A/N: Written for Ozhawk. This is a very long three part oneshot. Part two will be up tomorriw and part three the following day.

Please note, this story takes place after TDW and GOTG2 but is NOT Ragnarok compliant.

Hope you enjoy!

2001

Peter hadn't intended to take a day trip down to the beautiful blue marble in the sky that was Earth, but he'd been in the neighborhood of the milky way galaxy when a random wormhole left him circling the exosphere. With nothing better to do after a long grueling month of fruitlessly ravaging 'insert dead planet name here', he could use a vacation. The brothel planets on the south end of Nova Empire were always fun, but a trip down memory lane wasn't a bad idea either. He might even meet his soulmate. You never know.

He debated for five minutes and then entered Earth's atmosphere to the glorious 'ooga chaka' of Blue Swede's greatest hit.

He found an empty field with some geese bathing in the lake. A rotting farmhouse was the only man-made structure for miles. In the distance was the light of a city. Peter activated camouflage mode and left his ship behind a small grove just in case. As his mother had taught him, he used the safest method of Terran travel to reach civilization, hitching a ride with a yellow-toothed dude in a dirty white van.

"See you later," he waved to his new friend as he drove down a dark alley, leaving him on a strip of clubs and bars. "Thanks for the free candy!"

He licked his cherry lollipop and chose a bar with no searchlights or lines a mile long. The first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside, followed by how crowded it was, and then how utterly terrible the music was. No matter how hard Peter listened, he could only make out random words and phrases at random intervals. 'Load up on guns something here we are now entertain us something my libido something.' Nice. Whoever these guys were, they'd go nowhere as musicians.

'This is why you should've brought your cassette player,' said the not stupid part of his brain to the stupid part.

He forgot all about it after his first beer. Then he ordered another.

And another.

And another.

There was a woman on the other side of the bar who'd been gorgeous when he was sober. Now that he was drunk, she was Venus incarnate and he felt like prostrating himself before her and declaring his unworthiness of being in her presence. Barring that, maybe they'd just fuck.

He sidled up to her as best he could with the room spinning. She had a few empty glasses around her, though not nearly as many as him. Her perfect goddess hair was long and pushed away from her perfect goddess face. She drank the rest of her glass as Peter turned on the charm.

"Hey there," he said, with more emphasis on the 'r' than was needed. "Do you have a map? Because I think I'm lost in your eyes!"

Oh yeah, he was good.

She hiccuped and turned unfocused eyes on him. "Wow, that's a really cheesy pickup line… it's also my soulmate words."

"That's funny. My soulmate words say I use cheesy pickup lines. That's why I use cheesy pickup lines."

"That's weird."

"Yeah…" Peter finally got himself on the stool next to her. It was a mean stool and kept cloning itself to throw him off balance. If he wasn't Star-Lord, it's evil plan might've worked, but in the end, Peter Quill conquered the leathery menace and his perfect ass had a nice new home. "So does this mean we're soulmates?"

The woman thought about it. "I think so. Scientifically speaking. Yeah. I'm Jane. Who are you?"

"I'm the amazing Star-Lord," Peter attempted to strike a pose but the stool almost bucked him off. "My friends call me Star-Lord. My other friends call me Peter. You can call me Peter."

"Hi Peter, I'm Jane," she hiccupped. "Wait, I already said that."

"It's okay, I like your name!"

"Thanks. I like yours, too."

They stopped talking, having forgotten what you're supposed to do when you meet your soulmate. Peter's mom had talked to him about it once. She didn't have a mark but she'd been convinced she found her soulmate anyway. Be a gentleman, she always said. Tell her she's beautiful and invite her out so you can get to know her better.

Peter looked around the bar. They were already out. Step one: done.

"So you're beautiful," he slurred at her ear. Step two: done. "Like really beautiful. As beautiful as... a really beautiful thing."

"Thanks," Jane giggled. "You're beautiful too, but in the guy way."

"You mean handsome?"

"Right. That." She laughed again. "Sorry, I'm usually smarter than this. I got into grad school today and I'm celebrating. I study astrophysics."

"Like space stuff?"

"Yeah!"

"What a coincidence. I live in space!"

"That's awesome!"

She might not have believed him. He was drunk after all. Drunk people say a lot of untrue things. Then again, she was drunk too, so maybe this was plausible to the inebriated mind. "Since I'm your soulmate, how about we go somewhere private and celebrate?"

"Like sex?"

