A/N: Hope you like :)

"Loki?" Tony had reached for the Omega and not found him in the bed, "Loki?"

A grunt responded in the dark – somewhere in the guest suite's corridor.

"Jarvis - lights!"

The lights came on at Tony's command, leaving him blinking for a moment or two.

"Unnngh...Tonyyy..."

And Tony was on his feet, leaping through the bedroom to the corridor. Loki lay against the wall, curled up, pyjamas wet-through with slick, heat scent practically smacking Tony in the face.

"How...?" Tony asked, "Why...?"

"I don't know," Loki whispered, "I woke up when you called my name. Gaaahhhhh. Oh Norns," Loki's breathing was rapid, his slender body shaking, "Tony, ohhhhh... please!"

Tony dropped to the floor and wrapped his arms around the thin Omega, kissing Loki lovingly, feeling that call from his Alpha instincts. Love him, that primal part of him whispered, protect him, be inside him.

Loki's fingers fumbled with the pyjama buttons, and Tony helped him, slipping the round buttons through the holes deftly. He touched the skin they had exposed gently, crushing the anger that fluttered in him when he saw the ugly bruise pattern from Clint's attack – if he lost his temper then Loki would sense it in his scent.

He caressed Loki's skin, transferring hormones and mixing their scents together sweetly. His hand moved to the Omega's waist and beneath the pyjama pants, stroking Loki's erection as the Asgardian moaned with pleasure, slick and yearning. Loki was at the mercy of the heat, eyes glazed and body needing.

Tony got up onto his knees and slid Loki's pants from his legs. He kissed the skin on the Omega's thigh, earning a shiver of pleasure from Loki. His fingers found Loki's slick entrance, stretching him gently. He hesitated when his fingers brushed against a rough patch of scar tissue where there should have been only an opening, making Loki jump slightly.

"The damage my father ordered," Loki whispered hazily, "but please Tony, don't stop."

Thinking back, Tony guessed this was not the first time he had brushed across the scarring in the course of the heat – he'd simply not paid it any attention before now, perhaps because he hadn't made contact with it so fully, provoking a physical reaction from Loki. He bit down on his anger at Odin's mutilation of his own son, pushing 'Three Blind Mice' through his head on repeat to calm himself.

"Tony," Loki whimpered, "Please!"

"Sorry baby," Tony muttered, continuing with his gentle ministrations to his lover's beautiful body, "I'm here."

They made love as if they would never do so again, hungry but tender, savouring every sensation. Loki moaned Tony's name when the Alpha penetrated him. They clung together and Tony thrust deeply, burying himself in Loki's warmth. Hands roved over skin, remembering the feel of their lover's flesh, mixing their scents, each man sighing and moaning with the pleasure of their union. Tony kissed Loki's pale neck, and the Asgardian trembled with lust and desire. Loki rested slender hands on Tony's chest, the light contact sending tingles of want up and down Tony's skin as he grasped Loki's wrists in return.

Tony felt the knot growing with a guilty pleasure, aware of the pain it would bring Loki, yet stuck in the thrall and anticipation of his approaching release. Sweat beaded on Loki's sweet forehead, tangling in his beautiful hair. He gave Tony a brave smile, turning something in Tony's stomach, until they managed to pass the knot and slipped into a breathless dream of mutual ecstasy.

"Tony," Loki said laughing softly, after both lay, panting, for some time, "did we just have sex on the hallway floor?"

Tony grinned, pulling Loki closer to him, "I think we did baby, but..." the smile faded a little, "what were you doing out here Lokes?"

Loki's face crumpled a little, "I don't know," he murmured, "I was...dreaming, I guess...and then you were calling for me, and I was just here."

"Do you sleepwalk?"

"Not since I was a boy...but it's possible."

"What were you dreaming about?"

Loki was quiet for a moment or two, and then: "I could hear my father calling me...and I couldn't find you. I looked for you everywhere... I..." Loki looked down, blushing first pink, and then a gentle blue, not daring to meet Tony's gaze, "I thought you'd left me."

Tony couldn't put words to what he was feeling; he wrapped Loki in his arms, "I'm not going to leave you baby, ever," he said, fighting back the emotion as it caught in his throat. "You're not alone any more."

"It was mega-shitty of him," Widow said, lounging back against her chair in Thor's kitchen – dude could really cook a mean breakfast, "but he'll come around... eventually... until then I'm gonna treat him like he's a complete bastard at every opportunity."

Thor nodded grimly, "You are all lucky that I was out exploring the wonders of New York," he murmured, flipping eggs in a pan, "or I would have slain Agent Barton where he stood – ally or no!"

"By 'the wonders of New York...?'" Phil asked, eyebrows raised, from where he leaned in the doorway.

"He's pretty much found every diner that serves all-day-breakfast in the city," Steve contributed, not even looking up from his cereal, "when he's bored he goes for more."

