So after all that we are still no closer to finding these people?" Clint asked. Natasha and Tony had just finished filling everyone in on the events of the day and what happened to Chad Haynes. All the avengers and Ella were sitting around the kitchen table with a large selection of Thai food in front of them. The drive home had taken them longer than expected as they had to stop to get gas so Tony and Natasha stopped off at a nearby take-out to get dinner for everyone.
"No, we know more about the Lumia. They're scientists, a highly elite group by the sounds of it." Natasha argued
"Why would scientists want to kill the avengers? Aren't you guys meant to be on the same side?" Ella asked as she speared some vegetables onto her fork.
"That's the thing. I can't figure it out. Why would scientists care about the avengers? I feel like I am missing something and in the meantime they are getting ready for another attack against us." Tony fumed tapping his fork against his plate furiously.
"Tony calm down, we will figure this out." Pepper soothed placing a hand on top of his to stop the banging of his cutlery. Tony sighed in defeat, slumping in his seat.
"She's right. For now we keep our eyes peeled. Take extra caution with everything, anything seems different or out of the ordinary you call it in." Steve said addressing his team. Ella smiled; it was amazing how well the avengers had knitted together. In the beginning Tony had said they were all over the place but now they really were a team, a family. They weren't going to let this beat them, they were the avengers and they would fight back.
"Cap's right. I had these made up to help us communicate with each other," Tony said rising from the table to collect something from his jacket pocket. "It's a comms system, run by Jarvis. Keep one on you at all time, it goes in your ear and is virtually undetectable. It's a secure system so only people with one of these devices can access it." Tony explained handing one to everyone including Ella and Pepper.
"Hold on why are we getting them? We aren't avengers." Ella asked studying the little device carefully.
"You might not be avengers but both of you are part of this team now. We protect our own." Tony explained before turning to the other avengers, "Right guys?"
The chorus of yeses was really all that needed to be said on the matter, it was the Avengers way of accepting the two outsiders officially into their lives. Ella suspected Pepper had been accepted a long time ago considering how she pretty much was like a mom to the Avengers. Ella smiled at everyone, never before had she felt so welcome and happy and the only think she could think of was why didn't she come to stay with Tony sooner?
/
Ella strummed her fingers against her guitar strings humming along as she played 'Right Place, Right Time" by Olly Murs. She had woken up early that morning feeling refreshed and happy after the dinner conversation a few nights ago. She was so focused on the chords she didn't realise Steve was standing in the doorway listening, a smile on his face. Ella slowed the chords down as the song came to an end prompting Steve to move from his place against the door frame, coming up behind her to kiss her shoulder. Ella jumped before realising who it was, leaning into his embrace. She still couldn't get over the fact her and Steve were now dating. This incredible, beautiful, caring man was all hers. Ella placed the guitar down coming round the back of the couch to greet her boyfriend properly.
Steve smiled at her, placing a loving kiss against her lips.
"I thought you were training this morning?" Ella asked as Steve wrapped his strong arms around her. The avengers had really been on red alert since the day with Chad Haynes. Each one making sure they were ready for anything. Steve, Clint and Natasha all spent more time in the newly redecorated gym. Clint had been pushing himself more to get back onto his broken leg which was still healing. Tony and Bruce had spent most of their time in the labs but Ella didn't have a clue what they were doing down there. She suspected they were working on Tony's suits but she couldn't be sure.
"I was but for some reason I wasn't able to focus because my thoughts kept wandering to a certain someone." Steve explained nodding his head towards Ella, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
Ella giggled, "Nope, I can't say I do." She teased
"Oh really?" Steve asked before he began to tickle her sides. Ella tried getting away from him, laughing the whole time. How did he know she was ticklish?
"Steve..." She giggled as he continued his attack, laughing too.
Eventually he stopped letting Ella catch her breath. She smacked his chest playfully causing him to chuckle.
"So you don't want your present then?" he asked innocently.
"Present?" Ella asked. Steve smiled before withdrawing a small box of brownies from his jacket pocket.
"The world's best brownies!" Ella smiled remembering their first dinner together. She leaned up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek before taking the box from him. Steve was so sweet. Ella placed the box on the kitchen counter before joining Steve on the couch.
