Part 1 - Chp 5
“We should bring Rogers on board,” Natasha says in the silence.
Tony stares at the files they’ve finally managed to crack, at how deep the mess with with SHIELD goes.
“Yeah,” Tony says. “You can handle that.”
***
Steve Rogers, born July 4th, soulmates Peggy Carter and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. James died during the war. Steve went down under the ocean during WW2. Peggy moved on, founded SHIELD, and made herself a family.
The captain has been out of the ice for most of a year, and as far as Tony knows he’s been getting back on his feet with small time missions with Natasha and occasionally Barton. Tony’s never actually met him, though he’s seen him a few times, and he hasn’t exactly been rushing the process. The last thing he’s wanted to do is meet the man that his father thought he should be and Tony most definitely is not.
The thing is, Tony also isn’t going to argue with Natasha about having Steve help them with the apparent fusion of Hydra and SHIELD that runs all the way to the top of the organization.
And that before taking into account the Winter Soldier.
***
“What troubles you?” Loki asks; Tony doesn’t even jump with how much this has happened over the past week and a half. Tension drains out of his back as Loki touches him--Loki is always touching, greedy, and as he noses along the back of Tony’s neck Tony finds himself leaning back into him.
“What do you know about soulmates?” Tony asks, which isn’t what he wants to ask. He’s almost acclimated to the idea that Loki is his soulmate if only because as far as fairy tale stories of them go, Loki ticks every box for what Tony should be experiencing.
(Tension eased, turning to find him before he speaks, aware when he’s in a room, aware of him without thought, touch a balm, voice more so. Maybe Tony didn’t get any of the other lead up, but he suspects that might have to do with the matching chain bracelets and choker Loki wears and itches at occasionally, which no one has pointed out. As if Tony won’t notice.)
“What truly troubles you,” Loki murmurs, lips brushing the shell of Tony’s ear. Tony shivers; Loki’s breath is warm, solid as the rest of him these days though Tony is sure he hasn’t eaten or drank anything.
“How are you just taking this all in stride?”
“You are mine. You were-are-will be mine. I had need,” Loki says simply. It makes Tony shiver again, but it’s cold and sweaty. Loki’s arms tighten around him. “This frightens you.” He sounds puzzled, inhuman, and Tony thinks god.
“No,” Tony lies, because bravado and not admitting how terrified he is is a part of life. Loki goes utterly still at his back.
There’s a blur of motion, too fast for Tony to follow, then he’s up against a wall, back and shoulders screaming from the sudden impact, a hand around his throat. He blinks to try and clear his vision then nearly swallows his tongue--would, if not for the vice like grip around his throat, and he grips Loki’s hand, trying to pry it away.
Loki is vast, shadows twisting behind him in a way that makes Tony’s head spin again, glacier blue tinging his joints and the air frozen around him; his hand burns with cold where it’s wrapped around Tony’s throat.
“You would dare lie to me,” Loki snarls.
Tony makes a choking noise, because he can’t make much other noise at the moment, clawing at Loki’s wrist that has him hauled off the ground. His vision is black at the edges, lungs and face both burning as he tries to just find some air--
Loki drops him, just like that, human-sized and human-shaped, no trace of what just happened, hands steadying Tony as he gasps in breath and his feet his the ground.
“What the fuck was that?” Tony demands as soon as he has enough air, shoving Loki’s hands away. Loki has the gall to look hurt, like he didn’t just nearly murder Tony.
“You lied,” Loki says, blinking at Tony, brow furrowing. Then he says, “You are upset.”
Tony just stares at Loki.
“I would never harm you,” Loki says, reaching for Tony again. Tony sidesteps it. Loki’s hands hang in the air for a moment, then he’s wringing them, staring at Tony like he can just will him to believe it. It’s almost childlike. “Not truly. I swear it, you are--you are everything.”
“You could have killed me,” Tony says slowly and clearly, making sure to enunciate.
“You are well and I did not. I would not. Never.”
Tony stares at him for a few long moments, but Loki really isn’t getting it.
“I need a drink,” he says, and walks out.