Sat in the living room, his feet thrown up on the sofa, Tony stops flicking idly through the TV channels, taking a moment to reflect on the past year. It still surprises him to see the kitten he had rescued all that time ago running around, jumping on his furniture. For well over a year now, Mischief has been the most prominent member of the Stark-Laufeyson household. And what he finds even more surprising is that the kitten is still alive and completely healthy. Well of course he was, Loki was just as protective as ever, that never changed. Tony is almost convinced that his partner loves the cat more than he does the genius himself, and that he had to adjust too. Everyoneloves Tony and he doesn't like to share his spotlight, and definitely does not like to share Loki for that matter, not with anyone, even a four-legged house pet.

He was not jealous. Not at all. No. Okay, well maybe he was. It turns out that everyone now loved Mischief more than they did Tony. After they had got over the shock of finding the cat inhabiting the tower, it didn't take long for his charms to take effect. Even Natasha, woman of absolute stone and master of hiding emotions, had succumbed to his cuteness. The one time Tony had accidentally pushed things too far, they found out that even Hulk had a fondness for cats. Loki had been less than impressed that Tony had put his baby in danger… and no, Tony wasn't his baby in this instance, the cat was. Then there was Clint and Steve, who, of course, had fallen in love with the kitten instantly; anything small, fluffy and remotely helpless has them weak at the knees like the bloody pre-teen girls they are.

Upon reaching the room, Loki watches as Tony scowls at the cat pouncing between the sofas. He walks further into the room, until he reaches his lover. Without giving any warning, Loki climbs over the back of the sofa to sit on top of Tony, straddling his stomach. He grunts in shock at the added weight on him, but his attention now focuses on his immortal partner. "Tony, would you pleasestop glaring at Mischief like he is the devil's spawn?"

The genius diverts his eyes away from the God, still feeling unsure of himself. Loki sees the insecurity on his lover's face, deep in his eyes, and it worries him. "I know what you are thinking, and we have been through this on more than one occasion, Anthony. I do not love the feline, more than I love you. Stop thinking I do, you jealous fool."

"Sorry…" Tony mumbles, embarrassed.

"You need not apologise, just never forget how much I truly love you." Unhooking himself from the body below him, Loki pats Tony's side until he shifts himself over to make room for the trickster's body. Once there is enough space, Loki slides himself down to lie beside his lover, cuddling tightly into his warm body. He kisses the clothed chest under him, the genius sighing contentedly, "I love you so much, Tony."

"I love you too," Tony whispers into Loki's hair.

The couple lay together in each other's arms, Tony holding on especially tight to Loki, still feeling slightly insecure of himself. The trickster ignores the strength of Tony's hold, he just wants to reassure his partner. He has come to understand that every so often Tony suffers from bouts of anxiety, almost depression, and he just wants to alleviate what he is feeling. Ever since being with Loki though, he hasn't suffered like he used too, not in a long time. He is no longer on a path to self-destruction with alcohol and outrageously reckless behaviour. Yet now he finds himself with new fears; he doesn't want to lose the being he has come to love, to depend on. But all in all, he has learnt that his new life has more benefits than it does disadvantages. At some point Mischief tries to jump onto Loki's body, but is waved away by his preferred owner. The feline instead curls himself into a ball on the adjacent sofa, sulking. Right now in time, Tony is the one who needs his attention, and Loki is more than willing to provide that comfort. The cat can wait.
As the warmth of the day gives way to the cool of night, the elevator door glides open, the gentle sound enough to wake the lightly sleeping bodies on the sofa. Neither makes an effort to sit up, both of their minds still regaining full consciousness. The unknown body keeps walking into the room, but they don't worry. If it happened to be a stranger or an intruder, Jarvis would have alerted them by now.

"Damn it, guys! You get cuter every time I drop by unexpectedly! I'll be vomiting rainbows next time," An overly cheery voice pierces through the air.

"Clint!" Tony whines and huffs, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm bored…" The archer pauses, and decides to go for the fully pathetic version of himself, so he knows they'll let him stay, "And Natasha is out of town on a mission."

Loki and Tony look to each other, understanding. The trickster is the first to move, but whispers in the mortal's ear before sitting up completely, "This is your forte, I shall retire for a few hours."

He pecks his lips quickly, before standing from the sofa. As Loki waltzes from the room, Mischief is quick to his paws, his head held high as he follows swiftly behind the God.

Clint can't help but stare as the two leave, shaking his head, wondering, "Does that cat ever stop following him?"

"No. Never, ever, ever!" The engineer sighs and drops back against the sofa, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm. Clint can't help but chuckle, as he lifts Tony's feet and takes a seat. "He's like his bloody shadow, Clint!"

"At least Loki's happy, and not causing utter mayhem anymore. Even when you two first got together, he was still constantly pissing Steve off, not to mention Fury as well." They both take the time to laugh at the thoughts of Loki's constant pranks. It took a while, but eventually he settled down. The infamous trickster now only pulls one immense prank a year, much to Fury's dismay. Since there are never any casualties, everyone else has learnt to deal with it, and most of the time can even laugh with him.

Clint begins to chuckle to himself, and Tony shoots him a questioning glance. "I was just thinking. Sometimes it feels like Loki actually gave birth to the cat, the way he treats it like royalty. It's like his kid or something."

With a nervous laugh, Tony takes a large gulp of his beer, sinking further into the sofa. What a scary thought that is indeed.

