Pairings: Thundershield, Bruce/Tony, Natasha/Clint/Phil, Pepper/Happy, Hogun/Fandral, Maria/Sif

Summary: Now that the world has found out about Asgard, they need to have a way of communicating between them. Their choice comes down to an old tradition of, political marriage.

Thor, Son of Odin and Steve Rogers, the Captain America, will be wed in order to create and strengthen an alliance between Midgard and Asgard.

It won't be a walk in the park.

Do You Take Him to be Your Lawful Wedded Husband?

Nick Fury frowned as he leaned back on his chair, fingers tapping on the glass table, wondering not for the first time why he ever thought the consul meeting would turn out well. They never really turn out well these days, why did he torture himself like this?

"So, in simpler terms, you're asking what is being done to form an alliance, am I right?" Fury cut in, before they could keep on talking. This had the desired effect of silencing them and looking at him, expectantly, but Fury just stood up and walked out of the room. He really didn't have time for them, not right now. They were asking for an alliance, well, they couldn't work towards one if they kept on taking his time with stupid meetings. He knew what they needed and that was to have one of their personnel to be able to go to Asgard, someone that was not Thor. He was not from their planet which meant would not be seen as a reliable source.

They would also have to worry about what type of resources Asgard would be asking in return for creating an alliance with them. They were waiting on their terms, which could range from many things and the longer it took for him to get those terms, the more worried he became.

…..

Thor knelt in front of his father at the bottom of the stairs while Odin watched, perched on his throne.

"What do you ask of me?" Odin called, standing up to walk down to Thor's side.

"Father, Midgardians wish to create an alliance with us. They wish to have one of their own come here and speak with you, on a regular basis, an ambassador." Thor informed his father, eagerly. He was looking forward to strengthening the ties between the two realms. It would be so much easier for him to help his newfound friends, as well as the planet to which he had given his vow to protect. He hoped his father understood that this was important.

"No, not yet. I will come to Midgard and speak with them and once we have spoken, I will decide on this alliance."

"But All Father-" Thor cried out, finding himself getting impatient, unable to fathom that his father would ever deny the alliance. If they were not allies then they might be considered enemies. It would clearly ignore everything that had already passed between the two realms, and Thor understood that with Loki's actions, they were walking a very thin line. They had a lot of things to make up for, he knew this. Perhaps, not all of Asgard, but Thor specifically, he had to make sure that this alliance worked.

"I have spoken! You shall announce my arrival and prepare for my conference with their leader. Now go." Odin cut off any protest that Thor had and waved him away.

Thor growled but did as told, leaving to head straight to Midgard.

…..

"I hope you bring good news." Maria Hill said as she led Thor to Fury's office.

"I believe that they are not bad news, Lady Hill." Thor responded, thanking her before he stepped into the Director's office. Nick looked up from his papers to frown at Thor, before motioning for him to take a seat.

"Father wishes to speak to your leader, personally. He wants to arrange a meeting and discuss suitable terms for an alliance between our two realms." Thor quickly stated, not bothering to take a seat.

"Our leader is a busy man, Thor." Fury stated, leaning forward on his elbows.

"So is my Father, Director." They were lucky that Odin was coming down to speak directly to them. It had been a while since Odin came to Midgard, Thor knew this. He would not allow for the visit by his father to be so easily trivialized. The All Father would also not stand for it, and Thor really hoped that this was understood by the leaders of Midgard. Then again, the All Father was not Thor, who had almost destroyed a planet because of his impertinence.

"So be it, I shall call the President and the United Nations. We will have a conference with Odin."

Fury had no other choice.

…

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else by now?" Pepper asked as she came into Tony's workroom, tablet in hand. Tony turned to look at her, with a confused frown, before it clicked.

"Well shit." Tony threw his towel down, rushing past her to give her a peck on the cheek, before he slipped into his Iron Man suit, and blasted off.

"I see you finally made it," Natasha quirked an eyebrow at him, eyeing his suit as she walked next to him.

"I am always fashionably late." Tony quipped, stopping outside the room where the others stood. They were all suited up, as if they were going into a battle, which in a way they were. Politics was a different type of battle, perhaps dirtier than the ones they were usually called to take part in. He wasn't sure what to expect but at the sound of footsteps, they arranged themselves by the door.

Thor was seen first, walking down, soldiers at each of his side. Behind him walked an older man, which Tony figured was the Asgardian version of Nick Fury; he even had an eye patch. Perhaps after this meeting was over they would get together and talk about eye patches and shopping for them. Captain America shot him a glare from across him, it seemed he had heard Tony snickering. What, he couldn't help it.

"Father, these are the great heroes of Midgard, the Avengers, my teammates and friends."

Tony had to admit that he preened a little under the introduction, even stood up straighter and puffed out his chest. He had not been the only one. It was also at that moment that Tony realized how Bruce was in the back, a bit detached from the group.

Odin glanced at them and Tony suddenly felt naked, but he forced himself to keep still.

"Honor to meet you, Avengers." Odin stated with his voice loud and firm. He nodded at them before passing them into the room. Thor watched after his father, eyes glancing around hesitantly, before moving inside the room as well.

Tony was about to walk inside too when Maria Hill stopped him, arms crossed.

"You are not part of this meeting."

"Well, that is not fair. We are heroes! We have rights too!" Tony scoffed, but no one could get pass Maria Hill.

Meanwhile, inside the meeting room, Odin had sat down at the head of the table, with Thor standing behind him. Nick Fury sat a few chairs down and explained how their leaders could not be present physically but that they would be there through video.

"Proceed." Odin nodded, and Nick Fury found himself liking the man, who was short on words and quick to move ahead without much protest.

"Your Royal Highness, King of Asgard, I'm Susan Rice, the United States Ambassador and on behalf of my fellow Americans, I welcome you to Earth." Rice bowed her head in respect.

"Thank you, on behalf of Asgard, I thank you for allowing us to come here and speak to you, the leaders of this world." Odin responded, making sure to make contact with all of the people on the screen.

"Now, to the purpose of our meeting, Your Royal Highness. We seek to create an alliance between Asgard and Earth." Peter Wittig, ambassador of Germany spoke up, getting the meeting on track.

"Yes, we were hoping you would agree to allow one of our people to become ambassador and be able to go between Earth and Asgard." Mark Lyall Grant added, leaning forward.

"I understand that you wish for an alliance and I agree. An alliance would be profitable on both sides." Odin stated, leaning back on his chair, surveying the council that had met to speak.

"However, I cannot accept an outsider to come in any time, unless they have in some form become one of us," Odin passed and raised his hand to keep anyone from speaking up. "It is for this reason that I propose a marriage."

Thor felt himself falter slightly, he had to cross his arms and have his fingers dig into his skin, to keep himself from reacting to that proposal. A protest was at the tip of his tongue but he bit down on it, forcing himself to remain still. Of course, Thor should have seen that coming, it was their custom, a long standing tradition.

"A political marriage?" Vitaly Churkin muttered, rolling it around his mind. The others were looking at each other, trying to figure out if that was a viable offer.

"I believe that it could be a good form of alliance, as long as two good candidates are picked for it." Rice spoke up, looking at her peers. Some of them were frowning, a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but they all knew that having someone in Asgard from their planet could benefit them. It would not be wise to shoot down the option at the moment, until they could more fully understand what Odin had in mind.

"Who would be the Asgard candidate for marriage?" Gerard Araud spoke up, curiously. They would have to pick someone of equal status in order to keep the balance of power.

"I thought it would be obvious. My son, Thor, has been here and knows more than any other Asgardian. He is also heir to the throne, making him the best candidate to keep an alliance between Asgard and Earth strong." Odin stated, turning slightly on his seat, to motion to Thor, who stepped forward automatically even though he was shocked. He kept his face impassive, showing no sign of what he was thinking, but it was so hard to speak out on his own behalf. It was his princely duty, something that had been brought up at other times but never in a serious matter.

The members muttered to each other, glancing at Thor a couple of times.

"We understand the marriage offer; however, let us speak of what others terms we will have if the marriage is to take place." Lio Baodong cut in, trying to move away the conversation from wedding for the moment.

Outside, Tony had slid over to Bruce's side, while Bruce nervously cleaned his glasses every five minutes.

"You never said you were coming back." Tony pouted, but Bruce gave him a brief smile.

"Surprise." He responded, but Tony could hear how nervous he was in his tone. He looked around at the others and realized they were also tense. He really needed to invest in making his suit have a compartment for his alcohol, for moments like this. A drink sounded good.

They all came to attention as the doors opened, Odin was first to step out, followed by Thor, who tried shooting them a smile. The team frowned as they watched the entourage leave; the moment the last soldier had left to escort the Asgardians, the Avengers were scrambling to get inside.

"So what is the verdict? I'm being chosen as ambassador right?" Tony asked, plopping down on one of the chairs, feet propped up on the table.

"They did agree to an alliance, right?" Natasha asked with her arms crossed.

"We are going to have a wedding." Fury answered, leaning back on his chair, looking at them, a bit too thoughtfully.

"We are having a political marriage?" Bruce asked, surprised. It seemed appropriate, that was true, so they would be marrying a royal into the Asgard royal family?...Bruce frowned as he thought about it.

"Who are they marrying?" Steve asked, sitting down, eyes focused on Fury.

"Thor will be marrying someone from Earth." Fury sighed, watching the fleeting emotions on his Avengers' faces.

"Would explain why he looked like he was going to his death when he left." Tony shook his head, his lips curled up into a sarcastic smirk.

"Thor is fine with it?" Clint finally asked, knowing that he would definitely not be too happy with being told who to marry.

…

"Father, is the marriage really necessary?" Thor asked, unable to keep himself from fidgeting.

"Yes. It is. I thought you wanted to have alliance with Midgard. Are you not happy?" Odin turned to look at Thor.

Thor smiled weakly, because yes, it had been him, hadn't it? He had asked for this, had pushed for an alliance. He had vowed to protect Earth, it was only fitting that he would be the one to marry into Midgard. He was not a selfish little boy anymore, at least, not like he used to be. This was his chance to prove to his father and to the rest that he was not only a fitting warrior but a man worthy to rule over a kingdom. Thor would take his responsibility seriously and would not disappoint everyone, not again. He could not fail.

"I am Father. Thank you for agreeing to the alliance." Thor bowed, submitting to the All Father's decision.

…

"Point Break! Finally joining us, eh?" Tony grinned, glass of scotch in his hand as he leaned against the counter. Steve sat at the table, eyes looking up from the laptop screen to where Thor was just entering. Even Clint raised his head up to look at Thor as he strolled into Stark Tower. He was glad they were there; since he was not sure he could have stayed any longer at SHIELD Headquarters.

"I was told you were all here." Thor smiled at them, it was not as bright as usual, but it was still wide. How could he not smile at the sight of his friends?

"How are you…with…the arranged marriage?" Steve asked; worry clear in his tone while the others watched Thor expectantly.

"I am well. It will be a great honor to be wed to a Midgardian." Thor stated, sounding like a politician, it made Natasha snort.

"We aren't part of a council so you don't have to feed us any of that bullshit." Natasha stated, getting up and walking over to sit at the table as well.

"I am not happy, but it is my responsibility. I will not run from it."

"Hey! I'm sure they'll choose a nice lady for you to marry. Probably the princess of what…Denmark? You guys would practically be related, in some shape or form. Maybe." Tony shrugged, pouring Thor some scotch as well.

"Thank you, Anthony." Thor smiled as he took the offered glass, careful to not break it in his grip. Tony winced at the usage of his full name, but he didn't say anything about it. This one time.

"Do you really think the U.S. would let a non-American marry Thor?" Bruce brought up, glancing at the others. Honestly, there was no way they could pick anyone to marry Thor without it leading to some type of war. Each country would protest and like Tony had mentioned, there were still Royal families on Earth.

"Don't worry Thor, this will turn out well in the end. I am sure of it. It is the beginning of negotiations, there will be many changes as they continue speaking back and forth." Steve tried smiling, placing his hand on Thor's arm. He hoped it was comforting.

Thor nodded, but he looked like he was miles away.

…

"I heard you are getting married." Jane smiled sadly as she looked up into the blonde's blue eyes. Thor flinched, immediately feeling horrible about it. His Jane. He cared for her, loved her, he did. It stung, to see her eyes tear up, but she kept them back. Brave, strong, Jane.

"I-"

"Logically, looking at this objectively, I understand. You did not want this, the marriage, but…..it does hurt." Jane smiled, weakly, trying her best to not make this worst, for both of them.

"I mean, you are royalty, what else did I expect, right?" Jane gave a weak laugh, tightened her coat around her. She suddenly felt really cold.

"Jane, I am truly sorry." Thor choked out but she just nodded, placing her hand on his arm.

"I know. So am I." She muttered as she removed her hand and let it fall to her side.

"I'm going to go now…." and she did, she turned around and walked away from Thor. She didn't let her tears fall until she was around the corner and down that hallway. She crumbled against the wall, taking in deep breaths, trying to get herself to calm down. Another heartbreak. She hated him, for a few minutes. Hated him for being perfect, for having such sad eyes, for sounding so sorry, for talking to her with such a broken and sad tone, caring for her, even though they had to break up…..she hated him. But she still cared for him…..

They would be fine…with time. They would.

Thor came back to the tower after meeting with Jane only to go straight to his room. He was not feeling well enough to be with the others. He did not want to risk becoming aggravated and hurting his friends, accidentally. It was best for him to be alone right now. He did not want to make things worse. The blonde was sure that this marriage was not only affecting him, but also his teammates. Not to mention how this will be taken back in Asgard. He had yet to go back, opting instead to stay on earth to keep an eye out for the proceedings. Honestly, he felt so much better staying there, listening to the banter and arguments of his teammates. It was normal, he needed normal.

Nevertheless, the others were well aware of what was happening with him.

"You should check on him Captain." Clint spoke up from his spot on the couch.

"Me?" Steve frowned, turning to see the others looking at him, expectantly.

"You are the Captain, your job to make sure we are all….well…ready for battle…you know..blah blah blah." Tony added, looking back down at his tablet.

True was, Steve was worried about Thor, and he figured they were right. He should check on him, missing the friend that was usually so quick to smile and laugh. At least, from what he had seen of Thor, he was always so quick to try to make people feel better.

"Thor?" Steve's voice soft and so was his knock on the door. There was no response, worried, he peeked inside, only to smile sadly when he realized that Thor had fallen asleep, curled up into a ball.

"JARVIS, turn up the heater in here. It is so cold." Steve muttered, going over to pull the blankets over Thor.

"Sleep well, friend." Steve uttered as he cast one last look at the sleeping blonde, before slipping out of the room. He could not fathom how it felt to know that you had no choice in who you were marrying. He had always held it in his heart, that he would marry a woman who he loved and loved him in return. But, he understood the necessity, the responsibility that Thor had. He was a good man.

…..

Thor said nothing as he pushed his food around his plate, the news talking about the many country meetings. Oh, were people talking and clamoring to marry Thor. They really were and Tony was slightly jealous that he had so many people dying to be with him.

"Do we have to have that on 24/7?" Steve asked as he came into the living room, shooting a worried glance at Thor.

"It is like a reality TV show, the Bachelor, or Joe Millionaire. Which is kind of the same thing really." Tony shrugged, grabbing his own plate of spaghetti and moving to the table.

"It has been a month of trying to find someone suitable. They are not going to find any with this bickering." Bruce sighed, taking a sip of his tea.

"You know, I would marry you big guy. If it meant all this mess would stop. I would. Really. I mean, royalty." Tony grinned, pointing his fork at Thor, before stuffing his mouth with a forkful of pasta.

