Disclaimer: I own none of these Marvel-characters! The title comes from 'Youth' by Daughter, a song which I do not own either.

AN: Hi there. I feel like it has been ages since I've posted a story here, but I'm back and I bring you Ironfrost. This story is dedicated to Greenloki. I wrote this for her birthday, but I hope you guys will enjoy it, too!

Warnings entail angst, whump, sex, MPreg and delicate themes (such as the loss of a child, though no actual child will die, I repeat, no child will die!). No other characters will die either, except for a few random SHIELD-agents here and there. I will post specific warnings per chapter should you guys find that necessary.

I don't think much more needs to be said. Enjoy!

The Lover That Went Wrong

- Chapter One -

Shivers ran down his spine and Loki tossed his head back, pressing it into the pillows beneath him. A soft moan left his lips and he screwed his eyes shut tightly until he saw nothing but stars dancing before him. He tried not to lose his mind as he felt Tony's lips kiss their way down his stomach, tickling him. With every fiber of his body, he had to force himself not to break down in curses and faint sobs.

This was going too slow.

Damn Tony.

How long had they been at this now? Two hours? Three? Honestly, Loki hadn't known Tony possessed such stamina, but he loved it. Oh, he loved it! Tony's hand slipped underneath his thighs, pushing them up to his chest and forcing Loki to spread his legs as far as possible. Shivers ran down his spine again. Of course, Loki was merely indulging Tony in this play, this game of pleasure, because he was still stronger than the tiny mortal man – he would always be. He was allowing Tony this.

None of that changed the fact that what Tony was doing to him was absolutely mind-blowing, was leaving Loki as a shivering, moaning, pathetic mess. He had been with many men and women during his very long lifetime – and not all of them had been exactly mortal or human either – but he had to admit that Tony was very creative for his young age. Though he wasn't particularly young in a mortal's rates. None of that mattered.

Tony licked at the tip of Loki's cock, lapping at it, gently sucking, and Loki thrusted his hips upward, seeking more warmth and wetness and friction. Just more.

"Tony," He breathed, or was he moaning?

"Just relax, baby."

Oh, he was relaxed alright! When Tony wrapped his lips around Loki's girth, taking it all, taking everything Loki had to offer and pleasuring him in a way not many men had a gift for, Loki heard himself whimper. Pathetic really. Honestly, he didn't know why was reacting this way. He'd been in this position with so many already, but the fact that it was Tony who was sucking him off just made it entirely different.

Perhaps even intimate.

Loki banned that thought from his mind. He wasn't intimate with Tony. They fucked. Nothing more. It was all just lust and desire and-

Three fingers slipped into his already well-fucked hole and Loki had to bite down on his lower lip to prevent himself from moaning or whimpering again. He refused to be a wanton whore lying beneath the Man of Iron. He wouldn't lower himself to that.

He tasted his own blood.

Tony continued to suck, to nibble, to do whatever he could do with that glorious warm mouth of his. His fingers slipped in and out of Loki's hole, making his body shake with pleasure, making every muscle of his body tense because by the Gods, he couldn't take the waves of pleasure currently coursing through his veins.

And just when he was about ready to come, Tony stopped.

That bastard!

Lifting his head, glancing at Tony who was positioned in between his legs and just about ready to curse his very existence, Loki watched as Tony straightened his back and crawled up Loki's body.

Without warning, Tony's lips crashed against his own and Loki grumbled in surprise, letting his head fall back onto the pillows, but still Tony didn't stop. He kissed Loki, hot and hard and passionate.

He could feel Tony's hand snake between his legs and before Loki understood what would happen – truly, his mind wasn't cooperating right now – he felt Tony enter him, his cock thick and hot and burning him. He clenched his butt-cheeks together, wanting to feel more of whatever it was that he was feeling, and heard Tony moan above him, his dark brown eyes fluttering shut.

Loki reached upward and threw an arm around Tony's neck, pulling him close and kissing him. Tony began to move his hips, slamming them into Loki again and again, unrelenting, demanding, possessive, and Loki loved it, moaning and whimpering and pushing down against Tony, just wanting more of him. More, more, more.

He came with a strangled cry, spilling all over his stomach and chest, but still Tony didn't stop. He kept thrusting into him, fucking him through his orgasm when a few minutes later, the mortal came himself. Loki could feel Tony's slickness trail down his legs, could feel as he let his head fall to the crook of his neck, breathing hard and kissing him. A moment later, Tony collapsed on top of him and Loki didn't care one bit. He remained unmoving, desperately trying to get his breathing under control.

