Thank you for reading this far everyone!

Clint's POV

The quinjet boiled in tension and awkwardness. I piloted with Natasha next to me, the remaining lounged behind us.

Upon entering the craft, I observed Natasha purposely avoid Banner. Steve, on the other hand, observed Tasha and I, he was still attempting to deduce our relationship. We were the only two on the team with a deep history our and our level of friendship surpassed every friendship he possessed at the moment.

As I caught Steve staring at the cockpit yet again, I decided to toy with his sanity a bit. I caught Nat's eye and winked and quickly looked in Roger's direction and back at her. She smirked and raised an eyebrow, she was in.

"Tasha, what time is it?" I said staring ahead.

"Time for your puppy to hit the moon, Francis." We burst out laughing. We now had the attention of the doctors as well.

"You make fun but let's be honest, you were the one cleaning glitter off your skin for a week" I jabbed her in the stomach. She chuckled to herself before looking seriously at me.

"Hey, you know what?" She paused, I interjected.

"You're hungry," I kept my eyes forward, if I'd turn my head to see the expressions on our passengers faces I'd probably break character.

"Yeah," she whined, "but I can't figure out what I want to eat."

I met her eyes briefly, she raised an eyebrow encouraging me to continue, "You want a chicken sandwich lettuce with no tomato, and a lemonade. Obviously."

"Mhm, that sounds perfect, thanks." I stifled a laugh, "Oh, by the way, don't forget you have your yearly physical next Friday. Don't be late, or Dr. Killer will murder me." Natasha used an unfamiliar accent for the last part some cross between Australian and caveman. Once again we both howled in laughter. It was unfortunate we were nearing the New York base. Our three observers were murmuring to each other in mystery and Natasha and I could hardly contain ourselves.

When we arrived at the base, we all went our separate ways. It was only a few hours until daylight and I hoped to catch a few hours of sleep before the chaos of the Avengers reassembling ensued. On my way to find a place to nap I ran into Nat. More accurately, I felt her presence in the vents above me. Fury has disciplined the both of us for our choice hideout, but never did we stop taking advantage of them.

I looked cautiously up and down the corridor I was strolling in, all clear. I tapped grates asking for entrance. The vent was pushed open and Tasha's red locks appeared, "Hey, Barton."

"Can I come up?" She reached out her hand and pulled me into the ducts. "Where you heading?" I asked although I already felt I knew the answer.

"I need to see him again, I just need to see him being punished. Just once, Clint." I nodded and let her lead the way. Our arrival above the Loki's cell, was met with stony silence from me. Tasha seemed to tense up upon looking at him. This felt like a bad idea, we just watched him, sitting and smiling to himself. I rubbed Natasha's back comfortingly but she immediately jerked away from my touch. Before I could react she was babbling.

"Sorry, sorry Clint. I just- you just surprised me, that's all." She was speaking too fast and I knew something was off.

"Tasha, what is it? Something happened while I was brainwashed, why won't tell me?" my voice was gradually rising.

"I could answer that for you, Clint Barton." Loki. There was an icy undertone to his voice that I hadn't noticed before. Natasha refused to make eye contact with me, but there was clear evidence she was panicking.

I didn't want anything to do with Loki, at the same time Tasha needed help that she wasn't admitting to. There were times where I felt the two of us were on the same page, other times I she seemed lost and didn't want to be found. There were times where I could swear she was pushing me away in almost a frightful manner.

"Tell me," I called down to Loki putting aside my desire to separate myself from him. Natasha froze, and stared at me with wide eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Barton?" She whispered harshly.

"Nat, no one is willing to be truthful with me and it's frustrating. Now, something happened between you and I and I'm desperate to find out." Her expression said she was searching for a response and none could be formulated.

"Agent Barton, I'd suggest you come down and bring your girlfriend as well." I pushed myself through vents and landed on my feet.

"Agent Romanoff is not my girlfriend, nor does she need to be involved in this."

"Ah, but yes she does. After all you shared an earful of information on your lovely partner. Indeed, you know many small details of her, I couldn't imagine why you would deny your love for that woman."

I crossed my arms, "Don't be misled, Loki. If you were to hurt Natasha, I'd kill with my own hands."

Loki chuckled, "But look at my predicament Agent Barton," he gestured to the cell walls three were gray cinderblock walls while the one I was facing was all glass, "I am in no position to cause injury to anyone. But I need not worry, you caused plenty of injury to your partner for the both of us."

I narrowed my eyes I felt anger rising, "what do you know, Loki"

"You valued your friendship with Miss Romanoff that you could trust her, which baffles me that you could trust a woman that has done such vile, inhumane actions. She's not a human, agent, she's a machine programmed to kill and use her body to do what she is told, nothing more than that.

