A/N: What's up everybody! So good news first: 1-I had my kid! Said kid is adorable (facts not bias) and has so far been a good baby. 2- I have 2 chapters completed and ready fir publishing and two chapters almost finished. 3- I do have a bit of downtime to write.

Bad news: Updates will be slower because of said child. I've had some fun mental issues as well thanks to hormones so I'm being super careful about dealing with some of the content in this fic.

All of that being said, I'm shooting for a once month update schedule and we'll go from there.

These next two chapters will deal with child abuse so heads up.

The entire student body and staff gathered in the gym Monday morning to hold a vigil and listen to Fury's announcements concerning Ian Boothby's untimely death. The administration pulled all four grades out of morning classes for said assembly. The city had brought in counselors to encourage students to talk about their feelings and to deal with the emotions of losing a classmate. Fury had also begun encouraging anyone who'd attended the same party Thursday night to come forward and speak with the police. Few were stupid enough to go through with it, but a few students had too much weighing on their conscious. In other words the school and town joined together to show just how seriously they were taking this matter.

Which generally meant the room would be far too full of petty emotions that Loki couldn't stomach or be bothered to pretend he shared.

With such a large gathering of students it was simplicity for Loki to slip out of the gym unnoticed. Once in the clear, he made his way to the fire escape stairs behind the building fully intending to smoke half a pack while the charade raged on. He had not intended to run into anyone else hiding in the fire escape stairs but, as so often happened, luck did not hold his favor.

A younger girl with long curly, dark hair and a torso that her overly large hoodie did absolutely nothing to hide, sat crying on the bottom step. She looked vaguely familiar in the way that all underclassmen in a small town did. Loki immediately began backtracking but unfortunately she looked up before he could manage an escape. Cursing to himself, he noted the puffy red eyes and smeared mascara behind large square glasses of someone deeply distressed and more familiar than he'd originally thought.

"It's Darcy right?" He asked when the staring between them had lasted long enough to become awkward. The girl nodded. "You're friends with Jane Foster?"

"How did you know?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets just for something to do, Loki gave her a half hearted shrug. "I'm Thor's friend."

Darcy did a quick once over of him before recognition flickered across her face. "You must be the Loki guy I hear about all the time."

"I'm the Loki guy," Loki snorted.

To his relief that earned him the tiniest of smiles. "Jane's told me about you."

"I'm sure that it's been all positive then," he said with more sarcasm than necessary. "May I sit with you?"

"I can't stop you," Darcy said, shifting so he could pass by her on the steps.

He gave her a quiet thanks before sliding down on the step above hers. After pulling his cigarettes from his pocket a momentary urge of chivalry forced him to show her the pack. "Mind if I…?"

Shaking her head, Darcy turned slightly, giving him a bit more room and less of her outright attention. "Go on. It won't bother me."

"Want one?"

"Nah those things'll kill ya."

Typical, he thought to himself. "All have to die from something. At least this way I have some control over the method."

Darcy's face tightened in some unidentifiable emotion. She quickly leaned her head against the stair railing before he could get a better read on her. "So what are you doing out here?" She asked, her voice thick again from the tears she'd been shedding. "Besides slowly killing yourself."

Unsettled at her obvious display of emotion, Loki decided to utilize his usual apathy and ignore her tears in favor of answering her question.

"I didn't want to sit through an assembly where five hundred people pretend to feel sad about the death of someone they barely knew. Half of them because of some misplaced survivor's guilt and the other half for attention. It's a bit too self-absorbed for my taste."

He saw Darcy glance at him from the corner of her eye. "Aren't you a bottle of happiness."

He snorted and shot a half smile at the back of her head. "I've been called worse."

"I kind of get why people think you're an asshole."

"People rarely think, that's the problem Darcy."

