A/N: Just a random lil scenario that bugged me enough to write it into a one-shot.
There's friendship, light humor, and of course there's Thor… so yea, it's my usual. (｡◕‿◕｡)
"Aw c'mon, again!?" Tony yells, throwing his cards down in defeat.
He, Natasha, Clint, and Steve were in the Rec Room playing poker and Natasha had just won the pot for the third time in a row.
Behind him Pepper laughs, rubbing his shoulder blades comfortingly, "You shouldn't have folded, hon."
"I told you she's good." Steve reminds from his seat next to Stark. "We're lucky we aren't playing for real winnings."
Clint admires Nat's mountain of chips and sounds almost proud when he comments, "It's her bluffing skills: they're impeccable."
"Hey!" Tony protests, "Using spy training in this game should qualify as cheating!"
Natasha's eyes roll at the finger Stark has jabbed in her direction. "You're a genius, Stark. Do I tell you to check your brain at the door every time we play Scrabble?"
Tony postpones sipping from his brandy to raise his glass toward the assassin, "Touche." He then turns to Dr. Banner who is acting as dealer, "Alright Bruce, deal us another hand. Romanoff's going down!"
More drinks were passed around and Bruce had just shuffled when a metallic clanking near the entry draws everyone's attention.
It's Thor, hefting an oversized burlap satchel over his shoulder. He stops near their game table to smile politely, "My friends, pardon the intrusion, but I wish to speak to Stark in private. Would you oblige me, Anthony?"
Tony grimaces and motions toward the satchel, "Uhh… well, did you …break something?"
A trace of a scowl lines Thor's forehead. "Of course not!"
"Oh, then forget it. Just say whatever you have to right here, before we start our next round."
"Very well then." Thor complies, his head inclining slightly. "I wanted to thank you for your generosity Anthony Stark, and for allowing me to abide in your Tower while I tarry here on Midgard. You and the Lady Pepper both have done all in your power to make me feel at home and I seek to repay such grand hospitality in a way I hope you deem appropriate."
"Don't mention it, Big Guy. It's no problem, really. And look, if you're proposing we do a sort of Asgardian exchange thing, we'd be happy to take a trip to Asgard and vacation at the palace or something."
"While you are all more than welcome in my home, you misunderstand. I refer to a different manner of exchange. That of currency."
"Currency?" Stark repeats.
Before he could sort out what Thor had meant, the Thunderer dumps a load of golden bars -each as thick as Mjölnir's head- on the table surface.
"Well damn!" Clint exclaims.
Tony and Pepper apparently shared the same sentiment, his eyes bulging wide and her jaw dropping low.
Even Natasha can't suppress her amusement, "You've gotta tell us where you bank, Thor."
"Banks couldn't have changed that much. This is more gold than I've seen in my life!" Steve says in awe.
Dr. Banner leans in to inspect the Asgardian seal engraved on one of the nuggets. "I don't think he got this stash from any place on earth."
At last, the shock wears off and Tony finds his words. "Wow, um, I don't know what to say. No one's ever paid me in giant blocks of intergalactic gold before."
"Think of it as what you mortals would call, 'rent.' " Thor explains, "Yet this is only a fraction of it. There is more that I will pay to you in intervals that coincide with my stays."
"No kidding? Sweet! I've won the jackpot after all!" Tony beams.
Pepper chooses this moment to finally speak up, "Really Tony? You're not seriously thinking about keeping this are you?"
"What? Why wouldn't I!?"
"Well for one, you're already a billionaire. What do you need with piles of gold?"
"This is legit Asgardian gold, Pep! It's like a collector's item. I could put it in a museum or better, melt and mold it into an Iron Man suit!"
In reply, Miss Potts sends her boyfriend the annoyed, glower of warning she had perfected so well over the years. Her expression only softens to address the Aesir, "Thor, this is all very sweet of you, but Tony isn't going to take your gold."
"Is it not enough?" The god asks, his smile dropping instantly, "For I have a sack of gems in my other trousers. Would that make up the difference?"
At this, Pepper finds her mouth gaping open once again and poor Steve almost chokes a little.
