For Asgard!

Looking back on it, Steve could no longer so easily understand why he had been so reluctant to call the other Asgardian his friend. Not as he had distrusted the man for his alien nature or his strength, not even that he wouldn’t have trusted the other man with his back in battle. In those earlier days out in the world it had seemed easier to cling to the past long gone, to live with the ghosts of those he had lost without honoring them as he should have by continuing on with his life. Certainly, he owed Thor a drink, although he doubted that the man’s good nature would see him offended for an unintended slight that had happened only in the confines of Steve’s own head.

And when it came to the woman herself, he had to admit that he was curious. Aside from her obvious beauty, and wasn’t that enough to threaten to turn his tongue into knots, Steve remembered that in Thor’s descriptions of his shield-brothers and of Sif that women rarely, if ever, became warriors. He was, quite obviously, the last person who might question why someone would want to go out and fight, and he had known far too many woman who were both independent and capable to doubt her ability, but he was curious all the same. The thought might have been driven momentarily from his head with a glance down at her legs, but when she either did not notice or let his look pass by unremarked, he decided he would wait until a chance in conversation allowed him to bring up the topic and hope he didn’t manage to offend her in some way when he asked.

He gripped her arm securely, remembering Thor’s greetings and farewells, and did no disservice to her by leaving his grip limp before he released her.

The compliment failed to surprise him only as he understood it would have been Thor’s enthusiasm behind those stories. He nodded at her interest, agreeing easily. “Of course, and I’d love to see you in action. I’ve seen the way that Thor fights but I have to imagine your style’s a little…different.”