Love You to Asgard and Back

8-Invitation to Dinner

After the session in the Hazard Room, Dean went into the locker rooms just outside of the entrance and showered. The session had been fun but vigorous, as he and Natasha had opted to use a difficulty setting that would challenge them without pushing them to the limit.

He washed up slowly, his head full of so many little thoughts that conspired against him. Thor was, as Natasha had pointed out, "practically obsessed" with him.

Dean brushed her comment off. "Nat, we like each other a lot. But our relationship is still pretty new."

"Bullshit. You know as well as I do that we're both pretty perceptive of other people's feelings- even gods. We're spies."

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "Nice scissor kick, by the way."

Natasha rolled her eyes as she followed him out. "You know, now that you're a love bird you're going to have to consider letting your guard down some."

Dean looked at her with a question in his eyes.

"Yup. Spies are also very good at seeing through each other."

Dean chuckled and grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf to wipe the sweat from his face. "Don't we all have some kind of guard up?"

"Yeah, and yours is a maze of firewalls."

Dean shut off the shower and dried off. Maybe he was heavily guarded, but it was something he wouldn't be changing over night. It concerned him though. Nat could see it. And Thor definitely could see it. He'd even told Dean he wanted to see beyond it. But could he actually allow that? He dressed in a fitted blue henley t-shirt and a pair of jeans and was just finishing with buttoning up when Thor entered the locker room.

"Ah, I see Stark and Banner's lesson on earthly technology has robbed me of my chance to ambush you in the shower again."

"There's always tonight," Dean promised as the thunder god took him in his arms.

"You were beautiful on the false battlefield, Fair One."

"I feel like you might say that no matter what I'm doing," Dean teased.

Thor scowled and gave it some thought. "Perhaps. What are we going to do today?"

"Well...I didn't have any plans."

Thor leaned in. "It sounds like you just told me we're going to spend a considerable amount of our time in bed."

"Not a chance! I'm still walking it off!"

"Which is exactly why you should let me again," Thor reasoned. "That way you become accustomed to me. A muscle grows stronger the more it is worked out."

Dean's phone began to ring. "You drive a hard bargain," he said before he answered.

Thor leaned against the lockers and listened as Dean spoke with someone who was obviously his mother.

"Um...I don't think I have anything going on. Just hanging around the tower." He paused and looked at Thor for a second. "Okay, I'll ask him. I love you too."

"Yes?" Thor said.

"So my family is getting together this evening for dinner. It's nothing very big- just my parents, siblings, the nieces and nephews." He paused and smiled shyly. "Mom asked me to invite you. If you want to go."

Thor's smile erupted. The door was opening to him. "Of course! I would love to feast with your family."

Dean looked at Thor's clothes- the sleeveless leather top and pants were from his Asgardian wardrobe.

"I should choose an outfit for the occasion," Thor decided. "I must look my best."

Dean smiled. "Actually, my nieces and nephews have requested that you arrive in full Asgardian armor.'