Work Text:
His friends are assholes. Stupid, unthinking assholes.
Yeah, maybe he shouldn’t have made a crack about Barton’s scales and Rogers weirdass love affair with Carter and Barnes. But they didn’t need to pay him back like this.
They’d hung him by the tail from the top of the fucking shipwreck outside town. They’d done it after a night of partying. (And yes, okay, maybe they were drunk and weren’t thinking clearly.)
The point was that he’d woken up with a headache, upside down, and with the horrific realisation that the sun was rising and with the sun came humans.
He’d frantically heaved up his body to try untying his fin, but his friends had done the knot too tightly. He couldn’t get a grip. He was trying to stay calm, but he knew a discovery by humankind would be bad. Really bad.
They’d met them before and been half-slaughtered. It had taken every mage in the ocean to wipe away the memory from human minds. Since then, there hadn’t even been mages. Whatever had happened had cost them dearly.
Tony didn’t want to undo all their hard work. He also didn’t want to die.
“Fuck,” he cursed, scrapping his nails down his red and gold scales in his hurry to try and loosen the knot.
It wasn’t working.
“Are you attempting to get the mers killed?”
Tony jerked and twisted his head. He spotted the figure sitting half inside the rotting ship. He had his chin in his hand. His piercing green eyes looked curious.
Rather than feel embarrassed someone had spotted him, Tony was relieved.
“Hell no. I would happily get the hell out of here, but I’m stuck. Care to help a mer out?”
Tony flashed his most charming smile. It usually worked wonders, instead, the newcomer didn’t move.
“Aren’t you capable of freeing yourself?”
“If I was, I’d be out and swimming back home, ready to rip my friends a new one for leaving me here.”
The man frowned. “They do not seem like friends.”
“Today, I’d agree with you.” He relaxed a little more, feeling confident of his escape now that he wasn’t alone. “So, what do you say? Got a knife you can cut me down with? Or even a rock or some coral?”
He hesitated and Tony frowned, wondering why he wasn’t rushing to help a fellow merman in trouble.
But then, he seemed to steel himself before pushing out from the ship and that was when Tony’s eyes widened and he realised why he’d been hidden in the wreckage.
He wasn’t a mer. Or at least, not anymore. Tony wanted to scurry away and it took everything in his power to stay still. Because this wasn’t a mer, this was an octo. Inky black tentacles extended from his waist, gleaming almost emerald in the right light.
He stopped beside Tony. His lips pulled up in a wry, bitter smile.
“Do you still wish for my help?”
A black tentacle flicked close and he refused to flinch. It meant it touched his scale. He stiffened but the newcomer pulled back abruptly, all his tentacles shifting until they almost resembled a tail. He looked spooked as if he hadn’t expected Tony to still be there – as if he hadn’t expected to make contact.
Which made sense. Octos were outsiders. They slunk around merkingdoms and were never welcomed inside. They were too foreign, too other and lived in dark caves creating strange concoctions. They were the only magical beings left on the ocean floor and they were avoided due to their reputation for short tempers and harsh penalties.
But.
This octo didn’t look ready to turn him into a barnacle. He seemed equally wary and unsure about what to do. He’d also swam all the way up here and revealed himself in order to help.
It was why Tony decided to do what he always did with someone new; work out whether he liked them or not based off their attitude, actions and brain.
It was why, he flashed the same smile as before and thrust out his hand. The octo stared at it.
“I’m Anthony, by the way, and I’d absolutely still appreciate your help.”
The octo stared at him for a long moment before slowly extending his hand and grasping Tony’s. It felt just like any other mers, although, perhaps a little softer and colder.
“Loki.”
“Nice to meet you.”
When they let go, the octo didn’t waste any time in swimming up further to examine the rope. He then pulled a curved rock from a pouch at his waist and sliced the line. Tony jerked and fell before hurriedly righting himself. He grabbed the rope and was finally able to unwind and get it off his fin.
He dropped it with triumph and went to smile at his rescuer, but Loki was already turning and swimming away. Tony knew it was the moment where he should shoot off back to the safety of his kingdom and pretend he’d never met an octo.
But he just couldn’t leave things like that. The octo had officially captured his interest.
It was why he darted down after him while calling, “Hey, Lokes. Wait up. You don’t expect me to let you go that easily, do you?”
He was met with a look of surprise and suspicion, but Tony just grinned in reply.
“I mean it’s a bit far to get back home before the sun rises. What do you say we share this shipwreck together?”
The octo looked dumbfounded. “You wish to share with me?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“You know why.”
And he did, but Tony had always been the type to rush headlong into things that he shouldn’t. So far, he’d always come out alive. To weigh even more things in the octo’s favour, Loki had saved him and hadn’t asked for a price in return. Already, he defied all the rumours about his kind.
