[ Originally, Chris had considered naming a little bistro on Risa, since the Enterprise was scheduled for shore leave there, and he still wasn't sure that inviting Loki on board was a good idea. But then space intervened as space is often wont to do, and the Enterprise wound up being surprised by a fleet of Romulan dogfighters, a skirmish that wound up taking so long, and inflicting so much damage, that they had to limp their way back into Federation space and entirely missed their scheduled leave.
So it was just as well, really, that Chris hadn't suggested Risa after all.
He'd managed to convince Number One not to accompany him on this little excursion — he admires her commitment to his safety, and is happy to admit that she has a point and he should be less cavalier with his own life in the face of the unknown, but Chris knows how he's going to die and one flirty alien godling isn't going to be the end of him, so everyone can just relax alright — and instead distracted her with fixing up the damage their ship had endured, which is how Chris finds himself dressed in his civvies, wandering an alien market, his universal translator clipped to his breast pocket as he examines the oddly-glistening wares laid out on the table before him, the alien vendor blinking her segmented eyes at him suspiciously as she watched him watch her. Humans don't often come this far out into uncharted space, after all.
Either Loki will come or he won't. After two hours, he's got a scheduled check-in with the crew, and if worst comes to worst, he can just enjoy an afternoon away from work with nobody trying to kill him. Hopefully. ]
[ At first he thinks he has been ghosted, pleasantly surprised when it turns out Pike was merely fighting for his life against aliens instead. Fortunate, that. The planet suggested for their rendezvous is a charming one and Loki, wrapped in a cloak that covers his simple Midgardian clothes (a green hoodie and dark jeans) wanders the market minus his helm that would otherwise likely cause a stir. This isn't his universe, he doesn't know if there was or is a Loki here, but toting some glimmering golden uru horns around an unfamiliar city is begging for trouble.
It's also easier to steal trinkets when he fades easily into peripheral vision.
By the time he spots Pike, Loki is tired of making a five-finger discount of petty desires and eager to be seen. He pulls down his hood and his smile is bright, eyes as green as his magic, and he calls to him teasingly as he makes his way through the crowd. ]
[ Chris has moved on to a different stall, this one apparently selling dinnerware of some kind, when he hears a voice call out what he assumes is a hail for him specifically.
Turning away from the table in front of him, he watches a tall, slender figure weave its way through the crowd, a cloak billowing behind him even in the close quarters and the still air. Somehow, that level of drama feels entirely expected, though he is mildly surprised not to see that golden crown adorning Loki's head. Guess the horns weren't attached after all. ]
Loki. [ He holds out his hand, looking Loki up and down, noting the old-fashioned clothing he wears beneath the cloak with mild amusement. ] Nice cloak.
Nice planet. Planned on hurling bric-a-brac at me if it turned out I was hostile? Tiny plates are truly my one weakness.
[ He shakes the hand, his own colder than a human's, and then smoothly slips his arm through the crook of Pike's elbow. The market is warm and dusty but Loki smells like a pine forest as he looks the captain over, an accent tinted with something like Norwegian lilting on a chuckle. ]
Have you somewhere in mind for our date or shall we wing it?
Tiny plates are everybody's weakness. Can't protect yourself from all of them all at once.
[ Varying degrees of temperature shouldn't be strange, and yet Loki looks so human that Chris had expected him to have warm palms like his or like Spock's. It's a little disconcerting to feel like he's just pressed his hand against a refrigeration coil, but it's not unpleasant. The heat of this planet's sun can be a little oppressive when out from under the shade sails that are strung across the market, so a little coolness is welcome.
The green scent of evergreen trees is also welcome, a strange little whiff of home. He glances down in amusement when long fingers curl around his elbow, but doesn't say anything. ]
I've found that too much planning is a sure-fire way to ruin just about anything, so let's wing it.
[ While Loki's reputation as a menace, a trickster, and a liar tends to precede him (none of which he tries to outrun) he also has the advantage of a kind of sanity and calm his other lifetimes never experienced, and he is entirely game to spend a day mildly browsing stalls if that is what gives Pike some sense of control and comfort around a stranger. As the only son of Freyja with more than an ounce of manners, he behaves himself for the time being until he can better gauge Pike's opinion of him in person.
So the magic-fevered, wild-hearted myth quietens, and the amiable godling who lives in Manhattan takes over as they walk. ]
Isn't that what a captain does, plan everything? I imagine tomes upon tomes of reports being delivered to you on the daily, all with decisions needing to be made.
