will relay your concerns."

"Thanks."

"I believe this adventure has helped Clinton and James. They seem less worn."

"I hope so. Clint mentioned that Bucky's flashback had lessened but he still had nightmares almost nightly."

"And Clinton's dreams?" Thor inquired.

"He didn't say. But Bucky has told me that they are getting better."

Thor nodded. He looked towards Loki. He had sat in a seat the farthest from Clint and appeared to sleep but Thor knew better. The line of his shoulders was wrong for him to slumber. His breathing was shallow and even but to even. His eyes did not move as they should when one slept.

Chapter Text

At the bottom of the ladder to the jet, Jane glared at Loki, punched him in the shoulder and hugged him, in that order.

Loki was confused most by the hug. "You people are far to forgiving. And confusing."

"Get use to it." Jane said letting herself be pulled into an all encompassing embrace from Thor.

Thor turned to Sarah and introduced the two woman to which Jane exclaimed, "Finally someone normal."

"I'm not sure I qualify as normal Dr. Foster."

"Of course you are. You're more normal that Natasha, Darcy or Sif."

"I haven't met Darcy."
Tony spoke up, "Darcy is an acquired taste. She's Jane's intern. She was studying political science when Jane placed her ad."

"But Jane is a..." Sarah started.

"We know." Tony chuckled.

"We love her anyways. She's actually very helpful." Clint said. "Let's get back to the tower. I miss my bow."

Bucky shook his head. "I miss my knives, don't see me bitch- uh whining about it." Bucky glanced over at Sarah. "Sorry Ma."

"I suppose I'll have to get use to it. All you boys have dirty mouths."

The two sets of men currently sleeping with each other turned varying shades of scarlet and walked away before Sarah could reach and hit one of the four as their collective minds went straight into the gutter.

"And yes, dirty minds as well." Loki added.

Sarah shook her head this time and pulled Loki's arm from his side and wrapped her arm around it. "Should we see which car Tony has for us this time?"

Loki suppressed the urge to shiver at Sarah's closeness.

It took over an hour to get back to the tower. Once there the groups paired off to retreat to their spaces, but not before Loki tried to politely extract himself from Sarah but she wouldn't hear of it. She told him that Thor and Jane should have a few hours alone and promised to make cookies if he came with her. The rest of the group was in the common area where Jarvis had deposited everyone so the whole group was witness to Loki being browbeaten into baking by a mortal woman who barley came to his chin, and who possessed no fighting skills what so ever.

Thor didn't bother to fight the smile that took over his face at the scene before him, he glanced at his friends and saw a smirk on Sif's lips, bafflement in Fandral's features, a single raised eyebrow from Hogun, and look of glee on Volstagg's face, though he suspected that was more for the confection that was being debated. He nodded to his group of friends and wrapped an arm around Jane's shoulders and retreated to his floor.

Steve shook his head, he wasn't sure what he thought about his mother haranguing Loki to get him to bake with her. At this moment he just wanted to find some place quiet and draw for a few hours. He bumped his elbow into Tony's arm and nodded towards the elevator. Tony smiled and nodded, the pair disappeared. Steve knew the workshop wouldn't actually be quiet but it was one of his favorite places.

Natasha was the next to leave but behind her followed the remainder of the group. Bucky and Clint went to the gym to work of some tension, while Bruce escaped to his lab to find the solitude he'd been lacking since the battle.

Loki turned to demand that Thor tell Sarah what kind of person he was, to instead blink at the room, completely devoid of a living thing. He visibly slumped in defeat. "Where do we begin?"

Sarah smiled, "Well last I checked, in the kitchen."

Loki bit off the snort that threatened to escape at her sass. "Lead on, madame."

"You are a good person-God-entity." Sarah bobbled, "you are good. You'll see it one day. Now," Sarah rubbed her hands together, "Jarvis, do you know what everyone's favorite cookies are?"

"I am afraid I can not provide any information on Mr. Odinson's compatriots, but the others I am able."

"I doubt much you would be able to make treats Asgardians are accustomed to." Loki offered.

"There has to be something similar that they would enjoy?" Sarah pushed.

"I have not spent enough time here to be able to compare desserts."

Sarah sighed. "Jarvis is there something on your internet that might work? Some treat that the Old Norsemen use to eat?"

After a moment Jarvis answered, "They seem to be partial to almond flavored confections and something called a kringler."

Loki's eyes widened, "Is the kringle round?"

"Yes Mr. Odinson."

Loki flinched. "Refrain from calling me that."

"What monicker would you prefer?" Jarvis asked, his tone undistinguishable.

"Just Loki, is sufficient."

"Yes, Loki the kringle are round in shape." Jarvis popped up a screen showing pictures gathered from several sources.

"So I need a recipe for kringles and all the other favorites."

"Kringler." Loki offered.

"Hmm?" Sarah said looking over the new screens with the recipes.

"Singular is kringle, plural in kringler."

"Oh, alright." Sarah smiled and patted Loki's hand. "We do have everything to make these, right Jarvis?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good then, you can put Steve and Bucky's away, I know theirs like the back of, oh well maybe not quite like the back of my hand. It seems to be a little smother than I remember."

"I believe that whatever brought us back did so at a time that was at our physical peak." Sarah tipped her head in confusion. Loki continued, "Some centuries ago, I was hurt in battle. My shoulder," Loki reach up to his left shoulder, "was damaged. Severely. Our healers restored it's movement, but I always had pain. There was a scar that covered most of my shoulder blade. It is gone, as is the pain I'd felt for more time than I care to remember."

"They said my tuberculosis was gone."

Loki nodded.

"I..." Sarah raised a shaking hand to her mouth.

"Sarah?"

She gasped, "Oh. I, no," shanking her head.

"Sarah?" Loki said again, holding on to her shoulders.

"I never told Steve. It was my fault he was always sick."

"I doubt that."

Sarah shook her head again, a tear rolling down her cheek, "The doctor didn't think I would ever have a baby. I was thrown from a horse when I was little. It damaged me. When I got pregnant with him, I was so sick. I couldn't keep any food down. For months I lived on nothing but broth and bread."

"Sarah, you didn't make Steven sick. Not because of that." Loki consoled her, he doubted she would understand genetics and passed DNA. Barton barely did and he was from a time where that knowledge was common place. He'd seen Steven's file in Barton's mind when he controlled it all those years ago. The primitive information they had gathered before his change showed that it was not her painful pregnancy that had caused all of Steven's earlier issues.

"Do you think," Sarah rested a hand on her stomach, "maybe it's right now, though?"

Loki wasn't sure how to answer that. "I think if the healers had seen that there was a problem, they would have spoken of it, not knowing that it should be different," was all he could offer.

"I suppose it's silly, a woman of my age wanting to have a baby. Steve would be mistaken for his father, or uncle, not his older brother."

Something shifted inside Loki, a vision flitted before his eyes of Sarah sitting in front of one of Stark's enormous windows, breast bared, a small raven haired child feeding, a small hand grabbing at the creamy flesh, it's skin tinged a light blue, it's tiny finger nails a darker blue. Loki stumbled back and gasped.

"Loki? Are you alright?" Sarah said, a hand reaching out to steady the off balance God.

"No." He snapped.

Sarah pulled her hand back slowly, her face showing every ounce of pain his harsh tone had caused.

Loki sank to his knees, he didn't want to pass on his Jotun heritage. The Norns be damned, the vision given to him made him want for something he hadn't wanted for a millennia, had stopped dreaming of it after damsel after damsel had shown him nothing but scorn if there wasn't coin on the table.

"Loki please. Don't push me away. You are as lost as I am here and you are the only friend I have here." Sarah whispered kneeling in front of him.

"You have Steven." Loki answered as quietly.

"He's my son. I love him, but he isn't someone I can lean on like that. He's not the young man I left behind."

"He understands better than you think. He survived what you are going through not that long ago. Barnes as well."

"But not the uncertainty that something is different."

Loki looked up and found strong but saddened blue eyes staring back at him.

Thor carefully stepped into the room, his voice soft when he asked, "Loki?"

Loki looked to the man that had been his brother for the entirety of his life, a single tear slipping down his cheek. Why had he pushed him away? Pushed and shoved and schemed to the point he'd made this man uncertain of his reception. He watched as Thor took two steps to kneel next to him, dropping down until his head was lower than Loki's.

Loki gasped at the act. He didn't deserve to be above Thor in anyway.

"Loki?"

He shook his head, he didn't know how to tell Thor what was flaring through his veins. "Ég get ekki verið hér bróðir. Ég get ekki verið fyrir þessa konu."

Thor let his hand fall on his brothers slender shoulder, he was surprised when Loki spoke a language from their childhood. The words tumbling forth made little sense, 'I can not be here brother. I can not be for this woman,' instead Thor asked Loki what he saw, "Hvað sástu?"

Loki gasped again pushing away everything, "Hana, með barn. A Juton barn."

Thor is surprised at the claim of Sarah with a hold, a Jotun child, "Láta það gerast fyrir þig. Láta hamingja finna þig, litli bróðir." Thor pulled Loki into his arms and felt a piece of his heart settle when he didn't flinch away. "Let happiness find you, little brother."

Sarah watched and hoped that whatever had unsettled Loki would be alright, but the fact that he'd let Thor hold him, gave her hope. In her short time back she knew that Thor didn't trust him, had said it in his version of plain English. She heard a sound and found Jane standing in the doorway. As quietly as she could she walked to Jane.

"I don't know what they said, but Loki called Thor his brother. Thor told me he couldn't remember the last time Loki had used that word." Jane offered.

The brothers stayed still for a moment longer before Loki sniffed and pulled back, the look of his sharp features softer than Sarah had seen since she'd met him.

"What if I can not?" Loki spoke, his voice harsh with fear.

"You can. You have. Remember everything Mother taught us. There is a movie on this world that some would like to think is close to the way those who followed us lived, it is inaccurate as most history here is, but there is a set of words in it that ring true to what we live. Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother. And my sister and my brother Lo, there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning. Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever. You are my brother, we are of the same people, not through the blood that runs through our veins but through the memories that tie us. Those memories are so much stronger than blood, litli bróðir."

Jane bit her tongue to keep from laughing, Thor had hated the 13 Warriors movie, now here he was quoting it to his non-brother the mass murderer to get him to stop freaking out over some vision he'd had about Juton's, the only other word she could pick out from their words.

"I hear you, Jane." Thor said softly with a smile on his lips.

Jane's eyebrows raised, her hands up in defense, "I didn't say a word."

"No but we've talked about that movie."

Jane shook her head. Loki looked confused.

"It is not very good," Thor quipped, shaking his head. He smile slipped a little when he asked, "Will you try?"

Loki looked at Thor, still kneeling and knew he would. He nodded.

Thor stood pulling his brother up with him. "Would you like to stay here, or retire for a time?"

Loki smoothed out his clothes, thinking. If he was to try and work towards his vision he would need to spend time with Sarah, but he was so rattled by it he wasn't sure how to act near her at the moment.

"Please stay, Loki." Sarah pleaded. "I'll never get the klinger right if you leave," a small smile forming.

"Well, now you have to stay brother, Volstagg will be crushed if the klinger are wrong." Thor chuckled.

"I will stay, but not out of any concern of Volstagg's love of klinger." Loki gave a glaring look to Thor, who only laughed it off and slapped his brother on the back, lightly.

"Good. Now, my lady, I believe we had plans." Thor said striding to Jane and picking her up.

"Um well we might have." Jane squeaked, then the pair was gone.

Sarah shook her head, "Everyone seams to think about relations a lot in the future."

"Yes, well Thor has always had a healthy appetite." Loki replied, washing his hands.

"Will you tell me what bothered you so much?" Sarah asked quietly at his side.

"Someday." He answered, an honest answer with no scheme behind it, something he hadn't done in a very long time.

Sarah nodded and washed her hands as Loki stepped away. She kept to herself that she had learned a few words from Mr. Svenstald. The words her and child being two of them.

Chapter Text

It took three hours to make all of the treats for everyone. There were snickerdoodles for Bucky, ranger cookies for Steve, Russian tea cakes for Natasha, chocolate chip for Bruce, arrow shaped sugar cookies for Clint, Amarettis for Tony, and oatmeal raisins for Jane, then several klinger for the Asgardians.

"Now that we've made dessert maybe we should get dinner going?" Sarah asked setting out the last of the treats to cool.

Loki sighed, "I believe Stark has people he pays handsomely to do these things, yes?"

"And if I was a betting kinda lady, I'd bet they get paid wether they work or not. Anyone who has a jet ready to leave at a moments notice, has staff everywhere at the ready."

"True." Odin had staff at a few hunting lodges and such himself.

"So, we'll give them the night off and I get to cook."

"As you wish."

"I know that movie." Steve said, leaning against the doorframe.

"It is a book." Loki offered.

"It's in my to read pile. Which is taller than all of us combined and keeps growing." Steve sighed. "I hear it's a sign of the times, watching the movie over reading the book."

"Stark tired of you already?" Loki asked.

"No, but I need to get some food in him soon." Steve levered himself off the wall and over to the fridge. "He's had one of his weird smoothies, but he needs something solid."

"I was about to make something for dinner. Any suggestions?"

Steve's face lit up as he whirled around to look at Sarah, "Anything with your fried potatoes?"

Sarah smiled. "That hasn't changed either."

"Still Irish." Steve hugged his mom, "Bucky will love you to if you make them."

"Very true. Alright, I saw some pork chops in there. Maybe Jarvis can find us a new simple but fancy recipe to use."

Steve bit off the moan that wanted to escape at the thought of pork chops and his mom's fried potatoes, "Yeah going to have to up the training regiment around here if you're going to be cooking."

"Oh stop, you never gained any weight before." Sarah smacked her son's arm.

"Mama, I was permanently sick, I could have lived in sugared lard all day and I still wouldn't have gained any weight. And I didn't mean for me or Buck, or hell even Thor, but the others, they don't have our metabolisms. Tony has to be careful," Steve breathed through the tightening in his chest. "He's older than all of us, again except Thor, and now Loki."

Loki saw the pain flash over Steve's face, "Nothing can be done? Your serum?"

"Stuck in me and Bucky. Thor asked the same thing. Bruce's accident was because he was trying to recreate it. Bucky's lucky he even survived getting his version. He was the only one to survive Zola's experiments at coping Schmidt's."

Loki nodded in understanding.

"I'll just make sure to cook things that are good for him then." Sarah offered.

"Thanks Mama." Steve pulled a container of vegetables from the fridge and turned to leave.

"He complained about them yesterday morning, why wouldn't he now?" Sarah nodded towards to clear plastic.

"Because I have bribes I can use in the workshop that I can't elsewhere." Steve said walking out.

"So much sex."

Steve's voice carried back, "Not sex Mama, I take away his tools."

Sarah's face went bright red, Loki laughed.

"Mrs. Rogers, I have a recipe for a simple glaze that has received wonderful reviews world wide." Jarvis offered as a distraction.

"Thank you Jarvis." Sarah said fanning her reddened face.

Dinner that night was a success, as were the desserts. One lone klinge survived the night, and Volstagg begged Sarah to come back with them and make more. Sarah smiled sweetly and said she was fine here, but if he wanted to give her a little notice before he came to visit the next time she would make sure there would always be several waiting for him.

The Warriors left after dinner and took the last remaining klinge to give to Odin. Volstagg holding on to the hope that Odin would be so moved by the dessert he might offer up most anything to entice Sarah to Asgard. The four warriors left with a uneasy but settling truce with Loki. Thor had told them of Sarah's visions both past and future and some of Loki's own vision of the future. They agreed to give Loki time to either redeem himself or to hang himself. They just hoped if it was the latter, the mortals of this realm were spared.

Plans were made to train after breakfast but then to watch several movies; including The Wizard of Oz, one of Steve's old propaganda films just for the sheer camp of it and Snow White.

Chapter Text

Movie day became the bi-monthly event for a few months as everyone settled into their places.

Loki was more often then not with Sarah, helping her cook for their large group at least once a day. Tony put his foot down after a week of Sarah cooking for them every meal, every day. He told her she could cook one meal a day if she let the paid staff help her. She relented after getting him to agree to letting her cook Sunday morning breakfast alone. When Tony tried to argue that she didn't need to, she countered with she knew she didn't but she wanted to and she enjoyed it. Tony caved faster than if Pepper had just threatened him with giving him the CEO title of SI back.

Steve tried several times to ask Loki if he was any different since coming back, but would only get dry withering looks and every dryer barbs. It always frustrated Steve, then Tony tried a different tactic and made it about Sarah. Spelled out their fears and Loki answered every question they had. No, he felt the same, no, he didn't know who or what had pulled them from the other side of the veil, he didn't notice anything other worldly about Sarah other than her wonderful cooking.

Steve told Loki of Sarah's dreams of the captures of him, Bucky and Tony, which startled the god. Steve didn't tell him about the Bifrost scene his mother had mentioned, not wanting to color Loki's future.

Loki did offer that Sarah maybe different in that she had been gone for decades, as opposed to his few short years before saying, "I have a few strands of which I have not tugged on to see what may tumble forth. I will start tomorrow."

"Are they safe strands?" Steve asked.

Loki shrugged, "They are not unsafe."

"That's not really a clarification, Rudy." Tony pointed out.

Loki rolled his eyes, "You have not seen my helm in years but you persist in using these juvenile names for it. Also I have seen your reindeer, my helm doesn't not resemble them. It does resemble a gazelle. And do you use such childish terms for Mjölnir?"

Tony's fave scrunched up in frustration, "You are spoiling my fun. Knock it off."

Loki took a calming breath, "I can not answer if it will be safe. There are reasons I have not already looked to these leads. But the only harm that could befall anyone would be to myself, so no, it is not safe, yes it will be fine."

"Loki, Mama likes you a lot. Pretty sure she'd be crushed if something happened to you because you were looking for answered about both of your returns."

"I will do what I can to maximize my protection." Steve gave him a look that clearly said you better. Loki bowed his head and left.

Steve slouched against the wall. "This is entirely to stressful."

"We just need to adapt." Tony offered with a shrug.

Steve snapped, "Says the guy who adapts everything." Steve took a deep breath, "I'm sorry that was snarky."

"A little, but I'll let it slide 'cause you used the word snarky in your apology."

Steve chuckled, "I can adapt."

"I've seen that first hand. Come on let's see if Bucky's free to spar with you."

"Could just go back to the penthouse, burn off a little energy with you." Steve crowed Tony into the elevator.

"Sir has a conference call with Ms. Potts in fifteen minutes." Jarvis announced.

"Shit."

Tony laughed at the chest fallen look on Steve's face, "Give me an hour, go beat up your other boyfriend, then your real boyfriend will come find you and we can argue over who's going to beat up who."

"Anthony."

"Shit, busted." Tony cringed, of course Sarah was waiting for the elevator.

"You should be changing for your meeting with Pepper."

"Ohhhh no Mama Rogers. No I change once, Pep will expect it all the time. Nooooh sirey, nope. She'll think I'm going to stop working and listen to her. Nuhu. Not going to happen. Love ya, but no."

"Doesn't she deserve a little more respect than this?" Sarah reached out and smoothed a wrinkle in Tony's shirt sleeve.

"No?"

Steve snorted, Tony was sunk, he just hadn't accepted it yet.

"She works so hard running your company and you can't take five minutes and change your shirt?"

"I pay her very well to run my company. From my own profit shares even."

"Alright." Sarah said stepping back, hands up in a sign of truce.

Steve shook his head and stepped out of the way because he knew Tony was going to get back into the elevator. Sure enough, Tony's shoulders slumped and he turned around.

"You are no help. No nooky for you. Go get beat up or something."

Steve waited for the doors to shut and the elevator to move before he let out the belly laugh he'd been holding.

"Oh my god, you made it through the whole thing." Bucky said walking around the corner, his arms wrapped around his sides, "Clint's in the gym dying."

"I did it for his own good." Sarah nodded.

"We know," Steve breathed out the rest of his mirth.

"You boys are just rotten."

"We know Ma." Bucky quipped. "So I'm suppose to spar with you huh?"

"Guess so."

"We'll see you later, Ma, apparently I've gotta go beat up Stevie."

Sarah shook her head, sex and violence was all this lot thought of. Oh alright, they saved the world, a lot, but still.

Sarah still hated the sound of that alarm, even after four months. She felt like she'd nearly had a heart attack the first time she heard it. It was during one of their movie days. The racket started and everyone scrambled out of the room but her and Loki. Loki stood up and held out his arm, saying that they should start a meal that would do well being reheated with large amounts of calories. It took her too long to realize the sound meant her sons were going off to fight and most of her new friends with them.

That fight they all came back relatively unharmed, but she had still worried. She had some limited training in triage, so she asked Jarvis to help her get updated. Her limited training turned out to be what a child would have been taught. However learning made her feel useful again. Steve had explained that Bruce acted as their medic often but that he wasn't that kind of Doctor. Loki had even started reading some of the course work Jarvis had gathered for her. The procedures hadn't changed all that much for her. Instead it was the thousands of new drugs and equipment that was taking so much time to learn.

Chapter Text

The fight after Sarah and Loki had "passed" their first set of course tests Clint came back with a sprained ankle and the side of his arm covered in a thousand abrasions from jumping off the building before Tony was there to catch him, Clint had to slide down the roof of a near by water tower.

"Circuses use nets." Sarah accused as she set out cleaning solutions and a wrap.

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh don't you yes ma'am me, mister. You're lucky I can't ground you."

Loki had been working on a few light spells for healing others. He'd been able to heal himself for several centuries but projecting that skill to another took a great deal of power. But Loki knew like anything else practice made a skill stronger. He took a deep breath, stepped next to Clint's bed, but out of swinging range, and offered, "I am aware that I am your least favorite in the entity of the universe. But if you are willing I can heal the sprain."

Clint glared at Loki. "Why should I trust you?"

"In the months that I have lived here I have had all manner of chances to harm you. I have not. I have avoided you as often as possible in difference to your continued and justified hatred of me. But I also see the toll it takes on you. You are not a man of hate. You are to quick with laughter and love to hold on to that emotion. But you are and it is changing you in ways you do not like. I will never ask you to forgive me, or even that you like me. But please learn to tolerate me for your own soul."

Clint stared for another minute, then he nodded once, leaned back on the raised medbay bed and closed his eyes.

Loki let out the breath he had been holding and stepped next to Clint. He drew in the energy he would need and let his fingers hover over Clint's ankle. There was a soft hiss to his left but he ignored it and pushed the magic forward, watching the magic wrap around the muscles and tendons, they soothed the swelling then gently nudged the fibers to their original places. The damage was greater than Loki had anticipated so he worked longer than he had planned. The healing was draining his own powers but he would not leave the job half done.

When the magic finally loosened itself from Clint, Loki had to use the last of his personal strength to stay up right. "I'll see that dinner is started, Sarah."

"Thank you Loki." Sarah watched him leave. She saw how badly his hand shook as he pushed a rolling table out of his way. When he was out of sight she called to Jarvis. "Watch him please Jarvis. I have a feeling that was a lot harder on him than he's letting on."

"Yes ma'am. He projected a large sum of energy. I think Sir is in need a of break."

Sarah smiled. Tony was one of the few on the team that Loki didn't snap at when he was out of sorts. She turned back to Clint who was staring at his ankle. "What?"

"It's better, like better than it's ever been."

"What do you mean?"

"Both my ankles are shot. To many drops with out a net, to many rolls the wrong direction. My left ankles always been worse. I've learned to live with it. It's one of the things that drive the medics nuts, I have a high pain tolerance because I'm always in pain. But it doesn't hurt." Clint dropped of the table and balanced on one foot, bounced up and down a bit and smiled. "It hasn't been pain free since I was nine, Sarah."

"It wasn't one sprain he was healing it was thirty years worth of sprains."

"Shit no wonder it sapped him. He thought it was all one injury." Clint sat back down. He sighed, "Am I being to hard on him?"

"He took your lover from you. I can understand how hard that is." Sarah picked up the saline to wash out Clint's scrapes, "I can understand that it would be even harder for you because you worked together. And that you hate him for making you help him to do it." Carefully she washed them out. "But I also remember what Steve asked you when we first came back. He asked you if you could have helped Bucky if Phil was still here."

"No. I mean I would have still helped Bucky. But he and I wouldn't have been dancing around our attraction to each other. Maybe we could have all gotten- uh wait never mind." Clint broke off. Clint was flaming red at the mere thought of mentioning a three way relationship in front of Sarah. Even after six months.

Sarah laughed, "You all think you're going to scandalize me."

Clint bit his tongue trying not to finch as the solution hit a painful section. "You're Steve's mom, but it could be anyone's mom and we'd all do the same thing."

"I understand, but I've figured out the world a bit different." Sarah said, a crinkle appearing around her eyes.

"Doesn't mean any of us are going to tell you about our sex lives."

Deadpan, Sarah asked, "How else am I going to have one of my own?"

"Ahh Sarah that's not nice." Clint whined. "Really that's just mean. Am I suppose to tell you what I do with Bucky! Ah come on."

Sarah laughed, "No dear. I really don't need to live vicariously through you all. I was just trying to take your mind off what I was doing." Sarah said stepping back with a wave of her hand towards Clint's lightly bandaged arm.

"You are mean."

"You could tell me if he's still a good kisser."

Clint dropped he head down on to his knees as he pulled them up, "You are going to give me a stroke." Clint rocked back and for for a moment. "Yes. He still a good kisser. He has a way of kissing you that makes you feel like the world could be perfect if it could just have one kiss from James Buchanan Barnes."

