The day passed and with a blink of an eye, night had fallen.

You didn't know how you had killed all that time, hour for hour, but it had felt like little more than a few seconds.

Heimdall had been sitting on the highest point of the wall the whole time, watching the land below him.

It was evident on his face that he was waiting tensely for the uninvited guest to appear. But your presence seemed to take at least some of the pressure off him.

He would have never admitted it, but every now and then he glanced over his shoulder when he thought you were busy with something else.

Only when the stars had already covered the sky and the moon was at its highest point did you rise and walk towards the gondola that led back to the village of Asgard.

Heimdall also moved. But he did not take the same path.

Your hand was already on the gate, then you turned your gaze to look at him.

"Aren't you coming?", you asked and turned your head.

His eyes shot up. He seemed to have forgotten that you were there.

His lips twitched at the sight of you.

The hint of a smile appeared. Or at least he seemed relieved that you hadn't abandoned him.

But the emotion quickly disappeared and his face went blank.

"I can't sleep.", he said, rubbing his eyes. "Not with the voices crawling up the wall."

Glancing down at the village, you frowned.

"But the people are so far away.", you murmured.

"Not far enough. I can still hear them."

"Is it always like this?"

He exhaled deeply. It was audible how exhausted he was, greedy for sleep.

"It's not like I have a choice.", he yawned, stretched his arms towards the sky and let out another deep breath of exhaustion.

He walked over to a rock that stood on the platform that formed the foundation for the gondola and settled down in the shade.

A blanket was spread on the ground, along with some pillows and another blanket he could use for himself when it got cold.

A basket stood ready, presumably filled with provisions.

It seemed that this was not his first night on the wall. And it probably wouldn't be his last either.

How many nights had he spent in solitude?

In the great lodge he would at least have been surrounded by other gods, always having the possibility to talk to someone.

But there was nothing on the wall. Sometimes not even the birds dared to spend the night at such heights.

Yet he lay there, as if he knew nothing else and stared into the starry sky with his eyes blank.

"Are you lonely?", it slipped from your tongue.

His eyebrows drew together.

"What?", slowly, his head sunk to the side to glance at you work offended annoyance.

With a soft huff you shook your head and thought about how to phrase the question differently.

"Do you wish to have company tonight?", you asked in a softer voice.

His eyes wandered up and down you. You could see that the "no" was already on the tip of his tongue. But then he swallowed it and turned his face back to the stars.

"Do what you want.", he said with a shrug of his shoulders and chased a shooting star through the darkness. "As if I'd care."

A sigh escaped you. Of course he did not admit that he would like some company.

You had by no means expected a clear commitment.

However, naive as you were, you believed that he had become accustomed to your presence. Not very, but enough to allow you to sit by his side.

Indecisively, you glanced down into the valley.

Erik had already worked alone all day. Surely he would not use his new-found zeal the next.

It was your job to work, to take care of the animals of the All-Father. Your head knew that.

But something inside you could not let go of Heimdall.

You couldn't tell what it was. Whether it was pity, the will to make a difference or even attraction.

But you didn't want to say goodbye to him.

Not yet.

So you did what the god of foresight probably expected of you, even though he couldn't even read your mind. You turned away from the gondola and joined him on the blanket.

First you carefully sat down next to him, with enough distance so as not to upset him. But when he showed no reaction, you dared to lie down on your back right next to him.

So the two of you lay there, close together, arms behind your heads, watching the sky.

"You are a strange person.", Heimdall said suddenly as a shooting star broke in the air and burnt up into a thousand little sparks.

A smile appeared on your lips. You could barely stop yourself from chuckling.

"That's... a bold statement for someone like you, my lord.", you replied.

His lips curled.

If it were a new day, he would probably have replied with something snippy, or threatened you. But he had no more patience for that.

Instead, he let out a warning sound.

"You are still in the presence of a god.", he reminded you. "A cruel one."

You tilted your head to look at him from the side.

He had a flat side profile with a slightly curved nose bridge. His cheekbones were so pronounced that you could see them even in the darkness with the naked eye.

Again you felt the urge to reach out and touch him.

What would his skin feel like if he gave in and pressed himself into the palm of your hand?

Probably his face would be soft. He was shaved briskly and the rest of his poem seemed well-kept too.

"Hmm.", you couldn't hold back the chuckle any longer.

His eyebrows lifted. Then he frowned. It took him a moment to avert his gaze from the sky.

Heimdall's gleaming eyes locked with yours.

"What makes you grin?", he asked, as sullen as ever.

Your smile only widened. Gently you shook your head.

"I think I like you, Lord Heimdall.", you said and put a hand on his cheek.