After her discussion with Thor, Yuna went to work planning a method of celebration for the fire god's birthday. For the moment, that primarily consisted of figuring out how to keep it from him in the first place. For the time being, she decided to simply behave as normal and go about each day as though it were any other. Thus, the goddess found herself wandering through the city streets. It was another quiet day in Asgard, the cloudy sky blanketing the mid-winter sun in a thin wispy veil. All was calm and tranquil… well, almost.
"Please, if you don't mind, I would just like to -"
"Oh, Balder! You must have a drink with us."
Balder smiled at the goddess, trying to free himself from the growing group of admirers. "I would be happy to. But right now, I -"
"You simply must come by some time. I'll make that boar's head stew that you love!"
"I would love nothing more than to enjoy a nice meal at a later time. However -"
"Balder!"
The god of light had been making his way through the city, enjoying the winter chill. After finishing a nice meeting with his mother, he had been hoping to spend some time with Loki and their foreign companion. It had been a little while since he had seen them, and he was starting to miss them. Unfortunately, his plans were thrown slightly off-course when a group of goddesses interrupted him to offer him mead. From there, the situation descended into chaos, with the beset god having difficulty even taking a single step.
It seemed that his chances for spending time with his friends were dwindling and he may once again have to put them on pause. Such an idea sat poorly with him, but what was he to do? He couldn't be cruel to the other gods, as they were only being polite. But a part of him couldn't help but feel slightly resentful, wishing that he could simply meld into the winter snow like Yuna or walk freely through the streets like his brother and Loki. It seemed as though there would be no end to the madness.
Then, as though summoned by his wishful thinking, a familiar voice called to him through the crowd. "Balder! Balder, over here!"
He recognized this sound, far different from the babbling gods surrounding him. This one sounded urgent, unaffected by his light. What was she doing alone in the city? With newfound resolve, Balder slowly swam through the crowd, making his way towards the one goddess that wasn't harassing him. "Yuna! What a pleasant surprise."
"Loki is looking for you. It sounded urgent." She stated, looking uneasily between him and the other goddesses. The winter goddess didn't believe that their situation would descend into violence, but their envious gazes were boring into her very soul.
At the sound of her message, Balder quickly straightened. His lips pulled into a thin line and his brow creased. Loki needed him. The others were going to have to wait. "I apologize, everyone. I really must go."
"But Balder -"
"Another time." He answered, gentle but stern. The god of light would entertain no further argument. At the sight of his determined stare, the crowd began to disperse, not wishing to push Balder beyond his limits. A single glance at his expression told Yuna why. It was but a flash, but in that moment, she could see a change in him. The only indication she had ever seen to remind her that he wasn't only Frigg's son. She saw Odin in those eyes. "Come, Yuna. We must get to Loki."
"R-Right…" The winter goddess followed after him, taking a brief look back at the other gods before facing her eyes forward. As they made their way through the city streets, she made a mental reminder to herself to never upset this god unless absolutely necessary. His anger had disappeared once they made their way from the town, returning to his gentle gaze… yet still, Yuna couldn't shake the image from her mind.
That presence she had felt from him… so full of malice and rage. Could that be why she was so uneasy around him?
. . .
Trudging up the forest path, Yuna slowed her pace. Free from the prying eyes of the other gods, she felt comfortable enough to relax some of her urgency. Noticing her narrowing strides, Balder slowed to match her, a look of confusion on his face. "Yuna? Shouldn't we hurry? You said that Loki was…"
Her eyes lowered to the ground, averting her gaze from his worried expression. "A-Actually… about that… I don't…" She paused for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts. "There isn't actually… anything wrong with Loki. I saw you and it… seemed like you could use the help." Balder stopped walking, looking down at her in disbelief. "S-Sorry…"
The god of light watched her, trying to process the words she had spoken. He could see her shrinking beneath his gaze, her fingers fidgeting nervously. She had lied to him… to help him. He wasn't sure whether to be irritated with her deceit or happy for her interference. After a few moments, he finally decided with an amused chuckle. "Haha. I see. Well, I appreciate it. Thank you, Yuna. I'm not sure I would have escaped from them otherwise."
She perked up slightly at his reaction, relieved that he wasn't angry. "Not a problem."
"So… Loki isn't actually looking for me then?"
"No, that part's true. He really did ask me to find you."
