After Tony was released from the hospital he was grilled by Fury, but they were soon interrupted by Steve, who took one look at Tony and sent him to bed. Tony, pale and sweating from the pain of his injuries and the interview so soon after nodded gratefully and went to his room with very little argument. That action alone drew curious looks from Fury and Steve both before Steve rounded on Fury.
"With all respect sir, Tony needs his rest. I know you weren't thinking with a clear head when you sent him out there alone. We have no idea what could have caused Loki to defend Tony and bring him back to the tower." He said in a slightly reprimanding tone.
"I had assumed Stark could handle his own shit with a villain like that. The man did this just to be a pain in the ass, I'm sure of it." Fury finished talking and sent a glare at the door which Tony had made his escape from.
Steve looked at Fury after he had finished his tirade and wasn't sure whether to laugh or glare. "Alright. Well then, I would appreciate it, no matter what happens, if you always sent out a second team member as back up. I'll tell the rest of them as well. They deserve to know." With a nod to Fury, Steve turned and walked out of the room where Fury and Tony had been interviewing, going back to the Tower.
Loki smirked in the shadows. A silent bravo to the Captain he thought to himself before vanishing. Reappearing in Stark's suite, still invisible, he saw the empty bed and waited for the door to open. It did, and the man he was waiting for stumbled through, barely managing to close the door before stumbling to the bed with a pained grunt. Loki waited a few seconds then stepped forward to see what he was doing. Stark was fast asleep, face still slightly etched with pain, but otherwise relaxed. Loki stared down at him for a few seconds with confusion evident in his eyes before disappearing again.
For the next few days, Nick Fury was in a terrible temper, not being able to find anything he wanted where he had last seen it or where he had last set it down.
"Who the fucking hell keeps touching and moving my things?!" He roared when he couldn't find a terribly important official document. Laughter echoed through the room, and then it was gone. Fury shooked his head and muttered something about hiring a babysitter before stalking off.
It wasn't long after Tony had been injured that Loki began to contemplate his feelings for the man. The horror he had felt upon seeing Tony so grievously injured had given him plenty of reason to realize everything wasn't as it had been. He briefly gave thought to ending their affair, then shrugged that thought off, not being able to bear thinking about letting go of that anchor that kept him from falling off the edge sometimes. He decided to give it time and see how Tony acted around him.
His first visit after glimpsing him when he got back from the hospital and Fury's interview was brief. He appeared silently, invisible, at Tony's bedside one night. Tony was asleep, breathing hitching every so often. Loki watched as he rolled, breath expelling rapidly in a pained grunt before he sat up with a gasp. The god stood silently as Stark glanced around in confusion before slumping back on the bed, asleep within seconds.
Walking to the other side of the bed, the one that he usually claimed(and refused to call his), Loki lay down with a sigh, eyes still trained on the man beside him when he made himself visible. Tony didn't move at the weight that moved the bed, but once Loki lay down, he found himself dragged closer, until Stark was spooning him from behind.
Loki froze, body still, until Tony gave a snore, still asleep and oblivious to what he had done. He relaxed oh so slowly, before grabbing the hand wrapped around his waist and closing his eyes. Green magic trickled through their linked hands for a few minutes until Loki's eyes flew open with a gasp and the green flow stopped. He lay shaking for a few seconds before Tony's arm tightened around him.
It was then that Loki realized it was more than just the release of sex for him when it came to the funny relationship between him and Stark. He also acknowledged that it had been that way for a couple weeks, from shortly before Stark got injured, and that he had refused to let his consciousness tell him the truth. He was willing to drain himself continually to aid this mortal, and in all his years of liaisons, that level of attachment rarely, if ever, happened. Perhaps he would extend himself if asked, but never without expecting thanks or acknowledgement, and while he didn't doubt Stark would connect the dots when he healed faster than normal, Loki did it privately, when the man didn't have a chance to thank him. He sighed, slightly disgusted with himself for not seeing it sooner before shifting to get comfortable for a few hours.
Tony woke up with a dry mouth, wondering vaguely why he remembered cuddling with someone when he knew no one had been in his bed. He stopped short as he thought of Loki. Perhaps... nah. What would the god be doing visiting him when he wasn't available to have sex?
