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The Avengers: Tainted Love	By : ParadoxdelaPaladino Category: Marvel Verse Movies > Avengers, The Views: 6390 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fandom of Avengers or anything Marvel. I do not own the characters. I make no profit, money, etc. from it. I own nothing. :)

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fandom of Avengers or anything Marvel. I do not own the characters. I make no profit, money, etc. from it. I own nothing. :)

Author’s Note: I combined a few things to create this chapter: Footage from BBC’s Frozen Planet, eating habits of the Vikings and a creature from the Star Wars universe.

I apologize for making you wait so long but life got in the way! Also, there may be a few mistakes here and there but I wanted to post this before going to NYC! Chapter 9 is done and is being reviewed!

Thanks to my betas Paradise and AG!!!

~*~

“Say what now?”

“Jotunheim,” Loki reiterated with a sigh.

“What the hell is a Yotin mime?”

Loki turned to gaze at Tony with a deadpan expression.

“Jotunheim is another realm. Just like Asgard. Oh you do remember Asgard, don’t you?” Loki’s question bounced off his tongue with a sarcastic spin.

Tony crossed his arms and glared. As a silent gesture for Loki to continue he lifted his eyebrows.

“Jotunheim is where the cube sent Thor,” Loki snarled the first and last words leaving Tony confused as to which Loki hated more – Jotunheim or Thor.

“Great, I’ll get my suit and then we’ll –”

Tony was abruptly interrupted mid-sentence by Loki’s laughter. Truth be told, Tony had said a lot of stupid things in attempts to make Loki laugh and of all things, Loki dared to laugh at him the one time he was being serious. Somehow using the suit to get to Jotunheim gave the god the giggles.

As Tony waited for the god’s amusement to pass, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in an attempt to calm himself. All of a sudden, Loki’s laughter came to an abrupt halt, which unnerved Tony even more than his bizarre outburst. He felt as if Loki were toying with his sanity, attempting to get a rise out of him. He wouldn’t let Loki get the better of him, and kept meditating with his eyes shut.

While soothing himself, he felt the connecting chain pulling on him gently. Another freakin’ game! Tony quickly opened his eyes to shoot Loki a dirty look, but before he could even scowl, Loki gave the chain a particularly hard jerk, reminding Tony that just because the god had lost his magic, it did not make him physically powerless. In a blink of an eye, he found himself before Loki, who looked down at him with a darkened expression.

“To get there we need the cube that your director has taken from me,” Loki smirked at Tony as he gently slid one hand up to stroke Tony’s frigid cheek. “However, once I’m back in Jotunheim, I give you no guarantee that I will allow myself to continue being chained.”

For the briefest of seconds, a predatory glint emerged in Loki’s eyes as he continued to caress Tony’s left cheek. As Loki spoke, Tony felt the familiar pangs of fear and arousal overtook his body. “I might even turn on you. Like I did last time remember?” Loki breathed his last words mere inches from Tony’s ear. Loki’s hot breath against him was more than he could handle and immediately pushed Loki’s overpowering presence away from him.

“Not a problem,” Tony kept his voice level even as a tremble ran through his body. “I’ve gotten pretty good at handling Fury. As for you, it’s like I said, my suit will shoot you down whether I’m in it or not.”

As if to emphasize his point, Tony pressed a button on his watch and his suit began its descent.

~*~

Fury stood with his arms crossed as he stretched his neck from one side to the other, each time resulting in a loud crack. Tony began tapping his foot in irritation; ready to go. Every time Fury had to make important decisions, he would mull it over in his head as he cracked various bones, as if they were his thoughts.

“Well?” Tony asked, unable to stand the silence any longer.

“How will you get back? I’m not giving him the cube,” Fury glared at Loki.

Tony stirred around uncomfortably as he attempted to assemble a credible answer, which was, as usual, complete bullshit. His eyes continued to shift towards Loki.

