The Queen and The Captain

"We should have enough drink," Arik said, hefting another keg into place. "More than enough, actually. Especially without Thor."

Valkyrie noticed a small shake of his head after the last comment.

The collective reaction of the remaining Asgardians to their former king's descent into apathetic slovenly had been pity. All of them knew what he had lost, and many had lost plenty as well, so there had been no bitterness aimed at him.

And although Thor had left after the Battle of Earth with a restored confidence, the populace of New Asgard could not help but remember watching him spiral into despair. The pity was always accompanied with respect, however, as he had helped bring them to their new home and had been a strong and charismatic champion for so long before that.

"How many Midgardians are coming?" Arik asked her then, interrupting her thoughts.

"Forty-seven. But remember, the children aren't allowed to drink."

"Right," he said, grinning. "I always forget that."

Valkyrie chuckled.

"How many of the forty-seven are children?" he asked.

"Frida should have that info."

"Alright, I'll check with her."

Arik looked around the clearing, nodding in approval.

"That should be everything then," he said authoritatively.

"The tables and benches have to be laid out," she pointed out. "And we need to get the food prepped."

"I know. But you don't have to worry about that. I'll take care of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Don't worry about it. The preparation's in good hands."

She hesitated, but then nodded.

"Alright, Arik, thank you. I'll see you later then."

He bowed his head, and she clapped his arm gratefully before turning to leave.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Oh yes, I remember him. Didn't he talk to Thor a few years ago?"

"Yes, but he said he got nothing from it. Said Thor was drunk and kept commenting on his hair."

"Well, his hair was weird. For a Midgardian, at least. He wants to talk to me now?"

"Yes," Ingmar said, checking her notepad, "about 'the influence of Asgardians on ancient Nordic culture'."

"Does he think I'm an expert on that? I never visited Midgard before we landed here."

Ingmar shrugged.

"You're the queen. He probably thinks you know all about it."

Valkyrie sighed.

"Did he say when he wanted to come?"

"He said he can work with our schedule. Apparently, this is important to him. He said it could give him a lot of material for the show."

"Hmm...maybe we can find people who know more about it than me. Just ask around. Not a high priority, but I guess the exposure couldn't hurt."

"Shall I set up a date for him to come?"

"Yes. I don't particularly care when, as long as it's not during a busy time for us. And find out how many people will come with him."

"Will do. Do you need anything else from me, my Queen?"

"No, Ingmar, I'll see you at the celebration."

Valkyrie stopped then, at the edge of the path. Ingmar offered a bow, and then continued along the path back towards the town proper.

A salty breeze brushed past Valkyrie.

She stepped off the path, onto the rocky expanse bordering the choppy waters. Two figures waited nearby, so she made her way over to them.

One was tall and broad, his physique solid and firm, a long quarterstaff resting on a strong shoulder. The other was shorter and smaller, and was holding no weapons, as her hands were weapons themselves.

"Hey Val," Korg greeted her. "How's it going?"

Miek added a friendly chirp of her own.

"Oh, you know, going good," Valkyrie replied, taking off her scabbard, "just getting ready for tonight's celebration."

"Huh. Is that tonight? I plumb forgot."

Miek chirruped at him.

"Yeah, you're right. I really should start paying attention to your calendar."

Another chirrup made him nod.

"And here I thought you just got it for the sexy firemen."

He turned back to Valkyrie.

"Do we need to bring a plate?"

"No, we'll have plenty of food."

"Alrighty then, we'll be there with bells on. Not literally, of course. We only do that for Christmas."

Valkyrie drew her sword and tossed her scabbard to the ground.

"You two ready?"

The duo shared a look.

And then charged, quarterstaff whooshing towards her, dual blades slicing through the air.

She met the quarterstaff with Dragonfang, feeling an invigorating rush as her muscles strained against Korg's. A shriek came from close by, and she spun away, meeting Miek's blades, a clang echoing in the chilly air.

As friendly and laid-back as the duo was, it was easy to forget they had fought for their lives constantly on Sakaar. No quarter was given, quarterstaff and blades working in concert, striking, slicing, striking, slicing. Korg grunted with exertion, moving surprisingly quickly for his size, his reach considerable. Miek followed his attacks with practiced precision, shrieking constantly as she weaved around the swinging quarterstaff, the deft complement to her counterpart's might.

