chapter 6

"I believe, unless I am mistaken, that Captain Marvel is a "her", Thor says, completely serious.

"I'm not talking about Carol. I found someone else", Banner corrects, "Someone you'll want to see."

******

"Do you really think survival is possible?", Thor asks looking over Bruce's findings on his laptop.

"I think when Thanos died, everything he did was undone. Your people, on your ship, including Loki and Heimdall, would have been revived. The ship however would still be blown to smithereens so..."

"Sp rather than being murdered, my people asphyxiated in outer space. Doesn't make me feel better", Thor grunts, and I squeeze his hand. "Heimdall I'm not sure."

"But Loki...", Banner offers, "Did he travel through space without a ship or suit or anything? You told us when he let go of the bifrost and floated away, he didn't die."

Thor looks confused, then his face slowly lights up. "Loki", he breathes.

"It's been how long...a week? Where would he go?", Banner asks.

"I have no idea. He turned to Thanos before. Asgard, but it's destroyed. Earth, because he didn't know where else to go, but...we would have seen him. We'd have heard him circumventing the globe demanding people kneel if nothing else", Thor offers, irritated. Banner chuckles.

"I thought you said he was improved", he asks.

"He is, was, I thought. I have to find him, and Heimdall too if I can", Thor says. "Is anyone back at headquarters?"

"No, all the survivors are here", Banner offers. "I can't...with Nat....I can't. Go back there."

Thor puts his hand on the Hulk's huge green arm. "I am sorry, my friend."

"So am I. But the rest of you can go on. You can make a real difference back in New York."

"But the X-48...we have to finish it", Thor says.

"The rest of us can do that. You need to see if your family is waiting for you there...besides...", Banner mumbles under his breath, "You really want to take Sophie back to that glorified frat house with Korg, ten empty beer cases, and the TV remote with guacamole caked on it?"

"You are right of course", Thor says, in his ever-dignified voice. "But you need my help to finish up the engine."

"Put in one more day", Banner suggests.

"Stay with me tonight", I suggest, "I have the room for another few nights."

"It would be my pleasure", he says, blushing furiously.

"We can leave in a few days", I suggest. "If he's there, he's not going anywhere."

"I can't believe...maybe I didn't really lose everything", Thor says. He smiles, but it's short-lived. "I'm afraid to hope."

"Don't be", Banner advises, "Your powers are stronger than they ever were, you found love, you might find your brother. Things are looking up for you."

"What's this all about?", Steve asks.

"My brother...Banner might have found Loki", Thor says, smiling again.

"I thought Loki was dead", Steve says.

"But the plot thickens", I add, raising an eyebrow.

"As does your boyfriend", Rhodes snipes as he walks by.

"Commander Rhodes, what the hell is wrong with you?", I shout.

"I don't need you to defend me", Thor mumbles, and I'm afraid I embarrassed him.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"He needs to rejoin the land of the living, he needs to get over this shit", Rhodes shouts, leaving.

"I'm going to get my purse and we can go back to the hotel room", I say, controlling my temper.

Thor POV

"She feels sorry for me", I say, and Banner turns to look at me.

"She feels for you, but isn't that a good thing This morning, I said you were her boyfriend and she said you weren't, and just now Rhodey said you were her boyfriend and she didn't argue. I'd say that's a decent amount of progress in 8 hours."

"Do you think she..."

"I think she's crazy about you, man, and I think you feel the same way. And I don't think her affection for you is dependent on your waistline", Banner points out. I know I'm blushing.

"I almost think she likes it, but I don't know if I want to get involved in that. I don't want to "settle in" to this body", I insist.

"Then buckle down and lose the weight! You have to do one thing or another, lose the weight, or accept yourself as you are, but you can't keep hating yourself, Thor. It's not mentally or physically healthy. Whatever you do, you have someone who seems to really like you", he throws back.

"I'm...I would never say afraid..."

He has the audacity to laugh. "Of course you wouldn't. But I think Sophie is much scarier to you than Thanos could ever be. Take her back to the hotel and let whatever happens happen", he advises.

I nod sharply.


She unlocks the door and takes my hand the moment we walk through it. Then she kisses my palm, drops my hand, and locks the door.

I feel...funny. My stomach is doing flip flops. Maybe it's something I ate.

"Are you hungry, sweetie?", she asks after hearing my stomach growl. Sweetie.

"I'm okay", I insist.

"It's no trouble to get some room service", she says.

"Maybe later", I say. There's something I want much more.

"I've been meaning to ask you", she starts, "Why is one your eyes brown now?"

"Oh, oh", I laugh. An innocent question. "I lost an eye battling my sister at Ragnarok. It's a glass eye provided by the rabbit who is Captain of the morons."

"I see", she says, smirking. "I didn't even know you had a sister."

"Neither did I. She brought about Ragnarok, it was the only way to defeat her."

"I'm sorry. Your family is..."

"Screwed up?", I offer. "Yes they are."

"I was going to say fascinating", she corrects. She takes my hand and laces her thinner fingers through my thick ones. Her fingers barely fit between mine. She raises my hand to her lips.

"It's been a long day", she says.

"It has", I say.

"Can we lay down?", she asks, and I feel like she's having to lead me along.

I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the bed.

"Mmmmm", she mumbles, burying her face in my sweater. I....um, layer now. To hide as much as possible. I have on sweat pants that stretch and fit well with a sweater and a cardigan, but the truth is they're only adding inches.

"Let me help", she says, pulling off my cardigan. My sweater is next and I feel so vulnerable with my belly on full display.

"Mmmm", she moans again. I can't take much more of that. I divest her of her shirt.

She goes for my pants, and we lie next to each other, pulling the covers to our chin. We kiss and I feel her hands exploring me...places I'm not comfortable with her or any woman touching. She slides her fingers between the rolls in my sides, she pats my belly, she squeezes my ass.

"Just be honest with me", I finally say. "Are you attracted to me as I am? I may not be able to lose the weight."

"I think you look fantastic, and I think you'd look better a little rounder." I don't want that, I don't want that, I don't want that, I insist to myself despite getting rock hard the moment she says it. "But if you want to lose or gain or stay the same, you're the most attractive man I've ever seen. You were when we met, and you are now."

"I just don't...really?", I ask.

"The truth is when I saw you out there in the final battle with Thanos, and you were standing there looking like a real Viking king returned from 950 AD, with Mjolnir in one hand and Stormbreaker in the other, lightning flashing around you said 'Let's kill him the right way this time', I was damp.", I confess. "That was...pretty hot. You didn't even need the rest of them. You're a hero."

I know I'm bright red. "I don't feel like a hero."

"But you are a hero. And you are a king", she says, leaning in to kiss me.

"Yes, I am that", I agree, "I am king as Asgard. But I don't know what I'll be if I can't...can you love a fat king?"

"Just try getting away from me."

"If my brother is alive and he sees me like this...", I start.

"It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks", she answers, and she seems to mean it. "Let me love you", she says, stripping off the last of my clothes, and I lay there, round, with a big belly and moobs, and a full face.

"Only if you let me make you queen", I say, and scared of what she'll say, I swallow her answer with a kiss.