1. I don't own Marvel, or any of the characters henceforth mentioned within the story.
2. I've never written Frostiron before XD This was fun.
3. Feedback is appreciated!
Tony didn't handle rejection well. Why should he? He was Tony Stark! Who said no to the guy with brains that'd make Einstein jealous, the good looks of a god, and more money than he knew what to do with? It was unthinkable! Hell, he would've bet a few days ago that nobody, emphasis on NOBODY, could say no to him. Stuff like that just didn't happen. Ever. Yeah…..but that was then. This was now. And as it turned out, there was somebody who could say no to him. Repeatedly, and he ranged from simple no's to laughter and elaborate insults. Tony was particularly fond of the one that labeled him a modern day Tiberius, sans the pedophilia. But that wasn't the point! Rejection was rejection, no matter how you dressed it up, and he'd experienced it not once, or twice, but thirteen times. THIRTEEN. TIMES! Honestly, what fucked up parallel universe had he stepped into?
Evidently one that liked him to be miserable. Sulking, Tony nursed his coffee and contemplated the figure sitting across the room, halfheartedly wondering how hard he'd have to launch a crumpled napkin to make it hit him in the head. He could put his phone number on it, just to be safe. The force was strong in this one though. He didn't respond to any of the billionaire's advances, no matter how creative or extravagant. And he'd done everything short of throwing the guy a parade! That whole flowers and chocolate spiel? Not half as romantic when their recipient not only hated the color red, but was pickier than a toddler forced to choose between strained peas and turkey mash. Not that Tony knew much about that. He hated kids. Didn't know if lover boy did though, since he wouldn't fucking TALK to him. The rare sarcastic quip didn't count either.
On the other hand, quips were better than nothing, and he liked hearing those dulcet tones. Nothing not sexy about a guy who could turn a phrase. Of course, everything sounded attractive when it was shaped by a mouth that looked like it had been made for sucking cock, all flushed and wet from the occasional flick of a tongue Tony knew firsthand to be silver sharp. Those things alone were praise worthy, but they were part of a bigger package. Angled cheekbones Maleficent would envy, milk white skin he really wanted to touch, and dark hair that was too long to be conventional, but conventional was boring, so who really gave a fuck? Shit, and his figure. One glimpse of the guy standing and Tony had had enough material to warp for his sexual fantasies for DAYS. He'd rather have the real thing, of course. Had to take what he could get. Which had just so happened to be a nice side view of his favorite coffee shop attendee. The guy was easily six foot, curved in all the right places, and had an ass beyond perfection. Some major TLC had gone into the creation of that ass. He wanted to thank its maker firsthand. Or, you know, the owner. Repeatedly. Preferably at one of his secluded hideaways, with silk sheets and handcuffs. Pale and handsome over there had sexual deviant written all over him. The things he could do to that body…..
Hello rated R thoughts. Right. He didn't need to be getting a boner, so Tony forced the worst of them away, absently scratching at his cup's styrofoam with the edge of his nail. He couldn't daydream about their main star, but he could damn well watch him. Watching gave him time to think, and plot. He was good at plotting, when it suited him. He just thought about things like they were a particularly tricky puzzle, then figured out how to fit all the pieces together without getting them too battered around the edges. Most people would be patient, take their time. He wasn't most people. No telling when beautiful gorgeous would get fed up with him and start going to another coffee shop, and like hell Tony was going to let him do that without working a date somewhere in there. Rejection didn't make him happy, but it did inspire him to go to ridiculously outrageous lengths. What Tony wanted, Tony got. And he wanted-
Uh, wait a minute. When did this become a ménage à trois? Tony's eyes honed in on a blond suddenly hulking over his, emphasis on HIS, new interest. He was smiling at tall, dark, and handsome like some overgrown puppy, joy written all over his stupidly gorgeous face. How he managed to do that when he was a powerhouse worthy of the Viking runway was beyond the engineer, but he didn't approve. Not at all.
