An

This is from AO3 and the author is MysticMedusa btw

Tony tried to be a good guy, even the score of his death toll from his Merchant of Death days, and be what the Avengers had needed him to be. Apparently that wasn't going to happen though. He had a witch mess with his head which resulted in JARVIS's death and Ultron's creation, Steve had completely ignored him when he said Wanda was bad news, the superhero civil war happened, and even though they broke a shit ton of laws the rogues had been brought back and dropped on Tony's doorstep. Seriously what else was Tony supposed to do but realize his life as a superhero just wasn't meant to be?

1 Loki

Tony had found Loki's hideout on earth and waited in his living room with that drink he'd promised all those years ago. The god of mischief had come home to find Tony lounging seductively on his couch with the best alcohol money could buy scattered around him just waiting for the mage.

"Hello there my prince, I've come to put in my application to be your slave/minion. All I need in return is appreciation and love. Maybe some cuddles, I'm a very touchy feely person and that seems like a fair exchange for my undying loyalty."

Loki was utterly confused by the sight of his admittedly most interesting and intelligent opponent among the mortals of this realm. Seeing the genius laid out and offering both himself and loyalty to him was tempting. Very, very tempting. The god had to shake himself out of that train of thought and remind himself not to be a bad villain. Good villains didn't sleep with heroes. Sure they corrupted heroes if possible and destroyed them, even manipulate them if possible but they did not sleep with them.

Bad Loki, do not sleep with the really sexy genius.

His face must have betrayed his inner thoughts because the genius walked over to him with a slight swing to those very attractive hips.

Oh Norns if he turns around and shows me that deliciously attractive *** of his I will lose this battle to temptation.

Loki did not lose battles. He let a cool mask of indifference overtake his face as the genius wrapped his arms around his neck and pressed his well-toned form against the god's.

Damn this sexy mortal temptress and his attractive form.

On the outside Loki was as the mortal say cool as a cucumber but on the inside he was cursing the genius and every single force in the nine realms that brought their paths to intertwine because he would end up claiming this mortal all over his home. He was supposed to be a supervillain! He would not be led astray by...

By Odin's beard his lips are the softest I've felt!

Loki forced himself to have self-control and put the genius at arm's length even though he wanted to continue ravishing the man's mouth. He shouldn't have let the mortal close enough to kiss him!

"Listen to me Anthony Stark, you are a hero. Your heart and soul betray you in your quest to try and walk the same path as I do. These mortals of this realm are beneath me, they are mere ants waiting for the boot to crush them. You do not nor will you ever see them as I do. So you will return to your home and continue on the path you walk as a hero. Continue to shine as a beacon of hope to the lowly creatures of this world that do not deserve you yet continue to have you leading them from the destruction and horrors those like myself bring."

Loki froze when the genius engulfed him in a hug. It was not painful as Thor's were but gentle and comforting. If only he'd met this hero long before, perhaps he would have saved him to.

"Come man of iron, I shall take you home."

Tony Stark did not lie when he said he was a very touchy feely person. Loki carried the genius on his back the entire way back to his home. Of course the god of mischief hid them from sight. He was a good supervillain; no one was going to see him taking the hero home safely. It would ruin his credibility among the other villains and give Thor uselessly hopeful ideas.

\~

2 Magneto

Erik most commonly known as Magneto knew mutants were the future. He gathered his forces, worked to show the humans their time was at an end, that mankind had evolved to a higher level and that level was mutantkind.

His stance was well known, his enemies numbered against him and his cause, which was why he was confused as to why a very human and very heroic Tony Stark was here before him.

"So I could probably design a weapon that would wipe out all non-mutant humans. You'd appreciate if I did that for you right? You wouldn't accept my gift for you and then badmouth me and say I'm just trying to buy your love or friendship? I'm a futurist and a scientist, I know how evolution works. Quite frankly I believe mankind has been doomed for a long time. Might as well help the evolutionary train move along."

Erik sighed as he took in the dark shadows under the man's eyes as well as the redness that showed he'd either been holding back tears or had already let his tears run dry.

"Let's get you home Dr. Stark, no making chemical weapons though mutants everywhere would remember you fondly for centuries to come if you helped us."

He picked up the genius who giggled slightly clearly half mad from lack of sleep.

"I knew you were my favorite mutant ever for a reason!"

Erik didn't comment on that.

"For what reason have you come to me to offer a way to accomplish my goal which I might remind you would put an end to your own life as well? I did not take you for the suicidal type."

Though he cared nothing for humans, he had a fair amount of respect for Tony Stark. The man was intelligent and more than capable of destroying this world with that alone. It was his strength and his weapon that he wielded with skill he could admit he envied. Though the man came from a background that happily sowed the seeds of war he had changed and moved to better the world. For that he was someone the mutant would hate to see go when mutants took their place as the rightful rulers of this world. It was his respect alone for this man that he did not take advantage of him in his exhausted and hurt state to use whatever weapon he could create.

"The rogues have been back for months now and all they do is talk shit but they're more than happy to accept my toys and money. I'm trying my best..." Erik was shocked to hear a sniffle like the genius was going to cry.

