Melodies For Wellness - Chp 1
Summary: AU - Negotiations with Norway are taking longer than expected to set up New Asgard. Meanwhile, Asgardians make Stark Tower their new temporary home. This multi-chapter fic details the relationship Loki and the "Wellness Coordinator" of Stark Towers who is tasked to help the Asgardians transition to life on Midgard.
It was a new day for the people of Asgard. Their home was destroyed because of Ragnarok and with Thanos defeated, they waited in their new temporary home: Stark Towers. Turns out, negotiating with Norway to house hundreds of aliens is more complicated than anyone could have imagined. This is how Loki, along with his fellow Asgardians, found themselves as refugees in the heart of New York City and dropping their bags in their new rooms.
Loki was one of the lucky ones and received his own private room; perks of being a prince and brother of an Avenger while others were rooming three to four per room or flooding the common areas. With a heavy sigh, Loki entered his room and looked around. It was a quaint one-bedroom apartment with a small living room and kitchenette. These quarters weren’t fit for a prince by any means with its sterile walls and basic furnishings, but it will do. On the kitchen counter was a plant with a card. Loki picked up the card, flipped it over to examine it and then opened it.
Your Highness, Prince Loki of Asgard,
Welcome to Stark Towers! I understand that you and your people are here under terrible and horrific circumstances. My condolences and grief cannot be expressed enough, and I truly hope we can make your temporary stay here at Stark Towers as bearable and welcoming and possible.
I am Y/N, Wellness Coordinator at Stark Towers and I am hosting an orientation meeting today at 5pm in our main conference room for all the Asgardians. The Tower is quite large and can be overwhelming, so there is a map of the Tower included in this letter. I will be reviewing the status of your soon to be home in Norway as well as initiatives to help your people transition to life on Earth.
I have heard of your heroism and vital part in saving your people and getting them here to Earth. Thor has shared many things about you and I greatly admire you! I think it would be vital to have your support for these initiatives and programs. It is my hope that your presence will encourage others to attend. If anything, I would love to talk to you about how we can best help your people.
Please consider this letter a personal invitation to attend. I sincerely hope you do, as I can’t wait to meet you! I also hope you enjoy the plant I left you as a housewarming gift! I always thought that plants make a place feel more like home. It is relatively easy to care for, but I am happy to give any tips you wish.
Loki scoffed at the idea of anyone considering him, the Dark Prince, a “hero”, but he was intrigued. He gingerly touched the leaves of his new plant with the pads of his fingers and felt the corners of his mouth tick up at the gesture. It was foreign to him to have someone go out of their way to make him feel welcome, well anywhere. Yet, he still debated on whether he should go to this so-called “orientation” or not. He agreed that his presence could greatly affect and influence his people and he also agreed that they likely would need some sort of help transitioning to a brand-new planet. Most of his people are not as well traveled as he was when it comes to the cosmos. But would they truly want him there? Thor was the new King of Asgard and favored prince. Surely, he was the better person to invite. Maybe he was, Loki wasn’t sure, but the feelings of inequality and being the pariah of the Asgardian royal family ran deep.
Yet, he was still intrigued by this letter and being considered a hero of all things by this Y/N. He decided he would at least attend to meet this person and extend a thank you for the hospitality. It would be the polite thing to do, right?
The time for the orientation came and Loki found himself walking down to the conference room. Much to his surprise, he did invite and encouraged any of the Asgardian’s he passed by to attend. Before he knew it, he was stepping in the conference room, and someone handed him a folder. There weren’t many people there yet, but there were a few Asgardians sitting randomly amongst the sea of chairs.
At the front of the room was a petite woman, wearing a long flowing dress that held all the colors of the Bifrost. The sun shined on her hair and she glowed; she was an absolute heart stopping vision of a rainbow of colors. She was chatting with another woman, a large bright smile on her face. Her very essence, the light that exuded from her was his own personal sun and its gravitational pull unconsciously led him right in front of her. She turned her smile to him, her petite frame just bringing her under his chin, and he lost all train of thought and his legendary silver tongue turned to lead – much to his dismay.
“Oh, hello! You must be Prince Loki. Welcome, your highness! Wow, you are tall!” She laughed and offered him her hand and he took it. She clasped her other hand over his in a comforting embrace and shook it. He couldn’t deny the jolt of electricity he felt just from this minor touch.
“It truly is an honor to meet you!” She continued to beam up at him and he found himself getting lost in this little mortal’s eyes, admiring how the sun brought out golden flecks in them. A few long moments went by as she continued to look at him expectantly, clearly waiting for a response. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Get it together, Loki!
