Song: "Oxygen" by Winona Oak, Robin Schulz, feat. Wave Wave

*******

I drummed my fingers on my desk, staring blankly at the list I had scribbled out on a scrap of college-ruled paper. I dropped the pen and rubbed at my eyes, trying to focus. I looked at the list again. Written in bullet-fashion was a list with the title of "Shit In My Brain I Need To Solve".

• Relationships? What to do about Max? Easy- break up with his ass, but how?
• Wanda and Pietro- are they my siblings?
• Wanda and Pietro again- were they born with powers or did Strucker turn them? What does that mean for me? Does that make mutant blood a thing?
• Strucker and my scary desire to murder him (almost about 75% positive I will kill him at some point does that make me a bad person?)
• Why did killing that man in self-defense hurt me so much, but the idea of offing Strucker is hardly phasing me?
• I am an Avenger now, but what does that mean to me?
• Damnit why is Steve literally the sweetest man on the face of this whole earth? Like, who went to Build-A-Man Workshop for me? He's more my type than any other hook-up or boyfriend I've had in my twenty-eight years of existence.
• Therapy is maybe a good idea at this point.

I stared at the list incomprehensibly for several minutes before I picked it up, narrowing my eyes at the black ink of the ballpoint pen.

"Which one of you is the easiest to solve?" I murmured out loud. Max. Max is the easiest to deal with. Because the only thing I'm certain of is that I feel safe with Steve. I know he won't come home drunk off his ass, and I know he won't cheat- that it'd be nowhere on his radar. I know that he would stay with me, and he'd respect me because of how much he's already shown me.

I also knew he wouldn't do anything Max did to me, but I also knew Steve couldn't know about that.

A small smile touched my lips, then dropped as I looked up at myself in the mirror. My white hair was a mess and I began to smooth it out, ignoring the dark circles under my green eyes. The clock on my nightstand told me it was well past noon, now. If anything, I should be getting ready to go dress shopping with Tony.

I sighed and fixed my hair in the mirror, grabbed my lanyard and the tablet, then headed out of the room. I ended up finding him in the Lab again. He looked up at me as I entered and smiled.

"Hey, Avery. You ready to go dress shopping?"

I sighed. "If you really want to. I don't know where I'd be able to go, anyways, as I have wings and all..."

He waved a hand dismissively. "I booked a store. It's closed to everyone but me, Natasha, and two guests."

"Two guests?" I asked. "Who's the other one getting a dress?"

"Well, not a dress..." A voice said behind me and I turned around to see Steve had entered the room. He smiled at me and I returned it.

"Mr. Rogers needs to look dashing, too," Tony said with a smirk.

Steve looked slightly irritated, but he usually did when Tony was around.

Natasha entered the room and asked, "Are we ready?" She smiled at Steve and I.

He came up next to me and gently took my hand and I squeezed his hand back.

"Let's do this, then."

******

The shop was hot. It didn't make it any better as I was stuffing wings under a large jacket- a large jacket I had stolen from Steve. He didn't mind me taking it, merely telling me it looked good on me which caused me to blush like an idiot.

Steve and Tony were on the other side of the store, and I could hear them bickering every now and then, but nothing major.

Natasha was helping me find a dress, chewing on her lip as she sorted through them, moving aside hangars and wrinkling her nose at some.

I ran my fingers over some blue fabric and asked, "Have you done this before?"

"What? Going on a date?" She asked without looking up.

"No... shopped for nice clothes..." I admitted sheepishly. A part of me was worried I'd ruin one of the many fancy dresses just by looking at them.

Her features softened at that and she said, "I have, but just because you haven't, doesn't mean you aren't worthy of it."

I smiled a little at that and continued to skim through the dresses until I stopped at one.

I pulled it off the rack. The material was soft and silky, and a light blue. It was longer, but not long enough to be considered formal, I didn't think. It would reach just below my knees. There was a darker blue sash through the middle with floral patterns across it, and the dress was sleeveless.

I lifted it up to show Natasha and she gasped. "You're trying that on."

I couldn't help but laugh as she began to push me towards the dressing room.

I caught Steve's eye across the shop, and he smiled at me. I returned it, lifting a hand to him, but Nat had made sure I was in the room before he could see the dress.

******

I sat back at the compound as Natasha helped curl my hair. I wore makeup. Tony and Bruce sat on my bed as they watched Natasha pin back my hair.

"You two don't need to be here, you know," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

I wore the dress and a pair of golden heels to match the flowers on the sash and dotting the skirt. I wore a gold necklace and gold earrings. A pearl bracelet sat on my wrist.

"Pfft, Avery, I wouldn't miss that. It's also a fun distraction."

I rolled my eyes. "I bet it is." I wasn't sure if Natasha was aware of Tony and Bruce's project, so I didn't say anything. My friends' support meant a lot to me, but at the same time, I wish they weren't there. In a strange way, it felt... alien having this support from them.

