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This wouldn’t have been Tony’s first choice in places to spend an afternoon-going-into evening. Though if he were honest, that was probably because it wouldn’t have occurred to him to even consider it an option. He was used to thinking of the entire world as ‘an option’ for destination choices, with practically every port and tourist attraction being an easy jet flight away. There were very few places on the planet which Tony wouldn’t have immediate access to – and frankly, those which he couldn’t get to he probably didn’t want to visit, anyway.
And then the Avengers had happened, and the possibility of other planets became a certainty. Then he and Loki had become… whatever it was that they were now, and the possibility to visit those worlds had been added to the mix. The entire galaxy had been opened up to them at that point, and the options were limitless.
So he didn’t exactly feel bad that a coastal town in Maine hadn’t sprung to mind as a place to spend the day.
Thankfully Loki appeared to know every single corner of Earth, despite claiming to have lived on Asgard his entire life. His knowledge of the planet was encyclopedic, and he seemed to have a taste for those places which were, for lack of a better way of putting it, quaint and picturesque.
“It just wouldn’t have struck me as your style,” he said as they strolled their way through the downtown area. “I mean you are a bit of a diva and all. Just need to check out your armor and helmet to get a pretty good idea that you’ve got zero chill when it comes to presentation.”
Loki, who was actually dressed in Earth clothing, and not in the usual black on black on black suit, rolled his eyes at the assessment. “Running by that logic, you are hardly one to be casting stones.”
“Hey, I’m not saying that I’m an understated kind of guy either. I’m just pointing out that it’s a little weird to see you getting so gung-ho about this sort of thing.”
Though he would admit that watching Loki go through the little town and poking his head into each and every shop they could find was oddly charming. He would find the oddest places, shops which Tony would have passed by without even noticing them, and explore every single one of them. He would walk in, looking absolutely normal – if devastatingly charming – and go through every shelf, looking closely at everything being offered. Half of the time, he would strike up conversations with the owners of the shops, who were only too happy to talk to the young man in the button down who showed an interest in their little corner of nowhere.
It was a side of Loki he didn’t think he’d ever see, didn’t think even existed. And yet he couldn’t say it didn’t suit him, either. Thinking of all the reasons why Loki might be so familiar with Earth, he could imagine this being one of the ways Loki would have spent his time through the centuries whenever he got bored or frustrated with his time at the Palace, sitting around in Thor’s shadow. Just exploring, and discovering the little nooks and crannies of a world that didn’t know him.
Finding the oddities in a world which didn’t have any expectations of him.
“Which isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy and appreciate it,” Tony added, sending a grin his way.
Loki scoffed, and continued walking, deliberately keeping his stride short so that it was more of a relaxed stroll than anything else. Tony suspected that it was Loki’s subtle way of making sure that he didn’t have to jog to keep up.
Long legged menace.
The day was getting on, though. They’d spent nearly all of it trawling through the little town which Tony didn’t even know the name of. Loki would find the occasional thing to buy from the shops he explored – half the time because it actually caught his interest, and the other half just because he liked the shop owners, Tony was pretty sure. Those things he bought, he magicked away somewhere. Tony had visions of returning home and finding a pile of impulse purchases on the living room floor.
They’d had a late lunch in a mom and pop place which served mainly fish, and was surprisingly good, too. The waitress there had seemed a little flustered by them – not because she recognized them, he didn’t think, but they did stand out a little, and the town didn’t look like it got many tourists. Not much opportunity for seeing unfamiliar faces, so any strangers were probably noteworthy.
As the shadows began to lengthen, Loki led them towards the end of town, and then beyond, taking them along a winding path which ran right along the coastline. It was an abrupt coastline, as well, the footpath leading up and up until they were walking along a small cliff face, the sound of the waves crashing coming up from below. The wind was cold and smelled of salt, and Tony was glad to have the jacket he’d thrown on right before leaving for the evening. He was getting ready to ask Loki where they were going, if anywhere, when he saw where it was they were going. Or the view Loki wanted to share, at least, as he came to a halt not long after Tony spotted it.
A little further along in the distance, rising up proudly from the cliffs and from the scrubby grasses which clung to rock and clay against the sea wind, was a lighthouse.
Tony stopped when Loki did, and stared. Normally he wouldn’t be touched very much by such things – it was a lighthouse, after all, and he’d seen plenty of those. But this one was particularly tall and stark, and backlit by the beginnings of a sunset which would have taken the breath out of anyone. Even if they hadn’t just spent the last twenty minutes hiking along a cliff trail.
“Wow.”
Loki chuckled at his eloquence. “I thought you might like to see this, since we were in the neighborhood.” He paused, and then added, “I wished to show this to you, since we were in the neighborhood.”
“Oh yeah, why’s that? You gonna tell me that you helped build this place or something?”
He expected a chuckle, or maybe a snort at the comment, but Loki remained silent. It was a strange enough occurrence that it got him to glance over. Loki was staring out at the lighthouse, and Tony got the impression that it was more to avoid looking at him than due to any real fascination with the building.
“You’ve… come to remind me of places like this, Anthony,” he said eventually, slowly, like he was working through the thought as he went. “Proud, independent… always there to warn of the danger one is about to throw themselves into.”
Tony almost snorted at that, but restrained himself. Loki was looking at him now, and it looked as though there were more he intended to say.
“Warning against danger,” he repeated. “And yet… A lighthouse is also a sign that one is nearly home. Whatever danger there is lying in wait, if they can successfully navigate those waters, then soon, they’ll be safe.” He smiled slightly. “You draw me to danger, Anthony, but I can’t help but trust that you’ll also lead me to a safe harbor.”
The salt in the wind was beginning to sting at Tony’s eyes, the chill making them water and feel too hot. He tried to think of something clever to say, but the day must have tired him out even more than he thought. All he could do was to stand and stare as Loki smiled, and stepped close, into his space.
“No matter what darkness I might find myself in, I can always depend on your light to guide me home.”
He tapped the front of Tony’s shirt, right over the arc reactor. Tony huffed out a small laugh, his throat thick with emotion he didn’t dare to let out and express. It was too much, too much to have inside all at the same time and be expected to communicate it coherently…
Thankfully it didn’t seem to be something which he was going to have to worry about. Loki snaked his arms around him, drawing him close, and Tony readily complied, going up on his toes to meet Loki partway.
The truth was, Loki was his guild, as well. Those times when he felt the most lost and out of his depth, all he had to do was reach out into that darkness a little bit, and there he would find Loki.