Please dear god don't let him cry. I'd burn the world not to see him cry. He'd probably look like an irresistible puppy.

Erik will never admit out loud he had a weakness for cute puppies. Every man had his Achilles' heel, cute puppies were his.

"You know Cap just today said I've had everything handed to me in life and that I've never really worked a hard day's labor in my life? I'm overworked trying to meet their demands, the UN's demands, Stark Industries demands. Plus I'm mentoring young minds! That last one I don't mind, kids are awesome. They're our future you know; we should be kind to children."

Another point of respect he had for the genius. The other so called heroes were happy to fight the battle then return home. Tony Stark never forgot the damage or victims left behind as he put efforts towards relief of those affected by battles. He did that as well as raise money for various charities and indeed worked to better the future of young minds.

"He is a fool and his brain the size of a walnut, do not listen to his nonsense."

Tony Stark actually giggled again before he seemed to start dozing off as the mutant carried him. He didn't bother with doors and simply flew directly to the roof of the Compound that was home to the Avengers. He was not surprised to see Vision waiting there for him. The android should fear what the mutant could do to him but instead he faced him with little fear. Erik was impressed with the creation of Tony Stark. He held out the genius who slumbered away. He did not look back to ensure the genius was safe with the android. It was a struggle though he wasn't sure why.

\~

3 Thanos

Thanos had seen many things in his years of life. The small and oddly adorable human sitting on his throne was perhaps the strangest thing he'd seen. He looked at his adoptive daughter Nebula who was equally confused by the human and how he got here.

The genius opened his eyes and looked at Thanos stealing the breathe from his lungs.

Such an adorable brown doe eyed creature!

Thanos was said to have no weaknesses. This was a lie. Lady Death and his love for her was a weakness. Adorable precious creatures like this that must be protected were another.

Why does he have to be so cute! Now I can't destroy his planet.

His face did not betray his inner thoughts. He could wait out the human's lifespan before attacking his world. Who was to question him, he was an immortal blood thirsty tyrant.

"So hey I know you sent Loki-dokey to attack earth and he failed and all that. So if you shower me with love and never insult my intelligence I'll totally hand over earth to you. I make great weapons and I can hack into anything! The earth won't know what hit them if I'm on your side!"

Thanos could read the human well.

I will crush whatever foolish creature has made this doe eyed delight feel unloved!

Thanos considered the offer. He could keep the adorable creature and shower him with love and still offer up his entire realm to his lady love. He decided against it. Nebula was already jealous of Gamora. If he kept the human she'd likely kill him within a day.

"Nebula, take this mortal home and place him safely within his bed."

Nebula looked offended and utterly confused by the order. Thanos couldn't resist petting the mortal who leaned into the gentle touch like a cat. Thanos might still go to earth during the human's lifetime if only so he could see him and shower him with love in the form of the mutilated corpses of those who made him suffer. It would be a nice present. He'd have to find out when the human's birthday was to do it.

\~

4 Hela

Hela wasn't surprised by anything anymore. She ruled the dead, all manner of beings crossed into her realm. She was also the daughter of the god of mischief Loki. Truly nothing could faze her.

There is a mortal, a LIVING mortal in my realm. Why is there a living mortal in my realm?

She kept these thoughts to herself and approached the mortal who held up a gift for her. She accepted still confused until she felt the softest fabric she'd ever felt in her many years alive. It was a beautiful dress and in her favorite shade of green. The second gift to be handed to her was a beautifully crafted sword that radiated power when she held it.

Oh if only this mortal was courting me. Such lovely gifts that could make even the Allfather green with envy.

"Please don't send me away." The mortal pleaded with her causing her long since dead heart to break. "I'll help you capture as many Aesir souls as you want! I'll be loyal even after I take my last breathe."

She knelt down and touched the mortal's cheek. A quick work of her magic revealed to her the mortal's suffering. A witch with red magic bringing him unending nightmares, a former friend with a similar build to her uncle's talking down to him with words that claimed him always wrong, snide remarks from a very unimpressive group that consisted of an archer, a spider, and a falcon with mechanical wings. Oh how she longed to tear them apart.

She picked up the mortal and cradled him close.

"I will love you and cherish you when your time has come my beautiful bright soul. For now, you must return to your own realm and not rush back to me. If you try to return here before your time I cannot accept you."

She placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead forcing him to sleep. She rocked him gently as he slept as she worked her magic to shield his mind from the wretched woman claiming herself a witch. She looked forward to the day both entered her realm permanently. The mortal with the bright soul would become her most precious treasure. The mortal witch she would tear apart for all eternity.

\~

5 Surtur

Surtur knew the realm he resided in was far too hot for a mortal to survive in. Why there was a tiny little human there he did not know. He lowered his massive form to look at the human that seemed comfortable in the burning heat.

"The cold just hasn't left since Siberia when I was betrayed." The mortal said aloud to himself before adorable sad eyes turned to the fire demon. "So I heard you're an enemy of Odin. Don't make me go back to being cold and I'll help you kill him."

