It is night as I arrive on Midguard up on the roof of the Avenger's Tower. I came to visit Jane but, as usual, I stop to visit my friends first to make sure all is well. The city is quiet tonight except for the occasional siren and I make my way over to the door to enter the top floor until I see the warrior archer perched on a lawn chair amidst a collection of empty ale cans. He stares up at the sky at first, until I make my presence known to him.

"Hello, my friend." I announce, clasping him on the back joyfully and looking up to see whatever it is that has him so interested. It is only the night sky as it has always been here. The constellations are the same. I move my gaze down to him once again to study his face and notice the deep sadness written there.

"Hey Thor." He answered, voice low and devoted of any joy.

"Are you not happy to see me, friend?" I inquire. It is not like Clint to not stand and clap his hand at my shoulder back in greeting.

"What? Oh. Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. It's just been a long day I guess." Knowing a friend in need when I see one, I look around and pull the closest spare lawn chair up next to his and rest on it, albeit a bit uncomfortably. These mortal furnishing are always too tiny. He hands me a beer and I pop the top of the can open as Selvick had taught me to do at the bar a few mortal years ago.

"Something is troubling you." I state, taking a sip of the foul liquid and leaning back into my chair.

The man beside me just stares ahead, as if lost in thought in a world far away from here. "How is Jane?" He surprises me by querying.

"She is well." She is getting older each year with nothing for me to do to stop it. One day she will die and I will never again feel joy. But, for the moment, she is still young and healthy and beautiful. I think, a little bitterly. "And your lady Natasha?"

Clint scoffs, taking another long draw from his beer and staring ahead some more. "You're a lucky man, Thor. Your girlfriend loves you."

"Ah, trouble with the women." I surmise. "Are they not the greatest mystery of all? Certainly more complex than anything out there you could be studying." I wave my arm to gesture to the night sky and the archer lets out a bitter chuckle.

"Do you ever want to have kids? With Jane, I mean."

The question is a bit unexpected, but not difficult. "They are a gift. I should like to have a dozen!" I announce, laughing merrily as I think of Jane swollen with child and the beautiful sight it would make.

I see his eyebrows raise at this, a slight grin appearing on his face before it is washed away by the tide of bitter anguish that replaces it. I worry for the man sitting next to me. "Is there a congratulations in order?" Is Lady Natasha with child? He is afraid for her? I thought mortal medicine had reached the point to which it is safe for women to give life.

He only shakes his head and crumples his beer can, tossing it aside and popping open another. I finish mine quickly so as to keep up. "Lady Natasha is a warrior woman! I have great respect for her. She is strong, like my friend Lady Sif of Asgaurd."

"Yeah she is. She's the strongest, smartest, most beautiful woman I've ever met and I blew it. And the thing is I knew I should shut up. She won't let herself admit to anything if it isn't about some dammed mission. But I can't just pretend that it's all about the job anymore! It's been eight years! Eight years of me following her around like an idiot and being too much of a coward to do anything about it."

This is surprising. I have always known Lady Natasha to be reserved. She must work harder in a world of male soldiers to prove her strength as a female warrior. I had assumed it was different behind closed doors. Perhaps there is more to the complexity of that woman than I knew. "She has refused to bear your children then?" I ask, a little confused. What where the common mating rituals of American Midguardians in this period of time again? Was not some marriage ceremony usually involved?

Clint snorts and continues to drink. I'm beginning to wonder how much of this refreshment a mere mortal of his size can hold. "She can't. They took that away from her too. It's like she thinks she isn't a real person after everything."

I listen to him quietly. Barrenness is a great sadness when it happens to couples in Asguard. It is considered a great joy to see your lover in a young face. I would like very much to meet a young version of Jane and myself...a child that is our two souls combined into one living flesh. I know a little about what he might mean about who "they" are. Upon interrogation, Loki told me much about what he had learned inside of the mind of Clint Barton. Ultimately, I believe it was his downfall to choose the lover of the warrior woman Natasha. Not many people can trick my brother, for that she has even his respect.

"I observed Lady Natasha whilst on board the flying machine during my brother's antics. She was most determined to retrieve you alive. I know she cares deeply for you." I offer, wondering what exactly it is in that has one of the most collected mortals I know acting in this manner.

"I know she does too. But she won't admit it. She loves me and I love her and it should be so much more simple than it is."

I finish my second can. It still tastes as foul as it did to begin with, much to my disappointment. Next time I arrive, I will come bearing good ale to share with my friend. "I will visit her then. Perhaps I can put a good word in for you, my friend." I am not one to generally get involved in these matters, but I do not like seeing my teammate in such sorrow.

Clint says something as I pull the door shut behind me, but it is too late. I cannot hear him from my place and my intentions are to go straight to my friend lady Natasha so that this quarrel can be put to an end.

