Tony noticed two things the night after he and Loki made up. The first came to mind when Loki woke up, laying partially on top of Tony. Loki had looked up with him with so much love and adoration, sending Tony reeling, but what was weird about it was there wasn't even a hint of confusion in Loki's eyes.

What especially weirded him out was that Loki didn't even reach for his notebook on the bedside table. That was usually the first thing Loki did, from Tony's experience. "Not going to read your notes?" Tony asked as he ran his fingers through Loki's soft and messy locks of hair.

For a second the confusion finally did flicker on Loki's face but then he smiled, so proud of himself. Tony wanted to squish him with how adorable he looked. He said, "I haven't been writing notes lately. I've been pretty good at remembering everything."

Tony grinned, initially wanting to congratulate him, but he did feel a bit uneasy. How did Loki know that he was remembering things if he wasn't keeping a record of it? But despite Tony's unease, he brushed it aside in favor of supporting Loki. He didn't want another argument to break out over something that Tony could bring up later. "That's wonderful," he said passionately, sincerely hoping that Loki was right about himself.

The second thing Tony noticed that the first thing Loki did when rolling away from Tony to get up, was check his phone. It was no doubt to check for messages from Amora, and while Tony still felt a twinge of jealousy, he immediately let it go. With Loki physically at his side, he had remembered how strong their relationship was. Besides, he didn't even really have a right to be jealous, based off of how he had treated Loki as of late.

"Amora has been neglecting her texts," Loki said, frustrated. As soon as he said it, he paused, looking up at Tony with an expression of dread.

Loki obviously thought Tony was going to have a fit just by hearing Amora's name. So to prove him wrong, Tony asked, "When do I get to meet Amora anyway?"

Loki beamed. "I'll ask her when I see her today at the bookshop."

"You're going to work today?" Tony asked, surprised.

He nodded, setting his phone down. Almost like a silent apology, Loki crawled across the bed again, just to kiss Tony with such soft passion, that Tony felt himself melt. Why did he even push Loki away? His pained and grieving heart was already lighter with Loki. He felt alive again.

"I'm just going in for a few hours to watch over Amora. She really sucks at working, to put it lightly."

"She makes you do all the work, doesn't she?"

"Just like Thor used to do to me when we had to chores around the house…" he trailed off, seemingly getting lost in his mind. "Did you know that she likes all of those same 80's movies that you like?"

"Well, then she must be brilliant," Tony said, pressing another kiss to Loki's brow.

Loki smiled at him before moving away again to get out of bed again. "She is. Now if only she could apply that brilliance to actually working, she would then be my favorite person in the world."

"She would be your favorite over me?" Tony asked, feigning an appalled tone.

Loki's face transformed into the picture of wickedness. "Oh, yes. She would definitely beat you. It would be almost too easy, actually."

Tony sprang out of bed, naked as the day he was born. Loki halted in surprise to stare at Tony, obviously forgetting that Loki was the only one who had redressed after last night's tryst. Tony turned away, showing Loki his ass as he headed for the shower. "That's it! I'm revoking sex until you take that back!"

"Don't be an asshole," Loki groaned, following Tony into the bathroom.

Tony turned on Loki and closed the door behind them. "I will forgive you if you take a shower with me."

The pants were already being slipped from Loki's skinny hips. "Is it going to be a shower or it going to be the kind of shower that we do things and then we have to really clean up after?"

"The second one, please," Tony said, pulling back the shower curtain.

"Then make the water hot. I don't want to freeze," Loki said as he slipped off the last of his clothes.

Tony laughed. "You'll be hot with what we are doing, anyway."

Loki pushed him playfully as they both got into the shower. Time for some fun.


Loki had decided to brave the icy streets, refusing Tony's offer to drive him there. Really, Tony, it's only a few blocks away! Why waste resources?

It wasn't snowing but there was a harsh wind that bit through Loki's jacket, making him feel cold from the inside out. Loki didn't mind the cold though because he could tolerate it a lot more than people usual did.

Crunching across the snow on the side of the road, Loki made his way over the curb to the shop and then stopped with a frown. The shop looked dark and quiet, which definitely shouldn't be like that if Amora had opened. Frowning, he went to the front and found that Amora hadn't even flipped the sign to open and actually, as Loki tried to open the door he also discovered that the building was locked.

Loki groaned. "Really, Amora?" He wondered if she had even come in today and he took out his own key to the front, unlocking it.

The door opened to a warm but empty bookstore and Loki flushed with the sudden difference in temperature. He spotted Amora right away, sitting behind the counter with her work apron on, staring at her nails.

"How are you this incompetent?" Loki asked, unwrapping the scarf from his neck and pulling off his gloves.

She looked up and smiled. "Your hat is absolutely adorable," she said.

Loki ignored the comment to stare at his companion. There was an ugly bruise on her eye that was black, blue and purple. Loki had to blink away images of Odin. "Geez, Amora. What happened?" he gasped, coming around the counter to stand in front of her.

A defiant look flashed behind those blue eyes and Loki suddenly saw himself in her. "It's nothing I can't deal with."

