Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

Chapter 75

Loki headed inside with Aunt May and Peter. He flared his magic, burning the alcohol from his system as they did. It wasn't something he did often. He usually didn't get drunk enough to need it. It also took more power than it was usually worth. It was usually more efficient to just sleep off the alcohol, but this conversation was important to Loki and Peter both. Loki needed to approach it with a clear head, so he burned off the alcohol with his magic. He'd have a worse hangover the next morning for doing so, but it was worth it now.

This conversation would be vitally important.

Loki led the way up to one of the conference rooms. Well, it was technically a conference room. It was on the floor for visitors to the tower, but wasn't one of the office rooms. It was more like a small living room with comfortable couches and chairs. Loki closed the door when they were all inside and summoned tea for them as he took a seat in one of the comfy chairs.

Aunt May was practically dragged onto one of the couches by Peter. "What's going on?" She demanded again as she cuddled Peter close to her side, holding onto him like he would vanish if she loosened her grip.

"Aunt May~" Peter protested, but didn't fight her too hard. He knew that she needed the reassurance. He really did wish she would stop glaring at Loki so hard, though. This wasn't his fault. But then, everyone was usually quick to blame the god of mischief, chaos, and lies.

They kept forgetting that he was the god of stories too.

However, this wasn't his story to tell, not most of it anyway.

"Aunt May, none of this was Loki's fault!" Peter exclaimed. His brain was too hyper-focused on that fact and wasn't helping him.

"Arachnid," Loki said sharply before Peter could start babbling. "Start at the beginning," he said gently once he had Peter's focus. He knew how to work with Peter's ADHD brain. A sharp word was usually enough of a 'threat' to demand Peter's focus.

Peter took a deep breath and nodded. "Right. The beginning," he sighed and turned his attention to Aunt May. "First, is an apology. I've... been keeping a lot of secrets from you and that isn't fair. I only did it to protect you, but I know now that you aren't any safer, so..." he trailed off and had to pause again to get his thought-bunnies back in a row.

"Secrets? What secrets?" Aunt May demanded and gave Loki an accusatory look that was most incorrect and very scandalized. She'd jumped to a logical, if completely wrong conclusion. And, of course, was still trying to blame Loki.

Loki would accept the blame for his part of recent events. He wouldn't accept the blame for things that happened before he even met Peter. Or for Aunt May's incorrect assumptions.

"No! Nothing like that. Geez, Aunt May, Loki's engaged to Sigyn and he's over a thousand years old," Peter said with the exact amount of disgust in his voice that the situation demanded. Loki didn't mind in this instance as he really had no romantic interest in the spider. "I'm Spiderman," Peter blurted out before he could lose his nerve.

Aunt May gaped like a fish for a moment, trying to process that information.

"The Stark Internship is a ruse so I can go on patrols and help people. Loki usually goes with me. We help people and I have these powers and..." he trailed off, unsure how Aunt May was taking any of this. He decided to forge on. "Anyway, these men came into Stark Industries, where I actually do work some of the time for the experience. I couldn't fight them without risking my secret identity. They kidnapped me and did something that nullified my powers..." he trailed off again. "It wasn't anyone's fault-!"

Loki picked up the story, as he was there for this part. "I tracked Peter and went to rescue him. He was badly injured when we tried to get him away from his kidnappers. Healing is not my strong suit and he was... dying. There was only one way to save him, so I took it, despite the consequences. I will not apologize for saving Peter's life. I will apologize for how it had to be done. There was no time to call a more skilled healer,"

Aunt May seemed to find her steel and spine and glared at the god. "What did you do?" She demanded. Blaming Loki was so easy, despite all he had done for her and her family.

Loki bowed his head, accepting her anger. It was well deserved. "I saved his life by giving him one of the apples of immortality," he explained. "It was the only way,"

Aunt May was quiet for a long, torturously long minute as she digested what they'd told her. She was on her feet a moment later. Loki stood as well, prepared to face her wrath. He held still as she strode toward him.

"Aunt May!" Peter sounded horrified, but didn't know how to stop her. He wouldn't dare hurt her.

Loki was prepared to move, to shift his body to soften the blows she gave him so she wouldn't break her hand punching a god.

Instead, her arms went around his neck and she hugged him tightly, much to his shock. "I can't say that I understand all of this. What I do know, is that you saved Peter's life. And for that, you have my eternal gratitude. I never should have doubted you,"

Her emotions had gotten the better of her. That was something Loki understood all too well.