AN:

First off, I want to state explicitly that this is an AU. One where Loki is a child at the same time when Steve is. This means that future chapters will not be following Norse legends in such a way that humans will not have heard of myths of Loki and Thor. However, these myths will be referenced as actual events that had happened in Loki and Thor's lives over the span of the 90 years that they had grown.

Secondly, I got my inspiration for this fic from another Steve/Loki fic by Sheyrena Wyrsabane called 'A Kiss and A Favor'. It is beautiful, and it gave me awesome plot bunnies for Steve/Loki, so I am writing this.

Last of all, this is a purely self-indulgent fic to satisfy my Steve/Loki feels. This will be story featuring their friendship and will develop over the next few chapters into slash. Do not read if you don't like slash.

With that, let's proceed to the story!

~I Remember You~

Chapter 1: The First Time We Met

"No Loki!"

"But- but..." Loki stammered as he stared at his angry father. Behind him, Thor was trying his hardest to pry off a scaly green snake coiled tightly around his head. The maids who were serving the two young princes were screaming and scrambling up onto the golden benches, scared witless by the numerous snakes slithering around the marble floors of the grand dining hall.

"...but they are harmless." Loki finished meekly before averting his gaze to the ground. Odin glared at his guilty son before giving an exasperated sigh.

"Remove them immediately." The All father ordered and Loki glumly did as he was told, vanishing the snakes with a wave of his hand and leaving traces of the wine they had been transformed from on the white marble tiles. Thor gasped in shock as the snake that was wrapped around his head disappeared and the cool liquid it transformed into soaked his hair, leaving it hanging in clumps around his face.

Odin glared at Loki again. The boy merely sulked.

"Return to your chambers Loki. You are not to leave without my permission." Odin said sternly and shook his head when Loki stomped his foot angrily and strode off, deliberately stepping on Thor's foot on his way out. The All Father watched all of this with a bemused gaze.

Loki was becoming more of a handful recently. After the young god had started his lessons in magic, there never seemed to be a single peaceful day in the palace. Loki had started to make a notorious reputation for himself as a trickster, and even though most of his pranks were not ill-natured, the All Father feared that it was only a matter of time before one of his son's tricks went awry and caused trouble for both others and himself. Odin was trying his best to be a good father to Loki, however, he did not know how to handle with Loki's mischief, to communicate with the increasingly rebellious boy.

This had always been Frigga's forte, not mine...

The All Father made his mind up to ask for his wife's help in this matter again. There was an unusual silence in the dining hall, and Odin realised that Thor was not complaining about his ruined clothes and Loki like he would normally do if his younger brother had been the only one in the wrong. He gazed over to his oldest son, who was now struggling to untangle portions of his wet, dripping blonde hair.

And they are supposed to be the future rulers of this realm...

Odin heaved another heavy sigh.

"You too, Thor." The All Father said grimly to his son. Thor stopped what he was doing with a jolt and stared at Odin, who immediately noted the sheepish look on the boy's face with slight quirk at the side of his lips. As expected, Thor was terrible at concealing his guilt. "All of this is not simply your brother's fault to bear. Return to your chambers now, you are not to leave without my permission either." Odin commanded and Thor nodded nervously before fleeing out of the dining hall without further argument.

The All Father pinched the bridge of his nose wearily after the boy had left; he could feel another impending headache.

XXX

Loki threw one of his pillows viciously into the side of his wardrobe and punched another in anger.

It wasn't fair! Father had never been fair! The young god thought resentfully as he glared at the slowing rising dent in his punched pillow. It was all Thor's fault! Thor started it! If Thor hadn't thrown one of his gravy soaked peas at him, Loki wouldn't have retaliated by using Thor's head as a stand for one of his magic snakes. Loki gave a bitter scowl.

I don't see Father sending Thor to his chambers!

The young God of Mischief glared blankly into space for a moment, scheming of ways to get back at his annoying older brother and unfair father. He would turn all of Thor's capes green, he would hide Odin's eye patch, and he would push Thor into the palace pond, again. Loki chuckled happily at the thought. Yes, seeing Thor flounder about in the pond would quell his resentment somewhat. The young god plopped back onto his bed and sniggered at the mental image of his brother soaked to the skin. However, it was not long before his grin of amusement turned into a frown.

But Father would punish me again after that...

Loki scowled at the thought. His father never appreciated him enough. He focused most of his attention on Thor, teaching him the ways of war and the battlefield while he left Loki to the care of the mages and sorcerers who were placed in charge of his education. Odin never cared about him, he never praised him; at least, not in the way he does for Thor, the golden boy. Loki sulked angrily.

This has got to change. If Odin wouldn't pay attention to him, then Loki would make him pay attention. The young god frowned as he thought of the best possible way to spite his father. After a few minutes of pondering, the trickster's face lit up in glee as he thought of the perfect plan for pay back. And if Odin was not forced to give him his attention after that, Loki didn't know what else would.

XXX

"Good day Heimdall." Loki greeted politely as he approached the Bifrost. The golden-eyed guardian stared back at him with an unblinking gaze.

"Our King had forbidden you to leave your chambers." Heimdall stated matter-of-factly and Loki gave a sly grin.

"Well, you must be mistaken, I am here now." Loki pointed out cheekily and the taller, muscular adult glared down at the young boy, unimpressed.

"Do not attempt to trick me, young prince." Heimdall said sternly. "I see all and hear all. You do realise that I am aware of what you are planning?" The guardian added dryly before turning to behind to glare at the boy, who was quietly sneaking towards the Bifrost where Heimdall's sword was still in place. The illusion of the young prince behind Heimdall flickered before fading as Loki paused and turned to gaze at the man in surprise. However, the young prince was only stunned for a second before his face split into a grin.

