I know I should work on my other story BUT I HAVE SO MUCH INSPIRATION ON THIS ONE! I am having so much fun re-writing Iron Man with Loki! I tried not to put so many of the lines from the movie into this chapter! I just put enough that I think it still fits XD ENJOY!
Killing Loneliness
Chapter 6: Unmarked Grave in Your Heart
Loki was starting to become nervous. He started to fidget with his suit trying to calm his nerves as Happy drove them to the airport. Pepper seemed to be doing much better than himself. She kept looking out the window glancing his way every couple of minutes. They drove in silence anticipating seeing Tony once more.
"We should be there in 10 minutes." Happy called from the front seat. Loki nodded in his direction.
Pepper smiled, "Thank you, Happy." She then turned to Loki, "And thank you too, Loki." she grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly. "But next time, don't disappear like that. We- Me and Happy, were worried for you as well as Tony."
Loki looked at her hand, For once shame crept into his system. He had just realized what he had traded for Tony's safety. He began to feel sick at the thought.
"I am happy you are back." Pepper broke him out of the horrible realization.
Loki glanced between Happy, who was looking in the rear-view mirror, and Pepper. "I apologize for leaving you. I promise it will not happen again." Loki smiled graciously. Now was not the time to be thinking of the repercussions. Tony was coming home and he was safe.
They sat in silence once more until Happy parked on a private sector on the military base. Pepper was the first one out. She stood near where the plane would land, Happy was a few feet behind her. Loki shifted awkwardly, not knowing where he should stand. In the end he decided to stand next to Happy.
They watched as the plane landed. The back end opened to reveal a hand full of soldiers, Rhodey, and the one and only, Tony Stark. Loki scanned the man for injuries. Tony stood from a wheel chair that he had been sitting on. The only major one injury that appeared seemed to be a sprain or broken arm that had been wrapped. The medics wheeled a bed near him only for Tony to wave it off. Loki began to shake with joy. Tony was ok! He was standing in front of him in one piece.
Tony walked out of the aircraft and down the road till he stood before Pepper.
"Your eyes are red." Tony mentioned to Pepper. "A few tears for your long lost boss?"
"Tears of joy, I hate job hunting." came Pepper's reply. Loki chuckled at the response.
"And you." Tony gazed over Pepper's shoulder towards Loki. He walked past his assistant and stopped before Loki. "I heard you helped find me."
Tony studied Loki for a moment. "I knew you loved me." He teased.
Loki grinned, "That is not true. Happy here," He motioned to the man next to him, "begged me to find you. He said he couldn't live with out driving such an amazing person around."
Tony turned to Happy, "At least you love me." He pouted.
Happy laughed, "Of course I do, Sir."
Tony then turned back to Loki. He eyed the man up and down before bringing his unharmed arm up around him. "Thank you."
Loki felt his brain go in overdrive. Should he return the hug? Perhaps not. Maybe Tony was just showing his thanks. Was it uncommon for people to be thanked this way? It was not the same on Asgard. Before he could decide to hug the man, Tony let go and motioned for the car. "Let's get in, shall we?"
The god stood there trying to let his brain catch up. He had begun to over think things. He shook his head before entering the car.
Once all of them were in, Happy looked back, "Where to sir?"
Pepper began to say, "Take us to the hosp-" "No." "ital please, No?"
Pepper paused in shock. "Tony. You have to -"
"I think Anthony should decide what he can and cannot do." Loki interrupted her. She eyed him in shock.
"See, he understands." Tony motioned to Loki, "And why do I still have to say, call me Tony?" Loki just let out a small chuckle.
Tony sighed before saying, "There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheese burger, and the other-"
"-That is enough of that." Pepper was getting annoyed.
"Is not what you think." Tony replied knowing exactly what Pepper was thinking. "I want you to call for a press conference."
Loki raised an eyebrow, "Why a press conference?"
"Hogan drive, cheese burger first." Tony told the driver ignoring Loki's question.
Pepper began to call people in order to set up the conference. That left Loki and Tony to talk.
"What have you been up to?" Tony asked Loki.
Loki bit his lip. "Nothing much, I visited Asgard and feasted with my family." he lied. "I asked the members of our enchantment division to find information on a tracking spell." He couldn't tell Tony the truth. Asgard didn't even have divisions for such things.
Tony looked at him questionably before shrugging. "At least you found a way, how is Hulk Hogan doing?"
Loki was confused, "I do not understand?"
Tony chuckled, "Your brother, Thor. How is he?"
Loki shifted, "He is doing well, we got into a bit of an argument before I left. Why did you call him 'Hulk Hogan?" Loki asked, still perplexed.
Happy had just gotten a cheeseburger and handed it to Tony.
"Thanks Happy." Tony began to scarf down the burger like there was no tomorrow. "Hulk Hogan is a wrestler with blond hair, reminded me of your brother." Tony said with his mouth full. Loki watched a bit disgusted, but nodded.
