A/N: Sorry for the late update, all, but I was sick for the holidays. Major sick. Like, passing out at my register and having to be sent home for the day sick. But I am working on the next chapter right now so that will hopefully be done in a few days so I'll be back on track. But, uh…..reviews are always excellent motivation to make me work faster XD

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't even own a barbecue. That's how desperately poor I am.

Thor found Loki at the coffee shop, at the same table as before. But this time, Loki was sprawled on top of the table, one slender hand raised towards the ceiling. Papers airplanes swirled around his arm as if caught in a tornado.

Thor frowned. "Brother, what madness is this?"

Loki smiled blissfully. "Oh, good. The spell worked."

"Yes, brother. Your paper airplanes are very clever. But shouldn't you be performing your spells in your lair? I hardly think the mortals would take kindly to this."

Loki chuckled. "They can't see a thing. As far as they know, I'm sitting at my table working the crossword puzzle and drinking an espresso." Loki licked his lips. "That does sound wonderful right now."

Thor put a hand on Loki's shoulder. "No, brother. Do not go get yourself more caffeine. We need to have another talk."

Loki dropped his arms and the paper airplanes fluttered harmlessly to the ground. "I should have known this would happen," he said wearily. "I liked the contract as it was, but no doubt you want to add more restrictions on me."

"Actually, we would like to invite you to what my friends call a barbecue."

Loki sat upright. "A barbecue? Ooh, how exciting. You know what a barbecue is, right?"

Thor scratched the back of his head. "An outdoor gathering with good friends and good food. My friends have told me it is a wonderful way to celebrate a warm, summer afternoon."

"You can't forget the fire," Loki said, his eyes alight with excitement.

"You are not setting anything on fire," Thor said sternly. "You promised to behave yourself."

"Cooking," Loki said. "You don't think your precious meat magically cooks itself, do you?"

"The Avengers will be doing the cooking," Thor said. "We must keep you away from temptation, brother."

Loki rolled his eyes, but didn't protest further or even pretend to be outraged that Thor didn't trust him. "Very well." He leaned forward intently. "When is this barbecue?"

"Today. You may come when you wish, or I can escort you there right now."

"Right now?" Loki repeated, his eyes wild. "You need to give me time to prepare. How can I face your friends looking like this?"

Thor blinked. He cocked his head to one side, surveying Loki's thin, collared shirt and dark pants. "You look fine, brother." A quick glance around the coffee shop assured him that Loki looked perfectly normal.

"No," Loki snapped. "This is the attire of merchants. I can dress like this in their company, but not when feasting with your friends. They will think I am ignorant of Midgardian customs." He snapped his fingers and a tie and suit coat appeared over his shirt.

"Brother," Thor said carefully. "This is not a formal affair. It is meant to be a very casual gathering. My friends just wish to get to know you better outside of the realm of battle."

"Oh. In that case…" Loki snapped his fingers again.

Thor raised an eyebrow. Loki was dressed from head to toe in green. Dark green tennis shoes with neon green laces, lime green t-shirt, sunglasses with green frames, even a green hat with the logo of some sports team on it. Luckily, Loki's the camouflage pattern on Loki's pants had a hint of brown in it. But it wasn't nearly enough to offset all the green.

"Too much?" Loki asked with a playful smirk.

Thor was relieved. Loki was well-known for his fashion sense and if Loki thought this was a stylish outfit, then Thor would have known his brother had truly lost his mind.

"You may come dressed however you wish," Thor said.

Loki's smile faded and he looked almost disappointed that Thor had not reacted. "Oh, alright," he said.

The t-shirt stayed, but everything else vanished. For a moment, Loki stood in his underwear, flicking one finger in the air as if browsing through an invisible closet. "Not that one," Loki said. "No, no, no. Ah, yes." He snapped his fingers and thankfully, put on a pair of pants. At that point, Thor didn't care that they seemed baggy and had a great deal too many pockets. All he cared about was that they were pants. He had no desire to see his brother's undergarments again.

"Almost ready," Loki said. He grabbed a handful of Splenda packets off the table and stuffed them in one pocket and then snatched a handful of little white tubes from the counter.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

"Instant coffee," Loki said. "For all I know, your friends are uncivilized ruffians who couldn't recognize a cup of coffee if it was thrown directly onto their crotches." He frowned, brow furrowing. "A waste of good coffee, to be sure."

Thor grabbed Loki by the arm and dragged him out of the coffee shop before Loki could even think about grabbing more packets of coffee.

Thor was in high spirits as he led the way to the Avengers' mansion. Loki walked by his side, chattering nonstop about all the delicious food he had heard was normally served at a barbecue. Thor was glad Steve had suggested inviting Loki over to talk with him and glad that Tony had made it an occasion for food. Loki, who above all valued his privacy, actually seemed eager to take part in the festivities. And not just eager to see it all ruined. Maybe Loki really had changed his ways.

But all of Thor's optimism drained out of him the second he stepped foot inside the Avengers' mansion. No one was there to greet them at the door. Instead, he could hear raised, angry voices from the kitchen. Natasha and Tony were arguing more fiercely than he had ever expected from his friends.

"What?" Natasha demanded. "Loki's coming here?"

