To be honest, I'm not exactly sure if I like this chapter. If you guys can give me a little feedback, tell me if there's anything I could change, I'd be eternally grateful and rewrite it. Oh, and thank you so much for all the reviews, favourties and follows! It means so much to me!

Also, I haven't said this in a while: I don't own anything.

Enjoy!

"Loki's here," Tony said, sitting up suddenly from the couch he was lounging on. The team were watching a movie and none had heard or seen any sign of the god's arrival- even Natasha and Clint, easily the most observant of the group, hadn't noticed anything. Thor frowned from his place on the floor and said softly, "Man of Iron, are you sure?"

However, as Tony had said, Loki stalked regally (Tony was sure the god turned up the whole royalty thing when he was around the other Avengers) and offered it occupants a polite greeting. His lover jumped up and walked quickly over to him, pulling the god into a side room before greeting him with a quick kiss. He didn't want to push the team's limits with PDA- and he knew they'd be watching, as they always did when Loki was in the room, keeping one eye on him just in case he was up to something. Even Thor was cautious around his brother.

When the unlikely couple had left the room, Clint jumped from his place in the rafters and glared after them. His fists were clenched tightly at his side, like they always were when Loki was around. "What was that?" he demanded. "How did he know that? Not even I heard him arrive!"

Thor coughed. "Perhaps my brother sent ahead a text message?"

Natasha shook her head. "No, we would have noticed, and Jarvis didn't say anything."

"Is it creepy magic shit?" Clint asked, climbing back up to his 'nest'. Thor considered telling them, but he knew the new connection between Anthony and his brother was sensitive and mainly unknown, and he knew until he had consulted the elder sorcerers on Asgard (he was due to leave tomorrow) and had found out more on the dream magic's affects, Loki would not want the Avengers to know. They did not want SHIELD to have another excuse to contain the Man of Iron (though he doubted they would, after last time.)

So Thor feigned ignorance. "I do not know," he said. "But I'm sure it is nothing."

Clint looked down on Thor like he could tell he was lying, but let it go.

Tony led Loki to his personal rooms, registering the tense mood that followed them in, but he kept his smile in place.

"What do you want to talk about?" Tony asked they sat down on one of his lush couch. "This important thing."

Loki was silent for a few moments, watching his lover silently before speaking softly. "Have you also noticed... changes... in our, for lack of better word, connection? I am not sure if it is just me, but I have been sensing things I shouldn't be, such as when you are around and when you feel strong emotions."

Tony's easy smile froze, and then fell. "Oh. That. Yeah, yeah, I noticed that." He looked away, not meeting Loki's eyes. "Do you... Do you know what's going on?"

Loki grabbed Tony's hand. The billionaire ran his thumb gently over the back off Loki's hand and the god found it oddly soothing.

"I am sorry, Anthony, but I do not. I apologise for not realising that the dreams would have an affect like this, and I hope that you are not too unnerved. Thor is visiting Asgard for me to ask some of the elder sorcerers, but until I can find an explanation, I do not think it wise for me to visit you in your dreams. It may have more... unforeseen effects. Dream magic is not often used to this extent."

Tony frowned and didn't say anything. He was staring at their intertwined hands. He nodded once.

Loki let out a quiet sigh,

"Anthony..."

"Okay!" Tony said suddenly, like he'd just been broken out of a deep thought. "Yeah, okay, that's good!"

"You are troubled."

"No shit."

Loki frowned. "Tell me why."

He didn't get a reply and the god found himself growing irritated. He squeezed his lover's hand tightly and continued to add pressure until he got an actual reaction from the man. Finally, Tony yanked his hand away from Loki and jumped up with a frustrated growl.

"Jesus!" he exclaimed. "Look, this has just been freaking me out, that's all, okay?! I get that you didn't know this would happen, but you're used to magic, and I'm not! Sure, at first, I was cool with the whole dream connection thing, how close they are, that was okay... But this... I am unnerved! I don't understand your magic, not matter how hard I try, but the other day I fucking felt your emotion!"

Loki pursed his lips. "I'm so sorry I didn't see this coming, Anthony."

"Does it matter?" Tony sat down next to him again, their thighs pressing together and the sound of his heavy breathing the only sound in the room. His movements were stiff. "We can sort this out. If we stop, uh, dreaming for a while, will it go away? Or at least fade?"

"I do not know, but I assume so."

Tony lost track of how long they say in silence, lost in their own thoughts, but when he finally spoke he tried to keep his tone even. He knew Loki was in just as bad a mood as he was- annoyed, tense, and unsure.

"Are you okay?"

Loki gave one quick nod. "I dislike not knowing things, but I'm sure I can work this problem out."

A pause. "Are we okay?"

Loki looked at him briefly with a small smile. He grabbed Tony's hand again and squeezed it softly. "Yes. Of course."

"Are you sure?"

Loki hesitated and leaned in closer to rest his head on Tony's shoulder. "That's up to you."

