Eddie propped his feet up on the coffee table, lit a cigarette, took a drag, and proposed, "I've co up with a kick-ass na for your battlesuit - 'Execution of Justice.' What do you reckon?"
Loki lay on the ground, tried to prop himself up with his arms but then relented, allowing his body to slump back onto the floor. He warned, "Tony Stark, if you don't help up in the next thirty seconds, you're going to regret it...."
"An empty threat, right?" Shiller chuckled at Stark, who was just about to laugh when Shiller interjected, "I am excited for the mont when Howard and Maria walk into your room tomorrow and find Loki lounging on your bed..."
Stark abruptly stood up. Finally, Thor and Stark walked over to Loki and helped him up. Loki gracefully dusted off his shoulders, smoothed his black hair, and said, "Thank you, doctor. You're the only one who understands ."
Afterwards, he sat down next to Shiller. The couch, the daybed, the single-seater by the side, and the chairs were all filled with people. The group huddled in front of a small tea table, switched on the television, and listened to the noise of cereal ads.
Eddie pulled out a box of Northern European candies that Thor had brought earlier from behind the couch. The box was already torn apart. All the chocolate candies were devoured by Venom. However, nobody seed to mind. Shiller casually grabbed one, unwrapped it, popped it into his mouth, and ntioned,
"Have you heard? Nick plans to throw a ball for this year's Christmas. After all, we've all been pretty swamped over the last couple of years and haven't had much ti to gather."
Stark held a circular candy between his fingers, scrutinizing it with furrowed brows. It seed like he was hesitant to put the candy of unknown components into his mouth. Clicking his tongue, he remarked,
"All their balls are the sa - outdated costus, hackneyed music, classical dance steps. I say we should just rent a yacht and have a blast."
"And the next day's headline would be 'Stark Group, together with S.H.I.E.L.D., indulge in luxury while taxpayers wonder where their hard-earned money is going,' right?" Eddie, feeding a candy to Venom who was erging from his shoulder, slurred after having a swig of beer.
"If you don't include a yacht full of beauties in your plan, I might just tell Miss Pepper that your dical expense is about to go up," Shiller said with a friendly grin. "Then you will need Loki to testify for you that it is not because you are physically incapable."
Just as Stark turned to Loki, Loki exposed a radiant smile and said, "It's going to cost you."
Stark heaved a deep sigh seeming fed up with these scheming businessn who never miss a beat.
"We should host a tournant," Thor proposed as he grabbed a handful of potato chips, munching away. "We've got tons of trainees undergoing training at Matt's and don't we also have those mutants? We should invite them over and take the asure of these rookie heroes..."
Loki, sitting next to Thor, swiftly moved his chair to distance himself as if pretending not to associate with Thor. He fiddled with his Eye of Agomoto and proposed, "I think this year's celebration should be hosted by Asgard. After all, since Thor took the throne, none of the Nine Major Kingdoms has hosted a significant event."
"When do you plan on holding your coronation ceremony?" Shiller asked Loki. Loki stiffened his lips, averted his eyes and responded,
"There's no such thing as a coronation ceremony. Asgard doesn't acknowledge a prince. You should instead ask when the wedding of a divine king will take place?"
Thor glanced at Loki, his face unchanged. He then turned to Shiller and cautioned, "You'd better not plan to turn my wedding into a mbership gift distribution event..."
Shiller gave a gleeful smile, shook his head and denied it. Peter, scanning the room, jumped in, "Speaking of the ball, who are you folks planning to invite as dance partners?"
No sooner had he finished his sentence than Venom bared his teeth and hissed at Eddie, "Your first thought was soone other than ? You're dead at!!!"
"Hey, don't be like that. Although my ex-girlfriend is married now, I can still get a new girlfriend, right?" Eddie spread his arms out and said, "Rather than sticking with a parasite like you..."
"Apologize! Apologize now!!!"
"I'll probably bring Sif," Thor said, unwrapping a piece of candy. "She hasn't really been to Earth before. Last ti she visited , she told she loves Earth's music. Maybe, for Christmas, I should give her a music box."
"Pepper probably won't have ti." Stark shook his head, oblivious to the lancholy in his voice. "Obadiah's unfit for work, and Howard has just returned and knows nothing. The entire Stark Group now depends solely on Pepper; she doesn't even have ti for Christmas."
Thor patted Stark on the shoulder, a silent display of understanding and empathy. Loki shook his head and declared, "I'm also not going. The dance was originally a ritual for you humans to pray to the gods, but the developnt of human dance in recent years is just unbearable for the gods. It holds no interest for ."
"Speedball is due for a check-up," Shiller said, reclining on the couch. "He's different from you all. He's at a crucial ti of recovery and can't be left unattended. So, I'm afraid I won't have much ti this Christmas."
"The captain will probably be disappointed," Peter ntioned, pursing his lips. "He loves it when everyone gathers together. This year, with his old pals Bucky and Howard back, he should have been quite thrilled."
Stark, after several cans of beer, was a bit tipsy. He leaned against the back of the single-seater couch and looked up at the ceiling, murmuring,
"Kid, this is adult life for you, with more goodbyes than reunions. Being able to chat leisurely like this for a morning is already a rarity."
As Stark's husky voice filled the room, the shadows in front of the couch gradually dispersed. The llow orange daylight lent a layer of gold to the rusty balcony railing.
Standing on the balcony, you could see people bustling in all directions, leaving footprints in the snow.
When the room quieted down again, it was filled with the constant noise of TV ads and the whistling wind blowing through the Christmas tree, shaking the bells on the pine branches, producing a clear jingling sound.
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