"Of course he's coming," Tony said. "I invited him."

"What's the matter with you?" Natasha practically screamed. "There's a perfectly good park just a block away. We could be having a nice picnic in the park right now. But no, you had to invite him here of all places. Do you want to be killed that badly? I could kill you right now myself."

Thor cast a sidelong glance at Loki, who was smirking knowingly. It unnerved him to see his friends quarrel, but Loki almost seemed to be expecting it. Thor cleared his throat. "Friends? I have returned from my errand."

"Just a minute, Thor," Tony shouted, before returning to the argument. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I needed your permission to do what Fury told us to do. Last I checked, you weren't team leader."

"Stark, you imbecile. This is the Avengers' mansion, not yours. If you want to invite a psychopath into your own home, that's fine. But the rest of us get a say in how we live."

"It's not just me. Clint's with me on this. He's already out there getting the barbecue ready. And Steve said he doesn't mind. So, three against one. I'd back down now, if I were you, but maybe you'd like me to poll Banner too, just to make it unanimous against you."

"Yes," she said. "Please do. He'll side with me, which will make it three to two. Not a unanimous decision. And when it's not unanimous, it means we need to discuss this like a goddamn team instead of you just doing whatever you want."

"I apologize, brother," Thor said quietly. "I was told to invite you to our gathering. I did not know my friends would behave so appallingly after inviting you to dine with them."

"No apologies necessary," Loki said. "I love hearing a good argument. I never thought the people of Midgard could argue so eloquently, but I must have been wrong." His eyes gleamed with delight. "I might even pick up a new insult while I'm here." He strode determinedly towards the kitchen and Thor followed with a sigh of resignation.

Thor caught up to Loki as he stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. He had been worried that Loki's sensitive pride might be wounded by Natasha's words, but now he saw he had no need to fear. Loki's eyes were wide with childlike wonder. Thor had no idea what Loki found so fascinating. Tony was standing behind the counter, slapping his palm against the marble surface to accentuate each word, his face turning redder and redder as he spoke, and Natasha was pacing through the kitchen, every step sharp and deliberate as if the floor was a carpet of insects that she had to crush with each footstep.

"There is no time for discussion," Tony snapped. "Thor's already gone to tell Loki, so-" Tony trailed off abruptly and his face went white as he realized for the first time that he and Natasha were not alone in the kitchen.

"I don't care," Natasha said. "Call him back here and tell him your little party is cancelled."

Tony swallowed. "Too late. He's already here."

She whirled to face them, the rage in her eyes disappearing behind a mask of cold indifference. "Loki," she said curtly.

Loki flashed a smile. "Greetings, Agent Romanov. What a lovely reception."

She glanced towards Tony and set her jaw. "Does Fury know about this?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Tony said. "And besides, he wants this contract to work. There's no better way to show that we're no longer enemies than a good old-fashioned barbecue."

"Or maybe there's no better way to get us all killed."

"I like her," Loki said. "She speaks her mind."

"Don't play cute with me. I bet you say that to all the girls."

"True," Loki said. "I said the same about Thor's little girlfriend. Even after she slapped me." He eyed Natasha. "You'll probably slap me, too. You look like the type."

"You like violence, do you?" Natasha stepped within an inch of Loki's face. "I could make it happen," she said in a dangerously quiet voice. "Starting with cutting out that damn tongue of yours."

Tony stepped between them. "Agent Romanov, I'm ashamed of you. Provoking a fight just to win a bet. That's cheating, you know."

"This isn't about your stupid bet, Stark. Loki and I have unfinished business to take care of."

"Yeah, go right ahead. But remember the consequences if we break our side of the deal."

Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. I'll wait for Loki to make the first move." She narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to last long. I know it. This is just a temporary truce."

Clint padded into the living room with a can of beer in one hand and his bow in the other. "Hey, Natasha, do you think-" He stopped. "Oh, hi, Loki."

Natasha sighed and rubbed at her temple. "What is it now, Clint? Forget how to light a barbecue?"

Clint didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Loki with a puzzled look on his face.

"Earth to Clint!" Natasha said. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.

He blinked rapidly and shook himself. "That was weird. For a second, I-" He frowned and looked around the room. "Why is everyone-oh, hi, Loki."

Natasha groaned as Clint dropped back into a frozen stare. "Loki, I swear to god, I'm going to kill you."

"I'm not doing anything," Loki protested. "I'm being a perfect guest at your barbecue. I'm smiling, making eye contact-"

"Whatever you're doing, stop it right now." Natasha smacked Clint on the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Back outside." Natasha ushered Clint towards the door. "Go start the barbecue."

"Oh, is Loki here already?"

"Yes, Clint. He's here." She put a hand on his head. "Go straight forward. Don't turn and look. If I have to put you through any more cognitive recalibrations, you won't have any brain cells left."

"What?"

"Never mind, Clint. Just go." She shoved him through the doorway.

"Wait." Clint grasped the doorframe, his forehead creased with confusion. "All of a sudden, I want to try and light the barbecue with a flaming arrow. Weird, right?"

Natasha turned and fixed Loki with a venomous glare. "You are dead. I swear to god." She slammed the door shut, rattling all the windows in the kitchen.