Everything that followed was a bit out of control.
He couldn't even remember how the clothes came off; they were probably scattered from the doorway all the way to the bedside.
Kristen was more domineering than usual, her nails leaving several shallow red marks on his back.
It was unknown how long it took for the storm to gradually subside.
Only the sound of heavy breathing remained in the room.
The bed sheets were a complete mess.
Kristen collapsed on top of Cassius, not wanting to move a muscle, her blonde hair damp with sweat and sticking to her cheeks and forehead.
Cassius was also exhausted, his chest heaving violently, but his arms still subconsciously wrapped around her to prevent her from sliding off.
"Fuck!"
Kristen buried her face in the crook of his neck and swore muffledly, her voice hoarse.
"Did you... eat some Asgardian special edition protein powder or something?"
Cassius chuckled low in his throat, his chest vibrating. He didn't have the energy to retort, so he just tightened his arms around her.
They lay quietly embracing for a while, waiting for their breathing and heartbeats to slowly calm down.
After the intense emotional release came a sense of satisfaction and peace following extreme exhaustion.
After a while.
Kristen moved slightly, propping herself up a bit to look at him, her expression a mix of satisfaction and fatigue.
"Not bad. Haven't regressed!"
Cassius raised his hand, tucking a strand of sweaty hair behind her ear, his fingertips grazing her hot skin.
"Neither have you!"
Kristen huffed, flopping back down on him, and said lazily:
"Hungry!"
"Who said they had no appetite just now?"
"That was then! Now energy depletion is critical, need replenishment!"
She declared righteously.
Cassius was helpless. "Order delivery?"
"Don't want to wait!"
Kristen rubbed against him. "Go see if there's anything edible in the fridge. Just whip something up."
Cassius looked at her bossy demeanor and sighed resignedly.
He gently moved her to the side, got out of bed, pulled on a pair of pants, and walked out shirtless.
At the door, he looked back.
Kristen was wrapped in the duvet, only her fluffy head and a bit of shoulder showing, watching him with lazy eyes.
"Hurry up!" she urged.
Cassius smiled, closed the door, and went to the kitchen.
He rummaged through the fridge, finding some leftover noodles, a few eggs, and a bit of vegetables.
Fired up the stove, made fried noodles.
He returned to the bedroom carrying two plates of decent-looking fried noodles.
Kristen had struggled to sit up, wearing his T-shirt. The oversized shirt draped over her, revealing her slender collarbones and straight legs.
She took the plate and sniffed. "Hmm, smells okay."
They leaned against the headboard, silently eating this late dinner.
The room was still filled with an ambiguous scent, but the atmosphere was strangely cozy.
"Is your filming going well?"
Kristen asked while twirling noodles.
"Pretty smooth. You?"
"Same old. Politics on set!"
Kristen shrugged, looking like she was used to it. "It's quieter over at your place. At most, you fight Frost Giants."
Cassius smiled and didn't speak.
After eating, he took the plates to the kitchen. When he returned, Kristen had already snuggled back under the covers, her eyes almost closing.
He lay back beside her, scooping her into his arms.
Kristen habitually found a comfortable position and mumbled:
"Next time... don't wait so long..."
Cassius lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "Mmhmm!"
It seemed this efficient charging method needed to be scheduled frequently in the future.
He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth in his arms.
...
After spending nearly two months in the soundstages for Asgard and Jotunheim, the crew was finally going on location!
Heading to New Mexico to shoot the scenes where Thor is exiled to Earth and the Warriors Four come down to find him.
Cassius flew over with the main crew.
As soon as he got off the plane.
Dry, hot wind hit his face.
Looking around, it was an endless desert landscape.
A sharp contrast to the exquisitely styled Asgard on the LA set.
Arriving at the hotel where the crew was staying, just after settling in, Cassius ran into Chris Hemsworth in the hallway.
Seeing Cassius, the guy immediately flashed a grateful smile, strode over, and slapped his shoulder hard.
"Bro! Thanks! That night... uh, I mean, thanks for not leaving me at the bar entrance and helping me bring my 'wife' back."
He winked, clearly remembering the embarrassing incident of hugging Mjolnir and saying he wanted to steal it home while drunk.
Cassius winced from the slap.
"Easy there, Thor. Just lifting a finger. Couldn't let you sleep on the street hugging a hammer."
"That wouldn't do. Marvel would skin me if I lost the hammer!"
Chris chuckled, lowering his voice. "But seriously, the drinks at that bar pack a punch..."
As they were talking, Jaimie Alexander, who played Lady Sif, and Tadanobu Asano, who played Hogun, also walked over.
Everyone gathered, the atmosphere relaxed. After all, coming from the cramped soundstage to the wide-open world, everyone was in a better mood.
The next day, filming for the Earth scenes officially began.
The set was on the edge of a desolate small town, where a simple outdoor cafe had been temporarily built.
The Warriors Four, dressed in out-of-place Asgardian attire, walked on the soil of Midgard looking bewildered.
The first scene was the four of them arriving on Earth, curious and confused by everything around them.
Fandral needed to show a aristocratic air, being picky about things on Earth.
"Action!"
The four lined up, walking gingerly on the dusty dirt road.
Lady Sif looked around alertly, Volstagg frowned at a rusty pickup truck, and Hogun looked serious.
Cassius's Fandral, seeing dust on his immaculate boots, showed an expression of extreme disdain and helplessness.
He flicked it lightly with his finger, as if it were something filthy.
This detail was something he added himself, feeling it fit Fandral's slight germaphobia and aristocratic baggage.
Sif next to him saw this and wanted to laugh but had to hold it in, the corner of her mouth twitching.
This subtle interaction was captured by the camera. Director Branagh watched on the monitor, finding it realistic and interesting, so he didn't yell cut.
Next, Volstagg pointed at a red fire hydrant by the roadside and asked loudly:
"What is this thing? A totem of the Midgardians?"
According to the script, everyone should look confused at this point.
But Ray Stevenson's gruff voice combined with his serious pointing at the fire hydrant was just too comical.
Tadanobu Asano standing next to him was the first to break, letting out a "Pfft" of laughter and quickly lowering his head to cover his mouth.
This seemed to flip a switch, and Jaimie Alexander couldn't hold it either, her shoulders starting to shake.
Cassius could have maintained Fandral's reserve.
But seeing Asano's pained expression of trying desperately not to laugh, and associating it with the "fire hydrant totem" line, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turned up.
"Cut!"
Director Branagh's voice came over with a laugh.
"Alright, that was very real. Keep it. You four adjust, let's do another take. Try not to break character laughing this time."
Relaxed laughter rippled through the set.
Everyone adjusted for a moment and started again. This time, it passed smoothly.