A/N: Posting this earlier than anticipated because I need closure god dammit. Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed, especially those of you who review like clockwork whenever I post a chapter. Sharing this with you guys has been awesome fun and I've loved every minute of it. In other news, I'm going into hospital tomorrow for about five days or so, (oh woe is me etc etc) but the point is, the lack of streaming capability will leave me with no choice but to crack on with a couple of Blackfrost oneshot ideas I've had brewing for a while. So keep an eye out for those because they'll hopefully be appearing soon. Anyway, just want to say thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this final piece of the jigsaw, as it were.

Golden

by Flaignhan

The car stalls, throwing Natasha forward, her seatbelt pulling harshly at her chest.

"I have no use for this!" Loki snaps, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. "What's the point?"

"You're doing well. Try again."

Loki turns the key in the ignition, his jaw clenched, eyebrows contorted into a scowl. The engine roars into life and Loki puts it into first, then pulls away, the tyres squealing against the tarmac. When the engine starts to whine, there's a jerky shift into second, but as they gain speed, and he starts to relax, the ride becomes smoother, and the shift into third is nearly unnoticeable.

"You see?" Natasha says. "You're a natural."

Loki says nothing, just stares at the road ahead, his eyes occasionally flicking down to the speedo, where the needle is hovering around the fifty mark.

"You can only go fifty five down here," Natasha says, pre-empting any law breaking before he pushes the boundaries too far.

"Scared?" he asks.

"Not at all," Natasha replies, "But there's a set of lights about two hundred yards ahead that you might wanna slow down for…"

After a few seconds, Natasha feels the car lose speed, and they come to a smooth stop in front of the lights, Loki tapping his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel. Natasha smirks and leans back in her seat, quite sure now that she can leave Loki to it. He's learned fast, naturally, but his perfectionism gets in the way of his enjoyment. Still, they've got a good few days before he needs to be ready, and there's a driving licence at HQ with his name on it, once Natasha's happy with his skill level.

The lights turn to green, and they pull away smoothly; Natasha even catches Loki glancing in the mirrors. She smirks, and it does not escape his attention.

"What?" he asks, his eyes flicking over to her, and then back to the road.

"Nothing," she says with a smile. "You're doing great."

"You expected anything less?"

"It takes most people a few months to learn properly," she tells him, her attention half on the road, just in case he finds himself distracted.

"I'm not most people."

"I know," Natasha replies.

Loki shifts up a gear, and then places his arm on the armrest, his hand open and inviting. Natasha takes his hand, interlacing their fingers, and leans her head against his shoulder, watching as the world outside races by.

"You missed the exit," she says softly, after a while.

"I know," he says. "But we don't need to stop. Not yet."

It's nice to wake up next to him in a comfortable bed. The soft light of the morning filters through the curtains, and Loki inhales deeply, the sound soothing, tranquil. Natasha rolls over and lays her head against him, smiling into his skin as she realises that as of tomorrow, they can wake whenever they like, do whatever they like, and go wherever they like. It's a type of freedom that she's never truly had, and certainly never been able to share with someone. The thought scares her, more than a little, much more, if she's completely honest, but if she's not a little apprehensive then there's no sense of adventure.

The first word of the day, as it has been for the past couple of weeks, is "Coffee?"

This morning, the mumble comes from Loki.

Natasha sighs and slings her arm over him, too warm and content to get out of bed. "Five minutes," she murmurs.

"You said that last time. And it was another hour before I got my coffee."

"You make it then," she sighs.

"I made it yesterday."

Natasha groans. "Can't you use your magic?"

"But it's not my turn," he says, and she can hear the smirk in his tone. "Besides, you can't abuse the magic. That's not the point of it."

Natasha lifts her head up to look at him, her eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Seriously?"

He opens his eyelids a crack, and says "Seriously."

Natasha rests her head on his chest once more, her fingers trailing against his skin. She's making the most of the morning – tomorrow they have to be out of the apartment at five thirty. She's quite sure they'll have drunk a gallon of coffee between them before they even make it out of the door, so for now, she is content to lay here, until Loki grows impatient and makes the coffee himself.

