Chapter Text
October 1933 -Tønsberg, Norway
Once upon a time, an Asgardian came to Earth for war, fell in love with mankind, and stayed in peace.
When the Frost Giants invaded, Asgard followed to protect the realm of men. They won the war, and sent the armies of Jotunheim scrambling back. Asgard followed across the stars and took the fight to their world of ice. The King of Asgard found a baby and began a series of events that would shake the universe to its core. Decades later, an arrogant Prince came to Earth for his role in war, fell in love with a woman, and stayed for peace.
Before the son of Odin, however, there was another.
The tale was recorded by a monk, a story told by his lovestruck sister. It became a common bedtime story in Tønsberg, where it was whispered that this Warrior first stepped onto Earth, an army of gods sent to stop the cold from destroying life itself.
Some things were lost in the translations, to time and to retelling and different tongues, the morals and memories of man. But some details remained as constant as the stone in the Tønsberg church. Including his moniker - the Warrior Who Stayed.
The truth, however, is always stranger than fiction.
The Warrior Who Stayed became the Warrior Who Wandered. He did not fall in love with a Midgardian woman, as some versions of the tale claimed. He fell in love with Midgard itself, with its people and seas and night time skies.
Though, of course, he occasionally loved a man or woman on the side.
Several centuries after the battle against the Frost Giants, in a little town that was once a smaller village, the Warrior returned. There was a woman there, bright and beautiful with golden hair and a shining laugh. She was the only daughter of the Church Keeper, the guardian of secrets that were meant to be buried, of gods and powers far beyond any mere mortal.
And she, clever and bright and beautiful as she was, recognized who the Warrior truly was. It might not have been true love, but it was something. No matter what it was, it not enough to keep the Warrior Who Stayed there in that small village.
With a single kiss and a single night spent with her, the Warrior Who Stayed became the Warrior Who Left.
He did, however, leave something behind - a little girl born over half a year after the Warrior left. She had the blood of Valhalla in her veins, the stars in her eyes, and the strength of gods in her hands.
And that was the story Astrid Soren grew up hearing, as her blood sang of stars and gods and a life beyond her own.
December 2013 - London, England
Thor Odinson was not used to roommates.
He had spent his considerable lifespan with a suite of rooms for himself, with servants and maids keeping it clean. He had not shared a room since he and Loki were children. Frigga had ended that arrangement when they'd been fairly young after one too many incidents of stabbing.
Loki claimed he snored. Thor thought he was full of shit. Frigga decided that she was not dealing with it, and separated them.
But living with roommates in a place far smaller than he was used to was a beast of another measure. Especially when he couldn’t fit into the shower without standing sideways.
To be fair, when he returned to Midgard only days after he left, there were four people already living in the flat. His addition turned into what seemed like seven, considering his size and eating habits. Selvig had been the first to move out, after accepting a position at the University of Cambridge, following proof that he was perhaps not completely insane. Dark Elves attacking London en force seemed proof enough to restore the credibility lost after New York. Ian had returned to student housing, though he was at the flat daily and had his own key.
That left him, Jane, and Darcy as roommates. And even that was a challenge. To their credit, though, they were managing it. For the most part.
“Dammit, Thor, stop leaving the dixie cups on the sink! The trash is right there!”
Yes, living with roommates took some getting used to.
“It was not me this time,” Thor called out from where he stood on the balcony, leaning forward against the railing. In the month he’d been on Earth, this was a place he spent much of his time, looking out at this world of man he was making his own.
It was different compared to the views of Asgard he had back in the palace at home, but the thought of watching the world was the same. And London was new to him still, the lights and the laughter and movement of the city, even as the December chill started to hit.
He did like London. He was glad to be there. And Thor was grateful for the life he’d built there - and what was quickly approaching.
“You sure? Because it’s been you every other time, Thor.”
She wasn't wrong. Thor gave a genuine chuckle, standing up and moved back into the living room. “I promise, Darcy, I did not leave the cup on the sink.”
