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Space is cold. Not that hard-hitting of a fact. First grade level stuff, maybe even a bit lower. What might come as a shock though is that space is cold even to Carol Danvers, that ever glowing beam of light who’s supposed to be some great protector of the universe. Yeah, even to her. Especially now. Especially since that “great protector” gig didn’t work out. Not really.
Half of the universe is back and, yeah sure, that’s some kind of victory. It’s a victory by the definition of the word. Carol just thought it would feel better than this. Not so…lonely.
“Monica!” Carol yells as she lands a few feet behind her, dodging reappearing and reuniting bodies. She’s just outside the New Orleans hospital and looking hopelessly lost in the crowd. Carol knows why and can only imagine the jarring episode she woke up in. She feels the sting of tears before her name fully leaves her mouth and they start to fall just at the sight of her.
Monica, here and alive and okay. Finally home and okay.
Monica turns at the sound of her name and Carol’s there pulling her into her arms, crushing her. “You’re-” Carol chokes on her own tears and hugs her closer. “Monica, I’m s-”
Monica squirms against Carol and pushes until she puts some space between them. When they meet eyes, Monica’s are wet from tears but not in the same way Carol’s are. Her gaze is pained, confused, betrayed. She looks Carol up and down, her head shaking side to side ever so slightly. “Mom?”
Carol’s heart freezes.
Monica’s gaze turns to a glare. “You said…. You said you would-”
“Monica, I tried. I tried-”
“So why isn’t she here? Where were you?!”
“Mon-”
“What happened?!”
“Baby-”
“Don’t,” Monica snaps and points an accusatory finger at Carol. She holds it there when she hisses, “You are not my mother. You are not who I want.”
She backs away, slowly at first until she turns, stumbling slightly from the disorienting emotions, and storms away.
Carol gets the message.
Fuck. Off.
So she did. And now she’s here. Lying with her back against some moon for some planet in some galaxy. Alone. And cold. Carol has not been cold in over thirty years. She didn’t know Monica’s shoulder could be so goddamn powerful. That was about three months ago now and while Carol had kept her distance it didn’t stop her from checking in. She tried talking to her again but was met with a door slammed in her face or a shove to her chest or a scream up towards the sky. And Carol’s tried getting advice; From Nick, from Talos, from herself in the mirror on a good day (few and far between). But nothing sticks. And she’s left back at square one.
Lonely, little, square one.
Selfishly she was excited to have Monica back so she could have someone to grieve with. Someone who knew Maria like she did and wasn’t a prying Avenger trying to figure out the “glowy lady’s” issues. Maybe the universe was punishing her for that. For wanting comfort from her child when she’s the one who caused the pain in the first place.
She misses her family, she misses normalcy, she misses her hair. She misses when she didn’t miss anything.
This moon is so damn uncomfortable. This victory blows.
Carol groans as her hands roll over her face before she throws her arms to her sides. Her pager goes off and when she pulls up the holographic message it displays a message from Nick.
Fury:
Got word Monica is O.K.
She threw a plate at one of our agents.
She might know it’s you checking in.
Carol screams and it pisses her off that no one in space can hear it. Another first grade fact. She can’t even force her pain onto an unexpecting passerby.
The sky before her crackles. She lowers the message and looks out at the vast expanse of black. Nothing stares back at her. Then that sound again. Like thunder without the rumble and only the harsh crack after lightning strikes something huge. Carol sits up and continues to scan the skies. Nothing…nothing…but then-
Carol shoots up and starts in the direction of a lone blue shimmer. It sparks and spreads across the black backdrop like an aggravated nerve. She can’t make out what it is but if she can prevent the next world ending disaster she would rush towards sure death without hesitation. Maybe that’s the loneliness talking though. Maybe it's desperation.
