A/N So this is, in fact, the last chapter, but it's also a long one, so hopefully that will help soften the blow a bit. Enjoy!

Snow Day

When Loki appeared in the main room on the top floor of what was quickly becoming known as Avengers Tower, he was met with a range of reactions.

Bruce startled, but only very slightly. The man really did have that whole be calm, zen thing down.

Steve leapt over the back of the couch he'd been sitting on, seeking cover, as he reached toward his back for the shield that wasn't there.

Tony yelped loudly, but Loki really wasn't sure if it was due to his sudden appearance, or the nocked and drawn bow and arrow, and two cocked handguns, that appeared on either side of him, literally, out of nowhere (even Loki wasn't sure how Natasha and Clint had managed that).

However, the biggest surprise for Loki was the red-haired woman sitting on the end of the same couch Bruce was sitting on (and that Steve was now crouched behind).

She didn't react. At all. She didn't so much as glance up, merely continued to flip through the magazine in her lap.

"You know, I hate to agree with Nick Fury on anything, but he's right. You need some kind of warning or announcement system. Maybe just land in a different room then politely knock on the door like a normal person. Or at least start wearing a bell around your neck. Something!" Tony said.

"Sorry," Loki said, actually feeling a bit sheepish for startling his friends.

Slowly, everyone relaxed. Natasha's and Clint's weapons once again disappeared into whatever netherworld from whence they'd come. Tony practically leapt off the couch the moment said weapons were safely put away, placing some distance between himself and the two armed, trained killers he'd foolishly been sitting between only seconds before. And Steve popped back up from behind the couch, climbing to his feet and trying not to look like he, too, had overreacted... just a bit.

As if she had been waiting for the chaos around her to finally settle, the red-haired woman chose that moment to finally look up. Closing and setting aside her magazine, she stood and walked toward Loki.

"Loki, I'm Pepper. We've never officially met, but Tony and Steve have told me a lot about you," she said, confirming Loki's theory as to her identity, as she offered her hand for him to shake.

"As they have told me about you, Miss Potts," Loki said, briefly gripping her hand and giving her a slight, respectful bow.

"Pepper, please," she said.

"I must compliment you, Pepper. You never even batted an eye at my arrival."

Pepper chuckled. "You live with Tony long enough, you cease to be startled by much."

Loki laughed. "I have lived with Thor 'Walking Disaster' Odinson my entire life. I completely understand."

"Hey, you don't have to make it sound so bad," Tony piped up, only barely refraining from sounding like he was whining.

Pepper spared him a wordless glance over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised.

Steve snorted, unable to hold back his amusement despite a valiant effort, and, looking at him, Loki couldn't hide his own. Which, of course, Tony noticed and was not exactly happy with.

With a swat to Steve's shoulder, which elicited a laugh from his son, the billionaire turned to Loki.

"Keep laughing, Sledgehammer. I have a Hulk right here and a window over there. We can take care of this right now."

"Hey, don't pull me into this," Bruce protested as Tony motioned between the scientist and the closest window.

Loki just stared at the genius, unimpressed. "First, the Hulk actually likes me. Second, you promised never to throw me out a window."

"I did not!" Tony shot back.

"Yes, actually you did," Loki calmly stated.

"I did not," Tony argued again.

"But you should," Pepper interjected, planting her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't throw anyone through a window, especially a friend who is as nice, and has done as much as Loki has for you," she scolded.

Tony stared at her in disbelief before looking at Loki. "See what you did? You've corrupted my girlfriend."

"Can I help it if women love to take pity on me?" Loki asked cheekily, earning snorts and chuckles from most of the people in the room.

"By the way, I'm still waiting on that invitation to the next coronation to arrive in the mail," Tony jabbed.

Loki rolled his eyes. The billionaire was never going to let him hear the end of that one, was he? "Never fear. Just as soon as Asgard works up the courage to try a third time, I'll be sure to have it specially delivered to you," he said sarcastically.

Tony hummed thoughtfully. "Well, hand delivered by you and an entire royal honor guard would be better, but I suppose 'specially delivered' will have to do."

"You do know, I could turn you into a small, furry rodent, and no one here would take issue with it, right?" Loki asked.

"I beg to differ," Tony argued. "There's one person who would most definitely 'take issue'. Isn't that right, Steve?" Tony asked, throwing an arm around his son's shoulders.

Steve shrugged slightly. "Yeah. After a week or two."

