My Best Friend's the God of Mischief // Peter x Loki

a nostalgic fragment

Loki counted that more of a blessing than a curse; the fact he could only remember bits and pieces of his time as a cat, like he was walking through a haze, a bizarre dream of some sort that you'd have little to no memory of after you woke up. Because he figured he wouldn't want to constantly be reminded of every glory detail of what he did, even as a four-legged creature — Loki figured it must be embarrassing enough that he wouldn't want to ask, and was blessed with the unknown.

He, must to his own dismay, did remember waking up as himself again, stark naked on Steve's firm chest. And Thor... Thor was there screaming, yelling, cursing in every language he knew, and Thor spoke All-Tongue.

Then Peter fucking Parker head the commotion and joined their lovely little group, and even though Steve quickly covered Loki with a blanket, Loki was certain the kid had seen more than he should, because the look on his face did look like he was traumatised by it enough that he was going to need a therapy.

Then they all collectively agreed to pretend nothing happened. Even Thor agreed to pretend he didn't see anything — for Loki's or Thor's own sake, he wouldn't know — even if Thor did threaten to murder Steve.

"Is everything okay?" Natasha decided to finally comment during breakfast. "You guys have been awfully quiet and you look..."

"As pale as ghosts," Clint finished the sentence for her.

Loki took a quick glance at Steve from across the dining table, he quickly looked the other way because he could already feel his cheeks heating up again.

"Everything's okay," Tony said. His voice was way too high. "Why wouldn't everything be okay? I mean apart from there being the Other Loki, the homicidal one, on the loose that we still haven't gotten a single clue as to where to start searching, everything is perfectly okay. Right, Rudolph?"

Loki wouldn't answer. He kept drinking from his glass even though it was empty five minutes ago.

"The Other Loki did fuck with you pretty badly, huh?" Clint chuckled. "I was going to say karma's a bitch, but you already look a lot like a kicked puppy so, whatever happened, you may keep that your little secret. I won't ask,"

"We all walked in on him sleeping naked with Mister Steve." Peter blurted out. He hadn't meant to. Words just... came out by its own. Like he'd explode and die, if he were to keep silence for another more minute. And that... was that.

~~~

"Still no sign of... the Other Me?" Loki asked. The team were keeping an eye on any news report that might indicate the Other Loki being the one responsible for whatever crime it was, or any social media post about someone running into a murderous God. So far they got nothing and they were... clueless. They hadn't informed the authorities, even though it felt like they should. They were just... trying to solve the mess on their own without freaking anybody out, and Loki — the Other Loki — still hadn't done anything that'd put himself on the news.

"You tell me," Thor spoke without turning to look at his brother. "You are him. Where would you be hiding?"

Loki shrugged helplessly. "I am not... him, Thor." He said, "Not anymore, at least."

At that Thor thought he ought to say something. When he turned around from his laptop to where Loki stood seconds earlier, the spot was empty. He could catch a glimpse of Loki's shadow walking out of the room, and that was it.

~~~

Loki had been avoiding Steve. Or he thought Steve had been avoiding him ever since the incident in the morning. It was... frustrating, Loki was frustrated because it looked like Steve did his best to avoid him... and that hurt, even if he wouldn't admit it, even if he, himself, was also doing his best to avoid Steve. It was complicated. Complicated and frustrating.