Will brought Ben's hand to his lips while Ben watched with a lazy smile. The morning sun washed them in a warm glow, softening Ben's features. From under his lashes, Will studied his partner. He was a big man, jovial, grounded, and with the gentlest soul. He was a rock to Will's breeze. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the stubble of his white-streaked beard. The freckles Will often traced like constellations in the sky.
"I don't want to get up," Will whined. Ben planted a kiss on top of Will's head and hummed.
"But the children need you," he teased back. His voice still carried lingering traces of sleep, and Will snuggled close.
"Ha, ha," Will said, smacking Ben's chest playfully. "I said that one time."
"Yes, you have such a hero complex," Ben laughed, pulling Will towards him for a kiss. "What if I need a hero?"
Now it was Will's turn to hum as he wrapped his arms around Ben. The kiss was tender, slow, promising more. "I can be your hero too."
"As my hero, I need you to stay." Ben rolled them over suddenly so Will was underneath. "To save me from myself."
Will closed his eyes as Ben leaned down to capture another kiss. He didn't want to leave the warmth of his bed or the comfort of Ben's embrace.
The familiar scent of spices tickled Will's nose. Ben smelled like aftershave and sharp body wash.
Will opened his eyes, and a strand of fiery golden hair tickled his cheek. Scarred lips with a perpetual smirk curled, and serpent-green eyes glittered maliciously.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Loki purred, fingers trailing down Will's chest. Frozen, Will watched as Loki leaned in, their lips sparking when they touched. Then Loki's hands wrapped around Will's neck, squeezing until Will wheezed, scraping desperately at the choke-hold. "Give in to temptation, Will—"
Will awoke with a start, his heart racing in the confines of its cage. An aroma of spices teased his memory, and he swore he heard Loki's cackle in the wind. He pressed a hand to his neck, the ghost of the trickster's hold lingering.
Then he heard tiny voices.
"He's awake," came one voice. Familiar, though Will's mind was too muddied to determine who it was.
"Thor, Mr. P's awake."
"Mr. P? Are you okay?"
"You can't touch him, Deirdre. You'll hurt him."
"Mr. P, did you see the goats? They're so big. There's one called Tansnorffel!"
"That's not his name."
"It is so!"
"Alexandre, Mr. P can't see the goats."
"Thor says his owie probably hurts a lot... Mr. P, does your owie hurt?"
Focusing was difficult. The sky was too bright, and the ground jolted and rocked even with the lack of sun. The rumbling of wheels on gravel was loud, almost drowning out the small voices cluttered around him. Dancing in and out of the corners of his eyes were tiny faces blurred together. Snippets of traits popped out. Red hair. Black braids. A headscarf.
One particular bump and Will gritted his teeth, a whimper escaping. There were gasps and calls for Thor to stop the wagon. So, they were on a wagon. With Thor.
The pieces of memory started to click into place. Loki. Ragnarok. Betrayal. And now Thor.
The wagon stopped, protesting loudly as a large figure climbed aboard. Then a large, round face with a bushy red beard loomed over Will.
"I'm sorry for the rocky journey," came a booming voice. Will felt it in the depths of his bones and winced. "We are going as quick as we can... though it's not easy wrangling all these little ones. How do you do it?"
Will pressed a hand to his forehead, willing the fog to pass. When he opened his eyes again, he tried to pull himself into a sitting position. Thor was there, easing him back against the side of the wagon, worry etched into the deep creases of his ruddy face.
"What happened?" Will asked, panting.
Most of the class crammed into the back of a vehicle that was less of a wagon than a flat chariot. The wood was sturdy, polished with care. Dragging the chariot were two larger-than-average goats currently grazing on the sparse tufts of grass.
The rest of the class had been saddled on the goats. They didn't look too bothered with their seats either. They were stroking the goats' fur, giggling and nudging the animals on the sides.
And then there was Thor. Impressive and intimidating. He was a god of might and power, his temper easily triggered. Yet, he squatted beside Will with the concern of a gentle giant. The children climbed his back, and he didn't even flinch.
"What do you remember?" the god of thunder asked.
"Loki..." Will swallowed, remembering how Loki smirked before disappearing—the glint in his eyes. "Loki betrayed us. He-he brought us to Asgard. The children. Oh, god." Will buried his face in his hands. Their predicament was so much worse than he had ever imagined. "I can't believe this is happening."
Thor sighed. "Children, give your teacher some space. Tend to the goats." Several pairs of tiny feet padded off the wagon and scampered across rock and grass toward the goats.
The god watched the children quietly. They were approaching the battle, the sky growing bleak, the air warmer. Yet, the innocence of children still prevailed. They were the light against the darkness.
"Your children are strong. They will grow to be fine warriors." Will lifted his head, and Thor continued in his sonorous voice. "After Loki left, I carried you to the chariot, and your children insisted on riding with you. They didn't want to leave your side, even though my chariot could only fit half of them. I did what I could to mend your wound, but I am no healer."
