cosmiclvex

[cosmiclvex]

Loki let his husband lead him to their bed without protest, but he was pulling a face a second later. "Wait, the what? Don't those things carry rabies? No." He gave Edward a look as he laid down, curling up against his side. "See, this is why she shouldn't have spent so much time in Texas. She's started to bring in weirder shit now." Loki rested his head against Edward, closing his eyes at his touch. He fell silent at his question, thinking about it for a moment. "I don't know. I think I thought something would stand out at me more than it has." Loki slid his hand over the one Edward had on his stomach and looked at him, snorting at what he asked next. "Darling, no. They wont have ten names. They'll have titles. And theirs won't be nearly as complicated as Eisa's will be." But he didn't want to think of their first born's standing in any line of succession. She and the twins weren't going to be treated differently like he and his brother had, so it wouldn't matter. He traced his finger over the top of his husband's wedding and shrugged, "Doesn't your family have a thing for naming the boys after another male in the family? We could always do that. Name him after you." Loki smirked and leaned up to kiss him. He hummed as he pulled back, "As for her, Eisa's middle name is already Freya for my mother and hell would have to freeze over fifty times before I let anything related to Odin touch them."

Edward let out a laugh at his husband's words, because their situation was weird as hell. And yet, he wouldn't have changed it for anything. "We always said we wanted more than two kids. At least now we get two for the price of you being a hormonal wreck only once," he hummed and leaned up to press a quick kiss to Loki's lips before getting up. "Come on, you need to rest, mi hey," Edward said as he led him towards their bed, wrapping his arm around Loki, keeping him close. "She'll get to name that possum she's been eyeing for a week, she will be fine," he chuckled, moving his other hand to gently stroke Loki's stomach. "Do you already have any ideas for names?" he asked before his face expression turned into somewhat a wince. "God, their baby royal asses are going to have ten names, aren't they? I hate way too many people, so our name poll is already vastly limited."

[cosmiclvex]

"Oh. Well, ain't that cute." Sam smirked and caught Bucky's metal arm as he walked past him, maneuvering it in a way that he knew would earn him a look, bitch ass remark, and/or a physical hit. He nodded to the 'I love you' written in glittery pink ink messily along the side. "So, who am I jealous of?" // @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

" —lo sé, mami," Rafael had no idea what he was even agreeing with at this point, only that his mother hadn't shut up since her plane landed. He smiled at her and walked into the kitchen, leaving her with the girls. Rafael gave his girlfriend a look the second he was out of her sight. "Question. If she's here to visit Ed and Loki, why the hell is she over here bitching at me?" He went to pour himself a drink. "My oldest brother—don't even get me started on that situation." Raf turned back to Klara, "And the other one is married to his pregnant husband who went psycho and tried to kill everyone, yet I'm the one who's going to hell because I'm divorced with two kids and living in sin." // @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

“Save the lecture. My husband already gave me one," he started, before Klara could speak. He hadn’t seen her since he’d fainted in Asgard, but he could already tell she was about to add one of her own. “As did my mother.” The fact that he hadn't turned back into his Asgardian form was evidence enough that he was taking the lectures seriously. Even though he was at home, he really only dropped it with Edward. "And that's not because the color scheme is pissing me off again," Loki continued, nodding to the nursery furniture still in the hallway. "I'm not redoing anything this time. That's what we have to move in." He let that sink in before letting out a breath, "We had to buy two of everything." Loki gave her a sarcastic smile. "Glad we went with gender neutral decor." // @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

"Nothing surprises me anymore," Rafael leaned back in his chair, looking over at his older brother. He'd been dramatically desensitized to the weirdest things he could have imagined before taking this position. And especially over the past year and a half, going back and forth across realms to Asgard. "I never thought when we were chasing his psychotic ass that you'd be the one to make him settle down." Rafael smirked, before saying, genuinely, "I'm happy for you, though. You're a really good dad. You both are, I hate to admit." Rafael reached into his desk. "On that note," he continued, pulling out some paperwork. "Klara wants to adopt Ella. I need to make sure my ex doesn't try anything and be ready if she does."

