Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or any other Marvel related material. This story is not for profit.
Sorry for the delay, a combination of writer's block, college crap, and a new obsession with the TV series Queer as Folk (if you've never heard of it, go check it out on Youtube, it's so hawt! /fans self) kept me from really sitting down and dishing this chapter out…
Special thanks to all who reviewed last chapter: PR922, sweetdesserts, yaoifanfake, yaoiuke101, MirrorFlower and DarkWind, irite, Lumoa, LarkaRavenWolf, Wiggalator, Itachi005, pinkrose1122, Kyouyimina Miuya, vsama, qbrulz9, Kactus Wrynn, and BlackMeister13! You are all amazing, thank you for the support! And PR922 for edits!
Chapter 3: People Person
As it turns out, by the time Happy was able to drive Pepper over from the meeting that Tony just so happened to have forgotten to attend, Fury had already caught wind of Loki's arrival. And he was, predictably, furious nobody had seen to report to him immediately that an "enemy of the world" was currently residing in one of the most secure buildings in the United States. As such, he called a disciplinary meeting for all members of the Avengers, leaving Loki to be locked up in a cell until Thor argued that they needed to go shopping.
Fury's image frowned from Tony's computer, "And why in hell would I let him go shopping out in the middle of New York City after what he nearly pulled?"
"I'll watch over him," Pepper volunteered.
"Nope, no, absolutely not," Tony objected vehemently as the rest of the Avengers left to hurry to the meeting room before Fury really got pissed off. "You are not allowed to go anywhere with him by yourself. I don't trust him yet. I mean, he's the God of Lying, right? And a magician? Who knows what sort of evil voodoo he can cast on a helpless woman such as yourself."
Pepper glared at him, "First of all, I believe he's the God of Mischief."
Tony waved the comment away, "Same difference."
"And secondly," Pepper continued. "I'd say I've got some moves up my sleeve that even you don't know. Nat's been giving me private lessons, and well, she is the expert with hand-to-hand combat. Anyway, Thor's already vouched for him, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
"He's the dude's freaking brother! Of course he's going to take his side!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm trying to be helpful here by helping you make a decision for your own good, but you're just ignoring me! See if I say anything next time you go and want to do something stupid. Got that? Jarvis, open a new folder titled: Pepper's Screw Ups. First note: I tried, but clearly, my efforts aren't needed here."
"Yes, sir," Jarvis' automated voice confirmed. "Shall I file this under I Am Such An Idiot or To Apologize to Pepper For?"
Tony froze dramatically, "I cannot believe you just said that out loud. I specifically told you never to mention those folders to anyone! Do I need to reprogram you, you useless series of codes? Because I can! And I can mess with your insides so much that you'll never even think about giving me attitude again."
"Is it a commonly accepted practice to threaten invisible voices?" Loki piped up, quite amused at the exchange between the two.
Pepper rolled her eyes, "Please, Tony. You're the one who needs someone to tell you to stop getting ahead of yourself. Because seriously, even though Loki can magically transform his clothes, it doesn't mean you can. And stop looking at me like that, I can practically see the wheels turning inside that insane brain of yours."
The inventor glowered as the younger brother was, inexplicably because there is no such thing as magic, morphing his Asgardian bondage costume into an exact replica of Tony's own Black Sabbath T-shirt and blue denims. "I am not insane, just clearly at a higher mental capacity than the rest of you."
"If you two are done bickering, the image at your back seems to be getting angrier by the second. Or is making people wait just the custom here on Midgard?" Loki asked, eyes opened wide and full of feigned innocence.
"Oh stop it you, those puppy eyes may work on your brother-boyfriend-whatever, but I sure as hell am never going to fall for them." Tony retorted. "And for heaven's sake, it's called a screen. My god, between you, Thor, and Steve, I don't know who's the most technologically dense. When you get back, we're going to have some serious bonding time over my latest StarkTech designs. You, my almost-friend, have been seriously missing out on some of the coolest inventions ever."
