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The two were deep in an animated chat when Lily glanced up and spotted Arthur. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then sprang to her feet. "You're back!"
She started to dart toward him but caught herself, remembering Frigga was still in the room and dialed back her enthusiasm.
Frigga had already picked up on Arthur's footsteps and rose gracefully. Casting an amused look at Lily, she turned to Arthur. "You've returned, child?"
"Yeah."
Arthur nodded, strolling over to Lily. He playfully tapped her nose before addressing Frigga. "It's all taken care of."
Frigga exhaled softly. "That's a relief."
Lily stole a curious glance at Frigga. She'd crashed at the place for a night, but Frigga was still mostly a mystery to her.
Arthur had clued her in on his mission before he left, and if Frigga was tied up in it, she clearly wasn't your average guest.
"Caught you staring," Arthur teased Lily with a grin. "Let me make the intros. This is Frigga— queen of Asgard, Odin's wife."
He knew she'd be dying to know more.
Lily's eyes went wide. "The... queen? Like, ruler of the godly realm? So you're a goddess?"
"The line between mortal and divine isn't as thick as you'd think," Frigga said with a warm smile. "We both wrestle with cares and chaos. And someone like your boyfriend here has a knack for sorting it out."
"No way— I actually bunked with a goddess," Lily murmured, still processing. She gave Arthur a light pinch. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Didn't want to freak you out," Arthur said. "But now it's out there. Looked like you two were hitting it off— were you schooling the queen in kitchen tricks?"
"Wait, do gods even eat?" Lily's brain was already racing ahead.
Arthur paused, then smirked. "Not only do they eat, they drink too. Some of them are total lushes— always raiding my stash."
"Thor would never guess his buddy's throwing shade like that," Frigga said, chuckling again.
"Thor?" Lily perked up instantly. "Who's that?"
"Her son," Arthur said, nodding at Frigga. "The hammer-swinging guy from the Battle of New York. He'll probably swing by to see you soon."
"Since you're back, I suppose I should..."
Frigga's face shifted subtly mid-sentence. "He just..."
Arthur shut his eyes briefly and nodded. "It's fine. He saw it coming."
A flicker of sorrow crossed Frigga's features. "I need to go to him."
"Hold up," Arthur said. "Thor still needs to see you. Keep this under wraps for now. Time's tight, and I think he'd want some quiet moments with you here on Earth. Even a few years could show him the good in life."
Frigga studied Arthur closely. "You carry something of his."
Arthur gave a small nod.
"He trusts you," Frigga said, her smile returning. "That means all of Asgard does too. I'll go along with your plan— I won't tell Thor."
Arthur nodded back, then added, "After Thor visits, I'll get you to him. I need his help too. Got a question for him— how do I get to Hel?"
"Hell?"
Lily jolted upright. "Why the heck would you want to go to Hell? Quick— knock on wood or something!"
Frigga tilted her head, puzzled. What was this "knock on wood" business?
Arthur chuckled and clarified, "It's a little Earth habit— say something unlucky, then do a gesture to dodge the bad vibes."
"Oh."
Frigga smiled, then raised a curious brow. "So why the sudden urge to go? Last time, you fought tooth and nail to avoid it."
"You've been there?" Lily whipped her head toward Arthur, then flashed a sheepish grin at Frigga, feeling a bit rude for cutting in.
But this guy was her whole world— news like that was impossible to ignore.
"It's fine," Frigga reassured her. "To mortals, Hel's some distant abyss, a one-way trip for the dead. But for us, it's just another stop— you visit, you leave, no big deal."
Lily's eyes ballooned as she stared at Arthur.
He tweaked her nose playfully and said, "I've got some business with Hela. I'm not naive enough to think a chat will fix everything, but it's a start toward sorting things out."
Frigga let out a quiet sigh. "Maybe he's already figured it all out. We're getting on in years, powerless against the tides these days. All we can do is root for you and hope you come out on top."
Arthur gave a small nod.
Frigga glanced between him and Lily. "Well, I'll head back to my room now. The time's yours, you young ones."
With that, she turned and glided out.
The living room settled into silence, just Arthur and Lily left. She looped her arms around his, and they sank onto the couch together.
No words— just a quiet exchange of looks, each glance making the other seem more magnetic.
Out of nowhere, Lily cracked up. "This is ridiculous."
"What's up?" Arthur asked, thrown off.
"I don't know, I just feel... absurdly giddy," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. His presence wrapped her in calm, and a soft, content smile curved her lips. "I'm too scared to ask how dangerous it gets for you out there. As long as you make it back to me, that's enough. You know, I was floored just now—she's a queen, a literal goddess, and she trusts you like that. To a lot of people, you might outshine a god. But to me, you'll always be that scruffy guy I found sprawled in a dumpster, no ID, some off-the-grid drifter. I used to stress about SHIELD or the cops sniffing you out. Kept me up at night. Now? It's all so far beyond what I could've pictured—no worries left."
She nestled against his shoulder, her voice steady and warm, no edge to it, just a rare sincerity that laid her heart bare.
Arthur's eyes wandered off into the distance, and he suddenly mused, "Hey, what if we thought about upgrading to a new place down the line?"
(End of this chapter)