Blood Moon

It was hard for Midgardian weapons to hurt Asgardians, but that didn’t mean it was impossible. Eyvor groaned as Jake pulled her away across rooftops, clutching at the bleeding gash on her side. Jake was speaking to her in rapid-fire Spanish that she couldn’t keep up with, but that didn’t matter anyway when she was just trying to focus on breathing through the pain. She had no idea who those people in the jumpsuits with red patches were, or what they were using exactly, but after that first shot had sent her screaming to the ground, Jake made sure that they were all taken care of. Once they were far enough away, Jake held her and jumped to the ground, his suit melting away as they landed in a dark alley. “Amor?” he asked, and she looked at him through eyes blurred with tears.

“I’m–it’s fine,” she rasped. He shot her a glare, but they didn’t have much of a choice. He slipped off his jacket, ignoring the winter chill in the air as he wrapped it around her to hide the blood seeping through her shirt.

“Come on, mi amor,” Jake encouraged, bending down slightly for her to get on his back like she had carried him so many times in the past. She carefully, amid bit-back cries and whimpers, got onto his back, and he adjusted his hold before setting off. Eyvor held on, or tried to, but her torso was on fire, throbbing in time with his steps, and little pinpoints of light sparked in her vision the longer he walked. Even when she squeezed her eyes shut, they were still there, and when she opened her eyes, she was certain that they had made it farther than they should’ve been able to. She blinked, and Jake was easing through the doors into their apartment building. Her foot caught the doorframe, and the jolt sent lightning up her body, but she bit her lip and groaned into his back instead of crying out like she wanted to. “Lo siento, amor, lo siento,” Jake apologized as he slid inside, the door closing behind them with a click as he walked down the hallway towards the elevator. “Almost home,” he whispered, and Eyvor hid her face between his shoulder blades, trying desperately to keep it together. 

When she opened her eyes again, he was in front of their door, trying to get it open with one hand.

“Put me down,” she choked out. “I can–” Dropping her legs cut her off as her vision fuzzed out and she gripped onto his hips tightly to ground herself.

“Too tight, amor,” Jake grunted, and she let go as if he’d burned her, nearly crumpling to the ground as she swayed. He caught her up carefully under her arms, helping her stumble through the door and into the bathroom, where he sat her down on the floor against the bathtub while he locked the front door in a hurry. There were pretty designs in the tile floor that she stared at. How had she never noticed them before? Fingers tapping her chin made her look up. “Amor?”

“Hm?”

“Let me look.” She gave him another hum, and he carefully began pulling off his jacket and her shirt. She hissed when he nudged her left leg out of the way. Jake looked down and swore at the bright red stain on her leggings. “Amor, why didn’t you tell me?” he asked before he pulled out a knife and carefully cut away the fabric of her pant leg to reveal another bloody wound. 

“Oh,” she said, staring at it, and Jake gave her a look she couldn’t understand. The little lights were back, and she was trying to blink them away. Jake tapped her chin again, and when she looked at him through the little stars, he was holding out a cloth to her.

“Bite it,” he ordered. “This will hurt.” She nodded, which made her head spin, but she clamped the fabric between her teeth as Jake started cleaning it. It hurt. A lot. It’d been a long time since she’d been injured in any major way, and this was reminding her why she did her best to avoid those kinds of injuries. Her vision clouded over, and when next she could see, Jake was setting her down in bed gently, whispering to her in soft Spanish that she was too foggy-headed to understand.

“Jake?” He looked up at her, giving her a smile that didn’t reach the rest of his face.

“Si, amor?”

“Will–” She forgot the rest of her question before she could ask.

“I’ll be right here, amor,” he promised. “Sleep.” He ran gentle fingers through her hair and began humming something quietly. The exhaustion caught up with her, and she drifted off within minutes. 

She woke to frantic hushed whispers, and when she opened her eyes, it was still dark outside, but she didn’t hurt as much as she had last time she was conscious. “Boys?” she croaked, her throat dry and sleep-rough. The whispers stopped, and footsteps came towards the bed, where Steven crouched next to the bed so she didn’t have to strain to look at him.

“How’re you feelin, love? Alright?”

“Better,” she rasped, and he reached over before helping her lift her head a bit and sip water through a straw. 

“Gave us a bit of a scare,” he said. “We didn’t know what happened.” So, Jake hadn’t told them.

