Carol Danvers-Vance (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} spacesoldier) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} valloic,@ 2024-10-17 10:14:00 |
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Valkyrie & Carol
WHAT: Valkyrie wakes up memory-less
WHERE: New Asgard, then Al's later
WHEN: Today
WARNINGS: Just Carol's typical bitterness
STATUS: Complete
“I’m annoyed that I have some sort of relationship with a totally hot blonde who I don’t remember at all.” “Yeah, the hot blonde’s not thrilled about it either.”
WHERE: New Asgard, then Al's later
WHEN: Today
WARNINGS: Just Carol's typical bitterness
STATUS: Complete
“I’m annoyed that I have some sort of relationship with a totally hot blonde who I don’t remember at all.” “Yeah, the hot blonde’s not thrilled about it either.”
Valkyrie woke up to an empty bed, which wasn’t a surprise. That was most days. But this bed was different. New. And the spot next to her had definitely been slept in the night before.
She glanced around the room, taking it in and looking for any sign of her discarded clothes, finding none. Okaaaay. That was odd. The room was clean, but not so much so that she’d expected her one-night stand to tidy up after her.
The smell of coffee reached her and motivated her to get up. There was a robe hanging from what she assumed to be the bathroom door, so she climbed out of bed and slipped into that, then found a pair of slippers conveniently in her size.
Leaving the bedroom, she made her way toward the coffee, spotting the extremely hot blonde responsible for making it. “Hey,” she offered, trying to place the woman. Had she just met her the night before? Wouldn’t be the first time, or the last.
“Nice place.”
Ever the early riser, Carol had left Valkyrie sleeping about half an hour before to prepare breakfast for them. There was a certain peace living in a place where it could just be the two of them. She missed Kamala, but she was in the best possible hands with Monica, where she should be. Her two girls got time to bond, and Carol got time to enjoy her relationship and feel, for once, not responsible for the weight of another world.
She heard when Valkyrie stirred and wasn’t surprised to hear her voice as she entered the kitchen. It wasn’t her typical greeting in the morning; usually, there was much more touching involved that Carol had to fend off to finish cooking, but she didn’t think much of the lack of it.
Nice place.
That got her attention. “Yeah? You like?” The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she turned to Val with a lifted eyebrow. “Forgotten what it looked like overnight or something?”
Yeaaaaah, this amnesia wasn't going to go over well with her mystery hook-up, apparently. "Must have. How much did we drink last night?" Valkyrie asked. "Or maybe I was focused on something or someone else…" she added suggestively, hoping to smooth things over, if only because it appeared this gorgeous woman had made her breakfast.
Carol rolled her eyes. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Valkyrie.” She pulled the fresh pan of scrambled eggs off the stove’s flame and separated them between the two plates waiting on the counter. Both were already adorned with plenty of sausages and a hunk of French toast each. The table was already set with the condiments—syrup, butter, ketchup, and salt. “Pour the orange juice for me?”
Valkyrie scanned the kitchen and didn't see glasses or orange juice out so she moved to the fridge and found the juice and then correctly guessed which cabinet the glasses were in. "Oh, but homecooked breakfast? Will get you everywhere, babe."
She hoped it wasn't obvious that she had no idea what this woman's name was, though she was giving her nicknames in her mind. Really, though, the fact that she couldn't remember where she was, who she was with, how she got here, or anything about the night before? That was becoming increasingly concerning, but she would play along as long as she could get away with it.
Carol knew Val. While this could all be some dorky joke, something was off about her. The way she moved around the kitchen was uncertain, as if she really was just pulling off lucky guesses. She’d mentioned drinking like it was a given when they’d been making a concerted effort to pull back on drinking lately.
Nice place.
“Hey, Val,” she said, sliding their plates onto the table and turning to Valkyrie as she approached. “What’s my name?”
The way this woman said Val with a sense of familiarity unnerved Valkyrie. She didn't consider Val to be a stranger, which meant Valkyrie either should know who she was, or she was a slightly unhinged one-night stand. She met her eyes and decided against option two.
Still, she tried to laugh it off. "Have we hooked up more than once? Is that what this is about? I'm sorry, babe, I'm terrible with names."
