PETER

"Bye May! I'll be back soon, I'm just going to do some stuff for my internship!"

Peter Parker waved at his aunt over his shoulder as he made his way to the door, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Bye sweetie! If you're not home by dark call me to collect you, okay? You shouldn't have to walk home in the cold."

May called from the other side of the room. He left their small apartment and walked a block down the street, where he turned in to a dark, empty alleyway. He pulled the backpack off his back and pulled off his jumper and sweatpants, revealing his red and blue spider-man suit underneath. He pulled his mask over his curly brown hair and put his bag with his clothes in it behind a dumpster. Then he adjusted his web shooters and started his patrol.

The day was pretty quiet, fortunately for Peter, as he didn't have a lot of time. He had to meet Mr. Stark at the tower for a suit update. He saved a little kid from running onto the road, and some of the other, more usual things, like helping old ladies cross the road and stuff. Friendly, naighbourhood spider-man.

After maybe an hour, he headed in the direction of the tower. It didn't take him long to get there, and Happy left him in at the door. Peter went to his usual floor when Mr. Stark always had clean, dry clothes waiting for him for when he came back from patrols. He changed quickly and decided to do some exploring. He hadn't actually seen much of the tower, though Tony had said he could look around, as long as he stayed out of the top five floors, which were Mr. Stark and Miss. Potts' private quarters. He had seen the labs plenty of times, though he wasn't allowed go there without Mr. Stark.

He started to go up, floor by floor, checking each and every room, marvelling at the lavish furniture and decorations in each. He had seen most of the bottom floors, and some of the middle, but the higher he went, the less he knew the rooms he was exploring. He went up to floor 104, then 105, and at last, floor 106.

He started to see signs that there had been recent activity on this floor. A glass with ice still frozen in it, and AI cleaning up some broken glass on the floor (Peter reckoned it looked like one of Mr. Stark's scotch glasses) and wondered if Mr. Stark was on this floor. He started looking around, listening for breathing with his enhanced hearing, until he heard someone in the room next to him.

"Mr. Stark? Are you in there?"

He called. He heard someone chuckle. Not Mr. Stark, that's for sure. He guessed male, from the tone of the voice.

"Not quite."

The the man said under his breath in a quiet, smooth voice. If it wasn't for his enhanced hearing he wouldn't have heard him say anything at all. Peter slowly moved towards the room and opened the door. He looked inside and saw a man with long, black hair wearing a strange green and black outfit. It looked a little bit like what Thor was wearing on TV at the Battle of New York.. Peter gasped as he made the connection.

"Mr. Loki sir? Is that you?"

He asked breathlessly, slightly starstruck.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Also, who are you?"

Peter grinned.

"Hi my name's Peter and no, should I be afraid?"

Loki smiled bitterly.

"Yes child, indeed you should,"

He said ominously.

"Oh. Sorry."

Peter said opologetically.

"I honestly think you're really cool. Wait, do you have your helmet?? Can I see it??"

Peter asked excitedly. Loki looked confused. No one was ever excited to meet him. Most mortals ran away as soon as they figured out who he was.

"I always have my helmet. And.. why would you want too see it?"

He asked, his puzzlement clearly showing on his face. Peter smiled broadly.

"Because it's awesome?? It must be annoying always having it. Wait, you don't have a bag. Where is it?"

He asked curiously. Loki smiled crookedly and closed his eyes. Slowly, dramatically, his gold, horned helmet shimmered into existence on his head. Peter watched open-mouthed as Loki opened his eyes and gestured to the now fully-formed helmet, shining in the electrical lights on the ceiling. Peter gaped for a moment until finally he said;

"That. Was. One of the coolest things. I have seen. IN MY LIFE!!"

"I'm... flattered?"

Loki said eventually. He flicked his wrist and the helmet disappeared once again.

"Now, why would a young mortal like you be in Stark towers?"

He asked sceptically. Obviously Peter knew he couldn't tell him that he was spider-man, but that didn't mean he didn't want to. But, grudgingly, he gave Loki the cover story.

"I'm Mr. Starks intern. I come here to study in the lab and do whatever it is he needs me to,"

Peter explained. It wasn't exactly a lie. He did study with Mr. Stark in the lab and did whatever he needed of him, that just wasn't why he was here in the first place.

"Does he make you call him that?"

Loki asked resentfully. Peter must have looked confused.

"Stark."

Loki clarified.

"Does he make you call him that?"

Peter laughed.

"Ohhhhh Mr. Stark? No, no, no. I call him that cause anything else just seems kinda weird. Definitely not Tony"

he laughed awkwardly

"and not just 'Stark' either. That makes me seem like I hate him."

