disclaimer: i do not own marvel.

Chapter 10

The freezing cold water hit his back hard. The droplets stung his back as the chill hit him. Tony's face still felt red and flushed, not just from excitement, but mostly from embarrassment. He let the water flow all over his body, willing his blood flow to stop gathering in a particular lower region. It was not something he wanted or needed right now. Only one thought crossed his mind lately and it was always followed by the same questions.

Why me? Why now?

Answers never came. Not that Tony had tried to look for any answers. He was a fervent believer in just pushing everything away. He wasn't in denial either, for denial meant that eventually you had to accept what you were trying to ignore. No, he was downright refusing everything about his current situation with one single thought.

I am not gay.

His refusal came in many forms. After the first dream, he drank himself into a stupor at home and Pepper had found him passed out on the living room floor. After sobering him up, she tried to help him by asking what was wrong. He just couldn't get a word past his lips. After diving into alcohol, he took to sleeping around again. It was not difficult to find a willing bed partner if your name was Tony Stark. He'd quickly found one, taking her home with him during the day and ending up in bed with his conquest. He finished, but it left him feeling entirely unsatisfied. That was the day Pepper walked in on him, marking the end of their already crumbling relationship. He still regretted hurting her, but he knew it would have ended anyway.

Many other drinks, women, and stupid ideas followed. He had ended up with a cold, gotten drunk again, and caused what could have been a fatal accident. And it was all the fault of the person that haunted his dreams.

Loki.

He had always loved things that held beauty. He found it anywhere and in different things. The most obvious always had been women and objects that portrayed a certain quality, like fast streamlined cars and clothing. It could also be found in less obvious things, like his own creations, the weapons he had created in the past, which, though he regretted, were still beautiful, and now his arc reactor. Even the powerful feeling he got from his suit belonged in this category.

During the battle against the Chitauri, he had shed his almost broken suit at the Tower and faced the fallen god without protection in order to draw the trickster into conversation to stall and win time for his comrades. He had found many things in that single being that he valued—beauty, speed, power. Mesmerizing green eyes full of hidden emotions, beauty that was tall, lean, muscled, and vicious. Now Loki kept invading his mind, killing him softly on the inside.

Tony turned off the shower and dried himself with a red towel that had his name on it in golden embroidery. He looked guiltily at his mirror image. Goddammit! He did not need this right now. He did not need this ever! As if he didn't have enough to deal with already, Pepper had gone ahead and gotten him Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass as an assistant. Never mind that he almost accidently killed the guy. He was still happy that Jarvis had taken over control of the vehicle at the last second. It was just…everything was too much to deal with all at once.

He took an Iron Maiden t-shirt and pulled it over his head, searching his room for a pair of pants. It was early, six o'clock to be exact. An ungodly hour, especially if your last name was Stark, but he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, so he decided to make his way to the kitchen. I'll show that ass I can make coffee.

He had not forgotten the deal, and believe it or not, Tony Stark truly was capable of making his own coffee. In fact, he often did so, not that Javis or anybody else could not make it. Tony was just very picky and nobody seemed to get it right except for him. His previous assistants had all tried to serve him coffee, but it always tasted like total crap. His coffee, on the other hand, was a perfect deep black that was best drunk without milk or sugar.

He made a full pot of it and poured some in a cup for himself, leaving the rest on the heater for later. He took his full cup and headed off to the labs.

Contrary to popular belief, Loki was not a morning person. He liked getting up early purely because it meant that the hours in a day could be spent better awake and active rather than sleeping. It definitely was not because he enjoyed waking up in the early hours like others thought.

Loki forced his body to crawl out of the warm bed, shivering as the chill air came into contact with his exposed skin. He watched goose bumps rise on his arms. He had gotten used to this phenomenon after a while. Although he understood the complexity of the human body, experiencing it first-hand could be…frightening sometimes. It seemed he discovered new things on a daily basis. Most of them he could do without. Others were not so bad.

After freshening up in the bathroom, he dressed himself in the same clothing as the day before and headed out to the kitchen. The hallway was silent and empty, and he found it hard to imagine he still was in the city. The past few days were filled with noises hammering his head, honking cars, shouting people, and other indefinable background noises. He welcomed this rare silence with open arms.

