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Tony banged his glass against the counter, yelling for the bartender to give him another round. He came over, cleaning a glass. “Are you sure you can handle another one sir?” he asked setting it down on the counter and staring at him. He was thoroughly wasted, he didn't know how many drinks he had already gone through and he didn't care. He just wanted to forget. He had already gotten kicked out of another bar after he picked a fight with some other random drunk. He stumbled into this one, not ready for the world.
“Does it look like I’m done?” He turned around to guy sitting next to him, glaring murderously. They scooted back shaking their head and hurried to another open chair, getting out of the range of the crazy man. He grinned like a madman. “No, it doesn’t. Gimme another one,” he said, making grabby hands at the tap. The bartender slowly nodded and went to pour him another drink. He estimated it was somewhere around one, at least. He couldn’t see the clock and doubted he could read it anyways. He didn't care if it was 3 in the morning or 6pm the next day, he just wanted to keep drinking for as long as possible. Grabbing the new drink, he took a huge swig, slamming it back down on the counter and watched some fly out onto his hand. Examining his hand, the droplets started to wiggle and form words. p.. e.. p.. p... He hit his head on the table, trying to regain some sobriety. No hallucinations, that would be disastrous.
He didn’t care though. Not anymore. The world was washed in colors of greys, the sound of blasting music somehow muffled, like cotton was shoved up his ears. He couldn’t do anything right. Life was fated to let him fail. Fail at the most important things. He couldn’t save Yinsen but stood their, watching him die. Watching the literal life go out of the man, helpless to do anything about it. He ruined his relationship because he tried to make things right with the rest of the world. He felt like tearing out his hair in frustration. He throws away his life, and gets kidnapped and one of the people he had disrespected and dismissed had died for him. He tries to correct his ways as the last wish of his dying friend and he ruins his relationship. He met the perfect person that he can't believe would love him, but he ruined that too. He didn’t care about himself, not after Afghanistan. He wanted to save others, people that had a life in front of them. That was pretty hard on a relationship apparently. This is why he’d never tried to go through one. He didn’t get it. Feelings were something he would never understand. He tried so hard. Everything he did, he felt like was the opposite of what she wanted. God, I can’t keep anything that means something to me. Is this my curse? To never be able to love. Yinsen, now… Pepper. He took another drink and looked around. He needed to distract himself, that was what he was here for. He picked a random figure at the corner of the room, hunched over a beer and alone, so he staggered over, not caring who it was. He didn’t recognize the slim hooded figure in front of him. Long dark hair hung over his face, making it impossible to know out who it was but through his hazy mind, he could feel an air of familiarity.
“Heeey, do I knowwwww you?” He slurred, dragging out his words as he stumbled over to him. He recognized that he was getting to the stage in his drinking where he was really flirty. This was usually where he went home, it was bad on a relationship if he kept bringing home other people afterall but he decided, fuck everything, pepper doesn't want me anyways . Getting up behind him he slapped him on the back giggling. The man jumped, startled, cursing under his breath. Tony thought he saw a glint of silver under his cape, but it quickly disappeared. The mysterious guy collected himself and hesitantly smiled.
“Hi Tony, I didn’t think I would see you here.” He said. See, he knew they knew each other, he just didn’t remember where and who he was. Tony grinned, he didn’t know why but the man was really growing on him. He didn’t know what it was yet, but he liked it. He fell forward, snuggling into the guy’s lap.
The other guy jumped up, instinctively shoving him off. Tony fell down on the hard tiled floor, slipping on the spilled beer. He put his hands up over his head, pouting. “That wasn't nice,” he said, frowning at him under long eyelashes with his brown unfocused eyes.
Tony saw the shrouded face shake their head as he bent down to help Tony up. He put a hand on the edge of the table to stabilize himself as he sat down on the seat adjacent to the alleged friend.
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. He’s definitely drunk, damn it, Tony.” The man muttered to himself. Tony giggled, then he held onto the man’s cloak to keep from falling over, wondering why it smelled like winter and pine. The man was obviously uncomfortable in Tony’s presence, but he was nice and helped Tony to sit upright in his chair. He curled up on himself, his eyelids fluttering as he struggled to stay awake.
"I like you," he muttered, yawning. "I don't know why, but I like you."
He later woke up in his bed at Stark Towers.
^^^^^^^^^^
Loki sighed. The night was not looking up for him. First, he was spotted by an Asgardian patrol and had no choice but to fight. They were still looking for him and now that they knew he was on earth, the patrol run-ins would get more frequent. His body was still covered in bruises and cuts that he had no magic to heal. You couldn't see them under the cloak but they hurt like a bitch. He got away, barely and now Tony Stark was here in the bar, rubbing against him. Why did these things always happen to him? He looked down at the mortal. He was falling asleep now, his head propped up against his shoulder and his brown curls tickled his nose. Tony suddenly shook, snuggling up closer to Loki. He almost jumped but restrained himself. Slowly he untangled himself from the sleeping mortal. Shaking his head, he groaned. Life sucked. He leaned Tony on another chair and started walking away. Fuck! He muttered to himself and jogged back to him. They were still technically enemies and he didn't know how Tony would react when he realized Loki helped him, if he remembers the night but he wouldn't leave him here unprotected. He didn't know why, but he felt a duty to save him from whatever he would face as controversial billionaire drunk out of his mind. Loki put his hands under Tony's legs and chest and lifted him up, grunting. He almost fell over and steadied himself. Tony felt way too light, was he always that underweight?
He walked out of the bar with Tony wrapped in his arms and wrapped the remaining magic he had around them and teleported them to the entrance of Stark Tower.
“JARVIS, can you let me up? I have Tony with me.” He asked as he strode to the elevator. The lobby was still bustling with people, and Loki hurried to the doors of the elevator, his magic spent to where he couldn't afford to glamor them. The door opened to the elevator and he got on with Tony, now slightly snoring, in his arms.
"This elevator won't go up until you tell me why you have sir." the disembodied voice of JARVIS said right after they got on.
“I saw him drinking, and I never like seeing people drinking… I’ve had bad experiences with it. Even as a foe, I particularly don’t like seeing anybody like that. Would you let me into his bedroom so I can put him down?” He asked politely to the ceiling. He didn’t know how to talk to the AI or where to look, it was disorientating communicating with a computer system that was literally everywhere.
"If you think about laying a hand on him..." JARVIS warned, if a computer could be threatening. The elevator door opened to a living room of white couches and open windows. It was a very elegant and nice place. Loki smiled, looking up. “Where is his room?” he asked, again staring at the ceiling as he shifted Tony in his arms.
“To the right, the first door,” Jarvis replied.
Loki followed his directions and was met with a grand and spacious room . He smiled again. This level that Tony lived on was very nice and he liked the feel of it. Shifting Tony in his arms, he carried him to the huge bed in the middle of the room. Setting him down, he covered him in the blankets and took a step back. Tony curled up instinctively in the blankets, wrapping himself tighter. He sighed, watching the billionaire curled up in a small ball in the big bed. He looked so fragile in that moment. Loki didn’t know what made it so that Tony wanted to drink that heavily, he didn’t want to intrude, but he hoped that he dealt with it. Knowing they would meet again, and most likely not in as good of circumstances, he took one last look at the sleeping mortal. Smiling sadly, he stepped back, falling into his magic and teleported himself away.