Archive of Our Own ^beta

“I–” Atreus looked at Heimdall. “I can’t leave him here.”

“Then we bring him with us.”

Atreus exhaled in relief. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if his father would have told him to leave Heimdall behind like this. “Thank you.” He hugged his father. He was grateful for a lot at that moment. Angry at both of them, but too relieved to be mad at either.

“You’ll be doing the explaining at the camp though, lad,” Mimir said. More of a warning than anything else.

Atreus winced. “I expected that…” He knelt down beside Heimdall. “Can you get up?”

Heimdall stretched a hand out and caressed Atreus’ hair and cheek. “Soft… as silk… sweet as… honey.

Atreus glared. “And you’re dumb as shit.” Atreus was indebted to whatever fate made it so his father and Mimir didn’t know what honey was in this situation. But Atreus was not about to trust Heimdall’s foggy head in holding back whatever else he was thinking about. “I need you to sit up, Heimdall.”

“You could spare some honey… Enjoy it too… What was… was it you said about it being sticky and needing to be lic–”

“Okay, that’s enough talking for now. Unless you can make everything rhyme. You’re not allowed to talk.” Atreus pulled Heimdall to sit up. Heimdall was so out of it. His head sagged forward. “Up. Heimdall, please.”

Atreus tugged but didn’t want to hurt Heimdall further.

His father approached and lifted Heimdall up from the back of his collar. Atreus kept Heimdall on his feet and got him to lean against Gulltoppr.

Atreus saw his sword on the ground. He wanted to leave it behind. It was a symbol of Asgard. A symbol of everything bad Heimdall had done before. But it was first and foremost, a weapon. It was just a weapon and it was Heimdall’s. Atreus picked it up and kept it with him. He didn’t know what kind of state Heimdall was in and he wouldn’t hand Heimdall a weapon just to hurt himself or Father.

“Gulltoppr… Good… Good girl…”

Heimdall took shaky steps with her. Atreus guided them forward. His father broke down a gate for them to go through. Atreus and his father put Heimdall to sit atop Gulltoppr. She limped forward and Atreus held Heimdall’s leg at the side to keep him upright. He was still healing.

Atreus saw smoke rise in the sky. Fire still burned at the building. They continued away from it off the path so they wouldn’t be spotted by any remaining Einherjar. Atreus tried to keep them moving as he thought up any excuse to give them for bringing Heimdall, devoted son of Odin to Freyr’s camp.

They wouldn’t let him… They would try to kill him.

“Father–” Atreus looked to him. His father has his axe out and was alert. “I don’t– Mimir, I don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“He will be your responsibility,” Father said.

“He’s not a pet,” Atreus defended.

“Lad, you’re gonna need to talk some sense into him otherwise it won’t matter what you say to Freya, Freyr, or any of his camp. Heimdall didn’t accept mercy.” Mimir sighed.

Atreus glanced back to Heimdall then looked back to his father. “Yeah… it wouldn’t be like him if he did.”

“No… more– the games we played are at an end…”

Atreus looked up at Heimdall.

“I don’t intend to pretend,” he mumbled.

Atreus realized what he was doing. How Heimdall was actually rhyming when he couldn’t even stand properly was beyond Atreus. He really wasn’t helping his case every time he spoke.

“Return or burn.”

“Heimdall, please shut up.”

“That’s not a rhyme, pup.”

They walked near-jogged through the forest of Vanaheim to get to the group. “I don’t have to rhyme. I’m not the one that thought it was a good idea to fight my father.”

“What a bother,” Heimdall slurred. “If I could be hit but barely a scratch, I admit.”

Atreus groaned. “You were hit. You almost died.”

“I hadn’t… realized you came to this battle of wits… unarmed.”

Atreus raised his brows and scoffed as they went forward. “You were harmed, disarmed, almost lost an arm, and yet you expected me to not be alarmed?”

“Charmed… Little Giant so defiant, so pliant.”

“You’ll mock me but won’t be compliant? You’re the one that entered that fight and can’t even say you weren’t right.” Atreus glared as he fell into their argument habit.

“Mock? This is talk and yet you balk after you left with that stupid rock.”

“You want me and our son to be livestock?”

“I’ve already won our son. It’s done. Your grievance may be legitimate but I stand by what I did, every bit of it.”

