"Fenris?" Mabel whispered. She approached him slowly, afraid he might suddenly disappear. She'd dreamed about him before, but this didn't feel like those dreams. If Caer hadn't warned her that she'd still be dreaming when she arrived back in her bedroom, she'd have thought she was awake. "Are you real, or just in my mind?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Fenris walked forward to meet her, his eyes shining. He reached out, gently brushing the back of his hand against Mabel's cheek. His hand was warm, and felt solid.
"I'm real," he said, his voice barely a whisper. The air around him was growing warm, and Mabel knew then that he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. She let out a strangled sob and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
He held her tightly, and kissed the top of her head, his lips lingering as he inhaled the scent of her.
"Fen, we're dreaming," Mabel said, her voice muffled against his t-shirt. "Or, I am, at least. A goddess told me as much. But she said that it was all still real…"
Fenris let out a breath that ruffled her hair. "Did this goddess happen to be wearing a cape of white feathers? Because that's who led me here. And she told me the same thing. I think I even saw her wink at me?"
Mabel pulled away from Fenris so she could look him in the eye. She sniffled, but a smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "That'd be Caer Ibormeith. She's a Celtic goddess, but of what, I'm not entirely sure. Sleep, or dreams, I'm guessing. But also, she's a swan."
"Oh, naturally," Fenris said, with a nod and a grin. It looked like he was going to say something else, but before he could open his mouth, Mabel stood on her tip-toes and pressed her lips fiercely to his. She gripped the fabric at the back of his shirt and pulled him against her, until she could feel the entire length of his body molded to her own. She felt his heart hammering against her breasts, his body heat steadily rising.
Fenris groaned and moved his hands down along the thin fabric of her pajama shirt, pausing at the narrow band of flesh left bare around her navel, before continuing down. His hands deftly slid under the waistband of her shorts, then over and around her hips, before coming to rest on the taut, bare flesh of her ass.
Mabel gasped into his mouth as the heat from his body flared more strongly. His hands, in particular, emanated heat with the intensity of the sun on bare skin at the height of a midsummer day—not hot enough to burn immediately, but with enough exposure, a sunburn was inevitable.
Fenris's reaction to Mabel's gasp was to attempt to pull his hands away, but Mabel had other ideas. "Oh no you don't," she breathed, letting go of the fabric of his shirt, and placing her hands over top of his.
"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, between kisses. However, he didn't attempt to remove them again. Once Mabel was sure his hands would remain in place, she lifted her own off, placing one hand on the back of his neck, and with the other, twining her fingers through his hair.
"You can't hurt me if we're only dreaming, right?" she murmured, moving to place a series of kisses along his jawline, then lightly nipping at his earlobe, before beginning to lick and suck the tender flesh at the base of his neck where his pulse was pounding.
"But the—hnnng—fea-heh-heh-ther lady said it wa-uuhhhh-s still real," Fenris managed to pant out. "Fe-feels real."
Mabel felt a tingling warmth building up in her core that had nothing to do with Fenris's body temperature. They had made out before, but their kisses had been more deliberate, their pace slow and romantic. This kind of frenzied passion, the desire, the physicality of it—this was new. Fenris had certainly never groped Mabel's ass before, even over her clothes. She wanted to see where this would lead.
"Our bodies are in entirely different realms," she said, pulling away from him, and removing his hands from her shorts. "We're sharing this dream, and that is definitely real, but you can't physically hurt me, Fen. Not from all the way in the Norse Realm."
Mabel grabbed Fen's hands and led him over to her bed, where she pushed him down onto the mattress, then stepped back, and peeled off her pajama top. Bright spots of red flared to life on Fenris's cheeks, and his breath was coming in short gasps. Mabel bit her lower lip, and stared at him from under her eyelashes. She found that she was actually very turned on by the powerful effect her exposed breasts were having on him. So much so, that she decided to see what effect her entire naked body would have on him. She smiled slowly and met his eyes as she slid her fingers under the waistband of her shorts, and let them drop to the floor.
/
Fenris stared at Mabel, unable to speak. Barely able to breathe. Heat flooded his veins, and he was suddenly extremely aware of an uncomfortable tightness in his jeans.
Mabel's body was divine. Fenris had never seen a naked female before, but he knew, instinctively, that her form—slender and muscular from her training, but still soft in all the right places—was perfect.
