AN while many of you wanted both (seriously you guys, great help you are ;P) I have followed the advice of well…my own brain in the end, but you guys helped a lot. I have decided to do the work scene now and add the weird wake-up scene later, because let's face it: they will be ending up in bed with each other more times in this story eventually. The songs I listened to during this chapter were Florence and the machine: no light, no light and Hugo with 99 problems. Thanks for all the lovely reviews I received on the last chapter.

Loki woke up alone later that day feeling more rested than he had been in a while. For a moment he wondered where Stark had gone, but he soon found the note on the table next to him. Find me in the lab whenever you are read. So the scientist had already started without him. After washing away the sweat of his nightmare and grabbing an apple to eat Loki headed downstairs to where he knew the lab was. It clearly was soundproof because he could only see the genius's lips move before the door opened.

"Good morning sleeping beauty. Feeling up for a little brain-picking?" Loki could only stare in amazement at the lab. It was a mess.

"How on earth do you get anything done here, Stark?" he questioned as he sidestepped a box which contained some form of screws.

"Oh I usually make JARVIS clean it up once I'm finished." He pushed some paper off the table so he could put down another pile. "This is all the information I have so far gathered on that little scepter thing you have."

"That little scepter thing could easily kill you, so a little respect please. Where is it if I may ask?" Really how did he find anything in this dump. Granted it was a very high tech and expensive dump, but still a dump. The only things Loki really could clearly make out were the computer screens, the tables, and the cars. The rest was a mix of paper, screws bolts and all other sorts of metal pieces. With a look of curiosity he held up a carrot to stark who shrugged. "Experiment." He answered as if that explained everything.

"It's over here." He pulled open two small cabinet doors which revealed his scepter in all its glory, on a plush cushion.

"At least you are treating it better than the rest of your stuff." Loki huffed as he took his beloved staff out of its holder.

"Please Rudolf, my iron suit is polished every single day. My creations are always taken care of." The other man huffed. "Now on to the good part; that magic of yours what is it made of?" the energy Stark radiated reminded him of the little kids during the feasts at Asgard.

"My magic is a form of energy, you didn't figure that one out yet Stark?"

"Of course I figured that out. It's a pure element, I can't break it down into different ones. What I like to know is how you create it." The other man huffed, opening another screen which showed Loki in battle using his scepter. For a moment he said nothing, as he watched the damage he had caused.

"You mortals have something you call Zen, a state of pure balance. Magic does not just exist, though there are those with a certain aptitude for it. You have to learn how to create that balance within and then reach for the energy that comes from that balance there. Once you have reached that point, you train until it becomes easier to tap into it." Loki explained, tracing every little dent that had been made into his staff and all the runes that had been carved into it.

"So if I started to do some Yoga, I would be able to do magic?" Tony questioned with a hopeful look, which Loki was happy to crush.

"The only thing you would be able to do then Stark, is shut up for long periods of time. Your kind has been without magic for so long that it will never come to you, though there still are some born with a certain gift for it. Seeing lost souls for instance, or a special connection to animals, and once long ago not all your fortune tellers were frauds." The blue stone at the top glowed a little brighter when he placed his finger against it.

"So you have many sorcerers back at Asgard? I didn't get the impression Thor could do more than swing his hammer and create bad weather." The genius was scribbling down words on the board that summarized the conversation.

"Thor is, like the most of the gods, a fool. Sorcery is a skill that requires a focus of the mind that is lost on most of them. They prefer glorious battles and fighting skills over the brain. The only people left on Asgard that can do more than fight are of the first generation and soon magic will die with them." While Loki whished only bad things on most of the other realm, he felt like a part of a dying breed and it hurt.

"Why would it die out? You said it isn't something hereditary so any god can learn it right?" It was funny how interested Stark was in the information the god gave him. For years Loki had yearned for someone to share the knowledge with and the one person that wanted to hear it was a mortal.

"You understand the concept of energy Stark, when you cannot control it, most of the times it becomes volatile. Beginning sorcerers need to be trained. Letting them loose on Asgard would destroy the city. I once nearly destroyed half the palace and myself by practicing on my own." Stark laughed out loud at that.

"I can remember my dad being mad at me for accidently blowing up the car that I had rewired. Seems we were both volatile energy sources." He joked and against all Loki's will the corners of his mouth still turned up. "You can still teach them though, right Rudolf? You don't look like you are dying anytime soon."

"You assume that I will return to Asgard, which I will not. I am part of a dying breed I'm afraid."

"Wouldn't you be able to teach your children then?" apparently the mortal had spoken before he actually thought about it because he immediately went tense, expecting an attack from Loki. All the god felt though was sharp pain in his chest.

"I have already lost five children Stark, I do not wish to lose another one." He refused to see the pity in the other man's eyes.

"Isn't Jormungand still here on earth? Couldn't you visit him or something?"

"He was taken away when he was born. He does not know anything but the depts of your ocean. Even if I wanted to see him I'm afraid he would scare too many of you mortals if he goes above water and I cannot go below water." He wanted to make Stark shut up about the subject.

"I see…" for a moment there was an awkward silence.

"I have told you about my magic, now tell me how you ended up with that night light in your chest?" the human only blinked at him wondering whether he was joking or not.

"This night light is keeping me alive and powers my suit, so a little respect please." He threw Loki's own words back, making the immortal man grin.

"I'm sorry I will talk about the impressive night light with a little more respect, now tell me."

"You didn't say the magic word…" Tony taunted him. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Tell me about it….please." the last word was said with such disdain that Stark cracked up. When he finally stopped laughing, he explained how he had ended up with the arc reactor and what it did.

"So you just have a very big and powerful magnet in your body? It explains why my magic did not work on you then, it must have rejected the energy. Two negative poles, they probably bounced off each other." Loki mused, turning an older arc reactor around in his hands. Inspecting the small thing that contained so much power from every angle.

"Probably, I was able to use Thor's energy against him though. I think I plowed him through three or four trees before he stopped flying through the air." Loki laughed.

"I saw that, the first time my brother felt his energy used against him. Oh I still enjoy that memory." He smiled wistfully. Tony continued making some notes on his board, so Loki decided to snoop around a bit. He opened several drawers and cabinets. He paid no attention to Tony who was currently suiting up to try some new technology he had recently installed. When he found a cabinet that was locked he could not resist. While his magic was still not strong enough to do anything powerful like healing, he certainly could open a lock. He opened the small panel to find a lot of grey pieces flying around in the box, seemingly suspended in the air. There was a small switch on the side, which Loki turned off to see what would happen. It was only for his godlike reflexes that he was missed by the object as they suddenly moved forward. There were several thunking sounds as they hit the armor Tony was currently wearing. One grey piece was stuck right between Iron man's eyes.

"Loki…" even with the metallic voice from the suit, Stark made it sound very threatening. "Did you open the box with the magnets?" it really was a rhetorical question, but he still felt the need to answer it.

"That depends, was it the locked one with the little switch on the side?...otherwise no." It was hard to take the man serious when there were three pieces stuck on the metallic ass. He struggled for a few seconds, but in the end the need to laugh won and for the first time in probably a decade Loki truly laughed. Not his usual derisive laugh, or the fake one used to satisfy his brother and their idiotic guests. No, this was the real thing with all the endorphins included and it felt wonderful.

AN: Hope you guys didn't think this was too light a chapter for such a serious story….If so…I blame the delicious red wine I've been drinking. Another question for you guys: 1) Pepper shows up wanting to talk about giving their relationship another go..or 2) Thor shows up and nearly blows up stark mansion :P?