Chapter Text
The last time Loki had been on Jotunheim, he had not truly had the chance to observe the Realm or the castle. He had not had the chance, what with his concern over his changed appearance, Toni's Midgardian constitution falling under the Jotun weather, her subsequent illness, and then being thrown in the dungeons when he had been looking for help.
After all that, he had being shocked by the news that he was, in truth, the eldest son of King of Jotunheim, and had been too focused on feeling lost and sorry for himself to appreciate the planet he had only read and heard of before.
It was different, observing it in this manner.
It felt different, walking upon the hallways of what would have been his ancestral home, had things not gone as they had. It felt most odd, pretending countless of hidden eyes weren't observing his every movement, the King of Jotunheim – his father – walking before him while Toni Stark was standing beside him, as they proceeded towards the room where he had agreed to share a meal and a conversation with Laufey.
Loki would not say it felt safer.
Now he knew the truth. He knew what Laufey was for him, and he could guess, from the way he acted and spoke, that the King would never allow for any harm to befall Loki.
At the same time, this was the place Loki had grown up fearing. The place Odin claimed to have slain enemies of the Realm; the place Thor promised he would travel to to do the same, someday; the place nursemaids had used to threaten them both with in youth.
Knowing that he was safe did not make it feel any less like Loki was courting danger, walking so brazenly within its walls.
It was uncomfortable, despite its beauty.
“So you people just use ice for everything,” said Toni, looking over at Laufey. “Is that a brand thing or is that your best material?”
Laufey, despite her disappearance act and everything she had done to help Loki – which directly hindered him, in some cases – seemed to not mind Toni’s impudence, questions and presences. Maybe it was simply because of that prophecy he banked on, but it seemed that he genuinely enjoyed her presence and words.
Loki could understand.
Toni Stark was plenty special.
Upon sensing her presence on Asgard that first day, he had been immediately intrigued by her. Part of him now wondered if his intrigue had stemmed from the bond they shared, but he hadn’t felt anything similar to want or affection, during or directly after their first meeting.
Simply, he had been intrigued.
She had been the first Midgardian on Asgard in millennia, which alone was cause of curiosity. But, on top of that, she had sneaked her way upon Asgard without Heimdall raising any alarm, and managed to evade and disarm the Einherjars chasing after her.
He had been less impressed when she had attempted to injure him after he had caught her, and only ended up injuring herself. He had thought then that her evading the Einherjar had simply been luck on her part.
Until, of course, she had tricked him and escaped from the healing rooms directly under his nose.
Had Eir not walked back into the room and noted her no longer being there, Loki did not know how far she would have managed to get.
Perhaps she would have gotten to the All-Father and All-Mother, and things would have turned out very differently.
Certainly Odin would have seen her mark and recognised it for what it was.
For what she was.
Soulmates.
He glanced at her, observing her and the careful way she was listen to Laufey explain... whatever it was that he was explaining.
He certainly would not have believed it to be the case in the beginning of their acquaintance.
Yes, he had found her more intriguing and interesting than the fools he was surrounded by on Asgard, but that was not hard to achieve. Anyone who was not Aesir was automatically interesting to Loki.
But he had never thought his feelings could grow past that so quickly. He had never imagined that they could end up as they had now.
“We are here,” said Laufey, trying to look at them both but mostly focusing on Loki as they walked inside of a much less crowded room. There were no eyes staring at him here, but he could not quite relax, still. “I shall go and see that your brothers and Angrboða join us. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Your brothers.
How was Loki ever meant to deal with that?
How was he meant to be comfortable with the fact that he apparently had siblings he knew nothing of? A Queen who would call herself his step-mother that he had never met?
Yet again he felt a flash of hatred towards fa- Odin, for causing all of this.
He could not imagine what living on Jotunheim would have been like. He did not know if the people of the Realm were different, or if his... half-siblings would have once more overshadowed him.
But had he been left where he was, none of this would have happened. Loki's life might have been different and more complicated, but this utter confusion, this loss he felt in his bones whenever he glanced at himself in the mirror, would not exist. At least, Loki would not have to experience this... crisis of self, as Toni insisted on calling it.
Well, she insisted on calling it many things, not many of them kind.
