My War Is Over (Original Unfinished Version)

Chapter Nineteen

 *The next afternoon*

"C'mon Loki, we have to," Tony tries for once in his life to be mature, rubbing his forehead with his hand. He'd been trying unsuccessfully for the past twenty minutes to get Loki out of bed and down to the medical bay so that Bruce could check his sutures, but the god remains curled up on his side, back to Tony, just like he had been ever since he'd discussed the scars on his lips with the billionaire. 

"Please," comes his faint voice, thick with tears, "I don't want to go there again." Tony bites his lip, circling around to the other side of the bed where he can see Loki's face. The god makes no move to turn away, tears streaking from dull eyes staring blankly ahead of him. Shit.

"Alright, alright I'll call Bruce, and we won't do it there," Tony suggests. "I can have him meet us in my lab. You haven't been there before Lokes, I think you'll like it." There's a small pause. 

"Who will be there?" Tony wants to dance in relief since while the whispered question isn't a direct agreement it's the closest he's gotten toward any positive response yet. 

"Just you, me, and Bruce. Though I don't have to stay if you don't want me to." Loki's eyes snap to his. 

"You'd leave if I asked you to?" Loki seems rather shocked at the implication. 

"Yes, but not because I want to leave, only if you want me to leave." Loki hums softly, looking away again. 

"Do you want me to leave?" Tony asks, not sure if he really wants the answer. Loki considers this for a moment before he shakes his head softly. 

"No." 

"Then yeah, just us." 

"Must we do this?" Loki asks, but he sits up slowly, drawing his knees to his chest and glaring at Tony. 

"Sucks, eh? But yeah. It'll suck even more if those stitches get infected. Thor says you heal really fast though, so I doubt you'll have to get the bandages changed for very long. Besides, dontcha wanna see my fabulous-as-fuck lab?" 

"I suppose."

"Then c'mon, Princess, Bruce is already waiting in the med-bay, I'll tell him to march his ass down to the lab. Let's see who gets there first. Probably Bruce with how slow you are." Loki's glare hardens into a scowl. 

"I am not slow," he growls, sliding his long legs off the bed and rising to his feet, wobbling slightly as he did. 

"Sure, just weak as fuck and still in recovery. No judgies! Once we get a shitton more of those pancakes in ya you'll be right as rain. Probably scarier than Natasha, if your powers really are as strong as Thor said."

"They were...are," Loki snaps. 

"I can't wait to see it, Snowflake." Tony grins. They reach the elevator doors, Tony leaning to the side to push the button on the wall to call for it. 

"You'd be interested in such things?" Tony can feel Loki's green gaze boring into the back of his skull as they step into the elevator. He pushes the button for his lab, leaning against the wall and pretending not to notice as Loki attempts to subtly push himself into the furthest corner. 

"Yeah, I mean, I don't really believe in magic, er...well, I didn't, and as a man of science, I don't know if I believe in it now or not. I mean, there has to be some scientific explanation for it all. But I saw what I saw with my own two eyes. Everyone did. I have to say it was pretty fucking cool. You'll have to show me all the shit you can do someday. When you're all better." Loki smiles a little bit, and Tony swears he isn't squishing himself into the corner quite so much now. The elevator dings.