We're obviously into AoU now. I started writing this almost as soon as the last chapter was submitted. Not everything is going to be according to script (like Sam won't be at Tony's party as he's in Europe planting false leads on Bucky), but I'm keeping it as close as possible.

I hope you enjoyed the sexy times in the last chapter because this one will have some more, with a page break before and after so you know when to skip ahead. I had a lot of fun writing that development in their relationship and think that sex can be so beautiful and multi-faceted. Sometimes, to me, the tone and timbre of sex can say more than words do, and I think that's something James would fully exploit because he struggles with expressing his emotions, especially if those emotions are complex and meaningful. I think, while this iteration is sometimes introspective, he's still more comfortable with action.

Anyway, please enjoy this installation!

Chapter Twenty-Four

"For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands."

—Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market

"Submission is not about authority and it is not about obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect."

—Wm. Paul Young, The Shack

"Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire;
The war outside our door keeps raging on…"

—Taylor Swift (Hunger Games soundtrack), Safe & Sound

Saturday night came around much sooner than Lina expected. Pepper Potts was still on the West Coast for her business trip, those meetings with the Russians having been delayed. Lina was starting to get anxious for work and her lips were paying the price for all her worrying. She winced as a small scab on her bottom lip opened up again from chewing it. 'Damn bad habits,' she frowned to herself. She was staring into the depths of her closet trying to decide on an outfit for Tony's 'Smash-tacular Extravaganza,' as he'd dubbed it, but her focus kept slipping to the job she'd hoped to start and her slowly-dwindling bank account.

James and Steve were downstairs in the gym, sparring and blowing off steam before the party. She envied how easy guys had it. A quick shower, a button down, and they were done. Lina huffed a sigh and refocused on her wardrobe.

A knock at the door moments later startled her. She flinched and dropped the blouse she'd grabbed, fumbling to retrieve it and calling for the person to come in. She hoped her voice sounded steadier than her hands were.

Natasha slipped through the door and quickly assessed Lina's predicament. "Trouble in girl world?" she quipped.

"It's a bona fide fashion emergency, and the fashion is fighting back," she joked, nodding down at the crumpled fabric in her hands.

The redhead huffed in amusement. "Want some help? I'm pretty good with this stuff."

Lina nodded eagerly and stepped out of the way. "That'd be great!"

She sat on the bed and awkwardly began searching for something to say. She and Natasha hadn't exactly spent a lot of time together. She knew the other woman occasionally had a sweet tooth, was intensely loyal to Clint and Steve, could kill a grown man with her thighs, and had the confidence of a jungle cat. None of those exactly inspired conversation. Lina watched her going through the clothes hung in the closet, quietly analyzing possibilities and moving on. Nat was methodical, calculated.

"Hey, Natasha? Was there something you'd come by for? Not to be rude or anything; I don't want to take you away from whatever you needed." Lina winced at how awkward and fumbling she sounded, mentally berating herself.

Cool gray eyes flitted over to Lina and she smirked a bit at the younger woman. "Yeah, that was awkward," she chuckled, actually smiling at the blushing blonde. "I get it—we don't really know each other. But I actually came over here to invite you to get ready with the rest of us."

"'Us?'" Lina echoed.

Natasha hummed as she pulled a crimson lace cocktail dress from the closet. "Hill, Helen Cho, and me. Want to make a certain super soldier's night uncomfortable?" Her sharp eyes stayed locked on Lina's face, looking for any betrayal of emotion or hint of an established romance. She had a bet to win, after all.

Lina blushed again and bit her lip. "What makes you think he'd notice something like that?"

Satisfied, the other woman laughed a bit. "He's a man. They like color, texture, and form-fitting clothes. Wearing this dress is like waving a red flag in front of a bull—trust me."

"That sounds dangerous," Lina murmured, wondering what James' reaction would be. He'd made no secret about his love of her curves. Even when he'd been living under S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in D.C., before anything had started between them (or maybe there had always been something there?), she'd noticed the way his eyes lingered when she wore tight jeans or the night she went dancing with Selma. Her mood instantly dampened at the thought of her former friend and she stilled.

Ziggy snuck into Lina's lap at that moment to stare at the other female from a safe place. She mindlessly scratched the special spot on the calico's cheek while Nat coolly surveyed the animal and selected a pair of black, peep-toe pumps to finish the ensemble.

"Grab your makeup and come on. There are too many damn men on this team and we all need a break from the constant testosterone," Natasha ordered, grabbing the clothes and giving Lina little choice in the matter. She stared after the redhead for a moment, wondering if something had happened between her and Bruce or Steve. Lina had noticed the tension between Nat and the two men, but didn't know source of it.

Lina shook her head and followed the other woman to the stairs and up a level. She was looking forward to getting to know these women better. Nat was right in that they needed stronger female relationships; spending so much time with only men left them without the support and female connection Lina thought they secretly all craved. She, at least, had missed it. Selma had been her last close female friend, and she now constantly questioned the sincerity of that relationship.

They entered what, she assumed, as Nat's suite in the tower. It was just as posh and modern as her room downstairs, all sleek furniture with high-end finishes. The bed faced the floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite wall. A massive bathroom was to the left and Nat's walk-in closet was tucked away somewhere in that marble-coated space.

Maria Hill and Helen Cho were already in there talking quietly and styling their hair. The pieces Lina overheard as she trailed in sounded like they were discussing Dr. Cho's work. She hadn't met the scientist yet, but had read some headlines about her breakthroughs in genetics.

Natasha laid the clothes on the bed and indicated with a tilt of her head that Lina should follow her into the bathroom. She did so with trepidation—these women were at the top of their respective fields, confident, and beautiful, and she was an unemployed literature professor who could barely keep her life from falling apart. It was intimidating company to walk into.

She took a steadying breath and did exactly that. Life had its ups and downs, and screw anyone who looked down on her for being in a slump.

Maria glanced her way before returning to curling her hair. Helen gave Lina a small, warm smile. "I'm Helen, I don't think we've met," she said, reaching a hand out to shake Lina's.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Lina Balitiu—I've read about your work. It's really impressive!" Lina responded with a genuine smile.

"Thank you! It's been challenging, but I think it will more than pay off."

"What exactly does your machine do? Mimic human cells? And is it just skin cells, or can you replicate any organ?"

They dove into conversation about Helen's research and its range of applications, talking steadily as they applied their makeup.

"It'll be nice to have that available at military hospitals," Maria said, flicking on mascara.

"Or burn hospitals. There's one back home that works with severe burn victims, especially children, where a machine like yours would do massive amounts of good," Lina replied.

Helen nodded as she examined her handiwork in the mirror. "Those are exactly my goal—I want it widely available to help anyone and everyone who needs it. Forget designer babies, this is what genetics is all about."

"Amen to that," Nat said dryly, removing the pins from her beautifully waved and curled hair. She looked like a starlet of the Silver Screen and Lina couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

She could barely straighten her hair, much less do elaborate styles like that. With a sigh, she decided to just pin the sides back and leave the wild curls loose. Maria saw her predicament then and came to the rescue, curling iron in tow.

"Here, I've got it," she said. "I can't do many girly things, but I can do this." She forced Lina down on a stool and went to work on the mass of blonde curls. "I noticed you haven't filed a report on Barnes since coming to New York."

Lina froze, having completely forgotten about that assignment in the midst of their mad flight and his subsequent disappearance. "There hasn't been much to report, and, honestly, it slipped my mind with everything else going on."

"We've been apprised of everything since then with debriefings, but it's started to raise some eyebrows."

"Do you think it's still necessary? I mean, we live with the Avengers and he goes out on missions with them. I'm not sure anything I'd have to say is relevant or new," Lina hedged. She'd always been uncomfortable writing up summaries of their interactions and his progress in recovering from Hydra's torture, but the thought made her downright queasy now that they had a romantic relationship.

The brunette considered that for a moment, calculating eyes pinning Lina in the mirror. "I'll end that assignment for you tomorrow," she said. "You're right; at this point, we only care that he still sees Reno and about his performance in the field."

Natasha had started applying her makeup and shot a sly glance at Lina. "You sure there's no other reason you don't want to report on Barnes?"

Lina flushed, her neck and cheeks bright pink. "Nope, just seems redundant," she squeaked.

The two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents laughed at her and went back to their tasks. Dr. Cho looked between the trio in confusion. "Barnes? The Winter Soldier? He's here?"

Maria Hill took charge of that question. "Yup, brainwashed by Hydra, tortured for decades, and refused to speak English when he first turned himself over. Agent Balitiu was assigned to monitor him and help re-socialize him."

