Sleep is for the weak [Tony/Loki - early Sunday Morning]

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony wasn't really sure when Friday had turned into Saturday. Well, he knew when it happened considering the time displays, but actually having a memory of that time passing was another matter. He headed up to the kitchen, his stomach wanting a snack and the flavor of coffee from the public kitchen and his body needing to move after being hunched over his workbench. He didn't realize that Gmork was following him until the pup trotted past him to the living room with purpose. He frowned, glancing in the direction of the kitchen and the glorious coffee maker before his curiosity got the better of him and he headed towards the living room as well.

He stopped in the entryway to the living room as soon as he saw what had gotten Gmork's attention. Interesting... His eyes narrowed as he leaned against the wall and studied the 'god'. It wasn't an image he saw often where Loki was concerned (even if the puppy flopping down next to him ruined the image a bit), but he was pretty sure he recognized it from experience. It looked like an honest to goodness sulk. Likely one rival even his own. Which couldn't be good... Sulks never led to anything good.

"You want me to get you some eyeliner and toss on some Evanescence?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows. "You have the nails done perfectly after all. Or are you more of a Dashboard Confessional sort?"

Comments

[isitmadness]

"Don't insult me, Stark," Loki snapped at him, even as he scooped up the pup into his lap. Among the couches he had chosen none of them, instead sitting on the rug with his back against the large sofa, his hands in his lap as he stared at the black abyss of the television screen in silent contemplation. It was nice. It was almost comfortable, if he didn't think about it too much.

And then this. At least he had the pup.

His clothes were loose - not his, again - but not intentionally contributing to the image Stark made of him. On the way out of the flat he had grabbed them blindly from over a chair. "Is there not something better to do with your valuable time?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Not an insult. More of an observation." Tony wobbled his head from side to side. "Snarkily made observation, but still, observation. I would have gone with different music if I was really trying to insult you."

He frowned as he watched Gmork wiggle about in Loki's lap and try to lick the 'god's' face. He still didn't like that the puppy had affection for Loki. It was a weakness that could be used, especially since he didn't have Natasha's balls to use his science pup against the other man. He puffed out a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest. He always had something better to do. Usually those somethings were even better than sleep and food. But letting a supposed god of mischief mope around the living room watching a blank tv screen seemed like trouble.

"Could say the same about you," he pointed out before pushing himself off the wall and stepping farther into the living room towards Loki. "Workshop or garage? Pick one."

[isitmadness]

He kept his chin angled up and his hand on the pup's back to keep it from climbing up against his chest. When Stark came closer, Loki glanced up at him, faintly suspicious about his intentions, more so when he asked the question with no preface. Either would do.

"...garage," he answered, and set the pup on the sofa while he stood, carefully.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony nodded, only a little surprised at the choice and the simple answer. Simple answers weren't usually on the menu with Loki. He jerked his head towards the door. "Come on then," he said before leading the way to the garage. Or well he was leading the way until the pup went galloping off in front of them.

Once they were down in the garage, he put his empty coffee cup down (right he'd meant to get coffee) before putting his hands on his hips and facing Loki. "Alright, we have a few options here. One is that there are plenty of scraps around that aren't being used for one thing or another and are ripe for tinkering with. Two is some cars that need tuning up. Three would be a ride." He made a face. "Car ride. Me driving. No negotiations on that one."

[isitmadness]

He stepped slowly along the edge of the benches where there lay a few scraps, but his eyes focused on the cars, colorful and gleaming beneath the lights. "I'm not much for crude machines and their maintenance - you'll have to ask Thor for that." As he mulled over his answer, he pulled a large steel bolt off the bench and fiddled with it between his hands.

