The beeping was really starting to annoy Tony. He grunted and tightened his arms around Loki curled up against his side. He had rolled onto his back at some point and the lanky man had attached himself to Tony's side, head still tucked under his chin. Even still half asleep, Tony's hand slid down Loki's back, cupping the man's ass. The room beeped again and a voice sounded but he ignored it. Too happy. Whatever it was could go away.

The tint to the windows disappeared and bright late-afternoon sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Tony groaned and threw an arm up to cover his eyes underneath the crook of his elbow. "Jarvis whatever the hell it is-"

"Steve Rogers has climbed the perimeter gate and is attempting to gain entrance through the main door."

"Oh god," Tony groaned as he moved his hand to rub at his face. What the hell was he doing here? Tony's head was not in the mood for company, much less this particular company.

Jarvis stated with some irritation to his voice, "His attempts are not successful. He is growing agitated. I fear he will bash in the front door control panel."

Tony groaned again and he felt Loki stir beside him. "Let him in. Tell him I'm coming down."

"Thank you, sir."

Tony snorted at the curt reply from Jarvis. The tint to the windows returned. Tony blinked his eyes a few times before they focused again in the softer light. He turned to look at Loki just waking up. The man must be in one hell of a happy sex coma. Tony beamed with pride at the thought. He pressed a kiss to Loki's forehead and whispered softly, "You stay here, hm? Rest up for when I get back?" He squeezed Loki's ass and got a happy, sleepy giggle from the man.

He pressed another kiss to the man's forehead and slid away from him with a grunt, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

Loki stretched out an arm toward him as he got up. "Where are you going?" he murmured, still looking half awake. Loki's bangs fell forward over his face and he smiled coyly up at him from the bed.

Fuck the man was sex on two legs.

"We've got unexpected company. I'll be right back, baby. Just let me get rid of them."

Loki pouted from the bed as Tony tugged on a new pair of black sweatpants and a thin tank top that the arc's light glowed through from behind. "I'd rather have you right here instead…" Loki purred, his outstretched hand brushing over Tony's side of the bed.

"Oh sweet cheeks you have no idea how much I'd rather be there right now," Tony hummed back at him, bending to steal a kiss from Loki as he tied the cord in his sweatpants. They parted with a smack of their lips and he promised, "Be right back."

He could feel Loki's gaze on him as he stepped out of the bedroom, a gaze not unlike an indignant cat upset over being left behind. Tony smiled and headed downstairs humming to himself.

"You look happy. Nice nap?" Steve instantly snapped at him the moment he spotted Tony. The man was in modern camouflage military attire, which was a little odd but somehow suited the living GI Joe.

Tony padded barefoot into the living room and brushed fingers through his hair in a hopeless attempt to try and fix it. "The fuckin' best nap I've had in a long damn time," he answered truthfully. He crossed the room and left Steve behind as he walked to the kitchen. He could hear the man's heavy boots following after him. It was definitely time for lunch. Maybe something he could eat off Loki's stomach… He opened the fridge and went digging for the frozen cheesecake in the back. He tossed it onto the counter to defrost some and looked through the various boxes of takeout food in his fridge for something still edible. He pulled out a box and opened it, inspecting the contents.

"Jarvis tried to wake you up for like ten minutes," Steve accused, arms folded over his chest as he stood in the entryway to the kitchen. "I got a little worried."

"How sweet," Tony sighed and set the box aside, mentally marking it as a maybe, before he went to open another box. "Pepper call you? What the hell did you do, fly out on a sonic jet?"

"I was on base in San Diego."

"Now there's a winner of a vacation. Weren't you going to hit some beach somewhere?"

"I got bored."

"It's called finding some company, old man. Flirt with a local girl for once and defrost that-"

"Where is he?" Steve cut him off.

"Upstairs." He made a face at the box he'd opened and instantly turned to toss it into the trash behind him. That was a firm no go. He glanced to Steve as he turned back to the fridge. The man looked crestfallen. Tony paused and raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"He was upstairs with you?"

For a split second Tony weighed the possibility of lying to the man. He could hide this. They had separate bedrooms. Steve was merely jumping to obvious conclusions, since he probably saw their tossed aside clothes in the living room. Loki had it so bad for him he'd probably go along with the lie. Yet the thought was quickly tossed aside. If Loki was a woman he wouldn't hide him, rough history or not. To hell with everyone else, they could think whatever they wanted.

The chain of thought took Tony just a moment before he nodded firmly, accepting the idea. He looked back to the fridge to grab another box of takeout, "He's probably still pouting that I left him alone in the bed but Captain America himself decided to bust in on our sex coma so what ya gonna do?"

Steve's jaw dropped open as he gaped at Tony's blunt response.

Tony sniffed at the old pasta and seemed to remember he had it the night before last. It still smelled good. He decided on it and reached for a plate to reheat it. "Really Cap'n, you're in the military, this shouldn't come as such a big damn surprise."

"You date women," Steve said pointedly, before he rushed to add, "And usually not ones that tried to kill you a week ago."

Tony barked a laugh at the comment and tossed the plate full of pasta into the sleek microwave to reheat. He looked back at Steve. "We're workin' through that and making some real progress. Did you know he's really blue all over? Like a Smurf?"

