Chapter Text
Bruno is already at Caltech and Nakia wants to study human rights, which means only professional daydreamer and aspiring superhero Kamala Khan is left to figure out what to do with her life.
She fought against aliens, alongside with Captain freaking Marvel and captain Monica Rambeau. She went to space and spoke to Nick J. Fury: college shouldn’t be that hard. Well, she actually kind of knows what she wants to study, but it’s risky, and she’s afraid of moving out but also excited but so many things can happen and she can mess eveything up-
Life is exhausting, so anxiety-inducing, and she knows her family means well, but lately giving her tips is becoming more like pressuring her into choosing what everyone else thinks is the best option.
It’s Aamir, backed up by Tyesha, who finally suggests something that was actually helpful: spending a weekend with Carol, in New Orleans, and don’t think about it.
Carol is happy to have her around, but Kamala can’t just forget about her future or stop thinking about how cool going to superhero college with Carol and everyone else would be. Even a normal college would do, but with super people, known people who could’ve help Kamala in her daily adventures as a college student.
The new academic year at Avengers College has just begun, and president Nick Fury is already so done with everything and everyone. He’s not being paid enough to handle that mess.
Dr Strange recently managed to close a portal to another dimension that America Chavez opened during her very first class of the year. The biggest engineering’s lab is still closed since last April, after it was completely destroyed in an explosion mistakenly caused by Spiderman and Ironheart, but Mrs Stark’s annual donation to the college should be enough to cover for that.
And there’s more, of course: they don’t have a gym anymore, due to an accident with Pim particles, and the botany club might or might not have grown an alien flower which, they say, is great for tea.
But there she is: Carol Danvers, member of the music club and captain of the athletics team. She a postgraduate astronomy student. Favourite past time: stargazing, She’s a moon lover, the daughter of the stars and lost child of the milky way. She doesn’t really like being in college, but she manages spectacularly.
She’s perfect, and totally head over heels for King Valkyrie, whose real name is Brunnhilde-
Norwegian surname…what is a Norwegian surname? Somethings ending in -son, or -sen, or- who cares? So far so good, and Kamala starts typing on her phone’s note before she forgets everything.
The title will come later, if she’ll ever post the fanfiction. Maybe she’ll just keep it for herself, or maybe she could create like a collection titled “When life gives you anxiety, write fanfictions.”
The King is the captain of the fencing team, and no one has managed to beat her yet: she’s just too good. She studies political sciences-
No, that’s too boring. Literature? Music? King Valkyrie’s voice sounded beautiful: Kamala bet her singing can lure sailors to their death. Well, she would probably prefer to lure someone else (read: Carol Danvers) somewhere else, but that’s none of her business.
The King is already about to major in- cultural anthropology! But she’s interested in doing a PhD, so she’ll be around for a while, which is great, because she’s so cool. Oh, and she’s also interested in Carol, who doesn’t realise that: spending so much time among the stars makes her forget she lives on Earth, sometimes.
Enters Kamala Khan, supergirl from Jersey City, ready for a new adventure away from home fighting villains, submitting papers on time and, apparently, helping Carol Danvers to find her true love.
Or maybe it will be Carol who’ll help her find her way to class.
Wait, no: Kamala is never going to study something like astronomy, even though maybe she should. Art is risky, after all, it won’t guarantee her a job.
Kamala wanders through the campus. She actually wanted to get kind of lost and explore the place a bit and to get acquainted with the layout. Somehow, something went wrong at some point: the whole “getting lost to explore” got out of hand and now Kamala is really lost. The risk was carefully calculated, but she was always bad at maths, so she should’ve known how this was going to end.
She doesn’t recognise her surroundings, and there’s no one around who could help her. There are just trees, a lot of big trees who looks all the same, a scuttled squirrel who’s in a hurry to be somewhere, and a building with all the lights off.
<< Ehy, hi! Can I help you? >> Black combat boots, a Guns N’Roses t-shirt, soft loose golden waves and a bright smile. << I’m Carol. >>
The light hits her so that she looks like she’s glowing in the dying light of day, like an otherworldly goddess descended on Earth from the stars. Her gremlin smirk, however, gives her out: she’s just human.
<< I’m lost- Kamala, I mean. Nice to meet you. >>
<< This place is too big, >> Carol laughs softly, and her voice sounds so warm and gently comforting. << I know what it feels like. >> She actually works at the college’s Student Hub, where she takes care of students giving them useful information or showing them around. She knows everyone and everything that goes on inside the campus.
New achievement unlocked: 1 new friend.
And that’s more or less how Kamala meets the king.
It’s late evening when Brunnhilde finishes her fencing practice and goes back to her House. As the king walks slowly lost in her thoughts and humming a calming tune, she spots a lost and feral specimen of Kamala Kahn who, after almost a month, has still some troubles in finding her way.
Brunnhilde approaches her flashing a warm smile. She’ s wearing a black t-shirt with “God save the mead” written in white and what looks like the god Odin holding a horn full of mead.
