Tony took a large swig of the scotch in his hand, taking pleasure in the way it burned down the back of his throat. Standing in place, he stared somberly through the huge windows of Stark Tower and out at the glowing cityscape of New York City, alive and thriving after the huge blow it had been dealt. It was The City That Never Sleeps, and it didn't go down without a fight. Tony felt like it was mocking him for his dark mood, glittering and prosperous while the billionaire felt anything but.

Tony turned his head from the resilient city to the freshly repaired stone flooring of the penthouse, smooth and unmarked. It was all finally repaired and replaced from the beating it had been given, and now it was quiet and empty as it hadn't been in months. Tony thought on that carefully and realized that it probably had never been this quiet, from the workmen, to Pepper, to the Avengers, to the cleanup crews. It was like a museum now, a tribute to times passed.

The Avengers, who had used this place as their living quarters and headquarters after the battle of New York were gone now, back to their various walks of life, some of them much too far away to ever think about contacting. Tony told himself firmly that he didn't miss them. They had been loud, disruptive, and Thor had broken both his toaster and his microwave during his stay. Clint's jokes had been barbaric, and Bruce had taken up his precious lab space. Five other residents and seemingly random visits from SHIELD agents had been too much for him to deal with on an around-the-clock basis.

Damn it, Tony did miss them. The silence was all-consuming, especially now that Pepper was absent from Stark Tower. Tony was resolutely not thinking about Pepper, especially not at a time like this. The silence was eating at his sanity like a corrosive acid. He needed a way to fight against the biting loneliness, so he left the empty, echoing penthouse for the lower floors where the living areas were. He stepped onto his personal elevator and almost wished that there were sweaty workmen there, just so that the silence didn't echo so badly. Almost.

No, Tony wasn't that pitiful. He had lived on his own before, and he wasn't going to fall apart now, not when his life had finally been given back to him. He was Tony Stark, and what he did better than anyone else was shove his problems deep and deal with them at a better time, or even better, not at all. Good old alcohol was a dear friend that he could always return to in times of need.

He sipped his scotch as he stepped out of the gleaming elevator and headed towards the living room where he sprawled gratefully on the couch. It welcomed him with its soft cushions, and he sighed heavily.

"Jarvis, put on something mind-numbing, would you?"

"Indeed sir. Perhaps the Learning Channel?"

The television switched onto TLC and Tony zoned out with the sound of some pointless reality show blaring in the background. See, this was good. There was no world to be saved, no villains to defeat, and no need to be the good guy. It was peaceful, and he could finally get work done if he wanted to. He could invent something, improve his suit, take a vacation. The possibilities were endless, just as they had been before the Avengers had taken hold of his life and completely flipped it upside down. If only Tony could manage to scrub the knowledge of gods and aliens and other dimensions out of his head. The thought of his own helplessness against the dreadful powers of the void had been haunting him incessantly, to the point that Tony wondered if he was going insane. Tony bottled these feelings ruthlessly and hoped they would go away.

Tony was so caught up in his own mind that he didn't notice that he wasn't alone until his companion spoke.

"Those dresses are nearly identical. Why does she not just choose one and get the whole dreadful business over with?"

Tony's glass made a terrible shattering noise, hitting the slate flooring as Tony launched off the couch.

Loki merely raised an eyebrow from where he was sitting on the other side of the sofa. How long had he been there? Tony's mind started running at top speed, calculating how long it would take him to deploy his suit and be safe from Loki's rage. The numbers didn't seem too promising. He could still hear the glass shattering around him as he was thrown out the window the last time he had angered the god.

"What. The fuck." Tony growled. He was going to have to just wait this out and see what Loki wanted.

"I do not understand how this mindless form of entertainment can be at all stimulating," Loki continued, gesturing at the television as if Tony wasn't having a mini anxiety attack.

"Sir, there has been an influx of unregistered energy in your vicinity," Jarvis chimed in belatedly. Loki glanced up at the roof in much the same way that Thor had when he had heard Jarvis the first time. He didn't seem overly perturbed, though.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, buddy," Tony responded.

