pirateangelbaby | Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

Entry tags:

amelia,
ic

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

The summer sun is high in the sky when the little rental car turns the corner around the coast and up the narrow bridge onto the islands of Asvera. The rainbow paint on the concrete has been refreshed and augmented with something that makes it shimmer, though it's still a pale comparison to the rainbow bridge of Asgard. The driver has little room to contemplate that however, instead inching forward at a snail's pace while they stare around at the sleepy little fishing village.

There have been significant modifications made since Asgard's arrival, of course. Several of the outlying islands have been terraformed into housing, and towers of Wakandan and Asgardian design make up much of the new buildings. Handpainted signs point toward the administrative center, still based in an overhauled church, though symbols of Asgardian make have replaced all the existing iconography. It's no gleaming golden palace, and now that they've thought of it, they notice there hasn't been a single figure in armor guarding anything that looks important.

Is this the right place? It has to be, right?

The clothes on the villagers, at least, looks familiar. Fancy robes and dresses, embroidered tunics and embossed belts, though the styles are sometimes an odd mishmash with Earth dress. The hairstyles, too, are another reassurance. Few people on Earth have the time for this level of braiding for casualwear, and enough people are going about their daily trades that it's clear this isn't a special occasion, either.

It's the right place indeed. But the wrong time.

The young man at the reception desk in the admin center helpfully reveals that Thor is not currently in town. The visitor's shoulders slump, and they leave the rental car behind as they wander down the road, contemplating their next move. Wait for him to arrive, knowing that it could be hours? Even days? Leave a note, 'sorry I missed you,' and continue embodying those ships that pass in the night?

The sound of clanging metal and grunts of effort echo down the street, drawing their attention. There's little open land available in Asvera, but the Asgardians have made good use of what they have. A training ring has been established along the northern waterfront, large enough for several dozen people to run drills and skirmish with each other, separated from the main walkway by a split-rail fence. The trainees are lightly armored in leather, armed with carved wooden swords and shields, men and women and children alike. The woman at the head of the class has clearly done this a time or two; her armor is battleworn and well fitted, and her blade moves like an extension of her own arm.

Jane Foster leans against the fence to watch, the memory of Asgard in its glory fresh in her mind as she struggles to process what she's seeing now.

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It's an entirely different life that Amelia describes, an entirely different way of looking at the world, one so far removed from Jane's own experiences that she's sure she can't quite grasp it. But the wish to be remembered long after she's gone... the selflessness of giving oneself to build a future for someone else... "I can see why Thor loves you," she says, and she really can. Opposites may attract, but common ground is just as important.

It would be arrogant of her to assume Amelia would need her blessing. It's not as though she holds any claim over Thor, not in any way that matters. He's a grown man, a god, and whoever he wants to woo is none of her business. But humans are messy, and complicated, and all Jane has ever wanted is to understand. To be understood in return. And while Thor may not be hers, there will always be a part of her that wants him to be happy.

"You've built a hell of a life here," she settles on, a small smile on her lips as she nods towards the village.

Her cheeks flush a bright red at Jane's pronouncement. It... makes sense for Thor to love her? Amelia doesn't think herself unworthy, but she has wondered at times if Thor couldn't do... better. Even though she's been working on herself, she knows she's a hard person to get along with at times. She's reckless for those she loves, quick to anger, quicker to doubt herself and fall into a panic, and constantly hiding her own thoughts and feelings for the sake of others. She's wondered if that's enough for someone who has an entire people to care for, and it's surprisingly helpful to hear from someone who knows Thor to think she fits here.

She touches the strands of her hairpin gently, grounding herself in the sound and feel of them, then smiles at the other woman. "Thank you." For both statements, but more the first. For now, she holds back saying it. There's no need to make this more awkward between them.

"I didn't intend to build a life here, but I'm grateful I have. I love this place and the people here for being what and who they are. It may not have always been that way, but they're as much a part of me now as the blades I lace into my boots every day." Her cheeks darken a few shades. "Not that they're tools for me to use, of course. It just-- I-I mean to say that my life would be so much less without them." Dreams, that doesn't really help, but she feels better to at least try.

Maybe by asking Jane about herself? It's worth an attempt, and Amelia is curious. "Where do you make your life? Thor has said you study the stars, but I admit the more in-depth explanation escapes me. I've learned a lot since leaving my world, but much of technology and most of Earth's sciences completely elude me." Unless they're broken down past the basics for her. She won't ask Jane for anything like that.