He glanced down the hallway, where Darcy was emerging from the apartment’s single bathroom. A simple white dress was over her arm, and she now had a small red ball in her mouth, the multicolored heads of needles poking out of it. She scowled at him, dropping the small red ball onto the couch before scowling over at him.
“We’re gonna housebreak you yet,” Darcy muttered, sounding as determined as he’d ever heard before. "That includes training you not to leave trash everywhere."
“Actually, that was me, I was taking some Tylenol and got distracted when Mom called double checking something for the food,” Jane corrected, poking her head out from the bedroom and shooting Thor an apologetic look. “He’s innocent this time.”
“My bad, Thor,” Darcy called, though she didn't look particularly apologetic. She scowled as she spread the dress over the coffee table, pulling her phone out as she called someone. “Boyfriend, I need you to pick up a few things for me. It’s for wedding dress shit.”
Jane rolled her eyes and smiled back at Thor, ducking back into their bedroom. Thor frowned, watching her before following, making sure to close the balcony door behind him. There’d been multiple long discussions about how they had to pay for heat in London. It was odd, the little things he missed about Asgard - such as not having to pay for heating. He followed Jane into the bedroom a moment later
“You are unwell?” Thor asked. He closed the door to the bedroom behind him, watching Jane carefully as she put a few items into a travel bag. “If you wish to postpone this until your health recovers-“
“Hey.” Jane moved to him, taking his hand before pointing out, “I want this. I promise you that. I want to do this. Besides, it was just a bit of an upset stomach. I’m not rescheduling this, Thor.”
This being something huge for both. Even if his brother and father were right in consideration to the span of her life compared to his, this was important to Thor as well. This was something that he wanted to do. This was something they both wanted to do. No matter how long their relationship lasted, Thor loved her, and he knew Jane loved him just as much. They'd spent the last two and a half years apart - and their feelings had not changed.
Thor was determined to prove that he loved Jane Foster more than he could say - but he wanted to make sure that Jane held no doubts.
“Postponement does not mean it never happens,” Thor pointed out quietly, kissing the top of her head.
Jane snorted. “Darcy has spent twelve plus hours on fixing that dress. She’ll stab us in our sleep if we do.”
The god of thunder shrugged, nonplussed. “I have been stabbed enough times. Depending on the blade, it is not so bad.”
She laughed, shaking her head before leaning up on her toes and kissing him briefly. “You know, hearing about your childhood worries me sometimes. A lot of times, actually.”
“I survived growing up, as did my brother.”
“I think that’s more of a credit to your mother than to you, hon.”
Thor gave a genuine laugh. It was still hard to think of his mother, even over a month after the fight against the Dark Elves, after his brother and mother’s deaths. He missed them. Even after everything Loki had done, he missed his brother, what Loki had been before anger and fear had twisted him into something monstrous. Thor knew he would carry that regret for the rest of his life - and he would try and do both Loki and Frigga proud, as their brother and son.
Life moved on. And Thor knew that his mother would have been thrilled to witness this day, and that she was watching wherever she was. Maybe Loki would have been glad too. Just maybe. There would have been a few sarcastic remarks.
“Unless this is you trying to find a graceful out,” Jane said after a few moments, raising an eyebrow. “Because yeah, you proposed and all that. But if you want to back out… you say so now. I understand. It’s been a crazy month and this-“
Thor leaned down, kissing her deeply. His hand curved gently around the back of her neck, tugging her close to her. Jane’s words fell silent, and a hand went to his chest, a sigh slipping out at he pulled away a few moments later, a quiet smile that warmed his heart crossing her face.
He loved her. He truly loved her.
“I want this,” Thor promised. “As much as you do. I want to marry you, Jane. More than anything.”
The smile on Jane’s face was soft and true with love that Thor still could not believe was returned to him. Any response she might have given, however, was cut off from a muffled voice on the other side of the door.
“Good, because I’ve spent like twelve hours on this fucking dress, someone is going to wear it tomorrow, and I’m pretty sure only one of us is ready for marriage.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Are you eavesdropping again?”
“Yeah, but I’m also trying to get your attention to say I will totally stab you if you cancel now. And because Thor’s friends just arrived.”
