A wave of remorse washed over Yuna as the silence set in between them. During one of their regular outings in the forest, the topic of winter gatherings had arisen between the pair. From there, the conversation segued into a discussion of the upcoming spring festival… and the disappointment was evident on Loki's face.

"Oh, you're going with Balder, hmm?" He asked. His voice held the same playful tone it always did, but Yuna knew better. The answer was in his eyes and the way his lip twitched at the corner.

"Not really. I'm not going with Balder, Loki. I'm just… going. I was curious, and he offered to show me around."

"Always the curious one."

His teasing tone didn't fool her. "You know, Loki… you're always invited to join us… and I would really -"

"No thanks." Loki waved her away. "Those kinds of things aren't my style anyway."

Yuna frowned. The words he spoke were true, but his delivery was concerning. He didn't seem very keen on the idea of her joining Balder at the spring gathering. What she wasn't sure of was why. Was he upset that she was leaving him alone? She had tried to invite him along…

Still feeling uncertain, she sighed. "Well, I hope you'll reconsider, Loki. I'm sure everyone would -" She paused, realizing very quickly her near mistake. "I would love to see you there." She amended. A slight shift in his demeanor gave her pause. Fiery eyebrows lifted slightly at her statement, the slightest look of surprise crossing his features. Had that pleased him? She didn't know. And she didn't ask. Instead, the two ended their conversation there. Truly, she did hope that he would consider changing his mind, even if only to experience the celebration together.

. . .

Unfortunately, he didn't.

Instead, he held true to his convictions, deciding that his time would be better spent alone in his cottage doing only he knew what. He had been focusing very intently on his workbench lately. Knowing him and his predictable habits, it was probably another prank. Judging by the amount of focus he was putting into it; she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for whoever was destined to be on the receiving end.

As for her…

"Balder, are you sure about this?" Yuna mumbled, looking nervously around the area. The spring gathering was upon them and, as promised, the goddess had decided to attend. Unfortunately, doing so had come with a few caveats that she hadn't originally considered. One of them was the fact that she was, in fact, attending with the prince himself. More accurately, she was allowing him to show her around… but that didn't seem to make much of a difference. And it was starting to make her uncomfortable.

Unlike herself, the god of light was beloved by all and generally the center of attention. Conversely, Yuna was an outsider. On top of residing in their realm and invading their territory, she had already made quite an impression in Asgard previously by associating herself with the son of a Jötun. She could feel the stares of nearly every goddess they passed as they made their way around the area, a few familiar faces catching her eyes. Admittedly, making an enemy of many of the attendees prior to taking part in a celebratory gathering wasn't her brightest of decisions. Perhaps she shouldn't have started that argument on the festival night after all.

"You will be fine, Yuna. You are my honored guest for this evening. Please, try to relax."

"I'm not so sure everyone feels the same…" She muttered, feeling the envious glares of an angry horde at her back.

"Just be yourself, Yuna. I'm sure everyone will love you."

The winter goddess blanched, whipping her head in his direction with an incredulous stare. She watched him for a few moments, uncertain if he was joking or not. One look at his smiling face told her he was being deadly serious. Then, with a tired sigh, she shook her head. "Tell me Balder, what is it like to live in blissful ignorance?"

The other god laughed, smiling at her light-hearted jab. He supposed it couldn't be helped from someone spending their entire life in solitude. She and Loki were very similar in that way. But he was determined to help her enjoy herself. She deserved that much. "Hmm… I know what might cheer you up." Balder smiled, gently taking her hand in his own.

Yuna allowed him, slowly following him through the crowd. Her grip tightened as they weaved between other gods and goddesses and her eyes stayed low to the ground. Where he was taking her was a mystery, but wherever it was, it was sure to be…

"Hmm?" Balder paused at the sudden tension from his arm. Behind him, the winter goddess had frozen, digging her heels into the snow. Her eyes followed the moving bodies and her legs refused to go any further. His head tilted inquisitively towards her as she shook her head. "What's the matter?"

"N-No, I… I don't want to."

"Why not? Do you not like to dance?"

Silence was his answer. He watched her carefully for a few moments before turning toward her. The gears were turning violently in her head as her eyes darted nervously back and forth between the dancing gods and the ground. It was easy to forget sometimes, what with her constant shenanigans and dangerous temper, that Yuna was a timid goddess. Perhaps the idea of being around so many others was bothering her.

