A/N: The other day, I went looking for an Avengers Host Club fanfiction or fanart or something, but there was pretty much nothing. So I figured I'd write something myself.

This not going to be the same as Ouran Host Club. I used some elements, general concepts and stuff, but this is not going to be very similar.

Also, there are no pairings for this story. You can read into this whatever you want to, but I wrote this with the idea of no pairings in mind.

Character/Ouran Counterpart/Age:

Loki/Haruhi/15

Tony/Hikaru/15

Bruce/Kaoru/15

Natasha/Kyouya/16

Steve/Tamaki/16

Clint/Hani-senpai/17

Thor/Mori-senpai/18

Onwards!

Avengers Host Club

Loki was a good child. He ate his vegetables without complaint, did his homework, didn't do drugs, didn't have sex, didn't drink, didn't skip class, and followed through with all of his chores. But he was not very sociable. At all.

His teachers adored him. He was already expected to be valedictorian, and it was only a month into his first year at Shield Academy. Loki was polite in class and never caused trouble. (That the teachers could directly point back to him, anyway.)

The students treated him as another matter altogether. Sometimes he just seemed too smart, or sometimes he was so polite it got on their nerves or something, because everyday without fail they would corner him and attack him every way they knew. Taunting and teasing and insults. Pelting him with punches and kicks. Stealing his books and tearing his homework. Defacing his locker. Taking indecent pictures.

Everywhere he went, there they would be. The constant bullying was inescapable, but no one could have possibly known. He never told anyone. The bruises were covered with makeup. The books were eventually recovered, and he kept backups of all his assignments. Lunchtime was spent scrubbing his locker and the surrounding area. Inappropriate pictures were met with a smirk and sad eyes.

If he began to slowly waste away from lack of food, no one had to know. If there were bags under his eyes from nightmares, that wasn't anyone's business. If he cried himself to sleep every night, well, that was his problem.

Every day he woke up on time, got dressed and covered his bruises, packed a lunch he wouldn't eat, and got in his brother's car to go to school. Every class he showed up with a hollow smile and perfectly completed homework. Every lunch period he cleaned the mess created by his tormentors. Every afternoon he climbed back in his brother's car and went home.

Sadly, he home life wasn't much better, either. Though Thor and Frigga obviously loved him very much, they didn't pay him much attention. Not that he was greedy enough to need attention. He went to a great school, had perfect grades, had a giant home, and a superior brother and bullies and a father that hated him and-

Odin was his father. He was an old man, made bitter by time. The man worked very much, and free time was spent drinking and governing the house. He favored Thor greatly, and Loki was often left to fight his way out of his brother's shadow. Odin thought him... womanly.

Thor was tall and muscular. He was fair in appearance, and though his grades were not as good, he was incredibly strong. Thor partook in several sports and was captain of more than one team. He was also a member of multiple clubs. He was loud and very honest.

Loki was the opposite, seeming almost like a girl in comparison. (At least to Odin...) Loki was tall, but he was thin and lean. He had fair skin, but his eyes and hair were dark like an evil spirit. He wasn't as strong or as willing to do anything particularly athletic. He was antisocial and hid from everyone else. He liked mischief when he wasn't busy being perfect, and he was quiet and liked to tell lies.

It wasn't that his mischief ever hurt anyone. In fact, his pranks usually had good results in the end. Once, a boy and a girl had been dancing around each other, and everyone knew they wanted to be together. Loki may or may not have set up a complex prank that landed the two in each other's arms. That boy and girl were still a happy couple.

And the lies he told never really hurt anyone either. He lied to his brother about liking the food the blonde had prepared, even though he found himself throwing up later. He lied about being bullied, about being sick, about being tired and just wanting to die al-

Loki was a good child. He did everything he was asked and he never made himself stand out, and one day! One day his father would recognize him, and his family would love him. One day he would have some courage, and his bullies would leave him alone. One day, just as he tried so hard to be perfect, his life would become perfect too.

-{[(•)]}-

Loki had a free period today.

It didn't happen very often. But today he had a whole period to do whatever he liked. All of his homework was done, and he had read most of the library. Maybe he could finally explore the campus more?

Having only attended Shield for a month, Loki hadn't yet had time to search for any particularly good reading spots or hiding places. Chairman Fury had of course assigned the Odinson brothers some tour guides, but Sif and the other three idiots had taken an immediate liking to Thor and run off immediately. Loki had been left in their metaphorical dust to wonder what he had done wrong in a previous life to deserve this.

Now would be the time to explore, he supposed. He was already familiar with the library and his classrooms, but he had yet to see any club rooms or athletic areas.

So off Loki went, school bag held lightly to his chest. He wandered up and down the halls for a long time. Occasionally, he peeked into rooms, but he mostly kept to himself. Halfway through the period, he came across a strange door.

It was grey like all the others. But there was a strange pull to it, an automatic desire to go in. The door attracted him like a moth to a flame, and he wasn't sure whether or not he would be burned.

Loki hesitantly grabbed the handle, turned and pushed the door inwards. He paused for a second as warm light hit his eyes; the smell of tea and coffee hit his nose, and he was overcome by a feeling of safeness and security.

"Welcome!" A group of cheery voices chorused. The dark haired teen blinked and found himself face to face with six other students.

Three blondes, two brunettes, and a redhead. They all stared at him with strangely focused eyes and-

Loki immediately slammed the door shut and walked away.

-{[(•)]}-

One of the blondes laughed heartily and stated, "That was my brother."

One of the brunettes chuckled and replied, "Seems friendly."

-{[(•)]}-

A month passed and nothing changed. Well, not much, anyway.

Loki was still bullied, and his father still pressured him to be better than Thor. His grades were still the best.

A month passed and he was still no closer to that one day where everything would be better.

Sometimes, he noticed those brunettes in some of his classes. Usually the advanced science ones. Sometimes, Thor tried to talk to him about their club.

After stumbling across their club that day, he suddenly seeming to be seeing them everywhere. There were posts on the bulletin boards about them, and they were in the school newspaper, and students talked about those people. It was some kind of entertainment club.

The members of the club sat with visiting students and entertained them. They drank tea or coffee and just talked. Sometimes the host would tutor their guest on a certain subject. The main draw was the attractiveness of the members and the mystery that surrounded them. The club was very high profile, and it was extremely difficult to get in.

Another thing was their theme days. On a certain day of the week (he could never remember if it was Monday or Friday), the hosts spiced up their time with their guests by doing special activities or dressing in costumes and pretending to be those characters. The guests apparently found it extremely likable, and those days were when the club was most packed.

But Loki was good at hearing the things people didn't say, and he knew that these hosts had a dark side to them as well. Each member had a hidden past, filled with secrets and mystery. The club was a puzzle to figure out, and Loki loved puzzles.

But Loki didn't want to touch this with a ten foot pole.

There were rumors that the club was involved with the underworld of Shield Academy, and that they dealt with the meaner, nastier students. Those six students were surrounded with all kinds of bad mojo. Loki did not need anything worse in his life.

He just wanted to be left alone.

