Take Me or Leave Me - by Pyro

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: Dates and Mistakes

Loki was pretty certain that what he needed to do right now was get himself some sort of following before heading out after Sharon. Sure, having Sharon on his side would be nice, but there were other mutants like her that wanted to see William Stryker dead and when you were talking about ruling the world, you didn't want to piss the mutants off. So he decided that it was high time that he did some research of his own…it led him to the house of an Ebony Hughes.

'This should be interesting…' Loki thought to himself.

When he knocked on the door, there was no answer, but then he knocked again and the door opened a crack. There was a beautiful woman standing there, but something was wrong with her veins…with her piercing blue eyes and Lokit swallowed for a moment. He had known that she was not only a mutant but one experimented on by Stryker, still…one wrong move and this blue woman would turn him into a godsicle.

"Who are you?" she asked him harshly.

Loki smiled a little bit. "I'm here to help you."

"I don't want your help," she responded, shutting the door in his face.

"Trust me, you'll like what I have to say!" Loki called through the door, knocking on it again. "I'm not who or what you think I am."

Suddenly the door swung open, the woman stepping out onto the porch to show him what she truly looked like before retreating back into the darkness of the house. Stunning, she was, but her veins were all blue, her hair had blue streaks in it and her eyes were a piercing ice blue, her lips blue as well. It seemed like the sun was almost repelling her and she was certainly menacing—certainly someone that Loki wanted to use.

"That should have frightened you off…" Ebony said curtly. "Why don't you kindly fuck off?"

Loki smiled his toothy smile. "I've seen worse than you, trust me on that. Now, I came here because I want to kill William Stryker."

The name caused Ebony to tense up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Loki responded, looking into her eyes from his safe location on the porch. "I know more than you think I do, Miss Hughes. William Stryker is a very powerful man and it will take an army of us to rain down on him and make him pay for the travesties he has caused innocent mutants like yourself. All you have to do is promise to follow…"

Loki watched as the wheels turned in Ebony's head, trying to figure out what it was that she was thinking because she certainly looked torn. It could always be a trap and Ebony certainly didn't want to end up with Stryker again, but at the same time the man in front of her seemed rather sincere and she didn't really have anything else to lose at this point. Stryker's experiments had made her powers worse and it was by sheer luck she had even gotten away.

"Why should I trust you?" Ebony asked him slowly. "For all I know, this is a trick."

Loki nodded at her. "All I can give you is my word…but the moment you think I'm betraying you, feel free to turn me into whatever you like."

"Alright…" she said slowly, "…where do I sign up?"


While Bruce and Natasha were taking a break from their work, Bruce found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. The way she moved around, or quirked a smile because she knew he was watching her—it all just made him want her that much more. It was so different from when they met and when she had come and asked him to come in, remembering the fear in her eyes and wishing that he could take it all back…but he couldn't.

He couldn't re-write the past.

Bruce knew that what was done was done and right now it was important that he make sure that he made things up to her. He could always just be the best that he could be now and find a way to control the Hulk better so that Natasha would never have to deal with him again…for that he would enlist some S.H.I.E.L.D. resources and Tony. Tony was becoming his best friend these days and while he still had Andy, it was nice to have a man to talk to that challenged him.

"You're watching me again," Natasha told him with that half smile. "I thought we agreed that was creepy…"

Bruce chuckled as she teased him. "No, you said it was creepy, I thought it was sweet."

"How is staring at me, sweet?" Natasha asked him, turning to face him and leaning back on her hands on the table she had been working on.

His eyes trailed down her body, taking in every curve in that S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit that she was wearing because Nick wanted her to run out on another assignment. Natasha smiled as she watched his eyes rake over her body and pushed off of the table to stand up straight, Bruce's eyes moving up to catch hers. She reached up to her zipper and stepped up to him, zipping it down a little bit with a smirk on her face—she knew that it was dangerous to toy with the sexual tension between them, but part of her just couldn't help it.

She loved having Bruce's hands all over her.

"Tash…" Bruce said slowly.

When his heart started beating a little faster, Bruce knew that he was going to be a goner if he didn't rein it in. So, he took advantage of the situation and covered her mouth with his, kissing her deeply and passionately as his hands roamed her frame before helping her to unzip the zipper just a little bit more, tracing her bra, its straps and the swell of her breasts in the cup of her bra. Natasha moaned into his mouth, letting her own hands move to his buttons, knowing these moments only lasted for so long before Bruce rushed out because his heart rate was far too high for comfort.

"You two I didn't know about," Tony chuckled as he entered the room, chuckling more when Bruce and Natasha broke apart.

Just like that she had zipped the zipper back up. "What are you doing here, Stark?"

"Your boy toy, here, call me," Tony explained with a shrug.

"I thought you weren't coming until later…" Bruce said as he buttoned the buttons back up and calmed himself down—he really needed a handle on this.

"I came early," Tony told him with a smirk on his face. "Which is probably good, unless Agent Romanoff enjoys having you become a big green man during sex—wasn't aware you had such a kink."

Natasha rolled her eyes at Tony, but that didn't stop her from kissing Bruce tenderly. "I'll call you when I get back from my mission."

Bruce nodded and kissed her again before she left the room, Tony watching her leave and then turning to Bruce. He had once thought about tapping Natasha too, but then found out that she was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and had infiltrated his company and it had just made him mad. Then Tony had thought that she was with Clint, but all signs pointed to Sharon on that front and now there was Bruce and Natasha, who clearly had a thing for each other.

"Seems to me like you need a way to control the Hulk and fast," Tony told him, winking.

Bruce nodded a little bit. "I'm not even going to pretend that I don't."

"Well then…let's rifle through the S.H.I.E.L.D. database and find you a good scientist, shall we?" Tony asked bringing up lists he had saved from hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D. before the Chitauri. "I'd like to get you good and laid by the sexy redheaded S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Is this what it feels like to be your sister?" Bruce asked laughing.

"I don't know—compare notes with her and get back to me." Tony replied with a smile on his face.


Angel was more than happy to be home, but it wasn't her home—her home was mostly damaged and being repaired and so she was stuck, yet again, with Tony. Steve wasn't going to be staying here either, he was going to be going back to his apartment, he just wanted to know that Angel was going to be safe and sound before he went there. She was thankful, but for some reason Angel felt off and she felt like bad things would happen whether she was by herself or here with Tony and she would much rather be with Steve for right now. She knew that Tony would take care of and protect her it was just that Steve made her feel safe and she wanted to be with him all the time.

"Tell me again why I can't stay at your place?" Angel asked Steve.

He smiled and kissed her swiftly. "Because I want to do things right here and having you live with me when we're not married isn't what a gentleman would do."

"You and your 40's values are lost on the rest of the world," Angel responded as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I shouldn't have even stayed at your place in your bed," Steve said as he rested his hands on her hips and kept her close to him.

She smiled and nodded in agreement playfully, shrugging and then giggling when Steve kissed her tenderly, letting his lips linger on hers. Angel pulled him in and kissed him longer this time, pouring herself into him because she wanted him to know what page she was on here. Steve could feel that she was hurting though as the kiss escalated rather fast, shaking his head and pulling away.

"I would never forgive myself if I took advantage right now, Angel," Steve said gently.

