Tony grunted as he hit the floor again.
He wasn't much for one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat, but he had his fair share of training in the art. Even so, Harry was kicking his ass up and down his gym, and laughing at him while doing it.
It might have been that he kept getting distracted by the attractive, slighter male, but it was probably that he was still in a food coma and the small wizard was very swift and adept at what he was doing. Tony just laid on the floor this time, listening as Harry laughed and sat down next to him,
"Did I break you Anthony?" Tony just hid his smile in the floor and grunted loudly in a grumpy manner. Oh he wished Harry could break him, in the naughtiest way possible. Harry laughed again at Tony's grunt as the door to the room opened, and he felt Harry move next to him without looking up.
"Steve, nice to see you again." He could almost hear Harry blushing as Tony quickly rose off the floor and brushed the invisible dirt off of his shirt.
"Are you two sparring?" Steve asked interestedly, before dropping his gym bag by the door.
"Yes we are, would you like to join us?" Harry asked, re-wrapping tape over his knuckles, while Tony frowned a little. However, he didn't want to act like a brat in front of Harry by protesting. Capsicle looked to Tony in a bit of surprise, he figured the man would uproar at his "friend" showing Steve any bit of attention. Not that Steve didn't understand, Harry was adorable and his food was more than enough to make any man fall head over heels in love with him.
"Maybe yes, are you good at sparring?"
"Is he good? Hell Cap, I would wager on him being better than the murderous spider herself," Steve nodded, a bit awed once more at how quickly Tony complimented this man. Tony was self-centered and narcissistic and he rarely complimented anyone other than himself.
"Well I'd like to take you on, little wizard" Steve said kindly, Tony bristled once more, but didn't say anything as the two men began fighting. They traded blows and punches and Tony wasn't very protective until the fighting began in earnest. He was very tempted to tell the Capsicle to watch his super strength. Harry, even though less breakable than he, was a whole lot more breakable than Cap. The fight seemed to go on endlessly, both men dancing around each other, though Tony could tell that Harry was still holding back where Steven wasn't…Finally, tired of dancing, Harry ended it by using a solar-plexus kick on Steve, coupled with a swipe of his leg behind Steve's knees, trapping him on the floor and straddling him in a caging manner.
Tony started clapping and Harry jumped up, sending him a large smile before offering Steve a hand up. Steve smiled and took his hand, their hands lingering together longer than Tony thought necessary.
"Nice job Harry, best fight I've had in ages," Steve smiled kindly, still holding Harry's hand,
"Grandpa means it quite literally, don't you Capsicle?" Steve frowned, but Harry giggled and pushed Anthony on the shoulder,
"Be nice to your elders, junior" Harry admonished in a teasing manner. Anthony wanted to be annoyed, but somehow, he could not even muster the littlest bit of indignation.
Loki was picking up on the most exquisite tingle of magic. It resembled the Seiðr that had added body and spice to his pasta dish the night before. It was a very faint trail, and he would not have picked up on it if had he not have stepped into the elevator. He wanted desperately to follow the trail, but was sadly restricted to only his floor, the other Avenger's floors (minus Stark's), the gym or the creative floors, and the common floor. Everywhere else was strictly off limits, unless he had been given express permission. If he even attempted otherwise, Jarvis would shut down the elevator or use brute force to contain him, and with most of his more defensive magic restrained, he was not able to properly defend against such an attack.
However, when he stepped off at the gym floor, the magic got stronger and he was drawn to it as a "moth to a flame," as these silly humans might say. He had caught up on quite a bit of mortal slang and mortal living standards as he had thrived among them for so long. He had put his cooking skills to use in a bakery, became more personable and respecting of the people he walked amongst, and learned all of that "character" and "conscience" dribble that Fury droned. It was almost touching how he had come to resent the humans a little less, while respecting them a little more. However, unlike Thor, he still knew his place as their superior.
He still had some baser magical skills, and used them to cloak himself with shadows as he drew nearer to the source of the magic. He saw the blonde, hulking red, white, and blue man passionately battling with a small, pale, man with a…mop of black hair.
Surely if this man had such magical strength, he could use it to look halfway presentable. At this thought, Loki snorted.
He started observing more closely, picking up little hints and nuances of the scene. There seemed to be some sort of tension between the smaller man and the large blonde brute he was fighting, but not the negative kind of tension. It was most definitely sensual, if very hidden behind the sparring aggression.
