It was the middle of the night when a straggled cry woke him. Tony looked around wildly. Loki! He quickly ran to the god's side. Loki was tossing and turning crazily, blankets tangled around his legs. His skin was cold to the touch and sweaty. "Loki!" Tony tried to wake him shaking his shoulder furiously.

"No! No! Anything but that! Let me stay! Not there! They'll kill me! I'll do anything!" Loki called out fighting off imaginary enemies. Tony stopped to listen for a second. "Don't let them have me. Please. Please." Loki whimpered, becoming stiller. "Why? Why do you do this to me? Haven't I had enough?" A single tear appeared beneath Loki's closed lid. That's when Tony decided he had heard enough. It was time to end this nightmare.

"Loki you got to wake up!" Tony clutched at him shaking the god. Loki began to fight back in his sleep, arms thrashing about blindly and legs kicking at thin air. Tony got on top of him pinning the tricksters hands above his head and stoping his legs with his own.

"Loki!" He shouted in the man's face and this time it worked. Loki opened his eyes wide with terror. Then he saw Tony. Loki stopped struggling and his breathing slowed. He sighed, not looking at Stark's questioning eyes.

"How much did you hear?" He asked ashamed.

"All of it. Bad nightmare?" Tony commented sitting up and releasing the god. Loki was trembling.

"A memory." Loki said not looking Tony in the eye.

"Would it be better if you talked about it?" Tony shifted so Loki could sit up. They settled cross-legged opposite each other. Tony took the man's hand in his, showing Loki he was here for him.

"I was remembering returning to Asgard." Loki shuttered. "It was the day after my punishment was completed and I was about to be freed." A cold came in to the room as if the very thought of that day made the air chiller. "Then a Chitauri entered the hall of the gods saying he and his race still had their vengeance to enforce upon me. They came with no intent to harm Asgard and only for me, baring peace flags. You see as much as the gods dislike the creatures they present no harm after your friends destroyed them. The counsel went in to conference and it was decided that the Chitauri had ten days to do with me as they wish." Loki squeezed his eyes as an onslaught of memories assaulted him.

Tony felt pity for the god. He reached over slowly and drew the man to him. Loki's body stiffened but then as Tony's body began to warm him he relaxed and caved in. Loki broke down in Tony's arms. Tears he had held back came spilling out over his cheeks. Tony moved, placing his back to the wall and sat Loki in his lap. Loki curled up like a little kitten and Tony stroked the soft hair. His sobs heightened and his small body shook.

Tears formed a pool on Tony's jeans. Loki's hands clutched at his shirt and Tony gathered the man in his arms. No words passed between them. Tony couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Loki was in. His own family and friends had thrown him to the dogs! To god knows what horrors and pain! They had just let the Chitauri have him willingly! And after they had completed their own punishment! Wasn't that enough? Couldn't they see what they had done to Loki?

Loki's sobs began to weaken and his tears became less. Tony slowly released the man. Loki looked up at him with red eyes pleading for something, perhaps forgiveness. Tony wished he could give Loki that, but it wasn't Tony he needed forgiveness from. Give him relief from these dark memories. but he couldn't.

Tony slowly got up. He stood at the edge of the bed looking in to Loki's eyes. Then Stark began to untangle the sheets and rearranged them over Loki. The god looked away but didn't protest. When his task was doneTony turned to go back to his own bed.

Loki's hand snaked out from the covers and brushed Tony's wrist making him turn back. "Stay." Loki's whisper was a choke. Stark looked in to those pleading eyes. Once again he climbed in to bed with the god. Loki sighed and closed his eyes. He snuggled up to Tony and Tony rapped his arms around the slim shoulders. "It's going to be okay, I won't let any one else harm you." He whispered. Tony didn't know if the god heard him or not.

Authors note- Okay! So sorry about not updating for a while! I just started school, taking way to many hard classes that give way to much homework! I'm going to be updating less and less. I'm so sorry and it gives me nothing but pain not to be writing but I'm going to do my best to get chapters out to you as fast as I can! I promise I will not forget you and I will give you a fulfilling ending, at some point in the very distant future!