Surtur might have accepted the offer but he'd heard rumors. Thanos was a terrifying opponent but it seemed he'd taken favor of a certain doe eyed mortal. As had Hela and her father Loki. He knew not if these rumors were true but he was no fool to make so many powerful enemies at once. He sent one of his underlings to take the mortal back but not before he pet the mortal. He was indeed like a cute beast one would keep as a pet and shower with love. He could see the appeal and the need to crush those who hurt him.

\~

+1

After one of the fire demons of Muspelheim had dropped Tony off with Loki the god had decided he'd had enough of the so called heroes that allowed the genius to suffer so that he'd seek the path of a villain. It was becoming clear the avengers that had once been criminals were constantly tearing apart the genius with their harsh false words. Loki could sense his daughter's magic on the genius and had taken a few moments to try and understand how the mortal had not only traveled to Muspelheim but also Niflheim where his daughter ruled over the dead. A quick scan as he held the genius had shown he'd come into contact with Thanos as well.

After returning the genius to his home he'd begun his plans. It was surprisingly easy given that he had failed Thanos, he as a prince of Asgard was not welcome by Surtur, he and his daughter were sometimes at odds, and the mortal villain known as Magneto wasn't overly impressed by anyone that wasn't a mutant.

When Loki arrived outside the compound with his allies at his side he had to resist smiling when the avengers rushed out geared up and ready for a fight. Thor had stopped as he stared up, up, and even higher up to stare at the massive form of the fire demon Surtur. His size no doubt alerting many in the realm for miles of what was happening at the avenger compound.

The only one not present was Tony but that didn't last long as the genius poked his head out not even bothering to put on his armor. Hela smiled as she opened her arms for him and letting the genius rush into her awaiting embrace. She ran her fingers though his hair and offering him a gentle smile that made her battle armor almost look less intimidating.

"Hello my precious genius, has my magic worked to keep the worthless witch out of your head?"

Loki refused to admit he was jealous of his daughter getting attention. Thanos for a ruthless murderer who had ended countless realms was ridiculously more frightening as he cooed at the genius and petted him. Loki got the impression of a cat as he butted his head against the mad titan's hand. Even Surtur knelt down which did nothing to make his massive size less intimidating so he too could use a finger to pet the genius.

"He's oddly adorable." Nebula, Thanos's adopted daughter and a well-known assassin commented with only a hint of gentleness to her tone.

"He's adorable and I will crush anyone who dares hurt him." Hela said her tone now icy but her expression softened when Tony nuzzled into her like an affectionate animal.

"Wh....Hela? Loki? Why are you here with the mad titan and Surtur?" Thor asked his voice a horrified whisper.

Magneto who had remained in the background moved forward looming over them with an impressive amount of doom radiating from his form.

"You do not deserve the genius of Anthony Stark. Abuse the gifts and time he offers you again and we shall take him and end your pathetic kind."

At that each of the villains turned their icy and protective gazes at them promising death. Thor paled knowing the destructive force of one of them alone and knew not even Asgard's forces could take on Thanos, Hela, Surtur, and Loki on at once. Add to that Magneto and whatever forces they brought with them and Thor could only guess how long before they'd be slaughtered. There was no if of that happening, only the timeframe of their demise.

Loki did not need to be a mind reader to know his not-brother was thinking about returning to Asgard and never return to the realm that seemed set on dooming all worlds.

"You can't just come here and try and bully us into submission." Steve said regaining his voice as his grip on his shield tightened.

Thanos grinned cold and cruel.

"Little mortal, you may be impressive here but while you've managed to protect this world once from me I have ended countless others. The only thing saving your realm from me is this delightful creature." He took Tony from Hela and the genius didn't even protest.

Thanos was no less frightening as he cradled a comfortable and content genius in his arms.

"Hurt him again and we will return and slaughter you." Surtur growled at them.

"Death will not be the end either." Hela gave a frightening smile that promised nothing but unending pain.

"I doubt these fools will heed our warning. I shall stay to ensure his safety." Loki offered which earned a look of distrust from Thanos as he held the genius away from him.

"Are you planning to sleep with him?"

Loki didn't even bother to hide his smile.

"I shall appreciate him and shower him with affection in my own way."

Tony seemed to perk up at that.

"Yay!" Loki tried not to die from cuteness overload as the genius reached for him. Nebula wasn't as lucky as she swooned right into Magneto's arms.

Thanos grumbled but he handed over the genius. Loki couldn't stop his grin from showing as he pushed past the shocked avengers with the genius in his arms. As expected the government had a lot to say about the aliens now hanging around the compound and the genius. Nebula and Loki stayed permanently and intimidated the once rogue avengers into shutting the hell up because everything that came out of their mouths about Tony made them want to murder the humans. Thanos, Hela, and Surtur were like protective uncles and aunts that visited every weekend and the government had given up trying to stop them. Magneto came around only enough to remind the rogues that he could crush them in their own home because he controlled metal.

Thor had informed Asgard of what happened and Odin had sent Thor right back and told him to keep the enemies of the nine realms happy otherwise he'd banish him to a realm far worse than Midgard next time. Loki had nearly died from lack of air as he fell over laughing hysterically as Thor cried in a corner saying he didn't want to be a prince anymore.

