Archive of Our Own

 Anxiety fluttered in Mantis’ gut as she paced back and forth across the grass of the garden, every so often glancing over at Loki where they sat, staring hollowly forward into space. They were on the bench, hunched so they could not be seen above the hedges, with their elbows on their knees and their chin in their hand. She could feel their anxiety growing with hers, though they did not show it as outwardly in front of their guest. To her, they looked as if they were exceedingly bored, but internally they were everything but. 

 The caped figure of Loki's guest, cross-legged and hovering about a foot above the grass, worked next to a large leather-bound tome. The book sat open on an old red velvet cloth, spread to protect the ancient binding from the elements. The hums and whirs of his sorcery, with the chanting rhythmic tone of his incantations, made her heart skip in anticipation. He had been floating there for some time, not paying any attention to either Loki or Mantis, ignoring them as they both tried not to blatantly stare and wait. 

 “You should both feel relieved to know I still believe in the importance of doctor-patient confidentiality...” his baritone rumbled through his nose, and he began to rise higher, stretching his legs to land softly on his feet, long cape rustling dramatically of its own will. The Sorcerer Supreme now towered over them, although he clearly made an effort to seem non-threatening to her. 

 “Believe it or not this time, Stephen, I would rather you skip the wordplay and get straight to the point.” Loki's voice was tight and sharp with annoyance, standing and stepping forward a few paces to look around the sorcerer at the object of their curiosity and concern. 

 Seeing Loki stand, Mantis stepped over towards them, tucking her hands under her arms and holding herself tight. She wanted to be near them, but did not know if she should express her affection openly in front of the Sorcerer Supreme. She bowed her head as Loki bristled and stepped sideways away from her. There was a sharp, harsh feeling that grew in her chest, like she felt the rejection in their bond directly. With the wave of pain her antennae drooped, but she tried to mask through it. Despite her best efforts, she could tell Strange noticed. 

 Ever since Thor had approached them on the Path, Loki had been testy. At first she thought it was a little silly, the predicament unusual and potentially worrisome, but surely something they could handle. More and more however, she felt like Loki would snap at just a little too much pressure. It had been four days, and Loki had spent most of it brooding with a thousand yard stare, disappearing to research at any whim and never returning with the same two items. All of their magic and chaos made even Mantis start to panic, as she watched them in triplicate, reading two separate books and a scroll simultaneously. Finally, they had broken and summoned The Sorcerer Supreme, under the vaguest of pretenses, and had tried to convince Mantis not to acknowledge the flower at all while he was here. She had insisted firmly that she was there no matter what, sensing as though she needed to at least understand the flower that had sprouted so consummately. 

 “Experimenting with magical bonds is not something for amateurs.” It was their first very stern reprimand, filled with emotions that Mantis was shocked to sense. Ever since he had been shown the Bloom, Stephen Strange had been stooped over examining it, brooding in a mix of genuine curiosity and excitement for something new, as well as anger and pain. 

 At the present, Mantis swallowed down her sadness and peered up at both of them with wide, dark eyes, waiting for them to slip from uneasy dialogue to full blown argument as they were likely to do. She looked back and forth between them, and noticed Loki's eyes fall to the Sorcerer's lips when next he spoke. 

 “Believe it or not, Trickster, I agree with you. It isn't time for silly games, or word play, and especially not half truths. You tell me this flower was never here before, and only appeared after you two-” he gestured between them, ”consummated a magical bond without so much as considering, I don't know, maybe... consulting me first?” 

 “Oh, do spare me, Strange, I don't seem to recall when we decided I needed to consult you on who I bed.” Loki shot back, an indignant frown furrowing their brow. 

 “No, Loki, you don't get to play coy with me. Mantis I understand-, but you... you should have known better. You were foolish!” Strange scolded, eyes flickering between the two of them as he acknowledged them. Mantis cocked her head as she sensed affection from the Sorcerer as he said her name, furrowing her brow as she sensed jealousy from him, as well as his anger. More and more she felt like their emotions were amplified, able to sense them as strongly as her own; she had felt that way all morning in the garden and still could not figure out why. 

 “I am not playing coy, Stephen, I'm sorry that you don't believe me, but I cannot emphasize enough how I am not lying about a single part of this.” Loki's voice was getting tighter and higher in pitch, brow pinched in annoyance. Their chest rose and fell quickly, angry breaths already waiting to support bellowing yells. Mantis felt the swell of anger from Loki, and braced herself for the volume, but the Sorcerer turned a blind eye to the raging god. 

 “Dear Mantis, I do not mean to be indelicate, or to make you uncomfortable, but I need to verify this with you.” His tone was warm and gentle in a way that was notably different from how he had just spoken to Loki. It was her turn to understand just how difficult this conversation was with Doctor Strange, peering up at him from a full foot lower, she suddenly felt extremely shy. Despite how gentle he was with her and how she could sense that he was focused on remaining neutral, she found it particularly difficult to describe to him all of a sudden. 

 “Mantis, darling, you don't need to reiterate anything. I already told him earlier when he got here.” Loki drawled the pet name as if to emphasize their right to use it. Mantis furrowed her brow and squeezed her eyes shut against the surge of emotions she felt from Loki. Key among them, much to her confusion and dismay, was a desire to establish dominance, with a much lower burn of lust. The alien woman felt her face flush and she puffed air heavily through her nose. Their attempt to dismiss her made her decision for her.

 “This concerns me too, Loki. If my perspective can help in any way I would like to offer it.” She asserted, looking up directly at Strange, trying to focus on the pride she sensed from him. 

 “Ah, I appreciate your reasonable thinking, please, Mantis, I'm listening.” He said smoothly, not hiding the dig at Loki, and very warmly easing Mantis further into a sense of safety. She accepted his invitation, although the heat immediately burned in her cheeks as she avoided his direct gaze. 

 Explaining the situation felt as awkward as she had imagined, and she found it difficult to know which details were even relevant to the issue. She tried to remain tasteful, excluding unnecessary descriptions. He listened intently, with an unreadable expression on his face, a demeanor that served to emphasize just how mortified Loki looked in her peripheral vision. The Sorcerer even mostly succeeded at keeping his emotions in check, but certain subconscious things were hard to hide, and it made Mantis’ chest feel tight. Eventually, she reached the point where she found it hard to say more without feeling like her face would actually burst into flames. Her own embarrassment, combined with an emotion from Strange, made her stutter. He had so quickly reigned in, she failed to fully process it, and it left her feeling shaky.

 “After we both... finished, it hadn't.. hadn't felt like we made a mess or anything... As I said, their cape was on the ground so nothing... I don't think anything... Directly touched it...” she trailed off, the burn of her cheeks and the shaking in her chest made her stop. She felt so utterly embarrassed, even if she could tell that Strange was not judging her.

 “Now hold on... You said you both finished, when, and where?” He was very matter of fact, but shot Loki a look as if he had reached checkmate. Mantis noticed but could barely process it because she wished she could simply disappear. She could feel both of them and their emotions, their conflicting perspectives felt like a pinch behind her temple. 

 “A-at.. at the same time... In.. Inside.” she physically felt like she could not get enough air in her lungs to directly admit that. Loki, standing beside her with eyes wide in horror and filled with the sense of impending reprimand, was not helping her anxiety. The Empath's cheeks burned with a powerful mixture of emotions; her own embarrassment, Loki's indignance, and a rush of rage from Strange, made her feel dizzy. 

 The Sorcerer Supreme stared down at Mantis, a calculated blink keeping him focused on her as he took a very deep breath, and then gave her a tight lipped smile. The empath could sense the maelstrom of emotions raging in him now, biting her lip and trying to make sense of it. She wanted a moment to process, but Stephen Strange had other plans. 

 “Thank you, Mantis, for your honesty.” he gave her a nod of acknowledgement before turning to Loki and taking two, large, threatening steps into their space.

 To Mantis, the god was tall, but the Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts, Doctor Stephen Strange stood taller yet, and now he used it to his advantage to appear surprisingly imposing to the God of Mischief. Loki straightened themself and refused to cower, too proud and foolhardy to do anything else, but also fully aware that if they were to fight, it would not go well for either of them. 

 “Loki Laufeyson, I should not have had to make her explain so explicitly that to get that very important detail.” His voice boomed, rumbling in his chest in a way that made Mantis shudder and, to her surprise, made Loki avert their gaze; green eyes fell directly to Strange's lips and she felt... More lust.

 Oh. She was beginning to understand some of what she had been feeling from Loki all morning. 

 “I told you we both finished in that spot, and that I dismissed everything when we left!” Loki insisted, now raising their hands and taking a step back from the sorcerer, adam's apple bobbing as they swallowed. 

 “Oh please get a grip, I know you are not this stupid. Slimy, grasping, manipulative, conniving, and extremely devisive, but you are NOT, so idiotic. The multi-verse's vast knowledge at your godly fingertips, and all it takes is a beautiful woman to make you forget that there are things beyond your literal seed that can impact our material plane? You failed to mention the most important part! Spells have components. They have rhythm, timing, somatic components... Somatic does not always necessarily have to be hands!” Strange kept his arms crossed, not needing to become overly animated to get his point across, but clearing his throat loudly after he finished. It was clear what he was implying, and Mantis caught Loki's abashed gaze before they turned their back to her. 

 There was a long, heavy pause between the three of them, the collar of Strange's cape twisting slightly as if looking between both Loki and Mantis, but she genuinely struggled to tell if it did it on its own or if it was the breeze. The feelings she sensed from Loki made her bite her lip: anxiety, embarrassment, resentment, curiosity, and still, lust. She furrowed her brow and shot them a look, still utterly baffled by how they could, at this very moment, even consider that. 

 Again, she processed the Sorcerer’s words, and blushed as she recalled him specifically describing her as ‘beautiful’. Rarely had she heard that word to describe her, and only recently had it become something she even tangentially accepted, as Loki liked to use it only very specifically. The older looking man had an energy to him that made her innately trust what he had to say, and because of that she felt very honored to be regarded as beautiful by him. 

 Mantis focused now, although attempting to be covert, to truly sense what Strange was feeling. He did an excellent job of masking, even to an empath, but certain things even masters struggled to hide. Any emotion tied to instinctive drives lit up like neon, flickering as an empathic light show in a person's energy.  

 Mantis was sensing the Sorcerer; the feeling of red, the energy of gold, popping and swirling as he spoke, it told her something very specific. Stephen Strange felt extremely protective of her, to a degree she had not expected, and it burst in her mind like fireworks. He felt protective of Loki as well, but his anger towards them stoked the emotion into a searing heat that was bordering on resentment. Swirling though, were his feelings about her-- no their-- beauty, ebbing and shifting in gold as though he wanted to fix his eyes on them and watch, but had far too much self restraint. This revelation made her head spin, eyes frantically looking between Loki, Strange, the Bloom, and then down at her own hands, before she zipped her own thoughts up tight. She pursed her lips, hands folded in front of her belly as she tried to blink the thoughts away. Her nostrils flared as she accidentally made eye contact with Loki, and she knew they noticed her shift despite their self-distancing. 

 “I can tell you are using your empathic abilities, Mantis...” Strange spoke first, turning his head and looking directly at her. He did not seem angry or even annoyed, but to her he did look slightly as if he had been ‘caught’, rather than her. Loki grunted indignantly, clearly needing to say something. 

 “I would suggest you be very careful doing that, there are things up there I don't think you would like to sense...” He pointed to his own head, deadly serious she could tell; she had brushed past some of those creepy feelings already, too determined to understand him, and despite his calm demeanor in acknowledging them, she knew they were a heavy burden. 

 “I'm sorry-- or rather, actually I'm not. First you insult me, repeatedly, and then you pose an entirely theoretical concept. Meanwhile, apparently communicating something to my partner which I cannot sense but clearly has flustered her. I am no empath but I'm tricky enough to notice when a man makes a pass at someone else's woman!” Loki snapped, apparently too angered to notice just how petty, telling, and petulant it was. 

 Once again, she found herself struggling to process what was being said. Loki was reacting wildly to things without context, and she frowned despite how being referred to as ‘their woman’ made her flush. It felt very odd, hearing the god refer to her so possessively, especially after they had clearly communicated that there was no jealousy between them when it came to other people. 

 “He did no such thing, Loki, I sensed his feelings of my own volition. How they made me feel is my own business.” She scowled, hating the way Loki's attitude seemed to lean towards steam-rolling her opinion. 

 “Okay, but he did in fact insult me, heavily-” Loki conceded, her anger very obvious through the burn in their bond. Mantis conceded to their point in return however, not liking how Strange had torn them down. 

 “We are losing the point!” Strange interrupted firmly, looking between them and staring expectantly until they went still and silent. 

 “What I said was, the fact that you two left no evidence or biological material, has little to no bearing on this new creation. Your energy was all you needed... Which is something a god should know, especially one that does, in fact, comprehend the mystic arts!” He was frowning at Loki again, who shifted their weight uneasily. 

 Mantis watched Loki carefully, sensing their conflict. She realized that they had already come to the conclusion that they should have known better. Their momentary slip in judgment was making them feel guilty, not regretful, but anxious. All she could do was step towards them and offer her hand, eyes wide and encouraging. Almost to her surprise, they actually took it. In all of this, despite it involving her, she felt as though the responsibility was skipping over her and landing only on Loki. She knew how it felt in that moment, she knew that they were experimenting with untested power. She wished Stephen would stop being so hard on them and acknowledge that she took part in this too. The Empath could understand their struggle, but she would still insist on an apology for their rude behavior. She wanted them to figure this out together. 

 “It doesn't seem... Dangerous?” Mantis posed, looking at the yellow petals that emanated a soft light, almost sparkling. It truly was beautiful, growing steadily from a thick green and purple stem that sported soft, heart-shaped leaves. It seemed to desire to grow, like it actively reached up towards the sunlight to drink it in. 

