A/N: I'm sorry for taking so long to update! I want to give you a new chapter every weekend, but I just can't write that quickly, and I'd rather take a bit longer to publish what I have written than post it all and then make you guys wait a month until I can come up with a new chapter. I also wrote myself into a sticky spot a little while ago, which I only just managed to untangle.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And thank you to everyone who's reading, following, reviewing, etc.!
Tony returned with the sleeping pills and promised doughnuts before half an hour had passed. After delivering the items to Loki and supervising as the god swallowed four of the pills (the recommended dose was two), Tony all but tucked Loki in and then ensconced himself on the couch in the sitting room.
"You are spending the night here?" Loki had asked, shocked.
"I'm too tired to suit up and fly back, and this couch is delightful. Wake me up at noon."
"Tony."
"What?"
In all honesty, Loki had had no idea what to say. It was painfully obvious that the man intended to remain through the night in order to keep a watch on Loki - or, at least to be close enough to help within moments if Loki were afflicted with another nightmare. Loki was unspeakably grateful to Tony for pretending that this was not the case, though; it made him feel less of a helpless child. Secretly, though, Loki felt warmly grateful for the man's presence in his apartment. Tony's concern for him, however puzzling, made Loki feel worthwhile and wanted in a way he had not for many centuries. It was like…
It was like having a friend.
The thought fluttered hopefully in his stomach.
Loki had never really had any friends; those he had referred to as such had really only been semi-close acquaintances, friends of Thor who tolerated Loki only because Thor did. Some, perhaps, might have enjoyed Loki's company every once in a while; Hogun, perhaps, had been Loki's favorite of Thor's companions. But whereas there were many who doted on Thor, many who were at his beck and call and would be at his side in a moment if trouble arose, there were few who troubled themselves over Loki's welfare. If Thor came down with the slightest illness, it was almost as though the palace fell into mourning; if Loki fell so badly ill that he could not leave his bed, it was not likely to be discovered until one of his parents happened to notice that he was absent from a meal (if they noticed at all).
Tony, however… Tony was confusing and wonderful and irksome and brilliant and someone whom Loki doubted he would ever fully comprehend. Loki would never have guessed that this mortal, one who had every reason and right to hate him, would instead show him so much kindness as though it were nothing - and then proceed to look after Loki as though Loki's welfare were of high importance to him. Tony obviously liked to have Loki around; Loki was unused to his company actually being wanted, and he had discovered that the feeling was wonderful beyond words. Now he could understand why Thor had always let that thick-skulled troupe follow him about: friendship was a beautiful thing, though one that Loki had never had the chance to experience or appreciate.
And to think that, of every being in the Nine Realms, the first that Loki could call a friend was a sarcastic, eccentric, lewd mortal who Loki had not even known of until six years ago.
In truth, Tony need not have worried about Loki sinking into another nightmare. The mere though of another person in the next room, a person who would be on their feet and at his side in seconds if the need arose, drove away every haunting memory of Thanos and the Chitauri. That horror seemed faraway and distant, now, compared to the pulsing glow of happiness in Loki's chest. It was pointless even trying to pretend that he was too proud to be affected so by mere solicitous concern; Loki had spent too many years alone to now deny himself the chance to rejoice at his incredible fortune.
Loki snuggled tighter into the covers, lips drawing into a smile.
The morning was soft and warm and lazy, drifting in with the muted noise of cars as Loki's eyes slowly fell open. He blinked for a moment, letting the satisfaction of a full and deep night's sleep wash over him. Then, stretching and yawning widely, he slid from the bed and padded with bare feet into the kitchen.
Tony Stark was sprawled across the couch, snoring rather sonorously through an open mouth. The sight did not annoy Loki in the slightest; on the contrary, warmth swelled inside him as he beheld the man.
Minutes later, a delicious aroma filled the apartment as coffee brewed, and the mortal stirred groggily.
"What'reyoudoingPepper?"
Loki laughed. "Try again, Tony. I am neither blonde nor female, though I could be both if I had my magic."
Tony sat upright, looking around in confusion for a moment before his face cleared. "Reindeer Games," he said by way of greeting. "Wait- what did you say? You're a woman?"
"Not at present. But I have been, on occasion."
Tony shook his head. "That's either an awesome story or one I never want to hear. I smell coffee."
"That would be because I am making it."
"Good morning to you too." Tony stood up and crossed the room, turning on the TV. The firm voice of a news reporter blared, and Loki and Tony watched for a few minutes as various images and headlines slid across the screen.
"What is the White House?" Loki asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I have heard it mentioned often."
"It's where the president lives."
"Why is it white?"
"Dunno. Just how it is. More dignified than 'Pink House,' I think."
Loki hummed in agreement, still regarding the screen intently. "I find what you consider important news rather… surprising."
Tony snorted. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Trust me, I don't care about some of this stuff either. Wait- is that Cap?"
A stern, blond-crowned face had appeared on the screen, delivering a speech in strong tones about patriotism and American history. Tony rolled his eyes; Loki was torn between unease at the sight of his enemy and amusement at his Thor-like earnestness.
