Loki didn’t know when he was going to come home. He told him a time, but it's been 5 hours and he still hasn’t come home yet.
1:10am is what the clock read on the nightstand right next to where he sat. He exhales shakily.
The ebony haired male was used to this kid running around in the night, but when given a time, he does expect him to come on that exact dot. Maybe 20 minutes late, but not 5 fucking hours.
He not being himself, but someone he does love very dearly. He was growing worried as the seconds ticked by, his leg moving up and down aggressively. He put both his hands to his mouth and took a deep breath.
He could go out. Just for a walk.
Yes. Just a walk around the whole of New York.
Well, not specifically walking around.
His mind was already made up by the time he got off his king sized mattress. He swung the closet door open, grabbing his sweater, but before putting it on, he hears a loud knock. He turns and with wide eyes, he ran towards the window and slams it open, grabbing the person from the opposite side into a hard squeeze.
“Ouch, Ouch.” Loki laughs in relief and only squeezes harder. “I’m home.”
Loki almost slapped him upside the head at his words and pulled away only to frown at the sight of his face. Normally the expressions would bring him joy, but he was smiling with blood covering his teeth. The mask was off, which was evident, but the suit he wore was covered with the same red liquid. Loki tries to mask his anger with a forced smile.
“Help?” Was the word that allowed Loki to slowly pull the boy inside. The groans that left his mouth only brought Loki pain as well.
“5 hours pete,” Loki stammers as he places the young boy on the bed. He continues to lay on it as Loki got a better look at the boy. This wasn’t something new he hasn’t experienced. The blood was just to much, more than he has seen and he was 95% sure it was his own.
“Peter Parker at your service,” the boy coughs out, blood spilling on the bed as he moans some more. He finally decides to peer up at Loki, who scoffs at the look in his eyes. Peter frowns. “I’m sorry, but I think I broke a rib.”
“I don’t care,” Loki hisses, walking forward, grabbing the shorter boy by his upper arm and pulling him up. “Bathroom, come on now.” Peter put his arm around Loki, leaning all the way in as he tries to balance himself, which he fails to do. Each step causes Loki to flitch. He knows Peter was in pain, more than he normally is.
As they both enter the bathroom, Loki walks toward the bathtub and looks at Peter before lightly picking him up and placing him on the floor of the tub. He sat with a groan. A sigh leaves Loki's lips, “strip. I'll get some bandages.” When Loki looked back at the tub, Peter’s face looks down in what Loki can sense was embarrassment. He grins. “What? You need help?”
Peter’s head went up in an instant, his face flaming. Loki only responds with a laugh and opens up the bottom cabinet, taking out what was needed to heal the wounds under the suit Peter wore. Loki tries his best not to look back at Peter, knowing he is taking off the spider-man suit. He hears the faucet turn on, now filling up the tub with what he hoped was warm water.
Loki minds his own business, placing the bandages and other necessary items to wrap Peter’s wounds. Depends on how big they are. He grabs two towels and places them on the countertop. When he finally turns to look at Peter, he was surprised to see him already staring with a small smile plastered on his face, the water filled to his elbows (or he was just slipping further under).
Loki suppresses a smile and cocks a brow before walking over to Peter and crouching down to eye level, putting his elbows on the edge of the bath. He continues to balance his head on the palm of his hand. He makes eye contact with Peter and Peter responds with tilting his head.
“The hot water hurts,” Peter says, moving a little causing the water to slosh and spill onto Loki’s jeans, who gasps in response. “Sorry,” Peter says sheepishly, splashing and washing his face. Again, causing Loki to get even more wet.
“I shouldn’t help you,” Loki says, splashing some of the water on Peter who only replies with a chuckle, blocking the surprise attack.
“You love me,” Peter says in a singsong voice, leaning his back and resting his head on the bathroom wall, staring at Loki who was trying his best to dry his jeans. “I’m sorry for making you wait Loki.”
The taller doesn’t respond and instead grabs the bar of soap. He scrubs his hand with it before sitting on the ledge, leaning in towards the tub. He starts to lightly wash Peters light skin, and Peter being Peter kept backing away from his touch.
“Stop, this shit hurt,” Peter cries. Loki knew that Peter was going to bit his fingers if Loki didn’t stop.
