Notes: Another really long delay caused by the dreaded writer's block. I really am sorry for taking so long; I hate making people wait for an update.

Now this chapter is a big one not only in length but because we've reached the big 1-0 on this story and yes, there is sex. This was my first real attempt at writing something like this and I'm not sure how well it turned out but gold 'you tired' star for me I guess. I hope you enjoy it and that its not a travesty.

Loki groaned and cracked open his eyes, the world slowly coming into focus. His head pounded with a painful rhythm in his temples and he quickly clutched at them, slamming his eyes shut. The memories of the previous night slowly came back and he sat up with a start. Immediately his stomach turned and he rushed to the bathroom, making it only just in time for the contents to empty into the toilet. When he'd brought up as much as he could, he fell back on his haunches and wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. He'd almost made a mistake last night. The longer he sat there the more he could recall; the lust he'd felt with Tony pinned between his legs, the urge he'd had to rip the clothing off of Tony and take the man then and there.

Loki cringed and scooted back to lean against the cool wall, tipping his head back.

He was only grateful that he hadn't done that, it was bad enough that his dignity had suffered a blow by coming onto Stark in the first place. Imagine if he'd actually slept with the man. Not that he was unattractive; his attraction to Tony was an established fact, but… Blocking out any following thoughts, Loki slowly managed to pull himself to his feet and went to the sink, splashing some cold water over his face in an attempt to rush away the hangover he obviously had. A glance in the mirror told him he looked as bad as he felt.

'Never again…' After cringing and shuffling out of the bathroom, Loki found Tony in the kitchen. The smell of over-cooked eggs filled the air and Loki's nose scrunched as he came up beside the man, peering down at what might have been an omelet. It was a very poor attempt at one. "And what is that mess?"

Tony looked over at him and then back down at the food, "It's supposed to be an omelet."

"Ah, is that what it's supposed to be…" Loki snatched the spatula away from Tony despite the loud protest, shoving him aside, and examined the food before tossing the cooking implement off to the side with a clack. "If this is your idea of breakfast I'd rather eat something out of the rubbish bin. Have you even cooked one before?"

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Tony picked up the spatula and held onto it like he didn't know what to do, giving a small shrug, "I made one for Pepper once. She thought it was fine."

"She was just saying so to not wound your brittle pride." Loki took the pan over to the garbage bin and tossing the still hot food into it, ignoring Tony's complaining, "For now on, let me cook. I don't want food poisoning."

Before Tony could say anything in reply, Loki went about gathering the ingredients for decent omelet, all the while fighting a war against the pounding migraine and twisting stomach. He was aware of Tony watching him as he broke open eggs and mixed in various other items for added flavor, the smell filling the kitchen. Feeling pleased, Loki kept an eye on it as it cooked and once done, switched off the stove. He plated it and handed it to Tony.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

Loki shook his head. "I'd rather not."

Realization appeared on Tony's face and he gave him a sly grin, "Ahh, hangover. Regretting drinking so much now, are we?"

Loki glared without much venom and stabbed a fork at him, "What did you say about Malibu?"

"Oh so you remember that. Well…" Tony looked thoughtful as he took the plate and fork to the living room, Loki padding along behind him as he waited for him to continue, "I don't know. I had this crazy idea of going and checking on my house. I figured since you were living here and all for now, you could tag along. Since we dropped off your app yesterday and it'll take a bit for them to get back, you don't have anything else going on."

Loki plopped down on the couch beside him, "What makes you think I don't have anything going on?"

Tony turned his head and raised a brow, "Uh huh, yeah okay. What's these plans?"

Loki grumbled under his breath, "Nothing…"

"Yeah, I thought so." Tony tucked into the food and his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. It was actually really good. "Where'd you learn to cook or is this a specialty all gay guys have?"

"Do yourself a favor, Stark, and learn tact. For the record, no one taught me. I learned on my own, thank-you." Loki replied tersely, stealing a piece of tomato off of Tony's plate that had escaped and popping it into his mouth. "My brother never let me live those skills down…"

Tony nearly dropped his fork, "Brother?"

Okay, he knew about the brother thing from google but to hear it from Loki was a new development.

