Chapter 11 - Suspicion

Steve tapped his foot on the leg of the chair as he waited. It didn't take long for Thor to show up, unaccompanied. Steve had thought that he would have brought one of the others with him, but was glad that he hadn't. This conversation was going to be hard enough.

"Everything okay, Steve?"

Steve looked up, forcing a smile onto his face. The truth was, he was tired. He wanted to head right to Bucky's place and curl up in front of a movie, not play Nancy Drew all over school.

He saw Thor's friendly smile and that desire went away. Thor was probably the most distinctive person at their school, most would cite his height as a contributing factor to this, but Steve cited his aura. His effortlessly amiable energy that radiated around him like a welcoming cloud. Unless one of the group was rattled, it would stay like that. Steve had only ever seen him truly mad a handful of times and that had been when one of their own was threatened. He let out a small sigh and gestured for Thor to sit down.

"I spoke to Sam about the picture. About him going to see Fury. He admitted it, but also said that it wasn't him who found the picture. He was made a scapegoat."

Thor frowned. "Okay…"

Steve inhaled deeply. This would be tricky. "He said that he was given it by your brother."

"Do you believe him?"

Steve shrugged. "I'm kinda blackmailing Sam at the moment, so I don't think he would lie. Also, Loki really does hate me."

"I keep saying this to you, Steve, he doesn't hate you. He's jealous."

Steve nodded. "You say that a lot. Loki doesn't strike me as the type to want anything I have."

Thor stared at him pointedly. "Steve, wake up. You're one of the most popular guys at school, you're in the top ten of our class, and everyone likes you. Only a fool would try and pretend that this stuff doesn't matter to them. And as much as Loki may try to hide it behind a veneer of apathy, he does care about what people think. And about what you think."

Steve rubbed his eyes. "When you put it that way, it does sound logical. It makes more sense why he would do it. People do crazy things out of jealousy."

Thor gritted his teeth. "As much as I don't like it, you may be onto something. I'll have a talk with him tonight."

Steve nodded. "Thank you. If anything, I just want to make sure he's got no more proof. Without that, we should be fine. If he doesn't say anything, I'll go to him myself."

Thor gave him a long, hard look, as though searching for something in Steve's eyes.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Oh nothing. I'll see you later, Steve."

Steve echoed a goodbye and left the deserted classroom himself. Stepping out into the hallway, he hoped he would run into Bucky.

He didn't have to wait long before his wish was granted.

Bucky walked briskly towards him, looking past Steve at something else.

His eyes flickered over to Steve and shook his head slightly.

Steve frowned as Bucky walked right past him. Steve turned, watching Bucky approach Principal Fury. He winced, glad that he hadn't done anything grandiose to show his affections to his teacher while the principal was watching over them.

Fury gave Steve a curious look before letting Bucky engage him in conversation.

Steve, a little forlorn, sighed. He wondered when graduation would arrive, welcoming his and Bucky's easier transition into a proper relationship. As long as they could fake that they'd started something up after Steve had graduated, nothing would be suspect to anybody else.

Steve adjusted his face and painted on a very forced smile before continuing down the hallway; nobody would get to see him sweat.

Clint sat back on the comfortable seats and smiled as Natasha grabbed her ball and stood at the top of the lane, unsure. Clint had bowled a 6 on his first throw and managed to knock only an extra one down, missing the chance for the spare. He just needed to get into the swing of things.

"So I literally just launch this at the pins and hope I knock them all down?"

Clint grinned and nodded. "I still can't believe you've never bowled before."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I don't dream of sticking my fingers in tight holes."

Clint gaped as Natasha winked at him, turning back to face the alley and the pins that stood in her way.

She swung her arm back and launched the bowling ball down the lane, lips curving into a smile as it smashed into the pins, sending them all flying around haphazardly. She looked up at the little screen above her, where a little cartoon was dancing around celebrating her strike.

"Whatever," Clint groaned. "Beginner's luck always strikes with bowling."

"Nope," Natasha shrugged. "I'm just excellent at everything I do."

Clint sighed and trudged towards the ball selection, where he picked out his lucky purple one. Clint looked pointedly at Natasha.

"Oh, that's what threw you off first time? The colour of the ball."

"It's all about the good vibes, baby," Clint said in a singsong voice.

