If you're reading SA, there's a hint at something happening in the upcoming chapters.
Chapter 139: Back Again
Stark Towers - 11:23 AM
The wedding is in three days and there is still so, so much to be done. Despite five days of being aware of the wedding, it felt like they've done nothing except pick the flowers and officiant, tell people, and handle Daniel's suit. The big items like the location, the honeymoon, the cake, and Emily's dress are still a question (or everything but Emily's dress since her appointment's tomorrow and she won't leave that boutique without one). They were discussing the other items on the agenda, even when Iqadi and Imanu came over. They would've been here earlier but had to buy his sister a gift which was the latest trend in sneakers.
"Our wedding was planned for us," Iqadi tells them, "well, mostly. It was traditional but you two are stressing too much over a small ceremony. All this planning is amazing but a good, true, and passionate wedding is an unacknowledged representation of the unspeakable."
Emily and Daniel look at each other, wondering what that means. When they face Iqadi for an explanation, she keeps her mouth shut. The unspeakable. But that's it. All that matters is their love for each other. Everything else is trivial. A wedding is a day but a marriage is a lifetime. Yet they still needed a location, a honeymoon, and a cake for those to be unimportant.
"Also," Imanu adds, "you two have been in love for longer than Iqadi and I have been married."
Again, no response. The unspeakable. Because he did have a point. Iqadi and Imanu have known each other and been married for eight years compared to Emily and Daniel's being aware of each other for twenty-six years. It doesn't demean their relationship because Iqadi and Imanu do love each other deeply, it's just that their love story is so different.
Angela walks through the elevator's open door and rests her purse on the island where the others were talking. "I'm on my way to Brooklyn and thought I should stop by. What's up?"
"We're talking about our wedding," Emily says. "Is James still thinking about you wanting to get a ring?"
Angela shrugs. "He's preoccupied with something else but I could always tell him that marriage makes a man look more attractive."
Iqadi nods. "That's why Imanu's so handsome."
Imanu smiles bashfully as Iqadi pecks his cheek.
"Exactly!" Angela exclaims. "But I'm in no rush. I'll get it someday. Maybe the attractiveness argument will make it sooner than later."
"But you know what James would say," Emily says.
Angela clears her throat to deepen it a little. "I'm already goddamn handsome."
"Exactly!" Emily says.
Angela shrugs. "Still, I give you two credit for planning a wedding this fast. There's so much to prepare."
"Iqadi and Imanu were engaged and got married in a week," Emily says, gesturing to them.
"We basically knew each other for a week," Iqadi says. Imanu nods as Emily takes her gesture back.
Daniel thinks something over and readjusts his glasses. "Say, Angela, before you head back to Brooklyn, do you want to help us out with something for the wedding?"
"Anything," Angela responds. "What is it?"
Daniel grins a little as he holds Emily's hand. "Do you want to bake our cake?"
Angela's taken aback, looking at them to make sure she isn't hearing things. Emily and Daniel are nodding, holding each other tightly. Angela even glances at Iqadi and Imanu who are nodding their heads for her.
"Oh my god…" Angela mutters. "Of course I will!"
-o-
Rogers House - Brooklyn - 14:58 PM
Angela would've been at her house sooner but she stayed at Stark Towers longer to discuss Emily and Daniel's wedding cake. She didn't think they would ask her but she couldn't say no. She loves to bake and wanted this to be the best cake she's ever baked. She would even retire from her baking hobby if that wedding cake is the last and best thing she made which meant she had to get it right. Every detail has to be what the bride and groom want. Bride and groom, she didn't think she would've called them that since their engagement felt like forever.
The cake isn't something she has to worry about now. Emily said she'll give her all the final details before the wedding so Angela has nothing to worry about. For now.
Angela skips up the steps of her front porch, knocking on the door as she searches her bags for her keys. As she finds them, she looks up and sees Sigyn open the door. Angela isn't surprised since she knew Sigyn was staying here with Xavier but it's seeing her in his clothes, seeing her comfortable that makes her happy. It's like she lives there now.