Silence built between them as Loki tossed away the but of one cigarette and lit another. Tension settled into the air around them thickening the air with far more than just smoke. For some reason this bothered him more than usual. Typically he couldn't be bothered to care about the problems of others. Darcy however, seemed much too young to carry whatever weight had brought her outside to be alone instead of inside with friends. After several long draws on his cigarette, Loki found that he couldn't take the awkwardness any longer.

"What are you doing out here Darcy? You don't exactly look like the delinquent type."

Darcy sighed as if she'd been dreading such a discussion the whole time. "No, that's your area right?"

"That it is. Now stop deflecting."

"I couldn't sit through the assembly," she admitted softly. "It feels…"

"Wrong," he provided.

Darcy nodded. "Yeah, wrong fits. So do fake, disingenuous, crappy, and so many other words."

"It's a big event," Loki observed, offhandedly. "All the other deaths have been older college kids. Now it hits home because it's a teenager in high school. It's a funny ole world."

"Yeah," said Darcy, "and it sucks."

Loki couldn't help but agree. The bitterness in her tone referenced far too much anger for someone completely unaffected by the events of Thursday night's party.

"Did you know him?" He asked curiously.

"Yep," she said, popping the p dejectedly.

Something about her demeanor made him hesitate before deciding to dive into the certain emotional entanglement she embodied.

"Did you know him well?"

Darcy snorted without humor. "I'd say so. He was my boyfriend for two years."

"Shit."

"Yep."

"If it's any consolation-"

"Please don't say you're sorry," she pleaded, turning to face him with tear streaked cheeks and desperate brown eyes. "I've heard that so many times today and I don't think I can handle it again. He's gone, being sorry about it isn't going to bring him back."

Despite his reputation of having a silver tongue, Loki couldn't think of a single thing to say. He sucked at these types of emotional… well the entire spectrum of emotions in general.

He finally settled with, "I'm an asshole."

"I thought we'd already established that," she quipped, turning away from him again.

Loki leaned forward until his elbows rested on his knees, removing some of the distance between them. "I'm going to apologize, but it's for what I said earlier. It's a nice vigil for the guy."

The guy whose name Loki couldn't even remember. He'd always known he didn't measure up to other people, good or bad, but currently his own inadequacy slapped him in the face and left him scrambling for a hold. This left him in completely new territory. Knowing about his own inferiority and actually facing it, seemed to be two different ends of the spectrum.

Thankfully in her grief, Darcy seemed willing to look past his lesser value in favor of simply talking to someone. "No, you were right it sucks. Ian would've hated it. All those people pretending to care… it's…" she groped for a word to explain just how little the good intentions of others mattered to her in this matter.

"Shallow?" He offered.

Darcy nodded, her head still turned away from him so that he couldn't gage her exact reaction. "Yeah, shallow."

"Do you… do you want to talk about it?"

Please say no, please say no, he thought, the words on repeat in his mind.

Darcy seemed to be of the same mind. "I don't even know you, dude."

"Could be helpful," Loki said, cursing his own stupidity and desire to push the topic. For caring about Darcy's plight for some ridiculous reason. "If you don't care what I think, you can vent and get it all out."

Darcy shrugged again. "What should I say? That I'm pissed because he was stupid enough to do drugs. That I'm angry at myself for letting him go alone. Or should I delve into the emotions of loss that I shouldn't be experiencing at fifteen fucking years old."

For once in his life, Loki managed to keep his mouth shut. What words could he offer to make her feel better? He hadn't even known the guy and really only had emotional connections with two people. He was the last person anyone needed to talk to about their feelings.

Darcy finally looked up at him. "I think I'm going home," she said. "You didn't see me here and I didn't see you with those" - she pointed to his still too full pack of cigarettes - "okay."

"Secret's safe."

With her promise of secrecy intact, Darcy wandered away slowly leaving Loki to his own inadequacy.

After the earlier debacle with Darcy Lewis and subsequently dealing with the moping and attention seeking student body all day, Loki had pretty much given up on the day by lunch. Which meant that he should have known the moment he saw his youngest brother leaning dejectedly against his locker after school that the day would not end as one of his best. But he had so few good days, what would be the harm in testing fate just a little more.

