It all starts with an observation.

"I thought you weren't allowed to perform magic tricks anymore." The God of Mischief just casts him an uninterested look from his spot on the couch before turning his attention back to the snake that is currently twisting its rough body around one of the legs of the living room's coffee table. "And I believe that's my tablet you turned into a snake. Be nice and turn it back. Or I'll tell daddy."

"This is a mere exercise." And with a twirl of his fingers the snake is gone and Tony's tablet is back where it was the last time he saw it, on top of the coffee table.

"Good boy. Now, stay away from my stuff." For good measure, he walks towards the coffee table and grabs his tablet. Not like that would stop Loki if he desired to transform it again, but he could at least pretend. Once firmly secured under his armpit, he crosses the living room to stand behind his bar.

What was he thinking when he agreed to this? Thor did promise he wouldn't be long, but the last time he said he had business to deal with in Asgard and that he'd be back shortly, it actually took him three weeks to come back. He pours himself a generous amount of scotch; well, at least he has enough alcohol to last three weeks, if that's the case. "What's Point Break up to? More Asgard business and he can't risk having you around?"

"He's visiting that Midgardian girlfriend of his," he says simply.

"I am babysitting you only so that Thor can get some? That was his urgent matter?"

"Please, I've had to stand his incessant rant for weeks now. Lady Jane this, Lady Jane that…" He rolls his eyes. "My fairest Lady Jane!"

"I'd say you're jealous of Thor, but you usually are so, I guess there's no need pointing it out." Tony takes a long sip from his glass, almost half emptying it. "And couldn't you just stay nice and quiet in Asgard?"

"Since I've been on my best behavior, Thor thought it'd be convenient to reward me with a short change of environment." Of course, leave it to Thor to be nice to his evil and still very much criminal little brother.

"I'm not liking Thor much at the moment," Tony comments as he decides to just screw it and refill the glass all the way; he's going to need it. "Why couldn't this 'change of environment' happen with him around?"

"I wouldn't find it very rewarding if I were to spend time with Thor, now would I? I'd rather spend it in the dungeons, in a cell." Tony nods in understanding. Clearly, since his defeat by the Avengers, Loki hadn't made up with Thor. From what Tony could see earlier when Thor stopped by to drop Loki, Thor acted as if nothing had happened, as if Loki didn't despise him. He ignored every single glare he received whenever he referred to Loki as 'brother' (which happened many times) and most certainly overlooked whenever Loki recoiled at his attempts of contact. "Not that I enjoy my time in your realm, but I believe the perks that come with it make my stay bearable."

Tony rolls his eyes. He wishes Thor keeps his promise to come back in time; well, mostly his hope relies on Jane, to be honest. "You want a drink or can your magic also take care of that?" He doesn't wait for an answer as he walks back to the sitting area.

"I'll have what you're having." He extends his arm and opens his hand, gesturing for Tony to hand the glass over.

"I'm not giving you mine." But he doesn't move his arm. Tony rolls his eyes and takes another sip…and nearly spits it out because, half a minute ago, his scotch didn't taste as bland and as sweet. "The hell did you do?"

"My drink." Gingerly, he hands him the glass. Rather than going back to the bar, he sits on the couch, at a safe distance from Loki.

"You know, I didn't think you'd be into that sugary crap. I thought it'd be more like…spicy and rich and I don't know…hellish." Loki just spares him a glance before taking a long sip. He makes a face. "What, shall I bring you some more sugar, princess?"

"Shut up. You'll ruin my mood."

"Your mood. And what is that mood? Plotting? Evil?"

"Calm. Regardless of your chatter, I find myself quite at peace here."

"Thor said you mostly spend your days locked in your room, how isn't that any more peaceful?" Tony enters the passcode in his tablet and absentmindedly checks his emails. Just a few reminders and mails from the board of directives, along with something that reads 'Six adorable cat behaviors with shockingly evil explanations' as the subject. Figures, it's from Natasha. He clicks on it.

"I'm being watched at all times. It's bothersome."

Tony looks up and frowns at Loki. "And here you aren't?" Then a little devious smirk blooms on Loki's lips. "You aren't."

