Fic: The Loco of Loki, Avengers, Tony/Loki/Pepper, NC17/18 (3/4)
I'm sorry, I know I said it was going to be 3 chapters, but when the third chapter made it to almost as long as the rest of the fic I realised it's going to be 4 - sorry. So, here's chapter 3.
Title: The Loco of Loki (3/4)
Author: Beren
Fandom: Avengers 2012, Iron Man, Thor
Pairing: Tony/Pepper/Loki (eventually)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Marvel et al. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: SPOILERS for Iron Man 3, vampires
Summary: Tony gets an unexpected visit from Loki when the demi-god is supposed to be safely locked up in Asgard. The thing is he's pretty sure Loki didn't have fangs last time they met.
Author's Notes: I know Marvel has canonical vampires, but I don't read the comics and there haven't been any in the movie-verse so I'm just running with whatever I fancy :). Also, I started writing this before the teaser trailer for Thor 2 came out, so it mostly doesn't gel with that. Thanks to Soph for the beta.
Links to other parts:
LJ : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
DW : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
at AO3
My Fanfic Listings (LJ) | My Fanfic Listings (DreamW)
Chapter 3 What Comes Next?
His butt had just touched leather when the elevator doors opened and Thor stormed into the room.
"Hold up, Death Metal," he said, lifting his hand in what he hoped was a placating gesture, "everything's going great here."
"Loki, what have you done?" was Thor's opening gambit, at which point Loki's expression lost all traces of humour.
"Whoa," Tony said, standing before Loki could do anything that would put everything back to square one, "you know all that wishing for your brother to not be insane you did, well it paid off. Just look at him, Buddy, before you say anything you are really going to regret."
Thor had Mjolnir in his hand and just stood there as if frozen before a battle.
"There's something I didn't mention about the last time Snow White here dropped in," Tony tried to explain. "When he bit me we had a whole Vulcan mind meld thing going on. It was freaky, but..."
"The influence of Tony's mind on my own was significant," Loki finished for him, still looking annoyed, but on the sane side of pissed off, so Tony took that as a good sign.
"My crazy fixed his crazy and he came back to say thanks," Tony added, "so I asked him to stay."
That at least made Thor lower his hammer.
"You are well again?" Thor asked, looking at Loki.
"As well as can be expected," Loki replied in a very cool tone.
"Then we must return at once to Asgard so that Father may know and ..."
"Whoa there again, Blondie," Tony stepped in before an argument could start, "your dad managed to screw up so he doesn't have any say in this now."
"Man of Iron, I do not believe you know of what you speak," Thor responded.
"Oh, but I do," he insisted, "and so do you. Loki is free and clear no matter what your Dad says, because of your own law. Harm of a permanent nature has been done and so the get-out clause is in effect; I know you know what that is. Your little brother here might have a huge blind spot when it comes to himself, but I'm betting you don't."
Thor thought about that and there was what Tony decided was doubt in the demi-god's expression.
"That must be judged by the AllF..." Thor started to tell Loki and that was the point Tony saw Loki lose his temper.
"Is this not permanent damage?"
Loki was suddenly right beside Thor and the trickster was showing long vicious fangs and those glittering eyes. Tony had only seen a blur and it was more than clear Thor had seen little more.
"Surely there is a way to reverse..."
"Do you think I have not tried?" Loki all but snarled. "This is no curse to be removed. This is magic older than time when creatures were created by the whim of the universe. This cannot be changed."
Tony just stood there watching as he saw the realisation that this was not a trick dawn in Thor's eyes. Several emotions filtered across Thor's face and finally settled on something Tony could not quite identify.
"Then I truly have my brother back," was what Thor said and Tony realised what he could see was hope.
From the looks of things Loki had absolutely no idea how to deal with that. When Thor actually reached out and hugged him, Loki just kind of froze. Tony would have laughed if he had been sure it wouldn't result in bloodshed. Loki may have been less crazy pants now, but that didn't mean the demi-god was stable by any means.
When Thor released Loki, the big thunderer was smiling as if he'd just had the best present ever. The old Loki would have tried to kill him, Tony was pretty certain, but this new Loki just stood there.
"I am truly a monster now, Thor," Loki said in little more than a whisper.
"I see no monster," Thor replied, "I never did. You are changed, yes, Brother, but you are still Loki and Loki is my kin."
"I never have been your kin," Loki protested.
"What is a brother is not one to stand beside you in battle?" Thor asked. "You have saved my life and the lives of our friends countless times, Loki, you are my brother."
"Your friends," Loki said, but there was none of the viciousness in his tone, more something along the lines of petulance if Tony was any judge.
"And you are restored to all your titles and position," Thor said, beaming happily, "so you are once again a Prince of Asgard. We should celebrate with wine and song."
The expression on Loki's face said more than any words and Tony did laugh then, because it was clear Loki thought his brother was a complete idiot. Tony was pretty sure Thor was simply taking the easy route to having his brother back.
"This is why I have to drag you from trouble every single time you leave Asgard," Loki said in an exasperated tone. "This could be a trick, an illusion, I could be doing anything and you want to drink and be merry."
Thor laughed loudly at that and slapped Loki on the shoulder with a blow that would have knocked anyone else off their feet.
"You are indeed well again," Thor announced with a grin; "if not I think I would have a dagger between my ribs."
"Do not temp me," was what Loki replied.
That earned the God of Mischief another hug, at which point he squawked with indignation, but did not try very hard to escape.
Tony found himself smiling fondly and decided to distract himself by going back to the bar before he gained a reputation for being a sap. He had just grabbed one of the bottles of mead he kept in stock for Thor when the cover popped off one of the air vents and Clint slid out, bow and all, while Natasha dived out of the elevator, a gun in either hand.
"Peace, Friends," Thor boomed, "all is well."
"Not while he's here it isn't," Clint responded.
"My brother is restored to me," Thor said, all smiles and cheerfulness; "please, put your weapons away."
Tony came out from behind the bar, because Thor was still smiling, but Tony could sense the very serious message below the happy words. There was definitely a 'please don't do anything to make me hurt you' hidden in that statement.
"The bag of cats is now just one kitty," he said, "but he has claws and fangs so don't wreck the living room by provoking him, pretty please."
"What did he do to you, Stark?" Clint demanded, bow still at the ready.
"Actually it's what I did to him," Tony said, standing there with two glasses in his hands. "He bit me and my genius undid his wacko and he came by to say thanks, so I invited him for a drink. I figured that it would be better to be civilised so we don't have any more rampaging Norse god incidents. They can be fun, but the cleanup is a bitch."
