Work Text:
Loki
He paced the small kitchen irritably. The sight of the clean dishes lined up neatly at one end of the counter and the small plate of cookies and vase of greenery at the other end almost made him want to roll his eyes. Odin help him, he was getting domestic.
He was sorely tempted to throw the cookies in the trashcan and pretend it hadn't happened. He could pretend that he hadn't spent his afternoon baking cookies, washing dishes and humming old Asgardian lullabies.
He could even pretend that he hadn't gone to all the effort of making meatballs and potato puree. It was the one deviation he'd made from the recipe. The Prince of Asgard did not mash potatoes. It was undignified, but so was tidying the apartment and putting a nest together and he'd spent half his day doing that.
He stifled a groan and checked the oven clock again. Steve was late. He'd said he would be home more than three hours ago. Loki sighed and moved to the living room, retrieving his phone from the coffee table where he'd left it.
Nothing. There was nothing. No missed calls from Steve. No messages. Not even an email. He bit his lip anxiously. Things had been a little strained between them ever since he'd tried (and failed) to leave Steve. Finding the engagement ring on the same day he'd discovered he was pregnant had tipped him over the edge, not that he'd confessed that to Steve yet.
He set the phone back down and picked up the TV remote instead. He wasn't going to call Steve, he decided. He wasn't that needy. He already felt like he needed a shower after a day spent being all sappy and domestic. Hormones made him gross and soft, he thought, wrinkling his nose as he flicked through the channels. He paused on the news channel, frowning as he read the breaking news alerts flashing across the bottom of the screen.
"This just in!" exclaimed the newsreader, her expression one of exaggerated shock. "A bank robbery in Staten Island has taken an unexpected turn with two Avengers being taken hostage! We are unable to confirm which heroes have been taken at this time. Stay tuned for more updates in an hour."
"Idiot," Loki mumbled, tossing down the remote and glaring at the live footage playing behind the reporter's head. "Incompetent little insect. How hard is it? You just count them. Oaf with a hammer, angry green one, Romanoff, Steve's stabby friend, and Barton. That just leaves Stark and... Steve."
He didn't want to admit, even to himself, the fear that seemed to tighten everything inside him, constricting his lungs and making it hard to breathe. Steve. They had Steve. He swallowed hard, picking at the cuticles of a perfectly manicured fingernail with his thumb as he considered whether to take action.
"Must I do everything myself?" he muttered as he shut the TV off and got to his feet. "Incompetent, inept amateurs, downright unprofessional, mentally deficient, ham fisted, cack handed imbeciles."
The string of insults he uttered made him feel better, venomous and stronger, more like himself, not like the soft Omega who had stayed at home all day, keeping house. He growled as he stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. The men who had taken his Alpha were going to pay in blood for that particular crime.
Steve
He gave a frustrated sigh as he wrestled against his bonds. It was perfect, just perfect, he thought bitterly. He should have been home hours ago. Instead, his Omega was at home without him, probably overthinking and contemplating leaving the country with the right suitcase this time. He couldn't get to him because he and Tony had walked into a trap that had been specifically laid for them.
The so called robbers were in fact mercenaries with a very specific skill set who had set their eyes on a target: a piece of technology designed by Tony's father and locked in one of several dozen Stark vaults. Tony didn't know which one it was in and wouldn't tell the mercenaries if he did.
He wasn't exactly helping to defuse the situation either. Steve sighed as he looked at Tony's bruised eye. The Iron Man helmet lay on the floor, where it had been tossed after being unceremoniously ripped from Tony's face. The Omega was holding up well, considering that he had to be feeling a little frightened without having his usually efficient and deadly tech at his disposal.
"Can you reach your comm link?" Tony whispered, casting a wary look at the nearest mercenary, who had an assault rifle trained on them.
"It's busted," Steve whispered back. "What about your repulsors?"
He tried to move his lips as little as possible, not eager to attract unwanted attention from the men guarding them. Their leader had retreated to place a call, likely to ask his boss how far he was allowed to go when it came to extracting information from Tony.
For his friend's sake, Steve hoped the order came down to let them go before the other Avengers came busting in. He didn't doubt that Bruce was champing at the bit to smash his way in and extract them. Natasha would only be able to keep him out for so long and he knew it, as did the men holding them.
"The suit's offline. JARVIS too. I've got nothing," Tony muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it," Steve growled, trying to break free of his bindings.
"Sit still or I'll put a bullet right between your pretty eyes!" the nearest mercenary snapped, levelling a pistol at Steve's head.
Steve glared at what little of the man he could see through his ski mask. He opened his mouth to retort instinctively, figuring that it couldn't hurt to take some of the attention off Tony. A choking noise from the other side of the room distracted him as one mercenary fell and then another, slashes and stab wounds marking their bodies as Loki entered the room, twin blades in hand, throwing one right into the throat of the mercenary holding Steve at gunpoint. The man fell twitching and convulsing to the floor as Steve stared at his Omega in shock.
