[Will probably finish the story in one more chapter. Enjoy!]

"Brother?" Thor asked tentatively as he opened the bedroom door. "I've come to lift your spirits with this wonderful food."

"You can't feed me into feeling better." Loki mumbled under his covers.

"The man spider begs to differ; he said this has gotten him over many heartbreaks." He said excited as he closed the door behind him. "It would not hurt to try."

There was slight movement from the sheets, and even with the lights off, Loki's keen eyes and messy hair glowed from underneath them. He peered cautiously. After receiving no snide remarks, Thor settled into the bed and gave Loki a spoon. He sat up, and took a spoonful of ice cream. It wasn't as good as the one he'd had with Tony, but Parker was correct. He was feeling slightly better.

"What flavor is it?" He asked Thor.

"Pistachio."

Loki settled onto Thor's side and grabbed another spoonful. "It's his favorite."

"He told you?"

"He didn't have to."

While Loki and Thor steadily went through a bucket of ice cream, Tony had been doing the same when Peter came into the kitchen and joined him. Peter spit the ice cream out.

"Dude this is disgusting."

"Shut your face Peter." Tony warned him, "This is his favorite."

"Oh young love!" Peter rolled his eyes and gave him a pat on the back. "Just go talk to him pops."

"He padlocked my mouth yesterday after I tried to have a word with him! You saw! You were there" He said taking another spoonful. "How the hell can I talk to him if he keeps doing that?"

"Well all I know is that you two better play nice or Papa Fury's gonna get pissed." Peter said rummaging through the fridge and taking out a can of Coke. "That last meeting was awkward to say the least."

"I'll give it another try, we got some designs to work on later today. Maybe he'll talk to me then." Tony said hopefully.

Peter nodded and was almost out the door when he turned back. "By the way have you seen mom?"

"I have not seen Steve, no."

"Oh, well he said he was gonna teach me how to play baseball. Said something about it building character and making me less of a smart mouth or something. " He shrugged. "Well good luck with Loki!"

"Thanks." Tony called back. He knew he was gonna need it.

"Lo," he began for the hundredth time. "Lo, we need to talk."

"Bruce," Loki began with a sweet smile, "can you tell Mr. Stark to go forth and fornicate with himself?"

"Um, Tony, I-" He began as he deciphered the message. "I think he said go fuck yoursel-"

"Yes Bruce, thank you I got it." Tony said in resignation. He returned his attention to the computer screen. "But tell his majesty that he's being immature!"

"Loki, Tony says that-"

Annoyed, Loki dropped his note books on the table and turned to Tony, "Bruce, tell the genius billionaire that he's a whor-"

"Guys stop it!" Bruce yelled, slamming his fists on the table. A test tube shattered into pieces; it's contents spilling on Bruce's trousers.

This had been the general atmosphere in the lab for the past weeks. Loki avoided Tony. Tony kept trying to talk to him. Peter and Bruce were getting tired of playing carrier pigeon. This was the main reason Peter kept out of the lab, leaving Bruce to deal with their bickering. There had actually been close calls when he'd almost Hulked out.

Tony's voice made him jump; he turned to see Tony wagging his finger at Loki.

"Don't look at me Bruce," Tony yelled as he danced around Loki. "He's the one who's being childish."

"Oh I'm being childish?" Loki gracefully stomped to Tony's personal space. "I may be childish but you're the town wench!"

"You're one to talk!" Tony said, putting his hands on his hips. "I always use protection and make sure they're on birth control. YOU have kids."

"Which I'm totally cool with!" He added after seeing Loki's shocked face. "I'd make a bitchin' father, I'll have you know!"

The clash of shattered glass brought the quarrel to an end. Reflected on the glass was an image of an infuriated Hulk. One word came to both minds, when instead of the mild mannered Bruce they saw the Hulk: Shit.

Not again, thought a frozen Loki, not feeling Tony's arms around his waist. He was pulled to the grown and shielded from the raining glass.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked, panic bleeding through his voice. "Lo, are you okay?"

Before Loki was able to answer, Tony was pulled from him, leaving him unprotected. Reacting to the lack of an arrogant wench on his lap, Loki got up and ran for Tony, who was now dangling from his leg.

"No magic Lo!" Tony yelled, reading the God's intentions in his body movements. "You might spook him and he might rip off my legs."

"That would kinda suck." He added.

"Well then what should I do?!" Loki called back, dodging Hulk's other hand.

"Idk?" Tony called back. "Run?"