Angel bit her bottom lip, remembering how it used to be busted. "It's not, I want it…"

"What happened to you, Sharon and Andy was really bad and sleeping with you this soon after is just wrong, Angel…it is." Steve explained, stroking her hair and sighing when tears filled her eyes. "You can trust me, you know…"

"Everything is just wrong," Angel told him shaking her head, "everything, Cap. That was the worst thing that has ever happened to me and then I find out that I'm an affair baby and it's like everything about what I was is gone. I just want to feel good and you make me feel that way, so," she said as she kissed him again, nipping at his lips as he kissed her back, "just you and me…"

The kiss was determined and passionate, Angel moaning into Steve's mouth as he stroked her hair and took her in. He felt like he was drowning in her essence for a moment, tasting her as she worked her magic on him for just a moment or two. Steve Rogers was still just a man and the woman that he loved was trying to seduce him…he just couldn't be seduced when it would go against everything that he had ever believed in.

"Angel, baby, I can't," Steve responded as her hands trailed down to his belt.

Of course he wanted to sleep with her, but this was wrong and it wasn't what he had planned and he just couldn't do it. He'd hate himself later for taking advantage and she'd hate him later for taking her virginity at such a time and he couldn't let that happen. She needed to get some sleep and deal with everything that had happened and he needed to figure out what she meant by 'affair baby' because that had completely thrown him for a loop.

"I love you, so we have to stop," Steve said as he pulled away, his body still humming from her touch. "This isn't how I want our first time to be—I want it to be special, not you trying to make yourself feel better after a horrific experience. You mean so much to me…I can't hurt you more than you're hurting right now."

"I know, I know," Angel said as she straightened up and straightened out her clothes. "I want to be alone now."

Steve opened his mouth to say something to her, but she had already walked past him toward her room and shut the door behind her. Everything had just gotten ruined and he hung his head a moment before he left, Jarvis locking up after him and trying to make Angel feel better, but she was inconsolable as she lay there, crying on her bed. She stayed that way until she was all cried out, just sad and tracing the comforter with his fingertips, Tony coming home.

"Master Stark, your sister has been crying for hours," Jarvis told him.

Tony nodded and went to her room, opening up the door and seeing her lying there. "What's wrong, V?"

"Everything, Tony—my mom's not my biological mom, Steve won't sleep with me because I'd be using him to feel better, and you're never going to look at me the same way again because our dad cheated on your mother with mine!" Angel told him, the tears coming back.

"Iceman won't sleep with you?" Tony joked, trying to lighten up the situation, but the look Angel gave him made him sigh and nod, holding out his hand for her to take. "Come on, V."

"Why?" Angel asked slowly, but she sat up and took his hand as she wiped her tears away with the other, looking at him intently.

Tony smiled and led her off of the bed toward their coats near the front door. "We're going to solve problems the way I do it—get good and drunk…and laid."


Sharon wasn't exactly sure what she was in for on this date with Clint, but she had gotten a pale yellow blouse and a black skirt together and her best black heels. It was actually nice to go on a real date, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't really change anything because he was trying to get in and she didn't think she could let him in…oh, who was kidding? The fact that she actually trusted him meant that he'd already inadvertently gotten in and she cursed herself thinking that.

Still, she fixed her hair and then waited patiently for Clint to show up, waiting in her quarters at S.H.I.E.L.D. for now because X-Mansion was too far to go to. She and Andy had place off of the grounds, but she didn't want Clint to have to go out of his way to get her. After a little waiting she thought that maybe she had gotten stood up, but upon checking the time realized that she was actually ready early…great, now she felt like she was far too eager about this.

"I am going to strangle that man," she said out loud.

She didn't mean it, but it was making her think a little harder about everything because what if this went well? What if she went on this date and it just made her that much more attached to him and then he started going off about things that he wanted that she didn't? She was suddenly starting to wonder if it was too late to cancel this date already…she hoped not.

Just as she was running through possibly ways to cancel on him, there was a knock on her door and she opened it up to see Clint there in civilian attire. Nice black slacks and a black sweater that zipped from the chest up, unzipped to reveal a white t-shirt underneath and he was wearing nice shoes, his hair a bit flatter than normal. He looked really good and Sharon half wanted to just take him by the hand and drag him into her room and have her way with him, but she had promised that he got one chance…she had to let him have it.

"You look beautiful," Clint told her with a goofy grin on his face. "Come on, I have a surprise for you."

"Okay, but I hate surprises," she teased as she shut her door behind her and followed him out.

Instead of a jet like she had expected, Clint took her out to a boat and she realized that the helicarrier wasn't floating in the sky right now, but rather on the water. She didn't know how she felt about that either because she wanted more than anything do this date, but she didn't want to drown either. It was one of her fears—drowning—and sitting on a little boat with Clint as romantic as the notion seemed, also scared her a little bit.

"Don't worry, we're just going to the mainland—I won't even make you row," Clint said with a smile, holding out his hand to her to help her into the boat.

'Well, okay, if he's going to flex his arms the whole time, count me in.' Sharon thought to herself. "Alright…for this once I'll trust you."

Clint smiled at her choice of words. "High praise…"

"The highest," Sharon responded and then she beamed.

This wasn't so bad, and she enjoyed watching Clint row as he talked about all of these things with her that he'd never opened up about before. He told her about how it was hard for him to get close to people for a long while too because his father was a drunk who beat him and his mother just let it happen, and about how he lost contact with his older brother, Barney…but he wanted to be close to her regardless of his past. Sharon knew he was trying to relate to her and once again decided to throw him a bone.

"My dad was the one that decided I was going with Stryker," Sharon admitted with a nod. "I knew there was something off about Stryker and I didn't want to go, but Dad insisted that I get cured and Mom wanted everything to be normal again, so she just nodded at everything he said and then Dad didn't give me a choice: I was going."

Clint nodded slowly, surprised she was letting him in this much. "When you came back—"

"—when I came back, Dad was more interested in knowing if the experiments had worked," Sharon responded bitterly. "Angel ran to him once without my permission and gave him a piece of her mind, but I was out of there the minute that I realized what he cared about most. Didn't even seem to matter to them that one of them had given me the gene in the first place and so I stayed with Charles Xavier and Andy and the other mutants there became my family…because mine didn't want me if I was different…"

Sharon didn't know exactly why all of that had come out, but it was out there and Clint nodded as he tethered off the boat, pulling her up close to him as he helped her off of the boat. His lips crashed into hers before she had a chance to say anything about it all, and she practically melted into his perfect arms, feeling a shiver of pleasure run through her as he sucked on her bottom lip a moment.

"I wouldn't want you anyway but different," Clint assured her, tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth and then pulling back as she felt like a puddle of pleased goo. "I was told you liked roller coasters, yes?"

Sharon's eyes lit up. "No! You brought me to an amusement park?"

"I did, but don't expect me to go easy on you on the games," Clint warned her with a smile on his face, glad he'd made her look sublimely happy for once.

"If you went easy on me, it'd be over before it began, Hawk," Sharon responded, taking his hand when he held it out to her and letting him lead the way.


Thor had a lot on his plate and so did Andy, Andy finding herself in about the same predicament that she always found herself in: having feelings for a guy it would never work with. Nick was the obvious one here as she'd loved him first and longest, but he was a long distant relationship and those never lasted. Then came Thor: Asgard was about as long distant as things became. Banging her head down on her desk, Andy growled and then grunted loudly, looking up when knuckles rapped on her door.

Logan.

He was always showing up when Andy was feeling down and she kind of loved that about him and also kind of hated it. It was like he knew when things were wrong and she just sighed and ushered him in because whether she liked it or not, things were wrong and she had no idea what to do. Might as well talk Logan's ear off if he was going to be around right now and all she wanted to do for once in her life was sort out her love life…

"I'm sorry, I am having a crisis…" Angel said bitterly, fixing her hair. "I think he wants to have sex and I am in no way at that point."