Carol stared at her, her jaw clenched tight, and her hand pulled just a bit too hard at the top rung of the wooden kitchen chair. It snapped in the middle. She shook the clinging piece that came off in her hands onto the floor at her feet.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
Maybe she'd eliminated option two too quickly, judging by the ease of which her mystery date just broke that chair, but she answered the question anyway. "I was drinking. I'd just brought in a new challenger, who, as it turns out, was surprisingly irritating. Needed to get him off my mind."
The idea that this wasn't some weirdly idyllic place in Sakaar had not fully entered the realm of possibility yet, and she looked at the woman in front of her, trying to judge how concerned she should be about it all. "You alright?"
So, Sakaar. Thor, by the sound of it. Val had only the vaguest idea of who Carol was then, and only professionally. Worse than that, it was further back than she’d been when she’d shown up in Vallo in May. Just the prospect of having to fill her in on more than a decade’s worth of things she should know—again—was exhausting.
“No,” she answered honestly, sighing. “But what else is new?” She nodded at the undamaged chair. “Sit and eat. I’m gonna grab another chair.” She scooped this one up easily by one of the bars in its back and left the room.
Valkyrie was torn between chasing after a stranger and getting answers and the delicious-looking breakfast waiting for her. She hesitated a moment and then picked up the plate and fork, following after Carol while shoveling food into her mouth.
Of course, when she caught up she was in no position to ask anything, so that might have been a minor flaw in her plan. Instead she just raised an eyebrow, her mouth full of sausage.
Carol stuck the broken chair by the front door. She could take it to one of the local woodworkers here later and get it fixed, but it wasn’t her current priority. Instead, she grabbed a beat-up old lawn chair that had somehow made its way inside. It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it would work for now.
She turned to see Valkyrie standing there with her plate. Despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips. “What part of sit weren’t you understanding?” she asked, waving a hand to usher Valkyrie back into the kitchen. “You wanna talk? We can talk, but I didn’t put all that effort into cooking to stand here chatting instead of eating.”
That elicited an attempt at a smile, at least, from Val, who was still chewing and had the decency to keep her mouth closed. She retreated back to the kitchen, taking her seat like directed, and finally was able to speak.
"You're obviously a woman after my own heart, but what should I call you?"
“Carol.” There was no sense going into the intricacies, especially not as she reached for the salt shaker. “We’ve known each other a long time. Well, maybe longer in my terms than yours.” She shrugged, slicing a small sausage in half before reaching for the ketchup. “This isn’t Sakaar, in case you were wondering.”
"I was. It smells too clean, to be honest. Like the sea? Is that real?"
“The sea is real,” Carol confirmed with a fond smirk. Vallo was definitely an upgrade compared to the trash planet Valkyrie had lived on for too long, even if it did shit like this far too often.
Valkyrie studied Carol as she ate, working up to the obvious question. Her plate was nearly empty when she asked, "So how well do we know each other? Because I'm getting the distinct impression that these are actually my slippers."
“Really well,” Carol replied. “And yeah, those are your slippers. This is your house, Val. Just…from another time and place.”
"That's mysterious," Valkyrie replied before finishing off her orange juice. "I've never seen this place before in my life… that I remember anyway. So, Carol. Judging from how you broke that chair… my chair earlier, you're upset that I don't remember you, but… has this happened before?"
“I’m not upset that you don’t remember me,” Carol clarified. It was annoying, of course, but that wasn’t the sticking point. “You’ll remember me again. I’m not worried about that. What I’m upset about is Vallo screwing with your memories.”
She knew this wasn’t some random case of amnesia—like Valkyrie had been smacked in the head and just forgotten a swathe of her life. This was Vallo’s handiwork in some form; it always was.
“This hasn’t happened before, not exactly. But you turned up here not remembering me, so it’s not unfamiliar territory either.”
"Vallo, huh? Who is that?"
Carol paused, surprise lifting her eyebrows. “Not a who,” she clarified. “It’s this place’s name. Vallo.”
That, in turn, surprised Valkyrie. “Well, either way, that sounds annoying. Probably more for you than myself. But I’m annoyed that I have some sort of relationship with a totally hot blonde who I don’t remember at all.”
“Yeah, the hot blonde’s not thrilled about it either,” Carol replied wryly. It stung more than she wanted to face or admit, but at least Val was still safe and with her. They would figure out the rest.
“What do you want to know?”
Valkyrie considered Carol for a moment. "So we're actually together?"
