Hey! Look! Still alive! It's been a crazy winter break. Some of you might have heard about the ice storm that Michigan received the week of Christmas? Well, I was in that. We lost power for five days. And then I spent the rest of break travelling and not applying for jobs and certainly not writing fanfiction.

So. Here's the thing. I had a problem with this chapter. Obviously this chapter is about sex. Obviously sex is a part of any relationship. Important too, I'm sure most of you would agree. However, I don't write porn. I struggled with the line between "you've put too much detail into this" and "you haven't put enough detail into this." I ended up writing mostly that latter, because I'd rather be safe than sorry. So yes. There are some very mature themes here, but I leave most of it up to your imagination. Again, I am not writing porn, so I apologize if you read this and are left wanting. However, I like what I ended up writing. It ends up focuses more on their little quirks in the relationship, I think, and a lot on the humor, rather than the actual act of sex.

I'm also going to be uploading another little piece tomorrow, much shorter than this one, but back to strictly their relationship.

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

The time the team cock-blocks

Tony feels a familiar shiver pass down his spine and catches a flash of movement in the metal panel next to what he's working on. "Kicked out of home again?" he asks casually.

"Cute," Loki says as he settles himself across the table from Tony, where he can meet his gaze. The look he gives is a dangerous one, closer to the god Tony met before he went for a brief but exhilarating never-going-to-happen-again ride out his window. Tony reminds himself to watch the words he says, and quickly diverts his eyes back to his project. If he did something to piss Loki off—which, lord knew, could take a wrong facial expression—he'd rather not push him any further. Been there, done that. Almost learned a lesson.

"It's part of the appeal," Tony says, continuing his work. "It's why you keep coming back."

"Hm. If you say so," Loki says in his neutral tone that gives absolutely nothing away. Tony pauses his work, then forces himself to start again, not rising to the bait. Loki is a lot like him—he doesn't wait around for people, especially when he's angry. If he wants to know what's pissed Loki off, he won't have to- "It seems all is not right in paradise," Loki says, and suddenly a tool on Tony's table shifts and falls. He reaches desperately for it, only to pull the broken ribs he received earlier after getting blasted through a building's walls sans suit. He falls back against the chair with a groan, a hand to hold the throbbing side. The tool gracefully floats back up to the table.

"Bastard," Tony grounds out as he waits for the pain to ebb. The entire team, minus Thor, had given Tony severe looks when he said he was going down to the lab. Steve had opened his mouth to start a lecture, but Tony left before he could start. As long as he didn't move, he wouldn't injure them further. It's not like this was his first time working injured.

"You have absolutely no one to blame," Loki says, standing up and beginning to pace with barely controlled restraint, "but yourself. Would you care to tell me what you were thinking by going into that building without your armor on?"

"Well I didn't exactly have it with me, did I?" Tony responds, finally starting to breathe easier. "And I didn't see any other bomb experts in the-wait a second. How did you even know about that?"

"Besides the fact that the incident was all over your news' stations, I make it a point to keep an eye on my investments to see whether or not they have a sense of self-preservation!" Loki snaps, raising his voice and ending his statement with a glare at Tony. "Which you clearly do not have!"

"Your investments?" Tony matches Loki's tone and stands up, careful to keep most of his weight on his uninjured side.

"Did you think I was just here for some…fling? I mean to be around often!" Loki says. "But that seems unlikely to happen with the way you blindly throw yourself at every danger that comes your way!"

"Blindly?" Tony shouts and, forgetting about his injury, pushes himself away from the table. "I don't blindly do anything. I wasn't about to just let the building blow up! If I hadn't done anything, the whole building would have been demolished instead of just a floor, and there were innocent people in there and while I know that you might not care about innocent mortals, I do! It's in the job description of a 'hero'!"

"You had your entire team there as back up, and you mean to tell me that none of them could help you? Even though the Captain lacks the intelligence to disarm the bomb himself, his body can take more damage than yours, and his shield would have provided you with ample protection, had you even alerted him to the fact you were going in completely unarmed," Loki says, moving steadily towards Tony. Without thinking, they begin circling each other, watching each other with predatory eyes. This hasn't happened for a while, this guardedness with each other, ready to jump at each other's throats, but they fall back into the pattern easily.

"Well, if you'd been paying attention to your investments, you'd know back up was a little busy!"

"Too busy to protect one of their own?"

"Is that what this is about? Do you think I'm too weak to protect myself? Can't trust the little mortal to save himself, is that it?"