"Your Savior is here!" Loki proclaimed dramatically, rolling his eyes as he cut Steve free.
"What is he doing here?" Tony muttered, casting Loki a doubtful look as Steve helped free his friend.
"He is saving you from your own incompetence. You're welcome," Loki said sarcastically, hauling Steve to his feet and curling a possessive arm around his waist.
"You were worried," Steve declared, not commenting on the bodies Loki had dropped to rescue him.
Fury was going to be doing paperwork well into the night to explain away the use of lethal force by a non Avenger. Loki wasn't supposed to be involved in their operations at all. He was considered too great a risk. Steve guessed that Fury would concoct some story about the mercenaries turning on each other, backed up by Tony, who was a gifted storyteller when it came to the media.
"You were late. I don't like to be kept waiting," Loki reminded him with a dramatic sigh. "All that food will be spoiled by the time we get back. Good meatballs gone to waste. We may as well toss them into the street for the dogs."
"That's called littering," Tony pointed out as he struggled to his feet.
Steve looked at him with concern, but Tony waved him off. He seemed to be alright, rough treatment aside. Steve didn't doubt that the greatest injury was to Tony's ego. He would blame himself for this operation going sideways for weeks.
He gave him a small smile, then allowed Loki to march him out a side exit, right into a mob of reporters. Cameras flashed and questions came in a flood that made Steve dizzy as he tried to absorb it all at once. Loki hissed like an angry cat and tried to barge through the throng of news crews.
"Stand aside. Move, you insolent little beasts!" Loki growled, forcing his way through them and dragging Steve with him, who almost laughed at the expressions of offense on so many faces.
"The team needs to know that I'm alright," Steve murmured in Loki's ear as they escaped the flashing lights and cameras.
"Stark will tell them. Text Barnes when we get home if you must," Loki suggested, frowning when Steve opened his mouth to protest. "Don't argue with me, Steve. I am in no mood tonight."
Steve noted the stress in the Omega's face and nodded, deciding that he would skip the customary team dinner this time. Shawarma would have to wait for another day. The last thing either of them needed was an interrogation regarding Loki's involvement tonight.
"Fine. I'll text Bucky when we get home," Steve reluctantly agreed. "Are you alright?"
"I'm annoyed," Loki admitted, folding his arms across his chest.
"Yeah, I got that. Is there anything I can do?" Steve asked quietly as they passed under a street lamp.
The light made Loki's golden horns shimmer and Steve smiled to himself. His Omega looked good in all that leather, his emerald green cloak billowing majestically in the cool night air. His eyes were drawn automatically to Loki's midriff.
The Omega wasn't showing yet. His stomach was as flat and taut as ever. Steve couldn't wait to see Loki's sharp angles soften, to see him rounded and curved and beautiful, even more beautiful than he was now.
"You could find more worthy warriors to aid," Loki suggested with a little shake of his head.
"I'm kind of attached to them," Steve admitted with an apologetic shrug.
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes as he hailed a cab, the car slowing and pulling up to the curb. Steve opened the rear passenger door for him, smiling as Loki slid gracefully into the seat. He followed him inside, breathing his Omega's scent in, reassured by the knowledge that they'd be home soon. He was looking forward to putting the whole night behind them.
Steve wisely decided not to say a single word about the fact that Loki had not only cleaned the apartment, but also baked and converted their master bedroom into a nest crammed with more soft things than Steve had ever seen in his life. He only hoped that Loki hadn't overdone it.
Frankly, he didn't dare ask what Loki had done with the California King bed they usually shared. The only trace of it he'd been able to find was a handful of screws Loki had left on the dresser. He shook his head and sighed as he entered the nest.
Loki had been sitting in there practically from the minute they'd gotten home. At this point, he wasn't sure if the Omega was pouting or punishing him. Both, he suspected. Loki had piled so many blankets and pillows around himself that he was scarcely visible. Only the top of his dark head could be seen as Steve approached his hiding place.
"I'm not hungry," Loki mumbled as Steve cleared a space and set a plate down for him.
"I said I was sorry," Steve said quietly, sinking down onto a soft pillow.
"You also said you'd be careful," Loki reminded him, raising his head and glaring at him.
Steve bit back the retort he longed to utter. Fighting wouldn't help. Loki wanted a fight to help mask his own feelings about his Alpha being held at gunpoint. Steve knew that and he wouldn't give him that fight. Not tonight.
"It couldn't be helped," Steve insisted, sliding the plate a little closer to his Omega.
"I cooked for you. I never do that," Loki informed him, the words muffled by the thick pillow he was hiding behind.
"I know," Steve replied, regret pricking at his conscience.
