"Stark," calls Clint as to his room Tony climbs.

Ignored entirely whilst the latter moved still up the stairs, Clint picks his pace determinedly after. "Tony, wait."

"What do you want, Clint?" asked without him stopping. Clint grazes cautiously his shoulder seeking eye-contact up the space of floor between stairs and door.

"Listen." To him Tony turns with a face so hard he ought to be used to that intolerant expression counting the amount of times that from him in the recent he'd received it. "Just listen," more tentatively this said. "Please."

[You got ten seconds.

Nine.

Eight.]

"…Obviously, I wasn't trying to hurt you." [Wow. Really?]

"Oh, yes that was so obvious what with you throwing a knife at my face!" though he knows that's exclaimed infuriated. Clint speaks as calmly, seeking not further to anger him.

"He caught it. You and I both knew he could," tilts his head, tone leveled, trying to sound persuasive when this truth he speaks needing Tony to believe it.

"Yeah, right. That makes it okay," the latter retorts quite sharply. 'No, it doesn't.'

If he argued that all he had done was for him, that once and for all he needed to be made certain to a ninety percent point that Loki would harm him not if ever, would Tony believe him?

No, he wouldn't.

…Because it wasn't the only reason, was it?

"I-"

"No, you listen to me," spoken this far more severely, in a low, cold tone and Clint knows he'd crossed a line with him really.

Maybe several.

"I know exactly what you were doing, what you were looking for, some reaction that'd prove he actually gives a damn. Bet you didn't see it coming when he went after Nat," that added scathingly, reflects on Clint's face an instant disdain for how it's like that Tony was glad Loki had retaliated just the way he did.

It's in this that one finds himself time and again questioning direly the kind of influence the God of Mischief had upon him…

…Loki harming him physically, was that the only thing to worry about?

…Aren't there things far worse?

"I'm done trying to justify his actions for you," this said sternly, stonily, "and you better be done trying to pry them out otherwise, I got this sweet flat in DC that you and Nat are more than welcome to occupy." Clint's brow lifts high. "You got it?" shot pointedly and never would've Clint seen this coming.

…Yes he knows he took it too far but…

…He should've thought it better through.

…He hadn't at the time taken into account the way that Tony would feel nor react in response to what he'd done. He understood he would be mad,

but had it mattered then?

He convinced himself he was doing what was necessary and maybe partially still believes this.

But what did it cost?

Nat was giving him the cold shoulder, his best friend was shutting him out completely. How worth it was what he'd sought now he questions what it really met, what out of it did he get?

Affirmation to what everyone was saying, what again and time Tony to him had, if he'd just believed him.

Insanely enough he still doesn't!

…Now what?

"…Yeah. I got it," was all that to this he could say. Tony couldn't care less for his tone dejected, could not in the least find wrong or injustice in what he'd very clearly implied.

He'd be more than happy to kick them all out had they all been as Clint here,

they were all right in thinking

that now truly nothing and no one to him mattered over Loki.

"Good."