A/N: Thank you all so much for the follows, reviews and comments and everything! Just a few quick shout-outs and then...well, you shall see! :)
EmberSH: thank you so much for your sweet comments! *blushing*
fan girl 666: thank you! I try what I can with what I know about the Marvel universe. :)
BoBinthemakings: my turn to freak out! thank you for your kind words. I am humbled. .
And, last but not least, lots of FrostIron love to my FrostIron Crew. Y'all make this so much fun! *heartsheartshearts*
XOXO, LL
Loki's fingers tapped incessantly, and offbeat to the music flowing through the speakers, on the steering wheel. He was filled with anxiety as he drove himself and Thane to Steve and Peggy's home on the outskirts of Upstate New York. When he had received the invitation to the dinner Loki thought it would be fun to see everyone again, to get reacquainted.
Then Tony Stark happened.
Even now, days later, remembering Tony's lips on his had his heart beating a little quicker, his stomach doing somersaults, and long ago memories of arms and legs tangling in sheets and the reddened marks on his pale skin he often had to hide, from Tony's facial hair, flicking through his mind like an old movie.
It wasn't that he didn't look forward to seeing old friends. But after that kiss that came from way out of left field—and made it very difficult for him to sleep that night—Loki wasn't looking forward to being in the same room with both Tony and Thane. He only hoped Tony would be on his best behavior and be an adult about the situation.
He was thinking about it now when the hand that landed on his knee made him jump.
He spared Thane a glance and grinned at the blue-eyed, mocha-skinned man beside him. Loki pulled into the long winding driveway and handed his keys over to the young valet as he got out of the vehicle. He joined Thane waiting for him by the hood of the car, letting him take his hand, and they walked up the walkway leading inside the lively house. The door was open and the house was full of men and women in uniform and those in civilian clothes as well. Waiters passed by with trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Thane released Loki's hand to snag two glasses of champagne from a passing tray and handed one to him.
"Thank you."
"Remind whose party this is again?" Thane asked in his posh British accent before taking a sip of the gold bubbly liquid as they made their way through the living room into the dining area. There was a long mahogany table covered with bowls, trays, and plates of various foods and dishes that people milled around, picked off of and carried on small white plates throughout the house and in the backyard.
"Captain Steve Rogers'." Loki drank, swallowed. "You've met him before, have you not?"
"Mm," Thane nodded, pushing open the screen door that led to the lit up back garden and letting Loki walk through. "Yes. Goody-two shoes type of man with the very beautiful wife?"
Loki chuckled and they stopped at a small pub table under twinkling lights. "Yes, that one. But I would say he's more overly patriotic than goody-two shoes. It isn't as if he is showing off tonight. This is a benefit dinner for a military charity. It helps children of fallen soldiers. And it cost me a pretty penny to bring you along." He leaned in close like he was about to tell him a secret and nudged the tall, dark, and handsome man with his shoulder. "Don't make me regret it."
Thane turned his head to glance down at Loki's smirking face and reached up to pinch his chin. "I'm sure I can find some way to make it up to you, dear."
"Loki!"
Loki looked up just as Peggy came rushing over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Margaret, darling!" She pulled back enough to cup his face and press a kiss to each of his cheeks. She used both of her thumbs to wipe away her lipstick prints.
"It's wonderful to see you."
"And you, as well. You look beautiful."
She stepped back, clucking her tongue and brushing a stray brunette curl hanging over her eye. "Stop it. I look exhausted. How is it being back in the States? I bet it was wonderful doing all of that traveling. You know, Steve took me to Rome for our anniversary last month."
"Oh, lovely. Rome is beautiful. It's nice to be home after being gone so long. Margaret, have you met Thane Anderson?" Loki cupped his arm around Thane's arm and brought him forward a little. "I believe Steve has before. He's a friend of Thor's from law school."
Thane extended his hand to Peggy. "Margaret."
