Mischief In Brooklyn
The next morning they slipped out quietly, Sylvie briefly stopping to thank a priest for their hospitality.
Unsure when best to drop in on Steve, Sylvie decided to use the more advanced and highly intuitive TemPad she’d taken from the citadel at the end of time.
Loki produced it for her and she concentrated on finding the captain one year from the last time she’d seen him.
The portal opened and Loki smiled and gestured politely that she go first, accepting the futuristic disc when she offered it for safekeeping.
Stepping through they arrived in a darkened apartment on Earth. It appeared rather spartan though a few framed photos could be found on the wall by the door. Pictures of Steve Rogers with his army regiment, between Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, and a few with other fellow Avengers.
Loki snapped his fingers and a soft light illuminating the simple dining table flicked on.
“Captain?” Sylvie asked softly as she looked around.
“Perhaps he is asleep?” Loki whispered as he pointed to a small clock in the kitchen, “it appears to be after midnight…”
Sylvie furrowed her brow, “Rather odd—oh,” she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation, “I thought of one year from the party—it must have been this time of night when we left.”
Loki made a sound of understanding and moved to peer cautiously into the bedroom.
“No—not here,” Loki said at his normal volume and shrugged.
“Hm, I wonder were he is…” Sylvie walked over to the sofa and dropped into it looking put out.
Loki joined her and took her hand to kiss in reassurance.
“I’m certain he’ll return soon, as I recall Captain Rogers is not the type to stay out all night.”
Over the next hour or so they waited and discussed where they would visit on this trip to Earth. Loki was keen to introduce Sylvie to several new things but his counterpart was wary of some of the suggestions despite his enthusiasm.
Eventually they heard the telltale jingling of keys and the front door opened to reveal a very startled Steve Rogers.
“Ah, good evening Captain—I don’t suppose you know a good oyster bar open at this hour?”
Steve stood frozen with his keys still in his hand as he stared at the amused God on his couch.
“Loki—I told you I’m not eating raw shellfish,” Sylvie whispered loudly to Loki in admonishment.
“Darling you can’t know you don’t like something without trying it—”
“I think we both know there are a great many things I can do to you that you won’t like without you needing to tryme,” she muttered in a haughty tone which made him chuckle.
“There is very little you could do to me I would not like in some way,” he murmured with a lascivious grin earning a fond eye roll from Sylvie.
“—okay, both of you—rewind to the part were you explain being on my couch at one in the morning,” Steve said with exasperation.
Loki huffed, slightly put out by the interruption to his shameless flirting, while Sylvie cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter to address him.
“Do you remember what we spoke about last year? At the party Tony held just before we left Earth…?”
Steve’s heart began hammering in his chest and he shifted his weight to set his keys down on the sideboard.
“I uh… I didn’t think you would really come back…” he said a little nervously.
“Did you not want me to…?”
“No! I mean, I didn’t not want you to, I just—I didn’t want to let myself hope. I suppose part of me avoided even thinking about the idea altogether.”
“And now?” Sylvie looked sympathetic as she got up to approach him, “do you really want to stay here… or would you like to go back and have that date?”
A slow hopeful smile spread across Steve’s face as he studied Sylvie’s face. Noting the kind yet steely conviction he nodded and let out a soft shaky laugh.
“Yes ma’am, I think I’ve left her waiting long enough.”
Steve offered them something to drink—Sylvie declining politely and Loki rather skeptically accepting a beer.
They discussed logistics on the exact date, time and location to return him to while Steve collected a few things distractedly.
“You know of course, Rogers, that I can conjure you the proper attire and any money you should need…” Loki said sounding mildly bored as he watched Steve bustle about.
“Yeah—I mean, that would be great. I just, I have one or two shirts I can probably get away with taking—and no one will see the underwear so that’s probably fine—”
“Well, hopefully someone will see it, Steve,” Sylvie teased with a grin making the man blush.
“Uh—yeah, er,” he coughed to clear his throat and stood with his hands on his hips as he looked anxiously around the apartment, “I don’t know what to do about the place—I have a lease and all…”
“I’m sure Stark can easily resolve that for you,” Loki rolled his eyes.
“Oh, I guess—what do I say to everyone?”
“We actually hadn’t intended to show up here in the middle of the night, needless to say we can come back in the morning—give you time to write a few letters if you’d like?”
Steve smiled gratefully at Sylvie, “that would be great. I don’t know how I’ll explain, but if I can at least collect my thoughts maybe I won’t make too much of a mess.”
Sylvie nodded and looked at Loki who was eyeing his beer suspiciously as if it had just insulted him personally.
“Oi, come on,” she inclined her head and he got to his feet with a haughty exhale, “we’ll come back, say around noon?”
Steve laughed softly and nodded at her, “Noon’ll be fine. Thank you, Sylvie… for coming back. This means more than you can imagine.”
Sylvie looked over at Loki as he came to stand beside her and smiled softly, “I think I have some idea…”
Steve showed the couple to the door and they headed down the stairs.
“Well, now we’ve got eleven hours to kill. Should we portal ahead?”
“Hmm, I’m wary of causing too many disruptions before we get Steve home…”
“I suppose there’s some merit to flying below Strange’s radar,” Loki huffed.
“At least until I’ve kept my promise,” Sylvie said softly as they walked down the last flight of steps out of Steve’s apartment building.
Loki took note of the address once they were outside and held out his hand gallantly for her as he inclined his head to the right, “shall we then?”
Sylvie grinned and took his hand, “We shall, let’s find out what mischief can be found this time of night.”