A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and follows! I am forever thankful. 3
Chapter Three) Baring the curse.
Having Loki speaking once again, still not understanding what had stopped him from doing so, he figured out what the up and downsides were of having a God as a roommate. He was picky, selfish and annoying at all times possible. He was nosy, but played uninterested when Tony became enthusiastic talking about it. The upside was the ongoing battle of harsh remarks and mocking of each other. It may seem strange to have that as an upside, but it served as entertainment of a high standard, seeing as intelligence was definitely involved.
So far, no large arguments had broken out and Loki hadn't again hidden in his bedroom voiceless, which was a good thing, and at times quite unfortunate. However, when the computer spoke to him that they had a visitor, he frowned. "Identify," he spoke, turning to Loki who was sitting on the couch, silently reading the book that Tony had offered him. He'd made the offer to let him read it on one of his screens, but the God only looked displeased, so good old paper it was.
Tony checked the time and date and was about to mentally slap himself. "No, don't bother," he said. The cleaner always came at about this time. "Loki, would you mind going to your bedroom? I want to avoid unnecessary questions and the vacuum cleaner will only freak you out anyway, so, off," he said, moving his hand in a shooing manner. Loki gave him one dissatisfied look for being ordered around, but the order itself he couldn't care less about. Uninterestedly, the God made his way to his bedroom, just as the cleaner reached this floor.
"Anne, great to see you," he said, tapping on the counter as she entered the room. Out of the drawer, he took out an envelope with her weekly salary and patted it softly. "I'll be in my office working. And could you skip the bedroom at the end of the hall? I've got a visitor and he isn't all that well... puking and all sorts, not a very nice sight, so... if you wouldn't mind?"
"Of course, Mister Stark," she replied, bowing her head before disappearing into the hall again to go to one of the cupboards, taking out all the things she needed to clean with. And like Tony said, he went off to his office.
Another day passed and Tony was starting to wonder what the true intentions of the God were, as he barely seemed to be doing anything, but reading. He wondered if he should concern himself with asking, as he knew the answers he would get wouldn't help him to understand. Loki wasn't the kind to answer to personal questions openly, that much he had learned.
"It almost seems like you have given up trying to rule the Earth," Tony said, as he got himself a glass of water, after having woken up in a state of bad hangover. Bad hangover, to Tony, was quite unusual, as he was used to pretty severe alcohol intakes on a daily basis. Yet, they happened and it also meant that Loki would have to suffer the consequences of his snide mood.
"I have not," the God spoke in reply.
"Yet, you act more like my pet, than my enemy," Tony replied with a shrug, before he finished the whole glass of water. He put it down on the counter and let the sigh that followed out. Loki stood up from the couch and turned to face Tony, slowly starting to step towards him as he did one of his narrow-eyed threatening glances.
"Do not underestimate me," he spoke, voice low and haunted.
Tony let out some kind of rumble and rubbed his temples, stepping towards Loki. His hand moved to his shoulder to gently nudge him out of the way. "I really don't have time for this, I've got work to do and it's already gone nine o'clock," Stark said. Regardless of how much he drank and to which time, he got up early every single morning.
Loki, however, didn't take the gentle nudge too casually and snatched Tony's wrist out of the air. "You're not taking me serious," Loki said, glaring at the genius.
"I never said that, I just said that I've got stuff to do and don't have time for this," he said, though let out a pained noise as his wrist got twisted further back. "That doesn't mean I don't take you seriously. I believe you, whatever it is that I'm supposed to believe, but you should also believe me when I say I need to sort stuff out, 'cause I really do," he said, now pulling a little harder away from Loki's grip.
"You talk to get away from me, not to speak truth," Loki said and after a harder pull Tony's hand was finally freed again. He didn't, however, walk away, as he knew Loki needed a stern response. He quite liked to put the God in his place, after all. It might just be one of his favourite things to do, of late.
"And you would know all about truth," Tony said, eyebrows raising. "Rather hypocritical, are we?"
"As a matter of fact, I'm not," Loki replied and something about the way he spoke caused Tony to shiver, as he knew Loki was being sincere, while he shouldn't be sincere at all! "You will learn your place and your respect for me, man of iron. And you will regret not biding to my will sooner, for I do not take lightly to traitors."
Tony had a perfectly good and perfectly legitimate reply at the ready, but he wasn't granted the time to use it as a moment later wild sirens were raging. He stepped towards the table and snatched the computer away from it, already blurting at it to stop the havoc. Was it truly necessary to bother him like this on a bad morning?