“What do you mean?” It’s done. What did that mean? Why was Heimdall in Vanaheim? Did Odin send him to kill his father?

“That remains to be seen.”

“Heimdall, please. What are you talking about?”

“That doesn’t rhyme, sunshine.”

“Heimdall, this isn’t a game.”

“All the same.”

Atreus groaned. For all the time he spent missing Heimdall, he forgot how annoying he was. He just needed answers. “Heimdall, think you’re such a know-it-all, stop appalling me with your gall.”

Heimdall chuckled. “Good one, had me enthralled.”

Atreus missed Heimdall. He really did. He believed that it was very likely that he wouldn’t see Heimdall ever again. So it was easy to forget how often they argued with each other. Especially since they mostly made a game of it. It was a way to make sure it didn’t get out of control, and it meant slowing down to consider what they were saying and how they were saying it. But it did mean that a lot of what they said could come out convoluted and vague.

“I’m glad my father didn’t kill you,” he said as he tried not to grit his teeth, “so I could do it myself.”

“Very flattering, sunshine.”

“Go back to normal.”

Atreus could hear fighting further ahead, they were close. Gods, how was Atreus going to explain that Heimdall, one of the most loyal sons of Odin, was actually not that bad? And that anything he said right now couldn’t really be held against him because he had his ass kicked by his father. Also, he was the father of his child, the one already in the camp. Yep, that one. Because Atreus slept with the Aesir God of Foresight while he was off in Asgard helping Odin. No biggie.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

This was a moment for profanities. It could be Atreus’ last word for all he cared. The situation was shit and Atreus knew it. No amount of channeling that emotion is going to fix it.

As Atreus shook his head to himself he saw his father glancing at him as they near ran in the jungles of Vanaheim.

He kind of forgot his father was there. Mimir too. Listening. Listening as he and Heimdall were being stupid.

Atreus had no explanation. Was there a good excuse for anything Atreus did with Heimdall? Not when Atreus was back home again. Heated embarrassment filled him. He didn’t really ever imagine his father and Heimdall ever meeting. Sure, Atreus wanted both of them in his life but them meeting was never something Atreus saw as possible, perhaps it was his common sense saying they never should meet.

Atreus helped Heimdall off of Gulltoppr. He could at least stand and walk with help to the boat. Atreus helped Heimdall sit down.

"When... were you going to show me that leg trick?"

Atreus looked back over to Heimdall. "What?"

"You... took down an Einherjar.” Heimdall motioned with his hands weakly. “With your thighs. Those thighs."

Atreus could feel his face heat up as he remembered fighting that Einherjar though apparently not like how Heimdall was seeing it. "That was what you focused on?"

“What other tricks have you been hiding from me?” Heimdall raised a flirty brow. “Preferably something that involves your thighs sliding around my–”

“Norns, Heimdall, stop.” Atreus put his hands over Heimdall’s mouth. Heimdall’s eyes still watched him intently with a painfully obvious look.

Atreus looked back to the bowl Lúnda was holding.

“Lúnda,” Atreus tried to gently interrupt. “Do you have any to spare?”

“What? You get scraped up too, little–” Lúnda stopped whatever she was saying when she turned around and saw Heimdall sitting an arm’s reach away.

“I promise he’s not here to hurt anyone,” Atreus said as fast as he could with his hands up in an appeasing position.

Lúnda glared. “That’s not just any Aesir god.”

Atreus had no way of defending that part of Heimdall’s past. Just as he had nothing to say to Sindri or Brok about it, he had nothing to say to Lúnda. There really was nothing Atreus could say because he also was angry at Heimdall about it. It may have been under Odin’s order and it was when Heimdall was really young, but Atreus was young too, and even he knew that there were some orders that didn’t need to be obeyed. Still, Atreus still tried to understand that Heimdall had been a kid too and trying to impress his father… but subjugating the dwarves for Odin was probably the worst of his crimes against the realms and Atreus was going to spend the rest of his life apologizing for it. That is, for as long as Heimdall was alive, which wouldn’t be long if Atreus couldn’t properly heal him.

“I know, but he’s different now. He’s not who he was before. I promise he’s not here to hurt anybody.”

