Ripples in the Water (Marvel)- Fox/Lady

Things had settled down well in the S.I. Tower. Tony and Bruce where experimenting every other day with his control over Hulk by now and Bruce had given a packet for the 'wonder assassin twins' to hand over to Coulson who sent a thank you note. it was all the research Bruce had done on Hulk on his own. he had yet to show up and the 'super spy twins' said it was because he was tracking down all the leads Bruce had handed over. Steve was only a little annoyed when Tony let the 'sneak thief's' stay in the tower with them. they where okay he supposed, he just didn't trust them. still, they where all getting along very well and they had stamped out three separate Ten Rings camps in the two months.all of them where slowly recovering. Steve had even gotten both Bruce and Tony to go with him to V.A. meetings, as well as on trips just to piss with the Agent babies.

"Hold on!" Tony called back, which was a surprise. normally he'd have to be dragged out of the Lab. he came out of the bedroom pouting, why wasn't obvious at first because he looked completely impeccable. "i can't make my hair stop! fix it!?" he whined, looking hopeful at her. it looked the way it always did, which, apparently, was the problem. he wanted to look perfect for her big day and his stupid hair wasn't obeying him!
 
“Okay.”Gwen said sounding surprised that he was indeed in the room getting ready. That was a surprise. Startling when he opened the door she frowned as she realized he was pouting, tilting her head a little. “what’s wrong with it?”She said studying him, looking genuinely confused as she reached up, gently running her fingers through the soft curly strands. “It looks fine. You could use a haircut, but I don’t mind it. It’s a nice hand hold sometimes.”She teased a little. While they still weren’t having sex, they were totally snuggly and cute still, and teasing as much as they always did. They just hadn’t crossed that last line, and since tony’s the one that had been hurt so badly, she was letting him decide when and how they were together.
 
he smiled at her. well aware he'd surprised her but his time in the caves had completely reset his priorities. "it's a mess! a total horrible mess!" he whined, sulking before he smirked at her. "Bruce refuses to come out of the bathroom. he says he looks ridiculous. you should yell at him." "Tattle tale!" Bruce complained from the bathroom where he'd been hoping they'd forget about him and accidentally leave him behind. Bruce, for the past two months, had been sleeping with anyone who would let him. nothing ever happened except for major snuggling and it was Tony who had realized Bruce had somatosensory deprivation. he was touch starved and since then both Tony and Steve where certain to make sure Bruce got all the cuddling he needed. he was touchy with pretty much everyone, even the 'I spies' and Rhodey when he had shown up. for some reason Bruce hated Obi and refused to even be in the same room as him. "I'm not coming out!i look so stupid!"
 
“It is not. It’s fine.”Gwen said smiling, blushing slightly at the attention. Usually it took a pry bar to get tony out of the lab for events like this. In fact, for the nearly 2 years they’d been seeing each other, she could only remember one event he’d gone to, and that had been only because she’d promised sex against the bookcases to get him out of the lab. It was a pleasant surprise to not have to fight him over it. “I will yell at him.”She agreed smiling a little. “Come on bruce, it’s okay. If clint and natasha can get reasonably dressed and ready, I’m sure you look fine.”Gwen said smiling. “Besides, you want to see the girls ogle steve don’t you?”She snickered. “How’s the dressing going in here?”Pepper smiled as she stepped out of her rooms, looking amused.
 
Tony grinned at her a little. "well... if you say so. i'd like it to lay down properly just once though, you know?" he asked, sulking before snickering a little at Bruce's pathetic whining before he hunched his way out of the bathroom. "i look like an idiot..." Bruce complained. "...i do want to see pepper get jealous because there are girls looking at Steve's ass." Bruce agreed. "Terrible." Bruce informed Pepper when she walked in, Tony nodding with a sulk. "Bruce thinks he looks stupid and my hair is being stupid." Tony informed her. "hows Steve handling this?" hoping for a third partner in whining. Steve was handling it very well though, he was too used to being dressed up and at least this wasn't a skin tight outfit and he wasn't expected to sing.
 