"He killed hundreds of people," Natasha pointed out.
"And he was a complete basket case at the time; trust me I've seen in his head and it was so much worse than you think it was."
"You saw in his head?" Natasha did not sound impressed.
"Yes and I left it out for just that reason," he replied. "Stop looking at me like I betrayed you; I took every precaution necessary and Pepper knew about everything."
He thought it was the last bit that made Natasha relax just slightly.
"He was supposed to be being punished on Asgard," Clint added.
"And he was, My Friends," Thor said, "but that is now done. Loki is restored as a Prince of Asgard."
"Hell no," Clint said, aiming very purposefully; "he killed Coulson."
The slightly worried glance that Natasha sent Clint did not make Tony feel at all comfortable. He hadn't calculated that part in, in fact his head had been assimilating so many things lately he had all but forgotten exactly what had made this so personal. Now he thought about it there was something not right about the statement anyway.
"No he didn't," he said as his brain threw up the information.
"Tony, you need to concentrate, he must have got to you," Natasha said in a very sympathetic tone as she tensed again.
"No he didn't," he repeated, only this time to her; "I'm not delusional. Coulson isn't dead, at least he shouldn't be. Fury is a lying asshole, I would bet my life on it."
For the first time the tip of Clint's arrow wavered.
"What?" the archer asked.
"Loki, tell them what you did," Tony said and gave the demi-god a pointed look.
"I stabbed your Agent Coulson, just missing his heart," Loki said, somewhat reluctantly; "I intended to use him as a delaying tactic while my activities on your airship were concluded. When he shot me I changed my plans, but unless I severely underestimated your medical personnel he should not have died."
Natasha lowered her gun.
"The cards," she said, looking over at Clint; "he never would have kept them in his pocket."
Clint blinked at that.
"You mean..?"
"Fury lied."
"Son of a bitch!"
"JARVIS, find the man called Agent for us," Tony said.
"On it now, Sir," JARVIS replied; "I will alert you as soon as I have more information."
"Thank you JARVIS," he concluded, which seemed to please Natasha at least.
Clint even looked like he was about to lower his bow, but then turned back towards Loki.
"How is he not still a wanted criminal?" Clint asked and the look on his face said it was no longer righteous anger, it was now personal, for which Tony really couldn't blame him.
"We sent him to Asgard to be tried," Tony decided he was the only one who could explain without being skewered, "and they screwed up. His dad managed to lock him up with a vampire, which means he was permanently harmed before he had a trial. Their law says that's a no-no, so he's free and clear. Luckily for us Loki came to me on the first leg of his revenge trip after he escaped and my loco fixed his loco and he's still kind of pissed at his dad, but us he's not too bothered about. Since when shit happens on Asgard these days it tends to rain down here too, I thought, in my infinite wisdom, which is very infinite, by the way, that giving the magical demi-god with fangs options would be a great plan. Also, if you shoot him now his big brother is going to be really pissed."
Thor did not look overly worried, but then neither did Loki. Tony was just hoping they didn't end up with pulverised archer anytime in the near future.
Pepper chose that moment to arrive with Steve in tow.
"Hawkeye, stand down," Steve ordered in that way he had.
Being Captain America clearly had its perks, because Clint obeyed immediately.
"We monitored on the way up," Steve said, letting everyone know the score. "Loki, what are your intentions?"
"I have not yet decided," was the surprisingly honest answer.
"Do you intend anyone on Earth harm?" Natasha decided to be more specific.
"No," Loki replied.
"And we just believe him?" Clint asked, sounding incredulous.
"I do," Tony said and walked over and passed Thor a drink.
"So do I," was the very surprising backup from Natasha.
Clint almost looked betrayed, but Natasha returned the hurt look with a stare that clearly said much more to Clint than to anyone else. Tony did not speak Natasha under such circumstances, so did not try to figure it out.
"Bruce, stand down," Steve said and Pepper relaxed just a little, which told Tony everything was going really well.
"Brucey," he said out loud, "are you coming up to join us for a drink?"
"I am not sure that would be wise," was Bruce's reply over the intercom.
"Dr Banner," Loki spoke before Tony could say anymore; "I will pledge to control myself if you will."
It almost sounded friendly; wonders would never cease.
There was silence from Bruce for a few moments and Tony could imagine the look of surprise and probably worry on Bruce's face.
"I'll be there in a few minutes," was the eventual reply.
Loki looked quite pleased about that, which Tony would have thought was really odd, except that he really liked Bruce and he suspected that might have rubbed off on Loki.
"Everybody sit," he said, "I'll get drinks. No doubt SHIELD will turn up shortly and we might as well be comfortable while we wait."
~*~
It was twenty minutes before SHIELD arrived and they did not arrive en masse, in fact, Fury walked in all by himself. Tony was mildly impressed by the entrance; very few men could make a leather coat flap quite like that.
"Nick, how nice to see you," he greeted, "want a drink."
"I'm on duty, Stark," was the not unexpected and sharp response.
"Suit yourself," Tony replied.
"Well isn't this cosy," Fury said as the man peered around the room with his one beady eye.
Tony was quite proud of the fact no one looked guilty, not even Steve.
"Thor am I correct in stating that you have once again recognised your brother as a Prince of Asgard with all rank and privilege that goes with that title?" Fury asked, looking directly at the blond god.
"Yes, Director," Thor replied; "that would be so."
Fury looked incredibly put upon and as if he would rather be anywhere else, but turned to Tony instead. This was going to be interesting, Tony could tell.
"And Stark, since you invited him here, I assume you're not interested in pursuing the assault charges against Loki?" Fury asked.
"You assumed right, Nick," Tony replied with a smile; he thought he knew where this might be going.
Fury sighed, actually sighed and then looked at Loki.
"Then, Prince Loki, SHIELD welcomes you to Earth as a diplomatic visitor from another sovereign power," Fury said, even though the man didn't sound as if he believed it. "We would request you do not wander from the safety of this tower alone in case anyone recognises you and makes an incorrect assumption until SHIELD has had time to apprise the public of your current position."
"He means spins a pretty story so New York won't rebel," Tony added even though he knew it was completely unhelpful.
"That being said," Fury continued, completely ignoring the comment, "if you wish to travel anywhere, SHIELD would be happy to provide personnel to see to your safety. SHIELD will also provide anything you might need for your new circumstances until such time as you choose to return to your own realm."
Loki only appeared surprised for a fraction of a second and amused for even less, but Tony caught it.
"Thank you, Director Fury," Loki replied with a perfectly serious expression on his face; "your hospitality does your realm justice."
