"Okay, what about that one?" Tony pointed to a teenager across the park before throwing back another painkiller. Regardless of the summer heat the boy in question was dressed in layers of black, his face hidden with the thick winter hood as he slouched against a wall in the shadows. Loki stroked his stubble stained chin in thought, absorbing the boy's appearance in before taking a bite of his green apple.

"Well, if I was to be deadly honest, unwilling, spineless and wanted to be forgotten in society for no real reason whatsoever…but anyone can make that judgement."

"You think?" Tony asked without any hesitation, taking one of the apples from Loki's lap and rolling it into his palm softly. Tony was quick to recover from heavy drinking, so much so, he swallowed the painkiller down with a swig of his expensive beer, savouring the taste before it melted away. Loki looked away from the boy, his eyes falling to Jane; he let out a soft laugh at the sight of her. She was asleep, lying down in front of them by the river that ran through the high grass. Her glasses off focus and her legs were bending in all unattractive directions. He threw his remaining apple at Tony, pointing to Jane when he looked his direction. A smile broke on the genius's face and a small cackle left his throat before he took another long drink. "So you think there isn't a decent reason that boy is dressed so…yeah?" his voice was coarse and broken from the alcohol and Loki pushed all negative thoughts to the back of his head and focused on the question he asked instead.

"Most defiantly, it's triggered by family problems, serious loss or in most cases witnessing unhealthy relationships. This trigger happens to people mostly in childhood, you know because they haven't fully developed as human beings yet, they believe everything their told or everything they see."

"Hey I have trouble with family problems and I'm not a failure to society."

"Yeah but you turned your anger towards science and construction to impress your dad, to gain the affection you had already missed out on." Tony threw one of the apples at Loki; the fruit softly collided with his chest before rolling to the floor. The young man cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't go all psychological on me." Loki picked up the apple Tony threw, taking a mouthful of its flesh.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to give you a psychological profile on a young boy we don't know anything about, but the moment we turn our subject to you-"

"- Well you know what they say about psychologists…" Loki looked at him confused, cocking his head to the side. Tony growled, rolling his eyes before leaning forward away from the shade. "They can read people very well, too well actually. But they can't read into themselves for one second." Loki took another bite of the fruit, remembering what Maria had told him the other night…

"Well that's just stupid." Tony took the glasses from his shirt, pushing them up his nose till his eyes became hidden behind a wall of black and tan.

"Yeah…it is."

"I don't understand brother-"

"It's simple enough Thor." Loki snatched the papers from his brother's hands. "The letters here inform me how well I did in my lectures."

"But why letter's, why not words?" Thor's hands latched onto the paper again, pulling the paper hard.

"Thor, let me finish..." He smacked his brother's hand away. "The higher the letter, the greater I did. I got mostly A's, so that is good." Thor looked just as confused as the beginning. "…I did well Thor." His face lit up, Thor's large arms wrapped around Loki's waist pulling him into a harsh hug.

"I am very pleased for you Loki!"

"Thor put me down!"

"Wow-"The two stopped for a moment to see Stark looking in from the doorway, his face was splashed with water, the dampness of his wet body soaking through his clothes. "I'm not interrupting the lovely couple am I?" Thor put down his brother slowly.

"Your humour is strange little man." Thor shouted while taking large strides across the room to the door.

"Bye Thor, send father my love." Thor grunted as his only response, waving his hands as he shifted past Tony.

"One, your brother is a weirdo and two; did I hear the word's mostly A's?" Loki threw the folded papers at Tony. He quickly read them, a smile bursting onto his mouth. "Nice one Loki."

"Feel free to use my shower by the way." He threw a spoon from the counter at Tony, the metal hit his chest hard but his mortal friend chose to ignore it. "Nice one Loki is that all you can say?"

"Well, I can try and pick you up like your brother but-"

"No S-, forget it. What you doing for your birthday?" Tony's eyes narrowed. He threw Loki's letter onto the counter beside the ebony haired man. "Maria told me when you were passed out."

"You're on a first name basis with my mother now?" Loki smile fell slightly and Tony rolled his eyes at Loki's silence. "Depending, what are you planning for me then?"

"I wanted to give you your potion but if you've got better plans-"

"Actually no, I don't. And can I know what it is yet?"

"No you can't know Stark."

"Damn it." Loki scoffed turning back round to the kitchen counter to reread his letter for the millionth time, his stomach warming as he trailed his eyes over the paper. Suddenly, a very warm pair of arms wrapped around his hips, tying together at his stomach.

"What are you doing?" Loki sighed as Tony rested his head on Loki's shoulder blade, enable to reach his shoulder. His breath was warm running down his clothed back, it made him shake.

"I meant it by the way…" Tony murmured into the boys back. Loki was scared to ask, so said nothing. Instead he copied Tony's arms, placing them over his and pulling them up to his chest. "Okay, now I'm just uncomfortable." Loki chuckled, releasing him and spinning.

"Come, I must take you home before Howard kills me." Tony smiled softly, leaning his head against Loki's chest and wrapping his arms around his ribs.

"I'm serious about the first name basis thing with my parents by the way, stop it. It's just weird."