The eReader of Peace [Monday - open]

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony'd finished up the setting up the ebook reader in between everything else that morning. He still didn't feel like giving it to Loki, but if it kept him out of trouble and from scheming, it was worth a shot. He'd put in a few game apps and a few movies, but mainly it was filled with books. He'd taken in everyone's suggestions, filling it with a combination of fiction and nonfiction. Some books about Tesla and other famous scientists as well as heroes from many different ages. There was the Harry Potter series of course, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Lord of the Rings plus The Hobbit and the Silmarillion. Needed to get him up on that pop culture. There were the usual classics too. Shakespeare, the Brontes, Austen. Little Women, Gulliver's Travels, The Once and Future King. All those books English classes thought you needed to read to be a good student. Oh, and HG Wells and Jules Verne too of course. Then he had tossed on books he'd enjoyed, even if he wasn't sure whether having Loki read them was a good idea. HP Lovecraft, Turtledove's Worldwar series, Good Omens, American Gods, Ender's Game, Asimov, 1984. He resisted the urge to put A Song of Ice and Fire on it. Loki didn't need any ideas put in his head of what to do with Starks. He'd likely root for the white walkers anyways with that whole icing business. the last thing was the art books. Some with classical painting, one by Brom, a book about symbols and their meanings through history, and then a few books of artful nude photography. Hey, whatever would keep the guy occupied.

He attached a handwritten note saying 'For Loki. A library at your finger tips. There's an account set up so you can download more when you're done with the ones already in here. JARVIS can help you with downloading or accessing the books, movies, or games.' He dropped the reader and the note off at the door to Thor and Loki's living quarters before heading back up to the common room after a visit to the kitchen for some cookies. "JARVIS, music and schedule," he said as he flopped down on the couch. He bobbed his head slightly to the pounding beat of the classic rock as he munched on a cookie and his other hand whisked quickly over the holographic screens in front of him.

Comments

[natashka]

"I've often wondered if your brain waves are synced to rock music," Natasha whispered into Tony's ear from behind the sofa. She'd snuck into the common area as quietly as she could after a few hours of training and a long run in central park.

"Surprised any of Darcy's cookies made it through the weekend," she teased.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony started a bit, coughing as a piece of cookie got swallowed awkwardly. Closing the screens with a flick of his hand, he glared over his shoulder. "I already decline any proposed experiment to test that," Tony muttered before rolling his eyes and taking another bite of cookie. "Fucking spies. I'm going to have to get bells for you and Clint, aren't I?"

[natashka]

Natasha smiled as she walked over to the kitchen to pour herself a big mug of coffee before coming back to the sofa and vaulting over it without spilling the coffee.

"We're not cats. Cats would be easier to catch," she explained. "Think of it as training to sharpen your reflexes."

Darting a hand over to grab a cookie off his plate.

"You're avoiding me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, an assessment of the last week.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Cats don't cause as much damage." Tony rolled his eyes as he caught Natasha's wrist. "You lot and training. Not everyone enjoys their life being a 24/7 training exercise. If you're that bored though, I'm sure I could program JARVIS to make moving through the house as difficult as possible for you. And get your own cookies."

Letting go of her hand, he pulled open a new screen to just browse the internet. "I've been busy. You know, business to run, products to invent and test, guests to take care of."

[natashka]

Natasha let him catch her hand. You had to throw a dog a bone every now and then. Taking a cookie anyway, she popped it in her mouth.

"You're a superhero now. Part of a team. Not just a lone wolf who 'privatized peace'," she explained.

"Bullshit. Tony Stark busy means you live in your lab. You had enough time for a house meeting and for lunch and a motorcycle ride with Steve the other day. You don't trust me, you don't know what to do with me, so you're avoiding me. It's alright to admit it Stark. Doesn't make you less of a man."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"That doesn't mean having to be on guard all the time in my own home because someone might sneak up on me," Tony pointed out as he flipped through sites. "I might start to reconsider that whole laser tag thing."

He rolled his eyes again. "I do work in the lab, you know. It's not like I sit in there and watch porn all day. That's what the living room and bedroom is for." His jaw tensed a moment before he looked over at Natasha, eyes narrowed. "You know, I do wonder what you're doing here. You've supposedly quit SHIELD, but even that I don't believe. Because if you quit them because of this Loki crap, then staying here is stupid. Staying part of the team that has to watch him and do nothing seems stupid. Unless you're planning on going all assassin, which is also stupid as it puts all of us in the cross hairs of Asgard."

[natashka]

"You won't, because the thought of turning an entire floor into a laser tag room is one of your wet dreams," she said without missing a beat.

His look couldn't get to her and she dipped the cookie in her coffee before nibbling at it.

"What's your hypothesis, then, Stark? Why am I still here? You always have a theory. Even when you're wrong."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"I will," Tony countered. "Plenty of other projects to work on and there are plenty of laser tag places around with the added benefit of little kids to run over and horrify."