Helen looked skeptical. "I'm sorry, but you don't seem like you can take down a super soldier."

Lina snort-laughed at that, and the other agents had a good chuckle. "I can't," she tittered. "I'm a linguist who has experience with extreme PTSD in military types—and inflicted by military types. I'm also pretty non-threatening, so it seemed like the perfect choice for me to be his companion. He's actually a sweetheart, and a really good friend."

The beautiful Korean woman nodded slowly, still skeptical. "It still seems like an unnecessary risk."

"More a calculated risk than anything else," Maria shrugged, setting down the curling iron and styling the blonde waves with bobby pins. "We had agents stationed nearby in case he reacted badly to something, there was surveillance in the room—we had all sorts of precautions in place."

"There was one incident that triggered the Winter Soldier, and it was terrifying. I thought I would die," Lina admitted, fiddling with her necklace. Her eyes took on a far away, hazy glaze as she recalled the first time she fell asleep in his room at the Triskelion. "He put a hand around my throat and just squeezed."

Helen looked horrified, eyes wide and hands frozen. Natasha continued applying her eyeliner, but her shoulders were tense. She was listening intently. Maria, having already seen the footage and read the report, knew everything about the incident already.

"But that passed. I kicked him in the stomach and threw a book at his head, but it was saying his name—his real name—that snapped him out of it. It was almost a year before he had another episode, but he ran off instead of hurting anyone," Lina explained. "He's made a lot of progress and he's one of the sweetest, gentlest people I know. I'd never want to meet him in the field though."

"We're all fighters, and we're all fucked up," Nat intoned in that throaty voice of hers. "But we try to be better than we were made to be. I knew Barnes in Russia—he trained me. He was cold and distant, except with me. I caught glimpses of that side of him, the side Lina knows; it's always been there. Even Hydra couldn't wipe it out. He may be able to skin people alive, but you have no reason to be afraid of him."

Lina smiled softly at the unexpected endorsement of James. She knew how kind and sweet he could be, but it was nice that someone else knew it existed too. It was made better and more meaningful by the fact that it wasn't Steve making the endorsement. He meant well, but it was like getting a compliment from your mother—it may be genuine, but it also seemed obligatory. Natasha didn't have to say anything and Lina was certain she meant every word.

The poor doctor looked more frightened than before. "This is why Thor's my favorite; he doesn't torture people."

Maria huffed her amusement and put down the bobby pins she'd been pinning the tidy waves back with. "No, that was his brother's job. Loki was a piece of work. Your hair's all done

"And always jealous of Thor's ability with women," Nat said, recalling some of Thor's stories about their escapades.

"Was it that, or was it the time Thor spent with women instead of with his brother?" Lina asked, quickly doing her own makeup. "Because Loki was gorgeous, no lie. I can't see him having many issues with the ladies."

"No idea, but it sounds like you've got a thing for bad boys," Nat teased, smirking when her comments made Lina blush. She was the only person to have spoken with him besides Thor and Tony. "But Loki was a greasy little weasel when I met him. I wanted him to wash his hair more than I wanted to hop in bed with him."

Helen colored as they all laughed, quickly looking for a safer topic as they finished their ablutions. "So… Lina, you're a linguist?"

Their laughter sounded again at the obvious change of topic. Lina's heart felt light, like being surrounded by funny, tough, intelligent women was a balm she'd sorely needed but hadn't realized it until now. Girl time was always precious. She missed her mother and sisters-in-law, a part of her missed Selma, but those aches were diminished in the company of these women she hoped to call friends.

They all got dressed, helping each other zip dresses and balance as they slid into heels, laughing and joking the whole time. Once the initial uneasiness had shattered, conversation flowed easily and Lina felt more than welcomed into their circle.

She couldn't stop smiling as they trekked up to Tony and Pepper's penthouse, arriving fashionably late. The party was already in full swing when the four women walked in. Music was blasting and the room was filled with the sounds of people talking, laughing, and toasting one another. Groups of people filled the room, almost none of whom Lina knew, and more than one gaze was drawn to the four women.

They made a lovely sight, each so different but stunning in her own right. Natasha, with her fiery hair and gray eyes, was channeling Grace Kelly that night, clad in a classic, conservative black and white dress that drew attention to her curves. Helen Cho was willowy and brilliant in her blue and black dress, her inky hair falling over one shoulder as the brilliant scientist surveyed the crowd to find Thor. Maria looked like she was ready to jump into a bar fight in her towering stilettos and red dress highlighting her strong arms; she stood tall and proud, and it was readily apparent that she was not to be trifled with.

Then there was Lina, dolled up like a siren out of an old movie. Her blonde hair fell in waves behind her, pinned back like a pinup girl. The dark red dress clung to her curves, highlighting her full hips and trim waist. The pumps made her legs look impossibly long. Her red lipstick matched the dress perfectly.

The attention immediately got to Lina and she squeaked out, "bar," before heading straight for the bartender. Maria snorted in amusement, but they all saw the wisdom in getting alcohol in their systems before diving into the party. The quartet swarmed the bar and skillfully ignored the attention they were garnering.

James saw her walk in and couldn't take his eyes off of her. The breath was knocked out of him and Steve was highly amused as he watched his friend short circuit. It was a fun change of pace. All the shorter man could think about was the roll of her hips as she walked and all the places he'd love for her to leave a lipstick mark. He had almost regained his composure until she turned her back. James choked on his scotch.

The dress had no back.

Or, more accurately, it had a back of sheer lace and she wasn't wearing a bra. He could see each movement of her smooth back and would probably be able to feel the warmth of her skin through the lace too. It would probably rip easily, allowing him to slide the dress down her body while leaving those enticing stilettos on…

He stopped those imaginings and tried to subtly readjust himself when his dark jeans suddenly became uncomfortable. He knew he failed when Steve chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder, causing James' face to heat up.

"Go get her, pal," Steve said encouragingly. "She looks too good to be left alone long."

James shook his head. "She'll find me when she's ready. I want her to enjoy herself tonight, and she doesn't need me hovering to do that."

"Did you ever think that she might enjoy herself more with you on her arm?" He swallowed his whiskey and let the delicate glass dangle from his fingertips.

James furtively glanced at his friend. "When did you get so good with dames?"

Steve shrugged lightly, that patent wry look on his face. James didn't miss his furtive glance towards a certain redhead. "Had to get good at reading them when you weren't there to translate."

One corner of his mouth quirked up. He'd missed his friend's dry humor. "What happened with you and the Widow?"

The blond man shook his head. "Nothing," he said sourly.

"And you wish it had been something?" He stared Steve down, daring the taller man to dodge the question or hedge his response.

"Natasha doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do," Steve shrugged. "And a lot of the time she doesn't do things even if she wants to do them. Her self-control is legendary."

James' eyebrows rose as he absorbed the answer and watched Natasha eye Bruce Banner from across the room. Her gaze was calculating and predatory, never a good combination with a woman like that. But there was no hint of anything more than a scientist analyzing a lab specimen. He simply shook his head at these little human dramas and returned his attention to his friend. "She doesn't feel anything for him," James said flatly.

Steve's head jerked up, eyes desperate and cautious. "How do you know?"

The shorter man shrugged, swirling his drink around in its glass. "I'm good at reading people, and I taught her when she was young, remember? Probably best to let her come to you when she's through with whatever game she's playing." He drained his drink and patted Steve's shoulder before wandering into the crowd. He had some hunting of his own to do.

Lina had gotten her cocktail (a French 75, she was a sucker for gin) and wandered towards the pool table where Thor was exchanging war stories with veterans. When he realized she had edged into their group, he greeted her enthusiastically and introduced her around to the sweet old men he was talking to.

Several flirted with her, delighted to have a young woman interested in their stories. They even made a game out of making her blush. Thor sipped his thousand-year-old liquor and laughed along with his new friends, simply soaking in the company of aged warriors. Lina felt an arm wrap around her shoulders as one white haired man was regaling them with a story about sneaking off base in Korea and being punished with latrine duty. She was giggling like mad when the familiar weight settled there, and she smiled up into James' bright blue eyes.

"Ah, Sergeant Barnes!" Thor nearly shouted. "Good of you to join us! Tell us some of your stories about Steve."

"Is that what we're doing? I've got a thousand of these, let me see…" He knew he had enough dirt on Steve to write a book but trying to grasp a clear memory of one incident was like trying to cup water in his bare hands. James frowned as he tried to focus, fingers absently winding in Lina's silky hair. The texture grounded him and he launched into a story about Steve and the Commandos parachuting into a remote Hydra factory by night and Steve's chute getting tangled in a tree. They found him dangling there only after taking the factory and repeatedly wondering why the comms were so silent the entire raid.