Loki was grinning smugly now. "Did I catch you off your guard, Tony Stark?"

"Only a little bit," Tony said with a shrug, attempting to quell his panic. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were doing time in ass guard," Tony questioned, straightening.

"Asgard."

"Alright, Asgard," Tony corrected himself distractedly. "Why are you here instead of there, locked up in some cell like you should be?"

Loki didn't answer his question, electing instead to lounge on the couch as if he belonged there. He didn't seem exceptionally murderous, but you never knew when it came to super villains. Images of the destruction of skyscrapers and the sleeping form of Coulson in a hospital bed flashed in his mind, reminding Tony how dangerous the god in front of him was.

"Since you're here, you want that drink?" When in doubt, offer alcohol. Let it never be said that Tony was a bad host, even to intruders.

"I believe I will pass," Loki responded, leaning forward and plucking what looked like a home renovation magazine from the coffee table. Tony wasn't even sure where that had come from, as none of the team seemed the home DIY type. The image of Loki holding a magazine was one that Tony had never thought he would see. Tony took a closer look at the god, noticing that the leather armor had been traded for leather of a more casual nature. Interesting.

"You know, I'm all for television time with a buddy, but you're kind of a criminal on the top ten most dangerous criminals list. You might kill me, and I really don't feel like dying today. Actually, no bodily harm at all would be preferable, if at all possible."

Loki set down the magazine and stood smoothly. "Maybe I enjoy making you sweat."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I draw the line at having a boyfriend with world-conquering tendencies," Tony responded humorlessly.

Loki blinked. "You are a strange mortal."

"So I've been told. Though I'm pretty sure you and your brother are the only ones that call me a mortal when they do it." Tony stared at the glass shatters and spatter of drink that coated the floor and decided that was a problem for where there wasn't a murderous god in his building. "Although, considering the hair and outfit choice, I'd say you're one to talk."

Loki glanced down at himself with a small smirk. "I am not mortal, therefore do not follow mortal rules of normalcy," he replied smoothly, strolling closer to where Tony was standing. Tony was suddenly very aware of how vulnerable he was without his suit, and had Loki always been that tall?

"You gods sure think highly of yourselves, don't you?" Very good, Tony, goad the murderous immortal. Tony groaned inwardly.

"Would you not also think highly of yourself if you had the ability to kill with but a flick of your hand?" He held up a thin-fingered hand as if to demonstrate before letting it drop to his side again. He tilted his head, eyes glittering. "Oh, right. You do have that ability, don't you? Merchant of Death, they once called you. Your name has changed to Iron Man, but the idea is the same; you still kill fellow mortals with ease."

Tony narrowed his eyes. Loki was pulling strings, Tony knew, but it didn't make the sting feel any better. Tony reminded himself that Clint had told him everything when under Loki's control, which was why Loki knew so much about them. It made Tony's blood boil. "What are you here? Really, I have better things to be doing."

"Touchy, are we?" Loki said calmly, but he backed off and the tension in the room eased. He gazed around the newly remodeled floor plan with a curiosity that made Tony's nerves spike.

"You should not worry yourself, Stark. I have no intention of killing you now with no one here to miss you."

"So reassuring," Tony muttered, shaking his head and wondering at his luck.

A strange expression passed over Loki's face then, a combination of irritation and something that Tony couldn't read. "I hate to cut this wonderful meeting short, but I have business to attend to. Thank you for your…" he cast a look around the room, at the broken glass, and then back at Tony, "hospitality."

He was gone just as suddenly as he had arrived, leaving nothing but a small shower of yellow sparks in his wake. Tony stood in place, glaring at the spot where Loki had disappeared from, feeling crawling horror and leftover adrenaline coursing through his system.

