Chapter Notes

Rejected by Jane after the defeat of the Dark Elves; a traumatised Thor rescues Dr Ainsley Kerr, a brilliant and wealthy British psychologist, from a brutal attack. The grieving, distraught, demi-god finds comfort, friendship and love in the gentle doctor's company and both are forced to make a choice when Tony Stark re-appears on the scene.

The chapter contains a non-graphic description of homophobic violence and explicit homo-eroticism

Passages in italics are characters' direct internal monologues.

The timeframe of the chapter covers the period late March to late May 2013 in the universe of the story

Characters are based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers but there will be some appearances by characters from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. For plot reasons the character of Hawkeye has been aged down from the MCU character and there are significant background differences.

Superpowered characters (Thor, Captain America, Hulk etc) have been 'tuned down' slightly, also for plot reasons and because I find invulnerable characters uninteresting to write for.

The story commences in the wake of Thor The Dark World but has it's own arc and timeline which will not necessarily follow that of the movies post Thor TDW

All Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D characters are copyright to Marvel. My use of them is solely for non-commercial entertainment purposes

This story replaces my initial work "A Britisher in New York" as the early chapters felt too weak and episodic in light of the arc that subsequently developed and poor blocking meant there were inconsistencies in the characters, events and timeline that I was unhappy with

"You just don't understand us; perhaps you never can…"

Jane's last words before she closed him out of her life kept echoing around in Thor's head as he walked and walked without resting. He had tried, he truly had, in the days after the defeat of the Dark Elves, to reclaim what had existed between them when he was first sent to the world of Midgard, but the sense of pain and abandonment she felt was too deep. Perhaps if he had sought her out after the Avengers had battled Loki and the Chitauri there might have been a chance, but surely she had to see that he had his duty to take his brother for punishment and protect Midgard from further harm, to restore peace to the Nine Worlds after the breaking of Bifrost?

Could she not understand? What he had lost. What he had given up.

It was hard to comprehend Midgardian emotions; they seemed drawn with finer strokes here, subtle and easily misunderstood like so many things about this perplexing, primitive, complex world he loved so much. Or perhaps it was him, maybe Fandral or Sif would be more adept at dealing with such things. Perhaps he was still the spoilt, thoughtless, wilful child Odin once accused him of being. He flexed his hand instinctively, feeling Mjolnir respond in its distant hiding place, and relaxed it again. The Hammer's measure of his worth was clearly different to his own.

His aimless walking had taken him deep into the fields and farmlands of this Midgardian realm called Britain, sleeping villages, ancient stone towns with towers and bells, green rolling hills. Still different to the world of Asgard but somehow less alien, quieter and almost comforting, until he realised that he was wandering back into the royal city they called London.

Something called him back from his painful thoughts. It was night and he was in an open space of some sort, trees and bushes, with the lights of dwelling places around the edge. He heard it again, the sounds of violence and a cry for help.

There! He could see them under a tree by the path, three men kicking and punching at a fourth lying curled on the ground, trying to protect his head with his arms.

"HEY!"

The three paused in their beating and turned to see a big figure racing towards them. They scattered in different directions as Thor dropped to a crouch beside the prone man, still curled in a foetal position shaking with fear. He flinched as Thor placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It is all right" He pitched his voice softly "They have gone. You are safe. I will help you."

The man reached for some fragments of metal and glass beside his head

"Shit!" he sobbed "the bastards broke my new glasses"

Thor helped him to sit up. The man was slim, light-haired and young. His clothes, although dirty and torn from the attack, were of a style and cut that the Asgardian had come to think of as characteristic of wealthier Midgardians. He was still shaken and disoriented so Thor continued to repeat his words of re-assurance, finding some distraction from his own pain in helping one in need.

The fright and confusion starting to diminish, Dr Ainsley Kerr began to focus on the man who crouched beside him and the words he was saying. He could discern a handsome, powerfully built man in his early 20s with a strong square face, short, well-trimmed fair beard and long hair tied back in a ponytail, speaking with the clear precision that indicated English was not his first language.

"Th-thank you s-so very mu-much" he managed to stammer, placing a grateful hand on his rescuer's arm.

"Can you stand?" Enquired Thor, Ainsley nodded slightly

"I-I think so, with a bit of help"

Thor put his arms around the other man, lifting him carefully to his feet and steadying him as he staggered.

"Is your dwelling near here? I will take you there and make sure you are safe."

Ainsley could feel the dizziness and nausea of shock swimming through him and he leaned against Thor for a moment, trying to catch his breath.

"You will be all right" he assured him "I will take you home"

"Thank you" replied the shaken young doctor "You're very kind. My flat is just on the other side of the park"

The man's voice was pleasing, and well-modulated, despite the attack he had undergone. On Asgard such a manner of speech was often the mark of a Bard or Lorekeeper. Thor felt an inward surge of anger. Violence against a man or woman of learning was unthinkable. Back home the perpetrator would lose a hand at the very least.