“Y-yes, hello. You must be Lady Y/N?” She dropped his hand, and he felt an unfamiliar twinge of loss.
“Yes, I am sorry! I am Y/N. I am assuming you got my letter? I am so glad that you could make it. I really appreciate it and you being here will be so helpful to the success of these initiatives!”
“Well, I appreciate your willingness to help the people of Asgard and for the warm welcome. Though, I am afraid I am no hero as your letter said.” She smiled at him and placed a hand on his bicep.
“Well, you are to me.” He was taken by surprise not only by her comment, but also by her touch. Again, he found himself entranced by her. This time it was her smile. It was so bright, so pure, that he almost believed that he was this hero she thought he was. Almost.
She requested that he sit in the front row, insisting it will be helpful and show solidarity to her program initiatives and his people. He obliged and sat down, while grappling with the fact that he just might do anything for this little mortal if she just asked.
A few minutes passed by and more and more Asgardian’s came into the conference room, each holding their own folders. The room wasn’t filled, but there was a decent number of attendants. Y/N eventually spoke up, getting everyone’s attention.
“Hello, everyone! Welcome! My name is Y/N and I am the Wellness Coordinator here at Stark Towers and I am so glad you all could make it. I want to acknowledge and appreciate the fact that we aren’t here under happy circumstances. I want to extend my most heartfelt condolences for the loss of Asgard. I can only imagine how it must feel to lose your home. Words cannot express the heartbreak we all feel for you. So, with that said, we want you all to feel as welcome and at home while you are here at Stark Towers.
While it is meant as a temporary stay, we want it to be as enjoyable and comfortable for you all as possible. Unfortunately, negotiations with Norway are taking longer than expected. Please don’t worry! We fully expect Norway to be your home soon, but it is a matter of figuring out the where and delegations of resources to set you all up for success. And to be completely honest, us Midgardians…” She shifted her gaze over to Loki and smiled, “that is the correct term, right?”
He nodded at her, with a soft smile, and she continued with a laugh, “Us Midgardians are just getting used to the notion of alien life, so this is a bit more complicated for us. We appreciate your patience and as I mentioned, we want to ensure you feel as comfortable as possible while you are here! And it is so wonderful to have the support of one of the princes’ of Asgard!”
She turned to him, her smile never leaving her face and nodded to him expectedly. He stood briefly and bowed slightly to her.
“Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Yes, Lady Y/N is correct that the negotiations with Norway continue, but we are optimistic that we will move to our New Asgard soon! I hope you all listen to Lady Y/N and what she has to offer as she is here to help us. For that, I am grateful.”
She mouthed a quick thank you to him as he sat back down. He felt his cheeks flush and prayed to the Norns no one would notice. What the Hel is wrong with him?
“So, as part of our initiative to help you all adjust to life on Midgard, we are going to offer a series of classes and programs with that goal in mind. First, when it comes to your rooms…I know many of you are sharing small spaces and we will try to accommodate any requests or needs when it comes to your housing to the best of our ability. Any requests can go to my assistant, Nicole.” She motioned to the woman she was speaking to earlier who now sat at a desk to the side of the conference room. Nicole raised her hand and waved to identify herself.
“We also have several grief counselors available to meet with individuals and families as needed. You can also set up those appointments with Nicole.” Y/N continued, “We understand that what you went through was very traumatic and trying and we are here to support you.”
Y/N chatted briefly about some of the other amenities the Tower offered including a special training room that was now being designated specifically for the Asgardians, medical personnel, and shared common spaces. She motioned to everyone’s folders and explained that all the amenities and where they are were included in their packets.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am the Wellness Coordinator here. Most of my role here is to help the employees here, and their families, lead healthy lives. We believe that happy and healthy workers create a better and more productive work environment. This included a series of classes and programs to help educate and encourage healthy habits. Now, my role extends to you all!” She shifted her gaze again over to Loki and smiled. He couldn’t help but notice how her eyes continued to catch his as she paced the front of the room.
“With that said, I wanted to share some things about myself since I am a new face and I really want you all to come to me if you need anything at all. It is easier to do that if you know the person, of course” She said, still pacing in front of the room; her colorful dress billowing behind her.
“First and foremost, my true love is music,” Her face lit up immediately and Loki caught it. If her smile was the sun, then her love of music that shone on her face were all the stars in all of the galaxies. She continued, “I am constantly listening to music and singing, though I don’t ever sing around other people.” She said with a lighthearted laugh. A smile crept on Loki’s lips. He could get used to her laugh.
“If you ever see me out and about and you call for me and I don’t respond, please don’t take offense! I listen to music with these,” She pulled her earbuds from the nearby desk and placed them near her ear, as an example, “and sometimes I get lost in what I am listening to. Just give me a little tap on my shoulder and I am happy to talk with you! And before anyone asks, no I hardly ever wear shoes – much to Tony Stark’s dismay.”
