Chapter 28
Opening his mouth before he could overthink it and change his mind, Harry spoke.
"I want to talk to Loki."
*
"We're going to be right outside, okay? Holler if you need anything," Tony gave Harry's hand a light and reassuring squeeze.
"Okay, thank you," Harry nodded. "I know you're not the biggest Loki fan, but thank you for putting your grudges aside for me. It means a lot."
"I'd move mountains for you kiddo," Tony winked, and Peter nodded.
"He can literally move mountains, I've seen him do it," the spider-ling confirmed. Harry chuckled at seeing the serious look on Peter's face, and the smirk that was playing at Tony's lips.
"I will take your word for it," Harry giggled, readjusting himself in bed, attempting to get more comfortable. Earlier, one of his physical therapists had been in working with him. Today, they had walked down the hall and back (painfully slowly, he might add), and he was ridiculously sore from walking just the short distance.
"Do you need anything before we go? Like another pillow or blanket? Here, I can get you another pillow-" Peter began fussing, but Harry just held up his hands.
"I'm okay Pete, just sore from my walk earlier. It's okay," Harry told him, grabbing at his hand.
"I'm going to go out to the hall. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Tony announced, and both boys nodded.
"There was something I wanted to officially ask you," Peter began, clearing his throat nervously. "I was going to wait until tomorrow for your birthday, but I know that inevitably, Tony is going to trump whatever I give you, or ask you, so..."
He faltered, licking his lips. Harry giggled at how nervous Peter was. He could fight crime single handedly on the street of New York, but he couldn't ask Harry a simple question that they both knew the answer to.
"Yes, Peter?" Harry teased, prodding the hero to continue.
"Would you... Do you want to be my boyfriend?" Peter blurted, inwardly groaning at how awkward he was.
"Peter, I mean you no offense here, but I kind of already assumed we were dating," Harry giggled, watching as a blush spread across Peter's cheeks.
"So... is that a yes?"
With a grin, Harry cupped Peter's face and pulled him into a deep kiss.
Finally, after moments that felt like eternities, Harry pulled away, smiling coyly up at Peter, who look dumbstruck and speechless.
"Yes Petey, that's a yes."
"Finally!" A voice cried from outside the doors to Harry's room. Both boys burst out laughing as the face of a guilty looking Tony Stark appeared in the door's small window.
The door cracked open and the ashamed billionaire stepped in. "Sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop, it's just, holy shit you two, I've been waiting for fucking ever!"
Peter and Harry laughed until tears began rolling down their faces. Harry didn't remember the last time he had laughed this hard. Been truly this happy.
Finally, several minutes later, he and Peter had settled down once more, and Tony was leaning against the wall with ease.
But a knock at the door brought everyone back to reality.
"Hey you," Natasha peeked her head in, giving Harry a genuine smile, eyes crinkling in the corners.
"Tasha!" Harry exclaimed, sitting up. He knew that Nat was here with Clint, Thor and Loki, and that he was going to be alone in a room with the god of mischief soon, but at the moment, he was just excited to see her.
"How are you feeling? It's been a few days since I've seen you! I hear you have a birthday tomorrow," she winked.
"I'm doing awesome Nat! I took a walk today, to the end of the hallway and back! I went really slow, but the nurse, Fatimah, says that even baby steps count as steps forward! Where have you been? I missed you!"
Natasha's heart ached, guilt consuming her as she deliberated whether it was the best time to tell Harry about her arrest. Ultimately, she decided that it was best if she waited. She would do it after his birthday.
"I missed you too, squirt!" She walked over to the side of the bed and ruffled his unruly hair affectionately. "I had a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D that I had to go on for a few days, and I'll probably have to stay here for a bit for another one after you go home, but I'll be back with you in New York in no time."
Harry gave her a shy grin, indicating that he had bought the lie hook, line and sinker.
