Author's Note:
HOLY COW. Eight reviews, eleven favorites, and a whopping thirty-eight subscriptions in less than twenty-four hours! Not to mention five author alerts and one author favorite! Thank you so much—you guys are awesome!
I'm really glad that people like and agree with the idea of Pepper being the ideal "caretaker" for Loki.
Now, as for the chapter itself… I don't know what I was thinking when I did the "next up" bit in my A/N. Seriously. It just did not jive with the tone set by the prologue, nor, apparently, did it really jive with the characters themselves. *sighs* That is so the last time I'm giving any specific spoilers, unless I know with one hundred percent certainty what will happen in the next chapter.
Sorry about that. Please just bear with me—I'm kind of your stereotypical artist type: depression, no money, procrastinating, mood swings… all that fun stuff. =P
Which reminds me—one last thing. I'm churning out an update so quickly out of excitement and getting high on a successful start. This is more than likely the last time you'll get two chapters within a week's time, let alone twenty-four hours. Like I said before, I have a Sherlock Holmes novel to finish, as well as other previous commitments. But. I will try to update this more often than once in a blue moon.
To my reviewers:
JannaKalderash: Thanks very much! I think this story will be pretty long. There're a lot of issues to hash out, and it will take time.
chatnoir1: Thank you! Yeah, it didn't look like a happy partnership between Loki and the Chitauri. Ha-ha, and glad you loved the "Incessant Snark Mode" bit! That was one of my favorite parts. =D
Caleigho Meer: Thanks! Your wish is my command. =)
The Pearl Maiden: DARLING! *hug-tacklez* I know, it's been a very long time! How've you been? Ha-ha, yes, I have joined Loki's Army, as it were—definitely to make a good man out of him. =D (You've read my Star Wars fics, you know how that goes… oops, shouldn't have brought that up…) Btw, I voted on that poll on your profile—I voted for Thor. *innocent grin* What can I say? The poor sweetie needs more love, and he is a sweetheart. Oh, hot-dog and high-five for great minds thinking alike! Re Loki/Pepper: ha-ha, no—I'm very much a canon-ship gal. ;D Besides, Pepper and Tony are just too cute together! It will be little challenging for me, to have more than a "Big Three" or "Big Four" that the story focuses on, but I want to try really hard to give all the Avengers adequate screentime. Thor is definitely important, and the end of today's installment will show that he has his own character development to endure. Thanks for everything, hon!
TeddyBearSunshineJoy54: Thank you very much!
Crazy Hyper Lady: Ha-ha, yes, Pepper rocks. Thank you!
DreamHunter4: I'm glad you think I'm keeping everybody IC—I hope that continues! Thank you very much!
Izzy Jizzy: Thank you! I think all that's needed is somebody to be standing just a little bit outside of things to figure out what happened to Loki—arguably, the Avengers could, themselves, if they weren't too close to it all.
Disclaimer: Still ain't mine. As long as Tom Hiddleston loves Loki, though, I'm not worried.
==Chapter I==
With Your Crown beneath Your Wings
"Ohhh, we are not doing Movie Night tonight!"
"C'mon, Pep," Tony wheedled. "Just 'cause Reindeer Games is moving in today, doesn't mean—"
"Yeah, Miss Potts, please," Steve cut in, looking for all the world like an innocent seven-year-old pleading for seconds of ice cream. "Friday night's the best for this, and I really wanna see Star Wars!"
Pepper rolled her eyes. "First of all: hello, Star Wars? Subject matter, Tony?" She heard Thor somewhere in the background ask quietly what the subject matter was and ignored him. "Second of all: you two're telling me you want to assemble all six Avengers here on Loki's first day? Captain, I thought you were the mature, pragmatic one of this group—" Tony muttered something about Steve being the teacher's pet— "don't you see a problem with this? I would like to get Loki a little bit established here before we try to do something that big."
Steve looked positively crestfallen, and Pepper really did feel bad for him. Just… not enough to back down.
