Finding a timeline to settle down in after the multiverse opened up felt weird.
Finding the one universe in which Tony Stark is your best friend felt even weirder.
But that's apparently the case with the dimension they picked. Loki was more than a little surprised when they stepped through the portal only to be immediately accosted by a five foot koala. He and Sylvie learned that the mind control had been discovered before the Hulk did any smashing, and that this Tony was not only extremely close to the Trickster Góð, but utterly devastated when he got killed.
Loki explained that he wasn't the same Æsir the man had bonded with, but Tony didn't mind. He was just happy to quote "have his murder kitten back."
When introduced to Sylvie, he promptly declared her 'murder kitten number two' and asked when they'd have a litter.
Loki had to prevent a lot of stabbing that day.
************
They ended up moving into the lake house where Tony resided with his husband Stephen, a fellow magic user who was fascinated with Sylvie's enchantment abilities.
He always seem to have a migraine when alternate realities were mentioned, so they were careful not to bring it up.
On their one year anniversary in the timeline, Loki proposed to Sylvie. Tony helped him craft the ring, a beautiful silver band inlayed with diamonds and a giant emerald in the center. When she saw it, she cried, slapped him, then kissed him senseless before saying yes. All in all, it was the best night of his life.
That led them to their current activities.....sampling wedding cakes.
"So Bambi, do you and Bambette know what kind of flavors you want?"
"Must you call us by those ridiculous nicknames?"
"But I love you guys," Tony whined dramatically," and what is love if not odd nicknames preserving?"
"Tony, stop hijacking Vision's pickup lines."
"Well it worked on Wanda didn't it?!"
While Tony and Stephen got into a heated debate about appropriate flirting, Sylvie leaned over and whispered into Loki's ear.
"Is Wanda the one that had sex with a toaster?"
"I thought it was a large microwave?"
She shrugged and they looked over to see that the argument had ended thanks to a certain cloak wrapping itself around Tony's head.
"I apologize for my husband's....enthusiasm about certain things, he gets carried away. But monikers aside, is there any type of cake you like more than others?"
"I honestly have no clue. I've spent most of my life either stealing or killing food, and Loki here wouldn't know a good dessert if it bit him on the arse."
"What about that figgy port on Lamentis?"
"Loki," she sighed as she rubbed hér eyes in frustration," you were so drunk at the time you can barely remember what that looked like, let alone its taste."
"True, I guess we'll just have to try a little of everything."
Stephen summoned the head baker, and soon they were brought small samples of several different varieties.
"Hmm, I'm loving this one...I think it's lemon?"
"This red one is also amazing....you know red would be a perfect color scheme..."
"Tony, they don't want an Ironman themed wedding."
"You're no fun, Stephen," Tony huffed as he inhaled another sample, "remind me again why I married you?"
"Likely the same reason Loki's marrying Sylvie....who else would put up with you?"
"Hey!"
****************
Loki was lounging on the front porch reading when Sylvie popped in front of him in a wash of green magic.
"Loki, we have to elope, Tony's gone crazy with this wedding stuff!"
"What happened?"
"I was at the dress shop looking for my gown," she explained as she started pacing," and he had some of my choices paraded out on models."
"And that's bad because......"
"He was the model."
"Oooooh....how did he look?"
"Pretty damn good,actually, but that's not the point, Loki!" Sylvie cried as she spun on her heels to face him, "I feel like he's trying to make this HIS wedding."
Loki sighed, then sat the book down as he stood up and took his fiancé into his arms.
"Look, I think Anthony is just overeager to help with this because he misses the other me....but if it makes you feel better we can do the enlopment."
"No, I don't want that,not really," Sylvie sighed as she sagged against him, "I just want this day to be special for us, not everyone else."
"And it will be, listen I'll talk with Anthony about toning down a few things."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"We get Stephen to drop him into his time out portal for awhile."
