𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 — the asgardians

━━━━━━━

 𝐋𝐎𝐊𝐈 𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 not a name that those who belonged to planet Earth wished to hear; for many his name brought back memories that were best forgotten. Memories of destroyed pavings and roads, the image of broken glass and trailing blood. Aliens and Avengers; and whilst many regarded the latter with awe and hope, there were many that didn't.

 Live's had been taken the day the God of Mischief had arrived on Earth, or as they would have called it; Midgard. The God had come with fury in his eyes and a ravenous craving in his gut, and he was barely defeated... If it were not for The Avengers banding together to oppose the army Loki had brought with him, if it were not for Tony Stark delivering a missile meant for New York into space itself, the city, and the world would surely have fallen.

 So it stood to rightful reason that the name often left a bitter taste on people's tongues.

 Emilia had been seated on an old, intricately carved armchair; its fabric had surely once been a vibrant, poppy red, yet now after years of dust having settled into its fibres, was something more akin to dried blood. Her hands had tirelessly been flicking through the pages of an old leather-bound book. Emilia had been careful with her touch that lingered on the tea-coloured pages, for the poor piece of literature felt as though it'd crumble underneath the slightest pressure.

 A small table balanced beside the piece of furniture she had perched upon, its deep, oak wood was certainly older than herself, for various chips lined the piece craftsmanship and the varnished wood had faded in multiple places. A small teacup rested on the surface of the wood, steaming away whilst the amber liquid rippled with every tiny movement, and a single drop trailed over the peach-coloured flowers that decorated the china.

 Stephen's usually ever-loyal cloak rested upon her shoulders, the tips of its old, crimson fabric had curled around her arms, wrapping itself like a blanket whilst she continued to turn the pages; the sentient fabric seemed to neglect its master far too often, seeking Emilia's company far more times than Stephen would ever care to admit.

 The room had been doused in sage and juniper, residue of the formerly burning candle; Emilia's robes had been permeated by the smell, herb swiftly overpowering the light scent of lavender tangled with the remnants of Stephens cologne that would hang to her form after even the slightest sliver of time spent together.

 Her lips had been moving ever so slightly as she mouthed the words embedded on the pages; light puffs of warm air jostling the pages as she continued on; peaceful, quiet, and rare. Days where Emilia could simply fall back with a book between nimble fingers as warmth encased her bones were rare.

 Her days were filled with frequent training sessions that left her body marred with bruises, some of victory, others of defeat. There were the dates with Stephen; an attempt for time alone, time to feel normal after everything that had transpired... Though both of them knew they would never be normal again. The things they had seen, and the things they had each done, well, they had changed as people. They looked at the world through a wider lens, a far more cautious one.

 The corners of Emilia's lips twitched as she turned the page; forest-green eyes began to scan the page filled with marvellous illustrations accompanied by fascinating words of the spellbook she held. A waft of sage brushed by, and then, without warning, the door swung open.

 The fading metal handle smacked the wall with a noise loud enough for Emilia to recoil, eyes clamping shut before she sucked in a calming breath. Her gaze landed on Stephen panting in the doorway as a huff parted her lips, "Okay, what the hell, Stephen?"

 Stephen let out a heavy breath, his chest rising and falling as his eyes found Emilia's with urgency, and within that moment, Emilia had swiftly laid her book aside and hopped to her feet.

 Her hands clasped together as her brows arched in question, concern tracing the lines of her lips, "What happened?"

 "Loki happened."

 "Loki. As in —"

 "— As in Thor Odinson's adopted brother who once invaded the planet, with an army." Stephen interrupted before he turned from her with billowing robes, knowing he'd grasped her attention the moment Loki's name had been uttered. His footsteps echoed throughout the sparse Sanctum, bypassing the artefacts and countless shelves of miscellaneous items that neither of the two knew anything about. "Thor brought him here."

