fossilised | For Tony Stark

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For Tony Stark

Sometimes Loki could not quite remember why he had set himself down the difficult path of redeeming himself. Each punishment that he had to bear, each scornful look or insult thrown at him that had to be borne without retaliation, each bitter reminder that he was still the second son in every sense, all made him question the wisdom of his own decision.

Yet he did not turn back from it.

He had no other choice now, it had become an ultimatum between execution and redemption. The All-Father had made it clear that only the memory of Frigga's love and hope for him had motivated this last chance, and that any further acts of hostility would not be met with lenience. No more prison, no more trickery, simple execution. Even then, he might have chosen death over bending knee once more to the man who had lied to him for so long, but there had been Thor.

Stupid, bumbling, arrogant, trusting, loving. He had never given up on Loki however many times they had faced one another in battle, no matter what he had said. and, in the end, Loki had been unable to turn his back on that for the final time.

He had not apologised. Nor would he, for that would be more than his pride could bear, but he did the punishments required of him with as much grace as he could muster. It had been the All-Father's idea that he should spend some time on Midgard, serving the mortals, in order to pay restitution to them. It had been Thor's idea for that mortal to be Tony Stark, trusting in his friend (possibly foolishly) not to abuse the power given to him.

Which was how Loki of Asgard came to be once more outside Stark's home, though this time knocking on the door rather than destroying the architecture. He covered his wariness with a mask of calm nonchalance, and held himself in a proud, upright posture as he waited for the door to open.

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It had taken a lot of convincing for Tony to accept Thor's request. There were so many reasons why it felt like it could be a bad idea, and after a brief discussion with Pepper about what it would mean as far as making sure he didn't try and do something he would regret to Loki, he'd almost refused.

He still woke up in the middle of the night from visions of the open sky and the Chitauri Army descending from it, and onto New York but he refused to allow it to become something which would burden him for the rest of his life. So he'd said yes, in the end. Listened to advice from Roger's without making it look much like he was listening and taken time to hear Banner's point of view and he was ready.

At least as ready as he thought he'd ever be.

Malibu had felt like the safest place to spend their time. Somewhere away from the millions of innocent people who lived their day-to-day lives in the City, and where if things heated up, they'd have plenty of space to fight it out in. That, and the notion of New York made his stomach turn even now.

JARVIS informed him of Loki's arrival before the heavy knock on the door echoed through the foyer, and Tony was already on his way - slow, up the stairs from his workshop, briefing JARVIS on a few things to keep running whilst he was busy. He had no intention of letting Loki's agenda cloud his own, his projects would continue, just with a little less of his own personal input.

As soon as he spotted Loki through the clear glass doors he managed a wry smile, gesturing with one hand in a motion that would slide them open in front of him.

"Loki." He held his mouth open on the last syllable, letting it close after a moments pause, shaking his head. "I've got nothing."

Well, wasn't this awkward?

He had not expected a fond reception from anyone on Midgard, much less any of the Avengers. He could understand, it was hard to look at Tony Stark and not see the battles they had fought on opposite sides, not see the destruction and chaos that the Chitauri had brought with them. It made the atmosphere tense and sharp, though Loki did not offer any apology.

A few easy steps took him from the doorstep and through the doorway into Stark's home, brushing past the man himself. He did not show the tension in himself, for he would not disgrace himself that way in front of anyone, least of all a mortal. He kept his expression calm and his tone light.

"Shall we assume that you have invited me inside and bid me welcome? I would add a query as to my well-being and a hope for my continued health, but I believe that would be optimism bordering on the ridiculous."

Awkward was one way of putting it.

Tony might have prepared himself with a huge number of speeches and one-liners, but there was nothing that could prepare him for how it felt to see Loki again. No matter how calm he appeared, how confident and sure of himself - Tony noticed a big difference in his demeanour.

The least he could do, was make sure that as Loki walked past he didn't quite come into contact with his shoulder - turning around until he was facing him again with a slow arch of his eyebrow. So this was how it was going to be? Fine.

