disclaimer: i do not own marvel
Chapter 20
Steve Rogers was easily manipulated to do something, especially if the All-American Soldier thought he was helping another person. It was a positive trait that was generally useful and a negative trait that shielded the man from the lie. It had been a very entertaining afternoon for the ex-god. Unselfishly, the broad-shouldered blond had aided him in a childish prank at Stark's cost. So far, the day had been quite amusing. Right now, both of them were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Rogers had insisted on helping out and Loki did not feel the need to deny him. This meant he would have less work, after all.
Loki had yet to meet an untalkative human being. Even the soldier made attempts at small talk. At least this conversation did not feel as overly irritating as others had. His words were spoken with more thought behind them, better articulated and calmer. It was a refreshing pace. He was surprised to find out that the soldier enjoyed literature and art. None of the warriors from his past with held any fondness for such "delicate" things. After a while, he could even claim to be marginally enjoying the discussion about Hemingway with the other man.
A voice not known to Loki interrupted their discussion. "So you must be Locke?" Though it was unfamiliar, here was a hint of something recognizable. Loki found himself having trouble placing it, as if the way he had heard it before was different from this calm, polite lilt. He turned around and cast a glance toward its owner. No wonder he could not place the voice, the last time he heard it, it came from a very different man, or rather, a very different version of this man. The green beast had spoken and grunted, all violence and anger. The man entering the kitchen awkwardly was completely the opposite.
"Yes, and you must be Dr. Bruce Banner." He did the polite and human thing to do, reaching out a hand to shake it in a gesture of greeting. The handshake was devoid of force. "Nice meeting you. Stark told you about me, I presume?"
Bruce smiled as he accepted the offered hand. The tall, blond man was calm and polite, like Steve had told him. Not the 'cold hearted, bastard assistant from hell' that his fellow scientist first called him. "Yes. Though somehow, I expected you to be different."
"Yes, I can imagine that well enough." No doubt that Stark had exaggerated every word spoken about him. Although none of them knew or suspected that the reality was much much worse than imagination. "Please, sit down and eat. I assume you are hungry." It was not a question and not quite a command. Still, he wondered if the mild-mannered doctor would sit. From what he gathered, the man had always put distance between himself and strangers.
Bruce let out a small laugh, noticing that dinner was apparently greenery, lettuce, chicken and...were those figs? It was nothing like the pizza or shawarma that was the usual fare at Stark Tower. "Are you telling me that Tony eats this?"
Steve was the first one to reply. "He doesn't have a choice, right Locke?"
Loki grinned, more than mildly amused at Rogers for wanting his confirmation. "Yes, I can be a real pain in the ass. Stark has told you of this, I am certain. So he will have to put up with this until further notice." He gestured toward the salad as if it were something deadly. His earlier improvised remark about a natural yet embarrassing illness had been improvised, out of his mouth before he knew he had said it. Still, he did find that making Anthony suffer from a non-existent problem was utterly funny. Having Rogers there as a back-up was simply icing on the cake. It also managed to solve another problem Loki faced here as well - no more breakfast doughnuts, evenings of fast food, or any other pathetic excuse for food would get in here if he had his way.
Any attention Bruce had on the conversation dissipated when a certain engineer entered the room, walking stiffly. He sat down for dinner reluctantly, reaching out for his fork and seeming displeased. Still, he began eating, even though he wore a grumpy look on his face. Loki smiled lightly at this while grabbing the salad bowl for himself and eating the leftover vegetables, sparing himself one less dish to wash in the process.
His blue eyes strayed over to the small table where the two scientists seemed to be locked in conversation. Things were discussed by words, gestures, and sometimes nothing more than a exchanged look, a little world of their own, closed off from all other data trying to enter. Yet periodically, a warm brown gaze still made calculated glances his direction, no matter how deep the conversation ran. The engineer had let him invade the personal "science" bubble in which he and Banner resided. It gave Loki a feeling of contentment to know he had engraved himself so completely on the man's mind and body. It was a strange feeling for one who had only longed for power and knowledge mere months ago. Loki had learned that whatever disturbing emotions reared their head, he had to endure them. It was a part of being mortal to which he thought he would never become accustomed.