And that meant Tony had questions.
“I do,” Tony agreed, nodding. “I know you just saved my gills and that means I should get to know you.”
“So, you can uncover where I live and send mers after me?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Oh please. Mers don’t hunt octos we just avoid them.”
“Something you should be doing.”
“Well, I’m not like other mers. You saved my life and you’re the first octo I’ve met. Consider me curious and keen to spend the day huddling from humans with you.”
“You are the strangest mer I have ever met,” Loki said, but he sounded more perplexed than insulting.
“Oh?” Tony asked. “Have you met a few?”
Loki looked away and started swimming again but he didn’t forbid Tony from following, so he darted off after him. Loki’s tentacles coiled together to allow him to shoot through the hole in the hull. It was actually impressive. Tony often wished he had more than two hands. How much more convenient must it be to have ten limbs?
Following inside, he didn’t know what he expected but it was the same old shipwreck he’d explored in his youth. The octo was already moving to the lower levels and, rather than be worried about being in a confined space with a magical creature, Tony headed down with him.
Sure, it could have been dangerous, but Tony had a good feeling about Loki.
After all, why let him go if he wanted to kill him? Loki could have stabbed him while he was tied up, he wouldn’t have had much chance of fighting.
Once they reached the bottom of the ship where sand had made a blanket over the broken wood, Loki took a seat and Tony did the same. A small part of him still wanted to avoid those tentacles, but that was just fear and rumours. It was why he made sure to sit close enough that they could brush his fin.
Like before, Loki jerked the tentacles back and held them tight to his body. Tony smirked.
“What? Think I’m going to run away if you touch me?”
Loki’s green eyes narrowed. And, as if to prove something, he flicked out his limbs again. This time, they deliberately brushed Tony’s scales and he had to fight down a shiver.
It felt… nice. Different to the roughness of a mer’s scales. Instead, it was gentle, like a half-felt caress. Tony had to wonder what it would feel like if Loki was actively exploring him.
Now, okay, cut that out. Pepper might joke you’d sleep with anything under the sea but are you really considering an octo?
Yet, unbidden, his gaze flicked over Loki’s upper torso and face. If he had of been a mer, Tony would have been chasing after him from first sight. Was he really about to let tentacles stand in the way?
After all, by all accounts, octos were mers once, they were just tainted by magic.
“What are you thinking?” Loki enquired, frowning.
Tony swallowed and hoped he didn’t flush. Despite his usual brash behaviour, he was not admitting that to the octo (at least, not within five minutes of knowing him).
“Just what I know about octos. Trying to work out what’s right and what’s wrong.”
“Rumours are rarely comprised entirely of truth.”
Tony nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking, hence, spending the day with you and working it out for myself.”
Loki’s lips twitched as if he was repressing a smile.
“You are a very strange mer.”
“And yet, you’re not sending me away.”
“’I’ve always enjoyed understanding the unusual.”
Tony felt a thrill at the octo’s words and the look in his eyes.
It almost felt like Loki was flirting with him. Tentatively and downplayed though it might be, Loki was definitely looking at him curiously. Maybe even with interest.
Tony wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted to do about that, but for now, he was happy to keep up the conversation and maybe do a bit of exploring.
After all, it was just a single day in a shipwreck. What could it hurt?
It quickly became obvious Loki was flirting with him.
It also became obvious that Loki didn’t expect anything to happen. That was never more apparent than when Tony closed the limited space between them and kissed the octo.
In fairness, Tony had thought it was pretty inevitable.
Sure, they’d spent the first hour carefully asking questions about each other and getting excited when they realised, they had a lot in common and very similar hobbies. Sure, Tony didn’t have magic, but he did use a lot of the same ingredients in his engineering.
They had quickly bonded over some of the more harrowing places they had to visit for what they needed.
And, the more they talked, the more Loki’s tentacles brushed his fin, the more Tony shifted that little bit closer. Because the octo was funny. He was also smart and, as Tony had already acknowledged, very easy on the eyes.
So, when he’d made Loki laugh and the octo’s expression had settled into this pleased little smirk, Tony hadn’t been able to resist capturing it with his mouth.
Now, Tony had a bit of a reputation, but he still prided himself on being able to read people. He knew when people were attracted to him and more than willing for a bit of kissing (and quite often, more).
It was why, Loki’s surprised little gasp was fine. The way his hands fluttered over Tony’s arms was also great. The way his lips briefly pressed against his was good.
But the way he abruptly jerked back and his fingers gripped Tony’s arms was less good.
Tony’s eyes had snapped open and it was why he was able to see the pure shock on Loki’s face quickly dispersing for something confused and wary. It was a look he didn’t like – something that he hadn’t seen since he’d first followed after the octo.
