"They're totally stealing our thunder!" Clint all but whined as he flopped down onto a couch a solid month later, having just turned off another Frost and Flare centered news' piece that had been on TV.

"I beg your pardon?" Thor asked in confusion. "My powers are perfectly in tact."

"It's a figure of speech, Point Break," Tony said with a roll of his eyes.

"They've got Fury pretty upset too," Steve remarked. "It's driving him up the wall that they can't figure out who these people are."

Tony added grimly, "I'm pretty sure he's already figured out that I'm blocking his systems from finding things out about them."

"Do you think he's figured out that you're trying to protect Pepper?" Bruce questioned.

Tony sighed, thinking this over before he decided, "I doubt it."

"Are we any closer to figuring out who Frost is?" Natasha asked. "None of SHIELD's equipment recognizes him, so they're starting to think that he's from off-world."

"At this point, I think I agree with them," Tony said. "I called Professor Xavier a few weeks ago and explained the situation. He said he'd seen the guy on TV like the rest of us, but that he didn't know who he was. He didn't think he was a mutant, and if Frost isn't a mutant, then an alien or whatever you want to call it is my second-best guess."

"Can I point out the obvious fix here?" Natasha asked flatly. "You have found that Pepper's back to living in her old apartment, right, Tony?"

"Yeah."

"Then why not go talk to her?"

Tony took a deep breath, snorting before he said, "Because she told me she never wanted to speak to me again."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Didn't you say that you thought Frost was living with her?"

"From her money trail, it looks like there's two people in the apartment now, yes."

"Then go and talk directly to him!"

"Yeah, I'm going to march up to Pepper's apartment door, demand entrance as well as answers, and give him what-for. That doesn't scream 'crazy ex' at all!"

Suddenly, Thor snapped to attention, quickly volunteering, "I'll go."

They all turned to look at the demi-god, and Clint asked, "Are you sure?"

Thor nodded.

"I could go with you, if you want."

"No!" Thor said almost too quickly. Of all the people in the Tower he wanted accompanying him to see Frost, Barton was the lowest on Thor's list, if he was right about who Frost actually was.

"Alright," Clint said slowly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"I don't want to make a scene or agitate them," Thor said, quickly thinking a lie up. "The less people who show up at their door, the better, I would think."

He should've become wary by how quickly all the others agreed.

Twenty minutes later, Thor was already off and on his way towards Pepper's apartment building and the unsuspecting duo he hoped to find there.

It took about thirty seconds after Thor had left for Clint to ask, "Am I the only one who thinks he's hiding something?"

Bruce answered slowly, "I agree."

Then Natasha's "So we are going to follow him right?"

"I don't know," Steve said skeptically. "He was pretty blunt about wanting to go alone."

"That's exactly the point, Cap," Clint said, scooping up his bow and quiver.

"Then let me rephrase that for you," Natasha said with a sigh in his direction. "Clint and I are going to follow Thor; does anyone want to tag along?"

And thus the five other Avengers made their way to Pepper's apartment behind Thor.

"Oh, you're wonderful," Ginny praised with saccharine sweetness when she came into the kitchen to find Loki actually washing their lunch dishes.

"You threatened to throw me out if I didn't start helping somehow," Loki reminded her drolly.

"And see how well a little prompting can work out?" Ginny said, batting her eyelashes in pretended innocence.

"I believe you may have acquired too much of my own personality for my taste, Ginny, dearest."

"Nah," Ginny laughed, grabbing a dishtowel and beginning to dry what he had washed. "You've just gotten me to lighten up a little."

"My greatest achievement," Loki teased. "At least of the week."

"Even considering that kidnapping we derailed at the homeless shelter a couple of days ago?"

"You are a more worthy opponent than that drunk will ever be," Loki informed her.

Ginny grinned and leaned over on her tiptoes, aiming to kiss his cheek. Eyes sparkling, he lifted his head out of her reach just because he could. She glared and dropped heavily back onto her heels. He smirked, lifting her easily onto the edge of the counter and kissing her on his terms – full on the mouth and greedy in ways that only he could get away with nowadays.

So, yeah, they were partners in being "superheroes," but they'd gone to bed together too a few times here recently. And maybe they'd started using the occasional term of endearment for one another. None of that meant that they were in love or anything; it was just something that they did… and enjoyed doing.

Ginny hardly even bothered to remember the life she'd had three months ago. Especially during moments like this, when Loki's hands – still wet with the dishwater, making them warmer than normal – were tangled one in her hair while the other began sliding past the hem of her t-shirt.

A downright thunderous knock sounded suddenly at the door, and Loki growled irritably as Ginny gasped, startling away from him. Eyes still snapping, Loki went and looked through the peephole, drying his hands on a towel as Ginny jumped down from the counter.

She was startled again when Loki took up swearing a blue streak.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, getting a little nervous as Loki turned back towards her.

"Guess who found us?" he snarled in a voice quiet enough that whoever was on the other side of the door couldn't hear him. Realizing how many people were flashing through her mind, he answered his own question. "Thor."