"Looks like you've got everything covered, yourself." He managed, happy enough to follow after Loki, headed toward the bar rather than any other place in his home.

"Never did get that drink, did you?"

It may be that Loki's reason for being here was repentance, but he was not, sadly, very penitent. What had happened was regrettable for being a failure, for leading him down darker roads, but he did not regret the loss of life of the damage done to the city here. That would require him to see mortals as something worthwhile. No matter how Thor spoke of their tenacity and spirit, they were still as ants to him.

So if Tony had been expecting an apologetic visitor ready to do his utmost to make amends, he would be sadly disappointed.

"Then perhaps it is time to settle that long outstanding piece of business between us, and share a drink on the first evening of our new alliance."

The final word contained just the barest amount of bite to it, just enough to make it sound mocking without being overt enough to be rude.

Truthfully, Tony had no idea what he was supposed to expect from Loki. This however, was shaping up to look a lot like he ought to have expected. The guy had expressed his feelings quite openly when they'd first encountered each other, and the feedback he'd heard from the other Avengers.

Apparently the only thing that had changed about Loki was the presence of his trusty sceptre. Tony had to wonder whether his innate power had been harnessed somehow, but that was something he'd take up with Thor. Later. For now, there's this - and Tony certainly wasn't about to deny himself a stiff drink.

"I like to trust my allies." He added absently as he fetched two tumblers from behind the bar, fishing out a nice but inexpensive (when your name was Tony Stark) scotch from the back, pouring liberal amounts into both.

To be inside was a relief, not that he would show such a thing to Tony Stark. He had felt exposed out in the street, he had expected every passerby to notice his face and start a panic. He could not have borne the screaming of frightened humans today; or, worse, the anger of a mob out for his blood.

He somehow doubted that self defence would be accepted as a valid excuse for killing any humans that decided to take revenge for New York.

"It is a fact of life that what we would like to happen and what is, are often diametrically opposed. Especially with such naive hopes, as the world already knows that trust is merely the illusion of a child who cannot face reality."

Thankfully, they'd all agreed to keep a lid on the fact that Loki was coming to spend some time on Earth to do some community service. It would mean a severe change of wardrobe, and perhaps some wise words on how to act like you didn't once feel the need to force everyone into servitude but he could work with both.

Getting along with him was looking to be the most difficult on his long list of things to accomplish.

Tony stared as he set the bottle back down on the counter, not bothering to put it away. Sooner or later, and - most likely the former he was going to need another.

"I don't know - with the right tools you can usually get what you want without forcing it from someone." He batted back, taking the few steps toward Loki, finding enough control in himself to hand him the glass rather than smash it over his head. Already he was taking a sip from his own, ready to wander off as soon as Loki took his drink.

"I trust plenty of people." Which was the truth, at least on the surface.

Loki had not had Midgardian drink often, though he had been offered this drink several times now. Asgardian liquor was much rougher on the palate, strong and as coarsely made as the warriors that drank it. Usually to excess. Loki had never been one for joining in that sort of carousing, finding he preferred books and study to the warrior's games and company.

This drink felt like that. More scholarly and refined than mead, more pleasant than Loki had been expecting it to be. He sipped it slowly.

"Luckily, I do not require you to trust me, nor must I trust you. I am here only to pay what recompense I have been ordered to complete."

Because if it were up to him, he wouldn't be here at all.

Tony might have taken some extra time to watch as Loki drank, wondering vaguely if he'd tasted anything like it before. He knew only what he'd heard from Thor - but the guy tended to hunt down beer rather than spirits.

Whether Loki liked it or not was beyond the point of this, and he was reminded of that very fact as soon as he started spouting about trust. With a shake of his head, he moved over to the nearby couch, settling down and setting his glass on a side table, leaving the one in front of him clear.

"Makes everything a whole lot easier though." He returned, tapping twice with two fingers against the coffee table. "JARVIS, show me the work compiled on Loki's file."

With that, several digital images popped up, and Tony had already begun sweeping, collating and enlarging different images, documents and files on the table.

"Will that be all, Sir?"

Despite himself, Tony nodded. "Are we still running tests on the tracking device?"

