Sealed Fate

by dioswry

Summary:

“You do not get to decide my fate!”

Those words ring in her head, over and over again in the same angry voice. Who is it?… It sounds familiar, as if she’s known them for a lifetime. She wanted to help them even though she doesn‘t understand why.

Notes:

This is for all my dear fellow Heimdall lovers out there!

Also, this is my first fic written in english so I‘m a little bit nervous about it since it‘s not my native language

Chapter 1

“You do not get to decide my fate!”

Those words ring in her head, over and over again in the same angry voice. Who is it?… It sounds familiar, as if she’s known them for a lifetime. She wanted to help them even though she doesn‘t understand why.

The only thing she’s aware of is a strong hit to her head, blinding her senses.

She’s floating in the water, unable to breathe. The ringing has stopped, the voice getting quieter and letting her forget about the earlier words.

She feels calm.

At least that is until something pulls her out of the water.

She desperately gasps for air, her lungs hurting. Her sight’s a little blurry as she tries to get up, her legs immediately giving up on her and letting her drop to the ground. She tries to focus on her hands instead. They’re pale, nearly completely white with some kind of rosy pattern running along them and small dots connecting it all together. She furrows her eyebrows at her own body feeling so alien to her.

“Hello?”

It’s a rather annoyed voice that calls out to her.

She follows it, only to be met with a pair of glowing purple eyes staring right into her soul. Darkness surrounds them, yet they pierce deeply through her. Something about it feels dangerous but very special at the same time.

As her sight finally clears, she takes a better look at the person.

It’s a blonde haired man in white and golden colored armor, an unreadable expression on his face.

He sighs.

“Great. Another unwelcome visitor landing right at the doorstep of our home.”

He seems displeased. Wherever she is and whatever she did to upset him, she already isn‘t welcome and perhaps even shouldn’t be here.

“Oh, now you get it.”

He smiles arrogantly and crouches down to her eye level, not giving her time to adjust.

She didn’t share that last thought with him, did she? He read her mind?

This could only be possible if he’s a…

“It is what I do. Don’t tell me you truly don’t know where you are or who I am.” he seems irritated now, probably because she couldn’t give him the desired answers.

After a short while he tilts his head to study her, her mind turning out to be nothing more than a big pile of confusion.

“Hm, you don’t know anything, do you?” he asks her, his voice displaying a hint of interest. 

She shivers, realizing that she’s drenched in water, the cold breeze giving her goosebumps. Unsuitable for a cold night like this, she has a white cloak on that covers her upper body and reaches down to the middle of her thighs. She couldn‘t make sense of her situation but maybe this stranger will help her. As… hostile as he seemed towards her, he didn’t try to harm her.

“Not yet.” he corrects, laughing at her ignorance. He then lets out a defeated sigh when she still doesn’t respond. “Well, given the circumstances, I shouldn’t be surprised since you literally fell out of the sky.”

She faces the night sky that is filled with many stars and a full moon. For some reason she feels attached to it, reveling in the moonlight that shines across her wet skin. She lowers her gaze, the weird pattern on her arms just like on her legs suddenly beginning to glow pink.

He too scans over it, fascinated by the incident. What she herself doesn’t even realize is that her eyes are glowing in the same color as well.

“Perhaps the All-Father should take a look at this first before I get rid of you.” he muses to himself, though not quietly since it alarms her.

His grin quickly returns at the change of her stance, enjoying her bewildered state.

“Don’t be scared, little outsider. As long as the All-Father doesn’t want you gone, I suppose you are safe for now.” he chuckles, standing up.

Something about this man before her does ring a bell but she couldn’t put her finger on it no matter how hard she tried.

She musters her courage to take up a glance at him and ask:

“What is your name?”

It’s her first spoken words of the night.

Her voice soft with genuine curiosity behind it, takes him aback. Oddly, it’s harder for him to read her. He isn‘t worried for his safety but he decides to be wary of her, in case she has something up her sleeve. He couldn’t let anything happen to the All-Father, to his homeland. 

“Heimdall.”

Her mind fails her. She‘s certain that she’s never met this person… this god, before.

Also, if he‘s a god, what is she then?

“That’s something for you and the All-Father to figure out next. That is, if he decides to keep you here.” he reaches out his hand for her, his voice tired; “Now get up, we have to go.”

He’s had enough of dealing with strangers for today. At first that half-breed and now this. Of course he foresaw her fall, but compared to the boy who was reeking of pure chaos, she’s got a different energy to her. By her uncommon looks, she doesn’t seem like out of this realm or any other he knows of at that. It is a mystery.

The moment she hesitantly reaches out her hand, a stinging pain on her head appears as he watches a line of blood run down her forehead and drop into her white clothing. She touches her head, staring at her bloody hand afterwards. He could tell that she’s close to collapsing at the sight of it. Her strange pinkish eyes close not even a second later and she falls to the ground unconscious.

Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly kneels down to her and picks her up in bridal style.

Let’s just get this over with, he thinks to himself before walking towards the giant wall in front of him, unaware of what awaits him in the near future.

Chapter 2

Notes:

I was so happy about all the kudos and lovely comments that I thought why not share the next chapter a little bit earlier!

Thanks so much for reading!

The sun kisses her skin, making her feel all warm and cozy. She rolls over to the side, ready to sleep for a bit longer until something tickles her face. She scrunches her nose and tries to pull away whatever’s bothering her, to no avail though. Slowly her eyes open and she’s met with a fur blanket that covers her up to her chin. Looking past it, she finds herself in some kind of tent.

The sun blinds her when someone suddenly walks in.

“My goodness, you’re finally awake! I was starting to get worried.”

An older woman with a relieved smile on her face comes closer to the bed that she‘s lying on. “I’m so glad they got you in here early. Your head wound is healing rather quickly.”

She reaches up to her head to feel a bandage around it, the material foreign to her. That’s right, she got hurt last night. Probably from when she fell from the sky and hit something hard in the lake.

“Name’s Linnea, by the way. What’s yours, darling?” she gets asked, the question overwhelming her as she struggles to answer it.

She couldn’t recall a name. She couldn’t remember anything about herself to be honest, but maybe she shouldn’t overthink it for now. No, at first she should thank this woman for being so kind and treating her wound. It‘s the least she could do.

“I… don’t know, I‘m sorry. But thank you for-“

“Has the intruder finally awakened?”

A familiar voice interrupts her. Heimdall has already entered the tent, ignoring the old woman when he walks past her and stops next to the bed. She tries to steady herself on her elbows, the blanket falling to her lap.

“Lord Heimdall, she just woke up and-“

“Ah, ah, ah. I wasn’t talking to you-” he warns Linnea with a raised finger, not acknowledging her presence. His eyes locked on the bandaged up girl, he points at her next. “I was talking to her.”

He kneels down to her, a scene repeating itself.

“You have a lot to answer for, sweetheart.”

Giving her the same warning tone, he smiles at her ominously. She feels a little bit threatened by it, the pet name not really reassuring her.

Does he dislike her? Regardless of that, she wouldn‘t want to be a burden on him, making it her objective to not disappoint him. After all, it’s like he said. It’s his home she invaded.

“I will try my absolute best to answer everything you need to know.” 

He huffs out a laugh, amused by her determination. “Full of surprises, I see. Don’t think your attitude is going to help you though as I will be the judge of everything you do, say or think.” he pronounces the ‘think’ stronger on purpose just to remind her once more that her thoughts don’t belong to her anymore.

She finds the idea of him being in her mind bizarre, but not entirely bad. She doesn‘t have anything to hide nor does she want to cause any harm. It seems she simply has to get used to this.

He stands up and approaches an empty chair in the corner, letting himself drop on it as he takes out a book. “C’mon, get her ready. The All-Father doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” he orders before dedicating himself to his book.

“Yes, Lord Heimdall.” Linnea answers before hurrying over to the girl’s side. “I hope you don’t mind that I changed your clothes while you were asleep. Had to make sure you weren’t harmed anywhere else.”

At that she removes the blanket and lowers her gaze to the long white dress that hangs comfortably upon her body. She carefully gets up and discovers in the better light that it even has some golden design on it.

“It’s stunning.” she mumbles to herself.

Linnea can’t help it but chuckle while the other just watches her.

Instantly noticing it, she gazes up to Heimdall whose face is partly hidden behind the book. His eyes ever so mesmerizing and in the loveliest color too, luring her in. He puts his book down and smirks at her.

“You know, this is already the second time since last night that you’re gawking at me. How about you just openly say what you think, hm?” he challenges her confidently with the clear intent to embarrass her.

She can understand why he’d want that. It‘d be only fair to let him know with her words, rather than her thoughts.

“Heimdall-” she starts, expectations rising within him as he listens.

“You are very beautiful.” 

His jaw’s about to hit the floor, not having expected the sincere compliment. Before he could pull himself together, the old woman who’s still in the room with them for some reason, breaks out in loud laughter.

It makes him furious that he‘s the one being made fun of while pale-face over there doesn’t have the slightest worry in her head.

“Enough.” he demands in a stern voice, silencing the room.

Next thing he does is get up, grabbing the girl’s wrist and pulling her out of the tent. Stumbling upon her own feet, she follows him as fast as possible. She covers her face with her free arm when the sun hits her. She regrets not being able to properly thank the woman for everything.

“Oh, please. That unimportant woman isn’t worth visiting anytime soon, or ever.” he comments in a bitter tone, obviously looking down on her.

Offended on Linnea’s behalf, she stops in her tracks which gets an annoyed groan out of him.

“Don’t be like that. She helped me.”

His annoyance‘s growing, her serious face expression not helping him.

“Do you plan on walking around, thanking anybody who offers you a nice smile?” he mocks her, hoping to shut her up but unfortunately, she starts thinking and opens her mouth to speak.

She apologizes, receiving an irritated “What?” from him. It doesn’t deter her from continuing.

“I totally forgot to thank the one who saved my life. Thank you for saving me, Heimdall. Who knows what could’ve happened if you didn’t find me.”

She has that kind of smile on her face that makes him want to puke, her honesty driving him insane.

“Nevermind.”

He releases her wrist and turns around, hoping she’ll follow him without any further distractions.

She‘s confused but nonetheless happy that she got to tell him. She doesn’t know where she is, who she is, but she has to trust him to lead her. Perhaps the All-Father who he keeps talking about will help her out.

Following him in swift steps, she tries to see more of her surroundings. There’s many wooden houses lined up on either side of her with some people nearby. Those people look different from each other, some more humanly than others but each one unique in their own way. They’re blatantly staring at her and whispering words she couldn’t decipher. However, she doesn’t mind it. They‘re curious and so is she about them.

Out of nowhere a dragon flies above their heads, leaving her flabbergasted. She turns around to find out where it flies off to and gets another shock at the sight of an enormous big wall. Wherever she landed last night, it definitely wasn’t inside these walls. He must’ve gotten her inside while she was unconscious.

“Those walls are keeping us safe from intruders as the likes of you.” he informs her, which makes her want to face him.

Her eyes widen. Not too far away stands another huge creature.

“Gulltoppr! Who loves me the most?” he asks it, expecting some kind of response. “Who loves me the most?” he repeats. Still not earning anything back, he curses under his breath before climbing up and seating himself on it’s back.

If she wasn’t so amazed by the view, she would’ve called the interaction she just witnessed as funny.

She’s next to the animal’s face by now, raising her hand to pet it. The moment she does, it gives off a cute sound. She smiles at it, petting it again until Heimdall clears his throat.

“And who allowed you to touch my pet?” 

„I’m sorry but he-“ she pauses to get a confirmation for it’s gender and Gulltoppr happily nudges his head against her. „seems to like it.” 

“Just get up already.”

His patience was wearing thin with every second he wasted waiting for her. He could help her since this could turn out to be a problem but where’s the fun in that? 

She looks up, realizing how much of a difficult task it is with it’s height. It looked easy when he did it but clearly, he‘s been used to it. She takes a deep breath to focus, something inside her instructing her to just jump. She does exactly that and lands right behind him.

“Amazing! She’s not completely useless.”

The sarcasm in his praise catches her off guard but she doesn’t let it discourage her.

They begin to move and she holds on tight, her eyes traveling up Heimdall’s back until they end up on his hair. Last night it was too dark to notice his pretty braids. Would she be capable of braiding hers like this one day too?

When the wind picks up, she closes her eyes to fully enjoy the moment.

“Wasn’t the Jötnar enough yesterday?” she hears someone in the crowd ask, her eyes shooting open to search for the source of it. What‘s the meaning of Jötnar?

“Giants. Our enemy, to be exact.” Heimdall answers her question. “You see, you aren’t the only intruder here.”

It means somebody else is here who doesn’t belong to this place either. It relieves her, knowing she’s not alone. She wonders if they’re a god, if everyone who lives here is a god.

The Déjà-vu brings forth a sigh from Heimdall.

“Again, someone who knows nothing about the Aesir culture. How lucky for me.” 

So there’s gods and other beings here is what he’s implying. Gaining more and more information, she tries to store it all in her head since it can only be wise. Getting slower, they’re approaching a bigger house. Gulltoppr stops and Heimdall jumps down, expecting her to do the same. She does so landing on her bare feet and fixing her hair afterwards.

