"Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future."

–Audrey Hepburn

Freyja stood in the elevator, waiting for it to reach the penthouse suites. She couldn't help thinking about the strange feeling she had gotten when she woke up. Something had seemed different, not anything major that could be specifically described, but definitely something off. On top of that, the night itself had been strange.

Not a single unpleasant memory had haunted her in the night. It was what threw her off the most, despite allowing her to feel more rested than she had in centuries. She usually relived two or three memories a night, so it wasn't improbable for her to have a few happy recollections, but not an entire night of fond happenings between herself and the people she considered her family. It reminded her dauntingly of the calm before a tempest.

Regardless of the odd night, or perhaps because of it, she had spent the day out to enjoy what she knew to be her one of her last few days on Midgard. She had decided she would still leave by her ship, which Tony had informed her had been repaired by the S.H.I.E.L.D. mechanics in order to better study it. They were trying to learn from the designs and she loathed to cut progress of any kind short, but she had higher priorities, and making sure Thanos did not come to the planet was high on that list.

The elevator doors slid open with a swoosh, pulling her from her thoughts, and Freyja walked out. She stopped short as a woman came gliding down the hall that led to Tony's rooms. She watched the woman curiously, trying to guess who she might be. As the woman came to a halt at the sight of Freyja, the Vanir could better inspect her shoulder-length orange-blonde hair and grey eyes. She smiled, a name coming to mind.

"You must be the famous Miss Potts I've been hearing about," she said.

Pepper smiled as she remembered Tony's guest, "And you're Freyja, right?"

"You are correct."

Pepper smiled in return, "I heard you and Tony got into a little spat while I was gone. I hope Tony didn't cause you too much distress."

"Oh, I'm fine," she answered, smirking. "I seem to have rather intimidated him into affability."

"Alright, then. I know how Tony can get…"

"It's perfectly alright. I knew beforehand what I was getting into."

"Mm-hmm," Pepper trailed off for a second. "So, you're the goddess of love? If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind in the slightest," Freyja told her. "To the Norse people, I was the patron goddess of love – and also of beauty and magic – but I wouldn't say that I am a goddess in the sense of a deity."

"I thought Asgardians and Vanir were gods."

Freyja shook her head, "The Æsir believe themselves to be gods, a product of their own egos, but my people believed us to be no more than another species. You have your strengths, and we have ours."

"Oh. I heard that you were the goddess the Norse prayed to for romantic problems…"

Freyja gave a sharp laugh, "Oh, they did. They prayed to me because, while Asgard is full of patrons of war, my people were patrons of love, family, spirituality, sexuality, and fertility. I don't know why they thought I could provide wisdom when my own romantic endeavors tend to end disastrously."

"You had a lot of relationship before Loki?"

Freyja looked up, startled, "Tony told you that, did he?"

Pepper nodded, "But Steve explained some things to me after. I won't it against you; no one can control who they fall in love with, after all."

She smiled, feeling relieved at Pepper's blasé demeanor towards the subject, "Indeed. But, in answer of your question, yes. I had many relationships in my youth. However, I was never in love until I returned to Asgard, and even then I almost mistook it for platonic love."

"The god of mischief with the goddess of love," the woman mused. "What was that like?"

"Exhilarating, there are no two days alike. He presents a new adventure every time the sun rises."

"Was he sweet? Before he…"

"Before he emotionally snapped and was tortured and manipulated by the Chitauri's leader?" Freyja finished, continuing as Pepper's eyes widened. "Loki has not yet told Thor, though I suspect he knows and just has not told his companions, out of respect for his brother's privacy. Though he may not always seem it, Thor is much more intelligent and perceptive than he pretends to be."

Pepper smiled at that, as she had always expected as much, and watched as Freyja's expression changed as she answered the initial question. There was a sort of fondness in her eyes as she spoke.

"Loki can be exceptionally romantic – more romantic than myself, if I am honest – and he was absolutely delightful with his children."

"Loki has children? So the myths are true?"

