Chapter 7 – The Perfect Gifts

It was Christmas morning, and Loki's phone was buzzing at the early hour of seven. He rolled over and grabbed his cellphone, bringing it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Get up. I have a gift for you."

Loki groaned, almost tossing the phone away, but Tony just laughed in his ear.

"It's Christmas morning, you shouldn't be in bed, you should be celebrating."

"Since when did you start waking up early? I always thought you were more of a night person." Loki muttered, only making Tony laugh again.

"I'll come over there if I have too." he threatened, and Loki just made a face.

"Do all couples have to get up early on christmas?" he asked, and Tony felt the wonderful jolt at Loki's acknowledgement of their relationship, but didn't relent.

"If I fly over it'll take me less than a minute to get there." he said, and now Loki gave an amused but exasperated laugh.

"You wouldn't actually dress up in the iron suit of yours just to drag me out of bed."

"Now I don't want to do anything else."

"If you do, you won't get your present."

"You got me a present?" the excitement in Tony's voice had Loki sitting up, rubbing another hand over his face.

"I'll be there in an hour." he hung up and moved to get ready.

An hour later, Tony turned at the sound of the elevator opening and watched as Loki stepped through. He held a box in his hands, wrapped in green paper and tied with a large silver ribbon, bowed on top.

"Can I shake it?" Tony asked, jumping over the couch and moving towards Loki. Loki pulled the box back with a smile before Tony could take it.

"That's cheating."

"Of course it is."

Loki just laughed.

"No. You woke me up early to do Christmas with you, so we're including my rules too. No shaking the presents."

Tony moved around him, pulling and pushing him into the room as he spoke.

"So can I have clues? Yours is under the tree. Do I have to wait? If yes how long do I have to wait for."

"No, you can't have any clues. Now yours is under the tree as well. You only have to wait a moment longer. I'd like to remove my coat."

With a grin, Tony pretty much sat where he'd been standing, crossing his legs and sitting beside the tree. He reached for the present but Loki made a point of clearing his throat and he yanked his hands back, a sheepish grin on his face. Loki moved back and sat next to Tony on the floor.

"Do we open them at the same time then?" Loki asked, and Tony nodded enthusiastically, reaching for the present that had already been under the tree and handing it to Loki. It was wrapped in iron man paper that had Loki shaking his head, a smile spread across his features. Tony picked up the green box, and they began tearing at the paper at the same time. Loki unwrapped his first, opening it to find a box. He pulled the lid off and saw a scarf first. It was green and white and looked cozy yet classy.

"You're always so cold. I thought it would help," Tony said, looking up from where he'd managed to unwrap the bow.

"It's lovely." He lifted it out of the box, wrapping it around his neck even as he went to move the box of his lap and froze in surprise. There was still something inside, a glass globe filled with a tiny Christmas Town, and lots of fake snow. He lifted it out of the box and held it up in front of him, holding globe and base carefully, letting the light shine through the glass. He tilted it, sending the snow swirling, then righted it again, watching, charmed as the snow fell again.

Without a word he set the globe down and reached across to Tony, cupping his face in his hands and kissing him. When he pulled back he was smiling, his hands still cupping Tony's face, who was no longer surprised, his fingers linked around Loki's wrists.

"Thank you."

Tony leaned forward again, meeting Loki's lips with his own. Then he released Loki's wrists and sat back, looking happy and satisfied.

"You're absolutely welcome."

"Your turn." Loki said, nodding towards the still closed box, though it was no longer wrapped in paper. Tony opened the lid and inside the box was an envelope, Tony's name written on it in elegant script. He reached inside and pulled out the envelope. It was made of thick card, as was the paper inside. There was a photo inside, along with a letter.

Tony,

There is nothing I could give you that you don't either already own, or simply do not want, so I chose to give you something no one else could give you in quite the same way. Sentiment. We met a few months ago, when I thought I could meet no one that would make me want to give up my solitude, and yet you managed to do just that. I am a solitary creature – and yet I wake up wishing to spend more time with you.

Isn't that strange? How a single person can so deeply influence our nature? And yet you do.

No one else could wake me at any hour and still manage to give me a reason to smile – or give me similar reasons at the end of a long day. I want to thank you for that, though it needs no thanks, because you have made such a vital, and much needed difference that absolutely no one else could have made.

You are so incredibly important, and infuriating, and incomparably exceptional.

The photo I included is from the tree lighting ceremony – it's actually of us. A memory of an experience shared. It was a night of firsts, and a night I will never, ever forget. The person who took it was a few feet to the left, so you're between me and the camera, but you can see both our faces, and the Christmas tree, right after it was lit.

Which reminds me of our Christmas tree; you called it yours but let me do all the choosing and decorating. You made it ours and I loved that. I understand now why people love Christmas. You make me love Christmas. It is a season to be shared with those you care for – with those you wish to share your most memorable moments. The exchanging of gifts symbolizing that we were thinking of them when we saw it, created it, or in my case wrote.

I think of you often – it's hard not to think of the famous Tony Stark – but I wish to make note that you stopped being just the famous Stark after our second meeting. Really after the first, but I was certain after the second. You became so much more than that, the title you so carefully cultivated. So much more important and needed than you ever could've been with only that title. You are a light in the dark. The star I look to to guide me back. Thank you.

Merry Christmas Tony.

Yours Always,

Loki

Touched, and definitely sentimental, Tony let the papers float down to sit on the box on top of the framed photo of the two of them staring up at the Christmas Tree at the tree lighting ceremony, both looking charmed. He jumped forward, nearly tackling Loki, and sending them both sprawling on the ground. Surprised but not at all displeased, Loki smiled up at Tony.

"I hope this means you like it." there was a self-conscious tone to Loki's voice, and Tony could have none of that. Leaning down, he captured Loki's mouth with his own, hoping he could show him physically what he knew he couldn't express verbally. His hands stroked along Loki's shoulders, brushing over his arms and along his sides, moving back up to touch his face, tracing the line of his cheekbone, and moving to cup the back of Loki's neck with one hand, the other hand gentle on his cheek. Loki lifted his arms to wrap them around Tony's waist, pulling him down to the floor.

"Merry Christmas," Tony finally managed, pressing a kiss to Loki's cheek, and he watched the colour spread along his cheekbones, grinning at the sight, even as Loki turned his face to hide his embarrassment against Tony's neck.

"Merry Christmas Tony."