YOU'LL PROBABLY GO TO HEAVEN
A/N: There's a distinct lacking of villain!Loki in human AUs. This needs to be rectified.
This story is going to be a definite five parts and the first two parts are setting the scene for the next two, which set the scene for the last and most dramatic chapter. Trust me, this first chapter is the most dull by far. I've written the first four parts already and will post them every few days.
For those of you who miss my psychopath Loki.
Warning: does contain major character injury, violence, minor character death, mentions of past child abuse. Also contains some mistreatment of disabilities and epilepsy, so if that will bother you, then keep moving. I don't want to make anyone unhappy.
PART ONE
February, 2009
It's a nice February morning when Loki Laufeyson sets foot in Stark Industries for the first time. The tail end of winter, but it's a Californian winter, and the day is mild.
This isn't Loki's first interaction with Stark Industries, though. He's been negotiating with them for months, trying to find a way to lose Laufeyson Technological Solutions - his blood-sweat-and-tears startup weapons technology company that had been making Stark Industries look a little stupid - and still come out the winner.
Loki's managed it, though; not only is he getting enough money to make into a big pile and roll around on, enough to satisfy him, but he's getting a job at Stark Industries. A big one, in fact; he's heading up R&D, a fact that hasn't endeared him to the eight other candidates for the job that actually work at Stark Industries and should've been given precedence.
Fuck them. Loki doesn't even care about the job very much, but it is a foot in the door into Stark Industries and a great way to get into close contact with Tony Stark.
In any case, Loki's appointment with Tony Stark himself was over half an hour ago, or it was supposed to be, anyway. Loki's sitting in the waiting room, briefcase in his lap and a air of cool calmness around him, when a professional yet sweet voice says "Mr Laufeyson?"
Loki lifts his head, his business smile sliding neatly into place to match the one given to him by the red-haired woman in the tidy suit. "That's me."
"My name is Pepper Potts," she says, leaning forward and offering her hand. Loki gets to his feet and shakes it. "I'm Tony Stark's personal assistant."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Loki says. He knows he sounds like a suck-up, but in his defense, he's sucking up. Good to make a charming first impression.
"And you," Pepper says. "I'm sorry, Mr Laufeyson-"
"Loki, please," Loki replies.
"I'm sorry, Loki. Mr Stark isn't taking any more interviews today," Pepper says. "He's no longer in the office."
Tempted as he is to curse, Loki keeps a level face. "Can I not visit him anyway? Where is he?"
"He had another engagement," Pepper says, and Loki can tell by the expression on her face that wherever Tony Stark is, she doesn't approve.
"Is there any possibility I could see him today? I'm afraid I'm rather busy," Loki says.
Pepper thinks about that for a moment. "He doesn't come into the office as much as he probably should, so I can't guarantee an interview with him for some time. However, I have the same powers he does and I was going to sit in on your interview anyway, so I might conduct the interview tomorrow morning at-" she consults the diary she's carrying. "Eleven, if that suits you."
"It does, thank you," Loki says, slipping his jacket back on and preparing to leave.
"And Loki?" Pepper says. "He's throwing an afternoon party at his house, if you'd like to informally meet him now, though I can't guarantee anything."
"Thank you," Loki repeats.
If Loki plays his cards right, this could work out even better. He just needs to win Tony Stark's attention, straight off the bat, and not his displeasure.
-O.O-
Loki makes a quick stopover at his hotel room to throw his briefcase on his bed, leave his suit jacket behind and discard his emerald silk tie. Turning up at a party in full business gear is opening himself to mockery; good first impressions are even more key when dealing with Tony Stark. He's famous for the fact that most people barely make it through his first impression to be appraised for a second.
As he makes his way back to his rental car, he undoes his top few buttons and rolls his sleeves up.
It isn't hard to find Tony Stark's house. He posted an open invitation on quite a few websites and the house is the size of a small castle, lit up with spotlights. Parking is scarce, so Loki abandons his rental at the base of the driveway and walks up to the house. Guests are arriving around him all the time; it isn't like he's going to be noticed unless he wants to be.
The house is modernistic and fairly empty, more like a museum than a home, or it would be when it isn't filled with people in various states of intoxication. One of those people has to be Stark; it's just a matter of finding him.
The action seems to be centred around both the bar - with a professional barkeep serving drinks to girls admiring how he could pour trick shots - and around the pool. Loki picks the latter.
As he expected, Stark is sitting in the water with a group of scantily clad people of indeterminate gender, drinking some form of alcohol and laughing at something someone had said.
Tony's mid-story. "So there I am, carrying four champagne flutes in one hand and a basketball in the other-"
Loki doesn't listen to the rest; he didn't bring anything to swim in, but being in his underwear won't be an outlier amidst the group in the pool. He strips off and slips into the water next to Stark, who stops in the middle of his sentence to look Loki over.
