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Chapter 8

Notes:

So someone "respectfully demanded" I update ASAP. And I wasn't doing anything, so I did. XD

This is the last chapter, guys.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

I let the guards lead me out of my cell, and walk me past the other prisoners. I ignored most of them, but when I saw the Ringsten brothers, I snapped. I was already literally being led to my death. There wasn't much more trouble I could get into. I swung my manacled hands under my legs, jumping high, before kicking Coulson back and using the weight of my fists plus chains managed to knock out the other two. I ran over to their cell, grabbing through the bars and onto one's shirt, really wishing I had their key.

"Who told you? Who told you about Steve? TELL ME!" I yanked him back against the steel bars for emphasis- I hoped it hurt.

"I-i-it wasn't us, it was that sorcerer guy who knocked you out! He told us!"

I remembered him, and the flash of blue before I was knocked out, and the fact that there was only one person who would know Steve was the Captain. His brother. Of fucking course! But if Steve thought I'd left then he'd probably go back home- SHIT. "Steve, he's in trouble, I have to-"

Coulson was already back on his feet, voice not even strained as he ordered another two guards to grab me. "No, wait, he's in trouble, Steve, Steve!" They weren't going to listen, of course they weren't going to listen. And I was going to die, and this whole entire mess was my fault.

I fought as they drug me out of the prison hall, closing and locking the door behind them, and preparing to walk me out of the one maybe ten feet ahead, but it did no good. But then, on the windowsill across from me, I saw Natasha, sitting and cleaning her paw. I stilled, letting the bastards 'escort' me, to raising my eyebrows at her. But, of course, she ignored me. And then the door in front of us slammed shut, and the click of a lock was heard.

Coulson knocked calmly on the door. "Open up."

To my complete surprise, it was Pepper who opened the little slotted window. She was almost ten years older and had lost most of her freckles, but that ginger hair and sarcastic smile were the same. "What's the password?" She asked sweetly, then closed the window again. I could've kissed her. (In a completely platonic way, on the cheek, not in the way I would kiss Steve.)

Coulson, for the first time, lost his poker face, looking confused. "What?"

She opened it. "Nope!" Closed it.

"Open. This. Door," Coulson said, quietly. Threateningly.

"Not even close!" She sounded gleeful. At least someone was having fun. I felt a tug next to me, and saw one of the guards picked up by his arm, by the fingers of a very large, very green, man. Who smiled at me. I was going to say something along the lines of "What the actual fuck", but was stopped when I saw Thor, being held aloft by a glowing hammer, making the universal gesture for shush, one finger over his lips. I nodded, and let the jolly green giant pick off the other guard.

Coulson was still dealing with Pepper. "You have three seconds. One. Two." And he finally turned around. "Thr..." And stopped, looking for his men. I shrugged, and Pep opened the door to let a smiling Rhodey in. Rhodey waved, and then hit Coulson over the head with, of all things, a frying pan. He looked at it. "Huh. Handy."

I smiled as Thor and the green guy landed next to me, and Pepper and Rhodey ran over for hugs. "Where did you guys even go?" I asked, as Pepper unhooked Coulson's keys from his belt and took of my manacles. "Tony, we told maybe eighteen times that we were going to find work at the castle, and couldn't stay, but every time we did you got drunk until you forgot. By the way, that's not how you deal with things in healthy way. In the end we had to just go- Stane wasn't paying us anymore, but I heard you fired him soon after, and then we couldn't find you," Pepper explained. Rhodey just hugged me tight and added, "When you disappeared, we thought you were dead, Tony."

I smiled, and relaxed into their affection, before shooing them off of me and grabbing the fallen guards' swords, and tucking a small throwing knife in my boot. They weren't my trusty daggers, but they'd do in a pinch. Thor clapped a hand to my shoulder. "Man of Iron, me and Bruce-" He waved at the large green man, and I'm pretty sure there was a long story there I didn't need to know- "-Heard you were in trouble, and came to your aid. Are you injured?"

I smiled at him. "No, I'm fine. But, if you don't mind me asking, who went and got you?"

