AN- short and sweet, but then again with things having been so busy for me I haven't really had time to write anything but!

Prompt:
Imagine Steve freeing Fenrir from his chains and becoming friends with him

Now, Steve had seen a lot of things that others would call ridiculous. He'd seen a man peel his face off to reveal a bright red skull, he'd seen his best friend die and then come back minus one arm with seventy years of trauma, he'd seen aliens and Gods and even woke up from his own death in the ice, but this? This was a bit much even for him. Being called to aid Thor on Asgard with the rest of the Avengers was just asking for something strange to happen, especially with Loki involved, but he couldn't have thought up something like this.

Thor had told him plenty about Asgardian lore and history and Steve had absorbed it as eagerly as all the history he'd missed to his years in the ice, but he seemed to have left out a bit about the giant wolf. It was bound at the limbs and throat by chains that could have held a battleship to shore, all bristly black fur and piercing yellow eyes. Normally he would have left it, since it likely was there for a reason and he wasn't one to tread on what could be some sort of Asgardian law, but the new army Loki had raised had bombed the whole palace to hell and back and he wasn't about to leave it behind to the flames. The sad expression it pointed in his direction, even with the bright, gleaming fangs, was pretty hard to just ignore.

Steve wasn't about to just run up to it and break the chains, knowing that'd likely get him mauled the moment it got loose, so instead he approached it calmly with his palms raised, shield strapped safely to his arm. The wolf tensed up, claws digging into the floor where it was sprawled under the weight of its bonds, eyes tracking his every movement. Its ears were pricked up and fur on end, lip curled just enough to bare its teeth in promise.

"Just, uh, just calm down. I'm trying to help." He doubted the wolf would listen or understand but who knew with Asgardian animals. He was surprised when the wolf's ears swiveled towards him in clear interest, the low growl dying in its throat. That was… encouraging. He took it as permission and drew his shield, bringing the edge down on the chain that bound one of its front legs.

The chain shattered under the impact, the vibranium cutting through it but just barely. Whatever the chains were made of was tough, that was obvious. The wolf remained still and silent as he broke the remaining chains, leaving only the one at its neck. That one was thicker, shimmering with that strange glittering veil that a lot of Asgardian things seemed to have. He didn't think he could break it. The chain linked to a thick collar partly obscured under the wolf's fur, and he figured that was his best bet.

"I need to get the last one off," Steve started, taking a few cautious steps towards the wolf's head, "but I need to touch your neck. I'm not gonna hurt you, but I need you to just sit still and I'll get it off." smoke was starting to leak in from the door and it seemed to cement in the wolf's mind that the situation was dire. It let out a sharp snort before lifting its head a bit, eyes still watching him warily but letting him approach.

The collar buzzed under his fingertips even through his gloves, almost like static electricity but not. The wolf's fur was long and obscured his view so he had to blindly feel for where the chain connected to it, taking several tense moments. He found what he was looking for though, a thinner link in the chain that fit into a latch, which was just thin enough for him to get his hands on and pull with all his strength. The wolf caught on and pulled in the opposite direction, the thin link failing with a muffled pop.

"See? That wasn't—" his words faded into a muffled mmph! when one of the wolf's giant paws smacked into his chest, knocking him over and pinning him to the floor in one swift movement. The action knocked the air out of his lungs, the wolf's claws pressed into the thick Kevlar of his uniform, its jaws hovering over his face a half-second later as it stared him down with those burning eyes.

Steve had already raised his arm to crash the shield into its face when it suddenly opened its mouth, but instead of biting it licked a stripe up his whole face, body shaking from the force of its wagging tail. Steve just blinked, taking several long seconds to get his heart, which threatened to hammer right out of his chest, back under control.

"Uh… you're welcome?"