Disclaimer: I do not own, nor profit from.

Author's Note: I'm sorry. I am a horrible person, because I hate WIP fics just as much as everyone else. School just got on top of me, and I basically had no time to write. But I am going to try and put aside an hour every three or so days, just to write. Because I feel so bad about leaving you guys to imagine the rest in your imaginations. I am just soooo sorry. I hope you enjoy the next chapter, and you may have noticed I've stopped titling the chapters, as I have actually just run out of idea's. Completely and utterly. So I apologize for that as well.

Enjoy!

"Where's Tony Jarvis?" Loki asked, not looking up from his laptop.

"Sir is in his lab, Sir." Jarvis responded, his voice slightly smug. If an AI's voice can be slightly smug. Loki sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

"Exactly how long has he been in there, Jarvis?"

"Exactly Sir?"

"Exactly."

"6 days, 13 hours and 58 minutes, Sir."

Loki remained motionless, then slowly closed his book.

"What is he doing down there Jarvis?"

"He's working with Captain Rogers on some modifications to Captain Rogers' suit."

Loki's eyes darkened, something flickering within them. "Is he now?" He stood, flexing his hand. "Perhaps I should pay my dear fiancée a visit then, shouldn't I?"

Loki strode down the stairs, his hands pushed deep inside his pockets. He didn't bother knocking on the door, Jarvis just let him in with a polite "You're welcome, Sir." Loki spied Tony and Steve bent over the worktop, muttering together.

"Stark." Loki's voice snapped them out of the reverie. Tony beamed.

"Loki! Come see my new toy!" The engineer almost bounced over to Loki, a happy enthusiasm spreading out across his face. "I made it for Steve. I wanted to make improvements on the shield, but he wouldn't let me."

"Of course not."

"But it'd be so much better with lazers!" Tony whined, lacing his hand within Loki's. He only turned his attention back to his fiancée when Loki pulled his hand away. "What's wrong?" He turned to face the taller man, worry seeping into his features. Loki sneered.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong. Why should there be? I've had great fun hanging out with my fiancée. Do you want to meet him? He's upstairs. He's invisible to most people, but if you look really hard, you may be able to spot him."

Steve started to shuffle away, concern and embarrassment plastered on his face. "I'll just... go..."

Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry, Lok's, I know I got a bit preoccupied, but it's finished now! We can do whatever you want." Tony made the sign of a cross over the arc reactor. "Cross my arc reactor and hope to die."

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Loki was shouting by now. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger."I haven't seen you days, Stark. Nothing. If it hadn't been for Jarvis, telling me you were at least eating, you could have died for all I know."

Steve shut the door behind him, sighing, and listening to the growing argument.

"You know I get preoccupied. That I stay down here for stretches at a time. And I can take care of myself."

"But it's not just you you have to take care of now. I'm supposed to be marrying you. That's supposed to mean something to you. You're not supposed to just vanish."

"You could have come down here and checked."

"I did."

"There you go! Proof I hadn't died."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"SO WHAT IS THEN?"

They stared at each other, flames in their eyes, their breathing heavy.

"You're supposed to want to remember you have someone now. Not just yourself." Loki answered, pain in his voice.

"What has changed? You never acted like this before we were engaged. What's changed?"

Loki sucked in a breath, looking close to tears. "I just thought you'd want to remember I existed."

Tony remained silent, staring at the man in front of him.

"Are you not going to say anything? Yes Loki, I remember you. Yes Loki, I remember that you were upstairs all week, waiting for me to emerge." Loki's voice broke off at the end, barely concealing a sob. When no answer was forthcoming, he raised a shaking hand, slipping off the simple silver band Tony had given him, placing it on the worktop.

"I'll be gone within the hour." The god turned on his heel, walking quickly out the room, pole straight. Tony watched him go, with shocked and shaken eyes. He picked up the ring, turning it over in his hands.

o0o

"Sir, do you believe this is wise?"

Loki sat down heavily on the bed. His bed. Tony's bed. Their bed. "Probably not Jarvis. But I need him to realise that everything is not just about him."

"But is leaving the best way to go about it Sir?"

"I just need a bit of space."

"After all you've been through, Sir?"

"I can't play second fiddle to his work. I love him, but that's something I can't accept."

"I can change."

Loki whipped his head around, his tear filled eyes wide. "Tony..."

"I know." Tony sighed heavily, joining Loki on the bed. "It's not fair on you. But you are the most important thing in my life, Lok's." Loki quirked his lips at the nickname. "I know I get distracted. I can't promise it won't happen again. You have to realise this is my job. But I could never forget about you. If you left, I would probably never leave that lab again." Tony laughed bitterly.

Loki entwined his hand within Tony's. "I am sorry. I should have realised. I don't expect you to give up your life." He ran a finger around Tony's palm. "All I ask for is that you resurface every few days. Let me take care of you."

Tony smiled, pressing a chaste kiss on Loki's mouth. "I think I can do that."