"You just miss being in the spotlight." Clint rolled his eyes, plopping down on a chair, taking a swig of his beer.

But Tony's statement had created a sudden silence that blanketed the room. They looked at each other, except for Thor, who kept looking forlornly at his plate.

"Not sure what just happened." Steve frowned, speaking up and breaking the strange atmosphere.

He wasn't sure what happened that evening at dinner.

It was the same feeling he had two days later, when they were called in to a meeting, to announce that they had come to a decision. For this Political Marriage, they would have Steve Rogers, Captain America, one of the Avengers, marry Thor.

Steve stood there, rooted to his spot, sure that he had heard incorrectly. They could not be serious could they?

"Hah, here I thought you had no sense of humor. Which really by the sound of that joke, you need to work on it." Tony shook his head, looking at the others for support but they remained silent.

"It is not a joke. In order to keep the countries from ripping each other apart, it was decided that someone from the Avengers would be better suited. The Captain, the super soldier, is the only one considered to be equal to Thor." Fury looked at each one of them, before focusing back on Steve, who had yet to move.

Steve was confused though, he was a man. Men did not marry other men. It did not happen.

"You mean he is the one more likely to do what he is told, am I right?" Tony snorted, eyes narrowing as he stared at Fury, not buying anything he was saying.

"But, sir, how is it possible for two men to marry? Would not a woman be a better choice?" Steve was unable to keep his question to himself. He just didn't understand how this was happening. He looked around, blue eyes wide, pleading at the others to help him understand. It was then that he realized why Thor was not there, he had not been told.

"You haven't told Thor yet, that is why he isn't here." Steve added in agitation, turning to look back at Fury.

"We thought it was best to run this by you first." Fury sighed, not liking this one bit, but he was unable to do anything about it.

"The decision has been made and it will not be changed. The President has signed off on it, and the United Nations is voting on it as we speak."

Steve stood there, unable to think that just days ago he was sympathizing for Thor, wondering how it felt, now….as he stood there, he was now the chum joining Thor in the misery. How he had wished to have been able to help Thor, but this had not been what he had in mind. None of this had been what he had in mind. He did not want to get married.

"Sir, there must be another option. There is always another option." Natasha spoke up, eyes moving from the spot on the ground she had glaring at to focus on Fury.

"I spoke to the President personally Agent Romanov-"

"Did I not mention that the US of A was not about to let a non-American marry Thor?" Bruce cut in, lips pursed together into an I-told-you-so smile. They should have seen this coming, who else would they have chosen for this? Who else but the great American hero? The super soldier, Captain America.

"Sir, do I let Thor in?" Maria's voice came in through the intercom. At the mention of Thor, everyone in the room shared a look.

"Send him in."

Steve wanted to protest. He wasn't ready for this, to let the other know. Wasn't still being voted on? Why would they bring it up now? but it was too late, Thor was stepping into the room, eyes swirling with confusion.

"Thor, I have asked you here, because the decision has to been made as to who you will marry." Fury started, pausing, looking to the others, was it for help? None of them return his look, opting to looking somewhere else. Steve did not turn to look at Thor, figuring it was best that he didn't see the other's reaction. It was better that way.

"You will marry Steve Rogers, also called Captain America." Fury finally stated, motioning to Steve, who was felt himself tense up even more.

There was silence as Thor blinked a couple of times, lips twitching, hands clenching and unclenching. He was to marry a teammate, male, yes, but a teammate. He was not too sure how his father would take the candidate, but Thor could easily vouch for him.

He wasn't sure how to feel about this. He trusted Steven, after all, he was willing to follow him in battle, willing to lay his life to protect him. They were a team, and becoming friends the more time they spent together, along with the others…..but marriage? Steven…..He quickly realized that he had not looked at Steve, what did he think about this?!

He looked over at Steve, who was gripping the table too tight, cracks were beginning to show on the glass. It would shatter if his grip became even the slightest bit tighter. No one was saying anything, even Tony and Clint, who Thor had come to expect to always have something to say. It made the feeling of the room feel that much more oppressive.

"Steven?" Thor spoke out, voice so soft, the softest they had ever heard him be. It rang loud in the deafening silence of the room.

"Are you well? Do you consent to this? You should not feel forced to go along with this." But it was only Thor that still thought that, the others in the room knew better. Steve knew better, there was no other choice; he was being forced to be part of the alliance, an alliance that was for the good of the people. Steve could not decline the offer, the mission…not for selfish reasons as to not wanting to get married…..they had picked the right man, hadn't they?

"It will be an honor to be wed to an Asgardian prince." Steve stated, voice firm, a weak smile on his lips. It was a reflection of Thor's own words, which made Thor nod.

"Yes, my friend. It is an honor."

They understood, in that one moment, that this was going to be a long haul. Thor wanted to speak to Steve, really talk to him, but neither was ready for that. Not only that, Thor had to go and speak with his father. He had the last word in this, he could always deny this.

"I will inform the All Father about the decision. He will be the one with the last word." Thor stated, trying to shoot Steve a hopeful smile, hope for what, he wasn't sure.

"I will leave now in order to get this sorted as soon as possible."

Thor left for Asgard, not looking at anyone, trying to make himself look small. While Steve stayed there, thinking about what this meant. Odin could always deny the union, but what was the chance?

"I don't think Odin will agree to this." Clint spoke up as Fury made to leave the room. Everyone paused to look at him.

"Thor is heir to the throne, he will need children and I don't know about you but I don't think Steve will be able to provide that." Clint explained, pushing away from the wall to leave the room.

That was true, Thor was heir; he would need someone that could bear him children. Was this the way out for Steve? Yet, was it fair to force a woman to marry Thor, to force her to join with him when she did not love the thunder warrior? Could Steve allow for that to happen? He thought about Peggy, about how she would have fiercely protested it within herself, but like a brave soldier, she would have done what was best for the people.

"Come, Steve, let's go back." Bruce gave him the softest of smiles but Steve was too high strung. He needed to release his pent up energy.

"I guess right now is the time to introduce the new gym equipment I had install, huh?" Tony stated as he waved for Steve and Bruce to follow him, before he sauntered out of the room.

….

Thor stormed towards his room, ignoring the people he passed, not even feeling it when he knocked a couple of people. He couldn't go see his father, not yet, he needed to breathe and think. He had learned that he needed patience, had learned to think things through and that there were wiser people that need to be listened to. The All Father would have to know, would have to be able to see into the future, see how this would affect them, right? He had ruled them in peace for so many years now, it was only because of Thor's indiscretion that nightmares resurfaced for their people. Perhaps this was an added punishment, a punishment that with some time would turn into a gift? What of Steven….? This was not his punishment…..for Thor had yet to hear of any wrongs the other needed to be absolved from….

Thor braced himself, before making his way to the throne room, where his father sat, waiting for him.

"I see that a decision has been made?"

"My teammate, Steve Rogers, Captain America, has been chosen to be my…husband." Thor was going to say bride, but Steve was not a woman and Thor assumed that Steve would be uncomfortable being referred to as such.

"At least you know that you would get along with him." Odin muttered, hand reaching up to run through his beard, trying to think this through.

"But father, would it not be best if I married a woman?" Thor inquired, frowning slightly. Odin turned to focus on Thor, who only stared back at his father. This was for his friend, and he would not back down if there was a chance that Steve could be absolved from this. There was no reason for him to be pulled into this.

"That is not necessary; after all, you are able to take a wife later that will bare you a child. Has it not been already decided that Sif would become your wife?" Odin raised an eyebrow as he watched his son stare at him, a bit incredulously.

"Having more than one marital affair is not looked upon too kindly, father. I do not wish to force Steven into something he does not wish for nor force him to be part of something Midgardians consider unseemly. What of Sif?!" Thor cried out, a bit indignantly, hoping his father would reconsider.

"They have made their choice Thor, and I have no argument against it. The announcement will be made immediately and the wedding preparations will be started. I suspect they will wish to have a ceremony in Midgard, but we will have to have our own as well." Odin stated, standing up and calling to the soldiers to bring the Queen to the throne room.

Thor wanted to protest, to argue more, but there was nothing he could do and last time he disobeyed, they all suffered. Instead, Thor stormed out of the throne room and to his room, but before he left the throne room his father called out to him, "Bring Son of Rogers here, he has to be presented when we make the announcement." Thor left for his room first.

He looked at his room, everything was organized and tidy. He felt the nervous energy under his skin. Like an itch he had to get rid. He stomped over to his wardrobe, remembering growing up with it. Something in him clicked and suddenly he was slamming his fist into the wood. He snarled and pushed the wardrobe to the floor, ignoring the loud crash it created. He grabbed the tiny table next to it before turning around and throwing it against the opposite wall, watching as pieces of wood flew all over the place. Thor looked at his bed, the way the curtains fell, all nicely held up. He reached up and easily ripped the curtains to shreds. He took each piece and shred it until he couldn't anymore and then he snapped the bedposts in half. The sound of the wood breaking, it was music to Thor's ears.

He had failed Steve and had become a key to an alliance. He wanted to do right by his teammates and by those who he had vowed to protect. There were also his people in Asgard, he had to think of them and their future. He growled as he swirled around to slam his first into the wall of his room, watching as cracks spread across the wall.

There was no escaping this, was there? He sagged against the wall, gasping for air, wincing as pain began to flare up from his hand. He had been a child for too long ,this was something he had to be responsible for. He could not ruin it, not this.

But first….

He would have to speak with Steve.

….

Thor stood at the entrance of the gym, watching as Steve slammed his fist into the bag full of sand, though this bag of sand looked different. Thor was hesitant to break Steve from his workout session, knowing that he had needed much needed release by punching something.

"I know you are there Thor." Steve muttered as he stood still, hands coming up to hold the punching bag.

"My apologies, Steven. I have come back with news and a request for you to join me on a trip to Asgard." Thor sort of dropped the whole thing on Steve, who responded by slamming his fist into the punching bag, causing it to break from its hold on the ceiling. The poor bag ended up sliding across the floor. Neither of the two said anything for a couple of seconds, before Steve finally broke the silence.

"What about when you need children?" Steve asked once he had regained his breath, only turning to pick up his towel and wipe his face. Thor sighed as he thought that question, wondering how the other would take the answer. He did not know nor understand all of the customs in Midgard, but he felt that he could safely assume that having more than one marriage was not accepted. His own people did not look too fondly over being married to more than one person, though of course, politics and being royalty gave Thor an advantage back in Asgard. He was hesitant but he did not wish to lie to his friend, if they were to go through with this, Steve had to know everything.

"In the future, when the time comes, I shall marry Sif, and she will bear my children." Thor answered, which had Steve whirling around, surprised.

"You will what?" Steve asked, wondering if perhaps he had heard incorrectly. There was no way that he had heard right. Marrying more than one person was unheard of. Marriage itself should happen between people that loved each other. A bigamous marriage? Thor was asking for him to be fine with a bigamous marriage? He did not believe Thor would have done such a thing, even with Asgard having different customs than they did in Earth. Did Thor love this woman? Because Steve understood that, if he loved this woman…..but the way Thor said it. It sounded wrong and Steve could not accept it.

"I will marry Sif and you are free to have relations outside of our marriage as well." Thor added as he slowly walked closer to Steve, hoping that perhaps that would make Steve feel better, but it had the opposite effect.

Steve's fingers curled into fists as he glared down at the floor, trying to calm himself, but he was failing. How could Thor say that, so offhandedly? How could he even think that Steve would their vows with so little respect?

"Do you really think so little of me? I would never disrespect my partner by treating our vows with so little respect. I was raised with the idea that those vows are of the utmost importance. That is who I am and I can't believe you expect me to throw that away." Steve growled, moving past Thor, only to be stopped by Thor's hand on his arm.

"It was not my intention to disrespect you." Thor muttered but Steve just shrugged off his arm. Steve didn't want to fight, not right now, not with Thor. But what he had said, to play around with such a sacred ceremony. He knew that people did not always marry for love, that it had been used for politics before, that it did not mean so much to some people as it did to him….but the point of the matter was that it meant something to Steve.

"You are not only disrespecting me and what I stand for, but you are disrespecting that woman, Sif." Steve muttered, turning to glare at Thor. Perhaps, with time, Steve would get used to the idea of this bigamous marriage, years from now. But he would not forgive the other for using a woman just because he needed an heir.

"I would never dare disrespect Sif!" Thor bellowed, for perhaps when he was younger he might have, but he knew better. He would never treat her so lowly. Sif was important to him, she was!

"You say that, but have you thought of what you just said? Have you thought about her at all through all of this? I thought you were better than that."

Steve found himself staggering back and hissing as searing pain flared from his cheek. Thor had hit him. He whirled around and launched himself towards the other blonde, using all of his weight to pin Thor to the floor. They grappled on the floor, trying their best to pin each other to the floor. There was the flinging of limbs as they fought, fingers digging in too tightly, punches thrown without a second thought. Thor swing his head forward, head butting Steve, causing Steve's vision to blur for a second. It was all Thor needed to push Steve off and pin his hand behind his back. Steve stepped on Thor's foot, before slamming his head back against Thor allowing for Steve to escape Thor's grasp. He turned around to see Thor holding his nose which was now bleeding. He wiped the side of his face, only to see it was blood. He had a cut by his eyebrow. They shared a look before slumping down on the ground to rest.

They both sat on the floor, trying to catch their breath, feeling better in a sense. A lot of their pent up energy had been released.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have attacked you like that." Steve spoke up first, for even if he did not agree with Thor, he was still a teammate.

"It is I that needs to apologize. You are right, I am a spoiled prince. I understand that we are asking a lot of you, but please understand that I am being asked just as much." Thor looked to Steve as he held his nose, hoping to stop the bleeding.

Steve nodded and stumbled onto his feet, waiting for Thor before limping out of the room. They were both being asked to do a lot of things, for the greater good. It was all for the greater good, he had to remember that.

"What happened to the two of you?" Clint asked as he watched them make their way out of the gym.

"The two went at it, it was actually pretty hot. I have it recorded." Tony was suddenly there, waggling his eyebrows.

"I thought you said you came here to take Steve back to Asgard." Natasha pointed, looking at the two, slightly amused. She was so watching the footage later that night. They sure had made a number on each other; perhaps their leaders might actually have had some point when they said Steve was an equal to Thor.

Thor realized that his father would not be amused. Steve found himself battling between not caring and freaking out about meeting the in-laws. They all wished him the best of luck.

"I'm sure it can't get worse than Bruce's ex-girlfriend's dad trying to kill him."

That had been Tony's comforting remark. It did not make Steve feel any better. At all.

….

Steve wore his suit, fidgeting as people looked at him on their way to the throne room.
"You must be Steve Rogers." Frigga stated, smiling as she stepped out of the shadows, arms wide as she welcomed Steve to get closer. He had allowed for Natasha to help hide the bruises on his face. Thor had not wanted to but Natasha had been adamant, much to Steve's relief. He did not want people to know they had fought each other. This made Steve frown as he thought about abusive relationships…..that had not been the case had it? He realized Frigga had asked him something and he quickly fumbled to answer.

"Yes Your Highness, I am Steve Rogers, it's an honor to be here." Steve smiled, removing his mask and bowing to her, unsure of what exactly was the right protocol for this. He really hoped he did not embarrass himself nor disrespect someone. Frigga placed her hands on his shoulders, patting them for a second before letting him go.

"You are a good man Son of Rogers. After all, if you can make my son look like he had a good fight, than you are more than worthy." Frigga laughed, noticing the bruises on Steve's face and on Thor's. She moved to Thor and hugged him tight.