 Emilia paused in her steps, frowning to herself as flashes of the fight that had happened all those years ago came to mind. Thor had been there, fighting alongside the other avengers... Stark, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton, and even Bruce, though said man was certainly far more green than one might have thought. But nonetheless, Thor Odinson had been the one to take his brother home, hopefully to deliver him to whatever higher-ups those Asgardians had.

 So why now? Why after all those years would Thor allow his brother to step a single Asgardian boot on the planet?

 Emilia's boots trailed forth, her steps once again intertwining with Stephens. Gentle fingers lightly brushed the cloak that still swarmed her body away from her legs as she voiced such thoughts, "Why would Thor bring his brother back here, after everything that happened?"

 "I'm not sure," Stephen mumbled, almost to himself, as he came to a pause before the grand wooden staircase that led to the lower floor. He pondered for a moment, eyes closing in thought as a finger subconsciously rubbed at the hair on his chin. He too couldn't understand why Thor of all people would bring his brother back to Earth. Surely he had to know that Loki wasn't welcome, he had invaded and harmed countless people; the very reason Stephen bristled upon their arrival.

 With a click of his neck to relieve some of the tension that seemed to perpetually ail his body — resulting in a tilt of the head from Emilia who narrowed her eyes at him — Stephen inhaled a deep breath, his chest heaving as he did and his eyes slid shut. Leather-glove bounded hands were lifted into the air and Emilia sighed.

 Clearly the God of Thunder was to pay the pair a visit. She knew exactly what Stephen was doing; trapping Loki in a safe space, or at least safe for them, whilst urging Thor to visit so that he'd reveal his motives... It was rather tiring.

 Though Emilia had to admit she was curious as to what these so-called Gods were like; upon watching and reading the reports that sprouted after the battle of New York, well, they had given her little. Thor was the God of Thunder, that much she knew herself from her beginner years of school; Loki however... What on Earth had been his plan? Come to Earth and rule? Rule who, considering he was killing most of those he came across?

 "Alright," Stephen uttered, snapping Emilia from her thoughts. He met her stare with a crooked smile, a smug one, "Now we wait. I'm sure he won't be long."

 Emilia's brow climbed higher as she watched Stephen school his face and turn to the window that held a rather familiar pattern; the very symbol that bound the Time Stone within the Eye of Agamotto; an item that had found its place upon Stephen's chest once again.

 His Sorcerer had come far, Stephen's skills within the Mystic Arts were of a magnitude that even Masters were in awe of; if there was anyone deserving of the Stone, and if there was anyone capable of both weilding and protecting it... Emilia wholeheartedly believed that person to be Stephen.

 The Master of the Mystic Arts tapped his arm just once, a single, fleeting gesture that was more than enough of a signal for the cloak to return to him, and though it was hesitant to do so, it offered a final stroke to Emilia's cheek and departed from her shoulders, swiftly settling onto Stephen's frame.

 "You're going to be dramatic about this, aren't you?" Emilia's eyes rolled, as she bumped his arm with her own. She blinked, flicking her eyes from the view of the city before them, and brought them to Stephen's sharp features that glared down at her without a shred of malice to be found.

 "Dramatic?"

 Emilia let out an incredulous laugh, those familiar lines that often spurred a smile from Stephen appeared around her eyes making them seem lighter, "The whole staring out the window, only appearing as a silhouette to our guest..." Her lips tugged upwards, a crooked smile forming as Stephen finally looked at her, "Then I assume you'll call his name and float down to him? Dramatic, Stephen, dramatic."

 The man blinked once, then he blinked again. His eyes narrowed and a crease formed between his brows, it was as though Emilia could read his mind. That was exactly what he was going to do... But dramatic?

 Emilia nodded her head, a small snort sounding out as she leaned her head on his shoulder, patting his arm gently. She delighted in the way his body seemingly deflated, "I'll take your silence as a wounded yes."

 The unlikely pair stood in quietude for a moment; Stephen tried to mull over some kind of rebuttal against her exceedingly true statement whilst Emilia inwardly pondered what on earth was to come. Would the siblings leave quietly, or would bloodshed follow their wake?

