“Friend Pepper, shall we revel?” Thor waggled his eyebrows playfully.

“Why, Thor, I think that would be a lovely idea.” Pepper poured two glasses of her favorite Norwegian Silvaner and returned the smile. “Why don’t we revel around this glass of wine, mmm?”

“Bah, wine. Pour me some ale!” Thor’s smile only grew as he sipped the wine. “This is a fine revel indeed, Friend Pepper.”

The first time he’d asked her that, Friend Pepper, shall we revel, the Avengers had just finished a successful raid on a Hydra facility. Tony and Bruce had disappeared into the lab, the way they did, and Pepper had been left minding the party, the way she did.

Three or four or seventeen drinks in – it was unlike her to lose count, but she’d been more than a little irritated with Tony and drinking let her pretend she was’t – she’d found herself wondering what a god’s lips taste like. Several more drinks later, she’d found out.

The second time he’d asked her that, she’d been sure to stay sober enough to remember every detail of what making love a god was like.

And now, when he asked it, she knew that he meant one thing. And she never said no to him, although on occasion, she would say “maybe in a little bit, Thor. I need to wait until the crowd thins out before I start drinking.”

Today, she raised her eyebrows at him. “Do have a drink, Thor. Bruce? A drink? It’s a very nice wine.”

“Maybe a glass,” Burce allowed. He was watching her shyly; he often watched her cautiously when he thought she wouldn’t notice. Pepper was more than a little practiced at working with erratic geniuses, however: she always noticed.

“The more the merrier,” Thor boomed. He met Pepper’s eyes and his grin widened even further. “If two people make for an entertaining revel, than three shall make it a wonderful party, no?”

“I’m not exactly the life of the party,” Bruce demurred.

“Nonsense! I have seen none more lively than you, when you seek to be.”

“That’s not me, that’s the Big Guy.”

“Well, perhaps at another time, friend Big Guy can revel with us. But tonight, Friend Banner, would you partake in the fruit of the vine and –” Thor faltered, and picked up again, “–and then the fruit of other vines, with the Lady Pepper and I?”

He really was. Thor was really propositioning Bruce Banner. With Pepper, or at least assuming Pepper’s consent.

No, not assuming. He’d met her eyes again, and for a moment he looked very serious. He raised his eyebrows. Definitely a question.

Pepper considered the answer for all of a heartbeat and a half. “Come on, Bruce, we’d love your company. Since all the others have gone off –” She pitched her voice just right to sound playful rather than petulant. “–and left me alone with you two wonderful men. We might as well have a good time.”

And, with any luck, a good time would once again morph into a very good time. She smiled charmingly at Bruce and waited for him to take the bait.

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