The story killed and the old men were still hooting with laughter when Steve passed them on his way to speak with Natasha. His confusion made them laugh even harder.

James' arm slipped from Lina's shoulder to her waist at some point, his hand nestled comfortably on her hip. His thumb stroked the lace, the rough texture delighting him when he knew that smooth the skin lay just a millimeter away. He especially enjoyed the way the fabric hugged her curves, though he could do without other men ogling her.

Once he couldn't stand it anymore, James tugged Lina's hand in a silent request to follow him. She shot him a look and finished her drink before acquiescing. He entwined their fingers and led the way upstairs. He had no idea where he was leading them, having never been on this level before, but he wanted somewhere secluded for what he was about to do.

The sound of the party was muffled as he pulled her into a bathroom somewhere on the level with the bedrooms. No one was nearby and the chance of being interrupted was slim. It was perfect.

He flipped the lock to insure their privacy before turning to the still-silent woman leaning against the sink. Her hips were cocked, making her curves more pronounced, and her folded arms pushed her breasts up higher. James felt himself growing aroused as he took in those curves.

"Sit on the counter," he stated, voice rough with desire. James wondered if she would trust him enough to go along with it. Her eyes sparked with sudden arousal as she slowly straightened. Her arms uncrossed and Lina simply stood there a moment, gazing at him and weighing her options, before raising her skirt a few inches so she could slide on to the white quartz countertop.

Lina gasped at the cool, smooth stone on the backs of her legs. She felt exposed as she sat there, skirt hiked up, and a glimpse of her panties on display. Darkened blue eyes devoured the picture she made, mouth slightly open and black lace panties peeking out from between her creamy thighs. James slowly removed the glove that mimicked the look and feel of skin and kissed her then, his mouth plundering hers while one hand tangled itself in her silky hair. His newly freed left hand teased its way up her leg, caressing her sensitive inner thigh before meeting the rough lace covering its ultimate goal.

He swallowed her gasp when his cool metal fingers pushed the scrap of fabric aside and circled her sensitive bud. She was already wet with anticipation, but James wanted to toy with her, pushing her to the edge of desperation.

Warmth slowly unfurled in her core and she wanted more. Fingernails lightly scratched his scalp and shoulders as Lina sought to feel his fingers slide into her and fill her, to no avail. He simply continued teasing her clit and ravishing her mouth.

Her heart was hammering with both the thrill of this illicit behavior and slight anxiety of being caught. Lina had always enjoyed sex, but this was something new. Never before had it been so electric. Never before had it been so intoxicating and satisfying. She'd also never done it in a bathroom or during a party. James was ticking off some firsts she never thought she'd experience.

She whined in protest when the hand at her core disappeared, that whine turning into a gasp when he pushed the top of her dress down to expose both of her breasts. His mouth and flesh hand went to work teasing and tormenting her nipples as the other hand returned to its spot between her legs. Lina's head fell back against the mirror as her senses were assaulted, pleasure overriding her faculties. James lightly nipped at one of her sensitive peaks, making her let out a hoarse, loud moan.

He throbbed at the sound, his pants uncomfortably tight. James needed to be inside her soon, but was determined to have her finish at least once before that moment. Deciding that it had to happen sooner rather than later, he quickly slid two fingers inside her warm slit and delighted in the shiver that raced up her spine and made her nipples tighten more than he thought possible.

The cool sensation of metal digits in her warmest, softest place had Lina's walls contracting and hips rolling to adjust. It was a stark contrast to the wet heat that had been blooming and it drove her wild—wanting to escape the chill and feel more of it simultaneously. She couldn't care less how depraved she may look, instead taking her pleasure against his hand as she worked her hips to hit the spots that would send her reeling over the edge.

James let her do the work as he kept his thumb against her clit and watched her in awe. Her head was thrown back, eyes shut and hair tumbling over her shoulders as she rode his hand, a silent gasp on her lips. Her breasts with her rosy nipples erect held the fabric of her dress down, the scarlet color a stark contract against her creamy skin. And then there were the black panties pushed to one side as the cool, silver metal of his fingers disappeared into the warm, wet, soft pink of her pussy and pushed against the enflamed bud crowning her core.

She was wanton and lust-filled and confident—pushing and moving her body against him to reach her end, knowing exactly where to move and how. James thought she was mesmerizing and easily could watch her like this for the rest of his days if it weren't for the raging erection straining against his jeans.

He worked her clit faster in the motion she liked best and was rewarded with her hips moving faster in response. The "come here" motion his fingers made against her front wall sent powerful shockwaves through Lina's system—she knew she was close. Their mouths locked together, tongues entangling, and his other hand twisted a nipple. James continued hitting that same spot inside her the whole time, faster than before. The sensations sent Lina over the edge and she shattered, all quivers and moans and pants. Her walls fluttered with the force of her climax and her legs twitched around his still-present appendage. She continued making little movements of her hips, fingers still nestled inside her, to prolong the high and stilled only when she was fully spent.

Lina was breathless and felt warm and fuzzy, like she was floating away on a sea of sheer bliss. Her limbs were pleasantly heavy, body warm, as she leaned against the cold mirror in a happy daze. Lina smiled at James in pure contentment and she reached for his belt. Her hands were clumsy from pleasure, but he dipped into a pocket to remove a small, foil square before eagerly unfastening his pants and shoving them out of the way.

His arousal sprung free, standing tall and proud. Lina wrapped a hand around it and gave it a few strokes, loving how the smooth, velvety skin felt against hers. She spread her legs wider for him to fit between, knowing that there was little need for foreplay at this point. He wanted to be surrounded by her and nothing else would suffice. James was almost mindless with lust as he quickly decided exactly how he wanted to take her. He quickly unwrapped the condom and rolled it on before giving in to his desires.

His hands gripped her hips and quickly pulled her to her feet, bending her over the counter and pulling the black lace panties down to her ankles. Her heels put her at the right height for him to ram into her from behind, but he hesitated. "Is this okay?" he ground out, voice rough with desire.

Her eyes were wide and distant for a moment as she thought. Lina's heart was hammering at the unpleasantly familiar position of being bent over a sink by someone far stronger that she. This time, however, she was in a far nicer bathroom with a far nicer man doing far nicer things to one another. 'I'm done letting assholes dictate my actions,' she thought defiantly. She looked at James in the mirror and nodded.

"Yes, I want you to fuck me like this," she told him without a shadow of hesitation. James placed a light kiss on her shoulder and slowly pressed into her warm, wet pussy. She pushed back against him, taking him all the way to the hilt. They groaned in unison at the sensation of being intimately joined. Lina's pulse raced with excitement and anticipation of defying her instinct to run from the room, more than satisfied at reclaiming a piece of herself from Eric "Grim Reaper" Williams. She quickly banished any thought of him and focused on James moving inside her.

He was unaware of the direction of Lina's thoughts and completely engrossed in fucking her like she'd asked. James saw spots as she squeezed around him. He moaned in ecstasy, elated to be so close but still hungry for more. His hands holding her hips in place as he rammed into her over and over again. Her plump ass jiggled with each thrust and her little noises drove him forward, wanting more.

"Harder," she gasped, moaning ecstatically when he delivered. He quickly smacked her ass, delighted by her little yelp of surprise. Her walls fluttered around him at the stinging contact, but she never protested. In fact, she ground against him even harder. 'Lina likes it a little rough,' he happily realized. 'Fuck, she's going to be the death of me.'

James needed to see her face as he took her and, what's more, he wanted her to see what they were doing together. He bunched her hair up with one hand and pulled so she was forced to watch their coupling in the mirror. Her back arched prettily, pushing her breasts up and out, bouncing with each stroke. Her hands gripped the counter in a desperate bid for purchase. The dress was still bunched around her hips as his hand worked furiously at her clit again while he thrust into her. The sight of them fucking nearly made her swoon.

He proudly saw that her eyes were darkened and hazy with pleasure. She looked positively wanton. James' face was dark with lust and focus, their eyes meeting in the mirror. Lina gasped, arousal skyrocketing again at the open emotion on his features. He wanted her. She held all the power here and he wanted her to let him to bring them both to the peak of pleasure. She shut her eyes and moaned, pushing back against him and reaching up to play with her breasts.

He felt a groan tear itself from his throat as he watched her. His thrusts became wild and erratic as he felt his end draw near. He worked at her clit harder and faster so that she'd come again with him.

