All characters, places, and events you recognize belong to Marvel, Disney, etc.

A/N: We'll spend nearly this whole long chapter in Jane's dreams. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to dristi5683 for her help.


Day 129

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

The whirlwind whips Jane's hair into her face. Never taking her eyes off the funnel cloud, she yanks her hair into a tangled ponytail.

"I'm going to stop it before anyone gets killed," she says.

"It's just a dream," Loki reminds her.

"I don't care," she says.

Jane slowly heads in the direction of the Destroyer, calling out the words of the incantation. Part of him focuses on the unfolding drama, and part detachedly catalogues details around him. As usual. So while he sees the 7-Eleven explode and watches Volstagg and Sif barrel toward Jane, he contemplates how small Jane really is. While he notes that Jane's dream world is out-of-focus, less well-constructed than it has been, he concludes that one might mistake her for a child. Volstagg prepares to launch himself; Jane grabs his arm. She continues to chant the runes. Mistake her for a child—that is, unless one has seen her in an emerald silk dressing gown. Volstagg heads for the Destroyer again, but this time Sif stops him. A stream of fire gushes toward them; Volstagg and Sif roll out of harm's way, disappearing into the haze around the edges of the dream.

Jane doesn't wait to see the aftermath, but turns to Loki, her warm brown hair an unruly halo around her head, her eyes alight. She grasps the edges of his overcoat.

"Let's go," she tells him. He thinks she's so much stronger than she appears.

The nightmare fades to a small campfire and two worn chaise longue lawn chairs on a concrete platform of sorts. Loki recognizes the roof of Jane's lab. Stars span the sky overhead, as always. Here everything is crisp and clear. Jane plops onto one of the chairs, grabs her ever-present notebook, and blurts, "We've got a lot to talk about before I wake up."

"As you wish," he tells her, and lowers himself sideways onto the other shabby chair.

Jane dives in. "I called Erik and he got me access to this huge database of records of space stuff. There was a solar flare on the day Schmidt died, March 4, 1945, one on the day Thor arrived, May 31 of this year, and three on the day he left, June 2. Each had a bizarre radiation signature: the level of gamma rays was disproportionately high compared to the other forms of radiation."

She shoves a hand through her hair, which is uncombed and restrained only by a tie at the nape of her neck. Absently, she tugs strands of hair out of the slovenly ponytail, twirling them around her fingers.

"We don't have records of the Tesseract from 1945, of course, because it was at the bottom of the ocean. But on the days Thor came and left, the Tesseract emitted several strong gamma ray signals. These signals aren't as rare as the weird solar flares, but they're still noteworthy. Are you tracking with me?" Tug, tug, twirl.

Loki isn't sure what that means, but he risks a, "Yes." Then, "Are you suggesting that the Tesseract and the Earth's sun are related to Thor's travels?"

Such leaps of faith from a mortal.

Jane makes a face. Tug, tug, twirl. "It can't be a coincidence. A solar flare with a very, very rare gamma radiation signature happens at the same time as a gamma-ray burst from the Tesseract, at the exact time aliens are transported between Earth and Asgard? Four times?"

He nods. "It isn't likely to be happenstance."

"The thing is, I don't know yet how these events are related." Tug, tug, twirl. Tug, tug, twirl.

Loki grasps Jane's arms. "Stop."

She pulls away and scowls. "What? I have to think this through."

"No, I mean your hair. Leave it be. Come here." He shifts to sit against the backrest and pats the space in front of him.

"Why? What are you doing?"

"Do it. You keep working through that problem and I will solve this one."

Jane whispers her annoyance, "So bossy," but she complies.

Slipping the elastic band off her frazzled mane, he shakes his head at the state of Jane's hair. He summons an ebony comb from his pocket dimension. Picking up a lock of her hair, Loki examines it, trying to determine the color. Brown seems a mundane word for the deep patina which shifts and sparkles in the light. He draws the comb gently through the section, and feels Jane's muscles loosen up. Methodically, he proceeds, dragging his nails lightly across her warm scalp, untangling the knots.

He has not done this for another in centuries, not since he, Thor, and the other warrior apprentices practiced dressing their hair for battle. In fact, save for Frigga, he cannot recall the last time he touched another person without the knife-edge of violence or base lust.