She presses her lips to his skin gently, and there's something in the way his breathing changes that lets her know, without even looking, that there's a smile tugging at his lips. She kisses him again, and his arm tightens around her, pulling her closer.

"If you think that's going to get you out of making -"

Natasha cuts him off, pressing her lips to his, his hand coming to rest against the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. She deepens the kiss and he groans softly, contentedly into her mouth, his other hand grazing against her thigh.

"Coffee can wait," he says when she breaks for breath. "Coffee can definitely wait."

She leans back in her chair, her office walls empty and plain, completely devoid of notes and maps. All of her brass thumb tacks have been wrenched out of the plaster, and left in a small pot on her desk. She opens and closes the drawers, to ensure she's not left anything behind, but she's been quite thorough. Her gun sits on her desk, the empty magazine lying next to it. She brushes her fingers against the cool metal, almost as though she's saying goodbye, and then she laughs at herself, for getting attached to a weapon.

"Ready?" Loki asks softly.

"Yeah," she replies, frowning slightly. "I think so..."

She gets up, and there's a weird feeling swirling around in her chest. She knows she definitely wants this, knows that it's the right thing to do, is certain that she'll never regret it, but all the same, she can't help but feel sad, and even a little lost. Her entire life as she knows it is about to change, and she's essentially putting all her eggs in the basket that is Loki. She knows she can come back to this, and that she probably will at some point, but to be leaving, for a new type of life, without any real idea of when she'll be coming back doesn't sit well in her brain.

Ever since New York she's had a firm set of friends who she's spent nearly all of her time with. She's grown used to them, and their ways, and to be running off into the sunset, as it were, leaving them behind, seems strange. She's not sure what she'll do without Tony's quips, Steve's sensibleness, or breakfasts with Bruce. Having Clint around has made the whole thing seem like it's hardly work at all. It's been fun.

And now she's leaving.

Loki holds out a hand and she takes it, slinging her bag across her shoulder. She takes one last look around, then wheels her chair under her desk. She looks at Loki, not expecting him to understand her reluctance to leave, after all, this place has never held any happy memories for him. For her, however, it's the closest thing to a home she's ever had. She's spent so many hours in this office, trained every morning in the gym downstairs, walked the streets of the city every lunch break with Clint.

"Come on," Loki says quietly, pulling her gently towards the door. Natasha follows, and she finds that once she takes the first step away from her old life, the ones that follow are a lot easier. She's fully prepared to keep putting one foot in front of the other until she reaches the exit, but when she gets to the main room, everybody's there, waiting for her.

"Didn't think you'd get to sneak out without saying goodbye, did you?" Fury says, a disapproving look on his face.

"No..." Natasha lies. She glances along the line, and tries to come up with an excuse that will get this over and done with quickly. She doesn't handle goodbyes very well. She's not had much practice.

"Have fun," Fury says, and it's the same tone in which he issues orders.

"Yes sir," Natasha replies, standing to attention, her lips curving into a smile.

"And this is for you," he says to Loki, handing him a small card. Loki takes it, and frowns at it in confusion.

"What is it?"

"Driver's licence. Agent Romanov, or Miss Romanov, should I say, tells me you're capable enough to have one."

"What do I do with it?" Loki asks.

"Put it in your wallet and hope you never need it," Fury replies.

Loki slips the licence into his pocket, his expression still confused. Natasha smiles, and Fury moves away. Steve is next in line.

"Be sure to send us a postcard," he says quietly, his arm still held fast against his chest by his sling. He glances up at Loki and gives him a courteous, if slightly stiff nod, which Loki returns.

"Yeah, I will," Natasha says.

"And don't stay away too long," Steve adds, becoming slightly more animated, his face lighting up with a small spurt of energy. For a moment, he looks just like Captain America. And then it fades, but not entirely. "Not sure how we're gonna get by without you."

"I know, right?" Natasha replies. "You'll keep 'em all in check though, won't you?"