 “It is not about the danger it may pose to us, but rather the danger it faces just existing.” Strange joined Mantis in looking at the Bloom, eyes flickering towards the couple's joined hands, before landing on their creation. A rush of anxiety flooded Mantis, unexpected and harsh, to the point where her breath hitched. She felt that Loki experienced the same sensation despite their lack of empathic powers, and looked up at them in concern. 

 “The consummate combination of magical powers can result in either absolute calamity, or brand new magic. Clearly, you two are compatible, because this... Life, that has emerged, is a new magical source, a very very powerful one.” His eyes were transfixed on the bloom, as if mentally deconstructing its magical properties. 

 “Is it in danger then?” Mantis pushed, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, unable to shake the feeling she and Loki both still shared. 

 “It will be if we don't find a means of guarding it, yes. This sort of thing, especially when new, is extremely vulnerable to magic users who depend on physical sources to do their work. Due to that need, there is a market for things just like this, and a whole slew of people whose job it is to find them.” Now he began to move, straightening his back and starting to motion his right hand in a circular pattern clockwise. 

 The golden sparks of the portal spewed and vanished in waves as it increased in size, and Strange reached in with his free hand to retrieve a spade, the flat of it a glowing emerald material that Mantis did not recognize. Despite her trust in him, the knowledge of what the tool was for made her jump. 

 “Wait! What are you doing?” she cried, watching the portal vanish and the Sorcerer kneel casually to the ground with the new tool. 

 “We have to take it somewhere it will be safe. This will help us uproot it without damaging it or harming it.” He said calmly, studying the ground around it to determine where best to start. 

 “No, wait, I agree with Mantis, do not remove it.” Loki stepped forward and put a hand on Strange's shoulder to stop him, dropping Mantis’ in the rush. 

 “We are in Yggysgard, this is my realm. I cannot imagine a safer place for it to be than here in Asgard, near my throne.” Their tone was proud again, but there was an edge to it that threatened the Sorcerer to even try to dig it up. 

 “The Sanctum Sanctorum is designed specifically to house items such as these.” Strange stood and rolled Loki's hand off his shoulder, clearly disagreeing. 

 “And how often does it get ransacked or at least partially destroyed? It's contents attempt to escape from within? I don't think so.”

 “The room I would keep this in can only be accessed by me, The Sorcerer Supreme. And by that logic, when was the last time there was a full-scale military attack on Asgard? Enemy spies? Magical attacks?”

 “I am the ruler of Asgard, and since I have assumed that role, the threats against it have dwindled and cowered one by one!” 

 Mantis sighed and furrowed her brow as they began to shoot back and forth again, quip after jab. Strange's voice got tighter, rumbling louder as he got more emphatic, and Loki's voice just continued to rise in pitch until it cracked slightly. 

 “Do not let your pride and a bit of coincidence fool you into thinking you can protect this alone.” The Sorcerer pushed, shaking his head. 

 “I am Loki, God of Mischief and Stories, Lies and Time, Ruler of Asgard, and may I remind you, that the multi-verse you traverse, the worlds you have seen, and even the time lines you have sought to avoid in utter terror, were all held together by me! I alone had the power to maintain worlds in my grasp and bring them back to life! I have even held your position, do NOT imagine yourself so Supreme as to believe you are more capable of defending this power, than ME!” Mantis and Strange both blinked, staring as Loki only seemed to grow in size, while in reality only their power itself rose and burst forth from them. 

 It was true, she thought to herself, remembering with a shock that they were in no way bluffing, about any of it. Loki, a Loki at least, had maintained the time lines single-handedly, and this being could wield that same amount of power if they so wished. Though they claimed the doings of many of themselves, they were still capable of all of those things. There was surely no rebuttal, she thought, that the Sorcerer Supreme could conjure; nothing he could say to refute the honesty of the God of Lies. 

 “Your variants’ actions forged a double-edged sword. We have our lives, which I do thank them for, but we still have the multi-versal conflict that threatens us now. But please, do forgive my impertinence, I only wished to protect a child of Loki.” he conceded, swiftly summoning a portal and returning the clearly enchanted tool back to wherever he stored it. Done with a flourish, he set his gaze back to Loki with an expectant expression. 

 “It's not-” Loki started, jaw set and eyes leaving the Bloom to meet Mantis’ gaze before they continued, “Despite my being perfectly capable, I do not believe you are right in saying that I would be protecting it alone.”

 Mantis flushed, mind racing as she felt them fill with pride at thinking they put Strange in his place, as well as claiming their creation. It was overwhelming, the weight of implied responsibility, and she did not know what to say to them. Eyes wide with the uncertainty only infinite possibility can bring, she steeled herself for a debate. 

 “I will try what I can... Although I do not know how to care for such a thing...” she added softly, mind racing. She had a job to do, she had a family to return to. 

 “Do not burden yourself with things that overwhelm you, dear Mantis. You are afraid and that is okay.” The Sorcerer's words were soothing, but she knew they were partially hollow. She had to take responsibility for this, but she struggled to imagine how she could be consistent. 

 “The Guardians need me, I cannot abandon them, but I do not wish to abandon this either...” She was firm, looking at Loki as if the words pained her. They did pain her, feeling an ache in her chest as she looked at their creation and imagined being so far from its presence. At the same time, the idea of being separated from the Guardians made her ache just as horribly. 

 “We are not asking you to give anything up. You are not bound to this place, you are free to come and go as you need, Petal... I simply mean to say that I do not imagine you abandoning this.” they gestured between themself and the flower, forehead pinched in consternation at her evident internal conflict. 

 “And Loki will not be alone while you are gone, either. I want to help however I can to ensure it remains safe here.” Strange announced, without asking Loki if they agreed to the arrangement, and she saw the god bristle as much as she felt it. 

 “Stephen-” the god started but the Sorcerer would not let them refuse. 

 “No, Loki, I will be here, weekly if that is the most you will allow, but I would prefer every day; I refuse to let you deny my offer. This is powerful, new magic.” He was firm, expression stern, and Loki sighed heavily in exasperation, but ceased to argue under the Sorcerer's stubborn gaze. 

 Once more she looked at the Bloom and wondered how they would keep it safe. She felt relieved to know that both Loki and Stephen would be keeping vigil, more so that the Sorcerer Supreme himself would be willing to. Under his care, surely whatever this was could thrive. They just had to find a way to conceal it. Many people came to the gardens, this was not a fully private place, and they could not restrict people entirely. It would be difficult to maintain its safety here, let alone keep it secret. They had to consider everything it may be in order to keep it hidden. 

 “You... called it a ‘child of Loki’, is that really what it is?” Mantis asked, an odd feeling in her belly as she considered it. It seemed almost as if the Bloom itself agreed. She was dawning on understanding now, eyes widening as she looked at the flower and noted its presence. 

 “Technically yes, but I can sense from it that a great deal is like your power, Mantis. Loki's magic acted like an energetic anchor, as well as a catalyst, but your power was the fuel. This Bloom is an amplified pocket of life energy, mixed with Frost Giant sorcerery, bolstered by Asgardian magic, and fortified by the bond you sealed. Its will is that of the Life Force, but it is as changeable as Loki. This is a physical manifestation of your bond, and I believe it may become like a tangible focus for it.” 

 As he explained, Mantis sensed jealousy from him, none of which showed on his face, but it surged through as burning red again. It was difficult to tell whether the jealousy was directed at her, or at Loki, and that made her flustered. There was something lonely and desperately hungry inside him, that made her wish to comfort him. Still, as he spoke, she tuned in to the presence of the Bloom, realizing it already was a focus, or at least an amplifier. This was what had been making her sense them so strongly all day. 

 “Thank you, Stephen Strange, for helping us make sense of this situation...” Mantis acknowledged, half bowing in gratitude. She did not know what to do now, feeling both relieved to understand what it was, and dumbfounded by how much she still did not yet comprehend. 

 Quietly she considered what to do with what she had realized. Should she tell him what she was experiencing? Would he close himself off? Would Loki be angry that she was sensing so much as well? What about the Bloom's feelings? What did it comprehend? Was she a mother? This was not how she thought that would ever go. Her heart pounded as her mind raced, processing this responsibility. She felt Loki locked in a cycle of their own, their emotions mirroring hers, and she once again reached for their hand. 

 After several days of bad attitudes, disappearing, and minimal eye contact, Loki laced their fingers together of their own volition, and Mantis felt the tension leave their bond like a knotted muscle finally relenting to massage. The god seemed relieved to have a place to start, but clearly rattled by the prospect of the new responsibility they had created. Mantis understood completely. Looking between Loki and Strange, she took in their micro-expressions, sensing their emotions as they tried to control their body language. With a new grasp on how much she could sense, Mantis focused on the way both of them looked at each other. 

 “I believe the best thing for now is to find somewhere for the three of us to plan and think,” Strange offered up, “the Archives perhaps, surely there is something there?”

 “They would have little on where or how we could keep it... Believe me I've read the whole thing... But we can certainly think in my study.” Loki motioned towards the palace in the distance, the sun just starting its descent in the sky and glaring off the white and gold architecture to make bright points of blinding chromatic light. 

 “Let me portal us there.” He began to wave his hand again, eyes closing as he concentrated on what he was doing, lips moving slowly as he whispered memorized incantations. The wave of unbridled self-assuredness from the Sorcerer made Mantis shiver, and she noted Loki's adrenaline response. 

 “You don't know where-” 

 “I'll find it.” 

 Mantis waited patiently, biting her lip and watching Loki as they watched the Sorcerer. Their expression was a mix of appreciation and annoyance and once more, she saw the god fixated on the man's lips. She kept watching their face, hand still gripping theirs tightly, and once again she felt the undercurrent of lust swell. That confirmed it, seeing Loki try to hide how their eyes soaked in the man as he worked. It almost made her actually giggle to see them so clearly enjoy watching the Sorcerer wield his magic. She could not wait until she had the opportunity to tease them for this. The moment passed as the portal opened fully, large enough for them to walk through, directly into a cozy-feeling room with a large hearth, and a massive walnut desk.

 “Loki, be a dear and get my tome please.” The Sorcerer's voice was cool, until he clearly noticed his phrasing. Mantis blinked rapidly as she felt his embarrassment. Beside her, she felt Loki immediately move to do as they were asked, and she swallowed the giggle that bubbled at the back of her throat. Nothing could hide how her antennae glowed with her mirth in seeing and sensing it so clearly now. She just wondered why, despite their attraction to one another, Strange was so angry, and why Loki was being so avoidant. They had never seemed to struggle with flirting before, even in front of her. 

 The book now carefully wrapped in its cloth and cradled expertly in Loki's arms, they stepped through the portal one by one. Loki entered first, easily stepping down into the comfortable air of their own space. Mantis followed behind, recognizing the consistent and beautiful architecture of the Palace, but not the specific room. Strange stepped through last, and allowed the portal to close in a whirl of sparks just as the last of his cape brushed through. 

 Huge shelves lined the walls, laden with globes, tomes, and scrolls. Books were bound in deep blues and greens, their spines decorated with gold leaf. Despite the age of the space, not a speck of dust covered any of it, and easy light emanated from chandeliers that hung low from an impossibly high ceiling. The hearth already had a fire blazing in it, with seating angled around its focal point. 

 Behind the desk was a lush looking chair with a high back, the left arm scratched as if something hard were constantly dragged across the hardwood near the handhold.

 “I'm not sure how I feel that you took the time to actually find this...” Loki mused dryly as they stepped through the portal, feet landing on the soft rug they had personally chosen. The portal let them out a few feet in front of a large window that faced the gardens, letting light flood the space and fill it with warmth. 

 “It wasn't that difficult to find, I’m less sure how I feel that you have a bed in your study.” The Sorcerer stated coolly as Mantis stepped through the portal, and closed it behind himself after passing through. 

 Mantis, turning quickly to take in the very different environment, saw what Strange meant when she spun to see the opposite end of the room. At the far corner, a large, round bed sat, draped with green silks from far above, its foot covered in a large multi-coloured fur. The implications were either entirely innocent or extremely telling of her lover. 

 “Oh, I'm forbidden from not wanting to walk all the way to bed?” Loki whined, setting the tome on the desk and removing their helm, dark curls falling out over their shoulders. They strode across and set it directly on the arm of the chair, and Mantis smiled softly as she watched them run their fingers through their hair. From next to her she felt Strange watching Loki too, and once more she felt that golden feeling from him. Every moment that passed made her feel more and more amused. Everything she sensed, everything she saw, it was clear that neither of these two would ever admit they found each other attractive, or at least they both refused to be the first to do it. 

 The seating in front of the hearth was calling to her after so long on her feet; a large chaise lounge and two arm chairs, all upholstered in deep blue, were bathed in the warm firelight. Mantis chose one of the arm chairs, kicking her shoes off and pulling her legs up to sit with them under her on the large cushion. She found that every piece of furniture in Asgard made her feel tiny, clearly designed for a much larger person on average, and she made herself very comfortable. From her place in front of the fire, which seemed to be magical based on its purple and blue colour, Mantis watched the two resume their dance around each other. 

 “You are a god, Loki, as you just so thoroughly reminded us. Why don't you use your godly power and just... Teleport yourself there?” Stephen grinned, opening a portal and removing his cape, letting it fly itself through and closing it behind wherever he had sent it. 

 “Have you never been so tired you can't bother to cast a spell?” the god's tone was shrill and perturbed. 

 “So you don't keep some sort of constant holy vigil over your realm? You admit that you get tired?”

 “No, technically I implied that you might, which you dodged by the way.”