“Big promises, sunshine,” Heimdall mumbled.

Atreus had half a mind to twist his injured arm. “He’s not in his right mind right now,” Atreus said over him.

Lúnda stared, almost shocked at seeing Heimdall this close. But she handed Atreus the bowl. “Listen, sweetie, I’ll help you and your little bun cake no problem, that little guy makes me happier than a sunbeam when I saw ‘em, but…” Not Heimdall.

He took the bowl. “I understand. Thank you.” He turned back to Heimdall and scooped the contents of the bowl into his hand. It was like a paste. He rubbed it between his fingers. It glowed as he put it wherever it looked like Heimdall needed it. Some on his face, mainly his arm. His neck. As Atreus did it, Heimdall winced and tried to move away.

“Stay still. I’m healing you.” Atreus smeared a thin layer on the cut on Heimdall’s cheek.

“Then why does it feel like revenge for outwitting you.”

Atreus rolled his eyes and continued his work. “I didn’t realize I had two babies.”

Heimdall chuckled and settled under the magic. “Well, there are always ways to make more. Two more? Three more? Enough to fill Midgard? It truly has been desolate after the desolation. We could easily fix that.” There was a flirty expression on Heimdall’s face. It was one Atreus hadn’t seen before on account of it looking absolutely ridiculous. “Just you and I.”

Atreus glared as his face heated up anyway despite how dumb it all was. “I hate you.”

“And I despise you.”

Atreus watched Heimdall give him the goofiest-looking smile he had ever seen on him ever and it was paired with completely messy hair and bruises everywhere. He had to look away or he’d laugh right in Heimdall’s face. And also because he wasn’t quite sure how to handle an expression like that. Wasn’t quite sure how to handle Heimdall acting this way. "You're being so weird."

He let relief settle in himself. Atreus let himself be happy to see Heimdall again. He was angry. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream and demand answers from Heimdall but more than anything, he was just so happy Heimdall was okay and with him. The relief overwhelmed him and overwhelmed anything else Atreus was feeling.

A tear spilled over his cheek as he smiled back at Heimdall.

Heimdall lifted a hand and it caressed Atreus’ cheek. Atreus put his own hand to it. He just loved Heimdall so much.

“… shouldn’t have stopped you… from saying it,” he muttered.

Atreus didn’t understand. It was just Heimdall not making sense. Heimdall just needed rest and then Atreus would listen to him.

“Do you?”

Atreus set aside the bowl once he was finished. “Do I what?”

Heimdall sighed. “I didn’t let you say it.”

“Say wha–” Atreus felt his eyes widen as he remembered one of their last meetings in Asgard. Now? Now is when Heimdall wanted him to– “You– you already know.” Atreus looked away but Heimdall’s hand was still on his face, keeping him in place.

“Do you still?” Heimdall insisted.

Atreus leaned into his touch as he gave in. “I shouldn’t have asked your permission to tell you what you already know.”

"Say it anyway."

Atreus deflected it again. “Is this you wanting reassurance or you being a pompous prick?”

“Sunshine?”

Atreus slumped his shoulders as he stared back and forth into Heimdall's eyes. That tone Heimdall had sounded so worried and for something Heimdall already knew. It was still so easy to feel. He was angry. Frustrated. Upset. Pissed off. But that didn't change that Atreus still loved him. "I still love you," he whispered. It came out easily. "And I know you love me too… even if you have a weird way of showing it."

Heimdall sighed contentedly, still with that dumb smile on his face that made his eyes crinkle a little. His hand fell into his lap. Atreus grabbed it and held it in both of his.

“We have so much to talk about when you’re not like this.”

Then Heimdall groaned as if he knew the half of it. “I wasn’t going to trust the fox with your bones.”

And wasn’t that a confusing sentence.

Then Atreus realized Heimdall was referring to one of the stories he told months and months ago about the fox that ate the old woman. Heimdall really wasn’t ready to talk yet, but Atreus did need to get one thing straight in a way Heimdall would understand, hopefully. “You almost burned my frog skin, Heimdall.”

“The third prince was forgiven for that.”

“No.” Atreus shook his head. “The third prince was only forgiven because he accepted her frog form.”

Heimdall lightly shook his head and winced. “He saves her from a witch.”