No matter how many times Jane is the center of attention, it never stops being a little awkward, though one-on-one beats a lecture hall full of grad students any day. Her career is where her passion lies, though, so it's relatively easy to switch gears into rambling about it. "Well if academic conferences decide to start back up, I'll be spending a lot of that time on the road, like I used to before. There's usually a lot of stuffy old professors to butter up for funding, if nothing else. The rest of the time, I move around to wherever outer space is being weirdest. Happens a lot more than it used to since Thor showed up - that's kind of how we met, honestly."

She gestures vaguely with the sandwich, needing something to do with her hands. "I'm from New Mexico originally. It's a state in America with deserts great for stargazing, not a lot of light pollution to drown out the sky, so you can observe a lot more than you can in a city. I was out there studying atmospheric anomalies when - sorry, I mean weird weather behavior," she corrects herself, adjusting for Amelia's benefit, "the night I met Thor. It turned out the thing I was studying was a manifestation of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, what Asgardians call the Bifrost. I'm kind of Earth's foremost expert on that now. That and the Convergence."

A scholar searching out funds for her work. A familiar tale, given her press to get her brother Ciro into a similar line of work. His area of study may have been completely different, but having to work up the right people to get him there - and keep him there - is certainly something Amelia understands.

"You met through the Bifrost? Because you were searching for these... behaviors in the sky and found Thor traveling here by it?" That seems to be what Jane's saying, but a little clarity can't hurt.

"It would make sense that you're the expert, with your connection to Thor and Asgard. Being one who studies the stars, I would think everything about things like the Bifrost and any of the realms outside Earth would be a fascination." She smiles warmly as she says it. "I'm curious about such things, too. Not in the same way," she's not looking for an explanation of how anything works, for example, "but the fact that these things happen at all is incredible. To travel among the stars, to know their histories and what happens around them... I could spend several lifetimes reading such stories and be completely content."

Jane nods, the look in her eyes growing more intent, both with scientific fervor and the nostalgic pang of remembering the good old days, such as it were. "We'd been monitoring the sky there for a few weeks, though I didn't know what I was looking at yet. That was the night Thor got banished from Asgard, and I was there when the Bifrost threw him to Earth. It kicked up so much dust that I kinda hit him with my van trying to get a closer look." It's so strange to look back on that moment knowing what she knows now, almost like she'd been an entirely different person. She laughs awkwardly, giving Amelia a mildly sheepish smile. "We kinda thought he was crazy for a few days. But there was also this hammer out in the desert nobody could move, and well, we did see him fall out of the sky, and the government showed up and stole all my research, so I knew there had to be more to it."

"Then the town got attacked by a giant robot, I think Loki was behind it? And Thor sacrificed himself to save the town, and the hammer flew to him and he destroyed the robot in like twenty seconds." She shakes her head a little, eyebrows raised, and takes a nibble from the sandwich. "I never believed in gods before then. Anyway he had to leave in a hurry, but the Bifrost broke, so I didn't see him again until the Convergence two years later."

Edited (punctuation >.>) 2023-09-29 03:01 (UTC)

"You... ran him over with your car?" It would be concerning if Thor seemed to have any lasting issues from it. As it is, it's more amusing than anything. Amelia holds back a chuckle, but can't suppress the amused smile on her face. "I can understand why you'd think him mad. Asgard was a very different sort of place compared to Earth." If she'd ended up here instead of the Nexus, she'd have expected a similar reaction from locals. Someone with manners and customs so different from anyone most people know? Of course they'd be concerned.

She listens as she takes them the last distance to the house, letting them in after Jane's latest pause. It wouldn't surprise her if Loki was involved with something like she's described, but Amelia doesn't speak to that, focusing instead on getting them settled at their small table. As she moves about the kitchen to collect a few plates, she gestures for the other woman to sit.

"The Convergence was the event you spoke of before, with the worlds colliding and your visit to Asgard." She looks over her shoulder at Jane as she opens a cupboard. "Are you willing to speak on it now? What happened there? I'll not push if you're not ready, but I assure you it comes long before my story of Loki." That is decidedly more recent, and also far more complicated to what's happening in Asvera today. She could do so if pressed, but it makes sense to speak in chronological order in her mind.