Loki grew pale. Her words haunted him with his own from all those years ago. He was sure that he had said the same thing to Thor or Tony. "You don't have to go through this alone," Loki said quickly, rushing to help his friend. "You can stay at my house with me."

"That's a kind offer, but I have everything under control, I promise," she said, smiling sadly.

His heart thudded at the utterly resigned way she said this, like she was accepting her fate. Was Loki ever like that? "Is there some way I can help?" he asked softly, not wanting to push her.

She mulled that over. "Not right now, but I have you on speed dial, okay?"

Loki didn't like the situation one bit, but he let it pass by while he went around opening up the shop. He turned the lights on, turned on the music, and unlocked the front door. When he went back to the counter, he dressed in his own apron, and then grabbed a stack of new books that were waiting to be priced and set it down heavily next to Amora. She only watched as he got to work.

"So is that why you locked the door again?" Loki asked after a moment. Loki could practically imagine how she arrived today, scared and hurt and desperate for a place to feel safe.

Her eyes flickered with several emotions but she settled with saying, "Not really."

Again, Loki didn't want to push it, so he went back to stacking the books ever he had labeled each one. He was almost done when she finally spoke again, "So what are you doing now that you made up with Tony?"

Loki looked up at her sharply. "How did you know that?"

"You aren't so mopey today," she said, shrugging.

Labeling another book, Loki took a moment to consider her question. What was happening now that everything was relatively okay with them now?

"If he asked you to go with him to New York, would you?" she asked.

"Yes," Loki said immediately. There was no question about it. He wanted to be where ever Tony was at this point.

"Would you stay here, if he gave you the choice?"

Loki looked at her curiously. She had pulled her knees to her chest like a child and she was looking at him with worried eyes. "Amora, if you want me to stay with you, just say so, okay?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not your responsibility. Just do whatever you feel is right."

Loki wished he could say otherwise, but the words left his mouth without thinking, "I would go wherever Tony wants to go." It was the undeniable truth on his lips.

She nodded, brightening. "Will you just promise to answer my calls when you get them?"

"You don't have to worry about that," Loki said sadly. "We can talk daily if you want."

She smiled. "Thanks, Loki."

"And you have to call me if you have any trouble, okay? If you get into a bad situation, I will kill anyone who hurts you."

She grinned. "Thanks, Loki."

"No need to thank me. Just try to take care of yourself." He sounded confident but he was worried for her. If he did go away, what would become of Amora?

Loki went back to stacking the books, mind reeling with the dark possibilities.


"Are we going to New York?" Loki asked as soon as he was back in the house. Tony had come to greet him eagerly, sweeping Loki quite literally off of his feet, carrying him a princess hold. Loki pushed at him laughing. "I have to take off my boots."

Tony grinned. "I was thinking of taking you straight up to the bedroom."

Loki pushed at Tony's chest, shaking his head. "We'll have to save that for later. Thor is coming over for dinner, remember?" Thor had had the intelligence to call to ask them this morning before Loki left for the day, instead of just showing up this time.

Tony set him down gently, getting melted slush all over the entrance rug. "Alas, my plans are foiled again by your brother."

"Not totally," Loki said, knocking of his boots by stepping on the back of the shoes' heels. "It's just delayed." He finished and then started to take off his scarf and gloves while Tony kept looking up at the top of his head.

"You look adorable in that," Tony said, gesturing to Loki's hat. It was a big floppy green winter hat.

"I know," Loki said confidently with a grin. "Amora told me the same thing."

Tony hummed his agreement before plucking the hat off Loki's head, revealing the messy black hair beneath. "But you are even cuter disheveled like this," he said predatorily, moving in.

Loki held out a hand to stop Tony from coming any closer. "Thor will be over. Don't do anything you'll regret."

Tony pressed his lips to the corner of Loki's, winding his hands to the small of Loki's back. "Maybe we can let him watch."

"Ugh! Don't give me nightmares," Loki gagged.

Tony pecked him on the lips and then moved away, leading Loki to the kitchen. "I was thinking we could make lasagna."

"As long as it's not mac and cheese," Loki said, sitting down one of the stools at the counter.

"You want to make the salad?" Tony asked, returning to this ingredients all lined up by the oven. He got back to work.

Loki leaned onto one hand, memorizing Tony's back, completely happy. "Yeah, I can do that." He didn't move though, he just watched Tony work for a few moments more. "You didn't answer my question, you know."

Tony turned around, holding a jar of red sauce. "Whatever you want to do, Loki. I want you to be happy."

He sighed. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

Tony laughed. "We are hopeless, aren't we?"

"Pretty much," Loki replied, heading over the fridge to get the salad ingredients out. "But I was thinking that I would go with you to New York."

Tony looked utterly surprised by Loki's decision. "Really?"

"Compromise," Loki said, closing the fridge, holding a mass of supplies for the Caesar salad. "But you have to help me do something before we go back to New York."

"Yeah, anything." His complete attention on him.

Loki smiled, appreciating how much Tony cared. "We'll talk about it later tonight."

A frown creased Tony's eyes for a moment and he looked like he wanted to ask right away. Instead, he nodded. "Sure, Loks."

"I love you," Loki reminded him.

Tony's face flushed with happiness. "Love you, too."

They went back to making dinner.