Tony looked at him with a melodramatic expression that landed somewhere between shocked and glaring. "You have way too much of me in you, you know that?"

"Yes," six voices answered him.

"I wasn't asking any of you," Tony said, sticking his tongue out in the direction of... the general vicinity of everyone else in the room.

"Well, now that we've gotten completely off the rails," Bruce spoke up, "why are you here, Loki? Nothing wrong, I hope."

"Oh, no," Loki assured. "Nothing like that. I actually came because there's something I want to show all of you."

"Okay," Steve said with a slight shrug as they all looked at him expectantly.

"It's actually not here," Loki clarified. "I need you to come with me."

"I'm game," Tony said easily. "Where we going?"

"It's a surprise," Loki said with an excited grin.

"I love surprises," Tony said.

"So do I," Clint agreed, "as long as its the right kind of surprise."

"Yeah," Steve agreed, pointing at the archer, "what he said."

"I'm not usually one for surprises," Bruce spoke up, "but as long as you can promise it's not anything that will try to eat me, I'm good."

Loki laughed. "It's nothing that should be dangerous."

"Should?" Natasha questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, with this group, using a toaster can be cause for alarm, and a trip to the beach could turn into an alien invasion."

"This is true," Natasha agreed.

"So, are we going to the beach?" Steve asked.

"Or doing something involving toasters?" Tony added to a myriad of eye rolls.

"No," Loki chuckled. "Not even close. Which reminds me, dress warmly. Very warmly."

"Ooh, a clue," Tony said.

"How long will we be gone?" Bruce, ever the practical one, asked.

"Just for the day, at most," Loki assured.

"Sounds great to me," Tony said. "I could use a vacation."

"You don't work," Clint said.

"Your point?" Tony shot back.

Clint shook his head good-naturedly as they all started moving out of the room.

"You are invited as well, Lady Pepper," Loki said.

"Lady Pepper," she mused with a slight laugh. "I like that. Thank you. I appreciate the offer, but Tony's company, his holdings, his inventions, and a portion of his life would implode without me present to keep it all together."

"She's not wrong," Tony agreed over his shoulder just before he disappeared through the door.

Loki snorted and shook his head in partial amusement and fondness. "Somehow, that does not surprise me."

"You know him well," Pepper said with a chuckle.

"I see many similarities between him and myself, but, frighteningly, the more I am around him, the more of my brother I see in him too."

At that, Pepper's chuckle turned into an outright laugh, which was only broken by the sudden ringing of her phone.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," she said, looking at the caller ID on the screen.

"Of course," Loki readily agreed.

"It was so great to finally meet you, and I hope to see you again soon," she said.

"The pleasure was all mine, Lady Pepper," Loki replied with another small, but gallant, bow.

With one final, friendly smile, Pepper answered the phone, striding from the room moments later to handle whatever minor problem had cropped up for her now, and leaving Loki to wait alone in the living room for his friends to return.

And roughly ten minutes later, five humans, in various states of bundled, stood before him.

"What are you wearing?" Clint asked as he stared at Tony in disbelief. "No way can that be considered dressing warm."

Loki had to agree. The outfit Tony was sporting looked more like a track suit than winter attire.

"I'll have you know, this is an ultra thin, zero-degree polymer that provides the same level of warmth as the best ski suit, with none of the uncomfortable bulk," Tony shot back.

"One of your inventions?" Loki asked.

Tony shrugged. "I designed the polymer. The Stark Industries fashion division used it to make clothes."

"You have a fashion division?" Natasha asked.

"I have every division you can think of. If it's beneficial, can be marketed, or used to save the world, SI has it."

Natasha snorted. "Of course it does."

"You still need something for your head, your face too, really," Loki warned. "I don't want any of you getting too cold."

"Got it covered," Tony said and produced a hood out of the collar of his jacket. He pulled it over his head and proceeded to zip his jacket up past his neck and to the top of the hood, until Tony's eyes were all that was left visible, through two holes in the fabric intended for just that purpose. Otherwise, his face was completely covered by the hood with a zipper running down the middle of his face and chest, to end at the hem of the jacket.

"Man, I wish your mouth had one of those," Clint said, eying the zipper with something close to admiration.

"You're one to talk, Daffy Duck," Tony shot back, the comment coming out muffled by the fabric.

Loki was positive Clint was going to make a joke about it, but he paused instead, a puzzled look on his face. "Daffy Duck?"

