Peter stared down at the city below him, a lot had changed after he had messed with time and Strange had to clean up the pieces. It had taken him months to stop checking on those he had once loved and called friends and family. Even longer to pull himself off the streets long enough to find a job and get a smaller cramped apartment he could barely afford, even now two years after the fiasco, he was still alone. He took a deep breath and swung into action as a man took off running from a store with a gun in his hand and a bag in the other.
It took only a few minutes to have the man webbed up and the gun destroyed. The cops shouted at him to stop as he swung away into hiding once again. This was his life now being hunted as a vigilante while trying to stay hidden and alive. He sat at the rooftop edge watching the city below until the sun was peeking over the horizon before disappearing down an alley and changing to civilian mode, joining the morning thrawl of people heading to their ordinary 9 to 5s.
The day passed in a slow melancholy and he delivered on his bike just pushing himself further and further. Sleep almost never came to him anymore. From day to day, night to night he just survived. Never making too large of a splash in hopes it protected those that no longer remembered him. He still thought back to the battle he had himself. Staring at MJ in that shop, having practiced what he would say time and time again. To tell her who he was. He remembered the fight he had himself. “I can’t do this.” He wouldn’t put her and Ned in danger but that nagging voice in the back of his head, “You can.” Yes he could, but that meant putting them in danger. Staring at her, he knew what he had to do, “You’re right, I won’t.” He thanked her and left. Maybe the news was right, he was a coward.
“Just a coward.” He murmured to himself.
“Well, this is how one of Earth’s mighty heroes spends his time? Wallowing in self pity?”
Peter stood and turned quickly to see the tall man not far from him, “Who, wait your Loki!”
The man blinked and tilted his head, “I am, and your Peter Parker, Spider-Man.”
He flinched back in surprise, “Wait, how do you remember that.”
Loki shrugged, “Funny thing about the time burrow, we aren’t affected by such things. I was there, dealing with things. Hardly worth mentioning. Then just as I was about to sit down for a lunch break in the 1960s I saw your little timeline start blinking in and out of existence.”
Peter frowned and tilted his head, “Time burrow? What are you talking about?”
The man’s green eyes gleamed with mischief. “It’s where timelines are monitored. All of them. You see Peter, when you made everyone forget you, you created your only little branch in the timeline. You became the anchor being for it. If you wink out of existence, so does your entire timeline.”
Brown eyes widened, “Wait, I am an anchor being? I don’t really understand.”
Loki Shrugged, again, “You don’t really have to. Come let's play a game and talk. You can tell me why you're a coward.”
That was how Peter Parker finally met and ended up playing a rather long, long game of Hnefatafl, an old form of chess. He wasn’t even sure how many hours they sat playing the game. Or how many times they paused simply so Peter could tell Loki what happened and having the other explain what happened to him. They were both dead in the eyes of everyone they knew. Dead or forgotten. The night bled into day and the two found themselves just talking, the game forgotten.
“So you thought you could just mess with time?” Peter asked softly.
Loki scoffed, “I was not messing with time and you have absolutely no room to talk. I was trying to save someone from blowing up all the branched timelines. Like the one you are living in.”
Peter laughed and shook his head, “The great god of mischief, helping people?”
The man glared, “Hardly, I am just doing what is best for me. I always do what is best for me. You could learn a thing or two about that. This place is unhygienic.” He sneered at the tiny apartment.
“This place is my home and it is about all I can afford. Noone knows who I am, remember?”
The man shrugged, “You have abilities, why not use them? They all think you're a villain, why bother proving them wrong?”
Peter shrugged and relaxed back on his side of the couch, “why prove them right?”
Silence fell between the two and Loki shook his head, “Alright. I suppose you're right in your own way.” He checked the odd device on his arm and tapped a few buttons, “Seems my time here is up, do try to not destroy the timeline.” The man stood and before he could say a thing the man vanished from sight leaving behind a single white peony on the game board, it was frosted over, frozen in its pinnacle of beauty.
Peter smiled and picked it up, to new beginnings.
Weeks passed and Peter didn’t see much of the norse god turned time burrow agent but he was grateful to know he had one ally in the world now. They met occasionally for coffee, or on some rooftop he was lurking on. The other never stayed longer than a few hours but it was the companionship that meant the world to him. Each time Loki came, a single peony would be left behind. Most were White, Yellow, and Purple. He had a collection of them now on his desk at home. He kept them close to his work place so he could look at them whenever he had the chance. They brought a sense of peace and warmth to him.
It was at one such meeting that Peter found himself leaning against the same wall as Loki, their shoulders brushing together in a mutual form of contact. “Can I ask about the peonies?”