“Once we get my br-Thor back, he can ask Heimdall, the gate keeper, for his help. Unfortunately, I’m on rather bad terms with the man,” Loki replied as if the answer should be obvious. He continued to toy with the armor on his wrist in boredom.

“Yeah! Hime Doll! Yeah, everyone knows that guy. He’s awesome,” Tony nodded in agreement. Loki paused in his movements to give him another deadpan expression before going back to tinkering with his armor. While raising one eyebrow, Fury glanced between Tony and Loki before reluctantly shrugging in agreement.

“Alright Tony. Go ahead, but I’m not happy about this,” Fury answered knowing full well that Tony was full of his usual lies and that the lie-smith was probably not far behind. He really didn’t give a damn how they got back as long as the cube didn’t have to leave Earth. “But are you really taking that?” He gestured towards Tony’s hovering block.
“You think it’ll stand out?”

“You should be a comedian.”

“You see, I hear you say that, but I just don’t believe it.” Tony rubbed his chin as if considering Fury’s words.

Fury just gave Tony his usual serious look. With a grin, Tony used the miniature communication device in his ear to talk to both Pepper and Jarvis. After he was done speaking, the block suit zoomed away at a ferocious speed.

A few awkward moments passed by as Fury shifted his gaze to his surroundings; he looked at the sky in anticipation, at Tony with irritation and at Loki with detestation. The block finally returned and deposited two briefcases at Tony’s feet before zipping away.

“Finally!” Tony sighed as he opened the brown suitcase. He tugged at Loki’s chain until the god voluntarily walked closer. He swiftly pulled out a colorful object from one of the suitcases and grabbed Loki’s hand; he then placed a simple looking bracelet on both his and Loki’s wrists. In curiosity, Loki turned over the bracelet, looking at its design of four interlacing metallic strands colored black, green, yellow and red, respectively. Tony then removed the handcuffs that had bound him with Loki.

“The world is doomed and you make friendship bracelets?” Fury mocked as he looked at the bracelets.

“Don’t spoil the surprise!” Tony winked at Fury. “These allow me and Loki to have more movement than the stupid handcuffs.”

Turning to Loki, Tony warned, “By the way, you can only move in a 30 foot radius around me. If you exceed that then you will be continuously zapped by progressively stronger and stronger electric currents until you pass out.”

“First bondage, now electric torture. You exceed your own sexual reputation, Stark,” Loki grinned, clearly enjoying the small blush that crept up on Tony’s cheeks. Fury continued watching the interactions between the two through his narrowed eye.

Satisfied with Tony’s stunned silence, Loki turned to regard the red and gold suitcase. “What’s that?” He asked motioning towards the strange metallic box.

“My other suit. Much more convenient where we’re going.” He turned to face Fury. “I think we’re ready.”

Fury nodded and the eccentric pair trailed behind him. Tony fussed about the annoying amounts of security the three needed to pass only to descend some stairs that curved around in a diameter the size of a soccer field.

He heaved a sigh of relief once Fury finally led them into one of the most protected labs S.H.I.E.L.D. had. Oddly, no staff was nearby and Tony was disappointed for them as they lost the chance to witness the spectacle of him and Loki using the precious cube to go to another realm. But Loki did not seem to care of his surroundings, but rather was focused on the 6 sided object and with ease, Loki walked up to the cube as Tony trailed behind, apprehension evident in his footsteps.

“Ready?” Loki asked as he placed his hand over the cube. Tony hesitantly nodded. As he reached his hand for the cube, Loki took it and interlaced their fingers. At the contact, Tony attempted to keep his face passive as he practically glowed inside from Loki’s soft touch. Their joined hands hovered over the cube, which hummed below them.

Tony took one last look at Fury, who slowly nodded. He preferred not to voice good wishes on a trip although Tony could not figure out if it was because of the man’s personality or that he was superstitious. Tony fought a smile as he imagined Fury walking around S.H.I.E.L.D. knocking on wood and avoiding black cats on the way home.