“Why would you do that?” Loki demanded.
It was Tony’s turn to frown. “Um, because I thought we both wanted to?”
“I wanted to, yes,” Loki said, almost hissing the words. “But why would you?”
“Because you’re attractive?” Tony asked, still feeling perplexed.
Loki let one of his arms go to gesture down at himself. Tony looked at the tentacles. Inky black from a distance, but still very much tentacles up close. And, since he’d been given permission to look, he also dared raise one hand and stroke his finger down one.
Loki made a noise, a high-pitched kind of sound that Tony immediately wanted to inspire again. But, before he could continue exploring, Loki grabbed his hand and held it almost too tightly. Tony looked back up at Loki.
This time, the octo’s face looked so very unsure. It was why Tony smiled, soft and open.
“Is it so strange I could want to kiss you?”
“Yes,” Loki answered immediately. “You are mer.”
“Doesn’t make you any less pretty or fun to talk to.”
Loki made a different sound and Tony wondered what might happen next, but rather than argue more, Loki tugged him back in and caught his lips. And while Tony knew he should probably continue their conversation, he was too preoccupied with Loki’s mouth and exactly how good the octo felt running his hands over Tony’s back.
In response, he brought his to Loki’s chest, pressing closer as they continued to kiss. When Tony’s fin brushed Loki’s tentacles, the octo made a sound similar to the first, he also wrapped an arm around Tony’s waist and dragged him closer.
It was odd to feel tentacles and not a fin, but it was a good kind of odd. They tentatively touched his fin before wrapping around him, holding him as snug as Loki’s arms. Tony was quickly getting lost in the kiss, his fingers tangling in Loki’s hair.
Tony was sure it could have gone on forever (gone further maybe) if shouting hadn’t made Loki break them apart abruptly. Tony had made a noise of confusion before Loki had shushed him. Tony had frowned before the noises had registered.
His name.
It was Barton, Rogers and Barnes. They must have woken up and come looking for him. They were risking being found by the humans to make sure he was okay. Grudgingly, he felt affection blossom in his chest. His friends were idiots and occasionally assholes, but they did make up for it.
Although, not when they interrupted him kissing a very pretty octo who was now doing his best to untangle them.
“Hey,” he said, moving his hands to Loki’s shoulders. “Hey, wait.”
“No.”
Loki shook his head. He also used those incredibly fascinating tentacles to get off the sand bank and get them both upright in the water. The only thing continuing to connect them was his hands on Loki’s shoulders and the octo’s on his waist.
“But Loki-”
“Your fellow mers are looking for you which means you and they need to go before any humans come.”
It was a very good point. Nice and logical. But all Tony could focus on was Loki’s kiss swollen lips which were downturned in a little frown. He wanted to see him smirking again. He went to move in, wanting to kiss him again but Loki let him go. He even tried to move away, but Tony held firm.
“Hey, Loki-”
“Enough,” Loki said. He let out a heavy breath. “That was… enjoyable.” He sighed and gave a sad smile. “Very enjoyable. But you are mer.”
“And I told you before, that doesn’t negate my attraction to you. Or yours to me.”
Seemingly unbidden, Loki’s gaze went over his body. It only further proved what Tony knew. There was attraction between them, even if they were different.
But, the voices of his friends was putting a very big damper on the mood and making Loki return to the standoffish octo from before. And maybe, he should have let it and Loki go. He should have chalked it up to a strange and one-time makeout with a magical creature of rumour.
But, Tony had never taken the easy road.
“Look, I got to go or this will get awkward fast, but can we do this again?”
Loki blinked. “Again?”
“Yeah. We’ll meet up, argue about who had to find the worst ingredient and then you’ll drag me close with your tentacles and we’ll kiss some more, hopefully without interruptions.”
Loki swallowed. He also looked at Tony as if he was unfathomable, but since Loki had admitted liking the unusual, Tony was hoping it worked in his favour.
And although it took a little longer than he wanted (and he started to feel the sting of disappointment), Loki eventually gave a very sharp nod. He also did something with his hand and held up a strangely shaped shell.
“When you next wish to see me… use this and I will come find you.”
Tony took it, their hands brushing and making Tony just want to kiss him again – but his friends were getting louder and they were out of time. He still darted in once more and gave Loki a quick peck on the lips. Loki looked surprised when he pulled back.
Tony just grinned and winked. “Until later, Lokes.”
He then pulled away from the octo and swum up through the holes in the shipwreck until he could poke his head out and wave at his friends. And even though he knew it would be a rush back to the kingdom and he’d have to carefully avoid explaining what had happened, Tony only felt excited.
After all, he had a date with an octo on the horizon and Tony couldn’t wait to learn even more about Loki – and explore some more of their differences.