Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Loki took his tea outside; most days he avoided being outside, claiming that he disliked being ‘disturbed’ by unexpected wildlife. There really weren’t any insects or other creatures that could disturb him in the garden. Loki had made damn sure of that. There was so much magic buzzing around outside the manor, it was surprising that the squirrels hadn’t grown wings and flown off. The garden had been enchanted to remain exactly the same way all year round, so there was really no need to prune or weed. Steve had been thankful for that; at least he hadn’t had to go around on his hands and knees ripping up the plant life that had somehow managed to offend Loki. Strangely enough, Loki didn’t exactly hate animals, even if he claimed that he didn’t, and although the enchantment didn’t allow them to get up close and personal it did allow them to approach whenever he wanted to see something. Nothing was vaporized or exploded. They were just gently nudged in another direction.

Loki ordered the Shadows to set up a table amongst the shrubberies and hedge-animals, and then sat placidly in his favourite white wicker chair while they worked around him, setting everything up to his liking. It had looked a little odd at first, the way they moved around like ants escaping their hill. Steve helped as well, although what he got tasked with was more busy work than anything else. Loki didn’t want him to ruin the dress, so he wasn’t allowed to lift or move anything other than the chairs and vases that Loki wanted set out and arranged; he wasn’t even allowed to touch the flowers for fear of something sticky getting on the dress. Thankfully, the control spell had died down again, likely from Loki’s doing this time. It was a relief, to tell the truth. Steve felt itchy all over and while he was now able to try and stab Loki in the eye with a pastry fork, he couldn’t bring himself to do it for fear of losing what little free will he had. He horded his free will like a third grader might hoard Halloween treats, biding his time.

He had to be smart about this; his time would come, he just had to wait for it. If Loki had started this damned chain of events there might be something Loki could do to set things right. He just had to wait and see.

Once the tables and chairs were set up, everything in its place to the exact millimetre, the Shadows brought out refreshments and snacks. Two of Loki’s most prized teapots were carried out from the kitchen, along with the best china plates and cups the manor had to offer. Miraculously, all of it was brought out on a silver serving tray that Steve hadn’t seen before; he was pretty sure he had seen every last piece of cutlery, plate, cup and tray in the joint. It made him wonder where this one was from. Did it mean something that it had never been used before? It was polished so brightly you could have gone blind just looking at it, but it didn’t look all that special. The sun didn’t help much with the whole not going blind thing, but at least it gave Steve a reason to squint around the table in displeasure. This didn’t look like some kind of archaic magical ritual, but then again he hadn’t been in any to know the difference.

Plates piled high with cucumber sandwiches, cookies and pastries, were set out along the length of the table. Loki waved a hand and enchanted everything edible in range to keep it from spoiling in the warm sun; the Shadows had to have been putting in overtime to get this all done so quickly. He hadn’t seen them in the kitchen that morning, but then again Loki had insisted that they skip breakfast so it was possible that the Shadows had been slaving away for quite some time. Steve had often wondered when or if they slept; he had certainly never caught them at it. They had always just been there, awake and ready to go at any hour of the day. He had to keep reminding himself that they weren’t human, that they didn’t seem to feel things the same way people did. That was hard to do when he caught sight of them basking in the sun, shuffling about to find the warmest patch of grass to nestle down in. They weren’t tired at all, not even a little drowsy. Steve on the other hand was ready to pack it all in right then and there.

Steve inspected everything around him, blinking through his exhaustion. Eight chairs were arranged carefully along both sides of the table once all was said and done. Eight… that number seemed familiar, but he couldn’t remember why.

Loki lazed about in the sun, a broad smile on his face as he sunbathed, the wind blowing sparingly through his hair. He stole glances at the forest to the north of them, watching it with particular interest whenever he bothered to spare the interest at all. Steve started to watch the forest too, cautiously optimistic despite his heavy eyelids. “Are you expecting somebody?” Steve asked from one of the wicker chairs across from Loki.

Loki shrugged his shoulders. “Seems as good a time as any.” With that vaguely ominous little bit of information said, Loki fell silent going back to his sunbathing, as satisfied as a cat in a warm basket of clean laundry.

When night finally rolled around, Loki looked disappointed. He hadn’t touched any of the sandwiches, or the tea, and only a few of the cookies had disappeared; that had been Steve, who had been feeling bored enough to risk Loki’s wrath and had snagged a few when Loki was busy glaring at the forest as if it had been telling him offensive stories about his mother. Knowing Loki, maybe it somehow had. According to a few of the books Steve had read in Loki’s library, most of the creatures in Midgard had talkative spirits within them. Steve wouldn’t have been surprised to hear a few spouting off angry words, especially when it came to plants. He didn’t think they appreciated being pulled out and trimmed all the time. At least, he wouldn’t have appreciated it. Maybe he had been sitting out in the sun for too long. It was starting to feel a little like he had lost his mind.

“Enough. It seems they’re not coming tonight. Off to bed then. We’ll try again tomorrow.” Loki said, standing up with a grunt. He and was halfway to the door when a glimmering speck appeared on the horizon; it looked almost like a star had fallen, or maybe more like a cluster of them, five smaller lights surrounding the largest. Music poured through the air like molasses through water.

Steve’s heart leapt to his mouth; he stood up, knocking his chair over in his haste to get a better look. He could recognize Shoot to Thrill anywhere! It had never sounded so sweet.

It was Tony! It had to be Tony!

He could just make out a faint sparkle of starlight on silver as the machine flew closer in what appeared to be a mostly straight line; repulsor fire lit up the sky, darkness trying to swallow it up.

Loki strode around the table to stand behind Steve, gleefully rubbing his hands together. If he had had a moustache, he would have been twirling it in anticipation. “It seems your baby boy has gotten himself through the chaotic mess that is his mind. Good for him.”

There was something wrong with the armor’s trajectory, Steve realized as he choked on the stifling smell of Loki’s shampoo. As the armor flew closer, he could tell that things weren’t working as well as they should have been. Knowing what he did about the Iron Man, the propulsion should have been a lot smoother, the repulsors firing not as sporadically as they were. This version of the armor was a prototype version; Steve’s gut twisted with a mixture of excitement and terror. Tony must have rushed it into production without waiting to test it properly.

The armor got closer and closer, becoming much more than just a gleaming silver blip on the horizon. The moonlight bounced off the armor – the repulsors stuttered, popping, and the Iron Man dropped from the sky doing what under other circumstances might have been an impressive barrel roll.

Steve’s eyes widened. “Tony!” He screamed out, struggling against Loki’s inescapable grasp. He couldn’t move, forced to sit by and watch as Tony hit the ground. He regretted not swiping a pastry fork now. He would have loved to stab it into Loki’s hand.

The Iron Man crash-landed, vanishing into a crater of dust, dirt and grass a few feet away from the table; Tony had managed to slow the armor at the last minute, clipping Loki’s favourite heart shaped hedge while at the same time lighting the chicken shaped one on fire with the repulsors . Stones dropped down into the crater, striking the armor; it sounded like someone had tried to make popcorn when they rolled off the cooling metal.

Steve struggled, trapped as Loki’s arms wrapped tighter around him, hugging him close; he managed to elbow Loki in the gut, almost breaking free. He felt the free will rush out of him and fell slack in Loki’s grasp.

No!

Not now – not when Tony was so close –

Tony stood up with slow jerky movements; the armor creaked and groaned but held together despite the severity of the landing. It listed slightly to one side, but that didn’t seem to be causing any major problems.

“Let Steve go.” Tony called out, his voice synthesized and inhuman, booming into the night as Shoot to Thrill fell silent with an awkward squeal.

“And just why should I do that?” Loki taunted overtop Steve’s head, drumming his fingers on Steve’s scalp.

Tony raised his hands, his palms held out flat towards Loki. The repulsors embedded in his gauntlets glowed brighter, a high pitched hum building up.

“Let him go or so help me god I’ll melt your face off.” Tony said; Steve could almost hear the growl in his voice even though the mechanical tones of the Iron Man.

“I hardly think you’ll do that. Steve’s standing right here Tony,” Loki said, patting Steve on the top of the head again, as if Tony could have forgotten that somehow. “One shot from your little toy and he’ll be the one turning into charcoal, not me.”

Tony’s hands didn’t lower even marginally.

“I warned you.”

The repulsors went off with a whine; Steve stared blindly into the light as it tore across the lawn towards them. He couldn’t even raise his hands to defend himself, the spell to tightly wound around him. The replusor blasts tore through the table and chairs with no problem at all, striking Steve squarely in the chest. He didn’t even have the chance to yelp in surprise, and neither did Loki. He flew backwards, crashing into the ground amid the debris of whicker and wood. Steve rolled away from the wreckage as soon as he could feel his limbs again, coughing painfully as his lungs fought to draw in air; his entire body hurt, but it was a manageable hurt considering what had happened. He caught sight of Loki, who had been tossed backwards like a beanbag when Steve had hit him. The blow had done more than knock them apart; it had dissolved the spell holding him still and with his limbs tingling, Steve crawled through the grass to freedom.

Tony shot up into the air, raining repulsor blasts down at Loki’s prone form. There was an acrid smell in the air now, and a hint of grey smoke coming from Loki and the surrounding grass and debris. The chicken shaped hedge was ablaze behind Tony, the fire casting an orange glow over the silver of the suit.

Loki didn’t move. He lay prone on the ground, seemingly stunned by the blasts. It was pretty obvious that he hadn’t expected Tony to open fire, especially with Steve held in front of him like a good little meat shield. Loki hadn’t even thought to throw up his normal illusionary selves. The silver serving tray Steve had been admiring earlier fell to the ground and landed on Loki’s shoulder, dented and half melted from the heat of the blasts. The teapots were broken, chunks of broken china littering the landscape like shrapnel. When Loki woke up, he was going to be in one hell of a mood.

“Steve!”

Steve pulled himself up and charged towards Tony, wincing with each step. He might have broken his ribs when he had made contact with the blast, but he couldn’t have cared less. Tony landed with a crash in front of him, one knee bent. Tony had always been taller than him, but he seemed almost gigantic in the armor. Steve had to stand on the tips of his toes just to reach Tony’s face, but that was worth it.

Tony wrapped his arms gingerly around Steve, mindful of the machinery’s strength, the helmet’s faceplate snapping open.

“Hey gorgeous.” Tony whispered.

“Hey yourself.” Steve grinned at Tony; he was bleeding from where his head had connected with the ground, battered and bruised from having crawled across the grass, but he couldn’t stop grinning. The dress was ripped in the front and the stockings were stained with blood from his skinned knees. Under other circumstances he might have been embarrassed.

Tony grinned back.

He didn’t even comment on the dress. He just kissed Steve, his lips smashing into Steve’s almost knocking them both over. Steve wanted to drown in that kiss. He could taste metal and grease on Tony’s lips, and it was heavenly; Tony’s beard scratched against his cheeks, a welcome reminder that he was real and not just some fever dream. It was no longer the trimmed and sculpted creation it had been the day they had been separated, ignored while he worked. Steve had missed this beard – missed Tony so much it had hurt.

Tony cupped Steve’s face with his armored hands, the metal warm and smooth against Steve’s skin; he was crying with relief, trying to put on a brave face. He didn’t seem to notice the tears. “You’re alright? I didn’t hurt you – I mean I didn’t want to have to shoot with you in the way, but it was the only way I could get a shot at him that he wouldn’t be able to dodge – and I was sure you’d be alright because of the serum and – Steve –”

“God I love you.” Steve said, burying his face in Tony’s neck, wrapping his arms around Tony’s shoulders. “It’s alright. I’m alright. You’re here. We’re alright.”

“I love you too.” Tony whispered back. He slipped his left hand under Steve’s hips and lifted Steve up, standing with a groan. “We need to get the hell out of here before he gets back up. That won’t keep him out for long.” He said, firing up his boot repulsors, his brow furrowing in concentration as he focused on piloting.

Loki laughed from behind them. “No, it really won’t.”

Tony compensated for Steve’s added weight, bouncing lightly to the side with Steve tucked against his chest; his free arm went up, the repulsor blasting in Loki’s direction. It wasn’t enough. Loki was there and nowhere, multiplying as the wind snapped at Steve’s dress, cackling loudly. Each hit Tony managed to land sent the clones back to wherever they had come from, but they never stayed gone for long. With every clone Tony took down, three more popped into existence, a puff of green smoke heralding their appearance. Loki paced amongst his creations; his smirk growing ever larger each time Tony fired and missed.

“Stand still goddamnit!” Tony roared, twisting to fire at a clone sneaking up behind him. It exploded into green dust and then reappeared to his left, taking another shot to the face before it vanished and jumped again.

No matter how well-timed the blasts, Tony couldn’t get a bead on the real Loki; Loki loved it, twirling in and out of the line of fire, humming to himself.

