I couldn't see any reason no to publish this, and I may not have an opportunity to upload anything as of this evening, so here.

Thanks for the great feedback.

Enjoy!


"Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?" Clint asked from his place on Tony's bed. He, Natasha, Bruce, Thor and Steve were over, taking advantage of Howard being out of town, and the group of friends had been uncharacteristically quiet this afternoon.

"What? The fact that you and Bruce refuse to admit you're dating?" Tony quipped, and grinned in satisfaction when both of the boys in question went red and started spluttering out protests.

Natasha rolled her eyes from beside Clint. "I think he's talking about the fact that you, Tony, seem to have taken an interest in Loki."

Thor frowned as looked up from the video game he was playing with Steve. "Yeah, Tony? Why have you been talking to Loki so much lately? I saw you that first time at the notice board, then at our study group meeting, then you sat with him in English? What the hell, man?"

Tony did not like the direction this conversation had followed. He stared up at the ceiling. "I have no idea what's so odd about that. We're supposed to be bonding with him, right? I mean, obviously we don't need help bonding ourselves, so that leaves him, and I don't really want Hill to find out we've been ignoring him because, as much as she likes us, well, as much as she likes Steve, she'll kill us if she finds out that nobody made an effort, and she's terrifying. Not even you, Thor, but I totally get that because family problems, and maybe Clint can be excused for that incident in freshman year, but what's really wrong with the guy, anyway, and…"

"Tony," Steve cut him off, throwing a pillow at his head. "You're rambling."

"You only ramble when you're nervous," Natasha pointed out, smirking at him.

Tony glared. "You're full of shit, 'Tasha. And my point still stands."

Bruce nodded from his place on Tony's favourite armchair. "Tony's right, guys. I mean, has he ever done anything to us, minus Clint and Thor? Maybe weshould make an effort."

Clint grumbled. "He obviously doesn't want us to, so why bother?" Bruce kicked him.

"He obviously doesn't know how to react when people talk to him, because when was the last time you saw somebody other than a teacher talk to him?" the boy pointed out.

Thor looked uncomfortable at where this was heading. Though it was common knowledge he and Loki had for the most part ignored each other since Loki accidentally found his birth certificate and revealed they weren't blood brothers, he still felt guilty that he had given up trying to rekindle their once close relationship. He paused his game and looked at Tony. "I still don't understand you you've suddenly started talking to him, though. It's not like he's going to appreciate it, he hates you almost as much as he hates me."

Tony sighed. "I don't know guys, maybe I feel sorry for him?"

Then Bruce, bless his heart, asked a question about Natasha's self-defence classes and the conversation was steered away from Loki Odinson, though he lingered in each of their minds that afternoon.

Natasha was wondering why the boy refused to talk to people, and Clint was wondering why people suddenly cared about Loki so much. Bruce was thinking about the days before he'd been on the football team and had been practically invisible, and Steve was thinking about all the times he'd stood by and watched the boy be pushed and shoved by his old friends just because he was different. Thor was thinking about the days when he and Loki had played together and been inseparable, and Tony was thinking about that night the boy had helped him to the kitchen, how gentle he'd been and how different he'd acted, compared to the front he put up at school.


Loki was in the library at lunch the next day when the seat beside him was filled. It was something that had been happening an awful lot in the past week, he thought, but he looked up and saw not Stark, but Natasha Romanoff beside him, giving him a small smile.

"So Loki," she asked, pulling out her lunch. "It occurred to me that even though I've been friends with Thor for over two years, I barely know you at all. In fact, we've exchanged greetings what, three times? We should change that."

Loki raised an eyebrow at her. "I assure you, Romanoff, that this is completely unnecessary. I don't know what has gotten into you and Stark, but I really do not need you to talk to me, despite what that detestable booklet Miss Hill handed out says."

Natasha shrugged. "If you really want to go this whole year stuck with a whole bunch of people you hate, fine, I get it. But this is our senior year, and you don't want it to be too miserable, right? So wouldn't it be easier if you at least got to know a couple of us? It's not like I'm suggesting you hang out with us outside of school or become besties with Clint. Why do you hate us so much, anyway?"

Loki looked at her for a moment. "That's the way this school works. We're on completely different ends of the social ladder, Romanoff. We have no reason to even acknowledge each other's existence. But, if you must know, really the only people I genuinely hate in your little group at Thor and Stark. Other than that, I'm fine with not knowing any of you."

Natasha nodded, and packed up her things. "Okay, just curious."

"Just exactly have you and Stark threatened your reputations by talking to me?" Loki asked before she left.

Natasha gave him a small smirk. "We got our reputations completely by accident, Odinson. Our actions are not fuelled by the need to be everyone's favourite person."

