Chapter Text
She saw her sitting on the edge of the field, overlooking the large group of townsfolk… now miraculously increased. Even from her distance several metres in the sky, she could tell the woman was pensive, her thoughts heavy. Part of her did not wish to intrude, but she had to leave soon: who knew when they might get the chance to talk again?
Captain Marvel - AKA Carol Danvers - gently and silently drifted down until her feet touched terra firma. Approaching carefully, she spoke with a softness she rarely used. “Val?”
Valkyrie turned her head and her expression turned to one of surprise. “… hey,” she eventually replied. “I thought you’d gone.”
“I wanted to see if you were alright,” said Carol. “We didn’t really get the chance to talk earlier.” Quite. Never mind the fierce final battle against Thanos and his hordes: Tony Stark’s funeral alone drained everyone. Carol never met the so-called “Iron Man”, but his loss clearly devastated everyone. Not for the first time Carol wished she could have taken down Thanos before such a sacrifice had to be made.
“I guess we’ve all had more important things to do.” Val’s words felt biting; were they meant to be? Regardless, they cut through Carol. However, Val seemed to regret her them immediately. “Sorry. I’m just… tired.” She looked back to her fellow Asgardians.
Carol tentatively reached her side. “I understand.” A silence fell upon them, and the Human-Kree hybrid took a chance by lowering and sitting beside her. The Valkyrie made no move to stop her, so that must have been a good sign.
They spent a good few moments in silence. Awkward and far from content, but Carol would not push things. She mirrored Val’s gaze and saw the numerous people of New Asgard, many crying and hugging. It had been a long and hard five years, and Carol visited many a planet broken by the Snap. Hopefully she would return to those worlds and see what she saw before her now, once more full of life.
Carol turned her gaze to the woman next to her, and smiled as memories flooded her. They met during Carol’s decades off Earth exploring the universe. Back then the Valkyrie was a depressed drunk, taking mercenary jobs from someone called the Grandmaster. Carol always meant to find out what his deal was, but never got around to it. Maybe it was because she was rather… distracted by the Asgardian at the time.
Indeed, for the two women fell for each other almost immediately. Fuck, not “almost”. They ended up in bed the night they met. Carol rationalised it as not being touched in years - Maria was straight as an arrow and Yon was never interested - but the truth was, Carol felt that something with Val. And call her an egotist, but she knew the feeling was mutual.
They were together for quite some time. Those who saw them together often commented on them being inseparable. It was not always easy: Val had her secrets, but Carol respected them, because she loved her deeply.
Which made it even harder when Carol had to leave.
She stayed in that sector for longer than any other place, but at the end of the day she was still dedicated to using her powers for the betterment of the universe. It was her calling. It meant everything to her, more than anything else… including her girlfriend.
At the time she considered inviting Val to travel with her, but even Captain Marvel could not dig the Valkyrie out of the hole of depression and self-destruction she built for herself. Carol was not strong enough - neither to get Val out of her rut, nor see her continue falling apart.
The breakup was hard and nearly ruined them both, but had to be done. Captain Marvel was needed everywhere: she could not be tied down. Val took it as well as expected… meaning, they nearly went to battle. They were after all both passionate, in more ways than one. Sometimes Carol wondered if it was only seeing each other in tears which prevented bloodshed.
So she left. Put Val in a little box in her mind to remember fondly, but also serve as a reminder to not get attached.
But as Carol well knew, that went out the window when she met…
“It’s good to see you,” Val eventually said. “And to see you kick ass again.”
Carol chuckled slightly. “You too.”
Val sighed. “How long has it been? Ten years? Twelve?”
Biting her lip, Carol looked down. “Fifteen.”
“Fifteen,” said Val wistfully. “Usually that’s a blink of an eye for Asgardians… “
“Usually?”
Val fell silent again for a moment. “Well… just these past five years have seemed to last forever.” Carol had to agree there. “But even before that, since you… “ She stopped herself.