They soon found themselves outside of the building which was going to be holding the conference. Loki didn't exactly know what he should do until Tony motioned for him to follow. They got out of the car, Loki stayed back with Pepper, as Tony was greeted by Obadiah.
Loki felt the greeting was much more exaggerated then necessary. They entered the building where Tony went up to the podium.
Loki was standing next to Pepper when a man walked up to her. "Ms. Potts?"
Pepper seemed startled but replied, "Yes?"
"May I speak to you?" The man asked.
"I'm not part of the press conference, but It's about to begin right now." Pepper pointed to the podium.
"I am not a reporter. Can I speak to you?" He looked over at Loki. "In private?"
Loki eyed the man cautiously. "I'll go stand over there, Pepper. If you need anything just ask me." Loki turned and smiled at the woman.
Loki watched the two converse, it only took a couple of moments before the man began to walk away. Pepper motioned him back to her side.
"Who was that man?" Loki asked watching the direction the man had left.
"He said his name was Agent Phil Coulson." Pepper said with a shrug.
They looked up as the conference began.
Tony sat on the ground in front of the podium. "Hey, would it be alright if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me and I can see you."
Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the man's antics. Soon everyone in the room was sitting down.
Tony started to talk about his father. He then continued to say how the business he ran was not ethically what he wanted. He was going to change that. Loki watched with much interest.
"That is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries." Tony kept talking, but Loki could no longer hear him due to the sudden uproar of people.
Loki stood and looked around at the other's expressions. Pepper was shocked, Rhodey appeared to be disappointed, and Obadiah had put on a fake smiling expression. Tony appeared to be very serious with this idea.
Loki watched as Tony made his way out of the room. He stood and looked at the hectic scene before him. Obadiah was trying to calm the group down. He stood waiting for moment to talk with Tony, but he had no chance to speak with him. Pepper seemed to have disappeared into the crowd, as did Rhodey.
Loki had no idea what to do. Most of the people seemed to be following Tony out, the rest seemed shell shocked at what had happened. Loki just stood trying to figure out what he should do.
He felt a buzz in his pocket. He looked down at the phone to see a message from Tony on the screen of his phone.
"Meet me in the Arc Reactor room." was all it said. Loki glanced around him slowly made his way out of the room.
~/~
Loki entered the room and found Tony admiring the Arc Reactor. Loki walked up to the man and stood next to him. He watched as the device shimmered.
"Do you ever regret not being able to do enough?" Tony asked Loki.
Loki surveyed Tony to try and understand where this was coming from. He nodded, "Yes. I have many moments in my life that I wish I could have done more." Loki was waiting for Tony's reaction.
Tony still had not looked at Loki. He hummed in thought.
"There was a man, he was one of the best men I have ever met." Tony got choked up as he spoke. "And he saved my life." Tony turned towards Loki. "In the process he lost his." Tony took a deep breath, "Not only that, but it was because of my weapons that he died."
Loki stood and listened to what he had to say. Loki was known for his words, but here they were stuck behind his teeth.
"I should have done more." Tony ground out, his hands tightening around the bar surrounding the Arc Reactor. "I just needed a couple more seconds."
"Sometimes, with what you have, that is all you can do." Loki managed to tell Tony.
Tony gave a humorless laugh, "But it still wasn't enough." Tony looked away from Loki, "The last words he told me were to not waste my life." He paused, "I made a promise to myself that I will do just that, starting with my business." Tony held such conviction in his eyes.
"What are you planning to do?" Loki asked.
"I am going to go into Arc Reactor Technology." Tony said starting to tap his chest. "I was able to create a smaller version of it."
Loki started to connect the dots, his eyes snapped to Tony's chest and back up, "What happened?"
"I have shrapnel stuck in my heart. The man I was talking about before had to put a magnet in my chest, It's powered by a Arc Reactor." Tony explained quickly still fidgeting with his chest.
Loki reached up and stopped the man's movement. "But you are alive and in one piece. That man wanted you to live and here you stand." Loki gripped Tony's hand. "That is all I can ask for. If you wish to change your ways, I shall support you."
Tony smiled, "Thanks, Loki, you would be one of the few."
The door opened, interrupting their conversation to show Obadiah. Loki quickly let go of Tony's hand.
"Tony, I would like to talk with you." Obadiah said.
Loki looked between the two before stating, "I should probably head home. I am glad you are safe, Anthony, until next time." He smiled at the man.
Loki then started to head for the door. He stopped in front of Obadiah, "Hello again, Mr. Stane." He nodded towards the man.
"Loki." Obadiah gave him a fake smile as Loki started to walk out the door. Before leaving he took one last look at Tony and Obadiah.
WOOT! Tony is back! More Loki/Tony moments yet to come! ALSO! I MUST THANK leyu02 for betaing my chapters!