A hand the size of a small dinner plate came to rest on that snowy nape Tony harbored one too many longings for, and his glower darkened to a full blown scowl. Yeah, no. Bad call. He didn't like it when people touched his stuff. Works in progress included. He didn't need to think about acting on his instincts to seize and protect. One second he was in his chair, the next he was walking towards the two like fire was licking at his heels. Tony vaguely heard a waitress ask if everything was alright, and he muttered something at her. It sounded vaguely like tea, coffee. Whatever it was, she got the point and hurried off, though that might've had something more to do with the threatening aura wafting off him. He honestly didn't care. Point Break was getting more handsy, and Tony heard his teeth grinding when tan fingers started touching handsome's sleeve. Nope. NOPE. Not allowed.
One thing was for sure. Nobody could say Tony Stark didn't know how to make an entrance. "Hey there beautiful!" All casual like, he waltzed up to the table and flashed a showy grin at the two men. One looked surprised, the other annoyed. Three guesses as to which was which. "Did you miss me? Sorry I'm late." Tony was happy to ignore the animosity coming his way from the brunette, if it meant getting his man away from the Aryan supermodel. Slinging his arm over the back of handsome's chair, he smiled and made a big show of lowering his sunglasses down to peer at the blond, whose hand had slowly fallen away as he gaped at Tony. "And…...you are?" There was no room for questioning in his voice. He was marking his territory better than any animal, complete with bristling hairs and nostril flares. If Viking boy didn't get the picture, that was his problem. Tony wasn't backing off.
Double sets of eyes passed over him, one pale blue, and the other a shade of green he'd never seen before. Paler than emeralds, but with the same cool glint of polished stone, richer hues of green near the iris. Unsurprisingly they belonged to gorgeous, and right now they were full of a fire that flickered between bemusement, irritation, and-ha! Relief. Tony knew he'd gotten through to him, at least a little. That, or he was just really happy to be saved from alone time with the brute. Either or he could work with. He got a little more showy with things, taking a seat and cheerfully smiled up at Muscles McGee, glasses shoved up into the nest of his dark hair and chocolate orbs blatantly glancing him up and down. Beside him, the brunette sighed and sipped his drink, avoiding their gazes. "Right. You can pull the strong and silent shtick if you want. Just go do it somewhere else. Me and handsome here want some alone time, so-" Tony made a shooing gesture with his fingers.
If he got the memo, he sure wasn't showing it. Looking pretty damn confused, the guy frowned. "Loki?" He started to reach towards the man at Tony's hip, and Tony got ready to snap some damn fingers, leaning off his chair. They were both cut off by the one in between, whom he now knew as Loki-fuck that was a sexy name-setting his cup aside to sternly peer up at the intruder. "Thor. He's right. You are interrupting our…" Loki's gaze flitted to Tony, "…..time together. And seeing as how Anthony has precious little of it to spare, I'd appreciate if we could enjoy it. Alone."
If Thor seemed shocked before, now he was downright stupefied. Tony could've jumped for joy. "Loki, you…I didn't realize-"
"Of course you didn't. You never bothered to ask," came the biting reply. Loki shifted in his chair, all but turning his back on Tho-wait, his name was seriously Thor? Tony snorted. Great. He really was a modern age Viking. Lucky for him he got the distinct impression that Loki didn't much care for the guy, or whatever he had to say. Blondie wasn't looking so hot with the wounded puppy stare anyway, and he got to watch him mutter a soft fine and stomp out of the coffee shop, shoulders slumped and head bowed.
Finally! Privacy, with the added bonus of being Loki's sole company. Tony lapped it up, preening under those attentive eyes, gleeful beyond words that he had beautiful's full attention. And Loki knew his name! This day kept getting better and better. Sure, he didn't really like being called Anthony, but they could work on it. It was all part of the wooing and swooning process. Speaking of, that waitress had perfect timing. She'd reappeared with two mugs on a tray, which she placed down on the table with a polite smile. Tony grinned and slipped her a bill he didn't bother checking the number on, sliding one of the mugs over to Loki. "Figured you needed a refill."
