Interchangeable

Getting themselves back to normal was entirely unremarkable- the fun came when they were finally in possession of their own bodies again. 

"I would have thought to get Jarvis to bring groceries to the lab if I hadn't been weighed down by your IQ," Tony complained after the third comment Loki made about having to tell the Avengers of their past weaknesses. 

"Excuse me!" Loki said, his voice deadly but his eyes radiating mischief.

"You heard me, old man. Or maybe you didn't- I never really paid attention to how your ears worked but now I kind of remember a dull ringing," It was complete bullshit and they both knew it but that was what made their banter fun. 

"Your screeching music and explosives have ruined your hearing but I didn't mention that! Not to mention the fact that you can barely breathe through the metal in your chest!" The Avengers around them all winced at the comment, ready to defend the man that they didn't even like, but Tony snapped back before they could even try. 

"Your entire body feels like a constant itch. I may have shitty hearing and no lung compacity but I prefer that any day over whatever it is your magic does to you. Not to mention that you keep taunting me with the fact that you know what I look like without a shirt on. Everybody who has access to the internet knows that! Every conquest I've had knows that! You're not special!" 

They made intense eye contact, looking murderous to the people around them when in reality it was a staring contest to see who would break first. 

-

The pair had made it a point to argue in front of the Avengers as much as naturally possible after they saw the way that the team looked at them like a confused puppy looks at a cat. At first, they didn't say anything, watching them abuse each other without saying anything. Loki had thought that the team knew that they were joking until one morning he made a joke about Tony's Arc Reactor and Steve went ballistic. 

"I know that you were in his body but that is no reason to disrespect him so thoroughly. He had been through things that you can't even imagine and you have no right to try and hurt him with his past," The man put his foot down hard, and instead of having the desired effect, Loki looked like a kicked puppy. 

Tony blinked hard in bewildered surprise, vaguely registering the way the team took it to mean that he hadn't thought that anyone would stick up for him (Not that the statement wasn't untrue. He had thought it would be a cold day in hell of blackmail at gunpoint before anyone in the team decided to try and protect him) rather than he hadn't known that they were kidding around. 

Thor had come back the day after they changed back, flying onto the roof in a rainbow of color with his usual yelling voice and completely oblivious behavior. When they finally sat him down and explained what happened he just said that it was interesting and moved on. The Avengers took offense to it but Loki and Tony understood, he had seen it before and it really wasn't that big of a deal in his mind. 

"When does Loki predict your magic will come in, Friend Tony?" 

The billionaire had to take a minute to correct his perception of the God to remember that he wasn't as oblivious as he looked before he responded, smiling in faux innocence in Loki's direction as he spoke. 

"He says within the week. He thinks that I'll be in bed for a couple of weeks and consider that none of the painkillers we have that work on you guys are going to help me I'll have to tough it out. On the bright side, he also mentioned that Magic is sadistic and it forages pathways much faster when you don't have anything chemical or magical already in your body so I've decided to do it without meds,"

"That is brave, Man of Iron. If you happen to need my assistance I will be with the fair Lady Jane for the next month," Thor said with a respectful bow, leaving the tower without another word. 

-

Loki was right, gaining magical pathways was awful and Tony was glad that he would never have to experience it again. It burned like scalpels in his skin but, at the same time, it felt satisfying. He craved the waves of agonizing pain as much as he dreaded them because he could feel his magic building inside of him. It burned like fire most of the time, peaking and clashing with the razor blades in his veins. It was easily the second most horrible thing that Tony had ever been through pain wise but he didn't regret the opportunities it gave him. 

Thor played nursemaid with the help of Loki, the pair of them not allowing him to hurt more than was necessary and wincing sympathetically when he curled over in fetal position and just held his breath to get through the worst of it. Every Asgardian regardless or not if they had magic went through the process but, with Thor, it had been considerably less involved than it was for Tony or it was for Loki. His magic was different but no less intense. 

He got through it and felt different. He felt strong and powerful in a way that he had only ever felt before standing in front of a bomb he had created or a new invention. The high went away eventually but he could feel the way the magic coursed through his veins when he was angry or sad, desperate to help.  

"That was fun. Let's never do it again." Tony muttered when he was finally lucid after the very worst of the pain was over, the constant low hum of discomfort practically an annoying buzzing in his ear after what he had just been through. 

"Verily," Thor agreed easily, chuckling in relief that his friend had made it through where so many before him hadn't.

"Aye," Loki agreed, sharing a pleased look with his brother. 

-

The tower had a different dynamic after the body swap. The Avengers had always disliked Tony and hadn't ever been particularly nice to him but, for whatever reason, that prompted them into caring. Tony only had to tell them once that it was just too little too late for them to leave him alone. It was a new experience for Tony, to be respected by the people that he lived with rather than just tolerated, but he couldn't find it in himself to make friends with them. 

Their missions went smoother when they actually started accepting Tony and Loki's ideas and suddenly common rooms didn't feel like an unwelcome place. They weren't anything more than coworkers, they certainly weren't family, but they were happy. 

Happiness was all that Tony had wanted even when the word had felt like an unattainable goal. He had it, with Loki as his best friend and the Avengers as his team. He would accept it and respond in kind because the relationships that he had with the Avengers now were easily ten times better than the ones that he had had previously. 

He had no idea what it was about the body swap that had the Avengers changing their minds so quick but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

I'm glad that I finally finished this one. I was a little conflicted on the ending and I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the most coherent but it's done. Thanks for the support and I hope that you guys enjoyed it! -Rose