Pepper made sure that the Stark Industries New Years Eve Party would be a high society event with all the right people, all the right publicity, lots of booze, and a fireworks show that would make the inventors of the stuff glow with pride. Tony intended to take Loki with him and formally introduce him as his husband. Ever since Loki had helped them defeat Dr. Doom the public opinion on him wasn't as bad as it used to be, and Tony wanted to show everyone –especially Loki- that he was proud of his new life partner. This meant there would be a small press conference right before the party officially started. Loki was already stressing about it… He tried to hide it from Tony, but the engineer could feel the distress radiating from the god's mind. At night he couldn't sleep despite having Tony close. At last the engineer sat up in bed.
"Something is troubling you and you're not telling me."
"Nothing is wrong."
"Oh come on, don't give me that crap. You've being broody and dark all day. Just tell me."
Loki curled up with his back to Tony, not wanting to talk about it.
"I don't like being outdoors."
Tony smirked.
"Oh come on, you can't be serious? It's a party, not a survival trip!"
Loki hurt inside, feeling as if Tony didn't take him seriously. And explaining he didn't just dislike being outdoors, that he disliked being anywhere except for in this room and that being outside the tower scared the living death out of him… That was just too humiliating. So he just huffed and curled up even further. Tony could feel laughing about it hadn't been the best move… Carefully he put a hand on Loki's shoulder.
"Loki… look at me please."
"No."
Loki felt like being stubborn and childish. It just came that way, together with feeling confused and embarrassed; it was easier to focus on a plain spot on the wall than to have to look into Tony's eyes. Tony's comprehending brown eyes that would definitely make him break… Tony sighed and curled close to Loki, enwrapping the god's curled up form with his own body.
"Okay."
There was a bit of silence, and Loki felt himself relax in Tony's hold, despite not wanting to. The magic of their connection was just too strong to ignore, he couldn't close himself off for the mortal. Tony felt that and entangled their hands. At that, a tear rolled over the god's cheek.
"You say I don't cause you trouble… but I do. I don't understand how you do not despise me for my weakness… I don't even dare to go outside anymore."
Tony just held Loki in his arms and whispered.
"If you don't cause me trouble, I'm obliged to do it myself… and we both knows what happens then."
"It's not funny."
"I know. I'm being serious. I love you and no matter what happens I always will. I'm proud of you, and proud to call myself your partner. And what a partner would I be if I didn't go out and make it safe for you there with everything I have?"
Loki cried, but he didn't really know why. Somewhere in the back of his mind was still that little voice saying all this was nothing but a cruel illusion, that no one could ever love a monster like him. It made him cry. Tony just held him and let him. When at long last Loki had cried himself to sleep, Tony carefully tucked him in.
"My dear, dear Loki…"
He pressed his lips on Loki's forehead in a soft kiss and wiped away his tears. At the soft touch the god appeared to relax. While he slept in Tony's arms, Tony was lying awake, pondering over ways to cure his husband of this sudden outburst of social anxiety…
(Pagebreak)
"You look great."
"Are… are you sure?"
Hela looked at Natasha with big eyes. The Russian spy grinned at the goddess, which was a rare occasion.
"Turn around, will you?"
Hela spun around, and Natasha nodded approvingly.
"It's perfect."
"Are you sure plain black wouldn't have been better?"
"You're young –well, young looking-, you're beautiful… Why would you wear anything plain? I'm not wearing black either, and they call me the Widow."
Hela chuckled at the spy, who was indeed wearing a skintight dress in fiery red silk that wonderfully colored with her red hair.
"You do realize I am eons older than you?"
Natasha nodded, an apologizing smirk on her face.
"It's still a bit odd to me, I mean, you look about 16 most of the time."
"How much would you give me now?"
"I… I really can't tell. Old, but without looking aged."
Hela smiled in approval at that.
"Ah yes. That's… How I prefer to look when I'm in my own realm."
She turned around again, admiring herself in the long mirrors. Natasha found the goddess a fascinating being. She could appear so old, and yet, on moments like this all the years seemed to fall off her face and she became the young girl she looked like.
"I have always wondered what you wear when you're… you know, ruling the dead and such."
