"So, what was wrong with the spaghetti?" Bruce asked. Thor and Loki were both in the session together today and the topic of the stages of grief, including anger, was being covered.

"It wasn't my mother's spaghetti. It didn't taste the same, despite my best efforts. I keep realizing all the little things I lost when I lost my parents. I was trying on tuxedos for the prom the other day, and my dad wasn't there to give me his opinion."

"Was Thor there?"

"Yeah," Thor said.

"Well? Loki, did you ask Thor for his opinion?" Bruce asked.

"No," he said.

"I know it hurts, when you have these moments where you wish your parents were here. But you cannot neglect the one person left in your family that is right in front of you."

"It isn't that!" Loki protested. "He's my brother not my dad. You know how it is between brothers. He would have teased me and I'm, I'm a shallow sensitive creature."

"Loki, I wouldn't have," Thor said in a gentle voice. Loki quirked an eyebrow at him and gave him a look. In truth, it wasn't the fear of teasing that stopped Loki from asking Thor's opinion.

"Okay, maybe a little. But I also would have told you that you'd picked out the best look without my help. The tux you chose fit you perfectly, and the green trim really brought out your eyes. You looked elegant," Thor said. The two young men were both sitting on the same couch, relatively close. Thor's arm was resting on the top of the couch behind Loki, bringing him just inside his personal bubble. Thor's eyes were locked onto Loki's face, and his expression was like sunlight shining on a meadow. Loki basked in that sweet glow. With their legs crossed towards one another, and a mutual hunger in their eyes, they looked every bit the smitten couple.

Bruce's red flags shot up.

"So, Loki why are you taking a girl to the prom if you're gay?"

"Her boyfriend broke up with her and she's making me go. Said it would be good for me," he said.

"I agree with her. Your friend is very smart," Bruce said. He paused for a moment as he pondered a way to inquire about Thor's own sexual orientation. He hadn't bothered asking because he hadn't thought it to be relevant, until now. Loki was admittedly gay, but his older brother seemed to be of the straight variety, until a moment ago.

"Thor, since Loki is making a point to go out with a friend to a social event, I was wondering if you were taking time to do the same?"

"No. I haven't hung out with my friends since the day my parents died. They were there when I got the call. Aside from helping me move out of my apartment, I haven't spent any time with them."

"You shouldn't neglect your other relationships. It would be good for you to spend time with your friends. I know that there are private things that both you and Loki, don't want to share with one another. And being able to bitch about your brother's annoying habits to your girlfriend can be therapeutic," Bruce said. A look crossed both Loki and Thor's faces.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Thor said, looking down at his shoes. Bruce noted how Loki was watching his brother with the kind of hope only prospective lovers displayed.

"Thor's love life is non-existent. The last time he dated a girl was when he went to prom," Loki said, setting the bait.

"I've dated loads," Thor protested.

"You've shot loads, you mean. None of them were good enough to bring home and meet mom and dad though."

"That's because…" Thor trailed off. His eyes darted back and forth between Loki and Dr. Banner with alarm.

"Thor, this is a safe space. Is there something you need to tell your brother?" Bruce asked.

"I…" The alarm went off, marking the end of their session. Bruce cursed inwardly and smashed his hand on the button.

"Ignore that. This is important," Bruce said.

"It's nothing. I just…had a rough break up a couple of years ago was all. With this girl…" he lied. "It's not important now."

"I understand," Bruce said. When the brothers left his office, Bruce sighed with concern. Loki was gay. Thor knew this. Bruce was certain now, that Thor was gay also. The only reason Thor would not feel comfortable coming out to his own gay brother, was if he also desired him.

XxXxXxXxXx

Loki's long spidery fingers wrapped around Sigyn's waist as they posed for pictures. Thor was with Sigyn's dad as their cameras flashed. Siggy's dad was quite happy to have his daughter's gay friend take her to the prom. It removed all worries about her getting knocked up by her date.

Thor for his part, got lots of shots of Loki in his tuxedo, with Sigyn mostly out of frame. He took a couple of good ones with her in it, for Loki's benefit. But the others were for his personal stash. The limo arrived and the young friends took off for the dance, while Thor hopped into his jeep and made the short drive home. Per Dr. Banner's advice, Thor's friends were coming over to hang out with him.

"Thor!" Fandral hugged him hard and then craned his neck around to admire the house. Sif did too. Steve and Bucky, Thor's first gay friends from high school followed behind them. The pair hung on each other, radiating love and lust. Thor couldn't help the pang of jealousy that swept through his body. They were a good-looking couple, and Thor would be remiss if he did not confess to himself how horny their intimacy was making him.

"Thor, buddy. We brought a friend. This is Hogun," Steve said. A handsome little Asian man came in and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you," he said. Thor smiled but he was in no mood for match making.

"Alright gentlemen. As the resident beard, I get to pick the first activity." Sif announced.

"Well darling, if you want us all to run a train on you, you'd better get into position," Fandral teased. He and Sif were dating, but Sif was well aware of Fandral's bisexual appetites, and benefitted from them frequently.

"You do have handsome friends, baby," she teased right back. "Beer pong!" Cups and ping pong balls appeared along with a case of cheap ale. Thor agreed to pair off with Hogun to appease everyone and they took Sif onto their team as well, while Fandral fought with Steve and Bucky on the other end.