"Impressive." Loki smirked while Heimdall glared at him, not looking impressed at all. "But I am afraid that you are too late, Heimdall. Do inform my father that I will enjoy my visit to Midgard." The young prince flashed one final smug grin before activating the Bifrost and vanishing in a flash of bright white light. Heimdall stared blankly into the empty space where Loki previously was before giving a low sigh and turning back to inform Odin of this turn of events.

The guardian was sure that the All Father would not be pleased with his youngest son's latest shenanigans.

XXX

"Hey you! What's with your clothes, freak?!"

Loki glared at the group of boys surrounding him, all taller and bigger than the young prince was. Midgard had changed a lot since Loki had last visited it with his father and brother, and Loki didn't like it one bit. For one, the mortals now had no idea how they should treat a god.

The young prince puffed out his chest a little and gazed condescendingly at the group of bullies surrounding him. After landing on Midgard, Loki had taken his time to explore the now unfamiliar realm at his leisure, and for some unknown reason, happened to come across this bunch of idiots in one of the more deserted streets. They had laughed at him, and when Loki retorted back, they pushed the dark-haired boy into another smaller, narrow alley at the back of a building.

"My clothes are made of the finest silk and thread," Loki replied haughtily. "It is more than what you commoners could possibly afford."

The group of boys stared at him with blank confusion for a moment before the insult sank in.

"What did you say?"

Loki tensed up as the leader of the group growled and advanced on him menacingly, raising his fists to strike the smaller boy. The young prince readied himself, and in another second the deluded mortal would have been flying backwards into the nearest brick wall if a sudden sharp young voice hadn't distracted him.

"Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"

Both Loki and the group of bullies turned to stare at the source of the voice: a boy smaller and even scrawnier than Loki himself. Loki rolled his eyes.

You can't possibly be serious...

Loki stared at the skinny boy with disdain. His over-sized T-shirt hung on him in a most unflattering way, emphasising instead of hiding the fact that the kid was all skin and bones. In fact, it seemed a miracle that he was even fit enough to catch his breath to shout. However, Loki soon realised that there was a certain air about him that made him feel different from other kids his age. It was like he was somehow more mature, even though he couldn't possibly be older than Loki himself. His bright blue eyes flashed with determination as he stared down the pack of bullies who had now turned their attention from Loki to him. The leader of the boys took one look at him and gave a mocking laugh.

"You talking to me, stick?" The boy smirked and the cronies around him jeered. Even so, the scrawny blonde kid stood his ground and glared back at the group defiantly.

"Yeah, I am. Stop being bullies." The boy retorted and Loki mused at how the smiles on the bullies' faces were immediately wiped off.

The leader sneered at the skinny boy. "Who's gonna stop me? You?" He took a step closer towards his new target, tightening his fists as he did so. However, the smaller boy was not intimidated in the slightest.

"I could take on a coward like you in a fight any day." He replied firmly and the bigger boy stiffened at the provocation. The leader snarled and advanced on the smaller boy, shoving him against the dirty wall of the alley and punching him in the stomach. The young boy doubled over in pain as the others laughed and Loki frowned.

How did the boy expect to stand up for him when he himself was so weak?

"Gonna say that again, pipsqueak?" The bully taunted. There was a moment's silence and Loki contemplated stepping in when he suddenly saw the young boy slowly lifting his head up to glare at his tormentor, leaning painfully onto the wall behind him for support as he did so.

"Why not? I can do this all day." The boy countered, a firm, stubborn defiance shining in his eyes through the tears of pain that had formed. Loki was impressed. The bully was not. He snarled and hit him hard across the face again.

The younger boy stumbled and nearly fell to his side from the sheer force. He bit his lip, refusing to show any sign of pain that would give his tormentor satisfaction and struggled to balance himself, only managing to avoid toppling over by using the wall behind for support. The bully smirked and raised his fist to strike the unsteady boy again when a sudden loud blast caused him to fly backwards and slam against the opposite brick wall. There was a moment of stunned silence as the other boys stared at their unconscious leader before screams of fear erupted and all of them made haste in abandoning this dark, godforsaken place.

Loki sniggered at the fleeing backs of the cowards before turning his attention back to the blonde boy, who seemed similarly shocked by what had happened. It took a minute for the boy to stare at the stirring body of the bully before turning to Loki with a stunned look. The young god bit back the urge to laugh and feigned a look of innocence.

"What happened?" He asked the boy with mock anxiousness. "How did you knock him out like that?"

The boy appeared flustered by Loki's questions. "I didn't! I didn't even touch him!" He protested and the sides of Loki's lips twitched.

"Stop lying." The young god said, enjoying the look of confusion on the boy's face. "I don't see anyone else around who could have done that." He added, finally giving up and grinning at the flabbergasted look on his acquaintance's face. The boy seemed about to argue once more but Loki interrupted before he could speak. "Come on, let's leave this place before someone sees us and you get into trouble." Loki smirked as the look of bewilderment on the boy's face turned into one of indignation.

"I didn't hit him!" The boy said unhappily once more and Loki grinned before leading them out of the alley.

XXX

"My name's Steven Rogers. Everyone calls me Steve." The scrawny blonde boy introduced himself before holding out his hand for Loki to shake. Loki stared for a moment before accepting and quickly releasing Steve's hand a second later.

Both boys were now out of the alley and currently in a park where more people were present. Loki had logically deduced that even if the other boys dared to track them down after the incident, none would have the guts to approach them in a crowded park. It was a good place for them to rest, and a good place for Steve to continue trying to convince Loki, who had made himself comfortable on a park bench, that he was not the one who had knocked the bully unconscious.