By the time it passes midnight, Iron Man and Hawkeye have only made it through a few beers. The alcohol sits warmly in their stomachs, not enough of it in their systems to really start entering their blood streams. How they managed to pass the time without getting plastered is beyond them… maybe they're getting too old for the partying lifestyle. Tony also has a sneaking suspicious that it's got more to do with their significant others, and how they are severely punished — withheld sex!— when they get drunk beyond reason. Loki and Natasha had teamed up to get their alcohol consumption under control, when Tony had turned up for a mission still drunk and Clint was suffering with a wild hangover. With one last beer in hand the two men sit talking as the clock rolls further into the early hours of the morning.
Climbing out of bed, Loki pulls his favourite dark green blanket around himself, and leaves the bedroom. He trudges down the stairs to find his lover, who is most definitely missing from his side and not holding him securely. The large blanket flows behind him, reminiscent of his cape from his formal Asgardian attire. As he reaches the living room, where he left his partner almost five hours ago, he adjusts his makeshift cloak on his shoulders, pulling it tight to keep him cosy warm. Traipsing over to the two men, he silently takes a seat beside Tony, and cuddles himself into the billionaire's side, drawing his legs up underneath him. Tony wraps his arm around Loki's shoulders pulling him close, kissing his head. He looks to the clock, Clint following suit, and they both realise how late it really is.

"I'm thinking that it is perhaps time to go to bed," Tony states, Loki humming in agreement into his neck. He turns to Clint, "You can just stay here if you want. Your room hasn't been touched since the last time we did this, apart from clean sheets."

As he stands, Clint stumbles sideways, using the sofa to steady himself. "It seems that is an offer, I can't refuse."

Tony grins, "Didn't think you would, you'd miss me!"

"Pretty sure it's Jarvis I'd miss the most," Clint torments.

"Thank you Agent Barton, it is nice to be appreciated." The familiar voice of the A.I chimes from overhead.

Tony scowls, offended, "Oh I appreciate you just fine, Jarvis, remember where your loyalty lies!"

"Will do, Sir." Tony's disembodied butler obediently replies, and he beams in triumph as he regains the loyalty he momentarily lost to Clint.

Quietly beside him, Loki lets out a tired sigh becoming slightly weary. "Okay, love, we'll go to bed now. Night, Clint."

Walking towards their room, Tony brings up the conversation that he and Hawk had had earlier that stuck in his mind, "Clint said the funniest thing earlier…"

"Hmm, what was that?" Loki asks, leaning against Tony as they enter their room.

"He said it was like you'd given birth to Mischief yourself the way he shadows you." With one leg knelt on the mattress, Loki freezes on his way onto the bed. It's not like he hadn't had that thought himself, he knew his paternal (even maternal) instincts had kicked in, and now he was even feeling slightly broody. Not that Tony knew that snippet of information.

"Yes, that is amusing." That's all he says, and Tony doesn't continue the conversation either. They both continue in their nightly routine, and eventually find themselves side by side, softly against the plush mattress. It's almost as if Mischief sensed the earlier tension from Tony, and instead of sleeping in his normal place at his owners feet, he struts his way to the luxurious cat bed they got on that very first shopping trip. He pads his paw against the soft material, before lying down, deciding that it is sufficient enough for his extreme feline standards.

Sat up in bed, with his lover at his side, Tony fiddles with the ends of Loki's hair. The sensation lulls the God into a near peaceful sleep, and he nestles himself into his mortal's side. Sleepily twisting his head towards the ceiling, to ensure his voice is no longer muffled by Tony's body, Loki speaks, "Mhm, Tony?"

Looking down at his lover, Tony replies, "Yes, Lo'?"

"Do you think—" Loki yawns widely, cuddling closer, "Do you think we could cope with a child?"

Tony's hand freezes in his lover's hair, which makes Loki look up properly at his lover. "A real child?"

"Uh, yes…" Maybe this wasn't the best conversation to have right now; Loki could have potentially brought it up at a later time.

The philanthropist had obviously found himself thinking about this before, but with Loki saying it, the idea really hits home. And that scares him. Yet the possibility excites him? "You mean you have a child. Like your body, with, how do I put it, my contribution?"

"You make it sound so romantic," Loki grumbles displeased.

The genius sighs, rubbing his eyes, "Well, you know what I mean…"

"Yes, Tony, I do. Since it is possible, of course I was considering us having a real, biological child together." Loki understands that with his shape shifting abilities and Jotun heritage, it is completely feasible for him to conceive the child in his own body with Tony. They let silence fall over them, both thinking incredibly hard about where their conversation has lead.

Tony's head perks up, tilting to the side, "Would the kid call you 'Mom'?"

"I have no qualms with that title." Loki smiles gently, "It would in fact be more than correct."

Tony takes a deep breath, the idea really not sounding that bad. With Loki, he could do it, he could be a dad. "Mr Silvertongue, are we really going to have a baby?"

A smile bursts onto Loki's face, as he nods his head; his eyes are glassy, with happy tears close to forming. He reaches up and grips his arms around Tony's neck, pulling him close in a tight embrace. When Tony sees how much the prospect of a child truly means to Loki, any doubts he had are instantly dismissed.

"Sirs, I apologise for the time, but Director Fury has called for a meeting at 0900 hours. I have also informed Agent Barton." The volume of Jarvis' voice is low with the intent of not startling the couple.

Tony throws his head against the pillow, groaning. Snuggling close to the other, Loki pulls the covers around their bodies and settles in for the night, knowing now that they have an incredibly early start. They both fall into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of the family they will one day have.

Notes

Sorry, sorry, sorry!
I'll be uploading the rest of this story and then the first sequel as an apology for not updating in a billion years...

p.s. I hope everyone has seen Thor 2, because it is bloody awesome!