“In order to heal wounds and pain, humans are presumed to wash it out first,” Loki says, tempting to grab his face to hold it in place. Peter doesn’t reply and just allows Loki to clean him up.
Loki makes his way to Peters shoulders, massaging a little. Peter was staring at the now closed faucet while shrinking into Loki’s touch.
“I can do it myself,” Peter suggests, grabbing Loki’s wrist. He comes to a halt and Loki responds with tilting his head. Peter takes the soap bar from Loki's hand and starts scrubbing his arms and slowly moved down his stomach. He pulls himself out of the water and looks at Loki with an awkward smile.
“Can you look away please?” he asks shyly. Loki grins.
“You don’t want me to see you bare? I am positive that I have already seen you with no clothes on pete,” Loki says, “if you’d like, I can help you out.”
Peter responds to Loki’s comment by splashing him with the soapy water he was in. Loki ends up toppling over and bursting with laughter, the floor he sat on was drenched.
“I am most definitely looking forward to you cleansing this disorder,” Loki says, leaning up on the floor with his elbows, raising a knowing brow at the other boy.
Peter sends him a sincere smile, the first wholehearted smile in what felt like forever to Loki. Loki couldn’t stop staring and sent Peter a wonky smile of his own.
Peter looks away, leaning up and quickly cleaning himself up. Loki stays on the floor, not wanting Peter to feel uncomfortable with his gaze.
“What is with all this shyness Peter?” Loki asks, finally sitting upright, his arms wrapped loosely around his shins.
Peter doesn’t respond immediately, only continues to clean himself up. “This is the most damage I have taken. I’m bloody. I have more scars and I look disgusting.” Peter finally makes eye contact with the raven. The sadness on Peter’s face made Loki’s guts turn inside out. Boy, Peter’s emotions switch.
“Loki, I keep getting skinny. I am more wobbly and I do stupid little mistakes that get me in life and death situations,” Peter says, exasperally. He takes a deep breathe before leaning forward and draining the tub. He waits for the water to go down and refills the bath, this time extra hot and he leans under the clean water.
“And then there’s you. A thousand years old and still living, human years you’re 17 and a half. Eventually you'll get bored-“
“Shut up.”
Peter shoots a stare at Loki, but Peter instead begins to shrink back into the tub at the look on Loki’s face.
Loki’s face stays solid, his jaw tight and glaring past Peter’s head at the shower walls. Peter doesn’t move, frightened that if he did slide a little more into the bathtub, the stare Loki held onto the wall would break him. It did not stay that way.
“Don’t you ever, and I mean dare, say that again, got that Peter?” Loki starts to get on both of his feet, his menacing eyes staring right into Peter's soul. It was worse, because Peter was in fact naked. Loki was looking through him.
As Loki’s vision finally picks up the scared stiff human, his expression softens. He sees Peter relax back into the tub.
Loki leans down, crouching and balances on his two feet.
“Every scar you get, every burn you obtain will still be apart of you. It will not stop me from admiring you less,” Loki says, gesturing with his head at Peter’s body. Sure Peter was naked and in clear vision, Loki still respects the boy.
Peter smiles at Loki’s small statement.
“I was once known as the monster that parents tell their children about at night. I nathless am that monster to numerous of people, and I have to live with that, but you unfortunately make my foggy vision clearer.”
Peter rolls his eyes at the last sentence that exited Loki’s lips, but Loki continues, “you make the monsters like me run away and hide, to help those scared little children be untroubled. You’re their saviour. I only ever wanted to be an equal, but you can be much more, and you are much more, even if you don’t see it, I do.”
“Who knew you can say so many inspiring words,” Peter laughs, and Loki reacts with a soft grin. Peter looks down at the water he was in, playing with his hands and bopping it up and down in the clear liquid.
“Thank you,” Peter says. Loki stands and and shakes his legs, them being in place for to long caused both his knees to fall asleep. He turns and grabs a towel from the counter. He hears the drain run once again and the splashing of water.
He turns and sees Peter standing up, nervously scratching at the back of his hand. Loki hands him the towel and helps him out of tub.
“I’ll leave and let you get dressed, we can put the bandages on when you have put on some attire,” Loki explains, turning towards the door.
