Asgard was a place of divinity. Where warriors were boisterous and active, women lay within the gardens tending to flowers and herbs in peaceful silence. Each Asgardian held their own role, their own place. Some were lucky enough to have their futures guided for them, whether it be by myth or by the Allfather himself.

Loki, Thor found himself wondering, never had a definitive place. He'd only ever stepped out of the shadow of being a second son when it became known he wasn't a second son – not by birth.

As children, he'd always been the odd one out. The one that would get teased, prodded, pushed to see how long it would take to make the runt bite. Loki turned to harmless pranks, in defence seeing as he could not overpower most Asgardians through brute force alone. But, as he got older, the innocent pranks became more and more poisonous….

Their mother had once mentioned that the colour of magic reflected one's inner being, their true self and what they could become capable of. He wasn't sure if green suited Loki.

He tried to keep composure as he stood beside his brother, both beheld by the Allfather, who sat powerfully on the throne. The shadow in Loki's eyes was unmistakable. He suspected if it were not for the metallic gag, he would have many things to say.

"Father," Thor ventured, slowly and carefully. "Loki has committed crimes against Asgard, but it must be acknowledged that he has wronged the realm of Midgard also."

Odin simply rose an eyebrow, an unspoken request to continue.

"One of the mortals, a powerful figure, has requested temporary custody of him, as to punish him for his crimes against their realm." Thor heard Loki snort, though he couldn't be sure at what.

"How long?" Odin asked.

"It is… Ah, how did Stark say it… 'Up for debate.'" Thor smiled, but it lacked meaning. "He estimated a month at minimum." He paused, both to allow the words to sink in and to proceed with his own thoughts. "May I allow Loki to speak?"

There was a pregnant pause, then Odin slowly nodded his head.

The gag came off easily with a click, revealing a smile hidden under the metal. "How gracious of you, Allfather – and here I thought you'd never want to heed my words again?"

"We have no time for your petulance, Loki," Odin's voice remained level. "If you are to be given over to Midgard, you will follow certain conditions."

Loki splayed his hands, pressed together by chains. "And they are?"

"Should you resist their wishes, you will face a harsher punishment in Asgard for every complication. As an extra incentive," Odin cast Loki a direct look that was unreadable to Thor. "My magic will be stripped from you as soon as I hear of misbehaviour."

Loki visibly tensed, but the smile remained. "Accepted. Mortals are foolish in their endeavours; it will be quite some time before you hear of any… mishaps. Or perhaps, there will be no mortals to report back to you at all?"

Thor clamped the gag back over his mouth in one swift motion. He saw the twitch in Odin's eye. Loki would only strive to entice more reactions out of him, it was best to end it before it can begin.

"Remember what I say, Loki. I want to believe you are capable of following orders."

Loki's stare darkened. Odin's words echoed in the room.

Thor couldn't shake off the unsettled feeling as they left that day.

It had only been one week since Loki was transferred into S.H.I.E.L.D custody. One week since that pathetic attempt at interrogation. One week, and Tony felt that they were somehow moving backwards.They were freshly due for a second attempt. Since his first session with the god, several agents had tried their own hand at getting him to talk.

Some of them came out in tears.

The truth of the matter was nobody knew how to handle Loki. He always found something to his advantage, something to make you leave. Testing Tony's patience was definitely one of his ploys – who'd want to continue a conversation that felt so pointless?

But there was one person who had a clue about his web of a mind: his dear totally not-brother, Thor.

Tony never anticipated sharing a home with anyone other than Pepper. But shortly after the invasion, his tower became the Avengers tower, and accommodated six people, one more temporarily than the others. While Thor gallivanted off to Asgard more times than he had showers, the god of thunder had indeed settled down in the Midgardian realm. Until it was completely safe, he had explained. The Pop Tarts definitely didn't influence him.

He was sat on the couch in the common room, alone. Tony pounced on the chance like a hungry cat, sliding into the room with all the confidence of a teenage girl on prom night.

"You got time, Point Break? I don't think that window's gonna talk back anytime soon."

