Tony and Loki were inseparable. Behind closed doors, at least.

Neither was really thinking about telling other people about them, too wrapped up in each other and making up for the weeks they were apart. With Clint often gone with a heavier class load this semester or with Natasha, and Thor at Jane's most nights, they were able to start spending less time locked away in one another's bedrooms. They had yet to have an official date, but they had mutually agreed it wasn't something they needed to rush into.

Sex, on the other hand…

Tony was getting impatient. He was like a little boy on Christmas Eve, jumping up and down, demanding to unwrap his biggest present. Loki tried to explain that they couldn't rush into that either, but Tony wasn't having it. He wanted Loki to pick a time, a date, for their first time.

And that was the start of their first official fight as a couple.

Loki argued—when he had calmed down enough to speak to Tony again—that Tony couldn't just pencil him in his calendar like the due date of one of his projects or a meeting with his advisor. Tony denied that was what he had done. It took Tony three days—two to get shit-faced and one to recover—to finally admit he was wrong and to apologize. The store-bought cake that read in green icing I'm Sorry I'm an Ass helped, too. As did the blowjob.

They had a night free of Clint, out at a three-hour philosophy class, and Tony decided to "make" dinner for Loki. He was still trying to make up for causing their fight and he felt like being a nice boyfriend. He bought a frozen lasagna and a bag-to-bowl salad. Loki provided the oven, since Tony's was broken having been used in one of Tony's experiments gone wrong.

Loki parked himself on the counter next to the stove, his long legs dangling, as he watched Tony try to mix the packet of dressing and croutons into the greens. His eyebrows came together as Tony struggled to use the salad tongs. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Hey, I watch the Food Network."

Loki chuckled. "You watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Salad is the last thing made in any of those places."

Tony slid over, lifted on his toes, and placed a quick peck on Loki's lips. "Shut up. Before I make you earn your dinner."

Loki smirked. "Haven't I already?"

"Last night doesn't count. It's a new day." Tony turned to pull two bowls and two plates from the cupboard above the sink, ignored the kick to his ass.

"Anthony, I think we need to consider telling a few people."

"What, that you give good head? That's a secret for me only, babe. Thank you very much."

Loki tapped him with his foot again. "You know what I mean." He waited for Tony to lookat him after he returned to the salad with the bowls and plates. "Natasha, I think, has already put two and two together, and it's getting harder and harder to avoid spending a lot of time with her. Especially because she's my friend and I miss her company. Besides, if she knows surely she's already told Barton."

"What's going on with those two anyway?" Tony scooped up the ready-made Caesar salad with the tongs and filled both bowls.

"Don't change the subject." Tony gave Loki a sheepish glance and Loki affectionately caressed his cheek with his knuckles. "I am not sure anyway. Though, I must admit I feel odd that we are roommates and cannot share this part of our lives with each other."

"I doubt Clint's the one keeping it from you."

"I would tell him in a heartbeat." Tony's head snapped up in surprise. Loki's head angled to the side. "Am I to be ashamed to be with you?"

"Hell no."

"Well, then." He glanced down and motioned with his chin toward the stove. "I believe your pasta is ready." A second later the oven timer buzzed and Tony slipped two pot holders onto his hands. He pulled the cookie sheet with the lasagna set in the middle of it out of the oven and the scent that filled the apartment was heavenly.

"Fuck yeah, this is gonna be good."

"It does smell delicious."

"I still can't believe you've never had lasagna. You've been deprived."

Loki tried not to roll his eyes so as not to offend Tony and his favorite food. "It came frozen in a box, Anthony. I'm almost certain I can't have missed much."

"Oh yeah?" Tony had just placed a square of lasagna on one of the plates and cut off a small piece of one of the corners. He wrapped the cheese that stretched between big and little piece around his forefinger. "Try this, smart ass." He blew on the steaming piece of pasta and fed it to Loki.

Tony knew by the way Loki's eyes rolled up and he mmmm'ed he more than enjoyed it. A small glob of red sauce settled in the corner of Loki's mouth, and with his still cheese-wrapped finger, Tony swiped it up. His hand was halfway to his mouth when Loki's hand snatched his wrist. Disappointment dissolved quickly into arousal when Loki engulfed Tony's finger in his mouth and scraped the cheese off with his teeth then sucked.