"Look at me," he growled, desperate for that extra intimacy—he needed to watch her finish with him. He was so close that he gave a quick, sharp yank to her hair to force her eyes open.

Her entire body reacted. Bright eyes flew open and found his in the mirror, pure desire on her features. Her legs trembled and he felt her walls start to clench around him as she began tumbling over the brink again. He hastened his thrusts so he could follow her, burying his face in her neck to muffle a groan.

The warm puff of air and vibrations from his moaning sent shivers down Lina's spine as he twitched inside of her. He pushed into her a few more times, gently seeking to be buried even deeper in her warmth, before stilling. It was uncomfortable, but she reached up to run fingers through his tousled hair. The motion pushed the dress up, raising her breasts almost obscenely. James raised his head enough to look at their reflection and moved to give her nipples one last pinch before pulling the red lace up to cover them.

Lina tenderly slid off of him and set about readjusting her clothes while James disposed of the condom and cleaned himself up.

He watched the black lace slide back under her dress with a hint of regret, though he was delighted at her absolute trust in him. James had watched the debate wage on her face as she decided whether to allow him to take her over the counter or not and he'd known exactly where her thoughts had wandered. She'd agreed to continue with a fierce expression and they found pleasure in each other, no further thoughts of monsters invading their private moment.

Lina smiled at him, wryly quirking her eyebrows. "I've never done anything like that before," she admitted with a laugh. She was attempting to straighten her hair and failing. "And seriously, what is it with you and messing my hair up?"

"It's soft and I like it," he shrugged nonchalantly, pulling the covering back on his vibranium hand. "If it makes you feel better, I've never done that before either. I think." He frowned for a moment before shrugging again, dismissing those still-dim memories.

She laughed again and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. Unsatisfied, he turned and captured her mouth to kiss her slowly and tenderly. "I'm glad it was you," she murmured when he pulled back.

After futilely trying to dispel some new wrinkles in his shirt, the pair slipped back into Tony's swanky victory party, absence relatively unnoticed.

Lina sipping her gin cocktail and laughing with Rhodey and Steve a few minutes later when Natasha smoothly interrupted.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun, boys," she rasped with a flirtatious smirk at the Star-Spangled Man. "I need to steal Lina for a minute; she could use a top off."

The tiny redhead held Lina's wrist in a vicelike grip as she pulled the other woman in her wake. Lina's head whirled when Nat forced her onto a bar stool and whipped around to play bartender. "French 75, right?" She began working on mixing the ingredients before Lina could respond.

Cool gray eyes surveyed her face, taking in the rumpled hair that once fell in smooth waves and pink cheeks. Nat quickly took in the rest of the room and refocused on Lina, whose fingers anxiously fiddled with the lace on her dress.

Growing antsy under the assessing look, Lina decided to break the silence. "What did you drag me over here for, Natasha?"

"Nat," the spy corrected. "We're friends, so I think we can be a little more informal."

Lina cocked her head in confusion. "Friends?"

"Would 'friendly' be better?" the redhead asked sardonically, shaking the ingredients and pouring the gin concoction into a champagne flute.

Embarrassed and afraid of offending the spy, Lina shook her head emphatically. "Oh no, I just hadn't realized we'd entered friend territory—I didn't mean to offend or upset you! I'm happy to be friends."

Natasha chuckled and ran a slice of lemon peel around the lip of the glass before dropping it in. "Good. As friends, we should be able to talk about things, right?"

Lina's ears perked up. "Absolutely, that's what friends are for." She wanted to find out what was happening between the other woman, Banner, and Steve. This could be the perfect opportunity to get the dish on the situation.

Her gray eyes sparked and Lina instantly knew she'd given Nat exactly what she wanted. Her guard was on high. "Since friends talk about things, we should be able to talk about major events in our lives, right?"

The blonde sipped her drink and nodded, deciding to turn the tables on the other woman. "Right, which means we should be able to talk honestly about whatever is happening with you and Steve and Bruce."

Nat's eyebrows rose and something in her eyes shuttered. "Nothing is happening there."

Lina shot her a deadpan look. "I don't believe you."

The petite redhead swept the room, pinpointing the two men in question and assuring that neither could overhear the conversation. "Fine. I like Bruce and had a casual flirtation with Steve a while back—he's not taking it well."

"That doesn't sound like Steve," Lina said. "I'm not going to push you to talk, Nat, I just wanted you to know that I've noticed and am happy to listen if you ever want."

Natasha nodded and began mixing herself a vodka martini. "Noted."

"So…feel free to ask me about your thing. Again, I'm happy to talk." She sipped her drink slowly, turning to cast her gaze about the crowd. James was playing pool with Steve, attempting to teach Thor how to play. The blond god was surprisingly proficient at the game. Hazel eyes met blue through the crowd and Lina felt a blush rise in her cheeks. Warmth bloomed low in her belly and she shot him a grin.

The husky chuckle pulled Lina out of the little moment they'd just had and back into the present. "That. That is the thing I want to ask you about."

"What do you mean?" Lina hedged, sipping the gin for something to do. "This is delicious, by the way."

"Thanks," Nat said. "You and Barnes—have you guys owned up to whatever's happening there?"

Lina stared at the redhead, debating the best response. She could lie, but Nat was an expert at ferreting those out. It was her job to be good at that sort of thing. She could offer a half-truth, something to appease the spy but still maintain some semblance of privacy. Or she could be completely honest, have someone to talk to about the whole situation other than James, the other person in it with her, make it real, and win the bet for Sam.

The last option was truly tempting, so she happily chose it.

"Okay, honesty time. We have owned up to it, and it's been awesome." Her face felt hot and she was on the verge of gushing.

"What has? Being together or the sex?" Nat picked up some peanuts and popped a few in her mouth as she leaned on the bar top to listen.

"Both," Lina blushed, downing the last of her drink.

The redhead smirked, laughingly asking, "When did that happen?"

A grin split Lina's face. "The night y'all left for Germany. I… told him that I love him and we, y'know, got jiggy with it."

Natasha let out a full laugh at that, slapping a hand over her mouth and everything. "You have got to get better euphemisms," she tittered. "How was it?"

"It was awesome," Lina sighed dreamily. "I know it sounds silly, but it's the best I've ever had."

"Did he say that he loves you too?" Nat asked, getting to the heart of the situation as ruthlessly and effortlessly as a surgeon's scalpel.

Lina shook her head, sobering instantly. "No, he still has issues with that stuff. I'm pretty sure he does though. At least, I know he's fond of me too. There are real feelings there, he's not just using me for sex." She trailed off, voice growing more uncertain towards the end of her rambling.

Natasha smiled reassuringly. "He does have feelings for you, we've all seen it."

"What, is there a pool or something?" Lina joked, knowing very well that one did exist and that, as soon as the rest of the team found out, Sam would be the happy winner.

The other woman smirked. "That would be something, wouldn't it? Are you two using contraceptives?"

Lina nodded. "He got condoms, but we didn't really have anything the first couple of times. I made sure to get the morning after pill, though, so we should be covered."

"You might look into getting something a little more reliable than that for the future. I'd consider an IUD," she bluntly stated over the rim of her martini glass. Spluttering, Lina asked her why. "He's been pumped so full of super serums and experimental treatments, and there's no telling how that affected his sperm."

Mortified, Lina stared at her with wide eyes. "Oh my god, the pill might not have killed them."

Nat shook her head, brows furrowed in concern. "Don't worry about it yet. You won't know for another week or so, so don't stress yet."

"Not helpful," she muttered with a sullen glare. "Do you know what all they did to him?"

Red curls bounced as Natasha shook her head in the negative. "Not specifics. All I know is that they altered his genes to make him age slower, increase agility and endurance, and it had an effect on his brain function too. He's smarter than the average person, processes situations faster, that kind of thing. I'm not sure if it also altered his reproductive abilities."

"How do you know all this?" Lina asked in wonderment.

Natasha eyed her warily as the party raged on around them. No one seemed aware of their conversation, too invested in their own frivolity to pay attention. "I've read his S.H.I.E.L.D. file."

"And…?" Lina pushed, sensing there was more to it than that.

"He trained me in the Red Room, the Russian, Hydra-run organization that picked and trained me. The Winter Soldier was the most efficient teacher. One night, before he took over my training, I broke into the file room and read up on him," Natasha admitted, looking about the room. Lina almost thought she was purposely avoiding making eye contact.

"Oh. I'm sorry you went through all that," she murmured.

