In a matter of what felt like minutes Tony, Steve, and Loki were back in front of Tea and Potions. Loki took out a ring of keys that Tony never remembered seeing before and jiggled them into the lock. With a quick and fluid turn of his hand the door was open. Loki made sure to hold the door for his...guests. He wasn't sure how he wanted to think of them, friends, captors, he settled unhappily on guests.
Once inside Steve asked what Tony had been thinking, "Where did those keys come from?"
As Loki walked away toward a door in the back that would lead to his personal rooms he shook his head. "My pockets, obviously, or did you think I would use up some of my seidr on keeping a few hungry mortals out?" After a few moments of silence he turned back to face them. "When I'm not confined by restraints such as these..." he raised up his hands as if Tony and Steve needed to be reminded of the cuffs around his wrists, "...restraints that feel as if they're digging into my very essence, I would be able to use my seidr to protect any building from anything I wish to keep out." Lowering his hands back to his sides he said, "I chose to place this illusion over myself instead of living without locks."
"Sorry." Steve could see how tence Loki was becoming. He was almost certain the man would start shaking any moment though whether it would be out of anger or something else Steve couldn't be sure. He hadn't meant for that this happen. He had only been curious. "I only meant...I thought…"
Loki shook his head and turned away. He continued to the door in the back, fit a different key in its lock, and the door squeaked open. The door was probably the only door in Tea and Potions that actually worked. It wasn't hanging by a single nail and the paint wasn't chipped, though it did seem oddly faded as if it had once been painted white but was now the color of parchment.
Tony and Steve followed as Loki walked up the stairs. No one said anything though Tony felt like he was supposed to. He just couldn't think of the right thing to say and for once he wasn't just going to blab the first thing to pop in his head. If he had he would have mentioned the door which looked like it had seen better days. The bottom was black as if it was charred or possibly was full of mold and the paint was cracked from top to bottom. The only good thing was the fact it was still standing and that probably wouldn't last long.
When they reached Loki's rooms Tony couldn't hold back any longer, "How can you possibly live here like this. I mean…" He trailed off realizing what he was doing but he just couldn't believe that Loki had been living in a cramped and damp attic. Okay maybe not damp but it was certainly colder upstairs then it had ever been in the cafe and Tony was nearly certain it wasn't because of all the baking that was done in the kitchen.
The rooms were actually just one room with fake walls sectioning some parts off from the rest. In some places they weren't even fake walls instead there was just a large pile of books. Steve was almost certain that some of the trenches he had been in had been in better shape. Nothing was particularly broken however everything except the books seemed a little less than perfect. Papers were scattered upon the floor and little nubs of pencils could be found every so often. Every mug was chipped or cracked or missing its handle. Crumbs were on every plate but Steve wasn't sure if Loki had actually eaten much of anything or if he had been tearing bits of things apart. There was a mattress but no bed in one of the spaces made entirely of books. It was covered in blankets and looked as cosy as a matress on the floor could look.
Loki could see how troubled Steve was by what he could see. He watched as both Tony and Steve walked about his rooms as if they were in a daze. "It's not...I don't normally live in such filth." Loki said that as he picked out spots of blood on the floor and walls. The spots, for the most part, were pin pricks. The blood didn't stand out unless you knew where it was and he could see every spot. He looked away, "In Asgard my rooms...well for a start they were actual rooms. The books were on the shelves where they belonged and everything had a place. Magic, seidr, flows free through the rooms and I could properly feel it, shape and weld it. I had art. I had..." He stopped before he could say 'I had control.'
After a few moments where Loki simply stood there and tried not dig his nails into his arms he walked to one of the piles of books. "Would one or both of you mind going downstairs I should have some boxes in the kitchen that will be able to hold what I need." As they both went back down the steps Loki began to gather up his books; most of which he hoped to bring with him. Tony and Steve brought up box after books and Loki filled them all. They held books, paper, pens, the odd key or two, three mugs from the cafe which didn't have a flaw, odds and ends, bits of metal and string. He carefully rolled up his blankets and found a jingle bell which he placed alongside them. By the time he was done the room looked neater than it had since he had settled into the place.
In the end Loki had filed twenty seven boxes of various sizes. All of which were taken back downstairs and loaded into Tony's car. It took several hours and for once Loki felt tired enough that he wondered if he would fall asleep later. He wondered if he wanted to.
They all piled into the car and set off for Stark Tower, set out toward home. Which is what Loki wished he would be able to call it sooner rather than never. Home, it sounded like a nice idea, something to make at least part of him feel a little bit better.
"Thank you, for giving me this chance."
Tony hadn't been certain if he had heard Loki correctly but he smiled none the less. "Welcome to your new home, reindeer games." For once Tony felt like he had done the right thing and nothing would be able to mess this up. He would be able to make a difference and help someone. He would be more than just the merchant of death.
