Crying Tears of Gold - a Slave Loki Fanfic

for his own creature's sin

"What is this?" Steve said at last. He was growing more frustrated as Loki offered no response.

He simply knelt there, and the air was freezing. It was always colder at night that by standing here with warm clothing sheltering their skin, Steve and Tony were shivering still, and Loki... Steve doubted the clothes he wore could do anything to keep the cold away.

And he wouldn't talk. That was frustrating.

"Come on inside," Steve said after a moment's consideration. This time there was finally a reaction from the God, not a response, but a reaction nonetheless, because Loki lifted his gaze up from the floor to look at Steve like he hadn't expected to ever be invited inside. And if Steve's words surprised Loki, it surprised Tony, too.

"What?" Tony asked, looking at Steve sideway like the solider had lost his mind.

Tony's reaction was understandable, if anything the last thing he expected was his friend inviting their enemy inside.

Steve glanced at Tony. "It's okay," he mouthed. Tony wasn't convinced, but that, too, was understandable.

Though they couldn't start arguing here. Steve's eyes returned to Loki who was still kneeling on the ground. "Can you stand?" He asked, because things started to occur to Steve now that there was something wrong with Loki. Something very, very wrong and he didn't even want to begin guessing.

And if Steve's question earned any reaction at all, it was more from Tony than Loki. "Seriously, Steve?" Tony wasn't whispering, he made sure the former Captain America saw him roll his eyes, too.

But Steve's attention was more on Loki. (He knew Tony could be... bitchy -- for the lack of other words -- sometimes, and Tony was rightfully bitchy now about how Steve handled the situation. Though Steve believed he was doing the best he could, 'doing the right thing' may not be the words for it, but it was the best approach he could think of under the circumstance, so he'd let Tony continue being bitchy at him while he dealt with Loki here)

Steve raised his brows at Loki, urging him to answer the question, but then it occurred to him that if Loki could physically talk, he probably would have done so by now. He noticed the way Loki's shoulders shook a little bit more frantically, for some reason he doubted it was because of the cold at all.

"Loki," Steve trailed off. "Stand, if you can." He said, then after a brief pause, added, "It's okay."

Loki visibly gulped, another wave of shudder went through his somehow smaller frame. He remained on the ground, and Steve was about to help him stand when, slowly, he rose on his unsteady feet. The way he moved was cautious, like he was trying to appear as harmless as he could, which, again, wasn't anything like the Loki who'd demanded humankind's submission at all.

For some reason he was shaking more, on his feet like this, and Steve began to worry if he was going to double over. Still, even if he was rather fragile-looking in his current condition, Loki was taller, a little taller than Steve, not-so-little taller than Tony.

"Steve," Tony said, warned, obviously he wasn't a fan of Loki being on his feet, their height difference played a major factor, too.

Though Steve didn't believe Loki was going to attack, not with him still being chained, at least. "It's okay," he said, it directed at both Loki and Tony. Then, "Come inside," Steve nodded his head toward the direction of the warmth and comfort of their house. He, at the same time, studied Loki's expression carefully, without making it too obvious; Loki was looking past him and Tony to the interior of the cabin. The place itself wasn't anything fancy, but it provided warmth, and Steve thought he saw a glimpse of longing somewhere behind Loki's eyes, like he needed that; the warmth, the comfort, the sense of safety.

Loki looked at Steve again, then at Tony, still wordless. 

"Well, you heard the man." Tony said, annoyance in his voice that'd now replaced the shock earlier. "Get your ass inside before we change our minds."

Steve gave Tony the look, in which Tony fully ignored, before he stepped aside to make way for Loki. The self-proclaimed God gulped again, before he hesitantly entered the house.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Tony said once Loki was inside, the two of them still stood at the doorway.

Me too, Steve thought, though he didn't voice that aloud as he finally closed the door.

Me too, Tony, me too.