Carol nodded. “For a long time. Years. Thor introduced us.”
“You’re certain that my memories will return at some point?” It was disconcerting, the idea that part of her life was suddenly missing, but at the same time Valkyrie was curious. For her to have been in a relationship for a long time… years even, this woman would have to be remarkable. She wasn’t opposed to seeing what had drawn her to Carol in the first place.
“Positive,” Carol said with maybe more confidence than Vallo deserved from her. But she had to hope that Vallo wouldn’t be that impossibly cruel. She was bitter enough already and didn’t need any excuse for it to worsen.
“And what’s my name?” It wasn’t so much a test as confirmation. To know how deeply the two of them were involved, no matter what answer Carol gave, though she was already finding herself willing to trust this other woman.
Carol had done her best to keep herself as together as possible. Aside from the chair incident, she thought she’d done pretty well. It helped to keep her professional face on; even admitting to a long-lasting relationship, she didn’t let much emotion crack into her words or her expression.
Now, shoving her clean plate to the side, her eyes softened, and she instinctively reached across the table to take Valkyrie’s hand. She knew what a big deal it had been for Val to trust her with her true name. She used it sparingly for that reason, knowing there was as much hurt associated with it as there was love.
“Brunnhilde,” she replied softly. “Commander of the Valkyrie.”
Valkyrie eyed Carol's hand, knowing her answer before she said it aloud. She moved her plate and took the offered hand in her own. "I must really love you, then. And this place took that away from me? Is Dragonfang here?"
Carol squeezed Valkyrie’s hand and nodded. “Dragonfang is here. Warsong, too. The horse,” she clarified, knowing the Sakaarian ship Valkyrie had once flown had been named in her steed’s honor. “We met on Earth a few years in the future, from what you remember. And, yeah, you really love me. And I really love you.”
Valkyrie had a ton of questions, like how she'd gone from wanting to avoid Thor at all costs to being introduced to a woman she would love by him. Or what she had been doing on Earth. Or what world this quaint little cottage had come from.
But she didn't want to badger Carol with questions. So instead she just said, "So let me get this straight. In spite of a very long held position against falling in love again, I fell so completely in love with you that I revealed who I really am to you, and then this place has stripped me of that part of my identity. Twice?"
“That’s the crux of it,” Carol agreed, releasing Val’s hand to settle back in the lawn chair. “Vallo is sort of a world outside worlds, as far as we know. I don’t think anyone’s completely figured it out. We just show up here and have to deal with whatever shit it throws at us. But you’ll remember again. You remembered once already.”
"Seems like you're the one getting the raw end of the deal, Carol," Valkyrie said. "I mean, I have the chance to see what made me fall in love with you. You're the one who's missing someone, who just happens to be me, so I know that's a terrible loss," she said, smirking slightly.
“It is,” Carol agreed with a fond smile. “Not sure you’ll see the appeal in falling in love with me like this. I’m not exactly who I was when we first got together.” A pause, then: “Which might actually be better. I was an asshole that first time.”
"And yet you know my name. So as far as I'm concerned, that already adds to your very obvious appeal," Valkyrie said. "Besides, you can't possibly be a bigger asshole than I am." She considered that. "I prefer bitch, actually. But whatever gets most people to leave me alone."
Valkyrie stood and started clearing their plates to the sink. "You're not most people."
Carol could have interfered with Valkyrie’s attempt to clean and insist that she could take care of things. But just because she’d lost her memory didn’t mean she was incapable, and she’d more than likely scoff at her and tell her to sit down if Carol even attempted it. So, she sat and watched her and missed the familiarity of their jarred morning routine.
“I’m not most people,” she agreed without expanding. Who she was at home was, for now, irrelevant. “I guess I can spend the day showing you around. Or—re-showing you around.”
Valkyrie was capable of washing dishes, and she took care of everything, but rather than making Carol give her their history or even her own history, she asked questions about the essentials. Like how long she'd been in Vallo and what she did with her time. Which was how she learned she had not one but two jobs.
"I'm going to be honest. That seems rather unlike me, Carol. I don't call you Carol… do I?"
“Carol’s fine,” was the reply she received. It wasn’t a yes or a no, but getting into the nickname meant getting into Captain Marvel, and it was kind of nice to put that aside for now. “And I wouldn’t really count Al’s as a job for you so much as an excuse for you to grope me behind a bar, so really, you can just count the Defense job if you want to feel less responsible.”