Fury kind of grimaced.
"Just don't make me drag your ass out of a riot," Fury said, apparently having reached the end of his charm. "Good day, team."
As Fury strode right back out again Loki finally let the amusement surface, but he seemed pleased and Thor looked like he had just won the lottery.
"Well that was easier than expected," Steve commented and Tony couldn't help himself; he laughed.
Clint was still looking mutinous, but Natasha had him in check, so Tony wasn't worried.
"More drinks," was what he decided and nobody disagreed, not even Steve.
Pepper came to help him at the bar and he gave her one of his best pleased to see her, pleased with himself smiles. It was all going so well.
"This could still end in disaster," Pepper pointed out as she arranged glasses on a tray.
"No it couldn't," Tony replied, "well unless we get an alien invasion in the next hour. That could end in disaster; big nasty fireballs or zappy guns. Otherwise I think we're cool."
"I hope you're right, Tony," Pepper said and gave him a quick peck on the check.
He watched her walk over to where, for some reason he had missed, Thor and Loki had stood up.
"It is more than an inch," Thor said and Tony decided it was probably height, because nobody had taken their clothes off yet.
"It is not," Loki replied and for a second looked like a petulant ten year old.
"Lady Pepper," Thor said as Pepper put the tray down and handed him a drink, "would you say I am more than an inch taller than my brother."
Pepper smiled and Tony watched with interest.
"I wouldn't be able to tell," Pepper replied and then stepped to the left to hand Loki a drink as well.
Loki went suddenly very still, eyes firmly fixed on Pepper. What Tony saw next almost had him calling for his suit as Loki's skin paled and the demi-god's eyes glittered. He probably would have if Loki hadn't taken a very sharp step backwards, away from Pepper, but it was the way Pepper all but swayed towards Loki that really got his attention. He was on the move before he thought about it and at Pepper's side as quickly as possible.
"Pep, you okay?" he asked.
"Fine," she replied, but her hand was quite tight on his arm as he slipped the other one around her waist; "that was ... I'm not sure ..."
Tony looked up at Loki to find his guest appeared as fazed as Pepper did.
"My apologies," Loki said, blinking as if to clear his head, "I am not sure what happened."
It sounded honest and Tony chose to accept Loki's word, because the demi-god was looking less pale again.
"Is there a problem?" Natasha asked with her usual businesslike attitude.
"I don't think so," Pepper said and stood up straight again, so Tony released her. "Shall we?" she asked Loki.
Loki nodded and took a tentative step forward. Both of them stiffened at the same moment, but they stood their ground and neither seemed to have such obvious reactions as before.
"You have the scent of fire," Loki said, clearly relaxing in to whatever the pair were experiencing; "I apologise for my reaction."
"Not at all," Pepper replied and gave one of her practiced smiles, "it was quite a rush and I'm not sure it was all you."
Loki and Pepper stared at each other for a few moments more and then Pepper handed him the drink that was still in her hand.
"Thank you," Loki said and the moment seemed to be over.
There were two things Tony noticed when Pepper turned back to him: her pupils were dilated; her skin was flushed and there was the tiniest hint of fire in her eyes. Tony knew those signs and they weren't a fight response, in fact they were the opposite; Pepper was aroused.
~*~
Tony sat in bed waiting for Pepper to finish in the bathroom.
"You're attracted to Loki," he said as soon as she appeared.
Pepper took this completely in her stride, because it wasn't the first frank conversation they had had. When they had become serious one of the things they had agreed on was to always be honest about these things. Tony knew he had a libido like no other and hiding attraction wasn't something either of them did; they just didn't act on it.
"I'm attracted to a lot of people," Pepper replied, pulling back the cover and climbing in.
"But this is primal," he countered, "I know because I feel it too. I want to take apart his mind with mine and take apart his body with my tongue."
The look Pepper sent his way was one of her very patient ones.
"Tell me it's not the same for you," he said with a grin, "I saw how you reacted. I know that look in your eyes."
"He is very alluring," Pepper admitted, "but that doesn't change anything."
"So you're not curious?"
Pepper turned to face him full on then a very thoughtful expression on her face.
"You want a threesome?" she asked.
It wasn't the first time they had discussed something like this.
"I don't know," Tony replied, "what do you think?"
"Inviting an unstable Norse god with vampire tendencies into our bed could be mentally and physically dangerous," she pointed out.
"You could always fry him."
That gained him a very disappointed look, which was one of the worst in Pepper's arsenal.
"Okay, I concede the point," he said quickly, "so that's a nix on that idea then."
The fact that Pepper did not instantly agree told him he had guessed right in the first place. Something had happened when Loki and Pepper got close, something very primitive.
"It's a very bad idea," was the best Pepper could do, which was tantamount to declaring she was interested, because Pepper just told him no when it was appropriate.
"Of course it is," he replied, "but you're still interested."
Pepper gave him a look.
"A bad idea," she repeated and that was an end to the conversation.
Tony counted it as a maybe and put it to the back of his mind. He had more important things to think about right then, like how loud he could make Pepper call his name.
~*~
Acknowledging Loki's status as a Prince of Asgard seemed to be exactly the right approach from SHIELD. Even though Loki professed to dislike his home, he seemed to care about his position. Tony secretly thought that being reconciled with his family was something that would overjoy the demi-god, but he wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud.
There was only so much Loki was willing to admit and since the demi-god knew stuff that was in his head just like Tony knew what was in Loki's he figured it was better to keep his mouth shut. They both had each other in a corner when it came down to it and Tony didn't want his personal stuff spread around, so he kept his silence on Loki's.
Loki turned out to be intelligent, sarcastic and sassy when he wasn't trying to take over and Tony found himself liking Loki a lot as they got to know each other over the next two weeks. Even Clint seemed to settle down and accept Loki's presence once JARVIS had tracked down actual proof of Coulson's survival. They still didn't know where the man named Agent was and Tony was considering just confronting Fury, but the evidence was clear: Coulson was alive. Fury probably had a nefarious plan they could all wreck once JARVIS had tracked down more evidence.
It was just after Clint has changed his attitude they had had the coffee incident. It had taken Tony falling asleep in his workshop for anyone to realise all the coffee in the building had become decaf. It hadn't been switched with decaf, it had actually become decaf and Loki did the most beautiful innocent face Tony had ever seen. Luckily even Natasha found Tony snoring funny and JARVIS, the traitor, played it all back for everyone to see.