He succeeded after a while, but still he didn't move and Tony made no preparative to move either. They lay there, their limbs tangling together, remaining quiet, and there was nothing awkward about it either. They had done this dance a hundred times already and Loki was no longer afraid of it.

Neither was Tony.

-/-

"What are you doing?"

The question came somewhat unexpected and Loki found himself raising one eyebrow. Just one though. He shrugged and let his gaze return to the magazine in his hands. Honestly, why mortals found this kind of literature entertaining was beyond him, but he was starting to understand the strange lure this gossip held.

"I swear, Loki, if you-"

"Are you really going to threaten me, brother?" Loki asked without looking up. He threw his legs over the edge of the couch and turned a page of the magazine. The next article was about some new diet that celebrities apparently loved. How peculiar.

"Threatening you is pointless," Thor said. He leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded before his chest, his vivid blue eyes never leaving Loki's form. "I want to make a promise to you," He continued, "I will hunt you down if you harm him."

"Oh, don't act as if he's so innocent," Loki found himself saying and truly, he hadn't expected to hear such sharpness to his own voice. Perhaps the topic of conversation was getting to him somehow – or maybe it was the fact that he was having it with Thor. He would never know. "Stark will hunt me down himself if I harm him."

Thor said nothing in return, but he didn't move from his spot, his gaze remaining glued to Loki who was growing more and more uncomfortable. "Is there something else, brother?" Oh, how he loved to lace that little word with mock. Seeing Thor flinch each time he did made him smirk mischievously. Truly, Thor should know better by now. "I'd like to finish this magazine before Stark gets home. We have plans."

Still Thor did nothing.

Perhaps it was time to scare him away.

"You're welcome to join if you want." Ha, as if! Though a part of Loki suspected Tony wouldn't actually mind, that creep. "We've never done a threesome before, though I'm certain you could bring something new to-"

"Enough, Loki." Thor pushed himself away from the doorframe, his arms dropping to the sides of his body. He shook his head, disappointment painted in his clear blue eyes, but that was nothing new. It was no secret Thor would love nothing more than to take his brother back to Asgard, but all of his previous attempts had failed miserably. Either Loki escaped his clutches, only to get revenge a few days later, or he wreaked so much damage that Thor was forced to let him go before he destroyed half a city with his magic.

In any case, Loki wasn't going to return to Asgard soon – willingly or forced. No, he quite liked it here on Earth, here at Stark's mansion. Why remained a mystery, however, one that Loki wasn't quite ready to unravel just yet.

Tossing his brother a cold smile, Loki turned his attention back to his magazine, but still Thor did not leave. Honestly, was this a new form of torture? Frankly, Loki preferred the Chitauri's. He quickly shook that thought away. No one knew of his time with those monsters and no one would ever know either.

"Seriously, Thor, what?" Loki snapped. He threw the magazine aside – it landed on the floor with a dull thud – and glared up at his brother. If only looks could kill … Well, Thor wouldn't actually drop dead, but he would find himself in some serious pain.

"I will never be able to understand you," Thor noted. He walked forward and for a moment Loki considered vanishing into thin air right then and there, because like hell was he going to give Thor the chance to grab him or something, but then he witnessed his brother pick up the magazine and neatly place it back on top of a low coffee table near the floor lamp. "I've long given up trying to, but I like to believe that some things will never change about you. I like to believe that there is a part of you that I still know."

Loki hissed. "Is there a point?"

"You've changed," Thor replied, his blue eyes piercing Loki's green ones, "Or you are changing."

All of a sudden, Loki sprung up from the couch and growled. He faced Thor head-on. "Be careful with your words, brother," He said, "Or I might just cut off your tongue."

And then Thor smiled. He actually, genuinely smiled and Loki wanted to wipe it from his smug face, claw it off, but he couldn't. If he started an actual physical fight, there was no telling where he might end up. He made himself no illusions after all. He was no match for the Mighty Thor.

"I will see you around," Thor said as he took a step back, "Loki." And then he walked away.

Bastard.

-/-

By the time Tony returned from wherever the hell he'd gone off to, Loki was in a seriously pissed off mood. Thor's words kept echoing through his mind and truly he didn't know why they unnerved him so much. He should just ignore his idiot of a brother, ignore whatever stupidity came from his lips, but still Loki couldn't shake the feeling that on some level, Thor had spoken the truth.

