The Soldier's Goddess
Welcome Home
"Will you not come with us, Kari?" Thor asked, in his deep, but calming voice. She looked back at Steve and shook her head, smiling.
"No," she said. "My life is here now, with Steve.
"I understand," smiled Thor. "He is a good man, he will look after you."
"Can you tell Sif that..." she started, but faltered. What could she possibly say to make up for not going back? Thor seemed to understand.
"I'll tell her," he nodded. Kari turned to Loki, who was wearing Asgardian handcuffs, chained to his a collar around his neck, and a sort of muzzle around his mouth and nose.
"We would have been amazing," she whispered to him. He hung his head low, a single tear falling from his eye. He knew he had messed up; not with the whole trying to take over the Earth thing, he was actually quite proud of that and was still adamant it was the right thing to do, even if he HAD been controlled by the Tesseract. But he knew he had messed up bad with Kari, and as a result had lost her to not only the realm he tried to rule, but to the love of a mortal. She walked back over to Steve, who took her hand and squeezed it. Natasha and Clint were stood just to the left of her, while Bruce and Tony were both sat against the hood of Tony's silver sports car. They were in Central Park, in a secluded area, where not many people would notice them. Thor gave the other end of the caged Tesseract to Loki, who had no choice but to grab hold of it, Thor twisted the end he was holding, and a large energy field shot out of the Tesseract and up, taking the two brothers with it.
That was a year ago, a whole year. Kari couldn't believe how fast it had gone. So much had changed. For starters the Avengers [that's what they were calling themselves, this odd little group of people who had become firm friends] all lived together in Stark Tower. They each had a couple of floors to themselves, complete with their own personal training rooms, which Tony had designed to each of their own personal strengths and abilities. Thor however, was still on Asgard. He had his own couple of floors here, but he hadn't been back yet. Kari hoped things weren't too bad up there. However, her mind was soon taken away from Asgard, and back down to Earth by Pepper.
"Ok, this is really important," Kari turned to look at her. "Do I put the chocolate fountain by the window, or the bar?"
"Neither," said Kari. "You remember what Tony was like the last time alcohol and melted chocolate were involved together. And do you remember the mess the last chocolate fountain caused when Clint fell into it? It was his own fault for losing that bet, but did he have to choose stilettos that high! We'll be scrubbing the windows for weeks," she laughed, trying to get that image out of her head. "How about I set up over by that table, then we can lay more things out to dunk in."
"Sounds great," grinned Pepper, still laughing about Clint in high heels and a dress. "Can I leave it to you though, I've got a hundred and one things to do because Tony has very kindly remembered he has some work down in his lab he just desperately needed to be getting on with." She walked off, muttering about how, if he didn't come upstairs soon, she would be making him sleep outside.
By 2 o'clock, everything was set. They were just waiting for the guest of honour when Pepper had to run off suddenly.
"Where's she off to?" Natasha asked Tony. Tony shrugged his shoulders.
"I dunno, she's probably forgotten something," he said. "She's been running about all day, looking stressed." She just made it back in time for the penthouse elevator doors to slide open and the guest of honour to walk in.
"SURPRISE!" they all shouted. Phil Coulson broke into a massive grin.
"Miss me then?" he chuckled. Kari ran forward and hugged him, followed by pretty much everyone else. A huge "Welcome Home" sign was put up across the top of the bar and Tony had very kindly 'volunteered' to be on drink's duty, though being kind depended on who's eyes you saw it through!
Later that night, after much eating, drinking and merriment, they were all curled up in front of the big screen tv watching one of the movies from Tony and Pepper's vast collection.
"Urgh, I feel so sick," groaned Pepper.
"Well you were sat at the chocolate fountain half the afternoon," laughed Natasha.
"I was knackered," Pepper chuckled. "Running around after someone," she glared at Tony as she said this, while he pretended not to notice, "has worn me out!"
"Phil, you're staying here tonight aren't you?" asked Bruce.
"I don't think I could move, even if I wanted to," Phil said. "I think those cocktails you made are starting to take effect, Tony. What the hell did you say was in them?"
"Oh you know, a bit of this, a bit of that," Tony mumbled. Steve stretched and yawned.
"Right, well this has been fun, but I'm off to bed," he said. "You coming sweetheart?" Kari nodded. They both said their goodnights and made their way downstairs. Kari's floor had to be rebuilt after Loki's attack, so they made sure to put Steve's training area on that floor, so he could just move in with Kari when everything was ready.
"JARVIS, lock the door please," Kari said to the automated computer, trying not to yawn. As she heard the electronic locks clicking into place, she flopped down onto the large, queen size bed that took up at least a third of their room. The sound of the shower being turned on in their en-suite made her turn her head. A sideways view of Steve, wearing nothing but his boxers, made her grin. She quietly started stripping off, crept into the bathroom, and sliding his her hands up his bare back. He groaned in pleasure and turned round, his eyes showing his surprise at finding her in just her underwear. As he leant down to kiss her, she could feel how much he wanted her, against her thigh. Quickly, they both removed what was left of their clothing and he led her into the hot shower.