 “No, I don't get so tired I can't summon a portal back to my bedroom, the room specifically set aside for me to sleep in-- where I never have people I may do business with.”

 “I'm surprised there isn't direct monetary exchange done with everyone who visits your bed chambers...” Loki mumbled. 

 “I'm decidedly unsurprised that someone of your reputation would blur the lines of appropriate decision making.” Strange punctuated his statement by pushing up his sleeves slightly and crossing his arms over his chest, chin tucked down as he scowled at the god. 

 She swore they could not go five minutes without bickering. The concept of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object came to mind, something Rocket had once said to tease Peter when he was trying to woo Gamora. At the time she could not figure out which he meant; at this moment though, she knew that Loki was far too stubborn to budge, and Strange would never stop pushing. Loki was being unfair to accuse Strange of needing to pay for companionship, but the Sorcerer was also lying about something he said, and she narrowed her eyes at them both. 

 “Unless your arguing is going to summon a solution, maybe you should stop fighting, and figure out how to keep the Bloom safe.” Mantis interrupted in exasperation. Both of them paused, mid glare, and softened as they looked at her. They both knew she was right, and found seats with her by the fire, the sting of her reprimand clear in both of their posture. 

 Strange sat tall, knees spread wide with his hands folded in his lap, and positioned himself forward, leaning towards the fire in the other chair. He seemed to fit perfectly in the large seat, proportioned as well as an Asgardian, and to Mantis he was beginning to be just as tempting. 

 Loki chose to recline, transforming their armor into a well-tailored green and navy tunic. Runes embroidered in gold reflected the firelight, and it made Mantis wonder what they meant. The softer, more breathable material let them sit back and stretch out, staring openly at Mantis just as openly as she watched them.

 “Is there something you need, Petal?” they raised their eyebrows, smiling softly. Clearly they were feeling some of what she was noticing. Mantis rested her head against the back of the chair and looked towards the fire. She could still sense both of them intensely, and ever since they had entered this room, Strange's anger had been slowly increasing, along with a tide of other less desirable feelings. Loki's emotions were much more unpredictable, cycling through annoyance, desire, anxiety, and amusement without a pattern that she could deduce. There had to be something to break the tension before she did it herself. 

 “I wouldn't mind some of that Asgardian wine I tried the other night!” She grinned, remembering just how little was enough to let her dance all evening. Right now she felt vaguely like she could use something to take the edge off of whatever emotions were radiating from The Sorcerer Supreme, feelings that were making her worried. 

 “We do need you conscious, darling. Why not some human wine. Stephen? Want anything?” Loki flicked their wrist, a table appearing in the center of the seating area, laden with two goblets, a bottle of what was clearly a good Earth wine, as well as a large carafe of the wine she had originally asked for. 

 “That's not fair-” Mantis pouted at first, but sighed in acceptance after the first sip, Loki handing her the cup without ever visibly pouring it. 

 “... Do you know how to make a Mai Tai?- You said anything...” he gestured vaguely, sitting back and mirroring Mantis’ more relaxed posture, giving Loki an ornery smile. 

 “Mm... I did, didn't I...” The god hummed, their eyes seeming distant for a moment, before they snapped their fingers and the mixed drink appeared on the table, glass frosty with a tiny umbrella to boot. Doctor Strange laughed and took the glass, sipping and giving Loki a curious look. 

 “This tastes like-” 

 “Mm... A familiar pour? Yes... You're welcome.” the god winked, their own goblet now in hand, and a swig clearly having already warmed their heart. Mantis smiled, sensing that Loki did wish, in their own way, to show their appreciation for the Sorcerer's help. They did a poor job of showing it for certain, but despite their arguing and rivalry, Mantis sensed Loki's strong affection for the human man. 

 The three of them sat quietly for a moment before Loki began to muse, and both the Trickster and the Sorcerer chose to finally put their great minds together, rather than pit them against one another.

 Hours later, the sun was kissing the horizon, and Mantis had gotten lost in all of their ideas. She understood most of what they said, but got distracted by anything and everything. Loki kept playing with their hair, and the pen they kept using to jot things down had traveled in a loop between their hand, behind their ear, and between their teeth. Somehow they had managed to get a tiny smudge of ink along their cheekbone, and instead of telling them, Mantis reveled in the fact that they were sort of getting grungy. Their tunic had even become unbuttoned as their wine dwindled, and though they were obviously still clear-headed, there was enough flush to their cheeks to make them look sweet. She had only finished one glass, nursing the second as she got distracted, sitting with just the happy warmth and fuzziness alcohol brings. As the wine worked its magic, she watched both of them, their consistent back and forth enough of an excuse to look directly at them. 

 The Sorcerer had run his hand through his own hair enough times that now a large chunk was falling forward into his eyes, defying his will for it to stay back as he leaned over yet another very large book. His sleeves were pushed up past his elbows, and his fingerless gloves sat on the corner of the desk, threatening to slip off. After his Mai Tai had disappeared, he had taken to Loki's wine as well, seemingly just as capable of handling it as the god. 

 The entire time, she felt Loki's desire simmering low and consistent. They stole glances at the Mystic when he was casting a spell, eyes fixed on his lips. They were distinctly enamored with Strange's hands as well, and even worse at hiding it; they would zone out watching his hands work while chewing the inside of their lip. Strange was just as bad, although for him it showed in how his fingers twitched at the sound of Loki's voice offering another suggestion, and how once the sun turned the sky orange, his green eyes sought the best angle at which to see both of them in the light of the window. He thought he was clever ‘reading’ by the fire, but she had sensed his eyes on them while the magically-bound duo were leaning over the desk. 

 Mantis herself had to admit, looking at The Sorcerer Supreme, he was very attractive. He was a unique person, strong-willed and powerful, and she had often found herself flustered when unprepared to be in his presence. He had an uncanny ability to make her adrenaline spike harder by saving her, than the enemy had in the first place. She had spent a lot of time reconciling the difference between the adrenaline of battle, and real emotions. 

 Sitting by the fire she had finally determined that she did not need bullets and bombs for him to protect her from for her to feel drawn to him. Though she had never considered herself specifically attracted to older men, she had to acknowledge that despite his human body pushing forty-five, he had certainly aged gracefully. Something about how his appearance reflected his wisdom made her feel safe, like she could trust he knew what he was doing. Whether it was genetics, regimen, or magic, she didn't really care. He was broad and tall, obviously in good shape but not harshly so, and she herself would tune out of the conversation to wonder what the expanse of his chest would look like without that damned Eye strapped across it. 

 There was a point at which she found herself almost dozing off, an idea leading her to close her eyes, and the warmth of the fire and wine in her belly seducing her towards sleep. Light glinted off of the silver goblet that Loki had summoned, and the sudden flash woke her back up; that was when she decided she needed to use the restroom. 

 Finding her way there was unnerving, following Loki's directions slowly and carefully in the maze of hallways. Her journey itself was uneventful, but her mind raced with the problem at hand, as well as the tension that the alcohol had failed to cut but rather only lowered to a simmer. The way back was easier, but as she tiptoed through the echoing halls, she started to hear shouting. In the few moments she was gone, the two of them had managed to start arguing again, and she did not know what about until she stepped back into the room. 

 “What exactly are you even doing in that-” 

 “You keep lubricant in the drawer of the bed just for when you ‘get tired’?” Strange's voice was filled with laughter, and as she entered the door she saw him standing next to the open night stand, a small glass bottle in one hand, his glass in the other. Loki looked furious and red and in the face, clearly blind-sided by the mystic absently wandering the space while they were distracted. 

 “That is a sleeping draft.” Loki bold-face lied, righting themself and wiping away the ink they just noticed was on their cheek. 

 “Why would you need help falling asleep in a bed you supposedly put here in case you were so tired you didn't want to travel to bed?” Stephen Strange was smirking, and Mantis felt that he was itching to really fight. 

 “Alright, and what if it is oil? Do you want me to outright say I put it there because I plan to fuck her the moment you go back to the Sanctum Sanctorum?!” Loki yelled, gesturing to Mantis the instant she re-entered the room. She froze still, shocked by how explicit they were, and dumbfounded by what she had walked into.  

 “Loki!” she could not help but exclaim, immediately overcome by a combination of embarrassment, and an unexpected feeling of her own lust. She could feel Loki's desire potently, mixed with their genuine frustration. 

 “Be at least a little less crass, Trickster. Embarrassing her is unbecoming of someone of your wit. Don't drag her through your dislike of me.” His voice coming to her rescue made her feel more satisfaction than she expected. The red and gold fireworks and whirlpools returned, surging forth from the man like a beacon. 

 “I never said I disliked you. You are always the one who finds it funny to torture me! Do not forget about many of the cruel tricks you have played on me. Not to mention, I saw you ogle her when she walked out, then you go riffling through my things to make it worse. Excuse me for finding some way to make you just as uncomfortable!” Loki being so forthright surprised Mantis, feeling after several days as they let go of their chokehold on their own emotions. 

 “You surprise me.” Strange said plainly, his eyebrows raised in genuine but pleased realization. She could feel his embarrassment at being called out, but Mantis’ expression mirrored the Sorcerer Supreme's almost exactly. Knowing he had watched her leave made her flush, however, and she tried not to think too much about it now that the arguing had resumed. 

 God of Mischief, lover of Chaos, and connoisseur of the unexpected, Loki Laufeyson, was clearly struggling to express what they really wanted to say. It was Mantis’ turn to catch Strange in a slight, a frown turning down the corner of her lips as she realized Loki had informed the sorcerer that he had been their bully for some time, and he still had yet to acknowledge it. 

 “Stephen, they were not lying when they said they do not dislike you, but you did hurt them.” She said as she watched him close the drawer and stride back over towards the desk. He all but slammed his empty glass down, jaw jumping as he settled with his arms across his chest. 

 “They don't act very much like they like me, and I have my-”

 “Both of you, please, I have been watching you two do this all day!” She shouted in interruption, exasperated that they would still continue to dodge. The underlying tension was driving her mad, and Loki's lust, combined with how they had managed to arouse her, was perfectly punctuated by how every time Strange decided to make direct eye contact with either of them, he was red and gold all over again. Their feelings were impossible to ignore, so she would have to make them face them. She could not believe that the Sorcerer Supreme would also be so pig-headed. After everything she had sensed from both of them all day she just had enough. 

 “What does that mean?--” they spoke in absolute unison, pausing where they stood, the same defensive tone in their unique lilts. Mantis’ antennae flickered and straightened in absolute disbelief, her brow furrowed as she split her attention between them. Their indignant expressions matched, and she actually guffawed. 

 “It means, you, Sorcerer Supreme, need to apologize to Loki, because you've been an asshole. And Loki, God of Mischief, you need to think about why, of all the people who have insulted you, do you care what he thinks?” 

 As she spoke she closed the space from the door, brow still pinched as she found herself pacing the floor directly between them, pointing respectively up at them as they were addressed. Neither of them moved a muscle, both peering down at Mantis, clearly astonished by her brazenness. She swore someone could have heard a pin drop when she finished, and she could hear the deep breath Strange took to re-center himself, as well as feel the hurricane of emotions behind his eyes. She did not hear Loki, but she felt their connection surge with a potent injection of anger and more lust. She was going to need to have a long conversation with them about the growing list of particularly unique things that seemed to get them going. 

 The silence was extended, the two of them averting their gaze to the floor as they independently calculated the risk of honesty in this moment. It was a given that the woman between them expected it, no, she willed it. One little bug had two of the most powerful beings in the multi-verse squirming under her expectant gaze, and she knew it. Draw called, neither of them knew who should speak first. 

 “If one of you doesn't start, I will. I feel everything you are feeling, Loki. I also know what you are feeling, Stephen; just because you think you are good at hiding it, doesn't mean there aren't ways I can tell.” She crossed her own arms now, settling into a stubborn stance and waiting. She hated how long it took for either of them to speak. Loki's jaw jumped as they tensed, staring across the room at the Sorcerer Supreme. Stephen Strange held Loki's gaze without breaking it, still trying to decide if he should reason, or punch. Mantis sensed his conflict and gave him a stern, but almost pitying look, and he understood. 

 “I suppose I will begin then, as I do not wish to be seen as a bully. Loki Laufeyson, I do apologize for how callously I have treated you. I believe my energy has been... Misdirected.” The sorcerer nodded and ran his fingers back through the white band of hair that started at his temple. 

 Mantis smiled softly at Stephen Strange, glad of his willingness to yield, and pleased by the softening of his energy. A shield had come down from him, she sensed, as though he could accept that perhaps, if Mantis truly believed it, Loki did deserve more grace. It had been hard won, but she felt a strong sense of relief overcome her despite the anger she felt he still held. 

 “I... I accept your apology.” Loki said simply, breaking eye contact first as they turned and stepped toward the window. The sunlight had turned golden, the sky itself orange and purple, and the warmth highlighted the angles of the god's face through the impossibly clean glass. Silhouetted against the light, the usually harsh lines of their face seemed softer, and she sensed deep conflict as their eyes caught the light and seemed to glow. 

 Mantis exchanged a soft glance with Strange, searching his eyes to see if he understood. Instead of waiting for him to respond, she did not ignore the feelings she sensed from Loki. Closing the space took longer for her, but as soon as they were within reach, she gently wound her arm around their waist, and followed their gaze until she realized they were staring at the back corner of the garden. Green eyes locked onto a shaded patch of grass amidst high hedges. 

 “Loki, it is okay.” Soothing and reassuring, her voice served to at least convince them to lean into her touch. 

 “We've been here all day, all we know is that now we have something to protect. More to protect amidst this chaos; chaos, yes, my element, but not necessarily always my friend...” their tone was soft, regretful.