“You can stay if you want, I mean, you don’t have to leave, I can just-” Peter continues to ramble on as he dries himself off with the towel. Loki suppresses a smirk and stays looking away from Peter until Loki believes he has his pants on.
He turns and sees Peter with only sweats and tells him to leave the shirt off. Peter goes and sits on the counter. He first moved the first aid kit to give himself some room.
“Knives. Bruises from kicks and fists, not so severe. Are you positive I should not use my-,” Loki wiggles his hands and Peter shakes his head with a smile.
“I’d rather stick with bandages. Makes me feel like Spiderman.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
Loki moves and opens the first aid kit, pulling out the essential items needed to heal Peters wounds correctly. Peter sighs at the sight.
Loki takes out the tweezers that was sterilized with rubbing alcohol and told Peter to lift his arm up. Most cuts and scrapes were under his ribcage. Loki continues to clean the dirt from most of the wounds.
“Would you like me to apply bandages?” Loki asks, pressing his hand against Peters stomach in reassurance. He didn’t get an answer right way, but he waits patiently.
“I have school tomorrow and I do have to wear cloths,” Peter’s thought out loud, shrugging at Loki. “Bandages then.”
Loki replies with a nod and raises his hand up to Peter’s cheek, caressing it and notices a bruise was setting in; turning blue and purple.
“The discoloration on your face will be noticable tomorrow. The blow that someone gave you ruptured your blood vessels, your eye may become swollen,” Loki informs, gazing the bruise with his thumb without applying pressure. Peter doesn’t move and focuses his stare on Loki.
“I know how bruises work you dolt,” Peter says, pursing his lips in a mocking manner. Loki hums back, ridiculing him only further. Peter gave Loki a light kick to his knee from where he sat and Loki sent him a glare.
“That's not very nice Parker,” Loki says, applying gauze to the inside of the bandage and putting it onto Peters largest scab, cutting off what he was about to say.
“That hurt you bastard,” Peter calmours, looking down as Loki tapes the bandage down before grabbing the large adhesive bandages. Loki instructs Peter to lift both his arms up; who obeys. Loki stands in between Peters legs and wrapped the flexible sheet of material around him, aiming under his ribcage.
“This hurts even more,” Peter bleats. Loki let out a huff of air.
“I assumed you would be used to this by now.”
“What I’m starting to get use to your attitude.”
The bandage ran out and Loki secures it on before standing straight up, still between Peters legs. He took this opportunity to place both his hands on Peters thigh, swaying and leaning back and forth while maintaining eye contact with the human.
“My emotions only came off as harsh is for the reason that you do not take care of yourself anymore then you did before.” Loki was ever so close to not understanding his own statement that rolled off his tongue. Peter looks muddled for a split second, but he looks back at Loki with a blank expression, most likely thinking about what Loki said.
“I should go to bed, classes tomorrow,” Peter says, looking down at Loki’s lips before looking up at him with a fond smile. “And thank you for taking care of me when I can’t do it myself.”
“Try to be more wary of your surroundings,” Loki says, picking up a small bottle of vaseline that was in the first aid kit and opens it. He applies a little on the tip of his index finger and slowly leans in and gently smooths a layer on his busted lip.
“This should stop the bleeding, but remember to reapply in the morning.” Loki moves in and applies a little more before flipping the cap closed on the vaseline tub. “Heat or Ice therapy?”
“Heat.”
“Heat pad or hot water bottle?”
“Pad.”
Loki moves out between Peter’s legs and puts everything back into the first aid kit in the respectable slots. “I will be rewrapping your bandages when you wake up for school, try not to do it yourself.”
“You look peaceful sleeping.”
Loki gives Peter an amused look. “Then I must be looking abundantly well-proportionedwhen I wake up.”
“You look more like an animal ready to attack its prey when you wake up.”
“I most certainly do not, I normally wake up earlier then you do anyways.”
Peter hums at that, slowly getting off the counter.
“Can I have 2 heat pads?”
Loki crouches and puts away the first aid kit before standing back up.
“Of course.”
Peter smiles and walks towards the taller boy. He leans forward and place his forehead on Loki’s chest. Loki’s stomach does a flip and stays where he was with a heartfelt smile.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for you Peter.”