A/N: Here is my first Tony/Loki story! I hope you enjoy, please read and review!
"Pepper and I are kind of like Yin and Yang. I can't live without her, and she keeps me alive. She's the rock of my company, the core of my foundation, and she truly does care about me. She makes sure I take care of myself and that I'll be able to live just a little bit longer as Tony Stark. When I'm around her, she's one of the few people in this world who cares about me as me, and not the hero Iron Man or the rich playboy Tony Stark. If I didn't have her in my life...I wouldn't be able to function. That being said, she is also a royal pain in the ass at times. She constantly nags me, and never leaves me alone."
"Why are you telling me this?" Loki asked tiredly as he tilted his head to the side. "I didn't ask about your ex-lover, and I don't really care to listen any longer."
"You're my prisoner...well, the Avengers' prisoner. And I have nobody else to talk to about the matter."
"What about the other scientist fellow? He is your friend, no? Wouldn't he want to hear more about your girl problems than an imprisoned god?"
"Banner? Nah, he doesn't do the whole girl problems scene. Gets the guy too worked up. And we wouldn't want the other guy to come out and wreak havoc on you again, now would we?"
Tony smirked at the visible twitch in Loki's body at the mention of the green giant who used his body as a punching bag slinky.
"What about chatting the ears off of the Captain? Or Robin Hood?"
"Your quick-paced understanding of Earthly classics astounds me. Capsicle would be a horrible option because he would just chastise me about how I'm mistreating Pepper and taking her services and friendship for granted. Clint would tell me I was an idiot for letting a babe like her get away."
"Well do you agree with his sentiments? Do you wish you were still with her?"
"Not really. Sometimes I miss the comfort of having someone I trust care about me and be there for me in a romantic fashion, but it can't be helped. Pep and I are two different people with two different goals in life. She wants to settle down, have kids...I could never give her that. I wouldn't exactly be daddy material."
"Why not? Your issues with your father must have surely taught you how not to father your kids, and you could even bribe them to love you with money and gifts if all else fails. With your genetic brains, they could even grow up to match your intelligence and love for the sciences."
"I'm not ready for that kind of commitment though," Tony sighed as he raked a hand through his hair. "Pep wants to get married and start popping out brats now and it's all too much for me. I don't know if I'd ever be able to make that kind of commitment anytime soon. She's better off settling down with someone who truly loves her and can dedicate their time and attention to all of her needs - like starting a family. Someone who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, as it were."
"So why does this bother you so much?" Loki asked in a bored manner as he laid down on his side. Realizing that this conversation was not going to end anytime soon, Loki figured he might as well get comfortable. Their talks never ceased before a time span of two hours, and it had only been fifteen minutes.
"It's killing me that she can move on and find other guys while I'll still be a lonely, single man stuck in his lab all day. Pep's a real catch, she'll have no trouble finding some stupid, idiotic monkey to marry her and give her kids. But I'll still be alone, even as she's getting ready for grandkids."
"What makes you say that?" Loki asked, genuinely confused. He had heard just as much about Tony Stark's escapades when it came to the ladies as the next man and he couldn't understand why Tony would have trouble finding another Pepper.
"Let's just say it's difficult for me to find someone who loves me for me, not the wealthy hero everyone in America sees," Tony said bitterly. "Pep was the first woman to love me for me."
Loki was silent as he contemplated the man before him. Sure he and Tony were on opposite sides of a set of prison bars at the moment, but if you took away Tony's suit and wealth and Loki's magic, the two men were very similar. Brilliant, ambitious, rejected by those who had claimed to love them most, and extremely lonely. It made sense why Tony came to Loki looking for someone to talk to when most of the other Avengers sought Loki only to use him as a human punching bag.
"Have you thought of getting a puppy? I hear they are the perfect companion for you humans," Loki replied after a moment.
Tony looked at him with a strange look of confusion before his mouth turned into a smirk.
"I already have a pet dog. His name's Thor."
Loki shared a grin at this as he lay fully on his back, looking up at the murky ceiling.
The silence was never awkward, more like two lost souls taking comfort in each other's company to not feel a desire to speak, lest it ruin the moment. Instead of speaking, Tony shifted off the stool on which he sat and dared to slide closer to the bars as he sat cross-legged on the cool marble floor.
"Is there anyone else you could see yourself in a romantic relationship with instead?"
Tony thought about his answer as he counted names off his fingers.
"Natasha's out because she's with Clint and would probably kill me before I could even get her phone number. Which I have, by the way. I'm not really into the idea of a homicidal girlfriend, doesn't really propel my fuel if you know what I mean. Jane doesn't really interest me at all, plus she's Thor's gal and I'm not really into the whole steal-a-bro's-girl thing. I mean if I wanted to, I totally could no question, but that's just not my thing, ya know?"
Loki nodded aimlessly as he tried to make his next question sound casual.
"What about guys?"
Tony ran a hand through his hair again as he thought about it. Sure he had dabbled in the man pond here and there, but it had never been serious. A boyfriend? Tony chuckled at the prospect.
"What's so funny?" Loki asked curiously as he turned to face the hero.
