Loki lay in his bed all night. He ignored all calls and texts from Tony, determined to wallow in his self-pity. Even when the clock approached midnight, the appointed time he and Tony always snuck out to their cornfield, Loki just laid still. There was a thump on his side of his roof and Loki tensed, glancing at his curtains. His curtains were firmly pulled shut. There was no way to sneak a peak inside the curtains, so really he was safe, but Loki couldn't help the speeding of his heart.

A soft knock was tapped against his window. Loki sat up slowly and stared at his window, debating. He didn't want to ignore Stark, he really didn't, but that was a dick move! Loki was sick of being used and dumped on. Yes, he decided, he needed to let Tony suffer tonight.

The knocking came a second time and Loki sighed, covering his face in his hands. He waited. The tapping didn't come a third time. Footsteps crept away from his window and he heard the familiar thump of Stark landing back on his own roof. Loki rolled over.

Loki tried to sleep but all he could hear was the agonizing tick, tick, tick of his clock in the silence of his room. Frustrated, Loki sat up and moved his curtain aside, looking over at Tony's window. The room was dark but the curtains were clearly open and there was a piece of paper taped to Tony's window.

Squinting, Loki tried to make out the words. He rolled up the window and leaned out. Sorry, it read.

Loki smiled despite himself and went to bed.

Tony was surprised to see Loki standing by his car the next morning. Judging by Loki's refusal to come outside last night, Tony had thought he would have to hunt Loki down at school. He smiled, unsure of himself, and approached Loki.

Loki looked up. There were bags under his eyes and his skin looked a bit pale. He looked exhausted. "Are you okay, Loks?" Tony asked instead of a greeting.

"Don't talk, just drive," Loki said quietly. He waited as Tony unlocked his car before slipping inside.

Tony sat down more slowly, starting his engine while watching Loki. He didn't dare turn on the radio, especially when Loki looked that physically exhausted. As they backed out of the driveway, Loki rested his head against the car window, sighing.

Tony wanted to say something, anything! But he waited patiently as he drove, hoping that Loki would initiate the conversation. Lucky for him, Loki turned to him after a few minutes. "You're an asshole," Loki said.

Ouch, he deserved that. Tony's fingers tightened on his steering wheel but he nodded. "I know."

"Don't do that again."

"I know."

Loki huffed and slumped in his seat, not looking any happier.

Tony bit his lip. "So, are we okay?"

Loki gaped at him.

"I'm taking that as a no?" Tony said with a frown, thoroughly confused.

Loki studied him. "We're fine, I guess."

"You guess?"

Loki nodded, looking away. He was still clearly pissed. Anyone could see that. Tony pulled into the school parking lot.

"Look, I'm sorry," Tony said as he parked. He turned to face Loki, looking him right in the way. "I would never intentionally hurt you."

Something wavered in Loki's eyes that looked like uncertainty. Even that little bit of doubt in Loki's mind hit Tony right in the gut. He'd broken Loki's trust and he hated himself for it. "Yeah, I know," Loki said finally.

Tony wanted to touch Loki but he didn't dare. Instead they both headed into the school.

Something that bothered Tony was that once they got their lockers, Loki hesitated outside of his own, staring at it warily. Tony frowned but opened his own locker, keeping an eye on Loki as he did so.

When Loki did open his locker, he shoved his stuff inside quickly, without even slowing down, and slammed in shut. He sighed distastefully. Loki's been doing that a lot lately.

"Got something against your locker?" Tony asked.

"Just need to be somewhere," Loki said. He swung his backpack onto his shoulder and walked away without a second glance. Loki was closing him off, Tony realized.

Gym was usually an uneventful class for Loki. In fact, Loki loathed how boring it was. Throwing a ball around, running laps? Why bother!

Thanos was in his class, of course, but that had never been a problem for Loki. Thanos was usually preoccupied with the sports activities that Loki hated so much. Well, until today.

Loki popped open his gym locker and frowned. His gym clothes were lying in shreds at the bottom of the locker. Someone had taken a scissors to it, shredding his clothes to pieces. Loki bit his lip, tilted his head back, and tried to breathe steadily through his noise. Loki's chest flared and his hands shook.

Around him, he heard students laugh quietly, all in on the joke. That sent Loki's anger boiling over. Turning on his heel, Loki marched over to Thanos who looks especially amused. "What the hell is your problem?"

Thanos laughed. "Why are you asking me? I didn't do anything!" Loki knew better. Thanos was grinning widely with a hint of pride. Loki knew that he did this.

Loki threw a punch right at Thanos's face, hitting him right in his cheek. Momentarily, Loki felt the zinging exhilaration of the fight and his hand tingled with satisfying pain. Then he realized, Thanos was gearing up to fight back.

"Shit," Loki laughed, dodging out of the way just in time. Loki moved to run when he realized he was surrounded by Thanos's friends, all smiling with malice.

Thanos waved them off. "I've got him."

"Don't think I can take you in a fight?" Loki asked, glaring at him steadily. The other boys gathered around them, leaving a circular clearing in which Loki and Thanos stood.

"I know so," Thanos replied smugly.