 It had only been a short while, not even a year since the battle in Hong Kong, and even to this day both Emilia, and Stephen still couldn't stop thinking about it. Mordo's parting words had lingered in their minds, there would be consequences for their actions, one's they wouldn't be able to foresee, and one's that were surely not going to be kind.

 Stephen had nightmares. He'd awaken from a fitful sleep of waving limbs and trembling bones to nothing but terror in his eyes as he gasped aloud and brought shaking hands to tug at his hair. Emilia would do her best to console him on such nights, to whisper words of comfort into his ear and tug him forth until his forehead was against her chest, listening to her heart and surrendering to her warmth.

 Other nights, it was the opposite. Emilia would sob and scream as fire and ash flittered by her eyes within haunted dreams; the ghosts of her past never ceased trailing after her with gluttonous hands, no matter how many times she visited her old home, no matter how many times she'd visit the empty graves of her parents. They just wouldn't leave her be.

 Emilia knew Stephen was strong — and stubborn for that matter — as was she... But neither of them were ready for a fight of such magnitude yet, it was far too soon and neither of the two were fully healed from the mental wounds they had both sustained; after all, they still bore the physical scars too.

 Emilia had a permanent pearly mark that lingered across her cheekbone in a thin slash; a wobbly circle had stained her chin from the wound that had continuously reopened without a single chance to heal, and her lip bore a slightly lighter shred of skin.

 Stephen wasn't entirely dissimilar; discolouration in the form of a jagged blotch had marred the skin just above his right brow, and another on his right cheek. The physical scars were easy to forget, they slowly blended with the images they'd see within the mirror each day. But those mental scars, those were the ones they both had difficulty making peace with.

 Emilia's body snapped upright as the door to the Sanctum creaked ajar, the action very nearly startled Stephen who had been idly resting his head upon Emilia's. Thankfully, in the presence of their guest, Stephen had caught himself and did exactly as Emilia had prematurely teased him for.

 "Thor Odinson." Stephen bellowed, his voice far deeper than usual. The sound reverberated around the Sanctum and swiftly captured Thor's attention, "God of Thunder."

 Said man was standing at the foot of the stairs, his hand still hovering on the rusted handle of the grand door; his golden hair had been tucked back, secured in a ponytail whilst an odd strand of both gold and onyx dangled by his face in a small plait. He had an umbrella within his grasp, an odd replacement for the mighty hammer Emilia was certain he habitually carried. The Asgardian armour she'd seen him don during the battle of New York had been traded for something far less... Imposing; a regular hoodie and jeans. An attempt to blend in, she assumed.

 Emilia didn't utter a word as she stepped forth, following in the footsteps of her dramatic partner. Her feet carried her to the summit of the staircase as she held her head high, eyes staring down, observing the very mortal looking God. The usual maroon robes Emilia favoured rippled in the breeze that stemmed from the cracked door.

 Thor rose his umbrella as his lips downturned, ready to either defend or attack; whichever he'd deem necessary. His eyes were set on the duo, an unrelenting stare from both sides.

 "You can put down your umbrella." Emilia chimed, her head coking ever so slightly as she nodded to the umbrella stand loitering by the God's side. She surveyed with curiosity as the man hesitated, ocean-blue eyes finding Emilia once more before finally allowing his umbrella to be freed from his grasp. Why in the world had been so hesitant over an — ah, she thought, not an umbrella. It was delayed, for she wasn't as in tune with certain feelings as Stephen, but the item that Thor had shed from his being... It had a certain... Aura to it.

 The second Thor's 'umbrella' had been cast aside, the room changed. It happened in a single snap, no warning, no ridiculous tricks. Stephen, without a single movement of his arms, transported the three of them to yet another room. Emilia found herself comfortably seated on the old couch she often napped on, Stephen beside her whilst Thor stumbled on his feat

 The God's hip snagged the corner of a table that was in the very middle of the room. He groaned, a hand swiftly darting to the wounded area in an attempt to soothe the pain before his eyes landed upon the centrepiece; an old relic made of metal. His fingers inched out and Emilia sighed as she brought her thumb and pointer to pinch at the bridge of her nose.