"And yet you are," Loki pointed out.

She shrugged and walked away, leaving Loki to wonder what exactly was going on and why he'd had more peer interaction in the last week than he'd had since he was fourteen.


Loki hated Sundays. As much as loved the idea of not going to school, it still made him dread the upcoming Monday, where he'd be once again forced to surround himself with the embodiments of stupidity in the prison they called a school.

He went down to the kitchen on the Sunday after the first week of school, already dressed and ready to go to the local library. He did this every Sunday because Thor had his friends over constantly and he tried his best to minimise the risk of seeing any of them. A part of him resented his adoptive brother for forcing him to put up with the noise they made, but he didn't say anything because it would probably end up in another screaming match with the larger boy, and he had no wish for that.

Unfortunately, Loki had spent last night blasting his ears with music, so when he when he got to the door of the kitchen he couldn't help but groan at the sight of Thor, Stark, Romanoff and Banner at his kitchen table, obviously having spent the night.

Bracing himself, and wondering where Barton and Rogers were, Loki lifted his chin and entered the room, successfully cutting off the conversation the four were having. He ignored them the best he could, but while his coffee was being made (damn this slow machine) he had nothing to do but stare at his mug awkwardly, and he sighed in frustration when Stark greeted him.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said with an easy smile, and Loki turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"My morning stopped being good when I heard your voice, Stark."

The billionaire's son mock gasped and dramatically put his hand to his chest. "Why must you wound me so, Odinson?"

Natasha kicked him from under the table. "Shut it. Good morning, Loki." she said politely, nodding at him. The sentiment was echoed by Banner and Thor, and Loki was grateful for the coffee maker beeping to cut off the following awkward silence. He grabbed his drink and poured himself a bowl of cereal, and was about to leave when Banner said, "Oh, you don't have to leave because of us. We won't annoy you."

"Speak for yourself,"

"Shut up, Tony." That was Thor, and Loki forced himself to turn around and tried his best to school his features into a mask of politeness. Thor was staring at Loki. "Bruce is right; you can stay, if you want."

Despite himself, the part of Loki that was still an eight year old boy responded to the puppy dog eyes he was getting, and he found himself taking the only available seat next to Stark, who grinned at him. He resisted the urge to snack that look off his face and instead focussed on his coffee, allowing the warm feeling to spread through his body and relax him slightly.

The kitchen was silent for a while, before Stark broke the silence. "Where're you off to, Loki?" he asked conversationally, tilting his head to the side and studying Loki's outfit, much to the boy's dismay. He was wearing black skinny jeans, a grey and silver button down shirt and a black jacket, and realistically he knew there was nothing wrong with what he was wearing, but he felt as though he was being judged horribly.

He forced himself to be polite, however, having come to the conclusion that if he was nicer to Thor's friends, he'd be able to get through the year without any drama. "The library," he said.

"The library?" Stark asked incredulously.

"Yes, the library," Loki replied. "It's a large room filled with books where people who can read go."

Just because he was being nice, that didn't mean he wouldn't continue being his snarky self to people like Anthony Stark.

Natasha snorted into her breakfast, and Bruce smiled a bit. Stark looked at him for a moment before once again grinning. "I can read, I'll have you know! It's just that, you know, you're more dressed for a hot date than anything. I was under the impression people didn't wear three hundred dollar jeans to places like libraries. Unless you're meeting a girl there?"

Loki froze. Thor froze. Their eyes met for an awkward moment before they looked away. When Loki was barely fifteen, he had confided in Thor and Frigga that he was gay, and at the time Thor had taken it quite badly. He pushed Loki away, called him a fag, and though their mother had forced him to apologise, he'd not mentioned it since. That was almost three years ago, just before the adoption incident, and one of the major factors in the crumbling of their relationship. The birth certificate had merely been the last straw. Loki didn't know how his brother felt about his sexuality anymore, but at least he hadn't told anybody else. Hadn't given more people a reason to bully Loki even more badly than he already was. But they both couldn't help but freeze a little whenever they were reminded of it.

Stark seemed to have realized he'd said something wrong, so he quickly side tracked. "Or whatever. Doesn't matter. You can wear whatever you want, I guess. Looks good, anyhow."

Loki nodded, and got up from the table. He muttered a quick goodbye and rushed out the door.

The kitchen was silent again. "So," Natasha said finally. "What was the about? You two looked like deer caught in the headlights."

Thor looked ashamed of himself. "Loki… Loki doesn't date… uh, girls."