"I didn't hear to much about before, but the girls always had that dreamy look about them if I saw them out with him."

"I can vouch for that look." Clint smiled.

"Some day I'd like to feel like that again." Sarah said dropping into a nearby chair. "Just the nice little flutter, the little skip in your blood from a really good kiss."

"Have you asked him?"

"Who dear?" Sarah asked snapping out of the daydream she'd let begin.

"Loki. We're not blind, we can all see you're close. We can see the way you two look at each other when the other's not looking. We went through it with Steve and Tony. Hell went through it with Bucky."

Sarah stood and straightened some of the supplies, stalling.

"You deserve to be happy." Clint said quietly.

"And you boys wouldn't hate me for sleeping with the enemy?" Her voice not much more than a whisper.

Clint stood up and stepped behind Sarah, wrapping his arms around her, "I doubt any of us could ever hate you, even if you had been with him when he was an evil mind bending overlord trying to conquer the world. We see where Steve gets his sense of justice and honor. If you see something good in him, then it's there. Since he came back Thor has been re-assessing his life with Loki and has seen a lot of things that he knows helped create the Loki we met. But he also remembers the good man Loki use to be. Maybe that's why you were brought back, to find the good Loki and bring him back."

Sarah stopped and let herself melt into the hug. It was nice to have a man's arms around her. She didn't need a man, she'd lived to long without one to fall for that old drivel but it still was very nice to feel. She turned towards Clint and his arms fell away.

"You boys all know that sometimes I see things. I know Steve told you that I saw Bucky, Loki, and Tony when they were captured. I'm pretty sure he's told you that I saw Loki on the Bifrost trying to save someone falling, like he did."

Clint nodded, Steve had sat everyone down and told them about it.

"The first night we were here, the Warriors Three were here, Sif was here, Loki had a vision as well. Thor's told me he's had them from time to time over the centuries, so it's not from us coming back. But this vision shook him. Thor came in and Loki started speaking in Icelandic, or a version of it. Jane caught the word brother. It had Loki so out of sorts he fell back to his true feelings about Thor. But I caught two words that I've been holding on to since that day."

Clint frowned that was six month ago.

"We had a neighbor who was from the old country, he taught us a few words. I heard Loki say she and child while looking at me."

"You are afraid it you that falls from the bridge."

Sarah shrugged, "I'm not afraid for myself or even the baby that is suppose to be. I'm afraid if we become this..." She waved her hand trying to come up with the word, but failed, "this whatever of his vision, I'm afraid of what my falling from the bridge will do to him. He tried to conquer a single world over a life time of slights and probable misunderstandings. What would he do if he lost, truly lost some one he loves?"

"You know we would try to be there for him, for you." Clint offered.

"I know, and you know how much it hurts to loose someone you love. Did it help for the others to be there for you?"

Clint shook his head but held up a hand when Sarah started to talk again. "It didn't help because I played a part in his death. Yes I was controlled, but I still knew what I was doing. We are trained against that sort of thing, well, okay, not magical mind control, but still." Clint shrugged, "I will always feel guilty about Phil. Even if the bastard is back."

Sarah laughed. That had been an interesting day. "He's happy for you two though."

"I know, it's still weird." Clint pulled Sarah into another hug, "I'm telling you, let Loki's vision come true, then we'll all worry about keeping yours from happening."

"Thank you Clint."

"Don't you have your own to hug Barton?" Loki's voice came from the door a moment later.

"Just given' Ma Rogers here a hug in thanks for patching me up." Clint said, he loved the sound of jealousy in Loki's voice. It was perfect. He let her go with a wink. "Thanks for the ankle by the way. I didn't think to say anything but that's been a mess since I was nine. I'm guessing you couldn't differentiate between this newest sprain and all the other sprains."

Loki wanted to jerk back at the appreciation. Barton wasn't suppose to accept him. "Nine?"

"Yeah first time I sprained it. Dismounted from a horse, all showie and shit and crumpled in the ring because my ankle rolled under me. I didn't think about it, to your magic it was probably one injury when really it was about fifty."

"It did seem to take longer than a sprain should have." Loki conceded.

"I'm gonna go find Buck, you should look into that Sarah." Clint said before leaving the medbay.

"Dare I ask what Barton is trying to talk you into?" Loki asked, setting his hand gently in Sarah's shoulder.

Sarah decided to take a page from Bucky's book and string Loki along. "Hm, he mentioned some dating thing. I jokingly asked if Bucky still kissed good enough to leave behind that dreamy look he use to. When I mentioned missing the feeling of being kissed, well..." Sarah trailed off. Loki's face was determined. The next thing Sarah felt was cool lips pressed gently to hers, and her heart skipped a beat before it sped up. She her arms slipped around his waist, bringing them just a little closer. Loki moaned into the still chaste kiss. Sarah smiled to herself and opened her mouth just a little and nipped at Loki's bottom lip. The gasp she heard was followed by a hand on the back of her head and his tongue tracing her lips.

Where's Loki's lips had just enough of a temperature difference to notice the coolness of his Jötun heritage, his tongue was hot and very talented. Sarah suddenly felt not only out of practice, but out classed.

"Elskan mín, my darling, I think I might be driven to actually start a war if you tried to choose another." Loki whispered when he broke the kiss, leaning their foreheads together.

"I'm not much of a fighter, but I think I could figure out how to start one of my own if you picked someone else."

Loki pulled back and looked into Sarah's eyes, her's were a soft blue with flecks of hazel, where her sons were blue so pure you almost had to look away. He liked Sarah's, Steve's reminded him to much of the world that had cast him out as a defenseless infant in the middle of a war.

"Do I need to throttle Barton or kiss you breathless for trying to make me jealous?" Loki growled.

"It was all me, with a little inspiration from James."

"Then Barnes might just need a bit of an extra kick the next time we spar." With that Loki made good on his threat and kissed Sarah 'til she was gasping for air.

Which was the exact moment Steve came into the medbay to let his mom know dinner was ready.

"Well shit." Steve managed to get out after doing a fairly good impression of a fish out of water.

Loki's head snapped up and he stepped away from Sarah as soon as he saw who was at the door.

"Steve, you still have no timing." Sarah sighed.

"Um, sorry Mama, uh dinners ready?" Steve kind of stammered. "I'm just gonna..." Steve turned and left as quick as he could with out actually running.

"No timing, hmm? Is there a story there?"

"No more than a baby crying in the middle of the night at just the right moment more than once." Sarah sighed. "Joe and I barely ever got a night together because one of us was always on the night shift. Then he shipped out."

"Sarah how long has it been, not counting the..." Loki asked.

Sarah swallowed and looked away when she answered, "Twenty years, give or take."

Loki reeled at the answer. Carefully he turned her face back towards him, "Am I really who you want to change that?"

Sarah but the inside of her cheek and dug her nails into her palm until she could answer with out sounding like a virgin on her wedding night. "Yes. You are not the man you use to be. I don't think you were ever that man, no more than Bucky was the Winter Solider. If you were that person you wouldn't have trying to be so understanding of Clint's anger."

It was Loki's turn to swallow past a build up of emotions, "They call me Liesmith, but to lie you have to see the truth. I was that person, I was pushed to be that person. I was pushed by my response to others actions. It was not all them but it was never all me. I did what I felt I needed to do to get the recognition I felt I deserved. Then I fell. I was still that person and Thanos and the others fed that," Loki added, "fed off of it."

"But you have stopped being that person. You will always see him in the mirror but one day it will be just a wrinkle instead of every part of you." Sarah offered, she traced a single line that had etched its way into the Jötun face. "I would gladly have you if you would take a poor nurse so out of place she is the nearly the same age as her son's boyfriend."

Loki chuckled, that was a bit absurd. Then with a much honesty as he could offer he said, "I have never had a place."

"Maybe we can make our own."

Loki bowed, just a little, "After dinner. I would prefer not to see the look from Steve or the others."

"Chicken." Sarah taunted.

"Perhaps. I would prefer if my parts remained working."

Sarah kissed Loki's cheek and held out her arm, waiting for Loki to take it. Loki returned her kiss and wrapped her arm around his. Together they went to dinner.

Steve didn't say a word when they came in.

Clint bit his cheek to keep his smile from being a full Cheshire Cat smile. To himself he thought, "You go girl," even if it was with the guy he still kinda hated.

Bucky cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention, he squirmed internally at the attention, but pushed on, "Thank you, Loki."

Loki raised an eyebrow in question.

"You healed Clint's ankle."

"Ah, yes. I maybe able to heal the other in a few days. It was quit taxing."

Clint flushed with embarrassment. "The rights not as bad." He mumbled.

"Yes, but healing magic like is difficult to begin with, and as damaged as your left was, " Loki shrugged. "I am able to heal myself easily, but sharing that with another is difficult. It was not something I was taught as a child so that magic is not as strong. With time it would be no different than making a thousand copies." Loki added with a second shrug.

"How many can you make?" Steve asked.

"I have never tried to find a limit, as a child I once made a hundred and set them free in the garden."

Thor laughed, "I remember that. One found my snap dragon."

Loki smiled, "He still lives?"

Thor nodded, "Last I knew."

"But you said you can make a thousand?" Steve pressed.

"No I I said healing would be no different from making a thousand. I know the energy it takes to make one, there for I know the energy it takes to make a thousand. I know it would be with in my ability, not that I know it is with in my ability."

"Why does everyone need to talk like Tony?" Steve sighed.

"Because we understand theory." Tony said with a wink and a kiss on the cheek.

"Why do you ask how many I can create?" Loki shimmered and the room filled with a dozen glimmering copies.

"Uh, no, could we not please?" Clint said swallowing past dread filling up his chest.

The copies flickered and were gone. "My apologies."

"So you two have a truce now?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I won't out right try and kill him." Clint took a drink of his beer, "suppose I might even try and save his scrawny ass if it ended up in trouble, that you know, he didn't start."

"Why thank you Barton, though I've been told my figure is quit striking."

Clint choked on his beer and Bucky had to pound on his back.

"Loki." Sarah said with a sigh.

Steve watched as Loki turned bright red at the recrimination. "So what can you do?"

"A great many things. I fought next to Thor for centuries, I have never had his brute strength, few do. I'm sure, like your resident arachnid, I'm talented in skills to numerous to name."

Natasha nodded, "Are you thinking of using him?"

It was Steve's turn to shrug.

"I doubt any of you trust me to fight with you."

Sarah tried to not to draw attention to herself. It was hard enough being left behind she wasn't sure she could handle it if Loki wasn't here to distract her.

"I do brother."

"Why?" Loki looked more hurt than confused.

"You saved Jane. You saved all of Asgard from the Dark Elves. You hate Asgard, but the moment I took you through the chasm and you remained you had my trust. Our agreement was never meant to end with your death, with your sacrificing your life for mine."

Loki looked away. "I would have left you the moment the Elves were dead."

"I knew that."

Tony spoke up this time, "Loki, we all know you are not as rotten as you try to claim. Besides I trust you."

The question came again, "Why?"

"Because she does." Tony tipped his glass towards Sarah. "She's been around, seen things the rest of us will never see. I doubt Madoff could have pulled the wool over her eyes."

Sarah spoke up, "To lie you must know the truth."

Loki shook his head in dismay, "I think I may loathe you all."

"Loathe away." Tony smiled.

Steve brought the topic back to his question, "I would like to see what you can do, defensively. I worry every time we leave Mama behind that we're leaving her open for an attack. That HYDRA or the villian of the day is going to find out she's here and who she is."

"I would never allow anything to happen to her." Loki vowed.

"I didn't think you would," Steve quickly explained. "But if we know what you can do, then Tony can work with Jarvis to make the defensive security that much better. Strengthen were one part is week, repurpose resources that are doubled up in other places." Steve squeezed Tony's tonight under the table. He knew Tony and Jarvis were next to infallible because Pepper was often here.

"Very well I can show you tomorrow."

"Will that be enough time to recover from healing Clint?" Bruce asked.

"More than. I could show you now and be fine. I need extra time to heal his other ankle to build up the addition energy I will need. I could pull it from other sources but until I can better control the healing I'd rather not."

"Why?" Tony mimicked.

Loki rolled his eyes, "It would be like plugging in a toaster to your reactor. Will it incinerate the toast or short out the reactor? It's not that the toaster needs that much energy."

"Ah, not enough data to regulate both."

Loki nodded.

Chapter Text

After that talk died down and everyone dived into dinner. Steve tried not to stare at his mom and Loki because every time he dared look in their direction, they were making eyes at each other. Steve had mostly put aside his original opinion of Loki. He had died after all. In six months Loki hadn't done a single villian-ish thing. And he'd had plenty of chances. Thor swore he was seeing more and more of the brother he'd grown up with more and more. Bruce wasn't as on edge around him anymore. Natasha had even begrudgingly taken a few hints that Loki had offered about her knives. Now even Clint had said he'd save Loki. Bucky had given Loki the biggest benefit of the doubt since they had both been tortured into being different people. Plus Loki killing Phil meant Bucky had gotten Clint. Steve was still on the fence about his feelings on that one.

He supposed he could get use to the mage and his mother if Loki kept the look of happiness on his mom's face.

After dinner finished and the pairs broke off for their own spaces, leaving Sarah and Loki in the dinning room alone.

Sarah had wondered to one of the windows watching the lights of cars, so far below they looked like fairy lights. Loki walked behind her and held out his hand. From his palm green mist swirled, "Think of your favorite flower," he whispered.

Sarah closed her eyes and thought of forget-me-nots. When she opened her eyes the mist settled and a small forget-me-not pushed through. It's blue translucent at first, then deepening as the flower grew in size.

"It will live as long as you draw breath. On your last breath it will turn to stone, it's color will remain eternally."

"It's beautiful." Sarah reached for the little plant. "Thank you."

"I gave one to Frigga, Odin kept it next to his battle armor. I wonder if it is still there." Loki's voice was soft and tinged with grief.

Sarah turned around and kissed Loki gently.

Loki kept the kiss light, kept distance between them. When Sarah pulled back with confusion and a bit of hurt in her eyes, Loki kissed her cheek. "I want to do this properly. If I do one thing right in my life, it will be this, it will be you."

"You've done many things right Loki. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Loki shook his head, "Not nearly enough to deserve you." He held out his arm as he always did when they walked somewhere together. Sarah took it, and let him lead her to her room. At the door he kissed her good night and left her flustered and if she was honest, horny.

She dropped onto her bed and tried to curse his sense of honor that was suddenly showing through. But she couldn't, because it wasn't really a new thing. Loki had always treated her like this, so careful and fragile. While it was sweet, it was getting frustrating. Joe had always been respectful but he had been a little pushy. Sarah sighed. Truth be told she'd been celibate for probably 90 percent of her life. She had lived in a time that told women that if they showed interest in sex, they were wicked and wanton and neither of those things were good. Now she lived in a time that seemed to be free with all sorts of relations, and she had no idea how to get Loki so worked up he forgot his honor.

She groaned and got up to take a cold shower, instead she asked, "Jarvis is Natasha awake?"

"Yes Mrs. Sarah."

"Will you ask her if she has a moment."

"Of course." A moment later, Jarvis answered, "She says she has all the time you need."

Sarah took a deep breath, she grabbed a bottle of red wine from her little rack and took it with her.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at the bottle, took it and set it on the counter and picked up a bottle of vodka instead, "Conversations at this hour of the night require more than wine."

"Yes I suppose they might. I should have waited 'til morning."

"Oh no, whatever has you bringing wine to my door at 11:45 at night is not a morning conversation."

Sarah laughed, "Somethings are just suppose to talked about at night I guess." She dropped onto Nat's couch and took the tumbler of clear liquor.

"So what night only topic are we discussing? I'm assuming sex. Other wise you'd be talking to Steve."

Sarah choked and gasped as everything went down the wrong pipe. A glass of water appeared before her as if Loki was in the room. When she could breath again Sarah answered, "Yes and oh no I could never ask Steve about this."

"So what question about sex do you have?"

Taking another drink of courage Sarah asked, "How do you get a man to forget they're honorable and uh well um, take you?" She knew her face was beet red. Natasha laughed, it was a pretty sound, Sarah thought, even if it was at her expense.

"I think my advise on this is going to be so out of your comfort zone you'd never be able to pull it off. And I have a feeling Loki's going to be a much harder sell. He is trying, to hard, but trying to be a good guy. I think you might just have to go his speed on this."

Sarah groaned. "You know it's been over two decades since I had sex. Of course not including the time I was dead."

"That is a long time." Natasha's dry comment got her a dry look from Sarah.

"Joe died when Steve was so little. And I didn't have time after he died. Steve was always so sick, I had to work so much to keep him alive."

"He's told us some. I think it still bothers him that he was so dependent before the serum. I think it might be why he tries so hard now not to need anything."

"Steve was always very stubborn." Sarah smiled as memory after memory of her boy.

"Fortunately Tony's just as stubborn." Natasha drained her glass, "As for Loki, pretty sure he's just as bad if not worse."

"He says he's never done anything right and this is the one thing he won't do wrong. He's been courting me all this time, or well it's felt like it." Sarah explained.

"He's Asgardian though, I think you might need to ask Jane or Thor what that might entail. It could include all manor of things that we would never think of."

Sarah nodded.

"Not what you wanted to hear?"

"No, but then life rarely is."

Natasha laughed again, "No. Everyone on this team is a walking billboard for that."

"Very true. Has it changed all that much?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow again, "Sex? No, but then again he's Asgardian. Or well he grew up Asgardian. Jötun's may be different. Hey Jarvis is Jane up?"

"Yes Agent Rommanoff. She is on her way. Though I should warn you, Thor is accompanying her."

Sarah reached for the vodka, "I think I'm going to need a lot more of this."

Nat laughed at the look on Sarah's face. A moment later the pair joined them, Thor bringing his own flask.

"So sex with an Asgardian?" Jane asked taking the glass from Nat.

Sarah stammered a little, "Uh well dating or courting an Asgardian? Since Loki's not actually Asgardian."

Jane nodded, "True. Dating is going to be pretty much the same for you. They are very chivalrous. Doors opened, chairs pulled out, ordering for you. Everything guys did in the 30's and 40's." Jane shrugged. "Took me a while to get use to it. It's not that they don't think we can do these things, but that we deserve not to have to. I think it goes back to that whole 'a viking' thing. They would leave their women for months, if not years, so they knew they were capable, but because they did leave them, they doted on them when they returned to make up for being gone."

"Okay now that makes sense." Natasha said.

"Norse culture was one of the few that didn't push women into the roll of simpleton and since it was based off of Asgardian culture..." Jane added.

"Loki was raised with a brilliant woman as mother. Frigga could have easily ruled in Odin's place had he fallen in battle." Thor said. "She was compassionate, but stern. I have wondered how Father and I managed to push Loki as we did with her there as a buffer. But then he was with me more as we battled." Thor sighed, "If he had stayed behind with her, she could have more easily seen what torment we had laid upon him."

"But if he'd stayed you would have made an issue of it." Jane pointed out.

Thor shook his head, "It would have been more Fandral and Volstagg that would have had an issue. Hogun would never have spoken but may have thought less of Loki if he had stayed. I preferred my brother by my side, but I would not have though ill if he had remained. I would not have had a worry for Mother, if he had."

Nat nodded towards Thor's flask, then said, "Better take another hit off that before the next question is asked."

Thor looked confused but did as asked.

"Anything weird about how Jötun's fuck?"

Sarah choked again, Thor laughed and Jane giggled.

"No. They have relations they same as Asgardians and Midgardians." Thor answered, a smile bright in his eyes. "I will warn you that Loki can change his sex if he chooses."

"What?" Sarah squeaked.

"Wether it's his magic or his Jötun parentage I am unsure, but he does possess the ability to become female and carry a child. He has three children he has carried."

Jane's jaw dropped as she stared at Thor, "I thought that was just lore."

"Lore based on fact. Hel, Fenrir and Sleipnir were bore by Loki, while in female form. He's very grumpy when pregnant. But he does glow." Thor let the soft smile of the memories show.

"I somehow don't think he'd have that chance again if he's with me." Sarah mumbled.

"With the exception of Sleipnir, Odin's horse, he wasn't exactly given the choice. He's not fond of carrying."

"Wait, the horse? The eight legged one?" Sarah tried to understand.

"Yes. Sleipnir, Loki tricked the -"

"I know the story but, how - why - wouldn't that hurt?"

Thor wasn't sure how best to answer. "I was not there most of the time he carried Sleipnir. Odin sent me on a quest. Sleipnir was six months foaled by the time I was able to return."

"Um not given the choice?" Sarah asked.

Thor saw the hurt and fear in Sarah's eyes and realized she thought Loki had been raped while as a woman. "No, Sarah. He has never been hurt that way. Hel, was a magical pregnancy. Her mother, Angrboða, is another Jötun, Loki was married to for a time. She is also Fenrir's mother. There is a prophecy that Fenrir and Jötunheimr, another child of Loki's, will be part of Ragnorok. Odin had them well... my nephews have not been treated well. But I was not of an age to petition other wise. Hel was given rule over the dead that are not claimed by Odin for Vallhala and my cousin Freya for Fólkvangr." Thor paused. "He was not given a choice as to bare Hel and Fenrir because he was kept by their mothers until they were born. Sleipnir was the only child he willingly created."

Sarah wondered if she should tell Thor that she knew about the baby. Deciding she'd never been good at keeping secrets she said, "I know a bit of Loki's vision."

"How so?"

"I know a few words of Icelandic. There was a man in our building, he taught us all a word or two. I know the words she and child."

"That was all of his vision, you holding a child." Thor confirmed.

"A Jötun child." Sarah said, she could feel the flush of her third glass of vodka quickly creeping up on her.

"Yes."

"Jötuns are giants, right?"

Thor nodded, "Loki is very small for his race. I am but the size of a small child to them." Thor drank heavily from his flask, "Their world is harsh, made so by Odin's keeping of the Cask. I do not agree with leaving a child to the elements, but I was not and will not be their leader, so I have no say. This world would be much different if that was a rule here, your own Steven would have been left to natures mercy, yes."

Sarah nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Birth does not a man make. I believe a child born from Loki to a Midgardian would be smaller yet. It would be a difficult child to carry but not impossible. There is always the chance that it is he who carries it. Magic can do strange things." Thor offered.

She tried to swallow the question bubbling up, she reached for the glass of water from earlier, but the question popped out on its own, "Any idea how move things along?"

Thor shook his head, "I'm sorry Lady Sarah. I've never known my brother's proclivities."

She sighed, again, then staggered to her feet, Jane was the closest, she shot up and helped Sarah get her feet under her. "Okay first back to get my room."

Jane chuckled, "Just like Steve. You forget words."

"Hmm."

The trio got Sarah back to her room and poured into her bed. Jane got a glass of water, Natasha scrounged for the Advil, while Thor gently tucked Sarah into bed.

In the morning Sarah woke with a thudding headache, cottonmouth, a deep sense of embarrassment. Had she really asked three people how to get Loki to sleep with her? Rolling over she found that water and Advil and groaned.

"Mrs. Sarah, Loki is at the door."

"Of course he is." Sarah got up and pulled on her robe. "Let him in and tell him I'll be there in a moment please Jarvis." Loki generally only came to her room if they were studying.

"Of course."

Chapter Text

Sarah downed the Advil and water then dressed quickly taking a quick minute to brush her teeth and hair.

When she met him in the living room he held a cup of coffee and a bag. "Barton swears this cures all hangovers." He held them out to her.

"Dare I ask?"

"A breakfast burrito and a coffee called a flat white." Loki set the items on the table and pulled a chair out for Sarah.

Sarah took the seat and peered into the bag, "Coffee and greasy food, seems like legitimate medical advice."

"I am sure we have simply not reached that chapter yet." Loki offered, a roguish smile trying to peak through.

"How did you know I had a hangover?"

"Thor is terrible, unless you explicitly forbid him from talking about an event."

Sarah sighed, for what seemed the millionth time in the last twenty-four hours, "What did he tell you?" She tried the burrito and found it actually was settling her stomach.

"That you were deep in your cup last night and wondering about Asgardian courting customs."

She was so happy he hadn't given up the entire conversation. Until Loki continued, "And that you know few words of Icelandic."

"I only caught two the day of your vision."

"She and child."

Sarah nodded, then grasped her head as the thudding turned into pounding.

"Would you have told me?"

"Yes." Sarah took a drink of the coffee and found it a little bitter but nice. "I don't know what you saw, I can guess from those two words, but I didn't want to sound the fool if I heard wrong or if the dialect was different. When I mentioned it last night, Thor spoke as if I was right. He told me of your other children."

Loki knelt next to Sarah, and let his magic slip free and soothing the ache from to many cups. "I saw you sitting in front of one of the large windows," he waved to his side at the sheets of glass, "a small child in your arms. You have three freckles here," he gestures to the swell of her right breast, "the child was feeding, hair as dark as mine, skin just a bit blue," Loki let his skin shift to match what he saw, the markings showing, "nails darker."

Sarah turned in the chair, Loki had never shown her his Jötun form. "Show me? Please?"

Loki stood, dropping the spell, his skin darkening to it medium blue, all his family markings showing, Laufey's cruel betrayal marked by the swirl and hashes along his right forearm. Loki let his clothes disappear and become the traditional loin cloth worn by Jötun men. Slim horns similar to what she had seen pictured on his helm appeared. His eyes were the last thing to change, he closed them, felt the glimmer leave and opened them showing his blood red eyes.

Sarah marveled at the beauty of the man before her. Slowly she reached out and traced the lines along his wrist. Standing she followed the line up his arm. It stopped and a series of dots started, she touched each one 'til they dropped off and more lines curved around his shoulder cap. She traced each one.