Loki peered down towards her feet and sure enough, she was barefoot. He didn’t fully understand why, but he found it endearing. She reminded him of the light elves; luminous and resplendent.
“I love to read, and I have a lot of plants,” she continued. Ah, that explains the housewarming gift, Loki thought. “And I have my own gardens on the property. If you can’t find me in the building, you can find me there.”
Loki’s mind drifted off for a moment with thoughts about his mother who had her own gardens. This Y/N reminded him of her, the woman who truly loved and cared for him the most, and his face softened at the thought. But apparently, he got too lost in those thoughts when he realized Y/N had been calling on him.
“O-Oh yes, my apologies Lady Y/N. Can you repeat that?”
“Oh, I know these things are so boring,” She teased with a glint in her eye. Loki flinched. It wasn’t his intention to ignore her and not pay attention.
“I tease”, she assured him, “I had asked if there was peanut butter on Asgard?” Loki looked at her, brows furrowed in confusion.
“I am afraid I have not heard of this. We don’t have…. Peanut butter? On Asgard.”
“Ah, I figured as much. It is just a nut spread and I happen to be deathly allergic to Peanuts. Don’t worry, I won’t be offended by any jokes about the weak Midgardian that can be taken out by some nuts.” She laughed and some of the Asgardian’s laughed with her. Loki only frowned as he was reminded of the fragility of mortals. As beautiful and intriguing this woman is, it is probably a good idea not to get too attached. A mere heartbeat, he remembered…
“But that is enough about me! On to the programs! I will be offering a series of classes to help you all adjust to life on Midgard. One, I offer all the time, but will be adjusting to your needs. The class is simply called, “Mental Wellness” and it is just as it sounds. Tools and resources to help you be mentally and emotionally well. We talk about coping with stress and anxiety, communication, and one of my favorite topics – The Five Love Languages.” She said, with a big grin.
Loki perked up at this. His heart and his mind were giving him whiplash. He had just met this little mortal, who apparently can be killed by a mere a nut, yet he found himself enamored by her and drawn to her. The idea of talking to her about love was strangely exciting in the most confusing way.
“The second class, I lovingly named Earth 101, but I guess I should change it to Midgard 101? Moving to a new planet can be a culture shock. So, this class offers a safe place to ask questions without fear of embarrassment or judgement. No question will be considered silly or stupid. We will talk about culture, history, music – my personal favorite, of course – and basic skills including cooking and technology. Much of what we will teach, I am sure, will translate to what you already know. I understand Asgardian technology is advanced, so mostly it will be a matter of demonstrating. But, for those who need a bit more help, I will be offering one on one assistance.”
Y/N then motioned to a row of tables at the side of the room that were now covered in food and drinks.
“I thank you all for coming. Please stop and chat with Nicole and me about signing up for any of the services or classes we mentioned. Help yourselves to some refreshments and I hope you stay for a while! I would love to chat with you all and get to know you on a more personal level.”
Loki did stay back, grabbing himself some of the food and drinks offered. He made small talk with some of the Asgardian’s that attended while keeping an eye on Y/N. She made good on her word and had spent a significant amount of time greeting the Asgardians in attendance and genuinely getting to know them. Her effort was not unnoticed by Loki. Eventually, they both made their way back to each other.
“Thank you again for coming and giving your support. It is so appreciated. It turns out we will have a decent group attending these classes. Your presence was a great help with that!” She beamed up at him, clutching a stack of papers and clipboards against her chest. He really could not get enough of her smile!
“Yes, of course. I am glad to hear that this meeting was a success for your initiatives. I could tell that you put a lot of thought into the needs of the people of Asgard and it is greatly appreciated.” Again, she lightly touched his arm after hearing his reply. There is that electricity again…
“Loki is fine,” He interrupted with a wave of his hand, and she smiled and continued.
“Yes, Loki…Are you planning on joining us for any of these classes? Again, your support would go a long way, but I would totally understand if you didn’t want to. I hear you are well read and well-traveled yourself. I am sure you don’t need them.”
Her question caught him off guard. It was true what she said that he already had a wealth of knowledge of the subjects at hand. However, he was intrigued by the concept of the “Five Love Languages” and further understanding of Midgardian technology. Yet, he found himself wanting to sign up for anything she asked just to be near her. It was that confusing push and pull. He knew trying to get close to her was a bad idea, but who knows how long he would have the opportunity to talk to her? To see her smile like that? His curiosity got the best of him, and he smiled down at this tiny mortal; his new sun.