SO SORRY EVERYONE! I made this a longer chapter for you! It's almost 4,000 words which is about twice as many as I normally write. Slight OC in this one but she is not to important, I just wanted to write about her. ^-^ But anyways SO SORRY!
Slowly coming in to more time and just over all procrastination. I have so much make up work for school but you know ships need love too so yah!
Um hey so uh.
THIS IS IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!
I was reading some of my older chapters of Quiet and such to get caught up on where we are. And I realized that I have terrible spelling and grammar. So I do not know if I am a big enough writer that any one might want to proof read my stuff for me? Add a comma or two? And maybe like yell at me to update things more? Kinda like a boss only not. XD Anyways! If anyone is interested please PM me! Thanks! :D I will reward you with um… things. Not money sorry. ^-^" Something.
Another thing! I am now taking requests to add to more stuff and if you have any idea of what you want to see in any of my ongoing fanfictions, a cute moment or a funny moment, please review and put your idea or PM me! Thanks!
I won't keep you any longer! We are getting down to the end here! DX Enjoy!
~I could wait, a thousand hours,
Stay the same, in sun and showers,
Pick apart a hundred flowers,
Just to be quiet~
"Pepper, please just let me explain!" Tony yelled out suddenly over the full scale rant.
He had just gotten out of the shower. Despite the ominous twisting in his gut that told him that he needed to talk to his girlfriend, he was feeling pretty good.
After Tony found the note he had made himself a cup of coffee and sat in the kitchen thinking about what Loki had told him last night. At first he had been disgusted and confused. Why would Loki chose to tell him that, why not anyone else? Or maybe if he had just kept his mouth shut he wouldn't be in this mess. He could have gone out and gotten sushi with Pepper and celebrated. But no, he had to try and help a god who deserved to be thrown in jail!
….besides Pepper didn't like raw fish anyways…
As soon as that small thought about Pepper entered his mind he relaxed and began to think about what he had said. Really think about it. Because if it was all a lie then Tony could just forget about it, he was the God of Lies anyway.
But why would he humiliate himself more like that. Tony knew pride, pride was that no matter how wounded, you can do it on your own. But yesterday Loki had been more then physically wounded. Tony allowed himself to start wondering if what he said about his kids was real.
His stomach lurched at the thought of watching something so horrifying. Not to mention having it be your own kids. Tony didn't have or want any children, but he knew what it was like to care for someone.
Care for someone.
Shouldn't his girlfriend be the first one that pops in to his mind instead of how close the two were last night? The thought made him smile and he drifted on a mix of self hate and of excitement until his coffee was done. Then he went for a shower to cool down.
After he got out of an unnecessarily long shower, Jarvis had spoken up and told him that Miss. Potts was calling then immediately patched the call through before Tony could reply.
The yelling came immediately. Tony concentrated on getting dressed and automatically tuned her out. With his clothes back on, he laid back on his bed and sighed, "Pepper, please let me just explain!"
She stopped. Everything went quiet for a good 20 seconds until she spoke again.
"You haven't been listening to me have you?" Tony blinked and frowned. How did she know? She spoke before he could answer, "I was saying that you should have just let me know you were busy! I was worried sick!"
Tony blinked, "Wait. What?"
Pepper laughed lightly. It only made Tony feel worse because that laugh used to make him smile, it just made him feel like a liar right now. But what was the lie anyways?
"Jarvis called to warn me. A friend had stopped over? He didn't tell me the whole story but he did say something had happened and you couldn't leave him to call. Personally it's just nice to know that you are learning how to feel compassion."
Tony blinked a few times. Jarvis. No. Don't do shit like that….thank you…. But don't.
"I feel plenty of passion, Pep." He replied with a light smirk. "But yah, someone did stop over. I met him once a few times and offered him a drink. His kids were um. Taken, I guess." Her startled intake of air sounded strange over the speakers.
"That's awful. Is he alright?"
"I haven't heard from him. I was thinking about walking by where we normally run into each other and see if he's there."
"Be sure you do, I hope he's alright. That sounds terrible." Well. Pepper must be PMSing or something, she sounded close to tears.
"Yah he seemed beaten up," literally, "But I cleaned him up a bit more and he staid the night here. He left before I woke up." This was pretty much the whole truth. "So do you think we could reschedule that date then? Maybe next Friday?"
