Thor walks into the common area, slightly surprised to find it nearly empty. The Tower was usually a hub of activity, even though Clint, Natasha, and Cap were often away on missions for SHIELD for long periods. Between their periodic appearances and the more consistent presence of Banner and Stark, he could usually rely on the Tower to have at least a couple of his newfound friends around. It had been an unexpected turn of events that led to the Avengers forming, but the friendships they all had forged after the battle had been a welcomed outcome.

Today, however, he finds just one of his teammates in the common area. Natasha is sitting on the couch watching something on the television but turns around to look when Thor is a few steps into the room. There is not a shred of doubt in his mind that Natasha had noticed his presence far before electing to acknowledge it. He had learned long ago that she possessed a near uncanny gift of perception, always knowing when someone was approaching, where they were coming from, and their identity. She was also talented in deducing when someone was lying or trying to hide something, and was adept at picking up on tiny cues of behaviour the rest of them missed altogether. These skills allowed her to maintain an unbeaten record in a war of hijinks and shenanigans with Stark, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Except, of course, Stark, who continued to be frustrated by his inability to strike back effectively.

"Hey, Thor," Natasha says with a quick bob of her head.

"Hello," he returns with a warm smile and a wave while walking further into the room. While he was not as close with Natasha as with others, their camaraderie and budding friendship were still strong enough that he trusted her counsel. She was a battle-proven fierce warrior, yes — he'd watched her take down soldiers of the Chitauri army twice her size after all — but more than that, she was wise with experience and knowledge on many topics.

"Didn't know you were dropping by today."

"Ah, I hadn't planned on it," he admits as he sets Mjolnir down on a table in the small kitchen area. "It was a— What do you call it here? A game-time decision?"

He sees one side of her mouth twist up into an amused smile. "Maybe. Depends on the circumstances," she hedges. "Been a little while since you last visited," she adds.

"It has," he admits a bit guiltily. His duties to assist in bringing peace to the realms had been taking up much of his time, preventing him from visiting Jane or the Avengers. However, the sceptre falling into enemy hands was now of utmost importance, so he had resolved to be more present on Earth. "It is nice to be back, and to see you as well," he adds, then glances around the room quickly. "Where is everyone else?"

"Tony's in his lab with Bruce, Cap's working out in the gym, and Clint is away at the moment," she lists off.

"And you?"

Natasha shrugs. "Killing time mostly. I finished my workout hours ago, and I'm just waiting for Steve to finish his. I promised him that I would walk him through some more of the features on his phone."

"Ah, yes. Those tiny devices are maddeningly difficult," Thor agrees with a sympathetic nod. Jane and Darcy had tried to explain some of the finer points of mobile phones, but he'd struggled to retain most of it. He didn't count himself an idiot, but there was something about these devices that he could not grasp.

"Yeah, I'd guess they would be for you too," she says, laughing lightly. "The rest of us were lucky to have been around through the rollout and upgrades over the years."

Thor's gaze slides just beyond her as he spots a beautiful scene on the television screen. There are dozens of lights pulsing as they float across the evening scene. The sight is not too dissimilar from some he'd seen in his youth, and he smiles as fond memories rise in his mind. "That's quite a sight," he comments as he tips his chin toward the television, intent on moving past his sadness. "What is it?"

Natasha glances at the screen and then back to him. "Fireflies."

Thor's brow furrows in concentration, trying to recall if Jane, Erik, or Darcy had ever mentioned them. "I've never heard of them. Are they real?" he says after a moment. "I mean, do they exist here and not just in this," he clarifies quickly, gesturing to the screen again. He'd learned humans were very talented at illusions of a technological nature, using them often in films. Darcy had explained that sometimes film characters weren't portrayed by actors, and instead, illusions were created to portray them. He had been equal parts impressed and confused by the concept.

"Yeah, they're real," she confirms. "Do you have something similar on Asgard?"

He shakes his head. "No, not like them. We have many beautiful creatures, but these are something entirely different. Are they everywhere here on the planet?"

"No, I don't think so. They have a pretty specific habitat that they need, I think."

"Are they here?" he asks, gesturing around them vaguely. "I'd like to see them."

She smiles, eyes alight with something he can't identify, but he can see her trying to work out the reasoning behind his request too. "In New York? Yeah. Probably not here in the city though. You'd need to get out of the city and into nature. And they typically come out for only a brief period in the year, I think."

"Oh," he says, deflating a bit.

"But lucky for you, we're in the right season," she continues with a small, amused smile.

His eyes brighten. "Then we should go," he declares, and Natasha chuckles even as surprise flitters across her features at his eagerness.

"Someone's eager," she remarks playfully.