"Well then," Edward only said, not surprised that there was an incident. In their line of work these things were as common as dirt. He was sipping on his coffee, scrunching his nose up when Rafael asked him how we felt about having twins. "Well, my over a thousand-year-old alien husband is pregnant with twins. So naturally I almost passed out when he told me. I still feel like it's a fever dream but we're happy. Eisa is happy too that she's getting an additional minion," Edward sat down in the chair across his brother's desk and looked at Rafael with a smirk. "Mami is going to be overjoyed so you can thank me for keeping her attention away from your unmarried ass. Well, at least temporarily."

[cosmiclvex]

"You know, I can see it. Thor Odinson: God of Thunder and Runways." Tony smirked and leaned forward, his tone softening a bit. “But yeah, people will always talk, always compare you, but in the end? You’re the one who’s gotta look in the mirror. Might as well like the guy staring back.” Tony swirled the amber liquid in his glass, his gaze lingering on the liquid before looking back to him. “Thank you, though. It doesn’t always feel like I am, but it does feel good that my son doesn't look at me the same way I looked at my dad." He gave Thor a genuine smile. “Back to the modeling thing. What would you want to do if you weren’t out saving realms or battling aliens and dragons and shit?"

He leaned back, letting the conversation settle in, then chuckled at Tony’s analogy. “Well, if I end up cracking like Loki, I suppose that’s just... another chapter in the family saga, isn't it? But you're right, I don’t want to be Odin, and I sure as hell don't want to be compared to him all the time. I think... I think I’m beginning to understand that it's more important to just be Thor. Not the son, not the king, just me. And, you know,” he added with a smirk, “if that doesn’t work out, I’ll just start a side hustle as a professional model. With these good looks, I’d make a killing.” He winked before turning serious again. “But seriously, Tony, I get what you mean about Johnny. It’s not easy being under someone’s shadow, and I’m sure you’ve got a lot of pressure to make sure he doesn’t feel that. I think, in the end, we all just have to keep moving forward, even if we’re not sure exactly how.” He paused, his expression softening. “And, for the record... I think you’ve done pretty well in your own way, too.”

[cosmiclvex]

Loki watched Thor with a quiet intensity, his sharp gaze softening at the vulnerability his brother rarely allowed to show. “Well, that’s a start,” he said, his tone still laced with amusement. “Though I must admit, I was hoping for a bit more poetry in the stars." He smirked, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He straightened from where he leaned against the wall, stepping closer but keeping his movements unhurried, careful. “Listen, I won’t pretend to have all the answers—gods know I’ve made a mess of my own choices—but I do know this: you can’t keep punishing yourself for what’s already done. Especially when it's not your fault. Carry it if you must, but don’t let it anchor you to the past. You deserve more than that, Thor. You’ve spent so long taking care of me and everyone else that you’ve forgotten how to take care to yourself. I know Jane wouldn't want you to do this to yourself either." He walked over to one of the windows and looked out. Loki spotted their mother, smiling softly when he saw Eisa trailing after her with an armful of flowers he was certain she'd been told not to pick. “Because I swear, if you don’t stop, I’ll have no choice but to subject you to even more of those tea parties. And this time, you’ll wear the dress.” Loki smirked, though his gaze was still focused towards the gardens. “Speaking of,” he began casually, “we’ve been discussing names." Loki paused deliberately, mentally bracing himself if Thor made this a bigger emotional deal than it needed to be. "I thought Thora Jane had a nice ring to it.”

Thor winced at Loki’s words, though he didn’t shy away from his brother’s gaze. There was truth in it, and it stung more than he cared to admit. He had always put others first, always worried about everyone else—Jane, Loki, the realms, even his own duties as a prince. But wanting something for himself... that had always been a foreign concept.

