#i'm gonna go draw them and implode some more

[canadianlucifer]

you ever just think about some characters a little too much and-

[dustmusings]

technical devotion, part twenty-one: stepping back

a/n: okayyyyy finally getting somewhere. and echo gets to be a little cocky bastard, as a treat. kinda ends a bit... hmm, but trust that the next one is gonna be good 👀

content warnings: none :)

last chapter | next chapter | masterlist | join the taglist

Kan was feeling anything but composed.

It had finally come time that she and Echo were to return to the dwelling of their extended mission together. Before long, they would be leaving the base, going ahead of the others to make sure it was secure. Kan was a little nervous to be alone with Echo after their close encounter the other day, but she would be lying to say that she wasn't also secretly thrilled by the idea.

She commed her mother as a final task before she left, someone whose profession surrounded archaeology and finding the truth in myths, wondering if she had heard of the site that the Empire had been mining from.

“I'm afraid not my darling, I haven't made it that far towards the core worlds in years” the blue display of her mother gave her an apologetic look.

“Ah that's alright, I wasn't necessarily expecting—”

“M'aira are you— oh”

Echo stumbled into the room, looking a little caught as his eyes flicked between Kan and the image of her mother.

“You must be Mrs Hynzir” he drew himself up to his full height, a charming smile on his lips.

Kan couldn’t believe that Echo remembered her last name, she was sure she’d only told him the one time.

“That's me” her mother's eyes crinkled around the edges as she gave him a warm smile, “and you are…”

“This is my friend Echo, Mother” Kan introduced him.

“It’s an pleasure to meet you Ma’am” Echo gave her a gracious bow of his head.

Kan couldn’t stop the way her eyes rolled.

“Please, call me Zinoma” her mother insisted, clearly enjoying how charismatic Echo was behaving all of a sudden.

“What a lovely name” he replied, and Kan rolled her eyes again before he continued brazenly, “I must say, I can see where M'aira gets her good looks from”

“Alright, that’s enough”

Despite the flutter in her heart and having her appearance be described favourably, she pushed Echo out of the room again, closing the door with a huff.

Her mother chuckled when she turned back to her, “do you have anything to tell me about Echo?”

“Mother, please” Kan sighed irritatedly.

“I’m just saying, he seems very charmi—”

“I didn’t call you to talk about the cute boys of the rebellion”

“Ah! So you do think he’s cute?” her mother grinned at her, a teasing edge to her voice.

“Mother” Kan held the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes in frustration, “can we get back to the task at hand?”

“Of course” she chuckled before she grew more serious, “tell me about this material they've found”

Kan blew out a breath before she began explaining, “from what I can gather from the Empire's reports on it, the material draws electrical charge naturally. It's recorded as having disturbed their equipment, which is why the location became a bit if a local legend — the people think a deity of some kind is behind it. Once the Empire started digging about, they found a repository”

“Hm” her mother stroked her chin, “do you know anything more?”

“A little. The material seems to store the electrical charge somehow, which is why they wanted it to fit to one-man fighters — to be able to disable ships that would usually outmatch them”

“How do you imagine that happening?” her mother frowned.

“Well, they wanted it in the form of a projectile. If they shot it at a ship then it wouldn't only short the circuits of it, but with this material storing electrical charge, it could possibly implode on itself and render it unfixable. Anyone aboard would be trapped on the ship, with oxygen levels dropping faster than they could have time to figure out a solution”

Her mother shook her head with a sigh, “this is outside the bounds of my knowledge I'm afraid. I'm sorry darling, I wish I could help more”

“Don't worry about it” Kan gave her a tight smile, “it was a longshot anyway”

She wrapped up the call promptly, after her mother had made sure to tell her to be safe. Kan sighed and rubbed a hand over her face as she picked up her bag, slinging it over her head and opening the door. She was surprised to be met with Echo waiting outside, leaning against the opposite side of the hall with a small smirk.

“You're unbelievable” she muttered, shaking her head as she walked along the hall towards the exit of the base.

“I think that's unfair” Echo claimed as he pushed off the wall, and Kan let out a disbelieving laugh.

“You were just flirting with my mother, in case you forgot” she glanced over at him, noting his grin.

