Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 27: Calm Before the Storm

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Calm before the storm

Andromeda Galaxy

Bek System

Yirb Orbit

For the hundredth time that day when Tony glanced up from his work he found Loki's eyes on him. It was not a novelty, since Loki always seemed to try and figure things out only by staring at them for a long time. If he did not know what kind of reaction it would cause, he would have told him already how Bee seemed to be the same. There were subtle things about her face when she stared at something. Tony could read curiosity, confusion and wariness, once he was almost certain that he saw a tiny hint of amusement in the way her eyebrows lifted. Loki was easier to read in a way, he had incredible control over his face and body language, but Tony spent enough time around him to pick up on the small things. This stare he could not identify.

'What is it?' he asked in the end.

'What is what?' Loki asked. He blinked and his face smoothed out to a neutral expression. Sometimes not showing anything was the biggest tell with Loki.

'You've been staring,' Tony told him as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. Loki stayed silent for a few moments, looking at him, his neutral mask not changing.

'Your hair,' he said then. That was not something he expected.

'What about it?' he asked.

'It's hideous. Cut it,' Loki told him firmly.

'Why are we talking about my hair?' Tony was confused. Okay, so his hair was ridiculously long at this point, he never had it this long in his life, but he was not overly concerned about it.

'For our plan to work you will have to look and act in a certain way. No one will take you seriously if you look like some common hayseed.'

'Uh, excuse you. Have you looked at yourself and that mane you're walking around with?' He was still very confused about this conversation. And Loki's hair was indeed very long, it reached his shoulder blades, he had to tie it up if he wanted to do something otherwise it always fell into his face.

'That is different, you do not have the face to look dignified with it.'

'Did you just call me ugly?' Tony asked. He was so utterly confused that it was starting to morph into ridiculous amusement.

'I believe I called you a hayseed,' Loki replied. 'It means peasant, if you were wondering.'

Loki's face was still neutral, but his tone was not. He was amused.

'Oh, I'm sorry your highness, is my hair offending your delicate royal sensibilities?'

Loki looked up at him for a moment before he stood up and walked to where Tony was sitting near his workbench.

'Yes,' he said simply. 'Cut it.' It took a moment before he realized that Loki was actually holding out fucking scissors for him, he was serious.

'I don't like being handed things,' Tony replied automatically. Loki looked unimpressed. 'Where'd you get the scissors anyway?'

'Medical supplies,' Loki answered holding them out for Tony. 'Cut it, I mean it.'

'No,' Tony said.

'Stark.'

'No.'

'Why?'

'Because I'm gonna look like a pre-schooler after a serious gum incident if I try it,' Tony explained.