-{[(•)]}-

His third month at Shield Academy and his life began to spiral.

Thor's disposition had turned nasty, and he was snappish and harsh at the best of times. He stared at Loki with angry eyes when he thought the younger sibling wasn't looking, and he picked up a strange habit of going through his things. Loki felt threatened by his older brother, more than he ever had before, and he didn't know what to do.

Frigga was more absent now. The company was taking a bad turn, and she was needed more than ever. Gone were her gentle greetings and home cooked meals. She spent more time at the office and in meetings.

To counter, Odin seemed to have a sudden liking for working at home. Loki was immediately strained by his father's presence, especially since reports cards had recently been released and he desperately needed to be in his father's good graces. And when his father was home, he felt less inclined to do the things he liked. He spent less time reading and cooking and cleaning. He found himself practicing knife throwing in the garage and researching colleges he knew his father liked.

Odin also seemed to spend as much time drinking as he did working. This was another particularly stressful aspect in Loki's life because his father's love of the drink had frightened him since he was small. He never dared talk to his father about his fears, but Frigga wasn't around to stop Odin before he got drunk anymore. And Odin was an angry drunk.

The bullying also got worse, if that was possible. Taunting and teasing had turned to screams of rage, and small punches and kicks had become full on assault. Books were left in fountains or torn apart, and indecent pictures escalated to attempted rape in one instance.

Lucky for Loki, the stronger male had chickened out and run off without any signs of remorse.

The amount of money in his budget directed towards makeup increased significantly, and a box of bandages was constantly kept in his locker. Textbooks were checked out of the library for the duration of class, and online copies were used at home. Smirks and sad eyes quickly became frightened looks and nervous gestures. Quiet tears late at night became sobs of agony muffled by his pillow.

-{[(•)]}-

"LOKI!" Odin's voice shattered the gloom of the house. The dark haired teen quietly and quickly rushed to the study where his father nursed a bottle of ale. Loki timidly stood before his father's desk as he waited to be acknowledged. The old man barely glanced up; he began to mumble.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you I hate you I hate you! Wicked, filthy thing!" Odin slammed his fist against the desk and Loki flinched. "Evil, evil devil! Will you never cease your curse upon this house?" The silver haired man hiccuped and took a long draw from the bottle.

"Father," Loki whispered pleadingly and reached for the bottle. His father didn't really hate him! He was just very, very drunk, and if Loki didn't stop him, Odin would drink himself to death.

"No!" The man snapped as the green eyed boy gently pulled the bottle from his grasp. "'Hate you, dirty beast. Should've never taken you in from the Laufeysons. Never should have adopted you."

The bottle fell from Loki's fingers. Glass exploded around his feet and ale bubbled across the carpet. Odin shouted, but Loki heard no sound.

Adopted, adopted, adopted...

Green eyed were blow wide, and lips opened in a silent question. His skin was ashen white. Tears poured down his cheeks. He felt positively awful, like he might throw up at any second.

He must be joking...

The ground fell out from under his feet and his mind collapsed into a sudden state of darkened awareness. Loki slowly turned and exited the room.

Wicked, filthy, dirty, evil, curse...

-{[(•)]}-

The next day, Loki was more subdued than usual. He did not bother wearing makeup and he did not pack the lunch he wouldn't eat.

If I can't be perfect, then what chance is there of the world around me becoming perfect to match? I can't be perfect; it's impossible. Now I know why everyone hates me so much...

Numbly, Loki sat through his classes. He did not take notes, did not raise his hand to answer any questions, did not lift his eyes from his desk. When it was time for lunch, the dark haired teen slowly walked to his locker to put his bag away.

They were there.

Immediately, the shoved him up against the grey lockers and tore through his things. He offered no resistance. One of them took his wallet, and he figured it was fair.

Maybe I deserve this...

Minutes later they had beaten him to the ground, shouting at him. Someone was kicking his already broken ribs, and someone else was standing on his wrist. Slowly they began to grind it into the floor. Loki made a soft noise of pain.

Adopted, adopted, adopted...

For the first time since the bullying had started, Loki felt tears run down his cheeks in front of his enemies. There was a slight pause before the next kick, and the taunting voices above him trickled away.

Wicked, filthy, evil, dirty, curse, worthless, not good enough, greedy, pathetic-

It took Loki a minute to realize he was weeping. One of the bullies above him sounded concerned. The others sounded anxious. High heels clicked steadily down the hallway.

Laufeyson, never Odinson. Loathed enemy, never good, wicked, filthy, evil, dirty, curse-

He heard the heavy footfalls of one of his tormentors running away, and the pained shriek of another pierced the air. Dulled thuds rang out. Loki remained on the floor and slowly hid his face.

Don't want to be hit again, don't want to hurt, had enough- I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

"Hey, you're okay now," a deep voice called gently as warm hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. Loki flinched and whimpered, trying to pull away.

I just want to die, want to die, kill me, please, kill me, I can't-

The voice made a sad sound. "Hey, come on. There's no need for that. No one's gonna hurt you anymore, okay? We took care of them. You're gonna be fine now. It's okay." The hands gently stroked his hair and held his hand. Another pair of hands carefully checked him for injury.

Loki positively sobbed, needing the kind touches like a drowning man needed air. Slowly, he was shifted against a firm, comforting presence and lifted into the air. There were multiple people there, he could tell, but they were mere blurs on the edges of his vision as he was taken somewhere.

Not five minutes later, he wore himself out from crying and fell into a much needed sleep.

-{[(•)]}-

When Loki awakened, he found a cool cloth covering his eyes, and several warm presences surrounding him. He shifted and pulled the cloth away to reveal a familiar club room. The person holding his hand awakened as he did, and soon he was staring into intelligent brown eyes.

"Hey, Green eyes," the other teen smiled softly. "How're you feeling?"

"Alright," Loki croaked back. His brow furrowed lightly in confusion. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep as we were carrying you here. Those bullies were hurting you, but we took care of them. Don't worry; you won't be seeing them again," the brunette explained, still smiling gently. "I'm Tony, by the way. I'm sure you know Thor. That's Bruce-" the other brunette. "That's Steve-" One of the blondes. "That's Clint-" the last blonde. "And that's Natasha." The redhead.

"I don't understand," Loki stated quietly and looked around the room some more. "Why did you help me?"

"Cause we're the Avengers, duh."

"Stark, that's not a real explanation," the blonde one- Steve- said. "Why don't we get everyone up and explain everything at once? With real introductions."

"Fine, fine," Tony sighed and slid away from the mass of bodies. Loki watched him go with an odd sense of abandonment.

As Tony made a pot of coffee, the other club members slowly awakened and began to make themselves more comfortable in actual chairs instead of on the floor. Loki ended up on a couch with Bruce at his left and Thor at his right.

"Alright, well, I'm Steve Rogers, the official president of our host club," Steve introduced with a kind smile.

"I'm Natasha Romanoff, Vice President and Treasurer." Her face was almost bored as she spoke, but Loki saw curiosity and concern stirring in her brown eyes.

"I'm Clint Barton!" The blonde next to her pretty much squealed.

