It may be three in the afternoon, but that doesn't mean Tony can't satisfy his sugar craving with cereal if he wants to. He's a grown up. It's his house. And there's no one here to tell him he can't. He figures he's more than earned the right to indulge some of his more childish impulses every once and a while. And besides, he needs a distraction. There are far more irresponsible ways to scratch that itch, as he well knows.
He's crunching his way through a second mouthful when Loki slides into the chair opposite him at the table. He leans his weight forward onto his forearms and peers at Tony with an unreadable look. He doesn't say a word.
Tony gradually slows the rate at which he's chewing, and when the silence begins to become uncomfortable runs his eyes over Loki warily. He swallows reluctantly.
"Can I help you with something?"
Loki is quick to cut him off with an abrupt, "Shh."
There follows several more seconds of silence, during which Tony holds Loki's gaze in what has to be the weirdest staring contest he's ever found himself a part of. He notices the skin at the corner of Loki's eye tighten minutely a split second before it happens.
Without any other warning, Tony's cereal bowl melts into a knot of writhing, hissing creatures. He drops his spoon with a clatter and scrapes his chair back violently, the screech it makes covering the embarrassing sound that escapes him.
Loki releases a heavy breath of effort and laughs, delighted.
It takes a moment for Tony to collect himself and for the jolt of adrenaline to subside. "Yeah yeah," he grumbles, not nearly as annoyed as he's making out, "laugh it up, chuckles. I was enjoying that."
Still grinning widely, Loki flicks his fingers at the slithering mass and Tony's cereal reappears, apparently none the worse for wear.
It's impossible not to respond to Loki's obvious sense of accomplishment; Tony finds a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth despite himself. "Very funny. Proud of yourself?"
Loki preens obligingly. "Immensely. It's taken me ages to get that right. Not that I'd expect you to understand."
As though that's stopped the guy from pontificating on the topic before now. At length. And in great detail.
"It's all theatre with you, isn't it?" Tony can't resist teasing. Except it really isn't. Tony can see that now, clear as day. The Loki of his memory is all theatrical bows and wolfish grins; this one is decidedly more muted. Tony's been wondering with increasing frequency just how much of that they can expect to see return in the coming weeks and how much was all part of the act.
It's taken Tony a while to nail the contradiction. It can be hard to get Loki to open up at times, and God knows Tony's tried. Loki's sure got a lot to say on the meaningless stuff, but stray too close to anything that might have even a tenuous connection to something personal and the guy clams up pretty quick. The same could be said of any topic that Loki seems genuinely to care about. He's guarded. Wary. Reluctant to put himself out there and risk the dismissal of his opinion or, God forbid, invite ridicule.
Tony doesn't think it's a lack of confidence so much as a conditioned response, the caution of someone who's learned that being the smartest person in the room doesn't exactly endear them to everyone else. Tony can relate. He's begun to recognise himself in the way Loki will play up to that deliberately at times, going out of his way to present a self-assured, pretentious air simply for effect. Because even resentful, begrudging attention is better than nothing, right? Better to invite scorn when you're prepared for it than to have it hit you where it hurts.
So yeah. The guy's not exactly free and easy with the chit chat when it matters. When it's real. That's begun to change recently. Ever since Loki has begun to regain small elements of his magic, it's like he's become a different person. It feels finally as though Tony's getting a peek behind the curtain, as though he's getting glimpses of the real Loki underneath the layers of defensive acerbity, uncertainty and weird Asgardian hang ups that Tony hasn't a hope of truly understanding.
When they hit on the subject of magic, Loki will not stop talking.
And what a revelation that has been. Who knew there was still an eight year old boy under all those layers just dying to tell anyone who will listen all about his favourite dinosaur. Or in this case, how to project the shape of one into the air with nothing more than a roll of the wrist.
He'd needed some coaxing at first. To begin with Tony had assumed the reluctance stemmed from a lingering mistrust, that maybe Loki still hadn't quite bought into the reassurance that he wasn't going to set off Tony's danger alarm by displaying even the most harmless of his previous talents. Now Tony's almost certain it's because genuine enthusiasm was the last thing Loki expected.
Those first few tentative, almost shy demonstrations had been shared first with Vision, then more solemnly with Tony. Met with even the slightest extension of interest, Loki had responded like a plant leaning into the light, and now his excitement at the mastering of a returning skill is obvious, uninhibited and infectious. It's kinda sad it's taken as long as it has, honestly.
