Chapter 12

A/N I'm sorry to leave you guys with that, but I had to work extra hours and the one day I was off, yesterday, I had a convention where I was judging the cosplay competition. As I was tempted to not go as this chapter has been on my mind all the time, I promised and so I did go! Here it is, finally! Thank you all so much for the reviews, they make me fuzzy and warm on the inside.

ooOOoo

Tony felt his heart skip a beat right then, he had never seen eyes so striking. And it was not just the eyes. Dangling upside down, using his legs to grab a hold in the drape, was a young pale man who slided down as graceful as if gravity didn't affect him the way it did everyone else. When he neared the ground he did a flip and landed on the floor, grabbing two other torches, holding them out like the lady in front of Tony did. She suddenly looked up, then back, and backflipped from that crouching position and torches in hand to a standing position. The flurry of flames that followed was hypnotizing, magical even. Tony was sure it was unholy. As unholy as how the man was beyond beautiful. There was no word for what the man was. The man was dressed in a black silk half vest, adorned with gold embroidery and beads that showed depictions of Ankhs, the symbol for life. He wore trousers, black as well except for the poofy bottom which was gold and copper coloured, as if flames were licking the very fabric of his trousers. A golden sash with golden tassels was wrapped around the waist, which was scandalously low according to some in the audience, but no one seemed to mind. He was on barefoot, except for some feet jewelry, in gold. Tony would admit he had never seen this much of jewelry on any man, but he also didn't mind. The dark hair that framed his face reached a little past his shoulder except for two tiny braids at the side that kept his hair to the side. There was a sheer golden sash wrapped around his head together with several chains with dangling golden coloured beads. But what stood out most, clothes and accessories-wise, were the horns. The beautiful horns were like no animal's Tony had ever heard of. They were adorned with golden hieroglyphs, but Tony could not make them out from this far.

Suddenly the pair of emerald eyes stopped in front of him, his face only inches away from his. The with kohl adorned eyes pierced his very soul. Tony wasn't sure what it was he felt, but he wanted, no needed to have this man. He could be his own personal dancer, yes, that's a good idea. He would be able to look at him every day. He sighed as the man disappeared for another bout of twirls and other dancing moves, which at some point had the woman fall down, holding her torches up. The man, run to her, but at the last minute somersaulted over her, torches in hand, to land on his feet, turn, kneel and breathe fire, which impressed pretty much everyone in the room. Both the woman and man got up and walked to the middle and made a deep bow towards Tony, after which they repeated it towards the complete audience. There were words of praise and applause coming from every side of the hall, some even stood. Tony didn't. He mentioned the dark man to him, Fury obliged.

"I want him."

"I'm not sure I understand?" Fury said arching his one eyebrow that was visible.

"I need to speak to him, in private, tonight." Tony nearly hissed those words. Why did this man not simply understood.

But he did. "I'm afraid he's not keen on the eh.. private.. conversing." Fury said. "I'm sorry if we in any way insinuated he was. There are more than plenty of girls, however, that are probably willing to…"

"No, him." Tony said, making it known this was quite final. As pharaoh he could simply demand the man to stay, no man would deny him that, but that would make him a tyrant, and he didn't want to start like that on his first day, but this man made him do it. Yes, that's right, Tony was no tyrant… ok so maybe a little, but there had been no beheading in his name today, so that was something, right?

"As you wish…" Fury grinded his teeth as he said it. Tony couldn't be angry about that; he merely did what was human. Tony had an insatiable thirst to know this man, if possible in every way possible. But if the man would object, he'd stop. He'd try to stop at least. Fury disappeared and for now Tony forgot the man for a little while, he'd see him later. He returned to his foods and drinks, which he had left entirely alone for the entirety of the dance. He talked and he laughed until people were starting to leave, and he himself had quite enough.

"I wish you all a very fine night indeed, but I shall retire for the evening." Everyone wished the pharaoh a good night's rest and returned to their conversations, or some decided this was as good as any moment to leave themselves. As Tony walked through the hallways on his own, walking past several guards as he did, he undid the jewelry he was wearing, got the two crowns off to pass them to a guard, ordering him to bring them to his dressing room. He had not seen Fury or the man since he had asked the man to bring the mysterious dancer to him, and he assumed Fury had told him to get out as soon as possible and followed himself. As he entered his room he kicked his slippers off, dumped the jewelry on a small table until he noticed he was not alone in the room.

He looked up to see, on his bed, hidden between the many pillow and sheer fabric drapes that surrounded his bed was the man from the dance, crouched, looking at the bed. He looked as beautiful as he had before; he still wore the horns, which surprised Tony. They must be really uncomfortable. Tony thought he looked a little like the djinns from the stories he was told as a kid. They were fiery spirits who'd fulfill your wishes, but they rarely came true the way you intended them. They rarely came true with you alive. This man though, as impressive as he looked adorned with all that, wasn't looking like he could seriously harm anyone. He was rather tall though, Tony thought.