"It was an accident!" Jane protests, though she too has a little smile on her lips, more out of embarrassment than deep amusement. It is funny in hindsight, a little bit. "Darcy tasing him wasn't though. But we did take him to the hospital and he was fine, though he did kind of, uh, escape." Which... might have been for the best, given the government's intense interest once they'd realized he was there. Or maybe that's too many scifi stories about hiding aliens on Earth influencing her, but Jane wouldn't put it past SHIELD to have been a Problem.

Her focus changes as she realizes they're arriving at an actual destination, her gaze sweeping over the little house. It's no golden palace, a humble home set apart from the more closely-crowded village houses elsewhere on the island, but large enough for a man Thor's size - and a small family too. Flowers bloom alongside the house's outer walls, a wild thicket that seems at once overgrown and well in check, defying the rocky soil at their foundation. The doorposts are painted red and silver, and Jane's hand momentarily lingers on the knotwork as she steps into the house. Inside feels even more strongly of Thor's presence: a lingering smell of coffee hanging in the air hours after it's gone cold, a large red knit sweater tossed over the back of an armchair, empty brackets for an absent weapon above the mantel, and - she's surprised to note - Hubble photographs framed and hung on the walls.

It's at once nothing like she expected and also incredibly him.

Alongside the ghosts of his presence are Amelia's, as well - the way she moves around the kitchen with purpose, her familiarity with the home making it clear that this is her home as well, her own belongings and decor leaving signs of herself all throughout the house. Jane is quiet while she takes a seat at the small kitchen table, just looking around at everything before Amelia prompts her.

She takes a breath and lets it out. "Okay, so. I was already studying the Convergence before Thor showed up, though I didn't know what it was yet. My team, that is - my intern Darcy Lewis, and a scientist friend of mine, Erik Selvig. I said before that there were portals opening up everywhere? I accidentally went through one and found an Infinity Stone that Thor's granddad had buried five thousand years before, this... reality-warping goop called the Aether. I didn't know what it was, but it... went into me," she says, waving at herself. "Like it possessed me, kind of. I was still me, but it was killing me, so Thor took me to Asgard to try to get it out of me. And it turns out it used to be owned by the dark elves, and Thor's grandpa was wrong about wiping them all out, and they attacked Asgard to get it back." Her gaze drops to her hands, and though it's been years, this part of the story still stings with guilt. "Thor's mom died to protect me from Malekith, their leader."

She takes in another breath, a little shakier, but still more than steady enough to tell the rest of the tale. "You know Loki attacked Earth, years back? He was in the dungeons on Asgard because of it, but Thor and his friends staged a jailbreak so he could smuggle me off Asgard and trick Malekith into getting the Aether out of me so they could destroy it. The first part worked, but not the second, and there was a big fight. Loki died to protect me too." That's something she has more complicated feelings on, because he was a smug jerk and he killed dozens of innocent people - but she also watched Thor hold his little brother in his arms while the light left his eyes, and she knows how deeply that drove a metaphorical knife into his heart. And in the end, Loki had died to save her life. That's worth something.

She shakes her head a little, picking at the crumbs of her sandwich with her fingers. "We got back in Earth in time for the Convergence to really be in full swing, and we managed to stop Malekith from using the Aether before it was too late."

The house still feels more Thor's than hers, in Amelia's opinion. A few of the magical texts and the small notebook marked with a fountain pen laying out on the coffee table are hers, but most of her things are still hidden away in "her" room, though even that's merely a place for her things rather than somewhere she spends much time these days. There's a few finer things among the more modest that were hers - a finely crocheted blanket folded into a corner of the couch, a dark wooden rack for shoes that accommodates tall boots by the door, a small wooden box inlaid with silver and emerald-colored enamel filled with beads for braiding tucked away on a shelf in the living room - all repurposed to become theirs now that she lives here. This life she has is part of his, something they are making together. Whatever might once have been hers alone feel better to her now that it's theirs instead.

She listens closely as she moves about, a small, thoughtful frown on her lips. Loki's part in the story doesn't surprise her, both the parts she knew before and those she didn't, but hearing that the loss of Thor's mother came as part of this whole event is painful. It's not Jane who caused the death of the previous Allmother, but the event was still precipitated by the woman's presence in Asgard. Even if they won't say it, Amelia's certain there are at least a few who remember the incident who will blame Jane for it anyway. She assumes Thor doesn't - he would have told her that when mentioning Jane otherwise - but that doesn't mean others take their king's stance.