Loki shivered as her breath ghosted across his skin.

"Does it hurt for you to stay like this?"

Loki shook his head, "This form is my true self, as much as it displeases me." Loki shimmered back to pale pink, "this, takes nothing for me to hold as I've held it for centuries, never knowing I needed to."

"Go back. You're beautiful." Sarah urged.

Loki nodded and was blue again, but no horns. "As you wish."

Sarah found one downside to Loki in his Jötun form, he was about five inches taller. She stood on tiptoes to kiss his lips. Loki knelt before wrapping his arms around Sarah's hips. He was rewarded with a kiss, slow and lingering.

"Why do you like this..." He held out his hand.

"Because it's you." Sarah said, a smile brightening her eyes.

"How can I love the blue of your eyes but hate the blue of my own skin?" Loki whispers.

"Because one has never been used against you."

In that moment he knew that there would never be a better moment to start their relationship, so Loki stood up, slipping his arms behind Sarah's legs and bring ping her up with him, he kissed her as her arms wrapped around his neck. Not letting himself think he brought Sarah to her room and set her on the bed.

Carefully he worked her blouse buttons open, and helped her shrug it off. Loki leaned back and found the three freckles, just as he'd seen them. He kissed each one. "You are the most exquisite woman."

Sarah wanted to laugh, her exquisite? Sarah plain Jane Rogers? But Loki had never lied to her, not once, not even a little white lie. And she was asking him to take her word that his Jötun form was beautiful, she didn't have much choice. "Maybe someday we will see ourselves as the other sees us," she offers instead of the laughter.

"Perhaps." Loki picks up her pink hand in his blue and kisses the palm.

Sarah turns her hand in his so their palms meet, then she kisses the top of his hand. She repeats the kiss on the top of his other hand. Loki smiles and turns their hands and kisses her palm. The pair laugh at their bit of silly but it only adds to what's growing between them.

Loki let's go of her hands and pulls her flush to his chest, kissing her again. The only thing separating them is her thin chemise. When he lifts it free, she shivers. Only one man has ever seen her like this.

"Sublime."

"Your vocabulary seems to be extensive."

"I was tutored as a prince. Great and wonderful are not adequate," Loki explained before he kissed Sarah until she breathless.

She pushed on his shoulders until he moved away. She ducked out from under him, taking a deep breathe, Sarah pushed down her slacks. When they pooled at her feet, Loki followed her and knelt before her once again. "I find just a bit of humor in this, as macabre as it may be." He kissed her stomach before he finishes, "When I was here before, I... I attacked Stuttgart. I told hundreds of people to kneel before me. That it was my right to rule them. Now I kneel before you, knowing I would be happy for eternity if you would but rule me." Loki turned and pressed his cheek to the place his child would one day begin.

Sarah smoothed Loki's raven hair. "It is your right to rule, just not here. Most countries have this little hiccup about rulers being of their people." She smiled and winked at him, "But I think here, we can finger out some sort of an argument."

"Only you make light of my atrocities."

"I don't make light of them, I just want to remind you that they were not all your fault."

"I want no bad blood between us. I find I do want an eternity of happiness with you."

Sarah's heart fluttered, her nightmare flickering before her eyes, because even if it is not her on the bridge, she is mortal, she will age and leave Loki behind with their child. "Let's worry about right now and leave eternity for later." Sarah says, kissing the top marking on Loki's forehead.

Loki stands and pulled her back to the bed. "Tell me what you like," he whispers as he kisses along her neck.

This time she does laugh, "Loki it's been so long, I don't even remember."

"And that is a tragedy." It had been centuries since he'd bedded someone as chaste as Sarah and even more since he's bedded a virgin. "I guess I must start at the top and work my way through everything. It could take sometime to get it all right, but I do have the patience of a god."

"Glad one of us does." Sarah whimpered.

Those were pretty much the last words Sarah spoke for hours. Because apparently Loki had the stamina to match his patience. He spent an endless amount of time kissing Sarah everywhere, from her forehead to the soles of her feet to the back of her neck and every point in between to her occasional embarrassment.

When he finally let himself slip between her silky fold Sarah came just from the fullness. "Loki," she gasped.

"Exquisite, stórkostlega Sarah minn. You make me feel like a lust driven child."

Sarah's eyes fought with her brain to stay open, to see Loki poised over her, blue skin gleaming with sweat, "Pretty sure my brain went to mush hours ago."

"Then I'll shall endeavor to keep it that way so you remain with me always," gently Loki gathered Sarah into his arms and brought her up into his lap.

Sarah cried out as Loki found a place he'd yet to touched, she was pretty sure it was somewhere near the back of her tonsils. The Jötun was huge.

"Ready for yet more?" Loki asked softly.

Sarah groaned but nodded. "I better start taking vitamins if this is going to happen with any sort of regularity."

Loki stilled at the quip. "I am sorry." He shifted to lay Sarah back down.

"Oh don't you dare mister." Sarah snapped when she realized what Loki was doing. "You better start what you finished."

The look on Loki's face was priceless. The combination of confusion and contrition was to cute. "I'm fine, good, wonderful, exquisite even." Sarah said, a twinkle in her eyes. "But if you stop now, I might just ask the boys how to knock your block off."

Loki blinked, and then laughed. "Yes elskan dreki mín."

"And when we're done you're going to tell me what the means."

Breathing into Sarah's ear as he re-seated her, he whispered, "My darling dragon. For you have a heart of fire."

"What better than a heart of fire to warm a lost frost giant?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

The pair lost words again as Loki pulled three more orgasms from Sarah before following her on the fourth. When they finally fell apart, a leg each found the other and twined them together again.

Sarah was dozing lightly listening to Loki's soft breathing, when she felt him shift back to his human form. She felt his leg shift beneath hers, she felt the fissure of energy next to her. She rolled on to her side and traced where one of the forearm lines had been. She smiled when it reappeared, this time a slightly darker flesh tone. "I love your markings. Their so elegant."

Loki rolled to his side and reached out and played with the lock of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "To me they are but a reminder of a family that wanted naught but death for me."

Sarah's hand stilled. "I'm sorry. Make them go away then. I'll never ask you to show them again."

"There is a tale of a lost Jötun child. He wondered away from his family. The longer he was gone the fainter his marking were. Then one day he stumbles upon a village, they take him in as his last marking disappears. As his time in the village grows he finds new lines etching themselves into his skin. He lost a family, so lost his heritage markings, but he found a family and made a new heritage."

"You are making a new family here."

"I will try for you," Loki kisses Sarah's eyes closed. "Sleep elskan mín. Even a heart of fire needs to smolder."

Chapter Text

Steve was in the gym annihilating the third heavy bag of the day as his mother fell asleep with a smile on her lips. He'd started after breakfast when Thor, Jane and Natasha had sheepishly admitted his mother got drunk while basically asking how to get Loki to fuck her.

This was not a good day for Steve.

Tony had tried and failed to distract him from his anger. Anger he wasn't even able to put into words.

Tony had tried to get him to talk about why he was so pissed. It wasn't a surprise really. Everyone had known the two were close. Tony had then asked, if he was upset that she was with someone besides his dad. To which he snorted, he couldn't actually pull up a single memory of his parents together. So then Tony asked if it was Loki's past. Another snort and Bucky's name was tossed out. Tony tried again and got the first broken bag of the day when he asked if it was just the plain fact that Sarah was having sex.

Suddenly Steve dropped to the gym floor drenched. "What the hell am I so pissed about?" He asked the room. He hadn't expect it to answer him.

"I will assume you are pissed at me."

Steve felt a renewed wave of anger rush through his body, "You might not want to be near me right now."

"Oh I think even your serum may have a bit of an issue keeping up with your indignation." Loki said, a knife appearing in his hand. He worked it through each finger as a magician might a coin.

"You've spent the day screwing my mom and you're going to come in here, playing with knives, trying to goad me?" Steve growled scrambling up.

He didn't make it far before the knife was embedded in his pants leg, very close to vital male equipment. Then there were long cool fingers wrapped around his neck. "I didn't screw your mother." Loki spit out viciously. His voice dropping to a soft and tender tone as he continued, "I made love to the woman who holds my heart in her hands. But I will not be a spoiled child and demand she choose between us. I will leave if you demand it, but know you'll have me as an enemy once more." Loki shoved Steve to the mat and turned on his heel, his battle armor swirling into existence around him.

"Stop." Steve coughed out. He pulled the knife free from the mat and his pants and stood up, rubbing his neck. "Just stop."

Loki stopped near the door and waited. His heart racing to hard, to fast. His emotions swinging wildly, he clamped down on his magic lest he do more harm.

Steve walked over to Loki, stepped to his side and returned the knife. "I'm sorry. For the entirety of my life it has only been Mama and me. Yes Bucky was there and yes he was, is a brother to me, but she was it. Maybe I am jealous that she has someone else. And yes that makes me a fucking jerk because I have someone else. But sometimes we can't control the things we feel."

"I will do everything in my not inconsiderable power to make her happy every day she lives." Loki vows.

"That is all anyone can ask." Steve offers, he extends his hand, waiting to see if Loki will accept it.

Loki turns to fully face Steve. He can see Sarah in her son's features. Their nose, the shape of their eyes, the shape of their face. He sees features that he may see someday in miniature with blue skin. He swallows away the anger and tries to understand. Tries to imagine his anger if Frigga had been widowed and took a new consort.

If, even now, Odin took a new queen he would be upset at her replacement. He sighs and takes the hand, but in the fashion of his realm, hand to forearm, forearm to chest. "I am sorry. I can understand that it is difficult to see her with anyone. I would be hard pressed not to react badly if," Loki pauses and swallows again, "when Odin replaces Frigga."

Steve nods and pulls Loki in for the hug he's received more than once from Thor in greeting. "I may want to kill you later, but it's really nothing personal."

Loki stepped back and laughed, "Well shall I make it personal? She is a wonderful partner."

Steve's face flushed an unbelievable shade of red as he coughed and sputtered before leaving the room for the showers.

"You just had to push it Red Nose." Tony says from the door.

"It was to much. I will apologize." Loki said. "Though honestly, as tired as I am, I'm quite surprised I didn't just snap his neck when he accused me of screwing Sarah."

Tony smiled. The smile threw even Loki off and had him reaching for the dagger in its sheath below his robes.

"That my friend, is how you know you love them." and then Tony was through the changing room door.

"Well fuck." Loki let his armor go to be replaced by a sweater Sarah had commented on more than once and a pair off warn black jeans. "Is Sarah still asleep, Jarvis?"

"Yes Loki."

Loki nodded to no one and took himself to the kitchen. He would look for a feast to feed Sarah. However as soon as he entered the room he was treated to clapping, whistles and demands to take a bow. He turned to see what was behind him in confusion.

Clint was the one to step forward and clap a hand on his shoulder. "I sent you off for coffee and burritos six hours ago, dude, you're a god."

Loki shook his head, "This was established some time ago. Say at my birth."

Clint smiled, "Fine, you're a god here among us mere mortals and it's got nothing to do with your actually godhood. And Sarah, yeah she's made goddess."

"And if we've been talking for six hours?" Loki hedged.

Thor coughed, "The tower may not be as soundproof as it would seem. It has been pointed out that certain members of the team, from certain other realms-"

"What Thor is trying to say is you Asgardians are fucking loud when you come." Bucky said blatantly.

"Oh. That's why Steve is so angry with me."

Bucky shrugged, "He left for the gym somewhere around the second one, but man if it was tit for tat, yes you're a god and Ma is a goddess."

"Of course it was tit for tat." Loki was offended that they though he might be such an uncouth lover.

"Yeah Ma needs a crown."

"She needs food, not your adolescent humor." Loki growled. "How is there nothing in this cursed contraption?"

"Because Sarah's the one who shops and usually she shops today." Natasha spoke up. "We ordered take out. It should be here any time. She can give one of us the list and we'll go tomorrow or she can go if she wants."

Chagrined Loki said, "Oh."

Loki looked up at a sound in the hall to find Sarah walking towards him. Before she reached him Bucky spoke up, "So Loki, the next time you and Ma knock boots, you think you can do some sort of soundproofing spell? Steve really did try and stroke out."

Sarah whirled around, eyes blazing, "JAMES BUCHANAN!"

"Shit." Bucky squeaked.

"Hey," Clint interrupted, "now calm down. He didn't mean anything by it."

"He's talking about my sex life."

"Well it's a damn loud sex life." Bucky muttered dropping onto the couch.

"You asked about ours yesterday." Clint pointed out.

"I did not. I asked you if he still kissed good enough to get that dreamy look. Anything else was just trying to distract you while I cleaned out your cuts." Sarah insisted.

"You did ask about Jötun customs," Thor pointed out.

Sarah dropped her head to her chest, "Not specifics." She had point blank asked what Loki liked, "Oh pooh."

"It will be alright. They are merely to juvenile for their own good." Loki kissed Sarah's hand.

That of course was the exact second Steve walked into the common area. He groaned, spun on his heel and walked back out.

Loki went ridged for a moment, until Sarah kissed him. "I'll be right back."

"I think I prefer never seeing them." Loki mumbled, forgetting he was in a room with his brother and a super soldier with enhanced hearing.

"And how many do you have that you don't see?" Bucky asked.

"All of them." Loki answered drolly.

"How many kids?" Tony asked.

"Several."

"You're being difficult." Natasha said sitting down on the counter near Loki.

"To many, all of whom hate me as much as you."

"Hel does not hate you." Thor said.

Loki made a very undignified sound.

"And Sleipnir is so excited each time he sees you Odin can not help but give him his rein."

Loki nodded in acceptance, "So two of my children do not curse my existence."

@@@

Sarah got to Steve before he returned to the gym. "Steven, stop right now," Sarah demanded in the best mom voice she could.

Steve stopped, back ridged.

"What has gotten in to you?" Sarah demanded again.

Steve turned around, "I don't know, damn it."

Sarah pulled her son into a hug. "Sort of figured I'd never have to say this to you like this." She pulled back and looked up into Steve's blue eyes, "I love you, I will love you forever. You and I have a bond that can never be taken away or replaced. You were my little Stevie, just mine."

"I know. I still call you Mama, like some toddler. I just, it's, I don't know. Only thing I do know is Tony is fixing the soundproofing in your room. Like today."

Sarah laughed. "I don't think it's be an issue for a few days."

Steve's face went red again. "You two are trying to kill me."

"No just trying to kill me."

"When did my mother become a troll?" Steve buried his face in his hands.

Sarah kissed his cheek, "Will you come have some dinner?"

"Fine. Just do me a favor, no kissing for a few days. I think I might have had a stroke or aneurysm today."

Sarah swatted Steve on the arm. "You behave. I haven't been kissed since you were a year old."

"Fine." Steve smiled. "He hurts you and I'll kick his ass. Again."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mother and son returned to the dinning room to find a guest. A blue guest.

Sarah stopped short as the woman turned towards her. She managed not to cry out at the the gruesome site. Loki was by her side in a blink, a hand around her's and a steading one on on Steve's chest.

"This is Hel, my daughter."

Steve nodded, "Ma'am."

"You do find the most exquisite mates, Father."

Loki smiled, "My thought exactly."

"This is Sarah, and her son Steven."

Hel smiled and looked to Steve, "Well, like mother, like son."

"Uh not to risk going to your realm, but he's mine." Tony spoke up and skirted past everyone to put a very possessive arm around Steve. "Or I'm his. Hm we are each other's."

"What's the saying here, All the good ones are married or gay?" Hel shrugged.

Bruce was the one to ask the question everyone wanted to ask, "What brings you to our little realm?"

"I heard my name. Several times. Thought I would pop by and introduce myself."

"Pretty sure hell gets used a lot in this realm." Clint said.

"True, but I know the difference between, 'Oh fucking hell', and 'Hel does not hate you'."

Loki flinched.

"I don't, Father. I didn't come to you while you were in my realm because I did not think you would want to see me. I didn't think you would want to be reminded that you did not go to Vallhala."

"I knew long ago I would never see that hall." Loki answered quietly.

"Brother."

Loki shook his head. "Later. Has our repast arrived yet?"

"Just, Loki." Jarvis spoke as the elevators opened.

"Uh, did I miss the beginning of the zombie apocalypse? Or is the the beginning?" The delivery boy stammered, his arms ladened with a dozen or more bags.

Hel laughed and her face was whole, her eye going blue to match the other, her skin still tinged blue, but now a heathy shade. "Silly boy, don't you know better than to insult a lady?" She asked sweetly. "You never tell a woman she looks like death, even when she is death."

"Um, we try not to scare the guys that bring us food." Clint said, walking over to the delivery boy, stepping in between him and where Hel has stopped. "We hate to cook."

"If I must be nice."

"Yes, you must." Loki answered this time, "come set the table with me." He pulled his daughter away and everyone sighed a breath of relief, especially the delivery boy.

"So you must be new." Tony said out right. "The rest know better than to comment on anything they see."

"Um yeah last week."

"So, this is like Vegas to infinity. What you see here stays here. And you get tipped well enough that you don't need to bother the paparazzi. You go to the paparazzi and my lawyers sue you for everything everyone ever gave or will give you. Also you never know who's going to pop up for dinner, like the Asgardian goddess of the dead, Hel, one l."

"Oh shit." Delivery boy went white.

"You will live." Thor clapped a hand on the shoulder. "My niece does not ferry people over."

Tony pulled out his wallet and pulled two bills from it. "That should cover the food," then three more, "and that's the tip. Steve, bags."

Steve shook his head and took the bags from the stunned kid.

"Did you really just pay him five hundred dollars?" Steve asked when they got into the kitchen.

"Um, oh no. Four fifty." Tony said off handedly. Everyone turned and looked at him. "What? I pay them well so the vultures don't have a prayer."

No one said anything, instead ignored Tony's lunacy for the food.

Chapter Text

Hel stayed for dinner, though the conversation was stilted, some how they all ended up sharing a story of some childhood shenanigan.

Bruce told everyone of the time he snuck into his father's office and drank his beer. He said it was one of the only times his father didn't react violently to something he'd done.

Tony, keeping with Bruce's booze theme, offered the up the first time he'd snuck Howard's good scotch and had to sleep off the hang over. Or tried to sleep off the hang over only Jarvis figured it out and woke him up just to make him suffer through it.

Steve told of the time he and Bucky snuck a bottle from Bucky's dad's cabinet and drank the stolen hooch in the closet, giggling like girls.

Hel told about the time she made a bunch of villagers sneak away and bring her all the booze they could carry. She didn't remember anything for a week.

Sarah didn't have any liquor stories so instead told of stealing a candy from the grocer down the street and getting caught and having to work there for a week to pay for it.

Thor offered the story of his first feast as an adult and drinking enough, that to this day, he doesn't know how he got back to his room.

Clint shrugged and said his entire childhood was one shenanigan after another.

Sam passed and told them all his stories weren't worthy of telling.

That left Natasha and Loki. Natasha reminded them all she didn't have a childhood, that any shenanigans she might have pulled off would have probably gotten her killed.

Loki shrugged and reminded them he was the God of Mischief.

Hel left just after dinner telling her farther again that she didn't hate or despise him, that she did in fact love him and that she would try to visit more often. Loki smiled, kissed her forehead, and told her to have a safe journey. Sarah waited 'til they were alone before chiding Loki for not telling Hel he loved her in return.

Loki sighed and sat her down. "Sarah I have never had the kind of relationship with any of my children that you had with Steven. I never watched any of them grow up. The only child I've even even seen born was Sleipnir. Him, I had little choice. I do not love her as you love Steven. I doubt I will ever love any of them they way you love Steven, but I care about her."

Sarah jerked back, the question if he would love their child raced through her mind.

Loki saw in her eyes the question. He reached and ran a hand over her hair. "The child I saw, here, I care for it more now, even if it is only ever a vision, than I care any of my children. I will not tell you that I love you. Yet. But I do care for you."

"I may have guessed that earlier. Will you come to bed with me?" Sarah asked. It was Loki's turn to jerk. Sarah laughed. "To sleep. I want to sleep next to you."

"Yes. Who's room would you like to retire to?"

"Well, I think yours. I haven't changed my sheets yet."

That was of course the moment Steve returned to the living room to get a forgotten sketch pad. He hung his head and sighed. "I heard nothing. I'm not here."

Sarah shook her head and stood up. "I think I may have damaged him today."

"At some point we all have been damaged by our parents."

@@@

Steve slumped into the chair he usually drew in but couldn't make himself pick up the charcoal or open the book.

"Steve stop looking like someone kicked your dog. You said you're fine with you mom moving on, you said you were fine with it being Loki. She gets to have sex."

"I walked in on them deciding who's room they were going to sleep in. Mama pointed out that her room is still a mess."

"Steve our bed is always a mess. It's a mess right now."

"I know." Steve dropped the pad on the coffee table and flopped further back into the chair.

Tony knelt in front of the chair. "Come to bed. We can wear each other out with copious amounts of sex."

Steve would generally be all over that offer, but tonight... "Can we just watch a movie and snuggle?"

Tony held out his hand, "Of course."

Steve took Tony's hand, "Not sure why this is getting at me like this. It's been months."

"It's your mom. You're allowed to be a little off."

After the couple undressed and got into bed, Steve sighed pulling Tony a little closer, "What are we watching?"

"Avoidance? From you? I'm impressed. I'm finally rubbing off on you."

Steve chuckled, "You've been rubbing off on my for years."

"Not on." Tony shrugged.

"Dork."

Tony smiled, that was the sound he was looking for; the gentle teasing tone of his boyfriend relaxing. They didn't say anything for the entire movie. Tony heard the soft steady breathing of Steve sleeping behind him. Tony rolled over and watched Steve sleep. This was one of Tony's favorite past times. Steve asleep was a piece of art to be savored and appreciated. Steve never looked old, per say, but awake there was a weariness that aged him. It had lessened after Bucky was found, then when Bucky was cleared for duty, and just a bit more when Clint started seeing Bucky. It came back when Sarah and Loki reappeared. Not full weary but close. This last month it has smoothed back out. Today, well Tony would put today at three days after de-icing. He hadn't seen him then but he could guess.

@@@

Tony wasn't ready to sleep just yet. He got up, dressed and made for the kitchen and some coffee. He was a bit surprised to find Loki at the breakfast counter with a cup of tea.

"Does he hate me?"

Tiny let Loki stew for a moment while he brewed coffee. When it finished he took a drink before finally answering. "No. He's just torn up. It is hard. "

"I can understand. I was his enemy. His friend and comrade was killed by my hand, even if temporarily." Loki took a drink, "Has Thor told you of the vision I had?"

Tony shrugged, "Only that you had one about Sarah."

Loki's lips curled in a sad smile, "Sarah was sitting in a rocking chair. I believe on my floor, it is hard to tell. Her view is much like my own. She was in a silken robe. It was open, her breast bared, feeding an infant. The barin, well the hair is long for a child still suckling, but not overly so. The kicker as you say, is the child is blue, just a tinge, with blue nails." Loki let the enchantment fall and his skin shimmers to the blue of his birth.

"It suits you." Tony offers with a shrug. "The markings are intricate."

"The markings show my family lineage."

"Hm, yeah I wouldn't want to show off something linking me to Howard either."

"He will be angry, won't he?"

Tony sat down and thought. "Angry's not the right word. Concerned maybe. He might always be. Because you were his enemy, because his friend and comrade died at your hands, however temporarily. But no, he won't be angry." Tony refilled his coffee. "Can you change them?" He flicked a hand towards Loki's arm.

Loki had spent enough time with the man that he could keep up with Tony's jumping conversations. "There is lore of a young frost giant who wandered away from home. Lost. The longer he wandered the more of his marking he lost. He found a village and new marking appeared."

"So you can't, but time can. Good thing your a god huh?"

Loki cast away his shirt and laid his arm on the bar. He pointed to a set of lines on his left arm. "This," he says brushing a specific set of lines, "this is Jötun for Odin. This one means Frigga. Blood family is on the right arm and face." Loki touches the swirling pattern on his cheek. "Left arm becomes the family that you accept. So I've been told. I do not spent much time in this form. I am the monster children are taught to fear."

Tony nodded towards the left arm, "In every monster world there's always one friendly one. Always the monster that doesn't fit in because he likes to play, doesn't like the sound of crunching bones, or the taste of brains. So you're the friendly Jötun. The one that warns the kids before the mean ones come to eat them or whatever the scary bedtime stories say."

"This world seems determined to be the naïvely optimistic." Loki sighed. A flick of the hand and he was clothed and pale again.

"Got to find hope or there's no point. What did Sarah say when you told her?"

"She had known since that night, apparently."

"Sneaky."

"There was a man in their building, from Iceland," Loki got up and turned on the tea kettle, "I assume he missed hearing his words so he taught them all a few words. Icelandic is a simple version of Asgardian. What Sarah had learned were the child's version of the words for she and child."

"Child's version?"

"What is your most complicated mathematical equation? You don't have to tell me, but that would be Asgardian. Icelandic would the equivalent to two plus two in complexity."

"Ah, the Callan-Symanzik equation is my personal favorite." Tony offered a quirking smile lighting up his eyes.

Loki shook his head, of course Stark would give him the name of the equation.

"Do you miss hearing it?"

"Some. It is a beautiful language. I did not realize I had even spoken in the old tongue until I heard Thor answer me. In truth it wasn't even Asgardian, it was a language Thor and I created as children. An Asgardian pig Latin if you will."

Tony laughed. "Really?"

"The words are the same but rearranged. We were young."

