Bruce didn't know what to do. Alarm SHIELD? Alarm the rest of the team? Do nothing? Go back? He just didn't know.
"JARVIS, keep these data in my personal file and erase them from the general memory. I don't want anyone to have access to this."
"As you wish, Dr Banner."
The AI didn't ask questions, but something in his tone suggested what Bruce imagined to be a raised eyebrow. It could be his imagination of course. He had seen the girl, how ill she had been when he arrived and how much Peter appeared to care for her, and he just didn't know what to do. Perhaps Hela wasn't evil like her father, perhaps she didn't share his ideas on world domination… but how could he be sure? The post-it note clearly showed that Loki was involved in Hela's life… His phone beeped all of a sudden.
'Fever has dropped, pretty weak but lucid, asleep now. Think she's getting better. Peter.'
That was a good thing to know. It didn't answer his question still, but it made him decide to keep the decision for a later time. Familiar as he was with their treatment of "monsters", he didn't trust SHIELD not to harm the girl, and if she were to face that it should be in good health at least. He decided to wait with telling the others of his discovery until Hela was better.
(Pagebreak)
Peter didn't want to leave Hela alone, but he didn't want to sleep over in her eerie black room either. Instead, he made his bed on the black leather couch. It was then that the phone rang. He didn't think of picking up, after all he would have a hard time explaining to whoever was calling what he was doing in the penthouse of the Helvete family. The answering machine went on, and Peter heard a male voice with an awkward foreign accent speak.
"Where in whatever other god's name are you? I have been trying to reach you for days now, don't make me send one of my bots to find you! Call me when you hear this as soon as possible!"
Peter looked at the phone with raised eyebrows. Whoever the hell that was clearly didn't know where Hela's father was either… And that message didn't make too much sense as well. He decided to ignore it in favour of a good night sleep. He was truly too tired to think it through.
The next morning he woke with his back aching from the couch he had slept on. His cell phone was buzzing in his pocket like crazy.
"Hey, is the Lady Death still alive? LOL Justin"
"Creepy didn't kill you did she? Justin"
"Fuck, where are you? Here's worried, kid! Justin"
"You lucked out missing English drama… but where the hell are you? Justin"
Peter smiled when seeing the messages from his friend. He guessed he would skip school for that day. He texted Justin back.
"Hela's sick and home alone, I'm staying over to help. No school today for me! Peter"
Almost immediately he got a message back.
"Lucky bastard! Say hi to Creepy from me will ya? Justin"
Still grinning, he walked into Hela's room. The girl was still sleeping, and Peter checked if she had a fever still. Everything was fine, so he breathed out in relief. He decided to let her sleep and went back to the main room, deciding to explore the apartment a bit more thoroughly. He had seen the living room and kitchen, and now he walked to the other closed door next to Hela's, supposedly her father's bedroom. Perhaps he would find some clues there as to where her father may have gone. Peter pushed open the door and looked around. The room was similar to Hela's, yet larger and decorated very differently. A large gold-coloured double bed stood against one wall, covered with silk and velvet blankets in different shades of green. The carpet was green too, the curtains were slightly transparent gold organza, the walls were decorated with expensive looking green-and-gold fabric, and in a corner stood a small secretary in the same colours as the bed. Most surprising though was that there also stood a piano, a huge Steinway.
"Wow. Mr Helvete clearly likes green and gold…"
Peter almost felt like an intruder in the room, and after a quick look at the secretary –green stationary, how original- he left it again. When exiting the room his eye fell on a cardboard box, standing on a shelf in the living room next to an intricate crystal object and a candle. It seemed out of place there, and Peter couldn't help himself. He grabbed the box from the shelf and opened it. The content made his eyes open wide. White envelopes stained with… Was that… blood? Carefully he picked up one of the envelopes. In a curly, feminine handwriting he recognized as Hela's it read:
"Crooked arrowhead, left shoulder, Clint Barton."
Suddenly Peter felt dizzy. Things rambled through his head and all of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Breathing heavily he put the box back where he found it. He sat down in disbelief.
The green and gold in that room, Hela's oddly archaic speech, the use of a dead language… Hela Helvete was Loki's daughter, or at least pretended to be for the world. Peter didn't know what to think of it. He made a call.
"Good day, Mr Parker."
"Hi JARVIS. I just wanted to ask you something about Norse mythology. In the myths, does Loki have any kids?"
"Yes, in fact he has several. He himself gave birth to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, and with the giantess Angrboda he had three children: the Midgard snake Jormungandr, the wolf Fenrir, and the Goddess of the Dead Hela."
He glanced at Hela's door, thinking of the girl in the bed behind it. Part of him really wanted to run away and never come back, but the greater part of him… couldn't leave Hela. He just couldn't. Friends didn't leave when they were needed.
"Is that all, Mr Parker?"
"Yes, JARVIS. Thank you."
"My pleasure"
He thought long and deep. Dr Banner had taken samples of Hela's blood, so it wouldn't be long before they found out about her heritage. And in that case SHIELD would take her into custody, perhaps even torture her… Peter couldn't let that happen, no matter what her father had done. But what was he supposed to tell her now? He doubted he would dare to face her at the moment…
(Pagebreak)
Tony wondered if perhaps he should feel more embarrassed than he was. Loki had undressed completely and sat in the bath now, his knees to his chest, staring wide-eyed at him.
"You haven't washed yourself for a week, I think it's about time. JARVIS, fill the bath please."