"Really?"
It was nothing for Natasha to show such curiosity… The spy acknowledged this though.
"I admit, Clint asked me to ask you."
Hela laughed.
"Good to know… then I suppose it's Clint I should show it to…"
Natasha smiled.
"Well, I believe you have a date waiting for you."
"Speaking of dates… Are you and Clint together or not?"
"We're… business partners. We do whatever is necessary. Now, out of this room young lady! Don't keep him waiting!"
(Pagebreak)
"Are you sure?"
"Thor my dear, I feel no need to celebrate this particular Midgardian feast."
"But it's going to be fun!"
Frigga shook her head at her son.
"This New Year's Feast is a feast of mortals, to commemorate the passing of their time. Instead of mourning it they celebrate, and… It is not for us."
"But it's a feast mother!"
"It's about change, new chances, new beginnings, the passing of time. For an old goddess like me it is not needed."
"My brother and I are gods too, but…"
"And would you say you two have no need for a new beginning?"
Frigga sent her son a kind, warm smile.
"Plus, who will make you party animals a decent breakfast if I'm as exhausted as you?"
Thor just embraced his mother in one of those bone-crushing Asgardian bear hugs.
"I love you mother. Happy new year!"
"Thor… I can't breathe."
He let go of her and apologized.
"I'm sorry mother."
"No need. Now, go ahead and have a nice party!"
(Pagebreak)
Justin and Peter were both wearing a nicely tailored suit that Tony had ordered for them.
"I look okay?"
"Man, you look fine!"
"You think Hela will like it?"
"Dude, when she sees you she's gonna want to take you right there right now, that good-looking you are!"
Peter blushed and Justin poked him in the side.
"Come on, tonight is no time to be the Holy Virgin! I bet you my comic collection that you're gonna lose that V-Card tonight!"
"Urgh, Justin!"
"No, seriously. Go for it, tonight is your night!"
Before Peter could retaliate, Natasha appeared on top of the stairs, in a skintight dress that without a doubt harbored more weapons than the average armory.
"Gentlemen, I present you… Hela Lokidottir!"
And then she stepped aside. Their mouths dropped open. Hela wore a wonderful floor length dress made of a special fabric that appeared both black and green depending on the light that shone on it. It seemed to float around her, giving her a magical air... On the right side daring cutouts accentuated her beautifully formed body, and a large slit showed an indecent amount of leg, while on the left side a long sleeve covered her arm. The dress seemed to be made so that Hela could if necessary show her natural form without standing out too much. Her black tresses flowed over her back, and a small silver circlet reminded them of her horned crown. She smiled shyly at them as she came down the stairs.
"Oh… wow… That's…"
"Happy New Year's Eve, Peter… Justin…"
Peter felt shivers go down his spine when Hela reached for his hand and entangled her long, bony fingers with his.
"Is my dress… sufficient?"
Peter felt his cheeks glow.
"It's… amazing, Hela. It's perfect…"
"Good."
(Pagebreak)
"Is anyone going to tell me why the hell Loki's been moping around in full armor all day? His helmet got stuck in the Christmas decorations, just saying."
Clint announced. Thor smiled apologizing.
"My brother wears his armor when he feels insecure, Son of Barton."
"Well, if he's wearing that to the party it's definitely not going to end well. I can tell that much. Especially in combination with the broody woe-is-me-look he doesn't look particularly festive…"
Tony listened in on the conversation accidentally, and interrupted.
"Clint, seriously. Loki's been though enough, if he wants to wear armor to the party he can do so."
"It's social suicide, just saying."
"I've had worse."
"You had alcohol as an excuse, plus you didn't have trying to rule the world on your track record back then."
Tony opened his mouth to say something back, but in the middle he just changed his mind and walked away. He had bigger fish to fry than bantering with Clint over whether Loki's armor was fashionable or not. He went back into the bedroom, where Loki sat on the bed, indeed in full armor, his head resting on his hands in defeat.
"Loki?"
"I can't do this, Tony…"
Loki sounded hopeless… Tony sat down next to his lover and pulled him closer.
"I'll be there, all the time."
