Chapter Text
Chapter 9 – Crowning glory
James Rhodes, called Rhodey by his friends, was uncertain what he had expected when he had agreed to visit Tony with Pepper. They needed both of their codes to override JARVIS and when Pepper had called him to talk about Tony he had not hesitated. It was after all true that in the last few months his best friend had nearly disappeared. Yes, they still talked on the phone and texted and Pepper said he was surprisingly efficient in matters of the company, but the surprise visits, late night calls and invitations to parties and silly ideas had completely stopped.
At first Rhodey had not worried as he thought that Tony was caught up in his latest relationship, but that had been going on for months and Rhodey had never seen anyone hold Tony’s attention for so long. It was likely that they had, if not broken up, drifted apart and Tony was bound to be drinking and overworking himself in the workshop. Rhodey had half a mind to go down there immediately, but the chances that Tony was passed out on the couch or raiding his bar was just as possible.
What he actually came across, was something completely different. In a living room that bore next to no resemblance to the monochrome minimalism that he had come to expect, Tony was cuddled up to a man on the couch, a girl reading in a beanbag. The man was not Luca and Tony looked startling different as well. He seemed younger somehow and as he sat up to wave them in, Rhodey saw that he only wore a thin t-shirt, the glow of his arc reactor a surprising purple.
“Tony? What is going on? Who are these people?” asked Rhodey in confusion. Pepper looked similarly confused, obviously not having seen the penthouse like this either.
Tony gestured at them to sit with a nervous smile. “Nothing is going on. This is my partner Loki, you know him as Luca, and his student Wanda,” he introduced them. Both Pepper and Rhodey’s eyes widened in disbelief as they heard Loki’s name, Rhodey looking ready to call the War machine armor.
“Calm down, Rhodey, everything is fine. We just haven’t been entirely truthful. Please let me explain,” pleaded Tony, arms raised placatingly.
Rhodey settled back in his seat, “This better be good,” he warned, but already he could see that Tony had attached himself to the strange alien.
“Pepper, you know a little more. You remember when I told you about my religious beliefs?” asked Tony and as Pepper nodded, he gestured at Loki, “This is the God I was talking about,” he explained, and Pepper paled several shades.
“You are making him harm himself,” hissed Pepper at Loki.
“No,” exclaimed Tony but Peppers gaze was fixed on the God.
Loki raised an eyebrow at her, “I am not making him do anything, he puts his faith in me out of his own free will.”
Rhodey frowned deeply. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” he complained. “Can you start at the beginning?”
Tony agreed and began a long story, starting with his childhood. He obviously skipped over parts, but he made it clear that he had worshiped Loki long before the God had come to earth during the Chitauri invasion. He talked about their meeting, his decision to help his God and the way they had hidden their association for so long.
He glossed over their relationship, but the glances they exchanged during the story were enough for anyone to see their love. Loki barely contributed to the story, but he grasped Tony’s hand tightly when he talked about Thanos and the infinity stones and interjected small comments as the topic came to magic. They were vague in some areas, saying very little about their plan or the stones in general.
When Tony stopped talking, Rhodey had more questions than answers. He had never ever expected Tony to be religious, but his zeal was familiar. Once Tony set his mind to something, he could be incredibly stubborn. Rhodey knew that he could only try to accept what he was told, the determined glint in his friends eye a good indicator of just how serious this was. “This is crazy,” he said, unable to find words for the situation.
Pepper seemed to think along similar lines as she questioned Tony’s beliefs. “All of that for an alien god that invaded our planet?” she said, visibly trying to wrap her head around.
Tony looked at her and answered honestly “Pepper, people do a lot of things for their convictions every day, mostly in the name of an absent god. How could I possibly do anything less than my best for my God when he is here in the flesh and loves me?”
Loki leaned over and kissed Tony lightly on the lips, ignoring their visitors. Wanda got up silently and left, having heard more than enough.
Pepper stared at them incredulously, thrown by the reverent expression on Tony’s face. She continued to ask questions about the worship, Loki’s disguise and Wanda’s presence, getting more and more comfortable the more answers she got. She had believed Tony to be losing his mind as she had observed his actions in the name of religion in the past and having them here and explaining it properly, made it much easier to accept.
Rhodes was certain that the version of events and answers they heard was a heavily edited account. There were gaps in the story and too many vague phrases to be the truth, but he decided not to ask. Tony would tell him eventually and he did not need to know about the stones right now. His friend and his divine paramour seemed to have the situation under control for the moment.
