CHAPTER 10
As Tony led the way inside the compound to the leaving room, Jör was admiring the decorations with a very apparent astonishment and admiration on his face. Being a prince of Asgard, he had the opportunity of seeing a lot a realms and how they celebrate their holidays but he never saw such beautiful decorations like the ones he's seeing at that moment. His uncle Thor always told him stories about Midgard and his friends which made him curious about this realm Earth, so when he discovered that his uncle is going to Earth he decided to sneak in and come to Midgard too even though he knew he would be in a very big trouble when his parents would discover his disappearance, but he didn't regret his decision and he's sure he could try to coax his Uncle to visit Earth each year so he could come with him.
A smiling Thor was observing his nephew who seemed so awed about what he was seeing. He could understand the look on his only nephew's face because it was the same on his when he celebrated those holidays on Earth with the Avengers for the first time and he knew that he's the reason behind Jör's sneaking. Seeing as he has no children of his own yet, he doted on Jör and spoilt him; he would also tell him stories about Midgard; the Avengers and their adventures which probably led to the growth of the boy's curiosity about this world that he knew nothing about for he's his father's son after all. Jör may have his mother's features except his green eyes but when it comes to personality he's like Loki's miniature. His thirst for knowledge is like the thirst of a lost man in a desert and much to the chagrin of many people; sometimes Thor included and surprisingly Loki too, he likes a good trick, he would sometimes perform a very good magic trick on him and Loki together which would make Thor laugh a boisterous one because at least Loki is tasting from the same glass he made Thor taste when they were children and at the end their companions would say that Jör would have made their mother very proud for he's excellent too when it comes to magic.
Thor was interrupted from his though when Tony spoke to him and realized that they were in the living room.
« By the way goldilocks, what's the story with the new haircut and the eye patch? » Tony asked as he took a seat next to his wife and put Sophie on his lap.
« Well, it's a long story but in short I discovered that I have a big sister Hela and she was very determined to destroy Asgard as some sort of revenge against our father because he imprisoned her after fearing her overambitious nature and power, I along Loki battled her and we were sent to a garbage planet surrounded by wormholes named Sakaar where I was captured by Val to become a gladiator then some old crazy man cut my hair with a weird tool; I was able to escape along Val and Loki, returned to Asgard where I was able to defeat Hela by causing Ragnarok which destroyed almost all of Asgard but thankfully we were able to rebuilt it to all its glory. »
« Wow, that's a lot. So now you're a king? » Clint asked as his wife and three children joined him on the sofa, each one of the children held in their hand either a sugar cookie; a fudge or a chocolate.
« Yeah, I am since nine years. It wasn't easy but we made it especially that Valkyrie is always beside me. » Thor said as grabbed Valkyrie's hand and intertwined their fingers.
« So you are his girlfriend or whatever term you use in Asgard? » Wanda asked the woman as she saw their intertwined hands.
« No, I'm actually his wife. » the dark haired woman answered.
« What? You got married? When? » Tony asked. He never saw Thor as a type who would marry; Thor never gave that kind of vibe.
« Aye, she's my wife and Queen. We got married almost five years ago. » Thor stated.
« What's more? Are there any mini Thor or Valkyrie running around? » Clint asked.
« No, we don't have a child yet. We were busy rebuilding Asgard and after that we have has many battles outside of Asgard to return order in other realms and to show them that Asgard is still standing and more powerful than before. » the Norse deity explained.
« There is no pressure on you to have an heir or something? » May asked as she always saw in movies or read in history books about the pressure that councils or people put on their sovereigns when they don't have an heir.
« No, there is no pressure; we could have a child any time we want. Beside I already have my brother and his son as my successors. » Thor stated as he starred at the strange women who was sitting beside Tony, it seems that they are very close.
« Excuse me King Thor but as far as I know Loki isn't your biological brother and that makes his son not your biological nephew too so how is it possible that asgardians accepted them as your successors? » Peter asked with a puzzled look. Aren't kings and successors supposed to have blood relations? And as he knows Loki's specie is ᴁsirs' enemy.
« Although Loki and I don't share the same blood but we are brothers in every sense of the word. And he proved himself many times to be an asgardian as a good ruler when our father was sick even though he was imposing as the all Father, as a worrier during our fight with our sister and now as my adviser, besides Jör is half ᴁsir.» Thor explained with an over protectiveness in his tone, he can't help it; he knows that his brother did a lot of misdeeds in the past but he atoned for them and still doing it. He turned a new page in his life.
« By the way; no offense big guy; but if your nephew is half ᴁsir, then who is this asgardian women that married him? » Tony asked.
« She's one of our finest warriors, Lady Sif. We were shocked at first because they weren't even friends or cordial toward each other since we were children but it seems fate decided that they are better as lovers and companions. » Thor replied. When Loki and Sif announced that they are courting, everybody was shocked and thought that they wouldn't last; there were even bets for how long they would last but they all lost when the marriage date of the prince and the lady warrior was announced. They made each other happy especially Loki who confessed to him on his wedding day that he never thought he would find a woman that would love him despite all his flaws and misdeeds let alone for that women to be Sif. But here they are now; happily married for seven years with five years old boy and apparently they are expecting another one. He wonders how Jör would react to the news.
« Wow, a lot happened with you. » Clint said.
« Yes, it seems it happened with you too, I'm seeing a lot of new faces. » Thor said.
« Well, allow me to start first. This beautiful and gorgeous woman beside me is the missus; May Stark, my smart son and probably the future CEO of SI Peter Benjamin Parker Stark and my princess Sophia Maria Stark. » Tony said proudly as he introduced his family. After he met May when he went to recruit Peter, he never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would go out with her let alone marry her and start a family together even though he always called her " hot auntie " . One day he took her as he's plus one to one of the fundraisers which was never even considered as a date but seeing that they hit it off, they decided to go on a real date and the rest is history.
