It had been several days since Tony had left his lab. He had very deliberately wandered in after his run in with Loki. And hadn't left since. In the meantime his suits became more powerful, better aim on the hand blasters, more power from the rockets, overall a sleeker design. And according to Jarvis he hadn't slept in the past 26 hours. Though that count was a bit inaccurate considering he had told Jarvis to even count "resting my eyes" as sleep.

The problem was Tony couldn't just forget that the bag of cats was working in one of the coffee shops just blocks from his front door. Couldn't sleep when Loki could decide to attack at any moment. Tony slipped the silver bracelets, that could call his suit, onto his writs and finally left the lab.

But instead of wondering up to his bed or the communal kitchen, Tony walked all the way to Tea and Potions. It was just as it was a few days ago. Perhaps a bit fuller, with more people quickly grabbing their coffee before heading into the office. A few more tea mugs left out on empty tables simply waiting to be carried away for cleanup.

And of course Loki was right where Tony had left him, standing behind the counter. Though this time his oil black hair was tied up in a messy form of a bun. And he was smiling. A real smile, easy. The kind of smile that made his eyes twinkle with hidden laughter. Tony almost felt bad when Loki looked up and saw him in the door way.

By the time Tony reached the front of the line Loki had most certainly stopped smiling. He didn't bother with saying any cute little line about potions or spells instead he opted for, "Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee. Last time I was here you said something about making me a better cup?"

"Did you have something in mind or am I allowed to surprise you?"

Tony looked up at the handwritten menu above Loki's head and maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe it was the threat of this nightmare in front of him but he couldn't quite make sense of what was written. So he said, "Surprise me, Voldy."

Loki's eyebrow quirked in unspoken question before he turned around to fill up a medium sized dark green mug.

"You're almost as bad as Spangles in the culture department. Voldy, Voldemort." Before Loki could even give a nonverbal answer Tony continued, "He's the big bad in Harry Potter. A wizard. Power hungry. Thinks he's better then all the puny little muggles around him."

Loki turned around with a now full mug and handed it over to Tony. "That will be $3.50. And I suppose you have your questions. Shall we talk?"

Tony handed over the money and didn't bother with taking any of his change. Instead he took a sip of his coffee. It was strong. The caffeine hitting his veins in an instant. And the flavor, he took another sip to be sure, "Is there rum in this?"

"Just a little bit. Not enough to get you drunk."

"And..." He took another sip before guessing, "Blueberry."

"I heard somewhere that you enjoy blueberries. Was I mistaken. I could-"

"This is fine. More then fine, actually. But I would like to talk somewhere a bit more private."

Loki nodded before bending down. He placed a sign on the counter. It was written in the same handwriting as the menu and that shouldn't have seemed odd to Tony yet it did. The sign simply said, "The argr will return soon." Perhaps it wasn't the handwriting but the message that freaked him out though he still had no clue why.

Once again Tony was led to the small wooden table behind the pile of books. He sat down and looked expectantly at Loki, waiting at least for a moment for the answers he wanted. Of course Loki took to long so he had to fill the silence with something, "You seem different." It wasn't what he had meant to say. He meant to ask about the deal with Fury, why he was working in a coffee shop. He meant to say something useful. Instead he had stated the obvious.

"Yes...different." Loki knew he sounded sad. He knew that he was letting his emotions bleed through more and more with each passing day. "As if you or anyone else would know what I ever actually wanted." It was a whisper, one his visitor could only just make out.

"What you actually want? You attacked us. You came here and tried to make people, good people, kneel before you. Well guess what, Princess, when you invade a place and say how the people you are invading are ants you leave a good impression of what you want."

"What I want is to be left alone."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it. Though I suppose killing everyone in your way would make them leave you alone."

The words struck like a knife and Loki couldn't find his voice. Couldn't find the words to justify his actions. So they sat there in silence as Tony drank his coffee. And Loki stared at the wall just behind Tony's head forcing himself to show no emotion.

Finally Loki stood up. He shook his head and his voice sounded so much like it did before, dangerous, "You act as if I enjoyed that. I didn't, in case you were wondering. It was merely a necessary evil. Something to appease him. To finish the task he gave me." But the next second he is a bit cheerier, the fake smile in place, "Now if you don't mind I do have a business to run so I cannot simply stay here and chat. Good day, Stark."

With that Loki walked back to the counter, removed the sign, and started to make a cup of tea for himself. This time the honey was tucked behind a row of china cups. He reached for it as the kettle whistled.

At least Tony could only assume the tea was for him considering there were no customers waiting. He drank the last dregs of his coffee and wandered back to the counter. "So, last time I was here you said I should understand not returning because and I'm quoting here 'A sentiment I'm sure you can understand given your torturous past.' They tortured you? The All Daddy decided to torture his own son."

"He's not my father!" Loki hadn't meant to shout. He hadn't even meant to say anything but he had and now he couldn't stop, "He disowned me. Said I should be dead, abandoned as a babe, he should have let me die. Instead he locked me away like the war prize I was always meant to be." He didn't notice the few tears that managed to make a trail down his face. Didn't notice that any clients in the shop when he started shouting were now gone. He only had his memories. "The Mad Titan had never been kind yet I'd rather face recompense for failing him then go back to Asgard knowing the man I once called father approved of my pain. My torture. They-"

Loki shuttered and remembered who he was shouting at. Realized that the music had stopped playing in his merry little shop. He saw that he was alone with the man of iron and even if he wasn't he knew he shouldn't tell of his punishment. To say it, out loud, would only make everything more real. And that would make it all the worse. Instead he took a sip of his tea.

Tony didn't say anything for several minutes. He just watched as Loki regained his composure. When he thought it was finally safe to talk he said, "The coffee was good, I'll have to come back for another." He placed the empty green mug in front of Loki, a makeshift peace offering.