A.N - Here there be smut. Ye be warned.

Disclaimer – I do not own anything you recognise. The Avengers and the characters therein, belong to Marvel.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Nadia came to consciousness by the feeling of lips on her neck. Her back was pressed up against Steve's chest, his arm draped around her waist and the smell of his aftershave lingering from yesterday. They were deep under the covers of their bed, early morning sun creeping in from the heavy drapes in their new room and she hummed in contentment. It was smaller than their residence in the Avengers Tower, with a large bedroom, walk in closet and a spacious bathroom. All the residents shared the large communal kitchen down the hall, which was a bitch when it came to deciding whose turn it was to do the dishes.

'G'mornin,' Nadia mumbled sleepily, turning over in Steve's embrace to face him. His blue eyes gazed at her tenderly, his blonde hair sticking up from sleep. His body radiated warmth, and she cuddled in close to him so that their noses were almost touching and wound her arm around his waist, squeezing him in an embrace. He leaned forwards, pressing a kiss to her forehead, both her cheeks, her chin and finally her lips.

'Morning gorgeous,' Steve greeted, leaning back in to kiss her softly. Nadia hummed happily against his mouth, which became insistent at her noise, rolling his body on top of hers and deepening the kiss. Her arms immediately pulled him close to her, one hand in his hair and another pressing against his lower back, running her fingers over his bare skin.

The kiss was deep, but unhurried, tongues battling sensuously. Steve's lips broke away from hers and moved to press hot kisses along her jaw and neck, stopping to suck the skin there and pressing his hips against hers. His arousal was evident and Nadia moaned loudly.

'Steve,' she gasped as he switched from one side of her neck to the other. Desire was coiling low and hot in her belly. 'I have to meet Wanda for training in twenty minutes.'

'Mmm, twenty minutes? Plenty of time,' he replied into her skin. His hands slid up her sides, drawing her shirt up as he went. Nadia huffed in amusement.

'Steve…I'm serious.'

'Me too,' He said, eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before he lowered his lips to kiss the exposed skin of her belly. 'I need to have you again, doll. I'm burning all over for you. Please, let me make love to you.'

She swallowed thickly, unused to hearing such lustful words fall from his lips. He never failed to tell Nadia how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, how much he desired her, but for Steve to say things like that was a new development that she definitely enjoyed.

'We went four rounds last night. Since you proposed you've been insatiable,' she remarked, breath hitching as he tongued his way over her abdomen and stomach, nipping at the band of her panties. She wasn't complaining whatsoever – to be so desired by such a beautiful, confident man was wonderful.

'You're the one who started it last night,' he reminded her, looking up and meeting her gaze with a glint in his eyes. 'Besides, I don't think it's wrong to desire my beautiful fiancée, especially when she moans my name so prettily.'

He had continued to lift the large shirt she slept in over her body, exposing her breasts and he leaned forwards, capturing one of her erect nipples in his mouth, sucking on it hard. Nadia's head fell back as she cried out, her grip on his hair tightening. She knew that protesting was futile at this point. He had wound her too tight with his actions and his words and now she needed release.

'I suppose we have time for one more round.'

Her legs came up and cradled his hips against hers and using her toes, slid his boxers down over his legs, leaving him completely naked. He didn't stop his attention on her breasts, his smile widening against her skin.

'Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from anything important,' he teased.

'So, I'll be a little late,' she gasped.

He quickly stripped her of her clothes, touching and kissing every section of newly exposed skin that he could. Nadia reciprocated, tugging on his hair, squeezing her thighs around his hips and dipping her free hand to stroke Steve's hardened length. He groaned her name as she touched him, and not to be outmatched, he slipped two fingers inside her, his teeth nipping at her neck and earlobe as he did so.

Nadia toes and fingertips started to tingle as her arousal climbed higher and higher. Steve's fingers, his wonderful artists fingers, knew exactly how to caress her, where to apply pressure and set a pace that would drive her wild. It was like he was painting her from the inside out, all careful, calculated strokes that would result in a masterpiece.