He breathed deeply and took his preferred stance. He threw his arm back and let the ball loose, smiling to himself as he watched it roll down the lane. He knew it was a strike before it hit any of the pins, smiling in satisfaction as he walked back to Natasha.

"Game on," Clint did a celebratory dance before taking his seat, something he deeply, deeply regretted.

Natasha rolled her eyes fondly at him before taking her next turn.

The game ended up being fiercely competitive.

Natasha, as it turned out, was excellent at everything she did, but got far too ahead of herself as a first-timer. She bowled a 90, which Clint said was excellent for a beginner.

Clint got so caught up in trying to beat Natasha that he psyched himself out and bowled an 84. Still a good score, but not enough to best his girlfriend.

As they confirmed their scores, Clint grabbing his jacket, Natasha turned to him.

"You really do this every week?"

Clint glared at her. "I know it doesn't seem like it with the game I just bowled, but Tony and I do this every Thursday."

"You brought me on our first date to yours and Tony's date spot?" Natasha chuckled.

"He wishes," Clint scoffed. "Our parents used to bowl together and it just sort of came together. I've never beaten him, though."

Natasha wrapped her arms around his waist. "And I bet you just love losing to Tony every week."

Clint smiled. "Oh yeah, it's my favourite hobby."

Clint looked deeper into her eyes and leaned in, forgetting his insecurities and going for the kiss. Their lips locked and Natasha felt the world spin around her. She slid her hands up his back and pulled him in closer. Clint's hands found her hair and marvelled at how soft it was.

They gradually pulled away, lips staying inches away from each other's. Clint kissed her quickly before untangling himself from her.

Natasha took a second to calm down. Nothing had ever made her heart race quite like this before.

"Well, we've crossed the line now," Clint panted.

Natasha nodded. "Any regrets?"

Clint stared at her sincerely. "Not one."

"Good. So you won't feel bad that we're late getting Tony's place."

Clint kissed her again, waving his hands. "Tony who?"

Natasha smirked. "Fine, but you're explaining why we're late."

"I gathered as much," Clint sighed.

Meanwhile, Steve, Bruce, and Thor sat around Tony's spacious living room as though they lived there. Thor had his feet up sipping a beer, while Steve and Bruce were engaged in a riveting game of chess.

Steve moved his pawn forward, blocking Bruce's. "Remind me why Tony invited us over when he wasn't even here to greet us."

Thor shrugged. "You know him. He's probably feeling up Pepper in the backseat."

Steve chuckled as Bruce pondered his next move. "You think Clint and Nat are doing the same and that's why they're late?"

Bruce looked up. "Have you met Natasha? She'd chop his hand off."

"Clint can be pretty charming," Steve conceded, watching his last remaining rook get taken by Bruce's dominant queen. "Why did I offer to play at this? I suck at chess?"

Bruce shrugged. "You're too impatient. How are things with Bucky?"

Steve blew out a tired breath as he analysed the game board. "It's not looking good."

"What?"

Steve shook his head. "Sorry, I meant the game. We're okay, I guess, or at least we will be when we talk to Loki."

"He ignored all my calls and wasn't home after school. I'll get him though, Steve," Thor promised.

"If you want me to just call him, I can."

Thor sipped his beer and sighed. "No, he might just try and squirm his way out of it. I know when he's lying."

Bruce slid his queen across the board, smiling up at Steve, arms folded. "Checkmate."

Steve groaned. "Son of a bitch. Bobby Fischer I am not."

A car halted to a stop outside, prompting Thor to sit up properly. Bruce smoothed down his shirt but Steve just grinned.

"I'd recognise that engine anywhere. It's just Clint and Nat."

Sure enough, Clint and Natasha made their way into Tony's house. It was somewhat awkward for the group, especially as Natasha's lips looked plump and kissed and Clint's hair was messier than usual.

"Tony still not here?" Clint wondered, hands on his hips.

Bruce smiled. "Go figure. How was bowling?"

Natasha made herself comfortable, kicking her feet up gracefully. "I won, obviously. Turns out I'm pretty good at bowling. I might join a league."

Thor drained his beer. "I think even you might struggle to pull off a bowling shirt."

"True, but what do I with all of this natural talent?"

Clint sighed, putting his arm around her. "Alright, that's quite enough of that. She didn't win by that much, got a little cocky halfway through and lost her mojo."

