"Odinson, Barnes, you're late" Bree called as Loki and Bucky entered the room. Bree, Mia and Asten were inside. They were not late. In fact they were 20 minutes early for their usual shift. It wasn't their fault Bree was apparently clinically insane. Neither man countered her accusation, however; they knew how it would end. Bree would be angry, Loki would want to kill her and Tala would get involved. It had happened before.
"The drop is in four hours. They're fine." Asten replied, not looking up from his laptop where he was furiously tapping.
"I don't even know why we're sending the two of you in. You barely have an SHIELD experience. You've been on what four missions now? Mia and I should be the ones going. But oh no, Fury wants you two to go," Bree rambled.
"Do I have to remind you again that I'm over 1000 years old? I have experience Arnold, as does James," Loki sighed.
"But not working for SHIELD," Bree retorted, as if that made a difference. Loki rolled his eyes as Bucky played with his sleeves awkwardly.
"Look Bree, you know he wanted them to go," Mia hissed.
"Who?" Loki asked, Bree and Mia didn't hear.
"Some Coulson guy," Bucky mumbled, "I told you about it after the last meeting. You were sick."
"That's impossible," Loki shook his head, "I... I killed him."
"What?"
"During the invasion. He tried to stop me escaping; I stabbed him through his heart. There's no way he could be alive."
"Actually there is," a voice called from behind them. Bucky jumped out of his skin, not hearing anyone approach for once in his life. Loki spun round to see Coulson; the shorter man smiled up at Loki. If he felt any discomfort at being close to his attempted killer he didn't show it.
Loki's mouth hung open, eyes darting back and forth. Coulson smiled up at him. Bucky looked at the pair. He was confused.
"Loki, I hear you've turned over a new leaf. No more trying to take over the world. It's good news."
"Well, you know, I had a change of heart." Loki replied, still staring, fingers ghosting over the scar in his own chest, similar to the one Coulson must have on his own.
"Good. I gotta say when I heard you were back I was worried, but Fury seems to trust you. After all it was him who wanted you and Barnes to go on this mission." Coulson explained, "By the way Sergeant Barnes, I'm a huge fan of the Howling Commando's. I have some vintage trading cards. Would you sign them?"
"Erm, yeah, sure" Bucky smiled, still confused but just rolling with it.
"Excellent, they're in my locker. My Captain America ones got blood on them. Damn Fury. But he did buy me some more as a "congratulations, you're alive" present so I can't really complain."
"Coulson, can we get on with the debrief now?" Bree asked, impatiently.
"Yes, yes. Sorry." Coulson replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Any way gentlemen, welcome to Level 7."
"I thought we were already Level 7?" Bucky whispered to Loki, the God shrugged in response.
"You are going to infiltrate this HYDRA base. Your task is to retrieve the maps that we presume to be in the office. You two are going in first. We want you to be in an out without being detected before we send the STRIKE team in." Coulson explained, Loki and Bucky nodded.
"Why not send them in with the STRIKE team?" Mia asked.
"Bases in the past have burnt everything before we could get up to them. It seems like its protocol to destroy all evidence when the attack alarm sounds. We've never recovered any physical evidence of bases. We only ever find them by trailing members. "
"If you guys go in first, without triggering the alarms, you'll be able to get up to the main offices without too much trouble. Here we have blue prints," Coulson picked up a roll of paper off the conference room table. "Obviously we don't know the full lay out of the building but these shoulder help."
"We'll manage." Loki nodded.
"Is that all? Get the plans and get out?" Bucky asked.
"Essentially," Coulson nodded, "If you can capture any HYDRA agents alive that would be great. As you're probably familiar with, Barnes, the agents have an annoying habit of killing themselves when captured." Bucky nodded again.
"They still using cyanide?"
"Some do. Some have had a kill switch fitted. They're terminated by some of the higher ups. They started doing it when you got away."
"Smart, I guess." Bucky replied.
"Capturing agents should not be a problem." Loki added after a moment.
A few hours later Loki and Bucky were hovering over the drop site, the small aircraft that SHIELD had provided was almost silent, fitting the sombre mood of those on board. Mia was piloting the plane, Bree sat next to her; but whether or not she was helping was unclear to Loki.
Bucky and Loki stood at the back, dressed for the mission. Loki wore a black turtle neck and pants. Bucky wore a black bullet proof jacket, with one sleeve cut off, to make room for his arm. Both were armed, Bucky with multiple guns and knives, Loki with his Seidr and daggers hidden on his person.
Coulson was stood with them, going over the mission once again; making sure the pair knew their objectives. He played with his tie as he spoke.
"If you need an extraction use frequency two." Coulson stated, speaking about their coms "We'll send STRIKE in earlier if you need help."
"We won't," Loki interrupted. "I can teleport us out if need be," Coulson nodded.
"Handy."
