Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 75: Earth-dwelling Friends

Chapter Seventy-Five

Earth-dwelling friends

Milky Way Galaxy

Sol System

Nine Realms / Planet Earth

It was close to dawn the next day when Loki finally bid goodbye. Thor insisted he could stay some more, but Loki declined. He needed to go back to Stark and not just to reassure the man that everything was fine.

This day left him raw, cut open, vulnerable. It felt like things buried deep within him were dragged and torn out of him to the surface for everyone to see. In a way it felt like he got rid of some horrible burden that was eating away at him, but it also left him without something he desperately clung to in recent years. He knew things were far from settled, that this was not the last time he would need to bare his soul in a way he never thought he would be able to in front of Thor. Not unless it was to spit venomous words in his face. But here they were; they spoke of thing they've never spoken of before, shared thoughts they kept hidden from all others. It was... surreal and utterly exhausting.

When he arrived back to Stark's house JARVIS wisely refrained from greeting him, because Stark was asleep. Loki moved before he really thought about it and climbed into the bed, curling up next to the man, soaking in his presence, just breathing in his scent. Feeling Stark's heartbeat under his hand grounded him, the heat of his body and his even breaths helped him breathe more easily again. His mind was clearing right away, and the tightness in his chest eased up a little as well.

Stark stirred not even a minute later, his arms moved to wrap around Loki even before he was fully awake.

'Hey,' he croaked then, his voice scratchy from sleep. Loki didn't answer, just breathed deeply and let the familiar feel of Stark's body help him relax some more. Stark tightened his hold on him right away and pulled him closer. Loki buried his face in his neck.

'Do I need to kill someone?' Stark asked quietly.

Loki huffed and shook his head. Stark relaxed a little at that and started stroking Loki's back soothingly. He always knew what to give even when Loki did not know how to ask for it. Right now, he just needed to be close. He felt wounded, not in a bad way, but still too defenceless. Tony was safe.

'So, no need to murder anyone,' Tony said after a very long silence. He obviously couldn't stay quiet any longer. 'But for the record, I am so not afraid of Thor. I could totally kick his ass.'

Loki chuckled quietly, because it was such a typical thing to say. But there was also lightness in Tony's tone and that helped him relax further. He shifted until he lay on his side, his head resting on Tony's shoulder.

'As entertaining as it would be to see you two brawling again,' Loki said. 'I'm just... exhausted.'

'We'll sleep then,' Tony decided. 'You just need to tell me if you're not okay... I really need to know that, you know.'

'I am well. It was... good,' Loki said, testing out the word on his tongue. 'We're... we'll be fine,' he said. It was strange to say it. He never thought he would ever say it. Things with Thor... were fine. It was hard to admit it, even harder to believe it was possible. Yet here it was, they would be fine, it really seemed that they would. It would take some time to get used to even the very thought.

Tony smiled at him as he turned to face him. He looked happy, he looked relieved, but he did not say anything, he just leaned closer to capture Loki's lips in a kiss. They didn't hurry, they didn't need to. That was not the point. Of course Loki always felt a deeply burning ache of lust whenever Tony kissed him, but this was not for foreplay. Tony kissed him for the kiss itself, kissed him long and deep, like if there was nothing he would be rather doing than this, than to stay so closely wrapped up in each other's arms, and kiss just to reassure each other's existence.