"I did not believe you would actually lie for me," Loki said, staring at Tony from where he was standing.

Tony had left with Thor after a short conversation with Loki. Again, Thor had wanted to make his brother talk to him, and Loki had only been more unpleasant than ever. He didn't want to have anything to do with Thor. Tony had only observed the scene, staying near the door. He didn't know if he should have even stayed in there.

The first time, he hadn't minded. Now, for some reason, seeing Loki in this position was making him uncomfortable. Maybe because again, he wanted to learn about him only through their talks, not by seeing the way he was acting with other people, and especially because of the way he was acting with Thor.

If his adoption had been the problem to begin with, Tony couldn't help but feel like his anger wasn't directed to the right person. Thor probably didn't have anything to do with it. So, what was it? Jealousy? Tony didn't like to think that Loki was only jealous. He didn't like hearing this conversation and he didn't step in.

Thor had noticed the drawings on the glass, where Tony and Loki were sitting to play chess. Tony was relieved that he hadn't noticed the box near his improvised seat. Tony had told Thor about Loki talking a bit about the other worlds, but the Asgardian didn't know they were actually spending time together, and Tony would rather have that part stay between Loki and him.

And in the end, Tony had left with Thor. Not without waiting for the god to go first, not without raising his finger to tell Loki he had to wait because he would come back. But he couldn't just stay there, that day. He didn't have any excuse to do so and he didn't want anyone to think anything about him staying behind. He didn't want another conversation with Bruce either.

So, he had finally joined the rest of the team. He hadn't been really talkative, but at least he had stayed with them and he hadn't missed Natasha's smile. He hadn't liked it, because he had felt like it was pity, and he didn't need this kind of treatment. But he had sat down with the rest of them and he had mostly listened to them.

Once they were all gone and that he had been alone on the sofa, he had decided that it was time to go see Loki. After pouring himself another drink, he had gone in the elevator and pressed the button.

Once in the room, he had told Loki that he had given the letter to Thor. Loki had been surprised to learn that Thor had accepted the request and Tony revealed that he had straight up lied to his brother to make him accept.

Tony shrugged and walked towards the cell to go and sit near the drawings. Loki automatically walked towards that place to, but slowly, hands behind his back and eyes on Tony.

"I told you I would tell him that it was from me, didn't I?" Tony said.

"Yes, but... Still. This is surprising," Loki said. He didn't sit down, he just stopped in front of the glass. Tony took a sip of his drink, settling himself as comfortably as possible, a leg underneath the other and holding his glass on his lap.

"Why is this so unbelievable to you?" He asked with a quiet laughter.

"I guess I do not trust you either," Loki said quietly. Tony's smile slowly fainted and he stared at Loki for a moment before he looked down at his glass.

"I guess this is legitimate," he then said. He looked at Loki again. "Do you, now?"

Loki slowly tilted his head as he bit his lower lip from the inside of his mouth.

"Can I?" Loki asked. Tony knew that he wasn't really waiting for an answer. Tony gave him a faint smile before he looked away again. He seemed to be thinking. Finally, Loki moved and sat down too, his back against the wall. They were next to each other, both staring at the wall in front of them, the only thing separating them being the glass between them. When Tony talked again, Loki turned his head to look at him through the lines of the marker.

"Do you even realize how lucky you are that she is still caring about you?" He asked. He didn't wait for Loki to answer before continuing, but he took a second of silence to turn his head too and meet his eyes. "That she is going above the rules to talk to you? That you're still alive only thanks to her? In spite of every shitty thing you've done?"

He sounded angry, even though he wasn't talking louder than before. It was infuriating, for him, he wasn't sure why. And Loki staying silent, just looking at him with those puppy eyes, was making the matter worse.

Tony wasn't seeing this kind of expression in Loki's eyes often, he had only seen it twice in the past and he still wasn't sure if it was real pain. Why would Loki display this kind of feelings when he was hiding everything most of the time if it wasn't to mess with Tony's mind? He hadn't shown this kind of expression when they first met, only confidence and superiority. No compassion, no sympathy, he had shown animosity and mischief.

But again, he had had the scepter in his hands. Had it influenced him even a little? Was he now acting differently because of that? The scepter couldn't be the reason for everything. Loki had so much resentment about whatever had happened to him that it was almost palpable.

"I do realize it," Loki said even more quietly. At that point, Tony wasn't even expecting an answer. "What makes you think that I am angry at her?"