At least lust had not been so bad, after all, it held certain positive sides. His entire body was less tense; strain and stress had vanished, giving way to relaxed muscles and a more content mind. And he was definitely not forgetting the physical pleasure the act of coitus had provided. Sleep had been deep and long, even if the position in which he'd awakened had been somewhat embarrassing. And no matter what that fool said, Loki refused to believe he snored. A larger problem had surfaced though. Loki had expected to be rid of the unwavering desire he felt, he had thought that the act itself would "get it out of his system." Instead, he found himself still craving Anthony, who had disappeared into his workplace as soon as dinner was over. Clearly, he was being avoided and Loki never did take well to being ignored.
During dinner, those intelligent, brown eyes had burned slowly, but when a glance had been cast his way, hesitance shone through. Loki refused to believe that his "prank" was the cause of this. Intent on discovering and unraveling this riddle from that wanton mouth, he headed upstairs. Nothing could stop him once his objective was set. Exceptions could be made, however, if they proved to be interesting. The door to the lab was open just a tiny bit, revealing sounds of a vaguely heated discussion being held just beyond them. Listening in on others was always a decent excuse for entertainment, at least for Loki.
"You're serious?" Loki heard the soft, but upset voice of Bruce Banner. "You are. Do you always end up sleeping with your assistants? Please tell me you used protection."
"That wasn't really on my mind at the time. Believe it or not, I really just wanted him to screw my brains out." Loki had a Cheshire-cat like grin on his face, hearing those words from his employer turned conquest.
"Since when do you like men anyway?" The tone in which Banner spoke changed, as if he was accusing Stark of something.
"I don't." A sigh could be heard and Loki could envision those calloused hands running though short strands of brown hair. "I didn't." Seconds of silence passed and a certain heavy tension clung to the air. The ex-god wished he could see the expressions on their faces. One could tell plenty from the tone of a voice, but eyes rarely lied and truths were not easily disguised.
"This was your first," retorted Banner, in the voice of a doctor rather than a friend. "Locke was your first?" It was not a question even if it sounded like one. It was simply a confirmation of what the man had suspected.
"No shit, Sherlock," Anthony griped, trying to sound like he really didn't give a damn.
"Aren't you a little too old to experiment with strangers?" No longer did the scientist's voice sound like that of a doctor and it wasn't exactly friendly either. Loki wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused by the change.
"Hey watch it! I'm still young, alive and kicking! Might as well be a teenager." Loki was definitely amused by the mental image of Anthony's face with that comment.
"Tony, you're…"
"And who are you calling a stranger? Locke isn't a stranger. He's just an ass." How on earth did Anthony manage to defend and insult him in the same sentence?
"You haven't known him for very long. That qualifies in my book as a stranger," replied Banner in a stern voice, after Anthony stopped talking.
"Out of everyone here, I thought you would be more understanding, Bruce." Anthony's voice sounded normal, yet Loki could hear the hurt in it, even without seeing the man.
"It's not that, Tony. I just..." Banner sighed. "Never mind. It's getting late, so I'd better be off to my room. Good night, Tony." Loki could hear the scientist hurrying away from the workplace with heavy footsteps. Bruce passed by him with a surprised look on his face. Clearly the man had not expected the "assistant" to be standing there, outside the door. Loki did not like the expression on the man's face; those dark eyes held more than a hint of jealousy.
Before the door fully closed, shutting him out of the lab he normally couldn't visit, Loki caught it with his foot and entered the dim room. The door automatically clicked its lock behind him. The place was cleaner than he had expected, the desk occupied by Anthony the only exception. The lights were faint, casting shadows in every corner. The glow of cerulean screens enveloped the other man, complicated models and life-size blueprints floating in the air around him.