Loki sighed and leaned his head back against the couch, side-eyeing Tony as he debated, "Yes, my brother. He's what you'd call a typical man and enjoys embracing this fact. Sort of like you, in fact but less intelligent."

Tony had seen a picture of who he thought Loki was referring to. Big, blond, buff man with a wide smile and bright blue eyes; the kind of face that made women fall all over themselves to get into his good graces. It was actually kind of ridiculous of a guy like that to exist in the real world; then again Loki was just as uncanny. Must run in the family, Tony supposed, despite the fact that they were probably not blood related.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked, shoveling in another fork full of egg and cheese. "You were so keen on keeping everything a secret."

"I…don't know." Loki admitted, staring into space. He lifted his arms only to drop them limply back at his sides. "I guess a small amount of knowledge won't hurt. Besides it might dampen that horrid curiosity of yours. However, don't go digging too much and expect me to be as open. Take what you get and be grateful."

The guilt Tony had felt from snooping bloomed back up again and suddenly, he wasn't hungry anymore. "Thanks, I think."

Loki's lips twitched, "Your welcome."

"I hate planes…" Loki muttered sometime later, sinking into his seat with his arms crossed and staring glumly out the window. He watched the clouds float passed them and the blue sky beyond them with distaste. "I've never liked them. Being stuck inside a flying metal tube in the sky. We'd have very little luck living if the engines decided to fail just now."

"Thanks for the cheeriness, Loki, its appreciated." Tony sipped at his coffee, looking over a newspaper. Every few minutes he'd glance up at Loki just to see the same dour expression written on his face. "Oh cheer up, it's not that bad. Think of it this way, you'll be getting out of New York for a day or two. Enjoy yourself."

"Right, enjoy myself." Loki muttered as he sipped his own coffee. He still couldn't believe Tony had managed to persuade him into traveling across the country just to check on a house that was still standing and as soon as Loki had agreed, Tony had called his people to get his private plane ready in a few hours. Of course he owned a private plane. That was just the sort of man Tony Stark was. Since then Loki hadn't stopped scowling. Never mind the fact that getting out of the city was a good thing. He hadn't been out of it since he'd left home. "How long until we reach Malibu?"

"Not long, another hour or two." Tony replied, smiling at one of his stewardess' who arrived with a plate of food for them to share. He let his eyes glance at Loki's face and chuckled when the man sent the woman a glowering stare. Was that jealousy he was seeing? "You'll survive the trip."

Loki let out a huff and grabbed some cheese and crackers off the tray, ignoring Tony.

The next two hours moved slowly passed and he couldn't have been happier when his feet were allowed on the ground again, stretching his legs. He grabbed his bag that he'd used to pack away some clothing for the trip. It was much warmer here than in New York and he stripped off his coat, sighing in relief as the balmy California breeze, carrying the scent of the ocean, brushed over the bare skin of his arms and neck. When he looked back at Tony he noticed that he'd done the same thing, pushing up the sleeves of the long sleeved shirt he was wearing under a tee.

"It's beautiful..." Loki murmured, looking from the late afternoon skies that were dusted with fair weather clouds, to the palm trees spread out around them just outside the landing strip of Tony's private airport. For the first time since leaving New York, Loki found himself happy that Tony had badgered him into the trip. If anything it was worth it just for the clean, warm air and the scenery. "I've never been on this side of the US."

"If you're impressed now, just wait till you get the grand view." Tony grinned, clapping a hand on Loki's shoulder as he came up beside him. "I picked the spot specifically for it."

"Oh?"

After a quick drive in Tony's car (which he'd called ahead to have brought to him), they pulled up in front of a sprawling modernist building overlooking a cliff over the ocean. Loki stared up at it with amazement. His family had always stuck with classical architecture, antiqued and as old as the money they had. This, however, this was completely and utterly 21st century; two floors of sweeping curves and wide, tall glass windows.

"Gorgeous." Tony said simply, looking at his pride and joy of a home lovingly. The awe written on Loki's face had made the venture even more worth it. It was such an open emotion, so different than his carefully crafted expressions. "Maybe we should go inside now."

Loki snapped out of daze with a start, "Hm, what? Oh, right."