Loki preferred this term.
"Come on," she said, once Laufey had left the room. "The chairs have a trick on them, it's kind of cool. Also, why are you not blueberry?"
"It is not proper," said Loki, not very impressed or surprised as the chairs turned themselves smaller to allow Loki and Toni to sit upon them as soon as they were close enough. "To sit before our hosts have invited us to or done so themselves is against the most basic levels of etiquette."
He ignored the second part of her question.
"It's not proper to be a party pooper," snarked back Toni, sitting down.
"You do realise that they are royalty?" asked Loki, not moving to imitate her. "That I am royalty?"
"You do realise that I could not care less?" the chair started growing once more and she regarded him from her new vantage position. "Your Highness?"
Loki rolled his eyes, though he could not hide how amusing he found her actions.
He was royalty - raised and born as such. But he was also the god of mischief and chaos and the innate confusion Toni Stark created in everything she was around or touched was simply... exhilarating.
She was exhilarating. Even in all the ways she was crass, improper, confusing and imperfect, she was perfectly exhilarating.
"You are supposed to be the princess of Midgard," he still reminded her.
"See, calling me a hypocrite doesn't work," said Toni, unimpressed. "I'll just lie."
She was terrible.
Before Loki could further argue his point, however, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and all of his relaxation left him.
"Lokes?"
He did not have to respond as then the four royals of Jotunheim appeared in the doorway, Laufey standing tall in front of them all.
Laufey's eyes, as usual, sought him out first before he made a conscious effort to glance at Toni.
Helblindi did not do as such.
The oldest - second oldest - son of Laufey stared directly at Loki, the animosity in his eyes impossible to mistake for anything else. Loki was not sure of the reason behind said emotion, but he echoed the expression, his tension growing.
"I see you have made yourself comfortable, Lady Antoinette," said Laufey, not a note of annoyance in his tone. In fact, he looked amused. "Prince Loki, please. Take a seat."
"Thank you," said Loki, stiffly. Then he noted Toni's smug expression as he sat on the chair closest to hers, and couldn't help roll his eyes. "Oh, be quiet, you."
"I did not even say anything," she protested. "Is this any way to treat your soulmate, Loki?"
He did not deign that with a response, as his chair also grew large enough for him to sit at the massive table.
Laufey then sat on the chair closest to Loki's other side - still a respectable distance from him - and the rest of the family followed suit, with Helblindi still scowling at Loki.
"Hi, Blindi," greeted Toni, leaning forward on the table and immediately gaining the eyes of the other prince. "Missed me?"
"Not particularly," said the man, appearing almost as unamused with her as with Loki. Almost. "I was hoping I would not have to see you again, frankly."
"Helblindi!"
"Oh please," teased Toni, smirk growing. "Who would you get to threaten the way you threaten me? We have a special relationship, like the one between two rival gangs that are technially working towards the same goal."
"I do not see how we are working for the same goal," said Helblindi. "Your mere existence threatens my goals."
"Little old me? Surely you cannot still see me as threat. I left and nothing bad happened."
"In the span of the short time you were here, you found our lost prince, pushed back a possible retaliation from Asgard, ran away with said prince, turned a possible war into an argument that was resolved non violently and made it on and off the planet without anyone else the wiser," said Helblindi.
"And committed theft of intellectual property," she said, wiggling her index finger. "Don't forget that."
"Of course," said Helblindi. But instead of appearing annoyed and angry, there was almost a hint of a smile on his face. "Thank you for adding onto the list of things I should find you suspect for."
"I live to serve," said Toni, glancing over at Loki with a grin and her eyes a little too wide. "Don't I?"
Oh.
She had shown him, hadn't she? Those first days in the cells, she had been so quick to read him, so quick to figure out where to cause the most injury with her sharp words.
And oaf or not, there was something to be said about how quickly she understood how to manipulate Thor.
She was resiliant and much smarter than she pretended.
"You have never served anyone in your life," he said, rolling his eyes and glancing at Helblindi. He too looked stiff when Loki's attention went on him, so Loki focused on his younger brother, Byleistr. "She cause similar upset and unsettlement upon arriving on Asgard."
Byleistr glanced at his brother and father, before turning back to Loki just as quickly. "How so?"
