A life together

New Routine

Loki was looking in amusement at his husband, who was currently grumbling as he made himself a cup of coffee. "Why do classes start so early? Don't they realize that no one wants to get up at this ungodly hour?"

It was Harley's first day of school. When the guardianship papers were finished, the first thing they'd done was transfer him to another school, away from all those horrible kids who bullied him. Midtown School of Science and Technology was a school for little geniuses such as Harley, so they were sure he was going to enjoy his time there.

"Stop whining, Anthony. Honestly, sometimes I think you are the kid in this house," Loki said rolling his eyes but smiling when he saw the kid enter the kitchen cautiously. "Good morning, Harley."

"Morning," he said between a yawn, rubbing his eyes to rid himself of the remnants of sleep.

"Morning, potato boy. Ready to learn stuff and socialize with other gremlins like you?"

Harley glared at him but Tony just chuckled, his bad mood seemingly gone. He handed him a glass of orange juice and a plate with a deformed looking pancake.

The boy ate slowly without raising his head, "Are you nervous?" Loki asked softly.

He shrugged. "I remember my first day at MIT," Tony said, catching their attention. "It was horrible."

Haley looked at him suspiciously, "Really?"

He nodded, "Really. I was fourteen while everyone else was seventeen or eighteen. Nobody liked that I was smarter when I was younger than them. But there was one person that same day who saved me from a bully." Loki hid his smile behind his cup, knowing very well who that person was.

"Is this supposed to make me wanna go to school?" he asked.

"You know who came to defend me like a knight in shining armor? James Rhodes, who is now War Machine and my best friend. That first day was horrible, but it gave me my platypus," Harley laughed at the nickname. "When you finally get to meet him you'll adore him, I remember when Loki did. Worst mistake of my life. They gang up on me more often than not."

The god's eyes glinted with mischief, "No, your worst mistake was introducing me to Pepper."

Tony winced, "That's true. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, yeah, maybe you don't have a good day, but maybe you get something good out of it. Maybe you find a good friend who'll stay by your side for the rest of your life." Harley's shoulders relaxed and he nodded a little more cheerfully.

"That was very mature of you, my love. I am very impressed. I did not know you had it in you."

The genius gaped at him while Harley covered his mouth trying not to laugh. "I am impressed too, sir. Mr. Loki, do you want me to put this unique eventuality on the calendar?"

JARVIS's comment only made him and the boy crumble into giggles while Tony looked at them offended. "The day JARVIS sides with me is gonna be the day Captain America becomes a criminal. Which means it'll never happen and I'm cursed with having to stand this abuse for however long I live. I don't know what I did wrong when I programmed you, J."

"You did not do anything wrong, sir. On the contrary, it is because you did things right that I never take your side," the AI said smugly.

He shook his head resignedly, "I'm out, I'm gonna wait in the car. It seems that in this house there is no respect whatsoever." Before leaving, with a sneaky smile, Tony gave him a peck on the lips, ruffled Harley's hair and walked out.

Loki put the tupperware with lunch in Harley's backpack and handed it to him to then fix his hair a bit later. He felt the kid lean towards the touch, "You are going to be fine, little one. And when you come back you are going to tell us everything you did today. Okay?"