Peggy's red-painted lips grew wide. "Oh yes! Thane, we did meet once. It's wonderful to see you again. Please call me Peggy. Loki never does, but that's okay." She slipped her hand in his and briefly shook it. "I heard you're teaching at NYU," she said returning her attention to Loki. "Moving up in the world, aren't we?"
Loki smiled bashfully and let out a short ehehehe. "It was an offer I couldn't refuse."
"I'm sure it was."
Loki quieted and laid a hand on Peggy's forearm. "Margaret, I heard about Bucky. How did Steve take it?"
Peggy covered Loki's hand with her free one and sighed softly. "It was rough there for awhile. I think he felt partly to blame and him surviving with only a leg injury made it worse. But once he healed from the wound he decided to take a desk job. He doesn't want to go overseas anymore." She lowered her lashes briefly. "How did you hear?"
"Thor sent me a letter. I couldn't make it back for the funeral unfortunately."
"Are you okay?" Loki gave her hand a squeeze and nodded.
"I'm sorry, who is this Bucky?" Thane interrupted.
"Oh, gods, I'm sorry, Thane." Loki shifted his body so he wasn't just facing Peggy. "Bucky was a close friend of ours. I met him in college, but he had known Steve since childhood. He joined the army after college to…" his voice died off, "I think he was just lost and looking for somewhere he belonged."
"He found it," Peggy said softly.
"He and Captain Rogers were stationed together in…?" he looked questioningly at Peggy.
"Kuwait," she supplied.
"There was an attack." Loki had to pause to swallow down the emotion filling him. "Bucky didn't make it. And Steve was severely injured."
"The kids enjoyed him being home for that time. And he was here for Sophia's birth."
"I'm so sorry to hear that. But I'm happy your husband was returned to you," Thane said, again offering his hand to Peggy. She took it and smiled her thanks. Behind their heads she caught sight of someone trying to flag her down from inside the house.
"Oh, darn. I think I'm needed in the kitchen. I'll send Steve over to say hello. Nice seeing you again, Thane." She stepped forward and hugged Loki quickly and tightly. "I'm so happy you're home, Loki. Call me and we'll do lunch or something. I need to catch up with you!"
"I will." Loki kissed her cheek and watched her walk away, back into the house. "It's hard to believe she's had three children."
Thane stared open-mouthed. "You're joking."
"Not at all," Loki responded with a shake of his head, sipping more champagne. "Six, four, and two. A boy and two girls."
"Wow." Thane glanced back again to get another glimpse. "She's got an incredible body." Loki lifted a brow at him over the rim of the flute in his hand and he grinned softly. "As do you." He placed a hand at the small of Loki's back and leaned in to give him a kiss. Loki laughed softly and turned his head just a bit and Thane's lips landed on his cheek.
"We are surrounded by military men, Thane. Control yourself."
Thane's hand moved to Loki's hip and tugged him close, letting out a low chuckle. "I'm sorry. You make that quite a difficult task, Loki." His hand slipped down a few inches to pat Loki's ass.
"There you are!"
Loki was surprised at Thane's public display of affection and felt his cheeks heat up as Steve appeared, walking with a cane. "Captain Rogers." Loki held out a hand to the formally dressed captain.
Steve waved Loki's hand away and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "I've known you too long for that. And just call me Steve." He patted Loki's back then stepped away, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "Good to have you back on American soil, Loki." He stepped back, leaning on the table instead of the cane. "How's Thor? I always invite him to these things, but, you know him. Busy, busy, busy."
Loki laughed. "That he is. He is well—at least I assume. He's even too busy to see me sometimes."
Steve chuckled and noticed Thane hovering beside Loki and smiled at him, a hint of recognition gleaming in his blue eyes. "Thanos Anderson, right?"
Thane smiled and they shook hands. "Just Thane, please, Captain Rogers."
"Ah, sorry. You're a friend of Thor's right?"
"Yes, I am." He slipped his arm around Loki's waist again. "But tonight I am just Loki's date."