"I can try," Steve sighs, and it's clear that he already knows he'll be fighting a losing battle. "See you around." He gives her a small salute, which Natasha returns, before she moves on to Bruce. She knows that Tony will look out for him, but as she takes in his appearance, the bags under his eyes that suggest he hasn't slept well for a long while, his pallid complexion, she can't help but feel she ought to stay, just for a little longer, just to make sure he doesn't dwell for too long on his time as the Hulk.

"Bon voyage," he says softly. His dark eyes twinkle with a sense of mischief, and Natasha knows that he's going to be just fine. "Text me if you end up in Calcutta, I know a few good places to eat. And a few places that you really, really shouldn't..."

Natasha laughs, and promises to text him. "Look after yourself," she says, catching his eye and turning on her steely, serious expression, just for a moment. He nods, runs a hand through his hair, and Natasha knows that there's no more to say on the matter.

Tony is the same as ever, sporting his faded Def Leppard t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He shrugs at Natasha and she gets it. There's no small talk that can possibly amount to a half decent farewell after everything they've been through, so what's the point?

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he says at last, his eyebrow quirked as he eyes Natasha, and then Loki.

Natasha laughs. "So that's pretty much carte blanche to do anything, right?"

"Pretty much," Tony agrees, nodding, and then he sighs in feigned wistfulness. "Romeo and Juliet, heading off into the sunset."

"Can you please stop with the couples that end up dead?" She's not superstitious, but really, she'd prefer to be compared to people with a slightly more cheerful story.

"Fine," Tony says, rolling his eyes. "Ron and Hermione, heading off into the sunset."

"What?"

"You wanted a couple with a happy ending!"

Natasha shakes her head and glances back at Loki who has given up trying to understand any of Tony's references. If she's being honest she'll miss them, she'll miss him, and she'll especially miss his brashness that amazingly never actually seems to offend. She'll miss them all, truth be told, Tony has always seemed to demand more attention than the others, but that's just how he is.

She's more than a little surprised that Thor's made the trip down. His arm is healed now, something which he probably owes to the magic rocks of Asgard, but there is a slight shadow to him, as though his injuries are lurking far beneath the surface and he's too proud to let them see the light of day.

"Didn't expect to see you here," Natasha says to him.

"Well how else was I supposed to wish my brother fair fortune on his journey?" he booms. "I knew he wouldn't come to Asgard to say goodbye!"

Natasha turns to look at Loki, who has his hands in his pockets, his eyes narrowed. He's standing a little way back, and Natasha's quite sure that he's already considered doing a disappearing act several times, just to avoid the display of brotherly affection. Thor is having none of it - he steps past Natasha and seizes Loki, pulling him into a tight embrace. There's snickering as Loki pulls a face of disgust, his arms trapped at his sides while Thor seemingly squeezes the air out of him. After a moment, Thor releases him, though keeps a firm grip on Loki's upper arms. When he talks to him, he bows his head just slightly, so he can look his brother in the eye.

"You must return for Mother's birthday, and bring Natasha. Show her what a real party is."

"Yes all right," Loki says, squirming away from Thor. "Let go of me."

Thor complies, the smallest of smirks on his face as Loki smooths his t-shirt and adjusts the collar of his jacket. He catches Natasha's eye and winks, but she knows better than to laugh. She's got a hellishly long journey ahead with Loki, and it wouldn't do to put him in a bad mood before they've even started.

Last, but never ever least, Clint is waiting for her, closest to the door, his expression unreadable. They've worked together for years, will work together again, she knows that, but it still feels like the end of an era. This indefinite hiatus is all the more scary because she doesn't have an alarm set for one day in the future when she has to get up and come back in to work and pick up where she left off. The scariest thing is that she might never return, if she doesn't want to, or if it never seems convenient. Her eyes meet Clint's, and she can tell that the same worries are racing through his mind - how does one adjust to such a drastic change after all this time? But his face melts into a smile and he pulls Natasha into a fierce, bone crushing hug, the press studs of his jacket digging into her skin.

