Greetings, dear readers. Hopefully, I still have readers. I so appreciate your patience with me. Things have been busy with the kids back in school and some changes at work and the allergy eye issues. I get stuff written in my head, but it just takes so long to get it into writing.

My heartfelt thanks to those who took the time and energy to review. You make me so happy! I also appreciate the favorites and follows. It makes me feel loved.

Now, on with the story.

Stroll 28

In spite of the late night, most of the team members were up fairly early the next morning. They sipped at coffee and chatted quietly or skimmed through the news as the staff went about getting breakfast prepared and laid out.

"Great," Darcy announced, entering the room. "Everyone is here. Frigga will be dropping in shortly to look at attendant dresses for the wedding."

"Ohh. I can't wait to see my dress!" Tony exclaimed sarcastically.

"Really?" Frigga questioned, sweeping into the room. "Darcy and I had discusssed options for the attendants. Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg will go with traditional Asgard formal wear while Eric expressed his preference for a..." She turned to Darcy. "What do you call it?"

"Tuxedo," the other woman supplied.

"Right. Tuxedo. We came up with the dress designs with the women in mind, but the idea was to have everyone in what they find most comfortable. I suppose if you would prefer a dress, through, that can be arranged."

"Of course, my friend," Thor hastened to assure him. "Whatever you wish."

"Though you would need to shave your legs if it's a short skirt," Jane teased.

"Or wax them. And possibly your chest and shoulders, depending on the neckline," Pepper added.

Tony stuck out his lip in a pout, irritated that no one took him the least bit seriously.

They knew him well. Finally, he shrugged. "Sounds like a lot of trouble. I guess I'll just go the tuxedo route, too."

"Good choice," Pepperr told him.

"And the rest of your friends?" Frigga asked her son. "If they wish to wear dresses, we'll need to get their measurements."

All of the men quickly expressed their prefernce for traditional tuxedos.

"Since most of the other ladies also got dresses for the engagement party, we only need to get sizing for Jen and Mia," Darcy said, introducing the two Coulson ladies to Asgards queen.

Frigga greeted Jen with a nod and a smile, then turned her attention to Mia.

"What a lovely child," she declared, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm not a child," the girl replied, lifting her chin. "I'm 14 years old and I'm in high school now."

Her mother gave her a horrified look. "Mia!"

The older woman gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to Mia. "My apologies, dear. I meant no disrespect. With the average Asgard lifespan being so much longer than that of Midgard, I tend to use the term quite liberally in regards to your people. I also forget that the term is often not appreciated. Even among the young of my people."

"I don't mind being called a child," Nick called from across the room.

Frigga smiled at him, then turned back to the girl. "But you do. And I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

"It's okay," Mia replied. "I probably overreacted a little, too. I'm just tired of being told that I'm too young to do what I want to do," she said, glaring at her mother.

"A party with a bunch of teenagers that we don't know at someone's house whose parents may or may not be there?"

"Kelsey is going and you know her," the girl protested.

"That's up to her parents. Your going is up to Phil and I and it's not happening. End of discussion," Jen answered.

"I'm sure you're old enough to pick out your dress," Darcy told her.

"Didn't Jane already pick out the dresses?"

The bride to be shook her head. "We settled on the basics, but decided to let everyone pick the specifics for themselves. Length. Sleeve length. Color."

Darcy pulled out her tablet and started showing them the various options. "We figured that everyone has their own taste and feels more comfortable in different styles, so why make everyone dress exactly the same?"

"As a warrior, Sif has chosen the shorter style to allow freedom of movement," Frigga told them, looking towards Natasha and Maria. "Would that be your preference as well?"

Everyone gathered close, discussing the options they were being given.

"That would be fine," Maria agreed.

"As long as I have room for weapons," the assassin added.

"Of course. Do you wish them concealed or visible?"

"Probably some of each," Nat decided.

"Really?" Darcy asked. "Weapons? At a wedding?"

The two agents lookd at each other, then shrugged. "It's the life we live," Maria explained. "It's better to have something and not need it than the other way around."

"So, you agent types are always armed?"

