Sorry that this is a week late, I'm terrible and busy all the time. Anyways, here you go.
Loki had no problem understanding the mechanics of the shower and just nodded when Tony told him to ask Jarvis if he needed help with anything else.
Tony handed the god a stack of clothing he thought might fit him and bid him goodnight, noticing how frayed around the edges he looked. Tony had definitely made a good call on the suggestion of rest.
Tony gave Loki full reign of the guest bedroom and made his way to the master bedroom as the exhaustion from the day finally hit him. When was the last time he got a full night of sleep? As he changed into his nightclothes and slipped between the sheets. It was not long before sleep took him, and he managed to have the soundest sleep in months.
The next morning, Tony woke feeling suspiciously refreshed and ready for whatever the day held. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as he pondered all that had happened the day before, and his outlook was much brighter than it had been. Finally, he felt as though he had made the right choice, and that maybe the situation would improve as time went on.
Perched at the bar, sipping a cup of coffee and flipping through a tech magazine, Tony was more content than he had been in a long time. There was still a burn in the back of his mind that reminded of Pepper's disapproval, but he knew that it took time to get her on board with many of his schemes. Tony thought back on the first time she had caught him in the Iron Man suit. That had been a fun conversation, and he recalled it with a wince. Yet again, the space kept between the two of them was proving to be a good thing. She had space and could stay away if she chose, and though her absence still hurt Tony, there was a relief knowing that she was kept out of the madness of his life.
Tony was flipping through news channels on the screen projected in front of him when Loki finally wandered out of the guest bedroom and into the kitchen. Tony glanced at the oven clock to see that it was nearly noon.
"Hey, sleeping beauty," he greeted, grinning at the god wearing sweats and a grey undershirt. Loki's eyes were brighter and he looked refreshed.
His bare feet padded silently as he skirted around the island, plucking an apple from the basket of fruit on the counter and taking a bite as he faced Tony across the slab of granite that separated them.
"The beds here are almost as comfortable as those in the palace of Asgard," he stated, leaning against the counter and crossing his ankles neatly. He looked just as much the graceful god in sweats as he did in his normal leather, and it was almost enchanting to Tony who only looked like a wannabe hobo in ratty sweats.
"Hey, I'm pretty much royalty here in America," Tony returned with a bright grin.
"Well, you definitely think yourself royalty."
Tony had trouble believing that in the short amount of time between their arrival in Malibu and where they sat now that Loki's anger and frustration had managed to completely abate, and he was watching the trickster carefully for when it showed itself again. He looked well rested though, and his hair was combed back away from his face that had been completely cleared of blood. All in all, the god looked much better.
Tony's eyes followed a red gash from Loki's hairline down the side of his face that seemed less than a few days old. The clean skin also allowed Tony to pick out the ring of bruises in the middle of Loki's throat that distinctly resembled a handprint, and the red marks lower on his neck that looked to be from some sort of restraint. There was bruising and small cuts everywhere else.
"And you can finally see what was hidden behind the glamour," Loki said dryly. "A life sentence in the dungeon of Asgard is both boring and exciting in even amounts."
"Why didn't you tell me they were beating you up?" Tony asked softly.
"It wouldn't have made a difference." Loki took another bite of the apple in his hand, the ease of his posture and tone contrasting with the look in his eyes.
"Yeah, well, at least now I know I got you out of that," Tony mumbled, running a hand through his hair in agitation.
Loki held his gaze, his expression clouded, making it impossible for Tony to figure out what the god was feeling.
Tony tried to put himself in the god's shoes, imagining being stranded on an alien planet that was so unlike his own, stuck in a body that was much more fragile than the one he was used to. The thought gave him enough discomfort to piece together why Loki had been freaked out in the beginning.
"Do you really wish I had left you alone down there?" Tony finally asked when the eye contact grew uncomfortable.
Loki examined the shiny red apple in his grasp, rotating it slowly between long, thin fingers. "I do not wish to be back in that dungeon, not now that I'm here," Loki confessed, looking back up at Tony. "This is truly a preferable outcome."
Tony grinned, unable to help himself. "I bet it was the shower that changed your mind. The showers in this place rock."
Loki smirked. "That is part of it, though there is a much larger incentive to be found in this realm."
"I bet you guys don't have all the great food we have. Pizza? Amazing."
Loki sighed. "Yes, Stark, that is exactly what I'm referring to. How surprising that when you are actually being complemented, you deflect."
"It's a part of my winning personality," Tony responded with a smile.
"And the humility is gone again."
Tony couldn't help laughing, liking the good-natured smirk on Loki's face and wanting to see it more often. He had a new objective: make Loki smile. He wanted more than anything to make Loki feel safe and allow him to be able to heal in peace.