 There could never be a day that went smoothly, without interruption or distraction.

 Thor chuckled to himself, a quick breath being puffed from his lips to brush away his flyaway hairs. Clumsy fingers plucked one of the relics from its stand and he twirled it in his hands with a surprising lack of accuracy... For he fumbled and it landed harshly on the table, leaving a small chip in the wood that had outlasted centuries, "So," He spoke up, sarcasm tinting his words, "Earth has wizards now?"

 He then regarded Emilia, pondering for a moment if she too fell into such a category, though his eyes needed only to see her robes before he nodded to himself with a grin. He tried his best to twirl the item again, though it ended about as well as Emilia imagined.

 The metal tumbled through the air, hurtling towards the stand it'd been so hastily plucked from. Before a cluster noise that would be sure to further the pounding within Emilia's skull, and before the artefact could be thoroughly dishevelled, Emilia held her hand up, stopping the item mid-air.

 The item, a piece of dark metal carved into something akin to a diamond, simply floated. There was a light fuzz around it, similar to that of television static, only this was a pale, sky-blue. The colour rippled and swirled as though a dewdrop had fallen into the centre of a clear lake, Emilia's eyes flicked up from the item, meeting Thor's stunned gaze, "Could you, perhaps, place it down? Without knocking down a thousand-year-old artefact?"

 Thor blinked as he pursed his lips like a scolded child; he met Stephen's eyes but upon the nod sent his way, Thor picked the metal back up with obedience, "Right, okay." He muttered to himself as he tried his best to fix the item in place.

 The deadpan stare he'd received from the woman had reminded him far too much of that woman whose hands curled with crimson, he couldn't recall her name, but the likeness between the two was eerie; the tilted head, narrowed eyes, blank stare and oddly colourful abilities. He broke from his reminiscing as the wizard rolled his shoulders back as he deftly cleared his throat.

 "The preferred term is Master of the Mystic Arts." Stephen resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the God of Thunder proceeded to fumble with the item as though he had the motor skills of a toddler. The entire artefact finally toppled over, clanging as it went, "You can leave that now."

 "All right." Thor boomed, his voice carrying, no doubt, through the entirety of New York. He pointed a finger between both Emilia and Stephen, prompting the former to rein her hand back despite wishing she could toss a book at the man's head, "Who are you? Why should I care?"

 "My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. This," Stephen gestured lightly with his yellow-gloved hands towards Emilia who had been leaning against the back of the couch with a thoroughly unimpressed look gracing her features, "Is Doctor Emilia Clemente. We have some questions for you. Take a seat."

 Thor huffed as he fell back, pushed by a gust of air that seemingly spewed from nowhere, he landed upon a plush, brown-leather chair... A chair in another, entirely different room. His fingers twitched against the leather that was discoloured in many places... Thor grimaced, it looked older than he was.

 Stephen was seated opposite him, a matching chair beneath his form whilst Emilia had perched herself on the arm, a single elbow resting upon Stephen's shoulder as she kept her eyes trained on Thor.

 Emilia wasn't often one to judge a book by its cover, but from their short meeting alone, all Emilia could gather from the God was that he... Was not what she had expected. Perhaps her thoughts had run wild with the idea of men and women of legend and myth roaming the universe, but she had pictured someone grand. His stature held true to her thoughts, tall and built, yet seeing a man in the very attire many people of New York wore every day, stumble to and fro whilst knocking items over... That certainly wasn't what she'd imagined.

 Nonetheless, they had questions that needed answers, and neither Emilia nor Stephen would relent until they had them.

 Stephen interlaced his fingers together, resting them on his lap as he studied Thor, thoughts similar to Emilia's rattled in his mind. He gestured towards the table in a fleeting manner, "Tea?"

