Peter's tears eventually dried and he started to look embarrassed. Loki couldn't have that. There was no need for him to be embarrassed over having emotions. Loki smirked at him. "So which Midgardian pastime would you like to enjoy this afternoon. Fighting creatures? Silly animated movies?" Loki asked, sounding put-upon and bored, though they both knew it was an act. He wanted to spend the afternoon with Peter and wanted to make sure the arachnid was feeling better. He'd missed his friend while he'd been gone and he was worried that Peter had been in the hospital of all places.
If Loki had anything to say about that, he wasn't going to let that happen ever ever again.
He would convince Aunt May to let him help Peter.
He would.
No matter what it took.
He wouldn't let Peter suffer.
So he summoned the screen to play old Disney movies and he and Peter sat against the headboard, playing Pokemon on Peter's legit Gameboy and Loki's cloned one while they watched the movie.
Both of them tried not to tear up at the little blue alien's line "Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten,"
Both of them failed.
Miserably.
And Loki remembered that Peter had faced more loss than anyone his age should ever have to. About halfway through the second movie. Some Shakespearean remake with lions in which Loki too closely identified with the villain, the kid fell asleep. He obviously hadn't intended to, but Loki could tell he still wasn't feeling well from the medication that had landed him in the hospital.
Loki checked to make sure he was asleep and that Aunt May wasn't bursting in at that moment. Then he did something that he would never admit. He let his hand shimmer to Jotun blue and placed it against the teen's burning forehead. Peter sighed in relief and sank further into much-needed sleep. Not at all thanks to Loki's magic.
At least not that Loki would ever tell him.
Loki stood from the bed and covered the teen with a blanket, making sure his friend would get some real restful sleep. It was the best he could do for the moment. Until he spoke with Aunt May.
While the silly Midgardians may have considered it unmanly to take care of his friend in such a way, where Loki came from there was no shame in embracing fellow warriors. There was no shame or fear in the mind of the warrior male. You fought side by side with them and were not ashamed to relax together. Platonically of course. Which is all Loki's friendship with Peter would ever be. Even if they were close. It just wasn't like that. Would never be like that.
He slipped from the room after he was sure Peter would sleep peacefully.
Aunt May looked up from the couch when Loki entered the room. "How is he? Is he alright?" She asks concerned.
Loki gave her a warm smile. "He is just fine. He fell asleep, so I was going to take my leave so he may rest. However, there is something I wished to bring up to you. Especially as he is still... underage?" He questioned the word, unsure if it was the correct one.
Aunt May looked understandably wary. "You want to ask... my permission for something?" She confirmed what Loki was looking for.
He gave her a tentative nod. "Peter explained what has ailed him," Loki started and paused, searching for the right words to get what he wanted, to be able to help his friend. "I dislike seeing my friend so ill. I know you do not usually approve of magical solutions to problems. And I would not wish to make you uncomfortable. But I thought, perhaps for his sake, you might be willing to make an exception. He explained that his future is filled with more medication and a painful surgery that still will not completely correct that his body was born incorrectly for his mind," Loki steeled himself, knowing Aunt May didn't particularly care for magic, and yet this was important. He shifted to Lady Loki in front of her. "I understand Peter's condition more than you may have been aware, as I am neither male nor female, but can change between the two as I see fit due to my magic," she changed back to the Loki Aunt May properly knew.
"And you want to-?"
"I wish to save Peter from the surgery, from the medication and pain that will not properly fix the problem. I wish, if you will please allow me, to give him the body he should have been born with. I have the power and skill to do it. And I swear on my mother, my brother, everything I hold dear, including your nephew," he actually admitted to her how much his friendship with Peter meant "That no harm would come to him, and if he ever wishes to undo it, I would gladly do that for him,"
Aunt May looked completely shocked. "You would do that for him? You'd-?" She has no words, but Loki saw the adoration in her eyes.
Loki inclined his head. "I would and I will. I wish for him to be comfortable in his body,"
There were tears in her eyes. "Please? Please help him,"
Loki inclined his head again, relieved. "As soon as he is well,"
*
A few days later, Peter dropped by the tower after school and Loki gave him a bright smile. "Good to see you among the living, arachnid," he teased.
Peter laughed. "Yeah, finally got my meds sorted," he replied. "What's the number today?"
"Three," Loki replied automatically and stood.
"Really? That's why Loki is such a jackass most of the time? He's a moody emo teen?" Stark was grumbling at Thor in the other room. He still didn't approve of Loki's friendship with Peter. Even he would change his mind soon.
"Four," Loki corrected, glaring in Stark's direction.
Peter laughed. "So what are we up to today?"
Loki just smirked. "Come, arachnid," he told the teen and started for the elevator. "You don't need your bag, or your suit," he added. Peter rushed to catch up with him, Peter in his jeans and school t-shirt and Loki in his all-black suit. As usual. At least the press was getting used to the sight of seeing them together, so they didn't draw too much undue press.
"Where are we going, Loki?" He asked. He wasn't going to argue. He was just curious.
Loki grinned. "You'll see when we get there." Peter shrugged and started telling Loki about his day and how his friends had been worried. He told Loki about the upcoming dance and how he was thinking of asking MJ to it. He told Loki of how he and Ned were going to build a huge lego kit together and Loki was totally welcome to join them. He thought Loki would enjoy the activity and Loki agreed that it sounded enjoyable.
They walked for a while until they came to a building with a giant circular window at the top. "We are here to see a wizard. I need to look at one of his spellbooks. Do not hurt his books. You can annoy the wizard as much as you like," Loki told him with a smirk as they entered.
There was an exasperated sigh from the top of the stairs a moment after they entered. "Loki Odinson, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Strange asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Loki smirked at Peter. "That's the wizard. Go annoy him, arachnid," to Strange he said. "I just need to reference a book, and then I will leave you be." Loki left Peter to pester Strange with all sorts of annoying questions about being a wizard while he got the book he needed and looked up the last piece of information. He may have trapped Wong upside down on the ceiling for the next three hours so Wong wouldn't stop him from getting the book from the restricted section.
He smiled and returned to the pair. "Peter, time to stop annoying the wizard," Loki told the still babbling teen. Peter grinned and bounced over to him. Strange placed his head in his hands and grumbled. Loki turned to Peter. "Stand there and Don't. Move." He told the teen and opened the spellbook. A green circle of power surrounded the teen "Go away Strange," he told the wizard. Your book and my friend are both perfectly safe and you do not wish to be here for this,"
Strange wisely decided to leave.
And promptly told Stark that Loki was doing magic on Peter.
Loki worked on his spell very carefully. He wouldn't risk messing this one up. "Loki?" Peter asked, concerned as the magic swirled around him.
"Hush. This will not hurt or harm you," Loki told him, not looking up from, or interrupting his spell. "And stop fidgeting,"
Loki completed the spell and vanished the book to its place in the library. Peter looked over himself, expecting something until he flushed and realized that Loki's spell hadn't changed anything except giving him the male body he should have been born in. He wasn't taller or broader. His body type hadn't changed. He was just male now, officially. "You-?" Peter asked in disbelief.
Loki inclined his head and Peter threw himself in Loki's arms, hugging him tightly.
The god's arms wrapped around the Midgardian teen. "I could not leave you to suffer, my friend. Not when I could help. Not when I could fix the problem,"
"Thank you isn't enough,"
"It is more than plenty to have you healthy and happy," Loki replied, his arms not loosening from around his friend.