Loki grinned at the memory before realising that Steve was staring at him with an expectant look on his face.

"What?"

Loki frowned at the blonde boy before reaching up to feel his hair. Was it messed up or something? Why was the mortal staring at him like that?

"Your name. What is it?" Steve asked curiously and Loki gazed at him in surprise for a moment before giving a laugh.

Of course, this human wants to know my name!

Loki grinned at the boy. The godling had not planned to reveal his identity to anyone on Midgard during his brief visit. This visit was supposed to be temporary, one that would end as soon as Odin came to fetch him back to Asgard. He didn't even mind if the only attention he could receive from his father was one that was negative; Loki will take all the attention he could get.

However, even though Loki had not planned to meet any new friends on Midgard, Steven Rogers had appeared contrary to his expectations. The black-haired boy mused at the thought of how this human child smaller and weaker than him had actually dared to stand up for him against a bunch of bullies larger and stronger looking than they both were. Steven Rogers was different from the other mortals he had met before, that was for sure. He supposed the boy deserved to know Loki's name.

"I am Loki Odinson." Loki declared proudly. Steve gave him a strange look.

"That's not a common name." The blonde boy stated. "At least not around here."

Loki gave a little huff at his words. "Of course it isn't. I am not from around here." The young prince puffed up his chest. "I came from Asgard." Steve Rogers stared at him blankly.

"Where's that?"

Loki gave a tiny snort at the boy's ignorance.

"A place far better than here." The young prince replied pompously and Steve looked at him in disbelief before giving a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah right." The boy retorted and it was now Loki's turn to glare at him. How dare this mortal boy not believe what Loki said!

The young raven haired prince glowered at Steve for a moment before deciding to be generous and disregarding the disrespectful remark the mortal had made. Besides, if everything went well, this Steven Rogers would probably be the first friend Loki would have in Midgard. After all, there were few who would step in to defend the young prince in times of need, (Thor would, but Loki refused to count him as he was Loki's idiotic big brother) and the prince decided that anyone who had done so deserved the grace of his friendship, or tolerance, at the very least.

"So, I believe I owe you a debt for helping me earlier." Loki said casually and Steve Rogers paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"You don't owe me anything." The blonde boy stated flatly. "I was only doing what's right. And I didn't do much anyway." He added as an afterthought and Loki gave a quiet snigger.

"You did knock the bully out." He pointed out cheekily and Steve glared at him.

"I didn't." He protested. "I'll admit it if I had, but I didn't even touch him!" Steve huffed. Loki's amusement at the boy's indignation soon turned into one of curiosity as he gazed at his new acquaintance. How was it even possible that a scrawny, unassuming human like the boy before him, would dare to stand up against someone twice his size to protect a complete stranger? Even when he knew that the odds were against him and that he had no possible chance of winning? At least Loki had his magic to aid him if the situation turned ugly.

The young god quietly observed the dark bruise already starting to form on Steve's left cheek from when the bully had struck him. It looked awfully painful.

"So why did you do it?" Loki asked seriously and Steve appeared stunned by the question.

"Do what?"

"Why did you help me earlier?" Loki said impatiently. "That guy from earlier was a lot stronger than you are. He could have beaten you up easily, just like he was about to beat me. You would just get into trouble for defending me." The raven haired boy ended matter-of-factly. It was the truth. Steve would have been able to hold his ground against the larger bully just as well as an ant could possibly hold its ground against a boot. It was not at all wise for the frail boy to do so.

Steve stared at the young god as though he had just asked something stupid.

"It didn't matter." He replied firmly. "It was the right thing to do."

Loki stared at the human boy, noting how his eyes were shining with that same fiery determination just like they had during the confrontation with the bully. It was peculiar, to say the least, how someone with such a frail sickly physique could possibly have such a strong personality underneath.

"But you could have gotten hurt." Loki argued. "You didn't have to help me. No one would know if you hadn't. You didn't know me... I am not your friend." He added quietly.

Steve stared at Loki. "It doesn't matter." He repeated, giving the dark-haired boy a smile. "I saw them pushing you into that alley." Steve continued, frowning at the memory. "I know how it's like to be bullied and have no one around to help you. I don't like bullies, and I don't want others to go through what I had. I wanted to help... I wanted to do the right thing." He ended softly. Loki gave him a grateful smile.

Regardless of whether Steve had been able to help, Loki appreciated the fact that he tried. The sentiment alone was more than enough. Thor had always jumped in at every opportunity to defend Loki from the taunting of other children back in Asgard (that is, when the older boy didn't join in the teasing as well), but it was different. In those fights and squabbles, Thor had always known that he would win, that it was near impossible for him to embarrass himself in any way during the process. Steven Rogers, however, didn't.

"Thank you."

A short awkward silence passed between the two boys after that, where one of them seemed sincerely touched while the other blushed from receiving gratitude from someone he now considered a newly found friend. In the next 3 minutes that passed, Steve Rogers fiddled his thumbs uneasily. The silence was making him uncomfortable, and it didn't help that he had always been a bit socially awkward. He wasn't popular. Most of the other kids didn't like to play with him much because he looked so frail and sickly. Only Bucky stood by him all this time, going out of his way to play chess with Steve, even though he hated chess, and dragging Steve around, introducing him to all the other kids in the orphanage and attempting to include him in their games in a bid to get Steve new friends. Bucky was the social one, not Steve. Steve had never been the life of any party.

But Bucky was not around now. This meant that Steve himself would have to do the talking.

Steve gazed at the dark-haired boy sitting quietly next to him. He liked him. He liked how his big green eyes sparkled with mischief and how innocence shone on his face when he asked questions about things he was genuinely curious about. Loki didn't make fun of Steve like the other kids did. And Loki was of a small stature like he was as well, (even though Steve was still scrawnier and more sickly), and this made Steve feel comfortable around him. Steve decided he would very much like to keep him as a friend.

