A/N: The following for this story has astounded me, I honestly didn't think anyone would be interested in reading it! Thank you for your reviews and follows, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Do you miss having a heart?"

Tony stroked his goatee as he thought about the question. Sure, the arc reactor had its perks, like being able to withstand Loki's magic scepter-thing and being a trademark of his being, but if Tony had the chance to change hearts, would he?

"At times, yes. Like when I feared the arc reactor would kill me because of palladium poisoning. But if I had to choose between going back to having a regular heart and keeping the arc reactor, I would probably stick with what I got now. Life would be boring the other way," Tony smirked with a wink.

"I understand that it is a creation of technology and science...but it still seems to me to have magical qualities."

"The only magic in this baby is what a good fiend of mine gave it - the magic of being a part of me."

"Wouldn't you call being a part of the great Tony Stark a privilege rather than an act of magic?" Loki chuckled.

"I suppose so, but even I have my limits of how arrogantly I will think," Tony replied as he rested his head against the stool.

"May I ask another question?"

"Of course."

"It is somewhat of a childish question, but one that has intrigued me lately," Loki began sheepishly.

"Ask away, my charming prisoner," Tony beamed as he lifted his head to regard the god.

"Does the glow of it ever keep you up at night?"

Instead of openly laughing at the god, as Loki believed he might, Tony stroked his chin and responded with, "Actually no. It comforts me and reminds me that it's working. It's when I wake up in the middle of the night and there's no glow that it terrifies me."

"Do you ever have nightmares like that? Where you dream you wake up and it simply...stops working?"

"All the time," Tony admitted as he lifted his leg to rest his chin on his knee. "Usually alcohol helps reduce some of the nightmares because I'll simply drink myself into a stupor, but the nights where alcohol isn't enough are the hardest. I used to wake up in cold sweats and need to shower just to feel even the slightest bit more relaxed. Usually Pep would help calm me down too, but now that she's gone...it's just me and Jarvis again," Tony shrugged as fidgeted. This whole loneliness business was unsettling him rather quickly.

"Do you ever feel more machine than man?"

"Not really. Without me piloting it, the Iron Man suit would be nothing. Sure Rhodey did a decent job piloting it, and even Pep handled it rather well a time or two, but I'm its true pilot. Nobody on this planet could ever master the controls the way I have. And Jarvis wouldn't let anyone else become comfortable in the suit long enough to work it either unless it was me. I'm the man behind the machine and while part of me is machine, I still have my humanity, and I'm not giving that up for anything."

Loki hmm-ed as he thought about what it would be like to be human. To be mortal. To die.

Shivering at the thought, he was surprised when Tony asked, "Do you ever wish you were mortal?"

"No," Loki replied quickly as he tried to hide the emotion he felt at having Tony Stark read his mind. "I believed you mortals to be weak; a society of beings who needed to be ruled. But after fighting against you I realize I was wrong. You are not a weak race, quite the opposite actually. Far more cunning than I gave you all credit for. But the fact still remains that you can all die where I, a god, cannot perish as easily. My body has the ability to heal wounds rather quickly whereas if you humans suffered the same injuries I do, than it would take you weeks, maybe even months to recover. This is one of the reasons why your...friends take such pleasures in abusing me. Especially that Barton fellow." Loki flinched at the thought of the archer as he continued, "It fascinates him how my skin will heal the trivial wounds he inflicts, and he loves making the wounds just a little deeper each time he plays with me to see how my body will react. I feel like I am your own personal science experiment."

"Not my experiment, don't associate me with them," Tony butted in quickly. "I team up with them when the Earth needs saving, true, but I do not share their values, especially when it comes to how to deal with convicts."

"And what is your approach?"

"It differs with each convict I face," Tony admitted. "With you, I suggested you be sent back to Asgard where you belong to atone for your crimes in whatever manner Thor sought fit. However, that was before I realized that you would be at a greater risk of being kidnapped by the Chitauri and tortured by them. If you're going to be tortured by anyone, it might as well be by people who just want to avenge Phil Coulson rather than by a bloodthirsty army of demons who will keep abusing you until you die."

"And do you not think it is better for me to stay here and be tortured as opposed to being at the wrath of the Chitauri?" Loki asked with wonder.

Tony shrugged. "After a while Clint and Natasha and the others will become too preoccupied by missions Fury gives them or by their own interests to bother with you. Soon their abusing of you will become tiresome."

"I highly doubt that," Loki shuddered as he subconsciously pulled his knees to his chest. "Every time Barton sinks another arrow into me I see the smile of conviction and purpose in his face. He truly believes he is avenging Mr. Coulson with every mark he gives me. I doubt he will ever tire of avenging his friend." Loki's brow furrowed as he asked, "Speaking of which, how come you never sought vengeance against me for what happened to Mr. Coulson?"

