Tony decided to go back once he had some food and sleep under his belt. He figured that things would line up better if he could go five minutes without the world shifting out of focus. Also he knew he would need his wits this time, if he wanted to get answers. Full, thought out, true answers to go with fully thought out questions. Not the vague ranty answers that Loki gave when his emotions had bested him.
He had Happy drop him in front of Tea and Potions ten minutes before the listed closing time. A bell he never noticed before jingled as Tony entered the empty shop. Though he supposed it wasn't completely empty, Loki was still there. Tony flipped the open sign so any perspective customers would think the place was closed.
Loki smiled, the same forced smile as before. "You're back."
"Yep. And this time I'm going to ask some actual questions." Tony stepped up to the counter and leaned on it. "What do you mean my energy restraints only dampen what you can do?" He tried to make the question sound casual, like he didn't quite didn't care. Instead his anger was hidden just under the surface, as if he could punch the answer in to the open.
Loki leaned away from him and actually smiled, for the barest hint of a second, at Tony's question. Relieved, it wasn't the question he had been fearing. "I'm fairly certain you just answered your own question. They restrain. It's a bit of a hindrance. But..." His eyes flashed. "If my legs were shackled together I would still be able to move. The same principle applies to your bracelets. The workings are hindered, not stopped completely." His fingers twitched slightly before he let himself rub at his left wrist as if trying to reassure himself. To make certain that the talk of shackles was in fact only talk.
Tony squinted down at the silver bracelets, already making new calculations to improve their function. "Sooo." He jerked, lifting off the counter for a few moments so he could focus back on the questions at hand. "Why couldn't you go back to Asgard? Your cage. Wasn't it like some galactic timeout, time to think-"
Still holding his wrist, Loki could only tighten his grip. He barely realized when Tony had stopped talking when he noticed the blood under Loki's nails. Finally he let go. In fact the blood had only been a few drops. He couldn't bare to shed anymore.
The shop was silent. No music, no kettle whistling, no pages turning. It was absolutely silent and Tony let it stay that way for a whole minute. Watched as Loki couldn't look away from his nails. Listening for any sign of a panic attack. Tony didn't know what to do. Or maybe he did and just didn't want to admit that the bag of cats was falling apart at the seams. Didn't want to admit he knew, at least in part, what must have happened on Asgard.
A whole minute passed before he said, practically whispered, "What did they do to you?"
Instead of answering Loki let the music swell back to life. A cacophony of instruments ready to drown everything out. All it took was a flick of his wrist. The brackets allowed him that. And drowning was perfectly fine, preferable to all that blood. The burning. He turned way from Tony. But he could feel the eyes on his back. It was not preferable. So he turned back to face him.
He didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. What Odin had allowed to happen. Even Fury didn't know, though he had asked practically every time he visited. Loki wanted to tell Frigga but that wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever again.
He sighed and whispered just as Tony had. As if whispering would lessen what had happened, "The All Father wished for me to die. But Frigga would not allow him my death. Instead he sent me to live out my days in a cage. Enough magic to barely heal myself. He let me keep that much because to take all of my seidr would mean my death. He had my lips sown shut. My back whipped...there was so much blood. To much." Loki took a deep breath, in then out. In then out. He was fine. He had to be fine so he could finish. "They burned me. Bit by bit. Till every inch of my body was charred." In then out. "They left me alone. As if I was abandoned once more. Till I almost craved the fire once more. Wanted so badly for the pain to start anew." In then out. In then out. He wasn't shaking, much. "They kept me in darkness till Thor brought the light. And I thought I was burning once more. Could feel the knives cross my flesh. Pathetic."
It was quiet once more. And Tony could only say, "Does Asgard know you're here." As if he couldn't see the fear in Loki's eyes. Didn't notice the trembling, full body shudders. Or the scars that marked Loki's body.
"No they don't. And I'd like to keep it that way." He made his hands stop trembling, "Please. I can't go back to that. I can't. I just...I can't."
Tony nodded. "Good. I didn't feel like having Sparky asking for something I couldn't help him do. If you haven't noticed I'm not a fan of torture. Yours or anyone else's." He watched watched as the shutters slowed. Till Loki looked less freaked out, less likely to run in search of the nearest smash able thing. "So, have any coffee left?"
