Chapter 9
Thor marched angrily towards the dungeons, ignoring both of the worried pleas of his Mother and Brother, quick at his naked heels. He had been stripped of his armor so the healers could better aid him, leaving him in only his white ceremonial tunic and beige khakis.
“Please, Thor! You need to rest!”
“Yes! Listen to Mother! You are worrying her!”
“I’ll talk to your Father! You don’t have to do this!”
Thor clenched and unclenched his hand. The memories of the fight, fresh in his aching head, swirling with the words of the prophecy he had memorized long ago and all the hope he and his family had held onto for so many years. He threw open the heavy doors to the dungeons and descended the cold stone steps. He walked briskly past the cages and stopped in front of his Father.
Odin raised an eyebrow at him, keeping his arms crossed over his chest, facing a large glass tank reserved for their fiercest criminals.
This close, Thor could hear faint weeping coming from inside the cell. “What did I do!? Please! Oh, God! What did I do!? I’m so sorry! You have to believe me! I didn’t mean to do anything! I’ll serve my time! I’ll do anything! Just, please! Tell me what I did!”
Thor closed his eyes and winced at the pained cries sounding nothing like a ferocious beast, he sounded so-so Asgardian . “Release him.”
“No. I will not release him! He is a danger to us all! Not only did he hurt you, but he injured more than dozens destroying our tournament arena! Do you know how many families I will have to answer to now? How much that will cost to rebuild!? There’s no way he can afford all the damages he caused! This is the only way for him to pay!”
Thor took a deep breath and looked his Father in the eyes. His brother was always better at their academic studies, but that didn’t mean he didn’t pay attention to his teachers' lessons. “First of all, Father , it was a tournament , he was meant to fight. Secondly, I,” Thor raised a hand to his chest, “and all those he saved by holding up that old arena are fine! He doesn’t need to pay for that! I heard from the healers that the most they saw were a few scrapes and bruises!” He took another breath. “As for payment, as his fiance, I will pay for all his damages.”
He heard a small chorus of quiet, restrained gasps fill the stale air.
Odin’s eyes blazed with anger as a look of disgust crossed his features. “That is my money, Son . Just as it is my duty to protect my subjects and my family, including you . Now, what’s this about a fiance!? He’s not your fiance!
“He is! He won! He’s the one from the prophecy!”
Odin’s eyes widened in disbelief as he shook his head. “He most certainly is not !” He held up a hand and began counting reasons off, one by one. “He’s a he !”
“I don’t care.” Thor’s answer was resolute.
Odin blinked his eyes rapidly while his mouth bobbed open. “He’s a monster ! He can crush you like a beetle between his hands!” Two more fingers flew up.
Thor’s answer was more reserved, still feeling the ghost of the Titan’s grip along his torso, but wasn't his brother also considered a ‘monster’ as well? He could crush him just as easily too. “I know.”
“NO!” Odin shook his head. “I won't allow it! He’s a criminal ! I won’t have you marry a criminal!”
“Then don’t make him one!” That was the first time Thor had yelled at his Father. They were both stunned into silence.
Bruce's head swam with the revolutions from the argument. Fiance!? Prophecy!? They referred to him as a ‘monster,’ so they must’ve met him as Hulk. He doesn’t care? He knows, yet he still wishes to marry me!? Am I really his Fiance!? How did the Hulk pull that!? He’s gorgeous!
“Let’s-Let’s all just take a beat and calm down, okay!?” A woman rushed between the two men, taking advantage of the silent cease-fire. “Odin,” she looked pointedly to her left, “Thor,” she looked to her right, “Breathe.” She took a deep breath in demonstration, waiting for the two men to follow her direction before continuing. “Remember, we’re a family.” She nodded to someone farther away to her right. “All of us. We stick by each other and love each other, no matter what.” She stared into the glass cage. “If that includes adding one more member to our family,” she looked into Odin’s eyes at his momentary outrage, “for the sake of our love,” she turned back to Thor, “health and happiness, so be it.” She turned back to Odin. “This is what we had hoped for. I don’t want to watch him get hurt.” She shook her head with pained sadness. “Not again. I’d rather lose him to love than push him away.”
