Ask Loki what is home and he'll say it's a structure where within you needn't keep an eye constant on your back, where all you own stands yours alone locked unbothered, a place to sit for a thoughtless beat or three.

He hasn't known home in a long time nearly he forgets the term.

To discover to this word a new meaning without complete awareness, to sit at the extent of this foreign, wholesome content, by whom it seems

is all he needs.

…

At the time he hadn't the right state of mind to acknowledge how cold and dull the lab so void of life had been when for the first time alone he'd stepped in…

He's back now, he's real and it's clear no image will ever do, nothing will fill those shoes.

Now he doesn't think, but inside he knows.

He must find a way.

Any way.

Whatever it will take.

…

He cannot lose him.

"How did you even-" Tony starts, halting that dire train of thoughts as he turns facing Loki. On the platform they sat sipping coffee as the former evaluated the conditions of Marks 40 and 42, talking on to Jarvis or himself before Loki. "I put this in the back," Mark 40. "You'd have to pull it up, and Jarvis wouldn't-"

"Take orders from me?" retorted slyly. "He didn't," leaning forth the humor fades and his face resolves gaze falling. With a hand he waves and vastly Tony's startled when a double of his comes to light, literally. "He took them from you," said somberly Tony notes it not as he rolls closer to the smirking illusion looking down at his seated self, touching where his hand goes through its stomach and the whole figure flickers like a faltering projection showing green light where he made contact.

"...O-kay...That's, uh..." Brows raise, he pulls his hand away and the figure dissipates.

"A flaw in your defenses," Loki sighs, sitting back and he's not sure why he speaks explaining, sensible he shouldn't and to keep the advantage, but more just then there's the urge deafly he gives into to hold not back a word, keep nothing from him. "So long as he can see and hear you, he'll do whatever you demand of him. However. He did take notice of your lack of thermal radiation, given it is only an image. If you were to emphasize this as a must in his recognition system, you should bypass easily the defect."

Absorbing the information in bits it dawns on Tony too, to wonder why Loki would tell and even advise him on how to rectify this exploitation.

To speak of Asgard and its assets was one matter – and as well he'd pondered then why to his every question an answer was met so willing, so nontypically unambiguous and direct – another matter it is entirely for Loki for once to describe his magic, one rather dubious trick at that, and certainly handy, let alone divulging how precisely to counter its effects.

…There's an answer quite obvious and of it he smiles softly.

Their trust in one another was reaching an entirely new level and he best get used to many more unforeseen revelations.

As at this point there was nothing it seemed he'd be unwilling all the same or reluctant to tell Loki…

To his hands he looks down, mutters thoughtfully: "Huh," looks up then smirking cheekily. "And keep you from pulling off another epic rescue?" Loki smiles, but it fades rather quickly, eyes fixing to the sweetened contents of his mug.

"…There's a dozen other ways I could've made it to Tennessee. Easiest of all being that I could've gone to Thor and just asked him to take me along. He'd have consented perhaps a little too eagerly," [man I can hear that happening,] "and none of the others could've opposed him if they wanted to." [God, I can just see it.

Clint's like: 'heck no!' and then Thor's like 'da fuck d'you just say to me?'] He'd laugh instead he's smirking slyly contemplating the cause to Thor's avid assent to such a request.

Sooner caught in asking: "So why didn't you?" He rolls closer in his chair to Loki's, smile expanding. "Wanted to be my knight in shining armor, that it?" Loki widely smirks leaning forward so their faces are apart just centimeters.

"…Would it be so bad?" admitting then truly it's the main reason he'd come alone and to Tony it means althemore.

"Bad?" [I've always been my own hero, Lokes…

This is a very nice change of pace…] "No," he shakes his head getting closer. "It was the. Exact opposite. Of bad," grinning languidly he moves for a kiss. Loki cups his chin, taking in his lips, then again, then for a second their mouths apart remain an inch and their eyes closed, savoring the touch of one another, the air they shared between them.

Then their eyes meet and in Tony's a coy gleam, he smiles saying: "You know, we should make you. A Loki-exclusive set of armor." Loki grins shaking his head enthralled by how that running mind stays restless, always thinking, always needing to create.

"I told you, love. They don't suit me." If anything he was sure this would only be considered to his lover a dare.

"No, no. Not based on my usual designs. Something entirely different," he falls back rolling to his desk facing Loki still. "Like an upgrade. Made a few of those for the rest of the guys. Except your brother, and uh. Banner. What can I do there?" he chuckles, Loki smirks. "What'd you say? A chest plate, multi-functional gauntlets, a new helmet?"

"…Tell you what…Surprise me." At this the inventor all but beams.

"Oh, ho ho. You got it."

XXX

Many times Barton had been warned not to jest in his reports and maintain a formal, objective perspective. This does not classify the agent as unprofessional at all, it's only that – like Nat, Maria, Phil – he'd grown rather fond of the director, and likewise. A mutual respect that never quite went past an acquaintance. One could never go much further with Nick, and it's not that he didn't care. It's that caring in this business was a risky hazard, a weakness that could be prod at or exploited with a well-placed hit; he kept his distance, yet never firmly draws a line.

