Chapter 15

A/N As promised... a new chapter! Woo woo, I guess? Also, I've been under heavy attack by plotbunnies, so once I finish this story (which isn't going to be soon) I'll see which ones have survived the wait and go with that! I do hope you enjoyed last chapter, and I know the chapters aren't particularly long or anything but I try! Cookies to everyone that reviewed. And Yes I hope Loki and Thor meet each other soon as well, but I'm a cruel woman, so I won't say if it's going to be soon or not! *evil cackle*

ooOOoo

"I'm sorry, I smell like what?" Loki spluttered. The nerve of this guy! If he was ruddy-Ra, he had no right to insult him like that. (he did send a short little thought out to Ra, apologizing for the comparison, as it was insulting for the God)

"A dead camel." Tony snorted. "And you do!"

"Well I'm sorry but I had to dangle upside down from drapes, dance, breath fire, do all kinds of acrobatics, while a certain someone, you, was sitting with your big lazy ass on some pillows shoving food in your mouth."

A loud noise echoed through the hallway.

Loki was shocked, for sure, but he knew he had gone too far. For crying out loud, insulting the pharaoh was not a good idea, in fact, it may be sporting his top five worst ideas ever, not sure if it beat the beating the sleeping hippo with a stick. But he had not expected the harsh slap in the fave Tony had given him. He was staring at the pharaoh with his quickly reddening cheek clamped by one of his hands. What had he expected?

"I'm sorry.." he stammered, averting his eyes to the floor.

Tony sighed. "No I'm sorry. I just didn't knew what to do, as I've never been talked down like that by anyone… but Rhodey. And Rhodey has been with me for years." He sighed again. "Just don't make it a habit ok."

He regretted slapping Loki, as the man was following him with a bowed head, shuffling his feet as if he was walking to his execution. And he was silent. Not a cough, a wheeze, not an insult or an angry whisper. Tony did not want to break this man into a beautiful puppet. He wanted to know this man inside out, what made him tick. He knew little things of his past thanks to Thor, but nothing in detail, and not from Loki's point of view. So far all he had gathered he used to live in the slums, but before that, how they came there, he did not know. Thor had told him they had not born there, their parents were dead. He knew how Thor got away from the slums, that was his father's doing, but he didn't know how Loki came to be in Thebes, as a dancer no less. And Tony liked knowing things.

When they arrived in the bathhouse, he stripped bare immediately and stepped into the water. Loki kept standing at the edge, unsure of what he had to do now.

"Well don't go standing there, come on in, the water is great!"

But Loki eyed the water, then shied away from it some more, while holding his arms in front of him. He was still only wearing the trousers and sash from last night, and nothing more. But apparently loosing those was really the last thing he wanted right now, as his hands, crossed in fron of him, were tugging at the hems of the sash, as if it was all that kept him alive.

"Why don't you keep those on? They will be cleaned right away as well, that way." Tony offered. He was not going to force Loki to strip naked, though he wanted to, only to see the full extent of the deal he had made, thought he wanted to. He would not go and strip the last item of clothing of him to have glorious sex in the warm water, though he wanted to. Man, self-restraint was really not one of his finer points, but Loki made him go that extra effort.

Finally after what seemed and eternity Loki finally obliged. He had to admit he felt filthy as well, the sweat from last night, not to mention he hadn't had a proper bath since… since his childhood, really, and he longed for one. He stepped in, a shudder going through him as he adjusted to the warm water, the minty smell that engulfed him as the water splashed up as he walked forward in the water. He felt clean that instant, but he had not been the son of a well-respected nobleman for nothing and he knew he wasn't done yet. He dipped under, letting the water pull his hair backwards. He was only slightly aware how Tony was looking at his every movement. How he was enjoying the silken black hair that cascaded over his shoulders, how the drops of water trailed down his chest that seemed to be carved out of marble. How his ashen skin for the first time in many years glowed with cleanness. If it had not been evident in the pharaoh's eyes, it was between his legs. A blush crept on his cheeks, which seemed to only arouse Tony more.

"So…" Tony said as he huddled through the water to lean against the side of the bath, next to Loki. "How come you're so pale?"

"I don't know, how come you're so rude?" Loki asked, than realized what he had said and he averted his head, expecting a blow, but it never came. Instead he heard Tony's warm laughter.

"You're right, I can't just go and ask someone about their skintone!" he said, still chuckling. "But really, why has the sun no effect on your skin?"

"I honestly don't know, it's always been like this, since I can remember." Loki said, a smile sneaking it's way on his lips as he remembered what his mother used to call him. "Frigga, my mother, used to call me a Frost Giant, because I was so pale, like the rare snow she had seen once and because I was taller than kids my age. She should see Thor now… he's bigger than I am." It pained to talk about his mother, but it had spilled over his lips before he could stop it. He slammed his jaw shut, though.

"No, don't stop. You honor the death by keeping fond memories, telling about them makes them live through you. I would tell you about my mother, but… she died before I could really remember anything. I can't even tell you how she looked except for what I learned from the drawings on the wall." Loki was looking at him now, but he wasn't sure what the expression was he had. Admiration? Understanding?

