Notes: Moving was a pain in the ass and as I write this I still don't have internet. The new place is nice though and a lot bigger than my previous apartment so I'm happy. To make up for the long delay I present to you an extra-long chapter. I hope you enjoy~

"So, did you plan on telling me what happened or are you just going to lay there and pout?" Alexi's voice cut through Loki's reverie and he turned his head to see the man lying on his side with head propped up by his arm. There was a curious look on his face that told Loki that there wasn't going to be any easy way out of the conversation. "I can already figure it has something to do with Stark so don't even bother trying to lie to me."

Loki glared at him and then let out a tired sigh, scratching at his bare chest, "We were getting…close. Closer than I'm comfortable with."

"And so you ran." Alexi finished, connecting the dots and he reached out with his other arm and stroked a hand over Loki's cheek. If it wasn't for their lot in life, he probably would have tried to have a relationship with Loki as well. He knew better and contended himself with being a more thoughtful client. Sex was the closest anyone got to Loki Laufeyson and even then he knew that he didn't enjoy himself during the act. "It sounds like a familiar tale."

"Yes, I ran. He wants to get to know me and I just don't think I can let him. I'm amazed that you know as much about me as you do." Loki admitted, shifted against the flat pillows and uncomfortable sheets that made up Alexi's bed. "It's not his history; it's not as big a deal as I assumed it was. I would be a hypocrite. I…just can't do this. He hasn't judged me as many have and he's been kind to me as many haven't but…"

"You're worried he's going to think poorly of you once he gets the full story. You're just being paranoid. Do you know nothing about his past? It's widely known. Child genius, son of a genius, dead parents…" Alexi sat up and stretched, continuing, "He's got some skeletons in all those spacious closets I'm willing to bet."

At the heart of it, Loki knew Alexi was right but it didn't ease his worries. He chewed at his lip.

"It's about Baldur, isn't it?" Alexi continued, gently as he could, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground by bringing up that particular individual. "It was an accident, Loki; you had no control over it."

"It is when I was supposed to be protecting him but instead I go off and do…this." Loki gestured wildly to the bed and swung his legs off of it, rising to his feet. "No, I'm not talking about this right now."

"You'll just keep on running, then, blaming yourself for something that would have happened regardless." Alexi lit a cigarette, taking a long drag then blew out a puff of smoke, pointedly ignoring Loki's ugly sneer. "Baldur was 16. He was old enough to make his own choices."

Loki didn't bother with a retort and redressed quickly, making an exit. It was well past midnight now and he pulled his coat close, more for security than for protection from the cold. Catching another taxi he made his way back to the tower and anticipated to find Tony waiting for him in the entry way. There wasn't a soul there however, just the natural ambiance of the building. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and shoved a hand through his hair, shaking strands free from the hold of the oil he'd used to slick it back.

"I'm not sure what I was expecting…" Loki muttered, walking to the elevator and hitting the button. His eyes kept scanning the area as he waited, looking for the strangely frightening woman to suddenly appear around some dark corner. He rode the elevator up to the top floor, lost in thought, and barely noticed when the doors opened that Tony was standing just outside of them. "Stark…"

"Morning, sunshine." Tony greeted him sarcastically, arms crossed over his currently bare chest. He looked Loki up and down, taking in the slightly disheveled shirt and hair. "Rough night in hump junction?"

Loki rolled his eyes skyward, trying to mask his anxiety, "A snarky remark for everything…"

"It's a gift. You're pretty good at it yourself." Tony sensed Loki's guilt and smirked coolly. He wouldn't say a word about where and what Loki was up to. 'Let's let him stew for a bit, shall we?' It was like teaching a child right from wrong; eventually he'd just fess up and then Tony would worry about it.

"Ah, but not as well as you." Loki's eyes flickered down to the shadow of Tony's hip bones that showed above the waistband of the cotton pants he was wearing. Clearly, he'd been getting ready for bed when Loki returned. He considered his options, while he was trying not to show just how uncomfortable he was standing just outside the elevator with Tony's eyes on him. The best route was to just say his good night -or early morning in this case- and step around him. The other route was somewhat more unnecessary. Attempt to seduce him as before and beat a hasty retreat. However there was a good chance that the man wouldn't fall for something like that again.