“Come along.”

Giving Gulltoppr another pet and thanking him for carrying them, she then walks up beside the short tempered god. He opens a wooden gate, stepping in first before she does after him. Inside is a hall with a long diner table and seats that are mostly empty. They proceed upwards to another door. His hands pressing against it, he gives her a quick glance over his shoulder. “You better behave once we‘re inside, is that understood?” 

She nods before entering the room, taking smaller steps while the other’s already far ahead. She spots an older man with an eyepatch sitting at a desk. It seems like Heimdall respects this person greatly to care about her behavior. She wonders what kind of person he is.

“Ah, you brought over our guest!” the man shouts excitedly as he stands up. He smiles at her, walking around the desk. “You look terrified, my child. Did Heimdall scare you that much?” he jokes, causing Heimdall to lower his head.

It’s her first time seeing him this tense. She wanted to observe him more but the All-Father jumps into her view again.

“Welcome to Asgard. We’re so glad to have you here. Now come, sit down.”

He slightly touches her back and leads her to the desk. She sits down on a chair while he takes his own seat right across from her.

“Thank you All-Father for the warm welcome, I really appreciate it.” she says, starting to feel nervous. He seems to be kind, yet the aura radiating off him is something entirely else. He must be real powerful.

“No need to thank me! We couldn’t just not bring you in when you were obviously hurt. Also, enough with the formalities. Call me Odin if that’s easier for you.” he adds, leaving Heimdall speechless.

“All-Father, if I may speak, why would you allow someone as insignificant as her to disrespect your name like th-“

Odin raises a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.

“Nobody is disrespecting anyone. And like it or not, from today on she’s our dear guest who I want you to take the utmost care of. Got it?”

Heimdall’s disappointed but gives it a rest, bowing his head.

“Yes, All-Father.”

And just like that, the focus is back on her.

“Heimdall told me you don’t remember anything about yourself or how you ended up here, is that correct?” 

She nods, playing with the fabric of her dress in her lap. “Everything is new to me. This life, this body of mine. I don’t remember anything before the moment Heimdall pulled me out of the water.” 

The old man hums understandably.

“I’m sure it must be frustrating to not remember but if you have no other plans, you can stay in Asgard for as long as you wish. Maybe your memories will return to you with time.” he offers her, ignoring the annoyed scoff coming from the side.

Not knowing how the outside world works, it’d be the smartest decision to stay for the time being. It’d be too dangerous for her to walk around alone. In her stay she could learn more about herself and think everything through first.

“I’d love to stay.”

He claps his hands together.

“That’s great! Heimdall will escort you to your own room in a minute. Right, Heimdall?” he glares up at him before earning a nod.

She’s thankful. They’re willing to help her, giving her a room to rest even. It would make a perfect start. With that she stands up, not paying attention to the conversation playing before her.

Odin signalizes for his son to step closer.

“I want you to watch her. Make her remember who she is. With what you’ve told me, she might be of use to us someday.”

He despises the idea of having to be around her but he couldn’t refuse the mighty All-Father’s command. “What about the half-breed?” he asks him, knowing that watching the boy should be his main mission. 

“Let me take care of that. You focus on her and do anything necessary to make her show her true self. Just don’t overdo it like with Loki.”

Heimdall feeling salty about being lectured, swallows his pride and straightens his back.

“Of course, I will make it my priority to watch over her.”

Chapter 3

Notes:

Yay new chapter!
Thank you so much for the kudos and comments. It just brings me so much joy knowing people actually enjoy this

Heimdall leaves his position and approaches the girl who just accepted the All-Father’s generous offer. It‘s unfortunate that she gets to stay because he’s getting sick of her presence already. “Follow me.” he calls out unmotivated, walking ahead. 

“Before I forget-” at the older man’s voice she holds still. “In your room, there’s a closet filled with loads of clothes and shoes that should fit you. It’s all yours to take so please wear it however you like.” he gives her one last reassuring smile and points at her bare feet at the end. 

“Ah! Yes, I will tend to it as soon as I’m there. Thank you All-Fath- I mean… Odin?” she tests out the name on her tongue, making him laugh.

“Like I mentioned, just use what’s easier for you.”

She nods before turning around. Heimdall’s waiting at the door and she speeds up her walk, not wishing to annoy him. When the door closes behind them, they’re on their own once again and she wants to ask him endless of questions.

“No, I will not be answering your foolish questions.” he announces with a sigh, confirming her suspicion.

She pouts and wants to try again. However, that is right when a tall redhead appears in front of her, his size terrifying. He looks down at her, really down at her. Behind him’s also a young boy who she barely noticed at first.

“What a pleasure to be meeting the two failures in one place together.” Heimdall greets them, though it’s more of a mockery.

“The All-Father wants to hear of our mission so I’d recommend you clear the way.” the redhead states in a deep rough voice, fitting for him and not bothered by Heimdall’s words as if he’s used to it.

“Who’s she?” the boy emerges from behind the man, curiosity in his voice. Knowing that a child’s here to loosen up the situation, she somehow feels at peace. Although, she does wonder what kind of relationship they share after watching them interact like this.

She wants to answer him but Heimdall took the word instead; “She’ll be staying with us which means that she’s another ally of ours for the time being.” 

“Seriously?” the boy seems surprised, smiling at her as he comes closer. “I’m Atreus! Or… uh, you can call me Loki too.” he introduces himself.

His warm energy infects her and she returns his kind smile. “I don’t know my name yet but once I do, I‘ll definitely let you know.”

Confusion’s written all over his face at that which she can’t blame him for.

“You don’t know your name? How come?” 

“Listen-” Heimdall interrupts them as he casually slips in between the both. “We do not have time for unnecessary chitchats. I‘m sure you‘ll find plenty of time for that any other day.“

He then faces her, blocking her view. “Get moving, we don’t have all day.”

He walks past her, his shoulder hitting hers in the process. She’d like to believe that there’s a valid reason behind his hostility. A reason that she wants to get to the bottom of. He just couldn’t be totally bad since he helped her.

She rubs her hurt shoulder before quickly putting her thoughts away and waving Atreus goodbye. Both him and the man move along after. She picks up her pace to reach a door in the hallway.

Heimdall rolls his eyes at her arrival.

“Just ask your questions.”

She hesitates. “Didn’t you say earlier you wouldn’t answer any of my questions?” she asks, unsure of what suddenly changed his mind.

“I did, but I also figured that if I don’t let you ask anything now, you’ll bombard me with thousands of questions later. I’d like to avoid that so yeah, spit it out.”

With his hand he encourages her to speak up, his face displaying the foul mood. She doesn’t have to think twice before blurting out: “Who was the man back there?”

He can only laugh.

Was it really that laugh worthy?

“Very much so, yes.” he answers her thoughts just as he always did. “Can’t believe that this drunkard of a brother’s the first thing you’d ask me. I almost feel offended.”

She never would’ve guessed him to be his brother.

“Half brother.“ he corrects her. „Thor has absolutely nothing going for him apart from his poor drinking skills. Such a disappointment for father.” he vents to her, obviously unimpressed by him.

She doesn’t have her own siblings. Well, not that she‘d know in her current situation. Still, shouldn’t a family be something you love and appreciate? They, in a matter of fact, don’t seem fond of each other. And did he by father mean…

“Yes. The All-Father, King of The Aesir, is our father. There’s more glorious titles to him but I know that your little bird brain won’t be able to comprehend it all.” he explains, pointing with his hand to the door beside them next.

“And this by the way, is your room. Make yourself feel at home, princess.”

An unsettling smile forms on his lips, her stomach turning as result of it. She breaks the eye contact to touch the door handle. When she opens it and steps in, she’s welcomed with a normal sized bedroom.

Clearly faking his disappointment as he asks: “What? No more questions?”, he leans against the doorframe with crossed arms. She hums, thinking of a question whilst she sits down on her bed.

“What exactly are your powers?” 

“Oh, that.” he chuckles, checking out his nails as if he couldn’t care less about their conversation. “I’m sure you would love to know the details, but let God of the Foresight and Foreknowledge be enough for you.” not really answering her question, she huffs in defeat. “Perhaps in the near future, you’ll experience it yourself firsthand.” he adds, leaving her with more questions.

Did he mean by that fighting him?

“I have no reason to fight you.”

Her response earns her another laugh. She couldn‘t tell if it means he’s humoring- or ridiculing her. 

“The latter. And I wouldn’t be so confident about that. For now you are our guest, an ally even but the moment I see that you plan to go against us in any sort of way, I will be there to stop you. Let that be a fair warning.”

And what a warning it was. The thought to fight him scares her since she doesn’t know if she’d be even able to protect herself. She probably wouldn’t stand a chance.

“I am so glad we agree on that part!” he throws in enthusiastically, causing her to jump.

She pulls herself together before dropping her next words. “I would never think of betraying you.” 

Funny. He truly has forgotten what it’s like to meet someone who for once doesn’t constantly lie to get what they want. She clearly isn‘t the type to strive for strength and power, but from past experiences he knows that it could change. Though as she is in this moment, she’s barely a threat to anyone.

“All people are liars. It is time that will inevitable uncover their dishonesty and lies. Eventually, you’ll become just like the rest of them." cold and without hesitation he relents.

This was most likely his most honest moment with her thus far and she can’t help it but feel pity for him. She knew that there’s a reason for his crass behavior and that mean facade of his.

“I promise that I’ll change your opinion. I‘ll show you a new and better perspective on life and it’s people.” her confidence‘s taking full control over her lines as she stands up. 

He pushes himself off the door frame, shortly closing the gap between them. She thinks of stepping back but refuses at last. His face’s not even an inch away from hers, his beautiful angry eyes boring into her. His height this close is intimidating, his shoulders seeming broader. It’s enough to make her want to shrink away. 

He smirks when he notices the slight change in her demeanor, his hot breath meeting her face. “You will make a mistake and then-” he slowly lowers his lips to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “We’ll see about that sweet little promise of yours.” 

Soon enough, he backs off.

Frozen in place, she watches him leave and shut the door behind him. A pleasant scent lingers in the air afterwards. Was it his? She tries to blend it out and take in everything that’s happened so far. From the moment she opened her eyes to meet his purple ones, to waking up bandaged up in a tent, meeting new people, getting her own bedroom and now this. Everything’s kind of a mess yet she couldn’t help it but get excited, like she’s been waiting on this for ages. 

