Chapter Text
Loki gave himself a week to change his mind. A week to write off such a bold new decision as just desire in the heat of the moment. Then he gave himself another month on top of it all. Then waited out the winter holidays to be sure it wasn't that that made him feel so sentimental and longing for more. But the more he thought of it, the more he wanted it, and the more he wanted it, the more the idea only seemed right. There were few things in life that ever fit like they were made with the other in mind, and the grand majority of them in the last year all had to do with Tony.
So by April, Loki set a lunch date with Maria and rehearsed a thousand times over how he was going to phrase the question as a simultaneous statement of his intentions and request for her approval, wanting her acceptance but knowing he would go forward even without it. He tried to gently lead into the discussion, but between his nerves and her sharp perception, she caught him in a second.
"I know when someone is waiting to ask something," her eyes bored into his as she leaned forward across the table, very much the powerhouse CEO in that moment, staring down a nervous worker. "So ask. I might even give you the answer you hoped for."
And when he eventually got around to saying what he was here for, Loki was shocked Maria could actually make a sound that high. She immediately pulled him into a hug, grinning from ear to ear as she passed on her blessing before Loki could officially get to asking for it. Of course, the barrage of questions that followed more than slightly overwhelmed him, but he appreciated her enthusiasm, and it helped boost Loki's confidence that this was right. He just had to get to the big day without a hitch.
That would be easier said than done. Determination was going to have to be Loki’s new life blood.
In May, the temptation to tie a proposal to Tony's birthday was considerable, but it inevitably fell through in both planning and commitment. No idea seemed right, the words evaded Loki's attempts to pen them, no setting seemed fitting, and he let it pass with some relief to simply enjoy Tony's birthday as a celebration of Tony, not a celebration of their relationship. Tony deserved that more than Loki ever wanted to deprive him of.
By July, the summer's heat finished sapping the last of the newness from their relationship, and it only gave way to complete ease and comfort. They cooled and settled into familiarity and certainty, but it only took the tiniest spark to ignite them again into mischief and delight in each other. Still Loki subtly talked through it with Tony, reaffirmed the mutual interest in longer term, but Tony never indicated anything other than very solid confirmations that, yes, he was well committed and not turning back. It helped set in stone that this was meant to keep on keeping on.
October brought an air filled with more than just the bite of approaching winter, and Loki finally started to solidify something of a proper scene to set. Closer still, but not quite. His ever-changing plans had stayed at the forefront of his thoughts for months; every detail and possibility he could concoct, he tried to create the solution for it as well, even making sure his friends texted in code so that Tony couldn't even accidentally find out Loki's plotting. Timing was a massive debate - the struggle of how to pop the question with the determination to make it perfect.
Finally came December, and with their anniversary fast approaching, Tony was thrilled and even more affectionate with every passing day. Though when it came to the anniversary itself, two years since they first met, it was a rather simple and understated affair. With traffic being what it was around the holidays, they opted for a quiet night at home, cooking dinner together and exchanging small gifts as Christmas and larger celebrations were so close. It was a night just for them, and while it was lovely, it still didn't take much to convince Tony into having more of a celebration out after the new year. It was a good plan, Tony had said, and Loki just didn't mention that it wasn't the only plan.
On the big night out, the ring was in a thin box in Loki's coat pocket, and he had been very careful to keep it out of the way to avoid an accidental discovery. As it was, Natasha had been keeping the ring at her place since she helped Loki pick it out almost three months ago, and Loki had snuck over there earlier in the day to get it back while Tony was at work.
Everything was set to be just right, and Loki was honestly shocked that something hadn't gone coincidentally and epically wrong yet. He was hoping that was a good sign.
They had already dined at the restaurant where they'd had their first in-town date, filled up on good food and even better desert, and then made their way to Central Park. Belvedere Castle was quiet and sparsely visited in such cold weather late at night, but the view was well worth it. Snow coated the grounds and the balcony overlooking it was one of Tony's favorite spots. He had a weakness for a good view, he'd claimed; Loki was set to give Tony a view to remember.
