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“Lokes, is there something you want to share? Maybe about any recent hobbies?”
Loki looked up from the most recent book. Tony was rather of the opinion that the books Loki chose to read counted more as ‘tomes,’ and were thick enough to merit sitting on a lectern, but no. Loki liked to sit curled up in one of the armchairs with books a foot thick cradled in his lap, usually with a drink nearby. It was so wildly incongruous with how he usually thought of Loki that it still threw him for a loop.
Now the reformed, (reforming?), Asgardian was looking up at him, blinking slowly. “What on earth might I want to tell anyone about how I choose to spend my time?”
“Well,” he said, walking over to stand next to Loki’s chair, “you seem to be making a good effort of it without actually saying anything.”
He pulled out a handful of flowers, all sorts of different types and colors, arranged and braided into crowns. They were well made and all of them quite pretty, even Tony was willing to admit that, but…
Loki’s eyes lit up on the flower crowns, one corner of his mouth twitching up. “My, my, whatever could these be?”
Tony rolled his eyes. Loki wasn’t even trying to sound innocent. “You know exactly what they are. I’m not asking if you did it, because that’s just too obvious. I’m asking why?”
“Should I feel insulted, that I’ve been described as ‘obvious’?”
“If you are, then direct that feeling at yourself for being obvious.”
Loki chuckled, far from annoyed or insulted, and closed his book to look as the flower crowns in Tony’s hand with what looked like fondness. “I’m glad at least that they all seem to have survived. Although… I don’t see Thor’s…?” He looked up at Tony, green eyes questioning, lips still tilted in a smirk.
Tony shrugged. “Thor decided he wanted to keep his for some reason. Honestly I thought he was going to tear his to pieces by the expression on his face. Then he laughed and said it was ‘a good reminder of adventures past,’ and that he wanted to keep it as a memento.” He shook his head, befuddled. The whole incident was so small and innocuous that Tony probably wouldn’t have done anything about it at all except to make a passing comment about it to Loki later, but Thor’s comment got his curiosity up. It made him think that there was something more to the sudden appearance of the crowns on everyone’s heads than just a prank to make them all look silly in front of cameras.
Loki’s brows rose. “Did he indeed? That’s… a little surprising, I will admit.”
“I thought so, too, but probably not for the same reason. Care to fill me in?”
Loki shrugged dismissively. “I’m sure you noticed that Thor’s little accoutrement was a bit different than everyone else’s?”
He nodded, thinking back to when all of the crowns had suddenly appeared. “Yeah, I did. None of them are exactly alike, but Thor’s was the only one to include a veil.”
The smirk grew into a grin, white teeth flashing with delight. “Yes, a little callback to our younger days, when Thor got into a bit of trouble and I helped him back out of it. He didn’t appreciate my methods at the time, but he did appreciate the results.”
Tony felt a replying grin begin to tug at his own lips. “Is that right? I sense a story, do share. I want to hear all about how you got Thor out of trouble with a veil.”
He was given an appraising look for a moment, and then Loki stood up, making Tony back up a step. He always forgot how tall Loki was.
“I’ll make you a deal, Stark,” he said, oddly intense in how he fixed his gaze on him. “I will tell you the entire tale – including those parts Thor and his gang of friends like to leave out – if you can discern the meaning of the crown I gave to you.”
Tony stared at him, and then down at the flowers looped over his arm. “Meaning? You mean to tell me there’s a message in all these?”
“Would you really expect any less of me?” He asked, sounding incredibly pleased with himself. He brushed past Tony, going in the general direction of his rooms. “I eagerly await your conclusions, Stark.”
Tony stared after the Asgardian, and then looked back down at the flowers in his arms. He could still remember which one had been his. It was a red and white affair, interspersed with dark, glossy green leaves. The white flowers Tony could recognize well enough as gardenias, but the red ones were harder to place. They were shaped a little like lilies, with dark speckling on their center petals.
He stared down at the flowers, and then back up at Loki’s retreating back.
He doubted it would be very hard to figure out whatever message the mage had meant to send. He rather suspected that the real ‘test’ would be in how he responded.
Tony smiled to himself. If that was the kind of challenge it was, then he was confident he could rise up to it.