Still Holding On

Chapter 10

When Tony returns to Loki's room, he does so with a new cup of apple juice. If he can't make the guy eat, he can at least try to keep him hydrated. Though it seems he took Tony's words to heart before he faced Thor, because there's only half a slice of toast left on his plate. Maybe he's more persuasive than he thought.

Loki is seated on the floor once again, his head back against the wall and his eyes closed. His chest rises and falls slowly, and for the briefest moment, Tony begins to suspect he's asleep.

"What?" Loki asks without opening his eyes.

"You good?" Tony asks.

"No."

Tony nods slowly.

Okay...

"Brought you some juice," Tony tells him. He's decently sure juice only fixes boo-boos on toddlers, but it's worth a try.

Loki tries to open his eyes, but they flutter closed every few seconds, as though he can hardly keep them open. "Unless it is accompanied by more medication, I am uninterested."

Tony clicks his tongue. "Sorry. Box says every four to six hours."

"And how long has it been?"

"Two and a half."

Loki sighs and closes his eyes again. "Come back in 90 minutes."

Tony purses his lips, watching the god carefully. If Loki notices, he doesn't show it. Again, he almost looks as though he's fallen asleep, and if Tony hadn't known better, he would have believed it.

"You could try Tylenol," Tony suggests.

"And that is...?"

"Another painkiller," Tony says. "If you wanna alternate every two hours." They'll just have to find a dosage that works without killing him. They've done it with the Advil; he's sure they can do it with the Tylenol.

Loki opens his eyes again. "Why have we not done this already?"

Tony shrugs. "'Cause I didn't care enough to think of it." He's not going to lie; it just didn't occur to him. Loki's suffering isn't his problem.

Loki rolls his eyes at that. "I would like to try it."

"I figured you would," Tony says. "I'll go grab it."

"Good."

Loki closes his eyes again. He grimaces, but he then slowly relaxes again. At least he's not screaming and crying anymore. Either the painkillers are making a big difference, or he's actually starting to get better. At this rate, Thor might be able to take him back to Asgard in a day or two, thank god.

He looks surprisingly calm, given the situation. His body is limp as it rests against the wall, and he truly does look as though he's asleep. His eye twitches every now and then or his face will scrunch up in pain, but only for a moment before it returns to its relaxed state.

"You're still here," Loki says.

"You know," Tony say, "you don't look too upset about us ruining your plan."

"It has been days, Stark," Loki deadpans. "If you've not moved past it by now, I fear your life must be more boring than you let on."

"I'm not talking about that," Tony says. "I'm talking about going back to Asgard?"

Loki sighs, exasperated, and opens his eyes yet again. "And why would I want to return to Asgard?"

"I don't know," Tony says. "You tell me."

Loki shakes his head weakly. "If I cared about Asgard, I would have been there already. I am not interested in the man who insisted I was his son sentencing me to my death — or, worse still, the dungeons."

"Uh-huh," Tony says sarcastically. He puts the cup of juice down so he can cross his arms, making a point to show his skepticism.

"Why would you think I want to return to Asgard?" Loki asks. "You know nothing of my history there."

"I don't have to," Tony says. "You made it pretty damn clear you wanted to get caught."

Loki's exhaustion vanishes in an instant, and he narrows his eyes in a steely glare. "That is not true."

Tony scoffs. "You told me to find all the ways you fucked up."

"I did no such thing," Loki growls.

"Uh, yeah, you did," Tony says. "What'd you say? 'I've put as many holes in this plan as—'"

In the blink of an eye, Loki is standing in front of him. One hand grabs the front of Tony's shirt, and the other grabs on behind his neck, nearly pulling him down to the floor.

Loki's face is just inches from his, just like it was then. Just like it was during that plea. But this time, the rage in his eye is gone. This time, there's nothing there but fear.

"Stop it," Loki hisses.

Tony tries to push him away, but his grip is too strong. "Hey! What are you—"

"Stop it," Loki repeats, louder this time, desperation filling his voice. "If he hears you say that, he'll kill us both."

"What?" Tony furrows his brows, too confused to keep trying to pull him off. "Who? Thor? 'Cause Thor already left."

Loki shakes his head. "Don't say anything," he whispers. "Please. Until the connection is severed, don't say a word."

"Loki, what are you—"

"Please."

Loki teleports back to the other side of the room, and he falls to the floor, his head hanging limp in front of him.

Tony watches him warily. "Loki?"

"I've changed my mind," Loki says monotonously. "I do not need more medication. You can leave now."

Tony hesitates, then sighs. "Alright. Just..." He grabs the cup of apple juice and brings it to the god, switching the empty cup out for the full one. "Stay hydrated. You'll feel better."

Loki doesn't even look at him.

"I'll come back in an hour and a half with more Advil," Tony tells him. "'Til then, I'm gonna tell you to get some sleep and you're not gonna listen to me."

Loki doesn't respond, so, defeated, Tony walks away.

He'll keep a careful eye on the footage.

There's clearly more going on than he knows.