Chapter 4

It was the first time Tony was late to one of their Monday meetings. Loki was let into the penthouse above Stark Industries DC headquarters by the snarky and sarcastic automated butler. Loki found it surprising at first that Tony's butler would be so condescending and constantly exasperated with his creator but the more he was around Tony the more it made sense. The only thing Tony Stark loved more than himself was to argue and to win. His butler gave him that whenever he wanted but could be silenced at a single word.

"Shall I turn on some music Mr. Larson?" The butler asked.

"The news, please."

"Of course, sir."

Loki helped himself to a drink and poured one for Tony while the local news appeared on the far wall. It amused Loki that Tony had turned every flat surface in his house into a screen. It was only on Loki's insistence that they played chess with real physical pieces as he didn't trust Tony not to cheat. That was the next order of business that Loki attended to, setting up the small figures on the footstool. A familiar name on the news made him look up from his work, still holding the white queen.

"Margret Morris, former head of the Department of Consumer and Regulator Affairs, will appear in court next month concerning bribes she took over the past year for more than a dozen large scale building projects in the DC area. Allegedly oversights at the DCRA led to the George Williams' Children's Hospital fire last year that killed more than 30 people, 23 of them patients. Margret Morris was not available for questioning but Police Chief…" Bing.

Loki looked away from the screen when the elevator doors slid open. He put down the queen on her square and gave Tony a small smile. The billionaire was leaning back in the car wearing an expensive tailored suit and his tie hanging loosely around his neck.

"You warned me that you were not a prompt man," Loki said and turned his attention back to the pieces. "So far you have proven yourself to be just the opposite but perhaps it was a fluke and you are revealing your true colors. Tony's stumbling ambling footsteps approached. Loki reached over for Tony's glass and stood up to meet his client. Closer now he could see the flush of Tony's skin and sweat soaking through his thin dress shirt.

"Do you ever shut up?" Tony asked, his voice slurred worse than Loki had ever heard it and it gave him pause. Tony took advantage of that and took a hand full of Loki's shirt, dragging the taller man down so he could roughly press their lips together. Tony kissed hungrily with need and anger, one hand pressed against the back of Loki's neck and the other gripping Loki's hip near his belt, pressing the edge of the band into Loki's side painfully. Loki took a moment to respond but as soon as he did Tony's intensity doubled, his tongue explored Loki's lips and pressed forward. As Loki let him in he tasted alcohol and sleep on the other man's breath, foul and sickening but Loki didn't pull away. He leaned down, sliding one up hand up Tony's arm and the other cupped the man's jaw. Tony pressed forward and both men stumbled back. They broke away for a second and Tony growled, pulling Loki down again and pressing their bodies together. One second Tony was biting at Loki's lip and gripping him so hard it hurt.

The next he was pulling away panting and cursing.

"Fuck! What the fuckin' hell am I doing? I mean I don't even like you! And you! Why are you just standing there? You must have one sick fucked up mind and not that I didn't know that before but I mean really? God what was I thinking even doing this? I-I did not mean to do that. I shouldn't do that. Don't let me do that!"

"You want me to refuse you?" Loki asked in honest confusion, catching his own breath.

"Yes!"

"That's bad business, Stark."

"Business! Who gives a fuck about business, I've had enough business all weekend with Gregor breathing down my back about ever penny and dime. Really! Friends don't let friends have drunk sex!"

"Are we friends, Stark?" Loki asked, looking over the man before him. His lips were red from the kiss, his cheeks flushed with alcohol and his clothes a mess. He was trembling and swaying where he stood and even the ever-intelligent brown eyes were dull and muddled with drink.

"Well it's a lot to ask of a man you're not even friends with to keep secrets like yours, buddy. Sorry, you're stuck with me."

"Tony I really think you should sit down."

