SEEING A text from Freya pop up on his screen always sent Falcon’s heart into overdrive. Seeing a text from Freya that read ”we need to talk” sent his heart crashing to the pit of his stomach.
He knew their situation was beginning to take its toll on their relationship, but he had been hoping that she hadn’t noticed. However, apparently, she had and reading such an unusually serious text had him scared.
Falcon had been travelling in the elevator to one of the lower floors of the building to pick up some papers when his phone had vibrated in the pocket of his slacks.
Yes, slacks. He was even wearing a business shirt, tucked in and complete with a tie. He was surprised too.
Stepping out of the elevator, he paused for a moment, looking down at the phone in his hands as he tried to decide what to do. He was already on a tight schedule in general and then add on the fact that he had been late to a meeting because he had been too enraptured with speaking to his girl.
His heart stuttered out of anxiety and frustration and in that moment, he made the split-second decision to call her.
The haunting dial tone did nothing to calm his nerves and he leaned against the wall beside the elevator, stuffing a hand into the pocket of his slacks as he waited for Freya to pick up the phone.
Finally, a familiar crackling fills the speaker, followed by Freya’s voice. Falcon shot up slightly, standing a little straighter as if she could see him.
“Hi?” her voice was questioning and Falcon could practically see her forehead all scrunched up in confusion. “I thought you were working?”
Falcon’s nerves rose at the sound of her voice and out of nervous habit, he cleared his throat before speaking.
“Uh, yeah, I was,” his hand escaped the confines of his pocket to run through his hair a few times. “But you wanted to, uh, talk?”
He cleared his throat quietly as the harsh beating of his heart filled his ears.
“Oh!” Freya’s soft voice graced him again. “No, no. It’s okay. It’s not that important. We can talk about it later.”
Relief flooded Falcon’s veins but his brow creased in confusion as he tilted his head slightly to the side.
“Wha-Are you okay?” he questioned. “Did something happen?”
“No, I’m alright,” Freya assured. “I just wanted to talk to you about... talking to you.”
Falcon was stumped.
“More,” she added as an afterthought. “Yeah. Talking to you more.”
That certainly hadn’t been what he was expecting. Falcon’s confusion grew with the short silence between them, but Freya broke it before he found the words to say.
“I know you’re busy and everything, but,” she let out a little huff. “I just... I just want to talk to you more. I feel like we don’t talk enough. And I know that’s stupid because we talk every day, it’s just so different to how we used to be and it scares me-”
“Baby,” Falcon bit his lip to contain the smile that threatened to stretch across his face. “I know our relationship has changed and I’m busier than I used to be, but if you want us to talk more, we’ll talk more. Okay? Don’t feel that it’s a stupid thing to ask.”
He could hear her pouting as she responded.
“I just don’t want to bother you,” she mumbled.
Falcon couldn’t help the way she melted away every harsh edge of his heart.
“Sweetheart, don’t ever think you’re a bother,” he said firmly. “You’re my girl, baby. It’s not a bother to make you happy.”
Freya sighed, the sound crackling through the phone as she tried to believe it.
“Okay,” her voice was almost a whisper.
“Okay,” Falcon repeated before checking the time on his watch. “Well, I gotta go baby.”
He heard her sigh through the phone and cursed his tight schedule. He wanted more than anything to stay where he was and talk to her for hours. But duty called and he had to keep reminding himself why he was doing this.
Without this, there was no future.
“I love you,” he emphasised his words to make sure she knew he meant them.
“I love you too,” she responded, albeit, slightly less enthusiastic than usual.
He would make it up to her, he promised himself. He would make it all up to her.
“Okay,” Falcon paused for a moment to see if she would respond. She didn’t. “I’ll call you tonight, alright?”
Freya hummed through the phone. Falcon could tell she didn’t believe him and he didn’t blame her; the number of times he had promised to call her and then passed out in bed before he could, were countless. But he was intent on keeping his promises this time.
