On Christmas Adam, more commonly known as Christmas Eve Eve, or December 23rd, you all sat around the Christmas tree in your pajamas exchanging presents with the team. Everyone was leaving the next morning to spend the holidays with various friends and family. So you all sat around the tree with hot chocolate in your pajamas, watching stupid old Christmas movies. Most of the gifts were silly things, jokes and gags, nerf weapons, Avengers toys, Nat made everyone a scrapbook, apparently she did it every year and everyone was always shocked at how detailed it was and just how much into everyones' privacy she had delved, Clint just rolled with it and happily looked through his scrapbook. You may have beaten her, though it was a close competition. You'd made a bunch of calls and done some teleporting around various cities, collecting people for your project as well as a little use of magic, but managed to get a signed group picture of all of the actors who played the Avengers, in costume for each member of the team. You'd staged a picture identical to one you had of the entire team, minus yourself obviously since you weren't in the movie, though Loki was and he was a pain in the ass to convince to be in the picture. So you gave them the pictures in a two-picture frame and they lovedthem.

You were a little surprised that Loki insisted that he was giving you your present once you returned to Asgard. He'd also insisted that you not get him anything, quite forcibly, and repeatedly, and Thor had insisted just as spectacularly, so you knew that they were up to something, you just didn't know what. "No presents this year," Loki and Thor kept insisting, repeatedly. It was quite annoying actually. They were so insistent.

"Don't forget, we're leaving at dawn for Asgard," Thor reminded you and Loki.

You both rolled your eyes. "We're not children who need to go to bed at 10pm," you reminded him grumpily.

"If you want Santa to come..." Tony teased. You grabbed a ball of wrapping paper to throw at him. You all laughed and the wrapping paper war began.

You and Loki teleported yourselves and your presents up to his bedroom after everyone was worn out by the war and the fun evening. "I still feel bad I haven't gotten you anything for Yule," you told Loki softly when you were alone.

"I told you not to, angel," Loki reminded you.

"You're up to something, trickster," you accused. He shrugged and gave you a smirk, but didn't dare deny it. You were almost as good at spotting a lie as he was, so he didn't bother trying.

"You'll fine out tomorrow, dearest. Thor, Mother, and I have been working hard on this, so be patient until then," he bid you warmly as you set your presents on the desk and pulled back the blankets to climb into bed. You did need some sleep if you were to leave at dawn.

"I should have gotten you something!" you told him, distressed that he was going through all this effort for you and you he wasn't letting you do anything nice for him in return. "And Thunderhead," you added.

"Tomorrow, darling. Trust me," he bid you and pulled you into the bed with him. "Stop fretting and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,"

*

You woke to an empty bed in the morning, shortly before dawn. You looked around frantically and drew a blade, looking and feeling for your Loki. He wasn't here and you couldn't feel him anywhere. You bolted out of the bed, but paused when you saw the flashing piece of magic on the nightstand. It was a note. You went to pick it up and read it, growling at whatever was going on this early in the morning.

Kyrie-love,

Mother needed my help and asked that I return early. It wasn't urgent enough to wake you. Go back to bed, dearest, I know you got up too early. Thor will wake you when it's time to join us, sometime after dawn. Try not to stab him just because I did not wake you. Mother would like him in one piece today.

No, Heimdall will not open the Bifrost for you. Don't try. Go back to bed.

Love always,

Loki

You chuckled at your silly trickster. "I love you too," you said softly and the note vanished with a shimmer of green magic. You sighed and climbed back into bed to try to get a couple more hours of sleep. Loki was safe on Asgard, the note shimmering away told you he was ok, the magic wouldn't have worked otherwise. You stole his pillow to cuddle and managed to doze back off for awhile, though it was strange trying to sleep alone when you'd gotten so used to his presence. You disliked it. Immensely.

Thor knocked on the door and woke you from your doze. It was well past dawn. You jumped up and yanked open the door. He chuckled when he saw you. "You were supposed to be relaxing, Sister dear," Thor teased.

"Loki's gone," you reminded him sourly.

He chuckled. "Mother needed him early. Stop fretting, little Valkyrie," he told you warmly. "He's perfectly safe at the palace with Mother. Come along," he bid you and took your hand.

"What are you up to, Thunderhead?" you grumped and followed him from the room. He led you down to the dining room and your usual place at the table.

"Spending a morning with my sister before we're due home," he told you warmly. You raised an eyebrow, but let him push you into your seat and he brought over breakfast from the kitchen. You chatted over breakfast while you tried to figure out what the boys were up to. They were actually working together, which was even more strange for the princes. They rarely worked together, and that was only in life or death situations, with tons of bickering.

After a leisurely breakfast, you both changed to Asgardian clothes and headed outside so Thor could call the Bifrost. Apparently Heimdall wasn't going to listen to you today. Your Mother, Frigga, and Sif were all waiting for you when you arrived. "What are you three up to?" you asked after the greetings had been exchanged.

Thor chuckled. "She has been suspicious all morning," he whined at Frigga.

"I'm sure you did your best, darling," she told him warmly. "Come along, darlings, Sigun, we have a lot of preparations to attend to before the celebration this evening. Thor, will you kindly make sure Kyrie comes with us instead of wandering off to find your brother?" Frigga asked Thor, knowing that's exactly what you'd do given the opportunity. "You'll see him soon enough, darling," Frigga told you kindly. "He's helping with another part of the preparations,"

The day after that was a whirlwind of preparations, you assumed for a Yule celebration. There were dress fittings, hair and makeup done for all of the ladies, while Thor pretended he wasn't bored and chatted with his warrior friends outside, shoes to pick out, a Thor to dress in formalwear, warrior boys to round up and scrub, a Sif to throw kicking and screaming into a dress. You picked out a gorgeous floor length gown that was simple in its elegance. It was the blue of your Valkyrie cape. Sif was in a similar dress, though not as elegant.

Frigga led your entire entourage to the throne room. You were on Thor's arm and seriously wondering what was going on. Especially as you hadn't seen Loki all day. The warrior boys slipped in the double doors first, followed by your mother, then Sif. "One last thing, darling," Frigga told you warmly. She waved a hand and her magic floated over your dress. The color bled from it until it turned pure white. She beamed and placed a tiara carefully in your professionally styled hair before she pressed a bouquet into your hands. "900 years has been enough of a delay, don't you agree, my little Valkyrie?" she asked you warmly.

There were tears in your eyes when you realized what she and your boys had set up.

"Far too long of a delay," you agreed.

She touched your cheek. "No tears on your wedding day, darling," she told you warmly, gently, kindly.

"Yes, mother," you replied and gave her a bright smile instead. You hadn't called her mother since you were a small child and hadn't known better. You saw her undiluted joy that you had today. You still couldn't believe this day was actually happening, not after 900 years of exile. She nodded when she felt you ready and headed into the throne room to take her place for the ceremony.

Thor looked at you with a smile. "Ready, little sister?" he asked, overjoyed that you were finally marrying Loki.

You steeled your spine, tried to prepare and calm your spinning mind, and finally nodded. "Yes, it's time, this should have happened years ago." Thor nodded with his warm puppy-like smile, and offered you his arm again. You placed your hand on his arm, holding your bouquet in the other hand. Thor nodded to the guards at the double doors so they could swing the doors open all the way.

You took a breath, and with Thor strong at your side, took the first step into the packed throne room, toward the throne, and your Loki who was waiting at the steps to the throne for you, for your wedding.