Loki then scanned the room once more, to see Stark looking on with a mix of anger, worry, and a tinge of lust written all over his stony face. For which man was the "ladies man" lusting over?
Loki gave a wolfish grin. This situation most certainly had just gotten a lot more interesting than what he bargained for when agreeing to stay in this tower with his insufferable brother and his "superhero" friends.
Suddenly, the fight came to a stop as the pale little thing unleashed his strength, through with holding back, and ended the fight by putting the brute in his place on the floor. Loki smirked and was tempted to clap, whenever he finally got a good look at the wizard. If he had not looked closer, and had tasted this man's Seiðr to pick up on basic clues, he would have mistaken him for a woman. He certainly was delicate and feminine, yet upon a closer inspection he was definitely male. He gave off a rough and tumble vibe, some sort of dangerously alluring pull, and it was simply delicious. Loki licked his lips as he continued to study the men in the room, their puzzling interactions with one another. Was this some sort of love triangle? This small, porcelain man was beautiful, and somehow, Loki was now less disgusted with the man's inability to straighten his hair. It fit perfect with his wide, emerald eyes.
He watched as the male blushed while engaged in a prolonged handshake with the leader of the group, and suddenly Stark butted in with some outrageous comment making the ravenite laugh. His laugh was tinkling and addictive, and suddenly Loki realized where he recognized this familiar little creature from.
This man was his opponent, the entire reason he was even in Stark Towers at the present day.
Well, this is just getting curiouser and curiouser, Loki thought with a shark-like grin, before snapping his fingers and disappearing to his chambers.
Harry heard the nearly inaudible pop, and cursed himself for not being better on his guard. He tested the air to find traces of magic, and the magical signature that came back was unfamiliar. He would have to be more careful, as he realized now that Malfoy was out to find him. Him and Malfoy had developed a nice camaraderie after the great war, and when the blonde wanted something to happen, he would always get his way. Harry wouldn't have normally been so concerned, if not for the fact that his friends would be put in more danger if they stumbled across his new locale. Plus, he was being very selfish in the want to have a few secrets, a new life away from his previous hardships.
Harry was almost frightened, almost paranoid, as he glanced around the room, not catching the Captain or Tony's look of concern.
"Harry are you okay?" Tony asked touching his arm gently, the change in the slighter male had been very sudden, as if he was attuned to something they were not aware of.
"Yeah just thought I felt something," he offered a fake assuring smile and a supporting comment,
"It's a magical thing," Tony nodded and took Harry's arm, saying farewell to the Captain and steering Harry towards the elevator.
"Out of curiosity Anthony, is Loki already here?" Harry questioned quietly, looking down at his hands as the elevator ascended to Tony's apartments. Tony cursed in his head, he should have thought to inform the younger male, as he would probably be sensitive to the motions of the other illusionist in the area.
"Yes actually, he got here last night…I know you didn't want to initiate a pissing contest but I didn't think you would show up at my door this morning," Tony answered in a hesitant manner, and Harry simply bit his lip and nodded in thought.
"Remind me to check my potions that are still under stasis after we take tea" Tony just looked, in awe, at the younger male staring in this manner until he noticed,
"Was it something I said?" The male said awkwardly under Tony's scrutiny,
"You have potions with you?"
"Yes, I probably didn't have to tell you this, since you did extensive research, but I am a potions master. I came to America to gather ingredients and research" Harry said amusedly,
"You have to let me see! Can I have samples? Jarvis will keep them super secretly hidden while he runs tests, I promise!" The male was almost bouncing with excitement as Harry smiled indulgently and adjusted his t-shirt to get rid of the sweat that had gathered on his chest.
"Yes, of course I-"
"Sir we have a bit of an issue" Interrupted Jarvis, they were almost to Tony's main living floor as the AI chimed in,
"What is it Jarvis?"
"I didn't think it fit to notify the entire building, as I believe the man is friendly, but you have an intruder in your apartments," Tony stood, gape mouthed, as the elevator slid into place on his floor,
Harry half-pushed Tony behind him, reaching for his concealed wand and drawing it into fighting position.
The doors slid open and the pair trekked quietly to the living area, where Harry stopped dead in his tracks upon examining the room.
On the couch, was relaxing a roguish red-head, dressed in tight leather pants, a loose pirate-esque shirt with a leather vest, and a claw earring resting against his attractively braided and tangled fiery hair..
"Miss me Squirt?" the man rumbled in a deep, sensual voice, as Harry gulped and dropped his wand out of shock.