Thor smiles sheepishly, realizing he had assumed she would go with him. "If you are willing, I would be grateful for you to accompany me and show me where I can see them," he amends.

Her lips twist into an amused smile again. "Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can do that."

"Excellent," he declares, picking up Mjolnir and preparing to leave.

"We'll have to wait until tonight though."

He feels his excitement dampen again. "I trust your counsel," he says seriously with a nod. Though she tended to be less open about herself than his other teammates, Natasha had proved helpful in answering his questions about Earth and its people and culture. She was knowledgeable about many things and used far fewer technical words and concepts than Stark did in his efforts to explain things.

"And we're taking my car," she adds, eyeing him twist Mjolnir idly.

"If we must," he agrees reluctantly. "Until then, may I join you?" he asks politely, watching another scene unfold on the television.

"Be my guest," she says, gesturing to the empty space on the couch beside her.

"You know, we could've flown there with Mjolnir. I would not have minded carrying you," Thor says as he watches the scenery pass by the car window. The vehicle was not nearly as roomy as a jet and made for a slightly uncomfortable journey for his large frame, not to mention he was still not accustomed to travelling in cars and therefore was a bit uneasy. However, Natasha was more at ease this way, and he was inclined to allow her that peace of mind, given she was doing him a favour by showing him the fireflies.

"Tempting as that is, I think this is likely the safer option," Natasha says dryly. He sees a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, but she holds it back.

"I don't agree," he counters. "I've been hit twice by a vehicle."

Her head turns quickly to stare at him, one eyebrow darting up and shifting her expression to a quizzical one. "Did the cars survive?"

"Yes," he answers readily before realizing a beat late that she had been joking, and he smiles sheepishly. "That vehicle was not as sleek as this one," he adds while running a hand across the dash.

She smiles proudly. "Yeah, this is a nice one."

"This is yours?" Thor says. He knows Stark has many expensive and impressively fast vehicles, but isn't sure if this is one of them.

"Yep. Bought it a couple years after joining SHIELD."

"It is very impressive. I assume it is faster than most others?"

"It can be," she says with a smile. Thor returns her smile, feeling the car accelerate slightly. "But unfortunately speeding is frowned upon here, and I don't feel like fighting a ticket in court, even if Stark would probably lend me one of his lawyers."

"'tis a shame."

"Yes," she agrees, nodding with a smile, "it is."

A thought occurs to him as to why she might be hesitant to fly with him using Mjolnir. "Do you fear flying?" he asks.

He sees a slight frown on her brow as she shakes her head twice. "No, I fly in jets all the time. And I happen to have done a few emergency parachute jumps over the years too."

"So why refuse the offer of flying with Mjolnir outright?" he presses gently, genuinely curious.

"Like I said, safer," she offers simply. "Not all of us are enhanced individuals," she adds dryly, and he grins at her quip.

"I suppose not," he concedes. "But it can be quite exhilarating."

"I'm sure it can, and maybe one day I'll let you take me for a short trip, but for today, I'd like to be able to actually see the fireflies tonight, so we stick with the car."

He nods once in acquiescence to her reasoning. "And so we shall."

"What is this place?" Thor asks as he closes the car door — remembering to be gentle, lest he break it — before beginning to walk toward a clearing not far from them.

"One of Stark's properties."

"Ah, he has a home here?"

Natasha laughs. "I doubt he even remembers he owns it," she replies, her gaze sweeping across the scene in front of them. There's a lake not too far in the distance, with large swaths of trees surrounding it, and a somewhat large clearing just off the beach.

"So it's not being used for anything?"

"At the moment? No. I imagine he'll either sell it to some developer, or keep it and build something here."

"For his company?"

She shakes her head. "Nah, it's too remote to be useful for anything like that. Maybe a house or a cottage or something though. It's a nice piece of land for that kind of thing."

"And the fireflies, this is their— What did you call it? Habi…"

"Habitat," she supplies. "Yeah, they like the long grass and the standing water," she continues, gesturing to the lake. She glances upward then, eyeing the setting sun. "Should come out soon, I'd imagine."

Thor nods and then begins to look around. Her prediction turns out to be proven correct, with some floating, pulsing lights appearing shortly after. At first, there is only a handful, but quickly they multiply until the grassy area is completely filled with the dancing lights. His expression shifts to awe as what appeared to be hundreds of fireflies seemed to double in the blink of an eye. The lights were constant gentle flashes, floating effortlessly just above the tops of the long grass and bushes, giving the scene a soft beauty.

He turns to look back at his teammate and finds her staring at the sight with her own expression of wonder. There's another emotion written on her face and in her eyes that he feels is almost leaning toward melancholy, but he glimpses it only briefly before she meets his gaze and shoots him a smile. "Pretty cool, right?" she says.

