Chapter 19
"Stupid game," AJ rages and I look toward him, curious as I go over since I need a way to calm down now.
"What's up?"
"This damn thing is rigged!" Keiko was watching him and I look at the booth runner, seeing her get nervous.
"How much to play?"
"Fifteen units..." I slap down twenty and look at them.
"I'll have a go. Just have to knock the three towers of bottles down?"
"Yes..." I take a glirace ball, similar to a baseball, and toss it up slightly twice.
"In the ever-wise words of Mister Peter Parker... Yeet, bitch." I beam the middle tower of bottles with the ball and they break at the middle, pieces still glued together. I throw two more at the other two and they fall easily. "Give my nephew what he wants and try running a cleaner game, yeah?"
"Of course, Admiral..." I pull my hair back into a ponytail and head back over to Loki, AJ catching up with Keiko holding a small toy. I glance at her as AJ walks ahead to see her watching him leave.
"Keepin' your eye on the prize, huh?"
"Well, yeah. He and Cass both look like they got a few first prize trophies in their trunks, y'know?" I laugh while Sam and Sarah choke on their drinks.
"What's funny, PiPi?"
"Nothin', nothin'. Go back to whatever you're doing."
"OK..." She looks at them as they walk away and we sit with my kids, the Ravagers, and Avengers.
"I hate to see them go but I love to watch them leave." I shake my head slightly and she watches them still as I sip my drink from Loki. "You think they'd let me call them Daddy?"
I choke and the others have a similar reaction of shock. "Your daddy issues are showing!"
"They're the best kind of issues. It's the fun part of being a pansexual who doesn't mind polyamory. I love it, in fact."
"And you seem to have a thing for brothers."
"Yeah. It's hot. Not as hot as they are, but..." She shrugs and looks at AJ. "Y'know, I think Cass would let me but AJ just has an ass that screams 'I'm a bottom', y'know?"
"What is wrong with you?"
"I can give you the answer in a Powerpoint or on Word with Arial font, size twelve, double spaced with bullets and everything but it's gonna take a while."
"That's fair. Look at who raised us for seven years."
"Yeah. They sucked major ass. But they were kinda hot."
"KEIKO!"
"What d'ya want me to say here? They were kinda hot, OK? Silver-haired foxes and all that shit!"
"Screw the daddy issues, you just have issues!"
"Duh. But it makes me fun. You wanna know how I know AJ is a bottom just from his ass?"
"How?"
"You have the same energy in your ass."
"Dude, what the fuck are you smoking and not sharing? Did you get some pot up here? Or some knock-off shit that's a hundred times stronger?"
"This is all me."
"Damn. Noticed you stopped filtering yourself in that embarrassing way. What happened?"
"It's a lot easier to give back shit that I get if I cuss. So... Yeah. Also, just gonna point this out, hot, hot, and hot."
"Doc is with Drax, Mantis is with Charlie, and that's your nephew!"
"Not by blood!"
"KEIKO!"
"What? I'm right!"
"Uh... I wanted to talk to you about that... Sorta... I'm gay..."
"OK, Pete. Cool. Your partner ever hurts you, no one will find their body. Love who you love. It ain't my job to try to change that because I can't. It's my job to love you. That goes for all of you guys. We've been over this." He smiles a bit and I return it as Gamora, my daughter, gasps.
"What?" I look over and nod slightly at Cassie on one knee.
"You should probably tell your parental unit what you want to."
"Right. Uh-"
"Name change?"
"Yeah..."
"New name?"
"Ella...?"
"OK. Cool. Continue."
"Ella, I know we haven't been-"
"Yes."
"I haven't gotten to that part yet."
"Right, sorry. Continue."
"I know we haven't been together-"
"Yes."
"Still not there."
"Sorry."
"Been together that long-"
"Yes."
"OK. Will-"
"Yes."
"You-"
"Yes."
"Marry-"
"Yes."
"Me?" She looks at Cassie like she could kill her and she just smiles in return.
"Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I think her answer's yes," I say drily and Ella laughs softly, making me smile a bit.
"So... Marry me?"
"How many more times do you want me to say it?" She kisses her and I nod slightly, blindly tapping knuckles with Scott.
"Just so I know now... Any of you like this mess of a human right here otherwise known as your aunt?"
"HEY! True, but hurtful!"
"I just want to know now so that I can get it mixed up later because there are so fucking many of you."
"We'll let you know when we know, Moddy," LJ says with a smile and I nod slightly.
"That's fair. Or just leave it as a surprise. That'll work too." They nod and I look toward the sky, thinking for a moment. "Wanna join me for a walk, Loki?"
"I would love to." We head away from the table and I sigh softly, relaxing as I walk next to them. "I have a surprise for you, my Treasure."
"Oh?" They nod and lead me toward the edge of the park.
"I was able to get us some time by ourselves at the top of the Ferris wheel."
"Sounds nice." They open the door of the capsule and I climb in with them. I sigh softly as we slowly rise to the top and they pull me into their lap.
"The glass doesn't allow anyone to see in and we have until I tell them to bring us down. The capsule won't rock much. So... Why don't we take care of you, hm?" I gulp slightly and they smirk reassuringly. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then trust me to take care of you?"
"Alright..." They gently kiss my neck and I try. "Loki... No..." They stop and pull away.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't... It... I-"
"OK, that's fine," They interrupt gently and I rest my head against their shoulder, feeling them wrap their arms around my waist. "I will never force you to do something that you're uncomfortable with. Just tell me and I will listen, OK? And if it's during a punishment, we can find an alternative." I sigh softly and gently kiss their collarbone.
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"I believe so, yes," They chuckle and I smile.
"Well, I do."
"And I love you, my Stars." I relax against them and feel their head press to my shoulder, rubbing my back still as they hold me closer. "And I must say that I much prefer the height similarities than the immense difference from before."
"So do I. It just... It just feels right." I move next to them and rest my head on their shoulder, looking toward the sky. "And this? This feels perfect." They kiss my head gently and hold me, looking at the sky with me.
"I agree."
We sit there for at least an hour before they look at me and I smile. "They're probably wondering where we went."
"Perhaps. That must be the good thing about being the Admiral now, hm?"
"Oh, it's great. But... I'm kinda missing them."
"Ready to descend then?"
"Yeah." They press a button and we start moving after a few moments, stepping off together once we're at the bottom. "That was nice. We should do something like that more often."
"Every week or so?"
"Ehh... Ever lunar cycle would be a bit more doable..."
"Fair. Whenever we both have free time at least once a lunar cycle, once a week at most?"
"Sounds good." I pause a bit away from the others and they look at me, quirking an eyebrow. I gently pull them close and kiss their lips, appreciating that they let it seem like I'm in charge of it. The Ravagers I grew up around cheer like a bunch of idiots and we pull apart with a soft laugh. "Gods... Families can be so ridiculous sometimes, huh?"
"They care and that's all that matters, yes?" I glance at them and Dad catches my eye, giving me a goofy grin.
"Yeah... Yeah, that's true." I smile back at him and wrap an arm around Loki's shoulders, heading back to them. Rocket had drinks and Thor was serving some of his Asgardian ale, per usual. "Y'know, Thor... You always have some of that on you. It's like you're a true Ravager now," I joke and he laughs boisterously, lightly knocking his fist against my shoulder.
"You are still too funny, Admiral." I grin slightly as I sit and take the beer from Dad, sipping as Loki sips a Rhone. I listen to the conversations and smile at having my entire family back.
Took long enough, damnit.