But no quarter was asked for, and those attacks ultimately did little damage. Her own talent and experience served her well; although she had spent many years languishing on Sakaar, not fighting anyone strong enough to truly challenge her, neither had diminished.

The exertion was a much-needed break from the doldrums of ruling. Although being the Queen of New Asgard was a responsibility she appreciated, life on Midgard, which was largely removed from the drama and dangers of the rest of the known universe, was peaceful, which meant her position involved much more bureaucracy than battle.

So, sparring was her main exercise and stress outlet. Although she sometimes sparred with other Asgardians, Korg and Miek were her preferred opponents. Not just because they were seasoned warriors, since there were a number of those among the remaining Asgardians, but also because they treated her the exact same way they had before she had been made queen. The Asgardians had come to see her as a leader well before then, as she had taken up the responsibilities Thor had ignored, and the respect and deference they had given her had become the standard after he had offered her the throne.

Korg and Miek, however, still saw her as a friend, even though they understood her new authority. So, she knew she could cut loose, and they could as well.

She soon worked up a sweat. The chilly air helped keep her cool, as did her outfit, which consisted of sneakers, leggings, a tank top, and a sports bra, a decidedly Midgardian ensemble. Time fell away, her focus entirely on the combat. Her body was well-trained, and her instincts well-honed, so it took little thought to react to the attacks sent her way.

"What is that?" Korg asked suddenly, pointing high into the sky behind her.

"You really think I'd fall for that?" she laughed, slashing at him.

"It's not a trick," he said, bringing his quarterstaff up in an offhanded block.

Her sword rang against the sturdy staff, and then she turned to follow his gaze.

A golden glow was plunging through the atmosphere.

Excitement bloomed inside her.

"What is it?" Korg asked.

Miek chirruped curiously.

"Don't worry," Valkyrie told them. "She's a friend."

"Oh. Good."

The glow passed through clouds, disappearing for a few seconds before bursting back into view. She bit her lip, watching the glow straighten out and head towards them.

Miek chirruped again.

"Don't know who it is," Korg answered. "But if Val says she's a friend, she's a friend."

The glow streaked closer, and then stopped above them. Now hovering in the air, a humanoid figure was visible, that glow a shimmering aura, the brilliant gold a splash of color against the drab grey of the sky.

And then the figure plummeted to the ground, landing in a half-crouch with one knee and a fist planted on the ground, a whoosh of air washing over the trio from the impact.

"So cool..." Korg whispered.

Miek chirped.

"It's called a superhero landing. Everyone does it."

The figure stood. The golden glow wreathing it dissipated, revealing a well-built blonde woman clad in a blue, red, and gold jumpsuit. She began to walk towards them, running a hand over her short hair.

"I'm looking for the Queen of New Asgard. Know where I can find her?"

"I tried to do it once," Korg told Miek. "Lost my balance and fell flat on my face."

"Who's asking?" Valkyrie shot back.

"The strongest woman in the universe."

"You mean me? I'm right here."

A smile cracked that neutral expression.

"That was a terrible three-point landing, by the way. You could really mess up your knees doing it wrong."

"Are you the queen of New Asgard, or of three-point landings?"

Valkyrie smiled as Carol stopped in front of her.

"I always forget the protocol for greeting a queen. Do I bow or kneel?"

"You can kneel later. For now, just kiss me."

Both their smiles widened, and then those arms encircled her waist. Hers went around Carol's neck, and their mouths met.

Valkyrie quivered as those lips moved against hers. Desire surged inside her, so after a few seconds, she looked back over her shoulder at Korg and Miek.

"Why don't we call it a day?"

"Sounds good to us," Korg said, Miek adding a chirrup of her own. "Nice to see you again, Miss Marvel."

"It's Captain Marvel. But please, call me Carol. And thanks for keeping her occupied."

"Our pleasure. We'll see you two later."

"See you later," Valkyrie replied, keeping her voice level as her desire rose.

Her hand found Carol's, and she led her away from the water, back towards the path.

Their fingers intertwined as they headed down the path, the crash of waves growing more and more distant. She could not help but grin stupidly, glancing over to Carol, who was looking back at her with a similar barely restrained giddiness.

"Were you trying to impress me with that three-point landing?" she teased.

"Maybe," Carol admitted, slightly sheepishly. "Did it work?"