"In many ways, yes, and it is true that he has three children. The twins, Fenrir and Jormungand, and his daughter, Hela. They're gems, all of them, although Jormungand is as much of a trouble-maker as his father."

"Isn't Jormungand a serpent and Fenrir a wolf?"

Freyja couldn't help but laugh at Pepper's hesitant confusion, "Of course not. Jormungand is quick and cunning and, consequently, was sometimes referred to as a serpent among the Æsir, and Fenrir is withdrawn and fiercely protective of those he loves, earning him the nickname of the Wolf. Perhaps your people have mistranslated our stories."

"So Hela isn't half-dead?"

"Well, that is due to an unfortunate complication during the pregnancy," Freyja admitted. "Although, she is not half-dead so much as she is malformed. But she's such a sweet girl, despite how people often judged her on her appearance. She had this innate ability to see past peoples' defenses, which I believe made them uncomfortable around her, on top of how she looked."

As she had spoken, Freyja had walked around the bare that separated the kitchen from the actual living room area. It was already evening and she was starting to feel a bit hungry. However, when she opened the fridge to find it almost bare, she gave a small scowl.

"Does he ever eat here? It seems I always find this container empty."

"You mean the fridge? Yeah, the only thing he keeps in there is champagne and occasionally leftover pizza."

She shook her head at the sight, "Has he always been so accustomed to drink?"

"He's got a high tolerance."

"I thought as much," Freyja said, closing the fridge. "Oh, and forgive me if Tony gives you any trouble about his suit."

Pepper looked confused at that, "Why would he give me trouble about his suit?"

Freyja grinned, "The less you know of it, the better. I would also be grateful if you would not tell him I spoke to you of it."

"Okay, then," Pepper said, deciding that it was probably better not to dig too deeply into it. "I should probably get going. I've got a meeting with the board in an hour and a flight to catch."

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Freyja said, watching as Pepper stepped into the elevator.

"You, too," and the elevator door closed.

"So, what exactly is wrong with my suit? I haven't seen it today, but should I be worried?"

She looked up to see Tony walking in, black hair slightly disheveled. He wore a Black Sabbath tee and jeans that were oil-stained and torn in places. It was obvious that he had spent the day in his lab/garage, the signs of which Freyja had long since learned to recognize, but didn't seem to be tired.

"Exactly how long have you been eavesdropping?" she asked.

"Since you said something about no two days with Loki are the same," he answered with a shrug. "Let me ask you a few questions that have been bothering me."

"So long as they are not offensive," she answered.

"Norse mythology says that Loki was married to Angrboda, then to Sigyn, but never anything about your relationship with Loki. In fact, it actually kind of makes it seem like you two hated each other. How does that fit into what you've told us?"

"Your people seem to have stretched the truth greatly," Freyja said with a sharp laugh. "Loki was indeed married to Angrboda, but their marriage was short-lived as she died giving birth to their daughter, Hela. They were married for a total of two years, both of which took place during my pilgrimage through the Realms. In his grief after Angrboda's death, he became Sigyn's lover for a time but found she made his pain worse. Despite their many nights spent together, they never married. But she grew attached, and made it obvious she wished to marry him. In fact, she was the one who often spread lies about her relationship to Loki."

He gave a low whistle as a response, "And how do you know all this if you weren't there for any of it?"

"Loki may be considered to be the god of lies, but he has never hidden anything from me that he thought I should know."

"Okay. Next question: was it ever uncomfortable dating Loki when he already had three children?"

"Of course not. I loved his children as though they were my own."

"Uh-huh. Here's my last question: did you know that Loki supposedly sired a horse, as a mare?"

She raised her eyebrows, "That is hardly possible. Loki was always one for trouble, but what you speak of is not his type of chaos. He may have enjoyed shape-shifting, but changing genders is completely different, especially for those not of Vanaheim. Full gender transmutation, on top of species metamorphosis, is extremely difficult for sorcerers of other Realms and is rarely completed.