"Are you afraid? Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

"N-No, I… I can't. I… don't know how." Yuna looked away, a light blush rising to her cheeks.

Balder smiled and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Oh, is that all? I would be more than happy to teach you."

"I…" She swallowed, contemplating his offer. Her eyes watched the other gods move, dancing around the massive space that surrounded the bonfire. A feeling of longing rose in her chest. It did look like fun, but Yuna was apprehensive.

The other god gently pulled her forward, hoping to ease some of her tension. It was clear to him that she wanted to join. She just wasn't sure how. "Come. I will guide you."

Yuna paused for a moment, slowly dragging her eyes between the frolicking gods and her potential teacher. Perhaps, it couldn't hurt to try… just for a little bit. In lieu of an answer, she slowly nodded her head and stepped forward. She didn't want to risk attempting speech, lest she lose her nerve. But Balder didn't mind. Utterly delighted, he slowly guided them forward towards the others.

At first, Yuna was nervous and unsure, trying carefully not to stumble or mistime any steps. After a bit of practice, she grew slightly more confident and loosened up, her movements becoming a little less rigid. After a short while, the goddess was enjoying herself. She smiled up at him as they twirled around and around, no longer concerning herself with the stares of the other gods. It was clear that she was a foreigner and thoroughly inexperienced. But at the very least, she was able to get through a song or two without slipping or nearly stepping on Balder's feet.

Ironically, Balder himself was a surprisingly talented dancer. Despite the fact that the clumsy god suffered falls on a regular basis, he was somehow graceful in this particular scenario. He was able to complete fluid, complex movements to the tune of music. The god of light, who was typically incapable of taking eight steps forward without slipping, was easily one of the best dancers Yuna had ever seen. And that fact befuddled her to no end.

"See? You're a natural." Balder complimented. The two slowed their movements at the end of another song.

"Well, I don't know about that, but I appreciate the sentiment." The goddess smiled, chuckling at his kind words. There was no need for him to lie. Yuna was awful, and she knew it. But it didn't stop her from thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Balder!"

"Eep!" The goddess jumped, nearly stumbling into Balder at the sudden, very loud, voice.

Turning, she found herself face to face with another goddess, one who was clearly interested in the god behind her. No matter how much time she spent around Balder, the way he attracted endless attention would never cease to amaze her. She watched the familiar scene as the other god was slowly pulled away, growing increasingly surrounded. As usual, he attempted to assuage their desires, trying failingly to distance himself from the growing crowd. Yuna stepped aside, preferring not to get trampled by starstruck gods if she could help it. With a slew of apologies, Balder disappeared, leaving the winter goddess by her lonesome.

Now, with nothing but her thoughts for company, Yuna sighed. She should have expected that something like this would happen. Her eyes looked around the area, taking in her surroundings. Food lined the tables, similar to the Yule celebration. Barrels of beverages stood in various locations, with mugs resting on either side. In the center of it all, was the giant flame they had twirled around, illuminating the space around them and raising smoke high into the sky.

It would be a pleasant setup and one that she would typically enjoy under different circumstances. However, in her current condition, alone and surrounded by unfamiliar gods, she was quickly growing anxious. Her pacing eventually drew her further away from the center point, making way for other gods and goddess to take the floor. Much like they had earlier in the evening, different pairs swept around the fire in graceful dance. She watched Balder make more than a few rotations in between wandering and conversing with other gods. It was a sight to behold, the god of light. She had greatly enjoyed their dance with one another but watching him from an observer's perspective was something else entirely.

Unfortunately, her people-watching was starting to grow uncomfortable. Primarily because she wasn't the only one doing so. She could almost feel the eyes on her, watching as she slowly attempted to distance herself from the other attendees. Their gazes had been bothering her since their arrival, but now, by herself, she was becoming increasingly aware of her precarious position. She recognized the atmosphere… she wasn't wanted here.

With a hefty sigh, she tried her best to ignore them, turning her attention instead to the raging fire itself. Orange flames danced and reflected in her golden eyes. Behind them, her mind wandered, slowly drifting to another whose presence she sorely missed. Strange as it was, Yuna couldn't help but find herself feeling slightly lonely… and concerned. Surely, he had spent the majority of his life alone and this night should be no different. But that didn't make it any better. Was he truly alright, all by himself in the cold outskirts of the city…? Maybe she should…

"Yuna."

"Huh?!"

