IV
Almost five months. It's what Loki was carrying pregnant, and it was obvious: his belly had begun to look like a ball. He was now walking around the tower in baggy t-shirts and pregnancy leggings, his hair tied up in a ponytail and a scowl on his face.
Steve greeted him as he teleported into the kitchen, but received no response.
"Loki, have you slept today? You have dark circles.”
The wizard clicked his tongue in annoyance as he ignored the donuts he usually ate for breakfast and instead reached for the packet of oatmeal.
“No. I haven't, brilliant detective”
Steve did not dare to answer anything else, luckily Tony had just arrived to break the silence.
"You'd better not bother him, he's in such a bad mood that he sent me to sleep on the sofa last night."
“I didn't send you to sleep on the sofa, you have dozens of rooms in the tower.”
“Touche.”
Steve knew better than to interfere, but his curiosity got the better of him.
“Something happened?”
“Not a big deal. Bruce may have hinted that Loki has put on wei" He choked at the green-eyed deadly glare "…that the baby has grown too fast and that being pregnant is no excuse for gorging yourself on chocolate. Poor Bruce, Loki threw everything in the office at him.”
"Oh my god, he didn't…?"
“Nope. He endured without transforming like a champ. And maybe I told my fiancé how incredibly dangerous that was and I ended up sleeping in one of my dozens of rooms. Oh we have donuts!”
Tony walked over to the temptingly open box of donuts.
"If you bite into one of those, say goodbye to your penis."
"I don't believe you, you love my penis."
Loki raised one of his eyebrows and Tony had to put the donut back in the box.
"Understood, you like revenge better."
A scathing retort was silenced in his throat as Loki put his hand to his belly in surprise.
"Loki! love?”
"Did something happen to you? It hurts?”
The god shook his head, and the eyes of both men gleamed with understanding.
“Oh my God. It was a kick! can we touch?”
“No.”
They both sighed. They didn't expect anything else, after all it was still Loki.
The tower alarm began to sound warning of a superheroic emergency.
“The evil circus seems to be causing havoc at the mall.”
"Oh come on, Jarvis, those clowns again?"
"I'm going for my shield."
Steve quickly disappeared down one of the corridors, leaving the couple alone, and the engineer took the opportunity to hug his waist.
"If you had less pride you would admit that you did not sleep because you are more comfortable doing it in my arms."
Loki pretended to squirm to escape, though he was not overly enthusiastic.
“And do you know that on our floor there is only one room with a bed? I wasn't going to leave you alone so yeah! I slept on the sofa. Not that I'm complaining, I have a fifty thousand dollar sofa, but I'd still rather sleep with you tonight.”
"Maybe I think so." He whispered and his cheeks flushed as Tony planted kisses on his neck.
Steve arrived again, already dressed as Captain America and Tony pulsed his reactor letting the Iron Man suit cover him completely.
“Your man is going to work, baby. Have the food ready when I arrive.”
And Iron Man took the captain by the waist to escape by flying out the window.
"I hope you get beat up, MORON!"
***
Tony arrived at the tower exhausted. He'd had to attend one of the stupidest meetings of the year, and the coffee hadn't been strong enough to keep him going all morning.
He dropped his tie as soon as he walked in the door and walked like a zombie through the halls.
“Stark.”
"Osborn." He greeted as they crossed. “Wait, what? Jarvis!”
“Mr. Loki has decided to invite some friends. Given the nature of Mr. Loki's friends, I have reinforced security in the most troublesome parts of the tower.”
Tony ran into the living room, which was decorated with balloons and full of super villains.
"Loki! What is all this?!”
"Isn't that obvious? I was informed that Midgardians celebrate a party known as a baby shower."
Tony took Loki by the arm to drag him to a more secluded place.
"They're top-tier supervillains! In my tower!”
"Iron Man doesn't feel safe from a bunch of bad guys?"
"Honey, I don't feel safe with you. Much less with them.”
Loki let out a groan of outrage.
"When have I hurt you?"
"Do you remember this morning when I found you in the bathroom throwing up and I asked you if you were okay? You kicked me in the shin.”
“It was a stupid question.”
"And I've been limping all morning because of it." He finished.
The god rolled his eyes at the melodrama.
“Your AI took care of protecting your technology.”
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to lower his voice, hoping Emma Frost wasn't reading them.
“That's not enough to leave me alone, there are evil geniuses here.”
“Speaking of which, Jarvis reported that Doctor Doom clogged the upstairs toilet an hour ago. It seems evil enough for a superhero like you to take care of.”
“What? yuck! Seriously, Loki, what are you trying to achieve with this?”
“It's my baby shower, I wanted to celebrate it with my friends.”
“HA! They're not your friends, even when you were in the villainy business they weren't. Only people to eventually betray.”
Loki sighed.
“It's okay. I had thought that since I don't know what my baby will become when he grows up, it's always good that he's well connected.”
“What? Our son is not going to become a super villain.”
"My son will be whatever he wants to be.”
“Whatever he want, except a super villain.”
"Loki, you're out of the sweet puff pastry on top."
A beautiful blonde woman stepped between them, then narrowed her eyes at Tony. Oh, the mortal.
“Nice to see you in my tower too, Amora.”
Loki cast a simple spell to access his pocket dimension and pulled out a new tray of cupcakes. All of them decorated with green frosting.
"Lovely, what are they made of? frogs and snakes?”
"Tony, please.”
Tony rolled his eyes. It was incredible that he would end up giving in even in the most absurd situations.
“Two hours, Loki. And then you clear the tower or I call Shield.”
***
Shield's medical facilities were much clearer since the chaos god's earlier visit. Bruce held out his hands in surrender as Loki walked through the door.
“We are in peace?”
Loki snorted as the only answer as he lay back on the table with a frown and Tony apologized through a nervous smile.
"I want to see it." He demanded, and Bruce began to set up the ultrasound machine.
He spread cold liquid across his belly and began to move the transducer across the god's skin. Immediately the monitor began to show a small peach in formation and the smile of both parents spread.
“How weird. Last month I thought it would be a girl, but in the end it looks like you will have a little boy.”
“It is wrong.”
“Loki, it is quite clear. See that little bump right there?”
The god rolled his eyes.
“Don't patronize me, Dr. Banner. I said that it is wrong.”
"Honey, can you feel something different with your magic? will we have a little girl?”
“Either. He's just a boy now, but sometimes she'd rather be a girl. It is not constant.”
"You mean he's fluid sex, like you?"
The god's breathing quickened as he hugged his belly protectively. They had never discussed anything related to what the baby would be like and he feared that the baby might be considered a freak, disowned from birth for being different.
Tony took one of his hands beginning to trace reassuring circles.
“That is fantastic! I couldn't decide which I liked better and now I will have both.”
Tony's smile had the power to make all his fears disappear at once and his eyes began to sting.
"Boy, girl or whatever you want to be, the important thing is that it looks like it will be a very healthy baby." Bruce smiled and then moved away, leaving them a bit of privacy.