"Um, Bruce Banner," the stockier brunette stated nervously.

"I'm Tony, Tony Edward Fabulous Stark!" Tony grinned and bounced his cup of coffee in way of greeting. Thor just eyed his brother with obvious concern.

"And we're the Avengers Host Club," Steve finished proudly. "During the day we entertain the students and help them with their homework. But, as instructed by Chairman Fury and Vice Chairman Hill for our... special talents, the Avengers also work under cover to stop bullying, selling of drugs, and other malevolent actions."

"Basically, we make the school look good," Tony chirped. The club sighed as if this was an ongoing argument.

"Anyways," Natasha continued. "We've heard a lot from Thor. He's very proud of you, and he mentioned some of your talents that could benefit us. Also, as we found you were being attacked, we had another reason to engage you."

"So by helping me, I then owe you and am forced to join your club. I see," Loki whispered and stared down at his hands.

"What?" Clint blinked. "No, no way- that's not- No, we aren't going to force you to join our club. We would have helped you anyway. Tasha's just saying that we had another reason to approach you. We will ask you to join, but- gosh- we'd never force you." Loki nodded slowly.

"Um, I figured I should mention," Bruce piped up to fill the uncomfortable silence. "You have severe bruising, three broken ribs, and a few cracked bones in your wrist. We patched you up and gave you pain medication, but you should really go to a hospital." Thor nodded gravely.

"I shall take him."

The group sat in silence.

"How do you host your clients?" Loki wondered aloud. If he was going to consider joining this club, he should consider all angles. Steve blinked.

"Ah, we each have a different hosting type and subject we specialize in," he answered.

"Our guests each enjoy different things," Bruce added. "So we have a wide variety for them to pick from."

"What are your types?" Loki asked. "What would my type be?"

Steve decided he'd just explain for everyone. "I'm a sweet, all-American type, I guess? I am generally polite and kind towards the guests. My main subjects are the arts like sketching and playing piano. Natasha is the cool type. She's very professional, but she's elegant. She focuses on foreign languages. Tony and Bruce are the Science Bros. They interact with each other and the guests. I really don't understand, but our female customers enjoy seeing them together. You can probably guess they focus on math and science. Clint is our energetic type; he's just naturally very excitable and happy. He's our history buff. And Thor is our Shakespearian type. He just talks normally and is himself, I guess. Your family has an odd background-" Loki flinched minutely, and he watched Natasha's eyes follow the movement. "Thor's main subject is language arts."

There was a pause as the group studied him. Tony and Steve shared glances, Natasha and Clint nodded subtly, and Bruce studiously watched his hands. Eventually the group seemed to come to a mutual, silent decision.

"Loki," Steve smiled. "You'd probably be our mischievous type. Tony and Clint can be mischievous on their own, but we can all see a great potential in you. You're intelligent, which makes you naturally wittier. You're attractive, and you've got an almost dark look about you. I would say villainous type, but we don't do those kinds of things here. And you would be our Jack of all trades. Thor's told us about how you've got everything down to pat, so you can fill in for any of us or take care of any customer on your own."

"I see." Loki honestly didn't mind the sound of that. Hearing that he was dark made his eyes burn, but he would love a chance to unleash some of his mischief without consequence. "And what of your... darker proclivities?"

"Thor and I are obviously our main front. Natasha and Clint work the sidelines for information, but they can fight if it comes down to it. Tony and Bruce are our medics and help get victims out of the area, but Bruce can take a front position if it's bad enough. You? Natasha, what do you think?" Steve eventually turned to the redhead.

"You can lie, right?" Natasha questioned. Loki hesitantly nodded. "And you can act? Right. Anyway, you'd be best at covering for us and getting information. You don't have to do dirty work if you don't want to. And you don't have to host if you don't want to."

"I think... I think I want a chance. I'd like to join your club and get to know you."

-{[(•)]}-

That afternoon, Loki showed up to help set up for club hours. Bruce and Tony were making drinks, Natasha was typing away at a laptop in the corner, Steve and Thor were arranging tables, and Clint was eating a snack in the corner.

"What... Um, hello. What should I do?" Loki questioned and approached Steve. The blonde glanced over the dark haired teen.

"Natasha, what's our next role play?"

Without looking up from the screen, the female diligently replied, "Black Butler."

"What~?" Clint whined. "Why?"

"It's becoming pretty popular. You know I do my research." The club members sighed again. Another ongoing issue, then.

"Alright. You can sew, right?" Steve asked. Loki blinked and almost shook his head in denial, but he paused. He could sew. Sewing was a good thing here. They wanted him to sew. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Great! We've got fabric and the finished pieces in the back room. Everyone's measurements are posted on the wall. Get pictures and role assignments from Natasha, and keep working on our costumes, please."

Loki nodded stiffly and turned towards the redhead. A moment later Steve cheerfully called out again.

"Oh, and thank you!"

The green eyed teen's steps did not falter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

"Here's the pictures and labels. I also printed another set of measurements for you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Club starts in an hour, but you don't have to finish by then," Natasha informed him and handed him a sleek black folder. He nodded and moved to the back room.

Rows and rows of costumes and outfits stretched across the length of the room. A couch was situated against the wall to his right, surrounded by a small stack of formal 1860s attire. Dim lighting came from a small sun roof, a set of windows on the far wall, and warm light fixtures posted around the room. The room smelled of cinnamon candles and new fabric.

Loki breathed in deeply, letting a pleased smile drift across his face. The teen turned to the couch and seated himself. Slowly, he familiarized himself with the costumes and the measurements they meant to fit. Oddly, he found a straw hat, a collar, a very realistic plastic rifle, an eyepatch- What kind of costumes were these?!

Frowning, he compared the costumes to the pictures. Oh. Well, okay then.

Loki took a deep breath and grabbed the sewing kit from the side table nearby. It seemed most of the fabric pieces were already cut; they just needed to be put together and fitted to their owners. He pulled out his phone and turned on some music.

Then he set to work.

Up and down and over and under the needle went in steady rhythm. Songs drifted from his phone through the room and around his head. Nimble fingers worked at the cloth and thread. A light tune floated past the windows. Pieces of material bonded, and mere pieces of fabric became works of art. Violins and flutes strung the thread angelically. A silver needle danced to the sounds of the Nutcracker.

"Duuuuuude," an impressed voice sounded from the doorway. Loki's peace shattered and the needle fell through his fingers. A dark haired head snapped up to see Clint in the door frame. The shorter blonde grinned and entered the room once he had been acknowledged. Bright grey eyes ran over Loki's work.

"You've got some skills!" Clint beamed. "These are going to be our best outfits, since... ever! Seriously, you are amazing!" Loki stared at the older teen curiously. "You're probably wondering why I'm here. Right, well, Tasha and Stevie wanna see you. It's almost time to open doors, and they wanna make sure you're guest ready!"

"Alright. Thank you for coming to get me," the green eyed teen stood and cleaned up his workspace. Then he left Clint with the costumes.

Skills, amazing, skills, amazing, thank you, thank you, thank you...

