BLOODSTREAM

Pairings: Frostiron, possible Clintasha, maybe others...?

Summary: Loki Odinson is a dark, pale mystery, plagued with demons from his past. Tony Stark is an arrogant, popular jerk who's about as alone as anyone can get. When they meet, they each recognize something in the other that gets beneath their skin and plagues their thoughts. They need each other, whether they know it or not, but they have a long way to go before they're ready.

Warnings: Substance abuse, self-harm, underage drinking and smoking and sex, and a whole lotta angst. Oh, and gay stuff too. ;)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Everybody likes a high school AU, right? Well, here ya go. This thing has been knocking about in my skull a while, and I finally got it down. Be warned, I do just love to torture my boys, and I take no responsibility for feels caused by excessive angst.

Words can feel like knives, they can cut you open

And the silence surrounds you and haunts you

I think I might have inhaled you

I can feel you behind my eyes

You've gotten into my bloodstream

I can feel you flowing in me

- Bloodstream by Stateless

He waits under the red hexagon of a stop sign, hunched against the rain. His long fingers worry the locket between them, black fingernails rubbing the worn brass. Loki knows its every contour by heart, and clutches at it only to remind himself that he hasn't forgotten.

A flash of yellow flickers through the trees in the distance and he slips the pendant back into his pocket. It nestles below his hip familiarly as he mounts the steps of the school bus. Taking a seat in the back, he puts his headphones in his ears and tries to drown out the feeling that he's missing something.

"Have you heard about the new kid?"

He looks up from his sandwich at Clint, who's practically vibrating above him. Tony tries, he really does, but sometimes he just can't keep up with the smaller blonde boy.

"What? Sit down before you hurt yourself."

Clint plops next to him gracelessly, nearly landing on his lunch. "So, have you heard of him?"

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me," Tony replies in a practiced bored drawl.

He mumbles something through his mouthful of sandwich, and Tony replies with a blank stare. Clint, bless his little heart, gets his feathers all ruffled just thinking about new gossip or rumors, though he wouldn't be one to admit it. Tony, on the other hand, couldn't care less, and listens only to humor the other boy.

Clint continues, and excited glimmer in his eye. "Apparently he was expelled from his old school."

"For what?"

This is answered with a violent shrug. "I dunno, but they're also saying that he's involved in some kind of drug dealing ring. Or he's actually an arsonist that burned down his old school."

"Neither of those are even remotely plausible," Bruce says, appearing next to Tony. He pulls an apple out of his paper lunch bag and nibbles on it.

"How would you know?" Clint demands, offended.

"I sit next to him in Bio. He didn't burn down his old school, because he went to Stane."

"Stane, as in the fancy private school?" Clint asks.

"No, Clint, Stane the donut shop," Tony replies, his tone bitingly sarcastic. "Of course the school. Anyway, what's the big deal with him going to Stane?"

"Because it's interesting, don't you think, that his brother goes here? And that he's switching into our class mid-November." Bruce says.

Now Tony is thoroughly confused. "What? Brother, what?"

Bruce gives Clint a scathing glance. "You didn't tell him?"

The blond boy shrugs. "I was saving the best bit for last."

"Tell me what? Who's his brother?"

Both Clint and Bruce speak in unison, their voices grave. "Thor Odinson."

"Thor, as in the big blonde bimbo football player, Steve's friend?"

"Yep," Clint says.

Tony pauses a moment, thinking. "Wait, so why does he go here if his brother went to Stane? And why did he switch schools if Stane is better? And what's with the drug ring rumor? I can't imagine Thor having anything to do with drugs. I mean, the guy is crazy enough, I wouldn't want to go adding extra chemicals to the mix-"

"Tony." Bruce holds up his hand. "You're blathering again."

"Sorry," Tony says. "Why'd he switch?"

"I don't know," Bruce replies. "He doesn't talk much. I can't entirely discount the expulsion rumor, though. He kind of looks like a mess. He's very different from Thor."

"How so?"

"Well, he's skinny and tall and has black hair," Clint supplies. "And he looks like he's been through hell, actually. Like really dark bags under his eyes. He's really scary-looking."

"Interesting," Tony says. He tries to imagine a scary-looking Thor, but can't call an image into his mind.

Suddenly, the bell rings, and Tony gathers his things with a sweep of his arm. He's about to wave goodbye when something occurs to him. "Wait, Bruce. What's his name?"

