"I'm letting go of all my lonely yesterdays,
I've forgiven myself for all the mistakes I made,
Now there's just one thing, the only thing I wanna do,
I wanna love somebody, love somebody like you."
Somebody Like You, Keith Urban
A good twenty minutes later, a much fresher looking Tony appeared in the kitchen.
He found Loki perched on the edge of the counter, reading – as usual – and swinging his impossibly long legs absent-mindedly. There was something beautifully childlike in the motion, something gorgeously innocent in the way the lean man's brow puckered with concentration. He hadn't yet combed his hair, so several soft ebony tresses fell forwards to frame the pale face. He tucked them behind his ear, a simple gesture – and yet so endearing.
"I don't think you realise how sexy you are," Tony said, in way of a greeting. Loki smiled, his eyes leaving the page for a second.
"Good morning to you too," he said, dog-earing the page and setting the book down on the counter beside him. "I'll be honest, Anthony, I'm astonished you've managed to make yourself so presentable at this hour."
"Oh, so you get sexy and I get presentable?" Tony smiled. "That's fair. Thanks honey."
"You're welcome," Loki grinned. "I made coffee." He gestured at the jug to his left and Tony noticed a red mark on his hand.
"Still haven't got the hang of the coffee machine, then?" he rubbed it, then kissed it gently.
"It's odd," Loki blushed gently. "You Midgardians do have some strange contraptions."
"Don't worry about it," Tony put a hand on either side of Loki's waist. "You're doing better than Thor. He couldn't even turn it on for almost a month."
"That's not overly reassuring," Loki's hands came to rest on Tony's shoulder's. "Aside from physical strength, I'm better than my brother at most things."
"So humble, Lo. One of your many adorable qualities," Tony said. Loki laughed.
"Yes, Anthony, because you with your immense modesty are someone to call other people on their humility," he said.
"Shut up, you love it," Tony stroked his hands gently down Loki's thighs, provoking a small shiver and a seductive grin.
"I do," Loki whispered, leaning in to meet Tony's lips in a passionate kiss….
"Uh… morning, fellas," a voice behind Tony said, and they broke apart suddenly.
Tony grinned and Loki glared at Steve Rogers, still in his night shirt and pyjama pants. He was the only current occupant of Stark Towers who woke up as early as Loki did – but since Loki was usually content with watching Tony sleep, they very rarely had these early-morning meetings.
"Good morning Steve," Tony was a little embarrassed; usually he didn't care if one of his friends caught him in a compromising position with someone else – indeed Fury and Thor often congratulated him on the calibre of women he brought home – but Steve was something different. He was doing well to accept the modern world and to be opened minded, but his old fashioned morals disapproved of Tony's attitudes to sex. Particularly with Loki. He wasn't a bigot, nor a homophobe, not in the slightest. But he was from a different time. He was unaccustomed to two men being so openly affectionate with each other. Tony respected that, and tried his best to be conservative in the Captain's company. Loki, on the other hand, tried his best to be the exact opposite of conservative; perching on Tony's lap, running hands through his hair and over his body, kissing his face and neck and collarbones.
"D'you er… can I get you a cup of coffee?" Tony offered, in way of breaking the tense silence that hung around the room.
"Sure. Thanks," Steve sat at the table, smiling at Tony but flashing wary glances at Loki constantly. The latter simply flashed the Captain a sly smile, before going back to his book. "So…uh…Tony. Wasn't expecting to see you up so early."
"Yeah, well, apparently somebody doesn't want me to get my beauty sleep," Tony said, putting a mug in front of Steve.
"Well you hardly need it," Loki stated, not looking up from his book. Tony blushed and turned away, facing Steve.
"So. How are you doing?" he asked.
"Fine, thanks. I uh… Thor was talking about going for a walk in Central Park later," Steve cleared his throat. "I might join him. I mean, I don't think letting him go out in the city alone is a good idea. We might lose him." He paused to laugh. Then his eyes flickered between the couple. "You could join us… both of you… y'know. If you want."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Tony said. "I've got some important research to do. I'm on the brink of a breakthrough, I'm sure of it."
"Oh. Okay. Well… um… Loki?" Steve looked more uncomfortable than Tony had ever seen him. Loki looked up, meeting Steve's eye with a frown.
"A walk with you and my brother? I can think of nothing more torturous, Steven," he remarked. Steve didn't say anything, but he blushed. Tony tutted.
"Play nice, Lo," he hissed, leaning into the demigod's ear.
"I don't play nice, Anthony, you should know that by now," Loki replied, making no effort to keep his voice down.
"It is true," Thor boomed, entering in the kitchen. "He used to cheat at hide-and-seek when we were children."
"I didn't cheat, Thor, I simply won every time," Loki commented haughtily.
"Hiding yourself for three days with magic is cheating, brother," Thor laughed, giving the younger man a gentle shove.
"Or excellent tactics," Loki shoved him back. "It's all a matter of perspective, really."
"You truly do have an answer for everything, don't you?" Thor laughed, a sound far too loud and far too bright for the time of morning (to Tony, at least.)
With a tight smile, Loki sprang from his perch on the counter, landing with catlike grace on the balls of his feet.
"I'm going to have a shower," he announced, flouncing out of the room.
"Hey, I'll come with," Tony followed after him, ignoring the over-protective-older-brother look that Thor gave him as he did so.
When Tony caught up to him in the bathroom, Loki turned and sighed.
"So much for romantic," he said.
"I'm sorry, Lo," Tony touched his arm. Loki shrugged.
"It isn't your fault," he said. "My brother never really did understand the concept of privacy. And as for Rogers, I suppose I can't complain. It is fun to make him squirm."
"Asshole," Tony laughed. Loki quirked one eyebrow.
"Really. Out of all the things I've done, mocking your friend is what makes me an asshole?" he smirked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Tony shrugged. "Now come on. How about that shower?"