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Blitzen groaned, clutching his stomach as his best friend giggled silently next to him, signing meaningless signs. Magnus and Sam had left to take care of the giantess situation, leaving Blitz to take care of the hiccuping elf situation.
He sighed, wobbly picking himself up and moving to help Hearthstone stand when the elf made full eye-contact with the dwarf and signed “I love you,” before looking away and grinning, signing unintelligible gibberish.
Blitzen froze and gulped at the first sign the elf had shown, but convinced himself to shake it off and ignore it, trying and failing not to think about it.
You see, Blitzen had always thought Hearthstone was beautiful. Ever since Hearthstone had fallen into Nidavellir and almost died, Blitzen had thought so. Blitzen often thought about how lucky both Hearth and he were to have found each other when they had. Other dwarves probably wouldn’t’ve saved an elf’s life without a reason to, but Blitz did.
Blitz was glad he had learned sign language from his father, Bili, who was mute, or the two would’ve taken much longer to learn to communicate, and Blitzen might’ve missed out on having such a great person in his life.
But, Blitzen’s little attraction to the elf turned into a full-blown crush two years earlier after the two drank from Mimir’s well and began looking after Magnus together. Blitzen would blush every time another homeless person would call him and Hearth Magnus’s “mom and dad,” but either Magnus and Hearthstone didn’t notice or decided not to comment on the fact. Hearth had captured Blitzen’s heart without even trying, but Blitzen knew his affection wouldn’t be returned by the elf.
Blitz had heard of Inge, Hearth’s childhood best friend and girlfriend or what-have-you, and Hearthstone had never shown any attraction towards any men at all. Given, he hadn’t shown any towards women in front of Blitz either, but he had still at least been with one in the past.
Anyway, in all of Blitzen’s knowledge, he had only heard homophobic things come out of Alfheim, that homosexuality, like deafness, was a flaw, a mistake, an impurity to be ashamed of. Blitz knew Hearth wasn’t like other elves, but he was raised by them, so Blitz had to believe their beliefs had worn off on Hearthstone a bit.
In Nidavellir, it was more of an unspoken thing. Being gay was fine, but it wasn’t proper or appropriate to speak about in public. Bili made sure Blitzen never felt unloved because of his interests or sexuality, but after he died, it became easier and easier to hate himself because of them. Blitzen hadn’t even ever kissed another man for fear of rumors or marking his father’s reputation.
So, Blitzen was resigned to never revealing his feelings for his elf and forced himself to be fine with their relationship staying platonic.
“Yeah, yeah,” He grumbled, helping the elf up. He had stopped giggling and instead held his head as if he had a hangover. He groggily looked up t Blitz, who sighed, but then smiled at the sight.
“Come on, let’s go save a swan.”
Blitzen shrugged off his supply pack an pulled out a grappling hook. He grinned at Hearthstone and the elf gave him a weak smile and nod in return. Blitzen stood up straight and begun swinging the hook in a circle to gain momentum. He then threw it towards the birdcage and prayed under his breath for it to catch and quietly cheered at it did.
The hook grabbed onto one of the metal bars of the cage and the swan honked in shock as it saw it, and it then seemed to glare at th dwarf and elf.
Hearthstone politely clapped as Blitzen grinned back at him, and Blitzen motioned him forward. Hearth groaned quietly as he walked up next to Blitz, who had pulled his bag around his shoulders again.
Hearthstone tapped Blitz on the shoulder and asked with his brow furrowing, “Did I sign anything while I was out?”
Blitzen chuckled nervously, looking quickly at Hearthstone’s face and then away, “Nothing really, just some…” Blitzen’s hands stalled, “Nonsense signs.”
Hearthstone’s brow furrowed further and he raised his hands to sign more, but Blitzen turned, looking away from him. Hearth tapped annoyedly on Blitz’s arm, but the dwarf continued to ignore him.
Blitz quickly signed, “Follow me,” before he grabbed onto the rope, tugged on it once to make sure it held before he began clinging to it and shimmying across. He heard an annoyed huff come from the elf but felt a weight on the rope behind him and knew Hearth had followed him.