"Hey, I'm going to leave you to this, but I'll be right outside with Tony, Clint, Peter and Thor, okay?" Natasha said, searching Harry's face for any sign of hesitation or other signs that would indicate that he changed his mind.
"Okay, I'm ready. Thanks Tasha," Harry's brilliant green eyes met her own, and she knew that he truly meant it.
"No problem," she gave his hair one more loving ruffle before placing a hand on Peter's shoulder and guiding him out of the room.
"Ah yes, how fitting that the two spiders get along," the silky voice belonging to Loki spoke, and Harry glanced to where the God of Mischief stood.
Somehow, he much have entered the room without Harry, or any of the others noticing. At least, Harry hadn't heard Tony threatening him.
"Natasha's changed a lot since I've arrived and Peter's been officially inducted as part of the team," Harry spoke timidly, all confidence from previous conversations lost. It wasn't that he felt uncomfortable around Loki- in fact, the god's magic was wrapping itself around him and providing blanket of warmth and security for him. It was just that this was the Norse god from all of his textbooks, standing before him while he was in the most vulnerable state that he could remember.
It was intimidating.
"Indeed she has. But I have not traveled all this way from Asgard to speak to you about Natasha. I was brought here because you are a young Maj, afraid of his own magic. His own power, am I correct?"
"I am not afraid of my magic," Harry replied defensively, but even he could tell that it was a lie. Loki made a noise of disapproval.
"All of that power, and you choose to do what? Give up on your training? Abandon your magic, banishing it to a life of simple household chores and mundane everyday tasks?"
"You don't understand," Harry defended hotly. "My magic hurts people. It's better if I don't use it."
"You foolish child!" Loki scoffed. An unfamiliar emotion filled him when the child in the bed flinched away from him.
"I apologize for snapping," Loki spat out the apology, the words unfamiliar on his tongue. In a way, the god reminded Harry of his potions professor. He was stubborn and unable to be read unless he was expressing disgust or disappointment.
"It is just simply that you possess all of this powerful magic, but you are too afraid to use it. You fear how others will react- how others will treat you. I do not believe it is your magic that you are afraid of. No, I believe that it is how you will be viewed by others that terrifies you."
Harry bit his lip, knowing that Loki had a point. He knew that his magic wasn't the one hurting people. It was himself. His own actions.
"You blame yourself for everything bad that happens to you, am I correct?" Loki questioned, knowing that he was close.
Wordlessly, Harry nodded.
"And you believe that if you did not possess such powerful magic, then maybe the bad things would not follow you as heavily?"
"Everything I do, everywhere I go, there's always someone there that has it out for me. At Hogwarts, I was on the bad side of most everyone. I couldn't go anywhere in the wizarding world without being threatened, or hexed, or feeling unsafe. And Merlin knows I never felt safe over the summer at the Dursley's, because my magic made me an even bigger freak! Hell, even when I would go to the Burrow, I was always so afraid. Always looking over my shoulder, looking for someone who wanted to hurt me. Someone that wanted me and everyone that I love dead. So forgive me, Loki, if I want to forget and rid myself of this thing that puts a target on my back, wherever I go."
For once, Loki was left speechless. In Asgard, children were treated like royalty. They were treasured and considered the most precious gift. Any harm brought upon them was punishable by exile, and in the most extreme cases, death.
And here was this child sitting before him, that had been so horribly abused, hurt by everyone that he loved and trusted in the wizarding world.
"You cannot blame the magic for the actions of others. She has protected you, all of these years, even if you do not see it. But child, let me ask you, what do you want from this interaction? What do you want from me, and what will I get in return?"
"I want you to seal my magic. I want you to make me normal. I want to live a normal life, with my family. I just don't want to be... a freak anymore."
Loki recoiled in horror at Harry's statement.
"I will certainly do no such thing! Magic is a gift, and with your power, I would say an especially exceptional one at that! And never, I repeat never, let me hear you call yourself a freak again!"