"I'm fine, I just need…" Tony trailed off and his shoe caught on the carpet, causing him to stumbled. Loki lunged forward to catch the man's arm. Tony cried out and flinched back, falling backward. Loki's arms wrapped around his shoulders and held him steady.

"Wha—I—" Tony gapped and slumped in Loki's arms with an all too familiar expression on his face. Loki quickly turned the man away before Tony gagged. The second gag had him heaving onto the floor, body convulsing with all the force it could manage and sending the vomit in a wide spray over the new carpeting. Tony hacked and coughed, still limp in Loki's arms, dangling over his own mess. The drunk man groaned.

"JARVIS," he croaked, "order a new carpet."

"Yes sir."

"Not green."

"Of course, sir." Loki noted the greenish color the current carpet was taking on and held back his own stomach.

"All right," he hauled Tony's arm over his shoulder, "let's get you cleaned up."

Tony only moaned in response and trembled. Loki dragged him to a bathroom before Tony puked again. This time most of it went down the drain. Loki cleaned up the rest with damp towels and toilet paper. He ran a cold glass of water for Tony and had the man rinse out his mouth and drink in small sips. By that point Tony's eyes were drooping and he could barely stumbled along to his room. There he was unresponsive as Loki eased him out of the uncomfortable dress shoes, very old and stained socks and the suit jacket and pants that would need to be dry-cleaned. Tony just fell onto the bed when Loki told him to and let the covers be pulled over him, muttering incoherently into the pillow. Loki sighed, sitting beside the bed and pulled out his phone. He went to the bathroom to wash his hands and put the device to his ear. Two rings and it was answered.

"Hi, Shea."

"Luke."

"Yeah. I was wondering if you could babysit tonight. I promise I can pay you this time."

"Sure. Don't worry about the money. Emily's no trouble."

"She'll get back from school around 3:40"

"I can be there."

"Thank you."

"Of course. Is everything ok?"

"Yes. Emily's fine. I just… have a friend… who needs some help."

"Ok. I'll look after Emily."

"Thank you, Shea."

"Sure thing."

He dried a hand quickly so he could hang up.

.

When Tony opened his eyes the first thing he noticed was his ceiling. The second thing was the pounding just behind his eyes and the dryness of his throat. He groaned and he felt his whole throat burn.

"Shhh. Drink this," A cold glass was pressed into his hand and he felt strong arms pulling him up. Tony drank greedily; only water. He gasped when he was done and blinked as he looked around the dim room. Finally he looked at his guest, the man sitting beside him, letting Tony lean against his shoulder for support.

"Hi," Tony croaked.

"Good evening," Loki replied. He took the half empty glass and put it down on the counter. "A cleaning crew has been through your living room." Tony flinched and lay back on his bend holding his pounding head.

"I'd say sorry…"

"…but you wouldn't mean it." Loki finished. "It's quite alright, Stark. Here." Tony felt two small pills in his hand and forced himself to sit up long enough to swallow them dry. Loki passed over the glass of water and put in forcefully in Tony's hand. Tony grumbled but under Loki's glare he finished the glass. Loki took the cup back with a small smile.

"Give them a minute to take effect."

"Yeah," Tony mumbled and rearranged pillows so he could lean back on them and sit up in bed. Loki shuffled things around on the nightstand and the smell of chicken broth wafted over Tony. His stomach flipped and clenched at the thought of food.

"I have soup and crackers, which is about the extent of your pantry, but they are better than nothing."

"What I need is a good drink."

"'A good drink' is what got you here."

"Hypocrite."

"It has been over a thousand years since I drank myself into sickness."

"Pity for you," Tony mumbled but he leaned over and picked up some of the crackers. After a few bites spreading crumbs over the sheets he frowned.

"These are stale."

"Well they came out of your cupboard so I'm less than surprised."

"Cupboard, who says cupboard anymore." Tony muttered and picked up the bowl of soup. He drank it, ignoring the spoon then put it back on the nigh stand, leaving a few drips running down the sides to make a wet ring on the wood to add to the collection that stained the table top. Loki held back a sigh and didn't comment. He reached down the end of the bed and brought out a t-shirt and comfortable pair of jeans he had gotten out of Tony's sparse closet.