Thor pried his eyes away from the glass, and offered an amused smile in his direction. That was a good sign. Tony didn't feel like getting thrown out a window twice. He took this as an incentive to put forth his thoughts – except he wasn't sure how to.

What was he supposed to ask? 'Hey, buddy, your brother's a bit of a nutcase, what do you know about that?' Thor had been wistful since the pair had returned to Earth, he doubted speaking in that manner would do any good. Even if the person in question totally deserved it.

"Hey, I think my tower deserves some time to itself – only so many staring contests you can win in a day," Tony quipped. "How about we grab some coffee? See some sun?"

"I do not like coffee much," Thor frowned, but he rose from his seat. "I will take you up on your offer, Stark, as long as it is a mocha."

He could agree to that. "Gods like chocolate, got it. Jarvis, lock up before we go, would you?"

"You don't have to ask, sir," came the calm reply. Tony decided for the sixteenth time that he loved Jarvis.

As they stepped into the elevator, he became acutely aware of how different Thor looked. He was a mountain of a man, but the muscles began to lack the definition and shine they once proudly wore. He looked downcast, tired. Like yours truly did after a couple days, and nights, in the workshop. Tony offered a friendly nudge on the shoulder.

"You taking care of yourself, Oh Mighty?" He sighed at the confused look he received. "You're rundown. I'm not sure how much stamina you Asgardians have, but I'm sure you still have basic needs."

Thor considered that. "I suppose I have not been self-preserving as of late," he admitted. "I appreciate the concern, but I assure you that I am far from 'rundown.' Weary, perhaps."

"Weary…. yeah, we'll stick with that," Tony conceded. He didn't doubt Thor's words, but the invasion had done a number on everyone involved. Being related to the core of the invasion had its own category of consequences. He chose not to press the matter.

To Tony's delight, it turned out that Thor was the most pleasant Avenger to drive with. Clint had an annoying habit of punching him every time they passed a yellow car, Natasha was so silent it felt like an interrogation, Steve had enough questions to rival a curious child and Bruce was… Bruce. He always felt he had to tread lightly when talking to Bruce, not that he didn't love the guy.

Thor was quiet, but participated in any idle conversation offered to him. He spoke pleasantly and efficiently, even if he didn't quite catch onto slang. It seemed to be an Asgardian theme, like they were all stuck within one big Shakespeare spectacular. He didn't look the part as he was now, dressed in a modest shirt and tight-fitting jeans. Though, despite his golden hair being tied back in an almost hippy fashion, he looked no less regal than he did before.

He also knew what he wanted, and exactly how he wanted it, as was expected of a prince. When ordering in the café, Thor didn't miss a beat when it came to specifying every detail of how he wanted his mocha. Tony had to take the time to assure the waitress that he just wanted the usual, and she didn't need to 'supply him with the finest cream this realm has to offer.'

Overall, the trip so far had been a refreshing experience in contrast to their past couple weeks. But he'd brought Thor out of his box for a reason.

"We need to talk about Loki," he swirled the straw around in his iced coffee, avoiding eye contact.

Thor exhaled deeply, a long and suffering sound. "There is always a catch with these things, is there not?" Tony looked up, expecting to have his very soul ripped out, only to meet an amused but forlorn expression.

"You know I didn't mean it like that – you really did need to get out. But this is important."

"Indeed," Thor nodded. "Let us speak of Loki then. What did you wish to know?"

"I want to know what you know." Damn, Tony was getting good with his lines. "Tell me about him – well, tell me about your brother." Thor adopted a solemn look, and Tony was just about to tell him not to worry because he looked like a puppy out in the rain, but he spoke before he got the chance.

"Loki admitted to his envy early on," he sighed. "But he never let it overcome him, not until recent. He was always…. difficult with sentiment, but he expressed it where it was due." Another heavy sigh. "Perhaps it was the lack of returning that played part in this."

Tony gave him a comforting pat on the arm. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was," Thor smiled bitterly. "But I will admit I do not take all the blame. I was one of many. I just wish I had realised it sooner."

