Tony woke with a start, wincing at the stickiness on his cheek and the crick in his neck that came from falling asleep at a worktable. Glancing around the darkened room, he heard a muffled, booming shout that explained why he had jerked awake. The ruckus continued, and Tony quickly wiped at his face and finger-combed his hair back into a half-normal shape.

Tony followed the sound into the kitchen and saw the conflict with his own eyes.

"You dare speak to me so?" Thor yelled with a dangerous glare at the younger god, the kitchen island seemingly the only thing keeping Loki from sudden doom. They were circling it in a game of cat and mouse, and while Thor looked furious, Loki merely seemed irritated.

Tony raised a questioning eyebrow at Bruce and Clint, who were watching from the sidelines. Clint shrugged.

"I do not see the problem, Thor. There are spells that can fix that."

"You are a scoundrel and a coward!"

"What's going on here?" Tony asked sharply, and both gods glanced his way.

"It is but a simple brotherly spat," Loki responded. "Do not concern yourself, Tony."

"Yeah, well, it's totally my concern if you break my kitchen. Again."

Thor pointed sharply at Loki. "He shaved my eyebrow off when I was asleep, and now I look like a fool."

Tony blinked and looked closer at Thor. Well, Thor was missing an eyebrow. Tony swallowed down his giggle.

"Thor, it'll grow back. There's also a thing called makeup that you can put on to make it look like your eyebrow's still there."

Tony's words went right over Thor's head. "You will never grow up, brother. How do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you still pull such pranks?"

"I didn't shave your eyebrow off, Thor. I don't know who did, but I assure you, I am smarter than that." The smirk on his face said that he was enjoying the situation, whether he was guilty or not. The only promising thing was that Thor hadn't gotten his hammer out yet, which meant he could still be talked down.

"You did something. I can tell by your smirk. You are suspicious."

"And you aren't very bright," Loki shot back, to which Thor snarled and lunged. Normally, the god was much calmer and friendlier, but it seemed Loki had finally hit the thunder god's limit.

Loki quickly skirted out of the way and ducked behind Tony, bending so that he was completely covered, peering at Thor over Tony's shoulder. At what point had he become the chosen barrier between two quarreling gods?

"Move over, Stark, so I may smear my brother into your clean flooring."

"Guys, can't we settle this like adults? I have a date with Loki tonight, and I'd rather he be in one piece than a smear on my expensive, clean floors."

Loki chuckled into his ear and Thor clenched and unclenched his hands. There was a tense pause as Thor contemplated taking Tony out to get to Loki, but in the end the tension drained from his shoulders, and he sighed.

"For you, Stark, my brother can live, but maybe you can help to stop his antics."

"Maybe," Tony said, unconvinced. "Thor, just go ask Natasha if she can help you. I know she's killer at makeup. She likes you. If she's not around, ask Clint to help you. He's also good at makeup, and he's less scary than Natasha."

Clint shot him a look, but didn't deny anything.

Thor nodded and wandered away with heavy steps and one last glare at Loki. Eventually both Bruce and Clint went out as well, now that the action had ended, leaving Tony and Loki alone in the kitchen. Loki moved from behind Tony, still amused.

"So, did you shave his eyebrow off? That's a bold move, even for you."

Loki shook his head. "This time, it wasn't me. I knew Thor was already in a foul mood last night. I don't exactly have a death wish, and I know he comes straight at me if anything suspicious happens."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Who did that, then?"

Loki smiled. "Barton lost a bet with Banner."

Tony laughed out loud. "Somebody is going to get hurt the longer this goes on, I swear to god!"

"It is fascinating, though I wish the blame for their pranks didn't come to me."

"You're harder to kill."

Loki sighed but didn't respond to that. "Now that I'm free from my brother, I must get ready. Thank you for saving me."

"Not a problem. I couldn't allow my date to die from friendly fire. You're my best arm candy!" And the media ate it up, too. As soon as they had gone public, they had been plastered on magazine after magazine, and Loki was loved nearly as much as Tony was. The one time a magazine had said something unpleasant about the two of them, the head of the magazine got a late-night visit from Loki himself. That ended any further mocking in the tabloids. Tony marveled at how lucky they had gotten, on that account. Media storms were terrifying.

Loki pulled him into a swift, heady kiss, and before Tony was able to fully reciprocate, Loki was sauntering out of the kitchen.

The place they had picked was a fancier restaurant than usual, and it had been Loki that suggested a date night. Since the Avengers had gotten back together and Loki was assisting them, Tony and Loki had less alone time. While they did spend plenty of time with each other, this was different, and it made Tony wonder what Loki had up his sleeve. Tony had to admit, the restaurant was nice, and the way the candlelight played off of Loki's face had Tony somewhat entranced. The fact that Loki was wearing a tailored suit was an added bonus. Tony knew his own looks weren't in question, but he still had trouble keeping his eyes off of the being across the table from him.