“I didn't forget” he shrugged.

Kan gave him and incredulous look, “and you expect me to be okay with it?”

“Why? Are you jealous?” his smirk only grew with satisfaction.

Kan's cheeks burned, a darkening blush spreading across her face. She grumbled a few unintelligible words under her breath, pushing open the large door to the hangar.

“So… you think I’m ‘cute’?” he teased, catching up with her quickened steps to give her another smirk.

“Oh maker” Kan whispered to herself, blushing even further, “I’m done with this conversation”

Echo chuckled and followed her up the steps into his ship.

Standing in front of the dwelling, watching Echo unlock the door with the manual lock and key, Kan was struck by a strange feeling. She was suddenly reminded of just how much had happened since the first time she was here, how different she felt.

She followed Echo inside, and placed her bag down on the kitchen table gently, glancing around the familiar room with a fondness.

“Everything alright?” Echo asked, snapping her out of her trance.

“Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine” she replied.

Her thoughts dwelled on the man beside her, though nothing about the way she was acting betrayed that. She wished for just a moment that it could be just her and Echo here again, and under different circumstances, where they weren’t here to foil the Empire, but just to live. It was wishful thinking, in more ways than one. There was no guarantee that they would ever even see the end of the Empire, which was a horrifying thought, and it occurred to her that she may never get some of the things she wanted from life.

“M'aira” Echo called softly, and she looked over to see his slightly worried expression, “what's wrong?”

She smiled genuinely, Echo’s honey coloured eyes bringing the sense of peace that they always did, “nothing, it's just weird to be back here”

Echo looked hesitant “good weird or bad weird?”

“Good, mostly”

“Mostly?”

Kan just shrugged, “I'll go comm Rex, let him know everything is safe here”

She grabbed her bag and headed upstairs without another word, and Echo watched her go with a concerned crease forming in his brow.

Echo had spent the next few hours preparing for the arrival of the others, cleaning up any last remnants of the time that him and Kan had spent there together. Spices that had been used often enough that they didn't make it back to the cupboard, bits of frayed wire that had been discarded, dust that had collected on an assortment of curios that neither one of them had cared to move in their time there.

Something heavy rested on Echo's heart as he cleaned, washing away evidence that him and Kan had been anything more than mission partners.

He was pulled from the thoughts as he began to feel a strange sensation in his cybernetic arm. He shook it out, flexing his fingers, but something still felt off.

“M'aira?” he called from the bottom of the stairs.

He realised then that the day was drawing to a close, and she had been holed up in what had been her room since morning. Echo was beginning to worry about her, as was his nature.

“What's up?” she replied cheerily, her head poking around the door frame, glasses perched on the end of her nose.

Echo couldn’t help but smile. She had really come back to her usual self, the one he first met and the one he had become close with, the one who nudged him out of his comfort zone so gently. He was glad to see her having pushed through the suffering she endured at the hands of the Empire, and he applauded her strength. It only made him adore her even more.

“Can you take a look at my arm? Something feels off”

Kan scampered down the stairs as soon as the words left his mouth, “where does it feel off?”

Echo chuckled at how quick she was to want to help, his chest filling with the familiar warmth that she so often brought to him.

“It feels like the connection isn't as secure, I can't feel things like I usually can” he informed her.

Kan reached out her hand, almost taking his arm before she recoiled slightly, “uh, may I?”

Echo smiled, holding out his hand for her to take, “of course”

She smiled shyly and took his hand in hers, turning over his arm and inspecting the connection between her attachment and his scomp.

“I think I see the problem” she had barely mumbled out, and she was racing upstairs and back down again with a tool.

Kan retook Echo's hand and gently ran her fingers along the point where cybernetic met flesh. Echo had to supress a shiver as she flipped the tool in her hand, and began mumbling about what she was doing.

He could feel her tweaking with the connection to his arm, but any and all focus he could muster was aimed at Kan. She was being so gentle, the way she always was, and it made his heart melt and his skin flair with heat all at once.

He watched the way her lips moved as she murmured out words he couldn't hear, how her eyes narrowed and flickered every time she made a small adjustment. Her brows drew together, her hair falling over her face and casting a shadow over her features. He traced his eyes down the lines of her features, the slope of her brows, the bump on her nose bridge, the peak of her cupids bow.