It had become common place to see Loki wandering from the microwave with a mug that was very definitely not filled with coffee first thing in the morning. No one mentioned blood, because it made Steve go a funny colour, but everyone knew what it was. Loki was staying on Thor's floor which had its own kitchen, but it had become kind of the thing for the team to have breakfast in the communal kitchen on the main floor (totally Steve's fault) and Loki had just slipped into that with them.
Bruce and Loki had bonded over tea; the God of Mischief was not a lover of coffee like his brother. Tony had decided to forgive Loki for that though, because he had a big crush on Loki's brain. Almost as big as the one he had on Bruce's and bigger than the boner he had for Loki's body, which was huge, in both cases.
Watching Loki steal Thor's pop tarts was also a daily joy. Steve insisted everyone eat properly in the mornings, but Thor always added on pop tarts and Loki seemed to have picked up a taste for them. The chocolate ones usually disappeared before Thor even got a look in, but Thor didn't seem to mind. It was cute how Thor always heated a chocolate one and a blueberry one first and then pretended not to notice when Loki stole the chocolate one right off his plate.
However, there was one thing Tony had noticed day after day: Loki didn't seem to consume the blood with much enthusiasm. For the last two days Loki had seemed irritable and tired and had spent more time curled up reading on Thor's floor than in the lab with Tony and Bruce. Since they had become science buddies, or rather, science and magic buddies, that was unusual.
He knew Loki used some kind of glamour to deal with the sensitivity to light issue, but as he watched Loki heat his usual mug of blood, Loki looked pale even with the magic.
"You feeling okay?" Tony asked as he mixed up his usual smoothie.
"I am fine," Loki snapped back.
"Hey, I was only asking."
Loki took a deep breath, still looking at the microwave, before turning.
"I am sorry," Loki said; "I am not feeling quite myself."
There was a ding from the microwave before Tony could ask Loki what the problem was and the demi-god turned away again.
"Anything I can do?" Tony asked as Loki retrieved his mug.
"I believe I may have strained my magic," Loki replied, walking slowly over to the table. "It has been a long time since I have been able to relax. I am sure it will pass."
It never did to push Loki, so Tony accepted that and carried on preparing his breakfast. Thor and Steve appeared moments later, fresh from their morning shower after their jog around Central Park.
"Good morning, Brother, Tony," Thor greeted; "is it not a marvellous morning?"
"Not bad," Tony replied; "did you two make many maidens swoon with your manly muscles this morning?"
"Steve had to rescue a small canine from the jaws of a larger beast," Thor began and then joyfully regaled them with the full story while Steve started making breakfast and tried not to blush.
If there was one thing Asgardians knew how to do it was tell stories. At various points in the tale Natasha, Clint and Bruce arrived, which was a full house, because Pepper had been at work for a good hour already and Jane had come for a visit the previous week, but hadn't stayed more than a couple of days. Thor was very enthusiastic about Loki getting on with his girlfriend and eventually Jane and Loki seemed to bond out of sheer self-preservation.
Tony kept an eye on Loki throughout, but he couldn't see any difference from normal. Loki unenthusiastically drank his blood, stole a pop tart and accepted a cup of tea from Bruce. It was only when Loki was halfway through the pop tart that anything changed. Thor was explaining how Steve had tried to extricate himself from the grateful owner of the small dog when Loki put his half eaten pop tart down and grimaced.
It could only have been a second later when Loki moved, not as fast as Tony had seen Loki move, but definitely fast, and ran to the sink, bending over it and being very loudly ill.
"Brother," Thor was out of his seat and at Loki's side a second later, "what ails you?"
Loki couldn't answer, because he was still vomiting, at which point Thor was a good brother and grabbed his hair out of the way for him. It was decidedly unpleasant, but also very clear that Loki simply could not stop. Tony wasn't good with such things and kept his distance until there was the sound of water running.
"Thor," Loki said very quietly as he slowly stood up, but whatever Loki was going to say was lost as the demi-god collapsed in a dead faint.
It wasn't much of a surprise when Thor scooped his brother up before Loki could hit the ground.
~*~
"Well?" Tony asked half an hour later when Loki was tucked up in bed with Steve keeping watch and everyone else was in the conference room for a powwow.
"If I didn't know better I'd say he'd been poisoned," Bruce said.
"Who would do such a thing?" Thor boomed.
"Not SHIELD," Natasha said quickly; "not after they've given him diplomatic status."
"They couldn't have anyway," Tony added, "I switched out their blood on the second day, because Loki didn't seem to like it."
"Could it have been an accident?" Clint asked. "Just one batch this morning?"
Tony looked at Bruce.
"He's been different for a couple of days," Bruce revealed.
"I too have noticed he has not been himself for several days," Thor agreed, "but he assured me there was nothing about which to worry."
That didn't give them many alternatives.
"What about something else he ate?" Natasha suggested.
"It was definitely the blood," Tony replied; "he didn't steal the pop tart with his normal enthusiasm. He was going through the motions."
When Natasha did not argue he knew she had seen the same thing.
"Then what could it have been?" Clint asked.
"Maybe it's something he's not getting," Bruce suggested with a thoughtful crease between his eyebrows. "I've seen this kind of reaction with food intolerances where a person is missing an enzyme. It could be why it has taken this long to show."
"But he was definitely fine when he got here the second time," Tony said. "He was half dead when he bit me, but when he came back to say thanks he was buzzing."
"So maybe it's something to do with the blood being from a bag?" Bruce said. "Maybe the preservation process has added something or taken something away he needs."
That made more sense and Tony's mind began to rotate through all the possibilities.
"Holy crap," he said as he realised what was staring him in the face. "Thor, don't take this the wrong way, but was your brother a player back in Asgard?"
Thor frowned.
"I do not understand."
"Did he like the ladies, or the guys for that matter?" Tony clarified.
"Oh," Thor said, clearly not at all bothered by the question, "no, Loki was most particular in his dalliances and even more so with his affections. It was one of the things members of the court would often gossip about."
"Then I think it might be the sex," Tony said and looked at Bruce.
"What sex?" Clint asked, clearly confused.
"When he bit me, the first thing I felt was an incredible sexual overload," Tony explained. "I somehow pushed through it, but my body still responded. When he came back he told me he'd been getting his blood by seducing people. Sex releases all sorts of things into the body; what if he needs something from that to properly digest his meals?"
"If his behaviour has changed that much it could be an instinctive adaptation," Bruce agreed.
It made sense and it was the first thing that had since Loki threw up in the sink. Tony still didn't want to think about that.
"I have samples of..."
"Don't say it," Tony interrupted Bruce and made a face; he really didn't want to think about that.
"I can run some tests," Bruce said. "Want to come help?"
