Avengers: A Wedding At Last

Paradise Planet

"It's good to see you again Carol," Thor said as he took a seat at the table and propped Stormbreaker against the table.

"Likewise," Carol said with a bright smile. "I'm surprised to see you and Dean out here though. I thought you were planning a wedding?"

"We are," Dean explained as he took a seat next to Thor and shivered. "We just decided to do some exploring first."

Thor noticed Dean's chill and put an arm around him, pulling him snug against him. "Cold, Fair One?"

Dean smiled. "Always. I don't think I'll ever get used to that part of space. But that ice planet was something else entirely." He was also fighting a migraine and the medicine he'd taken after Carol had boarded the Benatar was doing little to ease it.

"Well, the planet we're taking Princess Hira and her entourage to is something of a tropical paradise, if you will," Carol explained. "It's got a similar distance to the sun as earth does to its sun."

Dean smiled. "Tropical paradise? Could be a potential honeymoon spot?"

"We can add it to the list of possibilities," Thor said. "But there's a place I'm already pretty committed to."

"Which he refuses to tell me about," Dean sighed as he smiled over at Carol.

"I must have some secrets," Thor teased.

Carol grinned at them. "You two are sickeningly adorable, you know that right?"

Dean smiled at Carol. "Anyway, what exactly is the situation with the Asterians? We didn't really get a chance to get the full story."

Carol nodded and ran a hand through her hair. It had grown out some since Dean and Thor had last seen her. "Well, Hira's family has ruled Asteria for generations until a few decades ago. Things were gradually declining and a military group blamed the ruling family for all of the problems. They got enough people riled up that they were able to overthrow them. The majority of the family was killed in the rebellion. Then the uprising forces splintered into different factions and the entire planet has suffered the consequences ever since. But one thing they all can agree on is Hira and her family should die. Kind of like the Romanov family in Russia," she concluded. She spoke the last sentence with hesitation.

Dean's expression shifted into something slightly fragile. It was impossible to not think of Natasha in that moment. Thor tightened his arm around him and Dean sighed. "Well, I'm glad we were able to help. Maybe the Asterians will figure themselves out some day."

"And in the meantime," Thor said with an upbeat voice. "We can leave the cold of space behind for a little while and enjoy this tropical planet Carol speaks of."

The Benatar gradually approached a lush-looking planet. While Rocket waited for clearance to enter the atmosphere, Dean got up and stood by the window. He stared at the aquamarine colored planet and could almost smell the scent of saltwater and sun tanning lotion. He looked at his reflection in the window, taking in the sight of his pale skin. Maybe he'd get a chance to get a little color before they left again.

The Benatar was cleared for entry and they promptly flew down until they arrived at a large docking bay. The contacts who had been waiting for Princess Hira's arrival moved in and greeted the her and her entourage and, after more thanks, she departed with them.

"Well," Dean said as he walked out of the docking bay and stood on a balcony that overlooked a massive view of shimmering ocean water. "This isn't a bad place to lay low, I guess."

"She'll be safe here," Carol said. There was a note of goodbye in her voice.

"Off again?" Dean asked.