Chapter Four

Tony dragged his tired body back to his semi ruined home; the suit took some peeling off from all the damage and mostly only managed because Butterfingers and Dummy were still standing. Only the top few floors of the tower were badly damaged, it would take a little remodelling but, Tony knew that it wouldn't take him long to resolve all of the issues. He had enough spare bedrooms and living areas lower down that he could move his personal belongings from the penthouse to somewhere liveable while it was done. What he did need was a fucking drink, or a million of them to try and wash away the horrors he had seen through that wormhole. How small he felt, how tiny his efforts against what was out there. What could come after those he loved again.

A fast shower, a few boxes of pizza in his hand Tony heads back to the ruin to raid his alcohol stash from the penthouse. He would need to be black out drunk if he wanted to sleep tonight without seeing 'that' behind his eyelids. As he took a long swig from one of the bottles, tonight was not a night for glasses. He paused hearing, was that a sob?

Tony quietly moved around the counter to find a broken looking God of Lies curled up on himself, empty bottles around himself crying. The armour was missing, simple tunic and trousers in its place making him seem even more fragile. "Loki, what happened?"

The God froze realising he was no longer alone. "Nothing mortal." He dragged himself to his feet, swaying heavily.

"Are you drunk?" Tony exclaimed, reaching out to stay him.

"I am not drunk!" Loki snarled, pushing Tony away. "I am older than your planet, do not think that you have the right to tell me what to do. You vile, dull little ant."

"Uh huh, sure reindeer games. I believe you." Tony answered rolling his eyes, "Perhaps you might just want a little nap to rest up after the battle. Not because you are drunk at all. You look tired."

"I am tired, for longer than I remember." Loki sighed, "The voice haunts me, calls me back to him. Your moral substances make the noise a little…. quieter."

"The voice, the one that made you do bad things?" Tony asked.

"The sceptre was only part of The Other's control. He unmakes you, takes over your mind until you can not drown him out anymore. Until you long longer know which are his thoughts and which are your own." Loki answered, "I apologise for taking your possessions without asking, that was against the rules of hospitality."

"Jarvis, order more food and get Dummy to bring up a couple more cases of scotch."

"As you wish sir."

"Hungry?" Tony asked, "I have some pizza here to start with and more food shouldn't take long to get here. Do you have any preference to what food?"

Loki laughed, "I tried to take over your realm and nearly killed you, and you ask me to break my fast with you like some human?"

Tony shrugged, "Cheesy pizza, its really good. He held out the box as he tucked into a slice."

"You confuse me mortal." Loki sighed, but he took a slice of the food. Sniffing it before taking a bite.

"There ya go, it might not be the food of God's, but it is tasty enough." Tony joked.

Loki finished the slice and took another, "As I haven't eaten in many months it is certainly acceptable, then again even Thor's burnt cooking offerings would be most welcome currently."

"Months?!" Tony exclaimed, "Jarvis, order everything, Chinese, Italian, pizza, garlic bread, Indian, Mexican. Whatever else you can think of."

"The Other was not fond of feeding his prisoners, that would ruin the whole torture part of imprisonment."

"Well, here you get fed as much as you can eat. We have a few cases of scotch; I can send out for more if you need it. Sorry about the mess, a crazy ass God smashed the house up earlier. How about a movie? Something without aliens, murder or torture?" Tony offered.

Loki closed his eyes muttering a few almost silent words, when he opened his eyes again the room was repaired. His skin whiter than before as he swayed more pronouncedly. "My regrets for damaging your home."

Tony caught him before he collapsed, and half carried him over to the sofa. "EAT!" he ordered throwing the second whole pizza into the God's lap. Followed by a couple of bottles of the really good shit, before joining him.

Loki did as he was told, not speaking until the entire pizza was gone. Placing the empty box carefully on the coffee table. "Thank you for the hospitality you show your enemy."

Tony rolled his eyes around a mouthful of pizza, "You saved my life I hardly call that being enemies. I don't get drunk with just anybody I barely know."

"You have my gratitude for allowing me what you have regardless, it will be a few days before I am strong enough to flee the realm to escape The Other. If I even can." He sighed.

"You came here, not just tonight, but before. Why did you come here to me of all people?"

Loki shrugged, "Because you know what it is to be a prisoner."

"You read my file."

"I read every file on all of your companions, that was his instruction. Know the enemy."

"Are you likely to go batshit crazy again anytime soon? Because I am kind of out of suits until I can repair one of them." Tony asked.

Loki shook his head, "The liquor is quite nicely keeping that at bay currently thank you." He stretched out on the couch now he knew he wasn't going to be thrown out any time soon, a nice warm glow spreading through his body.

"Sir, your order is here."

"Thank you, Jarvis, have Dummy and Butterfingers bring it up."

Loki watched with interest as the two robots brought in the boxes. Tony stroking each of them, before sending them on their way. "They are like children to you." He commented.

Tony looked after them as he unpacked the massive piled of food onto the table. Dropping an entire crate of scotch at Loki's feet. "I guess so, I never really thought about it. They have been there for me when no one else was. Do you have children?"

Loki froze, taking a long drink. "I HAD children, Odin took them and locked them away from me centuries ago. Called them unclean, monsters. Not really that different to myself, the frost giant."

"Kind of small for a giant." Tony said tucking into a box of Chinese.

"Says the person who is short for a mortal." Loki snapped back, exploring the cartons until he found some shrimp that appealed to him.

"Point taken." Tony answered, "Do you wanna talk about it? Your kids, Odin, the things The Other did to you."

"That would take much more alcohol." Loki commented drily.

"I can get as much as you want."

"Do you truly want to know?"

"Well, you turn up here, crash my house and you don't seem to have anyone else to listen. I can't see Thor as the listening type. "

"And you, would you speak of how you went through what you did to gain that hunk of metal in your chest?" Loki asked.

Tony considered it for a moment, "If that is what it takes, yes."

Loki nodded, "Then by all means, regal me with your horrors and I will return the favour."

Tony had the feeling he was going to regret this.