After a display fortitude from all parties, the challenge winds down to a platter of custard tarts and the stalwart brothers struggling to finish it. Everyone else either bowed out or passed out.

Cradling his flushed face in his hand, Loki stares at the final morsels with disdain. Thor looks much the same, if not worse.

“There is no shame in a draw.” Thor grunts, panting loudly while his lady friend soothes his belly with gentle rubs. “We are tied, brother, can we not end this in harmony?”

The words spur Loki on, his face dropping into stern determination.

“Concession is not in my nature.” he says, snatching a tart from the platter and shoving it into his mouth whole. Tony stands behind him, rubbing his shoulders like a coach in a boxing matching. Loki chews, trying to down the bite quickly, but his belly clenches in rebellion. He looks ready to relieve himself all over the table, so Pepper scoots closer on the bench to offer what comfort she can.

“Breathe.” she murmurs, carefully petting his stomach. It’s firm under her touch, so full and stretched. The sight of him swollen and struggling alights a strange excitement in her. He’s always remarkable with his magic and his wit, but this is a new dimension she hasn’t seen before. With tremendous effort he swallows and slumps back into Tony’s arms. Trembling, hot from exertion, he lets out a loud belch and groans in relief.

At the head of the table Thor winces, but picks up a tart of his own. It goes smoother than Loki’s, which makes the younger god sigh in despair. All around the room the fellow Asgardians watch with interest, clutching their own full bellies and wincing in sympathy as the brothers soldier on.

“One more.” Tony says.

“Can’t–” Loki gasps, flushing as a string of little burps make room in his stomach. “

“What? Come on, yes you can. I bet six kegs on you at the bookies. I don’t even know how to buy six gets of Vinter AIe, you gotta win.”

“Too full–”

Leaning over Loki, Tony grabs one of the three remaining tarts and holds it to Loki’s lips.

“But they’re so tasty.” he croons, laughing a bit cruelly at Loki’s answering shudder. Pepper slides closer on the bench.

Although it may seem like a senseless competition, Pepper knows what this means to Loki. If he fails, she’s not sure either she or Tony could stop him retaliating. Over the months they’ve built a rapport, but Loki is still every bit himself. Hell hath no fury, as they say. He gazes hopelessly at the platter and she can tell he needs more than Tony’s gruff encouragement.

Snaking her arm around his back and leans in close to rubs circles over his distended belly and whisper in his ear.

“Look, there’s only six left.” she says with a kiss to his neck. “You can do three more, can’t you? Think of what you already ate, wouldn’t it be a waste to quit now?”

Loki squeezes his eyes shut, nodding but unable to speak.

“One more, come on. It’s just a little tart.” Tony says sharply, waving the little pastry in front of Loki’s face.

“You don’t want to disappoint him, do you?” Pepper adds, her hand travelling slowly up and down. “Take a bite for me.”

Shivering, Loki opens his mouth and accepts the food. Despite his stuffed gut and overheated skin he groans at the sweet taste and creamy texture, momentarily blissful at the flavor.

“Good job. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“N-No.” Loki admits, licking his lips.

“That’s it, buddy. That’s awesome. How many is that?” Tony yells at the bookie on the far end of the hall and makes a pleased sound at the answer. “Good god, Lokes, you’re a beast. You’re amazing. Better give up, Point Break, you’re going down! This guy’s gonna eat you out of house and home.”

“Brother, please, before we stuff ourselves into oblivion.” Thor groans. Dutifully, he chews his own tart with laborious bites.

“I will not yield.” Loki says, more to himself than anyone else.

“Damn right you won’t.” Tony grunts, scooping up the second to last of the mini desserts and offering it. “One more, you can do it.”

“You said that last time.” Loki says in a pitiful voice. His hands join Peppers at his waist and clumsily loosens the laces of his pants. The pressure on his stomach eases, but he’s so thin that the relief must be fleeting. His own skin must be nearly as tight as the pants were.

“Well this time I mean it. Open up.”

“If you can keep this down there’s only one left. Won’t it feel so good to finish?” Pepper asks. Loki breathes deeply, sweat dripping down his neck as he clenches his stomach and tries to burp again. A gurgling noise comes from his throat and Pepper doubles her efforts to calm his poor belly.