"Right," Tony said softly. "Jealousy is a big thing here. Crazy boyfriends, crazier girlfriends, sibling rivalry, favouritism, yada yada… I totally get it. But that can't be the sole reason for trying to take over an entire planet."

Thor scoffed, "With all due respect, the quarrels you humans suffer are but child's play in Asgard. Conquering is an honour, but reserved for a king. Loki taking over a realm could be considered a challenge to the throne – the Allfather rules over all the nine realms. It is…"

"A playground squabble." Tony grinned at Thor's immediate odd look.

"Whatever you may call it, it is indeed a crime but there are certainly worse things Loki could have chosen to do. Here in Midgard, I assume the act of taking over a realm is of the highest degree of offence?"

Tony felt a chill run down his spine as he realised just how small they really were. "You could put it that way, yeah. We don't exactly want to be enslaved by aliens."

"But," a thoughtful look adorned Thor as he sipped his mocha. "Loki has admitted on multiple occasions that he never wished to take the throne. It is possible they could be lies, but he never contradicted the statements until now."

"What was he doing before the invasion?" Tony asked.

"That I know not, Stark. Loki had been missing for quite some time before he appeared on Midgard."

"So, he just disappeared?" Surely there had been indications for Loki planning world domination, right?

If Thor had looked upset before, it was barely a warm up to what crossed his face now. He looked anguished, guilty and conflicted. "I feel this story should be reserved for another time, but the circumstances leading to Loki's disappearance were grim. It was by choice, but…. he was not intended to return."

Tony went silent as it processed, then merely offered a gentle "oh." His iced coffee suddenly seemed a lot more interesting than it did before.

"I will not pretend that Loki is a saint," Thor continued before the situation became irreparable. "Even before this, he has always had questionable actions at best. Chaos seemed like a word specifically designed to suit him. But, I'd never thought he would commit a crime like this." His eyes flashed. "He knew my love for this realm, and my love for the residents within it. Midgard was not picked at random."

"He knew it'd affect you," Tony said. "But that doesn't make sense. If he was hellbent on becoming all kingly, why would he draw you in? That guy has an ego, but he also has a brain. He definitely knew you were going to put a hole in his script."

"That is what baffles me," Thor agreed and finished off the remains of his drink. "If his plan were to rule, there are multiple realms that would be out of my reach for quite some time, at the very least supplying him time to prepare. He'd never taken explicit interest in Midgard, either. I'd like to think he would not let his pettiness get the best of him."

They let the silence hang, both reviewing the information and drawing possible solutions.

"Thor, describe Loki to me."

"Is that not what we have been doing?" Thor raised an eyebrow.

"No, no; describe his personality. Aside from being a Grinch."

Thor pursed his lips to form a question, then thought better of it. "Loki does not meet the traditional standards of most Asgardian warriors – even physically, though he is by no means weak. He was always withdrawn, if he admitted to anything it would only be to defuse trouble coming his way, or to entice more chaos."

Tony hummed but said nothing.

"When it came time for my coronation, Loki allowed the Frost Giants, a long-time enemy, into Asgard. As you could infer, this took priority over my coronation. At the time we didn't know it was Loki who had committed the deed, so our blame was directed to the Frost Giants themselves. Needless to say, it led to my reckless decision of invading the realm, and I was banished to Midgard until I was worthy of Mjolnir, my hammer.

"I do not regret it – that experience showed me love for both Midgard and its mortals, despite my feelings on it at the time. A specific mortal, in fact; I'm sure I have mentioned Jane before."

Tony nodded. Jane was one of the few things that brought that starry eyed expression Thor wore so well. "Don't you think that would've shown a… different nature? Something to be suspicious?"

"You are correct, Stark. At first, I was sure Loki had done it out of good intentions, though some thoughtless decisions were driven by his emotional turmoil. He knew the throne fit me ill, and seeked to show that to Odin. He could not have predicted that I would be sentenced to banishment; as princes, we would get away with many things others could not."

"Do you guys have therapy up there?" Tony asked.

