chapter 10

All the Avengers and the X-28 is in New York. They leave tomorrow.

As a non-Avenger I'm not privy to the inside conversation that's going on. I made them dinner and got out of the room. I'm cleaning the kitchen while Loki watches The Bachelor and complains in the background. I can't believe he can just sit there and watch TV when they leave tomorrow.

An hour after they assembled, they come pouring out out of the meeting room. While Thor's sadness is fading daily, Wanda and Banner still have that look on their faces. Like they lost something no one else can understand.

"That was quick", I comment.

"Thor was never much for sitting in long boring meetings anyway, but he likes it even less since he met you", Steve says with a wink.

"I told them I needed plenty of time with my girl", Thor says, teetering. In fact, they all smell a bit like alcohol and have clearly been drinking for the last hour. This mission is more dangerous than anyone would admit. He boosts me in his arms and sits me on the kitchen counter. "Give me a few minutes, guys."

They all knew this was coming, and make themselves scarce. "You too, Brother."

"Thor, the Rose Ceremony is next!", Loki complains. Thor rolls his eyes at him until he leaves.

"Oh shit, what's wrong?", I ask, panicked.

"Nothing."

" ;You're nervous, don't tell me nothing is wrong", I insist. I'm going to start crying. I can't handle any more of this.

"Stay with me, Thor", I beg.

"I...can't. Give me 3 weeks, that's all, and I'll be back. I'm nervous because I'm going about to ask you something, woman! I....I...listen, we can't know what Ronan really wants, why he took her..."

"He could be trying to lure all the heroes off earth", I comment.

"Smart lady. I've had the same thought for week. Someone has to stay behind."

"Please tell me it's you", I say.

"You know better than that. They need me, Carol needs me." My shoulders sag.

He spreads my legs apart and fits his wide body between them so only my leggings and panties separate the heat of my womanhood from his round belly. I'm so turned on, I'm twitching. Instinctively, I pull him close and wrap my legs around his waist. "Mmmm", I mumble into his neck, inhaling his scent, a combination of vanilla in the sweets he's been shoveling down, pine, leather, and arctic air.

"We need someone to stay, to protect earth and to protect you, and I couldn't think of anyone better than my brother", he says.

"Loki?!"

"Hear me out, Loki would be of little help where we're going, but he's clever and strong..."

"And you don't know if you can trust him", I point out.

"I believe I can. And I believe I can ensure it."

"But, Thor I'm just another earthling to him. He's never understood the attraction you seem to have to us", I note.

"But for all his rebelliousness, he does revere authority. He wanted to be King of Asgard after all. He'll obey and protect the Queen. He doesn't really have a choice; obeying Asgardian customs is much as part of him as it is me. So...."

"Yes?"

He pulls me off the counter and puts me on my feet, then drops to one knee.

"Marry me. Tonight."

I know my jaw has hit the floor. "I....yes."

His face looks rounder and his cheeks chubbier as he breaks into a brilliant smile. "Yes? I wasn't sure what you'd say when it came to it. Yes?"

I take his arm and help him back to his feet. He picks me up and twirls me around.

"Yes, yes, yes", I gush. "I love you."

"By the gods, I love you!", he shouts. They all come back in smiling, and clapping him on the back.

"Was that a "yes", I heard?", Steve smiles. He hugs me tightly. "I'm so happy for you."

"The Captain here can marry us."

"Congratulations", Wanda says, trying to hold back tears, and I hug her.

"He's watching you, he is. I promise he is", I say. I don't want to start talking about the idea of getting Vision back, but Banner thought it might...just might...be possible. With Tony gone, he's our resident genius, and right now he has too much to do. When Carol is back, I'm going to ask him again. Vision was part of him too.

"He's even fatter than he was!", Rhodes complains, "I swear you've had him alone for a week and he looks ten pounds heavier!"

Thor shakes his head, but pats his own belly, and smiles at Rhodes. "This might be who I am now." Holy shit, that was hot.