No, she didn't. Val would have to come up with a nickname in the meantime. She fell silent as she dried the dishes, and then she glanced down at the robe she was wearing, which was in danger of coming unfastened. Not that Val was concerned with modesty even if she didn't remember Carol. They lived together, and she'd woken up naked. There was nothing to worry about there.
"I suppose I should get dressed if you're going to give me a tour. But rather than just the essentials, you should throw in your favorite places."
“I can do that,” Carol agreed with a nod. She stood up and stepped up to Val, snagging the front of her robe and pulling her gently into a kiss. She had been hesitant before, but she wasn’t going to be hesitant now. Val had heard her say that they loved each other, had chosen to trust her, and Carol wasn’t going to deprive herself as long as Valkyrie was receptive.
Valkyrie wrapped her arms around Carol and kissed her back, showing a complete lack of resistance. She wanted Carol, but it wasn't only physical attraction. She was incredibly curious about this woman who she obviously loved.
And she didn't want her to be miserable about the entire situation, breaking chairs. She still wanted to know what that sort of super strength was about, though it didn't surprise her that she was paired with someone who could potentially keep up at her level. But while this was somewhat of an adventure for her, it seemed the opposite for Carol. And with good reason.
"How are you doing?" she asked, meaning it.
Carol’s hands rose to brush through Valkyrie’s hair. “You’re okay, and you’re still here with me,” she answered. There was a slight hitch in her breath as she spoke, the relief she felt in that knowledge plain. “The rest will figure itself out.”
She was confident in that. Vallo had laid out its share of tortures for them, but this was comparatively little. It was something that she was sure could be fixed. She could be patient until it was, but she supposed she did owe Valkyrie full honesty in the meantime.
“And,” she sighed dramatically, “you’re right. You don’t call me Carol much. You call me Marv. For…Captain Marvel.”
Valkyrie recognized the name immediately, and she pulled back slightly to marvel at Captain Marvel. "The chair makes sense now, Marv," she told Carol and it was true; that nickname just worked.
"The moniker suits you well," she said with an appreciative smirk. But wow. I'm in love with Captain Marvel herself." Her smirk grew into a smile because she didn't know how their story unfolded, but she didn't feel pressed to learn all the details — not unless Carol wanted to share them.
"Hot."
“Yeah, yeah,” Carol muttered, smiling back. She slipped out of Valkyrie’s arms but still snagged her hand. “Come on, let’s get dressed. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
"So, other than seemingly being a sentient place that can take people, places, or things like memories away on a whim? Vallo is a huge step up from Sakaar," Valkyrie said, elbows propped up on the bar as Carol was on the other side. They'd ended the day at Al's after a whirlwind tour with long breaks to eat and talk. Valkyrie compared Vallo to different places she'd been, surprised by how many of them Carol not only knew of but had also visited, even knowing she was talking to Captain Marvel. "You far exceed your notoriety," Valkyrie said, raising the bottle to her lips. Her normal inclination in circumstances like these was to drink, but she was taking it easy now. For some reason, the need wasn't as strong here. “That’s nice to hear,” Carol chuckled. She’d warmed and softened throughout their day together, her hang-ups set aside for now. No matter what had happened, this was still her Valkyrie, and she couldn’t bring herself to be all that aloof when it came to her—not for long, anyway. “Some days, I love it here,” she said, “and some days, I wish I was anywhere but here. But overall, yeah, step up from Sakaar. The dumpsters out back are a step up from Sakaar, though, so I’m not sure that’s saying much.” "What sort of days? Like when your long-term girlfriend wakes up and no longer remembers you?" Valkyrie asked, making light of the situation. She couldn't really imagine, but with seemingly everything subject to disappearing at any given time, that could make things complicated. You'd either live without getting attached or live in defiance of what was possible. It seemed they were choosing the latter, which suited them. “The thought came up,” Carol admitted, sliding her hand across the bartop and over Valkyrie’s. “If we were at home, you’d know me. And we were finally settling in for the long haul. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. Far fewer complications too.” Valkyrie turned her hand over so she could give Carol's a squeeze. "Just show me who it is I need to fight for this and I will," Valkyrie offered. She knew it wasn't that simple, but she was ready to fight someone. Of course, that was also her natural state of being. "But as you said, this will get fixed. And in the meantime, it's not as though it's hard for me to see why I love you. Which honestly? It wouldn't have been my first guess that I'd meet someone and fall in love. But like I told you earlier, you're different." Carol brought their clasped hands close and kissed the back of Valkyrie’s. “It’s the charm, right? Or the glowing?” She was smirking, joking, trying not to entertain the uncertainty she was feeling. “Falling in love with you was probably the easiest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she admitted. And with a life as long and varied as hers—not to mention taking place in three different universes—that was saying a lot. "Oh yeah?" Valkyrie asked. "It's definitely the charm and I can't believe you haven't shown off by glowing yet. Definitely doesn't hurt that you're hot," she added with a matching smirk. "But no, Marv. It's how you've handled yourself even though, again, this has to be worse for you than me. And yet here you are, making sure that I'm good. That might get infuriating if you never stop to focus on yourself first, but I appreciate it. I'd show you how much I appreciate it, but there's other people around. Unless you want to close down early?" She gave Carol an easy shrug. "Or we could just go and leave them all to fend for themselves?" “I should stick around a little longer,” Carol admitted regrettably. She glanced around the bar at its typical levels of quiet for a Monday. There were regulars, but no crowds awaiting them by any stretch of the imagination. “But we can go back to my office.” She circled the bar, extending a hand to Valkyrie. “You wanna?” “Obviously,” Valkyrie answered easily, taking Carol’s hand and letting her lead the way to her office. Once inside, Val didn’t hesitate, pulling Carol close and kissing her, reining herself in slightly to make sure this was what Carol actually wanted. That pause and consideration was so far removed from her normal hookups — physical and aggressive, with no emotional connection — that Val smiled. This was different. The pause was appreciated. This was such an odd situation; in a lot of ways, it felt like nothing had changed, but when she really looked at Valkyrie, the recognition was still so new in her eyes. This wasn’t the woman who knew her, but she was re-learning her as quickly as she could. Whether from genuine interest or as some way to hurry and satisfy her? That, Carol couldn’t be sure of. Her hands raised to frame Valkyrie’s face. “I love you,” she said softly. “Don’t say it back, just…know that, alright? I really love you.” "I know," Valkyrie said, genuinely, meeting Carol's eyes. "I trusted you," she added, before wincing at her use of past tense. "I mean, I trust you. But I've been acting strange all day. Strange for me, at least. I mean, waking up in a strange place with a strange woman whose name I couldn't remember would have been one thing, but then you told me we were in a relationship for years. That should have triggered my fight-or-flight response. You knowing my name… the fact that I knew to ask you what my name is… I may not remember anything, but somehow, nothing about you set off any alarms. Instead, I've only wanted to see what happens next." She shrugged. "So here I am, Marv. I believe you." Carol knew all that. She knew who Valkyrie had been before her, and the woman she’d been with today hadn’t been quite that person. The trust was inherent, somehow, and while she could easily attribute that to her own natural magnetism (something she could imagine Maria laughing and scoffing at her for saying), it was something more than that. There were some connections that transcended even this kind of rough loss, and her body sang with happiness that they were that lucky. “Good,” she murmured. “Now, come on.” She pulled gently on Valkyrie’s hand, leading her over to the cushy chair behind the desk in her office. “I’m gonna be an irresponsible boss and make out with my girlfriend in the office. Maybe we’ll scandalize some employees.”