Loki chuckled darkly, and Peter was confused until he realised that that was what Loki had called him just a moment ago.

"Nonono I'm so sorry that's not what I meant,"

Peter said apologetically. Loki was still grinning crookedly.

"It's fine."

Loki leaned in towards Peter

"I do hate him, just a little."

He whispered. Peter stared at him wide-eyed. Loki was smirking, glad that he had finally scared the mortal. Peter heard the footsteps just a moment before Loki did. Loki stood up.

"It's Tony and Thor. I would suggest you hide somewhere,"

Loki advised. Peter nodded. Who knows what Mr. Stark would do if he saw him chatting casually with the man that almost destroyed New York and killed 80 people in two days. He ran to the bedroom, where he hid in the empty closet, just as Mr. Stark and Thor entered the room.

"Oh hi Loki. You didn't run away. Nice."

Peter recognised Mr. Starks voice.

"You sound disappointed."

Loki smirked. Tony had a smudge of grease on his forehead from working on his suits and Thor looked slightly fed up, but who could blame him. He'd just spent the last two and a half hours moving Mjolnir from table to table, letting it be tested and re-tested.

"We're not done, by the way. Apparently 'he' s got it now' so we're going back for more testing in a second."

Thor clarified.

"Yep. We just came here to make sure you were.. Well, here."

Tony said in agreement. They were about to leave when Thor turned, his eyes narrowing.

"Wait..."

He picked up the remote control from the table and threw it at his brother. It almost hit him in the head, but he dodged it.

"I am here Thor. There's no need to throw household objects at me."

Loki said frostily. Thor obviously didn't believe him, so Loki stalked towards him and punched him in the face. He smiled sweetly.

"See? Can an illusion do that?"

He retorted. Thor glared at him, then turned and left the room. Tony glowered at the god of mischief.

"That was uneccesary. Now we're heading back to the lab, so don't you dare leave. My prior threat still applies. Also, my intern is supposed to be arriving soon, and if he comes here you will do your disappear thingy unti he leaves, got it?"

Tony walked right up to Loki, staring him square in the eyes.

"If you so much as touch him.."

Tony threatened.

"You'll send your AI's to kill me, yeah okay."

Loki said, biting back a grin.

Tony towed Thor by the arm towards the door, and then they were gone.

"Intern child? You can come out now. They've left."

Loki called in Peter's direction as he stepped out of his hiding place. Loki studied his face and stated;

"You're blushing."

At that, Peter's face turned a brighter shade of red and he turned away shyly. At Loki's questioning look, he explained.

"It's just that Tony was saying how he was gonna kill you and all..."

"You were blushing because Tony Stark threatened to kill me?"

Loki clarified skeptically.

"Well he threatened to kill you.. Over me. Like he said that if you touched me he'd kill you. That means.. Well that means he cares about me."

Loki was silent.

"I'm afraid you'll have to confirm to me what intern means to you. Because I thought it just meant making coffee, handing over tools, and learning a thing or two. But your relationship with Stark.. It seems to me that's its more of a father-son relationship rather than intern."

Loki mused. Peters face was now crimson red and he wouldn't meet Loki's gaze.

"Well.. my parents both passed away years ago.. I live with my aunt. So Mr. Stark I guess.. In a way.. Is like a father figure to me."

Loki managed a small smile. He sympathised with the mortal there.

"My entire life I thought Thor was my brother, and that I was Frigga and Odin's son. Then I found out that my father was actually Laufey, king of the Frost Giants. Then I killed him. Then Odin died. I love Frigga, but she is not my mother. You are lucky to have people who love you. And if you are involved with Stark I'm sure you will always be safe as can be."

Loki said softly. Peter was shocked to see the soft side of the god of lies, who had always been portrayed as the villain. He chuckled.

"I will admit, your story does sound worse."

Peter admitted. Loki smiled. He liked this boy.

"So what do you do as Stark's apprentice?"

Loki asked curiously. Peter sat up.

"Umm.. Well I.. The labs? Oh, coffee. Lots of coffee."

Peter flustered. Loki looked at him skeptically. As the god of lies and deception, he could tell when someone was pulling the wool over his eyes.

"So out of interest.. How does the amazing Tony Stark take his coffee?"

Loki smirked. Peter froze.

"Umm.. Black..?"

Loki rolled his eyes and smirked. This boy was not a good liar.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

Peter stayed quiet.

"Look, I know when someone is lying to me. And I believe that that is what is happening now."

