"And then Fandral, being the half-wit he is-"
"Hey! I resent that!" I giggled, my hand covering my mouth to hide my smile as I watched Volstagg and Fandral argue…again. Honestly, they were like an old married couple, fighting over every little thing.
"Apologies, my friend," Volstagg quickly said, then smiled. "Anyway, then Fandral, being the no-wit he is-"
"Volstagg!" I laughed with the others, watching Fandral as he began to go off on the rounded man. Volstagg simply laughed heartedly. "Ugh, let's just eat, shall we? It will finally get him to shut up." I smirked, but leaned back in my seat as everyone murmured their agreement. Our food was then served and I began cutting into my steak. Volstagg, who had chosen to sit beside me again ("It's so easy to make you smile, I enjoy it!"), was digging viciously into his two slabs of cow and two large chicken breasts. I resisted a snort of disbelief. At least not all the Gods had Volstagg's appetite.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at the distinct, prickly feeling of someone watching me. I looked up and immediately found myself looking into Loki's pretty green eyes. They widened as he got caught staring and quickly looked down at his food, his cheeks turning a light hue of pink.
"Evee," I looked up at Volstagg an hour or so later during dessert, a coy smile on his cheery face, "have you been courted yet?" The table suddenly went quiet, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Loki look up. I could feel his intense stare burning a hole in the side of my head. The question caught me off guard, and I was struggling with what to say for a moment.
"Um…no, not really." He nodded, appearing to be very fascinated by this fact.
"Well why ever not? Any man would be a fool not to court you immediately!" I felt my eyes go wide and my lips part lightly in shock. My cheeks burned. The dining hall was deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop.
"I…well…um…thank you, Volstagg."
"Is there anyone you wish would court you?" he asked curiously.
"Ignore him," Fandral quickly interjected, "he's too drunk to function properly." I ignored Fandral, looking up at Volstagg's curious expression.
"I have a few people in mind, yes." He gave me a bright smile.
"Care to share?" My eyes widened again, flickering for a split second to Loki and his piercing look before returning to Volstagg's eager expression.
"Volstagg!" Sif scolded. Over the past couple days we had gotten to know each other better, and discovered that we had much in common. I was beginning to think of her as an older sister.
"Not with your drunk ass," I retorted, and silence once again fell around me. Volstagg looked shocked. I worried that I had taken it too far. Then, the entire table burst out in laughter. Volstagg's chortles shook the table, and I grunted as Thor, who was sitting on my other side, clapped my shoulder. If my hands hadn't been gripping the edge of the table, the weight of his hand would've slammed me into my ice cream. I looked at Loki and saw the tiniest of smiles on his face.
"Very good remark, Evee!" Thor laughed, holding his stomach. Even Odin and Frigga were chuckling lightly. Had it really been that funny? Hell, if I had said that on Midgard to one of the Avengers, I probably would've gotten only a smirk or two mixed with nasty glares. After the meal I snuck out a chicken leg and a cup of water, walking out to the stables. The speckled horse, who I had named Constellation for the way her spots were placed, neighed happily when she saw me and allowed me to climb onto her back, getting back onto her feet gingerly. Quickly but lightly, Constellation galloped to where Heimdall was standing at the edge of the bridge.
"I was wondering when you would arrive," his deep voice murmured.
"I brought you some food and a drink. Sorry it's only a chicken leg, it was the only thing I could sneak away from Volstagg." He smirked again and I held out the items.
"I do not have the appetite." I rolled my eyes.
"Heimdall, I haven't seen you eat once since I arrived. Please, I insist." His golden eyes flickered to me for a moment before he took the plate and the cup. I looked out at the endless sky ahead as he ate, trying to see what Heimdall sees every day. Eventually Heimdall set the dishes on the bridge. "How are they?" He cleared his throat, standing straight.
"They are…coping. You are now officially a missing person in Midgard." He was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something. "Steve Rodgers fears that you might have moved on." My heart felt heavy at this. They were already starting to think I was dead? "Peter Parker worries for your safety. He's begun putting up posters everywhere. Logan has been turning Santé Fe upside down searching for you. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton have been traveling everywhere in New Mexico for some sign of your existence. Tony Stark is using his resources to put out search groups for you in deserts and forests. Bruce Banner suspects a kidnapping, and has been looking for clues to prove his theory." I thought of Bruce looking around my house for anything out of the ordinary.
"I miss them," I admitted, my voice an octave higher. "But I don't want to leave here. I've been having such an amazing time." I looked to Heimdall in desperation. "What am I supposed to do?" He took another long sigh.
"I cannot make those decisions for you, Lady Evelyn. I can only hope that you will make the right one." I looked at my hands, feeling so conflicted. I was having the time of my life in Asgard, with people who made me genuinely happy. But the Avengers were already starting to think I was dead, and I missed my extended family so badly that it hurt. I've never been this confused before. I gathered the plate and cup in my hands. "Goodnight, Lady Evelyn. I do hope these confusing feelings do not remain with you for much longer." I hopped onto Constellation.
"Goodnight Heimdall. I hope for that as well." Constellation trotted slowly back to the stables, allowing me to think about what I really wanted. What did I truly want? A small voice in the back of my head whispered a name, and I scowled. That is soooo not what I meant. We arrived at the stables and I laced up Constellation, rubbing her snout for a moment before turning and walking towards my quarters. Passing by a servant, I stopped him. "Hey, would you mind taking these to the kitchens? Thanks," I added as he took the dishes from me and began walking away. I entered my room and shut the door with a sigh. I walked over to my bed and collapsed on it, not even bothering to change into a night gown. I just fell asleep right there, exhausted from my warring emotions.
Ridiculously short, I'm aware. This is basically just a filler, so that I can move on to the next significant plot point.