Tony had managed to convince Loki to take the private jet. He didn't like the sensation of teleportation, it was too far for Tony to carry him, and Loki's suit wasn't finished yet. Both of their suits would be travelling with them of course, should they want to do any work while there. Loki however, had been reluctant to agree. These next few days were supposed to be just the two of them. Tony had taken them here together while Manhattan was being transformed. Malibu had the sun and the sea, and authorisation for nobody but themselves and the pizza delivery guy to enter. Wedding talk was banned, and the bedroom definately wasn't. This was going to be special.

Their bags were sent ahead of them, so the driver has no bags to carry inside, leaving just the two of them standing in the doorway, fingers entwined.

"would you like me to carry you over the threshold?"

"we're not married yet Tony. And I thought I'd banned wedding talk."

"ah, but this is after the wedding."

"well I ban that too."

"what, EVERYTHING that is after the wedding?" tony raised an eyebrow.

"well, except that." That was all the confirmation tony needed before swinging Loki over his shoulder.

"right then." and he marched inside.

Tony set Loki down on the counter top and turned to the fridge. "We're gonna get Christmassy this week, your first Christmas and all." Tony pulled a carton from the fridge and two mugs from the cabinet. The substance was a thick creamy colour, and Loki wrinkled his nose at the smell as Tony filled their mugs and put them in the microwave. "eggnog" Tony explained in answer to Loki's questioning looks. Loki raised an eyebrow. Was he really expected to know what that meant? In all the Christian movies he'd watched, none of them had explained what eggnog actually was. Tony removed them from the microwave and put one in Loki's hands.

"but what is it? Is it a pleasant taste?"

"I don't know, I've never actually had it before. It's more of a family thing, and my parents never really..."

"so I'm your family then?" Tony punched Loki's shoulder playfully and jumped up onto the counter, reaching across to press his lips to Loki's temple.

"shut up and drink your eggnog." Loki lifted his mug gingerly, taking a small sip from the edge of the mug.

There was a splash of white against the fridge door.

"what a vile concoction." Loki spat, his eggnog now decorating the fridge. Tony began to laugh before sipping the drink himself, thinking it couldn't be that bad.

Tony's drink ended up joining Loki's. "Are you sure you were meant to heat that."

"No."

"Absolutely vile." Loki hopped down from the counter and made his way to the bar, returning with two glasses of scotch which he filled with ice by turning his hands blue. "so what do we do now?" he asked, passing a tumbler to Tony.

"we could make cookies."

"we could go to bed." Loki raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"come on, let's be Christmassy." Tony hopped off the counter and proceeded to get some ingredients out of the cabinets and a bowl and spoon from below.

Tony was going to the fridge when a long leg blocked his path, stretched out to stop him from going any further. When he stood to face Loki, another leg stretched the other side of himwas. Tony now standing between Loki's legs. The legs bent and encased around him and he felt himself being pulled forward until he was completely trapped. Loki's legs pulled Tony closer and then he draped his arms around Tony's neck. Loki pulled him in for a kiss, and when they pulled apart, they were both completely naked.

"now now Loki, that's just unsanitary." Loki raised a questioning eyebrow. "okay, so maybe cookies can wait."

Loki smiled. Tony grabbed Loki's thighs and pulled them up so they rested on his hips. He wrapped his arms around Loki and scooped him up, taking them to his bedroom.

Sirs, may I recommend partaking in such endeavors whilst the cookies are baking?

Tony grinned and Loki sighed, magically concocting two aprons out of thin air and handing one to Tony who just grinned even wider, placing a kiss to Loki's cheek.

Loki measured out the ingredients while Tony stirred. This probably wasn't a good idea when te flour made Loki sneeze.

"Atchoo" Loki looked so cute when he sneezed. "Atchoo. Would you STOP laughing Stark, this isn't funny. STARK!" And that's when a fist full of flour found its way onto Tony's face. And of course, because Tony was the definition if mature, some cake batter hit Loki's shoulder. "STARK!" and an entire bag of flour mysteriously opened itself above Tony's head, turning him to some sort of flour snowman. Well, Tony DID say he wanted them to get Christmassy.

"c'mon Loki, give he a hug."

"not with that stuff all over you." Loki took a step back.

"aww, Loki." he called playfully. "come here." Loki ran. And Tony ran to keep up. Loki was a god of course, he could outrun him, what was Tony thinking, even TRYING to chase him. Loki looked back to laugh at the snowman running after him. And that's when he fell. He didn't see the footstall in front of him. And in a moment Stark was on top of him. "maybe we can buy some cookies." Tony suggested, pulling of Loki's apron and kissing the skin below.

"Stark! You're covered in- ATCHOO!" Tony grinned and kissed his fiancé who couldn't bear not to kiss him back. "I hate you, you know that stark?"

"Mmmm. I'm still your favourite person though right?" Loki gave Tony a log and meaningful kiss.

"yes" Loki pulled him closer, removing Tony's apron. "we could go to the bedroom."

"nah Loki, that would take too long." Tony kissed him again and began to rock their hips together. "no need to be patient now is there?"

Since that day, neither of them would be able to look at that footstall the same way again. Or a bag of flour.

Green, that's all Loki could see, green, green and green. Loki pulled away the green sheets to see his rooms in Asgard. He turned his head to look beside him. No Stark. Loki reached the throne room to find a body. Tony. Lying on te floor, all life from his face. The reactor's light was out. He was cold, pale. Loki rested his head on the chest of the corpse, thick sobs escaping his own chest. His heart was burning, tears were pouring down his cheeks, soaking the shirt of the body in front of him. Stark was dead, he couldn't save him this time. Odin would refuse to help a second time. Loki screamed Tony's name to the sky. Everything, everything was gone. What was left? Nothing seemed to matter. He wailed to the sky once more, calling Tony's name desperately through desolate sobs.

Tony...

"Tony" Loki cried, "Tony?"

"hey babe, it's okay I'm here. Whats wrong? Loki its okay. It's all okay, I'm here." Loki reached to touch Tony's face, immediately reassured at the feet of Tony's cheek against his palm. He let out a gentle sigh of relief. A string arm pulled Loki's head to rest on a warm chest, a steady heart beat relaxing him. Loki nuzzled into Tony, both arms around him, feeling his warmth. Koki's breathing began to steady and tears ran from his eyes. "you can't be iron man anymore Tony. I can't lose you again." Tony was stunned.

"Loki, go back to sleep, you've just had a nightmare." Tony began to stroke Loki's hair.

"no, Tony. I can't lose you again." he felt a lump in his throat and tears continued to fall, cascading down his face and onto Tony's chest. "stay here, don't go." Loki snuggled closer.

"i'm not going anywhere." Loki smiled and felt himself fade back to sleep. Tony, however, remained very much awake.

Iron man was part of him, who he was. He WAS iron man. IS part of him. But so was Loki. Was he serious, wanting him to give up being iron man? Tony didn't think he could do it. But he couldnt lose Loki either. No, Loki had just had a nightmare, he wouldn't feel the same in the morning. Would he?

Tony didn't get much sleep that night. He mostly just watched Loki sleep through the light of the arc.

He would think some more in the morning. He would talk to Loki then too. For now, he could just appreciate what he had, Loki. He could think about the wedding he'd have in just a few days. He had an unexpected burst of elation at the thought.

He would marry this beautiful man. It would be perfect.

Got 26 and written, will start the next soon.

I've gotten a bit confused with chapter numbers so i thought this was 24, I might have only got 26 done now and im all confused. Here you goes anyway.

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