"I've seen better. But you could've landed on your ass and I would've been happy to see you."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"Wait," Valkyrie said suddenly, her smile fading as she thought about the timing of this visit, "are you here for the celebration?"

"Of course. You invited me last time I was here."

"Oh. Yeah, I did. I didn't think you'd actually come though."

"Why not?"

"Well, you're a busy woman. I thought you might have other things to take care of."

Carol shook her head.

"Nothing as important as this."

The stupid smile returned to Valkyrie's face, and she kissed Carol, affection briefly overwhelming her desire.

This time, it was Carol who broke the kiss, desire etched across her face as well.

"How far are we from your place?"

Valkyrie bit her lip.

"Twenty minutes, give or take. Plus, however long it'd take to talk to whoever we meet along the way. I'm popular."

"You certainly are. But those people can wait."

Carol grabbed her by the waist and easily hauled her into her arms. Although surprised, she only laughed, wrapping her arms and legs around the other woman.

The ground receded as Carol took off, the wind whipping around them.

The ride home was much quicker, and much more intimate, than a walk would have been. Valkyrie clung to her, hearing the occasional cry of surprise from a passer-by on the ground.

"I hope they don't think I'm abducting you," Carol joked after one such cry.

"Don't worry, they know you by now. A few have even asked me about you."

"I guess their queen's love life is interesting to them."

"I guess so. They don't have much excitement these days. But after everything that happened, that's a good thing, I think."

"We all needed some peace and quiet."

She landed then, and gently set Valkyrie down, the duo now in front of the queen's humble but comfortable dwelling.

Aragorn whickered at them from nearby. Carol went over to him, and the winged horse let her stroke over its lustrous mane. Valkyrie watched, smiling as she cooed at the mount, lust put on hold in the name of petting a winged horse.

After a few more seconds, Carol pulled herself away from Aragorn, and followed Valkyrie inside.

Valkyrie closed the door behind them.

And then was suddenly shoved against it.

A yelp of surprise morphed into a sultry moan as insistent hands roamed over her figure and a just-as-insistent mouth locked onto her neck. She squirmed against the door, those hands focusing on specific destinations, one stealing into her tank top to stroke over her sports bra, the other dipping into her leggings and panties. Another moan came next as the second hand met the folds of her sex, slick from her arousal, and deft fingers began to rub at them.

"Fuck, I missed you," Carol sighed. "I missed how you taste, how you smell, how you sound..."

Valkyrie moaned again, sinking back against her.

"Yeah, like that...I missed that sound..."

That mouth returned to her neck, sucking at the sweaty flesh. She reached back, finding Carol's thighs, squeezing at the muscular swathes through the jumpsuit, needing that anchor as her pleasure rose swiftly.

The adrenaline from her exertion had translated easily into arousal, and now her body was alight with lust, reacting eagerly to the handling, her nipples stiffening, her slit twitching, her juices streaming out from it.

"God, you smell good," Carol groaned.

"I'm all sweaty..."

"I know. I like it. You smell good."

"Was going to ask if you wanted to take a shower with me before you jumped me."

"Sorry...couldn't help myself."

"You don't sound very sorry."

"Yeah...I'm not. I wanted you."

Valkyrie leaned back, searching out that mouth, quickly finding it as Carol kissed her. That tongue nudged at her lips, and she met it with her own.

Although she had had in plenty of sex on Sakaar, her life on New Asgard had been sexless for a long time, due to her responsibilities and the importance of her position among the Asgardians even before Thor had made her queen. So, when Carol had shown up, even though they had fallen into each other's arms that night, Valkyrie had felt somewhat awkward that first time with her. It had not helped that the sex she had on Sakaar had been mostly meaningless beyond the physical, whereas her attraction to Carol had been strong from their first meeting.

It had not taken long to forget that awkwardness, however, and now, months later, even after all the time they spent apart, Valkyrie felt utterly comfortable in her arms.

Those fingers rubbed all over her folds, hitting every little sweet spot. The other hand was kept at bay by the sports bra, but still squeezed and stroked at her breasts over it. And behind her, pressed right up to her back, was that alluring physique, such proximity adding to her arousal. A shudder washed over her, the pleasure ratcheting up further.