“Big weapons,” she replied, her throat feeling better with the water. “They got lucky.” Steven glanced off to the side for a minute before he nodded.

“Marc says we need to check that they’re not infected. That okay, love? He’ll be gentle.”

“I know,” Eyvor answered. “It’s fine.” Steven helped her sit up, which made her hiss, but she was able to manage and sit still. Steven helped her pull Jake’s borrowed shirt over her head and pressed a kiss to her temple before Marc frowned, pulling at the edges of her bandages to begin looking them over.

“You shouldn’t go out alone,” he grumbled. “It’s not safe.”

“It was one group that got lucky. They won’t hurt anyone again, don’t worry.”

“What about when it happens again?” Marc asked as he began to unwind the slightly-stained bandages. “What then?” She hissed as he nudged her injured leg accidentally, and he murmured an apology.

“I’ve been in many fights, kjæreste. I’ve been hurt worse than this.” Marc’s frown deepened at that.

“What if this had been worse? If you couldn’t have made it home?”

“Then I would be in hospital somewhere, and I would call you the minute I could.”

“And make us worry about it?” Eyvor winced as he revealed the careful stitches Jake had put in her side the night before, but she raised a hand to cup his cheek.

“You worry anyway,” she said gently, “and I’m okay.” She pointed to a scar that ran the length of her sternum, jagged and rough. “This? I was sliced through by Tyr while training. I was in bed for days before I could even think about moving. I’ve had much worse, kjæreste. I appreciate your love and concern, but I’m okay. It’s painful, yes, but it’ll heal.” Marc huffed, obviously not happy with the knowledge or her apparent lack of concern over her health. 

“We’ll let it get air for a minute,” he said, in reference to the wound on her side. “Your leg?” She motioned to it, happy to let him continue to assure himself that she was okay. Jake took good care of her, even if she couldn’t remember it.

“Kjæreste?” 

“Yeah?”

“Could you get me one of my apples? I’m hungry.”

“Not surprised. You slept the whole day.” Oh. Well, perhaps his concern was legitimate. Either way, Marc got up and went to her bag, where Jake had dropped all of her things on the couch, and brought her back an apple to eat while he continued to check her over. “You feel anything? Anywhere else hurt?”

“No,” she replied. “Just a little tired still.”

“That would be blood loss,” Marc grumbled.

“Kjæreste,” she fussed again, but he continued to look her over and ignored her. Once he was satisfied, Marc sat down on the bed next to her, careful not to jostle it too much. He didn’t say anything for a long time. 

“You’re really okay?”

“I am. I promise.” Marc sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Rest. You need it. Do you want anything?”

“No,” Eyvor replied, slowly finishing her apple and putting it in the wastebasket by the bed before starting to lower herself back into bed for a nap. Or at least to read a book while laying down.

“No, no, let me put the bandages back on,” Marc protested, and Eyvor bit back a groan, for his sake. Let him fuss, if it would help him make sure that she was okay. In the time it took Marc to rewrap her wounds, she managed to finish a second apple. “There.” 

“May I move now?” she teased. Marc hissed quietly, but he backed away.

“Yeah. Yeah, sorry.” She caught his hand and stopped him from pulling away completely. 

“Hey.” Stretching up as much as she could, she gave him a gentle kiss. “Thank you. I know you’re worried, but I’m okay.” Eyvor smiled, and Marc gave her a tense look in response, but his shoulders relaxed. 

“Steven’s worried,” he replied. She squeezed his hand.

“And you’re worried too. It’s okay. I’m fine. I promise, I’ll go to sleep, and I’ll take it easy. I promise.” Marc sighed, and he shook his head slightly, and then Steven gave her a weak smile. 

“You alright, love? Really?”

“I’m fine, solskinn,” she assured him. “I’ll rest, I promise.”

“Alright. Be here if ya need anything, right?”

“Right.” She leaned back into the bed, and Steven pulled the covers up over her and gave her a kiss. 

“Sleep well, love. Just gonna be doin’ some straightenin’.”

“Okay.” She closed her eyes, shifting onto her unhurt side and closing her eyes. She didn’t feel sleepy or anything, but Marc and Steven wouldn’t stop worrying unless she got more rest. Instead, she stayed where she was for a while until she heard a sharp gasp.

