THOR WAITED UNTIL KAIPO WAS FINISHED CRYING. The two were seated on the outskirts of the main city, facing the expansive waters, Thor with a hand on Kaipo's back while he let the lost prince squeeze his knee, his large body wracked with sobs. Thor had checked in with the Nova Corps before finding him, alerting them of his presence, so there was no rush to go meet with them, though even if there was Thor wouldn't have cut Kaipo's mourning short.

"I'm sorry," Thor whispered, and Kaipo's body seized, the grip on Thor's leg now tight enough to hurt, not that the blond was willing to say anything about it, not now.

Kaipo shuddered as he continued to cry, and Thor simply sat there, unsure of how far he could take this, finally giving in and twisting so he was partly facing Kaipo, pulling him into a hug, the other's shoulder digging into his chest.

Kaipo stiffened immediately, and Thor paused, wondering if he should pull away, but then a hand was coming up to grip the arm wrapped around his front, and the god knew to stay put, sighing as he dropped his head onto Kaipo's shoulder, wishing that he could bring the same comfort to him like what he needed when Loki died.

He tried to do what he had done when he and Loki were younger, rubbing soothing circles and holding him as much as he could, but he quickly reminded himself that Kaipo was not Loki, not in any way whether it be as his own self or what he was to Thor.

After an indescribable amount of time, Kaipo finally sighed, allowing his body to relax, the last of his sniffs and sobs gone, now replaced with a bone-deep numbness. He leaned against Thor, all his energy spent.

"Are you okay?" the blond asked, pulling away to sit next to him again, a hand on his back.

"No," Kaipo mumbled, too tired, too numb to care that he was resting his entire body against Thor, his head on his shoulder, "I'm not okay."

"I'm sorry," Thor sighed, moving his hand onto Kaipo's knee, squeezing it, "I'm so sorry."

The heir to nothing and leader of none raised a hand up to his necklace, pursing his lips as he held it in his fist. "The pain will leave eventually. I hope."

Thor sighed, not wanting to tell him that the pain never did fully go away. He would move on and it would get easier, but there would always be something missing. Then he reminded himself that just because Loki had left a hole in his wake did not mean that the same could be said for Kaipo, though he wouldn't be surprised if he was right.

"Let's go," Kaipo grumbled, clearing his throat, "I want to see if we can get any input on a refurbished ship and what you were wondering about earlier."

"There's something strange going on," Thor explained, helping Kaipo to his feet despite the other's insistence that he could walk, "I heard it at the bar, then stated again by that girl. I've been looking for the stones for a good few months now, but I've stopped my visits to Earth for the time being, it conflicts too much and there are no answers for me there anymore, not yet, I haven't even touched back to Asgard since my search began. Speaking of, it takes months to go planet to planet, that's why I was so surprised we made it to Xandar in short time we did."

Kaipo nodded in understanding, tapping his leg as he thought. "I don't actually think we shortened the time, I think we just made it so we didn't feel the time. Because I haven't known you for long, but my people have been gone for much longer than I believed my planet to be."

Thor paused, glancing over towards him, watching as Kaipo's expression shifted. "Stop. Don't think like that. Stop it."

"Wouldn't we have passed by Quinus on the way here?" he breathed, eyes unfocused, turning towards Thor in horror.

"Stop it," Thor said, grabbing his shoulders, one hand coming up to rest against the side of his head, "Stop. There is no sense dwelling in the past, especially when it wasn't one you lived. There is no sense."

"I could have—" Kaipo began, but Thor shouted over him.

"What could you have done?" he demanded, "You don't fight. The entire planet was ravaged, you believe you could have done something? You are not helpless, Kaipo, but you are not all-powerful either. Please. Before you even start. Let it go."

Kaipo grabbed his arms, sighing, shaking his head. "I can't stop thinking. Make it go away."

Thor sighed. "Let's talk to someone, maybe we'll get some answers. But if we're getting the ship refurbished, we aren't going to do any more jumps. I don't trust time anymore."

Kaipo nodded, trying to distract himself with other things, but unable to stop the images and flashes in his mind, all his knowledge giving him too much to ponder over, too much to consider.

"What did you hear?" he asked, desperately searching for a distraction, realizing Thor never did answer his question.

"Death," the blond replied, barely glancing at him as he looked around for the right building, "My search began with a vision of a being roaming the galaxy in search of the stones. I'm learning more and more of who he might be, but it's best I look for the stones first."

Kaipo frowned, halting as his mind flashed with visions of purple and gold, of planets and moons and darkened skies. He blinked, trying to make sense of it all, but coming up empty. He looked over to Thor who seemed hopeful, the light dimming when he saw Kaipo's lack of understanding.

"I don't understand how the knowledge is any good to you if you can't understand it," he said, and he didn't sound angry; at least, he tried not to.

"It's like when you're forced to recite something without understanding what you are saying," Kaipo explained, "The execution is awkward since you're only reading the words for the first time with no idea of context or meaning. I have the knowledge but it still needs to be explained to me in my mind for me to understand it."

