BEFORE (PART. VI)
As Loki’s armor settled snugly around him, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander back to the broken creature before him, strength writ in every tense line of his body, fire and determination shining in his eyes.
Loki allowed his own to trace over him, to memorize every wrinkle, every scar, the color of his eyes and the callouses on his hands, the fluidity and strength to his movements, knowing very well that this could be his last time to do so.
The suit folded seamlessly around Anthony who grinned once, fierce and mad and brilliant, before the man hauled him close and pressed a passionate kiss to Loki’s lips, the heat of him almost too much for Loki’s cooler disposition.
Loki gentled it onto something kinder, something sweeter, something tender and loving, before finally stepping back, body entirely unwilling to do so.
“I love you, Anthony.”
Anthony’s manic grin widened and he said, “I love you too, Snowflake. Now, lets go get rid of Thanos once and for all.”
***
Loki remembered the moment he had realized he had fallen head first into love with Anthony clearly, wholly; remembered the chilly December morning as Anthony was dancing around the room, Christmas lights dangling from his arms as he decided where best to put them, eyeing each window calculatingly even as he sang along to his music, fire crackling gently in the hearth, snow flurries whirling around outside the windows, ornaments from their tree sparkling beneath the light.
It wasn’t, Loki realized, any one thing.
It was a progression of things, a million kisses, a thousand smiles, a hundred fond nicknames, all the things that made up who Anthony was (“Slowly,” Anthony had quoted so many times before, a soft smile on his face. “And then all at once.”).
Watching Anthony that night, a smile quirking his lips and a long forgotten warmth in his heart, it had hit him, suddenly and undeniably. Loki loved Anthony, truly and deeply, a simple fact; but he hadn’t realized, not until that moment.
Oh.
Oh.
I am in love with him, Loki had realized.
I love him more than the sun loves the moon, I love him more than the flowers love the rain; I love the way he smiles, the way he laughs, the wrinkle to his nose when he dislikes something, the sparkle in his eye when he is curious, the tears clumping his lashes when he is sad, the rigidity to his back when he is speaking to those he does not like, the workman’s callouses on his hands, the sharpness of his tongue. I love him with everything I am. I love him, as I live and breathe, with everything I have been or will ever be.
Slowy, Loki thought, images of tanned muscle writhing beneath him flashing through his mind.
Slowly, with bright blue holograms swirling around him as he expertly crafted his next project.
Slowly, with bouquets of flowers in his hand as he took them to some fancy restaurant or another.
Slowly, with a delicate hand-crafted gold chain dangling from his fingertips.
Slowly, with a velvet box in one hand, folded to one knee in front of him, a joyous smile on his face.
And then all at once.
With a delighted laugh, Loki had moved, far past being blindsided by his revelation now, wrapping Anthony in his arms and pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek, causing Anthony to laugh happily along with him, dropping the lights to the ground so he could wind his arms around Loki’s neck and press closer.
“Not that I don’t love being pampered, Snowflake, but any particular reason for the sudden intense affection?” Anthony asked, voice teasing, and Loki rolled his eyes fondly.
“No, dear heart- can’t I just pamper you for the sake of being pampered?”
“Well, I certainly won’t argue with that,” Anthony said with a grin in his voice and Loki couldn’t help but match it.
Before Anthony could stop him, Loki scooped his lover into his arms, ignoring his yelp of protest, and carried him off to their bedroom, dropping him down onto the bed before peppering kisses along his neck and down his arm, kissing each finger in turn before moving to the left and kissing each finger there as well, pausing over the golden band with a warm smile before kissing that as well and finally moving up, pressing his lips against Anthony’s, relishing in the way his lover absolutely melted at the touch.
“I love you,” Loki murmured against his lover’s lips and tasted Anthony’s smile in return.
“Well, I should hope so,” Anthony teased, fingers tapping pointedly at Loki’s left hand, before he continued, “but I love you too.”
“Well,” Loki grinned. “I should hope so.”
With a groan, Anthony twisted them deftly, pinning Loki beneath him with a triumphant grin, before leaning down and kissing him passionately, fire heating their bodies, lust clouding their minds, Christmas lights laying forgotten on the living room floor.
***
The ship was almost eerily silent as they appeared, but Loki knew his way well, and lead them through the winding pathways of the ship, making sure to keep them well hidden- it would do them no good to be found now.
Getting the Power Gem was almost too easy but then, Thanos had always been far too confident- why would he need to hide it in his own ship?
It was settled carefully in a glass case in Thanos’s personal chambers, and Loki had never been more thankful than he was then to see Thanos was not currently there.
As soon as Anthony had the Power Gem safely tucked away in the hidden compartment in his suit, they slowly made their way to the place Loki knew for certain Thanos would be.
They had five Gems, now.
Loki desperately hoped that would be enough.