It was unfortunate that Clint chose that moment to walk in. He stared, blankly, as was his way, and his eyes traveled from man to man several times, as if he was watching a tennis match, in the awkward moments that followed.

Slowly, Loki pulled Tony's hand away, his finger making a slight pop! as it passed his lips. He swiped a kitchen towel over his mouth. "Could you close the door, Clint?"

Still in the doorway, Clint glanced over his shoulder, toward the hallway where kids milled about talking, shouting, playing music. He stepped in, only enough to close the door. He looked at them again, and noticed Tony was barely holding himself back from laughing, his face going red with the effort. "My class got out early." He waited for a response but there was none. "And, uh, I feel the need to let you know that Natasha will be here in, like, five."

Loki nodded. He glanced at Tony, did a double take at his strained face. "Anthony." Tony's eyes moved to Loki and he sobered immediately. "Why don't you take your food into my room? I'll be in soon." Loki could see the disappointment flash through Tony's eyes before he gathered his plate and bowl and started toward Loki's room.

"Barton."

"Tony."

Tony sent him a dazzling smile as he passed, but Clint wouldn't look at him. An eerie silence fell over the room once Loki's door was closed behind Tony. Clint's mouth pursed, twisted, and he rocked from heel to toe twice. "So, I guess Natasha was right then."

"About…?"

"You two have been…you and Tony have…" He pointed aimlessly at Loki then at his door. "Since…like, for a while."

One side of Loki's mouth lifted. "Natasha is very astute. She notices everything."

Clint puffed out a breath. "Yeah. I know."

"Do you?" Clint glanced up as Loki stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "I have revealed my secret. What's yours?"

Clint sighed and finally removed his backpack and jacket, dropping both over a chair. "She doesn't want to say anything yet. But we've been…seeing each other."

"Why would she want to keep silent?"

"Me," he said with a shrug. "She's still…concerned, I guess? About my reputation. Past reputation," he amended with another shrug.

Loki smiled softly, nodded. "I'm familiar with the problem." Clint laughed once then pressed his lips together. That wasn't inappropriate at all. "She is very protective of her privacy. But you have gotten farther than most who have tried. I am sure she will come around. You are a good man, Clint."

"Mind telling her that?" he asked with a self-deprecating laugh.

"I shall." Loki served himself a piece of lasagna and picked up his salad bowl. He paused after just passing Clint. "Clint, I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything about…Anthony and me. There are a few people we would like to tell ourselves. You were one of them, but…" Clint nodded. "And we are still…getting to know each other."

"Not a problem. Uh…" Loki had just turned away, glanced back. "Just out of curiosity…are you guys like…? You know…?" His hand gestures made it clear to Loki what he was trying to ask. Loki fully faced him, cocked his head.

"Are you and Natasha?" he countered.

"Well played." He clapped and rubbed his hands together. "How about we just leave that alone for now?"

"Gladly. Please, help yourself," he motioned with the salad toward the kitchen. "And let Natasha know she may as well."

"Thanks. And Loki…" Clint actually smiled for once. "It's nice to see you happy."

At a loss, Loki gave him a nod of thanks and disappeared into the room. He looked at Tony as he stepped in, stretched out on his bed, legs crossed at the ankles, munching on his salad. When he spotted Loki he held out his arms, saw the half-annoyed, half-amused look on his face and set his plate on the nightstand.

"What? Oh, come on! How ridiculous was that situation? Someone needed to laugh."

"Yes, Anthony," he said as he sat at his desk with his food.

"So, what did he say?" Tony sat up on his knees facing Loki.

"Nothing. He was perfectly fine."

"Okay, so what do we do now?"

Loki popped a crouton into his mouth and frowned at Tony. "About what?"

"Well, Natasha knows. Clint knows. What do we do?"

Loki swiveled in the chair. "Anthony, we have just had a discussion about this."

"No, we started to, but we didn't make any decisions on anything. Not really."

"Then consider the decision made. We don't have to make some formal announcement. We aren't royalty, after all. But if we are asked, we confirm. Yes?"

