Lovelines.
It had been just a few weeks since they had met, but it had only taken a moment for Steve to totally and absolutely fall in love with Thor. It was the first time he had really seen Thor, actually looked at him in the glaring fluorescent lights of SHIELD's debriefing room that Steve had felt his heart skip a beat as Thor's ice blue eyes had landed on him. It had only been a second, but he thought he saw something flicker in Thor's eyes too, but he had averted his gaze.
Three weeks later and Steve still didn't know what was happening. Had something happened to him when he was in the ice for all that time? Had something happened to his mind when he had hit the ice? No, he was sure that he had been fine; shaken, but fine. He had, of course heard of homosexuality even in the '40s and he hadn't had anything against it, heck, he had even caught himself looking at some guys too, but that had all been in good fun right? So why was this so different?
There had been sideways glances and lopsided smirks, but the worst things were the training session when the both of them were paired together. It seemed like Thor was bent on protecting Steve from everything and after one laser gun had misfired and nearly blown the both of them to high heaven, Steve's suspicions about Thor had grown. Steve had only sprained his arm, but Thor had made it very clear (with a thunderstorm that spanned most of the East coast) that he was angry about the incident.
After that, the maintenance crews had made sure that everything was in order before every training session. Today, they had been through a particularly grueling session on what has been come to be known affectionately as the Death Race.
Later when Steve was in his quarters feeling a little sore, he heard a knock on his door as he was stepping out of the bathroom. He quickly fastened his towel around him more securely and pressed the button that he had written "Open" on. The door slide open with that funny "shhhht" sound that he was still getting out of his funny-bone and was about to greet the person at the door when all the color drained from his face. Thor was standing there in all his mighty glory looking down at Steve and smiling. 'Hello Steven,' he said with his silkily gruff voice and Steve felt a flush spread through his body.
'Hello Thor,' he said and quickly turned around before Thor could see his face and looked desperately around for a shirt to put on. He found one draped on one of his chairs and as he turned around, thanking god… gods? that he had had enough sense to put on a pair of boxers before, was confronted by Thor's huge chest. he looked up at Thor and felt his breath catch. 'Come in,' he said a little breathlessly and Thor smirked and gazed at him for a few more seconds before he took a glance around.
'Your bedchambers are becoming of you,' he commented and Steve felt his brain go a little wonky. How could he speak such old English and still be so amazingly clued into this time? Steve could barely get a computer to listen to him. 'Thanks,' Steve said and tried to smile and Thor went over to the dresser where there was a copy of the Bible sitting atop it. 'May I?' he asked, looking at Steve inquisitively and Steve nodded.
As Thor flipped through the book, Steve found a pair of sweatpants and put them on hastily. 'It is a curious thing, this novel,' Thor said and Steve chuckled to himself. 'It's the Bible, Thor, not any ordinary book,' he said and Thor turned to him. 'My apologies,' he said and closed it, 'I know it to be of great value to the people of Earth. I merely meant to point out that it is curious how one book can set people to rigidly in their ways.' Steve sat on the bed and looked at the Bible for a moment. 'Huh,' he said, 'Never thought of it like that.' 'Once again, my apologies,' Thor said and set down the book on its original place.
'It's okay Thor, no hard feelings here,' Steve said putting up his hands. Before he could put them down, Thor crossed the room and took Steve's right hand in his and turned it over to, palm facing upwards. Suddenly Steve felt his back go rigid. 'I wonder,' Thor said looking down at Steve's open hand, 'My mother once told me that the future could be seen in the palm of one's hand.' Steve looked down at his palm then up at Thor, 'You believe in that?' he asked and Thor smiled at him. 'Do you believe that I came from another land by the crossing of a rainbow bridge, Steve Rogers?' Steve loved the way Thor said his name and found himself nodding to what Thor had just said.
'Then give me reason to not believe in palmistry,' Thor said and smiled. Steve just looked at Thor, wanting so much to just lean up a little more and feel Thor's lips on his, but he just opened his mouth and said softly, 'I can't think of any.' 'Let me try?' Thor said equally as quietly but ten times more amazingly and Steve nodded.
Thor slowly sat on the bed and Steve turned his body a little and almost as if Thor was trying not to break the thinnest sheet of glass in the world, he touched the lines on Steve's hands gently, caressing each line like it was the very blood that flowed through the centre of the universe.
'You have been lost from this place for many years,' Thor said after a few minutes and he looked at Steve for confirmation and Steve nodded. Looking down away, Thor's brows knit together a little and he touched another line. 'You long for those that time has taken from you,' he said and Steve looked down a little sadly and nodded. Suddenly he felt Thor's hand touch his shoulder gently and he looked up a fraction. 'They shall be with you again,' he said and Steve nodded. Thor looked down again and raised his eyebrows a little. 'You seek love,' he said so abruptly and matter-of-factly that Steve came up short.
'What?' he said and looked down at his hand like it had words on it. 'How…?' Steve said and looked at Thor, 'How did you know that?' Thor gave him a knowing look and pointed to a particular line on Steve's hand. Steve brought his hand up and looked at it like the answer would suddenly pop up on his hand, but nothing happened.
'Was there someone that you would give your heart to?' Thor said quietly and Steve looked at him, putting down his hand. Suddenly he felt his chest deflate and he looked down, picking a piece of lint that was stuck to the fabric of his pants. 'Well,' Steve began then shook his head, 'No, I can't.' Thor put a consoling hand on Steve's leg and with his other, made Steve look up at him by putting his index finger and thumb on Steve chin. 'My friend, you need not hide from me,' he said, 'I do not judge for am I the last that should judge another.'
Steve looked at him and opened his mouth, but instead of words coming out, he found himself breaking down and tears come spilling from his eyes. Now Steve wasn't a crier, heck the amount of fights he'd been in, it had taught him how to steel himself, but nothing could protect him from his heart.
He hadn't realized how much pressure and stress he'd been under, not only from training and strategizing mission plans, but also from his own personal stresses. He felt Thor slowly put his arms around him and Steve was so comforted by the embrace that he allowed it. Before long, he found himself hugging back and letting everything out, not caring that he was embarrassing himself in front of the man that he cared for.
Thor just held him and stroked the back of his head softly, telling him to let it all out and that he was there for him.
A few minutes later, Steve had calmed down and he looked up at Thor with a shy look. 'Th-There is someone,' he said and Thor gave him a small smile and wiped the tear tracks away from Steve's face with his thumb. 'Who?' he asked and Steve slowly leaned up and touched his lips against Thor's. 'You,' he said at Thor's surprised face.
He suddenly realized what he had done and regretted it immediately at the sight of Thor's face, but then before anything else could be done, Thor's expression softened and he took Steve's face in one of his hands and kissed him like it was their first and last one.
'Good,' he said when they had pulled apart when the urge for air become too great, and Steve looked at him with a slightly dazed look, 'I would have fought for your heart if you had said another's name.'