Chapter 10
NOW
Brunnhilde paced anxiously. She could hear the music. She could feel the excitement. She could practically taste the cake already. Everything was going to be absolutely fine. Nothing could go wrong.
Brunnhilde paused and choked back a laugh. She knew she was kidding herself. It was Loki. How could nothing go wrong?
2 MONTHS AGO
The second she was out of Thor’s crushing embrace, the question fell from her lips.
“Where’s Loki?”
Thor paused, taken aback for a moment. “Er—What?”
Brunnhilde flushed. Gods, she sounded desperate. “Sorry— I mean, congrats on saving the world— and such—“
“No, did you ask me about Loki? In a concerned manner?” Thor stared at her.
Brunnhilde was at a loss for a moment, realizing that Thor still didn’t know about everything that had happened. Of course, she couldn’t help stop Thanos—Loki has entrusted her with the Asgardians, she couldn’t just let him down— so Thor (and the Avengers and others) had taken matters into their own hands and destroyed Thanos with only minor setbacks— supposedly half the universe had been killed in the process, explaining the sudden piles of dust all over the ship, and then the reforming of the refugees and few confused days later.
But now that Thor was here and the world wasn’t in imminent danger…
“Please— is he okay? Is he— Thor, tell me he’s okay,” Brunnhilde begged.
“Wait, slow down.” Thor shook his head, obviously confused. “I thought you two… hated each other?”
NOW
The door opened and Brunnhilde jumped, only to see Bruce peeking his head in. “Almost ready?”
“Um…” Brunnhilde glanced down at her midnight blue formal armor. “Yes?”
Bruce rolled his eyes fondly, seeing how nervous she was. “Look, you have nothing to worry about. At all. You’ll be great.” He grinned. “Together.”
“I’m not worried.” Brunnhilde jutted her chin out and Bruce raised an eyebrow.
“Right…”
“Er— is it okay that I have you as my,” Brunnhilde giggled, “maid of honor?”
Bruce heaved a sigh. “I prefer man of honor? But it’s fine, Brunnhilde. You know how happy I am for this.”
“And is he?” Brunnhilde asked quietly, feeling a little childish.
Bruce’s eyes softened. “Hey. He loves you. He doesn’t want anything else except for this. Trust me.”
2 MONTHS AGO
“Loki said he’d meet me here,” Thor said, a little anxiously. “Of course, I don’t know if dying was actually part of his plan…”
“Of course it was,” Brunnhilde blurted out. It had to be. Loki had to be fine.
They were standing in a familiar field that brought memories flooding down on the Valkyrie. Bright skies. Soft breezes. An illusion, when she remembered. But this wasn’t. This was real.
Thor rested a reassuring hand on Brunnhilde’s shoulder.
“Loki?” Brunnhilde called out tentatively.
“I thought you’d never arrive,” said an achingly familiar voice.
NOW
Brunnhilde adjusted her silver cape one last time before the door opened. Everyone shifted in their seats to look at her. A wave of panic flooded her but she forced it down. So many of the faces were unfamiliar. Friends of the groom. Or— actually, friends of Thor, who didn’t have anything better to do this weekend. The thought made Brunnhilde smile in amusement, although she hoped she looked simply serene.
A man with tired eyes and a trimmed beard sat in the front row with his wife and the other “original Avengers” — or what’s left of them. Other heroes sat lawn chairs, mostly here because of Thor’s enthusiasm for the day. Brunnhilde’s eyes quickly flitted to a man sitting with one metal arm slung around a dark skinned man who was muttering something under his breath, making the metal-armed man shoot him and glare and a badly-concealed grin. A lonely-looking girl with russet toned hair sat behind the one Thor introduced as “Midgard’s finest archer”. There were too many faces for Brunnhilde to take in, so instead she focused on the one that really mattered to her.
Standing at the front, next to a teary Thor. Jet black hair trimmed and behind his shoulders. Green eyes still bright after all this time. Wearing a golden suit sign green highlights and tie. Grin barley repressed. A black rose in his hand.
Loki.
She loved him so damn much.
She had barely realized she had reached the front, she had been so absorbed in bed surroundings (Alright— Loki.) It was only when she heard “So, I don’t really know what’s happening, except for that everyone is really pretty today and these two are in love.”
Brunnhilde bit back a smile a Loki’s exasperated face. It had been her idea to make Korg the one to officiate their marriage, a choice that she didn’t regret for an instant.
“So I don’t want to get between two very scary people and their love, so please can someone give them their rings and let them kiss?” Korg said anxiously.
They traded rings— both simple ones, Loki’s silver with an emerald snake and Brunnhilde’s black with a single blue gem.
“Alright, now kiss and then cake!” Korg cheered.
“Wait!” Thor cried. “The vows! Say the vows! That’s…” He sniffled, “the sweetest part.”
“Me first,” Loki said, almost shyly. “Brunnhilde, you’re an absolute asshole who I would never have chosen to go through hell and back with me. In fact, you were probably the last person I’d choose for that.” He softened. “Were. I… don’t have a lot to say— how can words even describe you— but I hope that this convinces you of how much a love you.” He hesitated, then smirked. “You’re still an asshole, though.”
Brunnhilde rolled her eyes as everyone laughed. “Had to ruin the moment.” She sobered.
“I’m not going to say some shit like ‘Ever since you tried to kick my ass and failed horribly, I knew you were the one…’ because that just wouldn’t be true. Our romance wasn’t pretty or instant or easy…”. Brunnhilde closed her eyes for a moment and flashes or pain and darkness danced before her eyelids, “but hell if it wasn’t real. I can never express how much I love you. Never. But know that I do. So much.”
Loki had tears sparkling in his eyes while Thor bawled in the front row onto Bruce’s shoulder. Korg shifted. “And… now kiss?”
Brunnhilde didn’t need telling twice. With a smirk that frightened Loki, she grabbed his lapels and dragged him forward, smashing their lips together and relishing in the feeling of his hands cupping her face as the crowd cheered around them.
As they broke apart, Korg piped up, “Now CAKE!”
And Loki held Brunnhilde’s hand, and they laughed, and they were finally happy.