When her hair finally lies silken down her back, Jane says, "Thank you."

"Wait." With the comb, he divides small sections of hair at her temple and begins to plait, gathering more hair as he works back.

"Finished," he pronounces in a hoarse whisper. He releases the last plait and slides his hand down her back, reluctant to break the contact.

Jane brings her hand up and explores his work. "Wow. These braids feel complicated, like weaving. How do you know how to do that?"

Ah, careful here, Loki. "You tell me. I'm a figment of your imagination, am I not?"

She chuckles. "Right. I must have watched a video on YouTube or something." Jane pivots her legs to rest on the concrete rooftop. "Want to hear what I think I figured out?"

He doesn't answer. Jane raises her head in question. Her eyes meet his and go wide.

A long moment later, she blinks and stammers, "Um, yeah, so, lo—logically, the activation of the, um, Bifrost must be the—the precipitating event."

"How so?" Loki challenged, still holding her gaze.

"Well, um, so, only the Bifrost is known to be controlled by sentient beings, right?" Jane finally pulls her eyes from his and fusses with the hem of her flannel shirt. She pauses, then continues more confidently.

"It doesn't make any sense that the Bifrost works only in response to the Tesseract or the Sun. That would be highly impractical. So the Bifrost does its thing, which causes the Sun and the Tesseract to do their things."

He needs to keep her on course. "That appears to be sound logic for the four incidents in which we know the Bifrost was involved. But what about 1945? You need to understand the Tesseract. Do you have any theories as to the role played by the Tesseract during these events?"

Jane sighs. "No. And until I do, none of this information is valuable to Erik."

oooOOOooo

Day 130

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

Volstagg stands beside her.

She turns to him. "I can do this."

He nods. "I know. Thank you, Lady Jane." He bows low and then turns away.

The skies begin to swirl. Jane pulls her wool coat around her. It had been cold today when she decided to surprise Isabel at the diner.

The automaton thuds to Earth. She steals a glance behind her. Kai stands guard, a towering angel of vengeance, all dark, sharp edges. His expression is severe, his stance threatening. He is motionless, save for his left thumb rubbing his right palm.

Focus, Jane! The monster has drawn close. Enunciating carefully and projecting her voice, she recites without pausing: "Algiz, Sowilo, Hagalaz, Thurisaz, Uruz."

The steel Goliath crumples like a tin can, scattering debris. Buildings and streets begin to disintegrate into the black void. She doesn't want to wake up yet.

"Kai!"

Immediately: "What do you need?"

She takes his arm. "This," as they step onto lush grass. A cement dome rises high into the night above them, gleaming white in the starlight.

Kai studies the building. "A temple?"

"Close. It's the Palomar Observatory. I got to use the telescope once when I had a summer course at Caltech. I love the Art Deco architecture."

A stately staircase leads to the white dome. Jane climbs it, enjoying the warm evening air, shedding her coat halfway. Arms akimbo, she stands at the top and watches Kai slowly ascending.

"Slowpoke," she teases.

He stops three stairs from the top, touches his chest, then points to her. "Why do you have need of a bandage?"

Jane shrugs. "I have a cut."

"On your bosom?"

"Bosom? Who says bosom besides my grandma?"

"Purple is a flattering color on you. Although any color can be attractive if you wear the garment that way."

Confused by the abrupt change of subject, Jane looks down. Two extra buttons on the silk blouse have slipped open. She immediately moves to fasten them, but Kai stills her hand.

"Let me heal it for you."

She leans away. "Don't worry about it."

Before she realizes his intention, Kai wraps his hands around her waist and lifts her onto the stone wall edging the staircase. He touches the edge of the bandage. Jane's protest dies in her throat when she registers his expression as concerned, not lecherous.

"Who did this to you?" His long, long finger slides down the dressing.

She gently grasps his hand and moves it away. Otherwise, she'd have no breath with which to answer him. "I must have scratched myself a few nights ago in my sleep, probably when I dreamed I was stabbed. It's not a huge deal. I used to claw myself all the time during the nightmare."

Kai reaches for her again, but then corrects himself. Good. Instead, he anchors both hands on the stone wall and leans close, eyes fixed on the bandage. A lock of black hair brushes her exposed collarbone. The scent of pine and something else she can't name, something delicious, rises from his skin. Uh-oh.

