Warrior's Heart |Thor|

11. The Storm

Esme wasn't sure if a loud noise or a bad dream broke her from her sleep. When her mind was brought back to the real world, into the dead of night, she realized it was from noise. From a storm that was howling in the skies, crying buckets and buckets of rain.

A loud clap of thunder rattled the bones of Esme's house. A little wary, she scampered out of bed, fast-walking down the hall to her living room. Thor twitched on the couch, but he was muttering something under his breath she couldn't quite catch.

A bright flash of lightning made the night sky look as though it was briefly daytime. Esme's eyes fell to the God of Thunder, who looked as though he was sparking. The sparks did not look like fire sparks, but rather, lightning. So far he didn't set the couch on fire, but if Esme didn't stop him soon...

Cautious, Esme approached the sleeping man on her couch. She wasn't sure how to wake him. The storm was most likely because of him and what he was witnessing in his sleep. A creeping temptation crawled into her mind. If she had her hands on his head without being electrocuted by him, she could see what he saw.

But if Thor was the cause of the storm, and it was this bad, was it worth a peek into the god's mind?

Esme sucked in a breath. She had told Thor she would not pry into his head unless he gave consent. She could not fracture that trust he had with her. What if she enraged him so that he would pick up and leave and travel someplace else, someplace she may not be able to follow? What if he angrily told her to not pursue him and left?

She feared to lose his trust, so she did the next best thing she believed she could: she decided to wake him.

As Esme came into contact with his skin, she gave a loud yelp at the jolt that shocked her system. She tried to shake him awake, but it seemed his electricity was shaking her more. Black spots tinted her vision just as she let go of his arm. As she buckled, she hit the side of the couch, her body spazzing from phantom shocks.

"T-Thor," Esme rasped. "Wake up!" She gave him a hard nudge, and in return received a mild shock.

Another breath sucked in, Esme grabbed him and shook him as much as she could. In the midst of trying to stir him, she cried out in pain. His anger, his fear...it was causing the storm, causing his body to be electric to the touch.

When the God of Thunder finally stirred, he jumped so violently he threw Esme away—definitely not on purpose. She landed on her floor, twitching as though she was being prodded even still.

"Esme?" Thor was over her jerking form. He looked himself over before attempting to pull her into his arms. "Esme, what happened?"

"B-bad dream," she sputtered. "T-tried to wake you. This storm..." On cue, a boom of thunder sounded. "D-does this a-always happen?"

"Unfortunately, it's gotten worse." His mismatched eyes showed hurt. It was almost as though two separate people were in pain. "I'm sorry, I've hurt you again."

"It's not your fault. I tried to wake you, I-I got retaliation for it."

"Let me...let me." Thor gathered Esme from the floor, gently rising to his feet. Esme tried to move Thor's locks of hair from her face. Her legs hung limp over one of his arms. Her body jerked less now. The storm overhead seemed as though it was stilling.

Thor marched down the hall with Esme in his arms until he reached her room. He placed her on her bed and then took perch on the floor at her bedside. Esme peered over, looking solemnly at the God of Thunder. While her bed could fit more than just her, she wasn't sure if inviting him up here was such a great idea.

"Don't beat yourself up about this," she said softly to him. She sighed. "Get up here, now."

With his back turned to her, Thor did not respond.

She pounded her fist against the mattress. "Thor, please." Peering over further, she realized his shoulders were shaking...as though he was crying.

Esme slid down from her bed, sitting cross-legged behind Thor's back. Timidly, she grabbed his shoulder. He did not push her away or tell her to back off. She took the allowance and moved her hand down his back rhythmically.

"You don't have to say a word," she murmured, wishing he had scooted a little closer to allow her to brace her back against her bed. Her hand moved to his stray locks before falling to the floor. "It's okay to be vulnerable, it's what...it's what grounds us. It makes us seem a little less godly, but it makes us understand how humans feel."

Esme heard the softest whimper of a cry from the God of Thunder's mouth. She held back her tears. She would not allow him to see her cry because he started to. She wanted to be strong for him, she wanted to just be there.

That was what Esme did for the night, even after she was sure Thor had stopped sobbing and had actually cried himself to sleep. She did not retire up to her bed in fear of waking him or allowing him to believe he was alone.

Oh, my dear, though you've told me slivers, what have you gone through that has made you so shattered? 

**This chapter is one of the more emotional, I think, throughout this. That's what makes this story so different from my others. There's no Big Bad to go after and stop. This is about two people who are trying to push their way through their trauma, with the help of one another.**