No Stark could be seen in the proximity of the kitchen, yet an almost full pot of coffee stood waiting for him at the counter. Loki decided to question the voice called Jarvis, who he'd concluded was a bit like Heimdall. Both always stood watching his every movement, though Jarvis was mostly contained to the house.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Did Stark brew this beverage himself?"

"Yes, sir."

Well that is certainly unexpected. By now, Loki knew the location of most things in the kitchen; his search the previous evening made sure of that. He took a plain white cup and filled it with coffee, wondering what the excitement that humans held for their "morning" coffee was about. He inspected the drink: it had hot steam curling from its surface, the cup warmed his hands, and its smell was all right - tempting enough to goad a person into drinking it. So that was what Loki did. He took a large gulp of hot coffee in the hopes that it would quench his thirst.

Loki felt his eye twitch, another human reaction of his body, and he was trying his best to stop the other from commencing. Do not spit out your drink. Surely I must have had worse in one of my many years. He reluctantly swallowed his mouth full of coffee and emptied the cup in the sink immediately.

Then he did something he never would have done had he been in his right mind, just to get rid of the horrid taste. He turned on the faucet and, with his left arm as support, bent over to drink the water pouring straight from it. By the Nine, from what is that vileness fabricated? To think people drink this on a daily basis! Loki decided that humans were more inclined on destroying themselves than he had originally thought. Well, at least he felt awake now.

Wait. "Jarvis, what time is it?"

"It is 7:56, sir."

Tony stretched lazily in his chair and stood up. Let's see if this guy can hold up to my coffee. I need a refill anyway. He minimized the screens and left the rest of his work as it was; he would return soon enough. Taking his empty cup, he walked to the stairs leading down.

"Oh, and Jarvis, order some breakfast doughnuts, would you?"

He could hear the sound of a cupboard closing and coffee being poured into a cup. Tony entered the kitchen and leaned against the entrance wall. Just in time. He raised his eyebrow. I wonder if he can hold it. He held back a laugh as he saw that Locke was trying to hold in the coffee with visible effort and then proceeded to empty out the rest in the sink while turning on the faucet.

"So…my coffee isn't good enough for you," Stark said, grinning.

Loki ignored the man until he turned off the faucet and had cleaned his face up with a napkin, somehow managing to look composed while doing so. "It was not pleasing. In fact, I think it might be one of the most horrible things this planet has to offer…. I swear if you try to kill me again, be it by car, food, or an offering of drinks, I will kill you." Loki narrowed his eyes and pointed a long slender finger at the other man. "And leave your head dangling on a pole on top of Stark Tower to shrivel in the sun for all to see."

During the small yet menacing tirade his assistant made, Tony managed to get past him and take the hot pot of coffee.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, honey, you were saying?" Tony poured the hot coffee in his cup and carefully took a sip. "Mmmmm."

"I swear, Stark. If you—"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, revenge and pain. Yada yada yada. Jarvis, have you ordered those breakfast doughnuts yet?"

"Yes, sir. And might I add that it seems as though your ten o'clock appointment is already waiting downstairs."

Tony had already finished his second cup and was now pouring his third that morning. "What kind of idiot arrives two hours early?"

"Steve Rogers, sir."

"Steve?" Tony took the coffee mug away from his lips. Why was the Captain here? He hadn't seen the guy in weeks.

Loki took the opportunity to take the coffee-filled cup away from Stark's grasp, emptying the contents into the sink. Stark looked dumbfounded at him. "The received scheduled states that at 10 a.m., you are to instruct Steve Rogers in the use of his laptop and cell phone. I advise you to combine this and hand the knowledge over to me as well."

Tony barely suppressed a scowl. Great. I have to teach two idiots where they can find the 'On' button. As if one wasn't enough. "Okay, first of all, you do not take away my coffee, Highness." Tony hastily grabbed the coffee pot. If he was lucky, it would still have one more cup in it. "Second, you do not waste any of my godly coffee. It is a crime against humanity to do so. And third, Iron Man loves his coffee, so don't piss him off."

"Sir, your doughnuts are in."

