Inside Out
PS:
Tony’s thoughts are in [Italic Square Brackets]
Loki’s thoughts are in {Italic Curved Brackets}
Anyone’s else’s thoughts would be in ‘Italic Single Quotations’
XXX
“Hey snowflake, what you up to?” He hears the soreness in his voice. He asks:
“What’s wrong?”
“Whaddya mean?” the smith retorts, sniffing audibly.
“…You’re sick,” Loki deduced. Stark sighs from where he was top the sofa in the cabin.
“Yes.”
“So come back,” the mage answers, in his room on his armchair by the window.
“Can’t. They still need me. They had to head out and, I am very bored.”
“Mm, and how precisely am I to entertain you?”
“Hoho I can think of a few things princess.”
“You know I can hang up.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Stark.” Tony grins.
“Come on, Lokes. I’m all sick and stuff. Where’s your heart?” he coughs hoarsely. Loki frowns.
“Are you on any form of medication?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“Which translates to ‘should be’ and ‘will not’.” Tony laughs and it’s rough, admits though:
“They make me fuzzy. Can you believe there’s no fucking alcohol like, anywhere .”
“Mm, devastating.”
“I know !” he coughs. “So tell me something, what you been doing all day?”
“Take a guess.”
“Hmm, reading, hiding from Thor, inhaling my coffee stock.” Loki grins.
“You’re not stalking me, are you Anthony?”
“I don’t need to, sweetheart. Know you inside out,” he sniffs as the god softened, frowned.
“…So you think.”
“Mmm, no pretty sure. Hang on,” away holds the phone, coughs wetly. Loki grimaced, concerned. Tony retracts the phone. “Okay.”
“You should be resting.”
“Oh Lokes don’t mother-hen me please, it’s been happening all day and you’re my last hope. Tell me a joke.”
“Barton’s haircut.” Tony laughs genuinely. Loki smiles.
“I am so telling him.”
“Should I be alarmed?”
“Mm well you never know when he’ll figure out the best way to get to you is to activate clingy-big-brother.”
“And I will tell Thor that.” Stark chuckled. Loki heard from the other end commotion.
“Gotta go. Totally Spies is back. Be good and don’t burn down my tower.”
“No promises.”
XXX
“Hey,” it sounded desolate in a way that had Loki abstain from the usual snark.
“Hi.”
“Ugh it sucks here. Can’t wait to be back. D’you miss me?”
“Maybe.” Tony’s smile’s weary as is the silence after, and Loki asks: “What happened?” he needn’t see him to tell, for he knows him too well.
“Mph, nothing,” is the usual answer, for both, but they know when to probe and when rather to distract, so their moods mend. “Steve’s a dick. What’s new?”
“Mm. D’he chastise you like a child?” Tony chuckles dryly.
“You know it,” coughs shortly, quiet then. He’s exhausted Loki needn’t see to tell. It aggravates him, being far, where he can’t tug him from the lab late to a movie on the couch, and Tony’d drift off against him.
“…Anthony when’d you last sleep?”
“…Kinda hard to do when breathing right’s hard.” Hard regardless; they share the same problem. They were eerily alike. “I hate being sick. Haven’t been sick in years. And the weather here is awful .”
“When will you be back?”
“I don’t know. Few more days.” Too long, Loki contemplates.
“Where are you again?”
“Jura, Switzerland. This cabin in the middle of nowhere, you know where serial killers like to prowl.” Loki’s eyes roll, despite the sting of concern. “Tell me something.” And there was the ask for distraction.
“…I finished The Hobbit. Wasn’t all that impressed.”
“What?! How dare you?” So resumes aimless discourse for a good while, Tony’s disposition audibly lightened, until Bruce takes the lift up to his and Thor’s floor where Loki’d perched in the sitting space, interrupting.
“Doctor. Do you need something?”
“Shit don’t tell him I’m here. I mean-”
“Is that Tony? Can I talk to him?”
“I’m afraid he’s rather indisposed.”
“Loki this is serious. He’s got a bacterial infection and he isn’t taking his meds.” Loki shoots a mental curse Stark’s way. “He’s not answering me either.”
“Well, he is an adult and he can look after himself.” Tony smiles genuinely. Bruce deadpans.
“Are you kidding? Have you met him? Just, let me talk to me,” approached and Loki brought up a hand, held up the phone he’d by magic ended the call with and showed.
“Hm, the line dropped. He seems to have fled.” Bruce sighs.
“Can you call him back, please?”
“Hm, let’s see,” swiftly texted not to answer so when he dials, Tony doesn’t, and he shows, as it continues to ring. Bruce exhales exasperated when the call times out.
“If he calls again. Just tell him to take the damn meds.”
“Will do.” Loki smiles insincerely. Banner leaves.
Loki gets up.