A/N: Trigger warning, mentions of eating disorder and numbers used in this chapter. I do not own Loki or Marvel, and thank goodness, seeing as what I put them through =]

Loki glanced up at his reflection in his dresser mirror. He wandered his way over to it, his fingers brushing against the skin of his cheeks, just below his green eyes. He felt the small hairs on his face; felt the warmth of his touch, then clenched his fist quickly, his nails pressing into the lines of his palm.

So pathetic. His mind rasped as his eyes traveled over the bulk of his body. In a moment he felt over sized. He'd seen the way the other boys carried themselves—large muscles and well trained abs, girls on their ankles, attaching themselves to the boys' hips. He saw the attention the other boys got from his very own classmates, from his teachers, from their parents…their fathers.

Why couldn't Odin accept Loki, too, as his son?

Why did Odin have to look so disgusted by Loki's existence? With Loki's lack of honor? With Loki's imperfections.

Why couldn't Loki be the son his father would be proud of? Why couldn't his father be at his parent teacher conferences, his middle school graduation, his accomplishments, backing up his dreams?

Why did Odin only express failure in his eyes for Loki when Thor, of all people, got success, pride and love?

What did the younger adolescent have to do to get his father to love him—unconditionally?

Loki gasped in pain, tears forming of their own accord, trailing down his cheeks in multiplying rows.

Loki was a disgrace and a failure—just for being himself.

The young boy began pinching his flesh in thick quantities—extending his fatty skin from the skeleton that lay somewhere underneath.

So fat. So disgusting. How pathetic.

His eyes rolled uncontrollably, the world spinning in visions of two and three mirrors. His frame twisted and turned, growing black and thick as the words hurled over and over in his mind. He clung to the sides of his mahogany dresser, his knuckles white from the strength he imposed upon the wood. His breath came out in quickened gasps, his heart thudding vigorously inside his chest.

Each beat rose to his ears where he could hear it snarling: Pathetic, Pathetic, Pathetic.

He wanted to slam his head into the mirror before him, but instead he found himself pulling away swiftly and swirling into the nearest bathroom, down the hall to the left. He slammed the door behind him with a bang, disoriented from the rush of panic swarming over him, his brain swelling like a hot air balloon's rise to the sky. He lurched forwards and undocked the scale they had propped up on its side by the toilet.

Without thinking he stepped onto the cool metal, and waited with exasperation until

128.3

appeared. Suppressing the urge to fling himself off a bridge, Loki stuffed the scale back into its hiding spot, lifting up his gaze to meet the blurred reflection that stood back at him.

He growled lowly and slapped an oily hand to the clear glass, turning the faucet hastily until he was splashing icy chill water on his face. Settling into the feeling of the droplets rolling down into his sleeves, Loki dried himself roughly.

Then, returning to his bedroom, he gathered his book bag and textbooks, leering towards the stairs where Thor would undoubtedly be sitting at the kitchen table working on his homework in an ineffectual manner, spending far more time socializing on his cell phone than anything else.

Loki braced himself for his brother's foolishness as he trudged to the room. He had work to do to prove himself great.

Everything else could wait.

A/N: Here's chapter 5 everyone! I wrote up a chapter last week, which will be coming in right after this one (and it's longer), but felt it was too dark and too sudden as the fifth chapter and needed some filler before it got there. Hence, this chapter I did today! =]

Leave me your thoughts and ideas if you so wish to do so! They are candy to me and propel me to write more, sooner! =]

Thank you to everyone who has faved, followed and reviewed! I love talking with you peeps. Have a good week, everyone!