"So... um-" Steve bit his lip nervously as he tried thinking of something to say. "So..." He continued, his voice shaking with slight uncertainty and stopped at once when he saw Loki staring at him expectantly. All the ideas for conversation he had thought of vanished in an instance. "Erm... er..." Steve twiddled his thumbs with increasing anxiety. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" He blurted out at last and Loki appeared amused by his question.

"What do you want to be?" Loki replied with the same question, grinning as he did so. Steve frowned. That didn't answer his question.

"I asked you first." The blonde boy pointed out indignantly. After all, it was only fair for Loki to answer his question first, wasn't it?

Apparently not.

Loki merely giggled at his words.

"All the more you should lead the conversation." The dark haired boy countered cheekily, giving a mischievous smirk as he did so. Steve only had to take one look at his face to know that there was no point arguing with him about the matter. He was sure that for every reason he gave about why Loki should answer first, the other boy would have ten different excuses to why he shouldn't. Steve knew that look. It was the same look Bucky gave him when his friend tried to justify that his unjustifiable way of checkmating Steve's king during chess was legit.

"I'm going to join the army." Steve declared, his clear blue eyes shining happily at the thought. "I'll be a soldier, and I'll protect my country."

Loki stared blankly at the beaming boy for a second.

"Just a soldier?" The young god asked finally in disbelief. That's it? A foot soldier? This is the extent of the human boy's ambitions?

Steve caught the disdain in Loki's voice and glared at him. Loki shrugged.

"What?" He asked. In all honesty, Loki couldn't see what the big deal of being a soldier was. He had heard of warriors in Asgard striving to earn the title of the best, to bring honour and glory to themselves, but he had never heard of someone who was content with simply being a soldier in an army. "Why don't you set your ambitions further? Aim for something nobler, more valiant?" Loki continued, struggling to remember the tales of glorious heroes and wise rulers that his father had recounted to him and Thor in the past.

"Being a soldier is noble and valiant!" Steve said shortly, jumping off the bench from the spot next to Loki. He turned around to face the dark haired boy and pulled himself as much as he could to his full height, which admittedly, was not very tall either. "I will enter the 107th infantry, just like my dad did!" The boy exclaimed with determination, holding his head up high proudly. "I will do what's right; help the weak and defend the innocent. I'll be like my dad, and I'll protect our country, or die trying." He finished firmly, keeping his face straight and serious. However, Loki could see a hint of sorrow behind the strong mask Steve Rogers had put on when he talked of his father. It was a mix of sadness, wistful longing, and yet a great amount of unspoken pride.

"Your father...?" Loki trailed off mid-question, his curiosity getting the better of him but not knowing how to continue approaching the topic. Not in ways that would not hurt his new friend. Steve's hopeful expression faltered a little after hearing Loki's question, replaced by one of sadness.

"He died in the World War." Steve replied quietly, gazing down towards the ground. "My mom died too. I'm staying at an orphanage around here now." The blonde boy kicked away a stray pebble lightly and looked so forlorn that Loki felt terribly guilty for bringing up the topic. He stared at the doleful boy for a moment, not knowing what else he could possibly say to comfort him. However, Steve glanced up after a while and flashed him a tiny rueful smile.

"But it doesn't matter." He said, attempting to cheer up the gloomy atmosphere in spite of his own grief. "I miss them... a lot," He admitted after seeing Loki's questioning gaze, "but I know they won't want me to be sad forever. Mom and dad always told me to be strong." Steve added with a smile and Loki could not help but smile back at the boy. "And I'll be strong. I will make them proud of me."

Loki stared at the bright, confident shine in the eyes of the skinny, frail boy before him and felt a surge of warmth swelling up within his own heart. Regardless the odds he faced, this human boy continued harbouring great dreams for his future. His optimism and confidence was touching, and Loki couldn't help but believe in him despite the seeming problems Steve's health and built might present for his goals.

"I am sure you will." He said at last and flashed Steve a warm smile. "You willbe a great soldier." The young god continued sincerely. Steve gave him an appreciative smile and climbed back up onto the bench next to Loki.

"What about you?" The blonde boy asked eagerly. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Loki gave a chuckle at the question.

"I don't have to be anything!" The young god replied with a smug grin. "I am already a prince."

Steve stared incredulously at the conceited boy with his chest puffed out in pride.

"You mean your dad is rich?" He asked at last and Loki scowled at his 'stupid' question, unhappy that his friend was not impressed.

"No!" The dark haired boy snapped with an unnecessary nastiness that made Steve cringe a little. He then paused for a moment, pondering about what had just been said. "Well, yes... I guess my father is wealthy." Loki conceded. After all, Odin is the ruler of Asgard. No one in their right minds would say that he was not 'rich'. "But, that is not the point!" The young god continued indignantly. "I did not mean it that way when I said I am a prince. I am a prince." The boy finished with a haughty glance at his friend. Steve bit back the urge to laugh.

"If you say so." Steve grinned with amusement as he gazed at his smug friend. "But that means it doesn't count right? As what you'll want to be in the future?" He explained after seeing Loki's confused look. "If you're already a prince now, you can't say that you want to be a prince when you're old. That's not considered an ambition."

Loki stared at Steve in surprise. His dream... Loki had never thought much about it. The young god was born a prince. His father had said once before that both he and Thor were born to be kings. With this reason and assurance, the boy had never thought much about what he wanted in his future. Loki had always been given all that he desired as soon as he desired them. Well, almost all things...

