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Loki sat on the Sanctum stairs, his head resting against the banister. It was dark outside, and the busy Manhattan roads had quieted, so he knew it was late. Yet, he stayed sat on the stairs, fighting his own eyes to stay open, and fighting his own brain to stay awake. It was times like these where he wondered how he would stay up all night as a child. He remembered those times vividly. No one else was awake during the late hours of the night, so it had become his safe space. He could do whatever he wanted in the confines of his room, and if he timed the guards correctly he could even exit his room, without judgment or anxiety. Now, though? He counted down the hours until he could lay down next to his husband and sleep.
His husband.
That was still a funny thought. It had been six months since he and Stephen tied the knot, yet he still found himself utterly baffled by it. Stephen was the man of his dreams - and if he had to stay awake any longer, that sentiment might become literal.
The story went that his husband had a meeting with the keepers of the other Sanctums, as well as the new Sorcerer Supreme.
(If you asked Loki, Wong was just as deserving of the title as Stephen was, but it was cheap not to return the title after Stephen came back.)
The meeting was only supposed to take a day, but now it was nearing the fourth. Loki wasn't worrying about Stephen having lied, it was more than usual for these kinds of things to go on longer than expected. What Loki was doing, though, was yearning.
The Sanctum was interesting, yes, and it was filled to the brim with things to keep him occupied, but it was also very lonely. Not to mention, he loved his husband dearly, and if he had any say in the matter, they would never have to be apart. Unfortunately, though, the world didn't work like that, and he was also left feeling as though he was missing his other half.
Just as Loki had started to give in to temptation and fall asleep, he heard a crackling noise. It was similar to fire crackers on the Fourth of July. It was faint, and sounded as if it could go out at any moment, so he ignored it. But then the crack-crack-crackling of whatever that was grew louder, and an orange light appeared with it. Loki quickly opened his eyes, partly because he was annoyed by the light, partly because he knew where the light and noise were coming from.
Just as he suspected, a portal was starting to open in the middle of the room. The spinning circle of orange sparks was both relieving and comforting, because he knew that his husband was safe and that his husband was home.
Loki forced himself to stand up, keeping a hand on the banister to keep himself from falling. The darkness of the Sanctum suddenly being bathed in a dim, orange light like a wave to the shore, allowing the ancient wood to glow in a way that felt like utter magic was gorgeous, but it was nothing compared to the breath-taking man at the center of it all.
If you asked Stephen, though, the light of the portal was nothing in comparison to the way Loki's eyes lit up when he stepped through.
The moment the portal went out, and before Loki could stop himself or Stephen could brace himself, Loki had thrown himself into Stephen's arms. Stephen stumbled, but managed to keep them from falling. He held Loki as close as possible, one hand in his hair and the other on the small of his back. Loki's arms were simply wrapped around Stephen's back, more content with burying his face in Stephen's neck and breathing him in.
"I'vee misssed you," he mumbled, his words slurred from the exhaustion.
Stephen felt Loki melt into him, and couldn't help but hold him tighter. He pulled away, though, for a moment, causing Loki to look at him, confused. That confusion was quickly replaced with love, though, when Stephen leaned back in to kiss him.
The familiarity of Stephen's beard tickling Loki's lips, and the familiarity of Loki's desperate attempts to get closer to Stephen, only made the moment that much better. There were always going to be moments like this again, just as there had been moments like this before, but after being away from each other for so long, it was oh-so perfect to get lost in the moment.
They only separated when they needed to breathe, resting their foreheads together.
"You look tired," Stephen teased, his voice barely even a whisper.
Loki shrugged, his smile growing ever-wider. "I was waiting for you."
They stayed like that for a moment longer; standing in each other's arms, staring into each other's eyes, and feeling completely at peace with the universe.
"I've missed you," Loki said again, as if he would lose Stephen once more at any second.
"I've missed you, too, Dewdrop."
This time, Loki initiated the kiss, and this one was much softer. It was slower and more caring, but still undoubtedly full of love.
"Let's go to bed," Stephen suggested.
Loki giggled, pulling Stephen back into a hug. "I don't know if I can make it to bed," he stared through a yawn.
"I'll carry you?"
"That'd be nice."
Just like that, Stephen picked Loki up bridal-style and slowly, carefully started making his way up the stairs. Before he had even made it halfway up, Stephen felt Loki relax completely, and heard his breathing soften.
"Lo? Are you awake?"
When no answer came, Stephen chuckled, lightly.
It really was a miracle that they found each other. After everything they had each been through, it was both surprising and poetic that they ended up married.
Stephen looked down at Loki and smiled.
They ended up married.
Wasn't that a funny thought?