"Congratulations. These are times for celebrating." Frigga smiled, pulling back, before looking past Thor to see Odin moving towards them. Steve smiled nervously, shifting slightly on his toes. Odin stopped in front of Steve and really focused on him, sizing him up.

"King Odin, always an honor." Steve fumbled with his bow, wincing as he stood straight and looked at Odin. The All Father frowned before he allowed himself the semblance of a smile and a nod.

"Come, we must let everyone know about our new member of the family." Odin stated, nodding to Steve and Thor, before offering Frigga his arm and walking her out. Thor squeezed Steve's shoulder, comfortingly, before gently guiding him out to the crowd. This was it, Steve was going to be announced to the rest of Asgard. Thor was unsure how the others would take it, how his friends would take it, but he had faith that it would all turn out well. Steve wondered how Asgard would react to hear that their prince was going to marry a man, from Midgard. Right now was not the best moment to get sick or to run away from this, not that he would…run that is. The being sick part, well, he hoped his body would not betray him.

Thor stood behind his father and mother with Steve standing next to him. He could see the Warrior Three and Sif in the front of the crowd. Thor wondered how they would feel over this, what their reactions would be. He hoped to have them as friends and to have them give Steve a chance as well. He glanced back at Steve, hoping that he was doing well with this.

"I come with great tidings. I have agreed to an alliance between Midgard and Asgard, and it will be sealed with the marriage of Thor, Son of Odin of Asgard, and Steve, Son of Rogers of Midgard." Odin motioned to Steve, who smiled nervously, before both Thor and Steve stepped to the front.

There was silence before mutters began to spread across the crowd. Thor could see the Warrior Three falter and look at each other, confused. Sif, her face was stormy, and Thor, not for the first time, felt horrible that his feelings for her were not the same as her feelings for him. Was he disrespectful to her? He would have to make an appointment to talk to her, to settle their feelings out. Perhaps, he could learn to love her? He sighed and turned to where Steve was shifting, trying to not let the angry mutters get to him.

"A man?! From Midgard?!" a shout rang through the hall, causing more to rise up.

"Silence!" Thor bellowed immediately silencing the room. "I will not stand for anyone disrespecting Steve, Son of Rogers. Indeed, he is a man and any complications arising from my need to have an heir, will be dealt with in the future. For now, you will show him the respect he deserves as my soon to be…..partner." Thor glared out at the crowd, but they remained quiet. He knew they were not all happy with the announcement, but they would have to get used to it. He did not want them hurting Steve.

Steve smiled weakly at Thor, who smiled back. Well, this one was done.

….

Tony was on the couch, flipping through the channels while he waited for the others to settle around before they picked a movie to watch. It was a tradition that began with Steve and Thor asking JARVIS to put on a movie for them and the others walking in but not walking out, instead sticking around to finish watching the movie with them. After all, they all began congregating around the TV and watching movies together. Thor and Steve brought them all together…..rather adorable really.

"Breaking News: it is just in, the United Nations have decided to create an alliance with Asgard, by marrying Captain America to Thor."

Shit. Tony froze as he stared at the screen. Had he heard correctly? Had the news station just reported about Thor and Steve? Was that allowed?

"Did we just hear…..?" Natasha asked as she stood behind the couch, staring at the screen as well.

"It is being confirmed that yes, the great American hero, Captain America will be marrying Thor. There are no further news about the wedding but there are news on the alliance and what will be expected from both sides."

"At least Thor and Steve aren't here for this." Bruce muttered, removing his glasses to wipe them on his shirt. This was not going to be taken well. A marriage between men? They were sure that that would be the top problem for people.

"How much do you bet we will have people protesting outside the tower?" Tony frowned, turning off the TV and throwing the control away.

"Do we know when Steve and Thor are coming back? Don't think the protest would make Steve feel any better…" Clint sighed as he plopped down the couch, popcorn bowl on his lap.

"Don't think anyone finding out about the bigamous wedding will help." Natasha added.

"We will just have to make sure none of that gets out." Tony growled out, already getting up to make a few calls. He had to inform Pepper and Fury, probably already knew about this but still….

"We'll go back to HQ, talk to Fury, see what we can do from there, who we can talk to." Natasha muttered, nodding for Clint to follow her. Clint groaned but did as told, placing the bowl down and following after her.

"Bruce and I will call up some people, right Bruce?" Tony grinned, raising up his phone and turning to look at Bruce, who sighed but stood up to follow after Tony. Natasha nodded and left with Clint in tow.

"Pepper will make the needed appointments to talk to the crowd." Tony muttered, moving over to one of the panels.

"The people are going to expect for Thor and Steve to make a personal announcement, along with the United Nations, the President, and the whole team probably." Bruce muttered, stepping next to Tony to look at the screen, where a number of television broadcasters were being pulled up.

"The President is making his speech in a couple of hours, the United Nations are already on it." Tony muttered, one arm crossed over his chest while he tapped his chin with his other hand. They both watched the screens, as the President spoke about how the world is changing.
"The world now knows that there is life out there and with that, there must be change for us as here. Focusing on the gender of these two individuals who have saved our world is not fair to anyone."

Tony and Bruce shared a glance, before Pepper's face flashed on the panel.

"Pepper! We need to talk to the press." Tony said in a sing song voice, smiling brightly at Pepper, who was looking more tired than usual.

"I'm already working on arranging a number of press conferences." Pepper sighed, trying to cover a yawn.

"When was the last time you've actually gotten some rest?" Bruce frowned, but Pepper just waved the question off.

"I learned from Tony." Pepper smiled ruefully while Tony just pouted. "I sleep!"

"Are you two going to talk about the two of you?" Pepper asked, immediately turning the silence heavy. Tony turned to Bruce, who stared down at the floor, unable to meet the other two's eyes. Tony sighed and turned back to Pepper, who gave him a tired smile.

"I'll let everyone know about the press conferences. I take it Natasha and Clint are at headquarters?" Pepper asked, her eyes roaming around to look for the other two, but Tony just nodded and shrugged.

"Night you two." Pepper muttered before hanging up.

"I'm tired." Bruce muttered, running a hand through his hair and stopping in the middle of the room. "We'll talk about this later." He muttered before leaving to go to his room. Tony just watched him go, sadness in his eyes.

…..

Steve did not want to leave his room, ever. It was not only because the rooms were very beautiful, fitting of royalty, which Steve did not feel like he belonged to, but…everyone stared at him.

He had been to his first banquet, he watched as they drank and sang. Steve did not drink, well he did, but he did not become inebriated which seemed to be a strong way of bonding in Asgard. The Warrior Three and Sif were not really warming up to him. Thor said that everyone just needed time, that they would soon grow to like him. Steve did not think so, but he said nothing because he realized that Thor had been too far into his thoughts to have really paid him any attention. Part of him was hurt about that, the distance that Thor had from him but Steve had his own moments where he felt far away from the world.

He made his way down the hallway, smiling hesitantly at some of the ladies, he figured they were courtly ladies. They glanced at him, before looking at each other and giggling, cheeks turning red. The blond wasn't sure what to make of that, but it was better than insults, right?

This was his third day there and perhaps it was time for him to head back to Midgard, to see how everyone was doing there? he came to a stop when he heard raised voices.

"Why did you not tell us of this?"

"Yes! You've spent countless months in Midgard, you've forgotten us and our adventures!"

Steve realized that Thor was speaking to his friends.

"I did not tell you because it has only been recently that this has come about. I have needed time to come to terms with it." Thor answered, frowning at his friends. They were not being completely difficult, though they were definitely surprised and confused.

"Are you sure? This is what you wish to do?" Volstagg asked, clearly worried about his friend. He wasn't completely sure about this other blond man. He had faith that the blond was a good man, a good warrior but…..there were still doubts.

"But why this man? A man to begin with?" Sif blurted out, lips pursed, arms crossed over her chest.

"This man is a close friend of mine. He is a strong warrior and he has led us to victories in battle. Not only that but he holds a pure heart. I am honored that he has accepted to give up his freedom for the sake of this alliance. It is only fair that he is treated with the respect he deserves. I will tolerate nothing less than that." Thor looked at each of his friends, though he hoped that the matter about an heir was not brought up. Not yet at least. Steve couldn't keep himself from grinning, because it was always nice, to hear Thor stand up for him. He was not alone and having Thor always be there for him, it made things slightly bearable. It was still strange, the fact that they will marry, Steve still avoided thinking about it and talking about it, but perhaps things would not be too horrible. Nevertheless, Steve could not help glancing at Sif, who he knew was the one who would marry Thor later. He was not sure how much she knew and how much she agreed with, but Steve just couldn't look at her. It was not fair and before she was ever forced to marry anyone, Steve would make sure to talk to her.

"There was something else you wanted to ask us." Hogun spoke up, making Steve freeze, wondering if he should stay or move.

"I want my brother to be at my wedding."

There were gasps at that, even Steve felt himself tense in surprise. However, should he have been surprise? Thor still loved his brother, he had made that very clear and of course he would want Loki there. Steve was not comfortable with that, to be honest, but he felt that Thor would not be truly happy without Loki there.

"Are you mad?!" Fandral cried out, looking at Thor like he had grown a second head.

"No, he is family and I wish for him to be there. I shall be asking father later today, I just hoped you could vouch for him? Please."

Steve slipped away right after that comment, feeling bad enough from having listened in to parts of their conversation. He stumbled into Frigga, who was always smiling widely at him.

"Steven, Son of Rogers, there you are. Come, we must speak about the wedding ceremony."

Steve paled at that, but he could not say no to her request, so he dutifully followed behind her. How he wished he was swallowed up by the earth….ground.

…

"Mother?" Thor frowned as he found himself sitting next to Steve, Frigga smiling brightly at the two of them.

"The All Father wishes for the wedding to take place as soon as possible. Figures that there is no point for a full traditional ceremony." Frigga sighed, looking at the two boys in front of her. They were still young, especially Steven.

"I agree, the wedding should be done soon, but I refuse to shorten the ceremony. Steven deserves to go through a full ceremony." Thor quickly protested, looking at Steve, with wide blue eyes. Steve was not even sure he wanted a full ceremony or not. He understood why the All Father did not see the point of it, after all, he was probably wishing for Thor's wedding to Sif to be the more extravagant one.

"Of course, and he will go through most of the ceremony. It will have to be tweaked only because both of you are male. But do not worry my son; this wedding will be ready without cutting it down. Am I not the Queen?" Frigga huffed, eyes flashing determinedly.

"I love you mother." Thor beamed, turning to Steve who smiled nervously in return. He was doing a lot of that, wasn't he? Nervous smiles. What else was he expected to do?

"Steve, you must procure for the ceremony, an arm bracelet, a ring, and the sword from your ancestors. Do you think that you can find these items?"

"Yes, Your Majesty…..well, I don't think I can find a sword from my ancestors…." Steve couldn't help wondering if she thought there was something wrong with him, since she treated him so delicately. Always trying to let him know that it was fine if he needed help with something. It was a bit unsettling yet nice at the same time.

"Not a problem, any sword would do. Now, before you leave to inform your friends in Migard about the wedding, we will have to get you fitted for the wedding garments. Oh, have you two settled on a date for your Midgard wedding? It would not be to have them on the same day now would it?" she laughed. Steve liked how free she was, laughing and taking Steve into the family, the only one to not bat an eyelash.

"We have no date mother but now that we have a date for one here, we will know which date to pick for Earth."

"Perfect. I am sure you two are excited to tell people on Earth, so come with me Steven. Once we are done you can return to your other home."

Steve found it strange hearing her say, first home. She was already calling Asgard his home; he didn't feel at home, at all. The blonde wondered if he ever could, it seemed unlikely. Still, maybe in a couple of years….that would change….maybe…..for now he would have to survive the wedding preparations and the actual wedding. At least Thor was there with him.

…..

"Do you think our friends will all make it to the wedding?" Thor asked Steve as they made their way to back to the tower.

"I don't know. I hope so." Steve muttered, really hoping that they would come. They could keep him company and it would not be so awkward. All of the talks for the preparations made the marriage real but it also felt like he was watching someone get married. He was not into it, didn't feel like he was the one being married. Perhaps, it was better this way, being numb to it all? He still felt uncomfortable at being married to a man, but….it was so much like an agreement, like a treaty that Steve didn't find himself thinking too much about it. After all, they were not expected to kiss nor do any couple things. Right?

"Would they come if they knew that Loki may be present?" Thor asked, hesitant, blue eyes looking at Steve worriedly. Of course Thor would be afraid of his and the other's reactions, but even though Steve was paused before placing his hand on Thor's shoulder, giving him a small smile.

"Don't worry, Thor. I can't speak for the others, but I understand that you want your full family there. I don't agree because of the threat he has posed before, but I am sure there is a way of working it out so he is secured. I think if you explain it to the others, they might not mind too much."

Thor sighed and nodded, patting Steve's hand, "thank you Steven, you really are a good friend. I truly am blessed that it is you who I will bear this responsibility with."

Steve felt his cheeks flush at the compliment, causing him to quickly drop his hand and clear his throat. "Come, let's hurry up."

However, they were not prepared for being driven to the Tower and seeing many people surrounding it. They watched as the people hollered and pushed up their signs.

'Marriage= 1 Man + 1 Woman'

'Homosexual are possessed by demons'

'Don't pervert marriage'

Thor frowned, confused as to what was wrong. Why were people doing this? Steve on the other hand automatically felt horrible, watching and listening to the people throwing insults about homosexuals. There were so many horrible things being said and he knew they were about them. Who else would it be about? He could hear the protests about marriage and he could understand they had their believes, but using them to attack others? Steve was reminded of the war, of the horrible things people went through, what they saw in concentration camps. How could anyone forget that?

He was slightly shaking as he stepped out of the car and made his way inside the tower, away from the protesting masses. Thor walked next to him, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand the problem. They were angry about the two being married, he could see that. However, the horrible names that were being said about homosexuals, people of the same gender that loved each other…..that was not something he thought they would do. It was true that there were people in Asgard as well, that were not too comfortable with such relations. It was not something discussed openly nor was it something you saw often…but, the people outside sounded so much crueler than people at Asgard ever did. Death? Did they really wish them death? Thor glanced at Steve, immediately feeling horrible, wondering if this was what Steve thought as well? But, Thor could not believe that Steve thought like that. He was too kind to wish death upon his peers, Thor was at least sure of that.

"Steven?" Thor spoke up in the elevator, watching as Steve only tried to shrink into himself even more. Thor wasn't sure what to do, what to say….how to ask.

"I think, there is still time to call the wedding off." Thor muttered, voice so soft he was not even sure Steve heard him, but Steve had heard him. He frowned because truthfully, he didn't want to get married, just like he knew that Thor did not want to get married. Yes, he felt uncomfortable still….but he didn't like the idea that there were people out there that could be so cruel to people. If Steve really did love Thor, if he really loved him with all of his heart, wouldn't he want to marry Thor? Would he not want to marry that person? Did it really matter if they were both the same gender or not? He shook his head before turning to look at Thor, with a soft smile on his lips.

"Are you getting cold feet now that we have a settled date?"

This made Thor immediately brightened, like a sun and to Steve, the sight was beautiful.

"Not at all, my friend. Not at all." He beamed and unable to help himself Thor pulled Steve into a tight hug, causing the other to flush slightly. Steve smiled and patted Thor in the back, before pushing at the other, taking in a deep breath once he was let go. It was good too because the elevator doors opened then.