Steve chuckled. "Sounds like you two had a good time." There was a little jealousy flaring in Steve's eyes, that they could just go on a bowling date together without having to worry about who would be there and concealing their union from the entire disapproving world. It wasn't like Steve didn't realise it was "wrong" to be dating his teacher, but it felt right and he thought that should be the thing that matters. Bucky wasn't giving him higher grades than he deserved or treating him any differently in class, so he wasn't sure what the harm was.

Clint nodded. "We did. I have to say I much prefer watching Nat walk up to the lane that Tony."

"I'll have you know my ass is quite tappable," Tony proclaimed, entering his own house with his usual swagger. A poised blonde trailed behind him, looking a little nervous. "Everyone, this is Pepper Potts. Pepper, this is everyone."

Tony jumped on the couch next to Natasha and put his feet across both her and Clint's laps. Natasha grimaced and pushed them off.

Pepper waved to everyone, accepting a strong hug from Thor who was closest to her. Bruce stood up and offered a handshake. Steve just waved.

It was always strange when someone new entered the fold, no matter how permanent the addition. The six of them had created such a tethered dynamic that it was hard for anyone else to adjust. And it wasn't like one of their significant others could just not spend time with the group, that would mean pulling one of them away and that wasn't happening anytime soon. So Steve decided to make a real effort to get to know Pepper, for Tony's sake. The girl seemed nice and seemed to adapt to their dynamic fairly quickly. Tony must have warned her in advance.

Pepper eyes fell on the chessboard almost immediately. "Who plays?" She looked to Steve who was sat at the table.

He shook his head vehemently. "I just got my ass handed to me by Bruce."

Bruce blushed. "I'm somewhat good."

Pepper's eyes narrowed. "I'll play you, if you'd like. I'm also somewhat good."

Clint leaned forward. "Oh my god there's two of them."

Steve quickly vacated his seat, settling on the armchair next to Thor, who quickly pulled him onto the seat on top of him. Steve realised Thor had been quickly racking up his beer total and would need to be driven home. He watched in quiet curiosity as Pepper lined up his previously destroyed black pieces to start the game with Bruce.

Tony stood behind her, surprisingly not harping down her ear at every opportunity. Steve realised that this meant that he must actually like her if he was willing to rein himself in like he was doing.

Natasha eventually walked over and studied the board, an undisclosed player herself. She realised very quickly that Pepper had won the game and was simply toying with Bruce and luring him deeper into his own defeat. She chose not to say anything but shot Pepper an impressed glance while Bruce was deep in his own unravelling. Pepper nodded back cordially.

Natasha was glad to have another girl around for a while, not because she was overwhelmed by the boys, but because she'd never quite felt accepted by the other girls at the school. She had been attached to her boys for so long now that she'd been lumped in with them. Natasha knew that she had all the familiar assets of a so-called 'it girl' and she felt somewhat judged by the other girls for not capitalising on that. She had experienced somewhat of a wave of acceptance when she had accepted the offer to date Sam, but hadn't that quickly backfired?

So Pepper, who was proving herself to be accomplished, patient, and beautiful herself, would fit right in and she was glad for the company.

Not a few moves later, Pepper grew bored of her strategy and ended the game, leaving Bruce to wallow in his defeat.

"You're so teaching me how to do that," Tony grinned with glee as Bruce collected himself and rearranged the pieces.

Bruce shook Pepper's hand and smiled. "I like you."

Pepper breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. Tony talks so highly of you guys, I really wanted you all to like me."

"I told you they would," Tony kissed her forehead tenderly as Natasha returned to her seat, cuddling up slightly to Clint.

Pepper smiled at them. "So you guys are dating now?"

Clint took Natasha's hand and kissed it proudly. "This one apparently suffers from delusions and accepted my offer."

Natasha smacked his arm gently. "Behave." She turned to Pepper with a smile. "We're very happy. How did you and Tony meet?"

Thor shook his head. "No, that'll be boring! What we really want to know is how you guys got together."

Natasha thought about it and nodded. "Yep, that's a much better question."

Tony sighed. He was hoping that wouldn't come up until he was elsewhere.

The group leaned in.

Pepper smirked. "This is fun. So I go to Liberty Prep across town and it's just a completely normal Thursday. I'm eating lunch with my friends. I'm messaging Tony on Facebook. We'd been talking for a few weeks and it was sort of getting to the point where something might happen, but I wasn't sure. Then out of nowhere, there's this commotion in the courtyard. Naturally, we go to try and find out what it is, nothing exciting ever happens there. And there's Tony, dressed up as Big Bird stood on top of our mascot statue with a boombox…belting out of the words to Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On."