"You'll be back eventually," he murmurs. "You won't be able to help yourself."

"Yeah," Natasha says. "I know."

"Enjoy it," he tells her, giving her an extra squeeze. "And tell me what it's like...a normal life."

Natasha pulls away from him. "You think this is gonna be normal?"

Clint shrugs. "As normal as you'll ever get."

Natasha concedes that he has a point, and then Clint turns away from her.

"Loki," he says, quietly, but with confidence. He holds out his hand, and Natasha can't believe what she's seeing. Apparently she's not the only one, because she swears she hears Tony whisper a soft holy shit in the background.

Loki looks down at Clint's hand, then up at his face, and, after a moment's hesitation, he steps forward and shakes it. The contact lasts for less than a second, but it's enough, it's more than enough, and Natasha lets out a shaky breath when he steps back again, and no punches have been thrown. Her own hand automatically finds Loki's and she moves closer to the door, thinking it's probably best to quit while they're ahead. She raises a hand in farewell, and tries not to focus too much on the mixture of 'bye's and 'see ya's, before ducking out of the room, and leaving it all behind.

The departure lounge is frantically busy, people rushing by, parents dragging children towards the gates, staff cleaning up after the hoards. They manage to find a couple of seats in the corner, near a group of backpackers, laughing and joking in Finnish, souvenirs dangling from their rucksacks. It's not long before Loki's patience starts to wither away, his fidgeting on the hard plastic chairs a tell tale sign.

"I don't see why we couldn't just -"

"Because we're doing it properly. I'm not gonna arrive everywhere in a cloud of smoke."

"You just don't know how to travel in style," Loki mutters.

Natasha rolls her eyes and pulls her iPad out of her bag. She doesn't get ten minutes to flick through a few apps before Loki is shifting again in his seat, the zips of his jacket scratching against the chair.

"Show me again where we're going," Loki says, resting his chin against her shoulder.

Natasha closes her pinball game and opens the map, zooming out from their current glowing blue dot until all the continents are visible. "We're here," she says, pointing them out, "And we're going to fly down here," she zooms in on the southern hemisphere. "To Sydney."

"Sydney," he says, reaching across to zoom in further. "What's Sydney like?"

"I don't know, I've never been. That's the point."

"And when we get there? What do we do?"

"Whatever we want."

"And after that?"

"We go somewhere else."

Loki nods. "Sounds good."

"You'll probably want to do some painting," Natasha continues, closing the maps app and opening up Angry Birds. "There are some amazing landscapes there, completely different to New York or Paris..."

Loki watches over her shoulder as she boredly sends birds catapulting towards their fate, as final calls for overdue passengers ring out over the tannoy. After a few minutes, he starts reaching across to take turns, swearing under his breath when he misses, and smirking against her when his aim is true. It's not long before Loki has relieved her of the iPad entirely, his tongue between his teeth as he concentrates on ensuring he gets three stars on every single level.

By the time they're in the air, he's progressed further than Natasha ever has in the entire time she's had the damn thing. Natasha taps her fingers impatiently against the armrest, staring out of the small round window at the clouds below.

"Are you gonna be like this the whole flight?" she asks impatiently, when he flicks yet another bird to its demise. She reaches to take the iPad away from him, but he leans towards the aisle, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"One more," he says, holding up a hand to stall her. Natasha sighs and folds her arms. Had she known what a mistake it would be to introduce him to the iPad she would have left it at home, foregoing pinball for the next however many months quite happily if it meant she would actually get some conversation out of him on their flights.

"So is this what's it's come down to?" she asks. "You trying to subjugate the planet of the little green pigs?"

At this, Loki looks up from the iPad, casting a steely glare in Natasha's direction.

"What?" she asks, "Too soon?"

Loki says nothing, but slips the iPad into the seat pocket in front of him, his hand soon finding Natasha's and lacing their fingers together. He leans against her, looking out of the window as well, watching as wisps of vapour catch against the wings, the sun shining bright and golden in the sky.

The End