A/N: So, I wanted to get this posted yesterday (May 3) to coincide with Iron Man 3 coming out, but just coming off of a huge marathon of writing, I wasn't able to focus on it properly. Even as it is, I'm worried this is still damned rough. Hopefully I'm just worrying too much and it's fine. Y'all let me know, right? ;)

And I did say that I would be rearranging the continuity of the series, didn't I? This comes between 'Caregiver' and 'Nightlight,' and there'll be another doing the same thing soon.

(See A/N2 after the fic for more continuity notes, please. :D)

Series: Loki's Brood, Part II

Betas: SkyTurtle

Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers,Thor, nor the characters from them. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

…

Tension

Raven Ehtar

…

"Really, Stark? I thought you had outgrown the need for this kind of thing in the middle of the afternoon."

Tony looked up, a smirk already on his lips. Standing in the middle of his studio floor, looking as though he owned the place, was Loki Laufeyson, brother of Thor the Thunderer.

Once upon a time when he would make these visits to the Tower, he would be decked out either in full armor or in some kind of costume that, while not having any of the combative practicality of leather and plate, was still obviously the attire of a warrior and magic user. In the six months since these semi-regular visits had begun, however, familiarity or boredom had him opting for more conventional Earth clothing. So the god who stood before him now was dressed casually in dark slacks, a white button down shirt whose sleeves were rolled just above the elbows, a dark green tie and a vest left unbuttoned. It looked disconcertingly natural on him, more a product of how he wore it rather than it being a familiar mode of dress. It was like the cocky half smile he leveled at Tony, it was all just a part of him, not a forced affectation.

Tony swirled the glass in his hand in a circle, the amber liquid within glinting, setting the light to dancing. "The need, maybe," he agreed. "But never the desire."

Loki chuckled, sauntering to where he sat at his kitchen island, a decanter of smooth whiskey set to one side. "And of course we know that desire is given the first priority." He took a stool opposite Tony and indicated the empty tumbler by the decanter. "I see you were expecting me. May I?"

Tony waved for him to continue, and used sharing a drink as an excuse to study him silently.

It had been six months since Loki had first dropped in on Tony, post Asgardian trial, flipped him unceremoniously out of bed and into some weird parallel universe where he was abruptly co-daddy to three kids. Well, perhaps not literally a parallel universe, but it felt like it from time to time. Since then Tony had learned a lot, most of it to do with child rearing and his own personality as it pertained to children and their raising. But he had also been learning a lot about their blood father.

Dressed as he was, sipping quietly at some very expensive whiskey, Loki might have been a business associate, dropping in after a long day at the office to enjoy some company and unwind. Somehow, even though he sat on a barstool and it was physically impossible, Loki gave the impression of lounging. Even in today's business world, though, he would be picked out as something of a rebel. The long black hair he was allowing to grow even longer was good hint, and there was something about his grin, something that suggested a predatory nature less in common with the world of contracts and markets and more in line with stalking prey in the twilight. Earth clothing accentuated his build, making him look even taller and leaner than when his traditional Asgardian attire, which had bulked him out a little. It made it all the more obvious how much taller than Tony he was, while giving the false impression that he was weaker than he was. He was lean, not thin, and proven himself strong enough to toss Tony around like a ragdoll if he felt so inclined.

In six months' time Loki had become a familiar sight, almost a part of Tony's apartment coming as frequently as he did. Tony wouldn't have really thought it possible, but he was actually getting used to seeing the dark Asgardian in his living room, his kitchen, sitting on his furniture, occasionally eating his food. He was getting used to holding a conversation with him, to thinking of him as a man rather than as the once mad god who had ripped up a good portion of New York. He was getting used to his humor, which ranged from aridly dry to childishly simple, and he was getting used to seeing him with his three children, and how his entire demeanor changed around them. He was coming to terms with the idea that the Loki he had first met – high on power and tossing him out of a thirty story window – was very different from the Loki he was faced with now. Different, but the same. As seemed to be his nature, Loki was a breathing contradiction.