She‘d honestly love to take a better look at her room but she‘s gotten tired, the day heavy on her body. She lies down in her bed, crawling underneath the cozy blanket. The sun outside doesn’t bother her as her eyes are already closing and she‘s getting lost in a long and dreamless sleep.

~~~

Awake some hours later, she slowly raises her head and looks out the window. The moon in perfect sight now. Like in the first night, it gives her a comforting feeling that she just can’t describe. She stares at her body, expecting it to start glowing but none of that happens. Why was it glowing last time? 

She decides to get up. The moonlight spends enough light for her to detect what she’s looking for. At the door, there’s a bucket full of fresh water. Someone must have gotten that for her while she was asleep. She approaches it to sit down on a small stool next to it, taking some water into her hands to splash it into her face. She does so two more times before cleaning some other body parts with a cloth that she found nearby. At last she takes the bandage off her head, her long hair falling down in big waves. With her fingers she combs through it, making sure it’s nowhere knotted which takes a few minutes since it reaches down to her bum.

Once done, she remembers the closet where she’d find shoes. Her dress she could change next time. After having put on a pair of boots, nothing could stop her anymore from walking out.

Not knowing how late it is, loud cheering can be heard from downstairs. Curiosity leading her, she finds herself at the hall from the beginning when Heimdall brought her in.

Talk of the devil.

She spots him at the table with his back leaned against it. The same book from last time in his hand and an apple in his other. It seems he hasn’t noticed her yet. Memories from their last encounter flood her head, making her feel strange. Perhaps tonight he’ll leave her alone.

Little does she know that he’s been aware of her presence from the moment she left her room. His eyes glued to her body, he follows her every move.

Chapter 4

Notes:

Posting this one day earlier than originally planned because your honest and sweet comments on the last chapter made me so friiickin happy

She’s trying to avoid Heimdall. The main reason being that he’s succeeded in intimidating her. The other reasons? She’s not exactly sure.

This time the place is packed with people up to the hilt. They’re drinking and laughing about stuff she doesn’t understand. At first nobody noticed her but once she stepped into the crowd, she received many head turns.

“Hey!”

A younger voice shouts and she spots Atreus at the table who waves her over. A smile breaks out on her lips and she hurries over, squeezing her way through the crowd. When she reaches him, he makes some space for her so she could sit down next to him on the bench.

“Atreus! It’s so nice to meet you again.” 

“We finally get our chance to talk. I can see that you got rid of your head bandage? Are you feeling better then?”

His face shows worry but she assures him that she’s fine and doesn’t feel any pain anymore. “It healed up so fast. How did that even work?” she asks him, pondering for an answer.

“Healing magic.” a female voice answers to her left, coming from a girl who’s most likely in the same age as Atreus. “Sorry to interrupt you guys.” she laughs, putting down two drinks next to the boy. “I’m Thrúd Thorsdottir! Daughter of Thor, in case you wanted to know.”

„Oh yeah, I guess you haven’t met each other yet. She‘s a friend I made here!“ Atreus comments. 

She studies the friend, immediately recognizing Thor in her appearance. What’s comforting about it is that she radiates the same kind energy as Atreus. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this but you really do have the looks of your father.” 

“I get that a lot. But you?” Thrúd starts, “You’re real special and the main gossip of Asgard. Is the rumor true that you dropped from the sky?”

Loki doesn’t know if he should believe what Thrúd just mentioned. „That can‘t be true, right?“ he asks before both of them stare at her in anticipation. She giggles at their liveliness, confirming the rumor only for them to ask her even more. She has nothing to lose by delivering them all the answers, though she leaves a few details out.

For example; some of her interactions with Heimdall.

„Loki, she truly outshined you with her arrival, huh?“ Thrúd jokes, receiving an offended „Hey!“ from him which makes them burst into laughter.

It feels like hours have already passed and they‘re still carrying on their conversation. At one point she got to hear of Loki’s life and why he’s here in the first place. He came all the way from Midgard. He‘s also half god, half giant, and apparently feels awful for leaving his father behind. He’s holding back when he speaks about it, being cautious with his words for some reason.

She could understand his struggles even if his were different from hers. It’s too much pressure for such a young soul. She puts a hand on his shoulder, offering him a gentle smile.

„Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re here to find out who you are and that takes time.“ at her soft tone he turns his head her way, listening intently. „From your story alone I can tell that your father loves you dearly. Don’t worry about it. You’ll find your way back to him sooner or later, and he will hear you out. I‘m so sure of it.“ 

„I… Thank you. I needed to hear this.“ his gratitude is evident in his voice, his face having lightened up. It feels like a huge accomplishment to her since she wishes nothing but the best for him. And for the first time ever in her stay, she doesn’t feel entirely alone. Is this what it’s like to make friends?

“Are the toddlers having fun on the party?”

The voice tears her out of the moment in a flash. She peeks up at Heimdall who’s advancing towards the three. His walk graceful, arrogant, seemingly not drunk like the rest.

Thrúd groans and takes a sip from her drink.

He stops next to her, displaying his disgust. “You know, it‘s truly heartbreaking to watch you walk down this path. So young, yet so eager to become as miserable as your father.” 

Thrúd tenses up. She doesn’t know the ginger too well to understand the situation but to have a simple insult work her up like this? There must be more to the story that she hasn’t heard of. Something about their family. “Don’t talk like that about my father or me.” she warms him, leaving him unimpressed.

“Why, am I wrong?” he asks, not even expecting a proper response back as the corners of his mouth slowly but provocatively turn into a smirk.

Everybody could tell that he’s trying to tick her off. Probably just for funsies too. They stare each other down in an uncomfortable silence until Thrúd takes a step forward and Loki jumps in between them.

“Okay, that’s enough!” he then adds, “It’s not worth it.” reminding her of his ways.

She doesn’t move at first, thinking her choices through. “You’re right, it’s not worth it.” her voice’s quieter but her eyes are shooting deadly daggers at the other Aesir.

He chuckles, moving closer to the nameless girl yet not giving her any attention. His back nearly blocks out the whole view when he continues. 

“How heartwarming. A friendship between natural enemies can only lead to a wonderful ending.”

This time Loki reacts. “I already told you once that we are not enemies. You know that Odin thinks so too.”

Thinking he’s got a solid point, Heimdall can only laugh at the boy, not taking anything serious that comes out of his mouth.

„Sure, you just believe in that if that‘s what makes you comfortably sleep at night.“

The atmosphere of the room has changed drastically in such a short amount of time. It’s hard to put in a word when she knows the outcome of it. She wants to be confident, refusing to let him have his triumph but this uneasy feeling inside her holds her back.

Thankfully after a while Thrúd speaks up again.

„It‘s late, I should go. I‘m sorry that of all people you have to be stuck with Heimdall, but catch you tomorrow?“

She nods at her before looking over to Loki. He gives her one last apologetic smile and just like that, they go their separate ways, leaving Heimdall with her.

„It wasn’t nice what you just did.“ she murmurs and turns her head away. She’s upset with how he turned the fun they had into this, causing almost a fight.

As if doing it on purpose, which he definitely did, he sits down exactly where she’s facing, giving her the best view on his cocky smile. „Aw… did I ruin your chance to make some friends?“ his voice’s taunting the word friends, not feeling the slightest sorry. He couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to annoy her, especially after their last exchange and her absurd promise to him. She avoids his eyes, not answering so he pushes on. „No inspiring words left anymore?“ 

„No. I‘m just disappointed in you, that‘s all.“

This certainly isn’t the kind of answer he expected. He throws his head back, a laugh escaping him.

„Ha, this is hilarious. Adorable even!“ 

She glances over him, not understanding what‘s so funny. It can’t be that bullying everyone around him gives him that much satisfaction.

„You think too loudly.“

She frowns at his remark.

„Is that supposed to be a complaint?“

He puts a hand on the table, his upper body leaning forward a little. His slender fingers start tapping on the table in a random rhythm, distracting her. „Not necessarily. It’s just that you’re ridiculously easy to read.“

She puts her focus on his fingers to a halt, getting startled when he invades her personal space.

„Back then and now too, I can see right through you. To be so carefree around others… it‘s a rather risky game you’re playing.“ his hand then reaches for her face, his index finger softly touching her forehead. She squirms in her seat, her mind beginning to spin because of how close he is.

„To present yourself like an open book like that to anyone is unwise.“ his tone’s rougher now, his finger tapping against her forehead to let her reflect on her idiotic actions. And it’s working but not in the way he was hoping for.

Is he referring to the chat she had with Atreus and Thrúd earlier? Did he listen to all of it? And even if so, why would it matter to him? He couldn’t judge her because of it.

He sighs.

„That‘s hardly the point. Though it does make me wonder if you’re ignorant or simply that naive.“

„If this is about earlier, I don’t regret what I told them about myself. They aren’t the kind of people who would take advan-“ before she could even finish her sentence, he flicked his middle finger against her temple, making her jump back in shock.

„Ow! Why did you-?!“ she rubs her forehead, hoping to ease the burning pain.

Apart from her skin turning red on the spot where he hurt her, he notices small tears in the corners of her eyes which implied that she takes badly to pain. The sensitive type. It’s pathetic in every sense, but quite interesting nonetheless. He makes a mental note for that later.

„Oh, don’t be dramatic. For what I had to endure while listening to you, you deserved far worse than that. Be grateful.“ his grin returns at the last words, enjoying her dumbfounded state.

Be grateful for what exactly?

That he ruined her first night around people? That he doesn’t let her enjoy some company? That he bullied her new-found friends? She‘s had enough of him.

„I‘m going out for a breather.“

Not wanting to stay in his presence any longer, she gets up and leaves. This time she doesn’t have to squeeze her way out as there aren’t as many people around like at the beginning. She must’ve been here way longer than she realized.

Before opening the big gate in front of her, she feels someone touching her back. She does not have to guess twice who it is as a familiar sweet scent fills her nostrils. The scent she so desperately tried to forget. It’s futile with how close he is, closer than he was at the table. Was it really necessary for him to follow her?

„Now, I can’t let you go out on your own without a supervision, can I?“ his hot breath meets her nape when he talks and she shudders unintentionally, her heart skipping a beat. She decides to ignore it and put her hands on the gates, knowing he’d have to accompany her.

„I guess not.“ she answers before opening the gate.

A cold breeze hits her, her hair flying up in the wind. She takes more steps forward, away from the other who is slowly following her. Her eyes close and she takes in the faint sounds of the night, letting the cool air relax her. She undoubtedly feels the best in the darkness, the big moon spending just enough light. As she opens her eyes and admires their beauty, her thoughts run back to Heimdall and the first night she locked eyes with him.

Does she love his eyes so much because their glow remind her of the stars? Since he didn’t comment on any of her last thoughts, she looks at him curiously. He seems to be stargazing. „You don‘t always read my mind?“ she breaks the silence.

He turns his head, the purple impossible to not stare at. Beautiful.

„You thought of something I should know of?“ he asks, a teasing smile forming on his lips. „But no, it‘s more complex than that. While I often foresee things without wanting to, I can also do it myself whenever I feel like it. And just now I wasn’t paying attention to you.“

He actually answered how his godly powers work!     Or at least part of it. She would‘ve loved to ask him more but decides to drop it, content for the time being. It seemed to be the smarter option anyway.   „I see.“ she smiles at him. „Your powers are pretty fascinating.“

He just watches her. A silent moment between them as he doesn’t know how to respond. His powers have always been described as dangerous and… beneficial but fascinating? It’s the first time someone described it as that. Not even the All-Father did. 

Gazing upon the sky once again, she remembers how it felt when she landed in this realm. The moon is almost like calling out to her and pulling her in. A low voice can be heard echoing in the wind and her head snaps into Heimdall‘s direction.

„Did… did you hear that?“

Chapter 5

Notes:

I am so happy to see this many people who love this arrogant but HOT asshole as much as I do. No, this obsession is seriously getting out of hand. Not that I mind it…

He doesn’t have the slightest clue of what‘s going on, wanting to laugh as he thought that she’s finally losing her mind. „Heard what exactly?“

This time the mysterious voice can be heard from her left but nobody is there when she checks, her heart pumping with adrenaline when she realizes that only she can hear it.

„Didn’t you just hear someone talk like they’re right next to us?“ she asks, begging him to listen closely.

If someone was here, he would’ve been aware of it. He sneers as he walks towards her. „Are you actually trying to fool me? Because if that‘s the case, you’re an even bigger idiot than I th-“ he stops in his tracks when he catches the sight before him.

Her body’s lightening up in the same way like when he first found her. The bizarrest thing about it is her glowing white hair that floats unnaturally in the air. Her eyes too, the color of it almost blinding. 

Her feet slowly lift off the ground then. She doesn’t acknowledge him anymore, but he uses this chance to trace down the pattern on her skin starting from her neck until down to her legs. There’s many little dots connected together like star signs? He wasn’t certain of it but it‘d make most sense. What if falling from the night sky wasn‘t a coincidence? Maybe it’s how she literally came to be.

It‘s all speculations he‘d need to tell the All-Father about but for now, he has to figure out how to get her back into her normal state.

The voice was never next to her. The source of it is right up there. Unaware of what her body‘s doing on the outside, her soul connects to the moon, listening it out and trying to understand.

„Your Fate is sealed…“ the mighty voice reveals. The words it spoke were heavy on her. „You were sent to change the Fate of the…“

„Change what?“ she asks, anxiety building up inside her, the voice becoming weaker. Someone grips her arm. Is it Heimdall? She couldn’t tell. She wanted to hear the answer first. Her free arm reaches out for the sky, tears forming in her eyes. „Please, I need to know!“ the desperation in her voice couldn’t be any clearer. She needs to know why she‘s here, what her life means and what it was like before. This couldn’t be all. They couldn’t let her down like this.

„You shall know your name as you will need it in this new life that was gifted to you…“

One final word, her name, was whispered to her.

That’s when the connection breaks. Her eyes close and she falls into Heimdall’s arms. He carefully puts her down to inspect her further. Her calm face makes it seem as if she‘s asleep. Within seconds the glow of her body’s faded and not a moment later, she opens her eyes.

Soft pink meets bright purple once more.

He sighs, some kind of relief behind it. Not because he was worried but because it would’ve been absurd to report to the All-Father that he lost her due to the sky. „So, care to explain what I just witnessed you do?“ with obvious annoyance written in his face, his hand points at her body.

She grabs his hand with both of hers. Normally, he wouldn‘t have hesitated to jerk his hand away but when he sees those tears running down her cheeks, he falters. 

„I finally know my name.“ she says with a smile on her face, „Aruna. My name is Aruna.“

~~~

It’s the first time since her arrival in Asgard that she’s dreaming. At least she thinks she is. Weirdly, she can’t see anything. She can only hear voices, one in particular that is clearer than the rest.

“You do not get to decide my fate!”

Those words keep repeating themselves over and over again. Whose voice is it? And why does it feel like she’s heard it before? 

A loud knock in the real world wakes her up and she feels a headache coming to torment her.

„Wake up, sleepyhead!“

She follows the voice with her tired eyes, the sun making it harder to do so. Landing at the door, she doesn’t feel ready to get up yet. She groans, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

„Can I come in?“ the same cheery voice asks.

„Yes, come in.“

The door opens and Thrúd casually walks in, not bothering to close it afterwards. The moment she spots Aruna in bed, she takes in a judging pose with one hand placed on her hip. „You do realize that it‘s noon, right?“

She isn‘t surprised. She was so emotionally drained after what happened that she went straight to bed. Heimdall’s the one who suggested her to talk about it tomorrow. She simply agreed to it and well, here she was. Just as she wants to answer, her stomach grumbled.

„Seems like it’s your lucky day. I brought you a little something to eat.“ Thrúd approaches her while she tries to lean herself against the bed frame. „Enjoy.“ she throws over some kind of fruit that she‘s never seen before. She thanks her before taking a small bite out of it, the sweetness overwhelming her as it melts away her headache.