The thought gave Tony pause. Part of Tony's excellent avoidance of emotional connection was knowing exactly when to break it off, by keeping in tune with his emotions. This time though, Loki had snuck under his defenses. He didn't like at all the thought of having to end whatever it was they had. The god meant much more to Tony then he should, and Tony felt an odd calmness as he acknowledged that fact to himself.
/*/*/*/*/*/
Three days later, Loki dropped in during the day, catching Tony just as he was about to step out of the shower. Loki watched as he did so, heart clenching at the way he moved so gingerly, as well as the obvious evidence of his many injuries. Tony glanced up and caught sight of him, stopping in his tracks.
"Long time no see," Tony drawled to cover his shock and nervousness. The team had told him that Loki had brought him back, and Tony hadn't known what to think of that. Loki only nodded to his comment before stepping forward and tracing the bruising over his ribs. He remembered healing at least three of them. Tony hissed in pain, and Loki looked up.
"They are still so tender?" He asked.
Tony nodded with a wince. "Yeah, tends to make doing anything that involves my stomach muscles a pain to deal with."
Loki frowned and laid a gentle hand over Tony's stomach, green pooling in his hand before sinking into Tony's skin. Watching with wide eyes, Tony didn't have words to describe the feeling, only that he was beyond freaked out by it. There was a hot than icy sensation and he gasped for breath.
Loki stumbled back, slightly paler than he had been when he came. Tony narrowed his eyes at him in concern, reaching out a hand to steady the god. "Don't do that." he said abruptly.
Loki's gaze flew to him. "Don't heal you? Whyever not?"
Tony scowled, not liking the reason that came to mind. "I didn't think you cared that much, that's all," he said stubbornly.
Loki smirked at him, expression clearing. "Ah. I do not allow the concerns of others to dictate what I do, Tony Stark. You would be well advised to get used to that. I will not stop healing you, even if it does exhaust me."
Tony stared at him in amazement. Had he just heard... no... Loki wasn't trying to tell him he cared. Was he? The question went unresolved as Loki looked down past his stomach, and Tony remembered that he hadn't grabbed a towel. The god smirked, but only followed Tony out of the bathroom as he wrapped a towel around his waist.
"So, what brings you here again? To my eternal regret, I'm not quite up to our usual entertainment, but if you give me a few weeks, I'm sure I can make it up to you." Tony drawled.
Loki shook his head, not quite sure why he had come, just suddenly deciding to see how the mortal was faring after his injuries.
"Do not be concerned, that was not my reason for coming," He said coolly.
"So what was it? Oh, and the team told me how you brought me back after I was knocked out. There's been clips of it, and I didn't exactly land gently. I should have died." Tony finally said bluntly, carefully watching Loki.
"Yes, you would've, with how careless you were being." Loki hissed, eyes suddenly alight with anger at the memory, the rush of emotion he had to struggle to suppress. He felt raw, his mental state unbalanced, liable to explode with the slightest provocation.
"Yeah, I know, that was stupid of me," Tony winced, opening his mouth to continue but not before Loki erupted, turning around from where he had been pacing and spitting verbal daggers at him.
"No! It was beyond stupid of you. You should have more care for your actions. Even with that suit, you are mortal and terribly fragile. Think about the others who don't want anything to happen to you anymore than you wouldn't like to see them injured. Do they not matter?" There was an unspoken, 'Do I not matter?' in Loki's question.
Tony glanced up sharply at that. "Of course they matter!" He snarled. "The people that surround me are everything. They've pulled me back from the darkest voids of my mind, they put up with my shit, why would you think that they don't matter to me?." 'Why do you think you don't matter to me?' was strongly implied, woven in between the lines. Tony turned away as he said it, voice softening and trailing off towards the end. Loki looked at him, his mortal's shoulders were hunched as if bracing against an onslaught of emotions. He sighed softly and walked forward, touching Tony's shoulder lightly, wincing to himself when he caught the slightest flinch from the other man. Tony quickly turned around, almost seamlessly taking a step back while he did so, and throwing a big smile at Loki.
Tony opened his mouth to say something, but Loki cut him off again. "Don't." he said abruptly.
"Don't what?" Tony inquired with a touch of confusion.
"Don't throw up a wall between us. Don't start to pretend that everything is fine. Don't lie to the father of lies. It's often impossible when the liar can see what you write in between the lines."