Steve watched as the dark haired boy beside him remained silent as he pondered the question Steve had asked. His delicate brows furrowed and his nose wrinkled in such a cute way that gave Steve the urge to reach out and pinch it, just for fun, although he knew that this act would not be appreciated. Finally, Loki looked up.

"I want to be respected," he said quietly. "I want to be as loved as my brother is, and I want to be recognised as a valiant warrior by my own means. I will bring Asgard to greater heights and glory, and I will make the people love me." Loki declared with conviction shining bright in his eyes and Steve grinned at his friend's words.

"Sounds great." He said encouragingly and Loki grinned back.

"Of course it is. It's my dream." The darker haired boy drawled and Steve gave a snort of laughter.

"Mine's better." He grinned when Loki looked offended almost at once. The young god seemed about to fire back a retort when the clear ringing of a bell sounded in the distance. Both boys turned towards the source of the sound and saw a crowd of children already gathering around a jolly looking man with a cart.

"What's going on there?" Loki asked out of curiosity, never taking his eyes off the commotion.

"That's the ice-cream man." Steve explained as he too, continued gazing at the crowd. Loki gave a soft 'hmmm' at his reply and jumped off the bench, making his way towards the Ice-cream man to see what all the fuss was about. Steve stared at the back of his friend for a moment before giving a sigh and sliding off the bench as well, following Loki.

"Ice-cream! Get your ice-cream here!" The large, cheerful looking man called out as he handed out globs of coloured stuff on a cone to children in exchange for what Loki deduced to be coins from them. The young god watched with increasing interest as the human children licked the coloured stuff with joy before deciding that he would like to try one as well. He plucked a leaf from a nearby bush and transformed it into one of the coins he had seen the children use. He then started walking towards the Ice-cream man when Steve suddenly stopped him.

"Are you going to buy an ice-cream?" The scrawny blonde boy asked and Loki nodded. "Well you got to queue first!" Steve pointed to the long line of children in front of the Ice-cream man. Loki stared for a moment at the line before turning back to his friend with an incredulous look. Did he really expect Loki to wait in line along with the other human children? Preposterous! Loki is a prince! He always got what he wanted whenever he wanted it!

Nonetheless, Steve dragged him firmly to the back of the line and there was nothing Loki could do but pout and wait without offending his friend. When it was finally his turn, Loki wasn't so good-tempered anymore.

"I want one of those." He ordered haughtily as he pointed at the picture of a stuff-on-a-cone on the cart. The man stared at him in bemusement.

"Which flavour?" He asked. Loki appeared stumped for a moment before gazing around and observing the other children with their cones. He finally made up his mind and pointed at a freckly, red haired boy with a pink coloured one.

"What flavour is he eating?" Loki demanded and the Ice-cream man was stunned for a second before his eyes flicked towards the ice-cream Loki was pointing at.

"Strawberry?" He said uncertainly, shooting Loki a weird look.

"I shall have that." Loki replied grandly and the man's brows rose in a mix of amusement and exasperation as he handed the boy a strawberry cone. Kids these days... He shook his head as Loki strutted off ice-cream in hand after handing him a nickel. The man then turned towards Steve, who was so amused by Loki's antics as well that he forgot that he, too, was standing in the line.

"And what will you have?" He asked the skinny boy kindly, eyeing his scrawny and small physique with pity. Poor kid... Must not have had enough to eat back at home.

"Huh?" Steve jolted in surprise as he turned to the man addressing him. "Oh no," He replied hurriedly. "I'm not getting one. I'm sorry for holding up the line." The boy then flustered off before the ice-cream man could call him back and tell him that he would give him one on the house. He liked children, especially polite ones like Steve, and it saddened him when he saw one so frail looking and weak.

Steve hurried in pursuit of Loki and finally caught up with his friend when the darker haired boy stopped near a pond in the park to give his ice-cream a testing lick. The coldness of the pink stuff surprised him at first. He had not been expecting that. But soon after, a rich, creamy and sweet taste enveloped his tongue and the young god gasped at the sensation. He swallowed and enjoyed the fragrant after taste the pink cream left in his mouth. Loki gave his ice cream another lick and beamed in joy when the second taste was just as delicious at the first. It was then that he realised that Steve was staring at him.

"This ice-cream is divine!" Loki told Steve happily and his friend gave a grin at his excitement. Loki then frowned when he realised Steve didn't have an ice-cream of his own. "Aren't you having one?" He asked curiously and Steve shot him a doleful smile.

"I can't eat cold stuff." The boy explained sadly. "It's bad for my... erm... cough." He ended with a forced shrug. Loki stared at Steve for a moment, not missing the longing look in the boy's eyes before gazing back at the ice-cream he was holding. Finally, the young god gave a sigh and turned, walking towards a bin he had seen humans disposing of their trash in and reluctantly dropped the heavenly cone inside.

"Hey!" Steve yelled after Loki in shock but rushed forward too late to stop him. He stared in disbelief at the trash bin where Loki's ice cream was now in before turning to Loki. "You didn't have to do that." Steve pointed out. "I wasn't upset or anything."

Loki gave an uncaring shrug.

"I didn't like it." He lied, putting on a nonchalant expression and refusing to even glance in the direction where his once edible ice-cream now was. "It tasted acceptable at first, but then it became a little sickening."

Steve stared at Loki for a moment before giving him a knowing, grateful smile.

"Thanks." The blonde boy said finally but Loki simply rolled his eyes at him.

"I did not do it for you. Please don't give yourself a false sense of importance." The young god replied haughtily and Steve could not help but chuckle. Really, his new friend is too much sometimes!