On the one hand, these are dreams. He's not real. What does it matter what she does in her dreams? Why shouldn't she give in to her attraction to him? On the other hand, she knows these are dreams. He's not real. How pathetic to give in to her attraction to him. She might as well buy a blow-up doll.

"I can heal you," he insists.

Jane shakes her head. "No, it's a real cut. It's not just a dream injury."

Kai raises his head, pinning her in place with his heavy-lidded gaze. Jane is transfixed. Just like last night, his eyes have...changed. No longer clear green, they are marbled, like nebulae. Would he…?

"Of course, Jane," he acquiesces, and straightens.

Half relieved, Jane quickly fastens the stupid buttons. She looks up to catch the tail end of a smirk.

Jane stands and clears her throat. "So, the Tesseract. We've got to figure out what role the Tesseract plays in this drama so we can direct it." She hands Kai a sheaf of papers, all business now. "I pestered Erik for the copies of Agent Carter's reports of Johann Schmidt's death, plus Armin Zola's testimony regarding the Tesseract."

Standing on tiptoes, Jane points at a grouping of numbers. "I checked all the sources I could get access to. That weird solar flare gamma-ray signature only shows up a total of five times anywhere, the ones I've already found. I was hoping to find more samples to study."

"How does that help us understand the Tesseract better?" Kai's tone is calm, collegial.

"I thought about that. Yes, we're studying the Tesseract, not solar flares. And I know we don't have readings for the day Schmidt disappeared, but I think we can extrapolate. We have five identical solar flare readings matched with four nearly-identical Tesseract readings. Can't we assume that the fifth Tesseract reading, from 1945, would correspond with the other four?"

Kai sits on the stone wall. "There's a fatal flaw in your reasoning. The four 2011 incidents were virtually identical—the use of the Bifrost, the solar flare, the Tesseract. You said the Bifrost must be the precipitating event for these samples. I'm inclined to agree with you."

"But what about 1945?" Kai continues, shuffling through the pages of notes. "There is no evidence that the Bifrost was involved. The Tesseract was the agent of that incident. We can't assume the Tesseract behaved in 1945 the same way it responded in 2011."

Jane paces the length of the landing, then stops in front of Kai.

"You're right. Let's look at the Tesseract. We know that Schmidt found it in a Norwegian village. Legend has it that Odin placed it there for safekeeping. After meeting Odin's son, I'm inclined to believe the legend is true. Why did he hide the Tesseract here?"

Kai sighs and folds his arms. "Why does one hide anything? Let's focus on what we know, not what we don't know."

"My profession doesn't work that way, Kai. We zoom in on what we don't know and then go after it." Jane resumes pacing. "Odin has a vault. He could just put the Tesseract in there. Why did Odin hide it on a defenseless planet?"

Kai scoffs. "Maybe he didn't care if Mi—ah, Earth burned."

Shaking her head, puzzled by his sudden irritability, Jane continues. "That doesn't make sense. Evidence suggests that the Tesseract is mind-bogglingly powerful. And thus dangerous. Earth wouldn't be the only Realm to burn if it fell into the wrong hands. Asgard—all the Realms—would be in jeopardy too.

"I think Odin chose Earth because it was so vulnerable. It's brilliant, really. Think about it—Earth was the worst hiding place, and thus the last place anyone would think to search. That must be why Asgardians abandoned Earth centuries ago. Odin wanted the memories to decay into mythology, to keep humans from believing the stories and hunting down the Tesseract. I think Odin wanted to keep the Tesseract very, very safe. But why, then, didn't he put it in his own vault? Why did he hide it so far away from Asgard?"

oooOOOooo

Day 131

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"Kai? Are you still here?" Jane's voice fades as the dream dissolves.

Loki numbly transported himself to his room at the inn. He needed to think, to assimilate the progress they'd made on the Tesseract and plan his next move. But his brain was uncooperative. It wanted only to replay Jane's story again and again.

Earlier that night, he had slipped into her nightmare without incident. The twister touched down; the Destroyer stepped out of the churning cloud of dust. He was mesmerized by Jane's vision of the metal giant and vaguely registered that she was reciting the runes he taught her. In reality, no spell or incantation would have any effect. The automaton obeys only the one who wields Gungnir. Loki's mouth twisted in a painful smirk. He, who had sat on the throne of Asgard, who had commanded this weapon, was reduced to a nursemaid for a mortal woman.