He leaned back deeper into the couch, resting his elbows on the back of the sofa. "Never just one. Multiple. What? Can't come up with a plan of your own? Need help to figure out why you're still here?"

[natashka]

Natasha shifted and leaned over him, letting her body brush against his as she grabbed a book from the coffee table.

"I know exactly what I'm doing here," Natasha said huskily before pulling back, like a snake who simply darted out to get her prey.

"Is that what bothers you? Can't figure me out? Maybe I didn't actually quit S.H.I.E.L.D. or maybe I'm working for the Russians again or for Al-Qaeda."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony tensed slightly and his jaw tightened. If things were like before, this would be easier. Fuck her, leave her, not think at all about her after the fact. But she was a spy, an assassin, technically part of the Avengers, but she played everyone. You weren't successful in the sort of spying she did if you weren't good at that.

Pushing himself off the couch, he walked over to the bar and pouring himself a glass of bourbon. "I'm not all that certain there's anything to figure out. Isn't that the whole point? To just have all these spy disguises that people can figure out but never really touch the actual person?"

[natashka]

Watching Tony's reactions, she wondered if she'd pushed too hard. Getting to her feet, she grabbed her coffee cup and walked over, careful to actually make a bit of noise. Reaching the bar, she held her coffee cup out for Tony to pour some bourbon into it.

"Maybe that's it. Nothing to figure out. Nothing human, just layers and layers of carefully constructed identities, programs if you will, and the right one is activated at each key moment. Beneath them all, what am I but a machine, a tool created in a lab with a simple task. "

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony rolled his eyes, but poured a healthy shot of bourbon in her coffee cup anyways. Who was he to deny her a drink? He capped the bottle and took sip from his tumbler, shifting back a few steps to give himself some distance from Natasha.

"Now, that isn't true. Machines I know. Machines are easy to figure out." He pointed at Natasha with the hand holding his glass. "You can switch switch through objectives and tactics faster than any machine ever could."

[natashka]

"Most people would consider that an asset. And the Soviets did get into orbit first," Natasha teased as she swirled the coffee and bourbon around before taking a sip.

"Think of it this way, Stark. I was in your house, your lab, your office and I didn't kill you. True, I was on a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission, but I'm guessing you think I bend the rules when it serves my needs. I didn't betray you. Betrayal would have been more along the lines of running Stark industries into the ground and destroying the Iron Man suits. I've no desire to harm you or your people. You're an asset, not a threat."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Only because Eisenhower was too worried about politics and war," Tony shot back. "We'd be singing a different tune of Stark Industries had been involved."

He stood up straighter and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm figuring you were only on a SHIELD mission though. You're still freelancing. I know I have enemies. Do you expect me to believe that you would have played as nicely if someone had offered you a better deal? Or even just a more interesting job than playing secretary and collecting data."

[natashka]

"True." She knew what Stark Industries was capable of and knew the genius of Howard Stark and his son, though she'd never tell Tony that. He didn't need a bigger ego.

"I'm not a mercenary. Haven't been for awhile. The Avengers are my number one priority."

Tiny lie, perhaps. Barton was her number one priority, but the Avengers were a close second. Barton was part of the Avengers, so it did work to extrapolate it that way.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is my number two priority. And as much as Fury and I don't see eye to eye, that doesn't mean I intend to shit all over him and his agency. None of my freelance jobs go contrary to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agenda - that's the only reason the arrangement works. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants you alive and the Avengers need you alive. Not to mention, Coulson trusted you. Which means more in my book than you'll ever know."

She paused and took a sip of coffee, her expression as casual as if they were discussing the weather or local sports.
"If something were to happen to you, it'd endanger the Avengers initiative, SHIELD agents, and possibly give Loki a chance to escape or cause more damage. None of those are things I'm willing to let happen. I'm not a weapon to be sold to the highest bidder. I have every intent of protecting you, keeping you alive and interfering with any attempt to harm you or Pepper. So you're stuck with me. Unless, of course, you become a threat to the Avengers. Do you need me to sign that in blood?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Are you sure about that? I think that's a very thin line you're walking considering how you're hiring yourself out," Tony said as he leaned against the bar and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean it's your number zero priority considering you quit and all. Or are you having quitter's remorse?"

He took another sip of his drink. "Now for SHIELD, well, their opinions change quit a lot. They want me for the Avengers, they don't want me for the Avengers. They want me to consult for them, they don't want me to consult for them. So, saying you go by their agenda doesn't really mean shit to me."

Putting down his drink, he straightened up and turned to face Natasha head on. "So, whose words are these then? SHIELD's? What you think I want to hear so I'll let you have a free rein? Or are these actually coming from what you have for a heart?"

[natashka]

"No thinner than the line you walk as the rogueish hero who pretends not to care what the world thinks. Some of us wear the armor on the outside, but sometimes there's another layer deep inside, protecting what's most important."

