The Visit That Changes Everything
It was a warm spring morning in New York when The Avengers received a visit from New Asgard. Thor had come to return Bruce home and brought his wayward younger brother along for the journey. While Thor and Bruce were busy catching up with Nat and Clint, Loki wandered off to explore. He eventually made his way into an empty lab and began to look around, not afraid to use his seidr.
It wasn’t long before Tony also got bored and decided to continue his next project. He headed off to the lab himself, ready to get to work. When he got to the doorway he saw Loki inside. Deciding to stop and watch for a second, Tony saw Lok levitating a particularly stubborn set of blueprints and was apparently attempting to decipher the intricacies of the latest Stark Industries prototype.
“Really? You couldn’t just… you know… put the blueprints down?” Tony asked, his voice laced with amusement.
Loki turned to face the voice with a smirk on his face, blueprints still levitating behind him. “Why bother with mundane gravity when one can effortlessly defy it?” He gestured with a flick of his wrist, and the blueprints began to dance in the air, their lines blurring into an abstract, enchanting ballet. Loki watched as Tony’s eyes followed the blueprints, enthralled by his abilities.
Tony shook his head and decided to tease Loki by using science in an attempt to explain what he just witnessed. “It’s not magic, Loki. It’s physics. A clever application of electromagnetic fields, probably.” Stark nodded along, trying to make himself believe his own explanation.
Loki’s smirk deepened. “You mortals are so obsessed with explaining the inexplicable. There’s more than just science to this universe, Stark. You should explore it some time, you would love Alfheim.”
This encounter was the beginning of an unlikely friendship. Tony, a brash and brilliant inventor, and Loki, a charismatic and skilled mage, were united by their shared thirst for knowledge and their obvious disdain for the societal expectations placed upon them both. Tony felt like he might just get along with Loki despite their shared, quite unpleasant history and Thor seemed to trust him enough to allow him free reign of the tower while visiting.
As the weeks followed, Tony and Loki would spend more time around each other and noticing each other's likes and quirks. Tony would often find Loki immersed in ancient texts, deciphering intricate runic scripts. Loki, in turn, was fascinated by Tony’s cutting-edge technology, particularly his creations - inventions that defied the known laws of physics, much like Loki’s own magic abilities.
One day when experimenting in the lab things began to change between the two. The air hung thick with the scent of ozone and burnt metal, the remnants of Tony's latest invention gone awry. He glared at the smoking wreckage, his brow furrowed in frustration. This wasn't the first time his 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist' persona had led to a spectacularly disastrous explosion. Usually, it was the playboy part that caused the trouble, but this time, he could blame his genius.
'Tony,' a smooth voice, laced with amusement, cut through the acrid air. Loki did rather enjoy teleporting around the tower, this time, he was intrigued to see a commotion going on.
Tony turned, his irritation dissolving into a surprised smile. 'Loki. Fancy seeing you here.' He turned back towards his ‘experiment’ and dropped the wrench he was holding onto a nearby table.
Loki leaned against the doorway, his emerald eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. His presence, despite the chaos that often followed, was a surprising anchor of calm. Exactly what Tony needed and a major contrast to the havoc that he had inadvertently created.
'I couldn't resist seeing what new mischief you were creating,' Loki said, stepping closer, his eyes lingering on Tony's face, before quickly darting back to the wreckage.
Tony, despite his best efforts, felt a blush creep up his neck. Loki had a way of making him feel self-conscious, his gaze a captivating blend of curiosity and interest. 'What are you doing here?' Tony asked, trying to regain his composure.
'I was bored with that oaf of a brother trying to convince me to spar with him,' Loki said, moving closer still. 'I heard the commotion and decided to pay a visit. Is this another one of your 'genius' inventions?' Loki began circling the mess, taking in the still-smoldering chunks of metal.
Tony snorted, gesturing at the wreckage. 'Genius is a bit of a strong word right now. More like 'failed experiment.''
Loki chuckled. 'I wouldn't call it a failure. It's simply a learning experience.' He reached out, letting small tendrils of magic cool down the wreck and clear the smoke from the lab.
Tony felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him, his heart pounding against his ribs. He couldn't explain the pull he felt towards Loki, a strange mix of fear and fascination. Loki was a being of power and magic, an entity beyond his understanding, yet he was drawn to him with an irresistible force.
'What was it supposed to do?' Loki asked, his gaze fixed firmly on anything other than Tony.
Tony sighed deeply and replied. 'It was supposed to be a self-sustaining energy source,' he muttered, 'but apparently, I forgot to account for the possibility of spontaneous combustion.' Giving up on trying to fix anything, Tony jumped up to sit on a workbench, swinging his legs and thinking about how to fix it.
Loki laughed. 'You are indeed a creature of chaos, Tony,' he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. ‘This truly is remarkable.’
The air between them crackled with tension. Tony, normally so quick with a witty retort, was speechless. Loki's presence had a way of stripping him bare, exposing his vulnerabilities. He had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable, with anyone. He could feel his heart beginning to pound.
Suddenly realising he was covered in soot and reeking of burnt matter, Tony jumped down from the workbench and headed toward the door. ‘I think I'm gonna go shower, before this stuff sticks to me permanently.’ Tony opened up the door to the lab and smiled. ‘I’ll see you around, Reindeer Games.’
Loki felt a blush rise to his cheeks at the familiar nickname, glad that Tony wasn’t there to see it for himself. He shook his head, smile still lingering and headed off to plan another prank to play on Clint.
It was during this time, that separately, Tony and Loki began to realise that their feeling may run a little deeper than just friendship. Both were drawn to each other in different ways, feelings growing stronger, yet both were too scared to voice what they felt brewing inside.