Work Text:
-
“You’re very quiet today, Peter” Tony said, looking over at the boy.
“Am I?”
“Yeah, like, really quiet. What’s up?”
Peter shrugged. “I’m just thinkin’… May’s kinda stressed right now, and because of that, I’m kinda stressed too, so…”
Tony put down his screwdriver. “What’s stressing her out?”
“Well, um, you know she’s going away on this trip?”
“Uh, kinda. You’ve not really talked about it”
“No. Well, she’s going away all over the summer, working, and travelling and all that kinda stuff” Peter said.
Tony quirked an eyebrow. “And that’s stressful?”
“She’s looking forward to it” Peter said. “Just… it’s me she’s worried about. She can’t take me with her, obviously, and she’s all stressed out because she doesn’t know what to do with me. I said I’d be ok if she left me on my own, but she says I’m too young. She said it would be out of order asking Ned’s mum if I could stay there for a full summer too, and she doesn’t really have any other options. She says she might have to cancel the trip, tell them she can’t do it, but then that’s not fair on her. She shouldn’t have to do that, should she? I keep saying she can just leave me on my own, but she won’t do it”
Tony looked at him. The boy was staring down at the desk, and his hands had halted in their work. He was worried, more so than Tony had first realised. He sighed, and cleared his throat.
“Why don’t you just come and stay with me?”
Peter looked up. “What?”
“Come and stay with me” Tony said again. “I’ve got loads of space”
“What? But… Really?”
“Sure, why not? I’ll talk to May about it when I drop you off later”
Peter blinked at him. Had Tony Stark seriously just invited him to stay?
“Are you sure? I mean, uh, well, I’ve never been to your house before, and it’d be the whole summer, and like, well, I just- are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure!” Tony said, laughing. “Like I said, I’ll ask May, and if she says yes, I’ll look after you for the summer, and she won’t have to cancel her trip”
Peter just stared.
“What? Don’t you want to?”
“No, no, I do! It would be… Wow, it’d be wow! A whole summer with you? That’d just be- wait” Peter looked at him. “You’ve got a boyfriend”
“Well, yeah” Tony said, looking at the photo of himself and Loki that he kept on the workbench.
“Doesn’t he live with you?”
“Yep, he does”
“Won’t he mind?”
Tony shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s my house anyway, so it’s not up to him. I want you to come and stay, so focus on that” he put his head to one side. “What’s up? You feeling a bit unsure about the whole idea?”
“Well, a bit” Peter admitted. “I’ve never met Loki before. I don’t really know that much about him. I’ve been told about New York, and I know that’s classified stuff, and I’ve heard you talk about him a bit, but…”
“I know. Don’t worry about it; he’s a good bloke”
“…You sure he won’t mind having me there?”
“I’ll talk about it with him. He might be a bit funny about it at first, but he’ll probably warm to the idea” Tony saw that Peter didn’t look reassured. “I know it’s daunting, but try not to worry… Listen, kid… Loki’s not well at the moment”
“What’s up with him? Has he got flu or something?”
“It’s not that kind of illness, chick. He’s not well, and he’s taking a break from everything for a few months, just while he tries to figure things out and clear his head” Tony said. “He thinks a lot, and he’s pretty deep in thought right now, so that’s something to bear in mind. I’d try not to talk so much in front of him”
“Oh, but I-”
“We’re both fully aware of the fact that you can be the worlds biggest chatterbox when you want to be. Like I said, he’ll probably warm to the idea of having you stay, but even so, maybe stay out of his way just a little bit. It won’t be too hard: he keeps to himself a lot when he’s poorly like he is now. Don’t worry about Loki; he’s not gonna be a threat to you”
Peter nodded. “Um…”
“What?”
“I don’t know. I’m kinda puzzling things out. You’d really give up your summer for me?”
“I’m not giving up anything! I’m enhancing my summer by having you, my little protege, to stay. Help out your insanely attractive aunt, and- hey, don’t give me that look!” he shook his head. “So, you staying will help out your aunt, and then me and you could have a nice summer hanging about together. You’ll love my lab at the house”
“You’d let me in your lab?!”
“I let you in this lab, don’t I? This is almost as private as my one at home. It’ll be fun having you around” Tony said. “Still, gotta ask May first, see what she thinks. We’d better not start planning anything until we’ve got a definite answer”
-
May invited Tony in for a coffee when he dropped Peter off that night, and Tony accepted. May smiled fondly at Peter while she made the drinks. It was endearing really, the look of utter devotion on Peter’s face when he looked at Tony. He really hung on to his every word. The way Tony looked at Peter was endearing too:- it was obvious he thought a lot of him.
