Many days had happen by and Tony was learning how boring it was living with someone who tried and succeeded on ignoring you by any possible way. Loki left the apartment before Tony got up and came back hours later, tired. He ate something and went directly to his bedroom. It was even more boring than living alone, at least when he lived alone Tony could do whatever he wanted to and he could told Jarvis to modify stuff or he could stay in his workshop for days. It this kept being this way, Tony'd end up rummaging in Loki's room while he wasn't there to see if he'd find something for his investigation; and it wasn't as if it hadn't crossed Tony's mind. C'mon, Tony was curious and he had always got his own way, but he had been restraining himself because he didn't want to have to deal with Loki and Pepper's wrath. Who knows what kind of things they could do to him? And Tony didn't want to leave just because, neither; it'd be giving up. And Tony didn't give up. Even less after just some days. Tony was sure that he was capable of keep bearing with Loki's indifference. Scratch that, Tony was prepared to see how far that indifference could get. And he wished to see Loki explode, or cry, or scream, or smile, or having any fucking emotion, for fuck's sake!
Tony wasn't going to be ignored like that. He didn't even know the reason! What did all of that mean? Besides, he wasn't able to find data about Loki, it was as if the kid had appeared from nowhere to Massachusetts. Tony'd bet for the hypothesis of Loki being a product of his own imagination, but Pepper had talked to Loki as well.
At least Tony was getting on time to his classes, so he didn't have Pepper over him constantly harassing with things like, "Be more responsible, Tony," "You're not going to be a good boss like that, Tony" "This is not going to end well for you, Tony", so everything was okay. For now. Although 'okay' meant 'calm' and that usually went to 'boring', and Tony couldn't stand being bored for a long time.
"So," Tony said lying on the couch, speaking to Loki, who was seated on the dining table with his laptop, "You're always this boring?"
"That does not concern you," Loki replied without looking away from his computer while he typed fast.
"What're you doing, anyway?" Tony asked going back to look at his tablet. He needed to bring his tv. His stuff. He needed his stuff.
"An essay." Loki replied.
"Uhm…" Tony mumbled absently, reading celebrity gossip.
After a while of Loki's typing sound filling the apartment, Tony got a message that told him about a big party that would start soon, Tony hadn't gone to parties in a long time and he had been behaving, so he deserved it. It wasn't the time to the party to start yet, but Tony could go to the store first and buy alcohol, alcohol was never unwanted. Maybe Tony should eat something before going, too, or he could just go ahead to the party.
Yeah, it would be fun.
"Well, I think I'll go out," Tony said for himself standing up.
"You cannot do that," Loki said without looking at him.
"Hey, don't you take the 'babysitter' role too serious. You can't decide that stuff, you know?" Tony said feeling offended. How old Loki thought Tony was? He had never had to ask for permission to party and he wouldn't start now, when he was an adult.
"Do you think that I could care less if you went out or not?" Loki gave him a gaze.
"As loving as always," Tony said with a mocking voice, "So, why should I stay? Are you afraid of being alone?"
Loki restrained himself of rolling his eyes.
"Miss Potts sent me an e-mail. She will bring the contract today,"
"What?" Tony asked moving closer to Loki, "Why didn't she tell me? Show me that mail."
Loki moved the cursor to the tab that showed his email and he searched until the one sent by Pepper displayed on the screen.
"Eh, it isn't touch? What kind of dinosaur do you have?" Tony asked amused.
"If I had enough money to buy the last technology, I would not— not need a roommate, do you not think so?" Loki said without emotion, looking straight to the screen, not letting the 'I would not have to be living with you' getting away from his lips.
"Heh, you really hate me," Tony said reading the message on the screen.
"No, I do not."
"You try to convince yourself about that every night before going to sleep?" Tony asked resting on Loki's chair just to piss him off.
"Yes, while you try to convince yourself that you are pleasant," Loki said going back to his essay.
Tony felt like laughing. When he wasn't silent like a fucking mime, Loki knew how to throw comebacks. And it was funny. Who knows? Maybe all of this could work.
"Do you plan to stay there all day? If you want so badly to read it I can send it to you later," Loki asked watching him.