"No," she said. "My life is here now, with Steve.
"I understand," smiled Thor. "He is a good man, he will look after you."
"Can you tell Sif that..." she started, but faltered. What could she possibly say to make up for not going back? Thor seemed to understand.
"I'll tell her," he nodded. Kari turned to Loki, who was wearing Asgardian handcuffs, chained to his a collar around his neck, and a sort of muzzle around his mouth and nose.
"We would have been amazing," she whispered to him. He hung his head low, a single tear falling from his eye. He knew he had messed up; not with the whole trying to take over the Earth thing, he was actually quite proud of that and was still adamant it was the right thing to do, even if he HAD been controlled by the Tesseract. But he knew he had messed up bad with Kari, and as a result had lost her to not only the realm he tried to rule, but to the love of a mortal. She walked back over to Steve, who took her hand and squeezed it. Natasha and Clint were stood just to the left of her, while Bruce and Tony were both sat against the hood of Tony's silver sports car. They were in Central Park, in a secluded area, where not many people would notice them. Thor gave the other end of the caged Tesseract to Loki, who had no choice but to grab hold of it, Thor twisted the end he was holding, and a large energy field shot out of the Tesseract and up, taking the two brothers with it.
That was a year ago, a whole year. Kari couldn't believe how fast it had gone. So much had changed. For starters the Avengers [that's what they were calling themselves, this odd little group of people who had become firm friends] all lived together in Stark Tower. They each had a couple of floors to themselves, complete with their own personal training rooms, which Tony had designed to each of their own personal strengths and abilities. Thor however, was still on Asgard. He had his own couple of floors here, but he hadn't been back yet. Kari hoped things weren't too bad up there. However, her mind was soon taken away from Asgard, and back down to Earth by Pepper.
"Ok, this is really important," Kari turned to look at her. "Do I put the chocolate fountain by the window, or the bar?"
"Neither," said Kari. "You remember what Tony was like the last time alcohol and melted chocolate were involved together. And do you remember the mess the last chocolate fountain caused when Clint fell into it? It was his own fault for losing that bet, but did he have to choose stilettos that high! We'll be scrubbing the windows for weeks," she laughed, trying to get that image out of her head. "How about I set up over by that table, then we can lay more things out to dunk in."
"Sounds great," grinned Pepper, still laughing about Clint in high heels and a dress. "Can I leave it to you though, I've got a hundred and one things to do because Tony has very kindly remembered he has some work down in his lab he just desperately needed to be getting on with." She walked off, muttering about how, if he didn't come upstairs soon, she would be making him sleep outside.
By 2 o'clock, everything was set. They were just waiting for the guest of honour when Pepper had to run off suddenly.
"Where's she off to?" Natasha asked Tony. Tony shrugged his shoulders.
"I dunno, she's probably forgotten something," he said. "She's been running about all day, looking stressed." She just made it back in time for the penthouse elevator doors to slide open and the guest of honour to walk in.
"SURPRISE!" they all shouted. Phil Coulson broke into a massive grin.
"Miss me then?" he chuckled. Kari ran forward and hugged him, followed by pretty much everyone else. A huge "Welcome Home" sign was put up across the top of the bar and Tony had very kindly 'volunteered' to be on drink's duty, though being kind depended on who's eyes you saw it through!
Later that night, after much eating, drinking and merriment, they were all curled up in front of the big screen tv watching one of the movies from Tony and Pepper's vast collection.
"Urgh, I feel so sick," groaned Pepper.
"Well you were sat at the chocolate fountain half the afternoon," laughed Natasha.
"I was knackered," Pepper chuckled. "Running around after someone," she glared at Tony as she said this, while he pretended not to notice, "has worn me out!"
"Phil, you're staying here tonight aren't you?" asked Bruce.
"I don't think I could move, even if I wanted to," Phil said. "I think those cocktails you made are starting to take effect, Tony. What the hell did you say was in them?"
"Oh you know, a bit of this, a bit of that," Tony mumbled. Steve stretched and yawned.
"Right, well this has been fun, but I'm off to bed," he said. "You coming sweetheart?" Kari nodded. They both said their goodnights and made their way downstairs. Kari's floor had to be rebuilt after Loki's attack, so they made sure to put Steve's training area on that floor, so he could just move in with Kari when everything was ready.
"JARVIS, lock the door please," Kari said to the automated computer, trying not to yawn. As she heard the electronic locks clicking into place, she flopped down onto the large, queen size bed that took up at least a third of their room. The sound of the shower being turned on in their en-suite made her turn her head. A sideways view of Steve, wearing nothing but his boxers, made her grin. She quietly started stripping off, crept into the bathroom, and sliding his her hands up his bare back. He groaned in pleasure and turned round, his eyes showing his surprise at finding her in just her underwear. As he leant down to kiss her, she could feel how much he wanted her, against her thigh. Quickly, they both removed what was left of their clothing and he led her into the hot shower.