"Well you two were gone a while." Bruce greeted them, looking up from filling in a crossword puzzle. Thor smiled brightly at him, going over to rest his hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"The Queen had a lot of questions about the wedding preparations." Steve muttered, plopping down and resting his head on the table.

Bruce stared at the two, who seemed to be doing well. He knew that there were protesters right outside of the Tower, no matter how much they had been trying to get them off their lawn. This meant that the two had experienced them, but they seemed to be handling it well enough.

"I have come along with Steven to inform you all….where is Anthony?"

"I'm here." Tony said as he walked into the living room, wrinkling his nose at being called Anthony. However, once again he let it slide.

"The wedding ceremony in Asgard will take place in about 12 weeks. I expect you all to attend." Thor looked at them, expectantly while Steve looked at them, desperation on his face. They figured life in Asgard was not all suns and rainbows.

"Chance to go to Asgard?" Clint piped up, shrugging because, when else would they get the chance to go to Asgard. This was probably it.

"When would we get that chance again?"

"Splendid!" Thor beamed, before he frowned, hesitation flashing on his face. He shifted uncomfortably and Steve knew what it was that Thor was going to say. He sat up and nodded at Thor, who nodded back.

"However, before you all fully decide to commit, I must inform you that my brother might make an appearance." Thor muttered, looking nervously at the others. Clint frowned, tensing up and crossing his arms, eyes going over to look at Natasha.

"Chained?" Natasha asked, moving to stand next to Clint, who would probably still want to shoot an arrow into Loki's head. Or at any part of his body, really.

"Of course, he is still being punished but I do wish for him to be there, as well as all of you." Thor looked at each one of them. The others turned to look at Steve, who shrugged, seeming to say 'there's nothing I can do about it.'

"I make no promises about not trying to kill him." Clint grunted, but that was good enough for Thor, since he had Clint in a tight hug in seconds.

"Alright big guy." Clint grunted, wincing as he felt his ribs protest. Thor quickly apologized and placed him back down.

"Lady Pepper! You are looking well rested, I hope that you would also join us for our wedding ceremony in Asgard." Thor smiled wide as he looked at the incoming redhead, who stopped and looked at Thor surprised.

"Why that is very thoughtful of you but I am not sure if I have time-"
"Oh come on Pepper! When will you get this chance?! Of course you are coming along." Tony cried out, trying to leave no room for argument, but they all knew that if Pepper did not want to go she would not, no matter what anyone said. Pepper frowned as she glanced at Tony, before turning back to Thor and nodding. "I will try my best."

"Do you all think that Agent Coulson will be well enough by then?" Thor asked, voice going soft once again. Thor had visited Coulson once, but after that, he had stayed away. He did not talk much about it, about why he was so hesitant but they had all assumed why by now.

"Perhaps, he has only been able to stay awake for a couple of minutes at a time." Clint informed them, since he was the one to see to him more often. They had all been waiting for Coulson to start becoming more conscious. It was something that they had yet to forgive SHIELD for, if they ever would.

Thor nodded and smiled before he went on to describe more about the wedding ceremony they would have.

It was later that night that Thor made his way outside, to sit out on the balcony, trying to forget how he had fought his brother there. He glanced out at the city, listening to the bustling cars still moving about even though it was past midnight.

"Big guy? What are you doing out here?" Tony asked with a cup of coffee cradle in his hands. He had just come up to stretch out his muscles, when he saw the blonde outside.

"Should you not be sleeping Anthony? I have heard that you do not sleep that often." Thor frowned, turning around to look at Tony better. Tony shrugged and walked over to sit next to the blonde.

"Working on a project, can't sleep until it is done." Tony shrugged, bumping his shoulder with Thor's, before falling into a comfortable silence.

"Anthony, when we came in, there were a number of people saying that we were horrible people for getting married….." Thor muttered, still slightly confused and feeling apprehensive about making Steven get married. He was not convinced that Steven was fine with the wedding, well, as fine as being coerced into getting married one was. Thor wanted them to be happy, as happy as they could be. Perhaps he worried too much, but he had messed up the lives of many other people already…..He couldn't think of his brother without feeling guilty.

"Don't worry about those assholes, they are spiteful people that don't like seeing other people happy. They have nothing else to do with their lives." Tony snorted into his coffee, glaring down the tower to where he could imagine the people still protesting if it was not so cold outside…and late…..

"I assume that Steven does not hold those same extreme views, but…." Thor shifted, nervously, turning to look at Tony, who could not believe that someone like Thor existed. Those sad blue eyes, they really hit home didn't they? It went to show that Loki must really have no heart if he could easily ignore those sad, mournful eyes….they were those of a puppy…..this was one of the reasons why he did not have pets….that and because he would forget to take care of them and have Pepper deal with them most of the time…..

"Rogers might be a stick in the mud about some things, overly sensitive and really into this big moral code, but he is nothing like those people with the posters screaming for the death of all homosexuals." Tony muttered, patting Thor on the arm, hoping that was comforting.

"Are you and Bruce doing well with all of this negativity?" Thor asked which caused Tony to spill his coffee on his pants. He hissed and began to pat at the mess on his pants, because Jesus Christ the coffee had been hot.

"Apologies Anthony! I was not sure if it was a proper question. I just thought that you two-" Tony had to stop Thor from trying to help him with the coffee which had landed a little too close to his crotch.

"It's fine, we aren't…..well….kind of….working on it…" Tony found himself fumbling for words, which made him even more horrified. Thor just smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Speak no more, I understand. Slow is a good thing for I feel that our friend Bruce does not feel overly comfortable yet. Even though you act as if you were, I can see that it will benefit you to take it slow as well. As long as you two are happy, you have my blessing with whatever it is you two decide to pursue." Thor smiled and Tony had to admit that it felt nice to hear that. It made him feel slightly fuzzy inside, to have that declaration been made over whatever it was that was going on between Tony and Bruce. Tony grinned at Thor and stood up, motioning for Thor to follow him back inside. Perhaps, it really was time for Tony to get some sleep. Yes, that sounded about right. Thor wished him a good night before slipping away to his own floor.

Tony was surprised that Thor had noticed, since he always thought as Thor to be, well, not the brightest of the bunch. Yet, he sure was the one to make them all feel so much better, easily. Tony placed his mug on the counter before moving to his room.

….

Steve sighed as he stared out the window, wondering how it was that things changed so fast. He had woken up in a different time, saved the world from an alien invasion and now he was getting married…to a man….for political reasons. At some point he would stop thinking what Bucky would say or what Peggy would think. For now, he couldn't help wondering what it was that they would think, say, if what he was doing was a good thing. Being in the battlefield wash hard, giving out orders, knowing that people could die and that he was the one sending them to their death, so why was this one thing so hard for him. Had he not gone through worse?

"Steve? Thor is heading out back to Asgard….." Bruce trailed off, frowning when he caught sight at the slumped shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked over to stand next to the blonde.

"I just...don't know how to feel about the wedding. I don't know how I'm feeling in general." Steve admitted, voice so soft, afraid anyone else would hear. Bruce nodded, tilting his head to the side before finally speaking. "No one would, how could they be?"

Steve frowned, looking down at the dwindling crowd. It was not huge, not like he was told it had been, but there were still some people outside of the tower. He hated how cruel they were, how they could so easily pass out judgment and try to justify violence against others. He did not believe that God would approve, that anyone should approve of any of that.

"I think people should be allowed to marry whoever they want. They love each other, who is anyone else to tell them differently? But I….I don't feel comfortable marrying another man…..and I feel that if I speak that out loud, I would be hurting people. I….I don't know how to feel better about this...because I know there is nothing wrong with it….. so why do I have a problem with it?" Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair, wishing he didn't feel so guilty and horrible.

"What would you do if it was….let us say Pepper and Natasha? If they loved each other and wanted to get married?"

"I would be happy for them! They should get married, if that is what they really want!" Steve stated as if it was the most obvious thing. If they loved each other, why would Steve protest?

"What about if you were forced to marry Natasha? If the two of you were in this predicament and not Thor."

"I would feel uncomfortable….I don't love her and I don't know what she would expect from me. What would be expected of us!"

Bruce smiled and nodded, patting Steve's arm, "Perhaps, if you really talked to Thor about it, and not listen to anyone else just Thor, you will feel better. The unknown makes us all uncomfortable, scared, unsure, I know."

Steve smiled at Bruce in thanks, but he couldn't help wondering when in the world he would have time to talk to Thor with all the wedding preparations.

…

Steve smiled nervously as Sif stared at him, hands on her hips. She was a force to be reckoned with, very clear cut and to the point. He liked her for that reason; she was a loyal friend and soldier. Still, did not mean she did not slightly intimidate him, since she was so close to Thor it was important for her to like him….tolerate him.

"What do you mean Sif?" He asked her, taking a step back as she peered up at him.

"I wish to know why it is that you have done nothing about those people outside, clearly speaking lies about our fellow warrior brother, Thor. Your soon to be husband." Sif scowled him, crossing her arms instead.

"They are free to share their opinions-"

"I am not asking you to behead them! I am asking why you have not stood up for him, for yourself?" Sif snapped, storming over to him and poking him on the chest. Fandral and Volstagg were behind her, sharing a look. Hogun's face remained impassive, but he could see the slight frown on his lips.

"Come, we will set these people straight. If they wish to speak their mind they must go somewhere else." Sif turned to the others, who shrugged, ready to follow her into whatever battlefield they needed to..

They hurried out, taking the very convenient placed microphone. Steve scoffed and glared at Tony, who just gave him an innocent look. Clint winked at Steve, who immediately followed after Sif and the warrior three.

"Vile monsters standing outside of this peaceful home." Sif started, pausing until the crowd had turned to her and quieted, in confusion.

"We are the Warrior Three and Sif, here to request that you move from this area where you are not welcomed." Fandral chimed in, smiling his charming smile that made some of women and men shift slightly.

"We will not leave until this marriage has been stopped! It is destroying everything that-"

"Silence!" Volstagg bellowed causing the crowd to once again go silent. They did not realize that cameras had begun to show up, wanting to hear what the Asgardians were going to say.

"The marriage between the two great warriors Thor and Steve Rogers has to be celebrated. They have defended you from the forces of villainous beings, yet you stand there insulting them, wishing them death. What kinds of beings wish that upon each other? Upon their heroes?" Sif cried out, trying to glare and make contact to as many people as she could. She turned her head to glance at Steve, glaring at him, before she softened and for the first time, she gave him a soft smile.

"We are honored to have Son of Rogers join us in Asgard, for he has proven himself a warrior and leader. He has been chosen and selected by our Prince and we accept Son of Rogers, a man, as our Prince's groom. And if Midgard won't accept him, Asgard will. If the God that you all speak of, will not accept him, then just know, that when the day comes that Son of Rogers dies bravely in the field, Odin will welcome him in Valhalla with open arms and a huge feast. Because a warrior is measures by his strength and valor, not by who he wishes to live his life with. It is even better if the warrior has someone, be it man or woman, for they will fight three times as hard to keep their happiness safe. With that, we demand you all leave here and we will stand here until every single one of you leaves." Sif called out, lowering the microphone to glare out at the crowd. She was not kidding; they would stand there and watch until everyone was gone. They perhaps, could do nothing about all of Midgard, but here, where Thor would live and spend his time at, he would find peace. They all would.

Steve looked at the four of them, in slight awe. This had been their acceptance of him and he couldn't keep from smiling brightly at them. After that, Steve and the others made sure to tell the people off from coming around the Tower.

….

Frigga lowered her knitting needles and stared at her son, Thor. He had been running about, getting everything prepared, so worried about making everything perfect. If he was not here then he was in Midgard helping fight off whatever was trying to destroy Midgard that day. He was putting on so much pressure on himself. It worried her. How could a mother not worry about her son?

"Mother?" Thor frowned as he found himself staring at his mother, who just smiled, looking up from her knitting. He raised his head and looked around, making sure that indeed, he was in his room in Asgard, and not in Midgard on a sofa.

"Preparing for the wedding has been tiring, has it not? Especially when you have to travel back and forth between Midgard and Asgard." She sighed, putting her weaving down to look at Thor's face. The sleep had done him good; he did not look as pale as he had before.

"Are you well, with all of this?"

"I have gotten used to the idea." Thor mused, turning to his side to look at his mother, giving her a smile. She smiled back at him. "The wedding will go without a hitch and I am sure your wedding will be blessed."

Thor remained quiet at that for a couple of seconds, before nodding and uttering a soft, "thank you."

…

Steve ran a hand through his hair as he stared at all the flowers in front of him. He was actually being asked about all of these things? Did it matter? The final decision was held by some other government body that was inviting everyone on Earth, by the looks of it. He understood that the wedding was not about Thor and him, at all. Nevertheless he was being bombarded by all these questions about flowers, colors, food, vows, time, who to invite and on and on and on…..he actually looked forward when they were called to save the world. Whatever took him away from all the wedding preparations. Even if it just made him feel even more and more tired as each day passed.

He glowered at the many magazines been pushed at his face, before he pushed away from it all. He sighed in relief when Tony sauntered in, grinning from ear to ear, Pepper next to him shaking her head.

"We have the honeymoon all ready to go." He cried out, presenting Steve with an envelope. Steve stared at the other, eyes wide as he took the envelope and looked inside, before taking out the tickets to Hawaii.

"What?"

"Well, there has to be a honeymoon! You two have to fully consummate the marriage." Tony teased, causing Steve to turn bright red, before he cleared his throat, "there will be no consummating of the marriage and even if there were that is none of your business."

"So easy to get you all riled up." Tony smugly replied, grinning at Pepper, before strolling away, feeling good about himself.

"It was decided that you needed a vacation, so the whole trip has been planned out. Don't worry; there are separate rooms, each with their own private bathroom. Figured after the wedding, you two would like to escape all the craziness." Pepper explained as Natasha came down to plop next to Steve.

Steve paled at that, but he was thankful. A vacation did sound nice.

"Now, we already know that the flowers are going to be red and blue, and probably some golden ones thrown in there. Why are you still here?" Natasha glared at the wedding planners still in the room, who quickly fled.

"God, thank you."

…..

Steve smirked as he caught sight of the others trying to keep their composure as they traveled through the bridge. Thor was there, waiting for them all, arms open.

"You have all made it! Come! We shall show you to your rooms!" Thor beamed, pulling Steve with him while the others followed after them. It was a sight to see and Thor smiled smugly at the obvious awe on their faces. Steve said nothing, understanding the awe feeling that had yet to fully leave him. Asgard was an amazing sight.

"Were the wedding preparations here as crazy as those on Earth?" Tony asked as they made their way into the hallways.

"They have been terribly tiring. Did not expect for there to be many arrangements to be made. But I do believe that you shall all enjoy it." Thor had started out tired but his voice picked up at the end, smiling at them all. Steve could see that tiredness in Thor's eyes and there was a lingering sadness on Thor's smile, but Steve didn't mention it.

"Not sure if you know, but they have given us a two week vacation after our wedding on Earth." Steve told Thor as they took a stroll around the garden after the banquet.

"That sounds delightful! I look forward to this vacation, where will we be headed?" Thor asked, eyes bright as he turned to Steve.

"An Island called Hawaii. It is a beautiful place."

Steve enjoyed seeing Thor looking so happy and excited, a better look than that tired and sad one he had earlier.

"Prince Thor, it is getting late. It is time to sleep, tomorrow morning everyone must wake early."

Thor frowned before nodding, bidding Steve good night before leaving for his room. Steve sighed and glanced up at the sky, before following the other guard back. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

….

