It was another day or so before Clint felt like he wouldn't lose his balance at any moment and smack his face on the ground when he walked, and when those days were over he took Loki out to get his own helmet. Borrowing Tony's chauffeur for the trip.

While Loki worked on his design for the bike and their helmets, Clint brought the god's new helmet into Tony's workshop and sanded it and his own scratched helmet down to the base. Tony was working on Clint's motorcycle still, arguing with JARVIS that he totally could make something look bulky and slim at the same time. Clint exited the shop quickly when JARVIS finished their argument with a 'whatever you say, sir'.

In their guest flat, Clint came up to find Natasha on one of the sofas and Loki opposite her, holding his tablet close to his chest so she wouldn't see his work. He flopped onto the couch beside her and smiled at her.

"Did you really have the whole team pick up the pieces of my bike?"

The corner of her mouth barely rose in a smile, but for Clint it was enough and he put his hand on her thigh and squeezed. He thanked her and left his hand on her leg, and she made no move to push it off, putting her booted feet on the table.

"Charles is dead," she blurted.

Clint pursed his lips and sighed like he somehow knew that already.

"The hit-men trashed the place- knocked the tank onto the floor."

Clint took his hand back from her thigh and tightened his fists in his lap and cleared his throat. Loki glanced up at him from his tablet with concern.

"Is it dumb that I kinda want to cry over a fish?"

"He was your pet," Natasha consoled. "For years. Everyone cries when a pet dies."

"Good," Clint choked and cleared his throat wetly again, grinding a knuckle into one eye to stop them from watering any more. "Don't wanna be the only whack job tearing up about a fish." He sighed and scooted closer to the redhead, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Tell me about the hit-men. You caught 'em right? Get any intel from them?"

Natasha was quiet for a moment, trying to decide how to word her response. But she was talking to Clint, he'd want a straight answer from her, no fucking around.

"I haven't told Fury yet, but I think it was an inside job."

Clint's eyes that he didn't even know he'd closed suddenly snapped open. "What."

"They were contracted through someone who had been contracted who had been contracted- it's a long train. Someone's trying really hard not to be found."

"Suspicious- yes, but how did you just arrive at that conclusion?"

Natasha watched Loki's hand skitter around the tablet face as she explained. "Because it's what I would've done if I didn't want to implicate myself in the hit. Make the trail long and convoluted and none of the pawns would know who I was anyway. If you're a regular guy that just needs someone taken out, you don't take the time and trust that it takes to make a train of IOUs. You contact a killer, or take out the target yourself. Also, the mark was Loki, not you."

Loki looked up from the corner of his eyes and then looked back down at his drawing, continuing to work on it while he questioned her.

"I was on the news- many people were hurt by my actions. I think it stands to reason someone would want me dead. How does my being the target constitute a conspiracy in your ranks?"

"Because only SHIELD and the Avengers know you're here. And sweeps of the internet don't show any hints that someone has seen you and suspects that you actually are Loki."

Clint then planted his face in his hands and groaned. "And nobody except you, me, him, and Fury knows that if he dies, I die. They were going to just wipe Loki out and then look at each other stupid when I dropped dead right beside him."

"Well, at least that puts the Director out of the list of suspicious characters," Loki tried to console the agents.

Clint looked at Natasha pleadingly. "Do you have a list of possibles?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm going through all personnel and constructing motives- it'll take a while."

"He was a terrorist," Clint reminded her. "They don't need much more motive than that. Remember all the killings after 9/11? People were attacking U.S. fucking citizens because of their heritage."

"It's someone inside," she asserted with a nod.

"Do you believe there will be another attempt on my life?" Loki asked nonchalantly.

"There might be, so I want you back in the apartment to draw them out."

This caused Clint to burst with laughter. "You want to put our lives in danger so you can catch this guy? What- you think he's gonna just do it himself this time?"

"He might. He has to be frustrated that his plan went awry and his target is still alive, but now he doesn't know where. You need to get back into your regular life- be at home, make appearances at HQ, mingle with the other agents, so he thinks no one's on to him."

Natasha got up and made her commands. "When your bike is fixed- get back to the apartment."

She moved to get into the elevator and Clint twisted around on the couch and called out for her.