"Sounds horrible," Thor grumbled, leading him towards a large white building.

"I'm dealing with it," Kaipo countered, and this was the rapport he remembered, what he was comfortable with.

The two continued to walk in silence, Thor stepping forward to greet the members of the Nova Corps that were in the first room that appeared right as they stepped through the doors. It didn't take much in explanation for them to be accepted, though they did cast confused looks over to Kaipo, who must have been a sorry sight; someone as large as him looking as if he had used up all his energy crying, it must have been puzzling.

"Come on," Thor said, taking his hand, and Kaipo pulled away, frowning.

"I don't need to be cradled, Thor," he snapped, and the blond made a face, looking ready to argue, before relenting with a short sigh, simply motioning for him to follow.

The two entered a meeting room, finding the Nova Prime, Irani Rael, waiting for them, her white hair styled up perfectly, looking at them with an air of superiority despite the two towering over her. Kaipo was incredibly intimidated.

"How can I help you, Prince Odinson?" she asked, her tone clipped and precise, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.

"I came to talk about the Power Stone," Thor explained, and there was a shift in the air from both the Nova Prime and the other Corpsmen.

"What of it?" she asked, keeping her tone even, and Kaipo stood closer to Thor, if only to show that they wouldn't back down solely because they had weapons at the ready.

"I just want to make sure it's still in safe keeping," he explained, rushing to add, "I am not here to challenge you, I'm here to ease my own mind."

Kaipo watched as the Nova Prime noticeably relaxed, sighing with relief as she nodded, adjusting her posture to one that seemed more natural. "I understand. Forgive me, when it comes to the Infinity Stones, we tend to be careful. You understand."

"I do," Thor said, nodding solemnly, "That is what I'm here to ask."

"May I ask who he is?" her assistant interrupted, motioning towards Kaipo, then over to her tablet, "For my records."

"Kaipo Etera, heir to the throne of Asterius," Thor replied, nodding towards Kaipo who relaxed, unsure of how he was to introduce himself.

"My condolences," the Nova Prime said, her assistant nodding in agreement, "We heard what happened...we regret not arriving sooner."

"I just recently learned," Kaipo replied, "Time has been strange and my people had abandoned me on my planet. Do you know what happened with the Setera?"

The Nova Prime pursed her lips. "They had been under control for quite some time. From what we learned, that final attack on your planet had spent the last of their resources. The Setera are no more."

Kaipo sighed heavily, unable to stand any longer. Lowering onto his knees, he dropped his head onto the sleek table, shaking his head. "I can't take this much death."

Thor placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, still addressing the Nova Prime. "May I get a status update on the stone? And we were hoping to find someplace where we might get out ship refurbished? I wasn't meant for long distance travel and we are running low on money. But it has ties to his planet, so we'd rather not lose it."

The Nova Prime's gaze darted towards the distraught Asterion, a flash of pity darting across her features before disappearing without a trace. "Leave that to us. Accept this as our condolences for what you have been subject to, we will see to it your ship is upgraded and you can rest at one of the main stations without charge."

"We can't accept that—" Kaipo began, Thor opening his mouth to argue against him, but the Nova Prime held up her hand.

"We have been unsuccessful in helping many cases such as your people's, Kaipo," she said, genuine pain rising to the surface, "Let us try to make one thing right."

º º º

Thor sighed as he and Kaipo collapsed onto the two beds in their rent out room at one of the main resting stations in the main city, the other immediately burying his face in the pillows with a soft groan.

"We should go out to drink," Thor said, turning to look at him.

Kaipo turned his head to give him an unimpressed look. "Yes, let's start another bar fight. I love it."

Thor rolled his eyes, rolling off his bed to move to Kaipo's ignoring the other's protests as he settled on top of the covers, turning to face him. "We could find someone who could give us some work, we could get money."

"I doubt we could find real honest work at a bar," Kaipo pointed out, and Thor made a face, huffing.

"We could try," he pressed, and Kaipo shrugged, knowing full well that he wouldn't be winning this argument.

"Okay," he relented, motioning towards the door, "You go, I'll stay here, and if you find something you can tell me."

Thor pouted, making a whining sound in the back of his throat, and Kaipo had to look at him to make sure that the sound actually came from him. Unfortunately, he was met with wide, watery blue eyes; as much as Thor often infuriated him, he had been nothing but kind to him, not to mention it was painful to see someone like him so sad.

"Fine," he grumbled, trying and failing to push himself into a sitting position, only turning onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow, "We go in an hour, I want a nap."

"Alright," Thor said, settling onto his side of the bed, still facing Kaipo, "I'll nap as well."

Kaipo turned his head, raising an eyebrow as he opened his mouth to suggest Thor go back to his own bed, only to find the blond already falling asleep, much too happy with invading Kaipo's space.

Sighing softly, he allowed himself to sleep, brushing aside the way Thor shifted closer to him in his sleep, softly snoring right beside him. It was comforting, in a way; it reminded him he wasn't alone.

º º º

Thor was fighting again.

