A/N: That's right! A chapter update and guess what that means for next chapter? The thing you've been waiting for Loki Laufeyson VS Tony Stark get ready for the smack down of your life! Brought to you by snarky sarcasm and witty banter!

Pepper looked at him weirdly "Wait Tony... You didn't fly into the wormhole to commit suicide, did you?"

Tony opened his mouth to assure her that that wasn't the case but nothing came out. Had he been trying to commit suicide? "It wasn't suicide, it was sacrifice." as an afterthought he added "Something I'm apparently not good at."

Steve rubbed his neck awkwardly "Sorry about that by the way. I had no right to say that stuff to you on the helicarrier, I didn't even know you."

Pepper waved off that side of the conversation and continued with what she was saying "You don't seem too sure..."

"Pepper, it was either me or Manhattan! The chose was obvious."

"No Tony it's wasn't! Because I would choose you every single time!"

"Pepper! I need you to promise me right now that if for some reason my life would result in another person's death that you'd hand me over without hesitation. I won't let anyone else die for me."

Pepper was about to yell at him, tell him 'No way Tony, I couldn't do that Tony, I couldn't live with myself if you died!' and the 'you'd chose me over New York so why can't I choose you Tony?' but Natasha spoke first "Anyone else?"

Tony frowned "What?"

"You said you wouldn't let anyone else die for you. Who died for you originally?"

Stark looked at the floor "In Afghanistan, in the cave there was a man named Yinsen. A doctor from a small town called Gulmira."

"Gulmira? Isn't that the first place Iron Man was seen doing superhero stuff?"

"Yeah. It was. Because my weapons were being used there and they are the very things that killed his family... He never mentioned it but I have a feeling he knew. But he still saved my life, placed a magnet in my chest and hooked it up to a car battery it would only have lasted a week but it was enough time to build the Mini Arc Reactor Mark 1. Then he helped me build the first Iron Man suit, it didn't fly but it did jump a long distance, no repulser beams either just good old fashioned flame throwers. So at the last stage downloading some stuff from the outdated computer into the Mark 1 Raza and the Ten Rings realised I wasn't building a Jericho Missile-"

Clint snorted "No shit Sherlock."

"- and they came rushing in Yinsen ran outside to buy me time. He got shot and after I had burnt that camp to the ground, I found Yinsen bleeding out on the floor... He told me not to waste my life and sometimes I wonder... What if I already have?"

"Tony you have lived an amazing life! You have saved billions of lives just by existing!"

Tony sighed "but I'm also the cause of a billion deaths... As Raza called me the most famous mass murderer of all time."

"Tony you didn't know Obadiah was-"

"We don't say his name." (Daredevil reference yay)

"You didn't know what he was doing."

"But I should have Pepper! It was my company and it's not like it was some useless cell phone company selling phones under the table to people. It was Missiles and bombs and guns and other stuff that kills people! Don't tell me it wasn't my fault or that I didn't know because that just means that another one of my failures made it onto my ever growing list! I didn't pay attention and people died for it Pepper! That's what you don't seem to understand every time you tell me it wasn't my fault because sure I didn't kill them and I didn't sell terrorists weapons but they were my inventions, my weapons, my company and that means it's my fault."

Pepper's face flushed red with anger "How dare you say I don't understand! You seem to forget that I was right there next to you through all of it! I practically ran the company and I didn't even notice Obadiah selling weapons! You don't think I know how it feels to be at fault? I have the same blood on my hands as you do Tony, the only difference is I have the strength to deal with it."

"The only difference... Are you saying I'm weak?"

"What? No Tony I wasn't-"

"Because let me tell you! You didn't go through three months of torture in a cave where the sun doesn't rise and you can't tell if it's day or night and you don't know how much time has passed, a place where three months feels like three years and you KNOW that no one will ever find you, that you've got a car battery hooked to your chest and that's the only thing keeping you living! So don't you dare say that I don't have the strength to deal with things because even before that I had to deal with shit!"