I begged to myself the Tasha had retreated from hearing this conversation, "If you truly believe such a lie, you don't know her."

"But, Agent Barton, you spent so long informing me of her past. I was sure to alert her that I knew her entire biography courtesy of you." I shifted my stance, "I must say, Barton, you were much more agreeable to exposing your partner for who she really is while under my influence. After all it was your own desire to kill Miss Romanoff 'slowly and intimately in every way she fears'. You hardly succeeded to my great dissatisfaction, armed with your precious bow and knives and your partner still managed victory over you. Shameful really."

I was fuming, my anger and guilt was blinding. I knew I wouldn't be able to look at her the same. I tried to kill her, I tried to kill Natasha. I stepped closer to the glass that separated Loki and I, "I will kill you. You made hurt her, you did this. I want you to die as painfully as your perverted mind can produce." In the midst of my blaring anger he scoffed at me.

"You do harbor such anger for such an extensive period, agent. I do at times regret that you were the one available to be brainwashed, so hateful, so opinionated. My task would have been met with so much ease if it were Agent Romanoff I doubt even a hesitation toward rebellion would have been found. So submissive she would have been, I would hardly attempt to control my physical desires with such a lovely physique."

The room felt hotter. I doubted I've ever possessed so much hatred for a single person. I found myself banging and kicking the glass containment while shouting profanities. Natasha fell from the vent to floor and began trying to pull me away. I shook her off, she may have been shouting at me but I was hardly aware, distracted by my own thoughts screaming at me. Suddenly Thor appeared, he pushed me away from the glass and Natasha nearly dragged me out of the room. I could hear myself still not relenting in my shouts. I was pushed into a closet by Tasha who slammed the door shut then grabbed both sides of my face. I was realized I had quieted down and were now standing in the small dark room in complete silence.

I focused on her face, tears were freely streaming down her cheeks. I wrapped my hands around her wrist and forced her hands off my face them promptly slumped to the floor and held my head in hands.

"You should go," I whispered. I felt her slide down the wall next to me.

"But you know that I'm not." She whispered back.

"I tried to kill you, I hurt you."

"I hurt you back." I didn't respond, I opted to sit in deafening silence next to her, I could ask to be alone but she would never actually leave me, she never has.

Natasha's POV

I sat cross-legged with my hands covering my tear stained eyes as my elbows rested on my knees. Clint was also stationary with his head bowed. We could have spent a lifetime there, disgraced and embarrassed. At some unknown hour, Clint stood up grabbed my arm and tugged me to a standing position. He looked at me worriedly, "I'm sorry, Natasha."

"Don't call me Natasha. And you have nothing to apologize for Clint." He looked like he might argue but then stopped himself and turned to leave. I followed him down the hall and as we rounded a corner we were met with a sea of agents uniformed and armed. The crowd began to split down the middle and Loki appeared. Instinctively Clint put a protective arm around me. I noticed a muzzle-like object was placed over mouth. Even without words his prideful stare in Clint's and I direction was enough to send chills down my spine. Clint began leading me in the opposite direction of the villain. One of his security agents stopped use and asked to tell the rest of the avengers in the lounge that Loki was ready for escorting.

When the hall emptied, Clint assessed the arm he had around my shoulders and quickly removed it. He mumbled an apology which I didn't respond to. I knew he was on edge with me, but he was taking this way too far.

"You know that isn't the first time we've tried to kill each other," I smiled, "Last time you tried to kill me, you enrolled me as a SHIELD agent. I wonder what happens this time? Maybe you'll buy me a car!"

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart." We looked at each other and laughed. We were back, for now.

Before entering the lounge we could hear Steve discussing his experience on the quinjet. "No guys I'm serious. He like knew everything about her even what she wanted to eat! It was so weird, they have all these inside jokes and this deep history with each other. It just seemed like much more than partners"

We entered the lounge chuckling to ourselves while everyone stared and Steve blushed from embarrassment. "It's time to go guys." I announced trying to hold in laughter.

The escort went smoothly, we said our goodbyes to Thor and stood in central park as they prepared to leave us.

"Do you think those muzzles come in child sizes? I could find good use for one." I whispered in Clint's ear, he grinned still looking straight at Loki behind his dark sunglasses.

Once the havoc-wreaking demigod removed himself from the Earth I piled into the passenger seat of a SHIELD car. "Where to Ms. Romanoff?" Clint spoke in an overly proper English accent.

"Homeward, my dear Mr. Barton," I mimicked his tone.

"Magnificent decision, darling."

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