Kaipo sighed as he downed the rest of his tankard, not bothering to use his magic to force everyone in the room to sleep again. He motioned for another drink from the bartender, standing up and placing a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"Let it go," he said loudly, not quite sure why Thor had picked the fight in the first place, "Thor, can you go five minutes without trying to kill someone?"

"I didn't start this," he roared, never shifting his gaze away from the leering being—a Xandarian—that didn't seem to be winded from facing the a thunder god, which surprised Kaipo, "This roach wouldn't leave this woman alone. I warned him multiple times, but he persisted. What was I to do?"

Kaipo's gaze shifted towards the woman—a Krylorian—who was looking up at Thor with relief and awe, but he could see the fear in her eyes, the way she kept shifting her gaze towards the exists, curling in on herself.

"Come with me," he said, holding his hand out towards her, motioning towards the exit, "Please."

She took his hand willingly, letting him lead her outside of the bar, out into the cold Xandarian air. He glanced back, hearing the sounds of a scuffle, Thor's voice resounding through it all, warning the others, though so ready to fight.

He sighed and turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "Does this happen often?"

She sighed as well, nodding bitterly. "With him and all his friends. You'd think after all this time, they'd leave me be. I just try to make a living and they..." she trailed off, shaking her head, "Thank you, I'll just be heading home."

"Hold on," he said, reaching out to stop her, hand hovering over her shoulder, "What do you mean? What have they been trying?"

She blushed a darker blue, shaking her head. "I-I'm a dancer. At one of the clubs on the neighboring moon. They're Nova Corps trainees, those are, lowest of the low, but still in rank. They're on leave at the moment. They saw me dancing and offered me so many things, but I'm not interested. They won't leave me be."

Kaipo stared down at her for a moment, tamping down the ingrained instinct to jump in and fight alongside Thor, taking a deep breath and shaking his head, looking back to the bar. Finally, he spoke, his jaw set.

"Do you live nearby?" he asked, and she nodded, motioning towards the living complexes just across the way. He nodded, lightly motioning to her arm. "Let me walk you home, my friend and I will take care of this."

After making sure the Krylorian was safe inside her complex, Kaipo raced back to the bar, mind racing as he tried to come up with a solution that guaranteed her freedom from the pestering while still refraining from defaulting to violence; at least as much as possible, what with Thor already starting with it.

He peered inside, finding that Thor was now facing off the entire group, surprised to find that none of them seemed winded yet the blond himself seemed himself agitated and slightly out of breath.

He frowned, looking towards the table where most were seated, finding a few bags filled with a strange blue powder.

Glancing back towards the group and finding them preoccupied, he reached over and grabbed one of the bags, sharing a look with Thor who tried not to draw attention to him, letting him know he understood. At least they were on the same page.

While Thor fended off against the seemingly unstoppable force, Kaipo ran towards the main building, hoping the Nova Prime was still at work. He found himself facing some adversity from the front line, but after explaining who he was and the situation, he was reluctantly allowed access, given that he was accompanied by two corpsmen.

"May I help you?" the Nova Prime asked, looking up from where she was scrutinizing an array of documents, surprised and suspicious to find Kaipo.

"Are you aware that your on-shore trainees have been harassing an exotic dancer?" he immediately demanded, holding out the bag, "And are you aware of what this is, because I don't, but they are currently all fighting Thor and don't seem affected in the slightest."

She took the bag from his hand, looking ready to question him further, only to pause when examining the contents. "Where did you get this?"

"With the rest of the bags at the table where your trainees sat, harassing an exotic dancer and holding their own against a thunder god who wields a hammer," he replied, narrowing his eyes and raising his voice.

She took a deep breath and sighed, shaking her head at the bag. "Show me."

º º º

"It's an undermarket drug," Kaipo explained, standing next to Thor, watching as the trainees were taken away in cuffs, "Gives someone a high and virtually indestructible skin. Powerful beyond belief. Basically you, but only for a short time."

Thor paused, his arms crossed mimicking Kaipo's pose, turning to look at him with the start of a smile. "Did you just compliment me?"

"I made an objective observation and correlation, don't read into it," he grumbled back, but shrugged, relenting, "Of course, the drug doesn't give them the heart you have. It was good of you to watch out for that woman."

"I don't want to fight unless I have to," Thor said, shifting more to face him, "Believe me, I've learned. But sometimes..."

"No," Kaipo said, motioning towards the scene, "I was able to resolve this without any fighting at all. Of course, you gave me time to grab the bags, but we could have solved this without violence. I mean look, you're worn out, and for what?"

Thor sighed, shaking his head. "I don't think I'll ever get through to you."

"The feeling is mutual," Kaipo replied, not missing a beat.

After a few moments, Thor spoke, nudging him fondly. "We make a good team."

Kaipo allowed himself a small smile. "Yeah. I guess we do."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

( 06.20.18 )

Ya'll don't understand how much I want for them to hold hands and hug okay it is so hard for me to write them the way they need to be written because all I want is for them to be cute and hold hands BUT IT'S NOT TIME YET.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!