Work Text:
Steve knelt down and placed another log in the fireplace and poked at it a bit, settling it into optimum heat-making position, before returning to the couch and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. He had just reached the part about Annie Laurie's birth when a small noise made him look up.
"Loki? Is everything okay?"
Loki, God of Chaos, the Trickster, the Deceiver and Liesmith, stood in the doorway of the warm, pleasant library wrapped in a bright red fleece robe two sizes too big. He looked like he could swim inside his pajama bottoms.
“I-I apologize for the intrusion,” he said. “But I believe I am lost. I was... looking for the kitchen?”
Steve found his bookmark, a ticket stub from the Mets/Dodgers game he had attended with Clint earlier in the summer (it had been said that the new field had been built to resemble Ebbets Field but he had found it too flashy and depressingly sterile and not like his memories at all), and placed it in his book.
“There are a lot of rooms in this house,” he agreed, standing up. “I think I’ll get a drink myself. I’ll show you where the kitchen is.”
He led the way through darkened hallways and down the stairs until they reached the well lit, airy kitchen. The lights were always on in this room, a testament to the unusual hours the Avengers kept and to the personal demons that plagued them and chased away their sleep. Luckily there was no one else here and Steve opened the refrigerator, taking stock of its contents.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I make a mean scrambled eggs, or maybe just some toast, or-”
“I am not hungry,” Loki replied, looking around the room. He stopped at Steve, who stared back, questioning. “Like you, I wanted something to drink,” he said quickly. “I have acquired a taste for coffee. I want you to make coffee for me.”
Steve chuckled, holding up his hands in a placating manner when Loki visibly bristled. “Hey hey, no, I’m not laughing at you,” he said. “But I’m not giving you coffee either. It’s not something you should normally drink at one in the morning, unless you’re Tony. And even he shouldn’t do it.” He gave him another searching look. “Or do you want to stay up all night?”
All of a sudden Loki sagged, the weariness seeming to age him. Steve had a quick glimpse of all the terrible centuries lived, of the grinding toll of near immortality, before the smooth mask slid over his face once again. “I do not.” It came as an almost whisper. “I desire the opposite, actually. But... I cannot sleep. And I am so tired.” He straightened, but the weariness remained, seeped into his bones. “I find coffee relaxes me, so naturally I thought it would help.”
“Well yes, it would make you crash after a while but I don’t think you need the stimulant that comes before that,” Steve said, understanding now. This he knew. He’d spent enough early morning hours in the kitchen with Peter or with Jessica or Clint, or in the library with Tony, to know how insomnia slowly destroyed you from the inside. “I’ve got an idea. How about some milk?”
“Milk?” Green eyes stared at him dubiously. “How will that help?”
Steve shrugged. “It works for me,” he said. “Usually heated up, with a little honey and some vanilla. Sit, I’ll make us some.”
**********
So that was how Steve Rogers ended up on a couch sharing mugs of warm sweetened milk with a demigod. And they weren’t snuggling, exactly, but they were close enough to touch, with Steve stretched out on the recliner part of the loveseat and Loki nearly leaning against him, his long legs curled under. And if there was a look of utter contentment on Loki’s face, it was something he would deny upon pain of death if anyone saw him and dared to comment on it.
“You know,” Steve said, taking a final sip and putting his cup down on the floor, “I’m not sure how you’re going to take this, but... thank you. That was really... something, what you did for us against Kang yesterday.” He glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the library. “Well, two days ago.”
He couldn’t see Loki’s face, but he heard a small sniff. “It was nothing; ridiculous really,” Loki answered. “I fully understand his desire for world domination but I fail to see the how one could conquer a world that has been utterly annihilated in the process. Either you conquer, or you destroy,” he continued, waving his hand around as he warmed to his topic. “I suppose you could destroy a realm after you’ve conquered it since it is yours to do as you wish, but why do it beforehand? Although destroying a realm that you have no desire in conquering is obviously another alternative-"
“Ah. Hm,” Steve said. “Well, thanks again, anyway. And I’m sorry about the side effects of the spell you cast. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now, since you’ve had your powers all your life and now it’s gone-”
“Temporarily,” came the sharp retort.
“Temporarily,” Steve said, nodding. “And I know we’re usually on opposite sides but if you hadn’t shown up when you did, our gooses would’ve been cooked.”
Loki turned to look up at him. “And... cooked goose is bad, is that what you are saying?”
Steve chuckled quietly. “Yes, it’s bad. You didn’t have to help us but you did, and at great cost to you. I’m also glad you decided to stay here, even if Thor went with Tony to escort Kang to the negative zone prison."
“Thor told me once, after he first joined your little group, that you were one of the most honorable men he had ever known,” Loki mused. He also put down his mug on the floor and leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder, yawning widely. “I thought you were a greater deceiver than I. No one is that honorable, that full of integrity.”
“Hey now,” Steve protested. He made no attempt to move away or shake Loki off. “I’m just a regular guy-”
“Oh no... I mean no insult. At least... not right now,” Loki cut in sleepily. “I just... hated...”