“I do. And I don’t think it’s ever going to behave. You just have permenant sex hair.”She teased looking amused before glancing at Bruce. Huffing a little. “You do not. You look good.”She said smiling as she kissed his cheek, hands fluttering over the skirt of her dress nervously, the closer they got, the more nervous she was. “Ah, yes they will. It’ll be totally worth it to watch her get twitchy.”Gwen said giggling a little. “Bruce looks fine and your hair is always misbehaving, sorta like you. Don’t worry about it.”Pepper said looking amused before snorting. “He’s doing well. You forget he sorta is used to this, military made him dress up all the time. He’s ready to go and handling it better then you two. Now, are you two going to mess up gwen’s night, or are you ready to go?”Pepper said looking ready to drag them away and scold them like naughty children if they kept it up.
 
Tony huffed. "it looks like crap!" he whined before looking at Bruce who flushed, ducked his head and fidgeted. he had gotten a lot better but crowds still freaked him out. he was glad that they had all promised he could be a wallflower so long as he promised to go. "...Pepper your not helping me!" Tony whined, glad to see Bruce was at least looking better. "we'd never mess up Gwen's night! that's why we're whining now! we have to get it all out so that we won't want to do it while we're at the book thingy." "signing, Tony." "whatever it is, i have to make sure no one gets fresh with Gwen. she's a fox you know, men might be tempted." Tony said, waving his arms around. "i don't care if she looks, but things are gonna go down if they touch!" he admitted, hoping to distract Gwen. he knew she thought it was cute when he got possessive.
 
"Sex hair is sexy. Stop fussing."gwen said smiling a little, looking amused that they were fussing this much about it. "I'm supposed to help you?I didn't know that."pepper said looking amused as she watched them."she is a fox. A single forx, for all they know. You get possessive there, your going to mess up this whole thing you know. News and tsbliids, it'd be a mess."pepper reminded him looking amused that gwen was indeed relaxing a bit."going down huh?"gwen said laughing as she slipped on her shoes."come on. Time to go. I have to get there early."
 
"I don't care, i'm going there to flirt with you, not to be flirted with!" he whined even as he gathered the books he was going to have her sign. he could have just as easily made her sign them at the Tower, but this was more fun. "yes your supposed to help me!" he grumbled, sulking at her. "besides, we're all going to the book signing and we're staying there, i think people are already cottoning on." he admitted. watching Bruce distract Gwen by mangling his Tie and begging her for help. "i'm tired of hiding it. i know it would put her in danger, but... but i can protect her now. Iron Man can protect her now. and Steve and Bruce too. she won't being danger. her book sales might... change, but, but she doesn't write for money anyway right?" he was glad that Bruce was distracting Gwen as he spoke to Pepper because he wanted, so much to do something he'd once swore he'd never do. he didn't want her to hear this in case she got mad at him. "i want... i want to take her out on dates Pepper... i want to do things coupes are supposed to do. i don't want to hide how much i love her from people anymore....is that selfish of me?" he asked before smiling at Gwen. "yes! things are going down! i'll challenge them all to an arm wrestling match and tag Steve in! that'll teach them!" Bruce was startled into laughing and Tony looked very pleased with himself.
 
“I’m fairly certain your going to get flirted with no matter what.”She huffed a little. “Ah. Yes, maybe.”Pepper said smiling a little as gwen helped bruce with his tie, looking amused as she did it, before looking at tony. Looking startled, before nodding. “You can. And they might, but your right. You always said she wrote simply to write, not the money.”pepper said smiling a little watching tony. Looking thoughtful as she considered him, wondering if he was being truly serious. “No, not selfish. Not really surprising considering you nearly died...it makes a difference.”pepper smiled at him, before looking amused. “That would teach them. Though I doubt steve would arm wrestle them. It’d be a unfair competition.”Gwen said looking amused as they left, heading for the bookstore, knowing steve was probably already there, considering just how book obsessed he was.
 