Andy laughed a little bit. "Then dump him or let Sharon screw his brains out. Problem solved."

"Problem not solved," Sharon responded, pushing on Andy's shoulder. "Sleeping with your best friend's boyfriend is wrong and I refuse to do it."

"Only because in the end, he doesn't do it for you," Andy replied with a laugh as she flipped through a magazine, Sharon pushing on her again. "I just think the night is better off spent not worrying about the opposite sex and what moronic thing they did this time around. I don't know if you two have noticed, but there's a whole world of possibilities opened up out there for single women that I would like to do not on my own."

Sharon and Angel both smiled and laughed, loving how Andy wasn't really the go after the boy type of girl at all. She let them come to him and shortly Nick Fury would do just that and Andy would be cursed for life with bad relationships. Still, she looked up from her magazine and looked over Angel's outfit with a gentle nod, giving her approval of it.

"He's bound to want to take your virginity away from you," Andy said, laughing when Angel tossed her scrunchie at her. "What? Just saying what every guy will be thinking when you go out in the short skirt and the off the shoulder top…your brother is Tony Stark, remember? So, Sharon…you going on a date with that guy of yours too?"

Sharon shook her head. "Nope—I'm a two week only kind of girl, remember?"

"And?" Andy asked her.

"And as of midnight last night, two weeks is up—she broke up with him while she was eating a bagle," Angel laughed.

"Yes!" Andy exclaimed merrily, Sharon and Angel laughing some more. "You and I can go out and toast to being single and doing whatever we want forever!"

Sharon nodded at that. "Hell yes, Amen."

Logan saw the look on Andy's face and took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not to leave the room because he didn't like this. He knew that that look was the look of a woman weighing her options and he didn't want to get involved…even if he cared a lot about her. So he eventually sat down and folded his hands in his lap, shaking his head because he didn't know when he got to be the guy that everyone went to for advice.

"Do you want me to be brutally honest here?" Logan asked her as she opened up her mouth to speak.

Andy nodded slowly. "Yeah, but—"

"Fury is old enough to be your grandfather even though he shot up with that Infinity Formula, so I suggest just letting him go," Logan told her with a shrug. "It's part of why I'm not sure about Angel and Captain America because besides how lame that super hero name is, he's pretty much as old as her dad even though he was an icicle for 70 years. As for this God of Thunder of yours? If you hated long distance, check the area code of Asgard and get back to me."

Suddenly, Andy found herself breaking out into a fit of laughter, wanting nothing more than to scoop Logan up into her arms and hug him. He really did care about her and she loved that about him, so she knew that she had to take what he had to say into account. So she just nodded and let it all sink in, before she opened up her mouth to speak as it was her turn to say something and Logan's turn to listen to what she had to say.

"You think I should just forget about them then?" Andy asked him, nodding slowly. "I have been feeling the need to just focus on me and get my life back on track…"

Logan smiled a little bit and leaned in. "I think there's a man out there for you that's actually a lot closer than you think he is."


"I really don't want to have drunken sex the first time I have sex," Angel told Tony as he downed a shot with ease. "Seems tacky."

Tony laughed a little bit. "Obviously, you haven't had enough to drink."

"I have yet to have anything to drink," Angel reminded her brother. "Are you…is it possible that you're taking this harder than I am?"

"Nonsense," Tony responded with a nonchalant shrug. "While this sucks for both of you, your boyfriend won't sleep with you and my girlfriend found someone else to be her boyfriend, so…time to cast out our nets into the sea and get new fish. To new fish!"

"To new fish!" chorused the drunk people.

Angel didn't want anyone but Steve, but she just raised the shot up and then downed it, making a face and then making a grossed out sound. It was the most awful thing that she had ever tried, but Tony made her drink six more before he was satisfied, catching her watching a couple of men playing pool. He smiled to himself because she seemed happier than when he had found her and he was already incredibly drunk. His judgment had been impaired before, but right now it just didn't exist.

"Which one?" Tony asked her over the music.

"Not the blonde one," Angel responded, shaking her head.

Tony nodded at that. "Iceman is blonde."

"Iceman is blonde," Angel repeated, scrunching up her nose. "I hate when you call him that."

"I don't really care," Tony replied and Angel nodded and then they clinked shot glasses together and each drank them right down, Angel still making that noise. "Go get him! Oh! Bartender is incredibly bangable."

Angel gave him a thumbs up as he headed off, pulling out her cell phone and realizing that everything seemed fuzzy. Her brain, her fingers, her vision…but Sharon was a speed dial, so soon she was calling her up, Sharon really hating that this date was being interrupted. So she slid her phone out of her pocket to decline the call, but she noticed that it was Angel and she sighed loudly, looking at Clint.

"I hate ruining what we've got going, but it's Angel," Sharon told him.

He smiled at her. "Get it—you guys have had it rough, she might need to talk."

"I'll just see what's wrong and deal with it and we can get back to this," Sharon said, kissing him swiftly and then taking a step out of the line for the roller coaster. "This had better be good because Clint planned the perfect first date and I'm this close to getting on a roller coaster!"

"Blonde or brunette?" Angel asked Sharon.

"What?" Sharon asked, rather confused.

Angel shrugged a little. "Blonde or brunette? Tony says I need to get laid when I'm drunk because it won't hurt as much and the blonde looks like Steve a little so I should go for the brunette, right?"

"ARE YOU DRUNK AT A BAR WITH YOUR BROTHER?" Sharon asked her suddenly.

That caught Clint's attention and his heart sank, getting out of the line and going over to Sharon, pointing to the boat. He knew that this meant that they had to go and get her and though it was ruining the date, he knew Sharon would hate him if he didn't help her to help out one of her closest and dearest friends. Sharon just mouthed that she was sorry to Clint and then they got in the boat, heading to the bar as quickly as possible.

It had taken way too long for Angel to tell them where she was, but she had and now it was time for Sharon to work her magic. What she hadn't expected, was to see Angel still at the bar just downing shots while Tony was very obviously hooking up with the waitress on the other side of the door to the bar. Sighing loudly, Sharon walked over to her and felt the most grown up that she ever had yelling at Angel…this pretty much never happened.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sharon asked her angrily.

Angel's eyes lit up when she saw her. "Share! And Clint! Oh, yeah, your date." Angel giggled and pointed between them. "Has she told you she loved you too, yet?"

"Where is your brother?" Sharon asked quickly, trying to talk over Angel so Clint wouldn't hear—but he had and Sharon didn't want to deal with that.

"Just got done getting laid…did that even take very long?" Angel asked, pointing at Tony as he sauntered over to them. "They came to join the party."

"Oh, no, we came to take you home," Clint told Angel, sighing when she shook her head. "Angel, this isn't you and you know it."

Angel shrugged at him. "Whatever was me was tortured out."

Her words cut them all, Sharon shaking it off first and getting into Tony's face about it. She couldn't believe that he would bring his sister out here to get drunk and laid when in the end it would devastate her. This wasn't the way to get through what happened to them and while perfect dates with Clint weren't either, it was a much healthier way of dealing with things. So this wasn't going to happen because Sharon wasn't going to let it.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Sharon yelled at Tony. "SHE IS VULNERABLE! SHE IS SAD! SHE'S WITH STEVE!"

Angel started tearing up at Steves's name. "Now he's going to hate me."