Turning his head sideways, giving Tony a better angle to suck on that deliciously sensitive spot just underneath his ear, Loki sighed and closed his eyes. He should not think of his brother while Tony was kissing him like that, feeling him, palming him.

"Where is your head?" Tony asked suddenly. He pulled away from Loki's neck and gazed into his guarded green eyes. The mortal was frowning, feeling that something was going on that of which he had no clue, and Loki preferred if it stayed that way.

"Nowhere," He said. He kissed Tony, his tongue tracing the seam of his lips.

But Tony pulled away a second time, a frown still in place. "No, you're hiding something from me."

That was it.

Loki shoved Tony away from him and moved to sit up on the bed, crossing his arms before his chest and glaring at everything that caught his eye. "If you think I'm going to share with you," He said roughly, "You're mistaken."

Tony rolled onto his back, staring up at Loki who stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. One arm cushioned his head while his other warm hand moved to the small of Loki's back, rubbing soothing circles into his skin – and oh, why didn't Loki pull away? They weren't making out anymore and fucking was out of the question, not with Loki's mind so focused on Thor.

So why did he remain sitting on the mattress, his legs Indian-style and his arms crossed before his chest? Why did he continue to enjoy Tony's mindless ministrations? Because he was changing. Curse Thor!

"What did he do?" Tony asked after a long silence.

Curse Tony, too.

Since when could that man understand him so well? Since when did he need nothing more than silence to unearth Loki's troubles and frustrations? Dangerous. This was getting extremely dangerous, but still Loki did not pull away.

"Can we not discuss my brother?" He asked tightly.

Tony hummed.

More silence.

"So are we going to fuck or–?"

Loki angrily slapped Tony's hand away and growled at him. "You and your vile mind," He said, glaring at the smaller man, "Is that all you can think about? Fucking a god? Is that the only reason you are attracted to me?"

"You know it's not," Came Tony's much too sincere reply.

Huffing angrily, Loki stared straight ahead again.

"I've asked you out a dozen times already," Tony continued and oh, he had the nerve to put his hand to the small of Loki's back again, caressing him, again. If Tony knew what was good for him, he should pull away that hand if he wanted to keep it! "But you keep declining my offers."

Loki said nothing to that. For a while he had considered accepting Tony's offers, if only to piss off Thor, but it seemed that since the very beginning, he had known to be careful. None of it had made a difference it appeared, and that grated him.

His mind drifted to the sensations running through his body at the mere feel of Tony's fingers brushing against his skin.

"Have I changed?" He asked abruptly. The tension of his muscles slipped away and he let out a breath he didn't know to have been holding.

Glancing at Tony, he found the mortal narrowing his eyes. It seemed he was expecting some sort of trap, thinking that whatever answer he gave, it would be a wrong one. Tony was entirely right.

"Maybe," The billionaire replied diplomatically and screw him for avoiding the truth. Or perhaps that was the truth, plain and simple.

Without another word, Loki climbed out of bed and began to dress.

"Don't leave," Tony said, whining a bit, propping himself up onto his elbows. For a moment, Loki considered giving in, but then Tony had to be an idiot and say, "So what if you've changed? Is that bad?"

"Yes," Loki shrieked. He actually shrieked. What the hell was going on with him? "I don't want to change, certainly not because of you!" He watched in surprise as Tony turned hurt because of his words. He shouldn't care, but he did. It was too late to take those words back, though.

But Tony wouldn't be Tony if he didn't surprise Loki in that moment. "Go out with me," He said, his chocolate brown eyes piercing Loki's fierce green ones. Loki truly didn't know how to deal with such stubbornness. He'd never had a clue to handle Thor's stubbornness either. It annoyed him beyond reason.

Staring at the mortal, Loki was unable to come up with a proper response to that. Dangerous, echoed through his mind, again and again. His stomach churned and it became harder and harder to breathe. Why? He had no idea.

"No," He said, and with that, he vanished into thin air.

-/-

Humming a nameless tune, Thor made his way through Stark's mansion in search of food. He'd been sparring with the Captain the entire afternoon and it was time to strengthen himself again – not that he particularly needed it. He could last days without food, but that didn't mean he wanted to torture himself. Besides, the Captain was quite fierce. He lasted longer than a mere mortal would which was impressive.