[ After the last few weeks of being chased through space with the Romulans nipping at their heels, strategically targeting their most important systems, never quite being able to catch a moment's rest or consider plans for the future while he tried frantically to regroup, reassess, retaliate, aimlessly wandering through stalls he has no real interest in sounds great.
That he can couch his afternoon off from duty as a diplomatic excursion is just a plus. He's not actually fooling anyone, but it looks good on paper. ]
Which is exactly why I say it takes the fun out of everything.
[ Loki does, in fact, appear on the balcony of Tony's penthouse, mainly because of the accessibility and less fuss requiring security issues when you can walk directly up skyscrapers in Seven-League boots. He faces the apartment with his legs dangling, on his phone, wearing a tshirt with the sleeves rolled up and black jeans, horns gleaming as if no more than a lazy cosplayer who managed to scale Stark's home. ]
i'm in ur penthouse sitting on ur balconies 3>:)
[ The only reason he doesn't go any further has to do with his own Stark: Loki has no desire to be clamped to a wall in some weird sex-dungeon style without warning. Not again. That was so abrupt and disorientating when the floor turned into a trapdoor at Avenger Tower, last time. Who knows what kind of anti-Loki protocols this dimension's Stark has! The last time he was on Earth-199999, there were ... five Avengers? Six? There must be hundreds by now, surely. Their Loki can't have laid low all that while.
So, he waits. Kicks his heels on the glass balcony and sparking green magic as his boots connect with it. ]
( when he receives the text, tony lets out a roll of his eyes. why'd he even agree to this is beyond him. then again, he's curious to know about this other loki. should the avengers be concerned? is there going to be a repeat of that whole wormhole incident? judging by the random texts he's been receiving from the trickster, it's likely this one's just being a troll. )
You look like the sixth member of One Direction. ( tony's walked out onto the balcony, dressed in what's probably the wrong kind of suit for the occasion. a tom ford. not the iron man armor. he does have his custom wrist watch on his right hand; the one that contains the gauntlet, hidden discreetly under his sleeve. )
I'm not having any of that neon sparks magic thingy in my apartment. I've got a newly polished floor. Come on. Inside. ( he'll wait for him to get off the damn glass railing. )
[ What's wrong with One Direction and why do Avengers from every reality keep comparing him to a popstar? Wow. Styles has style. ]
Think of them as glowing heelies. [ With a roll of his eyes Loki hops down and heads inside, looking around nosily. ] Is this where all the Avengers live or just you? It's kind of bland.
[ Then again, his own apartment has a magpie vibe to it. He collects a lot. ]
( tony's back at the bar, pouring himself a drink and he motions with his free hand to the little spread he's prepared for loki: two large pizza boxes, as well as a takeout coffee from good ol' starbucks. )
This isn't where the Avengers live. This isn't even where I live. Well, not all the time. ( he gives the guy a look, like, come on, did he really think he'd invite him to his actual home? ) What can I say? I own a lot of properties. ( the perks of being a billionaire. )
Gotta say, I'm surprised you don't look alike. You're like the younger, more peppier version.
[ The insouciance melts away with delight as he spots the food and slides onto a stool at the bar, taking a slice of pizza to starting munching on immediately. He drags the coffee over and gets comfy, wriggling in his seat with a Look shot at Tony that flicks over him pointedly. The mouthful of meat and fruit is swallowed and washed down before he replies. ]
You're just as grouchy as my guy but he's younger. And his eyes are blue. And [ ssssiipppp, ] he lets me into his workshop.
[ Not like, willingly. Loki arrived chained up, essentially, but Tony let him out of those bonds eventually. Details! ]
Your guy. Blue eyes. Lets you into his workshop. Honestly, that just sounds terrifying. ( he grabs a slice of pizza then looks around for a plate, some napkins... he's fussy. also a little eccentric. )
You could have asked Mini-Me to build you that gauntlet. Sounds like you two are close. ( he finally takes a bite of the pie, chewing slowly before saying: ) Unless you're just making things up. ( this might be a recurring theme. him accusing loki of trying to deceive him. it's just that trust doesn't come easy. especially when it comes to dealing with little trickster gods. )
[ The ship isn't far off his sci-fi graphic novels, about as big and sweepingly clean as he imagined with some cute as fuck uniforms going around. Their security isn't god-proof, however, and it certainly isn't Loki-proof, so he infiltrates The Enterprise with ease (it's not their fault, no shade!) and spends a day acclimating to their computer system. Being a hacker who has gotten inside Stark's tower before, Loki manages well and then, once he has decided on a backstory and persona, stops being invisible with the use of his shadowthread coat. He opts for blue, the irony of being a science officer immensely appealing, and goes by Lieutenant Lukas if anyone asks ... and they do, because he's an amiable fellow with a charming smile, with a handful of friends by his second day. Chris is spotted three times, always from a distance as Loki melts into the background. The captain is businesslike without being cold, professional while showing courtesy, and Loki builds up a better picture of why the crew (even the lowest of underlings) seems to like him so much. They respect and trust him on their voyage.