The inside was just as impressive as the outside, furnished with minimalist furniture and decorations. There was unsurprisingly a mini-bar stocked with alcohol and even a waterfall near a set of stairs that Loki assumed led down to Tony's shop. He walked over to the large set of windows and gazed out over the ocean, watching the waves lap at the shoreline below. He was aware of Tony coming over to his side and placing a hand on the small of his back.

"Told you." Tony looked up at the ceiling and called out, "JARVIS, how's the house been holding up?"

Much to Loki's shock a voice replied from out of nowhere, "As well as always, sir."

"Good good, glad to hear." Tony crossed his arms, still grinning, "JARVIS, I'd like for you to meet someone. This is Loki; he's been staying with me for a while. Loki, this is my A.I. JARVIS. He runs the house."

"Pleasure." JARVIS replied automatically and added, "Will you be here long, sir?"

"For a day or two at least. I needed to get out of Manhattan." Tony turned his attention back to Loki who looked like he was trying to figure out how Tony had managed to make an A.I. as intelligent as JARVIS. "Why don't you go get settled in. Choose any bedroom you want."

Loki looked at him for a moment then shrugged, picking up his suitcase and meandering around the mansion. He stopped and studied things every once in a while, running his fingers over glass objects carefully, feeling their smoothness against his skin. He'd forgotten how it was to have this much space in a house. Tony's penthouse was large but it was dwarfed by this Malibu estate and Loki himself felt small and insignificant under its roof. As he walked its halls, finding an unoccupied bedroom for himself and setting his bag down on the bed, he thought over why Tony had invited him along on this trip and over the events of the past night.

Alexi's words still echoed in his head and he was slowly growing to realize that the man was right. Loki was never one to confess things like attraction to anyone and he had always been determined to run from romance but as he sat down on the mattress, eyes wide, he realized right there and then that's what this was. The reason why Loki hadn't left yet, the reason why he agreed to this trip, the reason why he'd come onto Tony in his drunken state. All of it was his sub-consciousness tell him what his waking mind wouldn't. That Loki felt comfortable with Tony and Tony seemed to feel the same way since the man had already admitted to the attraction.

But were either one of them willing to go forward with a relationship?

Loki walked back out of the room and down the halls until he found Tony again in the kitchen, frowning at a fish sitting on the counter. All around it sat various seasonings and veggies all ready to be cooked but it seemed the aspect of actually cooking the fish had gotten the genius confused. Which was good because, frankly, Tony should have stayed away from the stove; Loki thought over the mess of an omelet from that morning. Yes, it was best he not cook at all.

"What are you doing?" He asked and watched as Tony jumped.

"Uh…cooking?" Tony put on his best innocent face. "I figured on making dinner."

Loki frowned at him, "You cannot even make an omelet, and how do you presume you'd make fish any better?"

Tony grimaced, "I don't know. I wanted to make something homemade. When's the last time someone made anything specifically for you? And restaurant food doesn't count. I'm still talking a meal made at home."

Loki blinked and tilted his head in confusion, "You mean you were trying to cook something for me?"

"Er, yeah, I was. I guess you're right; I should probably never touch a stove." Tony sheepishly looked away back at the fish. "I guess the question now is what do we do about this since I can assume that you'll tackle me if I even try."

Loki did tackle him but not in the way Tony had been expecting. One moment they were standing there and the next he found Loki's lips plastered to his own, the taller man's form forcing him back against the counter as his hands found his shoulders, gripping them tightly. Getting over his initial shock over it, Tony returned the kiss with the same amount of enthusiasm as Loki displayed, his own hands finding Loki's waist. When they pulled away, Tony gaped at him, "Not that this isn't enjoyable but I gotta ask…what brought this on?"

Loki's eyes looked away from him and he brushed a stray hair out of his face, "I don't know but I'm tired of running from it."

"That works, I suppose." Tony's hands were still gripping his waist and he pulled Loki tighter, going on to kiss his neck and letting his teeth graze the sensitive skin of that area. Loki made a gasping sound that told him that he was doing well at the task and slowly kissed his way down his collarbone, nipping at it still as he did so. Okay, so Loki liked biting. He mentally marked that down as something to remember as his hands moved from his waist to his backside, gripping at it for a moment before deftly switching their positions. Tony chuckled suddenly, "You're really good at sending mixed signals."

