Warnings: PG13, if that.

It isn't fair, Tony grouses as he sips his third bourbon and sinks lower into the couch. The liquor burns down his throat in a good way and he closes his eyes with a sigh. Why did Fury have to nominate him to babysit the alien wacko? And why at Stark Towers? He has tons of other houses, much more secret that this one. And SHIELD has to have a few secrety bases themselves. Surely they can look after Loki.

Maybe it's payback for Tony calling Fury a pirate. Or maybe Coulson's bored and wants some quality TV. Tony frowns. Can SHIELD still hack into his systems? He'll have to check that. Soon. Not that he doesn't appreciate all that SHIELD's done for them, but they're still a secret government agency and that alone makes them iffy in Tony's books. They spy on people for a living. Why not their assets too?

Cause that's all they are to SHIELD. Assets. Numbers on a board. Weapons to be used.

High heels click on the tiled floor and Tony peers over the back of the couch at the upside-down face of his fiancé. Pepper rests a hand on her hip and tilts her head to the side, her lips curling down in disapproval – though from his view it looks like a distorted version of a smile. He grins.

"Hey."

"It's not even noon, Tony," she says. States really, but doesn't sound as if she's really all that surprised. More, disappointed.

Something twinges in Tony and he grimaces. "Sorry."

"I know." She kicks off her stilettos and slides around the couch to sit on its arm. He follows her with his eyes, head still leaning back against the couch. She leans in and whisks the glass of bourbon away with deft fingers. "Why?"

"I hate life."

"Already known and recorded." She sniffs at the bourbon and wrinkles her nose. "Do better or I will make you go to that board meeting tomorrow."

He pales at the thought. An hour or two listening to longwinded, prissy people complain about the hundred dollars they won't be getting in their million dollar checks. It makes him sick. They don't care about others. They care about numereo uno. He swallows. They remind him of what he used to be, of what he could always fall back into being. He slumps.

"You'd really make me do that?"

She places the glass on the table in front of them and sighs. "No, but I'd like to still think it's a good threat."

"It is," he hurries to assure her.

She sends him a sad smile, a knowing one. "I know."

He twiddles his thumbs and thinks up a few hundred different Quantum Mechanics theories. "Fury asked me to ask you if we could babysit Loki."

Her eyebrows rise and she slides down the couch arm and scoots close to him. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." He slings an arm around her and pulls her closer. "It sucks."

"Why us?"

He likes that she says 'us'. Makes them official. Tony and Pepper. Pepper and Tony. Together against the world. Pepperony. Mmm. Pizza sounds really good right about now. With some red wine and chocolate. Low lights. Pepper next to him. An old, classic movie in the background.

"Tony?"

"Hmmm?" He asks as he goes through the virtual list of pizza places still open after the Chitauri attack. Not a lot, but not nothing either.

"Why did Fury ask that we look after Loki?"

Persistent. That's what he likes about her. Once Pepper wants something she stops at nothing til she gets it. Whether it be a business deal or her fiancé to wake up and smell the roses and propose already. He kisses her forehead. "I love you."

She flicks his nose. "I love you too, but you still haven't answered my question."

He sighs. "Supposedly, there are quite a few agents that are still miffed about the attack and willing to take it out on Loki."

"I thought he was innocent."

"Yep."

"Tony." She stresses his name and frowns.

"Hey, he threw me out a window. It hurt. I've got bruises and cuts from it. I've the right to hold a grudge."

"Tony." More a sigh now than warning.

"Pep, please."

"Fine. Later." She rubs his chest. "So, there've been attacks on Loki by SHIELD agents? Were they the ones guarding him?"

"No." Thank goodness. Even Tony isn't hardhearted enough to want that to happen. "Natasha had them before they got even thirty feet to Loki's room, but Fury's pants are in a twist and he wants Loki in a more secure site."

"And he thinks here is the best spot?"

"Evidently, I'm the poster child for secure locations." He preens. "Kind of nice to have Nicky admit that at last, not going to lie."

Pepper breathes a laugh. "A bit."

"So?"

"I think you should do it." He tries to pull his arm back, hurt she's agreed so easily, but she grabs hold of his wrist and levels The Look at him. "Tony."

"Pep, he's loco. I don't want him five miles from you, let alone two floors. It's all great to protect him from the people outside, but who's going to protect us on the inside?"

"The Avengers?" Her fingers massage his hand. "You did say you'd invited them and that most said yes. We wouldn't be defenseless."

