So, as a warning to all of those readers who would have preferred to keep this story rated "T", uh, the start of this chapter might not be for you. Fair warning. If you'd prefer not to get a taste of why this story was bumped up to "M", skip down about a third of the way through and you should be safe. But fear not, this whole story's not about to become a smut-fest, just, you know, parts of this chapter. And a few future ones.

In any case, thanks to all my lovely reviewers: chibi heishi, Guest, CeilingRiver, padz-nd-prongz, Animelia, Moongirl12121, ana, and takendeadoralive! :D

Chapter 10

Dad…?

Dad, where are you…?

The shackles around his wrists clanked as Tony tried to push himself up off of the dirty concrete floor. His bare arms were streaked with blood, some of it dried and caked into his welts and covering his bruises. He could feel it more than see it, one eye swollen shut and the other filled with even more blood.

Oh God…he was going to die.

He was going to die covered in his own shit and urine and gore.

A wet cough bubbled up in his throat and the force of it threw him back to the ground.

No…

No, he wasn't going to go out like this. Not like this—

Tony eyes snapped open as he gasped.

Fuck…He could still smell it. He shouldn't have gone to bed agitated like that. That's when the dreams always came.

Subconsciously rubbing at his chest, Tony used his other arm to prop himself up in his bed. He could feel the healing cuts on his skin from his fight with the Lion pull tight at the movement and a shiver ran down his spine at the sensation, his mind still buzzing from memories of much deeper wounds.

Once he had taken a moment to regulate his breathing his hand automatically flew to his phone but before he could speed dial Pepper his fingers paused. Talking to Pepper wasn't what he wanted. He had been wanting something else since that afternoon and this might be a way to kill two birds with one stone. Get the nightmares out of his mind and get some damned relief from his heat. His phone said it was just passed two in the morning. That wasn't too late, not for what he had planned.

Once he had gotten a scent, a male Panther was relentless in finding potential mates. Tony usually didn't mind it because the men and women he ended up imprinting on were usually oblivious humans he met at parties that were more than happy to go home with Tony Stark. It was a gamble Pepper never liked very much—going out when he was in heat—but so far he had tight enough control over his Shifter side to fool his partners into thinking that he completely human, just a little extra enthusiastic. As long as he never drank at those parties and wore protection during, he was fine.

But today, that thing with Steve, that had been different. Rolling around in the grass, using his full strength, and being able to scent and bite as much as his hormones were screaming at him to do; that had been completely different. And he wanted more. He wanted so much it was burning a hole inside him right where his heart was.

Panthers were fucking tenacious when they set their sights on a potential mate. It was the result of their typical solitary life patterns. They could stalk their target for miles and miles without hesitation. Luckily Tony's target was just down the hall, because he didn't have that kind of patience tonight.

O~O~O~O

It had been a quiet, tense night after Tony had stormed away from the conversation he, Steve, and Thor had. Once Steve had calmed himself down he had rejoined Thor in the house and had sat with him as Bruce finished cleaning and wrapping the Lion's cuts.

With Tony out of the room, he and Thor actually managed to have a good talk and Steve learned that the fight had started because Thor was trying to leave the property and Tony didn't want to let him go. They had an argument about it which had quickly devolved into the fight.

Steve asked Bruce to go check on Tony but when the beta followed the Cat up to where he had disappeared into his bedroom the Wolf was rebuffed. Steve decided then it would be best to just let everyone settle down and to call Bruce off. Both Wolves agreed that Tony's wounds may have been extensive but they weren't grave. He would be alright.

Not long afterwards, Steve had retired early himself, hoping that some rest would put his mind to ease and give him a break from the fights, from thoughts of Los Angeles, and from his heat. And that night it actually seemed to work. Just not for very long.

He knew that not many hours had passed when he was roused from sleep.

Steve's eyes flickered open but he kept himself still as he tried to determine what woke him up. The room was quiet and dark. No where near dawn yet. He was laying on his side, his back to the door and he could sense a presence behind him. As his senses adjusted he could hear them breathing, could smell them…Tony.

Relaxing, Steve rolled over so that he was facing the Cat and, sure enough, there Tony was standing inside his room by the door. Somehow he had managed to sneak in and close the door behind him without Steve noticing again. It was no less impressive the second time around. Rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand, Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Tony? What is it?" He was too tired to be wary, despite the fact that he should be considering that the last time they spoke the conversation had ended in an argument.

Steve's words were slightly slurred from sleep but as he slowly came all the way back around he realized that Tony was back in his pajamas. Except unlike the last time this happened, when Tony had come to him after his nightmare, Tony didn't look or smell frightened. No, this time his expression was decidedly different.

Swallowing a little, Steve backed himself up against the headboard and tried not to let his body react. Tony looked like he wanted to eat him. And not in an entirely bad way.

"Steve." Just the sound of the Cat's voice had sweat beading up on Steve's skin. "I would say I'm sorry to wake you but that would be a blatant lie."

"Is, there—What—" Swallowing, Steve tried again. He should be able to talk, for heaven's sake. But it felt like his tongue was caught in his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know." Tony's voice had dropped to a low growl and just like that Steve was fully aroused again. The situation was only exacerbated as the Cat stalked towards the bed with a predatory look on his face.

Steve was pretty sure that he should tell Tony to leave, to just turn around and walk out of the room before Steve physically forced him out. After their kiss, Steve shouldn't risk it. He had gotten a taste and there was no way he would be able to resist temptation after that if he let Tony get close to him, especially with the way he was looking at him.

But he just didn't have it in him. He was at his wits end and when Tony crawled up onto his mattress he could do little more than grab Tony by the collar of his shirt and haul him up to meet him.

Tony growled happily as their lips collided, the Panther reaching up and burying his fingers in Steve's blond hair to hold him in place as he licked his way into Steve's mouth. Moaning, Steve could only grab hold of Tony right back as the two tumbled back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs.

With a sharp nip at Tony's lip, Steve tilted his head to break the kiss and catch his breath, his lips moving against Tony's jawline. "I'm supposed to still be mad at you."

Tony pulled back far enough to send him a smug grin, his voice a low, teasing drawl. "And how's that working out for you?"

"Not so good…" Steve growled as Tony chuckled. The sound was ridiculously sexy. "This isn't some sort of apology, is it?"

Tony smiled as he ducked back down for another kiss. "Definitely not." His fingers tightened in Steve's hair, almost to the point of being painful. "This is me taking what I want."

Alpha pheromones were rolling off of Tony and crashing over Steve in waves. Snarling at the sensation, Steve rolled them over so that he was on top then yelped as Tony flipped them right back over. Steve was about to get angry but then he realized that Tony was laughing against his cheek, the sound a husky rumble. "Not yet."

Snorting in frustrated amusement, Steve pulled Tony in for another kiss, dominating the action instead of their position. His human brain was screaming at him to slow things down a bit but his animal side was roaring twice as loud not to let this opportunity to go by. Who was he to deny Tony when the Cat had come to him looking for attention? Instead of breaking the kiss to breathe again, Steve inhaled deeply through his nose and went almost dizzy with Tony's scent. It was only growing stronger as things heated up.

Steve balked as Tony pulled away and then both sides of his brain short-circuited as Tony scooted back just far enough to whip the bed sheets off Steve's body. The night air felt frigid against his heated skin and as Tony climbed back on top of him the shock of the temperature change was just enough to knock some sense back into Steve.

Swallowing, he grabbed Tony's shoulders and held him at bay even as the Cat growled unhappily. "Tony—Tony, shouldn't we talk about this?"

Tony frowned but didn't fight too hard against Steve's hold. At least the Panther was still aware enough himself to talk. That wasn't always the case with alphas. "I don't see why."

"This is big. A big change."

"Not that big."

The Cat clearly didn't want to waste any extra breath speaking but Steve changed tactics before his own body betrayed him and released Tony to crash back into him. "Just answer one question for me first then: why did you get so mad earlier?"

