The Fox and the Bear
Tony was starting to believe it was a mistake to form the Avengers. Tensions were high between him and the Boy Scout and he wasn't sure that the group would survive this. It hurt to see something he put so much energy into falling apart at the seam.
He often found himself in his lab more often than not just to avoid Steve but everyone else as well. He wanted to be alone to be able to think about it. Tony was fiddling with some new thing he was working on when the doors to the lab opened.
"Now entering, Fox Bastard."
Loki walked in with a grin. "Changed my name in the system, Tony? I'm almost hurt."
"What do ya want, Loki? I don't have time to entertain you." Tony said, cursing that he forgot to remove Loki’s permissions.
"What if I just wanted to see you?" He replied, stopping to stand across the table from Tony. Tony just rolled his eyes. "I'm almost hurt, my dearest Man of Iron. I only came by to see you and see how you were holding up." The God of Mischief looked slightly hurt.
"I'm fine, can you go now?"
"Nope!" Loki smiled at the other. "How could I possibly allow you to brood alone in your lab?"
Tony looked at the other unimpressed. "You're hiding in here from Thor, aren't you?"
"Of course not. Why would I ever hide from my oafish half sibling?" Lokie scoffed.
"Mhmm. And that's why you locked the door behind you, isn't it?" Tony asked, his arms moved to cross over his chest.
Loki’s mouth was a straight line. "You're hiding from him, in part, as well." Lokie put his hands on the table and leaned over. "He's an overexcitable puppy who doesn't know his own strength or boundaries, Tony."
"That does not negate that you are, in fact, hiding from him." He responded, giving his boyfriend a deadpan look.
“Well, he has also been looking for you.”
“What?”
“Yep!” Loki said with a grin. “I think he was wondering if you were courting me or whatever.” His statement was meant by silence as his boyfriend visibly stopped functioning. A human version of a blue screen of death if you will. “Tony?”
He blinked really quickly. “Um, yes? Yes, Loki?”
“Are you okay?” He reached out to run his rand over the other’s arms.
Tony cleared his throat. “Of course." His cheeks flushing lightly.
"Then what-" Loki noticed the blush. "Does the idea of us voting still make you blush?" He asked with a chuckle.
"What? No!" Tony sputtered, his blush getting darker.
"Oh my bleeding hearted hero…" Loki swooned, jokingly. "Also, the Boy Scout made dinner and told me to grab you."
"Why didn't you start with that?!" Tony growled lightly, moving to the door in a huff.
“Pfft drama queen.” Loki grinned.
They made their way down to the kitchen, greeted by the scents of food. It seemed as though everyone was already digging into the food that was prepared from the sounds of cutlery on dishes. Tony stopped in the hallway while Loki, who was in front of him, carried on about another story of him and his brother getting into hijinks. It took another step or two for the Fox to realize his Bear wasn’t following along.
“Bear?”
Tony shook his head. “It’s nothing, Fox. Just got lost in my head for a minute there. Why’d you choose Bear as a nickname, anyways?”
“Because you’re as cuddly as one, and I’ve never met someone who is so easy to irritate. You’re also adorably caring and protective.” Loki purred while dragging Tony into the common area by the hand. “And-”
“Man of Iron!” Thor called out, drawing all eyes to them. “Are you courting my brother?!”
“No, Thor, I am not courting your brother.”
“Oh-”
“I’m dating him. It’s a Midgarde thing that you should bother Captain Boy Scout about.” Tony said with a grin as Steve sent him a look from across the room.
Life was good. And, Tony’s revenge against Loki was going to be even better for outing their relationship to the group like this. ^_^