Neither of his brothers shared many physical traits with Loki. Both Helbindi and Bylestier favored their mother over their shared father. If it hadn't been for the high cheekbones and dark hair that all three gained from Laufey, there would be zero resemblance to mark the three as brothers. The younger two had square jaws and rounded faces that in time would provide them with thuggish features. The beady brown eyes and hulking figures did little to dissuade this notion. Bylestier though, had more of a boyish air to him that Helbindi lacked. It provided him with an innocence that had always been Loki's undoing.

Ignoring his younger brother for the moment, Loki opened his locker and began stuffing books into his bag. The pleading eyes Bylestier shot his way ensured Loki wouldn't be able to maintain his facade for long.

"Why aren't you up at the field with Bindi?" he asked finally.

The younger boy immediately began talking. "I'm in trouble Loki."

"In trouble or in trouble?" Clarification was key here.

"Dad's going to kill me," he answered with the perfect sincerity only a younger sibling could provide.

Byslestier might only be thirteen, but the boy's broad shoulders and ridiculous height - he stood as high as Loki's shoulders - gave him a towering presence. In all instances except those in which their father was discussed, then Bylestier managed to look younger than should be possible. It was a rather remarkable trait that Loki believed shouldn't be possible.

Knowing he'd lost as soon as he noticed his brother's terrified demeanor, Loki leaned back against the lockers in defeat. "No he's not," Loki sighed. "You're the golden child."

Bylestier began nervously picking at his fingernails. "Loki this is serious."

"Les," Loki said, putting on his best big brother voice, "you know Laufey would never hurt you."

"How do I know that?" Bylestier's fear exploded. "Look at you-"

Loki put the breaks on that train before it could get running. "I've earned his ire fair and square."

"What about Bindi?"

"He's a prat!" Loki scoffed. "And it's only ever been once or twice that Laufey's gotten that mad at him."

Laufey generally reserved his more hands on treatment for his oldest son, dealing with the younger two by pulling them out of sports or with grounding. Loki, apparently, had always been too stubborn for that type of punishment to hold any weight. Though, even if he put his mind to it, he couldn't actually remember many attempts at such paltry punishment.

Bylestier shifted until he stood directly in front of Loki. His very real fear, tangible in the air around them. "Loki, you told me to come to you when I'm scared. I'm scared."

Loki, as usual, lost his will to fight against his brother's misgivings at the admission of fear. "What's happened?"

Bylestier pushed a folded sheet of paper into his older brother's hands. Loki barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he looked over the page. Bylestier's progress report certainly wasn't the best he'd ever seen - seriously did the kid realize he was meant to achieve grades at the beginning of the alphabet - but it certainly didn't hold grounds for the fear Bylestier exhibited.

Sliding his eyes from the page to his brother, Loki tried to keep his tone calm. "This is nothing Les."

Noting the careful disbelief of his brother, Bylestier snatched the progress report back from Loki. "It's not nothing to Dad, Loki! You remember how hard he came down on Bindi last year. He's already been on me about my grades since the disaster that was last year. Says he'll pull me from the basketball team if I don't get it together."

"It's just your progress report Les, you have time to make it up."

"Sure, but he's already pissed because I went to that stupid party with Bindi on Thursday after the game instead of studying for my math test."

"So?"

"I failed the test, Loki! Plus that Boothby kid died and you know how Dad gets about us being involved in anything that could fall back on him."

Loki took several deep breaths to keep himself contained. He didn't have time for this. He had track practice and work and five million other things to worry about than his brother's fretting over nothing. Their father might be a prick to him, but Laufey would never use something of such little consequence to harm his other two sons. Loki ran a hand through his hair to stem some of his frustration.

"He might pull you from the team but that's it, Les. And as for the party, no one knows who all showed up. Stark's parties are too big for anyone to keep track of and even if someone knew you were there, you don't have to talk to the cops. Dad won't give a damn about that."

