Make You Feel My Love
~Book III~

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers nor do I own the plot of Age of Ultron. All rights go to Marvel.
All I do own are my own characters and their stories.

~Chapter 8~
Revels

The snow creaked underneath of their boots as they jogged through the forest and towards the facility. There were currently no more soldiers waiting to ambush them. At one point, a lonely guard had tried to attack them, though Steve had easily knocked him out with his shield before the two of them continued running.

"Clint'll be okay, right?" asked Maria suddenly as they passed the fences surrounding the facility.

They stopped running, instead moving forwards in a fast pace. Steve glanced at her, seeing the distress and worry mixed together in her eyes and the effort she was making to keep a serious and focused look on her face.

"Of course. Clint is strong," he replied before placing a hand on her arm, stopping her and turning her towards him. "It's okay to worry. But right now, we've gotta stay focused on the mission. The more we concentrate on getting the scepter, the faster we can get it and the faster we can get Clint medical help."

"Yeah…" breathed Maria, nodding her head slightly. "Of course."

Steve nodded his head once more, seeing the doubt on her face before letting go of her and continuing to move forwards. Maria stayed behind slightly before she followed him.

The facility looked abandoned both on the outside and the inside. The hallway they entered was dusty and completely empty of any indications that it was in use. Of course, that was what Hydra wanted people to think. Maria was sure that, wherever Tony was now, there were actual computers and things normally used inside of a facility like that.

"We're locked down out here," said Natasha's voice through the com-link.

"Then get Banner. It's time for a lullaby," said Steve, earning a look from Maria.

"You haven't heard it?" asked Steve, earning a shake of Maria's head. "A new technique Bruce has come up with to make the Hulk give him the wheel back."

"Oh…" was all Maria replied as they continued down the hallway. "That explains all the whispering she and Bruce has been doing lately. For a moment, I thought they were dating or something."

Steve chuckled; "Do you see Natasha dating anyone?"

"I see her dating Clint," replied Maria nonchalantly to which Steve chuckled again.

"Nah, their relationship is… different somehow," replied Steve.

Maria was about to ask him what he was talking about, when a guard appeared in front of her, punching her square in the jaw. Steve immediately reacted by kicking the guy, easily knocking him off his feet and through the doorway he had been hiding behind. Steve looked back at Maria who gestured to him that she was okay, her hand placed against her painful jaw. With an angered look on his face, Steve turned back to the guard. However, as he was about to render the guard unconscious, he stopped in the doorway much to the surprise of Maria as he had truly looked very irritated at the guard.

"Baron Strucker," said Steve, letting Maria know exactly why he had stopped. Quickly, she walked over to him, joining him by his side as the familiar chilly feeling took over her jaw, the pain going away again. "Hydra's number one thug."

"Technically, I'm a thug for SHIELD," said Strucker as Steve walked up to him, Maria crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, then technically, you're unemployed," replied Steve back, earning a smirk from Maria. "Where's Loki's scepter?"

"Don't worry, I know when I'm beat," said Strucker with a dry laugh. "You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope."

"We'll put it right under 'illegal human experimentation'," replied Steve sarcastically. "How many are there?"

Suddenly, from out of the dark, a woman appeared next to Steve. However, before he or Maria could react, she had managed to push Steve down a close-by staircase while Maria was thrown up against the wall. The woman's abilities had appeared to the both of them as a red fog and a strange, hot sensation had occurred on the spot where her powers had hit Maria. The faint pain from having been thrown against the wall before hitting the floor was not what Maria thought about. Instead, she thought about the strange, red color of those powers and how they had intrigued her.

As Steve ran up the stairs again, the woman used her powers to quickly move away from them, disappearing into the darkness again.

"We have a second enhanced. Female. Do not engage," reported Steve through the com-link. "Maria?"

"I'm fine," sighed Maria, standing back up. "Just done with this all."

"You'll have to be faster than that if-" with a roll of Maria's eyes, she punched Strucker in the face, causing him to fall backwards with a groan before he even had time to react to what she had done.

"You were saying?" asked Maria, earning a smirk from Steve who picked up his shield from the ground.

"Let's find Stark," said Steve, earning a nod from Maria.

"What about him?"

"Hydra'll deal with him and his failure better than we can," said Steve.

"Guys, I've got eyes on the price," said Tony's voice through the com-link, making Steve and Maria look at each other.

"Good. Grab it and head back to the Quinjet. We'll meet you there," replied Steve.

She was seated on the cot next to Clint, her eyes moving between his pale face and his wound, seeing the bandage becoming redder and redder the more minutes passed by. Thor walked past her, placing a hand on her arm to which she looked up at the Asgardian. He offered her a smile, a sympathetic one.

"It's not fair…" mumbled Maria, earning a confused look from Thor. "Why can I only heal myself? If I have to have this ability… can't I be able to heal others too?"

"I do not know," said Thor. "All I do know is that Barton will be alright even without your help."

