Title: Flowers on the Grave
Author: Ailendolin
Rating: T (PG-13) … just to be sure.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story. The setting and characters in this story belong to Marvel and I do not make any profit with this and mean no disrespect.
Summary: Loki was the last person Steve expected to see standing by Coulson's grave apologizing, eighteen months after the Chitauri invasion. He was even more surprised by the story Loki had to tell, forcing Steve to rethink some things. Steve/Loki friendship or pre-slash.
Word Count: 5315
Warning: Spoilers for Thor and The Avengers, Canon Character Death, mentions of torture and mind control.
Author's Notes: This is my first Avengers fanfiction, and my first foray into the Marvel fandom in general. Thor and The Avengers are two of my most favorite movies, and Loki and Steve are my favorite characters from the Marvel universe. And while I do enjoy Thorki und Stony, Steve/Loki as a pairing fascinates me even more which is why they are the main characters in this story. This could be read as pre-slash as well as gen, I believe. It's just an idea that came into my head while I was working; a different take on the Chitauri invasion where Loki is really not as evil as he is in The Avengers, and how that might change things when Steve finds out. Read for more ;-)
That said, I do hope that the characters are not terribly ooc. Like I said, first time writing them which is always difficult. Also, English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistakes that you find and kindly point them out to me, because I don't have a beta and that's the only way my English can improve.
So, without further ado, have fun with the story!
Author's Notes (Feb 2013): First of all I would like to thank my wonderful beta JJKMagic for proof-reading this story and giving me valuable input! Thanks to her a now improved version of this story is online and hopefully people can enjoy it even more now that my mistakes have been erased. ^^ I'd also like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far (26 reviews to date, way above my expectations). For the people who have been asking about a sequel: I do have an idea in my head, and I plan on writing it, but at the moment I'm working on my Master's thesis and sadly have no time for writing fanfiction. So, once again a very big thank you to everyone who reviewed, marked this story as their favorite or put it on alert!
Flowers on the Grave
Snow fell gently from the sky when Steve entered the cemetery on a Tuesday evening. An Avengers mission that had come up that morning had prevented him from coming sooner and the flower shop had been in the middle of closing when Steve had finally made it. Luckily for him the nice lady who owned the shop had not minded and sold him the beautiful white lily with a black bow around its stem that he now held in his hand with a smile on her face. "It is never too late to buy flowers," she had told him. "Especially not for business as important as this."
Steve looked down at the delicate flower in his hand and found it hard to believe that Agent Coulson had died on this day, one and a half years ago. It did not seem like such a long time. All the Avengers had been there at his funeral, and they had paid their respects a year later on its anniversary. But today, another half a year later, it was just Steve that made his way slowly across the snow-covered ground. He came here often, sometimes to tell Coulson how much he was missed or what the Avengers had been up to lately. Other times, he came to think or to draw, enjoying this place of silence amid a city full of overwhelming noise. But most times he came to make sure that Agent Phil Coulson would not be forgotten.
Today was all those things at once. Steve was here because it was an anniversary, because he craved some peace after a day of fighting that he would tell Coulson all about, and to make sure that he would remember why he fought, even when his exhaustion made it hard to stay on his feet. He needed these visits, and Steve liked to think that Coulson would appreciate them. He still regretted never signing those cards.
When he went around the large obelisk that blocked the view of Coulson's grave, however, Steve stopped in his tracks. Loki, the last person Steve expected to meet here on this day, was standing in front of the headstone that read Phil Coulson's name, and without thinking about it Steve stepped back into the shadow of the obelisk, not making any sound. He did not know why he did not confront the god who was responsible for the existence of the grave he was looking at in the first place but he did not regret his decision when Loki began to speak quietly.
"Agent Coulson," Loki said, and stopped. Steve could not see his face, but his shoulders were trembling with the effort to find the right words, and the irony of that was not lost on Steve. "I," Loki went on a moment later, "I came here to apologize for what happened when last I was on Earth." Loki huffed out a laugh and it sounded painful. A shaking hand was dragged through his unkempt black hair. "You'd think this would get easier after all the visits I paid today, but it doesn't. It's just as hard as the first one to Mrs. Williams was." He shook his head and let out a shaky sigh. "I know that you can't hear me, none of you can, and yet it's not as easy to say "I'm sorry" as it should be. But I am, Agent Coulson. I am so very sorry."
