Chapter 10
As soon as they were both inside and the door was shut, Tony took his opportunity to glance around. Like he had expected, Loki's house was spotless, not a thing was out of place. A few pictures hung in wooden frames on the walls of the spacious hallway. The photographs closest to Tony were of a woman holding a baby with white blond hair. Of course it was Thor. There were more next to it of Thor a few months older and then on the next he was standing up on his short legs while another toddler his age sat beside him. This one had black hair and the brightest green eyes. It was Loki. He wondered for a brief second why there were not any pictures of Loki when he was just a baby but Tony thought it must just be coincidence. Perhaps there were more around the house, in the other rooms.
Taking a few steps to his right, he laughed lightly at the other pictures. They were of a much older Thor and Loki, about nine or ten years old. At that point Thor's hair was already growing dangerously past his shoulders while Loki's was cut neatly about halfway down his neck. In the picture Thor was giving Loki a piggyback ride while the other held tightly around his neck from apparent fear of falling. A man stood to the side with his arms wide ready to catch them if they fell. Besides the fear, Tony could still see the glint of joy in Loki's eyes. They were all smiling in the picture. They all looked so happy.
"Mother loves that picture," Loki said suddenly, startling Tony. He hadn't realised Loki had been watching him. "I don't understand why though. I've tried many times to convince her to take it down but she always refuses."
"It's a nice picture, I can understand why she wants to keep it up. Who's the man in the picture?"
"Odin, my...father," Loki replied, the same bitterness back in his voice that Tony had heard before when he heard Loki talk to Thor. It was more intense now though, there was so much resentment. What had happened in this family that had caused that happiness in the photo to disappear? They both looked at the picture again then Loki cleared his throat.
"So I'm just going to get a quick shower then get dressed and we can go. I'll text mother on the way there where I'm going. Is it okay if you just wait down here? You can have a look around if you want but it's not that interesting."
"No I think your house is cool, I remember it from before."
"When did you..." Then Loki stopped himself, suddenly remembering. "Sorry, I forget a lot that you and Thor were friends long before we were. I'd be very surprised if he'd never invited you round in all that time."
"Yeah, I've only been here a few times though," Tony said. "And I didn't really pay attention to the pictures on the walls then."
Loki smiled slightly then headed up the stairs to the right of the hallway. Tony was left alone on the ground floor, wondering what he should occupy himself with while he waited. Pulling out his phone, he went to his messages and reread the text from Clint. Flirt? Flirt with Loki? And don't fuck up? Flirting with him seemed like the perfect scenario for him to fuck up. He groaned quietly. Liking people was just too much effort, especially when he wasn't sure if the other liked him back or not. He wanted to believe Clint and Darcy, in some ways he did. But then he thought about it and realised how stupid it was. Loki wouldn't like him. Would he?
Above him, he heard the distinct sound of running water. Before he could stop it, his mind wandered onto the topic of showering. Or rather the image of Loki showering. Well that was a dangerous train of thought if ever he saw one. He couldn't help himself. It was his brains fault for imagining the water running down Loki's back and over his torso, soaking his hair, dripping wet from top to bottom. He shook his head, wishing the images away. He distracted himself by once again looking at the photographs on the walls.
The pattering of water died away, replaced by the sound of the bathroom door opening. He expected the footsteps to fade away into Loki's bedroom but instead they got closer. Looking up, he saw Loki at the top of the stairs, a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Tony, I just..."
Loki began to speak but his voice fell into silence when the front door opened and a man stumped in. Tony recognised him from the picture on the wall. This was Odin, a much older Odin it seemed. And this Odin wasn't smiling, on the contrary, when his eyes fell on Loki and then Tony, his expression darkened dramatically.
"Loki, what are you doing? What is going on here?" He growled.
Unsure of what to do, or even if he should speak, Tony started at Loki, willing him to meet his gaze and tell him what to do. But Loki's eyes were fixed on Odin just as Odin's one eye was fixed on him.
"Odin, what are you...? Loki?" Frigga walked in then stopped as she too took in the scene in front of her.
Honestly, Tony couldn't blame their surprise. It wasn't the most ideal situation to walk in on especially when your son is standing practically naked at the top of the stairs with his friend standing at the bottom, both not saying a word to try to explain the situation.
"Go and get dressed then come down here, I want to speak to you," Odin said, he didn't need to command forcefully. He had that air about him that made you follow his words without question.
Loki remained staring at his father for a few seconds more before he turned his head, hurrying away to his room. Still utterly confused of what to do, Tony stared at the floor intently just to avoid meeting the eyes of Loki's parents.
"Tony isn't it?" Frigga asked in a much politer tone than Odin's. He nodded, swallowing before looking up at her. "I remember, your Thor's friend and now Loki's. Why don't you come and help me in the kitchen. I need some help putting all this shopping away." To prove her point she lifted the bags higher that she was carrying.
"Yeah, I'll help." He gladly followed her out of sight of Odin's blazing gaze.
"Sorry about that," She said quietly when they were safely in the kitchen. "Odin finished work early and so helped me with the shopping. Loki never said...well, he never said he was bringing home a friend." She spoke the last word more hesitantly but smiled kindly at him.