Steve and Natasha were already sitting at a couch, having a quiet discussion, when Loki approached. The blonde gestured to the seat in front of them, and the dark haired teen sat. A few more lines from Natasha and they turned their attention to Loki.

"Alright, do you have any idea what you'll be doing?" Natasha questioned. Steve lightly smacked her arm.

"That sounded rude, Natasha. What she's trying to say is, do you know how to handle the guests or would you like some advice?" He corrected.

"Advice would be nice, thank you," Loki aimed for a polite smile, but he probably came across as irritated. Steve and Natasha just kept smiling.

"First, always make sure to ask your customers names. It makes them feel welcomed and like you care," Natasha stated.

"We do care," Steve frowned. "Also, stay positive. It's hard to have a good time when the person entertaining you is frowning or appears disinterested. Focus on the conversation and find common ground to talk about."

"Avoid generally negative topics like sex, drugs, bullying, that kind of stuff. You're just having a nice conversation. Also avoid argumentative topics like politics and religion. Talks get very heated on things like that," Natasha nodded knowingly.

"And don't like the guests push you around. Each of us have gotten threats or sexual harassment. If someone is bothering you, don't let them. Flag one of us down, and we'll take care of it," the blue eyed male insisted.

"Don't be afraid to put on a performance, either. The guests came here to be entertained. Dazzle them. Each of us plans an act for the day and we use it at least once for each guest. You don't have to do anything complicated. Just play off your talents and highlight your attractiveness. Tony and Bruce do acts of insecurity and comfort, sometimes. Clint plays a game with the guests about his great eyesight. You could even see Thor do brief scenes from Shakespeare. Find something to catch the attention of your guests," the redhead smiled.

"About table settings- there's almost always five chairs to a table. The most guests you'll ever have at once would be four, but we can set up your appointments so you never have more than you're comfortable with. On costume days, you might be paired with someone else, but your table will never really be more than a few people."

"Don't think too much about entertaining your customers. Relax and do what you feel is best. There's no need to be nervous. This side of club activities is almost entirely for fun."

"Is that good? I think that should be it. Natasha will help you pick out your costume when doors close, so I think we're done! Alright!" Steve stood and addressed the room. "Places everybody! Doors open in two!"

Loki took a look around to see what had been accomplished while they'd been talking. All of the tables were arranged with five chairs, just as Steve had said. Stacks of teacups and heated pitchers of tea and coffee were decoratively arranged on each one. Each of the hosts held a fabric rose of different color. Steve had baby blue, Clint had purple, Tony had red, Bruce had an oddly beautiful green, Thor held gold, and Natasha had orange. Quietly, Bruce handed Loki a black rose.

"Are these given based on meaning?" Loki wondered.

"They match our types in one way or another," Tony answered. "Now get over here!"

In front of the grey double doors, the hosts gathered around a ornate chair. Steve sat on it like a king would his throne. Natasha just behind him, framed by Tony and Bruce. Clint sat on the floor at Steve's right, and Thor stood to his left.

"Where-where do I fit?" Loki asked, feeling the double meaning more than meaning it. Where did he belong in this group of seemingly perfect people?

"Here! Stand behind me!" Clint beamed. The dark haired teen did as he was told.

Just then, a bell tolled through the room and the double doors were pushed open by the entering guests. The club members held their roses out warmly and greeted their customers with a cheery, "Welcome!"

The guests noticed Loki almost immediately. The chattered amongst themselves in wide-eyed whispers, sometimes pointing or even, in some cases, laughing. The green eyed teen's heart dropped. He really didn't fit did he? They already didn't like him and he hadn't even talked to them yet!

Wicked, filthy, evil, dirty, adopted, adopt- thank you, thank you, thank you, skills, amazing, best outfits ever...

Loki took a deep breath and gave a warm smile to the entering students. Steve gave the signal, and the hosts moved to their tables while he and Natasha seated the guests. Loki caught Steve's eye as he moved to his place, and the blonde gave him a quick thumbs up. The dark haired teen nodded and took another deep breath.

He sat down at his table, placed his rose in front of him, and waited for a guest to pick him. Not even five minutes later, a small blonde female was seated across from him. Loki fidgeted for a moment, wondering what to do, before Steve and Natasha's advice came back to him.

"Hello, my lady. I am Loki. What may your name be?" He asked, even thinking to throw a bit of charm into his voice. He wasn't an actor for nothing after all, and if he couldn't do this, what kind of actor would he be?

"O-oh," a fiery blush burned across her cheeks. "I'm Elise."

"Elise," he murmured. "It's a lovely name. Tell me, Elise, what kind of things do you like? Or did you wish for me to tutor you?" He breathed out softly on the word tutor, and let a hot breath fan across her face. The blush just intensified.

"Wow," Loki heard Steve whispering from across the room. "He's a natural..."

"No training required," Tony piped up thoughtfully, as he and Bruce popped up from behind Steve's couch. The blonde jumped and scowled at them.

"Shouldn't you two be hosting?"

The brunette giggled and dragged his counterpart back to their table. Bruce waved apologetically as he was dragged along.

Loki focused his attention back on Elise. "No, I don't need you to tutor me," she declared; she had once again composed herself. "Things I like? I like to watch anime, sci-fi, and BBC. I usually come to the host club on costume days because it's fun to dress up and not wear the uniform."

"Dress up?" Loki frowned slightly. Did the guests dress up?

"Oh? Did they not tell you about that? The theme of the day is always posted on Monday, and the guests can dress up with the hosts. The club has permission from Chairman Fury for everyone to wear costumes during club hours," Elise informed.

"Is that so? Do you know anything else?" The dark haired teen questioned.

"When they post the theme, they also post what each host will be dressed as. The guests are asked not to wear the same outfits to avoid confusion. I heard the theme was going to be Black Butler? I love that anime!" The blue eyed girl smiled.

"I have not seen it myself," Loki stated quietly. "I am not familiar with any of the characters, though I'm making the costumes. Maybe, you could help me decide?"

"Um, sure? Actually, yeah! That sounds like fun. I do similar stuff with my friends all the time," she pulled out her phone. "We sometimes spend lunch trying to decide which characters we are. Anyway, here's some pictures. If there are any ones you like, let me know and I'll tell you about their relationship with the other characters."

Loki nodded, and they delved deep into a conversation about the strange servants and nobles of the Black Butler universe. Loki didn't care much for anime, but this was something he was going to have to see for himself.

Elise was enthusiastic about the show and the meanings behind it. She explained each character and their backgrounds in painstaking detail. She even presented theories about them and facts about the creators and actors. The blonde was almost bubbly and energetic when she spoke.

When their time was up, Loki politely stood and helped Elise out of her chair. "It was a pleasure to meet you and have a chance to discuss this with you. Maybe, we'll see each other again soon?" The blonde nodded.

"I'll definitely be here on Friday," she grinned. With a little wave, she jogged towards the door. "See you then!" She winked over her shoulder and left.

