"Lokes? Loki? LOKI?"
"I'm here Anthony."
"I had a nightmare."
"I figured baby, I'm sorry. What happened?"
"You died. I killed you in New York. I-I killed you, I'm sorry."
"I'm alive Anthony, you said it yourself, you had a nightmare, it wasn't real. You didn't kill me Anthony. I'm right next to you." Loki reached out and took a hold of the inventor's calloused hand, grounding him with the contact.
"I know, I just- I wish that I could see you again. I need to see you again Lokes."
"I wish that you could see again Anthony. I am still searching the realms for a spell for you."
Loki had been sent by the Allfather to Midgard for a year with no voice and no magic. During his first week on the planet, Stark noticed the not-so-subtle difference in Loki's eye colour, the icy blue back to their natural vibrant green. The regret clearly visible within those orbs since his 'cognitive recalibration' session with the Hulk but the muzzled God had been unable to plead his case.
The rest of the team had forgiven the trickster (although they were still wary of him) while Thor felt guilty for not being the one to notice his own brother's change. He reported what they had discovered to Odin but to no avail, the sentence was to stay the same.
Tony had worked hard for the remainder of the year, trying to find a way of removing the enchanted silver thread that bound Loki's lips. The extensive time spent with the God meant that they had grown closer and as soon as the stitches broke, and Tony had removed all of the pieces, he surged forwards to press his lips to those of the inventor. Neither of them bothered by the slight coppery tang of blood.
By the end of his year with them, the team were all civil with Loki at the very least, although Loki remained nervous when around Bruce, their previous encounter having not left him with the most pleasant of memories. They had all taken the idea of the trickster living with them, after his punishment had ended, rather well, all having noticed the developing relationship he had with Tony.
It was 3 months, 1 week and 2 days after that first kiss when the accident had happened. Tony had gotten distracted in the lab and so when he had combined the two volatile elements, he had not gone for cover. The resulting explosion was a brilliant bright white which, in itself, could have cost the billionaire his eyesight but coupled with the shards of the glass beaker that lodged themselves in his eyes, it certainly would. It did.
That had occurred nigh on 8 months prior and Loki had still no given up hope of returning the man's eyesight to him. His magic had removed the shards and healed his eyes as much as he could, he also had a constant drain on his magic, not that he minded to help the genius, alerting him if he was about to walk into something.
Tony had told Loki many times that he didn't have to use his magic like that for him but secretly the genius was glad. Before the trickster had figured out that particular use of his magic, Tony had hit his shins and hips more times that he cared to admit.
"Lokes?"
"Yes Anthony?"
"Thank you for everything you're doing. You don't have to keep trying to find a spell for me Lokes."
"It's nothing. I know that I don't have to, but I want to Anthony. I want to do this for you."
"Okay then. Do you want me to let you in on a secret Lokes?"
"Do tell Anthony."
"I love you Loki Laufeyson," Tony whispered this in Loki's ear, and the trickster froze, they both knew that it was true but neither of them had said it out loud yet. "Did I just manage to silence the God of Lies?"
"Were you?"
"Was I what Lokes?"
"Were you lying?"
"How can you think that Lokes? Besides, even if I were lying, you would he able to tell, after all, your nickname is Liesmith."
"I- no one- I could tell normally but... this."
"Hey Lokes, breathe, calm down. Talk to me Lokes." Loki followed Tony's instructions and took a few deep breaths while he thought about what he needed to say, tears welling up in the God's eyes. "It's okay Lokes, just breathe for me," Tony whispered to the God as he heard the shuddery breathes the man was taking, a telltale sign of him crying.
"I-I can normally sort fact from fiction, but this doesn't seem like a lie Anthony."
"It isn't a lie Lokes."
"But- but it has to be."
"No, no it doesn't. Why do you say that?"
"Because no one's ever said that to me before. I'm a monster Anthony, if you could see the real me, you would know that."
"It doesn't matter what you look like Lokes, what matters is what you do, and so I know that you could NEVER be a monster. I love you Lokes, and it shouldn't be the case that I am the first one to tell you that."
"I- I love you too Anthony."
"Now there's the liesmith I know."
"No! Anthony, truly I do-"
"I know Lokes, I'm just messing with you, I'm sorry." Loki rested his forehead against Tony's and leant forward to kiss the perfect pink lips in front of him, Tony not hesitating to kiss back, sliding his tongue into the mouth of the awaiting God. "I love you Loki, and I'm going to keep telling you that until you get used to hearing it and know it to be true." Tony spoke these words against the trickster's lips, each word brushing gently over Loki's lips.
