ONE YEAR AGO - After Loki's Punishment

Thor storms out of the great hall, dark clouds still darkening the sky. The blood on his hands has finally dried. It crusts at the creases of his fingers and palms, sticky and warm. Tears pour down Thor's face as scrubs at his palms with a course brush in his chambers. Everything feels hot, from his face stained with tears, to his aching heart in his chest, to his palms. They burn as he scrubs, the skin turning raw and red. Yet no matter how hard he scrubs, he can still feel the warmth of Loki's blood. He can still smell it in his nose. He can still feel the needle between his fingers, can feel it passing through layers of skin, muscle, and ligaments. Thor wants to vomit.

"Thor?" a delicate voice at his doorway calls. He turns to the door, only to cower in shame at the face. Sif stands in the threshold of Thor's chambers, her chocolate hair falling in waves down her spine. She wears her glittering armor in all it's majesty, looking more like a Valkyrie than one of Thor's warriors. She had been present during Loki's punishment. She stood among the other warriors and shared in their silence as the crowds jeered and spat during the sentence.

"Sif, please," he begs, burying his hands in the wash-basin. "I don't want you to see me like this."

He doesn't hear her approach but cool hands take hold of his forearm. Thor cranes his neck away from her, hiding his bleary eyes from her gaze. He doesn't want to appear weak and part of him wonders if she would interpret his tears as weakness. Or would Sif honor the strength it took to hold them in during Loki's punishment?

"Thor, let me help you." Sif holds Thor's hand in hers, taking up a warm rag and cleaning the blood. Thor clenches his free hand, his teeth digging into the meat of his lips.

Thor can feel Sif's eyes on him, but she says nothing for a long time. As she takes his other hand she says, "No one blames you." It's a simple statement that shakes Thor to his core. Fresh tears threaten to fall.

"I can never save him. I'm always too late. I shouldn't have…" Thor's voice cracks.

"Shhhh," Sif soothes, her hands cupping Thor's jaw. She turns his face in her hands, thumbs massaging his temples. "There's nothing you could have done, Thor. You have to stop blaming yourself for Loki's actions. He's not even-"

Thor knows exactly what she's going to say because everyone has been saying it since he was a child and Loki was introduced into his life.

"He's not even your real brother."

"He is my brother, and always will be. I love him." Thor interrupts, anger flooding his voice. He wasn't angry with Sif, nor any of the warriors, not even with Loki himself. Thor is angry with Odin. Had Odin been more accepting of Loki, had Odin opened his heart as Thor had, none of this would have happened. Thor grits his teeth, shaking his head.

"I feel helpless. Useless."

Sif frowns, pulling Thor close. He can smell the scent of her hair, like honey and spiced meade. Thor draws his gaze up, his hand gliding up Sif's wrist to hold her hand to his face.

"Thor, you're anything but. You're a hero. The realm's hero. Midgard's hero.," Sif pauses, biting her lip, "My…hero."

Her dark eyes look away from his for a moment, her fair skin blushing.

"I should go." Sif begins but before she can finish, Thor presses her flush against his chest. He presses a kiss to her lips. There is a moment's hesitation from Sif.

"Mn!" she protests from under Thor's lips, her body going stiff in his embrace. Thor's lips move across hers as gentle as the wind across Asgard's rolling planes. He tastes like everything Sif has ever wanted, sating her the greatest thirst she's ever had. She goes slack in his arms and twines her fingers in his hair, kissing him back with ferocity.

When her hand touches his belt, Thor backs away.

"Wait," Thor's voice is as low as thunder. Sif, lips raw, feels a stab of embrassment sread across her face.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Thor breathes with a soft smile. He rubs his mouth. "There's something I have to do." He kisses Sif's forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin for a moments time. Then, he steps back and exists his chambers. Sif stands alone in his room, a smile growing on her face and a fluttery warmth in her stomach.


Thor finds Heimdall standing at attention within the Bifrost's chamber. The starways and galaxies around glitter like a bejeweled blanket across the sky, Thor's eyes linger on them. He wonders if Jane looks at the same stars he does. Wonders if she still thinks about him. A pit grows in his stomach.

"My lord," Heimdall welcomes, his eyes steady upon the flaxen haired god.

"My friend," Thor greets, approaching the omniscient warrior.

"Is there something you need, my Lord?" Heimdall asks.

"Our ally, Jane Foster. She needs our help." Thor starts and a smile touches Heimdall's lips.

"Ah, yes. Our dear friend, Jane," Heimdall says, the smile somewhat darkening on his face. Thor regards the man for a moment feeling an odd energy about him. The Bifrost groans with its energy, electrifying pulses surging underneath Thor's boots. Something feels wrong, but Thor attributes this to the sick feeling inside his chest. He had just kissed Sif, just after torturing his own brother. Thor clears his throat, and his head of the thoughts.

"I need you to do something for me Heimdall."

"Anything, my lord," Heimdall says, and there's that gut feeling in Thor again. Telling him that something is very wrong. It's something in Heimdall's voice. It's…sweeter. Sharper. Like a poisionous cup of meade. And Thor's thoughts float to the scent of Sif's hair.

"I need you to cast a shadow upon her, hiding her from the gaze of friends and enemies alike. At least for the time being."

"Whatever for, my lord?"

"I fear for her safety. Things…" Thor's eyes linger on Heimdall, "Things aren't right in Asgard. Trouble is afoot."

Heimdall nods, his lips forming a thin line.

"I see. It is better to be safe, than to lose an ally like Jane to enemies of Asgard." Heimdall agrees. Thor turns to leave when Heimdall stops him. "There's only one problem, my lord."

Thor's stomach twists sharply. Had she already been found by the enemies Loki spoke of? Was Jane injured? Though Thor held no more romantic feeling for the woman of Midgard, he still had care, compassion, and sympathy for her. He was, after all, one of his greatest allies.

"What is it?" Thor's voice rises.

"It seems that she has already been hidden from my gaze," Heimdall says and seeing the confusion on Thor's face, he continues, "It seems that before Loki was captures, he cast a spell of concealment. A weak and temporary spell on the mortal."

The way Heimdall speaks about Jane, saying mortal like it was poision in his mouth, worries Thor.

"Will it wear off?"

"Eventually. Then I will be able to see her once more, and I can cast this shield, my lord." Heimdall assures. "How did she fare, last you saw her…?"

Thor's brow knits thinking about how long it had been since he had seen her after the fall of Malekith. Months.

"It has been months since I have seen her. But I'm sure her friends in London are enough to keep her company."

"London." Heimdall muses. "A beautiful city."

"Indeed." Thor shifts, his expression falling the longer he things about the time that has passed since he last said goodbye to Jane. His heart feels heavy.

"I believe I've kept you waiting for someone." Heimdall interrupts Thor's thoughts. Thor blushes.

"Oh. It's…"

"Secret, I'm sure. My specialty." Heimdall winks and waves Thor away. "I wouldn't keep a woman like that waiting, my lord."

"I'll be back soon, Heimdall. Take care." Thor turns, his chest feeling lighter, mind clearer. His heart leaps, thinking about spending an afternoon with Sif. And perhaps, a subsequent evening.

"You as well, Thor." Heimdall calls as Thor mounts his steed and rides towards the palace, down the rainbow bridge.

Heimdall smiles to himself, the slightest glimmer of seaweed green to his usual darkened eyes.


The plot thickens...