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Loki cut his hair.
It shouldn’t have made such a difference, but fuck, it did. And Tony just kept staring at it.
The strands stopped below his ears and went kind of fluffy when he fought, blowing out of that slicked back style that he wore the rest of the time.
It made him look younger, almost boyish, and he was already unfairly youthful thanks to the genetics of his race.
Whenever Tony saw him styled without a hair misplaced, he just wanted to bury his fingers deep and ruffle the black locks until the strands were loose and soft again.
He just wanted.
It didn’t help that Loki had just walked out of his room like that one day; hair to his shoulders one minute, short and soft and obsessively pretty the next.
Tony couldn’t get it out of his mind. He wanted to know why he did it. He wanted to know why he slicked it back. He wanted to know if he could shove his hands in it while he kissed Loki.
Unfortunately, they were not a couple, they weren’t even ‘friends with benefits’ so pouncing on Loki and playing with his hair was kind of out of the question.
But. He. Wanted.
He did his best to hide his little infatuation come obsession, he really did. But after he caught himself staring at Loki one too many times, he just had JARVIS buzz his watch if he slipped and did it again. Tony was getting really familiar with the feeling of vibrations against his wrist in chastisement.
Loki didn’t seem to notice it though, thank fuck, since Tony didn’t know how he’d breach that subject if Loki asked; I realised how pretty and fuckable you are when you cut your hair.
Oh yeah, that would go over well.
Or, even better; I wanna kiss your mouth for hours with my fingers in your hair.
Tony might have taken to hiding in his lab and moaning pitifully into his hands when even being numerous floors away didn’t keep his thoughts off Loki.
He’d actually been inside the lab for the past few hours, getting very little done and finding himself trying to puzzle out a way that he could play with Loki’s hair without having the magic-user think he was either a) creepy, b) crazy, c) severely attracted to him. He couldn’t deny any of them at this point, but he still wasn’t keen on having Loki work them out.
Tony was getting all of nowhere and falling further into self-pity when JARVIS let out a brief beep in warning. It still wasn’t enough to keep him from startling when a sharp yell of his name filled the lab, “Stark!”
Tony flinched, more from guilt over his thoughts than surprise before he turned in his seat to face the other. He kind of just... stopped thinking when he actually saw Loki though.
Loki was... covered in white dust. His hair looked like the gel (or whatever space shit he used) had mixed with the dust to make a white paste that was fusing his hair together into little matted clumps. There were pieces sticking up randomly and oh, Tony’s hands twitched badly at his side.
“I will not be held responsible for it!” Loki continued to angrily declare and Tony was fairly sure he had missed a whole string of sentences between one line and another.
Tony actually didn’t care if Loki had blown up part of the building. He could deal with that later.
He got up slowly and edged closer towards Loki who was crossing his arms now and scowling impatiently. Loki was in his training clothes; the Asgardian equivalent of sweatpants and a tunic. It made Tony think something probably had been badly damaged and it was probably Loki’s fault if he was coming down here to defend himself.
Again, right now, Tony didn’t actually care.
“Stark?” Loki frowned, his agitation fading to something puzzled.
“You have...” Tony gestured at the other and then raised his own hand to indicate his hair, “white.”
Loki grimaced and began to uncurl his arms, Tony darted out and by nothing but luck (and probably Loki’s confusion) he managed to grab Loki’s wrist to stop him. “Wait, don’t.”
“It is not some magical creation,” Loki grumbled impatiently. “You have no need to take some kind of sample.”
Tony just shook his head tightly, wordlessly, before swallowing and taking a step to the side. He didn’t try to pull Loki but he didn’t let go of his wrist either. “You need to... I have a shower.”
Loki looked beyond perplexed. “I have magic.”
But he wasn’t pulling away or making Tony let go of him so tentatively, Tony tried tugging Loki. He met resistance at first, but Loki’s curious nature seemed to be his undoing as he cautiously began to allow Tony to lead him further into the lab.
Tony’s thoughts were a jumbled mess and anticipation and excitement were catching in his throat as he almost ran towards the shower. Admirably, Loki kept up with him and stayed silent until they reached the area of the lab that Tony had led them to. He’d erected the shower after too many curses about having to go up numerous floors just to feel clean again. It also worked fabulously for decontamination or when he got a bit too distracted and knocked something over and onto himself.
Stopping before the glass door, Tony opened it with one hand; it was big, spacious, with enough room to fit a chair or another person if he was half drunk, couldn’t stand and needed Rhodey to throw him in there clothes and all.
Tony let go of Loki and grabbed the chair in question, placing it in the shower. He had numerous nozzles and even a detachable one, perfect for... for what he wanted, hoped he’d be able to do.
“Sit down, Loki.” He tried to sound firm, lord knows he fucking tried, but he knew he came out stiff and nervous.
Loki was looking at him like he’d grown a new body part or started speaking a language Allspeak couldn’t translate. Tony expected him to say no, to argue and ask 'what the fuck, mortal?; or even to simply walk away and leave him to his insanity.
He did not expect Loki to take slow, measured steps inside and take a seat in the requested chair. His eyes were narrowed and he was watching Tony the whole time, trying to work out what was going on but he was still allowing it to continue as he did.
Tony wasn’t about to let his good fortune pass him by, he didn’t even know how long it would last once he started. Hell, he knew it was going to blow up spectacularly, but Tony didn’t even care at this point as he flipped on taps and grabbed the hand-held shower head. He let the water fall out and hit the floor, splashing up on his pants as he held a hand under it, gauging the temperature as he stared at Loki’s hair.
The hair at the nap of his neck was curling and Tony’s fingers twitched.