It was then that Thor heard the loud, familiar chatter of his friends. Sif and the Warriors Three had been shocked when Thor had reached out to say that he was getting married, and that he wanted them to attend. Getting a wedding ready in a month wasn’t easy, but the Warriors Three were more disappointed that that festivities would only be for a day.
“You sure we’re ready for this?” Jane asked. She winced when something shattered, with Darcy’s yelling coming a moment later.
Thor chuckled. “I can only hope.”
December 2013 - London, England
Jane Foster had been pragmatic since childhood.
Part of her pragmatism was caused by necessity. Earning a PhD in astrophysics took a lot of discipline, and she’d graduated with top marks when she’d become Doctor Foster. The other part had been a natural reaction to growing up with a mother who occasionally put the television remote in the freezer and the TV dinners in the drawer of the coffee table, who wore her heart on her sleeve and was an endlessly hopeless romantic.
Then again, considering that she was marrying a man she’d spent a few weeks with physically in two years, a man who was a prince of another realm and technically an alien, maybe Jane had inherited her mother’s romantic heart after all.
At the very least, Nancy Foster was absolutely thrilled for her daughter and very possibly living vicariously through her.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” Nancy squealed, brown eyes bright as she smoothed out her daughter’s dress. “Oh, Janey, you look beautiful… granted, you’re always gorgeous, but still…”
Okay, very obviously living vicariously through Jane.
“Mom, breathe,” Jane teased gently, standing up and squeezing her mom’s hand. “I can’t have my mom passing out form excitement before the wedding.”
Nancy huffed a breath. “Let me be excited. This is hopelessly romantic.”
Jane had to admit that there was something about her wedding dress. She and Darcy it found it weeks ago in a vintage shop in Camden Town, and the latter worked tirelessly to get it ready for the wedding. Darcy’s efforts paid off in the end; the dress fit Jane like a glove, and with silver earrings in the shapes of constellations in her ears and her hair loose and wavy at her back, the astrophysicist had to admit that she had never felt more beautiful.
“It’s odd for me doing anything romantic,” Jane admitted, giving a weak smile. When she’d told her mother about Thor, Nancy had been concerned enough about Jane getting heatstroke that she’d flown to New Mexico to check that her daughter hadn’t succumbed to a prolonged case of heatstroke.
Of course, finding her practical daughter moping over an alien prince wasn’t the best thing to help with a mother’s worry. But Nancy did what she always did.
Nancy only paused, eyes flickering to her daughter as she gave a tired sad. “Not so much.” She smoothed back Jane’s hair and said, “Your father was the most painfully practical man I’d ever met in my life. I was a senior in college, studying art and art history. He was starting his PhD in astrophysics.”
She’d heard bits and pieces of this story before. But after his death over twenty years before, Nancy Kincaid-Foster rarely spoke about Hal Foster. Most of what she knew of her father had come from Selvig. It’d simply been too painful for Nancy to talk about the man who’d left her a widow, with an endlessly curious daughter who was so much like him.
“I thought that he was going to tell me to get an abortion and never speak to me again.” Nancy reached into her purse and pulled out a silver necklace with a single garnet on it. “Instead, he pulled his high school class ring off his finger and asked me to marry him then and there.”
A lump formed in Jane’s throat, and she blinked back a few tears when she realized what was on that necklace. She could remember playing with the ring her father cherished, the metal cool but far too big around her tiny fingers. “I thought the ring was buried with Dad,” she whispered.
“The ring itself was. When he was diagnosed, he took the garnet out and told me to save it for you someday. For your wedding, the day you won the Nobel… he said I would know.” She gestured towards Jane, and Jane nodded, turning around and tugging her hair back. Nancy's hands moved so she could cinch the necklace into place.
“He would be so proud of you. As Doctor Foster, as a daughter, and a human being.” The circular garnet tapped against her collarbone, and Jane couldn’t help the quiet smile. “As proud of you as I am.”
