Here's the next chapter, I hope you guys like it, thank you for all the wonderful comments!
Tony was tired and ready to leave the place he was currently forced to be at. After the whole space battle he'd hoped to be able to take a vacation, Pepper apparently had other ideas for him. It didn't help that, though trying their best, the had called it quits a couple of weeks ago.
Though it was mutual it didn't make it any easier, but luckily it didn't impact their friendship. They knew that they would always be therefor each other and that was enough. But he still felt guilt tripped into coming to these functions just to make her was a charity event in upper Manhattan for something, not sure what, but if Pep dragged him here from his workshop it must be important to her. After a couple of hours he'd had a few drinks and had talked to a few people so he felt he'd met his obligations and slipped out. He skipped going straight "home", if you could even call it that. A bunch of crazy personalities living under one roof, minus Thor. Who was still in Asgard and hadn't been heard of since taking Loki back for their version of a trial a couple of months ago.
He decided to go on foot and walk around the block, he ended up finding a quiet looking café. He could smell the hints of Italian food and coffee before he even got close, it was too tempting to pass up.
He walked in and was greeted by a cute blond, her hair in a pony tail, wearing a white ruffled blouse and black pencil skirt.
'This place was getting better already,' he thought to himself. She found him a table close to the wall, with the wall to the left of him.
"Is this table okay?" she asked
Tony closed the distance between them to read her name tag, "yes, Cindy, this will do just fine," he said as he sat down.
She giggled and blushed, "what would you like tonight?"
Tony opted out of more alcohol on the chance he might want to stay up late tonight.
"Just a coffee for now," he smiled at her
"Cappuccino? We make the best ones," she smiled back.
Tony normally didn't like anything diluting his coffee but he supposed he'd make an exception this one time.
"Sounds good sweetie," he said while resting his chin on his hand and smiling up at her. This really made her giggle as she walked off to make his coffee.
He watched her walk back to the bar area, her two coworkers standing there. One with their back to him and the other a man in his late twenties.
Cindy came into the preparation area that was behind the bar, towards the back of the café. "I'm liking the look tonight Tre," she said as she starting preparing the coffee.
Tre was sporting his usual messy, spiked up brown hair. He looked down to see what he'd been wearing all night, a long sleeved, black button up shirt, a black skinny tie with dark gray slacks, why was she just now mentioning it.
She wasn't one to give out compliments unless she was in a good mood. She was all giddy and Tre and John immediately caught on.
"Thanks, what's got you so peppy?" Tre questioned, both men waiting for the obvious answer.
"Hmmm, I don't know what you're talking about," as she raised both her eyebrows in mock innocence.
They both gave her the head tilt with the accompanying raised eyebrow. She stared at both for a moment , she felt like she was in an interrogation room.
"Fine, the guy that just sat down is totally flirting, pretty cute too."
'Every night with this girl' John thought, his elbow on the counter, with his head in his hand.
"Where are the espresso pouches?" she said looking through the cabinets.
"There should be some in the back, I'll help you find them," Tre and Cindy went to the supply room and only took about two minutes before returning. Cindy started to make the milk and chocolate base for the drink and flipped the switch to start foaming it. The air pressure came out as a blast of air, causing the chocolatey concoction to spray all over her, staining the front of her white blouse.
"Oh my God!" she shrieked wiping the milk off of her face, "who would turn this up all the way!"
"Who would not check first before turning it on?" John said sounding genuine in his curiosity.
Cindy was fuming and snapped around to look at John "It was you wasn't it?"
"I have not used that machine all day," Is all he had to say.
Tre started cleaning up the mess "Just go home for the night Cindy, your shift was almost over anyways, John will take over your tables."
"What?"
"What?" The two said at the same time
"Any tips made will still be yours Cindy, just go home and change before you catch a cold."
Cindy walked off with a huff, to the back room.
John walked around the bar to help Tre with the cleanup, Tre turned to him, "That was you wasn't it?"
"I said I had not used it, never said anything about touching it," a small smirk formed.
They both turned to each other and chuckled "I have to admit the look on her face was priceless and I'm getting tired of her taking customers home with her."
John smiled to himself and started making a new cup to bring to her customer.
Tony heard a bunch of commotion and not soon after Cindy was leaving, glancing at him before walking out the door, covering her front with her coat. By the looks of it he was going to have to change his drink order.
He'd started playing around on his phone, telling Happy to go ahead and come pick him up and where he was, when he heard someone walk up.
"I'm sorry for the wait sir," John said as he set the drink in front of him, "Cindy had an…" he held in a snicker, "emergency, so I'm taking over for her. My name is John, is there anything else I can get for you?"
Tony could tell the guy wasn't going to get the hint to leave unless he looked up and acknowledged him "No that's…"
Tony froze in place, looking at the man in shock, he looked so different but there was no mistaking who he was. His hair was shorter though; curly and messy. He had a huge scar starting from his left temple and going half way down his cheek. Tony Stark, was for the first time at a loss for words and his flight or fight instinct wasn't telling what to do.
