Loki snorted in amusement, still with his arms crossed casually. "You're not seeming ungrateful at all. Or you're doing a poor job of showing it if you are. I suspect you're relieved I've offered options that don't involve us making a deal. I can't guarantee they'll work as well as a shield--but there we go."

A pause as blue-green eyes studied Gold again. They were full of secrets and lies and mysteries, searching over him. Then Loki nodded. "I suspect you also won't want this option either, but I've some affinity with mental magics, including memory modification. I'm certain I could simply link you being unconscious and only certain memories. Or block just the trigger perhaps." Loki had been calculating whether to let Gold know that fact about him.