The tension on Sakaar had reached its boiling point. Javier's marriage to Gamora, Nebula, Proxima Midnight, and Mantis had become an open secret, whispered about in the dimly lit corners of the Grandmaster's extravagant palace. Each woman carried her own mix of emotions—jealousy, pride, and anger—that rippled through their interactions with him and each other.
But for Javier, the weight of their emotions was nothing compared to the complexity of his own heart.
---
A Confession in the Dark
Late one evening, Javier sat in a small chamber on the outskirts of the palace. The neon lights of Sakaar cast a faint glow through the room, and beside him sat Brunnhilde—Valkyrie. She was quiet for a long time, sipping from her flask as she stared at nothing in particular.
"I've never told anyone this before," she began, her voice low and measured. "Not even the Grandmaster."
Javier turned to her, sensing the gravity of her words.
"I'm the last of the Valkyries," she said, her tone tinged with bitterness. "Hela slaughtered us all, and I was the only one who survived. Not because I was the strongest or the bravest, but because I ran."
Javier reached out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You survived because you had to. There's no shame in that, Brunnhilde."
She let out a bitter laugh. "Easy for you to say. You've never had to live with the guilt of leaving everyone you loved behind."
Her voice cracked slightly, and before Javier could say anything else, she leaned into him, resting her head against his chest. "You're the first person who's made me feel… anything in a long time," she admitted softly.
Javier hesitated, his heart aching for her pain. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. For a moment, it was just the two of them, the rest of the world fading away.
---
An Unexpected Interruption
The sound of the door sliding open shattered the quiet moment. Javier and Brunnhilde looked up to see Gamora standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and her expression a mix of anger and disbelief.
"What is going on here?" Gamora demanded, her voice sharp.
Before Javier could explain, Brunnhilde stood up, her usual confident smirk returning. "Relax, Gamora. We were just talking."
Gamora's eyes narrowed. "It didn't look like just talking."
Javier stood as well, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Gamora, it's not what it looks like. Brunnhilde was—"
But before he could finish, Gamora strode forward, grabbing his arm. "You're coming with me," she said firmly.
"Wait, Gamora—" Javier started, but she didn't give him a chance to protest. She pulled him out of the room and down the hallway, her grip unyielding.
---
The Confrontation
When they reached an empty corridor, Gamora finally let go, turning to face him with fire in her eyes. "What the hell are you doing, Javier?"
"I was comforting her," Javier said, his tone defensive. "She was opening up to me about her past."
"And that required holding her like that?" Gamora shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Javier sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Gamora, you know I care about you. But you're not the only one who's been through hell. Brunnhilde needed someone to talk to, and I was there for her. That's all."
Gamora's expression softened slightly, but her jealousy still simmered beneath the surface. "I don't want to lose you, Javier," she admitted quietly.
"You won't," Javier said, stepping closer. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "I married you because I love you, Gamora. That hasn't changed, and it never will."
For a moment, Gamora seemed to relax, her walls crumbling ever so slightly. But then, as if unable to resist testing him further, she said, "Prove it."
Javier blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Show me that I'm the one you love most," she said, her voice almost a whisper.
Before he could respond, she pulled him into a kiss, her hands gripping the front of his shirt. Javier was momentarily stunned, but then he responded, kissing her back with equal intensity.
---
The Collision of Hearts
The kiss ended abruptly when they heard a voice behind them. "Am I interrupting something?"
They turned to see Brunnhilde standing at the end of the corridor, her arms crossed and a knowing smirk on her face.
Gamora stepped back, her cheeks flushing slightly. "We were just—"
"Save it," Brunnhilde said, waving a hand dismissively. "I don't care what you two were doing. Just don't let it get in the way of what's coming next."
"What's coming next?" Javier asked, his brow furrowing.
Brunnhilde's smirk widened. "The Grandmaster's latest 'game.' He wants you to fight again. And this time, it's personal."
As she walked away, Javier and Gamora exchanged a worried glance. Whatever the Grandmaster had planned, they knew it wouldn't be easy. And with tensions between Javier and the women in his life at an all-time high, the road ahead was more uncertain than ever.
---
The tangled web of emotions, alliances, and rivalries on Sakaar was growing more complicated with each passing day. For Javier, balancing his relationships with Gamora, Nebula, Proxima Midnight, Mantis, and now Brunnhilde was becoming an impossible task. And with the Grandmaster's games looming on the horizon, he knew the stakes were only going to get higher.