"Tony-"

"And even before Afghanistan I was one messed up dude, I had pretty sever trust issues did you know that? I still have pretty sever trust issues actually! Lack of trust runs through my veins, I grew up learning not to trust people! My dad taught me that lesson although I don't think he did it intentionally! No he was just as mess up as me and I guess he passed on! Did you know my dad was a drunk? And he never ever went to any of my school things. I was a genius and I still wasn't good enough for him! They tell everyone that my parents died driving to my MIT graduation but they actually weren't! They were driving to an SI meeting! And guess he was with, Obadiah Stane but Stane lived and my parents fucking died not that it really made a difference they were already dead to me and then Stane who was closer to my father then my actual father tried to fucking kill me!" He was hysterical by now just saying things altogether in one mash of a sentence. "And not only was my dad a neglective drunken asshole but so was my freaking mom! That's right people the oh-so-sweet mother-of-the-year Maria Stark was a drunken idiot in a dress! And does anyone want to know why I don't have a lot of friends? It because I've never had friends! I couldn't go to nursery or the press would rip me apart and by the time I got to elementary I was so much smarter than the other kids and they didn't like that and then they started to become aware of who my dad was they either thought I was a spoilt kid and hated me to my face or they tried to get and my good side so they could become bffs with a Stark and hated me behind my back so I just didn't hang out with either and then came the grade skipping! Do you know how hard it is to be several years younger than everyone in your class? To be a genius but have absolutely no idea what they were talking about? Did you know Rhodey was my first friend? First year of MIT he was my roommate and I still don't trust him completely!" He gestured at himself "And just look at me now I'm having some sort of mental breakdown or maybe I already had it I don't even know!" He looked up at the ceiling trying to look at Loki which he knew was impossible due to the fact that he was inside his head but he tried anyway "Is this what you wanted Loki? Me, ranting hysterically while the Avengers look on confused and concerned? Me spilling my guts in the most painful way you could think of? Well guess what Loki I've done my part now I've told everyone all my dirty little secrets and now I'm coming for you! I don't care if I have to crack open my skull to get in there but I will find a way into my own head and I swear to all the gods I will kill you! Do you hear me Loki? I will fucking kill you! You are dead Loki! DEAD!" He stood panting as everyone stared at him, his almost heart-breaking rant finally over. The Avengers weren't sure if Tony had actually snapped or if it was just Loki but they didn't know what to do. Pepper stepped forward and hugged him softly stroking his hair and the Avengers decided it would probably be best to leave and give them some privacy.

"Tony." She whispered in his ear "Why did you never tell me?"

"Trust issues remember." He whispered back hot tears running down his face

"Even me? But I've known you for 14 years now, we've been together for 3 ½."

"And everyday I think you're gonna pack up and leave me."

She hugged him tighter "Oh Tony..." He eyes started to water as she thought about how much pain Tony had been in his whole life since the moment he was born, she understood his suicidal tendencies and lack of self preservation of course that didn't make her feel any better about it in fact it made her feel worse 'Don't cry Potts, you need to be strong for him. Just this once he needs someone to be strong for him.' "I'm sorry Tony, I'm so, so sorry I never notice."

"How could you notice when I was like this from the day we met. To you this was my default; you'd never seen me any other way."

She melted into him, their bodies fitting perfectly together as, his shattered self fitted perfectly around Pepper's perfect circle of a soul making her more complete then she had been but also unnecessary. I mean when you have a perfect circle why add more to the outside and ruin the shape? For now Pepper decided to forget that, she wasn't perfect no matter how hard she tried she had her flaws and she had her doubts but she was sure of one thing she loved Tony Stark and with that thought in mind she whispered softly "I will try to fix you."

A/N: Btw the song Fix You was stuck in my head that's why that last line made it into the story. It definitely wouldn't have had I not been humming it.