Making his way to Stark's kitchen, Thor passed the living room, still humming, and already contemplating on what exactly he would eat, when his crystal blue eyes fell on a dark figure seated on the couch. For a split second, he paid it no heed, but then he stopped dead in his tracks. There was no question about it that it was Loki who sat in the darkness of this late winter-afternoon, but there was something … off about him. Loki loved to play the villain-archetype, but not even he would lower himself to sitting in dark corners, cackling – not that he was cackling.

Slowly, carefully, Thor turned towards his brother, his blue gaze sharpening. For the last few months, he'd gotten so used to Loki's presence within these walls and eventually, he'd grown pleased about it. He'd always looked forward to seeing his younger brother, if only from a distance, because each time he saw him it was proof that he still lived, that he was okay – whatever okay entailed.

But then Loki had disappeared and Thor wasn't a fool. He knew it had something to do with his words that day – and possibly with something that Tony had done. The fact remained that he had told Loki that he was changing and then just a few hours later the god of mischief had vanished.

Now, twelve long weeks later, the raven haired prince had reappeared.

"Loki?" Thor dared to ask. He heard a heavy breath coming from where Loki sat and truly, Thor wished he had a better view of his brother, because something was wrong, he could feel it. Taking a step forward, Thor intended to switch on the light, but as he reached for the floor lamp, a sudden cloud of fire – actual hot, burning fire – passed him by.

Thor shrieked and stumbled back.

"Keep walking if you know what's good for you."

For all the centuries that he'd known Loki, he'd never heard his voice so … twisted. It was wrong – too deep, too menacing, too hurt – and it made him hesitate, made him contemplate on switching on the light anyway, when suddenly, there was another wisp of fire coming at him.

"What has happened?" He asked, not daring to ask what has Tony done? His fingers itched to summon Mjolnir, to defend his little brother against whatever Tony had done to him – or perhaps he should be more concerned with Tony's safety. After all, Thor had done nothing wrong, but he nearly got burned twice anyway. What did that spell for the Man or Iron?

"Walk away, Thor," Loki said softly, yet sharply, then, "Get out!"

But Thor didn't. He stared at his brother in shock, or at where his brother supposedly sat because honestly, the corner was very dark. "I will not–" He began, only to be startled as Loki suddenly jumped up and closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Long, cold fingers closed around his throat and Thor gasped for air. For a second, he wanted to grab Loki's shoulders and throw him aside in an instinctual act – he could, he had the physical strength – but he controlled himself, certainly when he saw him. Loki had always been a pale man, but this was different. His skin appeared ghostly white, almost translucent, and dark circles accentuated the brightness of his green eyes. He looked frenzied, feral, crazy. And he was shaking, seemingly struggling to stay standing.

What in the Nine Realms had happened to him?

"If you value your life, you will leave now."

Thor swallowed heavily when Loki's fingers disappeared from his throat. "And what about Stark's life?" He couldn't help but ask. Perhaps he shouldn't have, not after witnessing Loki's eyes darken with absolute fury.

"Leave him to me," he growled.

Shaking his head, knowing he was risking much right now, Thor said, "I won't let you kill him."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill him," Loki replied easily, though slightly out of breath. He moved back into the shadows, presumably taking a seat again. "Unless he decides to be an asshole, then I'll flay him alive."

This was bad, very bad, but Thor knew he had pushed Loki enough. After all, he did value his life and he didn't want to meet his end by burning to death. He distanced himself from Loki, but he knew he could not leave him entirely.

Moving toward the kitchen, Thor grabbed himself a glass of water and waited. And he waited a long time, but eventually he heard the familiar voice of one Tony Stark.

-/-

The billionaire was an oblivious, ignorant bastard.

How he managed to be a superhero, fighting villains and making it out alive was a big question mark for Loki. Truly, could he not sense Loki's presence? Thor was a foolish, idiotic imbecile, but even he had felt his brother as he'd made his way through the living room earlier, but Tony had entered without even glancing around, dropping off a bunch of papers onto the nearby table and carelessly tossing his jacket over a nearby chair, not having a care in the world it seemed.

But the darkness did seem to unnerve Tony somehow – perhaps he had better instincts than Loki gave him credit for. He stepped around the couch and switched on the floor lamp, his chocolate brown eyes suddenly falling on Loki and "Argh, what the hell!"

Loki said nothing, his eyes merely taking in Tony's startled form.

Tony let out a shuddering breath. "You nearly gave me a heart-attack." When Loki remained silent and unmoving, Tony frowned and took a step forward until- "What the hell happened to you?"

