Three days.

It had been three days and Tony had yet to see hide nor hair of Loki. It was like he was caught in a haze. That any moment the fog would clear and he'd find him standing there.

But Tony knew that wasn't going to happen.

His entire being was slowly tearing itself into pieces. And each tiny rip was a reminder of his mistake.

The look of pure shock, fear, and what could only be described as disgust, that flashed in Loki's eyes just after he kissed him haunted Tony.

Tony had promised he'd never hurt him; betray him, lose him, and yet Tony did what he always did. He screwed things up. And what made it worse was Tony couldn't do anything about it.

He couldn't sit in the closet with Loki and hold him close as he had before. He couldn't text him with some stupid question to get the problem off his mind. He couldn't even buy him a hotdog to fill the hunger, not for food, but companionship – understanding.

Tony made a mess of everything. And as much as it hurt Tony, he couldn't dwell on himself. His whole concern was on Loki. On how he had hurt him, on how he had betrayed him, on how they could never be what they were.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Where's Clint?" Steve asked, noticing the usual spot vacated. Tony shrugged as he bit into a fry.

"Lunch line," Bruce offered. "Apparently today is the day."

Steve and Tony shot a knowing look. They snuck a peak at the lunch line and, true to Bruce's word, Clint was chatting up Natasha Romanoff.

"Son of a bitch," Tony muttered, absolutely impressed. Tony never thought Clint would get the guts to finally talk to the Russian transfer student. He'd been pining for years and there he was, being Mr. Cool.

Clint made his way to the lunch table, an all knowing look on his face. He proudly sat down and winked.

"What happened?" Steve asked, ever the poster boy for cool and suave.

Clint shrugged. "We talked."

"What about?" Bruce inquired. "And don't say the food because you were rather chummy."

"I'm taking her out tomorrow," Clint grinned, garnering an enthusiastic pat on the back from Steve, a thumbs up from Bruce, and a small head nod from Tony.

I should have done that, Tony thought. Initiate small talk, discuss something they have in common, then take the plunge and ask Loki on a date. Not kiss him and then yell feelings at him. Tony lacked all common sense.

He bit into another soggy fry. "No need to break out the champagne," Clint muttered at Tony.

Tony looked up from his tray and offered Clint a weak smile. "About time."

Bruce and Steve shared a look, but Tony didn't care. So maybe he had been the exact antithesis to the life of the party all week. Tony believed he deserved to wallow in self pity. At least until he was able to clear the air with Loki. Not that that was ever going to happen.

The guy didn't answer his calls or reply to his texts or come to school. Who does that? Tony was lost in a world of anger and self loathing.

Steve reached out and pulled Tony's lunch tray away just as he was about to grab another french fry. "Alright," Steve said. "What's wrong?"

Tony merely grumbled and stole a fry from Clint's tray instead.

"You've been in a funk all week," Bruce stated.

"Have not," Tony practically whined.

Clint pulled his food away before Tony could steal another fry. "Dude, I just scored a date with the girl you've been harping on me to ask out since freshman year and you barely acknowledge this information."

Tony planted his face onto the table. "I hate all of you," he bemoaned.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thor knocked on Loki's door but got no response. "Brother?" he asked. "I have your homework." He pressed his ear against the door but heard not a sound. "Loki?"

Nothing. Thor sighed as he placed a folder filled with written assignments and worksheets in front of the door and headed back downstairs.

Thor had not seen Loki in days. He must surely be alive, as his food and homework disappeared in the evenings and his finished assignments and empty bowls reappeared every morning.

It was not like Loki to hide in his – ok, that was completely untrue. It was very like Loki to hide in his room. It was not like Loki to – well that wasn't true either. This was all very Loki-like.

The only difference being Loki had never done it to such an extreme.

Thor sank into a chair and slunk over the kitchen table. His mother, reading glasses atop her nose and hair pulled back, sat opposite him reviewing some important looking documents. She reassuringly ruffled Thor's hair while saying, "He's still not answering, huh?"

Thor's answer was muffled and undistinguishable, and was most certainly an affirmation of her statement. "Maybe he'll answer the door for dinner."

Thor answered once more before realizing his point was not being heard. "What makes you believe so?"

"Because we are having his favorite," Frigga grinned. "And I refuse to feed him until he answers that door."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thor stood at Loki's door with a bowl of wonton soup, two eggrolls, a plate of kung pao shrimp, and pan fried noodles. His mother had not been lying when she said they were having Loki's favorite. It seemed to Thor she had ordered every little item Loki had ever favored from New Fue City.

"Loki," Thor boomed. "Open your door, for I have brought you a feast of insurmountable proportions." Nothing. "And I will not leave it in front of your door as I have been doing for the last three days." Thor edged slightly closer, hoping to catch some movement from within the room.

Still nothing.

"If you do not come out, I will eat all of the kung pao shrimp."

The door flew open and Thor's smile of success quickly drooped into a frown of concern. "Brother?"

Loki scowled at him before grabbing the food and slamming the door right in his face.

One half of Thor's mind was applauding loudly in his ability to get Loki to actually open his door and leave his room, if only for two seconds. The other half was in a state of shock over the state of his brother.

It was only a brief look, but Thor could see Loki was not in the best of health. He wasn't sure if wonton soup would do any good. Thor had a right mind to go downstairs and make him chicken noodle soup.

Thor knocked. His brother was ill and he was going to do his brotherly duty and watch over him.