Her grip around his cock had tightened as she chased her climax, Steve's heavy breaths and moans indicating he wasn't far behind her. He was chanting her name in her ear, against her skin and the sensation along with his thumb brushing against her clit was becoming too much.

'Baby, you need to stop or I'm going to come before we get started,' he grunted harshly in her ear. But Nadia didn't let up, using her free hand to drag her nails from his hair, over the base of his skull and down his spine in the way she knew he liked.

'Fuck.' Steve swore, withdrawing his fingers from inside her. Nadia whined at the loss, but before she could do anything in retaliation, Steve had both of her wrists pinned to the bed beside her head, his forehead pressed against hers as he panted. His cock was pushing up against her folds and she arched her back a little, trying to pull him inside her, but under Steve's grip she couldn't get an angle. He hovered over her, their bodies brushing with every haggard breath they took, and she trembled at the feeling of her erect nipples moving against his hard chest.

'Steve…Steve please.' She begged, her thighs trembling. She was so close but she needed some kind of friction. Steve's eyes opened, their gazes locked and the room became charged with the electricity that crackled between them.

'Say it.' Steve murmured, voice low and sultry, watching her expression. Nadia was pinned under him, wet and aroused and so impatient for him to be inside her.

'I love you.' The words were out of her mouth before she could stop and consider if that was what he was asking her to say. She wondered for a moment if he'd wanted her to say something else of a more filthy variety, but it was a fleeting thought, because his eyes darkened and his lips parted, wonder filling his face.

Inch by torturous inch, he eased inside her and Nadia had to fight to keep her eyes open, locked on his. The eye contact between them heightened everything, and when he was fully seated inside her, Nadia's mouth fell open in a silent cry. The hands pinning her wrists slid up, wrapping around hers, and their fingers intertwined. He was still pressing her down into the mattress as he started to move inside her, but something about this made everything feel intensified. His pace was slow and deep, almost a grinding motion, but every thrust hit the special spots inside her. They kept eye contact for as long as they could, until he started to pick up the pace. Nadia's eyes slid shut as her head tilted back and her back arched, thrusting her hips in time with Steve's. His face dropped into the hollow between her neck and shoulder, sinking his teeth lightly into the flesh there and Nadia was thankful their hands were joined, because she dug her nails in as fire licked its way through her veins.

'Oh…oh…Steve, please.' She was moaning nonsense, but Steve didn't seem to mind. His own breathing was harsh, and he thrust a little faster. 'Yes…just like that…'

'God you're beautiful.' He grunted, 'Never want to stop.'

'No, don't stop.' She agreed. 'Don't stop, baby.'

'I'm so close…'

'Me too…oh…'

His pubic bone scraped over her clit and she lost it. Nadia cried out Steve's name, her toes curling as she thrust her hips upward, riding out her orgasm as white flashed behind her eyelids and pleasure settled into her bones. Steve thrust a few more times before he too followed her into bliss, his body shuddering as he moaned long and low into her skin. They lay panting for a few minutes, trying to catch their breath but making no move to change positions.

Finally, Steve lifted his head from her neck and pressed a soft, languid kiss to her mouth. Their hands were still grasped together, their legs tangled. His cheeks were rosy and there was a sheen of sweat coating his skin.

'That was…intense.' Nadia remarked breathlessly. Steve hummed in agreement.

They'd had morning sex before, in fact it was one of Nadia's favourite things. In her mind, there was nothing better than starting the day with an orgasm or two. Usually it was either slow and deep, almost lazy, where they took their time as they built up their pleasure. Or, there were the mornings where they were clawing at each other, desperate and hungry for release. What they had just experienced was a hybrid of what they had come to expect from their morning romps. Nadia was delighted to learn all the ways that she and Steve could come together, and this was no exception.

Steve glanced at the clock on the bedside table and then smirked down at her. 'And you still have six minutes to spare.'