"I never said you were weak," Loki says, striding forward, breaking their circular pattern. "But you are vulnerable without the suit." Tony went to back up, not quite sure about this sudden change in mood, but finds he has been caught with the wall at his back. He tries to draw himself up, but he can only stand so tall with broken ribs. "You do not require the protection of other mortals." Loki practically spits the word out and suddenly he's so very close to Tony. Tony stands his ground and doesn't move away. "But you do not understand that you do not have to do everything by yourself."

And before Tony can make any reply, he suddenly finds his lips occupied with the god's. The force of Loki's body pushes him back against the wall, stretching him beyond the limits of his broken ribs and he gasps against Loki's lips. Seconds later, Loki's hand is on his so very sensitive injury but instead of pushing against it like Tony half expects him to, something cool and extremely relieving flows from Loki's hand and into his body. To offset the blissful feeling, Loki's lips move down and pull back so that he can bite Tony's neck, just under the jawline. Tony gasps again, this time in pleasure.

"You're really bad at teaching lessons," Tony pants as Loki moves down his neck to his shoulder. He barely even feels his ribs now, just something that sends a pinch through his abdomen if he pulls them too much, something that is easily ignored in favor of this. Besides the kisses Loki seems insistent to steal every time he leaves, they haven't really had a physical aspect to their relationship. Tony's not about to stop him now.

"I have a feeling you would be a terrible student," Loki says against his skin.

"You're not wrong," Tony responds. "The team would be so pissed if they knew," Tony gasps as he tugs Loki's shirt off.

"Absolutely murderous," Loki agrees pleasantly and pushes against Tony with renewed strength.

It turns out that sex is a battle of wills for them. One of them is a god, above all other beings, and the other one sometimes thinks he's a god and is definitely stubborn enough to try and take control. It ends up being a half-wrestling match as they push each other to the floor and Tony is totally okay with that. Somehow Tony ends up on top where he's ravaging any exposed skin with his mouth. Loki is fighting to get back on top when-

"Tony!"

Steve's voice makes both of them freeze.

"If we ignore him-" Tony whispers, going back to their tryst.

"Tony, you can't stay down here with your ribs!" Steve yells, pounding on the door. In the second that Tony is distracted, Loki reaches up a hand to his ribs and pulls out most of the healing spell.

"Guh!" Tony utters before falling over. Loki's arms cushion his fall in ways he didn't even know possible, but pain still shoots through his side. "God damn it."

Loki rolls over him, carefully holding most of his weight on his arms that frame Tony's head.

"Perhaps another time then," he purrs, licking Tony's cheek with a smirk before disappearing.

"God damn it!" Tony groans again.

"Can I help you with anything sir?" Jarvis voice says.

"Yeah, get me a better butler. Where was the warning on that Jarv? Or, I don't know, telling them I was busy? Which I was!"

"Undoubtedly sir. I did inform Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner that you were busy. However, I believe they mistook my meaning as you were busy working."

"I was working," Tony grumbles.

"Tony!" Bruce adds his voice to yelling mob.

"Ugh, I'm coming!" Tony yells back. He checks to make sure that he's safe for social interaction and then carefully levies himself up. The ribs pull, not nearly as bad as they were, but hopefully enough to not arose suspicion. Lord knows how Tony would talk his way around mysteriously disappearing broken ribs.

"What? I was busy," Tony says as he waves them in.

"On the floor?" Steve asks skeptically.

"How much do you know about mechanics?" Tony asks.

"Uh, not a whole lot," Steve answers, rubbing a hand down his neck.

"Oh god, you even do embarrassment in the all American way," Tony says with a roll of his eyes.

"Tony, you shouldn't be working with broken ribs," Bruce says, bringing a chair over and giving him a clear look that says sit. Tony complies.

"It's not like this is the first or the last time I'll work with broken ribs. Plus, they don't even hurt that much. Are you sure they were broken?"

"Tony, you got thrown through a building. You were lucky it was only your ribs that were broken," Steve says in his serious voice while Bruce probes his left side. Tony grimaces, but manages to stop himself from making any noise.

"Hm, I could've sworn they were broken before, but they just feel strained now. They healed up remarkably fast."

"Yeah, well I know my limitations," Tony says, standing back up. As soon as he stands, a dizzy spell hits him…a familiar one. Of all of the stupid gods to allow in the house.

"I think-I think I'm going to go lay down for a while," Tony says, blinking quickly to try and clear his vision.

