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It was yet another restless night for Loki, tossing and turning in bed, wrapping his arms around his new stuffed animal, "Kenny the sloth" as Peter had named him. They knew it was no use to stay in bed, so he quietly got up and tiptoed over to the kitchen.
There was a dim light shining through and he contemplated whether they should risk running into one of the Avengers or if he should just go back to his room. They decided to peek around the corner and-
Peter.
Peter was making some kind of beverage There was a lego set on the kitchen counter beside what seemed like a half-built castle.
He was about to take a step towards the boy when Tony stepped into the room, asking Peter what he was doing up at such an hour.
The last time Loki and Stark had met, it wasn't on good terms, but then again when was it? He had locked him up in a cell for a few hours until the boy had woken up and vouched for him. He was just glad Peter was ok.
"You saved him, and maybe it was my fault he got shot, but-"
"It wasn't your fault. It was no one's but the guy who shot him." Loki had said.
Tony nodded in agreement. "Just know that if you ever hurt any one of us, especially the kid-"
"I know Stark. You'll banish me or kill me. Whatever comes first. I know."
"Good. Just please take care of him. Don't encourage the crazy things he might do that'll lead to him getting hurt."
At this, Loki's eyes softened and Tony could see that. "You make a good father to him."
Tony shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "All right, just scat. You're free."
"Am I really?" Loki's eyes were back to brooding and Tony stayed silent. "That's what I thought."
The kitchen was silent for a bit and then Tony's voice startled him.
"You just gonna hide there, Reindeer Games?" Then he looked at Peter. "You're not slick, Underoos, I could see you glancing over there."
There was no point in hiding anymore, so he walked up to them. "I didn't want to intrude. I was just waiting for you to go away so I could get a glass of water."
"You want to build something with us?" Tony suddenly asked, pointing at the unfinished Lego masterpiece.
"So you can spy on us next time we go out on an adventure and lock me up in a cell? No thank you." He took a sip of the water he had poured in a Star Wars glass cup. Peter had bought one for them just because. And when Loki asked the teen what Star Wars was, he rambled about it for hours and made them watch the movies with him.
Tony sighed, putting his hand up to the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm really trying here."
"I am too," Loki stared at Tony and after a few intense moments of this, he finally gave in. "All right, I suppose I'm in."
They built in silence, minute after minute passing by when Tony was the first to speak up. "I owe you guys an apology."
They were both surprised. "Go on," Peter said.
Tony cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, Reindeer Games. You haven't done anything to hurt us while you've been here. And I'm sorry, Pete, that I didn't trust you enough to let you hang out with Loki."
Before Peter could accept his apology, Loki spoke up. "You know, in Asgard, we have this way of apologizing. Stand up."
Tony did as told and awaited further instructions. "Stand on one foot and put your hands under your armpits. Then hop on that foot in circles and flap your arms."
Peter and Loki started laughing and Tony stopped what he was doing, realizing this was all a joke.
"Oh haha, very funny." He sat back down on the floor, rolling his eyes at them.
When their laughter piped down, Loki cleared his throat. "You won't earn our trust that easy. At least not mine."
Tony nodded in acknowledgment. "Ok, well, I'll work towards it."
Another few minutes of silence were spent, building the rainbow of a castle, until Tony broke it. "I didn't ask, what are your pronouns today so I don't make a mistake?"
"He/they." Loki replied.
Tony nodded. "So, what does the God of Mischief do in these sleepless nights?"
"Create chaos, of course."
"And what might that chaos be?" Peter jumped in.
They thought about it, a hand under his chin. "Go outside in the pouring rain."
"But it isn't raining right now, is it?" Peter asked.
"I can make it rain." He deadpanned.
Peter's eyes widened at the news, gawking at the God. Tony's eyes did the same but because he was not going to let Peter out in the rain this late at night.
Not to mention that Tony was not as sprite as he used to be and would definitely be catching a cold afterwards.
"No, we're not doing that, Reindeer Games."
They ended up going on the roof and doing exactly what Tony said not to. The man had budged under the puppy eyed looks on their faces. He expected this from Peter, but Loki?
Loki had definitely taken an influence under Peter's prescence. Lord knows the kid had a huge impact on Tony. He still did.
Maybe Loki wasn't so bad after all if he was willing to put his "coldhearted" look aside to put on some frankly childish facade on to pursuade Tony into letting them go outside in the rain.
Loki definitely still had that mischief side to him, but Tony decided it was ok, because frankly, it was a somewhat childish, danger-free mischief. No harm had been done in the months Loki had been at the compound. And now, he was seeing it all through. Really seeing Loki through.
And Tony saw a person that was quickly becoming fond of Peter, breaking down their walls as Tony had also done. It was a good look on both of them and lord knows they both needed it.
As he watched Loki and Peter run around in the rain, Loki using his powers to harmlessly mess around, Tony decided, they're not so bad after all.