Loki woke up early the next day and met Thor in the living room of the mansion, noting that his brother was in his usual Asgardian wear. The two gods greeted each other politely as they ate their breakfast, then ventured onto the roof so Loki could send his brother back to their home realm.

"Are you sure you understand what I need, Thor?" the god of mischief asked before he cast the spell. "This is of vital importance."

Thor nodded. "Of course, brother. But are you really this concerned? Surely nothing harmful can come of this?"

"Anthony does not like it," Loki said. "And these symptoms, as I have told you, are reminiscent of a soul bond. You know why I'm worried- if the dreams have somehow caused a bond to have formed, Anthony's life could be in danger. As could mine. I have seen a bonded pair in action; they got into a horrible fight one night and one of the killed the other- then themselves. I need to know that what is happening with us will pass."

The god of thunder nodded and gripped Mjolnir tightly as he braced himself for the unpleasant sensation of teleportation.

"Where's Thor?" Steve asked as he walked into the kitchen a few hours later, already showered and dressed and had been through his morning workout, unlike Tony who had only woken up ten minutes ago at Loki's insistence, or Bruce who'd been up for an hour and was still in his pyjamas and looking drowsy- he'd been up for most of the night after the movie working on a project.

Loki didn't look up from the book he was reading. "He's in Asgard."

The captain blinked. "Why?"

"I do not see how that is any of your concern."

Steve frowned. "But he's a part of our team, and-"

Loki rolled his eyes and let out an over-dramatic sigh that had Tony chuckling. "He's the prince of Asgard, Rogers, and he has duties there as well as here. Duties that he had been neglecting, mind you. That is the purpose of this visit."

Bruce Loki a look, then turned to Steve. "He's got a point, Captain."

The blonde went on frowning for a few moments. "I still don't like it."

"You don't have to," came Tony's voice. Loki shot him what the team had secretly dubbed the "Tony Smile"- that is, the only genuine smile Loki had ever worn when the team was around. The lovers' eyes met and they stared at each other for a moment until Bruce became uncomfortable and coughed to break them out of it.

"Please, the sexual tension is making me awkward."

Steve went a tiny bit red from his place at the toaster but laughed. Tony winked at his friend and stood up, dragging Loki up with him (the god growled but allowed himself to be pulled.)

"Well, m'dear, it seems we're not welcome here. Bruce is probably just jealous that he's not tapping this."

The scientist rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Tony."

"Yes," Loki said he was pulled out of the room. "Do shut up. And do not call me 'dear' again."

When they had left, Bruce looked down at his coffee and frowned. He couldn't be sure, but he felt as though there was some sort of tension between Tony and Loki when they'd been talking about Thor. He couldn't say he was an expert on people, and the two had been acting relatively normal, but there was something on Tony's face that had Bruce thinking there was more to Thor's visit. Had something happened between the couple? He was a bit sketchy on the details, but he knew this could have something to do with Loki's magic inside Tony. That would explain Thor suddenly visiting Asgard without as much as a goodbye.

But then, Bruce thought as he took a sip of his drink, he could be wrong.

Tony knew he was being ridiculous. These magical side effects of the dreams had really gotten to him, especially when he could feel Loki's emotions- early this morning he'd woken up to an empty bed (regardless of Loki's personal rooms, he still slept mostly in Tony's) and the strangest feeling of nervousness that he knew wasn't his own. He'd had no idea what to think. This wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd have to deal with.

Unfortunately, he was also being stubborn... to himself.

One part of Tony was being logical, telling him the effects would subside, that everything would work itself out, that he was a big boy and could deal with a few stray emotions. However, another part, possibly the part that still went "holy shit magic what the fuck" was telling him that this was weird, that this could be dangerous if it grew, that this wasn't something he should be dealing with because he was not a god and he was not built for magic. That part had been speaking to him when he'd first started the dreams, too, but he'd squashed it every time it made an appearance until now.

The "holy shit" part was the stubborn part.

Tony cursed himself and the different parts of his mind.

He was in his personal lab and enjoying a few hours of peace, just improving his suit and writing out ideas for new bits and bobs, something he'd sorely missed in the last few months. He'd been busy with Loki and the team and that whole contained- by- SHIELD thing that he'd not been having much time to himself and his tech.

"Jarvis, have I changed?"

"Not that I know of, sir. All your bodily functions seem the same as last time and your arc reactor is healthy and not malfunctioning in any way. Unless you count changes such as hair growth."

"Oh, ha ha."

But... Tony's hand came up to the reactor and frowned. He didn't think he'd ever told Loki the story of how he'd gotten it, and the god had never asked. It was such a large part of his life and who he was, and the man he loved didn't know. A thought occurred to him.

"Jarvis... Loki's adopted, isn't he?"

"The records state that he is, sir. His father was the Frost Giant, Laufey."

Tony bit his lip. "Frost Giant... But what exactly is Frost Giant?"

Hmmm... I have a feeling I'm forgetting something I've already written (that is a very frustrating feeling).