"Astrid."
"Huh? Yeah, sorry. I'm with you." Astrid's mind had been wandering as she went about her cleaning duties. Her train of thought broken, she realized that she had been wiping the same section of the bar for much longer than was necessary.
"I think it's clean, sweetie. Come sit," Cait beckoned. She had a bottle of Laird's and a glass waiting at a table nearby. Astrid made her way around the bar and took a seat beside Cait, who proceeded to pour a glass of applejack for her absent-minded friend. Although the apple spirit wasn't their most popular beverage, Cait always made sure to have some on hand because it was Astrid's favorite.
It was nine o'clock on a Tuesday night and the bar had been empty for the past hour. The nasty weather had kept even most of the local regulars away, so Cait decided to go ahead and close early. The rain was coming down in buckets, fat drops pelting the windows, all thanks to the hurricane that was churning just off the coast.
Astrid eyeballed the glass then looked up at Cait who was lighting a cigarette. Cait took one drag and passed it over to her best friend. "It's all yours."
A bottle of applejack and a cigarette. Cait wanted her to get drunk and talk. She didn't really feel like discussing what was on her mind: the god of mischief. "No, no, no."
"Yes, yes, yes. Something's majorly bugging you and neither one of us are leaving this bar any time soon. Not until this rain band passes. So… you might as well dish. I'll drive you home."
It was true. No way in hell was she going to ride her bicycle a mile and a half in this madness. Like Cait said- might as well get comfy and talk. She took a drag from the cigarette and lifted the glass to her lips. She did love the stuff. The problem was, it didn't love her back. Too much of it and her head would be pounding in the morning. Hopefully, this rain would end soon and they could go home before too many glasses disappeared from the nearly-full bottle.
Cait sat with her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her fist, eyebrows raised. Astrid heaved a sigh at the sight of her honorary sister who was so eagerly anticipating a bearing of her soul. "Fine. Yes, I've been distracted all day. Because of you-know-who."
"No, really?"
Astrid rolled her eyes and took another drink. "Don't be like that, Cait. I made an ass out of myself."
Cait's expression immediately fell into one of concern. "How'd you manage that?"
Finishing off her glass, Astrid poured one more. "Well, I went to see him again last night and he was in really bad shape. I tried to get him to talk about it, but he didn't want to." Cait nodded slowly.
Astrid continued, "So, I figured if I opened up, told him about stuff that happened to me, maybe he would feel more comfortable talking."
"Oh, you didn't tell him about…?" Cait asked, eyes wide as saucers. Astrid never just openly talked about that. It took her months to finally tell Cait about it and that was only after she had attempted suicide.
"Yep. Sure did," she answered. She took a long drag on her cigarette and watched the smoke plume swirl around above her head.
"Damn. And how'd that go?"
"It was really difficult to bring it up but it seemed to work. I learned something about him. But then I gave him some calming energy which he said he didn't want. I did it anyway. He was in rough shape, I just wanted to help him feel better, you know?" Astrid finished the second glass and crushed out the cigarette. "That pissed him off. He thinks he's a monster and shit, which isn't true. So I told him he has a beautiful soul."
Cait was leaning forward in her chair, ready to pounce and attack her friend with a hug if it was needed. "He didn't take it well?"
"No. He asked me to leave. So I did." Astrid was immediately tackled, Cait's arms wrapped around her. Cait's concern and love filled her, almost overwhelming her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm just… I don't know what I am. Embarrassed, pissed off, disappointed, you name it." Astrid poured one last drink. She could already feel the first two taking effect and a third would be more than plenty to take the edge off.
"You want stay at my house tonight? The kids are already asleep but Mike is still up. I can put sheets on the guest bed and you can crash there."
"No, but thanks. I appreciate it, though." Cait's offer was tempting but Astrid was already a little tipsy. She didn't want to bump around and wake up Amy and Little Mikey who had school in the morning. God, she loved those kids. So much that it made her sad to think she would never have any of her own. She was too old for all that now. Jesus, maybe I'm a little more drunk than I thought…
Astrid stumbled into her house through the garage, bumping into the plant stand beside the door. "Oops," she giggled as Cait tightened the grip on her arm and directed her to the sofa.
