Only When I Sleep (the full fic!)
TW: Gun violence, Idiots In Love
“Did either of you put poison in my food?”
“What? Of course not!” Tony cast Stephen a doubtful look. “I didn’t.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Stark,” Stephen growled. He turned his attention back to Loki. “More importantly, why do you think someone’s poisoned you?”
“It tastes a bit strange…”
Tony grabbed a clean fork from the cutlery drawer. Before Stephen could stop him, he scooped a mound of cauliflower rice and shovelled it into his mouth.
“Tony!” Stephen yelled.
Tony chewed thoughtfully. “Tastes fine to me.”
“Just give it a minute or two, it will come,” Loki said ominously.
“Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish or something?” Stephen berated.
“If it was really poisoned, there really isn’t any point in living anymore, is there?” Tony lamented. “A life without Loki is a tragedy too terrible to contemplate.”
“Tony, you idiot.” Loki’s eyes shone. “I love you.”
“What about me?” Stephen asked, almost fearfully. “Do you love me too?”
“Out of necessity, I suppose I must,” Loki sniffed. “You know CPR.”
________________
"I don't think Loki loves me very much."
"Don't be ridiculous," Tony said mildly. "Of course he does."
"He loves the things that I can do, sure," Stephen said glumly. "Like making the best eggs Benedict on this side of Manhattan. Or turning cheap wine into the best vintage. Or getting him authentic momo dumplings from Nepal - "
Tony sneaked an amused glance at his morose lover over his Starkpad. "I never realised that your achievements were all food-related."
"Can you be serious for once? I'm in the middle of a crisis here!" Stephen glowered. "And that cauliflower rice recipe had five stars on Good Eats!"
Tony sighed. "Look, Doc. Loki's not a big fan of our planet, as you very well know. The fact that he's staying here, with us? He must love you a little."
Stephen snorted. "That's not saying much."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, he's obviously staying for you," Stephen pointed out. "I'm…baggage."
"Baggage," Tony said flatly. He snapped his fingers. "Hey. Levi. Get over here."
The Cloak of Levitation wafted over from where it had been hovering by the windows for the past few hours people-watching.
Tony pointed at Stephen. "Can you knock some sense into your Master here for me?"
The Cloak gave Stephen a few sympathetic pats on the cheek, before returning to its station and favourite pastime.
"See?" Stephen cocked his head unhappily. "Even Levi agrees with me."
"Have you ever heard of 'opposites attract'? Loki's a closed book, and you…" Tony waved a hand, making vague gestures that alluded to something Stephen could only guess the meaning of. "You gotta open up! Tell him you love him in public! Shout it from the rooftop!"
Stephen blinked. "But we live on the hundredth and thirtieth floor. No one's gonna hear it."
Tony rolled his eyes. "That is not the point, you dumbass."
"Then what is your point?" Stephen asked, exasperated.
"Put aside your ego and show him some love! And I don't mean the tough kind."
"But I only know just the one kind," Stephen grumbled, blushing a little.
Tony stared. "You're hopeless."
"I knooow…" Stephen moaned, listlessly dropping his chin onto the table. "I'm screwed."
"Hmm, what to do, what to do…" Tony drummed his fingers on his desk. "I've got it. Remember that scene in The Sixth Sense? When the 'I See Dead People' kid told Bruce Willis how to get through to his wife?"
"What about it?"
"Say it when he's asleep," Tony said excitedly. "Tell him you love him, and to please love you back."
"But that's ridi - " Stephen paused. "Actually, that's kind of brilliant."
Tony gave a modest shrug. "Well, I am known for my genius."
Stephen snorted. "Thanks, Mr. M. Night Shyamalan."
_________________
"That was a stupid plan," Stephen growled as he emerged from their bedroom the next morning.
Get out of my head, a half-asleep Loki had hollered at the top of his lungs in the middle of the night, waking the entire household in the process. Stephen, being the closest to him in terms of physical distance, had received the brunt of Loki's wrath, which explained his brand-new shiner.
"Serves you right for being a creep," a fully-awake Loki glowered. "And you!" Tony cowered under the intensity of his glare, "Enable him further and we shall see how you fare."
With that parting warning, Loki stormed away, presumably to make himself a hangry sandwich before they were due to join the Avengers in battle in a few minutes, something Tony had neglected to mention to either of his husbands.
"So…planting subliminal messages is a no," Tony said sheepishly. "We should have thought about that, huh?"
Stephen heaved a sigh of despair, and hung his head. "I'm screwed."
____________
"We're screwed," Stephen announced an hour later; the enemy had utilised an impressive new weapon, a magic dampener that had basically rendered him powerless. "Hand-to-hand combat is not my forte!"
"Hang on," Tony grunted through the communicator. "I'm coming!"
Stephen frantically looked around for his other husband, and his blood ran cold.
A sniper on the roof had Loki in his sight, right in the line of fire, magicless and as helpless as a kitten.
And Stephen ran.
"Loki!" he shouted, "Look out!"
____________
Stephen awakened to a startling brightness and his whole body hurting with an unidentifiable pain. "Urgh."
"You fool."
Stephen saw the tears in Tony's eyes and his heart began to pound. "Tony?"
"You brave, crazy fool."
"What's wrong? Is Loki okay?" He asked anxiously. "Is that why you're crying? Did he get shot?"
"No, but you did. You pushed Loki out of the way, and got hit instead."
"What?" Then Stephen remembered the barrage of bullets hitting his chest. "How am I not dead?"
"You were bleeding to death on the damn battlefield, right in front of my eyes," Tony said, his voice stricken.
"Tony…" Stephen reached for Tony's hand. It was shaking terribly. "Tony, I'm alright."
"I nearly lost you. I nearly lost you both."
Stephen stilled. "Loki?"
"He's resting." Tony nodded at the other bed across the room. "He nearly drained every drop of magic but it worked. He got you back."
"Help me up," Stephen mumbled. "I need to tell him something."
"Can't this wait? He's still sleeping, and you should be sleeping too - "
"No. It has to be now."
With herculean effort, Stephen dragged himself to Loki's bed. He climbed in beside his slumbering husband.
One look at Loki's exhausted face and the memories came rushing back: the pain, the geyser of blood spurting from his torso -
Damn you, Stephen!
- the sensation of Loki's healing magic pouring into him, dousing the agony in his chest like ice water.
But most of all, he remembered Loki's desperate whispers, I love you. I love you. I love you.
"I love you too, Loki," Stephen whispered in Loki's ear, hugging him tight.
Loki sighed in his sleep. A tell-tale smile began to tug at the corners of his lips. His hands palmed the silk sheets as if looking for something.
"You too, Tony," Stephen ordered. "Get in here."
Grabbing one of Loki's flailing hands, Stephen watched as Tony clambered up onto the bed and grabbed the other.
As they cuddled each other,
"Should we just order in breakfast?"
"For the rest of our lives, yeah."
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