Jane didn’t let her speak further as she turned around. Darcy would kill her if she ruined her makeup, and Jane Foster genuinely hated crying with every bit of her being. She pulled her mother into a tight hug, Nancy holding onto her daughter, not letting her go. It was a moment both women needed – no matter Jane’s age, no matter her accomplishments, Jane was still her mother’s little girl, and Nancy needed that moment.
“I love you,” Nancy whispered. “I don’t care you’re going to win a Nobel and marrying a prince. You’re my baby girl. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.” Jane wiped away a few tears. “I just…” She shook her head before looking back over, smiling softly. “Wish he could have been here, you know?”
“I do, darling. I do.” Nancy smoothed back, clearly trying to pull herself together as to not look red for her daughter’s wedding. “So. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
The necklace could count as something old. It was old and familiar, and Jane knew that she would always cherish it. Her dress was new. Technically. It was new to her, and it was going to count under the tradition Nancy put so much stock into. Her mother had been so accommodating about the last minute wedding and accepted Thor immediately, so Jane took care to observe that tradition for her. The something borrowed was a beautiful tennis bracelet on her wrist, Darcy’s she’d inherited from her grandmother. And the something blue… well, the underwear had to count for something.
“Are you ready?” Nancy asked, squeezing her daughter’s hand.
Jane nodded. “Yeah,” she whispered, hand going to her the necklace. “I am.”
December 2013 - London, England
It was a combination of how London viewed Thor following the fight against the Dark Elves, how much Stark could get done when he threw money at something, and Jane’s prestige in the astronomy community that they were able to get this venue at all.
Granted, it had also taken the promise of her consulting there for a full year, but Jane wasn’t exactly upset about the chance to work with the royal observatory. It seemed to fit getting married there, considering her and Thor’s relationship. Honoring the stars under which they’d fallen in love fit. Jane personally would have preferred marrying in Puente Antiguo, but she was more than willing to accept this.
Plus, Puente Antiguo was understandably slightly wary of Asgardians. And a fair few had come for the wedding.
They kept the guest list small as they could. Nancy, Darcy, Selvig, and Ian, of course. A few of her colleagues from Culver had made their way over. A few friends of her mother’s, her long-time best friend Elaine Cromwell-Simmons, an artist named Vanessa Marianna that her mother had known for almost a decade. The Asgardians among them were the Warriors Three and Sif.
To Thor’s genuine joy, several Avengers had attended; Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff unable to attend, but they were out of contact and sent a gift off the registry. Thor seemed both relieved and disappointed by their absence, though Jane wasn’t surprised considering what Loki had done to Barton. Pepper Potts and Tony Stark came over on a jet, with Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner tagging. There was something to be said of the joy of the people you cared about on your wedding day, and Thor was delighted to introduce Sif and the Warriors Three to the Avengers.
From the moment she stepped into the aisle, however, all of Jane and Thor’s attention was on each other.
Their relationship had never been conventional. Their relationship was filled with drama, not from each other, but from outside forces. But they’d built something strong for both of them, and no matter how sudden this marriage might be, Jane and Thor both considered it sacred. Despite the ghosts of her mortality, his longevity, Asgard and Earth and everything else that divided them, they loved each other. That was enough for now.
But at the same time, they both knew that this was the right choice. Thor was sure as he held her hand the entire ceremony, light dancing in his eyes and a smile that beamed so much it almost hurt to look directly.
And as the crowd behind them applauded, Jane and Thor kissed for the first time as wife and husband.
December 2013 - London, England
Toward the end of the reception, Thor noticed someone observing the jubilation from the back of the room.
The Allfather appeared no different than any other wedding guest, in a simple formal outfit, his usual metallic eyepatch replaced for something subtler. His single eye met Thor’s, and he gave a simple smile, raising his glass of ale.
Thor raised his own in response and smiled gratefully. His father’s disapproval might still be evident, their relationship might still be strained from his abdication of the phone, but Thor knew his father still cared. That was enough for him. Captain Rogers came over at that point, patting Thor’s shoulder and telling him congratulations, distracting the abdicated prince.