Pepper raised a brow, "When he gets back? Back from what exactly since you're not letting us go anywh-"
"Damn it, just get out already," Tony huffed as he marched out of the room. "But you better remember that you ignored my warning so if something happens, blame Thor."
Sighing at the other's immaturity, Pepper finally turned to Loki, "You know, I don't really think you need any more clothes since you got that area covered, but I've been dying to go shopping so let's go anyway!"
Chuckling at the lightheartedness, Loki smiled genuinely, "I would be very pleased to experience more of the culture here on Midgard."
Leading the way to the elevator, Pepper rolled her eyes. "Do you always sound so aristocratic? I mean, it probably comes from being a prince, but still. How do you know English anyways?"
"Those of Asgard speak the Allspeak," Loki informed pleasantly. "It is a language that can be understood by all, so I am sure there are some aspects that seem foreign in translation. But Thor and I are both adept with languages; it was the one study that he was ever able to keep pace with me on in our childhood. We will learn your vernacular quickly."
Pepper laughed again, "Really? I couldn't tell! I'm just kidding." She put a hesitant hand on the other's arm, "You did know I was kidding right? You're not going to kill me?"
"The punishment for insulting royalty is determined by the severity of the insult," Loki said ominously. "In your case, it would probably be getting your eyes gouged out, so not death, no." Then he smiled, winking at the CEO who had suddenly turned very pale.
"Oh my god," she giggled. "You seriously had me there! Mr. Mischievous is really good at what he does." Breathing a sigh of relief, she led him out of the elevator to a closet behind the reception desk on the ground floor. "Okay, so this is Tony's private collection, but I'm sure he won't mind if we borrow some stuff. I mean, even though nobody is probably going to recognize you, we can't be too careful. So here's a pair of Tony's new favorite, they're Louis Vuitton Evasions, twelve hundred dollars a pair, not that money matters, but they are his favorite. And if he asks, we'll just say it was a safety precaution for me. You know, don't want to get stampeded by angry citizens trying to take you down and all. Wow, those shades look really good on you. You should seriously consider going into modeling."
"And have my face plastered everywhere for people to recognize?" Loki scoffed but couldn't help smiling, "Usually Thor is the one on the receiving end of such compliments. I am very flattered."
Smiling back easily, Pepper grabbed his arm to lead him out into the city. "Well I can certainly see why he picked you, and you both look so adorable together. But first, we need to get you out of these clothes. This outfit might look good on Tony, but it's doing nothing for your figure."
"Your wish is my command," Loki agreed amicably. "Tell me more about Mr. Stark; he seems to hold you in very high regard."
"Please, call him Tony. Mr. Stark actually makes him sound like a professional," Pepper prattled on as they walked into a store. "Which, I can assure you with absolute certainty, he will never be. I mean, the man's brilliant, but those crazy ideas of his have to come from somewhere right?"
"I'm sorry to hear about your parting with him," Loki murmured as he picked up a pair of blue jeans.
Pepper shrugged, "It was for the best, we're still great friends. But- oh my gosh, put those down! Those look horrendous, here take these. Oh! And take these two while you're at it. Go try them on, I'll be waiting outside."
Carrying the small pile of clothes to the back rooms, the prince stepped into a stall and quickly changed, not wanting to have the quirky woman waiting for too long. "Are the pants supposed to be this tight?"
"Can you fit in them? I'm a pretty good judge of size, but I'm no expert," Pepper yelled back.
Loki evaluated the outfit critically in front of the full length mirror: a fitted black leather jacket and green V-neck t-shirt bringing out his eyes over black skinny jeans which hugged his ass and left nothing to the imagination. "No, don't worry. I think they fit," he said, stepping out to let the other appraise the choices. "Would this be an acceptable selection?"
Eyebrows rising, Pepper grinned, "If I wasn't already dating someone… Seriously, model material right here, and this outfit is a definite must. Okay, change and we'll so pick up some more stuff."
