[ loki sure does like to make a lot of assumptionsβassumes steve wouldn't have listened while his teammate was talking about not just his family member but their current enemy, assumes that steve's behavior on his second week out of the ice is in any way indicative of his actual personality, assumes steve never swears despite "fuck" being every soldier's favourite crutch word since the dawn of time.
well, that's fine. a lot of people make assumptions about him that have no bearing on reality; steve's not going to worry when loki of all people does it. he has more important things to worry about.
things which have him eyeing loki's hand, weighing his options. he recognizes an olive branch when he sees one, but one only has to look to thor to see how often loki's olive branches turn out to be knives in disguise. but if he is sincere, if he even knows how to be, steve would be stupid to discount his knowledge out of hand.
it takes a moment, but steve eventually firms up his expression and looks loki in the eye. ]
I'll take the explanation, but I don't need the help. I don't think we need to get any closer to each other.
[ certainly not close enough to touch, to dance. not fighting loki outright doesn't have to mean getting close to him, at least not until he proves that he hasn't found a way to smuggle daggers around. ]
[Itβs true, Loki is as guilty of assumptions as everyone else. Most of his about Steve come from a time when his mind was in less than optimal working order. The rest was from the tidbits Thor had shared when over explaining what he was up to with his Avengers friends.
More recently, Loki has come to realize heβs made incorrect assumptions about people, but heβs been so disconnected from that part of his life that the thought doesnβt occur to him, at least not right away. More than anything, heβs just surprised that Steve isnβt really doing anything, other than maybe looking a little wary. Not that Loki could blame him for that.
There is a brief moment when Loki thinks maybe Steve will actually take him up on his offer, as stupid as that may sound. He forces his own expression to stay neutral and lowers his hand at the expected decline. Then his defence mechanism kicks in like it hasnβt in sometime. Loki smirks and crosses his arms over his chest.]
Oh, I see. Afraid you might actually like it then? How could you live with yourself, dancing with a villain.
[ at least steve doesn't rise to the bait. he doesn't give much more than a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms in a mirror of loki's stance. he looks every inch the "dad whose kid just sassed him in an unapproved way", never mind that he doesn't have kids.
(lbr, all of america is his kid, and he's had ample opportunity to practice his disappointed dad faces with the whole country.) ]
You want to try that again?
[ loki, you know as well as steve does that the last time you saw each other you were trying very determinedly to kill each other. if you're going to try to convince steve you're not a threat here in the hotel, you're going to have to accept a few boundaries. ]
[Itβs in that moment, as Steve stares him down that Loki realizes at least one of the reasons why they donβt get along and surprise surprise, it actually has nothing to do with Steve being uptight or Loki being a villain. No, the real surprising part is that Steve suddenly reminds him of a dad, of the few occasions when Odin tried to actually be a father to him. More than even that, it reminds him a bit of Mobius when he first met him. How he had managed to reign him in so easily.
This both disturbs and humbles Loki is ways he doesnβt know how to handle.
Loki frowns, though itβs really more at himself than at Steve. As if he canβt control himself suddenly, he turns into a bit of a petulant teenager that the Captain would very much recognize. Something Loki will very much beat himself up over later.]
Try what again? Is there something I said that wasnβt true?
[Really, Loki knows exactly what the Captain is getting at. Part of him knew and completely understood why he would react in such a way. It just feels like itβs been forever since heβs been put in his place like this and heβs terrified by the part that likes it as much as he hates how much it makes him miss his friend at the TVA.]
[ alright, well, if loki's going to be a brat, steve doesn't have to sit here and take it. he is not, in fact, loki's dad, and holds no responsibility for him and his petulant antics one way or another. ]
Let me know when you decide you want to talk, [ he says, not unkind but absolutely brooking no nonsense, either. he maintains eye contact with loki just long enough to add a little extra "are you proud of yourself, young man?" flavor to his paternalistic judgment before turning to walk away.
the worst part is, he's not even doing this on purpose. he's just Like This. ]
[It really is the worst part, though Loki isnβt fully aware of that. He doesnβt even pretend to know the Captain that well. All he really knows right now is that he feels like he put himself out there, tried to do something nice for someone he knows doesnβt like him and only to be brutally rebuked.]
Fine. See if I care. Good luck finding anyone that fits the bill with your little problem.
[Loki huffs in annoyance before turning away in a flourish deciding it was better to pretend Steve isnβt even here.]
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for @abit_ofboth
[ loki sure does like to make a lot of assumptionsβassumes steve wouldn't have listened while his teammate was talking about not just his family member but their current enemy, assumes that steve's behavior on his second week out of the ice is in any way indicative of his actual personality, assumes steve never swears despite "fuck" being every soldier's favourite crutch word since the dawn of time.
well, that's fine. a lot of people make assumptions about him that have no bearing on reality; steve's not going to worry when loki of all people does it. he has more important things to worry about.
things which have him eyeing loki's hand, weighing his options. he recognizes an olive branch when he sees one, but one only has to look to thor to see how often loki's olive branches turn out to be knives in disguise. but if he is sincere, if he even knows how to be, steve would be stupid to discount his knowledge out of hand.
it takes a moment, but steve eventually firms up his expression and looks loki in the eye. ]
I'll take the explanation, but I don't need the help. I don't think we need to get any closer to each other.
[ certainly not close enough to touch, to dance. not fighting loki outright doesn't have to mean getting close to him, at least not until he proves that he hasn't found a way to smuggle daggers around. ]
no subject
More recently, Loki has come to realize heβs made incorrect assumptions about people, but heβs been so disconnected from that part of his life that the thought doesnβt occur to him, at least not right away. More than anything, heβs just surprised that Steve isnβt really doing anything, other than maybe looking a little wary. Not that Loki could blame him for that.
There is a brief moment when Loki thinks maybe Steve will actually take him up on his offer, as stupid as that may sound. He forces his own expression to stay neutral and lowers his hand at the expected decline. Then his defence mechanism kicks in like it hasnβt in sometime. Loki smirks and crosses his arms over his chest.]
Oh, I see. Afraid you might actually like it then? How could you live with yourself, dancing with a villain.
no subject
(lbr, all of america is his kid, and he's had ample opportunity to practice his disappointed dad faces with the whole country.) ]
You want to try that again?
[ loki, you know as well as steve does that the last time you saw each other you were trying very determinedly to kill each other. if you're going to try to convince steve you're not a threat here in the hotel, you're going to have to accept a few boundaries. ]
no subject
This both disturbs and humbles Loki is ways he doesnβt know how to handle.
Loki frowns, though itβs really more at himself than at Steve. As if he canβt control himself suddenly, he turns into a bit of a petulant teenager that the Captain would very much recognize. Something Loki will very much beat himself up over later.]
Try what again? Is there something I said that wasnβt true?
[Really, Loki knows exactly what the Captain is getting at. Part of him knew and completely understood why he would react in such a way. It just feels like itβs been forever since heβs been put in his place like this and heβs terrified by the part that likes it as much as he hates how much it makes him miss his friend at the TVA.]
no subject
Let me know when you decide you want to talk, [ he says, not unkind but absolutely brooking no nonsense, either. he maintains eye contact with loki just long enough to add a little extra "are you proud of yourself, young man?" flavor to his paternalistic judgment before turning to walk away.
the worst part is, he's not even doing this on purpose. he's just Like This. ]
no subject
Fine. See if I care. Good luck finding anyone that fits the bill with your little problem.
[Loki huffs in annoyance before turning away in a flourish deciding it was better to pretend Steve isnβt even here.]