Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or even the idea that this came from.
The Stark Spectaculaire
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Stark Spectaculaire
Tony knew he should be helping the others set up for the show that night. Pepper had been threatening to make him stand in for one of the knife throwers as the target tonight if he didn't, but he couldn't look away from one of their newest acts. Well, if three to four months now counted as 'new'. Thick rugs covered the rocky fairgrounds under his feet as the magician moved around his numerous stage props, a rather large sword still clutched in his hand.
A sword that had very recently been completely down his throat.
Well, Tony had never really been much of a help when setting up the equipment anyway.
Not even acknowledging his employer, Loki set the sword down on the table - the final piece now in place for his show that night. The watcher's eyebrows raised as a thin dagger appeared in a long fingered hand between one blink and the next.
"May I be of assistance, Monsieur Loyal?" the magician's head tilted slightly in Tony's direction as he played with the knife in one hand, the other still flat on the table in front of him.
Tony straightened his vest as he straightened and took a step towards the dark haired man. "Finished practicing already? I'd be more than happy to help you with it if you need a little more variety in your sword swallowing act..."
"I have finished all the practice I have need for today, Monsieur Stark." Loki turned a little more towards the ringmaster, eyes never leaving the shorter man's face as another dagger joined the first in a dance between both of his hands now, each moving hypnotically and flashing in the sunlight.
"I thought you might like some practice, however," Loki continued, and Tony's eyes widened ever so slightly behind his tinted lenses as one of those knives flew just past his ear. "I am well aware of what faces you if you avoid assisting Madam Potts."
Tony turned towards where the knife had flown, keeping the magician in the corner of his eye, and found it embedded in the post he had been leaning on earlier. It wasn't really damaging the post, it was one of the large poles that all fairgrounds had so as to help the less fortunate traveling caravans set up, and the knife was only about half way through it even though it had sunk in to the hilt. He frowned slightly as he examined it, distantly noting that more of the same had appeared with Loki. It looked familiar...
"I'm sure that Miss Potts will get along marvelously without my help. She's never needed it before." He looked back at Loki and gestured to both the knife set currently fluttering around his hands and the one behind him. "Aren't those Clint's?"
Turning fully towards the interloper and casually leaning back on his table, Loki continued his juggling. At least four of the thin black and purple daggers were in the air at any moment, the sharp blades coming close to cutting his unadorned face and arms before dancing harmlessly in his fingers and taking to the sky once again.
"Are they? I am never certain where the things I conjure come from." The mischievous glint in his green eyes and the seductive smirk ghosting across his lips told Tony otherwise.
"Uh huh, the fact that he's never forgiven you for hypnotizing him that one time and making him act like a bird for the rest of the night has nothing to do with it." Tony gave him a flat look over his signature shaded spectacles (they almost never left his face - even when he was involved in more... physical activities. Activities he wouldn't mind if Loki joined him in, provided that his elder brother Thor, the circus' resident strongman, wasn't informed) as he reached up and grabbed the knife next to him for closer inspection.
"I would never stoop to such levels," Loki admonished, looking a little insulted that the ringleader would even think the theft possible. From the sound of it, butter wouldn't melt in the magician's mouth.
'Though,' Tony's mind whispered lecherously, 'I've seen some other feats he's performed with that mouth. Maybe I should get a private performance to ascertain just how skilled he really is.' Tony shook himself back into the conversation and away from his rather detailed imaginings as Loki continued.
"He is simply easily suggestible. I cannot be expected to take that into account when his partner is so very strong-willed. Lady Romanova has set high standards that he simply could not live up to," Loki explained again, shrugging as the knives took up a new and even more convoluted track. Tony's grip on the dagger slackened as he held that hypnotizing green eyed gaze. He jumped slightly, only just keeping his fingers free from harm as it flew back into the magician's hands to join its brethren. The ringmaster nodded almost understandingly even as he looked away, inspecting his hand for damage.
"So it wasn't because he threw one of those at you in the middle of your disappearing act the night before or anything. Wonderful to finally have that cleared up." Deciding that the blade hadn't hurt him (he thought he knew where most of those scars and burns had come from, at least, and that's all that really mattered) Tony looked back up into what he was more than willing to classify as a come-hither look. Tony was always optimistic when it came to attraction in any way shape or form.
Just as he was about to take that invitation and step forward, those green eyes slid to his right. After a moment he allowed his to follow and nearly took a step back as he recognized a shock of red hair.
