Work Text
Tony used to dream about space. It was kind of what he wanted to do when he grew up. It was at first before the importance of the family business was pressed into him, anyway. But yeah, Tony used to dream about space. About discovering moons and solar systems and naming new stars. All of it. Tony wanted to dominate the space race. Wanted to beat Musk and NASA and the Roscosmos State Corporation and all the others. But then Howard had given him robot kits instead of paintable solar system models and started him off at such a young age that all his dreaming of space was squashed like a rotten fruit under a car tire.
Of course, Tony could have gotten into Space stuff later on if he wanted to, but it really wasn’t all that important second to the company, and he just didn’t have any time. Which was a shame, but that was just how it was.
And then, there had been New York. All the resurging joy and childlike interest that had come up to the back of his brain as he went through that portal died almost instantly. And then those dreams about moons and solar systems and stars gave way to asphyxiation and bombs and aliens. So Tony still tried to push it down even further.
Of course, when Loki came into his life, he was at first a pain, but soon enough became a friend and eventually, a lover. Loki had dealt with the nightmares to an extent. He couldn’t fix everything, but it was manageable now. Ish. Anyway, it was after a nightmare that Tony hadn’t been able to control that Tony brought it up.
“What’s… what’s space like, Loki?” Said God was nursing a shaken Tony, wrapped up in his arms, whispering comforting words in his ear. He could fix the shaking and the fear, but sometimes Tony just needed to feel a little bit of that. And Tony liked the comfort. Loki was clearly confused by the question, and he pulled away a little.
“I just,” Tony bit his lip. “Nevermind.” And with that, he’d shoved his face against Loki’s chest, and went to sleep. Or just lay still enough that he could have confused a human into believing it.
Loki knew, though. Loki always knew.
~ ~ ~
Tony thought that Loki had dropped the topic. Neither of them brought it up at breakfast, and when a couple weeks had passed, Tony was pretty sure he was in the clear. He should have known better.
Tony had had a rough day. Meetings in which he was yelled at, a further verbal reprimanding by Pepper, and to make matters worse, Tony hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so he was feeling ill and a little bit emotional.
Coming home was a blessing. Tony didn’t spend much time relaxing, but when he did, he made the most of it. Or he tried to before he came up with another update for his own tech, or for some of the Avengers tech. In fact, the only times when Tony wasn’t thinking was post really good, really hot sex… of course, when you’re with Loki, all sex is really good, really hot sex, so, really, just after sex, or when he was so deep in sleep that breaking the surface is almost impossible. But that only tended to happen when Tony had been awake for over seventy hours or he took sleeping tablets because he couldn’t sleep otherwise. Actually, no, sometimes Tony took time to himself when Loki made him. Loki’s massages are especially good at making Tony relax. And he could never say no to one of those.
So, Tony makes it home, he’s tired, aching, upset and just needs to sit down for a while. He isn’t surprised to find Loki curled up on the couch with one of his books in his lap. His hair is up in a bun, and Tony takes a brief second to admire the sight before he crashes through it like a herd of buffalo.
Loki’s intercepting him before he can collapse onto the couch and never get up ever again, however, and leads him into the bedroom, book and hot tea forgotten. Tony protests, but the thought of getting into that nice bed and cuddling up to his resident mischief-maker is just too good to deny.
“Sit, take those work clothes off,” Loki says with an amused huff as he forces him to sit at the edge of the bed. Despite telling him to do it himself, Loki changes his clothes for him, maneuvering his body as needed to get the sleeves off his arms and the socks off his feet and whatnot. He slides a pair of sweats up his legs and pats his thigh gently and comfortingly. Loki knew. Loki always knew. It’s when Loki rubs a thumb over his cheek that Tony realises he’s almost falling asleep where he’s sitting.
“Wait there a moment,” Loki says after a moment of contemplation before he’s gone again. The desire to just fall back into the pillows and sleep through his woes, but before he has a chance to, Loki’s back and handing him a plate. There isn’t much on it. Just some eggs and a couple bits of bacon. He’s grateful for it though, and shovels it down greedily.