"Is my place going to be monitored now or...?" As he let the sentence trail off, Clint thought it sounded horribly suspicious, but he'd already said it, he'd have to make something up.

"No," the redhead said before he could open his mouth again. "You need to look like life is back to normal. Though you are acting weird- should I put in surveillance?"

"I'd rather you refrain from spying on my abode," Loki declared loudly from his spot on the couch, not looking up from the tablet. "Unless you prefer I move into your home, Agent Romanov, so that you may keep an eye on me."

Natasha got into the elevator and turned back to the pair with a raised brow of amusement. "I'll leave the eyeing to your handler- seems like he can't get his fill."

The elevator doors slid shut just as the panic set in to the archer and he shouted,

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

But the doors closed and whisked her away, not letting him know if she heard him or not.

The motorcycle was fixed, and Tony called both Loki and Clint down to his lab to see it. While the bike originally looked like a regular motorcycle, the new body Tony had made gave it a futuristic look. Angular and modern, sleek and slim. Yet somehow bulky, just as Tony had debated with JARVIS how possible that could be. Clint circled the bike in awe, like a teenager getting his sweet-sixteen car, brand new with a giant bow on top.

"Holy shit! This is awesome!"

Tony stood by and smiled at his creation, reveling in Clint's praise. "Body's made of some similar stuff that my suit's made of. Little carbon fiber, damage resistant shit, you know. I took apart your helmet- there's some kevlar and speakers and microphones in it now. Seat's flame retardant-"

"You put speakers and mics in my helmet? Why?"

Tony grinned and swaggered to the bike, pointing at the dashboard and all it's new screens and gauges. "I may have put in some basic AI programming, equipped it with, you know, tracking capabilities, stealth modes, missiles... The list goes on- you're better off asking LUCIA to tell you what she's got inside her tight little body."

Clint was flabbergasted and he sputtered as he waved his hands around. "Fucking missiles! Dude, what kind of shit do you think I'm doing with this bike?"

"I don't know- spy stuff. Whatever is it you do when you're not playing Legolas or leash training your pet."

"And who's LUCIA?"

Tony rapped his knuckle on the large screen of the dash and smirked. Clint looked at him like he was crazy. Tony just grinned wider and depressed the tiny power button on the side, making the engine roar to life. The screens and gauges lit up bright and a diagnostic test flew by the screen in a flash, displaying a 'Green for Go' banner for a few seconds before a silvery voice sounded through a small speaker on the console.

"Good morning, sir."

Tony signaled to the entire machine with a sweeping motion of his hand. "This is LUCIA. LUCIA, say hello to Agent Barton- he's gonna take care of you from now on."

"Hello, Agent Barton," she greeted dutifully and Clint gaped at Tony.

"You put an AI in my bike."

"That's why you have communication capabilities in your helmet- so you can talk to her while you ride."

All of Clint's breath left him in a breeze of gratitude and amazement. He ran his fingers along the leather seat and gripped the handle, lost for words. LUCIA was kind enough to supply him with the right ones.

"Would you like to test drive the systems, Agent?"

Clint looked like he'd always dreamt of doing such a thing, driving the bike around with this voice inside it, talking to him and him talking to her like soulmates sharing intimate secrets. He scoffed and climbed onto the bike, swiping his hands down from the dashboard to the front of the seat lovingly. His plain, unpainted helmet was put in his lap and he looked up to see Loki smiling down at him. Clint smiled back.

"Gonna get on, babe?"

Loki gracefully declined, allowing the archer to explore his motorcycle's limits and capabilities without a worry for him. As Clint fit his helmet on and backed the bike into the private elevator of the labs, he flipped up his visor and shouted to Tony.

"Why does she have a Polish accent?"

"'Cause it's hot- what other reason do you need?"

The archer rolled his eyes and chuckled at the genius as the doors of the elevator slipped shut. When the elevator reached the ground floor of the tower, Clint sped out of the building, scaring the employees and making them run for cover as he laughed.

Clint returned to the tower, walking the bike into the building and elevator this time and receiving glares from the security guards, and he'd used a number of functions that LUCIA listed for him while on the drive. Not the missiles though. He wasn't sure when he'd need those. He came upon Loki still in the lab, sitting behind Tony's desk and working with the digital screens, talking quietly to JARVIS. He held his own sanded down helmet in his lap and watched a holographic copy of it spin a full circle, showcasing one of Loki's designs. Green and gold in swirls and knots something similar to his armor, yet conjoining in the back to form the face of a wolf. He let it float as Clint parked the motorcycle and went to it, turning to smile at the god.