"It's nice to know at least a few people here have the sense to keep personal vendettas from ruining the show." Natasha's perfectly raised brow and significant glance at the knives proved that she knew otherwise. The wicked grin Loki gave her in return let Tony know she wasn't fooling anyone, but then, she probably wasn't trying to.
The magician gave a careful bow when she held out her hand meaningfully and he caught the knives effortlessly. He soon had a dagger between each finger, handles in his palms and blades fanned out before him theatrically. Giving a larger bow to the woman, he uncurled his fingers and offered the hilts to her with a smile. Reaching forward to retrieve them, she somehow gave the impression of rolling her eyes while still being too classy to actually do it. Tony watched as Natasha completed their trade in professions, the knives seeming to vanish as she stowed them in her tight black catsuit.
Tony's mind automatically went to work trying to divine where the knives even went as he gave the Black Widow his customary leer. The day he didn't take a few seconds to appreciate a good view would be the day he dies, if even then. Unimpressed with his attitude as ever, the redhead turned that raised brow in his direction.
"Should I not only tell Pepper that you've volunteered to help both us with our act and her set up, but also inform Thor that you are pestering his brother incessantly?" The mechanic winced at Loki's reminder.
"I have no doubt that if he didn't want me here I would've been vanished faster than those knives. It's you women that I live in fear of." Tony didn't even glance over at Loki as he responded and it was only after Natasha walked away with a curt nod and nearly hidden smile that he looked back. But by then it was already too late. Loki's playful demeanor had already vanished behind his usual blank mask as he packed everything back up in preparation for its move to the big top later that night. The shorter man hid a sigh.
They both knew that it was her way of chastising not only Tony for trying to skip out on work, but also to punish Loki for the theft of her partner's second favorite weapons by reminding him of the brother that had doggedly followed him across the Atlantic. Even though they both knew it was meant to hurt, it didn't make the tactic any less effective.
The ringmaster watched the other pack up his tools in silence, lost in thought as his eyes wandered happily over the other man's dark leather pants, before he caught himself. He then remembered that he didn't care what anyone but Loki thought of this and, as he hadn't complained earlier, continued. It wasn't long before Tony was once again lost in his imaginings, but he managed to pull himself out of it before the last of the magician's wares were set in place.
"Need any help bringing that over? It seems that I'll be heading in that direction if I don't want to become a pincushion in the near future." The question was genuine even if the ringleader sounded a bit rueful at the end. Tony flashed a quick grin as he stepped up next to the dark clothed man. Impassive green eyes slid over to him and measured the statement for a moment.
Never one to wait for permission, Tony reached out and snagged the handle of the case and made to lift it. One of those dexterous hands wrapped around his wrist and stopped him; its success was due more to the fact that Loki wasn't one to touch anyone rather than the strong grip it maintained. Brown eyes flashed from the case to the hand, and then up into sharp green before Tony turned his head to more fully meet the other's gaze. Another heartbeat of staring before the mask dropped once again and Loki's lips twisted in to a smile.
The taller man leaned in ever so slightly. "Please, by all means, be my guest."
Tony had just enough time to look down at that teasing smirk (so close) before Loki was backing off again, releasing his hand and moving towards the back of his personal cart. Still standing with his hand on the case, Tony was torn between kissing him and cursing him. He was leaning towards the former, especially when the other man started undoing his shirt to change for his act before closing the door to his wagon completely. Tony stared at the mechanical cart's door for a long moment afterward.
"Damn." Tony's mind went into overdrive trying to integrate that new image in to as many fantasies as possible, shoving all other thoughts to the side in the process.
"Sir, Miss Potts will likely be informed of your location by Miss Romanova shortly. Might I suggest you try to find her first?" Blinking himself back to reality, Tony sent a mildly annoyed glance towards his cufflinks.
"Thanks for the input, JARVIS. I'll get right on that." Sarcasm never worked on his AI, but that didn't stop the creator from using it. 'Why did I integrate him into all of my suits again?'
"My pleasure to be of service. Will you need assistance with Mister Liesmith's luggage?"
"No, I think I can handle one ca-" His eye roll came to an abrupt stop as he tugged at the handle of the large black case, barely moving it. Eyes narrowing, he gave it another experimental tug and frowned as he thought back to what the magician had said. Translation from Loki to English: I would like to see you try. 'Well, then... Challenge accepted.'
"As a matter of fact I would like assistance. Get Dummy out here."
