With a full glass of wine and the bottle, in Tony steps, sends a smile Loki's way towards the bathtub striding. Contended Loki moans accepts the glass offered, swings it back takes a large gulp intended for replication till he found the bottom. Then he felt Tony touch him, graze his forehead, push wet strands of hair back as he knelt by him down, settled then to caress with his thumb Loki's temple and Loki looked at him. Weary greens caught a smile that reached not the browns failing to conceal the concern they were feeling that Loki did not desire seeing, nor to have Tony for him feel it.

"I'm fine," he said sincerely enough that it was impressively believable.

Not to Tony in the least.

But his smile at Loki widened, more heartfelt, and like in indisputable certainty he says to him: "You will be," more tenderly, reassuringly added: "It's okay not to be right now." Loki's passive face unraveled and the impact of the words on him was perceptible.

Tony tilted up, put his hand to Loki's cheek, pressed a kiss to his temple sweetly, leaned back paused when Loki gripped his wrist, didn't speak and Tony didn't wait. "Want me to get in the tub with you?" he smirked teaseful and Loki smiled, grateful Tony understood,

of course he understood.

Quick-stripping in Tony climbed as Loki put his glass aside and shifted, sat his back to Tony's chest as the latter settled through the warm, foamed water.

Swiftly Tony pulled him closer, wrapped around him his arms and lightly squeezed. Loki lolled back his head onto to Tony's shoulder and Tony kissed his jaw, his neck, nestled there shut his eyes as Loki's closed and they breathed, Loki unintendedly in his arms very promptly relaxing.

For several minutes Tony just holds him quietly, runs his hands over Loki's chest and arms, trails sporadic, brief kisses where his lips could reach interrupting each time Loki's thoughts that tried tireless toppling backwards.

His senses trailed in and out, sought on occasion Tony's heartbeat, stumbled often scowling at the discourse proceeding below, then from beside them commotion.

"Someone's in the room," he said sluggishly. Tony frowned, called alerted:

"Jar?"

"It is Barb, sir. Doing as you requested."

"Right." Features ease he tells Loki calmly: "She's moving all your stuff in. Figured it was about time, you know," he kissed the side of Loki's head and at the notion Loki smiled on impulse faintly. He tilted half-conscious his face Tony's way and Tony captured with his lips his warmly, skimmed over Loki's throat fingers featherily. Into the kiss Loki leaned, closed over Tony's second hand his and up further pushed against him.

Worry floods again Tony caught off guard. He takes a slow, calming breath, bans his hands from gripping Loki harder not to signal his distress that no sooner's run over by a rapidly rising surge of protective sense.

It needn't be so intense. Loki's in his arms and nothing, no one, would all but graze the tip of his nails.

[I got you.]

Loki wanted nothing but to stay there that way forever, think of nothing feel nothing but Tony.

But the ghosts of his past had other plans, dragged down his mind that clung to Tony's felt, solid touch like a life-line,

his voice that tells him they're still on the surface.

"How did you even hear her?" later abruptly Tony'd thought to ask, and a half-vigilant fraction in Loki argued on responding, shooed off and Loki listless answered:

"...I guess it's what you'd term as. A heightened sense of hearing."

"Yeah?" Tony is not as surprised as he supposed he'd be hearing that. Perhaps he always knew it, asked more curious: "...How far can you hear?"

"Several floors down," Loki said blandly; Tony's eyes widen slightly.

"Really?" The concern coming in his voice Loki predicts and acknowledges the source. "...So you hear. People talking?"

"When I choose to." Tony worries if at one point or another Loki might've heard him say something that would've upset him, ruffling futilely through pages scripted since Loki's arrival when the latter interrupts speaks again more in spite himself: "...Right now it appears I'm all the talk." The queries tossed aback, triggered aggravation Tony hasteful tamed, quenched the spurring urge to down storm and knock everyone out silent, gave Loki above all his attention.

"Hey," knuckles brushed over Loki's cheek Tony spoke to him softly, said quietly: "Don't listen. Doesn't matter what they're saying, what they think; it doesn't matter."

How Loki wished it didn't.

How he wished he wouldn't care.

But always, no matter how fierce this desire, how he acted, what he said what he told himself,

it always did.

"…I know how much it took out of you," Tony tugs him back. "I'm…" what comes to him that he next decides to say stuns Loki to the core.

"I'm proud of you…For telling the truth." Tremendously overwhelmed Loki in his arms turned. Greens found browns,

and Loki told him instantly:

"I love you."

Taken so profoundly Tony's breath caught

before swiftly it'd raced impetuous off his tongue:

"I love you too."

Loki hadn't a second to this absorb when Tony's mouth came onto his crashing,

as did relief.

In his chest that sour recurring sting of doubt alleviated, painfully so that his face'd furrowed.

He moved straddled Tony, grabbed urgent his face kissed him hard, kept locked their lips; they kissed for so long devouring each other. Hands gripped, squeezed, unwittingly bruised. They didn't feel it didn't care, were breathless getting dizzy still refused to part, longing to express beyond words, beyond reason how real and immeasurable the love they felt for one another was.

When alas they broke the kiss panting rigorous, searched hasting for each other's eyes seeking validation, confirming now, reality, that love that they claimed feeling. Their eyes reflect it, speak it loudly

always have,

clear as day they see it now; in haste again their lips had met, a kiss as fierce and ravished mouths relentless locked break only as Loki'd rolled his hips and in pleasure Tony'd sighed, again kissed him, kissed his neck, kissed his chest, rocked up into him watched pleasure in pink flush snow-white skin, felt asudden Loki tight unready around him cried in caution at the shout, expression of pain on Loki's face shut eyes that when at him opened, burned with such want and passion,

and he moved, not waiting and Tony's thought-line shattered as pleasure claimed him, took Loki in so confounding a way because Tony had never before seen him this unrestrained, surrendered every ounce of control let go completely. So hypnotic the sounds that left him drove Tony mad that his own voice he bit down just to listen, tore not his eyes for a second from Loki's face watched every twist every felicitous expression, watched him leap off the edge,

and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever witnessed.

Wholly drained in the waters that had everywhere splattered they sat panting softly, Loki in his lap still head on Tony's shoulder resting arms around him as Tony holds him unreleasing, replayed in his mind every moment, over Loki's ear whispered: "I love you," gripped him stronger and so warmed, so immeasurably elated Loki smiled, pulled back cupped his face kissed his cheek told him again:

"I love you," then in his lips took his in a soft, tender kiss that moved Tony so his heart from joy was floating. Greens gazed at him in them such content but he saw too how he was worn, out the tub led him and they toweled each other down smiles unwaning, left made to dress in the room now theirs and it was felt how between them things had boundlessly deepened, when alas the truth was spoken.