Hello everyone! This chapter is a little shorter than some of the others but I'm OFFICIALLY diving into the Steve/Loki relationship and I'm squealing I'm so excited. (And me and m'hubby got to talk today which happens rarely but always makes me happy :3)

Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel Universe

Warning: Just language lol

Comments/critiques, welcomed as always! :D

Steve rings the bell for the fifth time and checks his watch, shivering slightly. It was getting cold just standing here on the stoop waiting for someone to answer. Then again he may not even be home. Steve hoped he was—the bandage on his face itched, it was cold, and he wasn't sure if he had to use the restroom or not—so he rang the bell again. It felt sort of awkward coming here to see him but not seeing him felt strange as well…granted the events from last weekend would give him every reason not to see Steve but Darcy had assured him that Loki couldn't remember anything. He looks up when he hears the locks on the door click, a disgruntled Loki swinging it open and squinting in the sun; he does a double take and grumbles, leaning on one arm in the doorway and scratching his side. Loki glares at Steve with a scowl.

"Whaaat?" he groans.

"Oh, uhhh—Thor wanted to check on you but I figured I'd offer my services," Steve smiles pleasantly, wincing slightly from stretching the bandage on his cheek.

Loki just stares at him. "It's one in the afternoon."

"Ah," he checks his watch. "Yes."

"It's a school day."

Steve laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, well…you were right—skipping for an edible lunch is a lot more fun than art class." Loki stares blankly at Steve for a moment and sighs, rubbing his eyes.

"You woke me up for that?"

"Well, I—I don't have to be back at school until football practice and you haven't been in school so I figured you could use some company-" Loki shuts the door. Steve sighs, banging his fist—politely—on the door. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have asked you to come to that party, things got out of hand…I have Chinese food!"

Loki reopens the door and looks him over. "You talk to Darcy?"

"She was worried, that's all."

He motions for Steve to come in, pulling his hair up as he walks towards the kitchen and tying it back. Steve closes the door behind them.

In a way it was sort of surreal being invited into a house he was so familiar with by a person he knew nothing about and yet Loki had been around as long as Thor. Amazing how the mind chooses to focus on certain things more than others. Like how as Steve was setting the Chinese food down on the counter he realized that Loki was wearing a skirt. It was a layered skirt, fell at the knees, nothing trashy but it definitely wasn't borrowed from Darcy, it fit him perfectly. He blinks to make sure it was really a skirt and not a weird new fashion of capris. Steve had an open mind. He supported gay rights, had no problem with transvestites or cross-dressers—besides, he was bisexual and the way he saw it they weren't bothering anyone. They were just expressing their sexuality like how he expresses his art. And he secretly kind of liked pretty boys in girly clothes.

"I don't know why I have to keep telling you not to stare at me," Loki sighs, pouring a glass of water.

He looks away. "Sorry…"

Loki starts taking out boxes of food and setting them down. Steve sits at the counter and opens them to see if there was anything he might want. He wasn't very adventurous when it came to food. Rather, Steve was never given a chance to be adventurous but he'd eat just about anything. Loki hands him a plate and a pair of chopsticks, picking and choosing a fair amount of food. Steve scratches at his bandage and decides to stick with things that he knew what they were—mostly chicken and rice. They eat in silence, Steve trying his best not to stare as Loki nibbles at pieces of chicken meant to be eaten in one bite. Instead he looks around the house. Nobody else seemed to be home which usually meant it would be in a state of complete Armageddon from Thor and his friends doing whatever they pleased but it looked spotless. Just like that night he'd spent with Thor and Darcy when Loki came home in the middle of the night…

"Did I do that to your face?"

Steve looks up. Loki was pushing the food around on his plate, chin resting in his hand, not even looking at him. He touches the bandage on his face. The marks had already scabbed over which made them itch like crazy and they burned when he moved his face too much but he'd had worse.

"Yeah, but—I don't think you were really aiming at me," Steve smiles reassuringly. He was lying but he didn't want Loki to kick him out. "Probably wouldn't have left any kind of mark if you hadn't been wearing those rings. Christine uhh—wants those back, by the way…before her mother gets home-"

"Already pawned them."

He laughs, leaning against the counter. "You know, I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic."

Loki sighs, taking a sip of water. He sets the glass down and stares at it, feeling suffocated and self-conscious. He wanted to be alone that's why he wasn't going to school. Wasn't it enough that he'd made an idiot of himself in front of everyone? Not even that, but if anyone at the party was sober enough they'd realize how high he'd been... Loki couldn't remember anything he was just going by what Darcy had told him. He sets his food down, pushing the plate away.

Steve's stomach twists.

