"Are you sure you don't want me to call a Healer?" Thor asked as we walked through the castle, my burned hand still in a bowl of cool water. A mishap with the flambe dessert had left me with some patches of angry red skin.

"They have way bigger things to worry about than this," I replied, blushing at Thor's concern and my blunder. I'd never heard a grown woman scream so much in my life as I'd heard tonight from the startled chef as I leapt out of my seat as the towering cake went up in flames. Sadly, the action had actually placed me in harms way and I'd singed my a few fingers on my left hand as a result.

"It wouldn't take more than a second," Thor said as he opened the door and frowned at me over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Not locking your door? Isn't that a bit unsafe?"

"I locked it before I left," I remarked. "Maybe it was Sif, she does have a key." I studied the door a moment, looking for scuffs or breaks as a sign of forced entry-just in case. A mere habit more than a useful one; anyone who wanted to break in here didn't need to smash the door to do it.

"She can be forgetful," Thor allowed as I kicked off my heels and heard the hallelujah chorus when I did. "But I suppose she doesn't think much about things like burglars; if anyone broke into her home I'd be more worried about them than her."

"Me too," I agreed as I pulled my injured had out of the water. The pain had lessened now and though a small white blister was forming on my pinky, it wasn't serious. All it needed now was some ointment and a bandage. "You want to come in?"

"Sure," Thor smiled even as he loosened his tie and sighed audibly before tossing it onto the coffee table.

"Better?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen to grab the first-aid kit.

"Much," he sighed, smiling widely. "I hate those things."

I took a seat on the couch and set the small red case on the coffee table. "For someone who doesn't care for formal wear you really have a lot of it."

"Trappings of the office," Thor said with a heavy sigh. "Here, let me do that."

"I've got it," I protested but Thor was faster than me and he had the tube of medicine in his long fingers before I could even open the case. "Fine," I held out my hand, trying not to smile too much as he delicately held my hand to avoid putting too much pressure on the injured skin.

"Sorry about dinner by the way," he said, his eyes not leaving his work as he drew a thin layer of ointment across my skin. "I should've told my mom to go with something less..."

"Flammable?" I offered, air hissing through my teeth as he rubbed the medicine into my skin.

"I was going to say extravagant but that's way better." Thor set aside the tube and grabbed a roll of gauze. "They liked you by the way."

My face burned again but this time it wasn't due to how he was fussing over my hand. "Really? I thought things were a bit rough. First with the soup and then with chess thing and then I ruined dessert-."

"They liked you," Thor reassured me as he wrapped my fingers in the gauze, his touch feather light and gentle. There!" He tied off the bandage with a deft motion and brushed a feather-light kiss across my fingers, a tender gesture that made my heart skip. "All better!"

"Thanks Nurse," I teased as I leaned in, giving him a real kiss, a brief one just across his lips that still had the taste of chocolate on them. "If you ever wanted to give up politics you'd be great in a clinic."

"Stick to public service," he advised me even as he kissed me back, his whiskers scratching my face. He needed a shave. "Your jokes need work."

"Excuse you, I'm hilarious!"

"You have your moments," Thor sighed and craned his neck towards the clock on the wall. "It's only seven?"

"Yep, too early to sleep but not too early to put on pajamas." I got up, ready to do just that but Thor's hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around my wrist. "What?"

"I'd rather you didn't just yet," Thor said, rising to his feet and drawing me to him. "I really like that dress." His eyes roamed over me then, much slower and lingering as his hands traced slowly over my waist. "You look too good not to go somewhere."

"Did you have something in mind?" I asked but even as I smiled, his own grin fell. "Thor, what's wrong?"

"I can think of a hundred places I'd love to take you and every one of them will require security or fleeing from a mob of fans, press or all three. Not exactly a romantic night out."

"Good cardio though," I joked but he didn't smile. "Hey, it's okay."

"You don't deserve to be cooped up like this."

"But I'm not cooped up-or at least I don't feel like I am." I said honestly. "I've always been a homebody, if it hadn't been for Yuki I probably wouldn't have even gone to my high school prom."

"What's prom?"

"It's a formal dance that gets thrown for the older students in high school. Seventeen and eighteen year olds. Well more formal than most events anyways," I shrugged. "We had our dance in the school gym and post-prom party and dinner a restaurant slash entertainment center."

"Sounds like fun," Thor remarked.

"The laser-tag battle I got into was, fun," I admitted. "But I'm not much for big parties. I just people watched most of the time."

"What's laser tag?"

"Um," I bit my lip, trying to describe laser tag to someone who hadn't even seen Star Wars. "It's a game where you have two teams, blasters that shoot lights and a vest that registers if you were hit with said light. Last team standing wins."