 Thor scoffed as he eyes the small, charcoal coloured cup that had appeared in his hand, "I don't drink tea."

 "What do you drink?"

 "Not tea." The God reiterated as he lowered the cup from his judging eyes. He blinked once as the weight in his hand grew heavier, and upon lifting it, despite his confusion, his azure eyes widened as he observed the sizable glass mug of beer that was now in his grasp.

 Emilia stayed silent, watching with wavering patience as the God brought the glass to his lips, drinking heartily. His loud gulps filled the air and both Emilia and Stephen shared a look. Emilia steadily sucked in a breath, calming what she knew would be a voice filled with irritation, "We keep a watchlist of individuals and beings from other realms that might turn out to be a threat to this world."

 Stephen forced out a chuckle, his voice turning grave as he regarded Thor, refilling the God's now empty glass without a single visible movement, "Your adopted brother, Loki, is one of those beings."

 Thor nodded, strands of gold sticking to the foam that surrounded his lips and tangled in his beard, "A worthy conclusion." He swiped the back of his hand over his mouth, only just catching the blank look the pair opposite him were supplying.

 Emilia narrowed her eyes, a frown pulling her lips down as she shifted on the arm of the chair, "Then why would you bring him here?"

 "To find my father."

 Emilia almost folded in relief; such a simple, easy answer. A single request that they could oh-so easily provide help with. The tension that tightened her jaw and squared her shoulders faded, knowing that by the time the moon began to rise, both Asgardians would be far, far away from Earth, taking all of their mischief with them.

 Stephen Glanced at Emilia, finding her eyes already lingering on him, the fatigue that had filled them was nowhere to be found, "So," Stephen began, as he leaned further into his chair, resting an elbow on the free, leather arm, "If we were to tell you where Odin is, all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?"

 "Promptly."

 "Great. Then we'll help you."

 "Wait." Thor blinked as he leaned closer, resting his mug of beer on his leg, promptly ignoring the condensation that seeped into the fabric of his jeans. He looked between the two, "If you knew where he was, why didn't you call me?

 "He was adamant to not be disturbed." Stephen shrugged, as though the answer was obvious, whilst Emilia hummed and leaned forwards, the more obvious answer lingering on her tongue.

 "You don't have a phone either, do you?"

 Thor laughed, a cocky smile pulling his lips upwards as he brought his eyes to Emilia, "No, I don't have a phone, but you could've sent me an electronic letter, it's called an e-mail."

 "Right, right..." Emilia muttered, absentmindedly bobbing her head before speaking again, though she was certain she knew the answer already, "Do you have a computer?"

 "No. What for?"

 Emilia clamped her lips together and nodded to herself, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

 The whisper didn't go unnoticed by Stephen who could sense the irritation Emilia exuded. Thor, however, didn't notice a thing; he remained in blissful ignorance as he studied his mug of beer for a moment. He chugged another few mouthfuls of his sparkling amber beverage before proceeding to wipe the foam from his beard once again, "Anyway, my father is no longer in exile, so if you tell me where he is, I can take him home."

 "He's in Norway." Emilia sighed, her fingertips lightly massaging her forehead as she stood, holding out a hand for Stephen who grasped it instantly, the pair, along with a disgruntled Thor, appeared in yet another room.

 Bookshelves lined the walls, each one housing a multitude of different books that ranged from spell books to the usual, normal fictional books one might expect to find. The scent of old pages, ancient wood, and even a hint of vanilla filled their senses as Stephen swiftly began searching for the book he required whilst Emilia grabbed ahold of Thor's arm as the God teetered on his feet.

 "A little clumsy for a God, aren't you?" She smiled, backing away to help Stephen in his search. Her fingertips hovered over the spines of books, trailing along as she muttered the names that decorated the edges, "No, nope..." She continuously muttered.

