They landed in front of the mansion, Thor gently setting Clint down before landing himself. Both men smiled at each other and entered the house with purpose. Thor headed towards Luke's room excited to confess his love.

He stood in front of Luke's door, took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he knocked.

His smile was so bright that when the door opened and Luke was not the one who answered, its fall shown that much more.

A woman with short black hair, who he had never met, blinked at him. "Thor?"

He swallowed and faked a smile. "I see Lucas is busy. I will take my leave," he said hurriedly, rushing to leave.

"He's sleeping," she said.

Thor fought the anger that made him want to attack the woman and stopped, turning back and asking, "You and Lucas engaged in sexual congress?"

She smiled. "Oh yes."

He nodded once and was nearly at his door when he heard a voice ask tiredly, "Who is it?"

Thor froze.

"It's Thor. Thor, do you want to talk to him about something?"

Thor turned and saw Luke standing in the darkness, the hallway light illuminating his nude form. He saw how Luke's face went from smug to confused and could no longer control his anger, stalking towards Luke quickly and punching him in the face as hard as he could.

The woman yelled, and Thor went into his bedroom slamming the door behind him.

Clint sat in the situation room, wanting to be as far as possible from Thor and Luke's loving reunion as he could be and pondering his own future in the Avengers Initiative.

He did not hear Bruce enter the room until the man spoke.

"Have fun?"

Clint jumped up from his seat, startled. "Bruce. I…what? Have fun?"

Bruce stalked towards him, stopping when they were close enough to touch. "With Thor."

That's when he noticed Bruce's eyes.

They were green.

"Bruce, it's not…nothing happened, we just talked," he said, putting up his hands and stepping backwards.

Bruce grabbed his hands tight enough they felt like they were in a vice and Clint winced as he was pulled violently towards the other man who whispered, "For four hours?"

Clint was trembling, the fear threatening to overtake him but he stood his ground. "Yes."

Bruce laughed, squeezing harder. "YOU'RE LYING!" he yelled, suddenly pushing Clint violently against the wall so hard his vision blurred.

"I'm NOT LYING! Bruce, you're hurting me."

Bruce leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "So? You hurt me every chance you get, you know that? You hurt me by EXISTING!"

Clint felt tears threaten and willed them back, whispering, "I love you, Bruce. I just…"

Bruce buried his face into Clint's neck and sniffed him, growling. "I can SMELL him all OVER you."

"Bruce, you're hurting me," he said again, his voice shaking.

Bruce pulled his face away and grabbed Clint's hair, pulling it hard and growling, "Every MINUTE I'm with you, is AGONY that I can't TOUCH YOU!"

He crushed their mouths together violently, his teeth cutting into Clint's lips as he forced his tongue inside. Clint could barely breathe and the tears fell down his face as his mouth was invaded. When Bruce pulled back he let out his breath in gasps and Bruce let go of his hair, his other hand still holding Clint's two hands above his head.

Bruce's skin was changing color lightly and Clint whispered, "Bruce, please. Don't do this. I love you."

Bruce shook his head. "No, you…you're MINE."

Clint nodded. "Yes, I am. Every INCH of me."

Bruce let go of his arms and ripped his shirt in half, exposing Clint's chest. He pressed himself against Clint, the weight and his strength keeping the other man immobile. His hands ran down Clint's chest and Clint shivered.

"Not his, MINE," Bruce whispered the intensity of his anger slowly ebbing as his hands explored Clint's muscle. He pressed his lips to the other man's throat and bit down hard causing Clint to cry out.

"Bruce, not here," he whispered, pleading.

Bruce blinked, his eyes flashing between blue and glowing green. "Here?"

Clint pushed against him, letting Bruce know how much he wanted him. Bruce practically purred, pressing himself against Clint's leg. "Not here. Your room, I…please."

Bruce shook his head, "Now. MINE," he grabbed Clint's arm, "NEED."

Clint nodded, pressing his hand to Bruce's cheek. "Yes, yours. Not here. Your room, here it's…people will see. They," he tried to think, "They will try to take me away."

This seemed to make sense to Bruce, who grabbed on to him and they quickly made their way to the private area very close by that contained only Bruce's room. Once they were inside Clint locked the door and Bruce grabbed him, throwing Clint down onto the bed.

He stalked over him, his eyes flashing.

Clint was shaking with fear and need, and no longer caring about which one was more intense. He whispered, "Bruce, take me. Claim me."