"Take your time" He said gently "I will support you"

They made their way slowly through the park towards the lights at the edge. As Ainsley gradually got steadier on his feet Thor needed to support him less, although he kept a protective arm around his shoulder. Under the soft sodium yellow of the streetlights, Ainsley could see his saviour more clearly. Casually dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt and a grey hoodie that did nothing to disguise the strength and power of his body. At least a head taller than him and with an agile, confident step.

Looks like my fairy godmother's working overtime tonight

Thor glanced at him with a friendly smile. Despite the blood and dirt on his face the man he had rescued was as pleasing of face as of speech, with short curling sandy brown hair and eyes of a soft grey colour. Something of his look reminded him of a kinsman who had died young. A maker of verse taken from them before his gift could find full flower.

The dwellings around them were of three or four stories in height, of brick and stone, most unlike the massive towers he knew from New York City. Many of them stood around their own green space and through their lighted windows he could see people at rest or play.

It suddenly struck Thor that he had rarely seen the ordinary folk of Midgard going about their daily lives. The closest he had been to them until now had been as they fled past him in terror from some assault on their world, but here he was their midst as they laughed with friends and family, ate, played games and watched entertainments on the luminous screens they valued so much.

"This is where I live" Ainsley said, pointing at a four-story house of red brick "My flat's on the top floor, can I be a real pain and ask you to help me up the stairs? You can come in for a beer if you have the time."

Thor smiled broadly

"It will not be a 'pain' to help you into your home. And yes. I would enjoy drinking a beer with you."

Thor sat perched on the edge of a couch in the living room of the flat, casting his gaze around as Ainsley washed off the dirt and put on some clean clothes. There were many books lining the walls, and what appeared to be scrolls from some place of learning in wooden frames. In the bay of the window was a large desk with writing implements, a computer and many pieces of paper covered in notes.

"You are a scholar" he stated, rather than asked, as the other man returned in clean jeans and T shirt. In one hand, he had two large dark bottles and in the other a white box marked with a red cross. Thor recognised that as a Midgardian sign for materials used in the treating of a wound.

"Of a sort" he said with a smile, handing Thor a beer and opening the first aid kit

"Thank you. May I help you with your wounds?" he asked "I have some skill in that."

"It's ok thanks, I can manage myself. You've already done plenty for me tonight. By the way, I don't believe I've introduced myself. Ainsley Kerr, and I'm very grateful to you for your help."

Thor paused for a moment, unsure of what effect saying his name might have.

"I am pleased to meet you Ainsley Kerr, I am Thor Odinson."

This seemed to bring no reaction from Ainsley who continued applying salve and dressings to the cuts and scrapes on his face and hands.

"Ah, you're Icelandic? I suspected you might be of Nordic origin"

"I am a visitor" Thor replied cautiously.

Ainsley sat back and took a swig of beer

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm trained to notice things professionally. I'm a psychologist by trade, so body language, speech patterns and so on are things I have an annoying habit of picking up on. Difficult to switch off" He smiled and took another swig

Thor sat back, a sense of relief and relaxation flowing through him. This man thought he was a Midgardian like him, only from another land. He took a mouthful of the beer. Stronger and more complex in flavour than what he had drunk here before. He looked at the bottle and tried to pronounce the name

"Fra-Ock?"

"It's pronounced Frooch" Ainsley explained "Made from heather – an old recipe from Scotland. Ever had it before?"

"No. It is very pleasant. So, you are a healer of souls?" He had heard this word "psychologist" before in New York. It seemed to denote someone who dealt with the sicknesses of the mind that could not be seen.

"That's quite a poetic way of putting it" grinned Ainsley. The anaesthetic effect of the beer was beginning to take hold and he could feel the tension slipping. Having a drop-dead gorgeous Viking on the couch across from him didn't hurt either.

Thor frowned slightly

"Those men, why did they attack you?" The thought of this hospitable and fair-spoken healer being assailed in such a cowardly fashion made the anger stir in him again.

Ainsley shuddered slightly at the memory

"Local queerbashers I guess. I should know better than to cross the park at this time of night, but you never really expect these things to happen.

"Queerbashers?" The word meant nothing to Thor. The frustrating thing about the Allspeak was the way it would translate the words but rarely the subtleties of meaning to be found in local dialects.

"Thugs who get some kick out of beating up gay men and women. Although anyone that seems a bit different and unlikely to fight back is usually fair game as well"

"These cowards attack men and women who are merry?" Thor was thoroughly confused now, was merriment breaking some local taboo?

"Gay is also used to mean homosexual – men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women"

Ainsley found Thor's apparent naivety interesting. It was unlikely that some English colloquialisms would be taught in Icelandic schools but he assumed that Gay was universal these days. It was as if the big guy across from him knew all the words but none of the context, possibly suggesting a psychological block at work.