When the son of Odin looked back, his father was gone. In his place was a little box with a tiny kitten in it, identical the ones that Thor remembered his mother having when he had been growing up. There was something in its eyes that suggested intelligence, and as Darcy cooed over it and Jane accepted she had very little choice in having it in her life, Thor could only smile.
The little gray kitten, named Nanna, was the clear star of the reception.
February 2014 – London, England
It happened almost six weeks later.
Darcy was spending most nights at Ian’s student housing flat, claiming that she needed space from living with newlyweds. Thor and Jane took advantage of Darcy’s absence and London’s expansive takeout menus, spending time together and introducing Thor to Earth culture, including movies. Darcy typically would give some sort of commentary while watching with them, and while typically amusing, it could be grating.
They’d gotten Indian food that night, at a place recommended by Bruce Banner, of all people. Jane was still amazed that her life was at a point where they were taking food recommendations from the Hulk.
They’d made it safely back home, Thor carrying the takeout bags, and both paused in the hallway to talk with their neighbor. Elisa Sinclair was a nanny for a few families in the city, and was a genuinely charming and kind neighbor who, to her credit, had never flirted with Thor. Jane thought that the boyfriend she mentioned from New York probably had something to do with it. Elisa even got along well enough with Darcy to go out for drinks with her on occasion.
The conversation had drifted to London weather versus New Mexico weather when Jane felt lightheaded.
The astrophysicist frowned, her hand moving to the wall, her grip faltering as she tried to steady herself. She could feel the blood rush through her ears. It almost reminded her of the feeling the Aether burning through her, taking her energy for its own, but she knew that was impossible. It was gone. She was safe.
She was light-headed. That was what it was. She was fine.
Her body swayed on her feet as she felt the blood drain from her face. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong, and when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
“Jane?”
Thor’s voice felt like it was coming to Earth from Asgard, through the tunnel of the Bifrost, past the rush of science and magic and everything that fascinated Jane. Something was wrong. Something was so wrong, and she couldn’t even speak to say what it was.
She’d never been lightheaded like this. She’d never felt like she was going to throw up and pass out at the same time. Jane remembered her father in that instant. He’d had migraines too, and fainting spells and fevers, and then he’d died six months after the doctor said the words brain cancer.
She swayed on her feet, trying to grab a hold of the wall to stop her from falling. She tried to reach out for Thor a moment later, but failed again.
It was too late. Everything went black. She dimly heard Thor’s alarmed yell of her name, his arms catching her before she passed out, and Elisa speaking with someone on the phone, calling an ambulance.
Jane passed into darkness and prayed she’d wake up.
February 2013 - London, England
There was something inexplicably amusing about Thor sitting in a small, rickety plastic chair in a hospital waiting room.
Jane herself laid in a hospital bed, an IV for hydration in her arm. It wasn’t a large room, but it was enough for now, and she was grateful she was at least lying down. The only privacy they had in the room was a thin curtain that made up the fourth wall of the examination area. Her clothes were folded carefully nearby, and they’d taken a blood test nearly an hour ago to try and get an idea of why she had fainted.
Thor, however, looked incredibly anxious. And it was starting to drive Jane crazy, no matter how much she was amused by how he was fitting in a chair that looked like it should break underneath him.
“Stop looking so uncomfortable,” Jane told him, reading carefully through the magazine Thor brought from the waiting room. There was an article detailing Pepper Potts’ rise to fame as CEO of Stark Industries. She’d met Pepper at the wedding, but it was still somewhat of a shock to her that she was on a first-name basis with the most powerful female CEO in the world.
And Jane desperately wanted a distraction from the fact that she’d fainted in the hallway of her building three hours ago.
“I am not uncomfortable for the reasons you think.” The look on her husband’s face was a mix between amused and horrified. “This is where you wait for your healers, your doctors?” he asked, looking back over at her. “Truly? It seems so-“
“Depressing?” Jane suggested.
“Beyond so. And impersonal.” He gestured at the off-white walls and the bland health charts on the wall. “It is stressful enough to be here. You think they would try to encourage relaxation and comfort.”
“Hospitals aren’t the most calm and relaxing place.”
