The morning of the 23th December, Tony woke up feeling different. Not bad, just… different. He looked at Loki and smiled.

"Good morning Husband…"

Loki opened his eyes and grinned.

"The same to you."

"It's almost Christmas…"

"Do you mean that bizarre Midgardian feast that involves turkey and saying thanks?"

"You're confusing it with Thanksgiving, I think."

"Ah well, Thor always loved that particular feast. Sometimes he even came to Midgard especially for it. He claimed there was no more delicious bird imaginable than this turkey, and only on this specific day people were allowed to binge like Asgardians without raised eyebrows."

Tony chuckled, and then realized it was the first time Loki had told him something that involved Thor.

"Did you ever go with him?"

Loki suddenly looked sad, and Tony felt sorry for bringing it up. The god shook his head.

"No… We had already grown apart by then. He… he still chatted away at me, that oaf, but I always would pretend not to listen to him."

"But you still listened."

"I did."

Loki didn't know why he told Tony all this, but for some reason it felt right. He needed to get it of his chest.

"Why?"

"Thor's so… energizing. It's as if all the lightning he doesn't send into the sky ends up in his interactions with others. It was always difficult not to listen to him."

"I see. And do you miss him?"

"He never let a moment pass to point me to my place, beneath him. He filled my childhood with mindless banter, hidden insults and stupidity, and did the same to my children later. I don't miss him at all, no."

Tony looked skeptical.

"Then why do you look so… longing… when you talk about him?"

Damn that emotional connection. Loki cursed internally. Tony was right; he missed Thor. He didn't miss the insults and the general oafishness of the man, but he missed having a brother as loyal as Thor, who despite everything had always tried to defend him. Even when he had been the cause of the trouble in the first place, which, let's be honest, had been the case most of the time. It had been so infuriating at the time: Thor got him into trouble and then made himself the hero by getting him out of trouble as well. Loki could see now that it wasn't just selfishness, he could see now that there was regret and loyalty involved in those actions as well. But the memories were there, and he didn't know if he could forgive his "not-brother" for it already, if ever.

Tony watched Loki struggle with the thought internally, and then proceeded to wrap his arms around him and pull him closer.

"You don't have to think about it now. Just let it rest."

Gratefully, Loki curled in the man's embrace, snuggling in his arms.

"I love you Tony."

Tony let his hand run through Loki's hair and kissed his forehead. He whispered back

"I love you too, Loki."

It was as if since the first time they had said it, they couldn't get enough of repeating it. It just felt so great to be able to say that, to have someone say it back… to actually mean it…

They got up, eventually, after a week of eating, sleeping and fucking in the same location –the bed-, and headed for the shower together.

(Pagebreak)

They would organize a Christmas party. Steve remarking that Tony and Loki never had a wedding feast, and Justin jumping on that by saying they could hold a Christmas-slash-Wedding-party had given rise to the slightly ad hoc decision.

"We should invite Pepper."

"What?"

"She was his best friend for years. I'm sure she would want to see him happy."

"You underestimate the power of a vengeful, pissed off woman, Steve."

"Pepper is not a vengeful woman."

"I think being cheated on with the evil god of mischief would make any woman a vengeful one…"

"Technically he didn't cheat on her, right?"

"You know what I mean. It was emotional cheating."

"You just made that up, Bruce."

"I'm not a psychiatrist."

"Then don't…"

Peter, Hela and Justin watched the group having silly arguments, wanting to face-palm really badly. Finally, Peter spoke up.

"This is what we're going to do. We organize a Christmas party for us, just family, and we ask Pepper to organize a big company party to which we can all go and on which Tony can tell the world about his relationship."

They all looked at him, and Bruce smiled.

"Peter, sometimes I think we don't appreciate you enough."

"Tell that to JARVIS, I think he feels more unappreciated than me…"

"Mr. Parker is correct."

They all chuckled. Clint looked up at the ceiling.

"JARV, you already know you're awesome. If we tell you any more the building might not be able to contain your ego."

"Oh, this building can take quite a bit of ego. After all, Mr. Stark lives here."

That made the whole group laugh out loud. Bruce grinned at the ceiling.

"JARVIS, you're too smart for your own good."

"I know Sir."