„Woah, this is… delicious!“

The redhead laughs and swings her sword over her shoulder. She must be way stronger than she seems to be at first glance.

„Oh, there’s more where that‘s coming from, but you should get a proper meal with us first. Eating lunch in the hall in an hour, and don‘t you dare be late.“

She jokingly points her weapon at her while backing away. Although not without mentioning; „But before that, go see grandfather. He asked for you.“

Heimdall most likely told him about last night‘s events. Now he must want to confirm it with her. She nods at Thrúd before she closes the door.

After eating the whole fruit, she decides to put on new clothes. A beige skirt with shorts underneath and a tighter green top with a single shoulder strap. She adds a fitting pair of shoes to finish her look, and out she goes. When she follows the well-known path to Odin, she takes a long breath in and out. A new exciting day awaits her. She has a little more knowledge than before and with that, she‘s ready and motivated for the day.

She’s about to knock at Odin‘s door when it flings open and Thor’s standing before her. She raises her head only to be met with disinterest. It didn’t stop her from speaking up though.

„Thor, right? I don’t think I got to introduce myself yet but I’m Aruna. It‘s nice to meet you.“ her name spilling from her own lips feels nice and she has to smile.

Thor doesn’t react at first but when he does, he slowly raises his massive hammer to point at her. The same move Thrúd did just earlier. „You’re the one who fell from the sky that my daughter keeps talking about.“

Thrown off by the hammer, her confused face turns into an amused one at the description of her.

„Yup, that’s me! Your daughter and I became friends pretty fast.“

Her mind tricks her into believing that he shows her a weak smile but that must’ve been wishful thinking. He doesn’t seem as intimidating as before. On their first meeting she was too heavenly concentrated on his looks to see past it. Today she can feel an almost sad energy radiating off him. Can it be? Whatever it is, she hopes that it won’t become troublesome for him later. She wants to tell him that everything will be alright but the All-Father‘s voice snaps at him and their eye contact breaks with it.

„Thor, would you get out the way already so our dear guest could come in?“

„Gladly.“ not giving her a second glance, his heavy steps were the last thing she heard before entering the room.

Odin‘s sitting at his desk like the last time, waving her over. „I apologize for that stealthy side of beef. You honestly shouldn’t pay him any attention.“ he laughs as she takes a seat.

She doesn’t know how to feel about him talking like that about his own son. It‘s not like he did anything wrong. Thinking about it, now that she knows that Odin is his and Heimdall‘s father, she finds it a little unusual how he treats them more like underlings rather than sons. She hasn’t experienced many of their interactions but enough to say that it’s fairly strict. That, or maybe they aren’t the type of family who shows their affections openly.

„Oh, I had no problem talking to him if that’s what worries you. He‘s really nice.“ she lets him know.

It‘s when something in his face expression changed for a millisecond, just enough time for her to notice. How strange. His smile hasn’t faded but his aura‘s become different in an almost twisted way. Was she imagining things?

His smile grows before he rests his chin on his hands, musing to himself. „Well, if that‘s so, I‘m glad. On to more important matters-“ he changes the topic just like that, ready to listen her out. „It came to my ears that you learnt about your name which is amazing news. Want to tell me what else you learnt?“

A bit uneasy in her skin, she explains him what she felt and how the voice mentioned something about a fate. She also gets to hear from him Heimdall’s point of view on how she apparently started floating. If not for him holding her down…

To imagine that she could’ve been able to reach the moon kinda scares her.

„With what the voice has told me, it was the moon that gifted me this life.“ hearing herself say it out loud is making her head spin. A life gifted from the moon sounded too crazy to be true but she hopes he’d believe her. Perhaps in this realm where gods, dragons and other creatures exist, it wasn’t that out of place. „Whatever it is that has brought me here, I don’t think I had a human life before this. It‘d make sense as to why I don’t remember a thing before my fall.“

„Let’s assume that’s true. How do you explain your general knowledge on life if that‘s so? How do you speak our language or understand anything at all? What could possibly be that fate you‘re supposed to change?“ he asks, and she lowers her gaze to her hands to analyze the pattern on it. That’s all good questions that she doesn’t have logical answers to, not yet at least.

„That… I don‘t know.“ she looks up again, giving him a faithful smile. „But I will find out.“

~~~

Once out of his room, she‘s walking down the hall. The talk with Odin was certainly interesting but she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Relieved that she gets to eat soon, her stomach‘s getting noisier with every step she takes.

„Sometimes I envy the All-Father. He always sees the best in people while all I see is what people really are.“

She’d recognize Heimdall’s voice anywhere. It stops her from entering the dining hall. He sounds distant, almost like he‘s talking to himself.

„Nobody ever says what they mean. Some lie to the world; some lie to themselves and don't even know it. And then there is you. You don't know what you want. You don't even know who you are. But I hope you do know this: I will be watching.“

He told her something similar not too long ago before she made him the promise. Having had enough of her hiding spot, she goes around the corner to find out who he‘s talking to. It‘s Atreus who answers him, but she doesn’t catch the words as her attention‘s on the other god who‘s leaned against the wall. It seems their chattering has come to an end when Atreus shakes his head and walks away. She approaches the Aesir, his eyes already having made contact with hers.

„Don’t you know it‘s rude to pry into other‘s affairs?“

Caught firsthand, she apologizes to him. It probably doesn‘t make a great impression. „I know, I got too curious but-” she hesitates for a moment, “if it‘s true what you just said. What about me? Have I not been always honest with you thus far?“ 

Her earnest questions leave him baffled, the color in his eyes wavering as he thought of what to answer. Not pausing in her advances, she’s the one to invade his personal space this time. Once again he could‘ve pushed her away yet he lets her take his hand for a second time, her touch as gentle as her eyes. Gazing into them, he’s reminded of the peaceful night sky.

„You should know that those who lie to themselves become unable to recognize the truth. That counts even for you, Heimdall.“ she tells him in hope to get through to him. 

Unfortunately that came with consequences. 

That someone so inferior to him who doesn’t even belong here, dares to act like this is just ridiculous. The unwanted advice irritates him but even more than that, it angers him.

“You’ve really got some nerve, you know that?”

Her heart drops at hearing his threatening tone and she quickly pulls away only for him to capture her wrist instead. A gasp escapes her when he pulls her towards him, her body crushing into his. She’s got no other choice than to support herself on his chest, a wicked smile forming on his lips when she looks up at him. 

That‘s more to his liking.

„Poor little lamb.“ he says, feigning sympathy as he uses his other hand to gently brush through her hair, mimicking her touch. She flinches, still trying to fight him off but his rough grip doesn’t allow her to. He can’t help it but chuckle at her helplessness. “If you are here to prove that you are no liar by using some smart words and batting your eyelashes at me, you should seriously try harder next time.“ 

He’s got it all wrong, she‘d never try to deceive him. Especially not when she wants to hold her promise to him. „That‘s not what I intended to-“

He presses a finger against her lips, shushing her. His grin widens at the fear in her eyes. „Don‘t even try.“ he warns her, finding joy in her weak excuse. „You come in here talking big like you have me, our people, all figured out but all I see is a scared little girl putting up a front. Far, far away from home.“

He sighs, looking down on her. „Not that you have a home anyway.“ he throws in some extra poison into his last words to remind her that she indeed has no home to return to. To top it all, he shoves her away from him and makes her stumble back.

„Now leave me alone before my food gets cold.“

Chapter 6

Notes:

I get so excited whenever I post a chapter because I just can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it!

As always, thank you for reading!

She was too stunned to get a single word out after Heimdall shoved her away.  

After everything she wanted nothing more than for him to understand that people can be honest and good, that not everybody wants to trick him. It was a well meaning attempt to make him see, but of course that is not how he saw it. He turned it into something of the complete opposite which bothers her so much.

She’s sitting at the table between Loki and Thrúd, playing with the food on her plate. The youngsters give each other a concerned look behind her back, noticing her absence.

„Hey.“ Loki starts, carefully putting a hand on her shoulder. „You know how Heimdall is. Don‘t let him get under your skin.“

She eyes him from the side and her shoulders relax a bit under his touch. His smile breaks out a weaker one on her lips before she exhales out loud. „I just have this need to understand him better.“

„You really shouldn’t waste your time on that.“ Thrúd suggests, making Aruna turn her head. „I know that you’re thankful to him for saving you and all, but you should leave it at that. You don’t own him anything.“

She takes a sip from her drink, signaling the other to drink as well. Thanks to her, she remembers why she came down here in the first place, to enjoy a meal together. „I don‘t do it because I own him anything. I…“ she tries to explain but can’t continue, taking a bite out of her food. 

„Whatever the reason. Some people don’t need to be understood. Gods like him will stomp all over your kindness and use it against you.“ Thrúd murmurs, staring down at her own plate. „Trust me, he‘s my uncle and I‘ve shared enough bad experiences with him.“

„Well, I was lucky enough he didn’t drop me down the wall.“

The attention instantly leads back to Atreus. „He almost did what?“ she asks him in disbelief. From there, she got to hear about his arrival and how his first meeting with the so called Watchman of the Aesir went. A new title of his that she didn’t know about.

„Thrúd, there you are.“

An unfamiliar voice interrupts their discussions. She takes a look over her shoulder and spots a gorgeous blonde woman she hasn’t seen before.

„Mom! Is there something you need?“ Thrúd asks, ready to stand up.

„I‘d like to have a word with you before you return to your… training.“ the woman coldly answers, giving her friends a quick glance over. „Under four eyes.“

The redhead sighs. „Alright, I‘ll come right away.“

Her mother leaves and makes her way up. Thrúd then turns around to face them. „Loki, you take her to the training ground. I’ll meet you there later.“

He nods, standing up while the other follows after her mother, the matter seeming urgent. Did she just mention a training ground as in, a place where they could fight? She doesn’t know what to expect, what they’d expect from her.

Loki must’ve sensed her worries because he offers her a hand. „Don‘t worry, it‘s not actual fighting. You could practice by yourself or learn some basics from us. Don’t you think it’d come in handy for once you leave Asgard?“

She doesn’t know how to fight nor how to protect herself. She didn’t think of leaving Asgard anytime soon but he’s right that she’d leave one day. Go out and view the world for what it is, as unsafe as that sounds right now. The thought alone scares her.

„Yeah, I think you’re right.“

She takes his hand, both of them not noticing another pair of eyes watching them from afar. Bitterness growing in them at the sight of them smiling.

She follows Atreus outside, walking down the path she came before when riding Gulltoppr. She wonders if he‘s still at the same spot. Maybe Heimdall- no, he wouldn’t allow her to ride him again. After their last interaction, he probably wouldn’t like her near him anymore. Asking him for something like that would be too troublesome. Heimdall, he… genuinely upset her but she also couldn’t ignore just how lost she felt when he‘s not around. 

~~~

They’ve received some strange looks when they passed through the training grounds, though most were mid training and too occupied to spare them a glance. The violence in those alleged practice fight’s caused her worries to creep up again.

„We‘re here.“ Atreus announces as they step into a muddy place that’s a bit further away from the rest. There’s some wooden dummies placed in a row and numerous weapons at the side to choose from.

„Is it only going to be us here?“

„Yeah, Thrúd told me she got herself her own place so no one could bother her.“ he answers, the answer relieving her greatly. The idea to fight others is way too nerve wrecking.

All of a sudden she hears a weird and rather cutely noise. Atreus laughs. „Ah, Ingrid. You’re excited for the training too?“

She takes note of the moving sword on his back. Is it… communicating with him? Standing behind him, the sword swings out to fly closer to her. Fascinated, she touches it with her fingertip and the sword jolts in excitement.

Somehow she understood it and starts laughing. „It‘s quite the pleasure to meet you, Ingrid. My name’s-“, she falls silent when the realization hits her. Her eyes gliding from Ingrid to Loki who‘s been watching the scene. „I got so distracted that I almost forgot to mention it!“ her smile grows bigger, making Loki even more curious as to what she’s about to reveal. „My name. I found out last night. My name’s Aruna.“

He takes in the new information and tests out the name in his mind first. Soon enough he speaks up: „Aruna… It suits you.“ he smiles at her while Ingrid exudes an agreeing sound.

At the warm compliment, she’s unable to contain her happiness any longer and nods „Thank you! I haven’t had the time to think it through but I… really like the name. How I discovered it is quite unbelievable.“

„Why don‘t you tell me while I practice for a bit?“ he asks her before taking off his bow. „You know, Father and I have been on many adventures together so… maybe it won’t be that unbelievable?“

Shortly after he takes in a fight stance to shoot an arrow at one of the dummies, followed by endless more. He tries out different positions, running and jumping around like he‘s been doing nothing else in his life than exactly this. Sometimes she’d pause in her tellings to not distract him. He‘d call for Ingrid a few times, both in action all the more thrilling. At his last shot the wind picks up strongly but it doesn’t hinder him from hitting the dummy right in the spot where the heart‘s supposed to be. It’s remarkable.

„So what you’re saying is, not only did you fall from sky, you literally fell out of the moon?“ he asks while putting his bow away to take a break. 