When he turned to look back at Loki, he noticed that the god’s eyes were rapidly turning blue. With his other hand, Tony tightly held onto his suitcase. Before he had a chance to formulate another thought, he felt himself being zipped upward.

His stomach seemed to have a new life of its own and lurched in all directions. He did not know whether to laugh or cry at the strange sensation. He briefly wondered if all his organs were in their proper place because at the moment, he felt like they were moshing around as if in a heavy metal concert.

As they continued flying upward, Tony was astounded at all the enchanting colors that danced around them as they would whimsically merge together and then separate into their own beams of light. He couldn’t help feeling like a child, yearning to touch the rainbow, but his desire was hindered by the rapid ascension preventing him from reaching out and feeling the vortex. Never in all of his time flying his suit had he felt such speed.

Distracted by the lights momentarily, he was suddenly aware of the pressure that gripped his left hand. He quickly realized that it was still intertwined with Loki’s, even though it seemed unnecessary at this point. As if reading his mind, Loki’s grip tightened and for some reason Tony felt safe.

Peering upwards, he viewed a giant black portal which was rapidly opening and he glimpsed the most picturesque ice world. If the sky in the background wasn’t so black and uninviting, then Tony would have thought they had gone to the Laplands in Scandinavia. A wave of nostalgia overtook his emotions as he remembered the one Christmas when his parents went all-out pretending there was a Santa Clause.

A few moments later, both of them slipped through the opening and only then did Tony notice that he was in fact a few hundred meters above the ground. Time seemed to slow down as he glanced at Loki, noting his cold stare even though their hands were still intertwined. As the polarity of the region began interfering with the bracelets, both of them were ripped apart from each other.

Even as Loki began his descent, his eyes remained locked onto Tony’s. Using his free hand to press a button on the suitcase, Tony felt his suit begin to wrap around its master. As the suit neatly clicked into place, Tony instinctively reached for Loki.

He felt the boosters briefly flickering in uncertainty in the subfreezing temperatures, before finally flaring to life. He sped towards Loki and managed to catch the god’s wrist and gently floated both of them down. Upon landing, Loki wrenched his wrist from Tony’s grip and rubbed it as Tony settled near him.

“Leave your suit on.” Loki commanded. His hot breaths making him look like a dragon in the tundra.

“Won’t I draw attention?” Tony looked at himself and knew that there was not a chance in Tartarus that no one would notice a red-and-yellow flying object in a place where most of the colors were white or blue.

“You won’t survive in these conditions. We will get you proper clothing before you can disband your suit,” Loki simply stated as he began to walk towards a mountain. At a loss for words, Tony walked with him, finding it strange that of all the years he had the suit, he had never simply used it to walk. In a strange way, he enjoyed the simplicity and smiled as he heard the crunch of the snow beneath his metallic feet.

Meanwhile, Loki had already trekked ahead and was looking downwards, but Tony could not make out what he was staring at. Curious by nature, he jogged through the snow towards Loki, reveling in the strange sensation. As he reached the ravine which currently occupied the god’s attention, Tony stole a quick glance at Loki’s face. A ghost of a smile graced the lips of the usually surly god. Believing his eyes were deceiving him, Tony blinked a few times. The more he gazed at Loki, the more he became mesmerized with the way Loki’s raven hair swirled in the wind, yet never stuck to his face.

“Look.”

At the word, Tony inwardly jumped, afraid that Loki had caught him staring until he realized he was still wearing his helmet. He breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to look at the direction Loki gestured to.

He first noticed a large body of water and what must be a village surrounded by three large unruly mountains. Sprouting from the snow like defiant flowers, the small houses below dotted the area in haphazard patterns, remaining in clusters as they became fewer the further they were from the water. Even from up on their perch, Tony could see lights shining from openings that could only be windows. A smile formed on his lips as he admired the view of the quaint village until he caught sight of one of the inhabitants.

Without thinking, Tony blurted out, “Th-They’re blue!” Upon seeing the smile fade from Loki’s face, Tony regretted his words.

