Loki narrowed his eyes.

Upon entering his rooms he could immediately tell something was wrong.

Someone else might not have noticed, but he knew his chaotic order too well to miss it.

The fact that his things had been moved wouldn't have been so obvious had the one who had entered his rooms not tried to put everything back into place, but it was impossible for Loki not to notice the external hand that had been meddling with his stuff.

And he had only one culprit in mind.

"Tony?"

"Here, love."

He couldn't have sounded more guilty if he had tried.

For now, Loki decided to play cat and mouse.

And his Tony made such a delicious mouse.

"Are you enjoying your staying?" Loki swiftly strode toward the armchair Tony was curled up in, appreciating the way the flames of the fireplace played with his traits.

"A lot. I only got lost twice today," Tony smiled up at him, waiting for Loki to come closer. When the god perched on the armrest and started gently massaging his shoulders he couldn't help but sigh in delight and rest his head against Loki's side.

"I promise tomorrow I'll be your guide."

They had arrived to Asgard two days before, and since then Loki hadn't had a spare moment to show Tony around. He still wasn't comfortable with being on Asgard after what had happened a few years before, but Tony was curious – too curious – and Frigga had started showing up at the Stark Tower at the most inappropriate moments, and with Yule approaching Loki had had to give in.

What had really done the trick was how Tony had told him he should have celebrated Christmas with his family since he still had one.

In front of that, Loki had found no way to deny him and had programmed their trip to Asgard the next day.

"I think I've almost wrapped my mind around the way corridors have been built here, but you have to admit it, Lokes, this place's a maze."

"I don't think so, but my judgment might be biased by the fact I've been living here for over a thousand years."

"Mmh, you have your point. You have a little time for me?" Tony turned his head to the side and slid his nose against Loki's tunic, placing a kiss on the green fabric.

"One of my clones is currently sitting at the Council table, as long as someone doesn't throw something at me we should be fine. So we have around five minutes."

Tony chuckled against Loki, the vibrations of his laugh running through Loki's body as a fever.

"I'm sorry we're not getting to spend any time together," Loki sighed, his left hand carding through Tony's hair, "You could as well have remained on Midgard, at least you have your friends there."

He had wanted to avoid it at all costs, but the moment they had stepped on the Bifrost Bridge Loki had been almost physically dragged to a Council meeting; Odin had seized the moment to basically kidnap his youngest son and for once actually listen to his advice, taking advantage of the fact that Loki hadn't been expecting that in the slightest.

Not that Loki was complaining about having his voice be heard for once, but he had planned to spend a few days with Tony in his childhood home and to surprise his human with technology and animals that didn't exist on Midgard, being segregated in the Council Rooms hadn't exactly been part of the plan.

Maybe, only maybe, his plan had also included displeasing Odin by bringing Tony home for Yule, but apparently Thor had talked a tad too enthusiastically of his Midgardian friend and the All Father had kind of misunderstood what 'at the head of an empire' meant in the capitalistic culture.

Loki's plans had crumbled to dust the moment the two had met.

Tony was indeed intimidated by Odin's presence, but he had managed to keep up his charm and survive the encounter with not even a single displeased comment from the old god, eliciting instead a strange curiosity in the All Father, who had started asking questions about how it was possible for a human to survive battles like the ones he had took part to.

Loki had never been more surprised in his life than when Odin had clasped Tony's shoulder.

Not even when he had found out about Sleipnir.

Part of his fun had definitely been spoilt by Odin's acceptance, but even coming back home with someone at his arm that his father thought to be a sort of a king could be quite funny. It certainly made his life easier and Tony feel more welcome.

"I want to spend Christmas with you, Lo, and I'm on an alien planet. I'm pretty fine on my own," Tony reassured him, "But since you're here…" he drawled, pulling Loki down from his perch and in his lap.

"Yes, I think we can benefit from this jolly coincidence," Loki grinned before leaning in for a deep kiss, passing his arms around Tony's shoulders and straddling him; it took Tony about half a second to draw Loki flush against his chest, letting his head fall back as Loki's talented mouth descended from his lips to his jaw and then to the side of his neck, lightly biting at that particular spot below his ear that had ended many arguments simply because Tony wasn't able to speak anymore when Loki pulled that trick.

That was probably Loki's way to make amends for having been so absent lately, and Tony was going to enjoy it.

"What have you done to my chambers?" Loki's voice came out completely even, as if he had just stepped into the room and hadn't been in the process of leaving a huge mark on Tony's neck just a second before.

"Uh?" was Tony eloquent reply.

"My chamber. What have you done?"

"Uh…"

"Try to think with your head."

"I…."

"One word, better than nothing," Loki pulled back, staring Tony down, and a remote part of the man's brain wondered how the hell was it possible that Loki could look so menacing while still straddling his legs.

"I did nothing to-"

"Don't lie to me. It's pointless and you know it."

Tony had to quickly consider what was the worst option: keeping the truth from the God of Lies or confessing? It wasn't an easy task, especially considering the fact that the majority of his blood wasn't flowing to his brain.

"Tony."

"Nothing…"

"Anthony."

Okay, now he really was in trouble.

"You see… you weren't here, and I was bored…" Tony looked to the side, trying to sound as innocent as possible, "And since it's almost Christmas I thought that, well…"

"Please tell me you weren't searching my chambers for where I've hidden the presents."

"I didn't?"

Loki stared at him with a blank face, thorn between asking the man how he had dared violating his privacy and bursting out laughing for the contrite expression on Tony face.

Eventually, he settled for the latter, adding a kiss on Tony's lips for good measure.

"Your gift isn't hidden in these rooms, my dear," he smiled, a shining Golden Apple materialising on the table next to the armchair.