"Well... not true." Tony huffed, smiling a little before chuckling at Bruce. "...yeah, she just likes to write, it doesn't matter if people stop reading them just because she's dating me because it means they're shallow right?" he asked Pepper before looking very relieved at the promise he wasn't being Selfish. "i... i just... she was the one thing that kept me going... i want... i want her to know how much i love her." he admitted softly before smirking. "oh, Steve would totally go for it!" Tony said. "he's a total punk! he'd love it!" Tony admitted with a grin, "Steve must already be there, pouncing on the books. he was very annoyed that he had to wait to get the next book in the series." Tony admitted with a grin. Steve had devoured her books and was eagerly waiting for more while reading other books that Pepper, Bruce, Natasha and Gwen had recommended. he refused to read any book Tony suggested after he suggested Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight. they where crap and now Tony couldn't be trusted. they all followed Gwen and Tony down to the car and headed off to the book signing and watched her get set up, and watched Steve argue with the book clerk who said they couldn't sell the new book until the book signing started. Steve was actually sulking, it was cute.
 
“It does. She’ll be glad to know. Especially considering she had such a change while you were gone to. She’ll be happy, Tony.”Pepper muttered smiling a little. “Well. Okay. Maybe.”Gwen snickered a little, amused as she nodded. “I know. He was very upset about it. He’s probably first in line.”She grinned amused as they headed down, setting up. Fidgety and nervous as she watched the line starting, before settling in her seat, smirking at steve a little. “Stop sulking. It’ll just be a few more minutes.”She said looking amused as she clicked her pen, raising a eyebrow as she held out a hand. “You know I could have just signed this at home.”She said amused as she saw tony waiting in line to.
 
Tony smiled at her. "you really think so?" he asked her hopefully,slipping his hand into his pocket and fingering something for a moment before swallowing thickly and nodding as if he'd come to a decision. "He probobly is. he doesn't have much patience that one." Tony admitted with a chuckle before smiling as, indeed Steve was first in line. Tony was more than happy to get in line as well. Bruce didn't bother since as he was in the book, he got a free copy. Gwen had insisted. "a few minutes is too long! i've been waiting two months!" Steve complained, pouting at her. "You wouldn't even let me read the rough drafts..." he grumbled. "besides, we still had to come here to buy the copy of the book a week early." he pointed out. "Now sign my book so i can go be rude and read it in the corner." he ordered with a grin.
 
“I do.”Pepper smiled a little watching him. “He really doesn’t. It’s both annoying sometimes, and adorable.”She snickered a little. Amused as they found steve, settling in line next to him, watching the lines grow even longer. “there’s a reason it’s a rough draft. It wasn’t ready to be read yet. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t let Tony read it either.”Gwen said laughing a little as she took his book from him, signing it as she looked up at him. “Don’t be to rude. Take pepper with you, she could use a break and a story read to her.”Gwen teased a little, well aware the woman liked being read to, simply because it just let her relax instead of having to focus on something. Reaching for tony's book, she blushed ever so slightly. it still amazed her that he was here, that she hadn't had to drag him out of the lab, and he'd willingly showed up.
 
"it is a bit annoying and cute." Tony agreed with a chuckle. "it was ready to be read! your just mean and cruel." Steve teased with a chuckle. "That does make me feel a little bit better." he admitted. "I like reading to Pepper." he agreed. in fact he did so nearly every night because he knew she worked way too hard. sucked he was too shy to ask her out on a date. Tony beamed at her, nearly vibrating in place as she signed his book and he skipped away with it hefted over his head like a prize. the next man in Line was supremely handsome. so handsome that no one was even paying attention to Steve and Tony. this man looked like he belonged in the American Craftsman stories. "My name is Loki." he informed her for his autograph. "Your books are a marvel. the way you write the magic is genius." he admitted, smiling at her. "it's an honor to meet you." he admitted, handing her his two books. there was a two book limit so people wouldn't hold up the line. "Can i ask where you got your inspiration?"
 