Will gingerly touched his side, which was now bandaged. A nasty red stain seeped through the material, and he wondered if Thor's handiwork was helping. His shirt had been removed and replaced by an oversized, billowing tunic he suspected belonged to Thor.
"I think they're braver than me," Will said, eyes finding the children. "They are handling this adventure way better than I could have expected. And now I can't even protect them."
The goats were patient, their tails flicking gently as the kindergarten class tugged on their shaggy fur, squashed their faces, kissed and petted them.
"If I know anything about little ones, it is that they are resilient." Thor climbed to his feet, sprouting into a looming mountain over Will. "Do not discredit yourself, Will Payton. These children would not be handling this as well without an anchor to hold them steady." He laughed suddenly, the sound cracking like thunder. "They even taught me one of your songs. Something about marching ants. You are a clever writer—they were enthusiastic."
Thor hopped off the chariot as Will's brow creased. "Wait...I didn't write that." His words overlapped with the thunder god. "We must move. The Bifrost will not be around forever. Children, climb aboard. The road will be arduous and dark."
Will had no energy to balk at the warning. His class clambered to their positions, squeezing in as close as possible to their teacher. Though eager to help, they watched him warily now that Will was awake. Charlie, sitting closest to Will, wouldn't meet his eyes. She tugged on her braids, her chin resting on her knees.
The sour memory of attacking Loki surfaced, and Will's stomach lurched. His knuckles tingled with ghostly memories of hitting Loki. They were pink and bruising. No wonder the kids were nervous. They'd witnessed their teacher hitting another person. Granted, Loki deserved it, but the children should never have seen Will slip. He shouldn't have let his emotions get the upper hand.
Thor tugged the goats into motion, and Will clenched his jaw against the swaying movement. An ombre sky loomed overhead, powdery blue fading into a stormy grey. Worry gnawed at the edges of Will's mind, distant concerns about where they were riding. At least they had Thor, though could one god stand between a war and a kindergarten class?
"Little mice, can I have your attention?" Will asked, tapping his ears. The children tapped their ears and squeaked quietly. "I'm sorry for what you saw at the school. I was angry by what Loki did, but that doesn't mean I should have hit him."
"He hurt you, but he's not bad." Charlie shifted so she faced her teacher. Her dark eyes were shining behind her scratched glasses.
"No, Charlie, Loki is bad." Will sighed and pressed his head to the wall of the chariot. "He wanted to hurt all of us."
Charlie was on her feet, so suddenly it was a wonder she didn't topple over. "No, he didn't. He's just lonely."
"Charlie—"
"Mr. P, listen with your ears." She wiggled Will's ears. "You don't listen to us 'cause we're kids. Loki doesn't want to be the bad guy, but everyone makes him one, so he keeps doing bad things."
Charlie crossed her little arms, and she looked so much older than her age would suggest. Thor glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised, while Will stared at the child, stunned. She was already a force to be reckoned with at five years old.
"How do you know that?" the teacher asked in an airy whisper.
"'Cause I asked if he was lonely," Charlie shrugged as if it were the most obvious answer. "And he said he was. He said he liked having us with him 'cause he wasn't lonely anymore. And you hurt him and chased him away." Her lips puckered in a tight pout. "What if he's scared, like us?"
Scared? Will doubted that. Loki, with his casual, mischievous ways. He was a god. He wasn't scared of anything. And he was the one who trapped the kindergarten class in war-torn Asgard. If anything, Loki was selfish. Cruel. Perhaps lonely, though that was beside the point.
Not that Will said any of that to Charlie. There was no point in pushing the argument further. Instead, Will nodded and patted the space beside him. There was a moment of hesitation before Charlie returned to her spot, tucking her knees under her chin.
"Whether lonely or not, he still brought us here and put us all in danger." Will rolled his bruised hand into a fist, his nails leaving half-moon teeth marks in his palm. "I promise I'll get you out of here alive. You'll see your parents again." Even if he died trying.
The children in the chariot all faced him with hope and determination. But that was the end of the conversation, for Thor drew the chariot to a halt. He glanced at Will.
Using the chariot edge as support, Will climbed to his feet. His vision darkened for a terrifying moment, but then it passed. With one hand resting on the chariot and the other pressed against his side, Will took in their surroundings.
The high-towered city was now to their right. It pressed against the mountains illuminated by a great fire raging through the forest at its base. From where Will stood, it looked like the fire was trying to take the mountains down.
If the fire wasn't enough, the thunderous battle raging before it was. Suddenly, their journey home seemed impossible.
"Now comes the hard part," the thunder god remarked.
Another chapter! Woohoo!! I don't have a word count image yet because I intend to edit (as usual xD) but next chapter I will meet the 20k mark! This story has been so much fun to write. That's all I can say. Just super-duper proud of it and loving every moment, even the editing process haha.
As for the mythy bits, I have so much to talk about but no clue where to start... I'll have to table this for the next couple of chapters! Unless you, dear readers, have something you would like me to cover!
For now, though, enjoy the latest chapter :)