"Here is a clean change of clothes," he said and put them in Tony's lap. "Do you need me to run a hot bath or a shower for you?"

"Good lord," Tony said instead of answering and stared incredulously at the clothing. "You treat Emily like this?" He asked running one of his wrinkled, scarred and calloused hands over the t-shirt. Loki just blinked. It was in fact all the things he did for Emily. It was a routine by now, worn with time so it had lost feeling for both of them. It was like a checklist: water, pills, food, clothes, bath, sleep. Check, check, check; like a doctor's chart. Tony was surprised into silence by Loki's almost thoughtless actions. When he met Loki's eyes there was gratitude and hesitance there.

"Yes," Loki replied.

"Why do it for me?" Tony shrugged. "I mean your time was probably up hours ago."

"It was, but Jonny won't charge you for more than the usual."

"Emily?"

"With a babysitter."

"I should pay you for—"

"Shea wouldn't take the money even if I could tell her who it was from."

"You could have just left." Stark grumbled.

"You're the one who said we were friends."

"What? I don't remember that."

"Probably for the best," Loki said standing.

"Oh no," Tony put his head in his hands, "What did I do? Loki, please tell me I didn't do something stupid like get on a table and sing."

"No Stark you merely acted as would be expected of an arrangement such as ours."

"What?" Tony squinted at him. "Lokester, my head hurts too much for word games."

"You kissed me."

"Shit. Ok. Glad I don't remember that. Wow. You're not going to tell anyone cause Rogers would never let me live that down."

"Don't worry Tony, discretion is part of the fee."

"Good, 'cause if I'm gonna have that rubbed in my face for the rest of my life I'd like to at least remember it."

"I have had better."

"Ouch."

"Don't take it personally, Stark."

"And what if I do?"

"Then perhaps you will try again when you are sober."

"Do you ever stop flirting?"

Loki just smiled at him.

"Fine, get out. I stink." Tony groaned as he got up out of bed. Loki hesitated at the door when Tony staggered a little. "Go, Emily's waiting for you."

"Yes. She is."

"Tell her I said hi."

"Of course," Loki said with a smile as he watched Tony stumbled toward the bathroom.

"For once I'm not sorry we didn't get to fun part because not remembering that…" Tony shook his head and shuddered.

"Perhaps Wednesday."

"Your schedule clear up?"

"I knew it would."

"Piss off a client?"

"She's incarcerated."

"Really?"

"Even my moral discretion has its limits; not everything can be bought."

"I shudder to think," Tony said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the bathroom, through the door Loki heard him say, "JARVIS, call Happy to take Lokster home."

"Of course, sir."

Loki smiled a little as he walked to the elevator. Behind him he heard the tap start to fill the large Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. Tony truly didn't have anything to fear, he thought as he left. Loki stood to gain nothing by revealing him to the world. Margret Morris on the other hand, he could not abide. Emily had been on the waiting list for George Williams' Hospital when it burned. It was too easy to imagine her sitting in one of those rooms, immobile, weak and choking on smoke as the fire crept up around her bed because the wiring was cheep and the walls were poorly insulated. Loki smiled to himself as he rode down in the elevator. He didn't often get to feel good about his work. Feeling good never make him money though.

.

Tony woke up to the ring tone of his cell on the nightstand. He rolled over in the large empty bed and flinched away from the colder sheets. His mouth tasted terrible and his head ached slightly. His room was dimly lit by the screen of the obnoxious device, that was invading his peaceful, quiet rest.

"Jarvis, shut it up or answer it!"

"It's Dr. Banner, he has left you fourteen messages in the past hour and a half."

"Great answer the damn thing."

The beep of the call being picked up played through the intercom.