"The Bugatti is new, isn't it?" he asked, gesturing to the car at the end of the line. "Let's drive it."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony rolled his eyes as he grabbed the car keys and led the way down the line of cars. "Other machines might be crude, but none of mine are," he pointed out as he unlocked the car. He had to push Gmork away as he opened the door. "Oh no. Sorry, buddy, but you got to stay here. No dogs allowed in this car." He knelt and ruffled the pup's fur. "Consider this an opportunity to go and empty that bowl of treats in the lab." It looked like Gmork wouldn't buy the bribe for a moment before the pup snorted and then trotted back towards the elevator, barking commands up at the ceiling. He shook his head and slid into the driver's seat. He waited until Loki was settled in the passenger's seat and buckled up before revving up the car.

"It's new," he continued as he pulled out into the New York streets. The one good thing about going out early on a Sunday morning as the lack of traffic. "Won't come out until 2014, but I have my connections to get me the newest, prettiest toys." This probably wasn't a good idea. Taking Loki out of the tower. Alone. But this was a different side he hadn't seen personally of the other man and his experience showed that a loss of bravado usually meant worse things in the works.

He glanced over at Loki. "Any place you're curious in seeing? Or direction to go in?"

[isitmadness]

Loki's hands folded loosely in his lap as he looked out the window, listening. When it came to toys and gifts, it had been much the same being a prince of Asgard, everyone trying to curry your favour. Sometimes it even included travel, exotic by both means and destination...

"Shawarma?" he ventured, half a jest; he had suspected something similar when Thor had come back to him smelling of spices. "No, head north out of the city, if you would. The trees along the Hudson should have all changed colour by now."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony snorted in amusement. "Maybe we can swing by the place when we get back if it's open. Although I do like that being the Avengers Victory Meal. I might have to pick a different place just for that reason."

He nodded as he navigated the streets to get out of the city. He still missed his place in Malibu if just for the lack of city that you had to drive through to get to good roads. At least where the house was situated. But there was something nice about being in New York again. "If we're lucky and all the leaves haven't fallen off. The plants have been all off this year. The apple farm was already harvesting late season apples when I went up there."

And what the hell was wrong with his life if he was talking about plants with Loki? He wasn't sure what to make of this subdued Loki. Polite and almost meek. That was never a good sign either... He glanced over at the other man, weighing his conversation topics before plunging right ahead. "So. Dressing Thor up as a blushing bride and pretending to be his maid in order to steal his hammer back from the jötunn who stole it? True or false?"

[isitmadness]

He laughed at the recollection, because he was very fond of that memory indeed. "True; it happened before Thor learned to call Mjolnir to his hand, and Odin wouldn't intervene, so we had to get it ourselves. Thor took it back, of course, but I wouldn't call it stealing: we didn't even finish the dinner before he started bashing skulls in."

Loki turned his gaze from the side window to the front as the buildings around them grew shorter and farther apart. "Freyja complained that we had tarnished her reputation in the surrounding lands, but a princess like her can withstand even greater marks on her character."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Which just makes more curious, you know. I'd think you'd have learned by now that telling me I'm not capable of doing something makes me want to know what your obviously wrong assumptions on my capabilities are. Although I will admit that tying you up with entrails and having a snake drip venom on you would be a bit challenging in this world."

Tony raised his eyebrow. "Preparations? You mean plans other than resurrecting Coulson? What else is he planning to get himself more into your debt?"

[isitmadness]

That myth, his own suffering both historical and fantastical...he reached out a hand and placed it on top of Stark's on the gearshift. "Stop the car," he ordered in a low voice, "or I'll put it in reverse." His knowledge on transmission theory was a little hazy - but they were going at a nice enough speed that it would wreck thise new, expensive car easily.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony's jaw tensed and he opened his mouth to challenge the 'god' before thinking better of it and swallowing the words. It was hard work to actually throw the car into reverse. There were failsafes to prevent that and the car would just ignore the order if you did manage. But considering the other man's strength, he could very well force the shift and damage the transmission. Or worse, completely break the gear shift and leave them in a hell of a situation. Or well, leave him. Stupid godliness.