"Of course, Sir." There was a hiss of steam in the distance and Tony waited impatiently as the sound of mechanized steps grew closer. Dummy walked into view a few moments later, the brass and steel robot easily navigating the terrain with its six legs, before coming to a stop next to its creator with another hiss of steam.
"Hey, not the face!" Tony waved the steam away before shaking a finger in the construct's direction. "You know better. Don't make me donate you to that museum that keeps asking for you. Here," he gave a large heave and managed to drag the case off the table on to his machine's back. "Take this and follow me."
Dummy seemed to struggle for a moment before equalizing the weight on his back and following after Tony who was already striding away.
Green eyes lingered on the departing figure as Loki straightened his black tie. His small smile turned mischievous as he twisted a ring on his thumb and then chuckled softly when the spider-like creation lurched to the side as if trying to catch the case as it shifted unexpectedly. It regained its footing just in time for Tony turn around and start in on it for being so slow. Loki's smile widened. "This should be interesting."
"Tony! Oh thank goodness," a relieved voice called to him out of the darkness. He blinked a few more times trying to get his eyes to adjust faster to the lighting difference as he walked further inside the big top. Tony finally just reached up and hit a button on the side of his spectacles after he nearly ran in to a third person while waiting for his eyes to make the change. The glass panes lit up, showing a faint outline around everything before fading as his eyes finally caught up. He put on his best grin and made his way over to his leading lady.
"Pepper, darling!" He made to hug her and was avoided easily; he continued unperturbed, "How has life been treating you? Still married to that big lug?" Tony's face turned serious and he looked over his spectacles to meet her eyes. "He does anything to you and you just let me know." The redhead gave an exasperated sigh but couldn't keep the smile off her face as she shook her head.
"Really now, Tony. This isn't the time, one of the carts isn't opening properly and we think there might be a jam-" Clapping her on the shoulder as he stepped around her, he cut off the end of her sentence as he addressed the large leader of his caravan who was looking at the mechanized cart in question.
"Happy! You heard what I said, right?" Harold made a noncommittal noise as he unscrewed another panel. "Well, it goes double for you as well. I know how hard Pepper can hit sometimes and domestic violence isn't as simple as a man hitting a woman. Let me know if I have to talk to her. I may be your boss but you're my friend first, rather than just an employee."
Happy Hogan set the panel down and looked up at his boss with a tired smile, the shorter man still rubbing at his shoulder where Happy's wife had hit him for his comments. "You never let us forget, Tony. Now get down here and help me and - for God's sake! I thought you were never going to let him in here after the last time!" Tony looked back over his shoulder at Dummy, only just remembering that the machine was there.
"Oh, yeah. Go put that over in the corner - no dropping it! Then go straight home." Dummy made some high pitched squeaks and beeps while moving a few of his legs back and forth. Turning to face the mech fully, Tony frowned and put his hands on his hips as if he were chiding an unruly child, which might have been more accurate than it would seem at first.
"No, we've been over this. If you can't play nice with the rest of them, you're going to have to stay in the lab. Don't think we don't remember the last time!" He cut off another series of noises. "Nope. Put it down nicely, then straight home!"
With a whistle-hiss that almost sounded like a sigh, Dummy walked over to the designated spot, methodically lowered its body to the ground, and pushed the case off of its back with a now free, double jointed limb. After insuring that it was securely on the ground the mech picked itself back up with another hiss of steam and turned almost hopefully to its creator. A pointed finger and a raised brow met its optics and it sat lower on its pneumatic cylinders as it made its way out and back to the lab.
Tony watched it go before bringing his hand in closer to his face. "JARVIS, make sure it doesn't get distracted. You know how he gets sometimes."
"Of course, Sir. I'll keep an eye on his location," came the quick reply.
"Thanks. Now." That taken care of, he turned back to Happy who was taking out the loose gears and wires from the metal wagon that may have caused the jam. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing to my baby? Did you even take her out to dinner first? No really. Move out of the way."
"You do remember that I've been helping you fix and make these since we started on the road four years ago, right?" Happy wasn't overly surprised at Tony's reaction, quickly moving out of the way to let the other take his place.
The ringleader was already rolling his white shirt sleeves up and out of the way before connecting the high tech cufflinks to his glasses, his answer more than a little distracted as he got a good look at the machine. "Yeah, yeah. Now, shush. Let Daddy work." And then he was head and elbows deep into it – lost in his own little world of mechanics and steam.