"As if it was that interesting," Tony snorted walking to the couch again, where he took his phone and sent a message to the party host: Sorry, can't. Need to take care of legal issues. –T
Loki took a break and minimized the document he was working on. Unfortunately for him, Sigyn was not online and Loki hope that it was because she was sleeping. Loki really wished for her to be able to sleep normally again. So he decided to not take a risk and did not send her a message, fearing that if he did he would wake her up, thereby Loki closed his laptop and walked to the fridge, from where he took a soda and went back to the dining table, this time with the book that had been resting next to the laptop; it would not make any harm to rest his mind for a while, right?
When that while turned into an amount of time that Loki stopped counting because he was too focused on the book to pay attention to the clock, he heard the bell ring. There was no reason to ask who was behind the door, and even if there was a reason, Stark had opened it before Loki lifted his gaze, waiting for end the chapter where he was.
"Hey, Pepp!" Tony said while she crossed the door and left her stuff on the couch when he had been laying.
"Tony! It's nice to see that you didn't run away," Pepper said walking towards the dining table, "Good job, Loki," she said before sitting in front of him.
"It was a pleasure," Loki said with a little mocking smile.
"Doesn't this give you a déjà vu feeling?" Tony said walking to the dining table and seated next to Loki.
"I spoke to the owner," Pepper said ignoring Tony, "And we chose some rules that both of you must follow."
Tony rolled his eyes when he felt that 'both' was directed to him. Nothing guaranteed her that Luke would obey everything, did she know that?
"What kind of rules?" Tony asked wanting to know if they were convenient or not for him.
"First, not demolish, nor pierce or scratch the walls, ceiling or floors; and that goes for you, Tony," Pepper said pointing him with the pen on her hand.
"Where is the fun in that?" Tony said with a fake pout, "Wait, what about wireless stuff? Can I install them?"
"I suppose there should be no problem—"
"Great!" Tony interrupted her.
"If the both of you agree," Pepper concluded.
"Of course," Tony said with a feign smile.
Oh, fine. The problem wasn't stuff like a tv, his chair, his favorite pillow or Dum-E, well, maybe Dum-E would be a problem, but the real problem came with the cameras. Tony wanted cameras connected to his tech and controlled by Jarvis. Tony loved the sensation of being able to watch everything and the possibility of control that came with that. However, his gut told him that Loki wouldn't like the idea.
He decided that there would be time to discuss about that with Loki later. It was time to listen to Pepper to avoid being hit.
"The owner also told me that the big parties weren't allowed because they disturbed the neighbors. And commented that Loki already knew this and had never had any complain about annoying noises so I hope for you to learn, Tony," She said pointing him again with his pen.
Yeah? It has to be really difficult to make parties if you didn't have any friends. Tony thought to himself. Learn. Why the rules seemed to be against him?
"I wouldn't be able to make a party in this place, anyway," Tony muttered to himself.
"The account number and the password already exist. One of you will have to take care of retiring the money each month for you survival," Pepper say staring at Tony.
Pepper turned the contract on the table in order for Loki and Tony to take a look. Loki was surprised once he saw the amount of money designed for each month. It had been a long time without seeing that kind of money, well, in reality he still have not seen it, but it would surely make his life easier. Even though his pride was screaming for him to not accept the money because there was no way that he, Loki Friggason, had to depend on Stark, his common sense had left it more than clear that with the salary of a part-time waiter would not be enough. How many times had he have this discussion with himself? He was sure that it would not be the last one. At last, he decided to deceive himself and say that the help was coming from Miss Potts. He could live with that.
"Yeah, yeah, food," Tony replied quickly eyeing the contract, "So, do I sign or what?" he asked extending his hand to Pepper so she could hand him the pen.
"What? Are you not going to read it first?" Pepper asked handing him the pen.
"Nah, I trust you," Tony replied taking it. And he was feeling lazy.
After Pepper telling him where he had to sign and Tony had left the contract on the table, Loki took it and started reading it for himself, nodding.
"What's wrong, Luke? Feeling concerned?" Tony asked smiling amused.
"Reading a contract before sign it is common sense," Loki replied without looking up.
"He's right, Tony," Pepper added looking at him with disapproval.
"Uh-huh," Tony replied walking to the fridge, took a soda from it and started drinking it.