The sun was peeking over the horizon, making the sky lighten with a beautiful orange color. It was breathtaking, it always was and Thor took its beauty, as a single man, for the last time. He had thought about marriage, about it happening in the future, when he would be ready. Was he ready now? Well, it didn't really matter did it? He could not back out, everything was planned already. It had to go through without a hitch. He just hoped that Steve was well, that he was not having too much trouble. He couldn't help being worried about him, about it all. Thor had yet to stop feeling guilty for pulling Steve into this, who was being so amicable over everything. More than anyone else would have. Thor was surprised at himself, to be honest, the fact that he was taking all these and going through it. He only destroyed his room about five times.

Thor was startled out of his musings by a knock on his door. It was time.

He was the first to go to the hot springs, letting the hot waters relax him. Frandral and Volstagg were laughing at the edge of the hot springs.

"You are going to be a married man. Going to have to remember to keep your hair well brushed, for you don't wish Steven to leave you for another?" Fandral teased him, causing Thor to shoot him a mock glare. He was happy that they were getting along with Steve, the beginning had been so tense, but now they were able to joke around about it and with Steve. It still was not the same for they did not have the same experiences they did with Thor, but they were at least amicable.

Thor couldn't stay long inside, since Steve had to also take the ritual bath and Thor had to have his hair braided. He shifted nervously as his mother was the one to braid his hair, while Sif stood there, nodding at him. He had two medium sized braids one on each side of his temple, that connected behind his head, before intertwining together with a ribbon.

The armor came next and Thor couldn't help wondering how Steve would look in the similar style armor that had been made for him. He was startled out of his thoughts as in stepped Happy, grinning wide as he procured a box, stepping over to give it to Thor. Thor gently picked up the box and opened it up to reveal the arm bracelet, a beautiful silver band, with a simple decoration of elegant swirls. Thor gave a soft laughed as he asked for Happy to help clasp the band on his arm. Thor gingerly touched the band, smiling softly as he traced the swirls.

Frigga and Sif shared a soft smile.

…

Meanwhile, Steve was going through the same thing, but he was not enjoying the hot springs as much as Thor had. He was way too nervous to really relax.

"You need to relax. The wedding is going to happen and then you'll be a married man. It is all downhill from there. Trust me." Tony shook his head, leaning back, enjoying the hot spring. Clint was ignoring them, eyes closed as he leaned back and relaxed. Steve shot them a glare, not finding the words to be encouraging at all. At all.

Steve was ushered out and dressed into his armor. He had been nervous about how it would look but it looked like Thor's usual uniform. The pants were the same blue as Steve's suit, while the top was made of red padded leather. The metal armor clasped at the top and around his waist. He even had a red cape and a helmet with wings attached to the sides. The others were wearing similar armor, except they were purely black and had no cape, which made Tony pout. The last thing to be placed was the arm band, which lay on a silk pillow. Steve gingerly picked it up, taking in the many runes which he was told spelled out his name. The knots that decorated the rest of the band seem to look like stars, and this made Steve smile.

….

Thor took a deep breath as he peered into the room, waiting for the trumpets to start. He saw his brother standing by their mother, Sigyn standing by his side. This made Thor smile, making him feel slightly better. Stupid, knowing the tricks Loki could pull….but he couldn't help it. A part of him would always be his brother, no matter how much he had changed. He was startled as the trumpets sounded and it reminded him of his coronation ceremony. Both Loki and Frigga has told him that time, that it was fine to be nervous, and it made him feel better thinking about them.

He squared his shoulders and walked down, waving and cheering along with the others. He nodded to his friends, both the Warrior Three and Sif, and the Avengers. Pepper was there too, arm wrapped around Happy, both of them smiling at him. He stopped in front of Odin's throne, before turning around to watch as Steve walked down the aisle. It was surreal seeing Steve coming down in a similar armor and helmet as his, it made something in Thor flutter. He was not sure what it was, but he couldn't keep his cheeks from flushing nor his smile from widening. He cared for Steven and Thor could not think of anyone else he would rather be with at that moment.

Steve smiled nervously as he made his way down to where Thor stood. He nodded to Thor, who reached out to take his hand, squeezing it to give him comfort. Steve hoped he did not mess any of this up, knowing that it was important to give a good impression. That and no one would ever let him live it down. Meaning Tony.

The ceremony started with Odin welcoming everyone to the wedding.

"Today we unite these two men, wishing them prosperity, wealth, health and honor. May they honor their vows to the best of their abilities. The universe has brought them together and the Norns see it all."

The exchange of the swords was done as Odin talked which Steve was thankful for. It meant the ceremony was that much shorter. He turned to look at Tony who was chosen, or more like, chose himself as the sword bearer. He strolled up, sword in his hands.

Loki was chosen from Thor's side, and he looked just peachy being there. Sigyn smiled as she accompanied him to give Thor his sword. He smiled brightly at them, but only Sigyn returned the smile, Loki just huffed and slipped back to his spot.

Thor was first, to offer the sword up to Steve. It had belonged to his father; it had been broken but made anew by the dwarves. The hilt was sculpted in the shape of a wolf, teeth sinking into the blade, keeping it in place. The rest was decorated with beautiful knot designs. A ring laid on the top of the hilt, decorated like the arm band, with runes and swirls resembling stars. Steve ran a finger down the edge of the blade, marveling at its beauty. Thor reached over to pluck the ring from the sword's hilt before Clint stepped up to take the sword. Thor took the ring, while the sword was picked up by Clint, who stepped back to his place. Thor then slowly slipped the ring into Steve's fingers, neither unable to keep their faces from turning a bright shade of red.

Steve was second to offer his sword, a beautiful intricate silver sword. The hilt was decorated with the symbol of Thor's hammer, with two ravens at the edges. The ring sat at the top of the hilt, glistening in gold and silver, decorated with simple swirls. He gave the sword to Thor but made sure to keep the ring. He watched as Thor took a moment to run his hand over the hilt, smiling the whole time, before giving it to Hogun to take back to his place. Steve smiled as he slipped his own ring onto Thor's finger.

The whole crowd erupted in cheers, not even allowing for Odin to be heard as he gave the last of his blessings. Tony and Clint whistled as they also joined in on the cheering. Thor grinned at Steve and locked his elbow with his, dragging him down the aisle, waving and laughing the whole time. Steve couldn't keep himself from laughing as well, shooting smiles at people.

Before they stepped into the banquet hall, Steve was abruptly stopped, reminding him that Thor had to step in first. He took Thor's hand as he was helped into the room, thankful that he did not trip. That was apparently a bad omen; they really did not need any of those. Things were going to be chaotic enough as they were, they did not need any bad omens to add to it.

The two watched as everyone began to party, drinking and grabbing as much as they could. Tony was drinking down some mead along with Clint. Bruce was taking it slower, poking at some of the food with Natasha. Pepper and Happy were talking to each other, heads close to each other.

"We are now married Steven. How does it feel?" Thor inquired, turning to look for Steve, only to find him gone from his side. He looked around a bit worried, before smiling in relief when he saw Steve make his way over to him, bowl in hand. The others seem to notice the moment and immediately quieted. It was tradition for the wife to give her husband a cup of mead, but no one, not even Thor, had expected for the tradition to happen. Steve was no woman and even if he had been, Thor was sure that Sif would not have gone along with tradition if she did not want to. Thor took the cup and offered it to Odin before drinking and passing it to Steve. Steve offered the drink to Frigga, before finishing the rest.

Steve knew that this tradition was left to the women but he didn't see a difference between a man or a woman doing it. It was to show that he would support Thor however he could.

The last thing before the marriage was final was the sharing of the hammer. It was a symbol of fertility, which did not matter between the two of them, but Thor and Steve shared a look. Steve shrugged and sat down, motioning for Thor to give him the hammer. The others laughed as they watched Thor hand Steve the hammer, expecting Steve to fall forward with its weight….but he didn't. He held the hammer up causing silence to fall upon the room before cheers suddenly erupted. Steve was confused and looked at Thor, puzzled. There seemed to be a number of emotions passing through Thor's face, before settling into a dazzling smile.

"Congratulations, you are now part of the Asgards." Thor smiled warmly at Steve, who was finally able to take a deep breath and smile back.

They still had, however, one more wedding ceremony to get through.

…

They had had a day of so call rest, but it really was more of a last minute fitting, arrangements, fixing any problems that had risen.

Steve stared out at the ocean, frowning as he thought about the ceremony they were going through today. He was nervous yes, but this ceremony he was more comfortable with. He was already married in another world; this would seal it in his own world. He really was beginning to see this as a good thing. Things would work themselves out. He was still hesitant of course, with so many new things, but so far everything had worked out.

It was the morning of their second wedding and Thor groaned as the knock on his door woke him up. He stumbled out of the bed and allowed for the hairdresser to come in. His hair was the first thing to be done; it had to be re-braided to make sure his hair remained in place. He winced a few times as it was tugged a little too tightly. Next was the suit, which was a pristine white, Thor hoped that nothing dirtied it. He figured that the wedding planner would not be too happy with them if that were to occur. He saw the white as a sign of peace, even though he also had been told about the white being the color of the bride. Thor did not pay attention to this, for perhaps it was a symbol of the bride, but was that really important? Thor smiled as he pressed his vest down, liking the way the suit fit him.

…

Steve had to stop himself from running a hand through his hair, knowing that the hairdresser would have a fit if he did. Instead he played with his bow tie, shifting it to the right then to the left, before tugging at his jacket. He knew that in minutes he would have to walk down the aisle where there were people he did not know, peering at him. He had always wanted his wedding to be a small, personal thing, just the two people. He sighed as Bruce came to get him to start the ceremony.

It was all a blur, for Steve could barely focus, but he made sure to smile as his friends walked down the aisle. Natasha wore a navy blue dress, her arm wrapped around Clint's as they seemed to float down the aisle. Pepper and Happy followed after them and it made Steve wonder if perhaps the next wedding he would be present in would be theirs. Tony walked down the aisle, grinning and fixing his bowtie as he went while Bruce stiffly walked next to him. Sif walked down on her own, navy blue silk dress making her look even more warrior like, if that was even possible. Fandral and Hogun walked behind her, while Volstagg walked behind them, the three wore a tux and it made Steve smile. They nodded at him, before taking their rightful places on the sides.

They had wanted to have some royals as part of the bridesmaid and groomsmen, but that had been something that Steve had put his foot down on.

Thor was the last to make his debut, walking behind his parents, who both nodded at Steve before stepping to take a seat. Steve smiled wide, feeling his cheeks flushing but being here, seeing Thor beaming at him, it made Steve feel relieved. Had he been afraid that the wedding would be called off? Even after already being married? Yes, he had, and he wasn't sure if it had been fear at not being married to Thor or fear over the alliance….he wasn't sure but he did not dwell on it….it really wasn't important at the moment.

The exchange of the rings had Clint this time, walking over to give Steve the ring while it was Sif who came from Thor's side, to offer him the ring.

"I, Steve Rogers, take you, Thor Odinson, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Steve turned even redder as he slipped the ring into Thor's finger, smiling as he saw the two bands connect. He slowly let the Thor's hand go, only to have Thor take his hand instead.

"I, Thor Odinson, take you, Steve Rogers, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Thor repeated, glad that he did not forget the vows, slipping the ring onto Steve's finger.

"I now pronounce you, husband and husband. You may kiss the groom."

The crowd cheered while Steve looked on horrified. Thor laughed merrily, reaching over to press a kiss to Steve's cheek, having heard from Anthony that it was a bad omen to finish a wedding without a kiss. Thor wished for their marriage, even If it was not a real marriage between a couple, to be a good marriage. Steve jumped up startled at the gesture but he could not do or say much since Thor was slipping his hand into Steve's and guiding him down the aisle.

There were pictures, lots of pictures. Steve was not amused with all of the pictures but Thor seemed to enjoy being in the limelight, laughing and smiling the whole time. It was Thor's joy that made Steve smile for each of the pictures and guests.

"Isn't this extravagant!" Tony cried out, raising up his glass to the two of them. Bruce smiled at them, taking a sip of his glass of champagne.

"It is over! You two are finally fully married. How does it feel?" Clint asked, waggling his eyebrows at the two.

"I am relieved and cannot wait for the vacation that Anthony promised us. I believe that sleep is something we all are in much need of." Thor grinned, arm slinging over Steve's shoulders. At the reminder about their lack of sleep, Steve felt himself suddenly grow tired, but Tony and Clint had other ideas.

"Cake! Cake!" "No, the first dance is first!" Tony grinned, while Steve looked at Tony and Clint with horrified faces.
"Ahh, cake, I love cake. I like the sound of cake." Thor eagerly added, following after Clint who was hollering that it was cake time. Tony whined that he had lost to cake, while the others followed. Pepper sighed because really, did they not remember that they had so many guests and many of those were important people? Though, she had to admit that she did not like how the wedding had been fully planned by someone else. No one could deny that the red roses and the blue tulips were beautiful and classy. It also screamed out America, which was very much intentional. This made her wrinkle her nose, but Happy squeezed her hand and that had her smiling.

The cake was a masterpiece, had to be to feed the 500 guests that were invited. It was nice to see Thor so excited to learn and be part of all the traditions while Steve just stood there, clearly uncomfortable. Thor took Steve's hand and eagerly cut the cake, and it was amusing to see Steve stand there while Thor fretted over him. Bruce brought up how it was tradition for the couple to feed each other cake, which Thor was all up for, he was grabbing a spoon and feeding Steve cake before the other knew what was going on. Pepper had to stifle a laugh as she watched Thor open his mouth wide as Steve spoon fed him a piece of the cake; the Captain was bright red during the whole thing of course.

The dance was next, much to Tony's pushing. Steve found himself being led to the dance floor by a hyper Thor, who had way too much cake. Steve had tried to keep Thor from consuming too much sugar but there had been no stopping the other.

"I must admit that the wedding has turned out to be a good one, Steven. Your traditions are very entertaining." Thor beamed, fumbling a bit at the beginning of the dance before falling into Steve's lead. It was not the first time he had followed Steven, and it would not be the last. Steve glanced around, smiling slightly as he caught side of Natasha gently swaying with Clint while Pepper and Happy were smiling happily at each other. He turned his head and was surprised to see Tony and Bruce, wrapped up in each other's arms. Thor glanced over at what had Steve's attention, beaming once he saw the two dancing.

"I see they are finally being more public about their relationship." Thor nodded in approval causing Steve to look at him surprised.

"Have you not noticed the way that Anthony dotes upon Bruce and how Bruce has become more open with Anthony? Look at the way they look at each other. It is beautiful, is it not?" Thor turned to smile at Steve, who couldn't look away from the other two, before he nodded.

"It is beautiful. As long as they are happy, right?"

"As long as they are happy, my friend."

They both smiled brightly at each other.

…..

Thor propped his head on his hands, staring out at the ocean. The sun was setting and Thor could not think of doing anything better than just relaxing, staring at the beauty before him. After all the partying they had done and the rushing about of the past three months. All the emotional turmoil, the fights, the tensions….it had all melted away….leaving Thor to stare out at the horizon and just be. If only for the moment.

Steve leaned next to him, propping his arms on the rail, smiling as he stared out at the ocean as well. Neither said anything, there was nothing to say at the moment. They just enjoyed the silence, staring out until the sun had fully set, making the sky a navy blue color.

Thor glanced up at the night sky, looking at all of the stars, smiling tenderly the whole time.

"Thinking of home?" Steve asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Pondring over everything, the world, the sky…everything." Thor breathed out, closing his eyes for a second, before opening them to focus on Steve.