The spark doesn’t seem to be getting any closer and then all of a sudden, it’s there and she’s inside it and it’s all too bright and much too warm and Carol wishes she had the coolness of space shrouded around her again. She would scream if she thought it would help. She would turn and fly out if she had any sense of control or direction but suddenly she’s falling and she can’t tell if it’s up or down all she knows is that it’s too bright and things aren’t making sense because how can she be in space one minute and then laying out on a plush expanse of grass the next.
Grass.
What?
Carol groans at the sudden feeling that she might be sick and slowly blinks her eyes open. Skyscrapers tower over her, the sun reflecting off of their tall windows, the sounds of overlapping conversations tickle her ears. Did she crash land back on earth? When? How? She was at least a few galaxies over.
Great. Now there’s this. Now this is the thing she has to deal with. She really shouldn’t be on earth. She’s decided it’s not good for her health.
“Fucking fantastic,” she grumbles and rolls over onto her stomach. “I’m gonna fucking chain myself to a dying star, hope it sucks me into a black fucking hole.” She pushes herself up, head raising with her body and eyes landing on a pair of black boots pointed at her several feet away. She jerks up then curious about who’s standing over her and on edge expecting them to want a fight. Her eyes jump to the person’s face and immediately after her hands shoot to her mouth to cover the scream that’s launched out of it.
Maria Rambeau stares back at her, eyes just as wide and jaw slack. Whatever words she’s trying to form get lost to a newfound inability to speak. Something Carol finds herself struggling with too.
“Captain, report?” The voice comes from Maria’s wrist but neither of them process it. “Captain Rambeau, report!” The voice sounds with enough worry to get Maria to at least produce noise. But her eyes stay on Carol the whole time.
“Negative action,” she says and Carol’s hands fall from her mouth and to her chest. She sounds just like her. “Must’ve been a fluke or a quick pass. Nothing permanent in place.”
“You’re positive?”
Maria stares down at Carol. “Positive. I’m reporting back.”
“Copy.”
Neither of them move. Carol’s still trying to figure out if she’s alive or dead.
Maria takes the first step, half and hesitant but eventually she makes her way over. She stands above Carol’s kneeling form and looks down. Carol stares up, mouth agape, eyes watering and breathing surprisingly even. She wants to reach out for her to prove that it’s a solid being standing before her and not some cruel working of her imagination.
Maria frowns. “You need to come with me.”
A tear slips down Carol’s cheek. “Yes.”
. . .
“The multiverse,” Carol says out loud as she walks past shelves of art, artifacts, and old photos. Maria’s since returned from wherever she had to report to and leans against the back of her couch with her arms crossed and eyes watching Carol’s every move. “Different versions of ourselves.” Carol stops in front of a photo of her – well, some her – and Maria laid out on a beach. Next to that one, a picture of Monica, maybe seven, pulling a large sun hat down on her head until the majority of her face is covered, just her smile poking out. The photo after that showcases hands and golden rings. Her heart feels like it’s being squeezed, her source of life causing an immeasurable pain. Carol breaks her eye line.
“Mmhm,” Maria hums and though Carol’s listening, she can’t look at her either. This has to be a fucking dream. “Not a lot of people are familiar with it. We try to keep it that way.”
“You and….”
“The Illuminati.”
“And that’s you and a bunch of other dudes I don’t know. We had something like that back where I’m from.”
“The Avengers,” Maria confirms. “I know.”
Carol sucks a slow breath in through her teeth. “You know.” She can feel Maria’s eyes all over her. She knows the feeling so well and it’s too much. “So, your Carol– Me. Her–”
Maria sighs “Yeah,” and Carol hears her push herself off of the couch and her bare feet pad from the living room to the raised counter by the kitchen. She pulls out a bottle and sets it down before retrieving two glasses. “We can do the long version or the short version of our separate tragedies. Your choice but I do need to know in advance.”
“Why?”
“So I know how much alcohol to pour.”
Carol's chuckle is humorless. “Uhh, short then.”
