In Little Ways

Chapter 19

"Is it really you, brother? I thought you were dead." Thor whispered, stepping around the fallen titan towards Loki.

"Aye, it is me. Of course this big idiot didn't kill me! Did you really think that I would be daft enough to have a go at the monster, that tortured me for years and literally brainwashed me to attack Midguard, with a puny knife?" He watched as Thor, the big oaf, seemed to ponder the thought.

"Well...I guess it isn't really important either way. All that matters is that you are alive! And you're officially a hero now!" Thor wrapped the shorter man into a hug then, one that would usually annoy the hell out of Loki, but that he returned all the same.

The hug was cut short as they heard blasters go off, the pair splitting to look towards the metal man that landed near them.

"Wow. He really is dead. Good. I am not up for another fight. Oh, shit, my stomach hurts." Tony pressed a hand over his abdomin then, scowling at the ground before looking back at Loki.

"What are you doing back here?" He asked, anger dripping from his words.

"I came back to protect the girls. I promised not to return and I won't, but I want them to have a future, even if I can't be in it." He said, pushing aside the tearing feeling in his heart as Tony stared at him in confusion.

"Seriously? You're not even going to try to get them back?" Tony demanded, switching back to anger quickly as he took a few steps towards him.

Loki sighed and shook his head, looking away towards the battlefield, where the last of the alien army was dying.

"Everywhere I go, war seems to follow. So I will just stay away." He mumbled and jumped as Tony began laughing hysterically.

"Seriously? War follows you? What kind of dumb shit is that? Maybe instead of staying away, you could return and protect them yourself! Lia and the girls miss you and I don't understand a single thing that is going on with them right now." Tony calm down slightly at the end, showing his concern for the girls as Loki paused to think it over.

"They...are better off without me." He said, setting the wall up in his mind. Blocking off the part of him that wanted so badly to return to his girls. To laugh with them again, to hold Lia, to be their dad, and a husband. He almost felt like the ring that still sat on his finger tightened at the same moment his heart did. 

Tony sighed and closed the distance between them, placing his free hand on the taller man's shoulder, feelings of both care and anger flowing through that simple touch.

"Fine. But, could at least stay here? On Earth, I mean? I just know that you being here will protect them more than you being somewhere else in this huge universe. Who knows? They could need you right now."

"But-" Loki began, but he stopped as he looked into Tony's eyes. The man was hiding something from him, and if there was one thing that Loki hated, it was when people kept things from him. He felt that there was a clear distinction between keeping things from and him keeping things from others.

"Mr. Stark, there has been a code teal at the tower." FRIDAY chimed in suddenly, causing Tony to look quickly towards Stephen.

"We've got a code teal, honey! Harley has driven the car!" Tony yelled, 'jogging' over to his husband who shook his head before opening a portal in front of them.

Tony looked back once more towards Loki before he stepped through the opening, disappearing from view.

****

"Auntie Lia? Are you feeling okay?" Harley asked, pulling up one of the extra chairs in the hospital room as Lia nodded, holding the finally quiet baby in her arms.

"I feel great, honey. Just a little tired. How are you? Have you slept?" She asked, noting the dark circles under the boy's eyes and his more than usually disheveled hair.

Harley chuckled softly and shrugged, relaxing back into the chair. Lia watched as his eyes fluttered before he sat up quickly, running hand down his face.

"No sleep. Gotta make sure you are okay." He mumbled and Lia motioned for him to scoot closer, getting him to lean his upper body against the bed, her hand playing with his hair softly.

"Sleep, baby. I'm okay." She mumbled, smiling as he tried to stay awake. Soon, his head rested against her leg, soft snores falling from his lips.

They stayed that way for a while, her hand softly brushing through his hair before the door was pushed open by the nurse. He quickly, yet quietly, got all of the papers together before silently checking her vitals.

"You have some more visitors, dear. They say that they are your uncles. And your nephew." The nurse whispered, wondering if she should let the grime covered men into the room. Patient safety was her first priority, even if the slightly smaller man seemed to be bursting with the weirdest mix of emotions, from anger to excitement. When they were finally able to enter the room, all three men were quick to come to her side, their eyes trained immediately on the newborn in her arms.

"Oh my god! Hello there little one. Welcome to the world. I'm your uncle Tony and I am going to spoil you so much." Tony whispered, making Lia chuckle softly as he reached forward, his pointer finger grabbed by the baby tightly. 

"How do you feel dear? Everything okay?" Stephen asked, placing his hand on her shoulder softly, his eyes trained on the baby as well. 

"All good, this one was worried so much that they made him wait outside with the girls." Lia motioned to Harley, who was now snoring softly, a pool of drool forming at the corner of his mouth. Peter chuckled at that, poking the other boy in the cheek, making him grumble something about not waking up yet. 

"You are more than welcome to take the baby home as soon as we finish the last few tests. Just to make sure that the baby is totally healthy and won't get harmed from exposer to the outside world. Everything will be fine. Is the father present?" The nurse asked, making Lia cringe visibly, too tired to stop herself from showing how sad the thought of raising Toby alone made her feel. All alone.

"Nope. The man left a few weeks before she even found out she was expecting. But she has us, so we are the stand in dads." Stephen said, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder. Being a doctor himself, he could tell when a patient was about to have a panic attack, and being her uncle made it even easier to tell.

The nurse nodded and finished up the last of the tests before leaving them in the room to themselves. 

"So what is his name, hun?" Tony whispered, still fixed on the sleeping figure in his arms.

"Toby. Short for Tobias." She smiled up at her family then, truly believing what Stephen had said. She wasn't alone, because she had them.

Tony smiled and nodded, stepping closer to Stephen, who wrapped an arm around his husband.

"I want a baby." Stephen suddenly whispered, making Tony chuckle.

"Maybe we can do that in a little while."