"You came, you actually came?" Tony breathed.

"Is it not what your majesty ordered? Fury wanted me to run, but that would get us both in trouble, I know how you people in the palace work. Take everything and give nothing." Loki did not mind his tongue, not even for the pharaoh. For all he cared they were all bad. This man had demanded Loki to be there, for god knows what reason, but Loki dared to make an educated guess, and he expected him to be civilized about it? He had another thing coming. So yeah Tony had been right about Fury, but he winced regardless.

"Ouch, ok. What did I ever do to you?" Tony asked, actually hurt by Loki's accusations.

"For one thing, you took away my brother!" Loki almost spat, finally looking up, his eyes burning with what Tony assumed was hate. He still sat obediently on bed, but his body screamed revulsion. Tony wondered why he hadn't run away yet, oh… right… disobeying the order from a pharaoh could get you killed, or maimed… or both. The man was probably smarter than that.

"I'm sorry, I did what? I can't remember taking anyone away from anyone?" Tony said, fully on the defense. Truly what gall this man had to accuse him of something like this. He would set this straight right away.

Loki only scowled. "Not you directly, no, but it was your fault. If you hadn't been so stupid to walk out in the river, if my brother didn't need to save you, your father wouldn't have forced my brother to come here and guard you. My brother wouldn't have been accused falsely of deeds he hadn't done. I wouldn't have been left alone to rot away in the slums." Then a cynical laugh. "Though I suppose I should thank you as well, as this finally got me out of the slums, into a better life. But I will not see my brother imprisoned and maltreated by some stuck up, arroga…" Tony cut him off.

"Hey, that's enough, I get it!" He said it as he approached the bed. He climbed on it to cup his fingers around the man's chin and raise his head so he could look at him. "And then yes, I'm sorry, because I was responsible for that. I never intended to have that happen to your brother though. You are Thor's brother!" And on the inside Tony was excited. He had, by accident, found Thor's brother. Thor would be so excited!

This got Loki by surprise, to be honest he hadn't thought the man would remember such things, or know Thor had a brother to begin with. His confusion was seen by Tony. That put a smirk right back on his face.

"So you're looking for your brother? What were you going to do. Dance and seduce everyone and while you were screwing everyone you'd search for your brother, free him, distract the guards by flailing your pretty body against them? Was that your master plan? Or put that torch on each and everyone here tonight, because then at least someone in your family can be accused for murdering everyone in the palace while actually having it done. Because the way I see it, you wouldn't have had a chance to get him out at all. So please, enlighten me." Tony, now crouched in front of Loki, folded his arms.

Loki hung his head. "I-I don't know, I just had to do something, I guess…" All the fire had gone out of him and it startled Tony so much his arms started to unfold. He then smiled, an amused glint in his eyes. "You and your brother are all the same. Brash, stupid, but incredibly loyal. I like that."

"I'd rather not have you say I'm stupid…" Loki hissed. Tony got what he wanted though, the fire had returned to the man's eyes. Not long after though Loki was looking confused again, as Tony reached for Loki's hair and removed the sash, jewelry and horns in one go. "So… I never caught your name…"

"L-Loki, it's Loki." The dancer answered. He was afraid. He had heard the stories, of how most entertainers ended up as a sexual toys for the night, to be discarded in the morning. They way Tony nearly undressed him with just his eyes made him nervous. He had fought off the most brutal of men together with Thor, and all for what, to lose his purity to the royal prick that was their pharaoh? Loki scoffed at his own accidental pun, which made Tony look at him oddly.

"Well then, Loki… what would you give to set your brother free?" Tony asked. "Because if I comply to every person walking in demanding their family back, I'd have an empty palace. There's going to be a price for what you want, and you're going to pay it in full."

"What I'd give? Everything!" Loki looked up, hopeful. "Name your price, if I have it, I'll pay it."

Tony smirked. "Everything?" Oh Loki was so eager, he headed right into his trap. "You'll regret that!"

ooOOoo

Inside his room, Thor tossed around on his bed. He had figured if he wasn't allowed at the event, he'd go to bed early, but something was nagging at him. A feeling something was off. He didn't knew what though, so after a little bit more tossing he let sleep come over him.

A/N Sorry for the shortness. A fair warning, I will put the rating up as things may or may not get mature from this point on. As a note on Tony's character; he is used to get what he wants, whatever it is, being denied something is not something he is used to, that's why he was so bitchy to Fury.