A.N: Set after the end of Ironman 1, and before the beginning of Ironman 2
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A few days later, Loki is sitting on Stark's living room sofa and finds that though he likes the view from up here better, with Stark down in his shop and his PA gone for the day, boredom is inescapable. So naturally Loki remedies the problem by setting out on an exploration of the mortal's house.
Eventually he hops up to the bar and curiously takes a whiff at the closed top of a bottle he had seen Stark serve himself from - and recoils. This is what passes as drink on Midgard? – Ugh. At second sniff, he admits that at least Stark has better taste than some others, as he distinctly recollects from his homeless days on Midgard, passing some thoroughly drunk mortals whose drink reeked of rancid hay – or that was the best description he could give of it anyhow.
Suddenly is scooped up and set on the floor. Looking up with a glare, he finds none other than Tony Stark bending over him, and the mortal actually has the nerve to chide him: "Bad Kitty."
He is not sure which word stings more, but he finds himself determined to prove to this Midgardian that he does not get to make rules for him.
Loki spends the night outside in the grasses waiting for a mouse unfortunate enough to cross his path. He winds up killing two.
Next day, Stark and Potts are absent most of the day on business, but when they come home, the moment he had been waiting for unfolds as Potts settles herself with her laptop on the couch, and Stark pours himself a drink.
It is more fun than Loki has had in a long time when he drops the two mice on Pepper's lap, and she leaves a blood-curdling scream that brings Stark running to her side. While Stark is distracted with trying to calm his PA, and dispose of the grisly trophies without having to touch them, Loki grabs his chance to hop up on the bar and lap up scotch from Stark's untouched glass. It actually does not taste bad, and before he realizes it, the glass is empty. In the distance he can hear Stark and Potts arguing, and then the front door opens and closes again – likely Potts leaving to get clean clothes.
Filled with the satisfaction of a prank well played, Loki does not hear Stark re-enter the room, but he does hear an already-stressed Stark exclaim angrily: "Bad Cat!", and before Loki can react, Stark's hands grab him around the chest much rougher than ever before, lifting him to eye level.
Loki hisses, but Stark is on a roll, and he continues to chide him:
"You stupid stupid cat! What will it take for you to learn?"
He expected Stark to be angry – wanted him to be angry, but now that he has the reaction he wanted, all Loki can think of is the time when he and Thor were children, and had broken into the weapons vault to get a better look at the relics. Odin had caught them, and given them long angry lectures on proper behavior – but even then, Loki had been mature enough to notice that Odin had been harsher with him.
Though Stark looks and acts nothing like Odin, though he is only a puny mortal, in his cat form, Stark still dwarfs him – and all Loki can see as he glares back at the Midgardian is Odin's disapproval.
He cannot lash out at Odin now – not with the Allfather safe in Asgard – but he can settle for a substitute, and he reaches out, sinking his claws into Tony's wrist, leaving bloody marks in his wake.
Suddenly the world lurches sickeningly and Loki thinks the Midgardian has dropped him, but when his vision clears, he sees Tony still holding him – still angry, but there is also fear- concern actually - in the mortal's expression.
It is not until the world starts spinning, and ripping pains start shooting though his stomach that Loki realizes that his prank has backfired, and he closes his eyes trying to make the pounding in his head stop.
Suddenly he is moving again, and he wonders in a detached sort of a way if Stark is going to throw him out to die – at least this one he did bring on himself…. when he realizes is being held close, cradled against Tony's chest, and he can hear Tony talking – pleading actually - with JARVIS to immediately contact the best Vet in the city.
Loki does not know what a vet is, and most of the conversation that follows is in words that make no sense or are drowned out by the pounding in his head. Despite that, he can hear the raw pain and desperation in Tony's voice, and as he slips into the darkness, he realizes that despite utterly failing to accomplish any of his plans for this realm – he at least found someone who actually cares for him, and that small blessing is oddly comforting.
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