Warrior's Heart |Thor|

10. Training and Talk

That night, Esme and Thor had befriended the lovely couple that was Arisabel and Jamie. The two women seemed to get along with Thor better. He didn't seem to mind, he loved chatting with them. Esme mostly kept quiet and watched as her former love told exuberant stories to the couple.

Since Esme had saved the couple, they met once a week in town to bond more. Arisabel and Jamie grew on Esme, even if she wouldn't admit it. The two got her curious about their lifestyle, and she wanted to understand how different it was for them. Esme had no desire to "play for the blue team" as the ladies had deemed it.

Lately, with her outings with Thor and the ladies, Esme began to feel as though these were more than friendly get-togethers. She got the suspicion that this was almost a second courting between her and Thor.

The two trained out in Esme's backyard, Esme with her daggers, Thor with Stormbreaker. In the time Thor had accepted Esme's offer to stay with him, his physique slowly altered back to the way it once was. His growing beard and hair seemed to remain the same.

"You're getting quicker," Esme noted to Thor.

"I'm getting back to my old form, I'd hope I would be faster on my feet." He took a swing at Esme, to which she ducked under. "Afraid that I'll outmatch you?"

"Never." She took a swipe for his legs, to which he jumped back from. She rolled to her right to avoid his axe, which got buried in the grass beside her. She remained in her crouched position. "Pause for a second."

"Need to catch your breath?"

"No." Esme sat back on the ground, daggers in her lap.

Thor looked down at her, puzzled. "What is it?"

Esme's one leg began to bounce. "This place is too small."

"Your house?"

"The area we live in. The house is fine. We're practically boxed in. Making friends with Arisabel and Jamie has made me realize...maybe we should move someplace else, someplace bigger. Perhaps a city." Esme's eyes brightened.

"Where is this coming from, Esme?"

"I like the routine we're in, but, frankly, it's too repetitive."

"That is the point of a routine."

Esme scowled up at Thor. "There's not much to do around here. In a bigger place, there would be other opportunities! We could find a place that we both can agree on, meet other people—"

"As in, date other people?"

Esme blinked. "I-I wasn't aware...we aren't..." She clamped her mouth shut in fear of babbling. To her, there had been no obvious indications she and the God of Thunder were an item once again. There was no intimate signs, like handholding, or even a shy kiss, or a confession from either one. "Does it feel like old times, with what we're doing?"

"In some ways, yes." Thor set Stormbreaker's head into the grass, leaning on his weapon slightly. "When I came to you, it was to make amends. I believe...I believe something else has been tacked on."

Esme's heart jumped. Was the implication there? She could admit there were faint, underlying feelings she still believed she had for him. Why was it such a stretch that his feelings for her had disappeared altogether? "Even after how we left things last?"

Thor nodded once. "I don't expect the feeling to be mutual, given what's happened. If you would rather be friends, I will respect that wish."

Esme gathered herself on her feet. Did she want to remain on a friendship level with her former flame? Would such a thing be possible? I suppose it is, being how we are now. But Esme recounted the times that Thor's gazes at her were familiar, almost lost looks that she had only ever seen when they had been fully enraptured with each other. "Quite frankly...I'm not sure where I stand."

The two Asgardians remained quiet for a time. Esme was consumed by her thoughts, by questions running in her mind. She couldn't say the same about Thor, though he embraced the silence.

Finally, Esme shook her head. "Let's continue, training, I mean. I'm far from quitting for the day."

Thor nodded almost dutifully, handling his trusted weapon at his side. Esme's heart skipped a beat. While he wasn't fully back to how she remembered him, pieces were there. It was enough to remind her of their better days despite being throwing into danger.

Esme took her stance, daggers at the ready. "Don't go easy on me."

Thor smirked. "Now, wherever would you get that idea?"