"Knowing how you're angry at your fa-"

"He's not-!"

They both stayed silent, staring defiantly at each other. In the end, Tony turned his head to look away as he crossed his arms.

"You don't know how angry I am at Odin. Nor do you know why. You shouldn't assume so."

"I wouldn't have to assume anything if you were telling me what happened."

"We grew up!" Loki said suddenly a bit louder.

It had been a while since the last time Loki had snapped at Tony. He was way more calm since the genius had started spending some enjoyable time with him and had allowed him to answer to his mother.

Tony was looking at Loki again, a bit surprised by Loki's change of attitude.

"We grew up," Loki repeated more calmly, looking like he was trying to sound more dignified. But the thin line that were now his lips showed Tony that he wasn't exactly calm. Still, they kept staring at each other in silence for a few seconds before Loki spoke again. "Thor and I have never been the same. Nor were we treated the same."

Tony slightly narrowed his eyes, trying to get what he meant exactly, trying to hear in his voice, see on his face, if there was anything giving away the way he was feeling as he was telling him this. But there was nothing. His voice was steady, his breathing was slow, he now seemed to be serene.

He was usually good at reading people, but Loki was too hard to predict. There wasn't any pattern in his behavior. Sometimes, one wrong word and he would snap, but the next time you would use that same word, he would look as calm as ever. It only depended on what he would want you to see.

But somehow, Tony got what he meant. Because he knew about the adoption, he knew he wasn't their real son.

"He was treated better than you ever were," he said quietly. There it was. Loki's jaw was now clenched, and he had looked away for a split second before meeting Tony's eyes again. He was hurt. "By Odin, I guess?" Tony asked. Loki let out a quiet laugh, as he finally looked away and he sighed.

"By everyone except-" he said, stopping himself. Tony's eyes slowly went down on Loki's chest as he looked at it moving up and down. It kept going down on his hands that were on his lap, his fingers interlaced with each other. He looked up at his face again. "I have never been jealous. Sometimes envious, I will admit."

There was a pause as Loki looked up at the ceiling.

"We grew up hearing stories about wars, about cataclysmic battles between the worlds, about Asgard protecting the realms. About how victorious we were, about how one day, Thor and I would be on the battlefield too, fighting for our people," he continued. Tony was attentive to his every word. "And one day, one of us would succeed Odin on the throne. As he put it at the time; «Only one of you can ascend to the throne. But both of you were born to be kings. » " Loki had recited that with calm, still. He finally turned his head to look at Tony. "I was never destined to rule Asgard."

Again, a pause. This time, Tony talked, hoping Loki wouldn't snap at him again for asking a question. He was also mainly hoping that he wouldn't stop talking to him.

"When did you realize that?" He asked quietly. Was it only because he was younger than Thor? Or was it because he wasn't really their son? Loki stared for a moment before he stopped focusing on Tony. For the genius, he was only slightly looking down. But he was staring at his drawing of Jotunheim.

"I think I have always known," he said. "Thor was the firstborn and unless something happened to him, unless he was shown unworthy, he was the one destined to succeed Odin."

"Is that why you made something happen to him?" Tony asked, knowing that if Thor had come on Earth in the first place, it was because he was being punished for something. Thor hadn't explained much about it when Clint had asked. He hadn't seemed very comfortable with the matter, in fact.

Tony heard a distinctive tut coming from Loki.

"I do not know what Thor has told you, but I have never wanted that throne to begin with. Things changed later, when I realized what needed to be done," he said more quietly, making Tony frown. Then why did he want to rule so much? It didn't make any sense. "But this is not for today," he added. Tony sighed.

"Why not?"

"Because I decided so."

Loki glanced at Tony when he sighed again.

"Would you stop?" Loki asked.

"You're exhausting, I can't help it," Tony said directly.

"You can leave, if you want to."

Tony didn't want to. He crossed his arms and shook his head.

"No. Tell me more about it. About your childhood," he added to make Loki know that he wasn't talking about Thor's banishment anymore.

Loki considered Tony for a moment, slightly tilting his head to see him better behind the drawings. He then spoke more quietly.

"What do you want me to talk about?"

Tony glanced at Loki, meeting his eyes for a second. Loki knew that he wanted to know very particular things. Tony pursed his lips and thought about it for a second.

"What were the differences between his behavior with you and his behavior with Thor?" He asked, clearly talking about Odin. After a moment, Loki answered.

