A God and a Goddess – by Darlin

A/N – It's taken a long time for me to write a ThoRo if I can call this that. Or would it be ThoRoro? I've always imagined the couple, enjoyed a few stories of them here, there aren't many, and yet . . . Well, have a read and see.

Disclaimer – We all know I still don't own the X-Men and I certainly don't own the Avengers either. No profit made here!

-xox-

Lightning flashing, searing, destroying. Though it was evening the sky was lit up as if it were midday, and in it's brightness two seemed to dance upon the winds. A god of Asgard versus a goddess of Earth. And as they battled each other high in the skies, pitting lightning against lightning, winds against winds, perhaps they forgot what it was they fought for. For they seemed so equally matched, this god and goddess.

But below them the battle surged on. Iron Man and Colossus, Jean Grey and Scott fighting side by side against Captain America and Natasha, Clint firing arrows at Rogue who was taking on War Machine high above, and Iceman doing damage control down below. The combatants fleeting glances skyward went unseen by the Asgardian and the Kenyan-American princess as lightning trounced the earth and thunder boomed. The war above bombarded the earth below making all dart out of the way of strikes of lightning, sudden fires sparking then raging in silent fury. The pair who controlled the very elements of the air were seemingly oblivious to all but the desire to annihilate their foe, to protect their cause, to save their friends.

"Ah, you fight well, Mistress of the Storm! And yet you see that you cannot harm me, that I merely toy with you!" roared the god of thunder, his tone proud and yet his face full of admiration for few could match his might and none but her could wield lightning as he.

"You fight like a man, all brawn and ego," Ororo said, her face grim but full of satisfaction for Thor suddenly caught at his throat, gagging as if he could not breathe. And then with a look of realization of what she'd done to him he went tumbling down. Down. Down.

Ororo watched his descent for only seconds before she quickly dove after him.

"Woman . . . ! I . . . cannot breathe!" he gasped as she captured him in her winds, slowing his descent until she reached him, her arms going around him, holding him, saving him.

"I . . . am sorry," she whispered.

"But how?" he asked, finding his lungs now filled with air once again.

"I simply took the air from your lungs," she replied with a small sigh.

"You . . . you are . . ." but Thor could think of nothing that could describe her and nothing that could take the embarrassment from him.

Or the desire he felt for her. He pulled her hard to him and sought her lips, forcing them to open, to submit to him.

She tried to speak, to pull free but instead her body went slack against his as desire overtook her. And still her winds buffeted them, held them, caressed them. Or were they his winds? She couldn't think, only feel.

"I could toss you to your death, woman," Thor groaned in her ear before his lips sought hers again. But she pulled back and glared at him.

"And I could take your breath again, suck every breath of air from your lungs, before I fell! Never underestimate me!"

He laughed. "You have already taken my breath away a second time! I have never met a woman such as you!" He looked at her intensely before kissing her again.

"Mmmm," she murmured, lost in this sudden irresistible attraction.

"I would have you, woman!" he half growled, half whispered when he let her go.

Ororo smiled, kissed him lightly, drew him back to her. "I would have you, Thor."

They grew silent as they looked at each other, studying, contemplating. Their attraction to each other overpowering and yet they were on opposite sides. Neither could ignore this.

They landed gently amidst fallen trees and debris, their friends staring at them in shock.

"I hope they're finished!" Iceman cried as he continued smothering fires with his ice.

"T'would appear so, m'lad," Tony Stark said with some snark.

"I hope the two of ya ain't gonna go at it right here," Wolverine growled.

Their arms fell at his words, as if guilty, suddenly confused, shy even.

"No one gets ta bed our Ororo but us!" Rogue declared.

"This is ridiculous, although the cease fire is a relief, now we can talk sensibly about Magneto," Steve said, giving Rogue and Hawkeye a look for the two of them had started the unintended fight with their taunts.

"It . . .we . . ." Ororo cleared her throat. "There . . . there is no need to-to fight . . . not any more." Ororo stumbled over words as she forced herself not to look at Thor.

"I agree," Thor added, his eyes on Ororo.

"Damn, get a room already!" Hawkeye said as he sheathed an arrow.

"I would . . . if you . . . ? I mean, could we not, perhaps, get to know each other?" Thor mumbled, hopeful, unsure, out of his element – a rare thing.

"A splendid idea," Hank chimed in.

"I would . . . but . . . I cannot," was Ororo's soft but disappointing reply as she ignored the Beast.

"Why the hell not?" Rogue demanded.

"I . . . I . . ." But Ororo had no answer to give Rogue, no more than she had for Thor.

"An' fer the record ah meant Roro's datin' X-Men only! Or at least not you Avengers, she ain't goin' out with none of y'all. But, uh, girl why the hell not? He's a god an' hot as hell!"

"Can we take a moment to talk about why we were fighting and not about Thor and Ororo's sex life?" Scott asked.

"I second that," Steve said.

"Ditto," Wolverine said, still glaring at Thor.

"I want to hear about their sex life!" Jean said and giggled.

"It was . . . but a kiss, a kiss between foes who are now friends, I hope," Thor said all while looking at Ororo as if willing her to return his look.

"Just a kiss!" Natasha said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm guessing he failed math class in whatever Asgardian school he went to on the rainbow bridge," Clint snickered.

Ororo looked as if she might blush any moment but she still refused to look at Thor or anyone else even.

Thor sighed then shook his head sadly. "My lady, till we meet again and I hope it may be soon." He would have kissed her again but instead he grinned sheepishly as everyone stared at him.

"So what? We're all BFF's now?" Tony asked.