„Crazy, right? I can feel that I‘m connected to the moon and now I just have to find out what it means which is the more difficult part.“ she explains him, the thought overwhelming her.

Atreus takes a seat on a log across from her, wiping sweat off his forehead. „You have all the time in the world to find that out since you’re in no rush to get anywhere, right? And as far as I can tell, you‘re doing an amazing job with how you handle things. Especially with Heimdall.“ he adds with a laugh and she joins in with a giggle. He‘s right that she wasn’t in a hurry.

Who knows where life will take her.

„Think you’re ready to learn some moves?“

The question takes her back to her current situation. She knows that she can trust Atreus but due to her inexperience, she probably won‘t be able to do or accomplish much. Despite that fact, she’ll try her best. „Sure, although I doubt I’ll be any good at this.“

He hums in thought, trying to think of an appropriate beginners training. The dummy would be the most ideal partner for her since it wouldn’t get her hurt.

“Well, ditzy here surely won’t harm anyone, so might as well train with someone alive.“

The snarky comment behind her makes her almost trip over her own feet. As the steps come closer, her body freezes. Memories of him hurting her with his mean words and crude touch flood her mind, but then her lips begin to tingle when she remembers how his finger used to shush her. She covers her mouth in embarrassment. Why did she think about that?

„Why are you here?“ Loki asks, not delighted by the surprise guest.

Heimdall laughs at his dumb question, his voice causing her to grow anxious even when he wasn’t talking to her. She could picture him flashing Loki a grin.

„I‘m allowed to be anywhere I want, unlike you.“

He takes more steps forward until he’s right next to her and their eyes connect. She’s still unsettled by his prior actions yet partly happy that he decided to approach her. She thought that after what happened at the Great Lodge he‘s grown tired of her.

He leans in closer. „What’s the matter, sweetheart? Still mad at me?“ he breathes out in a smile, not having missed out on the anger that’s directed at him and that little bit of excitement she also felt. Poor little thing couldn’t go anywhere without him gracing her insignificant mind it appears.

„Just leave her alone. You‘ve proved yourself to not be good for her or anyone else at that multiple times by now.“ Atreus throws at him, not holding back.

Heimdall clenched his jaw, his focus on her disrupted with it. Nearly nothing could compare to his hatred for giants, so to hear an actual half giant speak to him in that manner made him want to go berserk. How he wished to continue the fight where they last left off before Thor interfered with it. Not that it was a real fight in any sense by how he couldn’t touch him even once. He‘d gladly kill the mutt right now but he couldn’t, he has to remind himself of that. He‘ll get his chance in the future for when the All-Father sees it fitting.

He wants to approach the boy to teach him a lesson but she got there first.

With a hand on the boy’s shoulder she smiles at him and says: „Maybe you should go find Thrúd? I‘ll wait here meanwhile.“

Loki shows his obvious concern for her, though not before she adds a lighthearted; „I got this.“ to stop his worries because no matter what Heimdall plans to do, she‘ll be fine at last. Sadly the same couldn’t be said for Loki if he’d decide to stay here. Heimdall’s giving off ominous energy like she‘s never felt before and she just couldn’t risk finding out what would happen next.

The boy sighs before rubbing his head. „Fine, I‘ll go look for her but I‘ll be right back, okay?“

She nods, watching him unwillingly leave. Out of the Aesir’s reach where he couldn’t harm him anymore.

„Funny thing is, I am sure I could take him out in a second if I wanted to. I am feeling very sure about that in a matter of fact.“ he chuckles, slowly closing the gap between them.

„Why do you hate him?… He hasn’t done anything wrong, has he?“

The question earns her an amused „Ha!“ before he continues. „Please. Are you actually trying to protect him? I must admit that I find it quite admirable, as stupid as it is coming from you.“

His constant mocking is finally getting to her, making her hands ball to fists. Just why does he keep doing this? Why does he so badly want to hurt and create trouble when there wasn’t any to begin with?

His sharp eyes land on her fists, his grin appearing with an idea in mind. Both of his hands raise up to make a surrendering move. „Oh no, how fearsome!“ he lets out another chuckle, once again proving her how it‘s nothing more than a silly game to him. „And to answer your question. That disgusting half-breed hasn’t done anything wrong yet, if we ignore him entering the enemy’s territory of course. But soon enough he will make a mistake and with this you see, I have perfectly enough reason for wanting to gut him.“

A bad shiver runs down her spine when he spits out those last words. He can’t mean it to go that far with Atreus. Not that serious, not to kill him. She shakes her head, wanting to speak up, to tell him how this madness must come to an end but instead she gets pushed to her shoulder.

Irritated by it, her eyes search for his face.

„What, didn’t you come here to practice? As useless as you are, might as well try it out anyway. Come-” he bows down a little, spreading his arms out in a provoking manner. „Give me your best shot.“

She bites the inside of her cheeks, suppressing her anger. As he mentioned, it’d be a good opportunity to fight even when she was going to lose. Thing is, she really didn’t want him to win.

With her fists ready to lunge out, she makes her first move.

Chapter 7

Notes:

Added new tags which means there will be smut at some point heh

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading!

She aims for Heimdall’s face but he dodges it without a problem. She tries again, again and again but gets the same result every time while he barely even had to move.

„You are so shockingly obvious.“ he comments as he reaches for her face to shove her back with force, his vicious laugh haunting her after. She almost falls but saves herself last second before trying again.

At this point it’s like in slow motion when she swings at him for the tenth time maybe, her attack in vain since he foresaw it. He decided to grab her arm and turn her around in one swift move to kick her back.

„Wow, you are not very good at this.“

He was growing tired already. She’s weak, clumsy, unskilled, nothing outstanding just as he expected. Perhaps they should’ve done this at night since her powers might activate. He wonders if this would’ve turned out differently. Obviously still in her defeat but perhaps he could’ve gotten more out of her. Kicking her around like this was almost too cruel.

Just when he thought she‘s given up, she launches at him with her whole body, planning to push him. He simply moved aside, making her trip over in the midst of it and land on her knees with a groan.

„Yawn. Are we even fighting or just playing catch?“

Her in mud covered clothes stick uncomfortably to her skin. Her hands are covered in it as well. She’s having a hard time controlling her breath, her heart feeling like it’s about to burst out of her chest. She peeks up at him, noticing that he hasn’t gotten his white clothing dirty at all. He’s so fast and smooth about his dodging that it seemed effortless. If she wasn’t so intensely focused upon landing a hit on him whilst also ignoring his insults, she would’ve taken her time to admire his combat skills.

His chuckle pulls her out of her daydreams.

„You‘re on your knees all defenseless, yet you dare to get distracted?“ when kneeling down to her eye level, he shakes his head, „If this were a real fight, you‘d be dead long ago.“

That‘s true without a doubt but she wasn’t done yet. She still has to show him that she can do it. That she won’t so easily give up. That she can fight. If not for herself, then at least for Atreus’ sake.

At that he gently grips her chin, forcing her to look at him. His fingers on her skin bring forth a burning sensation, his lovely but harsh eyes laying bare all her thoughts, feelings and emotions. 

„I can see you are eager to prove yourself… way too eager.“

He wouldn’t go as far to say he’s impressed by her fighting spirit but he could respect it a little, despite her lousy performance. And compared to his average opponent, she’s got no desire to give up. She should be honored to have him as her first opponent since not everyone could claim to have ever fought him in their lives and make it out alive too. Although in her case, it might be bad luck.

He clicks his tongue. “It’s a pity that you cannot save that boy ‘cause trust me, I will get my hands on him sooner or later.” he remarks, his touch still lingering on her as his thumb glides across her jaw.

The gesture finally wakes her up and she wants to slap his hand away but he’s already stood. There it is, that threat to hurt her precious friend. She just couldn’t let him carry on with it. “Stop saying such horrible things! You can’t hurt him.” 

He laughs at her, circling her pathetic form. “Oh, and who’s going to stop me? You?”

In that moment she picks up her courage and slowly rises up to stand up to him. There’s not an ounce of hesitation in sight, her eyes fierce when she speaks with no fear. “I will not allow you to hurt my friend. With time I’ll learn how to fight and then… I’ll put a halt to you.”

The audacity to just think one could have a chance against him, her specifically, is beyond ridiculous. He could honestly applaud her for it. It’d be too easy to strip her off of all that confidence if he truly wanted to. “Is this all you’ve got?” he asks, waiting for her response. He grabs the dull end of his sword, ready to lash out.

It was time to send her back to the place where she originally belonged to.

Below him.

As she opens her mouth, he slams the sword against her hip to bring her down onto her knees. The shock leaves her breathless with her hand holding into her stomach. She hisses in pain, tears daring to spill. 

He crouches down, not wasting any time to lecture her on her behavior. “You have a lot to learn, little girl. Starting with how you should not act towards     a god who could kill you at any given moment.”

The amusement’s clear in his voice but she tries to block it off by closing her eyes. She has to focus. This can’t be it. She doesn’t want to lose like this.

She shows no reaction to his words so he wants to push on, his hand intending to move some strands   of hair out of her face. It’d be a shame to miss out on her discomfort. As he does so, he feels a sudden shift of energy in the air.

It happens out of nowhere, and he jumps back just in time for when she attacks him. He raises a brow, studying her from top to bottom once he’s put a fair distance between them. She’s taken on a somewhat creepier appearance with long sharp claws that have developed out of her nails, her glowing pinkish eyes glaring at him through her hair with the full intent to strike him soon. The pattern on her body’s lightened up too just like in those nights.

What‘s most shocking and wouldn’t leave him alone though is the fact that she was close to hitting him. To touching him.

While he did foresee it, his instincts are what saved him from this one which infuriates him. He couldn’t believe it. He refused to. No one should ever be able to get this close to touching him.

“Oh, sharp. Bet it would hurt if you could actually hit me.” he scoffs, risking to aggravate the situation. 

Within seconds she reaches him in a speed so fast he nearly couldn’t dodge her. She’s a lot faster than before and could surprisingly keep up with him this time around. Her leg goes for a kick, then another and another, making him duck multiple times. Her attacks are so powerful that he could feel the sheer pressure of it.

It’s like she’s become an entirely different person. However, it isn’t enough for her to win as her fight experience’s still on zero. With his sword he hits her side again and makes her stumble back. It gives him the perfect opportunity to grab her throat and throw her down into the ground as hard as possible, the impact behind it punching the air out of her lungs.

She loudly gasps for air, her eyes instantly turning back to normal just like the rest of her body. She thought it was a bad dream at first. The brutal blow caused her body to hurt all over, making her realize that the happenings were indeed real. She felt dizzy, having hot and breathing rapidly, her chest going up and down from it. She couldn’t calm down and just wanted to cry.

Heimdall not having said anything meanwhile, takes notice of her panic attack. He rolls his eyes, knowing he’d have to get dirty for this. Without thinking too much into it, he straddles her. With his knees resting beside her thighs, he supports himself by putting his hands on also either side of her head. His face leans over hers, and he watches some tears spill from her wet eyes. To have her under him like this, being this vulnerable is certainly doing… something to him. It overshadowed his anger, and he couldn’t resist but play more into it.

“Heimdall.” she breathes out while gazing into that purple she adores so much. He’s the reason for this outcome and yet, she couldn’t help it but feel relief looking at him and his beautiful features. His smile, presenting his golden teeth. His hair that’s snatched up in perfect braids and shining in the sun. His eyes that she’d always return to no matter what. As she couldn't break eye contact, feeling his body move on hers, his one leg repositions itself just between her thighs, her heart going crazy. And right then he uses a sound she’s never heard from him; his voice deep and seductive.

"That's it, sweetheart. You just keep looking at me with those pretty eyes." he touches her right cheek, caressing it. "Don't take them off of me." he then points at her head, "I know how you like to look at them. I know everything that spins in that head of yours."

He became too confident to avoid, literally displaying her thoughts on a plate and making her forget how panicked she was not even a moment ago. Rather, she’s getting panicky for a whole different reason. Embarrassed even. He wasn't someone she could put a mask around, no, he is the God of Foresight, seeing everyone's minds and intentions as well as hers. 

He almost fully closes the gap between them, his nose brushing hers in the process as his gaze shift down to her slightly open hanging lips. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. “I…” her voice sounding husky, she tries to make a meaningful sentence but can’t. All she did was stay still and wait though she’s not sure for what. Was it the shock making her unable   to speak? Was it the pain? It couldn’t be him, right? No, Heimdall couldn’t make her feel so weak.

"But here we are." he says with a smile, not being ashamed in the slightest, looking so cocky and proud that it actually makes her blush. His eyes gleam at her in delight, enjoying this a bit too much. “My, my, would you look at that.“ he continues to caress her cheek, appreciating it’s color. “Interesting… perhaps we should’ve done this way sooner, don’t you agree, Aruna?”

His words leave her speechless, big eyes meeting his once more. It’s also the first time he uses her name and wow, what a wonderful ring it has to it coming from his lips. It’s enough to make him laugh as he sinks his head into her shoulder, his breath meeting her sensitive skin there. Her body completely freezes under him. Blending everything out, she feels hot for so many reasons.

“At a loss of words?” he whispers, his voice causing her goosebumps everywhere. “Mmm, do not worry. You can thank me later for this.” and with that, he gradually removes himself from her, not giving her time to think.