"What is this?" Loki asked, looking around and soon stepping towards the window to look up at something that Tony hadn't yet seen. "You set me up."
"I did what?" Tony asked, surprised, before he stepped towards the windows to look up too. He was careful not to get too close to the windows, in case Loki might throw him out once again. Although, he probably wouldn't have the strength to do it, Tony didn't feel much for putting that to the test. For the moment his mind was occupied with the many helicopters that suddenly surrounded the tower and as he stepped outside he was greeted, quite warmly, by SHIELD.
"Mister Stark, news reached us of your captivity of the God Loki. You are to hand him over now. Thank you for your watch."
He looked up at the helicopter, seeing one of SHIELD's agents leaning out of the helicopter, a speakerphone in his hand to amplify his voice. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Tony said, turning to look back inside to see Loki still standing there. "He's fine here, not doing any damage," he added.
"All we request is cooperation, Mister Stark, there is no room for negotiation," the agent spoke. Tony rolled his eyes a little. It was always going to be like this with SHIELD, wasn't it? Forever obnoxious and delusioned that the world was theirs to do with what they wanted.
"You could have come in through the front door and had a whisky about the matter. There's no need for these circling helicopters," Stark said, annoyedly. All week he'd wanted Loki to just leave, but with 'leave' he meant go back to Asgard, not be imprisoned by SHIELD. "Where's Fury?"
"Fury is not present. Mister Stark, if you cannot hand him over, we will need to use force to take him off you," the agent spoke.
"You're talking like he's mine," Tony replied, wandering up and down. "He's my guest, he can stay here. What do you want him for?"
"It's for your own safety, Mister Stark, and for the safety of Earth," the agent spoke. Tony let out a soft sigh, rubbing his temples. They could have chosen a better day for this. The problem was that they had a point. He could prove to be endangering Earth once more, as Loki never spoke of his intentions and Tony could not guess them. Had SHIELD not the right to take prisoned the one that had nearly destroyed New York and had killed many of SHIELD's agents? But he knew SHIELD and he knew of their experiments, even when he wasn't supposed to know...
"He's not doing any harm. Now if you please," he said, moving his hands in a shooing manner, "will you get your helicopter out of my sight and just enter my building if you want to negotiate, because you're not hav-"
He turned around as he heard a noise inside. Loki was gone from the living room. He rushed inside and sped down the hall towards Loki's room. "Loki, I'm... okay, I'm not on your side, but I'm not on theirs. You-" he heard a few bangs inside. "What are you doing? If you're putting the bed against the door, it's useless, because they've got stuff to blow it all apart," Tony said. "Now ehm... come out and come with me," he said, rubbing his temples once again.
A few moments later Loki again appeared. "You did this," he sneered.
"No, I didn't actually," Tony said, rushing down the hall to his own room. He pulled Loki inside, even though he didn't so much like the idea of having a God in his room (despite the magic that could happen), and stepped towards his cupboard. His room was much bigger than Loki's at the end of the hall, which made him chuckle. He disappeared into the cupboard, pressing a few buttons and stepping into the frame. The machine made electronic sounds and a moment later, he stepped out in his iron suit. "Okay, '...', let's get you somewhere safe," he said, stepping towards Loki. He took hold of him, not even so sure why he was so desperate to keep Loki with him in the Tower, and ran towards the window. "Brace yourself," he said, diving through the glass and flying off as quickly as possible, trying to be unseen by the agents of SHIELD.
He felt Loki press close to him as the glass shattered and he knew that it was probably a big stretch for the God to find any sort of trust in him, even now he had to as they were miles up in the air.
"What are you planning to do?" he heard Loki ask, talking loudly over the noise of wind that sped passed them. The grip the God had on him was firm and it made Tony feel somewhat uncomfortable, though it was hardly his biggest concern at the moment. He didn't want to put Loki through the experiments SHIELD would no doubtfully have in mind, nor did he wish the God to be locked up where he would find no reconcile. And was it not reconcile that had been the purpose of his banishment? He needed to grant the God that chance, even if it only resulted in another mistake from Loki's side, which would then no doubtfully mean the end of him. But he had this one chance and Tony didn't like robbing people of such things. It was strictly against his morale.