Tony pursed his lips. "Guess the lady has a point there."
"Thank—"
"What if it was some other film?" Thor piped up. "With just the four of us?"
Pepper groaned and smacked her forehead.
"Nice compromise, big guy," Tony conceded.
"Thank you."
"I like WALL-E," Steve offered tentatively.
Banging her head against the wall repeatedly was looking more attractive with each passing moment.
Loki was escorted into the Stark Tower by a dozen SHIELD soldiers. Apparently, SHIELD remembered the damage a very-much-mortal Thor had done that one time in New Mexico. Ah, all the stories for these Avengers that Pepper had to keep straight…
Outside of that prison cell and even while being herded by soldiers, Loki cut an impressive figure. Definitely tall, dark, and handsome—regal, too. He was obviously a prince.
Tony had insisted on being there with Pepper at the entrance, despite all her wishes to the contrary. She just didn't trust him not to open his big mouth and say something entirely inappropriate. As usual, her fears were completely justified.
"What, Reindeer Games doesn't come with an instruction manual?"
Yep, that was her Tony. "That would be me, darling," she said saccharine-sweetly. She turned to Loki and extended her hand. "Hello, Loki, and welcome to Stark Tower."
He didn't take the hand, and he looked as though he was about to make a snarky remark when Tony stepped in and beat him to it. "We hope you enjoy your stay, and we hope you won't break any windows this time."
To heck with diplomacy. She smacked him upside the arm without taking her gaze away from Loki. "I'll be your hostess, so just come with me and I'll show you to your suite. Tony, if you could stay here and thank these men for their help?"
Not waiting for a reply, she grabbed Loki's hand and started pulling him away, effectively shocking all fourteen males in the foyer. It wasn't until they were in the elevator that she let him go. "Sorry for the manhandling," she said ruefully. "Just didn't want the situation out there to spiral down into something I couldn't control."
Loki raised an eyebrow, looking sardonically amused. "I did not realize that you would be my keeper."
She smiled, all teeth. "I'm not. I'm going to be your shrink."
"My what?"
"And I should warn you that your brother and Captain America have suites here, as well," Pepper continued implacably. "Matter of convenience. They're having Movie Night tonight, in case you're interested—I think WALL-E's the fare."
"Movie Night… ah, yes, motion pictures. Dare I ask what 'waall-ee' is?"
Pepper smirked. "It's about robots—you do have those, don't you? Artificial intelligence?"
"I am familiar with the concept, yes."
Pepper nodded. "Anyway, you're welcome to join us—we'll be on the same floor."
"You're inviting me to an event with Captain America and my adoptive brother?"
Pepper arched an eyebrow. "You really know how to make things sound dirty, don't you? Ah, our floor. C'mon, kiddo." She stepped out and gestured him to pass her. "After you."
"As you should—"
"Age before beauty," she deadpanned. In response to his narrowed eyes, she merely smiled innocently and walked past him, leading the way to his suite. "Sorry, sweetheart—around here, you gotta be able to take as much as you can dish out. Snark Tower, you know."
"I can take anything you mortals can 'dish' me."
"Glad to hear it." She opened the suite door with a flourish. "Entreriez vous, Your Majesty."
"Is sarcasm a trait of the human race?" he asked evenly enough as he stepped inside.
She cocked her head. "I would like to say that the American race holds a monopoly on it, but that would be far from the truth." She flashed him a genuine grin. "The Brits alone would murder me for it."
He looked as though he didn't know how to take her good humor, and glanced about the suite instead. The living room was the main room with a bedroom off the side, a bathroom, a kitchenette, an office—same stuff that Steve and Thor had, in Stark-patented luxury. "I'm afraid I have had little experience with human accommodations, but this appears to be impressive," Loki said frankly.
Pepper's grin grew. "Trust me, it is. Eighty-eight percent Tony's brainchild."
Loki frowned in confusion.