A small sigh, "Sounds great Tony. But you know we have to leave tomorrow evening." What.
"We're leaving tomorrow? When did I agree to this?"
"A bit ago, when you decided to join up with the Avengers? You are all going to Europe to introduce yourself." Tony sighed, it was sort of coming back now….
"So… Next next Friday?" Pepper sighed lightly.
"Tony. We are going to be gone for about 10 weeks."
"10 weeks. That's like. 1000 days, Pep. What are we even going to be doing?"
Tony could almost hear Pepper smile lightly over the phone, "1000 hours maybe. You'll be traveling all over to do different press conferences. We can take out date somewhere better than just a restaurant."
He sighed dejectedly…. What about Loki then. He nodded. Pepper seemed to sense his restlessness because she said goodbye quickly after that. Tony stood with a sigh and went to peer out at the tree.
It was raining again, a drizzle creeping down lazily from the dark gray overcast sky finishing the fall chill and bringing in the winter. He found himself hoping that Loki hadn't lost his mind in grief or spaced out again and was now tucked in a dark cold corner of some ally without a disguise. Tony sighed and shook his head, he shouldn't think like that but still. Even psychopaths have a story, and their stories are some of the saddest… And all that sentimental shit…
Loki had woken up early, early considering he fell asleep around 5. He had barely gotten any sleep, which was understandable. But he had not spent the night painfully drifting through self-loathing and fear.
He had gotten out of the shower feeling refreshed and a bit lighter, but he assumed it was just the blood and mud gone from him. Drowsily he had found a baggy white plain shirt and some sleep pants that fit alright. He laid down around 4 am.
Not able to think, he just laid there. Tony must have gone to sleep because he didn't hear any noises. He had laid there until he drifted in to a light and troubling dark sleep.
When he woke up the clock had read 4:47. He had caught himself wishing that Tony was with him. But he just chalked it up to not wanting to be alone with his thoughts and had gone back to sleep.
He had woke up from a bad nightmare with a cry and leaping out from under the blankets. Loki decided that he wouldn't go back to sleep, it had been 7:23 anyways. He had gotten dressed and walked out, pausing by Tony's room listening hopefully for signs of movement. There had been none.
He had changed his clothes in to a suit, put it on and left a note on his pillow. Then he had paused one again in front of Tony's room. There had been nothing again. Something told him that he could have gone inside the room and Tony would not have minded at all. But pride had kept him out.
So he just left and started walking. And walking and walking and walking.
It was now 3:24 pm. And it was cold outside.
He supposed that that shouldn't affect him too much and it sort of didn't. But if you grow up in warm, you learn to like warm and learn to feel uncomfortable in the cold, which was how he felt walking through the heavy sleet.
Loki felt dejected, lost. He hated himself for not going and trying to fight the guards again. And he hated himself for leaving Tony's house so quickly. He had tried not to think about it but Tony probably wouldn't have minded if he was there when he had woken up. But he had to leave for safety reasons. Why he cared about the mortal's safety he didn't understand. He left it as that he owed him a lot, Loki didn't like leaving debts uneven.
Feeling dizzy, he let himself sink on to a deserted bench. Sure he had enough money to go and get food which would probably make him feel better, but then he'd have to put on a disguise and talk to people and be watched. So let him just be lazy for once, he was content to just stare at the ground and try to think.
He could remember how everything had happened. Normally, he wouldn't care if some people got hurt, if some people's lives were ruined, if some people died. People die every day, if others weren't strong enough to take it then well. They should either join the club or be left to die. The worlds don't need weak people. If people think he is awful for thinking that way then well, maybe they just don't want to hear the truth from the source of lies.
But this was so much different. This was his own kids, you know, flesh and blood and all that. Being a good parent and also trying to extract revenge or whatever he was after (he really was not sure anymore) is difficult if not impossible. He had risked a lot for those kids, they really shouldn't have been born in the first place, but Loki was glad they did.
Because even though day after day and year after year he would think about the screams they had made when they were young and fever glazed eyes. He had cared for them when they were born, taken them from their mother so that she did not need to face the consequences. She had not wanted them. At first he didn't either. But having something to live for was nice at least.