Loki didn't give it a single glance. "Mr. Stark. I simply must thank you." Aw, back to formalities? "Because of your actions, my brother-" and damn if Tony didn't feel relief at that. No rivalry then. He had Loki all to himself- "now believes me to be involved in a relationship. One I never agreed to, might I add." The bemusement faded from his irises and left them icy cold. If not for the twitch of his lips, Tony might've thought he was really angry. He certainly sounded pissed off. "What were you doing? Watching me? Waiting to see if anyone else approached me with offers of lavish gifts and sexual favors? No, don't bother," he held up a hand when Tony opened his mouth. "I already know what your answer will be. You've made your intentions quite clear over these past few weeks."
Yeah, ok. Couldn't really argue that one. He kind of did make his first few attempts all about sex. But with a body like Loki's, could he really blame him? "Way I see it, I did you a favor. You weren't looking too happy, talking to Point Break. Even if he is your brother. I'm guessing…strained family relationships?" Tony jabbed his thumb towards the front doors. "Got him out of the way, didn't I? So what if he thinks we're dating? You can always correct him later." He cocked a brow and smirked, nudging Loki's mug closer to him. "Personally, I wouldn't bother. That's one lie we can always make reality."
He got a smile with that one. Wasn't exactly the happiest expression, but Loki made it work. "How many attempts does this make now, Mr. Stark? I want to say twelve, but I lost count somewhere after eight."
"Thirteen, actually. I'm betting on it being my lucky number." Nose wrinkling at the title, he pushed the mug into Loki's hand with a stubborn grin. "And call me Tony. Mr. Stark is too impersonal. We're not business associates or anything. I don't fool with that sort of stuff." Picking up his own drink, Tony nodded at the tea. "That's not poisoned. You can drink it, you know." Did Loki think he was trying to slip him a drug or something? How stupid. Tony Stark didn't need to rely on drugs to get someone in his bed. Or out on a date, for that matter.
"You'd be a fool if you tried to poison me," Loki retorted, taking the mug by its handle and staring down at the mahogany colored liquid inside. It was potent stuff, the kind British guys liked to drink. Tony thought it smelled disgusting, personally, but hey, who was he to judge? If Loki liked it, good for him. "This is my favorite tea…." lips tight with a forced smile, the brunette cocked his head to the side and surveyed him, casually reaching for a packet of sugar and a spoon. "Mr. Stark, are you aware stalking is illegal? I know your sort often disregard the law to further your own means, but I imagined this to be one line you wouldn't cross, with your own unfortunate popularity with the paparazzi."
His sort? Stalking? Oh, because of the tea. That did make sense, in its own way. "I'd call it gathering intelligence. Not stalking. That's for creepy people." He clasped his chest when a pointed stare turned on him, wagging a finger at Loki. "Hey now, I'm not creepy! I just pay attention! Any guy with a working pair of eyes could see you like tea. You drink it practically every time you're in here, gorgeous." So what if they'd have to be paying really, really close attention to see what in his cup? Tony was a guy with a plan, and you didn't go into these things blind. Not when this was effort number thirteen. He wasn't about to be rejected again. His ego could only take so much before he started getting seriously desperate. And something told him Loki wouldn't appreciate flying banners in the sky. …Wait, maybe he would? Tony filed that particular idea away for later, just in case.
"Gorgeous?" Stirring the sugar into his tea, Loki smirked. "That may be what I am, Mr. Stark, but it's not my name. Might I remind you, you have that particular piece of information at your disposal now, thanks to my brother's inability to keep his sentimental nature in check." He took a sip of the sweetened drink. Tony couldn't stop watching how those pink lips curved against the rim of the mug. "I suppose your efforts to woo me will never cease, since my name is all you need to discover other important details. My address, my profession…" all things he'd considered, but hey, he had a grudging respect for privacy. "What next should I expect from you? Bouquets of roses? Fine jewelry? Or do you reserve those types of gifts solely for your paramours?"