"He's a powerful alien, Pep!"

"Who, and I quote you, doesn't know his backend from his front because he's been screwed over so badly. Tony, he won't even eat without being told to. It's amazing that Bruce got him to go to the restroom by his own initiative."

Tony grimaces. Yeah, that hadn't been a fun week. Lots of tears, pleas, and crying all around – on Loki's part, not his! He sighs. "Fine, but I'm not going to like him."

She lets go of his hand and cups his cheek. "Tony, I would never ask that of you. He attacked you. Tried to kill you. That's going to take time to heal."

He snorts. "You my therapist now?"

She punches his arm. "No, I'm your smart fiancé."

He mock shivers. "Even worse."

"Tony, please. Say yes. It's the right thing to do."

He gazes down at her, overwhelmed by the love her sees in her eyes. Love that he knows he'll never, ever, deserve, but that he also knows he will forever try and earn. He leans in and kisses her nose lightly. "All right."

She snuggles against his chest. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy on me now, Miss Potts."

She chuckles into his chest. "Perish the thought."

/

He calls Fury up that night over the holopad. Doesn't want to give himself a chance to really think this over. Fury picks up after the first ring, face as blank as an unused flash drive.

"Stark?"

"Fine, he can stay here, but only under my rules. I'm not endangering Pepper like that."

Silence and then: "What rules?"

"Visual and heat monitoring. He stays in that room unless Natasha, Steve, or Bruce are with him. They're the only ones that have a chance at stopping him if he goes awol. I get the right to vaporize him if he goes after Pep in anyway. Oh, and those magicky bracelets have to stay on at all times."

Fury's eyes narrows, but he nods. "Agreed. We'll have him prepped and ready for relocation by tomorrow."

Well, that was easy. Tony never likes that. "What's up? You agreed to all that way too nicely."

Fury raises an eyebrow.

Tony growls. "Look, I'm letting a certified psychopath in the same building as my fiancé, you owe me the truth. What's changed?"

"HYRDA's reappeared."

"HYRDA? I thought Cap got rid of them all when he killed the Red Skull."

"Seems not." Fury laces his fingers together. "And my sources tell me that they very interested in Loki."

"Great. Just great, Fury. Not only do I have to babysit the alien, but I also have to watch out for HYRDA too. Any more fun facts you wanna throw at me? Doom feeling the need to visit? Venom? Maybe even Magneto?"

"Stark," Fury grounds out. "Enough."

"No, no, I really wanna know. Any tidbits you wanna share with the class? Any more guests I need to know about?"

"Coulson made a passing remark that he wouldn't mind staying there to help out."

"Oh…" Tony backtracks. "Oh."

"That fly with you, Stark or are there no rooms at the inn."

"Shut it, Fury, you know Coulson's welcome any time." Tony pauses. "He really that good? Docs gave him the green light?"

"Yesterday."

"Nice." Tony leans back. "Tell him he's welcome. No, better yet, I'll tell him. You stay out of it. You say anything and he'll end up with homework or something."

"He'll arrive in the same car as Loki then."

"Yeah. Good. Whatever. Look, I gotta go. System upgrades to make, fiancé's to woo, you know. Talk to ya later?"

"Good night, Stark."

He thinks Fury might be laughing at him, but it's kind of hard to tell. Man has the best poker face this side of Miami. He scowls and shuts down the call. "Jerk."

"So, Coulson too now?"

Tony turns to Pepper. "That okay? I can always call back and tell him it's a no go."

"It's fine." She smirks. "I could use the backup with all these children I'm going to be looking after, present party included."

"Pepper!"

"I'm thinking a Super Nanny marathon might be in order."

"Pep, don't give him any ideas!"

"Me? Who said anything about me giving him ideas?" She grins. "No, no, I'm going to be asking for advice on this one. He's had years of training, after all."

Tony stumbles after her. "Pep, you're joking right. Pep, come on. Don't go asking Evil Agent. He hates me and you know it. He'll try and make you take over the company."

"I already run the company, Tony."

"Not the same thing!"

"Do you think he has an extra tazer?"

"Peeepperrrr!"

And there you have it, folks. A new chapter. Sorry it was a bit late. My laptop flipped out on me and I only just got it back. Next week might be late too, as I've a wedding to go to and I probably won't have the time.

Anyway, let me know what you think about my interpretations of Tony and Pepper. I tried to do them justice. Any votes on who I should do next?

It's either Steve or Bruce.

Vote now in your reviews. :D