"Jarvis, can you get me a reading of the location of these helicopters?" he asked, ignoring Loki's question. He was keeping close to the building, in an attempt to remain fully unseen. He sneaked close to walls, trying to move from one shadow to the next and find a way to create distance between the Stark Tower and them. It would at least buy them some time if they were first to inspect the whole place, before coming to the realization that they weren't there anymore. Tony hated the idea of these people in his house, but there was no way around it.
After a moment a map came up and on it were marked a few of the helicopters. "The Tower isn't able to pick up signals of all of them, sir," Jarvis responded. The image would have to do and he tried to stay away from the red dots as well as he could.
He sneaked around another building, staying quite low to the ground. Loki's grip on him never withered and the God held his head closer to his chest than he would have to. Ah, he was clearly not used to flying. That amused Tony somewhat and he - not all too accidentally - turned a sharp corner, causing Loki's grip to double.
"You better watch out," he sneered, but Tony ignored it, like he ignored all the following sneers and remarks the God threw at him, for not landing them.
A few minutes of hovering around the Tower later, Jarvis suddenly gave a warning. "You have been targeted, Sir, one of the helicopters is coming your way," he said.
"Great," Tony replied, looking at the map to see exactly which one. At that, he dove downwards and flew close to the ground. He did this to get out of the helicopters line of sight, to try and confuse them. It looked like he had a destination, but that wasn't exactly true, he just had a bit of a plan.
He spoke to Jarvis a code that Loki would not know the meaning of and he took better hold of Loki, he pressed a tracker into his clothing. "I'm going to drop you off here, go inside, get a coffee. If you do anything wrong, I'm bringing you to SHIELD. Now, say thank you," he said, flying lower to the ground, avoiding being in the helicopter's sight.
Loki just sneered. "You speak as if I'm wea-" Tony let go of him, giving him about a meter and half to still fall himself. He'd survive.
He continued flying low through the buildings, slowly turning back towards the Stark Tower. He stayed low and landed at his front door, where more agents of SHIELD stood waiting for him. "Stark, we have no time for games," one of the agents said as Tony opened the hatch of his helmet, revealing his face.
"I don't know anything about games but yours," he said. "I thought I had an agreement with SHIELD that they weren't going to barge into my property without my permission," Tony said, hands on his hips to indicate he wasn't exactly happy with the situation.
"This is no normal situation, Mister Stark. A God who had almost destroyed New York-"
"I know who he is, agent..." he looked over his suit which gave no indication whatsoever as to what his name was.
"Agent Felix," the man said, a little annoyed with the delay in the conversation. Trailing off, yet another one of Tony's specialities.
"Agent Felix. Well, as you may know, he will do no harm under my watch," he said, smiling widely.
"Where is he now, if he's under your watch, he should be here," Agent Felix said. Tony just laughed softly, an iron hand rubbing his nose. "You don't take your task seriously, Mister Stark. The God Loki is a very dangerous man, he should not be on the loose. That is why we are needed, Stark. SHIELD can make sure everyone is protected from his harm."
"By locking him up," Tony retorted, raising an eyebrows. "Yes, of course... but what about him? He doeshave a life too, I hope you realise." Was he really doing this? Was he really sticking up for his enemy? Yeah, sometimes even Tony didn't understand Tony.
"Empathetic, Stark?" Agent Felix asked, taking a step towards him. "Now, where is Loki?"
"Loki? Oh, I dropped him off at Starbucks, he said he was a little thirsty," Stark said, which was the truth, kind of. But this Agent, who'd never dealt with him before, just chuckled.
"I've heard bout your jokes, Stark. It's not very funny anymore... Now turn him over to us and you will be rewarded with a thank you for your cooperation," Agen Felix said.
Couldn't they just lay down? Loki wasn't doing anyone any harm... Pff, this was going to take all day while he just wanted to relax and do his work calmly while overcoming his hangover. He'd even promised to show Loki one of his favourite comedy films, just to turn him into a well educated mortal.
Meanwhile in Starbucks, eyes turned to Loki at his peculiar attire as he walked towards the counter. What was it Stark said he had to get? A coffee? "Give me a coffee," he spoke to the woman behind the counter.
"Good afternoon, sir," she said, bowing her head a little, despite the absence of kindness from his side. "How would you like your coffee? With milk and sugar?" she asked, entirely ignoring his rude demand for coffee with smiling friendly. Loki was confused at her question, having no idea what Tony had meant in the first place. Was one nice and the other not? As he didn't give any response, she just smiled. "Don't worry, I'll give you a black coffee with some extra milk and sugar, sir."
