All Things Considered, This Was Unexpected

Liar

"Hey, Tony?" Bruce called from the other side of the door. "You okay? It's been a couple of days since we've seen you. Pepper's worried about you. She said you've been ignoring her calls."

Shit, he'd have to call her later.

"I'm good, Brucie. I've been invested in my project." He responded successfully keeping the shake out of his voice, but not his body.

"Oh, okay. Have you been eating?"

That was a first, Pepper is always concerned for his health, but he didn't think anyone else would be.

"Yes, I have been. You proud?" Tony said, sickeningly sweet.

"I am."

Now Tony felt much worse for being a liar.

"You've cut back on your drinking? I know I'm not your doctor, but I still care, you know?"

This was all overwhelmingly too much for Tony. This wasn't necessarily new, Bruce gave checkups to everyone on the team and advised Tony to sleep more, eat more, and drink less. But the amount of concern in Bruce's voice made Tony want to cry, but he didn't and he won't not when Loki was right there listening to every word. Seeing the weight of each word crash on Tony's shoulders.

"Yeah man, yeah."

"Okay, Tony. Cap's attempting to make some 40's dinner tonight. He promises it's going to be a 'gas,'."

Tony snorted, "Somebody please tell that man it isn't 1947 anymore."

Bruce just laughed and Tony heard retreating footsteps as the voice sounded further away.

"You're a shit liar."

Caught off guard and surprisingly unoffended, Tony laughed at the curse that fell out of the god's mouth. It sounded too elegant for how crass the word was.

"You still require sustenance?"

"Yes."

"Have you tried Mexican food?"

Turns out Loki loves Mexican food.

Even though the god was more graceful than his brother ever could be, they still held the same appetite. Tony found this fun fact charming. He chalked it up as an Asgardian thing, but it still wasn't something you'd expect of someone like Loki.

The god of mischief ate 7 chicken tacos, 5 taquitos, 3 Carne Asada tacos, a side of chips, and salsa and insisted he try some of the pico.

"I hope you aren't trying to keep your girlish figure," said through a mouth full of a burrito. He hadn't even finished his first one.

Loki not understanding the reference glass through his eyelashes as he took a bite of his taco. He did not appear in his masculine form just to be addressed as feminine, but he kept quiet otherwise, deciding whatever they put in this Midgardian meal was more important.

"So what's your deal anyway?" Tony pressed. He housed the god, patched him up, and fed him like the good pet owner he was, he thought amusingly. The least Tony could get were some answers.

"Aren't you supposed to be eating dinner with your playmates?" Loki announced after chewing all his food. He wasn't a fiend like Stark.

"Don't deflect."

"I'm sure Miss Pepper Potts would not be happy if you keep disregarding her any longer."

"Don't evade." Tony only resisted the urge to hit the god for being difficult.

Loki watched, trying to find something, anything. When he decided he couldn't find it he left Tony confused and just a little uneasy. Before Tony could open his mouth, Loki spoke.

"Has Thor ever spoken of an enchantress named Amora? I'm sure he'd have to have mentioned her name,"

Tony nodded. Thor mentioned her one time since he's known him. Tony tried to remember what he had said but came up with nothing, only collecting the memory of fuzziness and a sense of contentment from a bottle of gin.

"He's referred to it." is all Tony confessed.

"Well, Amora." Loki spoke with such malice, "She and I have gotten into a...disagreement. A verbal feud-turned physical."

"And she nearly killed you?" Tony shouted in disbelief. If they had to deal with someone more powerful, and sharper than Loki, then it would not be a pretty situation.

"Hush. Calm yourself. She nearly killed me. I did kill her. She and I are not the same." Loki said the word "did" with an unspeakable amount of pride. It made Tony nervous, not nervous enough to show, but he had a feeling Loki knew.

"Why?" That was all Tony could say.

"That was your question."

"Huh?"

Loki took a napkin and wiped the sour cream on the corner of his mouth "That is another, ugh. Stark. What's with all the questions? It's very odd of you. Not very charismatic."

Tony Stark was confused as he sat there attempting to decode what the hell Loki was saying. He hated not knowing things.