It was hard; Tony was not good with bodily waste products, but it was so tempting. In the end science won out.
On to Part 4
This entry was originally posted at http://beren-writes.dreamwidth.org/253499.html.
Title: The Loco of Loki (3/4)
Author: Beren
Fandom: Avengers 2012, Iron Man, Thor
Pairing: Tony/Pepper/Loki (eventually)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Marvel et al. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: SPOILERS for Iron Man 3, vampires
Summary: Tony gets an unexpected visit from Loki when the demi-god is supposed to be safely locked up in Asgard. The thing is he's pretty sure Loki didn't have fangs last time they met.
Author's Notes: I know Marvel has canonical vampires, but I don't read the comics and there haven't been any in the movie-verse so I'm just running with whatever I fancy :). Also, I started writing this before the teaser trailer for Thor 2 came out, so it mostly doesn't gel with that. Thanks to Soph for the beta.
Links to other parts:
LJ : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
DW : Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
at AO3
My Fanfic Listings (LJ) | My Fanfic Listings (DreamW)
Chapter 3 What Comes Next?
His butt had just touched leather when the elevator doors opened and Thor stormed into the room.
"Hold up, Death Metal," he said, lifting his hand in what he hoped was a placating gesture, "everything's going great here."
"Loki, what have you done?" was Thor's opening gambit, at which point Loki's expression lost all traces of humour.
"Whoa," Tony said, standing before Loki could do anything that would put everything back to square one, "you know all that wishing for your brother to not be insane you did, well it paid off. Just look at him, Buddy, before you say anything you are really going to regret."
Thor had Mjolnir in his hand and just stood there as if frozen before a battle.
"There's something I didn't mention about the last time Snow White here dropped in," Tony tried to explain. "When he bit me we had a whole Vulcan mind meld thing going on. It was freaky, but..."
"The influence of Tony's mind on my own was significant," Loki finished for him, still looking annoyed, but on the sane side of pissed off, so Tony took that as a good sign.
"My crazy fixed his crazy and he came back to say thanks," Tony added, "so I asked him to stay."
That at least made Thor lower his hammer.
"You are well again?" Thor asked, looking at Loki.
"As well as can be expected," Loki replied in a very cool tone.
"Then we must return at once to Asgard so that Father may know and ..."
"Whoa there again, Blondie," Tony stepped in before an argument could start, "your dad managed to screw up so he doesn't have any say in this now."
"Man of Iron, I do not believe you know of what you speak," Thor responded.
"Oh, but I do," he insisted, "and so do you. Loki is free and clear no matter what your Dad says, because of your own law. Harm of a permanent nature has been done and so the get-out clause is in effect; I know you know what that is. Your little brother here might have a huge blind spot when it comes to himself, but I'm betting you don't."
Thor thought about that and there was what Tony decided was doubt in the demi-god's expression.
"That must be judged by the AllF..." Thor started to tell Loki and that was the point Tony saw Loki lose his temper.
"Is this not permanent damage?"
Loki was suddenly right beside Thor and the trickster was showing long vicious fangs and those glittering eyes. Tony had only seen a blur and it was more than clear Thor had seen little more.
"Surely there is a way to reverse..."
"Do you think I have not tried?" Loki all but snarled. "This is no curse to be removed. This is magic older than time when creatures were created by the whim of the universe. This cannot be changed."
Tony just stood there watching as he saw the realisation that this was not a trick dawn in Thor's eyes. Several emotions filtered across Thor's face and finally settled on something Tony could not quite identify.
"Then I truly have my brother back," was what Thor said and Tony realised what he could see was hope.
From the looks of things Loki had absolutely no idea how to deal with that. When Thor actually reached out and hugged him, Loki just kind of froze. Tony would have laughed if he had been sure it wouldn't result in bloodshed. Loki may have been less crazy pants now, but that didn't mean the demi-god was stable by any means.
When Thor released Loki, the big thunderer was smiling as if he'd just had the best present ever. The old Loki would have tried to kill him, Tony was pretty certain, but this new Loki just stood there.
"I am truly a monster now, Thor," Loki said in little more than a whisper.
"I see no monster," Thor replied, "I never did. You are changed, yes, Brother, but you are still Loki and Loki is my kin."
"I never have been your kin," Loki protested.
"What is a brother is not one to stand beside you in battle?" Thor asked. "You have saved my life and the lives of our friends countless times, Loki, you are my brother."
"Your friends," Loki said, but there was none of the viciousness in his tone, more something along the lines of petulance if Tony was any judge.
"And you are restored to all your titles and position," Thor said, beaming happily, "so you are once again a Prince of Asgard. We should celebrate with wine and song."
The expression on Loki's face said more than any words and Tony did laugh then, because it was clear Loki thought his brother was a complete idiot. Tony was pretty sure Thor was simply taking the easy route to having his brother back.
"This is why I have to drag you from trouble every single time you leave Asgard," Loki said in an exasperated tone. "This could be a trick, an illusion, I could be doing anything and you want to drink and be merry."
Thor laughed loudly at that and slapped Loki on the shoulder with a blow that would have knocked anyone else off their feet.
"You are indeed well again," Thor announced with a grin; "if not I think I would have a dagger between my ribs."
"Do not temp me," was what Loki replied.
That earned the God of Mischief another hug, at which point he squawked with indignation, but did not try very hard to escape.
Tony found himself smiling fondly and decided to distract himself by going back to the bar before he gained a reputation for being a sap. He had just grabbed one of the bottles of mead he kept in stock for Thor when the cover popped off one of the air vents and Clint slid out, bow and all, while Natasha dived out of the elevator, a gun in either hand.
"Peace, Friends," Thor boomed, "all is well."
"Not while he's here it isn't," Clint responded.
"My brother is restored to me," Thor said, all smiles and cheerfulness; "please, put your weapons away."
Tony came out from behind the bar, because Thor was still smiling, but Tony could sense the very serious message below the happy words. There was definitely a 'please don't do anything to make me hurt you' hidden in that statement.
"The bag of cats is now just one kitty," he said, "but he has claws and fangs so don't wreck the living room by provoking him, pretty please."
"What did he do to you, Stark?" Clint demanded, bow still at the ready.
"Actually it's what I did to him," Tony said, standing there with two glasses in his hands. "He bit me and my genius undid his wacko and he came by to say thanks, so I invited him for a drink. I figured that it would be better to be civilised so we don't have any more rampaging Norse god incidents. They can be fun, but the cleanup is a bitch."
"He killed hundreds of people," Natasha pointed out.
"And he was a complete basket case at the time; trust me I've seen in his head and it was so much worse than you think it was."
