Author's note: See? Not another four months! Haha

Steve couldn't help but wonder when Clint was coming back. It had been a lonely couple of nights and Clint had said he'd be back today but still nothing.

So where was he?

Steve rolls over and let's himself spread out onto the whole bed. He is not alone often, but when he is he still clings to one side of the bed.

But not tonight.

Steve sighs lightly and finds a position he is comfortable in; laying on his stomach with his arms crossed and his head resting on them.

Steve doesn't want to let his mind wander, that is never good, so he hums instead.

Four in the morning and I'm sober walking through the rain

It doesn't matter where I'm going everywhere's the same

Cold dark room

I've put myself into

You were a window to a world that I could never know.

"Steve?" Jarvis' cool voice interrupts Steve's song.

Steve lifts himself off the bed and pads to the hallway, heart beating just a little bit faster. Anytime he is contacted this late at night nothing good is happening.

"Yes Jarvis?"

"Sir, you may want to head to the conference room."

Steve stands straighter, senses on alert. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Thor's back."

Two simple words and Steve's mind comes to a grinding halt. He breathes, he blinks, but otherwise he is frozen, a living statue. Steve blinks hard.

"What?" he whispers breathily.

"Thor's back," Jarvis repeats, but before he even finishes the second word Steve dashes out the door and skids into the hallway bolting for the stairwell. He jumps down whole half flights of stairs, wild eyed and heart skipping wildly in his chest. Arriving at the right floor he contains himself just enough to not rip the door off its hinges in his haste to get through.

To stop himself from looking as crazed as he feels, he slows down to a normal walk and makes his way to the doorway that is about to change his life all over again.

For better or worse.

Steve is about to take the final step in, to make the final jump, but Thor's voice pulls him up short. It stuns him like a shockwave and his heart beats faster.

This can't be healthy.

Steve listens.

"…just rest. It is late and all of us need to retire. I am happy to answer some questions in the morning however."

"Really? You expect us to wait after all this time?" Tony sounds horribly impatient.

"What's a few more hours Tony?"

When he doesn't reply Steve figures he's glaring at Thor because he's kind of right.

Bruce's soft voice chimes in. "Maybe we should get to bed, huh? We can hold Thor captive tomorrow."

Steve wants to go in, what the hell is he waiting for, but he can't make himself take those last two steps.

Thor's right there, just inside that room. This is what you've dreamed about. Go already. Go!

"…can't say I like this but fine. I guess even gods need their sleep…where the hell are you going to sleep though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh? You don't know? That's something." Tony's voice has a sharp edge to it Steve doesn't like, but he still doesn't move.

"Tony…" Bruce's says, voice full of warning.

"Don't shoot the messenger, right? He needs to know Bruce. We can't just throw him into that room and pretend everything is roses." Steve imagines Tony's face as he dares them to contradict him. If Steve didn't know any better, despite his sinking feeling, he would assume Tony is just trying to cause trouble but he doesn't think that's what's happening.

"No Tony, but is now really…"

"I know about Clint and Steve, Tony, if that is what you are intending to tell me."

"HA HA! Of course he does!" Clint's voice sounds strangled and high pitched. It's no tone of voice Steve's ever heard out of him before and that's what gets him moving. He takes the last two steps and there stands Thor just as Steve remembers him. Everyone else is there too, but Steve can't take his eyes off Thor.

And apparently no one else can either. Though it takes a moment, Steve finally recognizes no one has seen him. He's never managed to sneak up on Clint and Natasha before, but there's no indication anyone cares or notices that he's there now. This is too distracting for Steve to even register on their radar.

"Well now that that's cleared up, what shall our sleeping arrangements be, hmm?" Tony questions.

Suddenly Thor's eyes snap up from Tony and connect with Steve's and Steve swears he feels energy crackle in the room when he inhales sharply.

He holds that breath then lets it out slowly.

After just a moment's hesitation, Steve wills himself forward, Thor's heavy gaze following him the whole way and it seems to take an agonizing amount of for him to cross the room.

He knows he should feel a huge conflicting range of emotions at seeing Thor after so long but right now his mind can't bother. Getting to him, touching him, knowing he's real is all Steve can manage.

They're two feet apart when Steve stops, head titled up slightly to maintain eye contact with Thor.

His hands twitch in anticipation of touching and he gives in, clinging to Thor despite the hard bite of the armor into his skin. Thor's arms wrap around him tightly in return and Steve buries his face in Thor's neck.

Home.

Steve doesn't know how long they stay there with the rest of them hovering quietly behind them, but he doesn't care. Thor's warm hands are on his back and it feels wonderful, just being like this.

This should go on forever. It's simple and easy, as natural as breathing. I wish we could stay like this. It's complicated after this.

Steve shifts.

Clint.

That thought rattles him more than he likes.

Aware of the eyes on him now, Steve pulls back from Thor's embrace and Thor releases him without hesitation. Grabbing Thor's hand, he gives a small tug and Steve's grateful, enormously so, that he follows without questions.

The guilt is closing in at the edge of Steve's conscience much too quickly.

ClintClintClintClintClint

He shoves it down fiercely with his narrow minded focus to get out of there.

Tomorrow. Just…Tomorrow.

Please.

The walk back to the room is quiet. Only their footfalls on the floor (Steve's sure Thor's are much quieter than he remembers) and their breathing makes any noise around them.

When they get back to their room Steve winces at how obvious it is that Clint basically lives here. His shirts there, pants here, one of his bows in the corner.

If Thor notices he doesn't bother to comment.

Out of the corner of his eye Steve sees some of the armor on Thor's arms melt away so he wastes time picking out a pair of shorts and a shirt for Thor to wear to bed (Steve doesn't know if just shorts is appropriate anymore despite Thor's lack of naked inhibition). As Steve digs through the drawer, he notices, with much guilt, that a few of Clint's shirts are stacked on top of his options.

Selecting a black t-shirt shorts combination, Steve turns back to the other to see him standing there with his breast plates still snugly in place, but otherwise mostly naked. He takes Steve's silent offering of the outfit, walks to the ensuite and closes the door behind him.

Steve is unsettled. It doesn't feel right, Thor's silence, Clint's belongings, the yawning abyss he sees between Thor and himself, but Steve feels powerless to change it.

I should feel something else shouldn't I? Anger maybe? Something besides guilt. Something besides feeling so…lost.

Almost two years hadn't done anything to make this reunion less intense and there's so much wrong between them (and Clint) that Steve doesn't know where to begin to fix it.

Suddenly and acutely Steve wishes he was a kid again and broken hearts and fights could be fixed with something as silly as a treat or new toy to share between friends. The young forgive and forget easier.

When Thor comes out of the bathroom a short time later (fully clothed Steve can't help but notice), he can imagine the look on his face that causes Thor to stutter step and head right over to wrap him in his arms, but that's wrong too. Steve appreciates the effort, but Thor feels rigid, the muscles under Steve's hands hard with tension.

Suppressing the wild feeling stampeding through his body, Steve pulls Thor closer, brushing his hands over the smooth material of Thor's shirt lightly to comfort himself, or maybe Thor. He doesn't know and doesn't care, but it doesn't seem to matter. When Thor relaxes Steve does too.

Eventually they find their way to the bed and curl around each other.

As Steve falls asleep to Thor's steady breathing, he dreads tomorrow with all of his being.

Author's note: The song I put in at the beginning is I Won't Lie (Acoustic) by Go Radio. I don't own it of course, but it's a lovely song. I hope you liked this chapter with Steve's conflicting and all over the place emotions and train of thought.