"Yeah, he never shuts up," Tony clarified as he unzipped his hood and pushed it back off his face.

Clint thought about it a moment, and Loki was certain the man was weighing whether or not to enlighten Tony to the fact that the billionaire was much more of a "Daffy Duck" than Clint ever was, but apparently thought better of it as he simply shrugged. "Rabbit season."

Loki shook his head and decided to intervene before the conversation could completely spiral out of control.

"Bruce, Steve, are you sure you'll be warm enough?" he asked, eying their simple heavy-weight coats and blue jeans.

"Yeah, the serum keeps me from getting cold very easily. I usually don't need much," Steve said. "Unless I'm going to be encased in ice, then I might want to rethink my wardrobe, just for my sanity's sake."

"I'm not planning on freezing you," Loki said, "but temperatures cold enough for ice to be present, are a distinct possibility."

More like a certainty, but whatever.

"I should be okay," Steve said.

Taking Steve at his word, Loki glanced at Bruce.

"I'm basically in the same boat as Steve," he said. "The Other Guy is pretty good at keeping me from getting cold."

Loki nodded, briefly glancing over Clint and Natasha, both of whom looked much more prepared than the rest of them. They sported thick coats, pants, and gloves that all looked fur lined, or maybe wool? Their coats also sported warm-looking, but close-fitting hoods, and they both held what seemed to be (neoprene?), half face masks designed to cover and protect the lower half of their faces from the elements.

However, despite the thickness and very warm appearance of the clothing, the outfits somehow also looked functional and easy to move in. Loki couldn't help but wonder if they were SHIELD issue, since the two spies looked more like they were about to assassinate someone in Siberia, rather than taking a leisurely day trip with some friends. Was there such a thing as combat ski suits?

"So, are we ready to go?" Tony asked.

"Almost," Loki said. "We have one more stop."

He held out a hand and Tony winced.

"I take it we're not traveling via bifrost or quinjet."

"And you would be right," Loki said. "Must be the genius coming out in you."

Tony narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired Asgardian. "Ha. Ha."

He slapped his hand into Loki's as Steve grabbed Tony's other hand. Bruce grabbed Steve's shoulder and Clint rested his hand on Bruce's back, while Natasha gripped Clint's arm.

"Hold tight," was Loki's only warning before they all disappeared from the tower.

)()()(

"What have I said about giving a little warning?" Fury barked as the six of them appeared in the middle of his bridge.

"That there's no fun in it?" Loki tossed back with an infuriating smirk.

"What are all of you doing here?" Phil asked, taking in their attire. "Are there more Frost Giants?"

"Oh, no," Loki waved him off. "We're here on pleasure, not business. We're taking a bit of a jaunt, and you're invited if you would like to join us."

"Thanks," Phil said. "I really appreciate the consideration, but-"

"Before you finish that sentence," Tony cut in, "when was the last time you had a vacation, or time off of any kind?"

The agent didn't immediately answer.

"If you have to think about it, it's been far too long." Loki said.

"He's right," Steve agreed. "It's just for the day. Come with us."

The request coming from Captain America himself, had the refusal dying on the agent's tongue.

"You can even think of it as work if you want," Clint proposed. "You'll be supervising us."

Phil pursed his lips, his expression considering. "Where are we going?"

Loki shrugged. "To another planet."

"I'm in!" Phil instantly replied.

"Excellent!" Loki said with a clap of his hands. "Go change and meet us back here. Dress warm."

Phil nodded and turned to leave, but before he made it out the door, Loki caught sight of Tony again and called after the agent. "Very warm."

"On it!" Phil called over his shoulder.

"That's fine. I didn't want to go to another planet," Fury muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Only Maria Hill heard him, and she was professional enough to keep the amusement off her face... mostly.

)()()(

Not even ten minutes later, Loki was convinced Clint's and Natasha's outfits were, in fact, SHIELD issue, as Phil Coulson returned to the bridge, wearing what could only be described as a formal ski suit.

It didn't look like an actual suit, like the agent normally wore, but it definitely looked like the sub-zero equivalent thereof. Did SHIELD specially make winter attire for their field agents, customized in the style of each individual's normal work attire? Or was it just these three? Loki glanced at Fury, wondering if he had winter gear similar to what he was currently wearing, before realizing Fury probably didn't need winter wear. He could just glare the cold into submission.