But for how used Tony was becoming to Loki, he could never become comfortable around him. And surprisingly enough, the reason for that had absolutely nothing to do with trusting him.

Long, slender fingers cradled the tumbler, twisting it from side to side before bringing it up to Loki's lips. His throat worked, swallowing, and there was a soft inhalation as Loki savored the flavor of the alcohol. A red tongue ran along one lip appreciatively.

Tony suppressed a small shudder. Oh, yeah, it was time to have a little chat with Loki before he went completely insane.

Not deigning to notice any discomfort in his drinking companion, Loki gave the apartment a brief look, frowning slightly. "Where are the children? I would have thought you would have had them watching some inane holiday entertainment."

Tony pulled a face. "Oh, come on; give me some credit, would you?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"… They're out watching the latest inane Pixar entertainment," he admitted with a grin.

Loki stiffened slightly. It was only because Tony was becoming familiar with him that he was able to recognize this shift as only annoyance, and not outright anger. "They are at a theater?"

He nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"And you remain here. Who is with them?"

"Keep your hair on," Tony said, taking a sip of his own drink, enjoying the burn. "I had them bundle up warm for the snow, and had each of them promise to behave, on pain of no desserts for the next dozen visits. As for who's with them, that would be the whole crew, sans yours truly."

If anything, Loki's posture only became even more wooden. "Everyone?" he repeated. "Including Barton, and my—Thor?"

Tony sighed. Loki had his qualms and prejudices for everyone on the Avengers team, not the least of which for Tony himself. But when it came to who he found objectionable as company for the triplets, those two ranked the highest, though for completely different reasons. Thor was at once the easiest and the hardest to understand. No secret was made over the conflict between the two brothers, or where the majority of it stemmed from. There were grudges, old and new, hanging between them, and Loki was a champion at holding on to those. Why Loki would object so strongly to him when it came to the kids still confused him, though. Just watching Thor with his niece and nephews, you could tell he doted on the sprats, and they adored their uncle who could and did swing them through the air like dolls. Yet Loki did object, and Tony was positive that it came from something other than old grudges, something to do with Loki's trial, though neither of the brothers would say a word about it to him, not in any detail.

As for Barton, that had more to do with Clint's lingering antipathy towards Loki than any ill will Loki bore him. Clint was having the hardest time out of any of them in letting go of the past and making a fresh start, and no one was really blaming him for that. He'd been possessed, brain controlled by Loki, while Loki himself wasn't quite his own man. He'd been under that spell for days and forced to act against his will, including giving up secrets and killing comrades. The memory held on, and Clint, while never making any antagonistic moves, did his utmost to avoid him. Loki seemed to understand better than Clint's own teammates, and never called him on it.

However, Clint's obvious if passive resentment made him nervous when he was around the kids.

"Yes," Tony said tiredly. "Even them. But I wouldn't worry. I've assigned each of the kids to a person: Fenrir with Bruce, Jör with Steve and Hela with Natasha. Thor and Clint are basically there for backup – and because they both really wanted to see the movie. Don't worry about Clint. Fen adores him, and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual."

Loki snorted, unconvinced. "I designated you their guardian for a reason, Stark. Why is it you are not out with them?"

"I had one or two things to do here."

He eyed the decanter and tumblers lain out. "Yes. So I perceive."

Tony rolled his eyes. "More than getting buzzed, thank you very much. Though that does help. Besides," he pointed out, "if you trusted me with the kids, it means you trust my judgment, and by extension anyone I deem trustworthy. So you've got no real ground for argument, here."

The other man tried to frown, but Tony caught a very subtle twitch about the lips that said Loki was fighting back a smirk. "That is a rather forced, not to say egotistical, inference of the responsibilities and allowances afforded you as their guardian."