“Really Stark, did you think I was so easy to take out? Did you imagine that one or two hits from your pathetic ray gun and I, a God, would be defeated? You’re delusional.” Loki tittered.

“You’re the one who’s delusional. I didn’t come alone you know.” Tony retorted. He aimed, at a clone and then whirled and snapped a shot off at the real Loki, clipping him. Loki skidded backwards, feet dragging across the grass as he deflected the brunt of the blast with his staff. He looked a little less amused now, much more serious, no longer playing around.

“I expected you to bring them – did you think me a fool? You humans always bring friends with you – although in your case…” Loki snarled, sending a beam of blazing green energy flying at Tony, “I didn’t think you had any.”

Tony skillfully piloted away, trying to take to the air, the suit whining from the stress of moving so quickly; sweat ran down his face. “Yeah, well – you’re one to talk. You know who told us where you were? Your little boyfriend –Victor Von Doom. I guess even he doesn’t like you all that much.”

“He’s hardly my boyfriend.” Loki laughed.

“He still betrayed you.”

“Come now boy, do at least try to be a challenge. Mind games are not your forte.” Loki muttered something under his breath and a ribbon of green energy swayed through the air, wrapping itself around Tony’s jet boots. They were yanked roughly back down to the ground, the repulsors screaming wildly. Steve held on for dear life as they plummeted, his fingers slipping against the smooth metal. With nothing in between him and the ground, he prepared for pain; Tony curled protectively around him, and then there was nothing to see but the dust cloud they threw up, thick and choking. Steve could barely make out what was going on, able only to cough and wheeze, his eyes watering, tears running down his face. His body ached from colliding with the armor’s gut, but he had survived the worst of it, and so had Tony. He could hear the sound of the armor humming as it tried to reboot and Tony’s coughs, punctuated by cursing; he hadn’t had time to close the faceplate before impact and so he had taken a face full of dirt in order to keep it out of Steve’s. Tony spat out a chunk of grass, dirt still attached. “Son of a bitch!” Tony growled as the armor whirred and clicked away, struggling with its workload. “Come on Jarvis – give daddy some sugar!”

“Recalibrating Sir. Expected wait time, ten seconds.” A voice rang out, a little more clipped and robotic than usual. It was still without a doubt, Jarvis.

“Is that…” Steve coughed.

“Yep. Say Hi to Steve, Jarvis. Got the name from you actually.” Tony said, gritting his teeth. “Come on, come on!”

“Hello Steve.” Jarvis said.

Steve coughed again, wiping spit on the back of his hand when it threatened to dribble down his chin. “Nice to meet you Jarvis.” He gasped, breaking out a fresh batch of coughs for the occasion.

“Likewise sir.”

The Shadows fixed their gaze on Tony, their heads snapping in unison to the left. They had been patiently watching on the sidelines like dreadful garden gnomes; the sound of Jarvis’s voice made them jump to action, like it had startled the lot of them from a nap. In an instant they had Tony and Steve surrounded, circling around them as the green magical ribbons unraveled from around the Iron Man’s legs. They used their hands and legs like rope, latching onto the armor and binding themselves to it, keeping Tony from taking flight again when the armor finally rebooted. They dug their feet into the hardened ground, their feet like fish hooks. Steve could feel the cold of them through his clothing as they piled on top of him, their bodies smelling of soil and freezer-burn. Within a few minutes he felt numb all over.

“Get off!” He coughed, swatting at them. They didn’t pay him any attention, deaf to his pleas.

Loki laughed, amused by the sight of them tangled together. He paced around them, the clones pacing as well, mirroring his movements. “I can’t believe you thought that your pathetic toy could do anything against me. Did I teach you nothing when I visited?”

“You taught me that I had to think outside the box.” Tony grunted. He smashed at the Shadows with his unrestrained fist, sending the ones he hit flying away. They left deep gouges in the metal, their claws unable to keep them attached; Steve was jostled with each blow, rattling away against the armor. He tucked himself into a ball with a flinch as one of the Shadow’s arms came too close for comfort, trying to become as small as possible.

The Shadows didn’t appreciate the attacks Tony was throwing their way any more than they appreciated dust on the dining room table. They shrieked in unison, the sound so high-pitched it seemed to make the air buzz; Steve squeezed his eyes shut, his ears ringing. It was too much, too loud too quickly. He hung on to Tony tightly, trying to keep from passing out as his head started pounding away like it had gotten a hold of a couple of pots and pans, banging them together again and again. The metal of Tony’s suit seemed to make the sounds even higher pitched, the notes rebounding and reverberating into the hollows and creases of the metal container. Tony let out a scream of agony.

Steve pried his eyes open and clapped his hands over Tony’s ears, trying to muffle the sounds; sweat streamed down his face as he struggled against the agony as his ears paid the price. Tony had to be safe. He had to keep Tony safe!

Tony trembled, wrapping both his arms around Steve. “I can’t lose you again. I can’t.” Tony gritted out. A beeping noise started, soft in comparison to the shrieking. “Hang on Steve. They’re almost here.”

The sky crackled with lightening and the shrieking stopped as if shut off by the throw of a switch; Thor landed with a thump in front of them, his hammer pointed directly at Loki, his helmet not even slightly askew. The change in the weather had crept up on them slowly, cold seeping through the air and into the ground, taking its time to grab hold of everything it touched; with the Shadows around, Steve hadn’t been able to notice the air pressure change, and boy was it something!

His skin prickled as the new cold smashed away the old, the numbness vanishing into a delicate burn. He blinked, looking up at the sky through his singed bangs as the first raindrops began to fall. He wiped away the rain on his face, spotting the approaching Avengers as they were lit by bolts of lightning piercing the dark clouds. The sound of thunder rolled through the air; Steve could feel each crack as it rattled the Iron Man.

He grinned at the sight of his team.

“Brother! Stop this now! You do your family great dishonor by playing these ceaseless games!” Thor roared, taking a step towards his brother.

Loki shrieked with laughter, doubled over by the intensity of his mirth. “Surely, you jest.”

Thor frowned at Loki; the certainty in his face was gone, replaced by confusion. “Have you not listened to a word I have said brother? Have you no shame? Do you wish to besmirch your honor so much that you would continue to defy Father’s wishes?” Thor growled.

“Father’s orders? Oh, that is the best joke of them all Brother.” Loki growled darkly. The Shadows slithered across the ground towards Thor through the grass on all fours, their legs dragging along behind them. They lunged away from Tony and snapped at Thor, mouths filed with razor sharp and jagged teeth. They had never looked this vicious before, never raising a hand to do more than straighten a crooked bedspread. Steve shuddered, hugging himself in the rain. He tried to catch sight of One Eye, but couldn’t spot him in the crowd.

Thor bellowed out a war cry, unconcerned by the approaching creatures. He swung Mjolnir at his attackers, ready for battle. The hammer passed clean through the first creature without causing any damage, the attackers hissing at him as they charged across the grass; the first Shadow from the throng twisted and cartwheeled through the air, grabbing at Thor with its spindly hands. The others soon followed after. Thor staggered through the swing of Mjolnir, his arms pulled against his body and pinned to his sides as the Shadows dog piled on top of him. The first Shadow slid down to Thor’s legs, the others curling together until they were so intertwined that he couldn’t move fight. Those near the ground dug their legs deep into the earth; their teeth pierced Thor’s flesh as they bit down hard, yet not a drop of blood trickled from the wounds.

Thor roared in rage.

Mjolnir dropped from his fingers as the Shadow on his arm bit deeper, falling to the ground beside him with an unnatural clank. “Loki! What perverse magics have you been playing with? Do you not know what they are? How dangerous they can be in Midgard?” His eyes flashed as the rest of the Avengers came charging out of the woods, running in formation. “Friends, you must be careful –”

“Oh please.” Loki flapped a hand at Thor. “I know my own magics. Do you think me dumb?”

“Brother! Do not do this!” Thor pleaded. “You are better than this – you are not a monster!”

Loki snorted, wiping imaginary dust off of his hands, adjusting his sleeves. “You preach over and over, but this is the same argument we had when I was but a child. I am my own being. One day you will accept it as I have. I make my own decisions. I do not kneel for Odin, or for Laufey and I will never kneel for you.”

The Avengers darted closer as Thor struggled against the Shadows; Howard trailed behind the others huffing and puffing as he tried to keep up with their brutal pace. Loki clapped slowly when he noticed Howard, smirking even harder, clearly pleased with the show. Howard looked like he was going to pass out.

Why had they brought him? Bucky had said that he was never in the field, so why was he here now? Steve craned his neck to watch.

Loki stalked away from his brother to watch Howard stagger through the long grass, chuckling to himself in delight when Howard nearly tripped on a misshapen root. He clapped again, slower and louder this time. “Oh bravo! Look at you. Well done old man. Did they bring you to be a distraction?” He called out, giving Howard a wolf whistle. “Lovely form – ten out of ten! I’m sure the judges will all agree. You’ll have to stick the landing though, or else it will all be for naught.”

“LOKI!” Bucky bellowed as he thundered towards Loki, his feet denting the ground and flattened the grass; he was a sight to behold, muscles bulging as he jumped the crater. Loki dodged the first attack, nimbly swirling away. He slapped Bucky in the back of the head, expertly stepping out of the way of the shield as it flew from Bucky’s hands with a loud gloing. His staff materialized beside him and he grasped it with a smile, rolling it between his hands.

Bucky dropped face down in the dirt with an audible oomph; the Shield rolled away on edge, colliding with the side of Tony’s armor where it promptly fell over, Captain America unarmed with a single blow.

Tony uncurled the Iron Man out, muttering away incoherently to Jarvis; it was more of a struggle than Steve had thought, and the armor seemed to be unwilling to do what Tony wanted even with Jarvis working his own brand of magic. The servos in the right hand side of the armor’s body grinded loudly, metal screaming against metal as Tony forced the armor to cooperate. He managed to right himself but remained slightly hunched over with his arm raised up to protect Steve. “Ready?” Tony grunted, eyeballing Steve.

He was ready, Steve realized with a grin. Energy seemed to be pumping through his veins, his muscles taunt and ready to attack. He stared down at the shield; it was here, his to do with what he wanted again. He never had been any good at sitting on the sidelines.

“It’s alright Tony.” Steve said. “We’re going to be fine.” He slid off of Tony’s chest and plucked the shield from the grass, brushing off a bit of stubborn mud that had stuck to the edge. He held it in his hands, the weight as familiar as it had been the first day he had held it in his memories. He caught sight of a dark shape moving towards him - He jumped backwards as the shadow of the Hulk passed by, nearly bumping into Tony as he slid in the mud.

The Hulk’s roar seemed to make the rain freeze in its tracks. He landed on Loki feet first, sending them both deep into the earth, clumps of soil and grass flying everywhere; at first Steve thought that they had won with just that one move, the Hulk’s hands blurring as they struck at the ground, limbs moving so fast that it almost didn’t look like he had hands at all. Then the Hulk staggered backwards clutching the back of his neck, hitting the ground with an almighty thud as he tripped on the edge of the crater he had made; the ground shook, everything around them trembling. The rain started to pour again; no one seemed immune to its charms, their hair and clothing sticking to their bodies.

“Wretched creature! Be gone!” Loki screamed, reappearing with a flash of green light and a splash of mud. He wiped at himself, spitting out a mouthful of grass, muttering ancient asgardian when he realized that the muck wasn’t coming off but merely smearing in deeper.

With the Hulk down, the rest of the Avengers took over. Clint aimed at the back of Loki’s head and fired three shots at once all while still running towards his fallen companions. “How pathetic…” Loki scowled as the arrows tore through the air towards him; with a snap of his fingers, each bolt was devoured by magic, the arrows dissolving into ash before they could get close. Clint backed off when he realized what had happened to his arrows, turning and grabbing Howard’s arm before the old man could make an ill-advised dash for Steve. He put some distance in between them and Loki, warily eyeing the villain; Steve could see him calculating odds even as he ran, dragging Howard along after him. Howard didn’t look like he wanted to listen, but somehow Clint managed to keep him safe.

This had gone on long enough. “Are the repulsors still running?” Steve asked, raising the shield up. He wasn’t going to sit by any longer. He had his shield back, and his friends needed him.

“How did you know –” Tony stuttered in surprise.

“It’s not important. Are they running?”

“Yes. Seventy percent power, but it’s dropping fast.”

“Alright. We can do this then. Get ready.”

Steve knew he was crazy the moment he started sprinting, the shield held in his hands; that didn’t stop him from flinging the shield at Loki as hard as he could. Loki turned away from Clint to gawk at him, eyes wide with disbelief as the shield slammed into the side of his head, bowling him over.

