Loki is fascinated. You would think these two alpha males would be posturing and growling, but instead they're sniffing one another, tails cautiously wagging. Between the two, they embody some of the more irritating aspects of his beloved older brother: the blond and muscular do-gooder, the charming and absurdly popular princeling. He'd like to see them at one another's throats, ideally, but if they continue to click like this, another distraction may be in order.
This could be fun yet. He'll be sifting the overheard conversation for nuance for the next several minutes, searching for bits and pieces he can use.
Meanwhile, Steve's opinion on Tony Stark is still forming, but 'big mouth, flash bastard, pretty smile' is a better start than 'I could have finished that fight just fine on my own, you patronizing jackass'. He's not aware how much more intel he has than Stark, not aware that Stark might not even know there's an older him running around, but he knows he's going to have to be careful what he says to him.
At the same time, the affection between their older versions was...compelling to watch. If Steve's honest with himself, on a purely physical level, sure, he'd tap that. But intimacy is more of a draw than pleasure. Trust is more of a draw. He's going to need time to decide if he's got that in him, but...
God, does he need someone he can trust. Badly.
"Sports in general don't get you anywhere," he says. "I think they just exist so people can look heroic without killing anyone."
Yeah, he thinks of baseball as a gentler substitute for war. In that sense, it's dumb, but maybe necessary to curb humanity's more violent impulses. But pizza is a better topic and gets his attention at once, because he remembers the last few seconds of chatter between the older Stark and his older self. Is that Tony's subtle way of telling him something? Because it's not actually that subtle.
God only knows what he would have said had the thunder not interrupted.
As it is, the fight with Thor is a frightening cut above any hand-to-hand combat Steve has participated in as of yet. The blow to his shield feels like it ought to have shattered every bone in his body, serum or not, if the disc wasn't made of Vibranium. And Tony just flew right out to face this lunacy alone?
He's quiet on the jet but when they land on the helicarrier, he grabs Stark's elbow as they disembark, the strength of his tug swiveling his body toward him for long enough for Steve to lean in and murmur, "You're reckless. I need you not to get yourself killed. You're supposed to be around for at least another decade."
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This could be fun yet. He'll be sifting the overheard conversation for nuance for the next several minutes, searching for bits and pieces he can use.
Meanwhile, Steve's opinion on Tony Stark is still forming, but 'big mouth, flash bastard, pretty smile' is a better start than 'I could have finished that fight just fine on my own, you patronizing jackass'. He's not aware how much more intel he has than Stark, not aware that Stark might not even know there's an older him running around, but he knows he's going to have to be careful what he says to him.
At the same time, the affection between their older versions was...compelling to watch. If Steve's honest with himself, on a purely physical level, sure, he'd tap that. But intimacy is more of a draw than pleasure. Trust is more of a draw. He's going to need time to decide if he's got that in him, but...
God, does he need someone he can trust. Badly.
"Sports in general don't get you anywhere," he says. "I think they just exist so people can look heroic without killing anyone."
Yeah, he thinks of baseball as a gentler substitute for war. In that sense, it's dumb, but maybe necessary to curb humanity's more violent impulses. But pizza is a better topic and gets his attention at once, because he remembers the last few seconds of chatter between the older Stark and his older self. Is that Tony's subtle way of telling him something? Because it's not actually that subtle.
God only knows what he would have said had the thunder not interrupted.
As it is, the fight with Thor is a frightening cut above any hand-to-hand combat Steve has participated in as of yet. The blow to his shield feels like it ought to have shattered every bone in his body, serum or not, if the disc wasn't made of Vibranium. And Tony just flew right out to face this lunacy alone?
He's quiet on the jet but when they land on the helicarrier, he grabs Stark's elbow as they disembark, the strength of his tug swiveling his body toward him for long enough for Steve to lean in and murmur, "You're reckless. I need you not to get yourself killed. You're supposed to be around for at least another decade."