 Behind her, she heard the heavy footsteps of their friend approach at a cautious pace, and when they stopped she could feel the warmth of him to her left. As if her body decided independently, the feeling of him so close made her buzz with a sense of curiosity and safety. Between the two of them now, she willed herself to keep her mind clear and focused on the task. 

 “Loki, tell him...” Her voice was gentle and encouraging, arms holding them close as she no longer cared how affectionate she was to them in front of the Sorcerer Supreme. 

 “No matter what you say, I am a man of my word. I will keep it safe, we will find a way to work together to ensure it.” Mantis was reminded that before his mastery of the mystic arts and knowledge of the multi-verse, Stephen Strange was once a talented doctor. The way he spoke, soft and reassuring, could only be described as a very well-practiced bedside manner. She sensed as the Sorcerer's words did make Loki relax slightly. The god hard-wired to expect a double agent or split motive, was sated by Stephen Strange's chivalry. 

 “I... I do not ask for help lightly. 

Thus, you should consider yourself lucky to be held in such high regard, at least high enough regard to seek your assistance... My concern, what drove me to seek your counsel, was my desire to ensure that Mantis would be unharmed by this. I had hoped that my gut instinct was right... That you would wish to see her protected as well. As usual, I was right.” Loki gave a tight-lipped smile, barely turning their head to glance up at the man's eyes. 

 Mantis tugged at Loki, practically forcing them to turn so that she and Strange could both see their face. They were bathed in the sunset, and she could see it reflected in the green of their eyes. She sensed no duplicity from them, a raw honesty that sent a chill to her bones and made her shiver. 

 “I knew when you entrusted me with this, how immense the weight of what you were asking. Your lives are not something I take lightly, either of you...” Stephen admitted, the green of his eyes catching the light as well. Mantis sensed his desire to join them in the sunlight, to step into the last of its warmth and glow. She felt gold and maroon ebb from him, pooling and swirling as he slipped into the sun beams and stood ever-closer. 

 “Then why is it you insist upon antagonizing me? Why do you treat me as such an impish fool? I asked for your assistance...”

 “Because I am angry with you. Despite my understanding, and despite how I care. I am beyond livid, actually. With you for your lack of forethought.” Now they were getting somewhere, she held her breath against the way those words made Loki feel, as well as how it made the Sorcerer feel to say them. 

 “There are a great many things I have done wrong, I know, but I cannot understand why you would still hold it against me so. I know that this is a... A burden to you; but surely no reason to be furious with me.” Loki's brow furrowed, clearly frustrated at the idea that after all they had done to find some sort of redemption, they still were not forgiven. 

 “Helping you, helping Mantis, is not a burden to me, Loki. But when I said that you two were clearly compatible, I wasn't complimenting your physical or emotional chemistry. The fact that the gardens still exist means that your energies were in alignment. If anything had been different, anything-- Mantis would be gone... and even you, Loki, would struggle to recover... I have been angry because we could have lost both of you. I could have lost both of you.” The echo that followed his raised voice was punctuated by the heavy silence that only sick realization can bring. Mantis sensed as the Trickster and the Sorcerer had twin gut-twists, making her feel impossibly uneasy.

 “Surely not-” Loki looked horrified and nervous, gaze darting back out to the gardens with wide eyes, and back to the Sorcerer in shock. Nothing buffered the weight of that revelation to Loki, it was like trying to process the abyss. Mantis reached up and cupped their cheek, trying to meet their eyes as she sensed their distress. Her own fear at the implications made her shudder. She felt the Sorcerer brace himself to explain further. 

 “I'm not kidding. There is a reason that fertility and sexuality are a theme in much magic. The energy created by souls when they couple is unique, and when a magical bond is already present, those energies can either clash, or mesh. As unpredictable as trying to hit a wall until you phase through it.”

 Loki's breath hitched, eyes falling to Mantis as they misted with tears. She sensed their overwhelming guilt, self hatred bursting from hidden depths like magma and ash. The emotion almost overwhelmed her, making her hold them tighter. They really had not known that, had no idea that they were risking calamity, destruction, and understanding made them want to weep. 

 “Loki, no, I am here, hear my voice. I am here with you. We are safe.” She pushed calm to them, smoothing her thumb over their cheek. A chill of fearful comprehension ran down her spine, but she could self soothe by acknowledging it had not happened. 

 “This is the only time this has happened.” The Sorcerer Supreme's voice sounded odd, as if other-worldly, as he motioned between Loki and Mantis. Something in the air had shifted, and her ability to sense him dulled in how specific she could get, but amplified in how strongly he felt, even more than before.

 “What do you mean?” she was compelled to ask, somewhat frightened by the unreadable emotion coming from Strange. 

 “This is the only timeline where you two consummated the bond, it's... Unique, a pocket of time... That in itself needs studying actually.” He explained, his voice gradually drifting back into his normal baritone, grounded and warm.

 “Please, promise me that.” Loki looked and sounded horrified still, voice hoarse and heart pounding in their chest with anxiety at just how well they understood. They did not care about time pockets or the implications therein, all that mattered was that they still had her. 

 “I vow it.” Strange's voice was grave, and Mantis squeaked with the sudden force of Loki's embrace. Their arms circled her like a vice, and she shuddered as their breath puffed directly against her neck. In their grasp she felt her toes nearly leave the floor and she could feel their heart pounding in their chest as they held her tight.  

 “Stephen, please believe me when I say I did not know that... Foolish as I might have been, had I had an inkling of that possibility, it would not have happened.” their voice was partially muffled by her shoulder, but their eyes were fixed on the mystic. 

 “I believe you, Loki, I understand that now...” his jaw jumped when he finished, eyes falling to Mantis before he forced himself to look anywhere else. In the Sorcerer's periphery he saw as the god captured her in a celebratory, needy kiss, and he closed his eyes to it. Mantis tilted her head back far, letting Loki kiss her as the adrenaline from learning they had defied the odds made them both need grounding. It had been four days and this was the first time they had kissed her, leaving her feeling desperate to keep them right there. 

 “There's no... Further danger... Is there?” Loki asked after the long pause that surrounded their unabashed display of affection. Their tone was uncertain but their relief from the Sorcerer's absolution allowed them to think forwards instead of back. Mantis felt their desire renewed, their hand on her waist never left, and their grip was threatening to travel lower. 

 “No, you aren't going to detonate a magical nuke if you have sex again-- I'm assuming you likely already have. The bond was sealed and the source was created when you consummated your connection. Any other instances should be relatively insignificant... However, if there's some other mysterious magical property about another place you two have-” 

 “No no, there isn't... At least not because of us... ” they trailed off and ignored Strange's dubious expression. They ran their hand up Mantis’ back to cup the back of her head as they loosened their hold on her and looked directly into her eyes, wide and gleaming in the golden hour. She sensed as they intentionally felt an idea, pouring their emotions into their bond to communicate what they wanted wordlessly. 

 The idea made her flush, uncertainty fluttering in her belly despite the fact that she had sensed Strange's desire all evening. Loki wanted them, both of them, and they admitted it to her now. The god had sensed her own desire at some point, and knowing they were on the same page had made Loki all the more determined. Mantis’ head swam with their thoughts; the way Stephen cared made their hard shell crack, and their adrenaline from once again narrowly avoiding their demise made them want to bury themself in her to remember she was here and that they had her. They survived against impossible odds and to celebrate they wanted to feel alive. 

 The swirling tempest of emotions that had clouded both of their minds all day seemed to dissipate, and Mantis let the relief take hold. With the air cleared, her subconscious pulled the low-burning desire back to the forefront, and she knew there was no hiding how her antennae glowed. Now she just had to figure out how to get what they wanted. The Mystic's emotions had shifted too, his anger receding to the background as he reconciled the disparity between the version of events he expected, and the reality of Loki's honesty. He was conflicted and nervous, she sensed that it would keep him stuck if she did not try something quickly. 

 “Stephen, what would happen if someone else's magic got involved?” Mantis asked suddenly, trying to be coy as she turned in Loki's embrace and peered up at the sorcerer. She had not realized just how close he had gotten until she felt slightly dizzy at how far back she had to tilt her head to see his face. 

 “It's not exactly-- nobody can piggy-back off of your bond, the only other one with access to it at all is Groot. As of now it's entirely stable. Somebody else could certainly tap into the power of the Bloom, but I don't think we should test that. Only a very very skilled sorcerer should interfere with its development... But speaking of Groot, have you two told him? He may have some insight...” He explained, brow furrowed as if the question did not quite make sense to him, clearly focused on the original task again somewhere in his mind. Mantis and Loki shared a brief glance, mutual amusement bubbling between them. 

 The glance was not lost on the former neuro-surgeon, leading him to narrow his eyes and study them intently. To Mantis it was so obvious that she swore he had to intentionally assume it was not what they meant. His fingers twitched slightly at his side, his lips moving but no sound reached her ears, and she realized he was casting some sort of spell. She grinned the moment he smirked, making his conclusion. His sorcery ceasing as he cleared his throat, he ducked his head, turning his face from them as if shy. 

 “Is that how you two tell everyone you are attracted to them, only users of the mystic arts, or just me?” His voice was warm but uneasy, as though he felt he were guessing at what Mantis meant, but hopeful it was true. Mantis sensed he was more acting unsure than truly bashful. He had everything and nothing to go off of, but he would not be a genius if he could not deduce this, nor a master of the mystic arts if a quick divination spell could not confirm it for him. Stephen Strange would be a fool to not recognize a pattern so obvious, in two people so otherwise unpredictable. It was clear to her that he did not lack confidence, but he did feel genuinely flattered to be propositioned by the two of them. A wave of emotions hit her as he allowed himself to look at both of them again, and it made her breath hitch. 

 He was dominating, not aggressively so, but in a way that when he looked at her she felt like she just should obey, because she knew if she did she would get what she wanted. There was an uncanny sense from him that he already knew what she needed. 

 It felt like she had been electrocuted, the energy in the room shifting so dramatically that it made her head spin yet again, and every emotion stoked the burn in her lower belly. Her and Loki's bond surged with their surprise and intrigue, and she felt as that golden feeling from the Sorcerer Supreme turned from swirling eddies like a stream, to molten metal that seeped between the cracks of his shell and bubbled like lava. 

 “It strikes me as odd, sometimes, when you really do crack a good joke.” Loki's tone was mirthful, eyes unabashedly locked on the Sorcerer's lips now. She shifted with them, not wanting to let go, and feeling they did not want her to either. No part of her desired to be anywhere else, and as the Sorcerer shifted beside them, she felt as his warmth leaned slightly closer. 

 “Wordplay is only one of the many talents I have within my grasp, the least of these notwithstanding, I do know a thing or two about gods.” 

 “Oh you are good...” Loki murmured, forcing themself to stay still and not lean towards the Sorcerer like Mantis felt they wanted to. 

 “Loki, I take on soul-eaters and Eldritch abominations on a near-daily basis, if I did not know how to bring a god to their knees, I would have been breakfast for an inter-dimensional imp long ago. I was only waiting for you to admit that you didn't have a monopoly on wit.” 

 Mantis blushed at how suddenly their banter was brutally flirtatious rather than sharp personal jabs, and she blinked at how it flustered her. Although she enjoyed watching and sensing as they were finally honest with one another, she began to feel slightly left out. She felt as they slowly leaned inward, unconsciously letting gravity finally pull them in.

 “Oh-- but I certainly am the most enterprising. Do tell me, how does a simple human reprimand a god?” Loki purred, eyes soaking in the austere angle of the Sorcerer's nose, the furrow of his brow, and the white hairs kept close-cropped at the sides of his head. Salt and pepper had begun to dust through the longer part of his hair as well, and a few of those greying strands fell perfectly over his pinched forehead as he kept his gaze pointed down at Loki. Now that they let themself, they struggled to stop imagining how the mystic's goatee might feel bristling against their own five o'clock shadow. 

 “I'm still here!” Mantis squeaked, and her breath hitched as they both immediately snapped their attention to her, leaving her feeling like she might melt. She sensed both of their energies surge with desire, and it made her knees wobble. The alien woman had never experienced two people simultaneously focusing so much desire at her, and it made her shudder. 

 “Oh-- oh my...” her voice wavered, seeing as Stephen Strange's gaze fell to her lips, and she understood what he wanted. Blinking through the surprise, she nodded quickly in assent, the whole day's dizzying tension welling up in her and making her nearly pant to catch her breath. 

 The surge of motion was just as world spinning, overwhelming desire flooding through her as the Sorcerer Supreme leaned down to her. He deftly grabbed the back of her head in his left hand, eyes fixated on her lips, and pulled her into a desperate kiss. Using Loki's hold on her to his advantage, he braced himself on the god's shoulder as he plundered her mouth. Mantis hummed into the kiss, unabashed and immediately submissive under his dominating energy. He seemed as if he felt starved of this for eons, and his enthusiasm made her toes curl. 

 “Fuck, that is even better than I thought...” Loki breathed, brow furrowed and lips parted in appreciation at the sight. She felt their arousal through their bond, as well as against her hip, and she whimpered despite herself. Mantis felt like it was over all too soon, Strange leaving her breathless, only to immediately capture Loki in an equally searing kiss. She watched from below, jaw slackened as she watched with rapt appreciation. The two of them seemed to fight for dominance momentarily, Loki nipping at Strange's lips until a hand on the small of their back pulled them in and a low rumbling growl was more felt than heard from the Sorcerer. 

 From below, she saw how Loki instantly melted into the Sorcerer's touch, Strange's large right hand sliding up their back to cradle their head and hold them where he wanted them too. Mantis slipped her arm from Loki's side and grabbed at Strange's forearm, holding on tight to keep balanced in the surge. She was half pressed between them, but felt unstable on desire-weakened legs. Her mind felt fuzzy, losing track of where that feeling began, of being lovingly guided. The energy echoed back and forth between herself and Loki, like both of their heads went blissfully empty when Strange touched them. His skin was hot under her fingers, the direct connection allowing her to feel his domination even more clearly. 