"Kai?"

Jane's upturned face swam into focus. She looked worried, her brow furrowed and lips pursed. She slipped her small hand into his. "Come on, let's go talk about the Tesseract."

Leaves crunched under his boots, starlight glinted off the midnight surface of a wide river, bare trees stretched their branches to the sky. It was soothing, after the noise and flash of the Destroyer, to walk along the water and to feel the cool air on his skin, in contrast to the warm hand in his.

He was mildly surprised to realize that they were still holding hands. As a master strategist, he knew he should use this, take advantage of the situation, push his agenda. But just as when he combed her hair, he was content in this moment. It couldn't last, of course; it wasn't real, she thought he was Kai. For this brief interlude, however, in this dream world, he just wanted to be with this woman who trusted him.

Loki glanced down and found Jane gazing at the sky. He chuckled. "You and your stars."

She shrugged lightly, smiling. "I've always loved them. One of the hardest things after—" deep breath "—the Destroyer was that I couldn't bring myself to study the skies. I had seen something horrific drop from them, and I couldn't believe in them anymore."

"I'm glad you are beginning to believe again, even if just in your dreams." Loki discovered he meant the words. "Would you like to get to work?"

Jane waited a beat before replying, "Yes. But you seemed like you needed some space."

"This has been pleasant, but we have work to do."

"We?"

Loki stopped walking and turned to face Jane, still clasping her hand. "We're in this together, aren't we?"

She rewarded him with a megawatt smile. "Ahh...the research partner of my dreams. Literally. I could get used to this."

A huge tree conveniently presented itself to lean against. They sat side by side, Loki's legs stretching laughably farther than Jane's. The hypnotic murmur of the river served as background music.

Jane rested her head on the bark. "I used to come here when I was in grad school. I'd rent a cheap camping spot, and then just sit all night by the river and stare at the sky."

"It is beautiful," Loki agreed. "Did you witness the use of the Bifrost? Do you remember what it looked like?"

She took the jarring transition in stride.

"Yes. I watched Thor and the warriors leave. They looked like they were being sucked up into a giant vacuum, sort of being distended before rushing upwards."

"Do you think that might look like "being vaporized" to someone who doesn't understand what's happening?"

Jane swiveled her head to face him. "Yes. Definitely! Are you saying…?"

"What if Schmidt wasn't killed by the Tesseract?"

"You think the Tesseract can create an Einstein-Rosen bridge?!" Jane scrambled to her feet. "Wait—that horrible man could still be alive?"

Loki put his hands out to ward her off. "I doubt very much that Johann Schmidt is still alive. When the Asgardians used the Bifrost, it was a controlled situation. The points of origin and destination were known. Correct?"

Jane was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Correct."

"Based on the information we have, Schmidt impulsively grasped the Tesseract when the container holding it was damaged. There was no control, no plan. If the Tesseract indeed created something like the bridge you mentioned, where was Schmidt sent? What are the chances he landed somewhere hospitable to human life?"

"Good point."

He wished now that he hadn't opened the next line of questioning.

"What do you know about Asgard? About inhabitable space other than Earth?"

"I know that they exist. My whole life, I've believed that there had to be other worlds out there. I've searched for them, I've set out to prove that travel to them is possible."

He needed to push further. "What did you learn from Thor? What did he teach you about those other worlds?"

Sinking to her knees in front of him, Jane showed him a page from her notebook. A crude sketch of Yggdrasil greeted him.

"This. This is what Thor taught me. About the World Tree and all the Realms." Her voice rose in delight.

Loki rolled his eyes in exasperation. Thor scrawls a child's drawing and the mortal is enraptured. He was glad her attention was fixed on the notebook. Schooling his features, he persisted, "That is lovely, Jane. What else did you learn from Thor?"

"Not much, really. I mean, I saw him transform into He-Man. And he took me flying to the Bifrost site. That was surreal. Then I got to watch them leave."

"Weren't you curious about other worlds? Didn't you take advantage of having the God of Thunder at your disposal?"

