Quotes From A Shakespearean Poet
Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any characters within. I don't even own this idea.
It's a co-write between myself and SuicideSquadGirl13. I wrote for Tony (which includes most of the non-dialog), she wrote for Loki.
Tony sighed as he opened the door of the bookstore, deciding that this would be the last stop of his seemingly endless quest to find Pepper a birthday present. After the strawberry fiasco, he had decided to buy her a meaningful gift (preferably one that she wasn't allergic to), one that would make her smile and possibly yell at him less.
He wandered around aimlessly, his eyes casting over the different genres and the lonely stand of knick-knacks and non-book merchandise. He circled said stand a few times, sighing in annoyance and nothing popped out and screamed "Pepper." He continued walking, headed towards the "Romance" section - girls like romance novels, right? As he picked up a pink-spined book with a half-naked woman on the cover, he glanced around the store until someone attracted his gaze. A tall, thin, black-haired man stood on the other side of the room, in Tony's line of sight but too far to see much detail of his face, other than being pale and beautiful. Tony shook his head, trying to focus his thoughts on Pepper's birthday present. But his brain refused to cooperate. It repeatedly told his head to turn and his eyes to find the tall and dark stranger, and before he knew what he was doing, his legs were carrying him towards a section closer to the stranger. Totally not to spy on him or anything…
"Can I help you?" He said looking up at Tony to reveal he had vivid green eyes.
Tony mentally cursed himself for getting caught before clearing his throat and composing himself.
"Just wondering what you're reading there," he lied, glancing down at the book in the man's hands. He then realized that in his own hand was the half-naked lady book he had been reading about for Pepper. Not wanting to give the wrong impression, he set Pepper's book on a nearby shelf and pretended to have never held it.
"Nothing remotely interesting," the man said "It had a stereotypical plot line, and it tries to pass itself off as a some new and interesting, when it really just following the archetype that's been set by the genre itself."
Tony nodded, understanding the man's plight completely, though he didn't do a ton of reading himself. "What kind of books are you interested in, then?"
"I'm more of a renaissances man," he said "But I also like the occasional transcendentalist, and if I'm feeling particular I read the Dark Romantics."
Tony nodded again, wondering if he should let it slip that he was more into electronics than books. "I mostly read engineering assistants," he stated. "I'm more of a doer than a reader."
"Ah," he said with a smile "You're a man of science then?"
A proud nod. "That I am. I'm an inventor, mostly. I'm pretty big in New York. Got a tower with my name on it."
"I like inventors," the man said gliding over to another shelf "They have the most interesting perspective on the world, and a bonus they're really good with their hands."
Tony totally did not blush, or cough and stutter, or lose his composition whatsoever. "Yep. That's me. Brilliant mind and even better hands." He watched the stranger look over other books and wondered if he had anything in common.
"Also, I wouldn't recommend buying that book, for you lady friend," the man said not looking up from the books.
Tony glanced down at said book and mentally cursed himself a second time for leaving it so close to the man. "Uh, thanks… Wait, why not? Chicks dig romance, don't they?"
"They do, but I can tell your friend is special to you," the man said "You seem to put a lot of thought into it when you were searching the book shelves."
"She's my assistant," Tony felt the need to clarify. "She's stuck with me through a lot of crap and for her birthday last year I bought her strawberries. She's allergic to strawberries. So I wanna get something good to make it up."
"Then I really don't suggest you buy her that," the man said picking a book of the shelf and handed it to Tony "This would be much better for her."
The inventor turned the book over in his hands and raised a brow at the lack of a picture on the cover. "You sure about that? You don't know her; she's picky."
"I'm sure," the man said with a shrug "It's my job to know these thing."
Tony raised a brow. "How so?"
"Well, if you want to know that, you need to take me on a date first," the man said "After all you've be staring at me since you wandered into the romance section."
Tony might have actually blushed and/or stuttered this time. He was Tony freaking Stark for crying out loud! He shouldn't be blushing like a teenage girl! "Do you want me to take you out, Stranger?"
"Yes," the man said "Also, my name is Loki by the way Mr. Stark."
This time he grinned. "I knew you knew me."
"Well, who wouldn't know you," Loki said "Your handsome face is everywhere."
"Of course it is. New York loves me."
"New York may love you, but you have yet to impress me," Loki said.
Tony smirked. "Then let me take you out, Loki. I can show you a good time."
"Hmm," Loki hummed "I like the sound of that."
"You free tonight?"
"Yes," Loki said with a slight smirk before handing Tony a card "Here's my info, pick me up at seven."
"Will do, Stranger," Tony grinned, picking up the book Loki had suggested.
Loki smirked at him before leaving, the store.