“Shhh, it’s okay. You can do it, you can keep it in.”

Loki nods frantically, his adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows around the dry heaves. His hands fall to clutch Tony’s pants, and for once her boss seems to recognise a boundary and pets Loki’s hair instead of pushing the tart to his lips.

Across the table Thor is in a similar state, having a hushed and frantic conversation with his companion. All at once he loses control, his body rebelling and expelling all over the poor girl’s fine dress. The crowd of onlookers gasps as one, a roar of shocked whispers overtaking the room.

The smell is terrible, so terrible it makes Pepper gag but fortunately she hasn’t indulged nearly as much as the others. She fights through her body’s automatic response and focuses on Loki. He’s undoubtedly worse off, his face pinched and nose wrinkled.

“Just breathe, that’s it. It will pass.” she whispers gently, her hand at the small of his back where he’s arching to give his swollen gut as much room as possible. He obeys, nostrils flaring as he breathes frantically through his nose and leans into Tony’s big hands in his hair.

“Another.” Loki eventually gasps, hands clenched around Tony’s knees.

“You sure?” Pepper asks.

“Please…” he all-but begs, shaking. “I’m not a quitter.”

“That’s the spirit.” Tony sneers, and Pepper sighs at his delighted grin. He loves pushing people too much. It’s a good thing she came tonight. Who knows how this might have gone without her?

“Take it slow.” she cautions, watching warily as Loki opens his mouth and allows Tony to shove the food into his mouth. As with the last time, the flavor seems to reinforce Loki’s resolve, the pleasant tingle of creme and butter a welcome balm over his distress. He hums and grins a dopey grin as he chews slowly. Savoring the flavor, but also stalling the inevitable journey into his overfull stomach. Eventually he swallows, eyes far away and glassy.

“Yes! You did it!” Pepper shouts despite herself, caught up in the moment. Loki sighs, lets out a long deep belch and squirms in discomfort.

“Is that all?” he pleads, glancing at the final tart on the tray.

“Suck it Thor!” Tony shouts, squeezing Loki’s shoulders. “He won!”

“No–” Loki snaps, his face dropping in panic and confusion. “No, I haven’t finished. I need to finish.”

“You beat him, Loki, it’s okay.” Pepper soothes, but Loki sits up as straight as he can. His eyes are wide and desperate.

“I will not settle, I will disgrace his name.” Loki rasps, snagging the final tart and smiling wickedly as a silence descends over the banquet hall. In awe, Pepper scans the shocked expressions of the warriors and guests, all watching Loki like he has a bomb strapped to his chest.

“Your king is a briggand.” Loki shouts, holding the tart in the air like a flag of revolution. “He is not fit to care for one hall of guests, much less the Nine Realms. Let all Asgard know him for the fool his is!”

Triumphantly, he eats the final tart in one big bite. Before he can doubt himself, he chews with harried fervor and swallows, his fist colliding with the table like a guillotine falling. The crowd explodes in horrified cried and outraged bellows, and Loki simple grins his most victorious leer.

Cackling he throws his arms around Tony and Pepper as the warriors in the room reach for their swords and spears.

“Dammit Frosty, what the hell have you gotten us into?” Tony yells. Still solidly drunk, it takes him three tries to activate his wristwatch gauntlet, and even that’s not going to be enough to get them out of the banquet hall alive.

“Laterz!” Loki yells, mimicking the prank show he and Tony watch every Saturday while Pepper’s at the salon. And in a whirl of magic, he teleports them to the golden sphere of the Bifrost, laughing like a lunatic.

Although she knows it’s her job to scold him for this sort of thing, Pepper can’t bring herself to rain on his success.

“Did you see their faces?” Loki demands, tipping his head back and giggling breathlessly even as he clutches his aching belly . “They didn’t see that coming, the imbeciles!”

“What a fucking badass!” Tony throws his arm around Loki’s back and drags him down to scrub a noogie into his hair. The bent posture pressures Loki’s stomach and he hisses.

“But perhaps we ought to return home?” Loki says reluctantly, nudging Tony to let go and approaching the gatekeeper. “Ready to be rid of me?”

“I was ready the moment you arrive.” Heimdall says. And just like that, they are falling through space.