"Yes, of course I was curious, but when Thor first got here, we all thought he was some nutjob. And SHIELD stole my equipment. That was distracting. Then, I sort of started believing Thor's story. We sat on the roof of my lab one night and he drew me this picture. I asked him a thousand questions about Asgard and the Bifrost and travel to other Realms."

Loki tried to sound encouraging. "Wonderful. That's the sort of information we need. What did he tell you?"

Jane sat then and stared at the ground. "I asked him a thousand questions," she repeated. "And a thousand times he told me that he was a warrior, not a scholar."

Perfect, Loki scoffed to himself. That sounded just like Thor, always overestimating the value of brawn.

"He said he understood nothing about how he travelled to other Realms. I can't be too hard on him, I suppose. How many people drive a car every day but have no idea how it works?"

Jane spoke slowly, deliberately. "And then...and then Thor said that his younger brother would like me. Loki could answer all my questions and still have more to teach me. After a while, he said he was selfishly glad Loki and I hadn't met, because we would probably discover we were soulmates."

She lifted her face, then, and unshed tears sparkled in her amber eyes. "So, after Loki sent the Destroyer, I didn't know whether to be offended that Thor thought I might be capable of annihilating those closest to me, or heartbroken that Thor hadn't realized that Loki was."

oooOOOooo

Day 132

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

He's not there. Kai doesn't show up in her nightmare.

She doesn't need him to rescue her from the Destroyer anymore. No one dies in her dreams anymore. No one even shows up anymore. She now sees only bits of open desert where the giant will touch down. Puente Antiguo isn't there, Volstagg isn't there, and now Kai isn't there. This is good, she tells herself. It means I'm healing.

But she can't deny the hollow ache of disappointment.

The funnel cloud nears the desert floor. Mechanically, she recites the incantation before the Destroyer touches down, then turns to walk away. Three steps later, she stops and turns back, addressing the crushed pile of alien metal.

"We're done here."

oooOOOooo

Day 133

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

Perhaps it's time to move back to her trailer and sleep on a real bed. That cranky spring in the couch has gotten much worse. It jabs her in the back; she can't get comfortable. Ow. That's enough. Jane opens her eyes and sees the lush sparkle of the Milky Way overhead.

What?

"Good evening." The velvet growl is very close to her ear. She turns to see Kai lying next to her, his arm folded under his head. Relief and frustration pound through her veins in equal measure.

That rock formation looming above them...ah, she knows. This is the Natural Bridges Monument. Which explains the uncomfortable "bed." She shifts, trying to escape the stone poking her spine. The landscape is gorgeous, though, even at night. And the view of the sky, unparalleled.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment?"

Actually, she is. Sleep was elusive last night, and she was miserable today. She tried to talk herself out of her funk, but Isabel had noticed. Jane had been forced to make up some dumb story. The truth was humiliating. What was she supposed to say?

"Want the good news or the bad news? The good news is, I've fallen half in love with the man of my dreams, Isabel. He's absolutely gorgeous: wavy black hair, green eyes, tall, heart-stopping smile. And he's brilliant, but he respects my intellect, too. He challenges me like no research partner ever has. Plus, he's kind of my knight in shining armor since he rescued me from my nightmares. The bad news is, I've fallen half in love with the man OF MY DREAMS. Call the men in white suits. Have them bring a straitjacket."

It's ridiculous, and she needs to put an end to it.

"Congratulations on vanquishing the Destroyer, my dear. You were a shockingly fast study. I'm impressed."

She sighs. Time to put your big girl pants on, Jane. "We need to talk."

"Of course. Where did we leave off?" He hums a bit, then, "Ah, yes, we had theorized that Johann Schmidt was not killed by the Tesseract, but violently flung into outer space. Where, of course, he probably died soon after, but that is not necessarily the fault of the Tesseract itself."

Wait—my dear? Jane frowns and sits up. "Kai, this needs to stop."

"My apologies, love. You're right, of course. It's bad form to make light of the man's death."

Love? "No, Kai, listen to me."

His face lights up and he points at the sky. "Jane! Is that a fireball?"

She can't resist, of course, and swivels her head to look. Her mistake is realized when Kai slips his hand onto her back...her very low back, and begins to press and rub the muscles.

"What are you doing?" she bites out.

"You seem tense. I thought I would loosen you up."