Steve gave him the same blank expression Loki had given him at the pop culture reference. God could he get someone from his time period and/or planet to get his jokes? Steve shook his head, "Pepper said you're looking after him? Mentoring him? Why didn't you contact SHIELD when he first showed up here? How do you even know he's really mortal? He could have escaped Thor and bewitched you."

"Is that Pepper's theory? I'm bewitched?" Tony snickered and leaned back against the counter, arms crossing his chest defensively as he took in Steve. "It started out as a little tough love and mentoring, ya. He's got some issues. Clearly. But don't we all? He's been straight with me, discussions wise anyway." He winked at Steve and the man paled some. Tony sighed and went on, "I didn't contact SHIELD because I don't trust them. What would they do to him? Lock him up somewhere nice and clean? Probably not. They'd work him over for information on the Chitauri and anything else they could get out of him. He's here to learn humility and empathy and ya, I don't see him learning anything but hate stuck in a shit hole like that. I'm not doing that to him."

"No. Apparently you'd rather bed him."

Tony couldn't help a smile at the disgusted look on Steve's face. "Don't be jealous, grandpa." The microwave chimed and he turned to retrieve the plate, not bothering to grab a fork as he took the boxed cheesecake in his other hand. "And as you can see I'm just fine and dandy so you can go back to doing pushups in San Diego, m'kay?"

"No," Steve said firmly. Tony stopped in front of him blocking the way out of the kitchen. "He's using you. He's seducing you to keep him safe. Can't you see that?" Tony rolled his eyes but Steve continued, "Let's say you're right and Thor sent him here and he's really telling you all about his past and everything else. What happens when he gets his powers back? Huh? He's gonna stay a meek little puppy dog doing whatever you ask still, is that it?"

"He's really more like a kitten," Tony started to joke but Steve narrowed his gaze on him. Tony sobered up as he answered, "We'll cross that bridge when it happens."

"You're ridiculous," Steve hissed at him.

Tony's gaze turned hard as he stepped in closer to Steve and snapped, "Let's just all remember that this is my life and I can sleep with whoever I want to. Maybe things will go horribly fucking wrong when this is all said and done with but it's my call and you can just get the hell out of my house."

Steve kept his gaze a long moment more before he backed away, stepping aside and letting Tony pass by with his food.

The sound of a helicopter reverberated through the house as it did a slow and low fly by. Tony came to a stop in the living room, glancing out of the large array of windows to his right. He could see the black chopper looping across the ocean to face his house again. "You motherfucking asshole," he snarled. He turned around to forcefully throw the food at Steve just behind him. He leapt away from the man and called out. "Jarvis! Get Loki up and dressed for flight."

"He is awake and dressing as we speak, sir."

Tony rushed headlong down the stairs to his lab.

"Who do you think Pepper called, Tony?" Steve shouted, following after him. "I was the closest agent to your house."

"And like the good soldier boy you are, you did just like they asked and drilled me for info." Tony got the door to his lab open with a shove but was too slow to slam the door shut behind him to lock out Steve.

The man plowed in after him, "They had to know how compromised you were and if you'd give him up willingly."

"Fuck you, Steve. Fuck. You." He reached for the Mark VII bracelets off his desk, getting one on before he ducked a punch from Steve and leapt from the super soldier. He caught a flash of movement just above them and rolled away as Dummy dropped his robotic arm down between them, his clamp swiftly reaching for Steve's left arm in a move that surprised the man. Dummy hefted him up by the arm and dangled him just off the ground. Steve threw a swing toward the robot but missed as it swung him backwards.

Steve grunted and for the moment ignored the robot as he looked back to Tony and pleaded, "Just calm down and let SHIELD take care of it. He's not worth all this!"

Tony slapped the other bracelet on and stood upright, glaring at Steve as he heard the suit rev up behind him. "You have no idea what he's worth." He set his jaw and snapped, "Deploy!"

The suit leapt forward, suiting him up in a matter of seconds as it estimated where his body was in relation to the bracelets he held at his sides. He took off the instant the visor flipped down and the suit booted up. He flew past Steve struggling with Dummy and up the flight ramp out of his house, then took a sharp turn to face the building. He meant to break through one of his windows to get to Loki and then take the man as far away from here as he could.

The helicopter had landed on his rooftop, the blades still spinning, but his gaze wasn't on the would-be-swat-team trying to get into his house. His gaze was drawn to just above the chopper. A clearly not human ship floated just above the oblivious men on his roof. It was reminiscent of a metallic reptile and the dark material of it stayed ominously black in the setting daylight. He'd seen something far larger when he'd pointed the nuke up the portal. The idiots had led the Chitauri straight to Loki.

"Fuck me," he gasped and rushed headlong into the windows of his house, crashing through into the bedroom. He slammed into the far wall but rolled up onto his feet. Loki gaped at him. The man was in Loki's old boots, a pair of black Stark branded sweatpants, and a dark leather jacket Tony recognized from his own closet. Good enough. He reached for the man and shouted through the helmet, "Time to go." He wrapped an arm around him and took off back out of the hole he'd created coming in, making sure not to hit anything on the way out with Loki in his arm.