"It's a figure of speech. It means... a... uh..." Thor wasn't sure how to describe an asshole without being graphic. "A not nice guy."
She nodded, but a nervous expression crossed her face.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I just want you to be able to protect yourself so you don't find yourself in the same situation again."
She swallowed hard. "All right."
The room spread before her, a cavernous expanse that stretched endlessly, cloaked in an oppressive monotony of dull gray. The walls bore no adornments, no hint of life or personality, just the cold, industrial chill of utilitarian design. Their smooth, unyielding surface reflected the faint sheen of the overhead lights, though the glow itself felt muted, swallowed by the space's lifelessness. Beneath his boots, the floor mirrored this same stark grayness, its hard texture echoing with each step he took.
In the corner of this desolate scene stood the only break in uniformity- the dark wooden enclosure. Its rich mahogany tones stood out defiantly against the drab surroundings. The sturdy planks formed a pen, their edges worn smooth by time and use. Inside, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr shuffled, their hooves clicking against the wood. The scents of metal mingled with the smell of fresh hay and the pellets the goats ate.
She wasn't sure what to say about him wanting to teach her self-defense. If she told him Val was a Valkyrie and had taught her to fight for years, he would become suspicious and wonder why she hadn't defended herself earlier. But how did she tell him she knew how to fight without telling him why she didn't fight back? About how the beatings and abuse at her father's hands caused her freeze response to take over every inch of her body, almost any time someone touched her.
But… maybe self-defense was different from fighting. Maybe she might actually learn how to stick up for herself.
Thor walked to a corner, pulled several large red items out, and dropped them onto the floor before unfolding them and laying them out.
"Come over to the mats." He motioned her over.
"Should I remove my shoes?"
He shook his head. "You need to be wearing whatever you might be wearing if someone tries to touch you without your permission again. That way, you will feel most familiar when it happens."
She stepped on the springy mats. She bounced on the balls of her feet and crossed to Thor and stopped.
Thor thought for a moment. "To do this, I'm gonna have to touch you, all right?"
Her throat dried, but she nodded.
"First, I want to do what happened to you earlier. I'm gonna grab you around the waist." He waited.
He what? He was going to wrap his body around her body. Touch her?
Her heartbeat kicked up, and a trickle of fear dripped down her back. Her core warmed as her magic pulsed inside her, ready to defend like always. She took in a deep, slow, calming breath. She could do this. She could do this. No magic explosions. No, letting him see her true nature. She had to learn control. If she couldn’t control it in front of the one person she needed to most, then what chance did she have of learning to use it at all?
She turned away from him, and he approached. Her heartbeat galloped as his warm breath tickled her skin and made it pebble. He brushed the hair from her neck, and she swallowed hard as her limbs shook. Her magic flared, but she pulled it back, shoving it down.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and applied gentle pressure. "Where were your arms when he grabbed you?"
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr bleated and jumped at the fencing of their pen.
"Knock it off. I'm not going to hurt her," Thor called.
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr continued to bleat, unconvinced.
“You know I won’t hurt you, right?”
She wanted to say yes, but she couldn’t. It was a lie. If he found out the truth about who she was, she had no idea what he would do.
His arms loosened. “I won’t hurt you, Elle. We don’t have to do this if-”
She shook her head. “No… I want to. I… need to.”
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr kicked at the gate to their enclosure.
Thor snorted. “Maybe you should tell them you’re fine. They don’t believe me.”
Elle looked at the goats as they began trying to climb out. “I’m okay, guys. I’m okay.”