"Therapy?" Thor tilted his head. "As in the massaging of muscles after a battle?"

"No no, not physical therapy." Tony chuckled, but it was shadowed by concern. Thor spoke of Asgard as a grand place of divinity, but they clearly struggled with the concept of good mental health. Not that he was one to talk, but at least he was selectively unhealthy.

Thor only looked more confused, but thankfully moved on. "For all his shortcomings, Loki was and still is intelligent. It was one of the things I most admired about him. He is a quick learner and a master of adaption, as I'm sure you've come to learn."

"Definitely," Tony grimaced. Those deceptive eyes drifted into his imagination like an ugly cloud.

A buzz in his pocket brought his mind back into reality. He looked at Thor apologetically as he skimmed over the text. "Fury's calling me in."

"Aye, I assume it's about Loki?"

"As much as I know in my heart that Fury adores my company, it's definitely about him. You want a ride back to the tower?"

"No," Thor half-smiled. "I believe I need some time to reflect." He began to lift his right arm –

"Woah woah woah woah woah, put that arm down!" Tony yelped, pressing a firm hand against the god's bicep. The difference in strength became almost apparent, but Thor opted for a questioning look rather than continuing. "New York's suffered enough; I don't wanna know how many buildings your crazy hammer will fly through to get to you."

"Then how shall I return to the tower?" Thor asked.

"I don't know, but please don't give Fury another reason to call us loose cannons."

"Very well," Thor announced in a voice much louder than was appropriate. "I shall walk."

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "Whatever; if you get desperate pester Bruce, I'm pretty sure he does karaoke in the afternoons." He paused for a moment, a debate stirring in his mind. His mouth worked too quickly for his brain to stop it. He decided it'd be his wise statement of the year.

"And Thor – You don't need to defend him. You don't need to protect him from anything. That burden isn't yours."

Thor looked away from him. "If I don't, who will?"

An awkward wave mixed with being uncertain Thor would ever let go of his hand later, Tony was finally left in complete and utter silence. He'd gotten more information out of Thor than he could get from even glancing in Loki's direction. Perhaps they had the wrong idea?

No, it was too unreliable. Thor had even said himself how secretive Loki could be.

In truth, that was the biggest part of the problem.

Clint had known this would be a bad idea. The moment he'd seen that smug face and greasy hair return, he'd decided that life was just completely unfair. Loki should be rotting in a cell. Granted, he was, but this time he was allowed a weekly interrogation session. As far as he was concerned, that was much more social interaction than the liesmith deserved.

At first he'd thrown nothing short of a tantrum, only being stopped by the loud booming voice of Thor threatening to 'let Mjolnir show him the sense he so desperately requires.' But he was firm in his stance, he knew what he thought was right. And what was right to him was to see Loki locked up in his freaky Medieval realm for as long as his lifespan granted.

Come Monday afternoon of the second week, and he was called in to S.H.I.E.L.D with a rather demanding message from Nick Fury: 'Come here now.' Not that he'd ever verbally describe it that way if he wanted to save himself from another one of Fury's rants.

"Is there a reason you've called only me and Legalos?" Tony asked as he entered the headquarters, looking as prideful as ever. Clint hated his nicknames, but it was common knowledge that mentioning distaste for them only unleashed more.

"Because it involves only you two, Stark – at least for the moment. I apologise for being cryptic, but if I'd actually explained why you're here, you never would've come." Fury threw him a meaningful glance. Clint's stomach dropped.

"You don't mean –"

"Yes, Agent Barton, you're next up. We need you to talk to Loki. Stark will be supervising you."

That was just the beginning of Clint's extremely bad and irredeemable afternoon.

I'm terribly sorry if there's any mistakes, I've proofread this chapter multiple times but there's always a few details that slip past me. The first few chapters may be considered slow if you're looking for action, but I was always one for dealing with more psychological matters than being rough and tumble.

Also, Tony practically wrote himself this chapter. He's such a joy, and I'm looking forward to incorporating a Thor and Tony friendship. I hope the interactions I write are believable, or at the very least smooth.