The breathless fall

Chapter 6

"Bright metal on a sullen ground."

"We should be safe enough in this cavern for now, Stark." Loki says as he rests his head on his knees. Tony is digging through his bag intent on locating something, but Loki can't see what he is doing. He gives no indication that he heard Loki, so he tries again to start a conversation. "As long as you are alright, I have no need of your little box of artificial heat." Stark is ignoring his voice and begins to lay items from the bag onto the floor. Slightly hurt at Stark's continued silence he tries once again. "Do you wish any assistance?"

"No." Tony says curtly.

Loki is at a loss, for the second time in as many days. In the fog, he had blindly led Stark into this cave and when he stopped, Loki tried to communicate that it was him without words, and Stark answered by kissing him.

-His blood begins to sing and Loki loses all thought as Tony kisses him again and again, each impact igniting a fire in his chest-

The memory burns in his mind, and he plays it over, looking for something that he might have done wrong. After their embrace Tony pulled an extra bandage from his bag, the last one, and re-wrapped Loki's head without a word. Then Stark simply sat down on the other side of the cave and began to fiddle with his trinkets, completely ignoring Loki in the process. And Loki, all powerful god of Asgard was left to the side, insides churning with frustration. Loki knows he has been particularly emotional around Stark, but trapped on this world with no-one at his side, he had no other person to connect to. He also knew Stark was genuine in his words of confidence and concern, so what had gone wrong? Was it simply that Stark, having gotten what he needed was finished with him so soon? Loki covered one hand over his mouth, to hide his face, and to keep himself from speaking more. He would not invite any more sorrow or pity from Stark. He still watches the Iron man in front of him unpack the last of the bag, all the contents arranged in tidy rows. He searches for an insight to Stark's mind for a reason for this distance. What Loki finds nearly stops his heart.

In the minutes it has taken for Stark to empty the bag, and Loki to wallow in his thoughts, Stark has nearly lost all the colour from his face, and is turning a sickly gray colour. Tony then lets out a halting cough and begins to wheeze at an alarming rate.

Loki Jumps across the room and knees beside Tony, arm around his heaving back.

"Tony! What's wrong?" Loki frantically searches for any sign of injury or evidence of pain when Tony manages a gasp.

"Panic attack..." he spits out and starts to hyperventilate in Loki's arms. "Couldn't make it stop... tried..." and he attempts to curl up in a fetal position.

Loki has never dealt with this on his own and his mind is white hot with fear. He can't use magic to help him, the Frost giants will be waiting for it. He feels helpless without it.

"Tony," he begs. "What do I do?" and Tony takes a fistful of Loki's coat and pulls him close. "Focus." He wheezes. "Anything." And Loki pulls him into an embrace to supports Tony's head over his chest, knowing that hearing Stark's own heart helped him before.

"Focus on the beat of my heart," Loki cajoles rocking them gently back and forth. "Can you hear it? Try to slow yours down to match mine."

"Can't."

"You will do this Tony. Just focus and breathe with me. In..." he waits for a shuddering breath from his companion.

"And out." He feels Tony's heart racing though his back and tries again.

"In..." another shaky breath from Tony.

"And out. Good, that's right." Loki rests his head on top of Tony's and begins again in a soft whisper.

"In..." A deeper breath this time from Tony.

"And out." Loki can feel some of the tension leave his body.

"In, nice and slow... and out... I'm right here." He croons and Loki is rewarded with a heaving sigh from Tony that Loki feels throughout his body.

"Now try to take smaller breaths. In..." and Tony listens to him, his breathing beginning to slow.

"And out again. Easy, easy... I've got you..." Loki continues to rock and croon to Tony until he is satisfied that the worst is over. He can feel Anthony's heart strumming at an even pace now and his breathing is slow and steady. Tony looks up to him with bloodshot eyes.

"Sorry about that." He whispers "This isn't really a good week for me."

Loki tilts Tony down so he is lying on the floor and sits beside him. "You have nothing to apologise for."

