Loki takes Pepper home the long way - the stroll along the evening streets, a drive to her place, the quiet, companionable silence in the elevator up to her penthouse apartment. When Pepper's arm isn't looped through his, their hands brushing as they walk, fingers tangling. The ride in the elevator goes faster than usual, and Pepper isn't sure whether to blame Friday for it, or the easy magic of the evening.

They pause and face each other next to the door to Pepper's apartment. Sometime between the walk and the ride up to Pepper's floor, Loki had let his illusions slip, and there is no more ridiculous nose. It's just Loki, with his soft-looking hair and elegant, opera-evening cravat. There's a softness to his expression that makes Pepper bold.

"Can I kiss you?" Pepper asks.

Loki looks pleased to be asked. "Of course, Lady Virginia. It would be my pleasure."

She steps forward and presses her lips against Loki's. She's not planning to make a fire thing out of it. Just a short, warm kiss to cap off an excellent date. But the moment her lips brush against his, she's already stepping back, her heart pounding, the kiss barely a peck, and it's all wrong and not what she wanted at all.

She can't help it. It's nerves. It's Loki. She's not sure what it is.

"Sorry, that was - " She laughs to play it off, waves her hand. "Let me try again."

Her heart is racing, though, and her cheeks are too warm. And Loki's watching, looking bemused, as if not quite sure what is happening, but willing to indulge her.

This used to be easy. She's probably out of practice. Maybe she's too old.

She is going to get it right this time. Her shoulders straighten, and she steps forward to make it a real kiss this time. But Loki shifts back and his hands lift to her upper arms, the touch light.

"May I?"

"Oh, yes, sure," Pepper says, even though she's regretting everything right now. "Of course, it's fine."

There is something in Loki's expression as he stares back at her for one eternal moment of hesitation. Then the uncertain furrow on his brow is gone and he's flashing her the confident, bright smile of the trickster as he steps forward. Pepper's hands come up by instinct, and suddenly there is the soft, wool material of his three-piece opera suit under her palms.

She thinks, briefly, that the suit is real fine craftsmanship, and then one of Loki's hands is pressed lightly against her right cheek and he is close. He smells like green grass on a cool spring day, and her heart is still racing because she's sure this thing is going to be a disaster and she's hoping it won't be.

Her lips part slightly when he leans forward for the kiss. But then – he misses.

Instead of finding her lips with his, Loki presses a soft kiss against her left cheek, warm and gentle. It sends a shiver skittering up her back and makes the tension leave her shoulders in a sudden exhale. He keeps his lips there for a long moment, a soft huff of air from his nose tickling her ear and neck.

She feels the first movement of his retreat through her palms, which are both still resting against his chest. She realizes that this is it. That is the kiss. And now it's about to be over.

Oh, hell no.

She sways forward when he shifts back and follows him. Her mouth finds his. It's suddenly one of her hands that's holding his face and tilting his head for that perfect angle. His lips part against hers in a soft huff of a delighted laugh, and she wants to laugh too but doesn't, because they're finally kissing for real.

Loki's lips are warm and thrilling and everything she wanted from a good-night kiss. Loki's arm is around her, pulling her closer as he licks into her mouth and -

riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

The sustained, high pitched noise is so loud and sudden that her whole body jerks and shoves herself back. And suddenly it's raining and -

Fuck .

The water sprinklers are on, the fire alarm is ringing in the politely furnished hallway outside Pepper's door, and across from her, Loki's green eyes are wide and wild as he spins around, looking for the threat. There's the smell of smoke in the air.

"Friday," Pepper snaps, then yells, because she can't even hear herself. " Friday!"

The noise cuts off just as abruptly as it started.

Loki is soaked and furious, his hair flattened and dripping around his face, a large, charred hole in the middle of his chest where Pepper's hand burned straight through his jacket, vest, shirt, and undershirt to the alabaster skin below. Loki looks furious. He doesn't look hurt.

"Friday, what the hell was that about - "

"If you thought to lure me - " Loki snarls at the same time, and they both break off to stare at each other.

"Apologies, Miss Potts," Friday speaks up from one of the speakers by the elevator doors. The water continues to fall, unabated. "In case of fire, my priority is to ensure the safety of all Stark Tower residents."