Thor cocked his head like this was a ridiculous expression. "The lady feline Natasha, and her companion, canine Clint."

That was... too weird for words, but okay. Natasha walked daintily over to me, and Clint ran around a corner, again with that damned crossbow in his mouth. I smiled. "Thanks, guys." They preened, the little bastards. Thor, though, just nodded at them. "I believe, fine warriors, that it is time for us to do battle, and free the Man of Iron from this place so that he may help Steve!"

Our group cheered, and we began to move out.
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The fight was exhausting. Bruce knocked over men like bowling pins, Thor whacked them aside with his hammer, Clint shot bolts through guard's feet, Natasha clawed faces, Rhodey used some miniature catapult, and Pepper showed me the escape route, at the end of which was a large black horse. She shoved me on. "Go, Tony, go! We'll finish up here, and then we'll go clear your name. Go!"

I ran the horse out of the city- it seemed like all the guards were preoccupied in Fury's castle- and through the forest to Steve's tower. He had to know that Loki wasn't his brother, that he was in danger, that I didn't leave him that I-

Cared.

Oh fucking fine, I loved him. I needed to tell him that I loved him. That I had from the moment I first saw his stupidly handsome face, even if it was the embodiment of every cliche that I loathed.

I had the horse gallop all the way to tower, not even waiting to let the horse slow to a stop, just jumping off. "Steve!" I called, and yeah, maybe this wasn't the best plan ever, but I'd committed to it. "Let me up!"

The rope was thrown out of the window, and I grabbed it, pulling myself up. Was I tired? Fuck yes, but I needed to get to Steve. I pulled myself onto the balcony, walked in through the door, and-

Steve. He was bound by glowing blue shit, and his mouth was covered by it. Unsurprisingly, he looked increasingly distressed, struggling. I could hear his muffled voice screaming. Well, shit, I knew what that meant. I began to turn, and saw the sorcerer over my shoulder, too late to do anything but raise my hands.

Loki stabbed me. I felt the sharp scepter's end like a white-hot blade, running all the way through my body, through the middle of ribcage in the center. Inches from my heart. This... This was is it. I was dying. I stumbled forward, the backward, finally falling over to land on my side. Loki sighed. "Now look what you've done, Steve. Don't worry, our secret will die with him. As for us, I'm taking you back to my homeland, where no one will ever find you again."

The magic over Steve's mouth flickered as he was dragged by an unseen force. probably Loki. "Steve, stop fighting me!" Loki sounded aggravated, and it was probably because of that the magic over Steve's mouth finally broke.

"No!" He shouted. "I won't stop. I will keep fighting you every day for the rest of my life! I will never stop! I've been through a war,and I can get through this! But, if you let me save him, I'll go with you. I won't fight, I'll whatever you want! Just. Let me. Save him." Steve sounded angry, a calm, hot anger. Loki smiled.

Loki sneered. "Do you believe I am that stupid, Steve? Of course I won't let you. I know already how that would go. No, you will come with me. Fight me or not, my power is increased just by being near you. Do all you like, you cannot- urk-" He coughed and broke off his villainous monologueing to look down, and see my knife in the gap between his clavicles. Aim and stubbornness- my two good points, even when it hurts to breathe.

"Got... You..." I crowed pathetically, from my corner. Little boot throwing-knifes come in handy. The magic around Steve's wrist flicked weakly as Loki gurgled. Hell yes, I probably cut the vocal chords. But, I was dying too. And I didn't have much time, if the fact that the pain going away was any indicator. I heard somewhere that going numb was bad.

I didn't have time to waste on extra words, drawing breath was getting harder. But he had to know. "Steve. Boats- didn't... Leave you," I choked out. Already my voice was breaking and quiet. Steve wasn't crying but he looked close. I think. Blurry vision, hard to tell. Hell, I was probably crying.

"I know you didn't," He said, and his voice was breaking, too. Oh. Guess he was crying, after all. I could hear his struggles against the magic, not all quite gone. I wanted him by my side now, but even in death I couldn't get what I wanted.

"Steve. Miss you... Love you."

I barely heard Steve yell, "Tony,Tony, TONY NO!" as the word faded to black silence. I let out one last breath, and died.

