The next morning, against Stark's very direct orders to stay away from his team, Loki waited until Thor had disappeared from his level – he'd seemed to decide that he was going to stay on Midgard until Loki could return to Asgard – and then the trickster asked the ceiling, "JARVIS, could you tell Agent Barton I'd like to speak to him privately? If you must… tell him I want to apologize to him personally."
"I'll see what I can do," was all the AI promised, but he must've been a persuasive device because it only took an hour of coercing for Barton to drop down from the air vents and land in front of the couch where Loki was once again lazing.
The trickster had long asked JARVIS to pull up the interrogation footage, so it was waiting paused on a hologram in the middle of the room, when Barton landed between it and the couch.
"Apology not accepted," Barton snapped, body drawn as tightly as the bow and arrow that he held at the ready in his hands.
"I didn't expect it would be," Loki admitted, sitting up straight and gesturing to the hologram. "I'm after something else entirely."
"Figures," Barton snorted, his expression still hard. "What might that be?"
Loki paused before admitting lightly, "Love."
Barton raised his eyebrows and took a step back, declaring, "Whatever you think went on between the two of us, it wasn't that. I don't remember everything, but I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered that!"
"Oh, by the gods, no!" Loki exclaimed in horror. Getting Barton to see things the way Loki needed him to was going to take a little… addition to facts, though, the god realized. He relaxed his posture and kneading his hands together, elbows on his knees as he admitted carefully, "You see… my wife died this week – because of my misdeeds on Midgard… and I thought of you and your soulmate."
"Did you now?"
"You know that she loves you, don't you? Your Agent Romanoff?"
"She would've never told you that," Barton snarled.
"Ah, no," Loki agreed. "She didn't. As a matter of fact, she told me that love was for children and she merely owed you a debt." Barton ground his jaw, irritation – not at Loki, either – flashing through his eyes at words that were apparently familiar to him, as the god added, "She even cried for you."
"Natasha doesn't cry for anything but effect," Barton corrected.
"Perhaps not, but her only concern when we talked was for you, and that's the entire truth."
"We're partners, of course she was worried."
"You're soulmates!" Loki shot back. "You shouldn't downplay that, and you shouldn't put it aside or wait for a better time to live like it, because quite frankly in your line of work you may not live to see tomorrow. Don't waste today when you have someone you love, someone who loves you. Not everyone is so lucky."
"Why the heck would you care?" Barton snarled.
"I don't, not truly," Loki said candidly, cutting to the truth. "But if you want me gone, then this is part of the All-Father's verdict – happily ever after for the Midgardians!"
Barton snorted, looking suddenly amused as he asked, "So I'm supposed to, what, get Tasha roses? She'd cut my arm off and stab the thorns in my eyes."
"For Norn's sake, speak to her about it! Tell her that you care for her! Treat her like a soulmate – not just a partner – whatever that means for the two of you!"
"And then you'll disappear?"
"I'll be one step closer to leaving," Loki corrected.
"Fine," Barton agreed, turning and stalking back to the air vent and swinging up into it. "I'll do it."
"You have my thanks," Loki muttered under his breath, relaxing back onto the couch.
When Barton was out of earshot, JARVIS commented, "You didn't even use the footage."
"They don't call me 'Silver tongue' for nothing," Loki smirked.
Ten feet down the air ducts, Barton said quietly, "Hey, JARVIS?"
"Yes, Agent Barton?"
Clint licked his lips nervously, realizing what he was about to set in motion. "Could you set up a reservation for two at some restaurant tonight? Something fancy… and Russian."
"I'll have the reservation to you within the hour."
"Oh, and JARVIS?"
"Yes?"
"Can you get me… a dozen… daisies?"
Clint could've sworn there was a smile in the AI's voice as he answered, "As you wish."
The next morning after Thor had once again disappeared, Loki asked JARVIS, "How's Barton?"
"He and Agent Romanoff went out to dinner last night… and have yet to emerge from Agent Barton's room this morning. Something about what was said yesterday resonated enough to get them to see the light. I'd say you've completed your mission where they're concerned."
"Brilliant! That was easier than I thought it would be. Who do you suggest next?"
"Dr. Banner."
"And what exactly do you suggest for him?"
"I confess I've been pondering this one on my own for awhile. Mr. Stark and Miss Potts need him to enter fully into the relationship for the sake of their own bond. I believe the issues between them could be solved by having a completed bond with their third, but Dr. Banner has so far been successful in avoiding even speaking to Miss Potts."
"Well, I guess that's as good a place as any to start."
"Good luck with that."
"Didn't you learn anything of my abilities from yesterday?"
"Yes, but I've also seen the footage of what the Hulk can do to you."
Loki shuddered, saying only, "Then I'll simply tread carefully. How does Miss Potts feel about his avoiding her?"
"It hurts her, of course."
"I can work with that. Could you alert me when Dr. Banner has a moment alone, please?"
"He's currently by himself in the training room doing tai chi, if you'd like me to take you there."
Loki swallowed nervously – did he really have to face Dr. Banner? Wouldn't Miss Potts be a much safer person to talk to? – before he said resignedly, "Very well."
"In you go then," the AI said a little too happily for Loki's tastes as the elevator doors slid open.