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The sweet aromas of bacon and maple syrup floated thickly in the air of the Benatar as Thor fixed himself breakfast. Every inch of space in the kitchenette was littered with evidence of his cooking—plates, bowls, utensils, along with splatters of egg and flour.
This morning, he had prepared a little more than usual for himself (more than a little; it was enough grub to feed the whole crew) to keep his mouth and worried mind occupied.
Peter was out doing business on the planet they were docked on. Thor had begged to let him tag along, but his bullheaded boyfriend insisted it wasn't a difficult mission; it would only take one day—two, tops—and Rocket and Drax were all the help he needed. Besides, someone responsible needed to stay behind and keep an eye on Groot and Mantis.
Thor never did well being away from his partner. Looking for some source of comfort, he turned to what he loved most: food.
The god had a habit of self-soothing by stuffing himself during times of stress. The familiar tastes and textures of his favorite foods put him at ease, and reminded him of Peter lovingly hand-feeding him. It wasn't the worst way to cope—except he did have a tendency to overdo it. Last night he had eaten himself sick by gorging on any chips, cookies, and snack cakes he could find in the cupboards. He prayed that Peter would return soon, or he would be coming back to an utterly empty kitchen (and a painfully bloated boyfriend in need of a belly rub).
Thor piled up a plate with whatever he could fit on it and plopped down at the table. He stuffed his mouth full of sticky sweet pancakes, and instantly felt his worries dissipate. The sweet and salty tastes of butter and syrup hugged his senses like an old friend.
A set of quiet footsteps approached, and Thor looked up. It was Mantis, still in her pajamas but looking well-rested. She poured herself a glass of apple juice from the fridge.
“Good morning,” he greeted her warmly, “I pray you slept well?”
She turned and smiled. Her awkward, adorable kind of Mantis smile.
“Oh, yes. I was able to sleep very well, especially with it being so quiet. It was nice to get a break from... the usual late-night ruckus.”
She was alluding to the absent crew members’ nightly drunken shenanigans. Thor chuckled at the irony: the silence that helped Mantis sleep actually had him tossing and turning until sunrise. In addition to the unusual lack of noise, the absence of a warm body in his bed was downright painful, and he had spent all night hugging a pillow close for comfort.
“What about our plant friend, any sign of him this morning?” he asked, jabbing a thumb toward Groot's room.
“Not yet; I could sense him awake very late last night. I believe he was playing a video game.”
“Doesn’t surprise me." He wiped some stickiness from his chin. "Well then, I suppose we’ll be lucky if we see him awake before dinnertime,” he quipped, and Mantis giggled.
“As long as I know you’re both alive and well, that’s what matters. Quill told me to keep an eye on the ship and you two while he’s gone, and he’d kill me if I let anything happen in his absence.”
She nodded at him appreciatively. “I feel safe under your care, Thor. Though you have nothing to worry about.”
Thor smiled weakly at the sentiment, and busied himself with more food. He crammed some scrambled eggs into his mouth and savored the fluffy texture. As he jabbed a helping of home fries onto his fork, he got the strange feeling of someone looking at him. He glanced over to see Mantis frozen behind the kitchen island, totally entranced. Her wide, black eyes were fixated on him.
“I’m sorry, I should not stare.”
“It’s alright,” he laughed. “Is there… something in particular that has your interest?”
She pulled up a seat next to him at the table.
“It’s just that, I like sensing your delight while you eat. I can tell you derive a lot of joy from food.”
He grinned at her astute observation. “Clearly I do,” he chuckled and placed a hand on the thick fat of his belly, a testament to his love of eating (and his boyfriend’s love of feeding).
Mantis’ empathic powers had always been intriguing to him. Not only were they unique and useful, but they made for some memorable moments; he couldn’t help but laugh whenever she blurted out some scandalous secret about their teammates. Last week she let it slip that Rocket liked being scratched behind the ears, and it sent the crew into hysterics. But even aside from her powers, Mantis had a kind and gentle temperament, and Thor liked to think that they were becoming friends.
“May I… feel your arm?” she asked shyly. “I mean, so I can share in the experience? I’m sorry if that’s a strange request.”
He munched down a thick, greasy piece of bacon, and he could feel her buggy eyes taking it all in. “Not strange.” He smiled and extended an elbow to her.
Mantis delicately placed her hand on his bicep. Instantly, a soft pink blush rose to her cheeks. Her antennae relaxed and drooped, and her eyelids fluttered closed. Thor delighted in the unusual exchange of emotional energy.
“Oh… This is a wonderful feeling. So warm and content,” She breathed out, and hummed quietly. “Food makes you feel safe and secure.”
After a moment, her brows furrowed. “But your mind is clouded by worry. You are worried for Peter.”
Thor sighed and shoved a sausage in his mouth. “I’m always worried about him.”
“You are especially worried about him today.”
He nodded.
”I am sure he will be alright, Thor. He is a valiant leader, and he has our friends by his side... The bond that you two share is quite beautiful, you know. Everyday my senses are overwhelmed by your love.” Her eyes glistened as she spoke. “Peter feels an attraction to you unlike any I’ve felt before. He feels a strong, sexual lust for you—especially for your growing physical form.”