“So May” Tony said, setting his mug down. “Peter says you’re going away this summer”
“Maybe” May said. “It’s a work thing, mainly, but I’m not sure if I can actually do it yet. I’ve got things to sort out and one thing in particular is proving a real challenge for me”
“See, that’s a thing I wanted to run by you”
May looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“I was talking with this one earlier” he ruffled Peter’s hair. “And I was thinking he could come and stay with me while you’re away on this trip”
May stared at him. “What?”
“It’s just an idea” Tony said. “But I’d be happy to have him. I’ve got loads of space, and there’s loads of stuff going on this summer that I can take him to within Stark Industries. It’d be fun having him around. But it’s up to you; he’s your nephew. Like I said; it’s just an idea”
May slowly turned to look at Peter. “Was this your idea?”
“No, no, it was my idea!” Tony said. “But he liked the idea when I suggested it. So, what do you say?”
“Is it… is it practical?”
“Sure it is. I’ve got a big house with plenty of space. I’d take good care of him”
“I couldn’t ask you to look after him for a full summer”
“You’re not asking; I’m offering” Tony said.
“But it’s still a big responsibility. There’s a lot to consider. I mean it’d be extra expense for one thing, and-”
“Hey, I’m a billionaire, remember? It’s not really gonna make a difference” Tony said. “May, we’re friends, right? I wanna help you out, and you know the kid means a lot to me. I’ll give him a good summer, and a safe place to stay, where you know he’ll be looked after by someone who cares about him, and you can go off on this work trip without having to worry”
May looked at him, thinking it over. Peter looked between the two grown-ups, staying quiet.
“What does your boyfriend think about this?”
Tony gave a dismissive wave. “He’ll be fine; he’ll probably just keep to himself anyway”
May looked at Peter. “What do you think about all this? What do you want to do about this summer?”
Peter swallowed. He knew May would never leave him on his own, and he also knew there wasn’t exactly any other care options available to her. He didn’t want her to cancel this work trip, especially when she’d been so excited about the opportunity. Besides, Tony was great, and he was super close to him. He was nervous about the prospect of meeting Loki, but Tony had said he’d be able to stay out of his way. It could be fun, spending a full summer with his mentor, who was definitely more like a friend-cum-father-figure at this point.
May was looking at him expectantly, and Tony was looking at him too.
“…I wanna stay with Mr Stark”
-
May knocked on Peter’s door frame. Peter looked up from his case.
“Hey, May”
“How’s your packing going?”
“I’m nearly done” Peter said.
“Good” May sat down on his bed, running her fingers through his hair while he folded his last few t-shirts. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m a bit nervous. I’ve never been to Mr Stark’s house, and I’ve never met Loki before. We’ve already talked about that, though”
“Yeah, we have” May said. “Are you excited?”
Peter nodded. “Mm-hm. I think it’ll be fun, spending so much time with Mr Stark. I know I see him every week anyway, but I’ll be living with him for like, a good few months, won’t I? It’ll be cool”
“You’ll have fun, I’m sure…”
Peter looked at her. “What?”
“I can still cancel, you know. Just say the word, and I’ll cancel”
“No way!” Peter said. “Go on your trip; you’ve been looking forward to it. I’ll be fine once I’ve settled in at Mr Stark’s place. It’s just the weird first few hours of nervousness that I’ve gotta get though, and then I’ll be fine… I starting to think that you’re more nervous than I am”
“It feels weird knowing I’ll be leaving you for so long. Packing you off for a full summer while I’m off seeing the world… I know it’s for work, but still” she sighed, rubbing his ear with her thumb. “You’ll be good, won’t you? I don’t know if he’s houseproud, but you’ve still got to be respectful and on your best behaviour, tidying up after yourself and being polite and all that stuff. I don’t expect anything else from you, but… You’ll behave yourself, won’t you?”
“Of course I will. You know I will”
“Yeah, I know you will. You always do”
“You don’t have to be so worried, May” Peter said, leaving his case and sitting beside her on the bed. “Mr Stark’ll look after me just fine. You trust him, right?”