“You're so beautiful”

Kan stopped moving, stopped talking, and looked up at him, her mouth hanging open.

“What?”

“I said…” he smiled, brushing her hair from her face and sweeping it behind her ear, “you're so beautiful”

Kan just stared up at him wide eyed, and he was sure he could see galaxies twinkling in their depths. He had always liked being close enough to see her eyes properly, so that he could see small fragments of gold shining back at him. His hand lingered on her cheek, and before he could do anything else, Kan surged forwards and her lips met his.

It was over before it even began, and Echo almost wasn't sure it had even happened, the feel of her lips against his not lingering enough to know. His surprise was evident, his mouth agape and staring down at her as his mind went blank for a moment. Kan immediately began to backtrack.

“I'm so sorry Echo, I don't know wha—”

She was cut off by Echo grabbing the back of her head and pulling her lips to his, and all of her with them. His lips tangled with hers, kissing her with an intense fervour, and Kan's body melted against his, her hands finding his waist and pulling him closer.

The proximity was electrifying, both of them desperate to meld together. The need to be closer was overtaking them; this was the first time they had allowed themselves to let go around each other, and it was both overwhelming and not enough at the same time. The feel of Echo pressing against her mouth was everything Kan had hoped to dream of and more. His lips were hot and heavy against hers, taking away her breath and stealing everything from within her.

Echo couldn't help himself, he pushed Kan back into the wall and deepened the kiss, devouring her lips. He couldn't get enough. The kiss was passionate, though sloppy, unprecise, as if neither one of them could keep up with the intensity of the moment. Kan slipped her hands underneath Echo's shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin and skimming her fingers along the metal attachment that ran down his spine. The action drew a unbidden groan from Echo, and he breathed uneasily against Kan’s lips. It felt so uniquely intimate, and it made his brain go hazy.

That was until he heard the din of voices outside the front door, and he shot away from Kan, just as the door opened to reveal Rex and the rest of the clones that were there for the mission. Rex looked between the two of them suspiciously, both of them looking flustered and out of breath.

“Everything… alright?” he asked.

“Mhm” Kan nodded, not daring to say any proper words for fear that they wouldn't come out right.

Rex looked at his brother, “Echo?”

“What? Yeah, everything is fine” he replied in a particularly non-committal tone.

Kan swallowed and looked over at him as the rest of the clones filed through the door, the sound drowning out the way her thoughts swirled within her head. It seemed that Echo was set on not meeting her gaze. She was partly glad for that. She had no idea how to conduct herself in that moment.

Though as the day turned to evening, and he still refused to find her eyes, a strange feeling of rejection started setting in. The kiss was perfect, it was exhilarating and passionate and everything she'd wanted from him for months. The thought gnawed at her that perhaps Echo regretted it, or even worse, that he was embarrassed to be seen with her in that way.

She tried to push it from her mind, but the longer it went on, the more she got frustrated. It was mainly aimed at herself, but she also couldn’t help but dwell on how she thought that her and Echo were past the point of avoiding each other. She did what she knew best, and she went and hid in her room, throwing herself into her work.

taglist: @darthnihila @cdblake1565 @bunny7567

[mossfox-art]

Alien Romulus: my opinions/review!!

I'm so sorry to everyone who sees this and therefore is subjected to it but my thoughts must exist somewhere

Spoiler free review is overall I'd recommend it! I think it did a lot of things right by the franchise and is a solid addition - but nothing beats the original imo.

Also I've only seen the first 2 movies before this so call me a fake fan if u want but the og is all I need

Spoilers for the whole movie below the cut!

Also warning it's absurdly long

THINGS I LIKED:

▫️ I really enjoyed all the characters! I thought they were faithfully written as a bunch of rebellious, rambunctious young adults trying their best in a shitty world. I thought their dialogue was fun and realistic and their age made me hold more space for the fact that they made reckless choices lol. I also thought their acting was spectacular. I wish we got a little more time with them before they got killed off to make way for Raine.