Grinning, they separated. Steve collapsed back onto the bed and put his hands behind his head, watching as Nadia slipped her underwear back on and pulled her hair into a bun on top of her head, securing it with a hair tie.

'When do you think we should tell the team?' Steve asked, and she looked at him over her bare shoulder.

'I think they know we're sleeping together, Steve.' She replied, eyes roving over the view in front of her. His lips were pink and swollen, his blue eyes were bright and had that soft, sated look. Steve looked like he'd been carved from marble, all rippling muscles and smooth skin. With his hands behind his head in a relaxed position his arms looked lethal, and his abs flexed with every breath. He was still nude, his now soft cock nestled between powerful thighs and long legs.

'I meant that we're engaged, doll,' he corrected, amused. She dragged her eyes back to his face and saw that his smirk had widened. He'd noticed her staring at him and her cheeks flushed at getting caught.

'I thought we agreed to wait until things in Sokovia had cooled down a little.'

The media had hounded the Avengers and everyone associated with them for information about the battle in Sokovia. News outlets, politicians and government officials debated over their accountability, whether they were heroes or vigilantes for doing what they did. Tony had gotten the worst of it, as his involvement in the creation of Ultron had been leaked. He was more than taking responsibility for his part in the destruction, his company donating millions to the reconstruction and relief efforts. But in light of all the chaos, Steve and Nadia had decided that it would be poor form to announce such a happy development in their personal lives so soon after such violence and horror.

Steve nodded. 'It's been over a month, Nadia. Besides, I don't want to wait too long.'

She raised an eyebrow at him, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. 'No?'

'No.' He replied, shifting over to the edge of the bed where she sat and taking her hands in both of his. He lifted them to his lips and pressed kisses to her palms before holding her hands up against his chest, where his heart beat. 'I want to marry you, doll. I want to start the rest of our lives together. I want everyone to know that you're mine and I'm yours.'

She studied his face as he spoke, her chest constricting as emotion made her throat tight. Nadia swallowed and then nodded. 'Okay.'

'Okay?' he repeated, eyebrows high on his forehead.

'Okay. Tony is going to have a party on Friday night, sort of a house-warming thing. We'll tell everyone then.'

'Really?' Steve's face shone with happiness and Nadia couldn't help but love him even more. They had been keeping their engagement a secret for a while now, and she knew he desperately wanted to tell people and she wouldn't deny him any longer.

'Really.' She leaned forwards and pecked him on the lips before jumping up and heading for the bathroom. 'But now I really have to get ready.'

She rushed through her shower and brushing her teeth, shoving her hair into a ponytail and dressing in leggings and a loose t-shirt. She and Wanda kept their training sessions fairly casual, which she was thankful for right now because it would have taken her at least five minutes to put her battle suit on.

'Will I see you for lunch?' Nadia asked Steve, who was still in the bed when she was finished, but he had pulled his boxers back on and sat leaning against the headboard, his phone in hand.

'No, I'm meeting up with Sam. Dinner?'

'Sounds good.' Nadia said, unplugging her phone and sticking it into her pocket. She leaned over and kissed her fiancé one last time before darting out of the room with a 'Love you!' thrown over her shoulder.

She jogged down the corridor and into the communal area, which was deserted. She was meeting Wanda in the hangar bay to work on manipulating her powers to allow her to fly. She had gotten off the ground yesterday and hovered for a few moments, which had made Nadia tear up with pride. They were making quick progress and while the true extent of Wanda's powers still remained a mystery, Nadia couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with the young girl. They were really the only two people on the base, aside from Vision, who couldn't turn their powers on and off. Tony, Rhodey and Sam had their suits, Steve and Natasha were both enhanced, but were still technically human and Vision was an android.

