“Wait, wait. Thor where are you going and why aren’t you taking him with you?” Loki hears Stark demand and he leans back deeper into the shadows. He should have known that coming to Midgard with Thor, Valkyrie, and Banner would be a horrible idea. How could he have been so foolish as to allow Thor talk him into coming to the home of his enemy?
“I must see that my people are settled and safe and then I must work in securing Loki's full safety on Midgard. You and Bruce are the only people I trust to watch out for him,” Thor says.
“God why do you have to say it like that? Fine he can stay,” Stark says and Loki sighs and slips from the shadows.
“There will be no need. I will simply go to Vanaheim,” Loki says making his way to the elevator.
“Whoa whoa, wait for a second Elphaba. I'm sorry this was just startling. Don't go running off. You've just been through battle. And from what I understand using an infinity stone is tiring. If you want to leave go for it, but at least rest? We don't want you to pass out somewhere from exhaustion,” Stark says and there's something haunted in his eyes that speaks of experience with such things.
That look is what makes Loki stay, but he doesn’t let his guard down and sits on the chair. He watches Tony and Banner wander around the room keeping an eye on him at all times and Loki hates it, especially Banner they spent hours together on the ship traveling through the space sone to earth, Loki thought he had earned the man’s friendship.
“Alright Elphaba welcome the Tower. Don't throw us out a window and we'll be fine. Welcome home Brucie Bear!”
Banner and Stark lean in close to each other and continue to whisper and glance at him and Loki forces himself not to react. He’s use to whispers and stares and he won’t let them know that it bothers him.
Even if it does hurt.
Banner and Tony are still talking when the second rate sorcerer Thor had said was named Strange joins them along with a man Loki doesn’t know but seems to be close to Stark as well. The four of them begin talking in whispers as well and Loki watches as Stark looks at him.
“So Elphaba, you gonna stay?”
“If I am Elphaba who is Fiyero?” Loki asks and watches as the four men step out of the room. Loki knows better than to think that is a show of faith. No doubt Stark’s house spirit will be watching his every move as he goes and report back to Stark.
Loki sighs and gets up and paces the room observing the things around him. If he is to be forced to live with these people then he might as well know a little about them. His exploration is interrupted by a wall of red in his path and he looks up.
Floating in front of him is the cloak that he had notice Strange wearing when they first met.
Loki blinks and reaches out and the cloak flutters. Loki immediately feels a presence within the cloak and he raises a eyebrow.
“Oh you are interesting,” Loki says and reaches out with his magic at the same time he feels the cloak reach out with their own. Loki lets them feel his magic before feeling their magic and suddenly he is wrapped up in the garment in what he assumes is a hug.
Which is of course when Stark and his lovers come back into the room.
“What happened?” Stark asks his lips quirking up into a smile.
“All I did was let the them feel my magic. It's a way of introduction and respect with magical artifacts,” Loki says and the cloak wraps around him tighter, forcing Loki to follow them to the couch before making him sit on the couch.
“They like you,” Strange says and they all sit on the couch and the cloak lays themself across their laps.
“So, how do you feel about having four Fiyeros?” Stark asks and Loki glances at him suspiciously, he never took Stark as one to have a harem, never tool Banner to be the sort to be in a harem willingly, but then again Loki’s judgement of character has been somewhat faulty.
“I have never been one for joining harems,” Loki says with a glare. How dare Stark think that Loki would allow himself to be insulted in that way. He is not some sort of trophy for his bed.
“Whoa… This isn't a harem Elphaba. We're all of equal status in the relationship and we all love each other,” Stark says and Loki reaches out with his magic, what a pathetic fool to try lying to the god of lies. People never learn.
Except he doesn’t feel anything but the truth in Stark’s words and it unnerves him.
“You're being honest,” Loki says.
“Of course. I make it a point not to lie people I love,” Stark says.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe that you love me? Mere moments ago you were bemoaning my existence. Not to mention that we have met maybe once and at that time I was trying to kill you. I’m sorry if that sheds a somewhat unlikely air to your words,” Loki says crossing his arms over his chest fighting the urge to vanish. Stark was right about one thing, he is tired and does need to rest.
“Alright, full disclosure, which is something I’m not used to. I didn’t want you here because it was very tempting to flirt with you and I don’t want Pointbreak to chop my head off and because I wanted to ask my other lovers if it would be okay to try dating you. And you’re right, love is a strong word, but I think I’ll get there. The question is, do you want to try?” Stark asks and Loki looks at the four men on the couch next to him and the cloak...Levi...they tell Loki with their magic, squeezes his knee comfortingly.
“I... perhaps I might be interested,” Loki says remembering all those people in his childhood who had offered their friendship only to yank it away with a cruel word and a mocking smile. He vowed that he would no longer be that child. This is likely a ploy for them to be able to say they managed to get a god in their bed. Although why didn’t just ask Thor he has no idea.