"Nope. You're fair game." Since he wanted Loki to be his lover and all. "If I knew what kind of flowers you liked, you'd have enough bouquets to fill up your bedroom by now. And then some." He let his gaze wander up and down the pale faced man, preserving the close up for future drunken fantasies and the late night hours when he couldn't sleep. Loki watched him closely, chin lifting as Tony's gaze passed over that graceful neck and protruding collarbones, highlighted nicely by the v-neck of his forest green shirt. Fuck, he was stunning. He definitely had the classy thing going on, from his sleeked back hair curling lightly against his nape to the tips of his black boots, scuff free and unadorned. The only real embellishment on Loki at all was a leather wrap around his right wrist, tooled with gold around the edges. "I'm guessing you're not really the jewelry type, huh? Too bad. I've got some pieces in storage that'd look great on you."
A thin brow lifted at his remark. "I won't bother asking what these so called pieces are. I fear what your answer might be." Tony grinned and kept with the admiring, until Loki huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and ruining a very nice view. That shirt was sinfully tight in all the best places. "You're staring."
"And you're sexy." When the brunette turned a cheek, unimpressed, he kept going. "Handsome? Radiant? Magnificent? Spectacular?" Dammit. "Uh…glorious? Majestic? Magisterial? Your whole body could be the picture perfect definition for that one." Aha! It was only for a second, but he saw Loki smile. Good. He was handsome no matter what, but he had a fantastic smile. Tony wanted to see more of it. A lot more. "C'mon…." scooting his chair to Loki's side of the table and bumping his thigh, he tried to catch him in the act. "I know you're warming up to me, gorgeous. Nobody can resist the old Stark charm."
"So it would appear. How else would you fill your nightly quota for risqué sex and debauchery? Money can only get you so far, and you don't seem the type to resort to the average streetwalker."
The bluntness of it all struck Tony first, then the fact that he'd been both insulted and complimented in the same sentence, in an abstract sort of way. "It's not a quota. I take sex when it's offered, and when I'm in the mood. Like any other red blooded male." He drank his coffee and tried not to let Loki's words bother him, even though they did. The way he made things out, Tony was having daily orgies in some raunchy fortress of lust and lavishness. Not that that sounded like a bad thing, but he'd rather sans the orgy, throw in Loki instead. "Look gorgeous, we're getting off on the wrong foot here." Again. "I didn't come over here to-"
"I already mentioned once that gorgeous isn't my name." Loki pushed out of his chair and started gathering his things. A nice pea coat Tony hadn't noticed before, a black scarf detailed in gold, plus a well used paperback with dog ears. "If you refuse to dredge up the smallest degree of consideration to address me properly, then I see no reason to continue this charade. I have absolutely zero interest in becoming another one of your nameless conquests, Mr. Stark. Nor will my answer be changing anytime soon." Loki wound the scarf around his neck, and that's when it hit him. Loki was leaving. LEAVING. Tony had fucked up, yet again. Shit! This was not part of the plan! He needed to rethink tactics, fast.
"Wait a minute!" Shooting his hand out, Tony grabbed him around the wrist and pulled him back down into his seat. Loki looked murderous, circles of pink appearing on the crest of his angled cheekbones, but he'd risked worse things than an attempt on his life in the middle of a crowded coffee shop. And like hell he was letting Loki walk away before he got a chance to make things right. By right, he meant Loki agreeing to a date. Sex afterwards would be a nice bonus, if he was willing to go for it. Right now a kiss on the cheek was looking like upscale porno material. "Look, I didn't mean anything by it. Nicknames are just part of what I do, you know? It's harmless. I call you gorgeous because you are. Gorgeous. And I thought it'd be rude, calling you your name when we were never formally introduced." Tempting fate, he thrust out his hand and put on a toothy grin. "Want to fix that for me?" Tony added a silent beautiful, because old habits died hard.
Whatever Loki thought of him, he didn't immediately say no. That was a plus. "You want me to…introduce myself," he quietly settled into the chair, eyeing Tony's hand as if it would bite him.
"Yeah. I do. Isn't that part of showing respect? Give me a chance already. I'm being polite here and all." Tony waggled his fingers and smiled earnestly. "If you don't, I'll just have to keep thinking up new nicknames for you. How about…..Jadis? You look like you could've been a killer snow queen from a magical wardrobe in a past life. And you're tall enough to be a giant."