He felt a huge thump from the ceiling and heard the goose honk again, and Blitz turned his head to see one of the two giantesses having hit the top of a chair to the ceiling. Blitz’s heart stopped for a moment but he let out a breath as he saw Sama and Magnus, a little shaken but fine, on the seat of the chair. Still, he didn’t look away and continued shimmying until he saw the two gently moved to the table instead.
Soon, Blitzen stood on the rim of the cage and grabbed at the metal bars, stretching them apart enough that he was able to walk into the cage. Dwarves couldn’t mold metal as well as they could stone, but they could still bend it with ease.
Blitzen waved Hearthstone forwards, and the two stepped into the cage together. Hearthstone slapped Blitzen’s shoulder, and the dwarf yelped but accepted it. Hearth hated being ignored more than most things, and so Blitz didn’t try and argue. He looked at Hearth’s hands.
“Asshole, don’t do that.”
He looked around, his shoulders taut, before he sighed, looking back at Blitzen, signing, “I have to tell you something, sooner rather than later.”
Blitzen gulped, but nodded, “Alright, but after this, okay?”
Hearth’s lips pursed but he nodded in return, “Okay.”
Blitz let out a breath, smiling at his friend, who gave him a smaller one back, but his eyes were full of an emotion Blitzen didn’t often find in Hearth’s eyes and couldn’t recognize. Blitz realized he was blushing and he looked away.
He heard another loud thump, and the dwarf, elf, and swan all jumped as the cage swayed dangerously. Blitzen looked over the side of the cage to see one of the giantess sisters dead on the floor, the other one screaming and soon to follow her sister.
Blitz hurriedly motioned for Hearth to pick up the bird and he did as Blitzen took out his pre-packaged emergency parachute. Hearth rolled his eyes at it but Blitzen just beamed, he knew it’d come in handy during this quest.
He quickly strapped himself in and then Hearth. Hearth smiled shakily at Blitzen, the swan quiet in his arms, and Blitzen just nodded reassuringly. The two men jumped from the cage, Blitzen using the parachute steering toggles to glide the three down safely and then land next to a panicking Magnus and Samirah.
Blitzen yelped as he appeared in front of the New England Aquarium, having just finished buying his harpoon and in a fantastic mood. His mood got even better as Hearthstone appeared next to him, stumbling a bit. Blitzen helped to catch him, but Hearthstone steadied himself with a long, white, wooden staff with two prongs at the tip.
Hearthstone caught Blitzen looking and signed, “Gift from Mimir,” before he looked at Blitzen’s outfit and smiled, “Nice outfit.”
Blitzen grinned, showing off a little bit, “Thank you!”
Hearthstone mirrored him and smiled brighter, hugging his friend. Blitzen then remembered their short conversation in the bird’s cage in Jotunheim, and he coughed as they both released from the hug.
“So, uh,” Blitzen stammered, his hands mirroring his voice, “You have something to tell me?”
Blitzen forced his heart to not get it’s hopes up and still failed as Hearthstone pursed his lips, looking out in the distance past Blitz, “Not now.”
Blitzen’s brow furrowed in confusion and nervousness, “But you said sooner instead of later?”
Hearth grabbed Blitz’s hand and Blitz’s heart beat dangerously loud in his chest, but Hearth only used it to point where he was looking earlier, and Blitz saw both Magnus and Sam running towards them.
Blitzen huffed, looking up at the taller elf who had a soft smile on his face, “Fine, but we’re talking on the boat, okay?”
Hearth winced, but nodded, “Okay.”
After the fifth time Hearth had hit Magnus in the head with his staff after trying to summon it correctly, Blitzen stood up with a huff.
“I’m going to take a walk. Hearth, He pointed at the elf who went cross-eyed staring at the finger, “Follow me.”
Hearth stared at Blitzen a moment longer before sighing, slowly standing and following the dwarf out of the inside of the ship. Samirah looked at Magnus in confusion, but the einherji just grinned as the two walked away.
Blitz led Hearth out to the front of the ship, where neither of the dwarves were and the demigods inside couldn’t see them, the black waves splashing loudly against the side of the boat.
Blitzen sighed, running his hand through his hair before crossing his arms, looking up at his friend before singing as he spoke, “Whatever you wanted to say back there, back at the cage, just tell me now, please?”
Hearthstone looked the most uncomfortable and nervous Blitzen had ever seen him, even when he was in Nidavellir and actively dying, but he nodded, swallowing as he began to sign.