Steve stared at the God with wide eyes. He was surprised that Loki would apologize for his deeds without being forced to do so, and he was even more surprised by the sincerity with which the words were spoken. Even though Steve knew that Loki was supposed to be the God of Lies, not a single cell inside him doubted that at this very moment the words Loki spoke came directly from his heart. Something inside Steve clenched painfully as Loki bowed his head and went on.
"I do realize that saying sorry is not enough, and that it never will be." Loki's voice dropped to a whisper. "But it is all I have left to offer, Agent Coulson. If I could turn back time, know that I would. I would change what was done in a heartbeat. You never knew this but I didn't mean for anything like this to happen. I never even intended to come to Earth." Loki laughed once, harshly, and to Steve it sounded like a sob. He held his breath, wondering what Loki was talking about.
"Thor probably never told you what happened on Asgard," Loki went on. He wrapped his arms around himself as if he were cold and only now Steve noticed that the god was dressed in a thin green tunic. He fought the urge to walk up to him and lend him his jacket. "There were … certain revelations that came to light when my brother was banished to your planet. For all he claims to have always been there for me, he wasn't at this crucial moment in my life. It is not his fault, of course, but I felt confused and betrayed and so utterly alone that I could not think straight. I only ever wanted to do the right thing, you know, and every time my good intentions blew right up in my face. And at that particular moment I had no one to lean on, no one to support me, and I let go. I was ready to leave this life, thinking I would spare Thor and my mother further grief with my death." Another dejected laugh, and Loki's fingers tightened on his arms. "Of course even when I tried to kill myself things did not go according to plan. They never do, no matter what. That's the story of my life, Agent Coulson, and you and so many others paid the price for it."
Loki stopped and took a shuddering breath, looking unbelievably small at that moment. Truth be told, Thor had not told the Avengers all that much about his brother. There simply had not been enough time with Thor's surprising arrival, the battle and his return to Asgard with his brother in tow as a prisoner. Steve knew that Loki was adopted, and that Thor, despite everything, loved him very much, and had always believed that Loki was not evil. Still, he never talked much about Loki whenever he visited. He had not even bothered to tell them that Loki was free once more, which Steve thought they deserved to know after all that had happened, even if this Loki here before him seemed so different from the man he had encountered eighteen months ago. He wondered what could possibly have happened to Loki that made him go from being suicidal to trying to take over a world he never wanted to come to in the first place, if his words were to be believed.
When Loki spoke again with an unsteady voice, and unknowingly gave Steve the answers he sought, Steve felt like throwing up. "When I fell into the Void I was ready for death to find me. Instead the Chitauri did." Loki swallowed and wrapped his arms even tighter around himself, seeking comfort in any way he could. Steve had a feeling as to where the story was going but nothing prepared him for what Loki said next, or more accurately did not say. "I was vulnerable, emotionally and physically, and they seized me. It didn't take long for them to find out about my magical abilities which made me perfect for their plans, so perfect. At first I resisted. I didn't care much about what happened to me but I didn't want to be responsible for the enslavement of an entire race. But then the pain came. And the words that hurt so much more than any blows ever could. And after some time I broke, and I gave in; another failure in my long list of faults."
Steve closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to see Loki's huddled form any longer. The man he thought to be his worst enemy had been tortured, probably beyond imagination since he was almost immortal and could survive so much more than any human could, and that coupled with whatever had happened on Asgard made Loki suddenly more of a victim than an enemy. Steve knew that Tony would laugh at him for thinking that, and that Clint would glare at him and give him the silent treatment. Natasha would probably back Clint up, and Bruce had no sympathy left for Loki either, and Fury would most likely scream at him for even assuming that Loki could be anything less than evil. Still, Steve could not help his heart reaching out when he looked at Loki now, trying to make himself small and trusting his secrets to a dead man who could not betray him. The painful pull inside his chest only grew worse when Loki spoke again.
