Loki, semi-trying, cleaned up most of the mess caused by the incident. The by-passers and innocents were dealt with swiftly; ambulances and police cars came in, harpies cries trough the air. It was becoming a theme that they should get a lift back home before the real trouble starts, and this time, Heimdall was their savior.

Loki, Thor and Tony landed back in the golden dome of Asgard.

Tony really freakin' hated that freakin' machine. Give him five minutes and a spanner and he'd feel a lot better. Oh, and throw in a sixty course meal while you're at it.

Of course he was thrilled that Thor was home and blah, blah, blah, but he was more troubled with more important issues, such as not passing out.

As soon as they landed back in Asgardian lands, the new sun bringing a new day, Loki smiled. So far, so almost good.

Feeling safe and sound in his home, Thor took time to relax and embraced his brother.

Loki would never admit to himself that he was overjoyed, but he could admit it to the brother who he held in his arms.

"Brother," he breathed. "You were missed." He pulled him away by the shoulders, holding him at arms length. Thor's own hands rested on his forearms. He looked into Thor's wide and glistening eyes and felt no stir inside. Something uncharacteristically cold, even for him. He would investigate later. After dinner.

Loki depraved himself of so much love, he didn't see it from anyone else. He merely gave it when it was given wholly and all at once, as in this moment.

He called Hogun with his mind, whispering simple instructions. Hogun - the one most likely to run straight to him instead of opening his mouth. God he loved the silent, deadly type. Even if they spoke a lot they said very little.

Without letting Loki down, a few minutes later Said warrior could be seen running down the rainbow bridge at his full speed, the rest of the warriors three and Sif a few seconds behind, not sure what the fuss was about, their shapes unclear.

Hardly even out of breath, Hogun came to a halt, hidden smile bright and eyes beaming. Thor caught eye of him and near exploded. "So," Thor's friend cried "the Prince returns, does he?" Thor laughed.

"Yes he does." Came Thor, hugging his friend as if it had been years, not days since they had last met. And in this moment of relative peace, Loki turned to the keeper of the realms, the eye of these lands and nodded courteously. Heimdall had done him a great favor and so now Loki owed him. It now came upon him to question why he had done such a favor. What did he know that they did not? Again. He shall ask later, act now.

"How on Earth did you manage it?" The others by this point had caught up and were smothering Thor in a mixture of surprised joy, happy hugs and slaps for being stupid.

Before Thor could answer with anything that might hinder Loki's chances, he beat him to it.

"Tony was making some trouble down there. I would appreciate it," He lent in closer, grinning like the trickster he was, the others laughing and fooling along with him, "If you didn't mention specifics to Him." They agreed and easy truce. They clapped him too on the back, congratulating him. Thor got the hint that Loki did not want the truth told, and was grateful enough to comply.

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, my friend but your father wont be pleased." Hogun was always the voice of reason in everything they ever did.

Loki begged to differ; reason was never really his thing. "If he has taken the hammer, he is worthy. Odin will be happy, beyond belief or reason." Now their queries had been answered, they again filled their thoughts with their virtuous Thor.

Loki looked at his brother, giving himself time to smile and laugh before taking Tony, who was just standing like a small man who thinks he owns the world, by the shoulders and walking down the rainbow bridge in the opposite direction, just the two of them, alone. The others still distracted by Thor's return dd not follow. They barely even noticed their departure.

It did not matter. What mattered was that Odin would hear word of this through a rather long and twisted grapevine and he would not be best pleased, no matter what the others or himself had said. Yes he would be joyed in Thor's return but not so much by his means. He had to get himself prepared. So while Loki hushed him away, quiet and unquestioned, Tony took the time to satisfy his own needs.

"So, can you take me back to home, home now?" Loki stayed silent for a moment, quickening his pace.

"As I said before, I shall need some time and a limited amount of assistance in helping track down your particular origins. I'm sure we can accommodate you for a few weeks."

"Weeks?" Tony almost coughed up a lung, stopping the God with a chop of his hand.