Steve didn’t wait for a reaction. He slid through the mud, kneeling down to check and see if Bucky was alright; the ache of his scraped knees and bruised ribs was gone, his body recovering unexpectedly fast. If the Serum was a person he could have kissed it. Hell, he would have French kissed it. Tony probably wouldn’t have minded.

Bucky rolled over with a groan and looked up at him from the muck, coughing and sputtering. “Steve.”

“You alright?” Steve asked, taking a quick assessment of Bucky’s health. The blow had dazed him temporarily, but it didn’t look like the damage was anything more than superficial. A scratch on the side of Bucky’s face was bleeding, but not heavily. He was a little mud splattered, but no worse for wear.

Steve let out sigh of relief. The way Buck had stayed down had worried him; if a slap to the back of the head from Loki could knock Captain America down, what would it do to him?

That was good.

They could work with this.

“You little bastard!” Loki shrieked as he struggled upright with the shield clenched angrily in one hand. He hurled it backwards, trying to get it out of Steve’s range, and then outright snarled in frustration when it was scooped up by Natasha; she had snuck up behind him while the others were fighting, silent and deadly as always when she was given darkness to work with. She kicked Loki in the face and then sprang over him as he staggered from the impact, running to Bucky’s side with the shield in hand.

She knelt down beside Bucky, looking extremely calm. She mumbled something in Russian to Bucky and then set the shield down beside his hand. Bucky muttered something back, scowling at her, looking embarrassed.

“Rogers –” Natasha growled dangerously when she saw Steve reaching for the shield. She always had been good at reading people; he hadn’t expected her to pick up on his thoughts this fast, considering they had only met the one time, but it didn’t surprise him. He had been proud to work with her before, and always would be. He smiled at her, confidently scooping the shield up. She scowled at first and then smiled tentatively back. “I hope you know what you’re doing…” She said.

“So do I.” Steve stood up slowly, hands curling around the edges of the shield. He had hit Loki once, he could do it again; he had no doubts, no fears, only the knowledge that Loki was going down. Of course, he hadn’t expected Bucky to grab him by the ankle when he had made his plan; moving would have been a hell of a lot easier if he had.

Steve hit the ground like an octopus trying to walk on land, a tangle of legs and arms and shield with Bucky’s hand clamped firmly around his ankle. He swore loudly as he tried to untangle himself, his ribs aching, pain blossoming in his chest. “Bucky –” Steve pushed himself upright on his elbows, the shield trapped uncomfortably against his chest; he was lucky he hadn’t broken anything when he had landed on it. It felt like he was struggling against a bear trap. He couldn’t free himself from Bucky’s grasp even when he kicked, not that he had wanted to kick Bucky in the shoulder like he had; Steve wasn’t sure if he should be happy or not that Bucky didn’t even seem to feel the blow. Either way, he was far from pleased with what had happened.

“You’re going to get yourself killed Steve. Stay down, for god’s sake! Nat can keep you safe. And what the hell are you wearing?” Bucky growled, giving Steve a once over, his lips curling in disgust when he caught sight of the dress close up; maybe he hadn’t seen it before, the rush too fast, but it was clear that he didn’t approve of it. He stood up and letting go of Steve’s ankle, dusting off his pants as if to brush away anything associated to Steve too. He squinted at Natasha, giving her a funny look as Steve squirmed beside them, temporarily ignored; she nodded absently, seeming to understanding his unspoken words even if she wasn’t outright saying it. Still, it was a surprise when she grabbed Steve by the wrist lifting him up like he was a sack of potatoes she was meaning to peel for supper. Steve dangled for a second in mid-air before finding his footing standing on shaking legs, still clutching the shield in his arms.

“I’ll be back in a minute, and then we’ll talk.” Bucky grunted, pointing in Steve’s direction. He ran towards Loki again with his teeth bared, forgetting the shield as he caught Loki’s gaze. “This won’t take long. I’m going to smear this bastard across the ground, you just watch!”

“Bucky – wait!” Steve started, wanting to sprint after Bucky. “Hey,” He jerked backwards as Natasha refused to let him go, irritated by her sudden lack of trust. “You don’t have to do this Natasha.”

“I do. I promised him. He made me swear.” She kept Steve immobile with a hand wrapped around his wrist, her Widow’s Bite flashing ominously. He didn’t think she would use it, but he didn’t want to take the chance that she would either so he stayed still, simply watching the fight unfold before him. Bucky’s attack didn’t go over so well; he had probably been expecting to send Loki into the dirt with the punch he leveled at the villain. Unfortunately, he seemed to forget that he had become a bit of a one trick pony without his shield in hand. Steve and Natasha flinched in unison when Bucky sailed through the air past them, legs kicking wildly, smashing into Thor and the Shadows holding him upright; the Shadows convulsed and writhed, flicking Bucky away from their mass, uninterested in him. They refused to release Thor, winding around him even tighter. Bucky landed with a grunt on his knees beside Mjolnir looking dizzy and faintly chagrinned. He smacked himself in the forehead as if to get control of himself again. The fresh mud splattered across his face looked almost like blood in the low light.

“Nat – get Steve out of here!” Bucky shouted, struggling to get up so that he could take another dive at Loki; his knees were caked with mud, his legs unsteady. He didn’t seem to be thinking straight anymore, turning and hurling himself at Loki as if something might happen if he managed to hit Loki hard enough. He always had gone a little berserk when he had gotten into a good fight; Steve had once admired him for that, but now he was starting to regret ever having encouraged the behavior.

Loki scowled as Bucky recklessly charged towards him again, clearly just as unimpressed with Bucky’s decision making skills as Steve was. “Have you learned nothing? You can’t beat me with your fists, mortal. You do nothing but cause damage to everything else around you with this idiocy.” He glided forwards as if walking on air, avoiding Bucky with ease. He moved with purpose towards Natasha and Steve, shaking his head looking disappointed. “Enough foolishness. I will reclaim what’s mine.” Loki lashed out, striking at Natasha with his staff, his eyes glinting in rage when she refused to go down without a fight. She dodged the staff, kicking at Loki’s knees all while keeping Steve out of harm’s way by yanking him along with her. It must have been hard on her shoulders, lugging him around, but she managed it somehow, cursing in Russian every time Loki blocked a blow.

“Go chase someone else, bastard.” Natasha spat, pushing Steve out of the way. Loki staggered from the punch she threw next, the Widow’s Bite springing into action; Loki smiled darkly down at her, rubbing his arm where he had been struck. “Ohh… it stings.”

Her eyes narrowed.

He snapped his fingers; she did a backflip and tried to kick him in the groin. A burst of green magic knocked her head over heels, but didn’t keep her down. Frustrated by her determination, Loki let out a long sullen sight. “Enough. Your flexibility is admirable dear lady, but sadly nothing I am interested in. Sing my darlings, regale us with a song!”

At first Steve didn’t know who Loki was talking to. It wasn’t like he was going to break into song after all, and he had never heard Loki call anyone else darling. Then it hit him. He clamped his hands over his ears. The Shadows started wailing again, the sound thrumming and pulsating through the air as they each picked a different pitch. Each screech sent shivers down Steve’s spine; the rain ceased with a crack of thunder and then there was nothing but wet grass and mud beneath Steve’s feet, treacherous and slippery. The shrieking was excruciatingly loud, worse than it had been before, ripping away any and all concentration Steve could muster. The Avengers faltered all at once, unable to adapt to the sound; they had been prepared to fight, but not like this. Their comms did nothing to block out the shrieking, in fact they seemed to just make things worse, static screaming out from their microphones to join the Shadow’s cry. Clint and Howard toppled over as their headsets were hit with a wave of feedback, knees hitting the wet ground heavily as they slapped their hands over their ears to try and pull the headsets free with trembling fingers.

Steve reeled and pitched forwards, sure that his ears were about to start bleeding. He managed to keep his balance, but it was a very near thing. He staggered towards Bucky with Natasha stumbling along after him, both of them barely staying upright, each step threatening to send them to their knees in defeat.

Loki didn’t even seem to hear the song he was conducting; he reveled in delight as he watched his victims stagger around, eyes half lidded. “Beautiful.” He murmured as he levitated off the ground, sneering down at them. He waved his staff magnanimously, making the Shadows sway in place as he took his place as conductor. “Yet again you do nothing but amuse me. You mortals are so weak and pathetic even when you try to do something together. You don’t think about anything do you, you merely act. It’s no wonder my brother loves to spend his days with you.”

“Brother – Stop this.” Thor bellowed, biting one of the Shadows when it got too close to his face.; he was the only one unaffected by the shrieking, the only one still able to move. The creature shrieked louder and bit him back. It didn’t seem to faze Thor, who started gnawing on the limb he had captured like a rabid dog.

“You keep saying that – Stop this – Stop that! Brother, grow up and open your eyes. I am not the yearling you played games with, nor am I the child whose doll you destroyed on Odin’s orders. I will not be controlled by you or any of your family!” Loki roared, waving his staff.

“The doll was possessed Loki. You could not see it, but Father did. Mother was too kind hearted, too willing to offer a second chance to the creature she had trapped inside it. The creature did not deserve your company! You were better than her!” Thor yelled as he spat out the Shadow’s arm, the creature’s limb dismembered neatly with a click of his teeth; black blood oozed through his teeth, his look so angry it was hard to tell who was scarier, him or the Shadows.

“Lies!” Loki screamed in rage. The Shadows began to shriek louder in response, the air shimmering around them. “All you do is tell lies!”

Steve moved without thinking.

He grabbed Mjolnir’s handle and pulled with all his might, his muscles straining from the effort. Mjolnir was light, like a feather in his hands, coming free from the ground without as much as a hint of protest. Steve stared at the hammer in awe, watching mud drip off the head.

Up above him, Loki was staring with a similar expression on his face. “Impossible!” Loki screamed; he would have been stomping his feet if he was on the ground, Steve could just feel it.

It didn’t matter. Steve hefted the hammer over his shoulder and charged past Natasha, who stepped out of his way, her eyes wide with shock; he heard the sound of Tony flying towards him, the suit squealing and rattling as it attempted to keep airborne. He knew then that they would win. Tony wrapped his arms delicately around Steve’s waist, lifting him up into the air, pouring all the power into the boot repulsors. They shot up into the sky with a high pitched whine, and Loki didn’t stand a chance. Steve swung as hard as he could; his aim was true, even if it was a little off.

Mjolnir connected with Loki’s head; Steve had been aiming for Loki’s shoulders, but this was as good as it could get, considering. Loki’s nose broke, blood dribbling down his chin in crimson rivulets as he tumbled out of the air, the magic around him dispelling with a blast of cold air. He managed to break his fall with his staff, gasping as he landed in the muck that had once been his manicured lawn. He tried to crawl upright using his hands and knees to gain some kind of leverage, but the mud was too slick, too willing to cling for him to get much of a grip. His fingers dug into the mushy grass, gouging out marks as he struggled to control his now trembling body.

“Damn you Rogers.” Loki spat bitterly, eyes flashing.

“Tell them to stop.” Steve growled down at Loki.

Loki’s arms shook, his eyes unfocused as he met Steve’s gaze. “Fine.” He spat out, snapping his finger. The Shadows fell silent, the ungodly shrieking gone in an instant.

Seeing Loki down, Howard and Clint crept closer, slinking through the battle ground and around the Shadows. Clint scooted across the grass to grab the unconscious Hulk who rolled over, groaning. “Hey buddy, you alright?” He asked, leaning over the Hulk’s head, patting him on the forehead to get his attention.

“Hulk ow.” Hulk grumbled and passed out. He reverted back into a very naked Bruce Banner. Bruce probably wasn’t going to appreciate the impromptu mud bath he was getting, Steve thought wryly as Bruce started slipping down the banks of the crater in the buff. Clint gestured to Natasha, and she threw him a balled up shirt she had pulled out of god knows where. Together they worked at dragging Bruce out of the crater, struggling with the loose muck.

“You two alright down there?” Steve called out.

Clint gave him a thumbs up, and then slipped in the mud; he nearly took Natasha into the pit with him but thankfully she wasn’t as easily unbalanced. She snagged Clint by the shirt and hauled the pair of them out one muddy inch at a time, her teeth bared.

Howard took a few stumbled steps towards Steve with his hands raised up in front of him, his mouth half open in shock. He didn’t speak, merely looking from the Iron Man prototype suit to Steve, not understanding what had happened between the two of them; he seemed poised as if to flee, concerned by the power and elegance of the damaged suit. His eyes narrowed, greed slipping out when he realized that it was Tony in the suit and not some stranger. The bastard probably thought he was going to get a new toy to market to the army.