Tony stood still for a moment, his mouth twisting in a slight grimace and his eyes flashing with too many emotions. A vulnerable expression flickered over his face, so quick Loki could barely catch it before it was gone, and then Tony was turning away from him. Loki knew that Tony was trying to walk away from the intensity of the emotions he was experiencing. That he was trying to avoid hanging himself on them, and hurting the people that he held close to himself. It was a side he rarely left exposed, but anyone, even Tony Stark, can have a chink in their armor.
"Don't turn from me Stark, not after everything I've done for you." Loki growled softly.
"Why shouldn't I? Give me one reason? One reason not to go out and try to get as wasted as I can, even with your spell on me?" Tony bit out angrily.
Loki stilled even further, his body bearing a likeness to a statue before taking deliberate steps toward the mortal who had captured his attention, and now held his affection. "You can't go out because I need you to stay here, with the people who matter to you. With your team."
"With you?" Tony inquired with a small smile, speaking the words that almost leapt out of Loki's mouth before he restrained himself, not wanting to assume anything.
"You assume much, that I would need you. I recall things a bit differently, namely you needing me."
Tony just looked at him, and unbidden, Loki's heart jerked as he saw something go dim in the mortals eyes. He cursed quietly in old Norse before sighing heavily.
"Yes, I need you." He muttered, quick and quiet. Loki looked at Tony, straight in the eyes, letting the other man know that even though he was a liar at heart, what he was saying now wasn't a lie. Tony kept him balanced, stopped him from falling prey to the many dangers of his own mind that would drive him over the edge, with no way back.
Tony's eyes softened as they stared at each other. "Fuck," he muttered softly, but then he chuckled. Loki watched him with sharp eyes, noting the defeated slump of his shoulders, and the exhaustion lining his face.
"You need your rest." He said quietly. "Your body can only take so much of my aid before it must do the rest of the healing on its own."
Tony stared at him curiously, mind processing this information. "How bad was it?" He asked softly. Loki stiffened.
"How bad was what?" He asked with a dark look towards Tony. Tony ignored it, per usual.
"How long did I have without you there when I fell?" Tony pushed, invoking the rush of memories once again. Loki gritted his teeth.
"Minutes. You had minutes to live if I hadn't been there. I will not have you die on me Stark. Remember this the next time you take a stupid risk in that suit of yours, because if I must, I will not hesitate to appear in front of your comrades to bring you back from the dead just so I can send you back to Helheim for your carelessness."
Tony's eyes widened at that. "Oh." He muttered dumbly, blown away at the fierceness he saw in the gods eyes.
Loki sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes, reminded of how exhausting healing was suddenly. "Get some sleep Tony, before I make you."
"Make me how?" Tony quipped.
"With a damn sleeping spell, that's how!" Loki snapped.
"Oh. Too bad." Tony sighed.
Loki only growled and began to mutter a teleportation spell before he was stopped by Tony.
"Wait a minute. Stay here. With me. You look as tired as I feel, and I'm guessing that's not the half of it."
Loki gazed at the mortal, his heart still beating rather unsteadily from the revelation that the feelings the man evoked in him weren't a hopeless pit of damnation, another tool for someone to use against him. Instead the man seemingly returned them, and invited him to share his bed without Loki needing to ask.
With a small nod of acquiescence, he took a few steps to the bed and collapsed into it before rolling over and watching as Tony shuffled over. He was reminded of the extent of his mortals injuries that had yet to heal, and growled at his helplessness.
Tony shot him an amused look. "Relax. This is normal mortal speed, I'm used to it."
"Don't bother me with such reassurances, it's not as if I were concerned on your behalf." Loki grumbled, turning away as Tony fell into the bed with a grunt.
Tony just smirked at his back and threw an arm over to wrap around his midsection and tug him closer.
"Tony!" Loki growled in protest.
"Oh, go to sleep Reindeer Games." Tony muttered into his shoulder blades. Loki thought about protesting the name, but sleep was calling him, and he couldn't find it in himself to resist. He scooted back closer to Tony and closed his eyes with a soft sigh.
Hello there my lovely readers! So sorry for the late update! ^^; Midterms are past, but now I have a boatload of schoolwork to catch up on, as well as the fact that I have a gap to fill in the story that needs to be written, unlike most of the other chapters, which have already been written, so bear with me these next few weeks as I attempt to hold as regular a posting schedule as possible. Also. My beta is back! Thank you TheDarkElement for helping out ^^
More to come as soon as I can manage it! Started feeling sick recently, so in between college and madly trying to drive off the germs, I'll see what I can do XD
