El Ending!
Again, this was just a short story, but I hope you enjoyed it!
Over the months, Frigga became a frequent visitor to Midgard. The authorities eventually learned to deal with the Asgardians that occasionally came down to Earth, realising it would be preferable to have them as allies rather than as enemies. Loki, however, was the only one of them that stayed, rather than returning to Asgard. He often went away for a week or two with Frigga whenever she visited – to learn healing magic, and to help her heal others. He usually travelled with he to poorer countries, or war-torn ones – once coming back with a bullet wound, to Tony's displeasure. He had arrived back from just such a trip – appearing right behind Tony as he concentrated on the plans for his magic receptor. He figured that if he could find out how to pick up on magic, he'd be able to find out how to replicate it, and use it to heal people quickly and easily.
"Hello, Stark," Loki murmured in his melodious voice, and Tony started before grinning and relaxing as he realised who it was that had appeared behind him. "Hey," he greeted Loki, taking off the glasses he had been working in. He rubbed his head and looking at his watch, realised the alarming number of hours he had spent in the workshop. Looking up at Loki, he saw the familiar saddened frown on his face that he always had when returning from his trips. "How was it?" He asked him.
Loki shrugged, and the world twisted around them. Tony suddenly found himself and Loki sitting on the sofa in the common room. A favourite trick of Loki's. "Exhausting," Loki yawned, then stretched and got up, walking to the counter. "Coffee?" He asked. Tony shrugged and nodded. He'd been messing in the workshop for too long, and a coffee sounded perfect right now. Besides, making it would distract Loki at least a little bit. His thought turned to the magic receptor, and he decided to ask Loki the dreaded question. He ran a hand through his hair, then said, "Would you mind doing another test run for me?"
Loki gave him a wide-eyed glance. "Not… Today," he replied, then somewhat reluctantly, "Tomorrow." Tony winced. The last time they'd tested the receptor, it had not only nearly set on fire, but had also drained a substantial amount of Loki's magic before they had managed to shut it down. Which had been surprisingly hard, and left Loki shocked and shaking. He'd made a lot of adjustments since then, finding out why it could have malfunctioned and tweaking all the bits and bobs.
"It won't be a repeat of last time, I promise," he told Loki grimly. Then, because he could see Loki needed to talk about it, "What've you been up to?"
Loki set two mugs of coffee onto the table and sighed deeply before sitting down. "We went to… Well, I'm not sure where exactly, but… It was after another war and…" Tony frowned and nodded.
"It's awful, isn't it?" he said quietly, and Loki nodded. "You know I used to make weapons. As soon as I realised what war was actually like…" Loki smiled gently at him.
"You stopped," he murmured. "I'm glad I can do at least a little for the people left behind." He sipped his coffee slowly, then set it down again. "Actually, Frigga and I are planning to take a team of healers to Midgard." Tony raised an eyebrow.
"They'd come here?" he asked, half inclined to believe that out of all of Asgard, only Thor, Loki and Frigga had any care for Midgard. Odin certainly hadn't seemed to care about anyone but Asgard and his throne. But Loki nodded easily. "It is considered an honour for healers. But we did not realise the state of some parts of Midgard… It is so much better than it was, though, and for that we may be glad."
Tony shuddered at the things he imagined Loki must have seen. Every time he left on one of these trips, he came back quiet and thoughtful, to the point of depressed. Tony, too, found himself wondering what it must be like, and wanting desperately to do something to help. Bruce, of course, was absolutely in awe of Frigga, and had accompanied them on a few trips, though he hadn't been able to make it to this one. Busy with some of Fury's business, he thought. "What was the worst?" He asked carefully, seeing Loki's furrowed brow and empty gaze. The god began speaking slowly.
"All of it was the worst. But I remember, a little girl. Seven, eight… No more than that. She'd been trapped under the rubble of her house. We found her mother outside…" Tony gathered that the mother had been found dead from Loki's frown. A pause before the god continued. "She was nearly dead. We healed her, but couldn't save her leg. We were…" Loki leaned back and took a shuddering breath. "She woke up just as we carried her past her mother. It was… War does such terrible things."
Then another long pause, and Loki sat up a little straighter. "We took her and some of the other children orphans to Asgard. There is plenty of room, and they will learn to be great healers or poets, or musicians… Whatever they wish. They can come down to Midgard whenever they would like, though many of them, I believe, are already finding themselves at peace."
Tony smiled lightly at the thought of the wonderful chance the children had been given – a new life entirely. And all because of Loki and Frigga – though he recalled that it was first Loki who had suggested to Frigga a trip to heal some of Midgard's most unfortunate. He looked carefully at Loki. "You've changed a great deal," he murmured quietly, looking at the god who was doing everything he could just to help the lives of a few. Loki shrugged and rubbed his head. "The worst thing is, Stark, that sometimes I wish I had never seen those children, the aftermath of your Midgardian wars… There's so much of it."
Tony saw the familiar depression on Loki's face. "You're doing what you can," he soothed him as he always did. "And you know how much of my budget is going towards helping those people." Loki turned and gave him a wan smile.
"Everything is about money to you, is it not?" But a smile was dancing on his face. "Thank you, Stark." He rested his head back. "I'm exhausted," he announced presently. Tony snorted.
"Really?" He asked sarcastically. "I couldn't tell." Loki opened one eye and managed a passable glare. "You up in your rooms as normal?" Loki nodded in response, but didn't seem inclined to move. Tony carried on drinking his coffee until it was all gone and placed the cup regretfully on the table. He waited a few minutes longer, but Loki didn't stir. Eventually, he stood up. The movement seemed to disturb the god, because he opened his eyes and stood smoothly up. There was something tired about his movements – not tired simply because of his magical exertion, but the tiredness that comes of a weary mind.