"They used me," Loki admitted quietly. "They used me just like they used your Dr. Selvig and the one you call Hawkeye. I know you think I possessed them, but that is something that has never been within my power, Agent Coulson. It never was and it never will, but they possess it. They were in my head, all the time. Sometimes whispering words of poison, sometimes screaming but always threatening and hurting. They knew everything I do, and they spoke with my voice while I could do nothing but watch." Loki sighed, and when he spoke next he sounded more sad and weary than Steve had ever heard someone sound before. "There were moments when I regained control, small as they were. One of those was when Thor told me to come home. And I wanted to, Agent Coulson, I wanted to so badly. I just wanted my mother to envelop me in her arms and hide me from everyone and everything, telling me that it would all be alright. But I was too weak and stood no chance to shake off the control of the Other. Not until your green pet monster literally shook some sense into me. I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Banner for that."
Loki looked up then and took a determined breath, his posture straighter than before. "So this is my story, Agent Coulson. I do not expect your forgiveness or anyone else's, and I did not come here to earn it. I only think you and all the other people that suffered because of my failings deserve to know the truth about the reasons behind their deaths. I owe you that much, even if it is preciously little and could never be enough."
With that Loki bent down and touched the snow-covered grave in front of him. He mumbled some words in a language Steve did not understand and suddenly flowers sprang to life all over the frozen earth in front of Coulson's headstone. They were a brilliant blue, red and white in color and seemed to radiate a soft glow. Steve realized that he had just witnessed magic in its purest form and was even more amazed when Loki stood up again, gave a curt nod, and said, "I am sorry, Agent Coulson. This is not much but from now on there will always be flowers growing on your grave. May you rest in peace."
With that Loki turned around, ready to leave, and Steve realized a moment too late that he was not entirely standing behind the obelisk anymore. Before he could even think about moving behind the marble pillar Loki had seen him. The god halted abruptly, eyes widening in panic before his whole composure became rigid and his eyes narrowed in defense.
"How long have you been there?" Loki asked, trying to appear unfazed by Steve's presence, but his voice betrayed the panic his face no longer showed. Steve took a tentative step forward and was relieved when Loki did not retreat. "Long enough. I'm sorry for eavesdropping."
Loki snorted. "Of course you are, Captain. Always perfect, never doing anything wrong. So, are you going to take me in now that I've made a fool of myself? Where is the rest of your merry bunch of idiots hiding?"
Steve closed his eyes briefly and willed himself to remain calm, knowing that Loki was only lashing out because Steve had surprised him. "There's no one here but me," Steve said. He opened his eyes again.
"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that, right?" Loki glared at him. "I may be a fool, but I'm not stupid. Go on, take me in. Let's get this over with." He held out his hands in defeat, effectively allowing Steve to put shackles around his wrists.
Taking another careful step forward Steve shook his head and pushed Loki's hands gently down until they were resting against his sides once more. "I am not here to take you in, Loki. And I honestly didn't mean to spy. Seeing you here today was the last thing I expected. I didn't even know you were back on Earth, let alone in this cemetery at this hour. You surprised me, that's all. And I should have made myself known sooner. That would have been the honorable thing to do. But I'm just Steve Rogers here, not Captain America, and I don't regret having heard what you had to say. I'm not as perfect as you deem me to be."
Loki's eyes shifted to the ground. "Those words weren't meant for you to hear," he said quietly. "But now that you're here I might as well get it over with." He looked up and directly into Steve's eyes and with a jolt Steve realized that Loki's eyes were green and not blue like they had been in Germany. "I am sorry for your loss," Loki said stiffly. "And for all the pain and hurt I have caused you and your friends. Please tell them for me as well."
When Loki made to turn around Steve reacted instinctively and grabbed his shoulder. Loki seemed too surprised to shake his hand off, so Steve left it there, allowing it to become reassuring instead of demanding. "Why don't you tell them yourself? This changes-"
"This changes nothing," Loki hissed, interrupting him. "I'm not here for your forgiveness. I haven't earned it and I never will. I don't want it."
Steve shook his head while his thumb absentmindedly caressed the space between Loki's shoulder and collarbone through the thin material of his tunic. "This is not for you to decide," he told Loki gently. "It is ours to give and I am sure Coulson would forgive you. I do, even though there is nothing to forgive, really, from what I can gather. Your voice, your body might have said and done all those things, but you didn't want them to, Loki. And that's the important thing."
"How can you say that?" Loki asked, letting the calm façade fall. "Your friend lies dead here in this grave and you forgive his killer so easily?"
