A/N This was originally one chapter, but someone mentioned dolphins and this happened. It just poured out, so I can't decide whether this chapter is actually good or not, because I can't feel the emotion within it that I was trying to express any more. So I hope you like it.
Again, I don't own this
They'd been sleeping together for a long time before they went on their first date. Four months, two weeks and five days, but who was counting? And in that time, Loki had managed to get Tony to start eating more, drinking less and sleeping more. Granted that sleeping was generally a result of rather than an influence on their activities.
It was when Tony began recalling their conversations and contemplating taking Loki someplace nice, that he realized that he might actually care a little. what if he hadn't slept with anyone else since Loki? It's difficult to go back to humans once you've been sleeping with a god. And so what if Loki had managed to get him to do what none of his other friends had been able to do? One does not deny Loki after he has threatened you. It was pure coincidence that Tony had been having fewer nightmares since hanging around Loki.
But Tony was in denial. He couldn't care about the Trickster god. Sure he'd been waging less mischief across the city, and the injuries that he'd caused the team were largely accidental bruises and scratches, but he was still dangerous. He was a fascinating intellectual, and he was interested in the science of everything in this world, and seemed exceptionally fascinated by the animals.
So Tony decided to take him to the zoo.
The night he asked had been especially rough. It was one of those days when Loki's memories had begun to send him back into the darkness that Tony had been pulling him out of.
"Let me take you out tomorrow. To the zoo. I know our animals interest you." Tony remembered feeling Loki tense slightly beside him, and he tilted his head slightly to see the god rise up onto his elbow and face him. The expression on his face was one of hesitant confusion and slightly veiled hope.
"The… the zoo? You… you would? Really?" Tony's eyes widened at the response. He had been anticipating vehement denial, ridicule even. But hopeful anticipation was not on the list.
So Tony, watching Loki wait for him to say 'Surprise, it's just a joke!', he couldn't help but grin.
"Of course I would, Loki."
And the smile that broke across Loki's face was worth more than Tony could say. He denied it to himself that his stomach fluttered at the sight of it.
But Loki frowned then. "I'll have to disguise us. We can't be seen together. But if I'm disguised, then you have to be too… let's see how I'll…" Tony interrupted him with a kiss.
"Tomorrow. We can discuss this tomorrow."
Loki smiled once more, softly this time. It was the second time Tony had ever seen him smile without bitterness, and Iron Man decided, though he would deny it if ever asked, that he would do anything to make the silver-tongued Liesmith smile just like that.
Morning came sooner for Tony than he would have liked, and he was woken at 7.30am by an excited Loki.
"What the hell am I doing awake at this hour?" Tony grumbled into his pillow, doing his best to ignore the pokes to his shoulder, that all landed in the same spot. He grimaced slightly. That was going to bruise.
"You're taking me to the zoo, remember? You promised." Tony could hear the pout in Loki's statement, and he grinned into the soft, fluffy heaven that was… gone. His head hit the mattress with a soft thud, and Tony groaned as he rolled over.
"I know I promised, but really? This early? The zoo only opens at 8."
"Yes but then we can spend all day there and I spoke to Jarvis and there are all sorts of shows and we can see all of the animals and not miss a single one and I have the perfect disguises for us!" Loki paused to take a deep breath, and a soft, pink blush spread across his cheeks. "Sorry," he muttered.
Tony snickered. "I knew you were excited, but it's nothing to pass out about. Come on." He sat up, and stepped out of the bed. "Let's see these disguises of yours."
Loki nodded, his faced solemn. "Turn around, then."
The moment Tony did, he felt a soft tingling sensation spreading across his body, and he glanced down at himself. He had been clothed in a white V-neck top, soft blue jeans that looked well worn, and dark blue converses. He turned to his left, to a mirror, and gasped. There was no glow coming from his arc reactor, and he glanced at his chest, pulling the shirt forward, to see that nothing was there. He glanced up again, examining his face. His dark hair was now a light brown, his eyes a clear blue. He was clean-shaven, and, dare he say it, just as gorgeous as his normal self. He grinned. He couldn't wait to see what Loki had done with himself.
