Lean On Me (I Promise, I Will Not Fall)

Chapter 4

"That's it, we have to cut it off."

"What?!" Loki and the two warriors looked at Perseus with wide eyes. Cut off the leg? It hardly looked that serious. What was he talking about?

Said god was staring down at the leg like it annoyed him and he pursed his lips, "It's gotta go." He patted the uninjured one, "Sorry for you loss."

Loki saw something flash in his friend's eyes that made him stomp on his foot and hiss, "Percy, stop playing around!"

Perseus rolled his eyes, "Alright, fine. I can't stand-"

Before he could finish what everyone figured was going to be a biting remark (why he was acting so different than usual, Loki didn't know), there was a flurry of movement at the front door before a boy ran into the room, eyes immediately going to the warrior on the table. "Father!"

Loki could see Percy tense from the corner of his eye and looked over curiously. His friend was looking at the boy with a blank expression, though his eyes said more than any other thing. He seemed sad and filled with something almost like... Jealously? The water-user tilted his head at the pair, watching them interact, before a small, warm smile made its way on his face, tilting his lips up ever-so slightly.

"Okay, kid," Percy finally spoke again, something soft in his tone that was definitely not there before. "I need you to sit back for a moment. I'm going to make your father all better, alright?"

The boy looked at him with wide blue eyes, nodding slightly and backing up to sit with the other warrior. Loki was pretty sure his name was Jundur and the injured man was Kian. He could be wrong, though. The god of mischief moved to stand next to the two, letting his friend take over.

It only took an hour of Percy doing careful stitching and making unnecessary jokes. He liked scaring Kian more than anything, even going as far as pulling an axe from somewhere and acting like he was going to chop off his leg.

That was fun.

"You're all set, Kian," The god patted the man's shoulder, helping him up and handing him a temporary crutch."I don't want to see you here ever again, understand?"

Kian, during the time, had listened to the young doctor quietly talk to him as he worked and had actually grown a bit fond of him, "No promises. I thank you, though. I fear that, if I went to anyone else, the situation would have been much worse."

Percy blinked for a moment before allowing a small grin to show on his face, "Get out. Flattery won't get you anywhere."

"You are an amazing doctor," Loki said once the three left.

"You shut up, too."

—

After everything that happened, Loki was finally able to have a pleasant conversation with Percy's mother. Her name was Sallina but she prefered to be called Sally and the god of mischief thought that suited her nicely. She was nice and caring and Loki was pretty sure he was about to cry when she mothered him at one point. She was everything Loki wished his mother would be- a mother.

Sure, Frigga tried but it was hard to be both a mother, a queen, and a warrior of Asgard. She tried but Loki was still a child and all he wanted was his mother.

"Oh, honey," Sally was looking at him with warm green-brown eyes, a warm smile on her face. "Percy is so lucky to have you as a friend. He doesn't have many."

"No, my lady," He said, eyes cutting to his friend, who was looking out the window and zoning them out. "I believe I am the lucky one."

Percy's mother went quiet for a moment before she turned to her son, who looked at her as if he knew she wanted his attention, "We're keeping him."

A large grin overtook the water-user's face and he said simply, "I told you so."

"I enjoyed my time in the town," Loki said as he walked with Percy in one of the many halls of the palace.

"Yeah?" The god looked over at him, hands in his pockets and a lazy smile on his face, "Good. Oh," He took something out, rolling it in his hand before giving it to the other. "Here."

Loki took it and realized it was a pendant made of a white stone with dark green swirls in it. It was amazing and he wondered where his friend kept finding amazing things, "What is this for?"

Percy shrugged, "It's just a little something you can use if you ever need me. Should you ever be in trouble or just need me at your side, just spin it on any surface and I will come as swiftly as I can manage."

The green-eyed god of mischief looked at his friend with wide eyes, "I- Percy, I don't know what to say..."

Percy's lips quirked up in a smile, "How about we start with 'thank you'?"

"Thank you, Perseus."

"You're very welcome, my prince."

The two friends continued on in comfortable silence, Loki holding onto his new pendant with a happy look. When they finally reached the prince's chambers, Percy turned to the other and gave him a lopsided grin and a mock bow, "I bid thee a good night."

Loki just rolled his eyes and shoved his friend.

—

"Our son has returned," Frigga said, looking at her husband. "He seems most happy."

"Yes but I fear for the future," Odin stroked his beard, looking lost in thought. "There are dangerous events ahead."

"I am well aware, my dear," She went over to stand next to him, her dress flowing around her ankles in gold waves. "I was the one to inform you. Worry not, it will not pass for years to come. For now, we must enjoy what peace we have."

The Allfather murmured to himself, sounding a weary and old with age, "War is coming..."