I'm just going to go right ahead and never promise a quick update ever again. Naturally, the minute I do is the minute a chapter starts to give me some serious 'tude. Plus, it's just been work, work, work, work, work, Tumbl, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, write, work, sleep. And I'm currently in the process of making 4 different cosplays.

Also, Harry Potter is on.

Also, Excuses.

READ ON. 3

Time passed quickly…for Tony. It passed as it always did, in skipped meals and missed sleep, as he shut himself away in his workroom.

For Loki, time became an excruciating enemy. For a long while, he simply stared out his windows, night and day, at the city he nearly destroyed.

As he looked out the window this night – or perhaps morning at this point – the angered faces of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents downstairs grew larger in his mind until he could no longer ignore them; with little else to fill his head, they ate at him.

He closed his eyes, rubbing his temple as he willed the angry, fearful expressions to leave and his memories to return. Going on 3 weeks with such desolation inside his mind was more than taking its toll. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the bed he had vacated just moments ago.

Darkness. He had dreamed of such elegantly simple, unbearable darkness – emptiness – until his own screaming had startled him awake. Giving up on any notion of falling back to sleep, he brushed past his bed and headed for the door, unable to bear being between his walls any longer.

As expected, he met with a vacant hallway. In the dark, he maneuvered his way through the now familiar maze of Stark's penthouse toward the library. During the last few days of his boredom, he had explored every inch of his tiny world, which consisted solely of the top floor of Stark Tower; and found just yesterday, Tony's library had quickly become Loki's favorite place to be. Hours had already been spent silently absorbing knowledge from pages. Loki had found such comfort in it, such familiarity.

When noise came from the kitchen, Loki halted his walk toward said library and peered inside. The peculiar robotic device that brought his meals everyday was struggling with the toaster. Loki glanced at the clock. 4:37 a.m. Just as he began to wonder who in the world would need to eat at this time, his own stomach growled. He cast a look down the hallway toward the library, and then fully entered the kitchen.

At first, he was overwhelmed and unsure of how to help. Deciding, he took the bread from the robot and slid it into the slot in the toaster before pressing the button. He watched and, after a moment, followed suit as the robot moved to crack an egg into the frying pan. Before he could begin to cook them, however, the bread popped out of the toaster, causing Loki to jump.

Before he had even realized it, he had prepared an entire meal. For nearly twenty minutes, he had not worried about the people in S.H.I.E.L.D. He did not long for his memories or wonder about his brother. He was smiling sadly at the two plates on the counter in front of him when he heard someone coming up the stairs. He picked up the plate he had arranged for Stark.

Tony Stark rushed into the kitchen, yesterday's shirt wrinkled and hair a mess, with his eyes glued to the tablet in his hand. His empty hand reached for the plate of food in front of him.

"Thanks, Dum-E. I—" Tony stopped as he noticed the very much not-robotic hand attached to the opposite side of the plate. Tony dragged his eyes up Loki's arm until they met with Loki's confused face.

"'Dummy'?" Loki asked.

"Just the, uh, robot's name. Shouldn't you be, I don't know, asleep? Do gods do that?" Stark asked in return.

"Shouldn't you?" Loki countered, filing away the 'god' comment.

"Sleeping's not really my style. Too much else to do." Tony responded around a mouthful of toast.

"Yes, you seem all about style…"

"Mmfh." Tony grabbed a fork and retreated back downstairs.

"J.A.R.V.I.S." As he entered his lab, Stark held out his plate. "Scan this."

"Already done, sir. Nothing present that shouldn't be."

Tony nodded and finished his toast as he checked all of his screens. Frustrated and exhausted, he rubbed his eyes. He had two major projects in the works, one of which was not going his way.

"How am I supposed to get any data? I'm starting to believe what I told Fury to keep him from executing Loki. Maybe this isn't a trick. It's been three weeks and he hasn't made a single move…at least any I can see." Tony mused.

"Loki has just exited Stark Tower by way of the balcony upstairs." J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted.

"But I was just –! Ugh…"

The sun was coming up; that was the first thing Loki noticed after his initial fear dissipated. It threw brilliant streaks of pink and orange across the horizon. Enthralled, Loki sat and watched as the light creeped along the buildings of New York City. It was the first time he had been outside since his arrival.

Loki's hand lazily stretched out and started to twist slowly in the air. A small green light began weaving itself around his slender fingers. It was a small trick Loki discovered soon after closing himself in his new quarters. Although he couldn't remember it, it made him think of home. It calmed him as he gazed across the city.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Tony's voice interrupted his reverie, causing him to jump and drop his hand. "Don't jump off my balcony again. Please?" Loki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Yeah, that also happened."

"Am I—" Loki swallowed. "Is it okay that I'm out here?"

"I suppose I never said you couldn't come out here. I'm curious as to what made you want to, though."

Loki shrugged. "Boredom, I suppose. And…" He made a helpless gesture. "Suffocation? I…" He looked up. "I don't seem to handle four walls very well." Stark raised an eyebrow.

"How would you like to help me out in the lab?"

Loki was silenced for a moment by the abruptness of the question. "What would I, uh…What could I help with?" he asked, confused.

Tony nodded toward the hand that Loki had dropped at Stark's voice. "I'd like to do some measurements in regard to your magic."

"This?" Loki waved his hand again, prompting the green light. "Is it not normal?"

"It's certainly something." Tony watched Loki's movements. "Think about what I said."

Loki nodded and stared, captivated by his own hand.

Tony turned away and reentered Stark Tower and walked to his bedroom for the first time in days.

"Just keep an eye on him, J.A.R.V.I.S." He ordered as he let himself collapse onto his bed.

"Naturally, sir."

There was...there was some plot here somewhere... *looks under laptop* Oh well, you'll get it soon (but no promises).

Reviewwwwws are loved and remind me to continue writing. So do review. C:

You are lovely for reading.
(Also, I have this idea for another frostiron fic which I might start. So keep an eye out for that. :P)