"All right. Everyone ready?" Loki asked. When he received nods and words of agreement from everyone, he held out a hand. "Then let's go."

Tony groaned. "Not this again." He sighed and took Loki's hand. "I guess it's better than being vaporized at least."

Loki furrowed his brow. "Vaporized?"

"Yeah, Thor said it's rare, but sometimes the bifrost..." Tony trailed off.

Loki did all he could to keep a straight face, but the rest of the team weren't as successful.

"He was messing with me, wasn't he?" Tony said more than asked.

Loki couldn't help it. He laughed, hard, and he wasn't the only one.

"That little..." Tony muttered, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

"I just can't believe it took you this long," Steve said between chuckles.

"I'd feel for you, but I'm just so proud of him," Loki said.

"Yeah, me too," Tony reluctantly admitted.

)()()(

"Welcome to Jotunheim," Loki said as the group landed on the icy planet.

"It looks a little different from the one we saw in your memories," Steve noted as the six humans eagerly took in their surroundings.

"It's... had a bit of fixing up done since then," Loki said.

"Clearly," Clint said. "This place is amazing. Talk about winter wonderland."

"Yes, it is beautiful," Loki readily agreed, "but also very cold. You all must tell me if any of you start getting too cold. This place wasn't exactly designed for humans."

"Loki."

Loki turned at the sound of the friendly greeting to see Egil and Livunn approaching them.

"Egil," Loki returned. He glanced past the two Giants, his brow furrowing slightly. "Have you seen my brother? He was supposed to meet us here."

"Oh, yes. He was playing with some of the children," Livunn said. "I imagine he'll be here soon."

"As soon as they let him, anyway," Egil said. "The children seem to be quite taken with the both of you."

Loki smiled, but before he could respond, the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him had him turning around.

Although Loki couldn't be completely certain it had been Tony, the brief glimpse of a certain super solider elbow being driven into the billionaire's ribs, the disapproving glares the man was receiving from a few others in the group, and the too innocent expression on Tony's face, did nothing to disprove that theory.

Loki smirked and shook his head in amusement before glancing at the two Frost Giants again.

"Egil, you remember the Avengers," Loki said, motioning to the group.

"Of course, it is a pleasure to see all of you again," Egil said, nodding to the humans.

"And everyone," Loki addressed his friends, "I'd like you to meet my biological mother, Livunn. Livunn, my friends from Earth."

The humans looked at Livunn with mixtures of surprise and curiosity as the Frost Giantess spoke.

"It is an honor to meet all of you. Egil has told me much about the brave Midgardian warriors who helped dismantle the Torgyr."

"And it's nice to meet you," Tony said. "Loki has told us nothing about you."

Steve elbowed his father again.

"Would you stop that?" he snapped.

"Would you stop sticking your foot in your mouth?" Steve shot back.

Tony narrowed his eyes at his son for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Touche," he said as he rubbed his sore ribs.

"Wow," Phil breathed in awe. "Someone who can actually shut Tony Stark up? And I thought you were my hero before! Where have you been all my life?"

"Frozen in ice and presumed dead?" Steve responded with a shrug.

Everyone stared at him for a long moment.

"What? Too soon?" the super soldier asked with a grin.

"Way too soon," Tony said, patting his son on the shoulder.

"I thought it was funny," Natasha said.

"But you didn't laugh," Clint said.

"I'm laughing on the inside," Natasha said.

"How do you make even the most normal statements sound scary?" Tony asked.

"It's a gift," Natasha answered.

"I think I'm going to like them," Livunn said to Egil.

"Me as well," the Jotun king agreed.

"My friends!"

The group of humans forgot their increasingly digressing conversation at the sound of Thor's voice. They looked past the two Frost Giants to see the blond prince waving at them as he approached, a group of young looking Frost Giants following behind him curiously.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, Tony suddenly stomped forward, striding purposefully toward the approaching Asgardian.

"Hey! I have a bone to pick with you over that bifrost business," Tony said, pointing a finger at Thor.

Thor's brow furrowed as he slowed to a stop near his friends. "You only just now got that?" he asked, the question genuinely innocent.

Tony made a weird, offended, squawking sound and looked like he was seconds from lunging at the much bigger man, when Steve stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him back.