Steve paid Howard no attention. He stared down at Loki, fighting against the urge to do real damage to the god, to give him a worthy punishment. He had been waiting weeks for this, endless, painful weeks. He had Mjolnir, and with it, he could snuff out the creature that had tormented him. Steve looked to Thor then, sighing in resignation when he saw the look on Thor’s face, the hurt layered there too much for him to willingly block out. He knew then that he couldn’t do it, even if he wanted to. This was Thor’s brother; Loki might not be of Thor’s blood, but he was still loved, even if he was a heartless bastard. There were other ways to punish cruelty than with murder in the name of vengeance; imprisonment would be a thousand times worse to Loki than death, Steve was sure of it. Death was too quick, too easy to forget, but imprisonment… well imprisonment would mean Loki thinking about what he had done until the day he died. Steve motioned for Tony to lower them and then gently set the hammer on the curve of Loki’s back to keep him from running off before justice could be done; Loki thrashed against the hammer, unable to fight against Mjolnir’s might. He was flattened against the ground, his fingers sinking even deeper into the grass and soil as he tried to claw himself free. He twisted his neck so that he could look up at Steve from the ragged nest of torn grass, glaring full force. Steve was surprised his eyes weren’t bleeding from the effort.

“How dare you –”

“There’s no excuse for what you did. You took me away from my friends against my will and you’ve tortured people for years –frankly, I think you need to grow up and take responsibility for your actions.” Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not getting out of this. It’s time you faced the music.” Tony grinned down at Loki, one arm wrapped protectively around Steve’s shoulder; the armor was tilting to the left and faintly smoking but it had stood up to everything thrown at it. Steve was proud of it, proud that Tony had done what he always did when he was challenged. Not even a little thing like his lover being kidnapped had stopped him from becoming stronger than ever. He leaned back against Tony, enjoying the embrace, feeling the hum of the armor in his bones.

“And what do you expect will happen now? Hm?” Loki spat viciously. “Shall we all gather in a circle and sing campfire songs to celebrate your victory?”

“You’ll send the Shadows away and let my friends go.” Steve ordered, leaning forwards against Tony’s arm. He may not have been Captain America anymore, but they had won and Loki had lost; to the victor go the spoils, and he was going to make sure of that.

Loki laughed loudly wincing as Mjolnir pressed down on him with each breathe he took. “And what exactly do you think that will solve my lovely little doll? Sure, you’ll be back at home with the right Stark and the Avengers at your side, but you’ll always know that this world isn’t meant to be. You’re not supposed to be like this – none of them are supposed to be this way and you, dear Steve, know it. And of course… one day it will end and you’ll be nothing more than bone and dust. This world is dying, and you’re not going to be able to stop it.” Loki wheezed. “No matter how sternly you stare at it, it won’t comply.”

“Steve? What’s he talking about?” Tony asked, confused.

“You can taunt all you like Loki. As long as things are set right here, we can always rebuild what was broken. I can’t change what happened, and I can’t take away the pain and suffering caused because of my decisions, but I can take responsibility and make sure that they don’t happen again. We can fix this world the right way. This doesn’t need to end badly. We still have time.” Steve said.

“A wise ideal Princess, but one built on flawed logic.” Loki sneered. He noticed that his lower lip was bleeding, and licked at it.

“What are you talking about?” Steve snapped, pulling himself free from Tony’s grasp.

“You’re assuming too much…” Loki moved his hand through the mud and the Shadows that hadn’t joined in on the fight swarmed around him, digging and pushing at the his body; Mjolnir rolled off of Loki’s back as Loki was forcibly shifted, mud splashing everywhere as it hit the ground. Loki tried to dust himself off as he rose but didn’t manage to do anything more than smear mud into his clothing. He coughed and then broke out in giggles at the look of irritation on Steve’s face. “Oh, you’re just precious!”

He leaned heavily against his staff, looking too tired to move or attack and maybe a bit satisfied. Steve didn’t like that look one bit. Loki motioned for the Shadows to back away from him, brushing mud slick stands of hair out of his pale face. “You assume a lot of things Princess.”

“And just what did I assume?”

“You assume that you’re the one who started all of this off. You’re also assuming that you know what the crystal needs for completion – you lack the real reason. It was a valiant effort to be sure, but again, built on flawed logic. You think that I told you everything.” Loki chuckled darkly. “Please – I know better than to put all my eggs in one basket boy.” He spat out a mouthful of blood, idly prodding a loose tooth.

“What?” Steve grunted. “What are you talking about?”

“Shut up Loki. We’re done here.” Bucky snapped. He stumbled forwards, knocking Tony out of the way as he put himself in front of Steve, blocking Loki’s view as if that would end the conversation. Tony tipped over, trying frantically to keep himself from going ass over teakettle; he ended up on one knee, the armor clanking and scraping against itself as it tried to compensate for power loss. The arc reactor sputtered as it tried to keep everything running, the blue light flickering on and off.

“Tony –” Steve turned, concerned.

“He’s fine. Steve.” Bucky grabbed him by the shoulders, turning Steve back around forcefully so that they were facing each other. Steve couldn’t help the flinch that came with that touch; the viciousness of the turn far too easy to understand. Bucky’s eyes were the only thing Steve could recognize with the cowl up. He looked like a stranger, like he was Captain America the hero and not Bucky Barnes, his friend. It was disconcerting that he could pull the two apart, strange to see two different faces looking at him at the same time with the same eyes.

“Bucky… can you…” Steve gestured to the cowl, shaken by the revelation. He needed to see Bucky’s face; he had talked to enough masks. Bucky sighed, and pulled the cowl down with reluctance in his eyes. His brown hair was matted against the top of his head, sweat running down the sides of his face, his cheeks smeared with dirt and blood. He was Bucky now, the Bucky that Steve remembered. He hadn’t looked like this in a long time.

“Steve, don’t listen to him. He’s lying to you.” Bucky gritted out.

“What are you talking about?” Steve asked, puzzled.

“He’s ashamed of course. I’d expect that from someone so pathetic that they can’t even admit that they’re obsessed with someone –” Loki chuckled.

Bucky turned, glaring at Loki. “You shut up!”

“Why should I? You think I owe you anything Barnes? We had a good run while it lasted, but all good things come to an end, don’t you agree?” Loki shrugged his shoulders. “Time does not simply last forever.”

“You need to shut your fucking mouth right now you fa –”

“Or what?” Loki stepped forward, bracing himself with his staff. He couldn’t put much weight on his left leg, but he still looked threatening, his eyes flashing and teeth bloody.

“Or I’ll smash you one –” Bucky said, raising his fist.

“Oh please. You’ll smash nothing, you petulant child. You’re the one who started all of this, and you’re the one who’s going to end it. Why don’t you just do us all a favor and admit it! You would have saved your friend a lot of suffering if you had just had the courage to speak up instead of hiding it like a good little homophobe.” Loki jeered. “Or would you prefer I use your word? A good little faggot? Personally I dislike that word. It disgusts me, much the same way you do.”

“Shut up!”

Bucky yanked his hands off of Steve’s shoulders and took a swing at Loki; it wasn’t the most impressive move, nor was it the most effective. Bucky found his feet kicked out from under him by one of the Shadows, who sped around Loki’s legs to its master’s aid. This wasn’t any old Shadow; this was a Shadow that Steve recognized, one who he had spent a lot of time with over the past few weeks. One Eye wrapped his arms and legs around Bucky, pinning him to the ground where he landed, coiling around him in the muck; Bucky thrashed and struggled, cursing up a storm when he couldn’t break free. One Eye looked at Steve, its head turning as if it’s neck didn’t have any bones at all, making it seem like it had spun its head completely around in a circle. Steve returned its gaze, unafraid.

“Tell him, or I will. It’s as simple as that.” Loki grumbled. “I have waited far too long for this.”

“Tell me what?” Steve asked, forcing himself to looking away from One Eye. He knelt when he saw that Bucky was trying to speak, leaning closer to Bucky’s head; even if he had tried to pry the Shadows hands and legs off of his friend, it wouldn’t have worked. One Eye was far too strong for that.

“I…” Bucky whispered, his face screwed up, eyes watering in frustration as he struggled. “I just wanted to keep you safe.”

“That’s not it at all – tell him! Now!” Loki roared.

“I’m the one who asked for this – not you. I… I thought about it that night in the hospital after you left me, and… Loki answered. He changed things somehow – made it so that you hadn’t been the one to become Captain America, and gave me the chance to take over. I thought that the world needed a better role model and then… and then the mantle fell to me and it all went wrong.” Bucky whispered bitterly, looking like he wanted to reach up and touch Steve’s face. Steve flinched away, balancing precariously on his heels; his dress hitched up, revealing the pale curve of his calves and the stained red of the garter and stockings around his thigh; mud streaked up his bare legs, smearing all over his skin. Bucky flushed, eyes hungrily tracing the red fabric for a moment before returning to Steve’s face as Steve hastily yanked the dress back down.

“You did this? You… you what… you asked Loki for help so that you could ruin my life? You asked him to make me suffer – to make Tony suffer?” Steve’s voice broke. He felt disoriented but it was no spell, caused instead by the horror that came with understanding what had really happened to him.

He hadn’t thought that Bucky could be so stupid. Bucky was supposed to be his friend! He was supposed to know better than to mess with things he didn’t understand! Magic wasn’t a game!

“I didn’t know he could actually do anything! I just thought he was some pretty nurse trying to listen to an injured soldier!” Bucky protested, struggling against One Eye’s unwavering grasp.

“To be fair,” Loki cut in with a snort, “I had no way of knowing what the crystal would do once I applied it to our dear James. There is not much lore left that tells of the correct application of a Crystal of Change. Most of what exists was lost when Odin had the records purged. Thankfully I had some information of my own, untouched by Odin’s careless hands. I have of course used one before. And with the first crystal’s success, I felt it was unnecessary to fear it. It needed skin contact with the subject to work, so I thought nothing of carrying it with me to the Hospital.”

“And what, it did something you didn’t expect?”

“It used its magic to reach out to Barnes, knocking itself from my hand as I studied it. Naturally, I tried to take it away again.”

“Naturally.” Steve growled, wiping his muddy hands on the dress.

Loki looked offended by that, but continued talking, his voice a little more waspish than before. “But of course it had gone by then, vanished before my very eyes. I told you earlier, there are only three left, and that is no lie. The rest of the Maiden’s Tears were failures, and people don’t talks about the failures, now do they. They speak only of the successes, of the glory that was to come. If I had to guess, it seems that the crystal took Barnes intentions and supplemented them with yours. Rare, but not unheard of from the few tales I was able to recover. If two minds do not meet, well, it’s much harder to fulfil the wish, isn’t it? Of course I couldn’t know this for certain until I had the crystal back – and the damned thing was gone for seventy years, hiding in the one place I couldn’t look – your pathetic mortal innards.” Loki grumbled, wiping the blood from his lips on the back of his pale hand, eyeing it curiously as if it was something he had never seen before. “Had I but one of your Midgardian x-ray machines, this would have been so much easier.”

“I’m surprised you let that stop you.” Steve glowered.

“Please, I no more like innards than you do. Sticking my hand in your pathetic gut would have done nothing useful – aside from killing you of course. As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me, it took the intentions Barnes had in his heart and not his head and applied them to you – his heart wanted something different than his head as you can well imagine. You on the other hand just wanted him to understand your feelings for Stark.” Loki shook his head. “And of course you two were, on some level thinking the same thing.”

“I don’t follow you.”

Loki let out a frustrated sigh. “Love, you stupid idiot! You both wanted love. Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“I think you should watch your mouth there pal.”

“Oh please. Stop interrupting and listen for once.”

“I’m listening.” Steve snapped. “When haven’t I been listening? I’ve been listening to you prattle on for months –“

“The crystal,” Loki interrupted with a growl,“worked with what it had, applying your wishes with what was in his mind and heart. Naturally, it did what it felt was best to fix the problem it was handed. I had wondered why it had taken so long to appear again in this world. With the first crystal it reappeared almost instantaneously, but then again, I suppose it did have its work cut out for it. Tricky thing, answering two questions at once. Such a pain. It became a problem, I suppose. Barnes is such a stubborn little thing; I’m honestly surprised that we haven’t all died in the meantime.”

“Shut up!” Bucky snarled, struggling harder against the Shadows. “You shut up!”

“What problem? What are you talking about?” Steve sighed wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“The problem my dear… is that Barnes had two conflicting wishes. Like most midgardians, he was not using his brain. He wanted one thing while simultaneously wanting another. The crystal did not like what was in his head, so it searched for a new mind connected with his –yours, to supply it with a logical question. The crystal has a mind of its own Steve. They all do. Honestly, did you learn nothing from the Maiden’s Tears when I gave it to you?” Loki rolled his eyes.

