Backup | theempathywithin

Juniper

Juniper looks down at the huge gash running along her palm. While she can’t see it, she knows she’s got a matching one on her forehead. Peering back up at Thor, she gives him a disgruntled sigh.

“A simple thank you would have done it.” she rolls her eyes playfully, wiping off the dust from her jeans.

She looks around, noticing the chaos they had destroyed. Different figures lay limp on the ground. The outskirts of Wakanda, now in ruins, reveal the leftover rubble of Thanos’ attack.

“That monster, animal, whatever you want to call it was coming up behind you. I tried to warn you but you couldn’t hear me. So I came to your defense. I might be small Thor, but it doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself.” she defends her actions.

Slowly, she stretches out her non-injured hand to ask for help to stand up.

Thor arched a brow. “Size doesn’t make up for the fact that you could have died, little Juniper.” he scolded, looking around as he paused. He took a slow breath and grabbed her hand, helping her up to examine her. As he took note of her wounds, he wished more than ever that his brother had made it to earth. “We need to get these bandaged.” he said simply. The battle had finally ended, and Thor worried for the others. “Come, we must see about the others.”

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lostshieldandhammer:

Steve stepped into their bedroom and walked over, taking the outstretched hand in his own and letting Thor pull him closer. He tugged off his shirt and crawled into bed beside his lover, nuzzling against the king’s neck and shoulder as he did so. “No more nightmares,” he whispered softly. “You will always have me, Thor. I love you.”

The solid warmth of his soulmate, the feel of Steve so close to him had Thor relaxing. He leaned to kiss Steve softly. “I love you, too, Steven. Forever.” he promised, closing his eyes and rolling so that he was able to hold Steve against him completely. “Sleep, my love. Tomorrow I must talk with the others, work on finding you a ring.”

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lostshieldandhammer:

themusechronicles:

lostshieldandhammer:

Steve sighed and moaned softly as Thor pressed his face into his neck and held him close. He rubbed his lover’s back gently. “The way you say that, call me those names… I love the way it sounds.” He pulled back and kissed Thor softly. “Let me clean up from all of this. You go get settled into bed and I’ll be right there, okay?”

Thor was reluctant to let go, but he smiled as Steve spoke. “All those titles belong to you, Steven.” he assured, moving to help gather the dishes. He helped to start them, making sure Steve was alright before going to their room, laying down and leaning back to watch the ceiling quietly. 

Once Steve had everything cleaned up and put away, he locked up their floor in the Tower, turned out the lights in the main rooms and headed to the bedroom, smiling softly frmo the doorway as he watched his lover laying on their bed. “See something interesting on the ceiling?” he asked in a teasing voice.

Thor looked over as Steve entered, smiling softly. “No, but I do see something much more interesting in front off me.” He smiled, rolling to his side and holsing out a hand. “No more nightmares for us tonight.” He mused. “We have each other.”

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lostshieldandhammer:

Steve sighed and moaned softly as Thor pressed his face into his neck and held him close. He rubbed his lover’s back gently. “The way you say that, call me those names… I love the way it sounds.” He pulled back and kissed Thor softly. “Let me clean up from all of this. You go get settled into bed and I’ll be right there, okay?”

Thor was reluctant to let go, but he smiled as Steve spoke. “All those titles belong to you, Steven.” he assured, moving to help gather the dishes. He helped to start them, making sure Steve was alright before going to their room, laying down and leaning back to watch the ceiling quietly. 

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lostshieldandhammer:

themusechronicles:

Steve

Steve reached across and rested his hand over Thor’s, squeezing gently. “He was right then,” he said softly. “I’m glad you came back to me and that we figured out everything between us. There’s no place else I’d rather be now than with you. You’re everything to me, Thor. More important than anything else in my life.”

Thor looked at Steve and gave a soft smile, pausing to lean over and kiss him. “My brother knew me very well. He had over a thousand years to learn, after all.” He replied, nodding a little. “When I lost my people, I had very little hope. I only wanted to be home with you and let you meet them all. Losing Heimdall cut my chances of getting home to near nothing, he was the main reason I could travel between worlds. Losing Loki…” His voice went quiet again for a moment, turning his hand to lace their fingers. “It was all I had left of home, and all I wanted was wake up next to you and it all be a dream. But I knew Thanos was coming for earth, for you and the others and that rage at losing the one person I had left that I truly loved…it got me through long enough to get my axe, to get that hope back. I knew if I had anything left to fight for, it was you.” He turned to face Steve fully. “I know human customs are slightly strange to me, still. But I want to ask you to marry me, Steven. All I am is yours, and only you could call me home. I want that to be official.”

Thor was the only person who would call him ‘Steven’ and he loved the way it sounded coming from the other man. When Thor mentioned wanting to marry him, Steve felt like his heart might beat its way out of his chest. He stood up from his chair and walked around to Thor, still holding the other’s hand in his own. He stepped between the king’s thighs and leaned down to kiss him softly, brushing fingers through the back of his hair. “If you ask me, know that my only answer will be yes,” he whispered softly. “You are my home as well, Thor. So long as I am with you, I will be happy.”

Thor kept his eyes in Steve as rhe other moved around the table. He opened his legs some more to accommodate Steve, his free hand moving to rest at the side of Steve’s neck, his blue eyes meeting Steve’s paper ones. “My love, you are what gibes the world meaning. I shall ask for blessings tomorrow, but for now, I want us to enjoy some time alone. We’ve had a rough night.” He murmured softly. He tilted his head and hid his face in Steve’s neck. “My mate, my queen, my soul.” He whispered, holding him close.

