A/N: That's right! This is a Heimdall/Thor ship. Doing it because...well, I've never seen it done! And Heimdall is gorgeous! SO...it should be! Without any other ado, here is chapter 1...

Chapter 1

Return of the Heir

Golden eyes burnt clearly in the night, reflecting the millions of stars that glittered across the galaxy and all around the realm. His vision was clear, and beyond seeing the array of the night sky, he saw the stars closely; those that burnt bright like suns, those who were waning into their final years as they overheated and collapsed upon themselves.

It was one of his more leisurely pastimes, to watch the stars, and he did it only when he had the absolute confidence that the realm of Asgard was entirely safe, as was his duty. His mighty gaze drifted from the star he was watching to the nearest realm, the realm of the Ice Giants, Jotunheim. His gaze lingered there a moment, but with the surface in a heavy blizzard, there was not much to see, and so his gaze ventured to Midgard, where the crown prince was, and watched with a heavy heart as the casket of the golden heir's earthen lover was lowered into the ground.

He sighed deeply, his heart heavy with sorrow for the young prince. This is what Odin had been trying to warn him of, what all of them had tried to stop him from going to Manna-Heim for. He shut his eyes with a sigh and was about to turn his gaze away when the crying form of the thunder god caught his attention.

"HEIMDALL!"

His words came as a sorrowful wail as he alienated himself from his remaining Midgardian friends and stood alone in the cemetery at a distance.

Without hesitation, the all seeing guardian stabbed his mighty sword into the gate key and sent the Bifrost to his prince, and within mere seconds, Thor stood before him, hammer in hand, despite his Midgardian apparel, and tears staining his ever-young face.

Heimdall rushed from the dais where he had inserted his sword, sheathing it in one fluid motion, he rushed to the prince, catching him as he collapsed to his knees under the weight of his sadness.

Thor said nothing, only let out a wretched sob in his agony, and burrowed his face in the crook of the other man's arm, just under his shoulder armor; where their was soft leather to soak up his tears. The prince had no words, he just clung to the all-seeing and hearing guardian deity of Asgard.

Heimdall slacked under the hold of his young prince. No...not so young any longer, but still his junior. He turned his gaze back to his duty, but raised a hand, gingerly placing it on the back of Thor's head, stroking the sobbing thunder god's golden locks while his gaze drifted off into the realms.

"My prince...you have been sorely missed in Asgard..." Heimdall initially started, but realizing with a pause, and the slight tensing of his prince, that this would certainly not be what Thor desired to hear, he changed his tone, "All is well, Thor. The pain will subside...but only with time can any wounds heal, this goes, too, for those in our hearts."

Heimdall knew he had said the right thing when the sobbing god relaxed in his arms, leaning further into him...and further...

"Thor...?" Heimdall, despite his great strength, was brought down as the hammer still in Thor's hand pulled his weight forward, and Mjolnir clunked to the bridge with a clang, and Heimdall found himself on his rump with a limp, blond prince on top of him. His gaze was torn from the Bifrost as his head fell back and onto the cool stone of the bridge.

Sighing as his helm slid from his head with a clank, he sat up, clinging to the now-slumbering prince. He attempted to roll Thor to his side, but found the drained, mourning prince to be clinging to the leather of his armor. He groaned apathetically and wrapped a strong arm around Thor's chest cavity, pulling him up as the Asgardian gatekeeper held onto the sleeping man as though he were a child, and pulled himself to his feet, reaching an arm under the younger man's legs and scooping him into his arms, much like the way Midgardian males would carry their female mates when they had their wedding ceremonies.

Heimdall turned the other Asgardian over his shoulder and withdrew his sword from the sheath at his hip with his other hand. He ascended the dais and inserted the sword into the keyhole, and with a turn, the gate of the Bifrost closed. A more basic, simplistic defense than his guardianship, but it would suffice. The multiverse had been quiet when last he looked, and he felt no insecurity as he left the gateway to the Bifrost unmanned.

He carried Thor silently along the outer wall of the dome that he typically called home, the round clockwork-like adornments all around the Bifrost glimmering gold in the soft light of the Rainbow Bridge. He stopped before one of the dials that was level with the ground, and touched the golden wall. The dial upon the wall opened to reveal a simple set of chambers for the all-seeing guard.

He knew for certain it would be too soon for Thor to face his family at the palace of Asgard. So, it was with a silent, fond concern that the gatekeeper laid the blond god to rest on his own bed, which was pristinely made, as it was so rarely touched that once made it would often sit for months, or even years at a time without ever being used. So it was, that as he laid the prince in the bed, a small cloud of dust spread out from the unused bedding.

Heimdall could not help but feel a slight bit of shame at it, so he pulled the quilt out from under the prince, walked out onto the Rainbow Bridge and shook out the dusty blanket before returning and covering the prince with it. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the sleeping blond god.

He had seen Thor grow from babe, to boy, to man, and blossom into the god and hero he was today. Heimdall had been barely blossoming into manhood when he was born, but he still remembered the day well. All of Asgard had rejoiced when Thor was born under a blessing of thunder, the pride and joy of the Allfather and the elder goddess Gaea. He had been there when Odin had adopted Loki, had watched the Allfather bring the Jotunheim infant through the Bifrost and seen them raised side by side.

He raised a hand thoughtlessly, tracing an ebony finger against the tanned ivory of Thor's jawline, almost feeling shocked as he felt the prickle of stubble brush against his hand. It was sinking in further and further that Thor was really a grown man. It had been millenniums since Thor had been born, but to Heimdall, it felt as if it was only in the last several years that he he had truly matured into being an adult with his actions in Midgard.

The gatekeeper sighed and removed his hand, receiving a soft groan from the sleeping thunder god, and he rolled over. Heimdall stood and went to relieve himself for the first time in many moons, which was nothing abnormal for him, it was not as if he ate or drank often, only the occasional Golden Apple which sufficed his hunger and thirst, though upon rare occasion he did drink or share meal with a friend or two, but never did he have enough mead that it could hinder his duty.

He walked out of the room, closing the golden half circle that hid his chambers, and walked to his helm, picking it up and sliding it on in a fluid motion as he reascended the dais and reopened the gate before re-sheathing his sword, he slid down half a step on the dais and sat down, stretching his legs down as he returned his gaze to the abysmal sea of space and realms that were before his farseeing eyes.

It was these sites before him that he failed to focus on as his thoughts wandered with insistent thoughts of the man who now slept in his bed.

A/N: I...Haven't seen this pairing before, and I thought I'd give it a shot.

Reviews/favorites will kind of determine whether or not I continue this...so...well, I appreciate anyone looking! Please read and review! :)