And, sure, Loki could have waltzed into Chris's quarters on day one but where would the fun have been in that? He learns some of the Starfleet lingo and fraternises with his new friends, making a small groove for himself in the unwitting kindness of the ship's beating heart, and it's fun. He's not half-bad at the jobs he gives himself, shrugging when other officers consult their amended rotas and complain about their superiors moving things around again without a heads-up: but they never blame the apologetic lieutenant who suggests he could benefit from their help, not once.
On the fourth day, Loki decides to amp up his game and roots out where Chris is. On his way from the bridge with some of the senior staff, Chris looks like he's happily drowning in his job and it occurs to Loki that he ought to let him get on with it, there are surely important things Chris is taking care of, but then he feels a jealous tug in his chest at the idea of going unseen for another day running and a possessive streak wins out, prompting him to spend a moment too long looking at Captain Pike as they pass in the corridor — up and down with a flirtatious smile curling in the corner of his lips — before continuing on with the ensign at his side, not hearing a word she says about the report he's holding. ]
[ It's not that he doesn't spend time thinking about Loki, about that dream-like afternoon spent on that backwater little moon, about the smell of pine needles and the chill of winter snow, but... Chris loves his job, and his job loves him back, and oh boy, does his job eat up all of his time.
When he's not reading reports he's writing his own, when he's not on the bridge trading too-friendly banter with his navigators he's holed up in his ready room with his head of security or his XO, when he's not making the rounds of all the varied departments in the ship he's prepping for whatever diplomatic delegation he's supposed to make nice with next.
Most days he winds up snatching at least one meal in the mess instead of his own quarters, not wanting to deal with cooking for himself but also being of the firm belief that the replicator in the ready room is sub-par compared to ones in other areas of the ship. He's aware of the ebb and flow of the crew around him, some of them greeting him, most of them just giving him a nod as they pass, but since few of them are brave enough to strike up a conversation with him outside of their work duties, he mostly remains unmolested and is able to focus on his work in peace.
The first time he gets any inclination that something is amiss happens on a totally random day as he's walking through the hallway listening to Spock give him a verbal synopsis of the report he'd already submitted hours ago. Chris has read it, of course, but he's no scientist, not in the way Spock is. Sometimes he likes to have things explained to him properly, so he can ask questions. And, also, because Spock is much funnier in person than he is in writing, and Chris needs to get his giggles in where he can.
He's just managed to goad Spock into explaining something very obvious that he understands just fine when he feels a prickle on the back of his neck. In and of itself, it's not so strange. He knows many of the crew watch him as they pass, either through wariness or awe, but there's just something to the quality of the stare that's making his hindbrain perk up and pay attention. Tuning out Spock's droning recitation of facts, he scans the people in the hallway around them as they walk, noting the familiar and unfamiliar faces both. Of a ship with over five hundred enlisted crewmembers — plus some family members, to boot — he doesn't know all of them by sight, but...
That young man looks very familiar.
They're nearly around the corner before Chris's brain clicks on, and then his head swivels quickly back to look over his shoulder, his eyebrows drawing down instantly in a frown.
[ Loki makes it all the way to the turbolift, turning on his heel to raise the report and chatter back inanely at his companion. When he glances up to find Chris still there at the other end of the corridor, the delight crinkles his eyes and he gives him a conspiring, obvious wink.
Then the doors close and off he goes to another section of the ship, blood thrumming with excitement. ]
[ The problem with that plan is that Chris has access overrides to any and all the ships systems. And while he's not quite alarmed enough to shut the turbolift down completely, he does log in to the security cameras, does check to see what floor it's heading to, and does tell Spock he has to go, so sorry, something's just come up.