Sylvie giggled at the thought of how pouty Tony got the last time his husband did that to him and wrapped her arms tightly around Loki's waist.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
***************
Tony managed to curb his urges on the rest of the planning. Instead, he worked to ensure that everything the couple valued was woven into a seamless 'low-key' ceremony.
The fact that Stephen kept an open portal nearby had absolutely nothing to do with it.
On the day itself, he double checked that everything was set up properly. The ceremony was going to be outdoors facing the lake, because Loki and Sylvie wanted a recreation of Lamentis, minus the apocalypse part.
The guest chairs were white with green sashes tied to them. The platform the couple would be standing on was under a white gazebo that had hundreds of green and blue flowers interwoven the roof and around the pillars. Thor would be the one performing the ceremony, so Loki had brought a man named Mobius over to be his best man. He was nice enough, but for the life of him Tony could not understand the former time agent's obsession with jet skis.
Once he was sure that everything was in order, he went to the groom's tent where Loki was getting ready. He found the Góð fidgeting nervously in front of a mirror. He was dressed in full Ásgarðian armor, complete with the sleek gold horns that Tony loved to tease him about.
"Looking spiffy, Lokes, you're going to make all the other deer jealous."
"Very funny, Anthony. Is the ceremony about to start?"
"Yeah, Pep's helping Sylvie with the final touches to her look and Thor is at the Gazebo now practicing what he's going to say with Val."
Loki raised his brow in amusement.
"I'm surprised the Valkryie hasn't killed him."
"No liquor bottles were flying so I assume he's doing well."
Loki tried to keep a straight face, but he ended up bent over with laughter, and Tony followed soon after. Once they were able to recover their breath, Tony pulled a small leather pouch out of his pocket.
"Here, I wanted to give you this for the wedding."
Loki opened the pouch and a large medallion came out of it. It was carved in the shape of his friends arc reactor, with snakes writhing in and out of the designs. There were runes for protection embedded into and he could feel the thrum of a very strong, very particular brand of magic.
His magic.
"Anthony....where did you get this?"
"It was a gift from my Rudolph. When Barnes and Rogers left me for dead in a Siberian bunker, he rescued me, and afterwards gave me that so that he could always make sure I was safe....I just wish I could have kept him safe too."
"Oh Anthony," Loki said as he embraced the mortal who'd started to cry," Even though you couldn't prevent his death, you saved his life in other ways. I can only hope to prove to be as worthy of that friendship as he did."
"Name me Godfather to your first murder kitten litter and we're golden."
"You know Sylvie's going to kill you if you keep calling her that..."
"It'll be worth it," Tony sniffed before gesturing to the tent entrance," come on Elsa, let's get you and the other Ice Queen hitched."
***************
"Are you nervous brother?"
"Of course I am, you would be too if you were marrying someone as perfect as Sylvie."
"Relax Loki," Mobius said as he clapped him on the shoulder, " You're going to do just fine and.....wow."
Mobius was stunned into silence and when Loki looked up, he was too.
Sylvie was walking down the aisle, accompanied by Stephen. She was wearing a dark green strapless dress with a sequined bodice that had rhinestones flowing down the skirt like shooting stars. She had a matching cape on with it that had sequined feathering around the throat. She had a brand new helm upon her head with silver horns and a large ruby inbetween. Truly, she looked like the Queen she was born to be.
Once she was on the platform, Stephen went to sit down with Tony and Loki took her hand in his.
"You look absolutely breathtaking."
"You're not so bad yourself."
While they were lost in each others eyes, Thor summoned a small thunderclap to begin the ceremony.
"Ásgarðians! Mortal friends! The Norns have truly blessed me this day by granting me the ability to oversee Prince Loki and Princess Sylvie's marriage. The joining of souls is no small matter, and I feel that these two know that better than most, for who else has crossed literal time and space for the one they loved? Not many I'm sure."
Valkryie handed a red rope to Thor and he tied it around Loki and Sylvie's wrists where their hands were clasped.
"Oh Frigga, Góððess of marriage and beloved mother to myself and Loki, protect the knotted cord of your son's union, and show them the shared road through the thorns."