If Tony lets himself think about the implications of that for too long it starts to make him angry. Which is ridiculous. Loki is a grown ass man for God's sake, and all this happened centuries before Tony was even born. Doesn't stop him from wanting to try to make up for that now, even if only the tiniest bit.
"So when did this one come back?" Tony asks.
"Last night. Although now that I think about it I'm almost certain the foundation was already there. I have a vague recollection of using that particular example a number of times." A sly smile slides onto his face. "Are you impressed? Did my little parlour trick leave you quaking with fear? I almost wish I'd kept it back for a more opportune moment."
"Ha. Like you could resist the chance to show off."
Loki's smile widens. He always enjoys this game. "It would be wise not to underestimate me."
"I'll take my chances. Let me know when you've moved beyond jump scares and I'll start worrying then."
"I'll have you know that was a sophisticated piece of magic it takes practitioners decades to master. So typical of a layman to fail to recognise the work involved. Or the possibilities."
"Right. I'm sure the ability to turn breakfast foods into reptiles comes in real handy."
"You'd be surprised, actually. And obviously that was illusion, not transmutation. They are two very different disciplines."
"Whatever, nerd brigade."
Loki tuts. "Ignorant mortal."
"Asshole."
The cereal box becomes the next target of Loki's affectation of disdain. After scanning the list of ingredients with a faint air of distaste he discards it again without comment.
"Are you still yet to hear from Colonel Rhodes?" he asks instead. Smooth.
Tony stirs his spoon around the bowl a couple of times before he resumes his meal. "No answer so far. I'm sure he's just busy."
Loki levels an even look on Tony then, and for once it's Tony feeling as though he's being handled with kid gloves.
"My offer still stands," Loki says.
They're not having this argument again. Loki isn't ready, and there's no way Tony is going to put him in a position like that, no matter how good his intentions. There's too much at risk. And besides, this is all going to turn out to be nothing more than the usual. War Machine has been called in for some classified mission at short notice and he's out of the country. It wouldn't be the first time. Tony just needs to chill. Rhodey'll be in touch soon enough.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Tony says, forcing a smile.
Loki looks less than impressed. "I really wish you wouldn't do that."
"Do what?"
"Cosset me. I can hold a glamour well enough to make enquiries. It would be simple enough to go unnoticed. I thought we'd moved past this mistrust—"
"It's not a case of trust," Tony hurries to contradict, although he sees too late that the perceived slight has already been taken to heart. "I don't want you walking into a situation like that, not when we don't even know if we need to be worried. It's too risky, especially while you're still getting a handle on all this."
Loki's face does that thing it does when his ability is being called into question, and Tony hurries to smooth ruffled feathers. "What if another memory comes back?" he hedges, reaching and well aware of the fact. "It's too soon for covert ops."
The way Loki grits his teeth suggests he doesn't quite buy Tony's attempt at appeasement but that he's reining in every instinct he possesses not to call him out on it. He makes his dissatisfaction clear in the way he sets his jaw even as he dips his head in acquiescence.
"It is not only you who cares for the colonel's welfare," Loki adds quietly.
"I know," Tony replies, just as softly.
Loki is doing his level best to press the side of Tony's face right through the reinforced gym wall when FRIDAY's voice chirps across the in-helmet comms.
"Call incoming," she says, pausing briefly while Tony squirms ineffectually to escape Loki's hold. He receives another painful slam into the plaster for his efforts. "Is now a bad time?"
Tony winces and tries to catch his breath, forcing words out even as he strains against the force Loki is using to pin him in place. "Couldn't be better," he manages to gasp. He lets himself go boneless, the combination of the bulk of the suit and his sudden dead weight enough to allow him to slip from Loki's grasp. He rolls onto his back when he hits the ground and is just fast enough to raise his arms and capture Loki around the throat as Loki falls on Tony to do the same. "Patch it through," Tony instructs a little breathlessly. Loki tightens his grip.
"Hey, Tones," Rhodey's voice says, the shade of amusement in it enough to suggest that FRIDAY has made him aware of Tony's current situation.
"Rhodey bear," Tony greets past a grunt. He moves his hands to Loki's wrists, attempting to break the choke hold by exerting pressure in places a normal person would find difficult to withstand. Loki just leans his weight further forward and bares his teeth. "How've you been? Long time no speak. Was starting to think I'd upset you or something. I swear I'll do better. I can change. Just give me another chance."
