Chapter Fifty One

She let out a soft moan as she felt someone stir. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when she found herself resting atop of Steve. Last night was still a little fuzzy, but she could remember moving to the couch during the New Year's Eve ball drop. Tony and the rest of the team had been gathered around them, and when Ada looked around, she noticed everyone else had left. Banner was the only one who'd stayed on the couch, though his head rested on the other armrest.

For a moment, a rush of panic swept through Ada as she imagined what would happen if Tony found out about this. She already suspected Jarvis would alert him. Ada looked back at Steve's sleeping form, aware that they were normally both wide awake at this time of the morning. The last thing she wanted was for Tony or anyone else to jump to conclusions.

She felt him stir, and blinked after trying to hide the furious blush that followed when she straightened up in the hopes of hiding the obvious. Her conversation with Natasha earlier the other night came rushing back. If anyone caught them now, she knew they would never let them live it down.

Steve only stared at her for a few seconds. His mouth gaped open as he tried to register what had happened. Within seconds, she saw his cheeks turn a whole new shade of red out of sheer embarrassment as realization dawned on him.

"I, uh, I didn't—"

"Steve, relax," Ada cut him off before he could find some excuse as to why they had been sleeping together on the couch. "For one thing, you can't get drunk, and for another, my father wouldn't have allowed either of us to get anywhere near that level."

She watched his face change multiple expressions before the flush returned to his cheeks. At that point, Banner was finally stirring nearby at the sound of their voices. She knew that Banner would have left immediately had he known something serious was going on. Instead, the doctor merely watched the pair in confusion after realizing that he wasn't alone.

"Did I miss anything?" he half-groaned.

He scratched the back of his head as Ada let out a sigh.

"No," both Ada and Steve said at the same time.

Ada glanced back at Steve, not missing the fact that he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Banner only tiled his head to one side, clearly aware that they were trying to hide something. She was grateful he hadn't said anything, though.

"We uh, were just trying to figure out what to watch in the morning," Ada tried explaining, though she knew it was a lame excuse.

Banner only rolled his eyes before shuffling awkwardly back to his feet.

It had been a long enough day, for everyone. With the rest of the team scattered in the Tower, most likely in their respective rooms, they were the only three out on the main floor. It left Ada feeling all-the-more embarrassed after realizing just how easily everyone could have over-portrayed what could have happened.

"I'm sorry," Steve sighed once Banner headed for the kitchen to make coffee. Ada glanced at him in surprise when she caught him rubbing his neck to hide his embarrassment. "I uh, was planning on heading back to my room, but you were fast asleep by the time everyone else left."

She blinked a few times when those words sank in. She remembered falling asleep a few minutes after they'd celebrated New Year's arrival. Though, she never realized until that moment that she'd fallen asleep snuggled against Steve.

The only thing she did recall was feeling how warm and comfortable it was sleeping next to him. Not for the first time, heat rushed to her cheeks at the thought. It took everything she had to hide her own embarrassment.

"Steve, you didn't have to do that," she murmured guiltily.

She knew how awkward it was for them. Between Tony's overprotective behavior and the media jumping to conclusions, dating was out of the question.

"I know I didn't." The answer came so quickly that she wasn't expecting it. Ada's eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, she was too dumbstruck to search for an answer. Instead, she simply stared at him for a few seconds until their eyes met. "If Tony gets angry, just tell him it was my fault."

His request was so sincere that she couldn't help but shake her head. She knew what Tony was like – if he planned on punishing anyone, it would be her. Besides, it wasn't as if they'd done anything crazy. She'd just somehow woken up in a precarious situation, and was suddenly thankful that she'd woken up before him as a result.

"Coffee's ready if either of you want any," Banner announced after checking in on them.

Eventually, the others had begun stirring from their rooms. They were slowly congregating into the kitchen where breakfast was served by Banner. Ada hadn't seen him drink nearly as much as Clint or Tony. In fact, she'd only seen him drink a small glass of champagne before calling it quits.

Tony and Clint were the ones who were fighting off the headaches that followed. The archer and the genius looked as if they were going to throw up just moments after Banner offered to make pancakes or waffles.

"You owe me fifty bucks."

Natasha's random statement earned looks of confusion from everyone other than Clint. The archer only scowled when she reached him. The smug look written across her face only added to Ada's confusion, until she pulled out her phone.

"What would you two make a bet on?" Pepper asked when she joined them, frowning as she noticed how disheveled everyone looked.

"Whether or not they would sleep together," Clint deadpanned with a loud groan.

Ada's eyes went wide with horror as she exchanged a knowing look with Steve. Tony's scowl said it all. She knew they were in for an earful once he recovered from his hangover. The worst part was, neither of them had been planning for a night like that.

Her mind began to race for a dozen excuses as to why they had been in that position in the first place. Somehow, she wasn't surprised that Clint or Natasha made bets. The two of them had known something was up long before Ada reached the same conclusion. Now, it was just a matter of hiding whatever she felt around Steve, which was easier said than done.

Why is everyone so hungover this crap? she wondered to herself, suddenly wishing a hole would open up and swallow her. Instead, she swallowed back the lump forming in her throat as she stood up and left before they could keep talking about the other night.