"You say your food is better, but I can easily taste the chemicals in this apple. The fruit in our realm is the purest." Finishing the apple in one last bite, Loki turned and tossed the core into the trash can.
"I suppose we don't know any better," Tony responded with a light shrug. "They taste fine to me, and you know I have pretty high standards."
"Evidently," Loki replied smoothly, eyeing the crisp kitchen.
"You still hungry?" Tony asked, hopping off his stool and circling around the bar to get to the huge stainless steel fridge that had way more space than he needed by himself. It was a monster in his kitchen and he was pretty sure the thing could even hook up to the internet.
"I admit I have not been eating well, and now that my body is mortal, I am feeling the effects of the lack of nourishment."
Opening the fridge, Tony was met with much more of the stark white shelving than he would have liked, and when he opened the box of Chinese takeout leftovers the smell made his eyes water. That quickly went in the trash.
"Sir, might I suggest the cans of soup in the upper cabinet, left of the fridge?" Jarvis chimed in helpfully.
"Ah, yes," Tony said as he opened said cabinet and pulled out a good ole' can of Campbell's chicken noodle. "Soup?" he asked, shaking the can in Loki's direction.
"Do humans normally keep their food in small canisters?" Loki asked warily.
"Eh, it keeps it good longer, and this stuff heats up really well. It's a good pick-me-up sort of meal."
Loki shrugged and sat down at the island in one of the barstools. "I could use a pick-me-up."
Tony nodded and followed the directions on the side of the can carefully, highly aware of his lack in cooking skills. When the microwave beeped, he pulled out the plastic microwave container and poured the soup into a bowl he snatched from the cabinet. Pulling a spoon out of the drawer, he slid both the spoon and the bowl of soup onto the bar in front of Loki.
"I'm not a chef, so I usually prefer to let others do the cooking for me." Tony watched as Loki picked up the spoon with hesitation, eyeing the simple meal as if it might bite him.
"Just be careful. I just heated it up, so it's hot," Tony cautioned, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge, popping the tab, and taking a swig. "You want anything to drink?"
"Just a glass of water."
Tony filled up a glass with ice and water and set it on the counter in front of the god.
Loki, who had just tried his first mouthful of the simple soup, lowered the spoon and tilted his head in appraisal of the taste. "It is most flavorful, if strange in texture."
Tony raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the counter. "Do you guys not have soup out there in Asgard? Because that seems like something everyone should have. You know, if you have a cold? Soup. Feeling bad? Soup. It's nearly always the answer." Tony paused. "That, and alcohol."
Loki swirled his spoon around in the bowl slowly. "We have stews, but I was never fond of the thickness and the way it caught in my throat. This is much better."
It did not take long after that for Loki to finish the chicken noodle, and it was in that moment that Loki was more like Thor than he had ever been before, though Loki ate much neater than the thunder god did. Not a drop god on the trickster's face, while when Thor ate it was always good to have the napkins nearby. As Tony watched the god nearly scarf down the soup, he quickly opened another can and heated it, pouring it into Loki's empty bowl when the god was done. Loki smiled appreciatively before continuing on the next can of soup.
Tony winced at the thought that Loki had been malnourished in that cell and pushed the bowl of fruit closer to the god, as well as refilled his glass of water when it was empty.
It was the least he could do.
After Loki had eaten his fill, Tony took the bowl and put it in the sink, a warm feeling filling his chest at Loki's look of contentment as he leaned back in the barstool. Tony wondered when the last time Loki had felt content had been, and then regretted the thought. It was painful.
"Since you just ate double the amount a normal human could stomach, do you maybe want to relocate to the couch? Probably more comfortable than the kitchen counter." Tony pointed to the living room with his thumb.
"I am no human, as you should be reminded."
His eyebrows drew downwards and his mouth thinned as he realized the fault in his statement. He cleared his throat and ran a hand backwards through his hair. "I suppose I have kept the appetite of a god," he finished feebly, bowing his head.
Tony stepped closer to Loki, cursing his lack of skill in consoling and dealing with emotions. Loki seemed to be in the need of emotional support of some kind, a factor that he had been lacking for so long and that Tony wanted to give him but had no idea how to. Tony was not good at the whole "emotional support" thing.
"Hey, Loki? Come on, come sit with me," he coaxed softly, standing in front of the god.
Loki looked up and considered him. It was strange looking down on the god when Loki usually towered over him by a good five inches.
"You do not often use my name," he commented, his voice back to normal and his face clear of the emotion he had shown.
Tony smirked. "Do you prefer the nicknames?"