“What did you do to her?!” the daughter of the God of Thunder yelled from the distance as she ran over to the scene. “Are you okay?” 

Aruna still in a trance, just looks at her as she knelt down beside her to check her body for injuries. She carefully helps her prop up after. Right, Loki must’ve brought her here. She remembers how they wanted to train together and teach her some tricks, but the plans have changed once again because of him. 

“Oh, stop it with the commotion. We were merely practicing together, weren’t we?” Heimdall asks but doesn’t really expect a response from the silent girl.

“Don’t bullshit me, just look at the state she’s in-“

“No, it’s true. We both started practicing and-“ she interrupts Thrúd while taking a peak at Heimall, his back facing her. She couldn’t tell what he’s thinking. “…he helped me understand my powers better.”

Thrúd frowns at her, not being convinced at all. Heimdall’s capable of many horrible things so she assumed the worst. Though for the time being she couldn’t do more than offer her help, tossing the taller girl’s arm over her shoulder.

He sighs, annoyed by his niece’s existence. “Now,   as much as I’d love to go for a second round, I have something else to do for the All-Father. While you-“ he turns around, pointing at Thrúd. “take care of her.”

As she finally stands on her legs, she feels a stinging pain in her hip bone, reminding her that he hit her twice on the same spot. She looks up to search for him, realizing that he’s already locked his eyes on her. Redness returns to her face and she averts his intense gaze, making him chuckle. 

„C’mon, let‘s go before he changes his mind.“ Thrúd mumbles before starting to move, ignoring the other Aesir. She nods, walking alongside her. As they pass Heimdall, she has the hardest time keeping her head down, thousands of thoughts running through her mind.

Thankfully he leaves them alone after that, watching them go with a smirk plastered on his face.

Chapter 8

Notes:

I so cannot wait to show you all where this story‘s going to go…

I have many plans hehe

She ends up in a familiar tent, the one from the very beginning when she was first brought in for her head injury. A recognizable cheery face greets her at the entrance, Linnea the healer who used healing magic on her before. 

„Oh dear, what happened to you again?“ she asks, hurrying over to take her from Thrúd and lead her   to a white bed where she gently lies her down. 

„Heimdall, is what happened.“ the ginger answers, still seeming pissed off. It makes the other look up to her. She didn’t want her to worry, not when she‘s about to be taken care of anyway.

„Thrúd, please don‘t worry. I‘ll be okay.“ she smiles at her in hope to ease her. „Even when things kind of escalated, I still got to learn something. It wasn’t for nothing.“

She’s learnt that she could take in a much more powerful form and that her appearance’s changed with it too even without the moon’s influence. She had no control over it at the time but that’s probably because her emotions were a mess. Fear, anger and desperation were the cause for what happened in the fight but maybe if she learnt how to control it, she could actually use it to her advantage. 

The redhead inspects her for a long time before she sighs, breaking out a little smile after. „Fine, I‘ll stop worrying but you gotta show me what you learnt so   I can see for myself if it was worth it. Or else I‘ll run back to kick his ass.“

The wording makes her giggle, Thrúd joining in even when she meant it totally serious. 

„Ladies, please after the examination!“ Linnea has to remind them, lifting up the girl‘s top to take a look at her stomach. „Oh honey, this is going to leave a bad bruise. The good news is though that you’re lucky to have escaped with only that.“

She didn’t forget how Heimdall mentioned that if it were a real fight, she‘d be long dead. Does it mean that everybody who faces him in a fight either ends up dead or in a worse condition than her? 

„Luck is an understatement. He almost killed Loki when he arrived here, and now this. I‘m surprised that grandfather hasn’t warned him since he never knows when to stop.“

She listens to Thrúd vent, thinking back to her fight with him. She then lifts her hands, concentrating on them. Thus far she wasn‘t able to turn into her other form of her own free will, but that‘s also because she hasn’t tried yet. 

The older woman gasps when Aruna‘s body starts glowing. Thrúd’s quiet but is just as shocked as she watches it unfold. The lines running over her whole body, just as her eyes, shine in such a bright pink. What‘s most fascinating is how she could feel her nails growing into sharp claws, twice as long as her ordinary ones. They feel hard and stable like nothing could break through them. It’d explain as to why her attacks felt so heavy. She knows she tried to slash Heimdall before which she still has to apologize for later. Focusing again, she tries to retract her claws.

There was nothing to ever be afraid of. She was so sure of it until… she saw red.

Red thick blood dripping down her fingers that she just used to stab someone in the chest. In front of her a tall person in armor with white and red skin, she couldn’t decipher their face. Their chest full of holes that she created. Her eyes widen and she lets out a scream of terror but there’s no sound, only her and the silence of a place she‘s never been in before. She steps back, her legs shaking. The person’s gone. The area is foreign to her and doesn’t look anything like Asgard, nothing like the tent she was just in. It‘s beautiful. Around her nature’s blossoming, the most colorful flowers and trees blessing her eyes.

In the distance she notices a purple light she feels personally drawn to. She can’t help it but follow it, as if it’s calling out to her. Now that she’s listening closer, she can definitely hear a muffled voice. When she almost reaches it and holds out her hand, the place goes off into complete darkness, the ground under her feet disappearing and making her fall.

„Aruna!“

Atreus with both of his hands gripping her shoulders, shakes her awake. A little disturbed, her teary eyes meet his blue ones. Her fingers have dug deep into the mattress, too frightened to let go.

„You were screaming in your sleep, probably having a nightmare.“ he explains to her, slowly letting go of her. „But everything‘s alright now.“ he reassures her, but she doesn’t understand.

„I was asleep? But I…“ she tries to make sense of it but a headache greets her in that moment, her back hitting the bed again. This… nightmare, felt way too realistic like she was really at that place.

„You pushed yourself too hard after everything that’s happened and as result, passed out in the middle of using your powers.“ another voice adds. Thrúd. „You really worried us, you know?”

“Yeah, you were asleep for a whole day.“

Taken aback, she lowers her gaze to her hands. The claws are gone but the mattress was shredded right under her fingers. The bloody images are still clear in her head but the more she wants to remember, it fades away which irritates her. She couldn’t puzzle anything together like this. However, she’s got one clue. She vaguely remembers a purple light, a light that reminds her of Heimdall. She doesn’t know if it‘s connected to him but she needs to go meet him and find out.

“Where’s Heimdall?” she asks them, leaving them both baffled. They’d think that she’d want to avoid him at all costs after the incident and while one part of her wanted to do exactly that for many different reasons, there’s more important matters. It couldn’t wait.

Meanwhile at the Great Lodge, the prideful Aesir’s entering the All-Father’s study. The man’s sitting at his desk with a glum face expression, his chin rested upon his folded hand. „Heimdall, care to explain why our guest’s got injured?”

Having expected to be interrogated about this, he gives him the simple truth. „I can assure you that everything’s under control, All-Father.”

“Is that right?” he asks him, standing up to lean against the desk at the front, facing his son better. “Huginn told me that you provoked her before letting her run amok after, which doesn’t sound like having everything under control to me. Didn’t I specifically order you to not step over the line?”

Heimdall never liked those damn birds. He curses Huginn for not having the slightest idea of what’s going on and still daring to go tell on him as if he wasn’t to be trusted. “Huginn doesn’t know what he saw. I admit that I might’ve teased her too much but the outcome of it was worth it. She can be useful to us if we want her to, we just have to bring out her full potential.”

The All-Father hums in thought, his eye scanning him. “I believe that too but have you forgotten that if we want to use her, she also needs to trust us? At the end of the day, we can’t force her into staying here, can we?”

The question makes him ponder, thinking of the latest event. From provoking her, fighting her, and having her land underneath him, all helpless… The memory alone brings a smile upon his face. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t part of the plan at first but there’s a new tactic I’d like to try out. It is sure to make the girl join our side.”

He’s come in terms with the fact that she wasn’t going to leave Asgard anytime soon. All-Father has big plans with her and that he has to accept. He’ll put all his faith into his decisions and follow them without doubts as he always did. That is, as long as she doesn’t prove herself to be a threat in the end.

The All-Father just laughs, then waves his hand in dismissal. “I trust that you will not disappoint me so I’ll leave you to it. Just remember to keep an eye on her.”

“Yes, All-Father.”

After that he turns his back on him and exits the room. While he could proceed with his daily duties, he might as well go check on her on the way back just to confirm that she’s still alive. He wonders if she’s going to be angry with him. Or was she going to be embarrassed instead? It was rather obvious when she last looked at him with her pink cheeks. Although he‘s thrilled to tease her some more and find out what she’d do next, he has mixed feelings about everything. He‘s still pissed that she was so close to land a hit on him. He couldn’t let the All-Father know about it, his ego wouldn’t allow it.

„Heimdall?”

His name being called by her interrupts his thoughts. She just entered the lodge, making eye contact with him. He couldn’t believe how relieved she felt when she saw him, not even trying to hide her smile when she approaches him.

“Missed me?” he asks, repressing a laugh. “Got yourself beaten up and yet, you’re the one who’s searching for me. Seems like little missy can’t get enough of me.”

She has to think for a moment. She got told where to find him, even having met Linnea on her way here before thanking her for everything. She’s warned her too but it didn’t deter her from reaching him. Though now that she’s in front of him, she’s overwhelmed. 

“Could I have a word with you?” her serious tone makes him raise a brow, not really having expected her to ignore his words. “I just hoped for us to talk some things through if that’d be alright with you.” she turns her head away, feeling anxious about his answer. A conversation with him was long overdue.

His eyes are fixated on her as he steps closer, her body tensing up. The well-known scent of his, his warmth, make her want to face him but she can’t.   He grins, the tip of his finger touching her cheek, taking her by surprise when he turns her head his way again.

There it is again, that hot sensation. Instead of the dream that worried her, the images in her mind are replaced with them lying together on the ground, his body pressed into hers.

“And here I was afraid you’ve forgotten about our lovely interaction.” the back of his finger is stroking her cheek, hoping he’d get the pink color back. His words take her breath away, making it hard to focus as she catches herself enjoy the attention he’s put on her. “Oh, are you now?” he chuckles deeply, the sound of it making her shudder. All of this is so…

“Tell me, what is it? I want to hear it, sweetheart.”

He’s getting her worked up just like before. Nothing more was needed than a faint touch to her soft skin and heavy eye contact, knowing he’d get her weak under his gaze. He’s too good at it, finding pleasure in watching her walls crumble down. The moment he discovered this in yesterday’s practice, he knew he’d continue it, experiment on her because he wanted more too, not that she needed to know this last part.

“Confusing.” she says so quietly, he almost misses it. 

By the gods, he hates to admit how much he loved this. He used to think that getting rid of her would’ve been the best option, but why fight her when she’s supposed to stay here under the All-Father’s orders anyway? He could always kill her when needed. Why not just do this, enjoy himself and take it easy, make her his personal toy.

To remind her that their business isn’t over, he lets his hand roam over her hip until he finds the spot where he injured her. Without giving her time to react, his thumb starts running circles over it, his touch gentle. She gasps, wanting to look down but he blocks her view by leaning over, his lips close to her ear. “Does it still hurt?” he asks her, his breath meeting her skin. She trembles under his touch, her hand impulsively grabbing into his white tunic.

She’s unable to do anything but stare straight into his chest, her eyes widened in shock. This is where she should move, push him away even yet her body refuses. “It’s… not too bad but the bruise will remain for a few days.” she answers, the movement on her hip pausing. He faces her again as she tries to form more words, his hand raising to cup her cheek while he flashes her a patronizing smile.

“Well, then you should be glad it wasn’t serious.”

She frowns. He said it as if it wasn’t him who hurt her, the smugness behind it being unbearable. Her courage returning by little, she lets go of his chest when she realizes that her hand’s been there for a while, and takes hold of his wrist.

“One of the reasons why I came looking for you is to apologize for attacking you.” her voice’s stern when she removes his hand from her. He watches her in amusement, not backing off though. “I don’t expect you to do the same, but I still want you to know that I don’t appreciate what you did.”

He laughs, letting his head hang which makes their foreheads almost collide. “I accept your apology. It’s truly unfortunate that our fight had to end so soon.” he mocks her, his smile widening. She presses her lips together in a line. Of course he didn’t feel sorry.

Just when she thought he’s going to make more fun of her, he finally backs off, satisfied in his advances towards her.

She catches herself breath out like she hasn’t done so in forever, though a loud creak quickly pulls her back to reality. Heimdall’s at the entrance, ready to leave. He might’ve embarrassed her, made a fool out of her, but that didn’t mean she’s done with him. She shakes her head before following after him. „Where are you going?“

He takes a glance at her over his shoulder, holding the door open. “Unlike you, I have an actual job to do, so if you’ll excuse me.“

She takes another step forward. “Wait, take me with you!”

As nervous as she is about staying close to him, she couldn’t give up on their conversation. She knows he could help her if he’d just listen.

After long consideration, he sighs.

“Fine, if you must insist.”

Chapter 9

Notes:

I want to THANK YOU all for the support thus far. I think for me it’s most fun to just read through the comments and see what you guys notice/love about the story, writing or characters. It means a lot!