Three hours later, after calling Happy to pick up their bags, Loki almost wanted to complain as they stepped into the last building. The only thing keeping his mouth shut was the prospect of a haircut which did wonders to his outlook.
"I promise, this guy is the best and he's totally discreet," Pepper reassured as the pair stepped through the glass doors. "Hi Mindy! I've brought a friend today; can you get Paul from the back? I promise this is only a one-time thing."
The receptionist came around her table to peck Pepper on the cheeks, squealing at the sight of the other. "Oh my god! Pepper! It's been so long since you've dropped by! Of course, why don't you pick a seat, we were just about to go on break, but Paul doesn't have appointments for another four hours, so I'm sure he'd be happy to do you a favor!"
"Stop playing with your hair," Pepper chastised as the pair sat down at a restaurant for lunch forty minutes later. "All the ladies are starting to stare."
"I can't help it," Loki practically whined, he had picked up quite a bit of modern English from Paul, their hairdresser. "It's so much shorter now."
Pepper shrugged, "It's so much better now, you mean. You looked great before, but now…well, let's just say that Thor's not going to be able to contain himself when we get back."
"Please," Loki scoffed. "Thor's never been able to hold back when it comes to me."
Laughing, Pepper ordered for them both. "So, this is a little place called Masa that I discovered with Nat a couple days ago when I got back from vacation, and I've been dying to come back. Don't you like it? Although, it's nothing compared to Momofuke, my absolute favorite restaurant of all time. I kind of have a thing for Asian food."
"It seems…quaint," Loki agreed.
Pepper sighed suddenly and looked a bit glum, "I wish you weren't taken though, Tony's all lonely now and I totally would have put you guys together on a date."
Nearly spitting out the mouthful of water he just drank at the thought of him and Tony being romantic with each other, Loki quickly swallowed to make a face at the other woman. "Are you sure you'd want that? Because I don't think I'm exactly his type."
"Then what do you think his type is, oh wise one?" Pepper articulated theatrically.
Loki thought about it for a moment, seriously evaluating the inventor's situation. "Tony is, to put it lightly, a bit of a handful. He needs someone who can keep him grounded all the time without getting impatient with his genius. And since he's all about extravagance, this person would ideally be more simple and old-fashioned. Where Tony is loose and outgoing, the other should be more structured and reserved. They do say opposites attract for a reason."
"But do we know anyo-" Pepper paused, realization finally hitting her. "Oh…"
Loki grinned, "So, if you want my professional opinion, the super soldier, Steve Rogers, would be a perfect candidate. Tony goes both ways doesn't he?"
Rolling her eyes, "And every way in between. But Steve? Really?"
The god shrugged indifferently, "Take it or leave it."
Pepper stole a shrimp from Loki's plate as she considered it. "I don't know, Steve's from an earlier time and frankly, they weren't as accepting toward homosexuality as we are now."
"He didn't react adversely when Thor revealed our relationship," Loki pointed out, counterattacking by snatching a bite of the other's tuna-belly tartare. "It's worth a shot."
When Happy dropped Loki off back at Stark Tower, Pepper had a meeting to catch, the Avengers had all gone their separate ways to train. So as Loki stepped out of the elevator into the penthouse, only an agent was there to approach him.
"Loki Laufeyson," the other addressed coolly. "I'm Agent Phil Coulson. Fury told me you don't remember anything from the Invasion. Well, let's use this opportunity to start off on the right foot this time."
The Asgardian shook the hand presented to him with a solid grip. So this was Pepper's beau. "Might I ask what our history was?"
Coulson's shoulders tensed as he recited his answer with practiced calm. "When you tried to escape, I caught you in the act and then you had one of your body doubles nearly stab me to death with your evil scepter. But that's okay because I shot you with an awesome gun right after saying some pretty bad ass one liners."
Loki smiled hesitantly, "Great then. What is this scepter you speak of?"
Phil appraised Loki from head to toe, "Here's the deal, I'll show it to you if you tell me about your date with my girlfriend."
