VI
Both of them widened their eyes at the same time after a very poor landing orchestrated by an unborn demigod.
"Loki! you are well? " Tony was already at his side, helping him up. "Where we are? "
It looked like they had ended up in some jungle, he hoped Earth. Large leaves covered almost the entire sky and the humidity bordered on unbearable.
"I don't know... I can't go back." The god was pale again. For a normal person, being in labor was already hard enough, but to the physical exhaustion Loki had to add the magical exhaustion that he had had during the last month.
"Maybe we're near a town. Luckily, my suit has state-of-the-art GPS."
Tony pulsed the arc reactor into his chest and Iron Man's metal began to cover him in a few seconds. Before he could give an order, a monstrous shriek made them both turn in the same direction.
"It can not be true."
Tony barely had enough time to shoot the pterodactyl that was swooping down above them, changing its flight path.
"You have brought us to the Savage Land! Wasn't there a more unsafe fucking place to give birth!?"
"I didn't choose this place, animal!"
"I swear to you that this child will be grounded from the moment he is born."
A new contraction made Loki take his belly with gasping breath. He didn't have much time to calm down, a new shriek warned them that the huge flying dinosaur was after them again.
Tony lifted Loki up with one arm to get off the ground before he could reach them, no easy task. The god's belly prevented him from holding it by the waist and he needed at least one free arm to steady his flight. In those conditions, shooting was also difficult for him.
"Hold on, babe. This is going to be a flying competition. "
He increased the power of his thrusters, avoiding the vegetation as best he could, and Loki had a new contraction, clinging to the armor with a scream. Luckily, Iron Man was able to take flight right at the beginning of a rock formation, making the pterodactyl that was coming after them unable to dodge it and ending up crashing.
Tony deposited Loki inside a nearby cave where they could see each other's eyes again. The mortal was on the verge of a panic attack, he was sweating and the corners of his eyes were drenched as well.
"I'm sorry! It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was going to be in S.H.I.E.L.D., with the best medical equipment and the most advanced technology..."
"Tony."
"And we are in a fucking cave hundreds of kilometers from civilization and surrounded by dinosaurs. "
"Tony!"
The god took his face bringing it to the height of his chest. Tony's fits always subsided the same way.
"We are fine. I only need you."
"You do not need me. I'm a mess as a partner and a father... and I always fail to get the things that really matter."
Loki tried to make himself more comfortable, leaning his back against the wall and still holding Tony in his arms. The contractions were being more and more followed and soon a new one would come.
"I am a mess. I am literally the god of chaos." He waved a hand around the cave. "And I attract chaos. But even though I'm a mess and everything around me ends up being a mess, I can always trust that you'll be by my side, trying to keep everything from falling apart for me. You are my anchor, Tony. You are the person I can trust the most and I love you for it."
Tony straightened up at the same time Loki covered his mouth.
"Did you say the 'L' word?"
"Of course not!"
A new contraction shook Loki's body causing him to nearly shatter his mortal's hand, but Tony hadn't changed his idiotic grin.
"Yes you did."
"You better focus on this, idiot!"
A flash of green light made the avengers gathered in the room alert. Seconds later, Tony and Loki, now a beautiful woman with long black hair, materialized in the common room.
They looked emaciated and were covered in dirt. Tony was missing his shirt, which was in Loki's arms covering a small bundle.
"Is that…?"
"Bruce! I need you to check them out right now!"
***
Loki opened his eyes a few hours later, still sleepy. He was in the medical bay of Avengers Tower with a tube feeding antibiotic into his arm. Tony was only a few meters away. Unlike him, he was already clean and rocking a baby in his arms. He looked so handsome.
He tried to get up, but when he noticed the movement Tony was already next to him, preventing him.
"Sorry, sleeping beauty. Bruce wants to keep an eye on you a little longer, and I'm totally on his side, so you won't be able to blackmail me this time."
"Give me my son."
"Our son" he corrected, gently placing the baby in Loki's arms.
Loki held it up unable to avoid a half smile and not long after there was a knock on the door.
"I couldn't keep them longer, they want to meet him." He apologized, opening the door to the rest of the avengers. Between them and the gift teddy bears they barely fit in the room.
"Can I hold it?"
"No."
"Oh come on, babe. He is your brother!"
Loki reluctantly extended the baby into the elder god's arms where he looked even smaller.
"He's just like you, brother!"
The rest of the avengers looked at each other, maybe their eyes would turn green in the future, but other than that they were the spitting image of Tony. Although no one would dare to be the first person to emphasize it.
Bruce decided that it had been enough after a while and they let the couple rest. This time Tony took the chair until he was completely glued to the bed and was able to link his fingers with Loki's. The baby rested right in the middle of the two.
"You did say the 'L' word." He hummed smugly.
"Forget it, Tony. I'm not going to repeat it."
Tony kissed his knuckle without losing his smile.
"That doesn't matter, you make it obvious, anyway."
Loki snorted and Tony's smile widened again.
"I love you both, my chaotics worlds."