Steve's eyes went wide and moved to Loki. "Oh." Loki knew he was thinking of Tony and wanted to tell him that it was no big deal but he had yet to tell Thane about his past with anyone, let alone about his past with Tony.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, of course not!" Steve rushed to assure Thane, smiling widely showing two perfect rows of white teeth. "I just didn't know that—I mean Loki just got back so I didn't think—"
"Rogers, we need you." A formidable looking black man dressed all in black with an eye patch over one eye stepped up to Steve and tapped his shoulder.
"Oh, sure!" Steve replied, happy to have found an escape. "Director Fury, sir, meet a friend—friends of mine. Thanos Anderson and Loki Odinson."
Fury absently nodded his hellos and was about to turn away until he heard Loki's surname. "Odinson? Any relation to the late or current senators Odinson?"
Loki nodded. "My father and brother."
"Really?" Loki's head angled at the scrutinizing look Fury gave him. "My condolences on your father's passing." Loki nodded his thanks. "He was a good man. And quite the advocate for clean energy."
"He was. A cause my brother has taken up, I understand."
Thane placed his empty champagne glass on a waiter's passing tray and Steve grabbed a full one for himself from the same tray.
"Hmm. Is your brother familiar with Tony Stark?"
All eyes turned to Steve when he choked on his drink at Fury's question and spit champagne off to the side of him. He apologized to the small group of officers who accidentally got in the line of fire. Loki smirked and turned his attention back to the director.
"Very much so, Director. May I ask why?"
Fury's one-eyed gaze concentrated on Steve for several seconds before finally returning to Loki. "I'm afraid that's classified, Mr. Odinson." Loki cocked a brow. How was the possibility of his brother and his ex-boyfriend knowing each other classified? "It's just a project we could use them both on. We haven't contacted your brother as yet, and Stark—well; he's been a little hard-headed about getting on board."
"That's because you're not giving me the whole story, Nick." Tony strolled out into the garden, glass of whiskey in hand.
Steve bristled, tugging on his tie and jacket, making Loki stifle a laugh. He wondered if Steve was upset because of the potentially awkward situation or because Tony just called a government official by his first name. "Tony."
Fury raised a hand, cutting Steve off. "It's all right, Captain. If you agreed to get involved you would get all the details, Stark."
Tony dipped his head to the side, and casually snuck a glance at the man with his arm around Loki. "Doubtful. And going behind my back to my friends isn't going to win me over. Plus, if this endeavor involves working with you…?" He clucked his tongue. "Strike two."
"Tony!"
He held out his hands innocently at Steve's outburst. "Just being honest, Cappy."
"Don't call me Cappy."
"Stark—"
"Director, we're waiting for you and the captain."
"Phillip!" Loki cried out to everyone's and his own surprise. He hadn't expected to see Phil Coulson. Phil turned to him and smiled softly. "What are you doing here?" he asked ignoring the curious look Thane was giving him.
"Loki," Phil said in greeting. "Good to see you."
Fury was still glaring at Tony and interrupted Loki and Phil. "Captain, Agent Coulson, let's get back to the discussion."
Steve's eyes shot to Tony and moved to Loki and Thane, looking unsure about leaving them all alone. "Will you all be okay?" Loki opened his mouth to answer and Fury interrupted him once again.
"I'm sure they can manage, Captain."
"Don't worry about us, Steve." Tony felt everyone's eyes on him as he looked at Loki and grinned. "We're old friends, remember?" Loki had to fight a grin even as Thane's arm tightened around his waist.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Steve muttered under his breath. He moved to Tony as Fury and Phil moved back toward the steps leading into the house. "Don't start any shit, Stark," he murmured so only he could hear. Tony's jaw dropped comically, in jest, and he batted his eyes in feigned shock. Steve rarely used that kind of language.
"When do I do that, Cappy?"
