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Thor’s visit is unexpected, to the point that Steve’s heart jumps into his throat when he strolls into the training gym.
Steve’s first words aren’t that he’s elated to see Thor, or to ask why he’s there, or even if he’s well, Steve just goes into battle mode and wants to know what’s wrong. From across the cavernous room, Thor’s eyes meet Steve’s, he shakes his head almost imperceptibly, the motion telegraphing more than his words could.
Thor greets the team with his usual jovial embraces and Steve does his best to calm his racing thoughts.
Barring any intergalactic incidents, Thor’s on a pretty regular schedule, his visits to New York are evenly spaced and there’s not a lot of deviation. The arrangement isn’t enough for Steve’s liking, never enough, but Steve’s trained himself to accept that rotation is far better than the alternative.
Steve watches him for a moment, voice booming as he relays a story with great animation to Agent Coulson, before assessing for himself that Thor isn’t going anywhere.
He forces himself to finish his workout, the punching bag getting a few extra minutes before Steve heads out, bypassing the locker room for his own quarters.
Steve’s not much for company at the moment.
He’s in the shower, letting the hot water pummel his shoulders, when the door clicks softly open.
Steve would spring to attention if he was anywhere else, there wasn’t an all-seeing AI security force, and if he wasn’t aware only one other person had the access code to his apartment. He rinses the soap off and just moves aside, making room when he hears the soft hush of clothing dropping to the floor.
His shower is large, almost the size of Steve’s entire bathroom as a kid, but when Thor steps into it, the space is instantly dwarfed.
He stands apart for a moment, and the water falls like a curtain between them.
“Are you not pleased by my visit?”
Thor’s presence is commanding at the best of times, and lethal at the worst, but the current slant of his shoulders, the tension in his body is something rare, something Steve’s only witnessed here. Steve’s not angry, once the shock wears down, he’ll be elated. But right now, he feels like his eyes are still deceiving him.
He reaches out, slides a hand over Thor’s chest, curls his fingers around an elbow to bring Thor in close. His skin is slick under Steve’s palm, golden-warm, texture achingly familiar, and it’s only when Steve’s arms are wrapped tight around Thor that he truly lets go of his worry.
“Next time, maybe you could give a guy a little warning?”
“I had intended on surprising you.” The rumble of Thor’s voice in his chest vibrates against Steve’s ear, and he can hear the laughter in his tone, feel Thor’s body relax under his hands. Steve feels the tightness unspool from his own muscles, and he smiles up at Thor before initiating a proper welcome.
“Mission accomplished.”