“Yes, they’re Frost Giants,” Loki curtly informed him before he brushed past him to walk down the frosted path. By the change in the god’s demeanor, Tony knew he had said something wrong and followed as quietly as he could, each time cursing his suit as it systematically crunched noisily with every step he took.

Once they had reached the foothill of the mountain, Tony used his suits’ zoom function to gape at the villagers, enjoying the freedom his helmet allowed his wandering eye. As they got closer, Tony realized the villagers were close to human height and his eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

“I thought you said they were Frost Giants,” Tony emphasized the last word. Loki looked at him with what Tony had fondly dubbed as his “No, you think?” expression.

“Well, that is their race. Not all Frost Giants are giants. Just like in your realm, not all white people are white,” Loki smirked as he walked by the laughing ironman.

Tony looked to his side and saw that the smaller Frost Giants, obviously children, were making some sort of statue out of the snow. He wondered if snowmen existed in the ultimate land of the snow people. His mind began wandering off on its own accord as he watched the image melt away.

“Look, dad! Dad! Dad, you’re not looking!” yelled a young boy, dressed in the finest coat money could buy. He had been yelling only for a few minutes but he felt like he had been yelling his entire life.

“It looks amazing, son,” the brown hair man stated as he gave his son the briefest of glances before returning to his phone call as he paced in the snow. The young boy looked back towards his creation. He was only eight, but he had taken a few painstaking hours to create the perfect replica of the inside of a motherboard in the snow, complete with wires and circuits. He looked to his right and spotted a rock jutting out from the snow. Picking it up in anger his hurled it at his creation.

A strong wind slapped his helmet, bringing Tony back to reality. After briefly looking around, he noticed that Loki had disappeared. As he recovered from the memory, he began to breathe in slow breaths like they had taught him in one of the anger management classes Bruce had dragged him to. A kick to his heel brought him back to reality and he spun around to find a grinning Loki.

“You went to another world it seems. Is this one not strange enough?” Loki teased before handing him some strange looking clothes. “I took the liberty of getting what we came for while you went to your fantasy land,” Loki began walking away from Tony. He turned back briefly with a raised eyebrow, “Coming?”

“Can’t I just put them on here?”

In answer, Loki only laughed before he walked away into one of the assorted huts. With a grumble, Tony followed him.

~*~

“It seems very reluctant to move,” Dr. Selvig stated as he pulled his seared hand back in grimace. He had been trying to extract the cosmic cube from Loki’s staff but to no avail. The cube, like its owner, seemed inclined to do whatever it wanted. From time to time, the cube surged with power and subsequently, shut off all power in S.H.I.E.L.D. before suddenly quieting down and letting the power return.

“If he put it in there, there must be a way to get it out,” Jane furrowed her eyebrows as she stood there, studying the cube with crossed arms. A flash of red caught her eye and she turned to the side to watch Natasha walk by. The women briefly exchanged glances and Jane hid her shock at the battered body of the assassin. As soon as Natasha passed, she shuddered. Her eyes had looked so haunted and Jane knew she would dream of them that night.

“I have an idea.” At Selvig’s voice, Jane snapped herself out of her reverie and paid attention to the doctor. “I think we could possibly attract it with more power.”

Before Jane had a chance to ask questions, Selvig had run off.

~*~

“Don’t look!” Tony whined as Loki lifted his hands in defeat and turned around. Grunting in frustration, Tony continued his struggle with the strange fastening on his pants and after a few more curses, finally got them on properly before looking at the shirt in horror.

“Hey Loki . . . do you mind . . . could you,” Tony stammered as Loki turned around and looked at him with an amused twinkle in his eyes. With a grin, Loki sauntered over to the shirt. He picked it up and bent towards Tony’s ear, making sure no one else in the hut could hear him. “I’ve taken your clothes off. I supposed it’s time I put some on,” Loki whispered making sure his lips lightly brushed Tony’s ear. Tony shuddered as Loki backed away and began untying the various loops of the tunic with ease.

