I know it's been a while, but I have not had a whole lot of drive to write lately, plus POVs on TikTok have been taking up some time because I don't want to put them down. :D However, I got a sudden hit to write. I want to get this one caught up with A Spark for a Stark before I add a new story or work on my hand written fanfics.
Steve and Dalla got past their first hurdle as a couple, but what happens when an old friend shows up?
Differences in this chapter: Dalla joined Nat and Steve on the Lemurian Star.
Dalla had made a full recovery and started to do more missions with the Avengers. This night, she stood on the jet, getting ready and trying to listen to what the plan was but seeing Steve in his suit was giving her ideas, ones she didn't realize she was projecting to Steve.
Princess, pay attention, he said, standing straighter. Natasha saw it and smiled. Dalla took Steve's hand as Brock Rumlow told them the situation. Eldr sat on Dalla's hip, waiting to be drawn, but she wasn't allowed to use it unless she was on the deck of the ship. With some of the pipes containing flammable contents, it would be too dangerous for her to have the sword out below deck, and since stealth was the name of the game, flying in was out of the question.
Maybe when you stop looking so handsome, she countered, then I will stop visualizing my tongue running over-
After the mission, beautiful. The growl in his mind's voice had her clenching her thighs together, and the promise had her instantly impatient. Then we can taste each other if you want. But we have to get through this first. So, be a good girl for me.
Yes, Captain. Dalla's seductive tone had him fighting his own responses. As it was, Steve was trying to keep his little soldier from getting too excited in front of everyone.
"Dalla, Steve," Natasha said once they were alone, well, somewhat, "you two need to stop teasing each other so much."
"I can't help that he's so-" Dalla began.
"Do not finish that sentence. I don't need to know." Natasha chuckled.
"What? I was going to say handsome… delicious… my personal obsession…"
Steve sucked in a breath as more of Dalla's thoughts hit him, causing him to say, "Sweetheart, you are making this very difficult on me."
"Sorry, handsome," she said, getting her parachute on. "You give me far too many ideas in that uniform… and out of it."
"Same goes for you, princess." He pulled her close, allowing her to feel his growing desire. "Now, are you ready?"
"It's too bad we have no real privacy or time. I could show my soldier how ready I am."
Steve groaned. God, he wanted to just wreck her right then and there but the bay doors opened and both of them moved apart. It was time to work. Any flirting instantly stopped. The switch had been flipped. Natasha didn't know how they could go from making each other unable to focus to blocking out everything but the mission at the drop of a hat.
"You two need to teach me how to do that," she said.
"Later, Nat," said Steve as he jumped without a chute.
"Come on, La-la. He was 'worked up' just a second ago and now-"
Dalla sighed, "Romanoff, this is not the time for gossip. We have work to do. There is a time and place for everything, and once those doors opened, it was time to have our minds on the mission. Now, you and Rumlow get ready. I have to meet Captain Rogers on deck."
With that, she jumped. Natasha smirked. It was always "handsome," "beautiful," "princess," "captain," etc. with those two. But on missions, they always said "Agent Odinsdottir" and "Captain Rogers," as if they had no real affiliation with each other. Nat couldn't do that. Act like she barely knew the person she loved. It was admirable as it was unsettling.
Dalla landed on deck next to Steve, removing her chute in an expert fashion as began walking along the Lemurian Star. For a moment, Steve thought about how he would unwrap his princess from her uniform, but the look she gave him had him focusing back on their jobs. They began walking just as Natasha and Rumlow joined them.
"I'll start with the lower decks," Dalla said. "I'll work my way back up in case you need me."
"I'll look for Batroc," supplied Steve. "Nat, you secure the control room. Rumlow, you take care of the known hostages."
They all split up, Dalla and Natasha together for a time, but the former Widow just had to ask, "Seriously, how do you two do it?"
"Nat, focus," Dalla said. "Mission first, then gossip."
"I'm multitasking."
"Well, perhaps you should focus on one thing at a time instead. I will tell you this before we part ways." The women looked at each other. "Steve is always in my mind. He never leaves it. By focusing on the mission and not his very fine ass in that tight suit, I ensure he comes home safe. I don't like to see him hurt, and I know he feels the same way. If anything does happen while on a mission, we save it for after. When he comes back to me with even a paper cut, we argue over safety. But always, and I mean always, we put the mission first so that everyone can come home in one piece." Dalla smirked. "Besides, playing doctor is always fun when we get home."