He takes another turbolift down to G Deck, and through a combination of luck and simply knowing the ship backwards and forwards after all these years, he manages to get himself directly in line of the trajectory of who he's certain is Loki — how? — and the red-shirted Ensign he'd been talking to.
Time for the Captain Face. ]
Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt, Ensign... Carr. [ By some miracle, her crew profile flashes in his memory and he can remember her name. Giving her as charming a smile as he can while still remaining professional, he takes half a step towards Loki, already subtly herding him away from her. ] I need to speak with the Lieutenant.
[ He'd wonder where Loki even got a Lieutenant's uniform, but he's seen up close and personal just how easy it is for him to change his appearance. Is that how he got on the ship? How long has he been here? Surely not since the last shore leave, right?
[ His eyes widen in surprise to see Chris already goddamned waiting when the lift opens but that works in his favour, Carr is genuinely flustered and stammers out an Of course, Captain. Loki scraps his plans of fleeing to play hide and seek and tells the ensign, I'll catch you for lunch, with an air between them of If The Captain Has Finished With Me that both of them read from different angles.
He straightens up as he's seen other officers doing around Chris and cocks his head, holding onto his report as if nervous. ]
You want to speak with me, Captain?
[ For all intents and purposes, Lieutenant Lukas looks entirely bewildered as he follows Chris out. ]
[ At least the surprise on Loki's face seems to be wholly genuine. A small point in his favor, but Chris's mind is still reeling through endless possibilities and he finds it difficult to feel smug right now.
He smiles reassuringly at the Ensign and then turns a much flatter look on Loki, already mentally dismissing her completely. ]
On me, Lieutenant.
[ He'll do him the courtesy of not making this A Thing out in public, but if Loki thinks Chris is going to fawn all over him for breaking into his ship god knows how long ago, he's going to get an unfortunate surprise. Never quite letting Loki out of his sight, he leads them into an unused conference room and locks the door behind them, taking half a moment to compose himself before turning and staring down the slender, pretty form of the young man he bedded so thoroughly on that little planet all those weeks ago. ]
How long have you been on my ship, Lieutenant — [ he reaches in to pluck the delta badge off Loki's uniform front, flipping it between his fingers to see the information engraved on the back, ] — Lukas?
[ Montana is a lot like Asgard: mountains, wide plains, big scary moose. Loki intends to visit when it's snowy but the season is warm and all around are tall green trees, the exact kind of weather that puts his son at ease as soon as the green portal closes behind them. Sleipnir is saddled and Loki holds his reins to loosely guide him where he walks alongside, although they both stop and look around in interest for a moment once they arrive. ]
You won't lack room to run, at least. That must be the cabin ahead; be nice to his horses, please.
[ Sleipnir snorts a noncommittal answer that could be See if they're dicks to me, first.
They walk up to Chris's cabin, still taking in the scenery. Loki knocks on the door and finally lets Sleipnir's reins go so he can nose around the open garden, his own hands sweatier than usual and requiring wiping on his pants. He wears a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, helm missing and for all intents and purposes a visitor who just wandered up to the house our of thin air.
Sleipnir nudges between Loki's shoulders, prompting him to half-turn and scratch under the great black head of his child, petting his muzzle. ]
[ Chris had extended an offer to Loki to come visit him on Earth early on. Chris wasn't going to be on Earth for a while, but he had said way back at the beginning that he'd like to have Loki stop by if at all possible, if only so he could figure out why his boyfriend — it's still such a novel idea, that he has a boyfriend — keeps bursting into giggles whenever he mentions home.
Some shore leave had come up, three whole weeks between when they arrived and when repairs would be complete and they could leave space dock, and Chris had send Loki a message immediately.
Come by whenever. I have no plans and I'd love to see you. Bring Sleipnir if you want.
Loki having a giant eight-legged horse as a son is still something Chris hasn't quite wrapped his head around, though he does believe he exists. At this stage, Loki has shown him so much that is outside Chris's frame of reference that he could tell him literally anything and there's a high chance he'll just shrug and go "oh, wow, okay" and believe him. Don't abuse this power, Loki.
It had seemed like a good day to bake bread, one of those time-consuming low-tech activities that are so hard to get fully immersed in whilst on a starship, so when the knock to his door comes, Chris still has flour splashed up to his elbows and a dish towel slung over one shoulder, his collar unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up to try and keep things clean.
And yes, he's wearing an apron. ]
Loki! [ The grin that splits his face is broad and sunny, his dimples popping into full view and the skin around his eyes crinkling as he opens his arms. ] You made it. And, oh — wow. This must be Sleipnir. Hi.