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Steve

Steve reached across and rested his hand over Thor’s, squeezing gently. “He was right then,” he said softly. “I’m glad you came back to me and that we figured out everything between us. There’s no place else I’d rather be now than with you. You’re everything to me, Thor. More important than anything else in my life.”

Thor looked at Steve and gave a soft smile, pausing to lean over and kiss him. “My brother knew me very well. He had over a thousand years to learn, after all.” He replied, nodding a little. “When I lost my people, I had very little hope. I only wanted to be home with you and let you meet them all. Losing Heimdall cut my chances of getting home to near nothing, he was the main reason I could travel between worlds. Losing Loki…” His voice went quiet again for a moment, turning his hand to lace their fingers. “It was all I had left of home, and all I wanted was wake up next to you and it all be a dream. But I knew Thanos was coming for earth, for you and the others and that rage at losing the one person I had left that I truly loved…it got me through long enough to get my axe, to get that hope back. I knew if I had anything left to fight for, it was you.” He turned to face Steve fully. “I know human customs are slightly strange to me, still. But I want to ask you to marry me, Steven. All I am is yours, and only you could call me home. I want that to be official.”

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Steve

Steve looked over at him slowly. “That long ago?” he asked softly. “Thor, you and I didn’t even know anything then. You really think Loki would have known? Was his magic that strong then?” He took a bite of his soup and then dunked the end of his sandwich into the soup before taking a bite of that as well.

Thor nodded. “Loki’s magic was always strong, but it was his instinct to use it that made it stronger.” he explained. “By the time I went to earth for the tesseract, he was indeed much more powerful. The fact that he hadn’t escaped was something I should have noticed then.” He admitted, eating quietly for a few minutes before chuckling. “That’s why he let me wander, he knew in time I’d find my way back to you.”

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Steve

“You always have me,” Steve whispered softly in return. When Thor released him, he headed for the kitchen and pulled out the soup and everything he’d need to make sandwiches for them. He got the soup started and then made grilled ham and cheese for them as well. When everything was heated and ready, he poured soup into bowls, put the sandwiches onto plates and set them at the island in their kitchen, bringing milk over for them both as well.

Thor watched Steve quietly, taking a moment before following after him and perching at the island. He didn’t speak for a long moment, his mind just wandering. “I think he knew the night we met.” he said finally, not sure if Steve would understand what he meant. “When I pulled Loki from the quinjet that night. I think he knew then.” he moved to take a bite of his soup, relaxing a little at the normalcy that drew him further from the horrid nightmare that was his own memory. 

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Steve

Steve finished drying off and went to grab a pair of sweatpants and a tank top before he sat down on the edge of the bed, still just watching his lover. “I’m glad he at least knew of us before he was lost to you,” he said softly. “It seems like he approved of our bond at least. That… that’s something that we can at least be confident about. If he were here, we know he’d be happy for us.” He pushed to his feet once Thor finished dressing once more.

“Come on. I’ll fix some soup and sandwiches, we can eat and then try to get some more sleep. We have nowhere we need to be and nothing else we need to do right now but take care of one another.”

Thor nodded, reaching to pull Steve to him and kiss him, more clear headed the more Steve spoke. “I still have you.” he murmured, though if he was talking to Steve or himself wasn’t clear. He waited a moment, just holding Steve before he nodded slowly. “Yes, food and rest.” he agreed, taking a slow breath and reluctantly releasing Steve so they could go to the kitchen. 

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Steve

“I am so very sorry, my love,” he whispered softly, tightening his hold around Thor as the other turned to hold him in return. “With the fighting and all… I know you weren’t able to give him any kind of burial or anything else… I know you made it to Wakanda but I still don’t know how you got there. Again… we don’t need to talk about it tonight. Just know, whenever you want or need to talk about Loki, I will listen.” He pulled back and leaned up to kiss his mate softly. “Let’s finish drying off and get changed and I’ll make us something to eat.” He brushed his fingers through Thor’s hair. “I love you, Thor. And if Loki had made it here with you, it doesn’t change anything but I want you to know, I would have done everything I could to help you take care of him… to help you help him live here with us. I know you can’t have that now but… if it had been an option, I hope you know I would have helped.”

Thor wished he could bring his brother back just for a moment, but he knew he couldn’t, so his grief was deep. He knew Steve understood in his own way, having lost his own best friend and brother so many times himself, so it meant much more coming from Steve as he opened up about his loss. “Stormbreaker. It grants me the ability to open the bifrost. I wanted to come home, stop Thanos before he hurt you, the bifrost just followed what I wanted.” he explained. “Of all the traditions, I wish I could have retrieved a lock of hair.” he explained. “We have other burial traditions, the souls set free from a burning boat so that hey may be released to Valhalla, where all warriors go, but the family of the one lost usually have a lock of hair…a braid that we lace with our own hair to carry a piece of their spirit with us. Like the braid of my mother’s hair.” He looked down for a moment, taking a shaky breath. He slowly released Steve, moving to finish taking his clothes off. “I love you, too, Steven. More than anything. It helps to know someone would have given him a second chance here. He would have taken it, I’m sure.” he promised. “He knew you were important to me, before I was ever able to admit it.” he smiled sadly, going to their room to pull out some clothes and tugging a shirt over his head. “He always asked if I had kept an eye on you, if you were alright. His magic was sensitive to strong bonds like the one we share.”