“Blitzen, Magnus called us four a family of empty cups, and he’s right, but you’ve been my family even longer. Since we’ve started working together, I knew I cared about you, but not as a brother. I-”
Blitzen placed his hands on top of Hearthstone’s as they stuttered in the air, and he smiled as Hearth met his eyes. Blitzen cautiously raised a hand and fiddled with Hearth’s candy cane scarf he’d worn for years after Bliz ad gifted it to him.
Blitz’s heart beat hard in his chest, and he bit at his lip, “You don’t have to say it, I care about you too, more than you could ever-”
Hearth cut off Blitz by pressing a kiss to his lips and Blitz froze in shock. Hearth quickly pulled away, looking mortified, and he tried to sign an apology but Blitzen ignored his hands, cutting him off by pulling him downwards by his scarf and finally kissing him back.
Hearth’s hands slowly rose to caress Blitzen’s face, cupping his cheeks extremely gently and Blitzen held the back of his head with the same gentle care. Soon, they pulled away, foreheads pressed to each other. Hearthstone silently giggled, still holding Blitzen’s face in his hands.
Blitzen smiled, taking a step back to sign, too happy to speak, “I’ve been wanting to do that for years now.”
Hearthstone let slip a grin, nodding as he signed, “Likewise.”
Blitzen’s smile beamed brighter than the rays in Alfheim and he kissed Hearthstone again. Pulling away, Hearthstone kissed his cheek before signing, “I promise you, if we both make it out of this alive, we’ll talk about everything, but not now, okay?”
Blitzen smiled softer, signing back, “Okay.
The two walked back into the ship, holding each other’s hands, and sudden understanding came over Sam’s face as Magnus’ grin grew wider at the sight.
After the feast, Blitzen and Hearthstone were escorted to their own room on floor nineteen, in the same hallway as the others but a bit further away. They were led to it by one of Odin’s ravens themselves, though Odin himself reminded them that their room is not permanent and that only einherjar get their own rooms. Blitzen didn’t care, he was exhausted. Magnus went into his own room, walking past them with a wink, and the two walked hand in hand into their room for the night.
Blitzen sighed, throwing himself onto the bed and sinking into the soft pillows and comforter. Hearth sat on the other side, smiling at his dwarf with a relaxed expression.
Blitz rolled over to smile at Hearthstone and he grabbed his hand, pressing a kiss to the palm, before laying back and laughing.
“We did it, we’re alive!” Blitzen sat up, shaking his head as if he still couldn’t believe it.
Hearth nodded, “We are,” He signed with one hand, the other still clutched in Blitzen’s.
He bent over and kissed Blitzen’s cheek, leaning back to sign, “I thought I lost you, Blitzen.”
Blitz smiled sadly, and he cupped Hearthstone’s face in his hands, “I know, but I’m still here. I’m okay, thanks to Magnus.”
The tension had run so high back on the ship ride back that the two hadn’t been able to talk through all the chaos, barely seeing each other. But now, with the adventure over and their family of empty cups safe, they were finally able to relax and just be comfortable with the other.
Blitzen laid back, Hearth following him. He signed, “How long have you had feelings for me?”
Hearthstone let out a silent laugh, “Ever since I met you, but I was too scared to do anything until our lives were actually in danger.”
Blitzen kissed his cheek, “I’ve always thought you were beautiful,” Hearthstone blushed a bright green at his words, “But it was when we started protecting Magnus that I really fell.”
The room grew quiet, but comfortably so, and the two shared another sweet kiss before Blitzen asked, “So what are we now? Boyfriends? Partners?”
Hearth softly smiled, signing, “You’re Blitz, and I’m Hearth. We’re still just us; nothing really has to change. Other than we also kiss now.”
Blitzen grinned, “I think I’m okay with that,” And he pulled his magic-wielding elf into another kiss.
Soon, the two changed into hotel pajamas and lay down together in the bed, the lights turned out, and they held in each other’s arms. Blitzen held Hearthstone’s hand to his mouth, and he mumbled, “I love you,” before signing it messily into his hand.
Hearth smiled a goofy smile that no one could see, and he signed it back before pressing a kiss to Blitz’s cheek.
The two fell as quickly asleep as they did in love, and everything was more than okay.