[ The scent of baking and the sight Chris presents has Loki feeling like he has come home, stepping forward into those open arms for a brief kiss before Sleipnir takes the spotlight. Loki pats Chris on the chest as he stares at the horse blinking back curiously. ]
Chris, this is Sleipnir, the steed of Asgard. Sleipnir, this is Captain Christopher Pike of whom I spoke. He's the man who expressed a wish to ride you, if you allow it.
[ Sleipnir's eyes glow a faint red and he stands still with only one hoof pawing the ground to look Chris over, cleverer than a regular horse. Unsurprising, with a head that big ]
[ It's been longer than he'd like to think about and yet having Loki step into his arms and duck his head just that little bit to kiss him is such a comfortable feeling that Chris lets himself lean into it a little longer than necessary, just to feel it to its fullest extent. Space is cold and lonely, even surrounded by his friends, his crew, his family. It's reassuring to be able to embrace someone again.
Focusing on the absolutely massive stallion standing behind his boyfriend, Chris looks up at the huge skull looming over him, the horse's coat a glossy black so similar to Loki's hair, his bright eyes eerily intelligent. Figuring he might as well just go for broke — he doubt Loki will let his horse son chew Chris's arm off — he decides to greet him the way he greets all his horses: by reaching out with a softly-closed hand to bump Sleipnir's nose in a gentle press of his knuckles, an equine hello he'd learned to do as a child when he was still so afraid of being trampled by the big creatures that lived in his barn.
He's quite a bit bigger now than he was as a little kid, but then again, so is Sleipnir. ]
Only if you don't mind. [ Absolutely none of the saddles Chris has could hope to span this back. Hopefully Loki can conjure something or Chris is going to have to brave riding this horse bareback. ] I'm just glad to see you both.
[ Luckily for Chris, Sleipnir is already saddled and bridled for exactly that reason, nothing mortal-made would fit. Sleipnir gives a snort by way of hello, sniffing that hand, then aloofly decides he's going to explore the grounds and turns around with all eight hooves clopping.
Loki gives Chris a squeeze around the middle. ]
That wasn't a no, for the record. [ He sniffs the air with the same curiosity as he passed on to his son, peering into the house. ] Making dinner?
[ It's with some relief that he spots the saddle once Sleipnir turns to the side enough that Chris can see around his massive chest and head. It looks more or less like something Chris thinks he could fit into, as long as he doesn't mind developing quite a twinge in his thighs.
It'd be worth it. ]
Baking bread. [ Now that they've been dismissed, it seems, by Loki's son, Chris lets himself turn his head to dole out another kiss, this time pressed to the hinge of Loki's jaw as he peers past him into the house. ] You want a tour?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
some unknown planet somewhere deep in space it's all a lot of ???
So it was just as well, really, that Chris hadn't suggested Risa after all.
He'd managed to convince Number One not to accompany him on this little excursion — he admires her commitment to his safety, and is happy to admit that she has a point and he should be less cavalier with his own life in the face of the unknown, but Chris knows how he's going to die and one flirty alien godling isn't going to be the end of him, so everyone can just relax alright — and instead distracted her with fixing up the damage their ship had endured, which is how Chris finds himself dressed in his civvies, wandering an alien market, his universal translator clipped to his breast pocket as he examines the oddly-glistening wares laid out on the table before him, the alien vendor blinking her segmented eyes at him suspiciously as she watched him watch her. Humans don't often come this far out into uncharted space, after all.
Either Loki will come or he won't. After two hours, he's got a scheduled check-in with the crew, and if worst comes to worst, he can just enjoy an afternoon away from work with nobody trying to kill him. Hopefully. ]
here we go lads here we gooo
It's also easier to steal trinkets when he fades easily into peripheral vision.
By the time he spots Pike, Loki is tired of making a five-finger discount of petty desires and eager to be seen. He pulls down his hood and his smile is bright, eyes as green as his magic, and he calls to him teasingly as he makes his way through the crowd. ]
O'captain, my captain!
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Turning away from the table in front of him, he watches a tall, slender figure weave its way through the crowd, a cloak billowing behind him even in the close quarters and the still air. Somehow, that level of drama feels entirely expected, though he is mildly surprised not to see that golden crown adorning Loki's head. Guess the horns weren't attached after all. ]
Loki. [ He holds out his hand, looking Loki up and down, noting the old-fashioned clothing he wears beneath the cloak with mild amusement. ] Nice cloak.