"It's getting dark." Steve said after a while as he glanced up at the reddening sky. Loki gazed up at his friend's words and noted that yes, the sun was indeed setting. Apparently it had been hours since the young god had left for Midgard, but yet Father hadn't come to fetch him. Loki's heart sank at the thought. His face darkened into a sulk and the boy kicked out viciously at a pebble on the ground, sending it flying into the pond with a loud splash. Steve observed the sudden drop in his friend's mood with a wary silence.

"Erm, I've got to head back to the orphanage." Steve said meekly as he stared at the scowl on Loki's face. "I'll get into trouble if I'm not back in time for dinner. Are you going home as well?" He asked, making an attempt to ease the awkward atmosphere. However, Loki's scowl deepened after hearing his question.

"No, I am not!" The dark haired boy snapped angrily. "I am never going home again!" He added with a childish spite and Steve gaped at him blankly.

"What?" Steve asked after he finally jolted out of his shock. "But why?"

Loki glared at him for a reason he couldn't fathom.

"My father doesn't want me anymore." Loki replied sourly and Steve felt more and more bewildered by the moment.

"That can't be true." He argued in disbelief. "All dads love their children. My dad told me so." Steve pointed out matter-of-factly but Loki snorted.

"Mine doesn't." The boy retorted. Steve was at a loss of words for a minute when a sudden thought struck him.

"Wait, you aren't running away from home, are you?" The blonde boy gasped. Loki turned away from his friend's horrified face and glared at the stones glinting in the pond in resentment, focusing his attention on them instead.

"No, I am not." He lied again, digging his nails into the sides of his thighs. "I am not."

Steve stared at him sympathetically. "So, you don't have a place to stay now?" He asked and Loki gritted his teeth before give a curt nod. Steve sighed.

"Well, erm... you could come along with me if you want." Steve offered uncertainly as he gazed at his friend. Loki gave a jolt at his statement and turned to stare at the boy in surprise. Steve flashed him a smile before continuing. "I mean, at least you will have shelter. And I bet there will be a bed for you too. Not to worry though! If there isn't..." Steve added hastily. "You could always share my bed with me. I'm sharing a bunk bed with my friend Bucky. I take the top bunk." The boy explained. "But I can't occupy the whole of the bed by myself obviously. I bet there's more than enough space for the two of us. We can even build pillow forts!" Steve finished with excitement and Loki found himself grinning along despite his bitterness at Odin.

I suppose it won't hurt to stay with Steven for the time being. I can't return to Asgard. Not now... Not yet...

Staying with Steven may even be fun too!

Loki beamed at the thought and was about to accept Steve's invitation happily when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Loki."

The young prince spun around immediately at the sound of the voice and found himself staring at Odin, who looked peculiar dressed in Midgardian clothing.

"Father!"

Steve stared in amusement as his friend, who had so angrily berated his father just minutes ago, bounded happily towards the one-eyed man.

"You came!"

"Yes, I have, Loki." Odin replied in exasperation as he gazed at his beaming son. "And I hope you do realise that it was wrong of you to leave when I had expressively forbidden you from doing so?" He continued sternly and Loki, for his credit, appeared a little guilty. "I will be dealing with you when we return home." Loki pouted a bit at this but Odin ignored him and continued. "Would you like to bid farewell to your friend before we leave?" He asked as he shot a glance in Steve's direction. Loki turned to gaze at his friend and nodded before walking towards the boy.

"Well, your dad seems to love you a lot." Steve pointed out dryly and Loki glared at him.

"Shut up."

The two boys shared a look for a moment before breaking out in a laugh. However, soon, their laughter subsided and the air was heavy with silence once more.

"So, you're going home now?" Steve asked awkwardly and Loki gave him a sad nod.

"Indeed, I am afraid I cannot accept your invitation anymore. Although it sounded... fun." Loki admitted and Steve flashed him a rueful smile.

"It's alright." The boy said, his voice warm and assuring. "I bet you won't like it there anyway. Bucky snores a lot." He added with a mischievous glint in his eyes and Loki laughed in amusement at the quip. "Besides, there's always next time. We will be meeting again next time, right?" Steve asked, giving Loki a hopeful look. Loki took one glance at the eagerness in his eyes and couldn't find the heart to tell him that their first meeting may well be their last.

"Perhaps," Loki muttered, shuffling his feet sheepishly as he did so. Steve bought his lie and grinned happily at him.

"Great! I'm glad to meet a friend like you today!" The boy exclaimed and Loki smiled.

"Same to you. I am honoured to have you as my friend."

Steve grinned at Loki, partially out of the fact that he found his friend's fancy use of language amusing and patted him on the shoulder. Loki grinned and his gaze flicked once more to the dark bruise on Steve's cheek. The one he had gotten by standing up for Loki, even when he knew he didn't had a chance.

"You will work hard to pursue your dreams? Yes?" Loki asked suddenly and Steve appeared surprised by the random question before his eyes flashed once again with that fiery determination Loki admired. He nodded firmly.

"Of course." Steve replied and he paused for a moment before continuing. "You too, okay? Don't give up on your dreams. You'll make a great prince." He added jokingly and Loki laughed.

"And you, a great soldier."

Steve flashed him one final grin before waving him goodbye. The boy then turned and gave Odin a polite nod as well before leaving. Loki watched the back of his friend sadly as he walked further and further away into the distance and felt a large hand resting on his shoulder comfortingly.

"He is a fine boy." Odin murmured from beside Loki as he too, observed the frail, skinny boy in the distance. Loki nodded.

Indeed, and he is a fine friend.

Loki shot the distant figure of Steve one final doleful look before allowing himself to be led away by his father.

Thank you for being my friend, Steven Rogers.

