( Tony's imagining close to the correct image, his imagination has always been the best of the whole team. Thor beams at Tony, looking so very pleased with himself. )
It's good to hear you laugh.
( A turn around from the night before, but he also knew that Tony was haunted the last time he saw him. A great deal had gone wrong, and Thor himself had been angry with him at one point. But that's always been how he is with his friends; they can argue and tussle for awhile, but they inevitably forgive each other. That's how these things go, in his mind.
Thor takes the crooked fingers and instead pulls them to his mouth, kissing the tips of them affectionately.)
Well. (He murmurs, nipping at them playfully.) What is it you humans say? If you play your cards right ....
( His fingers flex lightly in Thor's grip, and trace his lower lip, curling with a shift forward to cradle his bearded jaw. There's something impossibly fond to it, and in the look he gives his friend, amusement spreading with the faint shiver that glides across his naked skin.
Tony drops his chin, smiling, and neatly sets his empty coffee mug back on the tray. )
( Thor leans his jaw into Tony's touch, he loves gestures of affection. He's not touch-starved, he touches people constantly, but that's because he is a glutton for it. Tony's look is sweet and Thor feels the fondness down to his bones. He likes that shiver and once Tony sets the coffee down, he reaches out to cup his face with similar tenderness.
He barely has to lean in and it's not enough to dislodge the food. If anything the kiss he gives is gentle. They'd been caught up in passion so quickly the night before he didn't get to enjoy learning Tony's taste and tongue like this. It's a slow but thorough exploration. Tony tastes like food and coffee of course, and he sighs, running his fingers through Tony's hair before cupping the back of his neck. )
( This is all he wants, just for a little while, this quiet exchange of touch, of Thor warm and solid at his side, his fingers in his hair, taking the time to really feel this out. Tony's eyes flutter closed as they kiss, and his hand traces the column of Thor's throat, gliding down to spread his fingers over his chest.
Thor's mouth is syrup-sweet from the pancake, contrasted by his scent- male musk, steel and leather, the lightning that rides the forward edge of a spring storm, and an impossibly ancient vastness that Tony has no name for, if the cosmos itself should have a scent. He slides his tongue over Thor's and presses forward, but the image that keeps coming to mind won't leave him: the fall, the unrelieved blackness of space, and Tony has to pull away, catching his breath. )
( Thor lets his free hand glide over Tony's naked skin, nothing too serious, enjoying the run of his fingers over his arm, the muscle in his bicep that may not be godlike but it is still strong, like Tony. The arms and hands of a creator, of someone who works with his mind and body, always clever, always forward-thinking. Thor can throw a tank easily but he doesn't invent, his mind doesn't work like that. He never understood Tony's labs and tech but he appreciated it all the same. He's always been attracted to beautiful minds.
His hand moves along Tony's spine, caressing down his back, intending to deepen the kiss more until Tony abruptly pulls back. He's breathing though, Thor tries to remember humans need to breathe more, and he doesn't chase his mouth. Instead he kisses Tony's cheek sweetly and then his forehead.)
What?
(He murmurs, sensing something is off, whether through his own instinct or their bond.)
( Above all else, it's safety he feels the most, thrumming through the empathy bond. As Hell-bent as he is on protecting others, Tony rarely allows the same for himself. Few ever get to see him when he's vulnerable, just Pepper and now, he guesses, Thor. Who deserves an answer for why he's been acting so freaking weird.
Tony settles, sliding his hand to Thor's waist, curling his fingers loosely in his shirt. )
( Thor and Tony are very similar that way. One of Thor's worst qualities is his inability to be vulnerable with other people. He hides behind his strength and his experience, and often in his humor to distract from the realness of a situation. He likes being the one people feel safe with, he likes being strong for them.
He tips his head to the side, studying Tony, running his fingers through his hair and cupping his face. He likes his beard, the cut of it, trailing his touch along the line for now. )
Yes. They stemmed from visions I had of the future. They stayed with me for two years.
(Wanda's powers set off visions of both the Infinity Stones and the fact Ragnarok was coming. Thor tried to stop all of it from happening, but he could not. And now he's determined to save Loki despite all evidence he can't, but giving up is not his style (yet).)
( it's a mumble. Tony drags his hand over his face, rubbing his eye. Just the thought of it, revisiting it, gets his heart racing, the cold prickle of his anxiety slithering into the bond. )
I see space. Past the wormhole, the Chitauri mothership just hanging there. I feel that warhead against my back, and... ( he blows a shaky breath out, but forces himself to keep going, even as he feels the cold weight drop into his gut, his voice steady and sounding so, so distant to himself. )
Air's all gone, suit's systems all shutter in the vacuum. Then it's just. Silent. And I'm falling... only, it never ends.