She laughed. "Inside joke—never mind. Look, you'll find nightclothes and casual wear in the dresser in there, and suits in the closet. I got your measurements from SHIELD, so everything should fit."
"You did this in less than twenty-four hours?" This time, he definitely sounded faintly impressed.
Pepper's eyes twinkled. "I'm Tony Stark's Girl Friday—fast and efficient are must-haves in this job. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. There's a list of rules there on the coffee table for you to read—basic houseguest stuff for the most part. Dinner is in two hours; we're having pizza."
"What is pizza?"
"Um, tomato sauce on crust, with toppings. I'm sure you'll like it—everybody likes pizza. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a company to run. See you in a few." She waved and shut the door behind her.
Good grief, she was already feeling in over her head. She just hoped their newly resident god of mischief (funny, and here I'd always thought that was Tony's title) didn't try anything between now and dinnertime.
Pepper Potts was interesting—quite different from Natasha Romanoff. She had a definite sense of humor, even of mischief, and, ye gods, he honestly liked that. She was clever, too, in her own mortal way, and certainly competent. She would have made a fine servant under the staff's control, and what a blow that would have been to Iron Man, hissed a dark voice in his mind.
He didn't mind its presence. During his time with the Chitauri, it had been the only thing keeping him sane.
Well. He might as well read those rules now. It would be grating, but he was determined to be a good boy and give Odin what he wanted—for all intents and purposes, a reformed son. Then Loki would be back in Asgard, reunited with his magic and his immortal form, and then he would have his revenge.
"I am curious to try this food you call 'pizza'."
Pepper turned at the sound of the cultured voice and nearly dropped her plate. Loki was standing in the doorway to the dining room, wearing a button-up navy-blue shirt and black slacks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony looking back and forth between her and Loki and not liking what he thought he was seeing. "Chill, Tony," she said under her breath.
"Brother." That was Thor, of course, holding his own plate in one hand and a piece of Meat Lover's pizza in the other. Pepper would have expected the god of thunder to be, well, as buoyant as he usually was. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so serious in the two weeks she'd known him. "There is a type of pizza with mushrooms, peppers, onions, and olives. I believe you'd like it."
Someone could have shot a gun and everyone would have jumped as Thor stood and approached his estranged little brother with a new plate heaped with pizza. Even Tony seemed to be holding his breath. Loki watched Thor with zero emotion in his face, though Pepper could see that his body was tensed with that basic "fight-or-flight" instinct.
Superior gods. Riiight.
The icy grey-blue eyes never left the warm blue ones as Loki moved forward and silently sidestepped his brother, ignoring the obvious peace offering. "Might I ask what beverages are available?" Loki asked as if nothing had happened.
Thor looked like he'd taken a serious punch to the gut. Pepper's chest hurt as she turned to Loki, who was moving through the kitchen with feline grace. She felt Tony give her shoulder a comforting squeeze and made a mental note to thank him for it later. "There's carbonated juice in the fridge," she replied in a voice not quite as even as she'd like. "And water. I'd hold back on the wine—it's not really a good combination with pizza."
"Chemical imbalances," Tony agreed, picking up where she'd left off. "Go 'head and try the Dr. Pepper—" he never failed to amaze her at how deadpan he could say that particular brand name—"but don't drink too much at once. It fizzes. It'll bubble out of your nose, which isn't something I particularly want to see."
Mild for him. He was picking his battles now, and she was grateful for it.
"Nor is it something I particularly wish to experience," Loki returned calmly.
"By the way, Tony," Pepper said, turning to her boyfriend, "where's Steve?" Behind her, she heard Loki opening the Dr. Pepper bottle and pouring himself a glass.
"I think he's still getting acquainted with the wonders of the World Wide Web," Tony said. "I'd leave him to it."
"It is fascinating," Thor said quietly, passing them to set the untouched plate back on the counter.
"I'll take that plate, Thor," Pepper said in a near-whisper.