XXX

Loki was grounded for a week in his chambers for the run-away stunt he pulled. Then, afterwards, he wasn't allowed to go to Midgard by himself either. Despite his protests, his father had stated clearly that it was too dangerous for a boy to travel to the other realms unsupervised. Heimdall was ordered to keep a close watch on him, to ensure that he didn't manage to sneak off without Odin's permission and this meant that the young prince had no chance at all to meet his new friend again.

Loki stormed. Loki raged. But to no avail. The only bright side was that when Thor came to him to ask him about his experiences on Midgard, the boy was able to feed him with fantastic tales of hideous dragons, fire-spitting serpents and valiant blonde knights. The awed shine in his older brother's eyes after listening to these stories amused Loki for days.

Loki didn't forget about Steven Rogers that easily though. At the very first opportunity he had, the young prince consulted his teachers about the art of astral projection. It allowed him to be able to let his mind to wander off to distant places and realms so that he would be able to observe events from afar. It wasn't easy, but after months and months of practise, Loki had been able to project his mind to Midgard for short spans of time, only as much as 10 minutes or so, to see his mortal friend.

He gritted his teeth in anger as he watched Steve being cornered and bullied by other kids twice his size back in deserted alleyways. He heaved sighs of relief whenever another bigger boy, whom he now knew to be Bucky Barnes, came to his friend's aid when needed and bit his lip in worry whenever Bucky was not around and Steve had to fend off the attacks by himself. He watched, impressed, when Steve got back up on his feet after every fight, the fire in his eyes never diminished. He laughed and chuckled as he watched Steve give patriotic and inspiring speeches to the other children in the orphanage, acting not like a boy his age but more like an adult, a soldier that the scrawny blonde boy had always dreamed of being.

Little by little, without Loki himself noticing, he grew more and more emotionally attached to this human boy he considered a friend. Whenever he got into trouble, whenever his moods became low, Loki would never fail to allow his mind to wander off to Steve, to see how the boy was doing. Somehow, Steven Rogers became a central part of his childhood; his experiences a weird sort of refuge for Loki to escape to and observe whenever the young god's own life was plagued with troubles. He became a source of strength for the young prince, a constant beacon of reminder that all the obstacles he faced can and will be overcome as long as he persevered. Steve became the friend Loki constantly thought about, and there were many times when Loki could not help but sadly wonder if Steve still remembered Loki just as Loki remembered him.

However, as years passed, things began to change.

As Loki grew older, he realised that the securities and happiness his childhood provided were all illusions. The magic he honed in his lessons during his growth will never be as appreciated as the battle skills his older brother learnt. Regardless of what he did, Thor will always have more friends, Thor will always come up tops, and Thor will always be the one who's loved and recognised. Loki will not. As his struggles to gain acknowledgement like his brother grew increasingly difficult, the child-like innocence in Loki dwindled to nothing and envy and spite sprouted to take its place. The trickster's harmless pranks grew more malicious, and his silver tongue spewed words that cut and wound instead of tease.

Little by little, Loki started visiting Steven Rogers less, too engrossed in his books of magic and warfare in attempts to prove himself.

Finally, after many years of being caught up in the endless, fruitless race that Loki had tangled himself into in hopes of catching up to Thor, the once naive boy grew into a shrewd, calculating trickster. He forgot about the love, happiness and fun he had shared with Thor as children. He forgot the simple joys he once had from simply studying magic for interest, not competition. He forgot about the grand, beautiful dreams he once had as a child.

He forgot about Steven Rogers.

XXX

"No, Loki."

The words cut so deeply into Loki's heart that he thought he might die on the spot. And perhaps he did. The hopeful smile on the younger god's face faded in nothingness as he stared up at his father, who was holding on to Thor tightly as his older brother struggled to hold on to his end of the spear which Loki was clinging to. Below him, the abyss he and Thor had created from the destruction of the Bifrost swirled and churned, its forces pulling him towards it.

No, Loki.

They were simple words. Words he had heard many times before. However, this time, these simple words were fatal.

Hadn't Odin said this to him many times in the past? Why had Loki been so stubborn? Why hadn't he understood what his father was trying to tell him? That all he had been chasing after had never been his in the first place. The last hopeful bit of Loki cried out and vanished inside of him as he stared up blankly at his supposed family, his gaze now hollow and empty. The cool metal of the Gungnir burned fiercely in his hand, reminding him once more of his failures and delusions.

It hurt.

"Loki, no..." Thor pleaded as he watched his brother's grip loosing on the spear. The Thunder god panicked, but there was nothing his could do in his current position. Loki's hand slipped off the end of the Gungnir as he released his grip, allowing himself to plunge down into the dark swirling abyss below.

As Loki fell, he kept his gaze fixed on his father and brother, seeing in their shocked expressions without truly seeing and hearing his brother's desperate screams without truly hearing. Everything was in a standstill, and it was as though the fallen god had merely become an observer. One that watched as he himself plummeted into the darkness but no longer cared or felt. For once, Loki felt a strange serenity within himself as he observed the dark starry space around him.

Had it always been this cold? Or was it simply that I had never noticed it before?

Loki closed his eyes in resignation, blocking out the images of Odin and Thor, the ones who had claimed to love him but instead, hurt him the most. He felt the rush of the energy of the abyss enveloping around him and felt an ironic sense of relief at the situation. At least he was safe now.

No one else can hurt him, not now, not here.

XXX

"Wake up!"

A sharp pang of pain shot through Loki's head and the god jolted up, wide-eyed and shocked.

Where am I? Am I not dead?

The god's gaze flitted tensely around his surroundings and came to a stop when it rested on a large bulky figure before him. The figure's beady red eyes gleamed evilly as he looked at Loki and he flashed a huge grin, showing off rows of pearly white teeth. It unnerved Loki, how the features of this being glowed in the darkness of the space and how his deep purple skin shone so surreally.

