Fifty Seven
I awoke hours later, a much cooler Loki gathered into my arms. I was so glad his fever was gone. He roused, smiling at me. I leaned in a kissed him.
"Any better?" I asked.
"Much, thank you." He kissed me again. A soft cough disturbed us from our bliss. I looked up. Three figures stood at the foot of the bed. A year ago this would be a gift from heaven to have Charlie's Angels standing at my bed. I gently prodded Loki, who noticed and teleported out of bed. He reappeared in full armor and on the other side of the three women.
"Tony, run. I'll protect you." I shouted.
"I knew it!" A female voice spoke.
"Jarvis, lights." I commanded.
"I sabotaged Jarvis." A different female spoke.
"Nat?" I questioned.
"Nat?" Loki repeated. I leaned over to turn on the table lamp. Natasha, Jane and Pepper stood between myself and Loki. Both Loki and Nat looking ready to fight.
"Tony! What is this nonsense?" Pepper exclaimed.
"I told you I saw them together, Pepper. I'm getting Thor." Jane stated and started walking out. Natasha caught her.
"They at least owe us an explanation before we tell the others." Natasha pushed her gently back toward Pepper. Pepper hugged her tight and brought her down to the bed. I got up and stood with Loki. He wrapped his arms around me possessively. I think it was also in case he had to teleport us away. I was so glad we were both wearing pants. Natasha sat on the bed with the other girls.
"Explain away before I get Thor myself." Nat crossed her arms over her chest.
"I have him mind controlled." Loki started. I swatted his hand.
"Don't tell them that." I giggled. His fingers traced the edge of my Arc Reactor. "We met about a year ago. It started the same as every relationship, we slept together." There was a groan from Pepper. Suddenly very feminine hands graced my chest. Lana stood behind me and I corrected myself.
"Sorry, we met about a year ago. We fucked. We fucked a lot. We fell in love. Then Hydra shot her full of bullets. It was then I knew she was Loki." Lana shimmered back to Loki. "I nursed him back to health, but felt betrayed. Much like you do now."
"After you all escaped into hiding, I was hurt. I needed to see Tony again. I destroyed, hoping to gain attention from him. It took an act of desperation and the truth to bring me back to him." Loki nuzzled my neck and kissed me softly. "I didn't get him all the way back until the solider sent him back to prepare the tower." Loki tightened his arms around me.
"A Hydra agent got past security and Jarvis, posing as a contractor. He shot me." I confessed. Pepper gasped. She got up and hugged Loki and I.
"Tony died." Loki told her. She held us closer.
"You saved each other then." She said. I nodded wrapping my arms around my former lover, consoling her. I looked over her shoulder. Jane had faint tears in her eyes. I couldn't get a read off Natasha. Pepper backed off.
"It's okay Pepper. I'm fine now. We're both fine." I took one of her hands, my other intertwining with Loki's fingers. "Pep, I love him."
"I had my suspicion until that meeting with him where Lana sat in your lap." Natasha said.
"That's a secret for another time." Loki smiled widely against my neck. "My question now is, do you expose us?" Natasha rubbed her face in thought.
"I see no sense in destroying love because he was a former enemy. He did save my life at one point." Jane finally spoke tears in her eyes. She stood, approaching us. She touched mine and Loki's combined hands. "I never said thank you for sacrificing yourself for my safety and freedom of the Aether. Thank you."
"I should also thank you, Loki for saving Tony. Saving his life and saving him from himself." Pepper said, still holding my hand.
"Natasha?" I looked over at her.
"He did kill a lot of people, and destroyed a section of lower Manhattan. But he helped stop a force that Thor and Jane say would have torn the universe apart. Granted, Thor told us you died. And it seems you've caused no harm here in the last year except to try and take out Hydra. If you promise me this…" She fought for a word. "This relationship won't compromise any missions, I won't say anything to the others."