"So uhh…have Thor's friends been over? Because this place looks cleaner than usual…I-I mean usually when your parents are gone it looks like a herd of cattle ran through here," he lets out a dry little laugh. Loki grunts in response, swirling the water in his cup. Steve clears his throat. "So umm—w-where do your parents usually go on business-?"

"Why are you here, Rogers?"

He stops, his mind not able to produce an answer fast enough. "Huh?"

"Why are you here?"

There was ice in Loki's tone and it was making him nervous. Steve laughs. He could feel his throat closing up. "I-I-I t-told you, Thor wanted me to-"

"Don't! -don't pull the Thor card, okay? He would have called me to make sure I let you in since he keeps pushing you on me-" Loki takes a deep breath, controlling his temper. "Why are you really here, huh? Here to show me pictures, videos, because I'm pretty sure I've gotten them all…email, text, sliding them under my door—you all think this is so funny, don't you?"

Steve frowns. "Thor's trying to get them to stop, we all are. We're pretty sure it's Harry Osborn but Natasha is interrogating Clint and Bucky and a few others just in case-"

Loki slams his hands down on the counter, sneering and rocking back on his feet. "STOP! Just…stop." He rocks back and forth, breathing heavily and gripping the counter. Steve was so used to Loki expressing no emotions whatsoever that anger came as a bit of a shock. "What do you want from me, Steve, just tell me what you want and leave, please, because I am sick of everyone messing with me, I'm fucking sick of it." Steve just watches him. "I can't get a read on you! I can't tell if you're fooling me or pitying me but you keep messing with my head and I don't know what to do! Just tell me what you want!"

He says nothing.

"What do you want from me?!"

"NOTHING!" Steve yells. His stomach twists with guilt for raising his voice…he hated doing that. He sighs, resting his face in his hand. "I don't—I don't know, okay? I don't know what I want…you just—you just looked so-" Loki raises his eyebrows and places his hands on his hips. Steve looks up at him, rubbing his face. "You looked so confident and unafraid and I couldn't understand it. They kept pushing you down but you kept getting back up and I just…I had to do something, I couldn't just stand there and watch-" Steve holds up his hands defensively. "I don't want anything, alright? I just wanted to talk, get to know you, be friends, I don't know."

They stare at one another for a long time. Loki pulls his food back towards him, picking at it; Steve feels his stomach drop. He keeps his eyes down as Loki nibbles at another piece of chicken, unsure as to whether he should leave or…

"You do realize you've known me for five years, right?" Loki snorts to himself, observing a piece of chicken and setting it back down. Steve looks up and furrows his brow.

"Yes, but-"

"Well surely you can understand why I'm skeptical then, Rogers. I'm forced back into a school that didn't accept me before and I'm stuck wondering why the star quarterback and my brother's best friend keeps approaching me with juvenile attempts to be 'best buddies'…Thor's friends have all pushed me around before why are you any different?"

"Because I'm trying to help-"

"Bullshit."

"I am!" Steve argues, exasperated. "Look…I get it, okay? I all of a sudden start paying attention to you but it's only because everyone acts like you shot up the school or something and I don't know why they're isolating you. You're so intelligent and creative and witty and I can see that spark in you that lets me know you're still a person; you're not evil or wicked, you don't go around acting like everyone makes you out to be and that's what I don't understand-"

"Why do you need to understand? Can't you just leave me alone like everyone else?"

Steve takes deep breaths, rubbing his eyes. "I don't…I don't know…" His stomach was trying to give out on him and the whole room felt stuffy and hot.

"You can't just go back to being popular and act like you never tried to talk to me, can you?" Loki challenges with a sneer. "You're too deep into your sick twisted little games to make my life miserable."

"I didn't ask to be popular!" Steve snaps. "And this isn't a game! I'm not trying to hurt you!" Loki rolls his eyes and Steve clenches his fist, glaring at him. "Stop acting like you know me! You know as much about me as I do you-"

"Oh please…"

"What you think just because I'm popular now that I always was?" he scoffs, rolling his shoulders. "I used to be just like you. I was everyone's punching bag in grade school; I'm shy, I don't like talking to people because I never knew how to talk to people and I fucking hate having to talk to everyone now! I don't know why I keep trying to talk to you, I don't know why I keep trying at all, I just hate not being able to do anything. I don't like bullies, alright? I don't like that I can't do a fucking thing about any of this without the proper proof because like it or not my word isn't good enough and I can't just magically make them stop, not without a fight which is bullshit and I don't want to risk it." Loki just stares at him. "I walk into school every day and I see you and I just…I hate what I see alright? I fucking hate it and you know why? Because when I look at you…you reflect how they all perceive you. You've made yourself into this…personification of every foul word and action and bruise and cut and I just—I hate that you've given up! And I'm not upset just for you, I look at Thor—my best friend—and I can see how all of this affects him too-"

He scoffs. "It's none of his business, it's mine!"

