Ever since that day just over a month ago everything was better, since Tony had ordered a meal fit for a king- which was fitting mind you, from a restaurant that didn't even deliver. Ever since Loki went down to Tony's room that night to find candles and cold champagne. Ever since Tony's nimble fingers, so very nimble; had tangled themselves in his hair, his breath ghosting along Loki's neck sending shivers down the god's spine, soft sheets underneath his back as Tony moved lower and the warmth of calloused hands gripped his hips and his own gripped the sheets. It had been the start of something breathe-takingly wonderful.

If Loki was honest with himself this was the happiest he had been in sometime.

But lately there was something weighing on his mind. The morning after the first night Loki had to admit waking up to a messy haired Tony Stark, who proceeded to do a wonderful cat impersonation of curling around him as much as humanly possible, was something he could quickly get used to; Tony had wanted to be open and tell the rest of the team. One night and Tony wanted the people closest to him to know that whatever they had, whatever they ended up calling it, was precious to him. Something Loki had almost begged him not to do. Almost begged, he was still a god.

Not the he was ashamed of Tony, how could he be ashamed of someone who could make him so happy; it was the rest of the Avengers. The Avengers who had yet to willingly share a room with him without Thor as a buffer, there was no easy back and forth and no inside jokes. Loki would never forgive himself if it extended to Tony because of him. Thor could never find out, Loki's own sanity and reputation depended on it. In fact the thought of it made him highly uneasy.

So when Natasha walked into the kitchen as he was making a coffee to sneak down to Tony, got a tub of ice-cream out of the freezer and willingly stayed in the room with him he knew something was wrong. He was contemplating just walking out when he heard a soft sob. It was the sob that made him turn to see the fearless assassin who, as quietly as possible, was crying into her ice-cream. Memories of another time he had watched Natasha cry from behind the glass cage came flooding back, closely followed by Tony's words 'Try and be nice with them, for me Lo-lo? Play nice and one day we won't have to hide, I'll get to tell everyone that I'm yours and you're mine. Promise me?' Loki had promised straight away, but he would have promised anything at the point, he couldn't deny that the man had a gift. He didn't want to get involved in whatever had caused Natasha to get so upset that she was actually showing it, but his promise to Tony…

"Natasha a-" her head snapped up as she glared at him, "What? Never seen a girl cry? Going to make fun of me? Well go on get on with it." The two stared silently for a moment 'For me Lo-lo?'

He sat opposite the sobbing assassin and vowed he would at least try "Tell me what is so troubling; I give my word I will not make fun of you." Blue eyes narrowed, almost like she would be able to read what was going through his mind.

To say the silence was uncomfortable was an understatement. Loki's hands curled around the mug letting the warmth soak into his naturally cool skin, while Natasha stabbed at the ice-cream with her spoon searching for promised cookie chunks. Perhaps it is better to retreat, Loki thought to himself as the silence dragged out.

"Have you ever woken up and just felt so alone?" It was almost a whisper but gaining strength as she went on.

"Even if you find yourself completely surrounded by people?" Loki would have said she sounded timid, almost like she wasn't sure if she should be saying the words out loud.

"Yes, I will admit to that" every day on Asgard but Tony fixed it; he couldn't tell her that though, as much as he was starting to want to. Maybe her talking freely to him was the stepping stone into a friendship of sorts, one where he could be open about his love for Tony and not fear resentment from the band of heroes.

"It seems so pathetic I know, but what if I'm alone forever? Who really wants someone that can kill them and make it so they're never found? It feels suffocating."

Loki sipped at the coffee, foul drink he much preferred a nice tea, to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his lips as Tony's face came to mind. "It is never pathetic; no one can say they have never felt this way, you can be in a sea of people and feel as though you are nothing. It may seem dreadful now Ms Romanoff, but I have started to believe that given time everyone will find someone that is worth more to them than the riches of all the realms put together." he smiled at Natasha who let out a small chuckle in return. Maybe he could do this after all.

"So like Tony is for you?" her voice light as cookie victory was achieved.

Loki's mug shattered, spilling broken pieces and hot coffee across the counter as Natasha sat, calmly all signs of sadness gone, watching the god go even paler than usual. To Loki's credit he did manage to keep his voice somewhat steady and menacing as he asked "When?"

There was a loud clang as Clint landed on the counter leaning in uncomfortably close, "Since before you two that's for sure" no man should look that smug while effectively squatting on a kitchen counter Loki decided. He then had to watch Clint lean over and kiss Natasha on the forehead, said woman lifting her spoon for him to lick. Two assassins, one looking like a puppy and the other giving off such a smug sense satisfaction that it was enough to make Loki's blood boil; the forgotten shards of mug started to rattle on the counter top.

Bruce and Steve rounded the corner to see Loki glaring the coffee covered counter, Clint successfully balancing a spoon on his nose and Natasha looking triumphant, "We miss something?" Bruce asked only slightly apprehensive about the way Loki was somehow taking up most of the space in the kitchen with his anger; a curt "No" was his only answer.

Steve sighed heading towards the coffee machine, if this was going to end in an argument he defiantly needed caffeine, he cursed the day he agreed to have the rooms under Tony. Sounds proof my arse, defiantly need more coffee.

"Loki you need a cup for Tony?"

"What?" Loki spun to stare wide eyed at the captain.

"Isn't this about the usual time you head down to the workshop?"

Clint burst out laughing, small gasps of "he thought we didn't know" barely audible as he clung to Natasha, Bruce catching on and giving a little laugh at the pure horror on Loki's face. Loki's mind was reeling, if these mortals knew of his relationship with Tony then, oh fates what of Thor?

