Steve heads to the kitchen for a quick snack. He's not sure what he's thinking about. Grapes? Crackers? Something of the sort. Sometimes filling but healthy.
He gets a little distracted by the floating cup under the ice dispenser.
Steve glances around the room. "Loki?" He's got to be around here somewhere. Cups don't just float unless there's a certain mischievous god behind it.
Loki appears by the fridge, a perfect picture of poise and grace, which is how Steve knows it's not actually him. There's always something wrong with him. Something small, usually, but something. He looks too perfect. (That, and if he was real, he'd probably be holding the cup.)
Steve raises his brows, an amused smile on his face. "What are you doing?"
"Getting some ice," Loki says. "If my water warms itself any further, it will burn my mouth."
"And, what, you couldn't walk all the way down to the kitchen?" Steve asks teasingly.
"I am not moving today," Loki says. "I will melt where I stand."
Steve huffs a laugh. "Yeah, I hear that." He jerks his head toward the cup, now sitting on the counter and nearly overflowing with ice cubes. "How'd you manage that?"
"Telekinesis," Loki says. "I've never used it in this way before. It's been an interesting learning experience."
Steve cracks a smile. "Want me to bring your cup up?"
"You don't have to do that," Loki assures him.
"I don't mind," Steve says. "I have nothing better to do."
"In that case," Loki says, "you are more than welcome to, but I'm afraid I can't quell your boredom, if that was your intention."
"Yeah, that's fine," Steve says. "I'll figure something out." He can doodle or something. Maybe he'll read a book. Who knows?
Steve grabs the cup of ice, and fake Loki follows him as they head toward his room. It's kind of weird, walking alongside someone whom he knows isn't truly there, but he tries to focus more on the fact that he's with Loki than that he's with an illusion.
"And how are you today, Captain?" Loki asks.
"Pretty good," Steve says. He looks over at the illusion. "You?"
"Well, it is hotter than the fires of Hel," Loki says, "but I'll live."
"It's not that hot," Steve says, amused.
"Oh, I beg to differ," Loki says. He looks at Steve warily. "Is this a normal temperature on Midgard? I'd assumed this was just an abnormally hot afternoon and it would cool off soon."
"I mean, it's not usually quite this hot," Steve says, "but yeah, it does get hot." He shrugs. "Welcome to summer on Earth."
Loki groans. "I hate this realm."
Steve chuckles. "You'll be fine." It's just a few unreasonably hot days a year. It'll cool off before he knows it.
"Does the heat not bother you?" Loki asks.
"No, it does," Steve says, "but Tony's got the AC blowing like his life depends on it, so it's not too bad." It was far worse when he was growing up. Times really have changed in the last few decades. Now practically everyone has an air conditioner. It's crazy.
"And the AC is...?"
"Air conditioning," Steve says. "It cools the building off."
Loki stares at him in disbelief. "So it could be hotter?"
"Uh, yeah, if you went outside."
"For once, I'm glad that I can't," Loki says. "Is the building colder the further you get from the windows? Should I move elsewhere in the tower?"
"No, I think it's hot everywhere," Steve says. He shrugs apologetically. "Sorry."
"Lovely," Loki deadpans.
"If it helps," Steve says, "the weather channel said it's supposed to cool down by Friday."
"And today is...?"
"Tuesday."
Loki throws his head back with a very dramatic groan. "This is torture."
Steve cocks an eyebrow. "You really hate the heat, don't you?"
"You have no idea."
As Steve nears Loki's room, his illusion disappears. It's kind of weird, but it makes sense. They're about to see each other in the real world. There's no reason to keep the illusion up.
Steve opens the door, and he's greeted with the sight of a very hot god. He's sprawled out in bed with an arm and a leg hanging over the side. He's not wearing a shirt, but he is wearing the pajama pants that Steve brought him months ago, hiked up to his knees as though they were shorts. He turns his head when the door opens so he can look as Steve steps inside.
