A/N: Ok, there's feels. I'm sorry. Warning for abuse flashbacks.
"...then stop being such a dick!" Widow hung up and slammed her phone down on the kitchen counter.
"Barton still being less-than-cooperative?" Coulson asked.
"If he doesn't start 'cooperating' soon then I'm going to stick one of those arrows up his fat ass!"
Thor laughed, "I shall join you Daughter of Roman!" he announced. "While it is true that my brother's actions towards the archer are likely to have caused Clint of Barton no little distress, I believe you mortals have a phrase indicating that 'two wrongs do not a right make!'"
"Close enough," Coulson murmured, taking another swig of coffee.
Their attention was diverted by Tony entering, "Good morning girls and boys," he announced, strolling over to his usual place by the coffee pot.
A chorus of groggy versions of 'morning Tony,' answered him.
"Spangles not here?" he asked, pouring coffee into a mug.
"Cap's out running," Coulson answered, "You're up quite late Tony, everything alright?"
"Yeh," Tony sighed, leaning against the counter, "just... we had some stuff to talk through, and we had a long night," he met Phil's eyes, "- three times." he said.
Phil winced slightly. Thor's eyes widened, but he said nothing.
"Is he ok?" Phil asked.
"Sore, tired, hormonal, fed-up of being in heat," Tony replied, "but he made me come down and show my face. And," Tony added, "he won't let me leave the Avengers and move to someplace quiet, where we could spend the rest of our days free from Anti-Omega hate groups – said he won't let bigotted bastards control him."
Phil's eyebrows rose, "Remind me to thank him," he said.
"Well, if you keep angry Alphas away from my Omega, it'll be a start."
"Your Omega?" Thor asked, tone warning.
"Don't worry He-man," Tony smirked, raising his hands in surrender, "we just had the talk about how we define our relationship – and Loki's in heat..."
"...so, he wants you to be as possessive as possible, without venturing over the line into ownership, control, or emotional abuse," Phil finished.
"Bingo Man in Black; of course, he also freaked at first when I tried to set down that I didn't own him..."
"...because you didn't use the right words to explain yourself, and he thought you were rejecting him," Phil again.
"Dude, if the secret-agent biz ever stops paying so well, you'd make one heck of an Alpha/Omega relationship counsellor."
Phil grinned, "It's been said," he replied. His grin faded slightly, "He'll allow you to venture into taking advantage of him, or even abusing him if you're not careful," he said quietly, "he's never had a healthy relationship Tony – he won't know where the boundaries are until well after you've crossed them – maybe not even then. He may even want you to cross the line. He's fragile, and he's Omega – everything in him will be telling him to let you do whatever you want; you're Alpha. You're his Alpha."
Tony nodded, "I know," he answered grimly, "and it terrifies me. I'm scared that I'll do something or say something that'll hurt him – hurt him bad. I'm not used to being responsible."
"You love him," Phil smiled gently, "and you don't ever want to betray his trust. That's the best start you could ask for."
Tony swallowed, "Yeh," he replied, "yeh... I guess so." He turned to Thor, "Listen buddy... while I'm here, I've been meaning to... to explain a few things to you about Loki... and about something that humans – Midgardians – call PTSD..."
Widow and Phil exchanged glances. Phil got up to put some pop-tarts in the toaster.
Loki was in a cell. He was cold. His body ached. He heard footsteps. He didn't want to consider what would happen when Odin reached him...
There were hands on his neck, a harsh voice in his ear. There was so much pain...
There was the dark. There was loneliness. He didn't think. Thinking caused too much pain...
There was a fist. Odin's hands held him down as he... there was pain...
He wasn't him. Not any more. Part of him was gone. He couldn't think. He didn't... He wasn't him. And why was no-one helping him? He felt trapped inside his head, reaching for instincts and thoughts that weren't there any more. His thoughts tangled... it hurt...
His father was throwing him in a cell... following him in...
"Loki!"
A voice, calling him... reaching through the dark of the cell... a blue light... pulling him out... But his father was throwing him in a cell... hitting him... holding him down...
"Loki, it's a dream! Loki, baby, you're safe. You're with me, in our room. It's Tony babe. He can't get you here Lokes, he can't get you here..."
Loki's eyes opened. He was standing. He was half-way to the door, Tony's arms wrapped around him. How...? He sank into the sturdiness of Tony's body, tears escaping from his eyes.
There were arms lifting him, lifting his weary and aching body. There was a voice, whispering soft things to him. There was a soft mattress and a warm blanket. There was the smell of Tony, the feel of Tony on his skin, the taste of Tony in his mouth. There was a warm Alpha body, leaking comforting hormones into the air. There was the soothing voice, telling him that everything was alright. There were fingers twined in his.
"Loki? Say something babe, you're starting to scare me. Can you hear me? Are you with me babe?"
Loki turned his head, slowly, to face Tony. He was breathing much too fast. His eyes scared Tony; two orbs of vacant confusion.
"Loki? You're safe baby, I promise. I promise that you're safe baby. Loki, please baby, say something."
Loki reached an unsteady hand to Tony's shirt, gripping his arm, as if to convince himself that the Alpha was really there.
"Loki? Loki baby, please, say something."
"Tony..." a tiny voice.
"That's right! That's right Lokes. It's me, it's Tony."
"You were the light," Loki smiled weakly, tapping the arc reactor with one finger, gently, through Tony's T-shirt, "the blue light... calling me back..."
Loki started shivering in Tony's arms. Tony grabbed the blankets and pulled them over him, not wanting the Omega to go into some kind of shock, "I didn't know Jotun could get cold," Tony quipped.
Loki smiled bitterly, "I'm h-h-hardly n-n-normal," he stuttered, "b-b-by any sp-species' standards."
Tony wrapped himself more tightly around Loki, rubbing his hands over Loki's arms through the pyjama material, trying to warm him up.
"No," Tony said, "you're not normal – and I'm glad. Because you, baby, you're extraordinary."
Loki flashed him a quick smile, nestling into Tony's body warmth, "I... I'm g-going t-t-to change into J-Jo-Jotun f-f-form," he said, "I c-c-can w-wa-warm up that w-way; d-deal with the c-cold and the b-body str-stress. D-d-don't h-h-hate me, pl-please!"
"Never Lokes. I love you."
Pale skin turned a gentle blue, slowly, like a spreading blush. The beautiful blue deepened to a gorgeous cobalt, nearly taking Tony's breath away. Loki looked down, not wanting to look in Tony's eyes, not wanting Tony to see him like this, not wanting to chase Tony away with his ghoulish blue skin and his monstrous red eyes. He was still cold but his body could cope with it like this – could absorb it and then push it back out, away from himself. He was careful not to transfer the cold to Tony, pushing it instead through the parts of his skin which were not touching his Alpha. He felt the warmth beginning to flow through him, stilling his shivering. He let out a deep sigh, and slowly the blue turned milky, and crimson eyes became green.
"Do you hate me?"
Tony scooped him more fully into his arms, "You are beautiful, Loki, in whatever form. One day, you may even believe that."