Author Note: Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, favoriting, and messaging me. You guys are the best. Please keep the reviews coming. They are my life juice.
I hope this chapter makes all of you as happy as it makes me. We need some happiness because the next chapter is going to destroy us all with feels.
Also, this chapter works best when you listen to "Valiant" by the Spill Canvas as you listen to it.
"What do you say, would you marry me today? The moon will gush all inside out and my nightmares will go away. What do you say, would you devote yourself today? Like riding out a sinking ship as it lowers into the bay. Please stay." -The Spill Canvas "Valiant"
"There you are, John!"
An impossibly thin, dark haired woman came bounding through the crowd of people, heels clacking loudly against the floor as she went. Upon seeing her, John smiled, pulling the woman into a quick, friendly embrace.
"Janel!" he smiled. "Pleasure to see you, as always. Have you met my darling Alice yet?"
"I don't think so," Alice said, extending her hand to the woman. "I'm Alice McCormick."
The woman gave Alice arms a wary glance before taking her hand and shaking it uncertainly.
"I'm Janel Lewis," the woman replied. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Janel is the museum curator," John explained, wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulders.
"You're doing a fantastic job," Alice gushed, looking around them. "This gallery is amazing. "I love the way it is set up as a journey through the stars."
"Well," Janel beamed. "It was all John's idea. He is the real genius here."
The exhibit was quite impressive. It started out with some of John's more obscure work; a few nebulas, shooting stars, clusters of planets. But then it began to focus, a single planet at first, then the multicolored landscape, before eventually focusing on the beautiful scenes and sprawling castles that he had illustrated.
"You're too kind," he replied, shaking his head. "I just threw together a few paintings."
"He's so modest!" Janel chuckled. "I love him."
"Me too," Alice said pointedly.
It wasn't that she necessarily disliked Janel, but she felt the woman was hitting on John a little too blatantly, and, frankly, that didn't sit well with her.
"Of course you do," the curator laughed. "You two are adorable together!"
Taking a sip of her Champagne, Alice looked about the room. Everyone present looked like they had far too much money to be healthy. All of the suits and gowns were obviously designer; making Alice feel awkward in her gown that she had once viewed as beautiful. Of course, what could she expect from people who likely donated more money to the Stark Foundation annually than she could ever hope to make in her life.
And older gentleman approached them then, introducing himself to John as Gregory Flynn.
"Mister Flynn is the head of the Stark Foundation art committee," Janel explained. "He found your work beautiful."
"I can speak for myself, Miss Lewis," the old man good-naturedly chuckled. "But, yes, I do enjoy your work, Mister Walker. Fantastic, all of it."
"Thank you ever so much," John grinned. "And, please, call me John."
"I like this one," Gregory smiled. "Come on then, Johnny, let me introduce you to the big shots."
For most of the night, Alice found herself wandering around in the wake of John's charm. Though she was enjoying watching him interact with the white collars, it was also incredibly boring. Plus, she had to put up with Janel being obnoxious and trying to shoehorn her way into all of John's conversations, while simultaneously hitting on him. Alice found it all disgustingly mind-numbing. She never said much, simply smiling and shaking hands with the old men, who told John how beautiful she was, despite the dirty looks they gave her arms. Apparently, even in the art world, tattoos were frowned upon in high society.
About an hour into the opening, there was a commotion at the door. Alice secretly hoped it would be something like Heather's Stuttgart incident, where the crazy guy had attacked one of the important old men and then proceeded to make everyone kneel to him. At least then she could go home early if she lived through it.
"I didn't think he'd actually show up," Janel breathed, taking a few steps toward the crowd gathering at the door.
"Didn't think who would actually show up?" Alice asked, trying to be heard over the babble of the excited crowd.
"Tony Stark," the other woman sighed, rushing to join the crowd.
John and Alice hung back as the crowd parted and Tony Stark came waltzing in, Pepper Potts at his heels. Looking like a king, he strutted into the center of the room, waving and smiling as he turned to face the dreamy-eyed onlookers.
He made a subtle motion and one of museum staff members came running over with a microphone. Giving them a nod of appreciation, he gave it a tap to test the PA system. Smiling at the echoing noise it made, he began to speak.
"Yes, yes, I know I'm late," he grinned, earning a hearty chuckle from the crowd. "We had to stop for dinner because I was hungry." Again, the crowd chuckled. "Pepper is incredibly excited to be here, and I'm pretty thrilled too. I want to thank all of you for coming and supporting the Stark Foundation. And, of course, I want to congratulate John Walker on his ability to paint."
Laughing, John gave a small wave and received a thunderous applause in response.
"At least he isn't being as self-absorbed as usual," Alice whispered to John, who had to cover his snicker with a feigned sneeze.
"Look, I want to keep this short," grinned the billionaire. "Because we're all here to enjoy art, not listen to me run my mouth. Well, let's be honest, we are, but I'm not in the mood to run my mouth. So, instead, I'm going to turn it over to the guy we're actually here to appreciate… you know, the one that isn't me, John Walker."