"What is your name, godling?" The being's low voice rumbled and echoes from the barren land around them carried his voice back to Loki eerily. The god closed his eyes without answering, trying to block out the cold fear that was now pitting in his stomach.

"Answer him!"

The cold sharp voice that had woken Loki up rang again and Loki felt long scaly fingers grasping his head for a second before another sharp, head splitting pain elicited a reluctant cry from the god's lips. As Loki doubled over, nauseous and giddy from the pain, he heard a low rumble of amused laughter from the purple being.

"Oh yes, I think he will come in useful."

XXX

"I said- KNEEL!" Loki snarled and bright azure lights beamed from the sceptres in his and his clones' hands, connecting them in a square that shepherded the crowded of terrified mortals before him. One by one, the humans dropped to their knees and bowed their heads submissively, not daring to even glance at the person who had so heartlessly dug out a man's eye before them without as much as a blink of his eyes.

Loki chuckled.

"Is not this simpler?" He smirked, gloating in the feeling of power he had over the lesser mortals. "Is this not your natural state?" Loki continued, starting to make his way through the crowd and enjoying how the mortals before him hastily shuffled away on their knees to make way for his path. Yes, this is how it should all be.

"It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation." Loki declared as he continued taking even, measured steps into the middle of the crowd. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power... for identity." A pair of glowing red eyes flashed in Loki's mind as he said these words, and a sudden surge of bitterness rose inside his heart again. His grip on the sceptre tightened as he fought to control his emotions, to stop the memories of his past failures from affecting him now.

Not now...

"You were made to be ruled." He continued, keeping his voice steady and calm. "In the end, you will always kneel." Loki finished with a triumphant grin.

"Not to men like you."

Loki turned in surprise to the one who dared to challenge his authority and was even more stunned when he saw that it was an old man. However, he quickly composed himself again and flashed the old man a condescending smile.

"There are no men like me." He sneered, but the old man's jaw tightened as he glared defiantly back at the god.

"There are always men like you." The old man countered evenly and Loki's grin faltered. This mortal was challenging him. He doubted Loki's worth. He dared to demean the god; after all Loki had been through...

Loki gave a cold laugh.

"Look to your elder, people," the god said with an evil smirk. "Let him be an example." Loki pointed the sceptre at the old man, whose eyes widened with fear, and fired a blast of energy, meaning to kill the insufferable human on the spot. However, a sudden flash of red, white and blue leapt down in front of the man and reflected the blast back to Loki, knocking him off his feet. Loki scrambled back onto his hands and knees with a snarl, turning his attention immediately to the new threat before realising that it was a man donned in a uniform with the colours of the American flag and holding a slightly smoking vibranium shield.

Captain America.

Loki hissed quietly as he got back up on his feet. Clint Barton had told him about the response team that Nick Fury had planned to form in retaliation to any potential threats to the pathetic planet. Loki had laughed scornfully at the idea, and he had been looking forward to test the mettle of Fury's beloved team. However, he had not expected to be meeting one of them so soon.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany," Captain America started matter-of-factly as he advanced through the crowd towards Loki, "and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

Loki's lips curled up in a cold smirk at the man's words. He was about to reply when he suddenly spotted something uncanny and stopped. The Captain's eyes; they shone with a familiar fiery determination.

I know those eyes.

Loki stared for a moment before recalling with a sudden jolt of epiphany where he had seen that exact same gaze before: On a scrawny, frail blonde boy from 90 years ago.

The god's brows furrowed at the thought.

But it's not possible!

He immediately ran through all the facts about Captain America that Clint Barton had reported to him and realised that it was true, that he had not been imagining things. It all clicked into place. The injection of the superhuman serum, the transformation of a frail, sickly man into a healthy, super enhanced hero, and the miraculous survival of that hero for 70 years in the Antarctic ice. The name Barton had provided him with earlier had sounded familiar, but Loki just couldn't place his finger on where he had heard it before.

He knew now.

"The soldier." Loki laughed and his face broke out into a wide grin at the recognition of the human he had considered a friend many years ago. However, he stopped himself abruptly when he realised what he was doing. He did not come here to Earth to meet up with old friends and engage in friendly chats! Loki came to Earth with the intent to rule it. The past didn't matter anymore. Past feelings and friendships didn't matter anymore. Loki was now burdened with glorious purpose. If anyone, even Steve Rogers and his brother, tried to stand in his path, he would eliminate them.

"The man out of time." Loki sneered in attempts to cover up his earlier slip. Captain America fixed him with a level gaze and Loki could see in the man's eyes that he had no recognition or memory of the god at all. None.

Loki ignored the bit of childish indignation gnawing at his heart and gazed back at the Captain stonily. This was the boy who had earned Loki's friendship decades ago. They had shared their hopes and dreams together when they were young, and they had forged a mutual respect and bond for each other in the span of a few hours. This was the boy who had touched Loki's heart deeply in the past, only for it to be shattered years later by the cold, unfeeling jeers from the Asgardian society. He was the boy, who had persevered in his dreams and succeeded, earning him the love of his people while Loki had failed utterly in his, gaining nothing but scorn and hatred.

Loki smiled sadly at the thought.

Yes, Steven Rogers, I remember you.

As stated earlier, this is a fic for my sole indulgence. Future chapters will gradually develop into light slash. Even though my OTP is FrostIron, I always had a soft spot for FrostCaptain. ;) Steve is just too good to not love and Loki is, well, Loki.

But I won't be updating this frequently because there are a few other fics that I have an obligation to complete. I'll probably just update when I have a muse for this. :)

However, I still hope you guys liked this. Do drop a review if you wish to tell me what you thought of it!