Their play with the drinking game lasted for over an hour, ending with Thor polishing off the last of the alcohol. Everyone was getting hungry, so while Thor made sandwiches, the others explored the house. There was a line for the bathroom.

"Sif! Hurry up in there!" Bucky yelled through the door.

"Go pee in the backyard! You're all men!" she shouted back.

"Come on," Steve said with a big grin. They headed out back and took aim at a particularly unruly looking bush.

"Hey Thor!" Steve called back as Thor came outside with a plate of food to serve. "You need to do a little hedge trimming back here!" Sif appeared and they all took a moment to clear their foggy heads in the crisp night air.

"Where's Fandral?" Thor asked. On cue, Fandral came running out the back door with a buzzing dildo in his hands.

"Holy shit Thor! Your little brother has a vibrator in his room!" He laughed and shook the floppy wobbly thing around for comedic effect.

"Oh my god!" Sif slapped Fandral in the arm repeatedly. "What the fuck are you doing? Put that back! That is disgusting. You don't touch other people's sex toys!" she screeched at him. Fandral laughed and ran back inside to put it back where he found it. And wash his hands. Thor hoped.

"Thor, is your little brother gay?" Bucky asked, as he snatched a sandwich off the plate.

"Um, yeah."

"Well that's great! You must be so relieved. I know you were afraid to tell your parents, but now at least you're not in the closet anymore," Steve said.

"Um, yeah," Thor didn't elaborate.

"How did the kid take it? Was he surprised, or did he kind of already know before you told him?" Sif asked.

"He was surprised," Thor lied.

"Well, good. We can take him with us the next time we go clubbing," Bucky said.

"No! He can't go," Thor said.

"Why not?" Sif asked.

"He's not 21. He's not even 18 yet," he said.

"In like two weeks. Besides, being under 21 never stopped you from getting in," Steve said.

"Look, I'm just protective of my little brother is all. I'm supposed to be raising him, not taking him to a den of lust to meet guys that want to use him," he said.

"Thor, c'mon. We were having sex at his age. You should include him. You're always saying that you are having a hard time finding things to do together," Steve said. For a moment Thor mistook Steve's meaning. His face grew hot and his cheeks flushed. His eyes went wide with fear of exposure.

"Man, that sounded so wrong, the way you said it," Bucky said.

"I didn't mean it like that! Gosh, you think I'm a pervert?" Steve asked.

"Think it? I know it," Bucky said, smiling at him. It became awkwardly quiet then, and no one knew what else to say. It was after midnight, and everyone was beginning to feel the pull of sleep on their eyes.

"I'm tired guys," Thor began.

"I am ready to go home as well," Hogun said. "I can drive if any of you need that."

"You sure man?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I didn't drink much and my last beer was an hour ago."

"Alright. Thanks." Bucky said.

"You guys sure? You can always crash here." Thor offered.

"Nah. Fandral is feeling pretty randy and I'm sure you don't want to fall asleep listening to the sounds he makes when I peg him," Sif said. Thor chuckled at that, and everyone headed for the front door. He watched all of his friends pile into one car and drive off, leaving him alone in a big empty house.

It was eerily quiet then, and Thor was left thinking about sex, about relationships, and his own need to connect. Loki wasn't home yet. He didn't know when he would be. He hadn't bothered with a curfew. The limo driver would bring him home eventually. He walked down the hall towards bed, but stopped shy at Loki's bedroom door. He entered and looked around.

Loki's room was looking neat and tidy these days, much more so than when he first arrived. Thor chalked that up to Loki being forced to care for himself. Without mom around to do his laundry and the vacuuming, Loki had become self-sufficient. Thor looked down at Loki's bed and noticed the phallic shaped item shoved hurriedly under the pillow. Thor closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in through his nose, reveling in Loki's scent. It was strong in here. Thor's skin tingled and a shiver went up his spine and down into his cock. He was growing stiff. He reached into Loki's laundry hamper and pulled out the t-shirt Loki had worn yesterday. He buried his face in it, breathing in his brother's musk.

He took it with him to his parent's bedroom, tossing it down so he could undress. He was alone. He was alone and he could moan as loud as he wanted to. He let Loki's name spill from his lips and gave himself over to a fantasy he'd been holding back since high school. He spat into his hand and stroked himself, but stopped. No, he needed to drag this out. He sniffed the shirt again and then pulled it over a pillow. Now he had something to hug, to hold onto. He laid down on the bed, holding it to his torso, imagining it was the lithe lean body cuddling with him. He began with a nipple, just one. Teasing the tip with a brush of his thumb.

He imagined he was teasing one of Loki's own dusty pink nipples. It would pebble from his touch and look so pleasing against that creamy expanse of skin. Thor planted his feet on the bed, bending his knees and splaying his thighs wide. His cock throbbed. In the open air, on display, for God, the Devil, or whoever might be watching him writhe to the thought of making love to his own blood. He ran his hands along his skin, raking his abdomen, his inner thighs, everywhere except there. Bright green eyes, wide with innocence, looking up at him in awe and admiration. Yes, thin delicate lips swollen from kisses parting to give, to receive, to speak of forbidden things that must stay secret.

"Loki…" Thor moaned when he pinched his nipple.

"Loki…" he moaned when he cupped his sack.

"Loki…Loki…" he panted when he grabbed his shaft and started the long even strokes that built and built up ever higher.

"Loki…Loki…LOKI!"

"Thor?"