The god of lies said. Peter was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to tell him. Should he tell the truth? he obviously was good at telling when he was being lied to, so Peter suspected that sooner or later he would find out anyway. So he took a deep breath and blurted;

"I'm not his intern. I'm a.. well I guess I'm a superhero."

Loki's expression darkened.

"Like an avenger?"

Loki asked carefully. Peter looked at his shoes.

"Well.. Yeah, I guess."

Loki looked shocked. This boy couldn't be more than 16!

"But you're only a child! If Tony is as smart as everyone says he is, he wouldn't send a child battling villains and saving the world. And I didn't see you at new York."

Loki accused. Peter sighed, wishing that he hadn't told him anything in the first place.

"I wasn't in the battle of New York. I.. I'm not really an official avenger. But I can do things that other people can't."

Peter explained. Loki looked sceptical, so Peter walked slowly over to the edge of the room. He put his hands and toes carefully on the wall and started to climb. Loki looked shocked as Peter moved onto the roof, and at last, hanging on the ceiling, directly above the god's head. Loki craned his neck to see and after a while managed to speak.

"What kind of magic is this?"

He asked Peter as he let go and dropped nimbly to the floor beside Loki.

"It's not magic Mr. Loki. You see.."

Peter proceeded in telling the god all about how he got bitten by the spider and found out he had powers; enhanced senses, strength and.. well..

"I'm sticky."

Peter said sheepishly. he told Loki about how Tony had tracked him down and made him his suit, and to keep him safe on patrols he made Karen, his personalised AI. At some point halfway Peter thought he heard Loki mutter:

"Midgard is weird."

But he wasn't sure. Loki rubbed his temples.

"So now you are.. Half.. Spider?

He asked. Peter nodded. He had a headache. Everything around him seemed so loud and bright. He must have looked strange, because Loki looked concerned.

"Are you alright?"

He asked softly. Or at least, it sounded soft to him. To Peter, he might as well have been screaming in his ear through a megaphone. Peter covered his ears and flinched away. Loki touched his shoulder gently, but to Peter it felt as though he had slapped him. This had happened a few rimes before. Tony called it a 'sensory overload'. When he asked Peter to describe it, he said it was like his senses dialled to eleven. Everything was loud, bright, harsh. At home he had a pair of noise canceling headphones and special sunglasses to help diall back everything. here though, Tony was usually with him and would help him. Now the only one that he was with was a god who had killed eighty people in two days, almost destroyed New York and had no idea what was wrong with him.

"Peter? Peter??"

Loki called frantically. Peter squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears as much as possible and crumpled until he was sitting cross legged on the floor with his head in his lap. Loki didn't have a clue what was going on and kept calling Peters name, not knowing that all sound was physically painful to him.

"Peter! Tell me what's wrong, I can help you."

Peter managed two words.

"Too.. Loud.."

Loki frowned confused.

"Everything is.. Loud.. And bright.. I need.. Quiet.."

Loki was still confused, but using his magic conjured an swirling green bubble around Peter.

'Does that help?'

Peter, inside the bubble, heard absolutely nothing, but he still heard Loki's voice. It wasn't painful though, unlike all the other sounds.

"How can I.. Hear you?"

Peter asked breathlessly.

'You cannot hear me. I am speaking in your mind. I can stop..?'

Loki said. Peter shook his head violently, and then winced.

"It's.. So bright.."

He moaned. Loki frowned, and did what Peter could only describe as 'turning the brightness down' inside Peters bubble.

'Better?'

Loki asked.

"Much."

Peter sighed in relief. This was even better than the earphones and sunglasses.

'Now, are you going to explain to me why I just put you in a noiseless dark bubble or..?'

Peter sighed. He deserved to know, after all he'd done.

"Well sometimes I get what Tony calls 'sensory overloads'. They're basically when my senses just go crazy and everything is really loud and bright. It doesn't happen very much.."

Peter explained how he had to skip school whenever it happened, and that he hid in his closet most of the day nestled in a pile of soft clothes. Loki felt bad for the mortal, and turned down the brightness a little more. Peter sighed appreciatively.

How long will it last?'

Loki asked worriedly. He could only stay here so long, and he didn't want to take down the bubble that Peter so badly seemed to need. Peter assured him that the longest it had ever lasted was a little over a day. Loki seemed relieved, and Peter couldn't stop a thought from entering his head.

"Why do you even care?"

The words had left his mouth before he even realised they were there. Loki's pale face turned ashen.

'Well.. You were in pain. And I do not want you to be in pain. If you want.. I can leave.. I'm probably able to keep up the bubble from the next room over..'

"Nonono that's not what I'm saying.It's just..You barely even know me.We met for the first time today. I just don't know why you're being so nice to me."

