ATLAS • W. MAXIMOFF

27 - *Spoke Too Soon*

Who was gonna tell them?

"Drinking at 19? Gasp, what would our dear captain say?" Tony mocked as he sidled up next to Ophelia. His arm thrown around her as he subtly glared at the men who ogled shamelessly at her.

"I fear the old man has given up on me." She replied theatrically, throwing back two shots of the amber liquid as the bartender slid them to her.

"Speaking of old men, why is everyone here more than double my age?" Ophelia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are we too mature for her?" Bruce asked humorously as he appeared at Ophelia's other side.

"You say mature, I say boring." Ophelia chirped, hopping off the barstool and leaving two indigent scientists.

Scanning the crowd of mingling people in front of her, the brawler could be excused for not wanting to party with people that could be her parents. But there were some old people she found fun.

"You have half the room giving you lovestruck eyes, Delacour." Thor boomed happily, holding two bottles of beer before handing one to her. "I'm surprised you aren't flirting your way through the room."

"Let's just say my standards have gone up recently," Ophelia replied, hiding a slight grin by taking a swing of her drink. "Not to say that there aren't some... very close contenders."

Her voice drifted as she caught sight of Clint having a conversation with the very pretty Dr Cho. The brawler's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before Thor's amused cough snapped back her attention.

"I won't do any flirting beyond the usual tonight." She said, collecting herself as her best friend raised his eyebrows at her.

"And the usual is?"

"My favourite super spies, of course." Ophelia teased, pointing her head at Maria as she talked to Tony and Natasha as she talked to Bruce.

"I'm telling Barton you said that." Thor joked.

"Ugh putain, I'll never hear the end of his whining." She groaned as the two separated; Thor moving to Tony and Maria as Rhodey appeared to regale them with a tale of his own. And Ophelia moving back to the bar.

Just her luck that she caught sight of Natasha behind the bar, with Bruce awkwardly trying to flirt with her and the Russian looking like she'd rather swallow the champagne flute in her hand.

"Oh, that is tragic." Ophelia giggled at the hopeless situation from the sidelines. She couldn't even muster enough energy to be jealous it was such a trainwreck.

Nat's eyes flickered above the scientist's shoulder to Ophelia as he shifted down, pleading silently to get her out of this conversation. The brawler knocked back her beer until it ran dry, placing the bottle on a side table as she moved to the redhead.

"Sorry Brucey, I need to borrow Nat for something." She announced, and without warning wrapped her hand around the assassin's wrist to drag her away. Paying no attention to Bruce's expression of confusion.

"I owe you one, Delacour." Natasha sighed in relief as they went out of earshot from Banner.

"Can I cash in for a kiss?" Ophelia cheekily asked.

"No, but nice try." Natasha teased back, throwing a smirk before she merged into the crowd of party-goers.

Despite offering, Ophelia wasn't all that sad at the rejection. A different pair of lips coming to mind when she imagined kissing someone.

"So, no Pepper? She's not coming?" Ophelia heard Rhodey ask as she swiftly joined the group of Tony, Thor, Maria and Rhodey.

"Hey, what about Jane? Where are the ladies, gentlemen?" Maria followed up teasingly.