"How is it outside, a bit chilly? Was Central Park nice? I assumed you went on a walk since there's no other possible reason for you to have gone out that late and come home this early. Unless, of course, you were busy doing something else." So much for not mentioning it, Tony shrugged. He had a pretty good idea of what Loki was doing, what with the bit if bruising on his neck in the distinct shape of teeth. He told himself that it wasn't that big of a deal. Loki was free to get laid if he felt the need. Free country and all that…just like leaving until after midnight…grown ass man…

No, he wasn't jealous. Not in the slightest.

And denial was just a river in Egypt.

"I went to talk to a friend at a bar. Nothing else." Loki's voice was strained and his fingers fidgeted with his coat.

"Hm, really, because if I didn't know better I'd say you have the air of a man who just got a bit of action. Do you really think I wouldn't notice the claim on your neck?" Tony pointed at the purple spotting and watched as Loki's hand flew to cover it, as if he'd forgotten it was even there. "Come on, you're better than this. Yeah, sure, I don't know you but I can tell you are."

"Yes, and I'm sure you know that from experience, what with your man-whore ways. At least I thought to make money off of it." The words came out biting and sarcastic but softened when he added, "Just leave me alone, Stark." Loki moved past him and Tony grabbed his arm, "Unhand me."

"Sorry, but I'm not going to do that, you stubborn ass." Tony pulled Loki to him and pressed his lips to his firmly, feeling them tense under him. With a bit more force applied, Loki's softened and returned it. When Tony eventually pulled away, he took pride in the utterly surprised look on his face. "Now that I've gotten your attention I'm going to tell you this now. Later tonight we're going to have a little chat over drinks and we're just going to settle things. I don't care if I end up doing all of the talking but I've had enough of this round and around business. That 'I can't get close to people' thing is complete crap. All you need to do is stop being so scared of it. I don't want sex; all I want is to get to know the guy staying in my house. Even if it's just little things."

Loki gritted his teeth and he reluctantly muttered, "Very well…"

"Good, now go get some sleep. God knows we both need it."

Tony sighed tiredly. That guy was a giant pain in the ass. Things just kept getting more and more complicated as time went on and the longer Loki stayed. He never did admit to his actions, come to think of it, even though all the proof was stacked up against him. Tony had a feeling that if he was on fire and someone told him so he'd just do and say the opposite even as the flames licked at his skin. The brunette wasn't the only one harboring secrets. After Loki had snuck off, he'd done a bit of research on his guest.

For someone as obsessive about keeping his past buried six feet deep, it was disgustingly easy to find out about, requiring only a search on his name. There weren't a lot of people with the name Loki Laufeyson out there. Still, there wasn't a lot of information out there about the details of his life prior to this, just little tidbits here and there.

What Tony did learn was that Loki was the son of a wealthy family -old money from as far as he could tell- and had two brothers, one older and one younger (deceased). They were originally from England but had Norwegian ethnicity all the way through the bloodline. Going by the fact that Loki's family name was different from the other's it was likely he was either a) adopted or b) an illegitimate child and Tony was willing to bet that if he asked the source he'd get a big goose egg of an answer. He kind of figured that family was a major sore spot for Loki considering the fact that there hadn't been a single photo in his apartment, no sentimental ties. Kinda sad but Tony knew from experience the woes of family life.

Sometimes it was better to bail out of it.

