Pound of Flesh

The Avengers are a bunch of assholes. All of them. For different reasons.

Somebody (fuck you, Natasha) thought that since Logan had come all this way he might as well stay for a while. And DJ is very aware that that had nothing to do with hospitality. This was actual proof that she found joy in others’ misery.

Bruce of course thought this was a fantastic idea, and enthusiastically pulled up an extra chair at the dinner table. Stupid scientist and all his important questions. Jokes on him- Logan’s not too big a fan of Q&A’s.

Tony doesn’t need much explanation on this account. One can generally imagine any scenario where an act of assholery has been committed and Tony has probably done it. But this time DJ walks into the room to see him pushing Logan down into a chair before taking his own seat. Leaving the last available space between Logan and Steve.

Without actually behaving like an asshole, Steve is probably the biggest asshole of them all right now. He’s just sitting next to her with this annoying insecurely jealous pouty face. And as much as she would be pissed if he was acting all ‘you’re mine don’t talk to him’, it’s worse that he’s respecting her independence or whatever, because he’s just attempting to be so understanding and she feels guilty for no fair reason.

She nearly falls out of her seat when she’s surprised by a balled up napkin hitting her square in the face. “Clint!”

“You were silently brooding,” he explains remorselessly. “I was just being helpful.”

“Yes, thank you. Let me show my appreciation by shoving my foot up your ass.”

Thor puts down the chicken leg he’s been gnawing at to give DJ a severely concerned look. “I am new to the traditions of Midgard, but I do not believe that is something many would enjoy. Perhaps it is also the wrong choice if you are wishing to get back in Steven’s good graces.”

“You’d think he’d start picking up some of these figures of speech,” Tony muses with equal parts amusement and disbelief. “Even Steve’s stopped raising his hackles at some of the more colorful phrases we’ve tossed out.”

“That’s because most of them are directed at you,” Steve mumbles under his breath, but Logan catches it and snorts a laugh.

“What? What’d he say?”

Bruce leans slightly over the table, eyes darting over Logan’s rigid posture. “Your hearing is phenomenal, and I’ve noticed your sense of smell is enhanced too. What about your sight? Is that effected by your mutation as well?”

Logan gives him a flat look, but stops short in responding when DJ runs a hand down his arm, curling her fingers around her wrist at the end of the caress. Steve sits up straighter in his chair and his own strong fingers grab her shoulder. The men exchange assessing glares, and if one of them happens to growl then no one can claim to know which it was.

“We should change the subject,” Pepper offers a little uncomfortably. God bless her and her limited comfort zone.

Clint’s eyebrows raise a fraction. “Why? Is there something worth hiding?”

“You don’t need to pry into everyone’s business all the time,” DJ snaps. “You act like SHIELD automatically demands everyone to hand over the keys to their soul.”

“There’s nothing wrong with caution.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with the occasional faith in mankind!” Clint’s chair jerks forward, trapping him painfully against the table. “Or don’t we count as mankind?”

Steve abruptly jumps to his feet, hauling DJ up alongside him. “That’s a bit of a leap. I think we all need to calm down before things get out of hand.” He casts a nervous glance at Clint, who’s pushing away from the table completely unperturbed. “I don’t think he’s being unreasonable. If we’re all on the same side, there’s no reason not to be open with each other.”

“It’s just a little alarming,” Logan begins slowly rising to stand flush against DJ. “To people like you.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Steve scowls, moving until DJ is sufficiently sandwiched between the two of them. On any given day she wouldn’t really mind, but this situation just screams danger, danger!

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He uses the back of his hand to slip DJ out of the way, and her back bounces against the wall at the rough carelessness of the gesture.

Steve’s jaw clenches tight, and any professionalism left on his face is replaced by anger. “Watch it. You don’t get to shove her around like that.”

“She’s fine. Stop treating her like a little doll. She’s tougher than she looks.” Logan flashes a mocking smile. “And she likes things rough.”

