I just realised that this is a slash-story... Took me long enough. See, I can write romance that isn't canon, I just... Usually don't have those bunnies in my mental gardens. Probably because they're in everybody else's. Perhaps you have tastier carrots?

TM stands for TuringMachine, and is the original name for what later became known as computers. The meres use them as they rescued Turing when he was imprisoned for being gay, and he happily lived out his life in the sea, designing things and growing to be over eighty years old as they never chemically castrated him.

I mean no copyright infringement and I am not claiming to own the Avengers films - I haven't even seen them!

TapTap

It had been a year since their rushed escape and the terrifying swim down into the sea, and Steven could honestly say that he found it to be home now. He was used to wake alone in the large bed and spend the morning by himself, reading or playing with his TM, until Loki joined him for breakfast, or it was delivered for him to eat alone when Loki was required to eat with his family, but that was rare as they both ate dinner with their families instead, before withdrawing home for supper and the rest of the evening.

After breakfast, Loki would take Steven to the large bubble where he got to spend the day with the other humans living in the mere capital. It was the largest mere settlement, but not the one where the most humans lived, Loki's mother had patiently explained in her kindly way.

Steve liked to talk to the mere queen, though he still avoided her husband somewhat. Time had proven to him that Loki was right and Steven did not at all need to fear his father, but he still found him intimidating. Odin didn't seem to mind, instead making sure to be kind when he did encounter his 'son-in-law'.

Jane, the beautiful mere who was married to Loki's older brother Thor, was also very good company, as were her fellow scientists, both humans and meres.

Steve looked up from his book at a knock, walking through their home to find Natasha, a mere-warrior, standing in the living room. He had finally realised after some months that the meres referred to as "warriors" were a different species, and felt very foolish when he did. After all, Natasha had very scary-looking claws, something which Loki certainly didn't have. Obvious, really.

"Loki is swimming with the dolphins and the fish at sunset as usual, then he will come to you" she told him. "Do you still wish to spend the day in here, or shall I bring you somewhere?" "I will stay in today. Will you make sure someone tells my mother?" Steve asked. With a confirming nod, the warriormer was gone again.

Loki found Steven in bed, several hours later, reading on his TM with a satisfied smile.