Holding On | Bucky Barnes

7 | Friday, December 24th

I stayed in bed all day after getting home from the hotel yesterday morning—despite Sarah and the kids arriving in the afternoon. Bucky just told everyone I wasn't feeling too well and probably wouldn't be down, and thankfully Tony didn't say anything.

Because the house is at high capacity with all the visitors, we switched the rooms a little—Cass and AJ took my room, and Rhodes offered to stay in the room Peter usually stays in so Sarah could stay close to the boys.

It's the morning of Christmas eve, and we're all sitting around the living room, the boys in festive pj's, and us enjoying coffee.

"What's the coolest fight you've been in?" Cass asks Thor with wide eyes.

"Oh, young one, I have been in many battles, and they have all been cool."

"Have you ever fought a monster?" AJ asks.

"Oh yes many... I can tell you about fighting the linnormr Grábakr, a great serpent beast with wings and only two legs," Thor says from beside me on the couch, resting his forearms on his knees. I cuddle further into Bucky's side, sipping my coffee as Thor delves into his story.

"There are many linnormr who gnaw at the roots of Yggdrasil, the great tree which holds the nine realms together. One day, Grábakr no longer wanted to stay at the roots of Yggdrasil, but wanted to eat the branches. So, Grábakr began climbing, and eventually arrived in Jötunheimr, the land of the giants. They tried to stop the serpent, but it was too quick for them to catch, so Grábakr climbed to Vanaheimr, the realm of the wise. They knew they could not fight Grábakr, so they fortified themselves in steel and waited for it to fill its belly and leave... But Grábakr was not satisfied with the branches of Vanaheimr, so it climbed higher, until it reached Asgard, where it could eat the sweet leaves of Yggdrasil. It reaped havoc across the realm, and my father sent me to stop it. I found it on the banks of the sea, but when I tried to attack, it took hold of my leg and flew, higher than the trees and higher than the palace. Higher than your tallest buildings that touch the sky."

"What happened then?" AJ asks, looking up at the man with a worried expression.

"Well, I am the God of Thunder. When we reached the clouds, I sent a bolt of lighting into the beast's wings and we fell, back to the sea. Grábakr could no longer fly, but it could still bite," Thor chuckles. "It bit and slashed me across the chest, turning the water red with blood—"

Sarah coughs a little, hinting to calm the gore down around the five and seven-year-olds.

"Pink with blood. It wasn't that much blood. Like a... paper cut. Anyways, I wrestled with Grábakr, but the current separated us and brought me to the edge of Asgard where the sea falls to the lower realms. I found footing on some rocks on the edge where the water was not deep, but Grábakr came at me from behind. It was only my reflexes and quick thinking that I was able to take the beast by the throat," he says standing up, holding a fist in front of him, "and strike it so hard with Mjölnir that it fell all the way down to Hel," he says, swinging his other arm as if hitting the beast again.

"Woah, and it's still there?" Cass asks.

"Yes, and it will remain there until the end of time. Not even Ragnarök could release it," Thor nods.

"Do you have Myallnoor?"

"Of course, Mjölnir is never far," Thor smiles, reaching his hand out beside him. After a second, the heavy hammer smacks into his hand and he holds it out for the two to look at. I lean forward, eyeing the patterns across the weapon.

I've never had a chance to really study it, but looking now, it's beautiful.

"How heavy is it?" Cass asks, running a finger across it.