From the kitchen he could hear the distant sound of Loki making his way down the stairs. Before Tony could even properly see him through the open door, Odin ushered him into the living room where the door was shut firmly, clearly enforcing the message that they weren't to be interrupted.
Loki rushed back to his room as fast as he could. Dropping his towel, he pulled on jeans and a random shirt not caring if his body was still damp. He rubbed his hair with the towel then wrenched a comb through it, trying not to make a noise from the pain. Getting ready at top speed meant he didn't have time to dwell on what had just happened, nor did it leave him a second to worry about what was coming. Odin was angry, bordering on furious. And all of his energy would be focused on Loki when he got down stairs. That certainly wasn't something to look forward to.
Once his hair was smooth and not as wet, he pulled it back into a ponytail, tying it with a band that had been round his wrist. Satisfied with his general appearance and the time it had taken him, he hurried back down the stairs and into the living room where Odin was waiting, standing by the open fireplace. As soon as Loki appeared in the doorway, he was gestured to sit down which he did tentatively.
"What were you doing? Or rather, what did you plan on doing if your mother and I had not returned home?"
"Nothing," Loki replied, over emphasising to try and show that his sincerity was genuine. "Tony invited me to his house along with some others and I said I wanted a shower first but offered him to just stay at ours while I got ready as it wouldn't take long. He accepted and waited downstairs while I got a shower and that's it."
"Then why were you standing naked at the top of the stairs."
"I wasn't naked," Loki replied. "I had a towel on."
"Don't use that attitude with me Loki. I know what I saw and you know that it won't be tolerated."
"It's not up to you to tolerate anything. It's my life and so doesn't affect you. The more fuss you make, the more it becomes a problem!" Loki stated defiantly.
"What you do in your own time is up to you but while you live under my roof-"
"While I live under your roof I'm stuck in a house full of lies. You make me keep your secrets just to...just to satisfy your own ends, to make our family look happy when really it is falling down around us," Loki hissed.
Odin swallowed hard and glared at Loki. "Why is it that every time we talk you always bring this up? You keep that secret to not break your mother's heart, if she knew you knew it would kill her."
"Then why didn't you tell me from the start?"
"Because...because you are my son and I wanted you to think of yourself as that."
"Nice try Odin but you're really not a very good liar. Now if it's all the same to you, may I go now?"
"Only if you swear that nothing more was going on apart from you having a shower and your friend waiting downstairs."
"I swear," Loki replied, turning his back and stalking out of the room, shutting the door with a sharp snap.
Tony heard Loki leaving and so pretended to be deeply engaged in unloading Frigga's shopping, in an attempt to conceal his deepening curiosity. A second or two later he appeared in the doorway looking as normal as ever as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
"Is everything alright?" His mother asked, eyeing him oddly.
"Yeah it's fine, although he will probably want to speak to you in a minute."
Sure enough, as soon as he finished talking, Odin called from the living room for Frigga. She smiled sweetly at both Loki then Tony before excusing herself. Just before she disappeared into the room Loki stepped over to her and briefly explained that he was going to Tony's but would keep in contact if she needed him. In response she told them to both have fun then thanked Tony for his help although he felt he hadn't helped enough to even deserve recognition.
"Shall we go then?" Loki asked brightly, easily giving off the air of a man totally at ease.
"Oh...yeah."
They were soon outside once again, in the now colder early evening air. It was already nearing darkness because of the time of year; it was now mid October. Their breath was almost visible as they moved unhurriedly down the path that lead them away from Loki's house and closer to Tony's. For some long minutes they walked in companionable silence, content just with the others presence keeping close beside them. But it was Tony who made the first move back into the world of conversation and communication.
"Is everything okay?" He asked hesitantly, unsure whether Loki would want to discuss what happened at his house.
"Yes, everything is perfectly fine." And he meant it too. Though his conversation with Odin had not been particularly pleasant, he now faced an evening spent in his friends, and predominantly Tony's, company. That was definitely nothing to complain about. He had also just managed to have said man around his house without making a total prat of himself. For once, Loki thought, things were starting to look up. "My father just needed to be corrected on something but it's not important."
"Well if you wanna talk about it I'm always here," Tony smiled.
"I doubt you would want to listen, it would probably make you uncomfortable or something," Loki said quietly, not looking at him.
"Why would it? I'm really unshockable, try me!" He insisted. He really wanted to know what was bothering Loki and if the other was willing to reveal his secrets then that was just a bonus.
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. My father..." Again Tony noticed the bitterness at the use of the word. "Seemed to think that you were round my house for reasons that weren't purely platonic."
Tony snorted at that. "Why would that make me uncomfortable? So your dad thought we were getting it on or something...is that really such a big deal to you?" Though he spoke the question as a joke, laced underneath his amused tone was a serious longing to know if that were true. Everyone had told him that Loki liked him, but there was still doubt in his mind that he wanted clearing before he made a move of any kind.
"I don't know. If you're not that way inclined it could..."
