non sum qualis eram | loki & steve
@loki-thedeceiver
Steve had been mulling over his conversation with Loki for a couple days while he decided what he wanted to do about it. It was one thing for Loki to hide his things and turn his motorcycle pink and impersonate the other Avengers, but for the most part, they'd stayed out of each other's way in Sallow Hills. It was another for him to think Steve still considered him the villain who had let an army of Chitauri into New York City with the intent of taking over the Earth.
It hadn't escaped his notice that Loki hadn't done anything remotely threatening in all their time in Sallow Hills, or ever outside of that one incident, which made him doubt he understood their motivations for that one. He'd talked it over with Bucky because there was nothing he didn't share with him, and while his partner hadn't been there, that actually gave him more objectivity on the matter. They both agreed there was more to that story. But it didn't matter what he thought if Loki believed he was still holding a grudge.
Steve knew too well how expectations could shape outcomes. Call someone a villain enough and they almost invariably became one. He couldn't let that stand, so he did something he'd never done in Sallow Hills and deliberately sought Loki out. He'd picked up a bottle of some of the strongest liquor they sold in town as a kind of peace offering. If they chugged it really fast, they might feel some of the effects, but otherwise they'd just have to enjoy it for its taste. If it didn't make a dent in super soldiers, he doubted it would have an effect on Asgardians. He'd never been inside the magic shop, but he knew enough to make sure it was otherwise empty before he approached. It seemed more neutral than approaching them at their home.