"Seems fair to me," Loki smiled genuinely. "Lead the way."
As the pair took the elevator down to the basement and then a flight of stairs into the underground secure storage facility, Coulson questioned Loki. "So what did you two do today?"
Loki smiled, "We went shopping, then to the barber, and then to lunch. She likes to chat. Don't worry, I kept my hands to myself."
Phil rolled his eyes, "What about your words?"
"Hmm?" Loki glanced at the other. "I wasn't sweet talking your girl, if that's what you're implying. But I can't say the same about my wit."
Sighing, the agent continued. "Did she…did she say anything about me?"
"Not that I recall," Loki admitted. "But don't look into that too much. Would you talk about your love life with someone who nearly took over the Earth?"
"Point," Coulson conceded.
"Although, she did mention a potential date night opportunity," Loki remembered. "She said her quote absolute favorite restaurant of all time end quote was a place called Momofuke."
"I was right to make friends with you," Phil said smiling as they approached the case housing the scepter. "Thank you for that. As a reward, I think I'll let you hold your evil stick of doom."
Loki rolled his eyes as he carefully picked up the weapon, weighing it in his hands and running his fingers along the shaft, reveling in the power of the orb and its connection to the Tessaract. "Hold and never let go. I can't very well fight with ice and spells all the time, this stays with me."
"What would you need to fight for? We have six superheroes doing that already," Coulson frowned. "Are you proposing that you join the Avengers?"
The god twirled the scepter expertly, his mind may have forgotten the events that transpired, but his muscle-memory was still as sharp as ever. "I will not allow my brother to go to battle without me at his side."
Taken slightly aback at the other's determined response, the agent stuttered. "Well…I'm sure Fury will have something to say about that-"
"Not if I have something to say about it first," Tony's stern voice interrupted him. "Why are you handing him the scepter? If he was a security threat before, he's liable to completely destroy the place now."
"Oh don't worry, Tony," the Asgardian said, walking over and taking the inventor by the arm to lead him back upstairs, the other hand still gripping the staff. "I won't destroy the place, not with everyone in it at least."
Tony glanced down at the hand tucked in the crook of his elbow. "Loki, what are you up to?"
"Nothing really," the taller said dismissively. "Just testing a harmless theory is all." Inwardly celebrating at the lack of reaction to a more intimate touch, Loki decided to push more, "By the way, what do you think of the upgraded look?"
Tony finally allowed himself to ogle the other with a critical eye. From the neatly trimmed hair just the perfect length to run fingers through to the green shirt that brought out the emerald of Loki's eyes to the snug jeans that showed off his pert little ass perfectly, Loki looked, for lack of better word, gorgeous. "You want me to be honest? I think it's fucking hot. But you didn't hear that because we both know that you're in a relationship with an overprotective brother who just so happens to regularly fuck you six ways to Saturday probably everyday, and is not someone I want breathing down my neck if he thinks I'm into you. Which I'm not." Tony sneaked another look at the other's bottom. "No, definitely not."
Laughing at the inventor's antics, Loki pressed a quick kiss to the other's cheek, earning him an incredulous stare. "Okay, don't freak when I say this, but I think I know the perfect person for you."
"Who?" Tony inquired, genuinely curious. "And isn't this a bit soon after Pepper? Won't she think I'm moving on too fast or something? I'm so crap with relationships it's not even funny."
Rolling his eyes for effect, Loki scoffed. "Please, Tony, it's not a big deal if she's the one who moved on first. Honestly, and here I was thinking you were the people-person."
"Right," Stark said, disappointment leaking into his voice despite his efforts to conceal it behind a mask of indifference. "So who do you have in mind?"
Grinning widely, Loki opened the doors to the main room, "Why, Mr. Rogers, of course."
Tony gaped, "You're nuts. Bonkers. Mentally deranged. Where ever did you get such an idea?"
"Oh, I just talked with Salt's best friend, and she's worried about you," Loki admitted. Changing the subject, the god continued loudly so the rest of the Avengers gathered in the room could hear, "So what about that bonding time you mentioned? I'm up for some free StarkTech!"