Needing to keep herself busy, the rogue starts a kettle on the stove, intent on making tea for herself and her guest if she'll want it. Maybe coffee instead, if that's what Jane wants instead. "Getting something like that out seems the most important thing to be done in a situation like that." She manages a little smile for Jane as she steps over to the table and begins setting out all of the sweets she bought on the various plates she took out of the cupboards. "I'm glad you were able to get back to Earth to save it as well. This world is a haven for so many, and it's given me some of the best people I've ever known." There have been heartaches, too, but she won't regret meeting or knowing anyone she's cared for and lost from here.

Hands free once again, Amelia moves to choose a set of mugs for their drinks. "Loki is a complicated man, and knowing him makes it easy for me to accept that he would both do horrible things and sacrifice himself for someone else. Especially one loved by Thor." She smiles again, stopping her movements to lean her back against the counter and cross her arms loosely in front of her chest. For this, she intends to look the other woman in the eyes.

"I don't know how it happened, but he came back after that moment. His life remained a complicated thing, but he again sacrificed himself for others some time later. For the people settled here, actually, though even that tale is..." She searches for another word and eventually sighs when she comes up with nothing. "Complicated. It's also not mine to tell, as I'm only connected to it from after its passage. I know it was difficult for everyone involved, and it hurt Thor deeply to lose Loki in that way." To Thanos in particular. That part, at least, she knows not to share on her love's behalf.

"The Loki I know now isn't the exact same man as the one you knew. He's from a world so much like this it might as well be the same, but he's not the one who did all those things for you or the people of Asvera. Not directly." She shrugs her shoulders, wishing she had a better explanation than the one she's going to offer. "Both Thor and I met him through the Nexus. He's played a role with some things in this world over time, but always as an outsider, brought in by those who know of his existence and trust him. Flawed and mercurial as ever he was, his heart is often in the right place. He even adopted a handful of Asgardian orphans when everyone was moved here, and he's raising them into fine young people."

Dreams, is that too much to say? Too soon to say it after Jane's story? She doesn't know, but she hopes she's not crowding by offering it in this way.

Tea is definitely welcome, though Jane would accept either. Caffeine is caffeine, and a hot drink is a hot drink, and a lifetime spent pulling all-nighters does not discriminate. She finishes off the remainder of her sandwich half while the tea steeps, the other half wrapped and tucked into her jacket pocket. A thoughtful frown is on her face as Amelia tells her tale, taking it all in. "God, that's terrible." Nobody's told her what happened to Odin, but it's a foregone conclusion that the old king is gone too, given who sits the throne of Asgard now. Who does Thor have left, besides the other woman puttering around the kitchen?

News of another Loki is surprising, but perhaps it shouldn't be. A few pieces click into place, and Jane's eyes narrow a little. "That's... weirdly altruistic of him. But I guess it's not like I knew him, we only really met the one time. And Thor... well, you've probably heard some of his stories by now, when they were growing up." She shakes her head, accepting the steaming cup of tea and bringing it close to inhale the scent. "Is it anything like you're used to? The whole... royal family drama thing, I mean." Amelia had said she'd intended to make her family nobles, and Jane hasn't forgotten that, though her experience with that sort of thing is either dating Thor or going to a Renaissance faire.

It helps Amelia stay settled to have something to do with her hands. Tea is a familiar ritual for herself, and after checking that her choice of a lightly floral green tea won't go astray, she sets about making it while their conversation continues. It feels much easier for her to sit down across from Jane once she has something in her hands.

"I've heard some stories, yes, from Thor and Loki both. Aside from how far some of their pranks went and the scale of it, it's not so different from what I'm used to with my own siblings." A beat and she huffs a laugh. "One of them, at least. When you're competitive with someone, you always try to take things one step further. Gods only have the chance to do more with it because of what they are than people like you and I."

She shrugs a little as she sips at her tea. "In a way I'm used to it, yes. I kept my ear to the ground with all of the nobility in my city when I could, but I was never so close as to be part of it. My family was only recently made noble before I was pulled from there, and as much as I prepared them for it, there's a gap between being a prominent merchant family and being lowly titled nobles." It's offered as fact rather than something good or bad. High or low never mattered to Amelia where her family was concerned, so long as they had access to what she wanted for them. The lowest of titles did that, and it remains enough for her after sealing off her world from the rest of the multiverse.

