The hidden Stark (Loki x fem!reader)

Part 28 please don't say anything

The following two and a half weeks had passed in a rush. The Avengers where almost every on another mission fighting terrorists or other bad guys. Loki and I, like always had to stay behind, not that I mind because this gave us much more time to practice and work on my powers and our friendship. So everything was going fine on the outside, so no one asked me if any was wrong. So it was easier for me to hide that I was skipping meals and working out more. Or so I thought. So like most days I got up early, did some stretches and picked out some long sleeve shirts and leggings out of the closet.

I quickly went to the gym and stayed there for three hours. After that I made myself a green tea, hopped under the shower and picked out a new outfit. It consisted of big baggy pants and blue t shirt and a zip up hoodie. After that I sipped on my green tea while slowly walking up to Lokis room. My knees are wobbly from the gym session earlier and I felt like they would give in any moment. Thanks to the odds Loki opened the door before I could even knock and I could quickly sit down before my vision got too blurry and clouded. So we practiced for one and a half hours which left him and I drained. 
So back in my room I laid down in my bed and dozed off for a couple of hours.

———

Another week later I had become an even better master at hiding my daily struggle with my not eating from the Avengers. I disguised my lack of appetite and weight loss, always coming up with excuses to avoid suspicion. Luckily, the team's busy schedule provided me with perfect opportunities to conceal that. They were often off on missions or immersed in their own tasks, leaving me to deal with my demons in solitude.

One day, however, as I was helping Bruce in the lab,when my body finally betrayed me. A wave of dizziness washed over me without a single warning, and I stumbled, my vision blurring at the edges. Before I could even realize what was happening, I collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Bruce's heart skipped a beat as he rushed to my side, panic coursing through his veins. With trembling hands, he checked my weak pulse and breathing, his mind racing with fear. When he couldn't get me to respond to him, he quickly scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the nearest hospital bed.

When I regained consciousness I started to notice that my surroundings had changed. I was lying in the hospital bed, its sterile white sheets feeling familiar and clinical against my skin. The mattress offered little comfort, and the incessant beeping of the monitors only served to let anxiety rise. I shifted uncomfortably, my movements restricted by the IV line snaking its way into my arm, delivering much-needed fluids and nutrients to my body.

I despised the sight of the IV, the cold metal needle a constant reminder of my frailty and dependence on others. Every time I slightly glanced at it, my stomach churned with a mix of fear and resentment. It represented everything I loathed about my current situation – the loss of control, the vulnerability, the overwhelming sense of shame.

But as much as I hated the IV, I knew deep down that it was keeping me alive. It was a lifeline, a temporary reprieve from the tight grip of my eating disorder. And yet, the knowledge offered little solace as I laid there, trapped in a cycle of self-loathing and despair.

The anxiety gnawed at me from within, a relentless whisper of doubt and fear that echoed in the recesses in my mind. What if I couldn't overcome this? What if I was destined to be consumed by my illness, to wither away into nothingness?

I squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push away the intrusive thoughts that threatened to overwhelm me. But no matter how hard I tried to suppress them, they lingered like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over me.

I longed to break free from the confines of the hospital bed, to escape the suffocating walls of the sterile room that seemed to close in on me with each passing moment. But even as I yearned for freedom, a part of me feared what lay beyond – the uncertainty, the endless struggle against my own demons. A moment later a wave of dizziness wash over me and I lost consciousness again.

Uncle Bruce's mind was a whirlwind of worry and confusion. He couldn't understand how he had missed the signs of my deteriorating health, how he had failed to see the pain I was silently enduring.

Half an hour passed before I finally regained consciousness, my eyes fluttering open to meet Bruce's worried gaze. Relief flooded through him as he reached out to gently brush a strand of hair from my face.

"Arias, are you okay?" Bruce asked, his voice filled with concern.

I managed a weak smile, though my blue eyes were clouded with exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Bruce. I didn't mean to worry you."

Bruce shook his head, his heart aching. "You don't have to apologize, Arias. We're here for you, no matter what."

Bruce, in particular, felt a heavy burden weighing on his shoulders. He had been the closest to me, spending countless hours with me in the lab, yet he had failed to see the extent of my suffering. But I couldn't blame him because after all I'm a trained spy who is used to hide stuff from others. So when he finally confronted me about my condition, I begged him to keep it a secret, pleading with him not to tell anyone.

"It's my burden to bear, Bruce," I whispered with tears in my eyes, my voice barely audible over the hum of the hospital machinery. "I can't let anyone else see me like this."

Bruce had hesitated, torn between his promise to me and his duty to help me. But in the end, he had relented, unable to deny my desperate plea. He vowed to stand by my side, offering whatever support he could, even if it meant keeping my secret from the rest of the team.

"Aria listen to me sweaty. You know that you can trust us, right? We are a big family and you can always come to us if something is wrong" he mumbled softly lowering his head in defeat.

My smile faltered, and tears silently rolled down my cheeks. "I've been so afraid, Bruce. Afraid that if anyone found out, they would see me as weak, as a burden."

Bruce reached out to gently grasp my hand, his touch a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions swirling inside me. "You're not weak, Arias. You're one of the strongest people I know. I know you've been through a lot and there is a lot of stuff that you don't talk about, but you don't have to face this alone. We're a team, remember? We're here to support each other, through thick and thin."

My tears now flowed freely, my walls started to crumble under the weight of Bruce's unwavering support. I buried my face in his chest, seeking solace in his embrace. For the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope flicker within me, a ray of light piercing through the darkness.