disclaimer: i do not own marvel
Chapter 14
Loki had managed to avoid every living being in or around the tower the day after he had been kissed. He still got his coffee in the morning - the mixture of milk, sugar, and hot dark liquid was ready for him at the usual time, which actually surprised him. Stark had made a wise decision, for once in his life, for he could not see the brown-haired engineer anywhere in the vicinity of the kitchen. He drank his hot beverage while enjoying the view of the city in silence, cold air brushing against his face as he sat outside on the large balcony of the penthouse. That day he remained seated outside, figuring that it would be the least likely place to run into Stark or any other being. A laptop rested on the small table in front of him, the screen revealing a mailbox full with requests of attendance. Every human organisation wanted a piece of Iron Man; they practically begged the man to come to their events. How shameless. Some even went as far as to offer payment for a mere visit and Loki had to read each and every one of them, sifting through the good, bad, and increasingly ridiculous offers. By the end of the long day, only a few handfuls of proper deals remained. All he needed now was Stark's approval and that could wait until the next day. He really did not want or need to see that face today, not after absorbing himself in so much work to take his mind of the previous night.
The second day after their unfortunate meeting started in much the same way - peaceful morning silence, decent coffee, and no Stark. Unfortunately, he could hear the sound of a sliding glass door, a signal declaring that he would not be alone for much longer.
"So this is where you've been hiding. Nice secret hideout, very spacious."
"Stark." He said, acknowledging the presence of the man.
"Yeah, good morning to you too, your Highness."
Loki decided that any attempt of spoken words on his side would only fuel talkative enthusiasm on Stark's behalf, who had seated himself too close for Loki's comfort. So he chose to ignore the man's words and actions in hope that the shorter male would cease his pursuit of socialisation.
Stark pointed at his coffee, the warm drink still emitting curls of steam in the air. "Noticed you got used to my poison. I want to bet you can't live another day without it."
I hate it when you are correct, Stark.
"Nobody can resist the charm…of my coffee. They all succumb to it sooner or later." Stark said, before taking a sip of his own pure, dark coffee. "Your silence does nothing but agree, your Highness, to the fact that you love to have something of mine in your mouth."
Loki thanked the nine for his current self-control, because after hearing those words, he almost, almost spewed out his coffee. He did not want to know what kind of look was on his own face now - horror, confusion, fear, or anything in-between. Instead of backing off at whatever expression sat on his face, Stark, the fool, decided to advance further. The comment was obviously a jest at the kiss they shared and right now Loki was furious because of that, furious because it was not entirely untrue. Loki composed himself again, straightening out the look on his face. With all intent on having the man back off, he glared at Stark, not sparring the look of annoyance or defiance in his eyes.
"Baby, I love it when you glare like that." Stark practically purred over the rim of his coffee cup.
What!? Loki was taken aback by this declaration coming from the engineer. Said man's speech and body language alerted him, telling him the words "jokingly" said were true. He can't be serious.
"Cat got your tongue?" Stark smiled, his face giving off a certain resolve instead of the earlier worry and discomfort Stark had always had around him. This change worried Loki, who felt uneasy knowing that Stark felt entirely too comfortable around him. It was as if their roles had been reversed. Loki lifted his drink, better to empty it and end this one-sided conversation before it evolved. Before he had a chance to lift it, a warm, calloused hand wrapped around his hand holding the cup.
"You're holding it wrong." Stark took the cup from him, evidently intent on showing how he should hold it. "It's coffee, not tea and biscuits. Just grab it and drink it like a man, not like a princess." Stark pressed the still-warm cup back in his hands, letting his fingers remain on his a second too long for Loki's liking.
With one swift move, he emptied his hot drink and stood up. "I told you earlier not to touch me, or treat me like an ignorant child." Stark did nothing but look at him with this annoyingly knowing smirk on his face and Loki wished for nothing more than to wipe it off. "I expect you to be decently dressed in twenty minutes. I have things that you need to sign for approval and, at noon, you have another meeting with Bruce Banner." He closed the glass door behind him, leaving the other man on the balcony alone.
Loki entered his own room, intent on dressing properly and brushing his teeth. The taste of coffee lingering in his mouth reminded him too much of Stark in a way he really did not want. His cheeks were red with anger, shame, or something else he had no intention of feeling. He brushed his teeth in silence while staring at his strange reflection. During the past weeks, he had slowly grown accustomed to his more untameable blond locks, but the stormy-blue colour in his eyes was something to which he had still not become accustomed. Nor would he probably ever, for, admittedly, he missed the perfect green of his own godly eyes.
The ex-god did a mundane thing, cleaning out his toothbrush and washing his face with cool water and soap. There was a lingering smell of oil and coffee on his hand. With a raised eyebrow, he wondered where the smell originated. He could understand the coffee, but not the oil, and then he knew. It was where Stark had touched his hand while showing him how to "drink coffee like a man." And it dawned on him that he had not flinched from the foreign touch nor did the smell of coffee and oil he associated with the brown haired genius disgust him any longer. He had even grown accustomed to his warm coffee with milk in the morning, even if it was the engineer that made it for him.