“Jake? What’s all this, mate?” Steven asked, and Eyvor’s eyes shot open. “Is that–oh god, is that blood?”

“Jake?” Marc said in a tense voice. “Jake, that’s Eyvor’s blood. Why’s it on your jacket?...No, no, no Jake! Don’t lie to me! I know where that blood came from! Why is her blood on your jacket?1”

“Don’t!” Eyvor exclaimed, sitting up. “Don’t yell at him, Marc, please.” Marc stared at her with disbelief on his face.

“Why is it there, Eyvor?” Marc demanded, his voice loud and panicked. “Why?!”

“Marc,” Eyvor replied, shifting to stand up. “Just–don’t yell at him, Marc.” Marc’s head snapped over to look at the mirror hanging on the wall beside him.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, Lockley! Why is there blood on your jacket? Tell me!”

“Marc,” Eyvor tried again, feeling a sinking in her stomach. This was it. This was where their lie fell apart. She knew it would happen eventually, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. “Marc, I can explain, but please stop yelling. Please.”

“Explain what?! If you got hurt by yourself, came home yourself, how is Jake’s jacket covered in blood? In the same spot your wound is?!” Eyvor knew that Jake wouldn’t try to take the body with Marc as angry as he was right now, but she stared towards the mirror where Marc had looked. 

“I–” For once in a very long time, she found herself unable to think of what to say. “He took care of me.”

“Because he was with you, wasn’t he?!” His head snapped over to the mirror. “Don’t lie to me!”

“He was with me!” Eyvor exclaimed, feeling hot tears leak out of her eyes in desperation. “He was. Marc, please, don’t yell at him. He brought me home.” Marc wasn’t listening though; he was staring at the mirror, horror and anger in his gaze. 

“You–you’re still with him, aren’t you? Khonshu? After everything he put us through? After what he did to us? You’re still his Avatar!”

“Marc, please,” Eyvor begged, stepping towards him, but Marc wasn’t paying her any attention. 

“I don’t care! We were finally out! And you brought us back in! After all of that! And you brought Eyvor into it!”

“Marc!” Eyvor yelled, making him jump and look at her. “Marc, he didn’t bring me into anything. I was already–way before I met you, Marc. He just–it’s how we met, Marc. He goes with me, not the other way around.”

“Then why am I fine, huh? What’ve you been doing on your ‘date nights’?!”

“Marc.”

“Stop! Just tell me!”

“Jake–he and I–” She bit her lip, but she had to do this. “We had to keep you safe.”

“Me?! How is lying to me, to Steven, keeping us safe?”

“You’re a soldier, Marc! A good one, that’s what Jake said. You made enemies. If–if something–” Her throat was closing up. “If they came after you, and I wasn’t there, I–” She swiped at her eyes in frustration. “I love you all, so much, and I–if I lost you, I–” She begged him to understand. “We both knew you’d be mad, that you might not want to talk to us again, but–Marc, please, we–to keep you safe. We–we love you–we love you so much. Please, it was only to keep you safe. And–and–and it’s better now! We made sure of that! I go, when Jake doesn’t want to, and–and we always go together if he goes. He’s still terrible, but–but we manage it! It’s okay, Marc. Please–please believe me. It–” She was fully aware that she was openly sobbing, but if Marc and Steven wanted to leave, then she would lose Jake too, and that–she would lose all of them in one night, and she couldn’t handle that. “It was only to keep you safe.”

Marc stared at her in betrayal.

“You lied.”

“I did,” she replied. “I am so, so sorry kjæreste. It–it’s the only lie I ever told you, I promise. I hated doing it, but–to keep you safe, I–I’m so sorry.” She sniffled and swiped at her face again. “I’m sorry. But please, don’t–don’t yell at Jake about it. Please. You–you’re brothers. You have to get along. He loves you; he loves you and Steven so much, Marc. Please. You have to–stay–stay mad at me, but–forgive him, please.”

Marc just stared, not saying anything. 

“I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “I–” She backed away, giving him space. “I’ll–I’ll give you time.” She searched, finding her shoes tucked underneath the edge of the couch, and she shoved her feet into them.

“No, no–Love, where’re you goin’?” Steven asked. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes again.

“Just out, solskinn. For a walk. You, Marc–I’ll give you space.”

“No, love, it’s–it’s freezin’ out. You don’t even have–love, just stay here, you’re not even wearing trousers.” Well, he was right about that. It was one of her pairs of shorts. 