They had walked through together for the most part, but Tony walked ahead as soon as they were in sight of the balcony doors, wandering out into the cold and dusting off the ledge to lean his elbows on. As Loki had known Tony would. For the few predictable things about Tony, Loki was glad this was one of them. It really did make the perfect spot for a big question.
Loki took a very deep breath, let it out even slower, and came up beside Tony. Mirroring the position, Loki leaned in close and spared the sights a glance before looking instead to Tony, red-nosed and wrapped up in coat and winter gear. The instant after Tony looked over to Loki, Tony caught on to the different air and narrowed his eyes. "You're plotting something. What?"
Loki didn’t bother smothering his grin. "I have a surprise for you."
"Oh? In public?" The tease turned Tony's mouth in a grin barely seen over the edge of his borrowed black and green scarf, but he nudged Loki's shoulder for extra effect, and Loki easily nudged him back.
"Especially in public."
"Soooo, what is it then?"
"Hmm." The nerves were starting to bleed in, but Loki looked out on the snowfall laid out before them and steeled himself to continue and turn back to Tony. "How much do you love me?"
"So much that I'll let you give me mysterious surprises in public."
"Ah. Well then." Digging his hand into his pocket, Loki slipped to his knee and Tony's sharp gasp was almost lost in the shift of heavy clothes as Tony startled upright and back a step.
"You sneaky bastard."
Despite the insult, Loki didn't hear rejection in the tone before Tony covered his own mouth hurriedly and frantically flicked wide eyes between Loki's face and the closed ring box Loki was holding between them.
"We've had a hell of a run." Loki said, and Tony's short laugh was shaky, not from the cold. "But I said from moment one that I wanted to introduce myself as your future husband. And I think it's time to be able to just say 'husband,' wouldn't you agree?" The responding nod was jerky and still mute as Loki opened the box, and Tony made a choked noise at the sight of the gold band nestled in rich red velvet. Tony's left hand was trembling when Loki pulled off Tony's glove and held his hand, stroking the finger where Loki would put his ring.
"So will you marry me?"
"I-" Tony's voice cracked a bit when he tried to use it, so he just gave a vigorous nod instead. "Yeah. Yes. Just give me the ring, will you?"
They were both a bit too breathless to properly laugh, but Loki pulled the ring out and slipped it onto Tony's finger a split second before Tony used the hand hold to jerk Loki to standing and into a kiss they could barely keep for how wide they were grinning.
Even when Tony released Loki, he kept his fists balled in the front of Loki's coat, refusing him any distance. "Can't believe you," Tony hissed against Loki's mouth, but his eyes were bright with glee. "A surprise? How long you been planning this?"
"Since the party November before last."
Tony blinked, and his expression softened. "When we were fiancés without question. The first time we were fiancés without question."
"It felt like... like it was how things were supposed to be. I hope you don't mind-"
"Nope. No minding here. Perfectly fine." Tony grinned again and glanced down as he flattened his palm against Loki's chest and stared at the metal band. "It's perfect." He looked back to Loki. "You're perfect."
"No, this is." Loki took Tony’s hands into Loki's and held them tight. "I can't picture a future that doesn't have you in it, and I don’t want to."
"Save it for our vows." Tony stopped Loki and drew him into another kiss that they managed to hold for longer. "I love you."
"Love you too."
"Still can't believe you snuck this in though." Tony smacked Loki in the chest lightly with one hand. "Yeah, let's celebrate our anniversary again and avoid the holiday traffic, it'll be fun, sure, no ulterior motive there, I can't fucking believe myself for missing this."
The tirade only coaxed a laugh out of Loki before he cut it off with a gentle kiss to the corner of Tony's mouth, and Tony quieted. He did shift to wrap his arms around Loki’s waist though, pulling him into a tighter embrace and unable to tear his eyes away from Loki's.