Two weekends in Thanos punched Steve in his perfect teeth, Hela turned Wanda's magic against her in retaliation for her accusing Tony of being a monster, Surtur 'accidently' burned the widow's and hawk's bedrooms, and Magneto crushed Falcon's wings with little effort to remind him not to mess with him. Other than continuing to silently promise horrible painful murder to the once rogues, Loki got along wonderfully with Vision, Bucky and Nebula became murderous assassin besties(Tony's words not Loki's), Thanos and Rhodey became drinking buddies, Hela(much to Loki's horror) started a strange and epic romance with Pepper Potts(who Loki learned very early on was a terrifying and powerful woman that you did not mess with), and Surtur and Happy(a strange name for the friend and bodyguard of Anthony Stark) had become strange friends. Loki found it all very odd but he had little time for that as he showered the sexy and adorable genius with all the love and affection he could.

An

This is also from AO3

"So, Tony is a corgi now."

"What an observation, Clint. We hardly noticed," said Natasha, holding said corgi, who was squirming in her grasp.

Tony-corgi bared his teeth, almost in resemblance to a grin and then yipped a couple of times, almost mockingly, before remembering that the sounds that came out of his mouth were clearly not human. He let out a whine and buried himself deeper into Natasha's embrace.

"What are we going to do with him? I mean, he can't be Iron Man or do any work. I hardly think Stark Industries would accept a dog in their board meetings," asked Bruce, the frown on his face showing both his concern and sympathy.

Doctor Strange answered: "The spell will be reversed in two weeks. Until then, we have to take care of him. He is still human inside, but his body is a corgi's one."

He took the furry avenger out of Black Widow's arms and placed him on the counter, "and we are going to take good care of him. He is still our friend, even if he is..." Stephen sighed when he looked into the eyes of the tiny dog, who was trying his absolute best to be adorable, "less than a foot tall and ten times more cute than normal."

Tony waggled his new tail and stuck out his tongue, a mischievous look in his still-human eyes. He was going to make them all bow to him using his newfound power of Cute.

______________________________________________

The first day passed mostly by adjusting the environment to suit Tony's new form.

The Avengers bought dog food and toys, a leash to keep him from running away during walks, and tons and tons of tiny dog costumes.

The dog food didn't last long, as Iron Corgi refused to even taste it and munched on Clint's steak instead. The archer was absolutely furious, but a single glance at Tony's cuteness snuffed out his anger and Clint took him out for a walk soon after.

Hawkeye put little dog shoes on Tony's paws to protect his paws from getting dirty. He was also dressed in a raincoat to give him some protection in case it rained.

When Clint was done with dressing the corgi up, he snapped a picture and sent it to all the Avengers. They had formed a group chat just for Tony's cute moments ages ago, but now it saw even more use than usual. The inventor was adorable on his own, but being a dog enhanced his cuteness tenfold.

Tony's dog brain liked walks. He was still human inside, but all his normal insecurities and worries had been dulled down. The little things in life seemed more significant, like the presence of Clint, the warm sun, the colorful leaves under his paw-boots. Even the bright red of the boots made him happy. Emotions came easier and more purely, there was no human confusion mixed in.

Clint sent about 10 more photos and videos to the group chat, just because of the numerous adorable things the doggie genius did while running around.

______________________________

Everyone adored Tony. He might have growled a little every time someone tried to dress him up in a costume, but inside, he loved them.

His favorite was the little suit he had which made him look like a corgi businessman, complete with the tie and surprisingly, sunglasses.

It gave him some confidence that he was still human and not a dog.

"Tony, look this way. We need a cute new pic for Instagram," said Natasha, a playful grin on her lips and a phone in hand, ready to capture the moment.

Tony posed for her multiple times, some were just cute, the others silly and some human-like, just to confuse people and strike their interest.

There was an entirely new social media account, dedicated only to Iron Corgi and his unmatched cuteness. It had quickly gained popularity and had been updated daily since the genius had been turned into a dog.

______________

Thor had almost no idea how to deal with a dog, so he just cuddled with the corgi and threw sticks a few times when they were outside.

When someone else was present, he would gladly engage in any activity with the dog.

He was quite an active dog, comparable to a normal Tony who had drunk 5 cups of coffee in a row, so the Avengers had quite a hard time trying to control the furball of excitement.

It was hard to deal with the wild doggo but it was also heartwarming to see the usually stressed yet tired man be happy.

The time of happiness was destined to end soon though.

Tony couldn't stay a dog forever and had to return to his old life, however busy it may be.

He, his team and his friends were happy that a small vacation had been given to him.

The Iron Corgi social media accounts got their last real-time posts, leaving all the other photos to be posted later on to refrain it from being weirdly discontinued.

The Avengers and Iron Corgi had had a good time together, but finally, on the night of the 14th day of being a dog, the corgi woke from his nap and jumped off Rhodey's lap.

He landed as a confused and grumpy man, shivering from the sudden lack of thick fur and the not-so-sudden lack of clothes.

-----------------

After the genius had been clothed, he sat onto the couch with a cup of coffee in his hands, just enjoying being human again.

