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All things considered it was a pretty terrible mess. There was a fuck tonne of complications involved in what happened including a heavy dose of shouting, a pair of handcuffs and a lot of disappointment. However, it was also the most romantic thing that had ever happened in Tony's life, and he kind of wouldn't trade that for the world.
He supposed it made sense that the only reason it started was because he was about to die.
He'd managed to get knocked out of the air, his repulsors were shattered and the slam into the ground had winded and confused him enough that one of the aliens they’d been fighting had managed to get their foot on his chest and their gun aimed at his head. That gun could blast through solid rock, a quinjet and even knock the Hulk back - it was more than enough to destroy his suit, and him.
And while, yes, the Avengers probably would have still won, and maybe Tony wouldn't have been killed - but at that moment, all that had mattered was that Tony had been in more trouble than the Avengers could get him out of, and he'd had nowhere to go. He'd been fairly out of options when the very unexpected had happened and decided to change his calculations.
"He is mine," Loki had snarled from nowhere before grabbing and literally ripping the creature over Tony into two pieces with his hands. Loki then spun on his heel and sent out a combination of daggers and magic to more or less massacre the remains of the alien army.
Tony had been stunned. All he'd been able to think about when the alien's weapon was turned on him was yesterday morning and how he’d never have it again. The way the sunlight had been perfect through his Malibu windows, how the pale skin stretched out beside him on the bed was all his to enjoy and how he’d felt happy. He’d never wanted that moment in their bed to end.
But now he was in the middle of a rubble-strewn sidewalk with an overcast sky and that beautiful pale skin was covered up in a shit tonne of armour and Tony was torn between ‘oh fuck, he's pissed’ and ‘oh fuck, he's hot’.
He settled for pushing himself into a standing position. "Um, hey, er, Reindeer Games-"
He'd been trying for casual, trying for ‘no, this isn't what it looks like’, but Loki let out an inhuman growl before stepping closer and making a gesture with his hand that literally peeled Tony's armour off and left him standing in his undersuit.
Tony opened his mouth but stopped when almost frantic hands reached for and began running over his torso, Loki's eyes were wide and panicked as he touched and proved that Tony was okay. Tony found himself softening and he snagged Loki's wrists, pressing one palm flat against his chest and the other on his neck so that Loki could feel his steadily beating heart.
"I'm okay, Loki," Tony told him gently, angling his head slightly so he could catch Loki's eyes that had been fixed on his rising and falling chest. "Hey." He waited until he had Loki's attention. "I'm okay."
Loki ducked forward and kissed him then; a soft thing that still shivered with desperation and fear and Tony kissed him back, rubbing his thumbs against Loki's wrists in soothing circles.
When they broke apart, Loki's forehead was resting against Tony's. They'd barely paused for breath when Loki told him with far too much unchecked emotion, "I cannot have you die."
Tony felt his heart flutter and he smiled. I love you too, Lokes. "Yeah, I guess life would be a bit boring without me in it."
Loki huffed out a laugh before pulling back. His smile was apologetic as he told him. "I may have spoiled our little secret."
Tony didn't even glance behind Loki and at his no doubt furious teammates. "Eh, they'll manage."
"Do wish to leave here?" Loki asked, the look in his eyes showing how much he wanted that scenario. "I can take you with me."
Tony just shook his head and let go of Loki's wrists. "Better to face it now than later. Keep yourself out of their way, okay?"
"For now," Loki allowed before leaning close and kissing his temple. He lingered there a moment before promising quietly but no less viciously, "I will destroy this world before I let them keep you from me."
Tony's heart tripped and stalled moments before Loki disappeared and the sound that Loki's spells had been ignoring - the world that Loki had been blocking - suddenly fell back into place around him.
He knew he was in trouble, there was no doubt about that, but it couldn't shake the warmth that had wrapped around Tony’s heart at his lover's presence, touches and promises.
Tony knew it wasn't a good thing and that it was probably a nice big tick in the column of 'this is not sane' but having Loki appear out of nowhere and kill his enemies despite their secret relationship, to promise to destroy a whole world just to get him back from minor incarceration, was... well, it was really fucking romantic.
He supposed it was because Tony knew that for the depth of love he had for Loki, he'd be willing to do the same.