He wondered about this as he went back to his own room and threw himself onto his bed, groaning as the coolness of the sheets relaxed his muscles and he closed his eyes. He thought about the kiss. It had been spontaneous; he had to think of something to keep Loki from running and that had been the first thing that had come to mind. It was only fair anyway, after that little stunt Loki had pulled. Admittedly, there was a part of him that had enjoyed getting the upper hand on that slick bastard, seeing the surprise written all over that smug face. The other half was sort of conflicted about taking advantage of someone like that, even someone like Loki whose whole shtick was about seducing poor shits. Goddamn it, now he felt guilty…

Tony laid there most of the remaining night, just mulling over the last week, thinking about how this had all happened and why Loki remained there and why Tony had offered. He realized his theory about loneliness was probably not that far off and that was becoming abundantly clearer day by day. As the morning wore on he gave up on getting any more sleep and got up to take a long hot shower, washing the drowsiness out of his eyes. This wasn't the first all-nighter he'd pulled and wouldn't be the last. When he was awake enough to function and started running out of hot water, Tony cut the water and quickly dried off, getting dressed in a pair of grey slacks, black shirt with the top three buttons undone and a sport coat. After throwing on a pair of comfortable shoes and grabbing his sun glasses he went downstairs.

Loki was already in the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools and slowly nibbling away at a bowl of cereal. He looked up as he heard Tony enter and quickly looked away, looking anywhere but where he stood. His dark hair hung in loose waves around his head and he was still dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt, looking anything but like his usual immaculate self. He looked just too damn precious but Tony could see the dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he wasn't the only one who didn't get much sleep last night.

Tony came over and peered down at the bowl of what was currently leaning more towards the mushy side of things, frowning, "You're eating that?"

"What's wrong with it?" Loki questioned, finally looking up at him as he continued to poke at his breakfast unenthusiastically.

"It looks disgusting. How long have you been sitting out here?" Tony asked curiously, snatching the bowl away at Loki's protest. At one point in time the cereal might have been Corn Flakes.

"Long enough." Loki attempted to steal back his food only for Tony to move it farther away from his grasping fingers. "Could I please have that back?"

"You're not eating this crap." Tony replied firmly, going to the rubbish bin and scraping the contents of the bowl into it with a sickly plopping noise as the food hit the trash inside. Once it was empty he sat it in the sink.

"And what am I supposed to eat then?"

Tony turned and grinned, slipping his sunglasses on, "I'm sensing a trip out for coffee and scones. Grab your app too. Might as well turn it while we're there. Then, we're going out shopping."

Loki raised an eyebrow in the way he did to express skepticism and curiosity, "Why in the world do we need to go shopping? And those glasses are ridiculous; you look like a pimp."

Tony cackled, "Okay, does that make me your pimp then?"

Loki's head hit the counter in dramatic fashion and he hissed out a, "No."

Still snickering, Tony continued, "Anyways, to answer your question, we need to pick you out a nice suit for tonight."

Loki lifted his head, looking openly astonished and pushing his hair out of his face, "Whatever for?"

"I told you; I wanted to talk over drinks and I still do. I just figure we can get dinner too. I know some pretty nice restaurants around here that I haven't been to in ages. When's the last time you had authentic Italian?" Tony elaborated, gauging Loki's face for reaction.

Loki's mouth opened and shut once before he managed to find words, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Tony shrugged, trying to come off as indifferent even as he acknowledged to himself that he, in fact, was doing just that. "Nah, it's just a friendly dinner. I owe you an apology for cornering you last night. I shouldn't have. What you do is your thing. I don't have to like it."

Loki nodded slowly with what Tony hoped was an understanding formed between the two men, "A friendly dinner then."

Okay, it was just going to be just that: a nice dinner between two mutual acquaintances, nothing more. Tony repeated this in his head even as Loki pattered off to get changed into something he could be seen in public wearing. Oh this was going to be a long day and an even longer night.

He really had no idea…

Of all the things Loki expected, when he wandered out into the kitchen that morning to chew on cereal that he barely tolerated, was for Tony to join him later and ask him out on what seemed suspiciously like a date. Loki avoided high end restaurants and suits like a plague in order to not risk running into people he'd rather not see. He could tell by the look on Tony's face that there would be no talking his way out of this venture and he resigned himself to what was bound to be a horrible night of misfortune.

He felt horribly underdressed in comparison to Tony's dressy casual wear when all he clad himself in was his usual pair of form fitting denim and a dark green t-shirt with boots and leather jacket. He pulled his hair into a loose ponytail that reminded him that the raven locks were in need of a cut. It had been a while since he'd gotten it done despite his meticulous grooming. He didn't think that any of the suit shops Tony planed on dragging him into would be overly impressed with his clothing choices. Not that Loki cared about their opinion but he couldn't always hide the fact that he was concerned about his appearance.