« Friend Tony, I never pictured you settling down and with children too. When you were with Miss Potts you were always in an on and off relationship. » the thunder man exclaimed.
« Well, yeah me too, I never saw myself as a family man but it seems all it takes is to find the right partner. I could say the same about you, no offense Blondie, but apart from the battles you always appeared as a childish goofy man who doesn't think about settling down too especially with that smile of yours. You never gave that impression even when you were with Jane but as it seems you did it when you found your other half. » the genius said.
« I know what you mean about his smile. It drives me crazy especially after we have an argument; he just smiles at me which makes me mad but at the same time I can't stay angry and we end up like we never argued in the first place. » Valkyrie said as she was holding a mug of hot chocolate and tasting it, she's starting to fall in love with those Midgard treats, if that's the case each year she will convince Thor to come to Earth each new year and she's sure Jör would love to come with them and maybe their children in the future too.
« Beloved, that's part of my charm. I remember when I used to live here, one of those well known magazines named my smile the most charming smile three times in a row. But enough about that, what about you captain? » Thor said while smiling.
« Well, that's my wife Elizabeth and this little champ here is our son Erick, he's three years old » Steve said as he put his son on his lap. When he met Beth for the first time at that café, the idea of them being together never crossed his mind despite what that old man suggested back then about taking her number. He would have probably or definitely forgotten her if they didn't meet several times after that. The second time was during New York battle, the third time was when he went to a cafeteria where it seems to be her new work place; he continued to go there which made them talk a lot. One day he decided to take that old man's suggestion and got her number, they started dating which was not easy considering the events that happened especially the aftermath of the civil war to the point of telling her to break up considering his team's unknown future back then but Beth refused and told him she would wait for him, they made it and got married six years ago.
« I'm not that surprised, you were always giving an image of a family man. But it seems even our Black widow decided to change her title. » Thor said as he saw the said widow sitting beside a man with long hair and threading her fingers through a small child's hair who looks like the perfect combination of his teammate and the strange man beside her.
« My field title didn't change but my last name did change a little, I'm now Mrs Romanoff Barnes and this man beside me is my Husband James Buchanan Barnes or Bucky, as for this little one here is our son Alexei. » Natasha said while her son stood up and went to play with the other kids.
« Bucky? Isn't that also the same name of captain's old friend? » Thor asked as he found it funny that this man has the same name like Steve's old friend. He remembered the name because the captain used to tell them a lot of his old memories especially with his friend Bucky.
« Actually, I don't have the same name as his old pal, I'm that punk's old friend. » Bucky clarified.
« What? But I'm sure that our captain here said that his friend died from falling of a train during a mission, if you're really his friend, then, how come you look so young when you should be a century old if not dead of old age? » Thor asked again as he finds it weird and impossible. He knows how Steve survived but as far as he knows nobody else has the serum.
« Well, I survived from that fall with a souvenir in shape of a metallic arm. » bucky answered while he showed his metallic arm by disabling the illusion of flesh on his arm then continued « as for how I stayed alive till this century, it's a long story but to conclude it in one word; Hydra. »
« Hydra? Isn't it the name of that vile organization? What did they do to you? Were they able to recreate the serum? »Thor asked.
« It's a long story Thor, we don't like to bring up this kind of topics in front of the kids. We will tell you the whole story another time. » Steve answered instead of Bucky because he knows how much his friend hates this specific topic.
« Oh, okay, not a problem. I just asked because I'm worried at what they did considering I know a little about their dirty history. I'm sorry if I awakened up some bad memories. » the thunder lord apologized as he saw the looks on his teammate's face and noticed Steve's tone.
« It's okay; you don't need to apologize over something you didn't know anything about. My history with hydra is the worst thing ever » Bucky said and stopped but he felt his gorgeous wife's hand over his so he continued smiling « but it brought me something precious that would make me repeat it all over again if it means having it each time. »
They continued their conversations and introductions by introducing the little Maximoff's twins and Clint's family to Valkyrie and Jör as well as the rest of the team and took a lot of pictures. After it, they had a big dinner and continued with their chatting while the children watched an animated movie. When midnight hit, they went to the garden where they counted till New Year entered and watched fireworks then they continued their celebrations, during the celebration, the winter soldier noticed that his red head wasn't in the room, when he went out to search for her, he found her in the balcony watching the stars so he went to her; encircled her waist from behind and kissed her neck.
« What are you doing here alone? It's cold. Is it some memories resurfacing because of this particular day? » the worried soldier asked as he pushed her more to him.
« Don't worry. I just want to thank you for being in my life, for entering in my life or I wouldn't have survived in the red room or maybe I would have turned out as some villain and never would have left that hole of hell, for loving me and accepting me with all my flaws too, for being by my side and giving me Alexei. » Natasha said as she turned to face him and kissed him.
« Darling, you don't need to thank me for anything, if someone has to thank the other here it's me. Hydra was my hell on earth but it brought me you and Alexei.»
« He's so much like you, I feel outnumbered but that will change maybe in seven months. » Natasha said while she put his hands on her stomach.
« What do you mean? Are you… ? » James asked with a big smile on his face.
« Yes, I discovered it a month ago and decided to tell you today as new good memory for New Year. »
« That's the best surprise darling. I hope it's a girl who looks like you this time. Happy New Year. » James said.
« Happy new year. » Natasha said and shared a deep kiss.
Seven months later they welcomed a little girl with red hair and blue grey eyes named Macilia Lakovevna Romanoff Barnes.
Happy New Year everybody and i hope this new year brings success, happiness and good health to everyone.