The god frowned a little before shrugging, “Just a silly tradition my mother taught me. We Asgardians are full of such things.”
“But do they have a meaning?”
Green eyes met his, “Do you want them to?” there was something lurking in the others eyes that made Peter feel like he was looking into his very soul.
“I.. I uhm. I was hoping they did.” He could feel the hot flush cover his cheeks and he couldn’t find himself to look up at the imposing figure.
A simple finger under his chin had the power to make him look up and Loki leant closer, “Then they have meaning.” He swore he felt a brush of cold against his lips before the other once again vanished into what seemed like thin air, a single pink peony left in his wake.
Peter lifted it and smiled, a different color. He had some research to do.
Two weeks later Loki found Peter hunched over a bench tinkering with some kind of device. The smell of smoke, electricity, and a deep primal scent that was simply Peter invaded his senses and he watched the other work in his natural element. He hadn’t revealed himself yet, taking the time to just watch the other. Like he had through the tv memories. The sacrifice the other had given had struck something in Loki. This young man just glowed.
Peter gave a sudden happy cry and lifted the device up.
“Did you finish it?”
The man whirled a hand coming to his chest, “How do you keep sneaking up on me like that and uhm yes.” closing his hand over it.
Loki stepped closer and that was when he saw the peonies in a delicate crystal vase. “May I ask what made you so excited?” choosing to glaze over the question he had been asked.
Peter laughed and then flushed again, “It’s uhm, for you.” then held it out to the other. It was a small metal device that looked oddly like an ouroboros. “I know you have super special powers and all but I thought maybe, you could use this too. It can be thrown at someone and incapacitate them.”
The norse god seemed both impressed and a bit stunned as he took it gently, “You are giving me a weapon?”
The younger shrugged, “You said your magic didn’t work there, doesn’t seem right for you not to have a way to defend yourself.”
Loki was touched, did the other even know what he was doing. Part of him, the selfish part, did not care if the other knew or not. No, he was trying to be better. “Thank you Peter.” He should give the other something in exchange. Wait… yes that would do. “Here.” He held out his other hand and a dagger appeared and he carefully held it out. “It will remain for as long as I am living.”
Peter took it gently and smiled, “Thank you Loki. I will treasure it.”
“I want you to use it, if you must. Your life is important Peter. Remember this.”
Peter gave a soft smile nodding, trying to hold back the tears as he held the blade. It was beautifully made with what looked like peonies etched into the handle. “Thank you so much.”
Loki nodded, “I don’t need it anymore, but perhaps it can help you now.” then just like that he was gone again.
Though he never used the dagger he kept it close in a sheath he made from some of the nanobots he had left over from his suit. It was cold, like Loki’s touch and it brought him a sense of calm when he let his fingers brush against it. Even now it was strapped to his leg as he watched the fire burn across the street, he was keeping an eye and ear out seeing if anyone needed rescuing but at the moment it looked like everyone had been evacuated in time but he kept his senses open.
He was glad he did when he heard someone crying for help on one of the upper floors. He swung into action, sliding through a broken window and landing in the room there. He carefully worked his way through the fire until he found the woman hunched in a corner, “I got you ma’am.”
She screamed and tried to hit him as he got closer, “Vigilante!!!”
“Ma’am please, I am just trying to help you.” When she wouldn’t settle he sighed and used his webs to quickly detain her as carefully as he could before lifting her up and carrying her towards the window. Using his webs to lower her down to the ground before turning back to see if he could see anyone that was still on this floor. It was hot and he could feel the flames biting at his suit. When he deemed the place empty he carefully navigated his way to the window when the floor gave out under him. He cried out and quickly maneuvered himself, catching the ledge carefully. His webs supported him, that was until the fire began to eat at the webs too and snapped, sending him falling several floors down and landing in a heap, wood and fire raining down around him. Something being knocked loose and falling on top of him a resounding bang and pain ripped through his abdomen. He coughed and tried to move but the alarms started blaring and everything started attacking his heightened senses. He hunched over grabbing at his stomach. The heat of the fire eating away at his protective suit.
“Spiderman!”
Cool hands grabbed him and hauled him from the rubble against a hard chest, “I said not to go dying!”
Brown eyes looked up and he smiled up at the other, “Loki?”
He felt like they were moving but he didn’t feel like he was moving at all. He barely remembered his body being lowered down on his bed before he slipped off into unconsciousness. Waking some hours later, his suit was gone and his stomach bandaged. He groaned painfully and slowly sat up, he could hear his tv on in the next room and managed to crawl his way out of the bed. Stopping briefly to look at his wound in the mirror. It was already mostly just a closed pink wound but the pain was there. He would feel it for another day or two most likely.