"I don't think anyone told him the Fourth of July is over," Tony said, chuckling. "Fourth of July - big American holiday. People celebrate independence from England by stuffing themselves with burgers and then getting drunk and lighting fireworks. Probably Stevie's favorite day of the year. Has anyone told him it's August yet?"
The captain went on, and Loki studied him curiously. It was easy, he thought, to characterize the man as being of the same inept breed to which Thor belonged; upon closer examination, however, it was apparent that Steve Rogers was a rather intelligent man, brave and noble like Thor but not vain in the slightest. Loki wondered if the captain would show him compassion as easily as Tony had; the man seemed deeply just and moral, however, and Loki was sure that Rogers would be unsatisfied by Loki's punishment so far.
"Wanna meet him?"
Loki stared at Tony in disbelief.
"You could do with a few more friends. Cap's not that bad, once you get used to him. Even his patriotic rambling can be kind of cute."
"Tony, I have already 'met' him, and I can assure you that neither he nor I have any desire to see each other again," Loki said flatly.
Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he'd be fine with… everything. I mean, not fine with it; he'd probably lecture Thor about being a responsible sibling and all that and not just leaving you out on the streets. You and Steve might get along, actually. I could set you two up on a date."
Loki tried to process what the man was saying. Did Tony really think that there was a shred of a chance that Captain America would be "fine" with discovering that Loki was living relatively unfettered in the city he once tried to conquer? And did Tony truly believe in that idiotic head of his that Loki and the Captain would be friends?
(The idea was not an unpleasant one.)
"I am sorry, Tony, but I would rather decline the offer."
"Actually…" Tony considered for a moment. "You know, I think I should tell him about you. Bruce too, maybe. Pepper and I are probably going to be traveling for a few weeks - cliche romantic getaway to Italy - and someone needs to keep an eye on you."
"I assure you that my plans for world domination are quite over and done with."
"For the love of all that is holy, Loki, you should know that's not what I mean," Tony groaned. "When will you get it into that thick skull that I might actually be worried about you?"
Loki hoped dearly that Tony did not notice the little flush of happiness in his cheeks. 'I can function perfectly well on my own."
"Yeah, I know, but you might have another nightmare or something," Tony said. "Look - I won't force you into anything, but I really think it would be a good idea if there was at least one other person who knew about you."
"Mrs. Watson knows."
"Mrs. Watson is half-blind."
Loki glared at Tony. "I am not a child. I do not need anyone to watch over me. And it would be a rather large detriment to my comfort to know that the Captain and the green monster were aware of my presence."
"Oh, you know Bruce wouldn't hurt a fly."
"He pounded me into your floor."
"You attacked New York."
The two locked eyes in a veritable staring contest; Loki won, of course. To his knowledge, he had never lost such a competition (it had annoyed Thor to no end).
Then Tony's eyebrows turned upward, and his lip stuck out a little. "Please?"
Loki scoffed. "Your impression of a child is a poor one when your apparel alone costs more than some houses."
"Dammit." Tony thought for a moment; his face suddenly lit up. "Here's a deal: You agree to get together with Cap and Bruce, and I'll dye Thor's cape green next time he shows up."
Well, in that case…
Loki narrowed his eyes, considering.
"I'll send you a video."
Loki tapped his fingers on his chin. This was a most difficult decision indeed.
"I'll grease Mjolnir's handle."
"It is a deal."
Curse his love for mischief.
(And the manic butterflies in his stomach.)
Loki fidgeted nervously, hands wringing in his lap. He'd sat down on the couch a few minutes ago, but now felt the need to stand again; there was too much restless energy in his legs. Swallowing, Loki paced Tony's sitting room, his gut a roiling sea of anxiety. He must have gone soft, after all these years on Midgard - it was shameful, how frightened he was simply at the prospect of meeting two mortals. Though, in his defense, they were both his enemies.
Tony had left minutes ago to answer the door, and Loki knew that the current delay must be due to the necessity of explaining the circumstances, so that Banner and Rogers did not simply attack him upon sight. Loki expected nothing less; they had no reason to trust him, and would be more than justified in dragging him off to S.H.I.E.L.D. for containment and interrogation.
He wondered if they would tell Barton and Romanoff.
Something cold and thick leapt into his throat when the elevator doors slid open and Loki heard multiple sets of footsteps approaching. Curse his weakness, curse this damn fear that refused to leave. He was Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, Bringer of Ragnarok, Silvertongue, former Prince of Asgard - there was no reason for him to be cowering so merely in the face of two fragile mortals. But, in his state, knowing how utterly powerless and monstrous he was and how Banner and Rogers must hate him and all the things they would want to do to him…
Loki wished that he could at least be rid of this damn Jotun skin. The situation was terrifying and unsettling enough without the added humiliation of his appearance; Loki knew that he would want nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide when the new eyes beheld his savage form. Despite all Tony had said to reassure Loki regarding his Jotun hue, Loki could not believe that the two mortals would really be unaffected by the sight. Even if they tried to mask it, their horror and loathing would be obvious. It always was.
"Lokes?"
They were standing in the doorway. Tony was looking at Loki with something like concern; was his fear obvious?