"Part giant." Noting his confusion, Loki sighed. "Jadis hailed from two races that had heavily interbred over time. She was only half giantess, by blood. And my height is not so spectacular, Mr. Stark. Perhaps it merely seems that way to you because you are so woefully lacking in size."
"Not where it counts." Stubborn ass. Growing disgruntled, the lack of progress prickling his every nerve, Tony put their seats so close together that there was hardly any elbow room at all and leaned across their arms to seek out those pretty green irises. "Name. Otherwise, I'll hunt down every irritable literary character out there with similar features to yours and use their names to address the cards on your roses. All two dozen of them. Maybe three, if you keep this up."
That didn't get the reaction he was hoping for. Tony couldn't find it in himself to care. Loki's laughter was like quicksilver, but pretty, and had a sexy little drawl he wanted to drool over. "You would show your irritation with me by purchasing even more gifts? That makes no sense." He chuckled to himself and laid his forearms on the table, chin perched in a spindly hand. "For the sake of your bank accounts, I'll spare you the expense. My name, as you know, is Loki. Loki Laufeyson."
"Laufeyson? That's a mouthful." He got his way! Tony could do a dance, he was so fucking happy. Could, but wouldn't. Not here. Maybe later, in his lab. Or in bed. There were all kinds of dancing, and he had a tango in mind with him and Loki's names on it…. "You already know who I am, but why deny the experience? I'm Tony Stark. Billionaire genius playboy philanthropist." Taking Loki's free hand in his own, he kissed the arch of his knuckles. "But you can consider me your evening entertainment."
"Oh?" Loki chuckled, attempting to free his hand. Wasn't happening. Tony held tighter, idly thumbing the tops of his fingers to get a taste of that velvety smooth skin. Did he use lotion or something? Fuck, he hoped every part of him was this soft. Well, almost every part.
"How does dinner at Del Posto sound? Not too crowded, live piano, and they make a mean pasta that'll have your toes curling." If Tony didn't by the end of the night. Frankly, seeing Loki smile again would be a good enough reward for all his effort. If he said yes. Please God, let him say yes. Tony watched his face for any sign of reluctance, or dismissal altogether, but the man seemed to be genuinely thinking it over, features set in a contemplative frown. Ok, that he could work with. "You'll have fun," he wheedled, holding Loki's hand a little more firmly and giving him the best smile he could drum up. "Music, good food, maybe a few glasses of wine. What's the worst that could happen?"
He expected snark. Loki had a viperous tongue, and that was a compliment in Tony's book. But he wasn't quite sure how to go about things when Loki was blunt, or cool. "Considering how infamous you are, the worst could very well shatter my reputation. You may make light of your dalliances, Mr. Stark, but have you never stopped to consider what those one night stands do to the other party? Their name? The media adores a risqué story, and your flings offer more than enough material for them to feast on. As I told you before, I've no interest in becoming their new main course."
Tony blinked. You know, it didn't help his cause when most of what Loki said wasn't exactly wrong. "So you have a reputation worth shattering. Good to know." That meant he was someone semi-important to the media circus, though none of that was really helpful, in terms of figuring out who Loki was, what he did. For all Tony knew, he could be a supermodel on the rise, or a professor well known to the academia. Both were popular topics for articles, and when you added his name to the mix…..yeah, he could definitely see Loki's point. Tony was used to the attention, and the slander and bullshit that came with it, but he was head of one of the world's most famous companies. Any trouble he could throw money at to make it go away. Not everyone had that option. Tall and gorgeous could be one of those people. He respected that.
Too bad it wasn't enough to turn him off. If things came down to that, he'd handle it. Like hell Tony was going to let what ifs and the potential for disaster ruin his chances with the most attractive looking guy he'd ever met. The only guy to ever say NO to him. That took balls. "Look. I don't care what you are, what you do. You're the first guy to really catch my eye in MONTHS. You think I'm going to just walk away from that?" Fuck no. Hand sliding up to grip Loki's elbow, he turned him in the chair despite his protests and shushed each one with firm "Nope, no, not happening gorgeous." He didn't have time to listen to arguments. Tony was going to get his way, and that was that. "Loki, SHUT UP."