Tony waited for his tall and lean assistant in the living room, impeccably but casually dressed. He could not help but gloat that in his persistence, Locke had not retracted his hand in a reflex of anger, nor had they ended up verbally killing each other. Sure, the man had glared at him, but it was the truth when Tony had told the other that it turned him on. No man should be allowed to be that beautiful when glaring. It took willpower not to make an attempt to ravish the other man and it was completely against his nature to resist that particular impulse.
The sound of a closing door resounded in the hallway, noting Locke's return from his room. Tony placed his hand over his heart, calling out, "Darling!"
"Stop right there, Stark." Loki was not about to play this game with the engineer.
"Is it that time of the month again?" Tony grinned. For some reason, he felt good enough to test the waters today, see how far he could go before the man tried to strangle him.
"Stark." Loki said, a dark undertone in his voice.
"I'm not-so-secretly hoping that if I get you pissed enough, you're gonna give me that devious glare again." Tony said, grinning.
Loki dropped a few files on the table in front of Stark. "You need to choose one of these and sign it; they all need a yes or no before tonight."
"I love it when you talk business like that."
Loki rolled his eyes. Would that man ever give up his hopeless flirting? "The first one is an attendance for…" A laugh coming from the kitchen interrupted them. Both Loki and Tony were equally surprised to see Steve Rogers standing in the doorway, laughing his socks off while holding a sandwich.
"Jarvis?" Tony asked, brows raised.
"Sir?"
"Care to explain why Cap is making sandwiches in my kitchen?"
"You guys should have heard your bickering." Steve tried to catch his breath again before Jarvis formulated his answer.
"Sir, it seemed futile to make Mr. Rogers wait downstairs so I let him take the elevator to the penthouse. Upon arrival, he took the liberty to prepare himself food."
Steve managed to regain his normal friendly composure, a warm smile upon his face. "Well, I'm happy to see you two get along."
"Oh we more than just get along, right, your Highness?" Tony replied, sultry undertones escaping Steve's notice, but not Loki's.
"Stark, read and sign your papers." And if you dare to mention what happened so held me I will strangle you.
"The both of you know that you look like an old married couple arguing, right?" Steve said, before he took a bite from his sandwich.
"Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich Steve!" Tony replied, running a hand through his short brown hair. And there went the mighty Captain America, back into the kitchen, fully intent on making his friend a sandwich. The reference of what Tony said was lost on his friend and that made the serious way in which the tall, blond, and broad-shouldered American went into the kitchen all the more hilarious. Tony shot a careful glance at Locke; there was a small, almost unnoticeable, amused smile on his face. Without thinking about it, he shouted towards the kitchen. "Steve, make Locke something too."
It did not go by unnoticed to Steve that Tony Stark had requested food for his assistant. Steve smiled. Even if Tony was seen as an egotistical, narcissistic ass by most people and even by him in the past. But in time, he learned the truth in the actions of his friend. Tony did not mind having Locke around anymore. When Steve returned to the large open living room again, it was silent. Tony was reading a file while Locke seemed to be patiently waiting for reply. How Locke Ladislav managed to make his short friend read anything without constant moping or sighing was certainly a mystery. He put a small plate with sandwiches on the table and the three of them ate in silence.
"So Steve, why the early visit?" Tony asked, not looking up from the files. "Did you break something again?"
The smile on Steve's face faded into serious lines. "I'm here on a different matter, Fury is…"
Tony finished Steve's sentence for him. "Hiding things from us?" He asked, looking up.
Steve nodded. "He is still working on the portal with Selvig, even without the power of the tessaract. Not to mention, toying with the leftover Chitauri weaponry."
The mood had gotten more serious, even his assistant was paying attention. Tony put the files down on the table, focusing his attention on Steve. "I'm just waiting for the moment I can say I told you so."
"Yeah, well, you can," Steve replied. Tony narrowed his eyes, a hardly noticeable wrinkle showing a sign of worry on his face. He continued, "Yesterday, during a routine run, I was attacked by a Chitauri, but it looked different from those we encountered during Loki's campaign. But it was unmistakably Chitauri."
Tony blinked. "Did I hear that correctly? Please, tell me I'm deaf, Steve."
Loki, who had been listening to every spoken word with fervent interest, paled. Another human emotion seemed to be taking hold of his body, overriding any logical thinking, like anger and…was it lust? that had done this before. It was fear he felt now that made him rigid and tense. He dropped a half-eaten sandwich to the floor. Scouts.
"Locke?"
They are sending small parties of scouts.
"Locke, are you in there?" Tony snapped his fingers in front of his assistant's face.
They have come looking for me.
Tony was about to start shaking the man when Steve stopped him. "Don't, Tony, you'll only make it worse."
Tony looked at his friend in question. "Don't hold out on me, Capsicle. Spill the beans."