Cait sat her drunk friend down on the sofa. Astrid chortled as her backside plopped onto the cushion. Ensuring that she was safe and in a location where she was able to sleep it off, Cait patted Astrid's head. "Okay, sweetie. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow. Nighty-night."
"M'kay, goodnight," Astrid mumbled. "Hey Cait, thanks. For letting me ramble."
Cait smiled as she opened the front door to let herself out, "Sure, no problem. Love you."
"Love you, too," Astrid slurred.
Cait turned the lock on the door and pulled it closed. A moment later, an engine on a small pickup truck fired up and drove away.
Before the rain had let up, three drinks had turned into four, four had turned into five. It was more than Astrid wanted to consume but it felt good to talk to Cait, to get it all out. The clock in the living room chimed eleven times. Astrid was slumped on the sofa but felt the overwhelming urge to go soak in the bath even though it was late and she was entirely too drunk to consider being immersed in water..
She trudged into the bathroom and shed her clothes as she ran a hot bath. Fumbling with the cap on her lavender bubble bath, she dropped it into the rising water. "Aw, dammit." She retrieved the cap and replaced it on the bottle, setting it on the edge of the tub. As she stepped in, she knocked the bottle into the water. She chuckled at her lack of grace and coordination as she fished the bottle out of the bath. It had been ages since she had been this toasted. Sliding down into the warm, lavender-scented bubbles, she felt the tension leaving her muscles. She decided against visiting Loki tonight. Perhaps she wouldn't ever go back. She wasn't sure.
During the day, she had done some reading on the effects that solitary confinement had on people. There was a lot of psycho-babble but basically, being left alone to rot in prison seriously screwed you up. So sayeth the internet. She couldn't help but be worried about Loki. She didn't think he had any visitors other than her. At least, it didn't appear that he did. Invading New York was probably the least of his crimes as far as she knew, but she could clearly see that isolating him and sticking him in a dungeon for eternity wasn't going to help him get better. The more she thought about it, the more she was inclined to believe that the whole New York situation wasn't really his idea. The fear, the humiliation- someone had broken him. For what reason? To invade Earth? Possibly. And when he was captured, he was thrown into that god-awful place. Man, that shit's just wrong.
Astrid draped her arms over the sides of the tub, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes which made the room spin violently. She breathed deeply trying to will the spinning to stop. But she just couldn't keep from thinking about Loki. Even if he had been coerced or bullied into the invasion, he was still responsible for his actions. Should he be in prison? Yeah, but don't gods have mental health counseling? Maybe not. They should.
The room was still flying in circles around her but her body began to grow heavy. The water was so warm and relaxing. Before she knew it, she was falling asleep. Just as she drifted off, she noticed that she was out of the water and lying flat on her back. Funny, she didn't remember getting out of the tub and going to bed. There was still bright light on the other side of her eyelids. She wasn't in bed, was she? Just then, she heard a familiar voice. "Lady Astrid, where are your clothes?"
Loki was seated in his magically reconstructed chair, thumbing through a book, not really reading it. He was lost in thought, more or less just staring at the page while his mind was elsewhere. He wondered if Astrid would return after he had so abruptly sent her away. He had pushed away his only possible ally and maybe his way out of this place. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
A form appeared on the floor just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Cutting his eyes to the side, he caught a glimpse of much more than he was expecting to see. Before he could stop the movement, his head turned to gain a clearer view of the visitor: a completely nude Astrid, eyes closed, lying on the floor. He averted his gaze back down to his book before speaking; a sly smirk appeared on his face. "Lady Astrid, where are your clothes?"
"Fuck!" Her eyes snapped open and she quickly realized where she was and what had happened. She had never moved so fast in all her life, ducking behind the chair, nearly tripping over herself in her scramble to hide from him. Her eyes squeezed shut with the deep embarrassment that painted her red. "Please tell me you didn't see anything," she pleaded breathlessly. She peered over her shoulder to ensure that no other prisoners or guards were around to see her.