"Just Heimdall. The Allfather's vision is somewhat…impaired."

"He's like Fury in that department, isn't he?"

"Yes. Others have to make up for his weakness. Surely he'll inform Odin if I try something, but I'm up to no evil. However, the worst I could do wouldn't even earn me a severe punishment."

Tony feels the urge to ask him what the worst he could do is, but maybe it'd be better if he didn't. Instead, he returns to his original inquiry. "So again, about your magic." Almost as if on cue, some sort of ochre colored energy pours lightly from his fingertips and seeps through the glass and into his drink. "I thought it was gone."

He takes a sip from the glass and this time he actually seems pleased about the taste. "It's just very restrained."

"Well, from what I heard that's part of your punishment, and I suppose it's alright I mean…you try to take over a realm, cause mayhem and kill a bunch of people and all you get is lockdown in your luxury prince room without your magic to amuse you? Sounds very lax to me."

"Well, Mr. Stark, how would you feel if someone took science away from you?" Tony actually stops and thinks about that one. No science. No reason. No logic. No passion. No fun. He could keep all the money and all the perks that come with it and he certainly wouldn't be happy. He'd feel empty and very much suicidal.

And so, he just nods his defeat. "Well played."

Loki smirks. "Good to see you understand. Not many do and think, just as you did, that my punishment should be more severe, probably including physical harm. I'd choose torture over giving up my magic any day." He takes another sip from his glass and then sets it on the coffee table. Seconds later he picks it up again; only that the glass actually stays untouched on the table while a duplicate is in his hand. "Here," he says as he extends the second glass to Tony and he reluctantly reaches for it. "Your scotch."

Tony sniffs it and after making sure it smelled like his drink alright, he takes a hesitant small sip. "My scotch." Tony raises his eyebrows in surprise. He really was expecting yet another trick. He takes another long sip and yet again is surprised that it still is his scotch.

"Yes. Now be quiet." Tony frowns. He doesn't like being ordered around. Least in in his own home. But still, he stays silent, just watching as a mist of green fire starts emerging from the tips of Loki's fingers. Tony doesn't know what to expect, but he knows it's probably going to be harmless. Loki does have that Heimdall watching over him.

In the blink of an eye Loki has duplicated every item that sat on top of the coffee table.

"Fun stuff. Is it hard?" Tony puts his tablet aside, immediately forgetting about the cat facts. "I've never really seen you do magic. Though, hypnotizing Clint was pretty neat." Regardless that he's, in a way, praising Loki's expertise at sorcery, the God can't help but to shoot him an annoyed glare. So much for asking for silence.

Still, he decides to amuse Tony. "This is child's play." He snaps his fingers and the copied items are set on fire. Tony is alarmed at first, and looks around for something to take care of the fire, but then he remembers that if danger was imminent, JARVIS would've taken care of it already. But nothing has happened. He frowns. "Merely an illusion." The fire disappears and the items are left untouched. Loki sighs and the copies of the items disappear. "Would you be interested in seeing an actual challenge?" There's danger in those words; Tony knows he has to think very carefully of the consequences his answer might bring.

"Sure," he answers with a shrug.

Loki gets up and then gives Tony an expectant look. "Shall we go to a more comfortable place first?"

Now, Tony's heard many variations of this sentence before, but he's fully certain that the God of Lies and Mischief doesn't mean the regular insinuation. Though the smirk on his face would prove otherwise. It probably means something different in Asgard. Like, shall we go outside where there's enough open space for a catastrophe to happen?

Well, he's had catastrophe happen in this very room once before, so another one? Who cares.

"I'm fairly comfortable here." And in fact, he is. He doesn't spend as much time in his living room, but he made sure that the furniture for it was the top of comfort and elegance and overall just the best. Well, at least Pepper did, and in Tony's book, everything Pepper chooses is the best.

Loki licks his lips before speaking, the smirk still perfectly well placed. "I was thinking perhaps we could move to your chambers, where you'd be more comfortable lying down."

Without a word, Tony gets up and leads Loki to his bedroom.

I've been struggling with this for weeks, and I think I finally have it done. Second part soon, I'm still fixing some bits here and there and adding more stuff to it. Expect porn, of course!