Bruce gives a small smile, like he knows something Tony doesn't.

"Loki."

Loki's taken up a seat in the back, hood pulled carefully over his head, trying to be as invisible as possible when the bell rings. The teacher begins to talk, but Loki's thinking, not listening, and so he doesn't hear it when she speaks to him.

"Loki," She repeats. "Loki Odinson?"

He cringes internally at the name. "I'm here," he says.

"All right, Loki, why don't you come introduce yourself to us." She gestures for him to come and stand beside her.

He hesitates. He knows that this is the moment that decides who he will be to these people, all depending on what he says. He stands, sweeping off his hood fluidly as he goes to position himself next to the teacher at the front of the room. A fresh start, the familiar voice echoes in his head.

"Hello," he says, unsure. "I'm Loki."

"And where are you from?" the teacher supplies, a helpful smile on her face.

Loki scans the desks with his sly green eyes, alighting on a few faces here and there. A girl with fiery red hair sits near the front, regarding him coolly. A boy, tall and handsome and obviously popular, taps his pencil on the desk. Another boy doodles in his notebook, dishevelled brown hair tufting from the top of his head.

"I'm from England, originally. Moved to the US when I was seven." Loki says, eyes on the brown-haired boy. He realizes he's the only one in his class who isn't looking at him.

"Are you related to Thor?" a voice says.

Loki swallows his loathing. "Yes. I'm his brother."

A ripple of conversation passes over the classroom, whispers being thrown across the desks. Loki sees as the brown-haired boy looks up, and for a moment he's lost in deep toffee-colored eyes. He quickly looks away, unpleasant memories rising to the surface like bile.

"All right, Loki," the teacher says. "Take a seat. Class, quiet down."

Loki slides back into his seat, his belly pooling into a pit of worry.

The brunette boy's gaze follows him back, unflinchingly curious. Loki returns it in kind, and they hold each others' stares for a heartbeat. Suddenly the coffee-colored eyes flick away, but not without a small smile.

Loki, unsure of the bizarre exchange that had just happened between himself and a total stranger, tries to drown out the drone of the teacher as best he can.

Standing in front of the classroom, Loki is nothing like Tony expected.

His black, tousled hair is brushed back from his face by long fingers, and his face is hollower and cheekbones sharper. Tony examines his angular features, finding long dark lashes under smooth brows. But what really strikes Tony are his eyes, sly and heavy-lidded. They're bloodshot, dark circles ringing each that he can't tell are from fatigue or something more sinister. Maybe both. His eyes look like they've seen too much, and aren't quite ready to forget.

They turn to meet Tony's, poison-green and flecked with gold. They linger briefly before moving on, and then Loki's moving back to his seat.

Tony watches him, impossibly curious. Loki meets his gaze again, and holds it fearlessly rather than looking away. Tony gives a small smile at his boldness and returns his eyes to the front of the room.

As the teacher talks, Tony sneaks glances at Loki sitting slouched in the back of the room.

Clint was right in saying the guy looks like he's been through hell. Loki's expression is so... defeated. The shadows that cast themselves across his fine face are almost sickly, and his hunched shoulders look like he's trying to keep the world from touching him.

Loki looks up and their eyes meet again. This time, the green narrows in suspicion and distrust. Tony makes a face at him and looks away.

Loki is plagued by toffee-colored eyes in his sleep that night, all friendly and kind and wanting him, wanting to get to know him. It's as close to a good dream as he's had in a long time, and when he wakes in the middle of the night, the pleasant feeling in his belly is so unfamiliar he can't fall back into sleep.

Hello readers, new and old!

Well. If you've been following Coffee Rings, you know I kind of disappeared for a while. I apologize, school was really slaying me and I had little time to write. And if you're wondering why, then, do I have a new story rather than another chapter of Coffee Rings, it's a good question. It's because I am really stuck on Coffee Rings right now (I'm not much of a plotter, and when I get stuck I get stuck) but I had this thing kicking around in my head, so why not?

This story will be updated irregularly, just so you know. I'm really, really busy and I'll try as best I can to get it updated often, but no promises.

Love you!
RagAndBones

P.S. If you find a typo, tell me!

P.P.S. Reviews make me update faster. Seriously. And if there's something you want to see happen, shoot me a message! I'll try to work it in. ;)

P.P.P.S. Sorry for the re-update, I forgot to put the lyrics and inspiration!