Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 156

 Loki knocks on the door, then clasps his hands behind his back while he waits for an answer.

"Hey." Steve's voice comes from the other side. He doesn't sound like he's in excruciating pain, so that's a good sign.

"I was going to attempt to make grilled cheese for dinner," Loki says. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me." Is that how a normal, social person invites someone to eat dinner? He doesn't usually do this.

Steve chuckles from inside his room. "Funny; usually I'm asking you."

Loki shrugs awkwardly, though there's no one around to see it. "Yes, well, I thought we could switch it around today." Given that – as far as he can tell, anyway – Steve hasn't left his room in a few hours, so he's doubtlessly not going to be the one to initiate it.

"You can come in," Steve tells him. "So we're not talking through a door."

Loki does just that, opening the door and taking a single step into the room. As he'd expected, Steve is flat in bed, head propped up on a single flimsy pillow. He folds it in half under his head so he can see Loki easier, but even that simple movement makes him grimace, so that doesn't bode well for their dinner date.

"How are you feeling?" Loki asks him. Better, he hopes, though he's certainly not convinced.

"Eh." Steve gives him a very small shrug. "I'll live."

"Have you gotten out of bed at all?" Loki asks him.

"I haven't," Steve says, "which I'm beginning to think was a bad idea because now when I do get up, everything is going to hurt more."

Loki frowns. "I'm sorry." He didn't mean to break his friend. Steve is the last person in this building he would want to break.

"It's fine," Steve assures him. "I asked for this – literally; I asked you to fight me. I probably should've known it wouldn't end well."

Loki shrugs awkwardly. He'd certainly known it wouldn't end well, but he'd been more concerned about his rather fragile ego than Steve's wellbeing. "I assume you don't want to get up for dinner, then."

"Not really," Steve admits, "but I've been putting off going to the bathroom for at least an hour, so I guess this is as good a reason as any to get up."

Loki cracks a smile. "I suppose so." He really didn't think that was going to work. He's pleased to see he was wrong.

Steve sits up with a groan and swings his legs over the side of the bed. He takes a moment to get himself together, eyes squeezed shut and face contorted in pain, but then he opens them and plasters on a friendly smile.

"Do you need more medication?" Loki asks. What is it that they called it? Advil? Maybe that would help.

But Steve shakes his head. "Nat brought me some earlier," he says. "I'm just waiting for it to kick in."

"I hope it does soon," Loki says. He wishes there was something he could do to speed up the process, but his magic can only do so much.

"You and me both," Steve mutters. He pushes himself to his feet, grimacing as he does. "I'm going to stop in the bathroom, but I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

"Alright," Loki says. "I'll start the grilled cheese."

"Have you ever made grilled cheese before?" Steve asks him.

"Once or twice," he says. More than that, really, but not enough that he's confident in his ability to make his poor, sore friend a good sandwich. He'd rather downplay his griddle-using skills so he has something to blame if he messes up.