Tony closes his eyes, but keeps speaking. "My fault. I thought I was Dying. In the fog. Couldn't see, or speak. Terrifying. Reminded me of drowning, and bad things."Tony reaches out with his hand, and Loki takes it in his own. "Then I couldn't find you, and when I did... I wanted to make sure I didn't lose you again." The colour has begun to bloom in Tony's cheeks and Loki just sits and listens. "And I kissed a God. You I mean, and I've never done that before. It was more than I could handle. Hence the freak-out."

"I will not let you do that again if it will help in the future." Loki says with a note of sadness in his voice.

Tony is silent for a moment and Loki wonders if he's fallen asleep.

"No." Tony starts, and Loki is filled with dread.

"I think I'll be ok next time." Tony says the last in a faint whisper and smiles.

Loki watches his companion fall into a deep sleep from the exhausting day and the energy consuming attack, all the while holding his hand and smiling softly. When he is certain Tony is fast asleep, He reaches for the blankets and pulls them over them. Loki then snuggles close enough to hear his companion's rhythmic breathing and quickly falls asleep, his hand still locked together with Anthony's.

"Good morning Tony, I see you've finally decided to join the land of the waking." Loki muses as he finishes melting a second bowl of snow over the "fire box" he started.

"Huh... Good morning." Tony yawns loudly and sits up.

Loki tosses Tony the last piece of the power bar. "Here," he says as his companion catches it in mid-air. "I've already eaten mine."

Tony takes a large bite and swallows quickly, hand over his mouth for politeness. "How long have you been up for?"

"Not long." Loki muses. "I have been listening for the better part of an hour, and I have not been able to hear any trace of Frost giants." He gestures towards the closed off entrance.

Tony chews and swallows the remainder of his ration. "Good."

Loki is still wary. He desperately wants to ask Stark about the kiss they shared, but he does not wish to break the fragile connection between them. He stands and reads his companions face. Tony is packing up his collection of parts, and Loki can see an ease of movement born of contentment. The Iron man grins to himself for a moment, and Loki can see his eyes are bright and intense. There is something else though... a subtle feeling rebounding off his own magic in Tony's body. Loki opens up the channel in his heart, not by using his magics, but simply by directing his thoughts inward. It is odd. There is a flutter when Tony looks at him and it resonates within his own chest. Loki can sense a lightness within his own body now, and Tony places a hand on his shoulder. The lightless from his chest rushes to his head, making him momentarily breathless. Tony is speaking to him now, and Loki reluctantly breaks contact.

"-stay here forever. What do you think?" Tony asks.

Loki takes a moment to gather himself. "Yes. Our food supplies are gone, we must press on quickly. But first, here," Loki bends down and hands Tony the bowl of water.

Tony takes the bowl from his hands, and tilts his head towards him. "To making it out of here in one piece!" Tony grins weakly and swallows most of the water. "Here, you finish it."

"I've already quenched my thirst Stark." He says with one hand politely raised.

Tony raises an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "Loki, you are the one and only chance we have of making it out of here. I can't have you passing out on me, again. And besides, its bad luck not to drink at a toast."

Loki huffs with nonchalance, but Stark practically shoves the bowl up to his lips. "Alright, as you wish then." Loki finishes the water, with the edge still warm from Stark's lips.

"Shall we be on our way now?" He says as he places the bowl in the bag and hands it to stark.

He rummages through the bag and pulls out his left gauntlet. Loki notices he has added a few long wires to the wrist link. "When did you-?"

"Last night, I don't usually sleep much anyways." Tony says as he takes off his shirt to expose the arc reactor.

"I did not feel you awaken." Loki blushes at the now half clothed Stark.

Tony slips on the gauntlet and holds the wires between his fingers. "I'm going to need your help with this. I've managed a way to bypass the flight stabilizer directly to my reactor, but I can't hold it and connect the wires at the same time. You have tiny hands right?"

Loki holds his hands up in demonstration. "Why does the size of my hands matter?"

He watches as the Iron man twists the reactor in his chest and pulls it out as far as the connective cord will allow. Loki is momentarily stunned at this show of vulnerability; here is the life source of his companion bared to the world.

"I need you to connect the red wire to the clip near the bottom of my reactor, and then the white one has to be secured at the bottom of the holding unit, here." Tony is pointing inside the silver tube imbedded in his chest. "Got it?"