Loki prayed to the Norns that it was not.
He couldn't bring himself to look at Banner or Rogers, to see the disgust on their faces. Instead, he fixed his gaze pleadingly, imploringly on Tony. It was too late to back out of this, Loki knew; but he could still cling to the one friendly presence in the room. Hopefully, if the situation went in the most likely direction and Banner and Rogers decided to apprehend Loki, Tony would be able to at least prevent them from handling Loki too roughly.
"So, uh… Hello, Loki," Banner said, almost - timidly. Were Loki's throat not dry as desert sand, he might have attempted a reply.
Rogers stepped forward, the sudden movement causing Loki to look up. The man was dressed in civilian clothing, but he carried his shield - something that obviously displeased Tony, who was eyeing the soldier with obvious annoyance.
"Loki," Rogers said shortly, sky blue eyes traveling up and down Loki's tense frame. "Stark told me you've been in New York for the past six years. Is this true?"
"Oh, settle down, Cap," Tony said, sighing. "I told you, Reindeer Games is not a threat."
"I have to make sure, Stark."
"Stevie, I called you in here because I need someone to babysit Lokes when Pepper and I are gone. There's no need to get all paranoid."
"Paranoid? He tried to take over the world!"
Tony was looking more and more irritated by the second. "Cap-"
"How do I know he isn't controlling you?"
"Do I look like I'm being controlled? Do I have those freaky blue eyes?"
Rogers clenched his jaw. "Stark, this is a known enemy we're dealing with there."
"You promised to trust me on this-"
"I promised that before you told me you had Loki," Rogers retorted. "You manipulated me, Stark."
Bruce shirted uncomfortably. "Steve, you did make a promise."
"I made a promise to defend America." The words would almost have been comical - Loki was sure that, in any other circumstance, Tony would have burst out laughing - but there was nothing humorous about the current situation.
How could Loki have consented to his?
"He's not a threat right now," Bruce said softly. "You can trust us on this, Steve."
The soldier lifted his shield higher, regarding Loki appraisingly. "Perhaps you're right, but I need to be sure. I'm sorry, Stark."
"Sorry about-?"
The words had barely left the billionaire's mouth when a thunderous noise echoed suddenly through the tower, rattling the windows. A glittering black helicopter descended from the sky until it hovered just outside the window, guns trained on the room. A voice rang out, deep and commanding through the crackle of the megaphone.
"Hand him over, Stark, or I shoot."
Loki's blood went cold.
Fury.
It was over in seconds. Steve leapt forward, twisting Loki's right arm behind his back and shoving him to the floor. Tony shouted in anger, dropping the drink from his hand and charging at the captain when a bullet crashed through the window, driving into the floor just in front of his feet. The message was clear: Keep your feet where they are or you won't have any left.
There was nothing he could do. Fury had the tower surrounded; the suit was three floors down, and Tony wasn't going to risk retrieving it when Loki was wheezing for breath under Steve's weight and could be killed or seriously injured within moments if Tony made a wrong move.
"You-" Tony couldn't even find words to express his anger. Beside him, Bruce stood with clenched fists, ears and fingers green. Tony suddenly rounded on him. "Did you know about this? Did you?"
"He didn't," Steve said calmly.
"So it was you? You son of a-"
"It was the right thing to do, Stark. Loki is a criminal; he has to be detained."
"How?" Tony cried, shaking with anger. "How the hell did you even tell Fury?"
"I have a communication device. I notified him as soon as you said Loki was here."
"So all that time - all that time I was explaining to you and Bruce that Loki isn't a freaking threat - you were just standing there waiting for Fury to show up and- and-"
Loki cried out suddenly, struggling under Steve's iron grip. His face was twisted with agony; his wide eyes were staring at Tony with a desperate plea for help that made Tony want to beat the living daylights out of Captain America.
"Tony- please-"
"Loki," Steve said warningly, hands tightening on Loki's arm. The god's mouth opened in a silent scream, his head dropping back to the carpet.
Tony felt sick with rage.
"Sir, there are armed men requesting entrance into the tower. They would like me to inform you that if you do not allow them entry, they will force their way inside."
"Let them in, Stark," Steve said evenly.
"Like hell I will."
"I have a gun trained on you and Loki," Fury's voice blared. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be."
There was no way out.
Tony felt horrible. This was his idea - he'd thought he was being smart, telling Steve and Bruce about Loki. He'd thought he could trust them.
Obviously that was not the case.
Steve was still regarding him with that infuriating self-righteous look and Tony wanted to bash his face in and throw him in the window because how dare he betray him and rat him out to S.H.I.E.L.D. and hurt Loki like that and-
"Stark, you have ten seconds before I start shooting."
"Fine!" Tony yelled. "You win! Jarvis, let the snakes in."
He couldn't meet Loki's eyes in the following minutes, as Steve pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and clamped them onto the blue wrists, or as the masked soldiers spilled into the room, forcing Loki roughly to his knees and pulling a black hood over his head. He couldn't bring himself to look up when Loki was dragged from the room, stumbling and tripping as he was pushed by merciless hands on his arms.
What had he done?