That night, they sleep together in Tony's room, instead of going straight back to Berkeley. Jarvis has agreed to stay in the house until Howard is well enough to come back, but he keeps out of their way and they don't make much noise. Loki stays awake long after Tony, and looks down at him, at the way his soft brown hair is splayed messily over the pillow. He softly kisses the warm skin on Tony's shoulder and thinks how lucky he is, how goddamn lucky.
In the morning, they wake up wrapped around each other, like old times. "Morning, Shakespeare," Tony mumbles, smiling and kissing Loki's forehead, and Loki doesn't even try to fight the warmth that spreads through his chest like wildfire. They pack up their clothes from yesterday and Tony grabs a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt for himself from his closet, while Loki slips into the slacks and emerald green button-down he brought with him. They don't say much, but then they don't have to.
Breakfast is sweet rolls and milk with a note from Jarvis saying 'good luck for the rest of the semester; see you boys at Christmas!' Loki raises his eyebrows at Tony, an unspoken question on his face, and Tony sighs.
"At this point I don't even know if I'm going to want to see the bastard for Christmas," he says. "I mean… for Christ's sake, he didn't even want to see me in the hospital. His own son," and the sadness in his voice is masked with hatred. He clenches his fists against the table and Loki doesn't push him further, although he does wonder where they will be spending Christmas since his house is obviously out and he doubts that either of them could afford a hotel room for that long.
On the ride back to Berkeley, Tony seems to perk up some, fiddling with the radio until something comes on that satisfies both of them—orchestral covers of classic rock songs. They keep their hands twined together between them, a small smile playing on Loki's face. Twice, Loki's phone buzzes in his pocket, but he ignores it.
They park the car in the garage and walk back to the campus, and there they are greeted by Steve and Phil, who happen to be walking up at the same time they are. Steve's eyes dart between them, where they're holding hands; his lips quirk up and he says:
"So you guys are back together, then?"
For an answer, Loki leans against Tony, and Tony makes a face that is caught between affection and something deeper, something Steve cannot identify. Phil smiles, and makes a comment about how they look good together ("we always look good, Coulson," is Tony's response, and Loki just rolls his eyes and laughs) and then they say goodbye and move on.
Clint is stretched across a bench outside the dormitory, with Natasha sitting beside him, drinking something that's sending steam into the frosty air, her red hair hanging around her face. Clint nudges Natasha when he sees Tony and Loki, and Natasha glances up.
"Well, it's about time," she says with a grin. "Don't fuck up this time, okay guys?"
Tony raises an eyebrow. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Romanoff."
Natasha shrugs and goes back to her drink; she looks like she's trying not to laugh. Clint props himself up on one elbow and says:
"Congratulations, guys," and then, to Natasha, he adds, "Way to start them off, Tasha."
His yelps of surprised pain follow a laughing Loki and Tony as they walk away.
On the ride up to the third floor, Tony leans in and kisses Loki, slowly, because he can, pressing him against the chrome polished sides of the elevator. Loki's phone buzzes a third time but both of them are too concerned with the way the other tastes to pay attention to it.
"Let's go on a date," Loki suggests, when they've put their stuff up in their dorm room. "Something simplistic. Coffee, perhaps?"
Tony smiles. "You just can't wait to get on with that coffee, can you, Shakespeare?" He lightly nudges Loki, who just shakes his head, smiling also. They are nearly out the door when Tony stops; presses Loki against the wall; kisses him, harder than before, with a strange undercurrent of desperation and longing. He runs his fingers through Loki's hair, capturing his lips between his own, like it's the first time. When he pulls away from him, there's a heaviness in his eyes, something deep and passionate that Loki has never seen before.
"Loki," he says, voice hoarse. "I—" And then he stops, clears his throat. Loki looks at him, confused.
"You… what?" he prompts, but Tony just shakes his head. His smile is still there, but it's faltering slightly.
"Nothing," he says. "C'mon, let's go get that drink." They head out together, fingers intertwined, and Loki figures he can forget that whole strange incident ever happened.
They have nearly reached the street when a voice behind them booms, "Brother!" and Loki physically winces, managing an eye roll and an exasperated sigh before Thor's hand clasps itself onto his shoulder. He and Tony turn, and Thor beams at both of them. (Bruce, standing next to him, just looks a little sheepish and offers Tony a small smile and a 'good job Tony'.)
"Did you not receive my texts?" Thor asks Loki, and Loki glances sideways at Tony and shakes his head. Thor shrugs, mutters something about his phone being broken, and Tony laughs a little, smothering it with a cough.
"So I received news that the two of you are a couple again," Thor is saying (actually really yelling).
Loki nods, and a tiny, genuine smile forms on his face. It's about the fiftieth smile he's had on today, and it feels strange, after being miserable for so long. "We got back together yesterday," he says.
"I am very, very happy for you, brother," says Thor, but then he turns to Tony, and although he's still smiling, it's taken on a different edge, and Tony finds himself backing up a step.
"Anthony," says Thor. "I am most pleased that you and my brother have taken the initiative and rejoined yourselves into a relationship. But know this: if you harm Loki, if you hurt him the way Thanos did, or if you find yourself repeating the incidents of two years ago, I will personally see to your death. I have not done right by my brother in the past, but I wish that to change, and it will start now."
Tony swallows, glances at Loki. To his surprise, Loki doesn't look pissed off, or annoyed; actually, he's smiling at Thor, and Thor is smiling back, and it's the most familial intimacy Tony's ever experienced around them. He can see the happiness literally radiating off the elder Odinson, although whether it's happiness at Loki's new relationship or happiness at his brother not snapping his head off, Tony isn't sure.
Then Thor's clasping his shoulder. "Do you understand me, Anthony?" he asks.
"Yeah, I got the message, Big Guy," Tony grunts, and Thor nods and releases him.
"Be good to my brother," he says. "Perhaps someday you shall become part of our family. Now please excuse me, as I have to go find Jane and inform her of the news," and with a last, parting wave, he walks off. Bruce sends Tony one last grin, one that clearly says good luck with all that, and walks off as well.
Loki watches Thor walking off. He's really not that bad of a guy, his older brother. Ever since the incident with Thanos before Thanksgiving, Loki's been developing a newfound respect for Thor. (Not that he'd ever admit it to himself or to anyone else, but even so, it's nice to know that maybe one day he can actually learn to love his adoptive sibling.)
"Hey," says Tony suddenly, worriedly, breaking Loki out of his reverie. "You don't really think Thor is gonna kill me, do you?"
Loki laughs softly, pressing his fingers down against Tony's forearm. "Just make sure you don't break my heart, and I think we'll be okay." It's meant as a joke, and they both know it, but there's a weight behind the words, and Tony swallows hard as he and Loki cross the street and head into the coffee shop.
He finds himself wondering if there will ever come a day when their past won't emerge between them at least once, like a dark, hissing, evil snake.
A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize for the length of this chapter. I know it's really, really short, and I was trying to avoid that, but this is a filler chapter, because there's Big Incidents coming up and I didn't want to jump straight into that, because then the flow would be all fucked up. (Also I figured everyone deserved some fluff.)
Secondly, I would like to apologize for the time it's taken me to update. I'm struggling with writing lately, I don't know why. But the next one should be out sooner because it's angst again and that's easier for me to write.
That being said, thank you all for your support!