With your head bowed, you let Thor lead you through the great hall, along the long table.

Curious eyes turned, looking for an answer as to why the son of Odin was in the company of an insignificant person.

Again and again you recognised faces or details that revealed which god it was that you were passing.

Thor wasn't phased by a single one of them. Of course not, after all, he was a son of Odin and the god of thunder.

People feared him for who he was.

When you reached the end of the table, you paused for a moment. In front of you was the wall with the sign where you had seen the stranger before.

A strange feeling made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

But there was no one there.

"You seem to have a keen sense for difficult people.", there was a smirk in Thor's voice. "My brother often stands here."

"Heimdall is an observer.", a soft, feminine voice sounded. "Unlike you, my love."

Your eyes didn't leave the shield on the wall.

A woman stepped out of the soft shadows of the tall pillars.

She was tall, of divine stature, with bright blue eyes. Long hair fell over her shoulder, almost like a rope, the colour of ripe grain.

She could have looked very much like Heimdall if it had been more golden.

His was of a nobler shade.

She, on the other hand, seemed down-to-earth and gentle.
Just like a mother.

With a deep breath you managed to tear your eyes away from the spot that seemed so familiar to glance at the woman from the corner of your eyes.

Her body was marked with deep blue ink. Patterns and symbols danced across her pale skin and made it look like her body had a story to tell.

You wondered if Heimdall also had tattoos on his skin.

At least Thor was tattooed, as was his wife. Certainly the Allfather was also adorned with ink. And Baldur too had been known for the art on his body.

So there was no reason why Heimdall did not also wear images on your body.

For some reason, however, you found it hard to imagine.

He was so vain. He seemed to loathe even a simple touch if it meant getting dirty. For sure he would never let a needle touch him.

"Why are you frowning, child?", the woman asked with a curious smile. "What are you thinking about?"

Torn from your thoughts, you blinked.

"Nothing, my lady.", you said and bowed in greeting.

She smirked.

"My name is Sif.", she glanced at Thor. "Goddess of the harvest."

"Wife of the Thor.", the God of Thunder said with a gentle expression in his eyes and took her hand to breathe a kiss on the back.

Sif smiled softly and raised her hand to stroke her husband's cheek.

His eyes fell shut. Tired, he exhaled a deep breath as he pressed himself into the warmth of her hand.

It was easy to see that they loved each other dearly.

For some reason, something tightened in your chest at the sight.

"My lord?", you asked, carefully.

Thor's eyes opened again.

Clearing his throat, he switched sites to stand next to his wife.

"Apologies.", Sif said and placed a hand on her husband's chest. "I'm sure he didn't invite you to make you uncomfortable."

You smiled.

"I'm not.", you said. "I admire a love like this."

Her eyebrows rose with interest.

"What exactly? The harmony? Patience?"

"The feeling of being so familiar with someone, it makes everything seem perfectly fine.", you said without thinking about it. "I... I wish to find someone like this one day."

"Perfect people don't exist.", the goddess of harvest chuckled. "Everyone has flaws."

Thor let out a low hum that sounded both slightly embarrassed and apologetic.

You shook your head.

"I'm not looking for perfection, my lady.", you said and let your eyes wander away from her to hide the embarrassment that started to make your cheeks glow. "All I wish for is to find someone who understands. And in return I will be able to understand. A partnership isn't perfection at all. But it's the successful challenges that make it worth every imperfection."

Agreeing, Sif raised her chin and nodded.

"True words for such a small mortal.", she said.

Thor, however, didn't seem to agree.

With his eyebrows knitted together and a grim expression on his face he had to keep himself from baring his teeth.

"A word of advice then.", he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to give it a loving squeeze. "Don't seek challenges that don't need to be taken."

You gifted him a confused smile.

"Pardon?", you asked, distracted by a quick movement behind the god of thunder.

"I'm talking about Heimdall.", Thor said with the mosh disgust imaginable in his voice. "He will challenge you. But he won't make anything be worth it."

Unable to respond anything, you couldn't help but let out a small huff. A smile got stuck on your face.

"I... I'm not sure what you want to tell me, lord Thor.", you mumbled. "Your brother and I have no connection to one another."

"He was with you when you helped me after the brawl."

"We met by accident."

He shook his head slightly.

"Heimdall leaves nothing to chance. If he was with you, it was because he planned it."

All the more confused, you squeezed your eyes shut and had to take a deep breath.

"But... what reason could he have?", you asked and looked at Sif, hoping she would find kinder words for her brother-in-law.

But there was resentment in her eyes too.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her shoulders and shook her head.

"It is hard to know what the god of foresight intends when only he knows everything.", she tried to avoid having to say a good word about him. "But you must know that he can be cruel. One day he is your friend. And another day he would not hesitate to plunge a blade into your back."

Your lips opened. The beginning of an answer was already on the tip of your tongue.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind you.

"I have not the slightest interest in making friends with a miserable human.", Heimdall replied snappishly.