Unfettered (Loki x Reader)

Chapter 42 - Small Spaces and Red Faces

"Hey! Lover boy, hands to yourself!" Tony yells from down the plane.

Letting you go, Loki shrugs, holding up his hands in surrender. You shoot him a death glare before walking away, choosing a seat close to Tony.

"Sorry," you say bashfully.

"What the hell was that?" Tony says. "Are you trying to send me into cardiac arrest? This thing is fickle, kiddo," he complains, tapping the metal in his chest currently hidden beneath his shirt.

"Loki's just trying to get to you," you say. "At least he's feeling like his old self again."

"Yeah," Tony responds. "That's what I'm worried about."

Things fall quiet between you and Tony. But the way he looks at you tells you clearly that he has something on his mind. 

"What?" you finally ask, breaking the quiet. Tony doesn't answer. He just shrugs with that sarcastic, pointed look on his face. "Just spit it out, Tony," you grumble. "You obviously have something to say."

"I always have something to say," Tony says. 

"I mean that you obviously have something you want to say to me specifically," you huff. "Just say it and get it over with."

Tony smirks and shakes his head, but when he lifts his eyes back to yours, there's a softness there you aren't used to. "Are you okay, squirt?" he questions.

"What do you mean?" you question. "I'm here. I'm fine."

Tony sighs and his eyes flit over your shoulder for a moment before returning to yours. "I mean are you okay?" he questions. "I've seen how Houdini over there gets you worked up every time he disappears. And this was a big stunt he pulled. You're clearly both simpatico right now but...what happens when we land? Do I need to bring out the shotgun?"

"We're fine," you say quickly. "We...talked."

"Oh you talked," Tony says. "Thank goodness. I'm sure there's no lingering issues after having a nice, long chat about all our favorite little psychopath's recent crimes."

"Would you stop being so dramatic?" you frown. "I didn't say we were perfect. I just said we're fine. And we are, Tony. Really. We're...working through it."

"Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?" he says, brow arched as he reaches out and flicks the top edge of a blossoming bruise visible just beneath the collar of your shirt.

Self conscious, you quickly pull up the neckline, hiding the puckered mark out of sight. "As nice as this conversation has been," you say, flustered. "I think I'm ready to talk about something else."

"Fine," Tony relents. "Spin the wheel and pick an issue, squirt."

"Phil," you say without hesitation. "Tell me what you've managed to find out."

You spend the next two hours or so chatting and theorizing with Tony about Agent May and Phil. You go over what you had seen as Tony shares updates on his attempted conversations with Director Fury. But so far Fury hasn't even responded to Tony's inquiries. And you both agree - that's suspicious. Perhaps there will be news once you get back.

With only a couple hours left in the flight, you wrap up your conversation with Tony and move to sit with Thor, who still hasn't looked away from the window.

"You probably don't even need to be in here, do you?" you grin as you take the seat across from him. "You could be out there instead, huh?"

But Thor's gaze remains solidly out the window - a far off look in his eye.