It isn't wrong for Loki to assume that Tony does this to every newcomer; the man wants someone in his bed by the end of the night, and he usually begins the seduction somewhat early.
"And hello, I haven't met this guy," Tony says, turning his charming smile onto Loki. He really is attractive.
"Loki," Loki replies. "And you must be the incomparable Mr Stark."
Saying something blandly friendly works on Pepper, but Loki's smart enough to know that only the zany catches Tony's attention.
"Loki. That's the guy who fucked a horse, right?" Tony quips.
Loki wants to grind his teeth, to give a succinct lecture on that particular piece of Norse mythology like he's done so many times, but instead he keeps his amused smile and says "No, I believe the horse fucked him."
And it's as simple as that; Loki's won the approval of the surrounding people, and more importantly, Tony's approval.
Tony just slaps him on the shoulder and hands him a glass of some mysterious alcohol before continuing with his story. It would seem like the end of their interactions if not for the way his eyes keep flicking to Loki as he talks.
-O.O-
Later, Tony's floating in the pool calmly as he relaxes. The pool's mostly empty as the chill set in and the water turned skin all wrinkly, but Tony's content just floating there.
"So. Lokes. Who're you?" Tony finally asks, realising Loki is still sitting there. "Model? Actor? Give me something."
"That's funny you should ask," Loki says. "Take a guess at where I came from before I arrived here."
"You walked right outta Heaven, babe," Tony grins at the cheesy pick-up line. "Please say you're gonna fall for that; I'm a bit drunk and I can't think of anything better."
Loki sincerely laughs at that. "Heaven, no. Pepper Pott's office, yes."
Tony sits bolt upright at that. "What? Are you a spy? If so, you've already blown your own cover."
"Not quite. I'm most likely the new head of R&D at your company," Loki says smugly, curious about Tony's reaction.
"Oh. At least Pep picked a looker."
"So you're looking forward to being my boss?" Loki asks sweetly, knowing full well how Tony could manipulate that into innuendo.
Tony's eyes slide up and down his body with a complete lack of subtlety. "I look forward to you being directly below me."
Loki had been expecting it, but he hadn't been expecting the extent of Tony's interest in him. It's usable, very much so. He leans forward a little, moving into Tony's personal space. "And I look forward to you being directly above me," he purrs. "In a purely professional capacity, of course."
"You're killing my buzz here, pretty boy. Either get in my bed or out of my house," Tony tells him.
"No, I quite like it here," Loki says. "The view's better than at my hotel."
"You sure Pep won't slam me for sexually harrassing her new pet?" Tony asks.
"Technically, no, because I don't work for you yet," Loki says. It sounds like he's going to get better than in Tony's good books; he's getting into his little black book.
"Works for me. JARVIS, cover for me. Lokes, follow."
-O.O-
About twenty minutes later, Loki's sopping wet boxers are discarded on the floor of Tony's bedroom. This isn't a concern for either of them as Tony fucks roughly into Loki, sucking a bruise on his neck as Loki cries out in pleasure.
Loki takes charge, tightening his thighs around Tony's hips and rolling them over, taking Tony's cock deeper into his ass with a groan. He wraps a hand around his own cock, jerking off quickly. Tony throws his head back and lets out a moan at the sight, then takes over from him, working Loki to orgasm. Loki comes, crying out and clenching his ass, bringing Tony over the edge with him.
The air conditioner clicks on as Loki pulls away, lying back on the other side of Tony's huge bed.
Things had started well, and as a plus, Tony Stark isn't hard on the eyes or bad in bed.
Loki's beginning to feel like this could be too easy.
-O.O-
Loki's an early riser, and he wakes up the next morning with plenty of time.
He wakes alone and in the dark, but as he rolls out of bed, the opaque windows turn transparent, giving Loki a startlingly clear view of the cliffs and ocean in front of Tony's house.
A voice starts speaking from the ceiling, telling him about the time, weather, transport options, etc, but Loki ignores it in favour of studying the voice itself. A brief conversation with the voice in the ceiling tells Loki that this is JARVIS, an artificial intelligence that runs Stark's life for him.
It's clever.
Loki's clothes have been cleaned and tidied while he slept, including his boxers, so he redresses himself and goes exploring. JARVIS warns Loki that Tony Stark is in the basement and that Loki is not allowed down there. A pity, because Loki had been so sure that the heart of Stark Industries lay in that basement. It'll come.
Once Loki has mapped as much of the house as possible, he leaves, retrieving his rental car and heading back to his hotel room. Not wanting to appear in the same clothes he was wearing yesterday, he showers, changes into his only other formal clothes and heads to Stark Industries. He has ass to kiss.
-O.O-
"How was Tony last night?" Pepper says kindly, gesturing for Loki to sit down.
"Very - how should I say this - forward," Loki chuckles. "He seemed to be enjoying himself."
"I'm sorry," Pepper says. "If he keeps it up, don't be shy about sexual harrassment charges. He could do with a reminder."