“Logan!” She flicks her gaze worriedly at Steve, who’s clenching his fist. “Steve, stop it. Back off.”

“Me?”

DJ notices with a vague panic that Clint and Tony have disappeared, Natasha is looming not too far from Logan, and Bruce is keeping his distance as he monitors his heart rate very closely. “Both of you,” she snaps, trying desperately to pry them apart, but neither budge. “Logan. Logan, please.”

There’s a faint whoosh as an arrow sails through the air, and then a collective gasp as it’s stopped in its tracks by a pair of adamantium claws. In the span of just a few seconds Natasha is leaping for Logan’s back, Bruce wails and crumples to the ground in a shade of green, Iron Man barrels into the room the same time that Mjölnir crashes through the wall into Thor’s hand, and Steve and Logan turn to each other with raised fists.

DJ’s heart only has the chance to skip one beat before everyone is flying across the room in different directions. She doesn’t really have time to wonder if they’re okay, because her nose is bleeding and her body is approaching the floor alarmingly fast.
_________________________________________

When she comes to, the first thing she sees is Steve’s worried face hovering over hers. She can’t help smiling despite the killer ache pulsing through her brain. “Hey.”

“Daisy?” His features softened out in relief, and a large warm hand came up to rest on her cheek. “You scared me. I… I had no idea.”

She breathes a self-conscious laugh and tugs him down next to her on the bed. “Yeah, I told you exhaustion was a thing. Moderation is kind of important, but-“

“No, I- I mean yes. You should take better care of yourself, but I meant…” Steve trails off in awe. “I had no idea you were that powerful.”

A faint flush colors DJ’s cheeks and she has to look away. “I try to make a habit of keeping it on lockdown, but Logan… He gets carried away sometimes and he can’t help it. Instinct, you know? And I was terrified of one of you getting hurt and… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” His voice is hard-edged and she’s worried for a second that he’s going to throw the towel in and hand her over to Logan. “Don’t ever be sorry. That was amazing. You’re amazing.”

DJ practically sobs in relief, burying her face in the crook of his neck. “I thought you’d treat me like a freak. I was just waiting for you to realize that I couldn’t be normal and give up on me. And Logan, he’s been around so long that he doesn’t understand that things are better now. That people like me and him don’t have to isolate ourselves from the real world. From people. But he was getting to me. And I was so scared. I didn’t think I could take it if you… If you…”

“I don’t think I could give up on you,” Steve admitted in a tone of surrender. “No matter what you did, or do, or don’t. Ever.”

He feels her smile against his skin. “Even if you think I’m a whore?”

“I don’t.” At her doubtful look Steve curls an arm around her waist. “I don’t. That’s not why I… Um…”

“Refuse to consummate the relationship? Flee when the going gets good? Are totally not attracted to me?”

Steve rolls his eyes and shifts so that he’s on top of her, weight braced on his arms. “I’m definitely very attracted to you. But I was frozen for seventy years, and before that I was either fighting Nazis or smiling to get people to throw their money into the war effort. And even before that I wasn’t anything dames would look twice at. I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“You really are a fucking idiot.” She says it with such fondness that he can’t really find cause to be offended. “Steve, I could really care less if you’re the most virginal virgin to ever walk amongst this land of sin.”

“And I’m not like Logan.”

“No shit.” Seriously, was this supposed to surprise her? “If that’s what I wanted it’d be him in my bed right now. It’s not like me and him were actually dating, and I’m not after more casual sex. I’ve had enough of that. I’m after you. Because, like I told Logan earlier, I love you.”

Steve’s weight slowly settled against her, leaving no space except for the fraction of an inch between their lips. The look in his eyes forced all the air out of her lungs. He looked like he’d opened his eyes to the sun for the first time after walking through life all these years blind. “I love you, too.”

“God only knows why.”

“I’ll make you understand,” he whispers against her mouth. “Even if it’s the last thing I do.”