"Seven of Eighteen tests have completed successfully. I shall update you when they're finished."

"Thanks, J. That's all."

Even though he had not been offered to take a seat, Loki still chose a chair in the middle of the room and made himself comfortable with one leg crossed over the other. If he had to remain here, then he would not stand on ceremony. It was odd, though, to sit so casually in the presence of a man who he had only ever met on opposite sides of the battlefield before.

"You are not the first to compile tales of my exploits, to what use do you think these files will be to you? The past has been decreed to be just that, the past, and I am not here to be blamed for any prior crimes."

He was, however, curious. He wondered what exactly was in these files that Tony had collected on him. Was it all to do with his time on Midgard before, and the issues he had caused? Or was there other more sensitive information in there? Things provided by Odin and Thor?

"Perhaps you would enlighten me as to what my duties will consist of?"

As far as Tony was concerned, as long as he had eyes on Loki, he didn't particularly care whether he'd been invited to do something normal before he did it. Sitting down was a given, usually - but even so he took note of the way Loki sat and chose to ignore it.

"They're nothing about what you've done - it's what you're going to do." He corrected, making a few gestures across the glass to expand some of the notes and pages and references.

He tapped one in particular. Something time sensitive and couldn't help but grin. Something like this to settle them into their routine would be just the kick that Loki needed.

"Most of the damage from the incident has already been dealt with. Repairs are well under way with anything else, but there's a children's hospital that needed re-funding and really - they needed an upgrade decades ago, so I stepped in. We're going tomorrow, to check in and... maybe meet some of the children you've so unknowingly helped."

That was unexpected.

Loki's eyes widened in genuine surprise, and no small amount of distaste. While he had known his purpose in coming here, he had not imagined it would involve that much hands-on time with mortals outside the Avengers. To imagine himself having to sit and meet with the youth of this realm was near horrifying.

"Are you certain that is wise?" His voice manages to maintain an even keel despite the sneer on his face. "How certain are you that I can be trusted around such impressionable and helpless creatures?"

Tony couldn't help but take a quick peek at whatever expression he'd presumed Loki was wearing - and to say he was incredibly satisfied with the result was an understatement.

He ducked his head only slightly, glad for the fact that the screen was imposed on the table top so it didn't look like he had a smirk to hide.

"They'll love you. Kids love a good villain."

[ooc: I am very sorry about the wait on this tag. Things kept getting in the way of responding. If you don't want to continue, I understand, however I am up for it if you are :)]

"I am sure they will love the experience of meeting with me. Those who survive shall be able to bear their battle scars proudly and sit in places of honour at warrior's feasts."

It would likely not be the best idea to attack small children. He was supposed to be here paying reparation for his crimes, to add further crimes to his tally a scant few hours after arriving on Midgard would not go down well. He had no real wish to be hauled back to Asgard and thrown once more into a cell.

"Think well before you settle their fate on your shoulders. Is this really the task you would set for me?"

[ooc: It's okay!! I'm good to keep tagging on things until the end of time. =D]

"If you know what's good for you, you'll make sure these kids go away believing that you're someone they can look up to." He batted back, quick - to the point, and with a look that he wore so much more often these days. Sincerity is there in his tone, but even he knows that with Loki it means nothing unless there's more backing the words up.

They both knew that it would take one word and Loki's life would end before it could properly begin. Odin and Thor saw a different side to Loki than the one that the people of Earth had caught a glimpse of, and Tony sorely hoped that the faith he placed in their confidence wouldn't land them all in huge trouble.

"They're children. It's not difficult."

"If entertaining your youth is such a simple affair, then you should undertake the task yourself and I shall complete a different assignment."

He has not had experience dealing with children in many years. He had been the youngest of his family, the children that had been encouraged at court or in the palace hallways had been sons and daughters of an age to be companions for himself or, more commonly, Thor.

To know how to deal with such innocents, especially the fragile children of Midgard, was not something he was equipped for. He had not the patience, his temper still too raw beneath the surface and prone to bubbling out if his pride became ruffled.