"How can you be sure?" Bylestier argued, fear still present.

Loki shrugged. "Like I said you're the favorite."

"Helbindi used to think he was too," Bylestier pointed out, his jaw set in that stubborn way that meant he wouldn't be giving in anytime soon.

"Yeah but we've already established that Bindi's a prat."

Uncharacteristically, Bylestier conceded to that point. Helbindi had more of a mouth on him than Bylestier and a habit of making bullheaded decisions which tempted Laufey's patience in ways only Loki could exceed.

"Will you at least be there when I show him?" Bylestier begged.

"I don't think that will help you."

"No, but I'll feel better at least."

Loki sighed and caved in. "Don't show him tonight."

"What?"

"I have to work tonight and I'm staying at Thor's, so don't show him tonight."

Bylestier paused, picking at his fingernails once again while thinking over Loki's proposal. "He's going to be pissed you're at Thor's again."

Loki shrugged and slammed his locker door. "He'll be pissed no matter what. Just make up some bullshit about leaving it at school or not getting it for tonight. I'll be home tomorrow night and you can tell him at dinner."

"Thanks Loki."

"Yeah, well what are brothers for."

After dinner, Thor recommended that they go outside and play basketball or throw a ball around. Anything to get Loki out of his own head and planted firmly back into the reality he had obviously been ignoring. Thor had known something was wrong as soon as Loki had shown up to dinner unannounced and having apparently left work early. His best friend, though not boisterous by any stretch of the imagination, rarely had absolutely nothing to say. In contrast, Loki had a bad habit of often saying too much. His silver tongue had gotten them into as much trouble as it had gotten them out of. Thor had only ever known him to be completely quiet when something had gone beyond terribly wrong.

He and his mother had started paying closer attention to such nuances of Loki's moods three years ago, after the incident.

So having noticed all the signs that meant trouble was brewing, Thor hadn't needed the silent urge from his mother to talk to Loki. But it had been reassuring to know he hadn't simply been observing things that weren't there.

The two settled on playing horse at the old goal in front of his father's garage. A tried and true method of keeping themselves occupied enough to stay any boredom, yet allow them the time necessary to discuss whatever they needed.

"So, what's up?" Thor began after a few rounds, knowing he had no skill for subtlety.

Loki faltered when Thor asked his question right as he took his shot, missing the goal by a mile.

"You did that on purpose," he protested, deflecting the question.

Thor's smile might have been a bit too smug, but he'd never attempted to deny that he had a touch too much competitiveness in him.

"I did no such thing," Thor said, lining up for his next shot. "But you do have an H now."

Loki muttered something that might have been "shouldn't count" while he followed Thor's shot with perfection.

When it became obvious that Loki wasn't about to volunteer anything further, Thor tried again.

"You're avoiding my question, Loki. What's up?"

Loki's shoulders tensed. "What makes you think something's up?"

"Well for starters you left work early and came here without saying anything. Not that you've ever needed an invitation or anything, but it usually takes Mom pestering you for a week or a really bad fight for you to come over for dinner. You also don't seem to be leaving tonight. Again not a problem, I'd rather you were here than at your dad's anyway, but it's odd and you have to know I'd pick up on that. You even let Mom pack you a lunch for tomorrow and without protesting once. I know you Loki, something's up."

Loki dribbled his basketball absentmindedly avoiding Thor's gaze. "Well if I'm being an imposition for you-"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. So cut the crap and shoot me straight. What's going on."

"It's nothing really," Loki sighed. When Thor remained silent he tossed the ball aside in defeat. It hit the garage with a satisfying thwack leaving Loki with a satisfied smirk that fell as soon as he turned to Thor. "Les is failing math and almost every other subject as well."

Out of everything his friend could have said, Thor hadn't expected that.

Choosing his words carefully, Thor tried to work through the problem. "You're upset because your little brother is failing math?"

