"… At least my helmet has a purpose! Pawn to B3"
"My head piece is of Asgardian metal forged by the very best blacksmiths of all the lands. You're tacky mask is nothing against my symbol of…"
"Shut up and make your move Loki."
Tony Stark and Loki Lofeyson were playing chess.
How do you get a billionaire, philanthropist, playboy superhero and the Norse god of mischief into a penthouse loft on the upper eastside of Manhattan, playing chess like a literate, hipster married couple?
You put them under quarantine.
After their last adventure of Loki trying to take over the Midgardian realm and the avengers preventing it. They found a new enemy that forced them to work together.
Chicken pox.
Thor got sick when they transported the defeated Loki back to the SHIELD headquarters. All the other were immune, but Loki for obvious reasons wasn't and it turned out, Tony didn't have them as a kid either, so they got put under quarantine until everything was clear again.
"Bishop to D5. You really should take care of your king more"
"Shut up." Tony had suggested chess as a way to pass the time in the air sealed (air sealed, really?) loft. At least they weren't held in the glass boxes in the tower anymore. Tony had managed to charm his way out of it and into one of his spare apartments nearby.
"That was the plan Stark. Queen to G6 and checkmate" Tony tipped the tinted glass piece over.
"You won. So what. At least I don't have horns on my helmet that make me look like a goat."
"It does not!"
"Does too"
"Does not"
The two (grown) men glared at each other.
"This game bores me. Entertain me Stark."
"I'm not here for your entertainment Loki. We're here for quarantine."
Tony began setting the pieces again. It was one of his favourite Chess sets- tinted and clear glass pieces and board. Minimalistic designed but inspired by classic chess pieces.
"How come you know how to play chess? I didn't think it would be a thing in Asgard."
"My father… Odin taught me."
"Oh." Tony knew Loki's story. He didn't want to get into that whole Daddy issue thing. He read enough Freud to know where all the crazy came from.
"And you? How did you learn to play the game of kings?" Loki seemed honestly interested. Maybe it was the boredom.
"I taught myself" like most things, Tony thought.
"Ah."
To describe the following silence as awkward would have been a vast understatement.
"New game?" Tony crossed fingers in his mind.
"Won't deny my ridiculously masked friend the delight to lose again" Loki smirked.
"It's a high functioning helmet. For protection of my face! Also I will win this time. I learned your tricks by now Loki!"
"Don't forget, I'm the god of mischief."
The tension was broken.
That Loki called Tony his friend went unnoticed by all but Jarvis. Who catalogued it for future reference.