"I saw nothing."
She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears and feel her face flush. "You're lying."
Now this is truly entertaining. Much more so than speaking about feelings and horrible experiences. She apparently hadn't intended to appear to him in her present condition. He could be a gentleman about it, but what was the fun in that? He closed the book in his lap, resting his hands on the top cover. "Why would you come to visit me unclothed if you didn't wish to be seen?"
Now absolutely mortified, she covered her eyes with her hands. Maybe he hadn't seen everything but he probably did. Still, a small hope clung to her that he didn't see as much as she feared he did. "It was an accident. I got drunk and fell asleep in the bath."
"Hmm… you were in the bath and thinking of me? I'm flattered," he teased, turning his head to try and catch another glimpse of her. The smirk on his lips grew into a full, mischievous smile.
Her hands balled into fists and she shot a nasty glare at him through the back of the chair. "It wasn't like that!" She heard a playful laugh. If it wouldn't mean completely exposing herself to him, she would jump out and punch him. Instead, she remained crouched and frozen in humiliation in her hiding spot.
"I'm sure that it wasn't." He was still laughing. That smug little bastard. "By the way, that's a lovely rendering of a firebird."
Oh, hell no. Her phoenix tattoo was situated on her ribs, its wingtips just beside her left breast. He had seen everything. She blindly swung her fist around the chair and connected with his upper arm.
His laughter crescendoed, infecting Astrid and tugging her lips into a small grin. She thoroughly enjoyed socking him even if it was only his arm. As mortified and angry as she was, she had to admit that this was pretty freaking hilarious. Of course, she was feeling his amusement through the contact of her punch but it was allowing her to see the situation in a slightly different light. Venturing a peek around the side of the chair, she saw him nearly doubled over, his laughter lighting up his entire face. His eyes connected with hers and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Kiss my ass, Loki."
His eyebrows raised at her retort. "Is that meant as an insult or as a request?" he asked.
Her face took on a playful scowl as she brought her fist up over the arm of the chair. "Don't make me punch you again."
He lifted his hands up as if to surrender., "Oh, please, I beg of you, tiny mortal. Do not unleash your might upon me." His smile gave way to another bout of laughing.
Her eyes narrowed and shot daggers at him. Brow furrowed, lips taut, she held her glowering expression as long as she could until the snickering finally won out. "You ass. You're enjoying this way too much."
His laughter died down with a heavy sigh. "I am. Forgive me."
Her eyes cast up to the ceiling and her lips pursed in an exaggerated contemplative expression. "Maybe."
"Allow me to make it up to you. If you return, fully clothed, I promise to show you something you won't soon forget."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Her curiosity was piqued.
"Return and you shall see."
Considering his offer, she decided to take it. "Deal."
Astrid sat up in her bathtub and pulled the drain plug. The water had turned cold and she was shivering. Her physical body and brain were still somewhat under the effects of the alcohol which made standing up slightly difficult. She swayed as she grabbed for the towel and wobbled as she dried her body. She propped her foot up on the edge of the tub to dry her leg and managed to knock over the bottle of bubble bath again. "Oh, for the love…" As she bent over to pick the bottle up off the floor her balance failed. In an attempt to right herself, she slipped on the slick marble of the tub and went headfirst into the faucet. Everything went black.
An instant later, she was floating in astral form above her crumpled physical body. How strange to be looking down at a pool of blood forming around her own head. "Well, shit." She tried to re-enter her body but it wasn't working. She tried her meditation breathing but she just couldn't get back in. "Shit, shit, shit!" That's when she started hyperventilating. "Am I dying? Am I dead already?" She could think of only one person who might be able to tell her what to do. She closed her eyes and projected herself back to his cell.
"Well, that didn't take long." He looked up from his book and saw a very naked Astrid again.
This time, she didn't care about her lack of clothing. Loki saw only her horrified face anyway. "Loki, I- I-" She started shaking uncontrollably.
