It was late in the afternoon the next day when Pepper came smiling out of the elevator only to be met with seven Avengers asleep in the living room of Tony's villa. She rolled her eyes and walked over to them. She shook her head, for a team of deadly gods, they were awfully cute. Loki and Tony were snuggled on the couch; Steve was on the floor with his head propped on Loki's dangling leg. Thor and Bruce were slumped across the dual recliners. Clint and Natasha were leaning against each other, still stiff, but cute all the same. She admired them for another second, she knew they were tired, knew they were feeling overwhelmed and overworked. She knew Tony was still getting over his scare after thinking he had lost Loki and the rest were getting over becoming gods. Which is why Pepper had decided that they needed exactly what she was about to do.
"WAKE UP!" She screamed, enjoying watching the team burst to life in an explosion of confusion and tangled limbs.
"What the fuck, Pep?" Tony griped, having been flung over the back of the couch after Loki had stood violently only to be tripped by Steve who's head was still on his leg. He was getting real tired of being woken up like this.
"Look, I know you guys are tired."
"Obviously" Clint muttered, but she ignored it
"And I know you're still getting over the whole Asgard/Thanos thing."
"Just some slightly traumatic mental scarring, yes." Loki quipped, again ignored
"Which is why, all of you are going to tonight's charity ball." She ended her sentence with a shining grin. It was followed by expected groans.
"How about you guys go and the Lokster and I will stay behind and have mind-blowing sex instead." Tony smirked, winking at a snickering Loki.
"Like you guys are courteous enough to wait till we leave." Bruce rolled his eyes
"No," Pepper shot Tony a pointed look "for one thing, you have a company to represent; I can't keep making excuses for you not being places you need to be. And besides, you all need to get out there, be social."
"She sounds like my mother." Bruce snickered
"You're all going, no arguments." Pepper said, finality in her voice
"Ok," Loki said "but if Anthony and I just happen to get caught having mind-blowing sex in, let's say, the public restroom, and were to get kicked out… then would we be allowed to leave?"
"No," Pepper smirked "its Tony's party, they can't kick him out. You are all going and that's final."
"We are seven gods," Tony said "you can't tell us what to do!"

---

"I hate this." Clint groaned, his hands twitching nervously.
"Normally I would say we just get plastered then get sent home," Tony grumbled, a wine glass in his fingers while his other arm was draped around Loki's waist "but that doesn't seem to be an option anymore."
"Yeah," Bruce rolled his eyes at the Norse brothers "thanks for that, guys."
"Oh, I am so sorry." Loki frowned "Who cares if I'm alive and you're immortal, it now takes you fifty bottles of vodka to get you drunk. It must be so difficult for you."
"You know it didn't mean it that way, Loks." Bruce smiled, punching his arm lightly and earning a smile from the older god.
"Yes," he smiled "I know."

---

"Mr. Stark," a fussy old man said as he walked over to the godly couple "it is nice to see you've decided to enter the light of day once more."
"Yes," Tony smirked, covering the scowl itching at his lips. He silently cursed the others for dispersing after Pepper had marched over and sent them to continue sulking at different points in the large ball room. "I figured the public had gone without my presence far too long."
The old man nodded, and then shifted his gaze to Loki. Loki looked, in the simplest terms, stunning. His black, silk hair had been gelled back. He was wearing a fitted black suit with a white undershirt and a dark green tie. Scars still clashed violently with his alabaster skin, marring his high cheek bones. The scar across his forehead was a painful reminder of his time in that cell, but he wore it proud. There was nothing but nobility and pride emanating from the beautiful god. "So, this is what has so preoccupied you over these long months." The old man's gaze never wavered as Loki turned to lock eyes, shining green on tired grey-blue. There was no contempt or accusation in the old voice, it was a simple question and they were grateful for that.
"Yes," Tony smiled, tightening his hold on Loki's waist "he's certainly been keeping me on my toes."
"Well," the old man winked "you may not be expecting this from an old man like me, but I must say, you two make a fine pair."
Tony and Loki flashed him bright grins as he shuffled away. Unfortunately, not everyone was as kind. The couple was certainly not oblivious to the stares, the hushed whispers behind hands as they passed. It was not so much the silent disgust that bothered the men, them being who they were; they were used to negative attention. It was when people voiced their opinions that the pair's eyes blazed and jaws clenched. No one was brave enough to be forward, but several were cowardly enough to be passive aggressive. Saying things like "I suppose we should expect you two to host the Pride parade then, I'm sure they would appreciate it" or one particularly volatile hag of a woman saying "I was surprised when I heard, it defiantly shed some light on why we haven't seen you in so long, but I suppose some things are more important than a worldwide business."
"Well," Tony had responded, trying not to let his teeth grate as he held a firm grip on Loki's hand "yes, there are."
"Obviously," she had sniffed at the rebuke "because personal relationships, even ones as sordid as… well… hold much higher importance than your obligations to your business."
Loki had had to hold Tony back as the shorter man lunged at the woman "You mewling quim," Loki snapped once he had restrained Tony "you come here with the audacity to insult us so openly?" His eyes were cold and dark, his voice like ice down the woman's spine "Not that it matters, for we are above you. No matter how far people like you attempt to push us down, the truth of the matter is, we are gods. I have lived thousands of your lifetimes and my team and I will live for thousands more. Do you really think that anything you say will matter tomorrow, much less in one hundred thousand years? When we sit on the throne of Asgard, do you think that your words will be in our thoughts?" He smiled ruefully as the hag began shrinking back "Woman, I can assure you that while we sit on the throne of Asgard, never will you enter our thoughts, because your narrow-mindedness has set you far, far below us. And that," Loki said, placing a soft kiss on Tony's forehead "is the truth of the matter."
"I love you" Tony grinned as the woman scurried away "I really really love you."
"Yeah," Loki smiled "I know."

Notes