“...Loki?” Steve smiled down at the sleeping form and momentarily considered waking Loki up and walking him to the guestroom but decided against it. The room was cozy and the loveseat recliner was remarkably comfortable, even for two tall men. Steve leaned back and closed his eyes, following Loki into sleep.
*********
A mumbled flurry of words, ancient and devastating, awoke Steve with a start. He knew he hadn’t been asleep too long; a glance at the clock showed it had only been an hour or so. “Loki? Loki!”
Only his training and super soldier enhanced reflexes saved him from a potential broken nose as Loki’s fist shot out. Steve grabbed the wrist with one hand and put his other arm around the thrashing form, gently stroking down Loki’s arm, his side, stopping to pet a hip. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. Loki, you’re safe. Shh, you’re safe.”
Another stream of words Steve couldn’t understand and Loki woke up, gasping. “NO! What-?”
“You were dreaming,” Steve soothed gently, still stroking down Loki’s side, rubbing his arm. “A pretty bad one, I’m guessing. Are you all right? Do you want to go to sleep in your bed?”
Loki, his breathing still labored, considered the other man for a minute. “Of course,” he replied. “I should not have fallen asleep here. It inconvenienced you, I-”
“No, that’s not it at all,” Steve said quickly. “I thought you might be uncomfortable.” He made another snap decision. “Let’s go.”
“What-?”
“Come with me,” Steve said. He picked up the now cold and empty mugs off the floor - he’d take them back to the kitchen later. Right now he and Loki both needed sleep. “We’re going back to your room.”
Loki, exhausted and still shell-shocked from his nightmare as he was, smirked. “You are inviting me to bed, Captain Rogers?”
Steve gave a tired grin back. “If we’re sharing a bed, you can call me Steve. Just try not to punch me in the nose again. Tony will freak if I get blood on the sheets. They’re Egyptian something or other.”
********
SHIELD’s negative zone prison facility made Tony antsy. It was his greatest contribution to engineering, and he and Reed and Hank had every right to feel proud about its design and construction, but something about the idea of a prison especially built for metahumans didn’t sit right with him. So he only ever stayed long enough to drop off the most recent captured supervillain and split as fast as he could. And since Thor was anxious to see his little brother, and since they had finally reached Dr. Strange, who was stopping by in the morning to see what he could do about reversing the backfired spell, this meant that the two Avengers who had been on prisoner escort duty were back in the mansion well before dawn.
Even with the streamlined armor it took Tony a few minutes to strip down to the undersuit. He was plodding to his room in his ratty old robe, too tired to even tinker in his lab, when he ran into Thor, a frown darkening his usually golden face.
“What is the meaning of this?” Thor demanded, his scowl deepening. “Why is my brother sleeping with the Captain?”
Tony blinked. “Wha-?” It was too late to deal with Thor and his jokes, as unfunny as they were. “C’mon, big guy, don’t screw around, it’s been a rough few days and-”
“Come see for yourself,” Thor said, grabbing the other man by the arm and dragging him to the guest bedroom. “There.” He pointed to the bed where Loki was indeed sleeping with Steve, or more like sleeping on top of Steve, with his head pillowed on Steve’s shoulder and an arm slung over Steve’s chest.
“Huh,” was all Tony could get out, before Steve murmured and woke up, blinking against the light coming from the hallway.
“Tony? Thor? How’d the transport go?”
“Fine,” Tony replied testily. He gestured to the bed, and to the men sleeping in it. “You got something you want to tell me?”
“And to myself,” Thor rumbled ominously. “Explain yourself!”
“What?! Oh. Insomnia and nightmares,” Steve said quietly. “Look, we just fell asleep so if you guys don’t mind...?”
But Loki shifted, opening his eyes slowly. “Oh, hello brother.” He raised his head, taking in the position he was in, nearly wrapped up in Steve, but made no move to get away. “I will speak with you in the morning,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.
Thor’s mouth opened and shut, then opened and shut again. Tony yawned and turned away, pulling Thor with him. Honestly, he was just too damned tired to deal with anything right now but seriously - he had insomnia, he had nightmares. That’s all it took to get into Steve’s bed? He’d think about that angle later...
When the Thor and Tony had finally left, Loki snuggled even closer to Steve. The other man’s warmth, clean smelling and soothing, was quickly pulling him back under, but he had to know something first. “Steve,” he whispered.
“Yes?” Steve whispered back.
“I- I have difficulty sleeping here,” Loki admitted with a sigh. “Even you must admit that the situation is very disconcerting and I am not as I normally am, and-”
"I think Dr. Strange should be able to help you get your full powers back,” Steve said quietly. "But if you don't get them back right away, or for any reason or no reason at all... you can come to me anytime."
Loki said nothing, and Steve was sure he had fallen asleep, when one last question came floating out from the darkness. “Steve?”
“Hm?”
“I will still require coffee in the morning.”
Steve laughed, a rumble deep in his chest that he knew Loki could feel. “I will make you coffee,” he said. “Now go to sleep.”
And Loki did.