It was a cold winter's day, and the snow had come earlier in the night. Loki stood by the window in Xavier's office, which felt warmer with a blazing fire in the fireplace. He had been invited over to Xavier's mansion to take part in a stargazing event; the Quadrantids Meteor Shower on the night of peak viewing.* But this also came with the caveat that he would have a session with Xavier.

They had already talked about the movie Loki and Thor had seen together, while talking about the nuances of the film. He discussed all that he had come to realize while watching that movie, and Thor's thoughts as well; about the present and the future for them and for their realm. Before they knew it, their hour-long session had come to an end.

Loki had accidentally tuned-out the Professor who was speaking about the music of the film. He kept his face to the window and tried not to ghost a hand over his midsection that was throbbing painfully. What had begun as a slight twinge had blossomed into a pain that Loki could no longer ignore. The last two days had been hellish; his appetite had all but vanished and nausea was a constant companion. It hadn't escaped the other Avengers that he looked ill and had more than once commented on it in the last few days. He had waved it off as perhaps only a small bout of indigestion and nothing more.

Loki turned his head so that Xavier didn't see a wince of pain in the window's reflection. Norns, he felt cold even with the fire going. The pain was ever present and part of him wanted to crawl into a corner and let it go away on its own; as impossible as it seemed now. Loki was being stubborn about telling anyone of his ailment, but he also thought, foolishly perhaps, that it was just an upset stomach that would stop.

"Loki? Loki?" Xavier inquired.

The former god snapped out of his reverie, dropping his hand from his stomach and whirling around to face the Professor. "I beg your pardon, what was that?"

Professor Xavier's eyebrows furrowed. 'Are you alright, Loki? You looked pale when you arrived."

Loki hesitated before answering. "I'm...I'm fine. I just had a bit of a rough night."

Professor Xavier nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Well, take a seat and I'll get you something to drink."

He did so, hoping sitting would ease the pain, but it did not. Xavier noticed his slight grimace and looked up. "Are you in pain, Loki?"

Loki pursed his lips and looked up, "No." He replied shortly.

Professor Xavier raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Loki sighed and looked away. The professor remained silent, allowing Loki to process his thoughts. The silence between them was as thick as a brick wall, Loki's single-word response echoing off its surface. Loki hesitated before answering, "It's just a stomachache, nothing to worry about." He waved his hand dismissively.

Damn, Loki thought. There was at least an hour until nightfall and dinner was still to come. Loki sat in silence, deep in thought as he considered the state of his condition. A sharp pain had been nagging at his stomach for some time now, and he couldn't help but wonder if it would escalate into something more severe. He tried to shake off the discomfort, but it lingered, growing stronger. He knew that he had to take action soon, but the uncertainty of what was causing the pain made him hesitant. Was it something more insidious, a sickness that had crept up on him unnoticed?

Despite his concerns, Loki remained stoic. He was no stranger to pain, physical or emotional. As the god of mischief, he had faced countless battles and overcome insurmountable odds. But this pain felt different, more personal. It was a reminder of his mortality, a humbling experience for a deity accustomed to wielding immense power. He decided that if it did indeed worsen, he would alert someone, but he would not let it interfere with the plans for tonight.

Hank arrived with hot chocolate in mugs for both of them. Loki tensed only slightly when the blue furred man came into the room. He'd been introduced to Hank McCoy on his arrival to the mansion. However friendly and polite Doctor McCoy appeared, Loki couldn't help but compare him to Thor without the comparison was obvious. Thor was larger, more powerful and far more intimidating. Doctor McCoy was the complete opposite; a kind and gentle soul who Loki couldn't help but admire. Though he sensed that the man had a much more frightening side to him, such as Bruce did when he was the Hulk.

"It seems that our friend here has a stomachache, Hank." Xavier informed his fellow colleague.