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Steve was crying. He knew it. But he couldn't stop it. At last, the last treads of magic faded away and Loki finally died. Steve scrambled over to Tony, who was so still. Tony was never this still. Or quiet. No, no, this wasn't happening. He could fix this.

"Flower, gleam and glow, let your power shine-" Voice breaking, still crying, gasping for breath, Steve still tried to sing. "-Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." But it wasn't working. It wasn't working. "What once was mine... Tony!" Even as he desperately pressed his lips to Tony's forehead, he knew it wasn't going to work. Nothing he was doing was working. Giving up, Steve cradled Tony in his arms, still crying, and buried his head against Tony's bloody chest and just cried.

What he didn't see was the tear that fell off his eyelash and into the wound. And then another, and another. The wound began glowing blue, closing up. The blue congregated into a small circle, and then ten smaller circles around it. Steve moved back, watching in wonder as the blue light sealed the wounds and then settled back into it's pattern, still glowing. He held his breath, waiting. Hoping.

And I opened my eyes. "Steve?"

"Tony?"

"Please tell me you kissed me."

Steve let out a startled, breathy laugh. He was very warm, holding me close like a girl. I kissed him properly this time, long and deep, licking into his mouth and encouraging him to do the same to me. He laughed more when I rolled over, trapping him under me, and kissed him again. I wanted to taste every bit of that mouth, to own it all. Because I'd be damned if I was dying again without tapping this ass.

He chuckled, and grabbed my hands, linking our fingers together. "Tony. I love you."

I smiled. "I love you, too, Steeeeve," I said, pretending it was joke, even if we both knew better. "Now let me show you how much!" I leered at him, and leaned in to steal another kiss.

Steve laughed, pushing me away. "I think there are a few loose ends to tie up first."

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We met King Fury. We decided we didn't like Fury much.

I apologized to Coulson, and found out that Clint was actually a person Loki had turned into a dog. Also that Clint was just as insufferable when he could use his words. Those two spent a lot of time together, but I figured I'd be assassinated if I said anything.

Natasha was also a human, and scarier now that she was person-sized and deadlier than ever. She apparently did, in fact, know Clint, who's like her gay best friend(?), and they'd been turned by Loki in the same mission. She and Steve are still good friends, and talk a lot, or spar when one of them is having a bad day. I assume she's happy- she's never told me otherwise.

Bruce wasn't the sharing type, just shrugged and said it was his own fault. Nothing else was asked or said. But he did, apparently, like science, and that was something we could bond over.

Thor was apparently Loki's brother, and looked ready to cry when he learned the person his beloved brother had become. He simply asked if he had suffered much as he died- I lied, and said no. He nodded, excused himself, and no one saw him or his wife the rest of the day. He's fine now- him and Jane even have a little brunette terror of a son, and a pretty blonde daughter. Our group spoils the shit out of them.

Pepper and Rhodey and I were friends again. I terrorized them and they give as good as they get from me, which I expect. Most days.

Steve? He declined to be put back into the line of succession, but was instead made into a trusted adviser, and he was really good at coming up with ideas that were fair. The people loved him, and threw a party in celebration of their Captain. The party lasted an entire week, and honestly, I don't remember most of it. Steve hated the attention.

Me? I quit thieving, and started researching more, often with Bruce. I wanted to know how magic worked- specifically the mark on my chest, nicknamed the Arc Tattoo. Long story, inside jokes, etc.

I know what the real question is. Did me and Steve ever get married? Well, yes. As soon as possible. I couldn't stand that the world didn't recognize us as an official, unbreakable couple. We even adopted the most cutest, best, most terrible kid in the word, Peter, because we could, and pretended not to notice when we all spoiled Peter, too.

And it's kind of exactly like a happily ever after.

Notes:

I want to thank each and every person who read and Kudo'd my story, and REALLY want to thank each and every commenter-you left such kind messages, and a lot of you even commented twice or three times. I didn't have time to reply to you guys, but I smiled like an idiot every time I read your kind words.

Please, if you see typos/errors, feel free to point them out to me, as I have no beta.

Thank you all!