Tony took a brief moment to think about it. "Yeah, I guess…"

Loki scowled. "What? Are you concerned about your reputation? Anthony, I am warning you: if I find you with someone in your bed that is not me, I will take a butter knife to your—"

"Whoa, okay! I get it!" Tony's hands flailed trying to get a hold of Loki's. "Could you please refrain from putting knife and my junk in the same sentence? I'm not worried about my reputation, Loki. I don't give a shit what people think, remember?"

Loki stayed silent. That was a claim they both made—falsely, for the most part. "Then what is it?"

Tony sighed and rubbed one hand over his face. "I've got to tell Pepper myself. If she hears it from someone else, she'll flip her shit. And one other thing…" He leaned forward, took both of Loki's hands again. "I think you should tell Thor yourself." Something crept up his spine as he watched Loki's face slowly grow darker. The thought that Loki would have made a great comic book villain made him want to smile, and made the face less intimidating.

"What?"

Tony lifted his shoulders, popped out his bottom lip. "It might be the ice breaker you need."

"Ice breaker?" He pulled his hands from Tony's and Tony frowned.

"Yeah, ice breaker. You know? Break the ice, get the conversation started. You've been putting him through hell for almost half a year now. Isn't it getting old? I mean, trust me I'm not looking forward to possibly incurring the wrath of the Mighty Thor because I've been doing nasty, naughty things to his baby brother, but I'd be willing to take a beating for you. If it got you two talking again."

Loki pondered that. Why would he want to talk to Thor again? Ignoring him wasn't getting old; it was such a habit now, he barely had to think about it. But the fact that Tony was willing to put himself out there for him? That was unexpected. And touching. Still…the thought of Thor being back in his life wasn't exactly thrilling. He would have to deliberate on it much longer.

"What do you think, babe?"

Loki lifted his eyes to Tony's. Tony had no idea what it did to him when he called him that. It was the first time someone he was with called him by anything other than his name. It literally melted him. Almost. "I think…we shall see. Now, eat your dinner. You slaved away for thirty-five minutes for it." Loki picked up his fork, but set it down again, at Tony's insistence.

"How about you thank me for it first?" Tony was pulling him toward the bed. Loki was still in the chair and it rolled with the force.

"But it will get cold."

"That's what they made microwaves for, babe." He yanked hard once and had Loki falling to the bed next to him, giggling like a loon.

Loki had begun to feel like he and Tony were an actual couple, not that he didn't before; but now that they were free to be affectionate in front of a few chosen people, he no longer felt like they were doing something forbidden. Most of their time was spent at Loki's place since Clint and Natasha knew they were together. And also because Tony childishly enjoyed grossing Clint out by touching Loki inappropriately in front of him. Clint retaliated by making sure Tony caught him and Natasha in compromising positions. It had become a sick game of one-upmanship that Natasha and Loki had to endure.

Another couple they were able to spend their time with was Steve and Peggy. After Tony had accidentally let it slip to Steve about his new relationship while he was giving Steve advice about the finer points of heavy petting, Steve had a moment of confusion. He had expected to hear that Tony was back with Pepper. After twenty minutes of Tony trying, and failing, to explain how he and Loki ended up together, Steve cut him off. He asked Tony if he was happy, and when Tony said more than he had been in a long time, Steve ended the conversation.

Meanwhile, Loki was still hesitant about talking to Thor. He tried a few times, but once he set eyes on his would-be sibling, all of those feelings of hurt, resentment, and general sibling rivalry came flooding back to him, and he gave up on the whole idea. However, since Tony had promised to speak to Pepper, Loki felt it was only fair he be the one to break the news to the big blond mountain of a man—which inevitably meant that Thor would run and tell Odin, who would tell Frigga. Though he was sure Frigga would just say something like she knew about it all along and invite them to dinner, like she had done for Thor and Jane.

But, after their talk at Christmas, Loki no longer questioned Frigga's motives, no longer held any resentment toward her; he was no longer angry with her. She was his mother in every sense of the word. So, he made the decision to call her and tell her himself about Tony. As predicted, she laughed, claimed she knew there was someone—was he that obvious?—and invited them both to dinner, wherever and whenever they wanted. She promised to keep it to herself when he asked, but pleaded with him that he be the one to tell Odin. Loki flippantly said Thor would take care of that for him, and mentally smacked himself in the head, for at the mention of Thor Frigga launched into another lecture. She insisted he settle his business with his brother, once and for all.