"Thank you, Nat!" I rushed out of Loki's arms and squeezed her, kissing her cheeks. "This is the best thing you've ever done for me."
"Don't push it." She warned.
"Tony, when were you going to tell me you were into guys? I've know you for almost eight years now, and you've only brought women home." Pepper was scolding me.
"Truth be told, he was a woman when we met. I fell in love with his soul, it doesn't matter what he looks like, he's the same Loki in there. Besides, when a God asks you to fuck him, how could you say no?" I laughed standing. "I'm making coffee, does anyone want any?"
"Sure, do you have a thing for coffee too, like your brother?" Jane cautious approached him.
"I do like coffee, but I don't think I can stomach it today." Loki said holding his stomach.
"That's why neither of you showed at training this morning. Tony had an excuse. Jane's suspicions were confirmed when you didn't show either." Natasha explained.
"What's wrong?" Pepper asked.
"He's been puking all morning. I think it's the stress of trying to be in two places at once." I told her. I watched as Jane led my God to the couch.
"I've got something that will help. Lemme go downstairs and I'll be right back." Pepper offered.
"I'll go with you. I'm not chancing you telling Rhodey yet." I followed her to the elevator. We stood in silence the ride down.
"Why didn't you say anything? I've kept all your secrets for years. Why hide anything from me now?" Pepper spoke as she exited and crossed to the kitchen.
"Probably because you'd look at me weird like you are now. I don't know." I stood in her living room. "I've never really thought about telling anyone, except Thor. He's going to kill me."
"He won't. You've been good for his brother. You've kept him out of trouble. And Loki's kept you out of trouble. He's done what I couldn't." She smiled.
"What's that?"
"Tame the wild Tony Stark." Pepper laughed as she grabbed a box and headed for the elevator. "I'm happy for you."
We headed back to my penthouse. Natasha sitting at the bar enjoying a cup of coffee, Jane prodding Loki for stories of Thor's childhood.
"There was this one time a troll stole Mjölnir and would return it for Freya's hand in marriage. So I dressed Thor as a woman and we snuck in and stole it back." Loki was telling the story with wild gestures. I smiled at my love as I lean over the couch.
"If I remember that story right, you were also dressed as a woman." I whispered in his ear. He dragged me over the couch and into his lap. Jane and Pepper laughed.
"I can be a woman, where is the point in dressing like one?" He laughed and kissed me.
"So, the myths are true?" Jane asked, wide eyed. I struggled to remember Norse mythology as I looked at her upside down from his lap. Pepper approached with a cup.
"Peppermint tea, to settle your stomach. I'll leave the box here if you feel ill later." Pepper said as she lifted my legs and sat next to Loki. I was draped across my lover and former lover. Natasha joined us in listening from an arm chair.
"It depends on what got into the history books." Loki said sipping his tea. He laid a hand across my chest, tracing the magnet again.
"You gave birth to an eight legged horse?" Jane asked in almost a whisper.
"What? No. How did that make into history?" He looked appalled. "That was a rumor Thor tried to spread around in revenge for besting him in battle. He'd be pleased to know that's still being spread around."
"What about your other children?" Natasha spoke.
"Children, I don't have any children. Tony, love remind me to beat Thor within an inch of his life tomorrow."
"Only if you're feeling up for training tomorrow." I smiled.
"You guys ought to put some thought in telling the others." Nat said as she sipped her coffee. "I don't think they'll take it as well as we did if you get caught again."
"We should think about it." I ran my fingers up Loki's bare chest. "Most of them will just stop talking to us until they get over it. It's Thor's reaction I'm afraid of. What's he going to do to me when he finds out I'm fucking his baby brother."
"Still not my brother." Loki sighed. Jane and Pepper looked at us questioningly.
"He's adopted." Natasha simply said.
"He still cares for you as family." Jane pay his hand.
"I'll take care of Thor when the time comes." Loki breathed and ran a hand through my hair.
"Ok, someone fix Jarvis so we can watch a movie or something." I shouted.