Thanks to her neediness, and Carol's insistence, it soon became ecstasy. She cried out, the kiss breaking as she bucked, an arm wrapping securely around her from behind, bringing her in close. The ecstasy was potent, washing over her like an incandescent flood. Her cry dwindled into soft gasps, the orgasm running its course, suffusing her nerves with a heady bliss.

Ecstasy gradually became afterglow, those fingers slipping from her panties to let the transition happen. Her gasps turned back into steady breathing. She eased herself from those arms and turned around.

Carol smiled, sucking at her cream-coated fingers.

Valkyrie bit her lip, watching the delight erupt over her as she cleaned them off.

"Mm, you taste so good...can't get enough..."

Valkyrie kissed her, pressing close to that alluring physique.

After a few seconds, they began to stumble over to the couch, unwilling to end the kiss to get there sooner.

When they were close enough, Valkyrie peeled herself away to flounce down onto it. Her tank top went flying out of both sight and mind, her hands going next to her bra. Carol joined the effort, yanking at her leggings, tugging them down, leaning forward to kiss at the gradually revealed stretches of her thighs, her calves, her feet. The leggings were then tossed aside, and Valkyrie hurriedly tore off her panties, laying herself bare.

"Now's the time to kneel," she purred.

Carol knelt before the couch, smirking slightly.

"As you wish, my Queen," she murmured, before diving in between Valkyrie's thighs, hands grabbing at her hips.

Valkyrie moaned, arching her back, her hands settling on Carol's head, stroking at her hair.

The enthusiasm Carol had shown earlier paled in comparison to the voraciousness she displayed now. Her tongue slurped all over those drenched folds, working energetically, gorging on the plentiful feminine cream. Even as Valkyrie began to writhe, she was easily able to keep the Asgardian in place with that dual grip on her hips. Wanting to secure herself anyway, Valkyrie brought her legs up to rest them on Carol's shoulders and scissored both feet together behind her head. The maneuver freed up those hands at her hips, which moved up eagerly to her breasts. Another moan fell from her, those hands caressing, kneading, teasing, merciless in their appreciation of the pert mounds and stiff nipples.

Thanks to her recent orgasm, she was primed for another. Carol kept slurping and sucking, fixing an intent gaze on her, watching her approach and then reach ecstasy, drinking in the sight of such utter bliss while drinking down those decadent juices.

The ecstasy was once again potent, but this time, Carol did not let up. Her mouth ran along the slit, ambushing the escaping streams of ambrosia. Valkyrie groaned, her hands clutching at Carol's hair, her feet tightening on Carol's head, trapping it in the juncture of her thighs. The ecstasy dwindled, but more quickly burst out over her, the stimulation relentless.

Halfway through that climax, Carol changed tack, and locked her lips around the clit crowning those folds.

Valkyrie cried out, jerking wildly, her back arching sharply, the couch knocking against the wall from the spasmodic movement. Carol dragged a hand from her breasts and wrapped that arm around her waist to better secure her, that hand now also able to grope at her ass. Those lips sucked gently, but even that softer effort was more than enough to send her hurtling through another round of euphoria.

She was left unable to tell where one orgasm ended and the next began. Those lips began to slurp a bit harder on her clit, swirling even more pleasure into her nerves. The ecstasy was a wondrous comfort, her mind emptying of everything save an idle appreciation of the ecstasy itself, and of Carol, her hands stroking over that already-well-mussed blonde hair, her lover's name interspersed among her wordless groans.

The constant pleasure was so strong and all-encompassing that it took her a few seconds to notice when Carol stopped. She had drawn back and was simply watching her writhe from the lingering thrills. That attention provoked a coo from Valkyrie, their eyes linking together, the shared gaze rife with affection and desire.

"You really missed me, didn't you?" she purred, the last vestiges of orgasm dissipating, her body finally unwinding into afterglow.

"I did," Carol admitted readily, her tongue running idly over her lips to gather up the juices clinging to them.

Valkyrie sighed, slumping back into the couch.

Through the haze of afterglow, she noticed Carol stand, and start to take off her jumpsuit.

The promise of that glorious figure fully exposed brought a surge of excitement, so she sat up to watch.

"You always take that off so quickly," she said, watching Carol deftly unsnap, unzip, unfasten the jumpsuit, leaving her in a bra and panties in no time.

"I've spent a lot of time in this suit. You learn."