Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

Chapter 57

Loki relaxed a little at the smirk, at the nickname, of the hint of normalcy and relief in Peter's eyes. Maybe things weren't as dire as Loki had imagined. Peter was at least glad to see him when he woke. Loki gave him a gentle smile, trying to reassure the teen. "I'm here, Arachnid," he replied, his voice low and gentle, like the one he used to talk to injured animals. "I'm here, and you're safe now." The first thing he had to do was reassure the teen that he was alright. That was the first step. Loki had worked in the healing wing often enough to know how things worked. He trained at his mother's side and she was the strongest, best, healer in the nine realms. He wasn't even exaggerating on that just because she was his beloved mama.

Peter's eyes glazed a bit as he was clearly trying to remember what was going on and more importantly, why he was in the healing wing on Asgard. "Loki? What's going on? What happened?" Peter asked, fear starting to fill his eyes. He'd dropped the silly nickname, getting serious in his concern.

Loki gripped his hand tighter, reassuring the teen with his presence, with his cold hand in Peter's warm one. "What do you remember?" He asked gently "Then I will explain the rest," he added reassuringly.

Peter spoke slowly as he tried to remember and got all the way to when he was stabbed in the stomach. "I-I don't remember after that," he admitted, his brows knit with effort to remember. "No, you were there, and we talked and-" his words trailed off again.

Loki squeezed his hand to get Peter's attention back on him. "And I saved you and brought you to Asgard so Mother could finish healing you," Loki finished the story.

"You healed me. With fruit," Peter said slowly.

Loki nodded with a chuckle. "I'm getting there, Arachnid. Patience," he scolded, though knew that Peter had every right to be impatient. It also wasn't like Loki could actually scold anyone about patience when he himself had none. Loki hesitated, but knew he would have to tell Peter the truth. He owed Peter the truth. He'd changed Peter's entire life, and not just by saving it. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Had there been any other way to save your life, I would have taken that option," he started. "But you were dying without your powers and we nearly lost you as it was. The only way I had to save you was by giving you one of Idun's Apples," he held a hand up before Peter could ask with that was. "Idun's Apples are also known as the golden apples of immortality. They have a lot of properties, but there are some you need to know about," he sighed and had to pause to gather his words. His silver tongue wasn't doing as well as he'd like.

Peter sat up properly and gripped Loki's hand more firmly. He was doing better to sit up on his own. His color had returned and he was looking more like himself with each passing moment. "Just tell me, Loki. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me and you saved my life,"

Loki gave him a wan smile. The kid had such faith in him. "The apple had the power to heal you, despite the extent of your injuries. It also turned you Asgardian, when you were healed, it physically changed you from human to Asgardian," he clarified and knew Peter would want the science behind it later, after he'd had time to process.

Right now, though, confusion filled the teen's eyes. "What does that mean?" He finally asked when he could gather his thoughts enough.

"It means you will be 16 for a very long time," Loki replied with a chuckle and a bit of a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Peter gave him a pointed look. "How long are we talking?"

"Centuries," Loki admitted sheepishly. "You will age like we do," he included himself as Asgardian, though he wasn't. He still aged like the Asgardians did and had been raised Asgardian, so it wasn't technically a lie. Technically.

"I- Aunt May- Wanda?" He asked, as the repercussions started to sink in.

Loki shook his head, sorrow in his eyes. "They will both live mortal lives. I'm sorry, Arachnid," he said gently. "The apple was always going to be offered to you, but by law, it wasn't to be offered until you came of age and could make the decision for yourself if this is the life you want. I'm so, so sorry that I took that decision from you,"

Sorrow and pain filled Peter's eyes for a moment as he tried to come to terms with what that meant. "I can go back to Midgard?" He asked.

Loki nodded "Yes, Arachnid. You can live there as long as you wish. You still have all of your spider abilities, those carry over in the transition. You're still you. The only thing that has changed it that you're now even harder to kill, stronger, heal even faster, and will live for basically ever,"

Peter nodded and swallowed. "And after-?" He couldn't form the words, but Loki understood. He wanted to know what would happen to him after his loved ones had died, when all he had of his old life were Loki, Thor, and Mama Frigga.

"Then you can come to Asgard. Asgard is your home now, and you are one of its citizens. You will always be welcome here whenever you wish, you merely need to ask Heimdall for a ride," Loki reassured him. "Mother has already settled everything. Your suite in the palace will always be ready for you, and Father has been informed." Loki rarely, if ever, called Odin 'father' anymore, not after finding out about his entire life being a lie, but he was relying on that family connection to keep his ass out of the dungeons at the moment, so he was willing to play nice.

Peter sighed in relief. "Then I'll enjoy every minute I get with them," he finally said, with far more maturity than his years. He looked up at Loki and saw the fear in his blood-brother's eyes. He hugged Loki tight around the middle. "Thank you, for saving me, brother."

It had been the first time Peter had ever called Loki his brother.

Loki didn't deserve it, not after what he'd done.

But he would spend the rest of eternity earning it.