"Thank you all for coming today," Steve began, standing in front of the compound entry with a slew of reporters and this time, a full security detail surrounding them, "I know we called this conference on short notice, so we appreciate your flexibility."

Tony stood just behind the Captain, listening to him as he read their scripted statement that they had been up most of the night arguing about. The poor man was only one full sentence in and Stark was already rolling his eyes at the ad lib pleasantries that he never once agreed to. The last time they tried this, it didn't end well and he felt no love lost for anyone here. Natasha was sitting in a wheelchair behind the main entryway doors to watch, with Loki on the floor above and watching from a window that obscured him from the view of reporters.

"Here," Tony interrupted, "you're going rogue again. Gimme." He took the speech from Steve's hands and took a stand next to him when he refused to move to allow Tony to take over the moment on his own. "What Cap is trying to say is that we've come to learn that the kidnapping attempt and the attack on the Manhattan tower were orchestrated by Hydra. As you all keep jamming something we already know down our throats, Loki was a major player in the battle in 2012, and at that time he possessed something powerful that Hydra wants but the dumbasses don't realize he doesn't have it anymore."

"Language."

"You really want to go there right now, Cap?" Tony snarled under his breath, though still into the microphone for everyone to hear. "I was up all night writing this damn statement that you weren't even reading, and I'm in the perfect mood to go, so you just say the word and it's on. It's on like Donkey Kong."

"Fine," Steve smirked at his own ingenuity, "put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."

As the two men continued their verbal sparring that was becoming animated and entertaining enough so that it would make the news later that day, Loki continued to watch silently and completely unamused. He was watching despite the truth that he was paying it no real attention; his body was going through the motions but his mind was elsewhere. He was a confused man, and the feeling was foreign and terribly uncomfortable to him.

When he had asked your feelings on being together forever, it was true that he was in a bit of a medically-induced haze, but he had meant it nonetheless. Your answer was that of course, you would be with him, but it wasn't the context that he had meant the question in. The answer was what he wanted to hear, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a clear misunderstanding of his intent with your casual acceptance.

"Hey, you okay?"

Loki turned with a start at the voice behind him, quickly making sure that the look of surprise on his face was replaced with one of relief. "Miss Romanoff," he sighed, "yes, I'm well, thank you. I should be the one asking how you are, however."

"I'm good, don't worry," she shrugged, "I've had worse."

"Then I'm quite relieved to know that you're going to pull through," he smiled with a curt nod, turning back towards the window. "It looks as if the press conference has finished. Has the public view of my stay on Midgard changed at all after our recent events?"

"That's actually what I came up here to tell you...mostly. They want the team to accompany you into the city tomorrow so you can receive a commendation from the governor for your actions at the tower. You saved a lot of innocent people from getting hurt, and they'd like to show you their appreciation."

"You're joking," he gasped, turning to look at her again with pure shock.

"Not at all."

"Does...d-does (Y/N) know this?"

"Yep. She's there now, working with the mayor to make the arrangements and to be sure that there's more than enough security this time since we'll all be standing proudly behind you. But," she paused, moving just a few inches closer, "that's not the only reason I'm here. I came up here to thank you for saving my life. I got distracted, and if you hadn't been there-"

"That's not necessary, but you are most welcome, Miss Romanoff-"

"Nat, please."

"Natasha," he answered quietly, in almost a whisper.