"No," Steve said, "I do not forgive his killer and I never will. But I can forgive the man who was used as a weapon in this fight against his will and could do nothing to stop this."
Loki wrenched his shoulder free and took a step backwards, eyes wide and unbelieving. "You cannot say that. You cannot believe me. I'm the God of Lies, remember? I could tell you the Earth was flat and you would not doubt me."
"Maybe," Steve admitted, "but when you were talking to Coulson you had no reason to lie. As you said yourself: he is dead, he cannot hear you, and he could never tell on you. I know you spoke the truth, Loki. And it explains so many things that didn't make sense before."
"Like what?" Loki asked, wrapping his arms around his lithe figure once more.
Steve smiled at him. "Like why your eyes are green now when I vividly remember them being blue when I met you the first time. Blue, just like Clint's and Dr. Selvig's eyes were when they were possessed."
"I'm a shape-shifter," Loki said, eying Steve warily. "I could take on the shape of a woman if I wanted to. Changing my eye color is but an afterthought." As if to prove his point he allowed his eyes to become first blue and then brown before they returned to their natural green color. "See?"
Steve continued smiling, stepping into Loki's personal space once more and went on as if nothing had happened. Everything in him told him that he was doing the right thing, no matter what his teammates might say when they found out about it. "It also explains why you were so calm when we found you after the battle. You were different then, no longer willing to fight and you seemed glad that it was over. I didn't think much of it then, but now I can't help notice the differences of you prior and after the Hulk."
"You do not know of what you speak," Loki protested in a small voice.
Steve laid his hands on Loki's shoulders, allowing the white lily he had brought for Coulson to fall to the ground. "I think I do. You are not a bad person, Loki. You are the God of Lies and Mischief, I grant you that. But you're not the God of this." He briefly gestured around him at the City of New York before returning his hands to Loki's shoulders.
Loki stared at them for a moment, but he did not shrug them off. Instead Steve felt him lean into the touch slightly and he wondered when the last time had been that someone other than Thor had touched Loki in a friendly manner. "I'm also the God of Chaos," Loki mumbled, "and what happened here seems very chaotic to me."
"That's not chaos, that's destruction and murder. That's not you, Loki."
Green eyes locked onto Steve's blue ones, so desperate to believe and yet at the same time unable to trust. "How can you be so sure of that? How can you believe me when Odin did not, the man who called himself my father and watched me grow?"
Steve shrugged, and feeling bold he started stroking Loki's arms to offer some warmth and comfort. "Maybe it's because there's no history of lies between us."
Loki scoffed. "Are you so sure about that, Steven?"
Steve tried not to smile at the use of his name instead of his title. "Yes."
But Loki shook his head, his eyes turning sad and Steve knew something was wrong. "When you look at me, what do you see?" Loki asked.
"I see a tall, proud man who went through hell and came back broken. I see someone who doesn't think he's worth saving. But most of all I see the brother Thor loves so very much."
Loki's smile went from sad to self-deprecating. "And that's where you're wrong. I am not Thor's brother."
Steve nodded. "I know that. He told us you were adopted."
"But did he also tell you that I am not originally from Asgard? That I'm from Jotunheim?"
"No," Steve frowned. "He didn't tell that. I admit I don't know what that means, you coming from Jotunheim."
Loki's gaze dropped and he seemed to huddle up by himself once more. "That means I'm a monster, Steven, no matter what you might think of me. I am not Thor's brother. I never was. I'm a Frost Giant, son of King Laufey that Odin took during the last war. He thought I could reunite our two worlds."
Steve winced when he realized what that meant. "He used you." Loki's green eyes flickered up to him in surprise. "Just like the Chitauri did. Was it your heritage you discovered when Thor was here?"
"Yes," Loki breathed, and Steve wondered if this was the first time that anyone was willing to listen to him, willing to understand. "I found out when Thor thought it would be a good idea to go to Jotunheim. There was no time to talk about it because he was banished the moment we returned. When I confronted Odin he told me everything, and then oh-so-conveniently fell into the Odin sleep, leaving me alone with my life in tatters and a kingdom to rule. I was … overwhelmed, and made many wrong decisions. I did things I regret now, things that would make you hate me. Once more," he added as an afterthought, frowning.
"Try me," Steve challenged.
