Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 131

Tony can't believe he convinced the notoriously stubborn King Odin of Asgard to let Loki move.

And he has time, too, which is arguably even crazier. Frigga came back the next morning and basically told Tony to take as long as he needs, and that Odin will drop the spell whenever they're ready to transfer him.

There are a few reasons this whole thing is so exciting. The most important one, of course, is that it means they can (kind of) start over. He's still got people clearing the place out, but he made sure Loki's wing was emptied first so he could begin the redecorating process. He's already found him a nice king-sized bed – much bigger than the twin he's been sleeping in for the last few years – and he's made it up neatly with some green bedding. He'd like to think Loki will like it, but if not, there are some other colors in the closet, including a few different comforters to choose from if he's all greened out.

He has the TV set up in front of the bed with a DVD player next to it, and he's ordered every single Owen Wilson movie he could find on DVD to go with it. Next to the TV stand is a bookshelf for all the books he has in his room, and he's been asking around for recommendations to set up before he moves in. He's also left a couple of boxes of new clothes against the wall, and he'll leave a note telling him to take what he wants and leave what he doesn't. Loki never wears normal clothes. He doesn't even know where to start with that.

And, his personal favorite part: there's a little Build-A-Bear sitting next to his pillow, dressed up like Thor from the official Avengers x Build-A-Bear collection, because honestly, this wouldn't feel right without doing something annoying to balance it out.

He puts his hands on his hips, surveying the room. He thinks he did a pretty good job, given that he has absolutely no idea what kind of things Loki wants in his room. The mini-fridge is still on the way, but he's cleared out a space in the corner for that. The bathroom down the hall is all set up for him – an abundance of different soaps, a few packs of toilet paper, and a big stack of towels wait for him in the closet, because god only knows if he'll ask for more if he runs out and he should be all set for at least a year like this.

Is that it?

Is that all he wanted to do?

He feels like he needs to do more. He has such big plans for the rest of the Compound – a few common rooms, a game room, a gym, a training room next to the gym, and some office spaces for what remains of not-SHIELD to work in without bothering anybody. He's going all-out with this place, and the best he can do for Loki is a TV, a fridge, and a bookshelf?

He leans against the doorframe, lips pressed into a firm line as he thinks. He really feels like this isn't enough, but what else is there for him to do?

A pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind, and in his ear, a familiar voice says, "You're quite the interior designer, Mr. Stark."

Tony smiles. Is it that time already? He turns around, and there she is: the wonderful Pepper Potts, looking up at him with that beautiful smile of hers that just makes his heart melt.

"Well, thank you, Ms. Potts," Tony says. "I've been trying my best."

"I can see that." Pepper presses a kiss to his lips, then takes a step back, eyes scanning the room thoughtfully. "FRIDAY said this is Loki's wing?"

"Mm-hmm," Tony hums. "This is the bedroom – obviously; there's a bed there. I figure it's as far away from everyone else as he can get."

"I think he'll appreciate that," Pepper says.

"I don't know about that," Tony says, his smile slipping away as reality sets in once more. "I think he wants to stay in the tower. He only agreed to it because they already talked his dad into it, but he's not..."