"I think you should get with the program and get back in shape, but...I'm happy for you", Rhodes concedes.

"Good, my friend, good", Thor says, patting his on the shoulder. He nearly knocks the guy over. "Because I am happy. I'm about to be a married man! Let us drink beer!"

Steve and I share a look and roll our eyes. "Is he drunk already?", I whisper.

"He was...nervous", Steve offers.

"Yep, buddy, we made sure we have plenty of that", Banner jokes, handing over a beer stein that would only look small in his hand.

Thor empties half of it in one gulp, then passes it to me. "Drink! We share the glass, you're to be my bride...drink."

I hate beer, but it's the thought that counts and I take a drink.

"Well, Brother, this is not the wedding I thought you'd have", Loki comments. "I envisioned pomp and ceremony, brightly colored silks and gold, and after dawdling with that Jane Foster for a while, you'd end up properly married to Lady Sif. The perfect King and Queen of Asgard on their perfect golden thrones. Powerful, beautiful, egotistical. Fat, tired, clinically depressed, and drunk, and gulping beer at midnight in a kitchen on earth didn't factor into the equation." Loki always knows how to hit people right in the switchboard.

"Things happen, Brother, and it turns out very little is perfect. But I have the perfect wife. That's the part that matters", Thor says, and I snuggle into him.

"Not wife yet", Cap corrects.

"That's right. Marry us!", Thor insists, raising the beer stein over his head.

"Oh my God, he's hilarious right now", I remark to Steve, and we both laugh.

"I think you better give that to me", Rhodes, says, snatching the beer out of his hand.

"Where is Mjolnir? You must have it in your lap", Thor announces. He holds out his hand and it goes flying across the room and smacks into his palm, narrowly missing Rhode's head.

"I think we should do this as quickly as possible", Steve notes.

"Agreed", I answer. The groom is already wasted.

"How can you be drunk already?", Banner asks.

"He's a lightweight", Steve observes and every head spins around to stare at him. "Well, in one way", he amends.

"Anyway...Thor Odinsson, do you take Sophie...?"

"Parker", I add.

"Sophie Parker to be your legally wedded wife?"

"I do!", Thor announces.

"Sophie Parker, do you take Thor Odinsson to be your legally wedded husband?"

"I do", I say.

"Sophie Odinsson", Thor corrects.

"I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." Wow, that was fast.

Thor pulls me into a deep kiss. Did I just get married in leggings?

"We'll do this again the right way, I promise", Thor says, as if reading my mind. "But I wanted to make sure you were my wife before I leave."

"Congratulations, Brother, Sister", Loki says, taking me off guard.

"Thank you, Brother." Thor throws his arms around him. "I dreamed that you and I would be close again someday and you'd attend my wedding. I love you, Brother, and am so proud you're here."

Loki rolls his eyes, but hugs Thor.

Thor sits down and picks up Mjolnir. "Come, sit, bride", he orders. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I need a chair", I say.

"You need no chair, there is plenty of room here", he says, indicating his shrinking lap.

"I wouldn't say plenty", I tease, giving his belly a pat before I sit.

He wraps his arms around me and kisses my cheek, holding me close against him as if his life will end if he lets go.

I feel so safe with him, always did. You can't feel anything but with Thor around.

He sets Mjolnir in my lap, and strangely it's not heavy. "Let us share a drink before we retire for sleep and more entertaining activities."

"Holy moly, Thor", Steve says.

"Did Cap just say "holy moly?", Rhodes jokes.

I take a gulp of beer. "This is very Viking. But for the surroundings of course", I observe.

"He is very Viking but for his surroundings", Rhodes comments.

"I'm Asgar..."

"Dian", everyone finishes for him.

"Let's go", I whisper in his ear.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a more pressing matter", he announces, picking me up off and lap and carrying me to our bedroom.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do", Rhodes calls after us.

"Thank goodness Cap didn't say that, they'd be stuck," Wanda observes.

"Hey!"

I laugh at them as we walk into our bedroom and he kicks the door closed behind him.