"I think there's something you should have told us!" Tony chuckled behind him. Loki jumped and turned around. "You are really, really good at that. Too good! I call mind powers! You snuck into her brain and took over didn't you! Seriously though, you're a pro."

"You did very well for your first time," Bruce smiled quietly.

"Alright! Next round, everybody! Clean up and prep for next guest. Doors open in five! Then we'll call it a night!" Steve called through the room as the last guest exited.

"Round?" Loki questioned. There was a lot more to this club than he initially thought.

"Yeah," Clint grinned as he walked past. "We do two rounds of guests a day. You can switch guests during a round, but we take a break between rounds to clean up. Just put dirty teacups in the sink and all that. It also helps guests who have after school activities and couldn't make it otherwise."

The taller teen nodded and moved to wipe down his table. He moved his and Elise's teacups to the sink in the kitchenette. Then he made sure all the chairs at his table were pushed in and the coffee and tea pitchers were still filled and warm. When everything was set, he took his seat again and waited for the next wave of guests.

From then until the end of host hours, Loki tutored two young men and talked with a group of three ladies. The males were polite and didn't acknowledge that they had probably bullied him at one time or another. The ladies were easily excitable and seemed to want to memorize every inch of him with their eyes. There were light conversations and a few laughs. All in all, it wasn't a bad experience.

"So? Whadda'ya think?" Clint and Tony questioned excitedly.

"I would not mind doing this again. I'd be happy to join your club," Loki declared dismissively as he once again cleaned his table. Clint and Tony gave matching whoops of joy and scuttled off, probably to tell Steve and Natasha of the news.

"This is wondrous news, brother! It is great that you wish to participate in our club!" Thor wrapped his arm around Loki's shoulders and jovially pulled him close. The younger male stiffened at the contact.

Adopted, adopted, adopted...

"Don't call me that," Loki frowned.

"What? Brother?" The blonde laughed.

"And don't presume to touch me," Loki growled and shoved Thor arm away from him.

"Brother, you're making little sense," Thor rumbled. Hurt filtered through his deep, blue eyes. "Why shouldn't I call you what you are, and treat you like my brother?"

"You know don't you. You've always known!" The green eyed teen cried and shoved the older boy away.

"Known what?!" Thor shouted and shoved back. Loki stumbled and fell backwards. Tears filled his eyes.

"That I am not an Odinson! That I'm... I'm adopted!" He managed as he began to hiccup. Seeing Thor's shocked face, he quickly picked himself up and ran for the doors. Tony stepped in his path, and Bruce tried to grab him.

"Loki!"

"Hey, wait!"

Clint blocked the door and quietly said, "It's okay. We don't care. You don't have to run." Natasha wrapped her arms around his waist as Steve pulled him into a sideways hug. The rest of the club members surrounded him on all sides and they sank to their knees as a group. "Shhhh, Loki. It doesn't matter."

Skills, amazing, best outfits ever, thank you, good, pro...

Loki never wanted to leave these terribly perfect people.

-{[(•)]}-

After club hours the next day, Loki and Natasha sat down to pick his costume. Loki had an interesting time watching a few episodes the night before, and he had narrowed it down to two characters. The redhead set up her laptop and gave Loki some tea and brief instructions.

"This is a Black Butler wiki page. By clicking on these tabs, you can learn more about the characters. Pick a character, print a picture, learn their basic personality and gestures, then make the costume. Most of the characters have basic pieces like button up shirts and slacks, so don't worry about those. Have fun."

So, Loki researched his first two choices. William T. Spears and Grell Sutcliff. While he and Will seemed similar in appearance, Grell had more relationships with the main characters and just honestly seemed like a more fun choice. The costume would be fun to make, and his attitudes and gestures would be interesting to learn. And Will was so boring it was unattractive.

Loki grinned to himself and printed a picture of the red haired death god. He quietly turned off Natasha's laptop, grabbed his tea, and migrated to the back room. He found the articles he needed for Grell's shirt, vest, and slacks, but he was going to have to make the jacket, necktie, and glasses himself. He'd buy a red wig.

The dark haired teen pulled out his phone and headphones, turning on the full Swan Lake ballet. He carefully searched through the materials for red fabric and colored thread. Once he had his medium, he returned to the couch at the front of the room. He set his things around him. Finally, he set to work.

Making measurements. Carefully outlining. Meticulous cutting. Pinning and eventually beginning to sew. Checking each stitch, testing each piece, fitting them together with lithe fingers and a silver needle.

An hour passed before he finished half of the jacket.

"You know, we have a sewing machine," Bruce called quietly. Loki looked up with a small smile. The shorter teen held two cups of tea. "I could show you where it is."

"I like to work with my own two hands. Helps me feel closer to the piece," he shrugged.

"Piece is right. These are works of art," the brunette commented as he stepped into the room and observed the finished costumes that had been moved to mannequins. He gently ran his fingers across the front of Sebastian's jacket. "Wool. Huh." The brown eyed teen turned to look at Loki. "You're very good at what you do. I'm sure you'll be asked to make all of our costumes from now on."

"I'd be happy to," Loki replied.

"What are you working on?" Bruce asked. He quietly came to sit on the end of the couch. He passed Loki one of the cups of tea, and the dark haired teen gratefully accepted.

"My costume. I will be Grell," the green eyed boy smirked.

"Haha, that's funny. I was going to be Sebastian," Bruce laughed. He sipped at his tea. "Do you mind if I watch you work or come in here to read sometimes?"

"Not at all," Loki waved dismissively. "In fact, your quiet company would be a pleasure."

"Great. It gets noisy out there, and I prefer to keep my blood pressure down."

Loki nodded and the two settled into a comfortable silence. The dark haired teen returned to his sewing, and the brunette pulled a book from the side table to read. Eventually, Loki finished Grell's jacket, and he stood to try it on.

"How's this, Bassy~?" He asked in his best 'Grell voice.' Bruce's head snapped up, and Loki spun flirtatiously. The brunette laughed again and nodded.

"It's great. You'll look just like him." The two shared a smile before Loki sat once more and began to work on the necktie.

"Question," he called as he pulled the thread tight. "When are we required to leave? Because I could work all night."

"Oh," Bruce pushed his glasses up. "Well, you don't have to leave at a certain time. A lot of students live in the dorms, and there's no curfew. So you really just leave whenever you and Thor are comfortable."

"Alright."

After finishing the bow, Loki decided to call it a night and head home. He put his materials away, packed his things, and said goodbye to the club. Then he walked with Thor to the blonde's silver pickup truck, Mjoinir. The younger would never understand why his bro- why Thor felt the need to not only name his truck, but name it after a mythological artifact. Their family really did have problems...

The drive home was silent but for the soft rock music drifting through the speakers. Loki sighed quietly and looked out the window. He had wanted to ask Thor something for days now, but he wasn't sure he'd like the answer.

"Loki? Is something troubling you?" The blonde had to ask. Loki sighed once more and pressed his forehead to the window.

"Why did you treat me the way you did, before I joined the host club? You... You glared at me, and you snapped at me constantly, and you went through my room," he whispered. Loki refused to admit that Thor's actions had hurt his feelings.

