Loki tossed and turned in his sleep, the nightmares plaguing him. Tony gently shakes his boyfriends tense body.

"Hey! Bambi! Wake up. it's just a nightmare." Tony says, relieved when Loki stops flailing aroung like someone being drowned and opens his eyes.

"Tony?" Loki asks.

"Yeah. Its me Bambi. Just me. You were having a nightmare, that's all. Your safe now though. Your here, in my tower. Do you want to talk about it? The nightmare I mean? Was it about Thanos?" Tony would not have been surprised if it was. After the attack of new york, after Loki had been smashed by Bruce and Thor had realised that his brother was being mind controlled, the nightmares had started.

"It wasn't about Thanos." Loki said. "It was a memory from my childhood. When I was 16, my fath- Odin he decided he'd had enough of my lies. He sewed my lips together with enchanted thread. I couldn't speak or eat for six months. I spent all my days in my chambers and in the libraries. I isolated myself completely. I couldn't bear to be seen by anyone in that state. Especially not Thor or his friends, I knew they'd bully me mercilessly."

"Bloody hell. Loki, that's child abuse, plain and simple. Why wasn't there anyone to stand up for you?" Tony asks, genuinely shocked. Every time Loki reveals something else about his childhood, Tony is disillusioned just a little more about Asgard.

"Even back then no one really liked me. I was weak and pathetic. They called me Argr- meaning coward, magic user, liar, and queer, amongst other things, - and they thought I was unfit to be a leader. Of course, Odin would never have a Jotun on the throne, but no one knew of my identity back then. If they had, this punishment would have been the least of my issues."

"The least of your issues- Loki how can this have been the least of your issues? He fucking sewed your lips together?!"

"When I found out I was Jotun, I attempted to kill myself. that's how bad being Jotun is. We are raised from young to know that the Jotuns are uncivilized monsters, capable of nothing but causing pain." Loki says, his voice sounding rather tired.

"You aren't a monster, Bambi. You're so much stronger then they realize. And whatever you think, you did not deserve that punishment. Sewing your lips together- that's torture."

Loki smiled and wiggled further under the covers.

"Wait- how come the thread didn't leave scars?" Tony asks, the thought occurring to him suddenly. Had he had time to mull it over, he would not have spoken that quickly or harshly.

"It did, Tony. I use magic to stop them showing or being able to feel them. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I just didn't have the confidence."

"It's okay Bambi. I totally understand. You don't have to tell me anything. But if yoy ever want to, I'm here for you. God, Loki, I love you so much."