(Thor's surprised, mostly because the Chitauri incident was years ago (for him!) and he didn't realize it still hung over his friend. But humans are fragile and short-lived. Thor's gone through a century not even counting the years before, they don't have that ability. He isn't going to discount pain, especially not done by his own brother.
He feels the anxiety and Tony's distraught, moving his arm around Tony's shoulders so he can give that full protective support again. So Tony can feel held and safe. Thor kisses his cheek sweetly, nuzzling his ear.)
Come back to me. Come back to here, now.
(His voice is soft and intentionally close to Tony's ear to try and ground him in the now.)
Perhaps it is difficult for you to see the next part because you were unconscious. I can tell you what happened on the ground, maybe you can try to picture it, to fill in the memory.
(Thor leans back to look at him again.)
We saw you fall from the sky as the portal closed and realized you were not slowing down. I started to swing Mjolnir so I could go fly and catch you, but the Hulk got there first. He caught you safely and brought you down where we all gathered.
(He remembers the moment well, how certain he was that he was dead. A tragedy, he did not know him well then, but he knew he was a good man.)
Hulk howled at you and you woke up. You were caught, my dearest Tony. If you cannot picture the Hulk saving you, picture it being me.
( Tony remains, moving neither closer nor leaning away, feeling the sharp edges of anxiousness dull themselves against Thor's relentless, solid warmth.
You're not in space anymore.
Technically, I still am.
The image Thor conjures is reasonable enough, caught out of the sky by the Hulk like a rag doll. He had bruises for a week afterward, a map of dark purple splotches where Banner's alter-ego must have borne him to the ground in too tight a grip. )
In light of our current arrangement, ( he begins wryly, tipping his head back, ) I'm picturing kind of a bodice-ripper scenario...
(Thor laughs softly, caressing his cheek with the back of his fingers, looking down at him.)
If there is a better way to fix a nightmare than making it sexy instead, I don't know it.
(He kisses him, just an affectionate brush of their lips together, before pulling back and keeping his arm around him. Thor is a very attentive partner and he's always been loving, open-hearted. It's just his way.)
You can come to me any time you suffer through one of these if you need comfort.
( It does shine some lightness on it, to imagine his fall interrupted as Thor swept him up from it. Will it be enough?
Tony resists the urge to pull him close again with that chaste kiss, resting back against him as he had the previous night. Only for a moment, absorbing his friend's offer. Honesty compels him to admit, )
I can't promise that. ( He shifts, turning under Thor's arm. ) I'll try, don't get me wrong.
It is merely an offer. It is up to you whether you take it or not. What is important is you know you can.
(Thor lost his closest friends recently. They died bravely but he never got to say goodbye. He will not make the same mistake with his human friends, he will protect them and let them know like now they are important to him. He kisses the top of Tony's head.)
I believe we may be out of sync in the timeline. It's been years for me since my brother attacked New York.
That sounds about right. I'll admit I don't keep a close eye on what year it is.
(He's long-lived. Years get complicated. He smiles and squeezes Tony into a sideways hug.)
Yes. I eventually did get to spend some time on Earth with Jane and the rest of you. You had your tower you shared, and I believe a second Aveners compound somewhere? Unfortunately, I had bigger picture problems to deal with, and I was away for possibly two years, but everyone seemed well when I left.
(He completely missed out on the war, whelp! He has no reason to think his human friends aren't doing wonderfully back home.)
Banner is with me now though, some things went wrong and he ended up in space.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-16 03:25 am (UTC)It's good to hear you laugh.
( A turn around from the night before, but he also knew that Tony was haunted the last time he saw him. A great deal had gone wrong, and Thor himself had been angry with him at one point. But that's always been how he is with his friends; they can argue and tussle for awhile, but they inevitably forgive each other. That's how these things go, in his mind.
Thor takes the crooked fingers and instead pulls them to his mouth, kissing the tips of them affectionately.)
Well. (He murmurs, nipping at them playfully.) What is it you humans say? If you play your cards right ....
no subject
Date: 2021-04-16 05:58 am (UTC)Tony drops his chin, smiling, and neatly sets his empty coffee mug back on the tray. )
I'm a little familiar.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-16 04:43 pm (UTC)He barely has to lean in and it's not enough to dislodge the food. If anything the kiss he gives is gentle. They'd been caught up in passion so quickly the night before he didn't get to enjoy learning Tony's taste and tongue like this. It's a slow but thorough exploration. Tony tastes like food and coffee of course, and he sighs, running his fingers through Tony's hair before cupping the back of his neck. )
no subject
Date: 2021-04-24 02:19 am (UTC)Thor's mouth is syrup-sweet from the pancake, contrasted by his scent- male musk, steel and leather, the lightning that rides the forward edge of a spring storm, and an impossibly ancient vastness that Tony has no name for, if the cosmos itself should have a scent. He slides his tongue over Thor's and presses forward, but the image that keeps coming to mind won't leave him: the fall, the unrelieved blackness of space, and Tony has to pull away, catching his breath. )
no subject
Date: 2021-04-25 02:30 am (UTC)His hand moves along Tony's spine, caressing down his back, intending to deepen the kiss more until Tony abruptly pulls back. He's breathing though, Thor tries to remember humans need to breathe more, and he doesn't chase his mouth. Instead he kisses Tony's cheek sweetly and then his forehead.)