▫️The scoring and cinematography were great. it veered in and out of familiar territory, but there were several moments where the music and camerawork really evoked the first film, and even when it didn't to me, it was still effective.

▫️PRACTICAL EFFECCCCTTSSS how I have missed them. There was a mix of practical effects and CGI but even most of the cgi was done really well except for one part (lookin at you, Ash deepfake). All the practical creatures and general ooze and viscera were great.

▫️ The human hybrid?? Creepy as FUCK. It easily couldve been goofy lookin but it was genuinely super unsettling and expertly done imo!

NEUTRAL OBSERVATIONS:

▫️ This movie rang closer to Aliens than Alien to me, which was a little bit disappointing but entirely down to personal preference. Part of my love for Alien comes from the claustrophobia and creeping sense of dread - 'where is it', 'there's nothing I can do but hide', etc, and while there was some of that, this and Aliens are more action-packed with loud conflict and guns. Still a lot of fun though!

▫️I found it interesting and a little unfaithful that the only characters to get facehugged/otherwise impregnated (at least onscreen) were female characters. A big part of why a male character was the facehugger victim in Alien is because Ridley Scott noticed that in horror, the female characters are usually the ones to be physically violated in such a way and wanted to flip that around and make male audiences uncomfortable by depicting a male 'birth scene' (from what I read years ago, anyway). Seeing as Scott worked on this movie as well, I'm interested in why this choice was made, if it was even a conscious choice.

▫️The 'artificial person' Andy is a whole can of worms for me. When he was first introduced, before he's revealed to be an AP, my (and my parent who I saw it with's) very first thought was 'oh god, he's the autistic character that's gonna get killed off'. He is an example of how stereotypical autistic traits and scifi android traits (not understanding social cues, taking things literally, being outwardly unemotional and practical) can overlap, and there's a very fine line between drawing interesting but not direct parallels and coding the character outright, often negatively or to characters' detriment. He's definitely a character I'd be interested in hearing other people's thoughts on!

THINGS I DISLIKED/DIDNT MAKE SENSE/THOUGHT WERE MEH

▫️We all know you can't breathe in the vaccuum of space - so why, after being warned of the danger of letting the xeno blood go through the floor, did it actually happen and then everything was fine? Sure, things were sucked out into space, but Raine was fine and could breathe, which is impossible - her head would have imploded seconds after she was exposed to the vacuum. Also she would have frozen to death.

▫️The deepfake face. Just why?? I think it could have been way cooler if his face was entirely practical and maybe worn beyond recognition, and then a namedrop or similar reveal could be really effective.

▫️Dare I say it - too many aliens. Like the difference between Alien and Aliens, I find one unfaceable threat in an enclosed space is more effective than a whole shootable swarm in a large space. I enjoyed the shots of facehuggers skittering everywhere tho.

▫️This is PURELY my own unreasonable hopes being dashed but I was hoping and praying for a Sigourney Weaver/Ripley cameo. I understand wanting to leave her to her era and not drag her into a new one (and also that apparently she died like 4 movies ago) but I MISS MY QUEEEEEN

▫️I wish we got a liiittle more worldbuilding - though I understand the sentiment of 'we know what you're here for so we'll get right to it' lol.

That's it! Wow ty for reading if you got this far

Hand over your opinions >:3

[rhaaclaws]

List five things that make you happy, then put this in the inbox of the last ten people who reblogged something from you, get to know your mutuals and your followers <3

Thank you for this :3 I'm not sure about passing it on since chains sometimes make me want to implode but !

1. My Atlas :3 sooo so excited to visit them in this coming year since I am Not visiting during winter I think I'd actually die from hypothermia. A few days ago I sent him some banana bread and it got kinda soggy from the condensation but ended up really good so woooo

2. Post-Punk Revival aka me and Atlas' ocs. I'm easing myself into drawing again but ohhhhh they're the loveliest creatures that I need to talk more about + finish their toyhouse pages. I have a few art ideas though so that's fun

3. Been going back to listening to this channel called Of Herbs And Altars from Dorian B and sigh. I love listening to all of his goth stories esp since I've recently introduced my roommate to their work so we've been listening to the nostalgia project whenever she's free/not tired from work. Also also finally got to order Dorian's book so whenever it gets here I'm gonna be binge reading it lol