"Don't—"
"Call you Cappy. I know. Okay, bye-bye now." Tony turned Steve away and patted him twice on his ass to urge him on his way. As soon as the forbidding trio was gone, Tony faced the pair next to him with a bright smile. "Whose your friend?" The genius' brown eyes took in the tall dark-skinned, blue-eyed man next to Loki; the blue suit that was likely Dolce & Gabbana, a tie pin and cufflinks that were probably real 14k gold; he had perfectly groomed dark brown wavy hair, and perfect teeth. Damn it.
Loki gave Tony a hard look, a warning, and angled his body toward Thane's. The other dropped his arm from around Loki and smiled politely at Tony. "This is Thane Anderson. Thane, meet Ant—ahem, Tony Stark."
Thane caught the slight stumble but made no comment about it and thrust out his hand to Tony. "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Stark."
Tony stopped smirking at Loki long enough to briefly shake Thane's hand and glare. He had a goddamned British accent, too. "Most people have. And just Tony works." He sipped from the glass in his hand before setting it on the table next to him. "So what do you do, Thatch?"
Loki had to bite back a laugh. He shifted so he was further behind Thane and flared his eyes at Tony, signaling him to stop.
"Thane," he corrected politely.
Tony lifted the glass to his lips again, tried not to laugh sarcastically. "Sorry," he muttered with no trace of sincerity.
"I'm a lawyer. I went to law school with Thor, whom I hear you know well."
Tony swallowed, his eyes flicking to Loki. "Yeah, I do. Oh, that's right," he set down the glass on the table again. "Loki mentioned Thor had set you two up."
Thane glanced at Loki, who only smiled thinly. "I hadn't realized you two were acquaintances."
Tony sensed the tension he may or may not have caused between the couple, especially when Loki shifted uncomfortably under Thane's gaze. It made him smile. "Thor and I were roommates in college for a couple of years," he explained, getting Thane's attention again. "We were good friends, too. You could say we've seen each other in very…compromising positions." His eyes met Loki's again. Their shared gaze was held for a few long moments before someone shouted Tony's name and he looked away.
Loki let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Aw shit. Sorry to break up what was sure to be a laugh-fest, guys. But I've got to go let down a bunch of military big-wigs. General!" Tony lifted a hand to wave and fled as quickly as he had arrived.
Loki watched him go and waited for Thane's reaction, which came pretty quickly. His fingers wrapped around Loki's arm and started up the steps into the house, dragging Loki behind him. He pulled him into a hallway by the staircase leading to the second floor.
"Could you kindly explain to me what that was?"
"What what was?" he asked innocently.
Thane sighed shortly, shoved his hands in his pockets. "Loki, I am not blind, nor am I stupid. Tony Stark was flirting with you. Right in front of me! You don't find that strange or odd? Or even a little insulting to the person you arrived with?"
Loki's shoulders lifted. "No, not really. No offense. But Ant—" he sighed on a laugh. "Tony flirts with everyone, Thane. I'm not special." Lies, he said silently.
"And what is that you keep doing? Why do you start to call him something else besides Tony?"
Loki sighed as if the whole conversation was a burden. "Because I usually call him Anthony."
Powder blue eyes narrowed at Loki. "Why didn't you tell me you knew him? And who is that Phillip?"
In classic Loki style, he bristled, affronted, and cocked a black brow high. "Am I to list all of my friends and acquaintances for you? Is that how this relationship is going to work?"
Thane removed his hand from his pocket to press his fingers to his chest. "Don't make me out to be the villain here, Loki. I have eyes and ears that work perfectly fine and I could see the look on Stark's face just a moment ago. He looked about ready to pounce on you."
If it were any other time that might have made Loki laugh.
"I don't mean to put pressure on you. But I…I like you. I do not, however, like feeling like I'm wasting my time. So tell me the truth: is there something going on with you and Stark?"
Loki felt himself becoming irritated. Not at Thane or the perfectly reasonable question, but at the fact that he really couldn't answer honestly either way. And he was mad at Tony for scrambling his brain with that damn kiss. "Not that I'm aware of…," he answered vaguely.