"If you miss it you could teach it to Jarvis. He would be able to talk to you in Asgardian if you wanted. He could help teach Sarah and Jane. Because you can't tell me Thor wouldn't be thrilled to hear Jane speak his native language. Allspeak or not. Plus their kids, royalty right? Yours to." Tony shrugged.

"Royalty with no throne." Loki mumbled.

"Hey Midgard's got lots of those. What's one more?"

"And what do these throneless royals do?"

Tony shrugged, "Same as any other celebrity, be seen, be walking billboards for designers, car companies, ramp up attendance at events."

Loki cocked his head a little, "Not something available to me. Not something Sarah would be comfortable doing."

"You trying to say you're board?"

"I may have lived a life of privilege but I was never idle."

"You spar with everyone. You help Sarah everyday with the staff. Hell, you've helped with medical." Tony was surprised at Loki's complaint. No one had ever bitched about living off of him before. Granted, no one had ever lived off of him for more than a month before.

"A few trivial tasks."

"Ask Steve, I've got enough with SI. Unless you want to learn R&D."

"I'll leave that to you. I have enjoyed learning of your medicine with Sarah."

"So take it to the next step, learn the doctor's side. Bruce would love to ditch that part. Nothing say you two have to stop. So she caught up to present day, you learned it all from scratch. Jarvis can make your backgrounds a little more in depth. Go to medical school. Become doctors the traditional way. Change your looks a bit. Or don't and we deal with everything and tell the world you were as messed with as Bucky was."

Loki sat very still through Stark's rambling. A healer, him? Sarah came by it by heart, was it something he could do?

"Think about it. Talk to her. Sarah might not want to go to medical school. Either way I'd pay for it."

"And we're back to living off of you."

"Loki, I have more money in one account than some medium sized countries have for three years worth of annual budgets. And at the end you would be providing a skill only one of us has but doesn't want and no one else wants to learn."

"Are you trying to talk me into learning new ways to kill you?"

"Nope. Just new ways to keep you from getting so board that you want to learn new ways to kill me."

Loki laughed at the absurdity of the statement.

"You should take him up on it. He'll just big you until you cave and do what he wants anyways."

"Love muffin." Tony swirled and put out his arms, as Rhodie walked over to him, the two hugged and patted each other on the back.

"What's up snuggy bear? Why the impromptu visit at," Tony looked at the microwave, "oh fuck it's early thirty?"

Rhodie smiled, "Got a few days of leave. Thought I'd stop by and see how the world was behaving."

"What did you break?" Tony asked, hands on his hips.

"Nothing. I can't just stop-"

"You can, you don't."

"I do to." Rhodie countered. "I spent a week with you after Afghanistan."

"You also tried to get me to make weapons again."

Rhodie winced, "I did." It was his biggest regret. Stark Industries has done more for the world in the last few years than all the rest of its history.

"So what did you break?"

"Nothing. Truthfully. Jarvis, man a little help here."

"The Colonel has in fact not worn the suit in several days and it needs no repairs."

"See? I caught a red eye. Figured I'd crash on the couch 'til you woke then I'd steal ya for breakfast."

"Steal away, Steve's still asleep. We could hit that diner in 54th that you like and bring him back that monstrosity of an omelet he likes."

Rhodie smiled, "A man with a plan."

"Oh no, he's upstairs asleep." Tony turned back to Loki, "Think about it. Humor me. Humor Sarah."

@@@

Loki nodded but didn't answer. He would talk to Sarah about Tony's offer. He had mixed feelings about it. One hand, as he said he was not use to being so adrift. Sure he'd had free time between battles but he'd spend the time learning new magics or practicing just learned talents. He'd spar with Thor and the others. He had duties at court that had to be met. Here, his only duties were, well nothing. There was nothing here that couldn't be done by people Stark paid. He sparred with everyone but they all sparred with each other as well, if he stopped it wouldn't create much of an issue. Even Banner sparred on occasions. He helped Sarah with the staff and dinners but again if he stopped the world would continue.

"The world on your shoulders again?"

"In a manner of speaking." Loki turned to the voice and found Steve leaning against the door jam, "Your boyfriend just left with his paramour."

Steve chuckled, he figured he was more the paramour than Rhodie, "Yeah, he needed shoes. Woke me up leaving."

"I am sorry for my parting comment yesterday."

Steve walked over to the nearly empty coffee pot. "If it was any other person I would just be miffed about the crassness of the statement."

"As I told Tony, I was surprised at the fact that I hadn't snap your neck."

"So points to both of us for learning restraint." Steve watched Loki for a moment, then asked, "What did Tony say that had you gathering so much wool?"

"How do you know it was Stark?"

Steve laughed, "The look, only person I've ever seen be able to put that look on someone's face is Tony. It's the 'how did my life become this,' look. What did he offer to do for you?"

"He offered to send Sarah and I to medical school. I mentioned my lack of usefulness here. That was his answer."

"Sounds like him."

"Is it something your mother would want to pursue?"

Steve shrugged, "Wasn't something we could have ever afforded before. Wasn't a lot of female doctors at the time either. But it's a possibility. What about you? How would you handle being the world?"

"Sir offered a deep background for each that I would create, as well as handling publicity if Loki chose to attend as himself." Jarvis answered.

"Guess Bucky and Clint did set a precedent for redemption after brainwashing."

"That may apply to what I did here, but it does not hold true for what I did on Asgard before I was sent here."

"You're not in Asgardian prison, and you've spoken to Odin. Guessing things have been either forgiven or put to time served." Steve offered, knowing Loki had been in their prison. "We'll back which ever play you choose."

"You are a truly odd race."

"Probably, but I've only met you two and the Chitauri, so I don't have a lot to go off of."

The pair fell into silence before Loki left. He decided to walk around Bryant Park. He dressed in slacks and a green sweater matching his armor in color, he added a green and black long coat. He let his magic slip once he was in the park. It was early yet so the park had few people in it. He decided on a small trial run to see how someone might react to him.

@@@

At first no one said a word, no one even acknowledged he was there. Then a woman turned a corner and gasped. He waited for the scream and had the spell to quiet her at the ready. However she merely walked up and punched him.

"How could you?" She hissed.

Since no one had gathered at the spectacle, he answered, "Much like the now loved Winter Solider, my will was not my own at the time. I have paid a high penance for acts I had little wish to commit."

"Really?" The woman snapped.

"Yes. I was imprisoned, my mother was killed in a riot of escaped prisoners, and I was killed three days later saving my brother's consort. A year later I found myself alive and at the feet of my father."

"And since then?" The tone was a little more civil but remained on the other side of hostile.

"The Avengers have been guarding me. The most mischievous thing I've done is to argue with Stark."

"Why now! Why show yourself?"

Loki shrugged with one shoulder, "To see if the world would have me."

Chapter Text

"Why do you care?"

"What is the saying? But for the love of a good woman." Loki conjured a forget-me-not and let the petals flutter off on the breeze, "Despite knowing what I've done, she'll have me. But she is not one the could flourish in the shadows. I need to know if I can give her the light."

"Huh."

Loki laughed, her simple huh was a perfect reflection of Midgard's lack of refinement.

"So I'm guessing since the Avengers seem to have forgiven you, and you said you didn't want to invade Earth, someone was controlling you the way I've heard you were controlling the archer."

"Similarly. I was angry and that anger was manipulated." Loki admitted to the first person, ever. "Who did you lose?"

The blond shrugged, "A future husband? A future ex? We had only been dating a few weeks."

Loki swallowed past the emotions trying to swamp him, "I am sorry."

"It's the possibility of what could have been that hurts more."

"And for those who lost more than a possibility?"

The woman tipped her head to the side, "Are you asking me if I think you'll get lynched?"

"Perhaps." Loki watched the young woman's face, there was a myriad of emotions playing across it.

She walked to a bench and sat down. "Since you're asking and not pulling some mind thing, I'll answer you. Yes, I think people will call for pitchforks for you. But if you do a press conference with all of the Avengers beside you and let then know you were manipulated, like the arch-"

Loki interrupted her, "Hawkeye. His code name is Hawkeye."

"Okay if you explain what was done to Hawkeye was done to you first, it might help. It'll buy you some sympathy."

Loki had figured the same thing but had been hesitant to make the moves.

"What light do you want to give your lady?"

"Medical school." Loki offered with a shrug. "She was a nurse sometime ago, we bounded over updating her skills."

"Stay at home mom out of the career for a while."

"Something like that."

"I'm Sandy by the way." The woman said, blindsiding Loki.

"Uh, yes, well..."

"Right you're Loki."

"For some time now."

Sandy chuckled, "Humor as dry as the Mohave."

"So I've been told. It is more sarcasm than the humor."

"So you want to send her to medical school and you want to go with her. Learn to be helpful." With a shoulder shrug she added, "Admiral."

"Mostly on my part, I'm bored. I have never had this much time on my hands."

Sandy laughed, "Oh, to be so bored."

"What is it you do?" Loki was just making idle chatter now. Others had passed them, flickers of recognition had shown in several sets of eyes but none had cried out or reacted.

"College for another four months. Art history major. I want to teach about the classics."

"And your possibility? What did he do?" So a little self-flagilatin wasn't out of order.

"A student to. He was in criminal justice."

"So I took a hero before he could be a hero." Loki said to himself mostly.

"More like prison guard. He didn't want to be a cop."

"Ah."

"I've got to go. I'm not sorry I slugged you. But I'm sorry you were fucked with."

With that Sandy was gone. Loki sat for an hour or so before teleporting back to his living room. He turned on the horrid news channel, the one that liked to bash the Avengers the most and waited. After another hour, nothing was said, no bit of him terrorizing a park, nor taking over New York again. He flicked off the tv and went to the kitchen. He made Sarah a simple breakfast. He could conjure up just about anything he wanted, but Sarah preferred it this way. Taking it to his room he found her just were he'd left her. She slept curled in a tiny little ball, he'd heard Tony mention off-handedly once, that when he and Steve first started sleeping together he slept the same way.

Steve was so much like his mother, her hair was a little darker but they had the same color of blue for eyes, the shape was the same. Their noses were identical, his chin must have been his fathers because Sarah's was just a little pointed.

Loki set the tray down and sat next to Sarah. She always looked so put together when she was awake. Now, asleep, curled into this tiny ball, she looked so young. She might be the oldest person in the building, a year or so on Stark, but compared to himself, Sarah was an infant. She would barley make a toddler. He reach out and played with a stray lock of honey colored hair. She would die, again, in a few years. He and their child would have several millennium without her. That seemed ill of The Norns.

"Stop worrying."

"I didn't mean to wake you." Loki ran a soft hand down Sarah's arm. Once his hand was at her wrist Sarah flipped her hand over and caught his.

"The smell of food woke me."

"As much as you consume are you sure you do not have serum?" Loki asked dryly.

"I think your healers might have picked up on that."

"Perhaps."

Sarah sat up and set herself on Loki's lap, kissing his cheek, "What did ya bring me?"

"Toast and eggs. With a side of syrup."

"You do care."

"I did say I did."

"You did, so since I know you don't run, what had you outside this morning?"

Loki looked puzzled.

"You smell like the city." Sarah clarified.

"Ah, yes. A little field trip."

"Seeing if anyone would recognize you?"

"You are a perceptive little minks."

"Yep."

"Yes. I was and may have a bruised jaw for it later." Loki absently rubbed the spot Sandy's fist had met his jaw.

"But you're still here, so you're safe."

"For the moment, yes, it seems so."

Sarah kissed Loki again, "Why?"

"Stark offered something. For both of us. Steve agreed you might be interested in accepting. I needed to know if I could be accepted as me, or not."

Sarah sighed, when Loki was nervous he got extra wordy even for him, "Stop playing wordsmith with me and tell me what Tony offered."

"To send us both to medical school, if we chose."

"Why would he do that? Why would he think to even offer that?"

Loki kissed the top of Sarah's head and set her back on the bed. He gave her the tray of food and paced the room. "I may have mentioned I was not use to having so much time on my hands. When you were relearning your craft, it wasn't so bad. But the few hours a year required to keep your credentials would not be enough. He also,mentioned Banner's lack of enthusiasm for treating his teammates."

"So you went to..." Sarah waited for Loki to tell her where he took his field trip.

"Bryant Park."

"To Bryant Park and got slugged. What did that tell you?"

Still pacing Loki answered, "That if the other come out in my defense, that it might be possible to attend as myself."

"Because of James and Clint." Sarah supplied.

"I created my own loophole by capturing him." Loki added. "Is it something you would like to do?"

Sarah ate a piece of toast as she thought about the offer. She'd been content as a nurse. But at the time a woman doctor was unheard of. There where some, yes, but the amount of crap they had to deal with was something Sarah never had the stomach for, nor the money. She had been a war widow with a child. "If I said no would you still go if you wanted to?"

"I might, but not as me. The only reason I care what this world thinks of me is because of you." Loki knelt before Sarah. "In all of the nine realms, yours is the only opinion I care about."

"My opinion is not the one that matters Loki, it's your opinion of yourself."

"Maybe some day." Loki rose up on his knees, so he was even with Sarah and kissed her, "but right now, you are far more important than me."

"Oh Loki, you're a god. I'm just a mortal. In a few years I'll be dead, again. I have no illusions of a forever with you. I may daydream about it, but I have a firm grasp on reality."

"You could have forever, if Idun would let me bring you an apple." Loki tried.

"I'll think about it if you think about medical school."

Loki smiled. He'd go if she would take the apple. Idun had be a friend, once. He wondered if she still was.

Chapter Text

Loki declined when Sarah asked him to go to the store with her. He told her he wanted to think about Tony's offer. She smiled and kissed him, before getting up and pulling on his robe to go to her room to get dressed.

"Would you mind if I brought a few pieces of clothing here?"

"No. Not at all. Well maybe a little." Loki pulled her to the where he was sitting and kissed her soundly.

Sarah smiled into the kiss. She kept it lighter than she expected Loki wanted it. When he broke the kiss, she smiled. "No I'm guessing you'd be fine with me walking around here naked all day. However, I don't think you want me doing the walk of shame as they call it now a days, naked."

Loki growled, "There is no shame-"

"I didn't mean to say there was. Just using a term I picked up."

Loki nodded, when Sarah tried to pull away again he held her fast. He used his magic and set them on her bed. "No need to walk at all."

"Loki."

"Darling you are entering into a relationship with a god who's used magic since he was a mere child. It is part of who I am. Likely the child will have a magical aptitude as well."

Sarah sighed, he was right. "Fine. I'll try to get use to it."

"Life can be very simple when you let it. Go, shower, procure food for the entire building." Loki smiled, "I will be here when you get back." Loki kissed her nose then let his magic pull him to the rooftop marked by the Bifrost, all those months ago.

He sat in the center and thought for a while. He weighed his options, seen Idun and ask for the apple, or seek The Norns and ask their council. The three could be a bit bitchy, could also be a bit loving. No one could ever predict what The Norns might say.

He decided, The Norns first. He was sure he had most of the day to go about his tasks.

"Heimdal? I need to see The Norns." Loki called out. The flash was brilliant as always. The gold room soothed something he didn't know had needed soothing.

"My prince, it is nice to see you again."

"Heimdal, you know my parentage."

"I have always known, my prince."

Loki jerked, "Why did you never tell me?" Loki demanded.

"Tell a child that his father was a cruel man who wanted him dead because the child was born so tiny? Tell a young man that the father who loves him and cherishes him is not the man who helped create him? Tell a foolish man that his magic is so strong because it has been forced upon him since he was but three days old? I watched you, my prince, scream for two days before Odin found you. No one saw you, no one heard you, but Odin. Others where near you, closer even than Odin that day, but none, none, my prince where destined for you. I saw the Norns come to you. My heart broke at what they were setting in place for you."

"Why?" Loki asked his heart in his throat.

"My prince," Heimdal knelt before Loki. "Change never comes without heartache. They wanted you to bring about a change to the nine worlds. My prince, they wanted you to start Ragnorok."

"I almost have."

"You have avoided it twice, at great personal sacrifice. Idun will give you the apple. The Norns will only give you sadness."

"Did Odin know?"

"Much later."

"It is why he changed." Loki whispered to himself. "If the child is born on Midgard, do you think they will travel to Midgard?"

"I think that The Norns will do as they see fit."

"As have they always." Loki reached out and set his hand on Heimdal 's shoulder. "Stoic Heimdal. How heavy your heart must be with what your eyes have shown you."

"There is joy and beauty to outweigh even the heaviest burden if you but look."

Loki smiled, Heimdal ever the optimist. "Is Idun in her garden?"

Heimdal's eye sparkled, "Yes, my prince. There is a skiff waiting for you."

Loki walked a few steps before he stopped, over his shoulder he asked, "Do you think I would make a good physician?"

"I believe my prince, that you are good, no matter what you do."

"Please tell me you don't spend your days reading Midgardian motivational posters?"

"I will not lie to you my prince." The humor was heavy in Heimdal's tone.

"Thank you my old friend." Loki whispered walking to the skiff.

"You're welcome, my prince." Heimdal whispered in return.

The ship was small enough to be manned solely by him. Loki was grateful, he would have easily put on his mask and shown disdain and loathing for anyone there, but now he didn't have to.

Idun's garden was away from the main city. But the skiff was quick and it only took Loki an hour to reach her gates. He spent the hour thinking over everything he would need to do if he took up the offer. In reality he didn't need Stark's help. He didn't even need to enroll, he could audit that classes, as it were. No one would ever know he'd been there. But perhaps just this once he should do things as others would.

He could even attend with no guise at all. There was a phenomenon on Midgard known as doppelgängers. He could simply say he had the unfortunate chance of resembling the Avengers's enemy. He wasn't even sure how many people knew what he looked like. Sandy had known, though.

Loki saw Idun sating at her gates, a soft smile on her lips. The moment his skiff touched the landing his arms were full of his cousin.

"Loki!"

"Cousin." Loki answered much more softly.

"I'm glad you still count me as such."

Loki leans back so he can see Idun's face. "Always little cousin."

"Good. Let us have tea." Idun pulls away but kept a hold on Loki's hand. She walked the short landing to her gates, as always he's taken by their beauty, as is everything in Asgard, they are gold. Each door is an apple tree ten feet tall, each tree's branches spread out and intertwining with its twin. Every branch abloom with blossoms that never fade, petals that never fall. But below along the ground of the gate's doors are petal, each inscribed with the name of a fallen Asgardian warrior.

Loki hates that during his madness he added to those petals's numbers. Idun clutches his hand a little tighter and with a voice as soft as an apple blossom, "They would not blame you. You were their prince."

"Not theirs, their enemies." Loki let the spell drop and showed Idun his true parentage.

"Who has only ever known Asgard as his home. You did not defect. You are no traitor to Jutönheim. You are no traitor to Asgard."

"Well the second, there is much debate about."

Idun reached up and cupped Loki's cheek, "Not in this garden, cousin."

"Thank you Idun."

She smiled softly and they walked to her home. He watched her golden hair tail behind her as they walked. Her hair was the same shade of gold as her gates, almost the same shade as her apples if he remembered correctly. It was the purest shade of gold, but to Loki it seems it had fade and was no longer the most beautiful. Loki jerked when Idun spoke.

"What is her name?"

"Whose name cousin?" Loki said slyly.

"The woman's hair makes mine pale in comparison. The one whom you seek the apple for."

Loki didn't bother with the presence. Not that he had been trying before. "Sarah. She is the mother of one of Thor's compatriots."

"Tell me of her."

Loki wondered what Sarah would think about being asked about by a goddess. "She's like Mother was. She was widowed young, one of Midgard's great wars. Her son was born with poor health. She worked hard as a nurse to their healers. This was some time ago, their culture did not see the value in women as they should. Still does not. Not truly. But it's getting better. She got sick and died much younger than she should have. She's brilliant. She relearned her craft in mere months. She has so much compassion. She has never held my actions on Midgard against me."

Idun watched her cousin speak of his Sarah. She saw the happiness in his eyes, the light shown through bright and clear. She let him talk about his Sarah until they reached her small home.

"You know, the apples are only for Asgardians?"

Loki felt his heart fall. "I do. I had hoped you could be persuaded." Loki drank the tea before him before he continued. "Idun, there is to be a child. The babe will only be a few scores before The Norns take her again."

"How was she returned?" Idun asked her head tipped in curiosity.

"As I was. We do not know. I've tried several times to unravel the spell, but it is much older than I can trace. I doubt much she was returned so that I could find her, or that she would be returned to me once she's gone."

"Even if she was given an apple, she is mortal. She will die."

Loki nodded, "I know. But not in a handful of years. She would be able to see her oldest happy and healthy for many years with the apple. Maybe even out live him. He was given an elixir that changed his body greatly. They do not know at what rate he will age. It's only been a few years since he received it." Loki shivered, "That is also a problem, his lover is as mortal as his mother. More so as his lover has a bad heart. And is already years older than him."

"You seek two applets?" Idun asked softly.

Loki shook his head, "No. I may care greatly for his mother, but Steven is not my concern, nor is his lover." Loki shrugged, "But obviously if I could, I would. Brownie points as they say," a sly smile forming.

Idun laughed. Loki would forever push, but that was why she loved her cousin; to often on Asgard they spent their tomorrow's as they had they yesterday's. Loki would never do that, though neither would Thor.

"I would have to send you on a quest. But I think it is a quest you are already on." Idun let her own telling smile tease her lips. "See me the day of your celebration. Sarah will have her apple."

A weight Loki hadn't even known he'd been carrying fell away. "It seems there may be numerous celebration in my future."

"You'll know. You always know."

Loki chuckled. Idun could spin a line as well as himself. "They call me silver tongued."

Idun smiled. "Come, lets have a bit of lunch before you return to your Sarah. Tell me more of her." Loki nodded and set a spread before them that would tempt even the most restraint man to overindulge.

It was almost three hours before Loki said his farewells to Idun and returned the skiff to Heimdal.

"Your light is much brighter, my prince."

"We wax so poetically," Loki chuckled. "Yes I am much more at ease."

Heimdal laughed and set the Bifrost to open, "Visit again, my prince. I like this version of you best."

Loki dropped onto the rooftop and came up short. Barton stood just to the side of the doorway. Not that Loki needed the door, hadn't in fact planned on using it.

"You think you can do it?" Barton said cryptically.

"There a great many it's I can do. Which are you referring to?"

"Do you ever not talk like you swallowed and damn dictionary with a dessert of thesaurus?" Clint mumbled.

"Sure. Can even do contractions. Dangle a participle to, but, that wasn't how I was raised. What are you asking?"

"If you can help people? If you can go to medical school and not use the knowledge to kill us all?"

"Barton, I've known how to kill you all since I was a child and this planet still hunted animals to wear. In a good fit I could wipe half the planet out. If I had truly wanted to rule this planet, I would be. But I like watching my prey scurry around creating more destruction. It's why I have such a silver tongue, I can stir things up, and never lift a finger. You pick fights, you start shit." Loki smiled, "I just do it in a different way."

Barton nodded, he flipped a blade out from behind him, letting it lay flat in his palm. He bounced it once and caught it by the blade, taking the handful of steps that separated the two, he held the knife out. "The balance is damn near perfect. It's ceramic, so it doesn't set off any alarms. Teach Sarah how to use it."

Loki kept his face neutral as he took the blade from Barton. As soon as it was free of his fingers, Barton turned and walked away from Loki. "It would be stupid of me to kill you with your own knife."

"I know. This is the best I can do at trusting you. Don't fuck me over. Because if you do, Sarah or not, if there is anything left of me, well Bucky might have a shiny metal arm, but I'm scarier because you won't know when or how I'll kill you." Barton stepped rough the door.

Loki shook his head, "Well fuck me."

"I'd rather not."

Loki spun to find a (he tipped his head to the side to get a better look at the gun pointed at his head) he found it to be a Glock, three inches from his face. "Did he know you were there?"

Bucky shook his head once. "And he is scarier. What I did, tears at me. Even now, knowing there was next to nothing of me in there, what he's done, doesn't. The only time he doesn't sleep, is when he has nightmares of what you made him do. I could have never been what Clint is."

Loki nodded. "You heard all of it?"

Bucky drops the Glock to his side. "Yes."

"The invasion was never my idea. I wanted to rule, but never like that, never with so much death. Death only brings more death. Then the whole place stinks."

"Ain't that the truth." Bucky stepped back from his shooting stance, so that he was facing Loki. "Fuck him over and I'll kill you before he gets the chance." Then he to left through the door, his back to Loki.

Before another person could pop out of the woodwork, Loki teleported himself to his room and dropped heavily onto the sofa. It had been moved against the wall months ago, so Loki let himself relax for a few moments.

"Loki?"

"Yes Jarvis?"

"Mrs. Sarah has returned and wanted to know if it would be acceptable to bring a few items up?"

Loki sighed, his lightened mood from Idun had evaporated the moment he saw Barton. But he was sure seeing Sarah would go a long way recapturing it. "Yes, actually tell her I'll be down in a moment to help."

"Very well, sir."

Loki went to the bathroom and splashed a but if water on his face. Then he looked around the room and imagined several plants scattered around the room, he let a mix of Midgard and Asgardian plants ripple through, filling the room with familiar and exotic plants. When he opened his eyes, and let the smile free. He turned one plant just for the sake of it and sent his body to Sarah's kitchen.

Sarah gasped at his sudden appearance then growled. "Just because I said I'd try to get use to it doesn't mean I'm use to it."

"True but you can not adjust if you never see it." Loki pushed a little and formed a rose before bowing with a flourish and presenting it to Sarah.

Sarah laughed and swatted at his arm with the dish towel that had been in her hands. "Yes, yes. You're charm is showing."