Natasha returned the smirk and they went on their ways. Dalla didn't find any hostages, but she checked every room to make sure, moving as fast as she could and taking out enemies along the way. She kept everyone updated until she got up to the control room. She came in from one side just as Steve crashed through on the other side, knocking out his target, none other than Batroc himself.
"You know how to make an entrance," said Natasha to Steve before turning to Dalla. "You should take notes."
"What are you doing?" Steve asked as he and Dalla joined Natasha.
"Downloading data."
"This wasn't the mission."
"Not your mission."
"You should have told us, Nat," Dalla said.
"I just got it this morning," Natasha replied, standing and looking at the couple. "I'm already done."
"This is not how missions are done," Steve said in anger, grabbing Natahsa's arm as she moved to go around them.
"Then take it up with Fury."
Dalla looked over Steve's shoulder and saw Batroc stand, throwing a grenade. Dalla yelled out. Steve hit the grenade, grabbed Natasha, and jumped through some glass to cover. Dalla was a mere second behind, debris hitting her in the side.
Steve saw Dalla pull out some metal and he was pissed. Natasha was hurting and couldn't see the Asgardian.
"Okay," Natasha groaned, "that one's on me."
"You're damn right," Steve all but growled before going after Batroc again.
Dalla stood up, swaying as the amount of blood she was losing was already getting to her. Dalla held her left side, picking out any small bits of debris she could along the way, telling her that her injuries were many and that led to the extreme blood loss she was suffering from. At the same time, she pulled out a field patch and slapped it over the smaller, less serious injuries she had. Natasha stood up and put her arm around her friend, ignoring her bruised side. Dalla, however, shook her off.
"This is why you tell your team the whole mission, Romanoff," Dalla glared. "People get hurt or worse, die when you leave out vital information like this."
Dalla stumbled her way back to the deck to board the jet. The medical crew got her to a cot as soon as they saw her and began working on stemming the blood flow and hooking her up for a transfusion to allow her a chance to heal on the way back to HQ.
Steve returned with Batroc in custody. He made sure Batroc was secure in the holding cell before going to the main bridge of the jet. Rumlow brought the hostages and Batroc's men to the jet, but Steve only nodded in acknowledgement as he made his way through the plane. He saw that Dalla was receiving medical attention for the wound on her side that, thanks to her god blood, was already healing. Steve was instantly by her side.
"Hey, princess," he said.
"This one wasn't my fault so you'll have to find something else to punish me for, Captain," she said with a sleepy smile.
He kissed her forehead. "I'll wait until you are healed more before I do anything. I know it wasn't your fault, sweetheart. You rest for now."
"Stay with me?"
"Always."
Dalla closed her eyes, keeping a hold of Steve's hand. Natasha made her way to her friends as the jet began to make its way back to SHIELD HQ. She put her hand on Steve's shoulder, but just as Dalla had earlier, he shook her off.
Natasha said, "Steve-"
"Not now, Natasha," he said in a clipped tone.
"If you let me explain-"
"She will be going to the hospital as soon as we land, Romanoff, and that's on you!" His voice never raised higher than a whisper, but the bite was unmistakable. "Because you didn't let us plan better, because you didn't tell us about your little side mission, she lost a lot of blood in a short amount of time! You claim she's your best friend but look at her!" He put his head to her hand, hiding his tears against the cot. "I can't lose her. Not again."
"You won't, Captain Rogers," said the on board doctor. "We have blood waiting for her and we have a little here to help her survive until then. She won't die today."
"Thank God," he said.
"Fury told me right before we left, Steve," Natasha said, forcing him to listen. "If I couldn't get to the data, it wouldn't have mattered. I didn't plan on anyone getting hurt, least of all Dalla."
"You had time to tell us, Natasha. But you chose not to. I wouldn't have… she wouldn't…"
Natasha put her hand on his shoulder again, but he didn't move this time, just focusing on holding the sobs in. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. She may be a goddess, but she looks so fragile right now. I forget that she can still be hurt at times because she always seems so… indestructible."
"She is more fragile than you know. You may forget, but I never do."
"Not… fragile," Dalla mumbled in her sleep.
Steve looked up and smiled, moving some hair from her face. Dalla hummed happily. The rest of the trip was a quiet one. Steve made sure everyone and everything was in place but always stayed where he could keep an eye on his girl.