Thane straightened and scoffed. "Not that you're aware of? Was there once something between you?" Loki glanced around anxiously. He didn't know what people knew about Tony's past and didn't think this was the place for this conversation. Thane cupped his chin and jerked his face toward him. "Answer me."
The handsome pale face folded into a scowl and Loki pushed Thane's hand away. "I would, Thane, but may I remind you we are in a very public place. This is not the time to be having this discussion. And I certainly don't appreciate you man-handling me so roughly in front of a bunch of strangers."
Thane's jaw muscles clenched. "Answer the question, Loki."
With a flutter of his long lashes and a slight curve of his lips, Loki's face changed instantly from a dark scowl to a sweet expression. "Forgive me, Thane. I seem to have forgotten the question."
"Tell you what, then, sweetheart. When you remember and you have an answer for me, why don't you give me a call?"
Loki frowned and watched Thane walk away and out the door, pulling out his cell phone, presumably to call a taxi. "Don't hold your breath."
Tony watched and listened to part of the interaction between Thane and Loki. He hid behind the wall in an adjacent room to the hallway after he managed to slip away from the general. He watched Thane walk away from Loki. He watched Loki walk back into the party. He watched his former lover put a smile on his face and pretend to have a good time as he downed three glasses of champagne in less than ten minutes.
He stopped a waiter passing by him, discreetly slipped him a twenty dollar bill, and gave him a few instructions to earn that twenty. Then he made his way to a secluded balcony upstairs, off of Steve and Peggy's bedroom, with a stolen bottle of the champagne Loki seemed to like so much, an empty flute, and his own refilled tumblr of whiskey, and waited for Loki. He was pouring the champagne carefully into the flute when he heard the door open.
"Hello? Is there anyone in here?" Loki called into the dark room.
"Come on out to the balcony!" Tony called. The balcony door opened and Loki poked his head out, his eyebrows lifting in surprise when he spotted Tony standing out on the balcony next to a small round table with a bucket of ice on it.
"Anthony, what are you doing up here?"
"Oh, back to Anthony, are we?" He handed Loki the flute of champagne. The taller man took it and gulped down half of it immediately.
"I couldn't very well stand out from everyone else, now could I?"
"Oh, you were born to stand out, professor." Loki drank again to hide his grin. "Where's Theo?"
"Thane," Loki corrected, making a face.
"Whatever."
Loki snickered. "He left."
"Without his date?
He tossed back his head and finished off his champagne. "We had a…disagreement."
"About?" Loki sighed and held out his empty glass for more alcohol. Tony picked up the bottle and took the glass from Loki to refill it. "You in a rush, babe?"
"Perhaps," he answered, taking another long drink as soon as Tony handed him back the glass. "It's very good champagne. We argued about you."
Tony's eyes went wide. "Me?" he asked in contrived shock.
"Oh, please don't, Anthony," Loki nearly groaned. "You knew exactly what you were doing back there. I was hoping you would be a little more grown-up about this."
Tony chuckled and sipped at his drink. They were both quiet for a moment, listening to the cacophonous noise of conversations and clinking of glasses and utensils on plates drifting up to them. "He's not your type, you know," Tony threw out into the quiet.
Loki hid a small grin. "Oh? Then what is my type?"
"I thought you knew, babe." Tony paused, waited for Loki to look at him. When those green eyes landed on him, he smiled and held out his hands. "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Or in other words…" He folded in his hands so his fingers pointed at himself. "Me."
Loki chuckled and moved to the look over the edge of the balcony. He leaned back, looked at Tony. "Why did you bring me up here, Anthony?"
"No reason."
He laughed, resting an elbow on the edge, his legs giving a little beneath him. "You never were very good at lying to me."
Tony smiled. "Okay. So I wanted to be alone with you. Sue me." He wandered over to the edge but kept a small distance between the two of them.
