Tony woke to a stinging sensation in his cheek. He blinked sleepily up at the white ceiling as the events of the day caught up with him. Had it really been only that morning he and that roadie chick had stumbled in on Loki.? He had hoped she would get him to a meet with Loki, but had no idea it would be that quick. And then that afternoon... Only one day and Loki was already the first thing he thought of when he woke- had been the first thing he thought of as he drifted off to sleep. Tony wondered what time it was. He hadn't planned on sleeping and didn't want to miss the show. Loki and the band would be on the road the next day and he didn't want to miss them.

A sharp slap shook Tony from his reverie and he was suddenly very aware of the source of the strange cheek stinging. Staring down at him was Weird, who was now nudging Tony into a seated position.

"Hey man, I don't know what you said to Loki, but when he left earlier he made them change all the signs for the tour. He's renamed it 'Loki: God of Fire.' The band's pretty pissed."

"You're kidding?" Tony grinned as he sat up properly, beaming at having made such an impression on Loki.

"Hey, I wouldn't look so fucking please with yourself if I were you, you better deliver with everything you promised Loki. The show's in like two hours."

It was then that he noticed Weird- freshly showered and clad in a pair of low rise dark jeans that hugged his ass and thighs. His blonde hair was combed back and to the side, and the guy looked the least care-free Tony had ever seen him. He was deadly serious.

"Oh Shit."

The flaming stage wasn't such an issue. He had rigged this kind of thing up a dozen times before already- mostly for demos of his talents. Not that that has worked out particularly well for him really. What was difficult was figuring out what Loki wanted and where, and also when he wanted it all to happen. The guy had been missing ever since their little afternoon 'session' with Weird and the girls. The other challenge was the rest of the band.

"This doesn't seem safe, it's alright for you guys- but I'm wearing like 100% polyester. Isn't that highly flammable or something?"

"Shut it Red, you can just move away from the flames. I'm a little stuck behind the drums in case you didn't notice."

"You're just pissed because it's Loki's name on the posters and not yours."

"Well I'm just saying it's nice to be consulted on decisions like this. The guys insane. The show starts in an hour and he's fucking changing everything. Who is this bloody Pyro guy anyway? You'd think he was fucking Brunel or something. "

Tony tried to ignore the shouting as he finished connecting the components. He wouldn't have been surprised if Red and Than started an all out fist fight. He seemed like a pretty muscular bloke, but he got the feeling that Red could more than hold her own. What he really needed was for them to quiet down an help him out a little. As it was, he was just glad it wasn't him they were shouting at.

With lack of any input from Loki, Tony decided to go all out. It wasn't as if he hadn't been planning Loki's set design for weeks anyway. With this little time and the limited equipment he carried round with him, Tony had completed with a flame border around the stage, both a flamethrower and glitter cannons, and then a few indoor fireworks to finish it off. Lastly he had his little vial of oil- the oil fumes would burn, but the liquid itself would be completely inflammable. This would give Loki the appearance of being on fire, when the flames wouldn't touch him at all.

The thought gave Tony images of shaving Loki's chest so that the hairs would not burn. He would have to hurry to get that done- most of the fans were already inside, and Tony expected the supporting band and minute now.

This time, as Tony made his way to the band's dressing room, the guard, Joe, let him in without word. Tony took that as a good sign.

The first thing Tony noticed as he opened the dressing room door was the overpowering stench of weed.

Tony knew that Loki had removed the glitter that morning because he hadn't been wearing it in the penthouse. He was surprised however that he hadn't put it back on.

Loki was lounged on the dressing room sofa much as he had lounged on the arm chair, all long legs poking out between silk, and long black hair spilling out over the sofa's arm. Tony was instantly entranced, but forced himself to look around at the other occupants of the room. It was the first time Tony had seen them in person in their 'costumes' for lack of a better word.

Than wore a purple band of make up over his eyes, with matching purple lipstick. His shirt was tight and one-shouldered with a feather trim. With it he wore tight black pants and bare feet.

Red's short scarlet hair was loosely curled and matched the bright red of her lipstick. Her makeup made her skin look perfectly pale, her eyes dark and dramatic, matching her black catsuit and high laboutin's.

Weird looked mostly as he had earlier, only now dark makeup framed his eyes and accentuated his cheekbones and a sheer gold shirt hung from his shoulders.

In the room were another five or six people, mostly women. He presumed they were either roadies or groupies, helping the band get ready or else desperate to get a piece of their idols.

After nodding to each of them in turn, and receiving a wink from Weird, he allowed his eyes to rest back on Loki. He looked a dream with his long eyelids fluttered shut, and his red lips pouted slightly in what Tony suspected wasn't sleep. He moved over and sat on the arm the other end to Loki's head.

"Is it done?" Loki asked as his ever remained peacefully closed.

It took Tony a minute to realise he was talking to him. "Um yeah. Uh.. Here you go." He placed the small bottle on Loki's belly, the cool glass making him hiss slightly.

"Be a darling and put it on."

"Well first I need to-"

"Just do what you need to Stark. Just make it quick. I don't desire to be late on my first day." Tony heard a snort but he wasn't sure quite who it came from. After spying a razor on Than's table, Tony swiped it and a bottle of cream.

Tony wiped the cream onto his hands, warming it up before spreading it onto Loki's chest and belly. He ignored Than's complaints and focused on Loki's soft moaning. He moved the razor carefully over Loki's body, mourning the loss of each hair that came with it. When he was done, he wiped Loki down with a damp towel one of the girls had handed him and dried him with another. He uncapped the bottle and purred half of it's contents onto Loki's abdomen, working it in with his fingers and then massaging it up to Loki's chest. The soft words from Loki's lips surprised him and made him jump.

"Loki... The man who burned." A sad smile ghosted Loki's lips then, and his eyes flutters open to meet Tony's.

"You won't burn." He replied earnestly. "I wouldn't let you."

"That's..." Loki took Tony's chin between forefinger and thumb. "not what I meant." Loki's thumb stroked over the perfectly trimmed goatee before he dropped his hand back to the settee.

They had briefly talked about the choreography and timing of the technics before the band took the stage. Tony was given his spot just in the wing where he controlled the motherboard from. Everyone was on stage now, everyone but Loki, and the crowd was deafening. The band began to play the riff of the first song as Loki walked on. He was back in just his red kimono and black platform boots. He brought on stage a little pot Tony was too far to see the contents of and put it down next to the mic. As soon as Loki had stepped on, the already hyped crown erupted. Calmly, Loki took the mic from the stand and paused before he sang his first line in the clearest, purest singing voice Tony had ever heard.

"You may stare, at the make up on my face. Make fun of my long black hair... My animal grace..." Red kicked in on the base. "Then smile sadly, at a love you cannot obey... Baby I just sing my song, of, darkness and dismay."

Tony wondered how many people fell in love with Loki right then.

This is as far as I've written up to. So it shall be a wait until the next chapter.

That song Loki sings the opening two is a butchered version of 'lady stardust.'