The rest of your time together was filled with more walking and deeper conversation now that the nerves of a first date had been abolished and your first kiss had gone so well. The evening sun had set hours ago, and the busy sidewalks had begun to thin out from passersby so the city around you could have a rare element of intimacy. Not that it took an absence of pedestrians to give you that sensation; when you talked with Loki, the sounds of the city around you were mute. When you looked at him as he spoke with such passion about every single topic as if they were brand new, you saw nothing but the sparkle in his eyes and the smile that reached them with brilliance enough to light the night sky. He was perfect in so many ways, that if you hadn't trusted him so completely, you might have feared this to be one of his illusions to draw you in.

The air around you began to chill just as you entered into Central Park. He was able to find one last vendor cart just as they were about to shut down for the night, scoring one final cup of hot chocolate to share to keep you warm. "We really should make our way back to the compound. It's getting to be quite a late hour to be so far away."

"Yet I've never felt safer," you smiled, pointing him towards a nearby bench, "so we can take a little more time before we have to go back to the real world, right?"

"Of course. I will take every moment that you grace me with the fortune of spending together."

But the minutes turned into hours, and time passed much faster than either of you realized. Just as the crowds had died down as the sun set the night before, they were building again as the sun began to rise. Morning joggers began to fill the park around you, and vendors started to arrive and open their carts for another long day of business. When the two of you found the will to break away from the hold of each other's attentions, it became clear just how long you had been there.

"Dammit!" you exclaimed, jumping to your feet in a panic. "I have the press conference in two hours! Oh my god, Tony's gonna kill me! I can't go in this and I don't have time to go home to change. Maybe if I ask him to bring my clothes, he'll help before he fires me..." You hurried to pull your phone from your bag and turned away to make the fateful call, but Loki touched your arm to hold you in place.

"Here, allow me to help," he offered quietly. A single hand came up and held in front of you until a shining green illumination spread over you and created the illusion of clean business attire, and freshened hair and makeup.

"Wow, Loki, that's amazing, really," you sighed, looking down at your new appearance. "No one would ever guess that I had spent the night on a city park bench."

"I'm glad that you approve. You look quite beautiful, and that's not a testament to my illusion, but to the person wearing it." His eyes travelled the length of you, taking in the sight and committing it to his memory. The night had been like nothing he had ever experienced, and now that it was about to end, he wanted one last moment before it was lost. "Now, we must get you to your work," he smiled, standing with a hand out for you to accept, "where is it taking place?"

"At Stark HQ, not too far from here. Tony's probably already on the way in, so I need to call him. Excuse me." You stood and took the offer of his hand, pulling yourself up against him. He watched with wide eyes as you stole another kiss before turning away with your phone in hand to call your boss.

"Remarkable," he whispered under his breath, his fingers gliding gently over his lips as if to keep the sensation of you there just a few minutes longer. Even something as common as a phone call was anything but when you were doing it. There was something in the tone of your voice that left him entranced, and even if he tried, he found himself unable to turn away.

"Hey, Tony," you said quietly, "I'm already in the city for the conference, so I can meet you at HQ. Don't forget, it starts at 8am, sharp."

"Got it. How was the date?"

"Um...it was great," you paused, turning to glance back at Loki, "I think it went really well."

"You get lucky?"

"Tony! Stop it!"

"Sorry! You just sound really chipper for so early in the morning. It's not like you at all. Which reminds me, I want my shirts back. I don't care how good you look in them. Now that you have a boyfriend, I don't feel like getting my ass kicked because you can't get your laundry done."

---

After an hour of prep that neither of you needed, you and Tony made your way to the podium in front of the crowd of reporters and city officials, and a few random higher-ups in state government. Loki was asked to stay in one of the conference rooms to watch, rather than being out in the open if this didn't go to plan. The topic of giving him residence on Earth was likely to be a volatile one, and you wanted him nowhere near the crossfire.

"I won't waste anyone's time, so let's get right to it. With the destruction of Asgard, the home of Thor and Loki Odinson," Tony paused, turning to whisper to you, "wait, they're both Odinson now?"

"Shhh, just keep going,"

"Okay, that's new," he mumbled before turning back. "They've asked that the Avengers allow them to find a new home here, and we've agreed. They will both live at the upstate compound, with limited time spent at the Manhattan tower when missions require it. The remaining Asgardians will be given assistance from both the Avengers and the state of New York to help them find homes and the resources needed to build their new lives here."

"Mr. Stark," a reporter stood with a raised hand, "is this the Loki who was directly responsible for the attack on New York in 2012?"

"Yes, however, we've been assured-"

"Is it true that Thor hasn't been a part of the team for several years now?"

"He's always been a part of the team-"

"How do you know that this isn't just a ruse to set you off guard for another attack?"

"If you'd let me finish a damn sentence then I could tell you-"

But he wouldn't finish that sentence. The group of reporters began more rapid-fire questions, leaving the room filled with voices blending into nothing more than a convolution of unintelligible sounds and deafening volume. It was the perfect opportunity for trouble, and for a group of protesters to push their way forward.