Bruce growled, shaking his head violently and yelling, "NO! No..it's…" he looked up and his eyes were blue again, "Clint."

Clint smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer. He put his hand on Bruce's cheek and pleaded, "Please, Bruce. Take me. Make me yours."

Bruce's eyes flashed and he shook his head. "I'll hurt you. I," he looked at him painfully, "I never want to hurt you."

Clint leaned up and kissed him, inciting a growl from Bruce, who pushed him back.

"Bruises heal, Bruce. I can't keep doing this. You need this. The both of you."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The scene I wrote as was is against the site's guidelines so I've posted it to my LJ and the editor for the site will not allow me to post a link though there is one in my author profile. My LJ name is kinneytaylor. There will be MANY scenes in this story I will have to do the same to, but I don't want to try and CENSOR them INTO SOMETHING MORE tame so this will have to do. Sorry.

He woke to Bruce pressing a cold wash cloth to his forehead and kissing his fingers. Bruce was practically purring and he laughed, and then winced when he tried to move.

"Thank god," came Bruce's breathless whisper.

Clint looked at him and smiled. "Hey."

Bruce kissed him so softly he barely felt it. "Hey there, Hawkie."

The worried look in Bruce's eyes was a bad sign and he knew it. "Don't even think about it, Banner. I swear."

"You have bruises all over your body, Clint. You…you're bleeding. All over the place."

Clint grinned. "So?"

"I could have snapped your neck. Broken your wrists. Broken…you," he whispered sorrowfully, burying his head in Clint's neck and breathing him in.

Clint took Bruce's hand and brought it to his lips. "You wouldn't. Neither of you. I trust you."

Bruce let out a sigh. "You're an idiot. Your opinion doesn't count."

Clint turned and lifted Bruce's chin, making him look up. "Everything about me counts, according to you and your green friend," he said with a grin.

Bruce looked away, blushing. "I said some…horrible things. Did even worse. "

"True things, I bet. You should have talked to me long before this," he whispered, kissing him.

Bruce swallowed. "I know," he squeezed Clint's hand, "And I…I know you didn't do anything with Thor."

Clint moved again, wincing. "Obviously."

Bruce frowned again. "If Luke hadn't told me, I wouldn't…"

Clint froze. "Luke?"

"He told me you and Thor had flew off to god knows where and were probably having sex somewhere. I…we…believed him."

Clint frowned. "So that's why you were so pissed off."

Bruce nodded, leaning in close and kissing his neck again. "Mmm hmm."

Clint closed his eyes and sighed. "Have to thank him then."

Bruce lifted his head, smiling. "Later. We have all night, remember?"

Clint shivered and Bruce slid down his body, making him gasp when he began making up for lost time.

Nick Fury stalked off from his office and ended up in the weapons locker, finally taking a breath.

All the things he had thought would be a problem when this whole "Avengers thing" started, having to deal with the whiny personalities of six grown men and their homosexual love triangles was not even on his list of possibilities.

He sighed, sitting on a missile storage unit.

"You look tired," he looked up and Steve Rogers was standing against the wall in civilian clothing, smiling.

"I am tired. What're you doin' here? Stark run you off already?" he asked, smiling.

Steve shook his head. "No, he's not home and I get antsy being alone when he's on his business trips."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure they're only business trips?"

Steve glared. "Yes. I trust Tony, Nick. No matter how much you hate it, my trust in him is absolute."

Nick nodded, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a silver case. He reached inside and pulled out a cigarette, tapping it in his knee before bringing the cigarette to his lips.

"That's how it should be, I imagine," he whispered, reaching in his pocket again and pulling out a box of matches, striking one and lighting the stick that hung from his lips.

He inhaled, closing his eye.

"I always hated it that you smoked," Steve said, suddenly sitting beside him.

Nick opened his eye, smirking. "You loved it. Don't lie. I seem to recall nights when you would fall asleep in my arms, inhaling the smell."

Steve blushed, looking away. "That was a long time ago."

Nick watched him wistfully. "Too long."

The silence between them was palpable until it was broken by the ringing of a cell phone playing the song "I Am Iron Man." Nick let out a long sigh.

Steve pulled his phone out and answered. Nick watched the transformation take place across the other man's features, swallowing the jealousy he felt as the love shown so brightly across Steve's face it was luminous.

"Hey," he said, grinning, "Yeah. Yeah. Me too. Mmm hmm. At the mansion. Yeah. I know, I just…okay. I…Nick's here next to me," Steve said, then his face got all worried, "No, no. Tony, NO. We're just…talking," he laughed, "No, real talking. I swear. Yes. Yes. I love you too. Goodnight."

