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“Loki, I’m your brother and I care about you.”
“Really?” The other teenager asked flatly, refraining from mentioning all the times when that was a blatant lie.
“I do,” Thor insisted unaware of Loki's mental derision. “And I know Tony is your friend, but you need to stop this.”
Anger flared in Loki’s eyes when he realised what was being discussed. “It’s none of your business, Thor.”
“Stark is popular,” Thor continued stubbornly and Loki was ready to interrupt again, but he froze. “He has been out with all of the cheerleaders-”
“Thor,” Loki tried to interject.
“You might be gay, but he likes girls, Loki.”
“Thor!” Loki continued to panic, his eyes darting between his brother and the other boy. Tony had found them. He wore a bemused expression as he stopped behind Thor. Loki was abruptly caught between a rock and a hard place; unable to stop the confession spilling from his stupid brother’s lips if he didn't want his actions to confirm it.
Not that Tony was unaware of what he felt. Well, part of it.
“You may think you belong together, that he will look at you - but it has been years. He will not want you back. Stop trying to gain his attention when-”
“He can make his own damn decision,” Tony growled, making Thor’s eyes widen before he spun around to face Tony. Loki just closed his eyes and prayed to a God he didn’t believe in that the ground would open up and swallow him.
“S-Stark,” Thor actually stuttered. “I didn’t. This is not- It was just a joke!”
“Suuure it was,” Tony drawled, but his narrowed eyes said he wasn't happy. "I thought I'd already punched you for making jokes about Loki." Tony looked him up and down, seeming undaunted by the difference in size since kindergarten and the infamous fist to Thor’s face. "I can still do it again."
Thor gave a strained chuckle. It was probably less about Tony and more about Frigga finding out why it had happened. “Truly, Stark, it is all one big-”
“Thor,” Loki snapped and he finally listened; looking at Loki with hopeless, apologetic eyes. “Go away.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but in the end he slumped, glanced between them once more and started making his way home.
Loki wished he’d never left the fucking house.
Tony was watching him, carefully. Loki did his best not to shift, his stomach feeling like lead as he crossed his arms and waited for the verdict.
It was going to hurt, one way or another - because Thor was right.
Tony was popular and he had been with half the cheerleading team - Loki had heard each damn recounting. While Loki did think they’d be perfect together and while he might have had a crush on Tony for years... Thor didn’t have all the facts.
But Tony did.
“So,” Tony began, his eyebrows high on his forehead, “kissing me the other day; it wasn’t the spur of the moment ‘your ex-girlfriend was a bitch, hey, try guys’ thing that you tried to play it off as, was it?”
Loki winced and muttered something under his breath, not meeting Tony’s eyes as his cheeks flamed.
Because Tony had responded to his gamble. They had made out on the bed and while Loki had gotten aroused, so had Tony.
Tony wasn’t a virgin and he was curious - Loki couldn’t resist that. It had been perfect, but it hadn’t lasted. And now he couldn’t even pretend.
From the corner of his eye he saw Tony grin slightly, reading everything in his body language. He reached out and began forcing Loki’s hands away from his chest. Loki didn’t even try to struggle, but he was surprised when Tony linked their fingers. Loki darted his eyes between their palms and Tony’s face, unable to fathom it.
“You said it was nothing.” Loki swallowed thickly. “You said it was just a bit of fun.”
“I said that handjobs in my bedroom was a bit of fun,” Tony answered, “I said it when I thought it was just my best friend offering to experiment with me. I didn’t know you liked me.”
"Thor can still be an idiot," Loki mumbled, not looking Tony in the eyes as his heart pounded. "Thor can be wrong.”
Loki had forced himself to contend with just one afternoon, and he was ready to keep doing that. They’d gotten themselves off together; it was hardly the first time Loki had done that with a guy. And, okay, Tony would never be just a guy, but Loki had been willing to accept it. They’d only had a few more months left of senior year; he could have kept smiling through those last few weeks.
But now Tony was holding his hands - and he was coming closer.
Tony stopped inches from him with a wide and carefree smile. He also held Loki’s eyes. “I think Thor's wrong.”
Loki couldn’t keep part of his face from crumpling, but then Tony leaned up and pecked his mouth in a kiss.
“I think Thor has no idea who I like.”
Loki stared at Tony before asking dumbly, “Me?”
“You.” Tony confirmed with enthusiasm before he took Loki’s arms and wrapped them around his back. He let go only to curl his own around Loki in a hug.
Loki automatically pulled him closer even while he was trying to get his mind to accept what the hell had just happened to him.
Things never worked out for him.
“Me?” he murmured again, not fully daring to believe it, even when he knew Tony wouldn’t lie to him.
“Yeah,” Tony pulled back so that they could look at each other. His voice was firm but his eyes and smile were warm. “You.”
Loki hugged him tightly in response while burying his face in Tony’s hair.
Me, he thought, hiding his face in those brown locks. I knew he belonged with me.