"They'll… They'll…"
"I know from experience that hiding from the press doesn't make them nicer to or about you. You should show them you're not afraid of them, then they'll back off."
Loki looked rather desperate at Tony, sighing.
"But… I AM afraid of them."
"No, you're not afraid of them, you're afraid of being confronted with the things you did in the past. And yes, they will bring it all up. They will ask questions that without a doubt will hurt you and you'll feel cornered by them. They might even insult you, or me, or the other avengers, simply to get a reaction out of you. But you're stronger than that, Loki. I love you, and I know you are."
Loki leaned closer to Tony, his armor fading into a smartly tailored suit.
"Do I have to stay all night?"
"The press meeting will only last for like… half an hour. After that I am allowed to shoot anyone questioning you."
"Really?"
"No, but that doesn't mean I won't do it."
That made the god smile, and as he let Tony hold him tight he felt a little less on edge already.
(Pagebreak)
They left to the party in a limousine, all dressed up sharply… The press conference was pretty awkward at first, with Loki practically pinching Tony's hand off, and the others all looking uncomfortable in their party getup… But it was Clint who strangely enough broke the ice, for once.
"So, Happy New Year's Eve to you guys. I think you really could be doing far more interesting things than following us around tonight, so let's get this over with shall we? I'm not a public speaker, not at all, so excuse me if I'm not as polished and autocue as you're used to. You're all here to ask us about Loki, so let me tell yo something about him. I don't really like him. The guy mind-controlled me and stuff, not to mention he tried to rule the world, so yeah. He's not really ranked at the top of my like chart. But before you guys start posing annoying questions there's something you should know. Loki may be a would-be-despot with a not exactly clean slate here on earth, but he makes Tony happier than anything, and he's not as bad as you all think, when you look beyond the horned helmet thingy. He's trying to redeem himself the best he can, so please be easy on him okay? We've all done our share of evil things in our past, and… well, I'm just saying hat if we deserved a second chance, so does Loki. That's all I wanted to say. Thanks for listening."
There was an awkward silence hanging over the journalists when Clint let go of the microphone. Hawkeye was notoriously hard to get answers from, and every press declaration he had ever given was… short. They had never caught the archer saying so much on camera before…
(Pagebreak)
Peter, Justin and Hela had already been brought to the party. Hela stared in awe at everything; the guests, the decorations, the buffet… Pepper welcomed them.
"Ah, there you are! Peter, Justin, and…"
"Hela."
"She's my girlfriend."
Peter declared quickly. Pepper nodded approvingly at the girl.
"She's a beauty, Peter… better treat her right!"
They all laughed, and then Hela asked.
"Do you… Do you know how they are doing? With the press?"
Pepper nodded again, giving Hela a comforting smile.
"I've been following the press conference on TV, they're doing okay for now. It's my estimation that they'll most likely be here in a little while."
"I hope my father won't have overexerted himself again…"
Pepper raised an eyebrow, and then a mental light went on.
"Wait… you're… Loki's daughter?"
"In person."
"Aren't you… you know…" Pepper gestured to one side of her face; it was clear the CEO knew her myths pretty well. Hela looked at her shoes and nodded.
"Then how…?"
"Magic, Miss Potts. I thought my actual nature would be too… frightening, for a festive occasion as this."
Pepper slicked, but managed to keep her smile.
"No problem. I need to stay here to welcome the guests, but please go ahead and have some food from the buffet, it's all on the company anyway."
As they walked away, Hela looked sad. Peter held her hand and smiled.
"It's not the face, Hela. No one can tell, and I told you before that I think you're beautiful either way."
"She knew. And she instantly felt disgusted."
"That's more the fact you rule the dead than your face, trust me. She wasn't disgusted at all, more like… impressed, and slightly frightened at your power."
"Really?"
"Yes. Come, let's get something to eat."
