Thor x Reader

Thirty-Eight

An icy wind chased around your ears. Snow creaked under your hands as you hit the hard ground.

The magic flickered for a moment. Runes faded and your eyes lost their intensity. Still, you managed to tighten your grip on the knife and call back the runes.

A protective circle formed around you. It was not long before a thin layer of ice had formed on the sheath.

With narrowed eyes you raised your head to see where exactly you had landed.

But you didn't have to look.

Thor found you without you having to call out to him. With an earthquake the god of thunder landed behind you. The plates of the ground shattered under the force of his body. Lightning licked across your protective circle.

"What are you doing here?!", he asked, his face red with rage.

Perhaps it was also the cold of the world of the dead.

"I had to look after you.", you said, but had to stop not a moment later. "What happened to you?!"

Worried, you stretched out your hands to protect his body with your magic.

Deep scars ran through his flesh. His trousers were torn to shreds. An arrow was stuck in his shoulder.

He carelessly grabbed the wooden shaft and broke the arrow off. The metal top remained stuck in his flesh.

"Freya is not pleased to see me again.", he only said and broke the rest with his bare hand.

"Let me help you.", you drew a rune of healing in the air.

"Don't waste your magic on me. You will need it more."

"I agree.", a female voice suddenly sounded.

A sigh escaped your lips. This wasn't good. But in moments of chaos it called for improvising. Even if this wasn't ideal you had to work with what fate threw your way.

"Freya.", your hand rested on Thor's arm so that he would not do anything rash.

With a nod of her head, the former wife of Odin greeted you.

"It has been a long time.", she said, looking at the tip of her blade dripping with Thor's blood. "What makes you help a traitor?"

Pressing your lips together, you shook your head.

"Thor and I have no ill will."

"He is a son of Odin!"

"As was your son, Freya.", you raised both hands to show her that this was not meant to be an attack. "We would all prefer to negotiate under different circumstances."

"There is nothing to negotiate.", frowning, Freya raised her sword.

With a growl in his throat, Thor moved in front of you.

"Dare it, Freya.", he snapped his fingers to call Mjölnir to his side.

"Don't think I won't take you on, son of Odin.", the goddess said with a venomous tongue. "I have nothing to lose."

"Thor.", you tried to reassure him.

His gaze wandered down to you. For a moment the blue of his eyes softened.

"Forgive me...", he murmured, and took your hand to breathe a kiss on the back. "I made a decision of my own. I should have done better."

You shook your head.

"We meet under bad circumstances.", your gaze returned to Freya. "I request a moment of your time. A conversation in the familiar."

Freya frowned.

"And why should I do that, she asked. You have nothing to offer me."

"Possibly. But for my master's sake I will try diplomacy. So please.", you lay down your knife in the snow. "Let's talk. Even if it's just to clear the air."

She eyed the blood-smeared weapon in the snow sceptically. The red began to eat into the pure white and pollute it.

Your magic was already beginning to fade. It was only a matter of time before it needed another sacrifice.

"All right...", rolling her eyes, Freya threw her sword into the snow as well. "Just a moment. For Tyr's sake."

A ringing sound filled the tense silence as metal struck metal. Her gaze jumped to Thor for a moment.

"He will not call Mjolnir.", you assured her.

"It is already too late for that.", Thor said dryly, catching the hammer out of the air.

Eyes narrowed, you whispered a soft curse.

"Drop it.", you asked him.

He hesitated. Demonstratively, his fingers wrapped around the hammer's handle, one by one. A hum escaped him.

But he let go.

With a heavy sound, Mjölnir fell into the snow.

A smirk of mockery appeared on Freya's lips as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"A well behaved dog.", she said. "You always knew how to handle the Odinsons."

You nodded slightly.

"That I did...", your eyes hesitantly jumped aside to glance at Thor. "Did. But sometimes it's better to let dogs run free."

One of her eyebrows rose.

"I see. Curse of the blood."

"I'm glad to see you still have a heavy distaste for the Allfather and everything slightly related to him.", Thor said, a grim look on his face.

She raised her chin.

"And you? It seems you changed under your fathers demands. Not for the better, if I may say so."

"Freya.", you raised your hands to make both of them calm their nerves before another fight could happen. "We all changed. And we all follow different goals."

"Then why do you consult me?", she shrugged. "I have no desire to work with you."

"Which I don't demand. But I would like to know that you're not an enemy either."

She huffed. It was almost a laugh. But she wasn't in too good of a mood to do that. At least not in your presence.

"Thor is an enemy.", Freya said, teeth bared.

"Do you say that because he's a son of Odin?", you asked soberly.

"I say it because he serves the Allfather."

"And what if I don't?", Thor asked soberly all of a sudden.

Struck by surprise, a glimpse of doubt appeared in Freya's brown eyes. Her face softened for a moment.

Then she returned to her angry self.

"Muspelheim will freeze shut before you turn against Odin.", she hissed.

"I'll vouch for him.", you said without skipping a beat.

She looked at you. Now she couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.

"Oh child...", she whispered. "How deep did you fall?"