"Well then you might need to help me put it away."

Sarah laughed, but took the rose. "Does it need water?"

"Yes my fair Sarah. It will fade as things must on this blue green rock."

Sarah found a bud vase under the sink and filled, she looked over her shoulder, "You're going. Aren't you, your going to take Tony up on the offer."

"I am going. But on my own. I am not without. I can provide for us without Tony's help." Loki took Sarah's hand in his.

"If you bring something from Asgard, will it effect the economies here?"

"So bright my Sarah." Loki beamed, "There are reserves here that are never touched, never used. I would simple trade what never sees the light of day, for what I have."

"Oh! An unrobbery."

"Yes." Loki tipped her head and stole a kiss. "I will unrob a treasury. Everything is digital here anyways. So even if I added, only spending it would cause economic issues."

"Where will you go?" Sarah asked, letting Loki's arms pull her in, she placed her cheek to his chest.

"You'll have to help me pick."

Sarah nodded, her check rubbing against his chest. "Maybe I should just leave my things here. No sense in moving them up, to move them to be near the school."

"Sarah." She looked up and saw the humor in his eyes. "We'll stay here. I won't take you away from Steve." He closed his eyes and took them to a warm beach, a small island he remembered from before. "I can travel anywhere."

"Oh. Oh, that adds so many schools to the list."

"Well, while travel isn't an issue, I do not really want to go to a school that is opposite of our time zone." He crinkled his face. "I'd never get to see you."

"Oh. Well that seems to be all I can say all of the sudden." Sarah took a deep breath and stepped back, "And that makes sense. I didn't know how your teleportation works."

"I can change my place but not my time. Time is not as fixed as your world would like to make it. But changing it requires much more effort than I have ever wanted to exert."

"So is three hours to large of a jump?"

"I think the would be the end of the spectrum that I would be willing to work with." Loki watched the light play in Sarah's hair, "Though perhaps I should forget all of it and keep you here. See how many freckles your skin can get after spending the rest of our days in the sun making love."

Sarah's heart lurched at the though of spending so much time with Loki, "All the rest of my days. Your years will out number any days I have."

Loki wanted to curse The Norns. They were determined to keep his spirits down. "Sarah," Loki created a blanket and sat them both down on it, "I am not immortal. I can, will and have died. We both could tomorrow if the spell ends. Or we could live on for centuries together. I could not trace the spell to see what it truly intended." He took her hand in his. "You could live past me for years, decades with nothing more than what you should have been given your first time. I could die in a battle, because as much as I hate Odin for his lies, if he asked I would fight for Asgard. If the Avengers asked I would fight with them tomorrow. To protect you."

Sarah shivered before asking, "If I said that "L" word would you be angry with me?"

"Never. You have all rights to your feelings. But do not be disappointed if it's not returned, just yet." Loki kept his voice soft, hoping to lessen the pain of his reply.

"Never. You have all rights to your feelings." Sarah said back. She leaned in and kissed Loki softly, almost chastely. "I love the man you are becoming."

Loki smiled into the kiss. "I think I might learn to like this man as well."

"Good. How long do you think we have until someone needs us?"

Loki shrugged, "My lady, it could be years before I care."

Sarah giggled, "I'd settle for how ever long it takes you to make love to me."

"Mm, and we're back to years." Loki leaned Sarah back onto the blanket as kissed her. He did distract himself long enough to send a copy back to the tower. He made sure it popped up in Tony's lab, just for old times sake.

"Ahh." Tony screamed as the copy shimmered into existence inches from his face.

"Sarah and I are on a quick holiday to a sandy beach. Fetch your own dinner if you would please. I plan to keep her busy for some time celebrating my decision to become a Midgardian doctor."

"Holy shit. Loki, if I have a heart attack from your stupid photocopy Steve's gonna be pissed. Wait can you even hear me."

The copy picked up a stray screwdriver and flung it into the concrete wall behind Tony, "Yes. I can do two things at once. Though of the two things, being with Sarah is the best option." Then he let the copy fade out.

Steve walked in a moment later, Tony still looking blankly at the screwdriver in the wall. "Do I want to ask?"

Tony shook his head to clear it, then shook his head no. "Nope. Loki took a quick trip with your mom to some sunny sand. They'll be back in a bit."

"Oh. Okay." Steve shrugged.

"He decided to go to school. She didn't. They're celebrating."

Steve cringed. "That is going to take a lot of getting use to. It really is."

"You're doing better than I figured you would." Tony offered. "Definitely doing better than me if it had been Maria who'd come back."

"Do you want her back?"

Tony shook his head, "There was never really any love between us, not like there was between you two. Besides she was already with a crazy person."

"I wish you could have met the Howard I knew. That Howard and you were a lot alike. At least when I first met you, you were alike. Now, not so much." Steve pulled Tony into his arms. "Course if I ever met your Howard I think I'd have to slug him."

Tony cracked up at the matter of fact tone Steve used. "Alright slugger, lets go find some food.

Chapter Text

Things changed a lot over the next six months. The first was Loki and Sarah desired on a coin toss to see who's floor they would share, Sarah won.

Then Loki challenged most of the courses at Harvard Medical and was well into his second year in no time. There was also a staged house under the name Luka Siðastsonur in Boston, that Loki used as a point to teleport between Boston and New York.

After a month or so, the others started using Luka as a joke. But eventually it got used more than Loki's name.

Then Odin requested that Loki come to Asgard, he'd learned of Loki's new endeavor. During the meeting they had started a new sort of relationship, not one of parent and child, but more of a distant uncle and nephew. Which in truth made a bit of sense. Asgardians were related to every race in the Nine Worlds, in some way.

During the conversation Loki mentioned that he'd been using the name Luka to exist on Midgard without finding his neck in a noose and that it seemed to have taken hold in the tower. That Sarah was the only one who still consistently called him Loki.

When the whole group returned a month later Odin asked Loki which name he'd prefer.

Loki shrugged. "Either is acceptable, Allfather. Though I think I will use Luka's surname."

"What did you choose?" Odin asked, walking Loki to the dinning table.

Loki sighed, it was in a moment of anger that he'd chosen the name. A man over a thousand years old needing a new surname... "Siðastsonur." Last son.

Odin missed a step but covered it quickly. "Yes, fitting. You are the last son of two kings. Did you consider taking your lady's name?"

"For less than a second. I'd prefer to not take yet another man's name who has no love or use for me."

"Loki, I have always loved you." Odin stopped and turned Loki towards him, "I showed it badly. Yes, I took you as a pawn to use against Laufey, but you stopped being that before I had you bundled in my bloodied tunic under my armor. I changed your appearance in hopes that I could give you a good home here. You were given no home there. I wanted to give you life."

"And you did for centuries." Loki conceded the point.

"No." Odin shook his head. "Frigga did." Odin patted Loki on the shoulder, "come tell me how your studies go on Midgard." The King walked the pair over to their seats.

Loki took Sarah's hand under the table and started telling the man who had been his father about his classes and the other students he'd been getting to know.

Steve caught his mother's attention and nodded towards the doorway leading towards a garden.

Sarah smiled and nodded. "Dear, Steve wants to take a walk with me in the garden. Do you mind?"

Loki turned to her, lift her hand from his lap and kissed it, "No my lady. Enjoy the beauty my mother created. Watch for Thor's Snap Dragon."

Sarah kissed Loki's cheek and stumbled over bowing to Odin, then flushed bright red as she muttered damn it, hurrying over to Steve at the gardens door.

Steve covered his mouth to try and hide the laughter, Sarah swatted at his arm anyways.

They wondered around for a half hour looking at various flowers before they came across a bench surrounded by red petals.

"I think Thor told me this is were his mother use to sit." Steve said looking up at the large purple leafed tree that reminded him of a willow tree.

"I think Loki said something similar. Did you want to sit down?"

Steve nodded. The box in his pocket was driving him mad.

"So what has you dragging me out into the absolutely stupendous garden?"

Steve smiled and set his arm around his mother's shoulders. "I wanted to ask you if you thought it would upset Luka if I purposes to Tony tonight."

"Why would it upset him?"

"It's just, he seems to be getting along with Odin and the Warriors a Three were polite to him. I didn't want to overshadow his evening. But I also wanted to make it perfect for Tony."

"Of course you do. Let's see the ring that's burning a hole in your pocket."

Steve shifted nervously. "I had Jarvis help me figure everything out. Then when Tony was gone last week, I made it." Steve pulled the little black box from the pocket of his pants. He'd had a hell of a time keeping it hidden from Tony when they'd changed into Asgardian clothing.

Sarah gently took the box from Steve's trembling fingers. "Oh darling it's beautiful."

Steve beamed. It was a simple band. "It has shavings from my shield, from a part Jarvis swore wouldn't damage the integrity. It has gold titanium alloy, from Tony's first, well his second suit. And crushed ruby and emeralds for our birthstones." Steve pulled it from the box and handed it to his mother.

Sarah could see the silver of the vibrainium and the gold, but when she moved the ring the sun caught the shimmers of red and green.

"You are amazing."

Steve huffed at the compliment.

"You've always been an artist, sweetheart, but this, oh I'm so jealous of Tony right now."

"Do you think it would be okay to ask him tonight?"

"I think Loki will be happy for you both." Sarah pulled her oversized son in for a hug. "My baby's going to get married."

"That so punk?" Bucky said appearing from behind the giant purple willow.

"Oh, well maybe. I'm gonna ask him tonight."

Bucky plucked the ring from Sarah's hand and let out a whistle. "Good for you." He carefully set the ring back open the open box that was still in Steve's hand. "If I ain't your best man, you won't see the honeymoon."

"Well that's the dumbest thing you've ever come up with. Who the hell else would I ask?"

"No one, just sayin's all."

Steve shook his head, "Think I'm gonna ask someone else after all these years. Think you should get Thor to put you in that soulforge they got around here. Make sure HYDRA didn't fry you after all."

"Why are we checking on Frostbite?" Tony said walking up the path, looking everywhere but at Steve fortunately.

Bucky stepped in front of Steve so the punk had time to put away the shiny. "He thinks I'd let him ask someone else teach him how to dance the Lindy."

"The Lindy?"

"Yeah there's a revival club in New York, but he never learned." Bucky shrugged.

"Huh. We'll have to go some time." Tony shrugged, reaching out playing with the leaves above them. "So Blondie sent me out here to get you for dinner, said it should be starting shortly."

"Thanks." Steve stood up taking Tony's hand. "Ready Mama?"

"Yes, I'm sad we didn't get to see Thor's snap dragon though."

"It's over there." Bucky said nonchalantly, pointing up the path about twenty yards.

"Oh I have to go see it." Sarah exclaimed and made for the bright green leafed shrub with red petals.

"That is big for a walking flower." Tony nodded, watching as Sarah walked slowly to the plant. She reached out slowly and waited.

They all waited, ready if something should go wrong, instead the giant flower shifted slowly towards Sarah, a single tendril bridging the gap between them. It curled the tendril in Sarah's palm, shivered and when the tendril retreated a small off shoot remained.

"He likes you." Loki said appearing near by. "That I know of he's only bestowed a youngling on to two people, my mother and Idun."

"The apple cousin?" Bucky asked.

Loki blinked, "Yes."

"We should get back before Thor thinks we're all lost." Steve tipped his head back the way they'd come.

"He already does. The only one at the table at the is a very uncomfortable Barton and my fa-, The Allfather."

"Where's Banner and Romanoff?" Bucky asked, pushing past Steve, his hand unerringly brushing the pocket where the ring was hidden.

"Training yard. They should be there before we return." Loki answered, taking Sarah's arm in his. "Did you enjoy your time in Mother's garden?"

"It's very serine."

"Much like the woman herself." Odin said, rising from the table.

Sarah flushed red. She was sure a king wasn't suppose to rise for a no one like her. She kept it to herself, a king could do whatever he wanted.
At the table Bucky made Clint move so that he could sit next to Steve. He saw the hidden smile on Ma's face and even caught an upturned lip on the Allfather. Every time Tony's attention was captured by something other than Steve, Bucky would elbow him, nudge him, and once even stabbed him in the side of the hand with his fork. That got him a snort from Luka.

"Steven will you just say whatever it is Bucky wants you to say, before his antics are misunderstood by my kin and a brawl begins." Loki said dryly before dining a goblet of mead.

Steve's eyes went wide. He immediately turned and glared at Bucky. Then to the table in general he said, "Please ignore the jerk to my right. He was dropped on his head as a child. Never been right since."

Sarah gasped, then laughed at the badly delivered lie.

Tony turned and looked at his lover. "We've told you about your inability to lie, love. You suck so bad it's not even funny."

Steve's wanted to sunk into the floor. He was going to have to kill Bucky later, was a shame really, Bucky'd been doing so good. Instead Steve sighed and looked towards Odin, "If I may steal the evening?"

Odin sat back and waved a hand as if to say 'have at it'.

Steve had kind of hoped Odin would tell him whatever it was needed to wait. Instead Steve stood up and moved away from the bench they were all sitting on.

Of all the things, this was the one thing he hadn't planned to an inch of its life. "Tony, I know everyone thinks I have all these great speeches planned out on my head when I go do something stupid and brave, but I don't. They sort of just happen. I'm hoping this turns out the same way. We hated each other the second we met. I was still so angry, waking up away from everything I knew. All of my friends dead, but Peggy, and..." Steve trailed off. "I wanted you to be just like Howard so I could have a single familiar thing on my new life. But you weren't." Steve smiled and brushed a lock of hair away from Tony's forehead. "Thank God. I think I'd still be angry and so much more lost if it hadn't been for you." Steve knelt before Tony, pulling the box free. "What the jerk has been hounding me about all night is to get me angry at him so I'd have the courage to ask you. Will you marry me?" Steve opened the box and Tony forgot how to breath. Steve powered on and said, "I made it. Jarvis helped me use your forge. I, it is made from my shield, your first Ironman suit and our birthstones."

Tony's hand shook when he reached out for the ring, Steve pulled the ring free and held it out. Tony had to think 'close fingers' for them to obey. "Yes." Tony whispered.

Steve smiled. He uncurled Tony's fingers and gently slid the ring on to Tony's ring finger. "I love you." Then he couldn't stop himself he picked Tony up and hugged him, reveling in the feeling of Tony.

"Kay, still need oxygen, and a damn kiss." Tony gasped.

"Oh god." Steve cursed, letting Tony free but kissing him deeply. They broke to applause, cheers and cat calls from Bucky.

Tony looked down at his hand, the simple ring was perfect. "Um, wait, you said your shield." His head jerked up to look at Steve.

"I promise, Jarvis said its still perfect." Steve rested his palm against Tony's cheek.

"Better not fuck up your shield for jewelry." Tony's voice wavered.

"I'm sure you'd rather have me than a ring."

Tony cleared his throat, now that his heart wasn't in it, "Damn right. Though the ring? Pretty damn awesome."

That apparently had the cue for everyone to step up and ohh over the ring and hug and congratulate the new fiancées.

Steve stepped back a little so Tony could do the girly hand flop to show off the ring. He was pretty proud of how it had turned out. He turned to pick up his tankard. How ever it was gone, a hand tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at up to the owner and found Luka.

Loki tipped his head away from the crowd. Steve nodded and flowed him.

At a window the two lounged against the walls, "Congratulations, Steven. I am happy for you."

"Thanks. I asked Mama if it might upset you if I asked him at dinner."

"Why would it bother me?"

"I know this is one of the first times you and Odin have been able to spend time with each other and not .."

"Try to kill each other?" Loki offered.

Steve shrugged, "I didn't want to step on that memory for you, but it felt like the right time with Tony."

"Steven, I am happy for you." Loki let out the sigh that had built up since Steve had asked, "Idun has offered me an apple for your mother upon my graduation. I think it would better if she gave it to Tony. You deserve a long happy life with him."

"No Luka, you deserve time with Mama."

"And I will have it. She is younger," Loki shrugged, "than Tony, she's far healthier than Tony. I will have time with her."

"A few years to a man who's centuries old." Steve countered. "I won't take that from you or Mama, or the baby, if it comes." Steve stood up, "Thank you for the offer, but I can't."

Loki nodded, he felt terrible either way. Steve would lose his mother, again, or his lover. "Seek Idun, maybe she can be persuaded to give Tony one of his own."

Steve didn't want to hope for something like that. Wouldn't be fair to Bucky, Steve thought, Tony getting to live as long as Steve, but Clint still aging. Steve had resigned himself to being alone a long time ago.

Steve wondered back to the table and was pulled into hugs he could barely handle from Thor, then in quick succession from Valstagg, and Fandral. The hand shake from Hugun was as boisterous as Steve had ever seen from the Asian looking man. Sif gathered him in for a hug as well, though not nearly as life threatening as the previous three.

"We are happy for your union, Steven." She exclaimed for them all. "Anthony is a fine partner."

"Thanks guys. I hope I didn't break some tradition doing it that way."

"No. Love should be shouted from the roof tops, or at least the banquet halls." Fandral said a quick smiling flashing.

"I'll leave the rooftops to Tony on Midgard."

Everyone laughed at Steve answer. Then they bowed and quickly stepped away. Steve swirled around to find Odin standing behind him. He took his cue from the other four and bowed. He'd been present to the king of England all those years ago when he'd saved everyone from the camp, but other than that he'd never dealt with royalty.

"Father?" Thor spoke up.

"May I borrow your captain?"

Steve stilled. He hoped he wasn't about to get a god level ass chewing.

Thor leaned in, "His bite is not as bad as it would seem."

Steve tried not to laugh.

"I believe I am capable of a bite you would not survive." Odin snapped, but the look didn't match the tone.

"Of course, Father." Thor smirked. To Steve he added, "I shall keep your fiancée from drying of boredom."

"Uh I think it's more of keeping him from getting into to much trouble."

Thor chuckled, "Aye, that as well."

Steve followed Odin to a small chamber behind the throne. He looked over his shoulder before he walked passed the throne, Tony was watching him, confusion on his face. Steve shrugged and turned back to Odin's room.

"Sit Steven, sit. A drink, I have a mead I think will suit you." Odin poured a cup and handed it to Steve before he could decline.

"Thank you, your-"

"No, none of that now." Odin waved away the honorific. "My son tells me that when you lived the first time, this type of relationship was illegal. That you would have been killed for loving another man."

Steve took a long drink of the mead. "Yes. Our world has changed greatly these last few years. It only changed the last decade or so before I was found. It's just been a year ago that we were given the right to marry in America."

Odin nodded, rubbing a hand over his beard. "You know, all of you have a place here if you desired it. Most of the Nine Realms would treat you as kings if you chose one to live among."

Steve hadn't known that. "Allfather," Steve tried that name and got a nod and smile. "We didn't know that but we are honored by the offer. We can't leave Midgard, not yet. Maybe when some of us are ready to retire. It might be nice to have a place to retreat to."

"Do you think you will ever be ready to retire? To lay down the shield and walk away from the war."

Steve felt like he was standing in front of Sam in the VA all over again. "I don't know. It seems like all I've known. But I lived twenty three years without. For me I've only had this body for a handful of years. Most of those with Bucky by my side fighting Nazis. Fighting men who wanted a world were this body was the norm and my other body was useless. I don't know that there will ever be a time in my life where I can walk away, when my world will stop seeing people's outward appearances as more important as their hearts." Steve took another drink before he continued, "But that's not why you asked."

"No. Your man, he's not as young as you."

Steve's heart pounded, "You heard Luka offer Tony my mother's apple."

"Yes."

"I want to be selfish and take it for him. To keep him with me until we're both tired of the world. Keep him next to me until I'm a doddering old fool. But seeing my mother with Luka, seeing them happy, knowing how good she's been for him. Knowing that there is suppose to be a baby. Knowing how bad he handled being alone. I can't. I want to. But I can't. Who wants to choose between their mother and their lover? But I'll do what I can to keep Tony safe and be happy for as many years as I can get."

"You never expected to find him." Odin said, surprise in his voice.

Steve shook his head, "Expected to die young and sick. Expected to die in the chamber that changed me. Then on the battle field with my men."

"Did you expect to see thirty?" Odin asked, knowing the captain had just attained the laughable third decade of his life.

"No. Not really. Look I'm glad everyone wants us to be together forever, I do want that, but right now, I've had more years with Tony than my Mother had with my father."

"Have you ever been selfish?"

Steve shrugged. "I'm sure I have, everyone is at some point."

"Shall we return to your groom?"

"Thank you Allfather. Seems like I walked away as soon as he said yes."

"Well Luka and I can be quit demanding when we chose."

"Yeah. Do you mind that we call him by his public name?"

"No. I rather like it. It is a name that goes hand in hand with his birth name. Well the one Frigga bestowed upon him. I doubt Laufey thought to give the boy a name before he left him to the snow. I do regret that we chose the name the is tied to Ragnorok's prophecy. It did not exist until he was named."

"Can he stop it?"

Odin remained silent for a moment. "It is a prophecy. The Norn's, our fates, are not without hearts. They can be swayed. Today, no. He would not be able to stop it. Tomorrow? Who is to know?"

"You Allfather, you." Loki answered.

"Ah, I know all, but even I do not know everything."

"This is what I grew up with." Loki said tipping his head in Odin's direction, the shaking it. "No wonder I went mad."

Odin laughed and pulled a startled Loki into a hug. "It is good to hear your banter again." Odin turned to the crowd, "FEAST, DRINK, BE MERRY, FOR OUR COMRADES HAVE FOUND WHAT WE ALL SEARCH FOR. OUR HEART." Odin clapped once and wondered off towards the garden, a smile on his lips, and in his eye.

Tony slipped behind Steve and stood on his tip toes to drape his arms over Steve's shoulders, his hand up and open in Steve's line of sight. "You know, I'm not sure how I'm going to match this ring, let alone top it."

"You don't have to top it, Tony." Steve turned around, catching Tony's left hand in his right, bring it between them. "I don't need flash. I need you. I only made it because I knew you would like the symbolism of the different items."

"That's not true. I don't like it. I love it."

Steve's heart unclenched at the declaration. "And I love you." Music had started, it was a soft song, Steve thought he might have a chance at nit stepping to badly on Tony's toes, so he asked, "Dance with me?"

"Not the Lindy?" A smile blossoming over Tony's face.

Steve slumped, "Did you see the ring in the garden?"

"No. But I doubted Barnes would be going to any club to dance. He barely leaves the tower to fight or get food."

"Hmm."

"Plus, I don't have to be looking at him to see him stab you with cutlery."

Steve laughed, he stepped away from Tony and held out his hand, "Should we see how well the serum can compensate for two left feet?"

Tony took Steve's hand and wrapped his hands around Steve's neck, "Just twirl me in a slow circle. No feet even required, left or right."

That was how the night played out for the couple. Dancing to music on another world, in their own world.

Sarah's face hurt she'd smiled so much tonight. Her son was strong, healthy and in love, there was a wedding to plan, and maybe some day a baby. And Loki had had a nice conversation with Odin. She turned and found Loki speaking to Sif and another man she didn't know. Loki looked at her the moment her gaze lingered on him. He smiled and said what she assumed was goodbyes and was by her side in a matter of seconds. "I think we should celebrate." His voice dark and husky.

"I think there will be plenty of celebrating. I think I'd like to walk through the garden with you."

"Is this some Midgardian ploy to get me to take you in the moonlight?" Loki whispered."

"No. I'm an old fashioned girl. I really do like walking in the moonlight."

"Than a moonlit walk is yours." Loki sent a copy ahead to find Odin so he knew which path to avoid. He had a feeling he was talking to Frigga.

Chapter Text

The newly engaged couple found their way to the room they had been given, though Steve was kind of hazy on how that might have happened. He just knew Tony was above him, kissing him and the ring was pressing into the palm of hand.

"You got any ideas where you want to get married?" Steve asked between kissed.

Tony shivered, "Think Ol' one eye might let us do it here? Only way it will get to be just ours."

Steve pulled Tony's shirt off and watched the material slither off the bed to the floor. "Might if you don't call him one eye when you ask."

"Picky picky." Tony groaned when Steve surged up and began nibbling on his shoulder.

"Probably learned it from you."

Tony snorted, "So not taking the blame for it. God, why do we still have clothes on?"

Steve stripped them both quickly, "Mmm, when?"

“Now," Tony leaned back looking at Steve like he was crazy.

Steve devolved in to laughter flopping back on the plush bed. "I know sex now. I meant the wedding."

"Oh god, don't ask me things like that. My brain goes all mushy when you kiss me, let alone do anything else. Ask me after. Yeah after the sex, the now sex."

Steve flipped them, "Alright, the now sex, now. Wedding later."

Tony reached up and pulled Steve down for a searing kiss, "The man with a plan."

"Oh I have a plan. A plan to keep you from ever saying that again." Steve knelt and took Tony's cock in his mouth and pulled out every trick he'd ever learned. He'd hid the lube in one the fold of the bedding earlier and was so happy when he found it on the first pass. Trying to keep Tony distracted and open the bottle was a little harder than he thought but was pleased when Tony let loose with the first gasp. It wasn't long before Tony was stretched and Steve sank into his fiancée, both men whimpering at the feeling.

"Oh fuck Steve."

Steve dropped his head onto Tony shoulder, "Not gonna last long. To much…”

"Right there with you."

Steve gathered Tony up in his arms and held him to his chest, "Love you. Don't know what I'd do without you."

Tony silenced Steve with a kiss, his arms bracing on Steve's. The pair rocked into each other, the kiss continuing until Tony dropped his head back and screamed when he painted Steve's stomach. Steve came only a few seconds later, Tony's name torn from him.

