"Isn't it a bit… small for me? Or anyone…
Bella asked while holding the black neoprene clothing away from her body, reluctant to imagine herself inside that.
Natasha chuckled.
"It stretches", she said, taking off her red blouse, wearing a bra the same color and doing the same with her blue jeans. Bella looked away, embarrassed as Natasha could never. She didn't mind at all and it was necessary so Bella could feel free to do the same, allowing Nat to look for injuries to her body.
Naturally, Bella did as Romanoff thought she would. Encouraged by her partner's confidence Bella took her sweater off carefully, her muscles ached after having lost the fight to get release of the strings holding her tightly the morning before. She moved on to unleash her brand new boots so she could get out of her tight pants, leaving only in her black underwear set for a few seconds. She was quick to get one of her legs in the intimidating suit, hearing how Natasha did the same thing.
What the birthday girl didn't know was that, besides suiting up, Natasha was counting each of Bella's injuries she could lay her eyes on: marks on wrists and ankles, like burns from what she was sure were straps. At least they hadn't used chains. The superficial cuts on her arms confused her a bit, but she'll eventually decipher it . She had to count the bloodshot eyes and hoarse voice as well, but for everything else, Bella seemed fine. The inspected one finished zipping up the suit till her breastbone as Natasha was tying up her boots.
The Black Widow was biting the inside of her cheeks to avoid asking what the hell had happened when suddenly Bella looked up and her brown eyes met the green in Natasha's gaze.
"It was horrible. But I'll be fine" she said, smiling a little at the end.
The Russian spy couldn't see when Swan had discovered her intentions and blinked in amazement. However, she really wanted to pat her on the head. She was good.
A knock on the metal locker room door interrupted their exchange.
"Come in", Natasha ordered, still looking at Bella.
Coulson came in with a downcast gaze, fearing he would encounter some nudity, but Bella's hoarse screams made him look up in surprise.
"Are you coming to tell me what the hell is happening?". She greeted him, crossing her arms over her chest.
Before Coulson could answer anything, her friend continued to rant.
"Happy birthday? Does Fury think he's giving me a present? Why I am here? Why the hell does Fury want me to go to Germany? Don't you dare look at me all doe-eyed and try to soften me with whatever half-truth thing you have in hand Phil!
Coulson watched her carefully, speaking in a calm voice as he looked directly into her eyes, doing exactly what Bella told him not to.
"You already know".
"What did I just tell you?" Bella scolded him. Outraged, she continued:
"No, I don't know. And I'll tell you what else I don't know: driving one of those jets or fighting decently".
"But you will know when that damned Loki wants to play mind games on one of us" he said as he interrupted her.
Bella's posture was no longer defensive but she frowned, her silence demanding more explanation.
"Loki has in his possession a weapon ... which, like the last time, we could not understand. Or match. Thanks to that, he has taken control over one of our best men, Agent Barton. He has taken others too, we don't know what he wants them for.
Bella immediately looked at Nat upon hearing Barton's name. She had never met him, they were always in different places: Barton worked with the Tesseract and Bella was the object of work for other agents; buts he was aware of the friendship between him and Nat.
"You mean that thing you didn't want to happen is happening? She said quietly, incredulous.
"Yes, I'm good at my job, don't look that surprised. It happened earlier, but it doesn't mean Loki won. We are hopeful that if things get ugly, your presence will prevent other agents from ending up like Barton".
Natasha raised her eyebrow and Coulson avoided her gaze.
"I… I have no idea how to do that Phil," she admitted, defeated.
Coulson approached, smiling fondly.
"I'll take that bet as well", Phil winked at her.
A red light on the wall of the lockers indicated that they should leave, so Natasha moved quickly, being closely followed by Swan and Coulson, who walked silently to the deck.
Fury and Rogers stood at the jet boarding ramp foot, waiting. The vehicle was modern and had a 64 number painted on one of its sides.
Romanoff turned to look at Coulson and Bella before boarding.
"Say goodbye to Bambi, Agent Swan, it's time to go to work".
She immediately settled into the pilot's seat, commenting on some technical questions to her co-pilot.
Seeing that it was more of a reality than a joke, Bella didn't laugh. She took one last fearful look at Coulson, who instead returned an encouraging smile, and started walking up the ramp to board the jet.
Fury nodded as she passed his side.
"When you have to organize a rescue mission because of me, you'll see how wrong you are," she told him in a small voice, embarrassed in advance.
Steve was surprised to hear the disappointed tone in Bella's voice.
Fury acted as if she had told him about the weather.
