A/N: This is a Christmas present for ninjaterra on Tumblr. Sorry it's a day late! I hope you enjoy it!
"Anthony," Loki whined. "Why are you making me come to this event? I am not exactly well-loved by the general public." He fidgeted with his midnight black suit and pulled at his emerald tie.
"That's exactly why you're going," Tony argued, grabbing the god's hands to prevent him from fiddling with his outfit. "You need some good publicity for once. Now, if you can just manage to not kill anyone or destroy any buildings, the night will be perfect. It might even be fun!"
"Why are you so excited to go? You've never shown any enthusiasm in these types of events before."
"Well, who wouldn't want to show off a gorgeous boyfriend like you?"
Loki sensed that was only half of the truth, but decided to let it go for now. Continuing to protests, he stated, "I don't even understand this Midgardian holiday of 'Christmas'. I have been researching it since you insisted upon my attendance of the Christmas party tonight, and have found the subject to be quite confusing. Why do small children believe that an obese man pilots a chariot drawn by flying deer and intrudes in their homes to leave gifts?"
Laughing at Loki's bewildered expression, Tony replied, "When you say it like that, it does sound pretty odd. Didn't you have any holidays like that back on Asgard, though?"
"No. The only times we held festivities were when warriors returned victorious from a battle."
"Wow, you guys have a really militaristic society, don't you?"
"Yes," Loki replied simply as memories of his childhood flooded back into the forefront of his mind. He had never quite fit in to Asgardian society, as he had never had any of the skills that made an Asgardian warrior well-loved. Yes, he had a cunning mind and an aptitude for strategy, but the society held too much prejudice against him for that to matter very much. Although he had spent the majority of his childhood alone in the library soaking up knowledge, he had also learned how to use his skill in magic to fight well, as Thor had often dragged him away from his solitude to spar. His skills in fighting certainly came in handy on their intrusion in Jotunheim. Loki frowned as he remembered his first time seeing his true skin. That moment had changed his life, and not for the better. He couldn't help but wonder what would have been the outcome if he had never learnt of his true heritage. Certainly, he never would have been king, for he would have never forced the Allfather into Odinsleep. Thor would have become king, in all probability. Would Loki have contented himself to languish in Thor's shadow, or would he have continued to try to usurp him?
Something of the god's dark thoughts must have appeared on his face, because Tony took Loki's head between his hands, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Hey," he scolded softly. "No brooding allowed on Christmas Eve."
Loki smiled, trying to hide his inner turmoil behind the mask that he had learned to forge early in his life. Of course, there was no fooling Tony when it came to the god of lies.
Pulling Loki's head closer, the billionaire pressed his lips against the god's cool forehead, before bringing him in for a kiss on the lips. He held the contact for a few seconds, and then pulled back slowly.
"You okay, Reindeer Games?" he whispered, still concerned.
Although he frowned at the ridiculous nickname that Tony still insisted on calling him, Loki's face visibly relaxed at Tony's words and kiss. After all, one positive effect of Loki's falling off the Bifrost and trying to take over New York was that he had met Tony.
"I'm fine, Anthony," the god replied truthfully. "Now, if we must go to this horrid celebration, let us leave. I just want to get this over with."
As soon as the couple stepped out of the limousine, they were bombarded with reporters and camera flashes. Knowing Loki's short temper regarding the press, Tony kept his hand clasped around the god's. They pushed through the crowd, doing their best to ignore the paparazzi, even as the men and woman showered them with questions regarding their relationship, work, and the other Avengers.
Finally, they were able to shove their way through, into the mansion where the event was being held. Seeing that Loki was still perturbed by the press, Tony gave his hand a squeeze.
"Sorry, Lokster. It couldn't really be avoided, since you were only officially accepted into the Avengers a month ago and our relationship was announced to the public last week."
Loki sighed. "I know."
Fingers still intertwined, they entered the ballroom. The room had been completely redecorated for the occasion, with fake snow lining the room and paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. Their ears were immediately barraged by the holiday music blasting from the speakers, and it seemed like everyone in the room hurried over to meet what was being called the power couple of the century.
Groaning, Loki thought, This will be worse than the feasts on Asgard.
Sensing the god's mounting distress at all the attention, Tony steered him to a table to their right, where the other Avengers idled.