He took two more cans and left them on the table, waiting for Loki to end his reading. Once Loki had signed where we was supposed to and had left the pen aside, Tony offered one of the cans and Loki received it.
"For a new life together," Tony said mockingly extending his arm to Loki.
"Okay… That sounds weird," Pepper said feeling a little bit awkward, "For a well-sealed contract," she decided to say, hitting her can with Tony's.
Loki held back a sigh and drew his can with the others.
For not having to worry about starving to dead, he said for himself.
The three of them drank a sip from their cans and Loki wondered if he could be feeling more uncomfortable. Probably he could not.
"Want to stay for a while, Pepp? We can order something to eat," Tony said resting his can on the table.
"I like the idea of ordering food," she replied before drinking another sip, "for you. I have matters to take care of. Besides, you two have classes tomorrow, so don't stay up that late, okay?" She said with a smile.
"Who are you, my mother?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.
The expression that Pepper made before laughing caught Loki's attention, and he wondered if the comment about the mother of Stark had made her feel strange. Maybe it had made her a little sad. Have they met each other, sometime? A lot of questions raised on Loki's mind that didn't have any sense to ask in that moment. And most likely would never have.
"Well, guys, I'm leaving you. I will send an e-mail with a copy of the contract, so there would be no excuse to break it," she said before standing up.
"Bye, Pepp," Tony said before emptying his can.
"Have a good night, Miss Potts," Loki said.
"You too," she replied smiling.
Pepper walked to the couch and grabbed her things. She walked towards the door and turned to say one last 'goodbye' before exiting through the door and going down to the parking lot. Once she was in her car, she left out a breath and crossed her fingers, hoping for all of that to work and for Tony to straighten a little.
"So… did you eat? You look like someone who hadn't eaten since lunch," Tony said to Loki, both of them were still on the dining table.
"I am not really hungry. And I have an essay to finish," Loki said getting up.
"No, no, no." Tony said pushing Loki's shoulders to get him seated again, "Money for food, remember? Now, Chinese? Do you like Chinese? You look like someone who likes Chinese."
Loki gave him a look that read 'seriously'?
Tony looked at him waving his hand with his cellphone on it. Loki suspired and nodded.
"Chinese, then," Tony said dialing a number on his phone.
A while later the delivery guy had arrived and Tony had gone to get their food to the door, feeling thankful for the fast food that didn't let him die.
It was a really silent and quiet dinner, with conversations that didn't last more than five words each one. But, hey! Progress, it was progress!
When he finished his food, Loki had gone to throw his cardboard box to the trash can, took the laptop that was still on the table mumbling a 'goodnight' and had made his way to his bedroom to left it on his desk. Then, he walked towards the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth staring at the mirror with bitterness, as if he didn't like what he was looking at. He went again to his room, put his pajama on and sat on the desk with the purpose of going on with his essay until his eyelids were heavy enough to turn the computer off and go to bed, cursing again not having had a chance to speak with Sigyn that day.
It was dark and just the sound of his footsteps made clear that he was not deaf. Walking without direction was the only thing he could think of in that moment, stopping would make some kind of madness to swallow him whole. It was cold. And if was not as if Loki disliked coldness, it was that the coldness reminded him how alone he was. Empty. Just like the place where he was, he did not know if he was really moving forward or if it was simply his mind making him believe that he was getting some kind of travelling. How could he know it if an impermeable darkness prevented him to see anything? Perhaps there was nothing, maybe he had gone blind, he could not know it, neither.
Loki lost count of how many steps he had walked and he ignored how much time had passed. He hugged himself while he kept on walking, desperately searching for a light, for a way out, a door, a window, a… something. Something in the infinite nothing he was trapped in.
He could feel his heart beating faster and violently, as if something inside of him knew what this was about. His breathing became more and more erratic as the time passed; or while he assumed that time was passing by, he did not have a way to know it.
Loki stopped or rather was stopped when he hit something, causing a metallic sound to exist. He instantly shut his eyes closed at the moment of the impact and, when he opened them, he could see. White. All the background was white and Loki could only distinguish the figure that impeded him to keep going, he would remember later. It only took a quick glance to the guilty of stopping his walking for Loki's heart skipped a beat and started beating even faster, as if it wanted to leave his chest and fall to the floor. The creature looked down, finding Loki's eyes, he felt how all his body tensed up, and started to run.