"Avery? You ok?" Natasha asks, her fingers stilling in the braids she was making in my silver hair.

I shrugged, my wings sagging defeatedly. "I... I'm fine. I'm just... I'm not used to this."

I refused to let the tears come and ruin the makeup she had worked so hard to do for me, so I didn't say anything more, and I was thankful they didn't press me.

After a few minutes, Tony and Bruce left the room, wishing me luck on my date, and then Natasha left once my hair was finished.

I looked at myself in the mirror, then turned and picked up the soft shawl Tony had gotten me for over the dress.

A looked up as a foot scuffed the floor to see Steve in the doorway. His eyebrows were raised as he stared at me. "Avery... wow. You look absolutely beautiful."

I smiled and blushed at that, looking at his suit. It consisted of black pants, a white dress shirt, light blue tie, and a black jacket. He held a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome, yourself," I replied and smiled. "You can come in."

He stepped into the room and I moved closer to him and he handed me the flowers, leaning down to press a kiss to my cheek.

"Thank you," I said and my smile grew as he gave me the flowers. "Where are we going?"

"The roof. I set something up," he replied and held a hand out to me and I took it, giving his fingers a squeeze. "C'mon."

I smiled and followed him out of my room and let him lead me up several flights of stairs until we stopped at a door.

"Hold on, it needs to be a surprise," he said and moved behind me to cover my eyes with one of his hands as he opened the door with his other hand.

I smirked slightly. "Steve, how am I supposed to walk if I can't see?"

"I'll guide you," he said, and his voice was suddenly next to my ear. I felt my cheeks beginning to burn as his chest pressed against my back and his other arm moved around my waist.

I let him lead me forward, one hand gripping the bouquet of flowers, the other moving over his hand that rested on my stomach.

Soon, I heard the door behind me close, and I let him walk me onto the roof, my heels clicking on the concrete ground until they hit something soft.

"Alright, here it is..." he said and moved his hand to reveal a table set up on a rug. There were candles and string lights hung up, and in the corner were some cushions. On the table were two pizza boxes. I stared at it in shock, my eyes suddenly beginning to burn.

"And... yeah, I know it's not much of anything. I remembered you said you liked pizza from this place downtown, so I grabbed two. A cheese and a pepperoni. And then you said you liked lemonade so I made some, and then got those little umbrellas people use now," He gestured to a pitcher on the table, and then looked at me. "Oh, gosh, Avery, I'm sorry."

He moved a step towards me as my vision began to blur with tears.

"I'm sorry, you hate it, don't you-"

I cut him off by stumbling forward and hugging him tightly, my head dropping onto his chest. His arms moved around me immediately as he hugged me tightly.

I eventually calmed down and pulled away and he began to gently wipe my tears away. "Hey... talk to me..."

I grabbed onto his hands and said softly, "No one has ever done something like this for me before. I-I have never worn a dress this pretty, or worn heels or makeup, a-and I've never had someone pay so much attention to me to know what I'd like for a date and my favorite food. I've never been treated like this, and I-I don't know what to feel. It's amazing, Steve, and you are amazing."

He lifted a hand to my face and gently wiped my tears away and he kissed my forehead. "Avery, you deserve to have amazing things like this. They didn't see your worth, and they don't deserve to have any hold over you."

I couldn't meet his eyes. "Steve... I... I'm not who you want. I'm not good enough for you."

"And why is that?" He asks softly.

"I..." I felt my hands beginning to shake and he gently held them and pressed kisses to my knuckles and tears began to spill down my cheeks. "I'm used, Steve. I've been used. A lot happened to me before Strucker, and... I can't give you what you want anymore. There isn't a future with me."

He surprised me as he merely kneeled in front of me, still holding my hands and I looked down at him. "Avery, there's nothing about you that isn't desirable to me. You are not broken. You are perfectly beautiful. It would be an honor to show you how you should be treated, if you'll allow me."

I felt my shoulders begin to shake and I threw my arms around his shoulders as my knees gave out and he caught me, his hands sliding up my back as his face turned into my neck.

I pulled away and lifted my hands to his cheeks and leaned in and kissed him. He seemed surprised at first, and I almost pulled away, but his arms locked around me and he kissed me back.

I pulled away and our eyes met. I lifted a hand to trace over a faint scar on his forehead and said softly, "You are perfect, Steve Rogers. I don't know if I do deserve you, but you are absolutely perfect."

He laughed slightly and rested his forehead on mine. "Well, I'm far from perfect, but if I am to you, then that's all that matters."

I smiled. "You are. Come on, stand up."

I helped him to his feet and he kissed my forehead, his thumbs gently stroking over my cheekbones to wipe away my tears one last time before leading me over to the table.