"Anthony found you were being bullied, and I was upset," the blue eyed male admitted. "I was upset at those barbarians, at you, but mostly at me. I'm supposed to be you big brother. How could I not see something like that? How could I not notice you were in pain?"

Loki scoffed. "You never noticed before."

"I did not know the extent of your torment, and for that I apologize."

"Not for that, you idiot! Ye gods, you're dumber than I originally thought." Words chosen to bite, to cause pain. "You really are dense, Thor."

"Loki... I don't understand."

"And you probably never will."

The previous silence was now extremely tense. The truck pulled into the Odinson's driveway, and Loki quickly got out. He stalked up the stairs to the door and slammed it behind him.

"Loki?" Frigga called, sounding confused. The dark haired teen ignored her to head to his room. He threw his school bag on the chair at his desk and angrily pulled off his tie. The rest of his grey and black uniform was shed as he moved to the back corner of his room. A box was hidden under the floorboards there, and in that box rested his crafting materials and sewing kit.

Still frustrated, the teen turned the radio to the classical station and blared the music as loud as it would go. He checked his door to make sure it was locked before he flopped on the bed and began to make Grell's glasses.

An hour later, Thor pounded on his door.

An hour after that, Frigga called, saying it was time for dinner.

Four hours after he had come home, Odin finally stood outside his door.

"Loki, we need to talk."

"I have no desire to talk to you," Loki snapped and almost bent the frames of the glasses.

"We will talk, Loki."

"As I recall, you are not my father!"

"Loki! We will talk whether you like it or not!"

Loki growled and stood before the door but refused to touch it. "You can shout your vile words at me all day, Odin, but I will not be opening this door!"

"I raised you, and you will treat me with respect!"

"I do what I want!"

"Open this door, Loki! Now!"

"No!"

"Open this door, or I swear on my beard that I will knock it down!"

"Have fun shaving!"

Knowing Odin was probably angry enough to actually knock down the door, Loki quickly hid his materials back under the floorboards. He breathed heavily in anticipation, but nothing happened.

"Loki," this time a plea. "Please. I want to talk to you. Shouting will get us nowhere. I need... I need to talk to you."

"What?" The boy snapped, ignoring the burning behind his eyelids. "So you can tell me more horrible secrets that you've hidden from me?"

Silence.

Then, "I'm sorry."

Odin's heavy footsteps moved away from the door and down the hall. Tears dripped from Loki's eyes and he threw himself on his bed. Burying his face in his pillow, he began to sob.

-{[(•)]}-

Friday came, and Loki couldn't say he'd ever been this excited. He dressed so quickly he almost forgot his wig and glasses. He did forget his lunch, but Thor noticed his mood and packed an extra one. Loki was practically vibrating in the passenger's seat on the ride to school.

"I'm not sure you've ever looked so pleased," Thor laughed.

"Thor! Thor, you don't understand! I get to act! I get to be a whole new and different person!" Loki cried and waved dramatically. "You know Odin hates it when I perform! But it's sooooo much fuuuuuuuuuuun!"

"Loki, did you sleep at all?"

"Of course! What kind of actor would I be, if I couldn't get a good night's rest before a show?"

"I think we need to keep you away from the television for a while."

Eventually, they arrived and Loki sprang from the car and rushed to his class, as though it might make it happen sooner. Bruce and Tony were already there, and they chuckled at his enthusiastic behavior.

"Your tie is on backwards."

Loki glanced down, saw it to be true, and went about fixing it.

"Soooo," Tony drawled. "Did you finish you Grell costume?"

"Yesssssss! It's going to be so perfect! I just wish I had a chainsaw to carry around." The dark haired teen pouted at the thought.

"I think this is the most expressive we've seen him," Tony whispered to Bruce. "Should I tell him now or wait 'til later?"

"Might as well; no point in waiting. He'll be just as excited either way," Bruce whispered back. The brunettes turned to Loki with excited gleams in their matching brown eyes.

"So, at lunch, you should come to the club room. The hosts try to eat together on dress up days," Tony suggested casually. "We've got a... You know, a thing for you. We have a surprise. Not a thing. That sounds like we like you, like, like like you, and that's weird cause we don't-"

"Tony. Rambling."

"Right." The slimed brunette grinned. "Anyway, lunch, club room, be there!"

"Sure?" Loki replied.

-[]-

Classes were soooooo long and boring when you had something much better you could be doing. Like brushing your wig and putting on fake eyelashes. Loki gave a devilish grin, not noticing the swooning girls near him. Tony and Bruce exchanged knowing looks.

Luckily, the classes ended soon and lunch finally came. The students stood at the chime of the bell and began to pack their books into their bags. Tony, Loki, and Bruce walked to each other's lockers and waited until all of their bags were put away. Then they grabbed their lunches; the trio chatted happily as they walked to the club room.

Steve and Natasha conversed quietly at a table near the windows while Natasha once again typed away at her laptop. Tony, Loki, and Bruce filled the next table. Thor came in shortly after and moved to make himself a drink at the kitchenette. Clint came in last.

"Sorry," the smallest blonde called cheerfully. "Was talking with Phil and Peter."

"Pete's a nice kid," Steve nodded thoughtfully. Everyone migrated to the trio's table and began to eat their lunch. Mindless chatter filled the silence, and the smells of delicious food floated throughout the room. Bruce got up once to make tea. Tony begged him to also make coffee while he was up. Bruce just snorted.

Towards the end of lunch, Bruce gave Tony a demanding look, and Tony finally piped up, "Hey, Lokes!"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't be a sour grape! Bruce and I made you something. Since you pretty much made all the costumes by yourself, and did a freaking awesome job by the way, we thought we'd, you know, pay you back a little," Tony rushed, a small blush smattering his cheeks.

"Oh. That's not... Not necessary. You already stopped the bullying, and I was happy to do it, wanted to do it. You... You really didn't have to," Loki assured with an embarrassed frown. This time, Clint and Natasha shared a look.

"It's fine! We always deal with the mechanical parts of the costumes anyway. So, um..." The brunette scuttled over to a cabinet and pulled out a long, thick box. "Here." Loki gently took the box and set it on the floor. A flick of his fingers and the locks popped open. He lifted the lid; Loki gasped.

Grell's chainsaw. It was Grell's beautiful red chainsaw. It was painted in painstaking detail, and each of the parts looked real. He gave the draw string an experimental tug and was surprised when it moved.

"I-I don't.. can't... Thank you," the misty, green eyed teen managed. He gingerly pulled the chainsaw from its case and found it to be light, but durable. "Can I... Can I lean on it?"

"Of course!" Tony scoffed. To show it true, the brunette flipped the chainsaw upside down and leaned heavily on it. "Bruce and I don't make junk."

"Thank you so much. No one's... No one's ever done anything like this for me before," Loki pulled the chainsaw back to him, and his fingers automatically wrapped around the handle. Without thought, his weight shifted on to one foot and his hip jutted out slightly. He flipped his hair, and the club stared in awe.

"Wow. Um, Natasha, I think you've got some competition for best actor," Clint blinked owlishly. The redhead just laughed.