"Kai…" she warns. It feels heavenly, really, and she doesn't want him to stop. Living alone has her starving for contact. She misses this, misses being touched, and not just in the bedroom. Although the way his hand brushes lower...no! See, this is your problem, Foster. She let herself have an imaginary friend, like a three-year-old kid. But she wasn't a kid anymore, and she needed to keep a grip on reality. With gods coming and going and holes being blasted in the space-time fabric, her reality was weird enough.

Ignoring the shivers running up and down her spine, Jane firmly says, "Stop."

He obeys and sits up to face her. Or rather, to tower over her. She scoots back so she can look him in the eye without craning her neck.

"Kai, thank you for all you've done for me. I'm not sure how you came to be, but you have helped me deal with my demons and get my life back. Now it's time to say good-bye."

Kai cocks one raven eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Well, you came to teach me to stop the Destroyer. You've done that. Your job is done."

"And was that all I was good for, darling? You seemed to appreciate my presence at other times, too."

Jane flushes, but she remains resolute. Her sanity is worth fighting for, isn't it? "Stop calling me darling and love. Yes, I enjoyed your company, and yes, you've helped me begin to solve the puzzle of the Tesseract. But it's time for you to go."

Kai ducks his head and a lock of inky hair falls over his brow. Jane clenches her fist to keep from smoothing it back. When he lifts his eyes again, he looks...shy? "But, sweet Jane, surely you've guessed. You must have realized where my affections lie. You are my love, my darling."

"Wh—what?" Jane is irritated to hear her voice tremble. She wants to be strong. But something inside of her flutters at the thought that this nearly-perfect man wants her, Plain Jane Foster. Then she remembers…

"YOU. ARE. NOT. REAL!" Jane jumps to her feet and glares down at him.

He covers his face with both hands. What's happening? To her horror, his shoulders shake and a hiccuping sound escapes. Is he—is he crying? She has not a single clue what to do in this moment. She drops back to her knees and reaches a tentative hand toward him.

"Kai, I'm—"

"Oh, the expression on your face!" Kai drops his hands and throws his head back, letting loose a rich throaty laugh.

She is dumbstruck. He's laughing? At her? Anger slices through her veins, cold, invigorating. "You prick! Now we're definitely through. Get out!"

"Surely you've guessed where my affections lie! Ah!" He rocks back and forth, holding his sides with glee.

That's it. Jane curls her fingers into a fist, braces herself, and throws her whole weight into a punch, focusing on strong follow-through, like a golf swing. She connects solidly with his jaw, snapping his head to the side. Unfortunately, "follow-through" while she's on her knees means that she follows, too. Jane collapses onto Kai, knocking them both to the ground.

Not quite the dignified exit she had in mind, but probably par for the Calamity Jane course. She fumbles, trying to find a solid surface in order to push herself off his body...his long, lean, body. She's mortified, and he's going to be angry, and this is a disaster. Jane can't find purchase for her hands, so she waits. Surely Kai will shove her off any second now.

Instead, his hands encircle her and begin to gently stroke her back.

"What kind of trick is this, huh? Let me up!" Jane tries to free herself, but he's much larger and stronger than she is.

"Shhh, Jane. Be still." Kai doesn't sound angry. And he's not laughing anymore. Instead, he's calm and in control, in contrast to her flailing.

He continues, in a gentle purr that causes her toes to curl against her will, "I'm not leaving. You still need me."

She protests, but he cradles her head into his chest, as one holds a baby. "Shhh," he repeats. "You did marvelously with your first task, the Destroyer. Well done, love."

Jane doesn't object this time. She's pressed into him, head to toes, his voice vibrating against her ear, and she's turning to mush. Where is her sanity now?

"You are still healing. I can help you. Think, Jane: in the last few minutes you've experienced more emotions than you have in the last several months. Fear is not the only thing you can feel, and you need to remember that, practice that. Remember that you are a vibrant, tenacious, brilliant woman."

"But you're not real," she whispers.

"I'm real while we are together. Can you see me...hear me...touch me? I'm as real as you need me to be. And I promise, sweet Jane, when you don't need me anymore, I'll be gone."

"Hmmmm," she replies drowsily, and the Milky Way and rock bridges slip away.

oooOOOooo

Loki watches her nestle into the comforter, lashes fringing her smooth cheek, rosy lips pouting slightly in sleep.

He hated it when Thor was right.