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[ He shakes the hand, his own colder than a human's, and then smoothly slips his arm through the crook of Pike's elbow. The market is warm and dusty but Loki smells like a pine forest as he looks the captain over, an accent tinted with something like Norwegian lilting on a chuckle. ]
Have you somewhere in mind for our date or shall we wing it?
[ Date, yes. Casually dropping that in there. ]
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[ Varying degrees of temperature shouldn't be strange, and yet Loki looks so human that Chris had expected him to have warm palms like his or like Spock's. It's a little disconcerting to feel like he's just pressed his hand against a refrigeration coil, but it's not unpleasant. The heat of this planet's sun can be a little oppressive when out from under the shade sails that are strung across the market, so a little coolness is welcome.
The green scent of evergreen trees is also welcome, a strange little whiff of home. He glances down in amusement when long fingers curl around his elbow, but doesn't say anything. ]
I've found that too much planning is a sure-fire way to ruin just about anything, so let's wing it.
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So the magic-fevered, wild-hearted myth quietens, and the amiable godling who lives in Manhattan takes over as they walk. ]
Isn't that what a captain does, plan everything? I imagine tomes upon tomes of reports being delivered to you on the daily, all with decisions needing to be made.
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That he can couch his afternoon off from duty as a diplomatic excursion is just a plus. He's not actually fooling anyone, but it looks good on paper. ]
Which is exactly why I say it takes the fun out of everything.
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for @ironism.
[ Loki does, in fact, appear on the balcony of Tony's penthouse, mainly because of the accessibility and less fuss requiring security issues when you can walk directly up skyscrapers in Seven-League boots. He faces the apartment with his legs dangling, on his phone, wearing a tshirt with the sleeves rolled up and black jeans, horns gleaming as if no more than a lazy cosplayer who managed to scale Stark's home. ]
i'm in ur penthouse sitting on ur balconies 3>:)
[ The only reason he doesn't go any further has to do with his own Stark: Loki has no desire to be clamped to a wall in some weird sex-dungeon style without warning. Not again. That was so abrupt and disorientating when the floor turned into a trapdoor at Avenger Tower, last time. Who knows what kind of anti-Loki protocols this dimension's Stark has! The last time he was on Earth-199999, there were ... five Avengers? Six? There must be hundreds by now, surely. Their Loki can't have laid low all that while.
So, he waits. Kicks his heels on the glass balcony and sparking green magic as his boots connect with it. ]
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You look like the sixth member of One Direction. ( tony's walked out onto the balcony, dressed in what's probably the wrong kind of suit for the occasion. a tom ford. not the iron man armor. he does have his custom wrist watch on his right hand; the one that contains the gauntlet, hidden discreetly under his sleeve. )
I'm not having any of that neon sparks magic thingy in my apartment. I've got a newly polished floor. Come on. Inside. ( he'll wait for him to get off the damn glass railing. )
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[ What's wrong with One Direction and why do Avengers from every reality keep comparing him to a popstar? Wow. Styles has style. ]
Think of them as glowing heelies. [ With a roll of his eyes Loki hops down and heads inside, looking around nosily. ] Is this where all the Avengers live or just you? It's kind of bland.
[ Then again, his own apartment has a magpie vibe to it. He collects a lot. ]
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This isn't where the Avengers live. This isn't even where I live. Well, not all the time. ( he gives the guy a look, like, come on, did he really think he'd invite him to his actual home? ) What can I say? I own a lot of properties. ( the perks of being a billionaire. )
Gotta say, I'm surprised you don't look alike. You're like the younger, more peppier version.
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[ The insouciance melts away with delight as he spots the food and slides onto a stool at the bar, taking a slice of pizza to starting munching on immediately. He drags the coffee over and gets comfy, wriggling in his seat with a Look shot at Tony that flicks over him pointedly. The mouthful of meat and fruit is swallowed and washed down before he replies. ]
You're just as grouchy as my guy but he's younger. And his eyes are blue. And [ ssssiipppp, ] he lets me into his workshop.