Pepper wasn't shocked by her boss' focus and enthusiasm in the least, but the other cart was supposed to be the priority here. "But what about the last 'Quarter Cart' that isn't opening properly? The seating always has to be put up first, without it this won't-" Her husband just pulled her away from the busy man, who was in no position to hear her, and towards the other cart.
"The Quart' only needs a bit of oil, love. This one is the problem child tonight. Let him work, I'll get the other."
"Alright, if you're sure." Pepper allowed herself to be pulled away with only a glance back at the other man, now half buried in machinery. She still had to make sure all of the vendors were finding their stalls properly anyway. Neatening herself up and smoothing her hair into place, she moved easily out of the cleared space inside the large canvas tent and into the small crowd that had begun queuing up outside.
Tony worked on, throwing cogs, demanding wrenches which may or may not have been supplied depending on who was walking by – he was convinced that the Hawk threw at least one at him – and bending springs to make the cart's main cannon work again. 'No way can it be used if there's the slightest margin of err-'
A gonging noise made him jump just enough to smack his funny bone in a decidedly un-funny manner and he cursed loudly as he pulled himself out of the wagon to look at the offender. Rhodey's smile looked a bit guilty but the chuckles proved that he wasn't really sorry about it. Tony made a swipe at his buddy's ankles that was easily dodged.
"You think you'll have this fixed up for tonight or will I be joining Cap's clown act instead?" the human cannonball asked as he leaned casually on the machine he was propelled from most nights, giving neither option any preference.
"Don't think you're fooling me with that act, buddy." Tony gestured with the wrench in his hand, looking unconvinced that anyone could possibly have as much fun entertaining and hanging out with kids as they could flying through the air. "You just want to know if you can go hang out with your boyfriend and do each other's hair and makeup."
The flat, I-would-be-frowning-but-I-won't-give-you-the-satisfaction look he got in return was totally worth the hit his bone had taken before. He turned back to the machine and gave it another look, only half paying attention to what JARVIS was scrolling across his screen (it was only detailing what he could see for himself, more of a reminder really). There was one thing he needed a little bit more accuracy on, "JARVIS, total completion time with sufficient testing."
"Approximately two hours and forty-seven minutes, providing there aren't further delays or breaks, Sir. You should be finished by three forty-three this afternoon."
"You heard him, we'll know by quarter to four if this lovely will be ready for your date tonight. I expect you to be on time and bring a nice corsage, none of that cheap carnation stuff." He glanced over at his oldest friend one last time before moving to start working again. "But if you wanna hang out with your new best friend and those kids until then, I'm sure she won't mind."
"Oh, please. Tony, you'll always be my best friend. Not your big head from college nor Stane's lies could pry me away. Cap's a great guy, but he's really looking for his friends so he doesn't even come close." Rhodey realized he'd lost his friend to the machine again and shook his head. "I'll go play with the kids for a bit then and I'll see you at a quarter till." He gave his friend a light shove in the back with his knee as he walked past and got another wild swipe that went wide in return.
"Just try not to get sick, will ya? And make Cap wash his hands! Half of us got sick last time from him and his sneezing!"
About two hours later, Tony was just about ready to call the whole ignition system a bust, rip it out, and start from scratch. None of his tweaking was helping and at least two of the valves weren't shutting right and catching against one another. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and leaned away from the machine to try and get some perspective, only to sit forward again as his back hit something. Looking behind him he saw green trimmed black slacks, knee high boots, and a black, emerald-lined, ankle length coat. They moved before he could look up fully and he soon found himself looking Loki in the eye as the magician squatted down to take a look at the mess of half-tinkered with machinery peeking through the opening. Tony's spectacles automatically outlined the contours of his face and started listing the angles and curves that made up his nose and jaw as Loki inspected the damage. The engineer let him, knowing that many of his magic tricks came from machinery, wondering if Loki could see something he missed.
"Has the secondary belt come loose or rolled off some of the gears? That might be what caused the timing issue in the first place." Loki looked over to find Tony already leaning forward to take some of the inner plates off of the engine to lift away the upper set of pistons and see the belts beneath them and sighed.
"Yeah, it skipped the gear and was running it backwards, but we don't have enough time to fit new valves and time the pistons again before the show tonight. Damn it."
Tony sat back after setting the pistons back in place for the night, his arm just brushing against the other man's. Thankfully no oil had traversed that far up his arm this time, so Loki's fine performance jacket was safe (and how fine it was and only half of that was due to who was wearing it).