May put her arm round Peter and rested her head against his. “I do… I’m going to miss you”
“I’ll miss you too” Peter said. “But I’ll be fine with Mr Stark”
“You don’t have to go tomorrow. You can wait until next week”
“No, it’s fine. It’s like Mr Stark said: it’s better if I go now, and then you’ll have a few days to yourself to sort everything out without me being under your feet”
“If you’re sure” May said, and she hugged him tight and kissed him hard on the cheek. “You’d better stay in touch, you little tyke”
“Yeah, yeah, I will” Peter said, squirming. “You’re squashing me, May”
May squeezed him harder for a moment, and then let him go. Peter shifted away, looking at his case.
“I think I’ve got everything”
“Good. Well” May stood up. “Go to sleep. You’re being picked up at ten tomorrow, remember?”
Peter nodded. “Ok, ok”
“Wait, have you had a shower?”
“I’ll have one tomorrow”
“Have one now. Go and have a shower, and then go to bed, ok? No arguing”
“Aww, but May!”
“Hey, no arguing! You won’t be able to argue over the summer, so you’d better get used to doing as you’re told now” she said, but she laughed.
Peter grinned at her. “Ok, ok, I’ll do as I’m told. I’ll be good”
-
May held Peter like she could never bear to let him go.
“I’m gonna miss you”
“I’ll miss you too” Peter said, hugging her back.
Tony had turned up at 10am exactly, but the goodbyes were taking far longer than expected. The three of them were stood on the side of the road outside the block of flats. Tony was leant against his car, giving them a bit of space.
“Now you behave yourself, ok?” May said, holding Peter at arms length. “You be good”
“I will, I will. I promise”
Tony stepped forwards and ruffled Peter’s hair. “Ok, kiddo? Why don’t you stick your cases in the boot?”
Peter nodded and went to do as he was told. Tony looked at May.
“Ok?” he said.
“I don’t know how to thank you for taking him in”
“Hey, it’s my pleasure” he said. “Don’t look so worried”
“…I’ll miss him”
Tony smiled sympathetically, and hugged her. May hugged him back, hard.
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
May held him tighter, blinking hard in a futile attempt to dry the tears in her eyes. “If he gets hurt, I’ll kill you… Just keep him safe. Please, just keep him safe, that’s all I ask… You’ll take good care of him, won’t you?”
“Of course I will. You know I will. Three meals a day, hot water and shelter, a bit of teaching here and there, all that stuff. I’ll keep him in line and make sure he wants for nothing. I’ll do my best by him. I’ve got my best spare room all set up for him too” Tony said. “I’ll stay in touch. I’ll make sure the kid does too. I’ll make sure he calls you at least twice a week, alright?”
“Thank you… Thank you so much”
Sensing Peter behind him, Tony kissed May on the cheek and slowly let go of her. He put an arm round Peter and kissed his cheek.
“Ok you, ready to go?”
Peter nodded automatically, looking at May. Suddenly he didn’t seem so sure. He’d been away from May before, obviously, but not for months at a time. Now that it was time to leave, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. All of the planning and sorting were behind them, and now he was stood by the car, his bags in the boot, ready to go to Tony’s for the summer. He felt funny, like he was suddenly scared. He wriggled away from Tony and hugged May again, and she hugged him tight, and he hugged her tighter. He could tell she was nearly crying. He’d seen the tears in her eyes, and somehow it felt horribly like he was being torn away. He hadn’t expected to feel like this. He’d been so excited about staying with Tony, and part of him still was, but now all he could focus on was saying goodbye, and it didn’t feel too great.
May let go of him, and cleared her throat. “You text me every day, ok?”
Peter nodded. “I will. Enjoy your trip”
May rested a hand on his cheek. “Have fun, ok? I’ll see you in the Autumn”
Peter laughed slightly, but it sounded like he was about to cry. May smiled shakily and pinched his cheek.
“I love you. Now go”
Peter nodded. “Love you too. I’ll text you later, promise”
He took a deep breath, and looked at Tony. Tony squeezed his shoulder.
“Get in the car, kiddo”
Peter did as he was told. He could still hear Tony and May talking after he’d closed the door, although their voices were muffled. He started to feel a little cut off from everything.
Tony gave May another quick hug. “Dry your eyes. He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Go and enjoy your trip. I’ll take care of everything Peter-related, promise”
“Thank you. You’re brilliant, helping out like this”
Tony smiled at her. “As I’ve said; it’s my pleasure”
Tony opened the car door and got in on the drivers side. He closed the door, and wound down the window as he started the engine.