Thor sputtered and nearly choked. The intimate detail caught him off guard, although he supposed Peter’s and his dynamic wasn’t a secret to anyone on the ship, least of all Mantis.
She covered her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that?"
“N-no, Mantis, it’s alright.” He laughed and patted her hand. “I, err, already know how Peter feels about me. And my body. He’s told me himself many times.”
Her antennae drooped meekly, and she flashed him a weak smile.
“I’m sorry, I’m being terribly rude,” Thor changed the subject, suddenly realizing the lack of food in front of his crewmate. “Did you want some breakfast? I made more than enough of everything.”
“No, thank you.” Her slim fingers hovered on his arm. “Is it alright if I stay awhile?”
He nodded happily.
As the god enjoyed his meal, Mantis laid both hands on him, gleefully participating in the multi-sensory experience. Her wide eyes watched each forkful of food disappear past his lips, and Thor could hear her chirping out small, happy noises.
Each decadent food seemed to produce a different reaction in him—and by extension, her. She relaxed at the savory foods, and buzzed like an excited hummingbird during the sweeter ones. It was something totally new for Thor, and he liked it.
After polishing everything off and washing it down with a glass of orange juice, he sat back with a soft oof. He discreetly loosened the drawstring of his sweatpants, and rubbed where the waistband squeezed his wide belly.
Thor licked his lips clean and glanced at the kitchen. Guilt washed over him as he realized that even after one whopping plate, he was nowhere near full—he could easily go for another, perhaps two or three. He figured he shouldn’t, not wanting to make a pig of himself in front of his innocent friend.
But, tuned into the god’s deepest desires, Mantis wordlessly grabbed Thor’s plate for him and went to refill it.
“Don’t deprive yourself on my behalf,” she assured.
He smiled shyly, and instantly felt a renewed hunger once the warm food was in front of him. The second helping was just as good, and the third and fourth helpings were even better. Mantis was blissed out with each and every bite he took.
As he chowed down the last few pieces of bacon, the pain of being full finally caught up to him. His stretched, aching belly begged him to stop—but Mantis’ companionship and joy urged him to keep going. He powered through every last crumb, watching her pleased face out of the corner of his eye.
Plate finally clean, Thor leaned back. The huge meal sat heavy in his stomach, and he felt full and comforted—like the emptiness of Peter’s absence was filled up, forgotten. He also felt the pleasant drowsiness of a food coma setting in, and looked forward to crawling back into bed and rubbing his belly.
Mantis’ eyelids drooped with mutual sleepiness.
“So, how was that for you?”
She was practically purring. “So lovely. Food brings out such beautiful emotions in you, Thor. I could feel them—like thick, warm honey.”
Gradually, though, her face twisted and she placed a hand on her stomach. “Although the pleasure comes with pain.”
“Yeah, heh. I always eat far more than I should.” He stifled a burp and patted his overstuffed tummy, peeking out from the bottom of his t-shirt.
“You enjoy the feeling of overindulging.”
His cheeks burned. “I, uh, I do like it,” he admitted, and laid a hand on his belly. “It’s nice feeling full like this. Helps me feel grounded.”
That was true, but he hoped Mantis couldn't feel the other part it, how much the indulgence excited him. Heat washed over Thor as he eyed the kitchen. It wasn't lost on him that he had singlehandedly polished off a feast big enough for all the Guardians. A fact that would have driven both he and Peter wild, if he were here right now. He tried to stow that thought away for later.
Mantis grinned, seemingly unaware, or rather nice enough not to be weird about it.
“Would you like me to ease some of the pain for you?”
Thor blinked confusedly. “Oh, uh… that would be nice?”
Mantis placed her hands gently on his middle. Suddenly, a warm vibration spread through his body like the comforting soothe of a heating pad.
“Oh, wow. Mantis, that feels amazing." He closed his eyes and let all the muscles in his body relax. It was odd and incredible, feeling all the nice pressure of being stuffed without any of the pain. It felt like his lungs had a little more space, too, and he could breathe easier. Mantis rubbed small circles on his tummy, and it sent ripples of warmth through him.
Once she felt Thor was satisfied, the empath pulled her hands away. She straightened and regained her natural composure, shaking off Thor’s drowsiness.
“Thank you, for sharing that pleasure with me.”
Thor sat up with a grunt and patted her on the shoulder. “I should be thanking you, Mantis, for helping take my mind off of everything. You’re a good friend, you know?”
The word “friend” seemed to send butterflies through her, and Thor had never seen her smile so wide.
The two spent the rest of the day together, and sure enough, Peter came back that night just fine. He was happy to find everything and everyone on the ship still in working order, and only slightly jealous hearing about his boyfriend and his friend’s food-bonding. Thor couldn't help but find his envy adorable. He soothed Quill's anxieties by assuring him that his and Mantis' "thing" was nothing like what they had. (And he decided it was best not to mention that Mantis' belly rubs were way better than Peter's.)
After the experience, Thor found himself spending more time around Mantis, finding little ways to include her in his joy. Sometimes it was while he ate, but it was other things, too—he’d offer an arm to her while he read a book, or listened to music, or while the crew sat down and watched a movie together. It became a special sort of routine for the two—something just for them—and Thor was happy to know that he always had someone to rely on when he needed comforting.