"Thanks, I couldn't see the armada for the airships. It's good to have a second opinion and a pair of fresh eyes around." The grin he gave was completely genuine and Loki paused just a moment for a better look.
Tony's grin froze a little at the touch of cool fingers on his chin which tilted his head to one side. All thoughts on mechanics were pushed roughly to the side and more angles were appearing on the lenses, this time the comparison of the angle of his head to that of Loki's which was leaning ever so slightly in the opposite direction. Tony waited to see what Loki had in mind, watching another hand come up to join the first, the second touching at Tony's forehead for a moment before pulling back.
"You have made quite the mess of yourself. This lubricant seems to be all over you," Loki observed idly as he released Tony's chin and showed the other his oil tipped fingers. Tony's expression moved fully into a leer as he leaned forward into the magician's space.
"Well, you can come help me wash it off, if you like? Or maybe you'd like me to share? Then we would be a matching set." His mischievous grin bordered on lecherous and his eyebrows were not quite wagging at the obvious innuendo. Not seeming to be put off at all by the genius, Loki still backed up just a bit when he got in close and flicked his eyes to the big top's entrance. Tony sighed as he heard the fast paced click of heels coming his way and leaned back into a seated position as his name was called.
Pepper's inflection was a little off, too rushed even for what she may have just realized she'd interrupted. Tony's annoyance was replaced by curiosity as he turned and frowned at the woman. "What's wrong, Pep?"
"Wrong?" Pepper hesitated ever so slightly in her steps, only serving to make Tony a little more worried, but evened out again as she took a deep breath and stopped next to the pair. She crossed her arms and took a good look at him.
"What's wrong is that we have to start filling this place early due to the large crowd and you are still here blocking the main ring and looking a mess. Is that thing fixed now, because if it isn't we'll just have to cut it." She gestured to the machine behind them.
Tony knew she was trying to cover something up there, but he was more than willing to let the busy woman continue to do so. Nothing that made Pepper sound like that and still think it was a good idea to cover it up was worth the trouble of finding out what it was. It was usually followed by the headache of dealing with the problem itself. So instead of worrying, he just rolled his eyes as his earlier annoyance with the machine came rushing back.
"Better tell Rhodey to put on his good makeup, 'cause this girl won't be joining us tonight."
"Okay then, let's get this mess cleared from the ring and out back so we can finish the rest of the prep and start letting people in." Pepper was never one to put off work and easily glared the lightly protesting ringmaster into packing the loose parts back inside the cannon's cart. Said parts were thrown haphazardly back into the opening and the faceplate fitting over it had roughly one third of its screws replaced, though none of those that made it back could be called secure. He wasn't trying to be precise; he was going to be tearing it all apart again later that night anyway.
Finally finished, Tony stood and offered Loki a hand. The other man gave the filthy hand a rather pointed look before standing easily under his own power, and even went so far as to use the shorter man's shirt to wipe the fluid from his own fingers. Pepper was unable to stop her fond smile as she watched her boss feign outrage at the action (feigned because Tony's rage was quiet and cold and merciless and everything she never wanted to see again), enjoying the lanky magician's smirk and the snarky quips he gave in response.
"You should go clean yourself up, Tony," Pepper interjected firmly, halting the man's rant about how hard it was to clean oil out of vests versus just the shirt sleeves. "With this many people you're going to have to start earlier than normal."
Grumbling at the reminder, Tony wished he could childishly smudge Loki's perfect, smirking face (and dirty his hair as he pulled him down and- No. Not the time) with the grime on his hands before pointedly not sulking out of the tent and towards his shower.
He almost made it the whole way there before an alert flashed on his still active glasses and slid off to the right. Turning his head to follow the flashing design, Tony wasn't sure if he should smile or curse when it stopped. "Sir, it seems that Dummy is trying to make friends with Mr. Banner's pets." Curse, he decided. Cursing was definitely the best option here and he put it in to action immediately as he started towards the problem. "JARVIS, any idea where Bruce might be? I think I'm gonna need some help."
Another symbol, a familiar green mask that was far too demonic looking to be as reassuring as it was, was overlaid on his glasses close to the first. "On his way there already, according to the kitchens." He felt a mix of relief and worry as he watched the two symbols come closer not just to him but to one another; relief that he would have help in resolving this quickly and worry as to why Bruce would be hurrying to that location in the first place.
"What exactly is Dummy trying to do this time?" he wondered out loud as he wove through the rest of the troupe's personal carriages before shaking his head. It didn't matter. "He's going to become scrap after this, one way or another."