"That's why you are taking the best soldier in history with you", he said calmly.
Steve felt his stomach tingle at the suggestion that he should protect her. Good humor invaded him and he took a breath, proud.
Bella, oblivious to Steve's subtle reaction, snorted, more sarcastic than sorry, and replied:
"What? Do I get to wear a star and stripes emergency whistle?
She laughed bitterly and got on the jet, positioned herself at a small elevation between Natasha and her co-pilot, just inches behind the line of their seats, olympically ignoring the side seats.
The Captain scowled at Fury, not understanding. The SHIELD director shook his head and dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Rogers nodded obediently and boarded the jet, holding onto the bars that ran over the passenger's head as they took off from the Helicarrier.
Steve, back in his uniform, felt comfortable in a way he hadn't since the forties. He was a soldier with a mission, nothing felt more like home than that.
Natasha told them it would take about two hours to arrive and gave them earpieces to stay communicated. Bella didn't see the need for her to have one, but she put it on anyway.
The sky darkened quickly as they approached the destination, leaving the jet in complete darkness except for the dash lights that dimly illuminated the faces of Natasha and her partner, generating intense electricity among the passengers behind, despite that one was standing and the other sitting. When the movements of the jet made Steve's thigh brush against Bella's shoulder, he squeezed hard on the bar he was holding on, fearing to leave the mark of his fingers on it.
Bella, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. She jumped a little every time the Captain's body touched her, both of their suits were tight so the contact felt a little more direct. For the first time in her life Bella found herself wishing for turbulence on a flight.
After the first forty minutes, Rogers sat next to Bella, smiling briefly at her when she turned to look at him between her lashes. Their shoulders were brushing and Bella regretted that the trip was so short. Steve seemed to read her mind.
"I don't recall it being so easy to go from one continent to another".
He had to speak a little louder because of the noise from the jet.
"Don't get your hopes up cap, it is not the most normal thing"
Bella leaned her head towards him, afraid that her husky voice would not be heard. When Bella's sweet breath hit his cheek, Steve found himself grateful for her hoarse voice. He turned his head towards her immediately, leaving their faces about six inches apart.
Rogers racked his brain for anything to say, just to keep talking while maintaining that closeness. His eyes lit up in excitement.
"Happy birthday", he whispered, stroking the words.
Bella hated her birthday, but at that point she would have agreed to have a birthday every day for the rest of her life just to hear Steve Rogers say it to her that way.
Bella cursed herself when she wasn't able to hold the intensity of the Captain's gaze, and lowered her head, blushing in the safety of the dark night. A simple thank you was heard whispering in the meantime.
Steve was sitting with his knees bent in front of his chest, being held in place by his strong outstretched arms. Bella brushed her right arm with her head, when she looked down, fleeing his gaze, and in the blackness of the night it felt like an intimate caress that warmed his chest.
Bella felt the same warmth and found the security to look into his eyes once more.
"Such a birthday party!"
Steve laughed happily and moved his shoulder a few millimeters to push her slightly, jokingly. But unknowingly, he touched one of the recent cuts that Bella had on her arm, causing her to wince.
"Sorry", he said immediately.
"It's okay", Bella smiled at him casually.
The electricity that Bella generated in him was dangerous and led him to make impulsive decisions that his body made without him being really aware of them. That was how he took her above the left wrist, gently lifting her sleeve, discovering the bracelet of burns that she had in that area, without really seeing it due to the lack of light. There was no need, she immediately tensed, she knew what he meant.
"Are you really okay?" He asked, frowning under the weight of concern.
Bella almost fainted when she saw those dismayed blue eyes staring at her deeply.
She knew the normal thing to do would be to get rid of his grip and answer that none of this was his business, but a current that passed through her from head to toe in his proximity took away all common sense she had left. She placed her free hand on top of Steve's, feeling a pleasant tingling in the pit of her stomach.
"Of course I'm fine. I have Captain America by my side, right?, she replied, smiling.
"Of course", Rogers seemed to swear, causing that tingling that Bella felt to spread to the rest of her body, reaching her extremities and going further. Steve felt a very real tingling in his hand and shook it, puzzled. Bella blinked in fear, looking at their still joined hands and quickly withdrawing hers.
Steve wanted to ask what the hell that was, but Fury spoke to him over the intercom, causing him to stand up immediately.
"Captain, do you copy me?"
"Loud and clear, sir", he answered seriously.
"Loki is hostile and has hostages, prepare to meet that".
"Yes sir" he said.
"Natasha, how fast can you get there?
