Loki got behind the wheel of Thor's truck, as Thor was too upset to drive. He had become so frustrated while packing his things that he punched a wall in his bedroom, leaving a gaping hole for someone else to fix. They rode in silence, but Loki could see Thor was in pain and severely injured. Without telling him where they were going, Loki drove straight to a hospital.

Thor was furious, of course, but when a nurse passing by saw them arguing, then spotted his bloodied knuckles, she forced him inside and into a bed to be examined. While they waited, Loki texted Tony to let him know what was happening. An hour later, they were still waiting, and Jane rushed in with flushed cheeks and tears in her eyes. Not far behind were Darcy and Tony.

In the waiting room, Loki told Tony the whole story, from his conversation with Odin in the library to the confrontation in the dining room. After, Tony pursed his lips in thought. "Our dads sure don't know how to deal with things like normal adults, do they?"

Loki chuckled and the fingers of his right hand toyed with the fingers of Tony's right hand. But his smile faded quickly. "I wish he had not gone after mother. He was angry with me. She should not have stepped in."

Tony's left hand rested on Loki's shoulder. He lifted one finger to stroke Loki's jaw. "Loki, she stepped in because she was trying to protect you."

"I can take care of myself against Odin," he answered stubbornly. "She should have let me."

Tony's hand went to Loki's chin, forcefully turning Loki's downcast face to his. "Hey, Hamlet, don't you remember when he nearly killed you?" His grip on Loki's chin loosened and his hand fell to his shoulder again, when those emerald eyes started to glisten. "There wasn't anything you could've done to stop Frigga. Even the blond freight train wouldn't have been able to stop her."

Loki grinned sadly at that. Near tears, he leaned his head against Tony's, sinking into his arms when they went around his thin frame. Tony kissed his hair and rested his head on Loki's. They sat like that for awhile, eventually falling into a light sleep. When Loki opened his eyes, Darcy had taken the seat directly across from them. He frowned at her and sat up. Tony moved to rest his head on Loki's shoulder and curl himself around Loki's arm, but he didn't wake up.

"Has something happened?"

Darcy shook her head, her dark curls, spilling out from the bright turquoise knit beanie she wore, bounced around her shoulders. "Nah, I just felt like I was invading their time together. So I came out here." Her smile grew showing big white teeth. "And found you guys cuddling."

Loki chuckled softly. He saw Darcy's blue eyes focus on Tony, almost narrowing, and turned to look down at him himself. "What are you looking at?"

"How did you do it?" she asked, her voice full of what sounded like wonder.

"Do what?"

"How did you get Tony Stark to commit? Nobody has ever been able to do it. Is it because he didn't know he was gay?" She turned those big blue eyes on Loki and asked the question like she was asking if he wanted a piece of gum.

He grinned. "You are under the assumption that people only fall into the two categories of 'gay' or 'straight'?"

Darcy's face contorted. "Tsch, yeah! Well, I mean, I know you don't."

"Do you?" Loki raised an eyebrow, crossed one long leg over the other, careful not to jostle or move a still-sleeping Tony.

"Yeah, 'cause you were with Bucky then Maria and now Tony. So you're bi, right?"

Loki shrugged. "If that is the name you wish you apply to it."

Darcy tilted her head to the side and mimicked Loki's position, crossing her legs. "What would you call it?" she challenged.

"I don't attach any labels to myself, dear. Others seem more inclined, and happy, to do it for me."

"But you guys…" She aimed a black-polished finger at him then Tony, back and forth a few times. "You and Tony, you do it a lot, right? I mean that's what I heard."

Loki couldn't help the curve of his lips. He glanced down at Tony when the sleeping man buried his nose into the sleeve of Loki's sweater for a brief moment. "You heard as in from someone else or you heard as in you were eavesdropping outside my door?"

Darcy made a horrified face. "Eww, gross, no! I meant like gossip. I. Hear. Everything, Loki. That's why I'm so surprised that Tony has been with you so long. Even when he was with Pepper it was only for a month or a little over a month, at the most."

"Is that so?"

She nodded knowingly, almost wisely, like she was teaching him a lesson. "So what did you do, huh? Did you use magic on him? Did you put him under some spell of yours?" She wiggled her fingers, like a magician.

Loki's chin lowered. "Your jest suggests the only way Anthony Stark could fall in love is if he was tricked into it."

