fossilised | I come from a land of ice and snow

I come from a land of ice and snow

Asgard sat atop the branches of Yggdrasil since time began, and little had changed in their society in the years since. Each Asgardian was long-lived into the millennia, their lands were fertile, their people brave and strong. They had their vassals, their allies, and their enemies. Yet even those who opposed them respected the might of the Golden Dias, and the royalty who sat upon it. Currently that was Odin Borson, though he grew weary more easily now and had begun to consider passing the throne to his eldest son.

He had been blessed with many children, but only two that he considered worthy of his lineage and status. His firstborn, Thor, strong and honourable and everything an Asgardian warrior should be. His second son, Loki, was not natural born, though none knew that but his wife. He was different, a creature of magic and mayhem, of sharp intelligence. Both were worthy, but together they would take Asgard to a new prosperity, he was certain of it.

Midgard, where the mortals dwelt, was a land raided every few centuries for stock. It was seen as a breeding ground, much like a corral for cattle. Mortals were lesser, short-lived and weak, they were fit only as slaves. The last raid had taken place when Loki had been but a baby, nearly a thousand years ago, but the mortals that had been taken had been bred and cared for so that a healthy slave population still thrived. Slaves were given a weakened mixture of Idunn's crop with their food, to extend their natural lives to at least a few centuries in order to make them worth the effort to train. They had no rights, but they were taught well that this was their natural position.

All slave children were raised in a central pen and taught the same when small, those that then displayed talent at cooking, riding, hunting, housework, artisan skills, or singing were then measured off to be specially trained for higher masters. Every five years those who could afford to buy a slave, or those of high enough status to simply demand them, came to the corral and chose. Those who were chosen were special, were envied, and those who were not ended up working the fields out in the far reaches of Asgard, the most menial of work.

Anthony and Steven had been friends since they were little and being raised in the large pens together. Both had excelled, Anthony at crafting and Steven at warrior's skills, but neither were chosen when they were five, nor ten, nor even fifteen. Now, at twenty, it was their final chance to be chosen before they would be assigned to one of the meanest farmers beyond the borders of the great capital. Steven woke Anthony as the dawn rose, mingled excitement and nerves on his face.

"Anthony! Wake up, I've got news! I heard the overseer talking to one of the passing guards, and Princes Thor and Loki are coming to the corral today."

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It was a ceremony for just the two of them, bound by a law from a land that didn't exist but still meant something to them. The words didn't matter. The repeated what they were told to and bound it with the rings before they were left truly alone to enjoy their first few moments of wedded bliss in silence. Of course, Tony stuck around to walk the Justice back to her home, and maybe to spy the two former soldiers half devouring each other's faces.

Good for them, he thought to himself, and then had FRIDAY buzz Banner to see if he wanted to watch one of the movies they had in her databanks. Like Rogers and Barnes Get Married. A new classic.

It was dark by the time that Steve realized that he and Bucky were alone. The lights here werent automatic and the suns had dropped down below the horizon, their light no longer reflecting in the dome.

"So uh.... So I get to be Steve Barnes now...?"

Bruce was very happy to hear the news when Tony told him, he also believed that love was a good thing in times like this, and nobody had waited longer or deserved it more than those two. It also amused and pleased him that this marked their first leader of the new world being a gay man, hopefully that would allow for a more progressive and tolerant sort of future.

Bucky wasn't thinking about the future. He wasn't thinking about mankind or the planet or anything except the blue of Steve's eyes. He could have stayed in the twilight of the Capitol building for hours more, if he hadn't been interrupted by Steve actually speaking.

"If you want to be, or I could be James Rogers."

He didn't say that they could both keep their names, that wasn't how it worked. When people got married, they took the name of their spouse, it hadn't quite caught up to Bucky the progressive movement of keeping a maiden name in marriage. Besides, he liked the idea of them sharing a name, it was another outward symbol of their commitment.

"Which do you think sounds better? Steven Grant Barnes, or James Buchanan Rogers?"