“My father isn’t the witch in this story, Heimdall.”

That left Heimdall quiet for a while as he was mulling it over in that mush head of his.

“Your frog skin is your Jötunness.”

Atreus responded with a flat stare. “There’s no shapeshifting that away so, well, there’s no burning that either.”

“Not burning you, sunshine.” Heimdall squeezed Atreus’ hand.

“I know.”

“Preventing it. Protecting you.” Heimdall pulled Atreus closer to him and wrapped his non-injured arm around Atreus’ waist. “Mine.” He pulled Atreus even closer. “All mine.” He wrapped his arm around Atreus so he was stuck, awkwardly sitting in his lap. “Always mine.”

Atreus couldn’t move, painfully aware that he was sitting in Heimdall’s lap and therefore his cock right under him and he didn’t want to test Heimdall’s fuzzy head’s horniness when at Freyr’s camp.

“Not letting you go near any wells or roofs,” Heimdall mumbled and nuzzled Atreus’ neck which sent goosebumps down his back. “Possibly no cabbages either.”

Had Atreus not known Heimdall was referencing his stories then he’d think he had gone insane.

“There are not enough fox honey tricks you could use to make me fall for it,” Heimdall continued mumbling. “Perhaps one… but your honey is always the sweetest. Easiest to eat up certainly.”

“Heimdall,” Atreus hissed, praying that they were far enough away for no one to hear them. He was just grateful that the angle they were at meant no one could see them but they were still out in the open.

Heimdall licked a stripe up Atreus’ nape. “Hmm… Not honey.”

Atreus looked at Heimdall.

“But I will find it if I try enough.” His eyes narrowed on Atreus.

Atreus nearly squeaked and tried to gently push away while not shifting so much. Heimdall hummed, leaving a kiss on Atreus’ neck.

“Heimdall–”

“Look at you.”

Atreus looked into Heimdall’s eyes. Heimdall had that dumb expression on his face again.

“Enchanting.”

“Um, Heimdall?”

“To go to Valhalla would mean seeing your eyes for eternity.”

The only time Heimdall even got close to talking like that was when they were having sex. Atreus wasn’t sure what color his face was at that point.

Heimdall let go of Atreus’ waist but raised his hand to use it to hold Atreus’ cheek. A small laugh seemed to fall from him. “Soft… so soft.”

Atreus was no longer being held in place but he didn’t move. He stared back at Heimdall.

Heimdall chuckled again. “You’re certainly never growing a beard in this century or the next.”

Atreus’ face fell to a glare.

Heimdall squeezed Atreus’ cheek. “Little… little…” Heimdall seemed to lose his words.

His eyes began to stare off into nothing.

But then Heimdall turned his head back to Atreus and asked, “Where is our boy?”

“Sleipnir’s safe.”

Heimdall nodded, relaxing again.

Atreus doubted Heimdall was alright yet. He was healing fine but his head was still cloudy. Atreus couldn’t imagine Heimdall saying half of the wild things he was saying if he were in his full senses. Heimdall listened to Atreus when he nudged Heimdall to shut up when they saw Thor in that patch. But now that Heimdall had been beaten by his father, no, he was only emboldened and more reckless than before. They were surrounded by people that hated him already and he was not helping his case in the slightest and would continue to not. Atreus hoped it wouldn’t get worse the better Heimdall got.

Still, Atreus would bring Sleipnir if only to at least distract him. “Do you want to see him?” But really it was so they could all be together again.

Even if Heimdall wasn’t fully healed, he clearly perked up at the thought of his son. “Yes.” It made Atreus melt to see him so happy for Sleipnir.

Atreus chuckled. “I have to go get him. Stay here and I’ll bring him. He’s missed you too.” Atreus slowly slid himself off of him.

Heimdall stared wide-eyed at him like he was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen in his life. He held Atreus’ hand.

Atreus pulled away. Heimdall didn’t let go for a moment but he seemed to weigh in his mind that letting Atreus go meant he’d see Sleipnir as well.

He stood up and Heimdall’s eyes were still on him. Wide and almost pleading.

“I’m coming back,” Atreus promised, holding back a laugh as he stood up. “I am. I promise.”