Damn, I wish I could turn off my inner analyser sometimes

he took another swig of beer while Thor processed this new information.

"You were attacked just because you lie with other men? That is madness!"

Thor was genuinely shocked. He had never lain with another man himself but knew kin and comrades who did, just as he knew that some maidens of Asgard preferred the company of their own kind. The idea that such a thing could be considered a reason for brutal violence was ugly and sickening.

"Is such violence common here?"

Ainsley sighed

"Not as much as it used to be, thankfully, but it still occurs" He saluted Thor with his half-empty bottle "If there were more guys like you around it would happen even less!"

Thor smiled warmly

"You are a man of great courtesy and kindness. I am glad that I could come to your aid"

The two men continued talking and drinking into the small hours, until Thor noticed that his new friend's head was beginning to nod slightly

"It is very late and you must need to sleep" he said "Is there an inn or…" he searched for the right word "…a hostel near here where I can find a bed?" after walking for days non-stop he realised that he too was finally in need of rest.

Ainsley pulled himself to his feet

"Look, you seem pretty shattered as well and there isn't anywhere nearby. I can make you up a bed on the couch if you're ok with that?"

Thor smiled, happy that he would get to spend more time with this Midgardian he felt so comfortable speaking to.

"Yes. Thank you. I am ok with that."

###

Ainsley stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep, his thoughts mulling over the events of the night, the argument with Jess earlier that evening about his withdrawal from clinical work, the attack and then the encounter with the intriguing Icelander sleeping in the living room.

Thor Odinson, really?

For the last year, every fanboy who could manage a scrap of ginger fluff on his chin was using that name. The embarrassed pause before he said it spoke volumes. Still, he could carry it off better than most. Considering the attempt to express complex feelings in a different language, there was a dissociative quality to what he was saying. Not lying as such but avoiding complete truths.

He had talked about the recent, very recent, deaths of his mother and brother trying to keep his voice steady. Dealing with fresh grief, the psychic wound still raw and bloody.

I remember the state I was in when Izzie was killed

Some sort of rift or separation from the father, differences over the girlfriend maybe. The suggestion that there was a racial difference.

Giving up my birth right, very biblical. Some right-wing religious background he's broken from?

The girlfriend dumping him, forcefully and finally by the sound of it… speaking as if he deserved it while still being uncertain of what he had done wrong.

There was mention of the attack on London, obviously. Things were finally starting to recover from the terror of that late March afternoon. Hard to believe it had been less than three weeks ago. He'd been on his way to the University to collect some files when that thing descended; the sky tearing open like New York a year ago, fighter jets in the air, aerial battles over the city, debris crashing into the streets and flames rising from the dome of St Paul's.

He'd stumbled down into the Underground seeking refuge along with thousands of others, locals and tourists, hoping for the same miracle that saved New York to come to their aid. Every road out of the city gridlocked as people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.

The city had settled back down into its normal routines but scars remained. Greenwich University was still sealed off, swarming with forensic scientists and men in dark suits; St Pauls and the Gherkin clad in scaffolding.

Not the best environment for someone in a 'normal' frame of mind, let alone an emotionally damaged young man already dealing with severe trauma. There had been sightings of the real Thor that day.

Is that why he's using the name?

Taking the archetypal image of the Worthy Hero to shield himself from the pain of his own fractured personality? That made a lot of sense in the circumstances. Professor Feldermann would have relished this. Mythic interruptions in psychic crisis had been his last great fascination.

No surprise the poor guy was disconnected and so desperately in search of assurance. Sensible Dr Kerr was saying "Find him some psychiatric help first thing tomorrow" but the Dr Kerr who had just walked out of a £65,000 a year clinical position in protest at the abuse of chemical therapy had very different ideas.

###

Thor shifted slightly, the springs of the couch creaking as they adjusted to his weight. It had been a night of surprises. The encounter with Dr Ainsley Kerr and their long conversation, telling as much of his pain as he felt capable of, feeling comfortable and accepted in his company. The Midgardian soul-healer had been quiet and attentive, allowing him to speak freely with the occasional gentle prompt, sharing pieces of his own tragedy and loss. He had not expected such a meeting.

The pleasure the man felt in his company was obvious to Thor even in his troubled state. It was clear that he desired him yet such physical contact they had was correct and friendly. This 'doctor' as they called their healers here had the control not to surrender to his desire.

Thor folded his arms behind his head and sighed. Laying down with another man had never occurred to him; as Prince of Asgard he never lacked for willing maidens to share his bed, but it must be a pleasurable thing or men would not do it. He smiled. The thought of lying with Dr Ainsley Kerr was an enjoyable one.

Perhaps some working of Fate was taking place here bringing him to the place and the man that he needed.

###

"Morning Mr. Sleepyhead! Fancy some break…" Thor had come padding into the kitchen naked. Very. Impressively. Naked. "…fast?"

Thor had slept long and felt rested and refreshed.