“You need to keep your identity,” Steve said. He wasn’t a name anyway, he was a symbol. He was Captain America to these people, not so much Steve Rogers. Being Steve Barnes wouldn’t really through them off. Not when he was the last outward sign of America. Long arms moved around Bucky, fingers lacing together at the small of his back to hold him in place. Once upon a time, after their little moment that they had yet, even now, to talk about back after his mom died, Steve thought that in a perfect world, he might one day stand with Bucky at an altar, look up into his eyes, and be his wife.

That induced entirely too many horrific guilt complexes that he’d never really been able to formulate it. But it was different now. There wasn’t an altar, but this was just as official. Bucky looked up into his eyes. And he was the man’s husband.

Just as good, all around.

“And you already put your name on me,” Steve grinned. Yeah. He’d seen the BARNES stretched across the band. “Steven Grant Barnes sounds perfect.”

Bucky smiled; it wasn't the carefree winning smile of the past, this one had decades of torture behind it, but it was still genuine and happy. Steve should be proud that even after everything, he could still put an expression like that on Bucky's face. He reached out and twined metal fingers with flesh ones, just looking at those hands pressed together for a moment or two.

"Guess I did, Captain Barnes."

He loved it, voice soft and almost reverent.

"Knew from the first time I saw you that you were mine, spittin' blood and snot everywhere after being beat up by that kid. I had to punch him down for you, and when you yelled at me for saving your punk ass, I knew-- god, I knew you were gonna leave a mark on me."

He looked up into Steve's eyes, dark blue meeting sky blue. "I know what's traditional for a wedding night, Steve, and I want to. But I don't know if I can."

Wedding night...? Steve blinked for a moment, his fingers on Bucky's cheek because touching him was by far the best use of his time, and then coughed slightly. "Uh-- Buck, listen. We don't... We never ever have to do anything you don't want to. I love what we have and what we are. And it's enough for me."

He'd been celibate for thirty-two years, after all. One little episode of mutual masturbation had been his only entry into his own sexuality and while it had been wonderful, it brought with it a lot of heaviness after. And Bucky-- Bucky spent years enduring rape. And that scared Steve too, but he'd never back away from it. He didn't run from anything.

"You run the show. All I want is to be allowed to love you. And wake up next to you."

He couldn't miss what he never had.

Bucky didn't want there to be anything denied in this. He had waited so long to have Steve be his and he wanted to enjoy him in every way, and he was going to be damned if he let HYDRA take that away from him. So he just scowled at Steve, even though the words were perfect and the sentiment adorable, and shook his head.

"I don't know when it'll be, but one day I'm gonna have you screaming my name as you see stars."

That was a bit more risque than he usually allowed himself to be, they were both kind of repressed and stuck in the forties when it came to talking about sex, but this was important.

"Count on it."

Steve's metabolism would only let him get so red, but his face was undeniably flushed as he exhaled out. Bucky's fierceness, the intensity of his gaze, and those words... Well, Steve was a red blooded American and as much as he was willing to wait or to never have, right now he was undeniably turned on.

And that might have been a little cruel to the straight paced and moral Steve Barnes. He had to clear his throat twice before he found the strength to even wet his lips so he could reply.

"I... Will look forward to it...?" he said; maybe letting his voice drift upward a bit too sharply at the end there to form the question. "But uh. But now. Now would you.. Should we get some dinner? To celebrate...? Or maybe watch a movie?"

What did one do when married if not just be with the person they love?

It was a pretty good feeling to make Steve go that red and see the way his pupils blew large, it just told him that he was on the right track and they would get there one day. Bucky shrugged, willing to go along with anything, but they wouldn't exactly get that far because stepping out of the Capitol building, they'd find themselves in the middle of a party that had been waiting just for them.

Bruce had enlisted Tony, who had enlisted others, and the news had spread like wildfire that their beloved leader had got married. Food had been made, makeshift banners created, even the sound system on the skiff had been rigged to play forties dance tunes. Somehow Bruce, Tony, and their helpers had turned the green area outside the Capitol building into a blend of cocktail bar and old fashioned dance hall.