"You saw in his head?" Natasha did not sound impressed.
"Yes and I left it out for just that reason," he replied. "Stop looking at me like I betrayed you; I took every precaution necessary and Pepper knew about everything."
He thought it was the last bit that made Natasha relax just slightly.
"He was supposed to be being punished on Asgard," Clint added.
"And he was, My Friends," Thor said, "but that is now done. Loki is restored as a Prince of Asgard."
"Hell no," Clint said, aiming very purposefully; "he killed Coulson."
The slightly worried glance that Natasha sent Clint did not make Tony feel at all comfortable. He hadn't calculated that part in, in fact his head had been assimilating so many things lately he had all but forgotten exactly what had made this so personal. Now he thought about it there was something not right about the statement anyway.
"No he didn't," he said as his brain threw up the information.
"Tony, you need to concentrate, he must have got to you," Natasha said in a very sympathetic tone as she tensed again.
"No he didn't," he repeated, only this time to her; "I'm not delusional. Coulson isn't dead, at least he shouldn't be. Fury is a lying asshole, I would bet my life on it."
For the first time the tip of Clint's arrow wavered.
"What?" the archer asked.
"Loki, tell them what you did," Tony said and gave the demi-god a pointed look.
"I stabbed your Agent Coulson, just missing his heart," Loki said, somewhat reluctantly; "I intended to use him as a delaying tactic while my activities on your airship were concluded. When he shot me I changed my plans, but unless I severely underestimated your medical personnel he should not have died."
Natasha lowered her gun.
"The cards," she said, looking over at Clint; "he never would have kept them in his pocket."
Clint blinked at that.
"You mean..?"
"Fury lied."
"Son of a bitch!"
"JARVIS, find the man called Agent for us," Tony said.
"On it now, Sir," JARVIS replied; "I will alert you as soon as I have more information."
"Thank you JARVIS," he concluded, which seemed to please Natasha at least.
Clint even looked like he was about to lower his bow, but then turned back towards Loki.
"How is he not still a wanted criminal?" Clint asked and the look on his face said it was no longer righteous anger, it was now personal, for which Tony really couldn't blame him.
"We sent him to Asgard to be tried," Tony decided he was the only one who could explain without being skewered, "and they screwed up. His dad managed to lock him up with a vampire, which means he was permanently harmed before he had a trial. Their law says that's a no-no, so he's free and clear. Luckily for us Loki came to me on the first leg of his revenge trip after he escaped and my loco fixed his loco and he's still kind of pissed at his dad, but us he's not too bothered about. Since when shit happens on Asgard these days it tends to rain down here too, I thought, in my infinite wisdom, which is very infinite, by the way, that giving the magical demi-god with fangs options would be a great plan. Also, if you shoot him now his big brother is going to be really pissed."
Thor did not look overly worried, but then neither did Loki. Tony was just hoping they didn't end up with pulverised archer anytime in the near future.
Pepper chose that moment to arrive with Steve in tow.
"Hawkeye, stand down," Steve ordered in that way he had.
Being Captain America clearly had its perks, because Clint obeyed immediately.
"We monitored on the way up," Steve said, letting everyone know the score. "Loki, what are your intentions?"
"I have not yet decided," was the surprisingly honest answer.
"Do you intend anyone on Earth harm?" Natasha decided to be more specific.
"No," Loki replied.
"And we just believe him?" Clint asked, sounding incredulous.
"I do," Tony said and walked over and passed Thor a drink.
"So do I," was the very surprising backup from Natasha.
Clint almost looked betrayed, but Natasha returned the hurt look with a stare that clearly said much more to Clint than to anyone else. Tony did not speak Natasha under such circumstances, so did not try to figure it out.
"Bruce, stand down," Steve said and Pepper relaxed just a little, which told Tony everything was going really well.
"Brucey," he said out loud, "are you coming up to join us for a drink?"
"I am not sure that would be wise," was Bruce's reply over the intercom.
"Dr Banner," Loki spoke before Tony could say anymore; "I will pledge to control myself if you will."
It almost sounded friendly; wonders would never cease.
There was silence from Bruce for a few moments and Tony could imagine the look of surprise and probably worry on Bruce's face.
"I'll be there in a few minutes," was the eventual reply.
Loki looked quite pleased about that, which Tony would have thought was really odd, except that he really liked Bruce and he suspected that might have rubbed off on Loki.
"Everybody sit," he said, "I'll get drinks. No doubt SHIELD will turn up shortly and we might as well be comfortable while we wait."
~*~
It was twenty minutes before SHIELD arrived and they did not arrive en masse, in fact, Fury walked in all by himself. Tony was mildly impressed by the entrance; very few men could make a leather coat flap quite like that.
"Nick, how nice to see you," he greeted, "want a drink."
"I'm on duty, Stark," was the not unexpected and sharp response.
"Suit yourself," Tony replied.
"Well isn't this cosy," Fury said as the man peered around the room with his one beady eye.
Tony was quite proud of the fact no one looked guilty, not even Steve.
"Thor am I correct in stating that you have once again recognised your brother as a Prince of Asgard with all rank and privilege that goes with that title?" Fury asked, looking directly at the blond god.
"Yes, Director," Thor replied; "that would be so."
Fury looked incredibly put upon and as if he would rather be anywhere else, but turned to Tony instead. This was going to be interesting, Tony could tell.
"And Stark, since you invited him here, I assume you're not interested in pursuing the assault charges against Loki?" Fury asked.
"You assumed right, Nick," Tony replied with a smile; he thought he knew where this might be going.
Fury sighed, actually sighed and then looked at Loki.
"Then, Prince Loki, SHIELD welcomes you to Earth as a diplomatic visitor from another sovereign power," Fury said, even though the man didn't sound as if he believed it. "We would request you do not wander from the safety of this tower alone in case anyone recognises you and makes an incorrect assumption until SHIELD has had time to apprise the public of your current position."
"He means spins a pretty story so New York won't rebel," Tony added even though he knew it was completely unhelpful.
"That being said," Fury continued, completely ignoring the comment, "if you wish to travel anywhere, SHIELD would be happy to provide personnel to see to your safety. SHIELD will also provide anything you might need for your new circumstances until such time as you choose to return to your own realm."
Loki only appeared surprised for a fraction of a second and amused for even less, but Tony caught it.
"Thank you, Director Fury," Loki replied with a perfectly serious expression on his face; "your hospitality does your realm justice."
Fury kind of grimaced.
"Just don't make me drag your ass out of a riot," Fury said, apparently having reached the end of his charm. "Good day, team."
