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Tony coiled in on himself, maw bared and teeth sharp.
Loki, hand raised to touch, inched closer towards him.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
A deep rumble in warning sounded at the words.
"Said the one before, and the one before that..."
Loki continued inching forward.
"...They all lied."
Loki stopped.
"And you believe I would too..."
It wasn't phrased as a question, Loki would never let an insecurity show like that during a moment like this, but Tony still knew it was.
"Howard– Dad, Stane. Soon the Avengers. Soon you."
Something red hot burned inside of him; burned at the thought of losing those he considered his. He had a family, a home, and he was going to lose it all cause he fucked up. Tony wound himself up tighter.
Loki's raised hand had now dropped to his side, a tight fist that made his knuckles turn white.
Tony didn't know what to make of that.
"You would think that after all I've gone through to gain your trust- your love..."
Oh.
Something just as hot burned in Loki's eyes, soon followed by something hurt after. Tony wanted nothing more than to believe- to trust, but he couldn't.
"So you lied?"
Tony's body stilled.
"When you said you trusted me... that was all a lie?"
No. That hadn't been. But that had also been before Loki saw this. Before he saw champagne red scales that shimmered molten gold, sun bright eyes with irises of a cat, and deep red wings that never felt the suns rays anymore.
Tony remained quiet. Something resolute shined in Loki's eyes, he inched forward.
A growl quickly sounded at the movement. Loki stopped.
"You've given me something far too precious, I don't take that lightly. Your love- your trust. I would never throw that away."
Tony wanted to believe, god how he wanted to believe. Loki moved closer. Tony tensed even more. Loki stopped.
"A liar and thief I may be, but never to those I consider mine; never to those I love."
Tony squeezed his eyes shut, his maw taking on a downward tilt. Loki moved closer.
Tony could bite him, rip him to shreds and end it all before it even started. Rip him just like he did to Obadiah, like he wanted to do to Howard. Loki would be powerless to stop him.
"Your love is far more valuable than anything you believe I could take from you."
Tony's eyes snapped open, Loki stood only a few inches away, his hand centimeters from touching a snout with razor sharp teeth poised to strike.
The silence resounded like a siren. Neither making a move to break it as sun bright stared in to forest green.
It broke as movement was made.
Champagne red scales pressed into the outreaching hand. That same hand soon moving to stroke up his face, reverent in every move. Tony pressed his head to Loki's chest. Arms slowly wrapping around his head in turn, holding and hugging, keeping him close. A kiss was placed on his scaled brow.
"I'm not going to hurt you."
"I know."