[ Not like, willingly. Loki arrived chained up, essentially, but Tony let him out of those bonds eventually. Details! ]
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You could have asked Mini-Me to build you that gauntlet. Sounds like you two are close. ( he finally takes a bite of the pie, chewing slowly before saying: ) Unless you're just making things up. ( this might be a recurring theme. him accusing loki of trying to deceive him. it's just that trust doesn't come easy. especially when it comes to dealing with little trickster gods. )
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( bothering chris pike, VOL II )
And, sure, Loki could have waltzed into Chris's quarters on day one but where would the fun have been in that? He learns some of the Starfleet lingo and fraternises with his new friends, making a small groove for himself in the unwitting kindness of the ship's beating heart, and it's fun. He's not half-bad at the jobs he gives himself, shrugging when other officers consult their amended rotas and complain about their superiors moving things around again without a heads-up: but they never blame the apologetic lieutenant who suggests he could benefit from their help, not once.
On the fourth day, Loki decides to amp up his game and roots out where Chris is. On his way from the bridge with some of the senior staff, Chris looks like he's happily drowning in his job and it occurs to Loki that he ought to let him get on with it, there are surely important things Chris is taking care of, but then he feels a jealous tug in his chest at the idea of going unseen for another day running and a possessive streak wins out, prompting him to spend a moment too long looking at Captain Pike as they pass in the corridor — up and down with a flirtatious smile curling in the corner of his lips — before continuing on with the ensign at his side, not hearing a word she says about the report he's holding. ]
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When he's not reading reports he's writing his own, when he's not on the bridge trading too-friendly banter with his navigators he's holed up in his ready room with his head of security or his XO, when he's not making the rounds of all the varied departments in the ship he's prepping for whatever diplomatic delegation he's supposed to make nice with next.
Most days he winds up snatching at least one meal in the mess instead of his own quarters, not wanting to deal with cooking for himself but also being of the firm belief that the replicator in the ready room is sub-par compared to ones in other areas of the ship. He's aware of the ebb and flow of the crew around him, some of them greeting him, most of them just giving him a nod as they pass, but since few of them are brave enough to strike up a conversation with him outside of their work duties, he mostly remains unmolested and is able to focus on his work in peace.
The first time he gets any inclination that something is amiss happens on a totally random day as he's walking through the hallway listening to Spock give him a verbal synopsis of the report he'd already submitted hours ago. Chris has read it, of course, but he's no scientist, not in the way Spock is. Sometimes he likes to have things explained to him properly, so he can ask questions. And, also, because Spock is much funnier in person than he is in writing, and Chris needs to get his giggles in where he can.
He's just managed to goad Spock into explaining something very obvious that he understands just fine when he feels a prickle on the back of his neck. In and of itself, it's not so strange. He knows many of the crew watch him as they pass, either through wariness or awe, but there's just something to the quality of the stare that's making his hindbrain perk up and pay attention. Tuning out Spock's droning recitation of facts, he scans the people in the hallway around them as they walk, noting the familiar and unfamiliar faces both. Of a ship with over five hundred enlisted crewmembers — plus some family members, to boot — he doesn't know all of them by sight, but...
That young man looks very familiar.
They're nearly around the corner before Chris's brain clicks on, and then his head swivels quickly back to look over his shoulder, his eyebrows drawing down instantly in a frown.
Surely not. Could it be? ]
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Then the doors close and off he goes to another section of the ship, blood thrumming with excitement. ]
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He takes another turbolift down to G Deck, and through a combination of luck and simply knowing the ship backwards and forwards after all these years, he manages to get himself directly in line of the trajectory of who he's certain is Loki — how? — and the red-shirted Ensign he'd been talking to.
Time for the Captain Face. ]
Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt, Ensign... Carr. [ By some miracle, her crew profile flashes in his memory and he can remember her name. Giving her as charming a smile as he can while still remaining professional, he takes half a step towards Loki, already subtly herding him away from her. ] I need to speak with the Lieutenant.
[ He'd wonder where Loki even got a Lieutenant's uniform, but he's seen up close and personal just how easy it is for him to change his appearance. Is that how he got on the ship? How long has he been here? Surely not since the last shore leave, right?
Right? ]
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He straightens up as he's seen other officers doing around Chris and cocks his head, holding onto his report as if nervous. ]
You want to speak with me, Captain?
[ For all intents and purposes, Lieutenant Lukas looks entirely bewildered as he follows Chris out. ]
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He smiles reassuringly at the Ensign and then turns a much flatter look on Loki, already mentally dismissing her completely. ]
On me, Lieutenant.