When the cord began to glow, Loki started his vows.
"Beloved
I seek to know of you
And ask of the Norns that I be given the wisdom
To see you as you are
And love you as a mystery.
I will take joy in you
I delight in the love of you
You are to me, the whispering of the tides
The seduction of summer's heat
You are my friend
My lover
Grow old and wise with me
As I will do with you
A life before us of rainbows and sunsets
And a willingness to share in happiness and in sadness.
I love you
I adore you
This is my wedding vow to you
This is the marriage of equals"
A flash of green magic lit up the cord, turning it white. Once it settled, Sylvie began to speak.
"Beloved
You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself
But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give
You cannot command me, for I am a free person
I pledge to you, that it will be your eyes into which I smile every morning
I pledge to you, my living and my dying
Each equally in your care
I shall be a shield for your back, and you for mine
I shall not slander you, nor you me
I shall honor you above all others
And when we quarrel
We shall do so in private
And tell no strangers our grievances
I love you
I adore you
This is my wedding vow to you
This is the marriage of equals"
When she finished the cord sparked again, glowing gold before sinking down into their skin and dissapearing.
"The Norns have declared their verdict,"Thor boomed,"these two souls are now one, may their union be blessed from now until Valhalla!"
"That means kiss her Bambi!"
That earned a laugh from everyone, including the happy couple. Loki calmed himself then grabbed Sylvie's face in his hands, and pulled her into a gentle kiss, earning thunderous applause from the guests.
With another clap of thunder, Thor concluded the ceremony.
**************
After the wedding, everyone traveled to the ballroom that Tony rented out for the reception. They never could decide on a cake flavor, so they got cupcakes featuring all of them, with a small lemon cake specifically for Loki and Sylvie.
Mobius gave a speech congratulating the couple, and told Sylvie she was 'still his favorite'. Val declared open bar, but then pouted when they told her it was open to more than just her.
Thor decided to kiss that pout away, and they ended up leaving the party alot earlier than planned, much to his brother's amusement.
Loki and Sylvie had the first dance. Somehow, Mobius had obtained a recording of the music that had been playing during their train adventures on Lamentis and thought it was a perfect fit.
Everyone was inclined to agree.
Currently he and Loki were having a drink at the bar while Tony and Sylvie were dancing. Pride(and tiny repulsors in his dress shoes) were the only thing keeping the genius from craning his neck up at his much taller dance partner.
"I have to say this one of the best weddings I've been to."
"How many weddings have you been to, exactly?"
"Several," Tony said with a smirk," You'd be surprised at how easy it is to pick up dates at those things."
Sylvie smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Still, thank you for making this day special for Loki and I."
"Anything for my favorite murder kittens."
"You are going to have to come up with some better nicknames," she said before leaning into his ear to whisper," because the kitten will be here in about seven and a half months."
"Wait....you mean you're....."
"Mmmhmmm....and I know that you're itching to shout right now, but keep it down! Loki doesn't know yet."
"Pfft...fine, but you better pick me for the Godfather and not Stephen, because I am clearly the more fabulous half of our marriage."
"Clearly," she laughed before kissing him on the cheek and wondering over to where her husband was.
Tony was still smiling when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.
"You're in a good mood."
"It's been a good day. Steph...you mind if I step outside for a bit?"
"Of course not, just come find me when you get back."
Tony nodded, then he pulled him into a soft kiss before walking out of the reception area. He ended up out on a nearby balcony looking up at the night sky.
"Well, Loki, at least your counterparts are happy. They're pretty great, even if Sylvie can be a bit of a meanie pants sometimes. I..uh...don't know much about the afterlife, especially now that there's this whole multiverse thing, but I hope you wound up in a good place, and if I'm lucky...I'll end up there too. Good night, Lokes."
He walked back inside to rejoin his husband, not noticing that a few of the stars were shining just a little bit brighter.
"Goodnight Anthony."