"What?" He said harshly, putting one arm over his eyes and enjoying the renewed peace.

"Tony!" Bruce sounded incredibly relieved. "I've been trying to get through to you all morning."

"I was sleeping."

"Sorry."

"What was so important?"

"It's… well I just heard about Dawson pulling out." Silence fell over the line. Tony frowned into the crook of his elbow. Yeah, he'd heard about Dawson too.

"Tony, I just wanted to… make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine, Big Guy."

"And I wanted to let you know that we'll work out the numbers, it's not like we don't have other backers—"

"It's fine. I had Jarvis run it yesterday."

"I swear Tony we won't cut anything—"

"Just do what you have to do." Tony said, hoping he sounded less defeated than he felt.

"Alright. You sure you're ok?"

"Absolutely."

"I mean I thought you were only going to be in DC for two weeks."

"Stuff happens."

"Someone there with you?"

"What? Now? No."

"No, you know what I mean."

"Anyone ever tell you that you worry like a mother hen."

"No. You would be the first."

"Well you do. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Up late?"

"Party of the century, you can read about it in the tabloids."

"I'll pass, thanks. Get some rest Tony."

"Yep. Don't make any world changing discoveries without me."

"No promises."

"Bye Bruce."

The line went dead.

Tony laid in bed for a long time without moving, eyes shut and pressed into his arm. The news about Dawson had broken yesterday morning and it came as a hard blow. They had been one of the first and most adamant supporters of the Artemis Project. Their support had drawn in over half of the investors that currently backed the venture. Gregor was warning Tony just 24 hours ago that it was more than likely many of those backers would withdraw over the next week in wake of Dawson's decision. There wasn't much Tony could do about that. He took a deep breath and sat up.

"Jarvis, call Penfield."

"Yes sir."

The ringing played over the speakers.

"Penfield Hospice—"

"Yeah, yeah, this is Tony Stark." Tony cut of the young female attendant who answered.

"Mr. Stark, of course. We haven't heard from you in a while."

"Yeah, ummm, how is she?" He fiddled with the edge of the sheet.

"Very good. Would you like to speak with Dr. Harper. I'm sure I can have him—"

"Nope. If nothing's changed what's the point?" Tony discarded the sheet and flexed his hand as if grabbing for something.

"She asked about you recently."

"She did… oh. Hey would you… give her a message for me." He started tapping his leg absent-mindedly.

"Of course. What would you like me to tell her?"

"I—well… you know what, never mind. I—I might come by some time… not soon…I'm, uhh… out of town. But…" Tony licked his lips then bit the bottom one and held it in his teeth.

"I'm sure she'd love to see—" Tony snatched the phone off his desk and hit the end call button. He drew his arm back and flung the thin glass device across the room. It hit the wall with a solid thud and fell onto the dresser with a hollow clacking sound. Tony sat panting and shaking in his bed staring at the new dark spot on the wall. Quickly he flung off the sheets and swung his legs out of the bed. He was about to get up when his eye caught a splash of yellow. He paused and breathed deeply.

On the nightstand was a bottle between the bowl of cold soup, open packet of saltines and empty water glass. It was white, generic brand pain relief but there was a yellow post-it note on the top. Tony snatched the note and bottle, squinting in the low light at the impeccable handwriting.

If it is past 6 am you may take one. If it is past 10 am you may take two. Do behave until Wednesday. –L

Tony choked out a short laugh and shook his head. Suddenly Dowson, Bruce, Penfield and his overwhelming need for a drink were shoved to the back of his mind. He chuckled and opened the bottle. He was about to swallow the pills dry when he remembered the glare Loki had given him late last night. So he grabbed the glass and headed for the bathroom.

"Jarvis, call Gregor. Tell him I want a list, any investor he thinks will back out because of Dowson and the personal numbers of the CEO and board members."

"Right away sir."

"And clear my schedule for the afternoon."

"It is already clear."

"Great. We've got work to do."