Loki watched him carefully as he did. "What are you up to, Anthony? And don't say 'nothing.' You know very well I know you…," he paused to hiccup, "better than that."
Tony looked out over the balcony and shrugged. He brought his eyes back to Loki and grinned. "I don't want you to be with Thane."
"Because…?" Loki rolled his wrist to urge Tony to continue.
"I want you to be with me."
Loki's smile faded. After a moment, he looked away. He crossed one arm over his waist and brought the hand holding his champagne glass up, resting it against his cheek. "Why?" he asked finally, in a small voice.
Tony took a few steps forward to move closer. "What do you mean why? Loki…"
"We're different now, you and I," he said, but kept his gaze on the starlit nighttime sky, avoiding looking directly at Tony, whose eyes he could feel on him. "We are not the same people we were nine years ago, Anthony."
"Considering we couldn't make it work nine years ago, isn't that a good thing?" Tony ended his question by laying a finger on the back of Loki's hand resting on the balcony rail, sliding it across the skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps. Loki didn't move his hand and drank from his glass to coat his dry throat.
He finally brought his eyes up to Tony's. "We don't know each other as well as we once did."
Tony moved even closer, and reached out to toy with the ends of the gray and black hounds-tooth scarf Loki wore around his neck. "So then we get to know each other again. It might be fun. Go ahead. Ask me something."
Loki eyed him for a moment before pursing his lips. "Are you happy?"
Tony's head jerked back a little, his brows drawn together. That was not a question he was expecting, but he smiled anyway, and leaned against the balcony. "I'm not unhappy. Things were…dark for a long time. After Greece, Obie and…all that stuff."
"I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about it."
"No, it's fine. It doesn't bother me. The whole thing just made me realize that I couldn't just toss Stark Industries aside, no matter what my feelings were for Howard. He was right; I had a responsibility to the name. So I shut down all the weapons departments, cancelled all of the contracts with the military, and concentrated on the electronics and some of my own stuff."
Tony stopped, realizing he was rambling, and looked at Loki.
"I haven't been as happy as I was when I was with you…" Loki held his gaze for only a moment before looking out at the garden. "Until you suddenly popped up again."
Loki let out a nervous chuckle. "Sweet-talker."
"Are you happy, Loki?"
"Not really," he answered softly.
"Why not?"
Loki's lips parted, but he hesitated to answer. "My life just hasn't worked out the way I had planned. Or had hoped."
"What are you talking about? You've been teaching people to read and write English for most of the last decade. You should be proud of that."
Loki looked into his glass of champagne. "It sounds awful, but I didn't take the job teaching overseas out of the goodness of my heart."
"Then why'd you do it?"
Emerald green eyes lifted, settled on chocolate brown. "Because the other side of the country wasn't far enough away for me to forget about you." Tony didn't say anything in response, but his stomach did do a little flip. "I've traveled before; I didn't need to do that. What I always wanted was a family. To be honest, I've not been able to make a relationship work because I am too afraid of repeating the mistakes I made with you. I have spent the last decade of my life running from my memories of you."
Tony took a moment to digest that. He glanced down at Loki's hand, still resting on the balcony and placed his over it. "You don't have to run anymore, Loki…not if you don't want to."
Contemplatively, Loki turned his hand over and toyed with Tony's fingers for a moment before dropping his hand completely. He wandered away to pour himself more champagne. "There are still things you don't know about me."
Tony faced him, leaning his elbows back on the rail, and shrugged. "Not anything that's gonna keep me away from you."
Loki laughed as he drank. "You don't know that."
Cocky as ever, Tony tilted his head and smirked. "Try me."
"I have a son," Loki said, looking directly at Tony.
Tony suddenly went mute. His mind went blank and he couldn't form any words or move any part of his body. The only noise was coming from below them. Loki finished off his glass and, even though he was starting to feel the champagne make his head swim, he poured himself another full glass. Another minute flew by and still Tony was silent.
