I'm proofreading this short after typing chapter 210 so this chapter is funny to me now.

Chapter 196: Asking, Not Demanding

Asgard

It's been nice to eat with his parents again but Apollo's lost his appetite for many reasons. Ragnarök, Freya … it's a short list. It doesn't help that his parents are also scared. They've been scared the whole time, ever since he was born. They're not just older and defeated but genuinely terrified. He wished he could help them be at ease. Add them to the list.

Apollo pushes his food around with his fork. "If you were in my place and you wanted a way out, how would you do it?"

"You're on the right track," Thor says.

Apollo almost laughs. "By being scared?"

"Fear keeps you alive. It's instinct and intuition that keeps your heart pumping."

"You should start with the way you want to feel," Jane adds. "If you want to feel alive, capable, courageous, anything - you have to start with yourself."

Apollo laughs this time. "I thought I was with my self-preservation tirade. If I give into my fear, then it's cowardly. Being brave is easy when you would rather die than give up. It's a part of this new heaviness in my life. There is too much at stake, too many will be affected for anything to feel light. Ragnarök is a forward motion for me to become a better version of myself. My journey won't end on that day. I won't allow it. Hela's fleets will be all over the realms and the worlds."

Jane nods. "It'll be a heightened version of New York."

"But you won't be caught off-guard like us," Thor adds. "You know what's supposed to happen."

"It's not fair," Apollo grumbles. "I could ruin everything."

"You could but we need heroes. We always do."

"Freya said the same thing about Asgard needing a hero."

"Before or after she threw you overboard?" Jane asks, glancing at Thor before they both laugh.

Apollo glares at them. "After. The problem is that I don't know what the word means."

"Everyone fails at who they're supposed to be," Thor says. "I have many times and you and your mother know that better than anyone. It's life. But a true hero will succeed in whatever way possible."

-o-

After he forced himself to eat, he roams through the hallway, grateful to find Freya returning from wherever she went. He holds himself accountable for the rift he caused between them. Proposing was an impulse decision. The moment she brought up Asgard's future, he took the shot and missed. He's working on fixing it since he can't lose anyone now, especially her. But if anyone asked, he got her overboard, kissed her forehead, and wasn't told no, so it wasn't a complete failure.

As his father told him, it's life.

Before Freya could disappear into her room, he catches the door before it closes, knocking anyways. She looks at him, no smile or sending him away so he steps inside and shuts the door behind him. Freya heads to her vanity and takes off her shawl, throwing it over her chair as he stands behind her.

"Is it different between us?" Apollo asks, rubbing the back of his neck. He knows the answer to that question but didn't know how to start this conversation. "I think it is and for that I'm sorry."

Freya turns around, resting her hands on her vanity. "If anything I made it uncomfortable for us."

"No, not at all. Swimming was fun."

Freya smiles with a small laugh. "Why did you propose to me?"

"You said I needed a contingency. One of my friends made some and they succeeded, ironically she made them with the man she ended up marrying. You know, I left after they wed as strangers and wasn't sure how they would be years later. It's beautiful to see them in love."

"Okay, with that in mind. Here." Freya reaches into her jewelry box. She hands Apollo a simple gold band, holding it up for him to see. "It was my mother's. The undertaker gave it to me after she died. I'm now giving it to you to give to me."

Apollo looks at the ring, feeling unworthy to take it. "What happened to asking and not demanding?"

Freya narrows her eyes but mirrors his grin. "You know what, Apollo?"

"What, Freya?"

They don't break eye contact as Apollo takes the ring. Tension rises between them and it's not the same awkwardness that made them avoid each other. Apollo holds the ring out and lowers onto one knee only for Freya to knee him over. She laughs as he falls onto his side.

"You're impossible!" Apollo yells.

"Says the one on the floor."

"I shall find a Plan B."

"You will not find a better one."

Apollo looks up at her and smiles. "You're absolutely right."

-o-

San Francisco - 12:41 PM

Emily and Angela were stoked that Iqadi was available for a bit so she flew over. They filled her in on the details of Merida's secret vacation, even updating her on James's Ph.D. and heading to Camp while she mentioned Imanu as the new representative. All this conversation while sitting at a restaurant's patio, shades and beach hats on a sunny day, that was conveniently beside a pier where they saw Merida and Blake in close proximity.

"They're holding hands!" Angela exclaims. "Who would've thought that Merida's a hand-holder?"

"My wedding was magical," Emily says proudly, basking in taking the credit for Merida and Blake even happening.

"Do you think she'll see us?" Iqadi wonders. "We're not trying to hide."

"Hiding in plain sight," Angela explains.

Iqadi raises her glass. "Academy training, right there."

Angela smiles as she cheers her glass with Iqadi before sipping.

"I literally don't care if Merida catches me," Emily says. "What did she expect? I'll still lie and say I'm here on business and visiting my parents."

"And I'm your bodyguard," Angela adds proudly. "Also James is at Camp so I need to bother someone."

"I'm on vacation," Iqadi states as her fake alibi. "Imanu could've come but he's busy in the mines."

"And your bodyguard too." Angela stretches her arms in front of her. "Gotta protect the heirs of Stark Industries and Wakanda."

The three of them continue observing Blake and Merida. If they didn't know them, they would assume they were together for a while but still had the honeymoon phase of a new couple. Constant smiles and talking, sharing stories to get to know each other. They pause and let go of their hands. Merida takes her phone out of her pocket and says something to him before walking to the side to take it.

"Who do you think is calling her?" Iqadi questions. "It'd have to be someone she'd answer."

"Her parents or even Daniel," Emily guesses. "The only people not here, at Camp, or in Asgard. We know she'll never pick up for SHIELD. Chances are she blocked them."

To their surprise, Blake glances their way. The girls don't react, thinking he won't recognize them with their disguises and from that far away. Didn't he wear glasses? But then Blake smiles and waves at them. Iqadi waves back but Emily and Angela glance at each other.

"Do you think Blake will snitch?" Angela asks.

"Nah," Emily responds. "If he snitches, then he loses time with Merida since she'll come here and kill us."

"Smart man."