The Absent Prayer (Comics Canon: The Past)

[he_that_stands_it_now]

It's been a bad day.

Honestly, it's been a bad week.

Between the mess on the beach the other day and the hulking monstrosity of Nazi engineering making it's way towards him with massive flailing flaming limbs, Bucky Barnes has started to wonder if his bad temper, his foul mouth, and his flippant treatment of authority hasn't gone all the way up the line to the Big Guy Himself and gotten him attention he really didn't want.

Nonetheless, if He got him into this mess than maybe He can get him out, so he spends a couple of precious seconds in between when he lands and when he jumps again to get off a silent prayer.

Dear Whoever Is Listening, I promise I'll never talk at the movies again if you just get my backside out of the frying pan here!

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[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Well, for us non-god types."

He popped a french fry into his own chocolate shake and pushed the plate of them into the middle of the table to share.

[godofbadideas]

"Thank you." Loki helped himself to the fries, alternately dipping them in ketchup and his shake.

"Yes. So, you're back to yourself now."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"For a given value of myself," he said with a shrug.

[godofbadideas]

"I could help with that," Loki pointed out. "It would be horribly unpleasant, but I doubt that's much of a deterrent, at this point."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"I've had my fill of horribly unpleasant, but what's another one on the pile? Pretty sure I wracked up some credit over the years."

[godofbadideas]

"You certainly have. ...If it's any comfort, the horribly unpleasant part only applies to you, not anybody else."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Well, then..."

He looked at his god.

"Might as well lay it on me."

[godofbadideas]

"You don't want that here," Loki said, very seriously. "Finish your milkshake. I'll take you someplace safe."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Didn't figure so. I was more making sure you knew I was interested."

He sucks in a bit of chocolate shake.

"Besides, the fries are good."

[godofbadideas]

"They really are. You know, they fry them in lard here?"

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"What else would the fry them in? Don't taste half as good otherwise."

[godofbadideas]

Loki glanced about, leaned in, and in a horrified whisper said,

"Vegetable oil."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"...what the shit is that?"

[godofbadideas]

"They make it from corn, and peanuts, and sunflower seeds, and all sorts of things that start as plants, and are definitely not the deliciously rendered fat of animals."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Why the hell would you do that?"

[godofbadideas]

"Because it's 'healthier'," he said, complete with air quotes. "And to appease vegetarians, I suppose."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Eh, they can go suck eggs. Totally, from a chicken's ass eggs."

And he stuffed a few more fries into his mouth.

[godofbadideas]

Loki laughed, and helped himself to a few more fries as well.

"I knew I liked you."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"I should hope so. I did you solid up till I died, and then I kept doin' you solid even when I didn't know it."

[godofbadideas]

"I would never have given you the knife if I didn't think you were good for it."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Now, that's something I've wondered for the longest time. Why DID you give me that knife?"

[godofbadideas]

"Because I like you," he said simply. There was more to it, of course; because he knew what Bucky's life would hold, because he was curious, because-- "And because it seemed like a good idea at the time."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Didn't like me enough to pull me outta that situation I was in, though. Guess it served you well enough."

[godofbadideas]

"Unfortunately, the situation you were in..." He shook his head. "Let's just say I've seen several worlds where Bucky Barnes was never the Winter Soldier, and they were not, actually, better off than those where you were."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"Including for me? Or was that just a matter of me takin' it for my country?"