Not wishing to go to her personal apartments, as it would be unbefitting of me to be alone with her in such a place, I am joyed to see the warrior woman's fiery red hair seated at the table just inside Steve Roger's open apartment door. He is serving her water and crackers and she looks much happier than her unfortunate lover upstairs. Of course, she is masterful enough at deceptions to fool my brother, so I cannot be sure if her smile is genuine. Knowing Steve well, I step inside without a second thought.

"Hello my friends!" I boom, still happy to see them alive and well despite the situation at hand. Without waiting for a response from the surprised pair I continue, wishing to get the vile problem solved and behind everyone "I must speak with you, Lady Natasha. The archer warrior is in a most sorrowful state. Do you no longer wish for his affections?"

"No!" She practically yells at me. Wait, no she doesn't want his affections, or no to my question?

Steve looks at her as though equally confused and then back to me "Umm, Thor. I'm very happy to see you here and all, but this might not be the best time-"

"Even Loki has spoke of your warrior's love! He wished to use it against him in his schemes. Is it his fault you no longer care for him? Did Loki's threats to force warrior Clint to violate you weaken your love?"

"No." She practically spits the moment I finish talking. Something seemed odd about it, as if she felt unnaturally driven to speak. Her hands grip the table's edge in front of her and her knuckles go white with the force in which she clings to it.

"Then what has caused this turmoil?" I ask, thinking the matter much simpler than the drunken man on the roof made it out to be. Warrior Steve is looking back and forth from Natasha to myself with concern, but as though he is unsure of what to do. She has not replaced the archer with the captain, has she?

"I don't know how to give him what he wants! I can't be an agent anymore and I can't be a wife and I don't know what I am and I can't drag him down with me because he'll break if I try and fail at it." The words come quickly and automatically in a manner that does not seem befitting of Lady Natasha. Something is aloof here.

"Thor!" Steve raises his voice at me and places himself in between me and the female warrior. I'm still trying to understand what she meant in her strange words. "You can't ask her any questions right now. She's been drugged to have to answer."

Oh.

"My apologies." I offer, hoping the maiden will not be cross. It would be a great challenge to fight her without the use of my hammer, but I am not sure who would win. Since there is no honor in besting or being bested by a woman, it would be unwise to entice her to fight me.

Steve turns from me and goes over to offer a hand at her shoulder, taking the seat nearest to her. I move forward as well, sitting across from the fiery haired warrior.

"You can go tell Barton to get his stupid мудак back inside if he isn't too drunk to walk." Muttering to herself, she adds "ступид идиот не может держать язык за зубами." Stupid idiot doesn't even know how to keep his mouth shut. "I don't know how this works on Asguard, but here we mind our own damned business." She snaps as Steve passes a plate of plain salt crackers from the counter behind his seat to the place in front of her. She glances down to the plate and then back up to her host, sighing "You're just as bad as Clint." I begin to wonder if she knows that I understand all the earthly languages, but I don't comment on it as I understand her to already be displeased.

"Want me to get him?" Steve questions her gently when I make no move to do so.

"Yes." The word automatically comes, her lips a slave to the drug. It's most intriguing. If only we had something like this on Asguard for Loki. Steve leaves immediately without asking me where to look. We all know how our friend prefers his solace atop the roof.

I remain in my place as Natasha nibbles on the side of one of the little tan squares, before putting most of it back down on her plate as though she is unable to stomach eating the rest. "Want some crackers? She sighs, pushing the plate over to me without waiting for a response. I smile. She knows me well. The strange food lacks almost any flavor, but I finish it all in seconds anyway as she simply sits quietly and sips at her water glass.

When Warrior Steve comes in with Warrior Clint in tow, Lady Natasha simply gets up and walks out to the door to meet him. I notice she is limping, no doubt from some recent glorious battle, but she makes it to him and they leave, stumbling back down the hall to his apartment together after a long pause in which they seemed to be communicating somehow with no words. Steve opens his mouth to say something, but then JARVIS, Warrior Tony's strange bodiless manservant talks from wherever his invisible place here is "Mr. Stark is requesting both of your presence in the upper lounge, sir."

"Did he say why?" My companion questions, looking up and around the ceiling as if to search for the bodiless presence.

"No, sir."

Both of us walk up to the elevator and go up the three stories to meet the owner of the tower and find him pouring glasses of dark liquid into short glasses with Lady Pepper sitting on the couch behind him on her square screen...thingy that lights up. Some sort of mortal magic. The good doctor is also there, receiving a glass and taking long drink. I hope it isn't more of the foul ale that the archer warrior was drinking on the roof.

"Thor. Good to see you buddy. Looking good, hey, is that new drapery?"

I smile at him and dismiss his mockery. I can't expect simple commoner mortals to comprehend Asguardian armor or fashion. "Greetings, metal man!" I take the drink he practically shoves into my hand at this and grin.

The host turns to hand yet another glass to the captain and motions for all of us to join him where Lady Pepper is already sitting.

"What's this all about?" Steve asks as he takes a seat beside me and Tony settles in beside Pepper, who looks much happier than I've seen her previously.

"Team meeting. Plus, we're celebrating. Pepper and I are engaged."