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“Heimdall!” The prince yelled as he walked the last few feet of the Bifrost, entering the observatory he knew all too well. Impatient, Thor whipped his head around, not seeing his friend yet. “I know you know I’m here, show yourself.”
An amused Heimdall was sorting the objects in a side room, but he was well aware that Thor was there. Brushing off a sword, he looked to see that the man was shirtless. And sweating. And very determined to find him. He tried to look away to go back to his work but was getting engrossed in watching the blond check around the place in vain.
Without realizing it Heimdall had ended up just leaning on the shelf in the room, a smile tugging at the side of his face as Thor kept calling for him; once a desperate Thor checked inside a box for him, Heimdall laughed before opening up the door and walking into the main observatory. “Your Highness?”
Thor turned around quicker than he should’ve, and Heimdall bit down on a laugh. “Yes, Yes. Hello, Heimdall.” He crossed his arms, nodding at him in substitute for an explanation to his presence.
Heimdall nodded back. “You’re sweating.”
“I walked here.”
“Why would you do that?”
Thor’s eyes glanced up for a second, cheeks reddening. “For exercise, you know? After being on Midgard I learned that it’s important, so I’ve been doing some. And then, you know, Mjolnir is in the shop, being …” Thor’s eyes glanced away again.
“Polished.”
Heimdall’s face was straight, but he looked to see that no, Mjolnir was lying on top of Thor’s bed. Along with an undershirt. “Your Highness …”
Thor’s lips pursed. “Heimdall, not this again. I’ve known you for centuries … ”
This time a smirk tugged. “ Thor . Where’s your shirt?”
“Servants are running the wash,” the blond shrugged.
Heimdall still fought the urge to laugh, but he was smiling at this point. Thor looked nervous at that, and Heimdall stepped forward, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Why are you here?” he chuckled, and he glanced down to see Thor release a breath, glancing back to notice his face returning to normal shade.
“I wanted to ask you a question,” he smiled, and Heimdall nodded. “About the stars. But not these stars, the other stars on the far ends of the realms?”
Heimdall’s brows pursed, but he was still amused. “Didn’t you ask me about them last week?”
Thor pouted. “Okay, maybe, but these aren’t the ones in the seventh sector, I’m asking about the ones in the fifteenth . And I really did here that another one exploded last week, and I missed the big one in the Midgardian Middle Ages, and you describe them better than anyone, so will you please look? For me?” He made his ‘sympathy’ face, and Heimdall could swear he crossed his arms a bit tighter.
Regardless, Heimdall was already looking up to see what Thor was talking about, walking over to his telescope and waving over Thor. He did appreciate the effort though, and he mused over that realization as he adjusted the instrument, noticing the prince leaning into his line of view.
“Do you see anything yet?”
Heimdall shook his head no, and Thor sighed – him having forgotten to move back before doing so, Heimdall’s eyes very briefly spaced out before snapping back into place, finally locating the sector they had been discussing earlier. Not surprisingly, there was nothing. Just like last time.
“The stars are fine, Your Highness.” Thor opened his mouth to correct him before noticing the smirk that Heimdall had finally allowed himself to posses, and he shut it again, cheeks pinking but still looking at Heimdall. “You don’t see anything up there?” he asked again, softer, and Heimdall’s smirk dropped, replaced by a fond look. “Do you want to look for yourself?”
Thor nodded, and Heimdall moved over to give him space.
The prince bent down, adjusting himself so his eyes were in sight. Heimdall watched him do so, then looking up to the same spot. “Anything else of interest, Thor?”
“... No,” the blond admitted, looking over for anything worth asking about. “The stars look lovely though. As always.”
“You have a fair point,” Heimdall returned, allowing his gaze to wander around the stars and constellations in views, wondering if Thor was doing the same.
“Yes, they remind me your eyes. All shiny and that.”
Heimdall smiled. “Why thank you.”
“Loki never understood why I liked looking at constellations and all, but you get it, right Heimdall?” Thor asked, getting up and turning to face his friend. “There’s just something about looking at these constellations and celestial bodies that’s … grounding. They’re so far and big and absolutely devoid of any obligations and time restraints as we are. And especially for a prince , someone who’s constantly being overpraised and overburdened – it does something to you, Heimdall. I don’t want to to get ahead of myself, but I can’t allow myself to put my importance out of proportion.”