Steve held Tony close, swallowing down every sappy thing he wanted to say. Instead he poured it all into a simple, "I love you."

Tony tried to answer but his throat was dry and he ended up chocking, Steve moved them and reached for a pitcher of water and cup that had been left on the night table.

"I tried to say I love you too, but someone made me scream a bit."

"And someone isn't sorry about that at all."

Tony curled around Steve once they laid down after cleaning up, "Soon. To answer you're badly timed question about your perfect question. Soon. Just need to make sure a wedding here would be honored by the courts on Midgard, damn it, they've got me doing it, on Earth."

Steve smiled and barely kept from laughing. "Clothes?"

"As they do in Rome?" Tony shrugged. "Kind loved the way you looked tonight. And a little cheesed that Point Break and Prongs never pointed out how comfy it was."

Steve tried again to not laugh, "Prongs? Why do you have a fascination with his helm?"

“I don’t, just…have you ever seen him in his Jotün form?"

"No."

"He showed me a few months ago. Well, some of it I think, got the feeling he kept some of it glamoured or what ever he calls it. He's blue, but he had these lines, they're not tattoos, they look like they're carved into his skin. Kind of awesome, said some of them showed his linage. But some showed Odin and Frigga. Wonder if someday they'll show your mom? Maybe even, you.”

"Mama mentioned that she asks him to stop hiding it. She says that she thinks he's even more handsome that way. Guess he thought it would scare her."

"How is we went from trying to kill the guy to feeling bad for him?" Tony asked.

Steve smoothed a hand down Tony's back, pulling him close as he felt the goosebumps rise, "Because I know what it's like to not have a father and you know what it's like to have one who didn't love you like they should have?"

"Oh sure, be logical and crap." Tony huffed.

"Generally works out the best," Steve held Tony tight. "So, do we check legality or ask Odin?"

"Ask Odin. If he says no then it's a moot point. If it not legal on Earth we do a civil thing after and get married here anyway."

"Logical."

"Alright, who are you?" Tony laughed.

"I'm still me, I'm just happy."

"I guess, have you stopped smiling yet?"

"Don't think so. Probably won't for a long time." Steve yawned, "Let's get some sleep, either way we have some planning to do."

Tony snuggled in just a bit closer and was asleep just as fast as his human pillow.

In the morning they found Odin at the table with Thor and Luka. Steve wasn't sure what the protocol might be for asking a foreign deity king for permission to get married on his planet, if there even was one.

"Allfather?" Steve tried to sound confident but respectful.

“Captain." Odin leaned back into his chair and waited out the man.

"Tony and I were wondering if it might be possible to have our ceremony here? On Midgard, well it will be a bit of a circus, because of our notoriety."

Odin watched at the two men. Luka's new family was a study in contrasts. The Captain, tall and broad much like his own son, stalwart and reserved. The Iron Warrior, dark and flamboyant in such a way that you felt you knew everything about him when in truth, you knew nothing.

Odin crossed his arms and asked, “Will it be binding?”

Tony stepped forward, even with Steve, "I'll ask when we return, if it's not we will have a civil ceremony, a uh, paperwork only sort of thing," Tony explained, "but we would still like to have the vows and everything here." Tony looked at Steve before he asked the next question, Steve shrugged. "If it's not to presumptuous, Allfather, we would like you to perform the ceremony. And really nobody could have an issue with a marriage performed by an actual god."

Odin was not often surprised, but the request, did just that. It was a little presumptuous. There were but a few things in his duties to the Nine Realms that had ever brought him happiness, tying these two men to each other would be one of a handful of things that he would get to do and smile about it. "It would be an honor, gentlemen."

Luka asked the next question, "Have you picked a date?"

Steve shuffled a bit before answering, "As soon as we can get things organized? We've already been dating for a couple years. No need really to do a long drawn out engagement. Of course, we understand that your duties to Asgard would dictate that as well, Allfather."

Odin laughed, "The benefit of being king, no one argues." Odin waved his hand and three men stepped forward, "Arrange what needs be arranged," then left the table.

“Well, um think one of us needs to go back to Earth and find out if marriages performed on another planet are legally binding." Tony looked to Steve.

"Do you want to figure locations or paperwork?" Steve countered.

"Uh, paperwork? I need to tell Pepper and Rhodie and Happy anyways."

"Might want to drop a call to Fury and Hill while you're there."

Tony shivered, ”Changed my mind, you tell them."

Steve chuckled, he head Thor choke of a laugh as well, "Chicken."

"Fine. I'll go. I'll see if I can do something about a ring while I'm gone.” Tony turned to leave.

Steve caught Tony's hand. "What, no kiss? Going to leave me on an entirely different planet and not even kiss me good bye?"

Tony deflated, "I wouldn't have made it out of the room and you know it."

"I do."

A shiver ran through Tony, "Say it again."

"I do, I do love you, I do know I will miss you while you're gone, I do."

"Damn we got sappy." Tony sighed, "I do love you, and I do know I'll miss while I'm gone."

Steve kissed Tony, it was chaste given their company but it was heartfelt none the less.

"Alright ask the blond squad what kind of rituals they have. Maybe we make it all Asgardian." Tony said, stepping away before he could give in and drag Steve off back to their room.

"Be careful."

"Always Cap,” Tony replied with a wave.

Steve watched as Luka stood up and quickly followed Tony out of the hall. Shaking his head he turned to the three advisors Odin had left. "So, uh, what are your marriage customs? Do you guys even have same sex couples?"

Thor answered before the advisors, "We do, though our customs are not as you are accustomed to."

"Well, Tony and I aren't set on anything."

"Steven, we seek love but often our marriages are arranged. The ceremonies here are more often contracts for combining families and feasting. And sacrifices." Thor added with a knowing grin.

“Oh, uh maybe not then,” Steve paled.

"Would you not what your own rights spoken? Your Catholic?" Thor asked motioning for Steve to sit.

***

Loki caught up to Tony a few yards down the hall, "The ring?" He started. "Steve went to great lengths to make yours, and we have the finest jewelers in all the realms here."

Tony sighed, "I know, his shield, damn it."

"You know your Jarvis would never do anything to compromise it." Loki reiterated.

"I do. And Steve wouldn't either. Finest jewelers, huh?"

"The dwarves here can make anything."

"He's not going to want flashy, just simple, timeless, indestructible..."

“Will you let me take you?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah. I've got no clue what to do." He looked down at his hand, "It's perfect. He's perfect. I'm just a ..."

Loki saw the flicker, one he'd seen in the mirror more than once, "You are a man whom gives everything, a man whom will always give everything."

Tony looked at Loki and suddenly started laughing, just full on laughing, had to grab the wall to keep up right laughing, only to fall and land on the floor, anyway.

"Do I need to summon a healer, Stark?"

Tony had finally got his laughter to a few chuckles when he answered, "No. I'm fine, Dad."

Loki jerked back.

"Well, you're dating Steve's mom, I'm marring Steve, that makes you my almost father in law."

Loki shook his head, "You were dropped as a child weren't you?"

"It does.” Tony countered.

"Then it follows that you would then become my grandson," Odin commented from an adjoining hallway.

Tony stood up quickly, "Uh, shit. I meant it as a joke, Allfather."

"But in reality, it is truth. Loki is my son, one of my heirs, and as you said..." Odin smiled, leaning against the wall, "What fine grandchildren you give me Luka."

Loki shivered, “Allfather, must you encourage him? He's daft enough as is."

"We must always encourage the young.” Odin’s tone was that of patience and time.

Tony swallowed the rebuttal to the comment because to them he was a kid. "He sort of needs to marry Sarah first."

Loki gave him a dry withering look, "As if that is will be a hardship."

"Oh, right. Um so the ring?" Tony asked trying to change the subject back to before he lost his damned mind.

"The dwarves?" Odin asked.

Loki shrugged, "He seemed stymied."

Odin nodded and turned to return the way he'd come, "Oh, who will handle the bride contracts?" Odin called as he left the pair.

"Bride contract?" Tony squeaked.

"A custom here, a dowry."

"Oh uh well I mean Steve will get half of what I've got. So does that make me the bride or him?"

"It would make him the bride as you are buying him from his family, so to speak. It is not a custom you must abide by." Loki herded Tony towards a doorway and on to a near by skiff. "Do you wish to see to your world and paperwork or the ring first?"

"The ring I suppose that way they can work on it while I do the rest."

"Logical."

"Steve said the same thing last night when we decided to ask to get married here. So should we do an Asgardian thing?"

"No, you shouldn't. Asgardian weddings are not what you would think of. And the novelty of a Midgardian wedding here will be interesting."

"Suppose I could have Jarvis pull a bunch of ceremonies for Steve and I to look over. Maybe try and add a little Irish and Italian to something."

"A handfasting perhaps, both cultures did so before your Christian God became prevalent. Many of our new followers do something similar."

"New followers?"

"I've spent some time learning the ways of the people who still worship us, or who have started again. Norse Pagan they are called or Asatrú."

"How much time have you spent looking up Midgardian weddings?"

"Enough to know that they are far different then Asgardian and that I will not mind a Catholic wedding if Sarah requests it."

"Crap, you think Steve will?"

"Not if he is willing to have it here, Catholic weddings are only allowed in a Catholic Church." Loki answered as he maneuvered the skiff up to a landing near a dark looking cave.

"Cave, huh?"

Loki heard the tremble in Tony's voice and remembered his capture on Earth. "It is open and light once you pass the outer room."

"Yeah, no its fine. I'm fine, lets do this." Tony rambled stepping onto the landing, "So, uh like Lord of the Rings, gonna see Gimli in there? Should I have brought Barton so we have Legolas?"

"Tony, it will be alright. You don't have to do this. It was rude of me to not remember-"

“No, its fine. I can do this."

Loki nodded, he wasn't so sure he would be strong enough to handle seeing Thanos's lair again. He walked quickly through the outer room to the well light hallway that lead to the inner chamber. It took a few minutes but he could tell the moment Tony started to ‘flip out’ as they say. Loki took a bare second to spin the spell that had them both out on the landing.

"Okay, lied, can't do it." Tony's breathing was near hyperventilating.

Loki put both hands on Tony's shoulders, and spoke clearly, "Take a deep breath, yes just like that, one more. Now match you're breathing to mine." Tony slowly got his in sync with Loki's. "I'm sorry. I should not have suggested this."

"No, no. I thought I could do it."

"I can ask if they will speak to you here?” Loki offered.

Tony half shrugged, half nodded.

"Stay here and keep breathing." With that Loki was gone, a few minutes later he returned with a dwarf, and he looked exactly like Tony pictured a dwarf.

"Erik will speak to you about the ring."

"Thank you, for seeing me out here. I'm sure your home is wonderful, but bad memories." Tony waved toward the opening.

Erik nodded in understanding, ”You seek a ring for your betrothed?"

"Yes, he made this for me, I want to give him something equally wonderful. It has to be sturdy, he's a great warrior on our world, he uses a round shield as both shield and weapon. He took a small part of his shield and made it into this." Tony shivered when he pulled it from his finger. "It's made of a rare metal for us. We call it vibranium. It doesn't vibrate when struck. He also used titanium," Tony paused, looked at Loki and asked, "are these words even going to translate into something he's going to know?"

"Yes, the Allspeak has changed the name to its equivalent metal here."

"Shit that things amazing. So yeah it's a gold titanium alloy that I wear as armor when I fight and the crush rubies and emeralds for the symbols of the month we were born."

"All strong materials, both in meaning and durability,” Erik nodded. "When do plan to marry?"

"Soon," Tony answered, "here, we are having it here. Our world, it would be a big mess if we had it there."

Loki spoke up, “His betrothed is a great captain among their guard, their colors are red white and blue, his birthday shares the date of their country's creation."

Erik nodded again and rocked back and forth in thought. "The size?"

"Oh, well ya know you'd think that would be something I'd know." Tony mumbled.

Loki shook his head, "Stay here," then vanished.

"Well shit."

"The prince is good at that."

"Do you still think of him as your prince?" Tony asked, mildly surprised.

"Most do, Jutön or not. Odin brought him here, raised him. That bit with the coronation,” Erik shrugged, “most felt it was for the best. We love Thor but he was not ready to rule and it gave him time to see that."

"Do you think Loki could?"

Erik nodded, "He had a better temperament for it, now I think Odin will need new sons, as his have found lives better suited to them. He returns."

Loki dropped a ring into Erik's hand, "That will be perfect."

"We have a metal here that glows blue, I think it will work well with crushed diamonds and red onyx."

Tony nodded, “Diamonds are for April, that's what month it is for us. If we get married in the next two weeks."

"Then shall we take you to Midgard to your other task?” Loki asked, a hand towards the skiff.

Tony nodded, then stopped short, ”Yeah. Oh uh price? How do I compensate you for this? I doubt you take AmEx."

"Bring me four ounces of palladium. It is hard to find here."

Tony laughed, “Okay, but he's carrying it." Tony jerked a thumb towards Loki, "I'm allergic to that shit."

Loki raised an eyebrow, Erik flowed suit.

Tony tapped the reactor, "I have metal in my heart, I have a magnet keeping it from killing me. The first magnet was powered by palladium. It's hazardous to humans."

The understanding was immediate for Loki, ”The scepter didn't work because of the magnet."

Tony nodded, "You couldn't get to my heart because it was hiding behind a three pound electromagnet."

"For that I will be forever thankful."

Tony let the comment go, instead saying, ”So off to tell Pepper I'm getting hitched and giving half of Stark Industries to Steve?"

Loki waved towards the skiff and thanked Erik for the ring and the understanding. Erik nodded again and retreaded into the cave.

"Am I returning with you to Earth?” Loki asked a few moments later.

"No, I can touch it, work with it even but I wouldn’t suggest putting it anywhere in your body." Tony moved his shirt collar and traced a line in his neck, "Palladium poisoning is a bitch."

"You had it then, didn't you?” Loki had a vague memory of dark circles and a bit of desperation, but he had been trying to take over their world at the time.

Tony shrugged, “Just the after effects by then, always will to some degree."

"Does Steven know?"

"To some degree,” Tony repeated, “I'm sure I've forgotten something but it's not hiding just not remembering what I've mentioned."

Loki let it drop since they were just a few minutes from Heimdal.

Tony had since bought the building Heimdal kept dropping them on and updated some of the security so he could leave suit there. He was glad he had now. He suited up and asked Jarvis, "Is there something you want to tell daddy? Something round and sparkley maybe?"

"As the sensors indicate a trace amount of vibranium in the suit, I expect you are now engaged?"

"You fink."

"I am sorry, not sorry, sir. It is in my program to ensure your happiness. This will see to that."

"Quoting memes to me... I'm grounding you for a week from the Internet," Tony groaned.

"Certainly sir,” the dry tone told Tony everything.

"Where's Pep?"

"At SI, with Mr. Hogun."

“Good, don't let them leave."

Tony landed on the pad at SI, let the suit fold in on itself and walked briskly through the halls. Pepper sighed as soon as he walked in, “Tony, what ever it is, is going to have to wait.”

“Oh no, it’s not. I’m getting married as soon as things can be organized.”

“WHAT?” Both Pepper and Happy shouted.

Tony held out his hand and wiggled his fingers, “So being the girl here.”

“Oh my god Tony! I'm so happy for you. Oh it’s amazing.” Pepper exclaimed looking at the ring. “Where did he find it? It’s exactly you.”

Tony smiled, “He made it. The week I was gone, yeah he a Jarvis got together and conspired against me. He used his shield Pep. His shield!”

Pepper’s hand flew over her mouth in shock, “No!”

“Okay only a tiny bit and Jarvis was in charge of the gathering but still. Also the little shits used part of my first armor.”

“It’s amazing, what are you going to do?” Pepper asked turning Tony’s hand to watch the light play off the crushed stones.

Tony rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, “Luka’s helping me. He took me to one of their jewelers, a real live dwarf, I might add. Erik, lives in a cave and everything. I will owe them four ounces of palladium.”

“Boss?” Happy sounded weary.

Tony held up a hand, forestalling any other comments, saying, “Its all in sealed containers. I don't have to touch it to deliver it.”

“But you're really going to let someone else make the captain’s ring?” Happy pressed.

“I would love to watch, to help maybe. But I couldn't make it passed the mouth.”

“I’ll have R&D requisition it and have it to you by the end of the day.” Pepper said with a soft smile, “What else do you need Tony?”

“To find out if a marriage performed on another planet by a foreign god king is legally binding?”

Pepper squealed, “You’re getting married on Asgard?”

Happy chipped in, “By Odin?”

Tony shrugged, “Here, not our wedding; there, all us. Steve stayed to figure out wedding logistics. I came here to figure out legal logistics.”

“I’ll call legal, right now.” Pepper had the phone picked up and the number dialed before Tony could thank her. “So what kind of ceremony are you going to have?”

“Don’t know yet. Luka might have mentioned that we wouldn't want an Asgardian wedding. They're more contracts than weddings. He apparently has been checking into them though and said something about a hand fasting.”

“Yes, oh Martin I'm glad you answered, can you come up to my office and bring that file we've been working on?” There was a pause and what sounded like a very girly squeal for a voice attached to the name Martin. “I know, see you in a moment.”

“A file?”

“So a few people in legal and I might have looking into things since you and Steve have been together.”

Tony stopped pacing long enough to glare at Pepper, “Mr. Potts have you been conspiring against your boss?”

“Of course not, Mr. Stark.” Pepper said, almost deadpan, the barest smirk and lilt to her voice giving her way, “I, as good employee, have merely been planning for a much anticipated occasion.”

“Right.” Tony barely got the word out when a small man in a bright pink shirt and very tight black slacks came rushing in the door.

“Oh my god, I am so glad Wanda stepped away from her desk to pee for the millionth time.”

“Martin,” Pepper shook her head, “it's not her fault.”

“I know its the monster she's carrying, I’m so happy for her, it and you.” Martin turned and waved his arms towards Tony. “So standard prenup with all the usual-”

Tony turned on his heel and flatly said, “No, chuck it. If I can’t trust Steve Rogers, than I am so screwed. He gets half now, the rest upon my death. He can be as involved in the company as he wants to be from now ’til the day he dies.”

“Mr. Stark…”

“Nope, that’s the way it is. Take it or leave it. Mostly what I need to know is if I get married on another planet if it will be legal here.” Tony pushed on.

“Oh my god.” Martin squeaked.

“Oh, yeah and a god is performing the ceremony. Does he need a license or something?”

Martin nodded, then shrugged. “Um, well see if you get the license from New York, you'll have to get married in New York.”

“Alright get me the paperwork for a civil ceremony and we’ll go from there.” Tony rushed on, “I need to call Rhodie and see if he can leave to, well leave the planet. He’s got to be my best man.” Tony sighed, “there are to many things to plan for a wedding.”

Chapter Text

Tony gathered as much as he could on various wedding customs and traditions from Ireland, Italy. Then just for the hell of it he threw in information from Norway, Finland, Sweden, there might be something fun that could be traced to Asgard.

Turned out there wasn’t. Tony and Steve held up in their room and looked through everything Jarvis had compiled. It was a lot of the same thing over and over again.

“So we keep the vows we know, add the hand tying thing, drop the bouquet and make the cake almond flavored?” Tony asked.

“Ditch the tuxes, keep Asgardian garb, and Asgardian mead,” Steve finished.

“Keep the feast slash party slash reception.”

“Keep the first dance,” Steve added.

“Ditch the cake to the face,” Tony countered.

Steve laughed, “Spoilsport.”

“We could write our own?”

Steve nodded, “I sort of liked that one with the six cords.” He rubbed the back on his neck, “Thought maybe the team, Mamm, Rhodie and Pepper could each…” Steve shrugged.

“No, I like it. Yeah, they're our family, this gets them a little involved.”

“Was thinking they could drape the cords across our wrist instead of Odin.”

“I love it.” Tony kissed Steve, “I’m sure your mom will like it to.”

Both men scowled when there was a knock at the door. Tony was laying across Steve’s legs so he got up.

“Allfather would like to see you,” a small woman said curtsying deeply, “your highnesses.

Steve coughed, “What?”

Tony cringed, “I made a bad joke and it appears to be sticking.”

“What did you do?” Steve asked, sighing.

“I jokingly called Luka dad, Odin heard and pretty much claimed us as grandsons.”

“Wow, Mama will be fit to be tied when she hears that.” Steve turned to the woman, “Is our attire appropriate?”

The woman nodded, “Yes, your highness.”

“Oh please don't do that.” Steve cringed. “He’s not married to my mother.”

“The Allfather himself has said it is to be. Your mother was present.”

“Did we just get in line to inherit Asgard?” Tony whispered.

“I hope not,” Steve shivered.

“This way,” the woman curtsied again, but refrained from the honorific. She led them to the garden, to the purple willow and curtsied so low Steve was sure he was going to have to help her back up.

“You have seen to your papers?” Odin asked.

“Uh yes, it’s the paperwork ceremony,” Tony answered. “Other wise we have to get married in New York and you would have to be registered with the state as an ordained minister or appropriate religious member. All around more paperwork than anyone needs to do. Plus it would mean a trip, well, two trips at least to Midgard.”

“Two?” Steve asked.

“One to register, one to marry us.” Tony continued, “The paperwork thing is fine because there’s a bunch that has to be done because of Stark Industries.”

“Oh right, wait, New York’s an equitable distribution state though. SI is yours.” Steve said a little confused.

“Uh thats what the paperwork is for. Its half yours the day we marry and all yours the day I die.”

“No, Tony, I don't want your company.”

“I know thats why I want you to have it. You will keep it from being turned back into a weapons company when I die. And we can talk about this later. Allfather doesn't want or need to listen to us bicker over that.”

Odin laughed, “I see that your marriage will be one for the ages. You act as if you have been married centuries.”

“Thanks, I think.” Tony shook his head in confusion, “What was the question again. Oh yeah paperworks good, Steve and I have to go back and apply in person, together and sign the SI paperwork Pepper puts together for me.”

“Have you decided on a place?”

Steve nodded, “Thor showed me an island near the Bifrost. It looks like a paradise to me.”

Odin nodded, it had been a favorite place of Frigga.

“We figured out the ceremony. Luka mentioned handfastings to me before I left,” Tony pulled out his phone and scrolled through the data he had saved. He held it out to Odin, “Uh, on second thought,” Tony started to pull the phone away.

Odin huffed a chuckle and took the phone, “My sight is better than even your enhanced Captain’s,” Odin read through the ceremony, nodding here or there. “It is a good ritual. The cording…”

“We were thinking of having Mama and the team drape the cords, then you can tie them at the end,” Steve explained.

Odin smiled broadly, “Your family will be over joyed to be included in your day in such a way.”

“Speaking of family, Allfather,” Tony said, drawing out father.

“Yes?”

“I did mean that as a joke to rile up Luka. It was mostly a stray thought.”

“And as I pointed out, no less valid.”

Steve interrupted, “But he’s not my step-father.”

“Yet,” Odin added. “I have never seen Loki look at anyone that way he looks at Lady Sarah. My son has had a hard life, that I had a hand in creating, Sarah will be there for him in ways he doesn't know. She will give him what his mother and I could never fully give him. I know not what the Fates have for them, but I will give my other eye to make sure it is happy.”

“Thank you Allfather, just the same, I think everyone would be much happier if you didn't need to do that,” Steve said.

“I am included in that,” Odin nodded, “but I will do what I can to ‘make up’ for what I have done to Loki. Now back to your wedding, what do you need of Asgard?”

Steve took a deep breath, “A few friends entry to Asgard, a baker, and a tailor.”

“We decided on Asgardian garb. Steve looks awesome in it.” Tony smiled.

Odin laughed, these two where a breath of fresh air to an old man like him.

“We know you guys have a thing for almonds and it turns out giving candy covered almonds is an Italian thing. So we want an almond flavored cake. Flowers are a bit deal in Earth weddings but you guys have them everywhere so we don't need a florist. And boutonniere’s would look stupid on the robes,” Tony pointed out.

“Have you considered what to add for the Captain?”

Steve laughed, “Potatoes and cabbage?”

“Your heritage is Irish, yes?”

Steve frowned but nodded yes, a little weary where Odin was heading with that question.

“Luka has been telling me a bit of how some of the countries came to be on your world. Some of our descendants traveled great distances for the means of the time.” Odin paused a moment waiting to see what the pair would do, when they did nothing he continued, “You see our healers notices something when you brought your mother here after her return.” Odin stood up and strode over to the Snapdragon, it shivered its leaves in what only could be a hello. Odin held out a hand and a tendril wrapped up his hand to his elbow before drawing back down, Odin turned back to the pair, “You see you do not need Luka as a step-father to be a prince here. You are a son of Asgard already. I will not count out the relations but long ago, I had a child that chose to stay on Midgard with his mother and live as they did, and die as they did. You, Captain are his grandson, some times removed.”

Steve was baffled, “What?”

“You are already my grandson. The healers have the correct number of greats, but none the less…”

“Holy shit, Steve. Oh man, what if thats why the serum worked so well for you?” Tony asked. “No, wait Barnes, his worked.”

“We’re cousins,” Steve whispered. “An aunt of a someone married an uncle of someone else,” Steve rack his memory for the direct connection. It was mentioned once when his mother found out who Bucky’s parents were. “About as removed as I am from Allfather, but if the line is from him…”

“The healers could know,” Odin nodded. “I think Captain, your family is larger than you know.”

“I think every time I talk to you, you throw me for a loop, Allfather.”

Thor came up the path about then, a smile on his face, “My father has always had a way about him.”

“Did he tell you we’re cousins?” Steve looked to Odin, were they cousins or something else.