 When he finally pulled back, he kept his face in closer proximity to Loki's, eyes drinking in their features as if to sear them in his memory. The god was breathless and wrecked, looking up at Stephen with a sort of reverence that she remembered well. The three of them together swayed, breaths uneven and heavy, anticipating what may happen next. They all seemed paralyzed with choice, and Mantis allowed herself a brazen lack of self control, fueled by the direct energy from their Sorcerer. 

 “What was it you said about bringing gods to their knees?” She asked, eyes wide and innocent as if to juxtapose just how lewd her implication was. Neither of them even slightly balked at her words, unoffended, and instead fueled by her enthusiasm. They were a mess of limbs, unused to the tangle of twelve very needy appendages--at least Mantis felt overwhelmed; they only managed to find their way safely to the chair at Loki's desk. Hands pulled at clothes hurriedly, Mantis the clumsiest as she felt both crushed and carried. 

 Stephen Strange fell into the chair heavily and let his momentum push it back. The space it created behind the desk allowed an extremely eager Loki to stand between his legs and pull at the cords tied around the Sorcerer's waist. His large, supportive belt unbuckled with the clinking of metal, and the well-worn leather easily fell open to allow access to the closure of his trousers. 

 “Too many layers... Might I remove these...” Loki grumbled, gesturing to imply using their magic, though they barely struggled to get exactly where they wanted. Through the layers they could tell they had been right again, biting their lip as they worked expertly at getting the buttons and zipper open. 

 Mantis agreed as she worked at his clothes as well, delicate fingers undoing the closures of his tunic until it fell open and she could push the overlapping fabric of his undershirt aside. A large chain, as well as the Eye it held in place, refused to yield when she tried to move it, and her brow furrowed in frustration as she tried to work around it. 

 “Not yet...” His baritone was rough but teasing, a smirk pulling the corner of his lips. Stephen shifted and let them work at his clothes, reaching up to undo any fastening he could find on either of them as well. Mantis’ collar unbuttoned easily, her chest piece unclasped and left to hang from one shoulder as he swiftly went for the closures of her bodice. Her arms got in his way though as she struggled with his accessory, and he took her hand and kissed her knuckles before helping. 

 “Let me, sweet one.” Strange gently lifted the Relic from his chest to allow her to move his clothes and lifted his hips slightly, letting the god tug down on his tightening trousers; he gave a breathy hum of praise as Loki finally released him. 

 He was already hard by the time his boxers were pulled from his hips and Loki and Mantis both flushed as they took in the sight of him, desire thrumming somehow stronger yet in their bond. His cock was maybe half an inch shorter than Loki's, but much thicker, and the red tip glistened with precum that already lubricated his uncut foreskin. 

 The Sorcerer looked between them with half-lidded eyes, gauging their reactions hungrily. Neither of them disappointed, faces flushing and brows furrowing in a chaotic and arousing unison that made him grunt. They both reached for him again, Loki kneeling of their own accord and crowding in between his knees to eagerly push his shirt up his belly, making room for their own splayed fingers. A trail of thick dark curls ran up in a line to just below his belly button, and it was clear that his chest and some of his stomach were adorned with varying amounts of dark hair as Mantis worked once more from above. 

 Loki dipped their head, mouth open and tongue flat to capture the tip of the Sorcerer's manhood in their mouth. Their jaw open wide, eyes locked onto Strange’s through their lashes as they closed their lips around his cock and applied the lightest suction. They used their fingers to slide the foreskin down, revealing the whole, sensitive head before swirling their tongue around it and truly getting the salty taste of his precum. The man in the chair accidentally knocked the helm from the arm as he went to find purchase, groaning in a combination of surprise and pleasure as the god expertly began to please him. 

 Mantis jumped at the crash but quickly recovered, ignoring it and biting her lip as she finally revealed more of his torso to them. The rumble of his chuckle at her reaction vibrated under her fingertips, deep in his chest. She shoved the fabric aside to reveal what she could of the center of his chest and stomach, and ran her hand across the firm expanse, feeling the dark hair as she leaned in and kissed him. He tilted his chin to her and met her eagerly, right hand reaching behind her to grab her ass and pull her closer as his left reached behind Loki's head. 

 The Sorcerer's hand on Loki's neck served to hold them there, guiding them to stay just where he wanted them as the god sucked his cock. Loki breathed through their nose deeply as they let their jaw open fully and Strange's member hit the back of their throat with a thick gag. Mantis could feel Loki's arousal spike again, whimpering on their behalf into her own kiss and reaching to stabilize herself with her hands on the Mystic's shoulders. 

 “Loki, be a dear and get rid of these clothes now...” Strange managed, finding space for his words as Mantis’ mouth slipped from his and down his neck. 

 Specificity utterly absent, Loki opted to remove all of their clothes, snapping their fingers above their head and relocating the items in a jumble of blues, browns, greens and reds. Mantis flushed, a sudden chill overcoming her despite the hearth, and she reached once more for the warmth of their Sorcerer. The bare planes of his chest and stomach were finally bare and welcoming to her, adorned only by the Eye of Agomotto. His muscles moved beneath a soft layer of flesh that highlighted his definition as he removed the magical artifact and gently set it on the desk.

 She was revealed to him fully as well, flushing as everything was laid bare to the Sorcerer at once, but reveling in how he very clearly liked what he saw. His eyes roved her body like an art expert would a sculpture, but she did not feel like her worth was being appraised, but rather entirely, wholly appreciated. He yearned for her, like part of him reached out to her with an impossible familiarity. That familiarity made her shudder as she sensed his overwhelming passion and desire for her; deeper than lust, nothing as simple as human love. She did not know what to make of these feelings, shivering as if to release the way they made her feel. 

 His large hand, still on her ass, flexed easily with his arm to pull her fully into his lap, and the hand that had held Loki's head in place reached to guide her other leg across his thighs. Mantis bit her lip as she held on, knees sliding down on either side of him in the massive chair so that she hovered just over his lower belly. He was slouched slightly in the seat, allowing enough space for Loki to continue as long as Mantis did not sit back too far.

 “By the Vishanti... ” he breathed, words meant for both of them in rapt praise as he leaned up and began to press kisses to Mantis’ collar bones. Skilled hands began to explore the curves of her body, dusting over her skin and leaving gooseflesh as he whispered in a language she did not understand. The touch of his fingers on her skin felt practiced, and she felt a wave of unreadable emotions from him that made her breath hitch. 

 “So beautiful...” he whispered, goatee tickling her skin as his lips traveled her curves. The scratch of it kept going upwards from her chest, up her neck and jaw to across her cheek and temple, until she whined at the feeling of his lips on her antenna. Mantis moaned loudly and almost sat back as she instinctively tried to bear down with want. 

 Loki hummed as they took Strange deep in their throat and got her ass pressed in their face. She was unprepared for how much they enjoyed that, as well as how the sensation of their nose pressing next to where she wanted more, made her shiver with frustration. The Sorcerer removed one hand from her waist, tongue running along the length of her antenna and making her whimper when he reached the tip. His free hand began to move in her periphery in a careful circle before he pulled back slightly and began to murmur. Warm light caught her attention, golden sparks appearing to her right and the floor beneath them seeming to begin to glow as well. Strange moved his head back as a small portal opened directly next to her face, and Mantis realized that she was looking through it to just below, where Loki knelt. Their cock now free from clothing, it had still been completely ignored. She did not hesitate to reach up and through, thrilled with how she felt Loki and heard them whine in pleasure as she wrapped her palm around them and gave the first experimental tug. 

 “Use your mouth, Mantis.” Strange commanded firmly, the hand he was not using for the portal slipped from her waist to between her thighs, and expertly located her clit with his thumb. She obeyed with a high whine, mouth closing around Loki's cock just as a thick digit was pressed into her dripping, pillowy cunt. She slammed her eyes shut against the wave of pleasure as his finger curled inside her and his thumb rubbed just at the edge of her clit instead of directly on it, making her flutter and try to clamp. The wet sounds of how her body naturally reacted to his ministrations made her ears flicker and flush to the tips of them. 

 Below them, Loki's eyes rolled back, gagging around the huge cock in their mouth as they felt the heat and wetness of Mantis’ envelope their own member. They were deeply satisfied by the level of creativity Stephen Strange seemed to have, as well as aroused by how willing he was to enact it so passionately. They could not recall the last time they so thoroughly enjoyed not being in control, and relished in how this arrangement seemed to be satisfying for all parties so far. The god gripped the Sorcerer's thigh with one hand, and reached up to grab Mantis’ ass with the other, eager just to touch her. 

 Mantis was moaning around Loki's cock, eyes squeezed shut tight as Strange’s long finger pressed all the way to the last knuckle and curled perfectly. She tried to focus on the familiar taste of her god, swirling her tongue around the head before swallowing around as much of their length as she could. She tried hard not to bare down too much, glad that Loki's hand even partially supported her, but her thighs shook against the pleasure she was experiencing. She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when the pressure withdrew, still buzzing with the attention on her clit, and losing all control as he suddenly added a second finger. Mantis and Loki were both vocal as she felt Strange's fingers fill her and drag against that rough spot inside. Her pleasured but gagged cries made Loki shiver and moan as they felt her whining around their cock. 

 She felt the wet warmth of a tongue on her nipple and her strength faltered further, free hand scrambling to hold the back of the Mystic's head as he split his attention even further to tease her small breasts with his mouth. Her weight ended up resting entirely on the strength of Strange's arm and in Loki's hand, causing her to fall back against the god’s face. Their cock jumped her in her mouth, overcome by the intoxicating combination of pleasures. Their pleasure, entangled in their bond, had lost clear origin, rolling through them both like a flood, and she tasted as they came hard on her tongue. Her body claimed the Sorcerer's fingers greedily, squeezing and shuddering around them as he still curled them and worked her through her first orgasm. 

 “I can see why you two were so drawn to one another...” the Mystic's voice was rough, rumbling with awe and understanding as he guided them both through their orgasms. Mantis swallowed and panted for air, feeling his breath on her chest as he allowed the portals to close free of any of their extremities. He reached his now-available hand to push Loki's hair out of their eyes as they pulled back to breathe. The Trickster rested their head against the inside of Strange's knee, peering past Mantis' shaking rear to see his face. The Sorcerer had not finished, much to the god's dismay, and they kissed at the soft skin of his inner thigh to earn an intrigued jump from his thick member. 

 “You're like nymphs...” Strange murmured, pulling his fingers from Mantis' core and looking directly at Loki as he drew them into his mouth and licked the taste of her from them. His chest rumbled with his hum of approval under her fingertips and she flushed as she licked the salty taste of Loki from her own lips. She leaned forward now, resting fully against the man below her, letting his body heat warm her and dispatch the gooseflesh that had risen on her arms. 

 “Are you still going to judge me for the bed?” Loki mused, voice thick with desire but laced with the joy they found from teasing. The joke earned them a hearty, delicious laugh, one that made them wish to continue to earn more from the Sorcerer Supreme, and made Mantis hum in satisfaction at how it rattled in her ear. 

 “I think I can look past it now...” the Mystic's voice was gravely but sarcastic, wrapping his arms around Mantis and gently squeezing her against his chest as he sat up in the chair. Now wrapped around his trunk, she breathed in the smell of him. He was so warm, but clean, smelling like incense, herbs, and tea with just the barest hint of aftershave. Something else lingered on him, dark and sharp, that told her not to think too hard about what it may be, and definitely not to sense it on purpose. 

 Loki stood, extremely confident in their nudity, and leaned over the couple in the chair with hungry, still-unsated eyes. Current reproductive organs be damned, the God of Mischief was not going to be so easily satisfied. They kissed Mantis' temple, hand resting on her lower back as they leaned heavily on the back of the chair with their other arm. They leaned so their face was directly above Strange's, eyes locked on his mouth as they soothed the soft skin where her tailbone and hips connected, tracing the dimples. They hovered there, teasing her, before brushing over her rear, and back between the mystic's legs to grasp his cock again and pull with a firm grip. 

 “I want to see you worship her with this, Mystic...” They purred, thumb swirling over the head, their expression daring as they made direct eye contact. The Sorcerer Supreme reached up, grabbing Loki's jaw firmly, and pulled their face in until their lips were merely a centimeter apart, his eyes incredibly dark and stern, but still kind. 

 “I will worship whom I wish, when I please, Trickster. Go lay down.” He did not break the god's gaze until he saw their eyes dilate in aroused submission to his baritone command. 

 “No- walk there.” he insisted, adjusting the order as he saw Loki start to use their magic. The god, mute with surprise and a level of submission that infuriated them, did as they were told. Mantis, still cradled against the larger man's chest, felt Loki's desire burn as they were bossed about like an underling or student. She bit her lip and pawed at Strange, noticing his cock hard against her ass, and she wondered with a mix of anticipation and nervousness, about how she would feel after this. 

 Loki made a show of their journey, swinging their hips just enough, crawling onto the bed on all fours when they reached it, and stretching out languidly against the pillows. The Sorcerer Supreme watched through his lashes as Loki crossed the room, eyes on their well-toned arse, and waited until they positioned themself with their legs sprawled, to join them. Mantis felt Strange's amusement and arousal at Loki's game, sighing with a reverberating hum as he stood and lifted her with ease. 

 His feet landed heavily on the floor, the sound changing as they went from the rug to cool stone tile, and Mantis rested comfortably against his chest as though she weighed as much as a cat in his arms. She looked ahead, seeing as Loki began to stroke their own cock back to full, eyes flickering between her and the way Strange's member moved as he walked towards them. 