“The loops are done this way so that not even an inkling of cold can get on the skin,” Loki spoke as he continued to untie the fastenings. “Frost Giants are masters of the cold, of course, but the young, old and sick need some protection from the elements from time to time,” Loki finished as he turned around. Tony felt Loki’s eyes once again drawn to the blue orb he had embedded into his chest. Like a moth to a flame, Loki slowly reached out to touch it.

As soon as Loki’s fingers lightly brushed against the metal of the arc reactor, Tony flinched. Loki abruptly pulled his hand back and began tying the shirt around Tony’s torso without another word. Loki had only briefly touched the arc reactor but in those few seconds, Tony had felt both fear and a small inkling of desire. He quickly pushed the latter thought away.

Once fully dressed, Tony’s attention was drawn to the sensation of the unfamiliar fabric that now encased his body. He was able to deduce that it was some sort of hide, but from an animal he was sure did not exist on earth. It was tinted blue and heavily embroidered reminding him of some of the indigenous tribes of the Americas. In his mind he began comparing the Jotuns to Native Americans and the Asgardians to cowboys and smiled at the strange comparison. In the midst of his thoughts, Tony’s eyes squeezed shut and he sneezed loud enough to alert the other occupants in the hut.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t advise getting sick.”

“Yeah that’s exactly what I was going for,” Tony replied sarcastically as he turned to face Loki. “So what now?”

“We must travel to what you would call the Capital. Only the Capital would contain a cell strong enough to confine Thor.”

“Is that far?”

Loki took out a map and began looking it over and then showed it to Tony.

“We are in these mountains over here,” Loki pointed to a cluster in the south. “We must travel to this mountain ridge here,” he moved his hand to the North and even Tony could gauge the long distance.

“A few days, huh? So why can’t I just use my suit again?”

“Without my magic we must use discretion, otherwise we will be caught. What the point of rescuing Thor if we need to be rescued ourselves?”

“I’m assuming you’re not on good terms with them?”

“I honestly don’t know who they hate more,” Loki paused as his eyes drifted off. “Thor, for trying to start a war with them or me.”

“What did you do?”

“I tricked their leader and then murdered him,” Loki laughed with deliberate sadism but his eyes betrayed his disgust. In a flash, Loki’s smile faded and Tony wondered what the other half of the story was.

~*~

“Ok, seriously, what the hell is that?” Tony asked as he gazed at the strange creature before him.

As if sensing his apprehension, the animal growled at him, giving Tony a good view of its razor sharp teeth. Two horns emerged from the back of its head and curled around its elongated face to rest just near its nose. More than anything, the animal looked like a dinosaur except with very thick looking fur. Standing only on its robust hind legs, the animal continued to paw at the ground with its clawed foot. His thick tail continued to whip back and forth and Tony swore the creature was considering hitting him with it.

“It’s called a Tauntaun. I supposed it’s similar to the horses you have on Midgard in the sense that they are used for travel. They’re immune to the cold and prized for their strength and agility,” Loki stated before lifting himself on the animal with one fluid motion. Tony looked up to see his red suitcase neatly stashed in the few bags upon the creature’s back. Loki held out a hand to him.

“Let’s go,” Loki looked down as he impatiently opened and closed his palm. Hesitantly, Tony reached out his hand and Loki easily pulled him up. Once again, Tony found himself surprised at Loki’s strength. The fact that Loki was a god seemed to always slip from his mind since he associated Loki with magic rather than with strength. Sitting behind him now, Tony found himself shifting uncomfortably as he tried to find a comfortable position on the pseudo-horse.

“You might want to hold on,” Loki stated before he took the reins. Slowly, Tony reached around Loki’s waist. Clicking to the animal, Loki held the reins taut as the animal rose from its crouched position. In an instant, Tony found his grip on Loki tightening as the animal began gaining momentum. If Tony had to guess, the animal must be running at speeds which rivaled some of his cars.

