Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, King of Asgard (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pirateangelbaby) wrote2023-03-28 06:25 pm
pirateangelbaby) wrote2023-03-28 06:25 pm
Entry tags:
Trouble in Paradise [for rogueinladysclothing]
Far in the northern reaches of Norway, tiny lights slumber under green-kissed dark skies. The village of Asvera sleeps, save for a few who cannot find rest, or choose to keep awake through the ever-shortening nights as the Wheel turns to spring. Her shores all but unguarded, the Asgardians are nonetheless secure in their isolation, far from any who might wish them harm.
Most nights, it is enough.
But not always.
Gray clouds gather across the sea, a low rumble rolling across the sky. Thor hears the thunder in his dreams, feels the gnarled wood of Stormbreaker against his palms, tastes the ozone in the air, feels the lightning humming in his veins.
He stands on the rainbow bridge, its painted concrete and steel under his boots, the islands at his back. He can't see the village, but he can smell the smoke, hear the screams. Asgard is burning. His hands tremble where they clutch at his axe, hard-pressed to say if it is adrenaline or fear. He cannot be everywhere at once. He cannot defend them all.
Across the bridge, an army advances, the figure at its head easily twice his size. Thor does not need to see their leader's face to know who it is, gold gleaming on his hand, a glint of gemstones in the firelight. A lone standout against a great dark wave that surges towards the village, an inevitable tide that will wash them all away, as if they were never here.
The army flows past him and around him, his axe swings passing through them as though they were naught but mist, and the Titan stops before him, teeth bared in a terrible smile. "You should have-"
Thunder splits the world in two.
He is on his feet, his hands grasping at nothing, the tingle of Stormbreaker's song in his fingers as its yearns to be called. Thor's gaze darts quickly around the room, trying to locate the threat, he was just right there-
The white walls of his bedroom are illuminated by a bright flash, another crack of thunder closely following. His soft sleep clothes are rumpled, the easy touch of air against his skin a stark reminder of how exposed he is out of his armor, and for a moment he very nearly summons it in a panic. At any moment, he might be struck down - but there's no one there, and when he looks out the window, he sees only the normal lights of the village beneath the dreary haze of rain. No fire, no smoke. No army. No him.
Just a dream.
Most nights, it is enough.
But not always.
Gray clouds gather across the sea, a low rumble rolling across the sky. Thor hears the thunder in his dreams, feels the gnarled wood of Stormbreaker against his palms, tastes the ozone in the air, feels the lightning humming in his veins.
He stands on the rainbow bridge, its painted concrete and steel under his boots, the islands at his back. He can't see the village, but he can smell the smoke, hear the screams. Asgard is burning. His hands tremble where they clutch at his axe, hard-pressed to say if it is adrenaline or fear. He cannot be everywhere at once. He cannot defend them all.
Across the bridge, an army advances, the figure at its head easily twice his size. Thor does not need to see their leader's face to know who it is, gold gleaming on his hand, a glint of gemstones in the firelight. A lone standout against a great dark wave that surges towards the village, an inevitable tide that will wash them all away, as if they were never here.
The army flows past him and around him, his axe swings passing through them as though they were naught but mist, and the Titan stops before him, teeth bared in a terrible smile. "You should have-"
Thunder splits the world in two.
He is on his feet, his hands grasping at nothing, the tingle of Stormbreaker's song in his fingers as its yearns to be called. Thor's gaze darts quickly around the room, trying to locate the threat, he was just right there-
The white walls of his bedroom are illuminated by a bright flash, another crack of thunder closely following. His soft sleep clothes are rumpled, the easy touch of air against his skin a stark reminder of how exposed he is out of his armor, and for a moment he very nearly summons it in a panic. At any moment, he might be struck down - but there's no one there, and when he looks out the window, he sees only the normal lights of the village beneath the dreary haze of rain. No fire, no smoke. No army. No him.
Just a dream.
no subject
She's finally pulled from her descent into planning by his shift, and immediately she smiles back him, her expression bright and unwavering. He knows her answer, but she's glad to offer it all the same. These are the kinds of words that deserve to be spoken aloud.
"Yes, of course I'll help. I'd begin today, if that's what you'd like. We'll have much to plan and have to spread the word about what we're going to offer, but I would gladly be at your side as we do this." Where else could she be when this is her home, when the man she loves needs her? She leans up to press a kiss to his cheek, smile warming. "They'll be well prepared if anything were to happen, I have no doubt of that."