 The Sorcerer gently deposited Mantis on the bed next to Loki, leaning half way across before releasing her, and using his position and forward momentum to crawl on top of the ‘Asgardian’. The kiss was fierce, Strange pinning the god to the pillow at their wrists so that they could no longer touch themself, and letting his cock fall heavy against their pale, toned belly. Mantis bit her lip and watched wantonly as the two struggled, enjoying how Loki arched their back and pressed up against their more dominant lover. Gradually, the greying sorcerer slowed, becoming more gentle as time went on, and kissed the god until they were breathless and gave no attempt to struggle against his hold. 

 When Loki finally relented, he began his journey downward, but instead of kissing down Loki's body, he whispered incantations. He summoned forth the sensations of both cold and heat in tiny, prickling bursts, focused on bundles of nerves and sweet spots, fingers tracing along the more defined muscles of their lean, tall figure. 

 Loki was not of slight stature, but Strange still had the uncanny ability to make them feel small, and in this instance, they reveled in how they were taken apart. Mantis could sense that Loki was trapped in a loop of hating how much they loved this, and loving how much they hated it, to the point where all they could do was obey. The contradictory emotions made her head spin, antennae glowing bright and drawing Strange's attention. 

 “Patience, dear...” he cooed, mid-incantation, and settled in a kneeling position right in front of Loki. He sat back slightly on his feet, knees pressed to the mattress as his thighs perfectly framed his manhood, and Mantis swallowed thickly at the sight. He was heavy, she could tell from how it dipped and brushed the sheets as he shifted Loki's legs, and the thought made her all the more desirous. 

 She found that she could not be patient, biting her lip as she slipped a hand between her own thighs and started to touch herself slowly, wide eyes fixated on her lovers and brow furrowed in focus. Strange raised an eyebrow at her, eyes falling to her lap and watching her unabashedly as he ran his palm down the inside of Loki's thigh. 

 “Mantis, could you help me, sweet one?” There was something clever and deliciously wicked about the look in his eyes as suddenly one large hand grabbed both of her ankles, and pulled her towards him so that she was flat on her back a full foot closer. She blinked up at him, gasping with the sudden movement, and she felt herself get wetter as her hand stilled in surprise. Her ass was on top of the fur now, soft and plush in a way she had never known fur to be, and she whined as she let her legs fall further apart. He used his right hand to replace hers, gently swiping through her folds like a masterful tease. His touch left too quickly, using her slick to wet his fingers before reaching to gently tease Loki's hole. The thought of it made her burn hot, brow furrowed in rapt appreciation, but being interrupted made her pout. 

 “Oh my-” Loki's voice choked off before they could even begin, gasping as the thick, blunt tip of the mystic's finger gently teased their entrance, and the bliss of being gently stretched made their cock leak against their own belly.

 “Shhh... Quiet, Loki... Yes, Mantis, good girl...” the Sorcerer's left hand kept her from continuing her ministrations, thumb gently replacing her fingers on her clit. Both of their legs were spread wide, tangled so that Loki's leg was thrown on top of hers. Strange used the god’s widely spread legs to his advantage, shifting forward and spitting on his fingers to continue to work them open. 

 “Remember that bottle I found...” Strange's tone was mirthful, looking directly at Loki and silently finishing the implied command. The god understood instantly, conjuring the bottle to their palm eagerly, and offered it to their lover. 

 “Sweet one... Help our Trickster get what they want.” His tone was warm but carried command and Mantis blushed, taking the bottle instead as he slowed his thumb to let her focus. Instructions clear, she gingerly removed the stopper and poured some of the contents onto the Sorcerer's fingers where they worked between Loki's legs. The new, consistent lubricant allowed his digit to slide more easily, and it sent a wave of bliss up Loki's spine as they relaxed. Mantis put the lid back as quickly as possible, hoping that once it was set aside his gentle ministrations would continue. As she settled back in she was rewarded and bit her lip as a wave of pleasure rolled through her again under his touch. 

 “Do you really think you can take me?” Strange's voice was a direct challenge to Loki, who only partially processed him as the feeling of being worked open made them shudder. They knew they could, desperate now to be filled and fucked, and tried to bear down on the barest hint of penetration that they got. 

 “Yes ah- Stephen-” their voice was tight with desire and frustration.

 “I can be difficult to keep up with...” his tone was low and rumbling, the brag both a tease and a warning. Loki broke into a grin even as their head dropped back and chin jutted in concentration on the pleasure. 

 “You bumptious-” The god started to spit back but was silenced by the curl of a finger making them moan. 

 “You are so wonderful-” Mantis whimpered as Strange pressed a finger into her core, pressing into Loki deeper and easing them both until he felt their muscles relax. The Empath squeezed her own breast idly, fingers pinching her nipple as she watched Loki's cock leaking against their stomach and they breathed through the pleasure, dark curls splayed chaotically on the pillows. Their hair only got messier as they tossed their head back and forth and it somehow made them more beautiful. Hands too unbusy for her liking, she reached and wrapped her hand around Loki's cock, her touch immediately earning her a whine of pleasure. 

 Her own pleasure was building again as the thumb on her clit brought her back to a searing burn, and before she reached her crescendo, he pressed a second finger into her carefully and curled them in quick bursts. Almost embarrassed, she felt as she grew wetter, body eagerly submitting to his touch. Sensing his awe at her was all that staved her from shying from the edge; She cried out loudly as she came around his digits, legs shaking as she orgasmed hard, barely aware of how he had gotten her there so quickly. Despite her finish, she tried to continue slowly pumping Loki's cock. The thick press of Strange's digits soothed her until the fluttering slowed, and then he slowly withdrew them. 

 “Stephen-” Loki's voice wavered as they spoke the Sorcerer's name. Their bond surged with desire and Mantis practically scrambled up the sheets to kiss Loki. Their hands reached for her eagerly, greedy fingers squeezing the soft curves of her flesh for purchase as she curled into their lythe form. Familiar rhythms set in as they kissed, catching their breath, hands petting comfortingly as Loki was meticulously prepared. The god grasped her and kissed her desperately, shivering from pleasure, but felt disappointed when she let go of them and threw her leg over their hips. 

 Loki broke the kiss as a fingertip brushed their sweet spot and they saw white, gasping as they furrowed their brow to the bliss. They rested their head against her shoulder, looking down between both of their splayed legs, her right leg now thrown over their lower belly so that the delicious curve of her ass was on full display for them, and everything else was on display for Strange. 

 “Please, please, Stephen-, I'm ready.” They could hardly stand the sound of their own voice begging, but they needed to feel their lover. The careful movements did not stop, but the Mystic did lean forward, expertly shifting his weight to rest on his left forearm as he lowered his head between Mantis’ legs and lapped at her core from behind. For Loki, he gently added the pressure of a second fingertip against their hole. 

 “Oh!” her voice was sharp, unused to the scratching sensation of facial hair against her folds, but quickly adapting as his tongue soothed and stimulated just where she wanted him. His nose pressed to the inside of her ass as the flat of his tongue hungrily swiped and scooped at the taste of her, delving into her core wantonly. Every so often he dipped his tongue down, swirling a precise circle against the sides of her clit before returning to suck at her folds. She whimpered, trying to rock her hips back and muffling her moans against another hungry kiss to Loki. The Sorcerer hummed against her, finally focusing all of his attention on her clit and letting his nose press into her as he coaxed another orgasm from her. 

 Loki was beginning to sweat, the sheen of it forming just at the top of their forehead. Trying to focus on kissing Mantis through her third orgasm, they were leaking against their own belly, wishing they could wrap their hand around their own cock, but unable to reach from how she laid against them. The pressure of her leg was not enough and they flushed at how it seemed that Strange was dead set on making this last a long time. Two fingers were pressed into them now, working so slow that they wanted to cry from how amazing it felt, and how frustrated they were at how much more they wanted. Just as they thought the torture would never end, they were blind-sided by direct pressure on their prostate until they were pulled over the edge swiftly, moan roughly from their throat. 

 There Mantis and Loki were, clinging to each other desperately as the Sorcerer Supreme conjured two more orgasms from them like it was nothing. His fingers curled and slowed as he saw Loki's cock jump, easing them through the high. Thick ropes of Loki's cum landed in drops and lines on their own belly as well as pooling against Mantis’ leg. Her own orgasm left her thighs shaking and hips twitching back against the Sorcerer's face. The bound pair whined into a desperate, sloppy kiss as their lover guided them both through their pleasure once more. 

 Strange stopped as they came down, slowly removing his fingers and magically cleaning them, as well as wiping her pleasure from his lips and attempting to dry his facial hair. Watching the two hungrily, he seemed to debate. Mantis sensed Loki's earlier attempt at making a demand was the deciding factor. 

 “You told me to worship her, with this, remember?” She looked back to see the Sorcerer stroking his cock and watching her hungrily. His enjoyment of his role was abundantly evident to Mantis, feeling his arousal spike hard as he moved above them and gently pried her from Loki. It took nothing for him to guide her into place on her back, kissing her gently and running reverent hands over the soft curves of her body. His mouth found her bosom, lips and tongue tracing the lines of her breasts and teasing her nipples until her whines were high and needy.

 “Be a good girl and help me clean them up...” He whispered against her sternum before he reached beside him, fingers wiping a small amount of Loki's cum from their belly, and presenting the fingers in front of Mantis’ lips. Loki moaned, watching as she flushed and parted her lips obediently, lapping at his digits until they were clean, and then pulling him in desperately for a kiss. 

 It was delicious torture, watching as their sweet Mantis mewled and begged for this man, but the only jealousy they felt was that of not wanting to wait to be in her position. The god watched with baited breath, lazily enjoying the haze of their second orgasm, and knowing that this was an intentional pause on the Sorcerer's part. He was too damned meticulous, and it made Loki seethe. Having caught their breath, they cleaned up the mess on their belly and Mantis’ leg, the flash of green making her shiver next to them, her ears twitching at the slight sound of it. 

 “Do you feel prepared, sweet one?” Strange's voice was low, his tone and demeanor with her notably different than with Loki, though his treatment of the god was still wholly affectionate. She nodded quickly, a lump in her throat forming as she peered down at his body and considered him with a mix of nervousness and desire. He was a very large man, and she a petite woman, and though she was very relaxed, she knew that this would feel entirely different than Loki. The god was previously the largest lover she had ever taken and she sensed that the Sorcerer understood that. He had an active desire to both protect her and please her, and understanding that made her even more desirous. 

 “Use your words, dear, I want to hear you say it.” He was encouraging, the length of his cock resting against her aching core as he leaned over her and brushed her hair from her eyes. He pressed soft kisses to the ends of her antennae, smiling at how it made her shiver. 

 “I am ready, Stephen Strange...” she breathed, one arm hooking around his neck so that she held his shoulders, the other reaching desperately for Loki's hand. 

 “Stop me if you need to, promise me you will.” he was so deeply genuine that she felt it well in her chest like a sob. Her antennae glowed with the strength of her desire and she furrowed her brow. Loki's fingers laced through hers, their lips pressing soft kisses to the top of her head as they twisted to cradle her, letting pillows prop them up. 

 “I will tell you...” her voice was soft but clear, and waiting was beginning to feel torturous. He shifted one last time, his body slotted between her pleasure-weakened thighs, and she tried hard not to move or do anything that would make him stop. It had taken every ounce of her self control already not to beg.

 The Mystic's strong left arm held him up, braced above her so that his hand cradled the top of her head as he used his right hand to help guide his long-awaited intrusion. His brow furrowed in pleasure as he felt her body welcome him at last, her nails digging into his back as he gently eased inside, paying attention to how her muscles gave way to him. 

 Mantis’ eyes pricked with tears, feeling breathless as the burn of him felt more delicious than she had expected, and her body reacted by becoming so wet she could hear it as he pressed forward. Hand now free, he rested his arm on Loki, fingers resting against the god's throat.

 “Oh, dear Mantis.” Her toes curled at the sound of his baritone so wrecked and raw in her ear, the breathy quality felt like a prayer. She felt impossibly full, brow furrowing as the pressure it created in her abdomen made her whole body surge with pleasure. He moved his hips slowly, until finally his hip bone was flush with her ass, and Mantis gasped and mewled with the pressure. He ground his hips upwards against her, letting friction work to tease her clit. 

 “Stephen-” the Empath's voice was high and tight, still trying to process how to move. Beneath the instinct-driven surge of his body she gingerly tried rolling her hips up to meet him, barely shifting before seeing stars and gasping as he stilled. Her muscles contracted hard, baring down on him in shock at the way the angle let him hit deep, and the weight of him inside her made her tense. 

 “Breathe...” he whispered, noticing her holding her breath, kissing her cheek and corner of her lips and remaining still until she listened. When she obeyed, the breath was shaky, but her body relaxed again, jaw going slack as he pulled his hips back slowly, so slow she felt every inch. She was overwhelmed with disappointment, her body trying to flutter around something that was no longer there, leaving her almost choking up. Before her eyes could mist from frustration he rolled his hips forward in one, firm, careful motion, and she saw white. 

 “St-Ste- oh! Oh my gooooooddd...” she was shuddering, her vision going white as the orgasm blindsided her and left her a panting, shaking mess. Mantis did not understand how he had done that, her mind muddled and confused as she whimpered and contracted around him while he rolled his hips gently to ease her through it. Soft touches from Loki kept her grounded, their voice next to her ear whispering sweet praises. As her mind cleared she sensed Strange's emotions heavily, gasping as he seemed to take Loki's earlier words to heart, truly aiming to worship her. 