Nat shrugged one shoulder, gaze locked on Bruce Banner. He seemed to sense her focus because he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and turned to look at the gorgeous assassin. "I survived it. Better go to your fella and enjoy the rest of the evening; I'm about to enjoy mine."

Lina watched the predatory smirk spread over Nat's plump lips and quickly excused herself. Banner made his way to the bar and quickly occupied the seat Lina had just abandoned. She shook herself and grabbed a glass of wine from a passing tray, weaving her way through the crowd to the place she'd last spotted James.

He was gone from the pool table that was now occupied by some generically good-looking men in their thirties. She smiled politely and skirted around them to continue her search when a hand darted out to tap her shoulder. Lina whipped around, coming face to face with a blond from the group of guys. They were at eye level, thanks to her heels, and she watched in exasperation as the man's eyes lingered on her cleavage.

"Can I help you?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

"Getting your name would be a big help," he said, flashing what he thought was a charming smile.

She eyed him warily for a moment. "Lina," she supplied, warning bells sounding in her head. When his eyes dipped down to trace over her body again, she folded her arms across her middle defensively. His hungry gaze had her hackles up.

"Lina," he said, rolling her name around in his mouth. "A pretty name for a pretty girl."

She bristled at the infantilization, ready to be done with this clown's nonsense. "Did you want something, or are we done here?"

He grabbed her free hand, the one without the wine glass, and pulled her closer. "Yeah, I want to get to know you better."

Lina rolled her eyes and reclaimed her hand. "Oh? I'm very boring, promise. I need to go—"

"What's your deal? How do you know Stark?" he persisted, leaning close and grinning in a way he clearly thought was charming.

"I work for Pepper," she sighed. "I really need to find someo—"

"Tell me about it, babe," he interrupted again. He was wearing khaki slacks and a navy blue blazer. Lina really hated that look. It looked like he was fresh out of the fraternity.

"Hey," she said sternly, frustration getting the best of her. "I'm not interested and I'm leaving. Bye." Lina turned to walk away then when he grabbed her hand again and prevented her exit.

The blond with too much product in his hair feigned a look of hurt. "Why so eager to get away? I don't bite hard, I promise!" The dude clearly thought he was smooth. Lina wasn't having any of it.

"Back off, I'm not interested. Don't stop me—" She was interrupted a third time, this time by something much more welcome.

A comforting, familiar weight settled around her waist then. "Is there a problem, doll?"

James had seen her conundrum and had materialized at her side. He wrapped his right arm around her waist possessively, happy to send such a blatant message. He was perfectly situated to comfort her, push her behind him if the generic guys wanted trouble, and display possessiveness of her. It was a sign that even the dimmest person couldn't ignore.

She instantly felt at ease and leaned into him. "No, no problem anymore."

He dropped a kiss to the top of her head before turning his focus to the man who accosted his Lina. Everything in him raged at the thought of this person laying his hands on Lina, of this person scaring Lina. James leveled the shorter man with a cold glare. The man backed away towards his friends and, after conferring for a moment, the little pack left.

Lina glanced up at him once the group turned towards the elevator. A chill ran down her spine at what she saw. The Winter Soldier was glaring after her assailant, all lethal stillness and icy rage. She burrowed closer to him and pressed a kiss to his chest, hoping to ground him in the moment.

That small motion broke his trance and it was James giving her a soft smile when he glanced down at the blonde nestled against him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she smiled, sipping the wine. He turned to slip both of his arms around her waist and hold her close.

"You looked so pissed." His voice and face were amused as he gazed at her and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She responded eagerly, kissing him back without a care. Both had forgotten where they were in that moment.

"Um, what's going on here?" Clint rudely interrupted, appearing next to them from the crowd. "Are you two an item?"

Lina quickly pulled back, eyes wide, and buried her face in James's strong chest with a groan. Her face was on fire. Sensing that she wasn't going to answer the archer's questions, James took it upon himself to handle it. "We're going steady."

Tony interjected at this moment. "'Going steady?' This isn't the 1940s, Cold Case. How long has this—" he waggled his finger at James and Lina, who was still hiding her face "—been going on?"

Lina groaned, "I'm too sober for this."

James rubbed circles on her back, hoping to soothe her frayed nerves. He answered Tony's questions as succinctly as possible, his hand never stilling on Lina's back. Thor and Steve joined them, laughing at the interrogation and bashful expression on Lina's face.

She stared at Steve imploringly, begging for an escape from the questioning. He grinned mischievously at her and asked, "Has anyone told Sam?"

"I can't believe Wilson won—you two can't have been abstinent this whole time?" Tony asked incredulously. He swirled his scotch before throwing back the liquor. "That sounds like hell."

"Won? Won what?" Lina blinked innocently. The men stared uncomfortably and Lina sipped her wine to hide her smug grin. James's expression remained stoic, but his short fingernails dragged up her spine and made her shiver with pleasure.

Impatient, Thor decided to tackle the issue head-on. "They all took bets on when you two would admit your feelings for each other and hid it from you. The Falcon won that bet and Tony is feeling rather sour as he placed a sizeable bet on you two," he informed her. "Is that accurate? Well, cheers on your happy union!" With that, he raised a flask to the pair and sauntered away.

James saluted the thunder god and returned his attention to the annoying billionaire, who had started rambling about gods only know what. With an exasperated glance at Lina, he pulled his phone out and quickly shot off a message. It vibrated and a text bubble full of money bags and emojis with dollar signs for eyes popped up. "Wilson knows. Stop trying to weasel out of paying him, Stark. Let's go get some air, sweetheart."

Eager to escape, Lina nodded and cheerily waved goodbye to the stunned Stark. They wandered out onto the balcony. The city lights twinkled all around them and the sounds of traffic floated up to their ears. Lina's hair danced in the breeze and she shivered a bit at the chill, wildly cooler than the heated party air.

"It's suffocating in there," she muttered, rubbing her arms to create some friction. "I guess they know now. How do you feel about that?"

James wasn't wearing a jacket, otherwise he'd have offered it to her. Instead, he pulled her close to share body heat. "No different, except now I can do this whenever I want." He dipped his head to capture her lips in a lingering kiss.

Her fingers wound between the buttons of his shirt to hold him close as she deepened the kiss without any shame. She wasn't typically one for such public displays but she didn't care tonight. Tonight she was going to be selfish and indulgent—they'd already had sex in a bathroom, Lina figured a little kissing couldn't hurt.

"You're really good at that," she murmured after they parted, making him grin. His smile was bright and wide, eyes soft with a twinkle reserved just for her. Lina caressed his stubbly cheek gently, unaware that her eyes were dreamy as she gazed up at him.

"You're not so bad at it yourself," he responded playfully. "You okay with everyone knowing our business?"

Lina grinned and nodded. "Especially with a cut of the pool."

"Is that all I am to you? A means to an end?" James played it up, mock hurt coloring his voice. "That's cold, doll."

"Mhm, shut up and kiss me, Sarge," she purred, pulling him closer.

They stayed on the balcony until Lina's shivers drove them inside, both seeking to avoid the crowd and further questions for as long as possible. When they wandered back inside, it was to join Thor on the seats arranged around coffee tables. Lina sat nestled under James' strong arm, shoes kicked off and legs curled under her, as they fell into easy conversation. She stayed quiet, simply soaking in the camaraderie and ease with which the two sweet warriors spoke. It didn't hurt that she was soaking in the warmth emanating from James.

James was asking about Asgard and eagerly listening to Thor's descriptions of his home. It sounded beautiful, all golden and shining. He explained the attack by the dark elves and the effect on his home, and the younger man nodded sympathetically. He'd seen similar things during the European campaign—cities ravaged by shells and gunfire, looters, hunger, poverty… He'd seen it all and the impact it could have on the locals. James didn't envy the effort it must have taken to recover and move forward. Thor spoke with confidence about his father's ability to lead, so maybe the recovery wouldn't be so difficult.

Thor poured him a thumb of the thousand-year-old liquor he'd brought from Asgard. He knew that James was unable to get drunk on these so-called mortal beverages but suspected the effect would be different with Asgardian alcohol.

After a few sips, warmth bloomed in his chest and James felt his muscles relax. He melted into the cushions a bit and continued chatting easily with the blond god. Lina felt him relax too and decided to get in on the conversation too. "What's technology like in Asgard?"

She grinned to herself when she felt James perk up at the new topic. He loved science and could be so reluctant to show it. Lina made a mental note to take him to a science museum at some point. It would be nice to take him somewhere he'd love and treat him the way he did her.