"I'm afraid," Loki justified "that no one is faster at locating a single thread in a knitted sheet than me, and it still takes time." Trying to lie about how the long the process would take was a little too risky for such a delicate game as this. It would take a week. Everyone knew that, but if he made it seem difficult as if something was odd, perhaps he could buy more time. It suddenly hit him how pathetic and clingy he was acting. He loved it.

"And no matter how long I'm here for, I can still go back to exactly when I came from?"

"Precisely."

"No tricks or funny business?"

"Oh, absolutely."

"Well then," Loki's pace started again and did not slow until reaching the long and winding corridors of his home, where he merged into the bustling crowds of servants to whom a certain someone's arrival had already been announced. "As long as that's sorted."

Ahh, there he was. He was wondering when they'd meet. He hadn't thought he'd be this punctual. Although it seemed he had feared for naught; Odin was no where near as wrathful as expected. Odin stopped them at the end of the hallway, finding it somewhere in his power to freeze all of time around them.

So close to the feasting hall yet so devilishly far.

"Loki." He spoke, neglecting to pay any attention to the human in their presence.

"Father." Dropping his hands from Tony's skin, much to said mans delight, Loki stood straighter.

"I want to be pleased with you..." Loki looked at the true god before him and noted all he could see. He was not in good health, no, not at all. Loki said not a word, Tony choking on his restricting vocal chords. "Oh let the boy speak." Reasoned Odin, walking further towards them.

"Thanks," Tony muttered, rubbing his throat, glaring almost evilly at his new found companion. "I was just going to say nice beard." Odin stopped in front of them, eyes only on Loki. He saw why Loki had stopped him speaking - the man was insane with lethargy. With more than one meaning in his words, Odin replied.

"Thank you." The Father of Asgard walked off, the hustle of the servants and assistance continuing, not giving ether Tony or Loki time to process the king's words. The king never said thank you, not to one not of his own blood, and even if they were, it was a rare event. 'I must be special,' reasoned Tony, 'Odin must know something,' reasoned Loki.

But as Odin walked one way to meet his son, Loki and Tony walked the other. The king, distracted almost fell over his own feet who did not carry him with their usual grace and majesty.

"My king?" Asked a humble servant as a caring and cared for subject would. Odin huffed, mustering all his might and glory in one drawn out breath.

"My son is up to something," He muttered out of earshot and out of sight. "Again."

"So where's a bed?" Asked Tony innocently, his eyes, before blurry now just displaying various dots that could be one thing or another thing. He was going to start needing subtitles.

"I fear you will not have time for rest."

"Excuse me?" Loki half smacked, half caressed Tony's forehead, a little rudely to be honest, he didn't appreciate the invasion. But oddly enough, it was like a shot of caffeine, like he's just downed eight and a half steaming espressos. He liked. "What'd you just do to me?"

"Energy boost. However, be careful. Go to sleep while that's still in your system and you'll be sleeping a while."

"Thanks for the red pills then, Pablo... I suppose." With a simple 'stay here,' Loki went off on his own, leaving Tony to his pretty self. Why leave him in a corridor? Infuriating little man. Slightly awkward and a little lost he sat on the outreaching window ledge, looking out into that golden sun that threatened to scar his retinas if he looked too long. He decided after the sun got boring that people watching was the way to go.

It must have been about three minutes before Tony wandered off. He mostly just followed a few stray chefs that smelled delicious in a completely non-cannabalistic way, or a few maids who he was not objectifying at all. He wouldn't. But on one occasion he decided on following a giant of a man. He should've expected this, but the man, who he recognized from the bridge turned to face him. When he did the smile on his face was so great he thought he might have had had some Joker inspired make-up thing going on. That wouldn't have been the weirdest thing he'd seen.