He turned and handed it to her, his eyes inexpressibly sad as he attempted a smile. She made another mental note right there and then to call in a favor from SHIELD—namely, get Dr. Jane Foster relocated to this neighborhood. Pepper had a feeling that Thor would need his girlfriend before long.
"Thanks." She took a bite out of the top piece and savored it. "I like pepperoni on my pizza, but this vegetarian stuff is pretty good, too." She offered him a tentative smile.
He managed a better smile this time, one which just about touched those expressive blue eyes. "It is surprisingly hearty for being meatless."
Looking past Thor, she could see something in Loki's face she didn't like—he was sizing them up, assessing them. God of mischief, Pepper girl—remember that. "Sure is, big guy." She shook herself and took another bite. "By the way, Thor, don't forget: just three buckets of popcorn later. I'm not gonna spend all night catering to a god with the appetite of a teenager and the ability to pack even more in his stomach."
"Well, I could make the popcorn," he offered solicitously.
"If that bag over there on the counter is anything to go by," Loki chimed unexpectedly, "you'd go through it in a night if left to your own devices."
It was another one of those time-froze-over moments. Fortunately, it was much briefer this time around. "Uhhh, yeah," Pepper said slowly. "Actually, Thor, he's right—you probably could."
"Well, then I shall defer to your superior judgment." Thor gave her a little bow and ignored his brother entirely—oh, this was just great.
"Good thinking, Point Break," Tony said easily, sidling past Thor and patting him on the arm. "Listen to Mom—Mom always knows best."
Pepper's shoulders dropped as she huffed in exasperation. "How did I ever get involved with you in the first place?"
Loki looked up with an uncomfortable amount of interest, while Thor simply looked uncomfortable. Tony turned to her with an innocent raise of the eyebrows. "Involved… in which sense?"
"Ugh, I take back what I said earlier," Pepper groaned, dragging herself into the kitchen. "I think I'm going to need a beer to get through tonight."
Loki wordlessly extended a can of beer to her. She stared at it, then at him. "Thanks," she murmured, taking the can and opening it.
"Hi, folks." Ah, and there at last was the beloved, heroic Captain Am… golly, she was really wound too tight this evening. She liked Steve.
"Hey, Steve," she said flatly before taking a swig from the can.
Thor raised a hand in greeting, his mouth full of pizza; Tony said something sardonic that Pepper totally blocked out; and Loki merely leaned forward on the kitchen counter, nodding to Steve and taking his first bite of pizza. "What is this yellow fruit?" Loki wondered.
"Pineapple," Tony replied. "That's the Hawaiian pizza."
"Pineapple?" Steve chimed. "Neat." He reached for the box of Hawaiian.
"It looks nothing like pine cones or apples," Thor protested.
Pepper groaned and dropped her forehead to the countertop. Somebody shoot me now, please. The world definitely owed her big-time for this.
Author's Note:
Poor Pepper. I like the last scene the best, mostly because the characters really took it over and made it their own. I really didn't see Thor's peace offering coming, but once it happened, I had a feeling Loki was going to snub him. And yes, Thor is very subdued right now. I think that, after all that's happened, he's hurt and he's also thinking things through. He's still too close to the situation, but at least he's trying.
Speaking of Thor, yes, Jane is going to show up and hopefully be a major supporting character. I really like her, and I felt so bad for her, watching Thor. She's obviously lonely, even more so when Thor can't get back to her. She and Pepper might end up being a Dynamic Duo in their own right—"Only Sane Man" kind of thing. ;-)
Also, there will be very little language in this fic—I just don't go in for that. A couple of my Sherlockian fics have some language, but even then, it's not that much. Plus, Tony's little retort to Pepper above is this really the most suggestive I get. I'm well aware that there's a Values Dissonance between myself and the Marvel Cinematic Universe—I can give a little, but this story is staying, overall, clean.
Next up, I'm pretty sure we'll pick up more or less where this chapter left off, though I make no promises. Nor can I say when I'll update next. Just stay tuned!
Please review!