As Fury strode right back out again Loki finally let the amusement surface, but he seemed pleased and Thor looked like he had just won the lottery.
"Well that was easier than expected," Steve commented and Tony couldn't help himself; he laughed.
Clint was still looking mutinous, but Natasha had him in check, so Tony wasn't worried.
"More drinks," was what he decided and nobody disagreed, not even Steve.
Pepper came to help him at the bar and he gave her one of his best pleased to see her, pleased with himself smiles. It was all going so well.
"This could still end in disaster," Pepper pointed out as she arranged glasses on a tray.
"No it couldn't," Tony replied, "well unless we get an alien invasion in the next hour. That could end in disaster; big nasty fireballs or zappy guns. Otherwise I think we're cool."
"I hope you're right, Tony," Pepper said and gave him a quick peck on the check.
He watched her walk over to where, for some reason he had missed, Thor and Loki had stood up.
"It is more than an inch," Thor said and Tony decided it was probably height, because nobody had taken their clothes off yet.
"It is not," Loki replied and for a second looked like a petulant ten year old.
"Lady Pepper," Thor said as Pepper put the tray down and handed him a drink, "would you say I am more than an inch taller than my brother."
Pepper smiled and Tony watched with interest.
"I wouldn't be able to tell," Pepper replied and then stepped to the left to hand Loki a drink as well.
Loki went suddenly very still, eyes firmly fixed on Pepper. What Tony saw next almost had him calling for his suit as Loki's skin paled and the demi-god's eyes glittered. He probably would have if Loki hadn't taken a very sharp step backwards, away from Pepper, but it was the way Pepper all but swayed towards Loki that really got his attention. He was on the move before he thought about it and at Pepper's side as quickly as possible.
"Pep, you okay?" he asked.
"Fine," she replied, but her hand was quite tight on his arm as he slipped the other one around her waist; "that was ... I'm not sure ..."
Tony looked up at Loki to find his guest appeared as fazed as Pepper did.
"My apologies," Loki said, blinking as if to clear his head, "I am not sure what happened."
It sounded honest and Tony chose to accept Loki's word, because the demi-god was looking less pale again.
"Is there a problem?" Natasha asked with her usual businesslike attitude.
"I don't think so," Pepper said and stood up straight again, so Tony released her. "Shall we?" she asked Loki.
Loki nodded and took a tentative step forward. Both of them stiffened at the same moment, but they stood their ground and neither seemed to have such obvious reactions as before.
"You have the scent of fire," Loki said, clearly relaxing in to whatever the pair were experiencing; "I apologise for my reaction."
"Not at all," Pepper replied and gave one of her practiced smiles, "it was quite a rush and I'm not sure it was all you."
Loki and Pepper stared at each other for a few moments more and then Pepper handed him the drink that was still in her hand.
"Thank you," Loki said and the moment seemed to be over.
There were two things Tony noticed when Pepper turned back to him: her pupils were dilated; her skin was flushed and there was the tiniest hint of fire in her eyes. Tony knew those signs and they weren't a fight response, in fact they were the opposite; Pepper was aroused.
~*~
Tony sat in bed waiting for Pepper to finish in the bathroom.
"You're attracted to Loki," he said as soon as she appeared.
Pepper took this completely in her stride, because it wasn't the first frank conversation they had had. When they had become serious one of the things they had agreed on was to always be honest about these things. Tony knew he had a libido like no other and hiding attraction wasn't something either of them did; they just didn't act on it.
"I'm attracted to a lot of people," Pepper replied, pulling back the cover and climbing in.
"But this is primal," he countered, "I know because I feel it too. I want to take apart his mind with mine and take apart his body with my tongue."
The look Pepper sent his way was one of her very patient ones.
"Tell me it's not the same for you," he said with a grin, "I saw how you reacted. I know that look in your eyes."
"He is very alluring," Pepper admitted, "but that doesn't change anything."
"So you're not curious?"
Pepper turned to face him full on then a very thoughtful expression on her face.
"You want a threesome?" she asked.
It wasn't the first time they had discussed something like this.
"I don't know," Tony replied, "what do you think?"
"Inviting an unstable Norse god with vampire tendencies into our bed could be mentally and physically dangerous," she pointed out.
"You could always fry him."
That gained him a very disappointed look, which was one of the worst in Pepper's arsenal.
"Okay, I concede the point," he said quickly, "so that's a nix on that idea then."
The fact that Pepper did not instantly agree told him he had guessed right in the first place. Something had happened when Loki and Pepper got close, something very primitive.
"It's a very bad idea," was the best Pepper could do, which was tantamount to declaring she was interested, because Pepper just told him no when it was appropriate.
"Of course it is," he replied, "but you're still interested."
Pepper gave him a look.
"A bad idea," she repeated and that was an end to the conversation.
Tony counted it as a maybe and put it to the back of his mind. He had more important things to think about right then, like how loud he could make Pepper call his name.
~*~
Acknowledging Loki's status as a Prince of Asgard seemed to be exactly the right approach from SHIELD. Even though Loki professed to dislike his home, he seemed to care about his position. Tony secretly thought that being reconciled with his family was something that would overjoy the demi-god, but he wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud.
There was only so much Loki was willing to admit and since the demi-god knew stuff that was in his head just like Tony knew what was in Loki's he figured it was better to keep his mouth shut. They both had each other in a corner when it came down to it and Tony didn't want his personal stuff spread around, so he kept his silence on Loki's.
Loki turned out to be intelligent, sarcastic and sassy when he wasn't trying to take over and Tony found himself liking Loki a lot as they got to know each other over the next two weeks. Even Clint seemed to settle down and accept Loki's presence once JARVIS had tracked down actual proof of Coulson's survival. They still didn't know where the man named Agent was and Tony was considering just confronting Fury, but the evidence was clear: Coulson was alive. Fury probably had a nefarious plan they could all wreck once JARVIS had tracked down more evidence.
It was just after Clint has changed his attitude they had had the coffee incident. It had taken Tony falling asleep in his workshop for anyone to realise all the coffee in the building had become decaf. It hadn't been switched with decaf, it had actually become decaf and Loki did the most beautiful innocent face Tony had ever seen. Luckily even Natasha found Tony snoring funny and JARVIS, the traitor, played it all back for everyone to see.
It had become common place to see Loki wandering from the microwave with a mug that was very definitely not filled with coffee first thing in the morning. No one mentioned blood, because it made Steve go a funny colour, but everyone knew what it was. Loki was staying on Thor's floor which had its own kitchen, but it had become kind of the thing for the team to have breakfast in the communal kitchen on the main floor (totally Steve's fault) and Loki had just slipped into that with them.
