Invisible Chains [Sequel to I Do(n't)]

Chapter 3

"I really do not think-"

"I can bartend" Natasha volunteered. "You know I love hanging out with the alcohol at functions"

"I wish I could be there for this" Dr. Banner sighed. 

"You can't just stay longer?" Tony asked him.

He shrugged. "A promise is a promise. My family would murder me, and I'm really trying to keep the 'other guy' at ease during the holidays"

Loki rolled his eyes, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"What do you have in mind for the party?" Steve asked.

"I don't know, I hadn't though about it much" Tony admitted "I was thinking definitely open bar, dancing, have a bunch of people over, and a lot of food, of course"

"It sounds like fun" he smiled.

"I really do not want to put you out" I said sheepishly, applying more candies to the house.

"Tony doesn't need an excuse to throw a party, Hon" Natasha reached over the bar top for her drink she'd been working on and took a sip. "It's what he does best"

"Life is short" my father set his glass down. "May as well live it up, right?"

"That's what I'm saying!" she threw up her arms.

"I know what you are trying to accomplish by this..." Loki's voice trailed off.

Around the room, everyone grew quiet, staring right at my husband. With my eyes, I pleaded with him not to start anything, but he did not even meet my gaze.

"You are just trying to get her to appreciate your little home here more than her home in Asgard" he took a step towards Tony. "But it is never going to work. She is mine, whether you like it or not. You may be her biological father, but you know at the end of the day, her Asgardian father will always be her real father in her heart"

"Loki!" I tried to reach for him, but he stepped to the side.

"I am not trying to get her to stay" Tony raised an eyebrow, staying calm, still. "I know that she isn't going to stay here, and I don't expect her to. I just want her to feel at home while she is here, and for her to feel welcome to come back to visit. With a heads up, of course..."

"When have you ever been there for her, you mewling quim?" he snapped.

"Loki, calm down." I spoke quietly. "He did not know I existed, and I did not know that he did, either"

"How can you be so blind to what he is doing?" he whizzed around to me. 

"I really do not feel that-"

"Can't we just have fun and make the gingerbread house?" clearly flustered, Dr. Banner waved his hand at the half finished model.

"And why aren't you guys trying to back me up in this?" he started to wave his hands animatedly around the room.

"We don't really owe it to you to stand up for you" Natasha scoffed. "What have you ever done for us?"

"Guys..." Dr. Banner held onto his chest.

"Everybody just stop" Steve held up his hands. "We all just need to take a deep breath and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tony grabbed a spoon and sent it flying to Loki's head. My jaw dropped as it soared in almost slow motion right towards his face. I might have shouted something as I reached forward to push him out of the way, but both me and the spoon fell right through him. And suddenly, Loki was there no more.