4. Songwriting and such. I wasn't able to bring my bass when I moved so I unfortunately haven't been able to work on basslines and such so I've been focusing on actual lyrics. It's slow esp since I've never made a song before but it's been making me happy

5. Fashion ☝️☝️ I haven't really been keeping up with the fashion weeks but I have seen some real cool runways that I need to check out such as the Jean Paul Gaultier and Sandy Liang shows (and of course. Look at 90s Mugler runways again I miss them so bad). But I've been messing around with using lingerie as outerwear (aka just layering shit underneath slip dresses so my tits aren't completely out) and I can't wait until I can really use some outfits in public :3

Ummm I think that's really it for now that's what comes to mind but I'm always down for a chat (just as a warning. I am a horrific texter and you can ask anyone I'm friends with on that)

[lestories]

01/02/24 - Stage Fright

I stare at myself through the grungy mirror littered with stickers. My eyes are wide, sweat drips down my face. I should have never agreed to this, why did I agree to this? Dallon, that's why. I'm starting to think he can get me to do just about anything. Even if it scares the shit out of me, like standing in front of a crowd of strangers that are all way cooler than me, that would probably listen to any other band play. That's not fair, Dallon and Beck are pretty good. I look over to their reflections, sitting on the thoroughly broken in couch. They'd almost look as anxious as I am if they weren't so obviously excited. This is our first real performance not in Dallon's basement. Of course they're nervous but I feel like I'm about to implode. They're talking about where we should go after the show to celebrate, wondering if there will be any after parties. God I can't even think about going to another crowd of strangers after this.

"Attachment Day, five minute warning."

The stage tech leaves before I really hear what she said. Dallon must have noticed the empty yet hectic look in my eyes.

"You're okay dude, we got this. It'll be just like rehearsal."

"Yeah, except now there's a couple hundred people watching." Beck offers, not as comfort. Not as anything really.

"Not helping Beck."

"Sorry."

Dallon draws his face back to mine. I've only known his for a few months but I'm surprised by how little him being so close to my face bothers me. He's a bit intense when he gets serious so maybe I've just gotten accustom to that.

"Toni, look at me," He holds onto my shoulders, "Breathe."

We take a deep breath together, mine coming off far more shaky than his.

"You can do this. That voice in your head doesn't know what it's talking about. Becks and I will be up there with you. And we're gonna do great and get invited back and become regulars then get really really famous and have loads of fans and- this has stopped being helpful." He stops for a moment, thinking. "We're gonna go out there, play, and whatever happens, happens. We do amazing we celebrate! We do terrible, we celebrate the fact we got to play. It's a win-win."

Just as what Dallon said starts to set in the stage tech returns to tell us it's go time. Before any objections can escape my mouth Beck and Dallon are up and following, dragging me along with them.

When we get to the side stage, the band on before us are just finishing up. The crowd loves them. Perfect. This is fine. Totally fine. I definitely don't feel a sense of impending doom and disaster and I am totally not worried I will mess up and ruin the whole night for everyone involved. Ow! I grab at my arm. Beck pinched me.

"It's show time pretty boy!" She smirks as she pushes my guitar into my hand and runs on stage.

Dallon is already setting up behind the drum set. I let out a sigh and before any thoughts pry their way into my head I walk out to my place on stage.

Standing under the lights, the tiny suns shooting down on me. The crowd is a blur emitting a constant hum of noise I can't decipher. Nothing is happening, why is nothing happening. Oh shit I'm supposed to introduce us.

"Uhm we- " Feedback cuts me off. Lovely. If my voice wasn't shaky before it definitely is now. "Sorry.. we are Attachment Day."

There's some scattered claps across the crowd. I faintly hear Dallon count us in with his sticks. The tapping drones on and dissipates. I blink and when I look up the crowd is made up parents and bored middle schoolers. I'm holding the guitar my mom got me for my ninth birthday. My knees feels weak and shaky. I can't find my mom in the crowd. How long have I just been standing here?

"Play something already!" The crowd responds with laughter.