“I’ll keep you updated, May”
“Thank you” she blinked hard, and took a deep breath. “Right, get out of here! Scram. I’ve got stuff to do”
Tony laughed, and Peter couldn’t help smiling too.
“Bye, May”
“Goodbye. See you later” she said. “I love you”
“I love you too”
-
Peter looked over his shoulder out of the back window until May disappeared from view, and then he sat back heavily in his seat. He felt all trembly inside, and his throat felt tight. He looked out of the window, trying not to think about the long goodbye.
“Peter? Hey, kiddo?” Tony said, glancing at him. “You alright, kiddo?”
Peter nodded. He shrugged. He shook his head, and half-covered his face with his hand, tears filling his eyes.
“Peter? Oh hey, don’t cry! Oh kiddo. You’re gonna set me off if you’re not careful” Tony said.
He went to squeeze his shoulder, but Peter pushed his hand away and turned a little further towards the window, hiding his face properly and squeezing his eyes shut. He tried hard not to let himself cry, but a sob soon escaped him.
“Aww chick, you’re breaking my heart” Tony said sadly.
He stayed quiet for a minute or two, wondering what to do.
“…Do you wanna talk about it?”
Peter shook his head slightly. Tony nodded understandingly.
“Ok” he said quietly. “Do you want a hug?”
Peter shook his head again. Tony looked into the distance, and then focused on the road. After a few seconds, he said;
“Do you want a Starbucks?”
Peter moved his hand slightly, looking over at Tony. He didn’t say anything. Tony glanced at him. Peter kept his gaze slightly downwards, refusing eye contact. Tony smiled slightly.
“Yeah, let’s go and get a Starbucks” he said softly. “There’s a drive-through at the one up here. Let’s get a Starbucks”
-
Tony could tell Peter wasn’t quite ready to speak, so he just ordered something sweet for him, and then decided to park up in the car park so they could drink easily.
“There you are, kiddo” Tony said, holding one of the drinks out to Peter. “I know you like sugary stuff. Mocha ok for you?”
Peter lowered his hand and sat up properly, taking the drink and nodding gratefully. He watched Tony, who took the lid off his drink and sat back to drink it. Peter looked down at his cup, and raised it to his lips. It was nicer than expected, and he settled quite comfortably as he drank.
“Good boy” Tony said gently. “A bit of chocolate can solve a lot of problems”
Peter nodded, keeping his eyes down. “Did you know that the calories in a hot chocolate make it equivalent to a small meal?”
Tony smiled. “I remember you saying. I’m sure the same applies to mochas - but they’ll probably give you a bit more energy!”
Peter smiled slightly. “Thank you, Mr Stark”
“No problem, kid; it’s just a coffee”
They were both quiet for a few minutes, drinking their drinks.
“You’re allowed to be upset” Tony said. “It’s a long time to be away from home. If you get homesick, that’s ok. You can talk to me about it, or you can spend some time on your own if that’s what you prefer”
“I don’t want to seem ungrateful. I didn’t expect to cry or get upset. It just all kinda hit this morning”
“It’s ok. I know you’re not ungrateful. I know how close you and May are”
“Thank you. For being so understanding”
“No problem, chick. How are you feeling now?”
“A bit better, I think. I’m just feeling a bit mixed up. I’m kinda nervous”
“Ah. About meeting Loki?”
Peter nodded.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll introduce you when we get back to mine, and then I’ll show you the lab and stuff. It’ll be good”
“How does he feel about me staying?”
“He’s… Well, he’s not bowled over by the idea, but he’ll get used to it. He’s keeping to himself quite a lot right now anyway, so it’s not a big deal. No one’s gonna force you to spent time with him if you don’t want to. My house is big enough for you to coexist without seeing each other if that’s the way you want to play it”
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on how it is when we see each other. I mean, if we’re going down to see your lab, well, that’s kinda exciting. I’m looking forward to that”
“I’ve got loads to show you” Tony said. “You’ll love it”
Peter nodded, raising his drink to his lips once more. The warmth of it helped, and he wasn’t feeling anywhere near as shaky inside now. It was a warm day too, so the car was pleasantly warm, the sun shining on the dashboard. It felt comfortable.
Peter took the lid off when he’d finished his drink, and ran his finger round the inside of the cup. Tony gave him an amused look as he watched him licking the cream from his finger.