Now please enjoy!

After having followed Heimdall, surprisingly without any complaints, they arrive at some sort of elevator. It‘s close to the spot where she got to see Gulltoppr who sadly isn’t here at the moment.

He sighs. „That dumb animal’s probably being fed somewhere.“ he bluntly lets her know, making her look at the back of his head, the interaction from earlier forgotten for now.

She couldn’t disagree more with him, the need to defend the poor creature rising within her. „He’s not a dumb animal, otherwise he wouldn’t be following your orders. He’s smart, sweet and super adorable too.“ thinking of her next words carefully, she hums as a bold idea comes to mind. „Something you might be lacking.“ the words roll off her tongue easier than expected, a cheeky smile following.

He turns around then, feigning offense by putting his hand over his chest. „Wow, did you just try to insult me?“

Unbelievable. To compare him to his own pet isn’t something many would pull off. She’d stand up to him since the very beginning, that wasn’t new, but to joke around like this? It’s in big contrast to her shy side and quite refreshing to say the least. He wouldn’t let her get away with it though. That is if   it wasn‘t for a certain someone approaching them from the distance.

„Aruna, there you are!“ a voice snaps them out of their conversation, not that Heimdall is surprised. 

„Ah, there he is. The giant disaster himself.“

Her eyes glide over to her friend, ignoring the usual snarky remark. Apparently Atreus does so too since he’s come here for a reason, and that wasn’t to seek out a fight with the Aesir. „Are you okay?“ 

„I‘m alright.“ she answers him, sensing his concern, „Why do you ask? Is there anything you needed?“

„No, no, nothing. I just got worried after you left the tent and wanted to make sure you’re-“

Heimdall groans impatiently, interrupting him with it. „She‘s fine as you can see, so please run along and play, Loki. The adults need to talk now.“, he shoos him away with his hand, hoping he doesn’t have to deal with him longer than necessary.

The boy couldn’t stop the frown from appearing on his face. „Just what is your problem?“

„My problem is you, was that not clear?“ Heimdall literally spits out, his words full of animosity for the other. She watches him take a step forward but her hand stops him, holding onto him. In a flash his eyes met hers but instead of the joy they reflected earlier, he‘s met with panic.

Her mind‘s racing. It is still uncertain if his actions from yesterday were a means to provoke her or if   he genuinely planned on killing Loki. Irregardless, she couldn’t risk it, not when she has a chance to prevent it. He doesn’t react so she lowers her gaze to where she‘s touching him, her grip strong on his arm. It’s a miracle that he even allows her to do this. The last time she invaded his space, he’s made it pretty clear that it wasn’t welcome. To be safe, she lets go of him and walks over to Loki, trying to calm down.

He didn’t plan on hurting the half-breed, not at this moment, but he understood where her panic came from. It was never a bluff. It’s just that in their fight he used it more as a method to trigger her and bring out her powers. What annoyed him though, is how desperately she wants to protect the boy. She barely even knows him, let alone herself which makes her the biggest fool of all.

When she stands in front of Atreus, she takes in a deep breath before speaking. „Don’t worry about me. I know you might think I‘m being unreasonable for this but I think he‘s the only one who can help me right now.“, she glances at Heimdall over her shoulder, his eyes glued to her. “As difficult as he may be.”

It doesn’t take long for her friend to nod with a weak smile of his. „You want to find out who you are and I understand that best but… I hope you’re not wrong about him being a good choice for that. He‘s already hurt you once.“

His worry for her moves her, her heart feeling warm and safe because of it. „I know, but I have to try. It‘s where my dream lead me to, so it feels like the right thing to do.“

It‘s true that she and Heimdall didn’t have the most comfortable start, nor are they in the most pleasant of terms but she has hope. She can’t afford to lose it. 

„Are you both finished?“ behind them the aesir god asks, not giving them any more time to chat. She shouldn’t keep him waiting as she knew not to test him. Not when she wants to squeeze some answers out of him.

She puts a hand on the boy‘s shoulder. „Thank you Atreus, for caring about me. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. But you should go back, I‘ll be okay on my own. I promise.“

„Of course, take care please. You know where to find me and Thrúd if you got some time later.“

It’s her turn to nod, sending him off after. He was gone just as fast as he came, waving her goodbye before disappearing behind a hill. With this she’s got a second promise to keep, not only to Atreus but herself as well. Turning around, she notices that Heimdall’s moved a bit further ahead, waiting for her.

„That took you ages.“

His words don’t faze her and she catches up to him, feeling more motivated. „Thank you for waiting.“

„Nevermind. Join me on the platform, won‘t you? We‘re way behind the schedule thanks to you.“

It reminds her of why she’s here, having no other option than to ask her first question. „So what is your job?“ she asks curiously after getting on the elevator. He turns a handle, the elevator shaking which makes her sway in her steps. Hopefully the ride won’t be as wobbly since there’s no place to hold onto.

He turns her way with a grin, entertained by her unsteady stance. „I protect the realm I love from trouble. Next question.“

That was quick. A finger tapping her chin, she tries to come up with more questions. „Is this why you hold the name Watchman of the Aesir? And do you have to be on the wall for that?“

„Obviously. As the guardian of Asgard, I patrol the wall on a daily basis. It’s also in my favor since I don’t have to spend my time with the awful rest down there.“ he steps closer, pointing his finger at her. „That is why you should consider yourself lucky to be here.“

A particular hard shake causes her to stumble back until her back hits the edge. Her eyes widen when she looks behind her, seeing how high up they are and what terrible fall that would make. As the wind picks up, it unlocks an unknown fear within her, yet it’s quickly replaced with pure awe.

The buildings including the Great Lodge seem tiny from here, while the clouds in the sky are so close she could actually reach out to it if she wanted to. To experience this, she indeed considers herself lucky. „I am, trust me. I am.“ she murmurs, completely engrossed in the sight beneath her. Heimdall gives out a satisfied sound, the elevator stopping.

He gets off, notifying her to do the same. „Feel free to drink in the splendor of Asgard. It is a rare sight for outsiders.“

Running after him, she can’t break out of her astonishment as it continues to get better and better. Finally she’s able to check the other side of the famous wall where she landed in, away from the city. It’s beautiful, the green nature with numerous lakes expanding beyond the horizon. „Better close that mouth before you catch some flies.“ he mocks her, but she couldn’t care less about it, facing him with a big smile.

„It’s stunning! You really get to see this every day? How do you even get used to a view like this?“

Her rosy eyes sparkle with glee, her bright smile blinding him, more so than the sun itself and he forces himself to not return it. How it could be contagious, he didn’t understand. Irritated by it, he focuses on another matter. „You don’t. At best you learn to value it for what it is.“

His honest answer makes her wonder if she‘ll get to come here more often. She‘d do anything to visit at night and discover this all over again in a different light. It‘s the perfect place to stargaze. She dares getting closer to the edge, trying to peek down. Her messy hair‘s doing her no favor by constantly hitting her face.

„I assume you have a death wish by staying near the edge with that lousy balance of yours.“

His voice‘s right next to her, catching her off guard. Her body jumps in the worst direction imaginable, and she slips up. A shriek escapes her right as he comes to wrap his arm around her waist, pressing her flush against him. Her own arms find their way around his neck, hanging on for dear life. Her feet, or rather tippy toes, have little, close to no ground to stand on.

„Now, what part of the enormous wall made you think it‘d be clever to do this?“ he asks, not being the tiniest bit affected that they’re close to falling into their deaths. „Oh, I won’t fall but you might if I’d decide to drop you on accident.“ he laughs at her, having no intention to move them back. Her heart’s about to leap out of her chest, her legs starting to shake as her head‘s buried in his shoulder with her eyes fully closed. His firm hold on her isn’t helpful since he seems it fitting to play with her emotions. He could let go of her and it‘d be all over in a wink. He saved her and yet…

„Heimdall, please.“ she begs him, her hand clutching onto his back for more security.

Hearing her plead like this while embracing him so tightly, it awakens a need within him to humiliate her for a while longer. How he‘d love to make her beg for her life with that shaky voice of hers, but he knows he can’t. He must withhold his personal wish. After all, he gave All-Father the word to not cross the line again.

Reluctantly he walks them back, her feet dangling between his when they’re far away from the edge. He sets her down once they’re safe but she refuses to let go of him, so he doesn’t either. It takes her a large amount of courage to break the embrace and place her hands on his shoulders. With his arm still wrapped around her waist she‘s forced to face him, feeling nervous in doing so. 

„Hm, I’m slowly beginning to think that you’re doing this on purpose.“

She freezes, unable to proceed what’s happening when his left arm joins the other and tightens his grip on her, her breath stuck in her throat when his eyes bore into hers, laying bare her thoughts.

„I… I don’t know what you mean.“

He chuckles, making her realize how she came to love the sound of it. But not only that, as she was totally and utterly hypnotized by his beauty. Noticing small details that she hasn’t before, like the slight beard stubble or the little moles that are scattered on his face. „Ah, so you think I haven’t noticed how your body trembles, your temperature rises or your voice stutters when you’re-„ he intentionally lowers his lips to her ear, whispering, „like this with me?“

Her nails claw into his shoulder when his lips come in contact with her ear, her whole body shivering from it. Memories of the earlier encounter along with the outcome of their fight come flooding in all at once. He revels in her embarrassment and can’t help it but smile, finding utmost pleasure in it. He doesn’t give her a break though, analyzing her face that’s gained some color.

There it is, that sight. Just like before when she was beneath him, he‘s got her all flustered. „Don’t play dumb with me. We both know that you enjoy this. Isn‘t that why you’re here, because you wanted to be close to me?“

His question puts her right on the spot, having no place to hide. She couldn’t deny it anymore. She does enjoy this. Perhaps a little too much in fact. Gazing back into his eyes, she can confirm that he’s heard everything. She tries to form a sentence but halts when he brushes a strand of hair out of her face, playing with it between his fingers before he softly places it behind her ear. Meanwhile his eyes haven’t left her even once, taking note of her every reaction. She feels like drowning in that purple, his touch electrifying, and she almost forgets about his question.

„I… had this nightmare. It showed me something that reminded me of you so I came looking for you because I was worried and needed your help, but maybe-” she pauses when his finger caresses her cheek, then runs down to her parted lips, focusing his eyes there.

„Go on. Let me hear it.“

She swallows, her heart beating like crazy. „Maybe one part of me wanted to come see you for reasons… I don’t quite understand.“ she admits, wishing she could take it back as the corners of his mouth turn into a smirk.

He takes in the confession. As he expected, it‘s more satisfying to hear her voice it, rather than just listen to her inner monologue. „Mmm, good girl. Wasn’t so hard, was it?“ he praises her, his thumb sliding over her bottom lip.

Her body feels like it’s on fire at this point. She wants to say something, anything, but it is exactly when his grip loosens and he turns his back on her. He walks a few steps forward until he raises a finger in the air. „So let me guess. By help you mean, you want me to take a look into your little brain and see if I can find anything useful.“

Somewhat out of it, she nods at him. He… switched up so fast, acting like nothing happened. She doesn’t know herself what she was expecting but to leave it at that?

„I regret to inform you that I couldn’t see more than you.“

She watches him sit down on a rock, gazing into the breathtaking scenery. Hesitant, she decides to sit down on the ground with a fair distance between them. Her mind’s become a mess again, her body feeling the effects of it too, but she tries to blend it out, thinking of her nightmare. „Do dreams have a meaning in these realms?“ she asks him, hoping to get an answer. 

„Mostly they do, but it always depends.“

With a deep sigh, she hugs her knees to lean her face against them. „It felt so real that even when I don’t remember all of it… it scares me. What if it‘s giving me hints but I don’t understand them?“ this question was more directed at herself than him.

He just rolls his eyes, having enough of her endless blabbering. „If your dreams are really that difficult to fathom, perhaps it isn’t worth it to ponder on. Take the great All-Father for example. He‘s searching for resources as we speak right now. If you are a god, there must be history to you.“

Raising her head, she stares into his direction. Her?

A god?

„Do you think I am?“

He laughs, offering her an honest answer. „Well, let’s see. As incompetent as you are, by your powers, the marks over your body and the fact that you survived a fall from the sky. I’d say yes, possibly.“

Chapter 10

Notes:

SURPRISE UPDATE?
Does anybody even remember this fic? if yes? I LOVE YOU fr
either way, I was missing Heimdall and thought why not at least post the chapters I’ve already written!

„I can‘t believe I found out about your name from Loki first.“ Thrúd mentions, causing the girl to feel guilty.

She gets up from the bench that she‘s been sitting on, approaching her friend who‘s practicing on a dummy. „I‘m so sorry. I should‘ve told you sooner. It‘s just that I-“ she thinks back to the wall and how some hours ago she spent there with Heimdall. „got busy.“

She lowers her gaze to the floor when she realizes how warm her cheeks get and covers them with her hands, hiding them just in time for when Thrúd turns around and inspects her suspiciously.

„Are you okay?“

Physically, she‘s fine but on the inside she couldn’t be more of a mess.