Loki glared at the woman, who acted in such a kind manner that he felt belittled. "Excuse me?" he asked her, stepping towards her. His hand moved onto the counter and he leaned over in a threatening manner.
"I'm sorry sir, if I have offended you, it was not my intention," she said, not backing away or letting any fear show. Instead she reached for a strange machine and pressed something. A moment later the machine started to make strange pruttling noises. He stared at it for a moment, before looking back at the woman, figuring he'd first teach her a lesson, before he inspected the function of this machine.
"Do you know what I am? Do you know what I am capable of?" he sneered, eyes narrowed, looking the woman over. Despite his retreat into Stark Tower he had not lost his bitterness towards these puny mortals and he would show them just what he thought of them.
"Yes, sir," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You are the God Loki, sir. I work for Mister Stark. You are safe here, SHIELD or any other corporation cannot get to you here," she whispered. "Now, if you would take place at one of the tables over there, your coffee will be served shortly," she smiled, stepping back towards the coffee machine that still hadn't ceased its strange noises. Loki was surprised to say the least and a moment later an impending anger welled up in him. A cup was placed before him on the counter. "Your coffee. Now, please sit down and wait for mister Stark to come for you."
"I will not be held down by you, nor the man of iron! His control of me is nonexistent, no matter what he tells himself."
The woman sighed and gave him a one over, before she leaned a hand on the counter and rested her head in it. "Look," she said and something about the look she gave him threw him off-guard, as she was not the slightest afraid of him. "You better get your ass over to a table and sit the fuck down, or I'm afraid you'll regret it."
"Do not threaten me like this!" Loki sneered.
"Sit. Down. I've got a freaking taser under this counter and I ain't afraid to use it." He frowned at that, wondering what this 'taser' was she spoke of.
"Your puny devices do not induce fear in me," he said.
"It will knock you out for a good couple of hours, though," she retorted, shrugging. "Your choice."
Tony Stark was glad when he finally found the time to visit Starbucks and recollect the Norse God that he had conveniently dropped off there. He wondered how bored Loki would be, although he was certain the God would be sufficiently entertained by the many strange Starbucks customs. At least it would be interesting to see what Loki made of it, seeing his usual delirious takes on 'mortals' were quite amusing, despite their semi-correctness.
"Wendy," Tony said as he stepped inside. "Sorry it took me so long. Here's a tip," he said and threw some money onto the counter. He turned towards one of the tables, where Loki was getting up from a chair. He was quite surprised to see that the God had avoided being tasered, but was glad, as it would've complicated things if he had to carry the unconscious God back to his Tower. "I hope he behaved himself," Tony said and to his surprise Wendy nodded.
"After I explained him the function of a taser he decided to remain silent. I do think he spent the rest of the afternoon planning your death, though," she said.
"Yeah, how you figure that?" Loki came to a halt in front of Tony, an anger not easily ignored in the green of his eyes. They seemed darker than usual. "Right, I see. Well, come on, let's get back home, 'ey?"
"Stark," Loki spoke, venomously. "I merely waited for your return for one purpose."
"Yes, to kill me?" Tony asked, patting Loki on the back. "Good, good, now, come with me and we can go back to the Tower. Wendy, thank you, really," he said, but Loki did not budge as Tony started to walk.
"You're not taking me seriously," Loki sneered venomously. Tony could picture him taking a big bite out of him, like he were a serpent or some kind of vampire. Hm... let's not.
"Of course I'm taking you seriously, I just don't really fancy experiencing my death in a Starbucks," he turned to Wendy, "no offense." Wendy waved it off, knowing Tony too well to even take it personally.
"You make jokes out of everything, Stark. How can you even take yourself seriously?" Loki asked, stepping dangerously close to Tony. He saw Wendy's hand move under the counter.
"Well, life is sometimes a little difficult and unfortunate, so it's good to go through life with a big smile on your face. Now, learn how to do so too, Loki, now you're practically just a human being like the rest of us, you might as well start acting like one," Tony said. Loki's eyes narrowed at him and it was almost miraculous he didn't start hissing, like a serpent, what could have been expected.
"I would stop threatening Stark if I were you and just go home with him," Wendy spoke. "The taser thing still counts," she said, shrugging her shoulders in an uninterested but apologetic manner. Loki's look once again changed and Stark shrugged his shoulders in the same manner as Wendy had done.