"I do not understand the nicknames you give me. They are strange Midgardian references, all of them."
"I like my nicknames," Tony said with a slight pout, and then just because he could, he reached down and snatched up Loki's hand, tugging on it gently in an attempt to get Loki to follow him.
Loki gingerly stood from the stool, seemingly surprised by the tug on his hand, enthralled with the brand new ability to touch and willing to follow the billionaire into the living room, where he allowed himself to be tugged into a sitting position next to Tony on the couch.
"Being mortal isn't so bad if you do it right, and your little mortal vacation isn't necessarily permanent," Tony said gently as Loki stared at where their hands were still clasped together.
"Odin does not plan on lifting my sentence. He will see to it that I am mortal forever, unless I die out here in this realm, and then I will be one less problem for him." Loki's voice was still flat and he wouldn't meet Tony's gaze. "I admit this is preferable to a cell in which I am forever trapped, but this is a sort of imprisonment of its own."
"Then it's my goal to make it the best imprisonment you've ever had." Tony stretched out his arms. "The world will be your oyster, seriously. You have come to the right guy."
Loki raised an eyebrow at him, but it seemed the dark mood threatening to pull him under was lifting in light of amusement at Tony's behavior. "You are strange," he stated simply, smirk playing on his mouth.
Tony smiled back. "And you've said that before."
Loki leaned closer to him, his eyes bright. "I do not doubt you will make my time here… interesting." He traced a gentle finger around the sensitive shell of Tony's ear. "Though I am not sure it is your realm that interests me."
Tony barely repressed a shiver at the touch on his ear and the feel of warm breath on his mouth, as close as Loki was. When Loki leaned in, Tony was sure the god was going to kiss him, but his mouth moved to the side of his head and ghosted breath across Tony's ear.
"I believe I'd like that drink now."
Tony's heart sped and he grinned brightly. "Finally." He pushed himself off of the couch and towards the bar, a strange anticipation bubbling in his stomach. He poured two glasses of the good scotch and carried their drinks back to the couch, and when he passed a glass to Loki, their fingers brushed in a way they never would have before. Tony's heart fluttered as the god watched him ease onto the couch next to him.
Tony lifted his glass, his eyes not leaving the green pair next to him. "To leading a crazy life," he toasted, watching as Loki mirrored him.
"And to change." Loki's eyes were bright as their glasses clinked and they both took healthy swigs.
Loki eyed the remaining liquid curiously, swirling it around in the glass and watching the living room lights play across the amber surface. "The flavor of this drink is much more pleasing than the alcohol on Asgard," he commented.
Tony smiled. "This is the good stuff." He watched as Loki took another sip and made a thoughtful expression at the flavor. "Just be careful. Your resistance to alcohol is probably going to be lower than usual."
"I have no plan of becoming drunk tonight," Loki responded.
Tony watched, enraptured, as Loki threw back the last of the liquid in his glass. Tony's eyes were drawn to the pale line of the god's throat, and he had to cover his stare behind his own glass.
"I feel as though we have reached a marker of sorts," Loki stated thoughtfully, pressing his leg to Tony's. "This feels important."
Tony took both of their empty glasses and set them down on the coffee table. "It wouldn't have been so important had you not seemed so disappointed every time you refused to drink with me," Tony rationalized.
Loki leaned in until their noses were nearly brushing, and Tony almost went cross-eyed trying to hold the eye contact. "I have desired to drink with you, Tony, for a long time."
Tony's pulse quickened at the sound of his first name in Loki's curled accent. "Now that you've crossed that off your bucket list, what's next? Skydiving, maybe?"
Loki's hand rested on the back of Tony's neck, a warm weight, and his eyes gleamed. "I would continue what was interrupted yesterday," he murmured. "I have been waiting for too long to feel your skin against mine, Tony Stark."
Tony's mouth was dry and his voice weak as he responded. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Tony's mouth was captured in a kiss that was a heady combination of soft lips and sharp teeth nipping at his mouth. Tony kissed back, weaving his fingers through Loki's silky hair, unnecessarily holding Loki's head in place as both of Loki's arms came up to wrap around the back of Tony's neck. The god pressed as close to him as he could with the twisted way they were facing each other on the couch, and when that wasn't enough, Loki broke off the kiss long enough to throw a leg over Tony's lap in one smooth motion before quickly sealing their mouths again.
There was something reassuring in the warmth and solid weight of Loki in his lap and the taste of him on his tongue as they kissed. Loki was there and wasn't going anywhere. Tony could feel the living heat coming off of Loki, and it was almost overwhelming compared to the lack of contact from before. Loki wasn't some apparition haunting him, some intangible form that Tony could only believe in; the weight of the god on his lap and the tongue in Tony's mouth was proof.