Loki's hand trembles slightly as he reluctantly reaches for the shining star in Tony's hands. His hand stops and pulls away slightly just before he touches it. How could this man trust him so? Tony's very life would be in his hands, and he was balking at this intimate gesture. "Are you certain this is safe, Stark?" he looks into Tony's eyes pleadingly.

"Yes, its fine." Tony sighs softly. "Just try not to touch the sides of my tube with the wires." And as if Tony senses his hesitation, he takes Loki's hand in his own and places under his reactor before letting go himself. Loki is left holding the tiny burning star on his own. He notices how light it seems, and although the metal is cool to the touch, Loki can feel the burning spark of life though the glass-like housing. It is almost familiar to him, and he realises with a start that it feels very much like primal magics. This man has created a device that emits an energy so achingly close to ancient magic that Loki can almost feel it, like a river frozen over with ice. It is still there, still tangible, but just out of reach.

"This is...wondrous."Loki says with awe in his voice. He delicately rotates the device and takes the red wire from Tony's hand.

Tony shrugs. "That's nothing; you should see the new one I'm working on. I've altered the casing so it's more durable while maintain the energy output and weight ratio. Jarvis should have it finished back home by now."

Loki fixes the wire under the reactor base, and clips the slot closed. Tony takes the reactor from his hands, and passes him the white wire next. He takes it from Stark's hand and places his palm on Starks shoulder for balance.

"Are you sure-"

"Just do it already."

Loki nimbly reaches his hand inside Anthony's chest. Tony inhales sharply at his contact. "Ah! Your hands are freezing."

"Apologies Tony, I will try to be swift." His hand reaches the backing and he gropes for the slot. Tony snorts and Loki can see his chest muscles twitch under his skin. "Sorry." He murmurs. He runs one finger around the rim of the base plate trying to locate the tiny slot for the wire. Tony moans as he touches a node near the top."Please stop that." Loki looks up at Tony and sees his face blush to scarlet. "Its- gah- very sensitive."

"I have it, one moment more please." Loki wiggles the little wire in the slot and closes the tiny clip. As he pulls his hand from Anthony's chest his fingertips gently brush the sides of the metal cylinder wanting to continue the intimate contact. "It is finished."

Tony places the reactor back in his chest and fiddles with the wire leading to the glove until it sits right. As Loki watches his companion, he notices a deep ache in his chest. It burns inside him and pulls at his heart. He swallows deeply to hide his longing. "Was I successful?" Loki asks eyes downturned.

He watches Stark flex his fingers inside the glove. "Looks like. Good job Reindeer games" Tony says as he run's his hand through Loki's hair. "Hey, what wrong?" Tony cups his chin with his hand. Loki isn't able to form words, and the ache in his chest intensifies. He stops fighting against the pain and gives in, pulling Tony down to him. Loki embraces his companion and nuzzles his head alongside Tony's own. He freezes for a moment, stunned that he's given in to his own longings, when he feels stark's hand slide around his back, pulling him tight to his chest. Tony tilts his head alongside Loki's and he can feel the brush of stubble from Stark's cheeks.

"I am sorry." He whispers into Tony's ear, his voice heavy with loss.

"For what?" Tony asks as he holds him tight.

"Everything." He whimpers. And the ache in his heart twists again, making him wince.

Tony gently lifts Loki's head from his shoulder and brings it under his chin. Tony places his hands on either side of Loki's head and gently kisses his forehead. In a heartbeat the ache is gone, and Loki's entire body relaxes.

"Better?" Tony asks him.

Loki takes advantage of his companion being so close, and leans up to steal a kiss. Tony meets him half ways and-

Anthony's lips are soft and warm on his own, and he nudges at the corner of Loki's mouth, asking for permission. Loki obliges him and opens a little wider giving his companion access. A moan builds up from his chest and Tony takes it as a sign to press further. Loki runs his hands over Tony's chest while greedily meeting every advance Tony makes. Loki begins to feel light-headed as he melts into the Iron man's arms, and braces himself by wrapping his arms around Tony's neck. He lingers on his companions lips, tasting the sweetness on his tongue, and loses all train of thought.

