Tony paced the top of the Avengers tower, growing impatient. Where is he? he wondered. He was supposed to be here by now.
Tony and Loki had been seeing each other for months, and they decided to spend Christmas together. It had taken some talking to Thor and the other Asgardians, but they were finally allowed to spend two nights together. They chose Christmas Eve night and Christmas night. Now Tony was waiting for Loki to show up.
Suddenly, just as he was starting to give up, a small storm appeared above the Asgardian portal, and two figures appeared on the portal: Thor and Loki, with Loki still bound. Thor released Loki and approached Tony.
"I do this for you because I know how you care for each other," Thor reminded Tony. "Please make sure my brother doesn't do anything rash or does anything to harm anyone."
"I already promised you, and I'll promise again," Tony responded. "I'll keep an eye on him. Besides, this is to show him the Christmas spirit."
"I hope you are right, Man of Iron," Thor sighed, walking back to the portal. "Loki?" he said to his adoptive brother. "Please don't try to destroy Earth. It took a lot to convince the other Asgardians to let you out."
"I'll behave," Loki promised before leaving the portal and standing by Tony's side as Thor went back to Asgard.
Loki gave Tony a longing kiss, and Tony returned it with favor, holding the Frost Giant's face close as he did so. When they separated, Loki breathed, "I've missed you, Tony."
"And I you," Tony replied. "How about we get inside first?"
"Agreed, love."
Loki and Tony both went down the elevator to the rec room, where Tony had a Christmas tree up to decorate. At the moment, the only thing on the branches was the needles of the tree.
"What is the use of this dead tree in the room?" Loki asked, curious.
"It's called a Christmas tree," Tony explained. "We decorate it, and it's decoration for the holiday season."
Loki nodded in understanding. "Oh. How do we decorate it?"
Tony smiled. "That's where these boxes come in," he said, bringing out some boxes from another room. He opened them and revealed a bunch of strings of lightbulbs and some ornaments. "These are for the tree, although we can put them around the tower, too, if you want. I can always get more."
Loki looked at the decorations with puzzlement, then smiled as he took out a string of lights. "I think I'll require aid here," he remarked with a smirk.
Tony chuckled. "Of course, big guy."
They started decorating the Christmas tree, and Tony started to notice a nine-color scheme to the lights and ornaments. "Nine worlds?" he guessed.
"Indeed," was Loki's reply as he smiled ruefully. "I hope that we end up not… well, you know…"
"Hey, it's all right, we don't have to worry about that anymore," Tony reassured him, holding Loki close. Loki held him in return, and the two men stayed there for a while before Tony looked at the tree and chuckled, saying, "The tree's just missing one thing."
"And what is that?"
"A star. Come on, I'll show you."
The two men pulled away, and Tony dug out a single gold star from the box before reaching up to the top of the tree, placing the star at the top. It made a perfect finishing touch.
The two men looked up at the tree, and Loki smiled. "Well, there are still lights in the boxes… perhaps we can finish decorating other surfaces with them?"
"Good idea. Come on."
They decorated the rec room, then turned off the main light and sat on a couch, admiring their handiwork.
Tony smirked, saying, "JARVIS, light the fireplace up."
"Of course, sir," the voice came out, then the fireplace lit up, giving the room a special glow. The two men sat in peaceful silence, cuddling while the fireplace crackled.
The relative silence was only broken by JARVIS saying, "Sir, shall I start dinner up for you?"
"Yeah… dinner for two, JARVIS," Tony replied, moving a leg across Loki's while holding him close. He gave Loki a kiss. "Merry Christmas, Loki."
"Merry Christmas, Tony," Loki replied.
After a small yet fine dinner of ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce, the two men walked back to the rec room. Tony looked at the fireplace and slapped his forehead, groaning.
"What is it, love?" Loki asked.
"I forgot to hang the stockings…" was Tony's reply.
"We can still do it now," Loki pointed out.
"True… let me get them out."
Tony got out two stockings specially made for himself and Loki. His own had red and yellow with an ARC reactor on it, designed to look like one of his suits. Loki's was mostly blue and purple with an elegant silver snowflake gracing its features. They hung them up by the fireplace, and Tony led Loki to his bedroom.
"I may have an early Christmas present for you tonight…" he teased, disappearing into his walk-in closet while Loki undressed by the bed.
When Loki was only in his underwear and sitting on the bed, Tony came out wearing a pair of red boxers with white fluffy edges along the top and legs. Loki licked his lips at the sight.