"Uh..." Steve looks at him cautiously. "You okay?"
"It is so hot," Loki whispers. "I am melting."
Steve fights the urge to smile. (It doesn't work.) "You know, if it's that hot, you can turn the AC up."
Loki blinks. "What?"
Steve shakes his head to himself, amused. "JARVIS? Turn the AC up."
"To any particular temperature, Captain?" JARVIS asks.
"Something cold," Steve says. He pauses. "Can you change the temperature in one room and not the whole tower?"
"I can," JARVIS says. "Would you like me to turn the AC up only in this room or only on this floor?"
Steve glances at Loki, but he's just staring down at the floor as though in a trance. Okay, maybe he'll have to make that decision himself. "The whole floor." It's not like anyone uses the floor when they're not coming here specifically for Loki — and if they do, this will be a nice reprieve from the warmth of the rest of the tower.
"Turning the air conditioning up on this floor," JARVIS says.
Steve watches the god uncertainly for a few moments. "What do you want me to do with your ice?"
Loki sits up with a groan, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and slouching over. He holds out a hand. "I will take it."
Steve's almost hesitant to give it to him — what's he going to do? Pour it on himself? — but he does it anyway. Loki's water bottle flies up from the floor, and he dumps the cup of ice into it, splashing into what remains of the water. He swirls them around, then brings the water bottle to his lips, downing whatever liquid is in there.
Steve raises a brows. Okay... "Do you want ice cream or something?" he asks. "It might cool you off?"
"No, I'll just stay here and complain." Loki puts his water bottle on the floor and lies back down, this time with both legs on the mattress but with one arm hanging down over the side. "Thank you for the ice."
That sounds like his cue to leave, but he hesitates. He just doesn't feel right about leaving him like this. He hasn't seen the guy looking this miserable since... well, probably since he accidentally starved himself to stay away from them. He can't just leave.
After a few seconds, Loki raises his gaze to meet the Captain's. "Did you want something?"
"Are you sure you're okay?" Steve asks.
"Mm," Loki hums. "I don't know. I think so."
Steve sighs and leans against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. Yeah, he really doesn't like that answer. "Is there anything I can do?"
"That depends," Loki says. "Can SHIELD move the planet away from the sun? Or perhaps create some clouds to cover its rays?"
Steve huffs a laugh. "For a minute there, I thought you were going to ask me to have SHIELD blow up the sun."
"Of course not," Loki says. "Your organization would never do something so obvious. You like to keep your misdeeds as quiet as possible."
Steve raises his brows. He's not even gonna to touch that one. It would be starting an argument he cannot win. "Well, no, SHIELD cannot change the weather. Is there anything else I can do?"
Loki sighs. "No, I will just wait for JARVIS to cool off the room, but thank you."
Though it sounds like Loki is asking him to leave, Steve still finds himself hesitating. Who knows how long it will take for the AC to make any discernible difference? He really doesn't want to leave him like this and not know for sure that he'll feel better soon.
Finally, Steve asks, "Do you want some company?"
Loki furrows his brows. "I beg your pardon?"
"You know, if you don't want to 'melt' alone," Steve says. "I could go grab my sketchbook, sit on the floor." He shrugs. "It's up to you. If you want company or not."
"I won't be much fun, but you can if you'd like to," Loki tells him. "If you still plan to leave the room for a moment, though, could you press the play button on my CD player on your way out?"
"Yeah, sure." Steve heads to the CD player, but he pauses when he sees what lies next to it. "Do I want to ask about the typewriter or the stuffed bear first?"
"I stole them from Stark," Loki says. He reaches his hand out, and the stuffed bear flies into it. He puts it down on his pillow next to his face.
Steve crouches down and presses the play button — and he's still amazed that you can start and stop music plays with a button these days. He pushes himself to his feet. "I'll be back in a minute."
"Alright." Loki raises his head from his pillow. "Rogers?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I would like some ice cream."
Steve chuckles. "Alright, I'll get us both some ice cream, too."