"Tony?" Bruce asks uncertainly. Tony wonders if he's swaying on his feet. He also wonders when the last time was that he voluntarily said he was going to bed. From how quickly Steve is moving forward to steady him on his feet, it's been awhile.

"Yup, still here. Just…really tired. I'm just going to-" Tony tries to take a step forward, but his legs refuse to hold his weight and he starts to crumple. Steve catches him.

"Maybe he stood up too fast?" Steve asks as he manhandles Tony towards the door of the lab. Tony tries to say something smart back, but his mouth is suddenly too tired to move. And that's probably the first time that's ever happened. A special touch from Loki? Probably.

"Probably," Bruce says. His voice cuts out for a second. "-eaten anything-long time."

Tony tries to focus, but the second they hit the lab door, he falls completely asleep and becomes dead weight in Steve's arms.

The time Fury cock-blocks

Tony tries to wake up, because he can hear someone moving in the room with him, but the spell holds him in a half-sleep daze.

"You know," a voice starts, and he relaxes marginally because he recognizes the voice, but he still struggles to break past the spell. "Asgardians have quite the sex drive."

"Yeah, well some mortals would too if Asgardians didn't cast so many damn sleeping spells," Tony half mumbles-half slurs to Loki. He finally succeeds in getting his eyes open and sees the god sitting next to him on the bed. Loki moves over him and yes, Tony can tell that Loki does have quite the sex drive. Loki presses his lips against Tony's, his teeth biting at his bottom lip and in that second, warmth floods Tony's body as, what he suspects, is the rest of the sleeping spell being pulled from his body. And yup, Tony is totally ready as well. "Finally," Tony growls, and they resume the fight for control that Steve and Bruce so rudely interrupted before. This time Tony ends on bottom which, really, isn't all that bad because dear lord, Loki is talented with his hands. Not that Tony just submits and makes it easy for him.

Things are just starting to get serious when the lights flicker on.

"No, no, no, no," Tony groans, and his head falls back against the pillow as everything grinds to a halt. Sure enough, seconds later, Jarvis' voice fills the room.

"I apologize sir, but there has been an attack in the city. Fury has already contacted most of the team."

"Surely they can survive one mission without you," Loki says, though he's already sprawled on the other side of the bed in defeat.

"Let me guess. Bruce is finally asleep and they put me on Bruce duty?" Tony asks Jarvis.

"You would be correct sir. Captain Rogers is currently trying to wake Thor," Loki snorts beside Tony, "and Agent Romanoff is retrieving Agent Barton from the shooting range."

"Does anyone sleep around here?" Loki asks with a raised eyebrow.

Tony rolls his eyes in response. "What do you think?" He pulls himself from the bed and stumbles over to his closet, where he keeps a spare flight suit. "Fine, fine, I'll be there in a second," he responds to Jarvis. "I'll kill whoever just cock-blocked me," Tony grumbles. Loki rises from the bed before Tony can make it to the door.

"Don't worry dearest," Loki says, favoring him with a gentler kiss than the ones they've exchanged in the last 24 hours. "There's always next time."

And then Loki is gone in a flare of green light. Tony throws open his door to see Steve standing outside of it, hand raised to knock. Tony gives him a raised eyebrow that demands an answer.

"Was there someone else in your room?" he asks, hand still poised to knock.

"Nope," Tony says as he shoves past him. "Of course not. Know why? Because I'm destined to live as a celibate with you people around."

If Steve has a follow up to that, because, no doubt, he heard every word of it, Tony doesn't give him the chance to respond.

He doesn't end up killing the guy—some Doom wannabe—but he does make sure it's a long time before the villain gets back up.

The time Loki cock-blocked them

Loki doesn't come back that night, which is probably good because it's been a long time since Tony has slept and, despite the urgings his body is giving him, Tony passes out as soon as they get back. Plus, the villain-of-the-night managed to get a few good shots in against Tony too. It's probably about time Tony let his aches heal naturally. Loki explained once, when their meetings had been purely driven by a thirst for knowledge about the other, that too much magical healing could make a body weak and prone to injury. Obviously in an Asgardian it would take longer, but Loki is usually careful about how often he's healing Tony when he isn't being driven by his sex drive.

Loki doesn't show up the next day either. Tony tries to pretend like he's not waiting around for him, but the work he does in the shop is barely productive. In fact, he ends up doing more tidying up than anything else. Bruce comes in to drag him to dinner and freezes in the doorway.

"I didn't know you could clean," Bruce says in astonishment, looking at some of the empty tables and the mostly clear floors.