"Thor and Loki aren't so competitive anymore. They're supportive of each other through all the hardships both of them have faced, be they world ending or daily frustrations. There's struggles there, of course, but it's a rare and fond sort of companionship." She smiles warmly, turning her cup between her fingers. "They've both settled in their own ways, too. Thor here with me, Loki with his children and a woman he loves. I'm happy for them both, truly, and I know they're happy for one another, too."

Whatever Jane had been expecting when she arrived in Asvera, none of this was it. It feels so surreal to be sitting in a little house on the sea, drinking tea with her ex's new very mortal girlfriend and chatting about Thor's dead brother who is apparently alive and well and father to a bunch of orphans. It's all very, very weird.

Which is par for the course when it comes to anything Asgardian, she supposes. Her life has not been normal since the moment a man fell out of the sky in front of her.

"No kids in the plans for you two then?" Jane blurts before she can think twice, and her cheeks flush. "I'm sorry, that was rude."

Amelia's cheeks turn an even deeper red as she looks down at her tea. Part of her had expected the question, but it's still... unnerving to hear it. Mostly because her own thoughts have been churning on the matter for months, stirred up several times today in their walk about Asvera.

Dreams, why has she continued to avoid this conversation with Thor? This is madness.

"Not... as such. Not yet, at least? We've not actually spoken on the subject." Her neck turns a bit red as she forces herself to take a sip of tea for a few seconds of reprieve. "It's something we should speak on, but it's complicated with me being mortal and not knowing what the fate of such children would be, let alone how the rest of Asvera would take it or if they'd accept me as anything more than his partner and--"

She cuts herself off with sharp exhale, fingers inevitably finding the strands of her hairpin. "I'm sorry. My thoughts have been on this for a while without knowing how to broach the subject with him. Not because I'm eager to have children, but because... because..."

Because she never saw herself with children on her world. She never thought she could be a mother, much less someone's lover or partner or wife. Now here she is, in love with the king of a people she cares for as if she'd always been among them or were one of them. How do you even talk about something like that with the person you love?

"I suppose this is a reminder that I need to talk with my therapist about, assuming I don't trip into the conversation." A habit that feels like it's painfully obvious in this moment.

Well, this is awkward. Jane hides behind the rim of her teacup, her own reflection looking up at her from the steaming brew. She takes a deep breath and makes herself set the cup down on the table with a little clatter. "That's kind of what happened to us. I wasn't even thinking about kids and when he brought it up, I wasn't ready. It... didn't go well." She winces and shakes her head. "Not that it was a dealbreaker, or the last straw or anything. But kids have never really been on my to do list."

She believes Jane means well by telling her this, but the offer only makes things worse. Children weren't part of her plans for her life either. Everything is completely different now than it was in Masarra, but there are still so many reasons it's a terrible idea, so many ways everything could go wrong. She doesn't want that, yet what can she do to stop it?

The only thing left to her now is to talk to Thor. It's going to be a very difficult and emotional conversation, she's certain. It'll have to come with all else that's involved with them having children, top among them being her long-term place in Asvera and Asgardian culture, but they have to begin somewhere.

"It was enough for the two of you to recognize other troubles you were having," she supplies, smiling sympathetically. "I'm not so inexperienced with relationships that I don't understand. I've loved others in my life, and lost the relationship because of things I've done that I shouldn't have. Sometimes things simply don't work between two people, and it takes those difficult conversations to see it." They're always painful, but necessary and best for all in the long term.

Sighing softly, she sets her tea on the table and turns it slowly between her hands. "It won't be easy to have this conversation, but I don't think there's a way either of us will truly be ready for it. If we were, there'd be little point in having it." She smiles ruefully. "It will go as well as it's meant to, and my life will continue on after, much as yours did. The direction it goes only unknown for now."

Jane looks at her, continually surprised by Amelia's seemingly easy acceptance of facing such life-changing questions. "I'm..."

She's interrupted by a familiar sound, a roar from the heavens that splits the clouds and burns with prismatic fire, scorching its knotwork patterns into the rocks on the cliffsides near the house. It's a sound she's heard in her dreams for years, unforgettable as the man who manifests within its blazing light, axe casually slung over his shoulder as he walks the short path home.