"Thank you. Yes. Breakfast would be good"

"Okay! Well, there's a pot of tea brewing and I'll see what we have in the cupboard." Whatever issues Thor was dealing with; physicality and body image did not seem to be on the list

Eyes above the waist, Ainsley!

"Ah! Poptarts!" Thor exclaimed with childlike glee, seeing a familiar looking package on one of the shelves.

"As you please!" Said Ainsley, unwrapping a couple and sticking them in the toaster. Thor gave a slight expression of surprise at seeing them put into the slots in the top of a colourful metal box "Oh, sorry! Did you not want them toasted?"

"Are they meant to be 'toasted'?" This was something no-one had ever mentioned to him.

"I guess that why they call them Poptarts, you 'pop' them in the toaster and they 'pop' up when they're ready"

Thor grinned, that did make sense.

"Toasted will be good"

The beverage called 'Tea' must be a custom of this Land of Britain, he had not encountered it in New Mexico or New York. It was refreshing, with a warm herbal taste, and the Poptarts were better toasted. Thor tucked in hungrily while Ainsley sipped his tea, pondering what to do.

"Do you have any plans for today?" He asked casually "I'm pretty much a free agent now so if you felt like hanging around we could continue our chat"

Thor thought for a moment. The suggestion freed him from trying to think of his own reason to stay with the young doctor.

"We could drink coffee? I will buy you some to say thank you." That was a good idea. He had liked the stimulating drink since first encountering it, and it seemed to be a popular Midgardian bonding ritual at times when custom dictated it was not proper or too early to drink alcohol

"That sounds great!" smiled Ainsley "I need to get a few things from the shops anyway and there's a great little café just off the high street"

"Excellent" Thor leapt to his feet "Shall we go now?"

"Maybe put some clothes on first?"

###

They had come to a local merchant quarter, many small shops filled with a great variety of foodstuffs and manufactured goods. Thor watched with interest as Ainsley bought fruits, vegetables and spices; selecting the choicest produce with a practised eye and skilful hand, multi-coloured paper noted and coins changing hands. The smells, colours and sounds of the busy streets and lanes were fascinating to him; people from all parts of Midgard thronged the streets of this ancient city, musicians and performers entertained small groups on every corner.

It felt more familiar to him than any other part of Midgard he had seen. There were districts such as this in Asgard, where the Realms came to do business and trade. He had often wandered through them in common garb, enjoying the bustle and the anonymity.

The 'café' was a small shop filled with tables and benches, strong with the smell of the beverage and the spicy pastries sold there. He pulled out the wallet Tony had given him when the Iron Man had come to London with his proposal. He had rejected him then, thinking he still might have a different path.

"Oh, those are US Dollars" Ainsley said "Have you got any UK money?"

Thor shook his head

"No. Can I not use these here?" He would not be able to buy his new friend the promised treat. The look of disappointment on his face was obvious.

"It's ok" Ainsley assured him, patting his arm "I'll get this, we can go to the post office, change some money and you can buy us lunch instead"

"Yes. I will buy us lunch instead" He did not know what this 'post office' was or what 'changing money' entailed, but he was glad he had not let Ainsley down and grateful once again for his kind patience. He felt foolish and a bit angry. Why had Tony not given him money of the Land of Britain? Was this another of the Iron Man's jokes to make him seem stupid and small?

Shawarma would not normally have been the doctor's choice for an early lunch, or indeed any other meal, unless you could count post-clubbing munchies as a 'meal', but Thor had seen it on the sign of the kebab house next to the post office and so nothing else could be considered.

Maybe it's considered a delicacy in Reykjavik

Thor paused halfway through munching a mouthful

"Tell me" he asked, his words slightly muffled by the meat and bread he was still chewing "why did the lady with the headscarf give me fewer Pounds than I gave her Dollars? Is that her fee? If so it seems very high"

Ainsley sighed inwardly, the constant questions were a bit of a challenge and he wasn't sure he could explain the workings of the international exchange rates at lunch or any other time

"Um, not really. You see Pounds are worth more than Dollars" Thor still looked puzzled

"Well £1 is worth $1.32 just now, so if you had $132 you would get £100 in exchange but you could buy the same number of goods with each."

Thor's face brightened

"I understand now. Your money is worth more because the Land of Britain is wealthier than the Land of America. Is that because you have a King and they do not?"

"We actually have a Queen, but I guess that's as good an explanation as any I've heard. It's all just numbers to me."

Thor took another mouthful and munched happily, absorbing this information and adding it to his growing picture of the place in which he found himself. It made perfect sense, an old and prosperous realm such as the Land of Britain, with its cheerful merchants and refined scholars like Ainsley could not help but be under the rule of a line of wise and benign Sovereign Ladies.

