My Best Friend's the God of Mischief // Peter x Loki

stay alive

A light trigger warning's applied.

Loki watched the trees melt together as Tony sped down the road. As strange as it sounded it made him calm. As crazy as it was Tony's presence made Loki feel... safe. And Loki didn't know why. He should be anything but at ease around the man who once was (and probably still is) his archenemy. He shouldn't trust Tony.

Loki learned the hard way what he got, if he trusted the wrong person.

Quentin's body above his, pinning him down to the cold mattress. The taste of his lips. His hands touching him everywhere.

Loki shut his eyes tight and shook his head, trying to get the memories out. Before he knew it he was breathing too hard, too fast, on the verge of what Midgardians called a panic attack. He flinched when Tony's hand landed on his leg, and would've begged a no, if not for Tony's voice bringing him back to reality, "hey, hey it's me. It's just me," Tony said. Eyes switching back and forth between the road and Loki.

It must've shown all over Loki's face, how scared he got. Pathetic, Loki thought, hating himself more.

"It's okay," Tony said, he removed his hand from Loki's leg and back to the steering wheel, and Loki was a bit relieved the hand was gone.

"Hey," he said when Loki was still visibly highly tense. When Loki looked, Tony was giving him a worried face (but Tony wouldn't worry about him, would he? No, Tony had no reason to worry about Loki's well being) "I don't know what you've been through," he said when Loki was still quiet. "But I'm not gonna hurt ya," his eyes returned to the road, "if you don't hurt me, I won't hurt you, and I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you. You have my word."

How, Loki wanted to ask, how can I trust you? Quentin had promised the same kind of reassurance, he never kept it. Then the why popped up in his head. Why would you help me?  Why are you helping me? Surely Tony expected something in return. But what was it? Loki wanted to ask, shooting dozens of questions at him. Would you hurt me, if I didn't have what you wanted? I don't have anything. Loki kept his mouth shut, for he knew better. Quentin never liked it when he asked too many questions, and he made sure Loki learned the lesson of his mistake the hard way.

Loki said nothing. Looking out the car's window again, this time his gaze carried up and upon the night skies where stars shining bring, for there was no other light from the city overshadowing them. There were on the outskirt, it seemed. No building. No people. No other cars. Just the two of them in the middle of nowhere.

Loki gulped when realisation hit; no one was going to help him, if Tony were to stop the car right here, kill him and dumb his body somewhere in the woods or worse. Or maybe it didn't even matter if there were in a crowded place since no one cared whether he lived or died. They would give Tony a statue for slaying the monster, after all.

"Where - are we going?" Finally Loki asked. The pressure of the unknown becoming too much. Though his voice was small, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to speak. And he had once been so full of pride and dignity.

"Safe house," Tony replied casually. "Can't take you to the Avengers compound. That's the first place they'll look once they realise you're gone, if they don't already realise it,"

Right, Loki thought. He was, after all, a criminal on the run.

They drove in silence for hours. Maybe it wasn't awkward because Loki fell asleep. He didn't mean to, but he was exhausted. So he lost the battle and went to the dreamless land with his head against the glass.

~~~

He woke with a start when Tony shook his shoulder, not too harsh, but he flinched anyway. "We're here," Tony said, voice soft.