He was running as fast as he could, but the creature was quicker than him and was getting closer with every step he took, every time closer, searching for a way to reach him in the never-ending whiteness that tried to blind him more than the darkness that had been replaced. Loki ran until his body paralyzed. First he stopped being capable to move his legs, that appeared to be nailed on the floor. He turned his head and was able to see a red blur creeping its way to Loki and he knew what desperation felt chest went up and down at an incredible speed, while his eyes opened wider and wider and he felt his pulse hitting him like a roll of drums. Then he stopped feeling his arms and trying to shelter his face on them was useless and pointless. Loki was defenseless at the mercy of the creature that was approaching him.
Loki could feel how the creature had leap into him and everything went back to black.
"NO!" Loki screamed opening his eyes, facing the well-known ceiling. He restrained himself to trying to move his limbs for a couple of seconds, afraid of the possibility of not being able to do it by will. Despite that, when he tried to move his left arm, Loki was successful and he supported both of his arms on the mattress until getting to a sitting position. He brought his hand to his forehead and that was when he recognized the cold sweat soaking him completely. Loki left out a breath and decided that the best thing he could do was to take a shower.
He got up from the bed after he turned on the lamp resting on his night stand, making his eyes hurt with the intensity of the light. He gave a peep to the clock on the table and noticed that it was past three in the morning. He walked to his wardrobe and drew a couple of towels and a clean pajama from it, Loki would not be able to wear the dirty one after having taken a shower.
After opening his door and getting into the bathroom, Loki started to undress himself, getting rid of the sweated clothe and thanking the water that gently slipped through his body, taking with it the dirt Loki was feeling at that instant.
It been a while since Loki had had a nightmare, or at least one that made him sweat cold. However, he was not really surprised of that happening now.
The last nightmare that Loki had experimented had also been in the apartment and his scream had succeeded at waking Sigyn up, who had crossed running the little hallway to see what was going on and, even when Loki had not wanted to tell her was had been his nightmare about, Sigyn had sat next to him and had started talking to him in an attempt of distract him. And the second to last nightmare had ended in the same way: even if Sigyn was more tired than him, she would come to his room and they would stay up talking about senseless things until one of them fell asleep; it mostly was Sigyn, and Loki would cover her with the blanket, wishing for her to not have any kind of bad dreams and would stay awake until he could not take it anymore (usually the alarm would ring minutes later). And now… now he had no one to stay up until inhuman hours to keep him distracted to the world of his nightmares, which were still fresh on his mind. Now he had to share the same ceiling with Stark, who was selfish, whimsical, annoying and an endless amount of things that Loki was too tired to article, even in his mind.
Loki went out from the bathroom with the clean pajama covering his body and a towel on his neck, responsible of absorbing the water falling from his hair. He walked towards the kitchen and he saw a shadow that called his attention.
"Stark?" Loki asked at the person seated on one of the chairs of the little kitchen table, with a glass of water on his hands looking through one of the windows.
"Hey, Luke," he replied acknowledging his presence.
Loki rolled his eyes to the nickname.
"What are you doing here?" Loki asked walking to the shelf next to the fridge and took a glass from it.
"Nothing," Tony replied with a shrug, "I just wanted to watch the beautiful landscape drinking a refreshing glass of water," he added lifting his glass.
"Of course," Loki said moving to the fridge.
"And you? Did you decide that three in the morning was the perfect moment for a shower?" Tony asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Exactly," Loki replied opening the fridge and filling his glass with milk.
"Hey…" Tony said leaving the glass on the table again.
"Hm?" He replied closing the fridge and taking a sip. Nothing better than something cold for his damaged throat.
"I heard you scream, is everything all right?"
The question took Loki for surprise, who supported his left arm on the worktop, holding the glass with his right hand. Loki drank a gulp before replying.
"None of your business."
"Ah," –he said looking at his glass.
There was a silence that broke time to time when they drank asynchronously from their glasses. Loki questioned himself if it had been worth the pain to grab a glass of milk.