Carol had an inkling what she would have said, and could not help feeling flattered. She decided to change the subject however, to save them both dredging up the past. “I’m glad to see you’ve found a place now. You seem to’ve settled.”
“I have,” the Valkyrie admitted. “Took awhile, but I finally put my ghosts away. Well, for the most part.” She turned to the woman in red and black. “And you? Still saving the universe one world at a time?”
Carol could sense their was hidden meaning behind the question. Perhaps a sense of disappointment. Shrugging, she tried making her tone as casual as possible. “I do what I can. There’s always some asshole who wants to conquer or destroy everything, of course. As we all know.”
Val looked like she wanted to say more, but instead fell silent again. Carol wondered if their talk was over; perhaps that was what her former lover wanted. After all, what more could be said between them? Though their split was as amicable as one would expect - after the near-fisticuffs, of course - Carol knew it almost broke them both. More than once Carol felt like she abandoned Val, gave up on her. And perhaps she did. Perhaps it was also stubborness: both were as bad as eachother in that regard. They might not have lasted long together anyway.
Of course, it was now too late to think, “what if?”, especially as Carol had since…
“Thor has made me king of New Asgard.”
Carol blinked at the sudden declaration. That came from out of nowhere. She barely knew the so-called God of Thunder, but he seemed as lost as Val was all those years ago. Carol’s logical mind thought taking the throne would give him purpose. “Congratulations,” she decided to say. “They couldn’t have asked for a better leader.” That at least was genuine.
Indeed, perhaps Thor was unfit for the role: in fact, in their limited interaction the only thing he seemed to have in common with royalty now was the body of Henry VIII…
“Thank you,” said Val. “But… “
Carol could see the uncertainty in the Asgardian’s face. “But what?”
Val took a deep breath. “I’m not sure I can do it alone.”
At that, Carol frowned. “Why the hell not?” Even in her darkest days, Val never seemed not upto a challenge…
Val looked at her, and gazed with hesitation into her eyes. “Because what’s a king… without a queen?”
Oh God. Carol’s eyes threatened to pop out, and her breath caught. What did she just… ?
Slowly, Val began leaning closer, her eyes fluttering closed…
Carol was stunned, frozen on the spot, as Val got nearer…
Before it was too late, Captain Marvel caught herself. Inching her head back, she choked words out. “I can’t.”
Stopping mere atoms from Carol’s lips, Val’s voice was a mere whisper. “Of course.” Her voice was heavy and full of… everything. “I had to try,” she eventually husked. Taking a gulp, she blinked back tears. “Have you met… shit, sorry.” Shaking her head, Val looked disgusted with herself. “None of my business.”
Feeling an odd mixture of pride and sadness, Carol sighed. “Val, I’ve never wanted to hurt you… “
“I know,” came the response. Val looked back up at her, and put on a face of acceptance. Carol truly hoped it was legitimate. “Forget it, really. I guess this is a sign that… the past is in the past. That this really is a new phase of my life.”
Carol contemplated putting a hand on her shoulder for affirmation, but decided against it. Instead, she nodded and smiled warmly. “And one you’ll be magnificent in.”
Returning the smile, Val took one - last? - long look at Carol. “In that case, you should go before you see what a pig’s ear I make of this place.”
Carol could tell the Asgardian was trying to bring levity, if only to protect herself from anymore heartache and even embarrassment. Deciding to acquiesce, she offered her hand and, once Val took it, raised them both to a standing position. “Be well, Val,” she said with all sincerity. “It was great to see you again.”
With that, she turned away to leave. Despite leaving things pretty definitive, Carol still could not bring herself to face Val as she left… just like all those years ago. Just before she could leave the ground however, she paused when Val spoke again.
“If there is someone,” the Valkyrie said, “I hope they know how lucky they are.”
At that, Carol decided the woman needed to see her face, and the sincerity in her eyes. Turning to face Val, she looked at her steadfastly. “The same goes to your people.”
Then Captain Marvel raised into the air, and in seconds was blazing off through the sky…