Nadia came to an abrupt halt when she caught sight of who was standing in the corridor that connected the living quarters with the quinjet hangars. She hadn't seen Tony in weeks. He hadn't been around the compound much, claiming that he had business to deal with involving the tower and also the Stark Relief Foundation, but she knew they had only been excuses. He'd been avoiding her so well that Nadia was almost certain that he wouldn't speak to her unless he absolutely had to.

He was wearing faded jeans and an old band shirt, his boots well-worn and comfortable. There was a leather jacket slung over the railing next to the towering window and his customary blue glasses lay perched on his nose. His bruises and cuts had long since healed but he looked exhausted.

'Hey doc,' he greeted softly. Nadia just stood there, staring at him, heart pounding. She wasn't sure exactly what she felt.

'Where's Wanda?' She asked. Tony shrugged casually.

'I told her to take Vision into the city, help him acclimate to human society so that he'd stop talking like a cyborg.'

Her lips twitched into a smirk, 'He is a cyborg, Tony.'

'Technically he's an android.'

Nadia's smirk grew into an amused grin. 'Semantics.'

Tony pushed off the railing, standing up straight as he sighed. 'Times like this I miss Banner. Bet he's in Tahiti or something, getting a tan.'

'Why are you here, Tony?' Nadia asked, crossing her arms. It was weird that he'd sent Wanda off the compound just to speak to her, which meant that whatever he had to say was serious. Wanda wasn't exactly Tony's biggest fan still, and she had been dedicated to her training. For Tony to convince her to ditch and go off with Vision was telling.

'Thought we could take a walk,' was all he said, shrugging into his jacket. Eyes narrowed in suspicion, she followed him out into the aircraft hangar, the large gates opening up onto a tarmac landing pad and past that was green grass that melted into trees.

The new Avengers Compound sat on 100 acres of land, which was surrounded by private properties. The Hudson river flowed past the facility, a large driveway winding out of sight. The compound was made up of around twelve buildings, which included the living quarters, training facility, aircraft hangar, garage and research and development facility. It was designed for the Avengers to live and train in, but also scientific research, military training and weapons development. There was a swimming pool, screening room and fully functioning medical wing as well. Doctor Cho and Erik Selvig had taken up residence at the compound, alongside nearly fifty ex-SHIELD agents. Steve said that it reminded him of his old army base, but better.

Nadia and Tony walked the path that took them around the compound, the grass underfoot was crisp and green and the sun beat down on them. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

'I've been thinking about what happened with Ultron,' Tony began after a while. 'While I think I was right about the world needing a defence system that didn't rely on the Avengers, I know that I didn't go about it in the right way. I have to live with the consequences of my decisions, with the guilt, and I'm okay with that.'

Tony stopped then, turning to look at Nadia and taking off his glasses. 'What I'm not okay with is you hating me for the rest of my life for what I did.'

Nadia shifted her feet, frowning. This wasn't what she had expected when he asked her to go for a walk. 'You understand why I was angry?'

'Yes.'

She sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes for a moment. 'I don't hate you, Tony. When you created Ultron, I understood that you did it with the best intentions, and if it had worked, then everyone in the world would have thanked you, including me. I very much believe that if you had even for a moment suspected that Ultron would try to decimate the entire planet, you wouldn't have touched the technology with a ten foot pole.

'The thing that makes me angry is that you disregarded my concerns and opinions when it came to Vision. You were content to make the same mistake over again, and you wouldn't even listen. You always think you know what's right and refuse to listen to others input. You didn't just dismiss me though, you drugged me, knocked me out.'

'In hindsight not a good idea.' He admitted. 'But we were on a clock.'

She shot him a look and Tony shut up. 'We value your feelings, your opinions, your decisions, Tony. The whole team, because we value you as a person, even if we sometimes disagree. What you did to me tells me that you don't feel the same way, that you don't trust me, and that hurts like hell. Especially after everything we've been through together.'

Nadia felt a lump rise in her throat and looked away from Tony, spotting the small dock that was built next to the river. Slowly, she made her way over to it and sat down on one of the benches, Tony following her lead.