“I thought you said they could fail! Why would it be looking for logic if –”

“Yes.” Loki sighed dramatically, waving a hand at Steve. “And this is why it has failed in the past with others. It has a mind of its own. It simply tried to do too many things and those who touched it got pulled in without the proper knowledge to end the spell. I told you – you’re lucky I’m easily entertained. Honestly, you mortals are so foolish some days. It’s like talking with children.”

Steve looked from Bucky to Loki and back. Loki had lied so many times; it was hard to believe that this might be true. But if it was… if it was then he hadn’t been entirely responsible for what the crystal had done to the world. Still, it didn’t matter who had caused the change in the first place – If it had been Steve’s thoughts and Bucky’s heart that had warped things, it was still their responsibility. They had done this – they had equal punishments to accept; equal penance to pay. It wouldn’t just be Steve disintegrating into bone and dust if the crystal’s power wore out – it would be Bucky’s as well.

One thing was very clear. Steve bristled with rage, barely able to hold in a scream of frustration.

Bucky had known about the crystal. He had known part of what was going on and he had sat by and done nothing. Steve clenched his fists. How could his friend have done something so callouses? Bucky had always been so kind back when they were children. They had watched out for one another all the time. They had shared a bed, stories and lives. And he had gone and done this? What the hell had Bucky been thinking?

“Steve,” Bucky pleaded, scratching at One Eye, biting at the arms wrapped around his chest; One Eye felt nothing, still staring at Steve, its eye focused and dark.

“Why did you do it?” Steve asked, his entire body trembling. “Why would you do something like this?”

“Why did I do what?” Bucky whispered, looking skittish. “I haven’t done anything! It was the stupid crystal’s fault, not mine!”

“Why did you just go along with it? Even after it all changed, you could have done something! You could have helped Tony! You saw what Howard was doing! You knew what he was capable of! You watched him grow up! For god’s sake Bucky – you condoned it by not stepping in!” Steve seethed, nails digging painfully into his palms.

“I didn’t care about him – I’ve never cared about him! I cared about you! You were what mattered!”

“And I care about Tony! I love Tony! That’s what this is about!”

“Well I don’t love him! I can’t care for the guy who took you away from me!” Bucky yelled angrily. He paled after the words left his mouth, swallowing hard.

“Took me away… from you? How the hell did he do that? We were friends Bucky – I left that hospital room that night as your friend!”

“But I don’t want to be just your friend Steve –” Bucky looked away.

“Bucky…”

“I’m in lovewith you.” Bucky said quietly. He seemed shocked by his own words, humbled when he looked up from the ground where his gaze had settled. “I wanted to tell you so much, but then you were with Stark, and… I couldn’t say it out loud or else it… I don’t know. I just didn’t have the guts to say anything because I thought they would just… kick me off the team and I’d become some kind of joke like you were. And then Loki took you away, and you were gone… I thought I’d never see you again. I thought I’d lost you forever.”

Steve lost his fight with gravity, landing hard on his ass, legs splayed; his body hurt, but his chest hurt more. The way Bucky had looked at him, the smiles and the conversations they had shared together, all of it flashed before his eyes; the kiss, the two kisses really were right at the front and all he could see was that damned pink flush on Bucky’s face. He hadn’t even stopped to think about what that had meant aside from a fumbled one night stand in the making. He had known that Bucky hadn’t wanted to be just friends anymore, but he hadn’t known how deeply the feelings went. After all, he had never asked, had he? He had pushed the thoughts out of mind and politely looked the other way. He hadn’t wanted to know.

Was that what the crystal had been fighting with?

“You have to understand Steve – I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I didn’t!” Bucky pleaded, rolling his head to stare at Steve. It was difficult to look at Bucky’s face. Steve watched the movements regardless, eyes tracking the way Bucky’s gaze kept darting between the dirt and his face. Bucky froze after a moment of deliberation and met Steve’s gaze head on. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m not responsible for it.” Steve stared right back, unflinching despite the tremor that worked its way down his arm as he tried to keep it together.

How was he supposed to respond to something like this? Bucky had been his friend since they were children – He trusted Bucky with his life, and this was – this was unforgiveable. To have known about who was responsible for what had happened and then to have done nothing? This wasn’t the Bucky he remembered, the man who had conviction and common sense; the man who had been with him through thick and thin, waging war against humans with no moral fiber in their bodies. Even if it had been partially their fault, there was no excuse for what had happened; for what Bucky had failed to do after. Had Bucky really expected things to just go away by saying that it had never happened? Denying the existence of a world where Steve had been happy for the first time in his life? Did he really think that he didn’t have to take responsibility?

Bucky’s words rushed back into Steve’s mind, words Steve had struggled with for so long. He had told Steve that his memories were lies – lies and dreams and nothing more! He had told Steve to give up and forget about Tony! Bucky had stood by watching Howard slowly belittle and shame his son over and over again until Tony had been in no shape to win over anything’s affection, let alone another person’s. All the while spending his days at Steve’s bedside, regaling an unconscious body with stories of all the wonderful deeds he had done. It made Steve sick to his stomach. He might have thrown up if there had been anything in his stomach.

“What you did… I don’t… How could you?” Steve said sputtered, his words rattling around on the tip of his tongue. He turned his wrath on Howard instead, the man he had been saving words for.

Howard dropped his hands to his sides looking very intensely at his feet instead of at Steve’s face.

The damned coward couldn’t even look at him!

“You treat your son like shit!” Steve spat, tasting bile in the back of his throat.

“Steve…” Howard sighed; he sounded more irritated than repentant, as if he felt the conversation had been in the works for a while and thought it an unnecessary formality at best.

“Did you know about this? Did he tell you to do it? Did he tell you that you should treat Tony that way?” Steve hissed.

“Steve, I’m a grown man! I make my own decisions, and I don’t need an oaf like Bucky Barnes to tell me what to do with my own son. I’m not proud of what I did – But look at him! He made himself an extraordinary suit of armor to come here and rescue you! He’s the only reason we found you at all! He wouldn’t have gotten to this point if I hadn’t kept pushing him. He would have wasted his days away, whoring and drinking if I hadn’t stepped in. He needed guidance – discipline!” Howard said, gesturing madly at Tony as if to prove his point. “He didn’t need mollycoddling!”

“You honestly believe that, don’t you?” Steve said, incredulous. “Howard… he would have done it all on his own! He did all of this – built the Iron Man, amassed an empire and became the most important member of the Avengers all on his own without a single push from you in the real world. He was always stronger than everyone – and you didn’t build that. You can’t build genius and love! You created nothing but destruction. He built life.” Steve struggled upright.

“Steve, I think you’ve been here in Loki’s company for too long. You’re talking crazy. Think about what you’re saying! The real world this, and the real world that. You’re in the real world right now!” Howard growled, looking up sharply, eyes filled with self-righteous rage of his own. “You may have a nice face, but you can’t talk to me like that – like I’m some kind of common criminal!”

“He’s not talking crazy.” Loki laughed. “Oh how you wish he was, but he not. Captain Rogers has never been crazy. All those lovely little dreams you kept telling him he was having weren’t dreams at all. They are memories of the real reality that none of the rest of you cretins, save a few such as myself and Barnes, actually recall. And it’s all thanks to this wonderfully… powerful… crystal.” Loki reached into his pocket, grimacing as his arm jerked to the left, and held the crystal aloft. It was flickering, going between clear and red, energy building around the outside of it, an overloading engine in the making. How he had kept it in his pocket while it was doing this, Steve didn’t know; it looked like it was spewing magic, tearing at the fabric of reality.

Loki smirked through the shower of sparks, still holding tightly onto the crystal, looking through it at the others.

“I may have been the one to apply the crystal to the dear Captain here, but I’m not in charge of the magic it cast, nor what it wished to understand. Even I did not know what it would do – although I had my suspicions after witnessing Stark’s transformation back in the other world. I can’t draw on a single iota of magic within this blasted rock, unless it is charged. Of course, there is no way to know what it might do when activated, but I know it will return things to normal once it has the answers it has been seeking. Tony’s transformation was only the beginning… there is so much more possible…”

“Wait a minute. Are you saying that if that thing becomes fully charged you can change everything back to the way it was?” Steve asked, trying not to sound desperate.

“But of course! Did you think I would be foolish enough to allow a warp in reality without understanding the consequences? I value my own life you know – who would want to be stuck in such a boring world forever?” Loki shrugged. He gestured with the crystal towards Bucky, eyes sparkling with mischief; the flinch that went through Bucky was so strong it could have lit a match. “Of course it comes at a cost – a price, as all blood magic does.” Loki straightened up, standing tall, motioning to his Shadows; Bucky was released, rolling across the ground with a surprised squawk. The Shadows began to march single file towards the house, vanishing from sight. They paid no attention to the others, and even One Eye left without a fight, simply plodding off into the mansion.

“There. I have sent my minions away. Barnes had better get on with it. I’m getting tired of this mess he has made.” Loki grumbled. “Get on with it.”

Bucky forced himself to stand, staggering as he tried to take Steve by the hand; he looked worried, unable to keep the emotions off of his face like he normally would. “Steve – you’ve got to believe me –” Bucky pleaded, trying to pull Steve towards him, seeming to need him close enough to hold. Steve took a calculated step backwards to avoid stepping on rubble, breaking free from Bucky’s grasp with a twist of his arm. “Steve – please!”

Steve looked down at himself as he walked away, taking in what Bucky was seeing – what they all must be seeing when they looked at him. He was slender and small, and yes, he sure looked defenseless. His hair was still flowing out around him, somehow not having become knotted from the whipping wind and the clash of battle. He had always been a fighter; he would never stop fighting for what he believed in. For years he had looked like this, suspended in time with no say in the matter – well, without the dress, the flowing hair, and the make-up of course.

Was this what Bucky had been looking for all along? Was this what he had wanted? A Steve he could boss around and badger into decisions?

Or was this dolled-up version what Bucky saw whenever he looked at him? A sweet little Princess that could be controlled and manhandled as easily as a doll might be?

He knew what Tony saw when he looked at him; no matter what had happened Tony always trusted his advice and treated him with kindness. Even now when Steve was small and pitiful Tony would do what Steve asked without a second thought. But Bucky… well, Bucky had always looked at Steve differently, hadn’t he? Not different in a bad way, but in a way that meant he needed take care of Steve no matter the cost. It wasn’t just Bucky either, who wanted that dolled up Steve. Loki had wanted a doll to play with too – not something to abuse, like what Howard had wanted, but something to dress up and play around with; something that couldn’t run away or leave him. Understanding didn’t take the sting out of it though, not that he had expected it to. He expected that sting to last a long time, maybe even forever.

“Bucky…” Steve said, swallowing down his anger, burying it away. He didn’t want to hurt Bucky. No matter how much misery he had gone through because of Bucky’s beliefs, he was still going to give his friend a second chance, but this had to be done. Things had to be set right; this had to end, or else it would go on and no one would escape the suffering.

Steve took in a deep breath and began. “Bucky if you love me, you have to understand that me knowing about it isn’t going to change anything between us. I’m always going to be in love with Tony, no matter how much you say you love me and no matter how you believe that he’s not worthy of being with me. I love him, so please, listen to me alright? Admit to yourself that what you feel really is love and that it isn’t wrong – because it isn’t. It isn’t wrong to love someone Bucky, even if the world told you it was sick to love another man. It doesn’t mean that the love you feel is meaningless or disgusting. I understand that – I’ve been through it, and I know what it feels like to be alone with those feelings. It’s hard, and sometimes it hurts more than being shot, but that’s the price you pay for love. Love is an amazing emotion, and I know it doesn’t just go away…”

Steve looked at Bucky; Bucky’s eyes were watering, a little bloodshot at the corners.

“But I can’t give you what you want Bucky. I know that you want me to love you back… but I can’t. I can’t love you as anything other than a friend. All the love you have inside you isn’t going to force that to change. You can’t force that. Not even if you use all the magic in the world – It won’t be real, no matter how much you beg or plead with me. Please… can you admit that you understand what I’m saying? Can you do that Bucky? Please? For me? Can you help me set things right?”

Bucky stared at Steve, wide eyed and dazed for a moment, thinking. He looked like he was on the verge of breaking down, but didn’t quite know how to go about it. “Ok.” Bucky said softly; it was almost inaudible, but it was there, out in the open now for everyone to hear it. “I understand.”

“Thank you.” Steve whispered back.

Steve walked back to Tony, bending so that he could press a kiss to Tony’s chapped lips. It must have been uncomfortable to be trapped in the armor at such an awkward angle, but Tony seemed to be soldiering on through the pain.

“Steve?” Tony asked. “What’s going on?”

“It will be alright. No matter what happens, I’m not leaving you. If this whole thing blows up on us, I promise you that you’ll be fine. I love you.” Steve whispered. “I love you so much Tony.”

“Ok.”