Whether it was the shock of hearing his name, or someone telling him off, it worked. Loki went quiet, the fluster tinting his nose and back of his neck rosy pink. Much better. Cute too. Tony smirked, taking his chin in a firm grip to drag him down a few inches. He'd like that long torso better if it was naked and plastered against his sheets. Until then, it was a pain in the ass, aiding in Loki's advantage of being a damn Amazon in height. "See? I called you by your real name. Happy now?"
It was probably a good thing that they were sitting in a corner, since Tony was practically in Loki's lap, and Loki looked ready to draw blood. "Mr. Stark," he hissed, looking no better than an aggravated kitten with his gleaming eyes and kneading claws, the latter ripping into Tony's thigh. Talk about ow. Did he get those things manicured? "Are you incapable of understanding when no means no? I already told you-"
"What you told me is that you don't want to be another late night conquest. Good thing too, since that's not what I had in mind." And that made the second time today he got to watch Loki flounder. Tony held him a little tighter and debated whether or not now was a good time to steal a kiss. He voted yes, smothering that fuckable mouth and eating the outraged cry as it gushed forth, tongue gliding across petal soft lips. All in about five seconds too. That was a new record. "I like hearing you talk and all, but not when you're spouting bullshit. I'm on a deadline here. If we're going out to dinner, I need to make reservations, pick out a suit." Tony grinned, licking a tendril of saliva off Loki's bottom lip. "Make the biggest bouquet order this city's ever seen. And all in the span of a few hours. So save the complaints, hold the bitching. Give it to me straight. Yes, or no?"
Loki was glaring at him like there was no tomorrow. "Why should I say yes? You claim-" damn, when did that word become an insult "that your interests aren't solely derived from sex. But everything I've heard about you would protest otherwise. You have your lays, and after a night or two they get flung to the side without another word shared between you two."
"I'm not denying that I've done that in the past." Really, he wasn't. It was the truth. "That's not-"
"What you want from me." Scoffing, venomous green fixed on his mouth. Tony was thrilled to see Loki wet his own. Nervous tick, or memory? Either one was an attractive option. "And what is it you want then, Mr. Stark, if not sex?"
He raised a brow. "You saying my name, for one." Loki scowled, while Tony laughed and affectionately nipped his pouting mouth. "Calm down. You take everything so seriously! That can't be healthy. You've gotta live a little, Loki. Have some fun." Edging as close as he could get without completely invading Loki's space, he rubbed his thumb over the racing pulse in his arm, feeling it pound frantically. Was he nervous? Surprising. "I wasn't kidding about the sex. Yeah, I'd like to get you into bed. Preferably sometime this millennia. Multiple times too. You'd enjoy it. But-" Tony squeezed, cutting off the tirade he saw taking shape, "I'm more interested in getting you on a date first. Think about it. If this was all about getting your sexy ass between my sheets, you think I'd be working this hard? Sorry gorgeous. You're good looking, but my ego can only take so many hits. Like you said. There were twelve other attempts before this, and you verbally kicked my ass each time." He snorted. "No piece of ass is worth that."
"Unless you are incredibly stubborn, and unwilling to admit when your attempts are doomed to fail. You also have an enormous ego, Stark. There are many men who couldn't handle rejection without seeking some sort of retribution for it." There was a sudden note of caution to Loki's voice. That wariness got Tony's attention, and he honed in on the way the brunette was glancing him over, as if to see if there was any sign of deception. Whatever he found, it calmed him down. Loki didn't shy away from his touch, but leaned into it instead, nudging the fingers still curled around his chin. "Were you that petty, I'd walk out of here and never return. No amount of tea and scones are worth dealing with that kind of animosity."
"Scones?" Another fact to save in the mental databanks. "I bet you like the kind with chocolate in the middle." Loki's faint smile was all the answer he needed to answer that one. Tony knew what he was ordering next trip here. "Relax Loki. Ok? I'm not interested in anything like that. Just you and me at dinner, with some liquor thrown in to ease the way. Nothing sinister about that, right?" He was doing it! Tony could see Loki beginning to crack. There might as well have been seams running up and down his face, across his chest, with the glimmer of potential seeping through. He just had to work it a little more… "I promise. Nohing you don't want to do." Tony chanced it and pecked the corner of his lips. He didn't get smacked, so that was another good sign. "You'd have fun…..good food, music, wine."