Loki's mouth moved from Tony's and began kissing along his jaw.
"Bedroom," Tony gasped before they reached the point of no return. There was a reason Tony had an extremely comfortable, king-sized bed in his room, and it was not so that he could throw out a muscle on the less-than roomy sofa.
Loki pulled back slightly, and his expression suggested that he thought Tony was insane to stop him, but he finally stepped off of Tony's lap and tugged him up by the firm grip he had on Tony's shirt.
"I am suddenly regretting the loss of my teleportation magic," Loki complained, eyeing the flight of stairs that stood between them and Tony's bedroom.
Tony grasped Loki by the wrist and pulled him along, quickly up the stairs and towards his room, aware of the fact that Loki could very well jump him at any given moment even though they had not reached the bedroom. When he finally shut his door with a satisfying click and turned back around to face Loki, he was pushed against the closed door impatiently.
"I have waited long enough," Loki growled, biting lightly down the side of Tony's neck and breathing wetly against Tony's ear. "And you are wearing far too many layers of clothing."
Tony let out a muffled curse as he yanked his shirt off over his head, gasping and closing his eyes when Loki's mouth descended on his collar bone. A sudden lack of Loki's mouth was what made him open his eyes again, to see that Loki was staring at his arc reactor with an awed expression.
"It is truly magnificent," the god said quietly.
Tony shifted uncomfortably. He really wasn't a big fan of showing off the device in his chest, and the scrutiny Loki was giving it made him slightly nervous. "Yeah, well, it keeps me alive, so I have to appreciate it."
Loki looked back up at Tony's face. "It is your little piece of magic, Tony," Loki responded softly, eyes reflecting the blue glow coming from the arc reactor.
Tony tilted his head. "I suppose it is, isn't it?"
Loki kissed him again.
By the time they managed to collapse on the bed, there were significantly less clothing on either of them.
Tony marveled in the feeling of the lean, tall body against his own, the muffled groans into the crook of his neck, the pleasant weight of Loki on top of him. Time blurred into the sensations of skin on skin and the brush of warm hands everywhere, mapping his body as if to memorize it. Loki was beautiful like this, his raven hair hanging over a face twisted in pleasure that was clear of anything else as the red light of sunset shone through the tall windows. Painted in the colors of the setting sun and hovering above Tony as he was, Loki looked more a god than he had before his magic and status had been taken from him, and Tony wished to worship Loki in any way he could. Loki was his god.
It could have been an eternity or seconds until Tony was groaning through his release, feeling the hands on his shoulders tighten almost painfully as Loki followed him over the brink.
Once their vision cleared and the sunlight gradually faded from the room, Loki shuffled off of Tony so that he was pressed against Tony's side and had one arm draped across his chest. His breath ghosted along the side of Tony's neck and he hooked a leg between Tony's legs so that he was practically as close as he could get without still lying on top of him.
Loki stretched upward slightly so that his mouth was next to Tony's ear. "You do realize that you are mine now, don't you, Anthony Stark?" he breathed, arm tightening possessively across Tony's chest.
Tony smiled. "Well, Pepper thought you were a pet I adopted, so it goes both ways, right?"
Loki pushed his face back into the crook of Tony's neck, and Tony could feel the curve of Loki's smile against his skin. "Of course."
Tony was almost surprised in the comfort he drew from the feeling of the god pressed against him instead of the claustrophobia this sort of contact usually brought him. Tony didn't really enjoy cuddling, but somehow this was different
The breathing next to him evened out, and it wasn't long until the rhythmic sound of sleep pulled Tony under as well, into a warm and content slumber lacking dreams of any kind.
Tony blinked awake early, like he usually did, feeling more disoriented than usual as he stared at the ceiling. It took him a few seconds before he was aware of the sleeping form next to him and the pleasant twinges his muscles gave from the activities of the night before.
He watched the sleeping face not far from his own, ignoring the part of his mind that told him he was being creepy. Loki looked calm and untroubled in his sleep, much different than the smooth mask he wore to hide what he was really feeling. Tony had glimpsed under that mask a few times now, but seeing it completely gone as the god slept was a reward. He gently combed his fingers through Loki's silky hair that was splayed across the pillow in disarray that contrasted the god's usual neatness, standing out sharply against the white pillowcase.
Tony watched as green eyes blinked open and slowly gained clarity.
"Morning, sweetheart," he greeted through a smile.
The corners of Loki's mouth pulled upward, and Tony almost felt lost at the swell of affection that filled him. This was Loki, the God of Mischief, and Tony had fallen in love with him. So much could go wrong, and it was terrifying.