'You know, you remind me of my mother.' Tony said suddenly, and she snapped her attention to his face. His expression was carefully guarded as he stared out at the water, his hands deep in his pockets. 'She was a lot like you. Kind, caring, compassionate, sweet. But she wasn't a pushover, she knew exactly how to put my dad in his place, which was a hard thing to do. Sometimes I look at you and wonder…if I'd had a sister, I imagine she'd be like you.'

Warmth spread through her chest at the admission. For a while she hadn't known how Tony felt about her. He viewed her a team mate of course, possibly a friend. But to view her like a sister wasn't something Nadia had ever considered. Tony didn't trust people easily, but he clearly cared about her. She could tell just by the tone of his voice and the tension in his shoulders.

'You don't talk about them much,' Nadia said, voice gentle like she was scared of frightening him off with the topic of conversation.

'You don't talk about your past much either, Doc,' he reminded her. He turned to look at her finally, his dark eyes swimming with emotion. 'I didn't mean to hurt you, when I did what I did. You don't let people in, just like me, because we both had shitty childhoods where trusting will only lead to disappointment. I know what it took for you to trust me, and I broke that trust. I'm sorry.'

Nadia blinked. Tony didn't often apologise, mostly because oftentimes he was right, but also because he was a man who had grown up in a world in which there was a different set of rules, where money and power bought him immunity from most consequences. The fact that he was apologising to her was huge.

'Apology accepted,' Nadia replied. She'd had a lot of time to think about everything that had happened in Sokovia and the events that led up to it. Anger and resentment was poisonous, and she didn't want to hold onto it. She got to her feet and walked over to Tony, taking one of his hands in hers and giving it a squeeze.

'We don't tell you enough Tony, but we all care about you. We all love you. We aren't just a team, we're a family. And from what I've seen families fuck up, families fight. I forgive you for what you did…it was stupid and selfish but I know that at the time you weren't looking to purposely cause me pain. It's just…'

'Just what?' Tony prodded, his calloused hand still clasped in hers. Nadia sighed, frowning.

'I just don't think I can trust you. Not anymore. Not like before.'

Tony's facial expression dropped into the carefully blank one he wore when he was in public, the mask that stopped everyone from knowing what he was thinking or feeling. But Nadia knew him better than that and saw the disappointment and heartache that swam in his brown eyes. He studied her carefully for a minute and her heart pounded in her chest. Despite everything that happened she didn't want to lose Tony. She had already lost Bruce and Thor would be leaving soon and Clint was going into permanent retirement. He meant so much to her and it hurt to think that this could be the end.

Tony nodded once and dropped her hand, looking out at the river as it ran past. Nadia gasped when Tony yanked her close to him, his arms winding around her in a tight, breathless hug. He wasn't much taller than her, her eyes able to peer over his shoulders as he embraced her.

'I'll work on it, Nadia. I promise. I'll never do anything to jeopardise this again. I'll get your trust back even if it kills me.' He spoke with determination, his grip on her strengthening. Nadia felt tears spring into her eyes, the lump in her throat returning as she tried not to cry.

They held each other for another few moments until the sound of pounding footsteps carried close to them. They each stepped back, Nadia wiping tears from her cheeks as she gave Tony a wobbly smile, a giant weight lifting off her shoulders.

'We good, Tinkerbell?' He asked, and she chuckled wetly. 'What? Everyone calls you "Doc," but I think this is better.'

'Why Tinkerbell?' she asked, the footsteps getting louder.

'A Nymph is like a fairy, right?' He frowned and Nadia laughed.

'Not even close,' she giggled.

'But it's cute right?'

Natasha skidded to a halt on the deck, her chest rising and falling quickly after her mad dash down the hill towards them. Her green eyes were bright and her hair a little wild.

'I've been looking everywhere!' Natasha exclaimed, looking at Nadia. 'We have to go! Clint called – Laura's gone into labour.'

X

A.N - Have a Happy New Year everyone! Don't forget to review!