"My entire floor is fireproofed!" Pepper exclaims, exasperated. The water is still coming down, and giant puddles are forming on the expensive wood flooring in the hallway.

"I was concerned about your guest's wellbeing."

"Of course you were," Pepper mutters and closes her eyes to resist the overwhelming desire to scream. She is soaking wet, water is streaming down the back of her dress, and she can still taste the faint mint and citrus of Loki on her lips. The memory of the interrupted kiss doesn't help with her frustration.

With a rattle and click that sounds almost smug, the water works finally shut off. A few drops continue falling with loud, cheerful plinks.

When Pepper opens her eyes again, she's almost surprised to see that Loki is still there. He seems to have gotten over his initial paranoid assumptions and is poking at his bare chest through the hand-sized hole in the center of his suit.

During her time as personal assistant to the occasionally eccentric but usually batshit crazy CEO of Stark Industries (and then, later, during her own time as that actual CEO of Stark), Pepper has handled and pivoted her way through her share of ridiculous scenarios. She reminds herself that all crises are opportunities in disguise. Even when the crisis is her rogue AI assistant dousing Pepper and her (hopefully soon-to-be official) boyfriend in the literal equivalent of a bucket of cold water.

Pepper can still turn this around.

"Do you want to come in to dry off?" Pepper asks, gesturing at the door. "I have a hot shower and a - "

She breaks off, because, with an irritated tug at one of his sleeves and a flash of green sparkles, Loki (and his entire outfit) is suddenly perfectly dry.

"No need, Lady Virginia." Impatiently, Loki brushes an errant drop of water off the shoulder of his now dry suit, and side-steps to avoid the dripping sprinkler. The hole in his suit is magically gone too. Loki shoes make a squishing in the wet puddles and his expression is studiously blank.

He hasn't offered to sparkle away Pepper's own waterlogged situation, the ass. But he hasn't teleported away yet either.

"Come on in while I dry off," Pepper suggests again, pausing at her door to her apartment. She has to use the door handle to pull her automatic door open, because Friday has decided to be the opposite of helpful. Loki hesitates, and she sees something like uncertainty or reluctance flash across his face. It's gone before Pepper can quite make it out. Maybe Friday's interruption has given him the time he needs to start second guessing the entire evening of mutual revelations, or maybe it's yet another reminder that he is always one thunderstorm away from his brother trying to arrest him.

The sprinklers have set them back and ruined the mood, but Pepper is sure that if she can just get them into her apartment, herself dried off, and both of them to a couch, they can recapture the magic of the evening. She's sure Loki wants that too.

Instead, Loki throws a disdainful glare at the sprinklers. "I fear I had better not, Lady Virginia. Lest the tea be poisoned or a sentient toaster make an attempt on my life to defend your honor."

"I know, I know," Pepper says with a grimace. "Friday won't do this again. Fri?"

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"If Loki comes in, no more interruptions from you, okay?"

"Of course, Miss Potts."

The agreement comes too easily. There's still a wary stiffness to Loki's movements, but he does step forward to join Pepper on the threshold. And then Pepper's brain, still picking over Friday's easy capitulation, finally makes the necessary connection.

Damn it, Friday.

Loki's the perfect height for Pepper to bump her forehead against his shoulder with a groan of frustration. He lets her, and she feels his arm come up to wrap around her waist, the movement uncertain, like a question mark.

"Fri," Pepper says into the soft wool of Loki's suit. "Is the fire department on its way up?"

"As per the building code safety protocols," Friday says with undue cheer in her pleasant Irish brogue. "All incidents of fire alarm activation must be investigated and cleared by the fire department. Estimated time of arrival is two minutes."

Outmaneuvered by an AI.

Pepper lifts her head - and Loki is already stepping back. He catches her hand and his fingers curl gently around hers as he lifts it to his lips. Instead of pressing a kiss to the back of her hand - a familiar gesture by now - his eyes locked on hers, he turns her hand over and brushes his lips against her palm. Her heart skips a beat and the butterfly-light touch sends a rush of goosebumps up her arm.

Loki has his illusions, and Pepper has quite a large walk-in closet he can hide in. There's no reason for him to go.

Lowering Pepper's hand, Loki offers her a wry smile. "Perhaps another time."

Pepper nods with a sigh, water dripping down her bangs and off the tip of her nose.

"Another time," she agrees wistfully. But she's smiling back.