"You got to listen to the lady, Loki," he said. "Actually, talking about ladies and here on Midgard, there are a few things you've got to know. Always let a lady finish talking, always hold the door open for them and don'tinsult them," he said, raising his eyebrows.
"I will listen to no one," Loki replied, eyes piercing into Tony's. "And you cease this belittling behaviour, for you treat me like an unworthy enemy and unworthy I am not."
"He certainly has his ways with words," Wendy said from behind the counter, leaning lazily on it like she'd done before. Tony let out a soft laugh, though then in all seriousness turned to face Loki once more.
"You do like to assume I'm belittling you, don't you?" Tony asked. "Almost makes it sound like you actually want it, but do not want me to think you want it and therefore you're provoking it, knowing that I like to do what you don't want me to, which is why you're saying the opposite of what you actually want!"
"That is not what I am doing," Loki said with that strange same sincereness he'd used more over over the past few days. "And I can prove this to you, but I will not, for you do not matter in my grand design."
"Has this anything to do with how you couldn't talk?" Tony asked, eyes observing the God's green ones for a hint of the answer, but it stayed gone. The God of Lies could mask much, even this. "Come on, let's just go home and we can continue our fretting where it doesn't actually matter if I knock you out. I really don't want to be carrying you home to the Tower, you see."
"Stop belittling me," the God spoke, voice low, but a moment later he stepped towards the door, clearly ready to comply. Good.
The thought of knocking Loki out the moment they set foot in the Tower went through Tony's mind, but on second thought, he might as well give Loki a chance to calmly return to his book and stay silent for the rest of the day, or week.
"Why are you so angry with me, anyway?" Tony asked.
"You belittle me constantly and act like I am worthless. I am a God," Loki spoke, his eyes narrowed at Tony. The both of them stepped into the elevator, but only after the doors shut, Tony realised how awkward it truly made the situation. Wisely, he carried on the conversation, even though this awkward silence could stop it entirely, but then the tension would remain for the rest of the night.
"You are a God that was once worshipped who is searching for that same sensation every day until now. But you have to realise one thing: people stopped believing in Gods because they don't need anyone to lead them. They don't need a higher power to give them their right and wrongs because the people of today collect knowledge and base their rights and wrongs on that for themselves," he said. "Religion is dying out. Most people find it a ridicule to believe in the Christian God and you come to Earth claiming that you are Loki, the Norse God from Asgard, wanting people to kneel for you, to worship you and to kiss the ground you walked on," Tony spoke, shaking his head. "People don't even remember you anymore."
"The people don't wanta leader! They don't want people to think for them anymore. They want to think for themselves and find their own happiness in life," he said, his voice lower. "Maybe in another world far from here people desire it, but not here, Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, not here."
The elevator opened and he stepped out, leaving Loki behind with his words. Though the God soon followed suit, having regained his power for words. "They do not want it, but they longfor it," Loki spoke, voice threatening. "The human race wishes to be controlled, so they aren't forever quelled with freedom. Tell me, honestly, that you have never felt out of control. And is it not better to accept control is but a lie from the start? Is it not better to feel succumbed by one willing to rule, than succumbed to shattered morale?"
"I'd rather 'succumb' to anything, than succumb to you," Tony said, a rare anger in his voice. Loki's lips parted to say something, but he closed his mouth again. It was truly intriguing to know that Tony could have that effect over the silver-tongued God. It came in helpfull though.
"You will learn your place," Loki said.
"Yeah, we'll see about that," Tony said, clearly not buying it. A madness could be seen in the green depths of Loki's eyes and should the God possess his powers Tony would surely be creating a distance between them, but he didn't feel threatened, which probably only angered Loki further. "You condemn yourself to the same inevitable failure you say you want to rid the human race of by removing their freedom. Perhaps that is what you need too. I should've let SHIELD take you."
"I am above your puny mortal race!" Loki spat in response.
"No, actually you're not and I think I just made a really good point." But all his words seemed to serve only one purpose; to fuel Loki's rage further.
"Then why didn't you let them take me? If you wish to be rid of me and it would be rightful? You would've even be rewarded!" the God spoke.
"Whatever the reason of your banishment, I'm certain it doesn't involve getting locked up by SHIELD. Your brother would've personally delivered you if that would've been the reason for your return to Earth."