 "I'm not used to teleporting like that." The Norse God grumbled, hastily taking another swig from his glass, ignoring the liquid he'd splashed on the floor.

 "Here we go." Emilia pulled a single book from the shelf, a cloud of dust following as she flipped it in her hands; the leather was old and worn, but the pages inside, despite being discoloured, were in relatively good condition.

 Emilia tossed the book within Stephen's general vicinity; even without the use of Emilia's abilities to assist him, Stephen caught the book with ease... He'd finally learnt to improve his dexterity after having multiple collide his body during their days within the Kamar-Taj.

 "Just checking if the spell needs any... Asgardian modifications." Stephen's words trailed off as he dragged a finger across the pages of the book, his lips moving lightly as he read the words. He slammed the book shut, eyes squinting through the cloud of dust that erupted from the action, a small smile decorating his lips as the God scowled at the sudden sound, "Nope."

 The following moments that followed consisted of Stephen dragging both Thor and Emilia throughout the rooms of the Sanctum via teleportation, and whilst Emilia made no indication that it bothered her — Even though her stomach did flip uncomfortably each time — Thor stumbled and tripped each, and every time.

 At long last, the suffering God groaned and scowled at Stephen. A harsh breath spluttered through his scowling lips as his heavy steps carried him towards the sorcerer. He jabbed a finger towards him in an attempt to convey his irritation, however all such convincing was thoroughly wiped away as Stephen observed the greenish tinge to Thor's skin. A sheen of sweat illuminated the Gods face as it steadily contorted as though he would keel over and vomit, "Will you stop doing that?"

 It was a sight to see; the God of Thunder repeatedly slamming into chairs, tables and bookshelves. His front was covered in beer that was sure to dry and make his skin sticky. The feeling in his gut made his cheeks puff out and his eyes clamp shut... And Stephen was enjoying it.

 Whilst the less than graceful God missed the looks Stephen sent his way, Emilia was perfectly aware of each and every one. She caught his eyes for a moment, her brow climbing further up as she tilted her head.

 Stephen cleared his throat, all effort being forced into making his face neutral once again as he turned to address Thor. His robes fluttered around him, as did the crimson cloak that dutifully clung to his shoulders, "Can I... I need a... I just need one strand of your hair..."

 Thor narrowed his gaze, a single finger jutting forth, "Do not touch my hair."

 Emilia smiled that smile. The very one that made Stephen's careful demeanour crumble beneath her very eyes. Her cheeks rose, forcing her eyes to squint as lines appeared beside them. She padded her way to Thor's side, who was still scrutinising Stephen, completely neglecting to keep an eye on the innocent looking Emilia who, with one quick and swift movement, had plucked a single strand of golden hair from the bundle upon the Asgardian's head.

 "You —" Thor stammered as his brows furrowed, watching as Emilia held it out for Stephen. The sorcerer nodded in thanks, a sly smile crooked on his lips. Thor Pouted, "Give it back."

 Emilia's shoulders rose and fell in a nonchalant shrug, "Sorry, but to find your father, we need something to point us in his direction... So we used your shared DNA."

 The god of Thunder crossed his arms, neglecting the beer that continued to seep condensation into the wooden table. He was growing rather tired of these wizards.

 Stephen held out the long strand of hair, his pointer fingers and thumbs secured on either end before he twirled it in a complex manner, and once again, without warning for the poor, somewhat battered God of Thunder, the Sorcerer teleported them.

 Emilia's feet were firmly planted on the wooden boards of the entryway to the Sanctum Sanctorum and they creaked ever so slightly beneath her form. Stephen was by her side as he continued to work his magic, sorcery, on the hair she'd plucked. Thor, however, was not so fortunate.

 The God tumbled down the last few steps of the palatial staircase, an elbow or a knee catching each sharp and uncomfortable edge before his face was firmly planted on the ground. A growl tore through his lips as he jumped to his feet, "Couldn't we have just walked?"