Peter admitted. He thought that he saw Loki's eyes glinting. Was the god of lies crying?

'No.'

Peter looked up.

"What?"

I'm not crying'.

Peter frowned. Had he said that out loud?

'No.'

Peter jumped.

'As in no, you didn't say that out loud. When you are in the bubble I can see your thoughts.'

Peter froze, thinking over all his thoughts since he had been in the bubble. He hadn't thought anything embarrassing had he? Loki laughed. Peter decided to test out his claim.

"What number am I thinking of then?"

He said. In his head, he recited;

'Four, four, four four-'

'Four.'

Loki mind-said confidently. Peter laughed.

"That is so cool."

He laughed.

'You are not uncomfortable?'

Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. Everyone who he'd done this to previously had been angry, like he had invaded their privacy. However the longer he spent with Peter the more he was learning that he wasn't like everyone else. He defied expectations.

"So.. What word am I thinking of n-"

'Shhhh!'

Loki commanded. Peter frowned.

"Wha-"

Loki cut him off, putting a finger on his lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. Peter obeyed.

'I need to listen. They can't hear you from inside the bubble but I can, so just be quiet and let me listen.'

Loki said. Peter looked around.

'Okaayy.. But why?'

He asked. Loki's eyes widened.

'It's them!'

He warned.

'I can't hide you and keep you in the bubble at the same time. I'll have to-'

He didn't finish his scentance. Tony and Thor entered the room and when they saw Peter sitting inside the swirling green bubble ran towards Loki roaring, Thor welding Mjolnir. Loki flinched back and Peter screamed at them to stop, but they couldn't hear him from inside the bubble it seemed. Thor had abandoned Mjolnir and was holding Loki back as Tony punched him over and over, still roaring.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HIM!! LET HIM OUT OF WHATEVER FUCKING MAGIC PRISON YOU'VE GOT HIM IN OR I SWEAR-"

Peter screamed at the top of his lungs but even if he wasn't in the bubble he doubted anyone would hear him over Tony's screams. He watched Loki, who was sitting, not fighting back, just taking the punches with his eyes closed. He looked like he was concentrating.

Peter.'

Loki mind-spoke. Peter nodded, tears streaming down his face.

'I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold the bubble. I don't have much energy left.'

Loki said. Even his mind-voice sounded strained.

Peter was crying uncontrollably.

'I'm so sorry I'm so sorry please please just let me out I can try talk to them.'

Peter pleaded. Loki shook his head.

'When I was whispering to you earlier you almost passed out. I don't want to see what will happen if you hear how loud Tony is screaming.'

Peter sobbed and nodded. He couldn't hear Tony from inside the bubble, but from how red his face was he guessed that he was screaming even louder than he was himself. Loki was sweating, clenching his fists in the effort to keep the magic bubble up around Peter. Tony started to scream again.

"LET!"

Punch.

"HIM!"

Punch.

"OUT!!!!!"

All of a sudden the bubble crashed apart around Peter and he heard Tony's screams. The light was blinding and he covered his face, screaming in agony. At last Tony was able to hear him and ran over, leaving Loki to slump unconscious on the floor.

"Peter? Peter what did he do to you?!?

Tony yelled. Peter screamed at the volume. it was even worse after the dark, quiet of the bubble.

"Too.. LOUD!"

Peter screamed. Tony's face paled as he realised what was going on.

"Oh no."

He murmured. Then, as quietly as he could, he asked;

"Sensory overload?"

Petrr nodded, tears still streaming down his cheeks. He crawled on the floor towards the unconscious god and pointed at him.

"He.. Help.. Make it quiet. And dark."

Peter panted. Tony looked over at Loki, who was groaning, regaining consciousness. Thor was crouched over him, whispering to him.

"Is this true?

Tony asked Loki quietly. Loki nodded, wincing.

"Can you do it again?"

Tony asked desperately. Loki held up his hand.

"Too weak. Just five minutes."

Loki moaned. Tony stood up from where he was kneeling next to Peter and tiptoed into the bedroom area of the suite. He came back with two pillows. Peter grabbed them eagerly and clamped them over his ears and face. Tony pointed at the closet. Peter understood and crawled inside, where Tony has laid a blanket.

"Just until Loki is strong enough to make you that bubble thing again."

Tony whispered. Peter looked up at him.

"Why did you.. attack Loki? You didn't.. know what he was doing.. to me."

Peter whispered. Tony sighed.

"Exactly. I didn't know what he was doing to you."

Tony said softly. Then he tucked the blanket up to Peter's chin and closed the closet door.