He felt a little extra guilty at the knowledge that Loki had tried so hard to surprise him with a home cooked meal, only to have to come to his rescue instead. The other Avengers weren't happy with the way things had played out either. Steve suspected he would be hearing about it tomorrow. Tonight, he was Loki's.
"I was going to tell you something important," Loki admitted, looking torn.
"You still can," Steve declared, fully prepared to guess what that "something important" was.
"No. It was going to be the perfect moment. This isn't," Loki said flatly, playing with the tassel on the blanket wrapped around his shoulders.
Steve watched him, chewing at his lip and thinking of a certain ring, hidden in his wallet that would have made the moment perfect, but looking at Loki's sullen expression, he didn't dare retrieve it or even remind his Omega of its existence.
"I'll make it up to you," Steve promised, knowing which emotion Loki was really trying to hide from: fear. "I'll blow off the debriefing tomorrow and we'll spend the day together. I'll cook for you."
"Don't be ridiculous," Loki scoffed, looking incredulous. "You can't do that. Cook, I mean. You're utterly hopeless in the kitchen, Steve."
"So I'll order takeout and pretend I cooked," Steve countered, not offended in the slightest.
Loki gave a soft, albeit reluctant laugh, allowing Steve to shift some of the pillows aside and crawl into the fortress of softness he had crafted for himself. He moved to sit beside him, curling an arm around his shoulders and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.
"Well, if you feel like pretending to cook potato dumplings, that might be nice," Loki suggested with a small smile.
"I'll do my best," Steve promised, biting back a grin.
He shifted closer, nuzzling Loki's scent gland, his senses awash in sweet notes of lavender, cucumber and sage. There was a sweeter and deeper note in Loki's scent that Steve knew to be the pup's. He sighed, wondering how long it would be before Loki told him.
"Steve," Loki said hesitantly, almost as if he'd read his mind. "I'm going to tell you something and I need you to promise not to do anything rash."
"Okay, I won't," Steve agreed, pulling back to study Loki's expression.
The Omega looked pensive and anxious, but there was a definite sparkle in his green eyes. The distinct lack of distress in Loki's scent helped calm Steve, reassuring him with the knowledge that no matter what was on his mind, Loki wasn't so on edge about it that he was likely to disappear.
"I don't want a proposal tonight," Loki stated unequivocally.
"I know," Steve replied, remembering Loki's reaction to finding the ring a mere week ago.
"I'm... I mean to say we, of course. We... we're going to be parents, Steve," Loki announced nervously, pausing and frowning when Steve didn't immediately react to the news. "You knew. Why didn't you say something?"
...and watch you disappear from my life? Steve thought but didn't say. He struggled to formulate an appropriate response. Loki was staring at him like he'd been the one keeping the pregnancy a secret, which was hardly fair, Steve decided, shaking his head.
"I thought you needed time to decide what kind of life you want," Steve said carefully. "I know you don't want marriage right now, but I didn't know if that meant that you didn't want..."
"Pups or you?" Loki guessed, a little too accurately for Steve's liking.
"Either. Both," Steve admitted, sighing to himself.
He rubbed his eyes wearily, more than half tempted to call it a day, curl up in the nest with Loki, and table this discussion for another day, but he knew from the look on Loki's face that it wasn't going to happen. His Omega was set on talking about things, and once Loki's mind was made up, it was very difficult to change it.
"I do want you and this... this I have my doubts about," Loki confessed, touching his stomach and frowning. "...but I'm not my parents, Steve. If we decide to do this, to raise a pup together, swear to me that you'll never lie to them, especially not about their heritage. You have no idea what it feels like to have your own people and culture villainized by your adoptive parents."
"I promise, Loki," Steve said solemnly, grimacing at the hurt flickering in the Omega's eyes. "We'll teach him or her about this world, about Asgard, Jotunheim, all the Nine Realms if you want."
"What do you want, Steve?" Loki asked quietly, his expression anxious.
You, Steve thought, the ring hidden in his wallet weighing on his mind. He wanted to give it to Loki more than anything, to put his ring on his finger and his mark on his neck, to know without a doubt that what they had was forever, but he couldn't tell him that, at least, not yet.
"At the moment, I'd settle for you eating your dinner," Steve said lightly, gesturing to the plate he'd set down earlier.
"...and after that?" Loki muttered doubtfully.
"One thing at a time," Steve murmured, tugging the Omega into his arms.
He pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to Loki's lips, not lingering the way he usually did. Evidently, that wasn't something Loki could accept, because he curled both arms around Steve's neck, demanding more. More was something Steve could happily give.
He curled around him, melting into the sweet, addictive heat of Loki's mouth, wrapping his Omega in his arms and his scent, blanketing him in his love and protection. Loki was his, the Omega just didn't know it yet.