“Father?”

Odin looked to Thor, he hadn't know of the boy. He had come before Frigga, so before Thor. “Before your time, there was a Midgardian woman whom mothered a child from me. When he was of age he chose to stay on Midgard, I was wed to Frigga the year he passed. Steven is his grandson.”

Thor turned and looked amazed at Steve, “Nephew!” Thor exclaimed.

Tony shook his head as Thor engulfed Steve in a mountain of a hug, he was about to laugh until the god turned towards him. “Oh no big guy, I’m not in on that family tree.”

“Yet,” Odin added with a mischievous smile.

“Luka, if thats you masquerading as Odin, I’m telling Sarah,” Tony said before all the air was squeezed out of him. “I’m not calling you Uncle Thor,” he gasped.

“Pitty, Uncle Luka has a ring to it, far better than Step-Father-in-Law,” Luka popped up behind Odin setting a hand on his shoulder, showing that Odin was in fact not one of his copies.

“Well, crap.”

“So, this Your Highness stuff isn't going to stop, is it?” Steve asked.

Odin shook his head no, the smile still lingering.

Thor turned to his father, “I have made it clear I want no claim on the throne, Steven would make a fine ruler, just and battle capable, as you have been Father.”

“Shuffling me off already?”

“No Father, the day your rein ends will be a day of lament for centuries.”

“And Luka?” Odin asked.

“As if Asgard would have a cast off Jüton for king,” Luka answered.

“They would,” Tony spoke up. He shrugged when all eyes turned to him, “Uh, something Erik said.”

Luka was surprised, “What did he say?”

“He called you the prince. I asked if he still saw you as his prince, he said most people did.”

“Who’s Erik?” Steve asked.

“Um, someone Luka introduced me to.” Tony wasn't sure if he should tell Steve he wasn't making his ring. But Thor gave it away.

“The dwarf? He is the best goldsmith in all the realms.”

“He’s making your ring. I have his palladium in our room.” Tony told Luka.

Luka nodded, “I will take it to him for you.”

“Palladium, Tony, what’s going on?”

“I can’t make a ring as worthy as this.” Tony looked at his ring, “Luka offered their best, Erik wanted palladium as payment. Guess it’s rare here. It’s rare on earth but obtainable.”

“A plain ring would have sufficed.”

Tony shook his head, “No it wouldn't have, gold would have dented the first time you caught your shield. The first time you had to punch a Doombot it would be a mangled mess around your finger. Erik is making you something that is worthy of the Captain of the Midgardian Guard.”

“The what?” Steve laughed.

“Was how Luka explained your fame and stature on Earth. He wasn't wrong.”

“No, I suppose not.”

Then in true Tony fashion he changed the subject, “Wait how did all that add up to us adding something Irish to the wedding? I think I missed something?”

“The Norse and Celts are often directly related, I’m told. There is an old Norse tradition of using an ancestors sword during the wedding. If they have passed the sword is buried with the fallen warrior and his sons retrieve it for use in the wedding.” Odin turned to an attendant no one had notice. The man turned to a bench near by and picked up a cloth wrapped bundle, Odin took it from the man and flip part of the cloth away, the patina on the hilt showed it age. “It was Alfric’s, it was returned to me some time around the time of your crusades.”

Steve was drawn to the sword almost like he had been his shield, he reached out, then snatched his hand back, rubbing the oils from his hand off on his pants before reaching out again. It felt exactly like the first time he touched the shield in Howard’s lab all those years ago. He had a flash of Oliander’s voice in his head ‘The wand picks the wizard, Mr. Potter’.

“Holy shit, Steve.” Tony whispered in awe. He shook his head hoping to clear the gold aura that had suddenly wrapped itself around Steve, when he blinked it was gone. He sort of hoped it had been his imagination. But from the looks on Thor’s and Luka’s faces, it hadn’t.

“Its like the day I found my shield.”

“You were born to be a warrior, but you needed to learn the strength found in weakness,” Odin explained.

“That is similar to what Dr. Erskien said.”

“Come, let us lunch and you can tell us of the rest of your plans,” Odin degreed.

The attendant stepped forward with a pure white scabbard and belt, he reached around Steve’s waist and fastened it before Steve could figure out what he was doing. Steve swallowed as he carefully slid the ancient blade into the leather. Looking down he saw the vague star like shapes carved into the golden handle, and something that looked an awful lot like stripes. He shivered at the thought of destinies and how maybe they are a little more preordained than he was comfortable accepting.

“That’s a hell of a wedding present,” Tony nodded as he took Steve’s hand and led the shocked man down the path towards the hall.

“Yeah, a family for an orphan, a kingdom and a thousand year old heirloom for a depression era kid from Brooklyn.”

“And all I got was a set of horns.” Luka chipped in.

Tony laughed hard enough he had to stop walking.

Chapter Text

Clint was the first to say anything when Steve walked into the hall, sword strapped to his hip, “So I’m not the only walking RenFaire anymore? Sweet.”

Steve’s face blanched, “No, I’d never use it. It’s ancient.”

Odin spoke, “It’s Asgardian, I assure that blade is as sound as the day it was forged.”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about using it.”

“And did you the first time you used your shield?” Odin asked, a knowing smile growing.

“No, Allfather,” Steve gave in. “I can’t even say it’s not practical.”

“Yeah, no,” Clint snorted.

Steve tried to not rest his hand on the pommel but his hand kept finding its way there.

“There are many a warrior here who would gladly you give lessons, Captain,” Sif offered, “myself included, however no one would fault you if you chose another sword with which to learn.”

“It is not a bad idea.” Luka added.

Steve shrugged, he would give in eventually, even just for the pure novelty of it.

“To bad you weren't a calvary officer, you could wear it with your dress uniform,” Tony added with a chuckle.

“He gave it to you?” Sarah’s voice piped up from behind them.

Steve turned to his mother, “You knew about it?”

“Some,” she shrugged, “there was something in the soul forge. I’ve been asked a lot of questions since we've come back.”

“Guess it’s a good thing your adopted huh?” Tony asked Luka, “dating Steve’s mom makes her what, your grand niece times about 980.”

Luka gave him the droll look that was reserved for Tony, before giving in and replied, “Something like that.”

An attendant entered the room and after bowing to the three royal members walked up to Tony, bowing again and declaring, “Erik wishes to have an audience with you, your highness.”

Steve cringed and he felt Tony jerk next to him.

Tony sighed and asked, “Did he word it like that?”

“No, your highness.”

“Uh okay, um thanks,” Tony looked to Odin when the attendant remained. “Uh you’re dismissed?”

The attendant nodded, bowed again and left.

“Okay, that really is creepy, could you ask them not to do that? Really we are not use to it, and it will drive Cap nuts,” Tony said, “I might be use to a little pandering and deferential treatment but that’s a bit over the top for even me.”

Odin’s only response was to smile.

“So I uh better go see what he wants,” Tony kissed Steve’s cheek before wondering out of the hall.

Steve wanted to sit down but he had no idea what the heck to do that with the sword, he waited until Sif sat down since she had her blade on, then copied her movements.

“Is there a custom that I have to wear it at all times here? I wouldn't want to break any customs or anything?” Steve asked.

Sif leaned over, “I’ll help you with all that after we have our meal. You are fine so far.”

“You’ve spent a little time on Earth. Your speech is a little less stiff then the others.”

“I have, I been tasked a time or two with missions to your world, I am also a trifle younger than the others, so can I still learn,” Sif answered with a wink.

Steve laughed, “I’m the oldest, but then I’m also the youngest. It’s a mess.”

“But you have your Anthony.”

Steve couldn't keep the smile off his face, “I do. What about you? Do you have someone?”

Sif’s smile turned sad. “I did. He fell in battle a very long time ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve’s heart clenched at the thought of living after Tony was gone. It had been hard enough after the ice and waking to everyone he knew gone.

“It was a long time ago.”

Steve smiled, it would still hurt. Conversation dwindled as food appeared and everyone ate. Tony was back before to long, a smile on his lips.

“Everything alright?” Steve asked.

“Sure, palladium’s been delivered, and the ring rocks.”

“Do I get to see it?”

Tony bounced a bit, “I can’t decide. I want to show you, but I want to…oh fuck it,” Tony pulled the small velvet bag out of his pocket and set it in Steve’s hand.

Steve opened the little bag and carefully let the ring slide on to his palm, the ring felt smooth like glass and sparkled blue, but he could see the flecks of red and white. “Tony its, I, its, perfect,” was all Steve could say.

“I know. I would have given the guy everyone ounce of palladium on Earth if he'd asked.”

Steve held out his hand to Tony, Tony picked up the ring and slipped it onto Steve’s finger. The metal warmed to his skin instantly and it felt silky. He assumed he would have to get use the feeling of something on his finger, but the ring was so light weight he barely noticed it. He looked up and pulled Tony down for a kiss, “I love you.”

“For this ring I think you need to say that to Erik, he’s the mastermind.”

Steve shook his head, “But you told him what was important.”

“You,” Tony shrugged.

“You two are so sappy, its kind of sickening. Luka, you found a cure for sappiness?” Barton asked.

“Not so far, but then I do start a rotation in the psychiatric department next month, so maybe then.”

“Wow, look at that, the God of Mischief is back,” Tony laughed.

“I never left, mischief like revenge is sometimes best served cold,” Luka offered with a droll smile, then winced when Sarah reached over and pinched his arm.

“Be nice to your almost son in law.”

“And nephew,” Tony added so that he could get the last word in.

Odin sat back and watched the Midgardians and reveled in the camaraderie they showed with his adopted son. It was something that Loki had truly never had while on Asgard, yes Thor and The Warriors Three included Loki but he was never part of them, even the bands name had shown that. He was gladdened by the second chance at life Luka had been given, that in this life he would find happiness and friends who cared for him.

***

Time ran quickly it seemed, everything came together in a matter of days, the tailors had the garb for the wedding party done in five days, the feast was nothing more than the usual feast after a successful quest, so the kitchens were ever ready, the ring had been done for almost a week when Heimdal sent word to the wedding couple that the papers of Midgard were ready for them.

The Avengers all returned to Earth, each wanting to take care of a few things for the couple, and the daily things that they had each let slide while on ‘vacation’.

The wedding had been set for Saturday, just three days away.

Pepper had everything set up in one of the large conference rooms, which included four lawyers, two notaries, and a sympathetic judge who promised to not breath a word of the papers signed until Monday when they would be filed and then his hands would be tied after that as to when the media got a hold of the documents.

Steve tried more than once to get Tony to take his half of the shares back for Stark Industries and the multiple houses and cars and bank accounts that were suddenly sporting both of their names, which now was going to be shown as Stark-Rogers.

“You’re not changing the company’s name are you?” Steve asked.

Tony wanted to say yes just to see the look on Steve’s face, but even he wasn't that mean, “No, I’m leaving that alone. Come on, if we were based in California this would all be yours anyway.”

Steve shook his head, shook out his hand and signed his new name for what seemed like the hundredth time. There was anther set of paperwork to the side that he was trying to ignore, it was paperwork from Shield that Pepper had been sweet enough to gather for them.

It took three hours to get everything signed, dated and notarized, at the end of which Pepper turned up with two glasses of champagne, giving one to each of them, “I know its not the real thing for either of you, but you are now, legally tied to each so thoroughly that if you ever decide to undo all this, I want you to just shoot me first. It will hurt less.”

Tony laughed and Steve went white. “Pepper, my sweet, you’re stuck with us both,” Tony kissed her on the cheek before pulling Steve into a kiss that had everyone in the room blushing, except Tony.

By mutual agreement the pair had said they didn't want bachelor parties, but that didn't keep the Avenger’s from getting the two separated Friday night and keeping them busy. Natasha pulled Steve from a training session with Sif, and managed to get his ring from his hand without him noticing. Natasha put Steve’s ring on a necklace and raised an eyebrow when Steve started to say something about it. Bruce just asked Tony for his, knowing the man would freak if he noticed it missing.

Dinner was a little more chaotic than normal, even for an Asgardian dinner. Natasha, Bucky, Clint and Sam kept Steve on one side of the table, Pepper, Rhodie, Happy, and Bruce kept Tony on the other. Thor and Luka watched the pair try again and again, to slip away together only to be found out and dragged back to dinner for more drinks and revels. It was nearly dawn before the party died down. Tony had fallen asleep an hour before, deep in his cup, Thor had helped take him to a room just down from his own, while Bucky and Luka helped Steve to his own room.

Steve woke up to a knock on his door and his mom opening it before he could decipher the sound.

“Stevie, come on it time to get ready.”

Steve rolled over and looked at his mom. She was beautiful. Steve knew he was biased, but she was even more so today. Her hair had been done up in curls in a sort of crown, there were flowers mixed through out the curls, and who ever had done her make-up was amazing because she looked as if she wasn't wearing any but he knew his mother’s cheeks were never that shade of peach. Her eyes sparkled in a way he’d never seen before. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Mama.”

“Oh hush you, come on. You don't want to be late for your own wedding do you?”

Steve sat up and pulled his mom in to a strong hug, “I missed you every day you were gone.” Steve took a deep breath, “Take the apple from Luka when he gets it. I don't ever want to bury you again.”

“Stevie,” Sarah reached out a brushed her son’s hair from his face, “one of us is going to bury the other. It’s just the way of life. But I won’t speak of such things on your wedding day. Come on, get cleaned up,” she clapped her hands like she had when he was little and trying her patience, “go, you. I’m going to go check on Tony.”

Steve watched his mother leave, he’d never seen her with so much energy before. She practically glowed. And Steve’s stomach sank. “Crap.” He was going to be a brother soon, then the laughter started. “Oh gods, I'm going to be a brother to a half god, half Jüton baby.”

Luka walked in just then, “You are just realizing this?”

“Since I just realized that my mother is glowing, yes.” Steve got the complete satisfaction of seeing Luka seize up and choke at the statement.

“Oh bloddy hell.”

“Yep, thanks for that wedding present, Dad,” Steve offered with as much sass and he could manage.

Luka stalked to the bathroom door and growled, “Get bathed before I decide to through you in the lake instead, Son.”

***

“Tony?”

Tony stirred at his name, he felt the hand run through his hair and he wondered who was trying to wake him up, and why. It wasn't Steve, the hand was to small to be Steve. He blearily opened his eye and found Sarah looking down at him with a soft smile, “Hey sleepy, you going to sleep through your own wedding?”

Tony bolted upright, then grabbed his pounding head. Groaning he said, “This is why we didn't want a bachelor party.”

Sarah turned to the table and picked up a steaming cup, “It’s not coffee but one of the healers told me it is the best hang over cure in all of the Nine Realms.”

Tony took the cup, sniffing it before taking a small sip. “Oh wow, screw coffee, this is amazing,” Tony downed the whole cup quickly.

“So, up to getting ready now?”

Tony looked at Sarah again, “Shit, you look amazing.”

The face Sarah made was comical. “Thank you?”

“You look beautiful. Your hair is perfect. You just look…” Tony shrugged, he couldn't in all his genius, come up with a word to describe how wonderful Sarah looked.

“Steve said the same thing, now come on, go get ready.”

“Yes, Mom.”

Sarah smiled, “You can keep that up, you know. I kinda like it.”

Tony found his clothes in the bathroom and a ring box sitting on top of them, when he opened it, the blue confirming that it was Steve’s ring.

He eyed the gilded sunken bath wearily, but seeing no shower, he walked into it. He relaxed as best he could, but he still jerked around when he heard footsteps behind him, he turned and found Pepper.

“I brought you a late breakfast.”

“Uh thanks, Pep. You didn't have to.”

“Actually I took it from one of the attendants, he was bringing it to you, your highness.”

Tony cringed, “I asked them not to do that.”

“I think its cute. Lean back, I’ll wash your hair.”

“No,” Tony chuckled, “you are not washing my hair for me.”

“Come on, Steve’s not here to help you.”

Pepper knew he still wasn't to fond of standing water. He hadn't had that particular nightmare for some time but it was still something that was always better for him with Steve around. Tony leaned back a little and relaxed just a bit when Pepper’s fingernails scratched his scalp. “So maybe I miss this.”

“I am so happy for you Tony. Steve is good for you in ways I never could be. I still worry about you, but I know he watches out for you without smothering you.” Pepper carefully poured the water over Tony’s hair, “James and I both worried about you before, but after Ironman, it was so much worse. James was a little better, because he is use to friends in harms way, but, I’m not.”

“I want to say I wish I could have been better for you Pepper,” Tony turned in the water so he could look at Pepper, “I want to, but I love Steve so much, I can’t. I know there is someone perfect for you. Someone who will love you like I love Steve, someone who will love you like Luka loves Sarah.”

Pepper’s smile was a little sad, but only a little, “I know, that’s why I’m here with you. And I know you do love me, and I love you, we just aren't in love with each other.”

Tony rubbed his cheek against Pepper’s hand, “When you find them, I’m walking you down the aisle. No arguments.”

Pepper laughed, wiping away the tears, “No arguments needed Mr. Stark. Come on, lets get you out of there before you wrinkle any more.”

“Hey, no age jokes on my wedding day.”

“Of course Mr. Stark,” she smiled as she turned away while Tony climbed out of the water.

“You know, its just weird to here you call him that, knowing you use to be his girlfriend,” Clint said leaning against the doorframe.

“And it’s weird for you to be in my bedroom while I’m naked, so you know, we’re even birdbrain.”

“Suppose we are,” Clint walked in to the room and sat down near the open window, “Bucky is wearing a hole in the hall, waiting for everyone to get ready, Luka may have kicked him out of Steve’s room.”

“Luka is helping Steve?”

Clint shrugged, “Yeah, this whole, grandnephew, it’s messing with both Thor and Luka then add the slash step dad thing…” then Clint added, “Luka knows how the garb goes, so it makes more sense anyway, Thor will be here in a bit to help you with yours.”

Tony sat down heavily on the bed, “I’m really doing this? I’m really getting married. Oh god, I’m going to screw this up, I just-”

Clint was next to Tony before he could freak out much more, “You are not going to fuck this up, because you love Steve. You will be great at this, you are great at this. This is just a big party to show off how much you love each other. It’s nothing.”

Tony nodded, “Right, right because I already gave him half the company and everything,” he slapped a hand over his mouth as a manic laugh bubbled out.

“Tony,” Clint waited until he was looking at him, “breath.”

Tony took a deep breath, “I’m okay, sorry, sorry, uh yeah.”

Pepper handed him a cup and a plate of pastries. “Eat.”

Tony ate quietly and drank what ever they called coffee in Asgard. Thor showed up a few minutes later, boisterous as usual.

Tony had picked a tunic that was a deep red, the trim was gold, pants of black leather, the same with the boots. Thor helped drape the deep blue cloak over Tony’s shoulders. Thor pulled a cloak pin from the fold of his own garb and affixed it to Tony’s cloak, “The custom of something old, something new, and something blue. It was the first pin my mother gave me as an adult. She was the goddess of family, marriage and,” Thor stopped and grinned, “childbirth on Midgard.”

Tony glanced down at the pin, it was obviously very old, but tied around it was sprig of bluebells, the something new and something blue.

Tony cracked up, “Uh pretty sure I won’t be calling on her for that big guy.”

Thor tipped his head to the side, “The Norns are mysterious my friend.”

“Please don't let them be that mysterious.”

Rhodie was there now and he held out a dagger, “Something borrowed.”

“Where did you get that?” Tony asked, the jeweled hilt betraying its origins.

“A market Sif and the others were showing me yesterday,” Rhodie smiled, “Sif seems to like me.”

“You are a worthy warrior Colonel,” Thor said.

“Not sure I’m up to warrior status but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
If Tony hadn't known Rhodie for years he might have missed the blush on the dark man’s skin, but he saw it and smiled.

***

“Loki, you should go get ready, I’ll keep Steve on track,” Sarah tried to shoo her boyfriend out of her son’s room.

Luka looked at Sarah, he hadn't seen her since last night. She did have a certain energy about her that he hadn't noticed before. She was always radiant but now, now with Steve’s declaration, Luka wasn't sure. “Maybe you should sit for a bit, it will be a long day.”

“I’m fine, go on. Go get ready,” Sarah’s tone turning stern.

Luka bowed to his lady and left, but stopped on the other side of the door, spinning a quick spell to warn him if she felt anything.

“Mama, I’m fine. I can dress myself and everything. Go eat something, go sit down, just go,” Steve called from the bathroom.

“Now, what is with you two?”

“Nothing,” Steve grumbled.

Sarah shook her head, these two were going to drive her mad someday, she just knew it. “I will eat if you will sit down and eat with me, there’s a tray out here.”

Steve stepped out of the bathroom, he had managed to get the black leather pants on that were (somehow) tighter than his uniform, and the deep blue tunic. The dark red cloak and sword he’d left for last.

He took in his mother’s silver dress with trim of dark red and blue to match his and Tony’s clothes, it only added to her radiance.

He gave in and sat down with her but only managed to picked at a few things. The butterflies in his stomach were to busy to let him eat much, despite his enhanced metabolism.

“I know you can eat more than eat that Steven Grant,” Sarah huffed.

“To nervous,” Steve sat back, “were you nervous?”

“Of course I was, your Da, was the sweetest man. I was so nervous I didn't want to come out of the little room. He stood out side the door and talked to me until I calmed down.” Sarah smiled at the memory of Joe’s voice, calm and just a lilt of Irish to his voice as it floated through the door, “Then he asked if I was ready. He promised if I wasn't he would wait until I was. I took a deep breath and I was.” Sarah let herself remember the day, “Everyone hurried him up to the alter,” She reached her hand out and set it on top of Steve’s giant hand. “Sometimes I wish they could have given him to you so you could have known him. So he could see how strong and brave his boy became. But I’m selfish. I like being here.”

Steve shook his head, “He wouldn't have known who I was that day Mama, I wouldn't have known who he was.”

Sarah wrinkled her nose, “I know dear, I know. Let’s get your cloak on.” Sarah helped wrap it around Steve’s shoulders but she couldn't get it to lay right. “Well, I guess I shouldn't have sent Loki away just yet.”

“Then I guess it is a good thing I have returned,” Luka shook his head looking at the mess Sarah had created, “woman what have you done?” Luka continued to mutter under his breath as he pulled the fabric free and started over. Sarah winked at Steve over Luka’s shoulder, Steve had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Once Luka got the cloak on properly he pulled a pin from, well thin air, and secured it all. “This was the first pin Frigga gave me as an adult. Thor has given Tony his. We thought they would be fitting gifts for you. You have something old,” Luka said nodding to the sword on the table, “but… this seemed more fitting with the tradition.”

Steve saw the spring of bluebells, “Something new, something blue.”

Luka nodded then stepped away from Steve as Bucky walked into the room.
“Bucky, I wondered where you’d gotten off to.”

“They sort of kicked me out, buddy. But I checked everything. Its perfect.”

Steve let some of the nerves and stress of the day fall away, “Thank you.”

“So I have something for the borrowed,” Bucky shuffled a bit before he held out his hand, “I got them back from the Smithsonian when I came back.”

Steve felt the cool metal pool in his hand, “Is, are those, no…”

“Yeah, they are.”

Steve looked down at the metal tags, each of the Howling Commandos’ had managed to get six extra tags, they had each taken a one. Steve had gone down with his set. Shield had thankfully returned them to him when they were uncovered in the wreckage. Bucky’s had been left at base on accident the day he fell. Dugan had kept them for years until the Smithsonian had approached him about any items for their exhibit.

Steve curled his hand around the seven tags, remembering each man. “Thank you.”

“I know yours are back on Earth, but I uh, I haven't gone anywhere without them since I got them back. Its sort of my way of keeping them around, reminding me why I need to keep moving forward on days where I don't want to.”

Steve pulled his best friend, his brother, into a hug, “Thats what you got me for, what you got all of us for.”

“I know. I know.”

“Come on no crying before the ceremony,” Sarah croaked.

“Its time,” Luka spoke up softly.

Steve stepped back from Bucky, sniffing, “Okay, I can do this. Tony is waiting right?”

“Right.” Bucky laughed. “And we all know how good he is at that.”

“Right, um Alfric’s sword?” Steve turned to Luka. The god had the belt in hand and wrapped it around Steve’s waist over the tunic.

“You really are Captain America,” Bucky laughed.

“I know,” Steve cringed, “it wasn’t this bad, but Odin had the belt made for me in white.”

“Hey,” Bucky waved at his own white garb trimmed with purple. Clint’s clothes matched Bucky’s.

“I know,” Steve chuckled, the thought of his friend in white was almost to much, not for what he’d done for Hydra, but just white was never a color Bucky was known for.

“Alright boys, you head over, I’m going to check on Tony one more time and follow you,” Sarah, herded everyone out of the room before rushing off to Tony’s temporary room.

Tony stared at his reflection in the mirror. This was really happening. He really was going to marry Steve Rogers (yes his childhood crush) today. He really was getting married, period. He’d sworn decades ago that he would never do it, not after watching his parents’s miserable marriage. But he wasn't Howard or Maria, and neither was Steve. He wondered what Howard would think of Tony marrying his obsession.

Tony shook his head, swallowing down the memories, he took stock of the refection, he ignored the gray and the wrinkles as best he could. He shifted the cloak over on his shoulder.

He chuckled, he hated magic. He really did. Magic was why Clint had lost Phill. Hell the god about to be his almost father-in-law was the reason Clint had lost Phill. But if it hadn't been for that god, if it hadn't been for magic, he would have never found Steve, he would have never fallen in love with Steve. And if it wasn't for magic and all its trouble making abilities, he would be about to get married to the man he loves on another planet.

