fel dreams

gaslightgallows wrote this in response to my comment on their title meme:

It’s one of the few things Steve still has that no one can touch: the simple taste of citrus fruit, gone from Depression-era rarity to dizzingly common. And it’s one of the things he’s hesitant to share. But for one broken Asgardian prince, back from the dead one too many times to ever be quite whole again, he might consider making an exception.

And frankly, I couldn't resist, so here we are. [crosspost to AO3]:

It's cold, on the roof of the compound, and the forest all around them is dark and towering. Steve shuts the door to the roof behind him quietly, steps further out so he can see a bit better by the moonlight, then pauses.

There's someone else here.

It takes a very long few seconds for him to relax; he's been so keyed up since... everything, and as much as he appreciates the chance to relax out in the middle of nowhere, there's just--

They spent a long time running, once Thanos was dead.

"I know you're there," a rough and low voice says, and finally Steve knows who it is--Loki.

"I didn't know anyone else was up here," Steve says in reply, approaching cautiously. He's still not entirely sure what to make of Loki--Thor had said Thanos strangled him, and Steve believes that, and he believes Thor never thought to see Loki again. He didn't see Thor's face when Loki showed back up, skin tinged with the faintest orange glow; he was too busy staring at Bucky, somehow alive and whole, too busy with his own world. It wasn't until after that Steve... that any of them realized Loki was there.

Sometimes, just barely, Steve's seen the faintest flicker of orange at Loki's joints, a gleam in his eyes.

"Mm," is all Loki says in reply as Steve joins him at the edge of the roof. Steve leans against the thick ledge that Loki's sitting on.

He's seemed... different, from what Steve remembers. What any of them remember. But then, that was years and several disasters ago. In the silvery moonlight, he's all contrasts.

Steve doesn't comment how the light seems a lot warmer than it should where it touches Loki's skin.

"Can't sleep?" Steve asks.

"I am not up here to make conversation," Loki says, only his eyes sliding to view Steve askance, the slightest dip at the corner of his mouth.

"Alright." Steve looks away from Loki, looks out across the forest that swallows up the light, then up at the stars and sky. Steve's glad they aren't up there, that they're finally back on Earth, that things are finally starting to mend. It doesn't change how his stomach twists all the same staring up at the firmament.

They don't talk, and Loki doesn't look at Steve again. He just sits, a shadow in the periphery of Steve's vision. Eventually, Steve can feel the thoughts that propelled him up to the roof settle, the promise of sleep creeping into his bones, the lids of his eyes.

"Good night," Steve tells Loki.

Loki hums, a low and warm sound, but he does not turn from where he stares out across the forest.

If Steve's honest, he didn't expect him to.

( Read more... )