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Tony cackled as he activated the code and all of Red Skull’s security lights suddenly came on, their colors adjusted to bath the entire lair in red and green light. The PA system blared cheery Christmas jingles. One of the camera feeds Tony had set up on his monitors, courtesy of Hydra’s own security system, gave him a perfect view of Red Skull’s face as the madness ensued.
Oh, God… It was so good to be evil.
This was even better than hacking into Doom’s voice projector in his mask so that every insult he yelled out was changed to a feel-good holiday greeting. Tony knew it wasn’t making him any friends, but he didn’t exactly care for making friends with many of his fellow villains anyway. They could try and come after him, but they’d have to find him first. No one knew the hacker Iron Man’s identity except for a trusted few. Tony knew without a doubt they wouldn’t betray him.
A notification thrown up by JARVIS told him one of those few had just shown up, too.
Tony stood and stretched, his spine cracking as he twisted this way and that. His body wasn’t what it used to be. He needed to start remembering to get up and take some breaks once in awhile. He wasn’t exactly in college anymore. Feeling restored to his legs, he jogged up the stairs, eager to see the other’s reaction. Hopefully, he wouldn’t end up gutted in his own living room.
“Lokes!” he greeted, beelining straight for where the god was gazing out at his ocean view.
Loki turned slightly to look at him, expression unreadable.
“You,” he drawled, “have been a very busy mortal.”
Tony grinned, completely unashamed.
“Are you saying you don’t like my little holiday surprise?”
Loki wrinkled his nose.
“Odin contacted me to tell me how proud he is and asking me to come home for Christmas… which we don’t celebrate on Asgard.”
“What can I say? I’m a talented man.”
Loki’s gaze roved over Tony’s body appreciatively, but he made no move to come closer.
“I find myself deathly curious as to what you possibly could have done to cause this.”
“Christmas miracles,” Tony brushed off the inquiry. “It’s best to just go with it.”
Loki chuckled, finally reaching out to draw his lover in and kiss him softly.
“Very well,” he acquiesced. “I do look forward to the family reunion, though. I had not thought I would ever be invited into the palace walls again if it were not as a prisoner.”
Tony grinned and reeled him in for another kiss, this one deeper and more drawn out. They didn’t part again for several long minutes. Tony’s curiosity eventually got the better of him, though.
“And what, pray tell, do you plan to do with this access I have won you?”
Loki hummed thoughtfully, as though he didn’t already know exactly what his plans were.
“A bit of theft, I think,” he finally admitted. “After all, it would only be right for me to give you a gift in return.”
Tony cooed obnoxiously.
“Aw, Loki, you’re going to bring a piece of Asgard back for little ol’ me? Consider me thoroughly wooed.”
Loki nipped his nose, grinning unrepentantly at his squawk of indignation.
“You’re a menace,” he reprimanded.
Tony pouted.
“I’m charming.”
“I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Because I’m charming.”
“You are irritating and irreverent.”
“Exactly. Charming. C’mon, Lokes, it’s not that hard of a concept to grasp.”
Loki gave a sigh before his gaze softened.
“I love you.”
Tony grinned at him, pleased every time he heard those three little words.
“I love you, too.”
…
Tony was thrilled to unwrap a golden apple on Christmas morning.