He rushed over to her. "What's wrong?"
Her eyes wide, her breathing rapid, she managed to stutter out, "I fell… in my tub. I can't get back into my body. I think I'm dead!" Tears welled up and spilled out down her cheeks.
His expression was grim. "You're not dead. You were able to travel here, so your body is still alive. But you're dying. We must act quickly." He didn't want to lose this human, this promising ally and potential minion. Mother may be able to help if he could call the guards to summon her. But then even if she did come, it would take too long. If he could only get out of this damned cell!
There's always... He had an idea. The likelihood of it working was slim but it was Astrid's only chance.
"Here, quickly, wrap your arms around me. I'm going to try and bond myself to you magically. This may not be successful but we must try." His expression was determined, but a hint of worry colored his voice and cast doubt on the plan's success.
She pressed herself into his chest and put her arms around his midsection. "Before we proceed, I need your consent." She nodded. "No," he said. "You must say it."
"I consent," she replied.
"As do I." His arms enveloped her shoulders and a green glow passed over them. She felt the tingling sensation of magic move across her bare skin. The bond that formed between them was stronger than she expected. She felt incredibly close to him, not just in proximity, but emotionally. She could feel every single one of his fears, anxieties, and desires all at once and she wondered if he could feel hers. If she hadn't been so scared of dying, it could have been the most sensual experience of her life.
"Now, take us to your body."
She closed her eyes and tried to inhale but her breath was cut off. Oh god, I can't breathe! I can't breathe! Knowing that she must force the anxiety down if she was to travel, she willed herself to think only of her bathroom and nothing else.
In an instant, they were standing over her bleeding and unconscious body. Jumping into action, Loki pulled her out of the tub and pressed his hand over the gushing wound on her head. Astrid's etheric form could only stand back and watch as he fervently worked a healing spell on her physical body. He looked up at her astral form, his face wrought with dismay and concern. "You aren't breathing and you've lost a lot of blood. I am doing all that I can for you, but I cannot promise that I can repair the damage."
All she could do was nod. She didn't want to die like this; drunk on the bathroom floor. There was so much she hadn't done in life, so much left for her to see, to accomplish. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of how at one point in her life she had so badly wanted to die. But not anymore. She wanted to live!
Loki was kneeling over her body. A green glow emanated from his hands and flowed into her wound. Sweat beaded up on his brow as he poured the most powerful magic he could conjure into saving her. She showed him kindness when he had done nothing to deserve it. She treated him as a friend and he repaid her compassion with deceit and utter disregard for her feelings. And now, here she was, bleeding out and dying in front of him. This fragile mortal who knew nothing about him yet had still offered him understanding and acceptance. He turned his head and looked up at her etheric form- it was fading! A horrified whisper escaped his lips, "No…"
Both Astrids then gasped loudly. The etheric Astrid faded as the physical Astrid opened her eyes and released a painful moan.
Loki heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank the Norns…" He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve and leaned back onto his folded legs. "Astrid?"
"Mmmm…" she stirred and made a weak attempt at covering her body. "My robe. Hanging on the door. Please?"
Robe. He had nearly forgotten that she was still nude. He stood and pulled the robe off of the hook. He bent over and gently draped it over her prone form. She was weak from the blood loss and brain trauma. He lifted her gently and helped her to sit up on the floor. Her eyelids were heavy and her skin was pale. "I'm so tired. I want to lie down."
"No, you've sustained a head injury and you've lost a copious amount of blood. You cannot lie down just yet. As exhausted as you are, you must stay awake for a little while. Talk to me, tell me a story, recite poetry, sing, it doesn't matter what you do, just stay awake while I clean up the blood." He turned on the faucet to the tub, wet the towel and wiped the mess from her face. He rinsed the towel out and then turned his attention to the red puddle on the floor behind her.
She didn't know what to talk about, nor did she feel like telling tales or reciting poems. One song popped into her mind- a song her mother sang to her when she was a child. A song she had heard her whole life and it always made her feel better. Her head bobbed along to the beat in her mind as she began to sing.