"He has always favored him," he said quietly. "Thor was... Thor was always doing what he could to impress Odin. Like I said, we were often told about the battles Odin was leading and Thor..." Loki stopped as he looked down, a bitter smile on his face. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Thor just wanted to be like him. Strong, victorious, respected, admired. He has always dreamt of being out there, fighting, winning. He grew up being a fierce and arrogant fighter." He looked at Tony again. "But he was good at what he was doing, and he knew it. Odin knew it. He taught him everything he knows about fighting. He gave him Mjölnir and Thor defended our land many times. He proved himself many times."

"But Odin didn't teach you, did he?" Tony asked, meeting Loki's eyes again. Loki stared for a moment.

"She did."

Loki was never calling her Frigga, but he wasn't saying "my mother" either when talking with him. Tony had noticed. He wondered if it was because he was considering her as his mother and would never call her by her name but that admitting it and calling her "mother" would invalidate his feelings against Odin. He felt annoyed because he could have looked how he was talking to her when he had the letter in his hands, but he hadn't. Now it was too late.

"She taught me a lot of things and tried to pass on the wisdom Thor would never even be able to dream of having to me," he said before closing his mouth, his lips forming a thin line again for a second. Tony's eyes went on them for an instant before going back up. He was so bitter, it was incredible. Thor was wise. Maybe not as much as Loki, who knew, but he was when it came to some things. Tony knew it. And he knew that it wasn't really saying this, it was his rancor.

"What did she teach you?" He asked. He saw Loki's eyes focusing on the drawings between them before coming back on his face.

"Our story. The story of the realms. Of the Yggdrasil, of The Convergence, of the battles we all fought. While Thor was following Odin around, I was in the library. While he was dreaming of winning wars, I was the one understanding what his father was saying by not seeking out one but be prepared for it when it comes. While he was learning how to fight, she taught me how to use the same magic as hers. While Thor was making friends to fight with, I..." Loki's gaze slowly drifted away as he closed his mouth again. He took a long and silent breath as he thought about Thor's friends.

Sif didn't like him very much, he knew that, she was wary of him. After all, Loki had earned his title of God of Mischief. He had often annoyed them with his magic when he was younger, and Lady Sif had never been able to grow fond of Loki.

Volstagg didn't mind him, he didn't have a problem with anyone, really. He was the more amiable, getting along with everyone because he was happy with small things. But for Loki's tastes, he was too noisy, too focused on worthless things.

Fandral was more charming than anything, yet, he was also wise. He knew the effect he had on people and he was using it to get along with everyone. But was he a friend? They had been kind of close, at some point. Not anymore, obviously.

Hogun was the one Loki liked the most and with whom he had spent most of his time when the warrior was coming to the palace. He was the wisest of Thor's friends, the quieter and the more interesting. He didn't have the same wisdom as the others. Probably because he was a Vanir. Even if he was one of the best warriors of Asgard, he wasn't as much interested in fighting wars as Thor was. He would fight if attacked, but he would never be reckless. He had knowledge about things Loki was eager to learn, he had been interested in his culture and way of living and they had somehow bonded with their many conversations.

But they weren't his friends. He had never made his own friends. He had never spent time with the other kids his age when he was younger. They had always been more interested by Thor because he wanted to play with them, to train with them, while Loki was watching from afar most of the time. He wasn't as interesting, as worthy of their attention.

"But did my interests matter? Did my lack of interest in battles disappointed him? I don't think it is what drove Odin away from me, if he was ever close," he said quietly. "There was something about me that made him care much more about Thor than me. I wasn't his son. He had taken me in, but his intentions weren't to take care of me in the first place."

"What were they, then?" Tony couldn't help but ask. Loki closed his eyes as he shook his head. He wouldn't talk about it now, then. "But you had Frigga. You were spending your time with her, right? She loved you. She still does," he then said. "Are Odin's acceptation and respect more important to you than she will ever be?" Loki slightly narrowed his eyes as he considered Tony.

"You seem to attach a lot of importance to my relationship with her," he said quietly.

"Because I do."

"Why?" Tony shrugged. He wasn't even sure. Well, he was, but he didn't know why he was caring about it when it came to Loki. After everything he had done, he didn't deserve much consideration. And still, somehow, he was sympathetic.

"Because even if you don't say it, I know how much she matters to you. Because whatever you think, she's still your mother, right?" Tony asked, glancing at Loki. The Asgardian didn't show any sign of approval, but he didn't seem against what he was saying either. "You're close to her, you probably love her, even, if you can feel those things," he added. Loki tilted his head at those words, looking a bit jaded, and Tony smiled a little. "Am I right?"

