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]

He didn't move, didn't seem to be able to move, caught in a suspended animation of a sort in that his muscles were utterly locked in place.

His eyes, however, said he wasn't that funny.

[godofbadideas]

Loki smoothed the hair back from Bucky's face.

"I'm going to get you something to drink," he said. When he stood, finally pulling his hand away from Bucky's, and the knife, he was bleeding too.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

His hand flashed out to snatch the god's hand in his, the knife shifted to the other hand. There's something in his eyes, something... mad and wild and made of fire, parts of him set aflame.

[godofbadideas]

Loki shifted his hand automatically to let his devotee get a firmer grip, and looked back down at him, a question in his eyes, and the thought that damn, he's beautiful like this.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

His hand grips tighter, the edges of the wounds pressed against each other, each from either side of the knife that binds them. James doesn't know, can't know, hardly knows how any of this works, but there is old magic here, in the moment of a man with his god, blood between them spilled by the same blade, fire in his eyes as everything he thought was a part of him burns to be remade.

He doesn't know what this is, but he knows he needs it more than water.

[godofbadideas]

Loki moved closer, bent down, and stared into his devotee's eyes, and.

Smiled.

Oh yes.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

He lets go.

His eyes close and he lets go, something complete, something finished, something never ending. He pulls his hand away, unmarked, unscarred, dirty with blood, and lets his head fall back, the dagger slipping between the fingers of his other hand like an old lover's hair.

[godofbadideas]

Loki stood slowly, and after a moment, went to the kitchen, licking the blood thoughtfully from his fingers. The tingle of old magic on his tongue was delicious.

Though he hadn't precisely expected this, it would be a lie to say that he hadn't anticipated the possibility, and having a follower bound to him like this was something frankly no god had had for a very long time.

Mine, all mine!

When he returned, it was with a giant mug full of hot tea, his own custom blend.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

James, for his part, was pushing himself up into a sitting position on the couch. Seeing Loki, he gave a ragged, crooked smile and held out the hand of his flesh-and-blood arm for the tea.

[godofbadideas]

Loki handed the mug over, and flopped gracefully next to him.

"It's very hot, though I doubt that will bother you much anymore."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

He quirked his head at that, curious but not particularly willing to wait until he got an answer to toss the tea down his gullet. Answer or not, the heat doesn't bother him much at all.

[godofbadideas]

"God of fire," Loki said, wiggling his fingers, setting off little sparks that were green because he wanted them to be.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

He swallowed a little more before he attempted to speak, and it came out croaky but it did come out.

"...that's good for you. Never stopped me getting burned on coffee before."

[godofbadideas]

"You were never bound to me before."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

He took another swallow.

"Thought that's.. the dagger."

[godofbadideas]

"The dagger you could have given up," Loki replied. "This is... different."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

He raises an eyebrow over at Loki.

"No exit?"

[godofbadideas]

Loki started to shake his head, and then paused, his head tilted thoughtfully.

"Not generally, no," he said. "There's no deal that can't be escaped. It just depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice to get out of it. This... would be neither easy, nor cheap."

Look at him, god of lies, being honest with his shiny.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

That gets a shrug of a shoulder. Meh. He'd had Loki as a part of his life for decades. Why the hell would he change that now? Especially considering... well, everything.

Shit he had a lot of work cut out for him.

"Wasn't planning on it. Never have."

[godofbadideas]

That made Loki smile, wide and warm.

"Good."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

That earns him a shove with his shoulder, unfortunately (or fortunately) the metal one.

"Smug," is his only comment.

[godofbadideas]

Loki shoved right back, not caring about the metal.

"Do you know who's the only god with a blood-bound follower right now? It's me."

Smug was an understatement.

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"And I'm a prize?" it doesn't even come out bitter. The guy'd picked him up way back when he was the only normal person in a team full of superheroes.

[godofbadideas]

"Yes." The word was emphatic and warm. "I'm very glad to have you."

[he_that_stands_it_now]

"So... that on purpose? Or..."

Or had it just kind of happened.