"I don't usually," Tony laments from his spot at his work table, where he's building and taking apart a miniature robot. When he finishes the coding for the program, he'll release it into the vents. As entertaining as it is to see Clint slide out of a vent covered in dust bunnies and lord knows what else, it doesn't do any favors for his allergies. Also, he's tired of watching Natasha shun Clint for the rest of the day and listening to Clint desperately try to get back in her good graces. "I've practically been a mundane today," Tony almost wails.

Bruce is trying his hardest not to laugh, he can see it in the way the corner of Bruce's lips tilt up and down as they fight not to smile. He moves forward and pulls Tony's chair away from the table and pushes it to the door. "Even the most brilliant men have down days Tony. Come on. Maybe food and social interaction will help."

Food and social interaction aren't exactly what he wants, but since what he wants is apparently going to have to wait, it'll have to do in the meantime.

o.0.o

It's another day before Loki makes an appearance. When he arrives, there's still healing cuts and bruises on his exposed skin, and he still looks a little messy. Tony is back in the shop, having finally convinced his mind to get into gear, and he raises an eyebrow as Loki's magic dies down.

"I…ran into some trouble with a former student," Loki says, straightening his clothes. Loki always likes looking like perfection, something Tony tried once to tease him about, but Loki merely had to look at Tony's closet for him to shut up. Appearances had power, something they both knew and understood.

"Pissed off Enchantress again?" Tony asks as he goes back to his coding. "What did you do this time?"

"I merely insinuated that she felt the need to drag her 'bodyguard' with her as a way of compensating for the lack of romantic interest she has received," Loki says stiffly.

"So basically you told her she was ugly and that nobody loved her," Tony fills in. "I can see she took it well."

"Sometimes the truth is hard to hear," Loki says easily, finally making his way over to Tony, draping himself over Tony's shoulders like he's a cat. Tony shifts his position to better hold him. "It does not mean we shouldn't hear it."

"What if I told you that you were getting fat?" Tony asks, shrugging his shoulders. Loki doesn't move.

"I'd know that you were lying," he says against Tony's ear. There's nothing sexual about his tone, or his words, but his breath brushes across Tony's ear and instantly Tony forgets what he's working on. Loki feels the change in his body because he's leaning forward, his hands running down Tony's chest, his teeth busy marking Tony's neck with little purple and blue marks that Tony is forever trying to hide from the team now. Tony leans back, eager to continue that train of thought and-

"I'm sorry sir," Jarvis' voice says. Both men freeze, Loki with the skin of Tony's neck still between his teeth and Tony with his hand in Loki's hair, ready to pull him closer. "Director Fury has called. It seems Enchantress is taking her anger out on the city."

Tony's head drops against the back of the chair. Loki releases his neck. "This is your fault," Tony accuses, but his tone is almost monotone. He's so very tired of being interrupted. "Absolutely and completely your fault."

Loki's head is buried in Tony's shoulder. "I believe that would be a truth," he says. And then he's gone in a flash as the door to his lab opens.

"Sorry Tony," Steve says. "I hate to interrupt you sleeping when you don't do it very often." Steve keeps rambling, but Tony's stopped paying attention.

"I'm going to die without ever having sex again," he mutters. He leans forward, resting his head on the desk and glaring at the floor. "I miss living alone."

The time they finally get some privacy…kind of.

"I'm done," Tony announces as he enters the living room where the rest of the team is eating lunch.

"Um," Steve says eloquently, his face a little terrified.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Bruce says calmly, not even looking up from the paper he's reading.

"You're freaking Steve out," Clint says, though there's an edge in his voice that says he's a little freaked out too.

"I am absolutely tired of being interrupted while I'm trying to do things," he says, waving his hands vaguely as if that helps define what "things" are. "I'm leaving for 24 hours. Take me off the grid Jarvis!"

"Of course sir. Once you have left the tower, you shall be unreachable and I shall revert to minimum processors. Is there anything you would like before I go?"

"What does he mean, minimum processors?" Steve asks. He seems to have calmed down a little, now that Tony's explained he isn't leaving the team.

"He'll run the appliances around the house and maintain security systems, but he won't be tracking my location and will, in fact, be blocking all incoming calls or other attempts to track me, as well as remain silent in the tower. So if you want anything, you'll have to pick up a tablet and Google it or whatever you kids are using nowadays," Tony answers.

"What if we need to get in contact with you?" Natasha asks with narrowed eyes.