My eyes widen and my chest tightens, if I had to guess this is what the start of a heart attack feels like. Why did I ever think I could do this? I'm such an idiot for thinking I'd be good at this. All I can do is cry. A teacher runs up to escort me off stage.

I turn to leave and Beck holds out her bass in front of me, I hadn't noticed her standing next to me. "Can't leave yet, we were just getting to the best part." She signals Dallon to count us in again. She keeps eye contact with me as we both start playing our parts. She gives me a small reassuring nod. Unable to face the crowd I stay in this moment with her and let out the first line of our song. As I sing my thoughts drift away and all I'm left with is how I feel. Having these two people that hardly know me but I know would back me up in everything, be there whenever I need them. Like Dallon said, we're gonna celebrate us, however this show goes won't change that. Won't change us.

[veliseraptor]

Now that you've said that, I for one would really like to read about some of the 'unusually intense sex'. (Ignore me if I'm annoying)

[Here, have some porn for Valentine’s Day! This is referring to this headcanon about Steve and Loki’s sex life after the Civil War fic.]

live, not just survive, steve/loki, remember this cold verse, pwp, 2.1k

Loki was acting...off.

Steve thought he was a fair hand by now atknowing when things were off, even when Loki hadn’t said anythingindicating as much. This particular flavor of ‘off’ was unfamiliar, though.That could mean a lot of things, with Loki, but most of them weren’t good.

For one thing, he was...distant. Not emotionallyso much as physically, oddly enough: usually Loki sought out physical contactmore easily than anything else. And he was quiet, which was also a danger sign,and probably meant he was thinking something over. What that might be...thatwas what worried Steve.

Not ten days after he’d found Loki drugged andsemi-conscious in a deeply buried cell in Ross’s secret prison, and Stevecouldn’t help but wonder if this had something to do with that. Or the othernews: that people knew he was on Earth now. Not more than that, yet, but forLoki that was enough to worry over.

(Not just for Loki.)

Some small and secret part of Steve feared thatit was deeper than that, though. That it was about him, and the choiceshe’d made that had led them here - away from the home they’d started to make.Which was, perhaps, why he hadn’t just asked what was going on. For fearof the answer. Angry or no, the wound of Tony’s betrayal still stung, and ifLoki resented him Steve, coward that he was, didn’t want to know.

Except that it was starting to become apparentthat he wasn’t the only one who had noticed.

“What’s wrong with Loki?” Bucky asked bluntly.Steve glanced at him and then away.

“Nothing,” he said, too quickly. Bucky raisedhis eyebrows.

“It’s a nothing that looks a lot like a something,then. He’s wound tighter than a trip wire and seems about as likely toexplode.” Steve gave Bucky a surprised, alarmed look, and he corrected, “orimplode, maybe. Anyway, there’s definitely something.” He narrowed his eyes.“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d kicked him out of bed.”

Steve almost choked on his tongue and his facegot hot. “Huh,” he managed to say. Bucky’s eyes narrowed further.

“Did you?”

“No,” Steve said quickly. “Not that it’s any ofyour business, I haven’t-” He was going to stop there, though. Bucky’seyebrows went up. “Don’t,” Steve said firmly. “Just...don’t.”

He held up his hands. “Right. Well, whatever’sgoing on, you should really figure it out.”

“If I knew what was going on I would,”Steve said unhappily, but he shook his head a moment later. “No, no advice. Idon’t want to know what you’re thinking.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Stevie,” Buckysaid. “I was just going to suggest talking to him. You know, good old fashionedconversation?”

“Sure,” Steve muttered. “Sure you were.”

**

Truth was, Loki had been...unusually outof the mood. Oh, he didn’t pull away when Steve kissed him, but he didn’t pushit either, not like he usually would. And now Steve had a new fear: thatsomehow Loki had lost interest.

He couldn’t just leave it alone, Steve decided,tapping a hand nervously on his leg and watching the door, waiting for Loki tocome back. They needed to have a conversation.

Loki slipped inside quiet as ever and turned -only to stop when he saw Steve, wariness flickering quickly across his face.“What is it?”

“That obvious, huh?” Steve said, trying tosmile. Loki just looked at him, and he sighed. “Is something...bothering you?”