Tony's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What, during the fight?"

"No. Afterwards when Thor mentioned that whatever was going on between us started before our heats did."

Shaking his head, Tony ducked down and licked a line up Steve's arm up to his wrist before nipping gently at his thumb. "Forget about that damn Lion."

Steve blinked dumbly as he tried to remember why he would be worried about a Lion at all. Right. Thor. Earlier. "No, wait—Tony, I want to know." It was important, otherwise he wouldn't have asked. Right?

Tony rolled his eyes as he realized that his distraction wasn't having the desired effect then sighed. "I was embarrassed, alright? I thought that was hellishly obvious at the time…"

Tilting his head to the side, Steve watched Tony as emotions flickered across his face. It was hard to make anything out through the lust which did nothing to lower Steve's own libido. "Why would you be embarrassed?"

"Because maybe it hit a little too close to home."

Steve grinned. "So you liked me before the heat? What's wrong with that?"

Growling, Tony nipped at Steve's thumb again, this time a little harder. Not enough to be painful, just a little more than necessary. "…Because I like to put myself in a constant state of denial. Now, you're going to shut up and let me kiss you again or I'm leaving. What's it going to be?"

The answer rolled out of Steve's lips before he had even heard the whole question. "The first one."

"Okay. Good choice."

Sitting back from his position still on top of Steve, Tony let out a breath as he snuck his palms under the hem of Steve's nightshirt. "...Couldn't stop thinking about your mouth and your damned abs…" Tony slid his hands up and underneath Steve's night shirt, pushing the cotton fabric up to bunch under his arms.

With darkened eyes, Tony leaned down and pressed his lips to the newly exposed skin and Steve's stomach muscles jumped as the Cat licked a path from his navel up to his chest. "T-tony."

Chuckling, Tony leaned back up and pressed a hot, open-mouth kiss to Steve's lips. "You're such a virgin."

"…Is, is that bad?" Because it was true. He was…inexperienced. Unheard of for an alpha of his standing. But Steve just hadn't been all that attractive for a long while and after he had hit his growth spurt he had been fine with just himself and his friends. Then, then there had been Bucky, seeing Bucky as a potential mate, not just a friend, but then—

Steve was roused from his thoughts by Tony's low chuckle and the burn of the Cat's palms as he slid them further up Steve's chest. "No, I actually love it. But you're going to have to loosen up if you want to fuck me tonight."

"W-what?" Steve didn't even have it in himself to be embarrassed when his voice cracked.

"Don't make me repeat myself otherwise I'll change my mind. I don't offer to bottom for many people."

"No, no, don't! Tony, just…" Steve swallowed. Mating. Tony wanted to mate. With him. Were they ready for this? Did Tony actually want this? Before Steve's inner-monologue could continue, Tony pressed their mouths together and kissed Steve so passionately that it had him seeing stars. Nope, okay. Okay, they were ready. God, was Steve ready. "Tony, just…come here!"

Grabbing Tony tight around the waist, Steve threw him so that they were both laying on their side. Just like he had in the grass earlier that day, Steve pressed as tight against Tony as he could, burying his nose against Tony's skin and just breathing deep between kisses, licks, and nips to wherever his skin could reach. Just like earlier, it still wasn't close enough but this time Steve could fix that.

He hastily tugged his shirt the rest of the way off over his head then slipped his hands down to clutch at Tony's own night shirt. Steve needed skin to skin contact now, wanted to see the Cat's bare chest and stomach. Wanted to see everything and commit every single square inch, every tan line and freckle to memory with sight, touch, and taste.

But then Tony's hands were on Steve's pulling his fingers away from the hem of his shirt.

It was the first sign of rejection that Tony had shown all night and it was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over Steve's head. "W-what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" He hadn't even been thinking, just moving. What if he had messed this up before they even started? What if-?

"No, it's, you didn't do anything. You're fucking perfect."

The words were harsh but they sounded genuine. But now Steve was worried. "What is it?"

"How about we just do this with my shirt on, huh? Call it a kink."

Tony was trying to smile but he wasn't that successful. Frowning in concern, Steve rested back on his elbow and could only watch as Tony brought his arms up to cross over his chest. An extra barrier of protection against Steve getting his shirt off, as if Tony thought he was still about to try. The mood had decidedly taken a turn but Steve kept his voice soft as he gently reached out to touch Tony's face. "I would never hurt you, you know that right?" Maybe Cat's were sensitive about showing their soft spots to strangers? But Thor didn't seem to have any issue with it…

"It's not you. It's just—" Tony sighed and, almost against his will, leaned his cheek against Steve's hand as he cupped the Panther's face. "Remember when I told you I had heart surgery?"

Steve nodded. He didn't think he would ever forget that story.

"It not only turned me off hospitals for the rest of my life, but it let a scar about the size of Texas on my chest too. It's, because I'm a Shifter. The scar tissue isn't as pliable as it should be so every time I transformed it just, made it worse. To fix it, I'd have to go through a couple of skin grafts and I didn't want to go under the knife again so—"

Steve shushed Tony by gently covering the Cat's mouth with his own. Nuzzling his nose as he pulled back, Steve smiled over at him. "It's okay, Tony."

"But I—"

"I don't mind it."

"It's disgusting."

There was so much self-deprecation in Tony's voice that it made Steve's heart hurt. Reaching up, Steve combed a strand of unruly hair out of Tony's face before letting his fingers slide down to rest against the side of Tony's cheek again, the stubble there lightly scratching against his palm. "You went through hell when you were younger and it left a scar. It's not disgusting, it's a sign of how strong you are that you even survived it. You don't have to show me but…I'd like to see it."

"…You are disturbingly sappy when you talk like that, you know that right?"

"Is that a 'yes'?"

Tony frowned then, after a long moment, gave a tight nod. "Don't say I didn't warn you…"

Shaking his head, Steve dipped his head to kiss Tony once more before reaching for the hemline of Tony's t-shirt. He tugged it up gently and in stages, giving the Cat every opportunity to stop him. Tony's fingers twitched a few times but he didn't, didn't even try to stop him. Both of them swallowed as Steve finally pulled Tony's shirt off over his head, but for entirely different reasons. Tony's face was tense, cautious but Steve was just trying very hard not to make any sudden movements. Just seeing Tony's bare skin made the butterflies in his stomach jump back to life and his heart rate start pounding again.

The scar Tony was so worried about instantly drew his eyes. It was paler than the skin around it, the main part about the size of Steve's fist and positioned perfectly in the center of Tony's chest with thin lines of scar tissue snaking out across his pectorals and down towards his abdomen.

Realizing he had been staring too long when Tony let out a light hiss, Steve finally moved. Ducking his head, Steve kissed the center of the distorted skin then traced out one of the tendrils of scar tissue with his tongue. The texture was different, but it still tasted like Tony. It was a part of Tony just as much as his hands, his eyes, or his smile and Steve loved it.

He heard Tony's breath hitch and then there were fingers tugging at his shoulders and Tony pulled Steve back up to press their lips together, Tony's grip tightening on Steve's skin as he swept his tongue into his mouth.

Once skin touched skin, Steve couldn't get enough and it seemed like Tony was the same, now convinced that Steve wasn't about to kick him out of bed. The more they touched the more Steve wanted and any and all thoughts were completely wiped from his brain. That rush from their heats surged back through their bodies and their pants were ripped off and thrown across the room.

Panting against Tony's shoulder, Steve's gasps were broken by an embarrassingly high-pitch whimper as Tony slipped a hand down his body and palmed his crotch through his underwear. His hips automatically jacked forward, instinct driving them forward just from the simple touch. He heard Tony chuckle in his ear at his whine, his breath hot and huffing against Steve's cheek. "Come on, let's get those briefs off of you."

"Tony…"

Another husky laugh. "…Easy, boy."