"To entrust this to me is folly even you should know to avoid."

"Loki. It's happening."

With a look across the table, Tony swept his hand, palm and fingertips across the table - quite literally pushing aside all the data he had open on the screen. As soon as that was done though he shifted his feet, setting them up on top of it, one over the other - leaning back to focus all his attention on his guest.

"Trust me. I've got your back on this one."

"Trust is a commodity I have not traded in for many years, why do you think I should make an exception for you?"

Loki still saw trust as weakness. It bared the back for a knife to sink inside with ease, it exposed vulnerabilities that should be kept hidden, and it allowed for the one let inside to manipulate things to their advantage.

No, Loki Laufeyson did not trust. Not even Thor.

"If this is a task I must do, then so be it. The responsibility for the outcome, however, is yours."

This was a mammoth task. Tony himself hadn't been so sure that this approach would work, but when they'd stacked up the other ideas against one another this seemed like the best way to approach the situation.

There were plenty of other people who could have been in his shoes, and yet no one else they all felt was capable of it. Funny how things happened that way sometimes. Keeping his thoughts to himself, mostly, Tony simply shook his head and reached for his glass again, pulling it toward him and taking a sip as he considered what Loki was suggesting.

"Looks like you got your first shares." He muttered, uncertain whether Loki's knowledge of Earth was vast enough to understand their economics, or whether the notion that Tony trusted him might just have gone over his head.

"We've got to start somewhere, don't we?"

If Tony Stark truly intended to gift his trust to Loki, then he was far from the genius that everyone lauded him as. No matter his intentions here on Midgard, Loki was a known liar and murderer and had shown no real remorse for his actions, nor would he. He still did not quite see why his actions upon Midgard were punishable. He would have ruled fairly, and he had not done more harm than Odin often had to other realms in the past.

"Very well, if you insist on this farce, let us do it and be done."

Loki rose from the seat he had taken and gestured impatiently to the smaller inventor. He had no wish to spend any time around human children, but if he must then it must be done now.

"If all of my tasks are so insulting then my patience shall wear thin, however."

There was no way in hell that Tony intended to give Loki free reign of anything, and an inch of his 'trust' would take them a long way as far as he was concerned. The trick, he believed, was to try and build something, and to start with the children's hospital - well, he'd hoped that perhaps they could brighten spirits and perhaps Loki would see what good he could do.

That - and he'd made a promise to several of the hospitals staff and patients that he would pay a visit and bring a friend. Friend, in the loosest sense of the word, but someone who looked ridiculous enough to play the part well.

"We're going tomorrow. Did I mention that?"

Tony would rather not have a lengthly discussion about patience, so instead he leant back - watching to see what Loki's next move might be.

"No, you failed to disclose that particular piece of information."

Loki's eyes glittered with irritation. He disliked people getting the better of him, even in small ways, and this grated under his skin like an itch he could not reach.

Instead of taking his seat once more, Loki instead moved towards the small kitchen area off to one side. If he would be force to remain in this place then he would at least make sure to sate his hunger and thirst liberally with Stark's supplies.

"I trust I am to be given chambers for the evening?"

"It's not until the afternoon." If that's an consolation. He can't be all doom and gloom, and although there's a pleasure in getting the better of Loki, there's that twinge of guilt that he can't stand. His feelings about Loki are mixed. On the one hand, he hardly deserves this chance at redemption, and on the other - isn't he just a kid walking in his big brother's shadow?

Tony pushes up off the chair, following after Loki - passing him and wandering up toward a set of stairs across from the ones they'd come up through before. There's a long balcony with doors and corridors that lead off to guest rooms - he'll walk Loki to his.

"Set up a space especially." Which wasn't a lie exactly. He'd had someone else change the sheets, tidy up a bit. Tony had a place for each one of the Avengers here, with art work and objects he thought would appeal to their individual tastes, but the room he'd chosen to put Loki in was pretty bare. A lot of white.

It's a considerable size, there's an en suite. If Loki didn't just magic himself clean, showered and dressed in the morning.

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For Tony Stark

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..... hi