Loki stopped looking at him in the eye when he answered, he turned his head and straightened up a little against the wall.

"Possibly," he sighed. Tony laughed quietly.

"Saying you love your mother is not going to kill you, you know." Tony only got a side glance from an annoyed Loki and he smiled a bit more. "You have the right to still be attached to her even if you're angry at Odin," he then said a bit more seriously. This time, Loki seemed to be more interested. He faced the genius again, showing that he was fine with him talking about that.

Tony tilted his head, letting it rest against the wall as he met Loki's eyes again.

"They're not the same person. They didn't do the same things for you or against you, whatever happened. And even now, she's still talking to you and showing concern. Of course, you're allowed to feel the same way about her. Her behavior doesn't excuse Odin's. Your anger is still valid. I mean, I say that without knowing why you're so mad at him but... you know what I mean."

Loki eyes moved a bit as he was observing Tony's features for a few seconds.

"You know what you are talking about," he only said. Tony gave him a tired smile as he slightly shrugged.

"Yeah. It was... kind of the same situation for me," he said. Loki frowned a little and unconsciously moved a bit closer, hanging on Tony's every word. Tony noticed but didn't move nor said anything, he just took a deep breath before he looked away. "Howard was... great. In everyone's mind, he was great. Great in everything. But god, was he a shitty father," he said as he slowly shook his head. "I was close to my mother, Maria. Really close, I loved her so much," he said as he glanced at Loki. The guy needed to understand that it wasn't a weakness. "But... She was traveling a lot with him. I was being looked after by someone else that they were paying," he said. He didn't know if Loki knew the concept of a nanny. "Even when I was a teenager, that person was still there. At least, I had Jarvis," he said as he shrugged.

Loki frowned and glanced at the ceiling.

"Not..." Tony started to say before he sighed. "Before, he was a human, a Midgardian if you prefer. He was our butler... my friend. He still is. Anyway," Tony said, waving his hand, looking a bit disturbed. "I just get it. Howard was cold, he wasn't doing anything that wasn't planned, he didn't care about me, never showed me any kind of affection. It's to wonder if he ever held me in his arms. But I guess he tried his best, what do I know. My mother wasn't the same. And I know that if I had the opportunity to talk to her, even if she was away, I'd give everything to be able to do that. I never had the chance to tell them goodbye, they died in a car crash. There are... so many things I would have told her, if I had known. But you never know."

There was a moment of silence during which Loki stared insistently at Tony. The genius was avoiding his face, now, looking away, his head still against the wall. When he felt a bit uncomfortable by Loki's gaze, he looked at him again.

"But you know. My father was kinda like yours and I've never killed people because of it." Loki slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Why would you do such a thing as comparing me to yourself?" He finally asked.

"Did you listen to me?" Tony asked, not actually wanting an answer but Loki nodded anyway. Tony pursed his lips for a second. "We've been living the same way. And yet, here I am. On the other side of this cell." This last phrase didn't exactly pleased Loki as he looked away for just a short moment. Tony almost didn't see him do it.

"I am not one of you mortals," he said calmly.

"It doesn't exempt you from doing the right thing."

"Do you believe Odin does not have blood on his hands? Do you believe Thor does not either?" Tony narrowed his eyes for a split second. He wasn't sure if Loki was saying that to defend himself, or if it was to know what Tony was thinking of Thor and Odin. Either way, Tony decided to ignore the reason and just go with what he was thinking.

"It doesn't excuse anything, you should assume your actions instead of using this as an excu-"

"Don't you have blood on your hands?" Loki asked on the same tone as before, still really calm while Tony had been talking a bit louder. But now, silence filled the room as Tony closed his mouth, staring at the Asgardian.

"I have," Tony said after a while. "But at least I'm trying to own up to my mistakes."

Loki slightly raised his hands as if he was showing the cell.

"But you're not here because you want to be there, if you could, you'd leave," Tony said directly. Loki tilted his head as he slightly smiled. It was almost imperceptible, but Tony saw the left corner of his mouth curl up. He looked like he knew something Tony didn't, and it bothered the man. "You don't regret your actions. You'd kill me right now if you had the chance."

"I would not," Loki said. Tony frowned.

"You threw me out a window a few months ago," he then said. Loki's smile only grew bigger. "It's not funny," Tony said more coldly.