He squeezed her arm lightly, and she forced a smile towards him as he passed them, walking over to the box that held Loki's sceptre. A cold hand was placed on her knee and she looked over at Clint, seeing him staring up at her.

"Hey, don't you dare start blaming yourself for this," he said quietly.

"I don't. I mean, you were being clumsy," she said, winking at him to which he rolled his eyes. "I'm just worried about you. This is a bad wound."

"Yeah, real nasty," he replied before shaking his head slightly. "I'll be fine. Relax a little. You look like you need it."

He removed his hand from her knee and looked at her pointedly, earning a sigh from Maria as she stood up from his cot, sitting down at the other side of the Quinjet where Bruce was sitting on the floor, calming down after the fight. He looked rather distraught, his headphones playing calming music for him. As he noticed her presence, he took them off, glancing at Maria slightly.

"You almost look worse than me," he said to Maria, causing her to look into his eyes.

She smiled before shifting so she too was sitting on the floor, next to Bruce. "Is it that bad?"

"Don't worry. It's been a rough day for all of us," said Bruce.

"How are you feeling?" asked Maria to which Bruce looked at her with surprised eyes before he let out a sigh.

"I'd rather not think about me right now."

"He helped us a great deal," replied Maria, offering him a smile. "You helped us a great deal."

"Yeah… But at what cost?" asked Bruce. "I'm just waiting for it to go wrong again. For him to lose control…"

"I know what you mean… There's a reason I didn't want to use a real sword anymore," replied Maria quietly.

Bruce grasped her hand, much to her surprise, causing her to look at him again. "If that ever happens… If you ever feel a pull to your old self, I have some tricks up my sleeves to gain control again."

Maria smiled, a genuine smile, as she squeezed his hand.

"So, have you given it to her yet?"

Steve looked up at the source of the voice, seeing Tony sitting in a chair by the controls, turned fully to Steve who was sitting close by Clint's cot, his elbows resting on his knees.

"You don't just give it…" replied Steve with a sigh, looking back down at his hands again.

"Well, no. But it's been weeks since we bought it," replied Tony. "No big plan for where you're gonna pop the-"

"Ssch," said Steve quietly, both men looking over at Maria who was talking quietly to Bruce, not even noticing them watching her.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Clint quietly, turning his head to look at Steve and Tony.

Steve sighed, running a hand over his face before he straightening up slightly, glancing over to where Maria was and seeing that she was still caught up in talking to Bruce. Slowly, he let his fingers edge towards the pockets of his suit's pants, unzipping it and retrieving a little black, velvet box.

Clint gawked slightly at the box before turning his head to look over at Maria, seeing her not paying any attention to anyone but Bruce, Natasha and Thor who all seemed to be having a conversation together.

Slowly, Steve opened the box, his eyes inspecting the ring inside of it along with the small diamonds surrounding the larger one in the middle. He smiled slightly before a frown took over on his face and he closed the box.

"Finding the courage to fight Hydra's goons is easy. But asking that one silly little question… That's some courage you need for that," said Clint, earning looks from both Tony and Steve.

"Man, sometimes I wonder if you've got some kind of secret life we don't know about or something," said Tony to which Clint chuckled.

"I'd never be able to keep anything secret from the great Tony Stark," said Clint to which Tony commented back again.

Though Steve blocked the two out, focusing on the box in his hands. He had been having it in his pockets for the past five weeks, having decided to ask her while he was away with Sam in search of Bucky. He had no doubt in his mind about whether or not he wanted to do it, though it was her answer that worried him. Of course they loved each other, but he was still insecure. What if she didn't even want to get married? He had heard that some couples didn't do that anymore.

"Hey, cap," said Tony, making Steve look over at him again, surprised to find a genuinely sympathetic look on his face. "She'd never say no."

Steve didn't reply, instead he placed the box back into his pocket, Clint and Tony exchanging a look.

"Hey, Banner," called Tony, earning the attention from Bruce and the others. "Doctor Cho is on her way in from Seoul. Is it okay if she sets up in your lab?"

"Yeah, she knows her way around," said Bruce, nodding his head.

"Thanks," replied Tony, before turning to the controls again, beginning to mutter some things before suddenly exclaiming; "Jarvis, take the wheel."

"Yes, sir. Approach vector is locked."

Maria watched as Tony walked over to where Thor was standing in front of the box holding the sceptre. Steve joined the two, watching it with his hands placed on his belt, standing stoically in a way that made Maria's stomach buzz with warmth along with a longing for him. A longing to hold him in her arms and sense his familiar scent.

She shook herself out of it though as Tony started talking; "It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but…"

"No, but this… This brings it to a close," said Thor, smiling widely as he looked down at the sceptre proudly.

"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for," added Steve, noting to everyone that is wasn't quite over yet. "I don't just mean weapons. We saw soldiers wearing Chitauri armor and those enhanced… I don't know about you, but I've never heard of anyone making enhanced."