“I know,” he said quietly, his voice softening as he looked at Loki. “It’s just... hard to let myself want anything after everything with Jane. I don’t even know where to start with wanting something. It feels like I’ve been stuck for so long, and now... it’s all just a blur.” Thor’s hand ran through his hair again, his usual confidence faltering for a brief moment.

He turned away from Loki slightly, looking out toward the open hallway as though the answer might be waiting just beyond the walls. “I’ve been trying to figure out what comes next. What I want. But it’s... it’s like I’m still trapped in the past. And I don’t know how to move forward without dragging all of it with me.”

Thor finally glanced back at Loki, his expression open for once. “But I’ll try, Loki. I will. I don’t want to keep pushing everything away, even if it’s easier than facing the mess.” He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "Even if that means not brooding under the stars just yet."

[cosmiclvex]

Johnny blinked at her, pout on his face as he cradled the ice pack to his cheek. “First of all,” he started, "you tolerate looking at my face because it’s very tolerable. Like, top-tier tolerable. Admit it. Second,” Johnny continued, “the fireballs were mostly aimed in the right direction. It’s not my fault the bad guys keep, you know, moving and shit. Kinda ruins the whole aim thing.” He let out a dramatic sigh, one hand holding the ice pack while the other gestured broadly. “And third, if I did take a second to think, who would you have to give these inspiring, heartfelt lectures to?" He tilted his head to the side and smirked, before it faded to a gentler expression. "I get it, Nat. I promise. Both my dads already tore into me—well, Tony did. Because the other one would like, you know. Hulk out or whatever." He paused "But I’ll try. For you and for everyone else who apparently doesn’t want to be subjected to the tragedy of my bruised face every other day.” He picked up his phone and pouted into the camera again. "This is so tragic. I wonder if Wanda or Loki could poof it away or something."

She couldn’t help but snort at his dramatic flourish as he fumbled with his phone, though her eyes softened at the sight of him holding the ice to his face. Despite his usual bravado, she could tell he was still feeling the aftermath of the encounter. “Perfection? Please, you’re lucky I even tolerate looking at that face.” She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms again, but there was an unmistakable warmth in her tone.

As Johnny grimaced at his reflection, Natasha stepped forward, her expression turning more serious. She reached out to gently guide his hand with the phone away from his bruise, not wanting him to dwell on it. She studied his face for a moment, then gave a small, amused sigh. “If this is your idea of a 'glorious' death, I’ll pass on the front row seat, thanks. But hey, I’ll give you credit—you’re persistent if nothing else. Still, next time, how about we try keeping our skin intact and the fireballs aimed in the right direction?”

She leaned in closer, giving him a once-over and shaking her head. “You’re lucky you’ve got that ‘charm’ of yours to make up for your lack of common sense. But seriously, Johnny… just take a second to think next time, yeah? You don’t always need to be the one rushing in. You’ve got people who’d rather not have to put your sorry ass back together every other day."

[cosmiclvex]

“Don’t look at me like that," Johnny started as he ended their FaceTime call—right after the other man realized where he was. “I actually do have a legitimate reason to be here. My dad was supposed to give a speech at an expo, but he got caught up with Avengers stuff, so he sent me instead. You were on the way....kinda." He raised the little dog in his arms, who had been struggling against his hold since seeing Mateo. With a pout, Johnny added, "And it's been a whole week. She missed you." // @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

"But he's never let anyone know him the way you do, darling," she said with a soft smile. "You give him freedom, Edward. You’ve made him feel like he’s enough, just as he is. Never underestimate the power of that.” Frigga slipped her arm through his when he offered it. “I’ll speak to him,” she promised, before shaking her head, “But you know how stubborn he is, darling. And how hurt he is. I'm afraid Asgard won't feel like his home as long as Odin's here." She sighed, her hand tightening slightly on her son-in-law's arm as they walked. "I partially blame myself. I could have told Loki who he was earlier – and about Laufey. But I knew what Odin would do if I did. What he told me he would do." What he's done to his children before, she thought to herself, but she left that part out. "I didn't even trust him where Thor was concerned." Her gaze went back to where Loki was, still talking with the group of officials around him, looking every bit the future king he was. But Frigga caught the way he swayed back gently to lean against railing behind him and the way he took a deeper than usual breath before speaking. "For someone who prides himself in being so uncaring about anyone other than himself, self-preservation has never been his forte."