"See, I'm hearing 'forced' and 'egotistical,' but not 'broken' or 'invented.' Which makes me think that I'm within my rights and you're not enjoying the fact that I'm learning just how much latitude I have."

This time Loki did smile. "Once again, your perceptiveness astounds me in its breadth."

"And once again: I am so honored," he said with a chuckle, and sipped his drink.

For a while there was silence between them. Normally silence would have been companionable, if not entirely comfortable, this time there was an underlying strain he wasn't sure Loki was even aware of. He had opted to stay behind while the others trooped off to the movie – though it would be more accurate to say that he had suggested the movie in the first place, and then practically shoved them all out the door. And it was true he had done so because he had some business in the Tower. One was the drink, enjoyable on its own merits and necessary to make the second easier to handle. That second was Loki.

Tony wasn't an idiot. He was stubborn – 'pigheaded' was the popular term – but not an idiot, and he was well aware of his own patterns and tendencies. So when he had begun to take an interest in the Asgardian Prince he had known exactly what it was. He hadn't even been that surprised. His wandering libido was almost a trademark, and having someone coming to his private apartments on a semi-regular basis who was intelligent, attractive and charming in his own way, was bound to have an effect eventually. The fact that Loki was male – and an alien – barely registered at all. It was a trait of his that he was used to, that he had dealt with before, and he could deal with this, too. True, the usual procedure was to 'bed it and forget it,' but that didn't seem like the most viable of options in this case. So instead he had gone through some of the other options.

All of them, actually, as one after another failed.

He'd tried the proxy approach, the bed it and forget it technique using a stand in, which had been diverting but not relieving. He'd tried distractions, and as a result of which his work output increased five-fold and ten new suits were designed, but still no relief. He'd tried simply ignoring the issue in hopes that some time without focusing on it would allow it dissipate. That had only led to one of the most frustrating weeks Tony had ever lived through, save those where he was in actual danger of being killed. He had even gone the 'fantasize and self-service' route, which he hadn't resorted to since his teenage years. That had just been teasing.

It was all very frustrating, not the least of which because Tony wasn't sure why Loki was affecting him so strongly. He was attractive, yes… fuck, he was hot, and he wasn't even going to try denying it. But that alone wouldn't have him wound this tight. A lot of people were hot and Tony managed to live his life as normal. Well, normal-ish. So what was it? A latent bad-boy fetish, possibly, because Loki certainly had that going for him. Even in business casual there was no hiding that hint of danger, it was ingrained into him, in the way he spoke, moved, even breathed. Was it because Loki was a forbidden fruit? Nothing inspired a more covetous response than knowing you couldn't have something, and Tony could think of dozens of people who would say the Loki was way off limits. Not that it would stop him, or even slow him down, not even Fury and his endless stream of tirades. But the effort was still there, it gave him something to rebel against. Or was it simply because he found Loki challenging? Every day it seemed he learned something new about him, hints of whole new layers of personality to explore, and he had only barely begun to get to know him.

But perhaps one of the biggest contributing factors, he thought, was that it wasn't all one-sided.

Tony wasn't an idiot, nor was he unobservant. He'd learned enough about Loki to recognize certain signs, and he could take that knowledge, replay old encounters with the rebel god, and deduce what it all meant.

"Since we're on the subject," Tony said, clearing his throat, "I had a question about the kids."

"As you are ever full of them…"

"Mm." Tony hesitated, licked his lips, and then plunged ahead. "Why did you choose me to be their guardian?"

Loki, who had been staring out at the darkening city as it was slowly covered in a heavy mantle of snow, looked over at him in surprise, one eyebrow raised. There was open curiosity in his face, quickly marred by a hint of suspicion. "This is the first time you have questioned me about that decision," he said carefully, his tone telling Tony that he was already planning ways to dodge giving him a direct answer. "I take it, then, that you have failed to 'figure it out on your own'?"