 "Yes," Emilia answered, a small smile on her face as the God turned ever so slowly to face her, eyes narrowed as he did. She ignored him and instead moved to the side as the familiar sensation of a growing portal tickled the skin of her neck.

 A rolling field edged by mountains was visible through the golden frame of sparks that Stephen had created. The man gestured towards it as his body finally deflated, stress vacating his being, "He's waiting for you."

 Thor sighed, his head bobbing in a nod as his eyes remained on the portal, "All right."

 "Don't forget the uh... The umbrella." Emilia said, blinking once or twice at the sentence she'd uttered.

 "Ah!" Thor grinned, his hand whipping to his side. Somewhere deep within the Sanctum, glass shattered, and within mere seconds, the sound of objects clattering to the ground reached Emilia's ears.

 She sighed and shook her head, wincing with every collision, every shatter, every breakage they'd soon have to clean away.

 "Sorry..." Thor drawled out, though his lack of sincerity was only confirmed by the smile that slowly came to his lips with every noise. His body barely recoiled as the umbrella smacked into his palm, and with a grin, his fingers curled around it. With a small shake of the item, glass and various pieces of rubble tumbled to the ground, both Emilia's and Stephen's eyes followed, each of them thoroughly aware of the mess that the umbrella had left in its wake. "Oh, I suppose I'll need my brother back."

 "Oh, yeah, right," Stephen muttered as he raised his hands, the cuffs of his robes raising slightly. He'd almost forgotten, odd considering that Loki was the prime reason for their encounter with the God of Thunder. Stephen's arms moved in a graceful circular motion and a second portal appeared in the air, hovering a couple of meters away from the ground.

 The moment the golden sparks opened, a body tumbled out, yelling as it went. The figure of a man with long tendrils of black hair crashed into the room, smacking the ground as he landed. Green and black was splayed around the man who was entirely undeterred. Loki flicked his hair back and snarled, "I have been falling for thirty minutes!"

 "Thirty-two." Emilia spoke, her eyes straying from Thor to Loki and back again as the man with a temper... And now two daggers hastily whipped to his feet. "You can handle it from here, I'm sure?"

 Thor nodded, ignoring the familiar shing of Loki's weapons, "Yes, of course. Thank you both for your help." He reached out his hand, grasping Stephen's awaiting one, firmly shaking it as he smiled before turning to Emilia and grasping her own with the same strength. He grinned as she rose a single brow at him, "Thank you, my lady."

 "Handle me?" Came a hiss from behind Thor. Loki had risen to his feet, a firm look of irritation on his sharp features as he scowled at both Stephen and Emilia, "You little wench. You think you're sorcerers?"

 Emilia laughed; all teeth and high cheekbones as she watched the man pause in his forceful, hasty strides, utter confusion on his face, "Nope." And with that she swiped her arm forward; the portal Stephen had created swiftly followed, engulfing the brothers before fizzling out of sight.

 A blanket of silence encased them and all that could be heard were the synced sighs of relief from both Emilia and Stephen. Emilia rubbed at her eyes with the palms of her hands before they limply fell to her side, "They were a handful." She muttered softly as she turned to gaze at Stephen.

 Both of them concealed their looks of fondness within the presence of others, especially unknown guests. Now, with the Asgardian brothers out of their hair, and out of their sanctum, such looks graced their faces once more.

 A light chuckled vibrated Stephens chest as he walked forth, placing a chaste kiss on Emilia's forehead, eyes fluttering shut as her hands came to caress his cheeks, "Hm, we have some cleaning up to do."

 Emilia peered up at him with a hopeful smile as her stomach quietly rumbled, breaking the moment they had longed for since Thor's arrival, "Lunch first?"

 "It's a date."

━━━━━━━

27-11-2021

this chapter was quite long, but i really wanted to write this little piece that includes thor for reasons you might see in the future; i hope you all enjoyed this final chapter of part one; onto part two: Infinity War!

there will be a slightly longer gap between this update and the next as we are moving to an entirely new act. see you all soon! ily!