"You're always saying that," Tony said breaking the silence completely, without looking away from his glass.
"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked looking at him.
"That is not my business. Like I can't be worried," Tony replied giving the look back, "If you think that telling me that is going to stop me or desist, I have bad news for you. If we're living together, maybe you shouldn't try to tear out my throat every time you see me, don't you think so?
"Not that I am living with you by pleasure," Loki muttered reluctantly.
"Oh, don't you start with that," Tony said with a grimace, "If you wanted to keep searching you'd have done it. I'm sure."
"I don't like you, do you know that?" Loki said raising an eyebrow.
"You had made that clear."
A new silence took possession of the apartment. Tony told himself that if had been better had he brought the glass of water to his room or simply not having asked, even if he was doing it by mere curiosity. Moreover, he could do something as simple as getting up from the table, leave the glass in the sink, walk to his room and leave Loki alone. Why would he care if Loki had a nightmare? Why should he care, anyway? Even though he couldn't find a reason, it was obvious that between them there were some unresolved issues and Tony wouldn't get anything if he acted like an idiot. Besides, it was kinda true that Tony hadn't left other option for Loki than to accept him between his walls, even when it was evident that Loki didn't like Tony, despite Loki telling him to not know him. Tony sighed and recognize that there was only a thing he could do at that situation.
Loki was wondering if Hel had been frozen. Stark worrying about him? Ha! Maybe Loki hadn't woke up still and something worst was coming.
"Is everything okay?" Tony asked softly.
Loki jumped a little when he heard Stark's voice low and almost inaudible, that interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to the world. Loki stared at him wanting to convince himself that his worried tone was false. Maybe Hel is frozen.
"Yes," Loki replied desiring to leave the place.
"Is an everyday thing you waking up screaming at three a.m.?"
Loki knew that Stark was going to keep asking until Loki told him or explode and screamed at him. And Loki did not have enough energy to execute a verbal fight, nor even to think about good comebacks, also, his throat would not bear to shout again. He was tired. So he decided to just give up, but he would not admit he was accepting a defeat.
"I had a nightmare," he finally said.
Loki's voice surprised Tony, who was more than sure that he wouldn't get any answer to his question. In fact, he had anticipated to see Loki disappear in the corridor towards his bedroom. Perhaps it was that Loki didn't want to go back to his bed after a nightmare.
"A really ugly one, for what I see," he said pointing the chair in front of him.
"Yes," Loki replied taking the chair pointed. He didn't have the intention to go back to his bedroom, and he body felt tired, anyway.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about that, but my mom used to say that telling a nightmare was the best you can do to forget it."
"Mother used to say that, too," Loki said smiling unconsciously to the memory on his mind, "But I would rather not doing it so," Loki replied going back to his serious face.
And the thing was, Loki had not even told Sigyn one of his nightmares with detail. So, what kind of right did Stark had to know about his life?
Tony felt kinda perplexed, was Loki able to smile? Or maybe was his sleepy mind playing tricks with him, he couldn't trust his tired mind.
"It's okay," Tony said before drinking a sip, "You know? Once I dreamt about a guy dressed up like a dinosaur in my house that made me wear a tutu and stole my food," he added with a smile.
Loki, having a vivid imagination that worked better than him in that instant, projected a clear image on his mind of Stark wearing a tutu, serving food to a hungry man in a dinosaur costume and the nonsensical of it made a little giggle escape from Loki's mouth and it caught Tony's attention.
"Hey! You know how to laugh, too?" Tony asked pointing him with his glass.
"Who does not enjoy a good laugh?" Loki asked with a yawn.
"I haven't heard you laugh before, uh."
"Oh, that must be because you are boring," Loki said resting his arms on the table and his head on them.
"FYI, people think I'm really funny," Tony replied with feign indignation.
"Of course."
Tony found himself smiling.
"What others strange dreams have you had?" Loki asked hesitantly, simply searching for a distraction. In moments like that Loki could not bear with silence and he did not feel like going back to his bedroom.
"Hmm…" Tony said thoughtfully, scratching softy his chin, "Oh! Once…"
Loki found himself enjoying the stories that Stark was telling him. Probably later Loki would regret being so weak to accept the distraction offered by Stark, but at the instant the only thing that matters for him was to not have to think about the nightmares tormenting him.
