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Samirah woke up to loud knocking, confused. Usually the sound of someone knocking on the front door wasn’t very unusual, as her grandfather had a bad habit of accidentally locking himself outside. But her grandparents were out of town, and it was two in the morning. Who on Midgard would be bothering her this late at night? Unless they weren’t from…
She sighed, throwing the blankets off of her and padding out of her room. She immediately shivered once she reached the hardwood of the hallway, as the floor was cold and felt like ice on her toes.
The knocking started again, a bit more impatient this time. “Alright, alright! Cut it out before I curse you with my evil Loki powers,” she threatened sarcastically. It was probably one of the Valkyries playing a prank on her or something. Although it seemed like an awful lot of effort for someone they didn’t care to even get to know.
The knocking continued, and she groaned. Who the Helheim did they think they were?
“Listen, I don’t- Hearth?”
Standing on Sam's front porch was a tall elf, a candy cane striped scarf woven securely around his pale neck. She could see his breath in the chilly night air, and processed several things at once. First was how low the temperature was tonight, meaning he was obviously freezing. Second was that she’d been an idiot for assuming that whoever was behind the door could hear her threats. There weren’t many people who’d actually show up at her house in the middle of the night, and she should’ve accounted for Hearthstone.
She stepped aside, opening the door wider and motioning for him to come inside. He complied quickly, desperate to get warm again after standing outside her house for so long.
Sam shut the door behind him, leaning against it awkwardly. After a moment, Hearthstone removed his snow caked shoes, revealing thick black socks. He sat his gloves on the coffee table, but didn’t remove the scarf. As usual.
She waited for him to look at her before she spoke, signing the best she could at the same time so it’d be easier for him to understand. She still wasn’t very fluent, but she was learning, and she could tell Hearth greatly appreciated the effort.
“Not that I don’t enjoy your company, but do you mind telling me why you were knocking on my door this early in the morning?”
Hearth bit his lip, his expression hesitant and a bit guarded, like he was afraid to talk to her about what was going on. Sam became very worried, her mind coming up with hundreds of awful situations that would cause him to be here at this hour. Maybe something exploded, or Fenris Wolf escaped his bounds, or Magnus fell down a well, or-
I need your advice, Hearthstone signed.
“What?”
Hearth sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He started pacing around the room, as if trying to figure out how to phrase his next few words.
Look, I didn’t know who else to go to. I would’ve talked to Magnus, but I highly doubt he’d know how to help me, or even want to, for that matter, he signed.
Samirah cocked her head to the side. What could Hearth need help with that was so dreadful even Magnus, one of his best friends, would turn him away?
“Alright, um, hang on just a second. Feel free to make yourself at home or whatever,” she told him, heading into her bedroom. She slipped on a hoodie and a pair of warm fuzzy socks, pulling her hair into a bun the best she could. It was too early to fool with her hijab right now. Besides, it was only Hearth. She made her way into the kitchen, catching a glimpse of her friend in the living room. He looked awfully uncomfortable, and Sam wished there was something she could do to get him to relax.
Ten minutes later, she reappeared with two cups of hot chocolate and a plate of brownies. When Hearthstone saw the food, he visibly perked up, a small smile stretching across his face. Sam felt a short wave of pride, glad that she knew how to make him feel better, if only a little bit.
She handed him his drink, warning him of the heat before he took a sip. He nodded in thanks, gently blowing the top of the mug in hopes to cool it down quicker. Sam sat down on the other end of the couch, pulling her knees up close to her in a way one might call ‘cuddly’. She suddenly felt like a very young girl gossiping with her friends about girly stuff. Unfortunately, with her consistant lack of friends, this was the closest she had ever come to a sleepover: sitting in the living with a deaf elf from an entirely different world, whom she had aided in binding Fenris Wolf a few months prior. At least she couldn’t say her life was uninteresting.
After a few minutes to let him get comfortable and munch on the brownies, Sam finally spoke up. “Can you tell me what happened now?”
That uneasy glint returned to Hearthstone’s eyes, and she immediately reassured him.
“It’s alright. Take as much time as you need, I’m not going anywhere.” She still wasn’t super close to him, but they had definitely had some time to grow comfortable with each other during the quest, enough that he trusted her to keep her word. Sam suddenly thought about his past, her stomach twisting into a sorrowful knot. She hated it, that up until he found them, his family of empty cups, he had nobody he could trust. No one deserves to suffer through the abuse Hearth had to grow up with, especially not someone as kind and pure-hearted as him. She vowed in that moment to never let him question his faith in her. No matter what.
You’re experienced in…feelings, I presume? Like, feelings for other people, that you only feel around that person? he signed, his fingers slow and hesitant. Sam was confused for a moment, but looking at Hearth’s face, picking up on his flushed cheeks and the nervous darting of his eyes, an idea popped into her head. Did Hearth like someone?