Edward sighed when the queen said it all stemmed from Odin's treatment of Loki. Of course, it did - every damn thing his husband thought was wrong with him, every time he called himself a monster and worse - it was all Odin's fault. This time was no different. "There's nobody that knows him the way you do. If there's anyone he will listen to, it will be you, Your Majesty," Edward spoke softly and let her loop her arm around his as they walked. He immediately shook his head in protest at Frigga's suggestion. "Yet again, better if you do it. He will have me beheaded in the throne room if I did it," Edward added with a grim chuckle. "I really just wish I could do more. I hate seeing him so miserable whenever we're here. It's supposed to be his home and it feels like prison."

[cosmiclvex]

Tony raised a hand and nodded, "A minute is all I need. I don't want to keep you from your flight." He studied Mateo, gaze sharp but not unkind. He took a sip of his drink, letting the silence linger a moment, before he set his glass down. His decisions are sometimes questionable," he mumbled. referencing the suicide mission Johnny just attempted. “Being 30 doesn’t erase what he’s been through or what we had to watch him go through." He pushed off the bar and took a step closer. “I get it. You say you care about him and I don't think you would still be here if you didn’t. But caring isn’t enough if those actions you talk about aren't behind the promises and that's what I'm worried about." Tony exhaled, his stance softening just slightly. “Look, I don’t want to stand in the way of something that makes him happy. I really don’t. He’s my son. I’m just trying to figure out how to be okay with this.”

Mateo mentally let out the biggest sigh of his life when he saw Tony redirecting the elevator to go up to the penthouse, yet outside he remained calm and collected. He only took his phone out to text his assistant to be on standby - to either rebook his flight or plan his funeral. He'd let her know later. He walked with the slightly older man towards the penthouse and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Right," he nodded and accepted the glass from Tony. "I'm afraid a minute is all I have, I don't want to miss my flight back home," he said, fixing his gaze on Tony. Mateo nodded when he finally got to the point, knowing that this conversation would come sooner or later. "I've had the pleasure of meeting him, yes. When he nearly ruined my brother's wedding," he added. There wasn't any snark in his voice, Mateo knew that Johny's parents were worried about him and he understood where they were coming from. "Both of my brothers had exes sent up from hell, I know how difficult it was to trust that they won't get hurt again. Don't think I didn't have this talk with Odinson and Klara," he set his glass down. "There's nothing I can say right now that will make you believe me, so could you just let my actions speak for myself? Listen, when this started neither of us thought it would go any further but it did and this is something we're trying to navigate and believe me, hurting him is the last thing on my mind," he paused and ran a hand through his hair. "And I get why it might make you uncomfortable, and I respect that. But Johnny is 30, he's more than capable of making his own decisions, you know that."

[cosmiclvex]

"Mm," he hummed in response, watching his husband process the information. Loki stepped in front of him when he took his hand. "Oh, I don't know, darling. Because this entire situation is weird," he began. "Even for your alien, not human husband." He reached up with his free hand and ran it through Edward's curls. "And because we're going from one child to three." Loki rested his hand at the back of his neck as he thought over his husband's question for a moment. "I think I am," Loki said, moving his hand and placing over his stomach. He wrinkled a nose, feeling the violent kicking beneath his palm. "I mean, it honestly makes me feel better because I was starting to think it really was a six-legged horse." He looked up to catch Edward's gaze and gave him a small smirk, but then nodded his head. "I am okay." And he was. Once he got Odin out of his head. But he didn't want to talk about his father right now. "We do need a name, though. Names," he corrected himself. "Eisa's mother named her, so that was easy for me. I wasn't here when she was born..." At that, he stopped to look at Edward, completely serious. "I don't care what look she gives you, but that child has no say in any names. We cannot be stuck with a Biscuit or Jellybean."