"If you try, you can be a human being, you know?" Loki said, chuckling.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Tony feigned shock and pulled Loki underwater. When he opened his eyes, his hands still around Loki's shoulder, he noticed how Loki had his eyes open as well, and the deep green was even more vivid under water. It almost seemed to play with the light in the water. But as Tony held on, Loki's eyes turned into panic and he began to struggle and Tony had no choice but to let go. As they both came up, eyes stinging because of the water, they both gasped for air. Tony looked at Loki puzzled.

"Please… Please don't do that again. I can't help but feel uneasy if I'm underwater for a long time." Loki asked, politely.

"Yeah that wasn't nice of me, I was distracted.. sorry. Did you almost drown as a kid or something?" Tony asked.

"I'm… not sure, to be honest. I sometimes have nightmares where there's only water around me and every time I manage to get to the surface, I gasp once for air before being forced under again."

"Forced? You mean, by people?" Tony asked.

"No, the water is so wild, and there's wind, and pieces of wood, but none of them big enough to carry me, to keep me afloat, I keep sinking back into the darkness of the water." He shrugged. "I guess it's my subconscious telling me how I'm afraid to lose control. Or something, dreams are strange things."

"This is true, but they are sent to us, to tell us things." Tony said. "Or I always thought so."

Loki nods and hums. Tony notices that he is still avoiding looking at Tony.

"You are allowed to look at me, you know. I can't promise you I won't be staring back in those pools of green you have, but yeah." He silently tells Loki.

"I'm not interested in looking at you." Loki says.

Ouch. Okay the fun moment was gone, grumpy Loki was back and something about applying cold water to area of burn. "Wow, you could at least pretend…" He then walks to the far end of the bath to wash his hair with a materials Loki has never seen. He will also deny to his dying day that he was ogling Tony's muscled and tanned back as the Pharaoh was massaging whatever substance he was going to use in his hair, while humming the melody of the dance Loki performed last night. When Loki realized he blushed even more. He was pretty sure his head must be on fire by now.

Well no, he was not attracted to this man. He was also not secretly admiring the humour the man had, or his open personality. In fact, as far as Loki cared about royal, Tony was most certainly the worse!

Who was he kidding? Not him, for sure.

Tony was attractive, he was funny, though a little rude at times and so far the most caring man of high status he's had the pleasure, or displeasure, of meeting. Yes, things could be much worse. So much more worse. So he did what he thought Tony expected of him and he walked forward, using one of the sponges he found at the side and started to slowly scrub Tony's back.

ooOOoo

Stieth, after having the pleasure, if you can call it that, of running into Paiah, returned home. Not much wiser. Paiah basically told him, he didn't knew about any Loki, or dancer, as he was not allowed at the dance and instead had been guarding the gate all night, in the cold, while everyone was inside. Yes Paiah made sure everyone knew of his poor fate. He also reckoned that if Loki had been an entertainer, he maybe was sleeping off whatever excitement and entertainment there had been after the party. You know, the one he had not been allowed to, that one. Poor Paiah.

Stieth had wanted to punch the self-pitying fool in the nose, but decided Peghee and Bukhee would not be better off without a stubborn dad. Nor would it do Loki any good. So he clenched his teeth and spun on his heels to walk away and let the annoying guard behind him.

Stieth figured, either Loki would return, he was killed because he had done something stupid, or he was imprisoned. Maybe they had found a job for him. Either way, the chance was very slim that he was coming home any time soon.

He sighed. He really did like the young man.

ooOOoo

Thor had heard by now how the Pharaoh had been up, and even taking a bath. He was sure Tony needed it as he would most likely stink of alcohol and whatever activities he must have been in last night. Rumor had it he had taken a beautiful young man to bed.

Thor didn't knew Tony had appetites like that but when the servants told him this as if it held great importance he shrugged. Wasn't it the Pharaoh choice who and what he liked. The servants discussed how this could influence the succession of the throne, if he was not going to take a queen to have a child with.

The little Thor knew is that Tony was most likely not dumb to not know, and he told the servants exactly that. They all shrugged, figuring it wasn't their place to talk about the Pharaoh like that to begin with and they returned to their job.

Thor then proceeded to walk towards Tony's room, to await Tony's arrival from the bathhouse. He was still a guard after all. He wondered if Rhodey had already asked the Pharaoh permission to look for Loki himself. He could swear he heard his brother's voice, so real was his memory of him.

But Loki's voice got louder, and it was interrupted with Tony's voice here and there, and that confused Thor, it almost sounded like they were arguing. Just as he was starting to think he was turning mad he heard Loki's voice say: "Thor?" and he turned around, to look at a still damp, clean, healthy, gorgeous baby brother Loki.

"Loki?"

ooOOoo

A/N There, they finally found each other. And with this I leave you for now. I'm glad myself because I couldn't find any more valid reasons to keep them apart. And I have so much more in mind for them. SO MUCH MORE! *more insane cackling* don't mind me, please leave me a review, kay?