"Mr. Stark."

…

"Mr. Stark," louder.

"Mute," Tony mutters. The firm warmth beneath him slightly shifts and the hand on his arm squeezes lightly, then rubs up and down. Half of Tony's body lay atop Loki's, more when with eyes still stubbornly shut he nuzzles closer and Loki smiles. He turns so they're both on their sides, pulls Tony into his chest and Tony moans contentedly, pressing his ear to Loki's softly thumping heart.

Just as he had the night before, just as they'd slept the night before. Long hours they'd later be amazed by. Though their dreams were not without their daily turmoil, they were mild, as frequently they'd been, saved often from dark places by a spectral presence of one another, to wake here and find each other, real and warm and there.

It's no surprise neither sought to move, depart from the other, lose this serene tranquility, such peace in the quiet never they'd found, so unafraid to fall again to sleep.

It was beyond unappreciated, the jerking of the door as it burst open, startling them rudely. Next the lights come on and well-aware who it is so coarse and loud, Loki makes an annoyed, throaty sound. Tony thought to move, but those nearing footsteps were heavy and thudding, instantly giving away their owner's identity.

And who, Tony was suddenly quite wary of, given just whom he was very literally snuggling.

Though the way Thor had spoken of them yesterday, just what he was insinuating with perhaps too much mirth, a part of Tony thought not to worry.

The other knew that assuming and seeing are two different things, and there's always the probability that Thor was joking. This certainly wasn't laughable.

Out of caution Tony opts to stay still. He remains hidden in Loki's arms, eyes sliding shut, feigning sleep.

At the very least maybe he can slip past the awkwardness of the situation [good thing we're not naked.] The thought's amusing and isn't quickly, mentally groaning from physical frustration and it's maddening how close he and Loki were, to imagine if they were naked, just how good it would feel-

"Will you ever learn to knock?" He hears Loki say, feels the reverberation rumbling his chest and instantly his privates stiffen. Loki's voice has always enticed him, especially sounding so demanding-

"Stark, I know you're awake," Thor's gruff tone states, snapping Tony sharply out of it.

[Shit.

Ah, well. I'm nothing if not audacious.]

Tony turns, shields his eyes from the light with a hovering hand. "Oh. Hi there," he grins sheepishly.

[Huh. He's smirking.

So I guess I get to keep my head.] Loki rolls his eyes, is about to ask what Thor wants, if he wants anything at all or was just being as annoying as always, when the latter speaks up again.

"Fury is here. He wishes to speak to you both."

Tony lets his hand drop and huffs vexedly.

"Message received. You can go now," Loki says pointedly.

Thor's smirk momentarily widens, before he turns and finally takes his leave.

The second the door is shut, Tony turns and wraps tightly around Loki again, almost defiantly that Loki chuckles lightly, and if he continues with such noises the next time Thor walks in they will be naked.

Tony scoots up and buries his face in the hollow of Loki's neck, breathing him in and it's so dizzying that pure, bodily scent like morning dew, as dizzying as the hot breath against Loki's skin that he suppresses a moan and shuts his eyes closed, draping around the man his arms and rubbing the side of his face against those soft brown locks.

Could they just stay this way?

"How long do you think we can keep him waiting?" Loki asks and it lacked the humor he'd first intended. Tony takes a sharp, annoyed breath, and with what certainly wasn't humor he says:

"I'd give it about ten minutes before he walks in himself." Loki's scowls irritably.

"Wonderful," retorted with plain sarcasm.

"Remind me to put a lock on that door," said quite seriously, for if Thor hadn't barged in, they'd have been as they were untroubled.

"Oh, I will," Loki smirks. And not that it would've kept Thor out – likely that he would've simply broken it down –

but to avoid future 'what if' incidents.

…Because what if indeed…

XXX

[What's the worst that can happen?] was the attitude Tony tried to maintain after begrudgingly allowing Nick to question Loki alone.

A brown-eyed warning glare that Loki only smirks to, Tony makes for the common room clueless as to what might transpire.

There is everyone else as well, save Pepper, gathered standing around the flatscreen waiting for Loki and Nick – who were on the 92nd floor – to settle down and speak. At Tony's entry they turn. Clint smiles widely as the latter comes to a stop standing between him and Bruce. "Look who's back to the land of the living," he quips lightheartedly, patting Tony on the back.

"Hope I didn't give you boys too much trouble," Tony smirks.

"We're glad you're okay, Tony," said Steve candidly from the farther side.

Something captures Bruce's attention and he ends up staring at the man beside him, his face, that was bare of all the wounds he'd cleaned himself the night before 'what the hell?'

"So touching," Tony japes, speaking to Steve with a playful hand to his chest. The latter shakes his head and Nat rolls her eyes but they're both and everyone else is verily glad indeed.

…

He knows not how relieved they'd all truly been hearing he was well and alive, how shaken, shocked, and frantic the news had left them, how in that moment they're wondering how they'd go on normally about their lives without that witty sarcasm and that sly smirk.

They know not how much they'd grown to mean to one another…

"You broke out," Fury finally speaks, reverting their attention.