"I've seen this reaction before, on the battlefield and the frontlines. My guess is that he had a run in with the Chitauri before and that it did not end well for him. Not to mention that before he came here, he was weak, injured, and homeless." Steve's phone rang, commanding his attention as Jarvis simultaneously alerted Tony to an incoming call.
"Sir, Fury requests that you pick up."
"Ignore him."
"We can't ignore him, Tony." Steve shook his head.
"Hell yes, we can!" Tony said, his irritation and anger growing.
"No, we can't. Look outside." Steve pointed to the windows. The early rays of morning sunshine and the bright cloudless sky seemed to have dissolved, a sudden storm was brewing and they both knew what that meant.
"Jarvis, put Fury on speaker."
Fury's voice blasted through the speakers. "Both of you, get to the helicarrier now."
Tony was pissed now. He hated being told what to do on a good day and this was rapidly turning into a not-so-good day. "Does this have anything to do with a certain portal you're still working on, or maybe those Chitauri weapons? Not to mention the attack yesterday."
"Stark stop being an …"
It felt good to cut Fury off mid-sentence. "I hate to say I told you so, wait, no, I don't," Tony mocked. "I told you so."
Steve spoke then, "With all due respect, sir, Tony will not be able to come in this instant."
"What!?" Tony was flabbergasted. Even Steve was telling him what to do right now.
"There is a small but important situation going on here that requires Tony's attention." Steve said, ignoring Tony and pointing in Locke's general direction, who still sat in silence, alabaster face focused on the storm about to rage outside.
"Fine, but you better hurry up, Captain. Stark, put him into one of your aircrafts and get him here swiftly. I'm sure you have those nearby as well."
"Go, Stark, and play with your friends." Locke had been silent the whole time and now that he spoke out loud, his voice was oddly lacking in conviction. Outside, more deep-grey clouds had gathered for the upcoming storm. A slow rumble could be heard already. Big blue eyes, filled with worry and something more, stared outside. The lack of sunlight made him look even more pale than normal.
"Locke Ladislav?" Steve received no response from the man, nor had he really expected any at this point as it looked as if the anxiety was rapidly accelerating in the tall assistant. "Locke, I'm leaving you in the capable hands of Tony. Contrary to what people say, he's actually very good at defending and protecting those in need, not to mention making sacrifices." Steve was using the voice of a real soldier, his Captain's voice, Tony noticed.
"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Tony asked. Whatever it was that Fury had gotten them into, he wanted to know all the finer details and then some. A low, growling rumble resounded in the sky and a loud clap of thunder with a stroke of lightning lit the sky for a short moment. Tony noticed his assistant twitch hard in his chair, which was unusual since Locke was not the fidgety kind of person. His friend and fellow Avenger was right, Tony could not leave Locke like this. "See ya, Steve. You know where to go. Either you or Bruce tell me as soon as possible how fucked we are."
"We will." The tall blond hero said as he carried himself off with a sure but hurried pace. Rain came pouring down from the sky, covering the city in a wet dull-grey mass of water. A second thunderous roar and dance of lightning drew a panicked look from his assistant. It even worried Tony.
"Scared of lightning?" he asked quietly. Two deep, shimmering, blue orbs set in a pale, sculpted face looked at him. Even if the man looked a bit frightful, Locke was absolutely beautiful - pale, angular, wide-eyed.
"I am…" A creepy sense of déjà vu came over Tony as Locke spoke softly. Tony knew the taller man wanted to say more than just the words I am and it bothered him that the rest remained unsaid. Yet the way Tony finished it in his head reminded him of another person:
...not overly fond of what follows.
Even in an unexpected moment like this, the green-eyed god invaded his mind, even when he already had admitted to himself that he could be attracted to men as well, his brain seemed intent on letting the insane god haunt every unguarded moment. The other man that haunted his dreams was sitting in a chair not too far from him, huge emotion-filled eyes looking outside, lips slightly parted as if begging to be kissed again. Another stroke of lightning, accompanied by a recognisable roar of thunder, alerted them both to the same thing without either of them knowing it - the arrival of a certain God of Thunder - Thor.
Locke seemed to have reverted to silence once more, starring outside in a almost defensive way. Tony wondered what the man had gone through during the big raid of Chitauri on New York. Thinking back to events that happened to him, he had a clue of how his assistant might have felt or what he'd experienced. A warmness started spreading in Tony while watching his lean assistant and he took his chair to place it besides Locke's and sat down. Loki felt two harmless but warm arms wrap carefully around him. They felt oddly comforting and his body seemed to release some of its tension in the embrace. Knowing whose arms were the cause of this did not make the battle between his body and brain easier, however, one side wanted to lash out and the other wanted to surrender. Then Loki did something unexpected of himself and his normal nature.
Nothing.
yes i know, still not enough frostiron action.
but there will be, one day :p
Feel free to leave a review, food for the soul you know ^^
and big thanks to sinister banana and swordmisstress for being a beta