"Don't hurt yourself, Dad," he warned, knowing Tony wasn't actually going to do anything to hurt Thor (not that he really could, even if he wanted to) but was slightly concerned his father might accidentally hurt himself somehow. He could just picture Tony trying to shove Thor goodnaturedly and end up knocking himself to the ground when the Asgardian did budge, or something else like that. Better to just hold his father back.

That might have been the end of it, if not for Loki's sudden snort of amusement.

"You got something to say, Green Bean?" Tony asked.

Loki waved him off, trying valiantly to wrangle a neutral expression onto his face. "Sorry," he coughed, covering a laugh. "It's just, the way he said that, made you sound like a doddering old man."

Tony's face actually took on a tinge of purple as he suddenly sputtered, his mind (for one of the few times in his life) completely caught off guard by that.

It took him a moment to recover, but once he did, the sputtering turning into full on ranting. "Old! He did not just call me- You did not just call me old! I don't care how powerful you are Loki Odinson, I will smack you if you ever call me old again!"

And Loki's laugh actually cut off, and for a brief moment, he actually looked startled.

"Hey, you okay?" Steve asked as all the levity was wiped from the trickster's face.

"Yes, I'm fine," Loki said. "He just sounded so much like my father for a moment. It was very strange."

"He did sound somewhat like Father, didn't he?" Thor agreed. "And a little like Mother too."

"Well, good," Tony said, looking way too pleased with himself. "It's good to know I've still got my strike-fear-into-the-hearts-of-naughty-children parent voice."

"Did he just call us naughty children?" Loki asked.

"I think he did," Thor agreed.

"Oh, he definitely did," Steve added, just pouring more fuel on the fire, like any good son would do.

And that was how the first snowball fight of the day began.

In moments, the area was like a war zone. It began with Thor, Steve, and Loki practically ambushing Tony, but had quickly pulled in the rest of the humans, and two sides quickly formed, Tony, Bruce, Loki, and Natasha on one, and Steve, Clint, Thor, and Phil on the other.

Somewhere along the way, Egil and Livunn had gotten pulled into it as well, ending up on Tony's side, of course. Thank you, Loki. But their advantage was quick to equalize as several of the Jotun children joined Thor's side to make things even, all of the Giants thoroughly enjoying every moment of the Midgardian game.

From there... well, a snowball fight involving all of Earth's Mightest Heroes, and a handful of snow-wielding Frost Giants? Fantastic, does not even begin to describe the truly ingenious "warfare" that was waged with snow that day. From bunkers made of ice and snow, to sneak attacks and ambushes, to strategic planning from the great Captain America himself, and deviously creative retaliations from the trickster himself. Not to mention the rest of the combatants involved. Including Clint and Natasha going full on spy/assassin.

For half the battle, none of the rest of the players even saw either one of them. People would just suddenly be hit out of nowhere and never have any idea where the snowy projectile had come from as Natasha and Clint simultaneously beaned people on the opposing team with snowballs, from whatever other dimension they were hiding in, while also hunting each other, and trying not to be caught themselves.

At the beginning, Bruce mostly just ducked and covered, hiding behind their "bunker" that Loki had created for Team Tony. But once he figured out that no one was willing to actually hit him, for fear of triggering the Hulk, Bruce suddenly became much braver. Brazenly venturing out into the open to chuck snowballs at the other team, and even once simply ambling over to the other team, Tony and Loki using him as a shield, and the three of them almost leisurely dumping several handfuls of snow over those hiding behind Team Steve's shelter.

However, one of the more interesting things that happened during the fight, had to be the ice patches. At seemingly random times, small patches of ice would suddenly appear beneath the feet of people on Steve's team. While they were walking, running, standing still, but always just before they could take aim and let fly a snowball, resulting in the person's feet flying out from under them to deposit them in the snow, often being hit with their own snowy projectile in the process.

Naturally, at first, everyone thought the culprit behind the unique form of defense was Loki, but as it turned out, it was actually Livunn who was behind the (irritating for some, and hilarious for others) bit of mischief.

Loki, of course, had been banned from using any magic, outside of ice/snow wielding, in order to make it more fair, but that didn't stop him from throwing up more than one illusion of himself to completely fake out Thor. It was just too easy and way too much fun to pass up the opportunity. Loki's older brother really never was going to stop falling for that.

Once the snowball fight finally wound down in a draw (due to neither side being willing to name the other winner) a good couple of hours later, the sledding began.