Loki listened while he finished mopping the blood from the tiled floor. He set to work on the tub, rinsing and wiping as her song continued. Her voice was so different, not at all like the singers on Asgard. They trained their voices to be clear and ringing; prized for their absolute perfection. Astrid's was raw with a slight rasp, giving the simple tune an honest, emotional quality. He felt that everything would indeed be alright, thanks to those three little birds and their song.
He ran water through the towel to rid it of the remaining blood, wrung it out and hung it over the shower curtain rod to dry. As her song finished, he approached her. He gingerly lifted her to stand and assisted her in putting on her robe. "I very much enjoyed your singing. I've never heard a voice quite like yours." Slightly embarrassed by the compliment, she thanked him as he placed an arm around her back, the other arm under her knees. He then lifted her and carried her out of the bathroom. "Do you have a sitting room?"
She gestured to the right, "The sofa's that way." The squall that dumped torrential rain while she and Cait were at the bar had moved on, taking the rain with it. The sound of distant thunder rumbled and Loki flinched slightly. Thunder made him nervous; she could feel it.
He carried her into the living room and set her down on the couch, propping her up with a throw pillow. "You need to drink some water." He walked into her kitchen and opened random cabinets until he found the glasses. He pulled one out and filled it with water. The kitchen and living room were both rather small, but brightly decorated. Not at all like the opulent rooms in the palace on Asgard, her home seemed to be an eclectic blend of styles. In the living room stood an obviously well cared-for piano; a guitar in a stand beside it. The furniture had seen better days, though. The coffee table appeared a bit beaten up and the upholstery on the chair was almost threadbare. Cushions and pillows were of various designs, some were geometric while others were floral themed. The kitchen was painted in bright colors, reminiscent of the ink on her arms.
He returned to Astrid on the sofa and handed her the glass. "Thanks. And I'm sorry," she said, a pained expression on her face as she took the glass from his hand.
He took a seat beside her and asked, "Sorry for what? Nearly dying or kidnapping a criminal?"
She shrugged, "That. And the blood." It wasn't every day that she had a god cleaning blood off of her floor. It had been a strange evening, to say the least.
He gave her a half-smile as he explained, "That was nothing compared to the aftermath of battle. Once, I was covered in so much blood that it took days of washing to remove it all. It completely ruined my armor and it had to be destroyed."
Astrid's nose wrinkled at the thought. "That's… pretty disgusting."
He nodded, "That it was." He watched her lift the glass to her lips and sip the water. She didn't seem quite as pale as she was earlier but she still lacked any sort of color. He hoped she would be well on her way to recovering before the Allfather sent someone to recapture him. He was certain that Heimdall knew precisely where he was, here on Midgard. Instead of hiding himself when he arrived, he immediately began healing Astrid. This is where the search would begin. With any luck, Odin would send Thor, who would likely treat Astrid more kindly than any of the Einherjar would. Thor had a softness for humans. He could try to run, right now, hide himself from Heimdall's sight and be realms away before anyone knew. But it would still leave her to fend for herself against Odin's judgment. It was possible that she would be viewed as an accomplice to the escape and punished harshly.
He shouldn't allow her to face that on her own.
He placed his hand on her arm and spoke softly, "Astrid, I don't believe we have much time before the Allfather sends someone to reclaim me."
Her face fell. "You're leaving…" He was going to make a run for it and she couldn't blame him. That dungeon was hell. He would be crazy to let himself be dragged back to that place. She sensed his concern for her and wondered if she should be afraid. If they were coming for him, surely they would want to know why she helped him to escape. What if they put her in the dungeon? Or worse?
A loud crack of thunder cut through the silence. It was followed immediately by a bright, dazzling light. Her whole front lawn was bathed in shimmering light! Confusion and apprehension washed over her face as she saw a large form making its way to her door. Her eyes cut over to Loki, who appeared as irritated as he was fearful. "What the ever-loving hell is that?" she asked.