"Share…" Clint tried, not okay with the water works. "I don't…we should get her a cab."

"You take her to the cab, Hawk, but actually take her there, okay—I am yelling at Tony some more." Sharon informed him.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN: Educating Steve Rogers

"YOU ARE THE WORST BROTHER EVER!" Sharon was yelling, shaking her head, enjoying ripping Tony a new one. "God…and to think that I thought you were turning over a new leaf…"

Tony grabbed her arm as she turned to walk away and whirled her around to face him. "I AM DEVASTATED, OKAY?"

"What…about what?" Sharon managed, not realizing what nerve she just hit.

"ABOUT ANGEL!" Tony yelled, letting her go and slumping onto a bar stool. "About all of those terrible things that happened to her and then I couldn't keep my mouth shut about her biological mother just because I was upset I couldn't save her life by giving her some of my blood."

"You…" Sharon began, but trailed off.

She hadn't really realized just how upset that Tony had been not to be able to save his sister and it made her feel kind of bad because he was hurting too. He hadn't been able to save her from being tortured, he hadn't been able to give her any of his blood to help her through the operation, and now his view of his parents and his sister was changed. People stopped looking at them too because it seemed like Tony was calming down and Sharon rested her hand on his.

"I don't want your pity," Tony told her, moving his hand away.

Sharon sighed and nodded. "Fine, but the answer is not to bring your sister here and try and get her laid by some stranger she doesn't know. Go into her room at your place and look around it a moment…you might find something that you forgot all about and it will remind just how much your sister looks up to you—or at least how much she values you."

Feeling like she'd preached enough, she headed out to call a cab, Clint and Angel already in one. When Angel had given the address to the cab driver, it had sounded familiar and then when Clint inquired about it, she just threatened him and he decided to go along with it. Besides, drunk or not, she could still manipulate him and he didn't want to have to deal with that…

"Why an apartment?" Clint asked her.

Angel looked at him. "My house burned down, Clint."

"I thought you were staying with Tony though…"

"I just realized how much I hate your name…it's almost bad as the name 'Steve'…"

Clint did a double take. "You hate your boyfriend's name?"

"Life's not perfect, Clint…" Angel responded, stressing his name like she expected him to get why she hated it too, slipping into a southern accent now. "So, how's 'bout we shut the yap, Clint?"

While he was frowning, he agreed that it was best that they drop the subject and then everything suddenly changed: he was in a familiar looking place. He had seen this place before and had a feeling that he had been tricked here because she was drunk and she was hurt, and she was in no condition to be here right now.

"If I let you out to see Steve, Sharon will murder me," Clint told her, shaking his head. "We need—"

"—sorry, Clint, this is your stop too." Angel responded, touching his face with her palm.

Clint was only vaguely aware of what was happening before everything was warm and there was a tickling sensation in his brain. Just like that he was having the cab driver take him back to his own home, and Angel was buzzing up to Steve's place. It seemed just like him to get an older apartment with such a system because these days she didn't see much like this—then again, these days were vastly different and most people she knew owned small townhomes or just small houses in general…especially people who were her age and older.

That reminded her even more so that Steve wasn't from this day and age and he certainly didn't have the income that she had…but none of that mattered. She was in love with him and she wanted to be with him and even though she had woken him up, he was letting her in, in an instant. One look at her though, and he knew that something was off—then she started talking to him and he could smell the alcohol on her breath and knew almost the whole story when she rattled it off to him.

"I know you were being a gentleman and I'll probably thank you later, but I was really upset," Angel began, hiccupping and covering her mouth a moment before recovering. "Tony thought that it would make me feel better—this whole thing he does, getting wasted and laid—and I thought that maybe alcohol would numb the pain but I kept seeing you. All over the place. Serving drinks, playing pool, you know?"

Steve raised his eyebrows a moment. "Laid? I was here all night, can you explain better?"

"Laid, like sex," Angel told him, not catching his eyes go wide at that. "We're both coping with this affair thing and he thought sex would make it better and I'm not having it with you, but I just want you. Not pool playing Steve or drink serving Steve or biker Steve…just you."

"When your sobriety has returned we'll talk about it," Steve told her, going to get his coat and his shoes.

He didn't actually want to take her back to her place because Tony had been the one to take her out to get drunk in the first place, but she needed to be in her own bed. Then again, what if Tony wasn't done with all of this and she was still sad and they ended up out on the town again where he couldn't protect her? He just felt like keeping her here wasn't proper…but maybe it would be proper to take her back home like a gentleman and stay with her all night at Tony's instead.

"I don't trust anyone like I trust you," Angel continued as Steve got his shoes on. "Men are mean. They tell you one thing just to get into your pants and then they change their mind when they get what they want. Or sometimes they have the thing that they always loved and then they cheat on her with some random mutant, knock her up and get a second child out of it! What if that's us? What if someday I do something like this that makes you want to leave me? Oh God! What if this is that thing?"

Steve looked at her and shook his head, crossing over to her. "Baby, this isn't that thing—there will never be a thing. You're hurting and while this is unhealthy, I think it's best we try to talk about this when I know you'll completely remember it."

"You won't leave me?" Angel asked hopefully, wobbling a bit, but Steve scooped her up into his arms.

"I won't leave you," he promised, kissing her forehead.

Then, just like that he took her back to Tony's place, Jarvis letting them in. Angel was still drunk and while Steve was trying to be a gentleman here, Angel was refusing the help of Tony's robots to get dressed and just took her shirt off with Steve in the room, unfastening her jeans and pushing them down her legs. For a moment Steve was completely distracted by her body as she started rummaging through her drawer for some pajamas, reaching up all of a sudden to unclasp her bra.

"That's my cue," Steve said quickly, flustered.

Just like that he was out of the room and after a little bit as he sat in the living room, Jarvis told him that she was clothed, so Steve went in and helped her into her bed. Then he tucked her in and made sure she had her bear because she kept asking for it, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead as she passed out. He smiled at her sadly and then went to find a guest room, Jarvis being incredibly helpful and thankful because he cared deeply for the Starks.

Then it was the long wait for Tony to get home.

When tony came stumbling in, it was hours later and he was accompanied by Sharon, who was surprised to see Steve there. At first she just let it go because she was fending off a very handsy Tony Stark, but once Tony was also in bed, she got herself some coffee in the kitchen and took a very deep breath, closing her eyes and pulling out her phone again. Steve came to join her but declined the caffeine, Sharon shaking her head gently.

"I have a feeling that Clint not calling or answering is because a very drunken Angela Stark manipulated him and that's why you're here?" Sharon asked him.

Steve looked at her a moment before nodding gently. "I guess so. All I know is she came and buzzed in until I got her off of the porch and then she just starting spewing everything…I take it Howard cheated?"

"I have a feeling she and Tony were both getting drunk because they found out that they're only half siblings—Howard is their father, but Angel's biological mother was a mutant who died in childbirth with her. It's where she got her mutant gene, which makes logical sense, I suppose, but I kind of liked the thought of Tony having technopathy and never admitting it." Sharon laughed, shrugging a little bit. "What bothers me is Tony whoring his sister out."

"She says nothing happen, but I'm frustrated about that as well," Steve admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Don't worry, Captain," Sharon told him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "That girl is so in love with you she couldn't even have a drunken dirty thought without crying about how you'd hate her."


"Oh no," Angel groaned the next morning.

