It didn't take Carol very long to deduce that something was going on between Eddie and Hanvema. Hanvema no longer perpetually frowned and when she was with Eddie she would actually smile. And Eddie, well, his eyes betrayed him any time he even looked at Hanvema.
Carol didn't say anything for a few days since seeing this new dynamic between them. She did ask Bruce if he noticed anything different between the two of them.
"I didn't want to say anything, but yeah, I can tell something happened." Bruce said.
"I wonder if..." Carol began.
"If they slept together? Oh, yeah, they most definitely did." Bruce said, hitting a button on the console of the ship and spinning his chair around to face her.
The door wooshed open and Nebula entered. "I'm heading out to meet the Guardians. They had another sighting on a collector's item."
"Okay. But first, have you noticed anything different between Eddie and Hanvema," Bruce asked, folding his arms.
"Yes and it sickens me," Nebula said, then turned around and left.
Bruce chuckled. "Okay, so if Blue Bot noticed as well, they are doing a shit job hiding it."
"Are they really trying to hide it though?"
The doors opened again and Eddie entered.
"Uh, forgot my jacket," He said walking over to a chair where he had draped it. He stopped when he saw Bruce and Carol staring at him.
"Anything...wrong?" He asked.
"No, no. Everything is good," Bruce said.
Carol just gave him a knowing smile.
Feeling uncomfortable, Eddie slowly backed up toward the door.
"Well, I'll be seeing ya," He said, giving them a nervous wave.
The following day, Thor had returned to the ship to give Captain Marvel an update on his travels. He had been visiting the nine realms, following up on all lore about Knull.
"Each realm has had its knowledge on Knull, except Midgard. Midgard is where I have had first contact with the being when I was there in the 1100's. I destroyed him with Mjollnir, sending him back to who knows where."
Carol, Bruce, Hanvema and Eddie were all gathered in the control room listening to Thor.
"I hate this guy!" Venom complained, as Thor talked.
"Yea, I do too, buddy." He said to Venom. "Hey, what the hell is Midgard?" Eddie muttered to Hanvema.
"Ah, Eddie. Midgard is what you call earth." Thor said, overhearing him.
"I thought it was called Terra?"
"I am Asgardian, we call it Midgard." Thor said.
"What an idiot, he should just say earth! I mean, nobody else in this room is Asgardian." Venom quipped.
"What...is an Asgardian?" Eddie said, trying to stifle a laugh from Venom's comment.
Thor frowned. "Why do you laugh?"
"Nothing, uh, just nervous," Eddie said.
Thor narrowed his eyes at Eddie. "Hanvema can explain all that to you. She spent some time on my planet...before it was destroyed."
"You did?" Carol asked with interest. "I didn't know that."
"Indeed. She even had a little romance with my brother, Loki." Thor said with a grin.
Hanvema glared at Thor, but he didn't seem to notice.
"Wait, what?" Eddie said.
"Oh, no. Eddie, you should break up with her. You spend too much time with her anyways." Venom said.
Bruce and Carol tensed up a little, but they also wanted to see what type of drama would unfold between Hanvema and Eddie.
"You, uh, you slept with his brother?" Eddie whispered to Hanvema.
"Loki isn't his blood brother," she said, as if that should make it better.
Thor watched the exchange between them and he leaned forward. "Hanvema, have you bedded, Eddie?" He asked.
Eddie didn't care for Thor's wordage. "Bed me? What am I? A fair maiden?"
"How is that any of your business," Hanvema said, with her head held high. "Although you've matured since I last saw you on Asgard, you are still terrible at being subtle."
Thor just smiled a cheeky grin and stood. "I must bid you all farewell. I have more to do."
"Like dragging more people's personal business out in public," Eddie muttered.
Thor leveled his finger at Eddie. "What did I tell you..."
"To stay out of trouble," Eddie sneered.
"Oh, good. You remembered." Thor said, then left.
A silence fell over the room before Bruce said. "We...we already knew, by the way."
Back in Hanvema's room Eddie paced the floor. She sat on the side of her bed, watching him have a meltdown.
"You...you slept with that asshole's brother?" He complained. "Am I gonna, like, meet this guy and not know it?"
"Loki is dead, Thanos killed him." Hanvema said.
"Two dead Eddie! Not looking good for you." Venom said
.
"Good." Eddie said, then added. "I mean bad, obviously, very tragic...what, Venom?"
"Remember that last guy, Durzos? Seems like a trend with her. You stay, you die!"
"You mean to tell me you have slept with no other woman before me?" She asked, her face set with cold logic.
"Well, no..." He said, calming himself down and walking over to sit beside her.
"I want to know the last woman you were with. And what your relationship was like with her," she said.
"Oh, no. She is gonna hate you." Venom said.
Eddie hesitated. That wasn't a story he really wanted to tell. And as Venom said, it wouldn't really shine a good light on him.
"Her name was Anne. I was engaged to marry her. But I fucked up and she dumped me."
"How did you fuck up?" She pushed.
"I followed a lead, which I stole from her private work files. When I used it, it traced back to her and she was fired from her job. She didn't trust me after that. And she said that I was a rollercoaster ride she had to get off."
"What is a rollercoaster?" Hanvema asked.
"Like a ride for enjoyment, you go up and down in a circle," He said, motioning his hand, trying to simulate the movement.
"If it is enjoyable, why did she want off?"
Eddie was seeing that this conversation wasn't going where it should.
"Just...just ignore the rollercoaster comment. What I am trying to say is that I want to change, to be better."
"Eddie, just break up with her. Anne was cute, feisty sexy. Hanvema is like a panther is going to kill you sexy."
"Venom, shut up." Eddie said.
"What did he say about me?" Hanvema said, her voice growing hard.
"No! Don't tell her I said that. Tell her...tell her she looks very pretty today."
"Nothing of importance. So, I'm sorry for overreacting a little."
"A little?"
"Okay, alot." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not going to judge you Eddie. Our past is behind us. We can only change who we are now so we can make a better future."
Eddie nodded and she leaned in to kiss him. He pulled her back onto the bed and they began gently kissing, his hand on her waist, her hand through his hair. Eddie felt himself growing and he wanted to be inside her. He pulled off his shirt and undid his pants, he stood up to shimmy them off along with his shoes. Sitting back down, now just in his underwear the door to Hanvema's room opened abruptly.
"Jesus!" Eddie said, covering his erection. Hanvema sat up on the bed to see who the visitor was.
"Oh, sorry!" Carol said, and turned her back to them. "You didn't lock the door. The door said you were available in the room."
Hanvema stood and walked toward Carol. Eddie leaned over and grabbed a pillow to cover himself.
"What is it?" Hanvema asked.
"I received some interesting readings back on earth. I'm not entirely sure what it means...but they are very similar to the ones of when Eddie entered our universe." Carol peeked over her shoulder at Eddie.
"Hi Carol," He said.
Carol smiled at him and gave him a wink. He blushed.
"Eddie and I should prepare to return to earth then." Hanvema said.
"Yeah, I think you should."