(it's not every day you earn the the) Thanks (of a god)
"Fuck!" Tony growled, dropping the piece of metal that burnt his finger and immediately thrusting the injured digit into his mouth.
"Problem?" A cool voice asked from directly behind him. A voice that was painfully, alarmingly familiar.
The genius swiveled around rapidly, removing the finger from his mouth and gaping at the calm, collected god of mischief. "What – how did you even get in here?"
The trickster sighed, playing up his exasperation; "You humans always think your fortresses impenetrable, when the truth of the matter is that it is only all to easy to sneak up on you."
Tony's face paled considerably before he collected himself. The idea that Loki – unstable, crazy, powerful Loki – could just come and go from his home as he pleased, was slightly disconcerting. "Well, I'll just have to rectify that then." The genius said with a smirk.
The god tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. "You can try." He conceded and with that, he vanished.
Tony turned around, preparing himself for another round with the blow torch and his preassembled parts, when his mouth fell open. Sitting perfectly on his workbench was a fully assembled glove for the suit – new modifications included. Tony swiveled back to where the god had been standing moments before, and his mouth fell open. Well – that was odd. It saved him hours of work though, so he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
A week later, Tony had already forgotten the unusual incident with the trickster – he never mentioned it to anyone, he didn't see the point. It wasn't really a secret, it was just…unimportant.
"Bruce-y?" Tony nagged quietly from his spot in the living room. He had notes spread across the cushions on the couch and was squeezed into a corner, leaning ungracefully against the armrest.
The good doctor looked up from a book he'd been absorbed in with an indulgent smile playing across his pale, uncertain lips. "Yeah, Tony?"
"Can you help with these calculations? I have no fucking clue where I've gone wrong?"
In the open kitchen, Steve's face crinkled uncomfortably when Tony cursed, and the super soldier deliberately pursed his lips.
Bruce's smile turned into a cheeky smirk. "Is the great Tony Stark asking for help – with science?" He feigned a shocked gasp.
"As a matter of fact, I am." Tony grumbled, "But only because you yourself are a genius."
Bruce nodded his consent as he reached for Tony's notes. He glanced over them, his brow furrowing in the process. "Tony – this is impossible."
Tony was already shaking his head in denial, "Nothing's impossible." He smiled and reached back for the notes. Bruce handed them over quite willingly.
"Well," the billionaire declared loudly, "I'm famished. You coming Bruce?"
Bruce stared at Tony wild eyed, as if anyone could follow this man's train of thought. "Um, coming where exactly?"
"Out for lunch of course." The genius stood up, straightening his unruly clothes and reaching down for Bruce's hand, offering to pull him up from his chair.
Bruce sighed but smiled gently, reaching up to allow Tony to heft his frame out of the comfortable seat.
"Thanks for inviting me," Steve griped sarcastically from the kitchen.
Bruce laughed loudly as Tony opened his mouth to retort, "It's science stuff. You'd be bored. Doing you a favour, Cap."
Tony began to lead Bruce out of the room, until the other scientist halted their progress, "If it's science related don't we need your notes," Bruce gestured behind them.
The genius shook his head, "Not actually science," he whispered in the doctor's ear. "We need a break."
"You," Bruce's jaw fell open in disbelief, "are taking a break while working on a project?"
Tony just laughed as they entered the elevator.
Tony returned to the empty living room a few hours later and began to gather his notes. When he looked down at the equations he had to blink a few times to make sure he understood what he was reading. They – they made sense. Someone had fucking changed them. How was that even…Tony sighed and brought his fingers to his forehead, pressing forcefully in order to prevent the encroaching headache from fully materializing. Loki. First the glove – now this. What was his deal?
After that, little things began to change. Things that Tony wouldn't have noticed accept that now, he was looking. The water in the dingy bathroom near his lab got a lot hotter and a lot faster.
He slept easier at night and woke up actually feeling refreshed.
He remembered to eat.
His lab stayed clean no matter how fucking messy he was being – even when he tested out the theory by being an intentional slob.