"Not that way inclined? Who gives a shit because I know I don't. To me Loki you seem like a person who doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks so be that person. Don't shy away of who you are."
"I'm not," Loki said. "And I'm really confused as to how this conversation came round to me caring what people think. All I was saying was that my father thought you and I were something more than friends."
"Yeah and I was just wondering if that would bother you if we were." Okay, okay, Tony's brain panicked, play it cool, act like you meant to say that and it wasn't spur of the moment. Just play it cool, play it cool!
After Tony had said that there was total silence. Loki stopped walking, staring right at Tony who stared back, not able to break eye contact, although he wished to.
"Ehh..." Loki began and then his voice faded away. "Um...no, it...eh...it wouldn't."
"Great," Tony smiled widely, playing his nerves off with total ease. "Anyway, I think we should hurry up a bit otherwise everyone's just gunna be standing out in the cold waiting for me to let them in."
As it turned out, when they reached Tony's front door, there were already two of their friends waiting by the door, cursing the man with every passing second that he was not there. When Darcy and Steve saw them approaching they sighed in relief and jostled Tony as he fumbled in his pocket for his keys.
"What took you so long? We've been here for ages," Steve asked.
"We got delayed," Tony said unhelpfully.
"Oh yeah, with what?" Darcy smirked.
Tony just shot her a look, shaking his head. Just after they were all inside, finally able to warm up, there was a knock on the door and Bruce turned up. He told them that Natasha and Clint would be there soon but Pepper, Phil and Maria couldn't come. Without saying it out loud, Tony was silently very pleased that pepper wouldn't be there, it would be a lot easier getting closer to Loki if she wasn't in the general vicinity.
Now that his mind was back on the topic of Loki, which it apparently spent most of its time as of late, he couldn't help feeling a thrilled sense at remembering that the dark haired man had basically said that dating Tony wouldn't be too bad. For him, that served as the confirmation he needed to make a move. Many people had told him that Loki liked him and he thought that was all the proof he needed. It definitely was the time to forget about Pepper and move on. He just hoped that Loki wouldn't shoot him down.
As they gathered in Tony's living room, they stretched out across his multiple sofas and armchairs, finally able to relax for the first time that day. Everyone had now arrived so they wouldn't need to move for a while unless they needed the toilet or something. They had drinks and food; now was just the time to lazily socialise, away from school and stress.
Loki, however, wasn't feeling quite as comfortable as everyone else appeared to be. Though he was curled up at one end of a sofa, his head resting on the arm and to everyone else he seemed calm, his mind was racing. Since that very brief conversation with Tony where he had accidentally admitted that he wasn't opposed to the idea of a relationship with him, his brain had been a mess. He liked Tony. That much was definite. But from what he had seen earlier, he thought that Tony was interested in Darcy, though from what was said, he now had doubts. Why would Tony be that interested in finding out if he would date him if he didn't have a reason?
Tiredness started to set in as his brain became overloaded with thoughts. He realised then just how tired he really was. Sleep seemed like such a good idea; he was so comfortable. Without thinking much about his actions, he stretched his legs out and settled down further, sinking into the soft cushions below him. Though not registering it as important, he heard a noise from the opposite end of the sofa. He was so sleepy now that he had forgotten Tony was sat beside him. Before he could worry about whether Tony would mind having his legs on him, he had already drifted into the land of sleep.
"What the hell is going on?" Tony hissed over to Clint as Loki's feet pressed against his thighs before stretching over him so that the bottom of his legs and ankles rested across his lap.
Clint glanced round, let out a laugh then squinted at Loki's face that was almost buried in the cushions. "Oh my god, he's asleep."
"What? No, he can't be. Loki? Loki!"
"Don't wake him!" Natasha chided.
"Why not? I've done nothing to deserve this."
"A good boyfriend would never do that. Don't you want to be a good boyfriend Tony?" Clint asked, very seriously though there was a substantial amount mocking in his tone also.
It was perhaps lucky that Bruce and Steve were in such deep conversation that they didn't hear what was being said. Darcy, however, was listening with an amused glint in her eyes. He supposed it was also a bonus that Thor wasn't present at the gathering (he had ditched them for his girlfriend) otherwise Tony could be dead if he had overheard. Unsurprisingly Thor was very protective.
"Fuck off," Tony said. "If he wakes and hears you, then I will kill you all."
Clint made a pfft noise while Natasha laughed saying, "I'd like to see you try."
"So when are you gunna ask him out, you've liked him for over a month now, don't you think it's time?"
"Uh no and do you wanna know why?" they all nodded. "Because it's none of your business."
They all grumbled at that, muttering how he was a killjoy. He didn't respond, instead turning away to look down at Loki, still deep in sleep. For a moment he did nothing, just watched. Then his eyes moved slightly to the left and he saw the black haired mans phone lying next to him. As he shifted his body a little, it slipped dangerously close to the edge where Tony caught it just before it fell. Holding it in his hand, he considered just leaning forward to put it on the coffee table, but then an idea struck him. Pressing a button, the screen lit up and Tony began to type, a small smirk playing on his lips.
What is Tony doing? :O Hope you liked the chapter, please review?! :)