"Now that is a lovely early Christmas present," Loki remarked, licking his lips.
"Glad you think so," Tony replied, sitting down next to Loki on the bed and giving Loki a kiss.
"Oh, I am going to enjoy tonight."
"Oh, I'm sure."
The next morning began with them both devoid of clothing (due to a long night of lovemaking), and they shared a morning kiss before finding their clothes from the night before. Tony then led Loki to the kitchen, where JARVIS had prepared a Christmas breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. After breakfast, the two went to the rec room to find presents under the tree and their stockings filled to the brim.
"Is this normal?" Loki asked, and Tony laughed.
"Yeah. This is normal for Christmas. Looks like Santa came," he teased, lightly elbowing Loki in the ribs.
"Santa?" Loki looked at Tony quizzically.
"Eh, forget it. Let's just see what we have here."
Tony and Loki both took turns opening their gifts from under the tree, and exchanged laughs and jokes about each other's gifts. Loki sighed contentedly, happy to be with Tony for the day. Tony chuckled as he took the stockings down, giving Loki his. The two men looked in each of their stockings, and they exchanged more laughs at the obscene amount of fruit and chocolate that stuffed each stocking.
After the gift opening and some playful punches exchanged, Tony asked, "Hey, JARVIS, anything going on in town at the moment?"
"Besides the snow, sir? There are people going around with their Christmas celebrations," JARVIS replied, a bit of sarcasm detectible in his voice.
Tony smirked to Loki. "Shall we go, then? Join them?"
Loki returned his smirk with one of his own. "I'm sure it won't be as cold as some places I'm used to."
"All the more reason for you to come outside," Tony teased, getting up and grasping Loki's hands, pulling him up with him.
Loki chuckled, saying, "I might as well, since you're being so insistent."
The two men then went to Tony's room, where JARVIS already had some winter clothing and outerwear ready. The two men got dressed, then went down to the ground floor to go outside.
"Sir, did you forget something?" JARVIS asked before they stepped outside.
Tony felt his wrists and groaned in frustration. He had forgotten his bracelets to call up his armor at will. A small tray came out of one of the walls, the bracelets on it, ready to put on.
"Thanks, JARVIS," Tony said, putting on the bracelets.
They then exited the Avengers tower, going out into the snow, and almost immediately Loki was hit with a snowball.
Loki smirked, picking up some snow and forming it into a ball. "They messed with the wrong Frost Giant," he remarked, ready to wind it up.
Tony placed a hand on his arm. "Just remember to not go overboard. Snowballs only unless they escalate the fight. And let me have a shot, too."
Loki smiled at him. "Of course."
He handed Tony the snowball, making another from the snow at his feet. The two looked at each other, nodded with shared smirks, then hurled the snowballs at the assailants, hitting them in the chests. A large snowball fight ensued, and eventually the entire street was involved – men, women, and children alike.
The fight only ended because a few other Avengers got involved, throwing snowballs at such a rate that it seemed like a human machine gun. The whole street cleared out after that, and the Avengers there were left to laugh in the pure joy of the snowball fight.
Tony felt himself shiver a little, and noticed Loki starting to turn blue. "How about we go inside, sweetheart?" he asked Loki, holding his hand to his lover.
Loki smiled and took it, saying, "Indeed, love."
The two went inside, smiling while the other Avengers kept messing around in the snow. They went up to Tony's room, where they changed out of their outdoor clothing and into some comfy pajamas and went back to the rec room, and Tony put on some Christmas specials that were playing that day. He and Loki snuggled together, simply relishing in each other's company. When the Christmas specials were over, JARVIS took the liberty of turning off the television and putting on some soft Christmas music. The two men stayed where they were until JARVIS announced that it was dinnertime.
The two men enjoyed the rest of the evening very much, and when it came time the next day for Loki to return to Asgard, the two men shared a long hug on the rooftop.
Thor then approached Tony, saying, "Man of Iron, I understand that it is customary for friends to give presents to each other on your winter holiday of Christmas. Here is my gift to you that I do hope you appreciate: you are allowed to visit Loki – or he, you – once a month so you can be together – on the condition that you make sure he does not attempt to break free or destroy Midgard again."
Tony only gave Thor the biggest hug he had ever given, saying, "Thank you, Thor. That means so much to me…"
"I shall inform Loki, then," Thor replied, beaming as he patted Tony's back.
Tony watched the two Asgardians leave, then smiled brightly as he went back inside the Avengers tower, ready to face whatever threat needed neutralized that day.