Loki takes the plate when he’s done, and hands him a glass of water that he also takes back when Tony’s done with it. After that it’s quiet for a minute or two. Loki’s clearly trying to work up the nerve to ask him about something. Tony doesn’t press.
“Lay with me, Anthony?” He asks, and Tony agrees, because, well, why wouldn’t he? He loves to be close to Loki, to touch him. It hasn’t escaped Loki’s notice. Loki knew. Loki always knew.
Once they’re on the bed, cuddled up together, Tony found that he was starting to feel a little better now he was changed and fed. Now that he’s back in Loki’s arms where he belongs. Loki’s still acting weird, though. He can see it in the way that Loki watches his hands where they’re around Tony, how he doesn’t quite meet his eye.
“Are you all right?” Loki asked, concern flicking over his face. Tony learnt over time how to read most of those expressions. Tony nodded, clearly not exactly telling the truth, but Loki knew. Loki always knew. The God in question hummed thoughtfully.
“I have been wishing to speak with you, Anthony,” Loki started off by saying. It was Tony’s turn to hum now, hesitantly watching his face. “I’ve been working on something, and I believe it is ready. Would you… care to see?”
Tony, who Loki knows is always excited to see what he’s done, or what he’s working on, nods, replies with a quiet ‘always,’ and waits patiently.
Tony hadn’t expected Loki to sit up, so he was a little startled when the God leaned up, letting go of his mortal and sat with his legs crossed on the bed. Tony watched curiously, sitting up a little more himself.
What had Loki been up to? He was nervous, so it was something big. Or something risky.
“I am about to conjure a… a scene, for lack of better terminology. A three-dimensional image.” Tony made an intrigued ‘ooh’ noise, and sat up more, crossing his own legs and taking more stock in the situation. “It is not real,” he said carefully. “And if you begin to feel unwell or restless, tell me at once.”
Tony’s brow creased, but he agreed anyway. Those pale nimble fingers raised into the air after (and only after) he had been given consent, and with a little thought, images exploded out of Loki like a fancy projector (hey, that was a good idea to work on. A three-dimensional projector!)
It took a few seconds to work out just what he was looking at as the images solidified a little more, taking their places. But when he did, Tony’s heartbeat picked up in speed a little.
Space. It was space. There were his moons and solar systems and stars. So many of them, bouncing and slowly rotating all over he and Loki’s room. Tony, of course, could see the walls of the room, and the ceiling and the doors and furniture and all the rest of it, but his heart still started beating faster and faster. Space.
Oh
. Space. Aliens. Bombs.
Tony closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and opened them back up again. Loki was looking on with worry in his eyes, but Tony shook his head. He was okay. He was in the Tower. He was with Loki. Loki was safe, and therefore Tony was safe.
“You… did this for me?” Tony asked, voice absolutely not wavering at all. Loki’s eyes did a circle of the room.
“I did this for you.”
Tony reached out and rested his fingers just above a planet hovering by his face. Tony smiled, tears threatening to appear.
Loki enchanted the room to stay like that as he made a clicking sound with his tongue, coming forward to wrap Tony back up. He shushed him gently and smiled, rubbing his thumb against his cheek affectionately before pressing a chaste kiss to his nose, and then to his lips. “It’s all right, Anthony.”
And it was, for once.
After that, Loki’s moons and solar systems and stars made plenty of appearances. Occasionally, Loki would point out a planet and tell Tony tales of his time there, and of things he’d heard about them. Sometimes he’d point out places he hadn’t been, but wanted to visit, promising Tony that he’d take him to some of them, if he ever wanted it. Tony liked that idea very much.
The way all the stars twinkled was Tony’s favourite part, and sometimes, when Tony was too upset or too sad to function properly, Loki would take him to bed and let him fall asleep with Loki’s hand in his hair and his head on Loki’s chest with the stars twinkling around them. It was nice.
Loki knew. Loki always knew.