Bit by bit their voices turned to whispers and their eyelids turned heavier, until that what had been two people talking in the darkness on the kitchen table ended up being two people who would wake up with a neck ache and feeling cold due to falling asleep in the kitchen.
"Sir, I inform you that if you do not wake up at this instant it would be impossible for you to get to classes on time," Tony heard being said from the table.
"Jesus, Jarvis, what makes you wake me up so early?" He asked without wanting to open his eyes.
"Sir, it is almost half past seven."
Tony quickly lifted his head when he heard the time, how could it be that late?
"Why didn't you try to wake me up before!?" Tony complained to the Starkphone on his hand.
"I have been trying before seven o'clock, sir."
"Oh, great!" Tony said standing up. Then he acknowledged Loki, still sleeping on the table, "Luke! Hey! Wake up!" he shouted shaking him softy.
"Hmmm… Go ahead, Thor."
Tony locked at him puzzled.
"Wake up! We're running late! And who the fuck is Thor?" Tony asked moving him more abruptly.
"I am awake!" Loki replied breaking away from the table with a little jump. "What?" Loki asked confused at seeing Tony in front of him.
"You, it's late. Get up and go change your clothes," Tony said to him, walking to his own bedroom.
Loki got up and walked towards the bathroom. Tony was putting his neck through a t-shirt when he saw Loki about to open the door.
"What're you doing?" Tony asked sliding the t-shirt on his torso.
"I want to take a shower—"
"You took one last night! No time! Go and get dressed!" Tony complained sitting on his undone bed.
"I am going?" Loki said uncertain walking to his bedroom. Seeing that Loki, not like Stark, did not feel the necessity of exhibit himself around the world, closed his bedroom door and exited minutes later with a green t-shirt, skinny jeans, black sneakers, his cellphone in his pocket and his backpack on the shoulder.
"Ready? Let's go," Tony said from the living room, clearly waiting for Loki to appear.
"What?" Loki asked muddled.
"Car, Uni, it's late…" Tony said irritated.
Loki looked at him confused.
"There's no way in hell that you get on time!" Tony said to him, walking to the door, "C'mon!"
"There is no way that I get inside a car with you!" Loki answered stubbornly, "I do not need you."
"What? Are you fucking kidding me? No time, Pepper's gonna kill me if I keep getting late," Tony complained running his hand through his hair, "Move!"
Loki stood still on the point where he was, almost defying him with his eyes.
Tony definitely didn't have time for that. So he approached Loki, grabbed one of his wrists and made with walk outside the apartment. Tony closed the door with his free hand, thanking it was not possible to open it from the outside without the keys, and he practically jumped the stairs to the first floor, still pulling Loki from his wrist, who was demanding to be left alone and tried to break free from his grip.
When they were able to see where Tony had his car parked, he grabbed his keys and opened the co-pilot door before they arrived.
"If you don't get inside, I'm going to push you," Tony said unsmiling.
"Fine," Loki answered coldly, seating on the leather seat.
Tony closed the door and let out a breath, crossing to the driver's side of the car. He opened the door and slid his body on the seat, quickly turning on the engine.
He mumbled senseless things under his breath while he speeded up without looking at the indicator. He didn't even care that much about getting on time, but he didn't like the deception on Pepper's eyes when she scolded him about something. And he didn't want to put her job as Howard's assistant in danger, either, he knew that she liked her job.
"You do know there is a speed limit that you are exceeding, yes?" Loki asked looking at him with a frown when they stopped in a red light.
"Do you see any cop nearby? Because I don't," Tony answered looking at him for an instant.
"Are you always this neglectful?" Loki questioned with anger.
"Oh! Guess what! It's none of your business!" Tony replied almost losing his shit. So, he does something good for someone and that's the reward? Another reason to be an asshole. Plus, why would he care if Loki got or not on time to his classes? Tony'd had left him in the apartment. "Don't wanna get in the fucking car? Bien, good for you. Good luck with public transport." It would've been way easier.
"It is if you are endangering my life."
"I'm a good driver," Tony said turning on a curve.
"Is that you or your money talking?" Loki asked touching his seat.