Without missing a beat, Loki said, "You did."

Silence.

Tony nervously licked his lips before speaking again, clearly confused and anxious. "Where have you been?" He asked, his voice surprisingly soft. It better stay that way because Loki was moments away from tearing the mortal apart, limb by limb. "For weeks I hear nothing of you, and then you reappear looking like … hell."

"Well, I have been to hell and back," Loki replied evenly, "Literally."

"O-kay," Tony said, confusion taking the upper hand. He took another step forward which Loki allowed. For now. "Care to give a more accurate and translucent explanation?"

Slowly, Loki stood and closed the distance between them, his fingers brushing the side of Tony's face, nails scraping down the skin, scratching him. Tony hissed softly, but he didn't pull away – which was remarkable, Loki thought as he ran a thumb over Tony's lower lips.

"I've been looking for answers," He confessed, his voice sharp and dangerous. He might be caressing Tony, but there was nothing sweet about the way his fingertips touched Tony's face. In fact, it all had a dangerous tinge to it. A warning.

"Answers?" Tony asked. His fingers curled around Loki's wrist, though he didn't push it down. He just held it. "To what question?"

"To the question of how the fuck you got me pregnant," Loki snarled.

All color left Tony's face, his brown eyes widening with shock and disbelief and this was exactly what Loki had been anticipating. He pulled his wrist out of Tony's grasp and violently shoved the mortal back, nearly making him fall down. Tony never looked away from Loki, however, his wide brown eyes seemingly glued to him.

And then his gaze lowered to Loki's stomach and oh, just fucking great!

Electricity sparked from Loki's fingertips before a thread of fire shot away from him, forcing Tony to roll aside, searching for cover.

"Fantastic, Stark," He shouted – screamed, "Just fantastic!"

He watched as Tony peeked from over the edge of the couch, his eyes still holding nothing but disbelief. Loki shot more fire at him, watching the couch go up in flames and hearing Tony yell out in half concealed terror. Smoke filled the room, but with one flick of his wrist, the flames and smoke disappeared.

He shouldn't have done that.

Stumbling back, Loki clutched at his stomach, whimpering. Tears invaded his eyes and he couldn't breathe. Fuck, he couldn't breathe! Grabbing onto the edge of a high coffee table, Loki closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down, forced himself to ignore the pain tearing his body apart.

"… Loki?"

Tony had no right to sound so utterly terrified.

That was Loki's right.

"Stay away from me," He hissed. His legs were unable to hold up his weight and he fell down, somehow managing to land onto the couch. His hand was still clutching his stomach, but at least the pain was dissipating and it became easier for him to breathe.

So no more magic then.

"Loki, I really don't understand," Tony said, his voice soft and close to breaking. It was the first time Loki saw Tony so … fragile, sensitive even. He couldn't wrap his head around it and, frankly, he didn't want to either. He had bigger problems to deal with than try and comprehend whatever the hell Tony Stark was experiencing right now.

And he was tired, so very tired! He couldn't remember the last time he'd had some proper sleep or a proper meal. "I travelled the Realms looking for an answer," He explained softly. He still wanted to scream, still wanted to tear Tony's head off for this, but he lacked the energy. "Turns out the answer was quite simple."

Carefully, Tony stepped closer until eventually he kneeled down in front of Loki, hesitantly taking his trembling hands into his own. Loki wanted to swat them away, but he even lacked the energy to do that. How pathetic. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and tried to think – just think, but it was impossible. His body felt like fire was raging through it, consuming him.

When Tony's hand came to rest against the side of his face, Loki's eyes snapped open.

"You're so warm," Tony said.

"It's the child," Loki whispered. He would have spoken, but he didn't have enough breath. "I'm Jotun, Tony. Turns out there is no issue with being male and carrying a child. I wish I had known that sooner."

Tony said nothing, merely continued to soothingly brush Loki's cheek and Loki cursed himself for enjoying it. He wanted to push Tony away, wanted to continue to scream at him, continue to curse his very existence, but instead sleep was claiming him. Or was it darkness? Unconsciousness? Was there a difference?

"But I'm …" Loki licked his lips, his mouth so dry suddenly, "I'm an abomination," He continued, his eyes fluttering shut. He really shouldn't have used so much magic. "I'm not a true Jotun. I'm not a true … anything."

"Loki, what are you say–?"

But he didn't hear more.

Darkness claimed him and he welcomed it.

TBC ...