In a flurry of motion, any items that could be found were flung across the room and towards the two of you, and you were never more thankful for the metal detectors at every door. Tony ducked down and pulled you with him, the two of you seeking shelter behind the podium to wait for his security team to take over.

"I think this went great, don't you?" he smirked.

"Better than expected," you agreed. "See, this is exactly why I turned down the idea of doing this outside."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't let me bring a suit, either."

"You don't need a suit." You stopped to listen to the commotion, hearing a lull in the activity and the sounds of Stark security taking control. You hesitantly stood to peek up and over the podium for a quick look, but your timing was completely terrible. Just as you got the glance, a full water bottle flew straight for you, hitting you squarely in the eye. "OW! Son of a bitch!"

Tony popped up and grabbed you, pulling you back down next to him to examine your injury, spurning on his inner rage as the swelling began to set in as he watched. "Okay, to hell with this, I don't need a goddamn suit."

"Tony, no, stay down."

You had completely forgotten that Loki was watching the entire event from only a few feet away until he was suddenly at your side as if out of nowhere. He all bit pushed Tony back to reach you, his hands gently on your face to turn you so that he could see. "I shall end whosoever did this to you. Remain here."

"No, Loki, don't," you begged, "that's only going to make this worse. Please, just stay here."

"I cannot allow this-"

"I feel safer with you here," you urged again, fully playing into his protectiveness to get your way. "I'm okay, I promise. Just stay with me."

Of course, just as you had forgotten that Loki had been so close, you had forgotten Tony's anger as you tried to keep Loki down. You turned to talk to him, but he was already long gone. It would have been bad enough to try to clean up a mess if Loki had gotten involved, but to have Tony join in the fight was a publicity nightmare of an entirely different caliber. "Oh no," you groaned, "no, no, no, where's Stark?"

"Hey, Icy Hot, you want to take a swing at this?"

Loki stood and looked out over the room to see Tony holding one of the protesters by the back of their shirt, with one of their eyes already turning a lovely shade of purple as it bruised. "I beg your pardon? Was Icy Hot somehow in reference to me?"

"Yeah, Sexy Frost Giant," Tony shrugged, "I thought it was pretty clever."

---

Once the excitement had died down, and when your group could return home to the compound, Loki decided that it would be best if you were allowed to rest after your terrible day and lack of sleep the night before. He escorted you to your room, ever the gentleman, leaving you safely tucked in with an ice pack for your eye and a promise from FRIDAY that she would watch over you when he couldn't.

But after closing your door quietly behind him, he realized that he had no idea where to go. He had quickly become so accustomed to being with you that your absence now left him unsure of what to do.

"You look lost," Clint observed, standing by the elevators as he waited for one to open. He kept his eyes trained on the numbers of each floor as they clicked by, refusing to look at the man he was speaking to; he still hadn't come to a place of reconciling his feelings about having Loki under the same roof. "Need some help?"

"No, I'm...I can find my way, thank you."

"Fair enough," Barton nodded.

"Although," Loki sighed, taking a few steps closer, "if you could spare just a moment of your time, I should like to speak with you. I'll be quick."

Clint closed his eyes and took a long, heavy breath, trying to release the natural tension that built in his muscles every time that he so much as thought of Loki being this close. "Try to be nice," he mumbled to himself as he turned to engage in a conversation that he didn't want. There was absolutely no love lost for Loki after he had twisted Barton's mind and turned him into a pawn during the Chitauri attack, and he wasn't going to be willing to offer his trust easily. "Alright, sure, I've got a minute. What's on your mind?"

"I wanted to personally apologize to you, Mr. Barton. I know that the team has been given guarantees that my behavior during our first meeting was not of my own choosing, but some of it was. Yes, I was under duress and was acting in my own best interests at the time, but that has no bearing on the fact that I do feel remorse for those who have fallen by my hand. I feel remorse for those who survived it, as well. I offer you my most sincere apology, and if you take it or not is your choice, though I sincerely hope that you do. I swear to you, I am trying to become better."

"Hmm," Clint nodded, taking in each word skeptically, "okay, sure. You sound like you mean what you're saying. But let me tell you, I trust actions far more than any words you say to me or anyone else on this team. Your proof to me comes in what you do, not what you say you're going to do." Clint stopped and took several steps forward, bringing himself within mere inches of his target, his eyes filled with determination, and a point towards your door. "And let me make something very clear. One wrong step with that girl in there, and you'll never have a chance at this again, understood? She's giving you more trust than I ever would, that's for damn sure."

"I understand fully, yes."

"Alright then, apology accepted." Clint turned back and towards the elevator again, pressing the call when the conversation had made him miss the first lift that he had called for. He clasped his hands behind his back and tipped his head up to watch the numbers pass once again, but he was keeping Loki in his periphery; that's where he would stay until Loki made good on his word. "Don't you dare make me regret it. You don't have your magic stick to save you this time, and I still have an arrow with your name on it."