A/N This is my first fic. Don't hate on it too much. The plot bunny for this one was a terrifying creature that attacked me while I was half asleep. I love Loki to bits, and this was exceptionally difficult for me to write.
I don't own Avengers and the like. Marvel has that privilege.
Warning of character death.
Loki had always been the last one standing, even when he wasn't. Even when he had been wounded almost to the point of immobility, even when his pride had once again been shattered, he had always been the victor.
But this time, when the dust cleared, there was something wrong. Something about the way that Thor was cradling his body, Mjolnir cast to the side, discarded and ignored, first lit the fear within Tony.
He flew closer, cautiously landing a few feet away.
"Thor?" His question was hesitant, refusing to allow himself to glance at the limp figure in the blonde's arms.
But the dirty watermarks on Thor's face were answer enough, a physical blow to Tony' chest.
"No." His whispered words a vehement denial as he fell to his knees beside the pair on the ground. "Loki. Loki look at me. Tell me you're okay.
He reached up and removed his helmet, tossing it to the side as he grabbed the Trickster god from Thor's limp arms, ignoring the shocked looks that the golden god was giving him.
The dark-haired man's eyes fluttered weakly as Tony took in the bloodied wound to the side of his head, the bone slightly crushed, the hair matted.
"Tony?" The voice emanating from Loki's mouth was weak and hollow. The corners of his lips luscious, full, icy quirked up weakly. "We never expected this, did we?" The laugh that followed that comment was weaker than his words.
"Loki. Don't. You're going to be fine, okay?" Tony's eyes blurred slightly as he finally admitted to himself that his rendezvous with the man in his arms had maybe gotten to him just a little. Hell, they'd even gone on dates! Tony couldn't remember when it had stopped being 'just sex', and had become something more.
Loki's eyes beautiful emeralds, incomparable widened at Stark's words. "You too, huh? It wasn't 'just' anything any more was it?" Tony was sure it was blood loss that was making him so honest. He shook his head, hard. This wasn't Loki. This wasn't the snarky, sassy god that he'd started to care for so much.
"Where's your fight, Loki? Nothing's going to happen. You're going to be just fine." Even as he said it, Tony knew it was a lie. And Loki knew it too. Tony could tell by the way he laughed, resonating, like melted chocolate a skeptical laugh.
"I told you I'd take you to meet my children, didn't I? I'm sorry I'll have to break my promise. They would have liked you." Tony felt wetness on his cheeks, memories flooding his mind as he stared at the weak figure in his arms, barely noticing his team surrounding them.
"You did. You will. We'll go see them together, Loki." The words were choked as he focused all of his attention on the man in his arms. Tony knew he wasn't going to be alright. He could feel Loki's skin cooling as his magic left him, his body reverting to his natural Jotun blue ice, red eyes, piercing, beautiful form.
Again, Loki laughed, his voice lacking the strength that it had always held. "I'm going to die, Tony." Said man shook his head, a protest already forming on his lips, but the god shook his head slightly, cringing at the pain that the motion brought. "And you're going to be just fine without me. I'll watch out for you. I promise. Just stay happy. Promise me you'll keep going."
Tony nodded without thinking. Loki didn't sound like himself any more. He didn't do emotion. Not unless… And that was when Tony knew.
"No!" His voice was strangled, his arms shaking as they clenched around Loki's body. "You were never supposed to die before me. Not ever. You weren't supposed to die at all."
The tears were falling freely now, freezing as they hit the Liesmith's now blue skin.
"I will get to see my daughter again." Tony had to lean in close to hear to the words, unwilling to take his eyes from Loki's face, even as the other's slipped shut.
Nononononono this can't be happening don't do this to me Loki I'll miss you I can't go on without you don't leave me.
"She's waiting for me, Tony. I promise to watch and guard you." The words were little more than a breath, and Tony had to put his ear to Loki's mouth to hear them, clenching his eyes shut as sobs racked his body. "Hela…"
And the Trickster's muscles relaxed, his head lolling back in Tony's arms. And Tony began to wail.
It was unexpected, and his team jumped from where they had been watching him as if he had lost his mind. From where Thor was kneeling in front of him, a brief keening noise registered in his conscious mind. All that he could think of was the loss of something crucial, the knowledge that Loki wouldn't be there any more but he'd promised to be watching and that there would be no more banter, and no new memories to be made. All Tony wanted to do was join him. Join him and his daughter but he'd promised he'd keep going and it would be so nice to see him again he'd be so disappointed and Tony just knew how much he'd loved the god.
And as he knelt on the ground, the lifeless body of the one he'd grown attached to despite his best intentions and he'd loved him back, Tony knew it wouldn't be the same again. As his heart poured out of his eyes in salty rivulets, not registering anything but the maelstrom within him, some part of him dimly registered that there would be no more Loki. And that this time, the one time that it had truly mattered, Loki hadn't been the last one standing.