"No, like a game of Parcheesi and talking about our feelings," said Peter, who failed to sound sarcastic when her laughter was infectious. "Of course like sex!"

"Well…" she faked thinking about it. Her hands were already moving along his thighs. "Let me think..."

Peter didn't feel like thinking, so he swept Jane into his arms and carried her out. They made out against a lamp post, Jane slobbering on Peter's neck as he hailed a cab. Jane gave the driver her address at some point during the ride and soon they pulled up in front of a three-story brick building. Peter threw the man a bag of gold coins from one of the defunct mining planets he raided last month. He didn't know earth's exchange rates, but it should cover the fare and a tip.

From there, it was the stoop, and then the elevator, and then against the wall outside Jane's apartment, and then against the wall inside Jane's apartment, until they finally reached Jane's bed. There was kissing, touching, moaning, laughing, screaming… and oh god, sex had never been this good before. Not even with that three-breasted stripper from Canaset.

Having a soulmate was awesome! Peter was never letting Jane go now that he'd found her. From now on, they'd be together forever.

Peter woke up in pain. His head felt like a brick hit it, and then a train ran over it, and then Yondu landed his ship on it. His stomach wasn't much better. He rolled off a creaky mattress, untangling bed sheets from around his ankles, then emptied yesterday's lunch into the toilet. He made sure not to get any vomit on the seat or floor and sprayed some air freshener when he was done to hopefully eliminate the smell.

With his sick stomach taken care of, it was time to figure out where he was and how he got here. He entered the next room, the layout both familiar and unfamiliar. It was definitely earth based decor, which he wasn't likely to find anywhere except Earth.

"Right," Peter said to himself as pieces of last night came back to him. "I made a trip down to Earth, and then I went to a bar. That explains the hangover. Okay, what happened next?"

Sheets were ruffled and someone mumbled behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Peter spied a young woman sound asleep in a large bed. Her hair was over her face, her back bare as the covers fell low over her lithe form. She was obviously naked, and it was obvious why. Peter looked down and confirmed that he was also naked. There were clothes strewn about the floor and he set to work sorting his out from hers.

"Nice work, Star-Lord," he thought out loud. "Got yourself a hot one this time… I just wish I could remember it."

He racked through his disjointed, alcohol-hazed memories of last night. He knew he was in the bar. He knew he had a bunch of drinks. He knew he saw a woman and went to talk to her… that was it. Everything after that moment was gone.

What had he said to her?

What had she said to him?

Who initiated sex?

What was her name?

His pocket beeped and he whipped out his handheld transmitter. The time on earth blared at him like a horn to the face. "Fuck. How is it that late?" Yondu would be on his ass if he didn't report back soon.

Peter spared a final glance for his friend from last night. She slept on, no doubt dreaming of what a great time they shared. He wished he could stick around, maybe have some awkward morning after small talk. 'What do you do and where are you from and would you ever want to do this again?' That sort of thing.

But alas, the nomadic life of a ravager called. He couldn't leave his ship alone on a planet so technologically stunted anyway. The second someone came across it, the government would swoop in and who wants to deal with that noise? Peter found a notepad on the woman's desk and scribbled a few words before tip-toeing out the door.

He ignored the inexplicable pain in his heart which begged him to stay. Probably just the hangover talking.

Jane woke up after ten. This went against her usual schedule and had she not been drinking the night before, there would be no reason for her to sleep in three extra hours.

What really bothered Jane was how empty her bed was, how the only clothes on the ground were hers and how her apartment was silent. Her notepad had been moved from the desk to the couch. She wrapped the blanket around her naked body and went to retrieve it.

'Sorry, gotta run. Thanks for the great night!'

Jane read those two sentences over and over again, her fingers trembling. Of course, she remembered everything from last night. That man saying her soulmate words, making her laugh at his ridiculous jokes, going home with her and giving her the night of her life. She'd figured they'd have their first sober conversation over breakfast and have a funny story to tell their kids when they were old enough to know what getting wasted was.

Because Jane was the product of a soulmate couple, and both sets of grandparents were soulmate couples. This was how it was when you met that one person the universe meant for you. Jane was intelligent and rational, but she was also a dreamer. Her romantic expectations were understandably high.

Yesterday had been the happiest day of her life. She got into her dream school and she found her soulmate; her future was set. Never did she think she'd wake up the next morning alone, not a trace of him left except an eight word Dear John letter. Jane remembered all those talks her mother used to give her: don't trust strange men in bars. They only want one thing, and once they get it you're nothing to them.

Who would've thought her own soulmate was one of them?