He had actual thumbs again and he could drink coffee again, he was no longer covered in fur and he could see over the kitchen counter again, so that was a definite plus.

He had enjoyed the vacation he had had over the course of two weeks and just because he wanted it to last just the tiniest bit longer, he left the coffee for Clint to find and went to sleep in his bed.

An

This is from fanfiction.net

Tony was tired. Exhausted, even – weighed down with bone-deep fatigue and the need for sleep so potent that he kept nodding off in the middle of his work despite the caffeine thrumming through his bloodstream. He had a feeling it was imbedded into his DNA, at that point. It would explain the eccentricity and overwhelming insomnia he was often victim to.

Tonight, however, his body simply seemed to be shutting down on him. He'd nearly fallen head-first into the project he was working on – something he couldn't quite recall, now that he thought about it, but it was purple and there were arrowheads so he assumed it had something to do with their resident archer. And knowing what the blond often had him up to in the realms of tech, if he did actually fall asleep on it, it would more than likely explode in his face. Facial deformities were something he did not want to deal with in the near future, so with a grunt he pushed himself away from the desk to stand.

And promptly had to lurch forward and cling to the desktop to keep from collapsing. His limbs felt as heavy an elephant's, and, coupled with the sudden wave of utter exhaustion that passed through him and settled in his gut like a lead weight, it was almost enough to bring him to the ground. His heartbeat was strong in his ears, pounding and rushing blood to and from his head too quickly. Tony bent over, elbows locked in place, palms flat on the steel-plated desk, taking deep, shuddering breaths to keep his knees from buckling. They were close. They were so, so close.

He could vaguely hear Jarvis' worried voice just outside the white noise and heartbeat in his ears, and Tony considered telling him he was fine, and that all he needed was sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to move, let alone talk. He felt as if he opened his lips to speak, his voice would get caught in his throat and he'd be forced to choke down bile. It would only make the AI worry more, which was something Tony wanted nothing to do with. A worried Jarvis was a mother hen Jarvis, and there was nothing more deprecating than being mothered by something that couldn't even touch you. Or at least, that was how he felt.

He sucked in a breath through his nose, then let it out, then in, then out. He kept on like that until he felt that he could move on his own, and carefully removed his hands from the cool desktop they'd been pressed against.

His body reacted immediately, mainly by having his legs rebel and his knees go down for the count. He was caught before he could actually reach the ground, which was a blessing, and the arms around him were strong and firm, and the body he was pressed back against was warm and pleasant. His limbs decided to go rogue, at that point, and Tony's brain was fizzing in and out of focus as he tried to pinpoint who was there. He hadn't heard anyone come in. Then again, he hadn't really been able to hear anything over his heart beating like a drum in his ears. That was probably how they were able to sneak up on him.

Tony let out a grunt as he was manhandled into a more comfortable position in the person's arms, bridal style and with a grip that promised to not let go, even as they began moving. Tony hummed appreciatively, arms loosely curled around the person's neck and cheek nuzzled into their shoulder. They smelled nice. Or at least, they did in his exhaustion-induced delirium. They were murmuring things to him, things he couldn't make out correctly, but knew were supposed to be comforting. There were other people, too, conversing quietly around the person carrying him. Someone was running their fingers through his hair, and scratching their nails at his scalp and at the nape of his neck, and Tony let out a noise at the feel of it because it felt damn fine. He knew they no doubt had sweat and grease and oil on their hand now, but he was beyond the realm of words at that point. There was someone else digging their fingers into his calves, which felt a hell of a lot more relaxing than anything he had ever experienced in his life. He was calmly being lulled into a state of lax unconsciousness, and with this person carrying him and the other people following them, Tony had never felt more safe or secure, even in his own skin.

He mumbled slightly, unintelligible, before easily drifting off to sleep.

Waking up was a gradual and unwanted process. Tony hated waking up more than he hated going to sleep in the first place, because he was always irrationally angry at everything before he had his first three cups of scorching hot coffee. It always burned his throat, but it woke him up.

So he whined, groggy and irritated, and latched tighter onto the broad warm thing he was clutching like a lifeline, burrowing his face into the soft cloth it seemed to be covered in. The thing vibrated, and he heard it chuckle, and something else start combing fingers through his knotted hair, and then there was an amazing pressure on the tense muscles on his back, digging in to relieve the pain, and he couldn't quite contain the groan that escaped him. He didn't want to wake up, and the combined attention was absolutely heavenly and made him drowsy in the best way, but even he knew that waking up to being petted by several different things (hopefully people) when his last memory was blinking at... whatever it is he was working on... wasn't exactly safe. He did have some self-preservation instincts, thank you very much.

Tony made a face, and used the warm thing he was half-laying on to push himself up. Someone murmured at him – and yes, it was someone, not something, which was a relief – and the petting through his hair turned into soft stroking at the nape of his neck, which made Tony's head loll at the feel of it. But no, he needed to wake up. It was for the safety of the universe.