Thor gave a thoughtful nod. “But I still believe there should be an attempt. I doubt many people come here on good days.”
He had a point there. Jane shook her head. “I’ll talk to the management,” she promised solemnly, shaking her head with a quiet smile. “As long as you promise not to start gawking at how primitive human technology is.”
Being exposed to Asgard’s technology, for even a brief time, no matter the circumstances, had been almost cruel. The scientist in Jane had been giddy despite her life being on the line. To see such technology and then go back to Earth was a slap to the face. She knew it was unlikely she would go back any time soon, but she could manage with the toys she’d gotten for her wedding.
“I will do my best.” Her husband cracked a smile.
It was still so weird to call him that, but she loved it. Darcy claimed that they were still in their sickeningly sweet honeymoon phase, and Jane wondered if it would wear off.
The astrophysicist groaned. “Trust me, it drives me crazy too. No propulsion balls, no advanced healing or flight…”
“No soul forges,” Thor hummed with a sly smile.
“Quantum field generators,” Jane corrected, rolling her eyes fondly at him. “I do love those magnetic-propulsion balls though…” She wouldn’t lie to anyone, she thought they were by far the coolest thing she’d ever seen in her life.
Thor gave a bellowing laugh, clearly amused. “We received a cat from the Allfather of the Nine Realms, countless other treasures, but your favorite gift from our wedding were the ones Volstagg literally took from his son’s bedroom.”
“Excuse you, that magnetic-propulsion ball is absolutely amazing. And he gave me two of them. One to take apart, and one to play with.”
“You know what we call it in Asgard?” Thor asked, raising a brow over at his wife.
Jane looked up, her curiosity piqued. “What do they call it?”
“A ball.” Thor laughed when Jane threw her magazine at him, the grin on his face clear enough, and Jane couldn’t even hold back her laughter.
Their laughter died when the curtain was pulled open, revealing a woman a bit older than Jane with dark, curly hair and light brown skin. A clipboard was to her chest and considering that she was coming into the room where an Avenger’s wife was waiting for news about what was wrong, with said Avenger nearby, she was incredibly cool, calm, and collected.
“Doctor Foster…” The doctor paused before looking over to Thor before admitting, “I’m not going to lie, I’m not sure what to call you.”
“Thor is fine,” the Asgardian assured her, managing the charming smile that relaxed nearly anyone intimidated to meet him. “Though I also approve of Mr. Foster.”
Jane rolled her eyes, though the joke was enough to cause some tension to leave her shoulder, and to make the doctor laugh. “Doctor Foster, Thor. I’m Doctor Allison McCoy. I wanted to come and bring you your test results.
She looked too calm. The doctor would not be this calm if it was cancer, but Jane had to know.
“It’s not cancer, is it?” Jane asked quietly, feeling her heart sink to her stomach.
Her father died from cancer, from a tumor the size of a golf ball in his brain. He’d passed out in the bleachers of one of her science fairs when she was eleven years old, and he’d lasted six months after diagnosis.
Hal Foster hadn’t recognized his own wife or daughter in the end.
Thor knew that. He knew how much Jane feared sharing her father’s fate. He reached out to her, taking her hand and holding it, perhaps steadying himself as much as he was her. They’d gotten married six weeks ago. They’d lost each other more than once already. She did not think that she could handle the life they were building together ending this quickly.
She didn’t think she could handle dying like her father had.
That fear turned to relief when the doctor shook her head. “God, no, Doctor Foster. It’s not cancer. It’s… it’s still serious. But it is not cancer.”
Jane knew what was coming a few moments later. Somehow, just somehow, she knew what was going on with her.
It wasn’t cancer. It wasn’t a tumor, benign or otherwise. But it was something just as life changing, something that Jane was hitting herself for not realizing was a distinct possibility.
Because why would she think it was a possibility? Her pragmatic streak had gone out the window when a gorgeous Asgardian prince literally fell in front of her car. She should have realized it and just gone to the fucking store and bought a test.
In some ways, cancer might have been easier.
“You’re pregnant, Doctor Foster.”