Chapter Text
The day had started quite normal. Well, he hadn't slept, but that had grown to be a part of normal with the time passing. So he had done what he always did, building and improving suits, being the good guy and blowing a few Doombots up when SHIELD had called him out, and now he was on his way back home. So, as said before, a quite normal day for Tony Stark, if not for JARVIS alerting him in the middle of the flight: “Sir, I have identified a hostile presence on the ground.”
“Define, JARVIS”, Tony sighed.
“It appears that it is Loki, sir.” The millionaire gasped and lost control for a second, drawing circles and loops in the sky until he regained his balance.
“Shouldn't that guy be rotting in a prison cell right now?”, he asked, hovering in the air. He was in an unpopulated area, only a few fields and a forest nearby, and watched the figure of Loki he had spotted by now. The god was walking towards the trees, barely visible in his dark clothing while the night took over.
“Obviously, he is not”, the AI replied.
“Yeah, now that's just great”, Tony muttered and began to approach the figure below head-first until he was right in front of him, causing Loki to startle and shrink back at the view of Iron Man landing in front of him.
"You", Stark hissed.
"Me", Loki replied and looked up at Iron Man who was raising his hand slowly. "I'm afraid there is no window to toss you out this time so I suggest we should... continue this later, if you don't mind." He seemed strangely nervous for someone who was usually that composed.
"If that was supposed to be a joke it was not funny", Tony mumbled and his hand repulsor began to glow. The eyes of the trickster god widened and he took a few steps back.
"You look awfully serious right now", he muttered.
"I am god damn serious!"
"Stark, stop this!", the god snarled. "I have not even done anything since I'm here!"
"You mean besides destroying New York and killing like... a few hundred people?", the engineer growled.
"Oh, come on. At least not in the past... two minutes!", Loki tried again.
"That's not going to work, you stupid little..."
"You are supposed to be a hero, heroes do not fight unarmed persons!"
"It's not like you needed weapons to be dangerous", Stark sighed. This whole conversation was ridiculous.
"I take that as a compliment. But this is going to be really boring if you just kill me without me being able to defend myself." The trickster god swallowed and stared nervously at the suit which seemed ready to fire at any moment.
"Who are you trying to fool, Loki?", Stark asked, although he decided not to shoot the prince. At least not right now.
"Do you really think that low of the Asgardians?", he chuckled. "After my brother", he spat the word like a disgusting fruit or something, "has brought me back like this, do you think they would just let me escape and return to Midgard again? Because if you do, I am deeply disappointed of your so-called genius." He folded his arms in front of his chest. He was not going to like what was following, but if he wanted to keep Stark from grilling him he had to be convinced that Loki was no threat to him. Hesitatingly he continued: "As much as I hate to admit it, I am not here out of my free will." He snorted. "The oh-so-wise Allfather has sent me here so I can undergo some... character development. He wants me to grow as soft as Thor. Therefore he", Loki bit his lower lip while his blue eyes were shining with anger, "stripped me off my powers so I am in no way stronger than some worthless human."
Half a minute Stark just stared at him in disbelief, then he demanded: "Prove it." The god visibly tensed.
"Is that really necessary?", he mumbled, shifting uncomfortable.
"If you don't want to be blown to dust, I would recommend it", the Iron Man replied. Sighing, Loki began to undo his armour and pull up his sleeve until his forearm was bare. Well, bare was not quite the word to describe it.
Tony gasped as he looked at the runes curved into the pale skin. At some spots there was still some dried blood to be seen and he had noticed the way in which the god had winced every time the fabric had rubbed over the wounds.
"Proof enough?", Loki mumbled, suddenly sounding rather subdued.
Stark nodded and let the outstretched arm drop to his side, the glow of the repulsor fading as he did so. It took a few seconds for him to regain the ability to speak. Meanwhile the god had hidden his arm again.
"So... what am I going to do with you?", he asked slowly. The other one just shrugged and answered: "I've been asking that question myself and couldn't quite seem to find an answer... I guess I will not be able to do some heroic fighting and sacrifice my life to safe my dearest friends", he let out a bitter laugh, "because first I am not interested in humans and second I have not the least bit of interest in getting myself killed just because of a mood-swing of my stupid father!" Loki’s voice had become louder and louder with every word until he shouted, his hands clenched into fists and his shoulders shaking heavily.
"Whoa, slow down, buddy", Stark soothed. "You... do not coincidentally need someone to talk, do you? Because you really look like it."
"I do not need help of any human being", the god growled and turned around as if to walk away.
"Not so fast, Reindeer Games!", Stark shouted and used a small thrust of his repulsors to close the gap between them so he could take a firm hold of the other's wrist. Loki winced and let out a sharp hiss, turning around at the same moment to snap at him: "You let go right now or I am going to rip your god damn head off!"
Immediately, Iron Man obeyed and released the god who stumbled backwards and bit his lower lip while he pressed the arm to his body, obviously in pain.
"Sorry, I..."
"Didn't mean it? Didn't use my brain? Not like I expected anything else", Loki sneered, almost sounding huffily.
"Calm down, I didn't do it by purpose", Stark sighed. "You act like some five-year-old. Why am I even apologizing? Not that you hadn't deserved this."
"You have no idea what you are talking about!", the god yelled, suddenly agitated again. "Just shut your damn mouth for a minute and get back home to this cute blonde awaiting you."
"We're not mentioning Pepper", came the answer which had become routine during the past few weeks for Stark. Since the day Pepper had broke up because she couldn't... He shook his had. Neither the right time nor the right place for that.
"Sweet", Loki muttered, slowly letting go of his aching arm. "Well, do I have the permission to leave now?", he asked sarcastically with a slightly murderous glare.
"You don't", Iron Man simply replied.
"... What?"
"You don't. You're a threat. I'll be calling SHIELD and..."
"No, you don't!", Loki interrupted. "Anything but that. I am not here to linger in some glass cell until I rot away. Get that idea out of your head."
"What makes you think I am going to obey?", Stark asked grinning under the helmet.
"Oh, come on. Do you want me to die because of boredom?", the god moaned.
"Better ideas?"
"You still own me a drink", Loki reminded, suddenly smiling slyly.
"Are... are you serious?", Stark demanded, flabbergasted.
"I always am."
"So... you are basically asking me to take you home with me, do I get that right?"
"Not asking. Suggesting."
"Hell, you actually are serious, aren't you?"