Maria pours herself a full glass. Carol imagines if she had picked the “long versions” Maria would’ve grabbed the whole bottle. “Alright. Cocky wizard caused an incursion and an entire universe was destroyed. Carol was in that universe. So was Monica.” She takes a swig. “Now they’re gone.”
“‘Now they’re gone.’” Maria shrugs and takes another drink. “That’s it?”
Maria scoffs. “Of course that’s not it , Carol,” she says, her harsh tone giving away her pain, “but we’re doing the short versions.”
Carol brushes off the hurt. “Right. Okay.”
“So?” Maria asks as Carol walks over and she presses a drink into her hand. “From your earlier reaction I’m going to say that I’m not alive and kicking at your end of the universe.”
Carol holds her glass so that her fingers cup the bottom and her thumbs perch on the rim. She slides her thumbs across it now and shakes her head while looking down at the contents. “No. No, she– Cancer.”
“Shit.” Carol nods. “And…And Monica?” For the first time, Carol hears a break in this new Maria’s voice. A vulnerability.
“Alive.” Maria sighs in relief. “And doing well….” Would it be too much to burden her with the knowledge that they aren’t speaking? That Monica might actually hate her? “Brilliant as ever.”
“Mm.” Maria seems satisfied.
“Mm,” Carol mimics and walks away, taking a long pull from her drink before turning back to Maria. “So, you’re Captain Marvel, huh?” Maria cracks a small smile. “The suit looks good on you. The all black is,” Carol can’t help looking her up and down, even though Maria’s since changed into her more comfortable home clothes the memory of the suit is etched into her mind, “a treat.”
“A treat?”
“I’m trying to be polite.” Carol sits on the armrest of the couch and smiles around her glass.
“Hmm. Yeah, you know I thought it would work well when I had more stealth related missions. Didn’t want to draw attention with any gaudy and vibrant colors.”
Carol raises her chin, “What’re you tryna say, Rambeau?”
“What’re you tryna prove, Captain Planet?”
Carol surprises herself with how loudly and genuinely her laughter rings out. It’s been three years since she’s laughed like this and the feeling both lifts her up and beats her down. Her life without Maria has been so dull and devoid of…life. Maria chuckles at Carol’s reaction and pours herself another glass. Carol tracks her movement, tracks the nearly imperceptible dip in her smile where the pain nearly breaks through. She’s laughing for the first time, too, and probably fighting against the peculiar feeling pooling like hot liquid in the pit of her stomach, burning it through until it feels hollow, begging for the person across the room to help her feel whole again.
Carol can only assume though. Only because it’s what she’s feeling herself.
“Uhh,” Carol stands up, “speaking of the suit though I’m starting to feel a little constricted.”
“Mm,” Maria nods as she swallows more of her drink. “Yeah, yeah, I can get you something. Bathroom’s there,” Maria points and walks off in another direction. Carol watches her. She’s not shocked by it. When Maria falls out of sight Carol continues to stare in the same direction until she turns on her heel, head falling back just slightly as she puffs out her cheeks.
“Man alive,” she huffs and trots down Maria’s pristine hallways towards the bathroom that she still mostly has to find on her own. Getting the first good look at herself since all of this, Carol quickly splashes some water on her face and sticks her head under the faucet before shaking her hair out. Because of the shorter cut now, droplets fall from the ends onto her shoulders and she shrugs out of the top part of her suit to let the liquid fall against skin. Her pants are the next to go and Carol, clad in boxers and an undershirt, stretches her arms upward before bending over and letting out a heavy breath. When she stands back up she jumps at the sight of Maria standing behind her in the mirror. “Jesus!” But Maria’s not concerned. Instead, her focus seems to be on Carol’s back, specifically the part where her shirt has ridden up to expose skin.