And because it was Frigga, Loki promised he would.

Another week of school came and went.

Loki's nineteenth birthday came and went, with a small celebration. Just Loki and Tony and a birthday cake, which was less eaten and more licked off of certain body parts.

Valentine's Day came and went. And Tony was starting to get more and more frustrated. Fooling around was all well and good, but he was anxious to get to the good stuff with Loki. And the hot piece of ass kept procrastinating. He felt that Tony was pushing it. To which Tony responded, of course he was! Hands and mouths could only do so much…

They had had "the talk." They discussed everything. Except the "when." And, now Tony wanted on with the damn show. At this rate, he thought bitterly, Loki had better be sen-fucking-sational!

He was thinking about it as he left an early evening required computer class he had somehow missed in his quest for a second degree—and could ace in his sleep, which is why he was dreaming about sex with Loki. He had taken a few steps down the stairs leading to the first floor when his phone buzzed in his pocket with a text from the devil himself. He was asking Tony to come to his dorm ASAP.

Tony's stomach plummeted as he headed off in a sprint, knocking into people and nearly tripping on someone's backpack. Loki never texted "ASAP." A million things flew through his mind wondering what could've happened. Maybe he finally talked to Thor. Maybe it was Thor using Loki's phone trying to lure him back to kick the shit out of him.

No, Tony.

Maybe Odin showed up again. He'd like to think he and Loki were close enough now that if Odin had popped up out of the blue—like he always seemed to do—Loki would turn to Tony first. Maybe Odin heard about them from someone else and maybe he was dragging Loki away to some military school or another school somewhere far away, like Switzerland. Or maybe he was throwing him in a mental hospital. Odin was sadistic enough to do that, wasn't he? No! The thought made Tony's pace quicken as he hurled himself over a line of bushes.

He bounded up the steps to Loki's floor and nearly knocked the door off its hinges as he pushed through it…and froze. The room was completely dark, the only light coming from the space under Loki's bedroom door. He swiped a hand over his mouth, where the sweat had seeped through the hair on his upper lip. He had grown a goatee after Loki mentioned he liked the way Tony looked with facial hair. He moved to the door, slowly, tentatively. And prayed he wasn't going to find Loki's mutilated body on the other side or anything.

It creaked open and he stared because it was empty and quiet, except for whatever soft, jazzy thing was playing on Loki's iPod. His music taste is all over the place, he thought, as he tried to slow down his breathing.

"Did you run all the way here?"

"Bah!" Tony jumped at the voice coming from behind him. His head tilted to the side. Loki was clad in an emerald robe that fell to his calves, and he had a dusty gold towel in his hand that he had been drying his hair with. "You…you said to get here ASAP. Why are you in a robe?"

Loki resumed drying his hair and grinned softly. "I've just had a shower. I wasn't expecting you so soon."

Tony's breath had finally slowed. "You said ASAP," he repeated. His eyes traveled up and down the length of Loki's frame and his pants suddenly felt very tight. That awesome feeling of want and need was starting to swirl together low in his belly. "What was the emergency?"

Loki hung the towel on the doorknob and lifted his eyebrows. "There was none."

"Huh?"

He flicked a strand of hair away from his face and smiled again. "I suppose I'll have to come up with something else next time."

Tony frowned. "Next time? For what? What are you talk—? I don't even know what's going on right now." Tony's eyes remained on Loki's as the other took one step forward and held out his hand. Tony quirked an eyebrow.

"Your notebook." He wriggled his fingers when Tony didn't budge. Tony held it out, still confused, and Loki took it in his hand and captured Tony's lips with his. "Hello…"

Tony's mouth twitched up. "Hey, babe…" He jolted at the loud smack his notebook made when it landed on Loki's desk. Then Loki's hands were on his chest, slipping up to his shoulders, pushing his black bomber jacket off.

"Clint is away for the weekend."

"Really?"

"Hmm."

