One distinct disadvantage of living in New York, Agent Reed thought as he made the long elevator ride to the top of Stark Tower, was that hand delivering files to members of the Avengers always seemed to fall to him because it was supposedly more convenient for him. He sighed. He was supposed to be off the clock already. The elevator opened and Reed stepped out. "Afternoon, Mr. Stark."
Tony Stark made a sound in his throat and turned around halfway through crossing the room. "What is with you people and just showing up in my elevator? Wait, Galaga, is that you?"
"That is not my name, and we've met several times. You know full well it's me." Reed took a couple steps into the room and was met by Agent Romanov. "This is for you." He held out a file.
She took it. "Thank you."
Reed was about to leave when Loki entered, dragging with him Stark's daughter, Ana, who was clinging to his waist. Reed reached for his hip but Natasha grabbed his wrist before he got there. "Stand down."
"But—"
"I said, stand down."
With a glance at the prince, Reed relaxed his arm. Natasha eased her grip. Ana released her hold on her god uncle and went to stand behind her father. Loki didn't move.
Agent Romanov gave her subordinate a serious look. "Though the rest of this building is a corporate headquarters, when you reach these top few floors you are in a family home. The home of a very screwed up family, to be sure, but a family home nonetheless. God knows how, but he has wound up being that uncle that no one likes to talk about because he needs rehab for too many reasons, but you still don't kick him out when he shows up for dinner. S.H.I..E.L.D. does not need to know about this, are we clear?"
Reed glanced at Loki again then looked back at Natasha. "Withholding information is—"
"Yes, I know, but there are things S.H.I..E.L.D. is better off not knowing or not knowing immediately. "
Reed took a breath, glanced again, and nodded. "I understand."
"Good." Natasha let go of his wrist and punched his shoulder. "God, you're still a newby ten years in."
"Now that that's worked out—" Tony put an arm around his daughter "—please go away."
Reed turned and retreated to the elevator. Once the doors had closed, Loki strode across the room and grabbed his coat from where he'd left it on the sofa. Natasha stepped toward him. "Whoa, where are you going?"
"To rehab."
Tony frowned. "You mean, 'get drunk,' I think."
"What else would I mean?" He made for the stairs.
"Don't you dare kill anything!" Natasha yelled after him.
Reed saw himself out and turned casually down the sidewalk. He heard another pair of footsteps trot up behind him.
"Keep walking, I'd like a word," Loki said quietly.
Reed froze. "What?"
"I said I'd like a word, now keep walking, you are going somewhere aren't you?"
"Home, where I really don't want you following me."
"Unless you live within a block or two, I'll have said my piece long before you get there. Walk, we look like idiots just standing here."
Hesitantly, Reed obeyed. "So, what?"
"You're scared of me."
"No—"
"Most people are, I can't blame them, no use in you denying it, I'm accustomed to it. However, there's something else, isn't there?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"S.H.I..E.L.D. agents watch threats, I've spent enough time around your lot to notice how you've all been trained. That's not what you were doing. You're curious."
Reed made a sound of irritation, not sure why he was still talking to Loki. "What's your point?"
"My point is, I'd rather like to bed you and suspect you just might want me to do so."
Read stopped dead in his tracks. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"You're out of your mind."
Loki sighed and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. "So I've been told. Repeatedly."
"You've got to be kidding."
"For all your apparent objection, I notice you aren't saying no."
Reed glanced around. There was no one on the block. "What if I do?"
"Hm?"
"What if I do say no?"
"I'll leave you be."
"Oh, really?" Reed was skeptical.
"Yes."
Reed could not believe he was having this conversation. He snorted derisively, then made the mistake of allowing himself to imagine what could happen. He felt himself flush
"If you say yes, then we had best find a bed."
The color in Reed's cheeks rose slightly. "After that, what happens?"
"I think that depends on things neither of us can know until it's happened."
Reed took a step back, crossed his arms, and stared at the nearest street sign. He didn't know why he was even still there, it was ridiculous, he couldn't, he was a S.H.I..E.L.D. agent, and here was former public enemy number one, and yet. "S.H.I..E.L.D. would probably notice if you showed up at my apartment."
Loki almost let himself grin. "Is that a yes?"
"Yes. Now, where to before I can talk sense into myself?"
"This way." Loki turned back the way they came. Reed followed and didn't protest until they were reentering the tower, through the back.
"What are we doing here?"
