Chapter Text
“Guess we're not in Kansas anymore!” Steve said as they stepped onto the rainbow bridge and looked towards the gleaming towers of Asgard.
Tony sighed wearily. “I'm going to let you get away with that because you haven't had 70 years of being exposed to that joke. He glanced over at Steve and noticed the slight pout. “But good call,” he added.
Thor was excited. “We will feast and drink all night!” he said, striding ahead of them.
Tony nudged Steve. “Hey, if Thor is the Cowardly Lion, what does that make me?” He looked down at himself. “Oh, stupid question.”
Steve smiled at this, much to Tony's delight. “We should probably not match anyone else up. They might get offended,” Steve said.
“Wise!” Tony agreed, vaguely wondering what Steve would look like in a pair of ruby slippers.
Everyone else had already crossed most of the bridge; the portal closed behind them.
“You joining us?” Tony asked Heimdal.
“I must guard the Bifrost,” Heimdal said gravely. “It is only recently repaired.”
“Come on, you must have fun sometimes!” Tony replied. “Can't you leave it for a while?”
“I wish to stay here,” Heimdal growled, avoiding looking at Tony.
Tony shrugged and followed Steve and Thor. When he was far enough away that he thought Heimdal might be out of hearing range he asked Thor, “What's eating him?”
“Heimdal might be out of sorts,” Thor said. “He and Loki have somewhat of a history.”
“Sheesh!” Tony said. “Is there anybody Loki hasn't been with?”
Thor said nothing, but looked a bit guilty; after a second he carried on walking, ahead of Tony.
Tony glanced at Steve. “Whatever you're thinking can't be true,” Steve said.
“That you know what I might be thinking is worrying!” Tony said, “But I think it's best if we don't dwell on it any more than we have to.”
The 'Thing' was already swinging by the time they arrived. Most of Asgard must have been there and, surprisingly, quite a lot of Jotunheim as well.
“There has been a truce!” Thor told them. “In celebration of the marriage of a son of both great realms.”
A lot of SHIELD was there too (including an uncomfortable-looking Nick Fury who was mixing but not looking happy about it). Natasha was talking to a tall, beautiful blue creature who could have been either male or female. Tony and Steve caught wind of the conversation as they approached.
“...you don't have to stand for it!” Natasha was saying.
“But I was given little choice,” the creature said.
Natasha tutted. She spotted Tony and Steve and called them closer. “Hey, guys, this is Gerd – the one who was forced to marry that Frey guy.”
“Charmed,” said Tony, kissing the hand the beautiful creature proferred.
“I told her she can come stay with us if she wants. She might take us up on it,” Natasha said.
“Won't that cause friction?” Tony asked. The last thing they wanted was another Asgardian mad at them.
“Frey apparently hasn't even noticed he's been married for the past couple of hundred years!” Natasha said.
Gerd looked sad. “'Tis true, he abandoned me as soon as he had won me. He spends most of his time in Midgard, some place they call San Francisco.”
“He runs some kind of cult if you can believe it!” Natasha said.
“Sure, why the hell not, may as well come and stay – everyone else seems to have!” Tony said, only a little exasperated. He was starting to enjoy all the company.
Loki and Bruce were sat in the middle of a long table, and looked to be feeding each other various fruits and other assorted morsels. The both of them were draped in silky fabrics and gold. They didn't seem to be aware of anyone but each other.
It seemed best to leave them to it and mingle with the rest of the guests.
“Father, these are my Shield brothers Tony Stark and Steve Rogers,” Thor said behind them. Steve and Tony turned. “This is my father, Odin.” Thor then wandered off.
“Yes,” Tony said. He could have guessed that for himself. “I have heard so much about you.”
Steve saluted Odin, which made Tony grin.
“And I you,” Odin said. “Thor has told us many tales of your bravery. And Loki too has composed drápa in your names.”
“Oh... good, I think,” Tony said.
“You have very talented sons,” Steve said, just to be polite.
“Yes!” Odin nodded.
There was an awkward silence which Tony eventually broke. “They seem very happy,” he said, glancing over to Loki and Bruce.
“Hope it lasts. He hasn't caused any major destruction for a while!” Steve said.
Tony wasn't sure if he was talking about Bruce or Loki, but it seemed to cover both eventualities.
“Both my sons are troublesome, I am very sorry for that!” Odin said. “If I had known how they would cause such havoc in Midgard I might have been more merciful to your people.”
“Oh, no, think nothing of it!” Tony said, magnanimously. He was feeling quite light-headed from the two or three glasses of mead he had had already. He could usually hold his liquor but this was strong stuff. It also did not help that the beer was serving itself to the guests. “Say, is Loki's real dad here?”
“Tony!” Steve said, warning Tony not to continue along these lines. Though Tony was oblivious.
Odin might have been expected to react badly to this but he didn't say anything at all for a moment. Eventually, “Laufey is not here, no,” he said sadly.
“No, I mean the other one – the one that knocked Laufey up!” Tony said, happily.
“Laufey was struck by lightning. That is how Loki was conceived,” Odin said calmly.
“Wow – that's like finding a baby under a cabbage patch or having a stork deliver it!” Tony was vaguely aware he had had too much mead, and he should probably have stopped talking about five minutes ago. “Hold up, isn't Thor the god of lightning?”
Thor, mead in one hand and the leg of some huge bird in the other, took that moment to wander back into the conversation. “Do I hear my name?” He said.
“No, no,” Odin said jovially, before shooting a look at Tony.
“No, no!” Tony agreed. Even through the haze of the mead he knew enough not to get involved in this families' weird-ass dynamics any more than he already had. “I propose a toast To Loki and Bruce!” He said by way of deflection.
This led to much drinking, even more eating and almost total oblivion for most of the more mortal guests.
Next morning Tony woke up in a huge bed, mercifully free of any trace of a hangover. Steve was curled up beside him.
“Did I say anything embarrassing last night?” He asked blearily.
The look on Steve's face said it all.
Meanwhile in a room nearby Clint and Natasha had somehow ended up sleeping in Gerd's room. Neither of them at all sure what had happened.
Loki and Bruce had both stayed sober, and had also stayed transformation-free for the last 48 hours ( to the relief of each). They had had a very energetic night after all the guests had dispersed and had certainly not slept much.
“You know what, I am more relaxed than I can remember being for years,” Bruce said. As he snuggled up against Loki.
Loki smiled.
Most of his problems had not been solved and neither had Bruce's, but at this moment, feeling this happy, it didn't seem to matter.
Love might not conquer all, but it felt pretty damned good.