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Iron Man pulled himself from the ground and raised his gauntlets at Loki. Loki cornered him with a brutal smile on his face after knocking him out of the sky some distance from the rest of the team. Loki’s literal flying monkeys swarmed the rest of the Avengers. Tony was able to see Captain America bashing them with his shield. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was brought on by a viewing of The Wizard of Oz.
“Stop where you are, Wicked Witch of the West!” Tony said amidst a slew of damage reports from the HUD. Armor integrity was compromised; Loki could easily puncture it with his spear. It looked like he won’t be flying off either; the repulsors in his boots were severely damaged.
Loki laughed at this. Who knew which bit he found funny, Tony’s nickname or his weak show of power. He hoped it isn’t his poorly hidden fear. Tony wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. Surely having insight to the mind of a mad god wouldn’t do him any favors. Besides Tony had a suspicion the answer would hurt his pride.
Just as Tony reluctantly acknowledged the sinking feeling he is getting, Loki suddenly ceased his laughter and closed the distance between them. Tony jerked back and tried to fire his repulsors, but it was too late. Loki was very very close. Tony was about to take measures to remove Loki from his personal space when his armor disintegrated around him. Loki then grabbed his arm. Tony felt an indescribable sensation as his surroundings abruptly changed.
Tony found himself in a lavish penthouse apartment, on par with just about any he’s stayed in, with Loki still gripping his arm. He started struggling, but Loki just looked unamused as Tony attempted to twist out of his hold. Loki smoothly said, “Relax, Stark. I simply wished to speak with you uninterrupted.”
Tony stared as Loki released his arm and gave him a halfway normal smile. It made Loki look less crazy, but Tony was still terrified. He struggled to put up his mask of confidence and when he finally managed, he said, “What? All this for a chat with little old me? You could have just called.” Tony’s smile was as faultless as any he’s given the press now that he’s gotten his panic under control. He started casually looking for escape routes. He didn’t think Steve or any other of the Avengers were going to get here any time soon even though Tony could clearly see that he was still in New York from the window.
Loki’s smile took on a slightly different quality, one that Tony would almost call seductive if the subject wasn’t an unhinged Norse god. Loki sidled up to him and said, “Some questions must be posed directly.” Tony tried to take a step back only to realize he couldn’t move his feet. “I shall get straight to the heart of the matter; it is after all, a matter of the heart.” Loki continued.
Tony kept up his cool façade, but internally he hoped his suspicions were wrong. Loki quickly proved those suspicions right when he said, “I find your ingenuity and sense of humor pleasing. I wish to put aside any animosity between us and start a romantic relationship with you.”
Tony stood there open mouthed for a second before thinking of the most obnoxious way possible to reject him. “Sorry Lokes. I’m just not into guys, I like pussy. Besides you’re too crazy for me.” Tony lied. He really hoped Loki didn’t research his preferences or notice the way he looks at Steve.
Like many of his hopes that day, they were summarily crushed.
“Do not presume to lie to the God of Lies, Stark! Any fool can see how you lust after the Captain. You didn’t think I’d fail to uncover your taste in bed partners before proposing this to you, did you!?” Loki shouted. He took a deep breath and seemed to regain some composure, but it was clear anger was just bubbling below the surface. “You say you like ‘pussy’, but you’ll soon lose your taste for that word and that patriotic fool as well.” Loki’s hands then started to glow green as he gathered magic around them. Tony tried to move away and was surprised to find his feet were no longer held in place. The spell hit him as he turned away to dive under a nearby table. He wished his team was here; he wished Steve was here. Once again Tony’s sensory input was jumbled as the spell took hold. His body felt simultaneously squished and stretched. The proportion of everything seemed larger, while colors seemed more faded. The traffic outside was shriller, he could hear the rumble of the central heating, and the sound of Loki’s breathing was disturbingly loud.
"I was going to tell you that if you want to remain human, then you will forget your precious Captain America, but it seems you are already thinking of him." Loki pushed the table above Tony aside and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Tony instinctively went limp as he was lifted out of his too large t-shirt and jeans. Loki looked him in the eye and said, “It’ll wear off, but every thought of your teammate will turn you back into a helpless feline.” Tony wanted to scratch that satisfied smirk off his face.
In fact that was the first thing he tried when Loki put him down. He couldn’t quite reach Loki’s face so Tony settled for the hand that just released him. He tried his utmost to bite and scratch every bit within his reach. The only thing he succeeded in doing was getting his claws stuck in Loki’s shirt sleeve. Loki sighed and proceeded to unhook Tony’s claws. “I am a god, Stark. The claws of a pitiful house pet from Midgard are hardly going to damage me.”
Tony glared at Loki, but mentally conceded that he had a point. Tony took this opportunity to calm down. After Loki finished gently unhooking his claws and placing him on the floor, Tony tried to locate some cover. The best he could do was the couch. It was slightly humiliating cowering under the couch, but it’s better than having nothing between him and Loki. In the back of Tony’s mind he wondered how long it will take for Steve to come for him.