"It is different for my kind. The way my people are born cannot quite be comprehended by those physically limited to binary sexes, and grow up to exist in a constant state of flux, allowing us to change between the genders and species with ease. For example: if Loki and I were to take on the form of Thor, Loki would simply take on a visual illusion over his own skin while I would take on the physical appearance of Thor and alter my DNA just enough to match that of an Asgardian man. You would be able to tell the difference in Loki's, for you would feel through the illusion, but I would be entirely identical to Thor unless you examined my aura or my genes."

Tony gave a short laugh, trying to process all of the possibilities she had revealed with her explanation, "So Loki could – what, bend light around his body – while you can alter your actual body on a genetic level, to some extent, essentially making you a man?"

"That would be the simple answer, yes."

"So would that make you a man or a woman?" he asked, grimacing as he realized how terrible that sounded. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that."

"I do not mind," she told him with a shrug. "I am both…or maybe neither. We had no true concept of gender. I believe the closest term you have to what I am is 'genderfluid'. I simply prefer to present myself as a woman. That does not, however, mean that I'm uncomfortable as a man."

"Huh. Did you ever spend any time in Asgard in the form of a man? I bet that would have thrown them for a loop."

She laughed at that, telling him, "Before I left on my pilgrimage, I spent two years as a young man. It scandalized many of the Diar, Odin's court. You see, although the changing of one's gender is not too uncommon in Asgard, it is often done early in one's life and done quietly. My choice to change so quickly and publicly just wasn't done."

The doors to the elevator slid open before Tony could reply, revealing a surprisingly well-rested Bruce. He stared at the two, Freyja smiling widely and Tony looking thoroughly amused, and wondered silently when they had decided to be friendly towards each other. Bruce raised his eyebrows.

"Do I want to know what's going on here?" he asked, tentatively. "Or if I should be preparing for doomsday?

"Just a discussion of alien physiology and gender," Freyja answered dismissively. "Hardly anything which marks the end of time. Was Tony expecting you?"

He held up his phone, "He did text me."

"Yes, we're going out to have a goodbye party for Freyja," Tony explained, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

She turned to him, shocked, "We are?"

"Yep, my treat."

"Just the three of us?" Bruce asked.

"Well, I do have a few other people coming," Tony answered, turning quickly to look at Freyja. "Robin Hood said he's actually gotten on your good side. Is that true?"

"Robin Hood?" she asked.

"I think he means Clint," Bruce answered. "Fitting nickname, since he just bought his whole apartment complex so his neighbors could keep their homes."

"Did he?" Freyja asked. "That was very generous. But, yes, we settled a few things not too long ago. I'm afraid Natasha and I, however, have yet to see eye-to-eye."

"Oh, well. If we're all together, she'll be civil," Tony reasoned. "And Thor can invite Jane. Pepper can't make it…Think you can handle five men with only two women?"

Freyja grinned at the challenge, "I'm sure I can manage. After all, my particular group of friends consisted of five men and two women, if you include myself."

"Wait," Bruce spoke up. "We're throwing a going away party with just Clint, Natasha, Steve, Thor, Jane, and us?"

"Well, who else would we invite? Freyja doesn't really know anyone else. Rhodey's in D.C. on some 'classified' business. Jane's intern is visiting her family, Selvig's taken a hiatus after S.H.I.E.L.D. dragged him in."

Bruce gave a shrug of grudging agreement, but said nothing in reply.

"Where are we going?" Freyja asked, curious as to what Tony's plans were.

"A club called the Kiss and Fly. Now, come on. We have a night to waste!"

He wrapped one arm around Freyja's waist, draping the other around Bruce's shoulders, and pulled them into the elevator. He pushed the button for the lobby with the hand he had resting courteously on Freyja's waist, allowing her to put a little space between him and herself. He gave her a look of mock offense at the gesture. But he made no move to bring her closer, earning him a grateful smile from Freyja and a look of surprise from Bruce.

"So, you're leaving soon?" Bruce asked, tearing his eyes away from Tony to look at Freyja.