The door swings open to admit Thor, his attention on knocking the dust from his boots as he enters, setting Stormbreaker down on its head next to the door. He's dressed more formally than he's come to enjoy, a near-Asgardian style outfit Alex has crafted for him in black and embroidered silver, a red half-cape over his left shoulder, his hair and beard braided and accented with silver bands. At first, he does not notice the presence of company, though the scent of hot tea tells him Amelia is at home. "I swear these meetings get longer every time," he calls out, before turning to face the little kitchen, and a shock resonates through him when he realizes Amelia is not alone - and who her visitor is. "Jane?"

"Um. Hi," Jane says, lifting her hand to wave at him, but she's staring just as much, aside from an absently panicked glance at Amelia.

Thor's return has Amelia on her feet, surprised enough to have a hand out to Jane to shield the woman if necessary and the other at her hip looking for a blade. When her heart's stopped racing, she takes a breath and lowers both hands, stepping around the table to stand next to Jane. She expects this will be a very awkward conversation, much the same way her and Jane's conversation became when they met each other in the heart of town.

"Welcome home," she offers with a nervous smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't think to send you a message to warn you we had a guest." She's usually very good at that sort of thing, but not today. Today she was completely distracted by a guest so unexpected and full of tales that she couldn't rip her mind away long enough for a simple text.

She takes a deep breath, then gestures him close and offers a hand to him. "We've been talking for hours now, getting to know one another after I showed her the whole of Asvera." A beat, and she turns to look down at Jane. "Though I suppose you came to speak to Thor, not me. I can leave the two of you in peace, if you have private matters to discuss. I don't mind, really."

There's no nervousness in her about leaving them alone together. They were in love and intimate with one another, but Amelia's never been one to be jealous. Besides, if Jane has business with the Allfather, she deserves to get to it without anyone hovering over her.

Jane's gaze sweeps over him, and Thor's certain he's not imagining the way she lingers on his face and the glint of black metal peeking out from his shirtsleeve. Without realizing he's done it, he turns slightly to hide the latter, his own attention on the fact that his old flame has suddenly reappeared in his own kitchen. And on the strange expressions on both her face and Amelia's - alarm? guilt? Were they talking about him just now? Jane is here. Why is Jane here?

The tableau breaks as Amelia steps in to smooth things over, and Thor's frozen thoughts lurch forward at last. When Amelia reaches for him, he reaches back with his living hand, drawing her in close for a brief embrace. "Oh? Good things, I hope," he says, forcing his tone to be light and diplomatic, uncertain what front to present. It's been years since he's seen Jane, not even after they'd returned the taken, knowing she had been one of them. And now... so much has changed. He has changed.

Jane's gaze breaks away from Thor at last, looking back to Amelia, color in her cheeks. For all that she's been turning this visit over in her mind, fixated on what she might find, all her rehearsed words have left her bereft. As if she'd never considered what to say in the first place, an impulsive decision to come all the way out here for reasons even she can't name. "It's not... I mean. I just... wanted to see if you were okay. I heard what happened to Asgard." She smiles, but there's a sadness in her eyes that Thor understands without words. "It's a beautiful village. You must be very proud."

"I am," Thor answers, and he means that, despite the heartbreak whose roots grow deep in Asvera. It is not Asgard, and it does not have to be, but for just a moment there is a shared moment of mourning for what was, and is no longer. He cannot change the past any more than he could turn the Fates from their weave, and there is little point in wishing otherwise, a lesson he's had to learn the hard way. "It's... good to see you, Jane. You look good."

"You too," Jane answers, her eyes flicking back and forth between him and the woman in his arms, and mercifully does not mention where he differs from the Thor she remembers, though he knows it could not be more blatant. "...I see you on the news sometimes. But that's not really... you. I guess I just... had to see for myself."

Amelia unconsciously leans into Thor when he draws her close, raising herself enough to press a kiss to his cheek before she settles next to him once more. It doesn't occur to her that he's trying to hide the parts of himself that are no longer flesh and blood, but his pulling her close keeps his living hand occupied. The rogue stays at his side as the two exchange pleasantries, awkward as they are, only interjecting herself when they both seem to be faltering.

"I'm glad I was able to show you the whole of it today. It was good to meet you without a distraction, too, welcome as you often are." She smiles up at Thor before turning her attention back to Jane. "I hope you've found everything well and without cause for worry."

They've built a strong community here, with elements that capture lost culture and also add new things to it as part of their growth into their new home. Amelia's equally proud of what she's contributed here, and she's even more proud of what Thor has become at the head of it all. She hopes Jane sees the same when she looks at him.