"Oh, it looks like you had fun but it was with my brother so, ew," Angela says as she walks inside. "I just came to check up on you. Where's Xavier?"
"Well, I'm fine except for one thing and Xavier went to work for the day."
"Weird since we got time off but what's up?"
"Xavier wants to get back together or continue our relationship and I didn't give him a straight answer."
Angela smiles, not surprised at all. No wonder he went to work. "Isn't that what you want?"
"I guess." Sigyn runs a hand through her hair. "Look, this is weird and always has been since you're his sister but hear me out. I love your brother. I love him so much but I left him once and broke his heart twice. Now I'll die and break it for a third time."
"I wasn't sure if this would come up but James and I broke up during our second year at the Academy."
Sigyn looks at her in shock since she just learned they moved in together. "Shit … how long?"
"Four months."
"How'd you get back together? Or why?"
"We didn't talk to each other about what we were doing or what we wanted. Xavier's doing that with you which is a step up since you dumped him the first time for not telling you how he felt. James and I realized that we had all this love and attention to give someone and we only wanted to give it to each other. Look, we don't have prophecies but we're high-ranking agents out in the field who are almost always paired because of our team. We don't know how long we have left and I'm always worried he'll die or take a bullet for me. It doesn't matter that our time is limited because, even if it ends tomorrow, we gave each other that love and attention which makes everything worth it."
Sigyn ignores the tear rolling down her cheek. Everything with Xavier is worth it, right? That's why Hela brought him to her to convince her to live.
-o-
Central High School - Manhattan - 1:17 AM
Forget staying cooped up in James's place. There was nothing to do and no food worth eating. Apollo and Freya ended up driving one of James's cars around town and he had no idea how much he missed driving. He should've renewed his licence first but the DMV was closed so he couldn't do that. Also, he should've asked James if he could borrow a car but it was too late for that since he drove away. Besides, it's not like he was using it. He has other cars. There was something so natural about being behind the wheel again, feeling the thrill and adrenaline building as they picked up speed, and having Freya beside him in jeans and a sweatshirt she borrowed from Angela. He thought he'd forgotten how to drive since he didn't do it in eight years and wasn't even good back then, but it came back the moment he started the engine. He felt alive.
Apollo didn't know where to go but once he pointed out his high school, Freya wanted to go. He didn't argue. The lot was empty and Apollo purposely picked the principal's parking spot, wondering if his principal was still working there. Freya already jumped the fence onto the field by the time Apollo stopped thinking about his principal. He climbs over the fence, seeing her already in the centre of the field.
As he runs through the field to catch up to her twirling and gazing up at the night sky, he feels like he's a teenager again. He almost expects Xavier to call out a play before tossing him the ball. It's weird to see the freshly painted lines on the field, the rows of bleachers, the time-out box, and the scoreboard. And he wasn't even a football player.
"This hasn't changed much but I think they got a new scoreboard," Apollo tells Freya. "Aw man … all the football practices and games I've watched. We would sit up in the bleachers, cheering on Xavier as he played with our school's team. We'd chant along with Angela as she threw pom-poms with Britney - or Sigyn when she was a cheerleader. I can't believe I let you talk me into this!"
"Because all your ideas are terrible. You would've kept us driving in circles."
"You would've followed me anyways. Answer me this, who is more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?"
"The fool who lets the foolish plan go into action." She smiles when he can't refute her. "How does it feel to be back? To be with all your friends in your home town?"
"All those years apart and we've fallen back to normal like it's nothing. With Ragnarök coming, I ironically feel more alive."
"It's because you've returned to the reasons that make saying goodbye so hard. That's what your mother said when she suggested the banishment. She told me that when she found out I was accompanying you. Thinking of all this as memories that will die because of a decision you'll make is what's really going to kill you, not the Midgard Serpent."