"Mabel, you-you," Fenris stammered. "Gods, you're beautiful. I-I just—" He closed his eyes to try and collect his thoughts. His entire body was trembling, and it was almost impossible to concentrate on anything but the throbbing between his legs. This want—this need was something he'd never experienced. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Was this how Dipper constantly felt about Wendy? No wonder he was so impatient for Wendy to master her contraceptive spell.
Shit. Dipper. When Fen had first taken human form, Dipper had had a talk with Fenris about not 'taking advantage' of Mabel. At the time, Fenris hadn't fully grasped the implications. He didn't know that the pure feelings he'd had for her would continue to grow, and eventually blossom into… this. Before tonight, even when he and Mabel had kissed, and slept, limbs tangled together, in the same bed—Fenris had felt in complete control of himself. He'd felt the stirrings of lust, but that was all, just stirrings. A faint, 'someday,' kind of wanting. This must be someday.
Eyes still closed, Fenris groaned, clenching fistfuls of the bed sheet in both hands. He didn't want to betray Dipper's trust, or take advantage of Mabel. And having thought of Dipper and Wendy's situation, there was the issue of contraception. Mabel was entirely too young to bear children, and the usual result of gods and mortals coupling was pregnancy. And…if Mabel was too young to bear children… she was also too young for the making of them. A cold wave of disappointment washed over Fenris. If he and Mabel coupled, even if she said she wanted it, he would be taking advantage of her—taking her innocence.
Fenris opened his eyes, ready to tell Mabel that they had to calm things down, and blinked in surprise. She was directly in front of him. Her breasts were temptingly close to his face, only inches away. His cock throbbed, a fresh surge of hot blood flooding it.
Mabel reached down to the hem of his t-shirt, and pulled it up and over his head and arms, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. Then she pushed him back until he was lying down, and straddled him. The warmth radiating from her, and the pressure of her pelvis grinding against his erection was almost too much for Fenris to handle.
"M-Mabel," he stammered. "We c-can't—hnnnng!" Mabel had interrupted his train of thought by bucking her hips. She grinned down at him mischievously, and ran her hands over his bare chest, lightly scratching him with her fingernails.
Fenris was nearly hyperventilating with the effort of trying to keep his composure and not simply ravish Mabel. He wanted to do the right thing. He really did. Then she bucked her hips against him again.
"You were saying?" she murmured low. Mabel knew what she was doing to him, and appeared to be enjoying every second of it. She bucked against him one more time, eliciting a primal growl from deep within his throat. He couldn't handle this exquisite torture.
In one swift move, Fenris rolled Mabel over so that he was the one straddling her, and grabbed her wrists, pinning them against the mattress above her head. She stared up at him, her eyes wide. Her breasts bounced slightly with the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
"I want you so goddam bad, Mabel," he murmured low, his throat tight. "More than anything—"
"Then take me," she softly, interrupting him. She bucked her hips upward against his groin. "Please, Fen. I need you."
Gods she was making this hard. Both literally, and figuratively.
"I can't," Fenris whispered. "We can't do this." A look of confusion crossed Mabel's face, and he had to look away. He let go of her wrists and pushed himself off of her, scooting to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Why not?" she asked, her voice small. "I don't understand, Fen. You said you wanted me…"
The pain in her voice made Fenris's chest ache. She was the most important person in the world to him, and he was the one who was making her hurt right now. He drew in a shaky breath and ran his hands through his hair.
"I do want you, Mabel. So, so much," he said, his voice cracking. "But I'm worried that because this is a dream, you're doing more than you'd be comfortable doing in 'real life.' I'm worried that I'm taking advantage of you. And even though you've pointed out that our bodies are in different realms, I worry that this being 'real' means that I could get you pregnant. I mean, Dipper and Wendy are both gods, but even they haven't slept together yet due the possibility of pregnancy. I love you more than anything, Mabel. I don't want us to do anything you might regret." Fenris hung his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly.
Mabel didn't say anything, and Fenris was afraid to look at her. He felt like he was somehow betraying her by not sleeping with her—like he was simultaneously doing the right and wrong thing. Finally, he felt her warm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be sorry, Fen," Mabel said, sighing softly. "You're right. I just got so worked up. I've missed you like crazy, and being in your presence again, even if it is a dream…I guess I went a bit overboard. I love you. I half-wish that you hadn't said anything, because I seriously want your body right now... But… I understand. Thank you." She squeezed his shoulder and then scooted off the bed.