Edward smiled against Loki's kiss, relieved that he wasn't going to fight against anyone's advice to take it easy. "It's okay. I'm sure you were just as scared, mi rey," he spoke softly and helped him out of the tub. "She wanted me to do this. I said no because I know you'd chop my dick off if I tried," he explained with a snort. He watched as his husband dried himself off and put on the robe and he was just about to grab his hand and lead him towards their bed when Loki stopped him. "Huh?" Edward hummed in response to his words, not really comprehending what he said. "What do you mean bo-- oh," he stood there with his mouth open as he tried to find his words. One baby was a lot but twins? Well, that took the cake. "Um..." he moved back to sit on the edge of the tub as he felt his vision blur and his head felt suspiciously light. He knew he had to get it together but he needed a second to get his mind back on the right track. "Of course, it's okay. Why wouldn't it be?" Edward spoke softly as he grabbed Loki's hand to pull him closer. "I'm happy with that, just a bit surprised. We're going to need to redo the nursery. And finally come up with names," he continued. "Are you okay with that, my love?"

[cosmiclvex]

When Edward brought up being worried about the two of them, Loki paused. He had to tell him — and honestly, he was still pissed the healers kicked Edward out and left him to find out without him (though he’d already torn into them about that, loudly and thoroughly). “It’s going to take more than that to take me out. I’m pretty sure I’m owed at least three funerals by now.” Loki lifted his head with a smirk, before leaning in to kiss him again. “I’m sorry I scared you, kjære. We’ll leave soon, I promise. Mother doesn't want me traveling between realms right now, but once I get the all-clear, we’ll go home.” He gestured for Edward to move as he carefully got up. “I’m not changing back,” he added before his husband could say a word. True to his promise, Loki stayed as he was, magically drying off and reaching for his robe without returning to his Asgardian form. “I’m half frost giant and that was cold, even for me. That was also manipulative and entirely unnecessary of my mother,” he muttered, loosely tying the belt around his waist. As he did that, after days of hiding it, he realized how much the baby was really making itself known. Plural, he reminded himself with a scrunch of his nose. He swore he could see one of them move. “To further ease your mind, the baby is fine. Both of them.” Loki said it slowly and deliberately, watching to make sure Edward caught the full meaning. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about this whole situation, but telling Edward now felt worlds apart from the night he first found out. Stepping closer, he wrapped his arms around Edward’s waist. “Apparently, he’s been hiding behind his sister.” He met his gaze. "...is this okay?"

Seeing his husband collapse mid-sentence and then not being let into their room when the palace healers were working on him, were two of Edward's biggest nightmares in that moment. He paced the corridor the entire time, his head a jumbled mess, as he was going through every scenario, the worst ones especially. He was so up in his head that he barely noticed the doctor scurry away and the raised voices - Frigga's and Loki's, which definitely meant his husband was strong enough to argue and he was most likely going to be fine. His Asgardian was still not the greatest but he knew it enough to know what they were fighting about and decided not to intervene and just let them handle it. When the queen eventually left their bedroom, just giving him a look, Edward took a breath as he made his way to the bathroom where Loki was sitting in a bathtub filled with cold water and ice. "Loki," he breathed out when he saw him and, ignoring his remark, walked up to him and sat on the edge of the tub. "I thought I lost you," he spoke quietly as he tilted Loki's chin up and leaned down to kiss him. "Both of you," Edward added and ran his hand through his husband's curls before resting it against his stomach, feeling a sense of relief when he felt the baby move against his hand. "Let's go back home. Thor's a big boy, he can handle it here on his own. So can your mother."