She took another sip of her drink and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Leave of Absence. Officially. At least that's what Fury put in my file. Surprised you didn't hack in and read it." After all, Natasha had herself to confirm her suspicions. "Fury needed to know I'd make good on my threat. It may be that my duty to the Avengers, and to Coulson, requires me to pick up my SHIELD badge again. If so, I'll do it."

Natasha chuckled and set down her coffee cup.

"You'll never let me have a completely free reign. You'll hack into my email whenever you feel the need and will probably keep surveillance on me."

She took a step closer to Tony, looking him in the eyes.

"Without the suit, I could kill you. With the suit, you'd have a good chance of killing me. Luckily, I don't want you dead. What Loki did to Barton is unforgivable. As long as Loki is on our planet, I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't do that to anyone else. Don't believe me, hack into my file again. Or the surveillance from the helicarrier."

She picked up her cup of coffee and wandered towards the sofa, picking up a cookie from the plate. She'd put the cards out on the table. Now it was Tony's turn.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Um, let's see," Tony said as he rubbed his hands together. "One: I don't care, but thanks for the rogueish hero compliment. Two: I don't believe half the stuff in Fury's files considering his lackeys can't even get all of my information right. Three: I also don't believe that you'd let Fury dictate what your actual status with the organization is. Unless you really do play soldier that well."

He picked up his drink and leaned up against the bar as he took a sip. "Four: I've seen the electronic trails you leave. I wouldn't believe any information to tell me to actually hack. Five: Well, we supposedly don't want to kill each other, so no point in arguing who can kill who when." He raised an eyebrow. "Especially when you seem much more interested in fucking me which I have a feeling has deeper motivations than me being hot, brilliant, and rich."

[natashka]

"You're too scared to fuck me now that you know what I am," Natasha said flatly as she finished her coffee and poured herself a straight up bourbon.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony snorted as he rolled his eyes. "I'm not scared of you. Or your vag. It's not like it has teeth. If it did, I think the Other Guy would have let you know his feelings about that."

[natashka]

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetie," Natasha said with a smile.

"Maybe it does. Bruce does like it a bit rough.."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"You know, even if he likes it a bit rough, I'm pretty sure that we'd have seem some green if that were true. Because, yes, ow. Not the fun kind of rough," Tony said as he made a face.

He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Don't have to tell myself. Simple fact. I know it."

[natashka]

"You know many things, Tony, I'll give you that, but not all," she said as she sipped at the Bourbon.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"I know me better than you, agent on hiatus," Tony pointed out. "It's plenty easy to set the brain on the back burner and enjoy the moment."

[natashka]

Her first impulse was to show him just how they could enjoy the moment. Kiss him hard and fast and leave him wanting for more. But she wasn't in the mood and this wasn't an assignment.

"Is this a moment we ought to be enjoying then?" she asked, waving a hand between them.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony studied Natasha a long moment. He knew what he would have done before. What he likely could have done during his birthday, but he hadn't. She had a great body, guts, smarts. And the danger of the matter didn't make him scared. It was a thrill that would have made the whole thing more tempting. And yet...

A moment. All he could think of were percentages, but it wasn't the same without knowing the quips that would follow. The continuation of the moments, the certainty of them, them being comfortably here rather than an escape to anywhere but here. His brow furrowed in confusion and he shook his head. "No. It's not a moment," he said, a bit bewildered, before he took his drink and went back to the sofa.

[natashka]

And that was it.

Natasha drained the bourbon, set the glass on the bar and headed for the door.

"It's been fun," she deadpanned.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony nodded absently as he took a long sip of his drink. "Yeah," he mumbled before looking over the back of the sofa at her. "You better not have been lying about protecting Pepper and the Avengers. We're better off with your thighs of steel on duty."

[natashka]

Natasha paused.

"Regardless of your issues with me or mine with you, my loyalty to Pepper has never wavered. I've got her back, Tony. And yours."

She smirked.

"Only thighs you should be looking at are Peppers."

She made her way towards the door, resting her hand on the doorframe.
"I'd revise my opinion of your suitability for the initiative now. Coulson would be proud of what you did out there."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Thanks," Tony said before chuckling and shaking his head. "I think I can manage that as long as you don't go wrapping your thighs around my face during training. No guarantees I can close my eyes fast enough otherwise."

He shrugged, his shoulders going a little tense. "I think that would still fall under volatile and self-absorbed. The direction just happened to benefit everyone for once."

[natashka]

"If it happened once, we can make it happen again. Replicate it. Isn't that what science is all about?" Natasha asked.

"Oh, and one last thing. Laser tag?" she asked, giving him her best pout and puppy dog eyes.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Need to duplicate it to make it fact," Tony said with a smirk. "Otherwise it's just a fluke or faulty data."

He pretended to think the matter over a long time. "Well, I don't know. I suppose." He opened up a screen. "The answer is yes. On my terms. So don't expect it to be like that link you sent me."

[natashka]

"I expect it to be better," Natasha said with a grin before leaving.

[lt_col_rhodes]

Rhodey leaned against the entry into the common room. "What're you designing?"