"On the morrow, most likely."

"And yet she has no idea where she's going, do you?" Tony pointed out.

"Actually, I have half a mind to go to Svartalfheim and have Thanos trail after me through the arid wastelands, just as recompense for the destruction he has caused."

Tony raised his eyebrows, "Svartalfheim's a wasteland, right? Why not confront him there, away from civilization, and end it all."

She frowned at his words. Because I'm afraid of dying, a voice in her head said venomously. Instead of voicing that thought, she offered him a wan smile, but it came out rather like a grimace.

"If only it were that simple."

Bruce and Tony exchanged a glance at her words, but neither could exactly make sense of her unreadable tone. It was clear that she was hiding something, much like when they had breakfast when she first arrived, but could not seem to draw the secret from her. And Tony wasn't willing to dig too far after the whole Loki debacle. Before either of them could say anything on the matter, Freyja's entire demeanor changed to one of pleasant amusement.

"Tell me, Tony, should I expect liquor in this little party of yours?"

Tony scoffed at that, forgetting her secrets for the moment, "What is a party if you don't drink a little? Just because your body doesn't process alcohol the same way doesn't mean you can't have a few beers."

"I'll tell you if he tries to give you something you can't handle," Bruce stage-whispered.

Tony only gave them a scoff and an eye-roll in reply.

Loud synthpop blared within the walls of the club, the bass reverberating through the floor like a strange heartbeat. The room was painted different hues of blue, pink, purple, and green by the lights that randomly flashed throughout the place. Tony, Bruce, Freyja, Clint, Thor, Jane, and Steve sat at a round booth, laughing over theirs drinks. Natasha had declined, claiming that she had an undercover op to prepare for. Clint had vouched for her.

Freyja had found that Jane wasn't one for parties, either, and the two had quickly started a conversation regarding Freyja's culture and how her people had acclimated to that of the Æsir. After Tony interrupted the two, saying that they were there for a party and not research, all talk of sociology changed to old stories.

"I have one for you, but Thor's not going to enjoy it," Freyja said with a grin. "And I assure you that none of you have heard it from our perspective before."

Thor looked up suddenly, pointing his finger at her in warning, "This had better not be what I believe it is."

She laughed, "Oh, calm yourself. It's no more than a good laugh."

"What is it?" Tony asked.

"Well, Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, is something of legend for the Nine Realms. Many have coveted it from afar, including a Jötunn named Thrym. Now, there has been many a morning when Thor woke up to find that Loki has hidden Mjolnir during the night. You see, Mjolnir was a gift from Loki through a bet he had with the dwarven brothers Brokk and Sindri. He had bet his head that they could not forge items more beautiful than those of Ivaldi, who were the royal smiths at the time."

Clint choked on his beer, clearing his throat enough to ask, "He bet his head."

She nodded, "Loki had a nasty habit in his youth of speaking without thinking. I believe it might be a genetic trait among those of Asgard."

"Oh, do not bring that up. Continue the story," Thor laughed.

"Well, even though Loki had been instrumental in the creation of the hammer, Thor often behaved as though he alone had a right to it. So Loki made a point of hiding it whenever Thor was being particularly rude. However, at this point, it was the second consecutive day in which Mjolnir had gone missing and Thor was absolutely furious. He had gone immediately to his brother and demanded he return it. Loki, who had not touched the hammer since the day before, argued that he had not taken it and that Thor would not be able to find it if it lay at the foot of his bed.

"I ran into the two arguing and asked what was going on. They explained the situation, not excluding their personal bias, and I convinced Thor that Loki was not lying. I offered Loki my cloak, which allows instant short-distance travel to the wearer, so long as one has the strength to do so. He used it to search the Nine Realms for Mjolnir, as he knew that something was amiss.

"It was on these travels that he came across Thrym, who bragged to his whole village that he had stolen and hidden Mjolnir. He told Loki that no one would find it unless I was brought to him to be his wife. Loki returned to Asgard and told Thor, who immediately made his way to my chambers.

