"Sir. Incoming call from director Fury."

Tony sat up, eyes clouded by the haze of sleepiness. It had been nearly a week since he'd handed Loki in, and he'd been drinking, trying to forget it. The only thing the drinking did was make him clearer though, and he'd wanted to go see the god at the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. He looked at the ceiling, his red-rimmed eyes trying to focus. "Well le's answer it."

"Tony. Stop your self-pity and get your ass here in fifteen minutes, or I'm sending a nuke to your building."

"B' sure t' open a por'al, so I can sen' it somewhere else." Tony stumbled upright, making the cat beside him flip out a little and cling to him. "C'mon, Lokitty. Le's go see wha' 'Patch wants."

Nick Fury was beyond pissed. He was beyond every word that compensated for anger. Loki said he'd be able to contact Thanos, yet he'd been asleep for six days. Six days of nothing but either a comatose god or some serious talking. He'd hoped Stark might be able to clear things up, but when he'd called, he could tell the inventor was wasted off of his ass.

Tony Stark arrived with thirty seconds left on the clock, and Fury looked at him, wondering how he'd even been able to suit up, drunk as he was. "A'right, I'm here. Whatcha want? Ya wanna rub it in m' face tha' Loki hates me or somethin'?"

"As tempting as that sounds, that's not why I called you. Come with me."

Tony wobbled after the director, looking around, solemn. He hoped that Loki wasn't roaming around, else he'd have to drink more. They arrived at a room with a thick metal door. Two agents opened it after a nod from Fury. Inside, Loki lay, hovering, suspended in blue light. His head was tilted back a little, as if the light lifted him from the small of his back. "He's been like that for six days."

"Wha' happened?" Tony asked, starting to walk forward. The two agents attempted to intercept him, but Tony held up his hand, daring them to get closer. "Ge' outta my way, or burn." Meekly, the agents moved, and Tony continued his advance to the suspended god.

Fury followed in after, watching Tony intently. He stopped, however, when he saw the genius almost... Caress Loki's face, murmuring his name under his breath. "Find me some way to get him back. Knock twice if you wanna get out."

And with that, the director left. The shuddering slam of the big door startled Tony, but he quickly retaliated, running a hand through Loki's long hair. "Loki," He muttered, staring at the god's unmoving blue face. "where did you go, Loki?"

Loki was drifting in the abyss of space, looking for the Chitauri world. Finally, he'd landed on the realm, the cold making him shiver ever so slightly.

"Thanos, I have news you might need to hear," He called out, travelling across the frozen wasteland in search of the Chitauri leader. "Than-" He began as he happened upon the creature. He froze and watched as blackish liquid spurted from Thanos's midsection. He fell, in two uneven halves, at the boots of a man with red skin tautly pulled over his skull.

Loki stared for a few minutes at the creature that had once caused him grave harm, then stepped back as his powers returned to him. In fact, the instant surge of his magick almost knocked him off of his feet. "You," Loki said after regaining his composure. "You are the one the mortal spoke of. You are the one who came into contact with the tesseract."

The man -if he could even be called such- nodded, a grin pulling painfully at his tight skin. Loki was revolted.

"This will not happen to you, if you want to ever touch the cube. And you. Are you the one who failed this creature, are you not?" Red Skull spoke, his voice holding an accent that Loki could not place.

"And if I am? What will you have with the information?"

"You speak like this-" Red Skull nudged the top half of Thanos with the tip of his boot, indicating to him. "-creature. Too pretty to be human."

"I am no mortal," Loki agreed, not even flinching as Thanos's body was moved.

"And you worked for him?"

"I work for no one."

"Well now you work for me."

Enraged, Loki clenched his fists and growled, "I work for no one."

Red Skull laughed, a creepy noise. "I am sure. You have been here for a long time, non-mortal. What did you need of Thanos?"

"I wanted to talk to him about allowing me to join his forces, seeing as though I have new hatred, my own hatred, for that pitiful Midgard."

"I am sure that is not all?"

"And I wanted to know if he'd have any plans."

Red Skull looked at the Joutun prince, not knowing that he was actually the god of lies, and Loki wanted to keep it that way. "What got you to hate that place so much?"

"Betrayal." Loki felt his eyes burn at the word, remembering how Tony had tricked him. "Lies and betrayal and just plain straightforward hatred."

"I see," Red Skull mused, looking at the way the Joutun stood, the air of truthfulness that surrounded him, and decided to trust him with something.

"You do not seem to lie to me, blue man. With the tesseract, I planned on returning. But now, as we speak, your little sleeping vessel is going to be taken over." Loki's eyes widened in horror as that was spoken. Red Skull grinned at Loki's horror, glad to have seen the god scared. "I hope you are ready for your mortal world to perish, successfully this time."

With a scream, Loki woke up, tears sliding down his cheeks. His hands wouldn't move, and he panicked. "Tony," he rasped. "Tony? Tony?!" He felt relieved when he could sit up, and he inspected his body. Yes, still his, still blue, still in control. The inventor was asleep beside him, and he'd no longer been suspended. Loki shook Tony, his eyes damming up tears. Tony started awake, looking at Loki, who slowly began to turn back to normal.

"Your powers," Tony muttered, touching Loki's now pale skin. Loki nodded, suddenly relieved, then punched Tony right in the jaw, knocking him back. His fist burning, the god grabbed Tony by the shirt and crushed a kiss to the inventor's lips. Tony was stunned, but obliged, kissing Loki beck with just as much ferocity. At least, as much as he could muster.

Once they pulled away, Anthony Stark looked incredulously at Loki. "Ow."

"You deserve more, in my opinion. But I suppose you won't let me hit you again."

"No."

"Too bad." And with another kiss, Loki forgot about Red Skull's words. All he cared about was the man in front of him, and how time seemed to be suspended between the kisses. "I love you," Tony said.

And this time, he meant it.