Her head was pounding and the light was way too bright, making her get up slowly, groaning the whole way and then it hit her: this was what a hangover felt like. It felt like her head was going to explode, quite frankly, and she vowed that she would never have another sip of alcohol as long as she lived…okay maybe a sip or a beer here and there, but she was never getting drunk ever. Everything hurt way too much, except for her lady parts so she was good there because it meant no drunken sex and she could now praise the lord that her virtue was still intact.

"You look like death, Angel," Sharon told her with a smile on her face from the doorway.

"I feel like death…I also remember nothing of what happened. First time I get wasted and I can't even remember what I did? I didn't offend anyone did I?" Angel asked quickly.

Her first thoughts now were of course of Steve and wondering why Sharon was here—probably because this drunken fiasco had ruined her date with Clint and now she felt guilty. She felt so guilty, in fact, that she was going to have to make it up to her and she wondered if Clint hated her now because she would hate her for doing this. If Clint had ruined a date with her and Steve then she would have been pretty upset and now…wow, getting drunk did no one any favors.

"Your clothes are on, so you've done better than any other Stark while under the influence." Sharon told her with a shrug.

Angel took a breath. "Thank God."

"I bet God's a little disappointed, actually."

"Hey…that isn't funny."

"I'm not the one who got drunk last night, so suck it up and deal with my jokes."

She kind of had a point there, so Angel just nodded and then got up to get dressed, Sharon deciding not to tell her that Steve was there, not realizing what that would entail until it happened. Angel got on some short shorts because it was a hot day already and they were the closest to her—her room looked like it had exploded the night before—and then a black bra and a white halter were thrown on because right now she thought she was just going to be wandering around the house.

Angel had no idea that Steve was there too.

He had whipped everyone up some coffee that morning and Andy had come to make some breakfast, Tony wearing shades at the breakfast table and the smell of waffles and bacon hanging in the air. That mingled with the smell of coffee made Angel's stomach rumble a little bit, but she was also feeling kind of queasy from whatever it was that she and Tony had done shots of last night—she hadn't ever asked. She had just done as her brother had instructed and this is what had happened to her…so never again was she going to go out drinking with her brother.

"Has the sun always been this bright?" Angel asked, stopping dead in her tracks as she brushed her hair when she saw Steve. "Seriously, no one told me to look presentable this morning?"

Steve was blushing as he saw her outfit, though he had seen her less clothed before and right now he just wanted her fed and full of coffee. He wondered how much she remembered and just motioned for her to sit, even pulling out her chair for her. Nodding slowly, Angel sat down and Andy put food in front of her, Tony drinking his coffee slowly and groaning because he wondered how Angel could eat anything when he just felt like throwing up.

"Do you have a better constitution or something?" Tony asked his sister.

Angel shrugged a little bit. "Actually, I thought my gag reflex was pretty bad, but apparently not."

"Just eat the damn pancakes," Tony told her, but he cracked a smile.

Everyone noticed how Tony and Angel seemed to be fonder of each other than ever and just smiled until they remembered why they were there: Tony had taken Angel out to get incredibly smashed. No one was happy about it and that included Tony, who had already felt bad about it, but was too stubborn and proud to admit that to anyone but his sister. Still, that little moment made everyone smile and then Andy made it ten times better when she handed Angel the sunglasses as she cut her waffles into bite sized pieces.

"I can handle the brightness that is the sun," Angel told her, blushing.

Andy nodded at her. "Yeah, but thrown on with the outfit, it makes you look like a trashy pop star."

"You are insatiable," Angel said, but she took the sunglasses and put them on before eating the waffle without syrup on it as they all laughed.

Everyone smiled, even Steve, and once breakfast was done, Tony went to do some work on Stark Tower—which he was turning into the Avengers Tower under the radar—and then Sharon and Andy left for a bit, Sharon to go and check on Clint. Angel tried to remember what had happened the night before and hoped that Clint was alright, sighing loudly and then looking at Steve when it was just the two of them. She cleared her dishes and felt her stomach rumble a little bit…more like churn, and she had a feeling that she would throw up sometime soon.

"Let me guess: I ran to you when I was drunk, told you a bunch of things you didn't want to know, tried to sleep with you and you're here to break up with me in person? Am I close?" Angel asked as she took the sunglasses off and set them on the counter, avoiding eye contact with Steve.

As he took a step to her though, she looked up and they made eye contact, Steve reaching out to cup her face and bring her in close to him. Soon he was kissing her, Angel sighing contentedly into it and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and pulled her in close. He smiled at her as she pulled back a little and kissed her forehead, trying to show her that he loved her very much and while last night hadn't been fun for him, he wanted her to know that he was there for her, whatever happened.

"Regardless of what happened last night, you were faithful…" Steve told her, kissing her again.

Angel smiled at that. "I love you, drunk or not."

"I know that, so no—no breaking up. I'm not going anywhere…ever." Steve promised as he nipped at her bottom lip. "I gave you a ring and I meant it."

"I know you did," Angel responded as she looked at it, smiling when Steve kissed her temple and then she felt it: chunks. "Excuse me."

Even rushing for the bathroom, Steve found her rather charming.


"You're alive, but you're not answering my calls?" Sharon asked Clint when she got to the helicarrier.

It was still on the water and she was thankful for that, but at the same time, she was trying to figure out what in the world was going on. Besides the interruption of having to run and get Angel, they had been having a pretty magical first date and for the first time in a while, Sharon had been thinking about giving a man a chance at a future with her…this was a big deal. Clint, on the other hand, hadn't spoken to Sharon since the night before when he and Angel had gotten into the cab.

"What happened to you last night?" Sharon asked him.

Clint kept looking at his console. "Your friend manipulated me."

"Okay, she was drunk; it was like a free pass…" Sharon told him shrugging. "It shouldn't have stopped you from calling me back or from answering when I did call."

"Her playing with my mind isn't just some free pass, Sharon," Clint responded angrily. "I've been trying to figure out how to protect myself from it."

"It really was harmless—she would never do it sober."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

Clint had never yelled at Sharon before, but she got the message loud and clear and just nodded, sitting down because she had to know. She was too curious about it all to just leave at this point and she had enjoyed the date so much that she was hoping to reschedule. Still, after all of the Loki and Chitauri nonsense, she could understand why he would be so upset about Angel doing that to his mind again. He didn't like being forced to do things that he didn't want to do and right now Sharon was trying to be understanding. She still had no idea what had transpired, but if she was going to try to be a girlfriend here, then she was going to have to let him be angry.

"So what did she do?" Sharon asked slowly.

Clint sighed loudly. "Made me drop her off at Steve's, go home and go to sleep."

"Wow, that's terrible," Sharon said, trying not to laugh when Clint made it sound so bad.

Her attempt at trying not to laugh failed, however, and Clint had to laugh a little too—in reality, that was pretty tame. Not that he ever wanted it to happen again, but there were worse things out there and Angel really hadn't meant any harm by it so why was he so worked up about it? Maybe it was because he felt like he had been manipulated before and he couldn't shake the feelings.

"She and Steve end up…?" Clint asked her.

Sharon shook her head quickly. "God, no—he cares about her virtue more than she does."

"Maybe he just doesn't know how…" Clint offered with a shrug. "Or maybe the fact that he's 70 years displaced has him worried about how to satisfy."

"You mean you think he's like any other man?" Tony asked as he came into the room. "I got bored by myself in the tower, so I thought I'd show…besides, I gave him a talk about sex this morning."

Sharon laughed and shook her head. "You didn't!"

"Before you got up and the other one got here," Tony admitted with a cheeky smile.