"I've been seeing the worst of humanity for far too long," he told Tony eventually, and smiled sadly. "I think I'd like to see some of the good." Tony blinked.
"Like what?" He asked, mildly curious as to what Loki could mean. The god drained his coffee before dumping the mug in the sink. He hummed lightly before answering.
"Umm… Perhaps a vacation. Somewhere nice. Cold." Tony blinked and gave a sudden, loud laugh.
"You know, when most people say vacation, they mean somewhere tropical," he chuckled. "But cool idea. Where do you want to go?" He asked. He was glad Loki was finding something else to occupy himself, besides moping around the tower. In answer, Loki shrugged. "I want to enjoy myself. Do you want to go anywhere in particular?" Tony considered it.
"Iceland?" He suggested after a moment's thought. "It's freezing this time of year. I've heard it's nice. Northern lights and all that. Never really been." Loki cocked his head.
"You want to go?" He asked slowly. Tony blinked. He hadn't thought Loki might want him around. He opened his mouth to say his schedule was full and he had no time for the next few months – which was quite true - but then promptly decided, work could go stick itself up Thanos' ass for all he cared. He'd reschedule for Loki. Besides, he'd been working – kind of – for ages. He deserved a break, didn't he? And Loki definitely deserved a break. Tony wasn't going to lie – the god looked more and more miserable after every trip.
"Sure," he replied. "You deserve a break, you look like ****." Loki rolled his eyes.
"Why, thank you," he muttered sarcastically, then murmured, "Frigga tells me I have too much empathy. Especially since… Since Asgard, I find it much easier to relate to people." He managed a grim smile. "If you suffer enough pain, seeing others hurting hurts you more than it does them." Then a brief shake of the head. "You might think you need empathy to be a healer, but they're a hard-hearted lot." Tony shook his head.
"You're amazing, Loki, and you're doing the best you can. But you're killing yourself – in your head – by doing what you're doing. I'd be the same." Loki shook his head stubbornly, but Tony saw the truth in his eyes. "Right," he suddenly said. Loki would be torturing himself about what he had seen for weeks, if he knew him. "Tomorrow. We're going on vacation. JARVIS, sort out any appointments and get the trip ready for us. For two weeks."
"Yes, Sir," answered JARVIS.
"Look at me," Tony said to Loki. The god's eyes were sorrowful, still seeing the pain he had witnessed. "You're right, there's so much suffering out there. If you try and stop it all, you'll never manage. Just be happy with what you have done." A ghost of a smile on Loki's face.
"Satisfaction is not in my nature," he murmured. "I cannot forget it."
"Then help in other ways," Tony pressed. There was a strange terror in him – that he'd lose Loki to this sorrow, this view of only the bad in the world. "Work with me on the magic receptor. We can create way to heal people. We're inventors, Loki. We – you – shouldn't be out there."
"Why not?" Challenged Loki, something almost defensive about his tone now. He crossed his arms tightly around himself, and Tony was displeased to see that over the past two weeks he'd grown decidedly thinner. He must have been working himself to near-death – no wonder he looked so tired. But the sorrow in his eyes was infinitely worse.
"Damn you, Loki," Tony cursed. "Every time you come back from one of them trips you talk and smile less and less, you think I don't see it? Satisfaction is not in your nature… THAT'S THE DAMN PROBLEM! If you were satisfied with what you'd done you'd be happy you achieved so much, but that's not who you are! Stay here. You're killing yourself going out there."
Loki was silent, apparently stunned, for a while. "Frigga told me something to that effect," he murmured eventually. "But not as… Forcefully. She always tells me it." He was frowning somewhat uncomfortably, and Tony could tell his words had hit something within the god. He looked almost defeated. Almost.
"Call it selfishness," he told Loki, "Call it what you will, but I don't want to see you miserable, I don't want you to end up that way. You can help just as many people – if not more – here with me." He gazed intently into Loki's eyes before the god looked away, shoulders suddenly slumping. Tony had the distinct feeling the god was about to say something self-deprecating or just downright depressing, so he took the god by the shoulders and steered him towards the elevator. "Come on," he murmured. "You need to get some rest." Loki, thankfully, didn't argue.
The room had been left exactly as it had been when Loki left two weeks ago – with the exception of a robot sent in to do some dusting every few days. Books were scattered on the floor, most of them on healing herbs and some Asgardian ones Frigga had brought him. One shelf seemed dedicated to old literature – Tony noted Charles Dickens as well as some other classics. Plants were growing around the room, white walls in delightful contrast with the dark wooden shelves and deep green plant foliage. It was a beautifully re-decorated room.
Loki sat down on the edge of the bed without complaint, then looked over at Tony. "Do you have the plans for the receptor?" He asked wearily. Tony fought to hide a triumphant grin. "I'll show you them tomorrow, on the plane," he told Loki.
"I can teleport us," the god replied, but Tony shook his head.
"Save your magic," he told Loki. "Just in case the test run fails again." Loki gave a low laugh, before leaning back against the pillow. His face was troubled at first, but slowly relaxed as he drifted into sleep. Tony stayed for a while, listening to him breathing, then left the room quietly, closing the door, before heading down the corridor to his own rooms, intending to get a few hours rest at the very least before doing a last-minute pack – Loki would probably be doing the same. Vacation with Loki was sounding fabulous right now.