Shine Again (An Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame Story)

Chapter 15: Shots, Shots, Shots

This was not exactly how Layla was planning on spending her New Year's Eve, but she wasn't completely disappointed either. The spaceship was well on its way to Jotunheim and Tony decided that there was a need for a party to celebrate the Midgardian new year. He couldn't pass up an opportunity to celebrate- or get wasted- so here they were. Tony had decorated the lounge area with some decorations he must've been originally planning on using at the tower, as well as a large string of plastic dinosaur lights draped along the railing to the upper floor that he had dubbed "the party lizards." Loud music pulsed through the ship's speakers, and everyone, other than a very sober Bruce, was drunk off of their choice alcohol. It had been a while since Layla had been in a room that smelled so much of alcohol and sweat, yet it was a strange and welcoming stench. Honestly the whole scene was far more amusing than it should've been, and she was more than happy about that.

    The blonde was on her fourth or fifth glass of wine- she had honestly lost count- and was more than comfortable on the couch in the lounge, mostly observing all the chaos surrounding her. Tony had convinced Spencer, Bruce, Brunnhilde, as well as Korg and Miek, to do some dancing. He was currently twirling Spencer around the floor in a drunken sort of waltz and was nearly bumping into everyone else on the dance floor. Thor was standing off to the side, leaning against a table as he chugged what seemed to be his millionth mug of ale, seemingly most amused by all the fun his friends were having. Meanwhile, on the other end of the couch, Anja and Loki sat uncomfortably close to each other as they talked, each of them holding onto a cocktail glass, seemingly oblivious to the rest of their friends.

    Layla shook her head, taking a sip from her glass. "Get a room, you two."

    This caught Anja's attention, and she shifted a few inches away from the God of Mischief. "Oh shut the hell up," she responded. "We're not doing anything scandalous."

    Layla snorted in response. "Give it time."

    Loki raised an eyebrow at her, but Anja didn't have time to respond before the song slowly dwindled to an end, and another more upbeat song took its place. One that almost made her immediately roll her eyes. Tony stopped dancing with Spencer abruptly, and ran to the alcohol table and immediately began pouring out a bunch of shots of whatever alcohol was sitting on the table. It took him longer than a sober person would've but he somehow still managed to start passing them out to everyone just as the lyrics became all too appropriate. Tony, of course, couldn't resist singing along.

    "Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots
        Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots
        Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots!
        Everybody!"

    The other humans rolled their friend's antics, but couldn't resist smiling at him actually letting loose and having fun for the first time in a long time- no matter how annoying he was truly being. The three Asgardians and the two other aliens all just looked at Tony in confusion as they wondered if this was normal Midgardian behavior.

    "You know, Tony, this song is almost a decade old now," Layla reminded as he handed her a shot, quickly drinking it without a second thought. "Anja and I were still in high school, and Spencer was in middle school when it came out, for crying out loud."

    "And?" he replied with a shrug as he handed Spencer a shot glass. "It's the perfect party song, and I will not apologize for that. Take your shots and shut up. It's time to get riggity riggity wrecked!"

    "It was a mistake letting you watch Rick & Morty," Layla muttered.

    Anja rolled her eyes in response as he handed both her and Loki a shot. Layla saw her friend hesitantly sniff the glass in an attempt to figure out what Tony had poured in her glass. After a few seconds, Anja expertly took the shot, setting the empty glass on the table in front of her. "You're lucky, asshole," she said, tossing her friend a smirk. "If this had been anything other than my Crown Royal Regal Apple, I probably would've decked you."