"Send 'em up, Jarvis."

Loki cut in. "Jarvis, tell Captain Rogers to bring them upstairs. We might as well get an early start."

"Yes, sir."

"You've got to be kidding me. You're going to spoil my morning like that."

"No, I will be using your time more efficiently instead of you just wasting it on eating and drinking."

"Hey! I do other stuff too. Just need the fuel, you know. Why am I even explaining myself to you? You stuck up ass." Tony took his cup of coffee and left for the living room. He sat back on the couch in the same spot as yesterday. "And Captain America is not a delivery boy."

A resounding 'ping' made it clear that the elevator had stopped at the penthouse floor. A very happy and awake Steve Rodgers could be heard approaching. "Tony, I brought up your doughnuts," he said with great enthusiasm and earnestness.

Loki raised an eyebrow and shot Stark a glare. Tony recognised it as the "Oh really, I beg to differ" look. He wondered if Pepper had instructed Locke in all her secret glares.

"Cap, this here is Locke. He's my new assistant and a pain in the ass. Locke, this is Steve Rogers."

Loki put on a normal smile and shook the hand of Steve Rogers firmly, just like any regular person might have done. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, Locke. Do you have a last name?"

"Ladislav."

"Don't listen to him, Cap. And hand over my breakfast." Tony stood up and took the box of doughnuts away from Steve. He grabbed one eagerly and languidly took a bite from it while walking away. "Well, aren't you two lovebirds coming? I don't have all day."

Loki grinned slightly. "Actually, after checking your schedule for the day, it appears that you do indeed have all day. I took the liberty of cancelling your lunch with a girl named Nat or Kat. It was conflicting with the appointment you had with Steve."

"What! You cancelled Katrina? But—"

"No need to thank me, Stark. I am just doing my job."

Steve, who was oblivious to the tension, added in a compliment. "Wow, Tony. You finally found a decent assistant. Good for you."

"Yes, good for me." Tony grumbled and walked off to a large dining table. "Just put your laptop here and let's get this over with fast."

For Loki, it was fairly obvious how everything worked. He had dealt with technology in the past. Of course, the way he used it before was different. Handling devices right now would require more of his attention and thought than compared to before, when he could just gather information in easier ways. By the time Rogers finally grasped the idea of what he could do with a laptop, besides turning it on and off, let alone what vast kinds of information was available on it, Loki was already organising the schedule he had gotten from Pepper and was making slight adjustments where he deemed fit.

He looked across the table to where Stark was trying to explain in a very frustrated voice how Rogers could log in to see his emails. It seemed that as hard as it was for the man out of time to learn, it was equally difficult for Stark to teach him how anything worked without getting frustrated by the slow pace. Slowly, it was building up. Loki could see it. Any moment now Stark would snap at one of the country's most beloved heroes. This would most likely lower his worth in the eyes of his fellow Avengers.

But he did not. Every time Rogers got stuck on a little yet easily solvable issue, and frankly said that was quite often, Stark would help him no matter what, biting back the sarcastic comments and remarks about Captain America's difficulty with modern technology. He even managed to make Steve order them lunch online. He didn't, however, mention the fact that there was a small elevator to bring the food upstairs once it arrived. Instead, Steve Rogers went down to the ground floor to retrieve their lunch once it had been delivered.

"Well, how about that? He is a delivery boy," Tony said while stretching his cramped arms. He noticed that Locke was abnormally silent during everything he had explained. The man could not have been paying attention, yet he seemed oddly busy.

"Stark, stop staring at me."

"Is it bothering you, Highness? Good." Tony moved to stand behind Locke, wondering what the man had been up to this entire time. To his surprise, he actually seemed to be…working? "Scheduling's very exciting."

"Do not mock me, Stark. I am perfectly aware of my ability to mess up your schedule."

"Good god, my schedule! Oh no! I can't imagine ever going on without it."

"Tony, stop pestering your employees." Steve came barging out of the elevator carrying their lunch in a white plastic bag.

"I'm not pestering. Just discussing schedules with his Highness over here. Seems he is overly obsessed with what I do with my time."

"It is when you get drunk and hit people while driving under the influence."

"That's a low blow and you know it, Princess."

