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Loki and Peter, for all that it was worth, got along really well. And Tony wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that.
The god and Tony’s protégé had only started this strange friendship recently, and it wasn't like they went out of their way to see each other, but, still. Every time the two ended up together, Tony became more and more shocked by just how easily they clicked.
They both loved playing pranks, Peter was always fascinated by the magician's tricks, and Loki was in turn fascinated by the boy’s spider-adjacent powers.
Was Tony so wrong for being a little… confused?
Loki, the thousand year old alien, enjoyed the company of Peter Parker? Of all mortals to choose from, the eighteen year old holds the most interest?
It was just a shock, is all. Tony felt that he was justified, especially since Loki was still so prickly around the other Avengers.
Today was one of those days, where Loki and Peter crossed paths, leaving Tony to watch on with mild bemusement.
Some group of want-to-be villains were currently running amok in Central Park, the only thing making them truly dangerous being the stolen Hydra weapons in their possession.
Honestly, Tony was getting sick of all this random Hydra stuff coming up. It felt like every other week he was chasing down some new vein of lunatics who had no idea what they were doing, and it always led back to Hydra. He was so over it.
Thor and Loki had been in New York for just the weekend, having come up to talk to Tony about some tech advancements for New Asgard. Teaching a whole alien race about the wonders of Wi-Fi was more difficult than it should have been, if you asked Tony. But, Thor was desperate to get his people up to speed on earthly technology, so Tony agreed to help. The brothers had just come to the tower to discuss what all they should be educating their people on before Stark’s arrival. Tony knows that the discussion hadn’t warranted a whole trip, and it could have been done over a phone call, but he would never deny Thor his love of acting like a tourist in the big city.
That was all the visit was supposed to be. Not this situation in the park, which Friday had alerted Tony of only minutes after the brothers had arrived. Thor, ever the hero, immediately jumped into action to help. Loki, though acting more annoyed about the situation than his brother, followed without complaint.
Two gods and a billionaire were more than enough to handle the small group of attackers in the park, but Spider-Man had obviously heard about the threat on his turf, and came swinging into action.
Tony was always happy to see the kid, and connected their in-suit communications the second he saw the bright red jumping through the trees.
“Mr. Stark! What’s going on out here? I was just down at the donut shop and- woah!” Tony can hear the exact moment that Peter spots the two gods on the ground, dodging blasts. “Is that Thor? And who- Oh my god! Loki! What are they doing here?”
Peter swings through the action, flinging webs and trapping a couple of the thugs against the ground. Tony watches as Loki approaches the downed men and removes them of all their weapons with just a flick of his wrist.
“They were just in town to chat, kid. Of course that was until we got interrupted.” Tony responds from where he hovers above the scene, offering a blast here and there.
Honestly, there wasn’t much need for Iron Man at the moment. Peter probably could've handled all this on his own. “I ever tell you how sick I am of Hydra tech, kid?”
Peter laughs at Tony’s rhetorical question, firing more webs. Spider-Man flips through the air and lands dramatically beside Loki, and Tony watches on from above.
Again, why did the two seem to get along so well?
Stark watches as Loki chats with Peter, a few words exchanged before a blast interrupts the pair, and they jump back into action. They move fluidly together, Peter flinging webs and Loki enchanting them mid air, causing them to multiply and hit extra targets.
Tony doesn’t even need the communicator to hear Peter’s exclamations during the situation.
“Woah! That was awesome! Okay, wait, I have an idea!” He flips through the air, landing near a new target, “Okay, I do this and- Yeah you jump out there, and- exactly what I was thinking, Loki!”
Tony frowns, and noticing that there's only a few more attackers left, goes to land on the ground next to Thor.
Thor has a massive grin on his face, high from the fight like a true warrior, and goes to clap Tony on the back as he steps out of the armor. “An enjoyable fight, quick and easy! Oh, how I love your city, Stark!”
Tony nods, and watches as Loki and Peter approach, Peter throwing his hands around with enthusiasm as he explains something to the stony faced Loki. Except, what is that? A tiny grin on the trickster god’s face? Tony didn’t believe it.
“Alright, Peter. Aren't you supposed to be doing homework right now, or something?” Tony couldn’t care less if the kid had homework, he just liked to give him a hard time.
Peter pouts, obvious even behind the mask. The kid opens his mouth to respond, but is interrupted by the god next to him.
“Of all people present, Anthony, I feel that it is you who most needs to do their studying.” A smirk is playing on his lips, and Loki glances over to Peter, “The Spider-Man had just told me about an incident involving your lack of understanding on the workings of New York's underground? Even I know how to use the subway lines, Stark. A bit embarrassing, don’t you think?”
Tony just raises his brow in shock, turning to Peter.
Peter, for his part, looks stunned. “Wha- Loki! You can’t just say that!” And then the kid breaks out into a fit of laughter, clutching Loki’s shoulder in a way so friendly and casual that it nearly frightens Tony. He had never seen anybody act that way with Loki, and if anyone had ever tried something similar, he was sure that the god would've just shoved them off. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you call Mr. Stark ‘Anthony’!” More chuckles, Loki just grins wider.