Tony's ridiculously clever fingers made short work of slipping both of the rest of their clothes, leaving them both naked in the sheets. Steve was almost afraid to look down, and when he finally did it turned out he was right to be worried. The amount of emotion rolling through him at seeing Tony, ready and eager, almost caused Steve to shift right then. He actually felt his eyes begin to change and fur begin to prickle at his skin and heaved a breath, frantically blinking to keep himself in check.

"Everything okay in there?"

Yes and no. Definitely maybe. Shaking his head, Steve lunged forward and rolled Tony onto his back so that his stomach was facing up. Immediately Tony tried to turn back onto his side, but Steve held him down, his fingers tightening on the Cat's shoulders. "Don't."

Tony's own eyes flashed and his legs twisted up, subtly trying to find a way to throw Steve off. When he spoke next, his voice had lost its teasing lilt. "I know I said I'd bottom but-I'm not a big fan of this position, Steve."

"I know."

But Steve was. Steve's arousal was quickly rising off the charts seeing Tony stretched out and exposed in such a submissive position. Especially knowing that Tony himself was an alpha. Steve was rock hard as he switched his hold on Tony's shoulders so that he was pinning the other down with one arm pressed down against Tony's collarbone, freeing up one hand. Tony squirmed again as Steve tilted the other's chin up so that his throat was bared. Releasing a trembling breath, Steve struggled to maintain any sort of composure, the Wolf in him writhing, desperate to just take and take and take. "Jesus, Tony, look at you…"

He saw Tony swallow before a scowl spread across his face. "Okay, you have five fucking seconds to do something before I lose it. And not in a good way. In a 'I'm going to rip your throat out way—"

Steve cut off his threats by leaning down and running his tongue across Tony's own throat. He heard Tony's heart rate shoot up as Steve lunged down at his exposed vitals, his pulse not slowing much as Steve's tongue on his throat was quickly replaced by teeth. Steve was careful not to bite down too hard but couldn't resist the urge to nip his way up Tony's neck. In a small act of repentance, he nuzzled against Tony's jaw, his nostrils flaring as the Cat's lust spiked at the action.

Releasing Tony from his position, Steve brought both hands up to cup Tony's face as he licked his way into the other's mouth to seal their lips in a deep kiss. He smiled as Tony instantly rolled back onto his side as soon as he was able but then gasped as Tony's thigh came up to settle between Steve's legs, pressing up tightly against his groin and knocking the air right out of Steve's lungs.

The noise apparently triggered something in Tony because he let out a low rumbling noise Steve could only describe as a purr. "By the end of tonight, there isn't going to be an inch of you that doesn't smell like me…"

Steve growled but didn't respond—couldn't respond as he was bombarded by emotion and instinct. As Tony rubbed his cheek against Steve's chest, Steve bit down lightly on Tony's shoulder, nipping and sucking on the patch of skin until a red bruise began to blossom.

The next few hours were a blur for Steve. The last few moments of cognitive thoughts he had were trying to be gentle but then Tony said "Harder" and Steve just lost it. It had felt so good and at one point he literally couldn't remember what he had done aside from a feeling of bliss and setting a brutal pace. And Tony had taken it and liked it, which had just fired him up even more. Steve had been worried he had hurt the Cat but he never smelled scared or hurt, just content and as desperate as Steve was for release.

The next thing Steve was really aware of was blinking his eyes up at the ceiling feeling completely and utterly blissed out and the feel of a warm body pressed up against his side. The sensation faded slowly and was replaced with a cooling sensation of finally being able to breathe properly. The fever from his heat had broken.

As if he could sense what Steve was thinking, Tony let out a small, breathy laugh. "Feel better?"

Steve blinked again, distracted for a moment by the feeling of sweat cooling on his skin. "…Yeah, actually." It was like a haze had been lifted from in front of his eyes. His heat had stopped. Steve didn't know a heat could be stopped. He had never tried to stop it before.

"Good. It should last a few hours." Well, maybe not stopped then, but certainly satiated for the moment. No wonder all those mated Wolf pairs disappeared during their heats. Sex was mind-blowing and this temporary respite from the heat was almost as addicting.

Tony squirmed next to him and Steve reached out a hand, worried that the Cat was getting ready to leave. He didn't want him to go. Not yet.

At the hand on his wrist, Tony paused then released an exaggerated sigh. "Wolves…Should've guessed."

Before Steve could question the comment the Cat wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders and hauled him close. Steve was surprised by how good Tony's lithe muscles felt against him.

"Hey…Tony?"

Tony let out a questioning grunt, the stubble on his chin a slight burn on Steve's skin as he nuzzled against the Wolf's cheekbone. "Hm?"

"It's just…I don't, feel any different. I mean," Steve hastened to correct any misconceptions, "it was good! I don't mean it wasn't, but I just always thought that there would be this, deep connection or something with the person I mated with."

He felt Tony smile against his skin. "I'm gonna stop you right there, sport. What we did was fun, and good, and all that, but it was just sex. Not mating."

"But I thought—"

"Nope. If Shifters mated with everyone we had sex with during our heats, we'd be screwed, pun intended."

Steve fell silent for a moment, still staring up at the ceiling. It was a bit of a blow. It was probably for the best, now that he could think a little more clearly. It probably would've been a mistake to mate with Tony of all people. But he had been so ready in that instant that to come away without that connection was a little…disappointing? No, it wasn't quite that. It was an emotion Steve couldn't put his finger on.

Apparently he was quiet for a moment too long. Frowning, Tony pushed himself up so that he was looking down at Steve. "Are you mad about it?"

"No…" He wasn't mad. Who would he even be mad at? "Just, not what I expected."

A corner of Tony's lips curled up into a small smirk. "Trust me, it's better this way." The grin melted away faster than usual, the Cat's eyes growing serious as they danced over Steve's face. "Mating is a serious thing and it might not be considered entirely consensual if it always happened when you were in heat."

"That's actually surprisingly thoughtful."

And just like that, the smirk was back. "I have my moments."

Steve smiled back and skimmed his gaze over the lines of Tony's body. Now that he could rationally focus on the Cat, he appreciated him even more. Not just for his physical appearance, but more for the fact that Tony had trusted him enough to show Steve everything, particularly his scar which definitely seemed to be a personal hang-up for him. It was true Tony had been in a heat-induced fog then, but even alpha Shifters maintained some degree of decision-making power.

Ans then there were the healing cuts he had gotten from Thor that he hadn't noticed before. It looked like Tony had cleaned them off himself and they were already closing up nicely. Steve was glad that their activities hadn't aggravated any of them too much. Noticing a dark mark on Tony's shoulder as his gaze shifted over, Steve pushed himself up into a sitting position against the headboard so he could get a better look at it. It looked like a bruise but it—Oh. Following the mark down, Steve blushed as he realized that there was a trail of bruises meandering down Tony's body. Well, they weren't exactly bruises. Not all of them anyway.

"Jeez, I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't realize it would be that…obvious."

Tony looked down at his body and saw the smattering of hickeys that ran from his neck down to his hips but to Steve's surprise only shrugged. "Don't be too sorry. I wasn't exactly subtle either."

"What do you mean?"

Steve looked down at his own body. The only marks he saw were a couple of light scratches.

Rolling his eyes, Tony reached a hand up around the back of Steve's neck and pulled the Wolf in close before closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his nose. "You're covered in my scent, Steve. And I have to admit, it's a big improvement over smelling like dog."

Steve blushed again, self-consciously bringing his arm up to try and scent himself. It was always difficult for Steve to pick out his own smell since to him it was a neutral; it was just the smell that was always around him. But now all he could smell was Tony, and that definitely wasn't normal. Even as close to Tony as he felt now, it didn't sit quite right with Steve and he had to hold himself back from running to the shower. If they were mates though, would he have minded it?

Clearing his throat, Steve turned to look back at the Panther who was staring up at him as he lazily lay back against Steve's pillow. "So…If we're not mates now, what are we?"