As Tony clutched to Loki, he turned his face to look at the changing landscape and saw the lights of the village become dimmer and dimmer before they disappeared. For a while, he saw nothing but a barren waste land. He looked with fascination at the strange animals, but one animal in particular caught his eye. It had just finished pouncing on a smaller prey and was busy tearing it apart with its large twin fangs and for a moment, Tony thought it was saber-tooth tiger. He made a mental note to come back and study this land when everything was settled on Earth.

~*~

Judging from the positions of the various suns, Tony guessed that they had been traveling the earth equivalent of half a day and he could already feel himself getting tired. A sneeze ripped through his body and he groaned as his head continued to throb. Once or twice he felt himself falling asleep and wondered how Loki could still remain so focused. At one point, he was sure he had fallen asleep because when he woke up, they were no longer on level ground. Instead, the creature seemed to be climbing up a rather steep mountain. In panic, Tony tightened his grip.

Finally worn from travel, they took rest in a small cove embedded into the mountain. Once again, the creature got into a crouching position. Tony removed his stiff hands from around Loki’s waist before Loki swung his leg around the creature’s head and jumped to the ground. He then stroked the creatures head and said something to it before unloading the luggage off of its back. Tony tried to dismount the creature just as gracefully but only managed to slide off and fall to the ground in a heap.

Loki immediately began laughing at this pitiful sight while the creature shook its head, as if deliberately mocking Tony. Loki, still amused by the sight, started to take off the reins that bounded the animal and rewarded it with a gentle pat on the side. With a shake of its head the Tauntaun stood before quickly galloping away.

“Is that . . . should you let it go?”

“He’ll be back. He’s hungry,” Loki said as he pulled out some unusually shaped logs from one of the packs. With a gentle tap, they sparked and were set ablaze. Loki continued to dig further through the packs, and removed a plush fur that he placed near the newly lit fire.

As he set up camp, he started organizing the bags around the fire strategically, but pulled one bag to the side separate from the others. Tony gazed at the removed bag hungrily, hoping that there was food in there. His stomach has been growling for some time now, and he couldn’t wait to eat!

“Please tell me that’s food?” He looked on hungrily. Yet again, Loki took out of another bag as if he was Mary Poppins with that mystical purse of hers. He carefully removed a few small spears from the sack, no longer than a foot each, and impaled a few pieces of tender meat on them like a kabob. He arranged them around the fire before reaching into the bag once again to produce a couple of flasks, a ration of flat rye bread and cheese.

“What’s in those?” Tony asked gesturing to the flasks.

“Mead and Bjorr,” Loki replied uncorking one of the flasks.

“What?” Tony asked as he took the flask and sniffed its contents.

“That one is mead – a very strong and popular drink. Being a fan of alcoholic drinks, you should appreciate it,” Loki grinned as Tony took a sip. Tony’s eyes went wide.

“Woah! What’s in this?”

“I believe the Vikings in your realm made it from fermented honey. The recipe here is similar. This is Bjorr,” Loki commented as he handed another flask to Tony. “It’s also another favorite.”

Tony took the flask and this time took a hearty sip without hesitation. He felt his eyes go wide in appreciation.

“Yeah, I definitely like this,” He shook the flask and held it hostage. Loki reached for the other flask and both of them began eating the bread with the cheese, once in a while taking one of the chunks of meat from the fire.

“So,” Tony paused trying to formulate his question in between sips of Bjorr. “How’s it like to be Prince of Asgard?” Once he blurted out his question, Tony felt stupid. At the same time, he didn’t want to waste the opportunity to talk to Loki about the fascinating new worlds he was learning about. The question obviously stunned Loki and he almost choked on his mead.

“Why do you want to know?” He glared, running his tongue over his lips, catching the drops of mead.

“It’s just until Thor landed, I didn’t think there were other worlds. As a scientist I’m fascinated. My life is pretty uninteresting compared to yours and Thor’s and I just . . . well I . . . oh, forget it. Sorry I asked,” Tony knew he was rambling and his eyes fell on his flask. He then abruptly sneezed, causing Loki to flinch. Tony immediately regretted his question as awkwardness filled the air as they sat in silence. Sounds of chewing and drinking filled the space between them, seeming unnecessarily amplified. Loki sighed heavily instigating Tony to look up from his flask.

