Of Numbers and Strange Friendships

Chapter 20

Loki made it back to camp from his trip to the latrine ditch and found Peter before the teen went to his tent. "What's the number?" Peter asked concerned when he saw Loki strolling too casually back into camp.

"Two," Loki replied with a grin. It was rare for Loki to get below two. He was the god of mischief and chaos after all. But a two was a good sign that the god was in a good mood.

Peter mimicked one of Loki's favorite expressions and raised an eyebrow. "Why only a two? The teenagers must be annoying you by now, witch," he teased.

"I am not a witch," Loki grumbled, but it was half-hearted. "Flash tried to cause more trouble," he told Peter with a grin.

Thor overheard and rushed over to where the pair was standing outside of Peter's tent. Thor had a mug of ale in his hand. They didn't care that there wasn't supposed to be alcohol on this trip. Besides, ale wasn't alcohol... at least it wasn't according to the Asgardians.

"Brother, what did you do to the child?" he demanded, concerned for the teen. They weren't allowed to harm the children. That was the first rule they'd all told Loki repeatedly before they let him go on this camping trip. Loki was not allowed to stab the children.

Loki grinned. "I did not kill or stab the child!" he told Peter proudly. Peter grinned at Loki's reaction, and his child-like search for praise for something that should've been automatic: not killing or stabbing someone.

"Good job, Loki," he replied with a touch of sarcasm. Loki chuckled and ruffled Peter's hair. They were joking around and it was fun. The god found he enjoyed being able to relax around his young blood-brother.

"So what did you do with the child?" Thor asked, calmer now since Loki tended not to lie to Peter, though he was curious what had gotten into Loki to actually obey and not harm the child who was causing so much trouble.

"Flash called me a very rude name, so I threw her in the creek to cool off. It was not deep and did not do more than get her cold and wet. She will be fine," Loki reassured Thor and Peter who were both concerned. Just because Loki hadn't killed her didn't mean he hadn't done something equally bad to her. In this case, he hadn't. Mostly because it would upset Peter.

Peter laughed. "Well handled," he told Loki brightly, clearly amused at the thought of Flash being thrown into a creek. "I should get to bed before the real chaperones yell," he teased Loki and Thor. They were supposed to only have come as extra adults bodies to make sure the teens didn't kill themselves or get lost while the mortal adults took them through the planned activities for the weekend. They weren't expecting Loki and Thor to take over the entire weekend to make sure the children were taught proper wilderness skills.

They should have expected the Asgardian warriors to do that exact thing.

"Sleep well, arachnid," Loki told his friend fondly and he and Thor wandered back to the bonfire to spend time with the adult Midgardians. They sat by the campfire with the adults, who had all snuck alcohol on the trip, and told stories with them. The Asgardians of course had the best stories.

And the best alcohol, since Thor got out the good stuff after all the children were asleep.

Loki called it a night before he got drunk. He stood and clapped Thor on the shoulder before he shifted forms to Lady Loki. None of them wanted any accusations of inappropriate behavior since Loki would be sharing a tent with Wanda. Though the adults were too drunk to notice anything at that point of the evening. Thor took Loki's hand and kissed her knuckles, which made Loki huff and roll her eyes, even if it was the proper court action on Thor's part. "Sleep well, sister," Thor told her.