"You'll see once I'm in costume."

The club left the room with smiles on their faces. Natasha stopped Loki in the hallway. She held out a box slightly larger than Loki's fist. "Everyone loves their costumes. So I thought I'd get you something. Seems the boys had the same idea." Loki opened the box to find two sets of fake teeth, the edges sharpened to shark-like points. "You probably don't have something to make your teeth look like Grell's, so I figured I buy you these."

"Thank you."

-[]-

School ended, and the hosts moved back to the club room to prep for the afternoon. Everyone helped arrange tables and chairs. Bruce and Tony made drinks, Clint set the tables, Loki checked the costumes, Steve arranged decorations, and Natasha called out names, characters, relationships, and traits as last minute tips and reminders.

Once the room was ready, the hosts grabbed their costumes and went to the curtained dressing rooms on the left wall of the back room. A simple mirror was hung in each stall, and a chair served as a vanity table. The club members dressed in their costumes, did their makeup, and put on their wigs or styled their hair. As each moved to step into the main room, Natasha checked makeup and Loki checked costumes. Ties were adjusted, heavier blush was applied, and wigs were combed once more.

"Alright, everyone!" Steve called. "From this moment on, you are your character! You as a host does not exist! I don't want to hear any real names, only names of characters. Practice your voices and gestures! Doors open in five!"

Due to the clumsy nature of some of the characters, their usual teacups and dish-ware had been replaced with a separate set for just this kind of occasion. The tablecloths were a deep blue with sliver and gold trimmings. The grey curtains had been replaced with ones that matched. As a game for each round, there was a pentacle taped to the underside of one chair. The winner got a kiss on the cheek from their host of choice.

At first, Loki had been confused by the costume selections they had, but as he watched the others interact, he began to understand. Clint had said Tony was their Ciel because he was the smallest besides Natasha, the rich one, and the one that could be both adorable and annoying. Bruce was Sebastian, because while normally witty and polite, he could become a beast when angered. Natasha, as the only female, was Mey-rin. Steve was Bard for his Americanness. Clint was Finner because of his energy and hidden strength. Loki was, of course, Grell, and Thor was Pluto for his puppy-like nature.

Tony/Ciel was currently ordering Bruce/Sebastian around flawlessly. Natasha/Mey-rin, Clint/Finny, and Steve/Bard were acting like the clumsy trio they were. Thor/Pluto trotted around the club room and occasionally nipped at Bruce/Sebastian's heels. Everyone's makeup, hair, and costumes seemed to be holding fine, so Loki felt free to pull out his chainsaw and practice poses.

"Oh!" Steve/Bard called in a strong American accent. "I alm'st forgot! Guests are allowed to take pictures, so don't hide from them cameras, aye?"

"Aye!" Natasha/Mey-rin and Clint/Finny gushed.

Bruce/Sebastian scoffed and smirked, "If I couldn't even be forced into awkward pictures for my master, then what kind of butler would I be?" Tony/Ciel laughed.

"Hold!" Natasha/Mey-rin called suddenly. "We forgot to mention. If for any reason you need to step out of character, just call hold and do what you need to do. If it's something like going to the bathroom, you could choose to stay in character, but if you've got to leave, definitely inform me or Steve. To step back into character, say 'Lay-on.' These are the basic rules, so don't think to much about them. Anyway, Lay-on!"

"Posi'ions! Doors open!" Steve/Bard called. The cast moved to the chair facing the door. This time, Tony/Ciel sat in the chair with Bruce/Sebastian at his right. The servant trio stood in a line off to his left, Thor/Pluto lay at his feet, and Loki/Grell took a position near Bruce/Sebastian.

The guests opened the doors and made varying sounds of delight. As a unit, the cast called, "Welcome!" A few girls made squees of joy. The servant trio stepped forward to seat the guests, and the other four members retreated to their tables. Almost immediately, three girls sat at Loki/Grell's table.

"Well, aren't you precious~!" He purred. "I could eat you right up!" Loki/Grell made sure to snap his teeth extra hard to draw attention to the pointed tips. One of the girls gasped happily. "I'm Grell Sutcliff, the most beautiful shinigami of them all~! And who might you lovely ladies be?" He found himself falling in love with his character even now. Why didn't he do this more often?

The two girls and Elise, who he recognized, smiled happily. "I'm Emily," the second blonde said. "You've already met Elise, and this one is Liandra." The tiny brunette grinned and waved. "Your costume is amazing! I seriously love Grell, and I swear, you look just like him!"

"Hmmm? Costume~? Darling, this is all real," he smirked and tilted his chin up haughtily. "And who else would I look like~?"

"Right," Emily's mouth made a little 'o' shape.

"Anyway, sweets, I'm just dying to learn more about you~!" Loki/Grell leaned forward and made the reaper's classic sign for 'deadly.' Liandra, Elise, and Emily shared a look.

"We all like pretty similar things," Liandra shrugged. "Anime, fanfiction, role playing."

"Really~? Tell me more about this anime of yours," he promoted. And that sent the group into a long discussion of favorite animes, favorite characters, something about boats, and manga vs anime. When there came a lull in the conversation, Loki/Grell pounced on his chance to do his planned act for the day.

"Well, dears, I love talking with you, but I just can't sit still when such a handsome man is in the room. How can I possibly have ignored my Bassy for so long? It must be you ladies~!" The girls giggles, which motivated him to continue. "Let's go check on him, shall we~?" The trio nodded, so they stood.

Loki/Grell made a show of pulling his chainsaw from under the table and swinging it up on to his shoulder. Emily gasped and wistfully put her hand out to touch.

"Ah, ah, ah! This is made of a sharp material that could cut through anything~! Wouldn't want to chop off your pretty little fingers, now would we?" He admonished. "Anyway, let's go get Bassy~!"

Loki/Grell purposefully sauntered off, and the girls happily followed. He stood behind Tony/Ciel and Bruce/Sebastian's couch and waited for a lull in the conversation. It came soon enough, as the girls across from his targets noticed him quickly and realized what he must have been planning. One of them giggled into her hands and Bruce/Sebastian tensed when he spoke.

"Oh, Bassy~!" Loki/Grell chimed and leaned forward to snuggle the butler in front of him. "You still owe me the kiss that brat promised me! With tongue~!"

"Never will I kiss you, Grell. Every part of me exists to serve the young master, including my lips. To share them with you would be scandalous," Bruce/Sebastian responded in a composed, flawless British accent.

"I don't know, Sebastian," Tony/Ciel teased in another perfect accent. "A promise is a promise." For a moment, it seemed as though one of the girls was going to faint.

"Hmph! I don't want an unwilling kiss from Bassy! I want a kiss filled with the hot red flames of passion!" Loki/Grell pouted. Behind him, Emily chittered excitedly to Elise and Liandra.

"I am not at all sad to say that that will never happen," Bruce/Sebastian declared, with a hint of smugness.

"Ah, so cold~! So brutal~! It fills my heart with deadly love!" Loki/Grell cried. With a smirk, he pecked the butler's cheek and began to saunter off. "Later, Bassy~!"