We spent the rest of the evening talking about sweet nothings and eating pizza and drinking lemonade. We learned more and more about one another and bits and pieces of our pasts.

Eventually, he stood up and offered me a hand and I stood up with him.

"Do you know how to dance, Avery?" He asks.

I tilted my head to the side. "I don't know. I've never tried."

His arm circled around my waist as he pulled me closer to him, his opposite hand holding mine.

The hand on my back brushed against my wings for a moment and it caused me to shiver slightly.

"I can teach you," he says and nods to his shoulder. "Your other hand goes on my shoulder."

I moved my hand and rested it on his shoulder. Then, he began to guide me in a slow dance and music began to play softly from a small speaker to the left.

I had never experienced anything like it- dancing with someone under the stars. It felt like a dream. Everything about this felt... right. Even if I felt deep down that he deserved better, here he was showing to me just the opposite. Steve had always made me feel safe, but now, it was different. It was more... real.

And so, I danced with him under the stars to music from the 40's or even before playing softly on the speaker, and enjoying my time with the man that truly made me feel safe.

After a while, I ended up laying my head on his chest, exhaustion taking over, but not willing to move away from him.

"Come on, sleepy, I think you should head to bed."

"Hm, only if you join me," I mumbled and looked up at him to see his cheeks were tinging with pink.

I smiled and lifted my hands to his cheeks. "No, silly, I mean just cuddle. And sleep."

He raised an eyebrow. "You heard that?"

I tapped his forehead. "Telekinesis, darling."

He smirked slightly at that. "Darling?"

"Why not? I like it," I say as I folded my hands behind his neck and his arms moved around my waist. "Is it not good?"

"No, it's fine. I just... didn't expect it." He leaned down and kissed my cheek. "Let's head to sleep, Angel."

I felt my cheeks beginning to burn, but nodded.

I helped him clean up the roof and return everything to the basket he had, and we made our way down to our rooms.

He stopped at my door and I looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed my forehead and whispered, "Be right back, Angel."

I smiled as I watched him walk down the hall.

I closed it half way- but not all the way as I was still nervous about closed doors- and turned from it and ducked into the bathroom. I changed out of the dress and heels into a tank top and sweatpants, pulling on my fuzzy socks. I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I wiped away the makeup and carefully undid my hair.

I walked over to my bed and pulled aside the covers, grimacing in slight embarrassment at the scattered feathers caught in the sheets.

I began to collect them, feeling slightly grossed out by it when a soft knock sounded on the door.

I froze, a clump of feathers in my fists and my wings flared up. Steve poked his head into the room. "Can I come in?"

I nodded. "Y-Yeah! Come on in," I said and the door opened as Steve stepped into the room. He began to close it when I practically yelped, "Please don't close it!"

He paused. "Oh, I'm sorry." He left it open a crack and turned to face me. He wore something similar to me, but had on a t-shirt. His blue eyes honed in on the clumps of feathers in my fists.

"I-I'm sorry this is so embarrassing. My wings shed feathers when I sleep, and... damnit. Listen, it's just really embarrassing and I'm sorry about this I'm almost done cleaning it up."

His features softened as he walked over to me and gently moved his hands to cover mine. He gently pulled the feathers from my grasp and I watched as he studied them carefully, for some reason my face beginning to burn with a blush.

His eyes moved from the feather he held- about the length of my forearm- and scanned over my wings. He moved a hand to my cheek and I stiffened despite myself. He didn't move away.

"Angel, you don't have to apologize for a part of you that is absolutely beautiful."

I felt my eyes beginning to sting with tears as I whispered, "Steve... I... I don't deserve you."

He shook his head and merely stooped down and moved his arms around my hips as he picked me up.

I was surprised at first, but locked my ankles around his hips and moved my arms around his shoulders.

"Don't you ever say that, alright?" He whispers, holding me tightly as he pressed a kiss to my neck. A shiver went down my spine. "Don't you ever believe it, either, because there hasn't been a person here that has cared about and gotten to know me like you have."

He moved and sat on the edge of the bed, his arms still locked around me. "You've gotten up when you didn't want to just to go run and train with me. You helped me understand things when others made jokes. You offered me ideas for tv shows and movies to watch, and even talked me into sneaking out to try some Chinese take out. You've always been there for me, Avery, and I want you to understand how much you mean to me."

I shifted to meet his eyes, my hands lifting to his cheeks. "And I will always be there, Steve, I promise."

He smiled and I leaned down and kissed him again. His arms slid up my back and he kissed me back. I moved my hands into his hair, holding him closer.

He pulled away, then met my eyes and said softly, "You have me, Avery. I'm all yours, my angel."

I pressed a kiss to his temple as his eyes fluttered closed and whispered back, "And I'm all yours, darling."