Fenris unintentionally looked up just as Mabel bent over to grab her shorts off the floor, her back to him, and her legs spread slightly. He had to bite his fist to physically hold a back a moan. She stepped into the shorts, pulled them up, and turned to face him, still topless, her cheeks flushed.
"Can we make a compromise, of sorts?" she asked, tilting her head up slightly and giving Fenris a half-smile. He felt a twitch in his pants, and wondered if his body was going to think anything Mabel said or did from now on was suggestive.
"What would that be?" he asked, trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid looking at her perfect breasts.
"That we lay in bed together and cuddle like normal, but we both keep our shirts off," Mabel answered. "I just really need to feel your bare skin against mine."
Fenris bit his lip and nodded mutely. He scooted back, taking his normal spot next to the wall, and patted the empty spot beside him. Mabel climbed into the bed and lay on her side, facing him.
"I love you, Fen," she murmured low. "Hold me, please?"
Fenris was hesitant to reach out and pull her against him, because he was fairly certain she'd feel his still-raging boner through his jeans and the thin fabric of her pajama shorts. Still, Mabel was looking at him with those big, pleading eyes, her lips forming a delicate pout. Fenris took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, as he finally wrapped his arms around her naked torso and pulled her to him, until her soft, warm breasts were pressed up against his bare chest. She scooted her lower half toward him until he could feel her warmth once again radiating through his jeans, heating up his pelvis even more than it already was. Fenris tried to hold back a shudder.
"I love you, too, Mabel," he said softly, his voice strained. "You make me feel like a person."
Mabel snuggled closer to him, a small smile playing at her lips. "That's funny, because you make me feel like a goddess."
Her warm breath against his mouth sent a bolt of electricity through Fenris's veins, and without thinking, he pulled her as close as he possibly could, and kissed her deeply. He probed her mouth with his tongue, pausing once and awhile to gently nip at her lower lip. She kissed him back, just as enthusiastically, softly moaning when he moved against her, bucking his pelvis into hers this time. He placed a series of soft kisses down her jaw, then when he got to her neck, he grazed his teeth over the spot below her ear, then pressed his mouth hard against the sensitive skin, and felt her pulse pounding against his lips. Mabel inhaled sharply, tangling her fingers in his hair. She pulled his head even closer to her neck, and arched her back as he moved down the tender flesh of her straining throat.
Fenris only realized how much his body had heated up the air around them when he lowered his head to press kisses into Mabel's collarbone, and he tasted the salt of her sweat. He leaned back in surprise, and saw that her face was flushed and shining, the strands of hair framing her face damp, and sticking to her skin. Mabel's eyes were glazed and barely open, her kiss-bruised lips turned up in a small smile.
"Don't stop, Fen, please," she murmured, reaching out to pull him back to her. "Love me."
Fenris could feel the pounding of his heartbeat throughout his whole body, especially in the bit of it straining against his jeans like a beast trying to escape its cage. He had to stop—they had to stop. He'd already come to the logical conclusion that sex with Mabel was, at this time, not a good idea. His body, and hers, however, seemed to be trying to disregard that logic. Fenris took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, doing his best to ignore the throbbing in his pants.
"I do love you, Mabel," he whispered shakily, kissing her forehead. "But I'm afraid the sleep you're having this dream during isn't particularly restful. I know you, and I know that you go all-in when training—you've got to be exhausted. Let's just rest now, so that our physical bodies are prepared to fight whatever is thrown at them when we awaken, that they may be reunited as soon as possible."
Mabel yawned, her eyelids drooping, as if the mention of how tired she should be had triggered an override of her dream body's subroutines.
"Will you stay here with me while I sleep?" she mumbled, nearly out for the count.
"I will, at least until the dream ends," he whispered, stroking her hair.
"Okay, Fen. I love…" Mabel's voice trailed off and she nuzzled her face into the crook of Fenris's neck, sound asleep.
"I love you too, Mabel," Fenris said, sighing deeply and closing his eyes. "Always."
/
Dipper practically skipped back to Breidablik from Odin's palace, Baldur trotting along behind him to keep up. He hadn't felt this joyful since he and Wendy had handfasted, and he needed to share the reason for his sudden happiness with his best friend. Baldur had assured him that Fenris knew the way back to the marble villa, and would have made his way there after kidnapping the head of Mimir.
When the two gods arrived back at his home, Baldur pushed open the front doors, and took a quick step back, nearly knocking Dipper over. A plume of acrid-smelling black smoke poured out through the entryway.
