Warrior's Heart |Thor|

05. The Traveler From Another Realm

"We're really heading to Earth?" Esme wrinkled her nose. Her one time on Earth was stopping Loki. She knew this would not be the case the second time around, but the planet did not leave a good impression on her.

"We'll work with our people. We'll teach them the ways of Midgard."

"Are you sure they'll be ready? It's quite the culture shock, Thor. I wasn't there long enough to begin to understand any of it, but still."

"We got hit with shock, and look where we are."

"Yes, look where we are. Homeless, and you're missing an eye and your hammer. You still think culture shock is a good thing?"

"Out of all of the realms I've seen, Midgard is our best chance. I know your first trip was not the best of circumstances, but this time will be different."

"Do you expect them to migrate and blend in with the humans? We're so much different from them, Thor. From what I remember, humans do not like change and they fear things they do not understand."

"I've been around long enough for them to be used to the idea of Asgardians on Earth."

"Earth?"

"It's what it is actually called. If we are to live there, you better get used to calling it that."

Esme rolled her eyes. "We'll see how your plan works. What if it doesn't? Where else can we go?"

"Let's hope we never have to cross that bridge."

~*~

The bridge was never built to get crossed, for Thanos' arrival had thrown the plan into chaos.

Esme woke the next morning, covered in a thin layer of sweat. Another night of bad dreams. Another night of tossing in her bed, twisting the sheets around her body. She fought to untangle herself lest she fall out of bed in a cocoon like she had a few times before.

She stretched, welcoming the rising sun through her window. She padded through her room to the bathroom, splashing water in her face to cool herself down. She jumped a foot in the air when she heard unfamiliar snoring, then she remembered: she was housing the God of Thunder.

Esme looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. The purple under her eyes had grown considerably darker and worse. At this point, she accepted they would never get better. She gripped the sink lightly, afraid her Asgardian strength would crack or break it. Things were much more fragile here on Earth.

It was part of the reason why Esme didn't interact with humans; she was afraid a simple knock on the shoulder by accident could break bones. Humans were nowhere near as durable.

Esme went down the hall into the living room. Thor had an arm over his eyes, his legs too long for her couch, dangling over. Esme sighed. Though the two had never really shared a night in the same bed, the times she caught him sleeping, she knew he tended to snore. She was amazed the sound didn't rattle her walls.

She went to Thor, did a gentle yank of his long locks. He stirred but went right back to sleep. Quirking her mouth, Esme smacked the wall. Thor leapt from the bed, in a fight stance. While he was not the fit God of Thunder he once was, even in his heavier state, he was still not someone you wanted to pick a fight with. Esme noticed that his body radiated electricity. She remembered he'd only started doing that during the fight to save Asgard from the Goddess of Death.

"Well, hello there, sunshine," Esme sang with a smirk.

Thor groaned, rubbing the sleep from his face. Any electricity on his body stopped crackling. "I thought something was wrong!"

"Yes, something was. Your snoring was waking up all the woodland creatures in the forest behind my house."

"Funny." Thor yawned.

"I mean, I think it was."

"What do I owe this rude wakeup?"

"Let's take a walk out in the forest."

"You like to do that?"

"From time to time. It's no fun to spend endless days and nights in here. Seeing the same walls for so long would drive anyone mad. What do you say?"

"Can we bring food for later?"

Esme laughed, perhaps for the first time in a while. "Of course."