A/N: A 'so sweet it might actually hurt' chapter for you this time; so much fluff. Hope you likey :) Love all of you

Steve sat in the sofa by the tower's bar, letting his thoughts drift out into the sparks of light making up the city-night below. The world had that muffled feel that creeps in after dark. He sat alone, nursing a scotch. Sometimes you just couldn't get to sleep.

He looked up when the door opened, surprised to see the thin, pyjama'd, form, of Loki, walking in. Loki's arms were crossed around himself, his hair in disarray, his eyes orbs in the night. He looked around the room, quickly realising that Steve was the only one here.

"Is... is Tony home yet...?" Loki asked, eyes on the floor beneath his bare feet.

"Uh... no – sorry. He's still out doing Iron Man stuff, I think."

Loki nodded, letting out a sigh. He turned to leave.

"Loki? You Ok...? You want me to call Tony or something...?"

"No, don't call Tony... I'm fine, really..."

"You want to stay here with me and wait for him?" Steve asked. He didn't know why he asked, something about the way Loki looked so... lost, he supposed.

Loki hesitated, hugging himself more tightly, then nodded slightly and moved to the armchair opposite Steve. He walked slowly, warily, reminding Steve of refugees in England, coming off the train from the war-torn continent in the 40s. He sat down on the edge of the seat, not daring to let himself relax.

"I didn't mean to upset you the other day," Steve said casually, "at breakfast."

Loki nodded, "I know Captain Rogers," he answered, "the fault was mine."

"Fault? Loki, there's no fault. We don't mind what you look like – and Tony's totally ga-ga for ya."

Loki raised an eyebrow, "Ga-ga?"

"Yeh, it means he thinks you're swell – he's head-over-heels in love with you Loki, in whatever form you're in."

Loki managed a watery smile, "I... I care very much for Tony," he said, "I... I love him."

"I think that's pretty obvious to anyone with eyes," Steve grinned, "and you two just sort of... fit. It's nice," Steve broke off to take a sip of his scotch.

They sat in a warm silence for a moment or two. Loki kept his arms crossed around him, but relaxed, just a little, in his chair.

"What brings you down here anyway?" Steve asked, stifling a yawn.

"I..." a darkness crossed Loki's face, "sometimes sleep is more of an enemy than a friend, Captain Rogers."

Steve nodded. He got that. Hell, it was why he was down here sipping scotch at three in the morning.

Still, Loki looked like a man one step from exhaustion, "Tony'd kill me if I didn't remind you that you need to rest after your heat," Steve said, "so I've reminded you, ok?"

Loki nodded, "Noted," he replied, "thank you Captain Rogers. I... I'm not used to the after-effects of the heat; I'm not used to the heatcycle in general. I keep thinking I should feel better by now... I'm off-heat after all..."

"Loki," Steve said, putting up a hand to stop him, "I don't know much about Omegas, but I know it takes a few days after a heat to gather your strength – and that's when your cycle's normal. You're bound to be feeling more than a little rough after everything. You're within your rights to be under the weather for a while yet."

Loki nodded again, "Thank you," he muttered, "you are being most kind."

"Figured you could use a friend or two," Steve grinned, "and I'm happy to oblige. You do look pretty tired though Loki, you ok?"

"Yes," Loki smiled fuzzily, leaning back in his chair, "I just... don't want to go back to bed on my own..."

"Fine by me," Steve assured, leaning back against the sofa in turn and taking another sip of his drink, "I could do with the company."

"Baby, what are you doing out of bed?" Tony's voice, soft, and warm, and clear, through the fug of Loki's sleep.

"Tony," he mumbled happily.

A long, low, chuckle, "Yeh babe, let's get you up to bed, ok?"

Warm and tender hands around Loki's body guided him gently off the sofa. He leaned heavily, happily, against Tony's reassuring bulk as the Alpha took him to the elevator, and their suite, "G'night Steve," Loki added, groggily, as they left.

"Goodnight Loki," Steve called back.

"Hey Steve!" Tony greeted.

Steve was the only one left at Thor's breakfast table by the time Tony came down from his suite. Thor had left his keys with Cap, instructing him to lock up once he was done. Steve would probably also end up doing the team's breakfast dishes – just because he couldn't stand piles of untidy crockery littering the counter-tops.

"Morning Tony," Steve acknowledged, looking down to scratch an answer into the boxes of his crossword puzzle.

"Listen, Cap, thanks – for taking care of Loki last night."

"Oh. Yeah – no problem Tone. He's a good guy – and he's bananas about you."

Tony grinned, "Well gee and gosh-darn, if that doesn't make me feel just swell!" he mocked.

"Ha - I hate you."

"I won't take that personally," a pause as Tony rifled through Thor's cupboards, "because I know you're lying. But that's ok, I know my winning personality can be intimidating and cause others to act defensively. I forgive you," he quipped.

"Yeh, whatever Tony," Steve replied, "you guys sleep well?"

"Better than he did before I came home anyway," Tony sighed, running a hand through his mussed hair, "just... thanks Steve, if it weren't for you he would've been alone in our room and..." another sigh, "...thank you."

"Any time Tony, honestly."

"You seemed to really make an impression on him," Tony smirked, "if you weren't a Beta, and I weren't such a stud, I might even be jealous."

Steve rolled his eyes, "It's too early in the morning for this," he said, "even if it is nearly noon."

"Tony?" an amused voice from the doorway, and then Loki's lithe figure padded into the room, his hair dripping wet from the shower, "Are you tormenting poor Captain Rogers?"

Tony laughed, "It's what he's good for babe," he joked. He met Loki half-way into the room and swept him into a hug, "Your hair smells good," he said, taking over-exaggerated breaths in the Omega's feathery locks.

Loki laughed lightly as Tony's breath tickled his scalp, "Stop," he said, half-heartedly, squirming in Tony's grasp.

"Not when I can make you make such interesting noises babe," Tony smirked.

Steve cleared his throat, "Still here," he reminded them.

Tony turned to Cap with a mixture of annoyance and humour, his attention momentarily diverted. Then he yelped in surprise as he felt Loki's tongue probe searchingly in his ear.

"Look at that," Loki grinned mischeviously, "I can make you make interesting noises too!"