"He's not my brother!" Loki sneered and before Tony could've stepped back, Loki's hand had clenched around his shoulder, nails digging into his skin through the thin shirt he wore. "You know nought of what you speak!"
"Okay, okay, fine, just let go of me and we can resume to not talking, if that sits better with you," Tony said.
"Cease your senseless speech!" Loki said, shoving him backwards with quite some force, but Tony regained his balance before he fell down, which seemed to dissatisfy Loki further. The God stepped towards him, eyes crazed, yet determined. "You believe your understanding of me is grand, that you flawlessly speak of truths. But how can you? You do nought know power like I do. You know nought pain like I do."
"Loki, seriously, cut the crap," Tony replied, raising his hands in a somewhat defensive manner, although for the only purpose of silencing the other's rage. The God grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him closer and Tony was forced to look up into those green eyes. "You want my respect? Earn it."
It was only then that Tony's eyes looked down to see Loki reveal a dagger. Well, of course he wouldn't be unarmed. He'd never assumed the God to be. He jumped backwards, though the way Loki's hand was around his wrist kept him from moving away entirely.
"I will spare you under one condition," the God spoke and his very words seemed to be frozen. Tony involuntarily shivered once more. He hated it when Loki made him do that.
"And what condition is this?" Tony asked, looking at the God with an eyebrow raised. He'd been in worse situations. Did Loki truly think a dagger threatened him?
"Kneel."
"Ah," Tony said, before letting out a series of chuckles and laughs. "Good one. Yeah, I don't really... kneel," he said and a moment later forced all his power to twist Loki's hand and pull free from him. He immediately raised his fist to strike the God, but Loki was out of the way before his stroke could fall, dagger still in hand. "Are we seriously going to do this?" Tony asked, truly feeling little for having to knock the God out, as it would probably mean they were back where they started; truly hostile. They'd built up this faked calm!
"I have given you the conditions," Loki replied, which caused Tony to roll his eyes.
"You have no powers, no magic and even if you stood a chance fighting me man to man, you are not used to this 'mortal form' and it will surely show," Tony replied, quite sure of himself. But could he honestly say that Loki stood no chance at getting anywhere? Well, he'd just have to ensure he didn't. "So, put the dagger away and talk," Tony decided. Loki's eyes narrowed for a moment, though he made no further attempt to stab Tony, which was an improvement.
"You always wish to talk, but your words never interest me," Loki said.
"Keep telling yourself that," Tony replied, one eyebrow raising. "I've silenced you often enough."
"You have not!" Loki said, though the next moment the dagger was falling from his hand and a look of pained shock crossed his eyes. He turned away and was rushing for the door a second later, much like he had done during that breakfast all those days back. This time Tony wasn't as ready to let him go and he rushed forward, taking hold of Loki's upper arm and pulling him backwards in a violent tug. He moved in front of the God, holding him firmly and pushing him back against the wall.
"What's this about?" he asked, though before he had finished speaking his eyes already focused on Loki's lips. A dark green thread had pierced through many, bleeding, holes around his thin lips and forced his mouth shut in a gruesome manner. Loki struggled against his grip, trying to hide his face, but he was quite literally stuck between the wall and the stronger man before him. And his eyes hid not the silent cry that would have left his lips, should he be granted the opportunity.
Tony was shocked, though he did not allow Loki the leave he wished for. He would not let the God alone now he knew this dark secret. How could he, when green eyes looked pained beyond any he'd ever seen.
"I see," Tony said, watching the blood trail down the God's chin. For a moment he thought about the ivory taste Loki was no doubtfully enduring and it made him sick to think that he could not wash it away. "So they are as dramatic as wikipedia states," he said, with a somewhat impressed look on his face. Loki's eyes met his then and there was a humiliation in them that went so deep that Tony stepped back. No, no, he couldn't do this. He looked away, a somewhat pained expression on his own face. He could not watch how Loki's lips tugged down in the corners, causing only more blood. This was torture and he could read it so clearly in the God's eyes that he was almost ready to slap Loki for it. "You're supposed to hidethese things from me," he said, frustratedly. "Like you always do!"
He somehow knew a response lay on Loki's lips, but he could not speak it. And not only was this frustrating for the God, but for Tony as well. What was he to do now? Put Loki in a room and forget about them until the thread disappeared?