"She crashed upon Asgard through a passageway that should have been sealed millennia ago," started Loki, "The first Midgardian to do so ever. She tricked and evaded an Einherjar. She fled the healing rooms and sneaked around the castle for a long while before she was discovered. And she managed to break out of an Asgardian prison through nothing but her cunning."
"And don't forget the part where I tricked you and got out of the healing room," said Toni, while Byleistr looked appropriately impressed.
"Is that what you consider your biggest accomplishment?" he wondered. "Tricking me? My, Toni. You hold me in high regard."
"Or perhaps she wishes to point out to us how easy it was for a Midgardian to con you," said Helblindi, quick as a viper.
"Helblindi!" snapped Laufey, Loki immediately tensing while Angrboða frowned at her son and Byleistr looked between them warily.
"I mean, I tricked you too," said Toni, one eyebrow raised. "Either you are both as dumb as each other or both as clever. You can choose the option you prefer," she finished, smiling not so kindly at him.
"I do not need-" started Loki, turning his eye on her. "I do not need you to fight my battles."
"Sucks to be you then," she said, brazenly. "I have the bad habit of being unable to not stick my nose in affairs that do not concern me. Isn't that how we got here to begin with?"
"Quite," said Angrboða, ignoring the look her husband shot her.
"And while we are on the topic of affairs that do not concern me," continued Toni, "How about we focus on getting to know each other before deciding to hate the older half brother who could possibly decide to take the crown and become crown prince of Jotunheim instead of you? You guys live awfully long. There will be time to fight for the inheritance later on." She glanced over at Laufey, and whispered exaggeratedly. "I'd check my drinks, between now and when you update your will."
"You are quite the character," said Helblindi, but he sounded exasperated rather than offended. "You all but threatened the king of the planet you are a guest on. You realise that?"
"Incorrect. I potentially implicated you and your half-brother both. I don't know what Angrboða and Farbauti's genes were doing, but both of you are equally likely to murder someone to 'fix' things. Byleistr, I'm gonna be trusting you from now on, and you alone. Because your mom is cool, but she did marry Laufey, and the matching attitudes from Loki and Helblindi have to come from somewhere."
"And what does the fact that you are Loki's soulmate tell us?"
Toni paused, thinking it through. "Yeah, fair. I would not trust myself either."
+++
Somehow, Toni managed to break the tension.
Loki should have resented her, for taking it upon herself to steer all conversations happening at the dinnertable. He was the guest, and yet she was the one who spoke most, who interacted with every member of his would be family as if it were her own.
But, despite his ask that she did not get involved in his affairs, she still managed to make it all the more bearable for him.
Helblindi thawed slightly, as the meal progressed, and Byleistr opened up more. Laufey grew more confident and hopeful in his questions towards Loki, while Angrboða remained as difficult to read for Loki as she had been from the beginning.
She shifted past the most uncomfortable questions without him having to express said emotions, and did not speak over him when he answered. She teased him and the others in order to make things more easy, and made a point of being involved in other conversations when Laufey asked Loki questions she knew only he should answer.
She just... fit.
She helped him, and softened his harsher reactions, and translated his sharper words, and eased everything around.
She simply fit.
"Thank you," he said, once the meal was finished. "For the meal. It was... most illuminating."
They had not spoken of where he belonged or where he should be. They had barely mentioned Odin and Asgard (Helblindi being the one who did both).
"I am glad you enjoyed it," said Laufey. "I was not sure if the food was to your agreement, as I do not know what you ate on Asgard."
"It was good," assured Loki. Perfect, in fact. He had always preferred fish and vegetables to the meat Asgard often served, something he had considered just another difference between him and everyone else. Now, after the delicious vegetable and fish based food he had been offered, he understood better. "I appreciated it."
Changing the skin could not change the person.
"If you wished - if either of you wished to come again," said Laufey, carefully, "I would appreciate it. Jotunheim would love to host you whenever."
It was not as if anything had been fixed. It was not as if Loki suddenly understood better which was his place, or who or what Laufey wished for him to be. Who or what he actually was.
But he had not hated it as much as he had thought he would.