Tony made good time and was soon standing between the raised copper cages trying to find which one his errant bot might have slipped into or, Tony had to think of the worst case scenarios, opened before he found a befuddled Bruce standing outside one of the cages closer to the main stage. He started making his way around the cages and brought up a hand to catch his friend's attention. "Hey, Incredible Hulk! You see any shrapnel around because JARVIS swears that Dummy came to make friends with your buddies here."
Looking over at the only man in the main troupe shorter than him, Bruce quirked that half smile that always popped up whenever the ringleader was around. "No shrapnel here, I'm afraid," he answered over JARVIS' quiet protests - he would never swear and Dummy was right over there if you would simply look, Sir - and pointed to the inhabitants of the large cage. "He really did make friends. I've never seen them that comfortable around machinery before, let alone one with a mind of its own."
It was only after he sent a well-deserved incredulous look over his spectacles at his friend that Tony went about inspecting the inside of the animal cart. There was a pause as even his genius mind took a moment to gawk at the situation before fully processing the fact that the large jaguar inside was practically hugging Dummy as the robot carefully stroked the feline's head sedately with one leg. Both looked perfectly content, the jungle cat even gave the bot's metal body an experimental lick or two as they watched.
The two scientists just stood in shock and what might possibly awe or horror or both in equal parts for an unknown amount of time - Two point four two minutes, Sir. I've made a recording of the whole anomaly for later studies should you need it - before Tony's mouth finally caught up.
"The Hell? Dummy!" His construct gave a hiss of steam that was carefully directed away from the animal that was currently wrapped around it, Tony's eye twitched at the casual control it displayed there as both occupants raised their heads and looked toward them. Tony might have been a little put off by the feline gaze, but the frankly ridiculous looking robot peeking out from between its paws, just under the cat's chin ruined the dramatic effect.
"I told you to stay in the lab!" Whistles, hisses, and the occasional beep or thudding sound answered him. "Boredom isn't a good enough reason, I told you to – hey!" Tony cut himself off as a particularly loud clunk-hiss made it through his rant. "Don't go citing my actions to defend yourself! I am a terrible role model, that's why yours is supposed to be – oh." The inventor paused as he remembered exactly who that was. "Huh. Carry on then."
The scientist-turned-beast master waited to see if the one-sided, or very possibly two-sided, argument would start up again before turning away from watching the jaguar try and groom the engraved metal body of the machine. He didn't find the look Tony was giving him very comforting.
"What is it?" Bruce looked over at the pair in the cage and then back to Tony who was now shaking himself into nonchalance and finally turning off his glasses. "Why does he need a role model? Who is it?"
"Dummy's always needed a role model, those first few weeks when he was left to his own devices were a nightmare. Why do you think Happy and Pep are still leery about him going into the big top?" Tony shook his head at the memories, smiling a little at the mess his droid had made. "He got into everything. Did you know that he can walk up walls and that I didn't think to restrict that to orders-only for about 17 hours? Took us that long to find him, just followed the path of destruction really."
"So who became his role model; Pepper?" Bruce asked, knowing how Tony could get distracted at times, especially by fond memories. The fugitive scientist couldn't help a frown as he saw his friend stiffen. Realization dawned and Bruce floundered to say something witty or to change the subject, pushing at his glasses nervously as he cast around for anything else to talk about, but he wasn't fast enough.
"No. Pepper was- is too restrictive. He was to look up- to model himself after the same- after the same person I did. That's why it had to change," Tony answered stiltedly.
"Tony, I..." the biologist trailed off as he studied his friend's profile. Barely a second ticked by before he looked away and gave Tony a moment to remember the man who had betrayed him.
Hoping to distract Tony from the harsh memories after a long period of silence, Bruce repeated his earlier question softly to try and fix his mistake, "Who is it now?"
There was no hesitation. "You."
Bruce blinked multiple times and tried to figure out if he'd imagined the response. He turned back to Tony who was still staring at the odd couple before them. The man was smiling now, however, and that let Bruce know he'd heard correctly.
Laughing brown eyes slid over to take in Bruce's shell shocked expression. Tony couldn't stop a chuckle at the other man's slackened jaw and jerked his head in the direction of the now sleeping duo in the cage. That seemed to snap the wanted man out of his musings and he looked into the cage as Tony clarified unnecessarily, "I guess he took your teachings to heart and learned to love the cat."
Bruce smiled and looked quietly thrilled at the thought of being chosen to be the construct's role model.