Tony's eyes traveled then to the shards of glass he had left on the floor, deciding he needed another drink before any work was to be done, before any thoughts about what had just happened would be allowed. With not one of the team anywhere close enough to call, and with no possible way Tony was going to ring up SHIELD, there was nothing to be done. Tony figured that if Loki wanted Tony dead, there was nothing he could do about it. The thought gave him no comfort, but Tony was helpless against it.

As Tony stared at the dark ceiling of his bedroom that night, he pondered what Loki could possibly be up to, if tormenting Tony was on his list of things to do, and if it involved more world domination. If so, Tony sure hoped the 'pester Tony' phase didn't last long; he liked his sleep and would much rather not develop a stress ulcer from an infestation of sadistic demigods.

XXX

The next two weeks dragged by as Tony attempted to tie up affairs in New York, wishing for nothing but his mansion and his Audis and the warm California sunshine. The thought of hopping on his jet and heading back home was a beacon in his near future, motivating him to work harder and finish what needed to be done. He only had one meeting left until he was permitted to go home, and he could almost taste the freedom.

Unfortunately, this meeting was at seven in the morning, an ungodly hour for someone who was having trouble sleeping. Tony wasn't just having trouble sleeping; when he finally fell asleep, Tony struggled with nightmares left over from the horrors of New York, the horrors of the strange, barren universe that he had glimpsed through the portal. Tony was little more than dead on his feet. He wasn't even sure if he would be aware enough to sign on the right line when instructed.

Tony stood in his kitchen like a zombie, waiting for his morning coffee to brew and feeling like death warmed over. What he needed was a large cup of caffeine and a skin-searing shower in an attempt to burn away the feeling that he was still asleep.

Tony was still staring at the coffee pot and willing it to brew faster when Loki appeared in his kitchen in a fizzle of golden sparks, causing Tony to do a double take and then suffer another near-heart attack.

"Can you not do that?" Tony complained, leaning his weight on the counter to prevent toppling over. "What the hell…"

"I apologize," Loki replied, his gaze levelled at where Tony's hand was placed over the arc reactor, its glow seeping through Tony's night shirt and fingers. The god was leaning against the counter and looking way too alert for this god awful time in the morning. Tony wished the set of knives was in reach.

"You don't look sorry," Tony grumbled with a shake of his head, attempting to pin the intruder with his iciest glare which probably would have been more affective had he not been suffering from bedhead and wearing his pajamas. It wasn't fair how immaculate Loki looked in his leather and green fabric, his hair perfectly combed from his face. It was too early in the morning for him to look that spiffy. Tony was not one to be easily embarrassed; his public life was testament to that, but his Captain America pajama bottoms were not really what he wanted to be known for. He had bought them on a whim and with thought of the expression Steve would have when he saw them, but now as Loki eyed them and raised an eyebrow, Tony wished he had passed.

Loki's face held the faintest traces of mirth at Tony's befuddlement. "You've caught me. No, I do not regret startling you, as I find it humorous."

Tony's retort was interrupted by the beep of the coffee maker, the sound of salvation in his train wreck of a life. Tony was about to offer Loki a cup when he realized that the guy had almost given him a heart attack twice and did not deserve any of this heavenly gift of a drink. He fixed himself a steaming cup, attempting to ignore Loki's curious gaze. He almost felt bad for Loki, who probably didn't even know what coffee was.

"What is that device in your chest?" Loki asked out of the blue, catching Tony off guard.

"That's none of your business," Tony snapped. "You've got a lot of nerve, coming here in the wee hours of the morning, uninvited, just to ask me crap you know you won't get an answer to." Tony took an aggressive sip of his coffee only to get burned on the piping hot liquid. "Son-of-a-bitch!"

Loki stared.

"As much as I adore your company, I have things to do. Do you have a reason to be here, or are you just being creepy?" Tony asked, irritated.

"I am here for much the same reason as I was the last time," Loki replied smoothly.

"That would be great and all, but I don't exactly recall you explaining yourself last time either."

Mischief was playing on the god's face.