He rolled his eyes before downshifting and pulling off to the side of the road, his displeasure obvious in his tense movements. He raised an eyebrow as he turned his full attention on Loki. "So, what's so bad that you had to threaten my new car?"

[isitmadness]

Loki stared at him, his jaw set. "You know not the power of your own words, Stark," he finally said before getting out of the car. He walked off the shoulder and a little into the forest and stopped at the nearest tree, an innocent yellow-leafed birch. Loki sagged against it, sucking in a deep breath of the cool, wet morning air as the adrenaline and fear of past memories left exhaustion in their wake.

Rubbing at his brow, Loki silently cursed himself for bringing up the topic in the first place, so soon since Friday. Not enough time had passed, yet.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Great. He was on his way to getting a big lecture about losing their pet 'god' out in the wilds of New York at this rate... Although he should have known better, making light of something like that. He likely would have punched someone for doing the same. Or something much, much worse depending on his mood. Not that he'd told anyone exactly what had happened in that cave...

Sliding out of the car, he popped the trunk and pulled out the bottle of scotch he kept in there. He followed the direction that Loki went, hanging back a bit as he watched the other man before slowly going forward and holding the bottle out to him. "I'm not very good about not pushing big, red buttons," he said. "Hardly up to the standards of Asgard, but it's something. And it sure looks like you could use it."

[isitmadness]

He didn't look back as Stark came up from behind him, didn't move until he saw the bottle. The gesture earned a small, hollow smile, and while he took the bottle from the neck he didn't drink it right away.

"So early in the morning?" he asked, looking at the label, then he looked back to Stark. "Should I be more concerned that you carry something this strong with you in your car?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony shrugged before leaning his shoulder against the trunk of the tree. "I've started earlier." He snorted as he smirked. "Or never stopped would be the better way of putting it. Hair of the dog that bit you and all that crap. Hard to be hungover if you just work on staying continually drunk. Besides, you never know when you'll need some drinks for a rocking outdoor party like this one."

He studied Loki carefully, his expression a bit softer than usual. "You want to talk about it? Probably best chance of understanding you got in the tower. With a few exceptions." He raised his right hand with his three fingers pointed up. "And just between me and you and the tree sprites. Scout's honor."

[isitmadness]

No, he didn't want to talk about it; the last thing he wanted was to dredge more of this out of the dark corners of his mind, to relive it and discuss it and try (and fail) to put it to rest. But in the last few days he had become reacquainted with how fragile and tenuous his situation still was - and perhaps he would need that bit of understanding. Something to tempt Stark's mercy and good will if, when, things fell through. Two Avengers to his cause, Thor not included, most of the power in hand...

"I don't think you have that honor." He looked ahead, left and right into the forest. There was a little spot among a dense half-circle of trees; he made his way with slow steps over to it. "Do you mind the dirt?" he asked, then watched as Stark went back to the car for an old, thin red blanket with 'MIT' across it in white block letters. By the time Stark had laid it out, Loki had already sipped at the scotch, tasting it with the light burn.

After he sat down, his arms resting on his knees, he stared at the bottle a little longer - effective as his words, probably. "You know how it progresses, I assume, from what I've read about you, Stark. Pain and isolation can change many things, can't they?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Point," Tony said. It was after all why he avoided detailed talk of his own torture. A weakness. He eyed the bottle and the blanket for a moment. It wasn't a good idea. But really, if Loki wanted to try something again, well... This was a worse position to be in. Rolling his eyes, he took the bottle and a sip before sitting down at the edge of the blanket. He took another swig before holding the bottle back out towards Loki. "Despite my glorious reputation of being an ass, I wouldn't do that to you unless you really, really, really deserved it." He shrugged. "I'm curious. You're powerful. There's something out there that could hurt you so much that you went along with it all rather than take that pain. I'd want to know about that, especially since I've gotten myself a job in protecting the Earth."