The crystal turned a deep and heavy shade of crimson, crackling in Loki’s hand. The energy grew in size until it was almost swallowing Loki whole, an inescapable glow. The Avengers shied away from the light, confused and afraid, not having come close enough to hear what had just happened. Steve felt bad about that, about their fear, but he knew that it would be over soon and that there was nothing to be afraid of; things would be alright soon.

Clint grabbed for Natasha, trying to drag her over to where Bruce sat blinking up at the night sky. She wouldn’t go. She just kept staring at Bucky, her eyes flat and lifeless, lost; she had always been good at lip reading. Thor tried to lock eyes with Loki, desperate to get his brother’s attention again. There were tears in his eyes, and Steve didn’t think it was because he was in pain. Loki took no notice of him, his gaze solely on Bucky Barnes, staring at him through the deep red of the crystal. He looked lost, shrouded in red that seemed to drip onto the ground and into the sky like paint across a slanted canvas.

“Brother…” Thor called out.

Loki waved a hand at him, silencing him. “Not now Brother. I have things to do.”

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck, not bothering to look around him, not wanting to say goodbye. He buried his face in Tony’s neck. The red light flashed and then everything went dark.

The last thing he heard was Tony whispering that he loved him too.

Steve awoke with a crick in his neck and an itchy ear. He yawned, scrubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and blinked blearily down at the lump that was Tony Stark wrapped around his middle. Tony snuggled deeper into Steve’s chest, out like a light, his shirt rucked up to reveal a rather impressive looking bruise on the small of his back. Steve’s eyes widened.

It was over.

He tried to keep calm so that he didn’t accidentally wake Tony, his heart pounding rabbit-like in his chest; he slowed his breathing, taking in a steadying breathe, tasting the scent of motor oil and sandalwood on the air, a taste that was uniquely Tony’s. Steve checked himself over, feeling his body, rib by rib and limb by limb with trembling hands. He was in the body he had been in ever since he had taken the Super Soldier Serum. He was himself again. He was Captain America. He was Steve Rogers.

He was himself again!

Had it all been an elaborate dream? Everything was fine… But something didn’t feel right…

Steve looked down at Tony, sleeping away undisturbed despite the fact that Steve had moved underneath him, shifting and wiggling in an impromptu frenzied dance. He carded his fingers through Tony’s scraggily hair, smoothing out his lover’s bedhead as he checked Tony over as well, starting with that awful looking bruise. Tony’s body was covered with even more bruises just as he had been when they had gone to sleep, a gift from Bucky the night before; Steve remembered that as clear as day, even though that day felt like it had been a million years ago. There was another day in his mind, battling for dominance. He could taste the blood in the air, the grass and the dirt that had been forced into his mouth when he had crash landed with Tony at his side, but there was nothing now, not a single thing out of place on his body aside from his crumpled morning hair and the slight scrape of his chin needing a shave. Steve bit his lower lip and lay back, staring up at the ceiling. His hand rested comfortably on Tony’s head, fingers lightly stroking through Tony’s hair.

Bucky …

What had happened to Bucky? He was in the hospital, wasn’t he? Or was that just a dream as well? No. Tony’s bruises were proof enough that Bucky was here, safe and sound. That had happened – that dreadful fight in SHIELD had happened, and there was no denying that it.

Howard, on the other hand was gone, back in his grave without protest. It was strange to be thankful for death, but all the same he could feel it in his heart. Howard had gone, and what had happened in that world was bought and paid for, gone forever. It wouldn’t be coming back, not a single thing touching the real world again aside from what survived inside Steve’s mind. Howard could stay gone for all Steve cared. He didn’t deserve to be remembered.

Steve sighed, listening to Tony breathing in and out, snoring away like a foghorn; he had missed this. How he had gone without it for so many months was beyond understanding. A stabbing and constant pain in his gut protested the memories so he tried to banish them, trying to think of better times. Of course that wasn’t going to happen, at least not so easily. He could no more push those memories away than he could eat his own fist.

There were so many unanswered questions, so many bits and pieces floating around in his head. Had any of it really happened?

Had he dreamed it all up?

He sifted through the dreams until morning came, sunlight peeking around the edge of the blinds like an unwanted but familiar visitor checking to see if they were home.

“I can hear you thinking…” Tony grumbled into Steve’s stomach, lifting his head so that he could peer drowsily into Steve’s eyes. He was so beautiful like that, all scruffy and rumpled from sleep. Steve pulled Tony up across his chest, kissing him deeply, wanting to claim that sweet mouth all over again; Tony shifted against him, caressing Steve’s face with his calloused hands as he tried to wake up. They broke apart, Steve’s eyes conspicuously wet.

“What was that for?” Tony asked. Steve ran his thumb down the side of Tony’s face, scraping against the rough bristles of Tony’s beard, his perfectly kept beard. He had missed this. God he had missed this Tony so much; a part of him missed that other Tony too, the one who had never gotten enough embraces and kisses like this, the one who hadn’t gotten more than a few months of peace. That Tony might have ceased to exist, but he would be with Steve forever. He would never truly be gone. He loved that Tony too, just as much as this one; that Tony was a part of the real Tony, and a part that Steve would cherish. Even if it was painful to remember all those days and nights spent trapped within a weak body, he would always love them because of Tony’s presence. Tony had never left him, and he never would.

“You’re crying honey. What’s wrong?” Tony asked, wiping tears from Steve’s cheek, concern written in every line of his face. “Steve?”

“I had a nightmare, but it’s better now. Don’t worry.” Steve said softly, kissing Tony again. Tony melted against him, this time fisting Steve’s shirt as if he was afraid of Steve pulling away.

“Wow…” Tony gasped when they broke apart for air again, feeling Steve’s hands grasping his waist and ass passionately. Steve hadn’t meant to be so possessive so early in the morning, but the thought of Tony getting up and leaving him alone in bed had been too much to bear; they could stay here, couldn’t they? He would give anything for a few more precious moments wrapped up in bed with Tony. Anything. He would have sold his soul if he had to, and done it gladly.

“I think you should have nightmares more often if I get wake up calls like this.” Tony remarked.

“No. No more nightmares.” Steve chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to Tony’s forehead. He lay back, smiling up at the ceiling, up at Jarvis and the three hundred and seventy six tiles that he knew by heart. All was right with the world again.

Ten minutes later the Avenger’s alarm went off and they reluctantly got out of bed and went to get suited up; Steve had never been so happy to go out and stop criminals before in his life.

They boarded the Quinjet, still half asleep but conscious for the most part. Steve, Clint and Bruce hadn’t quite managed to get out of their pajamas by the time they got onboard, so they split up and got to work getting dressed in their own parts of the ship, their uniforms hanging over their shoulders like security blankets. They put their headsets on, yawning as Coulson’s calm voice muttered in their ears about how they should give the villain of the day a kick in the ass on his behalf for waking him up on his first day off in a week. They all agreed vocally, although most of it was a jumble of consonants and vowels that didn’t quite make sense. Barnyard animals might have understood them, but no one else would have. If Fury was spying on their conversations he was going to be pretty annoyed with them.

Clint ended up with his vest stuck over the top of his head for almost three minutes while his brain tried admirably to figure out what was going on; he had gone to sleep when the room had gotten dark he explained afterwards, wandering up to the front of the jet having called shotgun in his sleep. He hadn’t been the least bit embarrassed. Bruce simply shrugged as Clint left and pulled on his stretchy pants over his pajama bottoms, grumbling that suiting up wasn’t really all that useful for him unless he wanted to take all of his clothing off and parade around naked until a threat actually appeared; it was far too early and cold for that kind of nudity, he remarked and went to go sleep against one of the bulkheads with his head resting in the crook of his arm.

All this left Steve alone at the back of the jet while Natasha and Tony started prepping for take-off; he didn’t mind being left out, enjoying the calm feeling of bumbling around without having to worry all too much about hurting himself. Natasha was the only one who seemed to know what was going on anyways, and he trusted that she could put together a plan for them in her sleep, one that would be far better than anything he could have come up with in his semi-dazed state. He focused on getting into his uniform and waited for more information to trickle in through his headset, humming quietly with memories of the other world streaming through his head. He pulled his suit on one leg at a time, smoothing the creases out with his thumb, smiling softly at the suit; he couldn’t help himself. He had missed the suit and the shield more than he had known. He had missed the job really; he had mixed feelings about being thrown back into it all, when he had been so close to keeping Tony safe, but there was nothing he could do about it now. This was the life they lived – it had always been a rough and tumble life, and he didn’t expect that to change any time soon. He could think about retirement another day, dream about stealing Tony away for some sleepless lights making love when it was more appropriate. Right now he needed to be useful. He was the Captain. That brief taste of strength back in the dream had been more than enough to light a fire in his belly all over again.

He clutched the shield to his chest for a few minutes, after discretely making sure that no one was standing around, hugging it for all he was worth; he was glad he couldn’t dent the thing. He remembered only later that there were cameras in the hold that displayed in the cockpit. The little red light beside the camera blinked cheerfully at him, tilting this way and that as it caught every action on film. Steve cleared his throat, scratching his head, blushing bright pink. Well, so much for privacy.

“Uh… Steve?” Tony said, over the comms, speaking on a private channel; he could hear Tony getting closer even without the comm’s help, his voice loud enough on its own to be heard from rooms away. Steve scowled, trying not to look too ashamed at having been caught giving his shield a reunion hug. He didn’t do a very good job of it, because when he saw his reflection in the backside of his shield, he looked like he had dunked his entire head in burnt umber.

“Yes Tony?” Steve said, grimacing as he waited for the mockery that was sure to come his way.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I mean… you’ve been a little weird this morning…” Tony walked into the hold, his armor clicking with the contact of metal against metal. The familiar red and gold armor came into sight, a welcome presence. Tony had the helmet off and tucked under his arm, holding it like he might a jaunty hat. Steve lowered the shield onto a nearby seat and wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulder, kissing him on the forehead, pressing him close.

“I’m fine. It was just a really bizarre nightmare. I’ll tell you about it later, alright?” Steve said, smiling against Tony’s cheek.

“Alright. I’ll hold you to that.” Tony said.

“If you two ladies are done back there, we’re approaching the drop zone.” Natasha called out over the comms.

Tony rolled his eyes and put his helmet on, reluctantly pulling away from Steve’s lips.

“Slave driver.” Tony grumbled.

“I heard that.” Natasha said.

Steve didn’t want to ever lay eyes on Loki again after waking up, but apparently that was as unavoidable as the rain; he had known that it was probably going to happen with or without his consent, but he wished that it hadn’t been quite so soon. He had been hoping that he might get a few days of freedom before he had to look at the bastard again, but here he was, being his usual asshole-ish self, causing mayhem and madness. Steve had a sinking suspicion that this had been orchestrated, assuming of course that what had happened in his memories wasn’t just some monster nightmare caused by left over Thai food gone wrong.

They set the Quinjet on autopilot and then exited the ship, dropping down to the ground below; Tony carried Steve in his arms bridal style, setting him down gently on the ground after preforming the most unnecessarily showy loop-de-loop in the history of mankind. Steve rolled his eyes, grinning. He had missed the way Tony showboated; he hadn’t done it nearly enough in that dream-world.

Loki was waiting for them, sitting idly in a red-white-and-blue striped cloth and wood deck chair. Steve approached, ordering the other Avengers to take their places with the silent hand signals they had been developing for the past month and a half. He was glad for the silence now; even gladder that he could remember the damned hand signals. Things could have been chaos with a few mistaken gestures.

The place was, unsurprisingly, an absolute disaster. Steve looked around in dismay at the grassy circle of what had once been a playground, unable to comprehend just what the hell it had done to deserve this kind of treatment. The remains of teeter-totters, slides and swings were strewn about; colourful metal and plastic was scattered every which way as if a bomb had gone off. The sandbox that surrounded the disaster zone was now serving as some kind of beach backdrop for Loki’s lounging. Actually, that might not have even been filled with sand to begin with. Now that Steve thought about it, most of the playgrounds he had seen were been filled with wood chips. It had something to do with cats not being able to use them as litter boxes, or something like that. Coulson had given him a briefing on them when he had first woken up from the ice, as if SHIELD had been afraid the wood chips might give Steve a heart attack. He had found it funny then, but now he at least understood the briefing.

Steve scowled when he spotted the picnic basket Loki had brought with him. The bastard had eaten lunch, judging by the crumpled up sandwich wrappers sitting on top of the basket.

“Loki.” Steve growled, approaching with the severest expression that he could muster plastered across his face. He could still remember the burning humiliation, the way he had been tormented and taunted; he doubted that those feelings would go away soon, but there was no way in hell he was going to let Loki think that he had won anything back in that world. Even if no one else seemed to remember any of it, he would. He shuddered, a memory of white coffee filters flittering back into his mind and vowed to take the bonnet out and burn it the next chance he got. He still owed Tony an apology for that.