Thor shook his head, smiling a little bit now but I could still see the sadness behind it. "Midgard sounds like a very strange place."

"One of the strangest I'm sure. But then again, I've only been to two worlds."

We laughed then and as I snuggled into him it hit me. Such a simple solution and I felt like an idiot for not seeing it before. "Hey, do you have somewhere to be tomorrow?"

"No, why?"

"What about Sunday?"

"Not unless a crisis happens, why?"

"Do you have a backpack?"

"Suzume, please stop answering my questions with more questions."

I felt a grin like the Cheshire cat come to my face. "Get back to your room and pack some clothes, we're going on a road trip."

"W-what?" Thor stammered, even as a wild grin stretched across his face.

"We'll be completely anonymous," I promised even as I got to my feet and grabbed my backpack out of the closet. Despite being four years old, it looked nearly brand new, as I'd only used it for my one and only semester of college. "Now go!"

Thor stood up and bowed at the waist. "As you command," he said in an over-the-top voice that made me laugh and he vanished. This is going to be awesome, I thought to myself, squealing excitedly as I made my way into my room to grab some clothing of my own.

***

"I cannot believe we're doing this!" Thor exclaimed for what might  have been the tenth time as I threw on my leather jacket over the  cocktail dress. I figured I could oblige his request to stay in it a bit  longer.

"Well believe it," I told him as I grabbed Besty and secured my  hostler. "We're going!" My gun secure, I grabbed my tiny backpack which  held a change of clothes and basic tolerties as well as my wallet.  "Let's go!"

"Ah-ah," Thor held out a forestalling hand. "Give it."

"My backpack?"

"Yep."

"I can carry it myself," I pointed out. "Not like I'm leaving for a European tour."

"I want to carry it for you," Thor replied, beaming. He  looked so much more at home, dressed down in a blue t-shirt and jeans  and I was powerless to tell him no.

"Fine," I handed over the backpack with his slung over his broad  shoulder that was shared with his own duffel bag. "Now let's go!"  I  seized his hands, half-bouncing on my heels with excitement as Thor  laughed heartily and my apartment faded around me and I found myself  re-materializing in a chamber that looked like it belonged in Star Trek.  The entire room was stainless steel and glass and a bridge was raised  over the ground floor where a lone man stood with his back turned to us.

"Heimdall, he runs the place."

"Where's everyone else?"

"By himself?"

"On slow days, yes. Come on!" Thor whistled loudly, the sound  reverberating across the room and the Heimdall turned, even this far  away I could see his unusual eyes; one bright silver and the other  molten gold.

"Your Highness"! He called, vanishing and reappearing right before us  beaming as he approached. This close, I saw he was shorter than I had  expected. I wasn't tall myself at five-foot seven but even I towered  over the man, who regarded us with his strange eyes. "And Lady Suzume,  pleasure to meet you!"

"Likewise," I replied, taking his extended hand. "Heimdall isn't it?"

"That's correct, so," he rubbed his tiny hands together eagerly. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to get away for a while," Thor explained, "to Boston Massachusetts specifically. Think you can help us out?"

Heimdall smiled, "Absolutely, if you'll just stand on the platform?"  He pointed towards the selfsame place as he spoke, a golden disc in the  midst of all the steel and glass. I was sure it was more for my benefit  than for Thor's.

Remembering my last trip on the Bifrost, I shut my eyes as I heard  the whir of machinery and the crash of thunder. Even through  my closed  eyes, I could see the bright light that was illuminating the chamber and  then I felt myself go weightless, just like dropping on the first part  of a roller coaster.

"Open your eyes," Thor whispered as I felt myself steady and I did  so, opening my eyes to an empty dirt road and a sky full of stars.  "We're here."

"This isn't Boston," I remarked.

"You can't appear on a giant magic bridge in the middle of a  populated area," he pointed out, "now I'll take it from here. You  still have your bracelet?"

"I never take it off," I replied, wiggling my hand to shake the braided leather band that was still on my wrist.

Thor  grinned. "Then let's go." He grabbed my hand and the lonely country  road vanished from my sight as the world turned black. When color  returned, I was greeted with the blaring of horns as my feet touched down, not on gravel but cement. The mix of car emissions, steel and cool night air greeted my nose and I knew without a doubt that I was home.

"Where to next?" Thor asked, the lights of downtown Boston reflecting in his eyes.

"Two blocks down," I tilted my head towards the direction we needed to go. "There's a hotel that way, we're gonna get a room, get rid of these and then-well I am going to take you to the finest establishment in Boston."

Thor smiled. "Lead the way."

**************************************

New chapter! Thor and Suzume are about to go off on an adventure! (I'm more excited than they are!)

Write on! :)