A/N: Ok, so, this is where things start to get more interesting relationship-wise, because this is the chapter where Loki comes off heat and you get to see Loki and Tony start to adjust to being outside the heat dynamic. Hope you like – and as always, thanks for all your support :)

He woke softly. And knew that something was different. He was tired yes, weary, sore... but that fire that had writhed within him for two weeks, had made his body yearn, was gone. Now he was just... so tired.

"Morning beautiful," Tony murmured, stretching and sitting up. He scented the air, "Heat's gone," he smiled.

Loki nodded warily, not trusting himself to talk. Without his heat hormones flying around, would Tony still want to move in with him? Or would he decide that it had just been the infatuation of the heat, and not give another thought for the Omega he'd been bedding?

"Moving day!" Tony announced.

Loki smiled gently, letting Tony pull him into his arms, protecting Loki with his body, "I know you're gonna be tired for a few days babe," Tony was saying, face in Loki's hair, "but we'll take things slow. You can borrow some of my clothes, and we'll go down to Thor's for breakfast."

"Thor's?"

"Thor's suite: we normally meet there for breakfast because... well, your brother is obssessed with breakfast, and we all kind of mooch his food and take advantage of his cooking."

Loki smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes, "I..."

"It's alright Lokes, it's just breakfast. One step at a time, mm'k?"

Loki nodded, trying not to let traiterous tears creep into his eyes. He would not cry, he was not weak.

Tony nibbled his ear, and Loki sighed happily before he could stop himself, then blushed blue.

Tony chuckled, "Never be afraid to feel, Lokes," he laughed happily, "it makes us strong."

Tony had warned them that as soon as Loki was off-heat, he'd bring him down for breakfast, so Steve wasn't all that surprised when the text came through: Bringing Loki for grub. Tell Thor not to freak. No-one freak. If you all freak I'm going to get Jarvis to change your shower water to pink hair dye. So don't freak. And don't freak him – he's very freakable right now. Be casual guys. Cool. If you upset him I will make your lives miserable. So, nobody freak. Got that? No freaking! T.

Steve laughed and relayed the message to the others, then text back: Tony, don't freak ;) It'll be fine. Yours, Cptn Rogers.

Steve wasn't sure what he'd been expecting – the power-mad Beta he'd last seen at the Battle of New York? No. An ultra-traditional Omega who refused to eat until the Alphas and Betas had? No, not that either. But he certainly hadn't been expecting him to be like this. He couldn't help staring, and neither could the others, though he just knew that Loki must be finding them so rude right now.

Loki was thin, and wearing Stark's old baggy jeans and T-shirt only made him look thinner. Steve had seen some things back in the war... and Loki's appearance was coming worryingly close to some of those things. Dark circles marred under the Omega's eyes, making his eye-sockets seem deep and hollow. Bruising peeped out from the gape of the T-shirt – Clint's work; Steve didn't think he'd ever been angrier with Barton than he was right now. Loki perched on the edge of the seat that Tony had pulled out for him at the table.

"Morning brother," Thor mumbled, placing a plate of eggs in front of Loki. "It is good to see you."

Loki nodded, "Good morning brother," he said, looking down at the table and the eggs.

There was an awkward silence for a while, no-one quite knowing what to say. Phil was buried in a bagel. Thor went back to cooking. Widow was watching Loki over her coffee like he was an addictive soap opera – which, from her view of the world, maybe he was.

"So... you gonna go all evil on us again?" Widow asked.

Steve held his breath. Tony tensed, fists clenched.

Loki, to pretty much everyone's surprise, laughed, "I shall endeavour to not 'go all evil'" he smiled, "I assure you it was never my original intention," he looked her dead in the eye, face open and honest.

Natasha stared him down for a minute, then nodded, "Good," she said, breaking into a slow smile, she turned to Tony, "down boy," she muttered, "just testing – can't be too careful."

Tony grimaced, "Whatever," he said under his breath, placing a reassuring hand on Loki's thigh beneath the table; Loki was excellent at putting on a front, but Tony could feel the way his leg was trembling, could recognise the way that Loki's jaw tightened, just slightly.

Loki turned to him and smiled gently, "I'm alright Tony," he assured, even though Tony knew damned well that he wasn't.

Steve caught himself staring at them, and diverted attention to his coffee.

"Loki," Phil suddenly chimed in, trying to start a conversation, friendly, warm, "tell Stark to get you some clothes that fit!"

Steve jumped in surprise as Loki blushed blue – blue! Loki noticed his reaction, and his face crumpled, he started breathing heavily, panicking now. Before their eyes his entire skin changed, turning from milky white to a luminescent cobalt colour, his eyes a deep, beautiful, red. Jotun tribal markings were etched on his skin; the bruises Clint had given him still showed, deep black against blue, and he was still horrifyingly thin.

"Oh," Loki breathed, covering his face with his hands, "shit!"

He stumbled out of his chair and ran into the hallway blindly.

"Crap!" Tony snapped, leaping to his feet, "Hey, Lokes!" He sprinted down the hallway after the Omega.

"Dammit," Steve said, "I was just startled, I didn't mean -"

"We know Cap," Coulson told him, "you just kind of caught each other off-guard."

That didn't stop Steve feeling terrible, "Damn," he hissed, running a hand through his hair, "I feel like slime."

"Plus, Tony's probably going to fucking kill you," Widow added, taking a bite of her muffin.

"I think," Thor put in, "that the Widow of Darkest Hue needs more coffee – for all our sakes."

"Now you're talking!" Natasha grinned.

"Loki?" Tony'd followed the Jotun out into the main corridor of the building; Loki was leaning against a wall, breathing heavily, hands still over his face.

"Loki?" Tony tried again, moving further towards the slight figure.

"Don't," Loki said simply.

"Don't what Lokes?"

"My magic's still fucked up from the heat – I lost my grip, so it transformed me to Jotun form; usually I don't change so completely before I can pull it back. Stay where you are. I'm trying to change back, and I can't concentrate."

"If that's what you wanna do..."

"Yes," Loki hissed, "it is."

"Ok Lokes, you know I think you're beautiful like this too though? You, uh, you do know that?" Tony shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Don't mock me," Loki whispered, his skin rippling back to the colour of marble, his eyes becoming green again, "I don't appreciate pity."

Tony didn't answer, just walked up to him and threw his arms around the Omega's thin shoulders, pulling Loki's body into his. Loki held himself rigidly for a moment, then melted into the embrace, his own arms looping around Tony. Sometimes you don't need words.