What?
(He murmurs, sensing something is off, whether through his own instinct or their bond.)
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 05:25 am (UTC)Tony settles, sliding his hand to Thor's waist, curling his fingers loosely in his shirt. )
I need to ask you something.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 11:32 pm (UTC)He tips his head to the side, studying Tony, running his fingers through his hair and cupping his face. He likes his beard, the cut of it, trailing his touch along the line for now. )
Whatever you want, you need only ask.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-04 07:48 am (UTC)Do you ever get nightmares? Long term.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-05 11:41 pm (UTC)Yes. They stemmed from visions I had of the future. They stayed with me for two years.
(Wanda's powers set off visions of both the Infinity Stones and the fact Ragnarok was coming. Thor tried to stop all of it from happening, but he could not. And now he's determined to save Loki despite all evidence he can't, but giving up is not his style (yet).)
What do you dream of?
no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 02:39 am (UTC)( it's a mumble. Tony drags his hand over his face, rubbing his eye. Just the thought of it, revisiting it, gets his heart racing, the cold prickle of his anxiety slithering into the bond. )
I see space. Past the wormhole, the Chitauri mothership just hanging there. I feel that warhead against my back, and... ( he blows a shaky breath out, but forces himself to keep going, even as he feels the cold weight drop into his gut, his voice steady and sounding so, so distant to himself. )
Air's all gone, suit's systems all shutter in the vacuum. Then it's just. Silent. And I'm falling... only, it never ends.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 02:58 am (UTC)He feels the anxiety and Tony's distraught, moving his arm around Tony's shoulders so he can give that full protective support again. So Tony can feel held and safe. Thor kisses his cheek sweetly, nuzzling his ear.)
Come back to me. Come back to here, now.
(His voice is soft and intentionally close to Tony's ear to try and ground him in the now.)
Perhaps it is difficult for you to see the next part because you were unconscious. I can tell you what happened on the ground, maybe you can try to picture it, to fill in the memory.
(Thor leans back to look at him again.)
We saw you fall from the sky as the portal closed and realized you were not slowing down. I started to swing Mjolnir so I could go fly and catch you, but the Hulk got there first. He caught you safely and brought you down where we all gathered.
(He remembers the moment well, how certain he was that he was dead. A tragedy, he did not know him well then, but he knew he was a good man.)
Hulk howled at you and you woke up. You were caught, my dearest Tony. If you cannot picture the Hulk saving you, picture it being me.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 05:36 am (UTC)You're not in space anymore.
Technically, I still am.
The image Thor conjures is reasonable enough, caught out of the sky by the Hulk like a rag doll. He had bruises for a week afterward, a map of dark purple splotches where Banner's alter-ego must have borne him to the ground in too tight a grip. )
In light of our current arrangement, ( he begins wryly, tipping his head back, ) I'm picturing kind of a bodice-ripper scenario...
no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 06:00 pm (UTC)If there is a better way to fix a nightmare than making it sexy instead, I don't know it.
(He kisses him, just an affectionate brush of their lips together, before pulling back and keeping his arm around him. Thor is a very attentive partner and he's always been loving, open-hearted. It's just his way.)
You can come to me any time you suffer through one of these if you need comfort.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-08 09:56 am (UTC)Tony resists the urge to pull him close again with that chaste kiss, resting back against him as he had the previous night. Only for a moment, absorbing his friend's offer. Honesty compels him to admit, )
I can't promise that. ( He shifts, turning under Thor's arm. ) I'll try, don't get me wrong.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-11 02:11 pm (UTC)(Thor lost his closest friends recently. They died bravely but he never got to say goodbye. He will not make the same mistake with his human friends, he will protect them and let them know like now they are important to him. He kisses the top of Tony's head.)
I believe we may be out of sync in the timeline. It's been years for me since my brother attacked New York.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-13 02:30 am (UTC)Do we... see one another in that time?
no subject
Date: 2021-05-13 02:52 am (UTC)(He's long-lived. Years get complicated. He smiles and squeezes Tony into a sideways hug.)
Yes. I eventually did get to spend some time on Earth with Jane and the rest of you. You had your tower you shared, and I believe a second Aveners compound somewhere? Unfortunately, I had bigger picture problems to deal with, and I was away for possibly two years, but everyone seemed well when I left.
(He completely missed out on the war, whelp! He has no reason to think his human friends aren't doing wonderfully back home.)
Banner is with me now though, some things went wrong and he ended up in space.