He must have done something wrong, even when he had not attacked anything, nothing more than living in the same realm. Yet his twin sons were dead, because of Odin. For no reason at all.
Anger flared and he stood up quickly and began walking quickly, stiffly. He did not want to draw attention to himself.
To calm himself down he allowed his thoughts to change to Tony and last night.
He was confused as to why a mortal enemy would help him, even put himself at risk of trouble and even death just to stitch a wound or give him a place to rest. Loki was certain that he deserved to wander about Midgaurd in hiding until he found a better way to live. So why did Tony seem to think different. Loki sighed, what did he see in him that he didn't see in himself.
Maybe nothing, maybe he pitied him. The thought made him angry, he did not want anyone's sympathy. The god clenched his teeth and pushed out of the sleet in to a diner. Only then did he realize that he did not have his mask on.
"Hi! It's freezing out there, don't you have a coat? You look soaked. Come on I'll get you a table and something hot to drink." A waitress hopped over surprising him when she did not recognize him. She was very tanned skinned with black hair in a messy bun and big thick pink lips that she was contently beaming with. "How about a big cup of coffee. You look like you're a coffee drinker. Black? With sugar? Oh, you know what? I'll just bring some cream and sugar over with the pot okay? Right this way sir!" She grabbed his arm and tugged him to a booth to sit him down constantly talking. Good. He didn't want to speak at all.
She immediately bounced off leaving Loki to try and process what she had said. What was coffee? A hot drink apparently but still, was it like Tea or something? He had had tea before. He had barely finished his puzzlement by the time she got back.
The diner was empty. There did not even seem to be any one in the back kitchen. The woman quickly took out a mug and poured his coffee. Loki could see now that her name was Clarice, at least that was what her badge said.
"Here you go, nice and fresh!" She beamed at him. He smiled politely back and noted how she stood there faithfully, smiling down at him and waiting for his approval at her coffee making skills.
Loki smirked lightly, amused, and carefully took a sip of the coffee. He couldn't help but gag lightly as the bitter taste. She frowned at him. She suddenly looked like she could burst in to tears.
"Oh no it's fine. I have never tried this before, you see…" He began quietly, "I haven't tried something so bitter." She suddenly beamed.
"Oh! Oh I see! That's fine because that's when you put in cream and sugar!" She took the mug away and put in a few packets of sugar and a few packets of cream. She stirred it carefully before sliding it back to him. He smiled tiredly at her enthusiasm and carefully tried it again.
He was surprised to find that it tasted a million times better. Looking up at her hopeful face he nodded lightly and gave her a small smile to show he liked it taking another sip. And he had never seen anyone that looked so proud in themselves.
"That's great!" She beamed down at him, "Now. Do you know what you want? Your looking a bit pale. It's really cold out there. How about flap jacks? You've tried the all American pancake haven't you? You look like you are not from around here. So that would be the obvious thing to get right?" She beamed brightly.
Loki just nodded in his reply and gave her a small wave telling her to bring whatever. He doubted that he would be able to eat anything but she looked so hopeful. She bounced off quickly to the kitchen.
He sighed and sipped at his coffee. The emptiness of the place was unsettling.
The walls were a deep sky blue and the ceiling and floor was a crisp gray. There had to be at least 40 or 50 other tables scattered around the diner. The place was clean, sparkling even, and the coffee was good quality, at least it tasted like it. The time was now about 5 pm, which was normally when people ate dinner. Then why was everything silent.
He looked up from his empty cup to find Clarice peeping out at him to check on him. Loki smiled lightly and tapped the rim of the glass, "May I have another?"
She beamed and skipped over to do the complicated process of stirring in the sugar and the cream and gave him a new piping cup before hurrying back in to the kitchen to make sure her "flap jacks" (whatever those were) were not burning.
Another few moments passed before she was sliding out with an oval plate in her hands, that held 5 "flap jacks", which appeared to be fluffy soft disks, a mound of hash browns and another pile of scrambled eggs. She set the plate down in front of him with a flourish and put some brown liquid that looked and smelled similar to honey on them.
"This is syrup. It makes things sweeter." She explained and beamed at him. He was faintly surprised when she hesitated then sat down on the other side of the booth and examined him while he tried the food. It was pretty good… It made his stomach roll anyway.