Loki put his hands up defensively, "I took some medication already, I'm alright." But he could see the doubt on their faces, despite agreeing to let it go for the moment. He drank down the hot chocolate as fast as he could, feeling nausea claw mercilessly at him again. "Would you please excuse me?"

Loki sighed as he stepped out of the room. He knew they were worried but he needed some time alone to process his thoughts. He would have to explain himself later, but for now he just wanted some space.

Head down, Loki was trying to clear his head of the fogginess, when he bumped into someone. He looked up to see the inscrutable face of Logan.

The man tilted his head, regarding him for a moment. "You don't look good, kid." he finally said.

Loki bristled at that. First of all, he was over 1000 years old, not a Midgardian teenager, thank you very much. Second of all, he wished people would stop pointing out the obvious, for Norns sake!

He squared his shoulders, trying to appear more intimidating than he felt. Loki held his tongue and simply glared at the man. He was in no mood to be talked down to, especially by a human that he had just met. He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "I'm fine," he said, voice tight. Logan regarded him severely, before shaking his head and walking away.

Turning his head, Loki saw the sun setting in the horizon. He hoped that the Norns would hear his plea and grant him a reprieve from his sickness. He was determined to make it there, no matter what it took.

Later, the entirety of Xavier's school and Loki were out in the cold January night air, looking up at the sky. Loki had hardly eaten anything at dinner, the sight of it made him feel even more ill. Loki felt like he was going to lose his mind. The pain, the nausea, the fever - it was all too much to bear. He had to ride it out, no matter how long it took. He shivered, not from the cold outside, but from within.

"Look!" A streak of bright light was zooming past on the horizon, which was pointed out by one of the younger students. Loki heard the oohs from the teens, who excitedly awaited the next one. He watched as a new meteor streaked across the night sky, illuminating it with its orange and yellow tail. As he looked at them, he knew they would always remember this moment, even when they grew up and went their separate ways. It had reminded him of the happier days in his own youth when he and Thor had watched meteors fly past from the BiFrost.

A sudden bout of pain caused him to double over. He gritted his teeth in agony. His breathing became labored as he struggled to stand. Loki could hear the cries of alarm from both the children and Charles himself.

"Mr. Loki? What's wrong?" he heard Kurt's voice, though now it sounded distant despite the teen next to him. Loki turned to Kurt, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy. He tried to speak, but the words were stuck in his throat. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach and all he could do was gasp for air.

"Loki, can you hear me?" Hank McCoy's professional tone floated into his mind. He yelped when the mutant touched the left side of his stomach. He wanted to scream, to lash out at anyone who came near him. He felt a wave of pain ripple through his body and he cried out. The mutant kept its grip on his shoulder, and he was unable to move.

As a heavy haze filled his mind, snippets of words could be heard. He tried to focus on one phrase, but it was like trying to catch smoke.

"-citis?" Xavier's tone was filled with concern.

Someone put a hand on his brow. A masculine voice called, "-fever."

Loki felt himself swiftly lifted off his feet and carried (Norns, how embarrassing!) by strong arms and carried somewhere, no doubt back to the mansion. He felt himself being placed gently on a hard bed (an examination table?) and a cool cloth was placed over his forehead. His clothes were peeled away, and he would have been more abashed had he been in less agony than he was at present.

"Stay with us, Loki!" Hank's voice shouted, while he heard an erratic constant beeping noise begin. There were hands touching his stomach, holding his wrist, but Loki could not make sense of any of it in his delirium. He felt like he was floating, disconnected from his body. It was like he was stuck in quicksand, struggling to hold on to something tangible as he was slowly swallowed up by the emptiness.

Loki felt his own racing heart. He heard gentle questions and felt prodding hands, and then a blanket was draped over him. He felt himself being lost in the nothingness and finally allowed himself to succumb to it.

TBC...

A/N: Quadrantids Meteor Shower took place on the 1-5 of January 2014. Peak viewing was the 2nd to the 3rd of January.