"Stark."
He heard his name, but Tony was on a roll. "Ever had gelato? Del Posto has this dessert called chocolate ricotta. Not sure what it is, but I want to try it." An exasperated sigh puffed across his chin. Grinning, he looked Loki dead in the eye and nipped smooth flesh, almost jumping out of his skin when it was returned, Loki's mouth pressing into the soft bites and licks. If this was the sort of reaction he had to look forward to, then Tony could die a happy man. He gave credit though; Loki was probably looking to shut him up, and he found the best way to do it. At least for a minute. Then he was back on a roll, all talk and begging, if he had to resort to it. He hoped not. Tony Stark didn't beg for anything. But in this case, it might just be worth it. "Is that a yes? Please, be a yes. You won't regret it."
"That remains to be seen." A bittersweet kiss later and Loki pushed him away, hiding his expression behind his mug of tea. The air of finality about him gave the answer away before he even had a chance.
Tony could've shouted his triumph for all to hear, if he could actually fixate on anything but the handsome face in front of him. "I knew you'd warm up to me." He'd done it. He'd DONE IT. Sure, it wasn't a verbal yes, but who cares? Not him! HA! And there sat his prize, flushed and observing him from the corner of his eye, too beautiful for words. Tony wasn't much of a poet anyway. Loki had everything he could want, and a fantastic personality on top of it all. Maybe others would be turned off by the insults and snark, on top of the biting sarcasm. Tony considered it a type of verbal foreplay. "Took you long enough."
"You sound surprised. I thought no one could resist the Stark charm?" Surprise, Loki had the gall to smirk at him. Of course he was pleased with himself. He'd probably gotten his kicks watching Tony suffer day after day, making him work for it. Such a beautiful bastard.
"Yeah, and those people end up gracing my bed for a night or two. Didn't we already cover this?" The temptation to kiss him again was strong. Tony resisted, settling for a stroke of his finger across those thin lips instead. "I'm serious Loki. You won't regret any of this. We'll have a great time. I'll pamper you senseless, we'll share a great meal, and if you still don't want any more of this when the night's over," he waggled the digit, gesturing between them. "It'll suck, but that's your choice. I'll just have to try harder." Speaking of trying harder, he had things to do! Preparations to make. Tony leapt out of his chair, sending it screeching backwards across the wooden floor. Of course that would be the thing to grab everyone's attention, but what did he care? He had a dinner to plan!
"I suppose you're leaving now?"
Loki was reaching for his book, hardly phased by his hasty reaction. He was the picture of calm serenity, save for his rosy cheeks. Tony adored him for it. "Reservations don't make themselves. And I promised you gelato. What kind of date would I be if I didn't keep my word?" He caught that cheeky grin. No doubt Loki had plenty to say on what kind of date he was. "Don't judge me yet. Wait till we've actually gone out first. After that, you can think whatever you want." Tony winked. "All good things, if I have my way." Which he always did. Snatching the book from Loki's hands, he tossed it far enough away as to keep his attention where it belonged. "How about a kiss before I go?"
"A kiss? You think you deserve that, Mr. Stark?" Mouth curling, Loki fiddled with a spare napkin in absence of his book and tilted his head up, mocking him with his smile. Ha. More like cockteasing. "You've already stolen a handful of kisses, none with my permission. What's stopping you now?"
He wasn't a fan of concession. Tony was starting to get that. Trouble was, neither was he. All but leering at the other male, he grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt and jerked him into a clash of tongues and teeth, a hot, wet mess sprouting a thousand different ideas for pornographic scenarios inside his head. Maybe it was a bit-in other words lot-more lewd than the mostly chaste kisses they'd shared so far, but he didn't care. Tony wasn't worried about reporters, or reputations; he wanted to savor this, savor Loki, then get back to the tower to plan their date….after more kissing, because damn, was he good at it. And he tasted amazing.
