𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗬 𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦

chapter ix.

"Er - Tony?" Loki asked uncertainly.

"Yeah?" Tony replied from across the hall.

"Come into the kitchen for a minute."

Tony casually walked in before stopping dead in his tracks.

"P-Pepper?" Tony asked uncertainly.

"Hello Tony." Said Pepper casually, as if it was completely normal to turn up uninvited to your ex's house. Tony looked lost and shocked, and Loki watched as his eyes filled with pain. "What are you doing here?" Loki snarled at her, stepping in front of Tony protectively.

"Talking to Tony, about us. It doesn't involve you." She replied, looking at Loki in disgust.

Loki was about to snap back a reply when Tony choked out his own answer from behind the angry God, "There is no us Pepper." Then he turned and walked back into the grand hallway. Loki smirked and reached out to slam the door in her face but she shoved him hard and, taken by surprise, he fell back into the wall. She ran after Tony and grabbed him. "Hey!" Loki protested. Pepper ignored him. "Come on Tony, there's always been an us! We belong together and you know it! So stop being so stupid and I'll take you back." She ordered. Tony stared at her for a long moment while Loki watched in horror. "I don't want you to take me back." He said at last, biting his lip and blinking back tears, "I will never trust you with my heart again." He said simply, his voice cracking at the end.

Tony looked at the floor and Loki walked forwards, pulling Pepper away from him. "Get out." He demanded, his voice filled with contempt. "This isn't over." She hissed at Loki before spitting, "Tony is mine." With that, she stormed out. Loki slammed the door after her and spun around. He barely saw Tony, whose eyes were now filled with tears, before he turned and ran from the room. "Tony!" Loki called after him desperately, running after the other.

Before he could reach him, Tony had ran into his room and slammed the door. Loki reached for the handle and heard the click of the lock. "Tony!" Loki cried, hammering on the door, "Open it!" There was no reply. "Tony please." Loki begged, his own eyes filled with tears as he stood in the hallway. Slowly, he slid to the floor, slamming his palms onto the door hopelessly.

And never had Loki felt such a pain in his heart as that day, as he sat in the hallway with his back to Tony's door, listening to the sobbing coming from inside.

***

"I'm not really sure we should be doing this..." Bruce said anxiously.

"Be quiet." Clint said.

"And... Done!" Steve said as a satisfying pop sounded as the door to the weapons vault loosened up.

"Tony will kill us! And Loki will too!" Bruce hissed.

"They're busy right now." Steve said. "So let's explore!"

"This isn't it exploring! This is violating someone's personal rooms." Bruce argued.

"Too late." Clint grinned as the door swung open.

Thor burst in first followed by the others. "...wow."

"Wow!" Steve repeated more enthusiastically. "Oh my gosh!" Steve picked up a shield, with a star painted in the middle, struggling a little as it was so big. "Cool!" He immediately pulled a few poses, pretending he was fighting in a war.

"Wow, what's this?" Thor said running towards a hammer, with a leather handle. He grabbed it (it was heavy but he could still lift it) and threw it up again, catching it with a smile.

"Boring! Have you seen this?" Clint held up a complicated bow which was far too big for him. some sort of extraordinary military device. He loaded an arrow, and aimed it up at the rafters, shooting it and managing to lodge an arrow up there.