In Plain Sight (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 3

Maybe it was the unusually cold night. Maybe it was the sight of the still alarmingly silent Thor at dinner.

Whatever it might have been, Tony woke up before dawn, struggling against his tangled silk sheets, with Loki's eyes still digging into his skull.

"He's dead." He said to himself. His chest heaved, and his eyes ran over his bedroom, faintly illuminated by the dim blue light of his arc reactor, but he found no peace. No matter how many times he repeated the words to himself, sleep didn't come back to him.

Without explaining to his team, he found himself patrolling solo more often than not, and hovering over that park at least twice a day, checking the footage back at the mansion, but never finding Loki's unnerving glance again.

Sometimes, though, he did catch a glimpse or two of pale skin and raven hair. True, it was probably just some common pedestrian, but his stomach clenched tightly every time it happened, warning him until he made his decision.

He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. After all, bursting into a room to force a god to speak about a touchy subject was not his ideal of fun.

"Thor? Big guy, can I come in?" He waited for the muffled grunt from the inside, before entering and closing the door behind him.

He looked around for a minute, baffled, and had to admit Thor had made a good job making himself at home. The modern furniture delicately arranged around the room was covered by heavy fabrics and furs, some of which he wasn't even sure what they had been when alive. The hammer rested on a glorified night table, shining from where it stood directly under the window.

The coffee table held what could be passed off as photographs at the first glance, but Tony knew to be small, hand-painted portraits, or magical imprints of the god's family and friends.

"What troubles you, my friend? It is uncommon for you to visit my chambers. "Said god laid on a fur-covered bed, flipping lazily through a magazine's pages.

Tony gave a mental sigh, before throwing all concern through the window. "I want to know what happened to Loki." Now that got the blond's attention, and the blue eyes locked on him, frowning.

"I thought it had been made clear that my brother shall cause no further damage to Midgard, and that I wished to mourn him privately." He answered bluntly.

"I know, I get it, and I guess I'm sorry. I just want to know exactly what happened. "Okay, maybe that hadn't come out right...

"Do you enjoy execution stories, my friend?" Thor's frown deepened. "I didn't think you were the type."

"No, I..." Tony cut himself mid-sentence, suddenly aware that he had no idea what he was saying. "I kind of feel bad for the guy, that's it." He patched it up as best as he could.

"But why?" Thor shifted on the bed, to take a better look at him. "The very few encounters you had with him were nothing but battles and threats." Tony nodded.

"I know that... Hey, it might sound crazy and stupid, but screw that, living here with all of you has made me forget what loose definition I used to have for what's crazy and stupid... I just feel like we had something in common." He tried. Thor seemed to ponder his argument for a moment, nodding to himself.

"That would be accurate, Anthony." He finally voiced. "You both do what is expected of you not because you want to, but to prove others you are able. Both favor intelligence over strength, and have excelled in this category. And over all, you are both loners at the core." A sad smile crept over his face. "You are indeed alike my brother."

"...So?" Thor sighed, as if disappointed at having failed to distract him from his question.

"The Allfather sentenced him, and the punishment was fulfilled."