The word 'boyfriends' sounded muted, a human term for a human relationship that hardly summed up the feeling Shifters could have for each other. Then again, 'friends with benefits' was even worse and made whatever this was sound cheap and hollow.

Tony thought for a moment before shaking his head and pulling Steve down for a quick kiss. "We're just 'us'. Don't try putting a label on it."

Steve closed his eyes, savoring the feel of Tony's hand in his hair. And there were the lingering shadows of his heat already creeping back in. "Are we, just going to pretend like this never happened? I mean, if it wasn't because of our heats, we'd probably never have-"

Tony snorted. "Don't be stupid, Steve. It doesn't suit you." The genius's fingers tightened in Steve's hair and gave a light, almost reassuring tug. "Maybe this wouldn't have happened if we both weren't jacked up on pheromones right now but to be honest, I'd probably have jumped you eventually." Steve fought back another blush. "Either way it happened and since we're both okay with that I don't see why we have to pretend about anything. Besides, everyone in this house already knows."

That made Steve's eyes snap back open. "What do you mean? We haven't even gone outside of this room yet."

Tony sent him a disbelieving look. "Uh, did you hear how much noise we were making?"

Steve's flush came back in full force. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Well…that answered the question of how Steve was going to break this news to the rest of the team. He was counting on their scents outing them but if they had really been that loud…Good lord, how loud were they? What did everyone else hear? Steve didn't even remember what sounds Tony had been making much less what might have been coming out of his own mouth!

Shaking the thoughts away, Steve sat up away from the headboard as he tried to distract himself with different thoughts. A glance at the clock told him it was just passed four in the morning. That was a little early for breakfast but Steve was suddenly starving. And he actually was, it wasn't just a way to avoid the situation. It felt like he had just run a marathon. Looking down at Tony, Steve offered the Cat a small smile. "I'm going to go grab some food. Do you want to come with me? I can make pancakes, with bacon again." The kitchen was far enough away from the bedrooms that Steve wouldn't have to worry about cooking noises waking the rest of the team. They had undoubtedly been kept awake for too long that night already.

Tony just nestled further back into the bed and made a show of stretching his arms up over his head, Steve's eyes racing across Tony's bare body on their own accord. "Actually, I'd really just like to not move for a bit, if it's all the same to you."

"Could I bring you something?" Steve knew Tony didn't eat as much as him, but if Steve was this hungry, Tony had to at least want a little something. After all, they had both just expended about the same amount of energy.

Tony smirked at the offer. "Breakfast in bed? Sure. I wish all my lays were as nice as you."

Steve growled at the thought of any others touching his Panther and Tony let out a small laugh. "You're too easy to rile up! But sure, I'd take a bite to eat. Something with a lot of protein and carbs, if you're cooking anyway."

"I'll see what I can do."

Steve ended up just making scrambled eggs and bacon, not wanting to be away from Tony for the few extra minutes it would take to make pancake batter. After he had brought the food up and they devoured it in record-breaking time, Steve finally excused himself for that shower. A part of him hated the idea of washing away the evidence of the first night he shared with someone but a bigger part of him, the alpha in him, really wanted to not smell like something claimed. Even if it was Tony.

Once Steve had scrubbed himself down he gathered up their plates and, leaving Tony to continue to shamelessly lounge in his bed, made his way back down to the kitchen to clean up. A few hours had passed since Steve had come down to cook in the first place so he wasn't startled to see that he wasn't the only one up anymore.

Bruce was sitting at the kitchen counter looking like he had just sat down with his morning cup of coffee. The beta's nose scrunched up as Steve walked into the room and any thought that the team didn't know what had happened disappeared like a puff of smoke.

"Steve, wow. Did you think of taking a shower before coming out?"

"I did shower." Dumping his dirty plates in the sink, Steve sent Bruce a sheepish look back over his shoulder at Bruce. "Is it bad?"

Bruce raised a brow as he lifted his mug up for a sip of his coffee. "The smell is pretty strong. As in, I can't even smell my coffee anymore strong."

Steve sighed and ignored the fact that a flush had returned to his cheeks as he filled the sink with water. He was, however, heartened by the fact that Bruce didn't seem disapproving. More resigned than anything. But since he had caught him and Tony after they had made-out, he probably wasn't all that surprised that it had come to this. Shifters were fairly predictable when they were in heat. "I don't get it. It's not like Tony smells like me."

"It's because he's a Cat and you're a Wolf."

"What?"

Bruce sighed. "Have you never had this conversation?"

Again, he sounded more resigned than surprised. But Steve had no idea what he was talking about. "What conversation?"

"This is not something anyone should have to explain to an alpha…" Shaking his head, Bruce took a long sip from his mug before continuing, "Wolves and Cats both have very clear ways of marking their mates."

"But Tony said we're not—"

Bruce held up his hand and Steve fell silent. "Potential mates then. Whatever it is you two are. I don't need to know the details. Anyway, Wolves leave visual cues, bites, scratches, whatever. From what I've read, Cats leave scents as marks instead. Strong, pheromone-rich scents apparently."

An awkward silence fell between them until Steve broke it with a small sigh. "How long am I going to smell like this?"

"I'm sure it will fade within the next twenty-four hours."

It took seventy two hours, three whole days.

Of course, it didn't help that Steve never really stopped touching Tony. His heat was back in full swing by noon that day although he was able to resist the urge to just grab the Cat, pull him into a room or behind a tree and just have his way with him. Which is what he really, really wanted to do. Tony seemed to have a better handle on himself but didn't complain about how handsy Steve was being. That was saying something, considering how intense the Cat usually was about maintaining his personal space.

But time marched on and several blissfully uneventful days passed. Tony's scent was just barely lingering in the strands of Steve's hair when Steve found Tony and Bruce sitting next to each other at the dining room table. There were blueprints to something mechanical-looking scattered across the table top but it was clear that whatever business they had planned to discuss had been abandoned long ago, neither of the two Shifters capable of maintaining their focus mid-heat even as smart as they both were.

Sidling up right behind Tony, Steve leaned his chin over the Cat's shoulder and wrapped his arms around Tony's waist. Bruce huffed out an exasperated noise but made an obvious point of scooting his chair over a few inches. Steve's actions had been less about seeking comfort and more about staking a claim. Just because Bruce might've been sitting a little close—Not that Steve thought there was anything going on between the beta and the Cat. He just, his alpha side needed to show some ownership there despite his human brain's protests.

Tony rolled his eyes at the entire exchange before his gaze flickered up to Steve's face. "Can I help you, or are you just going to use my shoulder as a chin-rest all day?"

Steve couldn't help himself and buried his nose against the crook of Tony's throat, taking a deep breath. A shiver slipped down his spine as the Cat's scent filled his senses and he almost found himself wishing he was still covered in it. Almost. "What are you two talking about?"

"Coulson called while you were asleep. Jarvis was annoyingly insistent that someone answer, so I picked up the line. They managed to get a little more out of Loki last night."

Steve's eyes sharpened. So they were still talking business after all. "What did they learn?"

Bruce looked up from the piece of paper he had snatched up from the table. "Agent Coulson confirmed that he was the one who leaked information about the Hydra base near Washington to SHIELD."

Steve frowned. "I would have thought that was Hydra's idea." Looking back at how he acted during their very first encounter, it didn't seem like Loki had wanted to be near his brother or any of the rest of them. Steve hadn't thought that the Raven would have set Hydra's trap on his own initiative. "Why would he do that?"

Shrugging, Bruce tossed the piece of paper back onto the table. "He must have wanted to be found."

"But why? I don't get it." If Steve understood what Thor had said, Loki had run away from home. If Loki was trying to escape his family, why would he try to lure the team back in?

Tony snorted and rolled his shoulder so that Steve's chin was bumped off. Steve growled but let him wiggle away. "Isn't it obvious? It's because of Thor."

"What?"

"He wanted to be found because Thor was the one looking for him."