"Let's call for them to bring us some food?" Steve asked with a grin, motioning for them to go back inside. Thor grinned and took off back inside with Steve tailing after him.

"Perhaps we can request for some of the Hawaiian pizza, does it not hail from this area of Earth?" Thor asked, plopping down on the sofa with the menu in hand.

"I don't think that that type of pizza is called Hawaiian because it is made here." Steve frowned, sitting down next to Thor, to look at the menu as well.

"Oh, well, perhaps we should just order this…Chicken long rice?"

Steve had to admit that the Chicken long rice had been delicious.

The next day they set out to the beach, enjoying the fact that he could sit on the porch while Thor splashed around in the water. Steve couldn't keep from smiling as he watched Thor shake his head to shake off water from his hair, reminded Steve of a puppy.

"Will you not swim with me, Steven? Come! The water feels magnificent!" Thor walked over, eyes pleading and Steve found himself realizing that being married to Thor would be a real challenge. Saying no to those eyes? How could anyone say no to those eyes? Steve found himself trailing after Thor and into the water. He tackled the bigger blonde into the water, laughing as they wrestled around, until they had to drag themselves onto the sand to catch their breath.

Steve smiled as he turned his head to look at Thor, who was beginning to doze off on the beach. He allowed himself a few minutes of just staring at the other, the peaceful smile and the matted hair….it was a sight to see. "Hey, come on, let's go inside." Steve reached over and poked Thor, who let out a small whine, before he sat, wincing when he felt the sand in his hair. Steve chuckled and stood up, helping Thor up before moving back inside.

"I do not enjoy the sand in my hair. It is mighty uncomfortable. I shall shower." Thor declared, making his way to his bathroom. Steve decided to take a shower as well, going to his own bathroom, only taking a couple of minutes to be done. He was preparing something to eat and looking at the clock, wondering what it was that was taking Thor this long? Steve felt slightly worried after an hour went by and still no Thor.

"Thor? Are you ok in there?" He knocked at the door, stepping back as a shirtless Thor opened the door. He had his hair wrapped up in a towel, with a frown.

"I have finally removed all sand from my hair, except, now it is all tangled."

Steve was surprised that Thor took that long because he was washing his hair, but Steve had to admit that Thor had more hair than Steve. Now that he thought about it, Thor's hair always did look immaculate.

"Well, food is ready, how about we eat while you let your hair dry?" Steve proposed already heading back to the kitchen. Thor brightened at the mention of food, walking over to eat some of the rice Steve had made. There was a movie playing…..Thor frowned as he tried to piece together what was going on since he had missed the beginning. Steve filled in the beginning for Thor, explaining who was who and why that guy from the Harry Potter movies was keeping everyone hostage.

It didn't feel like a marriage, at least, it didn't feel any different from what they usually did when they were together. Steve felt himself relax more and more with each passing hour. He glanced at Thor, who was having some trouble with brushing his hair.

"Want me to help you?" he found himself asking, without wanting to. He felt his cheeks flushed as Thor eagerly nodded, handing him the brush.

"I would gladly accept your assistance. There are too many knots in my hair."

Steve smiled as he put the brush down and began very gently running his hands through Thor's hair. Of course it was soft and silky, Steve expected it to be so.

"Let me know if I'm hurting you." He muttered as he picked at the knots, untangling the hair, little by little. Thor was smiling, eyes closed as he relaxed under Steve's hands, humming softly under his breath. They felt into a comfortable silence, letting the television run in the background. Steve was too focused on his task, falling into the relaxing rhythm of running his hand through Thor's hair before using the brush. Thor was goo under Steve's hands, Steve even wondered if Thor had fallen asleep, but Thor yawning gave him his answer.

"I think it is someone's bedtime." Steve smiled, putting the brush down and leaning back, watching as Thor shook his head, letting his hair fly around before falling over his shoulders, naturally.

"Could you perhaps braid some of my hair?" Thor inquired, turning his head to peer at Steve. Steve figured that Thor had perfected that look from living as a prince, asking people to do things for him.

"I never really had to braid anyone's hair. But I'll give it a try." Steve shrugged, reaching out to grab some of Thor's hair, trying to do the tiny braids he remembered seeing Thor wear. After a couple of minutes Steve leaned back, wincing as he looked at the crooked braids that didn't look like how Thor usually wore them. Of course, Thor just chuckled and said that he loved them, before heading to bed.

Steve liked it there, it was simple. They were two friends, hanging out, there were no expectations. Steve didn't wish to think about that, but he couldn't help worrying about how things would be once they went back. They avoided going out and interacting with too many people, nor did they watch the news. They wanted to get away from the mess that was their lives.

Thor stared at the TV, eyes narrowing as he watched a trailer for one of the movies. "Steven! We will journey to this theater and watch this film. It is interesting, for it speaks about villains that are not villains. I feel it would help me better understand my brother, perhaps? I also find the characters to look rather entertaining."

Steve understood that Thor didn't mean to force them to go out, he was just used to having things done his way. Thor was used to saying that he wanted to go somewhere or wanted something and he would get it. Nevertheless, Steve had to admit that he did wish to see the movie as well so perhaps this one time he would concede and agree that yes they would go watch the movie.

Thor was smiling brightly, and Steve assumed that Thor could feel the stares, how could he not? Steve wasn't as good as Thor at ignoring them. He smiled nervously, but Thor just walked along, bumping his shoulder with Steve's, pointing out how the weather was perfect. Not too hot nor was it cold and really, how excited he was at seeing these creatures, the dolphins. Thor had been really excited when he heard about the dolphins and being able to pet them.

"Ohh, Steven, do you wish to get some nourishment for the film? Perhaps the large popcorn with butter? And a large soda? Yes? That is correct?" Thor looked from Steve to the cashier, both nodding.

Steve flushed as he glanced at Thor a couple of times, watching as the other tried to keep his sobs muffled. Steve had to admit that he shed a couple of tears at certain parts, though he was not so sure that Loki was going through similar things as the villains of Wreck-it Ralph. Steve thought that it was wonderful how much Thor loved his brother, but…..Loki would only keep on hurting not only Thor, but other people too.

"That was a beautiful film. I wish to own it once it has become available in the form of….a DVD." Thor fumbled a bit before smiling and tugging Steve down the streets. The stares were still there, but Steve found himself beginning to ignore them.

That night, Steve once again helped Thor with his hair. This time it was a lot easier to untangle it and have it be silky smooth. He didn't try his luck at braiding it this time.

The visit to the dolphin area the next day, was eventful to say the least. Thor had been so excited and energetic, getting into the water with the dolphins. He had never been in contact with these creatures but as he got closer to the dolphin, he began to shift nervously. They seemed so much more different up close, with their long snouts and beady eyes, and tiny little teeth. Thor frowned as he very hesitantly reached forward, jumping back as one of the dolphins screeched out and Thor was sure that it was not happy. The handlers said the opposite, meanwhile Steve watched the whole thing, trying not to laugh as Thor finally touched the dolphin, seeing the apprehension melt away until the dolphin dived down and away. Thor couldn't help jumping slightly back but then he laughed merrily. It had been a good day, but there was no way that they were doing the shark feeding. Nope. Thor pouted but Steve remained firm over that.

The next thing on their list was a tour of the volcanoes. Thor on their walk through the National Park began telling Steve of Surtr, who came from the older generations, those from which his father Odin came from. Thor had not seen much of him but he was in charge of the fires, just like the volcanoes they were visiting. Steve listened intently, smiling the whole time, happy to be out and away from onlookers. They stopped at one of the benches, where Steve sat down to make some sketches, while Thor just laid back, eyes closed and enjoyed nature.

"I will miss this. Perhaps we could come again?" Thor turned to Steve on their last night there. Steve did not think why they couldn't come again, if they had nothing to do.

"Hmm, I think so too. Next time, we'll try the surfing." Steve mused as he ran his hand through Thor's hair, untangling it. It had been a good vacation and now it was time to go back to the real world.

….

"So tell me, give me all the juicy details." Tony teased as he bombarded them the moment they arrived. Bruce rolled his eyes but did not stop Tony, because yes, he was curious as well.

"It was a very magnificent place. I thank you for sending us there. We traveled through a forest to look at this huge mountain of fire!" Thor cried out, arms swinging wide as he turned to Steve and winked at him.

"I'm going to go and sleep, all the traveling has made me tired." Steve muttered, slipping away, letting Thor to dramatize their trip however he wished. Though, he should have stayed around for when Thor told about his epic adventure with the sea monster the Dolphin. According to Natasha it had been a really exciting tale.

…

Marriage life was nothing special for them. They were not sure what they had expected it to be, but it ended up being….normal. Steve had been so apprehensive about what this would mean, them being married, but sure there were changes, after all, now he had an obligation to visit Asgard and report back to the United Nations. Besides the added job operations, his relationship with Thor was….not the same but better. They were closer than they had been before, how could they not be, they were married. But there was no pressure about expectations. Not anymore than they had at least when it came to being on the team.

"What are we watching tonight?" Tony called as he came into the kitchen, pausing when he saw Thor at the stove. Clint was sitting on the counter, munching on some chips, which had Thor frowning at him.

"The pancakes will soon be ready to be eaten. Please do not feed upon those small fried potatoes." Thor huffed at Clint, before turning to look at Tony, expectantly.

"Does your apron say Thor-tilla? You know how to cook?" Tony asked, flabbergasted, unable to really understand what was happening. Did he step into the twilight zone? Maybe this was a dream, yes, a dream….this is what this was….Tony pinched and winced but Thor was still there, very much at the stove with an apron, looking at Tony, amused. Tony slapped Clint's hand who had reached over to pinch him. Clint just grinned.

"Indeed it is and indeed I do. I have learned to make these flatten bread like food you all call pancakes! I have experimented with adding chocolate chips, bananas and strawberries." Thor beamed proudly, motioning to the huge stack of pancakes already made. Tony just stared at them before turning to look at Clint, who just shrugged, before he whined as the chip bag was taken from him.

"No more little fritters for you. We shall be dining these pancakes as you call them. Once we have all settled to watch the chosen film." Thor stated, shifting to put the chips up in a high place. Not like they couldn't get it from there but it would take more work than just raising one's hand.

"Are we ready for the movie? Who is picking it?" Natasha asked as she strolled into the kitchen, going to fridge to take out the apple juice. She turned around to look at Tony, who was motioning to Thor, wanting her opinion on this.

"What? Thor is learning how to cook, it is a good thing. At least someone here is making an effort." Natasha shrugged as if it was an everyday thing and you know, Tony figured that hey, why not. Might as well let it go…..

"Why are we all congregating here?" Steve asked, poking his head inside, looking at everyone, curiously. His face brightened when he caught sight of Thor, and Thor of course beamed in returned. The others shared a look but Tony once again, pointed to the cooking Thor.

"Your husband is cooking us pancakes!"
"Get your own husband." Steve shot back as he made his way to the stack of pancakes.

"I am always being left out, what are we doing?" Bruce shuffled along, eyebrow raised, before he noticed the pancakes and he began making his way over to them. "Well, no one told me we were having pancakes."

This of course had everyone rushing to get their own pancakes. Thor laughed and returned to finishing the last of the pancakes.

"Alright, I think we should watch the Indian Jones movies or should we do the Lord of the Rings?"

Thor served Steve his plate, which did not go unnoticed by Natasha but she said nothing. "Lord of the Rings. It will prepare us for the Hobbit."

They all made their way to the living room, pancakes and drinks in tow. Coulson was already there, curled up on the main large couch, smiling tiredly. He was still very tired with the new heart transplant; he had to slowly work up to doing normal work. But he was managing and they were all there for him. Natasha and Clint curled up around him, passing him his own plate of pancakes.

Tony and Bruce took the other couch on the right, Tony sprawling on Bruce's lap. On the left were Steve and Thor, sharing another couch.

It was a normal routine by now, towards the end of the first movie, Thor was sitting on the ground while Steve ran his hands through his hair, braiding it. The others glanced at them, here and there, but the other two paid no attention, focused on the movie. Tony was going to say something but Bruce elbowed him. They all ended up falling asleep during the second movie.

….

"Thor! Don't!" Steve cried out but it was too late, Thor was racing after Loki. He was going to try and reason with him, when there was nothing to reason with. Loki would not see reason, but Thor would never give up. Steve admired that, but Loki would not hesitate to hurt Thor, not just physically.

Thor landed in front of his brother, who just threw his head back and laughed. "Always rushing in without thinking!" Thor was startled out of his thoughts as the ground below him began to shake.

"Stop this brother. Come home, I've thought you've given up these wild thoughts." Thor pleaded, trying to keep his balance and get to his brother.

"You have always been so easy to fool, brother. Wanting only to see the best of me."

The earth under Thor crumbled, causing him to yelp as he fell down the crevice, hammer whirling to try to get him up. Before Loki could blast Thor with his staff, Tony was blasting Loki away. Thor settled back onto solid ground as Loki glared at them and vanished.

"You left your husband pretty pissed off. You are going to be sleeping in the couch this time." Tony grinned as he turned to Thor, who only stared at Tony in confusion. "I do not understand. I have my own quarters, why may I not sleep in them?" Tony just sighed and shook his head. He was right though, Steve had definitely not been amused.

"What the hell were you thinking? I gave explicit orders to stay with the team, Thor." Steve hissed, glaring angrily at Thor, who only crossed his arms.

"I could not let my brother escape!"

"No, but we needed your help keeping the giant whatever those were at bay!" Steve snapped glared at Thor, crossing his own arms.

"I had complete faith you could all handle them."
"That is not how it works. Besides you could have gotten seriously hurt."
"it is part of defending the Earth." Thor retorted, eyes narrowing as he stood to his full height. Steve did not back down, standing up as well, glaring at the blonde.

"Oh god, come off it. Just tell him that you were worried sick about him being hurt that your heart stopped and that you would die if he ever got hurt." Tony cried out, exasperated, grabbing his mug of coffee before stomping to his office. "And if you are going to argue at least doing it in your own room before you break something." He hollered, sticking his head back in, before finally leaving them alone.

Steve sighed, deflating but Thor was still not amused. "I really wish you were more careful."

Thor sighed, finally deflating as well. "I apologize for worrying you and the others. I do have a habit of rushing into things."

Steve shook his head, giving Thor a tiny smile, patting his arm. "Come on, let us get ready for bed, it has been a long day."

…..

Thor rushed to the emergency room, eyes wide, panicked. "Is he well?" Thor asked Coulson, the first one for him to see.

"You are also wounded, you should get it checked." Coulson muttered, noticing the wound on Thor's side, but Thor didn't care about that, he needed to know about Steve.

"Is he well?" He pressed one more time, causing Coulson to sigh and nod.

"He is fine, had to be stitched up but nothing critical."

Thor finally sagged in relief, nodding in thanks at Coulson, before he was also ushered out to be bandaged up. After what felt like an eternity, Thor made his way to Steve's room. He watched the other, smiling softly at how peaceful the other looked there. He had been terrified when he found out that he had been seriously injured, his reaction had been much more intense than he had expected. He cared for his friends, but Steve….he couldn't help finding himself feeling more strongly about him than the others.

Steve woke up hours later, to Thor's head propped up on his arms, eyes closed. Sleeping. Thor had fallen asleep by his bedside and that made Steve feel good. It was nice. Beyond nice.

"Mr. Rogers, sorry to disturb you, we were looking for your husband." A nurse cut in, glancing fondly at Thor. Steve was startled out of his thoughts, remembering that yes, indeed, Thor was his husband. It was true that there was no way they did not get comments from the others about it, nor did news stop their commentary on them, but it was still very much new to Steve…..hearing Thor being called his husband. Or even weirder yes, Thor Rogers Odinson.

