Chapter Text
On Monday, Tony was signing a business deal in Finland concerning the implemantation of ten Ark reactors as a trial. On Tuesday, he and Loki bickered in the workshop until the argument turned into very hot sex against the wall. On Wednesday, he went to the dentist and promised himself to invent a better way to fix cavities, then sat on a UN and Avengers meeting with Thor, Loki and Heimdall to plead the case of New Asgard's independence. On Thursday, he actually got some work done in the shop, which he attributed to Loki not being there to distract him.
“Are you implying that time spent with me is wasted, then?” The prince questioned when Tony pointed this out over supper, withdrawing his slice of pineapple pizza toward himself in outrage.
“I would never,” Tony assured him. He knew Loki well enough by now that he could tell he wasn't actually offended. If he had been, his lover would have been cold and quiet and doing anything but actually addressing the issue at hand. “I guess I'm just being incredibly productive as a way to cope with the pain of your absence.”
“That sounds reasonable enough,” Loki mused. “Nevertheless, you will need not busy yourself so tomorrow.”
“You're staying over? I thought you still had a ton of stuff to do in New Asgard.”
He tried not to smile too much as he said it, but the gleam in Loki's eyes told him he wasn't being subtle. It wasn't his fault; Loki rarely ever stayed the night in New York, and it was usually only when Tony himself travelled to Europe for any reason that his lover shared his bed for more than just sex. Tony couldn't complain: he knew Loki was actually missing sleep to be with him at all in the evenings and return to New Asgard as dawn drew closer to attend his duties.
Still. He couldn't help but feel stupidly overjoyed. He loved when Loki slept by his side. His fresh skin slowly warming up against Tony's. His fingers playing with Tony's hair without ever seeming to tire of it. The precious sight of him, when Tony exceptionaly woke up first and looked at his relaxed face.
If he was being honest with himself, it was really that he was a sucker for cuddles, and they rarely took time for that kind of things. He didn't mind -he certainly loved the sex, understood the absence, and he didn't want to have the world scrutinize their every move when they were out in public. But that didn't mean that he didn't long for it.
“I made good progress with the stuff.” Loki smirked and bit into his pizza. “I suppose you're not the only one who need to keep himself busy when entertainment is otherwise lacking.”
“Aw, you're saying that you missed me?”
“I'm saying that we're going out tomorrow,” Loki said, “and I wouldn't want to come here tomorrow and find you asleep past noon. The only logical solution is to monitor your rest myself.”
“That's a really good excuse. Also, where are we going?” He was pretty sure they were all out of hearings to plead Loki's freedom and Asgard's sovereignty.
“On a date, of course.”
Tony almost choked on his mouthful of soda and Loki raised an eyebrow in self-satisfied innocence. Of course he would, that idiot. Refuse to simply say that he missed him, and then, after literal years of fucking and having presented him to Thor as his elskaður like it was nothing, suggesting a - date .
“Are we teenagers? Hey, quick question, what do you call a date? I can't tell, are you being romantic, or are we off to pillaging England?”
“Of course not. I worked so hard to convince those gentlemen of the United Nations that I wouldn't be doing that sort of things.”
“So what then?”
“There's a place I've been curious to visit,” Loki smiled. “And I suppose your presence would improve it, if it turns out to be unsatisfactory.”
“What place? You're not going to tell me, are you? Alright, just -what kind of place are we talking? Is it a Mark XLIII kind of date, a leather pants kind of date, or a black tie kind of date?”
“No armor needed. I suppose you could wear that court outfit I gave you,” Loki mused, wiping his fingers on his napkin, and then smiling at Tony's frown. “Don't you trust me?”
“I do, even though that's historically not the good choice. That's what worries me,” Tony replied.
The last part was just for show, of course. Loki was a little shit, a prankster and prone to dizzying mood swings, but Tony was his lover. And it didn't take a genius to realise that Loki was fiercely loyal and protective of the ones he called his. The gleeful spark in his eyes at Tony's reply was proof enough of that.
“Then that's settled. I'm taking you on a date tomorrow.”
“Fine, but I'm taking you to bed now.”
“Oh?”
“I've been thinking about what you said in the workshop the other day, about getting handcuffs that could actually hold you. You'll never guess what side-project I looked into today.”
“By all means,” Loki said, smile turning to smirk, “let's see about this.”
The night was great and Tony didn't have much time to ponder what a Norse God might consider a romantic outing. Handcuffs discarded and kisses tired, he had fallen asleep faster than he had wanted to, without properly enjoying the fact that Loki was spooning with him and planting little kisses in the nape of his neck.
Morning came. Tony yawned and made insinuations, but Loki didn't magic breakfast in bed for him, eventually forcing him to leave the warm happiness of the blankets and to get ready. Tony asked if he was serious about wearing the Asgardian leather pants, and, when Loki just grinned, decided for jeans.
Their first stop was, surprisingly, a coffee shop. Tony stepped in it a little uneasily, expecting the entire hipster clientele to turn their way and wondering why Loki had chosen such a thing, but his lover's fingers, cold from the spring air outside, closed on his shoulder reassuringly.
