Yeah, this is a short chapter I know, to be fair this fanfic has consumed my life and I'm supposed to be doing G.C.S.E's so… also I don't want to put this bit in the next chapter because, well, I like to warn people before I rip out their hearts, so yeah if you think this has been angsty (which it hasn't really) it's about to get a million times worse. So yeah, a little fluff before heart- wrenching sadness, so enjoy I guess, also there will be the traditional one week gap, cos yeah, I'm evil, to sum up, this is your last chance to turn back and pretend Loki and Clint go off and live happily ever after. And for the record, Steve does just happen to be everywhere Clint goes, o.k? They have some sort of bond or something or maybe Clint just gets lucky, or unlucky depending on your perspective.
The next morning Clint wakes up and changes, he goes to the cafeteria to grab something to eat, finding Steve all ready down stairs. Steve avoids his eye contact, not sure how to approach the situation, whereas Clint walks confidently up to Steve and clears his throat. "Morning."
Steve looks up shyly and smiles. "Good morning."
Clint smiles back and takes a sip from his coffee. "So… uh, listen… about last night…"
"Yeah?" Steve takes a bite from his toast.
"You know I have a boyfriend so… like, can you just forget what happened?" Clint says a little nervously.
"Yeah, sure, no problem." He nods. "Filed under 'never happened.'"
Clint nods and smiles. "Thanks… I umm… I need to talk to Fury… see you round." He walks away.
"Yeah." Steve calls after him. "See you…"
Clint sighs in relief and heads to Fury's office, knocking before entering. "Morning Sir."
"Barton. Morning." Fury raises an eyebrow. "What have you come to be a smartass about today?"
"Well…" He sits in a chair opposite Fury's desk. "Did you think about it?"
Fury sighs and puts the pen down. "At the end of the day you are both consenting adults, unless he forced you- did he?"
"No, he didn't force me on anything." Clint shrugs.
"Then there's not a lot I can do, not legally anyway… I just need you both to start behaving like adults."
"Fine. Fine. So, what about the next mission? Please tell me I'm going alone…"
"The next mission is a fiasco, meant to be a follow up but I told the president it was too dangerous to be here, so they're still figuring things out… Do you know how much paperwork a failed mission is?" He gestures to the huge stacks of paper on his desk. "Coulson's got more in his office, I and I have you two to thank for it."
"Whatever, it's not my fault." Clint shrugs again. "But I don't need Steve to be with me on the next mission, even though we're o.k. Now… I just- yeah…"
Fury looks at him. "You think I'm going to trust you two on a mission alone?"
"At least we were doing a good job, I saved his life, boss, remember? Three times!"
"You've said, you need to stop being so hard on him Barton." Nick said, as
though he could read the undertones of accusal in Clint's voice.
"Fine, I'll try my best, but try not to put him on a mission with me!" Clint stands and turns to the door, Fury mutters a 'dismissed' before adding
"I want to see you in my office at seven p.m, agent Barton." Fury says as Clint turns the door handle, Clint sighs and ignores him heading to the gym to cool off.
Steve is already there, punching the shit out of some punch bags, zoning out to the thump-thump of his fists on cloth. Clint tries to ignore him, and luckily Steve doesn't notice Clint, focussed on beating the punch bag angrily. Clint sighs and approaches him before pating him on the back. "Easy Steve."
Steve jumps and turns around. "Woah! Crap, you scared the shit outta me!"
Clint raises an eyebrow. "Sorry…"
Steve takes a deep breath and takes a sip from his water bottle. "It's fine."
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing, you always punch the hell out of the punch bags when you're pissed off."
"Bad memories." Steve shrugs.
"Really?" Clint raises an eyebrow, knowing that Steve's lying.
"Yes." Steve says defensively and sits on a nearby bench.
"Is it about… what I told you this morning?" Clint sits next to him.
"A little." Steve admits. Clint sighs and buries his face in his hands. "I'm sorry." Steve sighs.
"No, I'm sorry, okay? I understand. It's just that-… I like you too Steve. You're a great guy, but I have a boyfriend."