“I am a Prince of Asgard, true, but I am an adopted Prince,” Loki began. “During a battle, my father discovered me in a temple and decided to take me in a raise me with his own son.”

“So you knew? I mean you knew he wasn’t your father?”

“He never wanted to tell me. I . . . I discovered my heritage,” Loki sneered the last word and Tony was clever enough to discern it was a closed subject. “Looking back, there were signs. He had always favored Thor, who was stronger and the more able fighter. I, on the other hand, preferred solace in books.”

“What kind?”

“Magic, history, battle tactics.”

“I was always drawn to books, too. My favorites were technical manuals and as a child I loved trying to rebuild things. When I was six, I built my first car engine,” Tony beamed. “It was one of the few times my father paid any attention to me,” he sighed taking a sip.

“Do you have other siblings?” Loki asked curiously.

“No . . . I guess you could say my father’s work was my Thor,” Tony’s hollow laugh echoed in the cave.

“So . . . that memory . . .”

“. . . was the last time I saw my parents,” Tony finished. He felt pinpricks of tears sting at the corners of his eyes and took a large gulp of the alcoholic beverage as if it had the power to still them.

“You know, this may not be my place to say this, but I think that Thor still considers you as a brother despite, um, your heritage,” Tony cautiously stated, earning a glare from Loki.

A tense silence passed between them as Loki turned away from him. “You’re right. It’s not your place,” he breathed into the cold air of the cave.

With that last statement, Tony knew that whatever hopes of a normal conversation he had wanted to have with Loki had ended. They both finished their meal in silence, which was only interrupted occasionally by Tony’s sniffling and sneezing.

“We better get some sleep,” Loki stood up and took two furs and lay them over the large one they had been sitting on. He then tossed Tony a pillow-esque item, as well as an unmarked container.

“I suggest, due to your impending illness, you take off your clothes and rub this ointment all over yourself. The fur shall keep you warm.” Loki then proceeded to slide underneath the fur, adjusted his pillow, and then turned away from Tony.

Tony finished the rest of his drink in the quiet of the night, and began to feel his head spin. Unlike scotch, this strange beverage seemed to hit him hours after he had begun drinking it. He barely managed to get his clothes off. Combined with his drunken and sick state, he probably took half an hour just getting the clothing off. He took the bottle, which seemed to slip from his hands continuously, and dutifully began rubbing the liquid all over his body. Satisfied with accomplishing his task, he got underneath the covers and lay on his pillow, staring at the ceiling of the cave.

The suns outside the cave continued their movement, giving Tony some sort of inkling as to how much time had passed. With increasing intensity the drinks had somehow burrowed even further into his brain and Tony continued his heated thrashing. Part of him wasn’t sure if he was awake or in some type of dream state as his head continued to spin uncontrollably and fever overtook his body. With a growl of frustration with the inability to alleviate his pain, he began shifting towards Loki, making sure to keep himself covered with the fur.

“Lolkiii,” he nudged the sleeping god in the back. When he didn’t stir, he nudged harder. “Loki, head spins,” he whined.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have drunk all the Bjorr.” Loki muffled his reply as he attempted to move away from Tony. With the irritation of a scorned child, Tony continued to nudge Loki until he finally turned around with an exhausted sigh.

“What?” He growled at the red faced mortal.

“Lolki!” Tony hiccupped as he continued to poke the god. Loki caught his wrist.

“Stop that!”

“Let’s play!”

“What are you –” Tony cut off Loki’s angry retort by crushing his feverish lips against the god’s. Loki’s eyes widened in surprise but he finally gave in and pulled the mortal over him. Loki’s tongue felt cool to his own feverish one and Tony moaned at the difference in temperatures. He began to rub himself against the god like an animal in heat. Feeling his naked and hardened length press against his thighs, Loki snaked his hand between them and began stroking Tony’s erection.