“Steve!” Loki said cheerfully, waving from his chair. He remained seated despite the Avengers slowly circling him, unconcerned by their presence.

“May I ask what the park did to deserve being turned into this eyesore?” Steve asked, his shield held at waist level to not look like a threat. Loki knew how fast he was with the shield thought, so it was debateable as to how nonthreatening he actually looked at the moment. Loki shrugged, leaning back in the chair; he sipped from a can of lemonade, draining it and then hurled it away. The aluminum can hit the remains of the slide and bounced, striking the sand with a sullen swish.

“It was in my way, so I repurposed it. Besides, your little friends wouldn’t exactly call you out here for me just sitting out in the open. Well…” Loki sighed. “Maybe they would. Your pathetic Director Fury seems to believe that he has to control every situation whatever it may be with brute force.”

“What situation?”

“I dropped in to visit our mutual friend. I was debating on stopping in to visit you as well, but frankly the thought of walking in on you and Stark in bed after finally reuniting was a little off-putting. I did not need the mental imagery that entailed.” Loki laughed.

“And our mutual friend would be…” Steve asked, trailing off as he caught sight of Natasha sneaking closer. He knew damn well who their mutual friend was; he just wanted to hear it from Loki’s own mouth before he made another move. He hadn’t even thought about visiting Bucky that morning despite the crystal and the changes it had made, but he was going to visit him now. His thoughts had been completely focused on Tony, and the fact that things were back the way they should be. Maybe he had been quick to jump to the conclusion that the entire thing was nothing more than a nightmare. Loki’s games didn’t ever end seamlessly, now did they?

“Our lovely James Bucky Barnes of course. You’re being deliberately obtuse, aren’t you Princess?” Loki drawled. He examined his fingernails, holding his hand out in front of him, looking bored all of a sudden. “I’m surprised that you haven’t gone off to go wring his neck yet.”

“There’s always time. It’s only the morning.” Steve shrugged, ignoring the Princess jibe. He didn’t move any closer, although he was tempted to fling the shield in Loki’s face for a split second when he realized what Loki was actually talking about. If Loki had gone looking for Bucky, it was damn certain that the dream he had ‘woken up’ from had been reality. Damn him for this! Steve had wanted to just get some peaceful time in with Tony at his side, and now he had to wade into this mess all over again all because the god couldn’t leave well enough alone for a few stinking hours.

Loki laughed, clapping his hands together in delight. “I didn’t think you’d have it in you to go confront him! In all honestly, I was thinking that you would be busy staying out of his way. He’s easily suicidal, remember?”

“He’s had seventy years to deal with his feelings Loki. I highly doubt that he’ll be doing anything three hours after waking up. He probably thought it was a nightmare, just like I did.” Steve said calmly.

“True. I suppose you do know him a bit better than I. Are you enjoying your body again? I do prefer looking at you like this – all… muscled and firm. It matches your personality more than that little body of yours did. Although I still think you would look lovely in one of my dresses, no matter how much muscle you have. If you ever want to try it out again let me know and I’ll bring something for you. What was your favourite again?” Loki grinned, all teeth.

“I don’t think so.”

“Pity. Oh well, you can’t have everything all the time, hm?” Loki said, standing up.

“Steve – I think you need to back up a bit. You do realize you’re talking to Loki, right? You’re a foot away from him.” Tony’s voice rang out in Steve’s ear over the comms. He sounded tense, even with the voice filter in place.

“I am very aware of that fact, yes.” Steve said back over the comm. He hoped that Tony wasn’t going to do anything too reckless, even if it would have been nice to see Loki eat a piece of humble pie for once.

“Oh, how sweet!” Loki cooed, folding up the chair and tucking it under his arm. “Is Stark whispering sweet nothings in your ear? He’s certainly an improvement from the last Tony, isn’t he? A lot less crazy in the head, although I suppose that’s subjective, isn’t it?”

“Steve?” Tony snapped in Steve’s ear. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Yes Tony, I am listening to you.”

“Yes Stark, he’s listening. He doesn’t really need to chirp away at him, because your warnings about how he should back up aren’t actually all that helpful. You do realize that I can listen in on your quaint little communication devices, don’t you? No, I suppose you don’t. Mortals are so stupid.” Loki said, scratching his chin. He snapped his fingers and the chair dissolved, breaking up into little green particles that blew away with the wind.

“Shut up Loki.” Steve growled.

“Yes, shut up Loki.” Tony growled.

Loki waved a hand dismissively at both of them, striding up to the remains of the playground. He snapped his fingers again, and the entire mess transformed back into what it had been like before it had tangled with magic; a fully functioning colourful metal and plastic playground, complete with swing set, teeter-totter, monkey bars and wood chips reappeared, practically sparkling.

Steve was surprised by that. It seemed almost compassionate, for Loki.

“Well, I suppose I’ve had enough of your lovely company. Thor,” Loki said to his brother while taking a low elaborate bow; Thor had been suspiciously quiet the entire time, standing on the edge of the playground simply watching what Loki was doing. Steve wondered how much Thor knew about what was going on. He doubted that Thor had been involved, but it was still a bit concerning that he might know what was going on. “I’ll see you later brother. Enjoy your day. Try not to break any hearts.”

And with that said, Loki zipped forwards, almost a blur, grabbed Steve by the back of the neck and kissed him. He even went so far as to dip Steve backwards like a dame. Loki grinned, blew Steve a kiss as Steve tried to smash him with his shield; he missed only because Loki had become incorporeal, staggering through the failed blow.

“Ta-ta mortals.” Loki snapped his fingers again, winking cheekily in Steve’s direction and vanished.

“What the hell?” Steve sputtered, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He was tempted to spit on the floor to get rid of the taste of Loki from his mouth, but then Tony was beside him and he was glad that he hadn’t because he might have accidentally spit on Tony instead.

“I’m going to kill that son of a bitch! No offense Thor.” Tony sputtered, stomping closer. He grabbed Steve by the shoulder, lifting Steve’s chin with a gloved hand to inspect Steve’s face as if Loki had been busy biting off Steve’s lips.

“It’s fine. He was just being a jackass.” Steve scowled. “We’ll get him next time, and then he’ll be spending the rest of his life in an Asgardian prison darning socks.”

“Are you sure? We should get you checked out – he could have used some kind of enchantment on you – and then we’d never know. We should go get Dr. Strange – maybe he’ll know what to do.” Tony muttered, running his hands over Steve’s cheeks.

“Tony – “

“Creepy little fucker – I swear to god I’ll wring his neck – no offense Thor, but I’m going to kill your brother – I’ll kill him and then I’ll kill his corpse – ” Tony ranted, scanning Steve with the suit’s sensors, ducking down to scan Steve from head to toe.

“Tony –”

“And then when I kill his corpse, I’ll find a way to resurrect it –”

“Tony!”

Tony’s head jerked up, still in mid-scan, finally hearing Steve. Steve tried hard to keep himself from smiling; it sort of looked like he was having some kind of horrible facial tick, but it was better than nothing. No one had turned into a potted plant, or an animal, and Steve was fairly certain that he wasn’t cross dressing again. That didn’t mean that nothing had happened, but really there wasn’t any way to know until it happened. He looked down at himself to be sure that he wasn’t in a Mumu or something else embarrassing. Yep, he was still dressed in his uniform, so there was nothing to worry about; he was sure of it.

Sure, Loki had enchanted him once before, but there was nothing to gain with doing it again, right? Loki had always been very adamant about not using the same tricks over and over again, unless of course, he was bored and found something that entertained him to no end. And Loki hadn’t really looked all that bored. At least Steve hoped that Loki hadn’t been bored…

He sure didn’t feel any different.

“Tony. It’s fine.” Steve gently took Tony by the shoulders, bumping their heads together. The faceplate snapped up and Tony sighed aloud, scrubbing his hand over his beard.

“You’re trying not to laugh. I’m blowing this out of proportion, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re not. I appreciate the fact that you’re worried about me, and we can give Strange a call later tonight, alright? I’m pretty sure Loki didn’t do anything other than kiss me. Personally I’d rather be kissing you though.” Steve said softly. He leaned forward and kissed Tony, the touch of his lips soft and gentle. Tony smiled into the kiss, pulling back when he was satisfied.

“You’re really going to have to do some explaining, you know that right? I mean, I get that Loki thinks your star spangled buns are hot and all, but it isn’t exactly as if he points it out all the time. And then to top it all off, he decides to repair the serious structural damage he’s done to something that brings children joy right before trying to cop a feel? What the hell is going on? Did we go into the twilight zone while we were asleep?” Tony scowled. “And just how is it that he knows Bucky?”

Tony had no way of knowing how close to the truth he actually was. It was going to be bizarre explaining everything to him; to all of the Avengers, actually. Steve sighed. He would have to make a formal report about the entire thing to SHIELD too, even if there weren’t any traces of things having happened in the first place. He dreaded the paperwork, knowing that it was going to take hours. SHIELD and the team needed to know about the crystals, and what they could do, what Loki could do if he got his hands on the last one. There was still a third crystal out there somewhere; one last crystal was out there capable of bringing more chaos and misery. Going to see Dr. Strange was probably for the best.

“It’s a long story… I’ll… I’ll tell you about it once I talk to Bucky, alright? And I think it’s best if I have that particular discussion first and alone…” Steve said.

“What, you don’t trust me?” Tony teased; the sweet smile on his face had changed into a genuine look of concerned hurt in a split second. Steve was fairly certain that Tony hadn’t meant to actually appear hurt, but it was there all the same.

“God no! You’ll start strangling each other and then I’ll never be able to take my boyfriend to bed again! You’ll be in jail, and he’ll be dead, and then no one will be happy.” Steve gave Tony a peck on the lips.

“I like that you think I’d win in this supposed strangling contest.” Tony grinned, the concern fading.

“Of course you would.” Steve said, pulling back so that he could take Tony’s face in his hands. “You’re the only one smart enough to build an advanced mechanical arm for him, and then you’d turn it against him, because you never leave things to chance. I can just see it now. ‘Stop hitting yourself’ repeated over and over and over again until someone was unconscious. Coulson would have a field day with his Taser.”

“I love you, you sweet, sweet man.” Tony cackled.

“You just love me for my, what did you call them? My hot star spangled buns? I’m confused, because I assume you’re talking about my ass and not my skills with baking, although I do make a mean coffee cake.” Steve teased, pinching Tony’s cheek.

“Fine, fine! Use my own words against me why don’t you.” Tony grumbled. He scratched at his beard again, casting a look at the other Avengers as they gathered together. Steve had feeling that he would be getting a thousand questions at some point in the day; he hoped that they would at least wait until he was willing to talk about it before they started in on him.

For now, the park was calm; it was as if nothing had happened, save maybe a little littering. The only sign that Loki had even been in the area was four little indentations in the wood chips where the deck chair had been, and the discarded lemonade can. Steve picked that up and took it home with them to recycle. All and all it was a good morning.

Steve sat down in the comfy chair beside Bucky’s bed with a cup of mocha-something-or-other in his hand. He tried not to squash the paper cup, his grip tightening marginally at the sight of Bucky casually eating a foot away. Tony had bought Steve the coffee earlier, claiming that he could use a caffeine fix after Loki’s little unwanted conversation and although Steve hadn’t really wanted to drink anything, he had accepted so that he could have something to hold in his hands while he talked with Bucky.

It didn’t feel awkward being there in the hospital, although it should have. The last memories of that other world were still fresh in his mind; he wondered what was going on in Bucky’s head. He had been so quiet, giving Steve nothing more than a friendly wave when he had poked his head into the room. It was almost as if he didn’t remember a thing that had happened. Bucky was sitting leisurely in his bed, picking away at the lunch the nurse had brought for him as if it were the grandest buffet he had ever had the chance to eat; k-rations were nothing in comparison, and they had sure eaten a lot of those so Steve supposed that it might actually fit with Bucky’s definition of buffet even if it was hospital food. He had to admit that they had sure improved their standards since the forties. Bucky was paying special attention to the canned peas, picking out the bits of carrot that he didn’t like. He had always been fond of canned peas, but he didn’t usually go this bonkers for them.

“So, I figured you would be spending the day off doing something exciting.” Bucky remarked, spearing the last of the peas on the end of his fork. There was a laziness to Bucky that hadn’t been there the night before; it was a little unnerving, like the night staff had gathered up his emotions and given him a mask to wear. Even with the mask in place, it was pretty obvious to Steve that Bucky remembered everything that had happened in that other world – the Crystal’s Changed World; it felt too much like he was watching an act, or clicking through one of those soap operas Clint liked to watch when he was drunk. The Changed World had a nice ring to it; it could have been a soap too. They all had dumb names like that, stuff about the world turning and lights guiding. It felt fitting to name the thing finally, even if the time spent there hadn’t really counted for anyone other than for the three of them. To the rest of the world, it had just been yet another night in a string of long, listless nights. Steve envied those who had slept on, oblivious of what had gone on while they were dreaming. The new months he had under his belt were ungainly, dark months. Sure, there were some good memories, but he was glad that things were back to normal.