And so it happened that they called Pepper. And Pepper came. And so it also happened that Pepper was in the tower on that fateful moment Tony and Loki decided to call an end to their honeymoon and emerge from their room. They could all see how Tony's expression dropped when he spotted his CEO at the table next to Bruce, discussing some party plans.

"What is she doing here?"

Pepper looked up and shot him an icy glare.

"I'm just here on behalf of the company, to go over some plans for this year's Christmas party. Since you were too busy getting laid I decided to get some input from your colleagues. Don't mind me."

Those last words were spit out, and Loki cold feel how Tony tensed up completely. The engineer glared back at Pepper.

"Make it quick."

And with that he practically ran out of the room. In the workshop, he slammed his fist into a metal plate, and then yelled because it hurt. Loki silently shook his head. Sometimes his beloved truly behaved like a child.

"You know that won't solve anything."

"Thank you Captain Obvious. Tell me something I don't know."

"There are about 72 chemical elements in Asgard you have never encountered here on earth."

Tony looked at Loki with raised eyebrows, and caught the god's smirk. Despite his frustration he laughed.

"Oh you."

Loki took Tony's hand and worriedly caressed it.

"You shouldn't hit things like that, you've cracked three of your knuckles. Hold still so I can heal it."

Tony held still, but still mumbled.

"I do a lot of things I shouldn't. Like marrying evil gods."

"I'm not evil."

It just came out, almost automatically, and Loki held his breath in surprise at his own words. It was the first time he actually acknowledged that… Apparently today was a first for many things. Tony had noticed it too. He smiled at his husband.

"Indeed, you're not."

Loki sighed.

"Do you really dislike Lady Pepper this much?"

"She put you in danger, she ignored my wishes completely and she… she…"

"Actually you don't really hate her."

"But that's the most… how would you put it? Infuriating. That's the most infuriating thing about it. She did things that really make me want to hate her, but… I can't. I'm trying to convince myself I hate her while I don't. She's been too much of a great friend to me."

"Why don't you just solve it?"

That just… didn't do it for Tony.

"Okay. You solve your shit with Thor first, then I'll consider taking advice from you."

That… hurt. And it was very true, Loki knew he was being hypocrite by saying Tony should solve his problem just like that while he hadn't been able to clear the dispute with Thor in the thousands of years he and his (not?) brother had been alive. Loki pursed his lips together and said.

"Fine. I solve my shit with Thor, you solve your shit with Pepper. Deal?"

Tony's eyes widened a bit.

"As if you would…"

"Do you doubt my conviction, husband?"

Tony looked at Loki and saw the god looked fierce indeed. Thor would be in for some serious conversation…

"Okay. Let's give it a try. But you go first, okay?"

(Pagebreak)

Loki awaited his chance. He knew Thor always went to the kitchen at night to eat pop tarts, so he ambushed the thunder god there, in full armor, while Thor was dressed in nothing but a wide T-shirt and boxers.

"Loki?!"

"We need to talk."

Loki spoke up with his darkest doom-will-come-voice, and Thor almost dropped the toaster. He eyed his brother suspiciously.

"What is the meaning of this, brother? Why do you sneak up on me at night in your armor? Have you decided to return to your evil ways?"

Loki sighed. Perhaps the armor hadn't been his best idea ever… but he needed all the courage he could get.

"It's… decorative. I need to talk to you."

"I am sorry brother, but I don't trust you."

Loki face-palmed for real now.

"Do you really think I would bluntly ambush you in full armor if I was really up to something? I'm not as stupid as you, Thor!"

"Prove it."

"Prove I am not as stupid as you? Err… Where shall I start?"

"No, I mean prove that you're not up to something."

Loki sighed and conjured his armor away, which left him standing in simple black trousers and shirt.

"I just want to talk, okay?"

"I'm listening."

"Okay. To say it with Tony's words: as a brother you really sucked."

Thor's eyes widen a bit. At 5 am in the morning he hadn't expected Loki to ambush him in his undies and then start raking up the past…

"But…"

"No buts. You were always causing me trouble; you always started fights that would end up with me being beaten, and you playing the hero by getting me out of the fight you had started yourself. You were mean, especially when you were older, and you made fun of my magic. I wanted nothing more than to be a good brother and the only thing you ever did was making me feel inferior to you, lesser than you and your friends. There has been not one time you stood up for me against them when there was no honor to gain for yourself. You simply didn't care. And I hated you for that, Thor! I hated you so badly for that!"