"I know, I know." Steve moans and rubs his face. "I was letting off steam, that's all."
Clint rests a hand on Steve's thigh. "It's alright, you'll find someone, you deserve someone better than me." He says, realising how much of a dick he had been to Steve.
Steve lets out a weak chuckle and sighs. "Don't even say it."
"No, I'm serious." Clint grins and squeezes gently on Steve's thigh. Steve looks at him, seemingly more relaxed.
"I'm fine. Really."
"If you say so." He sighs. "See you around." He smiles and stands up.
"Yeah, sure Clint." Steve bites his lip as Clint walks out of the gym Steve returns to beating the punch bags.
Clint goes to his room, wanting to call Loki, but he's worried and guilty. He calls Thor instead, maybe he can tell me what to do about Steve, he muses, waiting for Thor to pick up. Thor picks up on the fifth ring, sighing tiredly as he does. "Hello?"
"Uh, hey." Clint clears his throat.
"Clint?! Is that you?! Where are you?! When are you coming back?!"
Clint sighs. "I'm back, don't worry!"
"Oh thank gods!" Thor sounds utterly relieved.
Clint chuckles. "How's Loki?"
"Umm… he's uh- he's fine..."
"Really? You're making it sound like he's not."
"… You know what he's like, soon as he's with you for a few days he'll be back to normal."
Clint sighs. "Yeah... is something wrong? You don't sound okay…"
"No, I'm just tired, I've been taking care of him for a bit."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Umm…" Thor sounds hesitant. "Maybe give me an hour? So I can get his strength up and stuff?"
"I can do that!" Clint raises an eyebrow even though no one is watching.
"That's not what I meant… Clint, I'm not gonna lie, he looks like shit, he hasn't slept in days and I only noticed he'd stopped eating when he collapsed in front of me, he's been in his damn bed for a week!"
Clint gulps and rubs his forehead. "Okay, okay. Just call me when he's better, alright?"
"Come over in an hour, I'll get him washed up and fed if I can, he's only gonna start getting better when you arrive and we both know it."
"Okay Thor, alright, see you in an hour." He sighs and ends the call, throwing himself on his bed. "Great, just great, what have I done to myself?"
Thor has got Loki washed and managed to get a little food down his neck by the time Clint arrives and knocks on the door, Thor opens it with eyes dark from lack of sleep. "Remember what I said, and I didn't tell him you were coming, he'd insist on seeing you and I didn't need the extra fuss."
"Fine, fine." He walks to Loki's bedroom, Loki is in his bed, looking like shit; pasty pale skin, dark black rings around his eyes, he's ridiculously thinner than the last time Clint saw him. Clint makes his entrance known with a small knock.
"Hello!" Loki stares and tries to jump out of bed, almost falling over, he runs (more like staggers) over and pulls Clint into a tight hug, blinking back tears. Clint grins and hugs him back tightly. "How many times do I have to tell you to eat when I'm gone?" He whispers in Loki's ear. Loki manages to weakly whisper back to him.
"This better not be a dream."
"No, it isn't." He whispers again and kisses Loki's cheek. Loki sighs in relief, and clings harder, never wanting to let go.
"I missed you."
"I missed you to baby." He slowly pulls away, Loki leaning on him to stop from falling over.
"Maybe food was a good idea…"
"Go and sit on the bed and I'll bring food, alright?" He kisses Loki's forehead.
Loki nods. "Don't be long."
"Okay." He sits Loki on the bed and walks to the kitchen to get food. Loki sighs in relief and smiles for the first time since the phone call.
Clint returns with food and sits next to him. "You have to eat, understood?"
Loki nods. "I do feel kinda hungry now you're back."
"This is the last time you stop eating when I'm gone, okay?"
"I'll try." Loki says, reaching for the food.
"No, promise me!"
"I can't, I don't get hungry when you're gone, I don't even notice I haven't eaten!"
"I don't care, you have to eat, even if you're not hungry Loki!"