The next few weeks were hard, filled with tears and ice cream and throwing herself into schoolwork, all in an effort to forget Peter Quill. His face, his hands, his voice… but it was no use. He was burned into her memory. Even as she moved on and started other relationships, that mysterious man who called himself Star Lord and turned her world upside down was never far from her thoughts.

2016

Peter had never seen anything like Asgard.

Okay, that wasn't true. He'd seen many things like Asgard before. In fact, he'd seen things which were, in his opinion, a lot more impressive than Asgard. The difference was, Asgard wasn't supposed to be real. Asgard was a mythical land where the gods lived if you were a Viking, not an actual really real honest to God planet.

And yet, here they were. Stopping for fuel run and nearly causing an interplanetary incident when Rocket tried to steal a bracelet off a richly dressed woman's wrist.

"It was just sitting there!" Rocket screamed while Drax dragged him back to the ship and Gamora smoothed things over with the irate lady. "She's gotta have six dozen just like it. Quill! Back me up here!"

"Sorry, can't hear you," Peter said, flipping through his Zune library for an extra loud song.

The crowd of Asgardians (or was it Aesir?) parted, revealing a large man with three other large men, and one very hot woman, flanking him. He was the classic good-looking jock type, blonde hair, blue eyes, and arms bigger than Peter's head. He wore a bright red cape and had a massive medieval hammer on his belt. If he wasn't Thor, Peter would eat his mask.

"Greetings, travelers! Welcome to Asgard. I am Thor, son of Odin and heir to the throne."

Called it.

"Nice to meet you," Peter said, going for a handshake and immediately regretting it. "Ow- quite a grip you got there… uh, I am Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, son of… anyway, we were in the neighborhood and our ship is in need of some maintenance. We were hoping you guys wouldn't mind entertaining us for a few days."

Thor studied him. His eyes flicked to the rest of the group once or twice but he seemed especially interested in Peter. "You are Midgardian, yes?"

Peter blinked. "No, I'm from Earth."

Thor unleashed a booming laugh. Several other Asgardians, including his friends, also laughed. Must be nice being royalty. "My friend, Peter Quill, we would be honored to have you. You and your compatriots will stay with me at the palace until you have completed your task."

"Oh we don't want to impose," said Gamora.

"Yeah, we do!" Rocket shouted from the ship.

"I am Groot," said Groot, which was 'moody teenager tree' for 'I agree now shut up and let me play my game.' He hadn't looked up from that console in nine hours.

Thor ordered two men to have rooms prepared for them. Then they traveled across a shimmering landscape of medieval-style buildings mixed with high tech gadgetry and warriors showing off new weapons in the street. Peter ducked around two guys comparing swords and bit back a size joke which would've been way too easy. Thor had been talking for a while, but Peter only tuned in when his name popped up.

"And Peter Quill, you must meet my friend, Jane Foster. She is a scientist from your realm currently studying with our finest scholars."

"You have someone from Earth here?" Now there was a big surprise. This place wasn't anywhere near Terra as far as he knew. "Well sure, I'd love to meet her."

"Excellent!" Thor put an arm around Peter, nearly taking his head off. "Jane is a wonderful woman, one of the loveliest I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I'm sure you'll agree when you see her."

'Is he wingman-ing?' Peter wondered as Thor continued to extol Jane Foster's many virtues. 'Man, how special do you have tobe for a Norse god to get you dates?'

Jane had heard they had visitors from another world. This was the most interesting thing to happen to Asgard since she arrived for her summer research trip. She'd thought about going to greet them with everyone else, but this book was so intriguing- and in a language she understood- Jane couldn't put it down. At some point, she'd have to stretch her legs, but one more chapter wouldn't hurt.

A young servant approached her. "Would you like your lunch now, Doctor?"

"Thanks, you can bring it," Jane said, remembering she hadn't eaten since breakfast. "And could you let Thor know I'll be a little late for dinner?"

"The prince is entertaining our visitors," the servant said.

"Good. Then he won't mind." It wouldn't be the first time Jane had canceled on him. If they were still a couple, he might think she was bored of him.

Today marked a month since the start of her vacation from Earth. One month to go and that time couldn't go slower. She was internationally famous and Earth's leading expert in wormholes. Her schedule was packed with an endless stream of conferences, television interviews, and university lectures. The last time she had a day off was Christmas, last year. One day, she decided to take a twenty-minute catnap right before giving the commencement speech at Harvard. She woke up fifteen hours later to a hundred missed calls and emails from an angry school board.