He lifted his hand to rub at his eyes, which took considerably more effort than it should have. Blinking, he looked around at the bed he was on, which was somewhat difficult thanks to the darkness of the room. The arc reactor shone through his shirt, but just enough to illuminate his fellow bedmates. The blue light lit up their faces – all five of them, actually, and he'd never been happier about his larger-than-life mattress than at that moment. They weren't even squished together, which was nice, even if all of their limbs were piled on top of each other and pillows were strewn about in disarray and blankets were scrunched up to and fro.

He furrowed his brow in confusion at their presence. "What..." He coughed, voice hoarse and rough from sleep. He saw Steve – the thing he had been laying on, apparently, but damn was his chest comfortable – smile at him pleasantly, and Clint snickered into Natasha's shoulder. "Why are... what?" Seems his brain had decided to be extra slow on the uptake today.

Bruce poked his head out from where he'd been covered with a blanket near Steve's hip. The smile on his face was small, but genuine. "You overworked yourself. Again." He shot him a pointed look, at those words, but Tony couldn't even bring himself to be sheepish about it. "Jarvis called us down because he was worried you were going to fall asleep on an explosive?" He ended it as a question.

The AI answered just as expected. "Correct, Dr. Banner; Mr. Stark had been working on a new timed explosive for Agent Barton."

Clint looked pleasantly surprised to hear so, and shot a flirtatious smirk Tony's way, waggling his eyebrows. "Aw, sweetcheeks, you shouldn't have."

Tony snorted, burrowing down in the nest of blankets that had been tucked around him until only his head was visible. Steve threw an arm around his midsection, pulling him to his chest while Natasha rearranged herself so she was pressed against his other arm and Clint was splayed over his legs. Thor was behind Natasha, half on her and Clint while his arm was tucked around her chest protectively. Not that she needed protection, but Thor didn't need to know that. "So, what – you carried me up here and put me to bed?"

"That's exactly what happened," Natasha told him firmly, "So don't try to argue."

"I wasn't," Tony grumbled, eyes already closing. But something was still bothering him. "But – why? I have a couch down in the shop, y'could've put me there and I could've slept it off, you didn't have to..."

"Quit being stupid," Clint scoffed, cuddling against his legs in his own blanket cocoon.

"We do actually care, you know," Steve said, using his free hand to pull Bruce closer. The physicist easily complied, and Natasha started carding her fingers through Tony's hair and hot damn, that felt nice.

The genius shifted, burrowing down deeper, before finally drifting back to sleep.

—

The second time he came to was also gradual, but his brain seemed more willing to cooperate than the last time. He lifted up his free hand to rub the gunk from his eyes – the one not held hostage by the Tower's resident physicist over Steve's chest. He yawned into Steve's shoulder where his cheek was pressed, blinking his eyes open and attempting to look around to no avail. The arc reactor was hidden because of how he was arranged next to Steve (who, actually, was quite a nice teddy bear), so there was no light of any kind to draw from. He could feel the soft breaths against his neck from Natasha and the light squeeze around his legs from Clint, and he could hear the loud snores coming from Thor near the edge of the mattress.

"Jarvis," he whispered to the room at large, gathering the AI's attention.

"Yes, sir?" His tone was also carefully quiet, cautious of waking up any of the others.

"What time is it?"

"It is 7:51 PM, sir."

Tony furrowed his brow in confusion and surprise. "Really? What time was it when I woke up last time?"

"2:28 PM, sir."

"And when did they bring me up?"

"6:37 AM, sir."

Tony whistled low in his throat. "Damn." He must have been more exhausted than he'd thought, if he'd slept for almost thirteen straight hours. He was usually lucky to get in a few cat naps in the shop, and he knew sleeping that long wasn't exactly healthy.

"Indeed, sir." Jarvis sounded smug, the pretentious bastard.

He rolled his eyes at the ceiling. "Yeah, yeah, wail all you want. I actually slept, for more than strictly necessary, and you know it, so you can't even argue. Traitor."

"If it means you will be in better health afterward, than I have no difficulty accepting the title. Sir." The last part came as a bit of a second thought, and Tony clucked his tongue at the unseen supercomputer.

"You need to learn to respect your elders, Jarvis," he grumbled affectionately, settling back down to maybe catch a few more Z's before Thor woke up and refused to use his indoor voice. Even his snore sounded like rumbling jet engines. It was loud, but if he'd slept through it before, he shouldn't have any trouble doing it again.

He felt Steve's arms tighten minutely around him and the blond nuzzle the mop of unclean hair on his head with his cheek before he actually closed his eyes. He was drowsy, yes, but his thoughts, while not as many and not as quick to the draw, we're still running rampant through his mind.

Natasha hummed from behind him, digging her nails into his hip in a way that was positively heavenly. Tony grunted as his bones went lax. "Sleep," she told him, voice quiet and rough, and he couldn't really find it in him to argue as much as he wanted to. Figured she'd wake up at the slightest sign of movement.

He sniffed slightly, hunkering down and relishing in the warmth and security around him to lull him back to sleep.