"Either on them or close at hand," Jen affirmed.

"Always? Even when you're..." The intern glanced to Mia. "Sleeping."

"Even when we're...sleeping."

Mia rolled her eyes.

"And you're okay with that?"

The cellist shrugged. "Like Maria said. It's the life they live. When Phil and I got serious, he had me and the kids take a firearms safety course so we'd know how to handle them. That helped ease my mind on the subject. And he's always very careful."

While the women continued their discussion, Steve caught Thor's attention and nodded his head towards the door to the deck. He nodded, spoke quietly to his fiancee, and stepped out into the quickly warming morning air. Steve smiled at Maria, then followed.

He found the alien god leaning against the wall looking out over the city. Taking up a position next to him, he breathed deeply, picking out the familiar smells of the city. They two stood that way for several minutes. Finally, Steve spoke.

"Your mother said something about Asgardians having a lifespan so much longer than the average human. Is that something you've thought about much?"

After a moment, the other man replied. "You mean, have I thought about the fact that I will probably outlive the woman I love by many years, if not centuries? That I shall likely watch her grow old and die? That I will also likely bury any children we produce together?"

The sky had darkened as he turned to face the other man, his expression equally dark as thunder rumbled menacingly. "I am not so stupid or naïve as some here believe, Captain. I am well aware of the differences between my beloved and I."

Steve lifted his hands in a placating motion. "Of course you are. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. Please forgive me. I suppose I stated my question poorly. What I should have asked was if you've thought about how to deal with that idea."

The clouds quickly cleared and Thor lowered his head briefly. "No, my friend. It is I who should apologize. While I am an alien in this world and unfamiliar with some traditions and cultural norms, I have long observed what goes on around me and have learned quite a bit. Some, though, continue to assume me clueless and in need of having the obvious pointed out to me."

"I understand."

"I know you do. Probably better than any of the others, since you are in a very similar postion, my friend. That is why I offered the apology. The matter has indeed weighed heavy on my mind and you were the target of my frustration."

"Apology accepted," Steve told him, offering his hand.. "Though, in all fairness, it's usually Tony who acts like we don't understand modern culture and you DO sometimes encourage it."

"I do not."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "The whole bit with the dress just now?"

Thor shook his hand and laughed. "Guilty. But it's fun to see him struggle for the words."

"Yeah, it is."

The Asgardian turned serious again. "The serum you received. It will exend your lifespan?"

Steve nodded. "Probably not as long as yours, but that is one of the likely side effects. I was the first successful trial, so there's not any precedence, but that's what they think. Aging is bascially a breakdown of the body, and my body heals those. I'm already well passed the normal human life span, but much of that was spent frozen in the ice."

"In itself, a testement to the resiliency of your body."

"I suppose." Steve turned his gaze back to the city. "I knew when I volunteered for the program that the increased life span was one of the things they were aiming for, but I guess I never really understood what that would mean. Outliving those that I love. Friends. A wife."

Thor nodded. "True. While I will likely mourn many of my Midgardian comrades, those of Asgard will remain by my side." He looked to the other man. "You would be welcomed in my home, in my family."

"Thank you," Steve replied. "But my responsibilities are here. On Earth."

"Then I will return and share those responsibilites with you. I may not be of your world, but my love and appreciation of it are great nonetheless. And my offer will always stand."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Please do," Thor reiterated, resting a hand on his shoulder. "As for your question...how I deal with it?"

Steve nodded.

"I simply choose to treasure every moment we do have together. We may have only a short time, from my perspective, but I will store every memory as the precious gift it is. Even when she's gone from my life, those will remain."

The super soldier nodded again.

"Also, I keep mindful that what is probable or likely is still not guaranteed."

That earned his a questioning glance.

"Like you, I am powerful, but I am not invincible. I am a warrior and face many enemies. Some are very powerful. It is still possible that she could be the one left to mourn. I could fall in battle or to some illness. Or something unforseen. Just because the average lifespan is long does not guarantee that I will live the full spectrum."

He turned to face Steve fully. "Any more than you are promised. As you stated, you are the first of your kind, and the serum may not work as they planned."

