The Boy Born From the Sea

File: Trouble

When Loki was growing up on Asgard, he was always in his brother's shadow. His father, King Odin, always pushed Loki harder, kept trying to make him a warrior instead of a mage. There were times that the god of mischief felt that his father may have hated him. When his heritage as a Jotun was revealed, he was almost positive that was the case. There wasn't any doubt left in him, he was just a spoil of war Odin had found in Jotunheim. It explained why he never felt love from his father, not like he felt from his mother Queen Frigga.

Loki remembered the time where he cried and screamed as his children were taken away from him. He remembered how, each and every time he tried to at least free Sleipnir, Odin would lock him away in the dungeons and demand that he see sense. He made it seem like it was only natural for Loki's children to be treated like monsters, like they weren't beings that had feelings and were just coming into the world for the first time.

Now, though, thanks to a mortal, he was reunited with his children. It was millennia since he saw them, the time seeming to run oh so slowly as he ached to see the faces he longed to watch grow up. In just a few minutes he would be able to get to know his children, get to finally know how they faired in the years upon years they were apart. He knew their time was not good, he was so painfully aware of it, but he hoped they still considered him their father, still considered him family.

Hela sat to his right and was fiddling with one of his father's electronic devices, her mouth set in a pleased yet focused smile as she played a game that involved a red and white ball and some strange-looking creatures. She continuously flicked her finger across the screen, something that seemed to bring her joy.

"Loki."

Said god looked up to see Tony standing by the elevator, Sleipnir hiding behind his legs. He gave a hesitant smile towards his child, knowing that he couldn't just walk up to his own child now. "Hello, Sleipnir."

Tony gently grabbed Sleipnir's hand, "It's okay, sweetheart. That's your father and he's missed you so much."

"My-My dad?" Sleipnir squeezed the genius' hand, moving a bit closer. He jumped slightly when he felt something nudge his hand but smiled widely when he saw Fenrir. "Fenny!"

'Hello, Sleipnir,' The wolf greeted, nuzzling his head on the child's hand again. 'It has been so long. Do not be afraid, these are our allies. Loki is our father. We have been separated for many years.'

"I don't know him," The young boy said quietly as he ran a hand through his brother's fur. Usually, Fenrir didn't like when he did it but he allowed it during moments like these, moments when Sleipnir was scared and confused.

Fenrir huffed, almost like a small laugh, 'Then we will just have to get to know him again. Go ahead and introduce yourself. Be brave, Sleipnir. We are free.'

Sleipnir's eyes widened and he mouthed the word. Free.

Loki blinked in surprise when his young silver-haired child walked up to him, his small body shaking but a smile on his face nonetheless.

"M-My name's Sl-Sleipnir," He fiddled with a strand of his long hair that the nice inventor helped put in a less-messy braid. "P-Pleased to meet y-you."

The god of mischief gave a dazzling smile, an action that caused something in Sleipnir to calm. No one with a smile that pretty could be bad. "Pleased to meet you once more, Sleipnir. I am Loki."

"Hey," Bucky walked over to Tony, who was standing next to Bruce by the elevators. "JARVIS just texted me?" He held up his phone- from Stark Industries, of course. "He said that Steve needed to see us urgently upstairs."

Tony's eyebrows furrowed together in surprise and confusion but he nodded slowly, "Alright... Let's not keep the captain waiting."

—

Bucky wasn't sure what to expect when the elevator stopped on Steve's floor. He certainly wasn't expecting to see Peter, Hela, Natasha, and Percy standing around looking various degrees of pissed off while Steve looked uncomfortable.

"Are we in trouble?" Tony joked, clearly feeling the tension in the air.

"Not you two," Peter practically growled, catching the two men off guard.

Percy stepped forward, his face scarily blank as he crossed his arms, "Steve is."

Bucky tensed when he saw the demigod. He knew, just by his stance, that whatever they were about to talk about was serious. It was extremely hard to piss Percy off but, somehow, Steve managed it easily. "What did he do?"

Steve flinched when Percy suddenly grabbed his shoulder, tugging him harshly forward. "Talk," The demigod said, voice ice cold. "Now."

"You all... Might want to sit down," The blonde fiddled with his hands, his shoulders hunched forward like he was trying to make himself smaller.

—

Bucky felt like he couldn't breathe. It felt like he was on a roller coaster and he finally came to the drop but the ride wasn't slowing down. He was perpetually falling and it felt like there was no stopping any time soon. No one said a word after Steve was finished speaking, the tension thick in the air as everyone waited for a response someone.

Finally, Tony moved, his watched forming into a gauntlet. Surprisingly, however, he didn't point the weapon at Bucky but at Steve instead.

"Tony," Natasha took a half-step forward, her hands raised like she was talking to a cornered animal. "Let's not do anything we'll regret later."

Intense brown eyes snapped over to her, the genius' face showing nothing but anger and contempt. "He knew... He knew for months. I don't think I'll regret anything today, Romanov."

"Then shoot me, too," She stared at him, taking in the small bit of surprise present on his features. "I knew about your parents just like Steve did."

Tony gritted his teeth, "But you didn't promise to tell me and didn't. He knew about my parents. He knew about my mom. He knew- He didn't even tell Bucky."

Said soldier jerked in surprise, blinking at the genius. He thought Tony would hate him, thought he'd want him to leave, but the inventor sounded anguished for him. "I wish you didn't hide this from me," Bucky said quietly, looking down at his hands. "This... This was something you shouldn't have kept from me."

"I-" Steve flinched again, his lip wobbling slightly. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care," Tony snapped, turned away. His shoulders were shaking and heartache was slowly etching on his face. "Percy, James... Let's go."

Though there still was the chance that Tony would hate him, Bucky did not want to stay in the same room as Steve, not after what he did. A bit of his anxiety was eased, however, when Percy laced his arm around his. The demigod's face had lost most of his anger, leaving only the soft traces of sadness.

Percy reached out a hand towards Tony, lacing their pinkies together in a tight grip. Lifting their hands, he kissed the back of Tony's before dropping them back down. He knew, if he did any more than that, the billionaire would break apart into tiny pieces.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

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Words: 1,238

Song: Way Down We Go - Kaleo