"Snuck in past Bruce, didn't you?" Tony said as he became aware of Loki's presence in one of his most personal spaces. Right now, he wasn't sure how to handle this. Not many living things were allowed to enter here. He could count each and every one of them on one hand.
Loki stopped moving, giving himself the time to carefully look around and study his environment. "How did you know it was me, Anthony?"
Tony shrugged, still not turning around to face his...his what? His ex-god? His assistant? "Steve always knocks, Bruce shuffles, and you can hear the clicking of Pepper's heels a mile away. Not to mention Jarvis. Strangely, he doesn't consider you a threat."
"Should I be considered a threat?" Loki asked, letting his eyes trail over the other man, settling themselves on the glowing arc reactor, its faint blue light shining through the fabric of the other man's shirt.
"You called me Anthony again." Tony stiffened minutely as he noted the other man's focus of attention. He did not feel entirely safe with those eyes placed on his lifeline.
"I do not see how that holds any meaning or connection to the possibility of me forming a threat." Blue eyes raised up from his arc reactor, settling their gaze on brown ones, demanding an answer.
"It might not mean anything at all, but harmless is not a thing I would call you. After all, you have tried to strangle me before," Tony countered brusquely. "Not to mention, I still feel sore from last night." That last sentence had been quipped less seriously. After all, his current state could not necessarily be described as harm.
"You deserved my anger then; it was due to your personal actions that I ended up in a hospital." Loki continued his slow steps toward Anthony, closing the distance between them. He felt an invisible tug towards the other man, something that made him shiver in undeniable anticipation.
The cat-like grace in which Loki walked toward him and the velvet tone he used exuded power. Tony should probably run or alert the others. He should probably feel scared shitless right now, but he didn't. Tony couldn't bring himself to be either of those. "I've told you before. I don't regret putting you in the hospital." He crossed his arms and scowled at Loki, but he was walking on thin ice and he knew it.
The mischief maker was a mere breath away from his target and almost, almost did he have his answer. Loki could taste it now, an unspoken sentence dancing on the tongue of the foolish man in front of him. Anthony knew something. He looked like he was about to run and any smart man might have done so, yet he managed to defy all logic and do the exact opposite. He stood unafraid, on his feet, facing Loki. "Tell me, Anthony," he purred, a tone knew would give the engineer goosebumps. "What am I missing?"
That alluring voice was killing him softly and the way Loki used it and the tone it carried made Tony want to answer, but he refused. He was stronger than that, for now, anyway. Only one thing was on his mind right now. Tony wanted to have this once-godly and now-ungodly being, all at once familiar and not. He wanted this human man, who made his heart rise and fall and made his brain devoid of logic. "Shut up and kiss me, you ass," he demanded with a defiant look.
"Who am I to deny your request?" Loki questioned, a tempting resonance in his voice. Inching even closer, he practically purred, "But will your fellow comrades not think ill of you for wanting another man?"
Tony just shrugged it off. "They'll get over it." It was not the 'wanting a man' part that had him worried, it was more the question of who it was that he wanted, even Tony was not sure if he was over the "who" part. Conflicted or not, he knew what he wanted as he grabbed the other man's collar, pulling him down onto a warm and very eager mouth.
Thanks to all the lovely people taking their time to read this, know that i really appreciate it.
Feel free to leave some reviewing brain-foods.
big giant thanks to my beta swordmisstress for this chapter!
to Guanon: Since you posted as a guest i can only answer you like this. Originally i planned 19 and 20 to be one big chapter, eventually i decided to cut it in half. This might be the reason that it looks a bit off or different from the others. Thor will be back soon, trouble and everything ensured.
to: all the other reviewers i'm sending you mental boxes of chocolate and other sweet goods from where i live. I do hope everybody gets them.
New cover picture made by Godofbadweather, my old one was really really awful thanks to my non-existent Photoshop skills.