Stark Tower, New York

It's a celebration of something-or-other, Maria's not totally sure what. Thus far, as far as she can tell it's basically an excuse for all of the Avengers and Darcy to get really, really plastered. Pepper had invited her for damage control and so here Maria was, sitting in the corner of the living room of Stark Tower watching as the Avengers consumed Stark's liquor cabinet, who's contents were probably worth one that one year of Maria's salary with hazard and overtime pay.

Darcy and Thor were going shot for shot (Thor actually seemed much drunker than Darcy, which was a feat unto itself.) while Barton and Stark were placing bets on something (Maria was actually pretty sure she didn't want to know what.). Pepper and Dr Foster were sitting in the corner, neither of them drinking swapping pregnancy and baby tips. Banner and Romanoff were off to one side, swaying gently to the music playing over the speakers, which must some how have been hijacked as there was no way Stark would listen to this at one of his parties if he had any say in the matter.

I wasn't lookin' but somehow you found me
It tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight.

Steve was standing off in the opposite corner looking equally awkward. She pushes down the completely confusing feelings that have been slowly growing inside her like a mould since the Day of Hell in the Amazon.

Oh, and nobody does it better

Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, darlin', you're the best

Screw it, Maria decides, they're both adults, more importantly, she's an adult who has grown-up feelings and it's perfectly acceptable for her to act on song that's playing fades away and Maria walks purposefully over to Steve.

Well you know that I love to live with you,

But you make me forget so very much.
I forget to pray for the angels
And then the angels forget to pray for us.

'Do you want to dance?'
'I'm not sure I know how.'
'Why not? My grandmother made sure all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins could dance before setting them loose on society.'

'I guess I never found the right partner. Well, that's not true, I found Peggy, but we never did dance.' Well fuck, Maria though, she was going to have to compete with the sainted memory of a ninety-something geriatric. Which is a completely ridiculous though, since Maria wasn't attracted to him at all, obviously.
'I guess I better learn at some point though. Would you mind teaching me?' Internally, Maria cheered.
'Sure.' She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a corner of the room, 'Okay, put your right hand on my hip.' After some deliberation Steve settled his hand on the curve of her waist in a way that made her cringe at the amateurgroping of the boys she danced with when she was a teenager.

Your letters they all say that you're beside me now.

Then why do I feel alone?
I'm standing on a ledge and your fine spider web
Is fastening my ankle to a stone.

Now so long, Marianne, it's time that we began

To laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.

For now I need your hidden love.
I'm cold as a new razor blade.
You left when I told you I was curious,
I never said that I was brave.

They sway back and forth, not even bothering with footwork and Maria thinks this might be the difference that her mother talked about between dancing and Dancing. And she wants to see where this goes, what will happen next, but she knows that will never happen because she can run into battle with the best of them but she'll never be able to ask a simple question.

After the song is over, by some mutual unspoken decision, they go over to the corner and sit down just as Thor threw Mjölnir threw a window. Sometimes, it was hard being the good guys, the responsible ones, in a group of self-destructive superbeings. But they'd take what they can get.