Darcy's shoulders and hands lifted in an innocent gesture. "I'm just saying, as far as I know, you're the first person he's ever said he's loved. Besides himself, of course." Loki smiled, chuckled, and nodded his head more in acknowledgement than agreement. "So…?"

Loki lifted his green eyes to hers and smiled politely. "Sorry—Darcy, is it?" She nodded. "I'm afraid I am not inclined to discuss the details of my relationship with you. I mean no offense. But I especially won't discuss it when the other half of said relationship is awake and listening."

Darcy blinked and her mouth fell open as her eyes went to Tony.

"Aw, man!" Tony sat up and playfully shoved Loki. "How did you know?"

Loki cocked his head to the side. "I believe I am familiar as to when you are awake or asleep after four months, Anthony. Also, you laughed when Darcy said you've never loved anyone but yourself."

"Shit, I gave myself away. You're no fun." He shoved Loki weakly again, but Loki caught him by the wrist and held onto his hand as they exchanged genial, loving smiles. Darcy made a gagging sound.

"Ugh, you guys are so gross." Darcy stood and stretched her arms over her head. "All right, I'm going to go find some coffee."

"I take mine black with two sugars," Tony called out.

"Uh-huh." She disappeared for only a moment before popping her head back in the room. "You want anything Loki?" He declined and she disappeared. Once she was gone again, Tony tugged on Loki's ear.

"How did you do it?"

"How did I do what?"

"Get me to commit." Tony set his elbow on the back of his chair, resting his cheek against the back of his hand. "I've managed to avoid that my whole life. Pepper tried her damndest to get me to call her my girlfriend for two years and I managed to string her along and never do it. And then…you and your skinny ass come along."

Loki smirked, turning his head to look at Tony. "I hope it was more than my skinny ass that made you want to commit."

Tony chuckled. "Well?"

Loki laughed loudly. "I did nothing. You forget I did not care for you upon our first meeting. And it took two months after that for me to speak to you as if you weren't a pest buzzing about my head."

Tony's fingers slipped into Loki's raven hair at the nape of his neck and started pulling him closer. "Got over that quick, didn't ya?" he said facetiously before claiming Loki's lips with his. Loki's hand moved swiftly to the back of Tony's head as he returned the kiss fervently. It took Jane clearing her throat twice to break them apart.

"Sorry, but Thor is asking for you, Loki."

Loki got to his feet, swiping his fingers over his lips. He glanced over his shoulder at Tony as he started out of the room, a frown on his face, as he licked his lips again. "What did you eat before you came here? Tastes like…cake?"

Tony shrugged. "I got an early birthday gift. I couldn't wait," he said before grinning.

"Eww, you could taste it?" Jane said with a grimace. She shuddered and moved to take Loki's seat.

"It's not like I regurgitated it."

"Eww!" Jane slapped a hand to his arm as Loki rolled his eyes. Tony's laugh echoed in the room as Loki headed down the hallway.

Loki pulled back the curtain Thor's bed was hidden behind. Thor was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to button up his shirt with one hand, the other was wrapped thickly in ace bandages, his fingers barely able to wiggle.

"Are they releasing you?" Loki asked as he pulled the curtain closed again.

Thor glanced up and nodded. Loki could see the frustration on his face. "Yes. Nothing is broken, just severely bruised." He let out an aggravated noise and dropped his hand. He barely met Loki's eyes when his brother moved in front of him to finish buttoning up his shirt.

"You shouldn't have done this," Loki said softly.

Thor's face darkened. "I had to."

"No, you didn't." Loki asserted as he finished buttoning the dark blue dress shirt and stepped back to pick up one of Thor's boots. He sat next to him and motioned for Thor to give him his foot. "What good is it going to do to have Odin angry at both of us? And we've left mother with him. You cannot be everyone's hero, Thor." He jerked, his eyes snapping up to Thor when the older man snatched his foot, his shoe still unlaced, from Loki's grasp.

His face in an angry frown, Thor tried to tie the laces himself and struggled to get a hold on them.

"Stop being so stubborn." Loki took Thor's foot back and finished tying the laces. "I never said I did not appreciate you standing up to Odin. I do. And I thank you for not stepping in before I needed you to. But throwing your fist through a wall was not the smartest reaction you could have had."

Thor grumbled under his breath as Loki moved on to the other foot. "I was angry."