He hung up the phone, and then looked over at Nick who was smiling. "What?" Steve asked, indignant.

Nick shook his head. "Nothin. Just realizing somethin'."

Steve smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Nicholas. I…."

Nick put up his hand, shaking his head again. "It was a lifetime ago, Steve. I'm already over it."

Steve looked worried, but stood while still staring at Nick all the while. "I seem to recall that when I broke it off you took up with someone new quite quickly."

Nick looked away, his face suddenly sour. "Yeah, I did."

Steve stared at him. "How is T'Challa anyway? I haven't spoken with him since I came back from the great beyond," Steve asked.

Nick looked at him and he winced a bit at the anger staring back at him. "Married."

Steve frowned. "Oh. Well maybe I'll call him tonight, it should be a decent hour in Wakanda, right?"

Nick didn't reply, looking away again and staring off while still puffing away on his cigarette.

Steve sighed. "Goodnight Nicholas."

Nick didn't look his way again. "Goodnight."

Pepper Potts was slowly going mad.

She and Tony were on a business trip to New York City, hobnobbing with several different companies that were interested in the alternative energy Stark Industries now boasted and things had been going well.

Until yesterday.

Pepper had left Tony at his room, laughing about Jacob Heimrich's receding hairline and when she saw him in the car that morning he looked like a completely different person.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

She reached out with her hand and he flinched. "I'm fine," he mumbled, taking out his phone again and staring down at it.

She noted there were several missed calls. "What's going on?"

Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Nothing okay? Now let's go meet Tcharlar or whatever his name is."

Pepper sighed, taking out her phone and sending him the same pdf file she'd sent the night before. She knew he'd read it and was only acting like he hadn't, but this was more important than he realized.

"It's T'Challa, Tony! You better not screw this up! This man has control of all vibranium core in the world! You know, the one metal you're dying to work with? He's also the head chieftan of the Wakandan…" she started to say but he put up his hand.

"I know, Pepper. I'm just…it's been a long night. Cut me some slack, I'm…" he stopped mid-sentence when suddenly "America the Beautiful" filled the limo.

She laughed. "Oh good lord, that's your tone for him? You're so pathetic!"

Tony stared at the phone once and pressed ignore, throwing it in his pocket.

Pepper frowned. "Tony, what's going on?"

Tony ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Having a boyfriend with seventy years of past is coming back to bite me in the ass," he mumbled.

Before he could elaborate the car stopped and Tony put on his best fake smile, turning to her. "We're here."

The building was the most upscale high rise in the city, "Hoffman Plaza." Most businesses were not allowed access to it, but with Tony's name it was easy to reserve for this meeting.

They quickly got inside; both quiet though Pepper was dying to know what was going on with Steve. Things had seemed to be going fairly well since the two had moved in together. She personally had walked in on them at least five times having sex in various rooms in Tony's house, much to her shock and if she admitted it to herself, delight.

But now Tony was ignoring Steve's calls? When normally he'd do face to face time, basking in seeing Captain America's winning smile stare back at him? There was something wrong and she was determined to find out what.

"Forty fourth floor, right?" Tony asked as they rode the elevator, snapping her back to reality.

She nodded and then asked, "Tony what's…?"

The doors opened and he shook his head at her. "Later."

They both turned down the hallway and suddenly there was the man of the hour.

T'Challa was the tallest person she'd ever laid eyes on. He was a forbidding man, nearly seven feet tall, his sour face sending chills down her spine. She had seen his smiling photo and thought the man rather dashing looking but seeing him in person was a different story.

He had two men with him who she assumed were guards.

"Tony Stark, hello," he said formally, bowing.

Tony did the same, and then held out his hand. "It's an honor to meet the man who single handedly reunited two warring tribes in the span of how long was it? Two hours?" he asked, smiling.

T'Challa paused, surprised. "I, yes actually. I didn't know there were Americans who kept up with African politics."

Tony grinned. "I keep up with everything."

The other man laughed, clapping Tony on the back. "Come, we will talk," he ushered them into a conference room off to the side and they shut the door.

Pepper sat on one side, and Tony was pulled to sit near T'Challa on the other.

She was about to open her mouth when suddenly the room was filled with "America the Beautiful" again. Pepper silently cursed Tony for not putting his phone on vibrate.

He pulled the phone out, looked at it once, and then put it back in his pocket.