"I see. Well then, let us get moving, shall we?"
"Yes, of course."
The pair nodded their agreement before making their way down the path towards Loki's cottage. Their journey was relatively uneventful, aside from the occasional forest creature coming over to greet them. Despite having seen it half a dozen times, it still amazed her to no end. It was so unusual in her mind, the idea of every living creature showering a single entity with love and affection. It was on a level beyond Vara or even Haru, the goddesses of summer and spring. It was something in a league all of its own. Something that Yuna would never experience nor understand.
As the fourth snow fox trotted away into the trees, Yuna gave a quiet sigh. Balder noticed her disappointment and frowned. "What's the matter? Did you wish to say hello? I'm sure he hasn't gotten far…"
"No, no, it's nothing like that." She insisted, stopping him before he could interrupt the animal's activities. "It's just… everyone loves you. I don't understand it."
"You don't understand… why I'm loved?"
"No, no, no! I-I didn't mean it like that." Yuna backtracked, realizing that her words weren't coming out as intended. "I just mean that… well, it's confusing to me. You have the very world at your fingertips… You are the god of light and a prince of this realm. Nothing in this world can harm nor hate you. Yet…" She paused, trying to figure out the most delicate way to express her confusion. "And yet, you're… here."
Balder listened, carefully observing as she moved through her process. It was amusing watching the gears in her head turn, so concerned about offending him. To see someone showing such compassion without the influence of his power was… refreshing. When she finally finished, he laughed silently. "You wish to know why someone given the world spends his time with a troublemaker?"
Yuna nearly barked at his bluntness, her mouth pulling into an amused grin. If nothing else, Balder was direct. At least, when speaking to her. "Well… yes. Please don't misunderstand, Loki is wonderful! It just seems so strange. How did you two become so close?"
"Loki and I… we have been friends childhood. He was accepting of me… and I was accepting of him. He is my closest friend and aside from Thor… my only one."
The winter goddess nearly halted in her tracks, flabbergasted by his assertion. "O-Only… I'm sorry, what?"
"You're surprised?"
"A-A little, yes!" Yuna exclaimed, at this point, beginning to question his sanity. "Balder… you are loved by all of creation. Even nature itself bows before you… Literally, the entire world is your friend."
Balder laughed, a slightly bitter smile appearing on his face. "Yuna. Have you ever been lonely?"
"For most of my life, actually… you guys are kind of my only friends."
The god of light shook his head. "No, I don't mean alone. I mean, lonely."
Yuna paused for a moment, giving his question serious thought. His logic was relatively sound. Despite what many believed, the two words weren't synonymous. A person could be alone with out being lonely, just as a person could be lonely without being alone. Even if someone were surrounded by people. "You mean… do I ever feel alone?"
"Yes."
"I used to. All of the time… until I came here and met you guys."
"We are not dissimilar in that way." Yuna tilted her head, having a difficult time trying to follow his logic. He noticed her struggling and shook his head. "You see… I have always felt alone… despite being followed by so many."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand. You are loved by everyone. Why feel alone?"
Balder slowly shook his head. "No, Yuna. Those people do not love me. I am the god of light… thus, my power draws in all living creatures. Humans, animals, and gods alike. And unfortunately, it is something I can't control. So you see, because of this, I -"
"You feel those around you are not genuine… only attracted by your light."
"Exactly."
The two fell silent, allowing the words to settle in the air between them. Now Yuna finally understood. The reason why a prince of the realm spent his time around, what every other citizen of Asgard believed to be, riffraff. Why he always seemed so solemn, even when the entire world lay at his feet. Why, despite having more followers than she could ever hope to imagine, he always seemed so sad.
"I'm sorry. That sounds like a terribly lonely existence."
"It was. Until I met Loki. He was unaffected by my power. And it is because he is immune to my influence, that I can truly call him a friend."
"So, that is why he means so much to you. I understand now. And I am happy that you found each other. What you have… it's special." Yuna nodded, meaning every word. The way they interacted with one another served as proof of their powerful bond. To have one they could call a true ally was a privilege that she had never had. And never expected to.
Balder smiled, a wide beaming grin. "Indeed. Before Loki, I had never met a person outside of my family immune to my light. It has been the three of us for as long as I can remember." Yuna nodded, understanding his reasoning. "That is… until I met you."