“I am not. And it wasn’t!It needed edited and polished and fixed.”She huffed a little, because she really was that anal about her books, even though it had probably been okay to read, it had to be perfect before she let anyone read it. “I know. Go.”Gwen said shooing him away, smiling as Pepper followed after him, indeed looking interested in being read to. Gwen rolled her eyes at tony’s happiness at having the book, looking up at the man in front of her, smiling at the man. It was amazing, he did look like he belonged in a book, smiling as she signed. “Thank you.”she smiled at him, tilting her head, “Well, considering your name, trickster, I’m sure you’re familiar with magic yourself.”She teased, mostly because she knew the legends of loki, the trickster god of the norse. “Well, let’s see. That idiot over there is Alex mostly,”She said jerkign a thumb towards were tony was still crowing happily over having his book, “And the magic, well...”She swallowed hard, because she knew it would have come out eventually, and what better way then to a fan?Laying her hands on the table for a moment, she closed her fists before opening them again to let the image of alex and James’ apartment in the new book, always a thief, forming on her palms, raising up like a hologram map."It comes to me."
 
"Lies! everything you write is perfection." Steve informed her with a grin. Loki blinked at her, looking a little startled before he chuckled a little. "Most people don't know the origin of my name." he admitted with a grin. "Magic is a passion though." he admitted, flicking his wrist in the manner of a TV magician and handed her a white chrysanthemum with some Bittersweet flowers. where she versed in the language of flowers she might have known both where symbols of truth. where she versed in the skills of magic she might have noticed the spell woven into them, urging her to tell the truth. it wouldn't force her, but it would make her much more willing to tell him. "...him?" Loki asked, blinking at 'Alex' before he blinked, stunned at the small show of magic she was revealing to him. he was surprised, most sorcerers where a lot more subtle. the taste of her magic though.... a new sorceress? "Amazing." he murmured, reaching out and gently touching the image. "the illusion is exceptionally powerful." he admitted, looking up at her with a smile. "thank you for sharing." he said, glancing around to make sure no one else was paying attention. no one was, most of the people had their noses buried in the book. "i'd be careful who you trust with that though, people are stupid, fearful things." he warned her with a smile before offering her a bow, elegant and perfect before he left her to the line of people eagerly anticipating meeting her. "...Gwen?" Bruce asked. he was good at standing unnoticed and he had been standing close enough to see what was going on. "why did you show him?" he wondered at her, his head tilted. something about that man made chills run down his spine.
 
“it is not.”Gwen snorted a little. “I’m a writer, who works in a fantasy world. I think you’ll get a good surprise in Always a Thief, and made her wonder what he’d think when he got to the part with James’ godling of a best friend. “Yea, he’s sorta worked his way into my life, and never gone away. It works.”Gwen snickered a little before reaching out to take the flower, smiling slightly as she looked down at it. “You’re welcome.”She said blushing a little as she closed her hands again and ending the illusion, frowning at him. “They are, but this isn’t something I’d always be able to hide. Putting it out as a book related good thing, would be better then nothing else.”She said smiling a little before watching him leave, glancing up at bruce as she startled a little. “I don’t know. I...like I said. It’s not something that could be hidden forever. A book fantasy world I can build is better then letting it come out in a disaster.”She shrugged a little, looking a little confused herself at the trust.
 
Steve gasped at her. "Spoilers!!!!Spoilers!!!!" he complained, skipping away with a laugh, Tony laughing as well because Steve was such a geek. "it's romantic." Loki agreed with a smile. "well, you might have a point." he agreed with a small smile. "Good luck, Ms. Stark." he said with a smile. Bruce shook his head. "i think he might have been a mutant. he didn't look at all surprised." he admitted, watching Loki pause outside the store and look back inside at her before heading off. "something about him makes me uneasy..." he admitted before looking at her. "be more careful though, okay? we might not be able to keep it a secrete but starting a riot would be bad." he admitted, standing with her until the last person got their book signed. Tony was bouncing around, hyper as hell and Steve was still curled up with Pepper on one of the couches, reading to her in a low, deep voice and Bruce was still a bit twitchy from Loki's visit but was very good at hiding it. "Hey! hey Gwen!" Tony said, bouncing over to her. "listen! can i talk to you a bit? i gotta ask something." he admitted, since everyone was so distracted now was the perfect time, since Bruce was heading off to go to the bathroom and Steve and Pepper where totally engrossed in each other. honestly, they should just go on a date already.
 