"Stark…." pale hands hesitated between them. He noticed one was clutching a pen, but that was the farthest his scrutiny got before both pressed into his chest, pushing him away. Tony anguished over the loss long enough to see the glimmer in those eyes. He knew that look like the back of his hand. Loki liked kissing him. A lot. Maybe even enough to want to kiss him more. Another thing to keep in mind, and he already had a pretty lengthy list. Which he was hardly complaining about, but remembering all these little factoids might be a good job for Jarvis, so he could focus on more important things. Like Loki being a stubborn shit and not saying his name.
"I know. Impressive. I get that a lot. And call me Tony." He offered a friendly grin. "I used your name, so it's only fair you do the same. Unless you don't play fair? Which is cool. I like a challenge just as much as the next guy. Except when you keep important things from me, like your address. That's just cruel." Pointedly, he gestured to the pen. "I need that, by the way. Unless you want to go waltzing up to Stark Tower and risk alerting the entire media to our plans?"
Loki watched him carefully, the smallest trace of humor in his smile. "You make it all sound so nefarious." Glancing down to the spot where his hands rested on Tony's chest, he slowly took them away, leaving something white in their place, with faint scribbles of dark green visible near the bottom. "I believe you'll find everything you need written there. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to salvage what is left of my peaceful afternoon. You've interrupted me long enough." He pondered something for a moment. Tony saw it, waited, and wasn't disappointed when a mug was shoved into his open hand, dregs of tea swishing around the bottom. "Make yourself useful before you go. Earl Grey, with one sugar, and a hint of milk."
"What, no please? Or better yet, thank you, Tony! You're so good to me." He chose to ignore the man's scoff. They both knew the truth anyway. "You're lucky you're hot." Grumbling halfheartedly, Tony shoved the napkin into his pocket. Loki was already nose deep in his book, what a shocker, yet he swore he saw the ass smile behind it. "Be ready by seven. Hope you like Italian."
"It's customary to ask someone's preferences towards dinner before making arrangements, but you're in luck. I do like Italian. And Mr. Stark?" Peeking up through his lashes, the brunette nodded towards the cup. "I expect a pastry to accompany that."
Asshole. "You don't deserve it."
"Perhaps not, but I thought lavish displays of wealth were your calling card? Don't you want to leave a good impression? Otherwise, my mind might very well wander…I could forget all about our little date this evening." Loki waved him off. "Hurry along. And don't be late tonight. I don't condone tardiness, Mr. Stark." Tony stared, trying very hard not to burst into laughter. Or kiss him until something other than attractive sarcasm came out of that mouth. He settled for a miffed eye roll and walked away, clearly hearing Loki call after him, "Don't forget the sugar."
"Uhuh, yeah! Bye! I'll miss you too gorgeous." The coffee shop had a delicious array of cakes and pastries on display in their glass cases, and Tony smugly pointed out one with a thick chocolate cream at its center. "Take one of those and a refill to the snow queen over there. One sugar, a dash of milk. And tell him he's an ungrateful bastard. Wait, scratch that! I'll just write it down." Since Loki seemed to favor written messages so damn much. He stole a pen out of the container nearest the register and scrawled a hasty message in red ink across a napkin matching the one in his pocket, courtesy of that friendly waitress from before. She took it with a happy wave as he headed out the door, his step jaunty. But why shouldn't it be? He'd gotten his way, and he knew there were a pair of emerald eyes back inside, following him all the way. Hopefully reading his message. Speaking of-
Tony pulled Loki's napkin from his pocket and unfolded it, catching the stain of ink as it formed a message that was, as promised, an address. But there was something scrawled beneath it. Reading over it quickly, he laughed and crumpled the note in his fist, changing directions. Horns honked, blaring in his ears. He hurried through the traffic to the other side of the street, down the sidewalk. There was a nice flower shop down this way, and he had an emergency order to place. Three dozen bouquets, because Loki was a little shit and deserved every annoying gift and bauble he could throw at him. "I prefer yellow roses, Anthony," Tony mocked, reciting the note word for word. Of course he had to have the last laugh. Could he really complain though? He got what he wanted. Loki used his real name.