There's so much to be done for this, and she'll organize it all if she has to. Valkyrie will be consulted as she works with Thor, but this is something she can do for Asvera. This place has taken her in completely, and she wants to give back more than she has. This may not be how she imagined it, but if it helps their people and Thor at the same time, then she'll do it gladly.
Pulling herself a little closer, she settles her head against his shoulder as she smiles up at him. "What else is on your mind? For this or anything else that troubles you. I can't promise you peace, but maybe I can offer some wisdom or ideas that will help."
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He is so fortunate to have her here.
Most of his concerns can wait until the next council meeting - is it tomorrow? Today? He's lost track, the stormy night feeling as an unreal gap in the usual span of the week. It matters little. A process such as this will take time to create, and a brief delay will cause no more harm than if he were to call his councilors out of their beds to help plan it. There is one thought that lingers, however, something too important not to bring up if Amelia intends to brainstorm on it.
Thor's arms enclose around her securely, the lingering tremors of his body gone, the last vestiges of his panic attack finally left behind. "We should be prepared for few volunteers," he admits reluctantly. "At least at first. I... was training some of our number to fight on the journey here. They were the first to fall when..." He doesn't finish, but Amelia knows how to read between those lines.
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"We'll teach whoever comes, and not push on the rest. Those who join us will be strong and talented, and more than capable of defending themselves and others in a matter of weeks or months." She smiles softly at him. "With the other defenses we want to add, Asvera will be well protected. Even if we only have those few people trained, it'll be enough to start. Others will come with time, whether in this generation or the next."
The next. Will they have any among them? Children who will follow in their parents' footsteps to learn to take up arms and become strong warriors? Amelia never wondered or thought about such things while living on her own, but now...
She exhales slowly, resting her head against his shoulder. They've been together long enough that she knows the conversation will come eventually. Asvera has accepted her place at its king's side, and the people are as much her own as any others ever were in Masarra. They need to address their future before too long, lest they find it too late to do so.
But not tonight. Tonight is for peace. The rest can come later.
"We'll find our way forward with them," she murmurs after a moment's silence. "This is our home, and none here will sit idly by when asked to aid in its safety. We'll all contribute something, whether it's goods or our arms. I have no doubt of that."
no subject
He nods, a small smile on his lips as he holds her close. "We face the future together," he agrees quietly.
The thunder is all but gone, distant rumbles lost in the sound of ocean waves crashing against rocky shores. They sit in silence for several more moments, listening to the patter of rain all around them, before Thor finally shifts in his seat. "Let's go home."
This time, he does not falter at the bridge, his gait unhurried as they make their way back to the cottage. They're both quite damp when they arrive, and Thor reluctantly lets go of Amelia's hand to light the fireplace. Sleep will call to him soon, its voice already whispering in his ear, but he's loathe to say goodnight just yet.
no subject
Their home is a welcome thing when they step into it, even as they track in and drip water everywhere. The rogue does what she can to help by hanging things by the door, intent on setting a towel out before they go to bed. To that end, she retrieves one from the bathroom while Thor lights a fire, dabbing at her face and wringing water from her hair before sitting on the couch and offering it to him when he comes close.
"Here. Dry yourself a little. I'll reheat our cocoa." She smiles up at him, waiting until he's ready before reaching out to pick up his mug. A few seconds of magic is all it takes to warm what remains of the drink, and she offers it to him after giving it a gentle swirl. She repeat the motions with her own, settling against him once they've each had a sip. For a few moments, she's quiet, breathing in the comforts of their home to ease her own mind after all this.
"Will you be able to sleep tonight? I'll stay with you no matter the answer." Part of her suspects she won't sleep any more tonight, but it matters little. All she wants is for the man she loves to be all right again.
no subject
He accepts the mug with gratitude, and Amelia's warm presence against his side even moreso. He loops an arm around her, fitting against one another as if they were crafted to match. The cocoa has not suffered from the reheating; if anything, it may be even better now that Thor is of a mind to appreciate it.
He's silent for a moment after she asks, trying to search his own heart for the answer. It's still reflex to rely on bluster and bravado, a habit that suits him well enough when he does not wish to speak of such things, nor question himself when he knows all too well he should. But not now, and not with Amelia, though such truthful answers often elude him. "I hope so," he says at last, watching the little orange flames dance in the fireplace, tamed to their hearth. "Though I do not know what dreams await." He musters up a small smile, looking down at her. "I might keep you awake again."