"I hope you realize how creepy it is that you gave your little sister's boyfriend tips on satisfying her…" Clint said slowly.

Tony shrugged at that. "I gave him tips to satisfy a woman—it doesn't have to be my sister."

Still feeling a bit under the weather, Tony got up and threw up before he cleaned up a little and trudged out to the kitchen. So far it seemed like Steve was the only one awake and so to stay on the train of thought that he was one right now, Tony opened his mouth and just let all of the words tumble out. He was certain that Angel and Steve would both thank him later so he didn't even bother to think out any possible consequences to his actions.

"You and I need to talk about sex with my sister," Tony told him.

Steve looked up from the coffee pot wide eyed. "Excuse me?"

"Sex…I know you haven't done it, so we need to have a talk about it," Tony said this time, sitting down.

"I went through such classes in school," Steve said quickly, bright red.

"Maybe, but the times are different and from what I heard last night, you don't want to have sex with my sister, so you either don't know how, or you're batting for the other team," Tony told him outright. "I think it's disturbing to think about, but my sister is beautiful, okay? She's talented and she's gorgeous and it's not that hard for you to just go for it, is it?"

Steve shook his head. "We really shouldn't be talking about this, Stark—"

"—if you're worried about where to put it, that's self explanatory, just don't go at it like an animal, her virtue's stuck in there and it'll break and she's gonna be in pain. Take your time."

"Stark—"

"—she'll adjust, just keep going."

"Stark, please…"

"Then there's these, Iceman: these are fingers. You can do a whole lot of magic with these things…" Tony explained with a smirk on his face, Steve's face flushing redder and redder. "We can go into positions later if you want to."

Steve shook his head quickly. "I really don't," he admitted before his eyes lit up when Sharon came out and Andy knocked on the front door. "I'll get it!"

Sharon found herself in a fit of giggles as Tony told her the story, and then she shook her head at him because that was just cruel. Steve didn't want such advice and yet Tony had kept on going and now he was probably scared shitless about the whole thing and set him and Angel back for years. Sighing loudly as she wiped away tears from crying so hard, she kissed Clint and then punched Tony playfully in the shoulder, resolving to talk to Clint after she fixed this.

So, grabbing Andy, the two of them went back to Tony's and Steve let them in, wondering why they were there and feeling nervous. He'd had enough talks this morning and they looked like they were happy when he told them that Angel was taking a shower and he was getting ready to head back to his place. Shaking his head at them, he opened his mouth to speak because he honestly didn't want to talk about sex—it was something he and Angel would get to when they got to it.

"You really don't—" Steve began.

Andy nodded, cutting him off. "—yes, we do. Trust me we'll make this less painful than Tony did."

"That I can believe," Steve told them, sighing loudly. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really, no," Sharon said, motioning for him to take a seat as she and Andy took their coats off.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT: Soldiers in Training

Angel was chipper and all ready to go, heading downstairs in a more appropriate outfit, seeing Steve all flustered and making a face: not how she had left him. He was red faced and pacing and Angel wanted to know what had set him off because she wanted her calm and collected man back and she wanted him back now. So she sat down next to him and looked at him a moment before resting her hand on his thigh, but he got up and started pacing and she chewed on her lip.

"What exactly happened?" Angel asked him.

Steve took a deep breath. "I feel like everyone is pressuring me into having sex with you…"

"I'm sorry, what?" Angel asked sitting forward a little more. "Where is this coming from?"

"Your brother, this morning, thought he needed to give me a very long and very awkward sex talk and then Andy and Sharon just left after trying to impart 'wisdom' to me." Steve said irritably. "What if we're just not ready?"

"We're not," Angel responded, standing up. "We're both scared and they shouldn't be pushing. Look, hey…look at me."

Steve looked at Angel and felt a lot calmer when she took his hands in hers and smiled up at him, also flushed, but not as much. She wanted to sleep with him, but the idea of losing her virginity was daunting and Steve wanted to sleep with her too, but he wanted to be a gentleman here. The two of them had a little while to get comfortable with all of it and after the nightmares and everything, Angel just wanted to get back into the swing of things.

"The others use sex to get through things, hide from things…when you and I sleep together, I want it to be out of love and the mutual agreement that we're ready," Angel told him honestly. "I love you, Steve. I love that you're a gentleman and you respect me and we have the same values and eventually we want the same things, right? Marriage, kids…"

It wasn't a subject they had actually sat down and talked in length about, but Steve wouldn't have given her the promise ring if he hadn't wanted those things. He'd never felt this way about anyone before and he nodded slowly, reaching out to stroke her hair and then cup her face, running his thumb along her soft, warm skin. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and the fact that she seemed to understand him made everything that much better.

"I wouldn't have given you the promise ring if I didn't want those things too," Steve explained, kissing her gently. "It really is a promise of forever…"

Angel smiled, her heart doing flip flops. "Then for the next little bit we just do what makes us happy, okay? It's our relationship anyway, not theirs…Tony really gave you a sex talk?"

"Yeah," Steve said, laughing awkwardly. "It was incredibly strange."

"Does he realize just how creepy that is?" Angel asked with a gentle laugh.

Steve shrugged a little bit, kissing her tenderly as Andy and Sharon talked about things in the car. With Angel dealing with her own issues, they were turning to each other to figure things out at this point because they needed someone to talk to. Besides, it seemed like Angel and Steve had the perfect relationship happening while they were having man problems.

"So…Clint?" Andy asked her.

Sharon shrugged a bit. "I'm a bit upset with him for not returning my calls because he was obsessing over Angel having manipulated him. I don't get it—the date was going perfectly."

"Then make him work for it," Andy responded nodding. "If the date was so good and he got sidetracked by something as dumb as that, then you have to make him prove to you that he still wants this."

"I suppose you're right…what about Thor?" Sharon asked her. "I mean Thor after Nick…almost like you have a type or something, Andy."

Andy laughed a little bit because it did seem that way: picking men that were far too old for her and she had a feeling that Logan had a thing for her too. She had no idea how old any of them were, really, save for Nick, and as Logan had pointed out, he was old enough to be her grandfather—he had just been her first true love. So now, she was thinking things over and trying to figure out what step to take next, because her life was spiraling out of control and she needed to fix it.

"Best sex of my life," Andy laughed, smiling a bit and shrugging. "Still, he's a god, you know? He's going to far outlive me and if I ever decide that I want a family and kids…I really don't think that Nick or Thor is the one for me. I'm really attached though. Thor has been going out of his way to be there for me and he killed Anex to protect us and I just…maybe if he was mortal, but I would never wish that on him. Not ever—that's not who he is."

Sharon nodded and reached over to grasp her hand as Andy drove. "Hey…you'll figure it out. You haven't come across a problem yet whose ass you haven't kicked."

"This is true," Andy responded jovially. "Right now, it's about time we started to get back to our lives don't you think? You want to come back as a professor? We could use you."

"I've been thinking about it," Sharon said nodding. "I think it's important that we all figure out what it is that we're going to do because the Avengers don't really make bank…we're the bread winners here."

"Girl power," Andy told her, her and Sharon bumping fists. "So if you want to work with Logan and I again, there we go—your job has been waiting for you. I wonder about Angel though…she might just run off and work with Tony…"


The next three weeks were pretty hectic for everyone. S.H.I.E.L.D. was always a busy place and what Sharon had said had been wrong: agents made pretty good money. Steve was even getting more involved in the organization because he wanted to try and carve out a future for him and Angel, and Angel was doing exactly what Andy thought she would do while Andy and Sharon worked for Charles Xavier again: she was working with Tony.

