Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

Chapter 33

The night of the dance finally arrived. Somehow Loki had convinced the school board yet again that he was a suitable chaperone for the school event. No one knew how he'd done it and yet, no one was surprised, or upset by it either. The foolish mortals thought that would make it the safest school dance in living history.

Foolish mortals.

Though Loki intended to not cause mischief at the dance, he wanted the night to go well for his adopted siblings. So if anyone threatened their happiness, they would feel his wrath. It was also taking all of Loki's self control to not crash their entire evening. He really wanted to watch their entire date, but knew that would be inappropriate. He had known that long before Stark's ranting lecture about how he had to let the kids have their evening without interference.

Loki ignored him after about thirty seconds into the rant.

When that didn't work to stop the rant, he started vanishing objects in the room, which Stark didn't notice. Then he started floating objects in the room. Which Stark didn't noticed. Then Loki started making clones of himself around the room. It took twenty clones before Stark noticed and decided to yell about that instead of ruining Peter's evening.

As if Loki would ruin Peter's date. He'd been coaching him on the date and made sure the young man knew how to dance, how to act, what to do. Peter was as prepared for this date as he could be and he was so excited.

*

That evening, Peter came to the tower, driven by Happy in a limo. Wanda was waiting nervously in the common room with Loki and the team. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress she'd chosen for the evening and Loki and Clint had done her hair and makeup. Loki was fantastic with hair, especially with the application of magic to hold the style and Clint was brilliant with makeup. Surprisingly, his experience in the circus helped him perfect the art of applying even normal makeup.

The team was all equally torn of adoring how wonderful Wanda looked, and hated that the teen looked so grown up. She was the darling of the tower and while they loved that she was building a life for herself, they were still a bit sad that she was growing up so quickly.

Peter came upstairs and looked surprisingly grownup in his suit. Everyone was used to seeing him in either his spider-man suit, or in jeans and t-shirts, or hand-me-down shirts from his Uncle Ben. They'd never seen him in something that was so well fitting, much less a real suit.

He had brought a corsage for Wanda and placed it on her wrist. It matched his boutonniere perfectly. As Loki had known it would. The team made the pair pose for pictures. They got a couple nice ones before both teens stuck their tongues out and started making silly faces, laughing at the antics of their adopted family.

The picture of them sticking their tongues out, both of them looking adorable and like they were having so much fun was the one Loki had framed and placed on Wanda's bedside table. She would love the present when she came home to find it.

Loki went to the dance hall while Happy drove the teens to the Italian restaurant they had reservations at. Happy was staying nearby, just in case anyone decided to cause trouble for the Scarlet Witch and Stark's intern. Luckily no one had put together that Loki's friend Peter was also his patrol partner Spiderman. No one had put together that Stark's intern was best friends with Loki and Wanda. Or that Loki went on patrol with Spiderman and the Scarlet Witch.

People were dumb sometimes

Loki wished he could go to dinner with the teens, to make sure they were having fun. They'd kill him if they caught him at it, so he just had to make sure not to get caught. He sent an illusion to check in on them and saw them eating dinner, laughing and chatting in the restaurant.

*

They eventually made it to the dance and Loki watched from the sidelines as they spent the entire evening together. Neither of them knew how to dance like the other kids, but they were having a blast trying.

Loki would also never admit to helping spike the punch.

In fact, he would insist vehemently that he had nothing to do with it. It was bound to happen with or without his help. And he insisted quite loudly that it wasn't him. It wasn't his style. It was his style to turn the jerk who was going to bother Peter, and torment him about really being a girl, into a goat. Peter raised an eyebrow at him when he saw the goat and Loki shrugged. No one else attempted to bother Peter and Wanda.

Loki found himself amused with whatever the electric slide was and how everyone seemed to know the dance. Or the silly dances from the video games they were all obsessed with.

Loki also flicked his wrist toward the DJ, who looked incredibly confused when his equipment began playing an elegant waltz toward the end of the night. He didn't have a waltz on his music. He hadn't even heard this waltz. The teens all looked confused, except for Peter and Wanda. Peter turned to Wanda and offered her an elegant court bow, with his lopsided grin. She offered him a curtsy and a grin of her own as she placed her hand in his and he led her out to the middle of the dance floor. They took their positions and began the steps they had both been practicing so hard.

They were fantastic.

Beyond fantastic. They had the grace of any in the court of Asgard and practically floated across the dance floor. The rest of the students stared in awe at the sight of Wanda in her flowing dress, their graceful steps, their confidence and skill.

Loki couldn't be more proud.

Slowly, other students began to join them, the few who knew how to waltz through whatever reasons, or just wanted to try, or sway with their partners.

Wanda and Peter were both lit up in delight at the joy they were having dancing together. And Loki could practically watch the spark between them turning into more.

*

After the dance, Happy drove Peter and Wanda back to the tower and Peter walked Wanda all the way to her bedroom door. They paused there, shy and awkward as any young couple at the end of the their first date. Peter gathered his courage and leaned in, tentatively for a goodnight kiss.

"May I?" he asked softly before their lips touched, remembering his manners and polite as ever.

In answer, Wanda leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him.

The kiss was quick and chaste, over in a moment, and yet, both teens were completely lit up in delight, pleased with the beginning of this stage of their relationship, at their friendship becoming more.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been disgusting for Loki's brother and sister to be dating or kissing, but Loki always did have a strange family, and his found family was no different.

And it was absolutely perfect for its strangeness.