Loki looks a little guilty. "I'm sorry."
Clint kisses his cheek and pulls him closer with one hand. "It's okay, here." He hands Loki a plate of fruit. Loki smiles and sits himself in Clint's lap, eating the whole plate in seconds.
Clint chuckles "Good. Do you want me to get you more food or are you full?"
Loki looks a little meek. "Could I have some more, pretty please?"
"Sure, no problem." Clint smiles and goes to the kitchen again.
Loki stretches happily, and decides to walk down after him, wobbling a little but managing to get to the kitchen. Clint places another plate of fruit on the kitchen counter and notices Loki, he takes him by his arm and helps him sit on the kitchen counter
"I'm fine! I can walk!" Loki chuckles and sits, finishing the new food quickly.
"You don't look okay... Did something happen when I was gone?" Clint sits next to him and hands him another plate of fruit.
"I'm fine, I haven't slept in a bit, I just stopped doing... well anything really, Thor had to come in and make me eat." He chuckles again.
Clint shakes his head. "You're really making me feel guilty. Well, I am guilty..."
"Guilty? Not your fault silly, it's my fault for not getting out of bed." Loki smiles reassuringly.
"It's my fault that I work on missions." He shrugs. "But you'll get used to it, okay?"
"If you say so." Loki shrugs back, finishing the next plate. "There. I'm full, happy?"
Clint grins and nods. "Good boy!" He leans and softly kisses his cheek.
Loki grins and pulls him in for a proper kiss. "C'mere you." Clint smiles and kisses him passionately. Loki kisses him back, sitting himself in Clint's lap, whimpering softly. Clint wraps his arms around Loki's waist, not breaking the kiss. Loki brings his hands to Clint's face and deepens it, but Clint pulls away when he hears footsteps approaching.
Loki returns to his seat, smiling shyly as Odin walks in, Clint chuckles and looks at the ground while Loki coughs and concentrates on his empty plate, Odin raises an eyebrow.
"This is the first time I've seen you out of your room in weeks..." He looks to Clint. "Thor's decided to fall asleep on the couch, no idea why he's so tired but there we go, feel free to wake him."
Clint is still chuckling but he smiles and nods instead. "Okay." He stands up and goes to the couch where Thor is sleeping. Odin collects some toast and pats Loki's head on the way out, going back to his bedroom. Loki walks to the living room and pulls Clint onto the other couch with him. Clint laughs and kisses his forehead "Well, that was awkward..."
"Mmm... thank Gods for your amazing hearing." He snuggles up to Clint, who smirks and holds him tighter. Loki purrs slightly, resting his head on Clint's chest.
They lie like that for a little bit but when Thor groans Clint speaks with a small chuckle. "We should go to the room, don't you think?"
"Absolutely." Loki grins, kissing him on the cheek. Clint grins back and leads him to the room Loki following happily, grabbing onto Clint's hand. Clint tries to forget about all the things that happened with Steve and plans not to say anything, focusing on the present and more importantly, Loki, who pulls him to the bed, curling up on top of him. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, and see I came back in one piece!"
"Hmmm." He scans Clint over. "I might have to do some serious checking, but so far so good." He smiles. "Keep it that way." Clint nods with a smile as Loki kisses him softly. "I'm very glad you're o.k."
"I'm very glad you're okay too! Clint kisses Loki back.
"Course I'm o.k." He says into the kiss.
Clint's eyes wander to his watch. 6:50PM. I have a meeting in ten minutes! Clint pulls away and sits up. "Oh God, I have a meeting, I'm gonna be late!"
Loki whines softly and pouts. "You just got here!"
"I know... I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" Clint smiles apologetically.
"You'd better be." Loki kisses Clint passionately.
Clint kisses him back for a few seconds before he pulls away. "See you tomorrow." He goes to the door.
Loki's still pouting but he blows Clint a kiss. "Love you."
"Love you too." He winks and walks out the door, heading to S.H.I.E.L.D's tower as Loki falls back on the bed, hands behind his head, today was a good day.