"Close enough."

~~~

A few hours later, you had yet to return, and Loki found himself wandering the grounds, trying to settle his uneasy and racing mind. He had walked around the lake several times, losing count of just how many, though it didn't matter anyway; it wasn't until the sun began to slowly fade for the evening that he was brought back into the moment by the call for his attention.

"Loki? Is something troubling you? You've been out here for much of the day."

Loki stood to meet his brother, holding a hand out for him to join him on one of the benches facing the water. The moon was just beginning to reflect in the gentle ripples from the breeze, and his chest began to ache because you weren't there to appreciate the beauty of it with him. "Brother, might I ask for your counsel once more?"

"Of course."

"Before I was released from the hospital, I had told (Y/N) that I wanted a life together, but I fear that my particular wording of the phrase was misinterpreted. Her response was that she agreed, but I now believe that my method was terribly misjudged."

"You proposed to (Y/N)?" Thor asked energetically, sitting up straighter and with a wide grin growing across his lips. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you that you've found someone, Loki. I truly am."

"Thank you," he smiled weakly. "But I believe that asking a lady for her hand should be a magical moment that she will remember for the rest of her years..." he paused, his smile fading quickly, only to be replaced with a full expression of worry.

"What is it?"

"The rest of her years. Thor, I'm a thousand years old, and will age well beyond that. I don't know if I'm strong enough to watch her age and to see her final days and to then be expected to live without her. What if this is a mistake?"

"Love is never a mistake, brother. It can be both painful and elating, and it will cause stress and worry like nothing you have ever experienced, but it is never a mistake. Father would be so proud if he were here to see you now. To see the man that you've become." When he raised a hand to give Loki a supportive pat on the shoulder, Thor paused, for the first time seeing his brother truly afraid. "Loki, the answer is simple. Ask her again, and this time, be clear in your intent and leave no room for questions other than the only one you need the answer to."

~~~

Thor was wiser than he had ever been let on to believe, Loki decided quickly. He had never trusted his brother more in his life than he was now, leaving him with crucial work that needed to be done before you returned home. With all that was left to do, there was one more thing that only Loki himself could complete, and it was almost as important to do as perfectly as the proposal itself.

The sounds of tools banging and curses under breath that were almost drowned out by the heavy beats of AC/DC left Loki wondering if this weren't the right time, but as he stood at the door to Tony's robotics lab, he knew that there was no other time and this had to be done now. He took a long, deep breath and steeled his nerves to speak with a man who normally never gave him pause, and certainly never caused his anxieties to rage as they were now. He pushed the door open with purpose, crossing the room to stand next to Tony, though the man was too engrossed in his work to look up.

"Mr. Stark? Am I interrupting?"

"Not at all," Tony grunted back as he worked, "nothing earth-shattering anyway. What's up?"

"Did (Y/N) speak to you of the conversation she and I shared before leaving the hospital?"

"Nope, not a word."

"Really?" Loki startled, his brow furrowed as he replayed his days with the team in his mind. "I was under the impression that the two of you were close."

"We are, but that doesn't mean we share every second. Why? What's so important that she would've told me?"

"I made a very poor attempt at a marriage proposal."

Tony finally stopped working, very abruptly and with a drop of a very heavy and expensive tool onto the floor as if it were nothing. He looked up at Loki in complete shock, his mouth agape as his genius mind struggled to catch up to something so simple. "You did what?!"

Loki responded with a quick step back, a hand coming up as if to block an oncoming attack; it was just what he was used to when disagreements arose because of him. "I assure you, I can attest to my best intentions. I love her, Mr. Stark."

"Okay, stop backing up, I'm not mad...per se...I'm just surprised. What did she say?" He grabbed the now broken tool from the floor and looked at it with a pout, turning it over in his hand until he finally gave up and tossed it into the trash. "Oh, and call me Tony. I think we're past the formalities by now."

"Well, Tony, she said that she agreed to spend her life with me, but I believe that I didn't ask the question correctly. I've come to realize that my methods were lacking in tradition that's found here on Midgard. Therefore, I'm here to seek out your permission to ask for her hand properly."

Again, Tony looked up with much the same shock, this time deciding that work just had to wait. "Why would you ask me?"

"Because you are of significant importance to her, and I value your opinion and your favor."

"Not gonna lie, it's a bit weird to hear that coming from you."

"As it is to say."

The two men stood silently now, as if at a stalemate as they regarded each other. They were replaying their shared tumultuous past experiences, and the deeply-seeded hatred that had now withered away to this new consideration and dare they say it...respect. They shared in a common concern now; a concern that would bring them together in ways they never once would have imagined. They both loved you.

"Alright, Reindeer Games, just don't mess this up, and I swear to Odin that if you hurt her-"

"I wouldn't dare," Loki broke in quickly. "Not only have I no interest in doing so, but you all greatly outnumber me, and you have a Hulk."