“You really are going to be late to your own wedding,” Sarah sighed.

Tony turned and looked at his mother-in-law, “Well Steve wouldn't know what to do if I was on time.”

Sarah laughed and hugged Tony, “Come on. If we hurry we might just be early.”

“Are you trying to make me a widower before I’m groom? If I’m early Steve will have a stroke.”

“Let’s chance it and see.” Sarah chuckled and guided the nervous man out of the room.

***

Pepper, Happy and Rhodie all were waiting on the skiff for Tony. Happy stood out in the crowd as the only one wearing Midgardian clothes, even if it was an elegant tuxedo. He said he was afraid of looking more like a court jester than a wedding guest in the Asgardian clothes.

Pepper’s gown looked like the Iron Man armor made fluid. The gold trim glinting in the sun as the red fabric fluttered on the breeze. Rhodie’s golden tunic played against the man’s dark skin, his cloak matching Pepper’s dress.

“You look amazing together,” Sarah commented.

“They should have babies,” Tony said, his smile huge. “Red headed caramel colored babies, for us all to spoil rotten.”

“Uh, Tony man I told you a long time ago, you are never fixing me up with anyone,” Rhodie turned to Pepper, “You’re amazing, wonderful and a saint for putting up with the walking disaster over there, but you scare me.”

Pepper laughed, “It’s okay, I think I’ve had enough of any version of the Ironman suits.”

Happy shook his head, “Boss, you tried that before, they said the same thing then.”

“I can keep trying, there’s love in the air, maybe its contagious.”

Pepper laughed, “I’m fine running your company, Tony.”

The guard piloting the skiff tipped his head down to hide the smile creeping out.

“I saw that,” Tony pointed to the guard, “No laughing at me on my wedding day.”

“I would never laugh at you, your highness.”

Tony through his hands in the air, “I so meant that whole thing as a joke.”

“I fear you spoke before you knew, and now as you say, its stuck,” the guard said his smile a little bigger.

“Can’t wait to go back to Midgard where they just pander to me,” Tony grumbled.

“Hey where are you two going on your honeymoon?” Rhodie asked.

“I’m taking Steve to Paris, then he’s taking me someplace. The fink won’t tell me where, then I’m taking him to Madrid, then another someplace secret, then to Marrakesh…” Tony trailed off as the island came into view. “Oh my god, what did they do, steal the Gardens of Eden?”

“As old as this place is, I think we may have stolen that idea from them,” Happy said.

“Very true,” Tony agreed.

The skiff pulled smoothly up to the dock, Thor waiting for them. He held a hand out for Pepper and Sarah. Tony watched his head cocked to the side as Thor very carefully set a hand on the small of Sarah’s back steading her in a way he hadn’t with Pepper. Rhodie saw it to and looked to Tony, who shrugged.

“Steve is arriving on the other side of the island and will be waiting for you,” Thor smiled broadly. He looked amazing in his sky blue tunic with deep blue and gold trim and an even deeper blue cloak.

Tony shook his head, “Okay, I know I didn't tell anyone what colors to wear or anything but everyone seems to be very well matched.”

Pepper took his hand for a moment, “We talked about it after you asked us to be part of the ceremony. Our clothes match the ribbons used to tie you to Steve.”

“You are amazing, Pepper.”

“It was Bruce’s idea actually.”

“Ah science bro…” Tony sniffled as he pulled Pepper in for a hug.

They walked for a few minutes through the garden before reaching a clearing in the center of a circle of rocks that Tony felt looked a little to much like Stonehenge. In the center stood Odin, armor glinting in the sun.

Tony swallowed, what had he gotten himself into?

Then movement across the circle caught his attention.

The world fell away. He knew it was cliche, it didn't matter, Steven Grant Rogers was walking towards him and the world ceased to exist out side the blue eyes smiling at him. Twenty years from now he knew he'd never remember what he was wearing, never remember what Steve was wearing, because the only thing he would remember until the day he died was the look in Steve’s eyes.

The pair met in the middle in front of Odin, Tony spoke first, “Please let someone be taking pictures. I will not be held responsible for remembering what you're wearing without them.”

Steve smiled, “Pretty sure I’m in the same boat,” he reach out his hand and felt centered the second Tony’s hand slipped into his.

“Gentlemen?”

Both men blushed as the turned to the god.

Odin smiled at them before speaking to them but in a voice that carried to the small congregation of people, “Know now before you go further, that since your lives have crossed in this life you have formed ties between each other. As you seek to enter this state of matrimony you should strive to make real, the ideals which give meaning to both this ceremony and the institution of marriage. With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your friends and family, but you speak that intent also to your creative higher powers,” there was more than one chuckle that escaped at this. Odin smirked but continued on. “The promises made today and the ties that are bound here greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul's growth.”

Odin paused before asking, “Do you still seek to enter this ceremony?” He looked at both Tony and Steve.

Tightening their hold on each other’s hands they answered, “Yes, Allfather we seek to enter.”

Odin managed to keep a straight face through the next portion through sheer will, “In times past it was believed that the human soul shared characteristics with all things divine. It is this belief which assigned virtues to the cardinal directions; East, South, West and North. It is in this tradition that a blessing is offered in support of this ceremony.”

Nodding to each direction as he spoke, Odin continued, “Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East. Communication of the heart, mind, and body, fresh beginnings with the rising of each Sun. The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing of silences. Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South, warmth of hearth and home, the heat of the heart's passion, the light created by both to lighten the darkest of times. Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West, the deep commitments of the lake, the swift excitement of the river, the refreshing cleansing of the rain, the all encompassing passion of the sea. Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North, firm foundation on which to build Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives, a stable home to which you may always return.” Odin was having fun playing the part of goði, maybe they should do this more often.

“Each of these blessings from the four cardinal directions emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union. Yet they are only tools. Tools which you must use together in order to create what you seek in this union.”

Softly he spoke, “I bid you look into each others eyes,” he watched his two distant grandson’s turn and smile the smile that only comes through with true love.

Odin asked the first vow, “Anthony, Will you cause him pain?”

Tony cringed, he knew he would, “I May.”

“Is that your intent?”

With tears Tony shook his head and answered, “No.”

“Steven, Will you cause him pain?”

Steve swallowed past the emotions trying to suffocate him already, “I may.”

Odin again asked, “Is that your intent?”

“No,” Steve bit off the apologies for things he hadn't done yet.

Odin asked them both, “ Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?”

“Yes,” both men nodded.

Odin spoke loudly again, he knew his voice had carried well enough for all to hear the vow, “And so the binding is made. Join your hands.” Sarah and Luka stepped forward, a silver cord in the hands, they draped it across Steve and Tony’s joined hands. Sarah kissed them both on the cheek before stepping away.

Odin contented this time speaking to Steve first, “Steven, Will you share his laughter?”

Another smile shown on the blonde’s face, “Yes.”

“Anthony, Will you share his laughter?”

Still teary eyed Tony answered, “Yes.”

“Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?”

“Yes.”

“And so the binding is made.” Pepper and Rhode were the next to step up, a deep red cord was added by the pair to the silver one. Pepper kissed Tony’s cheek and smiled at Steve. Rhodie patted both men on the shoulder before they both stepped over to Sarah and Luka.

“Anthony, Will you burden him?”

“I may,” Tony answered with a sigh. There was no way they wouldn't burden each other at some point.

“Is that you intent?” Odin’s soft tone surprised Tony.

“No.”

“Steven, Will you burden him?”

Steve shivered, he knew the look in Tony’s eyes, of course they would. It would be part of being who they were, “I may.”

Tone still soft, Odin asked again, “Is that your intent?”

Steve shook his head, “No.”

“Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?”

“Yes.”

“And so the binding is made.” Clint and Bucky stepped forward, white cord ready to be added to the first two. Bucky smiled and kissed Steve on the cheek. Steve shook his head trying not to laugh at his brother. Clint shook his head and patted Tony on the cheek instead. The two walked over to the other couples, Sarah reached over and pushed on Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky just shrugged.

“Steven, will you share his dreams?”

“Yes.”

“Anthony, will you share his dreams?”

“Yes.”

“Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?” Everyone giggled a little at this vow, because really they already did this on a daily basis.

“Yes.”

“And so the binding is made.” Bruce and Natasha added their green cord to the colorful array, Bruce shrugged at the color. Natasha kissed Steve and hugged Tony before joining the group.

“Anthony, will you cause him anger?”

Tony bit off the snort, “I may.”

Odin hid the smile “Is that you intent?”

“No.”

“Steven, will you cause him anger?”

“I may,” unfortunately he knew it was a certainty.

“Is that your intent?”

“No.”

“Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?”

“We will.”

“And so the binding is made.” Thor and Jane came this time, a sky blue cord to add. Jane didn't kiss either of them, instead hugging them both before taking Thor’s hand and joining the growing crowd to the side.

“Steven, Will you honor him?”

Steve nodded, “I will.”

“Anthony, Will you honor him?”

“I will.”

“Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?”

“We shall never do so.”

“And so the binding is made.” Odin unraveled a golden cord from his own wrist, then added it to the five cords. He tied the six cord together as he spoke again to the group as a whole, “The knots of this binding are not formed by these cords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the cords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making of breaking of this union.” Odin smiled large and happy, “The rings?”

Tony pulled Steve blue glimmering ring from his cloak while Steve pulled his silver and gold ring from his.

“Anthony, Steven,” Odin nodded and both men placed the rings on each others fingers, “Now by the power vested in me by my father,” Odin winked at the pair suddenly trying desperately not to laugh, “I pronounce you husband and husband.”

Steve stared at Tony, he could believe it, this man was his.

“Hey punk this is the part where you kiss him.” Bucky called out.

Steve flushed red, “Thanks jerk, I was savoring the moment.”

“How about you savior me instead?” Tony asked leaning forward and kissed Steve.

Neither man wanted to break the kiss once it started, but the resounding cheers that went up around them startled them apart, both laughing at the other’s face.

Volstagg, called out from the audience, “To Food!”

Luka shook his head and bit off the groan at his old compatriot’s lack of refinement, before he turned to Sarah he created a handkerchief and hand it to his lady.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Anything, elskan mín,” Luka kissed her hand.

Chapter Text

The reception was a boisterous affair, the food was amazing as always when they visited Asgard, but this time it seemed even more so. Tony decided it was the staff showing off for the new ‘princes’.

Everyone had been dancing and enjoying themselves for hours when a giant of a man walked up to Tony. Tony is not sure what he expected but it wasn't to be picked up and hefted on to the shoulder of a man who looked like the love child of Thor and Volstagg, literally, the man had Thor’s blond hair and face chiseled from the same granite as Thor with a beard to match the constantly eating warrior. The warrior called out, “I challenge you Captain of the Guard, I challenge you to the right to keep such a fine mate.”

Thor laughs and calls out for Steve, “The Captain will best you, Jóhann.”

“Mayhap's cousin, but the Captain’s mettle needs testing.”

Tony felt Jóhann turn and then he felt himself being dropped, he waited for the ground to hit him, instead strong arms caught him. He looked up to see the laughing face of Volstagg. “Worry naught, Man of Iron, no one sees you as bride, but a battle to remind the good Captain that others might wish you for themselves as much as he does, is a good thing. It is all in good fun.”

“Does Steve know about this? We wouldn’t want him to tear into your guy, he'd feel bad about it later.”

Volstagg chuckled, “Aye, he was told someone would challenge him. It is part of the tradition.”

Tony shook his head, he had been trying to figure out how to make an exit from the party, but since the duo had walked off a few paces from the tables, he was going to have to wait. Instead he got to watch Steve thrust and dodge with Alfric’s sword. Tony could see Steve’s usual battle style coming through even with the new weapon and no shield. Jóhann didn’t seem sure what to do with an opponent that was so agile. Tony saw Steve flip his sword into his chest to avoid a brutal swing from Jóhann, then watched as his husband danced out of the way of another swing, to then sprint up the side of a massive circle stone to land on Jóhann’s shoulders, sword over the man’s throat, “Please tell me you yield?”

“Aye, I yield to you,” Jóhann answered, his breathing just this side of winded.

Steve dropped down from the man and sheathed the sword, then stumbles as Jóhann pulls him forward into a massive hug.

“You fight well, Captain.’’

Tony stepped up behind Jóhann and flipped the large man and landed a punch before he could react, “I think I am just as capable of taking care of myself as we are taking care of each.”

Jóhann laughed mightily, still on the ground where Tony had laid him out, “A fine pair you make.”

Steve helped Jóhann up and pulled Tony in and kissed him, the kind of kiss they didn't usually do in front of others. Quickly cat calls (the Avengers) and whistles (everyone else) sounded as Tony returned the favor and more or less climbed Steve like a tree. It wasn't long before the newly married couple found themselves in their room, thanks to Luka’s magic, though it was under their own highly uncoordinated efforts that their clothes ended up in a pile on the floor.

“Tony, this is a crazy even for us,” Steve groaned.

Tony could only nod, “Think they spiked the punch?”

“Think I need to go back to wanting to kill my mother’s boyfriend,” Steve shivered.

Tony threw his head back and laughed, “Screw that, I’m sending him a fruit basket. Fuck Steve, not better yet, fuck me.”

Steve didn't argue with his husband, how could he? He had such excellent ideas. Steve set Tony on the bed with the love and tenderness. They barely broke the kiss as they clamored on to the center of the bed, the pair desperate to get at each other. Steve finally broke away looking down at Tony, his eyes blown, barely a hint of the chocolate, amber and cognac that Steve loved so much.

“Steven Grant Stark-Rogers if you don't make love to me this minute I'm going to file for a divorce and make you explain to Pepper.”

Steve laughed before kissing Tony’s pouting lips. “I love you Anthony Edward Stark-Rogers and I will face anything for you, even an angry Virginia Potts.”

Tony looked up into Steve’s eyes, “You do, oh my god, you would, wouldn't you?”

Steve tipped his head to the side, seeing it now, the one thing Tony had been able to hide from him after all these years. He knew the line he was about to say would either get a laugh out of Tony for being sappy, or make the man cry at how much Steve really did love him. He said simply, “Always.”

Tony being Tony, did both, laughed as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

“I will face anything for you, I will face everything for you,” Steve whispered before kissing Tony blind. He kept kissing him as he gently and reverently opened his husband up, remembering the night in DC after his mother came back. He didn't stop kissing Tony until he pressed into him and skin met skin. Pulling back Steve looked once more in Tony’s eyes, “For eternity and a day.”

“Can I get forever and eternity? Might be a while before all of this love out.”

“Always.”

The pair didn't speak again, the slow pace Steve set made Tony shiver. Their eyes never leaving the others as they slowly made it to their orgasms. Tony fell first, Steve’s ever loving strokes gliding over and over his prostate, never faltering.

Steve followed in the next breath, Tony’s name on his lips as he filled his husband.

It was a few hours later when Tony woke up, he rolled to his side to watch Steve sleep. It wasn't something he got to do often, but today, well today was a perfect day to watch the one person who had his heart; his torn, bloodied, tattered and battered heart. “I love you to, Tony,” Steve said in his sleep before snuggling a little deeper in the blankets. Tony smiled and kissed Steve’s temple. He got up long enough to clean up and answer Mother Nature before slipping back into bed and falling asleep.

In the morning Tony woke to Steve slowly kissing him, the moment he opened his eyes it was to the look of Steve slipping down his cock.

“Oh fuck, what a wake up call,” Tony moaned.

“Thought you might enjoy it.”

“Think you’re enjoying just as much.”

Steve sighed as he pushed himself up before letting gravity pull him back down, “I might even go with more. You feel amazing.”

“You look amazing,” Tony whispered, he reached out with his left hand to take Steve’s, he pressed their rings together until they clinked.

Like the previous night, no more words were spoken, nothing but the sounds of they're breathing filled the room.

Until the door opened and Sarah gasped before slamming to the door shut behind her.

Steve jerked up right and the dropped down groaning.

“I think our luck ran out, Cap,” Tony whispered into his loves ear.

Steve shrugged, “Least I’m married now?”

Tony laughed, “Yes Mr. Silver-lining.”

From the other side of the door they heard Sarah call out, “I was told you where in the other room. I came to get your bags for the boys to take back to the Tower. I’ll, uh, come back later.”

Steve shivered, how was he ever going to look his mother in the face again without being a tomato?

“Yeah Mom, we’ll uh come find you later,” Tony used the distraction to shift up and pin Steve to the bed, “much later, Mom.”

“Enjoy boys.”

“Most defiantly,” Tony said pressing back into Steve, “can't let my husband show me up. Got to make love to him ‘til he comes,” Tony whispered, quiet enough only Steve could ever hear him.

“Still can’t argue with you.”

“Good, can’t fight on our first full day of being married,” Tony picked up where Steve had left off, pushing them to their orgasms again.

It took a little longer than it would have if they hadn't been interrupted but once they got there again Tony came first again, Steve wrapping a hand around his cock and pulling twice before coming over the both of them.

“You are the most beautiful man when you come,” Tony kissed Steve’s flushed cheeks. “Always beautiful anyway, but in those few second, angles weep at your beauty.”

“Laying it on a little thick ain’t ya?” Steve asked, still panting, his accent going decidedly Brooklyn.

“No, just right, just right. Let’s get cleaned up, I’m starving so I know you have to be about as weak as a kitten.”

“Not quite, but soon.”

The pair made their way to the hall an hour later. They may have gotten a bit side tracked in the sunken bath when Tony wanted to prove to Steve how long he could hold his breath when he had a good reason to. The good reason being to get Steve to come one more time.

The hall was filled with warriors returning from a schejrmish on the Dark Elves’ world, and Luka was still as a statue. There were a few Dark Elves left, not enough to truly bother Asgard or Midgard for that fact, but it still set badly with the mage. He had after all given his life for them to be stopped.

Sarah held his hand tightly, an understanding smile on her lips, “Show me your mother’s garden one more time before we go, please?”

Luka could not deny her request, nor his own wish to see it one more time.

Everyone watched them leave, “Will he be okay?” Bruce was the one to ask.

“I think so, Mama has a way with him when he's upset.” Steve shrugged.

“I see the pair of you have survived your night.” Odin said, his smile as mischievous as Loki’s.

“What did you slip in the food?” Tony asked.

“Nothing, my boys, the circle may have been rumored to enhance certain feelings.” Odin smiled broadly.

“You let us get married in the circle of horneiness?” Tony’s face was the shade of Steve’s.

“All marriages for love are in fact held there. There are just so few that few remember,” Odin drank, “the effects will last a while. No one will know how long with two mortals but a year or so.”

“Wow,” Bucky commented, “that's a lot of sex.” Steve groaned. Everyone else just laughed.

“Well, in that case, we should head for Paris. I plan on making you scream as often as I can.” Tony pulled Steve towards the door.

“Oh no, we are eating before we go anywhere, Tony,” Steve dug his heels in and turned back to the food, Tony still pulled the other direction so Steve gave in and picked up his husband, then set him on the bench.

“Fine, I’ll eat.”

***

In the garden Sarah held Luka’s arm, seeing the beauty around her. She had always been a practical woman before. Sure she saw the flowers, saw the colors of the world, but before she had to many things needing her attention. Now she took the time to notice all the shades of red on one flower petal, the bluebells that almost matched Loki’s Jüton form. She stopped them under a big tree that reminded her of an oak. “Loki?”

Luka looked down and smiled, “Yes?”

She raised her hand to his cheek, “Change for me. Be yourself here, for you, for your mother.” She smiled when the skin under her hand became blue, the lines etching themselves into Loki’s face.

“Anything else?”

“Make love to me, make love to me in your mother’s garden. Take home only happy memories of here.”

Luka shivered, he swept Sarah up into his arms, striding off the path, deep into the flowers. He knew of a small glen of wildflowers a little ways away. When he finally set Sarah down carefully, he asked, “My lady, why do you court a monster?”

“I don’t see any monsters here, just a very handsome man.”

“A monster who’s child you carry,” Luka pressed the issue.

Sarah had though about denying it until she was sure, but that wasn't fair to Loki, “A man who's child I carry.”

“You knew?”

“Not for certain, but I’d know in another week.”

Luka tipped Sarah’s chin up, looking at the blue eyes, the first shade of blue he had ever truly liked, “I love you, Mrs. Sarah Rogers. I will love our child,” he gave Sarah the words.

“I love you Loki, I will love ever version of you, with every name you choose.”

“Thank you,” Luka whispered, he pressed into the wet folds of Sarah and rocked them together. He kept everything soft and feather light, whispering everything he loved about the woman. He spoke both English and Asgardian, turning the words into poetry.

Neither saw the wondering snapdragon, neither saw it shutter and leave behind a spreading patch of green tendrils each one becoming a new snapdragon.

But they felt the green leave brush against their skin as they both screamed the other’s name to the Halls of Valhalla. Luka found the small little glenn awash with the red petals.

“I think it likes us.”

Luka held out a hand, “Yes, it does. Should we return?”

“Yes, take us home.”

Chapter Text

Clint looked over at Bucky with a raised eyebrow, "Why are we here?"

Bucky shrugged, "Yasmina watched Deadpool again the other night. This is her newest plot bunny."

Clint nodded his head once, exaggerating the movement. "So what does that mean for us?"

"Why are you asking me? She's right there, ask her." Bucky waved in the general direction to his right.

It was Clint turn to shrug, "Okay, Yasmina, what does this mean for us?"

Look guys I don't know, I don't plan these things. I just write them. But I forgot to flip the story to complete and seemed so fucking weird to stop at 29 chapters and to make matters worse, it seemed wrong to let Sarah and Luka aka Loki get laid but you two got nothing. Though I'm still going to ignore Natasha and Bruce. The only version of Bruce I like to watch have sex is in To Be Redeemed by My2BrownEyes's with Logan from the X-men. And I'm not sure I could even come close to doing a proper job of writing Jane for more than a couple lines, so those four can just find some place on their own.

"So let me get this straight, A: we're getting a sex scene in this story because you feel guilty for not putting the story to complete," Clint held up one finger, "B: you feel guilty because you let Loki, the bastard, commandeer over half the story," a second finger was added, "and C: because you think ending with 29 chapters is weird."

Yes?

"Okay, crazy writer lady, write us a guilt relieving sex scene." Clint said dropping a hip into the couch arm. "Oh and it better be good, I know what you're doing to Tony in the next part." Clint shook his head. "You're an evil bitch."

I'm sorry. I did not want the plot bunny I tried to give it away, I promise I did.

"Uh huh. Sex scene, now please."

Yes Clinton.

Clint sneered at the voice that was sort of like Jarvis (all around) but not really. The next thing he knew he was in the shower, naked and pinned to the shower wall by Bucky's metal hand, while the flesh and blood one had three fingers up his ass, two of which were gliding over his prostrate. "Okay Yasmina, you're forgiven," Clint moaned.

"Don't talk to her, I'm the one with three fingers up your ass," Bucky growled before bitting Clint's shoulder.

It took a good thirty seconds for Clint's brain to kick in again, "Yeah but she put them up there."

Bucky didn't answer, just pulled them out and thrust in. "Did she do that?"

Clint turned his head to the side so he could look at Bucky.

"Don't answer that. It sounded better in my head. You know what, forget I said anything." Bucky shook his head, this fourth wall shit was way to weird. Wade could keep that shit to himself. Least Yasmina wasn't some twelve year old who hadn't had sex yet.

Bucky pulled out of Clint and spun him around.

"Hey I was using that," Clint whimpered.

"You still are," Bucky picked Clint up and braced him against the wall with his left arm, he pressed back in kissing Clint as he did.

Clint leaned his head back to catch a breath, "Never mind, defiantly better."

"Glad you agree."

Neither one talked after that, the only sounds where the echoes of skin meeting skin, gasps and moans.

Clint felt the edge coming and reached between them to help it along but Bucky just growled and shifted Clint in his arm until he cried out. Once that happened, that reserve that the Winter Solider always held onto, let loose and Clint knew he didn't need to do anything but wait. Six strokes later both he and Bucky where crying out the others name.

Bucky's knees gave out and he slowly slid down the wall with Clint. "She's totally forgiven for what she does to Tony."

"Hey he walks it off."

Bucky groaned "I can't believe you went there."

"The great thing is, I didn't, she did."

Bucky Gibbs slapped Clint before dropping his head on to Clint's shoulder, "You are a complete troll."

"No she is, this is so ooc it's bad."

"Well not totally," Bucky offered, "it's her AU, so we are completely in character for the characters she's writing right now."

"Got me there, think we can get her to dry us off and drop us in bed? Not sure how much longer my eyes are going to stay open."

Fine.

"Thanks writer lady," Clint mumbled before dropping off to sleep.

"Yes thank you crazy writer lady," Bucky said, the gratitude much deeper than Clint's. "Thank you for letting me have him at all."

Don't thank me, thank josighah, it was their WinterHawk that made me even think about you two together.

"Than, thank you both." Bucky nestled down along side Clint, his leg wrapping over the top of Clint's slightly shorter leg. "You should play with us again soon," Bucky suggested before joining Clint, dropping off to sleep.

Maybe, you never know what the plot bunnies are going to do. I sure as hell never do.

This is the last chapter. And I really did do this because I feel bad for not marking Why Tony Stark Hates Magic complete and because I gave you Clint and Bucky but never gave you Clint and Bucky.

Now it's ten thirty at night and I'm tired after a week of off and on insomnia so...

Good Night.

"Good night Yasmina." Clint slurs.

Bucky spoke next, "Go curl up with your version of Steve, and do the foot twining thing you gave him and me in Barnes Missing Puzzle piece."

Yes Bucky.