"This yours?"

"It is," Loki confirmed. "JARVIS will somehow apply my designs to the helmets and therefore cut out countless hours of work to paint them myself."

Clint was impressed. "It's looks good."

"Thank you." Loki looked genuinely surprised by the praise, slightly embarrassed too, but he shook it off quickly. "Would you like to see yours?"

"Yeah, of course; bring it up."

"JARVIS, show Clint the painting for his helmet."

JARVIS obeyed without question, something Tony, who stood in the corner at workstation with tools in hand, was irritated by, though he couldn't say exactly why. The helmet shape stayed the same and a new color palette and design replaced Loki's, based in a simple dim purple, eagle feathers fanning out from the corners of the visor and strings of beads flowing back in the wind.

Loki stood slowly and moved out from behind the desk, studying Clint's face for any signs of displeasure as he roved around the hologram of the helmet. He didn't find anything but a small smile on the archer's lips.

"You are a simple man in your ornaments and accoutrements," Loki explained as he inched closer to the blond. "As such, I hoped to keep the design for your helmet just as simple, and lend a nod to your 'native' blood. Does this please you?"

"Yeah," Clint said breathily. "Hell yeah, it's awesome. What about the bike?"

Loki turned away, going back to the desk and seating himself in the chair, crossing his legs. "For that you will have to wait."

The hologram collapsed on itself and the room brightened to its normal level, pulling Clint out of his star-struck gaze. He leveled Loki with a frown and scuttled over to the desk.

"Come on," he whined. "You showed me the helmet."

"Patience is a virtue, Clint Barton. You've waited this long, you can wait a while longer."

The archer hopped up to sit on the desk and he clicked his tongue. "Come on, you tease!"

Loki's brow arched and a smirk began to twist his lips. He took a deep breath and uncrossed his legs, setting them apart largely as he tilted his head back to look down his nose at the archer.

"Tease?" the god rumbled and then chuckled low in his throat. "Well, perhaps I can be persuaded... You'll have to make it worth my while."

A loud banging of metal hitting the floor startled the two in their seats and they cowered a little when Tony came barreling up to them.

"None of that shit! You wanna get it on- you get a room. Only I get to have sex in here!" He brandished a stick of steel at them and motioned for them to get out.

Loki moaned as Clint pressed against him, pushing their skin together and squeezing their arousals between them. He twisted his fingers in the pillowcases and tensed his body to move hard against the archer, tilting his head back and biting his lip as Clint nibbled at his neck. Down again, Clint licked a stripe along the god's chest, mouthing along his pec and shifting further to nip at the lines of his ribs, drawing breathy sighs and spasming hips from the pale thing under him. He dragged his lips down Loki's soft belly and puffed his warm breath over him, sliding his hands down his sides and gently squeezing the hips he found at the bottom. Further down Clint wiggled and felt Loki's length touch against his cheek, moving to grip the base and dart his tongue out for a quick lick. Loki gasped and his whole body tensed as he grabbed the archer's shoulder.

"Stop," he rasped in a broken voice.

Clint stopped his licks immediately and looked up the god's body questioningly.

"Why?" he whispered.

Loki closed his eyes and inhaled sharply to steel himself, but he never let his grip on the shoulder waver. "I don't like it."

"You don't like... the way I'm doing it or... blowjobs in general...?"

"The second one," Loki said, shifting uncomfortably. "Please come back up here."

Clint pulled himself up the god's body again with a look of concern, leveling himself on his hands to look down at Loki's face. Loki opened his eyes and looked sadly at the archer, reaching up to run his hands along the tanned sides absently.

"I'm sorry- I ruined the mood." Loki tried hard not to look into Clint's eyes, focusing instead on the hickey on the top of his shoulder.

"It's okay," Clint soothed quietly. "Tell me what's wrong."

Loki stammered as he tried to collect his thoughts, sighing hard and turning his head away to stare out the windows into the night. Clint took his cue to lie down, staying just off of being directly on top of the other, touching his lips to the shoulder there. He was still hard, as was Loki, but it was wavering faintly in their moment of discomfort.

