It had been almost two months since Surtur destroyed Asgard, and Thor had been holed up in his room for most of that time. He did have some intermittent visitors.
Loki would enter his quarters to complain about the living conditions on the ship, or the other passengers, or whatever else was a minor annoyance. Thor never really listened, just nodding or mumbling affirmations whenever Loki paused.
Brunnhilde popped in a few times to ask if he wanted to get a drink with her, which Thor knew was just a ploy to get him to reveal where the liquor was hidden.
Korg and Miek dropped by once to ask if Thor wanted to come to their party, an invitation which he politely declined.
Heimdall seemed to know Thor wanted solitude and left him alone, something Thor greatly appreciated. He needed time alone to plan for their return to Earth, and he didn’t appreciate visitors.
Well… most visitors.
The only person’s company he didn’t seem to mind was Bruce Banner’s. Bruce would knock on the door and Thor would open it, beaming, ushering the scientist in. Bruce always brought tea – lemon flavored, which was Thor’s favorite.
When Thor asked where he got it, Bruce just shrugged and mentioned something about Tony having some in the Quinjet. As Thor was sipping his tea, he and Bruce would fall into easy conversation. They talked about all sorts of things, but mostly science.
Bruce was elated when he found out that Thor had an extensive knowledge of physics, barraging him with questions and theories. Bruce would always apologize for his endless chatter, but Thor didn’t mind. Thor always had a good time with Bruce, and was sad to see him go.
Recently, Thor had been feeling… well, differently about the scientist. He started to notice little things about Bruce, like how he tucked his hair behind his ears when he was curious about something, or how he pushed up his glasses whenever Thor mentioned some particularly interesting detail. Anytime Thor spoke to him about science, Bruce would intermittently call Thor “brilliant”, or “genius”, or “amazing”. Thor always felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks whenever Bruce complimented him.
Bruce’s visits became a daily occurrence, and he began to stay longer and longer. Their conversations went on for hours. Thor never tired of hearing the scientist’s voice, even when he could barely stand the company of anyone else.
On the two-month anniversary of their departure from Asgard, Thor woke up feeling cheerful. He was very excited to see Bruce. He wondered what the scientist was doing at that moment. Hopefully, he would come over soon. Thor had a good feeling about today.
***
Bruce sat on his bed, waiting for the kettle on his stove to whistle. He was almost out of that lemon tea Thor liked so much. He would have to see if chamomile would suffice, as Tony had at least a thousand packets of that. Bruce understood why, as Tony definitely needed its calming effect.
He would never have pegged Thor for a tea person. In fact, the first time Bruce had brought him tea, Thor had told the story of his visit with Dr. Strange. Apparently, when asked what he wanted to drink, he simply said, “Not tea.” Bruce had offered to bring something else instead, but Thor had taken one sip and declared the tea delicious.
The kettle whistled sharply, drawing Bruce out of his thoughts. He hurried over to the stove, pouring the hot water into what he’d come to think of as Thor’s mug, a bright yellow ceramic one with a small chip.
This happened when Thor got too excited about answering one of Bruce’s questions and bumped it on the wall while gesticulating wildly. Bruce smiled to himself at the memory. Thor always seemed able to make him happy.
Bruce let the tea steep for a few minutes, looking forward to seeing Thor again. When it was finished, Bruce padded out of his room, still wearing his pajamas. Thor always wore a pair, and Bruce had decided that today he would wear some as well to make the god more comfortable. He knocked on Thor’s door as usual.
“Banner!” The god wrapped Bruce in an embrace. Bruce was used to physical contact from Thor, but he seemed especially affectionate today.
“Hey, Thor. You seem lively,” laughed Bruce, offering the tea.
“I’m just excited to see you, Banner.”
They sat down at the table in Thor’s kitchen and began their usual routine of scientific discussion. Bruce thoroughly enjoyed Thor’s company and the knowledge he gained from their conversations. He had never known that Thor knew so much about how the universe worked, only finding out on Sakaar a few months ago. The god was happy to share this knowledge with Bruce, who couldn’t help but express his amazement with Thor.
During a lull in conversation, Bruce noticed Thor looking at him oddly.
