chapter 1

Sophie POV

2016

"Popcorn?", he asks with a smile, picking up his enormous bucket of carbs. I don't believe someone with those abs eats a whole bucket of popcorn, but I'm not going to make the point.

"No, that's okay", I say, smiling, linking my arm through his. My fourth date with the God of Thunder. Well, we've talked about the fact that he's not actually a god, but his people were worshipped as gods by the Vikings. He may not be a god, but to the people of Earth, he sure looks and acts like one.

It feels bizarre to go on a date with a superhero, period, like being in a movie myself. Of course, when I was a kid we didn't know they were real. We didn't know anyone had any superpowers, or that attacks on our planet would mean we would suddenly need them so badly.

I'm an anthropologist who met Thor when he was at an earth sciences conference with Jane Foster years ago. Of course, to Jane's irritation, no one listened to her presentation on the influence of the north and south poles on an Eistein-Rosen Bridge. Even her old professors didn't listen. They all wanted to look at Thor and talk to Thor and take pictures with Thor, and talk about saving the world and how he got in that kind of shape. No one wanted to talk about poles of any kind. The price of dating the ultimate celebrity.

Even though our research never had much a lot in common, Jane and I hit it off at the conference and exchanged numbers. Thor must have kept mine on the sneak, because after they broke up, he called and asked me to a movie, out of the blue. Now on our fourth date, and at our second movie, he's wearing jeans and a tshirt over his ripped arms, a baseball cap, and sunglasses, but he's still about to be recognized. People are staring. It's tough to confuse Thor with anyone else. Thor is...Thor.

As he's walking into the darkened theater, he stumbles and nearly falls. "Are you okay?", I ask, grabbing his arm, though it's merely instinctive. Not like I could catch him if he did go down.

"Just tired", he says, finding our seats, "I haven't been sleeping."

"Oh that's too bad, is something bothering you?", I ask.

He stops and looks at me, as if he's assessing just how much he can or should confess to me. He takes a deep breath and goes for it. "I've been having nightmares. About the destruction of Asgard."

"I'm sorry. Can you talk to someone about it?", I ask.

"I am", he smiles warmly.

I lose the fight to stop myself from caressing his cheek. We haven't gotten to the physical affection part yet, but my heart skips a beat every time I see him, every time I hear that deep baritone. That's something about him. He cares...so very deeply about everything and everyone.

"I mean a professional", I correct.

"I don't think that would be possible", he says, only removing his sunglasses when the lights go down in the theater. "But...I can't stop worrying about Ragnarok."

"You know there are those who think Ragnarok was just a euphemism for Christianity, which did, in its own way, kill the gods of the Norse....I doubt there's anything to worry about." I stop as he stares at me.

"You know I'm not really a god, right? And I'm not really Norse? And Ragnarok is real?", he asks

"Of course", I say, "I'm sorry, I know you're Asgardian, but the truth is Viking culture could have influenced your culture as much you influenced theirs. Who is to say if Ragnarok is real? Anyway, you're right, I don't know anything about your planet, I'm sorry."

"For what?", he says, as the hot dog sings across the screen. "I have a policy about women."

I'm afraid of what he's going to say next. Don't say something horrible, I think to myself. Thor is amazing in many ways, but a caveman in others.

"I only date women smarter than I am so I can learn stuff", he confesses, and squeezes my hand. I shake my head at him and lean into his broad, massive chest. He puts his arm around my shoulders. I don't see how he could be happy with me, or almost any other mortal woman, after dating the gorgeous and brilliant Dr. Foster, but he's as full of compliments as always.

Suddenly his Apple watch dings.

"What? What is this?", he says loudly, hitting it.

"Shhhh!", sounds behind us.

"I think you have a message", I whisper.

"A message?", he asks loudly. "An electronic mail?"

"Yes", I whisper.

"Shhh! Buddy, the movie is started, can you shut up?", we hear behind us.

"What does it say?", he asks at top volume.

"Shut up!"

"I think we better go", I offer, grabbing his arm.

"We're going to leave now?", he asks, sounding almost like a confused elderly man, and just as loud. I get him out into the light and check his watch.

"It's Heimdall. The Nine Realms are under attack", I say, open-mouthed.

"I have to...I'm sorry, I have to go", he says.

"Of course", I answer, disappointed. I never know when he'll be back or have free time. He moves away from me, then comes back, and pulls me into a kiss.

I'm left with shaky knees. "I like you, I really do", he says, "I don't know when all this will be over. But I'm coming back."

I nod. And he's gone.