Tony shrugged, examining the rapidly depleting level of whiskey in his glass. Distantly he could feel the warmth of it spreading through him, a light fuzziness at the back of his mind. "I'm pretty sure I have a handle on the whys and wherefores, but I'd like some confirmation."

Loki gave this some thought, his fingertips tapping out a staccato pattern against the side of his glass. Finally, "Very well, then," he conceded, putting his tumbler down on the countertop. "It's really very simple. I had need of someone who could watch over my children – care for them, protect them – while I attended matters of reparation. I could not turn to my… family… for this, so I was required to broaden my search. Out of all the individuals I considered, you were the one most capable to fulfill the task without the immediate disqualifier of being someone who would take advantage of the situation."

"'All of the individuals' you considered being…?"

"Your team," he admitted. "Previous events had me convinced that they were the only ones possessed of the necessary strength in Midgard to warrant consideration."

Which was pretty much what Tony had thought was the case. Being the only humans to stomp down Loki and his army would give them something of a reputation. Still, he made a show of considering this. "So… out of six people, say five because Thor is automatically disqualified, you still singled me out. What was the process involved for that?"

Loki shifted, his posture becoming subtly more closed off. "Of the five remaining, two more could be struck from the list directly. Barton and Romanoff, while quite skilled, do not possess the physical characteristics that the children would demand of a guardian, as well as having very close ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. I felt they could not be completely trusted either to stand against potential threats or to become a threat themselves." He examined his glass a moment. "Which left three to consider seriously. First was Banner, but he would only be a good choice superficially. He has intelligence, thus would be a good teacher, and he has that green creature in reserve that gives him great, nigh unbeatable strength. In a way it gives him something in common with my sons, having a second form. But the ground gained by his advantages is lost again by his disadvantages. The power he wields is undisciplined, much of the time it's completely out of his control. He is an untamed force, with not a bit of a warrior's training. Were he their guardian, my children might look on him as a proper example of how one wields their talents, how one with a second form should utilize it."

Tony blinked. He hadn't thought of that before. "Huh. Never thought I'd hear someone call Bruce a bad influence, but it's a fair enough point." Tony thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "I wouldn't write him off completely as far as training as a fighter, though. He managed to avoid military pursuit for years and picked up some good tricks. Dude's pretty scrappy." Tony downed the last of his whiskey, considered refilling his glass and decided against it. Some semblance of sobriety would be a good idea. "Of course then there's Steve, who certainly does have the training…"

Loki all but sneered. "Can you honestly see him as a befitting guardian?"

He shrugged again. "Why not? If any of us has 'family man' written all over him in big red letters, it's Rogers. Guy comes from an age when that was practically required to count as human."

"Granted. But my children?" Loki insisted. He shook his head. "He may have good intentions, but in practicality he would prove a poor parent for them. He is too lenient. Just as a companion, you see how well they obey him: hardly at all. They would not respect him as a father; they sense they are stronger than he. Besides which, he is too much the soldier. I do not necessarily wish my children to be raised as warriors, only that should the need arise, they have one such to protect them."

"Which leaves little old me as the last man standing. What exactly were my qualifications, then?"

The Asgardian's lips pursed. "What makes you think there was anything to recommend you, Stark, and it was not simply a matter of no one else being suited?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Weak, Loki, weak blind. One, because you've said so yourself once or twice over the months without getting into specifics, and two, because if there were no positives to having me as a guardian you would have made do with one of the others, who do have a few pros each."

Loki scowled at him, delicate brows drawn close, and let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, then, if you insist. You do possess some desirable qualities as a guardian. You have the means to more than adequately provide for basic needs," he looked around the apartment pointedly. "You are intelligent and you are well equipped to physically defend them from danger. You also have a sense of morality that is not limited to simple blacks and whites, which I find key when it concerns who will be keep my children company."