"How do you mean?" Loki asked, sighing at the attention being paid to his neck as his fingers dug into Tony's shoulders. He gasped at a particularly forceful bite, feeling a jolt shoot down his spine. "Forgive me but I can't really…think at the moment. Could we perhaps have this conversation later?"

"I mean that I can't tell what you actually think of me. One minute you are clearly stating that nothing will ever happen between us and the next you're trying to give me a lap dance and we're making out in the kitchen." Tony responded, pulling away for a moment to look up at Loki's face, noting the slight flush on his cheekbones. "I need to know before we go any farther. Oh geez, I'm being responsible…."

Loki groaned and braced his arms on the countertop, eyes closed, "I hate saying this but I want to give this whole…relationship…a try. I'm not happy about it. In fact my entire nervous system is raging against the very concept of it. However it seems like my body has other ideas and there is a part of me that wants something normal."

"Then that's good enough for me. I suppose we'll both be doing something new." Tony admitted solemnly.

"Now if you're quite done with this, could we move to a different room? The smell of fish is bothering me." With a nod, Tony quickly led Loki to his own room and let out a surprised sound when Loki promptly pushed him onto the bed and straddled his waist. Smirking, Loki added, "Out of the two of us I have more experience. You've been with men once or twice on your whim but I assure you that this is different."

Loki grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head and doing the same to Tony's before leaning over him and doing what Tony had done to him in the kitchen, repeating the action. Tony squirmed beneath him and Loki could feel the effect he was having on him through his jeans. Soon his kisses moved down from his neck and chest, grabbing one of his nipples between his teeth and rubbing at it with his tongue. Maybe he was a tease but he was enjoying the groans coming from Tony and that was enough for him to continue to do so, moving down again until he reached his navel.

"What are you going to do now?" Tony asked, looking down at him now, and swallowing the lump in his throat. He was getting just a tad bit uncomfortable now, jeans just a bit too tight. The wicked grin Loki gave him didn't help matters at all.

"I received a nickname, you know, shortly after I took up my job. I'm called Silvertongue but not just because of my way with words but for exactly that; my abilities with my tongue. My clients had little use of my mouth unless it was being used for other purposes. Would you like to know why this is?" Loki's voice was low and dark as velvet, sinful, and Tony had no doubt on those abilities, especially if he was indulging him with little tidbits of his prostitution life.

Not that he could even give a reply that wasn't babbling stupidity as soon as that 'Silvertongue' was on him and Tony now knew why Loki was as well renowned as he was for his skills. He'd had some damn good blowjobs in the past but that one took the cake and every other damn pastry in the known universe. When it was done he laid still, staring up at the ceiling with a stupid grin on his face and earning a chuckle from Loki as he came back up to join him on the bed. Tony gave him a thumbs up, "Kudos to you."

"You don't think that's it, do you?" Loki asked, circling a finger on his stomach. "I'm not that nice, Stark, and I do expect a little bit in return. I believe it's perfectly within reason."

"Yeah, I didn't think it'd be that simple." Tony agreed, shifting into a sitting position and moving back towards the head of the bed. He took off the rest of his clothing -even though his pants where mostly removed already anyhow- and raised an eyebrow at Loki. "Alright, your turn. Strip."

"Hm, so demanding but very well." Loki stood from the bed, turning his back to Tony before slowly stripping off his trousers and revolving to face him again. Tony's eyes moved down from his face, to his chest, and lower regions, staying there for a moment until returning to his face where Loki gazed at him with lowered lashes. "Do you approve?"

Tony's mouth was dry and he hastily licked his lips. Did he approve? Hell yes he approved! Loki's naked body was pure perfection in his mind, everything down to the faint scarring. He was lean and pale and yet dark. It was extremely difficult to explain. All he knew was that he didn't regret this and he hoped that Loki didn't either. He still didn't know how or why this was happening, why Loki, who'd fought with him over any sort of closeness, was willing now to let his guard down and place himself in such a position.

A thought appeared in Tony's mind; Loki had said that he'd slept with plenty of people in the past and Tony knew that it had been strictly business, which was plausible and understandable. But was this another case of Loki doing something for his own gain? Would they sleep together and that be the end of it? Tony wasn't sure how he should feel about the idea of that. He cared for Loki, maybe not to the point of love but there was still that attraction and affection for the prostitute. Tony's past relationships had normally ended disastrously when taken to more than just a good fuck and if he chose, if Loki chose, to actually go through with a maybe relationship…would it even work?