"Is he ok?" Steve asked, finally noticing some bandages on the other's arm and side.

"Yes, just need to make sure that his wounds have closed." The nurse smiled warmly.

Steve woke Thor up, who quickly began looking Steve over, making sure he was fine.

"I am fine, but you also got hurt." Steve pointed out, looking at the bandages worriedly. The nurse made herself known but Thor clearly stated that he could have his bandages changed there, couldn't he? The nurse, looking between Steve and Thor, almost cooed at them, before nodding and rushing to get the bandages.

Thor reached over and grabbed Steve's hand. "I am relieved to know that you are well, Steven." Steve felt his cheeks heat up but his response was cut off by the nurse coming in to fuss over Thor.

…

Steve smiled a bit nervously as he looked around. Once again, not being able to get drunk was rearing its ugly head and making him feel uncomfortable. Asgard was always jovial place, full of drinking and merry making. Well, at least during the banquets and the banquets were plenty.

"Steven." Steve turned around, surprised, locking eyes with Frigga. Frigga smiled softly at him, taking a seat next to him.

"You seem to be on edge." She added, glancing over at Thor who was laughing and singing with the Warrior Three and Sif. Steve shrugged, taking a sip of his mead; slowly he was getting a hang of the mead.

"Yes, I am fine, jus…feels different." Steve smiled brightly but Frigga would not be fooled. "Thor, I think Steven is tired." Frigga called out, the room quieted enough for Thor to hear and stop to focus on her. He apologized to the others before moving over and hugging his mother.

"It is getting late, come Steven, we should retire." Steve wanted to protest, but Thor was already tugging him up and leading him away.

"You are encouraging this." Odin frowned as he moved to stand behind her. She glanced at him but remained quiet. She had seen things and she wanted her son to be happy, and Steve made him happy. Everyone could see that. Besides, Mjolnir had made it clear she approved of Steven, who was she to think differently.

"One of your best decisions, All Father." She sniffed, before also retiring.

Steve knew that Odin was not overly fond of him. He accepted him, found him worthy enough to be there. The fact that he could hold Mjolnir made him worthy for many Asgardians now. He wasn't scrutinized like before, still there were some that looked down at him. Never around Thor though, because they knew would he not stand for it. Neither would they do it if one of the Warrior Three or Sif was around.

"Your father does not like me." Steve muttered as he brushed Thor's hair. Thor hummed softly as he relaxed under the other's hands.

"Nonsense, he would not have allowed for our marriage if that was the case."

Steve knew that was true, to an extent. Odin liked him, enough to let him marry Thor. Saw him fitting for the role, but something was making him more distant and cold. More critical and Steve could not pin point what it was. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Thor, who's head had fallen onto Steve's lap, asleep. Steve sighed and shook his head. This was becoming more and more common, Thor falling asleep as Steve brushed his hair. By this point, Steve just maneuvered them to the bed, before tucking them both in. The first time Steve had thought it would be an awkward morning but Thor had barely bat an eyelash. Now Steve was finding himself getting accustomed to Thor sleeping by his side…..it was very alarming. Even more so where the minutes he spent looking at Thor sleep, staring at the way Thor's eyelashes curled out and the way his lips looked as Thor smiled peacefully.

….

Steve frowned as he walked around the garden, a bit surprised when he saw Sigyn sitting on one of the benches. He remembered her, didn't talk much to her, not really, but there she was. He slowly made his way over while she kept staring at the ground.

"Morning, are you…..ok?" Steve asked, unsure of how to go about asking her, when she looked so down. Sigyn startled, looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes were glassy and Steve automatically felt bad for her. How could you not?

"Oh yes, my apologies, I was just remembering the past." She muttered, wiping at her eyes before smiling at Steve, but he could tell that it was fake.

"I don't mean to pry, but is it about Loki?" He asked her, watching as many emotions flashed through her eyes, before they settled upon sadness.

"I miss the good times, because there were good times. There were, we had moments in which he loved me, because he did at one point is just for a moment. Not sure if we were ever like Thor and you."

Steve wanted to protest that it really was nothing like Thor and him because they were not like that…but that was not the important part and Steve did not even know why he focused on that part.

"I think he did and I think he still does, deep inside. But it has been twisted now; he is not the same man you knew." He understood looking to the past, he'd done himself and he still does, but one also had to look towards the future. The future was just as important, perhaps even more…..the possibilities.

"You worry about Thor."Sigyn smiled, warmly at him and this made Steve feel slightly flustered.

"He acts before he really thinks things through. When it comes to Loki, he doesn't give up and I understand….but…..Loki is dangerous." Steve shot her an apologetic look, but Steve didn't trust Loki nor did he particularly like him that much. He tolerated him and tried to understand certain aspects of him, for the sake of Thor, really. But that was as far as it went for him.

"No, he really is. I am glad that Thor found himself a good man to marry. You are good for him and I believe he is good for you. I am happy for my brother and it only means that I've gained another brother in return."

It was the last thing Sigyn said, before she vanished as well. Magic wielders, Steve stared at the spot, surprised for a bit before deciding to head to the dining area for some food.

….

Thor watched as a number of people flocked around Steve, screaming out their love for him. This did not please Thor but he understood about the fans, Steve was spoken for. Thor was slowly realizing that his feelings for Steve, were changing. Becoming something else, and as he stared at Steve, being his charming self and talking to his fans, well…..it made Thor both feel a loving fondness and a envy that someone else was pawing at him.

The blonde shook his head and decided to ignore it. Fans would be fans, though he did not stop himself from grabbing Steve's hand later as they walked around the city. He felt the other tense up but not pull away, which Thor thought was a good thing. He tried to keep space between them, understanding that Steve would not be comfortable with other forms of affection. He had made it clear that they were just friends, who happened to have gotten married.

It didn't stop Thor from huffing at some guy when he not so subtlety, at least in Thor's mind, asked the Captain out.

"My husband and I do not have time for it but we do thank you." Thor glared at the other, before ushering Steve along. Steve shot him a confused look but Thor just shrugged and pointed over to a stuffed bear. He held Steve's hand the whole time, of course.

"You and Steve finally admitted your love for each other?" Tony asked as he came upon Thor cooking once again a couple of days later. By now, Tony was used to those strange moments of Thor trying out some new cooking skill that he had acquired. It was usually really good, believe it or not. Who knew the blonde God would end up turning out to be such a chef?

"We are close friends. Therefore, we know we share a love and care for each other." Thor sighed, pouring in some soy sauce into the stir fry.

"Oh come on, you two practically live together by now. You sleep in the same room most nights than not." Tony snorted, unable to believe that the two had yet to profess their love for each other. They were already married, where else could they go? They could all see the fondness and googly eyes they gave each other; it was rather disgusting in a sweet, sickening way.

"Steven only wishes for my friendship and it is what he shall receive." Thor primly states, tone clearly letting Tony know that he was done talking about it. Tony however, was not.

"He is the Ken to your Barbie. He is in denial and won't admit it until you go in there and let him know that you want more." Tony huffed, hands on his hips as he glared at the stubborn blonde. He had expected Thor to be more open, to bravely go in and tell Steve and fight for his love. Having the blond just sit back and not do that, just let things stay the way they were….not Thor at all. Wasn't this like a battle? Was Thor not a warrior? Also, since when did Tony think so deeply about such things? Dear lord, living with everyone was affecting him. He had to tell Bruce there was something wrong.

"I am trying to think before I act, Anthony. Rash actions have caused suffering not only in Asgard but also here. I do not wish to cause any more. Loki was important to me and looked what happened to him."

"Steve is way different from Loki. They are not even close to being the same person, atll. At all. Besides what of the huge stuffed polar bear in the living room." Thor flushed at that but he just shrugged. "That is different."

…..

Steve frowned as he stared out at the window. Their one year anniversary was coming up and he was not sure if Thor expected him to do something about it. Sure, they were not a couple, but it would still be nice, right? They had yet to kill each other, even if they did argue a couple of times a month. They were stubborn creatures, the both of them. If Thor was expecting something and Steve did not do it, Thor will get hurt…..

"You are looking pensive there." Clint stated as he stood next to the blonde, glancing out the glass as well.

"Umm….what did you do for your first year anniversary?" Steve asked, not turning to look at Clint, feeling his cheeks heating up and he really did not need any more teasing.

"Huh, we were out in the field for that, so nothing really. Though once we were done with the mission and we were glad to make it out alive, we celebrated with sex." Clint shrugged, hands slipping into his pockets, lips moving into a smirk.

"Oh, well…..it is almost Thor's and I's anniversary." Steve muttered, scratching the back of his head, because no….they were not having sex…..because they did not do that not that Steve had not thought about, perhaps once, that Thor was really handsome….and not that there was anything wrong with thinking those things of course….because he was.

"What about dinner? Can't go wrong with that and Thor loves to eat, so he would love it." Clint offered, shrugging and Steve was glad that he asked Clint and not Tony, who would have spent some time going over sex and how it was done. Many times had Bruce had to step in before Tony could really get into a lecture about it. Steve was sure the other had a power point presentation ready to go.

"Also, Thor sometimes gets homesick. You can tell when he is silent; he misses little things from home, so perhaps getting him something that will help with that." Clint added as he patted Steve's arm, before he left the other to his thoughts. Steve frowned but it did not surprise him that Clint figured that out, since he had keen eyesight. Steve felt guilty that he had not noticed Thor's homesickness, part of him wondered if Thor missed him when he was in Asgard.

Steve had certain days that he would go to Asgard, but Thor did more traveling and that was really disconcerting that no one had thought about how tiring that was. Steve frowned, before smiling as he thought about the perfect place to take the other and the perfect gift too.

…

Thor was surprised as he was ushered about by Pepper, getting him into a suit.

"Congratulations on your first anniversary." She stated, taking out a tie from the box, saying how this was a present for them. "After all, ties can be used for many things." She mused causing Thor to look at her a bit confused but it quickly dawned on him and he couldn't help flushing at that. He coughed slightly to hide his slight embarrassment but Pepper just smiled teasingly at him.

"Alright, you are ready, run along now."

"Don't stay out too late kids. Have him back before 3 in the morning, eh Captain?" Tony teased, since everyone had congregated at the entrance, watching the couple leave for their anniversary. Steve shot him a look before ushering Thor out.

"So…when will they declare their love for each other?"

"Thor has admitted it but the Captain is being stubborn. He is too far into denial I think.." Natasha sighed, hands on her hips as she stared at the spot the other two had just vacated. Thad all seen them curl up around each other, holding hands, and hugging, Thor practically lived on Steve's floor lately. While the team figured out when their friends would finally admit their feelings, the other two were enjoying their night out.

Thor was ecstatic with the small pizza place, smiling over the one red rose at the center of their table. Steve was worried that this was too romantic, not fitting for the type of relationship they had, but Thor said nothing about it, so neither did Steve. Thor loved trying new food and eagerly ordered about three plates causing the waiter to glance at them, nervously but Steve assured him that it was fine.

Thor spoke about Asgard, relating some of his stories to Steve as well as any recent news. Steve interjected here and there, responding or making comments. Steve informed Thor of any new things that had happened at the tower while he was gone or any battles they had.

It was a good dinner and Steve had been relaxed the whole time, until they made their way back to the tower. He hoped that Thor liked his present, but he shouldn't have worried because the moment that Thor saw the sheets so intricately made with runes and Asgardian symbols, Thor pulled Steve into a strong embrace.

"I thank you, husband. This is a true gift from the heart." Thor choked out, eyes tearing slightly as he pressed a kiss to the other's cheek, something he had not done since that day at their wedding. It made Steve flush and he felt his stomach flutter.

"Now I feel that my gift is not equal to this." Thor frowned, but he gently led Steve to one of the vacant rooms Steve had had no idea what to do with. Now though, it was an art studio, with paints and canvases. Easels were set up around the room as well. Steve turned to look at Thor, surprised, unable to express his gratitude but Thor understood and enveloped him in another hug.

"It has been a good year, may our second year be as good."

….

"We are here to discuss the issue about having an heir."

Thor looked at his father, startled. He did not understand why they were speaking of this now. He had barely been married for a year. He was sure that there was no need to speak about this yet.

"Your relationship with the Son of Rogers seems to be going well, I see." Odin added, cutting into Thor's thoughts. Wait. Thor frowned at that, because now that he thought about it, Steve had mentioned how Odin was not particularly fond of him…something that perhaps Thor should have looked into. He had not given it much merit, feeling that Steve was still getting used to Asgard.

"Yes, he is a good friend and we both get along very well. I cannot imagine having married anyone else."

Thor watched the way that All Father tensed at that comment, eye narrowing.

"You do understand that you must marry someone else to produce an heir."

Thor scowled, because he knew this. He knew that he needed an heir but there was time before that became an issue. Why must he think of this now? perhaps he was being childish and ignoring his role as the Prince. He should be thinking of those things, had to, as the future king. Couldn't Thor have a couple of years before having to worry about that? Couldn't he have that? He shook his head and glared at the wall behind his father, knowing it to be rude but finding it so hard to not storm out in anger.

"You called me, All Father?"

Thor turned to look at Sif, slightly horrified that she was there. Was father going to bring this matter up now?

"No, I refuse to continue this conversation father. I will not be part of this!" He bellowed but Odin just stood up and slammed his staff on the ground, silencing Thor and anything Sif would have said.

"You are a Prince and you have responsibilities. You have your vows to remember." Odin coolly replied causing Thor to swallow anything else he would have said.

"Sif, I apologize but it is an important matter my son and I wish to discuss with you."

Sif nodded, looking warily from one to the other, but Thor refused to meet her eyes.

"You must know, as heir to the throne, Thor must have a child, to pass the throne to." Odin started and that was all that Sif needed to piece things together.

"You wish for me to be the person who bears his children?" Sif asked, slightly incredulously, unsure if this was truly where things were going. She winced immediately after the question, bowing in apology for having sounded so rude.

"Only if you are fine with such a thing. I will not have you be forced into this." Thor quickly spoke up, glaring at his father before turning to Sif.

"How does Steve feel about this?" Sif asked, frowning as he looked at the two. Odin explained to her how Steve came into the marriage, knowing that Thor would have to have and heir and marry someone else. Sif scowls deepened, but she remained quiet, thinking this over.

"I do not wish to get married with Thor. My heart is spoken for and I refuse to betray them in that way." Sif replied coldly, glaring at Thor, before turning to look at Odin and kneeling.

"My apologies Your Majesty, but if there is a way I can be excused from this, I would prefer it."

Odin frowned as he looked at her, before turning to look at Thor.

"Perhaps Thor and you should talk, Lady Sif. Let us not make rash decision just yet. There is still time of course, we must not decide today." Odin muttered, dismissing them.

Sif stormed out while Thor tried catching up to her. She whirled around, glaring at him, furious.

"I cannot believe you would do that to Son of Rogers. Has he not been good to you?" Sif asked him, surprised that a man he had loved and still loved to an extent, would do such a thing to someone.

"it is not like that, I do not wish to do any of this but I had to agree to it.. My father is right, I need an heir." Thor gritted, glaring back at her, because it was not like he wanted to hurt people.

"I don't want to force you into this nor do I want to hurt Steven. But father….." Thor trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"Not the first time you have disobeyed the All Father."

"This time I can't blame Loki, can I?" he smiled ruefully, because it was the truth. He didn't always follow things to the tee did he? Sif reached over and placed a hand on his arm.