He thought of his mother, of Frigga's deep wisdom and gentle courtesy, and felt the guilt and grief rising in him again. Wait, Ainsley was saying something

"You know it's probably not a good idea to carry that much money around with you"

When he had been guiding Thor through the business of changing money he couldn't avoid noticing that his wallet was bulging with $100 dollar bills. There had to be nearly $10,000 in there.

"Is it not safe?" Thor grinned "I can take care of myself"

"No doubt about that, but you're forgetting pick-pockets" he pre-empted the question "Thieves who can sneak valuables out of your pockets"

Thor nodded. This was true indeed.

"What do you suggest?"

"I think I have a money belt back at the flat. You can use that"

Thor nodded in agreement, glad they would be returning to Ainsley's dwelling. He had thought of a strategy which might allow him to enjoy this wise and generous man's company longer.

###

"How do I use this?" Asked Thor, examining the belt-like fabric apparatus. Ainsley took it from him

"You put your money in this pocket here and close it with these buttons here. You wear it under your clothes, so if you lift up your shirt and raise your arms I'll sure you how to put it on."

"Like this?" Thor pulled off his T-shirt in a single fluid move and tossed it onto the table. He leaned back against the kitchen worktop with his arms folded behind his head, displaying a torso rippling with powerful, solid, muscle

"Sort of!" gasped Ainsley, his mouth going dry. The pose was enticing, erotic. In another set of circumstances, he would have read a clear invitation but this guy seemed so happily open about his physicality that he could not risk making that assumption.

No naughty touching!

"Okay, you put the pocket here like this" Ainsley positioned it carefully against the flat, taut stomach with its tantalising trail of blond hair leading down under the waistband. Thor just smiled and nodded

I'm beginning to think this guy knows exactly what he's doing.

"Then you fasten it behind your back like this" Because of Thor's position he had to reach around his waist, the movement bringing him right up against the wide, bare, chest. He could feel the other man's incredible body heat through the thin fabric of his shirt, his face a mere couple of inches from a nipple that might as well have had "lick me" written on it, and…

Okay, that's not my imagination. This guy is getting hard!

He could feel an unmistakable, almost intimidating pressure against him through the worn denims.

Ainsley looked up at the blond giant as Thor brought his arms down and wrapped them around his waist, pulling him in closer. He smiled again and bent his head to give the young doctor a long, deep, passionate, heart stopping kiss, holding him tight as Ainsley's knees threatened to buckle.

"Wow!" gasped Ainsley when their lips parted

"I have not lain with a man before" Thor's voice was a low, warm rumble "but it would please me very much to lie with you. Would that please you also?"

"Unbelievably so!" Ainsley responded with a smile, taking the bigger man's face in his hands and drawing him in for another kiss.

The money belt dropped to the floor as the young doctor let his hands move down the broad, warm, torso tracing the outline of the muscles. Thor moaned and arched his back, relishing the lightness of the touch, the moan becoming a deep growl of lust as Ainsley's tongue caressed his nipple. A bed-mate had once said his skin was as sensitive as that of a maiden and he could feel the urgent response rising in his loins.

With a smooth, effortless move he scooped the doctor up in his arms and carried him towards the bedroom.

"I have not come to orgasm for many days. I may not last long…" the grin was full of mischief "…the first time."

He laid Ainsley gently on the bed and began stripping him with practised hands, continuing to kiss him while the doctor tugged at the bigger man's belt buckle. Thor stopped him with a gentle gesture

"Not yet" he smiled "I have much to show you first"

He finished stripping Ainsley and lay on the bed beside him. The doctor was small and slight but his body was well toned and as pleasing as the rest of him. Thor was remembering one of his favourite bed-mates, a Vanir maiden with skin like cinnamon silk and eyes of the deepest amber, who had taught him pleasures he had never considered his body could know. It would be his joy to share those pleasures with this new companion.

His mouth moved further down the Midgardian's body; kisses turning to small nips and licks as Ainsley's gasps and moans proved to Thor he had learned Osa's lessons well. He could feel his own shudders of pleasure as Ainsley's fingers caressed the smooth skin of his broad chest, the tips lightly brushing his nipples, then back up to stroke his face and neck.

It felt like the most amazing dream imaginable and Ainsley was hoping he wouldn't wake up before it got to the best part. This might be Thor's first time with a man but there was no doubt he was a skilled and sensitive lover. His tongue felt rough, almost raspy like a cat's, which only added to the sheer electric charge of what he was doing with it.

His strong, firm hands lifted the doctor's legs over his broad shoulders and raised his hips far off the bed and Ainsley felt a cool breath as the Thor gently blew between the line of his buttocks. He opened his eyes and looked at the big blond with astonishment. Surely, he wasn't about to…? Thor saw his expression and winked.

The doctor's back arched and he gave a great cry of ecstasy as Thor's tongue found its target and plunged in. The first time Osa's tongue had sought out his secret place, he had come to orgasm almost instantly; a great jet of semen that sprayed his face and chest. This Midgardian healer clearly had more discipline than that but the pleasure was no less obvious. In an unashamed display of his great strength, Thor hooked his hands under the smaller man's shoulders and lifted him clear from the bed and angling his own body back to support Ainsley with only his face and shoulders.