He spun slowly to face Loki, and froze, his mouth falling open. He was gorgeous. And a woman.
His black hair fell to the middle of his back, curling gently at the tips. Long, dark lashes framed his luminous green eyes and his mouth was full and a soft pink. His body was all curves, and he was just as tall as he was in his masculine form. His top was low-cut, tight and just as form fitting as his jeans.
Tony gulped. "You're going out like that?" He joked weakly. "You'll steal all my thunder."
Loki grinned mischievously, the evil smirk fitting his female face just as well as his male one. "You like what you see?" He teased.
Tony nodded vigorously. "Most definitely." He shook his head to distract himself from the thoughts running through his head. "Let's go, shall we?"
And so Loki grabbed his arm, and teleported them away
It was about 3pm before they reached the dolphins. The pair of them had been drawing stares all day, especially when Loki would jump excitedly. Tony would have to concentrate very hard to bring himself back from the land of bouncy.
He had spared Loki no expense. When he had pointed at ice creams, Tony had bought him one. When he had pointed at souvenirs, Tony had bought him one. When he had mentioned that they were about to miss a display on the other side of the zoo, Tony had grabbed his hand and sprinted to ensure that they reached it on time.
But now they were at the dolphins, and Tony suspected that Loki had been purposefully saving that enclosure for last. They still had about three hours until the zoo closed, and Tony had never seen Loki smile so much. Ever.
"Dolphins are the only other mammals who have sex for pleasure, you know?" It was one of the few things that Tony knew about dolphins, and he suspected that they wouldn't share it at the little show that the keepers were about to put on.
"Really?" Loki spun to face him, his eyes wide with intrigue.
"Yep," Tony nodded, smirking slightly. "But don't ask me for more facts, that's pretty much all I know about 'em. You'll learn more at the little show they're about to put on."
Loki nodded and turned his attention to the zoo employee holding a bucket of fish.
"I wonder what they're going to…" He broke off with a gasp as the attendant held one of the fish above the water, a lithe body leaping from the water and snapping it out of his hands. "Was that a…?"
"A dolphin, yes. That was a dolphin. Fast little buggers, aren't they?" Tony's response was distracted as he sat on the edge of his seat in anticipation. He zoned out as the attendant began blabbing facts about the creatures, instead watching in fascination as they sped about the enclosure.
He had to admit, they were beautiful. They sped through the water with an easy grace, leaping through the air like dancers. They interacted with each other, and with the humans, like intelligent life force. The way the rubbed against each other, the way they clicked and whistled, seemed to show that they truly understood each other.
Tony glanced at Loki out of the corner of his eye, smiling softly at the rapt expression on the woman's face, and was sure that it would be something that he wouldn't see on his male form.
They spent the rest of the day at the dolphin enclosure, and Tony watched as Loki fell more and more in love with the creatures, interacting with them as if he understood them.
"They feel trapped." That was Loki's statement the moment they arrived back at the mansion. "They like it a little, but they don't have enough room."
"What?" Tony still hadn't gotten used to teleportation and was recovering from the whirling within his head.
"The dolphins, Stark. The dolphins don't have enough room to have fun!" Tony shook his head at the words coming from Loki's mouth.
"So… what? You want to free them?" Tony knew the answer before the Trickster spoke.
"Well of course I do, you imbecile." Tony snorted at the insults, having heard almost nothing except joy coming from the woman's mouth.
"This'll be fun, then." Tony Stark grinned. "Go make some mischief tonight. I can't wait."
Loki responded with a grin as he reverted back to masculine form. "Wait for my call. You'll know when." His voice was full of mischief as he vanished, leaving a grinning and expectant Tony behind.
Tony was awake when the call for the Avengers came through.
