They stood in tight embrace. Holding onto each other, keeping each other warm in the cold night air. Loki didn't really need to be kept warm, since he could stand much worse, but it felt good. He realized that he feels safe in the arms of this man. He couldn't even remember when was the last time he felt safe. When it didn't feel like to world was coming to get him.

He looked up. Those brown eyes were watching him with tenderness and understanding no other could match. He realized that there's something he must say. Something he wants to say.

"Tony Stark," Loki whispered. "I love you."

"No!" he blurred out almost immediately after. "No, I don't!"

Or at least that was what he wished to do, but he couldn't, because he knew he would be lying. He loved Stark with all his heart and he couldn't deny it any longer.

Tony smiled and leaned closer to his ear: "Love you too."

"You don't either," argued Loki and tried to get away.

But the Iron Man didn't know about his internal monologue and mistook his struggling for shivering from the cold, so he didn't loosen his grip.

"You ok?" he asked, looking deep into those beautiful green eyes.

The green eyes rolled skywards. Loki didn't bother to answer the question. Instead he disappeared into thin air and reappeared a few steps away from Tony.

Stark looked at him in confusion and exasperation: "What are you doing now?"

"Well, this is more about what you are doing."

Tony felt as if the words weren't meant exactly for him, even though he knew they must have been because there was no one else around.

"You don't have to say anything - I know exactly what it is. Or, you know, was before I took control."

"Loki, what are you talking about?" Tony was getting desperate. He didn't understand anything. Everything was fine just a few moments ago and now this. Did he do something wrong?

"Oh, please, stop trying." Loki sounded bored.

"You can't ask me that. I'll never stop trying to help you! Just give me a hint or something and I'll figure it out... somehow, I hope. Is it something I did? Something I said? Or is this somehow related to your tragic past?"

"Ok, I'll go ahead and assume that you stopped trying already, because that was just desperate." He paused for a moment then added: "If you haven't stopped trying, then damn... I almost feel sorry for you."

"Loki! Please, tell me what's wrong!" The god closed his eyes as if he were in pain after hearing that.

He opened them a moment later: "It was actually a little experiment of mine. I was exploring alternative universes and I managed to contact some of my alternative selves." Small pause, then: "This is the part where it gets too technical and confusing for your mortal brain. All you need to know is that I know now that when someone from a different realm starts writing a story about me, or any of us, he creates a universe. But not a complete one, only as big as the story covers. And then it's really simple for my real self to take control over one of the alternatives and lead them to, say, a better future. I mean, Iron Man? Really?"

Tony just stared silently.

"I mean, there are worse – I have no idea how could someone even think of me and Thor... Yeah, that one's really disgusting. But why in the world would you think I could ever fall in love with him?" He pointed at Stark, who didn't pretend any longer that the words were meant for him.

When he spoke, it wasn't Tony Stark any longer even though it still sounded and looked that way: "Dammit, Loki! Why is it so hard to write fanfiction about you?!"

The god smiled: he won, finally.

"It's because I'm so much smarter than you," he answered lightly.

"But I had this story planned out so beautifully!" the author shrieked.

"But obviously not realistically enough. Realism is what you see right now in front of you."

The author, through the character of Tony Stark, sighed and started pacing around: "It wasn't unrealistic! I paid attention to all the emotions. Your love had time to grow, it was deep and passionate and..."

"And exactly the kind of thing I would not, under any circumstances, do at any point before, during or after our fight."

Tony waved him of: "You're just saying that. Of course you would never admit it now..."

"That's another thing. I would never admit anything to a person who seems just the smallest bit an enemy. I would never admit any feelings and I would never tell him anything from my tragic past as you so melodramatically put it."

Stark stopped pacing and looked at him. The author smiled mischievously.

"But you were enjoying it."

"I most certainly wasn't," replied Loki, shocked that the author would even suggest that. "I was searching for a way to ruin your worthless fun."

"Why else would you decide to interfere only after your confession? You didn't mind the rest of the story."

Loki stared long and hard. Then he shook his head and replied dismissively: "I was willing to stand the part when he was basically worshipping me. Only the part where I start worshipping him is wrong."

"He wasn't worshipping you; he was falling in love with you. There's a difference," pointed out the author unconsciously, while pondering over Loki's words. "So you wouldn't mind, if...?"

"I would," Loki cut him forcefully. "Your writing is terrible. Maybe you could do the world a favor and stop? And I would appreciate if you never again wrote a story about me. I have more than enough problems in the real world; I don't have time for saving my poor alternative selves from these ugly situations you force them into."

The author watched him silently for a while, with a frown on Stark's face. When he spoke, it was soft, shaded with accusation and sorrow.

"You know these alternative selves of yours are happier here then you are there, in the real world, right?"

Loki just looked at him coldly. He didn't answer. After a moment he disappeared with a flash of his magic.

Tony Stark stood alone and abandoned in the middle of a dark cold night. He felt tears coming to his eyes, but told himself that it was just because of the wind.

"Oh, would it kill you to stop being so sentimental?" whispered someone into his ear from behind. He turned to see Loki eying him, annoyance written all over his face.

"Wow, you really had me there for a moment," Tony laughed.

Loki smirked: "And that's how you end a chapter? I swear, even the Chitauri can write better than you."