"Where is he?" Dean asked as he craned his neck and looked around the restaurant.
"Would you calm down!" Kyle hissed with a playful smile. "You're making me nervous!"
"You don't think he's standing us up, do you?"
Kyle rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that. It's not like his social schedule is booming. Besides, Steve told me Mark pushed him to do it."
"The three of them are hanging out tonight, by the way," Dean said. When Kyle raised his eyebrows in question Dean smiled. "All of the tops. Thor said they're going to drink Asgardian liquor and play cards."
Kyle sighed. "I guess I know what I'm in for later." He then looked at Dean and smirked. "Speaking of which- spill the beans. You only told me that you guys made up. Details?"
Dean smiled warmly at the recent memory of his reconciliation with Thor. "He stayed for lunch. Which is so weird to say, considering it's his house too. And I just sort of melted. He's not perfect. He says and does the wrong things sometimes. But he loves me and I love him."
"So you had crazy good makeup sex, right?"
Dean blushed. "Yeah, basically."
Kyle sighed. "I love a happy ending."
Dean's phone vibrated and he looked down at the screen to see that Thor had texted him.
I hope you have fun tonight. I love you.
Shortly after replying to him, Dean's mom called.
"Everything okay?" Dean asked.
"Oh, everything is fine. The boys are watching Robin Hood with your father while I fix up some dinner."
"Make sure Modi gets his cough medicine..."
"Dean, you act like I didn't raise an armload of babies. While saving the world."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Sorry. Force of habit."
"They look a lot like you," Rosie sighed warmly. "I wish we had a picture of Thor when he was a baby. I'd love to compare."
"All of the paintings of him were destroyed when his bitch of a sister invaded Asgard. But I'm told he was a beautiful baby."
"I'm sure. Anyway, you boys have fun tonight. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay. Mom?"
"Uh-huh?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Dean."
Dean felt a surge of emotion churning through him. Perhaps it was his recent reconciliation with Thor. But for some reason he felt especially emotional at that moment. "I mean it, mom. I love you more than you know. You're one of the strongest people in my life. And you've always been there for me. I wouldn't be who I am today without you."
Rosie sniffled a little. "Stop it, you're making me cry!" She groaned. Then, in a sweet and affectionate voice she said, "you're my boy. You know that?"
"Yes, ma'am."
After hanging up, Dean scanned the restaurant one more time and noticed Taylor standing near the hostess station. Catching Kyle's attention, he waved at Taylor. The redhead looked as if he was briefly entertaining the thought of turning to leave. Dean could see the conflict on his face as he slowly came to the decision to join them.
"I'm glad you came," Dean said as he and Kyle stood and offered Taylor a handshake.
"Well," Taylor sighed, sitting down. "Mark kind of made me." He smiled sheepishly at them. "Not that I was, like, unappreciative of this. It's just...it's been a lot to deal with."
Neither Kyle or Dean wanted to offer words of sympathy, as Taylor had been tetchy anytime anyone tried to console him in any way. As a result, he'd completely isolated himself from everyone- even the majority of his teammates- with Mark being the only constant figure in his life.
"Well, it's good to have you here," Dean reaffirmed.
"You're not going to make me talk about anything, are you?" Taylor asked, warily. "I know you have psychic empathy."
Dean smiled. "I can turn that on and off. I promise not to detect your feelings or ask you about them."
"Tonight is all about getting to know each other and having fun," Taylor assured him.
Taylor flicked the drink menu. "Feels kind of inappropriate, doesn't it? My entire universe dies and I'm here having drinks and dinner."
Dean and Kyle shared a look that said this is going to be a rough night.
"I think it's perfectly acceptable to feel that way. You're allowed to grieve your loss- and it's a massive one. No one should blame you for feeling the way you feel." The he gently added, "but surely you can't expect yourself to just live like a monk?"
Taylor kept his eyes on the drink menu. "I said I didn't want to talk about this and then I do it anyway," he muttered.
"You can bring up whatever you want and you can change the conversation whenever you want," Kyle said. "We're here for whatever."
Taylor looked up at them. "I'm sorry for fighting you." He looked over at Dean. "Especially for sending you to the Netherworld."