They continued talking as the guests filtered out, the team slowly joining the trio on the couches. Clint perched on the chair beside James and Steve settled in between Lina and Thor. The blond god picked his hammer up off the floor to get it out of everyone's way, placing it gently on the coffee table. Clint and James were talking quietly as the rest of the core group took up spots on the couches, talking amongst themselves.

"Find any hobbies or outlets, man?" the archer asked, lightly tapping drumsticks against his calf.

"I think so—we went dancing the other day," James responded quietly enough to avoid being overheard.

Clint nodded thoughtfully. "You do that a lot in the old days?"

James nodded. "Yeah. Steve never did—used to say he was afraid of ending up on the bottom of someone's shoe—but I went pretty regularly."

Lina had been quietly listening to the two men and decided to chime in at that moment. "Good date activity, huh?"

Blue eyes darted down to check her expression and found a cheeky grin. "Yeah, the girls always seemed to enjoy it."

A derisive snort broke through their banter. "How this—" he gestured at the couple "—didn't happen sooner is beyond me."

"Wait, what didn't happen sooner?" Bruce asked loudly, clueless about the latest development in the tower.

"Blondie and Greased Lightning are an item," Tony replied from his spot lounging across from them. At the confused looks, he sighed. "Blondie, you know where I'm going with this."

"Automatic, systematic, hydromatic," she intoned amusedly. "Is that it?"

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!"

Bruce tentatively sat near Natasha, shooting furtive glances at the serene ginger. "What do you mean Lina and Barnes are together? Like, together-together?"

"Yeah, they're burning up the quarter mile on the reg now, didn't you hear?"

Lina wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That's really not how that works." James and Steve both looked lost, so she quietly promised, "Hey, I'll show y'all Grease—the movie Tony's talking about—later."

Maria rolled her eyes at Stark's antics, burrowing further into Steve's leather jacket and kicking off her shoes. All the women, except Helen, were barefoot and stretching out their aching feet. "That's nasty, Stark."

"No, it's greased lightning," the billionaire quipped. He noticed Helen hesitating on the periphery of their little group and called, "Dr. Cho, why don't you have a seat there, next to Point Break?"

"'Point Break?'" the puzzled scientist echoed, drifting a few steps closer.

Rhodey shook his head at his friend's nonsense. "He means Thor. You get used to his crap eventually."

The conversation continued along those lines for a while before someone suggested ordering Chinese food. After eating, everyone grew interested in Thor's hammer. Thor was explaining Mjolnir to a sleepy Helen, curled up in the seat of her chair like a cat. Bruce and Natasha were talking and laughing quietly and sipping beer.

"Only the worthiest may lift Mjolnir—" he was telling her when a tipsy Clint interrupted.

"But it's a trick!" he called.

"No, no, it's much more than that," the god said confidently, sipping a beer.

"Oh, 'whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!' Whatever, man, it's a trick!" he called from his spot on the floor, pointing with his drumsticks.

"Well please, be my guest," Thor chuckled, lounging calmly on the sofa.

Lina stared at Clint over the neck of her beer, legs sprawled over James' lap. "Where did he get drumsticks?" James tickled the back of her knee, curious to see how things would unfold.

"Really?" Clint stood and circled around to the hammer.

"Now Clint, you've had a tough week; we won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony teased, eliciting chuckles from Rhodey and Maria.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" the archer asked as he took hold of the handle. He strained for a moment before giving up with a giggle. "I don't know how you do it!"

"You smell the silent judgment?" Stark poked around a mouthful of noodles. Rhodey laughed beside him.

"Please, Stark, by all means," Clint challenged, walking back to his seat.

Tony stood slowly, unbuttoning his jacket with a blasé expression on his face. Lina snorted at his arrogance, happily ensconced on the couch. "I'm never one to shrink from an honest challenge," Tony boasted, slipping the strap around his wrist. "It's physics. If I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course," Thor blandly replied. Steve was beside him, covering his mouth with a fist and hiding his laughter.

"I will be reinstituting prima nocta," Tony declared, one foot on the table, as he tried to hoist the mythical weapon with a grunt. "Be right back." He jogged off and reappeared a moment later with a glove blaster from his suit to try again. He strained and tried to raise the hammer for another minute, much to the group's amusement. Natasha snorted into her beer and Bruce looked like Christmas had come early.

Maria had covered her mouth with the collar of Steve's jacket to hide her laughter and Clint was openly guffawing. James and Steve both snorted and shared an amused glance while Lina giggled into James' shoulder. Helen Cho was sound asleep in her chair.

Tony sent Rhodey to get his hand blaster to try helping, adding to everyone's hysteria.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodey panted.

"Are you on my team?" Tony countered.

"Just represent—pull!"

"Alright, go!" And both men strained to raise Mjolnir in vain.

Bruce was next to give it a shot and he started to yell, letting go of the handle and backing away with clenched fists, still yelling. Everyone fell silent, smirking in amusement. "Yeah?" he asked with a grin, shuffling back to his place by a fondly smiling Nat.

The ruckus managed to wake Helen up, and she sleepily joined the fun.

"Steve, go," James egged. "You like doing stupid shit, and this is more harmless than usual."

"Yeah? Alright," Steve got up and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

People called their encouragement as he took position, grabbing hold with both hands and heaving the hammer up. It moved a bit and Lina stared from the hammer to Thor in shock. The god didn't look quite so amused any more until Steve gave up good-naturedly.

Bruce gestured at Natasha then, inviting her to join the game. "Oh no," the beautiful woman said, leaning further back into her seat and sipping her beer. "That's not a question I need answered."

"All deference to the man who wouldn't be king, but it's rigged," Tony declared, obviously a sore loser.

"You bet your ass," Clint concurred.

"Oh! Steve!" Maria chimed in, "He said a bad language word."

James laughed loudly then and watched his friend turn a bright red as he shot Tony a glare. "Did you tell everyone about that?" Steve demanded, shaking his head.

"You had the filthiest mouth of the Commandos and now you're a hall monitor?" James teased him, still chuckling and reveling in the warmth of easy camaraderie. He hadn't felt this since his time with the Howling Commandos.

"The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code? Whosoever carries Thor's fingerprint, I think is the literal translation," Tony said quickly. Lina was surprised he didn't trip over his words as they came out.

Thor stood up exasperatedly and reached for his weapon. "Yes, that's a very interesting theory. I have a simpler one: you are not worthy." He gave it a flip then to drive his point home as everyone laughed.

The joy was cut short by a high, piercing sound assaulting all of their ears. Metallic scraping followed and a menacing growl immediately had everyone's guard up. Lina felt her hackles rise as James angled himself between her and the noise.

"Worthy," whatever it was slowly droned, drawing closer from behind the stairs. "No, how could you be worthy?" A nightmarish mimicry of one of Tony's suits stood there, limbs akimbo like a broken marionette as it stumbled closer to them. "You're all killers."

"Stark," Steve said warningly staring this thing down.

"JARVIS," Tony said, his phone out and trying to contact the A.I.

"I'm sorry, I was asleep. I was a… dream," the machine said, looking around almost dazed. It focused back on the Avengers and shook itself. It was almost human in its mannerisms.

"Reboot," Tony said softly, staring at the glass in his hand. "I need your help—we've got a buggy suit."

"And there was this terrible noise," the buggy suit continued over Tony, raising its arm to run a hand that wasn't there over its head. "And I was tangled in…" the thing tripped over its own feet and stumbled. "Strings. Had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."

"You killed someone?" Steve asked levelly.

Lina shuddered in her seat, heart hammering in her chest as she stared at the killer robot. Hopefully someone could stop it before things went sour.

"Put your shoes on and stand up," James muttered, without turning his head. His whole body was stiff and alert, ready to pounce into action as he slowly rose to his feet. "Don't want you cut up if glass breaks."

She saw the wisdom in his words and slowly moved to follow those instructions, ignoring her protesting feet as she slid the heels back on. Lina was the almost last to rise and the only one somewhat hidden from view as James reached back to guide her behind him with a hand on her hip.

"It wouldn't have been my first call," the robot replied coolly. "But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."

"Who sent you?" Thor asked, grip tightening on his hammer. He was anticipating a fight.

The suit cocked its head and the sound of a cassette rewinding filled the room for a brief second before Tony's voice filled it: "I see a suit of armor around the world."

Everyone froze, processing the recording for a moment before Bruce realized what it was. "Ultron," the scientist gasped, turning to stare at Tony.

"In the flesh," the robot proudly declared. "Or, no, not yet. Not this… chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission."