“What?” Peter said, drying his hand on his jeans.
“You’re a weird little kid sometimes, you know that?”
“I’m not weird!” Peter said, putting his empty cup in one of the cup holders.
“Yes you are. Especially when it comes to drinks”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Peter said, wrinkling his nose. “I’ve never done anything weird with drinks, ever”
“Is that so?” Tony said. “Remember that time I came round to keep an eye on you one night so May could do out with her friends? And you were pouring yourself a glass of pop and it all fizzed up and I caught you licking the foam?”
Peter felt his face flushing. He’d just about died that night when he realised Tony had been in the room and seen him. He’d snuck in while Peter’s back was turned, and it had been just a little bit mortifying for the boy to suddenly be asked what on Earth he was doing.
“Ok, but licking it made the bubbles go down, and in my defence, how else would I stop it fizzing over?”
“Stop pouring the drink, maybe?” Tony suggested.
Peter rolled his eyes and shook his head. Tony laughed at him, setting his drink down in one of the cup holders.
“Cheeky! You know there’s nothing stopping me from texting May and telling her every little thing you do that might be verging on you being naughty, right?”
“How was that cheeky?”
“Because I said it was”
Peter rolled his eyes again, and then stuck his tongue out at him. Tony laughed, and stuck his own tongue out.
“You think you’re so clever” he said, poking Peter’s nose.
“I am clever” Peter said, prodding him in the chest.
“Hey, don’t poke me!” Tony said, poking his cheek.
“I didn’t! I prodded you” he said, giving him another poke.
“It’s the same thing, you little boffin” Tony said, jabbing him in the tummy.
“Ow! Mr Stark, that hurt!”
“Don’t be such a baby. You’re a little baby, that’s what you are”
“I’m not a baby, old man!” Peter pouted, rubbing his stomach.
“Don’t call me old man, little baby!”
“Don’t call me little baby, old man!” Peter said, sticking his tongue out at him again.
“You’re a funny little baby, you know” Tony said, tickling him under the chin.
Peter squeaked. “Don’t! I’m ticklish!”
“Are you now? You say it as though I didn’t already know” Tony said. “I can use this information”
Peter looked at him cautiously. “You wouldn’t dare”
“Wouldn’t dare? Really? Hm, how about I prove you wrong?”
“You’re not funny! There’s nothing funny about this”
“Is that so? So there’s nothing funny about this?” he tickled Peter under the chin again. “Or this?” he tickled Peter’s neck. “Or how about this?” he tickled him under the arms with both hands.
Peter shrieked and laughed, doubling up and trying to struggle away.
“Stop! Mr Stark, stop it!” Peter giggled, trying to push him away. “Stop it, I’m too ticklish, I’m too ticklish!”
Tony didn’t stop, tickling his neck, under his arms, on his tummy. Peter soon gave up struggling, flopping weak with laughter in his seat.
“God, I’ve absolutely defeated you!” Tony laughed, still tickling the helpless boy. “You really are ticklish, aren’t you?”
Peter just giggled and tried to push Tony’s hands away. Tony relented and sat back, giving him some space. He found a bottle of water and handed it to him.
“Catch your breath, kiddo” he said, spluttering. “I’m not even tickling you any more! Stop laughing!”
“I can’t help it!” Peter giggled. “I told you I was ticklish!”
“Are you ticklish on your feet?”
“That’s none of your business!” Peter said, opening the bottle of water.
Tony started the engine. “Drink. It’ll help”
It took him a good minute or more of sipping slowly and focusing on his breathing to stop laughing completely and go quiet. It helped that Tony was driving and not in a position to start tickling him again or teasing him.
“There, you’ve calmed down now” Tony said when he was certain Peter had stopped laughing. “How are you feeling?”
Peter nodded. “Better. Kinda like, less sad, and more excited”
“Good” Tony said. “That’s good…”
They were quiet for a few more minutes.
“Mr Stark?”
“Mm?”
“How long does it take to get to your house?”
“It won’t be too much longer from here” Tony said. “Maybe another fifteen minutes”
“Oh, ok” Peter said.
He was excited now. He couldn’t wait to see Tony’s house.
-
Tony’s house was huge, but it looked very different from the outside than Peter had expected. It was different inside too, but it was still impressive.
“What are you looking at, kiddo?”