Dean shrugged. "Like I said- I've been through worse. Besides, I think I hurt them more than they hurt me. A being of light isn't popular in dark places like that."
"I just learned that I could do that," Taylor said. "Teleport myself and other people to the Netherworld. For the longest time I had no clue what I was doing. But then..."
Kyle and Dean remained quiet, waiting for Taylor to elaborate if he wanted to. The waiter walked over and took their orders, interrupting the moment. Then, following the silence that settled in, Taylor explained his heritage more deeply.
"I knew that your team used the Netherworld to avoid the incursion. But not the details of your connection," Kyle said.
"Yeah, I'm still working through that. Apparently my mother is the queen demon of the Netherworld."
"Wait a minute- you're a prince too?"
Taylor frowned. "I guess so. I hadn't thought much about it. Who else is a prince?"
"Dean is," Kyle said.
"Of the Inhumans," Dean supplied before providing a brief summary about his people.
When their drinks arrived and orders for appetizers were placed, conversation took a lighter turn.
"You and Mark are engaged? That's awesome!" Kyle said. "Congratulations!"
"Yeah, he proposed right before...everything."
Dean smiled over at Kyle, who returned his grin.
"What?" Taylor asked in a cautious voice.
"We should help you plan your wedding," Kyle said.
Taylor shook his head. "I don't know, guys. I feel like it would just be weird having a wedding with a bunch of strangers."
"But that's the whole point of getting you out of your room! So that we aren't strangers anymore," Kyle said.
Taylor shrugged. "I guess you're right. I don't like the fact that I have to start all over again. But if I have to...then it's good to know I'll have friends."
As the three of them ate dinner together, Taylor could feel himself loosening up around his new friends. Though each time he laughed, a silent ache throbbed within him. An entire lifetime had ended the day his universe died. And though he knew the fallen would have wanted him to move on, there was a large shard of him that simply couldn't. It was the same shard that harbored resentment toward the Avengers for hiding the architect of his universe's destruction- and the one who could make reality whatever she wanted it to be. It was during dessert that he decided he would find her. Something deep inside of him called out for justice, and that call would be answered.
Have to be smooth about it though, he warned himself.
He looked at Dean and Kyle with feelings of guilt knowing he intended to take advantage of their kindness only to manipulate them into betraying the location of the reality warper. He knew that this being was reputed to be extremely dangerous, but the pain of his loss was far too great. A great, yawning emptiness had occupied his heart, and it wouldn't be filled until he'd restored order. By any means necessary.
"Well, I think it's time we took this party elsewhere," Kyle said after the bill was settled.
"We should probably check in on Thor, Steve and Mark," Dean said with a smile. "Make sure they aren't up to no good."
Just then, Dean's phone rang and he chuckled seeing that it was Tony. "You rang?"
"What's up? What are you guys doing?"
Dean mouthed that it was Tony when Kyle and Taylor gave him a quizzical look. "Just finished dinner with Kyle and Taylor. We're headed back to Steve's apartment."
"Your elite gay power couple club just keeps growing and yet I'm still not welcome," Tony pouted.
"Are you asking me if you can hang out with us, Tony?"
"Please!"
Dean shook his head. "Let me deliberate with the others and I'll let you know."
"Are you serious?!" Tony groaned.
Dean laughed at Tony's insistence. "Meet us at Steve's, you big baby."
Taylor smiled at the exchange and couldn't help but notice a similar camaraderie to his own team's dynamic. The Avengers were as much a family as the Squadron.
Maybe...maybe I should accept what is. Maybe I should focus on making a new life...
No, a darker voice shrieked in his mind. Never.
"Are you alright?" Dean asked, breaking Taylor's thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm good." He smiled brightly at Dean and Kyle. "Let's get out of here."
Loki smiled as he stood in the shadowy Netherworld with Amora at his side. The Dark One would be most pleased with the new development.
"How fortunate that the prince of the Netherworld came to be here," Amora said as she waved a hand at the land around them. "And that we were able to plant the suggestion into his mind."
Loki grinned and nodded his head. "Yes. It will be just the distraction we need to finally do what we have wanted to for so long."