Thor raised his arm a bit, ready to strike, and Maria slowly, quietly loaded a bullet into the chamber of her gun. It had been hidden in a thigh holster and she'd been able to release it without anyone noticing. Natasha, ever the spy, tried to keep Ultron talking. "What mission?" she asked calmly, voice neutral.

"Peace in our time," Ultron stated coldly as the glass wall behind it exploded. Two other suits flew through and everything was chaos.

Steve kicked a table up to hinder one of the suits and the other knocked Maria onto her back. She gasped to regain her breath before firing off a couple of shots. Thor swung his hammer and knocked the torso off one of the suits while James pushed Lina down so she wouldn't be hit. The breeze from the near miss rustled her hair and the next thing she knew was being pushed over a railing and sliding down the angled wall. James pushed her under the pool table and barked, "Stay here," before running back into the fray.

Tony landed down on the floor beside her a moment later, knocking over a bookshelf as he went. Rhodey slid down too, but was shot through a window by a blast from Ultron. "Rhodey!" Lina cried, arms wrapping around the table leg.

Tony fumbled for something on the table above him and disappeared, leaving Lina to sit and listen to the gunshots, blasters, and shattering glass above her. One of Ultron's drones flew down near her shelter and Steve leapt onto its back, effectively pulling the suit away from Lina. The sickening crunch of his back into a wall was nearly drowned out by Lina's pounding heart.

She forced her eyes to stay open and scan the area around the table for any approaching drones. Glass shattered nearby and she flinched, whirling to face that direction.

Clint had crashed into some glass and bounced away with a wince. He gestured at Lina to follow him.

She crawled out to join him, motions jerky and uncoordinated. A bitter taste filled her mouth as she got to her feet and fled behind the archer.

The pool table was left in splinters just seconds later.

He picked up Steve's shield and raced up the short flight of stairs. "Go to Nat," he ordered before throwing the shield towards its owner.

Lina raced through the chaos, hunched over and terrified of being shot, climb the stairs. Nat provided cover fire as Bruce welcomed her into his safe corner. They huddled together, hoping to maximize their cover and leave enough room for Natasha to duck back as needed.

The shield was knocked out of the air by a well-placed blast, falling near James. Without hesitation, he picked it up to block an incoming shot and threw it to Steve in one fluid motion. The last drone fell and all eyes turned to Ultron, still in his spot by the broken glass wall.

"That was dramatic," the suit snarked, pacing along the center of the wall. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well, you just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve?" It stooped to pick up the carcass of a drone, popping the head off with no effort. "Look at these, these puppets. There's only one path to peace: The Avengers' extinction."

Full of rage, Thor flung his hammer into Ultron. Mjolnir flew with such force that it utterly destroyed Ultron's host body, parts flying in every direction. Mjolnir boomeranged back to Thor. He noticed something flying away out the window and took off after it, clothes shifting into his silver and red armor.

"I had strings, but now I'm free…" Ultron sang distortedly. His voice was eerily out of key, like something from a horror movie. He faded before finishing the lyric.

Lina shivered against Banner as silence fell around the room. Shattered glass crashed to the floor, making her jump back. Her heart was hammering and she was panting despite staying out of the action.

They slowly reconvened where the lounge had been, everyone taking stock of themselves. Some were in worse conditions than others. Rhodey was rubbing his chest where he'd been shot. Maria was sitting down and examining her bleeding feet—shards of glass embedded there. "You'd better explain everything, Stark," she warned, threat evident in her voice.

"Not here," Steve commanded. "Everyone to the lab in ten—c'mon, Hill, I'll carry you down there."

The brunette started to protest and tried standing. The shards in her feet stopped her with a hiss. "Fine. Don't drop me."

Everyone disbanded, Helen helping Rhodey to the medical bay so she could check his ribs; Nat disappeared, presumably to get out of her dress. Bruce and Tony followed Cap and Hill to the lab to assess the damage there. Clint followed the scientists, leaving James and Lina alone amongst the wreckage.

He quickly scanned her, looking for any injuries and seeing nothing more than a shallow cut on her jaw and a few on her arms from the exploding pool table. "Let's go change," he murmured, not surprised to see her giving him the same assessment. She nodded quietly and led the way to their room.

Ten minutes, and a more thorough injury check, later, James and Lina joined the others in the labs. Lina sported jeans, a baseball tee, and a hoodie, happy to have sneakers on again instead of heels.

"He's been in everything," Nat was saying as they walked in. "Files, surveillance—probably knows more about us than we know about each other." She crossed her arms and stared at her teammates.

Rhodey started pacing then, clutching his arm. Apparently, his check-up went fine as he and Helen were both present. "He's in your files. He's in the internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?"

"Nuclear codes," Maria said, realizing the implications of their situation as she pulled glass from the soles of her feet.

The colonel nodded, echoing Hill. "Look, we need to make some calls—assuming we still can."

"'Nukes?'" Natasha said doubtfully, shaking her head. "He said he wanted us dead."

"He didn't say dead—he said extinct," Steve said, disgust lining his face as he recalled Ultron's words.

"He also said he'd killed someone," Clint chimed in from his place on the stairs.

Maria looked up at him. "But there wasn't anyone else in the building."

James looked at her as realization dawned on him. He'd seen Stark trying to call for someone and receiving no reply. "JARVIS," he muttered, hands clenching and unclenching by his side.

Tony walked to the center of the lab floor. "Yes, there was." He flicked his phone, the thing he used to control everything in the tower. Golden imagery appeared, a broken pile of…something. Lina had no idea what she was looking at, but assumed it had to do with JARVIS. She'd never seen Tony look so serious. It was like his dog had died. Line felt her heart break for him.

James leaned on the railing and ran a hand over his face, hair falling to hide his eyes. He'd grown to like the A.I. and admired the science behind its existence.

Silence reigned as Bruce wandered to the mess of coding, shock written into every line of his body. "This is insane," he murmured.

Steve crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "JARVIS was the first line of defense," he said calmly. The pain of the situation showed on his face, but his voice was steady as he assumed command. "He would have shut Ultron down. It makes sense."

"No," Bruce said thoughtfully. "Ultron could have assimilated JARVIS. This isn't strategy. This is… rage."

Thor stormed in at that moment in his full armor to grab Tony by the throat. No one had even noticed him enter the room, they'd all been so wrapped up in the loss of JARVIS.

"It's going around," Clint said dispassionately, watching the display before him. Only Lina and James heard him as everyone else was circling the angry god.

"C'mon, use your words, buddy," Tony gasped, grasping at the hand around his throat.

"I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark."

Steve's voice shook Thor out of his rage, releasing Tony and watching the shorter man stumble back. "Thor," Steve barked. "The legionnaire."

"Trail went cold about a hundred miles out, but it's headed north. And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it. Again," he said pointedly, staring Tony down and seething with anger.

"Genie's out of that bottle," Nat said caustically. "Clear and present is Ultron."

A soft voice cut through the bickering. Helen had been circling the wreckage of a drone, examining it from every angle. "I don't understand. You built this program," she mused, turning to face the team. "Why is it trying to kill us?"

Tony chuckled then, raising everyone's eyebrows. Lina started at the unexpected noise, wondering if he'd cracked. Bruce was shaking his head in warning, not ready to see his friend decapitated by Mjolnir.

"You think this is funny?" Thor demanded.

"No," Tony said questioningly. "It's probably not, right? This is very terrible, is it so…" He dissolved into a hysterical giggle again. "It is. It's so terrible."

'Clearly he's cracked,' Lina mused. 'Grief over JARVIS broke him. Tony Stark is broken.' Her own thoughts were starting to sound a little hysterical.

Thor began advancing on Tony then. "This could have been avoided if you hadn't played with something you don't understand."

"He had Loki's scepter and, what, used it to make Ultron the killer robot?" James asked her under his breath while the drama unfolded below them.

"Definitely what it sounds like," Lina responded, equally quietly.

"The scepter that can control minds?"

She nodded, wondering if he was going somewhere with it or just refreshing his memory, keeping one eye on their friends in case someone tried to kill Tony.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to leave your cover in the middle of a firefight with killer bots made and controlled by the mind control stick?" His voice had risen, taking on a dangerous quality that'd Lina had never really heard before.

She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment. "I followed orders—Clint had me follow him and run to safety just before the damn table exploded. I don't really think I'd have been any safer under an exploding pool table than I was running to shelter with Nat and Bruce," she shot back defensively.

James shot a glare at the archer staring at them warily before muttering, "We'll discuss this later."

"…anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?" Tony was posturing.

