Chapter 10: Hood Ornament

Tony kept sneaking small glances at Clint while they drove. He wasn't saying much but he smiled and laughed. They, Steve, Sam and Thor took his gold colored Dodge Challenger out for a drive. He was surprised that Steve was so adamant on joining them. Clint's warning would've been enough to keep him at bay on a regular day. But today wasn't a regular day, was it? So many ups and downs. Sam was leaving them in less than twenty-four hours but their going-away party was a lot of fun so far. Clint finally declared Tony his boyfriend, but his brother was a massive dick. Little Darcy surprisingly didn't cramp their style, but she's still ten so he didn't expect Jane to bring her around again soon. He was having the time of his life with his friends, but thanks to Howard that was all gonna end soon,...Tony shook his head at that thought. No need to be thinking about that right now.

Steve had stayed true to his word. As Tony drove them near the city limits to a long empty country road, Steve didn't ask any questions or nag at them. Unfortunately with old Captain along for the ride, Clint was sandwiched between him and Thor. Because the surprise was for Sam, he got to sit in the passenger seat. Clint didn't complain, but Tony knew he had to be feeling some discomfort sitting in between Steve and Thor's large frames. I'm gonna have to make up for that later.

As they came upon the city limits, Tony spotted an emerald green Cadillac with a pair of golden horns in the hood. Tony scoffed as he passed by it. Wow. And I thought I was out there. The five of them couldn't find a radio station to agree on. So, at the moment, Tony, Steve, and Thor were singing a capella to "Tonight Tonight" at the top of their lungs.

"I woke up with a strange tattoo.

Not sure how I got, not a dollar in my pocket

and it kinda looks just like you. Mixed with Zach Galafinakis.

Laaalala. Oh well. Laaalala. It doesn't matter. Laaalala. Whatever. Laaalala.

We're goin' at tonight! Tonight!

There's a party on the rooftop top of the world!

Tonight! Tonight!

And we're dancin' on the edge of the Hollywood sign!

Sam, who had been covering his eyes and laughing at them the entire time, burst into a loud hysterical cackle.

"WAHHHHH! Hyah hahahahahaaaa!"

Tony, Sam, and Thor stopped singing and started laughing with him. Clint, too.

"Wait, what the heck is so funny?" asked Tony.

"I don't know if you noticed this or not, but white people music makes Sam laugh really hard." said Steve.

"Oh god! My stomach! Ahahaha owww, my god!" Sam struggled.

"Are...are you serious?" asked Clint who was leaning on Steve to catch his breath.

"It hurrrrts! It hurrrrrts!" Sam cried out, clutching at his cramping ribcage.

Tony and the others couldn't help themselves. They laughed even more at Sam's expense. Tony had to focus hard to not swerve on the road.

"I want it to stopppp!" cried Sam.

He had tears in his eyes, hating that laughing this much felt so wonderful and so terrible at the same time.

"I can't believe I never noticed this before." said Tony.

"Nor I." said Thor.

"Not all white people music." Sam defended, his voice a little hoarse.

"Oh really?" asked Clint.

"Listen, I've jammed out to Coldplay before, okay? I've listened to some vanilla ass music. Let's keep it real." Sam explained with another laugh.

"He should probably be offended but honestly he can't help but laugh at that." said Tony.

"Who?" asked Steve.

"Duh! Me!"

Tony flashed his shit-eating grin as his friends and boyfriend all groaned at him. When Tony was in an especially good mood, sometimes he liked to talk in third-person. It annoyed the hell out of everybody which was always funny. Always.

"T, do I have to reach up there and slap you?" asked Clint.

"Ha! You probably shouldn't do that to your sugar coochie." Tony teased.

Clint blushed and looked down at his shoes, causing Tony and the others to giggle at him now.

"If that becomes your new nickname because of my asshole brother, someone's getting punched."

"Oh lighten up, Clyde. If anything I'm flattered by it."

"I find that most disturbing." Thor joked.

"But that's a different thing. Where the heck are we?" asked Steve.

Tony looked back at Clint. His boyfriend grinned at him and nodded his head. They were on a long, virtually empty road surrounded by nothing more than dirt fields and grassy hills. The humps of the landscape looked beautiful against the pink-orange tint of the early evening sky. Tony pulled over to the side of the road. Normally he would hate parking one of his precious cars in the gravelly dirt, but today that wouldn't really matter too much. He saw no other cars ahead or behind them for now. Perfect. he thought.

"Why are we stopping? What's happening? Why are we stopping, Tony?" Steve asked.