"Of course, Mr Stark."
Loki yelped when water started to fill the tub, and almost jumped right out, but Tony stopped him.
"Sssh, it's just water Loki."
Loki felt incredibly embarrassed for his reaction, as his cheeks turned bright red and he stared at his feet. The water was the exact right temperature, and it was true that he hadn't cleaned himself for a while. Somehow though, he couldn't get himself to relax…
"You can stretch your legs you know… I don't suppose you possess anything I haven't seen already anyway."
Carefully Loki stretched out. Tony felt a tinge of excitement for a moment at seeing the godly private parts, but managed to keep it out of his face. He doubted Loki would appreciate being ogled while in such a vulnerable position.
"Do you want me to leave you to it?"
Immediately, Loki shook his head. He was ashamed but didn't want Tony to leave. The man of iron's presence was oddly comforting, and even though he knew now that he didn't have to stay within a meter distance from Stark to be protected against Them, being alone was… horrible. It was humiliating, especially now, but he couldn't get himself to tell Tony he could leave. Tony seemed to understand.
"Okay, I won't leave."
A little later, Tony was washing the god of mischief, who trembled under the touch but didn't tell him to stop. Tony believed he had managed to disconnect that part of his brain he felt embarrassed with, so the whole scene didn't really irk him. He imagined it had to be different for the once so proud god though, who was now reduced to a quivering creature in the billionaire's bathtub.
When the bath was over, and Tony wrapped a towel around Loki, the god almost felt sorry it was over. It had been… embarrassingly enjoyable. He dried himself off and dressed again.
The warm bath had made Loki sleepy, and not surprisingly a little while later they both lay on the bed, Tony's hands calmly raking through Loki's still humid tresses. He didn't want to think it, but he couldn't help it: the trickster was an incredibly beautiful man. He almost looked like a fragile porcelain statue to Tony, with his pale skin and wide eyes.
"T-thank you… f-for everything."
Loki softly whispered. It wasn't often he expressed his thanks to anyone, but Tony more than deserved it.
"That's okay."
Tony whispered back, not wanting to disturb the pleasant calm that hung over them. Loki turned his head and looked at his host.
"I wish… I w-wish I didn't have to leave."
"You don't have to."
Loki's lips folded into a genuine smile, and he closed his eyes. Automatically Tony held him closer, falling asleep as well. He had no idea how wrong he had been…
(Pagebreak)
Pepper had decided she had given Tony enough space for his mind.
"JARVIS, I want a direct visual of the workshop."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Miss Potts. Mr Stark has explicitly told me not to…"
Pepper interrupted the AI.
"Security authorization Potts-2236510, JARVIS."
Pepper had a backdoor for JARVIS, only to be used in extreme emergency and given to her by Tony himself. And so JARVIS complied, and Pepper got to see what was happening in the lab. She became pale as a sheet.
"Are you all right, Miss Potts?"
"Is that…"
"Yes."
"Did… Did you know about this, JARVIS?"
"I'm afraid so, Miss Potts."
"Where did that bastard stick your brains?! This… this… How COULD you keep THIS a secret from us?"
"I am but a simple AI, Miss Potts, I can't…"
"Spare me, JARVIS. Call SHIELD immediately!"
On the screen the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark could be seen happily cuddling evil psychotic Norse god Loki Laufeyson. The pair appeared to be asleep and blissfully unaware of what was about to happen…
(Pagebreak)
Hela felt less awful when she woke, but something was off nevertheless. When she looked around she realized what it was. Peter wasn't there. Before she could stop herself she called out.
"Peter?"
Her voice was weak and she doubted that if he were still there he would have heard that… against her expectations the door opened and Peter entered. He looked worried.
"Hela. Is something wrong?"
Hela felt embarrassed for calling him. There was nothing she required the mortal's services for.
"I… I… I guess I just… wondered w-where you were."
"I'm here. How are you feeling now?"
"Better, I think… But my strength has yet to return."
Peter knew that Hela's powers had to be magic, like Loki's, and not a mutation. He didn't know a lot about the whole magic thing, but he recalled Thor telling them of how Loki sometimes locked himself in his room for days after performing a complicated spell… Perhaps you could "run out" of magic if you used too much…
"You know yourself better than I do… is there something that would help you feel better?"
Hela sighed. She was still so tired, and when she fell asleep she slept so deep it made her walk that border she ruled over. Her strength returned so slowly…
"I… There is not… not enough life here…"
Peter suddenly got an idea.
"What would you think about a trip to Central Park? There's a lot of life there…"
Hela smiled, and it was a genuine smile. Peter felt proud because Hela's real smiles were almost as rare as snow in summer.
"I would like that."
So Peter called a cab, helped Hela to dress, and then carried her bridal style to the waiting car. She was too shaky to walk for herself, and Peter found the goddess weighed barely anything. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he felt… honoured, in a way, that she trusted him enough to let him do this. There was no way he would ever betray her secret, to anyone.
(Author's Notes)
So, a bathroom session inspired by Jaquelinelittle's remark on the awkwardness of using the restroom with someone trailing behind you all the time. I imagine it must be really tough for Loki to admit he can't be alone in such a situation. Tony on the other hand... Secretly he probably enjoys it xD
As usual, I beg you... REVIEW! I love your words, let me know what you think! Your love, critics and suggestions are more than welcomed! If I get more than 15 reviews, I will turn all the avengers (and Loki of course) into babies and make Fury babysit them!