Loki ignores the one-sided conversation, intent on finishing what he's started. "Do you yield?" he grits out, his face mere inches from Tony's own.
Tony isn't going to dignify that with an answer. He's not losing — again. (Stupid no weapons rule, what was he thinking.) And besides, unfair advantage. He's never been very good at splitting his focus. He struggles a bit more.
There's a snort of amusement from Rhodey's end. "Listen, if I'm interrupting something I can just call back later. It's not like I've had to move a meeting and duck a superior just to claw back five minutes of precious free time or anything."
"No no," Tony hurries to insist. "We're almost done here. Lemme just..."
He bucks his body, using the attempt to dislodge Loki from his position as a cover to bring a gauntlet to bear on the guy's solar plexus, rules be damned. In a move that defies the laws of physics, Loki throws himself forward and over Tony's head, adjusts his grip at Tony's throat, then wrenches sideways to flip Tony onto his front. A knee drives itself into Tony's lower back even as his arm is dragged at an almost unnatural angle up behind him. The back of his hand is pressed with more force than necessary until it's almost brushing his own shoulder blade. Only the suit prevents his arm from being completely ripped from its socket.
"Ah! Son of a—"
"Do you yield?" Loki demands again, the words harsh against Tony's ear.
Tony has no choice but to tap out. At the signal Loki immediately relents and allows Tony to sit up. He twists gingerly around, raises his face plate and gives Loki the stink eye.
"You play some dirty pool."
Far from being chastened, Loki produces a smug look even as he clasps Tony's forearm to haul him upright. There's a shimmer of light across his form and the sweat slicking strands of hair to Loki's neck mysteriously vanishes. The bastard doesn't bother to extend the same courtesy to Tony.
"Chalking up another win?" Rhodey asks, a smile in his voice.
The towel Tony uses to pass over his face helps muffle the twinge of injured pride that inspires. "You're welcome to come over here and give it a try any time, you know."
"Sure. Some of us have a healthy sense of self-preservation, thank you."
A bony finger pokes Tony pointedly in his side. Waving an impatient hand in Loki's direction, Tony nevertheless gives the command for FRIDAY to open up the channel. The nanotech hugging his body retracts back into its casing.
"You're on loudspeaker," Tony announces. "Say hi to barely-even-out-of-breath."
"Hey, man, how's it going?"
"Colonel Rhodes," Loki acknowledges solemnly.
"Everything okay over in Rhodey-land?" Tony asks. "I don't want to be 'that guy' but I've been trying to check in for a while now. It's not like you not to call back. That's usually my move."
"I know, I'm sorry. You know how it gets." Rhodey does sound kinda put-upon. And tired. The fact that he's not elaborating suggests he's either exhausted by the mere thought of telling this story, or very much trying to avoid having to put a positive spin on it for his listener's sake. That's… not like him. Rhodey isn't one to hold back a complaint, and he's certainly never felt the need to shield Tony from his more cynical side. There's also a note of something in his voice that Tony can't quite place.
"So where've you been? Anywhere fun?"
As predicted, Rhodey is quick to gloss over that. "The opposite, really. I'd bore you with the details. Looking forward to some R&R to be honest. You guys up for a visit?"
Tony brightens immediately at the thought of having Rhodey at the house again. Even Loki seems to perk up at the prospect. "Bring some of those egg rolls with you and you've got yourself a deal. Ooh, and the lo mein I like. You know the one. Don't skimp on the wontons."
Rhodey huffs a laugh. "I'll see what I can do. Anything else I can fetch for you? Some dry-cleaning? Couple of skinny chai lattes, maybe?"
Tony opens his mouth to reply and is beaten to it. "Your presence alone would be most welcomed," Loki adds graciously.
"Kiss ass," Tony tells him.
"So I'm thinking tomorrow if that's good," Rhodey continues. "Got a couple of things to tie up here and then I've got a few days of downtime. Probably be with you around eight."
Tony grins at Loki as he says, "Already looking forward to it."
"Me too. I gotta go now, but I'll see you soon. Tell JARVIS to keep the lights on for me."
Tony ends the call with a cheerful, "You got it."
The smile slips from Tony's face as soon as the line is cut.
In the silence that follows Loki looks at him closely, a frown forming slowly between his brows. "What is wrong?" he asks cautiously, no doubt reading Tony's grim expression. "Who is JARVIS?"
"A warning," is Tony's only answer.