Tony had been tinkering for hours now, as if solving tech problems could make everything else fall into place. Thinking back he was sure that Loki had been flirting. At least he was pretty sure. Or maybe Loki had just been asking about alien preferences for future movie nights? It wasn't as if Loki was an alien. Well actually he was and so was Thor but they looked human. They didn't look like E.T. or Stitch. They looked human. And Tony treated them like humans...like friends. Besides aliens in movies weren't even real. It wasn't like he had professed some deeply hidden kink about aliens. Tony had only said he had been super into them when he was twelve.
Flipping his helmet down Tony continued to ponder as he turned the blow torch on. He turned the knob till the flame was whitish blue. Loki's eyes had been twinkling, right? But maybe that was just something Loki's eyes did. Or it had been a trick of the light. Or maybe he was misremembering? Science had proven at some point that memories can be faulty and could screw up sometimes.
The flame licked its way across the metal. Loki had been smiling when he asked his question so maybe he was just curious or having a conversation or literally any number of things. One question followed by awkward silence didn't mean that someone was flirting, right?
It had only been a day since Tony had left the rather uncomfortable silence of Loki's floor. In those twenty four hours Loki still hadn't slept. Instead he kept walking in circles wondering why he had said what he said. It wasn't as if he had made some declaration of love. He didn't love Stark, not really. He merely cared for a human who seemed, in turn, to care for him. They were friends. Nothing more or less. Loki couldn't tell if he had made an ill placed joke or if he had been actively trying to form some deeper connection. It didn't matter either way so why was he still pacing?
Loki would walk to the kitchen, open the fridge or a drawer. He would walk to the living room and turn on the tv only to turn it off immediately after the screen had flickered on. Turning back to the kitchen he would take out a mug or a bowl. Only to turn and go to the bedroom where he pulled back the covers of his bed. In this manner Loki baked a batch of peanut butter cookies, twelve misshapen loaves of bread, and a minor mountain of sugar cookies. In between the steps of pouring ingredients, lining tins, loading the oven, and cooling the baked goods down Loki wandered from room to room. He turned on the lights long after he realized how dark it was outside. A book would be picked up only to be put back down when a timer went off. Music would play only to be switched mid song. Loki tried to think about nothing at all. Instead he ended up over analyzing every little detail of each interaction with Tony Stark.
After waiting a little, like Jarvis suggested, Thor rode the elevator one floor up to Loki's floor. He waited for the doors to slide open. He waited for Jarvis to announce his presence. He stood staring at the elevator doors long enough to start contemplating breaking them down in order to speak with his brother.
"Thor would like me to tell you that he is in the metal box outside your rooms. His phrasing not mine."
Loki froze mid step at Jarvis's words. "I don't-" For a moment he almost seriously contemplated running. It wasn't that he feared Thor, not exactly. Loki just wasn't sure he wished to talk with him. He lowered his foot and stared rather unseeingly at the wall for a few moments. "Ask him why he's here."
Thor yelled to Loki from his place in the elevator, "I wished to apologize. For last night. I know what I said upset you. I wished to talk with you and understand why. Brother, please, I meant no harm."
Everything Thor said was a bit muffled but still understandable. Loki rolled his eyes and stared up at ceiling for a few calming breaths. If he turned Thor away now then he would just have to deal with all this later. It would probably be better to not deal with this at all but Thor always was persistent. If anything he would probably keep yelling through the elevator which would just lead to headaches all around.
Stepping out of the kitchen, Loki muttered, "I suppose you should open the doors."
The elevator doors opened and Thor seemed to fill the room. It wasn't because the living room was small. And it wasn't necessary because Thor was the embodiment of an Asir warrior. The elevator doors opened and Thor immediately rushed in. His arms were spread wide and he was moving closer and closer in an attempt to hug Loki.
Seconds before Thor's arms could close around Loki he dodged out of the way. Thor hugged the air. Loki stood to the side.
Before Thor could try and hug his brother again Loki held up a hand.
"Let's not do this. You came here to apologize. So you may do that and nothing else for the time being."
Thor let his arms fall down to his sides. He was still smiling but now it didn't seem quite so large. "Brother, I...I am sorry I inadvertently called you argr."
"Such a large word. Inadvertently. Hope you didn't strain yourself with its verbiage."
Thor tried to ignore that comment and continued on with his apology, "You must know I didn't mean it like that."
Loki let out a huff of a laugh, "What did you mean than Thor? Or maybe I'm simply misunderstanding what you actually said. That must be it. I mean, you did complement my ability to heal people, heal you. And it's not necessarily a bad thing to be compared to a woman.
Sif wants to be a warrior and you and most of Asgard couldn't stop singing their praises. But the second I decide to wield seidr I'm ridiculed. Seidr is a part of me in a way that a sword can never be a part of you or Sif or any of the Warriors Three. How many times did you, any of you, call me argr? Mock me and my weapons of choice until they became useful for you?"
Looking like he had been punched in the gut Thor quietly said, "I'm sorry."
"I know." Loki shook his head. "I'm just not sure if saying I'm sorry really means what you think it means."
"It means I'm sorry!"
Loki took a step back, "But do you understand why you are even saying it or will you say something equally ill conceived the next time?"