Ainsley grabbed on to the light fitting to steady himself from falling and began to laugh

My God! I'm actually swinging from the chandelier!

Thor brought up one hand to support the doctor's back while unfastening his jeans with the other. He knew he would come to orgasm quickly at their first mating and the thought of taking this man while still partly clothed added to his excitement. He raised his back slightly and began to slide Ainsley slowly downwards. He heard the doctor make an almost frightened noise when he felt what was pressing against him and looked into those misty grey eyes.

"I am very big" he said; It was no brag, merely a statement of fact, and his voice was soft and comforting "but I will be very gentle"

Ainsley nodded and bent his head to kiss him fiercely as this enigmatic and utterly desirable man took possession of him. He gasped and bit his lip, placing a hand on Thor's shoulder

"Slowly" he whispered

Thor nodded and held the doctor tight around the waist as he began to move his own hips with small, careful rocking movements; gradually sliding further inside. Suddenly, but as he expected, he felt an urgent tightening in his belly. The effort of control it took not to thrust hard brought an even greater intensity to his orgasm and he threw his head back roaring aloud like a beast in heat. He kept his hold on the doctor, breath coming in great gasping sighs and his heart pounding like a battle drum. With great gentleness, he eased out of Ainsley and fell back onto the bed, drawing the smaller man down beside him. He looked deep into the Midgardian's eyes and suddenly felt a great affection for this man, much more than mere friendship. He pulled him close and kissed him with the same intensity as their first embrace.

He was still panting for breath when he finally spoke

"I told you… I would not… last long…" He pushed his sweat-soaked hair back from his face "But I will be ready… again soon… If you desire it?"

Ainsley moved a strand of hair from Thor's mouth and kissed him again.

"I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day."

They had been in bed for hours and now lay wrapped around each other, exhausted and happy enjoying the simple intimacy of physical closeness. Ainsley leaned over Thor and kissed his forehead, clear about his choice, if still a bit uncertain about the wisdom

"Want to stay around for a while?"

Thor, his own body still vibrating from the wonder and adventure of this new experience rested his head against the Midgardian's shoulder

"Yes. I would like to stay, for however long you wish."

###

Five weeks later

Ainsley took a long draw on his cigarette and exhaled deeply. No matter how good the vaporiser, when he was upset or drunk only the real thing would do, and this afternoon he was most definitely upset. Jess had been a real bitch this morning. Sure, there were still a lot of things about Thor that needed explanation but according to her he was either taking sexual advantage of a man in an emotional crisis or being played by a clever manipulator. He had ended up walking out of the café in a huff, certain she was dead wrong on both accounts. Okay maybe the second but the first was none of her business. He had no clinical relationship with Thor and she wasn't exactly able to sit in judgement herself.

The apparent lack of something as basic as passport and luggage was a troubling question that wouldn't go away. Thor had assured him that "Everything I need to travel is in a safe place" but there was a lot he wasn't saying and an in-depth chat was going to be needed very soon.

He'd let things go on a bit too long without addressing some of the basic issues. Thor was in a much more stable place now; he hadn't had one of his nightmares for at least two weeks and was comfortable enough with socialising that he didn't need to have Ainsley's constant company. He should start prompting him to fill in the gaps, maybe beginning by trying to find out his real name, like one of those old fairy stories Granny Sophie used to tell.

He'd done a discreet check of missing persons and an even more discreet one of wanted lists. No one matching Thor's description appeared on either. The latter was a relief, the former quite heart-breaking. The guy was a great big adorable blond puppy; the idea that no-one cared enough to have reported him missing after a month and a half, not even the former girlfriend, was shameful. No wonder so much of him was shut down.

Cousin Ginnie had joked when he'd confided in her "Maybe it's the real Thor you've got there, what's his hammer like?"

There were so many odd gaps in the story it would be quite easy to believe that if it weren't so patently ludicrous. It had been quite a wet April though, now he thought about it

Thor had recently starting doing some cash-in-hand tree-felling for Gareth's landscape gardening business, more for the pleasure of the work than any need for money Ainsley thought. He was off there just now, having an afternoon of happy chainsaw wielding while Ainsley tried to work on his book.

That had been another point of contention with Jess, she made no secret of her opinion that the Feldermann biography was simply an excuse to avoid any real work while living off the income from the Kerr Family Trust. She could never quite disguise her jealousy of Ainsley having independent wealth to support his research.

"I think I can strike her off the Christmas Card list for the foreseeable." He muttered to himself taking a final draw and grinding the stub into the ashtray.

The doorbell rang, a long insistent buzzing.

"On my way!" he yelled as he walked down the hall. Bloody Parcel Force were always late; he had been expecting this delivery yesterday and had wasted a whole day waiting around.