Apollo shrugs, putting his hands in his jacket's pockets. "I guess that I'd have to agree with the gods. If they think I'll become too oh so powerful for them, it would be safer to kill me with a giant snake while all those memories eat me alive from the inside."
"The gods do have a point."
Apollo narrows his eyes at her. "Thanks."
Freya walks up to him. "Apollo, what do you want me to say? I guess the gods want to kill you and they definitely would've at some point if you will become as almighty as they feared, but what would it look like if they just killed you with a sword? Or threw you off the Bifrost? They needed to make a story to make it seem like it would be okay and not offend Thor or anyone in the realms worth thinking this over. They wanted to craft the hero to bring them down so they would be in the right. You're making yourself into the hero you want to be but you're scaring them and they need you to survive. So what do they do? They craft the most tragic yet heroic story they can think of and write your ending. To save the realms, you would sacrifice your cousin and yourself to be a hero of the prophecy."
Apollo looks at her and says nothing because he can't. She's right. All those years knowing that but it still sounds like news whenever he hears it.
Freya puts a hand on his arm, dragging it down and taking his hand out to hold it. "I'm sorry."
"Why? You can't possibly hate me more than I hate myself for being the centre of all this. I've spent nights crying because I can't accept this and I don't think I ever will."
"You're strong because you've cried all night. Only a narcissist would take pride in being the hero."
"I'm a narcissist who wanted to defy the gods by thinking I can outsmart them."
"You still have time. You're back in your learning hall. This might be because you're half mortal but why do you assume that growing up is finite? Why do you assume there's an end to being young?"
"Because … I actually don't know."
Freya smiles a little. "Do you remember that time you visited Asgard and we played Capture the Flag?"
Apollo laughs a little as he thinks about that memory. "You mean that time you warriors wanted to all team up against me?"
"Yes."
"And how all fifteen of you couldn't find my flag because I hid it under my armour?"
"Precisely."
"What about it?"
"Just this."
Freya lets go of his hand and puts her thumbs on the corner of his face, holding his smile in place.
-o-
Stark Towers - 3:37 AM
Emily walks into the kitchen following a noise she heard. She isn't scared because she knows what it is. It's the reason the space next to her was empty. As she enters the kitchen, she leaves the lights off and sees Daniel eating some leftovers from dinner. He pauses for a second to look at her but closes the fridge as she walks up to him, keeping her arms crossed at her chest.
"Our moms and the girls are joining me for picking my wedding dress," Emily says as he takes a seat at the kitchen island. She quickly glances at the glowing clock on the stove. "The appointment's in roughly seven hours."
"That'll be fun," Daniel responds.
Emily sighs. "Are you okay?"
"I've learned that the hulk is like a car. The more you use it, the more fuel you'll need."
"Is that why you're eating chicken at 3 AM?"
"Is that why you were drinking wine in your office at 2 AM?" Daniel asks. He knows that Emily got out of bed before him and came back. He wasn't asleep at all and he heard her open the bottle. She just brushed her teeth again before climbing back into bed and sleeping for another thirty minutes before coming out here.
"Wine is supposed to be relaxing. It's a depressant," Emily says.
"Chicken is relaxing." Daniel turns away from his food for a second. "Can you believe we'll be married in three or now two days?"
Emily nods, smiling. "I'm the woman who will make the wedding of your dreams come true."
"Of course you are, you're the bride."
"Look, we never threw back drinks that often, even when I visited you in The Academy. Now we're older, more stressed, and overworked by jobs and a wedding we've waited for."
"What's your point?"
"I didn't finish the bottle. Want to make out like drunk high schoolers?"
"Unless you let me finish my food first or else that's not happening."
Emily laughs, kissing his cheek. "I love you."
"Also, I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"This is our town and everyone's here. We've all come back to where everything started. We grew up here, hung out, fell in love, all of it."
"What are you saying?"
"Forget a destination wedding. Let's get married in New York."
Fun fact: When I was typing Apollo's line about his football memories, I accidentally typed Britney instead of Sigyn but felt that it worked better.