Bruce and Loki had bonded over tea; the God of Mischief was not a lover of coffee like his brother. Tony had decided to forgive Loki for that though, because he had a big crush on Loki's brain. Almost as big as the one he had on Bruce's and bigger than the boner he had for Loki's body, which was huge, in both cases.
Watching Loki steal Thor's pop tarts was also a daily joy. Steve insisted everyone eat properly in the mornings, but Thor always added on pop tarts and Loki seemed to have picked up a taste for them. The chocolate ones usually disappeared before Thor even got a look in, but Thor didn't seem to mind. It was cute how Thor always heated a chocolate one and a blueberry one first and then pretended not to notice when Loki stole the chocolate one right off his plate.
However, there was one thing Tony had noticed day after day: Loki didn't seem to consume the blood with much enthusiasm. For the last two days Loki had seemed irritable and tired and had spent more time curled up reading on Thor's floor than in the lab with Tony and Bruce. Since they had become science buddies, or rather, science and magic buddies, that was unusual.
He knew Loki used some kind of glamour to deal with the sensitivity to light issue, but as he watched Loki heat his usual mug of blood, Loki looked pale even with the magic.
"You feeling okay?" Tony asked as he mixed up his usual smoothie.
"I am fine," Loki snapped back.
"Hey, I was only asking."
Loki took a deep breath, still looking at the microwave, before turning.
"I am sorry," Loki said; "I am not feeling quite myself."
There was a ding from the microwave before Tony could ask Loki what the problem was and the demi-god turned away again.
"Anything I can do?" Tony asked as Loki retrieved his mug.
"I believe I may have strained my magic," Loki replied, walking slowly over to the table. "It has been a long time since I have been able to relax. I am sure it will pass."
It never did to push Loki, so Tony accepted that and carried on preparing his breakfast. Thor and Steve appeared moments later, fresh from their morning shower after their jog around Central Park.
"Good morning, Brother, Tony," Thor greeted; "is it not a marvellous morning?"
"Not bad," Tony replied; "did you two make many maidens swoon with your manly muscles this morning?"
"Steve had to rescue a small canine from the jaws of a larger beast," Thor began and then joyfully regaled them with the full story while Steve started making breakfast and tried not to blush.
If there was one thing Asgardians knew how to do it was tell stories. At various points in the tale Natasha, Clint and Bruce arrived, which was a full house, because Pepper had been at work for a good hour already and Jane had come for a visit the previous week, but hadn't stayed more than a couple of days. Thor was very enthusiastic about Loki getting on with his girlfriend and eventually Jane and Loki seemed to bond out of sheer self-preservation.
Tony kept an eye on Loki throughout, but he couldn't see any difference from normal. Loki unenthusiastically drank his blood, stole a pop tart and accepted a cup of tea from Bruce. It was only when Loki was halfway through the pop tart that anything changed. Thor was explaining how Steve had tried to extricate himself from the grateful owner of the small dog when Loki put his half eaten pop tart down and grimaced.
It could only have been a second later when Loki moved, not as fast as Tony had seen Loki move, but definitely fast, and ran to the sink, bending over it and being very loudly ill.
"Brother," Thor was out of his seat and at Loki's side a second later, "what ails you?"
Loki couldn't answer, because he was still vomiting, at which point Thor was a good brother and grabbed his hair out of the way for him. It was decidedly unpleasant, but also very clear that Loki simply could not stop. Tony wasn't good with such things and kept his distance until there was the sound of water running.
"Thor," Loki said very quietly as he slowly stood up, but whatever Loki was going to say was lost as the demi-god collapsed in a dead faint.
It wasn't much of a surprise when Thor scooped his brother up before Loki could hit the ground.
~*~
"Well?" Tony asked half an hour later when Loki was tucked up in bed with Steve keeping watch and everyone else was in the conference room for a powwow.
"If I didn't know better I'd say he'd been poisoned," Bruce said.
"Who would do such a thing?" Thor boomed.
"Not SHIELD," Natasha said quickly; "not after they've given him diplomatic status."
"They couldn't have anyway," Tony added, "I switched out their blood on the second day, because Loki didn't seem to like it."
"Could it have been an accident?" Clint asked. "Just one batch this morning?"
Tony looked at Bruce.
"He's been different for a couple of days," Bruce revealed.
"I too have noticed he has not been himself for several days," Thor agreed, "but he assured me there was nothing about which to worry."
That didn't give them many alternatives.
"What about something else he ate?" Natasha suggested.
"It was definitely the blood," Tony replied; "he didn't steal the pop tart with his normal enthusiasm. He was going through the motions."
When Natasha did not argue he knew she had seen the same thing.
"Then what could it have been?" Clint asked.
"Maybe it's something he's not getting," Bruce suggested with a thoughtful crease between his eyebrows. "I've seen this kind of reaction with food intolerances where a person is missing an enzyme. It could be why it has taken this long to show."
"But he was definitely fine when he got here the second time," Tony said. "He was half dead when he bit me, but when he came back to say thanks he was buzzing."
"So maybe it's something to do with the blood being from a bag?" Bruce said. "Maybe the preservation process has added something or taken something away he needs."
That made more sense and Tony's mind began to rotate through all the possibilities.
"Holy crap," he said as he realised what was staring him in the face. "Thor, don't take this the wrong way, but was your brother a player back in Asgard?"
Thor frowned.
"I do not understand."
"Did he like the ladies, or the guys for that matter?" Tony clarified.
"Oh," Thor said, clearly not at all bothered by the question, "no, Loki was most particular in his dalliances and even more so with his affections. It was one of the things members of the court would often gossip about."
"Then I think it might be the sex," Tony said and looked at Bruce.
"What sex?" Clint asked, clearly confused.
"When he bit me, the first thing I felt was an incredible sexual overload," Tony explained. "I somehow pushed through it, but my body still responded. When he came back he told me he'd been getting his blood by seducing people. Sex releases all sorts of things into the body; what if he needs something from that to properly digest his meals?"
"If his behaviour has changed that much it could be an instinctive adaptation," Bruce agreed.
It made sense and it was the first thing that had since Loki threw up in the sink. Tony still didn't want to think about that.
"I have samples of..."
"Don't say it," Tony interrupted Bruce and made a face; he really didn't want to think about that.
"I can run some tests," Bruce said. "Want to come help?"
It was hard; Tony was not good with bodily waste products, but it was so tempting. In the end science won out.
On to Part 4
This entry was originally posted at http://beren-writes.dreamwidth.org/253499.html.