"You'll have to plan your next visit with us so you can have more than just my company," she chuckles. "I'm a decent host, but I'm no substitution for Thor."

Thor can see that Jane is surprised by Amelia's offer, uncertain of her place here, and though he knows little of what they've talked about before his arrival, he takes his cue from his beloved. Whatever they've discussed, whatever Jane thinks and feels about what Asgard has become, Amelia has welcomed her in with open arms knowing full well who she is, what she meant - still means - to Thor.

So he smiles, arm around Amelia, and adds, "Bring Darcy and Selvig next time," he suggests, reinforcing that invitation with no small measure of relief and love for the woman in his arms. "We'd love to see you at Yule." They can't go back to what they had before, but the life that Thor wishes to build has room for any friends that still remain, Jane included.

"I'll have to see if they're up for it," Jane says, that uncertainty in her eyes easing. "But I'd love to come back, if I can. Um. How can I reach you? Is there a new Gatekeeper?"

Thor's laugh is sudden, surprising even himself. "You could text me, if you wish."

"You have a phone now? You?"

For just a moment, it's just like old times, Jane slipping back into friendly teasing over his adoption of quaint Earth customs. It's achingly familiar, and Thor can't help the smile on his face as he retrieves his little device, holding it gingerly between large strong hands as he pokes at the screen to pull up his number before handing it over to Jane so she may put it in her contacts. Their hands touch briefly, and Jane doesn't flinch at the smooth metal of his fingers, still focusing on the odd novelty of Thor not only having a phone but knowing how to use it.

With their numbers exchanged, and the hours marching on toward evening masked by the ever-present summer sun, the promise of a future return lets Jane make her goodbyes without feeling as though it's the last time. "If you're ever in New Mexico, drop by and say hello," she tells both of them. "It's only half a planet away now."

Thor smiles, and draws her into a hug. She fits in his arms as well as he remembered, despite everything that's changed, and her arms embrace him just as strongly. They are both not what they once were, together or separately. But she is still dear to him, and him to her.

Once released, Jane turns to Amelia, hesitating how to say her farewells. A handshake is too impersonal, would a hug be too forward for someone you met a few hours ago? "Thank you for showing me around," she says. "And... for everything we talked about. I feel like I'm leaving him in good hands," she jokes lightly, glancing over at Thor.

Amelia doesn't interrupt as they exchange their words and phone numbers, learning so much about Jane's life outside of what she already has with the little mentions of the people around her and how they fit into her life. How they once fit into the life she and Thor shared. It's an unexpected glimpse into a past that shaped the man she loves more than anything, as well as into a woman she has a feeling she'll slowly get to know over the coming years. She's looking forward to it.

When Jane hesitates, the rogue steps forward and grasps one of the woman's hands between both of hers. It's more familiar than a handshake without being too much for how touch averse Amelia usually is. "It was a genuine pleasure and joy to meet you, Jane. I promise, you leave him in hands happy to take care of him, and ones that will be happy to welcome you and yours back to our home again whenever you all can make it." Her smile warms as she squeezes Jane's hand and then withdraws. "Travel safely, and may we see one another again soon."

Once their visitor has departed and they're alone, Amelia looks up to Thor with a warm and slightly nervous expression. "I'm sorry for not warning you. We spoke of you all day and I didn't even think of it." She huffs a laugh and shakes her head, taking his metal hand in hers and curling around his arm. "Are you all right? I... can't imagine what kind of shock this must be."

It's different for her if her former partner shows up, seeing as Harley is such a big part of both of their lives. For Jane to suddenly be here, unannounced and with no warning to him, must be something entirely different, possibly worse.

Whatever Jane was seeking when she arrived here, she's not sure she found it. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. When she makes her final goodbye and steps out the door, it's with a lightness in her step and a smile on her lips.

Thor's expression, in contrast, slides from a beaming smile into something a little more pensive, as soon as Jane is no longer there to see. He grasps Amelia's hand in his own, a solid lifeline, leaning lightly into her as she does to him. "I think so," he murmurs, but not entirely convincing. He's honestly not sure what he feels. Nostalgia, joy, grief, hope... Thor is not a man prone to feeling with anything less than his entire essence. The breakup is an old scar long healed, and while Jane's appearance did not reopen it, there's an ache like a bad knee before a storm. A reminder of what he had and lost, his love for her no less for the time passed, nor any lesser than the love he holds for the woman in her arms right now.

