Short one, inspired by a prompt on avengerkink at livejournal. Not what the poster of the prompt was looking for but I just LOVED the quote, so I grabbed it. ;)

Small Victories

Clint wasn't sure how they had arrived at this specific topic. Maybe because of the movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", which had lead them to aliens, which, naturally, might have lead them to the Chitauri. Which somehow lead to Tony asking:

"Do you actually remember anything? I mean from before Tasha banged your head against the railing?"

From when Loki had mind-controlled him, of course. That was what Tony meant. It spoke volumes, Clint thought, that he wasn't asking more directly.
Tasha glared at Tony and Steve frowned. Bruce put on a neutral expression. Thor straightened slightly.

"Plenty."
Clint took a sip from his beer-bottle.
"More than I care to remember, in fact."

Mostly, how everything had been tinted a very particular shade of blue. How he had silenced that tiny voice that tried to make itself heard, trying to tell him that he shouldn't be doing this, that something was off. It had been all too easy to drown it out in the blue.

Suddenly, Clint smiled.
"One thing in particular."

He stood at attention while Loki slowly circled him. Waiting for his new boss to tell him what to do next. What was expected of him.
Loki stopped behind him. Clint felt him move closer. Felt hands on his shoulders, a face close to his left ear.

"I will be the first man to kiss you, to bed you", Loki whispered, "whether you come willingly or not, you will be mine and mine alone. Do you understand?"

Clint looked at the others. They were waiting for him to continue with bated breath. He took a moment to take in the various expressions. Banner's was still neutral though now, he looked like it took him some effort to maintain it. The look on Thor's face matched that on Steve's: part sick, part disgusted, part furious. Tasha, of course, was too disciplined to show openly what she thought or felt. Her eyes, though, told Clint only too clearly what she would do – well, try to do – to Loki the next time she met him. Tony just looked curious.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Stark!"
Steve glared at him.

"I don't think Clint wants to tell us."

"I think he does. If he didn't, he wouldn't have started this."
Tony nodded at Clint.
"What happened next?"

Clint shrugged.
"Well, what do you think?"
He took another sip from his bottle.
"I told him: 'Sorry sir, but you're quite a few years too late for that.'"

He really had. He wasn't making it up.

A moment of absolute silence.
Then, Thor threw back his head and roared with laughter. The others joined in.

Clint smiled. True, it had been only a small victory. Still, the look on Loki's face and his hasty retreat when he had realized his archer wasn't only referring to women were the only things about that whole disaster Clint actually liked to remember.