<< Lost your way, kid? >> she asks, and Kamala understands what Carol sees in her: her confidence is alluring and she makes people feel safe and important.
The King walks her to her House as she shares some tips and tricks on how not to get lost and always find her way in the wide-open campus. They arrive in front of Kamala’s House and, with surprise, she discovers it’s actually near to the King and Carol’s House.
It’s great: now she knows she has two friends, and she’s starting to weave her social network so she’ll find her community, like her ammi told her, and wont’ be alone. And she loves studying art, and her professors love her works: everyone says she has potential, so much potential, and she’ll do great things.
They could study together.
October days are cold and dark. The library is often full of student, but it can still be a quiet sanctuary where to seek calm. The world outside the window is grey and rainy, but it’s Friday and it’s ‘movie night’. Kamala goes back to plan her drawing for her digital illustration class. She’s still in the very first stages and she’s just brainstorming ideas about the subjects of her work.
Carol is focused on her pc, busy solving complex calculus that would give Kamala a headache should she try to understand all those numbers and formulas. Occasionally, she stops and consults with Monica.
Brunnhilde is quietly writing a paper and she has a pile of books laying on the table at her pc’s side. Kamala reads some of the titles (Sexualities in anthropology; Cultural expectations about queer sexualities…) and admires how the king manages to consult all of those with a straight face.
They could have a sleepover and cooking together.
Kamala likes to cook, and she likes to cook for her friends. It doesn’t happen often, since everyone is busy with just life in general, but they usually find themselves together on the weekends, all in one kitchen: the king, the captain, Monica, and Kamala.
They spend the evening together chatting and having fun, eating amazing food, sometimes watching something like a movie. It’s amazing. College is amazing, ana Kamala is not alone: she’s learning so many new things and having fun surrounded by super people. Plus, there is the chance of witnessing a sweet love story blossoming between the Brunnhilde and Carol.
The king is so explicit and flirty Kamala and Monica feel sometimes like a third wheel. Brunnhilde never lets them feel excluded, but she’s just so…only suitable for an adult audience, which actually makes Carol’s naivety looks so cute.
“I want you inside me…said the toaster to the bread. Time for some grilled cheese toast! Today looks rainy, doesn’t it? Grilled cheese toasts and ‘Mumin’, what do you say?” or “Headache, my love? Might be stress…do you need help? I can get the job done anytime.”
Sometimes, after a more heartfelt “you know what would look so good on your hand? A wedding ring” followed by Carol’s warm laugh, Brunnhilde would look at Monica and Kamala mouthing a desperate: I’m trying to be gay, here. Where did I go wrong?
Does the captain really not understand the puns, or does she think Brunnhilde is just joking? They don’t know. Maybe she just needs more time, even more explicitness or something like that, but that’s okay. It’s fine: everyone lives following their own rhythm.
A Valentin’s Day Masquerade would be the perfect chance for the king and the captain to dance together, get lost in each other’s eyes and feel on top of the world.
Carol wears a princess-like dress. It’s dark blue and its delicate glitters make it looks like a starry night. Her hair is perfect, as usual: her golden locks framing her gorgeous face are softly held in place on one side by a hairpin in the shape of a star.
Carol is chatting with some of her astronomy friends about how beautiful the drawings they made during the last observation are, when her friends start to giggle. She turns around confused, and the King is there offering her hand as she bows to ask for a dance.
Brunnhilde is wearing a suit and she looks gorgeous in it. Her hair is braided with some bright blue extensions in it, and she’s wearing a light make up which make her look gorgeous: a real badass queen descended on Earth. Watching her dance with Carol is like witnessing two goddesses falling in love with-
<< Kamala! Are you with me? >> Carol appears unexpectedly in front of her and Kamala jolts. The woman looks like she’s waiting for an answer, so it’s likely Kamala actually didn’t hear her coming or calling her.
<< Yeah… >>
Carol doesn’t look convinced, and Kamala swears that woman might look like a total mess, but she can be as eagle-eyed as a mother. It’s scary.
<< Your mom told me you’re having some college-related troubles. >>
And there we go: her ammi must’ve asked Captain Marvel to talk some sense into her, and of course Carol will do what’s right and try to convince her to study something useful, something that will guarantee her a job, possibly a well-paid one.
<< Yeah, >> Kamala hesitates while petting Goose, who is softly curled up on her lap. << About that… >>
<< You two don’t agree, >> Carol nods as she gently scratches Goose on the head. << You want to study art, but Muneeba is worried…seems like the biggest challenge won’t be being admitted, but convince your mother. >>
Wait, what?
Carol laughs unapologetically. << I know, I should tell you to be realistic and study…economy, or medicine. Journalism, even. Well, I won’t, >> she admits. << When I was your age, I did what I wanted to do and I’m very happy I did that. >>
And Kamala feels her shoulder going down.