It was just over two months later when Loki returned to Midgard, broken and bloodied from his trips around the realms to find a spell to help Tony. The blind genius was not really able to help the trickster when he couldn't see what was ailing the God so he called Bruce to his floor with his medical bag.
"Not- not the doctor, don't leave me Anthony." The words were whispered between sharp breaths and pained moans.
"I'm not going anywhere Lokes, I'm right here." Loki took a hold of Tony's hand before he passed out and the world went dark.
As soon as Bruce had finished fixing what he could, he left the two alone so that when Loki awoke he would not instantly be confronted with the man that he was somewhat scared of. Around 20 minutes later Tony felt the man beside him begin to stir and so he held the man's hand tighter as he slowly woke up.
"Hey Lo. You scared me for a while there. Now you're awake, how's about you heal yourself up now? Bruce has done what he could to help you until you could help yourself out."
"Can't do that Anthony."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I have a more important use for my magic."
"What could be more important than healing yourself?"
"Healing you, I found a spell Anthony, the spell we need. I can restore your sight."
"Not happening Lokes."
"What? But this is what we've spent all this time looking for."
"I won't let you heal me until you have healed yourself Lokes. I can stand being blind for a while longer, I can't stand the first thing I see being you in pain because you wanted to heal me first. Please."
"Fine, but as soon as soon as my magic is restored again, you had better be right next to me."
"I'll be there Lo." With these words of reassurance, Loki began allowing his magic to weave through his body, fixing breaks, fading bruises and healing cuts.
"Stay with me Anthony?" the trickster whispered as he drifted off from over-exertion of his magic.
"When do I not Lo? Sleep well little one."
"'m not little one, 'm a God."
"Whatever you say little one."
It was around 10 hours later when Loki woke up again, Tony still led next to him, looking towards the God with unseeing eyes as he stretched out, arching his back like a kitten. Feeling his magic coursing through his body Loki was suddenly alert and remembering the spell that he had found the day before. The God sat bolt upright and summoned the scroll of parchment that he stole in his fight to get away.
"You alright Loki?"
"I'm fine Anthony, are you ready?"
"Lo, are you sure you don't need more time?"
"Anthony, I'm healed, you promised that you would be here for me to heal you when I woke. It seems as if you don't want me to do this?"
"N-no. I do. I do, it's just, well, I'm scared Lokes."
"Scared of what Anthony?"
"What if this doesn't work? What is the spell is a bust? What if I don't make it? What if you don't? I'm just scared Lo."
"It will work Anthony, I promise you that. You will live, I will not let you perish in any way. If I don't make it, I'll of died for a worthwhile cause."
"Not happening."
"Tony."
"NO! If there is even the slightest chance that you won't make it through this, it isn't happening. That's it, the only option. I- I can't lose you. Don't make me lose you."
"Anthony, Tony, you will not lose me. I can do this, I can restore your sight. Let me do this." Tony relented but with tears in his eyes as Loki began to perform the incantation that was needed, the 15 minutes of constant chanting ending and Loki led back down next to the man. "You can open your eyes Anthony."
"No, no I can't Lo, what if it didn't work?"
"It worked Anthony, I could feel it working. Open your eyes for me love." Eventually Tony heeded Loki's words and his eyelids slowly began to flutter open as he looked over to the God and where he lay, colours and shapes slowly returning to his eyes, working together to create the form of Loki in front of him. The tears finally starting to fall as he looked at the trickster.
"Oh God-"
"Yes Anthony?"
"I forgot how gorgeous you were Lokes, how perfect."
"I fear I may have damaged your sanity."
"Nah, I've always been crazy. I've just been blind for too long I guess, anything would look good."
"Well if that's how you feel-"
"You know it's you I love little one."
"I'm still not your 'little one'."
"You will always be my 'little one', little one."
"I love you Anthony."
"Love you too Lo. You know, there's been something playing on my mind."
"What's that love?"
"When I first told you how I felt, you said if I could see the real you I'd know you were a monster. Can I do it? Can I see the real you? Will you sow me?"
"Tony-"
"Please little one, I need to see."
"I'm really starting to regret giving you your sight back." Loki removed his glamour and revealed his natural crimson and azure body. He watched as Tony's eyes widened, looking at his Johtun form. "Well Stark, look upon the monster."
"It's Tony, well, Anthony to you, and I'm not seeing any monster here Lokes, just you." Tony reached forward to trace the lines that marred Loki's blue flesh only to find his flesh burning cold, frozen to the touch. "Woah, you're freezing Lo."
"I'm a Frost Giant Anthony, It's kind of in my blood to be cold, otherwise I couldn't really claim the title of Frost Giant now, could I?"
"You're still perfect to me you know little one."