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"Bucky is alive." Tony repeated it because it was the third time that Steve had said it, half asleep and mumbling into his glove at the restaurant. He was probably the only one still mostly awake right now, invigorated, as if lightning was flowing through his veins. His heart felt like it would beat right out of his chest and like he could actually feel the earth turning under his feet-- He was probably just hopped up on adrenaline, though. He didn't question it. Not yet.

Thor was gone, off to locate his 'incorrigible' brother who destroyed their city. Banner was housing meat with soulless eyes as he recovered from the Hulk. Their two assassins were sending each other furtive glances that Tony interpreted as querying where they would fuck later. And that left only Rogers to focus on because he was the only one saying anything.

"Okay, I'll bite." He plopped down his sandwich, watching Bruce reach across him to pick it up again and eat that too, interrupting his train of thought towards Rogers. "You know, I'll just get you another one," he said under his breath, but Banner wasn't paying a lick of mind to him, like he was simply going through the motions.

Tony rolled his eyes and focused again on the blond mumbler.

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

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“There had been a time when you would assist me in my need,” Thor said, not a threat, but merely a recollection. “A time when we had fought together and fought well towards the same goal. When you had not wished to see me dead.” He wasn’t ready to believe that time had passed. He wasn’t ready to let his brother go. He’d died and been returned to him. Wasn’t that enough?

Thor even took him by the back of the neck, oblivious to all others. This was a discussion beyond them and their interference was ignored.

“Whatever else that has happened, we can see it repaired.” Poor Thor. He truly believe that. “I will not see you again dead and lost.”

Tony glanced at the others in the room, shrugged, and sat back down. He hadn’t come for a love fest.

The warm weight of Thor's hand at his neck was difficult to ignore, much as his words atop Stark's ridiculous monument to himself had been difficult to set aside. Being a son of Odin was all he had ever wanted with all his heart, to be seen as worthy and brave and strong as Thor, to be as beloved as him.

He had to hold onto the flame of fury that had burned inside him since finding out about what he truly was, the rage of discovering that no matter how hard he tried, he would never have been Thor's equal.

But there was a flash of that pain in his eyes, a momentary hesitation, before venom spat from his lips to hide the rest.

"Whyever not? I'm certain the feast of celebration must have lasted weeks, to have it happen a second time would only add to the revels. Spare me your empty words, Odinson, there can be nothing between us but death, or have you forgotten the lessons so kindly taught to us in our youth?"

Steve wasn't sure what was going on any more either, he knew very little about the Asgardian family drama except that Loki was Thor's adopted brother. But he wanted to know about Bucky, and so he practically growled in frustration, stepping forward to put a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"He's playing you, Thor. We need to know about Bucky."

These mortals and their insistences! For a moment, Thor had been certain he was getting through to his brother. He’d been as certain as he’d been on the roof of Stark’s tall home, before that blade came. Why Loki fought their childhood and their friendship together, Thor could not know. He was not in his position, he could not prepare himself to even guess what it might be like to be seen as an enemy, to hate oneself with so much bile.

But Thor did not hate his brother. Even if he had tried to being ruin upon him thrice now, they were family.

Thor held a hand out in anger towards Rogers, as if he was calling forth the hammer, but it was merely to demand silence. “Have you forgotten about the bonds of kin, Loki? We were raised as family and you can not fight that. You can not turn me from you. I will help you. I pledge it.”

There would come a time when Thor could not do so any longer but that was many years to come.

It was so much harder to remain furious with Thor than with any of the others. Even his mother, beloved Frigga who stood higher in Loki's affection than anyone else in the universe, was easy to maintain his bitterness against. Because she had been complicit in the lie, she had heard the stories and seen how much he tried and she had never told him the truth.

But Thor had never known. Thor's love was not a part of the lie, Thor had never lied to him, and that made it harder to hate him. Easier too. Because he was a buffoon, he truly was the golden, trustworthy, magnificent prince down to his damned bones. It made him want to flay Thor's skin from his bones, and also it made him desperately want to believe those words, to cling to them like a small child to his mother's skirts.

Instead, he deliberately focused on Rogers, it was easier to bear than the weight of Thor's love.

"I have heard no compelling reason to share what I know, Captain. Make me an offer, and perhaps we can negotiate."

“He doesn’t know.” That was from Tony Stark, seated back down with his arms crossed over his chest (and whatever armor he wore that had protected him from the staff). He had seen this tactic before. Hell, he had even used this particular tactic before. It was a good way to win over difficult board room negotiations because it forced your opponent to show their hand first.

Or at least to give you an idea of where they might go on their offerings.

Tony turned his back back to Steve and gestured for him to sit back down. “There are easier ways to do this.”

He had surveillance everywhere. Or at least he could tap into it. Tony’s eyes trailed back towards Thor, however, and towards Loki. Steve Rogers was still Daddy’s favorite and even if they’d come to some understanding over the last few hours, Tony didn’t like him all that much.

"You can't know that," Steve said, indignation pouring off him in waves. He wasn't about to let this slip through his fingers just because Tony felt like he was the smartest man in the room. "If it wasn't Loki, then who was it? I don't know anyone else that can make themselves look like someone else."

Loki's eyebrows hitched higher and higher during this. It would probably be best to keep quiet, this didn't actually involve him and it was distracting the mortals nicely. Foolish of them, to let a petty disagreement take focus from the Tesseract, as though anything could be of more import than an infinity stone. But that was the trouble with the races that lived such short lives as humans did, they rarely comprehended things on the larger scale.