"It was late in the night and I was about to retire for the day when Thor knocked on my door. As soon as I opened it, he told me – quite enthusiastically, too, I might add – to dress in a wedding gown and veil and to get ready to go to Jötunheim with him. I was not in the best of moods to begin with seeing as I was exhausted from a long day and Thor's casual demands insulted me, to say the least. I was, after all, not a prize to give away at whim. For days after, the servants swore that my shouting could be heard throughout the city and the slamming of my door shook the very castle.

"I was called for a meeting with Odin, not much later, to discuss with the other gods how to retrieve Mjolnir. During the argument, I jested that since Thor was Helheim-bent on my going to Jotunheim, he should dress as me and take back his hammer himself. Loki agreed that it was a good plan, and I added that Loki could go as a bridesmaid.

"Now it was Loki and Thor arguing against the rest of us who all thought it was a brilliant idea, although it was more for just seeing the Princes dressed as women for a wedding. It was decided and I helped dress Thor in a bridal gown and veil along with Loki. We shaved Thor's beard and covered his head in a fairly sheer. Loki was a tad bit simpler to dress."

"So you two dressed in drag?" Tony laughed.

"It was for the good of the Realm," Thor protested.

"Actually, Loki transformed himself into a woman for the occasion," Freyja told them. "I chose to accompany them in the form of a Vanir servant, which is always less intimidating than an Asgardian Einherjar. Since we are not invulnerable like the Æsir, we agreed that Thrym would not object to a man accompanying two women – and it was less suspicious that sending two or even three women alone."

"Wait, but how did- what did you do for-" Steve stumbled over his words, gesturing towards his chest.

Freyja laughed, immediately understanding what he meant, "That was a fairly difficult part in dressing Thor. We used multiple layers of cloth to mimic breasts, as there is no spell for such a thing and it is incredibly taxing to use magic to transform people other than one's self.

"So, there we were, sitting in Thrym's hall over a meal as we discuss how the wedding and the return of Mjolnir should take place. While Loki and I worked out the details with Thrym, Thor decided it was as good a time as any to gorge himself on the food and mead. Loki, as silver-tongued as ever, explained the reason for 'her' appetite was that my people have just finished a week long fasting ritual we perform every century. This quelled Thrym's surprise until he announced that it was time to retire and, before we knew it, he had pulled back Thor's veil and was kissing him on the lips."

The giggles that had been suppressed earlier now broke out into laughter as no one could keep silent. Thor had turned red in the face, turning to Jane as though for comfort. But the astrophysicist was barely hiding her laughs, her hand hiding the smile on her lips, and he mumbled something unintelligible in Old Norse.

"Before Loki and I could respond," Freyja continued. "Thor balled his fist and knocked Thrym nearly twenty feet across the floor. The guards' faces were priceless at the sight of their master sprawled across the floor, looking dazed. Thor, who had suffered through enough of the charade at that point, demanded that Thrym return Mjolnir immediately. Within seconds, we were battling our way through the entire house of Jötunns."

"I thought you said you're a pacifist," Tony pointed out.

She rolled her eyes, "I may be a pacifist by nature, but I am capable of defending myself. I choose not to start fights, but I cannot avoid all of them. Particularly as I am friends with Thor."

"So, what happened?" Jane asked, looking at Thor and Freyja expectantly. "How'd you escape?"

He smiled, speaking when Freyja motioned for him to finish it, "Well, Loki, Freyja, and I were quite a team back then. I with Mjolnir and Loki and Freyja with magic; we were unstoppable when together. Freyja would keep up the defenses, creating shields and the like to protect any attacks we did not see, while Loki distracted the enemies with projections of himself and I did the real fighting."

"Oh, please," Freyja scoffed, though her tone remained genial. "You did nothing but hit a few Jötunns over the head with Mjolnir. Just admit it, if Loki and I had not been there, you would have never gotten out in one piece."