"I have incredibly high standards, and if he didn't fit all of them then it wouldn't even be worth my time to think about," Tony smiled as he leaned back against the stool. "He would have to be equal to my intelligence or I would get bored easily. Strikingly handsome of course, someone I could go out in public with that wouldn't hinder my image. He would have to have a deep interest in science or math like myself and be willing to assist me in my lab. I view my lab as my own personal haven and escape from the rest of the world, but if he is capable of assisting me, I wouldn't mind letting him into my haven if he meets the requirements in that area. Oh, and he would have to be pretty well off in life. Have some kind of goal for himself - I won't be anyone's sugar daddy. Getting rich can't be his only goal in life."
"What about commitment? It is to my knowledge that two men can become married in parts of this world," Loki observed. "Would your relationship with another man affect the public's image of you to the point where it would alter your business?"
"I highly doubt it. Most of America pictures me a hero, and half of that following probably wouldn't be surprised if I started dating a man. I've been with so many people already, I feel like this possible boyfriend would simply be another blip on the media's radar. It would be when our relationship was evidently becoming more and more serious that I think people would wonder. America would probably question it more so than demean it. I really cannot say. I don't see it affecting my business though. My relationship with Pep had a lot of chatty gossipers talking because hell, she runs my company, but I highly doubt this made-up boyfriend would have anything to do with Stark Industries. It's not like if we were to become serious I would sign the company over to him. If I die, Pep gets that burden."
"Do you see yourself settling down with one individual for the rest of your life?" Loki asked as his eyes met Tony's.
"No," Tony replied, not missing a beat. "I will probably die before I get married, anyway. The married life is great for some folks and all, but for me it's just not a requirement. It's not something I have to do in my life, and therefore, will probably never do."
"Not even if your significant other wanted to? Although with how you told Pepper no, what could possibly make you say yes to a man?" Loki muttered as his gaze turned back to the ceiling. His thoughts were swirling, but he wasn't about to let Tony even guess he knew what the god was thinking about. He and Tony had played this game almost every night since Loki had been imprisoned on Earth in Stark Tower, and Loki knew when he had to pretend he wasn't interested in order to gain answers. Of course, Tony could see right through Loki's pathetic attempts to feign indifference, but Tony didn't voice his thoughts aloud. He enjoyed their conversations as much as Loki did and while neither was willing to admit it, neither was willing to say or do anything to risk losing what they had now.
"I'm not going to say I'll never settle down, because if it's one thing I can't control, it's the future. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow or the day after that, I can only prepare for whatever life throws at me. And say the 'man of my dreams' or whatever just dropped into my lap tomorrow and wanted to get married, who knows? Maybe I'll say yes."
"But why deny Pepper, the one woman who was so much better for you than all of the others, and possibly accept a stranger's offer?"
"Because...I don't want to marry Pepper," Tony whispered, feeling regret in his stomach. He had accepted the fact long ago that while Pepper was so right for him – she was everything he wanted in a woman – Pepper Potts was not the one Tony Stark wanted to settle down with. It wouldn't feel right.
Loki sat up at that and regarded the mortal in front of him with darkened eyes. "Why not? Aren't you attracted to her?"
"She's beautiful, of course I am! But she's not...not what I would want out of someone I'm going to marry," Tony admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "She has the personality and the morals and everything, but she would bore me after a while. It would become routine with her. And I couldn't keep putting her through the worry of never knowing whether I'll come back from a battle alive or not. If I marry, it has to be with someone who could fight alongside me in battle and with someone who would constantly keep things interesting. If I married Pep, I would be cheating her out of a better life."
"What about Captain America or Dr. Banner?"
"Cap is too high-strung and he can't get drunk, therefore more boring than Pepper. And Banner...he's got too many unfixable problems for me. I don't mind a sociopath now and then, but Bruce's problems are too out there for me to commit to. I could never date either of them. Maybe take a ride in bed with Cap and have a science date with Bruce, but never anything solid or real. If I was to date anyone, I would probably date Jarvis, but that would be like dating a sassier version of myself, and that would be too creepy and cliché. I've tried it before."
Loki half-smirked at the image and looked back into Tony's eyes. "Is there no one else you would consider taking on as a boyfriend?"
Tony stroked his incoming goatee as he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand, leaning closer to the bars in the process.
"Nope, can't say there is."
Loki hmm-ed as he leaned to press his back to the wall. He should have known Tony's answer would be a no. The chances of it being anything otherwise were -
"Although there is this one guy, now that I think about it. But it's a long-shot and he would probably never agree to it."
"Why's that?" Loki asked, suddenly alert yet trying to remain cool.
"Well...he tried to kill me a few times."
"I highly doubt the Mandarin would make boyfriend material," Loki chuckled as he mirrored Tony's image, resting his chin in his hand. "And the same goes for that Russian lad."
Tony grinned as he waved his hand in a manner that implied it didn't matter.
"I'm not thinking of them."
Loki's eyebrow raised as he inquired, "Who then?"
Tony shrugged as Jarvis's voice announced, "Director Fury wishes to speak with Master Loki now, sir. And he is growing rather impatient."
As Stark nodded to himself and stood up, he cracked his back and grinned at Loki.
"Well Reindeer Games, it's been fun as always. Same time tomorrow?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Loki smirked as he shrugged his shoulders.
Tony smiled as he turned and began walking towards the exit. Right before he hit the door however, he replied over his shoulder, "Let's just say he has a thing for throwing handsome men out of windows."
As Director Fury took Tony's place outside the cell, Loki fought to hide the smile that was threatening to take over his face.