And here he was thinking about his life when he had a gorgeous individual standing in front of his bed with nothing on but a sultry grin.

Tony coughed, "Um yeah. Totally. I completely and utterly approve."

"I'm glad." Loki purred and crawled onto the bed, making Tony feel a lot like prey. Loki's eyes were dark as he reached out and ran a hand up Tony's leg. "Now how did you want to do this? I know more than a few tricks. Do you like it rough or would you prefer a gentler approach?"

Tony sighed and moved Loki's hand off his leg, "Look, I don't want this to be a client/worker sort of engagement. Not that what you're saying is unappealing because it damn sure isn't, but I don't know, I don't want you thinking you have to do everything to please me. I'm not paying you, so stop it. What sort of things do you like? What do you want? And don't tell me 'nothing' because I know better than to believe that. Enjoy yourself a little, Loki. It won't kill you, I promise."

At first it looked like Loki was going to be angry, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips twisting, but instead he moved away, pulling his legs up to his chest like a child. Uncertainty formed by the seconds. "I have a confession, Tony Stark. You may not believe this but it's true. I don't handle intimate interactions like this well. Everything I've done over the past two years has been me using my body, myself, for the only thing I'm good at. I don't desire those men that I meet with in sometimes questionable locations. Sex is a game and a business. Nothing more…"

Tony listened to his words without interjection because of the rarity of getting this information without fighting him over it. Or google. Seeing Loki so out of his comfort zone was something he didn't expect to see. All those walls slowly lowering. He doubted that they'd come all the way down but that was okay. Tony lightly brushed Loki's shoulder and those beautiful green eyes met his. He smiled with his best reassurance and leaned in to press a kiss to Loki's lips.

No more words were needed as he pulled him onto his lap, deepening the kiss as his hands traced over the scars on Loki's back, following the roaming patterns. Loki's kisses were hesitant at first as if he had forgotten what it was like to kiss in affection but after a moment they met Tony's intensity, growing hungrier as the time went on. His hips moved in a steady rhythm but gradually became rougher with need as his fingers clutched at Tony's hair and breathing more erratic. Tony's hands moved between them and Loki gasped into his mouth, the sound becoming a moan.

"Now who is teasing...?" Loki managed to get out when he parted their mouths to get air into his lungs, face flushed and lips swollen. His head tipped back and he let out a breathy sigh, letting go of Tony's hair and moving them to his shoulders. "How…long did you plan on tormenting me?"

"Not tormenting you. Indulging you." Tony replied simply, his pace quickening just enough for Loki to swear with annoyance and pleasure. When he stopped, he received a cutting glare. "What I thought you wanted me to stop teasing?"

Loki's fingers tightened on his shoulders to near painful levels and he snarled, "Just fuck me already."

Tony blinked in astonishment before laughing, "Okay, alright, sorry. You're impatient."

Loki grumbled under his breath, "Yes, well, you would be too."

Tony grinned but didn't reply as he reached into the nightstand beside the bed and grabbed a bottle from the drawer, using some of the contents on himself and shivering at the slight chill. He shook it off as Loki watched his movements, quiet. Tony half expected him to demand that he be the one in control. There were no demands made as Tony carefully prepared him, being sure to cause no pain and slowly began to move into him. Loki's fingers flexed on his shoulders as he inhaled sharply then lowered himself onto Tony, shifting to get comfortable before giving him a nod.

The speed started slow and hesitant, uncertain but quickened and growing stronger as Loki dug his nails into Tony's skin and Tony gripped his hips firmly enough to leave bruises. It only prompted Loki to clench around him tighter and urge him to go faster. It wasn't long before they reached their peaks and Loki leaned against him, breathing hard.

"We're going to be sore later." Tony intoned, brushing his fingers through Loki's hair before getting swatted away. "I think you broke my collarbones."

"I could say the same for my hips."

"So you wanna go again?" Tony grinned as Loki rolled his eyes.

Both knew that there were things that they needed to discuss later but for now they were content as it was. Things were only going to get more complicated.