Chapter 7 – Attraction

"Jarvis, turn the lights down already!" Or as he heard it, "Meow."

Tony jumped only slightly before realization hit him and he sighed. I really need to get used to that... He was still a kitten, but he was kind of enjoying it now, especially since it involved him being so close to the god.

Last night he felt as though Loki needed some comfort, so he went over to do what he would only do to his closest friends: attempt to hug them. He didn't know why he felt such a strong surge of emotion towards the trickster, but the man needed comfort and, seeing as though there was nobody else who would even go near him, Tony had stepped up to the job. This broken god wouldn't kill him or maim him at all; he just wanted to look after his new pet properly, and the billionaire felt really guilty for ever doubting him. Even though he didn't like to see him cry, he liked the side of the god that was caring and not crazy.

The reason Thor was always mysteriously busy every Friday was suddenly obvious.

Ever since Pepper told him that he was far too reckless for her to be his girlfriend, he had locked himself up in his workshop even more than usual and stopped himself from going insane by studying a certain god 24/7, fueled on coffee and Red Bull until he fell asleep for days. She had been his best friend for years but, after he carried a nuke into space, she left him for his other friend, Happy. He did remind her that he called her when he was about to go into space and it was her who didn't pick up, but she just told him to shut up and stop making the break up harder than it already was. And guess when she told him all this? While he was lying on a hospital bed, covered in bruises of various shades of yuck, feeling like crap already. Lovely woman.

His obsession with Loki had started before that, though. Tony had been smitten with the god the moment that he saw the tight leather, gold horns, and sexy staff back when he first saw the man in Stuttgart. He didn't think much of it after that, forcing himself into thinking it was just the heat of the moment, but when he felt butterflies in his stomach when he confronted the trickster before the massive battle he knew that it was something real. I never did get the opportunity to give Loki that drink.

The god actually saved him from just drinking himself to death, although he'd never ever tell him.

Loki was obviously still sleeping; his slow breathing and peaceful face gave it away, and it wasn't until Tony realized that he had been staring at the god since he woke up that he finally gave in to the truth: He was most definitely attracted to Loki.

He didn't stop studying the perfect face in front of him until he saw emerald eyes slowly opening to connect with his own; Loki was finally awake and Tony thought that the soft expression in his eyes made him look even more beautiful.

~x~

The first thing he saw that morning was Stark, staring at him with those innocent brown eyes full of emotion, chasing away the usual sadness Loki experienced when he woke up and saw that he wasn't in his home in Asgard. The kitten seemed to like him more lately, which Loki felt as though he didn't deserve after he ran off without even feeding Stark yesterday. Oops.

He had finally bothered to look up what the human-Stark's full name was. Anthony Edward Stark, or Tony for short. He liked that name; a smile crept onto his face every time he attempted to say it perfectly and he heard how posh it still sounded in his voice. Loki wasn't going to rename his cat, even though he did prefer saying 'Tony' or 'Anthony', because it was far too late now and Stark seemed to like his name.

The kitten started wriggling again, trying to get Loki's attention, so the trickster pulled him closer and nuzzled into the soft brown fur, making Stark start purring. Stark's soft embrace was the single greatest thing he'd ever experienced. He hadn't ever been a cuddling person, only ever enjoying it when Frigga used to hug him when he was hurt. The feeling was unfamiliar because he hadn't been hugged by his mother since he was a little boy, but he liked it nevertheless. Stark seemed to like the contact too, and his purring was filling the silence nicely.

Loki had never said anything more sincere when he murmured a soft "thank you" to Stark. He felt as though he needed to thank the kitten for saving his life the night before. It's a shame Tony Stark himself wouldn't feel the same about me...

~x~

He had no idea what Loki was on about when he said, "Thank you," but the sincerity in his voice made Tony feel as fuzzy on the inside as he was on the outside. Shame he wouldn't feel the same if he knew Stark's true identity...

The comfortable silence was suddenly broken by a shrill ringtone, and both the god and the cat jumped when they heard it. Tony's heart sank when he heard it; Loki didn't have a phone, and it was too close to be the neighbors. What happened to my phone and clothes anyway? Cautiously, the trickster stepped out of bed, stopping to stroke Stark's head before tiptoeing into the hallway where the sound emanated, Tony following closely behind.

There was a bright blue light just outside the living room door that seemed to be flickering slightly as the music continued. It was on top of a small pile of clothes that the billionaire hadn't even noticed on his wanderings around the apartment because they were pushed right against the door. He probably wouldn't have seen them if he wasn't looking for them. On closer inspection, Tony realized that it was a StarkPhone. Tony was frozen, unable to do anything more than stand there staring as Loki slowly picked up the phone and tapped the screen like it was about to explode. It was his phone. Damn.

The hallway was silent, since neither god nor kitten seemed to be breathing, so Tony could hear Steve on the other end of the line perfectly. "Hello, Tony? Just wanted to make sure you're alright because nobody's seen you since Thursday morning. Tony? Tony, you there? Is this even working?"