“Thor, you’re looking at me like something’s wrong. Do I have something on my face?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just… I… you’re beautiful, Banner,” Thor blurted. Bruce felt his cheeks heating up.
“Me? Compared to you, I’m about as beautiful as Lord Voldemort.”
Thor gasped. “Banner! Stark has told me not to say that name. It’s cursed!”
Bruce burst into laughter. “Seems like Tony caught you up on some pop culture, huh?” Thor nodded sheepishly. “He taught me along with the captain.”
“Well, you’re both pretty disconnected with modern Earth culture,” Bruce admitted with a chuckle. Thor’s face lit up at the sound.
“Back to the matter at hand, Banner. You are beautiful.”
“Thor, that’s very kind of you, but I’m just… not.” Bruce sighed in resignation. Thor reached across the table and took Bruce’s hand.
“If you could see yourself the way I see you, you would not question your beauty. Banner, you are quite possibly one of the most intelligent and kind beings in the universe, and it makes you shine brighter than all of the stars in the sky.”
Bruce’s entire face was burning up now. He looked down at his lap. “Th-thank you, Thor. You have no idea how much that means coming from you.”
There was a moment of silence, during which neither man knew exactly what to say. Thor took a breath, seemingly gathering his courage.
“May I kiss you, Banner?” Thor asked tentatively. Bruce nodded and leaned across the table. Thor cupped Bruce’s face in his hands and gently brushed his lips against Bruce’s. The god pulled away, still gazing into his eyes. Bruce leaned closer to kiss Thor again, accidentally knocking over the tea sitting on the table.
“Oh, sorry Thor. Let me help clean that up.” The two men sopped up the tea with paper towels. Luckily, the mug was still intact, and Bruce set it back on the table. “Sorry to kill the mood.”
“Don’t worry, Banner. I’m sure the mood can be reinstated,” Thor whispered as he pulled Bruce in and pressed his lips against the scientist’s. The kiss grew more intense as Thor parted his lips, Bruce following his lead. Thor pulled him closer, his hands on Bruce’s waist.
Before the kiss could deepen any further, however, Loki entered, starting on a rant without noticing Bruce. “Thor, you would not believe what this peasant was saying about Shakespeare earlier. I had half a mind to stab the tasteless man, but Brunnhilde threatened to severely injure me.” Loki sounded a little too disappointed about missing an opportunity to stab someone. Bruce could hear him walking around, presumably looking for Thor.
“Where are you, anyway?” Upon asking, Loki rounded the corner and saw Thor and Bruce, who were still standing compromisingly close to each other. “Oh. Hello Bruce.”
Bruce smirked at Loki, who he had once found intimidating, but now saw as a bit – a lot – of a drama queen.
“Thor, please refrain from romantic activities in my presence. I’ve told you how much I miss En Dwi!”
“Who?” Thor questioned, confused.
“Oh, for Asgard’s sake, do you never listen? The Grandmaster. My—”
“Sugar daddy,” Bruce filled in.
“I don’t know what that means, but I was going to say lover.” Loki sighed dramatically and stalked out of the room.
“Well, everyone on the ship will know about us within a few hours,” Bruce commented.
Thor smiled widely. “I’ll be happy for them to know that I’m with the most beautiful person in the universe.”
Bruce smiled up at the god, no longer disputing his claim. He looped his arms around Thor’s neck and got on his toes to kiss the god softly. As he pulled away, he noticed Thor looking at him fondly.
“You know, you never told me what changed your mind about tea,” Bruce said absentmindedly.
“I guess I was never drinking it with the right person before.” The god shrugged. “The only time I ever had tea was with Loki, and it was usually poisoned. But I trust that you haven’t been poisoning my drinks. If so, it’s very slow-acting.”
“I promise you I’m not poisoning your tea, Thor.” The god chuckled before wrapping Bruce in his arms. His head resting on Thor’s muscled chest, Bruce felt, for the first time in years, complete.
Huh. He’d have to thank Tony for the obscene amount of tea he kept on the Quinjet. Turned out all it took to feel whole again was a god and a few packets of lemon tea.