Thor lay Loki down on the bed, and hovered above him for a moment.
"You're going to leave me now."
"No. No brother. I need you just as much as you need me. We will figure this out," he said.
"Stay with me tonight," he said. Thor's fingers reached for the buttons on Loki's dress shirt. He worked his way down, pulling open the garment. Loki sat up, and removed his jacket and unzipped his pants. The rented clothes were lain carefully over the arm of a chair, leaving Loki in his undershirt and boxers. Thor removed his jeans, which he'd hastily pulled on earlier without any underwear. Again, Loki's eyes were privy to Thor's most intimate area. Thor walked over to the dresser and grabbed a set of boxers and yanked them up. He kept his t-shirt on, much to Loki's disappointment.
"Come on. Under the covers. It's late," Thor said.
"You're not going to make love to me. Are you?"
"Not tonight," he said. Loki wanted to scream at him. He felt like Thor was stringing him along just to keep him from harming himself. But it was 1 a.m. and he was exhausted from the lateness of the hour, and crying. So, without argument, he got in bed and curled up on his side facing away from his brother. He felt the bed dip behind him as Thor climbed in. Big arms and a large body pulled him in, engulfing him in love and warmth.
"I love you, Loki."
"I know."
XxXxXxXxXxXx
In the morning, Thor called Dr. Banner and asked for an emergency appointment, and they were squeezed in at 2:30 that afternoon. Thor spent the morning trying to figure out what he would and wouldn't tell Dr. Banner. Loki's birth day was two weeks away. Though he wasn't yet 18, he would be soon. There were some things the state could do to them to make their lives difficult, for a while, if they wanted to.
Loki hadn't spoken all morning, making him concerned. He didn't know what Loki was thinking, if he was thinking the way he had last night. He was afraid to let him out of his sight now. It wasn't until they'd pulled up at Dr. Banner's office that Loki said something.
"Why are we here?"
"We need to figure this out."
"You understand that means we'll have to tell him how we feel about one another."
"Yes."
"It could go bad. You know that."
"I can't lose you. I'll try anything."
"Almost anything," he said, shooting Thor a pointed look. They got out of the vehicle and went inside.
Dr. Banner was escorting Mrs. Fulgham out just as they came in.
"Ah! Thor, Loki. Come on in." The brothers took their spots on the good doctor's couch, looking grim, like they were about to face a firing squad. Bruce took his seat in his chair. When he looked at them, he knew.
"Before we begin, I feel I must inform you both of some legal requirements that I must follow. First, since Loki is a minor, any criminal activity that happens in the home, especially sexual activity, must be reported to CPS. And the adult involved would be arrested. So, before you tell me what I think you are going to tell me, don't tell me," he said. Loki and Thor both looked at each and then back at him.
"We haven't done anything…yet," Loki said, terrified that Thor might go to jail. Bruce sighed in relief.
"Thor, are you gay?"
"Yes," he said. Bruce nodded.
"It's not uncommon for family members to become close after a tragedy. Emotions run high and get confused. You are both young gay men in your prime. You're horny and you have loved each other all your lives. It is the familial kind but recent events might have changed that into something new."
"Actually, I've felt…" Thor started.
"Don't tell me!" Bruce interrupted. "Now, I need to ask you guys something, and it might seem like it is coming from left field. But please, answer me. Thor, which one of your parent's do you look like most?"
"Um, my dad. I mean I look like both of them, but I got my dad's jaw line and blue eyes. My blond hair came from my mom's side of the family."
"Okay, good. Loki?"
"Um, neither really. Black sheep of the family. My mother said I have some cousins with dark brown hair."
"Loki, has it ever crossed your mind that you might be adopted?"
"WHAT?" Loki and Thor both gasped. They looked at each other with new eyes. A lot of things made sense then. Loki's body type, his personality, his black hair…he really is the black sheep of the family. How could they have never noticed it before?
"Have you ever seen your birth certificate?" Bruce asked.
"No," Loki said.
"Doctor, I think I understand what you are trying to do, but Loki is my brother. He will always be my brother."
"There it is. That is what needs to be addressed. Because if you two feel the way that I suspect you do, then you'll need to re-examine how you view one another. Incest, even if gay, even if between adopted siblings, is still taboo, even illegal. If Loki is adopted, it would just be an excuse, but at least you would know that you are not genetically related. Not that that really matters either. Neither one of you is female."
"And if I am adopted?" Loki asked.
"Then the two of you need to think long and hard about what you stand to gain, and lose, should you proceed with what I think you are thinking about doing. Once you do it, you can't undo it. If your relationship does not work out, you could both find yourselves alone with no family at all."
"That is what I fear as well. Loki is young. What if he outgrows me? Gets sick of me? I don't know what I'd do if he left me."
"That is something you two need to discuss without me in the room. If you both decide that this is what you want, I am NOT advising you to sell your house, change your names, and move far away. And I am NOT advising you to wait until Loki is 18 to do anything that might be considered illegal in several states, including this one."
"Thank you," Loki said, looking so hopeful and relieved that he might cry again. He shook Dr. Banner's hand and grabbed Thor's arm.
"Let's go home," he said with a smile. Thor looked at Loki with a smile as well, and so much longing. As they got in Thor's jeep and drove away, Bruce looked on knowing he'd never see or hear from them again.