(Pagebreak)
A little later the rest of the Avengers arrived. The party started as a polite reception, but with every hour fleeing the guests became more inebriated and more eager to dance. By eleven 'o clock everyone was dancing to the music mixed by a rather famous DJ. Peter looked at Hela as she danced, her green eyes glittering with joy as she flung her hair and moved her perfectly shaped ass to the beat. He recalled she had told him that partying people gave her energy, and with the amount of people partying right now she had to be in energy-candy land, he imagined. He danced closer to her, and she smiled at him, an enticing, inviting smile. Soon they were dancing chest to chest, Peter trying to control the trembling of his body that increased every time Hela's perky breasts stroked over his chest. His hands ran over the bare skin the cutouts exposed, and he rejoiced when he felt Hela shiver almost as much as he did.
It was half past eleven when the music and partying had Peter so riled up he whispered in Hela's ear.
"I want you, Hela…"
"Peter…"
The goddess pressed her lips on his, and Peter would have sworn he could feel the magic covering her skeleton half shimmering for a moment. Her voice was hoarse with excitement when she whispered back.
"Then have me…"
The world spun around them, and Peter sensed the tendrils of Hela's magic surround him before he could do anything. He closed his eyes and pressed himself against the goddess. When he opened his eyes again, they weren't on the party anymore. He could feel from the cold evening wind that they were outside.
"Where…"
Before Peter could finish his question, Hela smiled and innocently called out.
"JARVIS?"
"At your service, Miss Lokidottir…"
Immediately, all around them soft green lights went on, showing that they were standing on the roof of Stark Tower. Hela looked eerily beautiful in the dim green light… With a nod of her head a bed appeared, on which she spread herself out. Peter was still trying to grasp what had happened…
"You… you prepared this?"
Hela giggled girlishly.
"Sort of… Now… Are you going to keep me waiting?"
And Peter watched as the magnificent dress fade away into a black-and-green lingerie set. The bulge in his pants clearly told Peter he no longer wanted to wait… The moment he thought that, his clothes just… disappeared. It would have been slightly awkward if it weren't for the truly magical atmosphere. He noticed he wasn't cold at all, despite feeling a soft breeze. He climbed on the bed and kissed Hela, who answered his affections hungrily.
"I… This is… you know… this is my first…"
"That's mutual… Don't worry."
Another kiss silenced every last doubt Peter had had left. He pulled Hela's panties down and carefully stroked her privates with his finger. From the wetness of Hela's cunt and the slight moans she let out he could tell he wasn't doing too bad… It just came naturally, from one finger going to more fingers, entering her, moving around to widen her entrance a bit, teasing her clit with his fingers… Maybe she had put a spell on him, Peter didn't know… When he felt how her soft hands stroked his penis he realized he didn't really give a damn. They progressed, kissing, touching, exploring each other's body with insatiable curiosity…
"Please… Peter… take me…"
Hela's voice was pleading, and as he looked into her half open eyes that shone with pleasure Peter felt an intense shiver of pleasure go through him.
"Are you…"
"It's safe. Please Peter…"
And Peter obliged. They both moaned as they rubbed their hips together, rhythmically moving, rolling over the silk sheets while kissing each other passionately. Between moans, Peter uttered.
"Hela… I want you… in your true f-form…"
The goddess' eyes widened in surprise, but as she was already too close to an orgasm to think clearly still, she obliged. It turned out to be a great decision. Hela's cold bones didn't feel hard or painful, but like silk against Peter's skin. Peter felt himself come closer, and as he looked into Hela's eyes he knew he wasn't alone. Her bright green eyes were hazy with delight. He thrust deeper into her and came with a final moan. Hela screamed out and for a moment it was as if Hela's green eyes became all dark, a glowing black… Peter felt happiness overwhelm him, and panting he sank against the goddess, who embraced him, sounding about as exhausted as he was.
"I love you Hela…"
He felt strangely lethargic all of a sudden, warm and happy and blissful… Right before he slipped away he would have sworn Hela whispered.
"I love you too, Peter…"
(Author's Notes)
YES! Hela and Peter have sex, at long last! It's not going to be without consequences though... And yeah, Loki gets a slight attack of social anxiety... But surprisingly enough Clint comes to the rescue.
REVIEW PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
70 Reviews and you get another Author's Titbit... With karaoke! (Plus, jaquelinelittle, what about Paramore's "The Only Exception" for Hela, and Tony Bennet's "Experiment" for Bruce?)
