Tony didn't know when he fell asleep; all he knew is that one second he was talking to Loki about how the man could help them escape, and then when he woke up he was lying down in the back of a dark car. He felt a weight on him and looked down at the weight, wondering if he was dreaming as he saw Loki curled up on his chest. He was feeling well rested for the first time in a long time and his hand went down to Loki's hair. He smiled as he could hear Loki's gentle breathing and kissed his head gently. "So it is true." Natasha said and he noticed they were all watching him. "I knew you were close, but I didn't think you'd actually grow attached to him." She smirked as Tony's arms tightened around Loki, holding him close to his chest protectively.
"What happened to me?" He asked them. They all looked tired and like they had just been in a fight, sporting bruises and cuts, especially Loki, whose clothes were tattered and there was some blood on him. Steve drove the car and he looked back at him and Loki through the rear view mirror.
"Loki said he put you to sleep. You've been out for almost a day. We've been driving for most of the time." He said and sighed when Tony looked alarmed. "He didn't say much except that Odin and Fury did this together, and that Thor was waiting for us to open the bifrost." Tony looked down at Loki. He had so many questions and he wanted to be angry at him for not letting him fight alongside him. Did Loki think he was weak, that he would always need to be protected?
Loki felt him shift and stirred. "Hi." He breathed softly, looking up at Tony with a soft smile, his eyes tired and his face stained with some blood that wasn't his own. His hand came up to touch Tony's cheek gently. "See? I promised, didn't I?" He said weakly, his fingers soft against his skin, and Tony felt his chest ache at how beautiful he was.
"You did." He said softly and kissed him, his arms tightening around him a bit and he held him close, glad as he realized that he was finally free to do so. He glanced at his friends and felt glad that they had looked away from them, Natasha helping Steve find his way as Clint and Bruce just held onto each other. "…Why didn't you let me help?" he asked softly, still holding Loki close, but frowned. "I could have done something, hell I'm not completely useless, Loki." He watched Loki's face, not seeing a change in it, almost as if the god had expected the question.
Loki sighed when he stopped talking and caressed his cheek gently. "I refuse to lose you." He said softly but it didn't any hesitation. It was something that he has come to terms with since finding Tony again and he moved up to bury his head into Tony's neck. "I've lost a lot but I won't lose you." He wrapped his arms around his neck and closed his eyes. "I love you, you idiot human." He breathed into his skin, his nails burying into Tony's shoulders as he held onto him. He was centuries old but his emotions were making him feel idiotic, like a child experiencing his first crush. He had killed without mercy once he was inside of SHIELD, making sure that the people who had hurt Tony were dead. He had been reckless in his rage, and almost gotten himself killed a few times if he hadn't let the others out to fight.
Tony held him tight, staring down at him as Loki gripped him tight. The god was shaking in his arms and Tony didn't know if Loki even knew. "Okay... I'm here." He said softly and stroked Loki's hair. "You won't lose me, and I love you too." He said with a small smile. "You managed to get under my skin after all, didn't you?" he kissed his nose as Loki looked up at him with cautious eyes. "I mean it." He assured him and kissed down to his lips. "I love you… the public you and the you only I know." He whispered into the kiss and felt as Loki smiled happily against his lips.
"We're here." Natasha announced as they arrived in front of Loki's old apartment. The bifrost mark was very clear on the ground and Steve looked up hopefully as they all climbed out of the car.
"We've got about… two hours before Thor is supposed to open the bifrost for us." Loki led them in to his building and smiled as they all looked around with similar expressions. They were drinking things in greedily, like Loki had seen in war prisoners and everyone but Tony seemed a bit overwhelmed.
Loki led them up to his apartment. "Nice colors." Tony smiled as they walked in and he looked around excitedly at all the decor that screamed Loki to him.
Loki gave a soft laugh, squeezing his hand lightly. "Make yourselves comfortable." He said to the others and gestured to the couch before he dragged Tony away towards the bedroom, locking the door behind him. "Do you like it?" Loki asked with a nervous smile that Tony remembered from when they used to secretly flirt in the ward.
Tony looked around and smiled warmly. It was just like Loki had described it, down to the pattern of his sheets and matching duvet. "Yeah." He said softly and sat down on the bed as he looked around. "It's very you." He said and smiled as he saw the books on the nightstand and ran a finger over the cover of one of them. "Come here." He said softly and looked back up at him. He opened his legs so Loki could stand between them and grinned as the god looked amused but went to him, wrapping his arms around Tony's neck gently. One hand played with the shaggy hair and Tony smiled as he caught Loki's lips in another kiss. "Thank you for everything." He breathed softly into the kiss, and the ease and slow manner of it was taking their breath away. Loki nodded a bit, just so he wouldn't have to stop kissing Tony and pushed him down onto the bed with a mischievous smirk.
"You are very welcome." He said softly and looked at him with loving eyes once he had managed to straddle Tony. Tony smiled up at him and ran his hands over Loki's sides, drinking him in and enjoying the view. "Don't get any ideas." Loki said softly as he saw Tony's eyes and leaned down to press soft kisses to his lips. "You still need to recover." He smiled as Tony nodded. "Afterwards, we can do whatever we want." He promised with a smirk and rolled his hips down against Tony's crotch teasingly.
"I might…I might need some time." Tony told him and bit his lip when Loki stopped kissing him and looked down at him with a small frown. "I just…I'm not myself just yet. You know what happened in the ward... I don't want whatever you and I do to be an escape from that or a way to forget it." He reached up to touch Loki's cheek, his stomach twisting up in fear. "I'm sorry. Just give me some time to get better, okay?" He felt like he was begging but he couldn't have Loki leave him. He tried to grab onto his hand as Loki began to move off of him.
Loki touched his cheek to calm him as he heard Tony panicking. "Love…baby…Anthony!" he said sternly when Tony didn't stop talking and trying to justify himself. "Calm down." He said when Tony's jaw snapped shut at his tone. He grabbed his face to make him look at him once he had climbed off him and felt Tony relax as he lay down by his side and let Tony hold onto him. "It's alright." He said honestly and kissed him gently. "I promise you… it's alright." He smiled at him gently and let Tony hold him close, his hands moving over the man's chest gently. "When it happened to me, it took me almost half a century before I let anyone else touch me...and even now, it's hard at times." He tried not to feel like he had made a mistake by telling him, knowing that he was only feeling so vulnerable because he had never told Tony, not because he thought the man wouldn't want him.
Tony looked at him and nodded. He kissed his nose gently and then nuzzled him. "Okay." He said softly and ran his hands over Loki's sides. "Thank you for telling me." He whispered and kissed him gently. Loki nodded and curled up into his side. They both felt safe like this, being held and were just happy to know that they were loved and cared for.
Loki smiled and kissed him a final time before he turned over and smiled as Tony pressed up to his back and held him so they could rest for a bit.
Damn it. I just want them to be happy... I'm either ending this soon so they can be happy or things are going to get worse...