Frostbite

Alien

"Thank you for accompanying me," Thor said as he and Peter walked far past the city limits where the greenery was more lush and the various clearings were far enough from the average passersby who would rush to their location when the big rainbow beacon crashed into the ground and left an ancient crop circle in its wake. Peter couldn't even imagine getting caught up in a conspiracy between two worlds.

He might make a lot more money at Sister Margaret's than any other place that would hire a fifteen year old, but he still wouldn't be able to afford a PR manager like that.

As Thor strode unburdened through the forest, he melted back into his Asgardian wear completely the opposite of his sibling; Loki changed forms in the quickest flashes of green light, Thor was slower. Quieter. Every step was a brown button washing gold or a winter boot thickening to two-thousand year old creature hide—slow, relaxed, half-way transformed by the time they were half-way to the meeting point.

"Your mother has voiced your inclination towards the sciences! They have always preferred an elegant painting or written prose and I myself have never found favor with learning taken indoors. Tell me, what is it that draws you so?"

"Mmm... figuring stuff out?" Peter spun the end of his scarf in small circles in front of him. "But it's always come pretty naturally to me. My dad—Richard—was a scientist too so maybe it runs in the family." He held out one of his hands, activating one of his webshooters and letting the mechanism crawl onto his palm. Thor fully stopped to bring his face close to it. "So if you've seen me swinging around the city, it's because of these! The first version I managed to throw together with a bunch of old computer parts I dug out of the traA—ctually an old. Spare. Donation. Bin." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I got them upgraded a few months ago and it helped increase the force of t—WH—"

Thor pressed down on the trigger. And moved his head to the side when the webs sailed past.

"Ha! How novel!"

"I need to put a child lock on this thing," Peter muttered as he tugged his sleeve over his wristband.

February was warmed but not by much and the air still made everyone's cheeks ruddy except for his. Snow was melting, the bar was starting to fill up again now that everyone was coming back from jobs out in states that didn't ice your butt right off the middle of the street, and things were going pretty good. Thor tried to visit at least once a week between superheroing and space demi-god prince-ing and he seemed to be happy even if some visits only lasted as long as dinner.

(He knew Mom's happy about it too. They always said they were annoyed whenever their brother came to visit, but somehow they always managed to make his favorite foods.)

"Richard," Thor repeated after a long moment. Golden brows pulled together as a patch of jacket sleeve slowly morphed into intricately carved armor. "That was the name of your father?"

"Yeah, Richard Parker. He was a geneticist at Oscorp—this company that specializes in experimental science, military research, and cross-species genetics."

"I see." Black cloth to brown leather, rust orange hoodie to grand red cape. "Your mother has never mentioned him, so I have never asked.

Peter shrugged. "Mom couldn't stay on Earth anymore and left before my first birthday and Richard and my other mom, Mary, were in a plane crash when I was young so I don't remember them much. So, um, I figured they didn't know each other that well, before or after. Y'know."

Thor hummed and didn't sound too particularly troubled about what he was thinking. "I cannot speak for Loki—I could never speak for them, as I had not understood most of their actions in the past. I had never thought to, and perhaps that has been one of my greatest mistakes." His face shadowed and weathered for the briefest second before he flashed his nephew a kind smile. "Without regard to whatever the nature of their relationship, you are a wonderful young warrior with no doubt both their finest qualities." Peter hated how he could feel how red his cheeks got. "So similar are we in mind and heart, Midgardians and Asgardians and all those around the sides and in between. Though the peculiarity of this planet, it invokes my deepest gratitude that Loki has finally found home with you."