"I do not think it is," Loki said quietly.

"Then stop smiling."

Loki looked away, his smile still on his face and he placed a strand of his curly black hair behind his ear. Tony looked at his fingers as they went through his hair. He looked so much more different now. When they had met, his hair was greasy, and he was clearly mentally disturbed. Now, he was looking good and more serene than ever.

"I never thought we would ever have this kind of conversation," Tony let out.

"Which kind?" Loki asked, still not looking at him.

"You know what I mean," Tony said as he rolled his eyes. Loki glanced at him, the smirk still on his face. "You've changed," he added.

"Please, do tell me more," Loki said as he turned his head to look at the man. Tony stopped himself from sighing. Loki wasn't often in this kind of mood. Actually, Tony wasn't exactly sure if he was in a good mood, but it was different than usual. And not so annoying, actually. It was just so weird that Tony didn't know how to react.

"Bruce used to say we could smell crazy on you," Tony said more quietly. "He told me this kind of things a few times, and he wasn't wrong. You lost your mind at some point, didn't you? But now, and I don't know if that's possible, you seem to have regained it. Unless you're putting up a show, then you're better than I expected because to be honest, I can't tell," he said, being probably too honest for the liking of the rest of the team. But did he care, really?

Loki finally stopped smiling. His smile fainted slowly, and Tony didn't know if it was because of what he was saying, or if it was because of his past.

"You will not know what happened to me right now," he said softly. So, something really did happen. Tony swallowed as he met Loki's green eyes. "After my visit on your precious planet, I was still very..." He stopped, looking away for a moment as he seemed to be disturbed by what he had been about to say. Now, he was searching for the right words, but they didn't want to come out. "Back on Asgard, it was hard. I was still... I still hadn't regained it, as you put it. Now that I am clear-sighted again, things are different."

"But it's too late for you to go back."

"I can never go back. But I accept my punishment."

"Again, it's not like you have the choice."

"Don't I, though?"

Tony stopped breathing for a moment. Loki kept hinting things like this and he didn't like it. At first, he hadn't taken him seriously, he had just thought that Loki was trying to be threatening, but now, he was afraid that he was realizing what Loki knew that he didn't, and he didn't want to understand the meaning of his words.

"It seems like you are going to be stuck with me until the end of your days," he then said, smiling again.

At that point, Tony also realized that he didn't mind having him in the tower so much anymore.

.

"How did you get out?" Tony asked, staring at Loki. He had got out of his bed after being woken up by some noise. He didn't know what it was, but when he had walked out of his room, when he had walked across the hallway, when he had arrived in the living-room, he had seen Loki standing in the middle of it. He didn't have his helmet, and his spear wasn't there either. But he was dressed the same as the first time he had seen him. Illusion.

He could have his helmet and his weapon back if he wanted to. He could do anything he wanted to. He could kill Tony right now if he wanted to. Instead, they were staring at each other and Tony wasn't receiving any answer. He frowned.

"You're not supposed to be here!" He said as he clenched his fists. Something told him that he should get one of his suits, but he didn't move. He glanced around as he heard some noise. He noticed the chess plate on the coffee table and he looked at Loki again.

"The Chitauri are coming," he said calmly. "Nothing will change that."

What have I to fear? This phrase echoed in Tony's head even if Loki hadn't said it, because he had had this conversation before. Slowly, Loki walked towards Tony.

Tony frowned, unable to walk away. He wasn't exactly afraid of Loki at that moment. He didn't have any weapon, he didn't have the scepter, his skin was pale, his hair was clean and placed behind his ears, his green eyes were fixed on Tony's face, peering curiously at him as he got closer.

He was now right in front of him, Tony could touch him if he wanted to. He just had to raise his hand and he would reach him.

He slowly looked down as he felt something on his chest. He stared at Loki's fingers on the edges of the Arc Reactor. A thought crossed Tony's mind at that moment. Was he going to try and pull it out of his chest?

He looked up at Loki who was staring at the Reactor, but he didn't say anything. He stared at his features and only blinked when Loki's eyes moved to meet his.

"Do you have a heart, Anthony?" Loki asked quietly as he slightly tilted his head on the side. Tony frowned again as he breathed deeply, still feeling the tips of Loki's fingers on his chest, around the Arc Reactor.

"Do you?" He finally let out. Loki didn't really react, at least he didn't show any emotion. Slowly, he straightened up and raised his head, his eyes stopping on the ceiling. Tony followed the gesture, doing the same.

