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Okay so maybe the yawning was a little cliché, but it was what Steve had told him to do when courting women who perhaps weren’t used to his… loud, approach.
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. “Did you really just do that, Lord of Thunder?”
He didn’t reply, only grinned – and she sighed, turned back to the window, and didn’t bother moving his arm.
Perhaps she thought he’d move it himself. Perhaps she was sorely mistaken.
“I have to say, for a fucking pr- king,” she looked up at him, eyebrow raised once more, “you’re the least smooth guy I’ve ever met. Legitimately. It’s almost pitiful.”
He smiled wider, knowing she meant it endearingly. She only sighed, leaned further against him, knocked her fist gently against his chest in a half-punch.
“And if that was a real yawn, then go the fuck to sleep, sparkles.”
It wasn’t a real yawn, but he still couldn’t help but doze off a little – arm around her soft, warm body, like a little (ass-kicking, gun-wielding) teddy bear, staring out into space. The endless abyss of swirling stars was a lot less engaging than the golden glistens and rainbow shimmers of Asgard, and sleep found him quickly.
He found Banner by accident – walked right into him when he wasn’t paying attention, and had to grab the little guy by the arms before he tripped and broke something.
“I’m so sorry, friend Banner, I-“
“It’s fine.” Banner smiled, and Thor liked it when he smiled. It was always so calming, so reassuring. The other guy never smiled, and that’s how Thor knew he was never Banner. Banner and the other guy would never be the same. “Depth perception. You didn’t mean it.”
They fell into a comfortable silence – comfortable for Thor, at least, though Banner was still being (gently) grabbed at the forearms, and was fidgeting with an unreadable expression.
“Is the other one attempting escape?”
Banner nodded, slow and jittery, and Thor, in a moment of panic, released Banner with one hand – once his feet were firmly on the ground, at least – and gently rubbed his back, like one would with a dog. It was only when a look of confusion was shot his way that he realised what he’d done.
“Oh! Uh, I-“
“Thor,” Banner’s voice was softer, and sweeter, and he was smiling again. His jaw still twitched every so often, his eyes were still tinted a little too green for Thor’s liking, but it was Banner again, no Hulk in sight. “It’s okay. You’re helping.”
“Right,” he gulped, “helping.”
They sat by the window, slowly and carefully, Thor’s hand still rubbing up and down Banner’s spine – and then Thor may have accidentally let slumber take him, leaning on the smaller man’s shoulder, listening to the explanation of something technical and Midgardian that he’d never hope to understand.
“You love them, don’t you?”
He falters. Loki blinks at him, and smiles wide, shifting slightly.
Thor knew Loki wouldn’t mind – neither of them were exactly “straight”, as the Midgardians would put it – but he had figured that perhaps his brother may find the quantity of his lovers to be… distressing. He didn’t wish for him to assume that he followed some old long-lost Midgardian rule, that he figured he could only rule with a dozen wives by his side – and yet now, Loki said it so casually, like there was nothing unusual about it.
And now that Thor thought about it, there wasn’t. He had enough heart for the three of them.
“It’s alright, brother,” he says finally, eyes glinting with something kind – something brotherly – that Thor had almost forgotten the sight of. “After all, Asgard’s king shall need a family of his own.”
“I’d hope you’re including yourself, brother,” Thor spoke instantly, “for, king or not, you shall forever be my brother.”
Loki smiled again, laughed a little, and nodded.
“I’ll be here when all three of you wed,” he says quietly, “I swear on it.”
(And he never forgot – as one day, when Asgard was thriving and living, he watched his brother take two others’ hands in his, and walk certainly to his throne, not an ounce of fear in him.)
It was at times like these, stroking his two lovers’ backs as they held each other close, gazing into the endless depths of space, that he wondered why he’d ever wished to rule alone.