“Terrific. I'll order some food and we can watch terrible movies. It'll be nice to have someone else to add their two cents into the idiotic decisions in movies. I bet you can be a cruel critic,” Stark says and that was not what Loki was expecting to come out of his mouth.
“You don't wish to demand intercourse?” Loki asks tentatively and watches each man give him a look like he said something completely unaccountable.
“First off none of us will ever demand intercourse. We're very big on choice here. Second, you just met us, we want you to feel comfortable with us first, and third, we don't want you here just for sex,” Stark says and Loki smiles softly sensing nothing but the truth in his words.
Slowly Strange becomes Stephen, Banner becomes Bruce, Stark becomes Tony and Rhodes becomes Rhodey. Slowly be begins letting them in more and more.
He’s not sure when he begins trusting them completely but one day he wakes up wrapped up in their arms and knows that if it came down to it he would trust them each to have his back and that he will always have theirs.
He’s been with them six months when he realizes that he’s fallen in love with each of them. With the way Stephen’s tongue peeks out when he’s concentrating on chess. With the way Bruce looks in his glasses, with the way Tony is always bouncing around and with the way Rhodey always just seems to be there even if he isn’t there in person.
He meets the children around this third month there and immediately puts his foot down on Peter being involved in missions. No child is going to have to lose their childhood a second earlier than absolutely necessary. He wants to magic the suit to not go one but Peter pulls him aside and explains to him and Loki understands but doesn’t like Peter out there on his own, so he goes along with him on patrol wearing an illusion.
Most of the time Peter is chatting too much to notice Loki magically tying criminals up that are still blocks away, they usually return home having not been in a single confrontation. Though he does let Peter fight some people, otherwise he starts walking on the ceilings and Tony hates that.
Kamala reminds him a lot of Thor. She’s a spitfire with a will of steel and Loki feels sorry for anyone who goes against her. She joins in on his and Peter’s patrols sometimes when she is able to get out of the house. Loki makes sure to let the two of them have fun when the three of them, with Ned and Harley in the chairs, go out patrolling. Children deserve a little entertainment after all.
Harley reminds Loki of himself at that age. Too smart for where he is and unable to relate to the people around him. Loki takes him under his wing and teaches him some skills of subtle manipulation so he can avoid bullies and get on his teachers good sides so he can use it to his advantage.
Tony’s bots adore him and Loki adores them. He drinks the smoothies that Dum-E makes for him, he plays catch with U and Butterfingers. He shares stories of other realms with FRIDAY and KAREN is glad that he is doing his part to keep Peter safe.
He is in his room reading some incredibly creative recounts of norse myths when he whole building shakes from the roof down like something crashed into it and Loki tenses up and readies his shields to protect his lovers as they go up to investigate what happened.
A small ship is sticking out of the roof and it’s smoking slightly. Loki strengthens his shields as a man climbs out of the wreckage and locks his eyes on them.
“Guys! I don't think we survived the crash. There's a bunch of angels out here,” the man shouts and they all share a look.
“I'll go set up dinner reservations,” Rhodey says pulling out his phone.
“Hey there Space Cowboy. You're not dead yet!” Tony shouts and the man looks at him.
“You sure I'm not in heaven, Angel?”
“Positive.”
“Good. I'd hate to ruin purity. I'm Peter Quill.” He says and they each introduce themselves.
“So, what's your opinion on going out to dinner with us?” Rhodey asks.
“I'd love that,” Quill says.
Peter Quill adds something interesting to their relationship. He’s adventurous and kind. He makes them fool around when things get too serious and is a breath of fresh air. Tony is especially proud of the second nickname he comes up with for Peter.
Porcupine.
It’s a name all of them call him fondly and Peter loves it.
There are still times when Loki thinks that they’re just putting up with him, but then they’ll order junk food and watch his favorite movies and cuddle until Loki is feeling better or they’ll cuddle and talk through his thoughts and it’s nice to be able to tell the truth.
James Barnes is someone that Loki feels like he should be mad at, he killed his husband’s mother and left Tony to die...but how can he when he himself was given a second chance at being good? Especially when Tony is willing to forgive him.
The more time he spends with Bucky the more he likes him. He watches Bucky slowly become the mutual crush of all his husbands and Bucky just seems to fit in and Maria, sweet precious Maria absolutely adores him.
If he’s being honest he started considering Bucky as one of his husbands long before he agreed to that date. He was there for him when he was panicking about being pregnant, he was there when he went into labor and he even went out and bought the bun Loki used to reveal the news to the others.
Bucky fits into the family so well Loki hardly remembers that he wasn’t there from the start.
Even Hulk, who Loki once feared, fits in perfectly with the family. He’s gentle and kind with him and Maria loves cuddling down into his hand and going to sleep. He even helps knock down the walls for the nursery and gives Loki a workout when he needs to burn off steam both in a sparring match or in a workout of a more personal nature.
When he first joined Tony and the others he didn’t think that he would be there for long. He thought that they would grow tired of him or he would leave them before they could leave him. But now he can’t imagine a time where he doesn’t have his family around him.