As they left, Loki grabbed his application from where it had been sitting since it had been filled out and carefully folded it in two as they left. Tony opted for walking the short distance to the establishment and when they entered the two of them received plenty of curious glances from the patrons. They certainly made for an odd couple with Loki's lanky androgyny and casual clothing and with Tony several inches shorter and masculine and wearing what he was. Small wonder that they managed to turn heads. When Darcy, whom was working the cash register, saw them her full lips –painted red as usual- split into a wide, knowing grin. Loki cringed and made no attempt to hide his unwillingness to even be there.

"Long time no see, you two. Will you be having the regular?" She asked, looking from one to the other with her grin still firmly in place.

"Yeah, the regular." Tony nudged Loki forward, "Give her the application, will you."

Loki glared and thrust the paper out at the barista, "Here..."

Darcy took the application and handed it off to someone else to file it away before handing them back their change, "My manager will take a look at it when he gets a chance."

"How long will that take?" Tony asked, pocketing his change.

Darcy shrugged and leaned a hip against the counter, folding her arms under her voluminous chest, "I dunno. It could take a week or it could take a couple days. It's hard to tell."

"Helpful."

"Hey, I can only do so much. I'm not a flipping psychic."

After getting their food they took a taxi to a suit shop that Tony normally went to buy his own. Surprisingly, the place was more laid back than he'd been thinking it would have been and they were greeted warmly by the owner before being swiftly ushered away for measurements. Loki stood quietly as he was poked and measured even as the man in charge tried to hold a conversation, one that turned out to be rather one-sided. In the end they both left with a new suit and Tony bought Loki a scarf he'd been eyeing and a slate grey overcoat.

As the evening wore on Loki dressed himself and stared into the mirror. It was like looking at a stranger. He hadn't worn a suit since he'd left home and it left him feeling vaguely sick. The suit was simple but stylish in a dark grey that was closer to black, a textured dress shirt and a grey tie. The scarf was draped loosely around his neck and the overcoat was left unbuttoned. His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, leaving his face free to view. He'd even removed the black nail polish off his fingers. Letting out a sigh, he reached out and touched his reflection.

"Hey, you ready in there. We have to hurry if we want to keep our reservations." Tony's voice flowed through the door, startling Loki out of his discontent.

It was now or never.

He found Tony dressed in a black suit and a dark red dress shirt topped with a black tie with thin, slanted gold stripes. Brown eyes looked him up and down approvingly. "Suits look damn good on you."

Loki cast him a small smile, running his hands over his coat nervously, "I haven't worn one in a very long time. I don't think they appropriate me anymore."

"Phfft, right. Well, I think it suits you well." Tony picked a dark hair off of Loki's shoulder and his hand lingered there a moment before he pulled it away. "I've been wearing suits since I was a kid. I still prefer jeans and a comfortable shirt. Not that it matters."

They went down stairs and caught a taxi to take to the restaurant. Loki shifted in the booth seat, looking over the wide range of Italian dishes. To be honest, his mind wasn't on food but the man sitting across from him. Even though Tony insisted that it wasn't a date, Loki couldn't help but think it was, and that made things even more awkward. He downed his second glass of red wine by the time the food arrived and he was aware of Tony watching him as he did so. Loki poured himself another glass of wine.

"Shouldn't you slow down?" Tony asked, sipping his own at a much slower rate. "You're going to get drunk before you even start your dinner."

Loki shrugged and slowed down just a bit, "I agreed to drinks. I never agreed to dinner. You would have drug me here anyway if I said no. I'm just indulging on my end of the agreement." He was quiet for a moment. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"What do you know about me?"

