"(Y/N), you will accompany me to the party tonight, will you not?"
"Of course, dear brother. I have nowhere that I would rather be than celebrating your victory with your friends." Your voice lowered a bit and you were slightly embarrassed at the question you were about to ask. "Thor, will Steve be in attendance?"
He paused, setting Mjolnir next to him on the nearby table. "Well, well, do we have a bit of a crush on the Captain?" He took a few steps towards you, but you tried to hide the flush in your cheeks and turned away. "You do! I can see it even though you hide. Would you prefer that I tell him?"
"No! Thor, no! Don't you dare." Spinning on your heel to face him again, you grabbed his shirt to hold him in front of you. "If I find that you've told him, my wonderfully mischievous brother, you shall live to regret it." Your free hand reached down and lifted the hammer, holding it in his face. "And the only one left to wield this in all the realms will be me."
~~~
The party was in full swing when you arrived. You never wanted to be the first to arrive or the last to leave, so you would gauge your time spent here on the dissipation of the crowd. Unless, of course, you found a better reason to stay; as if on cue, Steve was in your line of vision, enjoying a game of pool with Sam. You were too nervous to approach him, so you took a seat at the bar and decided to calm yourself first.
"I need the strongest drink that you can provide. Your alcohol is no stronger than water when compared to our Asgardian mead."
"Enjoying the party, (Y/N)?" You wobbled on your chair a bit when Steve approached, feeling a surge of adrenaline as your nerves began to build. To look at him was taking a risk that you might never look away. His eyes mesmerized you, so much so that it had been well over a minute since he had asked the question.
"(Y/N)?"
"Sorry," you shook your head to clear your mind, "yes, forgive me. I am having a pleasant evening, thank you."
"Would you care to dance?" He held his hand out to you, but you didn't take it immediately even though you wanted nothing more than to do so.
"Yes...well, yes...I would love to." He took your hand, his own soft and warm as his fingers intertwined with yours. He gave you a small spin before pulling you close to him, swaying softly and slowly. "Steve, before it is made known to you by means other than myself, there's something that I would like to tell you."
"I know"
"What do you mean?" Your nerves were growing more evident now, with a small tremor beginning in your hands as you held onto him. "What do you know, Steve?"
The song came to an end before he could answer, and the guests soon began to leave. He kept hold on one of your hands, choosing to lead you to the couches where the team had begun to congregate. Thor was sitting across from you, and when he saw Steve take a seat next to you, a smirk crossed his lips.
"Okay, so if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?" Tony asked, approaching the hammer resting on the table.
"Yes, of course."
You looked back and forth from Tony to Thor, unclear about what was happening. Tony stepped up to the hammer and pulled, with no success. "Be right back."
"What's going on here? Why is he trying to lift Mjolnir?"
Maria looked up at you from her seat on the floor, laughing at her boss' failure. "It's a testosterone battle, (Y/N). They're trying to figure out who's worthy enough to lift it, but really," she leaned in close to you, her voice lowered, "it's all for show."
Several attempts came after; Tony and Rhodey had no success at all, even working together with gauntlets from their respective suits. Bruce failed but tried to play it off as not being able to use his Hulk strength. Each attempt drew more laughter from the group than the one before.
"Steve," Thor called out, "I have a proposition for you, if you care to accept."
The Captain looked up from his drink, having tried his best to stay out of the competition playing out before him. "Okay?"
"If you can lift Mjolnir," he pointed at you with a mischievous look, "only then will I allow you to court my sister."
Steve's face was immediately red as he looked at you, your expression showing the equal amount of shock at your brother's words. Apparently Thor didn't take your threat of murder very seriously when you had talked earlier. Steve's face quickly changed to a smile and a sparkle in his eyes as he thought about what Thor was offering. Now you were worried.
"Deal." He stood and clapped his hands together, readying himself to make the attempt.
"Steve, you really don't have to do this."
Ignoring your words, he pushed his sleeves up and stood before the hammer; he took a long, deep breath and wrapped his hands around the handle. He looked at you with a crooked grin, and pulled with all of his strength. When it shifted it's weight and began to move, ever so slightly, you saw the fear in your brother's eyes.
Clearing your throat just enough to get his attention, you moved your head with the slightest motion, your eyes trying to convey that he should stop. He gave it one more pull, but you could see that his effort was only for show to satisfy the group. You could see Thor's entire body relax when Steve raised his hands in defeat and stepped away to return to his seat next to you.
"Ha! Nothing!"
"You know, Steve, all you had to do was ask. This demonstration was quite unnecessary."
He leaned in close to you, trying to keep his voice to a whisper, his breath so warm in your ear that it sent shivers through your body. "Why did you stop me? I was just about to lift it."
"Because you can have me either way. I already know that you are more than worthy, and my brother's opinion has no bearing on that."
"Then how else am I supposed to impress you?"
You smiled at him and stood with your hand extended for him to take, "I have an idea." You pulled him along with you as you walked towards Thor, stopping at the table that held Mjolnir. With a raised eyebrow and a smirk towards him, you easily lifted the hammer and turned to Steve. "Lift me," you whispered.
Understanding what you were doing, allowing Steve to win the bet and allowing Thor to maintain his security, he swooped you up quickly into his arms as you casually swung the hammer effortlessly. Thor's eyes were wide, and the group clapped and laughed at the realization of what had just happened.
"Come, love. Let the courting begin."