“What’s this?” Maria asks and steps forward so her fingers can – effortlessly, familiarly, delicately – trail across Carol’s skin and push her shirt up higher on her back. Goosebumps break out against Carol’s flesh and the hitch in her breath prevents her from answering Maria. The touch feels so much like hers. Carol watches her smirk in the mirror. “You got a….” Maria laughs and spreads her hand out across the detailed design of a Spanish Moss on the left side of her lower back. “You got a tattoo?” Carol still lacks any ability to speak from the feeling of Maria’s hands. So she closes her eyes. “My Carol didn’t have any tattoos,” she murmurs. “Always wanted one though.” Her thumb runs across the design…across the muscle underneath. Carol leans into the touch. Slowly. Until her back is pressed against Maria’s front. “Mmm,” Maria sighs, “not a good idea,” she whispers. Even as her hands readjust to slide around Carol’s waist.
“You and I never have good ideas,” Carol responds and it gets Maria to chuckle, to lower her head to Carol’s shoulder and ghost her lips against the skin.
“This one would be especially bad.” And then, more seriously, “I’m not her.”
“And I’m not her but you still have your hands all over me like I am.”
Maria’s grip loosens, fingers flexing out and hands sliding back, but, like a magnet, her skin reconnects with Carol’s and with her new hold spins Carol around to face her. “This is stupid,” she says clearly and pointedly.
“Brainless.”
“Idiotic.”
“Cockamamie.”
Maria raises an eyebrow at the word and Carol fights back a grin. “You realize what you're agreeing to submit yourself to?”
“Yeah,” Carol breathes and watches Maria's eyelids lower and her lips become slick with a quick pass of her tongue. “You.”
. . .
There’s no gentle easing into it. They spare no time with slow hands and shy kisses.
Carol and Maria dive head first into each other, lips slipping roughly against each other’s and tongues sliding against new yet familiar groves. Carol knows where her hands need to go and how to touch Maria. In the confines of the bathroom one hand immediately drove into Maria’s pants and settled between her thighs, the slickness of her arousal pouring out over her folds and coating Carol’s fingers. Carol’s other arm had wrapped around her waist, holding her closer and in place as she worked her ministrations on her. Maria, starved of Carol’s touch for years, came quickly and pushed Carol off of her and out of the bathroom, following after her and grabbing her waist. Maria’s hands fly under Carol’s shirt and her thumbs brush over her nipples. When Carol whines Maria covers it with a kiss. When Maria pushes against her, Carol lets her. When Maria places Carol’s hands where she wants, Carol slides them against her skin. When Maria groans, Carol pulls back, ready to let her reassess and take more control. Maria huffs and Carol’s back is slammed against a wall as Maria’s hand wraps around her throat.
“Stop being fucking gentle with me,” she hisses and Carol meets her eyes with her own hooded ones. “You wanna fuck me, fuck me. ” As if to emphasize her point, Maria lets her skin glow and the pieces click into place for Carol. She’s not her. Understood. She just needed one final reminder. When Maria goes in for another hard kiss, Carol bites on her bottom lip and turns her in against the doorframe beside them which, unbeknownst to or not cared about by them, gets dented under the force. Carol slots a leg between Maria’s thighs and pushes her body forward.
“When you gonna take this shit off, huh?” Carol asks and pulls on Maria’s shirt.
“Knowing damn well you can do it-” Maria gasps as Carol’s thigh rises, “yourself,” she finishes in a higher pitch and it makes Carol smirk as her eyes, with their lids low and hues darkened, trace over Maria’s blissed expression and down the sharp jutting of the tendons in her neck.
“Say I want you to do it for me,” Carol whispers. Maria scoffs and shakes her head.
“Put in the work.”
“Did I or did I not just make you cum thirty seconds ago?” But Carol’s already pulling Maria into the room by the front of her sweats and pulling them down once they’re stationary again. Maria steps out of her pants and walks backwards as Carol slides her hands under her shirt which is also quickly discarded. Carol’s hands slip to Maria’s ass and dip under the remaining piece of sheer fabric. From there her hands slide back out and wrap around the back of Maria’s thighs. She lifts her and places her on the dresser.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” Maria asks, her lips ghosting over Carol’s and her hands starting to push up Carol’s shirt. “Because I could’ve gotten off all on my own.”