"So, wait." Leaning against the table, Steve frowned in confusion, his brain back to feeling sluggish. "I thought Loki brought us there to trigger our heat and put us out of commission so Hydra could act in Los Angeles?"

Bruce spoke up again this time. "That's what Tony and I were just talking about. It's pretty obvious that was definitely his goal, but there would've been easier ways for him to try and distract us from Los Angeles. He chose this method specifically for a reason."

"And what reason is that?"

Bruce tilted his head. "Loki and Thor, they are—or were—more than just brothers."

Tony furrowed his brow. "And that's just, nasty."

"Why?" The news wasn't actually that much of a surprise to Steve. He had just hadn't put the facts together in his mind that way yet. He had heard the conversation Thor had with his brother in Washington D.C. He had seen the open, pained look in Thor's eyes and the sharp betrayal in Loki's. Steve was just starting to learn what love was, but he imagined there wasn't much else in life that could've inspired either of the Shifter's reactions. To tell the truth, what confused him was Tony's reaction to the whole thing. "What's wrong with that?"

Bruce grinned up at Steve as Tony just shook his head. "Steve, you're cute, but you can be dense as a brick. He's talking about incest."

"I know. But, technically they're not related, right?"

"Technically, whatever. It's weird."

But it did explain a lot. The depth of Thor's emotional pain after the mission ended that had caused the social Cat's reclusive behavior. His concern over Loki's treatment. Even his desperation to leave Tony's house a few days ago. The Lion had probably wanted to leave to see Loki. If Thor really loved Loki, being in heat without him must've been nearly impossible to deal with. Steve was only experiencing a shadow of that need himself; he couldn't even fathom what going through a heat cycle must be like for a Shifter who actually developed a strong bond with another partner. "It's not that strange…"

Love was love. You couldn't control it. It just happened.

Tony didn't look convinced. "It's weird, and you're weird."

Bruce smiled ruefully at Tony. "I've never known a Shifter who could still sound so jaded when in heat."

"I'll leave that sappy stuff for the rest of you."

O~O~O~O

The team waited a full two weeks. Two weeks for their heats to fully pass.

The more extreme issues went away after seven or eight days but Shifters' heats typically trailed out in one form or another for another seven. Tony never sought refuge in Steve's bed again but since they had already opened that can of worms, Steve let off steam throughout the rest of the week by goading Tony into kissing him absolutely senseless whenever they had a moment alone. It wasn't too difficult; Tony was usually pretty willing and happy to reciprocate.

When a full fourteen days had ended, Steve had Bruce give them all a quick physical and only declared them back in fighting condition after the beta reported back an all clear. Coulson had been just as pleased with the news as the rest of them and within twenty-four hours had lined a new job up for them. The SHIELD agent hadn't bothered to describe it at a distance, just told them to be ready for a pick-up at oh-eight-hundred hours the next morning.

The early wake-up time didn't damper even Tony's spirits, every last one of them ready to get back out and into the action. The entire team was up and waiting for Phil in the front driveway of Tony's mansion when he finally pulled up in a black luxury transport van.

Clint grinned at Tony as the Cat all but threw his bag into the back of the van before clamoring into one of the middle seats. "You seem excited."

Tony glanced back at the Hawk with a smirk of his own. "You're damn right I am. Our quarantine is over and now we get to beat the crap out of some Hydra assholes. What's not to be excited about?"

"Actually," Phil chimed in as he watched them as they all piled into the back of the van through the rear view mirror, "we're going to start you out again a little slow. We were going to pull Romanov and Barton for this if we had to but your timing was perfect and now and you're all going since you're back in field-ready condition. Which, honestly, is better. Welcome back, by the way."

Steve, who claimed the last seat between Thor and Natasha in the back row, nodded at Phil with a genuine smile on his face. He was just as enthusiastic as the rest of them. "Thank you. But what's the mission?" He didn't think it was essential that they start out slow again, they were all back in peak physical condition, but he accepted that SHIELD might think it was necessary.

Phil continued as he started the van back off and headed off down the road. It felt almost surreal to be leaving Tony's property after being stuck on it for so long. "It's a reconnaissance mission. It will be every bit as important as your previous missions, just without the same opportunities for physical exertion. Hydra is holding a gala event in New York City for their investors. It's an annual event but the date for this year's party is suspiciously close to their anonymous 'success' in Los Angeles. SHIELD thinks that now that they've tested their product with what they view as good results they are ready to start tempting buyers."

Bruce leaned forward in his seat and leaned against the back of Phil's chair with a frown on his face. "They couldn't actually legitimately be selling the serum though. Most of Hydra's investors are regular businessmen who would definitely be willing to report them to the police, especially after those people died."

Nodding, Coulson spared Bruce a quick glance before returning his eyes to the road. "You're right. Most of their investors are entirely ignorant of the whole thing but the upper crust isn't. We've had SHIELD agents on them for years now and there are a few among them who would definitely be willing to pay a hefty price to be a part of Hydra's biological warfare."

Steve shook his head. That didn't sound good. "So what are we supposed to do exactly?"

"We need to get an idea of exactly what Hydra has to sell. Also, we need to start gathering some hard evidence that would be admissible in court so that we can work on bringing the company down. They've been remarkably good at cleaning up their trail so far."

Steve understood to an extent but it seemed like Hydra had already done plenty. "What about what was in the files we have from our last two missions? And the fact that they kidnapped Clint? That all seems like decent proof to me."

Phil sighed and for a moment Steve glimpsed the exhaustion on the SHIELD agent's face. "While they files have been invaluable, they weren't exactly obtained in a way that would be viewed as completely legal from the standpoint of a federal court. Although it was under SHIELD jurisdiction to do so. And as far as Barton's kidnapping is concerned, it would be too easy for Hydra to disavow that particular branch and say that the company at large had nothing to do with that singular incident. We need to build up as strong a case as we can, something that even their lawyers couldn't refute."

Thor leaned back in his seat and shared a concerned look with Steve. Over the last few days, the Lion's mood had greatly improved and he had grown to be an active participant in their team as it adjusted back to its normal dynamics. Even though Loki had been captured Thor had insisted on coming with them. "This is all far more complicated than I had anticipated. It seems your enemy has planned their moves with great care."

"Yes, unfortunately." Coulson slipped on a pair of sunglasses as the road broke out of the tree-lined drives around Tony's home and back onto the highway leading towards the city center. "By the way, Dr. Banner, you'll be in the field for this one."

Bruce jumped back in his seat, Tony smirking next to him at his reaction. "Wh-what? Me? But who will be-?"

"Stark will maintain control of the communication and surveillance center. This is going to be a public event so we can't go about this in our usual fashion as risk putting civilians in danger, especially after the Los Angeles media fallout. Since you are the only one with actual medical training we need you to pose as a research consultant on Hydra's projects. The company is large enough that they shouldn't question you too much as long as you keep a low profile and with your experience you should be able to use the right sort of diction to avoid suspicion. To be safe, we'll send Agent Barton in with you as your 'assistant', just in case anything happens."

"But, couldn't you send Tony in? Like you said, we shouldn't risk the safety of the civilians and if something does happen and I couldn't control myself—"

Phil gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Barton would be there to make sure things didn't get to that point. And we could send Stark in, but he is such a high profile celebrity that it wouldn't take long for his cover to be blown, especially since he typically would never be seen at such an event."

Tony's smirk widened as he slid his own pair of sunglasses over his eyes to block out the glare of the pale sunlight reflecting off the asphalt. "Too true. Stark Industries doesn't associate with those kinds of scumbags. Unless I'm there to heckle—Did that before. Got kicked out pretty quickly though." The Cat shrugged. "They actually might not even let me in after what happened that one time…"

That seemed like something Tony would do. But Steve couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Redirecting the conversation, Phil turned the car towards the interstate to take them out to New York City. "Steve, Thor," both alphas perked up in the back seat as their names were called. "We've set up false identities for you as well. The two of you are going to be foreign business investors from Norway."