"I'm not leaving without you idiot!" He ran towards Tony but his air was knocked out when he was grabbed by the wrist and shaken like a rag doll.

"Bruce put Loki down you're hurting him!" Tony ordered, mustering as much authority as a man being dangled could command.

Hulk stopped shaking him but neither of them was set down. Instead, he sat on a pile of rubble and settled them on his lap, like a child playing tea time with two dolls. He looked from Loki to Tony and simply said.

"Shake."

Tony looked at Hulk in disbelief, and then whispered at Loki. "Does he want us to dance?"

Loki rolled his eyes, "I'm pretty sure he means shake hands Tony."

"Oh."

Tony nodded and offered his hand to Loki. "Lo, I'm sorry."

Loki took his hand and winced. His wrist was on fire, but he only nodded.

Tony continued, "I always-"

"Apology accepted Tony." Loki cut him off in a rush. He turned to Hulk. "Okay Bruce, we're not mad at each other anymore."

"Yeah," Tony began, "Can you un-Hulk?"

They were grabbed from the waist and carefully set aside. Before long, a weary Bruce was left on the pile of rubble. He rubbed his eyes and looked around what was left of the lab.

"Guys?" He asked sheepishly, "Did I do all that?"

"Um, yeah kinda…" Tony said leaning on the battered table and lifting his leg slightly. "No worries though, this was my fault."

"Our fault," Loki corrected. "We've been quite foolish and we're sorry."

"Yes," Tony nodded. "What he said."

Bruce still looked unconvinced and very much embarrassed. After being assured that everything would get fixed, Tony convinced him to get his much needed rest. It would take a good week to remodel the lab so that was the time Bruce was given to relax and find his happy place again. Everyone agreed not to tell Fury what had really occurred and settled on informing everyone that it was simply and experiment gone wrong.

A happier Bruce left the lab after borrowing some spare clothes, leaving Tony and Loki in awkward silence.

They shifted uncomfortably and sat on the floor. Tony scooted next to Loki and examined his wrist. Loki let him. He could have easily healed his wrist in a blink of an eye but the effect that Tony had on him was a magic of its own. It's as if with his gentle hands massaging his wrist, the pain was becoming more bearable.

"I always fuck everything up," Tony began not meeting his eyes while holding onto Loki's pale wrists. "I don't know where I screwed up with you, but I want you to know that I really tried not to this time." His voice broke and he had to clear his throat. "I hurt you Loki, and I hate myself for it. So I'm sorry."

Loki took his wrist back and muttered an incantation. A dull blue glow surrounded his wrist as it healed. He reached for Tony's injured leg and took off his shoe. He whispered the same words and Tony felt his ankle tingle. After a few moments, it was good as new.

"How'd you know about my leg?" He asked confused. He hadn't said a word about it.

Loki smiled, "The same way you knew about my wrist without me uttering a word."

"I wouldn't mind this, you know." Tony gestured at the destroyed lab. "The lab explodes and at the end of the day we're here to fix each other."

Tony took his once injured wrist and sprinkled it with kisses, making Loki laugh. He then leaned in and captured Loki's surprised lips. He felt Loki hesitate but then give in and bite his lower lip lightly, only to pull away in haste.

Tony reached for his hand, but Loki was already standing.

"I don't want to be another game for you." Loki said shaking his head. "When you left for the restroom, a women told me how you charm people into your bed and toss them out the next morning."

Tony had nothing to say. So he didn't. He just watched his undisputed reputation as a womanizer come back and ruin his chance with Loki.

Loki walked towards the door but before stepping out whispered, "I don't want to be just another person you've deemed worthy enough to tangle in your sheets."

Tony heard the soft snap that meant the door had closed. He had a bitter taste in his mouth. All those years he had bragged about his conquests, not once did he stop to think it might bite him on the ass later on in life. And now, because of that, Loki didn't trust him. Sure, everyone had baggage. Loki didn't come free of it either, but Tony trusted the lie smith. He also understood that if he didn't prove he had changed, Loki wouldn't give him another shot. After a moments hesitation he stood and grabbed his phone.

"Yeah, Tom? Do you happen to have security footage of the day I took Loki with me?" Tony tied his shoe and grinned. "Great. Be there in a bit."

Tom hanged up the phone and shrugged.

He heard the ding of the door bell and looked up. He smiled. "One vanilla scoop, extra sprinkles." He said already starting on the order.

Blushing, Heather laughed and gave him a wide smile, "You know me too well Tom."