"Hello!" That wasn't the reaction he usually got when someone found out that he'd been following them, not that he did it often... "Hey, you're Loki's salvage aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me." He wasn't anyone's anything but he wasn't sure what else he was, so he just went with it for the sake of his dwindling sanity. "Tony." They didn't shake hands, they just kind of nodded at each other in a vague mutual 'Yo.'

"Well then, come with me." As creepy as the statement was he doubted the BFG meant him any harm.

So Tony joined in playing it cool. 'Volstagg', as he was informed, was Thor's greatest and most loyal friend and apparently also a great and fierce warrior in love with the culinary and womanly arts. His type of man.

Tony had made a new friend before they reached the Hall, the one place that he would be if he could not be home. He had fantasized about this moment the whole way here. He expected tables and tables of roasted, mashed a fried delights. He envisaged crispy skins and juicy flesh and all manner of things making him fear devolving into a more primal sub-breed. Tonius Hungrious. But as they turned the corner almost in sync, his heart fell.

As his eyes looked into an empty space, all his hopes and dreams seemed futile. As if noticing Tony's drop of life, Volstagg was quick to comfort him, clapping him on the back as if that would comfort him at all. It didn't.

"Don't worry, my boy. Food'll be 'ere quick." Volstagg joggled his beast of a stomach. "Ah, you've never had our pig, have you?"

"Nope, not yet." Tony was still in mourning, driven to near-hallucinations. Now he was awake the hunger was less, but also because he was now awake he could focus on being hungry. It was all really one great, unfair, torturous cycle intent on killing him slowly and painfully.

"Well lets just say, it's all Odin ever eats. Fit for a king yet good for a man like yourself. It's a true gift from Valhalla." He and Volstagg both drifted off into some sort of dream coma, only aroused when the reason Volstagg had come here in the first place slapped them round their heads.

"I said did you get it?" Both men swiveled on their heels, both stepping back from the man who was unexpectedly close behind them. That man, who Tony also recognized from the famous bridge scene was standing as if ready to start swinging punches. The slight turn up of his lips let him know however that no actual harm was meant... As long as he did exactly what the stern faced warrior wanted.

"Of course, brother!" Volstagg exclaimed. He undid the belt on his great fur coat. From inside he pulled a fresh looking scroll and inspected it quickly. He held it out as if to pass it over before whipping it away before Hogun could get a hold. "Is the other part getting done?" Volstagg checked, as if to question and irritate at the same time. The theatrical grin was still playing throughout.

"Of course, Brother. Sif, Odin, Frigga and half of Loki are sorting that part out. It's my job, and yours, to take this shell and make it a decent hosting place." The remark seemed to only make the ghost of Christmas present's grin grow. How did he do it? How were his cheeks not burning? He'd been smiling since he'd uncovered Tony, hell, maybe even since Thor's return. Then, settling their lovers quarrel, they both turned to him.

"Do you want to help a few men spread a little magic dust?" All too suddenly, Tony felt like he'd just been asked to prom. But before he could answer, Volstagg jumped at the arm appearing around his neck.

"Sorry, my friends," Interceded Loki, who had physically appeared out of nowhere and seized everyone's attention. "But I have a little job of my own for him." Volstagg stood back in submission, pushing off Loki's playfully invasive limbs with a snort, while Hogun just crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Tony really just wanted to rip Loki's face off. No he didn't want to spread 'a little fairy dust' or whatever, but neither did he want to go gallivanting off with that ticking time-bomb. That wasn't as of yet on his bucket list.

But with a few spiked words, a little hinting here and a touch of persuasion there, Tony followed Loki from the room like a dog does his owner. He waved good bye to Volstagg, who promised to catch up at the 'totally secret' feast held for Thor, but Hogun, as solemn as he appeared to be just smiled at him, dragging the multicolored lump of muscle and mead to work. But as they left, and the great doors shut, barring Tony from any human or otherwise protection, he had to just make one thing clear. Loki did not own him. He was a free man, albeit a lost and confused one with no sense of direction and or sense of what the hell was actually going on. If freedom was the noose, and Loki the man with the axe, he was dying today.