"You can't, so don't need me. Surely you can go 24 hours without me," Tony says with a sweet smile. Natasha frowns in response.

"I don't like this," Steve starts. Tony doesn't let him finish.

"That's nice. Believe me, if something big happens, I'll know and I'll call you. But I don't want to see any of your faces or hear your voices for 24 hours," Tony says as he tugs the hoodie on. It's custom made, of course, but it will blend in with a crowd. Plus, it covers the glow of the arc reactor very nicely. "Have fun kids! Try not to burn the place down," Tony says. Jarvis has the elevator waiting so Tony can step into it right away, before anyone else can start another argument.

He hits the streets during lunch rush. He's well aware that at least Natasha is likely to try and follow him, if not Clint too. He pulls the hood up on the sweatshirt, easily falling in with the traffic. Luckily it's starting to turn cold and there are lots of people with their hoods up today. It's not often that he doesn't purposely try to stand out, but he doesn't want to make it too easy on the team and Loki will be able to find him easily.

Sure enough, two blocks after he leaves the tower, he passes an alley. One second, there's no one beside him and the next there is. Loki's disguise does little to hide who he actually is, but nobody really expects to see Loki on Earth again. Tony nudges Loki with his elbow.

"My place is packed right now. Your place?" he asks innocently. Loki rolls his eyes, but links his arm through Tony's and turns him down a side street.

"What about your team?" Loki asks

"I know it's hard to believe it, but people can actually survive without me. I've never been sure how though," Tony says thoughtfully. "But I told them that if I see their faces or hear my phone go off in the next 24 hours, I will put the suit on and blast them through many walls."

Loki raises an eyebrow. "Did you bring the suit with you?"

"No, but don't tell Tasha. She yells when I leave it at home. Do you plan on me needing it?" Tony challenges.

"Let us hope not," Loki says as he steers him towards an apartment complex. Tony whistles through his teeth.

"I didn't realize Asgardians who don't have jobs could afford such nice places."

Loki's smile is all trouble. "It is amazing what benefits you can receive when you announce such names as Tony Stark."

"Huh. I wondered where that money was going," Tony says, mentally eyeing the budget for the last month. "I just assumed it was going to employee benefits."

"You spend such money on employees?"

Tony takes his hood down as they enter the building and the receptionist is a little wide eyed as she greets them. He shrugs in response to Loki's question. "Sometimes we bring in management from other locations to observe or go through training. We like to put them up nicely while they're here."

Of course Loki's room is on the top floor. It's where all the nicest penthouses are in most complexes like this. It has an open wall lined with windows looking out over the city, ideal for watching the sunset.

"Well," Tony says, "at least we're setting you up in style."

o.0.o

They're cuddling—which is weird enough for Tony—when there's a knock at the door.

"Expecting someone?" Tony asks. Loki merely raises an eyebrow in response. "You're right; probably for me. Hand me that sweatshirt," Tony says, pointing to where the hoodie had been thrown the night before. He pulls the sweatshirt over his head and double checks to make sure the reactor's light is hidden out of habit. He looks through the peep hole and groans. "Go away!"

"Not happening!" Clint yells back. If Tony were the type to pray, he'd be praying for patience. As it is, with a god of mischief and lies waiting for him back in bed and a super soldier and master archer waiting for him on the other side of the door, he probably isn't going to be gifted with it any time soon. Instead, he rolls his eyes and cracks the door open, careful to keep Loki out of sight, not that the god would ever be sloppy enough to let them see him.

"You are so lucky you didn't show up a half hour ago. I would've blasted you through the door." There's a cough behind him and Tony checks the clock. "Right, make that 15 minutes ago. And if you don't mind, I'm going to get back to it," he says as he starts to shut the door.

"Too much information," Clint says as Steve shoves his foot in the door.

"Fury called," Steve starts.

"He usually does. How did you find me anyway?"

Clint grins at him. "We called Pepper."

Tony rests his forehead against the doorframe and makes silent promises to fire her immediately. "Of course you did. Didn't you ever learn to say no to people?"

"Love, come back to bed," Loki groans in a voice that isn't complete his own.

Clint raises an eyebrow. "Didn't know you were gay."

"Baby, everyone needs a little bit of me; I don't restrict my love." Tony looks back to see Loki sitting up in bed. At least he assumes its Loki. The man in bed has short, spiked blonde hair. The shoulders are broader, the muscles more defined. Tony tries not to let his distaste show. "I'll be there in a second," he says. He turns back to the pair standing in the doorway. "You don't get to talk Mr. I-might-have-a-love-life-but-she-might-also-kill-me," he says, pointing at Clint. "And no," he finishes, pointing at Steve.