Loki met his gaze, cocked an eyebrow. "You don't say." He released Thor's foot and grinned when Thor couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up in his chest.

"I do not understand his thinking, Loki. Honestly…" he glanced at Loki sheepishly, shrugged, "I cannot comprehend, myself, your attraction to Tony Stark—not men, just him—but it is not my place to question whom you choose to love. And, I would hope, if the situation were reversed, you would not begrudge my relationship with Jane."

"I think we will revisit my attraction to Anthony later," he said with a small smirk. "Quite frankly, I don't know what Jane sees in you." He chuckled when Thor sent him a hurt look. "You are brutish, impulsive, quick-tempered, and prone to pouting for days when things do not go your way."

"Are you sure you are not speaking of yourself?" Thor asked with a mock glare.

Loki's shoulders shook with his laugh. "However," he stressed with a grin, "you are also a strong, warm presence, and deeply protective of what you love. I assume she falls under that category. Though I do hope you are much more gentle with her than you are with everyone else. At times I don't think you know your own strength."

"No, I am aware." He grinned, pleased, and he blushed only a little when Loki set his eyes on him. "She does not care for when I am gentle."

Loki grimaced. "Gods, Thor! I did not need to know that."

Thor rolled back with laughter, needling Loki's side with his elbow. "Remind me again what those sounds were coming from Tony's room the other night? And what I saw earlier that day?" Loki laughed and pushed him away. Their laughter slowly died and Thor sighed deeply. "What do you see in him?"

"Who…? Anthony?"

"Yes."

"You have lived with him for two years, Thor. Do you not like him?"

"No, it's not that," Thor said with a shake of his head. He glanced at his brother when he raised his eyebrows in question. "I do like him, very much. But…you have just said it, brother: I have shared the same quarters with him for two years. I have seen a parade of females, including the lady Pepper, come and go from his room quite often, sometimes more than one at a time."

Loki snorted out a breath through his nose. "Are you trying to make me angry, Thor?"

"No, Loki. I am trying to warn you. I have seen him be careless with other's hearts time and time again. I do not wish to see you get hurt. I know you care about him, but I wish you to ask yourself if he is worth the trouble this relationship is causing our family—"

"He loves me," Loki said, turning bright green eyes to Thor's blue ones. Thor straightened, sat back and Loki's eyes never wavered from his, almost challenging him to argue. "Have you seen that? Have you seen him with someone longer than a night, a few weeks? From what I'm told, even Pepper didn't last more than a month at a time." He paused to take a breath. "Thor, I know you're concerned about me and Odin. But, the truth is, he and I would have these problems, whether or not Anthony was in my life. You know this."

"Why, because of the truth behind your adoption? Do you plan to hold that against father forever, Loki? You were told it was not his idea, were you not?"

"But he let it happen!" Loki scoffed and got to his feet. "I cannot make you understand how I feel, Thor. You do not understand what it is like to feel that you do not belong. Not anywhere." He shrugged, almost helpless. "We had two different fathers, you and I."

"We had the same father, Loki."

"No. You had a father who loved you and encouraged you and pushed you to be everything you wanted. I had a father who pushed me, yes, to behave, to act according to his rules, but there was always a block between us, a wall that kept him from ever truly accepting me the way he did you. I know now that wall was the fact that no matter how much he claimed to love me, he never wanted me—not like mother did. And it is not I that he wants to follow in his footsteps. Only you, Thor. All he wanted from me was to make sure I did nothing to embarrass him and jeopardize his career. Even now, that is all he wants from me. And you will, too, someday, if you are to, in fact, follow in his path."

Thor stood and took Loki by the arms. "Loki, I want nothing from you but for you to be happy."

Loki's grin was slow and toothy. "I am happy, Thor. In fact, I've not been this happy since…since before I was told of Odin's lies."

Thor sighed and dropped his hands. "And I presume Tony is a reason for that?"

"He is one of the foremost." Loki's eyes narrowed slightly but he continued to smile. "Have you not noticed a change in him at all the past few months?"

"I have." Thor nodded and smiled. "Quite a feat, I'm told. So congratulations." Loki laughed and they both turned when the curtain was pulled aside again, this time to the very end of it.

"Odinson, Thor?"

"Yes?" Thor stepped forward toward the male nurse. He handed him his copy of his receipt and a prescription for pain medication.

