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“Wha- What did you just say?”
Okay, Tony is gonna be clear about this: it was absolutely not how he had expected the night to go. Let's rewind that shit a little, shall we?
Right, so earlier he should have recognized the signs, he’ll admit. When Loki had come to meet him away from the crowd and offered him to dance over a fucking slow rhythm – which he had enjoyed far too much if he's to be honest here, holding the god oh so very close, a hand on his lower back, and the ghost of Loki’s breath caressing his cheek.
He had felt something, yeah. That damn thing he felt whenever the god was around but... tonight, it had been magnified. Tony had caught Peter’s wide eyes and Rhodey’s bemused expression while they were dancing but quickly ignored them, intending to not step on Loki’s feet and focusing on... well, a whole lot of too many sensations he’d thought lost forever. Like that feeling of his heart literally swooning? Oh for Christ’s sake, his heart condition could not possibly survive this, right? He should stop, leave Loki right there and then, he had thought.
Yeah.
And he was going to, with a polite smile and not the shade of a blush, thank you very much. But then, Tall Dark and Gorgeous here had decided it was a good idea to delicately play with Tony’s hand – the one he was holding up and slowly but surely reducing to the state of a shaking leaf. Was he fucking tracing his life line? Tony’s mouth had gone dry when he'd opened his eyes to watch their intertwined fingers after that. His hand was calloused, almost small and old against Loki’s elegant fingers, his fair and unageing skin.
Then Loki had stared into his eyes – his soul probably too – and Tony had almost gasped. Key word: almost.
“How about a little air? I need some air,” he'd managed, immediately missing Loki’s warm, solid body against his as he took a step back, determined to go to the balcony.
After that, he had found his breath again, Loki keeping his distance as if he had perceived Tony needed space or...
Ha.
Of course he'd notice that Tony had fucking fled from his embrace. Tony knew that whatever Loki was doing tonight was not a trick, not around him, not about their... friendship? Well, it was more like some kind of an understanding, a totally harmless and platonic bound between them. Maybe not that platonic. Because whenever they were together, it felt right, that connection. Sometimes they didn't even talk for days, but if one locked eyes with the other, a smile would automatically be exchanged. Something small, but authentic. Because they both longed for authenticity these days.
The world was a mess since Tony brought everyone back, and Loki extracted no pleasure in that sad, cruel chaos. They often talked about it, about Tony being a hero, deserving to rest, and the world needing time to heal, always more time.
"I saved the world, yeah. Yay me !" Tony had said bitterly, putting his back against the handrail of the balcony, the corner of his mouth twitching self-depreciatingly. And right after that? His reality collapsed even more because Loki had uttered the single most insane sentence the grey-haired man had ever heard:
“Clearly, you are in dire need of heartfelt appreciation. And, considering the way my mind, body and soul crave yours, I might just be perfectly inclined to worship you the way you deserve.”
Ha! Yeah, right.
...
Uh, what!?
Okay. So we're back online now:
“Wha- What did you just say?” Tony whispered, gripping the rail - hard -, surprised by the sudden roughness of his voice. But Loki didn't answer. No, he walked in the shadows like the motherfucking predator that he was to get closer to Tony, his stupid green eyes burning with hunger - and yet, everything about him was screaming affection, desperation - and there was a bigger, stronger spark Tony had not seen in anyone else's eyes in a long time.
Loki was wearing a dark tailored suit that kissed his body in the most scandalous way, some might say, with no tie which meant that the bastard had his black shirt unbuttoned, offering a delicious view over his upper chest and his neck, decorated with fine golden chains. His pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.
"Tell me to stop, and I will", the god promised as he settled one of his legs between Tony's, dangerously close to the man's groin. There, Tony gasped, yeah. Because how the fuck could he not? Loki's hands were soon on his hips, sneaking under his suit, and Tony stared right back at the beauty who was facing him. Loki's eyes were hungry, yes, but he couldn't deny it anymore: they were loving.
At that, Tony's eyes widened.
And his legs gave out under him.
He just-
He couldn't imagine-
Loki was a god and he was-
No, that was unbelievable.
He managed to hurriedly loop one of his arms around Loki's neck, his other hand still clinging to the rail. Quite desperately, not gonna lie. Loki fucking chuckled next to his ear, the sound licking at every bones in Tony's body, before biting his lobe. And holding him against the railing.
"You are a menace," Tony croaked, leaning his forehead against Loki's.
"Not anymore, I'm afraid. I have joined the good guys, remember?" the god laughed, leaving a trail of kisses on the man's jaw.
"We're no good guys," Tony mumbled, his fingers getting lost in Loki's soft mane. His dark hair has never been longer, cascading down his shoulder blades and almost reaching the middle of his back in a mix of thin braids, tiny jewels and beautiful curls.
"As I said," Loki started, making sure Tony was looking at him, "you saved us all. You deserve every ounce of respect, love and worship the universe is capable of. You deserve everything, Anthony, when not a single one of us deserves you."
Tony swallowed the lump growing in his throat. Suddenly, he was aware of everything; the heat of Loki getting into his flesh, and his magic - the one Loki didn't have to use, the one that attracted Tony everytime without fail - all around him; he felt the god's hard length against his, and Loki's skin on his making him high; he felt the strong hands keeping him firmly pinned to where he was; the softness of Loki's hair; the intoxicating smell of old paper sticking to Loki's fingers, the smell of the smoke of his apartment's fireplace too, and the heavy, diabolical French perfume Tony bought him a few weeks ago - which he shouldn't have because that shit was clearly an aphrodisiac made to turn Tony into a madman. Well, more than he usually was at least.