Thor kept walking forward, his eyes shifting between Heimdall’s and his own hands, wildly moving along with the speech. Heimdall kept still.
“But everyone is constantly telling me ‘ oh Thor, you’ll be the greatest king of Asgard ’ or ‘ Thor, you’ll be a grand protector of the Nine Realms ’, and it’s a lot , Heimdall. It’s a lot. And the stars above … they don’t give a damn about it. Or anything. So I like to look at them – I like focusing on things that keep me out of my own rapidly inflating ego.”
Still listening, Heimdall put his hands on Thor’s elbows, stopping him from moving any closer. And they were quite close: their noses were within three inches of each other, bodies parallel. For someone who could see all occuring in the Nine Realms, he hadn’t seen this coming. Nor could he see anything else. Taking a pause to look away, collecting himself, he turned back to see Thor’s eyes, steady on his own.
“Your Highness?”
“You don’t see me like that, do you, Heimdall?” Thor’s eyes furrowed, and his voice dropped, softening. Heimdall knew him well enough to know that he was nervous – that pained him, the fact that Thor didn’t know whether or not he’d answer right. “You wouldn’t inflate my ego for the sake of it? Because I like talking to you precisely because you don’t do that, but once I take the throne … not that I would blame you, but –”
“Thor, I assure you, I will always see you as nothing more than a flaming ball of gas,” Heimdall replied, straight-faced, and Thor grinned. “Is that what you came for?”
“I didn’t come for anything in particular,” he admitted, nose scrunching up in humor, and Heimdall rolled his eyes. “But I like what I got.”
However, Heimdall wasn’t finished. “You will be king one day, that’s unavoidable.” Thor winced at the thought, and moved his right arm to the prince’s bicep, squeezing it a bit in sympathy. “However,” he insisted, looking into those blue irises, “you’ll be great. Not because you’ll be a good king, but because you care beyond the throne. You wish to be one of the people, which makes you a better ruler than someone who wants the throne in itself. I’m glad you think that way, and I’m glad I help you with that.”
“Do you? Because you called me a flaming ball of gas moments earlier Heimdall, I’m sure that’s treasonous in some book …”
Heimdall rolled his eyes once more – Thor’s nose was closer now, but he couldn’t remember who caused that. “You’re a good man, Thor. You’re considerate, and kind, and brave, and self-reflective, and ....” Heimdall’s eyes glanced down to remember that Thor was still shirtless – funny how that had escaped him – and he looked back up. “ … and well built, I’m sure that’s also important.”
Thor smiled. “Glad you noticed.”
Heimdall didn’t have anything else to stay, and neither did Thor, but neither one seemed to mind. They stood like that for a while, and Thor was about to either speak or bridge that one inch (Heimdall’s feelings on such an occurrence were undecided, but not for long) because their noses lightly bumped.
Then the doorbell rang, and both of their heads whipped towards it; still holding on to each other’s arms, the moment was gone. Thor bit his lip, and Heimdall sighed.
“What do you need?” he yelled, refusing to move towards the door.
“The prince is gone,” called out Skurge, and Thor’s eyes widened – he took a hand and turned Heimdall’s face towards his own, shaking his head. “I have to attend a meeting on appeasing the council members and those make me want to jump off the bridge, please don’t tell them I’m here.”
Heimdall nods. “Haven’t seen him,” he called back out.
“Could you look?”
“Just did!”
Thor’s holding in a breath, and the two wait before Skurge starts banging on the door. Heimdall sighs, releasing Thor and walking towards the closet he was in earlier.
“You can hide in here. It’s pretty small but there’s a light, and …” Heimdall reaches in, sifting around until he finds a bundle and fabric and presses it to Thor’s chest. “A shirt . One of mine, but it’ll do.” Thor nods gratefully, stepping inside. Heimdall starts to push it open, but Thor pokes an arm out.
“And then you’ll come for me?”
“While leaving you in there for whenever I want is intriguing ,” Heimdall starts, and Thor grins, “yes, your Highness, I’ll come for you.”
“Be quick?”
“You’ll hardly notice I’m gone,” he assures him, closing the closet before walking towards the entrance and letting Skurge in.
“I’m telling you, I don't know where he is …“