"I know you're a big guy and all, but go easy on those painkillers, okay? You're free to go."

"Thank you." Thor took the papers and gave him a polite smile.

"Take care of him," he said to Loki. "Bye now."

Loki helped Thor get his jacket on and they started out of the room. Thor waved and nodded his thanks to the other nurses at the nurses' station, all smiling back at him dreamily and batting their eyes. Loki rolled his eyes and pushed Thor through the door.

"Loki. Don't be angry at me for this—"

"That doesn't sound foreboding at all," Loki responded dryly.

Thor grinned awkwardly. "I know father spoke to you before about…uh, your tendency for taking men to bed…?"

"Gods, Thor," he scoffed in undertones. "That was your fault, by the way. If you had kept your nose out of my business—"

"Yes, I know, Loki. I already apologized for that. What I am asking is—you are not purposely in a relationship with Tony just to anger father…are you?"

Loki stopped, gaped at Thor with wide green eyes. "I don't believe you just asked me that."

Thor scratched at his head anxiously. "You are well-known for your tricks, brother. It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that you would—"

"I will grant that I am prone to a few pranks here and there, Thor, and that I particularly enjoyed irking Odin when I was child, but I would never deliberately toy with someone else's emotions. Particularly not someone whose emotions are as fragile as Anthony's can be. And not just to rile Odin's ire. I can do that in other ways. Do you think that poorly of me?"

"Calm down, Loki." Thor took him by the arm and started down the hallway again. "By Odin's beard, you're as sensitive as a woman sometimes." Loki let out a loud offended gasp and, forgetting about Thor's injured hand, shoved him against the wall. Despite his surprise at Loki's strength, and the fear of hitting his already sore hand, Thor laughed and followed his pouting brother to the waiting room.

On the morning of April 4th, Tony woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and forest, with a hint of…mint? He groaned, not yet wanting to open his eyes. He giggled softly when something fluttered against his cheek. He sighed contentedly when a cool body sidled up to his warm one, damp lips pressed to his cheek, nibbled at his ear.

Anthony…

"No, not yet…good dream." He rolled onto his side and pulled the body closer, burying his face in the crook of its owner's neck, and slid his hand down the spine. His fingers bumped into the elastic band of pajama pants and one eye lifted open. "Why you wearing pants? You just killed my morning boner." Tony rolled away onto his other side, putting his back to Loki. Loki chuckled and curled himself around Tony from behind.

"Happy birthday, Anthony."

"Hmph, some birthday. I wanted sex for breakfast. It was the only thing I asked for. And you have pants on."

"I can take them off, love."

Tony felt Loki's hand moving behind him, tugging the tie of the pants, and then shifting them over his hips. He scoffed, still pretending to be mad, as the bed moved and bounced while Loki tried to kick the pants off of his legs. Once he was naked, Loki wrapped himself around Tony again.

"There. I had to put them on to go out and make your coffee. Don't you want to drink it?"

"Maybe later." Tony rolled to his back again and yanked Loki over him. "I want my birthday gift first." Loki's laugh was silenced when Tony lifted his mouth to his. Loki pulled the covers over their heads and they didn't come up for air for another hour.

After, they lay side by side, panting, the sheet and comforter tangled between their legs. Tony reached a hand out to the coffee mug on his nightstand. "My coffee's cold." When he turned to look at Loki his bottom lip was popped out.

"You're the one who wanted your present first." Loki poked his bottom lip with his finger and turned onto his side. "I thought we could skip our classes and spend the whole day in bed. We've not done that in some time."

Tony shifted closer, nuzzling into Loki. "You're such a good boyfriend," he said as if he were petting a dog. Loki scoffed and shoved him away. "Hey. I didn't push you around on your birthday." Tony fixed his pillow and smoothed the sheets around him.

"No, you licked frosting off my nipples," Loki pointed out as he settled onto his stomach and pulled the sheet Tony had just smoothed to cover his naked body.

"And you loved every minute of it. Babe, I'd totally love to stay here and do nothing but make you walk funny for a week…"

"Promises, promises, Anthony." Loki snickered when Tony slapped his ass.

"But I can't. I have to go see Banner at one."

"What?" Loki's head came up off the pillow. "Why?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. He probably wants to check on what I've gotten done with all that makeup work he gave me. Got it all done, by the way. And he said he had some favor to ask me."