Helblindi's dislike for him had been annoying - as Loki felt he had done little to merit it. Laufey's behaviour towards him was mostly bemusing. Angrboða, he did not understand. Byleistr's reactions towards him and his magic were disarming.
But...
All four royals were looking at him, with equally enigmatic expressions on their faces.
"I will," said Loki. "I would enjoy it."
Laufey smiled. Byleirstr did too, appearing hopeful. Angrboða nodded. And Helblindi, despite having offered nothing but a cold front the entire time Loki was there, untensed.
Oh. Maybe Loki understood more than he had thought he did.
Then he took Toni's hand in his, pulling her closer to him. "We would. Yes?"
She sighed, but it was clear it was all for show. "Fine," she said, and looked over at Helblindi. "Same time, same place, same threat?"
The Jotun Prince simply rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face.
Then his eyes fixed on Loki.
They both maintained eye contact for a few moments before Helblindi bared his teeth just so, and nodded.
He had left the room before Loki could say anything or nod back.
"Aw, the feral half brothers are bonding," said Toni, smugly. As if she had plotted the whole thing.
Glancing at her, despite Laufey's relieved smile and Byleistr's hopeful expression, he couldn't be sure she hadn't.
As soon as they landed back on Midgard and Toni had stopped acting as if she was going to die due to the teleportation, Loki grabbed her firmly in his arms and kissed her.
She made a noise at the movements, but melted in the kiss with no hesitation, arms wrapping around his neck.
She only moved to point a middle finger at her friends - who Loki had not initially noticed but could hear giggling - but did not stop until Loki stepped back first.
She smiled then, though her eyes were a bit confused. "What was that for?"
"To thank you," said Loki, not releasing her. "For smoothing things over with the Royal family."
She arched an eyebrow. "One, I am very on board with this new type of thanks, you might have just converted me into being a good person. And two, I thought you did not need my help?"
He glared at her. "I did not. But that did not appear to stop you, did it?"
"Personal flaw that I consider a plus and don't plan on changing," she said, shrugging. "But..." she rolled her eyes, and glanced away, trying to downplay her sudden uncertainty. "Do let me know if I'm wearing heels and stepping on your toes, or something. I have been informed before that I am at times 'too much help'."
How could one be so confident and brazen and yet so compassionate and uncertain?
How could she be the most annoying individual he had ever met and the most addicting?
How could she press all of his buttons and yet be the only person that made sense as his soulmate?
Loki was not sure.
He kissed her forehead instead of trying to find an answer.
She looked immensely bemused when he leant back, but Loki did not bother explaining himself to her.
She'd make fun of him, he just knew it.
When he turned his attention to the other people in the room, he found the one called Pepper - who he was sure was not her name, but who nobody else had called by a different one - and Happy - same situation - on the sofas, looking at Toni with a lot of amusement on their faces.
"Your teleporting is a big safety issue," said Happy, looking at Loki with a frown. "I am not sure I like it."
His tone was severe, but there was a mirth and ease in his eyes that told Loki he was not being quite so serious.
It confused him, the simple acceptance of Toni's friends.
All of his life Loki had had one real friend: Sigyn.
He had studied alongside her and others, shared a tutor with many others, but Sigyn had been the only person he had considered a friend.
With the few years between them, Thor and Loki had shared most classes. And everyone had wanted to be Thor's friends.
The Warrior Four called themselves 'friends of the princes' but they had always been more Thor's friends than Loki's.
Loki had just been 'Thor's sibling' that they hung out with because Thor brought him everywhere with him. Never someone they cared about by themselves.
But while Toni's friends were clearly Toni's friends, they were still very friendly towards Loki. They did not treat him as if they found him annoying or as if they were simply pretending to enjoy his presence for the sake of Toni.
They had spoken to him only a little, but while Toni was the reason behind such friendship to begin with, there was none of the disdain and dislike Loki was familiar with when it came to his 'friends' on Asgard.
It was... nice.
"Ignore him," said Pepper, rolling her eyes and ignoring Happy's sound of indignation. "You staying for dinner? Rhodey is going to come back in a few hours with some information we are apparently 'forbidden to ask him about'."
"I'm forbidden from nothing," said Toni. "But sure. How about sushi? I think everyone would like it."