"Sir?" The man smiled down at him "Are you okay?" and gave a genuine concerned look.
"Ah ye-yeah, I'm good."
"Okay," he said still looking a little concerned "I will come back in a few minutes to see if you need a warm up."
As "John" walked away, Tony still couldn't really move, his mind was processing everything. 'Why is Loki here? Why is he acting so nonchalant about everything and where the hell is his brother!' Tony watched Loki go back to the bar and chat with his coworker all smiles. He looked so different, wearing tight black jeans, a black jacket with the sleeves rolled up over a dark green v-neck shirt and black converse. If Tony hadn't looked him right in the face he wouldn't have recognized him, especially without all that armor and leather. Tony just watched them talk while drinking his coffee trying to wrap his head around all of this.
"You know one of these days my mom is gonna catch you doing one of your little pranks, and she won't think they're as funny as I do," Tre said while still cleaning up some of the splatter that had gotten on to the bar. He remembered when John had only been working in the cafe for a week. Him and another waiter named Lawrence, didn't really get along. When Lawrence was busy waiting on customers, John had taken a fresh cut jalapeno and rubbed it on the straw of the cup he'd been drinking from. Needless to say he had to keep Lawrence from shoving the rest of the jalapeno down John's throat, as he hid himself behind him laughing.
John leaned in close, setting his forearm on the counter, "You would not tell on me would you?" looking at Tre with all the innocence of a child.
"Ugh stop it with the puppy dog eyes," Tre slightly pushed him away "You know I'm no match."
John smiled "and that is precisely why I do it," they both started giggling. Tre got serious for a moment. "Hey that customer you took over from Cindy has been shooting daggers at us."
"Which one?" John didn't want to turn around and meet the supposed glare.
"The one that was flirting with her and got just the coffee."
John glanced at Tony, and then turned back to Tre, "he's probably mad because now he does not have a companion to take home."
"Maybe you should go check on him," Tre recommended.
Tony wasn't fitting the pieces together and watching the two laughing and chatting had made his patience run out. He slammed his empty mug down. He waited until after he'd finished his coffee, because damn that really was one of the best cups of coffee he'd ever had.
The sound of him slamming his cup down made both of the men jump.
"Maybe now would be a good time," Tre smiled.
"Yeah," John said hesitantly
John walked back to Tony's table, standing in front of him holding the serving tray behind his back with both hands. He smiled down at Tony, "Would you like another sir?"
Tony couldn't take anymore of the bullshit, and the alcohol he had pumping through his veins made him lose all the fear of not having his suit near by. He stood up quickly and almost knocked over the table in the process. "I've had enough of the charades Loki!"
John had pulled the tray to the front of him defensively.
"What are you doing here? What are you up to?" Tony was almost yelling now
"Sir I do not know what you are talking about." Pulling the tray up closer to his face.
Tony grabbed him by the collar of his jacket causing him to drop the tray. John could only look at Tony with fear and confusion, grabbing at his wrists. Tony was losing control of his anger, the death of Phil still fresh in his memory and the alcohol in his system wasn't helping. Tre came running up and shoved Tony away from John and stepped in between the two of them.
"Look pal I don't know who you are, or what your deal is but you need to leave now," Tre said keeping Tony at arms length. "He's been through enough already without some drunk attacking him."
John was now trying to hide himself behind the much shorter man. Which only made Tony's blood boil more, but something finally kicked in and told Tony to just leave it for now. He grabbed his jacket from off the chair and stormed out, he would be back.
"You okay?" Tre said turning to look at John.
"Yes I am fine, no big deal, drunks come in all the time." he said straightening his shirt.
"Yeah but this one seemed to have a personal beef with you." Tre said as he picked up John's tray and handing it back to him. Tony finally made it back to the Tower, thanks to Happy's perfect timing. He sat in his workshop replaying the events of the night in his head over and over. Loki had looked genuinely scared, which even being a masterful liar, was hard to do. He kept wondering why Loki would be back on earth, and without SHIELD knowing. Loki had looked at him like he was a perfect stranger. It would be believable if he'd only seen him in his suit, but they definitely had had a face to face…and then a potential face to asphalt encounter. It was like his slate had been wiped clean of the past. He considered calling SHIELD, but he really didn't want to be on Thor's bad side if they were to use their own punishment system. Torturing him for information, and if he was right about his condition they wouldn't get anything out of him anyways. Where was Thor anyways, the least he could do was tell them is psychopathic brother was back in town. Tony had enough excitement for one night and decided he would deal with this on his own, another time, before passing out on his work table.
A/N: I used to work at a restaurant, and me another coworker had an ongoing prank war. He did the jalapeno prank on me one time, and it felt like my lips were going to fall off, fresh jalapeno burns.
