It was raining when he came.
It fell from the sky, from clouds grey and bleak as Tony stared out of his living room window, leaning against the bar in his tower. Pepper had left just a few minutes before, storming out after another fight about the same damn things, every fucking time the same things.
But this time had been different.
This time she hadn't backed down. This time Pepper hadn't given in, accepted that Tony couldn't, no, wouldn't change for her. The last mission had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Pepper was done. She had left saying that she would stay on at Stark Industries, but she couldn't keep loving a man who loved pieces of metal more than he valued her. She was done.
Tony stared out the window, sipping at his scotch almost as a second thought. Usually he would have downed his drink in a heartbeat, refilling before he could even process his own actions, seeking refuge in the bottom of a bottle and never looking back, but this time he couldn't. Pepper had been his only hope, the only one who could have loved a man like Tony, so broken, beyond repair. There was no hope for him, now. No light at the end of the tunnel.
Tony stared out the window, mind blank and numb. It was raining.
"Sir, it appears Mr. Loki Odinson has appeared in your kitchen. Should I alert SHIELD?"
"Oh, perfect. Reindeer Games? Just what I need right now. Thanks, JARVIS, I think we can leave Fury out of this for now," Tony started as his AI's voice cut through his daze. Heading toward his kitchen, he wondered if the god had come to finish what he started, almost hoping he had. He knew he should be surprised at Loki's arrival, knew that he should be afraid, should have told JARVIS to alert SHIELD, as no one had seen hide nor hair of the god for a hear and a half, since the invasion. For some reason, he wasn't.
"So, how about that drink? Didn't get a chance after your little encounter with Mean and Green, if I'm remembering correctly."
"Your mortal drink would hardly faze me, Stark, but I'll allow you to indulge," Loki murmured, facing away as Tony walked up to the cupboards. Pulling out a clean tumbler, he grabbed a bottle of… well, something—he wasn't particularly concerned with what he was giving his guest, to be honest—and poured two fingers into it, holding it out. "Order up, Reindeer Games. So, what brings you to my humble abode, this lovely afternoon? I'd say you came at a bad time, but really, when is it not with you?"
"Would you believe me if I said I had not come here to attack you?" Loki turned to Tony, carefully reaching toward the glass and accepting it, giving it a curious sniff before taking a long drink. "Weak, but bearable."
Tony eyed the god's face, noticing the dark circles beneath his eyes, the way his mouth pinched. This guy was exhausted. "Really? I was almost expecting another little experiment into the flight abilities of humans, only this time I'm not wearing my fancy bracelets." He was almost disappointed. "But really, you look like shit. Been getting your ass kicked in la-la-land? How did you get out, anyway? Do I need to call up Point Break to find out?"
Loki winced at the name. "The circumstances of my arrival in this pathetic realm are of no concern to you. I wish to find sanctuary for a matter of days while my magic recovers."
"Oh ho, so you're stuck. What's keeping me from calling the team in and sending you straight back to where you came from, then?"
"Curiousity."
Tony thought about this for a moment. It was true. He was a scientist, after all. Engineer, to be specific, but same thing. His life had always revolved around questions. How does this work? Can I make this better? Why is Loki out of magic and why did he come here? "You got me. But why here? Why appear in my kitchen? Maybe I wanted to team bond over afternoon tea at Chez Stark. Seems a little careless, Reindeer Games. Tsk, tsk." He watched as Loki downed the rest of his drink before setting down the glass and walking tiredly to the nearest chair. He was dressed in leather, but it didn't seem as flashy as what he had been wearing during the invasion. There was less gold. In fact, there was almost no metal. He didn't look nearly as intimidating in it.
"Because, Stark, you seemed the least likely to turn me in immediately. Your desire for knowledge is obvious and as I could offer so many possibilities, it seemed a wise choice. It seems that paying a visit to Barton or that woman of his would have ended badly for all involved, and I am not so stupid as to appear suddenly in the home of that wretched green thing. I would have thought this to be obvious to you. I suppose I overestimated your intellect, but then I suppose Barton's limited knowledge of your life centered mostly around something about you being a 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.' I suppose our standards of genius differ."
"Whoa, hey there, bud. I'll have you know I'm the smartest person in this 'realm'-"
"Then I certainly do pity you all."
"You know, for a guy who wants a safe place to chill, you're really making the best impression."
"Would you like me to apologize for insulting your meager intellect?"
"Fuck you, it's not meager. And yes. An apology would be appropriate, if not entirely accept-" Tony stopped short, realizing suddenly that not only had the love of his life just walked out on him, but he was now almost civilly bickering with the God of Mischief, the same god who had almost destroyed New York less than two years ago and he wasn't even tipsy.
"I can't handle this shit right now." Tony set down his own glass and walked out of the room, leaving a baffled god sitting alone at his island.
"Mr. Odinson, may I be of any assistance to you?"
Loki started at the mysterious voice and peered at the ceiling, trying to locate the source. Scowling, he said "Laufeyson. Not Odinson. That man is no more my father than he is my king. And where does your voice come from?"
"My apologies, Mr. Laufeyson. I am JARVIS, Mr. Stark's artificial intelligence system, installed throughout the house. If there is anything you may require, I shall endeavor to be of service to you."
"I see. Very good. Is there a place where I might rest in this building?" Loki was fading fast, the attempt his magic was making at recovering was draining his energy quickly. Stark had left him alone, and while this was to Loki, as Stark should not have been so flippant about him being there, as their last encounter had involved Loki defenestrating the man, he was not going to question it at the moment. Stark seemed different this encounter than he has before and while it was a curious change, Loki's priorities lied in other places.
"There is a couch through the doorway to your left, sir, if that would be acceptable to you."
"Thank you, JARVIS. You seem to be a competent servant," Loki said, dragging himself out of his chair and making his way to the large, black, leather sofa in Tony's living room. Settling himself into the soft cushions and intending only to rest, he quickly found himself dozing off into a fitful sleep with the sound of the raining hitting the windows in the background.
A/N: Honestly, I don't really know why this started or where it's going. The chapters will get longer but I don't know what the update schedule will be like. It shouldn't be too long between chapters, though. I haven't written in a long time, so I hope this isn't shit.