"Nanna?!" Baldur called out, panic rising in his voice. He hurried inside, waving his arms in an attempt to keep the smoke from his face.
"I'm fine, love, don't fret," Nanna called faintly from some distance away. Baldur immediately darted in the direction of her voice.
Dipper conjured an industrial-sized fan to cut a path for them through the smoke, and then followed Baldur, his good mood forgotten. Nanna had only assured them of her own safety—but what about Fenris? Where was he? Although Fen could wield fire without being burned, what if he wasn't the source of the fire, and another god was? Could a fire he was not the source of hurt him? Kill him?
Baldur came to a stop at the end of short corridor off of the main hall, where Nanna stood in front of a carved marble door, holding it open. The smoke was coming from that room.
"What in the All-Father's name has happened?" Baldur cried, leaning forward to try and peer into the smoke-filled doorway. Dipper conjured another industrial-sized fan to rid the room of smoke.
"I'm not quite sure," Nanna said, with a small shake of her head. "Fenrir seemed bone-weary when he returned from Valaskialf, so I showed him to one of our guest rooms where he could nap while he awaited your return. I smelled the smoke only moments before you got home."
"Wait, Fenris is in there?" Dipper said, pushing past Baldur and Nanna so he could see into the room. "Have you checked that he's okay?"
"I'm sorry, I haven't had a chance—the smoke was too thick," said Nanna.
"Fenris?" Dipper called out, entering the room. "Where are you?" He made his way slowly toward the center of the room, where the charred remains of what appeared to have once been a bed lay, collapsed in on itself.
"I'm here, I'm fine," Fenris said from somewhere within the ruins of the bed. Then added sheepishly, "I'm sorry about your nice guest bed, Baldur and Nanna."
Dipper leaned over the smoldering remnants of goose down pillows and a down-filled mattress, to see Fenris, covered in ashes, sunken nearly down to the floor at the center. He was clearly the source of the conflagration, having somehow incinerated everything he'd been touching.
"Dude, what the fuck?" Dipper asked. "What happened?"
Fenris attempted to wipe some of the ash off his face, but only ended up smearing it around. "I-I don't actually know? I took a nap and," he paused, flicking his eyes to meet Dipper's before looking quickly away. "I was having a really vivid dream. When I woke up, everything around me was on fire."
Dipper held a hand out, which Fenris grabbed to hoist himself to his feet. He climbed over the mess of smoldering fabric and singed feathers, and stared incredulously around the ruined room. He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his soot-coated hair, which stuck up in dirty, gray clumps. "I did all this?"
Baldur let out a soft whistle as he scanned the room. His eyes came to rest on Fenris, and he grinned. "Ah, yes, how could I forget? You are the legendary Fenrisulfr, destroyer of worlds—and guest bedrooms."
Fenris chuckled weakly, a sheepish smile playing at his lips. "Good one. I am sorry though. This," he gestured at the devastation surrounding them, "has never happened to me before."
Nanna strode forward and clucked her tongue, then grabbed Fenris by the elbow and began to steer him out of the room. "You boys can try and figure all this out later—once the wee pup has had a chance to bathe and change into clothing that is less scrap-like and charred."
"Of course, Nanna," Baldur said. Then he reached out and clamped a hand on Fenris's shoulder. "One very important question I'd like to ask first, however, is: where is the head of Mimir?"
"Oh," Fenris said, faltering. "Well, uh, it's not here. It's complicated. I'll tell you after I get cleaned up."
Baldur and Dipper waited for Fenris in a comfortably appointed sitting room. Baldur seemed calm and relaxed, flipping idly through the pages of a thick book, splayed out on an overstuffed chaise lounge. Dipper, however, was not calm and relaxed. He paced back and forth, his hooves clacking loudly on the marble floor tiles. His stomach churned, as he worried how Fenris's decision to change their plan at the last minute might affect their ability to pretend to be on Loki's side. Especially after his part of the plan had gone off without a hitch, and came with an added bonus—what he'd been so excited to tell Fenris about. His news seemed less important now. He chewed on a fingernail as he paced, then whirled around when he finally heard the door open.
"Okay, spill it Fen," he demanded, before the newly bathed and changed Fenris could say a word. "What's with the deviation from our plan? You told Loki we would steal the head of Mimir. What's he gonna think when you show up on 'Ragnarok Day' without it?"