—

He woke up properly the next time. His thoughts weren't clouded, after the initial haze of drowsiness tapered off, and the fatigue that had weighed him down for so long seemed to be mostly depleted. He was still cocooned in a cozy nest of blankets and warm limbs, which, to be honest, he didn't really feel like escaping just yet. After asking Jarvis for the time ("9:03 PM, sir."), it was clear it hadn't been long enough for the rest of his teammates' own exhaustion to pander off. They were all still clocked out, and Bruce had shuffled closer in his sleep, his back facing him but his body half on Steve's chest. Thor's arm had gone from resting around Natasha's chest to stretching out and covering the majority of them, excluding Clint, who still had hostage of his legs. Thor's own leg was pinning him down, though, so he wasn't particularly left out.

Steve was the first to wake up.

Tony had been playing with some ideas for the explosive arrows he'd been making (because there was no doubt in his mind that he had done something in his fatigue-addled state that shouldn't have been put into effect, he'd have to poke and prod at it later...). The large blond had shifted, sighing lightly and squeezing Tony hard enough to make him snap out of his mechanical fantasies. Steve's eyebrows were scrunched together adorably, and he brought one of his hands up from where it was trapped between the small of Tony's back and the mattress to rub at his eyes.

Tony waggled his eyebrows at him with a broad grin when Steve finally squinted his eyes open into the waking world. "Hey, sleeping beauty," he remarked, voice quiet.

Steve smiled at him once he registered his surroundings, stretching his back and letting out a sigh when the tension was relieved. "Hi." Tony supposed it was a victory that he was too sleep-relaxed to call him on the nickname. "What're you doing up? Shouldn't you still be asleep?"

Tony chuckled, "I've been sleeping nearly fifteen straight hours. Personally, I think that's long enough."

Steve gave him that concerned super soldier frown he occasionally gave everyone. "How long were you awake for when we came down to get you?"

Tony shrugged. "Do you think I keep count?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You could always ask Jarvis."

The AI spoke up, "Mr. Stark was awake for approximately fifty-eight hours and twenty-seven minutes before the Avengers' arrival, Captain."

Steve's brow furrowed in concern, and he gave the engineer his patented Disapproving Captain America Look. Tony would have felt somewhat reproved by it, but combined with a sleep-rumpled face and bed-head, it had lost its usual sharpness. Tony just gave the larger blond a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Cap. Got more than enough sleep to make up for it. Honestly."

Steve sighed, "If you say so."

Clint grunted at them from his cozy cocoon atop Tony's lower body, swatting at them blindly with his only free arm. "Quiet, you's," he grumbled irritably, "Some of us aren't nocturnal, y'know."

Tony chuckled, "Sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep, Katniss." Steve rolled his eyes at the easy banter, whereas Clint snorted and tucked his head against Tony's hip.

There was comfortable silence between them for a few minutes, Steve rubbing circles into Tony's shoulder without much thought and making the genius' bones turn to jelly, before the blond spoke again. "I should make something. You must be hungry." As though waiting for its cue, Tony's stomach decided to go rogue and growl as loud as it possibly could. He put his hand over it on top of the covers as though that would quiet it down, and Natasha slid one eye open, looking at him closely and in a way that made him feel as though he were being picked apart from the inside out. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Clint let out what sounded like a huff, raising himself from where he'd nearly made Tony's legs numb to rest his chin in his palm and give him an unamused look. "S'there a reason your stomach sounds ready to eat me whole?"

"Mr. Stark has not eaten anything of any nutritional value in fifty-seven hours and fifty-three minutes, Agent Barton," Jarvis answered promptly, and Tony felt a pang of betrayal that was more irritation than actual betrayal. Dumb old AI, giving away all his dirty secrets... he should trade him in for Bruce. Bruce was always fun to talk to, and he didn't try to rat him out to the team. Well, not when he was coherent, at least.

Clint's gaze turned sharp. "That was like, two days ago. At breakfast."

Steve shifted, even more concerned. The fierce wave of guilt that ripped through him over that one worried look almost made him cringe. "You haven't eaten since – ?"

"Whoa, whoa, hey now, I have totally eaten," he argued, "Just – nothing of any nutritional value, apparently."

Natasha reached over and pinched his side. He couldn't be blamed for not containing the yelp that escaped him at the feel of it. He glared at her, and although it had no effect, it still made him feel better. "That means you've been surviving on energy bars and pizza for the past few days," she remarked coolly, eying him up and down.

Tony shrank back a little. "And Chinese," he muttered, looking away.

Steve gave that disappointed sigh he usually gave when Tony was involved, and he tried to make himself even smaller. The soldier's arms wrapped around him snugly, pulling him closer, arm to chest. When he spoke, he could feel the vibrations run through his bicep. "It's not healthy for you to do things like that, Tony." Oh, god, he even had the disappointed tone he always used. Way to make him feel like the biggest sack of shit on the face of the planet.

And he was just starting to feel comfortable.

"Well, s'not like I'm doing it for no good reason," he attempted to reason, but even he knew he didn't sound very into it. "I'm busy. Things like sleep and food aren't as important –"

"Bullshit," Clint said, voice rough with sleep. "Sleep and food are always important. In fact, they're the most important."

Tony narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah, no. They might be for you, but for someone who can buy almost anything at the drop of a hat, not so much."