The sound of heavy footsteps made their way across the porch and stopped at the front door. A forceful knock alerted them that the visitor demanded entrance. "Loki, I know you're inside. Heimdall can see you," a loud and thunderous voice called from outside. Astrid held her breath as she looked to Loki.
Thor. Loki stood and crept towards the solid wood door. Reaching his hand to the doorknob, he stopped short, hesitating to allow entry into a residence that was not his. He glanced over to Astrid, his eyebrows raised to ask her permission to open it.
She shrugged, unsure of whom the booming voice belonged to and what kind of uproar he planned on causing in her home. She reached behind the sofa and pulled out a Louisville Slugger; part of her 'security system.' She was a single woman who lived alone and didn't take chances when it came to personal safety. She also had a Sig Sauer P226 that her father had given to her but it was in her bedside table drawer; too far away to quickly retrieve on her unsteady feet.
Loki saw the baseball bat in her hands and shook his head. "That won't be necessary or effective." She needed to be seen as absolutely no threat and that wasn't going to happen if Thor saw her brandishing a weapon. He waited until she had stowed the primitive club before slowly opening the door.
There on the porch stood the god of thunder, Mjolnir loosely gripped in his hand, armor gleaming and cape flowing. "Brother. May I enter?" Astrid immediately recognized him from the news channels. Big guy, blonde hair, hammer… She hoped he wasn't planning on using that thing in the house. Or on Loki.
Loki stepped aside as Thor walked in. The god of thunder silently sized up his brother as he pushed the door shut. His focus turned to Astrid. "Are you well, Lady Astrid? Heimdall informed me of your injury." She nodded as he turned to Loki. "I was also told that you saved her. Is that why you left your cell? To tend to her wound?" Thor eyed his younger sibling cautiously.
Loki crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not here to attack Midgard, if that's what you truly desire to know."
Thor's brow furrowed as his grasp on Mjolnir tightened. "That is not what I asked, brother."
Loki leaned slightly forward into Thor as he hissed, "But is your primary concern, is it not? Your precious Earth?"
Astrid calmly interjected, "Guys…?" Her attempt to gain their attention went unnoticed. Her head was pounding and the tension building in the room was thick enough to slice with a knife.
Thor lowered his head, glowering at Loki. "My concern is for you, Loki."
"Is it, Thor? Is it? I have seen none of your concern recently, brother! I haven't laid eyes upon you since you tossed me into that cesspool of a dungeon!" His eyes were wide and wild, nostrils flared.
A loud, sharp whistle pierced the air as Astrid placed the tips of her pinky fingers inside her lips and blew as hard as she could. Both gods whipped their heads around to confirm that she was the source of the ear-splitting sound.
"Thank you," Astrid said acidly. The energy of those two bickering was just too much for her to deal with right now. "Now both of you please just sit and be quiet for a minute." She rubbed at the wound on her head and winced in pain. This wasn't the first time she'd had to break up an argument between siblings. Amy and Mikey would get into it from time to time, and she would have to stop being 'cool Auntie Astrid' for minute and slip into referee mode. But the thought of her essentially putting two powerful gods in time out was riotously funny to her.
Both brothers glared at one another for a moment before Thor strode over to the armchair and sat as delicately as he could, which wasn't very delicately at all. He placed his hammer on the floor beside his foot. Loki resumed his seat on the sofa next to Astrid. She glanced over at Thor, who was entirely too big for the small seat. He looked like an adult sitting in a child's chair. His lower body was squeezed in between the chair's arms, his shoulders hunched to avoid the wings on the back. She stifled a giggle. She desperately tried to keep it in but eventually it found its way out. It started as a chuckle and grew into an outright belly laugh. The confused expression on Thor's face made it even more hilarious, which caused her to snort. She covered her mouth with her hands in embarrassment as both gods stared at her like she had lost her mind. "I'm sorry. I really am." Tears were streaming down her face. She sighed as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe as she continued, "It's just that chair! You're too big and it's too small!" She bit her lip as she tried to will the laughing to subside. Thor looked down at the chair, straining underneath him and the corners of his lips tugged up into a smile.