"I reckoned your defeat and imprisonment here was enough," Tony replied. "Besides, Coulson survived. If he had died, than I may have had a different response to what your punishment should have been. I think Barton's just pissed that you controlled him and everything. Hawks aren't meant to be captive, you know. I think he's just using the issue of Coulson as an excuse to pummel you for taking over his mind."

"It wasn't like I controlled him for a personal reason," Loki pouted. Yes, the god pouted. "I simply needed him on my side in order for my plans to work. It wasn't like I targeted him because of a personal reason."

"But because you took over his mind, you made the issue personal with him," Tony rationed as he leaned forward toward the bars. "And if it's one thing Barton knows how to do, it's how to see revenge for personal issues."

Loki sighed. "I really got myself into a mess with this one, didn't I? And now I get to spend the rest of my life suffering torture 80% of the time, and boredom the other 30% of the time."

"Hey, I would like to think about 20% of that boredom time is occupied by my handsome self," Tony cried indignantly.

Loki's gaze lingered on the inventor and he couldn't help but smile. Tony felt sorry for Loki and Loki felt sorry for Tony, but their relationship wasn't just pity. There was something deeper between them - understanding. Tony knew what it felt like to be imprisoned because of the events of Afghanistan, so he could relate with what Loki was experiencing. Granted, Tony had done nothing wrong to get him to that point of imprisonment, but if he hadn't been selling weapons to the bad guys, then he wouldn't have gotten into that spot in the first place. And Tony was one of the few people who truly believed most of what Loki had done had been done because the god had been controlled by the tesseract...to an extent. Tony could understand what it felt like to be forced to do something against his own will, for he had had to do it in Afghanistan and within his own company.

"Does my imprisonment satisfy Mr. Coulson?" Loki couldn't help the slight trace of venom that came out as he asked the question.

"Coulson isn't really the vengeful type. He is about fairness - he believes in criminals getting what they deserve. I don't think he's supportive of the whole torture aspect, but I'm sure he's not losing any sleep over the idea of you being locked away here, where Fury can keep his eye on you."

"I see," Loki muttered as his gaze fell. The one interaction he had had with Coulson had proved to the god that the man he had supposedly killed was a formidable adversary. He was brave and had a noble heart, as far as humans went. But noble hearts often got men killed; it was honestly a miracle the idiot hadn't perished.

"The only people who are in full support of your torture and imprisonment are Barton, Natasha, and Fury. Banner knows what it's like to be a prisoner of SHIELD, and as such, is torn between accepting and objecting to your punishment. Cap is too much of a goody two shoes to accept torture as an option, and would rather see you rotting away in an Asgardian jail cell rather than being here, a constant reminder to him of what could have happened if you had succeeded."

"I was close too," Loki smirked as he leaned back against the wall. Yet despite his words, there was nothing but regret and failure in his eyes. "I could have won if you hadn't interfered and gone all heroic."

"I know, it was completely out of character for me," Tony joked, but the laughter in his eyes was completely gone. "Nobody was expecting me to be prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice. The press ate it up."

"I don't believe it was just a publicity stunt," Loki replied honestly. "I believe that you truly do have a heart of someone who is prepared to give up everything for the world he loves."

Tony tapped his head as he answered, "Genius, remember? I certainly wasn't dumb enough to let a loser like you take over my world, or let Fury's Council of Shitters dominate it either. I saw an opportunity to boost my self-image and save the world, and I took it. I didn't do it for the same reasons Cap or Banner may have. Frankly, I'm having too much fun living to give it up now just because some reindeer with a magic stick and an army of shit-tastic worms want to take control. No offense."

"None taken," Loki replied automatically, reveling in Tony's words. The scientist actually believed he didn't have the heart of a stereotypical hero. True, Tony certainly didn't act very heroic most of the time, and he wasn't a storybook version of a hero like Thor was, but Tony was heroic and noble in his own ways.

"Do you really think I am a...loser?"

Tony couldn't hold the genuine smile as he saw the nervous look in Loki's eyes. "No, Reindeer Games, I do not. Quite the opposite actually."

"You think I am a winner?" Loki asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I wouldn't go that far," Tony grinned as he rubbed the back of his neck. "More like through your little imprisonment here, we both won something."

"And that would be?"

Just then Tony got a text message and while he tried not to check his phone while conversing with the god, the vibration was unique, signaling the importance of the text to its master. Quickly Tony flipped open the electronic device and scanned the message.

"I have to go. Looks like Earth needs Iron Man again."

"If it's all the same to you," Loki said quickly, even going so far as to stand up to be at eye level with Tony, who was preparing to leave, "I do hope you make it out alive. It would be a shame if our conversations were to dissipate because you went and got yourself killed being heroic."

Tony turned to flash Loki his trademark smile.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Just as Tony began walking away, he stopped suddenly and turned around to gaze at the god peering through the bars.

"We both gained a listener."