only thing i own is the story. enjoy.

He hasn't been avoiding Loki, or Fandral, or his dorm.

He hasn't.

He's just been very busy with his classes.

Sure, they only just started classes a couple of weeks ago, but Tony was going to give it his all, so he had had no time for making much conversation with his roommate or his girlfriend.

it wasn't because he had felt guilty for having had a wet dream about Loki.

He had to decline countless invitations to join them for breakfast/lunch/dinner, their world sure revolved a lot around food, which tony didn't find absolutely adorable, and didn't help that they were cool people to hang out with, he just couldn't.

"You should eat something, mate" Fandral said as he peered over the edge of the couch looking down at Tony, he had been so tired when he arrived home at fuck o'clock in the morning that he'd just dropped his bag on the entrance floor and equally dropped his body onto the couch

The same couch that reminded him why he was totally not avoiding his new friends.

"I just got here" he managed to mumble

"You were passed out when i woke up" Fandral said, "it's been…" he trailed off as he looked at something behind Tony that made him smile softly

"It's been several hours Anthony" he heard Loki's voice

Not unusual, his inner monologue that usually sounded like a robotic Jarvis, had taken a vacation and Loki's voice had replaced it, which was as much a blessing as it was a curse

He flopped onto the couch until he managed to turn around and saw her walking towards him, a glass of water in one hand

"How many hours?" he asked

"Enough for it to be time for my class, mate" Fandral said, "I've got to run, Loki, will you be okay?" he asked

Loki rolled her eyes good-naturedly, setting the glass she was holding on the table "I shall waste away waiting for you, beloved, make haste for I know not how long my heart can stand thy absence" she said as she looked at Fandral with watery eyes, hands cupped to her chest

Fandral huffed a laugh and flicked her forehead "dork" he said, a fond smile on his face "take care, mate" he told Tony patting him on the shoulder gently before leaving

Tony stared after him for a little bit, still too out of it to make sense of the situation

"You have been avoiding us" Loki said, making him turn towards her "why?" she asked in a no-nonsense tone

Tony felt a shiver run through his body, was it the weather or just his fear at being found out? "I…" he cleared his throat as he thought how to respond

Loki motioned meaningfully towards the glass on the table to Tony, he took it and slowly sipped as he stalled, trying to regroup, he watched her pull a bottle of pills from the pocket in her hoodie, showing him the label before placing it where the glass had been

Tony didn't know what touched him more, that his new friend was taking care of him when he was hung over/sick/exhausted, or that loki had figured out his moronic pet peeve.

"Are you quite done stalling or do you need more time?" she asked with a perfect eyebrow raised

Tony gulped the rest of the water down before looking at her again "a bit more time would be appreciated" he joked

Loki's lips thinned but she nodded and stood up, Tony saw her take a small shuddering breath before she started walking away from the couch, away from him.

"There is some leftover pizza in the fridge, you should eat something, like Fandral suggested" she said, she looked…

"Are you-" he tried asking but she was walking briskly towards the door "hey wai-wait, Loki" he called "why are you mad?" he asked

She turned towards him, "I have no reason to be mad" she said, she couldn't fool Tony, he hadn't known her for a long time and… fine, he had been avoiding her for a few days, but she couldn't fool him, he noticed her straight back, her thinned lips, her almost imperceptible frown, he noticed her

"But you are" he said

"I am not mad" she repeated, Tony was about to argue when she continued, eyes lowered, voice small "...just disappointed, I suppose" she said "you were very friendly for a couple of days" she said, not looking at him "I was led to believe that-" she cut herself off, obviously unsure of what she wanted to say

Tony shivered again, this time in panic, did she know?

Had his crush been so obvious that she figured it out?

Wait.. but if she was disappointed… was she disappointed that he was crushing on her? Or that he wasn't acting on it?

"...Sif" he hadn't realized when she started talking again, and now he had no idea what had been said

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked

Loki sighed heavily and rolled her eyes in exasperation "never mind" she said, shaking her head as she turned around, opening the front door, Tony couldn't let her leave!

"Please, Loki, I told you, I get lost in here sometimes" he said pointing at his head "I don't mean to ...well, sometimes I do, but not now, not with you, I'm sorry" he said

Loki eyed him warily "I said," she started "that I have a hard time making friends, and I was led to believe that you wanted to" she said, "be my friend, that is."

Tony wanted so much more than that, but he nodded, he did want to be her friend, if nothing else.

"But you have been avoiding us, me" she didn't look so much mad, as she looked… resigned, Tony wanted to bring his confident Loki back "that is always how it starts" she said as she squared her shoulders, looking no less sad, but putting on a front, Tony had a lot of practice with fronts

"What do you mean?" he asked, he was now standing a short distance away from her, he didn't even remember moving, but this way he could chase after her if she decided to leave, hangover be damned, he wouldn't let Loki think he didn't like her, or anything ridiculous like that, if anything the problem was that he liked her too much

"I don't tend to pay much mind to Sif's words, she has never liked me, likewise I only tolerate her for my brother's sake" Loki said, Tony was trying to understand what this had to do with them being friends

"but… if anyone should know why-" she paused to clear her throat softly "why people don't...like me, I suppose it would be her" she said

"disappointed, but not surprised" Tony mumbled

"I do not follow" Loki said

"it's just a meme" he said waving his hand "but that's how you feel, disappointed but not surprised that someone doesn't want to be your friend" he said, understanding her predicament completely "but it's not true, Loki, I do want to be your friend, it's just...uh, I'm a bit of a dunce sometimes"

"You are not" she argued "I would not want you as my friend if you were as hard headed and moronic as my brother and his group of friends" she said, daring him to disagree

He laughed, "you realize you're bad mouthing not only your brother, but also your boyfriend, right?" he asked her with a smirk that thankfully she answered with a one of her own

"I said what I said" she smiled and her shoulders finally relaxed the tiniest bit

Tony laughed and closed the space between them until he could push the door closed behind her "I'll make you a deal" he said, "I will be less of a dolt, or try to be, anyways, and you'll tell me why Sif is such a-" Loki laughed before he could finish, shaking her head in amusement

"I think she was just born that way" she said "I'll make you a counter offer, Anthony" she arched an eyebrow and Tony's skin started tingling again

"You don't try to avoid me again, and I'll reheat some food for you" she said, offering her hand to him

Tony laughed and took it, "I happen to like cold pizza, but you've got yourself a deal, snow white" he said as they shook hands, noticing how cold Loki was "let me just turn up the heat" he moved to fuss with the thermostat for a bit, "that better?" he asked, turning to see Loki already taking out the food from the fridge

She shrugged "Don't bother on my account" she said, "I don't mind the cold"

Tony looked at her "okay, Elsa, I'll let it go then" he snorted, but walked back to the kitchen.

"New deal" she glared at him, with no actual heat behind the look "stop with all your disney references, and I won't throw you out that window" she said pointing to the aforementioned

"No way" he shook his head "it's my job as your friend to be as annoying as possible to test your limits, and prepare you for the cruel, cruel world out there. No deal" he said seriously

Loki rolled her eyes for the nth time, but Tony saw a microscopic smile bloom on her pretty lips as she rested her head on one hand "I suppose" she said "the things one has to put up with for the sake of friendship" she sighed

"Trust me, Babs" he says "you and Ken just hit the friendship jackpot" he gave his slice of cold pizza a large bite and almost choked with laughter as he heard Loki groan her displeasure at the new reference, but hey, at least it wasn't a disney one.