To Belong

I

Steve looked out the window of Tony's place. He looked at the world he was apart of, but not from. He's been here for quite some time now but there come moments when he feels out of place and doesn't belong.

Like here.

In Tony's place.

A place that is beyond average world technology, how can a man, from when technology was starting its rise feel even remotely comfortable here?

To just think of all he's missed...his friends.

"Steve?" a groggy voice said from the bed.

Steve sniffed and quickly wiped away his tears. When had they begun? He doesn't recall.

"Yeah?" he said as he turned towards Tony, rather happy that the sun was still hours from rising. He didn't want Tony to see his face. He wondered how he looked.

Were his cheeks streaked from where the tears fell?

Were his eyes bloodshot from crying?

Did his face show the pain he felt in his heart?

Whatever he looked like, he didn't want Tony to see him clearly right now.

"Everything alright?" Tony asked as he grabbed a remote and suddenly the room was brightly lit.

Of course. Only Tony.

Only.

Tony.

That's why he loved him.

Steve looked down as Tony got out of bed, only wearing a pair of black briefs along with the light Steve never want to see go out on his chest, and made his way over to him.

"What's wrong?" Tony cupped Steve's face and forced his head up.

Steve let out a shallow laugh. "Look at you being all caring," he said as he tried to avoid eye contact.

"Hey, you know I have my ways of caring but I do have the ability to show my care like normal people."

"Normal people, heh. We're so far from that."

"Yeah we are, but don't go changing the subject like that."

Steve let out a sigh as he softly gripped Tony's wrists and brought his hands down to his waist and wrapped them around him. Steve laid his head on Tony's shoulder and wrapped his own arms around Tony.

He actually wished Tony had a shirt on so he could grip it.

"You belong right here. In my arms"

The fact that he didn't even have to tell Tony, that all he needed was motions to help him understand what was bothering Steve, truly made Steve believe those words.

Although Tony shoved those thoughts deep and far below in the back of his head, Steve knew they would always be there.

Everyone avoided Thor.

They had Loki in custody and everyone knew that despite what Loki has done, a part of Thor mourns his brother.

Steve looked around the room. Everyone was occupied with something whether personal or not except him. He quietly slipped out of the room and headed down.

To where they held Loki.

"Must be important if Captain America has personally come down into the dungeons himself." the sly voice of Loki said when Steve became visible to him.

Loki was located in the center of large room. He was bound to something like a stone throne which was at the center of a circle. His hands and forearms bound inside what Steve can only describe as iron tubing. Surrounding him were four pillars emitting some sort of energy. One of Tony's no doubt, Steve figured.

"Why are you doing this?" Steve suddenly blurted out. He actually had no idea why he decided to come down here. To face this man who's destroyed and killed.

"Since when does wanting to rule need a reason?"

"Everyone does something because of a reason, people don't just-"

"DO NOT COMPARE ME...to you humans!" Loki shouted with such venom. The guards began to stir but Steve waved them down.

"You're right," Steve said. "You're nothing like us."

Steve took a step closer to Loki.

"I can see it in your eyes Loki."

The laugh Loki let out would've sent a shiver down the spine of an average human, but not Steve.

"You humans. So tell Captain, what do see in my eyes?" Loki asked with a curious smirk. How the humans humored him.

"Your desire to belong."

Steve watched as the smirk slowly faded.

His heart began to suddenly speed up. It was almost like a frantic adrenaline. "I know because I see it everyday. I don't belong here. I used to but...but that was a long time ago and now everything's new and I just feel like I don't belong here because I'm not apart of anything in this world and if I don't belong here then I belong no where and if I belong no where then..."

He was panting now. What was that? Why is he telling something like this, something that's been eating away at him, to Loki.

To Loki.

Steve looked up, Loki was looking at him with narrow eyes and furrowed brows.

"Tell me Captain," Loki said in a quiet voice, "what do you fight for?"

Steve barely had time to process the question.

"Captain." His title was called sharply. He turned to see Nick Fury. "A word."

Steve turned to Loki one last time before he left. Loki simply raised his chin.

"Captain, I'm going to ask you one question and I want an answer. What the hell were you doing?"

"I don't know."

"Unacceptable answer Captain."

"Well, that's the only answer I have!" Steve said with more anger then he intended. He began to walk away.

"Captain!"

Steve stopped, but didn't turn.

"Take the day off."

Steve left.

Steve was walking through Central Park when he felt a vibrating in his chest pocket. He pulled out the cell phone Tony had given him that he never uses. Tony's name and picture was on the little screen and Steve hit the green phone button that Tony had told him multiple times what it was.

"Where are you?" Tony's voice said before Steve could even put the thing to his ear.

"Taking a walk. Fury gave me the day off." Steve went up to a tree and leaned against it.

"You take walks to clear your head and Fury only gives you days off when you get worked up over something."

"Wow, you know me better then I thought." Steve could hear Tony sigh on the other side of the line.

In a low voice Tony said, "Steve, I'm worried about you."

"Don't be I'm fine."

"Steve-"

"I'll see you back at your place."

Steve could hear Tony's protests as it took him a second to remember the red phone button was to end the call. He sighed as he leaned back into the tree.

The next day Steve found himself face to face with Loki again. However this time, Loki was not on his stone throne but instead had his cold hand upon his face.

"You had never answered my question Captain, what do you fight for?" Loki's cold and pained eyes bore into his own aching ones.

That question again.

Tony had passed through his mind.

But that was all.

He passed.

He didn't linger or stay for a few seconds.

The name was gone as fast as it came.

Why?

He loved Tony.

Didn't he?

Steve didn't know when he closed his eyes, nor when Loki got so close, but he suddenly felt the chill of lips on his.

He didn't fight it.

Loki's hand found his way into Steve's hair and he gripped it as he pulled away.

"I hate you," he whispered into Steve's ear.

And he was gone.

Steve didn't know what to do.