Carol smiles against Maria’s teasing mouth and snakes her arms around her neck. She steps forward and pulls her in. Their kiss is open mouthed, tongues taking up space and being sucked in by an eager mouth, teeth grazing on lips before biting down and pulling. The air between them is hot from their panting breaths and moving bodies. Carol grinding her hips forward into Maria’s center and Maria lifting her own for them to meet in the middle. Maria falls back onto her hand and Carol moves forward, their bodies refusing to create space, to settle down even as possessions get knocked to the ground and Maria grips the edge of the dresser so hard it starts to crack.
“Bed,” Maria grunts as Carol’s hands slip over her breasts and then up to pull the straps of her bra down her shoulders. “Now,” she says and pushes Carol hard enough for her to stumble back and land on it, back hitting the mattress. In no time at all, Maria’s there kneeling over her. Carol rips her underwear clean off and uses a firm grip on Maria’s ass to guide her above her face. “You want me to ride you, baby?”
“Like you fucking own me.”
A smile appears with a breath and Maria lowers her cunt onto Carol’s mouth. And immediately after her hands are gripping the short strands of blonde hair: the only thing grounding her when Carol’s mouth has shot her very being into the heavens. Maria hears herself moan and can’t remember the last time she’s sounded so vulnerable. It’s surprising in its rawness and encourages Carol to go deeper. Her fingers spread Maria’s lips and she buries her tongue inside. With commanding hands, she moves Maria’s hips to her liking, forward and back until Maria takes control and starts fucking herself properly against Carol’s mouth. When Carol’s tongue moves to circle Maria’s clit her fingers quickly replace it and curl inside Maria, coaxing a whine dripping with curses and Carol’s own sung out name.
Maria can feel her grinning against her cunt. It makes her grind harder.
She falls forward onto her elbows and bites down on her arm while continuing to move her hips and falls happy victim to Carol’s expertise. With her free hand, Carol reaches back and taps on Maria’s arm. “Uh uh,” she chastises. “Wanna hear you when I make you cum.” She brings the hand back and lands a swift but powerful strike to Maria’s ass and Maria nearly loses herself right then and there. When Carol lands another Maria fucks against her faster and the fingers inside her perfectly match the tempo. Carol’s mouth closes around Maria’s clit and her teeth gently cradle it as she sucks. Maria cries out, whines Carol’s name and even as her hips stutter and her walls clamp around Carol’s fingers Carol continues to pleasure her. The satisfaction makes Maria see stars, like she’s looked up at the sun too long and then closed her eyes to see if she could trap the light behind it.
Carol moans around her center and then releases. She kisses Maria’s thighs, drags her tongue up her slit and places one last long kiss against her clit. Maria’s hips move of their own accord and even in her blissed state she rocks against Carol…wants more. “Yeah?” Carol asks and pushes on Maria’s thighs so that she turns over and falls on her back. Carol goes back down and from the first touch of her lips Maria’s mewling. Her hands are making a slow crawl back into Carol’s hair and her legs are falling open in invitation.
“You,” Maria breathes. “You.”
“We’ll get to me, I’m not worried about that. I haven’t had you in years, Maria, let me savor this,” and Carol makes her point with a press of her tongue to Maria’s clit.
Maria pants, “I haven’t had you longer,” and presses Carol’s face closer to her center. “So hurry up so I can get my chance.”
Carol laughs, Maria smirks, and they both ignore the line they crossed when they spoke the words, Haven’t had you .