"Norway?" Now Steve was concerned. He could do a lot of things, but espionage was not high on his list of skills. He was terrible at lying in general and now he was supposed to pretend to be some business man from a foreign country? "To be honest, I don't know if I can pull this off either. I've never really been outside of the States!" Except that one time his pack ended up in Canada for a few days. But that was beside the point.

Phil just sent Steve that same reassuring smile he had given Bruce a minute ago. "Don't worry, Steve. Just stick to what you know. Thor, I trust that you'll be able to answer most questions about that part of the world?"

The Lion smiled broadly, clearly excited to be an integral part of the plan. "Yes, it would not be a problem. I even speak the language should we require it!"

"Perfect. Last but not least, Natasha," the redhead looked away from the window with one brow raised imperiously, "you're our ace in the hole. We've set you up as a reporter from a well-regarded science journal. Your job will be two-fold, to act as back-up for Dr. Banner and Barton as well as to gather information yourself. Anyone there should be more than happy to talk to you about their research."

She pursed her lips but Steve knew her well enough now that he could tell it was just Natasha's halfhearted way of trying to hide a smile. "Especially when I'm in the undoubtedly seductive dress you've chosen for me, right?"

Phil tilted his head in acquiescence. "Technically Agent Hill picked the dress, but the fact that some of the scientists may be more willing to brag about their exploits to a beautiful woman didn't go unnoticed."

Clint grinned back at Natasha before craning his neck to look at Agent Coulson. "I assume you picked up some duds for the rest of us too? We aren't really dressed for a gala event."

"Everything's been taken care of. All we need now is you."

O~O~O~O

Phil hadn't been joking; everything was prepared for them. SHIELD had established a small command center put together in a building for rent down the block from the hall Hydra had booked for the evening. It was going to be located in a large, well established science museum, which Steve thought was grimly appropriate for the company. Inside their command center was the standard set-up accompanied by what was by all accounts a dressing room.

It was a little disconcerting that SHIELD somehow knew what sizes they all were but Bruce, Thor, and Clint's suits were tailored perfectly and Natasha's dress fit like a glove. Steve opted to be the last one to get changed as the others filtered out to discuss the upcoming mission. Steve had held back for multiple reasons. First, because as the leader he wanted to make sure that everyone else had what they needed before he settled himself out, and second, because he had never worn a suit before and wanted some time on his own to figure out how to put it on right without everyone watching.

After about ten minutes of fiddling with the different layers, Steve stepped out from the small changing room and tried not to look as awkward as he felt. He didn't mind wearing nice clothes but this suit was a little more than he was used to and he just didn't feel like he was doing it justice. He was in a tight white button-up shirt, a black suit with a modern cut, and a blood red tie. He would have preferred something a little more…traditional, a little less flashy, but he was going in to play a part and this is apparently what his role was supposed to look like.

Steve wasn't too surprised to find Tony waiting in the next room, the Cat the only one of them left since he was the only one staying behind and not needing a wardrobe change. He felt a little better as Tony raised his brow as he watched Steve walk out. "Well…You clean up nice." The Panther strolled closer until he was standing right in front of Steve before reaching up and smoothing down the collar of his suit jacket. "Not quite 'you', but not bad. Come here though, you are way too clean cut."

Tony popped the first button of Steve's shirt open and loosened the tie so that the bottom of his throat was showing. Then he reached up and swiped his fingers through Steve's combed hair so that his bangs fell back over his forehead. "Better."

Checking himself in the small mirror that had been set up for them, Steve wasn't so sure. "This is better?"

"Trust me on this one. Now you look like you can actually breathe in that monkey suit."

"I think I liked it more the other way."

Tony rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "You can wear it however you want when you're not going undercover."

Steve couldn't help but smile back at the attitude. It didn't annoy him so much anymore. "You're kind of bossy."

"That shouldn't be a surprise to you."

"It's not."

Steve shook his head then leaned down and gave Tony a quick kiss. Neither of them brought up the fact that they weren't in heat anymore and had no more excuses for affection.

Pulling away, Tony patted him on the shoulder with a wink. "Knock 'em dead, big dog. But remember, I'll be watching."

"I'll keep that in mind."

And Steve did keep that in mind. It was hard for him to forget even as they got the mission underway, though it quickly morphed from being due to fondness to a comfort that at least someone was keeping an eye on him.

They went in separately, first Natasha, then Bruce and Clint, and finally Steve and Thor. Steve tried not to fidget too much as they waited for the others to go in. They had to give it enough time so that no one would suspect that they were together or even knew each other. Tony was the one in charge of the timing. Unlike the Hydra buildings they had previously infiltrated, the museum's security system was a piece of cake for the Panther to break in to. At least the cameras they had in the front rooms; according to what Tony said over the earpiece, it looked like Hydra had installed a second system in the back rooms that it would take him a little longer to hack into. Either way, Tony watched from overhead as first Natasha then Bruce and Clint walked in and melded seamlessly into the collecting crowds in the museum.

Finally, word came that they could follow the rest of the team inside.

Steve held his breath as he fell in step with Thor and walked up the flight of stairs and into the museum lobby. The place looked fantastic inside, decorated up just enough to maintain a high-class feel without detracting from the museum's displays. There were humans milling about everywhere in suits and cocktail dresses, obviously all members of the upper-crust of society. Hydra kept their company presence at the forefront though, large banners emblazoned with their logo hanging from the ceiling.

Subtly scenting the air, Steve was relieved not to smell another Shifter other than those he knew. If there had been a Shifter around, their cover would've been blown right away; no matter how nice all of them dressed up, they wouldn't be able to hide their scents. Except for Tony, he was good at that. But he wasn't even here, so it didn't count.

Unlike Steve, Thor fit in instantly, the Lion seeming perfectly at home in the ritzy environment. It made sense; Thor had essentially been a prince where he came from. Of course he would know how to behave, even among humans. But, as expected, Steve felt like he was the odd man out. Well, odd Wolf out.

He squared his shoulders prevent himself from awkwardly shuffling around as they made their way to the center of the room. Steve wasn't intimidated per say—he knew that he and his team were easily the most dangerous people in the room—he was just entirely out of his element. He could handle Shifters fine but when he had to interact with a group of humans he was never sure what he was supposed to do. They couldn't sense hierarchy and had strange motivations and desires. Especially humans with too much money and time of their hands.

Trying to avoid watching Bruce, Clint, and Natasha, reminding himself that Tony was doing that for him, Steve focused on the group of socialites he and Thor were approaching. He didn't know who they were but it was clear they were important judging on how everyone else in the room was paying them attention. The two of them must have made a decent impression because one older man's eyes flashed to them as they drew closer and a smile spread across his face. Steve would've been comforted but the man's eyes were like ice, cold and calculating.

"Now here are two new faces. Who might you gentlemen be?"

The man had a woman hanging off his arm and, despite the fact that she looked to be a few good decades younger than him, she had to be his wife, what with the matching rings on their fingers. The blonde smiled warmly at Thor as the Lion quickly picked up the conversation. By the tone of the Cat's voice, Steve could tell that he was genuinely enjoying this, undoubtedly having fun with the sense of intrigue. His booming voice actually fit right into the atmosphere of the party and strengthened Steve's own resolve that they just might be able to pull this off.

"Indeed, we are new! My cousin and I," Steve managed to stay upright as Thor slammed a hand into his back, "are here to represent our own company! We wish to expand our investments to your country and this event seemed a fine way to begin our endeavors!"

All of them, but especially Steve and Thor, had been coached thoroughly about what they were to say to people. Phil had made them repeat it back to him five times before he was satisfied that they had absorbed the information.

"Oh?" The trophy wife batted her eyelashes at them even as she held onto her husband's arm. Sometimes Steve really didn't get humans. "You're family then? Where are you from?"