"Regardless," Thor said loudly. "We managed to fight our way out of the hall and call for Heimdall to open the Bifrost to us. After such a close call, we found ourselves so shocked, we could do naught but laugh at the whole ordeal."

"Thor and Loki dressed as women," Clint laughed. "Now that's something I'd pay to see."

"You hardly need to pay," Freyja told him, gesturing for him to lean closer.

He did as she wished, knowing he could trust her, and didn't so much as flinch as she pressed to fingers to his temple. As she projected the image into his mind, he reeled back with a snort of laughter.

"Loki makes a half-decent woman," he joked, taking a long draw from his beer.

"I rather think so," Freyja commented, earning a few amused looks. "I rather like Loki as a woman. A shame it's only an illusion – the things we could do…"

Clint did all he could to keep from spitting out his beer, standing up with a shake of his head and a smirk, "Okay, I'm going to need something stronger than Guinness if you're going to talk like that."

Freyja laughed as they watched Clint walk off towards the bar. As he did, Thor offered Jane his hand and whisked her off into the crowd of dancing people. Freyja smiled as she watched them go.

"I'm glad he has finally found a woman who he can settle down with," she remarked. "It is strange, though, to see him for once with the same woman for more than a night."

"Do you think it will work out, though?" Bruce asked. "With him being immortal?"

"Technically, the Æsir are not truly immortal. They partake of Idunn's apples, which grant them immortality for a century at a time. It is my people alone who have true immortality," she explained. "However, I believe it will work in the end. Jane can be granted access to the apples if she succeeds in the challenge Odin will set before her. If she cannot, all Thor must do is refuse to partake of the apples. At this point in his life, if he does not have anymore, he will age just as quickly as any mortal would. Thor would be happy either way. I do feel sorry for Sif, however…"

"Sif?" Tony asked.

"A warrior maiden who we both count as a friend," Freyja said. "She has always been…fond of Thor."

"Oh," Bruce muttered, voicing the thought on everyone's mind.

The table was silent for a minute, thinking over what Freyja had said. Even she watched, albeit more happily, as Thor and Jane danced. Though she felt sorry for her friend, Freyja could not feel anger towards Thor when he looked at Jane the way he was then. She could see that he loved her dearly. It made her heart ache, as they reminded her of what she could not have.

"Freyja?"

Steve's voice shattered her thoughts instantly, and she turned to look at the super soldier.

"Would you mind if I stole a dance from you, seeing as this is your last night here?"

She looked at him in surprise, "I do not know how to dance to this music…"

He shrugged, "Neither do I."

She thought about it for a second, then decided it was a harmless request and stood up. As they got up from the table, she could hear Tony muttering something almost lewd, and the sound of Bruce ramming his elbow into the genius's ribs. Steve must have also heard it, as his neck and ears turned a bright shade of red. But she gave him a smile and a good-natured roll of her eyes to show that she didn't pay any mind to Tony's comments.

Steve, she found, was very awkward and highly self-conscious, putting too much thought into the smallest thing. He turned her towards him, placing his free hand on her waist. A look of uncertainty crossed his face and he moved his hand to her lower back. Another moment of hesitation and he moved his hand up to her mid-back. She smiled as he sent her a questioning look, placing her hand over his and guiding it back to her waist.

"This is fine, Steve," she told him.

"Would you laugh if I told you I've never actually danced before?"

"Of course not."

He nodded, leading her into a slow dance that didn't match what was currently playing through the club. To help them both, Freyja thought of one of the many songs she had heard the last time she had been to the Realm, a slow number which matched their current tempo, and projected it to the very surface of his psyche. In that way, he would be able to hear the music without her needed to delve any deeper into his mind. He raised an eyebrow at the gesture.

"What if I told you I've only danced this way once before," she told him, not bothering to answer his unspoken question. "And it was when Loki taught me how they dance in Asgard's courts?"

He smiled at that, "I'd say we're pretty much on the same page, then."

He accidentally stepped on her foot within the next minute. A horrified look crossed his face, but she only smiled at him.