"Go away, Thor," Loki rasped.

Thor winced slightly but held his ground. "May I come in?"

"No."

"Please, Loki," Thor softly replied.

Thor put his ear to the door, listening for something. Anything.

"Fine," Loki grumbled.

Thor slowly opened the door to find Loki sitting cross legged on his bed, an army of food surrounding him and noodles hanging from his mouth. Thor shut the door and sat docilely on the opposite end of the bed.

Loki gently nudged an eggroll at Thor, but Thor shook his head in refusal. This food was Loki's. "Mother said you were not well, but – "

"But father said I was faking it, did he not?"

Thor shook his head once more, watching Loki intently. "But," Thor continued, "I did not think it so serious."

Loki merely grimaced.

What Thor had said was no exaggeration. Loki looked beat. He appeared as if he had not slept in days. His skin was a sickly pale, his eyes held deep, dark bags, and his hair and clothing looked unclean and unkempt. This was not the Loki Thor had grown up with.

He looked sickly. Or at the very least, terribly sad. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Thor asked.

Loki put down his chopsticks and put his noodles to the side. "What do you want, Thor?" Loki whispered, keeping his eyes down.

"I am concerned," Thor told him, smiling in an attempt to reassure his brother. It, however, went unnoticed.

Loki scoffed at that. "I am sure. How could you possibly survive without your brother by your side?" Loki drawled sarcastically.

"You know I worry when you are ill," Thor told him. "Perhaps more so than others."

"Others being whom, exactly?" Loki spat. "Your friends? The only one who would hold any interest is Fandral and I plan on bounding his hands and legs with the use of his own intestines as rope. Perhaps I'll hang a snake above him and let its venom drip unto his eyes. No one but you cares, Thor!"

His voice had gone slightly hoarse by the end. He had not spoken to anyone since Monday, Thor was certain.

"Mother cares." Loki huffed slightly. "And Father." Loki rolled his eyes at that one. "And Tony."

Loki stiffened at the last one. He began to twirl his chopsticks nervously. "He does not care," Loki whispered. "He should not care."

Thor edged closer to his brother. "Are you alright?"

"Damn it, Thor!" Loki yelled. "Do I look alright?" Loki's eyes began to water as he observed his hands that lay in his lap. "When am I ever alright?"

Thor reached out and took Loki in his arms. He could feel Loki tense at his touch but Thor was not going to let go. Whether his brother's illness was contagious or a result of a foul mood, Thor had determined he was to make this right.

Loki slowly relaxed and tightly hugged him back. Thor had not held Loki like this since they were children.

Thor used to do it all the time. Whether it was to reassure himself his brother did indeed exist and was his or after Loki had a nightmare and crawled into his bed, hoping that together they could get rid of the monsters. How much comfort he had forgotten was in something so simple as a hug.

"Tell me what ails you, brother," Thor said.

Loki shook his head violently against Thor's neck. "You would not understand."

"Then make me understand," Thor replied. "You are good at that."

Loki sniffed before pulling away. He looked up at Thor sadly. Thor had been correct in his earlier assessment.

"I am an idiot," Loki murmured.

"You are no idiot," Thor assured him. "You are the most intelligent person I have ever encountered."

Loki shook his head thoughtfully. "But I am, Thor," Loki urged. "I am the biggest fool who has ever graced this planet." Thor quirked his head, attempting to grasp the meaning of Loki's words.

"What has happened to make you so sure?"

"I cannot tell you," Loki whispered, looking down at his hands once more.

"Has it to do with Anthony?" Thor asked, steel in his voice. He knew not the reasoning for Loki's state of health, but if he were to go by Loki's behavior when Tony Stark was mentioned, then that was indeed the root of it all.

Loki refused to answer, but Thor could see he was right. "Has he hurt you?" Thor asked softly. "If he has harmed you in any way, I shall be sure to – "

Thor was interrupted by a rather pathetic attempt at a scoff by Loki. "Do not strain yourself with such gallant gestures," Loki mocked. "One would hardly wish the wrath of Thor befall an unsuspecting mortal."

"Then tell me," Thor insisted.

Loki shook his head. "I cannot," Loki answered. And with that, Loki found his noodles and began eating once more.

Thor knew there was no more he could do and little else to be said. "Will you be attending school tomorrow?" Thor asked.

"I do not think so," Loki answered thoughtfully. "Monday, for certain. But I don't think I could go tomorrow."

Thor nodded before placing a reassuring hand on Loki's shoulder. As Thor made his way to his room, he vowed to speak to Tony the next day.

Author's Note: So remember when I said I was gonna have this up yesterday? (actually now that I look at the time it was two days ago). Well, I lied. Or rather, real life has caught up to me. Today, tomorrow, and the day after are the birthdays of my sister, mom, and brother. Not to mention this morning I went to the optometrist. And in a week I'm shipping myself back to school. Where I will have no internet for like a week! I will not survive.

The point being, chapters may not be up as steadily as they have been before.

Ok. Now, once again, crap ton of reviews. Most of them were cursing the bane of my existence. Which I'm ok with. I knew I was gonna raise your hopes and then crush them mercilessly. In a general whole, sorry bout that (but not really). To those who've sort of just started reading, hello! Hope you're enjoying yourself. To those who've been following since forever and leaving fantastical reviews, thank you and glad you're still around.

We will return to our regularly scheduled reviewing program quite soon. Lots of love my loverlies.