Steve scowls at him, just about done with Loki's stubbornness. "Can you not see it?! How can you not see how much pain Thor's in because he knows he can't do anything for you either without you jumping down his throat for standing up for you?! I'm just trying to help because I don't like this, okay? I don't like seeing you let them continue to push you down and I'm sick of looking at you and seeing what everyone already thinks you are, Loki, worthless!"

Loki's face falls, staring at Steve and then looking away. Steve didn't mean that. He didn't mean for that to slip out and he didn't like the hurt look Loki had given them. He watches as Loki picks up their plates, dumping them into the trash and placing them in the sink putting the leftovers in the fridge and wiping down the counter, turning away from Steve. Steve sighs and looks down at his hands. It came out the wrong way and he didn't mean it the way he sounded. Loki turns back towards him, picking up his glass and gulping down the rest of the water. He sets it down and stares blankly at the counter, trembling.

"Loki-"

Steve reaches for his hand and Loki pulls away.

"I'd like you to leave now…" Loki whispers. He continues to stare blankly at the counter. Steve watches him for a moment and opens his mouth to respond…but Loki interrupts. "Please."

He nods, standing and collecting his keys.

Loki picks at his lunch, ignoring the whispers and stares around him. He was back in school—not entirely by his choice—but it gave him something to do other than 'mope around the house' as Thor had put it. No one had paid him any mind though at least not directly and he wanted to keep it that way. But he knew it wouldn't last forever. People would get brave soon enough but nobody would dare to approach his table during lunch—not with Thor in the same room. Loki glances up when he knows Steve Rogers had entered the room. He knows it's him because a majority of the girls giggle to themselves most of them turning their heads to see. Steve certainly could cause very un-discreet attention. The braver girls say hello as he passes by their tables, tray in hand. Loki looks away as he passes by his. There were no bitter feelings being held, Loki knew that Steve was a sincere person and he knew that Steve may not have meant to hurt him that way but he had no intention of approaching him about this. It was best they went back to the way things were. Steve had his friends and Loki had his…well he had Darcy. Loki figured that was better than nothing. He simply ignores his presence, assuming that Steve would like to do the same.

But Steve stops just as he's passing Loki by. He looks back at him, Loki picking glumly at his lunch, and looks back towards his friends. Clint and Bucky both motion for him to come, giving him odd looks and turning to talk to Natasha who simply gives Steve a small smile and looks away; Clint and Bucky keep motioning for him and furrow their brows when Steve turns back towards Loki and approaches his table. The students whisper amongst themselves and Loki barely looks up when Steve smiles at him, his hand on the chair. "Is this seat taken?" Everyone goes silent when Loki raises his head. He stares at Steve for a moment before motioning for him to sit.

When Steve sits down the whole room breaks out into hushed whispers.

He ignores their stares, taking a bite out of his sandwich. Loki stares coldly at him, narrowing his eyes, fork still digging around the chicken in front of him. Steve ignores him, pleasantly eating his lunch.

"It's rude to stare you know," he smirks, licking his fingers. Loki snorts and looks back down at his tray. Steve grins and takes a swig of his soda, looking around and back at Loki. "Darcy not here?"

"Her uterus is on fire."

Steve nods, setting down his drink. Loki stabs into the chicken, which the more he opened the more it smelt like fish, and lets the fork stand straight. He rests his arms down on the table, leaning on them and looking around, a dozen pairs of eyes turning away. Steve clears his throat.

"Listen, Loki—about the other day, at your house…" Steve's tongue starts to dry up when Loki stares at him. "I didn't mean what I said…the way it sounded-"

"Let's get one thing straight," Loki interrupts, his finger resting atop the fork. His jaw twitches. "I don't need your help. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and the last thing I need is some sort of self-righteous knight in shining armor because I don't believe in that bullshit. If you want to talk to me come up with a better reason than pity otherwise whatever you want this," he motions between them, "to be isn't going to last." Loki narrows his eyes, his face darkening. "You lie to me and try to fuck me over and I'll punch you out and make you rue the day you ever messed with me, got it?"

Steve nods and gulps, going back to eating his lunch. Loki does the same. He was trying to contain his excitement from the fact that Loki actually wanted to let Steve get to know him—and hopefully vice versa—but it was hard to take his threat very seriously. Steve laughs a bit and tries to contain it, Loki arching his brow at him.

"Am I amusing you?"

He smiles, taking another bite of his sandwich. "Yes, actually, you-" he shakes his head. "Never mind."

"I…?" Loki sneers.

"It's nothing, you're just…your nose wrinkles up when you're angry," Steve looks up at him smiling shyly. Loki turns bright red and scowls, looking away. Steve just grins and finishes his sandwich.