"What is it this time, Fury? For all you know I could be very busy." He fought to keep the amusement from his voice, knowing perfectly well just what the call was for.
Fury's voice, when he responded, was irate and mildly confused. "It would appear, Mr. Stark, that Loki has broken into the Central Zoo. We need you too go check it out. The others won't be joining you unless you call for it to be necessary. Understood?"
"Sir, yes sir," Tony mocked the director as he hung up.
"Jarvis! You know what to do. Prepare the suit."
'It's already prepared, sir,' came the response.
"Excellent," Tony grinned. "Let's go visit the zoo."
"Loki. It's been a while." Tony hovered in the air a few feet from Loki as the god stood contemplating the dolphin enclosure. "You haven't been up to your usual mischief of late."
"Oh hello Stark. Yes, I know. I've been busy. Would you like to help me with a problem I'm having?" The response was distracted.
"Not especially, no. However, I do believe I've been sent to prevent you from wreaking havoc and destruction across the city."
"Ah. A shame. I had so much planned!" A sweeping motion of his arms accompanied Loki's teasing words.
Tony watched in astonishment as the water in the enclosure, as well as the dolphins, was lifted into the air.
"What the hell is he doing?" Fury's voice came through Tony's speakers as Loki began walking away from the enclosure, a mass of water and seemingly gleeful dolphins floating behind him.
"Sir, I believe he is… stealing the dolphins?" Captain America's response was hesitant and completely confused. Tony flew alongside Loki as the other Avengers' responses to Fury's question flew through his headpiece.
"So… what are you planning to do with your floating water park?" Tony asked Loki as the Trickster continued walking away.
"I plan on releasing the animals into the wild. Saving them, if you will. Would you care to aid me? I don't especially desire to teleport myself with them, as some harm could come to them."
"How am I supposed to help you?" Tony asked. "I should, by now, have blasted you. Technically."
"Ah, yes Mr. Stark. But then the dolphins would be lying on the ground, dying. And you could aid my by carrying me to the nearest ocean. It's oh so much faster than walking." Loki was grinning cheekily by now. "They're such intelligent creatures, dolphins. Endangered, too. We wouldn't want any harm to come to them, now, would we?"
Tony smirked, and gave a long-suffering sigh. "Fine then. For the dolphins." He swooped down and picked Loki from the ground, ignoring the shrieks of his teammates through his headphones. "Try anything, and you're mincemeat."
"I wouldn't dare harm the dolphins!" Loki exclaimed, his eyes widening innocently.
"Good." Came Tony's response, as he sped up. They reached the ocean a short time, the pair in silence, Tony's headpiece screaming with noise until he had Jarvis mute it.
Upon reaching the empty sandy shores, Tony placed Loki on the ground, unmuting his communication devices as he did so.
"I trust you can release them safely. Don't cause mischief." Tony spoke solemnly, a grin spread across his face.
"I can assure you, Stark, I need no aid in releasing dolphins. Good evening." With that, Loki dropped the dolphins gently deep out in the ocean, and vanished.
"TONY STARK! WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENED THERE?" Fury was, well, furious.
"It was the dolphins, sir. I couldn't herm him without harming the dolphins. They're an endangered species, you know?" Tony was straight-faced in the path of the director's wrath, trying not to laugh at the man's expression.
"You had him in your arms, Stark. You could easily have captured him and brought him to us."
"He would have teleported away within seconds the moment I had changed my direction, Fury. Now if we're done here." Tony got up and walked away, taking flight the moment he could.
Weeks later, he and Loki still laughed about the incident and the expression on Fury's face.
Tony almost reached for the bottles of alcohol he kept around. He hadn't spoken since his conversation with the god, which felt like eons, but hadn't even been three hours ago, refusing to answer questions. He'd promised Loki, though. He'd promised to keep going. And he wondered if, just maybe, he would be able to laugh again like he had on the day that Loki and freed the dolphins.