"Okay, so what's going—mm." Loki's mouth silenced him again and his scent clouded his senses. He smelled like a forest, Tony thought, as the zip-up sweater he wore beneath the jacket was also pushed off his shoulders. It fell to the floor and Loki kicked it aside as he had done with the jacket. Tony faltered a little as he was maneuvered, backwards, in the direction of the bed. He was about to break the kiss and question Loki again when Loki reached down and cupped him, massaged. "Is this what it's like when you seduce me?" he asked between kisses.

"Yes," Loki answered. "Shoes." The one word was a command for Tony to kick off his Chucks. When he bent down to undo as much of the laces as he could, Loki reached for the hem of his shirt at his lower back and pulled it forward. Tony straightened and he pulled it the rest of the way off. And decided he would take the reins from Loki.

He grabbed the taller man by the shoulders and threw him down to the bed. Loki chuckled and rested on his elbows. "I thought I was seducing you?"

Tony's tongue poked out, running across his lips as the robe fell back to expose the skin of Loki's upper thigh. "Does it really matter?" He yanked at the belt tie and opened the robe completely, groaning appreciatively at Loki's pale naked form as he ran his hands across and down. He started to undo his pants and Loki sat up to do it himself. When he was free of his clothes Tony climbed back onto the bed, sidling up to Loki, kissing him impatiently, nearly bruising Loki's lips. He sighed against Loki's mouth when his slender arms went around his neck, his right leg hitched up, around Tony's waist. The move pressed their bodies together, had their hips, their cocks up against each other. Tony's hands moved down to grip Loki's hips, holding him steady so he could get more of that sweet, hot friction.

"Loki…" he groaned out.

Loki's response was a frustrated grunt. Tony's tight hold on his hips kept him pinned between Tony's weight and the bed, and unable to move. "Anthony…"

"I want you, Loki." Loki gasped, Tony cried out when fingers dug into his back. "Shit…!" Stronger than he looks, was all Tony could think when Loki managed to flip their positions. Tony's hands flung out with the movement but reclaimed their grasp on Loki's narrow hips and he resumed his gyrations. He brought a hand to his mouth, coating a finger in saliva before sliding the hand over the curve of Loki's ass. He brought up Loki's leg again and slid his hand down until he could press his wet finger against Loki's entrance.

"Unh…wait…" Loki leaned away for a moment and in the light from his desk Tony could see the marks sprinkling Loki's neck left by his tongue and teeth, and the red streaks that marred the pale skin where his rough facial hair scratched him raw. "Here." He placed a small bottle in Tony's hand, resting on Loki's thigh. Tony brought it up to read it. It was a bottle of apple-scented lube.

Tony lifted his eyes to Loki's. "You're finally gonna let me?"

Loki lowered his mouth to Tony's, kissed him, softly, for a long time. "Is that not what you wanted?" He finally asked between nibbles of each of Tony's lips.

"You do, too…don't you?"

Loki smirked. "Oh, yes." He clicked off the light then kissed him again, distracting Tony by sucking on his tongue, as he tried to blindly get the bottle open and coat his fingers. He finally did and, rather roughly, shoved his finger into Loki. "Ah! Anthony." Loki placed his hands on the bed on either side of Tony's head, lifted up to look at him. "Be gentle, hmm? I am not some of the looser females I am sure you are used to being able to ram yourself into."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I'm excited."

Loki smoothed a hand over the side of Tony's face, damp with perspiration already. "I gathered. But I am not going anywhere, sweetheart. It will be better if you take your time...for now. We can get to the rough stuff later."

Tony wanted to question what that meant but Loki had guided his finger back inside him, sighing as he pushed it in, pulled it out. "Does it hurt?" Tony asked in a whisper.

"Oh, no…" Loki breathed against his cheek. "It is heaven. Another."

He aided Tony in adding another finger and Tony struggled to concentrate as Loki rubbed along his aching erection and pushed against Tony's hand. His vision started to blur and he shut his eyes, giving in to the sensations and sounds of Loki using him to work himself up. Then his hand was shoved away and there was pressure on his chest as Loki used him as leverage to push himself to a sitting position. Tony jerked a little when Loki wrapped his lube-coated fingers around his cock and stroked him a few times.

"Ready…?"

His eyes flicked up to Loki's but before he could even get his mind wrapped around what was happening, Loki was lifting his hips and lowering himself onto Tony. The feeling of sublime pleasure he felt fill him as he filled Loki was brushed aside because Loki's fingers clenched in the skin of his chest and he cried out in what sounded more like pain than pleasure.

