Near
He loves Pepper, he does. Things were simpler at first, but days passed and their relation seemed to revert, to interactions as they were before, unleveled perspectives, tension, frequent arguments. Common ground’s a struggle to find, talking’s of the company mostly, Tony’s in the lab mostly and she can’t stand the place – it’s hectic he doesn’t blame her, he’s experimenting and babbling and it’s hazardous and loud and when he’s down there he’s too zoned in for anything else.
He’d ask how Loki looks so at ease, here, never needs to because he understands, in a way, or at least never finds the need to question it. Nor question how he tolerates the god hovering in contrast to shooing anyone else away because they’re too distracting or they’ve something to ask of him and really he just wants to work.
Sometimes Loki’ll just watch him work, sometimes when Tony’s not so wholly focused he’d ask questions, technical ones, that Tony probably shouldn’t answer. Sometimes he likes to show off and quicken the build of things with magic. Sometimes he’s in well enough a mood to share the technicalities of his Seider.
Sometimes Tony’s absolutely fixated by him, when his speech comes more fervid when he speaks with such passion. Sometimes Tony’s reminded intensely, how attracted he is to Loki how he’s always found to him a certain appeal, allure, that has not faltered. He often need remind himself he is committed, often need remind himself of the man his father was that he does not want to and will not become so his eyes avert and he breathes to steady his heartrate,
that speeds when Loki’ll look at him a certain way or smirk at him that way or invade his personal space which he does often. He fails to maintain distance, forgets, most things, when Loki’s nearby.