"Or may have a time limit," the other man agreed.

"Be grateful for every moment you have, big or small. The formal banquets, the quiet times alone. Simply watching her sleep."

Steve laughed. "She's woken up a time or two and found me doing that. Says it's creepy."

Thor smiled. "My lady has voiced that opinion as well. But hold those thoughts in your heart. Celebrate them. Cherish them."

Steve gave it a few moments thought, then nodded. "Good advice, my friend. I will try to keep that in mind in the future."

"Sometimes, it helps," the Asgardian told him, patting him on the back. "Somewhat."

The two returned to the common room. The wedding discussion was still going on, the ladies discussing the merits of the various options, the men wisely agreeing agreeing with whatever was said. All eyes turned to them.

"Is all well?" Frigga asked her son.

"It is," he assured her. "The Captain's lady," he nodded towards Maria, "Has recently accepted his offer of marriage and we were simply discussing the agony of the wait."

Jane grinned. "If they're in a hurry, I suppose we could always make ours a double wedding," she offered.

"No, thanks," Maria replied quickly. When Steve cocked his head at her, she rushed to clarify. "We wouldn't want to detract focus from the two of you," she told Jane. "You've been waiting and planning for this day for months and it should be all about you."

"And your day about you," Frigga added.

"Besides, we just officially got engaged last night and really haven't gotten a chance to start talking about what we want in a wedding yet," Steve added.

As conversation returned to the event at hand, Maria continued to watch Steve. After several minutes, she moved to his side, taking his hand and pulling him over to a small cozy alcove. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him.

"Is everything really okay?" she asked. "Because the two of you looked pretty serious out there and I'm pretty sure I heard some thunder rumbling. You don't have to tell me what it was about, but I need to be sure nothing's going on that's going to interfere with team operations."

He shook his head with a reassuring smile, then leaned down to kiss her. "No, we're good. Just discussing one of the unpleasant realities of being different. The drawbacks of that long average lifespan Thor's mother spoke of."

"Of watching those you love grow old and die?"

He nodded. "You've thought about that, too?"

"Yeah. I have."

"Does it bother you?" he asked, stroking her face with the back of his hand.

She shrugged. "There's not really anything we can do about it. I'll grow old with all that entails. Wrinkles. Gray hair. Menopause. Incontinence. You'll probably do so much more slowly. You'll be mistaken for my son, then my grandson. Or some fortune hunting gigolo. Assuming I get to grow old."

"You have a fortune?" he teased.

"I'm the richest woman in the world," she replied seriously, pressing her lips to his.

He sighed as she pulled back, resting her head on his chest.

"Of course, as Thor reminded me, nothing is for sure. Just because the serum should increase my lifespan doesn't mean it will. It could suddenly fail. Dr. Erskine could have built in some sort of expiration date. I could die in battle. There are so many things that could happen."

"To either of us. Any of us," she replied. "I was thinking about that the other night. About how much this oddball bunch has come to mean to me and how easily any of them could be taken. And how much it would hurt."

Steve nodded.

"But I also realized that, as terrifying as that is, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"You wouldn't give up the relationships to spare the pain?"

"No, I wouldn't. You?"

He let his gaze travel over the assembled group, finally coming to rest on her face. "No. No, I wouldn't. I will treasure the time we have, whether it's many years or only a few days. And that's why I want get married as soon as possible."

"I know you do," she whispered.

"But you're not ready yet."

She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm still adjusting to the idea of being engaged. The idea of getting married may take a few more days."

"I know," he replied, hugging her close. "And we'll wait. Just know that I'm ready whenever you are."

"Soon," she promised. "Soon."

And that's another chapter done. Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I've not felt really comfortable writing Thor for some reason, but finally decided to jump in and give it a try. It seems to me that he and Steve really have quite a bit in common and would understand each other in ways other couldn't. I hope he doesn't come across to badly. Please let me know. I always love getting feedback.

I've got new chapters of Complications and Risks started and am thinking on a continuation of Secrets in a Cardboard Box. I guess I'll just have to see where the Muse leads next.

Until then.