"I think we should tell Tony about us." Steve blurted out catching Ella off guard.
"Do we have to?" Ella whined, Tony had already proven his had an overprotective streak when it came to her and she really didn't want Steve to be on the receiving end of that.
"I think so. I'm serious about you, you're serious about me. He is going to find out eventually, he is the only one who doesn't know." Steve replied taking her hand, rubbing his thumb over it as he talked.
"Really?" Ella asked, and here she thought they were clueless to hers and Steve's relationship. Well other than Pepper of course.
"Yeah, I told Bruce when I said I wanted to ask you out, then this morning Natasha and Clint called me out on it." Steve smiled sheepishly. Ella laughed.
"I guess you're right. We should tell him, I just don't want him to freak out over this." Ella confessed
"I think he will be fine with it, I'm sure he only wants you to be happy. Besides, I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want and tuck your hair behind your hair when it falls in front of your face. It's not like we were trying to keep it secret anyway." Steve said softly, Ella heart beat harder in her chest.
"Well when you put it like that. I will tell him when he gets back from his board meeting. He is meeting me up here anyway to show me some program he is developing." Ella explained.
Ella reached up, her fingers ghosting along Steve's jaw. Steve felt his heart hammer in his chest at her touch causing him to lean into it. Ella kissed him passionately, both losing themselves in the kiss. Ella always felt like she was about catch fire whenever Steve touched her, even the slightly brush of his hand was enough for her to get butterflies in her stomach and her heart rate to increase. Steve loved how well Ella fit in his arms; it still astounded him how when he first woke up he had nothing and now he had a team, a family and her. It was almost like he was meant to be stuck in that ice, like he was meant to be here. Steve threaded a hand in her hair, deepening the kiss. Both were so caught up in each other they failed to realise the elevator door open on her floor.
"Ella! I need to you to..... What the hell!?" Tony demanded. The pair on the couch sprang apart as if someone had chucked water over them. Both looked at Tony with a guilty expression and both were blushing furiously.
Ella got off the couch, straightening her shirt, "Tony, I can explain." She started but was promptly cut off
"Explain what? Why you and Spangles are lip-locking on your couch? How long has this been going on?" Tony shouted
"A few weeks." Ella replied softly, this was not how she wanted Tony to find out about her and Steve. She wanted to get him calm first.
"Weeks! You have been dating for weeks and you didn't tell me?"
"Tony, you are blowing this way out of proportion, we were planning to tell you today. Steve makes me really happy; can't you just be happy for us?" Ella asked approaching Tony slowly.
"Happy for you! You're dating a man 70 years older than you. A superhero. He has enemies Ella, what if he can't keep you safe? What if something happens to you?"
"Something might happen to me everyday, Tony! Besides you're a superhero too so you're a bit late with that speech!" Ella replied
"Tony, I would never do anything to hurt her." Steve spoke for the first time walking over to the older man.
"And you, you were meant to be looking out for her not secretly dating her behind my back." Tony said, directing his rant at Steve now.
"It wasn't like we planned for this to happen. I care about her Tony." Steve replied
"Come on Capiscle! She is my baby sister; I'm just trying to protect her." Tony argued, Steve was getting angrier by the minute, he understood where Tony was coming from him he cared about Ella too.
"I LOVE HER!"
Everyone in the room froze. The statement hanging in the air for several seconds, "I'm in love with her." Steve spoke again, softer this time.
Ella stepped forward grabbing Steve's hand. She couldn't believe she just heard that right. Steve loved her? Ella was speechless, she had been in relationships before but never had anyone said they loved her. The pair stared at each other before Ella turned her gaze to Tony.
"And I love him." She said simply, meaning every word.
Tony sighed in defeat.
"I guess I can't argue against that." He muttered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you. You have to understand she is my sister, the only one I have. Promise me you will look after her?" Tony asked, his question directed at Steve.
Steve smiled, "I promise."
"And do me a favour, no PDA in front of me okay. This is still going to take some getting use too." Ella laughed at the statement while Steve looked confused.
"PDA?" Steve asked
"Public Displays of Affection." Ella explained, "Do you think he is going to be okay?" Ella asked as she watched Tony leave the room.
"I think he is going to be just fine." Steve smiled
/