Loki dropped his head back to the pillow, face-first, and groaned. "Well, that ruins my plans. I suppose I can still defrost the lasagna for dinner."

"You're gonna make me lasagna?" Tony laughed and pulled Loki to him again, kissed him deeply. "I love you." He hugged Loki close and moved himself until the long pale body was under his. He nudged Loki's legs apart with his knee and ground himself against him, making his boyfriend moan then laugh.

"Anthony…"

"What?" Tony reached down between their bodies and began to stroke Loki.

"I thought you had to…" Loki chuckled softly when Tony disappeared under the sheet, moaned when he felt his tongue licking at his entrance.

"Had to what?" Tony's voice was small and muffled, but Loki only responded with a breathy gasp as Tony pushed a finger into him.

"Mmm…Anthony…I thought it was your birthday…" Loki managed when Tony took him into his mouth. Tony hummed in agreement, slipped another finger into Loki. "Unh, Tony…" He gasped again, in surprise this time, when Tony's head popped up from under the sheet and he nipped at Loki's lips.

"Don't 'Tony' me yet." He shifted himself, gripped Loki's hips, and then slid himself all the way inside him. Loki's mouth opened on a cry but Tony silenced him with his own mouth.

"Move, Anthony. Please…" Loki begged once Tony broke the kiss.

Tony smiled against Loki's neck, licked a trail up to his ear. "Please what…?"

Loki groaned and tried to move his hips. "You're cruel."

Tony giggled. "I know. Say it anyway." Loki lowered his head until he could look into Tony's eyes. He smirked and shook his head.

"No."

"But it's my birthday," Tony said with a pout.

Loki laughed. "Then do whatever you want. Just move!"

Tony pulled out almost all the way then plunged himself back in. "Like that?"

Loki's body curled into itself and he drew himself up, his fingers pressing firmly into the skin at Tony's shoulders. "Ah, yes…again, Anthony…" Tony did as Loki asked and the other man fell back to the bed. When Tony did it again, Loki's hand flew out and his fingers wrapped around one of the bars of the headboard until his knuckles went white.

"Ohh, Loki…" Tony's hips pumped and the bed banged against the wall with every thrust. He flung the sheet clinging to him off his back and pushed up to his knees, lifting Loki's hips with him. Sweat formed across his forehead as he drove himself into Loki. He smiled as his name spilled from Loki's lips in a current of moans and gasps until he finally reached his peak. Tony rode out his own orgasm then collapsed onto Loki's sweat-slicked body.

"I thought…you had…an appointment," Loki said between breaths.

"I had some time to kill. Ow," he said softly when Loki slapped a hand to his back. He chuckled when Loki shoved him away and moved to separate their bodies. They laid still a little longer until their breath returned to normal. Loki started to get off the bed, but Tony's arm snaked around his waist and yanked him back, making Loki nearly scream.

"Where are you going?" Tony grumbled as he cuddled into Loki.

"I was going to shower. Get off me. You're all sweaty." Loki shoved at Tony but he wouldn't budge. Instead he moved a leg over both of Loki's trapping him. "Anthony."

"I'm gonna get up in a second to shower and go to my appointment."

"Wonderful. Let me go."

"No," he nearly whined. "I don't want you to leave yet."

"You do realize the moment you walk out that door I am going to get up and return to my own room, don't you?"

"No. I want you to stay in my bed." Tony pushed himself up and swung a leg over Loki, straddling his lap. And pinned down his arms. Loki's eyes moved to look pointedly at each of his arms and legs.

"Um, I don't believe we have reached the point in our relationship when I would let you tie me up, Anthony. And I don't know that we ever would either."

"I'm not gonna tie you up, babe. Although, I do like where your mind went. We'll try that some other time. No, I want you to stay right here, in my bed, while I'm gone. So when I get back we can just pick up right where we left off." Tony grinned and kissed Loki. "Consider it another birthday present."

"You're getting an awful lot of gifts from me today."

"What can I say? I'm a lucky guy. Will you stay?"

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Do I get to shower at all?"

"Why? You don't want to smell like me?" Loki blinked twice at him, said nothing. Tony made scoffing noise. "Fine, you can shower. But straight back here, butt-naked, got it?"

Loki let out another breath and shook his head. "You owe me so big for my birthday next year."

"Deal." Tony kissed him once last time and jumped off the bed.