"I have a room. Jarvis, I'd appreciate it if no one knew I or my guest were here."
"I can arrange that, sir."
"Thank you." He pulled Reed to the service elevator.
"What do you mean you have a room?"
The elevator stopped and Loki ushered Reed out in front of him and down the hallway. "I have an arrangement with Stark." He opened a door, let Reed go in ahead of him, stepped in, shut the door, let the electronic lock catch, and turned to the agent. "And at the moment I have an arrangement with you.." He shrugged out of his coat, started on the buttons of his shirt, then nodded at Reed. "Off."
Eyes on the floor, Reed unzipped his jacket, pushed it off his shoulders, and pulled off his shirt underneath. Now shirtless as well, Loki pressed Reed to the wall, a hand under his jaw, and kissed him hungrily. Whatever uncertainty he had left fled as Reed's mind blanked. Loki's touch was cool—cooler than the brisk weather could account for—and forceful, but not cruel. On instinct, Reed reached up to wind his hands into Loki's hair—he must have been at least a foot shorter than him. Loki's other hand trailed down Reed's side to the band of his pants, making him shiver from contact or cold or both. Kissing back just as fiercely as he was being kissed, Reed untangled his fingers and ran his hands down Loki's frame, the length of which was just as cool as his hands, The man was perfect, though Reed wasn't sure what else to expect. Loki's skin was the pale even shade of hard packed snow tinged pink by early dawn. Reed felt a wild impulse to somehow mark that expanse of alabaster like leaving footprints in the first crystalline fall of winter. Putting his hand on Loki's upper arm, Reed realized that, by contrast, his own skin felt hot. As he ran his fingertips up Loki's arm, he almost expected the taller man's skin to sizzle. Loki stepped back. The force pressing Reed's back to the wall was removed and he had to take a step forward to keep his balance.
Reed looked up into Loki's face and saw that his pupils were blown out. Obviously tense, Loki took another step back, seeming for all the world like a stag ready to flee back into a dark forest.
Reed wasn't sure why he felt the need to push at Loki's boundaries. He knew the prince was dangerous. A sorcerer. A killer. More than an ordinary killer. Someone who could tear Reed apart with little effort. Even so—stronger than he looked due to years of physical training—Reed grabbed Loki's shoulder hard enough to hurt and dragged him back into their interrupted kiss.
Loki growled wordlessly and Reed felt the clasp of his pants being undone. They immediately slid off his hips from the weight of the crap in his myriad pockets. Then he nearly lost his balance as he was pulled bodily to the bed and pushed down onto it.
Laying next to Loki as the raven stared, unseeing, at the ceiling, Reed rolled over to press his forehead to Loki's chest. One of Loki's hands crept gently around Reed's shoulder before suddenly pushing him away. Loki half sat up and wound up leaning on an elbow staring at his bed partner. Reed touched the man's chest and Loki took a slight breath. By now, Reed was certain that the heat of his skin was as alluring to the prince as Loki's coolness was to him.
Reed sat up so that he was looking down at Loki. "You don't always have to be so controlled."
Defensively, Loki sat up and turned toward the wall. "Yes I do."
Reed turned Loki's face back toward him. The look in his eyes was haunted, grim, uncomfortable. With sudden insight, the smaller man knew he was looking into an abyss of loneliness. He ran his fingers gently along Loki's jaw. "You don't have to be alone."
Loki's eyes widened before he regained control and scowled. "I don't commit, if that's what you're looking for."
Reed laughed. "Me, looking? You approached me."
Loki's frown deepened. After a moment he clasped Reed to himself as though they could somehow melt together. Reed felt that he was being pulled into a vast chasm of ache that Loki rarely examined, much less showed to anyone else. Reed knew he was strong enough to survive that chasm even if he could never quite fill it. He doubted anyone could. He tucked his face into the crook of Loki's neck. "We're doing that again, by the way. Not now, I think I'd die, but this is not a one time thing."
Loki released Reed enough to give him a hard look before nodding. He ran his fingers with surprising gentleness through his prize's cropped brown hair to rest on his neck, making him shiver. "Agreed."
Reed suppressed a grin, sat up, stood, and reached for his clothes. Twice over the next two months he found himself in the same situation. Reed had the distinct impression that Loki tried but couldn't stay away. Loki sought him out again after another three weeks, but this time, as Reed made to leave, he was interrupted by a lithe arm wrapping itself around his waist and pulling him back to bed.