"Thanks for surprising me."
"Thank you for letting me. And saying yes. Especially that last one."
"Hey, I already said yes two years ago. You could have asked this exact same way a year and a half ago, and I probably still would have said yes. I never would have said anything else."
So it's not just me. The thought was natural, unbidden, and nearly threw Loki off for all it seemed to let so much suddenly settle and click in his mind. Their meeting was so odd, so happenstance, all a matter of right places and right times that allowed them to see each other, to meet, to realize their interest had been mutual from first glance. They met in a crowded airport, far from where they both happened to live, at a bad time of year, when neither of them were supposed to be there. How many things and moments had to align to get them where they ended up? Loki had always hated the idea of fate, that people couldn't change their minds and decide what their own future would be, but perhaps fate wasn't always bad. Perhaps fate was chance meetings of people meant to meet, not a matter of who people were meant to be.
However they got here, they were here, and once they had set eyes on each other that first night, one way or another, they would have ended up in this spot at some point or another. And Loki wouldn't have it any other way.
xXx
Despite how cold it was outside, with the number of people inside, the terminal was overly warm. Tony wasn't particularly stressed though; he might have been far from home, but the face across the way that caught his eye was heavenly. He certainly wouldn't mind waking up to it in the morning, that was for sure. Walking back from the coffee shop with cup in hand, Tony stopped in front of the actual deity, stood there until the man looked up from his phone, gorgeous black curls slipping away from his face.
"You look like you could use some coffee. Maybe I can help. If this seat isn't taken?"
The man grinned a slight thing, amused and just a bit wicked, and Tony's gut twisted with delight. But the man's brow furrowed with a pitying head tilt. "Unfortunately, you're a bit late." He held up his hand with a shiny silver band on the left ring finger. "Someone got here first."
"Oh." Tony let his face fall. "Well, he's a lucky guy."
"He would get luckier if he would drop the games and give me my coffee." Loki turned his hand to gesture for the second cup in Tony's hand, and Tony tutted.
"No fun." He handed off Loki's over-sized latte with a sigh. "Can't a guy pick up his husband in a crowded airport once in while?"
"Once did the job just fine." The smile on Loki's face pulled into something more private. "But I won't discourage the effort."
"Any time for you, gorgeous." Flopping down in the open seat at Loki's side, Tony leaned in to steal a kiss to Loki's cheek before sitting back. "I'm aiming to keep you a while. Gotta work for it."
"And I appreciate that, despite finishing our honeymoon only eight hours ago."
"I'm really missing that secluded little cottage in Santorini now. Two minutes to a sandy beach and blue waters."
Loki hummed dreamily. "And let's not forget the wonderful bed there too." He shifted to face Tony, leaning forward ever so slightly towards him. "So many handholds on that headboard."
Oh, yes. Breathtaking. Tony could never forget those. "I'll never look at your scarves the same."
"I certainly didn't plan that." His phone abandoned once more to favor wrapping his fingers in Tony's coat, Loki tugged Tony in closer with no resistance to touch their noses and foreheads together. "Whatever can be done to stop me?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I am helpless. Hopeless. I have no power against your seductive wiles and sexy ideas."
"Then I'll just have to keep showing you more of them."
The shiver that ran down Tony's spine was entirely involuntary and entirely un-repressed. "Give me the rest of your best hits, and let's explore and improve any others you got."
"Sounds delightful." Loki said, just against Tony's lips, barely loud enough for the two of them to hear, and any response Tony might have had was scrambled by the light but lingering kiss Loki pressed to Tony's mouth next.
Not in million years could Tony have predicted how far they would come, that the gorgeous stranger he met in an airport a few days before Christmas would become his husband just a few years later. Nothing was ever really predictable with Loki, except, ironically, how reliably loyal and loving he was.
Not in a million years and a million theories could Tony have guessed this. And he wouldn't trade it for any one of those other million possibilities.