"Thank you," he whispered sincerely. The beast master collected himself and, feeling more content than he'd felt since he began running, teased, "To be looked up to by the great Tony Stark not only physically, which isn't hard," he steamrolled over the 'Hey, you don't have more than half an inch on me, Hulk!' and continued, "but also mentally and morally! So much so that he taught his machines to do the same!" It was just as well that he was tackled because he couldn't keep a straight face now.
Tony was only moderately successful in forcing his scientific bud to eat his words. He was much more successful in his plans to have him eat dirt. Just about to get Banner's face to the ground while the man was too busy laughing to fight back - even dirty fights had winners – Tony stopped when a bland voice interrupted.
"I would think that you would be more used to following Madam Potts' orders by now, Monsieur Loyal. You should know that the threats that follow must always be carried out to ensure obedience." The sharp gaze of those cool green eyes followed Tony's every move as he released his still chuckling friend. Removing his knee from the small of Bruce's back, the engineer easily stood to face the newcomer.
Nodding towards the cage they were standing closest to, he explained, "I had something come up on my way to the shower." He paused to enjoy the moment that Loki realized what he was seeing inside the wagon. It wasn't a big reaction, but Tony would take it. Tony would take a whole lot more given half a chance.
A strangely content chuckle from the man still sitting on the ground brought Tony's thoughts back up to his more rational head. He rolled his eyes and heaved the relaxing beast master to his feet before pushing him in the direction of his animals.
"We're going to be starting early, Hulkie. Go get everyone dressed for their big moment." Bruce waved a shooing hand back at him and went to prepare his lineup. Tony turned back to Loki and was surprised to find him much closer than before, right next to the bars of the cage.
"It never ceases to amaze me," Loki murmured.
Tony moved up next to the other, nudging him with his shoulder as he did. "What is it? What can still amaze a magician?"
Those startlingly green eyes flicked over to him for a moment before they dragged themselves back to the lovebirds in the cage. "Love. How it changes those who experience it, for better or for worse. And, as is most certain in their case, how unexpected and very different the couple can be."
Tony turned, crossed his arms, and rested his back against the bars. His brown boots nearly touched the other man's as he carefully inspected the almost wistful look on Loki's face. Trailing his eyes down the elegant arm to where Loki's right hand had reached up to grab one of the thick bars, the ringmaster appreciated the view for a moment before breaking the silence.
"Did you know that Bruce and I thought they hated each other?" He looked back up and met the European man's questioning look head on.
"No, seriously. They haven't done anything but fight since Bruce brought him in. Always growling and whistling, making swipes at one another through the bars. We thought we had to keep them apart so they didn't hurt themselves, turns out they were just flirting." Tony was unable to keep the exasperation out of his voice as he explained the situation to Loki. Finishing the explanation, he turned his head to look at the napping duo out of the corner of his eye. "Who knew?"
"Indeed, it is amazing what some think of as proper courting these days, Monsieur Stark."
Tony's eyes snapped back to Loki's face and tried not to read too far into what was just said- and who was he kidding? He was going to take that as both an open invitation and a challenge. Uncrossing his arms and using them to press away from the bars, Tony leaned in and invaded the taller man's space with a grin.
"Is that so? And what do you think of as 'proper courting' in this day and age? Something a little more fast paced or maybe some old fashioned flowers and sonnets, hm?"
Leaning down just enough to nearly brush noses with the ringmaster, Loki responded with the utmost sincerity, "Cleanliness and punctuality are as high on the list as ever, Monsieur." The title rolled off the magician's tongue like a spell and Tony reached up to grasp the arm that was still extended next to his shoulder. His mind vaguely making a small note to thank Bruce for letting him inadvertently clean his hands on the lion tamer's shirt while he tilted his head slightly to bring their mouths even closer.
"Care to make an exception?" Breaths intermingled as Tony waited for a response.
"I have always held a certain fondness for rule breaking."
The words were felt more than heard and Tony nearly cut off the last one as he pushed forward to claim those lips. Finally able to give in to the urge he'd first had nearly four months ago when he first saw Loki's act and asked him to join the caravan, the ringmaster gave a small groan. Loki pressed in as well, bringing his free hand up to loosely grasp the other man's waist as he tightened his grip on the bar behind Tony. A pull on his jacketed elbow brought him half a step closer to the shorter man.