"Simpatico at the very least it would seem," Hank said.

"If we had a Hulk with us we would've so kicked your butts," Clint said.

"No y'all wouldn't have!" Rogue cried.

"I would take your Hulk on!" cried Colossus who'd done a decent job of taking Iron Man on.

"Uh, yeah, good luck with that," Rhodey said as he took his helmet off.

The Black Widow laughed, said something in Russian that Pitor merely snorted at, and then she laughed again.

"There is no need for me to continue this fight," Thor said, his eyes still on Ororo, but he spoke of another battle than between the Avengers and X-Men. "I see there is no more I can do this day. But . . . perhaps another day . . ."

And now Ororo looked at him. Her breath hitched when she saw his intense gaze upon her. Her own face was full of emotion. She didn't want him to go. Everything within her yearned to reach out to this man who had expectantly captured her body and soul.

"We can talk about Magneto in the professor's study. Charles has him . . . well, sedated, er, so to speak. . . ever since the attack on Manhattan today," Scott said.

Steve nodded in agreement but said, "He will have to answer for his crimes."

"Understood," Scott said and the two leaders turned and headed to the school.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a magic kiss that could end a fight?" Tony asked as he passed his friend and gave the god a pat on the back.

"The question is, why hasn't he used it before?" Rhodey asked.

"Well, there is Jane," Natasha murmured as she followed Tony.

"There is that," Hawkeye agreed as he fell into step with her.

"And Sif," Tony called out over his shoulder. "Personally I prefer him with the lady Sif. At least she doth visit us! Don't think I've ever met this mysterious Jane. Is there really a Jane, Thor? Hey, Rhodey, you coming?"

Rhodey smiled a little sheepishly too and he bobbed his head at Ororo. "Uh, it was nice meeting you," he said and then thought how lame that sounded when they hadn't really met but he, like Thor, was struck by her beauty and power.

"I'm sorry it was under these circumstances," Ororo replied and smiled kindly at him.

So, Rhodey wondered, did that mean she'd like to see him again? He wasn't exactly sure but he couldn't help smiling even though Thor was giving him a look that told him he was in dangerous territory. He shrugged at the thunder god, no harm in trying, he thought and, still smiling, he headed after his team.

"Jane? Lady Sif?" Ororo asked, clearly alarmed.

"Bub sounds like a playboy ta me darlin'," Logan growled.

"Uh huh, though ah hate ta agree with, Logan," Rogue said.

"Too bad, hon," Jean said with a small sigh.

"Ladies, Bobby, Wolverine, they're leaving us," Hank said, glancing after the Avengers and Scott.

"I . . . have to go," Ororo said but the look she gave Thor clearly showed that she didn't want to.

"Till we meet again and I hope it may be soon," Thor said now, grinning, pleased with Ororo's jealousy. And he took her in his arms and kissed her again. And again. Deep and tenderly. Time forgotten.

When he finally let her go they were alone. It was quiet, all fires dispersed. She couldn't help smiling. But her smile quickly died when he spoke again.

"As much as I wish things were different," Thor said, "I admit that there is indeed . . ."

"There are complications," she supplied and nodded, her pain clear upon her face. Jane. Lady Sif.

"I . . . am . . ."

"Sorry?"

"That, yes, but . . ."

"Confused," she whispered her own feelings.

"You read me well, woman."

"Stop calling me woman," she said and tried to laugh though she wanted to cry.

"Then . . . beloved," he breathed, looking at her as if he truly meant it.

She caught her breath. They stared long at each other as if struck by some spell.

"You would not reconsider . . . ?" Thor's voice died with his hope as Ororo seemed to wake from the spell at the sound of his voice.

She shook her head slowly despite everything within her demanding that she take him up on his offer.

"Ah. Well. Then we part. But not for too long I hope." He sighed but then smiled. "Indeed I see that your Shakespeare was sadly mistaken, parting is not sweet sorrow but unquenchable sorrow. I-I look forward to our next meeting."

"When things are . . . less complicated perhaps."

He grinned. She could not. No man had affected her like this before. But she knew she wouldn't allow herself to see him again. For that meant she might lose herself. He overwhelmed her, consumed her. Had he taken her there before friend and foe she would have given in to him. Her lips parted as her chest rose with desire, and with sadness, and regret. And as she watched him take to the skies she knew she was letting something rare and precious slip from her grasp. For since when had she not fought for what she wanted? What was a Jane or a lady Sif to her?

But no, she would never give herself to any man so that he was her all, her everything, and she his subject, willing or no. She would not allow herself to fall in love with a man who could control her at his very whim though he didn't know it. And he didn't know this. But seeing her resolve, knowing the battle she fought was much the same as the battle he also fought, Thor, with one last look at the goddess he longed for so strongly, disappeared into the atmosphere. She knew there wouldn't be another meeting and that she would never be his. He didn't understand it any more than he expected she did but it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do, parting from her. With all his soul he knew that there would never be another woman that he would ever want more than the Mistress of the Storm – his beloved. Not even Jane.

A/N – Well, if you liked this please let me know. I've an idea for a second chapter although originally I planned for this to be a one shot. Still not sure if a second chapter's needed and yet I quite like the idea of the two of them together. But I enjoy bittersweet endings and endings with all kinds of possibilities left for the imagination, like my story Intriguing Possibilities with Storm and Quicksilver. And I hesitate to venture into chapter stories again, just so time consuming. Guess I'll just wait and see what my muse has to say about it. Perhaps one more chapter to make the bitter truly sweet? Thanks for reading!