Clint flashed Steve a warning look, and the taller blond closed his mouth. Tony just chuckled.

"Relax, Clyde. You said Steve couldn't protest, not ask any questions." Tony ordered.

"So then what are we doing?" asked Sam.

Tony unbuckled his seatbelt and turned himself so that he was facing everyone.

"Okay party people, we're about to play a game called Hood Ornament." he said.

"Hood Ornament? I am not familiar." said Thor.

"Like I said earlier, it's some stupid shit. Basically, one person lies on their back of the hood of the car with their wrists tied to the doors. Another person drives like a maniac." Clint explained.

An absolute look of shock and disbelief crossed Steve's perfect little face. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it when he looked at Clint. Wow. Thought we had him for sure.

"This sounds rather dangerous, friend Tony." said Thor.

He wasn't shocked like Steve but he sound plenty concerned. No one would expect anything less from him.

"Dangerous? This sounds like some really stupid shit." said Sam, but the Harlem native only smiled at Tony.

"I assume I'm going first?"

Tony clapped his hands together and slapped Sam's shoulder.

"That's the spirit, Birdie! Unfortunately, no. You go right after Clint."

Sam shrugged his shoulders.

"He's done this before I'm sure. Might as well see how it's done first."

"Thor, we brought you for safety. You don't have to go if you don't want to." said Clint.

"I am most curious about this game. We will see if I am up for playing after you, friend Clint." Thor replied.

"I suppose it's a lost cause asking you isn't it, Captain?" asked Tony looking directly at Steve.

Steve was about to speak, but he silenced himself again. Tony wanted to laugh. He could practically hear Steve's thoughts of protest, but the boyscout made a deal. He just hoped he wouldn't flap his gums about it when they went back.

"Alrighty, then. Clint, you go around front. Hammy, help me with the ropes."

Tony, Clint, and Thor exited the vehicle. Steve closed his eyes and slumped against his headrest. Regret radiating off of him. Clint went around to the hood of the car, waiting while Tony and Thor grabbed the ropes out of the trunk.

"Are you sure you know what it is you are doing, friend Tony?" asked Thor.

Tony gave Thor his shit-eating grin.

"Not really, but Clint's done this before. That's good enough for me."

Thor shrugged his shoulders and asked nothing else. He and Tony went to the front of the car, where Clint was already lying face up on the hood. He smiled at them, holding out his hands.

"Let's do it, hoes!"

"You sure about this, Clyde?" asked Tony.

"Yup. I'm five by five, T."

Tony leaned closer to Clint out of Thor's hearing range.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered.

Clint gave him a peck on the lips in reply.

"I trust you enough."

Tony chuckled and nodded at Thor.

"Alright. Go ahead."

The Asgardian tied the ropes around his wrists good and tight, strapping them to the frames of the car doors.

"Are we seriously about to do this?" asked Steve.

"You know, there's a reason why I said you wouldn't be up for this." said Tony as he got back in the driver's seat.

"Last chance to back out, Captain."

Steve just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I'm not backing out. I'm just worried." he said quietly.

"What of you, Sam?" asked Thor.

"Please, home boy. I came out of my momma this size. Go ahead."

Tony slid his red shades on and turned the key in the ignition. He set the car in drive and jammed his foot on the gasp pedal. The car turned out of the gravely dirt and back onto the asphalt, tires screeching with their speed as Tony went from zero to fifty in four seconds. With all of their windows rolled down, they could hear Clint's

"WHOOOOOOHOOOOOO!"

loud and clear. Steve's eyes went wide as he grabbed the edges of his seat.

"Ohhhh boy." said Steve.

Sam slapped the dashboard and went

"Awooooh!"

"Faster! Faster!" Clint shouted.

Tony couldn't help but grin like the devil. He'd seen Clint let go before, but there were only a handful of times where he saw his boyfriend with an ear to ear smile. He was loving this. Loving this!

"You want it fucking faster?!"

Tony's pressed further on the pedal, and they went from fifty to sixty-seven and rising. The wind blew Clint's shirt up all the way to his chin, and Tony couldn't help but cheer at the sight of his abs.

"Lookin' real sexy, Clyde!" he hollered.

Clint spread his legs apart and arched his body.

"Holy shit this is awesome!" yelled Sam.

"Most exciting!" Thor added.

