Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

Chapter 2

The kid came back the next day. Loki was surprised when the kid looked over to where he was reading when he entered the common room and offered him a bright smile. "Hi, Mr. Loki. What's the number today?" he asked.

Number?

What number?

Ah, yes. The brat's silly number game from yesterday.

Loki shrugged, it was still an amusing game for now, so he'd keep playing it. "Four," he finally answered. Stark had been rude to him and he wasn't in the best mood.

"Cool, you like books right? Have you read Harry Potter yet? It's all about wizards," the boy enthused. He seemed to be.. trying to cheer Loki up? Loki was impressed that the kid was actually trying to improve his mood through kindness.

Loki shook his head. "I have not," he replied. The boy thought that over and bounced out of the room. Loki shrugged and returned to his book, not sure what the annoyingly hyper kid was up to.

A few minutes later the boy returned and stood before Loki. "Here, Mr. Loki. Mr. Stark had a copy in his library," he said and when Loki looked up he saw that the kid had a book in his hands. Loki reached up and took it tentatively. It was the story the boy had mentioned.

"Thank you," he told the kid, surprised and touched by the kindness.

*

"Hi, Mr. Loki," the kid greeted him the next day. "What's the number today?" he asked brightly. Loki was amused by his obsession with his silly number game.

"Two. I am greatly enjoying this book," Loki told him with a small, tentative smile, showing him the second of the Harry Potter books.

The kid lit up in delight. "What part are you at? Who's your favorite character? What House are you in?-" the kid rambled off questions, which Loki indulged him with answers to and a real smile. Before the kid overstayed his welcome he added "I need to go help Mr. Stark in the lab. I'll see you later, Mr. Loki!" and bounced off with his puppy-like enthusiasm.

*

The kid came by nearly every day. Sometimes it was to help Stark in the lab, sometimes to steal food, sometimes for a bandage or light healing if Loki was in the mood to help, sometimes it was just to stop by and say hi, he was in costume more often than not, seeming to swing by while he was on patrol. He was always pleasant to Loki, though, so Loki didn't mind the interruptions and came to look forward to the kid's visits. He also grumbled, but didn't mind healing the kid, especially since he never asked much less demanded to be healed. He never took Loki's powers for granted, thanked him profusely, and marveled at each use of magic. He also never overstayed his welcome in Loki's presence and seemed to always consider Loki's feelings.

"Hi, Mr. Loki!" Peter greeted him right on time. Loki shut his book and looked up at the kid as he entered the common room.

"Hello, Spiderling," Loki replied with a bit of a smirk. The kid didn't like his superhero name being messed with, but he knew Loki was teasing.

"What's the number today?" the kid seemed to gauge his interactions with Loki based on the answer to that question. It was a ritual question by now, though it had started off as a flippant comment.

"Three," Loki replied, amused.

The kid lit up, whatever he wanted to discuss, apparently 'three' was an appropriate evil level to bother Loki with it. "Do you know anything about calculus?" he asked. "Mr. Stark is busy and this problem isn't making any sense," he dug in his school bag and pulled out a textbook and sheet of homework.

"Let me see," Loki replied, touched that the teen would come to him for help. He would also never turn away a young mind who wanted to learn. Loki looked over the material and the question quickly and carefully explained it to the young man and helped him solve the problem that had been troubling him. The team came through later to find Loki and Peter sitting on the floor on opposite sides of the coffee table working on Peter's homework together.

They all stared in shock. None of them quite understood how this friendship had come about, but Loki hadn't hurt the kid and seemed in a better mood because of the friendship.

*

The kid came in one day to find Loki pacing the common room, snarling. "Hi, Mr. Loki!" Peter said brightly anyway.

Loki whirled on him, and only barely controlled his temper, only barely didn't snap at the kid. "Seven," he growled the word instead of waiting for Peter to ask. He wasn't having a good day. He was tired of being cooped up in the tower, tired of Thor, tired of the stupid team getting on his last nerve.

The kid looked shocked for an instant, then grabbed Loki's hand and proceeded to haul him from the tower. "C'mon, let me show you the best sandwich shop in the city!" Peter's enthusiasm broke through some of Loki's temper and spite.

He huffed. "Very well," he finally consented before he ended up dragged. The kid had too much enthusiasm and was much stronger than he appeared, Loki didn't feel like getting dragged along like a favorite stuffed animal. He used magic to don a perfectly tailored suit before they left; he was not leave the tower looking like a hobo. Peter looked him over and shrugged. He was still in his jeans and t-shirt from school.

Peter led Loki out of the tower and walked a few blocks away, chatting incessantly about the latest project his best friend was working on (something called the Lego death star which Loki made a note to research later), his classes, the girl he fancied. His incessant chatter should have been annoying, but it was a pleasant reminder instead that there was life outside of the tower. He grounded Loki to the here and now, and distracted him from the churning, jagged shards of ice in his mind.

They made it to the sandwich shop and Peter ordered for them, while people stared that the brat was being accompanied by Loki of Asgard. Loki was still famous for the incident with the aliens and since he'd been helping the team, he was in the press almost as often as Thor. Peter pulled out his wallet to pay, but Loki put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "You are doing me a favor. I shall pay." Loki put way more cash on the counter than was required for the sandwiches. But he'd stolen it from Stark anyway, so what did it matter?

People were getting too curious and Loki knew that Peter's secret identity was important to the kid. He didn't want his precious Aunt May in danger because he chose to help people. He could see the kid getting nervous that he was drawing too much attention out of costume. "It is a shame that Stark has included entertaining me as part of your internship duties," Loki said smoothly. Peter looked relieved.

"It's no trouble," the kid beamed up at him and picked up their sandwiches when they were finished. A short time later, the pair were sitting up on a nearby rooftop, watching the people and eating their sandwiches. "Thanks for the help back there,"

"Your secret identity is important to you," Loki replied. Peter lit up in delight that Loki remembered how important it was. And Loki found himself surprised that he cared about Stark's brat and his feelings.

It was a strange feeling.

And he found he kind of liked it.