Chapter Text
Tony was going to drown.
He could barely keep himself from breathing in water as he struggled to find the exit of the sack though he knew it was useless. The thing was tied shut with rope which Tony only knew because Tiberius hadn't shut up about how he wouldn't be escaping before he drowned.
That was the last thing Tiberius had said to him before Tony was being tossed into a river.
And now the sack was soaked through, water leaking through to the point that Tony was minutes away from breathing in water instead of air. He was yowling loudly, desperately hoping that somebody, anybody would hear him.
It was a pitiful hope that someone would hear his yowling cries, much less come and rescue him from the river before he drowned but it was really all Tony had left. There was no way he was going to survive otherwise.
Tony let out a pained whine when the sack slammed into something hard, perhaps a river rock of some sort. Tony could hear rushing water that had soaked his fur rushing downstream and what sounded like the crashing of tons of water.
Oh fuck.
That was a waterfall, wasn't it?
Tony screeched loudly, panic spreading through his whole tiny body as he helplessly pawed at the inside of the sack, his clawless paws useless to tear the fabric.
Was this really how he was going to die? In the cold, wet, dark sack as it fell down a waterfall to his watery grave?
Tony managed one last long yowl that was cut short when suddenly his head was enclosed under the water.
Loki was out in the woods in search of some specific berries that could only be found in places such as this when he heard the screeching cries.
He paused in his venturing, glancing around the little clearing he was in and listening out for the sound again. Whatever that was, it sounded to be in distress. Despite animals constantly being killed in the wild, Loki couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the poor creature.
The yowling came again, even louder and Loki raised both eyebrows, eyes wide. That sounded much like a cat. But, no. There were no cats in the wild in these parts, were there?
When the sound came a third time, Loki couldn't take it anymore, heading off in the direction the noise had come from. It would only take a moment to see what all the fuss was about and then Loki could get back to his original task.
Loki followed the sounds all the way to a river that led to a waterfall further downstream. The yowling was coming...from the river?
No, not the river exactly but from that sack caught on a rock in the middle of the rushing water. The screeching cries came from something trapped inside said sack.
Loki gritted his teeth, feeling a rush of anger towards whoever trapped the poor animal in that sack and left it to drown in the river. First, however, Loki needed to rescue said animal before it really did drown.
Loki held his hand out over the rushing water and watched in impatience as the water turned to ice, slowly making a path over to the sack. Loki stepped onto the ice which was more or less solid under his feet and made his way over to the rock the sack was thankfully still caught on.
Not for very long as Loki just barely reached the bag when it slipped under the water. Loki snagged the rope used to tie it shut and pulled it back out of the water, bringing it up to his chest. Whatever was inside was silent and unmoving.
Loki decided the berries could wait and teleported back home, hoping that the creature was still alive.
Tony's head ached when he finally regained consciousness. There was a pounded behind his eyes that he slowly peeled open, letting out a soft little mew that he would have been embarrassed making had he not been so tired and sore.
His side was aching where it had taken a fair few hits while he was in the river but he ignored the pain as he looked around, fearful of where he had ended up though he was thankful he was alive. He was sure he was going to drown.
The cat was surprised, however, when he found himself sitting on a soft, folded blanket beside a warm fire that was drying out his still damp fur. Tony mewed again, stretching his front two legs out in front of him as he tested the aches and pains in his body and thankfully found that nothing seemed severely damaged.
Tony's nose twitched at the smell of food close by, twisting his head around for the source and meowed in both surprise and triumph at the sight of cooked chicken pieces laid out on a plate close enough for Tony to reach it without having to step off the blanket.
He barely gave it a second thought as he stood unsteadily, tottering over to the food and chowed down. The chicken tasted absolutely divine and before Tony knew it, all of it was gone in under two minutes flat.
Feeling satisfyingly full, Tony sat back on his hunches and began licking his paws like he always did after a fulfilling meal. It was something he did automatically and was barely aware of, though when he did notice, he normally forced himself to stop and concentrate which is what he should be doing now.
He seemed to be in a stranger's home since he did not recognise the place. That both made Tony relax and tense up at the same time. On one hand, he was safe from Tiberius (more or less) but on the other hand, he had no idea who had taken him to their home.
He took the blanket and food as a good sign. If the person wanted to hurt him then they surely wouldn't have given him all this, would they?
Still, Tony was tense as he laid back down in front of the fireplace, placing his head on his paws as he stared at the flames. He told himself that wherever he was, he was likely more safe than he had been with Tiberius...right?
"Ah, I see you've awoken little one."
Tony's fur stuck up along his back as he stood in an instant, spun on the spot towards the sound and managed to catch only a glimpse of a pale figure with dark hair before he tripped over his own paws, tumbling onto his back with his paws sticking straight up in the air like he was playing dead.