Just before the happy couple emerged, as Bruce was standing beside Tony at the little bar area (which mainly had fruit juices or water, as no alcohol had been fermented yet), FRIDAY interrupted.

"Sir, Captain and Sergeant Barnes are on their way out now, please prepare."

Every icy hearted Tony Stark couldn’t help but applaud (briefly) when the pair slipped out of the Capitol Building. He might not be right up front, but he was still happy he chose to get involved. Normally, that didn’t work out for him too well, but this was pretty great. Steve looked overwhelmingly touched, especially when a bunch of kids ran up to give him garlands and bouquets of fresh wildflowers and one very stubborn three year old girl insisted on putting one of Bucky’s head too, no matter who much he scowled.

FRIDAY played music, and for the first time, their little thousand or so person community really felt like a community. Even the stubborn kid from the farm house was having a good time and the scientists were pretending that they had other things to talk about than science.

He ended up sneaking a little bit of alcohol (from his own stash, thank you), into the punch bowl, grabbing some sort of wild game kabob, and hung out on the steps of a building that they were still working on restoring for a hospital. He was not surprised when Bruce eventually made his way back over to him, but he was surprised by his own feelings on the subject. Maybe it was just the whole love-in-the-air type deal or that there were more hookups going on than at a Rumspringa barn dance, and maybe it would pass, but he couldn’t help but lean back against the curving concrete wall he was lounging against as Steve and Bucky danced a few yards away and offer Bruce Banner a warning.

“I’m in a kissing mood. If you get within arm’s length of me, you’re going to get it, Banner.”

Bruce stopped that short distance away and raised an eyebrow in amusement, he assumed that Tony was joking because he had never seen any indication that the man might have any interest in other men. He was well known for his dalliances with women, after all, before he became tightly entangled with Pepper Potts, it had been the subject of many gossip magazines.

"I think I'll take my chances," he said and stepped in the rest of the way. "This is nice, isn't it? I think everyone needed this chance to unwind and be happy, it's cementing us as a group and they really love Steve."

He glanced over to where the newlywed couple were dancing, and the way they kept looking into one another's eyes as though nobody else existed in the world. It was sweet, it was everything he wanted to see. Good for both of them.

For once, there wasn’t any jealousy in Tony’s heart when he watched the pair. He couldn’t imagine having to deny himself anything when someone else wanted the exact same thing. And he also felt more than mildly responsible for the two getting together. Yes, Bucky would have eventually come to terms with that drawing in the book he’d taken from the museum, but Tony was pretty sure that he gave him that push in the right direction. Even with the whole punch his lights out promise shared on that ship.

One leg dangled as Bruce crossed the distance he had been warned against, Tony’s arms still loosely wrapped over his abdomen. There was a move to make and he was absolutely going to make it the moment that Bruce looked back his way.

The whole atmosphere was romantic. And Tony had always equated a need for companionship with a need for more than just companionship. He’d gotten over his testing the waters on his own desires back before he had taken over Stark Industries and while he might have dallied here or there, he tended to prefer women…

And he had, right up until his time as an Asgardian guinea pig.

Maybe that was a ship that sailed. Or maybe it was just Banner. A little kindness made a lonely, spoiled rich kid latch on. And that was for more than just holding hands in darkened rooms after PMSing sessions. And so yes, Bruce had been warned. And he still chose to lean against the wall Tony was seated on. And when he looked up at him, Tony set his hand on one of the stones of the building he had been leaning against for purchase before he kissed for, unsuspecting Bruce. And it was a nice kiss too. That romantic mood had Tony feeling in the mood for slow and sweet. It also helped that he was a fantastic kisser.

Bruce had honestly thought that Tony had just been making a joke, as he often did, and never expected to be actually kissed. He had never got any romantic vibes from the other man, never even considered that he might be anything other than straight, and so this was a surprise in literally every way. It was kind of sweet and kind of sad, because Bruce almost immediately equated this kiss with jealousy and longing. Tony wanted what Steve and Bucky had, and Bruce was the person he was closest to.

He froze in surprise for a few seconds and then pulled back.

"Well," he said, small smile on his lips to try and make this as non-awkward as possible, which was possibly a futile endeavour given what Tony just did. "I can't say that you didn't warn me, can I?"

Bruce wasn't a man who allowed himself to think of romantic entanglements, it just wasn't a good idea with what he was, and he had certainly never looked at Tony that way and so all his thoughts now were on moving past this without ruining what friendship they had.

Tony's look was wistful and understanding, and he leaned back to where he was before, fingers lacing over his stomach as if nothing at all had happened. He'd not expected much from Bruce, he hadn't thought any of this out. He'd just wanted a little bit of intimacy and ar least Banner didn't make a big deal about it.

"I did. You didn't listen. And what were you eating that tastes like cinnamon?" He could just excuse himself to get a pastry and then head back home with FRIDAY to do a little more work on personal projects now that the day was done. None of this needed to be awkward at all. Poor Bruce sort of looked like he wanted to forget any of that had ever happened and Tony would oblige him without pining away.

It had just been a thought with Banner. And maybe it would just be like with his nanny or that professor at MIT.... Neither had let him change his infatuation into something physical either. And that had been the right thing to do then. Probably now too.

A lot of people thought that Tony was an arrogant and immature sort of person, but just occasionally something shone through that showed him to have some maturity when it came to people he cared about. That look was a little sad, but appreciated, and perhaps Bruce would look back on it and remember, maybe it would make him think. Or maybe it would just be swept aside as something neither talked about.

He let Tony disappear to go and work on some personal projects, they could pick up the next day as if nothing had happened.

But Tony would find that his personal space was not so private today after all, as there was a youngish girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen, rooting through FRIDAY's server space when he arrived. She startled, looking up with brilliant green eyes, and then attempted to flee out of the window before she could be caught.

Lucky for Tony that Bruce was Bruce and not someone eager to fly off the handle. He couldn't just have one off romances here. There weren't enough people to let him blend away and for the first time in his entire life, he didn't have any staff or anyone that worked for him to keep his momentary desires for a little intimacy away the next day when he was back to being a selfish prick.

But wouldn't it be nice to have had someone to hold him when things were bad?

Probably. But he wasn't entitled to that. Not anymore.

Despite Tony having just thought about the small number of people on the planet now, he didn't recognize half of them. And this girl was part of that half. He darted forward, jumping over a table, to grab her collar. "Woah. Hey. Whatever you have, drop it. I'll help you with what you're trying to do but I'm not going to let you cry your fingers off."

Weirdly, he was in a more giving mood from his rejection than usual.

The girl hissed like an angry cat or snake when she was caught, her clothing soft leather stitched in a way that wasn't at all like either Asgardian or Earth would do. Long black hair, tied up in a series of intricate braids, snagged on Tony's fingers as he grabbed her collar.

"Let go of me!"

Her words were softly accented, lilting and foreign, but she spoke English without hesitation because that's what he had used to address her.

"I will kill you if you do not release me!"

"You're what? Ten? And you're going to kill me?" He didn't pull a 'do you know who I am, oh you just because you're in my house' sort of thing but he did make a move to tug the girl back and away from the window. "Pretty sure killing is frowned upon. I mean, take your chances if you want, but I don't think New Jail is going to be any different from Old Jail. Except probably no visitation. Or good food. Or the Internet. Actually, New Jail sounds pretty bad."

There was a reason why no one tapped Tony Stark to do PSAs.

He did, however, let the girl go and glanced to see what she was holding.

"There's not many of us left, kid. Can't we try to get along?"

Ten?! That would have been insulting even had Loki been mortal, for she at least looked in her early teens, but she didn't know enough about mortal ageing to know it was so insulting. She just planted her feet by the window and refused to let herself be pulled, for she was strong even if she was wiry. Perhaps she could not beat her brothers in combat, but she could still best a mortal.

And if she couldn't, then she could never return home for her eyes would be cast down with shame.

"No jail you have could ever hold me, lock me in one if you wish and I will be gone by sunrise the next day."

It was fairly easy to see that she held one of FRIDAY's main processors in her hand, which would be why the AI hadn't piped up and said anything yet. Without that, she would be greatly limited.

So Tony was bad with ages. Jeez. If that was his worst crime, he would be happy.

He would also be happier if he hadn't put so much alcohol in his punch because children should not be this strong. Unless maybe Cap and Bucky found a way to have kids. It would probably be a terminator though. And they didn't need that.

"Okay big talker. Maybe you would be there's no jail right now. And I don't care to listen to any more speeches from our fearless leader. So drop my sidekick right now and I won't tell your mom that she's raising a brat."

Brat was not a word that she knew, but she didn't have to know it in order to know that it was an insult. She curled her lip in clear disdain and pushed the processor into a pouch at her waist very deliberately; this was hers now, and she wasn't about to give it back for anyone.

"I have no mother, she died, so I doubt she would care for any words you had to say."

Loki pulled her shoulder free from Tony's grip and took a step towards the window, clearly ready to make another escape attempt.

"So did mine. Boo boo." He made a single gesture with one hand and his gauntlet flew from it's position on the wall towards him and encapsulated his arm. "If you leave here with my stuff, I'll shoot you. I don't mind New Jail."

He was being serious too. Tony didn't have a aww shucks, kids sort of mentality. If the girl continued to move, he'd send his secondary armor after her to wrap her up nice and tight. It was still a prototype but it would do the job. He would be taking care of this one himself. Everyone else was at the party. Including Banner. Who probably was macking on Suresh now.

Damn. He thought he'd get over that pretty quickly but evidently not.

Loki's eyes lit up with a hungry interest when that gauntlet flew over. Fascinating, it was obviously a weapon, but it was unlike any weapon she had seen before. It would make a fine gift to add to her treasure trove, and so she hesitated where she was perched on the windowsill like a graceful cat.

"I will trade you for the metal arm you have," she said firmly, as if the deal had already been done. "We need not fight, you need not die here today, if you act with wisdom."

She knew that she had the capability to kill one mortal, though it had been a while since she had last even come across one, let alone fought one, but she would rather not. Her people believed in fighting wise battles, not killing for bloodsport and entertainment.

"I am not trading you one of my things for another one of my things. Pass. You're nuts, kid. Okay, round her up." Tony made a swirl in the air with his finger and his prototype armor did what it was supposed to do. It didn't need FRIDAY to direct it, though she would have been useful to get the windows closed.

He was going to have to upgrade his security system but he really didn't think that he would need to. They had enough not to steal from one another. There weren't enough people left to really steal from anyway. Those people they'd left behind after the shoot up in Kansas.

The armor would circle around Loki and lock around her, or that was the idea of course, trapping her in place before he had to call in the Calvary.

The moment that Loki realised the armour intended to trap her, a green light enveloped her and she became a falcon, flying rapidly through the air and taking a perch on top of one of the cabinets where the armour could not easily get her and where she could still watch with curiosity.

So it was not just the arm? The mortal had a whole body made of metal that obeyed his spoken or thought commands, a magic unlike anything she had seen before. Perhaps he could be bargained with for work, for creations such as this would surely be of use to her in her future life.

She opened her beak and let out a shrill and mocking cry.

Technically, he had two complete metal bodies that listened to him, three if you counted what he was still reconstructing under the lab, but that was semantics. Tony opened and shut his mouth and even dropped his weaponized arm to look up at the girl.

"Okay. Okay so. Two super soldiers. A guy that turns into a rage beast. And you. A bird girl." He noted that her shape shifting also seemed to include the piece of FRIDAY's processor shed stolen and that was annoying enough to prompt him to step back and close the window. No little bird was flying off with the only friend who he understood completely.

With the way people were spouting super powers before this whole invasion thing started, maybe it was normal that one or two people here had hidden abilities.

"Think you can be human again? I don't speak squawks."

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