It wasn't Parcel Force. A smartly dressed man with slightly greying hair and a neat goatee was standing at the door still pressing on the bell.

"Good afternoon" The man said with a bright smile. He was clearly American with a cheerful, snide tone in his voice "Am I addressing Dr Ainsley Edward Wyndham Kerr?"

"I'm Dr Kerr" replied Ainsley "How can I help you"

"I'm Tony Stark, of Stark Global Industries. Eccentric, genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist at your service." He gave a slight bow, proffering his business card "Might I come in?"

He slipped past Ainsley without waiting for a reply. "Living room through here? I would love a cup of tea made the proper British way."

"Excuse me, Mr Stark, but would you mind explaining what you are doing?" The day was not going how Ainsley had wanted and something was beginning to niggle at the back of his brain.

Tony Stark looked around the comfortable, messy, living room with an appraising eye. It was fun how these British upper-class types became very polite when annoyed.

"Well, I just happened to be in the area and I fancied popping in somewhere for a cup of tea. It's the sort of thing that us eccentric geniuses like to do and your apartment looked like it might have a nice view of the square. If you're still dubious my car is parked outside."

Ainsley did know about cars. He looked out the window and saw several hundred thousand pounds' worth of state-of-the-art sports car by the kerb. He sighed and turned to face his unexpected visitor.

"Darjeeling, Oolong or Assam, Mr Stark?"

"Assam would be perfectly peachy and, please, call me Tony."

Tony followed Ainsley through to the kitchen and waited as he made the tea, observing the young doctor with light-hearted amusement. Ainsley's mind was churning as it tried to avoid the glaringly obvious reason why one of the world's richest men was in his kitchen.

He took the proffered cup and sipped it gently

"Delicious, you simply cannot get a decent cup of tea anywhere outside of the British Isles"

Ainsley stared at him, the puzzle finally completing itself.

"Tony Stark? Iron Man? As in the Avengers?"

"And the penny finally drops" commented Tony with a smile as Ainsley sat heavily down at the table with a look of shock on his face.

"So he is the Thor after all?"

Tony nodded

"I'm surprised that a man of your talents hadn't realised already. It should be obvious, although I suppose when the obvious is also unbelievable it becomes easier to avoid. What was your rationalisation, may I ask?"

Ainsley gave a dazed nod

"I had him down as a sheltered child from a restrictive family with a history of emotional abuse, experiencing a partial psychic fugue resulting from recent personal trauma."

Tony raised his eyebrows and gave an impressed nod

"You're pretty much spot on there, no wonder Professor Feldermann was impressed with you! And you were giving him a secure space in which to work through this fugue without chemical or institutional intervention? As per your rather controversial article in the International Journal of Abnormal Psychology? And would you like a drink? – you seem like you could do with one."

Ainsley nodded again, pointing to a cupboard above the worktop. Tony took out a bottle of single malt and two glasses. He checked the label

"Ooh, Nice! You have good taste, as does Thor." He winked at the doctor and poured out two generous measures. "Ice in the freezer?"

He dropped a couple of cubes into each glass and handed one to the Doctor. Mild shock but processing well, he thought and took a sip of the superb scotch. Ainsley pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Tsk, filthy habit! May I have one?" Tony took one out, lit it and inhaled deeply.

Ainsley found his voice at last

"Yes, that's pretty much the scenario." He paused "You're familiar with my work?"

"Feldermann was a friend of my father. Your continuation and expansion of his ideas on the gestalt management of abnormal psychological states is radical and enlightening. I take it that when Goldilocks landed in your lap you couldn't resist the opportunity to try your theories outside the restrictions of a clinical environment?"

"That's about right" Ainsley took another sip of whiskey, suddenly realising exactly why this man was here.

"I thought so, and I imagine the presumably mind-blowing sex was merely an added extra?"

He raised his hands as Ainsley visibly bridled at the comment

"I am not judging; I happen to believe that an active sex life is a valuable part of any psychological healing process. The Big Fella still out chopping trees right now?"

Ainsley sighed.

"How long have we been under observation?"

"Well I for one have been tracking him since he went walkabout. I pinned down where he was, what, and who, he was doing about thirty minutes before certain other parties. You'll be happy to know I managed to persuade said other parties to stand back until I deemed it appropriate to make contact.

"The wallet?"

"Bingo, tracker in the lining! The rest was simply Espionage 101"

The door opened and Thor's voice filled the flat

"I am home, Babe. We cut many trees today. Gareth was pleased and we had beer, and bread with bacon."

'Babe?' mouthed Tony, one eyebrow raised in amusement

"In the kitchen!" Called Ainsley, trying to keep his voice level.

Thor came striding in, his broad smile fading in an instant. Tony raised his glass in salute

"Tony Stark!" A dull, chilling ache began to spread out from the pit of his stomach

"Nice to see you too, Hammertime! Enjoying your holiday?"