Odin clenched his eyes shut, along with his jaw, grinding his teeth together as he forced an annoyed breath through his nose. His wife had made up her mind, just as his son. He would lose them both if he didn’t waver. He took another calming breath and opened his eyes. Wavering did not mean defeat. He could still control the situation. He could force a compromise. “Fine,” he held up a hand at his wife’s bright smile, “but only under my conditions,” he looked pointedly at Thor, “and he has to agree as well.” He gestured to the cell with a satisfied smirk as if he was confident the prisoner would refuse. Who would enter into a marriage agreement with someone they just met and the first thing they did was lock them up?
Three pairs of eyes, quick to become four, peered into the cell. That was the first time Thor locked eyes with Bruce , the Midgardian, the Human , no longer resembling a giant green monster. Thor’s breath caught in his throat as his heart hammered in his chest, suddenly glad that he had put so much faith in his family's interpretation of the prophecy. He had hoped for love. When he woke up, he had thought that that was foolish and simply chose marriage over death, but the hope had risen up once again. The man, oh, he could absolutely tell he was a man, with his toned flat chest on full display disappearing into his purple shorts, Thor raked his eyes upward back to his eyes, his gorgeous brown eyes that matched his luscious locks hanging just above his ears, sporting a gaze he hoped was interest, reflecting his own. What he didn’t like was the thick chains around his wrists and ankles binding him to an uncomfortable looking bed. “Whatever decision he makes should not be in chains.” He looked pointedly at his father, who looked at him like he was now a ‘monster’ he couldn’t identify.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
“Frigga-”
“Shh! You said it yourself. He has to agree as well.” She nodded her head towards Bruce while wrapping a protective arm around Thor’s broad shoulders. “A relationship is built on trust and fostered through consent. What a wonderful message that would be to show that it has to go both ways.” Frigga eyed Bruce with a look before turning back to her husband. “Especially, when one seems to be slightly stronger than the other.”
Thor swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling very dry. ‘Consent.’ That one word, combined with, ‘stranger than the other,’ sent a light blush to his cheeks. She couldn’t be hinting at what he thought she was. They just met! Well, then again, they were going to get married soon. He chanced a glance at the man, who he finally realized he still didn’t know the name of, blushing further at the sight of the man’s red tinted ears and slight widening of his eyes at catching his glance. Thor quickly averted his gaze.
Odin looked physically sick. “His wrist restraints have to stay on! They’re designed to contain magic so, he shouldn’t be able to turn into that-that thing again. As for their relationship , they will need to agree to court each other for at least two-no, three years, before they can even think about getting married or not.” Odin declared, shooting a fierce glare at Bruce as if daring him to go against him.
Frigga nodded to one of the prison guards. “You heard him. You can release this prisoner of his remaining restraints.” She turned to another guard. “You, for the love of the Gods, please give this man some proper attire.” Thor and Bruce both blushed deeper at her words. “We will meet him in the dining room for a formal introduction, this place gives me the shivers and I’m sure everyone has worked up quite the appetite.” She turned to her husband and put on an innocent appearance that her husband knew was anything but. “Does that sound okay with you dear?” She batted her seductive blue eyes. “Do you have anything else to add or any more demands?”
Odin’s face contorted into a stoic expression with a slight frown. “That sounds wonderful, dear.” His voice was a flat betrayal of his words. He wouldn’t give up control that easily. “If I think of anything else or any more demands, I’ll be sure to bring them up.”
“Hmm. Wonderful!” Her voice was happy sarcasm. “Come on then! Let’s get out of this dreary place and let you change in privacy, okay, Hun?” She nodded to Bruce and pushed her family away.
Bruce shivered and it wasn’t because of the cold.