"Loki?" Tony grabbed his shoulders and shook. "Loki, are you okay? Am I hurting you? Should I move? Should I pull out? Babe, say something, I don't kn—"

Loki's hand covered his mouth. "Don't…just let me…ohh, gods…I…" he moved a little, moaned with it. "I underestimated you, Anthony…" He let out a breathy laugh and Tony realized Loki was adjusting to his size.

"Are you…?"

"I am marvelous," he answered with a lazy smile. "Move, my darling." Tony thrust up once. "Yes, like that. Again. Ah!"

Tony gripped his hips again, moving him as he moved himself, until they found a rhythm that suited them both. Tony's body was slick with the sweat of his efforts, and his grunts and groans mingled with Loki's moans and mewls of gratification. He reached up, cupping his palm around Loki's neck to bring his mouth down so he could ravage that as well.

"Mmm, ohh…fuck, Loki…" he groaned, glanced down to where their bodies were joined.

"Oh, yes, Tony… Fuck me, please…"

Tony didn't need telling twice. Gripping onto Loki with one arm, he reared up and turned until the taller man was stretched out under him. Finding his grip on the bed, on Loki, he started doing exactly what Loki begged him to. The muscles in his entire body worked, burned, strained as he plunged himself into Loki again and again. A little thrill went through him with every little noise that came out of Loki's mouth, the way his eyes rolled back in his head with every thrust, the way his body, his beautiful pale body, alternately arched and bowed.

He was focusing so hard on pumping his hips that he was startled at the hand that came to his face. He turned his face into it, let himself be pulled down. Kiss me, Anthony. He heard before placing his lips on Loki's, slowing his rhythm down. "Unh, Loki…" he buried his face in Loki's hair, ground his hips into his. He felt Loki's fingers rub against his abs as he began to stroke himself, and in then in his hair, curling into it, scratching his short nails along the nape of Tony's neck.

"Harder, Anthony… Faster…please…darling…"

"Jesus, Loki…oh, god…!" Tony hips worked, and he felt Loki lifting to meet him, and soon he was slamming himself into him, moaning every time their bodies came together in a brief meeting.

"…yes…Tony…oh, yes…just like that…"

"…mmm, babe, you're gonna make me come…"

"Do it…mmm…come in me…ohhh…gods…"

Between their bodies, Loki's hand moved faster and faster until finally Tony felt something hot and wet spread beneath him. As Loki's drawn out moan sounded in his ear, Tony thrust once again and lost himself in an orgasm that had stars bursting behind his closed eyelids. When the waves of it finally stopped racking his body, Tony rolled off of Loki. They lay side-by-side for a moment, waiting for their breath to come back to them. Tony jumped up and grabbed the gold towel from the door, carried it back to the bed and swiped it over Loki's belly. He dropped it to the ground and laid back down again.

When Loki's breath started to become more even, Tony nudged his thigh with his hand. "Hey. You better not fall asleep. I'm gonna wanna do that again in a few minutes."

"Mmm…"Loki turned onto his side, putting his back to Tony. "We have all weekend, darling. Clint won't be back until Monday afternoon. We've no classes, remember? But I would have you stay with me tonight." He chuckled when Tony curled up behind him. His leg slipped between Loki's legs, his foot running along his calf, his arm slipped around his middle, his hand caressing his chest and torso, and his mouth pressed to his shoulder, nibbling and suckling.

"I don't want to go to sleep yet." Tony's hand traveled further down and he smiled against Loki's skin. "I don't think you do either." His hand started a slow stroke up and down Loki's semi-hard length.

"I'm already halfway asleep…mm…" Loki turned the upper half of his body so he could find Tony's mouth.

"Not all of you," he murmured against Loki's lips. He searched for and found the small bottle of lube under his back and popped the top with one finger. More gently this time, he rubbed his finger around Loki's entrance and Loki's fingers curled in his hair again. "You know…" He pressed with his finger until it was moving inside Loki again. "I'm never gonna look at apples the same way again."

Loki smiled lazily, gasping softly when Tony, hard as a rock already, slowly entered him. "That was the plan."