"You do look ridiculous, Thor," Loki chimed in. The brothers shared a tense smile before the real reason for Thor's appearance had to be discussed.
Thor adjusted himself in the tiny chair and began to speak. "You know why I am here. Father sent me to bring you back to Asgard. Both of you." He looked over to Astrid, her eyes widened with fear. It gave her the appearance of a small and frightened woodland creature. Attempting to put her at ease, he added, "He will have a word with you, but you have my assurance that you shall not be harmed."
Loki huffed in response, "You cannot possibly claim with any certainty that Odin will not punish her just as harshly as he has me, if not more so. Neither of us will be going to Asgard with you."
Thor leaned forward, the chair groaning under the shift. "Loki, you must cooperate if you are both to avoid execution. If you came here for the sole purpose of healing Lady Astrid, then Mother and I both will stand by you in front of Father. He cannot deny all three of us without breaking Mother's heart."
"Saving one life won't make up for everything I've done. Even if I am spared the axe, my fate is still that dungeon and I refuse to go back," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"To that particular cell, no. It has been compromised. Mother did not take into account such an ancient and simple form of magic as soul-travel when she placed the wards on your cell," Thor explained.
Loki's brow furrowed. "That is very unlike her, not to be as thorough as possible." Then, a thought occurred to him. She purposely left a loophole open for him.
"Indeed," replied Thor, with knowing eyes.
It began to make some sense now. Mother could have foreseen Astrid in one of her random visions and made allowances for the woman to visit. But for what purpose? His gaze fell to Astrid. He studied her, trying to figure out her importance in all of this. He glanced back over to Thor, who obviously knew more than he was letting on. "Why?"
"Ask her yourself. On Asgard." Thor replied with a nod.
Astrid had remained silent throughout the exchange but her brain had been racing. She had almost died and now she faced possible execution. And it would seem that her meeting Loki was no accident. If Loki's mother had arranged all of this, were they really in any danger? Thor said that no harm would come to them if Loki cooperated. But could she trust Thor? Only one way to find out.
She pulled herself slowly up to the edge of the sofa and reached out to the large, armored god. "May I have your hand, please?"
As his huge, meaty hand met hers, she immediately felt his honesty. He truly cared for his brother, although there was an element of apprehension. There was also a fair amount of guilt but the love he had for Loki was overwhelming. Her smile beamed as she thanked him, her hand still firmly grasping his. She turned to Loki and offered him her opposite hand. "You need to feel this."
Unsure of what she was trying to accomplish, he hesitated before touching her. But when he finally did, he felt Thor's emotions pour into him. Astrid was acting as a conduit between the brothers, which allowed Loki to feel firsthand what his brother never put into words. His eyes glistened as he realized that his brother had always loved him, even if he did a poor job of showing it.
Thor never really knew how Loki felt being overshadowed by his elder brother's glory. Loki hadn't been exaggerating on that mountaintop when he spoke of living in a shadow. The guilt and the self-loathing that streamed from his younger sibling was crushing. Thor cared not about their different bloodlines or that Loki is a Jotun. They are brothers. Thor quickly rose from the chair and dropped Astrid's hand. He closed the gap between himself and Loki in one giant step. He grabbed Loki's shoulders, hauled him up from the sofa and embraced him. "Brother, I have always loved you and I always will," Thor whispered into Loki's ear. Astrid felt her eyes becoming misty as she watched a stiffened Loki begin to melt ever so slightly. This was good, he needed this. He needed to know that he was not hated or reviled. Of course, one hug wasn't going to magically fix everything for them but it was a first step in the right direction.
"Let go of me, you oaf. I can't breathe," Loki said nearly breathlessly. Thor released his embrace as hurt flashed across his face. The disappointment quickly faded when he saw that Loki was half-smiling through watery eyes. Thor's hands rested on Loki's shoulders as his own lips tugged into a grin.