It had cracked him up reading one line in a past report on Loki with Clint saying that much of the time he might as well be sitting in Tony's lap. Never mind the obvious exaggeration, in a more literal drift he understands it's only rational that Loki would opt to perch closer to the Stark than the others, than even his brother, seeking perhaps a sense of security given the others' disdain, and his dislike for Thor.

Clearly now it was more a matter of affection than anything else. He enters the lab and he sees there atop the platform they sit facing him each, the back of Loki's chair fixed to the side of Tony's as the former's legs rest atop one desk.

"Hello, Nick," says cynically the Stark. "Has the jury made a decision? Which, I should warn you, may or may not be entirely disregarded," sits back, and in his chair Loki turns, legs descend and his elbow settling on the surface with a fist beneath his chin, he's smirking smugly.

"…It's nothing personal Tony," Fury starts, "but just so we're on the same page, if your boyfriend over there," unclear if that were serious or sarcastic, "proves to be a threat – yet again – to the safety of this planet," [*exasperatedly rolls eyes*] "and you're on his side, I will not hesitate to take you down just as well." [I'm sure not, Nick.

Cause we're all just pawns in your little troop, aren't we?] Tony's lips curl then he shrugs. "Didn't expect otherwise, Nicky," contempt is there as there is in Loki's eyes that upon him are glaring.

But they don't know…

Best he tries he cannot at heart remain unfazed, unaffected.

Sense not sentiment.

Yet it's pride he feels for how far Nat has come. Such fear and sorrow watching helpless the loss of Clint's mind, such relief at his return. Shared concern for them both residing with Loki, the same Loki that had failed to kill Phil – that man, his right hand, such grief seeped in believing for minutes he was gone truly.

And Tony.

This one, in his eyes this boy. Had confounded him really, because…

What it is is unprecise. Logically he'll think perhaps as Howard's son it's a sense of duty he might be leaning towards, in a way to look after him.

And has he made this difficult.

To vanish for three long months, reemerge the world's next hero

and a hero he was…

His genius was undoubted but his priorities weren't right, at first. His potential was great, but he was…broken, beat down and more or less just…alone. So near giving up Nick got him on his feet, and maybe then he was no hero but at least he was well.

Then comes the war and diving in he makes that sacrifice, he saves them all…

Tony couldn't be more wrong in thinking he mattered to Nick so little, no more than an object thing, a tool,

no.

…Inside Nick knows he can't, what he says he'll do without blinking inside he knows if ever he's forced it'd be the end of his days as a 'protector,' a shield.

Who's he protecting if at this boy he must shoot?

So heartedly he hopes about Loki Tony is as right as Clint once was about Nat.

To this Loki says: "And had you made similar threats to Barton when he brought in Agent Romanoff?" It's a beat for Nick to respond.

"…He understood the risks well when he brought her in. If she'd gone wrong he'd have killed her himself-"

"So he says," Tony cuts in. "Said, whatever. He couldn't do it the first time, d'you really think he can now?" He's right and Nick knows, still he denies this intently hoping if ever the dreaded day comes for either both he or Clint would make the right call,

…a futile wish, he knows. Still he says:

"It was never a matter of ability, it was his certainty in believing that she could do more good than harm that he decided she was worth a second shot. She did not waste that chance." He's looking at Loki pointedly then and he's saying: "…You better not waste yours, cause you're not getting a third."

Loki couldn't care less on talk of chances, what he does – it's not his aim, there's nothing he's trying to prove he's doing what he wants to do, whatever the reasons and this is what troubles most so.

It's not a sense of right nor the need to make amends, clear his conscience. Solely to say he'll only be of use so long as Tony matters to him otherwise likely he'll return to his old ways.

On this Tony would argue long and hard, but who would listen? Too biased to take his words to mind, too involved emotionally to discern the logic in them if there was any; does he speak only on instinct and some inner belief?

"Right, so by said chance," he says dismissively, "you mean to say he's on," added eagerly it's noted. There's the urge in Loki to roll his eyes for like he's said and it was believed well the team to him mattered not in the least, to remember the suggestion to join so comical at first and who had made it? Why then had Tony made that unreasonable recommendation?

He remembers and just as well it's why he wants to smile. Yet in truth it remains the only reason he'll accept sits beside him, not to meet his wish,

but to be there, to his side, constantly.

And maybe they see this, maybe Nick would. His judgement calls for caution, instinct follows Tony's for like him in Loki he sees potential, good potential. But these thoughts that yes he claims and acts on inside are blurred by concern, for this boy so stubborn and insistent – what if he's wrong? What if they both are?

He doesn't want to think what may happen, to Tony, and because of him should truly they be.

With a certain disdain, he stands confirming: "…He's on."