Bucky probably thought he was playing it safe by not saying anything about the Changed World. Maybe he was going to play up the idea that it had all been one massive dream, a figment of his and Steve’s imagination. After all, who could prove it? It wasn’t as if they had photographs or videos to look over. Hell, all they really had were memories, and while Steve knew those memories were true, he was pretty sure that Bucky would be willing to do whatever it took to convince himself otherwise.

It wasn’t hard to piece together the plan Bucky would use; Bucky was too stubborn to admit to anything, and he always used the same techniques to get out of awkward conversation. He wasn’t going to admit anything had changed between them unless someone took a pair of pliers to his fingernails and teeth, not that anyone would of course. The only problem with Bucky’s usual plans was that he seemed to have forgotten a crucial detail when deciding what to do. The night before they had found themselves in the Changed World, Bucky had tried to kill himself and had gotten into a fist fight with Tony. He hadn’t remembered to play up either of those things; he hadn’t even mentioned them in passing. It was always the little details, Steve mused, that lead to plans falling apart.

He wondered if he should play along just to see what Bucky would do, and then thought better of it. No. It was better to just get things out in the open; games were Loki’s way, not his, and he wouldn’t stoop to Loki’s level even for a few minutes. Loki, despite being a complete and utter jackass, pardon his French, was right to have gone around checking up on things. The rat bastard had intended on making sure that Steve knew that he had memories of the Changed World, and of course, he had been more than willing to sell Bucky out to take some of the heat off himself. He was surprised Bucky hadn’t been dropped off in his bedroom that morning; that would have been more than enough distraction to keep them busy and off Loki’s trail for a long time.

Steve wondered if there might be some other reason behind this particular taunt; it seemed so like Loki to start working on something new right after ending an old game. Steve sure hoped he wasn’t getting up to any more trouble. He was getting tired of dealing with Loki, and if he could go another few months without having to think about him and his doll fetish, he would die happy. Well, to be fair, he wouldn’t have minded putting a fist in Loki’s face a few times. That would make him pretty happy too.

Regardless of Loki’s mind games, things had to be taken into account and dealt with. Steve wasn’t stupid. He didn’t like leaving loose ends, and Bucky was one rather large loose end at the moment. Bucky had come to some very powerful realizations while in that world and it would be stupid, unkind even, to let him crawl back into that emotional hole. Too many things had happened to just let him brush it off like that.

Steve made an executive decision right then and there. He was going to hash things out or die trying. Bucky could kick and scream all he wanted; he wasn’t going to back off anymore. He could help Bucky through this, if Bucky was willing to accept the help. They had all the time in the world to set it right between them.

“So… I think we need to talk about boundaries.” Steve said, taking a long slow sip of his mocha.

Bucky paused, fork halfway to his mouth, feigning confusion. Steve had been around him far too long to not recognize him preparing to spew bullshit. It was almost embarrassing how easy it was to pick up on it.

“What are you talking about?” Bucky asked, playing innocent.

“I’m talking about boundaries between you and me. You made a really bad call out there Bucky – I think we need to make sure that we understand each other properly this time around. No more playing pretend.”

“What are you, high?”

“Bucky.”

“No, seriously, Steve. Are you high? Because you’re acting like we’ve been discussing the idea of joining some kind of cult or something. All we were talking about was lunch and my love of canned peas.” Bucky protested.

“Enough games. I’m fine with you having a crush on me – with the fact that you like men in general, even if I’m the only one you can admit to actually being interested in. I’m telling you now, just so that there will be no misunderstandings, it will never happen between us.” Steve said calmly.

Bucky’s face fell. The ruse was in shambles around him, and he could see it; he wasn’t even pretending to be ignorant anymore. He lowered his fork onto his plate and pushed the overtable away, crossing his arms over his chest and then, to Steve’s surprise, he started pouting.

“You’re not serious!” Bucky said with a whine.

“I’m completely serious. We went through a lot of shit in that other world – and don’t you play around pretending it didn’t happen, because we both know it did.” Steve snapped when Bucky opened his mouth again.

“But –”

“No butts. If you’re going to continue to be a part of my life you’re going to have to understand some things, mister. We’re going to set up some rules and we’re both going to follow them.” Steve said.

“Doesn’t seem fair to me.” Bucky grumbled.

“It’s more than fair Bucky. Rule number one – if you touch Tony, say something awful and hurtful to him or even so much as glare in his general direction I’ll have you shipped back to SHIELD HQ without so much as a how-you-do for notice, do you get me?”

“I get you.” Bucky said softly, scowling.

“Two – you will keep your hands to yourself. I’m not a tiny little waif anymore, and I didn’t appreciate being manhandled then either, so I repeat, keep your hands to yourself!”

“Fine. Hands to myself. Got it. Can I at least get a hug every once in a while?” Bucky asked with a resigned sigh.

“Hugs are acceptable. If you try anything else though –”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Broken fingers, black eye, kicked back to SHIELD.”

“Kicked back to SHIELD yes, broken fingers and black eyes no – You know me better than that.” Steve frowned.

“Fine. What else?”

“Three – you don’t talk to Loki anymore about your woes. That’s what got us into this mess to begin with. You should start actually paying attention to who you’re blabbing at. If you want to complain, or you need to talk, talk to me, or Fury, or someone that you actually know. Or a therapist even. Don’t just start talking to pretty nurses with bright red lips.”

“You’re such a mother hen.”

“I’m doing this so that we can stay friends Bucky. I’m not joking around anymore. This is serious.”

“You’d honestly stop being my friend if I slipped up even once, wouldn’t you?” Bucky gaped, eyes wide and horrified.

“It would depend on what you did and how bad it was, but yes. You get only get one free pass from here on out and you practically used that up when you blabbed to Loki. I don’t want to be mean, and frankly I’m not even sure that I’m comfortable giving you that pass in the first place, but this is what you get. Those months were hell, even if I spent them with Tony. Howard couldn’t keep his hands to himself half the time, and I did not appreciate being turned into some kind of fetish item when Loki decided to walk off with me.”

“I’m sorry.” Bucky said guiltily, looking down at his hands. “If I could find a way to fix it I would.”

“I know.” Steve sighed, cupping his drink in his hands. The mocha was still warm, and he could smell the delicate aroma of chocolate and coffee wafting up through the plastic lid even from where it was sitting on his lap. Tony was right. It was good.

“So then…” Bucky fidgeted in bed. The restraints from the night before were hanging off of the safety bars like lifelines; Steve had been informed of the ‘miraculous recovery’ shortly after they had gotten back to the Mansion. That had been one doozy of a phone call. The medical staff had been pretty skeptical about the change, just as Steve would have been if he hadn’t known that Bucky had already knocked around his issues for seventy years in the Changed World. He couldn’t explain that to them of course, so he had been forced to listen to a whole list of options before telling them to just untie Bucky and let things be. He was surprised that they had listened to him, but was glad to see that they had left the restraints on the bed just in case something went wrong.

“Does this mean that I get to go home with you guys? Back to the Avengers Mansion?” Bucky asked, sounding hopeful. “You said that I could have some rules too, right?”

“I need to talk to Tony about that. It’s his house after all. I’m going to tell him what happened, and he’s going to have that decision all to himself. He might not believe a word I say. You might get lucky – but I’ll always remember what happened, so watch it. Don’t try to play him for a chump.” Steve warned.

“Fine. And I’ll get to be an Avenger again?” Bucky asked. There was a glimmer in his eye, something needy and desperate; Bucky had loved being a part of the Avengers in the Changed World, and even if Steve was extremely mad with Bucky, he wasn’t going to take away the one good thing Bucky had left in his life. A good leader knew when to discipline his troops and when to offer reprieves. It had taken him a good four hours of heavy thinking before he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that it would be better to keep an eye on Bucky than to let him wander off on his own where no one would be watching at all. SHIELD couldn’t keep tabs on him forever, but Jarvis would have a lot less problems with it.

“You’ll have to talk to Fury about that. I’ll say yes if they ask me for my opinion. You’re a good man when you put your mind to it Bucky, don’t forget that.” Steve said with a smile.

“Oh get over yourself! You’re just mad because I made a sexier Captain America.” Bucky scoffed, smirking nervously. It had never been jokes with Bucky when he was nervous before, but apparently some things really had changed over the past few months; it was nice to see that Bucky might be taking a different approach with things this time around. He could put up with a few rude jokes if it meant keeping everyone happy, contented and on the same playing field.

Still…

It had been seventy years for Bucky. Lots of thing could change in seventy years. Steve hadn’t spent all of those years with him – in truth, he had only spent a handful of weeks with Bucky if he counted all the times that Bucky had been available to just spend time with him in the Changed World. The Avengers Initiative had kept Bucky busy, just like how it always kept Steve busy now. Steve felt exhausted just thinking about the workload that was waiting for him at home. He would just have to try and stay positive.

Bucky wouldn’t be planning anything, would he? He had made himself clear, hadn’t he?

Bucky was still Bucky after all. He had never really been any good at hiding when he was lying – at least not to Steve. If Bucky agreed to the conditions he had set out, then everything was as good as settled.

Or was it?

And what about Loki? What was Loki planning?

“This is a go, right?” Bucky asked. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

“Do you really think I’d do something like that?”

“Well… no. I guess not. I don’t know. I guess I just spent too much time around Howard.”

“I guess so.”

“He didn’t… you know… did he?” Bucky cleared his throat.

“No. I told you already, he didn’t. If he had, he’d have been in traction so fast his head would have spun.”

Bucky laughed. “I was kind of tempted to do that to him a few times. When he was younger –”

“I’d rather not actually. The less I know about Howard Stark’s life the better.” Steve muttered.

“Oh.” Bucky looked down at his hands, biting his lower lip. “I said I’m sorry about that, right?”

Steve nodded his head. “You did.”

“So I’m forgiven?” Bucky asked timidly.

Steve pondered the question, rolling the cup between his hands. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to forgive someone for standing by and watching evil happen. The thought of Tony being hurt – the memories of it all weren’t going to go away. Even if Tony didn’t remember any of it, they would always be there, and he wasn’t going to lie to Tony about it. “I don’t know Bucky. I really don’t know.”

Bucky looked disappointed, hanging his head.

“But maybe one day.” Steve smiled weakly. “If you stick to the rules, then maybe one day I’ll forgive you.” He couldn’t quite decide what to say next, and instead fell silent, contemplating the future while Bucky went back to his lunch.

Loki could wait; as much as that seemed like a bad idea, it was all he could do for now until Loki strolled out and unveiled whatever monstrosity he was working on.

Steve rolled over on the couch, rubbing this side of his face. He had fallen asleep while doing paperwork, too caught up in detailing everything out to bother going to bed that night. He had missed having Tony close by, but he knew that Tony had needed space after their talk. A lot of things had been said, a lot of memories spilled. The look on Tony’s face had been terrifying at times. He hoped that things would be alright.

“Hey sleepyhead.” Tony leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the back of Steve’s neck, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

“Hey.” Steve murmured, wiping his eyes.

“Did you sleep well?” Tony asked, hopping over the couch so that he could sit with his knees against Steve’s hip.

“Not really. I’ve got a crick in my neck, but at least the paperwork’s almost done.” Steve admitted, putting a hand over top of Tony’s. “How about you? Did you get any sleep?”

Tony shook his head, leaning against Steve’s shoulder, burying his nose in Steve’s neck. “Nah, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Too much?”

“A little. But it’s not like it happened to me it’s just… it feels like I was reading a story or something.” Tony shrugged. “It didn’t seem real, but you know, I could see some things that might have happened. It kinda…”

“It spooked you?”

“Yeah. More than I thought it would anyways.” Tony shifted and then winced, reaching into his pocket. He pulled something out, shifting against Steve’s shoulder. “Oh, I forgot. The drycleaner sent this back. Said they found it in your pocket. I wasn’t sure you’d want it because it sort of looks like junk.” He handed it over and Steve took it from him.

It was a tiny object, dwarfed by the size of Steve’s hands.

The wooden crystal was split in half; perfectly split too, not a splinter to be seen. Steve frowned at it.

“What is it?” Tony asked, yawning. “Don’t tell me you picked up whittlin’ when you got bored, because I don’t think I can stand the thought of finding wood shavings in our bed.”

“It looks like something I made in the dream world.” Steve said, ice clenching in his gut. “And I think it followed me home.”