I own nothing.

Dread: write about something you dreaded doing

Elena was feeling really terrible and ended up sleeping in and not leaving her room the next day. She puked when she woke up and continued to cry for most of the day. When first Wanda, then Steve, and finally Natasha came to see why she wasn't leaving her room she told them all the same thing: she wasn't feeling good and was sick. They all bought it and she instructed JARVIS to make them all leave her alone.

When Tony got the message from JARVIS he almost went to check on her, but remembered his pity party and stopped himself. He felt kind of stupid about the whole thing but he was still very angry at Elena for breaking her promise to not tell anyone about his visual impairment. He was still receiving teasing from most of the team and Steve made him take a vision test.

The next day Elena was feeling better and decided to leave her room. When she got to the common floor, though, she heard raised voices. She saw some other members of the team heading in and then she heard what exactly the raised voices where yelling about. Weapons and the direction of Stark Industries. I guess Pepper's back then. I bet he would forgive her sooner than he is me. Hell I bet he would forgive everyone faster than me. She almost started to cry again but managed to stem that.

"Tony, do you know the differences in profit we have between now and when we were selling weapons?!" She entered at this point and looked around, oh look she brought her new boyfriend.

"Hey Happy." Natasha greeted "So what's going on?"

"Pepper wants to start selling weapons again, and Tony doesn't."

"Not surprising really. Tony believes in keeping the peace, building weapons would destroy it." Clint stated

"I'm not making weapons!"

"You don't have to, that's what we have workers for!"

"I still own this company Pepper; you don't get to make these decisions!"

"The council agrees with me!"

"I am the sole share holder in the company, the council can fuck themselves! I can replace them and you without much effort because guess what? It's my company and you are trying to stage an impeachment!" they glared at each other and everyone watched them trying to see who'd crack first. All of a sudden Elena's eyes grew wide, she ran across the room and into the bathroom. She skidded across the floor and didn't even bother closing the door before she puked; only just making it to the toilet in time.

"So that's the girl you chose to be on the Avengers? Does she have a weak stomach or something?" she heard Pepper asked. She didn't need to turn around to know everyone was staring at her. She puked again, but this time she felt cool hands holding her hair back. Looking up she found Loki with a furrow in his brows. His eyes grew wide and then narrowed.

"What are you doing?" She asked him in a calm voice.

"Oh, just reading your mind and checking your health to make sure it's nothing too serious."

"Would you stop reading people's minds? It's rude." He rolled his eyes and got a concerned look on his face.

"Is she okay?" Tony asked with obvious worry. She looked past Loki to see everyone looking into the bathroom.

"She'll be fine." He said as he helped her to her feet. "I'm going to bring her to her room so she can get some rest. You can all continue with what you were doing." Tony was obviously deliberating going with them but shook his head, with one last glance he turned to Pepper again. "You are in some special kind of trouble Elena." He whispered to her, she frowned but said nothing as they entered the elevator.

"Is there anything wrong with me?" She asked Loki s they entered her rooms

"I don't think so. I am a little bit rusty on my diagnosing magic so I would rather do a little research then try it again and let you know then. In the mean time just try to eat right, don't drink or smoke, and make up with Tony. He knows he's being stupid but he feels you betrayed him. He would forgive you if you apologized."

"How am I supposed to apologize when he locks me out of the two rooms he frequents and avoids me like the plague... or his glasses?"

"Corner him, it's what Thor did to me and now look, we're the best of brothers."

"Different kinds of relationships work differently."

"How would you know, this is your first relationship?"

"Seriously, stop reading my mind and forget what you've already seen."

"I like the imagery from you and Tony's night time activities."

"LOKI!" Elena yelled as she blushed and he vanished. Elena knew he was right about apologizing though, she may dread doing it but she was going to do it. Right after she got some sleep, she hadn't gotten much the night before due to the fact that she couldn't sleep without Tony anymore.

When she woke up again it was late, but not late enough for Tony to have gone to bed... then again he never did, so that wasn't saying much.

"JARVIS, can you ask Tony to come to my room please? Tell him I think we need to talk about elephants again and if he doesn't come than I will assume that I'm not wanted and leave as soon as I can get a new place. Actually, scratch the last part, just ask him to talk. I don't want to guilt him into coming."

"Of course, Mrs. Hartley." JARVIS turned Tony's music off down in the lab and when Tony demanded answers JARVIS delivered the message. "Sir, Mrs. Hartley asked me to ask if you would come up to her room to talk. She told me to tell you that you needed to speak about elephants again."

"Can you ask her if it can wait until tomorrow, or whenever I finally finish this?"

"I don't think that is a wise answer to send sir."

"Why not?" Tony asked as he stopped working on his project and looked up. He felt terrible and dreaded the answer he saw coming.

"She seemed quite distressed. Her entire request was: 'JARVIS, can you ask Tony to come to my room please? Tell him I think we need to talk about elephants again and if he doesn't come than I will assume that I'm not wanted and leave as soon as I can get a new place. Actually, scratch the last part, just ask him to talk. I don't want to guilt him into coming.' It is for this reason that I believe you should go now and not ask me to deliver your message." Tony felt his blood run cold; she thought he wanted her out. Tony leapt up and to the elevator. He went straight to Elena's room and entered without knocking. Elena was curled up on the bed in the room all alone.

"Where'd Loki go?"

"He went to brush up in his diagnostic spells. Said he didn't understand the reading he got from the one he used on me. I told him I was fine, it's just a stomach bug, but he insisted."

"Why did you want to talk?" Elena opened her mouth to reply but he cut her off. "If you think for one second I don't want you here than I'm going to kidnap you and tie you up in my bedroom." Her eyes grew wide and Tony walked over to sit on the bed with her. "You know I love you and that is not likely to change, ever. I just needed some time to be my stupid boneheaded self. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. I really don't hate you and I really don't want you to ever leave."

"I'm sorry for breaking my promise and telling everyone about your eyesight. I only meant it as a joke and they really do look good on you." Tears were falling from her eyes and Tony felt terrible for ever making her think he didn't want her around. He pulled her to him and held her as she cried herself to sleep. He felt a small piece of his heart break and a single tear ran down his cheek before he furiously wiped his eyes.

"I love you." He murmured into her hair before he fell asleep himself.