[cosmiclvex]

He looked up when Edward walked inside, snorting at his comment. "No, as a matter of fact, he did not make it back to LA. He's probably somewhere around here if he hasn't left yet. Since your husband has been indefinitely benched and we were in Asgard, our brother's situation was partnered on an assignment with a new agent and had a whole thing happen." Rafael took the coffee Edward was handing him. "I'm trying to make myself feel better by reminding myself that technically my girlfriend is over a thousand years old." Technically. Rafael was about to bring up what he wanted to talk to him about — the custody situation with his ex-wife — but what Edward said next stopped him. "Oh. Ohhhh. Oh fuck." He leaned back in his seat and just looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"Soooo, do we know if El Fósil made it back to LA safely? I'm surprised there's not a him-shaped hole in the concrete next to Loki's," Edward asked with a chuckle as he walked into his brother's office. "It's not like we can talk," he added and handed him one of the coffees he was holding. He was still trying to wrap his head around the latest developments and he needed someone other than his husband to talk to. "Soooooo," he clicked his tongue and took a sip of the coffee. "I might need to take a longer leave after the babies come," Edward paused for a bit, letting Rafael catch on to what he was trying to say. "Actually, you might want to start looking for a replacement for me because Eisa is definitely going to murder us." @cosmiclvex

[cosmiclvex]

"You'll get hypothermia," Loki said as his husband walked into their bathroom — in English. Not the Asgardian he'd been using to argue with his mother for the past half hour. Still, there'd hadn't been much heat behind his words then and there wasn't any left in him now as Edward approached. Instead, he just wordlessly rested his head against him when he sat on the edge of the tub. Loki was silent for a moment, before saying, voice quieter, "I don't need you saying the exact same thing she told me." He sighed, "I know." // @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

Rafael wasn't sure if there was a time difference between Asgard and New York, but he was sure he felt jet lagged as hell. With a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, he stepped off the elevator scrolling through the dozens of emails he'd missed since before Christmas. He only glanced up when he saw his oldest brother outside his office. "I thought you were on your way back to LA," he commented, putting his phone back in his pocket. And then he stopped, raising that hand to stop him. "Nevermind, spare me." Rafael unlocked his door and walked inside. "All three of us need extensive therapy. He's also fine, before you ask." He set his cup down on his desk and moved around it to sit down. "He's usually paired with His Majesty -- don't question it, I didn't approve it. Sometimes they act like two halves of one braincell if we're lucky. But in his defense, the new guy he was sent out with is dumb as rocks."

// @hcvrtbrcvk

[cosmiclvex]

"Good morning, sweetheart," she replied warmly, having sensed his arrival moments before he announced himself. Frigga expected her son-in-law to seek her out. Her gaze drifted back to where her son stood, also unsurprised to find, as Edward spoke, that Loki was also the reason for his concern. She sighed, letting her hand fall from the flowers she’d been tending to, more out of habit than on purpose. "I know." She quietly cast a spell around them to silence their conversation to anyone else—just in case. “But Odin’s twisted his mind so much, I doubt he’ll even listen to me. I’ll try, though. This can’t be good for the baby either.” Frigga continued walking, nodding for Edward to follow her. “If it gets much worse, you could always coax him into an ice bath,” she suggested. “I used to do that when he little and not feeling well. It usually forced the glamor off, but that's when the spell was mine. I'm sure he does it different now. It might not work."

"I knew I'd find you here," Edward spoke softly, not wanting to startle and distract the queen. He walked through the garden to approach her and then glanced in the direction of his husband talking with some of the palace officials. He sighed because as much as Loki tried to hide it, he wasn't feeling well at all and it killed Ed seeing him like this. "This is going to kill him," he shook his head and looked back at his mother-in-law. "He won't change back even when we're alone and it's safe to do so, and he's getting weaker with any passing hour. I have no idea how to get through to him other than to drag him down the rainbow bridge and force Heimdall to get us back to New York. Though, I'm sure I won't need to convince him twice to let us go," Edward shook his head. "Any chance you could try to talk to him? I think you're the only one he might listen to." @cosmiclvex