Unsurprisingly, Carol ignores Maria and takes her time. Her mouth moves slower and her fingers are more precise when they move inside her. The careful attention pays off though when Maria cums no more than a minute in, her body’s sensitivity only increasing after every climax. In the end, they both get their way. But when Maria meets Carol’s eyes and sees that glint of challenge as she starts to lower her mouth again, Maria knows she has to act fast. She pulls herself back and sits up against the headboard. As expected, Carol follows. Her eyes peeking between the strands of hair falling over them and staying focused on Maria. When she’s close enough, their lips meet again and Maria takes the opportunity to finally push her tank top fully over her head and indulge in the feeling of Carol’s skin underneath her hands once more. The smooth exterior covering the shifting muscles and fast pulses and heating up under the glide of Maria’s hands. When Maria opens her eyes, Carol’s glowing. Her whole body is alive with streams of energy flowing in circuits and spiraling around her limbs. The sight makes Maria’s eyes flutter shut again and push against Carol.
Carol follows Maria’s lead and sits up on her knees. Maria mirrors the position and discards her bra. Carol’s eyes drop and her hands tighten on Maria’s waist but before she can act, Maria has her flipped over and on her stomach, her face full of duvet.
Carol’s grin forms on her next exhale and she turns her head enough for Maria to see it as she pulls Carol’s hips up to be flush against her pelvis. “I like this,” she pants and one of Maria’s hands palms her ass.
“You’ll like it a lot more when my fingers are inside you.” Which would be really fucking impressive Maria realizes when she puts her hand under Carol and finds her arousal quite literally drooling out of her. Maria moves her fingers upwards, twirling the languid stream around them until she can slide them against Carol’s saturated pussy. Maria chuckles, “Oh, honey,” and eases one finger inside while her thumb stretches to rub her clit. “That’s precious.” Carol whines when Maria slips another finger inside her and pushes her hips back against her hand. “Mmhm,” Maria encourages and keeps her hand still for Carol to fuck back on. “You need it bad, huh?”
Maria’s voice drawls out and the sound coats Carol’s body in fire. Through heavily lidded eyes Carol watches her hand start to beam brighter. Four fingers are inside Carol now and they feel as hot as her own do when she’s charged up. She takes a peek back and sees Maria outlined in a moving golden light and it makes her smile. When Maria catches this and their eyes meet a shift follows right after. In an instant, Maria’s hand slides into Carol’s hair and fastens a tight grip on it, pulling her head upwards and keeping it in place. Carol’s control over her hips pace is snatched away when Maria starts moving her hand, in and out of Carol’s pussy, speed and force increasing so that the room is filled with the sound of Carol being fucked;Wet sounds from Maria’s pumping and the subtle smacks of skin against skin, Carol being unable to control what comes out of her mouth so that high whines and sultry moans are all she’s capable of producing. She can’t even find the part of her that would be able to form short curse words. The room has gone fuzzy and all she knows about this life is Maria’s hands and Maria’s body and Maria’s voice speaking softer than she is being physical. “Good girl, baby,” and “Oh, that feels nice, yeah,” and “You sound so pretty, Carol, you’re making me wet.”
When Carol does cum, it’s with a burst of energy and anything that was standing up in that room comes tumbling down. Photographs and trinkets and tools. Everything falls on its back.
Except for Maria. Who instead drops to all fours and attaches her mouth to Carol’s pussy from the back. Her tongue slides through her folds and into her hole and Carol can only see light. Bright brilliant light in front of her as her eyes glow, even with them closed, and her head pressed into the mattress as she tries in vain to catch her breath. Maria’s mouth moves forward and closes around Carol’s clit. The pleasure is so good, so intense, Carol’s eyes start to shed tears that immediately evaporate against her skin. She’s cumming again and then again after that since Maria doesn’t stop. Doesn’t want to. Carol hopes she never does.
When Carol’s next climax comes with her arousal pouring over the sheets, Maria gives her relief and flips her over so she’s on her back. Still panting, Maria attaches their mouths and Carol finds strength enough in her arms to throw them around Maria’s shoulders and draw her closer. Their kiss is heated, charged, fast. A continuation of what transpired between them and a hope to come back to it. Carol’s fingers drag against Maria’s scalp and Maria’s lips slide teasingly until she bites down on Carol’s lower lip and pulls.