"Oh dear," the stranger murmured, tone tinged with amusement as he walked over. "Is it dead?"
Tony tilted his head back, lowering his paws close to his furry chest. "Mew?"
The man chuckled, lowering himself down to sit on the floor and reaching over to scratch Tony's chin who purred in reaction to the skritches, paws kneading the air instinctively as his eyes closed in pleasure.
All worries momentarily flew out the window as he was petted. Tony was a sucker for it, already putting this guy into his good books. Tony hated to admit it but he was a wee bit touch starved.
Which probably became obvious to the stranger when he took his hand back and Tony meowed in protest, pawing towards the hand in demand for more skritches. The man only chuckled, nudging the tiny cat back onto his stomach. "You're very affectionate, aren't you? It's a wonder why anyone tried to get rid of you."
Tony's ears flattened back against his head as he remembered Tiberius wrestling him into a sack, the cold of the water when he was tossed into the river and the water closing in over his head.
The man's smile faded at Tony's clear sadness and fear, reaching out to run a finger between the cat's flattened ears, making them twitch. "I know, little one, I know. Do not fret. No harm will come to you here."
Tony couldn't meet the man's eyes, looking back at the fireplace with sad brown eyes. It hurt still, knowing Tiberius had gotten rid of him simply because he was no longer of any use to the witch. Tony could still feel the broken remnants of the bond he and Tiberius had like broken glass piercing his heart.
Sure, Tiberius had never been good to him. Tony was more likely to be kicked by the blond than given pets. But Tiberius was still Tony's witch. When a familiar bonded with a witch, it wasn't something so easily dismissed. Having it broken (practically shattered in Tony's case, with no chance to repair it) was the worst thing to happen to both familiar and witch. But clearly it hadn't affected Ty whatsoever.
Somehow that hurt the most.
"I've looked you over but you appear mostly uninjured," the man said, cutting through Tony's thoughts. He continued to pet the tiny cat as he talked. "Besides likely being a little sore, you've sustained no injuries though I'd advise not walking for the rest of the day. You may explore tomorrow, I promise."
Tony tilted his head, wondering why this man thought he could understand him. He was a cat, right. Well, a familiar, that's true. But why was he acting like Tony understood the words coming out his mouth?
Unless...
Tony's body went tense under the man's hands when he suddenly felt the steady thrumming of magic coming from those fingers. Tony was shocked he hadn't felt it before. There was so much magic surrounding him that it should have been impossible for him to miss it but he had.
This man was a witch.
Tony turned terrified eyes on the witch who frowned at the look, taking his hand back. "What's that look for?"
Shrinking back a little, Tony tried to make himself as small as possible. He'd heard that question before. Granted, it was usually in a more aggressive tone but Tony had learned it was almost always followed with a kick to his side.
The man seemed to realize his mistake and moved a little bit away, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you."
Tony wriggled on the spot a little, contemplating what to do before shaking his head. He scolded himself, reminding himself that this wasn't Ty. Tony was safe. He had to stop being such a scaredy cat.
As if reading his thoughts (though Tony knew that wasn't possible. Only bonded witches and familiars can communicate with one another. Not without contact at least and the witch wasn't currently petting him so there) the man smiled sadly. "You're allowed to be afraid though I promise you, you have nothing to fear here. Besides my brother but I'll ensure he leaves you alone."
Tony meowed again to show he understood though he knew it wouldn't stop any ingrained instincts he'd learned from his time with Tiberius. But he would try to stop the urge of running under the nearest table at least.
The witch nodded, apparently satisfied as he stood, brushing himself off of any dust. Green eyes turned to Tony as he gave another soft smile. "I can tell you're a curious one already but I do hope you'll wait until you're better to explore."
Well, Tony couldn't deny that was true, tail swishing as he thought of all the things the witch had in his home.
The man reached down to give Tony one last pet and Tony used the very little magical energy to push through a message to the witch.
'Tony. My name is Tony Stark.'
The witch chuckled. "Oh, good. I almost called you something terrible, like Chocolate Pudding."
Tony wrinkled his nose up at that.
Another smile crossed the witches face as he held his hand back enough to make it look like a gesture for a handshake and Tony placed his paw in the center of the palm.
"Loki," the man—Loki—introduced himself. "It is lovely to meet your acquaintance, Tony Stark."
As Loki turned and left the room without another word, Tony couldn't help but think that he might just enjoy it here. Loki had been kind to him and they'd gone a whole conversation without Tony being harmed once throughout it.
Tony's bond with Tiberius may have been broken but this felt like a new beginning.