"So, other than seemingly being a sentient place that can take people, places, or things like memories away on a whim? Vallo is a huge step up from Sakaar," Valkyrie said, elbows propped up on the bar as Carol was on the other side. They'd ended the day at Al's after a whirlwind tour with long breaks to eat and talk. Valkyrie compared Vallo to different places she'd been, surprised by how many of them Carol not only knew of but had also visited, even knowing she was talking to Captain Marvel. "You far exceed your notoriety," Valkyrie said, raising the bottle to her lips. Her normal inclination in circumstances like these was to drink, but she was taking it easy now. For some reason, the need wasn't as strong here. “That’s nice to hear,” Carol chuckled. She’d warmed and softened throughout their day together, her hang-ups set aside for now. No matter what had happened, this was still her Valkyrie, and she couldn’t bring herself to be all that aloof when it came to her—not for long, anyway. “Some days, I love it here,” she said, “and some days, I wish I was anywhere but here. But overall, yeah, step up from Sakaar. The dumpsters out back are a step up from Sakaar, though, so I’m not sure that’s saying much.” "What sort of days? Like when your long-term girlfriend wakes up and no longer remembers you?" Valkyrie asked, making light of the situation. She couldn't really imagine, but with seemingly everything subject to disappearing at any given time, that could make things complicated. You'd either live without getting attached or live in defiance of what was possible. It seemed they were choosing the latter, which suited them. “The thought came up,” Carol admitted, sliding her hand across the bartop and over Valkyrie’s. “If we were at home, you’d know me. And we were finally settling in for the long haul. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. Far fewer complications too.” Valkyrie turned her hand over so she could give Carol's a squeeze. "Just show me who it is I need to fight for this and I will," Valkyrie offered. She knew it wasn't that simple, but she was ready to fight someone. Of course, that was also her natural state of being. "But as you said, this will get fixed. And in the meantime, it's not as though it's hard for me to see why I love you. Which honestly? It wouldn't have been my first guess that I'd meet someone and fall in love. But like I told you earlier, you're different." Carol brought their clasped hands close and kissed the back of Valkyrie’s. “It’s the charm, right? Or the glowing?” She was smirking, joking, trying not to entertain the uncertainty she was feeling. “Falling in love with you was probably the easiest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she admitted. And with a life as long and varied as hers—not to mention taking place in three different universes—that was saying a lot. "Oh yeah?" Valkyrie asked. "It's definitely the charm and I can't believe you haven't shown off by glowing yet. Definitely doesn't hurt that you're hot," she added with a matching smirk. "But no, Marv. It's how you've handled yourself even though, again, this has to be worse for you than me. And yet here you are, making sure that I'm good. That might get infuriating if you never stop to focus on yourself first, but I appreciate it. I'd show you how much I appreciate it, but there's other people around. Unless you want to close down early?" She gave Carol an easy shrug. "Or we could just go and leave them all to fend for themselves?" “I should stick around a little longer,” Carol admitted regrettably. She glanced around the bar at its typical levels of quiet for a Monday. There were regulars, but no crowds awaiting them by any stretch of the imagination. “But we can go back to my office.” She circled the bar, extending a hand to Valkyrie. “You wanna?” “Obviously,” Valkyrie answered easily, taking Carol’s hand and letting her lead the way to her office. Once inside, Val didn’t hesitate, pulling Carol close and kissing her, reining herself in slightly to make sure this was what Carol actually wanted. That pause and consideration was so far removed from her normal hookups — physical and aggressive, with no emotional connection — that Val smiled. This was different. The pause was appreciated. This was such an odd situation; in a lot of ways, it felt like nothing had changed, but when she really looked at Valkyrie, the recognition was still so new in her eyes. This wasn’t the woman who knew her, but she was re-learning her as quickly as she could. Whether from genuine interest or as some way to hurry and satisfy her? That, Carol couldn’t be sure of. Her hands raised to frame Valkyrie’s face. “I love you,” she said softly. “Don’t say it back, just…know that, alright? I really love you.” "I know," Valkyrie said, genuinely, meeting Carol's eyes. "I trusted you," she added, before wincing at her use of past tense. "I mean, I trust you. But I've been acting strange all day. Strange for me, at least. I mean, waking up in a strange place with a strange woman whose name I couldn't remember would have been one thing, but then you told me we were in a relationship for years. That should have triggered my fight-or-flight response. You knowing my name… the fact that I knew to ask you what my name is… I may not remember anything, but somehow, nothing about you set off any alarms. Instead, I've only wanted to see what happens next." She shrugged. "So here I am, Marv. I believe you." Carol knew all that. She knew who Valkyrie had been before her, and the woman she’d been with today hadn’t been quite that person. The trust was inherent, somehow, and while she could easily attribute that to her own natural magnetism (something she could imagine Maria laughing and scoffing at her for saying), it was something more than that. There were some connections that transcended even this kind of rough loss, and her body sang with happiness that they were that lucky. “Good,” she murmured. “Now, come on.” She pulled gently on Valkyrie’s hand, leading her over to the cushy chair behind the desk in her office. “I’m gonna be an irresponsible boss and make out with my girlfriend in the office. Maybe we’ll scandalize some employees.”