For Evee: No one can resist the urge that is Loki, it is impossible with those eyes of his. And no worries, I do not mind at all lol ;P

Chapter Two: Is it Me, or Did Things Just Get Serious in Here?

Oh, god.

He slept with Loki.

He slept with Loki. He actually did it. Damn his competitive nature. What would Pepper-

Fuck his life. Pepper. He cheated on Pepper with Loki. How the hell was he going to explain that? Hey, Pep, you'll never guess who I did last night. Oh, no, don't freak out, it wasn't like that. Me and Loki had sex because of a game we're playing-and I'm winning!

Yeah, that would not end well.

"God damn it...Pepper," he sighed. Loki hummed his laugh and rolled over, popping his joints like he did this everyday-waking up on metal workbenches after a fantastic roll in the workshop.

"Give me this pepper's image and I certainly can for you, Stark. Though, it will cost you," he said lazily. Tony laughed. Gad damn him, what was wrong with him that he could forsake Pepper like that and not feel guilty-and laugh?

Or, at least, not feel guilty enough to override the pleasure Loki brought into his systems.

"Pepper's my human assistant and do you always take everything so literally?" Oh, nice, Tony. Give the God of Lies a half-truth and then deflect. He was just really setting himself up for failure today, wasn't he?

"Of course not," he said, affronted-whether it was real or not, Tony had yet to be able to tell. "I would lose half the fun in running verbal circles around everyone else,"

Tony couldn't help but smile. He fought the urge to swipe at his cheek playfully, though. Another habit of his that he really shouldn't incorporate Loki into. The whole psychology thing about association. Way too intimate relations for conflicting parties which, ultimately, they were despite what happened last night. "Has anyone ever told you that you are arrogant as all hell?"

"Oh, yes," he responded, lowering the sound of his voice to a whisper and faking, this time, the abrupt change into strict seriousness. "Most often. Usually it is followed by 'Loki, you will never understand empathy and compassion nor any true, lasting happiness if you distance yourself through such means of ego'. To which, my usual reply is something like 'But, Father, it is not arrogance if I am capable of what I speak, it is merely bragging. Something that happens much more frequently wherever Thor dines and something that he is never chastised for',"

His face was bereft of any emotion and his voice remained remarkably even in his light-hearted jest. Nothing gave away the bitterness he was no doubt seething in. He never realised the extent of the mask he wore; it was incredible and terribly sad and familiar. Tony winced. Somehow, the lack of even a leak of emotion made it even worse. He couldn't even apologize in sympathy for his plight because of it.

He took a deep breath because things just got serious and that was never any good when it was just Tony before. "Listen, before you scoff it off or curse me for implying weakness or something, I just wanna say that, game or no game, if you ever want to blow some steam, or talk, I'm here, and I can be anything you need me to be. You know, within limits, of course," he daringly looked into Loki's eyes, trying to find the real him, trying to get to him with his actual surprising sincerity.

The blank face he wore was now awash with astonishment. His long fingers reached out to hold his face and Tony only remembered to breath when his anticipated touch arrived. Green eyes scanned him, searching for something like he just had, but only came back with wonder at whatever he did find. Stark only felt slightly uncomfortable at that thought; he wasn't ashamed of anything he did, he just wasn't sure if the Avengers' number one enemy should hold such information on him. But, turns out, he didn't really have much to worry about, in that regard, at least.

"I would never scoff an intelligent mind seeking to communicate with me," he eventually said, very soft and light like his hold. "Communion and fellowship with others was a central part of my-of Asgardian life. I have grown used to it, it is something I...miss."

Tony grabbed his hands and squeezed them once for a long moment, tugging them away to hold in front of himself. "I'm here," he whispered again, breath ghosting lightly over their hands if Loki's reaction of wide eyes was anything to go by. "I'm here for you."

Loki blinked rapidly. "Yes, I-" he tried to look away but was arrested by the sight of his hands in Tony's as if it was a marvel sight. Perhaps it was. Loki didn't give off the feeling that he was one for cuddling after one-night stands, much less hand holding. Weird. He wasn't either. He was going to chalk it up to the whole getting serious thing.

Loki returned to normal, or mostly normal. "You shall be ready at 5 p.m. For dinner at an undisclosed location," he commanded without his usual sense of flair or dramatics; very straightforward and bland, almost as if he was trying to imitate a computer. "60 points for me plus however long I can keep you unnoticed and 50 points for playing along. We shall talk then,"

He disappeared in a green flash and sighed. It wasn't like he wasn't expecting it, but the God of Lies must have some serious issues if he couldn't believe someone would want to talk to him or help him out without an ulterior motive of his own. Which made him wonder if he had one that he wasn't aware of...

Goddammit. He had forgotten about Pepper again! If he bought her a gift now, would that be too suspicious? Probably. He sighed again. His life was never going to be simple or easy, why did he suddenly expect it would be now?

"Jarvis," he called exhaustedly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Remind me to grovel and beg for Pepper's forgiveness,"

"Certainly, sir. Would that be before or after your apology gift?"

"After," he rolled off his workbench with a groan from his back and mouth. "Don't think I didn't see what you did there, snarky bastard,"

"I am only what you programmed me to be, sir. May I recommend an aspirin and heating pad for your back?"

"I think I'll take off for a massage, get the team to worry about where I am so Loki doesn't totally destroy me in points because of our little date,"

"Very good sir. I take it you will not inform Ms. Potts either?"

His heart pounded and he licked his dry lips. "No," he eventually decided, turning to leave. He was treating Loki like a dirty secret-which he was-but lying to Pepper meant he was a serious dirty secret. And serious was bad because it never ended well, one, as evident by today, and that meant he was beginning to care about Loki.

Well, shit.