"Have you nothing to say?"
"Are you fucking with me? Are you serious?" Tony asked, finally finding his voice.
Loki chuckled darkly. "You never think I can get the better of you."
"Loki—"
"Of course, I'm serious," he spat before emptying his glass once more.
Tony pushed up from the rail and approached Loki, who was adding even more champagne to his glass. "What…who…how—Jesus, I can't even form a fucking question." He downed the rest of his whiskey and slammed the glass to the table. Loki just kept on drinking. Angry now, Tony tore the glass from his hand. "Loki! I'm trying to talk to you here."
"And I am trying to forget my troubles the Anthony Stark way." He reached for the glass but Tony pulled it out of his reach. He sighed and picked up the champagne bottle instead. "Fine, keep it."
"Loki." Tony tried to grab the bottle but Loki swallowed it all down before he could get it. "God damn it, Loki."
Loki laughed and teasingly dangled the bottle over Tony's head. "Whoops." He dropped it and Tony caught it just before it smashed to the ground. Loki wandered drunkenly over to the edge.
"Shit. What am I supposed to do with you now?" Tony turned just in time to see Loki launch himself halfway over the balcony edge waving his arms.
"Hellooooooooo!"
"Loki!" Tony grabbed him and dragged him away from the ledge. "Are you crazy? Get yourself together, would you?"
Loki giggled as he leaned into Tony's arms, helping hold him up at the moment. He lifted a finger to Tony's cheek, traced the outline of his goatee. "Take me home, Anthony." His voice was suddenly serious and quite husky.
Tony grunted as he led Loki back into the darkened room, trying to hold him up. "I don't know where you live, babe."
"No. Take me to your home."
Tony stopped and straightened, turning Loki in his arms. "What?" He barely had the question out before Loki was lowering his head trying to kiss him. Tony ducked his head just in time. "Not like this, Loki."
Loki made a noise that sounded like a whine. "Why do you suddenly care if someone's drunk?" He tried to kiss Tony again and this time stumbled over Tony's feet when he dodged him yet again, and he fell to the floor in a fit of giggles.
Tony bent over him and sighed heavily. He pulled out his cell phone and punched a few buttons. "Happy. Get your ass up here. I'm in the second floor bedroom to the back right." He glanced down at Loki, still giggling away. "I need some help."
Loki was a long-limbed bag of bones by the time Tony and Happy got him in Tony's brand new Acura NSX. Loki's car keys had fallen out of his pocket during the process and Tony shoved them in Happy's hand as he got behind the wheel of his own car and started the drive back to Manhattan.
Loki started stretched out in the back, but the drink made him restless and playful and Tony had to keep avoiding his lips and swipe away his hands while simultaneously keeping an eye on the road. But by the time they had reached Stark Tower, Loki had tired himself out. Tony and Happy carried him, as he hummed happily to himself, to the elevator and Happy helped deposit him in Tony's bed—after Tony declined putting him in one of the spare bedrooms. Tony was grateful that Happy kept any questions to himself.
Tony had Loki on the bed and was removing his shoes, grinning at the memories of having done the job so many times before. The memories made him feel wistful and sad that Loki was right. There was so much about each other they didn't know.
"Anthony?"
Tony paused, his hands at Loki's waist, undoing the fly. "What?"
He groaned and started to roll his body, but Tony pulled him back. "Make the room stop spinning."
Tony laughed. "I can't." He tugged the pants over Loki's narrow hips, surprised to find Loki was wearing boxer briefs. "When did you start wearing underwear?"
Loki groaned as Tony pulled him into a sitting position to remove his suit jacket. "Am I?"
"I'll ask you later," Tony said with a short roll of his eyes. He yanked off the tie and lifted the dress shirt over Loki's head instead of taking the time to unbutton it. Loki protested when the buttons got caught on his nose. "Sorry."