Sharp green eyes snapped up to meet vibrant blue. "Of course not. I'm upset because Laufey's going to be beyond pissed at him. Les is freaked for somewhat good reasons and the least of his worries is that Laufey will pull him from the basketball team."

Everything clicked into place with that explanation. Loki slid down to the ground, leaning his back against the goal and stretching long legs out in front of him. Desperation poured off him in waves. Thor placed his basketball on the ground beside him and sat on it facing Loki.

"You think your dad would hurt him?" Thor asked.

"No," Loki admitted quietly. "But Les is terrified."

"So you're going to do something incredibly stupid and slightly valiant."

"So I'm going to do something incredibly stupid," Loki agreed

Thor ran a hand through his hair. "Anything I can say to stop you?"

Loki shook his head. A quick trip into his jacket pocket produced a half carton of cigarettes of which he offered to Thor before grabbing one himself. It had become an odd routine between them. Loki always offered even though he knew Thor would never accept. Loki lit the tip and took a long drag.

"I can't sit by and let Les get hurt."

"You don't know that he will," Thor protested.

"Laufey's smacked Helbindi around a few times before. Never anything too serious, but he's done it."

"Yeah, but Helbindi's a piece of work and a major brat."

Loki's laugh was a thing of pure bitterness. "True. He might be able to handle it, but Les… he's better than either of us. He couldn't deal with it."

"Still."

"I couldn't save Binidi from all this crap, I'll be damned if I let that asshole hurt Les." Thor's note of protest was cut off by Loki before it could become anything more than a vague notion in the back of his throat. "Would you have let anything happen to Baldur if you could have helped it?"

An old ache that never truly left crept through Thor's chest, they so rarely mentioned Baldur. Loki's point had been made.

"I would have done everything in my power to keep him safe," Thor answered softly.

Loki nodded. "I know. That's why I can't let Les deal with Laufey alone. He's…" his eyes glazed a bit as he tried to find the right word to describe his youngest brother. "Vulnerable and innocent in all this. And Binidi won't lift a finger to help."

"Just be careful," Thor finally conceded. "I don't like this at all. I'd do everything I could to keep you safe too you know. Baldur isn't my only brother."

Loki didn't seem able to form a response to Thor's sentiment. Instead the other boy merely nodded before flicking his cigarette off into the grass. Rather dealing with any of those emotions he did what Loki always did best, he deflected and avoided them.

"If Ma was so curious why didn't she just ask me herself?"

Thor let out a chuckle at the quick change of pace. "What makes you think she put me up to this?"

The look Loki gave him explained just how little he thought of Thor's question.

"Okay fair enough," Thor conceded, moving to sit beside Loki.

"You're not as observant as you'd like to think, Thor."

"Hey it was a joint decision. She just insisted I ask tonight instead of in the morning."

"Yeah well…" Words didn't seem to be enough to convey the gratitude Thor knew Loki would never be able to express.

Thor bumped his shoulder into Loki's gaining a crooked smile and the other's gaze.

"You'll be okay right?" Thor couldn't help asking.

He'd always had trouble reconciling the knowledge that Loki had been through it all before and coming to terms with his friend actively seeking trouble. Fear always settled in the pit of his stomach and would remain there twisting everything into knots until he finally saw with his own eyes that Loki would be okay. Not many understood why he clung so tightly to his best friend, but Thor could have no sooner stopped worrying about the dark haired teen than he could cut off his own arm. He needed his best friend to be okay just as much as Loki needed Thor to be there in the aftermath.

Loki's half hearted shrug of an answer did little to ease Thor's concerns.

Thor settled for the vague platitudes that had become tradition between them. "Well I'll be here when shit hits the fan then. If you need…"

"I know Thor." Loki said.

At the end of the day nothing either said could stop time from moving on. Loki would draw his father's ire to keep his brother safe and Thor would be there to help deal with the fallout. And time would march on leaving this night as nothing more than another memory of the less beautiful sides of life.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments/reviews sections. Your replies give me life! As always I'll see you guys in the next chapter.