Phil laughed and shook his head, "I think you have a problem," he snickered at Thor, who said nothing and simply shrugged, moving to serve up the eggs.

"What's the deal with our little living-situation...?" Steve asked, looking over at Phil, "You going to tell Fury we've all been brainwashed by an evil Omega? Or are we good?"

Phil sighed, suddenly back-to-business, "Shield will want to keep an eye on the situation," he said, "you know – monitor you all for any potentially concerning behaviour... but I'm going to recommend that Loki be allowed to stay. Tony wouldn't accept anything else anyway," he smiled gently, "if I had Loki removed then he'd leave the Avengers."

"What?" Steve piped up in surprise, "Surely he wouldn't go as far as that – I mean sure, he'd be pissed off but..."

Coulson was quiet for a minute, he and Thor having a conversation with their eyes that neither of the Betas were privy to, "Yeh..." Phil murmured, "well..."

"Phil?" Widow asked, "Is there something you guys aren't telling us?"

Thor picked up the thread, "You have noticed how close the man of iron and my brother are?"

"But that's just the heat, isn't it?" Steve queried.

Phil chuckled, "I'd say that's more than just the heat," he muttered.

A happy whistle came from the corridor, followed a moment later by a few lines of Bat out of Hell, and Tony strolling in, "Sorry I didn't knock," he said, brushing past Phil and into the kitchen, "figured since I own the building, and you're all my sort-of tennants, I can pretty much just walk right on in..." he trailed off, helping himself to a bagel from the counter, "over half-way through the heat guys!" He gave them all a toothy grin, and a thumbs-up, "It might stop at any time now... though it's likely to be the full fourteen days, given how much his body's needed-"

"Stop!" Steve squeaked, "That's enough information Tony!"

Tony chuckled, "Alright Grandpa," he joked. He ran his hand through his facial hair, yawning, "Crap am I tired, Loki had a sleep-walking incident last night."

"Sleep-walking?" Phil asked.

"It was his habit as a child," Thor nodded sagely, tucking into his eggs, "and given his distress yesterday after Agent Barton..." Thor's face darkened, "...I guess it's not all that surprising. I assume that that is where the heat-scent emanated from at 3am?"

Tony nodded, "Is it still strong enough to be scented outside the suite?"

There were nods of answer from Phil and Thor, "Guess the fourteen-day-mark is likely," Phil said, "or else the scent would be weaker by now."

"Guess so," Tony muttered, "Thor, he mentioned he wanted to try to patch things up with you... you know, after the heat. He's not promising anything... but I think he really wants to make things better between the two of you."

Thor nodded, eyes round and wide, "I would like that very much friend Stark," he whispered.

"I was just letting everyone know that my recommendation is that Loki stays here," Phil said pointedly, folding his arms and looking at Tony.

Tony beamed and ran over to Phil, scooping him into a man-hug, "Man, I knew we kept you around for a reason!" he cried triumphantly, releasing Phil to let him breathe, "I mean, I figured you would say it was OK...but you did! You know, there's always that doubt until someone actually says..." he started to pace the kitchen, practically bouncing, "Loki will be so fucking happy – I need to tell him! Not now, obviously, he's sleeping – I'll tell him later," Tony rubbed his hands together, oblivious to Thor and Phil's grinning and Widow and Steve's surprised glances, "...and we'll need to get him some clothes – Thor, maybe you could come shopping? - and his own books and stuff; and which room should we use?"

"What do you mean 'which room should we use?'" Steve asked, frowning slightly and sending a worried look to Widow.

"Well using both suites is a bit decadent – even for me. And we could definitely do with having a guest suite on standby. My suite's bigger, but if Loki prefers where we are now then I'll just move myself downstairs...would be easier if he moved upstairs, but it's up to him...What?"

"You want to move in with Loki?" Nat asked, incredulous.

"Well yeah," Tony answered, not understanding. "Why?" a frown from Tony, "Do you think he wouldn't want to move in with me?" his eyes were wide and slightly panicked.

Thor and Phil burst into loud laughter – the from-your-belly, tears-in-your-eyes kind – at Nat and Steve's open-mouthed faces.

Loki pulled his body to the bathroom to use the toilet, leaning heavily on the walls as he walked. He hoped Tony wouldn't be too long. He ached all over from the ravages of the heat and Clint's fists, but refused to call Tony simply so that he could go to the toilet, his pride wouldn't let him.

When he was done in the bathroom, he staggered back to the warmth and comfort of the bed, sinking into the folds of the bedding. His teddy bear was soft and comforting in his arms, and he drifted into the sweet relief of sleep. He didn't wake when Tony came back, simply snuggled reflexively into the Alpha's loving arms. Tony looked down at him, captivated by the beauty of his lover, wanting to hold him forever.