And in that pull back, Carol opens her eyes and finds relaxed, genuine, peaceful brown clouds staring back.
And they are her eyes.
They are Maria’s eyes.
Carol can’t find her breath but she has her mobility. A hand brushes over Maria’s cheek and the other slides down her neck. She holds her eyes until she draws her in and when she kisses her it’s intentionally different, conveying her thought process and the reality she’s dangerously put herself in. Maria pulls back.
“Carol,” she rises off of her, “no-”
“Just-” Carol’s voice cracks as she fights to voice this almost impossible request. “Pretend with me,” she pleads, “just for a little bit,” she whispers, eyes closing as she asks, to hold back the threatening flow of tears. “Please. Please.”
Uncertainty rolls off of Maria in waves and pours out over Carol and pools under her body. She could drown in it. The longer Maria holds back and contemplates the faster the water rises. She should panic. Try to retreat back to land.
But instead, a lifeboat. A lifeboat in the form of Maria laying back down, her head on Carol’s chest, her arm around her waist, her lips against her skin. They bob in these uncertain waters together and while some people might fight the rocking and unsteadiness sickening, Carol and Maria are soothed.
In the darkness found behind their eyelids they can pretend it’s another day. Another chance.
“You remember when we first met?” Carol voices, soft and careful to avoid specifics lest their separate histories reveal any cracks in this fantastical joined story.
“Mm,” Maria hums and begins to trace her fingers across Carol’s skin. It’s gut wrenchingly familiar. “I do.”
“I was so intimidated by you.”
“You hid it poorly.”
Carol chuckles and feels Maria’s smile grow against her. “Maybe I wanted you to notice.”
“Maybe you already had my attention.”
Carol smiles, Maria comes a bit closer. They pretend.
. . .
“That’ll take you back,” Maria says and points off towards Carol’s multiversal jump point. It’s dark, a few days after Carol’s initial arrival, and the two are working under the cover of night to get Carol back home. “Straight through and you’ll pop out where you popped in.”
“Alright,” Carol says and adjusts the gloves on her hands. “What if I get stuck?”
“Find another Maria. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to have you.”
Carol cocks her head and raises her eyebrows. “Yeah? You think?”
“Shut up, Danvers,” Maria breathes and Carol giggles next to her. “But you’ll be fine.”
“Hey, I trust you.” She takes in a breath and blows it out, puffing her cheeks in the process. “Back to reality, I guess.”
“It was gonna sneak up on us sometime,” Maria responds and Carol nods. “But…I hope this- I don’t know. I hope it wasn’t-” Carol turns her head to look at her and sees Maria hanging her own. “I’m going to find peace in knowing you’re out there. I always knew there were millions of you but to see you, it….”
“It helped,” Carol confirms. “It helps ,” she clarifies and Maria raises her head to look at her. They share smiles and when Carol reaches out for her hand, Maria gives it one squeeze before letting go. Carol ascends and starts towards the crack in the sky.
“Grow your hair out!” Maria calls after her and Carol turns around with a grin. “And talk to Monica.” The grin slips and Maria smirks at the tell. “Yeah, I know. You ain’t slick.”
Carol scoffs at the accusation (and also at being caught) and the smile returns in full. “I’ll see you around, Rambeau.” Maria shrugs, content to let Carol believe whatever she wants to. Carol’s smile softens. She feels a familiar tugging at her heart and she bares it before Maria. “I love you.”
She can hear the caution in Maria’s voice, “Carol,” but she ignores it.
“You’re Maria Rambeau. Whatever universe, whatever version,” she holds her arms out, “I’m in love.” She can see Maria shake her head. But she can also see her smiling. Carol winks and turns towards the crack. In an instant, she’s gone.
Maria stares up at the sky, at the place Carol once appeared and just vacated. A tear rolls down her cheek and her smile, though strong, wavers with her emotion.
“I love you, too,” she says to no one.