Well geez...this one's even shorter than the last one, but at least I put it up fairly quick. Thanks for all the people who've been favoriting, it means a ton!

"What?" Stark asked. His tone was heavily laced with confusion, though his eyes had carried an emotion that I had never seen before in another being in all the nine realms...understanding.

"Alright, look. You've obviously been through some shit. Just let me fix you up to where you don't look like a Mythbuster's crash dummy, and we'll figure something out." he offered.

My eyes narrowed, and I forced myself to gather what pride I had left, not bothering with his silly Midgardian references. I lifted myself out of my chair, my body being a weight that my strength was not yet prepared to handle. I managed to remain standing, though my frame had been listing dangerously to one side.

"Just what sort of imbecile do you take me for, Man of Iron?" I hissed, forcing my back out of its slouch and into what was only a poor shadow of my usual posture. "You shall not make a fool of me. I know your reason for coming to my aid. SHIELD will need me in one piece, will they not? Perhaps you'll send Thor to come for me and send me off to where I belong." I nearly choked on my words, swallowing the heavy taste of copper with each sentence.

Stark set his tools to the side and brushed his bloodied hands against his clothes. He was dressed for formal occasion. The only preparation he'd bothered doing in assisting me was rolling up his shirt's sleeves. I was certain that a man with such expected hatred of me would have at least taken the time to change into more suitable garments.

Stark's eyes narrowed in confusion before nodding in thought. "Jarvis." he called out. My eyes widened in terror. We were the only two beings in the room. When the voice in the walls answered, I'd nearly fallen over when I'd realized how wrong I'd been.

"Yes, Sir?" the voice in the walls answered. It's voice was was nowhere near as painful to take in as Stark's.

"Is the guest room decent enough for company?" Stark added. My eyes widened, and I felt my knees buckle beneath me. I clung to the wall, not daring to fall before a man who'd already defeated me once before.

"A few adjustments need to be made. Aside from that, you'll find that the guest room has been well kept." the voice in the walls answered.

"Thanks, Jarvis. Make sure those adjustments are made in the next few minutes. Can you do that?" Stark asked.

"Of course, Sir." the voice assured him. When nothing more was said, Stark turned to face me.

"Alright, first of all, you look like they've had their fun with you already. You probably learned your lesson by now. Make no mistake, I've got my security activated to heights they've never seen before. If you try anything, yeah. SHIELD will be here before you can say 'kneel' in that cute little accent of yours." Stark's warning seemed as though he were trying to intimidate me, though something had been keeping his tone from reaching its full capacity. Despite the lack of venom, my body still pulled back into a cringe.

Stark let out a heavy sigh and took a step forward, as though approaching a frightened animal. With all self hatred I had within me, I realized that I likely held many similarities to one.

"Look, as long as you don't try anything suspicious like you did back there with your world domination act, you'll be fine. I won't turn you in, not like this. You've had enough." he promised. By the look on his face and the sorrowful tone in his words, I knew it was truth.

I felt a prickling against my eyes as unwelcomed tears threatened to expose me for the sorry weakling I was. My pride had given way completely as my weakened state took over. My legs had finally given out beneath me, and I fell to my knees.

"You'd...allow me a place in your home? I'd killed hundreds of your own kind...I'm..." I began, feeling one dreaded tear after the other fall to mix with blood.

My eyes lowered in shame as Stark descended to my level, something I would have never expected of him. If I were him, faced with a loathed villain groveling at his feet with all vulnerability exposed for him to grip at, I would have reveled in it. I would have looked down upon him.

"Yeah, well...I've got my own demons to battle. We all do." Stark said as he ran his hand through his hair, slick with sweat from what events had occurred moments before. "If you're willing to change yourself for the better, who the hell cares about what you did before? I don't. I don't even know if what you've gone through's changed you any, but I'm willing to at least wait and see." he finished, the normal warmth in his eyes dulled and swimming with secrets that I was certain had been pushing him towards this decision.

"Don't make me regret this." he muttered.

The will to answer him had died in an instant. I had been offered safety, and the panic settled in my heart had disintegrated. The sensation was far too overwhelming to comprehend, and I heaved forward into a sob, clinging to the man who had shown more mercy towards me than any being who had claimed to be of my own family.

"Do not let them take me again." I whispered into the fabric against the dulled glow of sapphire in the center of his chest. "I cannot bare a second more of it. I'm...ruined, Stark. They have destroyed me." I sobbed, my words barely comprehensible as my tears dampened the skin of his neck.

My pride no longer mattered at that time. He'd given me the assurance I so desperately needed in my captivity, and little else held any importance. Just once, I needed someone to see just how much I'd fought to endure. I wasn't certain as to why I'd done so to a mere mortal, but at this point, I couldn't find reason enough to care.

I let out a sharp gasp as I felt Stark's arms slowly pull me into an embrace. It flooded my chilled body with a warmth I'd not felt in ages. It were as though he'd caged me away from all things seeking to do me harm. A small thought came to mind at how much more pleasant it was than Thor's unforgiving, bone-shattering attempts at an embrace. I'd swear, each one had hidden intent on killing the very being in his arms.

"I've gotcha, Loki. You're safe in my tower. SHIELD and Pointbreak can't get in unless I let them." Stark muttered, his words carefully chosen as though wondering whether or not they would effectively bring me comfort.

It was far more than enough.

Leave me some reviews? Pretty please? I'd love to hear what you guys think! Chapter three will be up tomorrow!