The other five stopped still, agape.

Steve was the first to speak. "And that's a true story?"

Pepper stared him dead in the eye. "Cross my heart, hope to die. I couldn't unsee that if I wanted to. Which…sometimes I do."

As if on the cue, the group fell apart laughing. Tony sulked in the midst of the laughter, but that was cured by Pepper kissing him squarely on the mouth.

Clint wiped his tears and sobered. "Why was…why was he dressed as Big Bird?"

Pepper shook her head fondly. "He was kind of my first crush as a child. Don't ask, that's something therapy will cover. We'd talked about it that first night, when I also mentioned my love for Jack Dawson in Titanic."

Steve and Natasha nodded knowingly.

Bruce smiled warmly. "Tony, that's…really romantic."

Tony blushed deeply. "Yeah well it has been known to happen."

"When has it ever?" Natasha shot back with a wink.

Pepper threw her arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Don't listen to them, Tony, it worked didn't it?"

Tony cracked a pure smile. "I regret nothing."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a blissful harmony, the group getting to know Pepper while they regaled her with some of their wildest escapades which made them all fairly nostalgic.

Steve spent a lot of that time thinking about the future beyond high school, as he often did, dwelling uncomfortably on the fact that he wouldn't have his group with him. In a way it was exciting, getting to meet other people and learn more about himself in the process, but the thought of that was also absolutely paralysing when he realised he wouldn't be able to bounce ideas off Bruce in English class or spar with Tony about whatever was happening that day.

His heart ached at the prospect of not seeing Nat every day.

Obviously they would stay in touch, that was never out of the question, but there was a certain spark that happened when they were all together that really changed the way life seemed. All it took was a joke from Tony or a tight hug from Thor and everything was much brighter and bolder than it had been before. Steve was going to miss that and knew that he needed to make the most of their time together.

He also needed to figure out his Bucky problem.

He knew that they would be able to start properly seeing each other once Steve had graduated, but he wasn't entirely sure how it would work. Would they wait a little while as to not arouse suspicions that they were together the whole time, or would they just keep on as they were with less pressure to hide at all? He made a note to speak to Bucky about it closer to the time to see if the man had any suggestions on how to handle their transition to an actual functional couple. Seeing Tony and Pepper and Clint and Natasha so cuddled up made him jealous but also a little sad, no matter how happy he was about the happiness of his closest friends. The look Natasha gave him made him think that she picked up on it, that and the fact that she casually detangled herself from Clint's hold, without the boy even really noticing.

That made Steve choke up a little bit, realising how much he loved her and the rest of them.

Eventually, Tony left to drive Pepper home. The remaining five left too, despite Tony's offer for them to stay as long as they wanted. Clint drove Nat home, Bruce walked home, politely refusing Steve's offer to drop him there, which left Steve driving Thor home. The latter boy had sobered some which Steve was glad to see, given that alcohol would not have helped his conversation with Loki.

Steve parked outside Thor's house and noticed the top lights on, meaning that Loki was indeed home. He turned to Thor.

"Thanks for doing this."

Thor frowned. "Of course, Steve. If my brother is responsible for trying to ruin your life, I'm obviously going to try and stop him. You're family to me too, and I can't have you hurting."

After his deep introspection earlier, Steve fought back the tears he knew would come at some point. But now wasn't the time.

"I love you, man," Steve smiled.

"Love you too," Thor clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the ride." He quickly left Steve's car and disappeared in his house.

Steve shot off a quick text to Bucky and also to his mother before starting his car again and driving to see his boyfriend.

Steve pulled up around the corner from Bucky's house, quickly making his way to the front door. He briefly looked around him for anything suspicious before shaking off his paranoia and knocking on the door.

Bucky opened it with a smile, dressed in a simple hoodie and sweatpants combo. "I'm glad you came."

Steve chuckled. "I didn't even come yet."

"Oh but you will," Bucky hummed. "Have you eaten?"

Steve shook his head.

"I've got some leftovers if you're hungry?"

Steve nodded, mouth tight.

Bucky took his boyfriend by the shoulders and frowned. "Steve…you okay?"

Steve's lip quivered and he tried to draw a breath but found himself having difficulty doing so. The harder he found it, the more he panicked, which in turn made it harder to breathe.

