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Loki never said 'I love you'. None of his partners ever heard that from him. The reason was simple- fear of commitment. Loki thought he wanted to avoid disappointment and heartbreak but the truth was he was too terrified to open up his heart and trust anyone.
And then Tony Stark casually waltzed into his life, like he had the right to change everything Loki was used to. Solitary nights, bitterness, rejecting others before they could do that to him. All of a sudden Loki saw how pathetic he was. How he begged Odin and Thor to appreciate him, knowing full well they would always perceive him as a worthless Jotun.
It was an extraordinary and new feeling to be accepted with all his flaws and imperfections, by someone almost equally messed up. Tony Stark also regretted some of his past actions and that simply made Loki feel better. If Stark could be liked and included, perhaps there was hope for Loki, too.
After months of that madness, Loki was certain he loved Stark. He panicked and laughed and wanted to run away, all at once. Did Tony love him as well? There was no way to find out without sounding embarrassingly needy and insecure.
One night, when a completely drunk Stark fell asleep at Loki's side, the god whispered to him, 'I love you.' He couldn't stop himself, it just happened. He did love his Man of Iron, the only person who succeeded in making Loki loath himself less.
'I love you,' Loki repeated, the words left a sweet taste on his lips. Tony snorred, unaware of Loki's confession or the importance of it. Good, he didn't need to know yet.
In the morning Loki was awakened by a tempting smell of hot cocoa and pancakes. Tony was probably trying to cure his hangover. Loki braced himself for putting up with a cranky, suffering creature and was positively surprised by seeing Tony smiling at him.
'Breakfast in bed,' Stark announced and fed Loki a piece of a pancake. 'Chew and don't freak out.'
'Bout wot?' Loki asked, chewing obediently.
'I love you too,' Tony said lightly and added, 'Lokes, breathe, it's ok, stay calm.'
Loki was about to hyperventilate and hide in a closet to collect his chaotic thoughts. 'How did you know? You were sleeping!'
'You forgot about Jarvis,' Tony explained and handed Loki his mug. 'Drink your cocoa and relax, all is well.'
Halfway through the breakfast Loki stopped planning to escape from Stark, it helped that he visualised Thor's reaction to the news about his love life.
'You know we are not turning into a dull married couple,' Tony guessed what was one of Loki's main concerns. 'You can still be yourself, I'm not going to change you into a domesticated pet.'
'Good. And please, don't say you want to meet my mother,' Loki pleaded, squeezing Tony's hand. 'She would tell you all about my childhood and how she had to play with me because I didn't have friends.'
'Yeah and let's not say we won't ever lie to each other.'
'You read my mind,' Loki grinned and kissed Tony, spilling the cocoa on the half of the bed. It didn't matter, he, the child of darkness, born to endure an eternity of loneliness, met his soulmate. It was a miracle, something he never thought he deserved. It turned out that even Jotuns can find happiness.