Tony can’t even defend his honor, too stunned to speak.
“Oh, Loki! While you're in New York, can I show you that bodega I was telling you about? It’s great, I promise, their deli is the absolute best! They make an incredible sandwich, promise!” Peter is still holding onto the god’s shoulder.
Loki looks over to Thor, a brow raised in challenge. “I do hope that Thor would be able to understand Stark’s instructions without me present, unless that’s too difficult a task for the king?”
Thor chuckles from beside Tony, shaking his head. “Yes, I suppose it’s your turn to run as a tourist, brother.”
And just like that, Peter throws his hands up in victory. “Alright! It’s a party! I’ll see you later, Mr. Stark!”
Tony can’t manage more of a response than nodding his head. He’s vaguely aware of Thor talking next to him, probably about the whole New Asgard tech situation, but Tony is preoccupied watching Loki and Peter walk away. Loki changes his clothes with a wave of his hand and a shimmer of green seidr, into a sleek black suit. Tony can hear Peter exclaim about that, gesturing to his Spider suit as he does so. Loki says something in return, and throws his head back in laughter.
Tony just can’t wrap his head around it.
Interrupting Thor from whatever the god was talking about, Tony points his hand to the retreating pair, “Okay, so how the hell did that happen, point break?”
Thor, caught off guard, just looks confused. “What?” He asks.
Tony throws his hands up, finally turning away from where Loki and Peter were walking, moving to face Thor. “That! Loki and Peter, why do they get along so well? I don’t think I've seen Reindeer Games that casual with, well, anyone! Ever!”
Thor, clearly less shocked than Tony, just grins. “Yes! I’m quite pleased that my brother has found somewhat of a friend in young Peter! It has been a long time since he has had such a companion!”
“Okay, great, but why?” Stark prods.
Thor frowns, looking around as if missing the question. “Do you have something against their friendship, Stark?”
And, well, now Tony feels like an asshole. “No! Look, I just, I guess I don’t understand! Loki hasn’t ever bonded with any of the other Avengers like he has with Peter, and it’s just caught me off guard, okay?”
A little of the confusion melts from Thor’s face, and he crosses his arms as he speaks, “I suppose I understand, a little bit.” The god turns to where Loki and Peter had walked away, the pair no longer visible. “I think that, perhaps, it is due to their similarity in age.”
Tony laughs. Truly laughs, but forces himself to stop when he sees Thor’s dead serious face. “I’m sorry,” Another chuckle escapes, "You're joking, right? What is Loki, like a thousand years old? Yeah, Peter’s eighteen, pal.”
Thor just nods thoughtfully, “I suppose Loki would be a little bit older, then. But you are aware that us Asgardians age differently, aren't you?”
“Yeah, I got that much, old man.” Tony tries to tease. Thor just shakes his head.
“Stark, I don’t think you're understanding.” The god gestures to the empty space where Loki had stood earlier, “My brother is still very young, for an Asgardian. If you do a correlation of lifespans, when comparing Asgardian to Mortal, Loki would be around the age of twenty, at the moment. Give or take.”
And that, well. Tony doesn’t even know what to say to that. Thor continues on, anyway.
“Yes, Loki has had the experiences that over a thousand years of life can give him, but in all practicality, he is still young. Immature, youthful, childish.”
Tony can feel his mouth drop open, as he thinks about it. And the more he thinks, the more it actually makes sense. Kind of.
“Wait wait wait.” Tony throws a hand up as he has a gut-wrenching thought. “So how old would that make Loki in 2012, when he went through all that shit and invaded earth? When I first met him?”
Thor seems to think for just a moment, “Well, again, age is tricky for us. But I would say around eighteen or nineteen.”
And shit. That whole battle, all the stuff that Tony had since learned that Loki was going through at the time, and he was just a kid?
Suddenly, Tony had a new perspective on a few things.
Taking a breath and getting back to his main query, Tony looks back to Thor. “Alright, so you think Loki and Underoos get along so well because Peter is the only Avenger who is, technically, around the same age?”
Thor nods.
“I guess that makes sense.” Tony doesn’t know what more to say, and the conversation simply simmers out then. Stark certainly had a new way to look at the relationship between the kid and Loki, which was all that was on his mind as he and Thor flew back to the tower.
It honestly made sense. Peter was an extroverted kid, he loved chatting with any and all of the Avengers, but he was still the youngest. He didn’t typically ask to hang out with Rhodes or Strange, more than his visits to the magicians library. But he and Loki, well, they clicked.
Tony, with this new perspective, kind of appreciated the trickster god for the blossoming friendship.
So when Tony lands back at the tower and pulls his cell out to see a text from Peter saying “Loki says that this is the best sandwich he's ever had. Win!” With a picture of the overdressed god sitting in a dingy bodega, sandwich dripping its ingredients onto the floor in front of him, Tony texts back easily.
‘Tell Rudolph that he should stop by New York more often, I want him to prove that he actually knows how the damn underground works.’
Because if there was a weak spot that Tony had, it was seeing Peter happy. And another friend could never hurt those chances. Even if it was with the Trickster god.