The sight of Tony, Bruce, and Phil all squeezed onto a sled and sliding down a quite large, and very steep hill (Tony's choice, of course), with Tony laughing like a madman, Bruce screaming bloody murder right behind him, and Phil sitting behind the scientist and somehow holding on to most of his composure, even as his expression screamed he was only just now realizing he really hadn't thought through getting on a sled with Tony Stark, was perhaps one of the funniest things Loki had ever seen.

Once the sled came to a stop, Bruce and Phil made quick work of getting off the death trap and putting plenty of distance between themselves and Tony, both loudly vowing to never ride down a hill on a sled with Tony Stark ever again.

While Tony tried to persuade some of the others to go sledding with him, Loki turned his attention to the nearby Frost Giants. Several of them seemed to be playing some sort of game. It wasn't the same one, he'd seen the children playing during his previous visit, but it still involved some pretty elaborate and creative uses of ice and snow.

Loki watched the Giants closely as they wielded ice and snow in several fun and creative ways. He studied them thoughtfully, his mind thinking through different ideas and possibilities. Using ice for something other than combat was still a new concept to him, but he was nothing if not a fast learner. And it was a combination of that intelligence, creativity, and competitive nature that had a new idea forming in Loki's mind. He wasn't even sure if it would work, but he had to try it.

Getting a running start, Loki leapt into the air just as he let a blast of ice surge from his fingertips. His feet came down on the newly created ice, and he slid along it like a surfer riding a wave, sans surfboard of course. Keeping his balance perfectly, Loki created a path of ice in front of him as he slid along over makeshift hills, slopes, and turns, like a frozen waterslide.

Whoops of excitement and applause rose from his friends, and cheers of admiration from the Jotuns, as he rose and fell, spun, turned, and looped around the area. The entire time, his feet effortlessly remained firmly in contact with the ice he was creating, as if attached to it.

Hmm. That was an interesting idea. Was he actually attached to the ice? If so, how? Was it because it was his own ice? Or was it some sort of unconscious ability that he didn't even realizing he was using? Some kind of autonomic reaction? And if so, was it more like his heartbeat or breathing? Could he control it at will? Could he even come off the ice at all? Even on purpose? Or would he simply come to a stop right at the edge?

With the analytical, need-to-learn-and-understand-how-things-work side of his brain operating in full force, Loki decided to simultaneously test his theories and show off a bit. He suddenly stopped his flow of ice, letting himself fly off of the end of it and into the air, like a bike rider shooting off of a ramp. Tucking his knees to his chest, Loki flipped backward, once, twice. He straightened himself out, allowed more ice to flow from his hands, and landed on his new icy track, continuing to slide as if he'd never stopped.

More cheers of appreciation rose up from beneath him, and a laugh of exhilaration burst from him as he continued to ride an icy roller coaster of his own making.

"Hey! You going to keep all that fun to yourself?" Tony called after him as the billionaire stood at the top of the steepest part of his chosen hill (i.e. mountain), sled in hand.

Loki slowed his momentum until he came to a gentle stop on the snow-covered ground. He looked up the hill at Tony, thoughtfully.

"All right," Loki called up to him as he motioned him down the hill.

Tony didn't need to be told twice and, in seconds, was rocketing at high speed down the mountainside toward Loki.

Loki didn't move from his place, staring up the hill at Tony, his arms crossed and his stance relaxed.

For a long moment, it looked like Tony was going to fly down the hill and crash right into Loki, when the trickster suddenly threw up his hands, ice bursting forth to create an upward slope just as Tony reached the bottom of the hill. His sled hit the ice and shot upward, following the ice as it continued to form, sloping, turning, dropping and looping, all while Tony whooped in excitement and delight before ultimately coming to a stop on the calm snow covering the ground not far from where Loki stood.

There was a moment of still silence in the area as no one moved. Then Steve's hand shot up over his head.

"I call next!"

From there, Loki (with a little help from Egil, Livunn, and the Jotun children) became the main source of fun for the group as ice and snow formed and flew about, amid sledding, running, jumping, climbing, and sliding as Loki created elaborate tracks of ice, hills and small mountains of snow, obstacle courses made of both, and even created skis, snowboards, and skates out of ice so his friends could enjoy those sports as well.

Although each of the teammates tried a little of everything, Steve, of course, gravitated the most toward the ever changing obstacle courses, Tony stuck almost religiously to sledding, Bruce enjoyed a little ice skating, while Phil did a fair amount of skiing while also trying to teach Thor how to snowboard, and Natasha free-climbed mountains of ice and snow that Loki created to imitate elaborate, and difficult rock climbing walls.

