So I just saw the second Captain America movie a few days ago, and thus sprung up this inspiration! For a Thor/Cap bonding fic… Yeah, it doesn't make sense in my mind either, but whatever. When this was originally planned out it was going to be a little more touchy-feely, but as I was writing it… Well, it just didn't happen that way. For the sake of subconsciously keeping them in character, I guess.

This is set right after the Avengers, so anything canon that's occurred in the other movies since then is being ignored. (: So, basically, no spoilers unless you haven't seen the Avengers. In which case, I'm not sure why you're here… Oh well, onwards!

Stranded With Company

The night the heir of Asgard returned to Earth was almost suspiciously calm. There wasn't a cloud in the starry sky, and for the first time in, well, ever, New York City was quiet. That is, until an impossibly bright bolt of lightning brought the blond Asgardian prince down to the roof of the Avengers Tower.

Thor smiled as his surroundings returned to their normal state. Earth had been like a second home to him ever since meeting Jane Foster, but becoming a part of the bizarre group known as the Avengers had only reinforced this feeling tenfold. They were bizarre in the sense that it was astounding that six so very different people fit together as well as they did. Even the prince of a completely different planet could see that. All six of them were remarkable in their own way, but they fit together like no one could have imagined.

"Welcome back, Mr. Odinson," JARVIS greeted as Thor descended the stairs to his semi-permanent home.

"It is a pleasure to be in your company again," he responded. This was far from his first visit. Though certain aspects of Tony's creations still puzzled him, Thor had grown used to the 'man in the walls'. "Where are my fellow Avengers?"

Even if they had been home, it's unlikely that they would have been awake to greet him at three in the morning, but as JARVIS went on to explain, Clint and Natasha had been sent halfway across the world (though the exact location was classified) on a mission. Tony had dragged a reluctant Bruce to LA for a conference regarding something they'd been spending a lot of time working on in the laboratories. Pepper was also in Los Angeles on business… but mostly to supervise Tony.

The only other Avenger currently at their home base was Steve. And Thor was pleased to learn that, despite the hour, his team mate was awake. JARVIS directed him to the gym, and Thor happily continued on his way.

…

Steve only clenched his fist tighter when the punching bag flew across the room. He let out a breath slowly through his teeth, but it didn't serve to make him any calmer. A bead of sweat rolled down his back, making him shiver. The feeling prompted him quickly across the floor to pick up the bag, rather than going to the closet to get a new one.

He sighed as he bent down the heft the bag over his shoulder. There was something odd about the night time. Thoughts would creep into his mind that would never dare show their face in the light of day. Things he wouldn't admit to himself during the day.

It was no secret that he felt totally lost in this new time period, but if he was being honest, sometimes Steve felt like he had reverted back to his performing days. Like this was all just an act and his new team treated Captain America like their leader just to humor him.

Steve tensed up reflexively when he heard footsteps on the stairs, but whoever it was made no effort to conceal their presence and it was highly unlikely that an invader would have made it this far.

His shoulders relaxed slightly when Thor appeared in the doorway, a broad grin taking over his features. Thor spread his arms wide as he took in the sight of his comrade for the first time in months, but he didn't advance any further. Slowly, Thor was learning the meaning of personal space. However, the concept of inside voices was still essentially lost on him.

"My friend!" he boomed. "It is so good to see you again!"

Steve managed a tight smile and a nod. "Welcome back, Thor."

"It is very late," the prince continued. "What are you doing, training at such an hour?"

It certainly wasn't an interrogation, but his innocent concern made Steve feel defensive nonetheless. So he knew his words came out sounding a little forced and stiff. "Just… Couldn't sleep, is all."

It didn't seem as if Thor suspected for a second all the things his team mate was holding back. But he wasn't likely to have gotten a more thorough answer even if he had.

Because there was no way Steve was about to indulge to him all the little details of what had led him to this situation. That he'd woken up an hour ago breathing as if he still had asthma and feeling as if it was 20 degrees in his room. That he'd learned that sometimes the only way to get warm again was to work up a sweat and tire himself out until he was capable of sleep again. No matter the hour.

But Thor didn't ask. So Steve bid the Asgardian good night and went back to his workout.

…

When Steve woke up the next morning, he wasn't sure where he was. Immediately, his mind flashed back to his old apartment in 1940s Brooklyn, then to the army barracks. Things got a bit clearer when he thought of the new apartment SHIELD had given him, until at last he realized that he was in his room in the tower.

This little rewind of his life had become a morning routine in which he was forced to remember. Every single day. He swore this ritual hurt worse than any injury he'd sustained in the fight with the Chitauri.

It was only when Steve got out of bed that he remembered that he was no longer alone in the tower. He walked down the hallway to the kitchen a little more slowly.

It wasn't that Thor's presence made him uncomfortable. On the contrary, being from another planet made Thor the only other person nearly as lost in 2013 New York as he was. (Secretly, he was pleased- this meant he didn't have to ask nearly as many questions.) But he did feel a little less at home when he wasn't alone in the tower. He was more conscious of his actions.

Breakfast was a relatively quiet affair, a pleasant surprise considering his current company, but Thor seemed content to let him eat in peace. Despite all of the changes caused by the serum, Steve still needed sleep, just like any other human being. Perhaps Thor could see the growing visible signs of exhaustion and was trying to give him a break.

But no sooner was breakfast over than JARVIS informed the two that a call was being patched through from Director Fury. Subconsciously, Steve sat up a little straighter, his mind already racing. No problem that ever made it all the way to the Avengers was safe, but with four members of his team missing, Steve hoped it was a lighter mission.

Fury began to give them their assignment. 'Reconnaissance' and 'no anticipated combat' stuck out, but the words that really made Steve sit up, all his nerves reaching a level of hypersensitivity, were 'suspected Hydra base'.

