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[FIC] LIESMITH, or: the heart's desires are hard to hide from those who care to look.
Loki had always been incredibly observant, his mind for tactics, trickery in battle only second to Odin himself. Thor remembers them well, the days he spent fighting alongside Loki, following his orders like a second instinct when Odin's could not reach them and always split in his emotions when the victory came, because it came easier than Odin's did, but at a different cost. One that Thor had never been sure he liked paying.
But he was a soldier, brute force personified, and Loki was the wits. Thor would concede that, had easily when Fury had gathered them all and asked Thor to tell them everything about Loki that he knew, because they were going into battle against him.
(Steven had been taken a week ago, and Thor's blood boiled to think what had been done with him.)
Loki is far, far too observant, and it shows in the cruel smirk he gives to Thor when he sees the Lightning Commando pull himself up, shock all over his face as Steven rises from the protective crouch he'd taken, shield lowering back to his side. The vibrations from the impact make Thor's arm numb, but he barely feels it as he regards Steven from his place in the mud, the storm overhead quieting in response to the pain the sight of empty blue eyes bring.
Thor stands, snarls at Loki, because he needs anger to focus on to keep him from going to Steven and likely losing the battle for them all. But it's hard, hard not to look, hard not to try and fix it because it's wrong and Steven, Steven of all people, doesn't deserve this.
"What did you do to him?!"
"The Institution simply took back what belonged to it," says Loki, like he's speaking of picking up a lost toy instead of brainwashing (don't let it be a wipe) a person. He rests a hand on Steven's shoulder and Thor bristles in the soldier's place, lets another snarl fall from his lips. The sound only makes Loki grin. "And he is only the first. There are many lost lambs present here. It should be all too easy to capture them and... help them to see their mistake."
"You will not touch them!!" Thor fires off a bolt of lightning at Loki, but it tears through only an illusion. Loki steps out from behind Steven, long fingers trailing over his shoulder all the while, and Thor can feel himself shaking in a rage unlike anything he's experienced before. He wants to smash Loki into the mud, he wants to throw him away from Steven, he wants to take Steven far, far away from him, somewhere safe when no one can touch his mind again and bring him back from the haze that now blankets his mind.
Loki is observant. There's a shift in his expression, his smirk falling and green eyes flashing, narrowing as he stares at Thor, before he laughs with realization.
"Oh. Oh, Thor." His tone is sad, pitying, a contrast to the all too pleased grin that curls his mouth, sharp as a shark. "You poor thing. No wonder you went astray, with your heart captivated so. You always were rather simple to lead about, when it got down to it."
"I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a way," Thor hisses, to try and throw off whatever Loki thinks he's onto. It doesn't deter the Mischief Maker, only has him shaking his head, clicking his tongue.
"Your diversions are painfully obvious even now. It hurts you, doesn't it?" He leans up, whispers something in Steven's ear, and Thor can't stop the twist in his chest when Steven runs his free hand along the skin of Loki's cheek, caressing him as he would a lover. Loki keeps his eyes on Thor as calloused fingers brush his skin. "Oh, yes it does. To have him so close yet not have his heart. You know it belongs to another, don't you?"
"Stop it!" Thor's not sure who he's yelling at, though, whether it's Loki or Steven at this point, because watching this is more than he can bear.
Loki's eyes flash again, and suddenly Steven's hand drops away.
"Release him." It's supposed to be an order, but there's a shake in Thor's voice he doesn't understand. "Release him or I will - "
"Thor."
Steven's voice is quiet, yet it rings clear over the storm and Thor freezes. He hadn't expected Steven to speak, and there's a faint flicker of hope that somehow he's broken through. But when he looks at Steven he sees it isn't so, still sees hollow eyes, only now there's an empty smile to accompany it, a mockery of something Thor cherishes. "It's okay," Steven says, and Thor supposes his voice is supposed to be comforting, but it lacks the life it needs to soothe the commando. "Come back. It'll be all right."
There is a deadly stillness in Thor, in everything in that moment. His grip shifts on Mjolnir's haft, tightening.
And then it breaks. There's a roar, inhuman, and Loki turns just in time for the Other Guy, as Bruce addresses him, to land behind him and seize him. There's no illusion to save him this time, caught off-guard by the giant, and Steven turns and raises his shield to defend Loki.
It's the break Thor needs.
He rushes Steven, takes advantage of his open back and knocks him to the ground. Steven grunts, fights him, throws his shield arm back and manages a hard blow to Thor's head that has black spots swimming in his vision. But he doesn't let go, tightens his hold to keep Steven still as the Other Guy roars again and tosses Loki away like a rag doll, following after. Thor hears move in his ear and rolls off Steven in time to avoid the tranq that sinks into his neck, has the soldier stilling in the mud. He lies there for a moment beside Steven, finding himself unable to move, simply staring at the black sky until Natasha leans into his vision. Her hair is dark and framing her face, clinging to her neck, and she stares down at him with a look that is understanding before she helps him to his feet.
"Get him out. We'll clean up," is all she says, before heading back into the battle. Thor watches after her before his attention returns to Steven, and he clips Mjolnir to his belt, bends and picks Steven up with a care that isn't strictly necessary. Thor cradles him in his arms as he turns away and trudges back to the SHIELD transports lingering at the far edge of the war zone.
