Blue || Bucky Barnes

89. The Dinner Party

"Good evening Aura, you and your friends are expected in the Great Hall." The guards let them through after Aura nods curtly. Holding her head high despite the nerves coursing through her, she walks through the palace corridors. At the end of the long hallway stands tall double doors manned by a pair of guards. As Aura approaches, they open the doors to the Great Hall. Instantly the sounds of people bustling and chatting within engulfs them.
"Oh no." Aura mumbles. What she had thought was going to be an intimate dinner with her immediate family, has ended up being exactly the opposite. But yet, she still holds her head high walking into the hall capturing the attention of everyone.
"Aura! The guest of honour has arrived!" Ares booms meeting her.
"Hello." She manages a smile as Zeus saunters over too.
"Welcome! Come, join us!" Zeus grins grabbing Aura and a few of the Avengers and dragging them into the room.
Leia's eyes widen as she sees the several long tables spanning the centre of the Great Hall. There has to be at least 300 people already mingling around and more flood in behind them.
Aura's eyes are wide as she sees people she hasn't seen in hundreds of years. She makes sure that Leia is standing beside her, feeling as though she needs a girl friend right now.
"You didn't tell me that EVERYONE was going to be here!!!" Aura whisper yells to Zeus.
"Well of course they are! This happens every time a goddess comes of age! I know the last one was years ago but surely you haven't forgotten." He says.
"It might've slipped my mind..." Aura mumbles.
"Nevertheless, this is a night of celebration!! Come! There are a lot of people who wish to talk to you." Zeus grabs her arm and pulls her away from Leia.

To say the Avengers feel out of place would be an understatement. In a room full of gods and goddesses they've never felt more... human. Most of them hang around either Aura or Thor who introduces them to a plethora of people.

"You know Hercules!" Peter gasps having heard the legends of the God.
"Oh Uncle Herc, yeah he's an idiot." Aura laughs. "He's right over there."
Peter's eyes are as wide as dinner plates as his eyes land on the tall broad man.
"Close your mouth Peter, you'll end up catching flies." Wanda pipes up walking over with Loki.
"Go talk to him, he's lots of fun." Aura pushes the teen in the direction of her uncle. "So... how's it going?"
"Certainly not what I had expected but it's great." Wanda smiles looking up at Loki who smiles back just slightly.
"Yeah I'm sorry about that, I didn't realise it would be this many people." Aura has to raise her voice slightly over the bustle of the room.
"It's fi-"
"Aura!?" A foreign voice enters their thoughts. Aura whips around in the direction her name was called.
"Axyl!!" Her eyes widen seeing the man. "Oh my gosh!" The tall man engulfs her and she too embraces him. The smiles on both their faces are just adorable. Loki just watches the interaction feeling his shoulders tense up. Without thinking he just grabs Wanda's hand and holds it tight and she looks up at him with a smile on her face.
"I didn't think we'd see you! You're back!!" He exclaims.
"Well of course! I missed you too much to stay away any longer." Aura smiles playfully while the man's eyes flicker over her shoulder. "Oh gosh I'm so sorry come meet my friends, this is Loki and Wanda, guys this is Axylus, my best friend."
Loki just eyeballs the man. He's got fluffy, curly, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and deep set dimples. Wanda smiles and shakes his hand, while Loki does the same, minus the smile of course.
"It's great to meet you both! I didn't realise mortals were so polite." Axyl says and Loki scoffs.
"God, actually." He gives him a tight smile.
"My apologies."
"Oh my gosh you have to see what Loki taught me!" Aura giggles holding her hand out and conjuring up a small dagger into the palm of her hand. Axyl takes a sharp breath in while Wanda can't help but wonder when he had the chance to teach her that.
"Wow that's incredible Aura, you're so talented!" Axyl smiles at his friend and only his friend.
"Isn't it! Loki show Axyl what you can do!" Aura begs him on.
"You know that's okay." Axyl tells her.
"No, shush, show him Loki!" She smiles eagerly, watching his movements so perhaps she can learn.
"As you wish." He gives Axyl a smug smirk as he produces a long sword in his hand.
"Ugh! Look at that, how great!" Aura squeals.
"So cool." Axyl's tone is one hundred percent forced but Aura's too fascinated to notice.
"Here." Loki holds the sword by the blade for Axyl to take.
"You keep it, I'm good thanks." He politely declines.
"Axyl, he's giving you a free sword. Take it!" Aura says and Axyl smiles gently.
Axyl reaches out to grasp the sword but as soon as he goes to wrap his fingers around the handle, it disappears in a shimmer of green.
Aura gasps, trying to stifle a laugh. "He got you."
"He got me." Axyl chuckles with Aura not looking at the tall man opposite him.