“Relax, Anthony.”
“We do have coffee at home,” Tony remarked.
“I understand that this is an important Midgardian rite for courting couples.”
“You call what we're doing courting?” He glanced around as they got in line. A young woman with colorful dreadlocks eyed him pensively, but turned back to her laptop without seeming surprised to see them. “Loki?”
“Nobody will pay us any attention,” the god assured him.
“Magic?” Tony guessed, relief making his shoulders fall. He smiled. “Seriously? Bringing me croissants in bed is an unworthy use of your magic, but going to the coffee shop is fine?”
“I believe it's our turn, Anthony,” Loki ignored him helpfully.
They sat at the window; Tony wasn't sure if he was amused, or weirdly flattered, that Loki had paid his coffee for him. The god had also purchased shortbread cookies and a large hot chocolate with whipped cream, and seemed quite pleased with himself.
“This isn't unpleasant, actually,” Tony admitted, glancing outside. The passers-by didn't look twice at him. He couldn't remember ever being this anonymous. “Where did you get the courting couple idea?”
“Do you mind it?” Loki asked.
“No. This is unusually cute from you,” Tony replied sincerely, and enjoyed the way Loki instantly frowned in offense. “I just thought we were past that stage.”
“New couples use such meetings to know one another better.” Loki evenly separated the cookies in two shares. “It seems a waste that, once compatibility is confirmed, they do not make time to be together all the same.”
“You're doing that thing again,” Tony found himself grinning, then, when Loki stared blankly at him, he imitated: “Once compatibility is confirmed. You're as shameless as me when it comes to flirting, but it takes literal life-or-death situations for you to use the word love. The rest of the time, unless we're having sex, you're acting like we're business associates.”
“I am taking you on a date,” Loki remarked, raising an eyebrow. “I certainly hope you don't go on those with associates.”
“You know fully well I don't. This is my first date in, what, twenty-five years? But you're actually way more romantic than any dates I ever had. So I'm glad. That our compatibility is confirmed,” he added with a smile. “And this is fun, too. I could do this more often.”
“This is the start of our day,” Loki pointed out. “I just know you are insufferable without a sufficient amount of cafeine.”
“Oh? So what's the actual date?”
“You'll see. Eat your cookies.”
“See? You're a real Prince Charming. So why is this our first date ever?”
“We lacked time, and I finally made some.”
They drank their drinks and ate the cookies and talked. Nobody interrupted for a picture or an autograph. Tony wondered if Loki used this trick when he was alone, to escape the scrutiny of his own people, or if his stubborn honor forbade it. The latter seemed the most likely. He found that he enjoyed the idea that Loki broke his own resolves for him.
“So what you're telling me,” Tony smiled when the mugs were empty and they were standing from their seat, “is that you put your carreer on hold so that we could take our relationship the next level.”
“I named you for all Asgard to hear as my loved one,” Loki said, sounding amused. “What next level do you speak of?”
“You tell me. Oh, are we getting married? Do I get to be prince consort? I'll be tyrannical yet lovable.”
“You already are. Shouldn't you be making some efforts? I did take you out.”
“Oh, if that's how it is. Let me.”
It took an instant for Loki to get his meaning, and then he flexed his knees just a little bit, stretching his arms back to allow Tony to put his jacket on his shoulders. It was only the logical next thing that brought Tony's fingers to take his, and he felt the way they both startled, a second late, at the odd contact.
Because it was -odd. And Tony blinked in disbelief as he realized that they had never held hands before, not outside of lovemaking. But then, when would they have? When they were alone, they typically didn't stop at such small contacts. When they were in public, they stood apart, both of their existence having trained them to hide their affections from others.
Loki looked back at him, a little startled. Tony found himself smiling, and shifted his grip to squeeze Loki's hand in his own more comfortably.
“How's that for next level?” He offered innocently.
“You dislike being handed things. I thought you wouldn't...” Loki paused.
It was a good thing that they were magicked out of attention, standing there like two idiots. Because he, too, was lost for words for a few seconds.
“You never held my hand because you thought I wouldn't like it? You just -assumed, and didn't?” He clarified, incredulous.
“You've respected my boundaries since we've known each other,” Loki argued, even as his gentle, cold fingers closed around his own in return. “I had no wish to push yours.”
“You really are Prince Charming,” Tony said, blinking up at his lover's face. “That's -damn, I guess we do still need the dates to know each other better. Well, just so you know, I love hand holding. And hugs. Did you never hug me outside the bedroom for the same reason?”
“I am not going to embrace you in public,” Loki protested. “It would be incredibly undignified for both of us.”
“But I can hold your hand outside the spell thing?”
“Do you want to?”
“Well, yeah.”
Loki was silent for a beat as they exited the café, their hands linked together.
“I suppose you were right,” he said at last, after they had paused on the sidewalk, Tony waiting to know where they were headed to. “We are taking this to the... Next level.”