“Talk to you later, baby girl,” he bid his goodbye, trying to encourage one more response out of her.
“Bye,” she answered softly before hanging up the phone first.
They just had to make it through a few years. Then they’d never be apart again. They could do it.
But with Falcon’s bumpy history of messing up, he wasn’t quite sure how true that was.
~~
Among many things that Freya had found to pass the time that used to be spent by Falcon's side, she had taken to visiting Glenn and Jaxon every weekend. She had grown a quick liking towards Glenn when they had first been introduced, and since then, he had taken on a grandfather role in her eyes.
She had first visited him in an effort to connect to Falcon's past a little more and because she distinctly remembered the night they had met when the old man had promised to tell her about the Norse goddess who had a name like her own.
In reality, it was a denial technique. With the hustle and bustle of Glenn's house, she could almost forget that Falcon was halfway across the world and instead could almost convince herself that he was there with her.
Glenn's stories also helped to distract her mind; filling her head with mythology and history and sending her home with her arms spilling with books. Moments in that house were her favourite.
She just wished Falcon could be here to experience them with her.
Freya shook her head from her thoughts as she approached the familiar house. A smile automatically grew on her face as a loud voice floated out of the house for everyone to hear.
"Jaxon I said a tablespoon of ginger. A tablespoon. Not the whole goddam pot."
There was muffled silence for a moment as Freya walked up the stairs towards the front door.
"You have Jaxon! You've put so much ginger in this, it's a Weasley!"
Freya swallowed a laugh as she knocked twice on the door. There was shuffling behind inside the house for a moment before the door swung open and Freya was enveloped into a warm embrace.
"Ah!" Glenn exclaimed. "If it isn't my favourite angel."
He held her out at arm's length after a moment and she grinned up at him.
"How are you, my love?" he asked.
Freya's eyes crinkled around the corners in fondness.
"I'm good," she answered softly.
"Well, come in, come in," Glenn ushered her inside. "Jaxon was just finishing up ruining our ginger cake."
Freya could hear Jaxon grumble a response from the kitchen and she grinned. Glenn sat her down on the couch in the living room and told her to wait while he made them some tea.
A few moments later, Glenn was back with two steaming cups, one he laid down on the coffee table in front of her and the other he cradled in his hands as he sat down beside her.
"So," he began. "Tell me how that boy of yours is. He still working hard?"
Freya's mood dimmed ever so slightly but she kept her smile intact.
"He's alright," she shrugged. "Very busy. But he makes sure to find time for me."
Glenn watched her for a few moments before raising his eyebrow. Freya knew it had been foolish to believe she could get anything past the old man.
"Is he giving you trouble?" Glenn asked. "Cause I'll whip him into shape if he is."
Freya shook her head quickly, picking up her teacup as she tried to formulate a response in her head.
"No," she let out a harsh breath. "It's not that. I just-I-I don't know."
She slouched back in her seat, avoiding eye contact and instead choosing to stare out the window.
"Come on, tell the old man what's happened," Glenn encouraged, wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders.
Freya let out a small laugh before shrugging again.
"It's nothing specific," she took a sip of tea, trying to give herself more time to think of how to say it without sounding like a child as she usually did. "I just-I don't know. I just kinda wish we could spend more time together. He said he would work on it, and he has, it's just-"
She let out a frustrated breath, not knowing how to put it. Glenn patted her shoulder a few times before speaking.
"You know that poor sod cares about you more than he even knows, right?" Glenn raised an eyebrow in question and Freya shrugged once again.
With a sigh, Glenn withdrew his arm from her shoulders and softly gripped her elbow to turn her to him.
"Never forget why he took that job in the first place, Freya," he spoke firmly. "He took it for you. So he could be someone he saw as deserving of you."
Freya's brow creased as her emotions conflicted with one another. She felt guilty and saddened that he felt that way but elated as she was reminded that the entire situation was one big gesture of love towards her.
"You're everything to him, love. Don't forget that