[isitmadness]

"Why, because you think someone would drag you through it?" he smiled, taking the bottle back. "The thing about being powerful, naturally, is that you can survive much more - but I don't comprehend pain any less than you. I only stomach it better through practice and experience."

He circled his wrist, watching the scotch slosh against the glass. "Are you so surprised that something out there is strong enough to cut into my nerves until I capitulate? You've seen the tesseract, the Chitauri...and their ship." Loki glanced up. "It's a matter of scale, that's all." But it had been more than that. Circumstances had left him without anything to guide him through the torture but habit and history, and after so long neither of those things could hold.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"The thing about being powerful is that you are targeted more as well," Tony pointed out. He looked up at the leaves of the tree and sky. "I'm more surprised that you'd capitulate completely, without some plan circling in the back of your mind. Something that was so powerful that it would make you give up whatever purpose you have so that you're just going 'yes sir, thank you, sir, can I have another, sir' to someone else to save yourself from pain... That's pretty impressive."

Tiling his head, he looked over at Loki. "Can you actually die? I mean, is that even actually a threat to you in your normal state? Or is this just fear of eternal pain and torture?"

[isitmadness]

Loki stared at Stark as he spoke, uttering words that Loki had in fact said simply because someone else had wanted to hear them through the fissures of his pride. He took a swig of the scotch, then shifted closer to Stark and sat on his heels. "You assume, as you tend to do," he said, balancing the bottle on Stark's knee, "that I had any purpose in mind to begin with. You were snatched from your lap of luxury, but it still waited for you outside of your prison - a life to return to, should you manage to survive."

Death...the concept made him smile; he knew more about that than Stark could fathom, and he'd keep it to himself for now. "Decapitation can be fatal, if you can manage it," he mused, "though I have wards against it. If I stopped consuming Idunn's apples, and didn't exhaust myself...perhaps I would last another two centuries? And growing old can be its own kind of torture."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony chuckled, a wry smirk quirking his lips. "You assume I escaped just to go back to that," he pointed out, not moving from his spot when Loki moved closer, but his body tense and ready to move in case Loki tried what he did before. "You expect me to believe you had nothing at all? Why refuse and put up with the torture to begin with if you didn't have anything at all? Why not just give in in the first place?"

He raised an eyebrow. "So the apple thing is true too then? The 'immortality' isn't just a natural characteristic?" He snorted. "And yes. Growing old is its own brand of torture. Supposedly it has its benefits though."

[isitmadness]

"Madness?" He ventured, his tone light. "Vestiges of morality? The mistaken belief that they might have some mercy? We'll never know." And Loki wouldn't try to choose; that time had passed and he didn't want to relive it.

"Wisdom need not come with aches and pains," Loki teased, his fingers drumming lightly on the glass. "But yes, the apples are real; and another thing some humans would pay handsomely to have. Did you want one?" He lifted the bottle for another sip.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"You forgot whatever was left of your pride," Tony said with a smirk. "And interesting the use of 'we'll' there. Haven't put much thought into it personally? Not that I'm saying you should because, really, I'd like to keep my king of sulking prize and you were seriously starting to sniff around my throne there."

He tilted his head to the side as he thought about the offer, whether it was genuine or not. Granted, Steve and Natasha had already had him thinking about it and even with the offer on the table, he realized that didn't change his opinion on the matter. Yes, dying wasn't fun at all, but... well, the alternative didn't sound all that great. "I think I'll stick to the Scottish myths in finding the right amount of Scotch you have to drink every day that'll keep you immortal," he teased before shrugging. "But if I make it to sixty, feel free to ask me again. I might change my mind."

[isitmadness]

Oh, he would make sure to ask him again. Watching a mortal mind debate the apples was entertainment indeed.

"There are better things to spend my thoughts on, and all sulking does is lure me into cars with strange men, who take me out into the woods for no other reason but to tease me."

He leaned back on one hand and glanced over Stark. "Do you know how terrible this is?"