"Hydra?" he cut in, one of the few times Steve would ever be caught interrupting his superior. "Hydra's been dead since the forties."

"What is 'Hydra'?" Thor asked.

Steve had forgotten he wasn't alone in the room. With a bit of difficulty, he explained, "Before I was… frozen… Uh, during the war, Hydra was the group we were fighting."

"An old foe," Thor summarized grimly.

"Yes."

Fury's explanation wasn't exactly comforting: Yes, Hydra was officially 'dead', but since the creation of SHIELD, agents had been tracking down those still loyal to Hydra and investigating their bases. The mission shouldn't be terribly difficult or dangerous, he assured them, but it needed to be done, and he had been running low on unoccupied agents ever since New York.

There really wasn't much to be done about it. The news of Hydra's resilience was unwelcome, but it wasn't like Steve was about to refuse orders. So Fury said his goodbyes, and Steve and Thor went to suit up.

…

The plane ride was a relatively short one. They were let out somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. Steve's stomach twisted at the thought of how close they were to home, but he forged ahead. The Asgardian, patiently awaiting orders, appeared wary.

"All right," he said, trailing off as he took in their surroundings. It really didn't look threatening in the least. A small base was rooted in a very typical landscape. It was surrounded by pine trees on three sides, and snow was piling up around the edges. It looked like a regular cabin at first, but as they got closer, Steve could see that the wooden appearance was quite sophisticatedly painted on. He tapped on the side and it echoed with a hollow sound, like it was made out of some sort of metal. Tony would probably have been able to identify the exact material by the sound alone, but Tony wasn't here. And he had a mission to carry out.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to split up," he decided. "According to Director Fury, this place is abandoned. Still, keep your eyes open, okay?"

Thor nodded, and the two moved forward. Steve glanced over, trying to be inconspicuous. In the same way that Tony's original defiance had caught him a little off guard, it had surprised Steve how… easily the Asgardian prince had accepted his authority. Tony had fought him the longest, but the actual royalty of the group didn't seem to have a problem stepping back and giving Steve the reigns.

When the two reached the door, they found it unlocked. This could mean one of two things: Either this place truly was abandoned, or they were walking into an ambush.

But when the door swung open, they found the place to be completely empty. From the inside, the walls appeared to be made of aluminum. There were electrical outlets all over the main room and the two smaller rooms that connected off of the first one, but nothing was plugged in anywhere. This place looked more like an unused storage space than anything else. Whatever purpose this little facility had once served, it looked like it had been cleared out a while ago.

Steve's boots echoed against the tiled floor. He had hoped for an easy mission, and this really could not have gone down with less of a hitch. So why did he feel so uneasy?

He and Thor met back in the main room. Less than ten minutes had elapsed.

"This base appears secure," Thor commented.

"Yeah. We can probably head back." Thor was watching him carefully. Steve's breathing was unsteady, like he'd just been doing something strenuous.

Unsettled, Steve turned away and closed his eyes, clenching his shaking hands into fists and trying to gather his sanity. What was wrong with him?

The reason for his discomfort all seemed to fall into place. The windows cast a soft blue light over everything, and he could see his breath with every exhale. A chill crept up his spine, and he could swear that it was colder inside the building than out.

Fantastic. Hydra would put their base in this landscape. They couldn't have chosen a desert or a beach? Or anywhere that wasn't here?

"Are you unwell, Captain?" Thor asked at last.

"Fine." He nodded curtly, silently cursing himself. He needed to pull it together. They weren't even in any danger! He couldn't allow his nightmares to rule his waking thoughts, too.

He started when Thor carefully draped his cape around Steve's shoulders. Whatever material the cape was made of, it was thick and helped to block out at least a little of the cold. Steve didn't object when Thor suggested they return home.

…

When they got home that night, the Asgardian found his friend in the same place he had the previous night.

He watched in silence for a few moments, sitting on the steps, as Steve pounded the punching bag repeatedly. There seemed to be a rhythm to his movements, and Thor didn't interrupt him until he stopped of his own accord.

Steve steadied the bag with his palm, sweat trailing down his face. He glanced over towards the stairs and nodded tersely in his team mate's direction. Thor took this as an invitation to walk over.

"I believe we are more alike than I had previously thought," he said, picking up a towel on the way over and handing it to Steve. "You, too, seem to understand what it is like to be at home yet lost at the same time."

"That's… a pretty good description," the super soldier conceded.

Thor smiled sympathetically. "Since returning to Asgard, I have spent many sleepless nights pacing the gardens. It is… difficult, being so comfortable when I know that my brother lies in the dungeons below. It pains me even more to know why he ended up down there."

Steve was quiet for a moment. Everyone else was doing their best to forget New York ever happened, but here was one Avenger who would never have that luxury. His thoughts drifted back to another disaster. A perilous train ride. He looked down.

"I lost a brother once." Bucky… "Thor, thank you for today. I'm sorry I fell apart like that."

"Do not apologize. Everyone needs the help of a friend now and again." Steve looked down, silent once again. He had always had trouble accepting help, and he was sure this had started to become apparent to his new team. He knew it wasn't an admirable quality- it could easily turn him into a shoddy leader. But old habits were hard to break.

Thor turned to leave, but his last words were gentle. "I understand your reason for working yourself to exhaustion each night… But there are times when talking would work just as well. And if you ever need me, I am here to listen. Good night, my friend."

Review please!

I don't own the Avengers… or any of their individual franchises.

So, as this is my first Avengers fic, I would like to apologize for my lack of… Avengers writing etiquette. I capitalized all the letters in 'Jarvis' and 'shield' but not 'hydra'… And I'm not really sure why… So if anyone actually knows the proper way to address that, it would be wonderful if you could let me know. Thank you for reading! (: