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Description
I remember waking from that long sleep in a place I hadn't ever been. I wondered how life would change.

Now I see that was being selfish.

In this dark and rainy night, I was walking home alone. My raincoat shed the rain, but I was enjoying it's cold touch on my hair. I had decided to take a quiet alley back to my apartment when I spotted it.

I had my hands in my coat and decided to crouch down.

Slowly, I pressed a hand against the dumpster and the other to the ground as I peeked under it. "Hey, buddy."

The black cat had striking blue eyes. He looked scared, but didn't hiss at me.

"Here." I pulled out some crackers I'd decided to take home from lunch. I held out my hand to the cat. He sniffed it and slowly licked my fingers instead. I smiled and held my other hand out and he came out from under the dumpster. He gave a little meow when I stood up. I blinked and then knelt back down. "Want to come to my place? It's warmer than here."

And so....

I adopted a little black cat and he was now my new best friend and roommate. He was always there when I came home from work at SHIELD or a call to arms. I could fall asleep on the sofa and he would wake me up if I was needed. He never really used his litter box, which confused me. I fed him food that I didn't eat from lunch or dinner. He would curl up in my lap and watch me read.

He's become my attachment.

But right now, I'm looking down at him and I'm worried.

He's lying where he usually sits, flicking his tail, when I get home. His eyes are closed, his breathing looks labored.

I knelt down and scooped him up. I found the pet carrier I'd bought him and walked back out to my car. I set him down gently and drove him to the nearest vet that I knew was open.

I kept the door open and gently stroked his head. I was scared something was wrong and the last three months would be the last of his life. He didn't look old and he certainly didn't seem that old.

When they came to get him, I followed them and stood back as they examined him.

"What's his name?"

"He liked Loki, so, that's what I called him. He was a stray I found under a dumpster."

The vet nodded and smiled at him. "Hey, Loki. I won't hurt you, so don't worry, okay? Mr. Rogers is here for you, so, don't be scared." She gently took him out of his cage and I felt my breath catch. I was probably more scared than him.

She examined him, constantly cooing and letting him know that he was going to be okay. As she finished she looked concerned as she placed him back in the cage and slowly shut the door.

"It looks like Loki's caught a virus. He must've had it for a long time. It's pretty far. He may survive it, but you'll have to keep him on antibiotics for quite a long time. I'll write up the prescription." She left the room.

I eased the cage door open again and took him out. I held him like I always did when he would round my ankles after a stressful day. I gently pet him as he kept right on sleeping in my arms. When she came back, I eased him back into the cage.

Thanking her, I walked to the main desk and paid for the visit.

I took him home and, before I even got comfortable, I crushed up one of the pills she'd given me and put it in his water before I set it down. He sniffed it and slowly drank the water. I sat on the floor and watched him, worried he might not drink it all. When he was done, I scooped him up and kicked my shoes off.

"C'mon, I'll read to you again tonight." I picked up his favorite book and went to the comfortable chair by the window.

As I read to him, he drifted off again and I soon followed him.

When I woke the next morning, he was gone. I looked in every nook and cranny. All I found was that the window near where we'd fallen asleep was ajar, enough for a cat his size to squeeze through. I sighed and decided he'd grown bored of me or went to die where I couldn't find him.

As I prepared for the day, I got a knock at the door.

I sighed, leaving my shirt down a button and my tie loose around my neck. I went to the door, glancing into the kitchen, as if he would magically appear. I didn't look through the peep hole, I just opened the door. "Hell--"

"Steve?"

My heart sank. Those stark green eyes glared at me as a smirk creased that smooth face. Black hair gave a little swish as he walked right passed me.

"Loki?"

He smiled as he turned around. "Well, this is a VERY nice place. How do you get on without company?"

I clenched a fist and decided to act like he was a normal person. I buttoned up the last button and adjusted my tie as I walked passed him to get my shoes and blazer. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. You can help me."

I eased my arms into the blazer as I set my shoes down. "What is it?"

What he said next stopped my heart.

"When you read to me, look at me like that again."

When he said that, I completely stopped moving. My hands began to shake as they held the button and button hole. I turned my sapphire blue eyes towards him and realized those striking blue eyes were looking at me from the ground as a black tail flickered in and out of sight.

"No." I dropped my hands.

He spoke again. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd find a home anywhere else."

I shook my head and knelt down. "I can read to you anytime. Just don't scare me like that." I reached out a hand to him. "Take my hand and stand up."

We stood there for a long time, me holding his hand, him standing in shock, before he suddenly leaned forward.

His soft, gentle lips touched my slightly chapped ones as his cold fingers brushed my warm cheek. His eyes were full of love and warm passion as he moved our joined hands so his fingers interwove into mine.

I caved and wrapped my other arm around Loki's slender body.

---

"Steve...." Tony prodded the Captain. "Steven Rogers, you're all bubbly. Wtf?"

"I still don't understand when you speak like so, Tony." Thor was distracted by his writing "lesson", which turned into more of a challenge between him and Bruce over long words that they could spell. "Why am I still learning how to write?"

Bruce shrugged. "Because you're a quick learner. Besides, I didn't say you needed more, you just wanted more."

Steven leaned back and smiled at Tony. "You'll never know and I want to keep it that way."

"I will find out." Tony pointed at Steven's smug look. "I will find out. I WILL find out. Mark my words, Steven. Your secret is as safe as Bruce and his exposed sides when I've got sharp pointy objects." He made a face at Steven. "Is she cute?"

Steven looked away, a smile edging onto his face.

"GIRL!" Tony slapped his hands together. "STEVEN HAS A GIRLFRIEND!" He shook Bruce. "A GIRLfriend, I tell ya! He's finally getting out there!"

Bruce saw Steven go distant and decided to shut Tony down. "Shake me again, and the other guy's probably going to show you the meaning of 'pummel', Tony."

Description
I remember waking from that long sleep in a place I hadn't ever been. I wondered how life would change.

Now I see that was being selfish.

In this dark and rainy night, I was walking home alone. My raincoat shed the rain, but I was enjoying it's cold touch on my hair. I had decided to take a quiet alley back to my apartment when I spotted it.

I had my hands in my coat and decided to crouch down.

Slowly, I pressed a hand against the dumpster and the other to the ground as I peeked under it. "Hey, buddy."

The black cat had striking blue eyes. He looked scared, but didn't hiss at me.

"Here." I pulled out some crackers I'd decided to take home from lunch. I held out my hand to the cat. He sniffed it and slowly licked my fingers instead. I smiled and held my other hand out and he came out from under the dumpster. He gave a little meow when I stood up. I blinked and then knelt back down. "Want to come to my place? It's warmer than here."

And so....

I adopted a little black cat and he was now my new best friend and roommate. He was always there when I came home from work at SHIELD or a call to arms. I could fall asleep on the sofa and he would wake me up if I was needed. He never really used his litter box, which confused me. I fed him food that I didn't eat from lunch or dinner. He would curl up in my lap and watch me read.

He's become my attachment.

But right now, I'm looking down at him and I'm worried.

He's lying where he usually sits, flicking his tail, when I get home. His eyes are closed, his breathing looks labored.

I knelt down and scooped him up. I found the pet carrier I'd bought him and walked back out to my car. I set him down gently and drove him to the nearest vet that I knew was open.

I kept the door open and gently stroked his head. I was scared something was wrong and the last three months would be the last of his life. He didn't look old and he certainly didn't seem that old.

When they came to get him, I followed them and stood back as they examined him.

"What's his name?"

"He liked Loki, so, that's what I called him. He was a stray I found under a dumpster."

The vet nodded and smiled at him. "Hey, Loki. I won't hurt you, so don't worry, okay? Mr. Rogers is here for you, so, don't be scared." She gently took him out of his cage and I felt my breath catch. I was probably more scared than him.

She examined him, constantly cooing and letting him know that he was going to be okay. As she finished she looked concerned as she placed him back in the cage and slowly shut the door.

"It looks like Loki's caught a virus. He must've had it for a long time. It's pretty far. He may survive it, but you'll have to keep him on antibiotics for quite a long time. I'll write up the prescription." She left the room.

I eased the cage door open again and took him out. I held him like I always did when he would round my ankles after a stressful day. I gently pet him as he kept right on sleeping in my arms. When she came back, I eased him back into the cage.

Thanking her, I walked to the main desk and paid for the visit.

I took him home and, before I even got comfortable, I crushed up one of the pills she'd given me and put it in his water before I set it down. He sniffed it and slowly drank the water. I sat on the floor and watched him, worried he might not drink it all. When he was done, I scooped him up and kicked my shoes off.

"C'mon, I'll read to you again tonight." I picked up his favorite book and went to the comfortable chair by the window.

As I read to him, he drifted off again and I soon followed him.

When I woke the next morning, he was gone. I looked in every nook and cranny. All I found was that the window near where we'd fallen asleep was ajar, enough for a cat his size to squeeze through. I sighed and decided he'd grown bored of me or went to die where I couldn't find him.

As I prepared for the day, I got a knock at the door.

I sighed, leaving my shirt down a button and my tie loose around my neck. I went to the door, glancing into the kitchen, as if he would magically appear. I didn't look through the peep hole, I just opened the door. "Hell--"

"Steve?"

My heart sank. Those stark green eyes glared at me as a smirk creased that smooth face. Black hair gave a little swish as he walked right passed me.

"Loki?"

He smiled as he turned around. "Well, this is a VERY nice place. How do you get on without company?"

I clenched a fist and decided to act like he was a normal person. I buttoned up the last button and adjusted my tie as I walked passed him to get my shoes and blazer. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually. You can help me."

I eased my arms into the blazer as I set my shoes down. "What is it?"

What he said next stopped my heart.

"When you read to me, look at me like that again."

When he said that, I completely stopped moving. My hands began to shake as they held the button and button hole. I turned my sapphire blue eyes towards him and realized those striking blue eyes were looking at me from the ground as a black tail flickered in and out of sight.

"No." I dropped my hands.

He spoke again. "I'm sorry. I didn't think I'd find a home anywhere else."

I shook my head and knelt down. "I can read to you anytime. Just don't scare me like that." I reached out a hand to him. "Take my hand and stand up."

We stood there for a long time, me holding his hand, him standing in shock, before he suddenly leaned forward.

His soft, gentle lips touched my slightly chapped ones as his cold fingers brushed my warm cheek. His eyes were full of love and warm passion as he moved our joined hands so his fingers interwove into mine.

I caved and wrapped my other arm around Loki's slender body.

---

"Steve...." Tony prodded the Captain. "Steven Rogers, you're all bubbly. Wtf?"

"I still don't understand when you speak like so, Tony." Thor was distracted by his writing "lesson", which turned into more of a challenge between him and Bruce over long words that they could spell. "Why am I still learning how to write?"

Bruce shrugged. "Because you're a quick learner. Besides, I didn't say you needed more, you just wanted more."

Steven leaned back and smiled at Tony. "You'll never know and I want to keep it that way."

"I will find out." Tony pointed at Steven's smug look. "I will find out. I WILL find out. Mark my words, Steven. Your secret is as safe as Bruce and his exposed sides when I've got sharp pointy objects." He made a face at Steven. "Is she cute?"

Steven looked away, a smile edging onto his face.

"GIRL!" Tony slapped his hands together. "STEVEN HAS A GIRLFRIEND!" He shook Bruce. "A GIRLfriend, I tell ya! He's finally getting out there!"

Bruce saw Steven go distant and decided to shut Tony down. "Shake me again, and the other guy's probably going to show you the meaning of 'pummel', Tony."