"We are originally from Norway. Our business has done so well that we have decided to expand our interests across the Atlantic!"

The older man nodded. "Well, you've certainly come to the right place! What are your names then?"

"My name is Henrik Olsen. And—"

Steve stepped in so that Thor wouldn't be talking to him for the whole night. "Hello, I'm Sven Olsen." Pretending to be family made it easier because they could have the same fake surname. Steve figured they could pull it off because to the average person, he and Thor did have similar characteristics. Well, they were both blonde and had blue eyes. Most humans didn't pay attention to too much else. "It's nice to meet you."

The woman turned her eyes on him and Steve wished she hadn't. "My, you speak English so well! I can't even hear an accent!"

Thor was quick to cover for him. They had thought of that one too. "He has been living in New York for a few years now as our eyes and ears. He has become very proficient in your language, has he not? We were both very good students."

The man humored them with a nod, getting back to business quicker than his wife seemed to prefer. "Have you looked around at other investment opportunities?"

Steve tilted his head, hoping they didn't dig around for too many details. "Of course, but Hydra seemed like the best option."

"What others did you look at?"

Shoot. "Well," Steve cleared his throat and peeked at Thor. Nope, he wasn't going to help him with this one. "For example…" He didn't know business, didn't care to get involved with that whole mess. He didn't even know any good names he could throw out—Wait. He did know one. "We tried Stark Industries but they, uh, weren't as ambitious in terms of project development as we had hoped."

"Hey!" Steve saw Thor grin as Tony's voice burst out over his earpiece. "R and D is the largest division in Stark Industries! If you're going to lie, at least pick a different company. Like Oscorp, no one gives a shit about them…"

Ignoring the Panther, Steve and Thor continued on with the conversation, slowly turning talk to Hydra and their newest developments, just like they were advised to.

They actually did better than Steve thought they might. It turned out the man they happened to come upon was one of those "upper-crust" investors Phil had warned them about. It was obvious he knew much more than he was telling them but they slowly began to wheedle the truth out of him.

As it turned out though, Bruce was the team's real asset. The other Wolf was too far away for Steve to pay attention to what he was doing but when Bruce's voice whispered through his headset he had clearly managed to gather some real intelligence. "It sounds like they have something waiting in the back, but I don't think I'll be getting an invitation to go check it out with the rest of the investors."

Unable to stop himself, Steve casually scanned the room until he spotted Bruce standing over by a table serving drinks, his head turned away from the crowd with his hand over his mouth to hide the fact that he was speaking into his microphone. Clint was loitering nearby acting like he was getting a drink while blocking Bruce from prying eyes.

Tony's voice answered back soon after. "Can you get anything on where exactly they're keeping it?"

"They're being pretty tight lipped about the whole thing."

"Let me handle this, boys." Natasha.

Following her scent, Steve caught sight of her in the slinky black dress SHIELD had picked out for her. She was on the outskirts of a large group of businessmen as if she had just pulled herself away. Steve tracked her out of the corner of his eyes as she excused herself then sauntered her way towards the men Bruce must have just been speaking to. Immediately all of their eyes landed on her and Steve watched as her red lips curled up into a seductive smile.

Honestly, Steve didn't have the slightest idea why anyone would ever want to get that close to Natasha. At least when they were no more than acquaintances. Sure, she was gorgeous, especially in that dress, but she had an edge of danger to her that was palpable from across the room. Of course, it seemed like some humans were attracted to that in a woman. They certainly weren't turned off by it, evidenced by the way one of them was brave enough to rest a hand on her hip. Good Lord, they were brave. Or stupid. Very stupid.

Steve and Thor continued working their mark but kept their ears open for news that Natasha had gotten what she needed. It didn't take long.

"They have a room behind the museum's archives. It's usually used for housing the museums more important artifacts; completely temperature and moisture controlled. Hydra pulled some strings and managed to rent that room as well. They're definitely keeping their product in that room."

Excusing himself from his own conversation, Steve wandered over to a vacated display about nuclear power and subtly pressed a hand against his ear. "Tony?"

"I'm on it. It'll take me a moment to get this set up. Since we're trying to be subtle here I can't exactly just take over the security system like normal."

"So how is this going to work?"

He could hear Tony typing over the line. "I'm accessing their system so that way I'll be able to tag on to their security feed. I won't be able to stop it but this way I should be able to guide you through so that you can stay out of the way of any cameras."

Steve heard Bruce whispering into his own communication device. "Hydra is bound to have this place wired, especially if they really did bring that serum. Is there any way you could alter the video feeds with anyone detecting it?"

"Sure. It's possible. It'll just take a remarkable amount of skill and technical talent to do."

Steve frowned. "So, can you do it?"

"Of course. But I'll need someone to provide a distraction for security for half a second. When I alter the feed, there will be a small blip on the screen that they might be able to catch if they're not complete morons."

"One distraction, coming up." That had been Clint. Looking back into the main hall, Steve searched the large space until his eyes landed on the Hawk. He was on the opposite side of the room but Steve could still see him reaching casually into his suit jacket, pull something out, and slip it up underneath the counter of the bar Hydra had brought in to cater the event.

Clint kept himself in a relaxed stance as he strolled towards the center of the room, back to where Bruce was once again speaking with some scientist. Steve didn't quite get what was going on until five seconds later there was a high-pitched whine and all of the glasses stacked behind the bar shattered, men and women nearby yelling as glasses burst in their hands. Immediately all the security staff in the room, who until then had blended in with the mingling crowd, rushed towards the disturbance. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Steve saw Natasha drawing away one of the investors, the older man's hand in hers as she gave him a sly, sultry smile.

All part of the plan.

Pushing his way through the chaos, Steve forced himself not to rush as he made his way through the room, following Natasha and the business man further into the museum. A few people stopped him to ask where he was going but easily bought his excuse of searching for a bathroom, distracted as they were.

Following their scents, Steve stayed far enough behind Natasha and her mark so that they wouldn't see him but close enough so that he wouldn't lose them. They had come up with this plan so that instead of hunting around on their own with a very small window of time, someone would lead them directly to Hydra's storage. And it seemed like it was working like a charm, the man Natasha had spied out eagerly wanting to impress the redhead. Steve could hear him continuing to boast about his influences within the company even as they snuck through the darkened museum. Luckily the place was deserted aside from the three of them. If there had been any guards patrolling in the back, they had to have been drawn towards the front hall by all the commotion.

Tony's voice whispered out over his earpiece. "I pulled up the blueprints of the building through the city's database. The moron's actually going right for the only room I saw on the plans that would fit the description of the one we're looking for. Hydra didn't install a camera inside though so I can't confirm either way."

Steve shook his head, ducking behind a corner as he saw Natasha's skirt disappear down an unmarked hallway. It seemed odd that Hydra wouldn't have made sure that there was a camera watching the room but, then again, maybe they did have their reasons. Maybe they wanted to make sure that there was no video evidence of their products that the museum might have been able to access after the gala event was over. Or maybe Hydra was starting to learn from their mistakes as far as protecting themselves against SHIELD agents went. Their team operated so well because of Hydra's security systems and the amount of camera angles they had in their facilities. Steve really hoped it was the first option because if Hydra was getting wise to them it could spell bad things for their future missions.

"Okay, Steve, that guy's about to unlock the storage room. Go ahead and catch up."

Not hesitating for a second once Tony gave the go-ahead, Steve jumped out of his hiding space and raced around the corner. His eyes immediately locked on Natasha's investor, the man having just finished punching in a code into a keypad by a reinforced door. Perfect.

Natasha took a casual step back away from the man just in time to avoid Steve as he side-tackled the man, instantly taking the human down to the wooden floors. The poor guy never even knew what hit him and was out like a light as soon as his head collided with the flooring. Steve winced as he sat up, his fingers quickly moving down underneath the man's suit collar to check for a pulse. Good, definitely still alive, just unconscious. "I hit him a little hard. I guess I just got used to wrestling with Shifters or men in padded armor."