He gasped, falling against the wall.

Bucky steadied him, guiding him over to the couch. "Steve, I think you're having a panic attack. I'm going to need you to concentrate on my voice, okay?"

Steve instinctively drew his knees to his chest and placed his head between them. Bucky placed a calming hand on his back and rubbed gentle circles into it.

"Okay, just focus on what you can hear and feel. The couch underneath you, my hand on your back, my voice right next to you. I'm right here, Steve. Now try to take a deep breath in with me."

Steve complied, suddenly finding it a lot easier to inhale.

"Good, now hold it," Bucky instructed calmly, allowing Steve to copy him as he did so too.

Steve held his breath and exhaled when Bucky told him too.

A few more rounds of that exercise and Steve suddenly felt much better, tightness in chest lessened, but still there a little bit.

"I'm going to get you some water and reheat those leftovers."

He fell against the couch and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Bucky looked stern. "Never in your life apologise for having a panic attack. Especially not to me. I've had my fair share of them and I know how quickly they can come on."

Steve's eyes were glossy as he heard Bucky's words. He pondered them as Bucky left to get him food and water.

Minutes later, Bucky handed him a glass of water and a small bowl of pasta salad.

"Do you know what triggered it?"

Steve gulped down the water and chuckled mirthlessly. "It's stupid."

Bucky kissed Steve's forehead. "Steve, listen to me. Anxiety might make you think that something that you're worrying about is meaningless and juvenile, but if it causes you to react like that, it's a valid concern. And if it's irrational, talking about it might help you dismiss it entirely."

Steve felt a tear slip from his eye. Here it was, ready to burst out of him. "I just…I can't stop thinking about the future."

Bucky slipped his hand into Steve's and squeezed reassuringly. "The future?"

"Next year," Steve winced as he spoke, vocalising his thoughts made them feel more real, a bigger demon to try to overcome. "I'm not ready for it."

Bucky didn't say anything, letting Steve gather his thoughts. He knew Steve's cadences quite well by now and knew that he was just setting up a larger problem.

"So much is going to change. I'm really happy right now, if you can believe it through all the crying," Steve said, the tears dripping down his face now. "I have you, my friends, my college acceptances are starting to come in, things are really, really great.

"But next year I'm going to be at some college and you're not going to be there. My friends are going to splinter off across the country and I'm going to be alone for the first time in my life."

Bucky brought Steve's hands up to kiss it, realising it was his turn to talk and reassure Steve. "Steve Rogers, you of all people are never going to be alone. You know how much your friends love you. How much I…"

Steve's head snapped towards him.

Bucky paled. "I'm suddenly very aware that neither of us has said that yet."

Steve stared him down, challenging him.

"…how much I love you. I do, Steve, and I should've told you that by now."

Steve swallowed heavily. "I love you too, Bucky."

Bucky beamed. "You see? You'll never really be alone. And what I said about the school was true. Everyone either wants to be your friend or wants to sleep with you. Or both. I have no doubts that college is going to be any different. I know you'll miss your friends, but you guys are gonna see each other all the time. What're four years?"

Steve nodded. "But it's not going ever be like this again."

Bucky sighed. "That's…true. I hate to be that person, but that's life. You're going to have so many experiences that you'll want to hold close to you. Hold them as tight as you can, Steve, that way you'll be ready to let them go when the time comes."

Steve wiped his tears away and rested his head on Bucky's shoulder. "Are you good at bowling?"

Bucky laughed at the segue or lack thereof. "Awful. Absolutely shocking."

Steve grinned. "Me too."

"Why do you ask?"

"I just want to know what to suggest when we're finally able to plan dates in public."

Bucky nodded. "Yeah, definitely not bowling. Movies, dinners, even the occasional game of crazy golf. If I wanted to stick my fingers in a tight hole I'd just stay home with you."

Steve slapped his thigh and squeezed. "You really know how to cheer a guy up, Barnes."

Bucky nudged him. "Time for that later. Eat your food before I have to reheat it again."

Steve grabbed the bowl and tucked into the food. He silently got to the floor and sat between Bucky's legs while the man played with his hair.

Steve placed the bowl to one side and groaned. "I could sit like this all day."

Bucky stopped and detangled his hands from Steve's hair. "So you don't want to suck my dick?"

Steve put his head back, rubbing it on Bucky's crotch. "I didn't say that exactly." He smirked as Bucky leaned down to kiss him upside down.