"I don't mind," Loki answers. "I've dealt with worse. I went to public high school."
"Well, it doesn't show," Pepper says. "Is everything about the merger in order on your end?"
"So long as my conditions are met," Loki says.
"That's what we're here for. Now, your credentials are in order. You're leapfrogging a lot of annoyed people to take this job; it's mostly been finalised, so we just need to talk logistics."
Loki's start-up group has been a serious threat to several weapons contracts that Stark Industries currently relies on as its main source of income. The solution? Buy Laufeyson Technological Solutions, obviously. Buy Loki, who won't go down cheaply; he's come out of it with a decent sum of money and the guarantee of preference for the job of Head Engineer at Stark Industries since the previous person had retired.
This has lead Loki to implement a plan, and that's going well.
The interview's a formality, really, but it's still annoying that Stark has skipped it, even if the man's tongue is very skilled.
"...And I'm hoping you'll be able to develop a rapport with Tony, unlike the last guy, who found him unworkable. Having someone in contact with Tony while he works would make things a lot easier around here," Pepper says conclusively. "I'll get JARVIS to give you up to my level of security clearance. Have you met JARVIS?"
"Oh, yes. It's a very impressive piece of technology," Loki says.
"Do you have somewhere permanent to stay yet?"
"I'm working on it. There's a bach I was looking at only ten minutes' walk from here; the rent is somewhat expensive, but it is close, which is convenient," Loki says absently as he packs his things up. Quick and painless.
"Good. I'll get someone from engineering to show you around," Pepper says.
Loki stops and looked her over thoughtfully. "What would Tony Stark do without you, Miss Potts?"
"I shudder to think," Pepper says, smiling clinically before digging out her phone to call someone.
Pondering that, Loki mentally notes it down.
-O.O-
Loki spends the afternoon learning the ropes of his new job. He can easily handle it; it's just like what he was doing in his own company, except now he doesn't have to worry about the entire rest of the company. Poring over designs and arranging patent licences could be so much worse.
Probably the most important person Loki meets is one Obadiah Stane. Loki hates him from the moment they first speak, can tell just by looking at him that he's powerhungry and controlling. They shake hands and smile anyway. Loki reads a returned dislike in Obie's eyes, so hey, at least they're even.
He gets the bach, settles in and sees little more of Tony for the rest of the week.
The fact that they fucked doesn't bother Loki in the slightest. If he were to feel awkward around everyone he slept with, then he never would've turned up for company meetings at LTS. In fact, it's a foot in the door into later conversations, sort of. That's unless Tony really is determined to never speak to him again, but he made Tony laugh, so he's doubting that's the case.
When his new secretary tells him he needs to meet with Stark, he postpones two meetings so he can attend to it that afternoon. Everyone seems to understand; working for Tony Stark sure is exciting until you get to know him.
He makes it to Tony's house quickly. On entering, apart from a greeting by JARVIS, the house seems motionless, the fountain's tinkling being the main movement. Loki's not fooled; he slips right past the fountain and down the stairs to Tony's workshop where he can hear some rather intense bass.
The vibrations on the the thick glass matches the pounding of the drums from Tony's music, and attempts to catch Tony's attention fail miserably. It doesn't take him long to sweet-talk JARVIS and gain entry that way.
Loki wants to make an entrance that'll continue his streak of good impressions. Which is why he sneaks up on Tony, hidden by the chorus of White Wedding, and runs his hand smoothly up Tony's bare arm.
Tony flinches violently and drops his pencil, then realises it's Loki and grins.
When he's turned off the music, Loki just returns the smile and says "Hello, darling. I got the job."
"Mark the romance down as officially dead. You're just going to be another Pepper now," Tony snarks, spinning on his chair to look at him.
"I don't fill out a dress quite as nicely," Loki counters, dropping a file on Tony's desk.
"Nah, you don't have the hips for it," Tony says. "I need a better nickname for you. Lokes is bland."
"Lokes sounds like my name, so at least it's apt."
"I don't really care. I'm thinking something to do with your height," Tony says, examining him more sceptically.
"That's odd, because the other children called me 'Tiny' at school. In my defence, I had a late growth spurt," Loki says right back again. Keeping the banter is easy and Tony seems to enjoy it. "The order was sent down the line for me to look over the pieces you want patented before you submit the designs. Throw them at me."
"Business time, huh? I have them around here somewhere-" What follows is a thorough rootling around the workshop on the trail of Tony's elusive designs. Once they're found, Loki rather enjoys Tony's explanations; whatever his reasons for being there, he can't deny that his admiration of Stark's work plays a part in them.
"You know, I like you. You're not a kiss-ass, kneeling at the feet of the almighty Tony. I can respect that," Tony says after a while. "Truth be told, with a mouth like yours, it's a pity you're not kneeling, but I'll take what I can get."
"Thank you, oh gracious master," Loki replies dryly.
So far, so good.