 He was in pain, but he did not care, because it brought him pleasure to see her satisfied. He felt fear, but not so much that he would run from what he wanted. His desire to please them was more than tantamount to everything else, even his own pleasure. There was a deep-seated satisfaction that he felt, like returning to a clean home after a long journey, but better, fulfilling a hungrier desire. The way his physical weight fed into the weight of his emotional depth made her breath hitch, and she held on all the tighter. 

 Loki wished they could capture the sight of them, Mantis pliant beneath the Sorcerer as he began to find a gentle rhythm. As she relaxed and recovered, she began to move again too, rocking her hips to meet his thrusts at an instinctive pace that mirrored his. The god watched as their lover's body reacted to hers and met hers, as if anticipating how she would move against him. If Loki had not known better, they would say Stephen Strange was almost familiar with things that pleased Mantis. The Sorcerer's understanding of her body and anatomy seemed to rival their own, rocking his hips and grinding into her so that with every deep stroke she whined again.  

 The burning had faded away quickly after that orgasm, and she wrapped her legs around his hips as she wished to feel him pressed deeper. The change in angle made both of their heads spin, the Sorcerer clearly not having expected her to have so wantonly locked him in, and she cried out as his cock pressed just where she wanted it. She felt his hand resting just above her head, flushing as she noticed the steady strength of his fingers faltered and his digits shook. 

 “Sweet, Mantis--” they spoke in unison again, Strange's voice absolutely wrecked, and Loki's surprisingly close to awe and appreciation. The god noticed the way the Sorcerer's hands shook too, taking the one against their neck in their own hand and kissing the shaking fingers, delicate and careful. Loki realized that Strange was so enthralled by her that he was not magically stabilizing his hands, and the thought of that alone was enough to make their cock throb all the harder. 

 “Look what you do to him, Petal...” Loki hummed, teasing but also praising. They whispered against the Sorcerer's fingers, using their healing magic to ease the ache. In Loki's other hand Mantis’ squeezed, intentionally letting them feel her emotions, letting them feel just how satisfying it was to experience their Sorcerer filling her. Loki smirked, aroused and enthralled, and to get even they took their joined hands and slipped them between the surge of their bodies, pressing them to Mantis’ lower belly. The god hummed as both of their fingers felt the head of Strange's cock gently resist the opposing pressure, and grinned wickedly at how it made Mantis scream with ecstasy. Their direct touch and bond let them feel the wave of overwhelming pleasure, her body reacting with more slick to begin to coat even more of Strange's lower belly. They were already hard at the sight, hole clenching around the loosened feeling they had been left with, still horribly unfilled. 

 “Yes, my darling, my Petal... That's it, look how gorgeous you are on his cock... Fuck you take him so well... Feel how deep he is? Pretty Petal, yes, are you going to cum for him? Yes? Are you going to be a sweet girl and let him fill you with his cum?” They were rambling, cock twitching as the wet sounds of Mantis’ cunt yielding to Strange's thrusts made them struggle between choosing which they wanted to be, infuriated they did not have a free hand for self pleasure. 

 “Please-- Yes, Loki.. Please, Stephen... Fuuck..” It came out in whimpers, feeling lost in all of it, losing track of her limbs and time, knowing she was drenched with sweat, and clinging to her lover as he fucked her over the edge again. Her antennae bounced with how his body moved her, tips glowing bright as her satisfaction grew. She was trembling all over, gasping for air as she found both her lover's faces pressed to her temples, their hands cradling her as if she needed to be held together. Stephen Strange grunted deep from his own chest, breath deliciously warm against her ear, as he was pulled towards the edge. The touch of the god's hand, their lips, the origin of healing magic to soothe the ache in his fingers, combined with how deliciously she tightened around him, was enough for him to give in. 

 “Oh, Madonna...” he moaned as if it were her name, a title of pure reverence, pressing deep as he came. Mantis felt the hot sensation of his cum as he finished, pooling in her core, her body's pulsing making it drip down to the sheets as the last of his thrusts drew it out. 

 “Darlings... Mantis... Loki..” his voice sounded wrecked, deep and husky from breathlessness, Loki and Mantis both shivering as the sound filled them with satisfaction. Mantis let go of Loki's hand, desperately wrapping both arms around Stephen's body and clinging to him desperately. Loki's arms reached for them, enveloping both as the three all found grounding in one another. Mantis and Strange came down from their highs gradually, the Sorcerer still bracing himself above her as not to crush her. She did not want to let go, leg hooked behind his as she pressed kisses to his cheek. She could feel his hand on her head shaking still as she caught her breath, furrowing her brow and turning her head to press kisses to whatever part of him she could reach. Much to her pleasure, he turned his head to capture her in a kiss. He was as breathless as she was, parting for air but still kissing her until his hand stilled gradually and he regained composure. 

 She was surprised, almost, to realize that he was very swiftly recovering, and she felt disappointed as he gently withdrew, cock still half hard despite finishing. She gave a clear pout of displeasure and Loki's lips soothed the corners of her mouth with gentle, understanding kisses. They watched as the Sorcerer laid down on the sheets on the opposite side of Mantis, resting his head back and catching his breath. The god hummed at the sight of the Sorcerer Supreme's body stretched out across the mattress, enjoying every line and angle of him. 

 Knowing the Mystic would need at least a brief moment despite clearly being still able, Loki began to kiss down Mantis’ body, very eager to continue in some way. Their firm touch made her hum and roll her hips again, giving them a wicked idea. They wasted no time enacting it, hungrily leaving open-mouthed kisses down her body and quickly sliding down until their face was between her thighs, and they were looking directly at how Strange's cum dripped from between her folds. 

 “Mm.. Loki?” her voice was dazed and curious, brow furrowed as she pushed their hair back and tucked it behind their ears. Her toes curled as they peppered the softest kisses to her inner thighs. 

 “May I?” their breath tickled her already well-attended core, and she bit her lip. Although she already felt like she was burning, she felt the temperature rise all the more as she saw and felt how badly they wanted to taste. Mantis nodded emphatically, aroused just by the idea, and renewed despite her stamina already being depleted. 

 Loki needed no more encouragement, groaning in delight as their tongue lapped at her folds and they got their fill. Mantis’ pleasure was familiar and sweet, but the salty taste of Strange’s cum was curious and unnerving to them. The god did not mind the taste, unused to something about it they could not place, and it made them hum in delight and curiosity. 

 “By the gods...” Strange groaned, drawing Loki's attention to the fact that he was stroking himself to the sight of the Trickster hungrily eating his cum from Mantis’ core. The Sorcerer clearly found the sight extremely arousing, and Mantis sensed a depth to his astonishment that she did not understand. The attention was all Loki needed to happily continue until she desperately pushed them back in overstimulation. 

 “Which ones? Most certainly me...” Loki quipped and rested their cheek against Mantis' hip after wiping their mouth on the inside of her thigh. The joke earned an eye roll from Stephen, now pausing his masturbation, but smiling softly despite himself.

 “How do you want me, Trickster?” he seemed to be getting worked up now, and Loki reveled in discovering what would really set him off. They gave a wicked grin as they shifted onto their knees, remaining on all fours between Mantis’ legs and arching their back dramatically. They stretched seductively and peppered kisses across her belly as they wiggled their ass just enough to tease Strange, making it very clear how they wanted him. 

 Loki half expected to be teased further, the Sorcerer Supreme seemingly bent on making them wait, but they were pleasantly surprised. A waft of patchouli and something as alien as the abyss struck Loki's senses as Stephen Strange brushed past them on the mattress. The weight of him made the bed sink as he settled on his knees behind Loki and leaned over them. 

 “You smelled dangerous just there...” Loki purred, looking back at him over their shoulder and instinctively arching further as the weight of Strange's hand swooped up Loki's back as if studying marble. 

 “Dangerous enough for you?” He cooed, the sounds of him working lube over his cock unmistakable to Loki's ears. They had no idea when the Sorcerer had grabbed it again, but they genuinely could not care less. Their own cock jumped, half hard from lack of attention, but eager to return to full under the Mystic's ministrations. 

 “Perfectly...” they mused, nipping at Mantis’ hip as they felt the dull pressure of something much thicker than two fingers at their ass. 

 Mantis watched from her place against the pillows, hands buried in Loki's hair as she looked up at their lover. In his position behind Loki she could take in the lines of Stephen Strange, soft and sharp in all the right places. His shoulders were broad and rolled with disciplined strength as he reached to grab Loki's hips. She perked her head up, trying to see past the curve of Loki's ass to see how the Sorcerer's hips tapered so deliciously. Her mind felt as fuzzy as the Mystic's forearms and legs, and she bit her lip thinking about what Loki was about to feel.

 “Relax, Loki, darling... It's your turn now.” The tone was soothing, more gentle than he had been to them earlier, and Loki let their hips loosen as their ribs flared forward. Their chest was pressed to Mantis’ belly now, face resting against her ribs and breasts. 

 “You are going to feel so good, Loki.” Mantis hummed, petting their cheek and watching as the god finally got what they wanted. Sensing their pleasure and watching as the god's body accepted the intrusion eagerly, she whispered sweetly to them. They were so beautiful, thighs shaking visibly to her as they were filled. The firm press and stretch of the Sorcerer Supreme made Loki's eyes roll and flutter shut, toes curling as they felt their body surrender to the intrusion. Mantis’ palm served to muffle a cry of pleasure as they were filled, and they moaned long and low as it just kept getting better. 

 “Fuck...” Strange's baritone rumbled in his chest, brow furrowed as he slowly pressed into Loki's ass. He was consistent and gentle, rocking his hips to ease the god through the initial stretch. Above them Mantis was cooing, petting Loki's face and brushing their hair back as they breathed, open mouthed, against her stomach. Their arms wrapped around her waist like holding her would brace them for more and they tried to bear back slightly. 

 The shift in angle was delicious, and Loki moaned as Stephen began to press deeper, still agonizingly slow and careful. Beneath them, their ignored member leaked against the sheets, the head occasionally brushing the satin and sending an extra shiver up their spine. They could feel Mantis’ emotions, like she was actively reaching out to them; they felt her as she thought they were beautiful, as she thought Strange was magnificent, as she reveled in watching them take their pleasure from each other and let the sight make her burn with desire again. 

 Her renewed interest encouraged them, and they pulled her further down the mattress with a small burst of strength. The way their core engaged made them tighten around their lover, making them shudder and groan, briefly losing focus on moving Mantis. After a breath, they used the new position to lap and nip at the curves of her breasts, Strange pressing deep and making them moan as they ran the flat of their tongue up her sternum. The Empath whined, flushing as the sound made her flutter around nothing, and she bit her lip as she processed their pleasure. 

 Strange hummed as he saw her antennae glow, her hair messy and astray about her face as she watched them eagerly. She was petting and soothing an already pleasure-high Loki, and he could tell she wanted more again. Slowly he leaned over Loki's back, finally bottoming out against the god's ass. The deep press earned him a delicious moan and a full-body shudder from the god as they were filled and the head of Strange's cock pressed perfectly against their prostate. Mantis could tell that Loki was slipping into a dizzyingly empty head space, the satisfaction of being full making them feel fuzzy. 

 “Fuck her...” his voice was low, arms caging Loki in from behind on either side, and his breath hot on the back of their neck. The god whimpered and gasped, breath coming out in a stutter as they considered the command. 

 “Please, Loki-” her voice was emphatic, desire potent through their bond. 

 “Who would deny that command?” Loki mused drunkenly, finding her nipple and pulling it between their lips as they dragged her lower down the sheets. 

 Mantis shuddered, eyes crossing and vision doubling with the power of their emotions. The way they both just moved her where they wanted her made her tingle in delight. She felt Loki's dripping cock drag across her inner thigh and grinned up at them, reaching down to grab it so they would not lose their balance. 

 “Do not crush me.” Her voice teased, looking up at both of them as she guided Loki's cock into position. They slipped in easily, her entrance wet with her new excitement and her core lubricated by the remains of the Sorcerer Supreme's satisfaction.

  Mantis' moan was unabashed, the unique weight of Strange guiding the thrust forward and controlling how deeply Loki pressed into her, made her gasp in surprise. She did feel crushed, but in a way that grounded her in time to juxtapose and soothe how raw her core felt from before. Reaching up she could wrap her right arm around Loki, her left extending past their head to cup the Sorcerer's face in her palm. Mantis was filled with joy as the Mystic turned his head and kissed her palm affectionately. 

 “Sweet one...” he muttered, brow furrowed and twitching as he concentrated on how to move. His control and precision made the other two sink further into that empty, primal headspace and just accept whatever he gave them; pleasure, ecstasy, bliss, all echoed in their bond as well as from Strange, and Mantis felt tears well in her eyes with the power of it. 

 Loki was a gasping mess, their hands whiteknuckling the sheets as the pressure against their prostate sent them over the edge yet again. They whined high and keening, trying to muffle it by hungrily kissing Mantis as they instinctively pressed deep into her. The rock of their hips forward made them bare down on Strange, earning a choked groan of pleasure from his chest. Still, the Sorcerer did not stop, and he shifted his knees to continue to press deep. All this did was serve to make Loki moan, loud and guttural, forehead pressed to Mantis’ as they locked eyes. 

 The way the last of Loki's movements ground against her brought Mantis that much closer, and as Strange fucked the god through their third orgasm, the increasingly eager thrusts sent the last pressure she needed to finish hard. She knew she was unintelligible as she cried out, nails digging into Loki's back, the hand on Strange's face sliding up to the top of his head and pulling at his thick hair as her body trembled beneath their weight.

 The sight, sound, and feel of it all was finally too much for the Sorcerer Supreme to justify holding on, and he let himself press deep and finish hard with a satisfying, animalistic growl. Mantis sensed an overwhelming level of satisfaction, the skin to skin contact they all shared making it impossible not to sense everyone all at once. The strength of it swelled in her chest and made her giggle as if drunk despite how out of breath she was. Her lips found whatever skin she could find, first Loki's temple, then their cheek, unable to stop giggling. 