The inventor grumbled as he went to grab the boxes, glaring at the Asgardian as the other sauntered over to his incredulous brother, giving him a solid kiss on the lips in front of everyone before pulling the blond along with Mr. Perfect back to Tony.
"Loki," Steve protested, desperately trying to towel dry his hair from his shower and stay on his feet while the god dragged him along. "Where are we going? What StarkTech?"
The younger brother stopped in front of Tony, "Mr. Stark here has promised us some of the latest technology developed by Stark Industries, and a personal, hands on tutoring session on how to use them."
Tony nearly choked on his own saliva, covering it with a subtle cough.
"Brother," Thor addressed, eyeing the other up and down before pulling him into a deeper kiss. "You look marvelous, Ms. Potts has fantastic taste."
Leaning into the elder's arms, Loki grinned, "She said you'd be pleased. Now, let's get some more education on Midgardian culture."
Tony set the boxes down on the table in front of them and cleared his throat, "Please, children, keep the PDA at a minimum."
Loki rolled his eyes as he sat down between Thor and Steve to open his box. "Give us a break, Dad. Tell me you didn't try to grope Pepper every time you saw her where when the two of you were together. Oh sorry, bad memories? I think I know just the solution-"
"As Mr. Laufeyson was saying before," Tony interrupted, glaring at the younger. "I have the latest model of Stark Industries' cell phones here. They're ultra slim, super-fast, and customizable to your every desire. I've included an instruction manual if you don't understand right away how to use it, but I'm always here for more personal assista-"
"Oh Mr. Stark, you've really outdone yourself this time," Loki raved, cutting off the inventor mid-sentence, already well into exploring the transparent phone. "The screen quality is spectacular. 3090 HD I believe?"
Tony frowned, "How did you know that? Jarvis has he been reading my personal files? I swear if Pepper gave him access because he has her under some spell, I'm going to have your metaphorical balls for even considering listening to her over me."
"Mr. Stark, I have allowed nothing of the sort," Jarvis defended politely.
Smirking up at the brunette, Loki looped an arm around the Captain's shoulders and led him over to a sofa. "Here Steve, let me help you with that."
Tony could only open and close his mouth, unable to form any words as the two settled on the couch, Loki's shoulders rubbing against the American's much more than necessary. Finally, he turned to Thor who was diligently reading the paragraph on how to turn the phone on. "Does your brother always act like this? Like jumping to incorrect conclusions and doing shit all by himself without asking?"
The blond looked up at Tony, "My brother never acts without sufficient evidence and a strong conviction. Are you suggestin-?"
"No, no," Tony interrupted hastily, trying to avoid any accusations that could be potentially harmful to his wellbeing. "I just…look at him! He's practically flirting with Mr. Old Fashioned over there!"
Thor glanced over to the couch and shrugged, "It does not appear so as Loki's flirtations are far more subtle. I believe this is an attempt to gain information from Mr. Rogers."
Tony sighed heavily, "You think?"
"And this one here opens the new application which you can drag around from here to here and from page to page," Loki explained, pointing out the phone's unique facets. Truth be told, Pepper had given him a run down during the car ride home and well, Loki had always been a quick learner.
Steve nodded, "So what were you and Tony fighting about back there?"
Loki smiled, oh this was too easy. "Tell me, Captain, have you ever been in love?"
To be continued.
AN: Sorry about the lack of smut, there will be enough lemony goodness for everyone in the next installment. Hopefully all the relationships are developing acceptably and for the record, this story's Loki is going to be getting really close with all the rest of the Avengers so a kiss on the cheek with Tony is not something to be looked too deeply into. Again, apologies for the late update!
And the awesome Kyouyimina Miuya has offered to translate this story into French! So all my European friends should keep an eye out for the first chapter if it makes it easier to read. :D
Please drop a word on what you think! I love reading all your comments!
With love,
Catch~