The Avengers all rolled their eyes simultaneously. "No, never come up," Rhodey responded sarcastically.

"Saved New York?" Tony continued over his friend. "Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We're standing three hundred feet below it. We're the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the live-long day, but that up there, that's… the endgame." His face was tight and Lina wondered what he'd seen in that wormhole to inspire him to create an evil robot army. "How were you guys planning on beating that?"

"Together," Steve said earnestly, unhappy at a teammate keeping such a lethal secret from the rest of them.

"We'll lose," was Tony's soft, serious response.

"Then we'll do that together too," Cap told him, leveling Stark with his blue eyes. Steve nodded minutely, offering the only comfort he knew Tony would accept. Something shifted in Tony's face then and he looked around as Steve continued, "Thor's right: Ultron's calling us out, and I'd like to find him before he's ready for us. The world's a big place; let's start making it smaller."

Lina watched as Tony stumbled back over to Bruce, staring at the computers and instruments on a cart there. Everyone dispersed and Lina turned to leave before Nat called her over. "You okay over there? He seems to be upset."

They stole glances at James as he stomped up the stairs, a scowl marring his face. "Yeah, he's pissed that I left cover during the fight."

Nat nodded in understanding, eyes following her former teacher until he disappeared. "Did you have any choice but to leave it?"

Lina shrugged. "Clint told me to follow, so I did. The pool table became a pile of splinters a second later."

The Widow smiled reassuringly. "Explain that and stick to your guns. He'll cool off soon enough."

The blonde woman sighed. "He'll be sleeping alone otherwise."

They followed the rest of the team, except Tony and Bruce, upstairs to find hot showers and as much sleep as they could before nightmares and bumps in the night interrupted. When Lina got to their room, James was already tucked into bed with the lights out. She simply sighed and went to shower before joining him and Ziggy in bed.

The next morning started with a jerk into consciousness and a groan. Everything stung. Lina rolled over to see if James was awake yet only to be greeted by Ziggy's sleepy face. Disappointment welled in Lina's chest, but she rubbed her cat's nose before getting up. She'd find James and go from there. She threw her glasses and jeans on, remembering shoes at the last second. She scooped her cat up and wandered to find everyone else.

Clint was talking quietly on his phone in the hall as she approached. "That's a negative. I answer to you," he was saying. Steve appeared at the other end of the hall and got their attention. "Barton. Balitiu. Might have something."

Lina moved towards him as Clint hung up and gave Ziggy a wary look. "Who was that?" Steve asked.

Clint stared at his phone for a moment, clearly debating something. "Girlfriend. Let's go, Curls."

They followed Steve down to Tony's lab where he passed a tablet around. Nat and the Science Bros were already down there, as was James. Thor joined them a moment later, everyone gathering around a computer.

Lina moved over to James, hoping to find him in a more conversational mood than the previous night. "Hey, where'd you go this morning?"

He glanced at her, his eyes stormy with emotion. "Here," he said tersely. "We'll discuss last night later."

Steve was filling the team in at that moment, stating, "Ultron killed Strucker."

She immediately stared at James, watching the emotions flicker across his face in rapid succession. Strucker was the last major player in Hydra, the last head left. And he was dead. Killed by a murder bot. Relief and wariness and regret all played in James' eyes. Lina was powerless to help in that moment, resigned to talk later.

"This is a smoke screen," Nat said. "Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"

Steve was on the same wavelength as the Widow. "Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss," he continued, almost cutting her off as he picked up her train of thought.

"Yeah, I bet he…" She clicked around on the computer and it chirped. "Yeah. Everything we had on Strucker's been erased."

Steve glanced at James then. "Not everything. Buck, help me out for a minute. Meet on my level in twenty minutes," he ordered, easily taking the lead and striding off, his best friend in tow.

Lina watched him go, feeling frustration well in her throat. He didn't even look at her as he went. Thor joined her and gently scratched Ziggy's ears. "It's not an easy thing for a warrior to see a loved one in harm's way," he said softly as he pet the purring calico. "May I?"

Nodding, she released the cat into Thor's gentle hold. It was a funny thing to watch: the leather-clad, muscle-bound god tenderly holding a tiny animal and cooing sweet words in an alien tongue. Lina could only assume he was speaking to Ziggy in Asgardian.

"The Stormbreaker speaks very highly of you," he told her as they mounted the stairs, his hand stroking the cat the whole time.

"'Stormbreaker?'" she asked, confused.

He nodded down at the calico. "She says you're always kind and warm. She thinks you're a soft place to sleep, though she sometimes questions your taste in men."

"Wait… you're talking to Ziggy? You speak cat?" Lina was stunned into immobility for a second.

Thor shrugged, grinning happily as Ziggy kneaded his forearm. "Of course. Allspeak allows me to communicate with every species."

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes—wait, do I need to start calling her Stormbreaker?"

The god laughed and lead the way to the level she shared with Steve and James, cheerfully answering her questions. She was still having Thor play translator for her and Ziggy when the two soldiers reappeared pushing carts stacked high with boxes.

Everyone began going through the old Hydra files on Strucker, skimming through for any clues that could be offered. They sat or stood around the dining table and went through file after file, hunting through everything for a lead. Lina was quietly flipping through her stack of papers when James reappeared by her side. He pressed a kiss to her hair and softly said, "I'm not angry, I was scared when I saw you run through the fight. I'm sorry."

Lina looked at him over her glasses, eyes calm and voice level. "I understand that, but you can't just shut down like that. We need to be able to talk these things through and come to an understanding together."

He nodded, abashed. "I'll try." A quick look around showed that everyone was politely ignoring them.

She lifted his hand to place a kiss on its back. "That's all I can ask. Here, help me go through all these."

"Known associates," Steve murmured as he flipped through the files. "Baron Strucker had a lot of friends."

"Well, these people are all horrible," Bruce said, horrified as he skimmed through their activities and relationships to Strucker.

Recognition flickered on Tony's face. "Wait. I know that guy," he said, eyeing a photo in on of Bruce's files. "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast. Black market arms." Steve shot Tony a disapproving glower. "There are conventions, all right? You meet people," he said by way of explanation. "I didn't sell him anything. He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer. It was all very Ahab."

Thor was examining a photo from the file of what looked to be a scar or tattoo. "This?"

"Ah, it's a tattoo," Tony said. "I don't think he had it…"

Thor shook his head, pointing. "Those are tattoos, this is a brand."

Bruce took the photo to a computer and ran the shape through some databases. "Oh, yeah. It's a word in an African dialect meaning 'thief' in a much less friendly way."

"What dialect?" Steve asked.

"Wakanada," Bruce replied, stumbling over the foreign word. "Wakanda."

Tony rolled his eyes in alarm at the implications of that answer. "If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods…" he muttered to Steve who looked equally alarmed.

"I thought your father said he got the last of it," Steve whispered back, obviously unaware that everyone could hear their conversation.

Bruce rejoined the group then. "I don't follow," he said. "What comes out of Wakanda?"

Tony pointed to Steve's shield. "The strongest metal on Earth."

"Where is this guy now?" Steve asked. "We need to find him."

Natasha was already searching for Ulysses Klaue on the tablet, looking for any intel or whisper of his whereabouts. The men milled about, planning for their departure while Natasha hunted for their target. She had a location within minutes and the team scattered to change.

James had stood up to join the preparations, eager to be a part of the hunt for the killer robots until he realized just how highly publicized the encounter could be. He glanced between Lina and the elevator uncertainly, almost like he needed permission to follow the other fighters. She watched his indecision for a moment, her own uncertainty warring inside of her breast. He'd fought so much and had lived through so much—she didn't want to send him off to face more violence. She also didn't want to be alone, however selfish that might be. But she couldn't make him sit this one out, not after Ultron had attacked his home and ended his fight before James had a chance to. Decision made, Lina rose to her feet.

In just a few strides, she had joined him where he stood and turned his face with a gentle hand on his cheek. "Hey," she said softly, "this fight is personal. If you want in, go ask Steve. Just… come back to me in one piece, okay?"

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her. Their lips moved in sync and their tongues danced. Hands wove into hair and around waists, twining them closer, impossibly closer. They both poured their hearts into the kiss, knowing it could be goodbye. Only the need for air drove them apart, leaving the couple panting as they rested their foreheads against each other.

"I love you," she murmured, green eyes peering bashfully into blue.

James smiled brightly, those words a song to his ears, and kissed her once more. He tried to pour everything he couldn't say into that kiss before he tore himself away to change and find Steve.

Lina stood there, watching the elevator whisk him away and feeling hollow.