The sound of a sudden voice startled her once again, breaking her from her thoughtful state. At some point during her daydreaming, Thor had wandered over. She wasn't sure how long she had been staring into the roaring flame, but it was clearly enough to worry the other god.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"You were staring."

"Oh! That was…" Yuna trailed off. In truth, she wasn't sure what it was. The only thing she did know was a familiar redheaded Asgardian was appearing more and more frequently in her mind.

Thor waited, allowing her to gather her thoughts. She seemed to have some trouble finding the words, but he had a feeling he knew what was bothering her. He had seen a similar wistful expression on his closest friend as well. Perhaps…

"You are free to leave whenever you wish."

"Oh, no, I - Balder is…" Yuna paused, sweeping her eyes quickly over the area. After spotting him, entertaining yet another goddess, she decided it was best to simply be honest with herself. "Well… I suppose I am feeling a little overwhelmed."

"Balder will understand. Rest well."

"Hehe… thank you, Thor. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"You as well, Yuna." Thor's mouth pulled into a small knowing grin watching the goddess stroll away.

. . .

Flames danced freely around the crafting table. Deft fingers moved swiftly along the surface of his trinket, weaving power into every crevice. The god of fire had been nervous at first, uncertain of the original design. But after a few strokes, it vanished, leaving him working fervently with glee. Now if only he could decide upon…

"What are you doing?"

"Gyah!" Loki jumped, whipping around at the sudden introduction of an unexpected voice. Standing behind him, looking curiously in his direction from the other side of the room was the last person had expected to see, although certainly the most desired. Unsure of what else to do in the current scenario, Loki deflected. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you." She answered matter-of-factly. Snow fluttered from her body as she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

"I thought you were at the banquet. Did something happen?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I just… needed to get away."

"You weren't having a good time?"

"I wouldn't say that…"

Loki took careful note of Yuna's mannerisms. Every detail from her fidgeting fingers to her averted eyes told him that she was lying to him. It was true that Asgardian gatherings could be a bit overpowering, especially for a goddess as introverted as Yuna. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than she was letting on. Her golden eyes slowly lifted, meeting his own. Was it possible? Had she been worried… about him?

"A-Anyway, enough about me. What are you working on?"

Loki's momentary happiness was halted as the goddess started forward, curiously eyeing his workbench. Sweeping his hand carefully out of reach, he swept his item out of view. "Nothing to concern yourself with. I wouldn't get too close if I were you."

Yuna stopped in her tracks. "Another one of your pranks, I assume?"

Loki didn't answer her, offering only a sly smile in response. The goddess shook her head, making her way over to the hearth instead. Whatever nonsense the other god was getting up to, she wanted no part of it. With his crisis averted, Loki meandered his way across the room to join her, seating himself beside her. "So, tell me Yuna, why did you come?"

"Didn't we already cover this?"

Her exasperated expression was quickly dismissed with a sly grin. "Silly puppy… I understand why you left the gathering. But that doesn't explain what brought you here."

Yuna froze. Of course, he had seen right through her. If she were simply feeling overburdened, she could have just as easily made her way into the forest for a good night's rest. There was no reason for her to come to Loki's cottage, or even to greet Loki himself. Her mind wondered why she had felt the need to go to him, but her heart already knew the answer.

"I… just wanted to see you…" Her words came out as little more than a whisper as her golden eyes fell to the floor. A sound so small that the smallest breeze could have washed it away. But Loki heard it. And he was stunned.

"Yuna…" No words would form, her name the only thing that would come out of his mouth. There were no words to describe his elation at her admission. She had left the party, not only to get away from the bustling city, but to see him. Surely, she couldn't possibly mean…

"B-Because… Well, it's not like I can leave you to your own devices. Who knows what sort of trouble you'd get into." Warmth rushed to her face. Yuna turned her head and stared into the fire. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't look at him. She refused.

But that didn't matter. Loki could feel his pulse quickening as he stared at her; eyes locked on the flames. The flickering light reflected in her eyes; the waving blaze dyeing her silver strands and orange hue. Perhaps, there was a possibility…

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. Splitting his mouth into a coy smile, he threw his arm around the goddess. Her body stiffened beneath his touch, only adding to his amusement. "Don't worry, puppy, I understand. I missed you too."

Yuna said nothing. She didn't dare to turn her head, lest the changing color of her face alert him to her embarrassed state. Instead, she stared forward into the flames. Beside her, Loki's smile grew wider. Despite herself, Yuna couldn't stop the tiny smirk from rising on her face.