Looking surprised, and maybe slightly panicked, John took a few steps forward.
"Don't be shy, man, get over here," Tony insisted.
Alice gave him a little push forward and John quickly made his way to the center of the room, accepting the microphone from Tony and shaking his hand with a winning smile.
"We'll talk later," Tony winked, clapping the artist on the shoulder as he stepped away, giving a light applause and motioning for the crowd to do the same.
Clearing his throat, John beamed, nodding at the crowd as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.
"Thank you," he earnestly smiled. "Thank you all so much for coming here and supporting me and my work. I honestly didn't think I would be making a speech, so I apologize for my lack of preparedness."
The crowd laughed and he smirked, seeming to gain a bit of confidence.
"I never imagined I would get this sort of recognition when I started," he went on. "I honestly thought I was at the height of my career when I sold my first painting to a coffee shop, but it seems I was mistaken."
Giving them all a winning smile, he ran an agitated hand through his dark mess of curls.
"I suppose a few thanks are in order," he chuckled. "Of course, my deepest gratitude goes out to he Stark Foundation, Janel, all of the other great people who work at this fantastic museum and helped me set up the exhibit, and, of course, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts for showing up and giving us all this pleasant surprise. Last, but certainly not least, I need to thank my darling Alice for everything she has done. For putting up with me and all of my madness, the late nights spent looking at the stars, and the undying love she has shown me."
For a moment he paused, fumbling for something in his pocket.
"I was going to save this for later," he sighed. "But I think now is as good a time as any. Alice, will you come here, darling?"
Heat rushed to Alice's face as the crowd's attention turned to her. Heart fluttering in her chest, she crossed to the middle of the room, coming to stand beside John. It terrified her that she felt she knew exactly what was about to happen, and even more so that she knew exactly how she was going to respond.
"My sweet Alice," he smiled. "You are so beautiful tonight. I've been waiting for so long to ask you this…"
Taking her hand in his, he took a deep breath.
"You are the most amazing woman I've ever met," he said sincerely. "You are so full of passion, life, and love. Most of all love." Slowly, knelt down on one knee, still holding her hand. "Would you do me the honor of sharing that love with me for the rest of eternity…as my wife?"
From his pocket, he pulled a small, black velvet box. Popping it open, he revealed a dazzling emerald, which matched the one on his hand, but it was smaller and more feminine.
It felt as if Alice's heart had lodged itself in her throat. She took a deep breath, trying to choke done the happy sob that trying to escape.
"Yes," she whispered, feeling the tears start to stream down her face despite attempts to keep them back. "Of course!"
His face became consumed by a smile and he slipped the ring onto her finger. Getting to his feet, he pulled her to him and kissed her. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a mixture of "awws" and whistles and thunderous applause.
"My night is officially perfect!" he shouted, pumping his fist into the air.
Cheering and applauding, the crowd rushed up to congratulate them. They were passed from person to person, the happy faces all mixing into a blur.
Finally, they made their way to the bar, where Tony Stark was extending a hand and congratulating them. Pepper Potts pulled them each into a quick hug,
"I definitely think your speech blew mine out of the water," Tony smirked. "You know, pulling the engagement card and all."
John laughed, putting an arm around Alice.
"What can I say?" he shrugged. "She's quite a catch. I had to ask her somewhere that I knew should wouldn't be able to say no."
"I wouldn't have said no!" Alice objected.
"Well, who could say no to being a queen, right?" Tony asked, earning a confused look from both of them.
"He doesn't have that much money," Alice snorted. "But he certainly treats me like a queen."
Quirking an eyebrow, Tony turned to John.
"Well, she certainly deserves the royal treatment," he chuckled. "But I can only do so much as an artist."
Pepper groaned, giving Tony a not-so-subtle elbow to the ribs.
"I'm sorry," she sighed. "Tony has a knack for taunting people he's just met."
"I noticed," Alice shrugged, not as phased by his arrogance as she feared she would be.
"But we're both very happy for you!" Pepper insisted. "In fact, I was just telling Tony that I think we should treat you to dinner tomorrow night."
"You really don't need to-" John began, but Tony held up a hand and cut him short.
"It will be my treat," the billionaire said smoothly. "Pepper here is a really big fan of your art. We wanted to talk to you about buying some of it."
"You put on this whole exhibition," John sighed. "You've been too kind already. You can just have-"
"No!" Pepper said firmly. "We're going to take you to dinner."
Resigned, John accepted the offer.
"Excellent," Tony smirked. "We'll pick you up tomorrow night around seven. Now, if you'll excuse us, Pepper and I are going to go admire your work."
After again shaking their hands and exchanging pleasantries, the rich couple headed off into the museum.
Still a bit shocked, Alice turned to John.
"Did Tony Stark really just invite us to dinner?" she gasped.
"I think he did," John mused, sounding equally shocked. "But, more importantly, you agreed to be my wife."
This sent a little thrill through Alice's stomach and she turned to John, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yes I did," she proudly stated. "Care to go home and celebrate?"
"Oh, darling," he grinned, giving her a quick kiss. "I thought you'd never ask."