A hand traces down her side, making her shiver, until it twists up in the hem of her tee and tugs until the fabric is on the floor across the room. His lips close around her collar bone as she struggles with his shirt, stalling her even more when she arches up into him. Steve gasps into her flesh and DJ’s pants don’t make it to the growing pile in the corner without an eager rip down the front.

“Wait,” Steve pulls away, panting, as DJ fumbles clumsily at his belt. “You collapsed not too long ago. We shouldn’t.”

DJ doesn’t even pause for a half-second, pushing his pants down over his hips. “It was nothing serious. And don’t mother me, I know my limits. I’m fine. Fantastic.” And honestly, she was. She could sprint five times around the world she was so fine.

Really, she was just so ecstatic that this was one memory she didn’t have to share with a ghost. This night was hers and hers alone. And maybe years from now, long after Steve’s grown tired of her, her face will be the one he sees behind his eyelids as he lays beside someone else.
_________________________________________

Steve likes her tattoo. The black silhouette of a phoenix- wings raised in flight- on her inner thigh. He mostly likes the way she shuddered as his thumb brushed over it.

He can’t control the grin on his face as he sits down at the table next to Thor with a plate of breakfast piled as high as his. Clint peers blearily at him from beside the coffee maker. “You definitely have the ‘I’m thinking about all the awesome sex I had last night’ look.”

“Congratulations!” Thor booms slapping Steve on the back. “Regale us with the tale of your passions!”

“No.”

“Come on,” Tony strolls in and steals the fresh mug of coffee Clint’s just finished making. “At least tell us about the tattoo.”

Steve glares and feels only slightly mollified when Clint twists Tony’s arm painfully behind his back and takes back his cup. He focuses back on his eggs, trying to fight back the rush of heat from both embarrassment and remembering. “It’s none of your business.”

“I agree,” Natasha shows up to slip the coffee out of Clint’s hands before it makes its way to his lips. He doesn’t argue this time. “If she wanted you to know she’d tell you. It’s probably embarrassing.”

“It’s not,” Steve says a little too vehemently. “It’s beautiful.”

She scoffs as kicks her feet up on the table. “Well I’m sure you think so, but it’s probably one of those trite butterflies that young women today think makes them cute.”

“Nice try,” Steve notes disapprovingly. “Maybe try that on somebody who hasn’t seen you milk someone for information before.”
_________________________________________

When DJ wakes up this time it’s because a cool breeze rolls in over her skin. She groans and stretches and her hands feel over the sheets that are still warm from Steve sleeping curled up around her. Her eyes flutter open, stinging against the bright sun flooding the room.

The balcony door is open, which is unusual, but she figures it’s just something Steve’s done. She slides out of bed, wrapping the sheets around her like a toga, and pads outside. It’s almost too quiet- the sounds of the city relatively calm- as she glances around for Steve.

It’s empty. Almost. She stops when she catches sight of something small resting on the railing, inching forward only when she’s relatively certain it’s nothing that’s going to kill her. She picks it up, examining it almost numbly. One fresh flower. A daisy.

Logan bursts into her room, claws out by his sides. “I smelled-“

“Yeah,” she lifts the flower for him to see.

“Did he-“

“I didn’t see anything.”

“Are you-“

“I’m fine.” She sighs and crushes the daisy between her fingers. “I… You should leave”

Logan retracts his claws, but growls nonetheless. “No chance.”

“Aren’t you the one that told Steve to stop treating me like a doll?”

“This is different,” he reasons.

“Not really. I just… It’s too much. Too much past at once. It’s not like I’m alone in this. I don’t mean to say that I don’t need you, but I don’t need you. I adore you, but I don’t. I think I’d probably go crazy if you stayed. And I know you didn’t mean it, but you almost stabbed my friends.”

“Oops.” He doesn’t sound sorry. She gives him a sour look. “Fine. But I’ll be watching.”

DJ rolls her eyes, pushing past him to step back inside. “How ominous. Tell everyone I said hi.” She holds the door open and gestures for him to leave. “Oh, and if anyone else has any ideas of visiting, have them call first.”