"Merely a true fact. My reason for being here is clearly because of your carelessness."

"Why did the hobo cross the road?" Mental facepalm, Tony. It is always a good idea to insult people about their previous lack of anything.

"Are you implying this is my fault? Again."

"Ok guys…" Steve tried to cut in.

"I'm saying—"

"GUYS!" Steve finally had their attention. "Could you stop acting like ten-year-olds, please?"

Tony sighed, secretly thankful for Steve's interference. It seemed like Locke put him on edge without any effort - anything they said to each other would result in childish fighting. "Yes, grandpa."

Loki considered not answering, but found it not to be an option. "Very well."

Steve put down the bag and gave everyone their food. He may be Captain America, but he was still nice guy Steve Rogers on the inside. Being bigger didn't change that. He knew Tony was flammable, but he had not expected to see two grown men bickering like children. If this continued, it might have become a full-blown food fight. What was his friend thinking? Locke hadn't done anything worth getting this riled up. Not that Steve ever knew what went on in Tony's head. Half of the time he was a riddle, much like the technology he used. The atmosphere at the table was ruthlessly silent. Locke was the one to break it.

"I suppose that there is no point in me remaining here. I will continue my work in my room." He closed his laptop and took it in his arms, covering the lid over the remainder of his food to carry along with him. "Rogers, I just want you to know that Stark's schedule for the next four days is clear during his mornings. Feel free to make use of this if you have any remaining questions concerning your learning of new technologies."

That bastard. Not that Tony did not like spending time with friends. Okay, that's a lie. He didn't like to spend time with anyone. He mostly preferred spending time on his own. It was just that he needed social interactions every now and then. That and he disliked being told what to do. The only one who ever got away with that was Pepper and he had reasons for that.

"Thank you, Locke. I will keep that in mind." Steve watched the man leave and then turned to face Tony. "This is too much, even for you. Why are you acting like this?"

Tony snapped out of his thoughts. How could he explain to Steve that he was acting purely on a feeling he had when the other man always tried to see the good in everyone? "Let's say…he brings out the worst in me?"

"That isn't true. You acted in a similar way when we met."

"Well, you brought out the worst in me too, goody two shoes."

Steve ignored Tony's comments. By now, he knew the man well enough to know his words were not meant to hurt. "Something is wrong, Tony. I'm a soldier. I notice when the posture of one of my men changes and yours was definitely on the defensive," he said, pointing in Tony's direction to emphasise his words.

"He tried to attack me at the hospital and before that I nearly killed him. I'd say I'm allowed to be on edge, Steve. So cut me some slack."

"Just try it, Tony, whatever it is that you are not trying or holding back right now."

I'm not holding back anything.

"I mean, even you have to admit he seems to be a pretty darn good assistant. Compared to any previous ones."

Tony sighed and sat back down on his chair. "Okay, you are partially right about the assistant thing, but that doesn't mean I have to like him. He's still a stuck up ass."

"Never said that. Just have mutual respect for each other. Seriously, for a second I thought you two were going to throw food at each other."

"Really, Steve? I'd at least throw something a little harder than a sandwich."

"To use your own words, 'cut the man some slack.' Aside from what happened with the accident, who knows what he's had to deal with before. It's not easy living on the downside of society."

Damn you, Steve, for using my own words against me. "If I promise that I will try to not act like an ass—which in my defence, I am not—will you get off my back?"

"Only if—"

"Don't ask me to do something you know I'm not doing."

"Let's just get back to work. I'll try to talk more sense into you later." However, Steve knew that if Tony had said he'd give it a try, then that was probably as good of a response as he would get.

Loki had enough of his charade for one day, so he retreated to his chambers, if you could call his bedroom that. There was no real success made today besides learning a new way around Midgardian technology. He had to admit that it was an easy way to keep track of everything and the internet might prove interesting yet. Maybe it could be useful in further endeavours, provided it lived up to its name.

