Work Text:
It was a normal, easy day in the workshop. Tony was at his desk doing his own thing; Loki was at the table he’d commandeered and was doing something with magic that casually defied physics.
They were working on separate projects, completely immersed, completely normal.
“It’s been sometime since you were with a partner,” Loki announced abruptly into the quiet, “Not since Miss Potts.”
While it wasn’t unusual for Loki to proclaim something and expect an answer, the context of his remark was a little far from left field.
Tony paused what he was doing and glanced over his shoulder but Loki was still magic-ing away as if nothing had happened. So, with little else to do, Tony just shrugged and replied back, “Haven’t had a lot of time.”
Or a lot of inclination, he added silently. Not for anyone but the right person.
“Surely it’s not that hard to court someone on your planet?” Loki questioned.
Tony could almost dismiss it as nothing or a light-hearted curiosity but there was a certain lilt to the enquiry that made it almost seem... genuine? Tony had a very difficult time not staring at Loki over the idea of that.
Tony kept it simple though, easy, all while subtly prying for more information.
“Well, that depends on who you want and what they’re interested in.” He smirked a little deviously. “Plus, it has be to asked, are you chasing love, or lust?”
He turned to waggle his eyebrows at Loki, but the mage wasn’t even looking at him. “I would have expected that one would only chase love. The rest should be rather easy to come by, should it not?”
“Maaaybe,” Tony drawled, “for a good looking guy like me, that is.” He smirked. “Who are you trying to hit up anyway? I’m surprised you’re not too ‘good’ for sentiment.”
It was only a flash, but for a split second Loki tensed and it made Tony’s eyebrows fly upwards before his smile went wide. “Ooooh, has Loki actually found some sweet little Midgardian?” He couldn’t help sidling over to the tense mage. “Is it a hipster? I can just picture some inked woman who adores your dark side,” he even went sotto voice on the words. “Or maybe a guy? Some perfect little sub whose going to kneel for you and kiss your feet and bend over right when-”
“Enough, Anthony,” Loki told him coldly, but still avoided his eyes.
But oh, Tony was nowhere near done. He rested his arm on the desk and put his chin in his hand while he kept guessing. “Did you meet her at an Avengers party? Did you pick him up in a gay bar? Oooh, you’re not pining in the shadows are you? Although, you do have that brooding fallen Angel thing going. Maybe she-”
“You!” Loki spat, turning and glaring at him.
Tony reeled back slightly. “Me? What. I don’t-”
“I’ve fallen for you, you fool!”
The workshop went quiet, Tony sort of just stared and so did Loki. The mage was the first to break the connection with a sigh as he shut his eyes. “I apologise. I hadn’t intended for that to come out so...”
“Laced with an insult?” Tony suggested, but his mouth was already twitching towards a smile.
“Abrupt,” Loki corrected, still not quite looking at him.
“Ah,” Tony breathed, taking a moment to relish in the admission before casually wondering, “So this was, what; your big confession scene? The first chance to ask me on a date? How did it rate to the picture in your head?”
Loki let out a loud, exasperated breath. “Dreadfully. You are continually unpredictable.”
He sounded truly put out about it and it finally made Tony laugh. His eyes crinkled and he tilted his head back a little. When he was finished, he found Loki’s uncertain eyes and held them with his own soft ones. “Is it any consolation that the guy you’ve fallen for kind of loves you back?”
Loki let out his own sudden laugh; something brief and surprised before smiling, gentle and pleased. “I suppose I shall make do with that.”
“Good,” Tony told him with a welcoming grin, “now, come here.”
Loki didn’t need to be told twice, and when Loki kissed him, Tony could only breathe out a happy sigh and slide his hands into Loki’s hair.
He would have to remember to ask just what Loki had planned to do later, to find out the plan and the words of wooing he’d been attempting to say to win Tony’s affections.
Tony was nothing if not a little shit, and it was just too good to resist teasing him for it.