Fenris ran his fingers through his damp black hair, brushing it out of his eyes. He sighed and said, "Sorry I didn't talk to you about changing the plan first, but there wasn't exactly time. It was Mimir's idea, anyway."
Baldur sat his book aside and leaned forward in his seat. "What was?"
Fenris took a deep breath, and launched into the plan for him to win over the Ulfhednar, and attempt to form alliances with any Aesir willing to hear him out.
"Once I have the wolf warriors on my side, and hopefully several Aesir as well, Mimir suggested that you and he talk with Odin and explain the situation to him, in hopes that he will agree to join forces with me and go to battle on our terms, rather than Loki's. Instigate our own modified Ragnarok." Fenris stopped talking, and stared first at Baldur, then at Dipper. "Well? What do you think?"
Dipper had finally his ceased pacing, and was leaning against the door frame. He folded his arms over his chest and grinned at his friend. "I think that having the Aesir on our side instead of fighting against us definitely increases my chances of keeping my promise to Mabel and bringing you home alive."
Color bloomed on Fenris's cheeks, and he quickly looked away from Dipper, focusing on Baldur. "What about you? Think you could convince Odin to work with me and join our side?"
Baldur's brows knit together, and his lips formed a small frown as he thought about it. "I…I think so? Odin isn't always predictable. Mimir's idea to form alliances with the Ulfhednar and other Aesir first is definitely a good one. Especially if those who ally themselves to you are among Odin's most trusted or favored friends. The question is, which Aesir do we ask? Whom can we trust to not tattle to Odin before Mimir and I have talked to him?"
Fenris bit his lip, and glanced at Dipper.
"Hey, don't look at me," Dipper said, holding his hands up. "I know nothing about the Norse gods. Remember, I'm the guy who thought the bridge to Asgard was called Beef Roast."
Fenris's lips twitched at the corners. "Right. Okay, so who… I mean… are there any Aesir you know of that don't downright detest me and want to see me dead?" he asked Baldur.
"Well, there's me and Nanna, of course," said Baldur with a shrug. "My brothers, Bragi and Hodr, though essentially useless in battle, may be amenable. I can talk to them for you. My half-brother Thor tends to not hate someone unless they've personally done him wrong, so I can also speak with him. There is one likely candidate for alliance, however, that you should speak to yourself." He gave Fenris a meaningful look. "You both need to heal from what happened."
Fenris balled up his fists at his side. "What happened is that he betrayed me. He was like a father to me and—" His voice caught, and he looked down, angry tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
Dipper frowned. The still-human-shaped Fenris resembled a kicked puppy. "Sorry, but who are we talking about? And where can I find him to kick his ass for hurting my best friend?" He conjured a handkerchief and handed it to Fenris, who wiped his eyes and then shoved it in a pocket.
"Tyr," he said. "God of law, war, and justice. He raised me from a pup. Then, because Odin was scared of me due to that stupid prophecy, he betrayed me. He made me think we were playing a game, then bound me with an enchanted chain. The chain I was still bound with until Bacon—well, Puck—set me free."
"Dude, what the fuck?" Dipper asked incredulously. "He told you that you were playing a game, then tied you up, and just… left you?"
Fenris nodded. "Now you see why I have trust issues."
"No kidding, man," Dipper said, patting Fenris on the back. "For a god of justice, that was decidedly unjust."
Baldur cleared his throat, and stood up from his seat. He waited until Fenrir looked him in the eye before speaking. "The situation was a tad more nuanced than that. I think you should give Tyr a chance to explain his actions to you. Besides—you already got your revenge. You know, when you bit off his hand?"
Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like he deserved worse."
Baldur sighed, and rolled his eyes at Dipper. "Not helpful, Dingus. Fenrir, I know you'd rather not involve Tyr in your plan, but it would be unwise to go to war without the god of war on your side."
Fenris gave Baldur a sarcastic half-smile. "Well, I mean, no one has ever accused me of wisdom, have they?"
Baldur bit back a grin. "I suppose not. Please, just consider speaking with him. In the meantime, you need to seek out the lair of the Ulfhednar. Don't be afraid to show them your true form. They will respect you more if you do."
"Okay," said Fenris. "I guess we better get going." He and Dipper turned toward the door, but stopped when Baldur called after them.
"Oh, and Dingus, you may want to try and disguise the fact that you are half a goat. If you do not, I fear they will see you as prey."
A chill ran down Dipper's spine. "Oh, good."