 “Breathe, sweet one...” Stephen Strange's voice was wrecked but soothing, his hand reaching to run soothing knuckles down her arm. It did calm her, but as she clung to Loki she felt them giggling too, and it made it hard to stop. 

 “Oh goodness... I hope I didn't manage to break you two entirely...” the Sorcerer mused, easing himself back and watching with affectionate amusement as the two curled into each other like paired swans. His brow furrowed watching them, enthralled by how they seemed to move in sync, even their giggling momentarily fell into a pattern together. Their soft, pale bodies seemed to glow from the distant blue firelight, the sun being long forgotten behind the horizon. If he were less wise he would think the trick of the light was an aura of their bond; but he knew that was green, and he could see it, enveloping them like a soft caste as he eased himself onto the mattress to Mantis’ right. 

 “Mmm... No. We are just very pleased.” Her voice was harmonic, power channeling through her as she reached her hand for him. It seemed as though Loki could not speak, still warming inside of her and refusing to let go as they tried to catch their breath. 

 “Loki is very very pleased.” There was a tease for her clinging lover in her tone, and Strange knew their god really was alright; he had simply done a very good job. The three of them laid there spent, Mantis and Loki curled into one another at Strange's side as their giggles subsided and they began to drift between sleep and an endorphin-drunk stupor from their escapades. 

 Neither Loki or Mantis were very aware as they were cleaned up, unsure as to where the warm, wet cloth came from, but soothed by its touch. They were wiped up diligently, with practiced hands that guided them to separate and shift to a more sustainable position. The Sorcerer undoubtedly used magic to clean the sheets, Mantis noting that they felt unsoiled and dry despite her never moving off that spot. 

 “I'll get that-” Loki finally tried, their voice barely came out as a croak as they tried to lift their hand to remove the mess between their legs themself. 

 “Put your hand down, mischief-maker... You're too tired to cast a spell.” His voice was playful, warm hands soothing down their arms after all was said and done. 

 “Why are you so far away?” Mantis asked plaintively, her eyes wide and begging despite the fact that he was touching her. 

 “I'm not-” he started, but chuckled as she pried herself from Loki and grabbed him with eager hands. It was not a difficult request to fulfill, and he gladly reclined in the space between them. His arms outstretched, they both slotted themselves against his sides and on his chest. Mantis’ antennae brushed against his cheek, ear pressed to the left side of his chest as she nestled in against him. Loki pressed his nose in the spot right behind Strange's angled jaw, and breathed him deep. 

 A hum of satisfaction echoed in slight dissonance, but the way it finished as the three individually sighed, sounded like an intentional arrangement. Even the Sorcerer Supreme felt like allowing sleep to take him, but he knew better, so for the time being he allowed them to sleep while he thought, idly petting their hair and running his fingers over their soft skin. Their breathing was slow and even, letting him use their tempo to focus and meditate. Stephen Strange had to consider the repercussions of this decision, some of which he already knew. 

 “Very clever with the portals, Stephen...” Loki mused, interrupting the Sorcerer's thoughts. Their long, dextrous fingers danced across the Mystic's stomach as they stirred, feeling the soft, dark hairs. 

 “Is that a genuine compliment?” 

 “They are not lying.” Mantis confirmed for them groggily, smiling with her eyes shut. Now it was revealed that they were both awake, Strange hummed, knowing it was time to share his thoughts. 

 “Good, that means I can tell you my idea.” Both of them shifted, almost imperceptibly, but he sensed as their muscles tensed as if leaning in to listen. 

 “There were stipulations to you sharing your arcane wisdom?” Loki drawled, unable to refrain from a witty remark. 

 “Please tell us?” She corrected, patting Loki's wrist in gentle reprimand. 

 “I believe, with the right materials, we could build an arcane greenhouse; attached to the palace would be best.” He said after a pause, turning his head and tucking his chin to look down at Loki, who opened their eyes and raised an eyebrow as if musing to themself. 

 “You know... That may actually work... When did you think of that?” 

 “Do you want my honest answer?” 

 “I'm the God of Lies, I'll know if you're not.” Their joke made Mantis giggle, and she forced herself to open her heavy eyelids to look at them. She wiggled her right arm out from beneath herself and wound it up to rest her hand on top of Strange's where he held her shoulder, and fixed her gaze on Loki. 

 “I would too.” She was intentionally monotone, grinning at how their sorcerer rolled his eyes. 

 “The phrasing was perfunctory-- but now I feel as though I'm under threat.” His laugh made both of their ears buzz from so close to his chest, and how deeply it rumbled. Mantis felt refreshed by his genuine laughter and easy energy, trying to ignore how she had sensed he felt before Loki spoke. 

 “Please tell us, I sense it brings you... Relief and joy, we would really like to know.” Mantis pushed, patting his fingers. He hummed again, turning his head to really look at her for a long moment, eyes soaking her in. 

 “I figured it out when I saw how Loki held you...” she felt a surge of former sadness, like he allowed her to sense the feeling of the memory, in a way that she had never felt someone do before. She lifted her head, shocked by what he had done, but then lowered it as she acclimated to this concept, blinking rapidly to the sensation. 

 “My anger towards you had clouded my reasoning, something that now I need to meditate on...” he continued, tilting his head so that his temple rested against Loki's forehead, acknowledging them now. 

 “But then I saw a very different person... A Loki who had remorse... I can understand that Loki. I do not always agree with you, Trickster, but we will always agree on at least one thing: she is to be protected.” 

 Mantis’ eyes misted heavily, the strength of his conviction encouraging a lump to form in her throat, and she closed her eyes against the burn. She felt like her atoms may scatter from how the excitement burst between her shoulder blades, making her squirm and curl into him. Pure honesty felt like blinding sunlight, not white, not yellow, not a colour at all, but clear and void like all the chaos caused by lies had been erased; That is what she felt from him as he spoke. 

 Loki sensed her through their bond, reaching across to touch her soothingly as they experienced just a sliver how Stephen's words made her feel. They understood well what the Sorcerer meant, and they agreed, although not entirely, and they watched her with eyes filled with a sort of reverence. She could tell that Loki very much felt as though they could do better at protecting her than anyone. 

 “Do not think we believe you incapable of protecting yourself, sweet one, but rather understand that someone so strong and so good, is what-- who-- we will need in our darkest hour.” The Sorcerer's voice was filled with an understanding that eluded her, but his emotions were suddenly unreadable, and she chose to focus on what was rather than stress about the missing information; She would learn eventually what he meant. It was not lost on her that the sorcerer truly hoped Loki felt the same way. 

 Focused on his honesty, she pressed kisses to his chest, the dark hair tickling her nose and making her scrunch her face. She felt Loki's amusement without even opening her eyes, and decided to acknowledge his duplicity head on, by intentionally making them uncomfortable. 

 “Regardless of whether I need protection, we three have a greenhouse to build for my baby.” Mantis cooed sweetly, reveling in how her very intentional phrasing made Loki panic. The idea made her herself somewhat uneasy, but it was still very funny, and she just could not resist giving them a taste of their own medicine. 

 “Dear, it's not a baby, it's a plant-- albeit as beautiful, magical, and mysterious as its progenitors, but just a plant none-the-less.” Loki urgently clarified. Between them, their sorcerer chuckled, lifting his head to bend and kiss the top of hers, squeezing her shoulder and feeling the press of her still-naked body against his. 

 “Yeah, our baby plant. It's our baby.” she grinned viciously, giggling as her cheek was smushed against Strange's chest and her antennae bumped his cheek. The direct connection made her flush and sense his energy in an intense burst, shivering a little with how muddled his emotions were simmering beneath his amusement. 

 “Oh please, Mantis, would you stop.” Loki squirmed, their face comically bewildered. They knew she sensed them well enough to know when to stop, and despite their incessant refusal, their innate inability to choose left them stuck somewhere between the abject horror of fatherhood, and the uncomfortably mortal desire they suddenly felt to nurture this fantasy. She knew exactly how to make them truly cringe. 

 “Oh, Loki, don't be so anhedonic.” Strange mused, intentionally letting his voice slip down and get gravelly and serious. 

 “Yeah! Don't be so anhen-donic!” She repeated incorrectly, mimicking his deep voice as best she could as she tried out the new word with piqued interest. 

 “You don't even know what that means, Mantis.” Loki tried to call her out, but a small smile formed at the corner of their lips and she knew she had won.  

 “I know it means you're being lame!” she stuck her tongue out, still genuinely playful, enjoying this ability to tease mutually without second guessing if anyone was left with a bad feeling. 

 “There is a difference between so-called ‘lame’, and practical.” they rebutted, lifting their hand now and waving their fingers, a green glow emanating from their palm before suddenly a heavy, but surprisingly cool blanket settled onto them gently. 

 “Lovely you mention practicality, Loki, where would it be most practical to put the arcane crib-- greenhouse?” Stephen mused, intentionally slipping to keep listening and enjoying their banter, but still keeping himself on task. 

 “Dear me, how did I manage to find two such positively devious individuals to be stuck with?” Loki sighed, tone laced with faux exasperation, and let the weight of the newly summoned blanket begin to hold in their mutual warmth, slowly enticing sleep. 

 “I want you to repeat that question to yourself, God of Mischief.” Mantis giggled, half wanting to scramble across the very warm man between them, just to kiss the god curled up on the other side. 

 “Careful now, Petal, don't border on blasphemy.” they were grinning openly now, beginning to flirt. 

 “Alright, you two-” Strange's hand left Loki's shoulder, moving in swift circles to summon two portals, directly above both of their faces. 

 The light made both of them squint, but as soon as their eyes adjusted they were laughing, looking directly at each other face to face through the portals and realizing they would barely have to lift their heads to kiss. Happy to take the opportunity, Mantis leaned up and kissed Loki sweetly, smiling against their lips. This earned her a low hum, their lips slotted against hers softly, just adding to the fuzzy sleepy feeling that was beginning to pull at their eyelids. When they pulled back, Loki scrunched their eyes shut dramatically. 

 “They're so bright...” 

 “It made you be quiet, didn't it?” Strange chuckled lowly, letting the portals disappear and looking down at Loki. There was a long pause where he waited for the Trickster to argue, and he squeezed Loki's shoulder as if to get their attention. 

 “I did ask you a question, where should the greenhouse go?” 

 “I'd need to look at a map... N’Mantis knows more about plants than me...” they mumbled, breathing beginning to slow as their thoughts got disjointed. Strange turned his head to look at Mantis and found that she was already sound asleep, lashes brushing her squished up cheek against him, and antennae glowing ever-so-softly with the last remnants of her conscious emotions. 

 “Too late for that...” He chuckled softly to Loki, turning back to them only to realize that that had been all they needed to fall asleep too. Strange laid there and closed his eyes, desiring sleep, but not finding it, or rather willing it not to find him. He slipped into meditation, enjoying the warmth of their bodies pressed to his, and considering just how in the hells he was going to ever explain this. 

                                               ____________

 Logan had been sitting there for probably ten minutes, just waiting, to the point where he had considered beginning to tear up the room for the hell of it. Why in the hell had Galacta dropped him here right now? He had never been dropped into one of these things and waited for so long, but here he was. Just as he was going to say screw it, and leave the corner he had sat in away from the neon lights, he heard that someone else had arrived. 

 Sniffing at the air, preferring to know what he was stepping into beforehand, the Wolverine was hit with an unmistakable combination of scents, and as he processed them he struggled to wrap his head around the information. 

 First was Loki, a very unmistakable smell as it always pissed him off, and more specifically in this case, disgusted him as he realized what of Loki's he was smelling. The second scent that hit him was that of Stephen Strange. The good Doctor always smelled too much like herbs, and too much like abyssal something-or-other that he hoped he had not eaten. Once more, much to The Wolverine's dismay, he also smelled a similar thing from the Sorcerer Supreme. The last thing he expected, however, was to realize the third scent was the very floral sweetness of, of all people, Mantis. 

 Logan blinked, actually flabbergasted by this information. He expected no less from Loki, he could not lie, but Strange willingly going to bed with the Trickster was... Not on his list of ‘I can see it’ s. Mantis, he had to admit, surprised him too. He had already figured out that the two healers were always getting a bit too handsy in the back line, but he had not pegged Stephen Strange as her type, and had assumed she generally liked her partners much... prettier. Not just that, but she had seemed like the shy type when it came to that sort of thing. Peering at the trio before leaving the shadows, he came to terms with it begrudgingly, because honestly if she managed to get those two under control and doing that, he was impressed.

 “Oh- that's who's here! Hi, Logan!” Mantis’ voice was sweet and soothing as always, a smile on her face initially as he stepped into view. As she processed his expression and sensed his emotions though, her face quickly changed. A deep flush spread across her cheeks, and Logan saw as her eyes widened in realization. Beside her he saw Loki begin to process it as well, and the Mutant smirked as he remembered the damned Trickster and the girl had a magical bond. Oh this was rich. It only got funnier as he saw Strange give the pair a stern look. 

 “Well, damn, little lady!” he grinned viciously, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms over his chest as he gave them all a very obvious look from head to toe. He was practically beaming with how funny he found this. He watched as Strange’s eyes flickered in realization, immediately pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head as Loki fell out into panicked rambling. Poor Mantis just looked like she wanted to melt into the floor, a panicked hand waving him off as if she could deny it by staying silent. 

 “Logan, I swear if you speak a word of this to anyone-” Strange started with a sharp glare in his eyes. 

 “Oh I wouldn't dare...” he laughed and gave Mantis a wink. “But only for her sake.”