Realization appeared in the three guests eyes. "Oh!" Natasha said. "Why did he look like that, then? I mean, neither do Bruce or Clint, and Tony occasionally checks out guys, no matter what he says. Surely he knows you're okay with it?"

Thor looked down. "I am, but at the time, I… was less than accepting."

"Ah," Bruce grimaced. "When was that?"

"Nearly three years ago, he was fifteen."

Tony let out a low whistled, and played with his breakfast. He didn't want to say it, but he'd always gotten the impression that Loki had been the one to deliver the blow that had ruined the brothers' friendship. When it had happened, Thor had ranted plenty of times about how it was Loki's fault, how Loki was being unreasonable, but now, finding out that he'd confided such a thing with Thor and Thor had reacted badly? Well, he felt sort of sorry for the guy.

"No wonder he hates you." Tony muttered, unable to help himself. "Have you ever told him you don't think like that anymore?"

Thor clenched his fist and Tony realized he'd made the guy angry. "Loki did not appreciate my apologies back then, Tony. I doubt he'll appreciate them now."

Natasha shot Tony a warning look, so he let it go. "Whatever."


An hour and a half later, Tony was parked outside of the local library and completely unsure as to how he got there. Or why. That was a lie. He had a sneaking suspicion as to what possessed him to put this address into his GPS, but he was sort of in denial.

Loki, a part of his brain supplied. You want to check on Loki.

Shut up, you traitor, he thought back.

He entered the building looking as casual as he could, wandering up the science fiction aisle, picking up a few books, and all the while scanning the large room for a sign of the younger Odinson. After a while, he saw the familiar long, dark hair, and casually made his way over to the boy who was sitting on a couch in the corner of the place, legs curled up and head stuck in a book.

Without a word, he plopped down on the small amount of available room and started reading the book he'd picked up, without actually reading it. He couldn't even remember what it was called.

Loki looked up and when he saw Stark, he felt like screaming. "Fancy meeting you here," he said sarcastically. "It's almost as though I'd told you where I was going to be over breakfast this morning or something."

Tony looked up from the book and grinned. "Oh, hello there. Yes, this is a coincidence, isn't it?"

Loki sat up, pulling his legs closer to him and rested his elbows on his knees. "What do I have to do to make you stop talking to me? Or stalking me, it seems."

Tony shrugged. "Nothing, really. Maybe I want to be your friend?"

"So you want to commit social suicide? Besides, what if I don't want to beyour friend?"

Tony winced a little at his tone. "I'm sorry," he blurted out. Loki raised an eyebrow at him and suddenly the genius was feeling uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about what I said at breakfast. I didn't realize it would bring back, uh, bad memories. With Thor."

Loki leaned back, his eyes suddenly losing all emotion. His face was blank. "So Thor told you."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, after you left."

"And you want to be my friend why?"

"Well, it's not like I care about if you like guys or whatever. I mean, I like guys. Sometimes. Especially when they wear pants like the ones you're wearing, 'cause damn. The point is, I don't care. And you seem cool. I can't say I know you, but that's the impression I get, and what if I want to know you?"

Loki stared at him. "You… Like guys?"

Tony nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Totally. I mean, I'm not gay or anything, but I'm not hetero. I'm just attracted to whatever. I mean, whoever."

"You were rambling."

"Yep. I do that."

They were silent for a moment. Tony stared at his hands while Loki stared at Tony, trying to see through a lie, looking for proof that his was a prank or something. All he saw was a small frown on the boy's face and it was just confusing.

"I can't be your friend," Loki said eventually, hugging his knees tighter. "You're popular, I'm not. You're Thor's friend… I'm his loner brother nobody pays attention to, or when they do, they're pushing me into lockers or calling me a range of supposedly hurtful nicknames I've been hearing since I was a kid. You're the guy who makes me annoyed just by being the same room as me."

"You can be my friend. I'm only popular because my dad's rich and famous. I don't care about stuff like that, anyway. You're only a loner because, from what I hear, you've had a fucked life. You choose solitude, I get it. Trust issues? Just a guess, don't give me that look. And… People bully you because no matter how hard they try, they can't break you, and that frustrates them. Plus, they haven't been bad lately, have they? I'm pretty sure Thor had words with some guys. And maybe if you got to know me you could stop being annoyed or whatever?"

Tony gave the younger boy his best puppy dog eyes, and almost ruined it by grinning when he saw the boy's lip curl into the tiniest smile.

"Right."

Tony waited for more, but didn't get any. "Right? Is that all?"

Loki nodded. "Right. You can try to be my friend, Stark, if you really want. You'll regret it when it fails and I just hate you more."

Then he got up and left, and Tony just sat there staring after him in slight shock.

"Did he just say yes?"