She had a secret as well.

For as long as she could remember, Angel held a good amount of stock in her father's company and now that it was Tony's, she held even more of it. Now she was working in the company and helping Tony finish up the Avengers tower, taking her lunch break, Andy and Sharon on speakerphone as she went through papers in her office. Everything seemed like it was better, even though it seemed like she was never going to get over being tortured.

She had never thought that she was just going to get over it, but she was feeling out of it, because she had been having nightmares. Every time she closed her eyes she could see Anex and what he was doing to her, Andy and Sharon and she knew that there were more mutants out there allied with Stryker…more that were potentially deep in S.H.I.E.L.D. What was that 'contingency plan' anyway? She had been far too scared to ask about it…to acknowledge that it could be true.

"You better have the best view ever," Sharon told her, eating a cheeseburger for lunch. "I mean you are the boss' sister, after all."

Andy nodded, eating a French fry. "Yeah, I think Tony better also be paying you better than anyone else: nepotism."

"Nepotism is pretty awesome," Angel agreed, laughing with them as she ate her salad. "Really though, I'm enjoying it. Our secret project is almost ready to show too."

"Yes, the project!" Sharon exclaimed, sitting up straighter in Andy's office. "You ready to tell your best friends about this too?"

Angel shook her head. "Nope—this is mine and Tony's project. You guys will know about it as soon as it's ready, I promise you. I'll even give you a private tour."

Andy and Sharon sighed loudly and tried to make Angel feel guilty, but she was stubborn and she wasn't about to budge on it. Besides, they were all meeting with Nick the next day and it was important they get all of their personal stuff out of the way before meeting up at HQ on the helicarrier. At the same time, they were all worried about each other and their lives and it seemed like as good a time as any to make sure that they were all held together.

"So…no more Thor?" Angel asked slowly.

Sharon snorted at that. "Actually, the two were going at it like rabbits the other day because he showed up and was wearing civilian clothing and I admit it, my lady parts were a bit turned on too at the sight of him…"

"Seems like he's smitten with you, Andy," Angel said happily.

"Or he just likes the sex as much as I do…attached as I am to him," Andy admitted slowly. "Sharon is ignoring Clint."

Angel nodded at that. "Good—he was being a jerk…even though I have to take some responsibility for that because he was upset about me."

She really did feel pretty bad about what she had done to Clint while she was drunk, but she also didn't think that that gave him license to be mean to Sharon. Their date sounded like it had been pretty perfect before that little fiasco and so he should have talked to her about it and rescheduled or something. Still, it was nice that he was fighting for her just like he said that he would and Angel and Andy whole-heartedly approved of it.

"He's tried to set up more dates ten times now," Sharon said, sounding proud of herself. "As soon as he makes it up to me, I'll say 'yes'."

Andy smiled and nodded. "At least he's fighting for her."

"Exactly, I think that's all that we can really hope for at this point," Angel responded with a smile on her face. "You'll be happy to know too, guys, that Steve and I are back in a really good place even after all of the awkward sex talks you guys gave him—you know, the two of us can figure it out on our own, right?"

"We know, we just thought it was important," Andy said shrugging. "Though to be fair, we're both in agreement that it won't hurt as bad as a teenager since you're all developed and everything. We just want it to be perfect for you."

"It's with Steve…it'll be perfect," Angel assured them. "Even if we wait until the wedding night, it'll be perfect, I promise."

As she said that, she smiled up at Tony who had come into her office without knocking on the door, knowing what she was doing. She liked to take her lunches in her office and talk to Sharon and Andy, who were on their lunches too, and it made him happy to know she had people to count on—people who didn't judge her. They hadn't told anyone in the company because they were afraid of the fallout even if she was Howard's biological daughter still.

This whole experience had brought Tony and Angel closer together and they were glad that they were that it had. Tony had gone into her room and found the bear and while he knew it wasn't his, he had asked Angel about it and she had admitted that she had always traveled with his because she had always needed her brother. It had made Tony feel a little bad about himself, but it had also made him vow to be the best brother that he could be from that point on.

"What is this?" Tony asked Angel, holding up the bear.

Angel swallowed as she ate breakfast and then took a deep breath. "It's…Tony, you know exactly what it is…you do…"

"This is Dad's bear," Tony said, setting it on the counter.

"Yeah…yours burned in the fire. Cap thought he was saving it for me and he grabbed the wrong one because he didn't know that I found it. I've had it for a few years now and I never told you because yours was so important to me," Angel explained, looking at the bear and then at her brother. "I needed you, and that was what I had of you. I took it everywhere, like I was carrying you with me, but after all of this, you know what I realized? I still have you…I don't need the bear."

Tony smiled a little bit, his eyes a little bit misty and he pulled Angel to him into a fond embrace, kissing the top of her head. He wanted her to know that she meant everything to him and he didn't want her to think any differently. She was his little sister and he was going to take care of her like he should have years ago, because they had wasted so much time now. He had been too focused on the company and he hadn't thought about how much his little sister really needed him until he had almost lost her.

"You will always have me…" Tony promised her.

Angel got off of the phone with Andy and Sharon, who said 'hi' and 'bye' to Tony, and then Angel dumped the empty salad box into the garbage and stood up. She assumed that Tony was there because he needed something from her and when Tony motioned to her that it was okay that she stay sitting, Angel nodded and leaned on the edge of her desk with her hands.

"What is it, Tony?" Angel asked him.

Tony smiled a bit. "Tomorrow, I want to reveal the Avengers Tower."


Angel had a special night planned for her and Steve, dressing up and making sure her hair was curled a bit, applying lip gloss and smoothing her clothes down. Tony was watching TV that night, he and Jarvis enjoying their chat and Tony whistling when Angel came downstairs and looked for her purse before rolling her eyes and sitting down next to him. He smiled though, happy that his sister was happy and wondering how much longer it would take for Steve to propose.

"Tonight the night?" Tony asked her.

Angel rolled her eyes. "Sex is not a part of mine and Cap's relationship."

"I know but you're all dolled up," Tony responded. "I was just wondering. Are you two waiting until you're married or something? That's a rather old fashioned idea, Sis."

"Maybe, but we're just taking things as they come right now—let us be in love, Tony." Angel told him, patting his shoulder. "What are you and Jarvis watching?"

Tony looked at the TV. "Just some sports—things will get more entertaining when Rhodey gets here. No offense, Jarvis."

"None taken, Sir," Jarvis responded.

"Tell James, 'hi' for me," Angel told him, kissing Tony's cheek and then laughing and wiping off the lip gloss on his cheek with her thumb.

Tony laughed too, waiting for his best friend, James Rhodes, to show and Angel went to answer the door when Steve rang the doorbell and Jarvis told them he was there. Then she grabbed her jacket and after Tony told them both to be safe, they went on their way, Steve not really knowing what all was going on that night. All he knew was that Angel looked beautiful in her knee-length dress and heels, her hair playful and curled, an arm around her as they walked along the beach.

"I figured we could do dinner instead of hot dogs at the hot dog stand," Angel told him, looking up at him happily. "I made us reservations and then we can catch a cab home instead of walking."

Steve smile and kissed her nose affectionately. "I love that idea."

"Good…I want tonight to be perfect," Angel responded, kissing him longingly and then pulling back and taking his hand in hers.

