Therapeutic?

[st_ratagem]

Following Thor without being hugely obvious was already getting tricky, even after only a day. It wasn’t surprising, really; Thor was more observant and aware of Loki’s tricks than he’d once been, and the Inn was still a confined space. That really only meant that instead of being sneaky, Loki was trying artful.

For whatever reason, Stark was confined to Thor’s room. Some kind of breakdown, who cared? It was an opening. If Stark was confined, they couldn’t have lunch in the cafe as they occasionally did, so bringing lunch was an excuse to lurk around Thor’s area. It was also a way to be a little bit of a jerk in the guise of being a medical type. Stark was an iffy eater at the best of times. And yes, Loki himself wasn’t interested in food, much, but he maintained weight and muscle mass without difficulty, which was more than Stark could say.

But the fact that he had multiple good reasons was why he turned up at Thor’s door and knocked by kicking it because his hands were carrying lunch.

Comments

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"I hijacked your scepter to make an AI peacekeeping program. It tried to induce a technological singularity via the genocide of humanity." Tony's grip on the brush tightened minutely. Though a dull stab of guilt hit his gut, Tony described it with as much emotion as he would any other robotic venture. "In hindsight? Not a great plan."

[st_ratagem]

“Ah, just what I would do. Though of course, since AI always goes sideways, I would use regular sight to see that backing such an entity with one-sixth of the force that created the universe would go badly for someone.” Loki smiled slightly. “Perhaps it was fortunate that I was either imprisoned or ruling Asgard at the time.”

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Shrugging in acknowledgement, Tony gave Loki another little side-eye. A Loki-Ultron team-up--there was a nightmare for the ages. "Well, another bright spot. The whole thing gave me and your brother the only child we're likely to get. Banner was involved in conceiving. Doctor form. The beloved Jolly Green Giant would've been too much to take."

[st_ratagem]

Even less interesting, even the part that he should have pointed out: that none of Stark’s assorted ‘children’ would inherit from Thor. The throne of Asgard had to be held by an Asgardian. (Which was why it was on his eventual to-do list, within the next thousand years or so, to make sure that Thor actually did spawn and relieve Loki of heir status.) “Congratulations?”

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Thanks. He's an Avenger now. Wields the Mind Stone like a champ."

For how well that worked out for him.

Tony's jaw tightened and he dropped the paint brush while his third arm dropped what remained of the sandwich. He shoved up and rubbed life into his clammy cheeks. "Christ, I need to get out."

[st_ratagem]

“Then go. I’m not stopping you.” Loki watched Stark carefully. Dropping things wasn’t usual. And he’d mentioned.... “Of course, that would prove your are in fact a flight risk.”

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

A harsh sigh followed by a frantic chuckle, and Tony was forming his helmet just to take it off and bounce it about. "Then Thor'd go chasing after and you'd miss out. No way to treat a guest."

[st_ratagem]

“You think I can’t keep up? I assure you I can.” Thor would have to come back briefly, at least, in order to see that his lover had gone.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Sounds like a goad." Tony met his helmet's eyes and they responded by blinking and projecting the vocals of Freddie Mercury. "At least someone'd get a kick out of it."

[st_ratagem]

“Go or don’t. It’s nothing to me either way.” Either way this was the best way and place to catch Thor.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"If you wanted to be forthcoming with him for once it might get his mind off me." Tony had taken to pacing, tossing his helmet up and prompting it to start flashing. The chat and the movement helped take the edge off the claustrophobia, though slightly.

[st_ratagem]

“Forthcoming about what, exactly?” It was a dangerous question to ask, since it might get answered. The conversation that was calming Toby was slowly but surely ratcheting Loki’s tension up.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony opened his mouth, though his confused mind turned on a dime. “About how much you want to be my furry little buddy again.”

[st_ratagem]

“Excuse me?” That was a considerable departure from what Loki had been expecting, conversationally speaking. Adding to the oddity of the moment, it didn’t actually sound like a terrible idea. Not permanently! No. Just... for a while.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“Say I’m projecting if you want—that wouldn’t be a shock.” Tony was now staring right at Loki over his helmet. “I miss it.”

[st_ratagem]

Stark spent a lot of time with Thor, being a kitten again - very temporarily! - would enable watching him under the excuse of keeping Stark company. And kittens were... less complicated. It could be restful, which was a good thing; the past ten years of his life was proof enough that Loki made very bad decisions under stress.

The simple fact that he’d been able to come up with multiple reasons to go along with the idea, too, probably meant that he did in fact want to do it.

Outwardly, Loki just shrugged a fine, crazy idiot sort of shrug, set the remainder of the food down, and changed back to the black-furred, green-eyed kitten Tony had known for two weeks,

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Without hesitation, Tony moved to the deceptively frail creature and immersed himself in the illusion of a loving pet as he picked it up and gave him a cradle in his arms.

[st_ratagem]

As before, Loki let the kitten body drive for the most part. It was easier than actually having to know how to deal with the heightened and different senses, being on four legs instead of two, and so on. But it also meant that being picked up and held resulted in purring unless he made some effort otherwise.

He didn’t. He went on purring.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Just feeling a warm, fuzzy little body vibrating at that pitch satisfied many, many needs within Tony at once. He warmed a few of his fingers against Loki’s warm stomach, sneaking a finger up to scratch his chin. “I almost forgive you for the vomit explosion.”

[st_ratagem]

Loki yawned, stretched, batted at fingers in passing: a tiny innocent creature. I have no knowledge of the incident to which you refer.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony approached the bed he shared and sunk down on it, keeping Loki steady on his chest. “You prefer Loki or Cacafuego?”

[st_ratagem]

The main problem with being a kitten, beyond 'no thumbs' and 'magically limited', was the inability to speak. Instead, Loki flicked an ear but otherwise didn't respond to the question. The name used didn't matter too terribly much - it was still him either way. They both knew it but had, for the moment, decided not to care.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony cracked his first smile of the day, small and brief and lopsided as it was, running a thumb all over his little face. Having your questionably villainous brother-in-law play pet was bizarre but it was the least offensively bizarre thing he’d had to deal with. He had a vision of Loki taking a ride on a roomba as it meandered from place to place.

“This’ll make Liz happy. Heard she got a visitor or two.”

[st_ratagem]

Loki hadn't actually considered being a kitten around anyone other than Stark, but it might almost render things closer to medical. Therapy kitten! And this time, when he wanted to be a person he didn't have to sneak. Unless he felt like it, which he often did.

Almost absently, he wondered if Valkyrie liked kittens, but got distracted within the first second or two by batting/shoving at Stark's thumb in his face with tiny, ineffectual paws. That was going to be a pleasant daydream! Stop!

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

“Oh, what? Were you deep in thought?” Tony hovered his fingers above Loki’s head, circling them about.