They zipped down the road, Tony daring to go even faster. Thor's strong hands had the ropes good and tight around Clint's wrist, showing no signs of faltering. Tony knew there was a risk of them possibly getting pulled over by a highway cop, but what were they gonna do? He's Tony fucking Stark! If he wants to have a roaring good time with his boyfriend and best pals then dammit that's what he's gonna do! Their speed picked up, and Clint's body was hard pressed against the hood. He shouted a few more things, but all of his words were lost in the wind. As were Tony's laughs. Sam kept drumming on the dash board and howling like a wolf. Thor had stuck his head out of the window, his golden locks whipping behind him like he was a supermodel. (which let's face it, Thor kind of is) Steve had squeezed his eyes shut, gripping the edge of his seat with all his strength. Hey you asked to come along, Cap. Tony took it a step further, purposefully swaying the car left and right as they continued shooting down the road.

"Ohgodohgodohgod!" Steve praddled.

"Something wrong Captain?! Not having fun here?!" Tony teased.

"Friend Tony!" Thor warned.

Sam turned in his seat and looked behind them.

"What the hell?" he asked.

Tony looked in his side mirror and nearly choked. The emerald green Cadillac he saw for a moment earlier was behind them. Coming up fast. Coming up very fast. Coming up too fast!

"Oh shit! Clint hang on!"

Tony hoped his boyfriend heard his words. It all happened so fast it was as if Tony saw it in slow motion. The Cadillac with the golden horns charged behind them at full speed like some big green bull. Tony tried turning into the left lane to lose it, but the oncoming car was going just as fast as they were.

KRAPOW! The Cadillac bumped their rear, making them all jolt forward in their seats. Tony's heart dropped into his stomach as he saw Clint's legs flaing in the air on the hood.

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Sam shouted.

"TONY?! TONY!" Clint called out.

Tony almost went rigid at the wheel. Clint was in trouble! Clint was calling out his name! Some asshole is trying to kill them! KRAPOW! The Cadillac bumped them again. This time harder.

"CLINT! HANG ON CLINT!" yelled Steve.

Tony spun the wheel to the right, the car swerving dangerously as he attempted a U-turn. There was an ear splitting squeal of the tires as the Challenger skidded to the side into the gravel. Tony shifted the gears, bringing his car to a stop as best he could while the green Cadillac passed them by a hair. They all ended up spinning in a sloppy circle before the car stopped completely, sending up a thick cloud of dust around them.

"Tony?! Tony what's happening?! Tony! TONY!"

Tony heard Clint's words, but he couldn't move for a second. He was still holding on to the steering wheel, his heart beating so fast Tony thought it was about to pop out of his chest. He, Sam, Steve and Thor all unbuckled their seatbelts and jumped out of the car at the same time. The smell of burnt rubber filled Tony's nostrils, nearly making him gag. Clint was wide eyed and unblinking, flat against the hood of the car covered in a sheet sweat and dirt. Thor ripped the ropes right off of the car in silent anger. Clint's wrists were rubbed raw and deep red, and he was quaking as he sat up and slowly edged off the hood.

"Jesus fucking Christ. Are you okay?" asked Steve who was pacing back and forth.

Nobody could find it in them to react to Steve dropping the f-bomb.

"Uh huh." said Clint with a cough.

Without thinking, Tony grabbed Clint by the waist and smashed their lips together. His lips formed a perfect seal around Clint's, and Tony was shaking as well. His fingers dug into Clint's hips so deep that he felt bone. Clint kissed back just as hard, one hand gripping the back of Tony's hair like a lifeline. Tony felt Clint's nails scratching against his scalp, but he didn't care. He also didn't care that his freshly pressed clothes were being covered in dirt and sweat from his boyfriend's clinging. Clint was still in one piece and kissing him for another day. That was all that mattered.

"My my my. That looks like fun." said a smooth accented voice.

Tony stopped kissing Clint and turned around. Through the settling cloud of dust walked their attacker. He instinctively held Clint close to him, not caring how protective he looked. Then Tony's jaw dropped. He was expecting some greasy faced trucker type. Not this tall slender bodied young man who looked no older than they were. He had shoulder length slicked black hair, a green ankle length coat with a gold rimmed collar and icy blue eyes that screamed 'mischief'. At the sight of him, Tony saw something he'd never thought he'd see; Thor redfaced and mad.

"LOKI!"

Tony's jaw dropped further.

"Loki? As in the Loki?" he asked.

"Hello, brother. Was I missed?"

"You motherfucker." Sam growled.

Loki only smiled innocently at them, and it made Tony's blood run hot.

"My goodness. Is this how Americans greet each other? No wonder the rest of the world hates you."