"You don't even know what Fury called us in for!" Steve protests. Tony raises an eyebrow.

"Do you?"

Steve's face immediately darkens and he closes his mouth. Clint smirks. "It went over his head. Mine too," he adds quickly when Tony and Steve both look at him. "Something about Doom though. Bruce is already starting the whole 'science' thing."

Well, that's at least a little distracting. Bruce doing science is always a good motivator. Loki groans behind him, knowing he's lost him.

"Just go with them," Loki says. Tony looks back at him for a few seconds to see him roll his eyes before turning back to the door.

"Five minutes. I'll meet you downstairs."

Tony shuts the door firmly in their face, not that it would stop the spy from coming in if he really wants. Or the super soldier for that matter. Tony moves back over to the bed.

"Promise me something. Never wear that illusion again," Tony says as he situates himself over the top of Loki. He kisses Loki's chest and moves his way up to his lips slowly.

"You do not care for this form?" Loki practically purrs underneath him. He works the sweatshirt back off of Tony.

"I prefer the original," Tony says. He continues before Loki can even be offended. "Either of them."

Tony's balance is thrown off as Loki flips over so he lies on top. He's returned to his usual Asgardian form. "You will, of course, be careful, right?" he asks as he takes over Tony's job.

"Only if Doom promises to play nice first," Tony responds, sliding his hands down Loki's bare chest. His body doesn't show it with clothes on, but the muscles in Loki's body are very well defined. Tony enjoys the feel of them moving under his hands while Loki works his own magic. Loki spares a moment to give Tony an unamused look, one that warns him that he better be careful or Loki will make him pay for it. Recently, Loki's new resolve has been to let Tony suffer the injury as it restricts him from doing his favorite two things—working in the shop and moving around. He has a feeling that now, Loki will hold not having sex over him when he gets injured.

They're starting to go at it again, because Loki is almost as easily distracted by sex as Tony is, when there's the sound of someone slamming their fists against the door. Tony nearly falls out of the bed in surprise because he was way focused on something else.

"C'mon Tony!" the voice yells.

"What did I tell you birdboy? Wait in the lobby," Tony yells back.

"Bruce called and he needs you now so pack it up. I'm waiting in the hallway and if you aren't out in one minute, I'm coming in, whether you're decent or not."

"They are most insistent," Loki laments.

"They always are. But that's still one more minute we have," Tony says, and Loki seems to agree. It always amazes Tony what can be accomplished in one minute.

Exactly 60 seconds later, Tony is dressed and kissing Loki goodbye before walking out the door. He's put on the illusion of the blond-haired man he wore earlier, so he walks Tony to the door, a blanket wrapped around his body. He shoots a glare at Clint, who, true to his word, is waiting outside the door for him, but Tony also sees the hint of mischief in it that comes with knowing something the other doesn't. Clint glares back when he thinks Tony isn't looking. Tony, in turn, gives Loki his behave look, that is also tinged with a little bit of mischief because Tony is always up for a good joke.

"You better have brought clothes with you," Tony says as he finishes pulling the hoodie over his head. "This is my favorite hoodie."

"What, you don't keep spare clothes in all of your labs?" Clint asks. He grins when Tony levels an unamused look at him. He thinks he's been picking up on some of Loki's more favored faces. "Yes, of course I did. So, does boy-toy have a name?" Clint asks as they meet Steve down by the elevator. Good old all-American was probably too embarrassed to accompany Clint. "Do you even know his name?"

For a brief second, Tony considers telling them it's Loki, just to laugh at their expressions, but Clint is still recovering from being mind-controlled and he really doesn't feel like seeing Clint's devastated looks, Steve's scathing looks, and possibly getting killed by Natasha in the middle of the night, so instead he lies.

"Boy-toy does have a name," he says casually, leaning against the elevator wall as they shoot down to the ground floor.

"And?" Clint asks with a raised eyebrow. Steve is carefully trying to pretend he's not listening to their conversation. He's still working on accepting the "playboy" part of Tony's life. The elevator dings and Tony answers in the split second before the doors open.

"Clint," he says. Steve actually lets his face drop into his palm as Clint stares open mouthed at Tony's retreating back. Tony considers his job done and leads the way to where the obvious undercover S.H.I.E.L.D car is waiting.

Also, because I missed it with all my "travel all the places!" I hope everyone had happy holidays and a very awesome New Years!