Natasha gave him a wry smile as she pulled open the door. "Don't feel too bad. He was a pig."

That did make him feel a little better. Hoisting the man's limp body up into his arms, Steve dragged him into the room as Natasha pushed the door open. It didn't take more than a quick glance around to know that they were in the right place. It was filled with metal cases and hard plastic containers labeled "biohazardous". On a heavy metal table in the center of the room there was what looked to be a display set up with Hydra's newest merchandise. Unlike the reception hall though, there was not one Hydra company logo to be seen on anything. Because they were smart. It was just another way they could disassociate themselves with the product should they ever have the need.

"Alright, Steve, Natasha, I've officially lost visual contact with both of you via the cameras, so don't do anything stupid."

Natasha gave Steve a look as she closed the door behind them and the investor. Steve just shrugged back and began to tug his tie off from around his neck. As Natasha began to inspect the room, Steve used the tie to bind the unconscious man's hands together against the leg of the table. They had come into this not wanting to actually kill anyone, but they couldn't have their mark running off and alerting security as soon as he came to.

Straightening up, Steve turned his attention back to the matter at hand, knowing that they would have to work fast. Natasha already had a small camera pulled out of her handbag and was snapping dozens of pictures as Steve approached the table. On display were things he had never seen the likes of before lined up on pedestals, clearly for sale. Most were objects, small, handheld pseudo-weaponry. As he scanned down the line, Steve's eyes caught on something he actually recognized. That pen-like device Loki had used on them during their first encounter. And there another one was, sitting out with hundreds more undoubtedly in the boxes stacked up around them.

The thought that such a thing might fall into so many hands put a shiver down Steve's spine but nothing froze his blood quite like the center-piece of the whole display. A small vial filled with a leaf-green liquid. Steve didn't need to smell it, didn't need to get any closer; he instantly knew that was what had turned Clint from Shifter to animal, that was what had been released into the Los Angeles waterways. That was Hydra's serum and that combined with everything else in this room was a veritable death sentence for thousands.

Shaking his head, Steve picked up one of the devices he didn't recognize, a small, boxy thing that sort of resembled a taser, and pocketed it. "I don't like the looks of this…"

Natasha nodded grimly. "It's worse than we thought. This must just be a fraction of what they actually have."

"Steve, Natasha, you've got foot traffic coming your way. You should get out of there."

Steve didn't want to leave just yet. He wanted to pry open all of the boxes and destroy every single thing in this room. But that wasn't why they were here. "Yeah. Okay." Swallowing, he shook himself off then motioned for Natasha to head out. "Okay, we're leaving now. Let's get out of here."

Slipping her camera back into her purse, Natasha poked her head out of the door to make sure the coast was clear before waving Steve forward. As Steve secured the door behind them after they stepped out into the hall, the redhead pressed a hand against her earpiece. "Clint, what's the environment like in the main hall?"

"They're starting to settle down and security is dispersing so there's a better chance we'll be running into some company. I think it's time the Doc and I get going."

Steve nodded, "Thor, make your way towards the entrance but wait for Natasha and me to come out before leaving."

"Understood!"

Steve winced a bit at the volume of the response but couldn't help but grin as Tony answered back, "I'm lowering the volume on your microphone, Thor, because that was ridiculous. Anyway, Steve, Natasha, you two look clear on your way back to the hall but like Clint said, security is starting to spread back out again. I'll keep an eye out for anyone getting too close."

"Thanks! Come on, Natasha."

Together they quickly began to retrace their steps back towards the front of the building. Every once and a while Tony would warn them against an approaching security officer and they would veer slightly off course before continuing on. It wasn't actually until they were a few hundred feet away to the goal that they ran into any sort of problems.

Tony was just able to warn them before a man in a suit walked around the corner from the reception hall. He stopped short when he saw Steve and Natasha coming out from the darkened museum and Steve swallowed as a hard glint passed through his eyes. He wasn't security but he was clearly someone important. They were so close; they couldn't afford to have their cover blown now!

"Hey! What are you two doing back there?!"

Before Steve could even begin to stammer out an explanation, he jumped and stifled a yelp of surprise as he felt a cool hand slip under the hem of his shirt and up his back. Steve's eyes snapped down to find Natasha plastering herself against him, her other hand moving up to where his shirt collar had fell open when he had pulled his tie off earlier. He blushed red she reached up further and pulled Steve down into a kiss, every alarm bell in his head going off until she pulled away and turned back towards the man with a shy grin on her face. "Sorry, sir, we were just looking for a little privacy."

Steve just stared, unable to move and looking every bit like a deer caught in the headlights as the man passed a look between the two of them. Finally he scowled and waved an angry hand towards them, "Then rent a damn hotel room! That area's for authorized personnel only, get back to the main party!"

They did just that. Forcing life back into his limbs, Steve grabbed Natasha's hand and slipped passed the man, his face still burning. As soon as they were out of the human's sight, he dropped her hand and snuck a nervous glance at her only to see that she was trying to hide a smile. Steve relaxed a bit but shook his head as they all but ran back towards the front hall.

When they arrived, Clint and Bruce had already left and Thor was waiting by the front door. When the Lion saw them he gave a quick nod then ducked out the entrance himself. Slowly, trying to be as discreet as possible, Steve and Natasha wound their way through the mass of people who were just beginning to settle back down from the explosion of glass. The whole way Steve kept expecting to hear someone shouting after them to stop or to be attacked with one of those special weapons he had just seen.

It felt like it took hours to get to the entrance. But no one came for them. No one tried to stop them. Steve counted his blessings as he finally pushed the front door open and breathed in the New York City night air. It wasn't all that pleasant but for the first time Steve found it refreshing.

The SHIELD van was out on the curb waiting for them, the rest of the team piling in as Steve and Natasha hurried over. Tony was waiting outside and gave Steve a disapproving once over as he drew close.

"You have lipstick on your face."

And just like that Steve was blushing again. "W-what? I—" Steve scrubbed at his face with his suit sleeve.

Clint was laughing as he and Natasha climbed into the back of the van where Thor was already waiting. Tony scowled back at the both of them before batting Steve's hand away and wiping off the remaining smear of red. Rolling his eyes as he waited by the van door, Bruce waved for them to get in. "Tony! Steve! Come on!"

To save himself further embarrassment, Steve practically jumped into the van behind the beta Wolf. Once again in the driver's seat, Agent Coulson gave Steve a sly glance before turning on the ignition as Tony slid into the last open seat and slammed the van door closed behind him.

Turning around in his seat, Tony pinned Natasha with a stern glare, though the effect was kind of ruined as Clint continued to giggle next to her and Thor was grinning at the both of them. "I'm not happy with you."

Natasha raised a brow, looking entirely unaffected by Tony's glower. No one had to ask Tony to clarify. "Good. That's for putting this team out of service for two weeks."

Tony scoffed. "Like I did that all by myself."

"You were the noisiest about it."

"Mm…If I remember right, Steve was actually a little noisier."

Natasha gave him an odd look. "What? You were the one doing all the complaining."

As Tony smirked and raised his own brow, Steve continued to blush. Tony was talking about them in bed. The worst part was that Steve couldn't remember if the Panther was right or not.

But luckily now that he was in his normal frame of mind, Steve didn't have to dwell on it.

After all, there were more important things to think about now.

From what he saw inside, Steve knew now that Hydra was about to start something, something big. This wasn't just about protecting his territory anymore, or even just his city or the United States. Assuming the product Steve saw in that backroom was just a sample of Hydra's full inventory then they easily had the firepower to escalate this.

They could start a war, a war that could very quickly swallow up not just the nation but the entire world. A war between humans and Shifters with Hydra giving a select group of humans a way to easy eradicate their enemies. And Steve and his team, they were positioned to be on the frontlines. It was going to be up to them to make sure that Shifters and humanity alike came out on the other side of this unscathed.