Loki stared at him for a moment as he debated how to answer such a direct question. He drank a bit more wine. "I know that you're considered a genius and that your father was as well. You were originally a weapons manufacturer but now you're in the clean energy business and invent other technologies as well. You have a reputation as a playboy and have what some would consider a somewhat crass nature. Both of your parents are deceased. There are a small number of other things as well."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, those are more or less true. However those can all be considered basic knowledge. There's a few things that the general public are less aware of. Such as the fact that my father spent most of my childhood seemingly ignoring me. Later I learned that he cared a lot more than he was willing to show. I left the weapons manufacturing when I was betrayed by a man who had been my father's best friend and in some ways my own. Those aren't known by every person who watches the news."

Loki swallowed more wine, the buzz filling his head, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm not afraid to admit what happened in my past. It happened and it's done. That's the end of it. However it comes with its own set of problems, namely trust. I trust a very small amount of people and it takes a while for them to earn it. That's just how it works. So, I know where you're coming from when you don't want to tell people yours but you should know that it never hurts to find someone who you can trust and let things off your chest."

A quiet descended as they finished up their food and Loki attempted to drown his thoughts in wine as he downed a forth glass and then a fifth. By the time they left he was quite drunk. It was only with Tony's help did he get to the taxi in one piece. Tony himself was buzzed, resorting to drinking to quell thoughts as well, albeit at a slower rate. The entire ride back the men remained in silence and it was only after they were in the penthouse did things come crashing down.

Tony yelped as he found himself with his back on the couch, staring up at Loki's angular face. His brain was sober enough to wonder what in the actual hell was going on as his housemate roughly pinned him to the cushions and straddled his legs. "Uh, Loki, what are you doing?"

Tony blinked at him, eyes more black than green, as he began to strip out of the suit, tossing his coat and scarf somewhere off to the side and then beginning to undo his tie. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what are you doing? Stripping off your clothing and making it really hard to focus." Tony pushed at Loki's shoulders. "Could you, uh, get off for a moment?"

Loki complied and, with an unusual amount of grace for a drunk, staggered off of Tony's lap, still undoing his clothing and by this point had just taken off his shirt. He grinned naughtily as he leaned down to take his shoes and socks off, leaving him in just a pair of slacks. "Oh, am I making you uncomfortable, Stark? I thought you would enjoy this."

Before Tony could respond Loki practically leapt back onto his lap, rising to his knees so he was just above touching anything and began to plant a series of hard kisses to his lips as his hands began to undo Tony's tie and shirt, flinging the tie beside them. Tony stared wide eyed at Loki even has his own hands came up to grasp his ass. 'Bad idea, bad idea…'His mind yelled as he ran his hands up Loki's back, feeling the curve of his spine. Loki's kisses had become more frantic and his hips had begun to move rhythmically over his, sometimes lowering just enough that Loki could feel them.

Tony was just beginning to entertain the idea of flipping their positions when his wild thoughts caught up with him and he pushed Loki away, "No…stop. Wait."

"What? I thought you wanted this." Loki leaned in to kiss him again but Tony grabbed his arms. "Are you really turning me down?"

Tony shifted under him, trying to sink further into the cushions, "And any other time I'd be jumping at the chance. Apparently I developed a sense of moral."

Loki canted his head and cast Tony a skeptical look, "You don't say."

"Hard to believe, I know." Tony replied, moving Loki off of him, "I'd like to add that you might have a drinking problem."

"No, I have a Tony problem." Loki deadpanned, untying his hair and shaking it free. "But why are you not taking this chance? I'm drunk and…"

"Exactly. You're drunk. I have a rule that I won't take advantage of drunken women and although it's safe to say that you aren't a woman," Tony looked pointedly at the tightness of Loki's pants, "I think it's safe to the rule applies here too."

"Mm, right." Loki yawned and he lay down across the couch, resting his head on Tony's lap. "You'll regret this decision. I have it on good authority that I give very good lap dances."

Oh yeah, that made Tony feel so much better. Damn you, conscious.

As Loki was starting to fall asleep, Tony spoke up once, stroking Loki's hair absently, "Have you ever been to Malibu?"

"I have not." Loki murmured softly, nuzzling into Tony's hip.

"I'm sensing an impending road trip."

Tony leaned his head back and followed Loki's suit, falling asleep.