" i crave a love that drowns oceans. "
Ash had been sent on another mission, this time to London, he was told to investigate suspicious activity that had been similar to what happened in New Mexico. He arrived in the quinjet and walked into the building. Using his powers, he found that people were there. The closer he went the more he heard voices.
"I wanna throw something! Jane, gimme your shoe!"
He poked his head in and saw Jane Foster looking down a spiralling staircase. The girl she was with looked over at him and gasped.
"Uh... Do you remember Agent Stark?" She asked.
"Yeah...?" Jane said confusedly.
Ash appeared with his hands in the air and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Hello, I'm not here to take anything important I swear. I'm just here to investigate potential otherworldly threats." He said awkwardly.
"Seems legit. I'm Darcy." The girl smiled.
Ash smiled and shook her hand, to which she made a comment about his strength.
"So, you're here to investigate and that's it?" Jane questioned.
"Yep." Ash smiled, walking off to where he was told the disturbances were.
Jane followed him and after a minute of walking, he suddenly stopped, holding a hand out to make sure she stayed where she was.
"I'm gonna scout ahead, something doesn't feel right." He said.
She nodded and did as told, Ash went ahead and walked through a wall. He suddenly found himself in a dark, desolate cavern. He looked around in confusion and found a stone pillar with red glowing from within it.
"What the hell is that?" He whispered.
"Beats me." Nicotine said.
It made all sorts of chirping noises and it sounded as though it were whispering. Against his better judgement, Ash walked towards it and suddenly, it burst out at him and he felt it rip up his hand. The stone slammed together, making him jump, he stepped backwards and suddenly, everything started to turn black.
Some time later, Ash woke up on the ground to the sound of thunder and rain. He groaned and got up, running out of the building and into the outdoors. Jane ran up to him.
"What the hell happened? You disappeared for five hours!" She exclaimed.
Darcy jogged over and looked at him nervously.
"Can you handle the police? I called them but they're kinda asking a lot of questions I don't really know how to answer." She said.
Then it stopped raining above them, Ash looked up in confusion and then Darcy pointed behind him. He turned around and saw Thor, he smiled and walked over to him.
"Ash-" Thor started but was interrupted by Ash pulling him in for a kiss.
Thor kissed back immediately and put his hand on Ash's face, deepening the kiss. After a few moments, they pulled away and pressed their foreheads together.
"You were away for a year, what happened?" Ash asked.
"The nine realms erupted into chaos, I had to stop it." Thor replied.
Ash smiled, "Hm, guess that's the prince life, huh?" He said.
"For Asgard, yes. But I think it's different for Earth." Thor chuckled.
"Um, I'm pretty sure we are getting arrested!" Darcy called, running over to them.
Ash's eyes widened and he rushed off, Thor smiling at him fondly.
"Are you Agent Stark?" The police officer questioned.
"Uh yes, I've been given permission to investigate the area." Ash replied.
"You have, but Miss Foster hasn't. She'll be coming with us." The officer said, putting his hand on Jane's shoulder to usher her away.
"Hold on-" Ash started, trying to take his hand away from her, to which he reacted quickly and suddenly, red ripped out of Ash's body, causing everyone close enough to be blasted back, including himself.
He pulled himself off the ground as Thor ran over, he helped him up but he nearly fell to the ground when an agonising pain ripped through his body. He screamed and it felt as though Nicotine was battling whatever was inside him. Thor immediately called for the bifrost and as soon as they arrived, Ash crashed into the floor, red and dark blue rippling in and out of him in chaos.
"Heimdall! Get the healers!" Thor yelled.
Ash's eyes swirled between black, white and red. He looked at Thor in fear and let out another scream of pain, Nicotine's blue form was being ever so slowly pushed out of his body as he let out another scream. Within the chaos he could barely hear the sounds of fast footsteps approaching, in his hazy watery eyes he could see the form of a woman putting her hands on both sides of his face and the next thing he saw was black.
***
He awoke to a stillness within himself, to which he was grateful but he couldn't feel Nicotine, to which he immediately panicked. His eyes focused and he saw he was in a place unfamiliar to him, which made him panic more, Thor was at his side and gripped his shoulders.
"Ash! Everything is fine!" He shouted.
"Where's Nicotine? I-I can't feel him-" Ash breathed out, shaking wildly.
"He's fine! He was put to sleep so you wouldn't be torn apart." Thor said quickly.
Ash looked at him, searching for any lie and he couldn't find one.
"My words are mere noises that you ignore them completely?"
Thor looked up at his father and Ash sat up, feeling the tension and becoming uncomfortable.
"He is ill." Thor protested.
"He is mortal. Illness is their defining trait." Odin said.
"I brought him here because we can help him." Thor said and Ash could feel him becoming angrier.
"He does not belong here on Asgard any more than a goat at the banquet table." Odin snapped, completely insulting Ash.
He stared at him in shock and Thor balled his fists.
"Something is within him, Father. Something I have not seen before. Surely, Mother told you what happened?" Thor protested again.
"His world has its healers. They're called doctors, let them deal with it. Guards, take him back to Midgard." Odin ordered.
"No, would not-!" Thor started.
The guards were blasted back and Ash panted heavily, Thor went to his side and looked at him worriedly.
"Ash, are you alright?" He asked.
"Yeah..." Ash replied.
Odin used magic to look at his arm, finding the red swirling over dormant blue.
"The infection... It's defending him." The healer concluded.
"No. It's defending itself." Thor said.
"Come with me."
Odin led Thor and Ash through to explain the history of the Aether which was the thing that was inhabiting Ash. Afterwards, he was given Asgardian clothing, which he changed into. He and Thor went for a walk together, holding hands. They stopped at a banister and Thor kissed Ash's hand.
"Ever the romantic." Ash chuckled.
"I am when I'm with you." Thor smiled.
Ash smiled and kissed him, they pressed their foreheads together again and looked into each other's eyes.
"Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt I love." Ash said.
Thor gazed at him with a deep love and admiration, "That was beautiful." He said.
"It's Shakespeare, Hamlet actually. I was a theatre geek as a teenager." Ash chuckled.
"Really?" Thor grinned.
"Yep... What's gonna happen to me and Nicotine?" Ash asked.
"I'll find a way to save you both." Thor told him.
"But your father said-" Ash started.
"My father doesn't know everything." He interrupted.
"Don't let him hear you say that."
Thor and Ash looked up to see Frigga walking over.
"Ash, this is my mother, Frigga, Queen of Asgard." Thor introduced.
Ash smiled and waved awkwardly.
"Are you alright? You're lucky to have survived that ordeal at the Bifrost." Frigga asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little shaken up." Ash smiled.
Suddenly, chaos erupted from the dungeons, Thor went to deal with it while Ash stayed with Frigga. Ash had a bad feeling about this. He was taken somewhere secure while Frigga used magic to make sure he wasn't taken by the Dark Elves. While he was in another room, he heard yelling a loud bang, and as soon as he arrived, Frigga was dead. Moments later, Thor left the room, Ash followed him and grabbed his hand, quickly pulling him into a hug. Thor hugged back and buried his face into Ash's neck, crying quietly.