The drive home was excruciating, the two of them knowing full well what was going to happen the moment they entered the apartment. It was difficult for John to keep his hands to himself as they pulled up to the apartment, John slipping the limo driver a tip as they slipped out of the vehicle. After practically running to the elevator, their lips crashed together the moment the doors slid shut. Blindly, John hit the button for his floor.
As the elevator ascended, their lips never parted, John doing his best to restrain the urge to start taking her clothes off.
A bell dinged lightly as they reached his floor, the two of them darting into the hall and straight for his door. As they stumbled inside, John began undoing the zipper of her dress, trying to get her undressed as quickly as possible.
He was so delighted to finally have her as his own, promised to him for the rest of eternity. And he also wanted nothing more than to fuck her senseless to celebrate.
Slipping out of her dress, Alice began to loosen his tie, pulling it over his head and beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt. A trail of clothes followed them to the kitchen, where John had left some of his paint supplies on the counter. Carelessly, he knocked them aside, accidentally spilling a bottle of blue paint as he picked up Alice's naked body and sat her on the counter.
Attempting to get a grip on the counter, despite the wet paint, she slid forward a bit, offering herself to him. Already she was practically dripping; hot, wet, and ready to be penetrated.
Dropping to his knees, John kissed his way up her thighs, sucking lightly at her pale skin. Little moans fell from her lips as his breath tickled her most sensitive area. Grinning slyly, he flicked his tongue over her swollen clit, swirling circles over her sex as the taste of her lust began to saturate his taste buds.
"Fuck," she gasped, paint-covered fingertips entangling themselves in his hair.
Playfully he nipped at her clit, eliciting a delightful shriek as he began to suck at it. Her hips began to buck with his every touch, the sounds she made growing louder by the second.
"John," she moaned breathlessly. "Fuck me."
"Patience, darling," he replied, feeling paint coat his neck in wake of her trembling fingers.
Taking a bit of pity on her, he thrust two fingers into her before continuing to please her with his tongue. Her taste filled his mouth as she gasped and writhed in ecstasy. As her orgasm neared, she gripped the counter, hands slipping on the growing puddle of blue acrylic.
"If you don't fuck me soon," she panted. "I'm going to-"
But he was already on his feet, sliding his hands through the paint before pulling her onto his throbbing arousal. Rubbing the slick paint onto her back, he did his best to hold her tight as he filled her completely.
Setting a steady pace, he took her face into his hands, leaving streaks of blue there as he kissed her fiercely, the taste of her still on his tongue.
"That paint is really cold," she giggled, giving him matching marks on his cheeks as she moved her hands to grip his shoulders.
"I know," he chuckled, nipping at her lip.
Running his hands down her back, he held her hips tight and began to increase his pace. Her cries grew louder mixing with his own breathless sounds.
"Are getting close, darling?" he asked as he felt his climax near.
"Yes," she groaned, nails digging into his shoulders.
"Good. Then scream for me Alice. Tell me you're mine."
Her icy blue eyes met his and she gritted her teeth to hold back her orgasm for a few more moments.
"I love you, John," she groaned. "I'm- mmmm. Fuck!"
Their shared cries of pleasure filled the room as he spilled into her and she spasmed around him, the rest of her promises lost in a jumble of curses.
When he was finished, he rested his head against her shoulder, leaving hovering kisses on her neck and shoulder.
"My darling Alice," he sighed. "I cannot wait to make you my wife. Mrs. Walker has quite a ring to it."
Giggling, she nodded, playing with his messy black curls, which were now caked in blue paint.
"But you're only allowed to call me that when you're incredibly happy with me," she smirked.
"Well, then, shall we get cleaned up, Mrs. Walker?"
"We're not married yet."
Shaking his head, he chuckled, helping her off the counter and smiling down at her paint-covered face.
"I don't care, quite frankly," he snickered, kissing her. "I'll call you Mrs. Walker whenever I damn well please."
Shrugging, she seemed to decide to allow this.
"We really should get cleaned up, though," she pointed out. "Before the paint dries."
"Lead the way, darling."
"So, do you really think it's him?" Pepper asked, sitting down on the bed of their suite.
"I know it is," Tony sighed, pouring himself a drink at from the mini bar.
"Did you tell his brother you found him?"
Miserably, Tony nodded.
He had been feeling sour ever since he had met John Walker and his lovely bride-to-be. Searching for the God of Mischief had been fun at first, the anticipation of being able to expose him for what he really was bringing Tony a smug sort of excitement.
However, when he found the man he knew to have previously been Loki, he didn't find an exiled god at all. No, instead he had met a man who was madly in love, the excitement of his recent engagement radiating from his entire being.
Not to mention his fiancée, a tattooed beauty completely smitten with the man she believed to merely be an artist.
And when Tony had mentioned royalty, eluding to Loki's dark past, neither of them had batted an eye. Either John Walker was an incredibly good actor, or he legitimately had no memory of his past.
"I don't say this often, Pepper," he groaned, staring into the glass of whiskey in his hand. "But I think I've made a terrible mistake."