"Hey, team!" Tony greeted joyously as the couple took a seat. A waiter passed by, and Tony snagged a couple of martinis for him and his partner. "Wait, where's Thor?"
Clint answered his question. "Apparently there was some sort of minor rebellion on Asgard. He said he's sorry he couldn't come." Loki visibly relaxed when he heard that Thor wouldn't be attending.
Nodding, Tony stated, "Oh well. So, how's it going for my fellow Avengers?"
"Pretty well," Natasha replied, and Clint nodded in agreement. "Clint has been managing to get us assigned on the same missions, so we've been spending a lot of time together." It was common knowledge among the group that the two were dating, although it hadn't been revealed to SHIELD yet. Somehow, Tony had an inkling that Fury knew anyway.
"I've been doing pretty well, too," Bruce informed. "The Other Guy has been pretty docile lately."
"Good to hear," Tony agreed. "How about you, Spangles?"
"I'm great actually," Steve replied with a grin. "I have a date tomorrow."
"Congratulations!" exclaimed Tony approvingly.
"Anyone we know?" Clint questioned.
Steve's face went beet red. "Well, it's with Coulson." Ever since the agent had revealed that he had faked his death to form a bond within the team, Steve and he had been practically inseparable. The Avengers even made a bet for how long it would take until they started dating (which Tony had now won).
Smiles spread across everyone's faces; even Loki smirked knowingly.
"You two are perfect together," Bruce spoke everyone's opinion.
"Yes," Loki agreed. "May your offspring be granted strength and intelligence."
The blush on Steve's face darkened. "Er, thanks Loki."
Tony was about to start interrogating him about his date, but suddenly, the room erupted in raucous laughter.
The team turned towards the door, where a newly-arrived guest had caused an uproar. Entering the party was a stern-looking, one-eyed man dressed in a Santa costume, complete with a beard and a companion dressed as Rudolph.
"Looking good, Fury!" Tony shouted out, grinning when he noticed a rare, genuine smile on Loki's face.
Fury and his Rudolph, who turned out to be Agent Hill, walked quickly past the table.
"You look great, Director," Steve remarked, unable to keep himself from chuckling.
His only reply was, "I lost a bet," before he made his way to the bar in the corner of the room.
Taking advantage of Loki's laughter, Tony dragged him into the center of the room.
"Could I have this dance?" he asked in the cheesiest British accent he could muster, taking a dramatic bow.
Loki rolled his eyes, but stepped up to Tony and rested his hands on his waist, while the billionaire rested his on Loki's shoulders. A few people 'aw'ed, but the couple paid them no mind. A slow song started playing, and they began to sway to the music.
"So, how do you like the party so far?" Tony asked after a few minutes.
Shrugging, Loki replied, "It's much more entertaining than I thought it would be."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it." They continued to dances, the songs changing every couple minutes. With Tony hugged close to his chest, head resting on his shoulder, Loki realized he had never felt more secure. This was where he belonged, among friends with Tony in his arms.
"Loki," Tony whispered as they moved to the music. "You know I love you, right?"
He nodded, chest warming at the man's confession. No matter how many times the man confessed his love, Loki would always be touched. "I love you too, Tony."
"Good," the billionaire chimed, stepping away from his partner and placing a hand in his pocket. The room went silent and all eyes turned to them. "Because I have something I've wanted to ask you for a really long time."
Loki's breath caught in his throat as Tony knelt on one knee and removed his hand from his pocket, now holding a small box.
"Loki," he asked as he opened the box to reveal a simple silver wedding band. "Will you marry me?"
The god stood thunderstruck for a moment, before replying. "Yes, Tony," he finally murmured after recovering his senses. The guests clapped, and the couple could hear the other Avengers cheering them obnoxiously loudly. Tony jumped up and embraced Loki tightly, before he slipped the ring on his finger.
"I thought you'd like its simplicity," he stated as Loki stared in wonder at the silver band.
"I love it, Tony," the god whispered, grabbing Tony and bringing him in for a kiss. "Thank you, Tony. Thank you so much for everything."
"Thank you, Loki, for making my life perfect. I love you."
"I love you too."
A/N: Yeah, I really suck at endings. I should work on that. Anyway, happy holidays!