Nat's lips respond by quirking up in mild fascination. "Can we take a minute to acknowledge the fact he keeps priceless jewels around as pocket change?"
"I suddenly feel so much poorer." Tony supplies, his voice gone weak.
"Never mind that," Shushes Pepper, "And no, Thor, don't bother. Tony doesn't need you to pay him anything. It's unnecessary and actually rather complicated- what with having to get an appraiser, not to mention the taxes and exchange rates…hmm…wonder if this counts as foreign?"
Thor's brow furrows a bit at that and she giggles bashfully from getting so off point.
"What I'm trying to say is, you're here as our friend and fellow protector of this world. We couldn't ask anything more of you. Right Tony?"
He yelps when Pepper elbows him in the side, hard.
"OW! Err, I mean right! I was only kidding before. Well, sorta… not about the iron man suit. Oh no Pep, don't give me that look. But really, Hammer Time- she's right- you owe me nothing. I'm grateful to you for being a part of our team. I'm grateful to all of you. Hell, I've made similar speeches when the others tried to pay rent. It works having us all in one building; it's efficient. Plus," Stark pauses to grin around the room, "I actually like the company."
"Aww!" Coo Steve and Nat teasingly as Clint wipes away a fake tear or two.
Bruce, meanwhile, smirks at the engineer. "We love ya too, Tony."
"The 'world's mightiest moochers' better." Tony grumbles in return. And no one misses the warmth beneath his snippy tone.
Their affectionate banter evokes a low chuckle from Thor, "Then know the feeling is mutual, and it is always my honor to reside here."
Considering the matter settled, Thor commits to refilling his satchel and wastes no time collecting the spilt gold. He only slows when he gets to the last six bars, hesitating before opting to set them aside.
Blue eyes rise to meet his teammates'. "You each will take a bullion a piece, yes? Not as wages, but as tokens of our friendship? Souvenirs?"
When no one makes a move for them, Thor nudges the gold to the center of the table, "It is no great burden to me, surely. Please, I insist."
Tony is the first to act, sounding happy to at least have one nugget in his possession. "Whoa buddy, this is awesome! Thanks!"
Pepper takes hers timidly and offers the god a gracious smile. "You really shouldn't have, but thank you, Thor."
A chorus of thanks continues to echo around the table, each Avenger claiming their considerably sized golden slab.
"No, thank you all for accepting this symbol of our friendship. Now, my comrades, excuse me once more, for I must take my leave here. Jane waits for me as we shall sup together this evening."
And so, farewells are said and soon Asgard's prince has trailed out the room.
He is barely down the hall and out of earshot before Clint declares: "Who needs poker chips, how much can this chunk of yellow buy me!?"
"Barton!" Nat whacks his shoulder with the back of her hand, "These are friendship tokens from the God of Thunder himself. Does that mean anything to you?"
"Yea. That it'll be just as much a friendship token after I buy myself my own jet."
Steve snorts, "A jet? That's what you would buy? Not very practical."
"Right, don't we have enough jets around here already?" Bruce adds.
"Guys, that's the point. It's not supposed to be practical. Besides, those are the team's quinjets or Stark's planes. I want a personal jet that I alone pilot, with some sort of badass design on the wings."
"You can forget customized detailing! What makes you think that single block is gonna afford you a whole jet?" Scoffs Tony. "It's gold, not diamonds."
Clint shrugs, "I don't know, maybe Asgardian gold is valued higher. And the jet was just an extravagant example. It'd be nice to see what this baby's worth before I start making wish lists."
With that said, he pins an expectant look on everyone else as if waiting for some overall consensus.
Tony shares his, howbeit sheepishly. "Um...Ok. Fine, I'd like to see what mines is worth. But you know, just for curiosities' sake. Not like I plan to spend it or anything."
"Well... suppose it wouldn't hurt just to find out what it's worth." Steve admits.
Bruce nods his head in quiet agreement, "I am a little curious how pure Asgardian gold is compared to ours. Maybe some trace of alien metals are present."
There's a brief, awkward silence where they all look to Natasha, yet she refuses to speak in favor or disfavor of their plans.
It's Pepper who sighs and pulls out her cell, "I guess I'll call an appraiser."