"I'll teleport us in as well. We do not need to use these things." Loki gestured to the parachute packs. Coulson nodded again. "I've studied the blueprints; I can get us in safely."
"Ok. Are you both ready?" Coulson asked. Loki hummed in acknowledgement, Bucky nodded.
"Get on with it then. We haven't got all day." Bree shouted from the front. Loki rolled his eyes; Bucky flinched at the sudden loud noise. Loki looked at Bucky, frowning. Bucky shook his head, telling Loki not to worry.
"Yeah, get going whenever you're ready" Coulson smiled, "And good luck."
Loki held his hand out for Bucky, who took it after a moment. As soon as their hands touched the ground fell out from beneath them, colours blurred past their eyes and before they knew it they were in a cleaning cupboard in the compound.
Bucky felt a wave of nausea flood over him as Loki let go of his hand. He screwed his eyes shut and lent against Loki for support. The God let Bucky take a moment, understanding that not all were as comfortable as he, when it came to teleporting.
"Are you okay?" He asked when Bucky pulled away.
"Yeah, just went a bit dizzy." Bucky forced a smile.
"No, I mean are you okay? You've been quite all day James, you've been jumpy and spaced out. I'm worried. Have I done something to upset you?" Loki asked; concern evident on his face.
"No Kotyenok, it's not you." Bucky ran a hand through his hair, brushing brown hairs out of his face. "I'll talk to you about it later. Now isn't the right time, or place."
"I need to know if whatever is wrong will affect you in the field. James, I can do this on my own if you are unwell."
"I'll be fine. Let's go."
Bucky slipped out of the cupboard first, Loki on his heels. The god cast an invisibility spell over them and muffled their footfalls, but they still had to be careful and keep a distance from the soldiers that milled about the compound.
They quickly located the stairs; the main office was on the highest floor and the pair would have to get through many ID operated doors to get there. They snuck up the stairs, only encountering one individual on their way up.
Loki sent out a bolt of Seidr towards the spy, knocking him unconscious almost immediately. Bucky caught the man's falling body and lay him on the ground, before searching for the man's ID card. When he had it Loki waved his hand and the man was suddenly tied up in the corner, gag in his mouth, still unconscious.
The pair climbed ever still; luckily the man had been seemingly high up. It wasn't until the sixth or seventh floor that the card stopped working. The pair looked at each other for a moment.
"Can you get us in?" Bucky asked.
"It would involve setting fire to the door and perhaps blowing it up."
"Can you get us in?" Bucky repeated.
"Yes."
Loki cast another spell, letting the invisibility fall- there was no use using it now. Using a flame in the palm of his hand he heated up the metal locking system on the door, warping it until it would no longer hold the door shut. The electronic system reached to the heat, spitting barbs of electricity at the pair before failing. The door was open.
"You made that sound more exciting than it was." Bucky smiled.
"A bit of dramatic flair never hurt anyone." Loki winked as they the floor.
They met a few people on their way to the office. Loki put them all to sleep as he went. That was until one man jumped out behind Bucky, grabbing him around his neck and pulling him backward. Bucky elbowed the guy in the jaw with his metal arm, hearing the satisfying crunch as he shattered the man's jaw.
Before Loki could even turn and attack Bucky had the man out cold. Loki smiled at the sight; Bucky returned it, blushing slightly. Wordlessly they continued to move. They approached the office, Loki tried the door, it was locked. Bucky pushed his way past Loki, and with one strong kick the door was off its hinges. He turned to Loki and smirked.
"You're not the only one who get break a door." Loki returned the smirk before they entered the room. A man and a woman were inside, gathering up papers and ready to shred them with the machine on the floor.
Loki raised his hand and forced the two off them up against the wall, knocking them out in the process. With another wave of his hand and a green shimmer their bodies disappeared. Bucky looked up at Loki, eyebrow raised.
"They're on the helicarrier." Loki replied, "Coulson said he wanted people."
Loki gathered up the papers on the desk whilst Bucky went to the metal filing cabinet in the corner, pulling it open with his metal arm, breaking the locks in the process. He pulled out file after file, making an organised pile on the desk.
"Can you send all this the same way you sent them?" Bucky asked as Loki rummaged through the desk drawers.
"Easily." Loki replied, voice muffled. Bucky made his way through the cabinet as Loki did the same with the desk, and before long it was crammed with paper.
"Kotyenok, look at this." Bucky called, pulling out a large sheet of folded paper out of one of the drawers. He unfolded it carefully, revealing a large and detailed map of America. It was spotted with red dots, revealing each base across the country. Loki grinned at Bucky.
"I think we've found what we were looking for."
Once they'd sent all of their finding to SHIELD and gotten safely out of the HYDRA building the pair had been forced to go through a debrief. Bucky's therapist trusted the agents to do a proper job and had allowed him to do it the "normal" way.