Much happier with the magician's closer proximity, Tony held the arm in place while his other hand moved over the coat, feeling its way up the other man's chest before wrapping around the back of his neck. While letting himself be pulled further in, Loki's hand pushed under the back of the genius' open vest to rest on his spine. Digits curled and blunted nails wrinkled the hidden fabric of the dress shirt beneath the outerwear when Tony removed his mouth from Loki's for a short moment before returning at a new angle. The bar creaked faintly under the grip of the magician's fingers.
"Brother!" The two jerked, and reality came rushing back unpleasantly. They both looked at one another for another moment, each wondering if that would be the end of their interruption, before straightening themselves out as the distant voice called out again. "Brother, we must make haste! We have nary an hour to prepare ourselves!"
Tony cursed beneath his breath as Loki reminded him, "You should hurry back to your quarters and ready yourself for tonight's performance." Tony leered and received only a faintly amused look for his trouble.
"Do not fool yourself into believing that what just happened was a rule rather than an exception, made from the kindness of my heart," Loki's hand moved theatrically to his chest before he let a small smirk form on his slightly swollen lips. Leer never faltering, Tony started to grin a little as his brows raised.
"Alright then, let's see if I can't measure up to your courting standards. Or maybe rewrite the rule book, if not throw it out entirely."
The smirk widened and took on a challenging slant. "You are more than welcome to try." Loki's head tilted slightly and he shifted his weight in preparation to walk back to the main stage. "Before you go to finally obey Madam Potts, where did you place my case? You left before I had the chance to ask earlier."
Still grinning at the challenge that had been set before him, Tony replied, "Just inside ring B. And one day you'll have to tell me how you carry that thing so easily."
"Will I?" Loki asked with no small amount of amusement. "We'll see."
And with that he turned to answer Thor's earlier summons, leaving Tony standing at the cage watching him leave. The ringmaster simply took in the view before a metallic hiss shook him from his entertainment. Dummy was slipping himself between the bars easily, the gaps designed to keep the jaguar inside instead of robots, and waving good-bye to his new friend.
"Alright, you. Let's get going, we've got a tight schedule."
Tony got cleaned up in record time, which simply gave him more time in the shower for other activities. Then, after making sure Dummy wasn't going to go on any more excursions that night, the inventor stepped into the crowds of people now milling around between the tents and wagons in the public area.
Straightening his coattails and readjusting the machinery on his back, Tony waved, grinned, and shook people's hands as he passed them by, answering shouted questions when he could. This was a usual process for him, seeing the crowds and letting them see him and his newest inventions up close. This current one was multipurpose, but mainly functioned as a portable welder and would probably hit the market next year. It also let the general populace know that the show was going to be starting soon. His distractions let the rest of the troupe get away from their wagons, booths, or just the crowds that inevitably formed around them and start setting up for their main acts in the upcoming show.
Tony waved to a clown-faced Rhodey as he passed him and even managed some nearly harmless sparks for the kids to laugh at before continuing his rounds between the stalls. Soon enough, everyone was making their way into the large canvas tent, only a few stragglers still hounding him to ask fascinated questions or just simply to see what he might do next. Answering the questions he felt like answering, Tony joked with the people when they asked about more sensitive topics and soon the laughing group was entering the big top.
Those following him quickly took their seats, having either thought ahead and had someone save them a good one or having to move high in the stands due to the large turnout. 'Might have to think about making another cart. Going to have to modify the Quarters to Fifths...' The modifications started listing somewhere in the back of his head as he walked to the center of the largest ring and the crowd started cheering.
Golden cape fluttering behind him, Tony turned and raised his arms up to the crowd. His red jacket burning bright under the spotlights, he offered them a large smile as he took in the sight of another large audience waiting to be entertained. Raising his hands further, the crowd only got louder. He moved his hands as if asking for silence before giving in and gesturing for more. The audience was more than happy to comply and performed the impossible and grew even louder.
Tony swept a theatrical bow in a few directions, blue and silver medallion gleaming in the spotlights, before projecting the classic intro in his perfectly over-dramatic fashion, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! Welcome to the Stark Spectaculaire!"
Prompt from thinkofthegunstheysell: A circus AU where Tony is ringmaster and Bruce works with the animals and Clint and Natasha are partners in throwing things and acrobatics and Thor is a strongman and idk what Steve and Loki will be yet (I'm thinking of Steve being a clown because yes can you imagine it that would be hilarious) and I'm thinking of making it Frostiron with background Clintasha and yes it's going to be awesome.
My addition: Circus AU - Snake charmer or Magician Loki. Bonus points if he swallows a sword as part of his act. :)