But most of all, Tony felt the void behind him, the several floors of nothingness above the city.
At this exact moment, Loki decided to lift Tony up and sit him on the hella thin handrail, imposing himself between the man's legs. His hands now both fiercely holding onto Loki's shoulders, Tony felt his heart pounding in ears, his fear of the void - might it be here or surrounding him while he was stranded in space, it was the same fucking thing - scaring the shit outta him.
"What are you doing?" he whispered against Loki's jaw, his mind whirling and two seconds away from going hysterical.
"Making you feel alive."
Tony frowned at the terrifyingly calm voice, as Loki cocked his head to the side. The air around them was becoming thrilling.
"Let me go, Anthony," Loki instructed with a smile.
"Wha- Are you insane!?" Tony shrieked, holding Loki even tighter, hysterics getting the better of him. The city lights, he heard them, were laughing at him, and not kindly. You fell for Mr. Crazy Pants, they were saying, so now you gotta own up to that.
"Well, are you?" Loki asked curiously. "Do you truly believe I would risk your life in such a stupid manner?" Loki's hand came up to stroke Tony's cheek. His eyes were amused but still so loving. "You will never be as safe as you are right now, in my arms. So, I ask again: Anthony, let go of me. I will make sure nothing bad happens to you, I promise."
Tony had made a lot of bad decisions in his life, he knew that. He had made mistakes, had hurt people. Disappointed others, often the ones closest to him. Like Pepper, who had ran away from him, traveling in the whole world in the name of his - their - her company, helping people rebuild the world. While he was there, acting like a teenager with a crush, only thinking about himself.
He was about to ask Loki to stop. Really.
But a green haze started to dance over his skin, and Tony almost sobbed, because he couldn't refuse anything to Loki. Loki who looked at him and actually saw him, the real him, the tired, old man who was so fucking lost since he couldn't understand why - why - he was still alive although he felt like he was fading away a bit more every day.
Loki made him breathe. He reminded him that blood was still pumping in his veins. What feeling enthralled by beauty really meant.
"Okay," Tony whispered under his breath, barely audible, and inhaling Loki's perfume, eyes fluttering closed. "Okay."
Loki smiled again, his hand still on Tony's cheek.
"But. I'm an old man and my back hurts, so you better hurry up, 'cause I won't stay perched up there all night."
Nodding kindly, Loki unleashed a little bit more of his seidr and the green smoke came resting against Tony's back. It was cold, but somehow warm too?
"Alright," Loki said. "Now, calm down, try to loosen up your body."
"You literally just spent the whole night hardening it," Tony hissed and Loki had the audacity to laugh.
"Well, keep that part hard for me," the god purred, his hand getting down to Tony's thigh. "But everything else has to relax."
Tony snorted but did as told.
"You will let yourself fall back, until you're lying on thin air. My seidr will hold you."
"Just- Wait, tell me why you want me to do this, first?" Tony asked against the god's lips. Fuck, he was getting giddy.
"I want you to feel something. Anything that could give you back this thrill you felt, when you were Iron Man, when you were another man. I want to make you quiver. I want to steal one your heartbeats so you can feel it start pounding again in your chest," Loki said, voice low and thirsty, just before stealing the most shameless kiss out of Tony's mouth and pushing him away harshly in the air.
Tony screeched unelegantly, feeling Loki's hands and magic stopping him from falling.
It took him about three seconds to recover from Loki's kiss, from the feel of the god's tongue going straight past his lips, then one more to assimilate the fact that he was floating in the air, facing the stars, his ass still firmly pressed to the balustrade. It was all too much - Loki, the void, the nightsky, the stars like million monstrous eyes, possible threats to his planet, and Loki -, nothing was making sense and his brain was failing him. He let his head fall back even more, now seeing the lights of the city, though upside down. If Loki let go of him, he would certainly die. The idea made him breathe almost painfully, and gathering all of his will and strenght, he got back up, hands finding Loki's shoulders again and clawing at them.
His lips brushing Loki's, Tony was breathing heavily, the blood in his body louder than ever. Wide-eyed, the god had his arms wrapped around Tony. He was insane. The good sort of insane. The living, fully alive kind. And Tony desperately needed this - him.
The whole world faded away as Tony tried to take it all in. His lungs were hurting, so much, yet they felt young again.
Jesus, Loki had him quivering, yeah. Fucking quaking even!
Not caring one bit anymore about the fact that he had nowhere to hold himself except Loki, Tony kissed him again, tears rolling down his cheeks, heart hammering right against Loki's. The god kissed him back hungrily. Yeah, Tony, stupid tiny mortal, was kissing a god, and that almost had him weeping. He pulled at Loki's hair, eliciting a deep moan that vibrated up to Tony's own mouth. He swallowed it, implored it to keep pulsating inside his body for the rest of his life.
"Bed," Tony begged, sucking the god's lower lip, and oh did he know that Loki would love both of it. "I'm begging you, take me with you, anywhere with a bed. Please."
When Loki's eyes found his again, there was not a single trace of green.
"Oh, Anthony," he rasped, "I will not only please you, for I am going to worship you till the end of times."