Steve looked at everyone, "Wait, are you saying…" three heads nodded while Loki stared silently at the wall. There was a brief pause before the team mates burst into laughter again. That's how Tony found them; each member of the Avengers- minus Thor laughing in the kitchen as his secret lover stood completely silent and still.

"Tony!"

"Clint! You are far too happy to see me, what have you done?" Tony said jabbing a finger at the archer; Clint licked the spoon slowly and winked.

Tony looked around the kitchen "What the hell- is that my mug? What happened?" He glanced at Loki, still standing silently to the side, everyone else snickering. Clearing his throat Clint stood up twirling the spoon "A tale of secrets Anthony, a tale of sneaking around and dare I say it; sex!" Clint laughed then whimpered as Natasha stole her spoon back and started on her cookies and cream again.

Tony sent Steve and Bruce an unimpressed look "You know that everything you just said, it applies to you and Tasha." Clint glared Tony "Only I may call her Tasha, you have to earn that and I earned it didn't I Tasha?"

"He earned it in Budapest" she smiled.

Steve leaned closer to Bruce looking confused "How'd he earn it?" "Screw that" Tony exclaimed "What the fuck happened in Budapest?" Clint sighed, a faraway look on his face. Deciding to ignore him Tony turned towards the coffee machine, "They know" Tony frowned; Loki was never that quite "Know what princess?" Loki turned to look at him and Tony knew.

He had only seen that look on Loki's face when they discussed telling the rest of the team, it was fear. Not for himself, but for what they might do to Tony; Loki didn't want to take away his new family after everything they had been through. After all this time, Loki has changed and didn't want to see him hurt; and didn't that just make him love the god all the more.

"We know about you two; you're not as subtle as you think." Bruce said as Tony pouted "JARVIS you didn't say anything." He thought his AI had his back.

"No sir, the team came to the conclusion to 'wait it out' as you say, however they tired of this"

"You all knew? This whole time, how could mortals..."Loki looked stricken "don't be mad at Tony. This was my doing I-" Loki snapped his mouth shut as the team rolled their eyes and scoffed "You've both been a lot happier the past month can't argue that" Steve smiled lifting his mug in a little toast "You knew the entire time!" Loki's hands went to his hair, grabbing a fist full as he started pacing "I did say we should tell them Lo-Lo." Tony sighed into his cup.

Clint giggled at Tony "Lo-Lo?" Tony sent him a little glare "only I can call him Lo-Lo, you have to earn it and I earned it."

Ignoring the bickering going on around him Loki paced, they knew the entire time so that meant Thor knew in some way. No matter what Loki liked to believe the blonde wasn't completely lacking in brains, if these mortals knew Thor would know soon, he had to act. Spinning round he slammed his palms to the counter top "Not a word to Thor for I swear...why is everyone laughing?" Tony came forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek eyes sparkling in amusement "Honestly he put the idea in my head to begin with, to go talk to you 'pining does not suit you'. I just didn't realise everyone else knew that I did something about it" Tony smiled remembering how Thor would corner him.

"Anthony why must you hide, it is right in front of you?" Natasha spoke up, terrible Thor impersonation.

"'The way you both look at the other when you think no one is watching' he's the one that pointed it out" Steve chuckled.

"He practically kicked me up the arse to go talk to you. I thought you knew, what's so bad about it?" Tony raised an eyebrow at Loki who grabbed his shoulders and looked like he was in pain; anything Loki was planning to say was quickly stopped by Thor turning into the kitchen. His arms full of magazines and what looked like fabric samples, "Brother, friend Tony. Not fighting are you?" Thor raised an eyebrow closing in on the pair, Loki backed away as Thor came closer smile growing as he watched the not so secret lovers squirm.

Thankfully Steve took pity on the pair, "So Thor, what's with all this then?" nodding at the bundle in Thor's arms. The answering laugh was evil, something they didn't even think Thor was capable of "Oh I was informed that when preparing for a great ceremony one gathers the necessary information." And with that he dumped everything on the counter, fabric and magazines spread out for everyone to see.

Tony felt his mouth go dry as he looked at mess, with titles like 'creative ideas for flowers' and 'the latest gown styles' taking up the covers "Um Thor, buddy what's- um what's all this?" Tony's voice sounded weak to his own ears. Thor pinned Loki to his side, arm firmly around his brothers shoulders "We didn't want Loki's good name," Clint snorted "as a prince of Asgard to be sullied, and mother so dearly wants a wedding." Tony felt his stomach churn, he wasn't ready for this and by the looks of it neither was Loki, it had only been a month after all. With great difficulty Loki pulled himself free "I will sully myself as much as I like." Picking up a magazine and ignoring his fuming brother Thor flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

"I just want be of use, to help plan my brothers big day."

"No Thor."

"You see long ago Loki helped me."

"Thor, no"

"Long tale but my hammer was stolen and Loki thought of a most ingenuous plan to get it back didn't you Loki." Thor looked smug as a few of his team members remembered the story he had told one night while drinking.

"He helped pick out items for a wedding, a gown for myself as well"

"I will slit your throat while you sleep brother" Loki spat the last word looking down his nose at the mess on the counter.

"And I think this gown would bring out his colouring so well"

Thor showed the dress on the page around, beaded detail and soft flowing lines, he does have an eye for it Tony thought as Loki started to shake.

"No, no, no, never. I will never. Absolutely not. No!" Loki struggled out of Thor's hold again and made a break for it as the Avengers started to laugh Tony couldn't help but call out "I don't think either of us can get away with white, want me to wear the dress babe?" The team was laughing, holding onto each other for support as Loki stormed away.

"No!"

A/N: Thank you for reading :3