"Uh-huh. You forgot about the alcoholism, the narcissism, the self-destructive behavior patterns…"

It was Loki's turn to shrug, putting down his glass. "Many of those things could also be said about me, Stark. No one is perfect, and I took the best option out of three."

Tony leaned back, eying the lean god up and down. Loki didn't budge under the scrutiny, but stared back steadily, almost challengingly. At this point in the conversation Tony knew he could get away with dropping the whole subject, walk away with no negative impact on the kind of working relationship, perhaps tentative friendship he and Loki had built over half a year. It was tempting to do just that, as risking all of that work and the friendly-if-not-comfortable rapport left him apprehensive.

Then again, what they had already had its own kind of troubles, and they weren't going to go away just by ignoring them.

"And that was it? That was all it took to convince you that I was the best choice for your kids?"

"I will not feed your vanity and ego, Stark, by inventing virtues and attributing them to you. My reasoning was as I have stated."

"Really?" Tony tossed back at him, deliberately becoming more aggressive, trying to get a rise out of him. "That was all that went into choosing the person you would entrust the lives of your kids to, just a double columned list of pros and cons on each of us to pick the best one? Very reasonable, very logical. And what if I had decided that I wanted nothing to do with any of this and just toted them all down to S.H.I.E.L.D. myself? Did you consider that?"

Loki stiffened in his seat, the relaxed air that had hung about him completely evaporated. "You are no sycophant, Stark, and never were. So much is plain from even the most cursory of looks through your history. You have a stubbornly independent nature; much of the time, it seems, simply for the sake of being stubborn. You would not deliver them to S.H.I.E.L.D. because it was expected of you. But you probably would do the exact opposite for precisely the same reason."

"'Probably'?" Tony repeated incredulously. "You would risk them on a 'probably'? If I'm 'stubbornly independent,' then I would have been all the more likely to pass the kids on and make them someone else's problem."

"But you did not." Ice edged Loki's words. "So my reasoning, whatever you might think of it, proved itself."

Tony glared, locking eye with green eye. "So you're telling me that was your only way of deciding, your only reason for picking me? That there's no ulterior motive?"

He wasn't sure how it was managed, but the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Loki's eyes narrowed at him dangerously, warning him to back the hell off. "There is not," he said, each work clinking coldly into place.

"No?" Tony demanded, realizing he was probably buying his way into a world full of pain. This was why the drink had been a necessary first step in this confrontation. "I'm not stupid, Loki, and I'm not blind. I know that there's more to this than the kids. You've shown that you want me as a part of their lives, do you expect me to believe that you don't want me as a part of your life, as well?"

Loki absolutely froze. For a moment Tony would have sworn he'd stopped breathing as well. Then he blinked, and the glare he leveled at him went from ice to molten in an instant. When he spoke his voice was pitched to a growl, something Tony hadn't heard from him in months. "You will maintain your distance from me, Stark." It wasn't a request. It wasn't even an order; it was just a statement of how things would be.

Like all of the other danger signs, Tony ignored it. He leaned forward, across the counter, pitching his own voice low and quiet. "Will I, indeed?"

When Loki refused to answer him, Tony began to walk around the counter to his side, never once taking his eyes off of him. Loki turned in his seat as Tony moved, keeping the human in his sights at all times.

"There's something here, Loki," he said, keeping his tone steady now. "Something between us and you know it."

"You're delusional," Loki replied, eying the shrinking distance as Tony rounded the corner.

"Bullshit," he replied easily, not breaking stride. "You're aware, you're just better at this self-denial thing. But there is something here, however much you refuse to acknowledge it. Something so knotted and twisted up on itself I'm not even sure what it would be called. But it's not going away."