“Lean your head back,” he requested quietly, and miracle of fucking miracles, Loki complied.
Tony avoided Loki’s eyes as they tried to search for him, and thankfully, the angle was bad enough to help him do it. Swallowing, Tony brought his hand to rest it at the base of Loki’s skull, brushing those matted, beautiful strands before he added the water and slid his fingers in.
He gently massaged the whole area, biting his lip at the feeling of finally getting his fingers in that soft hair. Loki’s eyes had widened at first before they narrowed and inevitably fluttered closed to enjoy the feeling. Tony was barely paying attention to Loki’s face, he was too busy watching as all the white quickly washed away even while the product in his hair resisted.
He spent some minutes trying to work it out manually with nothing but water, but in the end he whispered, “Just, stay for a second, okay?”
Tony made himself let go and reached behind him for the shampoo, pouring some into his hand and hoping Loki would still be there when he turned back. Tony’s breath left him in a rush when the only change was that Loki had opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling with a small furrow in his brow.
Tony just dropped the nozzle, not caring for the state of his shoes or the running water as he ran the shampoo over his palms before digging both hands into Loki’s hair and massaging the soap into it, grinning a little with each bit of product he could feel unravelling under his fingers.
He didn’t moan at the feeling, he wasn’t that fucking far gone. But shit, he just felt so happy doing this; touching Loki’s hair, being allowed to bury his fingers in those locks and slide them through the strands.
God, he wanted to do this every day.
“I had not known what to expect,” Loki announced quietly, making Tony freeze and stiffen. His mind suddenly, painfully realising what the fuck he was doing and who he was doing it to. “But it was not this.”
“Erm.”
“I had thought your insistence to get me into a shower was an attempt to see me naked.”
Tony opened his mouth, not sure whether he wanted to refute that, or whether it was worse to admit that he hadn’t even fucking thought about it.
“But instead,” Loki continued cautiously, as if testing the words for accuracy, “you have some kind of... fetish for hair?”
“Your hair,” Tony corrected a little roughly, figuring he owed Loki that when the other was taking it so damn well.
Loki let out a sound between a scoff and a huff before muttering under his breath, “Of course.”
He sounded slightly irritated about it and it made Tony uncertain about what to do. He started to withdraw his hands, but Loki’s hand darted back and grabbed his wrist. “Don’t, Anthony. You may continue.”
Tony swallowed. “You don’t seem all that happy about it.”
Loki laughed a little darkly. “I thought you were going to try and proposition me.” He let out a sigh that was both resigned and frustrated. “But instead, you just wish to wash my hair.”
He let out another of those rueful chuckles, he also patted Tony’s wrist before letting him go. It was in something close to comfort, Tony realised. It was Loki’s acceptance that this and this alone was what Tony had wanted.
“I would have preferred the version I was anticipating,” Loki continued to admit, “but this is pleasant enough, I suppose, if it’s what you want. I have no problem with you continuing it.”
Tony’s hands had gone slack in Loki’s hair by the time he was finished, surprise rushing through him at the artless confession. “You...”
You wanted more?
They were the words he wanted to ask, but that he couldn’t make come out, and while Loki had seemed able to guess what he wanted to say, he obviously thought the inflection would have been different. Because Tony was shocked, yeah, but he was nowhere near adverse to the idea of more with Loki.
Loki, however, seemed to think that wasn’t the case.
“Yes,” he admitted candidly, but with another sigh. He also tilted his head back a little more to ask curiously, “Do you do this with your other associates? I’m surprised you didn’t want to do it when my hair was longer; there would be more for you to wash.”
Tony’s fingers dug into Loki’s hair, an almost possessive need to pull Loki closer. He didn’t know what inspired it more; the idea of either of them doing it with anyone else, or the idea of Loki with longer hair. He didn’t know why he liked the shorter version more, only that he did.
“No,” and Tony knew his voice was a little sharper, but he couldn’t stop it, “only you.”
An inordinately pleased gleam entered Loki’s eyes and it was too much to resist. Tony tilted Loki’s head back a little more so that he could bend forward and kiss Loki’s slightly smiling lips.
He’d never kissed someone upside down before, it was weird and awkward and he could feel Loki’s wet and shampooed hair pressing against and dampening his shirt, but he was still kissing Loki, so, there was that. Loki had stiffened at first before his mouth stretched into a broader smile.
Tony pulled back and Loki opened his eyes. “Ah. This is not your only interest in me then?”
Tony’s own grin crept across his face. “You’re still covered in white dust, Loki.” Tony answered instead, “I think you need to strip, you know, so you can shower.”
“Oh?” Loki’s eyes were darkening. “But I see you’re already occupying the shower.”
“Well,” Tony shrugged a little. “I’m kind of dirty too. Think we could share? I’m sure I can make it up to you.”
“Mm, condition my hair, perhaps?” Loki was already shifting his position on the chair so that he was sitting properly, it made Tony’s hands fall free, but it meant Loki could twist to look at and face Tony.
Tony shrugged. “Personally, I was thinking I could blow you, but that works too.”
Loki laughed, sudden and delighted before he moved off the chair completely and stepped close to Tony. The water was pooling around their feet and Loki’s hair was still a mess of bubbles but Tony couldn’t take his eyes off the intense green of Loki’s gaze.
“With an offer like that, I do believe I’d be willing to shower with you.”
Tony grinned widely and Loki ducked down. When they kissed this time, it was slow and hot and full of things to come.
And when Tony snuck a hand up into Loki’s hair and tangled it in amongst the soapy strands, he was beyond lucky that Loki’s only reaction to the gesture was to huff an amused laugh against his lips and angle his head down so that Tony had better access.