"You can activate hidden mutant gens… But to actually add them to the DNA…" said Maria from her spot on the floor.

"Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard," said Tony before looking at Thor, directing his next question to him; "Is that cool with you? I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying, right?"

Thor nodded his head; "Yes, yes of course. A victory should be honoured with revels!"

"Yeah, who doesn't love revels. Captain?" said Tony, turning to look at Steve who looked at the sceptre seriously.

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and Hydra, so, yes. Revels," replied Steve with a little smile directed at Maria who smiled back.

Maria was laying on her bed, her pajamas on which consisted of a far too big, white, shirt and a pair of dark leggings. In her hands, she held a book that she was currently reading though her focus was not on the book at the moment. Her thoughts were on the previous mission she had just been on; on her father. He was gone now; disappeared out into the world somewhere. And although she doubted she would ever see him again, at least she didn't want to meet him again after what he had done to her, she still felt as though he was going to appear in her life again.

Her hopes of being able to talk to him and ask him about why he left had been crushed the moment she found herself strapped to that chair by him; Erik Dalton. At least she now knew why Zola had called her little Dalton. Though she still didn't quite understand why he had left her and her mother all alone; why he had chosen Hydra before SHIELD.

A sigh escaped her lips as her mind wandered over to the upcoming day. Although she was now done with the mission, Loki's sceptre was found and Thor didn't need their aid anymore, the upcoming day was not going to be much fun to her. It was the anniversary of her grandmother's death; the one day she always went to her grave. She had been distraught at the Quinjet when she thought she wouldn't be home before that very day though now that she was, she still felt distraught. It felt as though it was her fault her grandmother was dead even though she knew that the old woman had been gone the moment the stroke happened to her.

"Sorry," said a voice from the doorway, causing Maria to jump slightly before looking over at the source of the voice. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Steve stood there, wearing his pajamas. He hadn't bothered to knock on the door, seeing as they actually lived together even though Tony had given them separate rooms. Though he must've seen how far away in her own world she was and thought she wanted to be alone, which was the exact opposite of what she wanted at that moment.

She closed her book, shaking her head at Steve as she placed the book on the nightstand table beside the bed. "Don't apologize. You're always welcome here… That sounded sexual, sorry."

"Don't apologize," replied Steve, avoiding eye contact with her which showed his insecurity after he had said that even though his voice had been as confident as ever.

He walked over to the bed, sitting down on the opposite side of it and leaning his back against the wall. He looked at her, a soft smile on his lips as his eyes travelled all over her face, causing a faint blush to appear on her cheeks.

With a sigh, she let herself glide down onto her back, pulling the covers over her and stretching her entire body once before closing her eyes. The bed shifted underneath of her and as she opened her eyes again, she saw that Steve had mirrored what she had done, pulling the covers over himself as well and resting his head on his pillow. Maria smiled at the satisfied look on Steve's face as she propped herself up on one arm, turning to Steve and watching him as he looked over at her, smiling back at her.

"Maria-" he began, his voice sounding serious and she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. At least, she knew a few things that he could want to talk about, so she shushed him, shaking her head.

"Let's not talk about anything annoying now…" she said with a sigh, earning a nod from Steve. "Let's talk about how handsome you are."

Steve laughed at that, smiling as Maria placed her hand on his chest, shifting closer to him.

"That would be a short conversation," replied Steve, grabbing her hand softly, intertwining their fingers. "Maybe we should talk about how beautiful you are instead."

Maria giggled, earning a wide smile from Steve. "Now that's a short conversation."

His hand travelled up her arm, sending shivers down her spine, before softly travelling up her neck and stopping at her cheek, his thumb gently brushing over her cheekbone.

"I could talk about how beautiful you are all day…" said Steve softly.

Shifting even closer to Steve, the both of them intensely looking into each other's eyes, she let her hand that had been left to rest on his stomach, wander up to his chest. He was wearing a shirt, though she could feel every muscle through the thin fabric, a smile appearing on her lips as Steve blushed deeply at the affection she showed.

As Steve slowly and softly, used his hand on her cheek to guide her face closer to his, her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, the kiss they shared feeling needy and warmer than their kisses had done before.

This was normally the part where they would break apart, looking at each other and smiling before turning the lights off and going to bed. Though as Maria broke the kiss apart, Steve removed his hand from her cheek and placed it on her waist, bringing her closer to him before kissing her again. Her eyes widened slightly before she relaxed into the kiss, using her hand on his shirt to pull him over her, letting him hover over her.

"I love you," she said between kisses.

"I love you too," he replied before attacking her lips again.

I'm not going to write more intense smut then that. Mostly because it's a little awkward to write it down. I don't mind reading smut (hehe) but to write it always makes me feel awkward. Hence why all my stories are T-rated. Max.

What did you think of Steve wanting to propose to Maria? :D Where do you think he will do it? How do you think he will do it? Let me know! :)