Heimdall x Reader

Thirty-Three

The sun was already high in the sky, birds were chirping when Heimdall's eyes opened for the first time.

Dazzled, he raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

He could not remember the last time he had slumbered so deep and calmly. So undisturbed.

His mind was at ease.

The very next moment he had to frown in confusion.

It was silent. So completely silent.

Of course, his ears could still hear the rustling of the wind and the chirping of the birds. But these were all natural sounds.

Apart from that, there was nothing. No screaming, no dubious thoughts that gave him a headache.

The sun shone on his pale skin.

It was fresh, but not chilly.

He enjoyed this newfound experience. And yet, it was somehow lonely.

As if you had read his thoughts, you moved around to sleep on the blanket. With a low grumble, you rolled to your other side and snuggled against his exposed torso.

He smelled less clean than the night before, more like sweat and the exertion of the night.

His eyes fell on your sleeping face.

With any other person, he would have turned away in disgust. But at the sight of you, he could not help but lie still.

His tasks would have forced him to get up, dress and guard the wall. Heimdall knew what his duties were.

Unlike his brothers, he knew it was not possible to neglect or take them lightly. He wanted to be worthy of the task the Allfather had given him.

But his body refused. He wanted to lie still with you, on the hard floor, with your nose stroking his naked skin.

His hand lowered to stroke hesitantly through your (H/C) hair.

You wrinkled your nose at the touch, shaking off the sensation and burying your face so deeply into his side to escape the light.

With a furrowed brow, he had to force himself not to lift the corners of his mouth and smile.

Why did he feel like this?

Why was his chest suddenly so light?

So warm?

Snorting stubbornly, he averted his eyes. He hated looking at you and feeling anything.

Never before had his mind bowed to these baser instincts. Never before had he thought it necessary to have a human companion at his side.

Secretly, he had even laughed at his brothers for taking wives.

And yet.

Whenever he looked at you, the thought no longer seemed as absurd as before.

"I hate you...", he mumbled with a snobby attitude. "Sunshine..."

As soon as the nickname left his lips, you wrinkled your nose again and shook your head.

You hummed softly.

Immediately heat rose in his head and his pale cheeks turned to a rosy shade.

A low growl got stuck in his throat. He quickly averted his eyes and let out a snort.

"Heimdall?", you asked, your voice hoarse from the night before.

Sleepily you raised your head, your hair dishevelled by the night's exertion, and rubbed your tired eyes.

The sun blinded you. For a moment you were unable to see.

That gave him enough time to clear his throat and pretend nothing had happened.

"It's late.", in one swift movement he got to his feet. "You have made me idle. My duties have been neglected."

Stubbornly, he folded his arms in front of his chest.

With a gentle smirk you regarded him.

One of your hands ran through your dishevelled hair to halfway tame the wild strands.

His eyes were caught by the movement. A twitch ran through his lips, coupled with a low grumble.

"Isn't it just your job to sit on the wall and watch the land below?", you asked in a teasing tone.

Annoyed, Heimdall squeezed his eyes shut and frowned.

"I am the Guardian of the Aesir.", he said with a smug wave of his hand. "I do not expect a mere human to understand the importance of my task."

You chuckled.

"Don't be angry.", you put one of the blankets around your shoulders to cover your nakedness and joined him at his side to stroke his cheek tenderly. "I'm just teasing you."

Like an offended toddler he averted his eyes, his arms still crossed in front of his chest. But he did not withdraw from your touch.

This time, perhaps for the very first time since you had met him, he allowed you to keep skin contact.

He would have never admitted it but the warmth that your skin spread made his entire body feel all warm and cozy. It was almost like his favourite blanket that kept him safe at night.

And you knew. But you didn't want to ruin the moment by teasing him even more.

Heimdall wasn't just bigmouthed and cocky but also quite sensitive. It wouldn't have been wise to hurt his ego more than necessary.

With his eyes fixed on the sky, the god of foresight expelled a deep breath.

You frowned.

"What is troubling you?", you asked.

His eyes closed again. This time, however, he did not seem irritated but thoughtful.

"It's so quiet.", he said suddenly, his voice almost quiet, hesitant.

"Isn't that good?"

A hum made his chest vibrate.

"It... is good to have silence in my head for once. The only thoughts I can hear are my own."

"It means you can rest now."

"It means I am vulnerable.", he suddenly looked at you with a hard gleam in his eye, drew back and picked up his sword to lace it around his waist again. "Asgard is vulnerable. If I do not see the danger coming, we will perish."

You let out a deep sigh.

"What danger could there be?", you asked and gestured down the massive wall. "Look at all these rocks. No one would be fool enough to try and climb up here. Especially not without permission."

His expression darkened.

His lips curled to form an unsatisfied expression.

"No. Not fool enough.", he said and threw a glance to the edge. "But perhaps slick enough. Willing enough to make many sacrifices."

His words made you frown in concern.

"What do you mean?", you tightened your arms around yourself.

His gaze wandered along the sky. Then he shook his head.

"I should get you home.", Heimdall said. "It's... safer."