Whenever Angel smiled, Steve felt his heart skip a beat, and he was feeling all sorts of feelings as he thought about what she had said. He wondered what she had planned and what she expected, but they had been trying so hard to just enjoy the moments and this was a moment he didn't want to let get away, so he let her take him to one of her favorite restaurants. There they ordered some dinner and talked a bit about how her parents had met here: Howard and Maria, anyway.

They spent the time flirting and laughing and then they were walking down the sidewalk hand in hand, Angel pausing a moment and looking at the promise ring. It made Steve smile, stopping on the sidewalk and beaming when Angel looked up and smiled at him—they were in such a perfect place here. They wanted the same kind of future and they wanted it with each other, so there was nothing left to be scared about.

"What do you say I add to this magical evening?" Steve asked her.

Angel smiled and nodded. "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

Instead of answering her, Steve hailed a cab and then he took her back to his apartment, Angel smiling because she didn't remember what it looked like. She had been told that she had been inside, but Steve wanted to be closer to her and he wanted to show her the part of his life that meant the most to him. He had a lot of memorabilia here and pictures he had been accumulating of him and Bucky and even got his compass back from Fury that had Peggy's picture in it, and Angel loved it…all of it.

Steve watched her as she looked around and he pointed things out to her, telling her some stories and listening to that infectious laugh of hers. Everything about her made him happy and he made a decision, cutting her off mid laugh by covering her mouth with his, Angel melting right into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. For a moment, all of the awkward sex talks came flooding back, but all he wanted was to be with her and if that was what she wanted to, he couldn't find anything wrong with that.

The two of them were in love and planning a future together and they loved everything that the other person was and what they chose to be. Steve was honorable and chivalrous and protective and Angel was motherly and old fashioned and caring…they were a perfect match and they knew it, so even though there was still a bit of fear there over taking the next step, it felt right. She fit perfectly into his arms and as he pulled her onto his lap, things started clicking for Angel too.

"I love you," Angel whispered, tugging on his lip with her teeth.

Steve chuckled, and it warmed Angel all over. "I know…I love you too."

"I know," Angel giggled, kissing Steve passionately, gently shifting on his lap, making him groan.

"Stay tonight," Steve said gently, swallowing, his heart beating rapidly.

Angel blushed and nodded. "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"Is forever okay?" Steve asked her, resting his forehead to hers.

"Forever is perfect," Angel responded gently.

They made eye contact and smiled at each other before Angel took a breath and got off of Steve's lap, holding her hand out for him to take. When he took her hand in his, he followed her back to his bedroom, both of them knowing that eventually everything would lead them here and they were both nervous, but they were also ready. This last almost year and a half had been good for them and this was just another step to take and they wanted to take it together.

"I apologize if—" Steve began as he closed the door.

"—whatever happens, we'll figure it out together," Angel responded as she slipped out of her heels and then set to taking off her panty hose. "If there are tears—"

"—we'll figure it out," Steve told her, stepping up to her and kissing her, getting out of his shoes too, using his toes to get his socks off.

Part of them couldn't believe that they had made it this far, but they pulled back and made eye contact as Steve began to unbutton the top part of Angel's dress slowly, his fingers shaking. Right now, it was about exploring and love and being together, so as Steve worked started to stroke her hair and her collarbone, she set to his buttons, kissing him gently as she got them undone, slipping his shirt off and then tugging at his t-shirt. He took that cue and pulled it off as Angel got out of her dress, moving close to let her fingers traipse along his skin.

He shivered pleasantly at her touch, letting his fingertips run along her bra straps as she let her nails gently rake down his abs to his belt. Steve stroked her hair and kissed her lovingly as she undid his belt and pulled it through the belt loops, unfastening his pants and letting her tongue gently run along his bottom lip. He let her push in and explore his mouth, fighting her tongue for dominance, as this wasn't new for them…the sex was new for them.

Steve pushed his jeans off though, feeling his boxers get a little tighter as they continued to caress each other, Angel leaning forward to kiss his jaw. She nipped at it, moving her actions to his neck and then his Adam's apple, making Steve moan, smiling as his body tightened and relaxed as she moved her lips along his chest and shoulders, letting them explore a bit. Then she pulled back and moved to her bra's clasp in the front, Steve resting his hand on hers to stop her.

For a moment she thought he was backing off, but soon his head had dipped and he was letting himself explore as she had, trailing his lips along her skin lovingly. Kissing and nipping at the hollow of her throat and the skin of her neck, her collarbone…and the swell of her breasts. Their hearts were pounding away in their chests, their breaths heavy, Angel's fingers sliding into Steve's hair and gently fisting it as he undid the clasp and Angel helped him discard the bra, Angel laying down on the bed and smiling a bit as Steve settled between her legs.

"You're sure?" Steve asked her slowly, kissing her nose, fingers gently sliding under the waistband of her panties as she ran her hands along his body gently.

Angel nodded, a smile on her face as she started to push off his boxers. "Positive…"

Smiling, Steve kissed her lovingly, both of them removing the remaining obstacles and reveling in the feel of each others' skin for a little while and securing protection before Angel felt his tip at her entrance. She gripped his shoulder and pressed her lips to his, nails digging into his shoulder as he pushed in a little bit. Just like that they were no longer virgins and as she whimpered into his mouth at the pain, beads of blood appeared where her nails were grabbing and she accidentally manipulated him to stop for a moment.

She trusted him—more than anything—the pain had just blind sighted her brain for a moment and she quickly reversed what she had done, apologizing profusely. Angel was flushed red from embarrassment of the mistake and Steve just told her it was alright and kissed her, cradling her in his strong arms and only moving deeper when she told him she was alright. While the pain lasted, pleasure mixed into the feelings and began to overpower, Angel and Steve focusing on that feeling as they got a rhythm down, the gasps and moans spurring each other on as they moved together on the mattress.

They could both feel the pleasure building up and building up, needing a release, Steve finding himself toppling over the edge just before Angel did, both of them feeling like they were one as the endorphins took over. Angel slipped her fingers up into Steve's hair, massaging his scalp with her fingertips as she kissed him passionately, not knowing quite how she felt when he slipped out. At first it had felt odd to feel him fill her, stretching with his thrusts, but now it was almost like something was missing and yet still she smiled as Steve kissed her saturated skin, his lips merging with hers again as he covered her with the blankets of the bed and held her close she stroked his cheek and hair with gentle, loving touches.

"I'm glad we waited," Angel told him sincerely, nuzzling his nose with hers. "That's the most intimate I've ever been with anyone and I'm glad it was you."

Steve smiled and kissed her back. "I'm glad I waited until I found you. I feel closer to you."

"I feel closer to you too—that wasn't anywhere near as scary as I thought it was, or as painful." Angel told him as she kissed him tenderly, running her fingers along his skin and then nipping at his bottom lip. "What would you say if I motioned for more practice?"

At first Steve wasn't sure if he had heard correctly, but Angel shifted her hand down between his legs to stroke him gently, making his whole body shudder happily. She figured that for the future it was good that she let Steve 'break her in' so to speak, and she had certainly enjoyed the feeling of reaching peak and Steve wasn't about to deny her. There were feelings they hadn't felt before and they were interested in seeing what other feelings they could elicit from the other.

"One certainly can't win a war without going through training…" Steve teased, smiling as Angel laughed and kissed his jaw.

Angel nipped at his jaw and then kissed his lips, pulling back to look into his eyes. "Then you should train, Soldier."

"Yes, Ma'am," Steve said with a chuckle, pressing his lips back to hers as he cradled her head, both of them rolling over so Steve as on top once more, enjoying the others' company and playfulness.