That's when he heard the familiar noise of the Chitauri. It was on the ceiling, just above them, staring, its weapon in its hand. It then jumped to attack Tony.

Tony woke up with a start, panting and sweating. It was enough.

.

Tony bent down to get closer to his tablet's screen. Sitting on the couch, he hadn't been able to go back to sleep. He had poured himself a drink and had taken his tablet to watch a recording. It was only the conversation he had had with Loki a few hours earlier. He had paused it when Loki had started to smile, staring at Tony with his head tilted. Tony had zoomed in on Loki. He was closer to the glass than usual, and he seemed extremely relaxed, staring at Tony with this amused expression and those curious eyes.

Tony grimaced at the straightened up, grabbing his glass to empty it with a single sip. He then zoomed out to be able to see the entire cell.

Loki had said too many times that he could probably escape if he wanted to for him not to have a plan. And maybe that was it, maybe he was messing with his head that day.

Or maybe he was serious. Maybe he really was accepting his punishment.

He had nothing in this cell, he couldn't possibly have something to escape. He couldn't use his magic either...

Reading Loki was so hard, it was actually impressive.

Tony sighed as he took his phone, quickly typing a message.

It was the middle of the night, but you never knew... And soon enough, his phone rang. He picked up.

"What are you doing up at this time of the night?" Tony asked Clint as he took the bottle next to his tablet, filling his glass with the alcohol.

"You're the one who just asked me if I was awake," Clint said. Tony smirked as he took a sip.

"Yes well, I won't ask you any more questions about that if you don't ask me any in return," he said. He heard Clint chuckle and he smiled.

"What is it, Tony?" Barton finally asked, sounding a bit more serious. Tony wouldn't contact him in the middle of the night just to talk to him about the weather.

Tony touched the screen of his tablet three times before he stared at the screen, a sharp pang of emotion in his chest, and he stopped breathing for a split second before he looked away, focusing on his phone call.

"I was wondering if you could tell me about something," he said.

"Hit me."

"Loki... What did he look like when he used the portal to come on Earth? How was he acting?" Tony asked quietly. The answer didn't come right away, and he could understand why. Clint was still holding a grudge against Loki for what he had done to him and it wasn't easy for him to talk about it. Tony had thought of Barton because of his nightmare, actually.

Because of Loki's question in it. Do you have a heart, Anthony?

He knew what Loki had told Clint before taking control of him. He had told him that he had a heart. But in his nightmare, it hadn't looked like Loki was going to try to brainwash him, he didn't even have his scepter. But since he hadn't been able to control him in the first place, maybe he was curious.

Once again, Tony had to remind himself that it was only a dream, so was it really making any sense anymore?

"Before he messed with my brain, you mean?" Clint suddenly asked.

"Yeah," Tony let out after another pause.

He heard Clint's sigh and felt bad for asking him about it when he had himself always avoided questions the others could ask him about the bad things he had lived.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," he then added, just to make sure Clint was ok.

"Why d'you wanna know?" Clint asked, sounding slightly impatient. Tony didn't answer directly. He glanced at the screen again before he leaned back on the couch.

"Well, I couldn't sleep, and I was thinking about a lot of things. Then the Tesseract came in my mind and I thought about... everything, you know. And then about the fact that I have him a few floors under me, and I was wondering... That's all," he explained. Again, silence. He raised an eyebrow as he stared at his glass that he was holding on his thigh.

"He looked like a zombie, man," Clint finally let out, capturing Tony's attention again. "Even staying on his feet seemed hard sometimes, he looked exhausted. But not enough to stop himself from conquering the world, apparently."

Tony nodded uselessly, forgetting for a moment that Clint couldn't see him.

"Anything else?" He then asked. Now, Clint sounded really impatient.

"I don't know, he looked dirty, tired, sweaty and ready to fuck shit up, what do you want me to say? I was too busy to pay that much attention to his appearance," he said quickly, wanting to stop talking about it. Tony got the hint.

"Thank you," he only said once Clint was done. It had been quiet, but he was sure his friend had heard. He wasn't answering, and Tony finally hung up, leaving Clint disturbed by the call.

Tony straightened up on the couch again and he drank the rest of his drink before putting the glass and his phone on the table, near the bottle. He then glanced at the screen of his tablet again.

He sighed as he saw Loki lying on his mattress, looking harmless, one hand on his tummy, his eyes closed and his respiration steady. At least, one of them was able to sleep that night.