Tony grunted, turning away from the trickster and trudging towards his bedroom, clutching his coffee cup tightly. If Loki insisted upon playing nothing but mind games with him, Tony wasn't going to alter his schedule. Loki could call him if he was preparing for something more exciting to happen. As it was, Loki followed him, silently gazing around the place when Tony glanced back at him in irritation. His gaze fell back on Tony when he stopped at his bedroom door and turned around.

"Unless you have more interest in me than you're letting on, I suggest you find something else to do while I take a shower. Maybe you might even think about leaving" He was in his bedroom with the door shut between him and Loki before the perplexed god could reply. Tony then stared at the door with belated rationality running through his mind, wondering if he had just scheduled his own death sentence. He also wondered if telling Loki to get the hell out of dodge would just mean an angry god rampaging around his unguarded tower filled with important technology.

As Tony turned away from the door and headed into the bathroom he gave orders to Jarvis. "Tell me if Loki's doing anything suspicious, would you Jarvis?"

"Yes sir. I have already put a tracker on Mr. Laufeyson's energy signature."

Tony nodded, confident in his AI's ability to control the situation. With his nerves a touch steadier, he locked the bathroom door and got ready for his shower, stripping and stepping into the hot stream of water. As the water eased away his tensed muscles, Tony wondered when his life had gotten so out of hand that he was being visited in his home by the God of Mischief. Well, problems didn't seem so hopeless when in a heavenly shower, Tony had realized. It felt amazing and distracted him from his current situation.

He was rinsing the shampoo out of his hair when Jarvis spoke.

"Sir, Mr. Laufeyson is hacking into your personal tablet and beginning to browse through your files."

Tony cursed and turned the water off. He wasn't sure what Loki would do with the files on his tablet, but the thought of him looking through what was supposed to be Tony's and Tony's alone plucked a nerve. He quickly dried off, wrapping a towel that was just short of being too fluffy around his waist, and headed into his bedroom to dress quickly and find the trickster god. Tony froze when he realized that the last time he had used his tablet he had been in bed, and that there was now no need to go looking for Loki.

Loki was perched on the end of Tony's bed, tablet resting on his lap as he flicked through page after page of information that Tony didn't want him to have. How was he even navigating it that easily? Thor had stared at Tony's phone as if it contained black magic.

Tony clutched his towel tightly around his waist and glared. "You are one creepy weirdo," he complained. "And that's mine." He stalked across the room and made to snatch the tablet before realizing that keeping the towel secure around his waist was much more important. Why did it feel so small all of a sudden?

"I'm aware whose property it is, Stark, that is why I am using it," Loki replied, eyes roving over Tony's scantily clad form and landing on the arc reactor.

Tony shot Loki one more glare before scrambling around the room to retrieve his clothing, all too aware of Loki's gaze on him, making his skin crawl. It served him right, getting naked while Loki was in the same building as he was. Once he found his clothing he quickly retreated back into the bathroom, firmly locking the door and knowing that if Loki really wanted to get through a locked door wouldn't stop him. With that thought, Tony dressed as quickly as possible.

When he finally made his way back into the bedroom Loki was gone, and the tablet was sitting in the middle of the bed, screen still lit. Tony frowned, stepping forward and picking it up to find that the file that was open contained the blueprints for his current arc reactor. Tony sighed and then noticed something at the bottom of the page: a note that had been added.

"This does not explain why there is one in your chest."

Either Loki had some sort of dastardly plan that involved using his arc reactor to take over the world and kill all of them, or he was merely poking and prodding to see just what would drive Tony nuts. Maybe he was bored. One thing Tony was certain: Loki was up to something and Tony needed to find out what it was.

Tony set the tablet down on his nightstand, shaking his head in resignation before turning and going back into the bathroom to finish his morning routine. He was only a few signatures and a boring meeting away from being free to go home to Malibu. The desire he felt for his personal workshop and for his life to return to its relative normality made him wonder if all of this craziness would finally stop once he got there. He doubted it, considering he was Tony Stark, but he couldn't help but hope. After all, Loki had never been to Malibu, so maybe he wouldn't be able to track Tony there. Hopefully.