By the time they had gotten home it was late. Loki had been sequestered by Thor as soon as he had arrived and had been forced to meal with his brother. Bucky had similarly been caught by Steve who made the former eat before allowing him to escape to his room.
"I am glad you repaired your relationship with Sergeant Barnes, Brother. I believe you are good for one another. I would have been greatly saddened if you had failed to resolve your issues." Thor explained. They were sat in the living room of Thor's floor. Loki was still a tad bitter of the fact that his brother got a whole floor and he only got a room, but then again he was near James, so he couldn't really complain.
"I worry about him." Loki replied, taking a sip of his red wine. He was curled up on the sofa whilst Thor sat in the armchair opposite. "He has been withdrawn as of late."
"He will talk to you when he feels ready. He is your shield-mate, and best friend. Maybe he just needs time."
"I hope so; I fear he is holding too much in. And I know first had that nothing good can ever come out of that."
"Just be there for him Brother, in the way I should have been there for you." Thor said sadly.
"You were there for me sometimes." Loki stated, trying to soften the blow.
"I was not there enough."
The two fell into an uncomfortable silence. Loki took another sip of his wine as Thor drained his mead. The silence continued for several long moments, neither brother knowing what to say. Loki eventually got to his feet when he'd finished his wine.
"Well Brother, this has been enjoyable," Loki forced a smile before teleporting up to Bucky's room. He appeared right in the centre of the room, making Bucky (who was standing by his wardrobe, putting his coat on) jump.
"Fucking hell Kotyenok," Bucky snapped, putting a hand on his chest. "Don't do that!"
"Are you going somewhere?" Loki asked, cocking his head to one side
"Just to the park, I haven't seen Negodyay in a while." Bucky replied, recovering from the shock.
"Oh, I'll come with you." Loki smiled
"It's okay, Kotyenok. I kinda wanna be alone." Bucky shrugged.
"No, you promised you'd tell me what's wrong. I'm not letting you isolate yourself again."
"Fine," Bucky snapped back, he pushed past Loki and left the room, Loki quick on his heels.
"Why are you getting angry about this?" The God asked once they were outside.
"Why are you so insistent on talking about it?" Bucky stalked ahead, forcing Loki to lengthen his strides to keep up.
"Because you're hurting and I want to know why? Is it something I've done? Because I thought we were okay?"
"Yes it's you!" Bucky snapped, Loki stopped, eyes widening and lips slightly parted in shock. "It's always you."
"What the Hel is that supposed to mean?" Loki continued walking, once more catching up to Bucky. "Ever since we met I have been nothing but caring towards you. I don't understand what I've supposedly done wrong."
"It's nothing, just leave it." Bucky shook his head as they entered the abandoned park. He began following the path to his preferred area of the park, but Loki grabbed his metal arm.
"No. We are talking about this now, James." Bucky tried to pull away but Loki tightened his grip. He glanced up at Loki's face, the God looked confused, his eyes reflecting his pain. "What is wrong with us?"
"It doesn't matter."
"James, of course it matters. Whatever it is, it's bothering you. You're my friend—"
"I wanna be more than that!" Loki's grip on Bucky's faltered. The soldier ran his hands through his hair, "God damn it Loki. I have so many things going on in my head. So many feelings, and I don't know what I am allowed to feel anymore."
Loki took a step forwards.
"You're allowed to feel anything James. They're your feelings. They're what makes you, you."
"It's just...I don't know what to do. Every time I see you I want to make you smile, to laugh. And it breaks my heart on days you don't. I hate the fact that I worry you, but I love the fact that you care. I love every second I get to spend with you, but I can't stand that you'll never be mine."
"James..."
"I'm sorry. This must be super weird for you. I'm sorry for making this awkward. We can forget I ever said anything." Bucky turned away and took several steps away. Loki immediately followed;
"How do you know?" He asked softly, voice cracking.
"What?" Bucky barely whispered.
"How do you know that I'll never be yours?" Loki looked down at his shoes, playing with the cuff of his sleeves, "I'm used to hiding how I feel James. I used to not letting people in. But with you, I'm safe, I'm happy. I am content. What more do you need to know?"
Bucky moved closer, and closer still, until they were barely a breath apart, their noses brushing against each other. Loki's forced his eyes upwards; bright mischievous green meeting cerulean storms. James breathed in, sharp and quick, as though someone had struck him.
"It's okay," Loki whispered, warm breath ghosting over Bucky's cheek. "It's okay to want things."
A sigh echoed as eyes closed, before heated lips met ones as cold as Jotunheim. A brief, hesitant peck, barely more than a murmur. Yet it was enough. Enough for them. For two broken souls, falling for so long. A promise, a silent one. The promise to reach out, no matter how far, and catch them.
A promise to rise alongside one another, no matter how messy it got. And damn things got messy fast.
I hope this was okay for you guys.
Tell me what you think,
Lyna x