"Now I feel better." Loki purrs and places one final kiss in the hollow of Anthony's throat.

"So do I." Tony says huskily. "As much as I would like to stay here, we don't really have the time to linger, let's go Frosty."

Loki reluctantly lets go of Tony and picks up his spear. "Alright." He sighs.

Tony picks a small capsule from the bag and hands it to him. "It's one of the heat generators. I thought you could use it. A genius always covers his ass."

"Much appreciated Stark." Loki tucks the capsule in a small pocket in his pants. He then chips away at the crushed ice blocking the passage, and carves out a small opening. He ducks outside and is hit with an aching cold, making his breath fog before him. The Iron man climbs out beside him and shivers "Damn that's brisk." Tony runs his hands together to warm them. "Should we wait for the sun to come up?"

Loki turns his head to his companion. "Unfortunately you might perish before then. The night is nearly continuous on this world." He watches Tony shrug and tie the nearly empty bag to a loop on his waistband.

"Lead the way." He says shivering against the cold. "God, I swear when I get home I am going to live in my sauna for a week."

Loki laughs softly, and ducks under the fallen wall. He steps with a quickened pace, enjoying the crunching his boots make on the thin top layer of snow. Loki turns to the left and walks in front of Tony down a narrow alleyway between two collapsed houses. He hopes to break through the maze of smaller buildings to reach the cathedral of ice, then down, down to the river of Iving, where he would journey to Stark's realm of Midgard.

His mind begins to wander as he crosses the broken pieces of buildings and ice. Loki wishes he could simply use his magic to bring him back to earth, but before he would be able to complete the spell, the Frost giants would be upon them. And there was the matter of how he was pulled here in the first place. When Stark crashed into him, it did break his concentration, but the spell should have failed completely, not change his destination. Something here had pulled him back, something that was powerful enough to reach across space and time and drag him through the empty voids between the stars. Not many in the nine realms were powerful enough to engage in such a herculean feat of magic. At least, not on their own. Odin, Heimdall, or Laufey (had he still been alive) could have done it but why? Had his father finally found him on earth, and sentenced him to die upon this frozen world of pain and anguish for his crimes? Loki shakes his head to rid himself of these darks thoughts. He would not be trapped here, and he would not take his involuntary kidnapping lightly. Whatever was the cause Loki would eventually find it and destroy it.

Loki peers around a column of ice and his heart sinks in his chest. What he assumed from a distance was nothing more than a shadow from the mountain, was in fact a gaping maw in the glacier ahead of him. He stops dead in his tracks and snarls in frustration. The ragged gap between him and the cathedral tunnel is completely impassible.

"Aw hell. We're not gona climb down that." Tony groans beside him.

Loki seethes in anger. "By all the inconceivable- this is-" Loki stomps his foot and growls. "Gamla lombungr, sugandi toti tik madr!"

"Whoa, language little buddy." Stark is staring at him eyebrows raised. "Just tell me this isn't the only way outa here."

"No." Loki hisses hand clenched tight on his spear. "There is another way down to the depths. We must be cautious Stark, the Jotun's created this gap. They know we have no other choice now but to pass through the temple."

Stark looks at him defiantly. "So it's a trap then?" Loki nods.

"Then let's hit them first!" Tony says making a fist.

Loki glares at his companion. "We cannot take them down in a direct confrontation, Stark."

"Then let's be sneaky about it. Don't worry, I've got your back remember?" Tony places his hand on Loki's shoulder. "We'll be fine."

The ache twists in Loki's heart, and a dark sense of foreboding washes over him.

"I sincerely hope you are right."

Notes

Author's note: Apologies in advance, I know some of you read this in Nordic countries, so I wanted to give you a heads up! Loki curses in Norse. Sorry if there is incorrect use of words or level of appropriate language.

I also promise more action scenes to come! (bonus points to whoever knows what the chapter title is without googling it!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any marvel characters or their movie interpretations, I've done this for fun and I hope you enjoy! Also this is set after Iron man 3 and the avengers. Loki escaped to earth and Tony never had romantic feelings for pepper. (Hence the arc reactor is still in his chest)