After her people (she had people now) sorted the mess out, it was decided that Jane should take some time off to clear her head. Shockingly, the one behind that decision was Jane herself. Even the biggest workaholics knew their limits, and this was hers.

So here she was on Asgard, her calendar cleared and her sleep patterns almost semi-normal. As dull as it was to read the same three books ad infinitum, she'd take this over another white toothed reporter with a microphone any day.

Asgardian summer was like a less brutal version of Earth's. The oceans were calm and the night sky a panorama of uncharted constellations. Jane could get used to a place like this. A place so far separated from every problem she had ever faced, be it work related or otherwise.

They entered a library big enough to fit Peter's entire hometown on Earth with room to spare. A few scholarly types browsed the shelves. They bowed before their prince as he led the Guardians to the back. Rocket remained on ship arrest with Groot and Mantis to keep him company, so it was just Peter, Drax, and Gamora.

At one particular table, a woman was surrounded by three stacks of books. She had an abundance of paper and a device in her hand which resembled his Zune. Probably not as high tech, though.

"Jane?"

She didn't look up, but Thor seemed to expect that. He tried again and she dragged her eyes from the screen. "Hey, Thor. Sorry, I was just in the middle of something big. Wanna see it?"

"I will be happy to later," said Thor. "For now, I'd like to introduce our visitors. One of them is a fellow from Midgard."

He winked at Jane. Yup, definitely wingman-ing.

Peter didn't mind it at all. Not to sound like a pig, but damn, she was one hot chick. Dressed in Asgardian finery, she nevertheless lacked the ethereal glow which seemed to radiate off Thor and his peers. This was the opposite of a bad thing. As beautiful as the Asgardians were, they were a little too flawless for Peter's taste. Like a less technicolor version of the Sovereign race. Jane had a mole on her cheek and when she shook Gamora's hand, she had a cut on her thumb and her nails showed signs of biting Those simple touches of humanity made her all the prettier.

In fact… had they met before? It was weird, but he could've sworn he knew her from somewhere.

"And now, I'd like you to meet Peter Quill," Thor said, having saved the best for last.

Peter turned on the smolder. This had worked on so many aliens girls so with a human, it would be like magic. "Hey there, I'm Peter Quill. Nice to meet you."

But she didn't swoon. She didn't blush or do that 'playing with your hair' thing some people did when they were flustered. The look on her face was a myriad of confusion, shock, and horror. Three emotions not at all fitting unless he'd spontaneously grown a second head in the last few seconds. Peter glanced to the side just to be sure (you never know what's in the air) and nope. He was mono-headed as ever.

"Um... are you okay?"

'Holy shit this can't be happening. This cannot fucking be happening.' Jane blinked several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The eyes could play tricks and she'd lived in the desert long enough to know the real from the mirage. The man in front of her was definitely no mirage and her heart sank

A part of Jane lamented that he had barely changed and her fantasy of him gaining three hundred pounds and losing his hair was now dead. Another part recalled his lame joke about living in space. Looks like he was serious after all.

And he was so casual like they'd never even met. Like rejecting her had just been another Friday night for him. Like he didn't even care that they were soulmates godammit!

This was fantastic. Here Jane had thought she was completely over it. She'd gone to group meetings; she'd read self-help books; she'd witnessed non-soulmate couples living happily together, more in love than measly words on skin could ever dictate. Darcy had rejected her soulmate years ago for reasons she wouldn't divulge, and now enjoyed a romance with the unmarked Ian. Erik, also markless, had seventeen wonderful years with his wife before her untimely death.

Soulmarks were not an end all, be all. Sometimes they worked out, sometimes they didn't. Just because it hadn't worked for her didn't mean she'd never find love. Jane had grown from her pain. She was stronger now. She was mature. She always thought if she saw Peter again, she'd wish him well and move on, perfectly content with herself.

A minute later, Jane stormed out of the library, her right hand aching from an impulsive and infuriated response to Peter's flippancy. She'd knocked him off his feet. Adrenaline did amazing things for even the weakest person. She held on tight to that sliver of satisfaction. It almost made up for finding out how immature she really was.

After Dr. Foster slapped him, Peter stumbled back into Drax. She packed a hell of a punch for such a tiny thing. The good doctor never looked back and saw herself out, her books and papers abandoned. Nobody went after her. Not even Thor. Frankly, no one knew what to do.

"What was that all about?" asked Gamora.

Peter rubbed his stinging cheek. She'd taken the words right out of his mouth.