With less than a week to the wedding, Loki came to Asta.

"Darling, I need to ask you something."

She looked up from the book she was reading. "Yes?"

He walked to her and joined her on the bed. "I've been asked to go with the team on the mission."

"When?"

"In about 3 hours…"

"What? Loki, we're getting married in 4 days!"

"I know."

"You can't leave me!"

"Asta, my love, you are the goddess of healing. Would you be ok if something happened to those we are trying to save, and we could have prevented it?"

"That's not fair playing that card, Loki."

"All's fair in love and Avenger missions, my sweetness. So…"

"Love, I don't think you need my permission."

"Need your permission? No. Do I want your approval? Yes. I need to know that you'll be safe whilst I'm gone."

"I'm the one that should be telling you that!"

"I'm taking your love with me. That is precious cargo, so of course I shall be as careful as possible."

She rolled her eyes. "Have I not told you that your silvertongue doesn't work on me?"

"You have said it, but I certainly don't believe it."

Asta looked at him and the eyes he was making at her. "Fine. Maybe sometimes."

Loki chuckled. "Darling, I'm the god of lies. I've known you were being dishonest each time you've told me that. I just wanted you to admit it."

She swatted him with a pillow and sighed. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me, you poor creature. And I love you as well." He kissed her nose playfully. "I shall return to you in 24 hours. 36 at most."

"I'm holding you to that. And if you aren't here for our wedding, I'm having it without you."

He squinted in confusion. "I don't see how that's possible."

She raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to test me on that?"

"Not in the least, my love. If anyone could pull that off, it would be you!"

Asta pulled him in for a kiss then pointed sternly at him. "No more than 36 hours. I'm setting a timer."

Loki chuckled a bit. "I'm certain you will."

Her face instantly turned somber. "Please be careful. Nothing reckless."

"I shall do my best."

She pulled him in and kissed him again, hard. "I mean it, Loki. Come back to me."

He placed his hands on both her cheeks. "I will return to you. And in 4 days, we shall be wed." He kissed her forehead. "I need to go now. I love you, my precious one."

"And I love you, my mischief."

Loki kissed her again and teleported out. Asta sighed. "FRIDAY," she called. "What work is there to do in the lab? I get the feeling I'm going to need to be distracted."

Twenty-six hours later (not that she was counting), Asta was startled by FRIDAY. "Dr. Gostadottir, you're needed in the medbay."

Asta instantly knew something was wrong because the AI didn't call her a playful nickname. "Are they back?" she asked.

"They are, and they are in need of you."

"Is it Loki?" Asta asked as she bolted to the elevator.

"I am not aware."

"FRIDAY, you are a terrible liar," Asta said, jamming the buttons on the elevator. "I should have taken the bloody stairs!"

Finally, she reached the medbay and ran through the door. "Where is he?"

Asta noted Thor's red cape and ran towards it, knowing exactly who she'd see on the bed once he moved.

Thor turned and smiled. "Your betrothed is here, Asta. He injured himself nobly!"

"I'm going to ignore the royal posturing for now," she grumbled as she saw her unconscious fiancé on the cot. "What the hell happened? It doesn't look like 'big and pointy' this time."

Steve entered then. "Asta, he was really great out there."

"I'm thrilled," she deadpanned. "Now what the hell happened to him, so I can start treating him. And then move onto the rest of you," she said, shooting a beam of healing at a cut on Steve's forehead.

Steve rubbed his forehead and glanced at Thor. "How long has she been able to do that?" he whispered.

Thor merely shrugged.

Steve took a seat, assuming he'd ask her later about that. "Well, our intel was only half right. There were over twice as many captives at the Hydra base we found. And so we weren't prepared to safely evacuate all of them. It took a lot longer than we expected. Once Hydra was onto us, they set off the self-destruct on the building. We only had two more to go when the place started coming down. Loki shoved them both out the door, but got covered in debris."

"So a building fell on him?!" Asta asked, still checking Loki's sleeping form.

"Only part of one, but my brother withstood with honor!" Thor replied proudly with a grin to match.

"Do you really think that helps?!" Asta snapped.

Thor's face fell. "I did until this moment," he murmured.

Asta hovered her hands over Loki. "Why isn't he reacting to any of this?"

"Wanda put him out," Steve explained. "After everything fell, there was a huge power blast, we're guessing from him, and it blew everything off of him. But when we got to him, he was out cold. Once we got him on the jet, he woke up and became hysterical trying to find you, so Wanda kinda did her thing and knocked him out again."

Asta pinched the bridge of her nose and Steve saw a bit of Loki in her expression. "And will he come out of it on his own, or do I need Wanda to break a spell?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"She said he should come out of it on his own."

"Fine." Asta continued to look over Loki. "Can someone get this damn armor off of him?" she shouted.

Thor and Steve hurried to take the shoulder shields off him. It was difficult to do with the unconscious weight, but neither wanted anymore of Asta's rage hurled at them.

Once he was free of that, Asta began mumbling to herself. "His powers seem to be healing him on his own. These fractures aren't bad and I'll just help to set everything more in place. I'm concerned about these bruises on his head. That's where I'll focus most. If he wasn't a Jotun, he'd likely be dead."

Asta lightly stroked Loki's cheek and a tear escaped her eye. She took a deep breath and suddenly a warm pink glow came from her hands. It enveloped most of Loki as well.

Steve leaned over to Thor and pointed to the couple. "Ok, that is definitely new. Is she alright?"

Thor shook his head. "I do not know. I've never seen her powers do that." He stood and walked towards her. "Asta, are you well?"

"I just… need a bit… more…" Asta replied with a weak voice.

"Asta, maybe you need to slow down," Steve said, also walking to her.

"No, I have to… finish this."

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she began to sway. Thor caught her as she fainted.

"FRIDAY! Alert Stark and Banner!" he said as he scooped her up and carried her to another cot.

"Right away!" the AI replied.

A minute later, Tony and Bruce rushed in. "What happened?" Tony asked as he ran to her.

"I don't know," Thor replied. "She was using her powers on Loki and they both began to glow. Then she just passed out. Do you think she exhausted her powers attempting to heal him?"

Tony nodded. "That's my first guess. She probably overwhelmed herself. Reindeer Games was pretty banged up. FRIDAY, how's our girl looking?"

"System shows extreme fatigue and a lack of several nutrients in Asta Gostadottir," the AI replied.

"And her powers?" Bruce asked.

"Still active, but very depleted. Rest should bring them back."

"Ok, Baywatch, let's get them both onto this bigger bed. You know they're gonna want each other when they wake up."

Tony carefully lifted Asta and carried her to the large cot in the medbay. Thor carried his brother and put him next to Asta. Even in their sleep, they both leaned towards each other.

Thor grinned. "If they weren't in such dire straits that would actually be very cute."

Tony grabbed his phone and snapped a picture. "When they wake up, they'll want to see that one."

"Yes, they will," Thor agreed.

"Banner, can you hook an IV up to Asta? She probably didn't eat much while we were away if she's lacking nutrients. That didn't help today either. And I'm sure she did a great job on loverboy here, so he shouldn't need anything."

"On it," Bruce replied.

Once Bruce finished, Thor turned to them. "Now, both of you go. I know there is a debriefing that needs to happen. I shall stay with them so they do not wake alone and I will alert you whenever they do."

Bruce nodded. "You gonna be ok down here, Thor?"

"Yes, no worries there." He took out his phone. "I am going to try to crush these candies like Asta taught me."

Tony and Bruce left and Thor took a seat closest to Loki. "Brother, please wake soon. I don't know what I would do without either of you."