Pretty When You Cry

Chapter 5

A/N:: Writting this chpt idk what the hell was going through my head well really idk what the hell was going through my head throughout the whole story but im sorry if reading this chpt makes you never want to eat pasta again. im sorry.

Tony was creative with his methods of torture, each one designed to cause both physical and psychological anguish. His ultimate goal was to break Loki down completely, and he was definitely getting there.

Two weeks after his arrival at the tower, Loki no longer felt any sense of self worth. He no longer considered himself a prince, someone to be respected. No. Now he didn't even consider himself worthy of a proper meal or a glass of water. He'd done horrible things, and this was his well-deserved punishment.

00

It'd now been a week since the last time Tony had given Loki any food. He'd given him water, but only one glass per day. He seemed to be starving the trickster for a reason, though Loki wasn't exactly sure why. All he knew was that his stomach hurt constantly, and that he was sleeping all the time. Really, his body just didn't have the energy to function at a normal level.

Secretly, Loki hoped that this would continue. In another few days, his organs would fail, and he'd die, and then he'd be free. But, deep inside, he knew that he didn't deserve such a beautiful freedom such as death, and he knew that he wasn't going to get it, either.

He was right.

On the eight day, Tony appeared, holding a large, closed container.

Wordlessly, he undid the restraints on Loki's arms, and helped him into a sitting position.

Loki swayed a little, the act of having to sit up being too much for him in his weakened state. It took all of his energy to keep from falling back over. Seeing this, Tony kept one arm on Loki's shoulder, holding him in place.

"So, I've been thinking," Tony began, "That I probably haven't given you enough food."

Loki glanced up at Tony, feeling confused. Of course he hadn't had any food. Tony had made sure only to give him water.

"So I brought you some food." Tony put the container, which Loki now realized was some type of tupperware type thing, on Loki's lap. Tony then opened it, revealing pasta.

The smell of it made Loki's mouth water. He'd never particularly enjoyed Midgardian food, but he was so hungry that he'd have eaten anything at that point.

Still, there had to be a trick here. Tony wouldn't just let him eat food. There had to be more to it.

"Go on," Tony said. He put a plastic fork into Loki's left hand - his left arm was only fractured, so he could still move it. "Eat."

Loki eyed Tony warily, then looked at the food, then back at Tony. The inventor looked very calm.

Unable to see any glint of potential evil in Tony's eyes, Loki reluctantly began digging into the food. He wondered if Tony had begun to have a change of heart, but he pushed that thought away as fast as he could. There had to be a catch. There always was. He might as well just enjoy the few moments that he'd have before Tony brought out whatever punishment he had planned.

After a few bites of food, Loki took back what he'd thought about Midgardian fare - the pasta tasted amazing. He couldn't even begin to describe how wonderful it felt to be able to chew something, to feel it fill his stomach.

For his part, Tony merely watched him eat, not looking particularly happy or angry.

Eventually, Loki didn't want any more. Having not had any food for so long, his stomach had shrunk. He'd barely eaten a quarter of what was there.

He put the fork down, and said nothing, hoping that Tony would let him be.

Tony looked him over, then spoke up.

"Are you sure you don't want any more?"

Loki shook his head 'no'.

"Speak to me when I ask you a question," Tony snarled.

Loki could feel the anger radiating off the other man, now, and he decided to obey.

"I'm not hungry," he whispered.

Tony nodded. "Hmm. But it's been over a week since you've had anything."

Loki shrugged slightly.

"And I spent some of my precious time making this for you."

Loki looked up at Tony, and suddenly had an idea as to what was coming.

And, he was right.

"I think you should eat more of it," Tony stated, "In fact, I think you should eat all of it, so that I know that the time I spent making this wasn't wasted."

Loki's hand was shaking as he picked up the fork again, and he slowly began eating little pieces of the pasta. He hoped that if he took long enough, Tony would get bored and leave him alone.

That wasn't happening, though. Tony seemed to have infinite patience when it came to punishing him. The billionaire stood by, watching as Loki managed to finish half of the container.

The ex-god really wasn't feeling good, now. His stomach hurt. Being over-full was almost as bad as being starving.

He looked at Tony, eyes begging for Tony to let him stop.

Tony just smirked. "Did you not understand my instructions?"

The tone in Tony's voice was threatening, so Loki shook his had 'no'. He began eating again, trying to force down as much as he could.

As he got down to the last bits, Loki groaned. He felt sick. There was just no way he could finish the rest of the food. Instinctively, he moved one hand to his stomach, trying to rub himself to make himself feel better. He regretted this when he felt the pain shoot through his forearm, where it'd been split in half previously.

Tony looked the scene over.

"Can't eat any more?"

Loki slowly shook his head 'no'.

"Hmm." Tony thought for a moment.

Before Loki even knew what hit him, the other man had gripped his face, forcing his mouth open. He stuck two fingers into Loki's mouth, and reached as far down his throat as he could. Loki tried to bite him, but the action made his gag reflex kick in. Within seconds, Tony had removed his hand, and Loki was vomiting into the almost- empty container on his lap.

Once he'd started throwing up, Loki found that he couldn't stop. He continued to heave until it felt like his stomach was entirely empty, and now, the container was almost full again.

As he coughed a few more times, and spit out some stomach bile, Tony spoke up.

"Well, now it looks like you've got room for more, then."

Tony picked up the fork that Loki had dropped when he'd first started getting sick, and pushed it into Loki's hand.

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