"I would like to start things by," she started but was interrupted.

"I have always been quite fond of that tune," T'Challa said to Tony.

Tony sighed. "Yeah, me too."

"It reminds me of an old friend. I…I happened to speak with him on my plane ride here, it…you are the Iron Man, yes?" he asked.

Tony blinked, nodding. "Uh, yeah."

The other man's smile was sad. "Then you know my friend, Steve Rogers."

She could hear Tony's blood pressure rising, and saw the intense look on his face.

"I…yeah, I do. How do…?"

T'Challa grinned. "I…believe we have a meeting to begin."

Tony looked put out but nodded, and the two men began their talks. She realized that her presence was unnecessary and slipped away, taking her phone out and calling Steve.

"Hello?"

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice angry.

He sighed. "It's all a big misunderstanding!"

Pepper rubbed her temples and said, "I thought when I got you in the same house this shit would end, Steve. I didn't think it would make it worse!"

Steve paused and said, "He thinks something is going on with me and Nick. He won't talk to me, but that's the only thing I can think of. Last night when I hung up with him everything was fine and now he's dodging my calls. I just…we won't break up again, Pepper. Not if I have a say in things."

She smiled. "That's what I like to hear. Well right now you might have more problems."

"Why?"

"He's talking with someone else who says he 'knows you' and he's being pretty vague about it. I'm guessing it's someone else super-powered you've slept with?"

"Who?" Steve asked, his voice confused.

"Does the name T'Challa ring any bells?" she asked, leaning against the wall.

Steve surprised her by laughing then, his voice light. "Oh yes, very much. The Black Panther and I just spoke earlier today, we are very old friends and nothing more. I swear to you. T'Challa is quite happily married."

Pepper let out a breath she'd been holding. "Well that's a relief."

"We have never been involved nor will we ever be. Though he and Nick were quite the pair back in the war days," Steve confessed, and then paused, "Forget I said that. Nick would kill me."

She grinned, pressing her finger to her lips. "Of course. Consider it forgotten."

The God of Thunder had never truly loved with all of his heart before.

He knew that now that his heart had been broken.

He woke to the sound of birds outside his window and covered his head with a pillow, groaning. The evening before had held such promise and now nothing was the same, nor did he think it would ever be.

There was a knock at his door and he lifted his head. The clock beside his bed read eight thirty, which to him seemed entirely too early for a caller. He called out, "Come in," and covered his head again with the pillow. His visitor stepped into the room quietly.

Thor did not move to show his head or speak.

Then the visitor cleared their throat and he froze.

Lucas.

"I came to ask what the hell that was about last night," came the muffled query.

Thor lifted his head then and was gratified to see the beginnings of a bruise on Lucas's left eye. He sat up and stared the man he loved down, lying as he said, "I do not believe I understand what which you are referring, you may have to refresh my memory."

Luke gritted his teeth and growled out, pointing to his eye, "THIS, maybe? You punched me in the face, remember?"

Thor smiled. "Ah yes. That I do remember."

Luke crossed his arms. "Are you gonna tell me, Goldy or should I just guess?"

Thor flinched at the endearment. "I would prefer if you did not address me by that moniker any longer."

The other man's eyes widened a bit, as if taken aback. "I…okay," he whispered and Thor was confused at how hurt he looked.

Thor stood then, not caring that he was completely nude under his coverings and walked across his bedroom to dress as he spoke.

"As for the reason why I hit you, the reason was simple. I was quite angry and I wanted to hit you. End of story. Does that satisfy?" he asked, pulling up his jeans and standing shirtless in front of Luke.

He shivered at the other man's eyes ran the length of his body. When Luke looked up at him again, his eyes were hard. "I guess that's all I'm getting so what else can I say, G…Thor," Luke finished, biting his lip and looking away.

Thor pulled on a shirt and crossed his own arms. "Now I would prefer if you took your leave of my bedchamber. As we are no longer going to be engaging one another in sexual relations, I would like to be left alone."

Luke looked up, the surprise on his face soon replaced by a smile. "I see how it is. Gotcha. I shoulda known," he said, confusing Thor as he turned away and said as he departed, "I'm glad you got what you wanted."

Confused, Thor sat down on the bed. He stared down at his hands and then replayed the conversation in his head because he was sure that he missed something.

The thunder god sighed, falling back onto this bed with a groan and closing his eyes.

Emotions were tough thing to deal with for a human, but they were a million times worse for a God.