"Oh, sushi," said Pepper, eyes shining. "What should I get?"
"Get a spread, his metabolism is freaky," said Toni, pulling Loki along with her. "We'll be right back."
"Use protection, children!"
"Protection?" repeated Loki, not offering any resistance. "Are we heading into a battle of sorts?"
Toni glanced at him, a confused expression on her face for a moment. Then her lips curled and she snorted, a hand covering her lips.
"You are so cute."
Loki's eyes narrowed. "You are using my lack of understanding for Midgardian idioms against me, aren't you?"
She grinned unabashedly. "Exactly. I cannot wait to trick you into a hilarious misunderstanding with someone."
"Every day you prove yourself a worse person," said Loki, not sounding as disapproving as he'd like. "I-"
He cut himself off, as Toni typed something upon a panel, and a door opened to another room.
Upon visiting her bedroom the last time, Loki had not missed how bare and utilitarian the place had looked. It was clear that while her clothes and bed were in the room, it was not a place that Toni particularly frequented. Just a waiting room, of some kind. Informal.
But this place...
He walked in, awed despite himself.
The place screamed Toni.
It was chaos of designs and materials and objects. There were things Loki was slightly familiar with, objects that looked painfully old to him and things that he could not figure out the use of. Things on the floors, on the various desks, and on the ceilings. Cans of oil, steel, appendages of all sorts...
Toni's home was very clutter free. Clean, tidy and well kept.
But this room?
This room was chaos.
This was the visual imagine of the chaotic and unpredictable nature of his soulmate, of the contradiction that she had been from the moment he had realised she had fled the healing chambers.
It was her at her core.
"Like it?"
He turned around and she was leaning on one of the desks, a much smug expression on her face.
Too smug.
"It is passable," he sniffed, the corner of his lip lifting at the gasp from her. "Nothing compared to my study rooms, of course."
"I don't believe that," she said, unimpressed.
Loki glanced at her, eyes fixed on hers. "I guess you will see for yourself, eventually."
Her eyes widened just the tiniest bit, and then she also smiled.
"I guess I will have to. For scientific purposes only, of course."
"Of course."
A sound came then, and Toni rolled her eyes, glancing at one corner of the room. "Maybe, if you're good," she said. "And where are your manners? Come say hi to Loki."
"Your Loki?"
"Oh, shut up," said Toni, and Loki finally noticed the figures approaching.
He would not have been able to tell you what exactly they were.
Clearly they were Midgardian-made. Possibly made by Toni herself.
But they moved of their own accord, two of them approaching Loki directly while the third rushed towards Toni, emitting rapid sounds that Loki's All-Speak could not translate but could, yet, somehow understand.
Not words.
But rather, the sentiment they were attempting to communicate.
"These are my bot kids," explained Toni, as Loki bent to observe the brave ones who had approached him. "Those are DUM-E and U. This one here is BUTTERFINGERS."
"Hello," greeted Loki, delighted when DUM-E offered him his claw. "I am Loki."
Both of them made a chirping sound of delight, which made Loki smile too.
"Well met, children of Toni. I hope we will get to know one another better. Which one of you is the oldest, then?"
DUM-E raised his claw, pointing at himself. Then, he pointed at U, BUTTERFINGERS, and then at the eyes of JARVIS in the wall.
"So JARVIS is the youngest?" DUM-E nodded. "So you must be the one in charge, taking care of your siblings at all times, uh."
Immediately U interrupted with her disapproval at such words, starting an argument with her brother.
They were most interesting. It was clear Toni had created them, but he had not fully expected the level of awareness of their selves and the outside that they displayed.
Toni Stark had created fully sentient beings and made them her family.
No wonder she continuously stated that magic was only technology she had yet to understand.
She had figured out how to understand everything else.
She was amazing.
Loki glanced up to see her on her knees beside BUTTERFINGERS, talking to him while observing Loki's own interaction with the other two bots.
She was not what he had expected.
She still was not what he expected.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
Loki shook his head. "I-"
"Miss, an intruder is attempting to break into your house."
Toni made a face, even as she stood up.
"Here we go again." She offered Loki her hand. "You coming?"
As if it was a question.
Did she not know he'd follow her to the end of the worlds and known universe?