Satisfied, he limped into the other room and saw Loki lounging on the couch watching some sort of show, a bowl of icecream in his hand, the whipped cream stacked high in the bowl, “I didn’t know you had a sweet tooth.”
Loki looked up and his green eyes raked over the other’s form, “I don’t but your fridge is abysmally empty.”
“There should have been pizza or left over shawarma.” He sat next to the other and grabbed the spoon to scoop himself a bite and hummed in appreciation.
The god sneered, “Must you use my spoon like some heathen.”
He shrugged, “Don’t see you stopping me.”
Loki just rolled his eyes and flicked his hand, another spoon appeared and he went in for another bite himself, “So how are you feeling?”
“Better, I will be healed by morning, may have some lingering pain.”
He nodded and looked to the younger, “Good, you had me worried I may have to kiss this branch goodbye.”
Peter flushed, “Listen Loki, why do you keep coming here?”
The god paused, “Do you not want me to?”
“No I do, it's just. Aren’t you busy, saving the timelines and all that? Why keep coming here?”
Loki seemed to think a moment before taking another bite of the ice cream, “Listen, I am not good with words. Nor emotions. Honestly, I am not good at a lot of things. I’m trying to be a better person. To not be greedy, jealous, filled with so much anger.”
Peter smiled and took his hand, “You're a good person Loki. I know you are.”
“Your words are encouraging but you see, I don’t think I am. I do good things, I do bad things. You're one of the bad things. I should not want to be selfish, but this time. I have chosen to be selfish.”
“What do you mean..”
Cold lips claimed his and pressed the other back into the sofa, his very presence overwhelming, suffocating as he took what he demanded as his. Peter was lost to the sheer power the other gave off. Claiming him as thoroughly as he would a war conquest. It was harsh, demanding, but there was something deeper, a sense of longing and heartache so deep that it made tears prick his eyes. It echoed his own loneliness.
The kiss broke and Peter looked up at the taller man, “Loki, I…”
“Please don’t speak.” Loki tucked his face against the other’s neck, “I do not know if I can handle your rejection.”
Something tugged at his core and Peter wrapped his arms around the other and gripped him tighter, “I am not rejecting you. Loki, please. I feel the same way. I wasn’t sure at first, but these past few months. Have meant so much to me.”
Loki stared down at him and the two came together, lips molding and hands gripping at one another. Desperate to feel the companionship that both of them sought so deeply, an echoing broken soul. A stray hand causing Peter to hiss in pain and rear back.
Loki frowned, “Your injury needs more time to heal.”
Peter shook his head, “No no please. I need this, please.”
The god cupped his face and kissed him again before brushing his lips to the other’s ear, “Hush love, I will not leave you wanting, we simply must wait for you to heal before I can claim you fully as mine but I will not leave you in your state.”
Peter flushed, “That’s not what I meant.” A hand over his face as he tried to not loose his nerve.
The god laughed and gave him another brief kiss, “Worry not, I only tease. Regardless, we will do only what you are well enough to do.” He gently pushed the other back against the couch and grinned, “I am going to show you pleasures you have not even dreamed of. You will soon learn why I am a god.”
“Going to make me beg?”
“Oh no my dear love, I am going to make you pray to your new god, me.”
Peter blinked in confusion a moment as the other began to glow with the bright green magic he commanded. Then it was upon him and he felt his alight with sensation. The green magic stroked him inside and out and he was unable to fight against it. It was cold and electricity. Circling, stroking, and bringing him to pleasure without so much as a single touch of skin. He screamed, hands clawing at the couch as his body writhed. It stroked him from the inside out, unrelenting in the sensations it caused. He barely felt the touch of something cold and wet on his skin and an even colder tongue licking it up, leaving a sticky trail of sugar residue.
“Let it consume you Peter. It is a part of me and now a part of you. Let me embrace you, inside and out.” The god watched the younger man arch into the pleasurable sensations he was giving him. He had never used his magic to bring another pleasure. It had always been a secret he kept to himself, and he knew it could be intense but he wanted to share all he was with his love. His spider. Even.. that side, when it was time. “All that I am is yours. My heart, My Magic, My Soul.”
Brown eyes widened and the pleasure came to a shattering completion and he screamed the arm of the couch breaking under his grip as he came untouched. Moaning the other’s name as he slid to the side and into Loki’s waiting arms. The god pulled him close and kissed his temple. “Rest beloved, this is just the beginning.”