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Bumbling idiots Loki thought as he headed away from the common area in the direction of his room. Thor managed to convince him to stay at Stark’s tower, something about the UN not wanting a quote “murderous psycho loose in the world” and Loki knew that the best way to regain the Midgardians’ trust was to play by their rules. So here he was leaving the loud drunken commotion that the heros were creating. He did not want to watch them all try to lift Mjolnir, again, while Sam and Clint tried to prank everyone in the room.
He passed by the kitchen, sparing a glance into the dim space. Pausing just a bit beyond the door way at the sniffle from within, Loki stepped back to look into the kitchen to see a short blanket shrouded figure trying to reach for a glass in the cupboard.
“Peter?” The figure whipped around to confirm the trickster’s question.
“Umm... Hi... Mr. Loki, sir...” There was a wobble in his voice that he couldn’t quite place.
“Friday, could you bring the lights up some more.” Loki directed at the ceiling while entering the kitchen to have a closer look at the boy. As the lights became brighter, the god noticed that Peter was slightly pale, dark circles under his eyes, which were red-rimmed and wet, and he was trembling a bit. “Did the others wake you?” The man reached past Peter to grab the glass, handing it to the teen. Brown eyes studied the glass for a moment, before a shaking hand reached out to accept the offering.
“N-no, I... I was...”
“Did something else wake you?” Blue-green eyes met chocolate as the boy hesitated with an answer, as if he was determining either or not to trust the man in front of him.
“I... I had... a nightmare...” Peter whispered, more tears gathering in his eyes. “S-so I thought m-maybe i-if I just got up and w-walked for a bit, grab a-a drink, I would be okay, a-and I c-could forget-“ He was growing a bit more panicked, ready to just cry. It was an awful nightmare and he really didn’t want another one. “I’m j-just really t-tired, and n-normally Mr. St-stark helps m-me if I wake up, but h-he’s been helping m-me a lot and I h-hate stopping him f-from sleeping-“
“Child,” Loki placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder, “Stark would not help you as much if he did not care for you so. I have seen the two of you together. One could mistake you both for father and son. Besides, I do not think that he, or any of the others, will be sleeping anytime soon tonight, based on their activities down the hall.” He carefully took the cup from the boy, moving to fill it with water before handing it back. Peter took a sip as Loki wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I also do not think they will be of any help right now, either. Come. Let’s get you back to bed.” The man directed the kid out of the kitchen down the hall towards the bedrooms.
Once they reached Peter’s room, Loki helped the boy get under the covers, covering him gently with the blankets, and placing the cup of water on the side table. If it were anyone else, the god would have left them on their own, but somehow this child has managed to work his way into is cold heart. He cared for the boy, who, even after knowing everything that the god of mischief had done, still thought that he was ‘cool’ and treated him like he was equal with the Avengers. Loki knew that everyone, besides Thor, was weary of him stay here when he arrived. But Peter, bless his sweet and kind soul, just brushed past Tony and Clint to greet the former villain with bright curious eyes and questions about magic and the like.
“Now, child, do you want to talk about you dream?” Peter sighed.
“I- well, um, it- it’s just-” Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes. Loki sat on the edge of the bed beside him, placing an arm around the teen’s shoulders, holding him close. “W-we- everyone- we were on a b-battlefield of some sort. I- I don’t even remember who we were fighting. Just suddenly I was al-lone and ev-everyone was dead. And I d-didn’t know w-what to do. I w-was alone against this m-monster and even he d-disappeared too. I was j-just left alone in the middle of everyone’s dead bodies and-“
“And it was just a dream.” Loki interrupted, placing a hand on Peter’s cheek. Watery chocolate eyes gazed up at the man. “You know that no one would ever willingly leave you alone. You will never be alone, Peter. The Avengers, your friends, May, they all love you. Even I have grown fond of you. I cannot say what will or will not happen during a fight or a mission, but I can say that everyone will always try to come home. Everything they do is to make sure this world is a better place for the future. For you.” Peter’s eyes shined with so many emotions, a smile gracing his face at Loki’s statement.
“Thank you, Mr. Loki.” The teen wrapped his arms around the god’s middle, the man returning the hug immediately, a hand on the boy’s back and the other running through his curly hair. Peter released a sigh. It was no secret that the boy enjoyed having people play with his hair, and many used this to help calm him. Loki smiled leaning back against the headboard.
“Sleep, child.” The god whispered as the boy fell asleep against his shoulder. “Sweet dreams.”