"They're beautiful. The television did not capture the true depth of their beauty," Thor says honestly. The memories of the enchantments from when he was younger rise up again, and he can't help the smile from spreading across his face as he feels the warm embrace of his love for his mother rush through him.

They fall into silence again as they watch the display of nature's beauty. He reaches a hand toward a larger group of fireflies and watches as a few land on his hand, their flashing lights never ceasing. Several more land on his outstretched hand, and then a few more, and more, and more, until his hand is completely covered.

"Huh," Natasha says as she takes a few steps toward him. "That's new."

"They do not usually do this?"

She shakes her head as she scrutinizes his covered hand. "Not that I've seen. Maybe it's the whole…lightning thing," she suggests with a shrug.

He tilts his head thoughtfully, wondering if her suggestion is serious, but his attention is drawn back to the scene in front of him when the lights begin to pulse together. He realizes that the pulses are in time with his heartbeat, and he smiles at the notion that they are syncing with his life force. "You may be right," he says, and she replies only with a smile.

Eventually, her attention is drawn away from him, and he takes a moment to watch her take in the scene. Her expression has shifted to pensive, as though she is thinking deeply about something, and her hands are crossed over her chest in a casual, albeit protective pose. He wonders where her mind has wandered that's shifted her mood so far from the unbridled wonder it had been enjoying not so long ago. She was the most level-headed and composed of them all, so the weight she seems to now be carrying upon her shoulders is out of character with the woman he's come to know since they united as a team in New York City.

"Natasha," he says, mindful to keep his voice soft, lest he spook the creatures. She turns to look at him, silently responding with only her expression, and he holds out a hand. "I wish to try an experiment, if you would allow me."

She scrutinizes his hand for the briefest of seconds before she moves to close the distance between them and puts her hand into his. Thor is struck by how quickly she completes this action, finding himself honoured by the level of trust she's placing in him, but he pushes that thought aside and instead focuses on the present. He gently closes his left hand around her right hand, and with Mjolnir in his other hand, focuses a gentle stream of lightning to course through him and across their joined hands into her.

"Whoa," she says softly, eyes wide with awe.

Thor can tell from her tone that she's surprised but not upset by the experience. (He'd once done a similar experiment with Erik — who had enthusiastically marvelled at experiencing it — so he's confident it won't have any ill effects.)

They watch as the fireflies react to the action, flying up and landing on their joined hands. Soon after, the creatures also begin landing on Natasha's arm and shoulder.

"Guess it is the lightning after all," she quips, grinning widely.

"So it would seem," he agrees with a smile of his own.

"So, I have to ask," Natasha says once they're seated in her car and on the road back to the city. "Why were you so eager to see the fireflies?"

He smiles warmly as the memories of his mother from when he was young wash over him again. "My mother used to cast enchantments for me when I was young. One of them was a simple illusion, but it was of floating lights."

"Enchantments? Like…magic spells?" she says.

"She was raised by witches, and was quite talented at illusions among other things," he answers with a nod.

"So the fireflies were a way to reminisce," she surmises.

"Yes," he answers with a nod. "It was an unexpected reminder, but a welcome one."

She nods in understanding, and he senses somehow that she understands his situation more than she is saying. It seems to him that her expression is empathetic, as though she knows precisely what he means. He wonders again where the sight of the fireflies had made her mind wander. For him, they bring up equal parts joy and grief, but for her... He knows so little about her — an intentional decision by her, he knows — that he can't even begin to guess who or what she might be reminded of by them.

"You enjoyed them, too, I noticed," he says, curious if Natasha will choose to reveal anything about herself.

"I used to see them sometimes when I was younger," she admits, much to his surprise. "There's just something about them that…draws me in now."

"Perhaps it's how they prompt you to remember the days of your youth?" he posits. Belatedly he remembers that her childhood had been difficult and filled with pain, and he holds in a wince at his blunder.

She just chuckles, letting him off the hook for almost derailing their conversation. "Yeah, maybe something like that."

They're quiet for a beat before he says, "Thank you, Natasha. I appreciate you taking me here."

"No problem," she says with a smile. "It was nice to see them in person again."

"Then we shall have to do it again," he suggests.

She smiles warmly at the suggestion, telling him Natasha is as enthusiastic about returning as he is. "Definitely."

*peers around nervously* ...anyone still here? combination of a busy real life and inspiration taking a back seat for a bit meant no posting. good news is I'm writing again. 😊

so - thoughts on this one? enjoy the friendship between them? enjoyed seeing Thor's thoughts on Natasha? as always, please do let me know.

p.s. bonus points to anyone who figured out what familiar spot they drove to see the fireflies 😉