He still hated the feelings that Stark brought out in him. He had let the man get a rise out of him, almost resorting to childlike pranks. Steve Rogers was still an obnoxiously good and polite man, yet he could tolerate him much more than Stark who only angered him. Loki had no urgency to meet any of the other Avengers any time soon and he fervently hoped Thor would stay away. So far, nobody has been able to recognise him, but Thor certainly would. Spending hundreds of years in each other's company had its results and Thor was, unfortunately, not the stupid oaf he had been once before. Not that he had any noteworthy signs of intelligence - he was just simply less of an idiot.

His leg itched from his walking cast. Just a few more days and he'd be able to get a check-up at the hospital to see if he could finally be rid of the crude obstruction that inhibited his movements, but right now, he was stuck with it. He could not even bathe decently with the damned thing. After entering his room and seeing the large bed, he noticed how tired he was yet again. It wouldn't hurt to lie down for just a moment, would it?

After what felt like only an hour, Loki awoke in complete darkness. It covered him like a blanket without stars and the numbers on an alarm clock alerted him to a late hour - 12:24 A.M. To think that sleep had drifted him so far that not even hunger had awoken him. He now felt he had to eat something and his mouth felt dry as well. It was best to leave his room and seek out water and nourishment.

He made a mental note to find decent food as there was a great lack of fresh fruits, vegetables, and decent fish or meat in Stark Tower. The only edible thing in the fridge was a half-eaten sandwich that belonged to Stark. He decided to take it along with a small bottle of water. The man would not miss it anyway.

It was too warm and damp inside the penthouse. The heat clung to him, making him feel dull. Perhaps it was best to go outside on the large balcony that overlooked the city. Being this high up meant that you could actually see the sky now and he missed seeing the black open vastness alight with tiny specks of stars. He stepped through the open glass doors, not bothering to wonder why they were open in the first place, and welcomed the slightly cooler air. He still found it too warm for his own liking, but at least the feel of the breeze rushing past his skin was pleasant. He closed his eyes for a moment to relish the comforting feel. As he opened them again he noted that not far from him Stark was sitting on the ground, holding a glass in his hand.

"You stole my sandwich," he said.

"You were not going to eat it anyway. The food would have been wasted," Loki replied haughtily.

"You're right. Have it. It would have ended up in the trash tomorrow anyway." Did Stark just give in? That was a first.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare, Highness? Sit your ass down on the floor," Tony said as he patted the concrete floor of the balcony.

Loki obliged. For now, he did not see any harm in sitting down, and oddly enough Stark agreed with him. Stark still seemed uncomfortable, but it seemed more as if he was holding something back. Loki looked at Stark's face and took in his expression, trying to read the frown forming on his face.

"You look odd," Tony said.

Stark's expression had not changed, though his frown had shifted and his eyes stared back at Loki questioningly. I look odd? Loki thought to himself. Now that is an understatement, particularly as I do not look like my former self at all.

Tony looked at his assistant. Something was not right. He didn't receive any snarky reply back. He'd at least expected some retaliation from Locke, but the man seemed lost in thought. He took notice of Locke's reddish forehead and the sweat drops forming on it. It suddenly dawned on him that this guy had just been released from the hospital. He may have gotten a fever due to lack of attention to his health. Before Tony knew what he was doing, he placed a hand on Locke's forehead.

Loki, alarmed by the sudden touch, slapped Stark's hand away and jumped to his feet. "Don't touch me!"

Tony was getting ticked off again but, taking Steve's advice, he did not respond with a sarcastic comment. "You're burning up with a fever. You need medical attention." He told him, but he could see that Locke wasn't listening to him. Instead, the man was busy throwing a menacing glaring in his direction. "Locke?"

"Stay away from me, Stark."

"There are meds in the kitchen, somewhere. Pep might've put some in your bathroom, too."

Loki did listen to him the second time and a sign of realisation crossed his face when he stood up. "I will take my leave now."

Tony watched Locke leave the balcony, carrying himself rather gracefully for a man from the street who was carrying a high fever. A shiver spread across his spine as Tony was reminded of the man who haunted his dreams.

On the other side of the penthouse, Loki found suitable medication for his condition. He lay back down on his bed, trying to gain some rest and peace of mind. He was angry again, this time not only with Stark, but at himself, too. Before he pulled away from the man's touch, he had had another reaction.

He'd savoured the touch of Stark's cool hand.

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