"I just- I don't like it." Loki's cheeks colored in embarrassment and he kept his gaze steady on the lit windows of the nearest building. "I prefer feeling a body against mine when I seek pleasure. But to- to- to-" Loki sighed hard- "be fellated is using and controlling to take ones pleasure. It's something akin to using my own hand and... it's shameful."

"You think whacking off is shameful?"

Loki clicked his tongue, "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"No, I understand," Clint assured. "Sounds like someone caught you when you were a kid and told you it was dirty and wrong, maybe you got punished for it, and now you can't enjoy the simple pleasure of the one-handed man-dance because of this dickhead."

Loki grunted at Clint's assessment and the archer kissed his shoulder.

"It's not bad."

"I know. I just can't make myself, it doesn't happen."

"That's okay. If you don't want it, you don't want it- I won't force you."

Loki whipped his head to the side to look at Clint with faint panic in his eyes.

"I don't want you to think I don't desire you-"

"Babe," Clint chuckled breathily and rubbed the god's cheek reassuringly, "it's okay. Everybody's got something they don't dig. It ain't the end of the world."

Loki's eyes flickered over the archer's face in search of his honesty and of course he found it, releasing a heavy sigh in relief. Clint smiled at him gently.

"Wanna pick up where we left off or do you wanna sleep now?"

"I think-" Loki sighed again and closed his eyes- "sleep. I'm displeased with myself and I'd rather not continue tonight." He turned onto his side to face the archer fully. Clint snuggled into the god's arms, resting his forehead on the pale chest and weaving their legs together. Loki wrapped his arms around the archer and sighed one last time before closing his eyes and slowly falling asleep. Clint stayed awake for a while longer, considering how easily he had fallen into this relationship with the god- sleeping together, kissing, sharing secrets of childhood and their fears and quirks. Since their confessing of attraction to each other, Clint felt like a weight had been lifted from him and he could just be with Loki. For all the hatred he'd thought he harbored against him after Loki was sent away to Asgard, he realized it wasn't just hatred. Maybe something like... longing. Envious longing. That drug he had and then suddenly couldn't have anymore. Freedom to say and do exactly what he wanted, no matter how bad it might seem to the rest of the world. Loki was like that. He cared about how people saw him to a certain extent, but past that- it was his life and he was going to live it as he saw fit.

His relationship with Loki allowed him to be close to that drug again, maybe even get a taste of it when they were alone together, but he still had to shape up and fill out to be in regular society. He couldn't show SHIELD what he wanted, or tell them what he thought and it made Clint feel like an empty shell.

As he rubbed his forehead against Loki's chest, the god's sinewy arms wrapped around him tighter and he breathed deep.

"Please sleep," Loki implored groggily. "I can hear the gears turning in your head."

Clint chuckled and cleared his mind, settling down to rest.

Over the next couple days their plain helmets were transformed by color and design with JARVIS' know-how, and the motorcycle was finally colored and shown off as well. Clint froze in place right at the entrance to the workshop when he saw it. Painted the same dim purple to match his helmet, there was the silhouette of a hawk under the handlebars, it's black shadow cut out for intricate designs of knots, flying atop a breeze of yellow-green and red-brown leaves. Near the back, where Loki would sit, a black wolf with the same twirling ropes in its silhouette to show the purple tint behind it, running along a field of grass, chasing the tail-end trail of leaves in the hawks wake.

The archer deflated when Loki's hand reached to squeeze his shoulder and he laughed in disbelief.

"You made this?"

"Mm-hm. Still simple in design for you, but I took the liberty of..." Loki hesitated and took a step forward so he wouldn't have to meet Clint's eye. "I took the liberty of including myself in the design alongside you. But perhaps that is too forward of me- assuming too much."

Clint crossed his arms, looking at the back of Loki's head.

"What do you mean? I like it."

Loki sighed, "We'll have to discuss it at a later time."

The archer squinted at the god in suspicion, but he let it go and came up behind the taller man, rubbing his hand up his back.

"I like it. I really do- it's awesome." The two smiled at the painted machine until Clint patted him on the back with finality. "Ready to go home?"