He stopped, standing directly in front of Loki. The Asgardian hadn't gotten up from his seat, hadn't moved at all except to watch him even though Tony was now well within his personal space. He just stared at him, waiting to see what would happen next. And the closer he got, Tony noticed, the more palpable the pressure between them became. The vague electrical charge he had felt growing over the last few months was surging to life, playing havoc with Tony's ability to think clearly as he became hyperaware of Loki's body heat, his breathing, the way his eyes slid over Tony's body…

He took another step, the last one he could take without crawling straight into Loki's lap. "I'm not sure… I want it to go away," he murmured, licking his lips unconsciously. Loki's gaze dipped down to follow the motion.

Tony swallowed, and leaned forward, bracing his hands on the counter behind Loki, trapping him. He leaned closer, until their bodies were nearly touching, Tony's lips practically brushing Loki's ear when he said, "And I don't think you do, either…"

Loki did not reply. Only his breath betrayed that he had heard Tony at all, as it shuddered slightly in time with a tiny shiver. Tony felt it keenly, and it sent an answering thrill through him.

He was amazed that Loki hadn't pulled away, made him take a step back, or otherwise moved in the least. He sat frozen, allowing the nearness, not retreating, though neither was he moving in to meet him. But his body was tense, humming like a live wire. When Tony turned his head to look Loki in the eye, he mirrored the motion, not an ounce of the tension that wracked his body evident in his face. His expression betrayed nothing, but his eyes never left Tony's.

And gods, his eyes were green! It was said that eye color never really changed, that the perception that it did was an illusion caused by the changing colors of the surrounding environment, but Tony was sure Loki's could change. From the deep, verdant hue of shadowed glens to the dangerous, glinting green that lashed out with its toxicity, Loki's eyes were as changeable as he was. But always, always they were green. And at this moment they were something between, intense and complete as they stared into Tony, half lidded.

He could feel Loki's breath on his face, on his lips. He could smell the whiskey on him, the earthy, spicy scent of his skin. He felt the heat of Loki's body pressing against him, even though they had yet to touch, the temperature steadily rising. Heat, electricity, need, the vibrating tension that demanded action but was continuously held back… Tony could practically taste Loki, but he would not close the last few millimeters that kept them separate.

His skin crackled with need and his loins ached, his body would hate him for this later, but for now it was enough to see that Loki did not pull away.

With a physical effort, Tony stepped back. He felt keyed up and drained at the same time, but managed to flash a cocky grin. "Told you something was there."

Loki, cheeks flushed and green eyes over bright, stared daggers at him.

…

A/N2: Pretty sure I'm getting sick, too… makes for difficult revision times… xp

Sprat: In case it's an unfamiliar term, 'sprat' is a slang word used to refer to children. It's actually a kind of fish, a herring, and is apparently also used to refer to young fish of other herring species – not 100% positive on the accuracy of that – so it probably stemmed from the fishing communities. I've also heard 'spratling,' but less so.

Continuity Disclaimer: This is going to be a standard disclaimer attached to every fic I post that has to do with the Avengers, so everyone knows where I'm coming from in terms of characters and world canon.

For the most part, assume that I am coming from only the movies. Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers – and any sequels that come after these unless mentioned otherwise. I realize that I'm missing out on worlds of story and character development, but I would be starting from square one and 50+ years of backstory, (each individual character's series(es), the team series(es) and any/all crossovers or notable appearances), is more than a little daunting. So as much as I want to know everything about everything – trust me, this is really frustrating for me – I just can't. I'm picking my battles and this one is a 'nope.' So as a result my Avengers fics will not have 'comic book depth' to them. Sorry.

What will they have? The movies, of course, one or two short comic arcs that I've been convinced to pick up that will have little to no effect on the continuity, Norse mythology – since I do read that – and any details that I can pick up from other fans or that I research on my own. The result of all of this is usually going to be a sort of fusion that hopefully works and isn't too confounding for anyone. :)

April's writing marathon has left me with roughs for six more installments of Loki's Brood, including this one, and I have even more outlined. So if anyone's really digging this, good news! :D

Thank you for reading, everyone, and if you've gotten to see the new Iron Man already, I'm jealous, hope you enjoyed that, too!