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"I doubt I sleep again tonight," she offers, matching his honesty with her own. "I'll be too worried about you to let my mind rest." She smiles ruefully at him, sipping her cocoa before setting it aside once more. It allows her to pull herself closer, an arm loosely about his lower back so she can better lean into him. She's quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of their home and his steady breathing, before she continues.
"I meant what I said, that I'll stay with you. If that means we sit here together until dawn breaks, then so be it. If it means we... make ourselves comfortable in your bed, I..." Her cheeks flush a deep red. "I-I'll happily go to be close to you."
She doubts he wants that. Her in his bed. Not to reach for anything more than being close even if he said yes, but she needs to offer this to him. Being close to him now is the most important thing. He'll need the stability, and she needs to know he's well. This is the way to do that.
"Only if that's what you want," she murmurs after a moment. "I... We don't have to do anything either of us are uncomfortable with."
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And he cannot deny that her presence may help guard against nightmares returning to haunt his sleep, the simple creature comfort of someone else living and breathing next to him, her arms around him and keeping him anchored to the real.
He leans his head against hers and closes his eye, taking a breath and imagining spending the night as such, her gentle scent in his nose and the warmth of her body against his, feeling the rise and fall of her chest with every breath. "Well, my bed's big enough for two," he says quietly, opening his eye again, a small hopeful smile on his lips.
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Dreams, she didn't know she could feel this fluttery again after the day they first said 'I love you' to one another. She's happy to find she's wrong.
She exhales slowly, pressing her lips together as she nods. "Then when you're ready, we'll go together." Her smile warms as she leans up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm with you wherever you go tonight. I promise."
Tonight... and every one of her days after. There's nowhere else in the multiverse she ever wants to be.
no subject
He rests his empty mug against his knee, its ceramic still warm from Amelia's magic, the scent of cocoa lingering. Unbidden, his mind wanders to the future, imagining a thousand nights just like this one - hopefully without nightmares to drive them to it. Just the two of them together, enjoying the close intimacy of simply sitting together, listening to the rain patter down on the roof. A smile lingering on his lips, he absently toys with the ends of Amelia's hair as he thinks of it, the motion gradually slowing as imagination begins to take flight into a real dream.
Thor rouses himself before he can slip entirely, taking a deep breath and giving her a sheepish grin. "Wish we could just magic ourselves into bed," he admits in a low rumble, reluctant to move from the spot yet knowing they must if they are to make it to the bedroom. He stretches to place his mug on the coffee table, already feeling bereft of her body heat against his side the moment he moves. He holds that thought as best he can, a promise that once they are safe beneath the blankets, he can embrace her once again.
Tonight... and then, after...? Will those thousand imagined nights escape dreams and become the future?
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"A few moments to get up and then into bed isn't so bad," she teases gently. "I'll even stay close while we go." She should probably pull away long enough to get into something a little more dry, but her nightgown isn't so damp it'll cause problems. ...probably. She huffs a laugh and shifts next to him, putting her feet more firmly on the floor and giving him an encouraging push on his upper back. "Come on. It's a short distance. We'll be laying in bed soon enough." Cuddled close enough he'll feel the heat of her flushed cheek and hear the pounding of her heart, no doubt, but what's that compared to all the benefits of sleeping beside one another?
Amelia's all smiles in spite of her nervousness once they're on their feet and making their way to his bedroom. Someday, it could be their bedroom, but tonight... tonight she's only a guest. A welcome one, maybe one every night hereafter, but still a guest. She only hopes she brings him the peace he's looking for. All she can offer now that he's voiced his thoughts and they've made plans for their people is to be here, and she'll do it gladly.
Now... and for however much longer they have together.
no subject
Not that it matters much, for once they're under the cool shelter of the bedsheets, Thor draws her near to lay with him, the broad expanse of his chest an inviting pillow for her head. The echoes of his dream are as distant as the thunder over the horizon, long since passed, the steady rain a soothing lullaby in tempo with their combined breaths. He has come full circle, and where once he slept alone, now he has the woman he loves at his side.
Yes... this feel right. She belongs here, as surely as he does.
"Love you," he murmurs as he begins to drift once more, completely at ease with Amelia in his arms. There's so much to say, but there will be time in the morning.
And all the mornings after.