He looked to the camp and saw most eyes on him. Atreus couldn’t have been more grateful that they were covered by one of the docked boats. He stepped away from Heimdall who was still reaching for him.

Atreus walked over to the campfire.

Atreus walked on to get back to Heimdall now that he had Sleipnir in his arms. He tried to ignore the goosebumps running along his skin as he thought about how everyone knew. They looked at him and they knew.

He rounded the docked boat and saw Heimdall again.

Heimdall’s eyes were closing, as if he were about to fall asleep or rather more likely, pass out.

“Heimdall?”

Heimdall groaned.

“It’s Loki.”

His eyes opened instantly and he saw them. His eyes were on Atreus and then went to Sleipnir like he was in awe of the sight in front of him.

Atreus knelt by Heimdall with their son stretched out for Heimdall to hold if he wanted. Heimdall didn’t hesitate and grabbed Sleipnir instantly even if he was wincing to hold up his arm. He lifted their son up and down a little as if testing the weight of him in his hands. Atreus was glad Heimdall didn't miss much of their son. Sleipnir cooed and smiled brightly at him. He waved his arms around once he saw his father.

Heimdall stared at him and then held him to his chest, squeezing him. Atreus kept a close eye to see if he would go too tight but he never did. Always a gentle hand on his son.

“There is not one hair on him that I would rearrange.”

Atreus felt something in his stomach flutter at that. He could easily forget all the problems they had before, during, and after Sleipnir.

Atreus sat down beside him. Heimdall held his son away from him to look at Sleipnir again. Lifting and lowering him, almost playfully. Sleipnir cooed and giggled. “There you are…” Sleipnir waved his arms a little. “Yes, you… So small. You’re so small. You would not even make a full meal.”

Atreus laughed. “What?”

“Have you been… walking, talking while away?” Heimdall continued speaking to Sleipnir.

Sleipnir made an incoherent noise.

“Good. That’s good. I am quite sure the stay here has been far warmer than your birthplace.”

Sleipnir made a noise again once Heimdall finished.

Atreus watched the exchange go back and forth.

“Of course. Anything else to report?”

Sleipnir cooed and waved an arm.

“You look like your mother.”

Atreus looked at Sleipnir and then back to Heimdall. “He looks more like you.”

“No,” Heimdall argued. “Look, his smile. That is clearly you.”

Atreus couldn’t help the fondness he was feeling. “His eyes?”

“Still your color.”

“His hair?”

Heimdall gently shook his head. “It is far too bright to match mine.”

“Then it really won’t match mine.”

Heimdall glanced to Atreus then back to Sleipnir. “Hmm… no.” Heimdall pulled his son back to his chest to lay there and rest.

Atreus didn’t realize how much he missed this.

“Did he eat?”

“Yeah. I’ve been taking care of him.”

Heimdall hummed. “I know. I was hoping to see your tits again.”

Atreus’ eyes widened at Heimdall's dead serious expression. He turned away. “Heim–Heimdall.” Was Heimdall always this– yeah, he was, but not so frequently and open about it, or was Atreus remembering wrong?

Heimdall looked over at him. Atreus looked back to him again. Heimdall had to crane his neck to lean down but Heimdall kissed him. Atreus kissed him back, grateful that they were faced away from the camp mostly. Small, simple, the kiss felt more like Heimdall's way to feel that Atreus was there with him again. Warm and soft. Together.

When they pulled away, Atreus stared into Heimdall’s eyes. He wondered what Heimdall was seeing when looking at him. Maybe he wasn’t reading his mind at all. Maybe Heimdall was just looking at him too.

Atreus leaned into Heimdall’s shoulder and they stared at their son together.

Together.

Together again.

Atreus argued against Ragnarok. “It’s full of regular people!”

Freya scowled. “Most of the city is just Einherjar. Don’t let Odin fool you.”

He bit his tongue. He almost said something he would have regretted. And how would you know, you spent most of your days in Asgard in Odin’s bed. There would have been no backing out of that one. That would have just been cruel and it’s not like Atreus even knows that. Really wasn’t his place to say or even think.

He heard Heimdall laugh. A loud, sharp burst of laughter.

It was probably the hardest he had ever heard Heimdall laugh, but this was also when Heimdall was not even fully with all his senses.