Loki was slightly out of breath now, and he stared fiercely at Thor, who looked… shocked. And then, the thunder god did something unexpected. Thor sat down on the floor. No, he kneeled on the floor. He looked up at Loki, looking slightly ridiculous in his undies, and spoke.

"I want to beg you for forgiveness, Loki. I have been a really bad brother indeed. What you speak of is only such a small part of how I failed to be a good brother for you, both in my actions and in my mind. I never saw how you suffered, and in my ignorance I always made it worse. And the worst is that in my mind I always thought I did nothing wrong and put the blame on you. I am so sorry and I wish there was a way I could make it up to you. I… I think I finally understand why you no longer want to call me your brother."

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"So, me lashing out at you suddenly makes you come to insight?"

"No. I have been thinking a lot about the things that have happened in the past, looking for reasons why you deserted me, as I really didn't understand. You are right perhaps when you say I am not very bright. What I found made me see how bad I have treated you in our youth. I no longer wish to be that person."

Loki really didn't know what to do with it. Thor looked truly remorseful, and from everyone else he would have thought it an act, but… well, Thor was enough of an oaf to actually mean it. He sighed deeply.

"Thor, I… I don't know what I wanted to reach with this. I just… needed to get it off my chest and…" He sighed again.

"Please get up, I've been getting a lot more in the kneel-before-me department than I deserve lately."

Thor got up, looking sheepishly at Loki.

"I just wanted you to know I'm sorry."

No matter how much Loki wanted to scream and yell that sorry wasn't enough, that it never would be enough, he looked at his shoes and said.

"I don't think I can forgive you already, if ever. But… I don't hate you. I don't think I ever did."

With that Loki walked out of the kitchen, feeling both relieved and embarrassed. Instead of returning to his and Tony's bedroom, he went to the library, to see his daughter. Hela opened sat as usual behind the piano when he entered. She turned towards him, and immediately ran towards him when she saw how he slumped.

"Father… What happened?"

He smiled at Hela.

"Nothing you should worry about, my daughter dear…"

The goddess of the dead looked sternly at her father.

"Tell me."

"I… sort of… reconciled… with Thor. Sort of. I don't know."

Hela softly smiled, and hugged her father while leading him to one of the chesterfields.

"You look tired."

Loki was tired, for one it was 5 am, and then there had been the emotional drain of talking to Thor, and the unnecessary use of magic to conjure his armor for no good reason… Tired was a euphemism.

"Play for me, Hela… please."

And Hela played, her fingers dancing over the keyboard while Loki's mind relaxed into sleep. Around seven there was a soft knock on the library door. Hela stopped playing and magically opened the door. Tony entered. Hela cocked her head to the side when she saw him. It was the first time the engineer entered the library since Hela had made it hers.

"I… Excuse me… I just…"

Hela couldn't help but smile. She softly nudged her head in the direction of Loki, who was sleeping on the sofa.

"Can I…"

"Go ahead."

Tony entered and sat down next to the sleeping Loki, and then let his hand move through the god's black tresses. Loki slowly opened his eyes while making –in Tony's ears- the cutest noise in the universe.

"Good morning sleepyhead…"

Loki's lips curled in a smile, and he then crawled against Tony, promptly falling sleep again. Tony looked at Hela.

"I'm going to put him in bed, good?"

The girl nodded with her usual half-smile.

"I don't think he would mind."

Carefully Tony lifted Loki up –the man was still underweight, so it wasn't that hard- and carried him back to the bedroom. There the god opened his eyes a second time, mumbling, much to Tony's surprise.

"You solve your shit… t-tomorrow…"

(Author's Notes)

Yeah, this chap was mostly Loki-Centric. I couldn't help myself, besides it was about time Loki and Thor started to make a beginning with reconciling (it will take a LONG, LONG time though...)

Then, to answer jaquelinelittle: yeah, Loki's everything but a blushing virgin, but he was really insecure about his relationship to Tony. I mean, how would you be; he threw the guy out of a window and now he was suddenly dependent on him! Frigga should be in charge of the Asgardian Emotional Intervention Team. Well, I suppose she can make the whole of that team on herself. That family is in need of lost of emotional intervention... (teehee)

Next chapter will have... Plot, Christmas Parties, Darth Vader (don't ask, really), Adoption Pericles and Birds!

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