Instead, he asked about the arc reactor. He regretted the question immediately as he got a detailed account of an improvised surgery with only magic to assist.
Pepper had gone pale again and resolutely looked away as Tony unscrewed the housing unit from his chest to show Rhodey the improved sizing. It was that story however, much more than any previous description that made it clear to them that Tony really had ultimate faith in Loki and loved him wholeheartedly. Seeing him happy and so alive in domestic bliss was unbelievable and since it was clear that the God was responsible, it was nearly impossible to say anything against him.
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When Pepper and Rhodey finally left again after a million questions, Tony slumped against his God in exhaustion, all the nervous energy about the meeting draining away. “That wasn’t too bad,” he mumbled into Loki’s chest and was rewarded with a hand stroking his neck.
“They are your friends, I was near certain that they would stand beside you just as you have stood beside me,” Loki said and continued petting his faithful lightly.
“Will you indulge me for an experiment?” asked Loki after some time had passed.
Tony sat up a little “Sure, what do you want me to do?” Loki smiled at him, cupping his cheek and pulling him down for a kiss. “Oh, is it the sexy kind of experiment?” joked Tony with a flirty smile, kissing Loki languidly.
“Not quite,” said Loki as soon as the kiss had ended. “Try to feel my presence in your mind like you do when you are praying and tell me if you feel something,” he instructed, and Tony closed his eyes and reached out inside his mind.
For a moment nothing happened, Tony felt the regular warmth of Loki’s presence. But then the warmth grew, and a strangely invigorating feeling trickled through the link, bringing with it a distinct feeling of love and loyalty. Tony gasped aloud as the feeling swelled to a crescendo before ebbing away, leaving a slight tingle behind.
“What was that?” he asked breathlessly, opening his eyes.
Loki had an incandescent grin on his face. “I prayed to you,” confessed Loki quietly. Tony gaped at him briefly, throwing his arms around his God.
“I love you too,” he replied, nose buried in Loki’s hair.
“I got the idea from Peter actually,” explained Loki. “I told you that he worships you and I wondered if it might be possible. You may know legends about mortals having to complete trials to become demi-gods, saints or heroes in their respective pantheons. Asgard has something similar, and I realized that you had already accomplished so many things that could be constituted as trials. And I was right. You, my faithful Anthony, are on the best way to becoming something more.” Loki looked proud and his happiness radiated from him.
Tony was not quite certain why that was such a huge deal for Loki as he could not really see a big advantage yet, but his God’s joy was infectious. Having felt his God’s feelings in his mind had been incredible and was worth so much more than the three little words that humans relied on. Tony took care to formulate his own prayer, sending his love, happiness and devotion to Loki.
His God actually blushed a little. Tony considered teasing him a little but refrained, charmed that his ageless mage could still be flustered by him.
Loki performed a complicated hand movement that Tony had come to understand meant that he accessed his pocket dimension. He pulled out a delicate golden circlet, no wider than two centimetres with small golden horns on the front. It was a reduced version of the famous horned helmet and had a tiny runic pattern on the side.
Loki held the circlet in his outstretched hands between the two of them. “I had wanted to make this more formal, but now is a fine moment for it. I would like you to wear this on occasion,” stated Loki.
Tony searched his face for clarification, but nothing seemed forthcoming. He touched the circlet lightly. “What is it for? Does it do anything?”, asked Tony.
Loki averted his gaze to the side. “You are becoming more powerful and more my equal by the day. The circlet is a promise that you will remain mine, a claim that you are my faithful and belong with me,” he explained quietly, unusually bashful.
Tony looked at him, gently turning his face towards him. “Only as long as you are mine and belong with me,” he replied with a small tender smile and kissed his God deeply to reaffirm their connection.
There was so much love and adoration welling up in him that he could only try his best to pour everything into the kiss. Loki interrupted their kiss to carefully place the circlet on his head so that the horns protruded from his forehead, then he leaned in again, devouring Tony passionately.
In an instant they teleported on top of their bed and Tony concentrated briefly to make their clothing vanish. It disintegrated between them, but neither of them minded as Loki resumed his kisses.
“Loki,” called Tony, spreading his legs eagerly, longing to feel Loki as close to him as possible. His God knew exactly what he wanted and conjured up lube. He fingered him open quickly, both impatient. Tony’s hands roamed over Loki’s body, a hand stroking his hard cock, another buried in the long hair that he loved so much.