Natasha pinched him even harder, and he had to stifle what would have been an embarrassingly loud man-shriek by biting his lip as hard as he could. Steve let out a breath, and turned so he could push himself upright. The movement made Bruce, who had been resting peacefully on the blond's chest, wake up with a start when he ended up landing on Steve's lap instead. "Wha –" The physicist shook his head, brushing his hair from his eyes and sitting up enough to lean back on his elbows. "Wait... Puppy pile," he observed quietly, "Oh."

"Yes, and it's very cozy," Clint cooed, batting his eyelashes at the other man, who was peering around curiously at the rest of them and the sleeping demi-god still snoring like a truck.

Steve untangled his legs from the blankets they had been trapped in to swing them over the side of the mattress. "Jarvis, what time is it?" he asked.

"It is 9:49 PM, Captain."

"Well, I'm making pancakes anyway," he announced, getting to his feet and brushing away the wrinkles in his pajamas.

"And French toast?" Clint proposed.

"And French toast," Steve agreed, ignoring the small cheer that escaped the archer at the words. "Anything else?"

"Tea, please," Bruce said, rubbing at his eyes.

Tony opened his mouth to make an attempt to ask for coffee, but was thwarted by Natasha, who clapped her hand over his lips to keep him quiet. He was tempted to lick her palm, but figured she would have no qualms about ripping it out if he tried, so he just rolled his eyes. "Some toast, please," she said instead, sending the genius a pointed look.

Bruce gave them all a small smile. "Nothing like breakfast for dinner."

—

Tony had wanted breakfast in bed (because it was required when a puppy pile was involved – and also, his legs may or may not have started tingling like a motherfucker because someone had decided to sleep on them, but semantics), but once Thor had woken himself up with a particularly loud snore the Asgardian had decided it would be a great idea to carry him to the kitchen. Which, okay, made sense, yes, but who gave a damn, it was Tony's room! And his Tower, for that matter, if he wanted breakfast in bed, he should get breakfast in bed!

But no, he needed to be an adult and be carried like a damsel in distress by an actual prince (an alien prince, but a prince, nonetheless) so he could sit at the kitchen island and have breakfast with the team. Fucking mother hens, the lot of them.

He wanted breakfast in bed, dammit!

Woe was the billionaire genius, who suffered the results of overprotective roommates.

And the food was actually good, which just made him more bitter. He ate it grudgingly (or as grudgingly as he could when he was shoveling it into his mouth like he was a starved man), but they all seemed to know what was going through his head anyway. Assholes. They should know better than to show him affection. He would get attached.

To make matters even worse, Steve was the one to carry him back to the bedroom while Thor and Clint followed behind them like puppies and Natasha and Bruce stayed in the kitchen to take care of the dirty dishes. He had a dishwasher, you know. He didn't even know why he was being carried, since he could feel his legs again, even if they were a little stiff, or why they were heading back to the room in the first place – none of them were tired anymore, they weren't going back to sleep. He said as much to them.

"We're watching Hotel Transylvania," Clint told him giddily, bounding into the room before the rest of them. He hopped onto the mattress, bouncing on impact and settling against the rumpled sheets. He grinned at them. "It's sad and depressing and adorable. You'll love it."

"Sounds fantastic," Tony replied, tone dry. Steve set him down next to Clint before crawling onto the bed behind the both of them, pulling him to sit between his legs and lean against him. Tony wanted to argue, especially when Clint settled his head in his lap, but Steve's chest was quite comfortable. Then Thor climbed on and made the mattress dip, just so he could curl up on Tony's unoccupied side. Jarvis had already sifted through his overly large animated movie queue to bring up Hotel Transylvania by the time Natasha and Bruce hurried inside with three bowls of popcorn at the ready (why he had an animated movie queue, he wasn't actually sure, but assumed it had to do with that one time he and Clint got drunk off their asses and bawled like two babies at the end of Toy Story 3). Natasha sat herself in Thor's lap, and the demi-god took a handful of popcorn from the large bowl she held. Bruce handed one of the bowls to Tony as he shuffled comfortably next to Steve, pushing Clint to the side so he could shove his legs under him before the archer settled back down into a sprawl and stole some of Tony's popcorn.

"Jerk," Tony muttered, slapping his wrist when he tried to reach for another handful.

Clint stole it anyway, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing obnoxiously loud. "Bitch," he said once he'd swallowed, grinning at him. Tony just rolled his eyes, and Steve murmured a quiet, "Language," out of habit before stealing some popcorn of his own. Tony huffed and stuck his tongue out at him before munching on his own handful.

When the movie actually started, bickering aside, it was actually really nice and comfortable. It was disgustingly domestic, but despite the soft ache echoing behind the reactor at the rightness he felt, surrounded by such deadly people in a puppy pile watching a stupid animated movie, he didn't mind. He knew he shouldn't have gotten this close, this trusting with these people, but right at that moment, he supposed it would be alright to just relax. He was tired deep done to his bones, and not working on something or not playing the hero for once in his life would probably be good for him.

Even if Clint kept stealing his popcorn.