She‘s glad to know that everybody’s trying to help her and Odin’s searching for her origin but there are still other things that need explanation. For example why she feels the way she does about Heimdall, or why his touch brings out those strange sensations. She got so close to falling into her death when she slipped off the edge on the wall, yet she got over it as soon as he was holding her in his arms and made her admit to liking his presence.

It‘s like he‘s able to fully cloud her mind whenever they’re together. Somehow it doesn’t surprise her as she remembers that at their first meeting under the stars something did feel special. Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that he’s the one who saved her, and that there might be a connection between them.

That or she‘s reading too much into it. 

„I‘m good. Just a little overwhelmed.“ she answers, hoping it‘d stop her from digging more into it. Words can’t even begin to express how embarrassing it’d be to explain the details.

„Well, you know what? I‘m done with my training for the day.“, she reaches for her sword, only to lean it against the wall. „Let me show you something that‘ll relax us both. I know that you have enough of your own worries to deal with.“

Relieved that she decided to drop it, she wonders what she‘s planning. Blindly following her out of the bedroom, they approach a door nearby that‘s never caught her attention before. She opens it, leading them down a staircase that goes behind the Great Lodge. A wonderful scent fills her nose when they end up outside with stone walls keeping the place locked away from the rest. „Our own personal hot springs!“ Thrúd excitingly reveals. „This is a hidden gem exclusive for family members and grandfather’s guests. You‘ll love it.“

It wasn’t anything she‘s familiar with, though she could guess that it was for enjoying a bath which at this moment sounded like a heavenly idea.

Thrúd points over at some tents. „What are you waiting for? Go ahead and change. In there should be something for you to wear in the water. That’s if you‘d not prefer to be naked.“, she laughs before disappearing behind one of them.

„This place is amazing! Do you come here often?“ she asks the redhead while entering one of those tents, immediately spotting a white garment folded on a chair. She doesn’t waste any time in getting rid of her clothes, putting them neatly together after. She hears the other tent beside her open, Thrúd already going for the water.

„Honestly, not as often as I‘d like to. It‘s boring by myself and my mom has more important matters to attend to, so she can’t join me most of the time.“

As Thrúd sits down in the water, the girl comes out wearing something similar to a dress. The material feels soft on her skin, making it super comfortable. Curious, she taps her toe into the water to check it, the temperature of it being far hotter than she had expected.

All of a sudden Thrúd stands up. „Crap. She‘s still expecting a report from me. She‘ll kill me if I don’t do it!“ with that she hurries out the water, running past her to get to the tent and put her clothes back on. „You stay here and enjoy your bath. I‘ll come join you in a bit!“

She runs towards the door not even a second later, getting a giggle out of the other. „Don‘t be too late!“ she calls after Thrúd, receiving a stressed out laugh.

She couldn’t be mad at her for leaving since she‘s aware of her duties that need to be fulfilled. Earlier she got to learn that her mother’s name‘s Sif and that they‘re in a somewhat rocky mother-daughter relationship. It’s similar to her father but she seemed sadder talking about him. Whatever it is, it must be the same reason why she got upset about Heimdall’s teasing the other day.

At last she attempts to enter the water, holding her hair up when it gets deeper. Sitting down on a step where the water reaches up to her collarbone, she lets her hair down on the rocks behind her. A long and worn out sigh escapes her when her head hits the back, her body engulfed in warmth. She can’t refrain from closing her eyes, indeed loving this.

Moments later slow footsteps can be heard from her left, closely followed by small ripples forming on the water surface, and a person entering her space. 

„Enjoying ourselves?“

The sound of the voice practically makes her jump out the water, her head snapping into the direction of where it came from. It was none other than the blonde Aesir himself, bare chested, and a smug grin on his face.

„Now, there’s no need to get so startled. I haven’t come here for any trouble.“ he chuckles, his eyes meeting hers. Silence overcomes him next, a very rare occurrence.

He takes in the wet garment that firmly sticks to her skin, hugging her body in such a way that it leaves him breathless. He gapes at her breasts that are at the risk of being exposed to him, then her curves, the tips of his fingers tingling at the memory of how he held her waist at the wall. It’s not like he hasn’t found her appealing before but the more he’s seen of her, and to now catch her in such a raw state with long white curls nicely enveloping her face, her lovely pink eyes staring right into his, he can‘t deny it anymore — She‘s beautiful.

His eyes shamelessly glued to her body, she feels hotter than she already does. Looking down on herself, she realizes how see through the material‘s become, pumping blood into her face. She sits down again rather graceless to hide her body, gazing into nothingness.

She could only think about those lustful eyes of his, the intention behind them clear as day even with her inexperience on that subject. And what’s most shocking is that she didn’t mind it, not one bit.

„Heimdall, I didn’t expect you here.“ she comments, not knowing what else to say. 

He hasn’t averted his gaze even once, watching her uneasiness unfold. He has to laugh, finally turning his head away. „Ha! You’re surprised to find me at my home?“

That‘s when she looks at him, ready to defend herself. „No! That‘s not what I meant. I thought it’s Thrúd who’s coming back.“

She couldn’t resist peeking at his naked upper body that‘s right beside her. From his broad shoulders to his slim waist, his slight muscles and the long, clear veins that run down his arms. His skin‘s smooth and glistens in the moonlight, very fitting for his perfect image. With his legs spread out and his hands dangling in between, she’s forced to study the cloth that he wears around the lower area. Shaking her head, she decides to put her focus on the many little moles on his neck that are also scattered around on the rest of his body. The most surprising part are the tattoos on his right arm, flowing into his chest, not visible to the eye when he wears his armor.

„Like what you see?“ he asks with a knowing smile while dipping deeper into the water.

She furrows her brows, thinking of how unfair it is that she can’t think nor do anything without him knowing and using it against her. It wasn’t news but now that she‘s trying to hide her interest, it appears to be troublesome. She couldn’t let him have his way this easily.

„Don’t you think it‘d be only fair to share some thoughts of yours too since you can see mine?“

The question is a brave one, but she wanted to see if he‘ll play along. It arouses his attention, his body turning towards her. She has to hold herself back from staring at his body again.

„And what could I possibly benefit from that?”

Her arms folded across her chest, she doesn’t have to think twice before responding to him. “How about just being kind for once? As grateful as I am to you, you’ve been unfair to me this entire time so I think I deserve something in return. That, or a sincere apology for your constant mistreatment.”

There’s a pause, but he hums, eyes adrift in thought. “I suppose for the sake of being a better host-” he sighs, thinking of the All-Father who wants him to persuade her to stay in Asgard. “Besides your momentarily uselessness, you’re not the dumbest or weakest I’ve come across.” he then focuses on her face, feeling extra generous on the matter. “I will also admit that you’re… quite easy on the eyes.“

Baffled, that he submitted to her wish so easily, she lets her arms drop to her sides. It doesn’t seem like he’s lying since it‘d go against his own rules.

Among his lines; a compliment on her looks which she doesn’t know how to react to considering that it’s a first.

One thing leaves her curious though. „What do you mean by momentarily?“

He smirks at the change of her face expression, going from irked to surprised. „I mean that you’re not completely hopeless and have the potential to grow stronger under the right training. Will this answer do for you?”

Not being used to this side of him, she slowly nods, letting his words sink in. It’s his true opinion of her. Something she appreciates to hear, regardless of the insults. It’s most likely a personality trait of his that he won‘t ever get rid of.

„For the moment, yes. Thank you for your honesty.“ she smiles at him, feeling content in their talk. Yep, she definitely isn’t used to this. „You should share your thoughts with me more often like this ‘cause then your behavior might just pass as acceptable.“

„Oh, well.” he chuckles at the joke, withstanding the need to counter it with one of his own. “Your approval means eeeverything.”

His voice dripping with sarcasm, she‘s not sure how to take it. At least he seems to be in a cheerful mood, not giving her anything to worry about. She observes him for a while, wondering if he’s willing to extend their conversation for a bit longer.

„I think you still underestimate me in many aspects.“ she says under her breath, unsure of what sort of response to anticipate. „I may not be a good fighter nor can I read minds like you, but I can feel people’s souls, see them for who they truly are. Therefore their intensions as well.”

Her thriving boldness doesn’t cease to amaze him. Although this sounds rather absurd in his opinion. He believes that she might have a small talent for understanding certain characters, but nothing more. Despite that, he decides to humor her, just to see if it‘ll be worthwhile.

„Oh, really. Tell me then, what are my intensions?”

He isn‘t enthusiastic about it but somewhat interested enough to listen to her which she’ll take as a sign to continue. „That’s the problem. I can’t read you well enough like the rest. You’ve been a mystery to me since I first laid my eyes upon you.“

This, he expected. Funnily, it sounds similar to his own experience with her. While he learns more about her every time they’re together like this, she‘s still unpredictable at times with her strong-willed nature and weird powers. It’s something he hates with a passion. It is no wonder why he wanted to get rid of her. Although that was before he found out about the potential fun he’d get out of it.

What if tonight he goes not only one but a few steps further? Would she even allow it?

With a clear objective in mind, he scoops closer to her in one swift move, not giving her any time to act. „Does it frighten you not knowing what I‘ll do next?“ he asks her, an arrogant smile forming on his lips when panic erupts in her eyes. His knee comes in contact with hers underwater, his arm throwing itself behind her shoulders. “Or does it-“ he lowers his lips to her ear, whispering, „perhaps even excite you?“

The drastic change of mood makes her tense up, her eyes widening when his arm slowly glides down her back and his fingers dig deeply into her hip, pulling her impossibly close to him so her back’s halfway pressed into his naked chest. It all happens so fast. Completely helpless, she looks at him behind her, his face an inch away from hers. She doesn’t fight it.

“I take it by the way your eyes literally plead for me to continue, that it indeed does excite you?” he asks, laughing at her willingness. A pathetic sight honestly.

But so pretty.

She lowers her gaze, feeling embarrassed. It‘s when she watches his hand let go of her hip, wrapping his arm around her instead, right under her breasts.

„So this is what it takes to silence you, hm?“ it’s when his grip purposely roughens, getting a weak whine out of her. His eyes gleam at her in delight, taking pure enjoyment in it. He doesn’t know how far he plans to go with her, but it could turn out very dangerous if she continues with those lewd noises.

His eyes transfixed upon her exposed neck where goosebumps have begun spreading, he‘s left with no other choice than to give her a taste of what could await her in the future. With his free hand he angles her head to the side for better access, not hesitating when he presses his lips gently onto her neck.

She gasps for air which makes him smile against her skin. He leaves more kisses there, deciding to bring in his tongue too. She tries to reach for anything to hold onto and he captures her wrist in a strong hold, restraining her movements.

“So sensitive.” he teases her before making his way down her shoulder.

The heat combined with his hold on her, his wet kisses and hot breath, make her see stars at this point. She squirms under his touch, pressing her thighs together. She couldn’t think straight, wishing nothing more than for this to never stop. Her hand slips out of his grasp then and unintentionally grabs onto his thigh, her nails clawing into his skin.

In return he releases a low and deep groan into her ear, the sound shaking her to the core. He kisses the spot under her ear right after.

“How very naughty of you.” he whispers, sucking on her soft skin next, meanwhile fighting the urge to use his teeth. The suppressed whimpers that leave her lips are like music to his ears, his senses going crazy because of how incredibly sweet she tastes.

“What is it, dear? Let me hear your lovely voice.” he encourages her, nibbling a little at her earlobe just to test her, not wanting to scare her away.

If she was born from the moon, it’d mean that she’s never been touched before. It’s her first time feeling a man’s touch, the first time she’s allowing herself to be this vulnerable.

It feels humiliating to hear herself give off those foreign sounds. To have him kiss her so passionately and whisper those uncharacteristically sweet words into her ear. It’s humiliating but it also…

“Feels good… so good.” she repeats in a hushed voice, starting to feel dizzy.

What an interesting turn of events. Usually it’d take more than a few kisses and touches for him to get this excited but he’s already grown hard. By her leg position, he could tell that she’s affected by it too. He wants to touch her more, please her, make her please him, so badly.

Following his needs, his hand wanders up to cup her covered boob, giving it a tight squeeze. It‘s when her whole body twitches and she lets out a needy cry. He shushes her.

„Mmm, you’re doing so well for me.“

Planting more sensual kisses along her jaw, his hand still playing with her tit, his index finger slides over her hardened nipple. He wanted to go further, make her moan for him. However…

He removes his lips off her skin to let out an annoyed sigh, foreseeing that his niece’s about to pay them a visit. He glances down at Aruna who’s leaned against him. Her eyes half shut, her face flush and her pale neck reddened from his assault. All because of him.

“Heimdall, please.” she whispers, her voice hoarse. Feeling light-headed, she doesn’t even know what she‘s begging for.

The sight alone makes him want to completely ruin her right this instant, his mind hazy from desire. He smirks at her before softly caressing her cheek.

He might as well proceed for a while longer.

Notes:

I am SO sorry that I stopped updating right before the spice omg. I honestly feel so evil for it buuut I hope this was somewhat enjoyable!

For those who decided to check the update and are reading this, thank you so much for your support! the previous comments and kudos too, it meant the world to me even after I stopped updating
I don’t think I’ll get back to regular posting but I’ll try to post as much as I can since I truly love this story!