"You know….. You look a lot like that guy." He blinked and through her a questioning look. She smiled lightly.
"Right people cannot read my mind. Gotta remember that! Anyways that guy that like. Went crazy and came from the sky with aliens and stuff. Loki was his name right?" He had trouble swallowing his bite of eggs and covered the chock up with a sip of coffee. She giggled.
"Don't die okay? But like yah you really do. Minus the leather. It would be just AWFUL to try and take over a world in leather don't you think?" She beamed. Loki almost laughed. He smirked lightly.
"I suppose you would get used to it…" He said quietly taking another bite of food. She beamed again.
"I suppose. I like the look you know? I mean personally, gotta love the Avengers and all, but I think it would be cooler to have you know. The dark mysterious sort of off guy on the team instead of another big hero guy, like a TV show!"
An awkward smile and a nod from Loki. He could hear his heart racing in fear of being discovered. She just giggled.
"Sorry. I'm really in to that Superhero stuff. But hey! Why don't you tell me about yourself. You look like you've been having an awful day." He did not want to talk. So he shrugged and nodded to her.
"What about you tell me about yourself while I am eating, alright?" She beamed. And suddenly she was off on a rampage. A tidal wave of words and exclamations and hand gestures.
She was 17. She had a mother and a sister. Her sister had just given birth to the "most adorable, sweetest little alligator of a baby boy." They all three ran this diner because her grandfather had left it to her mother and they just couldn't leave it alone.
Her father had left them when she was 6. Her grandfather had just died and her mother had been in a state of shock and depression. Only her, her mother and her sister went to the funeral, her father had stayed behind. When they got back, everything of value that they had in their home was gone, and so was her father.
Ever sense then they had been just barely getting by. And not many people came to diners anymore, sense they had to put down their adds. She was positive though that the word would get around soon enough and then they would attract enough people to afford adds. Then the people would come again.
She beamed at him and the diner fell in to silence. He had stopped eating only half done, he was starting to feel sick. Loki nodded slowly unsure what to say.
"So how about you?" She beamed lightly. He sighed and shook his head.
"There is not much to tell." She shook her head.
"I don't believe that for a second." He tsked lightly.
"Well… I'm currently out of a house. But a generous man is supplying me with money so that I can stay in a hotel and buy food and clothes-" He was cut off by her squeal.
"Oooh! Do you LIKE him? You know. LIKE like him?" He blinked multiple times. Who would go from a supplier of money to a sudden love interest? Clarice would.
"I. No. We meet up with each other underneath a tree by his house. If I happen to be there and he happens to be there, we talk, he gives me money, we leave. No second thoughts."
"I am calling a major BS!" She beamed. Loki just smirked.
"Call it whatever you want." He looked over at the clock. It was getting late. But surely Stark might still be awake, tinkering in his lab. It was 10:30. A lot of time to spend at a diner, but it was warm and the coffee was good and he had no other place to be, he didn't mind. He moved to stand. "But I think I need to be going now." She almost looked sad, but then she beamed and hopped up running over to grab his receipt.
She blinked, looked at the receipt, looked at Loki, then ripped it in half and tossed it in the trash.
"Don't worry about it this time. Just tell your "friend" to come here another time alright?" She beamed. Loki blinked. He had done nothing for this girl. Why would she refuse pay if she needed the money?
He was suddenly reminded of Tony. Sure the girl did not look a thing like him, or really act like him. But they were similar in morals. They made sure to say their mind no matter what the consequences, and whether they mean to or not they always seemed to do the right thing.
This made him smile lightly and he pulled out his wallet and pushed the 2,347 dollars he had stored towards her side of the table. He stood up and nodded her a goodbye and simply left without a word. But as he crossed the street he heard the sudden shriek of excitement come from inside the diner.
Loki was suddenly struck with an urge to tell Tony about what had happened. He started up a brisk pace, head ducked in case anyone was watching him. He got to the tree and climbed up on to a branch to perch so he would not be in the mud. And he waited.
On any normal night, Tony would be awake, blaring his band of choice for the week while perfecting a new suit. But this was a different day. Tony had locked up his lab and gone to bed early, by law of Pepper.
And he would be leaving tomorrow without looking out of his lab's window.
Loki did not know this however. So all that he did was sit in the sleet, and wait.