"Why are you here?" Thor demanded, already knowing the answer.

Tony stood up, glass and bottle in hand.

"There are some things I need to speak to you about" he replied, almost serious for a moment before his customary flippant tone returned "But first I think you need to have a chat with your delightful British boyfriend. I shall withdraw to the charmingly bohemian living room and give you the kitchen. Please, take as much time as you need. I have a very free schedule this evening."

He strolled out, whistling the first few bars of the Lumberjack song.

Thor stood motionless on the far side of the kitchen from Ainsley, feeling numb and sick. All the happiness experienced in the last few weeks gone in an instant to be replaced with the return of the deep despair he felt after Jane sent him away. He couldn't meet his lover's gaze for fear of the anger and rejection he was sure he would see there.

"You have been smoking. You smoke when you are upset. You are upset because I have not been honest with you." He said, miserably.

He had been a fool to think this moment would not come. Even more of a fool not to have spoken the truth sooner. He waited to hear the words of banishment that must surely follow this betrayal.

Ainsley's heart ached at the pain and distress vibrating off Thor, the shaking in his voice, every part of his posture conveying a deep, physical anguish.

Christ! This is someone who has fought unimaginable monsters and he's falling to pieces in front of me

Instinctively he went over to the trembling Asgardian and put his arms around his shoulders, using physical closeness as the most primal means of conveying comfort and assurance.

"Look at me, babe. Please" he said softly.

Thor slowly lifted his head and looked into Ainsley's soft, grey eyes. He could feel the sting of the tears in his own. A pit of misery gaped deep inside him but the gentleness in Ainsley's voice and touch threw him a slender lifeline of hope. He tried to form words but only a sob came out

Ainsley swallowed deeply

"Don't try and speak. Let me say what I have to and nod if I'm right – can you manage that?"

Thor nodded briefly. He was still shaking. Tony was here again and this time he would not accept a refusal. They wanted him back. He would have to go; it was why he had cast off his birthright, to fight for this world against the evils it was ill-prepared to face. He would have to leave this man he loved.

"Everything you said to me – that was true?"

Thor nodded again

"But there were things you couldn't tell me, or didn't know how to?"

There was another nod. The body language calmer but still tense.

"You needed time to heal, to recover your sense of value, and to be valued for yourself"

The demi-god closed his eyes and swallowed. He wrapped his arms around his lover and drew him close

"You have given me friendship. And love. And a home" he choked out "I did not know how to tell you without changing that. I was a fool. I should have trusted you!"

Ainsley sighed feeling his own tears starting to come. Resting his head against Thor's chest and feeling the beat of his heart.

"Yeah babe, you were a fool. But you're the fool that came to help me when I needed it and I love you more than I know how to say"

Thor tightened his embrace, holding Ainsley as close to him as he could without risking him hurt

"I love you too. More than anyone else in all the Worlds"

They stood wrapped together in silence, with no thought or desire other than to remain in this closeness forever

Eventually Thor spoke the words they both had to acknowledge

"Tony Stark will ask me to go to New York. To join with the Avengers. You know I must do this, I have a duty to fulfil."

Ainsley nodded his head against the Asgardian's chest, not trusting his voice. Thor's next words surprised them both.

"Come with me"

They both stepped back a bit and looked at each other. Thor spoke again, his voice firm and clear with resolution

"Come with me to New York. Live with me there. You can work on your book in New York."

Ainsley stared at him, open mouthed in astonishment

Why not?

There was nothing much holding him here. He could do his research anywhere and didn't exactly have a thriving network of friends and colleagues in London, plus that teaching post Anne kept bugging him about should still be on offer.

Thor could feel his confidence and determination solidifying inside him

"I will not go without you. If you do not wish to, or if they say no, I will stay here with you. They can call on me if they need me but I will not be parted from you."

Ainsley smiled at him, and with that smile Thor felt like the sun had risen in his heart.

"I'll come with you, babe, anywhere you want."

Tony looked up as they came into the living-room together and sat down on the couch opposite him. He raised the book he had been reading to pass the time, Polidori's 'The Psychopathology of Genius'

"You know; this is absolutely fascinating. I must get a copy and highlight all the sophomoric errors in it!"

He smiled at the pair of them

"So I guess you two crazy kids know why I'm here?"

"We do" replied Thor "You wish me to come to New York."

"Yes, the Ice-Cap has got this idea that we need to bond together as a group and somehow this seems to have involved my place becoming the Avengers' Frathouse, so if you're going to be sticking around we'd like you on board. Keeping the team together as it were."

He took another sip of whiskey. Thor glanced at Ainsley and squeezed his hand.

"We will come to New York; I will not go unless Ainsley comes with me." His tone allowed for no possibility of argument. Tony's smile turned into a broad grin. He raised his glass in a toast.

"Well done, Goldilocks. I expected nothing else!"