Loki stretched and then winced in what looked like surprise.
"Sore?"
"It seems so," Loki responded, his brows furrowing slightly.
"What a joy to be human, huh?"
The confusion on Loki's face cleared as realization dawned, followed by irritation, and then resignation. "I suppose if I am to be sore from anything, bedding you is a worthy cause."
Tony couldn't help but lean forward and kiss him, a happy buzz filling his stomach at Loki's responsiveness. As he pulled back, he realized the buzz was also that of hunger.
"How about some breakfast?"
Standing in the kitchen looking for edible breakfast food as Loki leaned against the counter wearing a pair of his sweats, Tony felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. Granted, this was not the first time Loki had stood in his kitchen or in his workshop and watched him curiously, but it wasn't his presence that made it strange. There was a certain domesticity to it all, helped along by the warm feeling and the gravitational force that was trying to pull Tony closer to Loki. It was the knowledge that Tony had mapped the body under those sweats the night before and that Loki was still here with him, had slept beside him the whole night.
Tony tried to control his careening thoughts, none of which would help him to find breakfast. He vaguely recalled buying a carton of eggs the other day, and when he opened the fridge, there they were.
"Do you like eggs?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Of what creature?"
"…chicken."
Loki nodded. "Yes."
Having mastered the art of omelet-making during his time trying to appease Pepper, Tony easily made breakfast and felt proud of himself when he didn't burn or light anything on fire. Eating breakfast that Tony had prepared, sitting calmly next to a quiet Loki, Tony could feel even more of the domesticity rubbing off on him. It was almost embarrassing how much Tony actually liked it.
As they both finished their breakfast, Tony looked at Loki thoughtfully. "So, what's on the books today?" he pondered. "See, my goal is to introduce you to everything awesome about being a human. You've had so much crap going on recently that I think it's about time you feel happy."
Loki stared at him, green eyes calculating.
Tony winked and stood to collect their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. "First thing's first. We gotta get out of this place for a little while. I'm feeling just a bit stifled." Tony turned to Loki, who had faint curiosity on his face.
Tony eyed the borrowed sweats Loki was wearing that showed a little too much pale ankle. "Or even better: let's get you some clothing."
Loki, it seemed, had good taste. Even though he had lived in Asgard his whole life, he had a general idea of what sort of clothing looked good on him, and with a little fashion guidance from Tony, it wasn't hard to set him up for a good start on a wardrobe. Within a few hours, they were both pushing shopping bags into his car. Tony had noticed Loki's favoring of black and green, and it made Tony feel better that Loki was still sticking to what he felt comfortable in.
"Lunch," Tony announced after they both had gotten into the car. "We need a good burger from somewhere."
On the way to the nearest diner Loki was quiet, staring down at his knees which were clad in a pair of dark jeans that fit him wonderfully. His hands were clasped in his lap and his posture was closed off. When Tony pulled into the restaurant's parking lot, he turned and faced Loki before getting out of the car.
"What's on your mind, Bambi?" he asked gently.
Loki eventually met his gaze. "Your kindness is confusing."
Tony raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Since when have I not acted like this?"
Loki looked pained. "I do not understand you. You risk everything to free a man who attempted to take over your planet and then you act like I didn't lash out at you for your efforts. I am not deserving of your generosity, not deserving of your affections." His expression was cracked, demanding an explanation for what he didn't understand.
Tony firmly took Loki's chin in his hand. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Loki. You seem to be forgetting who it is you're talking to."
Loki frowned. "No one has ever extended this offer," he said softly. "Not to me." His eyes shifted away from Tony's. "After all, why would forgiveness be given to a monster?"
"Your father in an asshole," Tony said sharply, which made Loki look back at him in surprise. "I mean, who tells their kids they're both destined to be kings when that's totally untrue? Who tells their kids that Frost Giants are evil monsters when one of them is a Frost Giant? He should have told you who you were at a much younger age."
Tony shifted his hand so that his thumb could brush along Loki's cheekbone, watching as Loki's eyelids fluttered at the gentle touch. It seemed that, along with his other problems, Loki had been bereft of any soft contact. It made Tony's heart ache.
Loki's hand came up to rest on the hand Tony had on his face. "Odin is the supreme ruler, not to be questioned."
"Well, I questioned him, and look what I got."
Loki smiled, almost in surprise. "You are amazing," he breathed, and Tony's breath caught in his throat.
Tony mirrored Loki's smile. "You'll think I'm even more amazing when you taste a cheeseburger."
Though the moment was broken, Tony could see how Loki's posture had changed and how his mood seemed to have lifted, and he counted that as a small win in his books.