[ He'll do him the courtesy of not making this A Thing out in public, but if Loki thinks Chris is going to fawn all over him for breaking into his ship god knows how long ago, he's going to get an unfortunate surprise. Never quite letting Loki out of his sight, he leads them into an unused conference room and locks the door behind them, taking half a moment to compose himself before turning and staring down the slender, pretty form of the young man he bedded so thoroughly on that little planet all those weeks ago. ]
How long have you been on my ship, Lieutenant — [ he reaches in to pluck the delta badge off Loki's uniform front, flipping it between his fingers to see the information engraved on the back, ] — Lukas?
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( MONTANAAA, @ chris pike III )
You won't lack room to run, at least. That must be the cabin ahead; be nice to his horses, please.
[ Sleipnir snorts a noncommittal answer that could be See if they're dicks to me, first.
They walk up to Chris's cabin, still taking in the scenery. Loki knocks on the door and finally lets Sleipnir's reins go so he can nose around the open garden, his own hands sweatier than usual and requiring wiping on his pants. He wears a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, helm missing and for all intents and purposes a visitor who just wandered up to the house our of thin air.
Sleipnir nudges between Loki's shoulders, prompting him to half-turn and scratch under the great black head of his child, petting his muzzle. ]
I'm not nervous, don't be silly.
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Some shore leave had come up, three whole weeks between when they arrived and when repairs would be complete and they could leave space dock, and Chris had send Loki a message immediately.
Come by whenever. I have no plans and I'd love to see you. Bring Sleipnir if you want.
Loki having a giant eight-legged horse as a son is still something Chris hasn't quite wrapped his head around, though he does believe he exists. At this stage, Loki has shown him so much that is outside Chris's frame of reference that he could tell him literally anything and there's a high chance he'll just shrug and go "oh, wow, okay" and believe him. Don't abuse this power, Loki.
It had seemed like a good day to bake bread, one of those time-consuming low-tech activities that are so hard to get fully immersed in whilst on a starship, so when the knock to his door comes, Chris still has flour splashed up to his elbows and a dish towel slung over one shoulder, his collar unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up to try and keep things clean.
And yes, he's wearing an apron. ]
Loki! [ The grin that splits his face is broad and sunny, his dimples popping into full view and the skin around his eyes crinkling as he opens his arms. ] You made it. And, oh — wow. This must be Sleipnir. Hi.
[ Holy shit that horse is enormous. ]
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[ The scent of baking and the sight Chris presents has Loki feeling like he has come home, stepping forward into those open arms for a brief kiss before Sleipnir takes the spotlight. Loki pats Chris on the chest as he stares at the horse blinking back curiously. ]
Chris, this is Sleipnir, the steed of Asgard. Sleipnir, this is Captain Christopher Pike of whom I spoke. He's the man who expressed a wish to ride you, if you allow it.
[ Sleipnir's eyes glow a faint red and he stands still with only one hoof pawing the ground to look Chris over, cleverer than a regular horse. Unsurprising, with a head that big ]
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[ It's been longer than he'd like to think about and yet having Loki step into his arms and duck his head just that little bit to kiss him is such a comfortable feeling that Chris lets himself lean into it a little longer than necessary, just to feel it to its fullest extent. Space is cold and lonely, even surrounded by his friends, his crew, his family. It's reassuring to be able to embrace someone again.
Focusing on the absolutely massive stallion standing behind his boyfriend, Chris looks up at the huge skull looming over him, the horse's coat a glossy black so similar to Loki's hair, his bright eyes eerily intelligent. Figuring he might as well just go for broke — he doubt Loki will let his horse son chew Chris's arm off — he decides to greet him the way he greets all his horses: by reaching out with a softly-closed hand to bump Sleipnir's nose in a gentle press of his knuckles, an equine hello he'd learned to do as a child when he was still so afraid of being trampled by the big creatures that lived in his barn.
He's quite a bit bigger now than he was as a little kid, but then again, so is Sleipnir. ]
Only if you don't mind. [ Absolutely none of the saddles Chris has could hope to span this back. Hopefully Loki can conjure something or Chris is going to have to brave riding this horse bareback. ] I'm just glad to see you both.
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Loki gives Chris a squeeze around the middle. ]
That wasn't a no, for the record. [ He sniffs the air with the same curiosity as he passed on to his son, peering into the house. ] Making dinner?
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It'd be worth it. ]
Baking bread. [ Now that they've been dismissed, it seems, by Loki's son, Chris lets himself turn his head to dole out another kiss, this time pressed to the hinge of Loki's jaw as he peers past him into the house. ] You want a tour?
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