But he never had been able to resist sticking his oar in when he could.

"Actually, there are many beings capable of shapeshifting, even here on this pitiful planet."

Not his manner of shapeshifting and illusion, perhaps, but there were definitely some Skrull hiding out here, a lesser Asgardian or two who had been left behind or fled from old campaigns and masqueraded as mortal, perhaps even the occasional elf.

Trying to wrap his head around shapeshifting and dead people coming back to life isn’t usually in his wheel. Tony lightly scratches at his scalp and then shakes it. “Fine. Shapeshifter. Who is also telepathic? I think that’s going too far. Why bother telling you what you want to hear?”

Nat has been more or less silent through all of this but she has a reason. “Distraction. To win. But why bring up Barnes?” Tony picks up on what she’s getting at. He’s seen all of those propaganda films. He also slept through a Captain America World War II class in college.

“Didn’t you have a girlfriend?” he asks. Honestly, he doesn’t mean to be rude but he just is by nature. “Why not just say insert girl’s name here is still alive?”

Natasha rolls her eyes. She’s trying to convey to Tony that Peggy is actually still alive but men are idiots on the most basic level. And Tony is worse than most.

Steve glanced from Natasha to Tony, jaw set. He still didn't know all of them that well, but he was starting to get fond of Romanoff, she might give off an air of being untouchable and mysterious, but she was kind underneath. He knew what that look meant, even if Tony didn't.

"Peggy, and she is still alive. I visited her last week at the Pine Crest Care Home."

Steve's voice was steady, not at all betraying how difficult it had been to come face to face with her once more. She had been just as beautiful as ever, her beauty had always shone through her eyes from her sharp intellect. But it had been awkward and painful, with an air of things undone and unsaid.

"And Bucky was my best friend, my brother, my-- he was the person I was closest to, he's pretty much the reason I went into Project Rebirth."

There was more to it than that, but Steve stopped there. Longing feelings, perverse feelings, should never be said out loud. He learned that a long time ago.

Loki's lips curved upwards, reading the subtext between the lines. "A favoured partner for bedsport."

Steve flushed, mouth gaping.

Well call Tony Stark impressed. Or something else. Aghast, maybe? No. He was impressed. That Steve wasn’t a holy roller, cookie cutter child of the depression gave him a little more substance. It was something Stark could get behind. No one said a word, not even Tony, but he couldn’t help but be impressed by the insight of the man that had thrown him from the window.

He could feel something akin to affection in his gut for the guy, which was definitely a new one on him, but he let it go for now. There was a lot he was feeling. He was pretty sure that had to do with falling from an alien space vortex and being dead for a few seconds.

Thor, however, waited a few seconds more in the silence before he dragged Loki with him towards Rogers and clapped him on the shoulder. “We will find the one dear to you,” he promised. “But first we must find the one with this knowledge. My brother tells tales and lies better than any I know but he would claim this feat of shapeshifting if it was his to claim.” In other words, Loki, Thor knows you’re a ham for the limelight. “He would not keep this trickery secret for long. There may be truth to all things said today and as you have helped me secure my brother I will help you to secure your lover.”

Oh god. Tony was going to burst. “I need another sandwich,” he groaned.

Steve was flushed brighter than a sunset in shame. This was a secret he had kept since he had first realised that he liked the look of men's bodies just as much as the acceptable feeling of liking to look at women, and suddenly it was spilled out in the open for all to see.

He knew that things were more progressive these days, and that was good. It could only be a good thing for the world if people felt safe enough to love whoever they wanted. But he was a product of his time, he had been raised believing that men who desired other men like that were perverse. Or even mad. He didn't really think that, not truly in the heart of himself, but he couldn't help but picture his mother's gentle face and how horrified she would be if she knew this.

"Alright, stop." That was his captain's voice, sharp and commanding. "I didn't ask for speculation on my-- habits, and I'll thank you not to keep going. There was nothing between Bucky and I but friendship, I loved him like a brother, that's all."

"The love between brothers is oft complicated," Loki murmured, slyly. "Filled with hatred and shame and all manner of things you may prefer it weren't."

That hurt. Thor felt the sting, of only because Loki seemed so dead set on destroying his entire life and all of his relationships in one fell swoop. He wasn’t ready yet to give up on Loki, though he knew he was filled with chaos and blind hatred. He still believed his brother redeemable. He believed family could fix him.

Thor crossed his arms over his massive chest and let Steve say whatever else he needed to say to feel secure. He did not understand much about humans but time spent with Jane and watching her small television had clued him in on some things. Shame was something these people took pride in. He grasped the reasons very little and so did not let the conversation linger when there was much else to speak of.

“Loki, you will find these other nearby shapeshifters. It will be part and parcel of your debt owed. I know you are capable of these things.” Now was a time to goad his brother into showing off.

Loki snorted ungracefully. Thor was not quite the manipulator that he was, and trying to goad him into showing off was a fairly obvious ploy. It didn't stop him from wanting to, his palms practically itched with the need to show them all how powerful his sorcery was and what knowledge he possessed that others could only dream of.

But he simply lifted one eyebrow. He would not be goaded, not today, he had to play the longer game if he stood any chance of getting out of this alive.

"I rather think that debt will be paid in full when the All-Father snips my head from my neck, I see no reason to spend my final hours acting as a hound on the hunt for your benefit."

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