“I’ve been in colder, solskinn. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re still hurt. Please, just–stay here? Please?” If she turned around, she was going to see those sad eyes looking at her, and she couldn’t handle that.

“You’re upset with me.”

“A little, yeah, but–I get why you did it. Not very responsible of you, no, but–I get it.”

“Marc’s mad.”

“Yeah, well, he and that old bird never did get along. He’ll come round, love. Just–” Gentle hands turned her around. “Stay home, love, please?” There were those big brown eyes, pleading with her, and she couldn’t say no. Not to Steven. Not ever to Steven.

“I really am sorry, solskinn,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to lie to you.”

“I know, love. Not gonna lie, still reelin’ from the whole thing, but–I know you regret it, which is important.” He pulled her into a hug, and she clung onto him, careful not to hurt him. She’d done enough of that already. “Come lie down, love. I’ll sit with you, yeah?”

“Are you–are you sure?”

“Hundred percent.” She allowed him to lead her back over to the bed and take off her shoes again. “Been a bit of a rough day, I think. A good sleep will do us good, yeah?” He curled into her side, the pair of them tucked underneath the covers. “Goodnight, love.”

“Goodnight, solskinn,” she breathed into the space between them. “I love you.”

“I love you too, love. Get some rest.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For once, since the entire time that she’d been living with them, Eyvor woke up in bed alone to the sound of movement in the kitchen. She shuffled to her feet, but either she was being ignored on purpose or was moving too quietly. She went into the bathroom and took a shower, finding that her injuries were healed enough to take out the stitches. With the small scissors in the first aid kit, she carefully pulled out all the thread, which for some reason hurt way more than when Jake had put them in. As she opened the door from the bathroom, steam billowing out behind her, she was met with Marc’s voice, though she didn’t catch who he was talking to. He sounded upset, but she didn’t get the chance to ask him what was wrong as the floor shifted under her feet and she sagged against the doorframe to keep herself upright.

“Eyvor? You okay?” Still Marc. The ground was still spinning, and she gripped onto the wall with both hands. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Calloused hands grabbed her arms and supported her over to sit on the couch. “Damn it, you’re white as a sheet. Hold on.” He nudged her to lay down and put her feet on top of the pillows they had there before hurrying to the kitchen and coming back with an ice pack, which he put on the back of her neck. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I just took a shower and took the stitches out, I don’t–”

“You what?!” Marc exclaimed. “Why would you do that?”

“They’re fine. I just–” Marc pulled up the hem of her shirt (Steven’s shirt) and looked at the scabbed-over mark on her side, which was indeed mostly healed.

“It was probably that and the heat in the bathroom that made you dizzy,” he said. “Stay here. I’ll get you some water.” He fussed over her until the room stopped spinning and she felt able to sit up again without passing out. “Easy,” Marc said, keeping nearby in case it happened again.

“I’m okay.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not, so.” She huffed a laugh. 

“I’m sorry to make such a fuss. You sounded like you were busy.”

“We were just talkin’,” Marc replied. “You’re more important than that.” She looked over at him hesitantly.

“Does–are you not mad anymore?”

“No. Well, a little. But Steven and I talked it over last night, and this morning, and Jake actually answered our questions, so we understand. I’m not happy about it, but–I get why.”

“I can ask Mani about getting you out of it without losing the suit, if you want. Or find some other way.”

“Later, okay, Eyvor? For now, I’m not happy that you and Jake lied to me, but I forgive you.” She leaned into his side, squeezing his hand tightly.

“Thank you, Marc. I don’t deserve it, but–”

“No, we aren’t getting into that fight. Steven gave me and Jake that lecture too, please don’t make us sit through that again.” She laughed.

“Okay.”

“Now, you need to eat something. It probably didn’t help anything that you only ate two apples yesterday. Sit here, pick something to watch on TV, and I’ll make breakfast. You want oatmeal?”

“Please. And honey?”

“Yep.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and got up. Gradually, the tension between them eased away into nothing, and Eyvor lounged on her side of the couch while Marc yelled at the baseball game on the screen, watching him more than the game and content. They’d come back from this. They would. She would make sure of it. If anything, things would be better, now that she and Jake didn’t have to hide this one thing from them. 

They’d be fine. Especially if she could figure out how to get rid of that old bird.