“Bothering me?” Loki sounded almost convincinglycasual. “Nothing new. Only the usual culprits. Why would you ask?”

“You just seem…” Steve hunted for the rightword. “Tense.”

“Tense,” Loki said. After a moment he shrugged.“Perhaps somewhat. It has been a...tense couple of weeks.”

Maybe that was it. Maybe he was making too muchout of nothing. “Is that all?” Steve burst out. Loki looked at him, and thenseemed to check himself and looked again.

“Steve,” he said carefully. “Is somethingbothering you?”

He bit the inside of his lip. “I’m not sure,” hesaid after a moment. “Maybe. It’s probably nothing. I don’t want-”

“Steve,” Loki said, in that voice that could cutthrough his voice like butter. Through anyone’s. He sighed, looking down.

“Is there some reason you’re trying to keep yourdistance from  me?” He managed to say after a moment, and kept it calm,too. “It’s...fine, but I’d like to know.”

Loki blinked. “My distance? You’ve been…”he trailed off, frowning. “I thought you wanted your quiet. Needed...time. Toprocess everything that’s happened.” 

Steve stared, just short of gaping. “You thoughtI wanted…”

It was true, he supposed, that he’d treatedLoki...gingerly, at first. And felt a little that way himself. Like he neededto be careful of misstepping, somehow, and causing damage. There’d been fear,and worry, and he hadn’t intended…

Loki shifted, his head cocking slightly to theside. “I take it you did not intend to...hold back,” he said slowly.

“I thought you might need to,” Steve saidhonestly. Loki’s eyes narrowed a fraction, a faintly calculating gleam slidinginto them that made something thrill down Steve’s spine.

“I have been trying to...respect your space,” hesaid. “But it has been...a trial.”

“Oh?” Steve said, trying to sound cocky andfalling a little short.

Just the corners of Loki’s lips quirked.

Steve’s back slammed against the wall, but Loki’shand cushioned his head with oddly contrasting gentleness. Loki’s mouth fixedunder his jaw and sucked hard until it ached, Steve letting out a littlegasp. Loki’s body, slender but immovable, pinned him against the wall; even ifhis ravaging of Steve’s neck wasn’t enough the way his hips rocked againstSteve’s made his intentions clear. Steve’s head spun a little and he let itdrop back into Loki’s hand.

“Loki - ahh.” His tongue pressed againstthe ache he’d just left that would surely become a mark - and a moment laterSteve shivered at the tingle on his skin as the ache faded.

Magic. Heat pooled at the baseof his spine and Steve pushed his hands under Loki’s shirt so he could feel hisbare back under his touch.

Loki’s breath was cool on his overheated skin.“I could take you right here,” he said, voice all velvet and silk that madeSteve’s whole body feel even warmer. “You think I want distance? I would be soclose you couldn’t breathe without feeling me. I would have you untilyou couldn’t stand and then carry you to our bed and go to sleep wrapped aroundeach other-”

Steve’s body jerked forward and Loki’s voicecracked in a sharp inhale. “I’m hearing a lotta - lotta talk,” he managed tosay. “Are you gonna...do something about it?”

Loki made a sound in his chest that wasn’t quitea growl and shifted, hips pushing even closer so that Steve could feel himthrough his pants, his own body responding, and he didn’t think he’d realizedhow much he’d wanted until just now. Loki’s teeth scraped against hisskin and he twitched, one hand pressing into Loki’s lower back like he coulddraw him closer, the other moving up to clasp the back of his neck. Stevepulled Loki into a kiss, sucking on the tongue that pushed into his mouth.

“Steve,” Loki said thickly, and he squeezed hiseyes closed.

Loki’s hand slid from behind his head, slowly,and his hips pulled away. Steve made a muffled sound of protest before Loki’sfingers were at his waistband, undoing the button and zipper less deftly thanusual. He did pause, though, cupping Steve through his pants. He moaned,pushing into Loki’s palm. His cock already felt full and heavy, want a tightknot in his stomach.