He wonders who heard, who knows now. He wonders if Steven will remember this once he comes back to his own mind.
He wonders if it's pathetic to find himself so afraid of the thought.
give me hope in silence; it's easier, it's kinder.
tell me not of heartbreak - it plagues my soul, it plagues my soul.
But he was a soldier, brute force personified, and Loki was the wits. Thor would concede that, had easily when Fury had gathered them all and asked Thor to tell them everything about Loki that he knew, because they were going into battle against him.
(Steven had been taken a week ago, and Thor's blood boiled to think what had been done with him.)
Loki is far, far too observant, and it shows in the cruel smirk he gives to Thor when he sees the Lightning Commando pull himself up, shock all over his face as Steven rises from the protective crouch he'd taken, shield lowering back to his side. The vibrations from the impact make Thor's arm numb, but he barely feels it as he regards Steven from his place in the mud, the storm overhead quieting in response to the pain the sight of empty blue eyes bring.
Thor stands, snarls at Loki, because he needs anger to focus on to keep him from going to Steven and likely losing the battle for them all. But it's hard, hard not to look, hard not to try and fix it because it's wrong and Steven, Steven of all people, doesn't deserve this.
"What did you do to him?!"
"The Institution simply took back what belonged to it," says Loki, like he's speaking of picking up a lost toy instead of brainwashing (don't let it be a wipe) a person. He rests a hand on Steven's shoulder and Thor bristles in the soldier's place, lets another snarl fall from his lips. The sound only makes Loki grin. "And he is only the first. There are many lost lambs present here. It should be all too easy to capture them and... help them to see their mistake."
"You will not touch them!!" Thor fires off a bolt of lightning at Loki, but it tears through only an illusion. Loki steps out from behind Steven, long fingers trailing over his shoulder all the while, and Thor can feel himself shaking in a rage unlike anything he's experienced before. He wants to smash Loki into the mud, he wants to throw him away from Steven, he wants to take Steven far, far away from him, somewhere safe when no one can touch his mind again and bring him back from the haze that now blankets his mind.
Loki is observant. There's a shift in his expression, his smirk falling and green eyes flashing, narrowing as he stares at Thor, before he laughs with realization.
"Oh. Oh, Thor." His tone is sad, pitying, a contrast to the all too pleased grin that curls his mouth, sharp as a shark. "You poor thing. No wonder you went astray, with your heart captivated so. You always were rather simple to lead about, when it got down to it."
"I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a way," Thor hisses, to try and throw off whatever Loki thinks he's onto. It doesn't deter the Mischief Maker, only has him shaking his head, clicking his tongue.
"Your diversions are painfully obvious even now. It hurts you, doesn't it?" He leans up, whispers something in Steven's ear, and Thor can't stop the twist in his chest when Steven runs his free hand along the skin of Loki's cheek, caressing him as he would a lover. Loki keeps his eyes on Thor as calloused fingers brush his skin. "Oh, yes it does. To have him so close yet not have his heart. You know it belongs to another, don't you?"
"Stop it!" Thor's not sure who he's yelling at, though, whether it's Loki or Steven at this point, because watching this is more than he can bear.
Loki's eyes flash again, and suddenly Steven's hand drops away.
"Release him." It's supposed to be an order, but there's a shake in Thor's voice he doesn't understand. "Release him or I will - "
"Thor."
Steven's voice is quiet, yet it rings clear over the storm and Thor freezes. He hadn't expected Steven to speak, and there's a faint flicker of hope that somehow he's broken through. But when he looks at Steven he sees it isn't so, still sees hollow eyes, only now there's an empty smile to accompany it, a mockery of something Thor cherishes. "It's okay," Steven says, and Thor supposes his voice is supposed to be comforting, but it lacks the life it needs to soothe the commando. "Come back. It'll be all right."
There is a deadly stillness in Thor, in everything in that moment. His grip shifts on Mjolnir's haft, tightening.
And then it breaks. There's a roar, inhuman, and Loki turns just in time for the Other Guy, as Bruce addresses him, to land behind him and seize him. There's no illusion to save him this time, caught off-guard by the giant, and Steven turns and raises his shield to defend Loki.
It's the break Thor needs.
He rushes Steven, takes advantage of his open back and knocks him to the ground. Steven grunts, fights him, throws his shield arm back and manages a hard blow to Thor's head that has black spots swimming in his vision. But he doesn't let go, tightens his hold to keep Steven still as the Other Guy roars again and tosses Loki away like a rag doll, following after. Thor hears move in his ear and rolls off Steven in time to avoid the tranq that sinks into his neck, has the soldier stilling in the mud. He lies there for a moment beside Steven, finding himself unable to move, simply staring at the black sky until Natasha leans into his vision. Her hair is dark and framing her face, clinging to her neck, and she stares down at him with a look that is understanding before she helps him to his feet.
"Get him out. We'll clean up," is all she says, before heading back into the battle. Thor watches after her before his attention returns to Steven, and he clips Mjolnir to his belt, bends and picks Steven up with a care that isn't strictly necessary. Thor cradles him in his arms as he turns away and trudges back to the SHIELD transports lingering at the far edge of the war zone.
He wonders who heard, who knows now. He wonders if Steven will remember this once he comes back to his own mind.
He wonders if it's pathetic to find himself so afraid of the thought.
tell me not of heartbreak - it plagues my soul, it plagues my soul.