"It went away the last time. Why?" Tony asked, looking up at Loki despite what he could read in those eyes. He needed to get himself over this. How was Loki supposed to answer when he couldn't speak? "Can't I cut the thread loose?" he asked and Loki began to shake his head, quite frantically so. One of Loki's hands moved up to his lips, touching the green thread, which make him plead and one of the holes bleed even more. "Don't, you'll only make it worse," Tony said. This magic was gruesome and he wondered how anyone could ever inflict such a horrible punishment on another, but after all Loki had done, didn't he deserve exactly this?
"Come with me," he then said, taking hold of Loki's arm and leading him to the bathroom. The thought of the broken window ran through him and he wondered how much scolding Pepper was going to give him when she found out about it, but... well, she knew how he was by now. He took Loki into his own bedroom and through to his bathroom, sitting him down on the edge of the bath. He grabbed one of the softer towels and softly started to dab at the God's lips, trying to soak up the blood. With a wet towel, he then continued to dab, trying to relieve the pain a little.
"Calm down, okay, Loki?" Tony said. He was never the 'reassurer', so all this behaviour felt alien to him, but, he knew he had to help Loki out here. "You've got to try and show me what to do to... make the... stuff go away," he said, motioning with his free hand to Loki's lips. What happened last time? It was about the banishment, but what exactly? And what had just caused Loki to get these stitches again? Whatever made them come, Loki wasn't being so smart avoiding it...
What was the last thing that happened before the thread appeared? Loki had shouted a contradiction to Tony's statement. "A false contradiction..." Tony then said out loud, before he looked at Loki again. He was always the kind to quickly figure out the makings, evidently it didn't matter whether these makings were of an engineered source or a magic trick. Loki was giving him a strange look, an almost hopeful one. "You can't lie," Tony said, which would definitely explain why Loki had such a difficult time communicating lately. The God didn't nod a confirmation, but the absence of a 'no' meant Tony was right. "Quite the humorous folk, aren't they?"
Loki looked away, fingertips moving to touch the thread once again, possibly even softly pulling it, but it didn't give way and it only resulted in the opening of mending wounds. "You shouldn't touch it," Tony said, feeling icky just looking at those dark red holes piercing the God's skin. So cruel... Right, he needed to stop feeling sorry for Loki right now, for the God truly deserved this. Of course he did! He'd nearly destroyed everything! Still...
"So, you lied, then this happens... then what?" he asked, more to himself, than Loki who'd not be able to answer him anyway. "Do you want to write it down, or something?" he asked. Loki's eyes narrowed for a moment and he seemed vicious, but then he gave in and nodded. "Alright, give me a moment," he said and rushed to get a piece of paper and a pen. He realized he never actually used paper... In the end he decided anything would do and grabbed the book that Loki had been reading and found a ball pen he'd once been given as a gift. It was one of those expensive things that he'd never even taken out of the box. Certainly it would satisfy Loki.
When he stepped back into the bathroom he was surprised to see that Loki hadn't gone anywhere. Not that he would've gone outside with his mouth stitched shut like this, but at the very least he ought to be hiding his humiliation from Tony. He did not.
As Tony handed him the book the God frowned and a pained expression crossed his eyes as his lips had tugged at the thread. He'd wanted to smile, laugh possibly at Tony's solution. Tony ignored it all, as he knew that was what Loki would want him to do. The God took the pen and opened the last page of the book, which was an empty one. He motioned for Tony to 'back off' and he complied, figuring it would be difficult enough to write down, as it was.
For the longest of moments Tony just sat there, watching nothing in particular and waiting for Loki to finish, but the God never even started to write and a moment later he stood up, let the pen and book fall from his hands and wanted to walk away.
"No, wait..." Tony said, quite softly. Green eyes turned to meet his and a storm of emotional conflict could be seen in them. "I'm sure we can find a way." Loki's eyes widened, before he turned to look at the ground. Tony's offered help had a greater effect on him that he seemingly wished it had. Loki extended his hand and pointed at Tony then. Ah, so he was going to sign language his way out of this one? That should be interesting. "I...?" Tony started. Loki raised his finger to his lips, but not to touch the thread. The only thing Tony was reminded of was a 'shh', which might just be exactly what the God meant, but it wasn't exactly a word. Then the God pointed to himself. Tony shushed him? "Well, yeah, quite literally," Tony said, but to his amazement the thread was thinning and slowly snaking out of the holes, leaving bruised lips, that quickly healed to leave no sign.
For a moment they looked at each other, the next Loki turned around again, but before he rushed out of the door he bent down to take his book - and the pen.