Loki looked utterly wrecked when he said, "I killed King Laufey, my own father." Steve kept his face carefully blank and waited for Loki to go on. "What, no reaction, Captain?"
"I thought we were on first name basis now, Loki," Steve teased lightly. "And no, I think I'm waiting for your explanation on why you killed the king before I pass judgment."
Loki chuckled and gazed at him in wonder. "Always trying to see the good in people, aren't you, Steven? Even in someone rotten like me. Well, there is no other explanation than the fact that I once again wanted to do the right thing. I lured Laufey into the palace of Asgard under false pretenses and killed him there, proving to Odin and all of Asgard where my loyalties lie and hoping that Odin would finally be as proud of me as he was of Thor. But he wasn't. He didn't appreciate me killing the monster he told us about all the time when we were children."
Steve's heart filled with sympathy at those words. "He told you that Frost Giants are monsters when you were a kid, fully knowing of your heritage? That's … that's just bad parenting."
Loki laughed and his eyes became glassy with unshed tears. "That's what you take out of this tale? Didn't you hear about me being just such a monster, about me being a kinslayer and a kingslayer?"
Letting one of his hands drop from Loki's shoulder, Steve reached for Loki's hand and squeezed it. "I'm not saying that it was okay for you to kill the king, because committing murder is never okay. But I get why you did it. I mean, I also took drastic measures to finally become someone people could be proud of. It's not the same, of course, but I know what it feels like not to belong, to never be good enough, no matter how hard you try. Your parents did wrong by not telling you, Loki, and leaving you alone when you needed their love the most."
"You're impossible," Loki whispered, staring at Steve as if he was something out of a dream. But then his face filled with new resolve. "Well, perhaps this will change your mind and convince you of how much of a monster I am."
The skin under Steve's fingers first went cold as ice and then slowly the rosiness faded away to a dark blue with intricate markings. Fascinated, Steve raised his gaze from Loki's hand to his face and was surprised to find blood-red eyes staring back at him. "Do you see now, Steven?" Loki asked in a low voice. "This is what Jotuns look like. This is what I truly am. I am ice and coldness and everything you hate and fear. How can you look at me and not be afraid?"
Never letting go of Loki's hand, no matter how cold it felt, Steve raised his other hand from Loki's shoulder and tentatively touched his blue cheek. Loki took a shuddering breath, and his eyes closed unwillingly when he felt the warmth spread from Steve's hand into his whole body. His Jotun form drained away and cold tears dripped from his eyes. Steve gently wiped them away. "I am not afraid of ice, Loki," he told him softly. "I am afraid of falling into water. A little frost doesn't bother me."
"I'm more than a little frost," Loki whispered. Still he leaned into the warmth of Steve's hand on his cheek. "You will see that in time, even if you refuse to now. You should leave and forget about this; about me."
Steve felt his heart break a little when he realized that despite his words Loki craved this, Steve's touch and gentle words, his forgiveness and his belief, but did not allow himself to hope for it, always expecting that it would be taken away, thinking that he did not deserve it. So Steve did the only thing he could think of that would make Loki see. He stepped forward and laid his arms around the trembling god, offering him warmth and safety and a place to hide just like his mother must have done when he was a child. "You have a good heart, Loki," he murmured into soft black hair and felt Loki's breath hitch. "That should never be forgotten. It deserves a chance to heal."
All the tension drained from Loki's body and he melted into Steve's arms, holding onto Steve's jacket with the desperate strength of someone drowning clinging to a barrel in the stormy sea. Steve rubbed his back soothingly, all the while whispering comforting words that meant nothing and yet everything because Loki's grip tightened on him and he buried his cold nose into the space beneath Steve's ear. "I'm sorry," Loki muttered, over and over again. "I'm sorry for not being stronger."
"It's okay," Steve told him quietly, gently stroking Loki's neck with his thumb. "You don't have to be strong all the time. Everyone needs someone to be strong for them sometimes, Loki. That's what friends are for."
Steve felt his shirt growing damp. "I wouldn't know about that," Loki admitted. "I've never had a friend."
Closing his eyes, Steve thought about all the times Bucky had been there for him, and tried to imagine a life without having a best friend to support him, a life that in Loki's case had already been several centuries long. He tightened his arms around the god. "You've never had a friend?"