As soon as Loki deemed him ready, Tony was flipped around to his hands and knees and he moaned as Loki manhandled him easily into position. Tony held onto the pillows in a tight grip as Loki entered him in a long deep stroke. No matter how often they did it, Tony adored the feeling of taking his God into his body. He clenched around the intrusion experimentally and it served wonders to spur his God into action.
Loki started pounding into him at a rapid pace, clearly not trying to draw it out. “Anthony,” he gasped and pulled Tony’s head up by his curls.
Tony groaned, glancing up at his God whose eyes were fixed on the circlet on his head. “You love that, don’t you? Seeing me in your colors and insignia, naked but for the circlet,” crooned Tony, “I love when you get so possessive, my Loki. I will gladly wear it, it is like a collar, is it not?”, he continued breathlessly and the desperate sound that that elicited from his God was beautiful. He struggled to express himself, full of intense feelings at the idea that his God wanted to keep him.
Loki had thrown his head back, one hand holding Tony upright, the other still on his head as he thrust into him rapidly, obviously lost to pleasure. Tony leaned back further so that he could touch his own cock and stroked it in time with Loki. It did not take long for them to reach their peak, already Tony felt the familiar tightening in him, and Loki nailed his prostate unerringly.
“Loki,” gasped Tony again, too breathless to say anything more. He tilted his head back onto Loki’s shoulder and the God only needed a few more thrust before he stilled deep inside Tony and came with a low growl, biting at Tony’s shoulder. Tony shuddered at the warmth spreading inside him and sped up his hand, wailing a broken sound as he spilled himself. Loki groaned at the feeling of Tony clenching around his sensitive cock but stayed buried inside of him.
He maneuvered them to the mattress so that they were spooned to the side, Loki still hard inside of him. Once they had calmed their breathing they kissed slowly, open-mouthed, tongues intertwining. Loki started moving inside him again, achingly slow, just rocking into him in tiny increments. Loki cupped Tony’s penis, stroking him carefully and he hardened again quickly with a zing of magic.
The second time around Loki was extremely patient, tenderly touching Tony all over and luxuriating in the heat of their bodies and smooth glide in and out. The magic did nothing to Tony’s sensitivity, so he was shivering and moaning with every brush of his prostate, every stroke of his cock, slowly losing all coherency at the torturous pleasure. He would have liked to keep Loki inside of him forever, never parted from the incredible feeling, the closest they could get to melding into each other.
“Please,” he begged after a while, when the friction got too much, and Loki began to move his hand in earnest. It barely took any time before Tony was coming again, screaming wordlessly as he ejaculated over his God’s hand, tears welling up in his eyes.
He trembled in over-sensitivity as Loki continued to move inside of him through the orgasm and he nearly did not feel as Loki emptied himself in his body again. Loki had ground hard against him before stilling, his hard exhale and the teeth that were back in Tony’s shoulder the only indication that he had found his pleasure.
Tony winced when Loki pulled out of him, feeling achingly empty as his God’s spend leaked out of him. Tony cuddled up close to him in an effort to combat the sensation and Loki immediately pulled him into his chest and drew the comforter up over them. He carefully removed the golden circlet from Tony’s head, setting it to the side delicately, before pressing a kiss to the spot it had just sat.
“Thank you my own,” Loki whispered, and the delectable feeling of his love seeped through their mental link in a prayer.
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Loki appeared in a meadow. He was heavily warded and layered with spells of invisibility and misdirection. His mission was completely secret and of the utmost importance. He advanced slowly, looking around constantly to make sure that no one was around. Just as he had reached the fence, using the space stone to slip through it unnoticed, loud horns sounded. Loki flinched, then he realized that the horns were not for him. It was a very distinct sound that he had not heard for hundreds of years, Asgard was at war.
He was uncertain who the foe was, or what had happened to Asgard under Thor’s rule, but he could not deviate from his plan, it was too vital. He sneaked closer to the hut in the distance. People were running around, frantically securing the area and fortifying the front, clearly getting ready to fight. Loki realized that the commotion could be an advantage for him, surely no one would notice if things went missing during a war.
Loki entered the orchard and whispered a spell he had stolen a few millennia ago. Thus protected against the warding of the trees he reached up and carefully plucked a large golden apple from the branches. He took two more, storing them in his pocket dimension, then he slipped out unnoticed. Just as silent and invisible as he had arrived, Loki God of Lies, Mischief, Chaos and Fire slipped away again, leaving Asgard to fight Ragnarök on their own.