Last he saw, Heimdall was sleeping off the knockout his father gave him. He was still sitting and leaning against the moss-covered tree they left him on but now his eyes were cracked open and watching him.

“Say it, sunshine.”

Atreus felt his face heat up. He became too free and biting with his thoughts since he left Asgard or rather since he left Heimdall.

Atreus sputtered when he realized what Heimdall was laughing at. “You– You can’t just keep reading my mind whenever you want.”

“No one else’s thoughts are as entertaining.”

Atreus glared.

“And that one was entertaining, sunshine. Say it. I want to see little Queenie’s response.”

“Don’t– that’s not– That’s not who I am.” Atreus crossed his arms.

“Isn’t it? You thought it. And you used to say whatever you were thinking when we were quite often making–”

Atreus immediately ran over to Heimdall to cover his mouth. “Shut up! Shut up! That can wait until you actually can think again.”

Heimdall kept laughing, it was muffled by Atreus’ hands. He didn’t bother to pull Atreus’ hands off him.

“I found out… how, I mean, what that, um, the uh, knife you have. The one under your old bed.”

Heimdall’s eyes widened then immediately narrowed on him. “There is far more to it than whatever your mind has assumed.”

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t have all the details. I know enough to know it was wrong. I know enough to say completely that it should never have happened.”

Heimdall gritted his teeth and tightly closed his eyes.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Atreus whispered. He put his forehead against Heimdall’s. “I wish you didn’t have to go through that.” He hated seeing Heimdall hurt. He hated imagining what happened to Heimdall in Asgard when he was just a kid.

Heimdall leaned into his touch.

Atreus kissed Heimdall’s closed eyes. Heimdall’s eyes were so beautiful, Atreus couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt them. He pulled back and his hands held Heimdall’s face.

Heimdall opened his eyes. Those purple eyes that glowed and moved even when he focused.

Atreus was mesmerized by them.

Heimdall chuckled. “Something we have in common.” He leaned further into Atreus’ touch.

Added scene for OwOLordofOwO

“Sunshine.” Heimdall grinned. An overly fond expression on his face that Atreus had never seen. He thought he saw all of Heimdall. He didn’t think it possible for Heimdall to act this way. His hair was still a mess, a braid still visible on his left but clearly coming out.

He grabbed Atreus by the waist and pulled him closer so that Atreus’ hands were on Heimdall’s chest.

“Got you.”

“Um, Heimdall?”

“My little sunshine.” He chuckled. “So small.”

“Heimd–”

Heimdall moved his hands a little higher to Atreus’ armpits and before Atreus could question it, he felt himself being lifted from the ground. “Look at you.”

Atreus dangled in the air as Heimdall held him up easily over him so that Atreus had to look down to see Heimdall. Atreus had to put his hands on Heimdall’s arms to stabilize himself. Wasn’t Heimdall injured? His arm previously had a hole in it and he was still able to lift Atreus up like he barely weighed anything. “Heim–”

“Pretty little Giant. You know how pretty you are, don’t you? Don’t you?”

Atreus’ face was probably red at how Heimdall was talking to him like he would with Gulltoppr.

“My little Giant. Could carry you around wherever I go.”

“Please don’t.” Atreus squirmed awkwardly.

“Could bring you wherever and do whatever I want with you. And there’s so much I have planned.”

Atreus was ready to shut down every dirty thought he could. “Heimd–”

“Green or blue for your dress at our tying ceremony?”

“I– What?”

“Though you enjoy yellow… and white would be pretty on you.”

Atreus stared at that dumb face that was smiling stupidly at him like he was everything important in all the nine realms. Was Heimdall… Was he trying to propose? No, Heimdall had skipped over asking already and was going straight to nuptials.

“Not red.”

“Why not red?” Atreus found himself asking without his mind catching up with the conversation.

Heimdall crinkled his nose. “Flattering color on you. Too flattering. I will have to cut down any man that looks at you too long.”

“Oh… um… blue then?”

“Perfect, sunshine.” Heimdall laughed and it shook Atreus as he was still hanging in the air. “A thousand years– Eternity.”

‘Heimdall–”

Heimdall swayed him. “Who better to tame this little Giant’s bite than the God of Foresight.”

Atreus glared. “I can still bite.”

“And you’ll always excite.”