"So, on a good happy note, we only have at the very least three days before Loki comes and then you two can get out of my tower," Stark said to Elsa and Bruce.

The former crossed her arms, shivering slightly. "I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience. I just want to know about Loki."

"I don't know how much more you want to know," Stark told her.

"Everything," she told him, "which you obviously can't do."

His eyes light up as if it were a challenge. "Just keep sitting, Ice Queen, and I'll give you enough information on Loki to make you shut up for the rest of your stay here."

Elsa and Bruce exchanged a look and she was sure it wasn't a good one.

"Sir Stark! We were told that you required our presence?" Fandral told the billionaire.

"Yes, I thought we could have an early Christmas celebration together," he told them, giving them one of his renowned, charismatic, smiles.

The three all looked at each other. Sif had told them about Christmas, and how easy it was to get drinking.

"Will there be gifts?" Fandral asked.

"Yes, of course! What's Christmas without gifts?" Tony asked the Warriors Three.

"Clearly not Christmas!" Volstagg said. All three were all smiles and Stark thought they could be friends-however tonight was not about friend making.

"Follow me inside," the billionaire said to the Asgardians.

"Is this not violating anything?" Elsa asked Bruce, watching the scene fold out on her screen in her bedroom.

"No. Asgard and Earth haven't made an official treaty because Odin, your father in law, refuses to see us as equals and insists that Asgard is the guardian out of all the Nine Realms."

"So this is like using your older sibling to gain information?" Elsa asked. He only nodded in agreement. "Maybe Stark is smart."

The top level was decorated in, mostly, green and gold, with some red and silver to complete the holiday spirit. Tony made green drinks for all of them, and then sat on the couch.

Fandral sipped at the cup without a thought while Volstagg and Hogun sniffed at it.

"Is it 'fruity?'" Volstagg asked, remembering how Thor had told them Midgardian alcohol often was.

"Not really," Fandral said after a moment of consideration. "I enjoy it."

Volstagg sniffed the liquid again before trying it. Apparently he liked it, because when he was done he threw the glass down.

Tony resisted a sigh. It was going to be a long night.

"I'm worried about the silent one," Bruce told Elsa. "I think he'll realize what's going on."

"That a Midgardian is curious about his adversary?"

"It wouldn't mean much if Loki was 'alive.' However, not a lot of people know that and certainly not these three," he explained.

"So what do you think he'll figure out?" she asked him.

"At most I want to say that it would be Tony having an obsession with Loki. It would make sense, considering it was because of Loki's actions that he nearly died."

Elsa raised an eyebrow but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"A couple of years ago Loki led an alien invasion and the Avengers were gathered to fight it and then the government was going to send a nuke but Iron Man stopped it by sending it into deep space and subsequently destroying the aliens and then he almost didn't make it back to New York."

"Oh."

"Now can you understand why we were surprised by Loki choosing to come here, right?"

She nodded. "It's...an enigma for certain," she said as her eyes slowly drifted back to the screen.

"So, as Thor's best friends, what can you tell me about his childhood?" Tony asked the Asgardians. "Assuming it's not classified information."

"Thor was an ass," Volstagg said without thought.

"Such an ass Sif couldn't keep him in line!" Fandral added.

"Or was it because of Sif that he was an ass?" Volstagg said thoughtfully, exchanging looks with his friends.

"Well, she did eventually break," Fandral pointed out.

"That was after Loki left her though, and after her stint with the Valkyrie," the big, burly man reminded me

"Oh god, don't even remind me of that," Fandral said with a flourish. "Worst four days of my life. In the peak of Thor's youth, he'd gotten this idea to find Surtr's sword-"

"Nearly got all of Asgard killed by the frost giants."

"Something changed in Loki during that, too," the Asgardian playboy's voice suddenly became softer. "He was so full of..."

"Hatred? Grief?" Tony suggested. "Insanity?"

The three exchanged looks again. "Let us not speak of the dead, lest their ghosts come to haunt us."

I'll give you a ghost alright, Tony thought.

Elsa sat calmly on the bed, not even the slightest change in demeanor apparent.

"Are you alright?" Bruce asked her.

"Do you believe me shocked for finding out my husband had feelings for another girl when he was younger?"

"Some people have an illusion in their head that what's theirs is theirs and no one else's before," he pointed out.

"I am a queen; there is no room for illusions."

Loki sat down on the edge of his motel room's bed. He felt physically drained after today, having changed forms at least five times today, which was a skill he rarely used anymore.

He lied down on his back, not in his normal form in case his protective spells went down and Heimdall could see him.

"A visit by Asgardians… that would definitely be unwanted. I wonder if I could make it to Stark Tower before they caught me…" Loki turned onto his side and imagined Elsa being there with him. He imagined her pressing her back into his front, telling him that using him as a pillow would make even the worst of beds bearable.

He sighed, wishing she was there. If she was there though, he was worried she'd have a thousand and one question to which his answers would be blunt because he didn't want her to think any less of him.

"The love of my life; I'll be home soon."

Author's Note: Alright, I think this is shorter than some other chapters. Sorry. I hope this chapter is good, understandable, and enjoyable! ^_^

I hope your weeks were fantastic and that you have a great weekend! Please leave a review :)

~HolleringHawk65