“I guess so, yeah. Better than Magnus, I’m sure. Why?” she asked.
Hearth took a deep breath, even though he didn’t need to prepare for some long verbal speech. Sam nodded, letting him know he could tell her.
Well, I uh…I have a problem, Hearth signed. There’s this person. They’re a- yeah. A person. Anyway, we’ve been friends for a long time. But I’m beginning to realize that I don’t, he hesitated. I don’t think they’re just a friend to me. I mean, I don’t want them to be. I want us to be like you and Amir. I want…them, like I’ve never wanted anyone before.
Hearthstone stood up, his half empty cup of hot chocolate abandoned on the table. He ran a nervous hand through his hair, messing it up more than it already was. He started to pace again- he really did love pacing-, his usual light footsteps now heavy and distressed like an elephant. Sam watched him in silence, waiting for him to continue on his own, but inside she was having a very mild freak out. Could it be, that Hearthstone was referring to who she believed he was? Truthfully, before she knew them well, Sam assumed they were already a couple, but just against the whole PDA thing. Between the longing glances, the unnecessary touches here and there, and the undying protectiveness for one another, what else was she supposed to think?
Whenever I’m around them, I feel like I’m walking on a cloud, unafraid to fall. They make me feel so good and appreciated and…alive. It’s like I’ve been asleep my entire life but now I’m awake.
He sat down on the floor where he was standing, his legs crossed and looking particularly lanky. Sam’s mind was racing at a million miles an hour, assumptions creeping up on her like insects.
“Have you told them how you feel?” she asked, imagining all the times a certain someone had made their own feelings for Hearthstone known without actually saying it. When he tried to refuse to leave Hearth on the World Tree. When he draped his coat across Hearth’s sleeping form. When he got onto Hearth for risking his life for him. Blitzen.
No, Hearth signed, frowning. They don’t return my feelings, so there’s no point in ruining our friendship. I mean, how could they? I’m broken.
Sam’s heart shattered at the words. Did he really believe that about himself? That no one could truly love him because of what he’s been through?
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t talk like that,” she said, standing up and walking over. She sat on the floor next to him, quickly taking his right hand in hers. It was colder than she would’ve liked.
“You’re not broken,” Sam told him, annunciating every word very clearly since she couldn’t sign. “Don’t ever think you are. So what if you’re deaf? So what if you have a history? If I’m thinking of the same person you are, there’s no way he would turn you away because of who you are. You are so much more than you believe, Hearthstone. You’re kind, and loyal, and trustworthy. You know how to calm people down, especially Blitzen. You’re extremely intelligent, and can find the solution to a problem when there isn’t one. You’re not broken.”
Hearth's eyes glistened with tears, but he didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, he smiled and mouthed the words Thank you before leaning in and giving her a tight hug. Sam was never a physically affectionate person, and she could sense that Hearthstone wasn’t either, but she held him back, enjoying the closeness of a friend. He sure did give good hugs.
When they pulled apart, his hand reached up to clutch his striped scarf, and he smiled down at the fabric. So it was true then. He really did have feelings for Blitzen. Sam bit her lip to keep herself from grinning at how adorable the thought of them together was.
That night, Samirah let Hearth sleep in the guest bedroom, deciding it was too cold and too late to let him leave alone. She gave him a pair of her grandfather’s PJ’s (which were comically baggy on the thin elf) and a spare toothbrush, sending him to bed with her fluffiest pillow.
She didn't allow herself to sleep until she heard the quiet snores of her friend in the next room. That, suprisingly, wasn't very long, and Sam faded out of consciousness with a smile on her face.
When she awoke up in the morning, he was gone, but the bed was made, the pajamas he borrowed folded neatly, the dishes clean and put away, and a short letter written in chicken scratch was sitting on the coffee table with a freshly picked flower sitting next to it:
Samirah,
I would like to thank you for last night. You were so very kind to me, and really opened my eyes to a few things. I’m sorry I dashed away before I could greet you this morning, but there was something very important I had to do.
P.S. there are omelets in the microwave and coffee in the pot
-Hearthstone
She smiled at what a gentleman he was, and slid the note in her pocket for safe keeping. The omelets were actually quite delicious, and the coffee was still hot. Sam suspected he’d had a cup himself, if he was really off to confess like she imagined he was.
She didn’t tell Magnus what happened the night before, deciding that it wasn’t her business to tell. But when Blitzen barged into their room in Valhalla wearing a giant grin, with Hearthstone slowly trailing in behind him, smiling and trying to hide his blush, well, let’s just say her shock to hear the happy news wasn’t as genuine as she led her family to believe. After all, what happened at a sleepover stayed at the sleepover.