One night, he got smashed – too many bitter memories haunting him – and woke up without a hangover. Actually, waking up feeling better than he had in a long time.
The food in his fridge never went bad.
When he was with Pepper his refractory period was a lot shorter – which apparently really impressed her.
He didn't get sick, or cold, or a headache, or a blister, or a burn.
It was all too much of a coincidence.
He would draw up blueprints for a new Iron Man feature, or some arrows for Clint, or a suped-up household appliance, and when he reentered the lab the next day it would be completely assembled. It didn't even have any glitches or hidden booby-traps.
The question was why? Why would the trickster – who had thrown him out of a window – be doing him any favours?
And, as if on queue, the trickster appeared in front of him, catching the billionaire off guard.
"Shit, you scared me." He gasped.
Loki smiled mischievously. "Apologies." He nodded once.
Tony looked the god up and down curiously. "So – what are you doing here?"
The immediate shift in the god's demeanor was obvious. He seemed – almost uncomfortable. "Just wondering how you were enjoying your – gifts?"
Tony smiled uncertainly, but stayed standing where he was. He would keep as much distance between him and the crazy-ass, mischief-maker as he could, thank-you very much.
"I – I've been enjoying them." He replied, grimacing at the inadequacy of his words. "I'm just really curious…" he continued.
Loki tilted his head, as if to urge him onward.
"Why?" The genius asked. Well, there goes subtlety. That had never been his forte anyway. He shrugged it off.
"Why?" Now the trickster appeared confused.
"Yeah. Why do anything to help me?" His voice was genuinely confused. "I'm an avenger – you remember the avengers right? Your sworn enemies?"
Loki smirked before a kind of fragility overtook his face. "Because you showed me a kindness. That is – not something I often receive."
Tony was beginning to feel very out of his depth. "I fought you. That's all."
"You offered me a drink." The way Loki said it, the seriousness in his voice, shocked Tony.
"I was distracting you! I was trying to save myself from being flayed alive! It was a ploy!" Tony explained desperately.
The trickster simply smiled. "That may be so," he conceded carefully, "but you had a number of ways to do so and you chose to treat me as an equal."
The problem was, Tony was freaking out about how much this apparently meant to Loki. "What about Thor?" He declared desperately. "He loves you. The guy's practically killing himself to make you see it."
Loki's calm face twisted into an unpleasant grimace. "Thor," he spat the name venomously, "cares for me out of some misguided familial obligation. He does not truly know me, nor does he love me."
"But…I don't understand." Tony sputtered. Wow, that's not something he would ever admit again. "Why me?"
"I was invading your realm, destroying the lives of your people. Even if it was a defensive tactic, you were…courteous." The god finished quietly.
Tony's brow furrowed, "Yup, that's me. Walking, talking courteously."
Loki's face took on a perplexed look. "You jest."
Tony gaped silently, "Of course, I…" he caught sight of the god's pleased smirk. "Now you're joking, aren't you?" He asked, his face a questioning smile.
Loki flashed a cheeky grin, the sliver of warmth reaching his eyes. It was the most relaxed and friendly Tony had ever seen the god. It was – a pleasant change.
Tony began to chuckle quietly before he looked up and met the other man's piercing, calculating gaze. "So, you've been doing everything you did just to say thanks."
Loki nodded in agreement. "Yes. The kindness you showed me did not go unappreciated. You have my thanks." And with that, the trickster vanished and Tony was left standing in his lab alone.
Suddenly, it felt too quiet. And there was a new, silent ache in his chest. He hadn't even thought about it. He had just asked if he wanted a drink. He had talked to him, had threatened him – or done his best. And apparently, to Loki, that was kind. That notion hurt more than it should. Loki was his enemy, he shouldn't feel any empathy, but he couldn't help himself.
The next day, Tony woke up feeling rested even though he only got four hours of sleep. The genius stared thoughtfully at the ceiling and smiled softly, "You're welcome," he murmured to no one in particular.
Thanks for reading. Review if you feel so inclined.