He turns toward her and leans forward for a kiss, reassurance for her as much as himself. "I did not think to see her again," he admits, resting his forehead against hers, head bowed. "I'm not the man I once was."

It's easy to see he's struggling a little with everything he's feeling. She doesn't try to rush him through his feelings, knowing herself how difficult moments like this can be. Seeing people you weren't expecting again, having to face them with new knowledge of yourself and who you aren't with them is... difficult at best, excruciating at worst. Amelia clamps down on her own thoughts to keep her heart from aching too much for herself, focusing instead on her love and what he needs right now.

She kisses him with such gentleness as she can manage, eyes concerned but still glad he's being honest with her. "No, you're not. You're someone different than you were even when I met you, and that's not a bad thing. You've grown so much and become an incredible king to a people who are proud to have you as their own." She lifts a hand to rest it against his cheek, pressing her forehead to his a little more fully. "And I'm proud to be at your side through all of it. Not just as your friend and your partner, but as someone who loves you. You make me feel safe in a way I've never had before, and I don't know if I could have said that even a few years past."

They've both changed in that time, but where once she saw a warrior trying to find his place among his people, she now sees a man who has become a full and true king to them. It's an honor to be here at his side.

"Tell me what's on your mind? We can sit and have something to drink on the couch as we do." It's a call to action like the early morning hours after one of his nightmares. They can take this as slowly as he needs, and she will help him get through it. It may not be the same kind of anxiety, but that doesn't make it any less important to her to take care of him as he processes all that's happened and what it's brought out in his thoughts.

Sometimes it's easy for Thor to forget how much has changed. How much he has changed. Isolated in their little village, settled into new routines, his people's growth into new shapes like green growth covering ruins... it's become normalcy for them all, until some aspect of the old life reappears, a stark contrast that cannot help but remind him of what came before. It's not painful like it used to be, not really, so long as he has other thoughts to occupy his mind. But it does rock him off balance, and Amelia's words are a hand offered to pull him back to center.

His smile is small and wistful, but also fond, and he kisses her again before he pulls back slightly. "Just old memories," he assures her. "So you two got along all right? It looked like I was interrupting something."

She's still worried about him after his assurances, but it's only because she's always a little worried. Seeing him falter the smallest step never fails to make her heart flutter and that anxiety seep in. Still, she can set it aside to answer his questions in the hopes of settling his mind. With any luck, knowing there's only goodwill between herself and Jane will help.

"Only the two of us stumbling into topics we didn't expect to touch today." She chuckles and encourages him to come to the couch with her, sitting them beside each other when he relents. "After speaking at length about Asvera, I told her about the Nexus and how it's connected to my being here, and about Loki." That makes her smile a little more ruefully. It had been important in her mind, but now that he's returned from his business, she wishes she'd taken a moment to ask him if she even could bring it up. There's nothing she can do about it now, though.

There's also the entire matter of children, which she doesn't want to bring up yet. That's a conversation best had after she knows he's feeling wholly himself again.

"She told me about how the two of you met and her visit to Asgard, and a bit about what she does. The last was harder for me to follow when it involves so much science I simply don't know." It's simply the way of things with anything of that nature. She smiles softly. "She's an incredible woman. Intelligent, quick-witted, and beautiful. I hope we'll see each other again and have the chance to be friends, because she's a wonderful person."

He keeps hold of her hand even as they sit, absently tracing small gentle circles on the back of her hand with his metal thumb. Though Thor is not thinking of it, a part of him knows he would not be so comfortable as to hold Jane's hand the same way, seeking soothing familiarity in Amelia's acceptance of who he is and what he has become. Here, he does not need to live up to the shadow of what he was, who others expect him to be.

"I've become used to the strange terms of Earth science," he admits with a small smile, "yet even I don't always know what she's talking about. Perhaps next time, I could translate?" He's only half serious, mostly just relieved that they've gotten along so well that Amelia hopes for more than one awkward meeting. "She is all those things, and more. She's earned prizes of great prestige in the realms of science, and saved all the Realms at least once besides. And it was she who showed me that humans were not so different from my own people, nor beneath us."

Strange, perhaps, to so eagerly sing praises of his ex-girlfriend to the current one. Others might take it as a reason for jealousy. But Thor's eye does not leave Amelia's, and he raises her hand to his lips to kiss it before tucking them both against his chest, their intertwined hands against his heart.

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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