Thor marched forward, roughly bumping Tony's shoulder on the way. The Asgardian grabbed Loki by his collar who just kept smiling.

"Have you no shame, brother! You were nearly the cause of death for my friend! Have you learned nothing while I've been gone!"

Loki only chuckled, prying Thor's hand off of his shirt.

"I would say not. Though I must say, this was entirely unplanned. I was merely going for a drive in my new present from Odin. What have it, I see a familiar big blond oaf in the backseat of a flashy golden car passing me by. I knew I would have some fun if I followed you."

Loki's frosty blue eyes looked past Thor and right at Clint. The raven haired Asgardian smiled again.

"And low and behold, I did."

Tony couldn't hear anymore. He was still pumping rivers of adrenaline, and angry wasn't even the beginning of what he was beginning to feel. He balled up his fist and ran forward, fully intending on causing Loki as much physical harm as possible.

"You think that was fun!?"

What do you know, Steve fucking Rogers and Sam fucking Wilson still had their stupid fucking morals. Steve and Sam each grabbed Tony's arms and firmly held him in place. Tony struggled, reaching forward with his hands and imagining Loki's throat underneath them, but Steve's bodybuilder arms were having none of it.

"No, Tony!" he commanded.

"Well brother, you didn't tell me Tony Stark had a temper. It concerns me who you spend your time with, Mr. Odinson."

" LOKI, LEAVE NOW!" Thor thundered.

Tony's anger drained right out of him. Clint actually cowered into Tony's arms. Now it was Thor who was shaking. The bulky Asgardian was always loud, but this was a whole new level of booming even for him. It...it scared Tony. He had never seen Thor so ruffled. If it wasn't Steve keeping their Circle leveled, it was him. Now Thor was the one with something under his skin. Someone under his skin.

"Look, can we please just get out of here?" asked Sam.

"Should I expect a call about damages or what not?" Loki asked with an eyeroll.

"N-No," Tony stammered, stroking Clint's back,

"It's nothing more than a few scratches back there. Just please get out of here. Go away, Loki."

Loki's eyes stayed on Clint, who was staring back at him intensely.

"But of course. But know this, I am here to stay. Expect to see a lot more of me in the near future. This is all just," Loki sniffed the air and let his eyes flutter.

"So delicious."

Tony and the others all flinched when Thor drew his arm back, looking ready to throw a punch at Loki. In blinding speed, Clint slipped out of Tony's arms, jumped forward and grabbed Thor's arm before he could launch it forward into Loki's mouth.

"No, Thor." Clint said quietly,

"He's your brother. You'll get in trouble if you strike him."

Thor gulped and nodded, looking ashamed of himself for losing control like that.

"Mmmm. You." Loki regarded, his eyes still locked on Clint.

Clint turned his head and held eye contact with him.

"What about me, Loki?"

"You have heart."

Clint edged forward, his face only two feet from Loki's.

"Meaning what exactly?"

Tony grabbed Clint's shoulder and brought him back towards the Challenger. He didn't like how Loki was looking at Clint. He didn't like how Clint was looking back at him even more. Not one damn bit.

"Meaning it's time for us all to go." said Tony.

Loki shrugged and backed away.

"Farewell for now. I shall see you back at the house, Mr. Odinson."

"Do not test me, Loki." Thor warned.

"What will you do? Tell your father on me?"

Loki laughed as he turned around and walked smugly back to his Cadillac. Thor huffed and puffed with every step back to the car.

"Thor? Are you okay?" asked Steve.

"I apologize, my friends. I do not place blame on any of you for this event."

"Neither do I." said Sam.

Tony found himself still shaking as he held hands with Clint. With everything that just happened, all he wanted to do was hold Clint and have a thousand beers. Maybe two thousand.

"Can uh, can somebody else drive? Please? My nerves are shot to hell."

"I'll do it." grumbled Steve.

Tony threw a genuine thankful smile Steve's way, but Steve was stern faced and lightway glaring at him. Tony closed his eyes and rolled his head on Clint's shoulder. He would have to find a way to make this up to all of them. Soon. As much as he teased Steve, he knew Steve was good for him. Ever since Sophomore year, but that's a whole different story. He and Clint sat in the back with Thor while Steve drove them all back to town. Tony held Clint's hand and stared down at his feet in silence the entire way there. Clint did his usual thing, staring straight ahead with his face neutral. It began to bother Tony because one question ran through his mind the whole car ride; what was going through Clint's mind when he and Loki were looking at each other?

A/N: Yup. Loki's finally here. You happy to see him as much as the Circle is?