“That” Peter said, pointing to the chandelier. “It’s amazing”
“Yeah, it’s nice, right? Nightmare to clean though”
“I could clean it for you. I could just stick to the ceiling and reach it easily enough”
Tony laughed. “Nah, you’re alright. Anyway, if you come with me, I’ll show you where you’re sleeping, and you can get settled in”
-
Tony left Peter alone for a while. The bedroom was amazing, huge and posh with big windows across one wall, a sink with a mirror by the window wall, and another door leading to an almost-en-suite. Tony apologised for it, saying he’d been planning some renovations but hadn’t gotten round to it yet, but that there was a bathroom just across the hall, so it wasn’t like he had to go far. It was incredible, really. Everything was so fancy and expensive, but felt so comfortable too, almost cosy.
Tony told Peter he didn’t want him living out of suitcases and that he absolutely had to unpack right away. Peter knew it wasn’t a suggestion, so he spent a long time sorting all of his things into the chest of drawers and the bedside table, making sure everything was as neat as possible. Once everything was away, it suddenly seemed as though he’d brought much less with him than it had looked when he had packed the night before. He put his laptop and phone on the big bed, and then sat down, unsure how he was feeling. He felt quite out of place in his cheap t-shirt and grubby jeans. He kicked off his scruffy trainers and put them by the door. He bit his lip. What was he doing here? Did Tony Stark really want him around, or did he just offer him a room to get on May’s good side? Even if he really was wanted, he still felt strange surrounded by all the finery. He didn’t belong here… Did he?
There was a knock at the door which made Peter jump.
“H-hello?!”
“It’s just me, kiddo” Tony said, opening the door. “How are you doing? All unpacked?”
Peter nodded, shuffling his feet on the soft carpet. “I’ve just put my cases under the bed. Is that ok?”
“Yeah, of course” Tony said. “Anyway, uh, I was thinking we should introduce you to Loki”
“Now?”
“Yeah, now. Get it out of the way. He’ll’ve heard us come in so he’ll know you’re here. I’ve told him a lot about you. So”
“Mr Stark, do you mind if we wait?” he looked down. “If I’m honest, sir, I just… I don’t really want to meet him”
Tony sighed. He put a hand under Peter’s chin, tilting his head back.
“You’re gonna be living with him the whole summer, chick” he said. “You’ve gotta meet him sooner or later”
Peter pulled his head away.
“Hey” Tony said gently. “You’re saying hello whether you like it or not”
“But I don’t want to!”
Tony fixed him with a stern look. “You listen to me, Peter: I know you’re nervous. I know you’ve probably got a whole bunch of misconceptions that some people may have fed you, and-”
“Mr Stark, I-”
“Don’t interrupt me” Tony said. “Kid, you’re nervous, I get that. But Loki’s my boyfriend, and he means the absolute world to me. I adore him, and he’s really important to me. I’ve wanted you to meet him for a long time now, just this is basically the first real opportunity we’ve had”
Peter swallowed hard. He looked down, and nodded.
“Good boy. Now just remember what I told you about not talking too much, and it’ll be fine”
Peter decided he was very interested in the carpet, and kept his gaze fixed there. Tony put an arm round his shoulders, and cupped Peter’s face in his hand, making him look at him.
“You’ve faced much scarier stuff in the past, kiddo” he smiled. “Listen chick, we’ll go and say hi to Loki, and then I’ll take you down to the lab, ok?”
Peter smiled at the mention of the lab. “Ok. That sounds good”
-
Tony opened the door to a room containing a lot of bookshelves and a big window seat. Peter gulped when he saw Loki. He’d been in regular clothes when they’d opened the door, but he’d transformed into full Asgardian leathers once they’d entered the room.
“Loki?” Tony said. “Loki. This is Peter. You know, I told you about him”
“The spider” Loki said, disinterested.
Peter’s heart had started to thud. Loki didn’t seem at all friendly, and he had a bad feeling about this.
“Erm. Yeah” Tony said. He went over to Loki, taking his book from him. “Remember, I said he’d be about for the summer”
Tony looked at Peter for a moment. Peter swallowed. He was nervous, but he guessed that was his queue to jump in, and he didn’t want to risk upsetting Tony, or coming across as rude. He approached cautiously. Loki was interesting, that was for sure. He just had to say hello.
“Hi, Mr Loki, sir” Peter said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “Um, Mr Stark said I should try not to talk too much around you. He said you think a lot, and that you’re not who a lot of people think, that you’ve changed-”
*