Steve's phone buzzed with Thor's ringtone. Steve broke the kiss and grabbed his phone.

"Ah dating in the social age," Bucky lamented, licking his lips.

"Sorry, this shouldn't take long. It's just important." Steve put the phone to his ear. "Hey, Thor. Anything?"

On the other end of the phone, Thor sounded solemn. "It's him. It took a while, but he eventually admitted that he's been manipulating Sam this entire time. Somehow, he knows about you and Bucky. I'm sorry, Steve. I didn't listen to you when you said it was him the first time."

Steve took a deep breath. "I didn't think for sure then. Thanks Thor, for talking to him. I'll deal with it tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry, Steve. I even threatened telling our parents, but that would just spill the cans of worms all over the floor."

"Don't worry, I'll handle him at school. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Thor cleared his throat. "See you, Steve."

Steve slid the phone across the floor and out of reach. He turned to Bucky with a slight smile.

"Anything juicy?"

Steve bit his lip. "All going well, we should be safe tomorrow."

"You find out who's been messing with us?"

"Yeah. I'm going to sort it. And then we'll be in the clear until graduation."

Bucky kissed Steve squarely on the lips. "I love you."

Steve nuzzled into his neck. "I love you, too."

It turned out that the mood for sex had passed, so they turned on a movie (Bucky's turn to pick which meant that they were watching The Lost Weekend again) and cuddled for the rest of the evening. It was exactly what Steve had needed to deflate and prepare for the following day. Bucky had invited him to spend the night but Steve decided to call it and drive home, not wanting to take any extra risks until he was sure that he could call off Loki and, in turn, Sam.

"You are an idiot."

Sam Wilson turned from his position leaning against the lockers and stood at his full height, towering over the person who had dared speak to him in that tone.

Despite his height advantage, he still felt a little threatened.

Loki Laufeyson was no joke. Physically, Sam could annihilate him, but Loki was sneaky and scheming and Sam could never be sure what exactly the boy was up to or what he knew about any given situation.

"Come again?"

Loki sneered. "Enough of the dumb jock act. What did you tell Rogers?"

Sam's eyes widened. "I told him what you made me do."

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Sam actually grinned. "Turns out that the information you were using to blackmail me into being your little bitch is the exact same information that Rogers knows too."

Loki frowned, completely flummoxed. "So why are you happy about that? I could still tell everyone."

Sam realised this with a sigh. "Well then how the fuck do I win here? I do what you say, he tells people. I do what he says, you tell people. It's a lose-lose."

Loki shrugged. "That's not my problem. Though in the interest of victory, I'll help you out with that one in a way you'll understand. You know nothing about me. Contrarily, you do know something about Steve Rogers. If he threatens to spill your stupid little secret, you have ammunition you can use to take him down. See what I mean?"

Sam nodded.

"Make the right choice, Wilson. Or else."

Sam swallowed heavily. "What's next?"

Loki grinned. "Excellent. What better way to leak this information than to expose it at Homecoming? I'll keep you updated with more details soon. Have a superb day," he drawled.

Loki walked away, leaving Sam to knock his head against the lockers. He soon spotted Peter and Maria down the hallway and put on his façade to go and meet them.

What Sam didn't know was that Bruce Banner's locker was only six down from his and, when open, would block him from view. Bruce closed his locker quietly and walked away down the hall until he ran into Steve and Tony.

"We have a problem."

Steve nodded. "Yeah, Loki, I'm trying to find him right now."

Bruce sighed. "There's no time for that. I just heard Loki talking to Sam. They're planning to expose you two at Homecoming in front of everyone."

"How?" Tony wondered. "They gave away their proof."

Bruce shrugged. "They didn't say. We need to figure this out. Tony, can you hack Sam's emails?"

"Of course. But if you're Loki and you know who you're up against, you wouldn't correspond via email. If you see any weird looking pigeons, shoot 'em down."

"Try it anyway. Loki wasn't smart enough to realise I was listening, maybe he slips up more than we'd think."

Steve frowned. "Or maybe he wanted you to hear and it's a fake out." He grunted. "I'm just going to have it out with him now, maybe get him to see sense."

Steve walked away, leaving Bruce and Tony to sigh to each other.

"This is going to end badly isn't it?" Tony asked rhetorically.

Bruce sadly watched Steve stroll down the hall. "Yeah. I think it is."