Natasha, who was apparently also being part of the conversation through the headset, answered in her deep, seductive voice.
"Fifteen minutes".
Evidently, Romanoff didn't lie when it came to arriving on time. In fifteen minutes she made the journey she was supposed to have done in an hour. Bella felt like she couldn't hold onto anything properly to avoid going backwards because of the jet's new speed, so she standed up, but it wasn't a good decision. She had been embarrassingly dizzy, although she had to admit that the adrenaline from the confrontation she knew was coming was helping to push the discomfort away. The increasing speed of the jet had also created slight turbulence that was constantly unbalancing her , forcing Captain Rogers to hold her by the waist whenever her balance was compromised. As it turned out to be incessant, he kept his huge hand steady on her waist, pressing or pulling her to his side when necessary. Steve made a superhuman effort to stop thinking of Bella in that suit, that close. And in those boots.
The speed of the trip, the adrenaline that prepared his body for the fight and the intoxicating contact with Bella had him euphoric.
"We have a view of Loki", Natasha announced.
The jet was far and high, but it was possible to distinguish the group of people running, wanting to get away from someone.
As they got closer, they could see that the people had knelt, being surrounded by several identical men, all in strange clothing and an even more prominent head ornament. In the hands of all of them, a kind of golden scepter, with a curved tip inside which was a kind of energy center, blue and bright.
"Damn it" Natasha exclaimed.
"Wasn't he alone?" Roger said, reluctantly letting go of Bella's waist and leaning toward Natasha.
"One is him, the rest are mind games".
Bella, who only saw a very unique man looming threateningly over a group of defenseless people, said confused:
"What are you talking about? There is only one man there"
Steve scowled at her and Natasha rushed to reply:
"Tell us which one is the real Loki!
"The one with his back to the steps!" Bella answered quickly.
Romanoff opened the doors of the jet and the Captain jumped without thinking, hearing Bella's frightened exclamation in the air. He landed smoothly on the top of a nearby tree, swinging through the branches to reach the cobblestone ground and running to get there just in time to stop the Loki Bella had indicated attack.
From the jet, the young Swan watched him in wonder, as Natasha maneuvered her way down and into view. She pressed more buttons to deploy a weapon that exited from the underside of the vehicle.
"Loki, drop your weapon and surrender"
As soon as Loki moved the scepter, Natasha was already taking command to dodge the energy beam that the object emitted. Bella fell against one of the side seats, the ones with harnesses, hitting her ribs hard, but fascinated with her friend's skills.
The jet steadied back as Natasha complained about Loki's constant movement that made it impossible for her to shoot. Bella was back on her feet, watching in wonder and terror as Captain Rogers fought.
How had she not noticed those leggings before! Bella was monstrously embarrassed by the direction of her gaze, even if no one was seeing her.
Suddenly, an alarm began to sound as Romanoff frantically scanned each screen for the problem.
"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?" The question was heard from a man with a deep and funny voice, before an AC / DC song began to stun them. She sighed resignedly and turned to look at Bella, smiling.
"Now this will be fun".
On the way back, Bella found herself forming the strangest group of passengers in history.
Ironman, Captain America, a god and her . Wasn't that the start of a great joke? She wanted to smile at the ridiculousness of the scene, but she couldn't stop staring into the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. Loki was a man who looked in his forties, taller than the Captain, with shoulder-length black amber hair slicked back and whose face was absolute perfection. Bella had read the expression "beautiful as a Greek god" many times and it seemed appropriate to replace it with "Norse god".
Loki hadn't stopped looking at her either, smiling almost sweetly at her from time to time. He was sitting and tied to one of the side seats of one of the jet's walls and Bella had sat right in front, wanting to avoid standing in the area she was in before, since Steve and Mr. Stark were there and she had nothing to hold onto.
"Hey!" Steve growled at Loki when he saw him look that way at Bella, breaking the trance that those eyes had left her in. Bella blinked several times and saw Steve's head nod to her. She stood up immediately and walked to his side, looking flushed.
"Yes, the job offer is not what it used to be, but soldier and babysitter at the same time?- said Tony.
Steve looked at him without amusement, but Bella wanted to meet Tony Stark ever since Coulson had told her about him.
"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Stark," she said, smiling kindly.
Rogers saw the gleam in Stark's eyes, ready to mess with her again, and so he spoke before the words could leave Tony's lips.
"I don't like it" he said as he nodded towards Loki.
"That the prophet has surrendered?" Stark replied, still looking at Bella.
"I don't remember it being that easy", Steve suspected.
