Winter's Hearts

Chapter 36

So bright and early the next morning you joined the rest of the team on the roof to board the jet. You didn't trust the shield agents to not try to touch you, so you were wearing one of Loki's hoodies over your t-shirt, and thin gloves. You didn't need either of those things because of the cold, but just to keep people from touching your bare skin. "Kyrie-love, the mortals know not to touch you," Loki told you gently as you walked onto the jet, your hand in his.

"I know... but I don't like taking chances with the mortals," you reminded him. The only one you'd touched since you'd lived with the team had been Nat and that was to save her life. She'd still been severely frost bitten by the experience, but it was better than being dead.

"Darling, trust me, I am not going to let the mortals touch you. I will protect you, my love. I dislike you having to hide," he lifted your gloved hand and kissed the back of it.

You sighed. "Alright, I'll ditch the gloves," you conceded, Loki wouldn't give up until you'd at least given him that much. So you vanished your gloves and Loki lit up when he was touching your bare skin again. You weren't ditching more than your gloves though, and Loki's hoodie went down to your fingertips, so it was safe enough without them. Or so you kept trying to tell yourself.

This whole thing was pointless and ridiculous anyway, which seemed to be the consensus of the team. None of them were particularly happy this morning and Tony only had any patience whatsoever because of the extra strong coffee that was brewed this morning. No one wanted to go through these assessments.

Especially you and Loki.

You got seats on the jet and curled up with Loki. At least you weren't afraid to fly, though you preferred to do so on your own power. It was too far, but if the jet went down, you and Loki would survive. You because you could fly and Loki because you could carry him while you did so.

Thankfully the flight wasn't long. Loki didn't like flying. He wasn't afraid of it, but didn't much care for it either. He couldn't fly and teleporting while falling wasn't something he was proficient at. So he didn't care for flying since he couldn't control negative outcomes if the pathetic Midgardian technology failed. So it was quite a relief for everyone that the trip wasn't long. No one liked Loki on edge and even you could only keep him so calm.

But he wasn't afraid of flying.

Not at all.

No one dared question him on that.

He'd already gotten stabby with Thor and you really didn't feel like having to heal the mortals. It was harder when you couldn't touch them, besides healing wasn't your specialty. So you were all grateful when the jet landed.

Nat led the way off the jet and into the helicarrier. She pointed out areas of interest as you walked past, such as the bridge, the dorm-like rooms where you'd be spending the night as well as its little common area, the mess hall for the agents, Stark and Banner's lab, and of course the training rooms.

There was a giant training area where you all were spending your day. And it was going to be awful. They had psychologists to evaluate your mental health, which was ridiculous, even Loki could pass that on a bad day, just because you goaded him into behaving so you didn't get thrown out of the tower. He was being on his best behavior. And only stabbed Thor once. Really, that was good for a day when people were questioning the sanity of everyone on the team.

You were saved from a physical exam with more reminders that you couldn't be touched. The only bright spot to the entire day was showcasing your combat skills. You beat up a ton of their agents as a warmup, then went through the practice drills with Loki. Every single person on the boat who wasn't currently doing something actually useful stood around the ring and watched you and Loki speed your way through the drills. It was a glorious dance and you enjoyed every single time you practiced them with Loki. It seemed like they couldn't believe the videos of your skills and speed until they saw the skills in person. So you ran through the drills for them with your deadly speed and accuracy with live blades. And you were barely breathing harder than usual by the end.

The assessments were finally done and you all went to the mess to get dinner. You and Loki both rolled your eyes at having to socialize with the stupid mortals, but they were all praising your performance of the drills, so you couldn't fault them toohard for being annoying mortals. Especially when it made Loki preen under the praise. It just made you uncomfortable and hide your hands in your sleeves. Loki's arm was around you in the crowded room and glared at everyone to keep their distance.

Then someone made the mistake of challenging the Avengers to poker. That was dumb. Even with you and Loki both promising not to use your magic, you trounced them all. Nat and Tony were both stupidly good at the game, and you were all too smart for your own good. You'd racked up quite a bit of cash before Fury put an end to the game.

Loki had been having fun, and got his retaliation by vanishing all of the coffee in the place. He also timed its disappearance so he couldn't be directly blamed for its disappearance. He was trying to be on his best behavior, especially as you were all still being evaluated and you knew what was at stake if you failed.

Really, there was only one incident, when someone under the influence of too much alcohol during the drinking contest came too close to touching you. He was lucky he only got a broken nose for the crime of insulting Loki's wife. Everyone else agreed on that front. Especially when the rules had been cleared up front that you weren't to be touched.

Fury broke up the drinking contest too and told everyone to go to bed before they all got alcohol poisoning. The Avengers were all laughing as you found your rooms. You'd survived the assessments. The official results would come out during your interviews with Fury in the morning.

You and Loki were the only ones nervous about that.

You didn't sleep that night, illogically worried over how you did on the assessments. You had survived the Valkyrie trials. You shouldn't have to worry about what shield dished up. But they were evaluating your psyche too and what if they didn't like what you said or how you acted? Especially since they knew your first loyalty was to the throne of Asgard and more specifically Loki. They also knew that you were the best leash on Loki's temper and homicidal tendencies.

You sat in the waiting area outside Fury's office the next morning as one by one the rest of the team went in to receive the results of their evaluations. You were last on the list and waiting was killing you. You wished desperately that he would just get it over with, but noyou had to wait until the very end to find out if you could stay with the team.

You didn't know what you would do if he insisted on sending you away.

Yes, you did. He would sent you to the raft.

Or back to Asgard.

Which wasn't an option.

You'd kill every single person on this boat to not be separated from your husband if that's what it took.

And not shed a single tear for them.

Finally, you were called in after Loki. "Have a seat, Valkyrie," Fury told you gesturing to the empty chair on the other side of his desk. You took your seat. "You know you're with the team on probation, right?" he started.

You gave him a hard look. "I know," you replied stiffly. You weren't sure you liked Fury. His secrets had secrets and you couldn't be sure of his motives. "I also know that it would be a stupid-ass decision for you to try to remove me from the tower. Not only would my husband be upset with that plan, and absolutely no one on this realm wants that, but so would his brother and the rest of the team. I've done nothing but help since I've joined the Avengers-"

Fury cut you off mid rant "Your first loyalty is to your husband," he reminded you. "Your second is to Thor, then the crown of Asgard..."

You shrugged. "Any good wife and any citizen of Asgard would have the same loyalties. My primary loyalty and duty being to the throne of Asgard doesn't hurt Midgard in any way, shape, or form. Midgard is under the protection of Asgard. As to my husband, separating me from him would be ridiculously stupid and he has to stay here whether you like it or not," you informed him. Odin was still making Loki stay for penance. "Do you really want to send the best leash on his temper away?"

"No. I don't. I was simply going to tell you that you passed the assessments, just like the rest of the team and you're no longer on probation," Fury explained when you stopped talking again.

You nodded and relief flooded through you. You didn't pay attention to any of the rest of what Fury had to say. It didn't matter as long as he wasn't trying to separate you from Loki again.