Loki wanted to bash Thanos's face in. Suddenly, Thanos was lunging at him. Loki didn't have a chance to move out of the way. Thanos crashed into Loki, throwing both of them to the ground. Surprisingly, Loki didn't hit his head, so he still had enough energy to kick Thanos off of him.

His foot struck Thanos straight in the gut and he went down with a gasp. Loki threw himself to his feet. Before anyone else could react, Loki pushed his way out of the locker room.

He decided to skip gym today.

When Loki didn't show up for lunch, Tony grew worried. Was it because of him? Was Loki really that mad?

He pushed around his food on his tray, distracted, trying to think up a single reason why Loki wouldn't be there. "Where's Loki?" Pepper asked, setting her tray down on the opposite side of the table.

Tony dropped his fork and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I have no fucking clue."

"What did you do to him?" Pepper asked softly.

"Why do you always think I'm the one to mess things up?" Tony asked in annoyance. He glared at her.

She shrugged. "You've always been that way."

"Well didn't you used to hate Loki?" Tony's voice took a threatening edge. He still didn't like to think bout how his friends used to be part of the group that hated Loki.

Pepper looked utterly ashamed. Her face paled and her eyes darted away. "I already told you that he used to be my friend. He pushed us away, so we gave up."

"See? I'm not the only one who makes stupid choices."

Natasha and Clint exchanged glances, just arriving at the table. "Who did what?" Natasha asked.

"Tony can't find Loki," Pepper said quietly. Tony felt a twinge of guilt.

Clint spoke up, "I heard Thanos was causing trouble in Loki's gym class."

Natasha continued, "And Loki punched him. I heard he skipped classes after that."

Tony frowned. Loki wouldn't go home, he knew that. But where else would he go? Then it clicked. Tony stood suddenly. "I'll see you guys later," he said, grabbing up his tray. He quickly left the table.

After dumping his tray, Tony snuck out of the school through a side door facing the baseball fields. The early October air was cool and crisp. Tony paced across the soft green fields, heading for the football field. He was sure that Loki would be there.

Tony came to the field and immediately spotted Loki's figure standing at the top of the bleachers, leaning over the railing, looking over the houses nearby. Tony stopped at the base of the bleachers. "Loki," Tony called with his hands cupped around his mouth.

Loki looked over his shoulder at Tony. He couldn't see Loki's expression. Loki turned fully and leaned back against the railing, waiting. Taking his cue, Tony began to climb the steep steps up to Loki. There was something beautiful about the way Loki watched him so closely.

He reached the top step, stopping right in front of Loki. Loki's face was pale and his fingers had turned white. Tony quickly stripped off his sweatshirt and held it out to his boyfriend. "You look cold," he said softly.

Loki's stable expression broke into a whirlwind of emotions. He took the sweatshirt and hugged into himself. Without warning, Loki pressed himself into Tony's chest, letting his cheek fall onto Tony's shoulder.

Instinctively, Tony wrapped his arms around Loki, pulling him closer. The sweatshirt was wedged between them. "I'm sorry, Loks," Tony said, pressing a hand to the back of Loki's cold neck.

Loki nodded into his shoulder. "I know."

"Is everything okay?" Tony asked.

Silence followed his words and it only confirmed what Tony feared. Something was wrong and somewhere along the way, Tony had missed it. "I don't want to talk about it," Loki said.

Tony pulled away and rubbed Loki's shoulder. "Put on the sweatshirt," he commanded.

Loki did what he was told and Tony had to force his self to breathe when Loki zipped it up. The black sweatshirt hung a little baggy around Loki's small frame. Loki smiled. "You should smile more," Tony told him.

"Stop trying to get on my good side. I know what you're doing," Loki laughed weakly.

"But you should," Tony told him. He plucked at Loki's long black hair and Loki knocked his hand away playfully.

Loki smiled widely before pulling into Tony in a surprise kiss. Tony melted into it easily. "Are you skipping the rest of the day?" Tony asked against Loki's lips.

He pulled back, looking at Tony thoughtfully. "I was thinking of it, but I suppose not. I'm probably in enough trouble as it is already."

Tony felt a surge of protectiveness but also relief. At least Loki was staying the rest of the day. Taking Loki's hand, he led him down the bleachers and back to the school.

"Why don't we watch those Harry Potter movies you like so much?" Tony said as they drove home. "We can watch them on my laptop in my room with the door locked, so we don't have to see Howard."

Loki looked at him like he was crazy. "You've never seen Harry Potter? How?"

Tony laughed. He turned onto their street, driving slowly down the road. "It's just like how you don't listen to ACDC! I've been questioning your sanity every day since I found out."

Loki laughed but he was cut short as they slowed down by their houses. There, in front of Loki's house was Howard and Odin, talking. Tony couldn't breathe.

"Oh no," Tony said. He turned the car into the driveway and parked. Neither Odin nor Howard looked up at his car.

Tony glanced at Loki. Loki was breathing shallowly. Suddenly Tony was very afraid for Loki. He snaked his hand across the middle of the car and laced his fingers into Loki's. Loki looked away from their fathers to look at Tony. "It's going to be okay," Tony assured him. At least, Tony hoped it would be.

Things are going to heat up in the next few chapters!