Loki pressed his hands to his head. "Oh, gods…"
"You gonna throw up?" Tony nudged him at the shoulder to make him lie back and Loki softly said no. "Lie down." He reached under Loki and pulled down the sheets so Loki could do so.
"Are you going to lie down with me?"
Tony had been debating that with himself since he put Loki in his car. "I dunno," he mumbled as he settled Loki under the covers.
"You hesi-ta-ted," Loki nearly sang.
Irritated because Loki caught it, Tony gave him a short, tart, "So?" He was still getting the sheets around Loki and froze as Loki's hand came to rest on his cheek.
"Anthony…?" Tony's eyes lifted to Loki's, finding the brillianat green even in the mostly dark room. "Come to bed with me."
Tony sighed, turning his face into Loki's palm. "I want to. You have no idea how bad I want to. But…you're drunk."
Loki moved his hand down to caress Tony's neck then back up to comb his fingers through Tony's hair. "I'm not drunk enough to ask."
"You won't even remember you did in the morning."
"I will. I'll wake up alone and disappointed in your bed, surrounded by your scent." Loki pushed himself into a sitting position again while simultaneously bringing Tony's face closer to his. Tony's hand curled around Loki's wrist.
"Loki, don't. I don't want to do this when you're not even aware of what you're doing. And not when I'm…so fucking confused right now. You told me you have a kid, for fuck's sake. How am I supposed to deal with that?"
"Anthony…"
"How do you expect me to respond to that?"
"I don't. Not right now." Loki pressed his mouth to Tony's neck and started placing soft open-mouthed kissed to his heated skin.
Tony bit back a moan and had to force himself to resist the enticing temptation the man in his arms presented him with. "Loki. Stop…please."
Loki pulled back but didn't move away or release Tony. "Just a kiss, love…" He nuzzled his nose into Tony's and along his cheek, breathing into his mouth as his lips hovered over Tony's. "Just one kiss…"
"Damn it, Loki." Against his better judgment, Tony gave in to Loki and himself, and lightly pressed his mouth to Loki's.
The kiss started soft, a hesitant meeting and nibbling of lips. But even in his drunken-nearly-passed-out state, Loki knew what he was doing when it came to the art of lip-locking. Sliding his tongue along the seam of Tony's lips, he pried them apart and dipped his tongue in, gliding along Tony's. The smokiness of Tony's whiskey and the tanginess of the expensive champagne mixed as their tongues danced together. Tony moaned into Loki's mouth, his arms snaking around Loki's body. Loki's hands went to his face, but eventually the spinning in his head got the best of him and he slowly passed out in Tony's arms.
Tony laid him back down on the bed and got up to walk into his private bathroom. He fisted his hands against the counter, fighting the urge to put one of them through the wall. He was a fool to think it would be that easy to get Loki back. He knew there would be some things he didn't know about Loki and his life in the past decade; there were a million things Loki didn't know about him. But he never expected a kid. That possibility never even entered his mind.
"Jarvis, set the alarm for eight-thirty in my room."
"Alarm set, sir. Will you be joining Mr. Odinson?"
Tony lifted his eyes to the mirror, watching himself as he began to remove his watch and cufflinks and undress. "No. I'm gonna sleep in the lab. I'm not going yet. And…send a message to Pepper for me."
"The same as the others, sir?"
Tony mulled it over in his head then lowered his eyes from his own image, calling himself a coward. "Yes."
A moment passed. "Done."
"Thanks."
"Shall I start the shower for you, sir?"
Tony pulled his shirt from his waistband and began to unbutton it. "Yeah."
"At fifty-three degrees?"
Tony scoffed at himself and his too-intelligent AI. He started to undo his pants and shook his head at how aroused that kiss got him. "No. Eighty. And some privacy."
"Of course, sir."
"I'll be in the lab in fifteen minutes."
"Yes, sir."
In a daze, Tony ran his finger over his still-buzzing lips. And grinned. "Jarvis. Make that twenty."