"I loved you at some point and perhaps I would have jumped to marry you when I was younger. We've all grown and changed. I found someone and you found someone. We are happier like this, are we not?' Sif inquired as she tried to comfort Thor. She was definitely angry with him, furious, but she was also his friend and Thor since his exile had been trying so much harder.

"We are indeed happier if only father saw it the same way."

There was some silence between them before Thor finally asked who this person was, but Sif just smiled and shrugged.

…..

Steve was surprised to see Sif at SHIELD headquarters but he hid it well, at least, he would like to think that he did.

"Son of Rogers! How are you treating Thor? Well I hope?" Sif asked, eyebrow raised, hand going to her knife but Steve just smiled, because he understood the protectiveness. It was nice.

"I like to think so." Steve stated, because he did, at least, Thor had said nothing to him if things were wrong. He frowned at that, wondering if that is how things worked in couples, not that they were one….in that way…..

"Has Thor commented to you about the issue of an heir?" Sif inquired, but her anger could easily be heard in her tone. Steve had known all along about this and never had he brought it up to her.

"Sif-I..well…I did know but I thought we could talk before the issued was brought up. I thought….I didn't know they were talking about it so soon. I wouldn't allow for you to be used in that way, if that is not what you want. I could never stand by it." Steve quickly apologized, feeling horrible and knowing that Sif was disappointed in him. She had every right to be.

"All Father made us discuss it a few weeks ago. I thought Thor would have informed you of it. It did not go as All Father wanted it." Sif mused before frowning as she realized Steve didn't look happy at all.

"Thor loves you, you know. Before you talk to him about this, perhaps you should think of what you will say to him. He can be stubborn and obtuse at times, even stupid yes, but he means well. Most of the time. I may still be angry with him over this ordeal but I still care for him. Do not hurt him." Sif sighed, before turning around and leaving him. Steve watched her go with a frown, slightly surprised when Maria greeted her like they were friends, but Steve figured that that was not something to think about right now.

Why did Thor not talk to him about it?

….

"So, tell Papa Tony what is wrong?" Tony asked as he motioned for Steve to take a seat in the living room. Steve hesitated as he looked around the room, seeing everyone sans Thor there.

"It is nothing." Steve muttered, figuring that it was best if he just went to his room but the others were having none of that. Natasha was there, pulling him along to seat down.

"I ran into Sif at headquarters." Steve muttered, noticing how Natasha, Clint and Coulson did not look surprised at all.

"Makes sense since she's been-" anything else Clint was going to say was cut off by Natasha and Coulson. But Tony immediately asked, needing to know the gossip but Clint just shrugged.

"Umm, well, that isn't the important part. She asked me if Thor had talked to me about the whole having babies and stuff."

There was silence in the room before it erupted.

"Wait up, you and Thor have talked about children?"
"Is this about him marrying Sif?"
"Have they already agreed to doing it and everything?"

"Guys! Guys! No, she didn't say anything only that it had been discussed and then she left." Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he was trying to break but it was not working.

The others shared a look, before turning to look back at him. They weren't quite sure where to start this at.

"So, Thor had a talk about marrying and having babies with someone else. But you have no idea about this…." Coulson spoke up first, making sure that they got where Steve was coming from.

"He hasn't mentioned it to me, and it isn't like he hasn't had a chance to talk to me about it."

"Well, that is fine, after all, Thor does not tell us everything." Bruce spoke up, looking at the others who nodded, except for Tony who pouted. "Wait a second, I'm buddies with Thor! We're like this!" Tony cried out crossing his fingers while Bruce just elbowed him while Steve looked at Tony aghast, not being that familiar with Tony's gesture yet. Of course, shock gave away to anger, as his jaw locked and his eyes narrowed.

"What? No, not like that. Like he is my bff, like we have imaginary friendship bracelets, like he is my brother from another mother." Tony would have kept going if it was not for Bruce placing a hand over his mouth, finally shutting him up.

"I think the problem here is that Thor doesn't feel comfortable talking to us about Asgardian problems. After all, he is being trained to be king, he probably feels like we cann't help him, because ruling a world is different from making pancakes." Natasha interjected, crossing her legs and squaring her shoulders, eyes not moving from Steve.

"Well, true, before Bruce I had no one I could ask about the-"

"But we've been married for a year now! I have been to Asgard! Why doesn't he feel comfortable talking to me about it?!" Steve cut Tony off, who glared at him and pouted.

"Perhaps he just needs time to figure out how to talk to you about it?"

"It isn't like we have not spoken about it before we got married! Besides, this also has to do with me, after all, we are married! I have a say in this!...don't I?" Steve's voice softened at the end.

"Honestly, Steve, how do you even feel about Thor and the whole having babies thing?" Clint asked, before anyone else could comment on that part.

"I understand that Thor needs an heir and I am willing to support him-"
"Stop stop, always with the same bullshit. We want to know how YOU feel."

Steve was silent for a while as he shifted nervously, before finally blurting out the truth.

"I hate it. I hate thinking that Thor will be with someone else, spend time with them, hold their hand, let them brush his hair, kiss them. I hate the thought that he will spend less time with me and it is stupid because I agreed to this." Steve was up and pacing about as he gesture wildly. "It is true that I never liked it, but with the preparation and then marriage to him being so…..good…..I had forgotten about it and now it is here on my face and Thor is not talking to me about it. Why is he not talking to me about it? And I'm trying to not be angry, to think positive but I don't want him to be with anyone else!"

The others shuffled back as Steve threw a pillow across the room, hearing it hit the wall with a little too much force. He took deep breaths before settling back down, smiling apologetically at the others.

"Thor's anger issues might be rubbing off you; at least you didn't flip our table." Coulson sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"I'm sorry….I just…..I've made this so complicated when it had been so simple in the beginning." Steve sighed, deflating and leaning back on the chair.

"Dear god, are you two really this freaking blind?" Natasha groaned, standing and walking over to stand in front of Steve. She bent down so she could peer into his eyes.

"You love him, admit it to yourself and to him, because us, and the whole world, and all of Asgard, knows it already." With that she turned on her heel and walked out.

Steve watched her go, surprised, before turning to look at the others.

"She is right, you two are complicating this without it needing to be. Just get the feelings sorted out." Bruce sighed, giving him a small smile before leaving, taking Tony along with him.

"And if you need any sex tips you know where to find me!" Tony called out, causing a soft blush to spread on Steve's cheek, which really, Steve needed to stop that already. All the blushing.

"You two have been a couple for a year now, even if you haven't noticed it. Give yourselves the chance to try this, complications and all." Coulson advised before he and Clint left him to his thoughts.

Steve frowned as he stared up at the ceiling. He had not expected to fall in love with the Asgardian prince, but he couldn't deny that he hated the idea of losing him. Steve found himself missing the other more and more. He couldn't stop his mind from wondering about Thor's lips and no matter how much Steve tried to deny it, he couldn't help but stare as Thor walked around shirtless. The moments when Steve had seen the other in only a towel…Steve tried ignoring it, wanting to not think about it….part of it was because he was still hesitant about who he was….accepting that he found both men and women attractive well…..he knew there was nothing wrong with it but he couldn't help feeling hesitant about it. Not to mention the classic terror of confessing your affections only to be rejected. Thor was affectionate with everyone, Steve knew this and it made him question if Thor felt anything deeper for him. Who was not afraid of rejection? For that reason Steve figured that ignoring this was better than facing it, admitting to it, because then there would be nothing to hide behind….

Yes, the great Captain America was hiding, was running away. But as he thought about Thor, thought of him being with someone else, he remembered Peggy and Bucky and everyone he had known in the past. He had let them slip from his fingers….but Thor, he could at least try, couldn't he? Fight for this, just like he has fought for the rights and lives of many. He had to fight for himself too and for Thor.

…

Thor was making his way home, and it was so easy to call the Tower home. He did not think about choosing between Midgard and Asgard, he feared the day that it would be asked for him. For now, he enjoyed being able to have both in his life. And Steve, he could not forget Steve…..there was no way he ever could.

Thor smiled at the others, who only shot him cold glances. This had him worried, had he done something? He could not recall doing anything since he had been off world lately.

"Steve needs to talk to you. You should go to him." Natasha was the one to speak up, glancing at him for a split second before looking back at the film. He nodded with a frown, before making his way down to their floor. It made Thor smile that he could call Steve's floor, their floor.

"Thor." Steve was slightly startled at seeing him there, before he quickly schooled his features and motioned for Thor to sit next to him.

"You wish to speak to me?"
"I talked to Sif the other day. Told me how you two have talked about the children problem."

Thor flinched, shoulders tensing for he could hear the anger in Steve's tone. It was not hard to miss, he did not even have to look at the other to know he had squared his shoulders and his jaw was clenched. He shifted nervously before sighing, "Yes, we have spoken of it. I have meant to talk to you about it….but I could not find the right time."

"We can talk about it now."

Thor did not wish to talk about it now, he felt he was not ready. He was not sure how to talk about it with Steven, but he also knew that Steve would not let it go.

"Father brought it up to Sif and I have spoken to her. We have both made it clear that we do not wish to marry each other. We are both spoken for and happy with that arrangement." Thor cleared his throat a bit at the end, turning to look at Steve, wondering what it was the other was thinking. Steve just frowned, eyes focused on the wall.

"Father is not pleased and will insist upon having an heir, but I do not wish to do it." Thor sighed, shoulders slumping as the stress finally got to him.

"Why not? You were fine with it before."

Why was he not ok with it now? Thor pursed his lips, unsure of what to say to that. The truth?

"You make it sound as if I was happy with that arrangement, to which you must remember that I was not. I understood and still understand my responsibilities but I definitely am not willing to force anyone to marry me and have my children. I also remember….how uncomfortable you were and this past year has been good and I don't…I do not wish to jeopardize this, what we have…do not wish to jeopardize you." Thor fumbled around not sure if he was making sense, not that it anyone thought he made much sense to begin with, really.

Steve was still staring at the wall, and Thor was not sure what that meant. He gave it a few more seconds, before he sighed dejectedly, making a move to get up only to be stopped by Steve's hand on his leg.

"I do not want to lose you." Steve's voice was barely above a whisper as he turned to look at Thor. Everyone would probably just assume that Thor was the first one to move for the first kiss, because it was Thor, always plunging ahead without thinking, letting his elation show much easier than Steve did. They would be wrong of course, it was Steve that quickly leaned in and pressed his lips to Thor's. Without thinking, because if he thought about he would have chickened out, so Steve acted instead, pressing his lips more firmly to Thor's once he felt the other relax and felt the other press back against his lips. It was nice, sweet, nothing more than the pressing of lips, the sharing of breath. Steve pulled back to look into Thor's sparkling blue eyes and Steve thought back to their wedding, remembering how joyful and beautiful Thor had looked. He was breathtaking, cheeks tinted red, lips slightly pink as laughter erupted from them as Thor pulled Steve into an embrace.

They spent the rest of the night sharing kisses, going no further than the gentle pressing of lips and cuddling. There was no more talk about heirs and marriages and babies for the night, they would talk about it the next day, for that night….they just enjoyed the change in their relationship.

…

To everyone else, it was a sense of relief that finally the married couple was an actual couple. It was nice, because no one could look away when Steve and Thor kissed. They were two gorgeous men, no harm in looking a little.

Steve was more reserved about public displays of affection but in his defense, Thor was really open about his displays of affection. Tony of course thought that it was time for Steve to have the talk, but Steve had with a bright red face told Tony off.

"I'm not an idiot and I don't need a sex education talk!" Steve snapped, before he stormed off, not amused with Tony at all.

Back in Asgard, Thor's change in demeanor was automatically noticed by everyone and commented on by his friends.

"You looking mighty chipper nowadays." Fandral teased, standing behind Hogun and propping his chin on Hogun's head. Hogun only grunted and shifted slightly, but allowed the other to remain there.

"Steven's and I relationship has never been better." Thor nodded, smiling brightly as his friends.

"Perfect, we were tiring of your moping about, all love sick." Sif smirked, biting into her apple.

"You were as bad as Fandral was!" Volstagg chimed in from his spot at the banquet table. Fandral glared at him before glancing down at Hogun.

"I was not love sick." He grumbled but Hogun's quirk of a smile kept Fandral from making a big fuss about it.

"Yes, however, there is still a problem of a child." Thor muttered, while the others looked at him worriedly. What could they do?

…

"You know, there is insemination."

Steve and Thor sat there glaring at them all, because honestly, why was that not something they were told about from the beginning? Was not that something they could have shared say, the moment they had heard of Thor's problem?

On his defense, Tony was not sure if Thor would have wanted to actually marry someone else and having a baby the usual way. He was not about to assume things about Thor like that. There was also the fact that they all thought it was best to wait until Thor and Steve had confessed their love for each other.

Thor and Steve were not amused with them at all, for they had been losing sleep because of this problem. Knowing about this would have made everything from the beginning, that much easier. Neither of them spoke to the others for the rest of the week, except for Coulson, they still spoke to Coulson.

The two stayed on their floor level, feeling both joy at having another way to get a child and worried over the process.

"What do you think about this new option?" Steve asked as he ran his hand through Thor's hair, watching as the other leaned instantaneously into his hand. They were both lying on their bed, tucked under the bed sheets.

"I do like the fact that it means I do not have to betray you. However, I am not knowledgeable of this procedure and therefore it makes me nervous." Thor admitted slightly, reaching his hand up to bring Steve down for a kiss.

They did not show up for the usual movie night on the weekend, which was slightly disconcerting for the others. However, it only lasted one week and soon after the two were once again, having a normal breakfast and greeting them like nothing, which meant they were slightly in the clear.

Until Thor and Steve mentioned how they would be bringing Sif and Maria over to discuss the process with them, and they would all have to be there. It was not like they wanted to have a child soon, but in time, it would have to happen and they would rather discuss it now.

Tony finally understood why Sif was in SHIELD Headquarters, so that was good. Having to present the process of insemination to the two women, not so good. Steve felt it was payback for Tony's try at giving him the sex talk.

If they thought that telling Sif and Maria a slight challenge, informing Odin of the process was the challenge to beat other challenges.

Odin stared at them for a while after they explained to him. He stared at them for a while longer. He was probably still staring at the spot they had been standing on even after they left. Steve was amused which showed that he was probably spending too much time with Tony, Thor was like a good son, concerned. Frigga was happy for them, guiding them out of the throne and away from Odin.

"He is being a drama King, who do you think Thor got his flair for the dramatics from?" Frigga teased, stopping to hug the two of them. She knew that Odin was just dealing with the fact that his plan did not go as planned. She would not hear the end of it later.

….

It was their second year anniversary when the two decided to renew their vows, but honestly, to them, it was getting married for the first time. They had married in Asgard and on Midgard, in front of hundreds of people, for a good cause….now though, they married with just their friends out on the beach.

They were back in Hawaii for their wedding and Pepper had planned it all, just like she had wished from the beginning. Her own engagement ring shined upon her finger as she clutched her bouquet of flowers.

Clint and Natasha walked on both sides of Phil, who was experiencing their wedding for the first time.

Sif and Maria walked down the aisle, both glad that there had not been any mandatory bridesmaid dresses. Sif had not enjoyed the first ones.

Tony and Bruce walked down, hand in hand, smiling widely followed by Fandral and Hogun. Volstagg followed behind them, grinning wide.

There were no uniforms, no tuxes or suits….

Steve slipped his hand into Thor's, giving it a squeeze as they walked down the aisle.

And this time at the end, it was Steve who pulled Thor close and gave him a deep kiss, ignoring the catcalls from the others.

Life was good.