Tony wasn't usually a fan of dining as a romantic date, but he could see the appeal. Seeing your date dressed up, eating good food and drinking good wine, and engaging in flirtatious banter, Tony could see how some people really liked it. There was something hypnotizing about watching Loki sip out of a wine glass while eyeing him over the crystal rim.

"So, what's so special about tonight?" Tony asked after their empty plates had been cleared from the table.

"Is it not special just because we are spending it together?"

"Hey, you know that kind of thing doesn't work on me," Tony chastised with a grin.

Loki picked his glass up and examined the play of light through the crystal. "The date of today is an important one, believe it or not. Do you have any idea why?"

Tony pondered a moment. "You got me there," he shrugged.

Loki set the glass down and leaned forward, closer to Tony. "Exactly a year ago, you rescued me from my cell in Asgard."

Tony was speechless. "You actually remembered the date?"

Loki nodded. "I have something I wish to give you, and today seemed of enough importance. I wished to wait for the perfect moment."

Tony felt nerves crawl in his stomach. Looking closely at Loki, Tony could see a tightness in his jaw and a crease between his eyebrows that said he was on edge.

Loki reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a wooden box that was perfectly square and fit nicely in his hand. "I would have prepared some sort of speech, but I am not very talented at heartfelt words, and I know you are the same." Loki hesitantly handed the box over to Tony.

It was made of smooth, dark polished wood that had intricate carvings lining the edges in shining silver, heavier than Tony expected. The clasp was also a bright silver that flipped open smoothly to Tony's touch. With a flutter in his chest, Tony lifted the lid of the box.

Inside, resting on the green velvet bottom, was what appeared to be half of a golden apple that shone brightly in the warm light of the restaurant, as if it were actually made of gold. It was beautiful, and Tony looked up at Loki with curiosity.

"It is one of Idunn's apples, a golden apple of life."

Tony looked back down at it. "Edible?"

"For a very specific purpose."

Suddenly the facts clicked together and Tony gasped. "It's one of those immortality fruits, isn't it?"

Loki nodded jerkily when Tony looked back up at him. It now made sense why he was nervous. Loki was offering Tony a life with him, a way out of being separated by death. Loki was stepping out on a limb, offering commitment and something that would bind them together forever.

Tony thought about watching his friends die around him, and if something happened between the two of them, Tony would live a very lonely, very long life.

Tony also thought about his time with Loki.

"It is only for when you are ready, and it is your decision entirely."

Tony thought of Loki, in despair as Tony grew old and eventually passed away and wondered what he would do in Loki's place.

"How does it work, exactly?" Tony asked, tilting the box back and forth and watching the apple shimmer in the warm candlelight.

"You eat it, and you have the lifespan and vitality of a god. These apples have been presented to the mortal lovers of gods for as long as Asgard and Midgard have been in touch, though recently, there has not been enough contact between the realms to result in relationships. Half the apple is just enough to even out our lifespans."

"The other half?"

"I gave to Thor to give to Jane Foster." Loki looked down at his silverware. "I understand if the thought of outliving your current life is too unbearable to imagine. It is the choice that I gave you, the knowledge that I would share my life with you, if you are amenable."

"Is it hard to get ahold of one of these?" Tony asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say it's terribly easy, but I have my ways."

Tony thought about his fear of commitment and his trust issues and his irresponsibility. He thought about his life in the spotlight and the challenges that came with being a superhero. He thought about how lonely he had been before Loki.

Loki had brought a steadiness that Tony hadn't realized he lacked. He brought a reason to commit.

This was a permanent decision to make. There were no take-backs.

Tony leaned across the table and kissed a surprised Loki softly.

"This is an awesome gift, Loki."

When he pulled back, Loki's gaze was intent on Tony's face.

Tony smiled. "Tony Stark with a god-like lifespan, huh? The world won't know what hit them. I'll have plenty of time to work on all those projects I didn't think I'd have time for."

"You'll eat the apple?" Loki asked with slightly widened eyes.

"Yes, I will."

The brilliant smile Tony was rewarded in response was enough to let him know he had made the right decision.

Tony poured wine into both their glasses and lifted his in the air. "To a full life of tricks and mischief."

Loki lifted his glass. "To intelligence and…" Loki tilted his head, "and to love in the strangest of places."

Their glasses clinked together, and Tony wondered if wine had ever tasted so good.

The End

Well, that's all, folks. Thanks for sticking through this fic with me! You'll find me on archiveofourown as boldlygoingnowherefast, where I post even more than I do here, and where I might be posting follow-up oneshots to this story. I'm also on tumblr as thevulcanpresident.