Tony moaned in the kiss and continued grinding against the god, his hand weaving itself into Loki’s hair. Loki flipped them over so that Tony lay on his back. He got on his knees beside him, without even breaking their kiss, as he continued to pump the quivering flesh in his hand.

Underneath Loki’s ministrations, Tony thrashed wildly, curling his hand into Loki’s hair with the ferocity of a man clinging to life. He felt the fever of his body combine with the tight coils of desire. Close to reaching his peak, Tony arched and came with a guttural cry, spilling his release all over his stomach and Loki’s hand.

He turned his head sideways, intent on going to sleep, but keeping a small corner of his eye open, watching Loki. The god hovered over him and Tony felt his stomach clench in anticipation, wondering if the god would just take him when he was unconscious. Loki seemed to ponder the same thing, but after a few grueling moments, he shifted before moving away. Before his eyes closed, the last thing Tony remembered was a cool cloth wiping him off before the fur was gently laid over him.

~*~

Tony groggily opened his eyes and was pleased to note he felt better. He no longer sniffled, nor did he feel like sneezing. Only when he wanted to stretch, did he notice that he was curled around Loki’s back, his left arm draped over his torso. His whole body tensed wondering how Loki would react to such a violation of personal space. With painstakingly slow and precise movements, Tony removed his arm from around Loki before shifting backwards.

Once he was at a respectable distance, he slowly turned around before evening out his breath. Near him, he felt the god shift and then heard him yawn. He closed his eyes as if still sleeping. He felt Loki move to sit upright before stilling briefly. Tony’s heart raced for a few seconds before he heard Loki get up and walk away. Once he heard Loki packing their things, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Morning already?” He asked with an exaggerated yawn. “How can you tell? It still looks dark,” he squinted to look outside the cave.

“Positions of the sun,” Loki curtly replied.

Tony reached for his clothes and began tying them as Loki went to call the creature which miraculously appeared. Within a few minutes, Tony had put on the clothing and felt pride in accomplishing the simple task. When he turned around, Loki was eating what remained of their dinner and gestured for Tony to join him.

Tony walked around the fire, which Loki had once again set ablaze and sat down near the god. Eyeing the remaining meat, Tony plucked a few pieces off the skewers and wrapped the bread around them before devouring the meal in one go. He tried to reach for a flask, but Loki pulled it away from him.

“Have some water instead,” he passed Tony a different flask and he could have sworn he had seen a small grin play on the god’s lips.

“Thanks,” he mumbled with an air of a child being denied its favorite treat.

“How’s your fever?”

“Better,” Tony remarked as he took a nice long breath, noting his clear head. “So . . . weren’t you supposed to run away? Something about me not keeping you chained?” Tony teased. Loki turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Would you believe me if I told you I found you amusing?” Loki asked as he absent-mindedly moved a lock of hair from Tony’s face before going back to eating his meal.

Instead of reacting to the strangely gentle gesture, Tony focused on quietly finishing his meal. After a few moments, Loki grabbed the remaining skewers and flasks before walking away. When Tony turned around, Loki had already mounted the animal.

“Time to go?”

In answer Loki nodded as he looked at the still burning fire. With slow movements, Tony stood up and stretched before walking towards him. With the air of a 19^th century gentleman, Loki extended his hand making Tony frown in irritation at feeling like some sort of damsel. Losing patience, Loki continued opening and closing his palm.

“Thanks,” Tony mumbled as he took the extended hand and the firm grip brought a glimpse of the prior night. Shaking his head free, he took his position behind the god, gingerly wrapping his arms around his waist. Loki uttered a brief command to the creature and it stood up and began making its way down the mountain.

As they rode, Tony began to remember last night and was glad Loki couldn’t see him blush. If the god had any comment to make about last night’s activities, he kept it to himself.
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The Avengers: Tainted Love