Loki smiled against Tony's mouth. "You'd better." He kissed the engineer, moaning slightly. Tony drew away though. "What's wrong?"

Tony delved around in his pocket, withdrawing Loki's ring. "I think this is yours?" And slipped it on when Loki nodded his confirmation.

"Where's Tony Jarvis?" Loki asked, not looking up from his laptop.

"Sir is in his lab, Sir." Jarvis responded, his voice slightly smug. If an AI's voice can be slightly smug. Loki sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead.

"Exactly how long has he been in there, Jarvis?"

"Exactly Sir?"

"Exactly."

"6 days, 13 hours and 58 minutes, Sir."

Loki remained motionless, then slowly closed his book.

"What is he doing down there Jarvis?"

"He's working with Captain Rogers on some modifications to Captain Rogers' suit."

Loki's eyes darkened, something flickering within them. "Is he now?" He stood, flexing his hand. "Perhaps I should pay my dear fiancée a visit then, shouldn't I?"

Loki strode down the stairs, his hands pushed deep inside his pockets. He didn't bother knocking on the door, Jarvis just let him in with a polite "You're welcome, Sir." Loki spied Tony and Steve bent over the worktop, muttering together.

"Stark." Loki's voice snapped them out of the reverie. Tony beamed.

"Loki! Come see my new toy!" The engineer almost bounced over to Loki, a happy enthusiasm spreading out across his face. "I made it for Steve. I wanted to make improvements on the shield, but he wouldn't let me."

"Of course not."

"But it'd be so much better with lazers!" Tony whined, lacing his hand within Loki's. He only turned his attention back to his fiancée when Loki pulled his hand away. "What's wrong?" He turned to face the taller man, worry seeping into his features. Loki sneered.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong. Why should there be? I've had great fun hanging out with my fiancée. Do you want to meet him? He's upstairs. He's invisible to most people, but if you look really hard, you may be able to spot him."

Steve started to shuffle away, concern and embarrassment plastered on his face. "I'll just... go..."

Tony sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sorry, Lok's, I know I got a bit preoccupied, but it's finished now! We can do whatever you want." Tony made the sign of a cross over the arc reactor. "Cross my arc reactor and hope to die."

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Loki was shouting by now. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger."I haven't seen you days, Stark. Nothing. If it hadn't been for Jarvis, telling me you were at least eating, you could have died for all I know."

Steve shut the door behind him, sighing, and listening to the growing argument.

"You know I get preoccupied. That I stay down here for stretches at a time. And I can take care of myself."

"But it's not just you you have to take care of now. I'm supposed to be marrying you. That's supposed to mean something to you. You're not supposed to just vanish."

"You could have come down here and checked."

"I did."

"There you go! Proof I hadn't died."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"SO WHAT IS THEN?"

They stared at each other, flames in their eyes, their breathing heavy.

"You're supposed to want to remember you have someone now. Not just yourself." Loki answered, pain in his voice.

"What has changed? You never acted like this before we were engaged. What's changed?"

Loki sucked in a breath, looking close to tears. "I just thought you'd want to remember I existed."

Tony remained silent, staring at the man in front of him.

"Are you not going to say anything? Yes Loki, I remember you. Yes Loki, I remember that you were upstairs all week, waiting for me to emerge." Loki's voice broke off at the end, barely concealing a sob. When no answer was forthcoming, he raised a shaking hand, slipping off the simple silver band Tony had given him, placing it on the worktop.

"I'll be gone within the hour." The god turned on his heel, walking quickly out the room, pole straight. Tony watched him go, with shocked and shaken eyes. He picked up the ring, turning it over in his hands.

o0o

"Sir, do you believe this is wise?"

Loki sat down heavily on the bed. His bed. Tony's bed. Their bed. "Probably not Jarvis. But I need him to realise that everything is not just about him."

"But is leaving the best way to go about it Sir?"

"I just need a bit of space."

"After all you've been through, Sir?"

"I can't play second fiddle to his work. I love him, but that's something I can't accept."

"I can change."

Loki whipped his head around, his tear filled eyes wide. "Tony..."

"I know." Tony sighed heavily, joining Loki on the bed. "It's not fair on you. But you are the most important thing in my life, Lok's." Loki quirked his lips at the nickname. "I know I get distracted. I can't promise it won't happen again. You have to realise this is my job. But I could never forget about you. If you left, I would probably never leave that lab again." Tony laughed bitterly.

Loki entwined his hand within Tony's. "I am sorry. I should have realised. I don't expect you to give up your life." He ran a finger around Tony's palm. "All I ask for is that you resurface every few days. Let me take care of you."

Tony smiled, pressing a chaste kiss on Loki's mouth. "I think I can do that."

Loki smiled against Tony's mouth. "You'd better." He kissed the engineer, moaning slightly. Tony drew away though. "What's wrong?"

Tony delved around in his pocket, withdrawing Loki's ring. "I think this is yours?" And slipped it on when Loki nodded his confirmation.