"M-Me?" She balked, a bit surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"Yes. You, Yuna. You are immune to my influence just as Loki is. It was in fact your initial rejection that drew our interest in you."
"I-It was?"
"It was. You were the first woodland animal we had ever seen that displayed caution rather than adoration."
"Oh… yeah, I suppose that would make me a little conspicuous, huh?"
"Haha, a little. But I am happy for it. Because of that, we were able to meet and talk like this."
"Yes. I suppose you're right. I enjoy spending time with you all. My stay here has been, well… honestly, some of the happiest days of my entire existence."
"I am glad… and I know that what you say is genuine… because you're you. What you say, you truly mean." Balder stopped walking, turning to face the winter goddess with a joyful expression. "Meeting you, Yuna… it has been an experience unlike any other. I can only hope that you value our closeness as much I do." Balder gently took her cool hand, wrapping his fingers around it.
She smiled at him. Meeting Balder, Loki, and Thor had been the most rewarding part of her journey. After spending so many years alone, to find others who were accepting of her was indescribable. The thought filled her with such joy it nearly brought her to tears. It warmed her frozen heart, and the fact that he valued their newfound friendship as much as she did made it soar. "Of course, Balder… I will always treasure what we have. And even though we'll one day have to part, you can be assured that I will always return."
His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You… feel the same as I?"
"Well, sure. You're important to me, Balder."
The god of light beamed at her, with a smile so divine it nearly parted the heavens. He had never imagined that a goddess like Yuna would come along, stumbling into his life and challenging everything he had ever known. He had never imagined that he would come to feel so fondly. To now learn that she shared his feelings was enough to make his heart sing. "Thank you… You are important to me too."
"Eehh? What's this now?"
The sound of a sudden voice startled them, tearing both of the gods out of the little world they created. Turning, they found a pair of golden eyes staring at them, a curious smile on his face. Apparently, the two of them had gotten closer to Loki's cottage than they realized, stopping not far within the tree line and very much in sight.
The god of fire had requested Yuna's assistance in finding Balder earlier in the day. As he was currently in hot water with some of the city's residents and the goddess herself had expressed interest in exploring the town, it seemed a decent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. But after some time had passed, Loki began to grow worried as he came home only to find that neither one of them had returned. He waited inside, wondering if something may have happened to her in transit. If she had gotten lost or run into more trouble with some of the local gods. The very image alone of Yuna squaring off against a festivalgoer made him quickly regret his decision to leave her on her own. Starting to panic, he left his home and made his way towards the city, only to find her standing slightly down the forest path.
Loki was relieved at the sight of her, releasing the tension he had been previously building. He had worried too much. It seemed that Yuna had located Balder after all. But upon seeing the two of them together, he felt some of his displeasure slowly return. A nagging unpleasant feeling bubbled in the pit of his stomach at the sight of the pair, hand in hand, gazing into each other's eyes. Jealousy was not a feeling the fire god was accustomed to… and he didn't like it one bit. Even worse, he wasn't certain which one of them he was jealous of.
"Hmm? Am I interrupting something?"
"Huh?" Yuna blinked, a bit confused by his unusual question. It wasn't until she followed his gaze downward that she realized Balder was still holding her hand. "Uh, n-no! Not at all! I found… we were just… got sidetracked." The goddess jumped, pulling her hand from his grip and smiling with a small blush rising to her pale face. How embarrassing.
Loki lifted an eyebrow at her explanation. It had barely been a complete sentence. "Ah, is that so? Didn't look like it to me." He teased, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"Don't be foolish." Yuna responded, wandering passed him in the direction of his cottage. "I will be inside." She called, striding through the snow without looking back.
He watched her go, gears turning in the mind beneath his blazing hair. It took a few moments for Loki to realize what exactly she had said, and the implications behind it. It took even longer to process the fact that the goddess had simply walked away, leaving them in the snow to return to his abode. His mouth nearly fell open in shock as Yuna walked shamelessly towards the cottage like she owned the place. A devious smirk before disappearing behind the door brought him to his senses. "W-Wait a minute, that's my house! Who do you think you are?!"
Balder watched as Loki recovered and bolted towards his home, shouting irritated complaints at the careless goddess. A frown slowly formed on his lips as he disappeared inside, presumably to chew her out for making herself too comfortable in his home. As the fire god vanished inside of the building, the god of light narrowed his eyes.