He felt Loki shaking his head against his shoulder. "Thor was the one who had friends. I often tagged along, and they tolerated me because I was Thor's little brother, but they didn't really like me. I was too small, too clever and preferred magic to brute strength. I didn't fit in and they made sure I never forgot that I was different. If only they knew..." Loki laughed harshly.
"Stop that," Steve told him gently. "Stop running yourself down. You don't need to do that, not with me. I don't care that you're different. I don't care that you can turn blue, just like I don't mind that Bruce turns green every once in a while. It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't change who you are, inside."
Loki raised his head from Steve's shoulders, sniffing once, and looked him in the eyes. "And who am I, inside?"
Steve smiled. "Someone who is in dire need of a friend, someone who deserves a second chance as much as everyone of the Avengers did. We are not your typical superheroes."
Loki snorted and Steve was glad to see a small smile on his face. "I hadn't noticed, what with the assassins, the weapon building and the green … thing."
"And me," Steve added gently, "the soldier out of time, trying to find his way in a world that is not his own."
"Did you find it?" Loki asked with a solemn expression on his face.
"I'm getting there," Steve said. "And so could you, if you'd let me help."
Loki shook his head. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I am not welcome here, Steven. I never planned to come to this planet in the first place, and I do not mean to stay now. I should leave before your friends find out about this meeting and we both get in trouble."
Steve's arms tightened before Loki could take a step back. "Perhaps you're right and leaving is the right thing, because I'm not going to lie to you: things won't be easy for you here on Earth. But is leaving what you really want?"
"It is the right thing to do," Loki said. He frowned when Steve smiled.
"How about you don't try to do what's best for everyone this time? Do what's best for you. Do you want to leave?"
Loki stared at him with wide eyes and shook his head. "No," he said, "I don't want to leave."
"Then stay," Steve said. "Stay here on Earth and build a life away from your brother's shadow."
"I don't know how to do that, Steven," Loki said, nervously fumbling with his hands. "Good things don't happen to people like me. Sooner or later everything falls to ashes, and at the worst I would drag you down with me. You deserve so much more than that. I don't want to be responsible for your ruin."
"You won't", Steve said confidently. He knew Loki was fishing for excuses, trying to tell himself this was not a good idea but he would not let him. "Whatever happens we will face it together, and we will make sure it works out. That's what friends do."
"Is that what we are?" Loki let his forehead fall against Steve's shoulder. "You make it sound so simple," he said wistfully.
"It can be," Steve told him, stroking his arms lightly, "if you allow it."
He felt Loki sigh against his shoulder. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
Steve smiled and carded his hand through Loki's black hair. "Then stay."
When Loki loosened his hold on Steve to look at him, Steve draped his jacket around the god's shoulders, earning him an amused smile. "Is that a friendship thing?" he asked.
"No," Steve answered with a grin, "this is a gentleman thing. You looked cold."
Loki laughed, and his smile was brilliant, both old and new and so full of life and hope and the future. Steve had never seen anything more beautiful. "You did hear me when I told you I was a Frost Giant, right?" Loki asked. His eyes were full of mirth. "I can assure you that I won't feel cold because of a little snow."
When he tried to give the jacket back, Steve stopped him with a smile. "Keep it anyways."
Loki stared at him for a moment, then he wrapped the jacket tighter around himself and ducked his head, suddenly feeling shy and his eyes fell on the white lily on the ground that Steve had brought with him. Gingerly he picked it up and studied it. Then his eyes closed and he blew on it softly and the lily started to glow, just like the other magical flowers, and Steve watched in amazement as Loki set it right on top of the granite headstone. The flower grew roots, wriggled around a bit and finally found impossible purchase and sat there quite happily. It looked like a beautiful queen among a court of commoners.
"Beautiful," Steve muttered. He smiled at Loki in thanks. "Will you stay?"
Loki shrugged and dragged Steve's jacket back over his shoulder where it started to slip off. "I'll consider it." His eyes were twinkling with happiness though, and Steve was not worried.
"That's all I can ask," he replied.
With a wave of his hand, Loki dissolved into green wisps of smoke, leaving Steve alone with magical flowers and the echoes of Loki's voice that seemed to come from all around. "Thank you for your kindness, Steven. I will make sure to return your jacket to you."
Steve found himself already looking forward to it.
The End (?)