Wanting to give them a moment, Astrid gently pushed herself up from her seat and began to shuffle towards her bedroom. She couldn't go to Asgard in nothing but a bathrobe. She opened her closet to evaluate her wardrobe. Most of it was casual; jeans and t-shirts. She had some dressy clothes for special occasions but she didn't feel like wearing any of that nonsense. If she was going to be condemned to death, then she was going out in comfort. She settled on a pair of rolled-up jeans and a grey scoopneck t-shirt. She slipped into her clothes and put on a pair of canvas slip-on shoes. She picked a necklace and a ring out of her jewelry box on the dresser and put them on. The necklace, a gift from her mother, had three silver feathers on a long chain. The blue topaz cocktail ring belonged to her late grandmother. Grandaddy had given it to her back in the fifties and the happy, loving energy attached to it comforted Astrid. She slid it onto her right hand and left the bedroom.
Astrid emerged from the bedroom fully clothed and entered the kitchen. She felt much better after nearly dying and the color was returning to her face. The power of Loki's healing spell had done wonders for her. In the living room sat Thor and Loki, together on the sofa, involved in a civil conversation. That was promising. She assumed they were discussing the return to Asgard, as they both suddenly went quiet when she walked in. She opened the pantry and pulled out a box of Pop Tarts. As she unwrapped one, a booming voice called out, "Are those Pop Tarts?"
"They are. Want one?" Astrid offered.
Thor looked a bit disappointed. "Only one?"
Astrid shrugged as she tossed the whole box to him. No sense in them just sitting in the pantry. She probably wouldn't be coming back to finish them.
Thor offered one of the frosted berry pastries to Loki, who wrinkled his nose. "No, thank you," he declined.
Astrid opened her fridge to pour a glass of juice and surveyed the food that would turn into a science experiment in her absence. Luckily, there wasn't much. Just a few leftovers, some milk and some pudding. She thought that Loki probably hadn't eaten anything palatable in quite some time, so she brought him a cup of the chocolate pudding and a spoon.
He hesitantly took a bite of the brown goo and proclaimed it one of Midgard's finest delicacies. Astrid was correct in her assumption. It had been a while since he'd been given desserts, if pudding elicited that sort of response. The trio finished their snacks and Astrid threw away the wrappers and empty pudding cup.
"Are you ready, Lady Astrid?" Thor asked before she could return to her seat.
She had been preparing herself for this, but now that it was time to go, she felt a lump form in the pit of her stomach. She and Loki could both be marching straight to their deaths; perhaps not. Anxiety weaved itself through her body. She covered her mouth and ran back into the bathroom, leaned over the toilet and heaved the contents of her stomach into the bowl.
Loki appeared at the door. "I know you're frightened, and I'm sorry that you must endure such unpleasantries. But we must leave now. S.H.I.E.L.D has no doubt traced the signature energy of the Bifrost to your home, and if they arrive, it will complicate our situation even more."
Astrid rose and wiped her lips. With shaking hands, she rinsed the vomit from her mouth with some mint mouthwash and splashed cold water on her face. She thought about her family and Cait. They would never know what happened to her. She didn't even have time to leave a note should they come to look for her. She would have just simply disappeared, vanished without a trace.
She followed Loki back into the living room to join Thor. Out of sheer habit, she picked up her phone and slipped it into her back pocket. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." They filed out of the front door, Astrid the last one out. She took her keys from the hook on the wall and locked the door behind her. They walked to the middle of the yard where a large circular patch of grass had been burned in a Norse knot pattern. Part of the circle encompassed one of her rose bushes. It was scorched. She frowned at Thor, "Thanks a lot. You ruined my roses. I should ruin your face." Thor smiled at the threat made by the little human.
The three stepped into the middle of the circle. Loki pulled Astrid close and held her tightly. "You might want to hang on. The first time can be… disorienting."
She wrapped her arms around him as Thor called out, "Heimdall, we are ready." A bright shaft of light shot down from the sky to the site where they stood and in an instant, they were gone.