"Do you think I will be livid over one misstep? Relax, and you will find it easier."

"There's actually something I wanted to ask you…" he started, looking down at his feet. "But I thought it may be better to ask you where no one can hear."

Her smile faltered, not quite liking the way he said it, "Go ahead."

"Well, Tony said-"

And now it was gone completely, "Nothing good comes from any sentence that begins with 'Tony said'."

"It's just…It seems like you only really talk to me, I'm the only one you give straight answers to."

"Not quite. I've given Clint, Bruce, and Jane straight answers."

"Yes, but did you tell them anything about Loki or yourself."

"Vague details," she conceded.

"Exactly. The others wonder why you trust me more than anyone else. Thor says it's because you see something in me, but Tony thinks it's because…"

"Because?"

"Because you…like me."

She frowned in confusion at that, "Why would I not like you?"

"No, as in," he took a deep breath, looking extremely flustered. "Hethinksyou'vegottenoverLokiandlikemeinstead."

Freyja was silent, trying to process what he had stuttered out, "I didn't catch a word of that…"

He sighed, "Tony thinks you're no longer in love with Loki, and that you talk to me because you – that you've fallen for me, instead."

Her face turned into a hollow mask as it did when someone overstepped her boundaries. But Steve hadn't crossed any lines, just caught her by surprise, and she didn't want to give away anything she might have been thinking. Inside, her thoughts were scrambling madly around in her head.

"Have you fallen for me?" he asked cautiously.

She sighed, hoping fervently he hadn't fallen for her, "There is no easy way to say this…Tony is wrong. I trust you more, not because I prize you as more than a friend, but because you remind me of my brother."

"Oh," he said, his entire posture relaxing.

"My brother, Freyr, was the only true family I had, the only blood-relative who actively cared. Well, I take that back; I had an aunt and a cousin on my mother's side, but they had thought I died as a babe. But that is neither here nor there. Freyr looked out for me in ways no one else ever had, and always listened whenever something troubled me. Sometimes you speak, and I know it is something he would have said. You are like him in many ways and I find myself comforted that there is someone here who listens now that he no longer can."

"So, Thor was right."

"Yes. You'll find, despite his own beliefs, Tony can be wrong quite often. Is that all that was bothering you?"

He nodded, smiling sheepishly, "It was kind of silly, come to think of it. You really have a lot of faith in Loki."

She smiled in return, enjoying how the topic had turned light once more. Her smile disappeared, however, when something just past Steve caught her eye. In the middle of the crowds of people dancing to the beat, she could see a figure which stood still as stone, watching her. Her eyes traveled up the long, lean form she knew so well until they met with emerald eyes full of sadness and a pang of jealousy.

It was Loki, in the middle of a night club, wearing a Midgardian suit, watching her intently. He still looked a bit gaunt but, with his well-tailored suit and his hair slicked back from his face, he looked presentable. A gold and green scarf hung loosely around his neck, tying in his colors along with the black suit. His face was a mixture of pain, longing, and a little envy. He sent her a questioning glance before turning around and walking away.

Freyja let go of Steve, rushing towards the direction Loki had disappeared to. It was easier to run in the jeans she wore than it would have been in any Asgardian gown, but the crowd hindered her progress. She pushed her way past people, desperate to find him, until she reached the door. She walked out, looking for any sign of him. Nothing. He had vanished into thin air. Perhaps he had was never there to begin with.

Steve rushed out a second later, coming to stand just behind her.

"Freyja, what is it? You just stopped – looked like you saw a ghost – and ran out. Did you see something?" he asked, his tone concerned as he scanned there surroundings.

She was silent for a second, wondering if she truly had seen Loki or if it had just been her imagination. She glanced around one last time before turning to face Steve.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I thought I saw something, but I was wrong."

He sighed in relief, "Okay, you had me worried for a second. Come on, let's go find the others."

She allowed Steve to lead her back in, still asking herself what exactly she had seen.