Frozen Hearts

Furys fury

That night, everyone was heading to bed and Steve didn't even realise Loki was leading the way to his room until they walked in the door.  He stopped im the doorway, eyeing Loki curiously.

"How... how did you know where my room was?"
Loki looked startled and glanced around the room looking slightly guilty. It was only then Steve noticed the unmade bed and overflowing washing basket. He looked back at Loki, realisation dawning on him.

"You've been staying in my room?" He asked incredulously.
Loki nodded, with just a light dusting of a blush.
Quiet felll for a moment before Steve laughed and wandered across the room.
"Well at least you know where everything is"  he said, pulling out a couple of old T-shirts he used as pyjamas and throwing one to Loki. He changed his shirt and pulled off his joggers, adding to the overflowing basket, before climbing into bed in his underwear and the T-shirt.

Loki hesitated them climbed in next to him and they lay side by side in the darkness. Just as Loki was drifting off Steve pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and watched as his breathing deepened and he fell asleep.

Steve couldn't asleep. He only needed four hours anyway, but being so close to Loki after so long sent his heart racing and his breath shallow.

As quietly as possible, he sat up and pulled a notebook and pencil from the bedside cabinet, he sat in a patch of moonlight and sketched the sleeping Loki. The sharp cheekbones and long eyelashes cast shadows across his pale skin and all the tension was gone from his body. Steve always loved sketching people as he slept, but Loki was an artists dream.

The picture was half done when Steves eyes began to droop, and he carefully put the picture on the table, and lay down. He felt himself relax and smiled when he brushed Lokis arm with his.

The next morning, sunlight fell over the pillows, and Loki awoke up to find himself tangled with Steve. They were facing each other on their sides with tangled legs and entwined arms.

It was a moment before Loki moved. He just lay in the warm morning sun, watching Steve sleep. But all too soon Lokis stomach growled. He didn't have the heart to wake Steve, so he cautiously released himself and got up. He was going to get some clothes, when he spotted the open book on the bedside table. He recognised Steves gentle strokes and the care he took in all his art, but now it was his face lovingly traced. The half done picture was clearly Loki from the night before, sprawled out in bed. Another growl from his stomach forced his gaze away as he got dressed and headed to breakfast.

Loki discovered once he got to the kitchen that he wasn't the only one awake. Tony, of all people, was sat at the table, clutching a cup of coffee and staring moodily at the oven, as if hoping his temper would scare it into cooking of its own accord.

Taking pity on him, Loki made some toast (the toaster being the only thing he ever worked out how to use) and set the plate in front of Tony, who looked at him with huge grateful eyes before shoveling it into his mouth. Loki turned to make himself some toast.

The other Avengers turned up in dribs and drabs. Natasha strolled in wearing joggers and a hoodie, and made 3 eggs worth of scrambled eggs. Clint followed a short while later and glanced hopefully at Natashas plate. She just shifted the plate away from him so he sighed and grabbed some cereal from the cupboard, eating it dry.

Thor was the next to appear. His hair was full of static and sticking up, and he stumbled, clearly still half asleep as he grabbed 3 boxed of poptarts and collapsed next to Tony at the table, ripping open the first box.

Bruce and Steve turned up at the same time, both looking cheerful. Loki thought he heard Tony mutter "morning people" in a resentful voice, but when he looked Tony was reaching for more coffee.

Bruce began chopping up various fruit Loki didn't know the names of, while Steve went the the fridge. After a few minutes the smell of salty fatty meat filled the room accompanied by a sizzling noise. Steve made 3 plates and set them infront of Tony, Loki and himself. Despite 2 of them already having eaten, they both wolfed down the superior food. An amicable silence filled the room as they all ate.

The good mood was, unfortunately, broken. Just as Steve was collecting the 5 plates (Clint and Thor ate straight from the box) Jarvis announced that Director Fury was on his way.

Loki looked at Steve clearing questioning why Natasha and clint had lept up, Bruce seemed frozen,  and Tony had whimpered and lowered his head to the table.

Steve smiled uncertainly and said
"Er, Director Fury won't be very happy that we have brought you back to earth, and... he isn't very nice when he's angry..."
Loki looked at Steve and wondered how scary someone could be to make Steve tremble like that.

3 hours later, he knew exactly how scary. Fury had marched in, throwning open the door so hard it chipped the paint on the wall behind. He stood in the doorway seething as he looked around the room until he saw Loki. In a moment a fully loaded gun had been targeted at his head and it remained there for 3 hours of shouting. Mostly Fury. At various points, each of the Avengers had tried to argue back only to be verbally beaten into submission or overwhelmed by Fury's sheer... well fury.

It had taken the persuasive skills of Captain America so calm him down enough to listen. Steves back was poker straight and in his soldier pose he looked trustworthy enough to convince Fury.  Loki thought it best to stay quiet and let the others talk around him. It was only at the end he was pulled into the fray.

"Alright." Fury began. "I will allow this for now. BUT" he roared at the group "if I hear one squeak of trouble his head will be on my wall! And as for you" he said turning to Loki. "You better behave yourself or I'll crush you myself" he spat. With that he shot a final threatening glance around the room, and left with a swish of his leather coat tails.