He let his head drop back again. “Good,” hesaid, making his tongue move though it was hard to string the words together.“That’s…”

Any other words he might have wanted to say wereswallowed by Loki kissing him again, hungrily, like he couldn’t get enough ofSteve’s mouth. His free hand pushed at Steve’s pants but it wasn’t veryeffective; Steve managed to pull his own hands away from Loki long enough to doit himself, or at least get them far enough down that he could kick them off -and exhaled in a rush as Loki’s cool fingers wrapped around him, squeezinglightly. His hips bucked unconsciously and Loki moved to push him, pin him,back against the wall.

“Could I make you come riding my cock?” Lokiasked, and his voice sounded unfairly smooth, and clear, and sank rightdown to Steve’s core where it made him itch. “Right here, just me movinginside you, hitting you just right.” His fingers moved back over Steve’stesticles and he moved his hips almost unconsciously, aware that he wasstanding half naked with his mouth hanging open and not particularly caring. Helet out a quiet gasp when Loki’s fingers teased him, a hum of feeling goingthrough his whole body.

Steve dropped a hand to tug at Loki’s pants.“Need to-”

“Yes,” Loki said, and pulled back just enough.“But not yet.” One of his hands gripped Steve’s thigh and pulled it up over hiship, closing in again. He dropped his head back and focused on breathing.

Loki was ruthless - or maybe Steve had justforgotten how good it could be. His fingers seemed to find every place thatmade Steve shiver and jerk until he felt simultaneously like putty and like hewas going to strangle Loki if he kept teasing. By the labored sound ofLoki’s breathing, though, he wasn’t the only one getting impatient.

“What are you - nnh - what are youwaiting for,” he managed to say. Loki’s face pressed into his neck felt hot,and Steve heard him groan quietly. “I can - I can-”

Loki moved again, lifting Steve bodily off hisfeet. He almost yelped - would have yelped except that Loki was kissing himagain, long and fierce, and Steve’s head was spinning again.

Not so much that he didn’t notice when Lokipulled his hips forward and thrust into him.

Steve’s eyes flew open and he let out a sharp,high sound, but not of pain. Loki’s mouth pulled away from his, one arm movingto brace against the wall. Steve met his eyes and stared, drawn in by theexpression on Loki’s face: intense, heavy. His breathing snagged in hischest and he opened his mouth to say, to ask-

Loki rolled his hips forward and the words fellaway in an unvoiced ahhh, his eyelids fluttering for the friction, likeLoki had said, so close he couldn’t breathe without feeling him. Hishands scrabbled for Loki’s shoulders, hung on.

It wasn’t particularly fast, or particularlyhard - not like he knew Loki could go. Somehow it was still - everythrust seemed to reach his core, making him vibrate like the strings on aviolin. It took his breath away, filling him up, and he could dimly hearhimself gasping and the sound of Loki saying - saying something-

When he came it almost took him by surprise. Heblinked, gasping as he shuddered through it, Loki’s cock still pulsing insidehim. He could almost feel Loki’s heartbeat against his own chest. Could feelhim shuddering through his own climax.

Steve’s fingers tangled almost unconsciously inLoki’s hair and he dropped his head onto his shoulder, energy oozing out ofhim. He felt almost liquid.

Loki was still shaking. “Shhh,” Steve said intohis shoulder. “S’good.”

“Steve,” Loki said, a strange rough edge on hisvoice.

“You’re fine,” Steve said, a little blurry. Verydazed. “C’mere. You said we could curl up together in bed.”

“Yes,” Loki said. His shaking slowed, a little.“That does sound...nice.”

“Hmm-mm.” Steve pressed his lips to Loki’scollarbone. “Give me a minute. Knees’re a little…” Not just his knees. Lokihadn’t been rough, but he still felt...still felt it.

“Take a minute,” Loki said, his voice softer,with an undercurrent of warmth. “Take as much time as you need.”

**

Steve could have resented Loki’s smug saunterthe next day. Could have, but didn’t.

“So I guess you solved your problem,” Buckysaid. He sounded like he wanted to laugh. Steve couldn’t quite scowl as hard ashe wanted to.

“One of them, anyway,” he said. “One of them.”

And if there was something maybe a little toodesperate in the way Loki had clung to him in the night - or in the way Stevehad let himself get lost and give over to Loki’s control-

Well. It was a work in progress.

They’d keep stumbling forward.