She didn't bother checking to see if anyone followed her as she reached the stairs. Her mind was already churning with anxiety as she headed for the gym, hoping to vent off her frustration.

Not for the first time, Ada found herself wondering if she ever even had a chance with Steve. Their jobs weren't exactly the easiest in the world. To top it off, she wasn't even human. Though they'd found common ground in some areas, it was painfully obvious just how different they were. She shook her head at the thought. Dwelling on it wouldn't get her anywhere. That was why she had focused on her training for so long, before the Avengers: Initiative started. Anything was better than the utter confusion she felt at the moment.

She let out a sigh after finally reaching the gym. A small part of her had always known that life would never be easy. As much as she tried pushing the conversation in the kitchen away, they kept rushing back.

"Ada, wait!" Ada narrowed her eyes at the sound of Tony's voice. Maybe he hadn't been suffering as much as she thought from his hangover. Whatever the case, she wasn't in the mood to put up with him. Though, she quickly changed her mind after spinning around to face him, ready for some snide retort. "I think we need to talk… away from the Tower."

For a moment, Ada was tempted to refuse the request when she saw the pleading look in his eyes. It was at that point when she realized Tony was actually being sincere. She'd rarely seen him that way, unless he knew that it was serious. One nod was all it took for Tony to gesture for her to follow him.

…

"I know you're probably angry over what happened, but if you're going to blame anyone, blame me," she sighed as they headed for Central Park.

She knew Tony didn't normally go out for walks unless it was with the team, or if it was an emergency. With the reporters constantly hounding them, she was surprised he'd jumped at the opportunity to walk and talk. This was a side of Tony that she rarely got to see.

"I'm not blaming you for anything, Ada," Tony reassured her with a knowing look. She opened her mouth when he stopped her from making a valid rant, "And I'm not blaming Cap, believe it or not."

Ada only stared at him in surprise when he said that. She wasn't sure if he was lying. After training with Natasha for a few years, she had gotten better at reading emotions. There were a select few who had mastered the art of masking their emotions, but Tony wasn't one of them. He was being serious.

"Thought you didn't approve of me liking anyone," she muttered crossly.

"What I don't approve of is anyone who sees you as nothing more than a trophy kid," he corrected her. Ada rose an eyebrow at that. She crossed her arms, hoping for a better explanation. "Look, I've always known that you're capable of taking care of yourself, especially around guys. My job as a dad is to protect you, though. And, when I see someone who can do just as good of a job at doing that, it kind of makes me a bit jealous."

It took a few seconds for that explanation to sink in. Ada stared at Tony for a moment, unsure of what to say as realization dawned on her. She knew that Tony had enough issues with Steve when it came to Captain America. They had finally begun to respect one another while on the field, and even outside of work. But, Howard Stark had constantly praised Captain America for everything he did. He never once considered how his praise would affect Tony, in the end.

By the time she was able to understand what Tony meant, she burst out laughing. The incredulous look that followed made it all the more hilarious. She had been bracing herself for whatever punishment would follow after Natasha's big reveal. Instead, Tony took her by surprise by explaining why he had been so against seeing them together.

"Dad, I don't think you have to worry about anything serious happening between us," she reassured him after finally catching her breath. Tony rose an eyebrow in surprise as she looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling sheepish, "Look, I don't even know if we're compatible, not to mention he's not interested in me… at least not in that way."

Tony drew in a sharp breath. Carefully, he placed a hand on Ada's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Even after all the fighting and constant arguments between them, it didn't stop him from trying to be a father. He cared enough to know when something was bothering her, and this had clearly been eating at her for some time.

"I've seen the way that man looks at you, Ada," he pointed out. "Believe me when I say there aren't too many people who can get away with that look without earning a black eye. He has feelings for you, even if he's being a stubborn ass about it."

She couldn't hide the blush that followed even if she wanted to. Was she really that blind? Truthfully, she hadn't even noticed. Yet, when she looked back at it, they had talked about it on more than one occasion before parting ways. Dating had just been put on the back burner because she needed to get back to the mansion and keep an eye on Tony.

Though, Ada never wanted to admit out loud that she was also terrified of taking things the next step. Between her fallout with Emmett and her lack of faith in herself, she wasn't sure what was worse. She didn't want to hurt Steve. He of all people deserved better, as far as she was concerned.

"So, what you're saying is, you don't mind if we start dating?" she asked cautiously, already aware that this was a testy subject for him.

She wondered if Pepper managed to finally get through to him. The strawberry blond had been trying to convince Tony that letting her do things that most teenagers her age did was a good idea. Getting to experience normal things every now and then was a good thing, especially since there was so much she had missed out on.

"Yeah, I guess so," he finally nodded, wrinkling his nose in disdain.

Ada merely smirked as she caught the look. Though he would never admit it out loud, she suspected he was grateful it had been Steve of all people who happened to be interested in her. If he was. She still didn't have proof over the matter, and some small part of her wasn't sure if she wanted that proof. As long as Tony wouldn't kill them over the matter, she wasn't too concerned over what would happen next.

AN: So I decided to take the chapter titles away since I haven't been feeling very inspired as far as titles are concerned... I highly doubt anyone would miss them as much, but I did label the different parts to the story. Since no one reviews, I figured it wouldn't matter too much.