Harry flinched, cowering in on himself as Loki raised his voice. He could feel the god's magic growing upset, making him feel as though he were being constricted.
At noticing how tense Harry was, and how his breathing had become more labored, Loki reigned in his magic a bit. Harry eased a bit when the tight feeling around him loosened, returning once more to the feeling of an embrace.
"You don't understand. My family now... well, they understand and they're supportive, but... they haven't seen what I do to others. Everyone I seem to come into contact with gets hurt in some way or dies. I can't keep letting that happen. Especially now that I have so much to lose."
Loki sighed, racking his brain for the best solution.
"What if there was someone to teach you? Teach you how to control your magic, and how to use it properly. Someone to teach you that your magic is not to blame for these negative happenings in your life?"
Harry glanced up at Loki, watching him wearily through brilliant green eyes.
"I already told you and everyone else that I don't want to return to Hogwarts this year," Harry pointed out. He didn't understand why everyone couldn't just accept that it was his final decision, and leave it at that. He knew that they were just trying to make sure he didn't make a mistake that he would later regret, but it almost felt as though they were trying to get rid of him.
"That was not exactly the plan that I had in mind," the Asgardian drawled smoothly. "What if I was to return to Asgard, once a week for an indefinite period of time to help you. Or, if you or Tony do not feel so comfortably with this, perhaps you can ask one of your professors from your school to help, or even find someone else to tutor you."
"You... you would really do that? For me?" Harry stared at Loki, dumbstruck.
"Unless you would prefer to work with someone of whom you are more familiar with."
"No," Harry answered quickly, before taking a deep breath and shaking his head. "No. You're familiar. I've... I've never really had anything super familiar to me. Hell, this hospital bed is more familiar than anything than I ever had at the Dursley's. I guess, what I'm trying to say is... if you're sure you don't mind..."
"I would be honored to help a Maj as powerful as yourself," Loki replied, giving Harry a rare, genuine smile that reached his eyes.
There was a beat of silence between the two, and Harry glanced down at his hands.
"Is there some other topic you would like to discuss?" Loki questioned, his magic embracing the small child who looked like a scared animal.
"Would you... can you help us? With the trial and everything with my..." Harry trailed off, looking up at Loki through wet eyelashes.
"I do believe that my brother and I may be able to help you with that," the god nodded in agreeance. "Though speaking of my brother, he is here and wishes to meet you. More officially this time."
"I would love to meet him. But, can everyone else come in too? He's kind of loud and I'm still..."
"Say no more, little Maj. I understand. My brother can be a bit thick sometimes, but he means well."
"Thank you," Harry choked, the ball of emotions in his throat tightening.
"It is no problem. Would you like me to go get everyone? Though I do believe that your boyfriend is standing right outside, listening to everything we say with his heightened senses, and relaying it back to your new father."
Harry couldn't hold in his laughter.
"Come on in Peter, we both know he's right," Harry called, barely raising his voice. Sheepishly, the door open and Peter's face appeared, flushed bright red with embarrassment.
"I swear, I don't mean to," he defended, shrugging. "But Natasha was threatening me and even half asleep, she scares me a little bit."
"What do you mean 'a little bit'? Clint, am I going soft?" Harry could hear Nat's voice, and a moment later she appeared in the doorway, pointing at Peter. "You and I are going to have a long talk later."
With an audible squeak, Peter scampered over to Harry's bed and clambered in, curling into a ball against Harry's side.
"Save me," he whimpered, and everyone laughed.
"That's what I thought spider boy," Nat teased, her voice containing no anger or threatening tone.
Tony glanced down at his watch, looking at the time. He was shocked to see that it was already 11:59 p.m.
"Hey Harry," Tony called excitedly.
"Yeah?" Harry raised his head from where he and Peter were talking, heads close together.
Tony grinned as he watched the time flip from 11:59 to 12:00.
"Happy birthday kid!"