"You make me angry, you know that?" –Tony questioned making the grip on the steering wheel stronger.
"Good! Now we have something in common."
"Why is so difficult for you to receive help, anyway?" Tony asked after some minutes of silence.
"What are you talking about?" Loki asked with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Because I could've bring you to MIT every day, plus now you're angry for I-don't-know-what," Tony said looking at the road. At least he didn't have to use Jarvis this time.
"I do not need your help," Loki replied looking to the window.
"See? That's what I meant."
Loki decided to keep his silence.
Tony asked himself why Loki had to be so bipolar. They were getting along last night, right? Why everything changed in the morning? Maybe Loki had some kind of sickness, voodoo, spell, thing that made him behave different from day to night and Loki wasn't sure if he could dealt with something like that. The crazy to the madhouse.
"Are you always this bipolar?" Tony asked after another couple of minutes filled with silence, when they were really close to MIT.
"'Bipolar'?" Loki asked without turning.
"Last night… you laughed, didn't you?" Tony asked confused. What was the probability of everything being just a dream? But they had had woke up in the kitchen, and it was very likely that Jarvis would be able to verify it. So…?
Loki felt weak. Weaker than what he had felt in a long time. Having to appeal for his help once was too much. Twice was chaotic. Who did he think he was? A damsel in distress who needed aid? He did not even remember him, how dare he to insinuate aspects from his personality? Loki could feel anger growing inside of him. Anger towards Stark and towards himself.
"You do not even know me," Loki answered when they had already made their way into the enclosure, and Tony was searching for a place on the parking lot.
"I'm trying," he said going to an empty space.
"Yes, evidently," Loki replied unclasping his security belt.
"I'm talking seriously," Tony said stopping the car. Why was so difficult for him to believe? It wasn't a completely lie, neither, Tony did want to know him; the curiosity of wanting to know why he was so hated was eating him alive.
"Just leave me alone," Loki said opening the door and getting out hurriedly from the car.
Loki walked swiftly to where his next class would take place. Why did he have decide to take a shower at three in the morning? Why had he not being able to take his damned cellphone to the kitchen? That way he would have heard his alarm and he would not have had to come with him. He would not had have to tolerate that anguish and he would had have to have breakfast. Gods, he was starving and there was no time to eat something before the class. But, why would he take his cellphone if he was just planning to drink a glass of milk and try to go back to sleep? Although the world 'trying' was there for no reason, because it would have been impossible to sleep in that bedroom. Did it all come down to this? He wouldn't allow it. Besides, who did he thought he was with his 'I am trying to know you'? That they would be the best friends, tell every secret and live happily ever after? Gods, no.
"Hey! Wait! Luke!" Speaking of the devil, he screamed approaching him.
"Do you know?" Loki said still walking, "I thought you were smart but, seeing that you are not capable of remember a two-syllable name, I am not that sure anymore. And I was starting to ask myself why you were at MIT when your brain is not qualified to retain a simple and small name. Then I thought that it could be because you are Stark's son and everything made sense. However, that is aside the point. The point is that if you cannot even remember my name, do not try to use it and, please, restrain yourself from trying to call me."
Tony had to admit it, he was impressed by that response. And, hell, emotions! Yes, it was rage, but it was an emotion, nonetheless. And he couldn't blame his imagination or his tired mind because he was really awake and about to scream with laughter, until his mind connected everything Loki had said and he could help but let out a triumphal smile.
"I knew you knew me!"
"Agh, please! How would I not known you if your last name is written on the back of almost every phone in this place? Sadly, the company is nearly as big as your ego."
"So, why did you say you didn't know me?"
"It does not matter. What do you want?" He said before Tony could talk.
"Uhm… you left your phone in the car," Tony answered taking it from his pocket and offering it to Loki.
Loki stopped his walking to sharply take the phone from Tony.
"Thanks," was said before Loki started walking again.
Tony walked on the contrary direction, towards the classroom waiting for him, wondering what the fuck had happened. Though he was sure about some things. Like Loki knowing about him.
Besides, he had realized something important.
Still walking, Tony took his phone from his pocket and started writing a quick message that would be sent to Bruce.
He does have an iPhone. –T.