But no one was going to help him much that night, because Natasha spoke from the pilot's seat.
"Not that your memory is very reliable", she teased seductively, almost hiding the reproach in her voice. Almost.
Steve immediately assumed it was the incident with Bella from a few hours ago and felt the urge to reply that she wasn't very good at giving advice either, but he bit his tongue, embarrassed after all, and Bella spoke before he could say something.
The cockpit lights were on, so the full exposure of her blush made her more nervous so that when she poked her head over the captain and Ironman, her hand slipped off the bar she was barely holding onto.
"Natasha, the Captain has made amends even when wasn neccesary, don't be rude"
Bella didn't see her, but she could feel Nat's eyes rolling.
"I deserve it. It is inadmissible ma'am", he said looking her directly in the eyes, remembering how hurt those chocolate pits had been when she thought he did not remember her.
"Don't worry Captain. You probably had too much on your mind that day to pay attention to anything else. Isn't news for me either.
Steve stared at her blankly, tilting his head in confusion to keep her talking.
"I'm not the type of woman men turn to look at twice, you know", she joked without grace.
Stark shook his head sideways, as if in agreement with her, and Steve's blood boiled. Again, someone spoke faster.
"Clearly, men are idiots", Romanoff said, throwing herself to the side, turning her head to look her up and down suggestively.
Something as subtle as a sigh could make Bella blush, but Natasha's flirtations were commonplace for her, who looked at her amusedly and replied:
"Agent Romanoff, please. You are going to make me blush! Or worse ... get my hopes up".
Natasha laughed and turned to look at the sky once more.
"Define "worse"" she added without looking at her, lowering the tone of her voice. Before settling the issue, she messed with Steve again.
"Breathe, cap, breathe".
That sure made Bella blush.
"See? Future is beautiful" Stark said with a click of his tongue.
Steve took a deep breath, gathering patience. And trying to eliminate the image of the flirtation between the two beautiful women in front of him.
"Maybe you missed a thing or two in your time as a palette" Stark continued. Bella frowned at the comment. Stark spoke of it so lightly.
"Fury didn't tell me he called you."
"Yes, there are many things that Fury does not tell you" he answered, directing a quick glance at Bella, pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows, in an expression of false regret.
A slight movement in the jet caused Bella to lose her balance and place a hand on the Captain's back, clinging to the uniform. Steve grabbed her by the waist quickly but pulled her off immediately when he saw the unmistakable red on Bella's face. He was also self-conscious about the light above them. He missed the freedom the darkness gave him. However, she never let go of his back, burning him pleasantly where she touched him, transferring to him an unequaled sense of security. The effect seemed to be reciprocal, because suddenly Bella didn't seem so uncomfortable to be touching him in front of a stranger who couldn't keep her mouth shut. And a Norse god, not to be forgotten.
Of course, Stark noticed right away.
"Aren't you too young for him? Is it because of pilates? That won't change the numbers on his ID, you know that, right?" Tony said.
Rogers was analyzing how easy it would be to shut him up by pushing his head hard against the bar in front of him, but his back felt too relaxed to move and he tilted his head slightly, a little taken aback.
Suddenly, Bella felt the security to fight back, far from being subservient to embarrassment.
"I've seen the covers of magazines, Mr. Stark, it's good to see you are suddenly concerned about age differences. It speaks highly of your maturity.
Stark narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger at her. She was feeling Steve's back stiffen.
"Now I do want to know your name. I Like you, kiddo", he said fluently.
Bella felt the Captain's back relax under her hand and she smiled in amusement.
"For you, is Agent Swan" she said winking at Steve.
Turbulence from passing through a thunderstorm undid the moment.
"It appeared out of nowhere", Natasha said.
Steve saw the prisoner's unease out of the corner of his eye and was immediately on guard.
"What, are you afraid of storms?"
"I'm not a particular fan of what follows", he said naturally.
A thunderous crash on the roof of the jet caused them to unsettle. Steve took Bella's waist to position her behind him. Stark put on his helmet and opened the doors, earning the Captain's claim.
At that moment a huge man with a hammer materialized in the entrance of the vehicle, pushing Ironman with a hammer, which fell on the Captain, who crushed Bella. The strange man took Loki by the neck and they disappeared into thin air.
Steve was on his feet right away, picking Bella up and glancing at her quickly to see if she had hurt her.
Bella was just trying to process what she had seen as Stark and Rogers argued and chased after their prisoner.
"Now what do we do?" she asked Natasha.
"Boys.They will hit each other and then come back. You just have to wait. I told you they were all idiots."