Loki/Grell and his guests returned to their table and quickly resumed their conversation. Sadly, their time ended and they had to leave. The first round was over, and it was time to clean up and recuperate.

"Doors open in five!" Steve/Bard called. Loki/Grell went around checking costumes once more, and each member of the cast cleaned up their designated area. Natasha/Mey-rin, Clint/Finny, and Steve/Bard had a quick moment of panic where they had to clean up the glass from a shattered teacup, but everything was fine soon after.

The doors opened once more and the next round of guests trickled in. They weren't as interested in him, so Loki/Grell decided to take a walk and interact with the other cast members some more. First, the servant trio. Natasha/Mey-rin 'accidentally' spilled tea across the table, and Clint/Finny quickly picked the guest up and carried them out of the way.

"I'm right sorry, yes I am!" Natasha/Mey-rin shrieked and quickly grabbed some napkins to clean up the mess.

"It's alright, really!" The guest laughed. "Finny, you can put me down now."

"Yes, ma'am!" Clint/Finny nodded with an energetic smile and gingerly placed the girl on the ground.

Loki/Grell skipped Thor/Pluto and decided to sit with Tony/Ciel and Bruce/Sebastian for a while. The other hosts pulled him into their conversation with their guests, and the five of them chatted pleasantly for a while. Loki/Grell flirted shamelessly, Bruce/Sebastian admonished him, and Tony/Ciel rolled his big, blue, contact-covered eye.

Suddenly, a large, balding man entered the room. Tony/Ciel looked up, met the man's eye, and went white as a sheet.

"Hold!" He called loudly. The room filled with an uncomfortable silence, and Tony quickly stood and rushed to the man.

"We're sorry everyone. I'm afraid we'll have to call an early end to hosting hours today," Steve announced over the quiet murmuring of Tony and the strange man. "Thank you for your time. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please, feel free to join us again."

"What?" Loki whispered in confusion. He stood and quickly rushed to where the other hosts were gathering. The guests politely filled out without complaint. Clint crushed his straw hat to his chest with a dark look on his face.

"I hate that man."

Coming from always-happy-always-energetic Clint, it sounded fairly harsh. Loki stepped back slightly, more confused than ever. Thor nodded to Clint's statement. Bruce sighed and pulled his glasses from his jacket, moving to clean them with his shirt.

"He is terrible."

And always-polite-always-kind Bruce, as well? What had this man done?

"I wish Tony would let us at him," Natasha frowned and crossed her arms tightly over her maid costume.

"I don't understand," Loki finally admitted. "Who is that man?"

Steve sighed and waved the group over to the largest table. Once they were seated, he began to speak. "That is Obediah Stane, Tony's legal guardian. Tony's parents died in a car crash a year ago, and Stane became Tony's caretaker. The problem is, he's horrible."

"Awful," Bruce nodded.

"Nasty," Natasha hissed.

"Mean," Clint frowned.

"A demon," Thor spat, and there were nods and murmurs of agreement.

"What is so horrible about him?" Loki questioned and glanced towards Tony and his guardian.

"He uses Tony. Constantly. You might not know this, but Tony's dad, Howard, used to produce weapons. The family is made of geniuses, including Tony. Stane makes Tony design weapons," Steve growled.

"What?" Loki frowned. "How does he make him?"

"He doesn't buy groceries," Natasha offered.

"Takes Tony's bed away," Clint huffed.

"Leaves the heater off," Bruce sighed.

"Locks him in the house," Thor admitted. Loki turned and openly stared at the man in horror. Quickly, he turned back to the hosts.

"Can't we do something? Shouldn't we tell somebody?" He demanded.

"Who? Stane gets a lot of money for those weapons. Everytime we've tried, he's paid them to keep quiet," Steve sighed and rubbed at his temples.

"You're telling the wrong people," Loki stated. Who could they tell? Who wouldn't care about money? "Have you told Chairman Fury?"

"Of course!" Clint snapped. "But the only thing he can legally do is call the cops! And the cops were all paid off!"

A dull smack, and the hosts turned to see that Tony had been slapped to the floor. Loki growled. He was done with bullies and abusers and liars!

The dark haired teen surged forward and stepped between Tony and his guardian. "I don't care who you think you are. You are a bully, and our job is to handle the bullies that come to this school. Hurt him again, and I will end you." There was a long moment of shocked silence before Stane had the audacity to laugh.

"You'll end me? Please! You're a teenager! What are you going to do? Go home and tell your mom?" The man laughed again. "Come on, Tony." When the brunette made no move to stand, Stane roughly grabbed his arm and pulled him up. "It's time to go home."

"Stop, you're hurting me," Tony pushed against Stane. "I don't want to go! Leave me alone!"

"Loki, wait!" Steve called. Stronger arms pulled the dark haired teen back. "Let him go! Natasha got connections to important people, and we set up cameras in case Stane came around. We just have to send the video."

"And Stane will be gone? Tony will be safe?" Loki demanded.

"Yes," Natasha confirmed, her laptop already out again. "Tony has a friend name Rhodey. His parents have agreed to take Tony in. Not only that, but Tony will take a more active role in the company, which should belong to him. As stated in Howard's will, when Tony reaches twenty-one, he will take the reins and be in complete control."

"Does Tony know?"

"No, he doesn't."

"When contacting authorities didn't work, we set this plan up to take care of the problem. Chairman Fury helped a little bit, of course. But we're the Avengers, and we do our own work."

"I'm so glad."

-{[(•)]}-

Within the month, the video was not only released to the media, but also a few congressmen and the man who may or may not be the president. Stane was removed from the company and put into jail. His assets went to Tony, who stayed in contact with the Board of Directors. Stark Industries gradually stopped producing weapons, and the stock market boomed when they introduced the new StarkPhone.

Eventually, Loki sat down to talk with his father, mother, and brother. They worked out their issues, and it was clarified that though Loki had been adopted, he was loved just as much as their own son and brother.

The host club never really ended. Through a brief rivalry for Loki with Hydra Academy, the disaster that was Halloween, their adventures at the tropical water park, a dramatic stint at the beach, and the beautiful mess of the Shield Academy Fair, the members stayed together. Even when Thor and Clint graduated, the group of seven continued to meet. Peter Parker soon joined the club, and Phil Coulson became the Club Manager.

Loki's one day never came, but through a gradual change, his life became perfect anyway.

A/N: Sorry for the rushed ending. I wasn't sure how to end it, so I went with summary of resolution! *leaves out basket of tomatoes*

Also, I apologize for the delayed updates. I'm terrible; I know. I'm working on updating Fallen right now, but I'm a little stuck.

Go check out ScarlettOakenshield's profile! (She's in my favorites!) Her and I are collaborating on her new Hetalia fanfiction, Ashes! It's angst, romantic, funny, and awesome. I also wrote this one shot with her in mind, as well as my other friends!

QUESTION OF THE UPDATE! What would your ultimate cosplay be? If you could do anything, and dress up as any character, who would you choose? Neko!TonyStark, I choose you!