"I always have a point. And thank you."she smiled watching loki go before looking at bruce."really?well...maybe..."she said looking down at the flower she was holding setting it down, uneasiness setting in as she watched loki go."I'll be careful, and not go off by myself. I promise."gwen said quietly. "Yea a riot would be bad."she agreed exhausted by the time she finished, looking up amused as tony joined them.you're hyper. Calm down."gwen said hiding a yawn as she nodded, smiling indulgent ly at him, because she loved hyper tony."what's up?"
 
Bruce nodded, examining the flowers, wondering if they had anything to do with it or if he was just being paranoid? "Thank you, i think that would be best for now." Bruce admitted. "A riot would be terrible." he huffed, smiling at her. instead of calming down though Tony got more hyper, babbling away about how he wanted to take her out on a date, you know, like a real date and how he was going to marry her and what did she think of roses? somehow the words 'will you marry me' got thrown in there and 'i'd like to take you to the movies and to dinner' followed after in a confusing jumble that basically told her that Tony was so worked up about asking her he couldn't filter himself and his words where coming out as fast as they did in his brain.
 
Gwen stared at him, looking confused and upset as she watched him babble. Listening to him babble usually made her happy but at the moment it was juse confusing her. Especially when she knew how he felt about it."but tony...we cant. I mean...you're doing so good...and better then you have in awhile...I don't want to ruin things...people like you. Instead of just making fun of you. Your being left alone by the press...you date me...that'll change tony."she said looking so upset as she considered him
 
he shook his head. "i'm doing crap and i don't care! they can piss off... right? you don't care right?" he asked, still babbling about how it didn't matter what people say because he loved her and he didn't want to hide it anymore and he wanted people to know so they'd stop flirting with her and that he really didn't give a damn about if that hot girl reporter said he was a lying sack of shit. he was practically begging her now, pleading with her, desperate for her to say yes because if she said no, he wasn't sure he could take it.
 
"No I don't care tony. But you do. You're just manic right now. When you calm down and remember you're going to be upset with me. I know it."she said looking on the verge of tears, angry tears. Angry with him for making fun of her."tony, this isn't funny. I don't care what kind of prank you thought it'd be, it's not, okay?I live you, this isn't a joke, stop making it into one."
 
Tony felt himself crumbling, she was saying no, turning him down. she didn't want people to know because Obi was right, she was ashamed of him. she didn't want him, not really. he was just useful to her. "I'm not joking!" maybe he could fi it!? he could fix it. please let him fix it. "I'm not joking! i would ever! not about this! not when i want it so much!" he gasped, feeling anger welling up inside. how could she think that he was joke about something so serious!? even before his kidnapping he would never, ever have joked about something like this! "Obi was right! you're just... You're just ashamed of me!" he snapped, letting the rage spill up and over. he wouldn't remember what they screamed at each other after that, but he remembered Steve stepping between them, nudging Tony away and he realized he had raised a hand to hit her because for a moment she wasn't who he thought he was. he backed away, pulled the Ring out of his pocket and dropped it on the floor before leaving, feeling blank, empty. he couldn't even muster the emotions to cry. "Fuck..." Steve whispered. "Gwen...?" Bruce asked, worried. "why did he say Obi was right?" Bruce asked softly, Steve going still because he remembered Obidiah talking to Tony in low hushed tones and Tony shaking his head and stomping away an he realized in an instant... "Obidiah wants Gwen and Tony to break up...." "Why would he want that?" Bruce asked, baffled. "Because Obidiah is the one selling weapons to the Ten rings..."
 
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