Tony's not quite sure what language Loki fretful in rambles as he makes haste climbing under the sheets by him. He calls his name puts a light grip to his shoulder wanting to turn him over. The feverish god wakes with a startled gasp his tense body jerking. "Easy, easy. Hey," at the voice Loki turns, confused and surprised and still reeling from a nightmare. Tony lends him a soft smile. "Hi," brushed locks from his face that somewhat eased registering him.
Not having thought this much through when he'd demanded Jarvis alert him should Loki's sleep fall restless, Tony lies draping an arm along his chest and pulling closely, hand perching top his head stroking down the soft mane. Loki'd sunk with a lengthy exhale the tension in his body Tony feels uncoiling. Loki'd brought a grip at his arm one like to affirm his presence and Tony returns one at his shoulder gave a squeeze to reassure him.
Weary alike Tony is quite aware, he need sort through the mess of his head, his heart, that beams to know Loki finds with him comfort, that feels for Loki and thinks of Loki far too profusely to deny longer.
XXX
"Tony," Loki calls like shocked and the smith spooning him starts.
"Hey. I'm here," he assures tilting up blinking sleep away. Loki turns and eases promptly. Tony smiles tiredly down, asks: "Jay, time."
"11:32, sir." He leans back his arms still around Loki their legs still intertwined, calls:
"Tell Barb we need coffee." Loki lazily smiles and turns so they're face to face brings an arm round Tony's waist eyes shutting briefly. Consciously cuddling now Tony feels he ought pull away, an instinct outweighed by the need to stay yet he is resolute set in finding Pepper, and doing what he should've maybe even long before Loki, as he brushes back the god's hair, whose emerald greens reopen, his voice quiet:
"How'd you know?"
"Jarvis. You got super-hearing I got ears everywhere." Loki's smirk is wry.
"And I'm the pervert." Tony grins closer tilts their foreheads press.
"Why Loki. What you get up to you don't want me hearing, hm?"
"Unlike you, I don't generally talk to myself."
"Well, you should. It's very therapeutic."
"Mm because we're the embodiment of mental stability." Tony laughs and the god smiles. Eyes lock mirthful then soft. Loki's much too distracted to have heard whose steps approached when the door opened and both assumed it's Barb. Steps louder those eyes snap wide they sit promptly.
XXX
"Uh, this isn't what it looks like?" Loki laughs. "Shut up," Tony half-hearted glares bumping the god's shoulder and failing at any gravity when a laugh of his own slips.
"At the moment, no. Given you both remain clothed," is Thor's worrying collected, cross-armed response. The picture proposed ill-timely aroused both. Barb comes into sight from behind Thor approaching Loki's side to set down the tray. "Are you romantically involved?"
"No!" Tony's quick to respond as Loki's eyes roll. "No, Thor, seriously," he chuckles again whilst the coffee's top the nightstand and she whirrs away. "We just um," he looks at Loki for help, as casually the god lifts a mug and smirks.
"Oh the floor's all yours." Tony deadpans.
"Ass." Loki's grin is all teeth. Thor smiles, retorts:
"Do you think me so simple?" Certain the mage says:
"Yes."
"No! Hehe, no, buddy. Look we just, sleep together – I mean, with or like, beside each other." Loki sips his coffee as Stark stutters on.
"Why?"
"I don't see how that at all concerns you," flatly points out and Thor looks to him, retorts:
"I can make it concern me."
"Oh?"
Tony intervenes quickly: "Look this, really isn't necessary," absently accepts the mug Loki hands him. "This, really. It's nothing."
"Hm. You're intelligent and cunning, and quite simple, both of you," he walks out.
Left to their devices Loki waves a hand so the door'll close hushing his thoughts to glance at the smith and his reddened features.
"I'll talk to him," he tells gaze forth.
"Yeah, and what'll you say?"
"Oh you know, manically threaten to misbehave should he feel inclined to speak."
"…That works?"
"Quite well." Tony's smirk is half-hearted and he can tell Loki's fazed too. He sips and sits back in mimic, lost in thought for some time – there's so much he wants to say and holds back because there's one thing he must do first, and then to worry, on Loki and what Loki feels, in turn. When Loki prompts: "Want to stop?" It takes him a beat to comprehend, and be taken aback because despite, what they're doing whatever it was, this was the first time either addressed it.
"No," he admitted quietly, and for a beat Loki seemed as taken. Those eyes then in them something, the shock receding in way of, a passivity concerning, his leveled tone:
"…I do." Where browns widen, and down Tony looks features crestfallen instant.
Loki's heart aches.
Nodding slowly Tony murmurs: "Okay…I'm uh, be in the lab," shuffles out of bed paced out the room, door closing.
Loki huffs a long breath eyes shut.
He brought them here, to this wherever this is and for what? Where were the reasons where had his reason gone to, when he'd went up to his room that first night, when he'd reached to soothe his pain when he took him by the hand, when he let himself listen like he always to him listens, of his past of his intellect or just nonsense, he let himself care, let impulse control him and risk,
risk the only reason he bothers getting up in the morning.
XXX
Thor silent stands before him.
"…You won't say anything." A beat, Thor shakes his head assenting. Loki gave a sole nod.
"…Brother," he starts no intent to disregard Loki's too visible toll, despite aware Loki'll only close off.
"No," indeed.
"You love him, don't you?" Silence a frown and he looks down. Thor urges: "…Tell him." He shakes his head – Thor urges: "Loki."
"Enough Thor, please. Go."
"…He loves you too, surely you see this!"
"Thor!" But he knows his brother well, to prove him wrong risk pushing away the only other person that on this realm cares. Thor stops.
"…I won't, involve myself in your affairs."
"Good."