It was midnight; maybe later. Not like he cared much for the time. Another cut here. Weld it there. Add a splash of colour in this joint; another colour on the shoulder plate. It was routine now, seeing as this would be Mark XLIII. He didn't stop working though. He wouldn't have paused a single moment, if not for the small knock on the glass behind him.
Tony turned to see Loki, dressed in his casual green t-shirt and grey sweatpants, with his hair down and bare footed. Loki's green eyes had a question in them, and he nodded towards the door, which Tony had locked when he first entered.
"Let him in, Jarvis." Tony said softly, listening as the door unlocked and Loki stepped in. He turned back to his suit, trying to focus on working with it, until a cold, smooth hand gently touched his shoulder.
"Stark..." Loki said softly, which he had to admit was very unlike the liesmith. Tony only paused with his work before going back to it. Again, Loki spoke up. "Tony." At this, he looked up straight into Loki's eyes. The emerald eyes seemed to glow darkly with tiredness. Apparently, Loki had been asleep, or had at least been trying to sleep, before he came down to find him.
"Why are you down here? It's almost one thirty in the morning. You should be in bed." Loki said, looking down into Tony's deep chocolate brown eyes. The shadows under his eyes indicated that sleep had been avoided for more than a few days now. He saw the look in Loki's eyes turn from tiredness to worried, but he still didn't say a word.
"Tony, please tell me..." Loki begged, kneeling down so he wasn't towering over him anymore. Tony sighed, looking at his hands.
"I'm a piping hot mess, Lokes." He said in a gentle voice. For the first time, Loki didn't flinch from the 'ridiculous name' he was called. "It's been going on for a while." He stood, turning towards his suits that lined the wall. "Nothing's been the same since New York. I mean, gods, aliens, all sorts of things that you can't explain. Compared to that, I'm just a man in a can."
"Tony-" Loki broke in softly. He waved his hand and the god went silent.
"No, Loki, listen. I'm just a mess. The only reason why I haven't cracked up yet is probably because you've agreed to move in." He said, looking directly at Loki. "And that's great, because I love you. I really do." Loki smiled faintly, but the small vanished once he started to speak again.
"But Lokes, I can't sleep. You go to bed, and I come down here. I do what I know. I make suits. I tinker. And I do it all so I can protect the one thing in my life that I can't live without." He said, stepping closer and pulling Loki up so they were eye to eye again. Loki stayed silent for a moment before he softly prompted him to continue.
"Which is...?"
Tony took a small step closer, pressing his lips against Loki's ear, gently whispering, "You." He pulled back slightly, pulling him in for a gentle kiss. As he pulled away, he looked back to Loki's eyes, which were gentle and less worried; the tiredness returning to them.
"Come on, Stark." He said softly. Wrapping an arm around Tony's waist, he picked him up bridal style, cradling him against his chest. Tony sighed softly, grabbing onto his shirt as a tender kiss was pressed to his head. "It's time for bed now."
Loki carried him up to his – no, their – bedroom, laying Tony down gently before joining him. He kept his arm around his waist, pulling him closer so Tony could use his chest as a pillow. Tony's gentle breathing had indicated only one thing. Loki smiled softly, not bothering to pull the covers up over them. He kissed his forehead softly, closing his eyes as he whispered "I love you, my man of iron." They stayed that way throughout the night and far into the next morning. And for the first time since New York, Tony slept without a single nightmare to wake him. And if he had it his way, and Loki would be sure to agree, that's the way it was going to stay. Forever.