Then there was Clint, who discovered that Loki could create piles of snow in ever growing heights as the archer leaped through the air as if running, jumping, flipping, and swinging from rooftops in a city. The man was in his element, high up and ever on the move. All he lacked was to have a bow in his hand. Although, Loki suspected the archer likely had one hidden on his person somewhere, in case it was needed.

Once Natasha reached the top of her "mountain" and Clint landed on the "roof" of his tallest "building" they both took running leaps off into thin air, gracefully diving (in Natasha's case) and athletically somersaulting (in Clint's case) through the air, to land in fluffy piles of snow that rose up to catch them.

For well over an hour, Loki enjoyed exercising his Jotun abilities, alongside his fellow Frost Giants, as he entertained his friends, often laughing along with them, and occasionally sliding around on his ice, as he manipulated the snow around him to not only supply his friends with enjoyment, but to ensure none of them got hurt in the process.

Eventually, the activity wound down a bit as everyone stopped for a brief rest, all sitting around in the snow, talking, eating a bit, and largely enjoying each other's company.

Some time later, Tony once again headed up the hill/small mountain with his sled (this time alone, because he'd managed to convince everyone to go down with him at least once... Actually only once, because that was all it took to make everyone absolutely refuse to go down with him again.)

The rest of them were still down at the bottom of the hill, a row of snow angels arrayed nearby, most of them human sized, but a few much larger. Loki found it, privately, very funny that Jotuns had lived on this snowy, icy planet for thousands of years, and yet, they could still get a kick out of the Midgardians' entertaining uses of snow.

And it was around that same time, that the second snowball fight broke out.

With a far too mischievous grin, one that looked identical to his father's, Steve unobtrusively made a snowball before chucking it at Clint while the archer wasn't watching. Having been trying to get the drop on the man all day, Steve was ecstatic when the snow actually hit home, right in the back of Clint's head.

The archer went motionless upon impact, before slowly turning around, his face unreadable.

"Oh, it's on," he said.

From there, it was a free-for-all, snow flying in every direction and every man, or woman, for themselves.

Unfortunately, this snowball fight didn't last nearly as long as the last one, as, during the slightly overzealous chaos, a throw went a bit wild and ended up colliding with Bruce's face.

Everybody froze, no pun intended, and moments later, were all backpedaling in alarm as Bruce disappeared, leaving the Hulk in his place.

It's all fun and games until somebody gets Hulk Smashed.

"Where fight?" Hulk said.

"There's no fight," Loki quickly assured. "We were just playing."

"Play?" Hulk asked, relaxing slightly as he looked around.

"Yes," Loki agreed.

Hulk looked around again, then down at his feet, shuffling them a bit in the snow.

"Hulk play?" he asked.

Loki's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he readily nodded. "Absolutely."

With a toothy grin, Hulk took off... directly for Tony.

"Uh... Big Guy?" he questioned from where he was sitting on his sled, having just finished another trip down the hill right as the Hulk had appeared.

Before he could say anything else or even scramble out of the way, Hulk leapt into the air, stretched out wide, and belly flopped into the snow, mere feet from Tony.

The impact created a mini snow tsunami (a snownami) that picked up Tony's sled and sent it hurtling through the air like a surfboard caught by a wave.

His startled yelp quickly turned into a whoop of excitement before morphing into a cry of alarm as the ground rushed up at him in a way that his mind naturally interpreted as "this is going to hurt... A lot."

Fortunately for Tony, he had Loki as a friend, and said friend was feeling magnanimous today. With one, outstretched hand, a sort of, pseudo slide made of ice, rose up, catching Tony's sled and allowing him to slide down a gentle slope of ice to safely come to a stop on the still, flat snow beyond Hulk's "blast radius."

Tony sat there, looking slightly stunned for a long moment before throwing both arms over his head and letting out a whoop. "Let's do it again!"

The snow that rose up from the ground to cover him in a mini avalanche had absolutely nothing to do with Loki whatsoever.

Sometimes ice and snow just had minds of their own.

The End

A/N And that's it for this one. The next story in this universe will take on the events of Iron Man 3, with a few tweaks of course. ;) I can't make any guarantees when that story will become available, but I hope to get started on it before too long. So be sure to keep an eye out for that one to be "Coming Soon!" Until next time! :)